Every year my calendar gets filled with busy days, holidays, birthdays and lots of ordinary days in-between! And every January, I tell myself… “I want this year to be different. I want us to make more memories, and make a difference together, as a family. Joshua and Andrew are already sixteen and nineteen. I’ve got to get more intentional before they move out!”
Do you ever have conversations like that with yourself, or is it just me?
I have such great intentions of getting more organized and creative, but then, every month it seems my intentions get trumped by the busyness of life! Well, I found us some help! My friends Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer have done the creative planning, organizing and simplifying for us in their new go-to guide, Everyday Confetti!
Today Karen stopped by to be part of my #LetGodLoveYou series! She’s giving us glimpse of the goodness inside Everyday Confetti and share “A Few Simple Ways To Sprinkle God’s LOVE”! PLUS I’ve got a copy of the book to giveaway too!
Simple Ways To Sprinkle God’s LOVE
First, create small tags with Bible verses about God’s love on them. Here are a few to use:
- See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
- And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. 1 John 4:16a
- We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Attach a tag to any of these ideas to sprinkle God’s love on those around you:
- Purchase coffee house gift cards and attached a tag to each. Go to a hospital waiting room and hand them out to folks who look like they could use a good cup of coffee.
- Take your kids to the grocery store and offer to carry out the groceries for elderly people you see. Hand them a note of kindness with a tag attached.
- Purchase gift cards for local restaurants that deliver and attach tags to them. Take a few to your pastor or church secretary so they can order lunch to be brought in on busy days.
- Place a candy bar or homemade treat with a tag in your mailbox for the mail carrier.
- Have young children {or grandchildren} color pictures or paint some adding glitter and stickers. Write one of the verses above on the picture. Then, take them to the local nursing home and hand them out.
- If you live in an area with lots of snow on the ground, make snowmen outside of the windows of a nursing home or hospital children’s ward. {Be sure to get permission first}
- Hand a tag to the worker at the drive-through window and pay for the person’s order behind you. Ask the worker to give the tag to the person with their food.
- Create a fruit or vegetable tray and attach a tag and a bow on top. Take it to the local police or fire station thanking them for their hard work!
- Take a plate of homemade goodies to your child’s teacher’s lounge at school with a tag attached.
Enter to WIN!
From the back cover~ Got a calendar packed with reasons to celebrate but a brain that lacks ideas? Special people you want to love on but limited time to do it? Relax. We’ve got you covered! Everyday Confetti is your go-to guide to making holidays, birthdays, special events, and even the everyday special. Inside you’ll find more than two hundred ways to make memories with your family, including easy recipes, fun activities, and inexpensive decorating ideas–all simple, doable, and stress-free.
Leave a comment to enter to win! Simply share why you’d like a copy of Everyday Confetti, or share a favorite celebration idea you have.Winners will be announced next week. If you’re reading this via email, click here to go to my blog and ENTER TO WIN!
After you ENTER TO WIN, hop over to the oh-so-fun Everyday Confetti website where you’ll find lots of FREE ideas to sprinkle “special” on every day!
I used to love to do this, I still do.
Love the simple ideas to encourage or brighten someone’s day!
Thanks!
Jennifer
Hospitality…..that is our goal this year at church. I chair the hospitality committee and want to involve the children’s classes and the ladies’ group. I make bookmarks that my pastor shares, each with a stamped or handwritten Biblical message. I make cards, b’day, get well, sympathy, etc. for my family and friends. I do random acts of kindness. I lost a first cousin (cancer) and a second cousin (heart attack) this morning and plan to take cakes to their services tomorrow night. Instead of buying flowers, I use baskets, arrange a quilt in it, accent with silk flowers and a handmade tag and include a handmade sympathy card. This way the money spent goes to something usable. I would certainly put the book to good use. I hope I win. I hope I have given people good ideas to share God’s love.
Creating memories with our children are so special.
I love he ideas you mentioned. I just thought of someone
who has lost her husband recently. I believe this is a great
Way to show God’s love to others. I would love to give this book to
my friend!
Thanks! Janet
Memories are so important to everyone! What do most people talk about when they get older – their memories of when they were young. This book sounds like it has some great ideas to make such beautiful memories. I’m a grandma to 6 beautiful granchildren in 3 different kids’ families and I pray I am making memories for them!
Thanks for the opportunity to win this book. 🙂
Blessings to you!
Susan
I love those ideas you already shared and want to bless others, sometimes just not sure how to go about it.
This book sounds like jsut what I need. Thanks for the encouraging words!
Thank you for additional idea’s to bring joy into other’s lives. One of my favorite things to do is buy boxes of encouragement cards and mail them to people I know for no reason at all.
