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Unusual National Days in May

The Kedge Anchor

May 6, 2024

Happy National Tony Day!!!! If your name is Tony today is your day!!!
There are so many national days and so many national month of something day I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the unusual national days, for instance today, May 6 National Tony Day!

Wishing all the Tonys a Happy National Tony Day!

Who doesn’t know a Tony or an Anthony? Maybe you know someone who is female and named Tony or Toni. I happen to know several, one who happens to be a cousin, one who is a dear friend and one who is a sibling of a dear friend.

So how did May 6 become the day to celebrate Tonys? It was designated by the birthday of Tony Blair, “Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is the longest-serving prime minister of the Labour Party of the United Kingdom.” Tony is short for Anthony or Antony or in the female form Antonia. I had a classmate growing up Antoinette, but we called her by her full name. However, my mom had a friend named Antoinette who went by Toni. Don’t know why you need to know that, the point is Toni can also be short for Antoinette. My cousin’s nephew (which would be my second cousin) used to call him “Ant-knee.”

What does Tony mean? In Latin: Priceless one, highly praiseworthy, Greek: Flourishing, highly praiseworthy. There are other meanings, Google it see what you can find and leave your findings in the comments. The name Tony was among the top 100 favorite names in 1955 and was among the top 100 favorite names. In the 1960s, it was among the top 50 most commonly used boy names.

Who are the famous Tonys?

  • Anthony Hopkins
  • Anthony Perkins
  • Tony Bennett
  • Anthony Quinn
  • Tony Shaloub
  • Ayyyyy OH Oh Ayyy Tony Danza
  • Tony Curtis
  • Tony Orlando
  • and my favorite Tony the Tiger!!!

So to catch up on the unusual National Days in May,

May 1st was National CSS Reboot Day!!! (hmmm maybe that should be a greeting card).

May 2nd was National Password Day how many times have you had to change a password because a site or an app has updated?? GGGGRRRR?

May 3rd was National Two Different Color Shoes Day

May 4th was National Rhode Island Independence Day alright i was born and raised in Little Rhody and I did not know this. How did I not know this?

May 5th was Museum Lover’s Day I have to admit, I love museums. I do enjoy art museums. Maybe I need to open a hand lettering museum dedicated to the lost art of cursive hand writing, hand written cards, writing utensils, history of pens, and quills, or maybe there just needs to be a greeting card?

I wanna hear your comments. What unusual national days do you celebrate?

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What If …

The Kedge Anchor

My Painting Process

Last Saturday morning the weather was inspirational. It’s getting warmer, trees and flowers are blooming again and it was a sunny day. How could I not be inspired? Nature always inspires me and today it was shouting.

Like many times, I don’t know what to do. As inspired and motivated as I can be sometimes, what to do can be overwhelming. Have you been there? I decided to make a little game of it, and asked myself, “what if?” What if I actually painted something! You’ll hear many artists’ encouraging words to just make marks, put paint on paper, or ink, or whatever medium you are using. Just do something, even if it’s not perfect or you don’t like it, or you fail, just do something, be creative. That’s what I did.

My initial doodle

When I do a piece that I don’t like or it’s a flop, I keep it but not for display. I recycle it. I keep it to use the other side for a do over. And that’s what I did here. I grabbed a large piece of watercolor paper and some watercolor brush pens and just started to make a small gradient . That’s it. Step number one of the “What If” game; keep it small, keep it simple. It’s more manageable, less intimidating. My next thought was to make a bookmark. I had purchased a book a few months back that had instructions using watercolors to make a bookmark and the warmer weather was making me think of the beach. I chose three-ish or so colors and started painting a sky, water, and sand. My first attempt looked flat, uninteresting. I tried again. This time I let the brushes do the work, I let them leave their marks and color. The look was starting to take shape and look more interesting. I could have left it there. But I didn’t, it needed more.

