A smile brings good fortune. When we smile it brings good vibes and chases away negativity.

As part of getting dressed each morning we put on our smile. This is what my mother-in-law and my husband did all their life. I used to love that smile of my husband each morning, blowing away my moody and sometimes grumpy state of mind.

A smile is refreshing to others and to ourselves. It is a bright statement. A shining light in the gloomy winter weather. It makes our face prettier. It sends loving thoughts to others.

Did you notice when we smile people smile back at us? It creates an atmosphere of love, embrace and acceptance. Let’s put up the external first and then the internal will follow.

To live our best life, which for me is to be a person of love who reflects God’s heart, we need to be able to consciously direct our thoughts, feelings and actions in the right order and direction. Sometimes we do not feel like it, but we can try.

A few years ago, my daughter Diesa offered me a journal as a Christmas gift. In the beginning she wrote from I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

And at the end Diesa put:

Mom is patient, mom is kind. She does not envy, she does not boast, she is not proud. She is not rude, she is not self-seeking, she is not easily angered, she keeps no record of wrongs. Mom does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. She always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Mom never fails.

1 Elisabeth 13:4-8

At the end of the year 2019 I was reminded of these words and was repeating to myself in my mind, “Mom keeps no record of wrongs.”

This is my New Year’s motto: “Mom keeps no record of wrongs.”

Love to you all, Elisabeth