Seasons of Life

Seasons of Life
(This is a story from a forwarded email that some of you may or may not have heard, but I wanted to share. It really spoke to my heart)


There once was a man who had 4 sons that he wanted to teach not to judge people too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third son in the summer, and the fourth in the fall. When they had all gone and returned, the father called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first described the tree as ugly, bent, and twisted; the second described it as covered with green buds and full of promise; the third son disagreed and described the tree as laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful! It was the most graceful thing he had ever seen!; and the fourth son disagreed further. He described it as ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The father then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen only one season in the pear tree's life. He went on to say that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. The essense of who they are, and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. And don't judge life by one difficult season.

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to harvest; a time to kill and a time to heal; and time to tear down and a time to rebuild; a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to grieve and a time to dance; a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to turn away; a time to search and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to mend; a time to be quiet and a time to speak up; a time to love and time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

As we are finally about to enter the beautiful season of spring, I pray that your life is full of promise and hope. However, if you are still stuck in "winter", take heart knowing that it is simply that-- a season. =)

McPIFP Goal for Week #9

Goal: Bless your Mail Carrier (Postman) or Trash Man

Leave something for your hard working Postman or Trash Man. This can be a note of thanks or blessing, a power/breakfast bar, a gift card to QT or Walmart or McDonald's, a new pair of warm gloves/socks, small amount of cash, etc.

Be creative if you want! And have a blessed week!

McPIFP Goal for Week #8

Goal: Count your blessings

So I need to apologize for procrastinating this week! And since we're already half way through the week, try to finish it out by counting a blessing each day. Think of something you're thankful for... food, health, family, friends, pets, etc. and thank the Lord or that person/thing for being who/what they are.
Have a good rest of the week! =)

(I promise I'll get this posted on time for next week's goal!)

McPIFP Goal for Week #7

Goal: Be an anonymous giver this week

Examples: when you're in line at QT, tell the clerk that you'd like to pay for the next customer's coffee/drink; when you're in the drive-thru at your favorite fast food restaurant, tell the clerk that you'd like to pay for the next customer's sandwich or taco or route 44; when you're in line at Starbucks, anonymously pay for the next customer's latte or coffee; leave change in the vending/soda machine for the next person to get a candy bar on you; or you can even drop a $1.00 or $5.00 bill where you know people will be around. You never know who might be around to pick that money up... at the very least, you'll know they smiled today. Who doesn't smile when they find money??? =)

If you're not able to figure out a way to do it anonymously, then that's okay, but please make sure you're paying for someone that you've never met before.

Let's pay-it-foward this week!!

And this is why I do this......

Below is an email that I received from my dear friend that I chose to bless for this week's McPIFP.

I will keep her name anonymous, but just to give you some insight.... she is one of my peers that I go to school with. She is a perfectly independent and happy woman, so it's not that I felt sorry for her, because she is not one to feel sorry for. She is content with who she is and will some day be an awesome teacher. She has a passion for children that I have only seen in a few of us, therefore making us form a unique bond.

I chose to bless her this week, because my heart felt led to do so. I know that she would've probably been okay to not receive anything from me for Valentine's Day, but I now know that her life was just a little bit more blessed all because I let her know that I was thinking of her.

I hope you enjoy. =)

I just wanted you to know how much the card and candy meant to me. I waited to open the card because I wasn't sure I wanted to with people around... so I waited unti I got in the car, and I was glad I did, since I got a bit emotional about it. Then I did on the way home, too. Then last night. But it's a good emotional--really!! The card is propped up on my microwave now, in a place where I'll see it a lot. The candy is there, too-- I'm making myself wait until Valentine's Day to eat it!

Thank you so much for your kindness and thoughtfulness. It's so easy to see how your students will love you, when you are such a caring person!

McPIFP Goal for Week #6

OH Valentine's Day..... ..... the day of L-O-V-E!

As you're celebrating the day of love (and the week leading up to it!), I encourage you to remember the ultimate example of true love... the sacrifice that has saved us all:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Many of us have been blessed to either have a significant other in our lives or blessed to celebrate the "holiday" with our families. But I am almost positive that all of us know at least ONE person who will be incredibly lonely this week and weekend.

Goal: Think of that one person and pray blessings over them; but not only that.... go out of your way to let them know you're thinking of them. Examples: a phone call, text message, send a valentine's card, invite them to lunch or dinner, etc. Let them know that they are not alone and that they are loved.

Speaking of love..... I LOVE YOU! =)
Have a good week!

McPIFP Goal for Week #5

The Blessing
John Waller

Let it be said of us
While we walked among the living
Let it be said of us
By the ones we leave behind
Let it be said of us
That we lived to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us
That we gave to reach the dying
Let it be said of us
By the fruit we leave behind
Let it be said of us
That our legacy is blessing for life

This day
You set life, you set death, right before us
This day
Every blessing and curse is a choice now
And we will choose to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us
That our hearts belonged to Jesus, let it be said of us
That we spoke the words of life
Let it be said of us
That our heritage is blessing for life

For your Kingdom, for our Children
For the sake of every nation

Goal: Simply be a blessing
Whatever you consider a blessing, focus on doing that for people this week. It can be anything big or small or in-between. Just choose to a be a blessing for life. =)