Head over to my YouTube channel for other videos

Then the question came again, “what if?” What if I took some white and enhanced the waves and water just a little? Aha! It’s looking more like water. Using what I have learned about making water on the shore, is to create a shadow under the water flowing over the sand. Thus the second step; build up or layer creativity on your painting. Add to it but carefully. A little can be a lot. It still need a little more but it was starting to gain more dimension. It needed a more and it needed contrast. I took a black fine liner and started to make some tall grass in the foreground.Then, I took a step back and it actually looked like a beach. That’s when I stopped. Of course now I see things I can do different, like make some clouds but the cloudless sky give me the opportunity to maybe write a quote over it.

That’s becoming my process as I learn. I ask myself the question, “what if …? and do it. Next, I break it down, keep it simple. My high school math teacher always told us to reduce our problems to lowest terms. So, keep it simple and small. Then I layer on creativity, I build on top of the simple image I created, with some detail using other media, asking myself again; “what if …”. And then I step back. Maybe there is more I need to do. Maybe it is done, but I step back and assess. Maybe I need to leave it, let it be silent for a few days to make sure it’s done.

As I let this little project sit overnight, that inspiration is kinda like God’s voice. It nudges, it encourages. Once again I asked; “what if …”. Don’t go away, stay tuned for next week as I explain that.

Would love to hear what inspires you and hear your process. Please be sure to like, subscribe, comment and share. As always, “Anchor in Hope.”

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Greetings From Ancient China and Egypt

The Kedge Anchor

Happy National Greeting Card Month! The history of greeting cards is interesting and I wanted to share what I discovered. But as I was researching I was trying to decide how to communicate what I found. If you’re like me you want the highlights and some interesting details. So I thought I would deliver what I discovered by answering some questions over the course of a few days.

https://clickamericana.com/holidays-seasons/christmas/antique-merry-christmas-postcards-1913

Where did the art of sending greeting cards originate?

The history of sending greeting cards go back to ancient civilizations of China and Egypt. These tidings of goodwill and well wishes were exchanged often on papyrus scrolls in Egypt and similarly precious materials in China. These greetings were offered as messages of goodwill but also served as symbols of status and prosperity.

As paper was starting to be manufactured, the tradition and practice of sending good will messages began to evolve. Beginning in the 15th century, the Europeans began sending hand made cards from paper. This really is a lost art. Germany is credited with creating the first Christmas cards. Paper wasn’t as plentiful as it is today and wasn’t easy for everyone to obtain. So it was mostly tradition among the wealthy and noble. Their cards were embellished with gold leaf, flourished with intricate designs and warm heartfelt messages.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that greeting cards were mass produced. We can thank Sir Henry Cole, in 1843 he commissioned the first commercial Christmas card in London. Word has it it featured a festive scene and the greeting “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” This marked the beginning of the $23 million mass-produced greeting card industry we know today!

It’s been a few centuries since the first greeting card in ancient China and Egypt. And though technology may have slowed things down, the industry is still thriving. Head over to my YouTube channel to make a quick and easy “thank you” card to send.

How do you feel about the cost of greeting cards? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Free Coloring Page – Good Friday 2024

The Kedge Anchor

Happy Friday and Good Friday. Although it wasn’t so happy or good for Jesus. So why is it called Good Friday? Jesus was innocent, yet He was crucified for the sins of the world. He endured pain for us. We are the ones who deserve what Jesus went through. But the cross gives us Hope. Sunday is coming!!

If you haven’t seen today’s blog post please take a few minutes to watch.

Here is another free coloring page to help remind and reflect why today is called Good Friday.

Good Friday 3/29/24Download
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Walking the Earth and Leaving Heaven

The Kedge Anchor

Walking the Earth and Leaving Heaven

Walking the earth as a human after leaving Heaven was a profound sacrifice for Jesus, motivated by His love for us, sinners. His purpose was singular: to offer Himself as a living sacrifice for our sins, for all of humanity. This act of love involved not only physical pain and death, but also encompassed an intimate understanding of the emotional and mental anguish experienced by all of His creation. Through His suffering, Jesus carried the weight of every form of physical and emotional pain, including heartache, depression, anxiety, and abandonment. His ultimate goal was to provide redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life to those who believe in Him, thereby granting them a path, the only path to spend eternity in Heaven. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Him. (John 14:6) This profound sacrifice illustrates His unconditional love and the depth of His commitment to freeing all of humanity from the clutches of sin and offering a way to eternal salvation.

