Last week as I taught Bible study, I thought I was getting a cold.
It is just this time of year, I told myself.
I will just go to bed early, I decided.
I will just sit on my favorite chair under a blanket with a cup of tea, I determined.

After my husband got home and we had dinner, I knew that going to bed was necessary.
I went to bed the same time my children did when they were small.
Something woke me up at 1:00 in the morning.
It was my son’s birthday.

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I recognized the scene.
I had the same thing happened to me many years ago.
Most mothers have experienced it.
It is exasperating.

A mother and her little boy were walking hand in hand.
They were going along just fine.
Without warning, the little boy went limp.
He just did not want to walk any more.

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I admit this past month I watched quite a few Hallmark movies.
I am generally not a TV watcher.
However, I enjoy watching something when I sit and have my cup of tea in the afternoon.
The Hallmark channel has been my go-to station.

One of my daughters loves the Hallmark channel.
She asked me to DVR many of the Christmas movies so we could watch them together.
There is only so much time to catch up on movies in your queue.
We watched a few together but the others, I watched by myself.

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It was a cold morning for a walk.
However, for me, a cold morning is my favorite kind of walk.
Snow was still on the grass from the first snowfall.
The plows and salt trucks had done a good job of taking care of the streets.

It was a quiet morning.
The sky was a wintry gray.
There was just a touch of orange where the sun was trying to break through.
The snow on the trees looked as if a painter had come along with a brush and some white paint.

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My church has a bookstore.
Wonderful titles line the shelves.
Books that spur us on in our faith journey.
Books that help us in our devotional life.

Anything that is not seen on the shelves can be ordered.
I have shopped quite a bit in the bookstore during this Christmas season.
The bookstore has a library feel to it.
It beckons you to read; the choices of books are good and true and pure and noble.

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I heard the exchange as I waited.
What do you say to the lady for giving you a piece of cheese? The mom asked.
Thank you, the little boy said in a sing-song kind of voice.
I think you can do better than that, the mom suggested.

THANK YOU, the little boy said with confidence and volume.
You are very welcome, the person behind the deli counter answered.
That was very good; it is important to say thank you, the mother reminded him.
The mother handed him his little toy as he sat in the shopping cart.

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One of my sons is not too fond of leftovers.
He always enjoyed whatever I cooked; however, he wanted it for one night only.
Even if it was his favorite meal, leftovers just did not appeal to him.
In all honesty, we never really had leftovers that often when everyone was home.

With five growing children, it was really a matter of making a meal stretch.
I was trying to think about what would feed all seven of us.
I was trying to plan meals so that everyone would have enough.
That was a lot easier to do when the children were young.

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I followed her out of the store.
We each must have gotten the memo.
We were both wearing black active wear pants.
We were both wearing a colorful active wear shirt.

I happened to be wearing a bright teal colored shirt.
She was wearing a bright coral colored shirt.
I love that color, I said as we both walked out the door.
I love that color as well, she said with a smile, pointing to my shirt.

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It was my friend’s birthday.
I had a busy morning and knew that I wanted to stop and see her.
She was working, so I had to time my visit just right.
I know when she takes her lunch, so I try to visit before or after her lunch hour.

I sent her a birthday greeting in a text message.
I decided what I would bring to her.
Neither one of us forget the other’s birthday.
Sometimes, we will bake something for each other and always choose a special card.

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Twice a year we do the same thing.
It happens in the spring.
It happens again in the fall.
This past weekend was the day.

It is the day when all of the outdoor furniture comes inside for the winter.
I am never sad about that since I enjoy fall and winter.
I like seeing the table, chairs, and market umbrella right outside my kitchen door.
I like to see the wicker coffee table on my porch.

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