Pocket Music

In a recent blog post, I shared my thoughts about the sound of a ticking clock providing laughter and joy. I had no idea that something similar would happen again. I’m thankful for the wonderful ways God gives us to find joy in the simple moments in life. Today, a bit of pocket music brought giggles to Alan and me.

Part of my morning routine includes praying and giving thanks to God for His blessings, handling morning tasks like making the bed, preparing and eating breakfast, and checking on my birds. I must admit that this morning, I scrolled through the emails on my phone. There was a reminder about the church service on Sunday. All was well. I decided to watch the service online because we couldn’t attend in person.

After checking a few items off of my list, I placed the phone in my pocket and continued with morning activities. Opening the blinds in the office/playroom, checking the mail app to see what letters and/or bills might be arriving, and also, looking in the kitchen cabinet to decide on a meal for lunch. Regular routine.

Alan was watching television in the living room. Thinking he was watching a Christmas show, I commented on the beauty of the music and voices in the program. Alan looked at me and said, “I’m not watching anything about Christmas. I’m watching an old western.”

I noticed that as I walked into the living room, the sound quieted. Walking back to the other part of the house, the music and voices became louder. 

I checked outside to see if people were carolling this morning. No. Not a person. Just the birds flying from feeder to feeder.

This situation continued for a few minutes. I could hear talking and singing, then quiet. There had to be an explanation. No radio, CD player, or computer was offering Christmas music.

As I stood still in the hallway, I noticed the sound coming from the pocket in my jeans. Lifting the phone out, I saw that I had pressed the button to play the “Festival of Lessons and Carols Service: The Story of God’s Promise Fulfilled in Christ” from Palmetto Presbyterian Church. I continued watching the service and shared the news with Alan.

The beautiful sounds of the choir and congregation were coming from the phone in my pocket. I’m thankful that our church has a youtube channel and we’re able to watch the service online if we can’t attend in person.

I’m thankful for the beautiful voices and musicians who brought the songs and words of the birth of Jesus. 

Check your pockets. You may find a message from God.

Have a blessed day,

Mimi aka Melissa Henderson

Joy Dancing

“Are you dancing?” “What are you humming?” “What’s the name of that song you are singing?’

These are questions I hear from folks almost daily. I am usually singing, humming, or dancing to songs that have special meaning to me. Sometimes, I don’t realize that I am singing aloud or moving to the beat. When asked why I am smiling while listening, singing, or dancing, I answer with a simple statement:. “I have joy in my heart because of God. How can I possibly be still when I’m filled with His love and joy?”

I recently watched our four-year-old granddaughter Eden dance. She was listening to her favorite songs. Eden sang along as she lifted her hands, twirled in circles, and moved her feet to the beat. Her joy was evident in the ways she moved. Watching Eden express her love for music and dance brings me joy.

Seven-year-old grandson Rowan likes to make up songs and sing while riding in the car. Bop and I have listened to songs about dragons, building towers, games, funny characters, and more. Rowan enjoys making us laugh with his rhyming songs.

Music and dance can bring out feelings such as happiness, love, and contentment. Song lyrics and tunes can also make us recall sad times and precious memories. I have favorite songs that are loaded onto my listening devices. Some songs are upbeat while others are slow. From instrumental to words spoken aloud, I enjoy music and dance.

I sing aloud even though my singing voice isn’t perfect. I dance while cleaning the house even though my steps aren’t professional. God listens. He hears. I believe He smiles when His children show His love through singing and dancing.

At a recent vendor event, my table was positioned next to a creek. The above photo shows the oak trees and hanging moss. I imagined the moss dancing in the Lowcountry breeze. I watched the people admiring the large oak trees. Some folks live locally and others are from various spots around the world. People of all ages were fascinated by the sights and sounds of nature.

During the special event, I read my children’s stories aloud. Folks gathered to listen to me read “Licky the Lizard” and “Grumpy the Gator”. As I read each story, I noticed the tree branches dancing in the background.

Do you sing and/or dance? Is your heart filled with joy when you sing and/or dance? Do you have a favorite song? Share your happiness with others. A song and a smile can bring brightness to the world.

Have a blessed day,

Melissa Henderson aka Mimi

Stand Up Snowman!

Towards the end of November, my husband and I decided to start decorating for Christmas. A little tree for the playroom/office was first on the list. The big tree for the living room came next. Red, green, and white lights to adorn shelves, counters, and other spots, were pulled from cardboard boxes in the closet. Along with the decorations for the inside of the house, we gathered the outdoor inflatables and lights. We noticed one problem immediately. The inflatable snowman wouldn’t stand up. We called out. “Stand up snowman!”

