Small Reflections: generosity

Browsing a bunch of blogs brought to my attention these stories of the season to warm the heart and inspire Christmas "miracles" of the memorable kind. Reaching out to do for others enriches us all.

Melissa at Part of Everything tells of her active participation in Operation Santa in three parts ... here, here, and here. This is something I plan to do next year.

Talking Bear, at Sleepy Bear Hollow, shares a story of a co-worker's efforts to enlist assistance in transforming Christmas for 7 families this year, and Endlessly Restless left this link to a 2nd blogger's personal memory of being on the receiving end of a holiday miracle in a comment a SBH in response to TB's post.

At zena musings, Carla writes of her poignant experience working with her mother at the Hearth providing Christmas for women in need.

At her writing nook, Mary reveals her memory of meeting and providing assistance to an angel in disguise at Christmas time years ago.

May Christmas Spirit fill your hearts & minds
with peace, love, compassion, and joy
today, tomorrow, and throughout
the 12 days of Christmas
and into 2008

Hugs and Blessings to All!

Taking my lead from Carla today who used this idea in her Poignant post at zena musings, I've decided to consider this topic and write about it here. For some reason, I'm having trouble logging on to that post right now to create a link. Hopefully I'll remember to try again before publishing this, but should I forget ... Carla's Blogs are easy to find if you click on the Sacred Sunday button in the sidebar at Sacred Ruminations or the My Sacred Life button here at Small Reflections. If memory serves, she took this idea from another friend (Liz perhaps?) but good ideas are meant to be shared and this got me to thinking as I explored the Blogosphere today.

As a recent member of this "virtual" community, I'm often caught up in the "connectivity" aspects of Blogging, and wish I'd listened to my friends who have been telling me for years I belonged out here. It's nice to meet so many "virtual" friends. I've bookmarked more Blogs than I'd care to admit, and I look forward to getting acquainted better over time with as many Bloggers as possible, though I think I may need a new t-shirt with the message, "So many Blogs, so little time" :)

That brings me to my list of really good things ... connections with others ... including but not limited to the following:

1. I met some wonderful bloggers through NaBloPoMo and am glad I decided to participate in this annual event. The generosity of those who created and shared Award Buttons is wonderful. I've already thanked Melissa at Part of Everything yesterday in a post at Sacred Ruminations, but I'd like to recommend her Blog to all who pass this way. Her writing is clever, and she's linked up with some other interesting bloggers too. In addition, I'd like to once again thank Mrs. Fussypants for the "Blog, Monkey, Blog" badge and Subversive Cross Stitch for the "NaBloPoopedMo" badge both of which I snagged and posted here yesterday.

2. Next let me introduce Shawn at Letters to my Daughters who has done some wonderful "connectivity" by inspiring and highlighting many Bloggers after engaging them in two projects that I know of. One is called "10 Rules to Live By" and the other is "Someday I will ..." Like with NaBloPoMo, I've encountered some fascinating new virtual friends and am looking forward to getting better acquainted in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

3. Melanie at "Inspire Me Thursday" apparently has been doing this kind of thing for a long time, but I just discovered her Blog a couple of weeks ago. She suggests a topic weekly and people respond in a variety of creative ways about it on their own Blogs, returning to leave a link at Inspire Me Thursday. That's how I've found a number of artists whose work I've enjoyed and shared previously.

4. Julie at Using My Words does a monthly post featuring new bloggers, referring to them as a "Pledge Class" and I'm happy to have been included for November. Even more, I'm delighted to meet the other Bloggers featured there.

5. Finally, although I encountered many wonderful Bloggers and posts this past week, I commend to you these two by His Girl Friday at Wellied on Life, one inspirational and the other will make you laugh yourself silly.

So, that's my list of Five (Really) Good Things here at Small Reflections. I'm thinking of using the same idea for my Sacred Life Sunday post at Sacred Ruminations.

Reminder: You have until December 15th
to email me your answers to the
Christmas Carol Quiz