Imagine

 



Imagine if days never had sunshine



Or if the night had no stars or moon,



If books had no pages, pens had no paper,



Or if a song didn’t have any tune!

 

Imagine if rainbows had no colors



Or if a forest didn’t have trees,



If birds couldn’t fly, oceans were dry,



Or if with crackers you couldn’t have cheese!

 

 

Imagine if the sky was not blue



Or if the grass never turned green,



If fruit wasn’t sweet, we didn't have feet,



Or if no variety ever was seen!

 

If we imagine a world without beauty



It helps us to be more aware,



To give thanks and praise to God all our days,



Treat the earth with much greater care.

 

© Connie Arnold

 

Encouragement

Children need encouragement

to be the best they can be;

The impression that we have of them

is most likely what they will see.

We need to be always careful

about everything that we say,

Because the effect can make them view

themselves in a different way.

By always displaying our love for them,

being careful to never neglect,

We will help them to show their love for others

and treat them with respect.

Praising children for doing good things,

not nagging about each mistake,

Will help them to build self-confidence—

what a difference that can make!

Connie Arnold, excerpt of Abiding Hope & Love

www.conniearnold.webs.com

Sunshine Award

The Sunshine Award

Awarded to Connie Arnold
by

Susan Hornbach

Many thanks to Susan for this lovely award! Hope you'll pop over to her blog for a visit as well.

This prize is given to “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” As an award winner, here are some suggestions to follow for this Award.

Thank the person who gave this award in the beginning part of a post about it.
Answer the questions below about your favorite things.
Pass on the award to fabulous bloggers who bring sunshine into your life, link their blogs, and let them know
you have awarded them.

These are some of my favorite things:
Favorite Color – Pink
Favorite Animal – Cat
Favorite Number – 3
Favorite Drink – Orange juice
Facebook or Twitter – Facebook
Your Passions – Poetry, Music
Giving or getting presents – Giving
Favorite Day – Sunday
Favorite Flowers – Iris

The blogs I have awarded are listed below. Hugs and blessings to each of  these bloggers for 

their inspiration and sunshine shared! Hope you'll take time to visit them and be inspired as well.

Lenny Lee at Lenny's World

Hilary Melton-Butcher at Positive Letters . . . inspirational stories

Janet Sumner Johnson

Long Ago and Far Away

 Long ago and far away

Was a baby born in a special way.

The Son of Mary, so meek and mild,

Was also God’s holy, beloved child.

This humble birth in a cattle stall

Was a gift of love for one and all.

Not just for the rich, not only for some,

But for the whole world did this baby come.

God’s love like a bright and shining star

Is for everyone, whoever you are.

Jesus was born so this love we could see,

The greatest gift for you and for me. 

© Connie Arnold

Magical Matthew

Children are fascinated by things that seem magical, and Matthew certainly fits into this category in this delightful book by Penelope Anne Cole. Matthew has a special talent that many people would love to have. When something is broken, he just thinks about it being fixed and it is.

But although Matthew has the magical power to fix objects, he discovers he can't fix everything. His young friend Lily is in a wheelchair and can't walk. He wants very much to make that happen, but he can't. He soon learns a valuable lesson about what can be accomplished without resorting to magic and in spite of handicaps as friends work together for a common goal of helping others and making things better.

The bold and colorful illustrations by Kevin Collier add to the attraction of the story for children, who will likely be asking for this book over and over, enjoying Matthew's gift, thoughtfulness and the surprise at the end.

Be Thankful for Your Senses

Shout for joy, sing and rejoice,

be thankful for the gift of a voice.

Open your eyes, appreciate the light,

be thankful for the gift of sight.

Listen to others, lend them an ear,

be thankful for the gift to hear.

Give praise that you can feel so much,

be thankful for the gift of touch.

Smell the aroma of a rose,

be thankful for the gift of a nose.

Enjoy the blessings that come from above,

be thankful for the gift of God’s love.

© Connie Arnold, 2012

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving, and don't forget to be thankful for the good things in life, including your senses!

A Raccoon in a Rocket and Birthday Wishes

 This poem was written in honor of my blogging friend Lenny's birthday on October 20. Happy birthday, Lenny! Of course, I began it with a raccoon. Hope you enjoy the poem and have a terrific birthday!

Hope all who can will take a moment to pop by Lenny's World to wish Lenny a happy birthday and enjoy his great blog. Some things I like about Lenny and his blog are the sunshine he shares, enjoyable, fun posts, his knowledge about writing, his enthusiasm and willingness to share, and his sense of humor.

A raccoon and a mouse went for a ride

  with an alligator by their side.

They flew in a rocket to outer space,

and each of them had a grin on his face.

They watched the earth far below,

higher and higher they seemed to go.

They rocketed upward, mile after mile,

and each of them continued to smile.

The raccoon was obviously in command,

and only he knew what was planned.

Mouse and alligator waited to see,

and the whole adventure filled them with glee.

If you happen to see that rocket go by

with the raccoon flying way up high, 

you can be sure their adventure's not done.

Alligator and mouse are still having fun! 

Hope you are having fun too, Lenny! Blessings to you always!