Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

What is it about having the ” Holiday Eves” and then the holidays themselves on weekends …that affects our balance and sense of time?

I feel lately like 🎶 🎵 ” Time is NOT on my side… No, it’s NOT.” Even yesterday, Friday, seemed off … because of the bowl games… shouldn’t they all be on a Saturday? All the other big games have been… it’s like the rug got pulled out from under football fans’ feet.

All the Friday scheduled morning shows had to pretend that it was New Year’s Eve since they didn’t air on weekends.

Next year will still be a little strange with the holiday ” Eves” on Sundays but at least Christmas and New Year’s will be on Monday weekdays.

One day we will all live in ” Kairos” time… eternal time and never worry about ” deadlines” again. Instead of ” R&R” time… ( Rest and Relaxation) – it will be ” G&S” time -( God and Spirit) time.

After picking up sausage/ gravy biscuits and dropping them off to some neighbors first thing yesterday morning…I felt full and ready to start the day. By lunchtime… I started ruminating on some early passages from Penny’s latest detective novel-A World of Curiosities.

Anne mentioned she read through this latest novel in 24 hours… ” greedy for more plot.” She wants to re-read it when I finish.

I, on the other hand, get caught up in the plot but then I stop after a couple of chapters to pick out certain phrases that have touched me while expanding new views of an old situation.

After reading the first paragraph in yesterday’s blog post… most of you probably surmised that Harriett, after forgetting to say ” rabbit-rabbit” first thing one June 1 morning… is headed towards falling down her own ” rabbit hole.”

Yes… it is just not plot but the relationships between the main characters – Chief Inspector Armand Gam-ache and his second in command ( his son-in-law) Jean-Guy Beauvoir that fascinates me.

Beauvoir is in awe of his father-in-law… Gamache has seen the very worst horrific acts of humanity-and yet even while investigating them -seems blind to their horrors.

In spite of the visible scabs left behind… Gamache truly believes that these appalling acts and equally appalling people are the exception.

” You need to remember that Jean-Guy. The blindness you mention isn’t believing in the essential goodness of people, it’s failing to see it.”

Interwoven in her mystery novels is a spectrum of every facet of humanity … both visible and hidden within the human creation of man- both potentially good and evil- right and wrong… moral questions that seem to defy logic or even answers.

Yet Gamache emerges time and again a ” hopeful, even happy man.”

So until tomorrow… May everyone this New Year’s Eve… in their own ” pursuit of happiness” never fail to see the goodness in our world and the people who inhabit it.”

I am finishing this post at 1:00 PM Friday afternoon. Getting ready to get all my Clemson paraphernalia on and try to get in a little nap later this afternoon! Hoping we Tigers all have fun tonight!

Dear Reader:

After all the diversity of celebrations, emotions, changes, interruptions, anticipations, problems, possibilities, disappointments, exhilarations… start slowing down… (if you are like me) You are ready to go into hibernation for a few days!

Yesterday… the sorely missed key element in the Lowcountry… WARMTH… returned! Hallelujah! By the time I got to the Styles and Dingle law office ( to deliver Tommy’s birthday gifts) the sun was shining brightly and blue skies prevailed.

As soon as I climbed to the second floor… I started smiling-the staff had surprised Tommy and decorated the front door and had a large balloon floating in the lobby!

Clemson colored Balloons!

*** (Michele loved the Merry BIRTHMAS Christmas/ Birthday card) and then sent this cartoon that had me choking …I was laughing so hard!

I talked myself out of doing any heavy cleaning… but I did lug all the flowers back out on the porch… including BIG RED!

Then I left the outside door open… closing only the clear storm door … excited as the sunlight filled the den!

***I wholeheartedly agreed with this FB meme.

Anne had dropped off the latest Louise Penny murder mystery novel and all I wanted to do was start the long anticipated novel… When I read the first paragraph I laughed out loud – it has my ” name” written all over it!

Of course … there is one important ” sacred” segment of time I have already blocked off… the Really Really Orange Orange Bowl! Go Tigers! ( will have to stop and rest up for it earlier in the afternoon since it is a late ” 8″ game taking all fans on both sides into the ” Midnight Hour!”

So until tomorrow…I look forward to my passport getting stamped … even if it is just to Three Pines tomorrow… let my mind explore and meet new people!!!

” Today is my favorite day” -Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I decided since today, December 29, is my ” baby’s’ ( Tommy) benchmark birthday … I would finally find a way to add a little humor to everybody whose December birthday falls around Christmas and New Year’s … many feeling ( rightfully so ) that the get gipped every year … as the card adds: ” Two birds, one stone, and all that!”)

