Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.”

With all the health problems that Joe has been experiencing in the last few weeks, he's been unable to work out in the yard. Consequently the mowing and trimming had gotten out of hand and it was beginning to look like no one lived in our house.

Through the kindness of some of the members of the Ward, our yard was recently mowed, weed-eaten, trimmed and raked. The Bishopic, Gary Flanders, Roger Flannigan, Don Coates and Glen Ritchie came out one afternoon after working all day to spruce up our yard. The yard began to sound like a very loud beehive as the sound of lawnmowers and trimmers began to hum at the same time.

It's a very humbling thing to have someone come and help you out. It's not bad when we help others, but it's very difficult to realize that you had to have help and accept that help. It was a wonderful opportunity though for our neighbors to experience the gospel in action as they knew it was members of our church who came and did this for us.

Thanks from the bottom of our hearts to those who showed true love to us by their acts of kindness. Thanks to those who visited Joe while he was in the hospital. Thanks to those who visited when he came home. Thanks to those who sent cards, plants, made and brought homemade soup, those who would have made meals for us if we'd asked, thank you for the phone calls. Your love and concern is noted and carried in our hearts.

Random Acts of Kindness

Don't you just love it when someone does something unexpected for you? And it's done "just because" - it's not your birthday, your anniversary, no special occasion - it's just because someone thinks you're special.

Nancy called me yesterday afternoon and told me that she had a bouquet for me at Mom and Dad's house. Nancy has a green thumb (or an entire green hand) and grows incredibly beautiful roses of every color and size. She knows I love pink roses and so she had some placed in a vase, along with some Queen Anne's lace for me to take to my office. The picture shows the flowers she had picked especially for me and no one else. I added some of my world famous gardenias in the bouquet this morning before taking it to work with me. I was so in love with the arrangement that I had to go back into the house, get my camera and take a picture to remember them. All day long I received comments about my lovely flower arrangement. (The general manager even threatened to "steal them" and take them home to his wife. So, if my flowers are missing when I return in the morning, guess who I'll be "suspicioning" right away. So, Nancy's gift to me has become my gift to everyone who walks past my desk all day long after they've stopped and admired and smelled my flowers.

And...A couple of weeks ago I was in Tifton before heading to work. I decided to stop by McDonald's to pick up something for breakfast for both myself and my boss lady. I NEVER get a chance to eat breakfast from a fast food place and there are some new things out there for me to try. Anyway, I drove up behind a white minivan and realized it was Susan in the car. I yelled out my window to her and she yelled something back before driving up to the takeout window. When it was my turn to pay for my breakfast, the girl at the window asked me if I knew the lady in the car in front of me. I said that I certainly did and it was my sister as I was handing her my money. She said she couldn't take my money 'cause that woman had already paid for me breakfast. Wow, how cool was that! Totally unexpected, totally loved and totally enjoyed by both me and Tami. So my good deed to buy breakfast for someone else was rewarded by a random act of kindness by my other sister. Don't it just do your heart good?!

So, Jimmy now it's your turn.