Sharing Love & Sending Joy the Old-Fashioned Way

A few years ago, an acquaintance's husband suddenly died in the night. My heart broke for her, but since we weren't very close, I didn't know what to do. I wanted to express my condolences, but I felt totally awkward calling or texting her to say something, so I did the only other thing I could think of.

I wrote her a note.

In August, I ran into her for the first time since her husband's death, and she told me that the simple little note I had written meant the world to her in the days after he died. She told me how much the prayer I included had encouraged her, and then she thanked me for taking the time to let her know that I was thinking of her.

I was shocked. It's been three years since I wrote that note, but she still remembers it. It took five minutes of my time, but it became a bright spot to remember in an otherwise dark and dreary time.

That experience served as the inspiration for a new line of stationery in the LAJ Shop. Sometimes God uses something as simple as a handwritten note to encourage and uplift us, and these notes were designed specifically with that purpose in mind.

Do you know someone who could use a little extra encouraging? What better way to share a little love and send a bit of joy than to mail a handwritten note? I don't know anyone who doesn't like getting mail. It's easy to send a text these days, but a card delivered the old-fashioned way speaks volumes. When we take the time to sit down and pen a heartfelt message, we become avenues through which God blesses others. Who wouldn't want that?

I'm celebrating the launch of these pretty little cards with a sale! Use code SENDJOY to receive 30 percent off all stationery in the shop and get busy sharing love and sending joy. Code expires November 7, 2016 at 11:59 pm CST. 

Just a Little (handwritten) Note

It should come as no surprise that I believe in the power of a word fitly written. Especially when it's handwritten in a card that has been delivered the old-fashioned way. We live in a world that's constantly connected and plugged in. We leave comments on facebook walls, carry on conversations in text messages and send tweets to one another all day long, which is all nice and convenient, but I really miss the days of handwritten letters and cards.

The best relationships of my life have been maintained by handwritten cards and letters, posted with a stamp and delivered to my mailbox. I have stacks of personal notes stashed in a box in my desk drawer, and I pull them out from time to time to relive a memory or receive some encouragement. Those cards and letters mean the world to me.

One of the greatest women I've ever known is a master of written correspondence. I don't know how many cards, letters, and thank you notes she writes in the course of a week, but it has to be in the double digits. I have a stack of postcards in her signature script, all delivered to my campus post office box when I was a student at Mississippi State. Any college student knows the value of a real piece of mail. There's nothing more depressing than trudging all the way across campus to peer in the window of your post office box, only to find nothing but a CD from AOL. Mrs. June taught me that a handwritten card can change a person. The fact that she noticed when I was struggling and took the time to sit down and write me to let me know that she was praying for me changed my life.

I've tried to emulate her, but I really don't sit down to write a note as often as I should. I've been working to change that lately. I do, after all, own a custom stationery business. Recently, a college friend posted a snapshot of a card I had written her on facebook. The card was several years old, but she said she kept it because it still cheers her up when she's down. My jaw dropped when I saw the photo. I couldn't believe that a simple note that I had completely forgotten about had made such an impact, and it inspired me to pick up my pen and start using some of the stationery that I make. Over the past week, I've dropped two cards in the mail, and I'm planning on writing more over the course of the next few days. I hope to make it a lifelong habit.

So, keep your eyes open and don't forget to check your mail. You may just find a note from me in that rusty old box!

What about you? When was the last time you got a handwritten note in the mail? How did it make you feel? Who are you writing to this week?

Until next time, grace and peace.