December ” babies” end up getting one present for two separate occasions-Christmas and birthday. For years J tried my best to still give the boys ( Walsh-” Kringle Dingle” ( 23) and Tommy -” Deduction Dingle” ( 29) a family birthday on the 23rd for both… then have Christmas Eve at my house and the church service storytelling and take a dish for Christmas dinner and now exchange presents at Mandy and John’s brunch. Whew!

That is why these precious days between Christmas and New Year’s ( including this year -the Orangest of Orange Bowls on the 30th) are the time to squeeze in some much needed R&R!

After checking out dozens of December birthday cards… I was thrilled to find the humorous Merry Birthmas! A new word for the Dingles now! A combination of birthday and Christmas.

*** Maybe it will catch on like George Constanza’s father’s Festivus in Seinfeld.

So one ” Birthmas” card is heading to Tommy today… along with a story I wrote him about his first and only Christmas stocking from his beloved grandmother ( my mother) ” Me-Mommy.” She bought it in 1982 when we didn’t know exactly when Tommy would make his appearance… so the stocking stayed empty on the mantle that year since Tommy’s appearance got delayed by four days… but we both know that it really wasn’t empty… it was filled with anticipation and love.

My first ” Birthmas” card went to my neighbor Vickie who loved it so much-she wanted to get another for her son John who was born on Christmas… so I added another to my Amazon order. Every birthday recipient who has gotten one wants one themselves to send to another December birthday friend or family member!

Aunt Susan had ‘ way back when’ made Mandy and Walsh’s stockings with their names and adorable Christmas appliqués. But years later Susan offered to make a matching stocking for Tommy … ” Nope” he loved his Me-mommy stocking. So today he is getting it back …still packed with love!

A shout-out to Tommy on a special birthday!

So until tomorrow…May the blessings of Christmas and birthdays welcome in more LOVE… we can never get enough! Happy Birthday Tommy!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Happy Birthday to all my December Readers!

Dear Reader:

With the New Year growing closer and closer… don’t we all want reassurance that ” 23″ will improve upon ” 22″ ? That everything ( really) will be okay?

Growing up… how many times in our childhood did we ask a parent, relative, or trusted adult this question? Or how many times did we get this same reassurance from a parent when things went wrong in our lives… physically or emotionally?

And even though we realized, as we grew older, that no one could promise this reassurance happening ( especially imminently) the words still comforted us.

Of course the reality is… the short answer is ” YES” … the longer answer is more complicated… but still yes! Bad things will continue to happen … we will continue to have bad days… BUT , in the midst of bad things and bad days, there will be good things and good days.

Our universe constantly seeks balance and will always ” right itself.” We can’t go through life without experiencing heart break, pain, and understanding that world injustices exist… but the reality is… There is more good than bad in the world.

Anthropologists explain how humans have been programmed with a ” negativity bias” in order for our species to survive. Thus it’s harder for us to remember positive blessings

So it helps if we make a list of all the good things in our lives. The world is full of reasons why ” Everything will be okay.”

Mahatma Gandhi once said: ” When I despair, I remember that throughout history… the way of truth and love have always won. Tyrants and Murderers , who temporarily seemed invincible, fell in the end…. ALWAYS!”

Psychiatrists , when dealing with patients in deep depression moods, gives the client one question to ask themselves -it always produces an ” Aha” moment.

” If you could be re-born at any time in human history, BUT you wouldn’t know where or when you’d be born, or what race you would be, whether or not you’d be able- bodied, or how much money your family would have… well guess what? You would absolutely choose the time moment in history you’re living right now...today!”

So until tomorrow… While the world is far from perfect- the world is a better place for the greatest number of people than at any other time in human history. The fact that the world has slowly but surely gotten better, means the future will be better too.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

And speaking of growing… Look at Rhea!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday, like hundreds and thousands of other post-Christmas families… the job of cleaning up and throwing out leftover boxes, wrapping paper, and other paraphernalia was the objective of the day…

Bekah, my niece, Ben’s daughter, picked up her dad to take him back to Wellmore. I cleaned up, met a friend from out of state who was stopping by Summerville for a short visit… and then returned home and collapsed…Christmas had been wonderful but tiring and I fell asleep and slept for hours.

When I finally woke up … I picked up Rushnell’s God Wink Christmas Stories and turned to one story that caught my attention. It was a story about Roma Downey, lead actress in the once very popular series Touched by an Angel.

One day during a Christmas break from the television series Roma visited a children’s hospital. Wearing a Santa ‘s cap she had her picture taken with many families and sick children. A snapshot they could have as a memoir after leaving the hospital.

As she walked by one room… parents were exiting… their faces in anguish… she drew back in the corner of the hall quickly taking off the Santa cap in respect.

