Yes, kindness matters. I recently read that when a great author, Leo Tolstoy, met a homeless man, he reached into his pocket to give him some money. But his pocket was empty. He said, “I’m sorry, my brother, but I have nothing to give.” The beggar replied, “You have given me more than I asked for – you have called me brother.” (Grace For the Moment by Max Lucado)
“Too often we underestimate
the power of a touch, a smile,
a kind word, a listening ear,
an honest compliment,
or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential
to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia
Who We Are
In Christ
Jesus Is a Faithful Friend
Who Can and Will
Carry Us Through
Footprints In the Sand
by Leona Lewis
I promise you
I’m always there
When your heart is filled with sorrow
And despair
When you need a friend
You’ll find my footprints in the sand”
Nature is a Retreat of Hope
“There are moments
when all anxiety and stated toil
are becalmed in the infinite
leisure and repose of nature.”
Henry David Thoreau
Thank you to my brother, John, in Arizona for the photos of Coues deer and javelinas and to our son, Glen, for the Florida sunset while vacationing with his family. (🙂 Please respect copyright laws. 🙂)
Thank you to all of you who share beautiful nature photos on your blog posts. They always breathe hope into my spirit. 🙂
Freed to Fly 
Showing kindness to others makes life worth living. Thank you, Trudy, for sharing your thoughts and the enthralling photos. May your day be filled with God’s grace and peace!
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Yes, we never know what one smallest act of caring will do to make someone’s day brighter, do we? Thank you for your kind thoughts, Martha. May your day be filled with God’s grace and peace, too! May God help us to love like Jesus!
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Oh what wonderful pictures, Trudy. Thank you for sharing nature with me today as I look out at morning darkness knowing there is still a couple of feet of snow covering the ground! Yes, kindness matters, even if just not reacting to someone who cuts us off in traffic. We never know what someone might be going through to be distracted that way. Thank you for bringing me to a peaceful place today with your quotes, words, videos and photos.
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Thank you, Lynn. Oh my, a couple feet of snow! Those nature pics from the south warm my heart, too, in these winter months. I’m longing for spring! I love that you see that someone who cuts us off in traffic may be distracted because of what they’re going through. So true. We so easily judge, don’t we? I’m so glad you found a peaceful place here today. 🙂 May God help us to see each person in His eyes!
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Kindness is a gift we all can give, no matter the size of our bank account!
Love the photos – I also love seeing nature photos. They just speak to me!
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“No matter the size of our bank account!” So true, Jerralea! I’m glad you loved the nature photos. They speak to me, too. 🙂 May we use the gift of kindness in whichever way we can!
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An act of kindness might seem like a small thing but it has the power to turn a day or a life around. Thank you for the lovely reminder to recognise and keep on practising it. I love that little video on knowing our true identity, and have shared it to my Words of Joy Facebook page, because it’s part of my mission on the blog to encourage others in knowing who they are in Christ.
The images of nature (especially those your talented brother and son have gifted us with) never fail to raise a smile and bring an abiding sense of awe at the beauty of the created world. As always, reading your post has been a restful breathing space for my soul. Bless you,Trudy, for the way you bring peace and hope to so many here. Love and hugs to you, dear friend! xo ❤
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Who we are in Christ is something we both remind ourselves of, isn’t it, Joy? I love your mission and how you comfort others with the same comfort God has given us. “An abiding sense of awe at the beauty of the created world.” Yes! I’m so grateful you have found a restful breathing space for your soul here. I felt the same way while reading your post today. 🙂 Love and hugs to you, too! May our God of hope increase our passion of passing on His hope to others!
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Indeed it is, Trudy. I love your mission to help hurting souls and the way you do so with kindness, gentleness and grace. I’m grateful you sensed peace at my place too. Maybe the topic helped! 😉 Amen to your prayer. An increase of passion in passing on your hope, please, Lord! Blessings, love and hugs to you, my friend! May your week be blessed with renewed joy, hope and tranquillity. xo ❤️
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Thank you, dear friend! ❤️ 🙏🏼 🦋
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Dear Trudy,
Thank you for the deep encouragement that you share! You offer so much for so many different ways of looking–all ways that point to the comfort that God has planned for each one of us. I kept returning to that photo of the 2 deer that were so well hidden! At first I did not even realize that there were 2 of them in the brush there. And it just reminded me that we are hidden and kept so safe in the protection of our Lord. But yet, He never misses or overlooks one of us. He sees every detail! What a precious Lord we have. I so needed to be reminded of that again today, dear friend. Blessings, love and hugs to you! xoxo
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Oh thank you, Bettie, for pointing out how that one photo reminded you that we are hidden and kept so safe in our Lord’s protection! No, He never misses or overlooks one of us and sees every detail. Thank you so much for sharing this truth that breathes hope into my heart! Blessings, love, and hugs to you, too! May our hearts be encouraged by God’s constant care and attention to every little detail of our hearts and lives!
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Trudy, I so loved this post. Kindness seems to be a lost art form these days. The story of Leo Tolstoy touched me. And remembering who we really are and what shaped our identity? So crucial. Your sweet spirit—shared in your words—is beautiful. I loved the photos you shared also. Amazing! Love and hugs to you!
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Thank you for your words that always speak kindness to my heart, Jeanne. That story of Leo Tolstoy I read in a Max Lucado devotion really touched my heart, too. Such love and acceptance in those two little words – “my brother.” Truly a lesson to remember. Love and hugs to you, too! May we cling to who we are in Christ even when tumultuous waves try to make us loose our hold on Him!
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Yes, even a small act of kindness can make a big difference! Thanks for sharing the nature photos too – I always enjoy them. Love and blessings to you!
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Love and blessings to you, too, Lesley! Yes, a small act of kindness can make a big difference! This reminds me of Mother Teresa’s quote – “There are no great things, only small things with great love.” May our small acts of kindness be filled with great love!
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[…] by Trudy at Freed To Fly who wrote this week on her blog, “Thank you to all of you who share beautiful nature photos […]
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Dear Trudy, thanks for whispering yet again that “kindness matters.’ If we ever needed to make that our theme song it would be right about now.
Beautiful.
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So true, Linda. We so need more kindness in our world. May we exemplify the love, kindness, and compassion of Jesus!
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I loved the video, Trudy. It’s a message I need to remember during this season of my life, for sure! And thanks to you, I learned something new today … what a javelina is. I had never heard of those before. Hugs, friend!
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The video is a message I need to remember, too, Lois. I never knew about a javelina either before my brother moved to Arizona and sent me a picture. 🙂 It’s so amazing what a variety of creatures there are in this world, each created so uniquely. Hugs to you, too! I just read your comment to Linda. I’m looking forward to those epiphanies, too. 🙂 May we cling to our Refuge and Strength in this journey of life!
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Amazing photos and such sweet encouragement. Oh, the blessing we receive when someone calls us brother or sister. Here’s to the arrival of March and all it will bring.
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Thank you, Mary. I’m glad you were encouraged! Yes! I’m with you on looking for the arrival of March and spring! May God fill our hearts with the sunshine of His love and may we grow in Him!
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