Finding Joy | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on July 25, 2017:

As children, finding joy is as simple as picking a dandelion or coaxing Daddy into being the Tickle Monster for a few minutes. As the years pass, however, joy sometimes becomes more elusive. More joints hurt, more friends develop debilitating or terminal illnesses, and social calendars have more dates for funerals than for weddings. Joy is still possible, but it takes more work, and it sometimes requires an attitude adjustment.

If you’ve spent any time on Facebook, you know it can be a joyless place if you’re not very selective about what you read. Some users post nothing but political tirades and negative news while others give more information than most of us want to know about their long list of medical complaints, medications, and procedures. I’m all for being well informed and also for keeping up with friends and praying for them in their times of need. However, caution is necessary in order to keep all that negativity from sucking all the joy out of life.

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Christmas Music | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on November 29, 2016:

I love music, and I especially love music at Christmas. I’m not crazy about the radio stations that begin playing the same forty Christmas songs over and over weeks before Thanksgiving. My brother thought I was a real Scrooge when, a couple of year ago, I posted on Facebook that I was very disappointed that our oldies station began playing “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” on November 1.

Advent is a season of joy. | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on December 15, 2015:

The third candle of the Advent Wreath is called the Candle of Joy. Much of the joy of the Christmas season is connected with children. There is nothing quite so joyful as the eyes of a child who has just caught a glimpse of the gifts under the tree on Christmas morning – nothing, that is, except the eyes of a parent or grandparent who is sharing Christmas with his or her child or grandchild for the first time. The joy of Christmas is multiplied many times when children come into the home.

Senior Humor – Edition #27 – Scrolling Down | by Linda Brendle

This is very true. You also know you’re old when the waitress automatically gives you the senior discount without being asked. The thing that makes you feel the oldest, though, is the honesty of children.

On one of my visits with my brother, his granddaughter was spending the night at his house. She had not seen me in a while, and she stared as if she didn’t quite recognize me. Finally, she came closer and said, “You look different. Did you get gray hair for your birthday?”

Blessings,

Linda

Royal Family Kids Camp: Getting Ready for the Kids | by Linda Brendle

Welcome Posters

I woke up Sunday morning filled with both excitement and anxiety. My list was checked, my bags were packed, and my neon welcome signs were ready except for the names – in case my campers didn’t get to come. We were due at Wes and Lisa’s by 11:00 am, so we made a final check and loaded the car. Ready or not…

Talking to My Son About Boston | reblogged post from Christian Piatt

Bill O’Reilly is angry about the Boston bombing and thinks everyone else should be, too. Last night after listening to him, David asked if I was angry. I’m not angry. I’m just sad – sad that my 9-year-old grandson has to try to make sense of something so senseless – sad that children can’t take home made treats to school any more.

Read about Christian’s conversation with Mattias over breakfast this morning:

Talking to My Son About Boston.

Blessings,

Linda

When Reality Bites, Write | By Guest Blogger Krista Krueger

This blog sort of fits with my blog at www.kompletelykrista.wordpress.com  called Writing and Reality because this is part of the reality that goes with my writing.  One of my daughters is Autistic and that takes up a lot of my time.  The more therapies, the more interaction that she gets, are all things that help her development.  One of my sons also has what has been termed as delayed, so he needs less but still some help in maturing and that kind of stuff.  The amount of meetings I go to during the school year is amazing.  My husband works two jobs so that I can stay home and take care of her and the other two kids.  For roughly six years I’ve been doing this by myself.  Sometimes people try to help but when it comes to our kids, we’re very specific about who can watch them for us to get an hour out to maybe grab something to eat and that hasn’t been able to happen for a long time now.