Warm Thoughts

Throughout the years, I have been aware of how much one can learn in our lifelong learning process when we listen to the children. Albert Einstein once stated, "Pay close attention to the curiosities of a child. This is where the search for knowledge is the freshest and most valuable."

Children are our spiritual mentors. They teach us so much by their questions, their answers and their lives. They are our master teachers. They do not judge you. They just like you the way you are. They love to be your helpers and are the greatest skill of comforters. We can learn humility from children, which can free us to be comfortable with our incomparable selves. I am reminded of the little boy who offered to do an errand for his grandmother. He told her, "I want to do it for you because you don't have many years left." He told it as it appeared to him - at the time she was 55 years old. Another little boy told his dad, "Dad, just remember the good things a little boy does." How often we say to the children, "later," however, the child will let you know that later means right now. Let's not put off until tomorrow the joys we can have now as we listen to the children. We lie in a world of instant coffee, fast foods, and crashed diets, but who is able to teach us about instant forgiveness, fast reconciliation and a crash method of forgetting grudges? The answer is our Lord and His children. Take time in your busy world to listen to the children.

Warm thoughts: It takes a village to raise a child. African proverb. If everyone would see children as master teachers, there would be less child abuse in this world. Have many warm thoughts for the children!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner

Published in the Marion Record January 15th, 1998.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

Happy New Year! This is the first column for the new year. Perhaps you have already been asked, "Have you made your New Year's resolutions already?" For me, it almost seems like a dream that 1997 is here already. As my thoughts on this new year is before us, I am reminded of the motivational plaque which declares, "Yesterday is but a dream. Tomorrow is a vision of hope. Look to this day, for it is life." Let's celebrate life!

As we look forward to this new year, I would like to share with us some warm thoughts from an unknown author: "A Prayer for the New Year." God of the years that lie behind us, Lord of the years that stretch before, Weaver of all the ties that bind us, Keeper and King of the open door. Grant us hope and courage growing, white and pure as the stars above. Grant us faith and full stream flowing from the heights of your eternal love. Out of the ruins of doubt and sorrow, out of the aches and pain and tears. Help us to fashion a new tomorrow, free from the anguish of blighting fears. All through the seasons of sowing and reaping, all through the harvest of song and tears, hold us close in your tender keeping, Oh Maker of all New Years. May you have blessings and abundance, strength for every way. Courage for each trail, gladness for each day. My wish to you in the new year.

A Warm Thought: When Henry Ford was 75 years old, he was asked the secret of his health and calm spirit. "Three rules," he answered. "I do not eat too much. I do not worry too much. And if I do my best, I believe that what happens, happens for the best." Have many warm thoughts in the new year!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner

Published in the Marion Record, January 2nd, 1997.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

Christmas brings us many memories. For me, Christmas is a season that is very dear to my heart. I want to live in the Christmas spirit all year long! Is it any wonder when you come to that little home on the prairie that you may get a cup of Christmas tea and a warm welcome? The end of another year is approaching very rapidly. It is hard to believe that 1996 will soon be history.

Mary Alred Baker has written some thoughts on the last day of the year which I will share with you. "The Last Day of the Year." The last day of the year has come. The earth lies quiet under a blanket of snow, nor shall it waken till it feels the tender touch of the returning spring. The seasons have followed the irregular pattern, though not one month, or even one day, is exactly like its predecessor. Now, like sheaves of grain, the months have all been gathered in, ready for the harvest. We have had the gift of the year now passing into eternity to join the countless years that have gone before it. We have known both its joys and sorrows and have possessed it fully. God holds the record of it in His almighty hand. The new year is a refreshing thought - it speaks of a new opportunity, a new beginning, a new start. Each new year is best entered when some fresh dreams have challenged the heart, when some steps of faith has been applied to plans, and when some consideration has been given to life's goals. An unknown author has stated that, "what the new year will bring us depends a great deal what we bring into the new year." As we think about that, may we profit from our yesterdays, have wisdom to live to the utmost our today, and the vision to cope with tomorrow.

Warm Thoughts: The past is my heritage. The present is my responsibility. And the future is my challenge. I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. Happy New Year!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner

Published in the Marion Record on December 26th, 1996.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

Recently I heard Terry Anderson speak at the University of South Dakota. Some of the readers of this column will remember the day he was released from the gloom of a Beirut prison four years ago on December 4th, 1991. Terry Anderson had been with the Associated Press in Lebanon when he was kidnapped and taken captive for seven years, or 2,454 days. He was chained to a wall in prison and lived at the uncertain mercy of his captors.

As I listened to his tremendously moving experiences, I thought about another prisoner, Dr. Viktor Frankl, who spent three years of his life in a Nazi prison camp. Dr. Frankl stated that "the only way to come through such torture is to maintain hope and have the will to live." There were times for Terry when life seemed hopeless at a most difficult time. During the first weeks he asked for a Bible. He was granted that request and had that Bible throughout those years of hoping to be released. He learned that the human spirit can reach beyond the bars of a prison, that the Spirit can never be held hostage. Nietzsche once wrote, "That which does not destroy me makes me stronger."

