Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Praying and Helping



Hello, Friends,

 I wanted to post this card on my blog as a message to those in Texas who may somehow see this that they are in my prayers.  I mentioned it yesterday in my sunshine card post, but it bears repeating again.  We have seen a lot of the coverage on the different news channels about the damage done by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey.  It has been absolutely heartbreaking to see what these people have lost and the difficulties they are now facing.  Some have lost their homes, their workplaces, their possessions and as the death toll rises, people are losing friends, loved ones and pets.  

In all that sadness that I saw, there were also moments that brought tears to my eyes for other reasons.  On Tuesday afternoon, there was a gray-haired man, who I would guess was in his 60s, helping rescue people in his boat.  He said that until that morning, he and his wife had been staying home, like they had been told.  Now, though, the water had come to their house and there was nothing left to stay in for safety or to protect.  
After explaining their situation, his exact words were 
"so now it's time to get out and help."

For some reason, those words just struck my heart like an arrow when they came out of his mouth!  Due to water damage and mold this man most likely will lose his home and other possessions that may or may not be able to be replaced.  He wasn't focused on that today, though.  There were others in distress and he had a way to help!  He was smiling while he did it, too!  If I could, I'd love to give him a big hug and thank him for being such an inspiration to me and others who were watching tv as he was being interviewed.  

Can you imagine what a different world this would be if we all decided that now it's time to get out and help and then did it with a smile on our faces, no matter what we were facing, personally?!

I never once heard him ask if the people were Democrats or Republicans before he let them in his boat.  I didn't hear him ask anyone about their religious beliefs either.  Race didn't matter.  Bank account balances didn't matter.   Age didn't matter.  Nothing else mattered except the two things he already knew.  
    
There were people who needed help and he had a way to help them.  

Texas has so many needs right now!  Whether you can help physically or financially, they need it.  The financial burdens are going to be there much longer than the news cameras will.  

I pray that you, too, will be inspired by the man on tv and think of a way that you can help others.  Unfortunately, Texas is not the only state and Houston isn't the only community with needs.  I can guarantee wherever you live, there are people and pets who need help!  Whether you make a meal for someone recovering from surgery, listen to someone who is hurting, send pizza money to a college student or send a card just to let someone know you are thinking of them, I can tell you, those things will be remembered and valued!  I know, because someone has done each of those things for me and each of them still mean the world to me and make me smile when I think of them!    
  
I wish I could get out and help in all the ways that flooded my mind after hearing that sweet gentleman say "Now it's time to get out and help."  There's a lot I can't do, but I can still make cards.  So, I made this card to send to a lady in my Dad's Sunday School class who has been having some health problems lately.  I hope it reminds her that someone cares and is praying for her recovery!  It's not a lot, but every little act of kindness helps!  

This card was based on Papertrey Ink Stamp-A-Faire 2017 Take Ten Warm-Up Challenge which you can see and read more about here.  I chose this photo as my inspiration both for colors and stamp sets.

4 inspiration

Happy Stamping, Dear Friends!

Now it's time to get out and help!


I used the following products to make this card:

Beautiful Berries:  Spring and Graceful Greetings II Stamp Sets by Papertrey Ink
Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Enchanted Evening, Green Parakeet and New Leaf Ink Pads
Solar White Card Stock by Neenah
Spring Rain Card Stock by Papertrey Ink
Beautiful Berries:  Spring Dies and Noted:  Scalloped Die Collection by Papertrey Ink
Scotch Double Sided Mounting Tape by 3M



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Angela your blog post is so wonderful today, so heartfelt. I wish that everyone could see this post. You put a lot of your heart and soul in it.

Your card is so pretty and I love the colors you chose. I am sure your dad is excited that you are sending this card to a lady in his Sunday School class. She is absolutely going to love the flowers and that sentiment is so pretty in that font style.

Well done my friend on all accounts!

Chris R. from Iowa

merryf said...

such a lovely card -- and what a beautiful reason for sending it. Great version of the inspiration photo!

Kim Heggins said...

Simply beautiful card Angela...love your sweet flowers. So happy to see you back in blogland!

Cindy O said...

Angela, I'm happy to see all your cards and posts after these several months. It's a beautiful idea to honor Frank's memory by continuing your blog. This card with the berries and sweet sentiment is my favorite of your recent creations. Hope you'll keep on creating and sharing your thoughts!

Terri Trotter Earley said...

I really like your card. Nice job on this challenge.

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