50 Life Lessons Shared By Regina Brett

You may recognize this image that has been floating around the internet for years. It usually precedes a list of life lessons shared by a 90 year old woman.

The Kindness of Strangers

I just wanted to share a quick update on our inspirational book drive for the women at Amethyst Recovery Center. You can read more about that project here.

Many thanks go out to the generosity of organizations, businesses and individuals. Without the kindness of strangers and friends, this project wouldn’t be possible.

We have quite a collection going so far!

Due to the generous response, we now plan to give one book to each woman enrolled in the program and get a small library started for all of the women to borrow from.

We still need more children’s books so we can give a book to each child, as well. So if you’re about to make a Goodwill drop off of books or you are with an organization hoping to participate, please let me know. You can email me at maggiemays@live.com.

Thanks!!

Fun Way to Display Your Favorite Quote or Verse

In the past month, I’ve come across this Bible passage (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7) five times from five different sources!

I realize this is a popular verse, but I always take notice when something starts showing up over and over. I like to think it’s God’s way of communicating with me and asking me to pay attention to something.

So, I’m not sure what the message is here. Maybe I’m supposed to be loving more? Better? Differently?

Or maybe I’m just supposed to enjoy the love that I already have.

Since I was feeling such a strong connection to this verse, I thought it would be nice to find a way to display it in our home.

This would be cute with any favorite quote or saying.

To start, I bought a frame from the thrift store.

Then I measured the area that shows through the glass so  I’d know what size to print my text.

Using a computer, I typed out the text, changing the font with each verse. Then I printed it and cut it to fit inside the frame.

With a pencil, I hand wrote the word love in the center of the page.

Then using a small brush and acrylic paint, I painted over my penciled text.

After it dried, I just put the paper into the frame and hung it in our bedroom where I could see it every day.

If you would like to receive free DIY ideas and inspiration, follow this blog by clicking the Follow button along the sidebar. Thanks!

Book Drive For Women’s Recovery Center

Want to make a difference?

Maggie May’s Gifts is requesting donations of new or used inspirational, non-fiction books. Even one book will help. Check your basements!
We will be donating them to the women enrolled at Amethyst Recovery Center.

What is Amethyst?

Amethyst is a holistic recovery center for women. The women enrolled have made the decision to be there and have agreed to the conditions of the program. They are provided with housing, food, counseling, treatment programs, and career coaching in a family environment. In exchange, they must abstain from all drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and be commited to a full recovery and entrance into the workplace.

Why Amethyst?

The only time to truly help another person is when they are open and accepting of the help. Until then, no matter how loving your intentions are, your efforts will be wasted.
That is why offering the gift of motivation and inspiration to the women at Amethyst is so important. Each woman there has made the courageous decision to get help and now is the time to be there for them.

While all material needs are provided for them through this program, dedication and commitment must come from within. The power of a great book can be enough to encourage a woman to keep going when she feels like giving up. It can remind her that the love of her children is much stronger than any drug. It can even inspire her to reach out to someone else who may be in need.

While it may seem like “just a book”, please know that it is so much more than that.

We all want a society filled with less crime, abuse, hunger, and violence. Getting to the root of the problem (poverty and drug addiction) is the key.
Helping these moms can help keep their children out of foster care and safe from hunger and abuse.

Thank you so much for helping us make sure that every woman in this program gets her own book.

All book donations may be mailed to:

Amethyst
c/o Maggie May’s Book Drive
455 East Mound Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Be sure to tell the post office you are mailing a book. They offer a discount for media mailings.

If you are in the Columbus area, please feel free to email me at maggiemays{at}live{dot}com and I will be happy to pick the books up from you.

Advent Calendar of The Christmas Story

As we are about to enter the season of Advent, I thought this would be a good year to start using an Advent calendar to prepare for Christmas.

One of the traditions I’d like to ensure in our home is to incorporate the Christmas story throughout the holidays. I realized I probably knew T’was the Night Before Christmas better than I knew the actual Christmas story and I wanted to change that.

For this Christmas Story Advent Calendar, we are going to reveal a bit of the story each day until Christmas Eve when we will read the whole story together.

This version is really easy. All you need is:

• Green and red card stock cut into 3 x 5 pieces
• Decorative paper clips (see previous post here for tutorial on them) or clothespins
• Ribbon
• Removable hooks or nails
• Glue
• Christmas story and number print outs (included for you below)

I used several sources to write out the Christmas story in 24 small chunks. I even sent it to my pastor to make sure I  told the story correctly and biblically 🙂 I attached it below, so the hard part is done for you. I also attached the numbers typed out to make it even easier. Just print and cut.

The Christmas Story-printable

Advent Calendar Printable Numbers

Cut out the numbers and the portions of the story and glue them onto your cardboard pieces. The number on one side and the corresponding story part on the back.

Next, put two hooks or nails on both sides of your fireplace (or wherever you like, especially if you use your fireplace a lot).

Attach a strip of ribbon to each hook and hot glue a bow onto the hooks for decoration.

Then using your decorative paper clips or clothespins,

hang your story cards along the ribbon with the numbers facing outward.

Then, beginning December 1, simply turn one card over each day to reveal a portion of the Christmas story.

On December 24, your whole story is revealed and you can all read it together as a family.

I hope you have fun with this idea. We can’t control how society is commercializing all of our holidays, so it’s up to us to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive.

xo