Alan was arranging extension cords and unboxing the Christmas tree and snowman. The front yard would be inviting with colorful decorations and lights. I checked on Alan and he looked at the ground and frowned. 

“I guess the snowman has seen its last day. It won’t stand up. The air is blowing into the right place, but it won’t fill up completely. Oh, well. We’ll have to get another one.” 

The disappointment was evident as he asked me to bring a trash bag for the defeated snowman. I went inside and gathered a bag. I walked back outside and watched as Alan attempted to get the inflatable Christmas tree to work. That failed, too.

Both of us spoke more words of frustration. We didn’t want to go to the store at that moment. We wanted to have the decorations working for the grandkids and the neighborhood to enjoy.

As I looked down at the deflated and wrinkled snowman, I noticed a zipper on the back side of the item. I wondered if that could be the problem.

“Hey, honey, did you see a zipper on the back? There is probably one on both things.”

I reached down, closed the zipper, and to our surprise, the snowman filled with air and stood tall.

“Oh, my goodness!! Look at that!” We both shouted and laughed.

In our joy to put up the inflatable snowman and the Christmas tree, we neglected to check all the parts and follow directions.

This situation reminds me not to rush through the Christmas season. Enjoy every moment and remember the reason for the season. Jesus Christ is our gift from God. Share time with God today. Thank Him for the many blessings He gives. Thank Him for Jesus. Thank Him for fun decorations that make us smile. Give thanks for His love and forgiveness.

Have a blessed day! God loves you.

In His Name,

Mimi aka Melissa Henderson

Writing to Shine His Light

Each month, a group of writers gathers in person and online to participate in the ACFW(American Christian Fiction Writers) Lowcountry Chapter meeting. Our group has grown since the first gathering a few years ago. Folks write fiction, non-fiction, stories for children, articles, devotions, and poetry. Every writer creates unique pieces that reflect their personality and beliefs. One important goal this group includes is that we are writing to shine His light. The light of God is evident in the words and actions of the members.

In 2023, the chapter compiled its first anthology, “Charleston Light: Stories Inspired by Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse.” The authors shared stories of love, hope, inspiration, and more. That award-winning book continues to be an important part of shining the light and love of God. 

Our newest book will be available for purchase on October 1st. I’m pleased to announce that “A Holy City Christmas: Charleston Holiday Tales” is a delightful book filled with stories that will touch the hearts and souls of readers.

Eight authors from the group have penned special tales incorporating famous sights from the Charleston, South Carolina area. Visitors and locals may recognize the mentions of places such as the Dock Street Theater, Breach Inlet, The Citadel, and other famous places in the Lowcountry.

The chapter started working on the project by organizing details. We set deadlines, chose clip art, chose book cover designers, found a local artist (a chapter member) to provide personal line drawings of significance to each story, and wrote the stories. Within our chapter, some talented people provided services to help bring the book together. Several members took the time to edit each story. Everyone contributed to this book. Whether they wrote a story, drew pictures, created a cover, worked with sites to offer the anthology for sale, or prayed, every effort was placed in God’s hands. 

A lot of “behind the scenes” efforts went into making this book possible. 

The people in ACFW South Carolina Lowcountry Chapter are talented, compassionate, loving, caring, and dedicated folks who love the Lord.

In 2023, we were blessed to have book signings and participate in “A Moveable Feast” with My Sister’s Books in Pawleys Island. This year, we are having more book signings and hope to meet you at one or more events.

My story in this new anthology is “Sunrise Shells and Christmas Bells”. I hope you enjoy reading more about Lana Pierce. Readers asked me to continue her story and I’m glad I listened.

Lana Pierce has experienced the loss of her husband due to illness and then, a hurricane that

almost destroyed her home. While life continues, Lana becomes involved in a mystery and

possibly a new love. “Sunrise Shells and Christmas Bells” brings love, faith in God,

and hope for the future.

Both anthologies are available for purchase. Contact your local bookstore and see if the books are available. Place a request for your local library to carry the books. Amazon offers print and Kindle versions.

https://a.co/d/iNz6iDQ

Proceeds from the first six months of sales will benefit “RISE”. This charity helps men who are trapped in poverty, homelessness, or addiction. “RISE” is Restored, Ignited, Supported, and Empowered to flourish by the grace of Jesus Christ.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalms 119:105 NIV)

I hope you enjoy reading these wonderful new stories.

Blessings,

Melissa Henderson

How a Famous Author (and friend) Save the Day

A road trip to see a famous author, who is a sweet friend, brought laughter and joy to a special event. We never know what will happen with the Henderson family. God always gives us something to bring happiness and joy. Today’s blog is about how a famous author (and friend) saved the day.

Alan and I enjoy attending book signings and author events. Sometimes we know the person and other times we learn about new writers. Often, lunch is served and everyone has an opportunity to fellowship with other readers.