Take some time to reflect with this free coloring page. Listen to some music, grab some colored pencils or markers and thank God for sacrificing His Son and for Jesus sacrificing His life and shedding His blood. Share your page on the Kedge Anchor page on Facebook or Instgram with #KedgeAnchorEaster24

March 27 2024_Click to Download
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Seeking God Wholeheartedly

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

In the last post, Seek and You Will Find, I questioned myself. Do I seek God wholeheartedly? Am I just phoning it in? Am I desperately and urgently seeking him, like I was looking for my four misplaced (not lost) objects?

What is wholeheartedly? What does seeking God wholeheartedly look like? Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (The Shema) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength…” We are to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength. I am gonna guess that I need to seek God the same way. I needed to know more so I set out to find more.

First we need the right attitude, mindset, posture. We need to seek diligently, intentionally, continually and humbly. Let’s break that down a little more. Intentionally, 1 Chronicles 22:19 – “Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. …” Sometimes I don’t have a plan when I sit down to read my Bible, usually because I finished a devotional or a study and don’t have another lined up. So I kinda just aimlessly wander through my Bible, maybe old sermon notes, or the biggest trap; scrolling the internet for a devotional. I gotta change that. I need to have something lined up, be more intentional about how I am seeking God.

The ESV in Proverbs 8:17 says – “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. That sounds like a promise. : )

1 Chronicles 16:11 ” Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! (ESV) Some translations say “seek his face continually.” And most importantly, we need to have a humble and repentant heart.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. I know one way to humble myself and that is to cast my cares on him because he cares for me, for us. 1 Peter 5:5-7 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Which brings me to surrendering. Why do we hold on to our worries and anxieties? I know it’s hard to hand over, we want control as humans. For me, casting and surrendering need to happen. As I cast I need to surrender.

So the verses mentioned were more of a posture of the heart, the mind. What about physically? We all need quiet to study and pray, Matthew 6:6 – “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Maybe you do better with a little background music, worship songs, etc. that’s cool. For me it helps to have a quiet space ready to, meditate, ponder in my heart and journal and to pray. We need prayer to ask for forgiveness and align ourselves with God. Sometimes I need to change things up a bit and weather permitting I like to sit outside, which can be a bit distracting, birds, noises… squirrels. It takes a lot of focus for me outside but sometimes God uses my surroundings to speak to me.

Be patient in your pursuit. You will find Him. And in your search allow yourself to rest and absorb what you have learned. Meditate on the scriptural treasures you find. Just as it took me a few days to recover my misplaced items, God will reveal Himself and what He wants you to know in His time.

So seeking God wholeheartedly means having the right attitude, mindset, and posture towards Him. It means being intentional, diligent, continual, and humble in our pursuit of Him. We need to set our minds and hearts to seek Him, have a plan in place and a quiet spot for our time with Him, and approach Him with repentance and humility .

When we seek God with our whole hearts, He promises that we will find Him and that when we diligently seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us. And as we continually seek His presence and His face, He will hear us, forgive us. Let’s trust that as we seek Him wholeheartedly, we will find Him and experience His love, grace, and presence in our lives.

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Love Languages – Gifts Day 5

The Kedge Anchor

Well, we made it to day five, well I did anyway. Bit of a challenge to put the videos together but with God’s help we did it. I saved gifts for last because really they could be given to anyone as encouragement. Even if words of affirmation isn’t someone’ love language, we all still encouragement and letting someone know that you are on their side or are their biggest fan can be encouraging.

A coupon book is great to way to wrap up gifts of service. Perhaps you have a neighbor who needs help with yard word or needs help getting errands done, give a coupon book with some flowers to someone who like gardening.

