Food For Thought...

                  Forget about yourself,
                     serve others!
                                     -Julie Garmon, blogger

I absolutely love the insights that women share with each other. Not to exclude men from this discussion of brilliance, however some of my greatest life lessons come from my soul-sisters.

These are women who are reaching out to learn more about life and faith. These dear souls are  blossoming into who God meant them to be.

Some of these women have been life-long buddies and friends. We have been through so much together and know each other backwards and forwards.

Other women are part of my family and extended family. They have been some of my greatest teachers.

Some of the women are former students (Hi Myia and Lynnae) or current students.

Other women I have never met personally, yet we are connected as if we had grown up together. We share an authenticity and vulnerability about our lives. We can talk about anything...parenting, careers, children, illnesses or God. Or all of the above in some cases. We often pray for each other.

When I hear from these women, or read their blogs,  it is like a warm, bright light comes into the darkness. They are truly angels whose genuine care and concern and love and prayers seem to keep me afloat, even when I am bailing from the life raft.

During this time of change for me, following Bert's stroke, they have stepped up over and over again to offer care, love and support.

And most of all, and what means the most to me, is that they are praying for my beloved Bert and for me.

What an honor it is to know that they come to the Lord God Almighty and whisper my name and Bert's name. They are faithful and trustworthy in doing this. What a gift to my spirit!

And they are on the four corners of the globe, these women...Washington, Montana, Minnesota, Georgia...all over.

Their life-lessons are life-changing for me!

These women share their "tidbits" of wisdom, food for thought as I have come to call it.

What's so fun and meaningful right now is that as the holidays approach, many of my buddies are sharing their memories of holiday traditions and meals.

Yesterday, Julie Garmon, a wonderful writer and faith sharer from Georgia, talked in her blog about Thanksgiving...all the fun, expectations and at times push for perfection.

I know Julie through a mutual blogging friend, Vicky Westra,, and when I have a moment to spare I love to soak in Julie's authenticity and wisdom. God's love shines through her words.

In talking about Thanksgiving Julie reminded me  that many of us have the perfect meal in mind, what the table should look like and how everyone should get along just perfectly. Some of us (I say, smiling) tend to put ourselves and others into a high stress mode in the quest for the perfect holiday meal.

Julie shared the story of  her young granddaughter having a tea party for her toys. The focus was all about simplicity and just being together.

And then Julie shared this line that blew my socks off. A "keeper" as we call them in my family. A "take-away" lesson that is simple and profound.

She said, in a Thanksgiving that captures gratitude and love, we should...

                   Forget about yourself, serve others!

Oh my dear Jesus, how I needed to hear those words.  It hit me that when I do this, serve others, it won't matter if the table is perfect or the gravy has lumps.

           True perfection comes from loving God and     
                                  serving others!

Julie said, so perfectly, that she learned from her grand daughter that what was truly simple (Thanksgiving dinner), she had made complicated.


Me too, Julie. Me too.

Thanks for this marvelous life-lesson!
Read Julie's message for yourself on her wonderful
blog:

           http://juliegarmon.com

And to that I say... Amen and Amen!!
God bless!
Love, Linda