Terry Anderson today lives in a suburb in New York City with his wife and daughter. His book "Den of Lions" is an eloquently told story of his years spent in the den of lions. He was the last one of the prisoners to be set free. The recent events that have taken place in the Middle East have again touched our hearts. The grief is too deep for revenge and our hearts longing for that peace on earth that the angels sang on the shepherd hills so long ago. Shalom, the word for "peace" bears a meaning of something much more than a truce for more. It has to do with the nature of the heart. Peace can be experienced deep inside, it is a quietness, a stillness that is not easily shaken. Peace, sweet peace.

Warm Thought: For me, managing change quite literally meant survival. Terry Anderson. Have a beautiful December day filled with peaceful thoughts.

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by the Luetta G. Werner

Published in the Marion Record on December 7th, 1995.
Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, many people travel by air and land to visit family. It is a busy time, and often the stress and strain from travel and the social events can cause us to feel overtired. It becomes apparent that we need to focus on the reason for the season. In my travels throughout the years, I have noticed people relaxing while reading a book. It is one of the ways of finding quiet moments of relaxation. I usually travel with books and find moments to have some quiet thoughts from the heart.

Recently, a poem I wrote during some quiet moments was published in "The Best Poem of the 90s" by the National Poetry anthology. I will share these thoughts with you my dear readers of the warm thoughts column: My Bible and I. "We travel together, my Bible and I. Through all kinds of weather, with smiles or a sigh. In sorrow or sunshine, and tempest or calm, it's friendship unchanging, my lamp and my Psalm. We've traveled together, my Bible and I, when life has grown weary and death e'en was nigh. Yet through all the darkness of mist or of roam, I found it a solace, a prayer, and a song. So now who shall part us, my Bible and I? Thou sword of the Spirit, bid error to fly. And still through life's journey until my last sigh, we'll travel together, my Bible and I." The Bible is the most read and is a guide and roadmap in your travels throughout life.

Warm thoughts: "Whenever I feel sad and blue, and all my skies are gray, I read words from a wondrous book and drive my cares away." Ben Burrows.

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

Published in the Marion Record December 5th, 1996.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is Thanksgiving Day and many families will be gathered together to share thoughts on gratitude. Can you name at least seven things for which you are grateful? Do you believe in "Thank You" power in your life? The latest research on the impact of positive emotions in our lives is very interesting. The influence of gratitude is quantifiable, both physically and emotionally. Simply being thankful and making it a point to recognize those good things will positively change our lives. There is scientific proof that we will be happier, healthier, and better able to handle the stresses of daily life simply by saying, "thank you."

Warm thoughts on gratitude to always remember: 1. There are many powerful reasons for living in gratitude. 2. Gratitude is an unstoppable mindset for success and happiness. 3. The scientific studies are interesting, well documented, and very persuasive. 4. Living in gratitude opens your mind to being more creative when faced with challenges. 5. Grateful people focus more on the positive events from the past and do not waste time dwelling on the negatives. 6. Grateful people are more popular because they are a pleasure to be around. 7. We all respond positively to praise and encouragement.

I have been touched by the stories of people who have faced physical and emotional trauma and yet have found the strength to live in gratitude. The people who practice the power of "thank you" were able to turn a trauma into a positive not only for themselves, but for others as well. Always remember - we will be happier, healthier, and better able to handle the stresses of daily life simply by saying, "thank you."

More Warm Thoughts: "I thank God that I live in a country where dreams can come true. Where failure sometimes is the first step to success and where success is only another form of failure, if we forget what our priorities should be." Harry Lloyd Hopkins - Advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt. "Remember ever and always that your country was founded by the stern, old Puritans who made the deck of the Mayflower an altar of the living God, and whose first act on touching the soil of the New World was to offer on bended knees thanksgiving to Almighty God." Henry Wilson - 18th US Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant. And may God bless America and our world!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner

Published in the Marion Record on November 25th, 2010.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

Families throughout our country will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. That first holiday was celebrated by the pilgrims in 1621. Chief Massasoit and his braves joined with the colonists to feast after the first successful harvest. Together they thanked God for His goodness. I was very touched and thankful when I read about the efforts of one woman, Sarah Josephea Hale, to help make it a national, legal holiday. It is true that President George Washington as the leader of the nation, issued a proclamation in 1789 that November 26th be recognized as a day of thanks.

In the years that followed, it seemed many people were too involved going west and opening new frontiers to think about Thanksgiving. Some thought the high cost of turkey and feasting was too expensive. Then began Sarah J. Hale's campaign to influence the public as editor of a woman's magazine. She wrote many articles, editorials, and letters to governors, congressmen, and even the president pleading for them to remember Thanksgiving Day. She continued her writing campaign, and by 1859, thirty states had accepted the idea of an annual Thanksgiving. She still wanted the entire country to recognize a national day of thanks. It was in 1863 that President Lincoln issued a new proclamation calling for a national harvest festival on the last Thursday of November. In 1941, our Congress passed a resolution making the fourth Thursday of each November a national, legal holiday. As it was for the pilgrims in 1621, it is for us a day to gather with families and friends, thanking the Lord for his harvest and blessings. This holiday came about because one determined woman stood firm in her beliefs. A thankful tribute to Sarah J. Hale.

