February 2

3 gifts on paper

1.  Books.  Today I took Jessie and two of our troop to help with a Gold Award project.  Our friend built a library in a clubhouse of a community nearby, and she is finishing up.  We put labels on the books so they can be organized.  She collected over 3,000 books, and it is so humbling to think that some of these families don't have any books in their homes.  When she started a year and a half ago, I think the families had an average of fewer than 5 books in their homes -- including Bibles and cook books.  Our children have hundreds in their bedrooms alone.  So many hours of my life have been spent reading, and I cannot even begin to imagine a book-free childhood.  What a gift this library is to these families.

2.  Our diplomas -- even though technically mine is printed on sheepskin rather than paper.  What a gift it is to have come from families that not only emphasized the importance of education, but also were able to provide them for us.  And I just have to say, my college diploma is a work of art. 

3.  The "Promises and Blessings" scripture verse calendar the kids gave me for Christmas a year or two ago.  It sits on my desk just below my monitor, and is a good reminder for me.  I don't turn the page every day, and sometimes I will leave it on a particularly fitting verse, but it's always a blessing to see what will pop up on any given day.