Recently, we were blessed to attend a presentation and book signing by author Nancy Naigle. She’s written many great stories and some of her work has been turned into movies. Alan and I met Nancy years ago when we went to see her speak at an event in South Carolina.

We became friends and now, every time Nancy visits the area, we make sure to attend her events. Nancy enjoys laughter and we often share giggles about the simplest things in life. The first time we met Nancy, a person was giving away Vidalia onions after the presentation.

Although we never found the Vidalia onion person and didn’t get any of those special offerings, the three of us joked about how we met on that onion day.

At the latest event, a delicious lunch of garden greens with a hunk of chicken salad on top was served. Yummy warm bread accompanied the main course. Slices of decadent chocolate cake were served for dessert.

There were eight people at our table, including Nancy’s mother Bettie. During lunch, we chatted, shared which stories were our favorites, and enjoyed getting to know each other. A delightful time.

After a few bites of food, Nancy reached over and touched my arm. “Melissa, just want you to know a spider hanging from the chandelier and it’s getting ready to fall into Alan’s salad.”
I immediately glanced over to try and see the culprit. The light hit the tiny spider at just the right moment. The spider held tightly to a thin translucent string of web as it inched down towards Alan’s salad.

Everyone at the table became alert when I shared, “Alan, there’s a spider about to go into your salad.” I thought Alan would discreetly dispose of it with a napkin. But, of course, nothing goes quietly around us.

Before speaking a word, Alan clapped his hands together with a “SLAP”, and the spider was gone. The sound was loud enough to cause everyone at our table, and probably in the room, to pause to see what was happening.

Alan had acted before thinking the spider might have landed in his lunch. Oh, well… After getting rid of the spider, Alan decided he wasn’t hungry anymore.

There were giggles and remarks about how the salad now had more protein because the spider was in it. My salad was fine so I continued eating. Alan did enjoy some of the warm bread.

Thank you to our author friend, Nancy Naigle, who saved Alan from eating a spider. 😁

Nancy’s new story, “And Then There Was You” is available at retailers. Visit her website at www.nancynaigle.com

Have a blessed day! Watch out for spiders in your food.
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson

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Canopy Lessons

A glorious sunny Saturday in the Lowcountry called for a local fall festival to be enjoyed by young and old. Crafts, jugglers, homemade food, a scarecrow on stilts, and more brought a fall atmosphere. I signed up to participate and sell copies of Licky the Lizard and Grumpy the Gator. Preparing for the event took time and effort to make sure everything was ready to go. A plastic tub with supplies for the event was filled with books, stickers, bookmarks, and a few candy treats. I also needed a table and two chairs.

Each of these vendor events call for readiness before the actual activity. This time, tables would be positioned on a certain area of lawn. Folks would be ready to sell their items and make new contacts and possible friendships.

One new important part of my “list” of items to take to the festival was a canopy. Since I would be outside, a canopy would shelter me from the bright sunshine and provide a comfortable place for people to look at my books. A few autumn decorations completed the atmosphere of my “booth”.

A few days before the event, my husband Alan and I decided to open the box with the brand new canopy to make sure we knew how to set it up. Wait…notice that we chose a few days before the event to check on the canopy. I would have preferred to open the box as soon as we purchased the item. Yet, Alan felt he could put that canopy together without any trouble. He didn’t need directions. According to him, the photos on the box made assembly look easy.

Picture this. Alan and I are standing in the backyard. Canopy box opened, canopy, spikes, rope, and yes, directions, pulled out of the box.
The video online had shown one person assembling the canopy and lifting the cover with one hand. No problem. Well…

Alan decided not to read directions. He asked if I would stand on one side of the canopy and help to lift the 8 x 8ft metal in the air. No worries until we got the canopy base halfway up and realized we forgot to put the actual cover on the top. What good is a canopy without a cover?

Imagining the neighbors watching the situation, we looked around. A nice man across the street had been sitting on his back porch. “Do you need some help?” He asked. Chuckling, we said, “Thank you, we’ll figure it out.”

By the time Alan and I finally got the cover on and the canopy raised and secured, we were laughing at ourselves.
We should have read the directions first.

The canopy worked great at the event. The sunshine and the strong South Carolina coastal breeze didn’t cause any worries. I was safe and secure under the brand new canopy.

God provides directions for us. The Bible is the Word of God and we can find answers to many questions by reading His Word. Perhaps if we read His directions first, we can deal with troublesome situations more easily.
That canopy reminded me to read directions first, instead of trying to fix things on my own. God will guide us if we ask Him.

Yes, folks, “It’s Always A Story With The Hendersons”.

Blessings and giggles,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson

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