Cute Animals

Thought you might enjoy a few cute animal photos. I put some captions, but would love to hear your suggestions. Which is your favorite?

Hi! Have a great day!

 

I love you!

 

Just needs a little drink.

What are you looking at?

 



 

Take time to smell the roses . . . er, daisies.



 

 



Magical Mea

Author Penelope Anne Cole has a new book that is just as magical as her previous one, Magical Matthew (see my post about it here). Mea is Matthew's little sister, and she has inherited the magical power her big brother had, but with a mischievous twist.

First Matthew and now Mea have the ability to fix things that are broken just by thinking about them being fixed. Matthew used his magical power to make things better and help others, but Mea has her own idea about how to use her powers. She finds it more fun to play tricks on people than to fix things.

As we follow along on Mea's escapades, the suspense and curiosity builds about whether she will realize what is the right thing to do. The story provides a good lesson for children about making the right choices as it entertains them.

Kevin Collier has once again added to the attraction of the book with his bold, colorful, vivacious illustrations which wonderfully capture the impish spirit of Mea and reactions of her family.

Magical Mea is available from Guardian Angel Publishing and Amazon

Be sure to visit Penelope at her Magical Blog!

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.