Warm Thoughts: There is a lot of thanks in giving. A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues. Cicero. Gratitude is the memory of the heart. John Baptiste Masslou. Happy Thanksgiving!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner.

Published in the Marion Record on November 21st, 1996.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

The holidays are approaching so fast. Already, I am receiving those holiday letters as I have a few friends who write their holiday letter about family in October. It seems that many people in this high-tech age no longer write those personal letters.

Donald G Mitchell once wrote: Blessed Be Letters. "They are the monitors. They are also the comforters and they are the only heart talkers. A letter is the warmest way to bid a friend the time of day. A keep in touch that brings the smiles across the very longest miles. And what a world of strength and hope is tucked inside an envelope, reminding loved ones that you are, at least in heart not very far. In no country state or camp, the wealth beneath a postage stamp. For memories that never age are written down upon each page. And though it's nice to telephone, one of the sweetest pleasures known are moments shared in thoughts we send that can be read and read again."

An unknown author wrote the following thoughts: The Letter You Did Not Write. "I meant to write I really did. Each morn I'd say, 'Today I'll get the pen and paper out and send that note away.' So many tasks. My day was full. The months flew swiftly by. Tomorrow I must write for sure each nightfall I would sigh. The sad thing is I really cared. He meant so much to me. He was the dearest friend I knew. How close he'd grown to be. But then the years came crowding in. Somehow, we drew apart. Yet I so often thought of him and kept him in my heart. But now I cannot write to him. He's gone. He'll never know how much he's missed. If you have friends, please write and tell them so. To old friends everywhere, if you will just sit down and write and tell them that you care."

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G Werner

Published in the Marion Record on November 12th, 1998.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

This is the time of year when some folks leave the prairie winds and go south for the winter. Folks down south who have permanent residence there will say, "The snowbirds are coming!" About the same time, the northern geese are going south too. Recently, I read that these geese are not going as far south as they used to go in past years. These geese flap their wings and fly south in a V formation. In the spring, they fly north and it is always a special time for us to learn some lessons from the geese.

We can learn about sharing leadership from the geese. When the goose in the lead gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose takes over at the point position. We can also learn from the geese to be interdependent and take turns in doing the hard tasks in a caring and sharing way. What happens when one goose gets sick or wounded? Two geese drop out of formation and follow him down to help and to protect him. They will stay with him until he is either able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, either with another formation or to catch up with the original flock.

As we travel throughout our journey in life, we may have many challenges where we need someone to cheer us on and give us that encouraging word. We need to stand by each other and care about each other in the good and also difficult times in life. We can learn from these northern geese, that when we share a common direction, and a sense of community, we can get where we travel on the thrust of one another. What are these geese communicating to us? We can learn many lessons from animals and birds as we go through many life experiences.

Warm thoughts: The highest wisdom is kindness. Talmud. Caring comes before sharing. Have many warm thoughts, every day!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

Published in the Marion Record on November 7th, 1996.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina

The month of October has been designated as "Clergy Appreciation Month." Many congregations throughout the country have expressed special thanks to their pastor and given honor to the pastoral ministry during this month. We have become more aware that the pastoral ministry makes great demands upon the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of the individuals that we call pastor. An unknown author has expressed as thanks in the following warm thoughts. "To our Pastor: God bless you for the work you've done in the service of our Lord. May His constant blessing be your well deserved reward as you meet the challenge of the tasks God gives to you. May faith and hope and happiness be yours in all you do."

I was impressed by some thoughts I once read about the church garden. It was planted with vegetables, not flowers. "The Church Garden. Four rows of turnips: 1. Turn up with a smile. 2. Turn up for church activities. 3. Turn up with a prospective member. 4. Turn up with a Bible. Five rows of lettuce: 1. Let us love one another. 2. Let us welcome strangers. 3. Let us be faithful to the commandments. 4. Let us faithfully worship God. 5. Let us give from the heart." The month of October is not over. It is still a good time to say thank you to the men and women in the parish ministry and missionaries who serve throughout the world.

Warm Thoughts: A church is a hospital for sinners not a museum for saints. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the present. Be happy and enjoy it. Be thankful. Have a great day filled with warm thoughts!

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

Published in the Marion Record October 24th, 1996.

Download the Found Photo Freebie and cherish your memories of the past.

Enjoy flipping through the Vintage Photo Book on your coffee table.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast episode! Please follow along on this journey by going to visualbenedictions.com or following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. And don’t forget to rate and review so more people can tune in! I’d greatly appreciate it.

Till next time,

Trina