Serve by Design

I have been eating Mars’ M&M’s chocolate candy for years! In every serving, I have enjoyed eating all six colors – brown, green, orange, red, yellow, and blue – of these delectable candies that “melt in your mouth and not in your hand!” However, those who know me best will tell you that I favor the blue ones most of all. My secret goes back many years until I was outed by some preacher friends with whom I met weekly in a small group. Imagine that?! Blue Makes Me Happy! During one of those meetings, a friend had spread a selection of M&M’s from his stash out on the table for the taking. I looked at the multiple-colored candies and immediately began to retrieve several blue ones and lined them up before me. This friend looked at me incredulously and asked, “What are you doing?” I answered sheepishly because by now everyone was staring at me, “I’m gathering the blue ones. They’re my favorite!” He said something like, “You’re crazy! They all taste the same!” From that day until ...

Our granddaughter, Eloise, has a beautiful and fun-loving sister, Charlotte, whom she adores! Charlotte is eight years old and prefers to go by the shortened version of her name, Char. She is the youngest child of her family and has lots of energy and cuteness! We have seen her in action at gymnastics demonstrations. I can personally attest to Char’s athleticism. She can sprint about “faster than a jackrabbit” in sandals and then kick them off and upward with unusual ease and force! 😊 "A child shall lead them" Char is a cheerleader for the happiness of others. At the end of the school year and the beginning of June, she went to work on her chalkboard easel. She creatively sketched a message with images that embrace the summer season. Then she carried the message board out to the sidewalk to encourage all those passing by her house. Sometimes, you’ll see a lemonade stand in front of a house, but this time, it was just a simple and positive message: “Happy June! Happy Summer! ...

It’s not always easy to find what you are good at and what you enjoy doing, too! Our two oldest grandsons, Brady and Ben, have had the initial experience of declaring a major now that they have completed their application processes to enter college in the fall. Brady has chosen business and Ben is thinking he will do a double major in biology and art. I think it is predictable that they will likely refine their choices. It’s been my observation that many young college students change their majors within the first couple of years of college! Image credit: picsgag.com I am watching with prayers and great interest, as the middle-aged guys of our family (the dads of those same new college students) have already moved through a few chapters of change in their own professional careers. Advancements often feel like two or three slow steps forward and sometimes… one or two steps backwards! The increased responsibility and pay are rewarding, but the adjustments to change in the workplace can th...