I quietly tiptoed upstairs and into her bedroom.

  This surprise was just too good to hold any longer.

I walked over to her bed and lifted the pillow.

That’s where surprise after surprise has been hidden over the years.

  Not big things. Just little meaningful touches of a forever love.

I slid the red and white long sleeve top under the pillow

  and quickly slipped downstairs.

Noelle finished playing the piano and then came to me

   in the kitchen where I was preparing supper.

I knew the time had come.

“There’s a surprise for you…

      somewhere.” My heart beat wildly with excitement.

Those words had hardly left my lips when she flew across the room

   and up the stairs.

In seconds I heard her voice of delight.

“Oh thank you, Mommy. Thank you,”

Hugs and squeezes. Laughter and giggles

Shining moments all over the place.

Surprises—good surprises bring so much joy to life.

Take an ordinary day

    and add a joy filled surprise

    and ordinary instantly becomes extraordinary.

Have you noticed?

So early this morning

    well I really worked yesterday to prepare a very special

    just for this one

    surprise.

I like to imagine her face when she gets it.

I like to think that it will brighten her day.

From the time I was a very little girl

   and used to bring my Daddy’s slippers and place them by the door

  when he got home from work

I’ve loved giving others special surprises.

Creating shining moments.

Allowing His Spirit to shine through me

  brightening up another’s day.

From the beginning of time

  our God of Love splashes surprises all over our pathway.

Sometimes we don’t even notice

   Sometimes we simply don’t get it.

But He loves us so much

  He keeps writing His Love in a million different ways

   all over the place.

Maybe there is something you can do today

  for another.

It takes so little

  A simple text,

     a hug,

     a cup of coffee or a slice of pie.

It really doesn’t matter as much

  What it is

     No, the joy is in the thought. The simple kind thought.

Well, I’m going to splash more sunshine around where I live.

And let this simple blog be my gift to you today.