Don't lose your sparkle

Today in Church the sermon was given by our Assistant Pastor, Rob. Part of his sermon was on not losing your sparkle. I think we all had to think a bit about what he might mean in the context of the development of his sermon. His primary theme was from Peter, the rock on which Christ was building his church.

I kept thinking about whether or when one might lose your sparkle and how not to do that. I finally decided that when we get depressed that is a significant indicator that we have lost our sparkle. When a close friend or family member dies we grieve and lose our sparkle. In these situations frequently it is the small kindnesses that bring us back and help us regain our sparkle. Puppies and babies do this for us all and put smiles on our faces and in our hearts. The unexpected kindness, the smile, the opened door, politeness, hug of thanks and so many other actions that speak to our hearts. These things renew us and bring back the sparkle.

I thoroughly enjoy getting together with friends or family. This past summer we had a chance to visit with the administrative team of Valley High School and their spouses over dinner. The hours flew by and we agreed to meet again. The event could have only been improved if all the team members could have been present. That gathering would have been quite large. These things keep my sparkle shining.

The next thing that comes to mind is our weekly phone conversations with kids and grands. This way we keep in touch and get to enjoy their joys and their opportunities. How much we love to visit weekly. We do this with close friends as well but maybe not as frequently as we might like. We treasure these moments.

We are finding that our recent membership in our church here has given us much joy. Today we even shared lunch with three other members after the service. It was a joy to be greeted as new members and to be thanked for ushering and for joining a suppers group,
date for Eight and Seekers who try to do their best for others throughout the year. We have many challenges ahead but tremendous church member support here. Our lives have been enriched and our sparkle maintained. Thanks First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville. Happy travels.