Would love to win a copy of this book. We never seem to make the most of opportunities to “bless” others. Am sure everyone can use some ideas. Sounds like a great book with super ideas.
I would so enjoy using Everyday Confetti and sharing the ideas with my children and ladies group! I seem to come up with creative ideas AFTER the opportunity to bless passed 🙁 Owning such a resource would enable me to be on top of making opportunities for myself, and others, to be a blessing. And that is why I would appreciate a copy 🙂
What wonderful ways to lift others up in a kind way spreading love…just like the icing on a cake …
We could all use more joy. Grandmonsters are electronic free at my house. I’ve had the honor to help raise over 20 children. Would love to have the book for our summer break to show them small things and time are the best gift!
I need all the help I can get! 🙂
Sounds like I’m at the same stage of the journey as you are-wanting to make the most of the days I have left with my boys before they move on. Just need the ideas to get me going sometimes. All about making memories! Thanks for sharing.
I have that conversation with myself – All. The. Time! Love the idea of sprinkling “special” onto the everyday!
Beckey
http://www.etsy.com/shop/queenbsbusywork
What an awesome way to show God’s love and plant seeds in those around us! Thank you for a great way to spread the loving word of God!
I can’t wait to read your new book! Thank you for the encouragement to love others no matter what’s going on around us. We should love as Jesus loved/loves us!
“Sprinkle special” on each day. Love the wording. Such sweet creative ideas. 🙂 Thank you.
Sounds like fun and I love the uplifting idea of simple ways to think of others.
What a wonderful idea! I love the title “Everyday Confetti” and it instantly grabs my attention. I haven’t even read the book and already I’m wondering how to add the brightness of confetti to another person’s day. My dad taught me “the most noble deed it to improve the quality of another man’s day” and this book sounds perfect for that very deed!
What an awesome idea, and I would love to read this book!
I like to make little cake hearts with celebration sprinkles I freeze em and I always have them ready to spread the love of The Lord in a shape of his heart, it’s a treat to share for the sick, sad people at musing homes and always for my brothers and sisters in Christ who need that extra feta net that there not alone
Thank You!
After reading today’s excerpt, I would be thrilled to win a copy of this book! What practical and clever ideas that could easily be accomplished!!!
Thanks so much for this. Even after your kids are grown and gone it seems like there is no time
for what you really want to do. Would love to win this. These are great ideas especially for schools and police and fire depts. Sometimes I wonder if they think these are thankless jobs. We shouldn’t let them feel that way. They do some much for us all every day. Thanks again. Jean
I would like to have this book to help me spread God’s love at work.
I text my husband a verse about love every morning.
I would like to win this so I can have some practice and stress free way to bless those around me! I love the idea about the tags and will definitely be making some in the near future. That’s such a simple yet sincere way to share the truth of Christ’s amazing love, forgiveness and salvation! Thanks for sharing this!
My women’s group at church is doing a love revolution! It would be amazing to share these ideas! Not to mention I’m always looking for creative ways to bless others’ what a fun book idea.
I want to read this book because the people I love deserve it! I could always use more stress free celebrations in my life!
You are so not alone! In fact, I want to thank you for letting me know that I am not alone! I have 3 girls – 22, 16, 13. The oldest got engaged on Christmas Eve. She is stll living at home, but what time do I stell have with her? I work full-time and home-school the other two, talk about crazy, busy days!!! I would very much like a copy of “Everyday Confetti” for two reasons. First, it will help me make special memories with my family. Second. the Women’s Ministries leaders at my church just launched Secret Sisters. My girls and I participated. So we each have a name of another woman at church that we are to pray for and do little things for. That’s where this book will come in handy. If I have some ideas to go to and don’t have to think of them myself, then I and my girls will have an easier time of making our Secret Sisters feel loved and special. Thank you for all you do! Your blog and devotionals truly “hit the spot” and refresh my parched soul!
Hi Renee! I would love to have a copy of Everyday Confetti to get new ideas for gatherings and doing something special to make someone’s day. I love hosting, but I am out of creative ideas! I believe this book can give me some awesome ideas!
I LOVE the ideas presented! I just signed up to help with my church’s Ronald McDonald house ministry, and these would be excellent ideas to take to the parents and children! The sprinkle confetti idea is just awesome…confetti of God’s love! Thank you for sharing. I’d love to read the rest of the book.