Now, the blanket, that’s going to be tricky. I would not recommend this for a co-worker. This is probably best given to a family member, one of your kids, a spouse, someone you are close to. There have been many studies done about the importance of physical touch and how it affects our mental health.

A clock or a calendar is a great way to wrap up the language of quality time. A clock can be a great reminder. If it’s for your spouse, it can be a good way to remind you of your commitment to spend quality time with them and to remind your recipient that they are valued and loved. Calendars are another great way to express love through memories of special occasions or some really goofy times. It’s also a low tech way to plan some adventures together. Make it a themed calendar and find images of your loved one’s hobbies. Perhaps your recipient likes to cook, find some new recipes to try together.

So really any of the above mentioned can be a thoughtful way to give a Valentine’sDay gift. It doesn’t have to be the only gift, pair it with something, get creative how you present it.

Thanks for following along with me. I hope these suggestions helped spark some other ideas. If so, I’d love to hear them, please leave a comment.

Day 4 – http://tinyurl.com/mr3sra9t

Day 3 – http://tinyurl.com/mv6sz4b2

Day 2 – http://tinyurl.com/y35582h5

Day 1- http://tinyurl.com/yt4sfnau

Zazzle Store links
Calendar – For the cover page you see in the video you can download on my website for free, here’s the link – http://tinyurl.com/25vd74vw

Clocks – Square – http://tinyurl.com/2ye263e5
Round – http://tinyurl.com/5n758ad7

Valentine’s Day blanket:
Ready to purchase -http://tinyurl.com/2n63t75s
Custumizable Blanket – http://tinyurl.com/57hxkkpz

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Love Languages – Gifts Day 5

The Kedge Anchor

Well, we made it to day five, well I did anyway. Bit of a challenge to put the videos together but with God’s help we did it. I saved gifts for last because really they could be given to anyone as encouragement. Even if words of affirmation isn’t someone’ love language, we all still encouragement and letting someone know that you are on their side or are their biggest fan can be encouraging.

A coupon book is great to way to wrap up gifts of service. Perhaps you have a neighbor who needs help with yard word or needs help getting errands done, give a coupon book with some flowers to someone who like gardening.

Now, the blanket, that’s going to be tricky. I would not recommend this for a co-worker. This is probably best given to a family member, one of your kids, a spouse, someone you are close to. There have been many studies done about the importance of physical touch and how it affects our mental health.

A clock or a calendar is a great way to wrap up the language of quality time. A clock can be a great reminder. If it’s for your spouse, it can be a good way to remind you of your commitment to spend quality time with them and to remind your recipient that they are valued and loved. Calendars are another great way to express love through memories of special occasions or some really goofy times. It’s also a low tech way to plan some adventures together. Make it a themed calendar and find images of your loved one’s hobbies. Perhaps your recipient likes to cook, find some new recipes to try together.

So really any of the above mentioned can be a thoughtful way to give a Valentine’sDay gift. It doesn’t have to be the only gift, pair it with something, get creative how you present it.

Thanks for following along with me. I hope these suggestions helped spark some other ideas. If so, I’d love to hear them, please leave a comment.

Day 4 – http://tinyurl.com/mr3sra9t

Day 3 – http://tinyurl.com/mv6sz4b2

Day 2 – http://tinyurl.com/y35582h5

Day 1- http://tinyurl.com/yt4sfnau

Zazzle Store links
Calendar – For the cover page you see in the video you can download on my website for free, here’s the link – http://tinyurl.com/25vd74vw

Clocks – Square – http://tinyurl.com/2ye263e5
Round – http://tinyurl.com/5n758ad7

Valentine’s Day blanket:
Ready to purchase -http://tinyurl.com/2n63t75s
Custumizable Blanket – http://tinyurl.com/57hxkkpz

Love Languages, Uncategorized

Love Language – Acts of Service Day 2

The Kedge Anchor

Acts of service can be a powerful way to express love and care in relationships. Taking note of the little things your loved one needs or dislikes and offering help or assistance demonstrates thoughtfulness and consideration. Paying attention to their schedule and offering support or taking on tasks they may find burdensome can also strengthen the bond. Creating a coupon book with personalized acts of service can be a creative and meaningful gesture to show your love and appreciation.

