Gift of Encouragement

So excited to share this post with you today. I started a project for and with Madeline. I want to get her a gift to give her while she is in the hospital. So I went to my local christian bookstore in town to see if they had something for her their. I had no idea what exactly I wanted. I had suggested to Madeline that she should find a scripture or two to memorize to take with her into surgery. So I had this thought in mind. I also know my daughter read a book by Sadie Robertson that she loved. She wanted the next one. But too expensive for me. Knew Sadie had a box of scripture cards. I had seen them at the store before. When I asked if they had them they were sold out. Talking with one of the staff I mentioned that Madeline was going through something hard and I wanted to get her a gift to encourage her. The lady mentioned to me a hard time she had gone through and how she had written out scripture and encouraging notes on fun sticky pads. Then she stuck them all over her bedroom walls and her mirror in the bathroom. I thanked her for the idea and left. 

Couple of days later I got an idea. I would buy sticky notes in fun colours and shapes. Then I would in list some of Madeline's close friends and family to write out encouraging scripture and notes as a surprise for Madeline. I also decided to have a mother daughter date with her and write a bunch out ourselves. That evening Madeline was suppose to go to youth. But they were serving all kinds of food she could not eat. I said I would buy special snacks she could take with her. But she said no. It will be to hard to be there. Still bought special snacks. So that evening we sat on her bed together with parsnip and carrot chips. They were both tasty by the way. Also with our fun sticky notes and colourful gel pens. We both headed to Pinterest to get encouraging sayings and scripture. It was a good night. At the end she got fun washi tape and stuck them to her walls. But they were not sticking very well. I said you know what you need is a cork board. She said to me I have always wanted a cork board. Really I never knew that well I'll see what I can do. Knowing money was very tight at the moment I knew I could not afford to buy one. So went on Facebook and posted does any friends have a cork board they don't want and would like to give away free? Never hurts to ask. One lady replied right aways. She said that I probably do and can bring it to bible study on Thursday. 

 

Thursday comes and a different lady comes up to me and tells me a lady at her table said this was for you. She said who but I already knew. She said that I should go over there and tell her Jesus said you need a hug. So I go and do just that. Well as I am hugging her I start to cry. I said you have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you. She said your welcome. What are you doing with it? A vision board? I am like what? Never heard of that. I said that my daughter and I were putting encouraging notes and scripture on it. We tried taping them to the wall but they would not stick. I felt I was to tell her Madeline had cancer. So I did. She hugged me again. More crying. Then at one point she comes back over to me and asked me what I was doing afterwords did I have 30 minutes? Depends for what? She said I was thinking of going to a scrapbooking store and getting pretty paper to decorate the cork board. I teach classes on making vision boards or some people call them blessing boards. I said yes.

We head down to the local scrapbook store and she asks me what are my daughters favourite colours. I say pink and blue. We are browsing around when I get the idea Madeline wants a sea/beach themed room. Wonder if they have papers? Yes racks and racks of it. Friends gets an ingenious idea. I love it! We find paper to match. She said what she likes to do is have background paper, then for the notes frame them in matching paper. So we find lots of paper. It's beautiful Madeline is going to love this. Crying so blessed. Then she takes me off to the dollar store to get push pins and shells. So I can glue shells on the end of the push pins to make them pretty. More crying. What an outpouring of love! I can't wait for Madeline to come home.

 

I put the background paper on and glue shells tp pins. That evening I reveal what I received that day. 

Madeline loved it absolutely loved it. Then we frame notes. What Madeline does not know is the friends and family who also wrote notes. Did not finish that night. Continue another day. Love how the day we went to finish Madeline says OK mom our notes are all framed lets go pin them up. She heads to her room I quickly put more notes on the table. So when we have hung all her notes we go back to clean up. She goes what? She picks up the new notes and see's a friends name written on one. She says are they all from her? I said no keep reading. She almost starts to cry she is very moved. What a beautiful project. I love it. So does Madeline. May the words encourage her. When Satan try's to sneak in may she be lead to read her notes and kick him out! 

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