I’d love a copy of the book so I could sprinkle ‘special’ every where I go! I’m not very creative and this would make it a whole lot easier to be able to do nice things for others. Thank you for the wonderful ideas you shared in your post. I’m off to get started… 😀
I am in need of encouraging words this time in my life for restoring my faith and Hope I’m the situation I am going through cindy
I love these ideas. I love doing things like this but I also am not very creative in thinking of ways to do it. I am going to do some of these right away!! Tomorrow my mail carrier will have a treat in the box for him!! 🙂
If I don’t win the book I will definitly be buying a copy!!! God Bless you Karen and Glynnis for writing a book like this and thanks Renee for telling us about it!! ♥
What a great idea! I have an 18 year old who’s headed off to college in the fall and have just a few months to make a difference together as a family. I would love a copy of this book!
i would love to get a copy of this book. First, I love to read everything Glynnis and Karen write. Secondly, I have already begun trying to be more intentional this year but sometimes lack ideas. This book would be a great resource for me and my family!
Love the idea of learning some easy creative gift and celebration ideas. Surely hope I win.
I would love to win a copy because I’m terrible with ideas to celebrate with! I get stressed over holidays and want to make everything special, over the top special. I would love to have some easy and simple ways.
I would really love to get Everyday Confetti for ideas to share Gods love to family, friends, and to the world. Sounds awesome.
Renee I have been hoping to read this book! Both of my grandsons have birthdays in February within a week and prior to Valentine’s Day. Almost every February, I think that somehow we need to incorporate winter and love, hearts and snow to celebrate. My oldest grandson is medically fragile and every birthday is one more than the drs said there would be. So I was hoping to find some ideas that we could use….thx for the chance to win!
I would LOVE to win this book because I am so NOT creative. We are praying for a four-year old, Ben, who is fighting brain cancer. I am sitting here praying about what I could do for the family. Nothing seems like enough. Well, of course God popped your blog for the day into my email at just the right moment! Even if I don’t win, I am so thankful to be reminded that every little gesture would be appreciated. I can do any one of the ideas mentioned and I’m sure doing something, anything, is much better than thinking about what to do and deciding to do nothing. God is so good! Thank you.
Actually, yes, I can relate! I have a son that is 13 and a daughter that is 17. I want so much to be the mom you described and teach our children to give back and more than just at Christmas. So, I would love a copy of the book to encourage us to get out and get going! I would like to share a story that has inspired me to try again…
One day last summer, I wanted to spend some “valuable” time with the kids and decided to have a random act of kindness day. So, the challenge was for us each to come up with a random act and then spend our day together performing these acts. So, we did! What a blessing and a wonderful memory!! Act one: go buy a plant and take it to a precious elderly woman from our church and thank her for the inspiration she is to each of us! Act two: take a box of sidewalk chalk and “tag” peoples sidewalks or driveways with the following message, God Loves you and so do we! Act three: took a cooler of cold water bottles around and deliver to men/women working outdoors. All I know to say is God is good, and rewards our simple efforts more than we can ever imagine! I look forward to doing this again and making memories wit our children. The issue just seems to be making time to carry it out. So, thanks for affirming what we know is true…sharing God’s love!
What a great way to share God’s love with others!
I’d love a copy of this book because there is no such thing as a “pause” button! My boys are 8 and 4 and the days and weeks are flying by. I’m trying to capture every memory I can and treasure them up in my heart, just like Mary. Thanks for the post!
I have seen random small acts of kindness make a huge difference in people believing that God exists.I’d love to win this book for more ideas.
I leave stickie notes on the bathroom mirror. I got my granddaughter to leave a stickie note for her dad, my son, on his bedroom door. I sometimes like to do “hidden” notes so the recipient would be surprised.
Thanks for encouraging me to encourage others!
Thank you for the reminder that the simple things are still very much appreciated, needed and not hard to fit into busy schedules! Blessings!
My hubby, Ron Smith and I are often attempting to do multiple things at once. Naturally, we just ♥ to help others out whenever and however we possibly can. Ultimately, it seem…s like my husband’s family doesn’t seem to remember his birthday. My husband doesn’t get any phone clls on his birthday whatsoever. Isn’t that a sad way of life for him? I don’t forget his birthday whatsoever. I ♥ my incredible boy way too much to forget about the important things that take place throughout his entire lifetime. I ♥ him. “Every year my calendar gets filled with busy days, holidays, birthdays and lots of ordinary days in-between! And every January, I tell myself, ”I want this year to be different. I want us to make more memories, and make a difference together, as a family. Joshua and Andrew are already sixteen and nineteen. I’ve got to get more intentional before they move out!”
Do you ever have conversations like that with yourself, or is it just me?
I have such great intentions of getting more organized and creative, but then, every month it seems my intentions get trumped by the busyness of life! Well,~ “Renee Swope Ultimately, every aspect of our life can be busy in some way, shape, or form. God only wants us to focus on who He really is. God wants to shower His ultimate ♥ upon us. My ultimate goal is to include God in on whatever goes on in my life.
Thank you Renee,
God’s timing is perfect! I needed to have your words of encouragement and uplifting heart and there you were inviting me on Facebook. Thank you.