Offering to pick up their dry cleaning or assisting with repairs, cooking, or gardening can be thoughtful ways to help someone with a busy schedule. It shows that you are paying attention to their needs and are willing to lend a hand in areas where you have expertise or skills.

But how do wrap up acts of service and put a bow on it? I got that! A coupon book. You can download this printable, personalize and customize, make as many coupons as you want, bind it (binding can simply be staples) and pair it with chocolates or flowers or maybe cook a meal and present it as a complete package. This way, not only are you offering acts of service, but you are also presenting it in a visually appealing and thoughtful manner. Additionally, the inclusion of a small gift like chocolates, flowers, or a home-cooked meal adds an extra touch of appreciation and makes it a complete and well-rounded gesture of kindness.

Learn more about love languages and gain better insight about yourself through these quizzes.

Scroll down to download this free printable

Valentine’s Day Coupon BookDownload

If you aren’t familiar with the 5 Love Languages, pick up a copy of Gary Chapman’s book any where books are sold. Be sure to watch day one’s video on words of affirmation.

Please leave your comments, like and subscribe you’d be doing me a loving act of service : ) and I’d love to hear what you will do for your spouse or loved one and how you presented it.

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Casting Your Cares

The Kedge Anchor

It always seems like Christmas flies by. The holiday’s prep, planning and shopping is enough to create anxiety. Add that to the anxieties you’re already facing and, well if you’re like me you could be a hot mess. If there is one thing I want to do this year is not carry them into the New Year. Tomorrow, the New Year has its own worries I don’t want to carry more.

Matthew 6:34 – “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (NLT) So what do I do with today’s worries?”

1 Peter 5:7 – “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

This is what always has me stumped. It’s so easy to say this to someone who is struggling and facing anxiety. I know I have been guilty of this. And when someone reminds me of this verse, honestly, I am only half comforted. I always need more. I don’t consider myself a needy person per se, but I need to know why and how. That’s just how I am wired.

I worked as a Surgical Technologist for over a decade. And in my learning and training when I was being taught procedures and protocols I would always ask why, especially when it seemed like it didn’t make sense. And there was always rational behind it. If it made sense I was likely to remember why I was doing it.

So casting our cares, what does that look like? Other than praying, what else is there? For me it’s knowing why. So why? Because of Matthew 6:34, tomorrow has enough of it’s own troubles don’t go borrowing any by worrying about tomorrow. Why? Because of 1 Peter 5:7 “… because He cares for you.” God cares. He cares about the details. If He knows the number of hairs on my head, as it says in Luke 2:7, then He cares about the details and the worries in my life.

Recently, I came across this article from Desiring God by John Piper that helped me understand what casting my anxieties meant. By casting our anxieties we are humbling ourselves. Verse 5 of 1 Peter 5 says “ … you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Casting our cares is something we do to humble ourselves, not something we do after we cast our cares. I encourage you to read this article, John Piper does a much better job than I do.

Piper offers more insight with Luke 19:35, – “And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.” The word “cast” means the same in 1 Peter. The way the garment was cast or tossed onto the donkey is the way we ought to cat our anxieties. Piper says to lay a specific anxiety on God, trust Him specifically, Job 42:2. Please click on the link above and read the article, there is so much more.

But here is something else that helps me. When I remember God’s sovereignty, Jeremiah 32-:17 – “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” When I remember He is bigger than any problem or anxiety I may have and that He knows the outcomes, He is there in the future and with me in the present and nothing takes Him by surprise. I recall times in the past when God came through for me, for His people.

For me, I want to start 2024 with casting my cares and anxieties on Him. And He knows what I am already carrying and He is already in 2024! God saved us from the biggest anxiety we could have, the debt we can never pay back and that is the debt of sin.