Suddenly the mother stopped, blinked as their eyes met… and whispered to Roma… ” I prayed that an angel would come for my baby… and here you are.”

Roma wanted to shake her head in denial, explain she was just an actress playing a role but she found herself staring into that mother’s eyes, wrapping an arm around her in comfort and saying ” Let me pray with you.”

Words poured out but Roma said later… they were not from her… they came from God. In deep gratitude the mother repeatedly thanked her.

Roma left with mixed feelings and immediately called Della Reese, another actress on the show but more importantly a dear friend and confidante.

Roma said she felt like a fraud to a vulnerable woman but Della replied ” Baby, there are times when we need to step out of the way and let God use us to channel His grace. “

Later in Roma ‘s book she included this story and hung up from Della Reese’s telephone conversation thanking God for having Della Reese in her life and concluded ” Who was I to say God wasn’t using me in that moment? How many other times had I limited Him and not been available to be a light to someone who needed it? ”

So until tomorrow…. God calls each of us to be His ambassador, an Angel on Earth, or as we often say, a Godwink Link, the unwitting courier of a Godwink to someone else. Be open to be a messenger for another.

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

” Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. ” ( Matthew 5:16 NIV)

My hope and prayers for one and all is that you felt God’s love on His Birthday this Christmas- the day that changed the world forever… when HOPE appeared and never left! Keep it locked up in your hearts! Best gift… ever!

Softest blanket to sleep with…reminding me how blessed my life is… called a Prayer Blanket… by Kaitlyn and Tommy!

Remember how artists like to depict the four seasons… for human aging … Summer, Spring, Fall and Winter? Have loved thinking I am perpetually Fall… but lately my body clock has started transitioning me into early winter… and it doesn’t like winter at all. 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

As I reflected back on the 2022 Christmas yesterday afternoon… all my gifts received promoted warmth on our coldest Christmas since Christmas of 1989-the white Christmas following Hurricane Hugo … both low temperatures tied at 16 degrees.

As I am slowly transitioning into the winter phase of life… an emphasis on needed warmth doesn’t just apply to actual cold temperatures but to the importance of retaining warm memories … like those of Christmas 2022 -memories that will prove more healing than any medicine -producing a warm heart.

Last evening when I was still reflecting on Christmas Day-family and friends…John O’ Donohue’s Christmas Benediction, once again reminded us to make every day be filled with Christmas joy!

So until tomorrow… “May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.” MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Changing roles and longtime traditions is always hard. Normally you Chapel of Hope readers would be reading the copy of the Christmas Eve story I told last night on this special post…except I didn’t.

For longtime followers … you already know I told my last Christmas Eve story last year at the early Christmas Eve service. That story ended a thirty year tradition for me at Dorchester Presbyterian church.

I passed the torch to Andi Stem… who quickly volunteered to keep the stories alive each Christmas Eve. Bless you Andi and will be excited hearing the story and song this year… just a little later.

So instead of this annual post containing the story I told… it contains another short story from the book -GOD WINKS- Christmas Stories. This particular story is called ” Christmas Love.”

Candy Chand was rushing to get to her six year old son Nicholas’ final dress rehearsal for the first through sixth graders’ ” Winter Pageant” -because she was a nurse working night shift and would miss the evening performance.

Thinking aloud … she wondered what happened to ” Christmas” pageants. She thought that Jesus and herself shared a common problem… they both suffered from rejection… a lot.

Candy wanted to be a writer-her own mother had been her greatest supporter in this effort but now her mother was gone… and all she had to show for her writings was a box of rejection slips and working night shifts at the local hospital.

As Candy watched the children line up to sing their first song-adorned in red scarves and white mittens she recognized the tune to a song called ” Christmas is Love.” It was one of her favorites and she was so proud of the teacher for including it.

Little did she know that her life was about to change directions. God was about to send her a Godwink. While singing… the little five year old’s were each given a placard to hold – that spelled out the song title: ” CHRISTMAS IS LOVE.” All went well until one little girl held her placard letter upside down. Her ” M” had become a ” W” much to the amusement of the older grades sitting in the audience.

Many teachers tried to shush the laughter to no avail… until the last letter was raised. Then a hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

Candy ran home and shared the story on the internet… within hours it was shared by tens of thousands of people around the globe. God was providing the story He wanted told… and shared.

This God Wink story changed Candy’s life as her writing career soared and today she is a successful author.

So until tomorrow… May God’s love envelope you on this most wondrous of days … bringing you comfort, peace… and WARMTH! Merry Christmas to One and All!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Can you believe it? We got here all intact…Christmas Eve!

This year… instead of just giving a gift or present… why not be one? How? Be the very best you with the brightest smile shining as brightly as the Christmas Star…. light up the room!

