pay it forward

We’ve all heard the warning, check and double-check spelling, punctuation, and grammar before submitting a piece for publication, but … what can I say, mistakes happen to the best of us.

If you’ve made a mistake recently, relax. Laughing at one’s self is a sign of maturity, or in some cases, getting ahead of the other guy.

"If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I would be happy to do it for you." 
Groucho Marx                                                                         CLICK TO TWEET

"Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone..."
―Ella Wheeler Wilcox                                                      CLICK TO TWEET

So, kick back and have a good, old-fashioned belly laugh. It’s good for your health and good for the soul. As demonstrated by these wonderful church ladies with typewriters.

I can’t take credit for finding these tidbits of laughter. I received them from a dear friend. I tried my to find their origination but was unsuccessful. I did manage to locate them in numerous other places on the net. Angelfire.com, Beliefnet.com, Lotsofjokes.com, to name a few.

These Bloopers and Typos actually appeared in church bulletins or announced during church services.

1. The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
2. The sermon this morning: ‘Jesus Walks on the Water.’
3. The sermon tonight: ‘Searching for Jesus.’
4. Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
5. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.
6. Smile at someone who is hard to love.
7. Say ‘Hell’ to someone who doesn’t care much about you.
8. Don’t let worry kill you off – let the Church help.
9. Miss Charlene Mason sang ‘I will not pass this way again,’ giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
10. For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
11. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
12. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
13. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be ‘What Is Hell?’ Come early and listen to our choir practice.
14. Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
15. The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment, and gracious hostility.
16. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM – prayer and medication to follow.
17. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
18. This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
19. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.
20. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
21. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
22. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
23. The Associate Minister unveiled the church’s new campaign slogan last Sunday: I Upped My Pledge – Up Yours!

Thanks to my friend Jo and all her friends for forwarding these on. I hoped you enjoyed them as much as I did and took them in the spirit they were intended, a good belly laugh and a gentle reminder – check and recheck. Typos happen to the brightest and the blessed of us. No pun intended.

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I’m surprised and honored. My blog has been nominated for the Very Inspiring Blog Award and I’d like to pay it forward.

I’m up every morning around six o’clock. The smell of hot coffee permeates the air as my oldest Bichon dances around my feet ready to start our morning routine.

It takes his sister, Piper a little longer. She’s still snuggled underneath the covers where she’s managed to wiggle her way in, the same way she wiggled her way into our lives some four years ago. We still can’t resist those adoring dark eyes staring at us, especially, in the wee hours of the morning.

My husband sleeps while the three of us walk out to grab the morning paper. They get a doggie biscuit, I get coffee, and we settle in front of the fire to catch up on the latest news.

But, headlines are the same they were the day, week and month before. Stories of the dreaded fiscal cliff, threat of nuclear weapons, or the ongoing clashes between the political parties long after the election, cover every page. I stop reading, and close the newspaper on the never-ending rhetoric.

It’s Christmas! Time for joy and inspiration.

Elizabeth Cutright has been a tremendous source of inspiration for me. It was through becoming acquainted with The Daily Creative Writer, and the many other talented bloggers that Morning Pages from the Cow Pasture Chronicles, sprang to life.

My blog, Cow Pasture Chronicles focuses on the how-to’s of writing while Sheila’s Morning Pages is my chance to share my words and stories. Perhaps, one such story, Christmas Magic, was the reason my blog came to be nominated for this special honor. It appears my seven-year-old granddaughter, Mallory, has touched many hearts and I’m happy to have shared it with you all.

I challenge you to Pay it forward. Write a good story and share it with others.

Now to the business end of the award nomination:

I’m southern born and raised and I love sweet tea with lemon and lots of ice.
I was climber as child; my exploits included the ironing board, the refrigerator, and the top of the frame of a house being built. I was three years old. My mother and the builder talked me down.
I’m a Registered Nurse by profession but have long been retired.
I spent half of my career delivering babies and the other half as a transplant coordinator for the American Red Cross bone and tissue program, and Administration; Polar opposites.
One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited has been the Grand Canyon. I rode all the way on a mule and saw the handiwork of God.
I collected clowns, dolls, and figurines for years. The clown and the character behind the face intrigued me. I eventually packed them away when my daughters reached an age they found them creepy.
And, although I love uplifting stories, my favorite genre is crime thrillers.