Checkin' In With...: Pennies For Kind Words

Good Morning Everyone!
Have you ever had a day when you just could not shake that grumpy feeling? A feeling that follows you where ever you go, it leaps off you onto your friends and onto strangers?

Well, our words are powerful things and today we are going to talk about a little trick I learned in Bible Study (The Power of A Woman's Words by Sharon Jaynes) about how our words effect our life. And I have been guilty of this on many physically painful days.

How I do wish I could have used my words more kindly. And now I have a tool that can help me do this and I wanted to share it with you!

First of all, our words can build people up and our words can tear people down. What do I mean by that, you ask? Well, think about your life in a way that the words that come out of your mouth can be sugary sweet or they can be like a poison infecting everyone you talk to.

Now, for me, I like the sugary sweet words that I can help someone have a better day, or even a good moment. After all, how much more can a good word fill up the heart, where a nasty word depletes the spirit?

We are all faced with negatives every day. We look at the news, the paper, the internet and just can't get away from the way people in this world are getting hurt. Even the young ones are "bulling" online, in schools, in public. It isn't nice, it's mean and wouldn't it be better to encourage that person instead of bringing them down.

My case in point is the "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story", staring Cuba Gooding Jr., that I had the pleasure of watching this week with my dear friend Sue. We had just finished our Bible Study for the day and were looking for a good movie to watch. The "Ben Carson Story" is about Dr. Ben Carson, the world renown pediatric neurosurgeon, and how he came to be the man he is today; a brilliant Neurosurgeon, a loving Husband, a caring and nurturing Father, and a man running for President of The United States of America in 2016.

Let me begin by saying that we all have been cut down sometime in our life. People say, "That's Life." But does it have to be? I say, NO.

When Ben was a youngster in school he was picked on and bullied by his pears because of his grades in class. Ben's mother, Sonya, found out he needed glasses and his grades significantly improved. His teacher encouraged him to do better, but his mother was his driving force. She was not only kind and loving, she was supportive and she used her words to encourage young Ben to do so, not only what would get him by but to do more, be better than good. His mother's words built Ben up. Earlier in his life, Ben came to a challenge he struggled with, he heard his mother's words of encouragement in his mind telling him, "You can do this", "You can do this better". What a wonderful thing to say to a child, to an adult, to a friend, to a stranger. How about starting now?

So here is how it works...
Take five (5) pennies and put them in one pocket. During the day, when you say a kind or encouraging word to someone, anyone, take one of those pennies and put it over into the other pocket. By the end of the day, take out the pennies and see how you did. I guarantee, if you do this daily, in a few short days, you will see the world in a different light. I did and still do.

So today Sweet Friends, take your pennies and go spread kindness! You will not only lift up someone else, you will lift yourself up too. What a great way to spend the day! And for only pennies!!