Hint: What is a fun, free gift for everyone… REALLY bundle up at your family or friend’s gathering and go look for the Christmas Star. ( Check out Santa’s sleigh along the way!)

Ask everyone, including the children , which star they think is the brightest…like the Christmas Star was for the Three Wise Men… and astrologers.

Speaking of…. since the Gospel of Matthew was written in 80 AD ( 80 years after the fact) there are many modern astrological theories today of what might have been the Christmas Star” leading the Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Some popular theories are the star was the planet Venus, a comet, the Dog constellation ( Sirius) , a supernova ( exploding star) conjunction of two planets ( Saturn and Jupiter)

So until tomorrow… Tell the children if you truly want to see a miracle… just go outside and look up into the night sky… it is full of miracles… including us!

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes this Christmas Eve!

Dear Reader:

Yesterday morning was chilly and rainy… and I left the house after 8 in the morning for dropping off gifts, one last run to the grocery store, fill up with gas and give my ” weak” tire some more air so the tire pressure would hold up to get me to Mt P Christmas Eve and Day! Whew!

Yet… this was the day that wonderful stories flew… popping up all around me-reassuring me that people are so good and giving and Christmas brings out their blessings.

Yesterday, December 22, was mother’s birthday so my mind was pulling up constant memories of this extraordinary woman… I was honored to call mother.

And then came the wink… many of Honey’s gifts were items that helped promote and recognize others who have overcome disabilities to find a way to give back while providing a life for themselves.

(Honey knew I would appreciate this story because of mother.) Clara Jane, after once traveling the globe, is now confined in a wheelchair without the use of her right side. But in spite of this… she has developed a new love… the craft of ” Single-Handed Embroidery.” Amazing! Each piece is signed CJ, with gratitude for every customer’s purchase. ( Mother would have loved her)

On the way back from the grocery store I pulled into my neighborhood nearest gas station to fill up and see if I could get more air in my weak tire.

As I was filling up… the rain had picked up and I was about to talk myself out of getting more air since the tire place down the street was packed with people lined up to get air….

I pulled over to the air center at the gas station to see what I could figure out-but it was a dollar twenty-five in quarters needed to operate it… and I had just cleaned out all my car change ( for the annual birthday jar I give Tommy. ) I only had my card and this particular air machine didn’t take cards.

I must have looked wet and discouraged because suddenly the man in the large work truck ( getting gas next to me) came rapidly over and asked me what the problem was…” I got it” he grinned… quarters and time to check that air in your tire and get it ready for our ” Polar Express” air coming tomorrow! Tire pressure is important in cold weather… we are just spoiled by our normal warm winters. There you go… have a good day!”

I could feel my eyes welling up as I thanked my ” Santa” for his kindness… He just climbed back in his truck, waved and called out ” Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!”

First thing today… I called Walsh ( Kringle Dingle) to wish my middle child Happy Birthday … for some reason the whole Dingle clan has lots of birthdays in December… Walsh now for me and next week Tommy -my ” baby.”

If you ever watched the “Golden Girls” you might remember the episode called ” Grab that Dough” when Dorothy entered the air vacuum to see how much money she could grab on a televised game show.

So until tomorrow… I started reflecting at the end of the day yesterday on all the true and truly amazing stories that befell me and how if I had stepped into a Christmas vacuum… I would have grabbed as many stories as I could tuck away in my memory as a precious Christmas keepsake! More precious than money-Christmas 2022!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

Exactly one year ago today… Summerville was spinning from all the excitement of being chosen one of four best small towns to live in at Christmas!

The town went all out to show the television host, Megan Alexander, author, mom and producer of the television program…Small Town Christmas… just how wonderful our town is! In order to meet the deadline for airing on Christmas Eve… merchants, entertainers and the townspeople had to be ready ” put on the dog.”

Front store Christmas decor started going up in early November…

Hutchinson Square went all out.,,

What a way to celebrate Summerville’s 175th anniversary! Meghan stayed in the quaint Linwood Inn while filming.

She toured many of the charming homes of Summerville…

Tim Lowry, our famous storyteller, entertained with the Christmas Carol performance

I caught Meghan Alexander recently on one of the morning talk shows… she has just completed a children’s book ( she has three children) called The Magic of Small Town Christmases.

So until tomorrow.. as Thomas Wolf commented … we might not be able to go home again …for Christmas …but all of us can bring that small town feeling to our family’s Christmas … with a sprinkle of Christmas Magic!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

A shout/out to my longtime friend and neighbor… ” Miss Janie” who celebrated her 95th birthday yesterday … in other words she has won the lifetime longevity lottery award! Way to go girl!