When I was little, my mom instilled in my sister and me the importance of writing thank you cards.
We often couldn’t play with our new toys after Christmas until our thank you cards were written.
It was an excellent way to teach us the importance of saying thank you.
Now that I am older, I still write thank you cards.
My favorite thank you cards are thank-you-for-being-you cards. These kinds of cards are unexpected gifts to recipients and a blessing to write.
I have written about card writing here on (in)courage before, but with the new year just beginning, I felt prompted to write about it again.
Who can you send a thank-you-for-being-you card to? Who can you say you matter through a card?
I believe card writing changes lives.
Now that might sound dramatic, but think about it.
When you write a card, the process forces you to be quiet for a few minutes and think about the recipient. It is an act that allows you to love another person. That intentionality can be life changing.
Life change can also occur in the life of the recipient. A card is a reminder of love. It can brighten a gloomy day. It can bring hope and joy.
Someone in your life needs to know that they matter and that you are thankful for them.
It might be a friend that lives across the country or down the street.
It might be your mom.
It might be your child’s teacher.
It might be your husband.
Will you pray for that person and send them a card today? Then share in the comments who you are going to send a card to.
I’ll start: Today I am sending a card to my children’s pediatrician. She is amazing, and I want her to know she is appreciated. I hope that when she receives the card, it will brighten her busy day.
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On January 16, we are going to host a link-up on the (in)spired deals page inviting you to write a blog post about who you sent a card to, why card writing matters, or whatever is on your heart about the topic.
ANYONE is invited to write about card writing for this linky. However, if you would like to review some DaySpring cards on your own blog, we’d love to send you a free card pack plus thank you cards! You can choose from a variety of card packs in exchange for a review on your blog.
Check out the January (in)spired deals review opportunity here.
Please plan to join us!
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I’m going to send one/give one to my husband.
My husband and my mother-in law.
I already have one to my aunt. I try to send or give cards a lot. I make them. To me this is so lost. What people don’t understand is how often someone comes on their mind, it may be God nudging you. Because I know how numerous I sent a card or note in email, I had no clue but it was just what they needed
Today I’ll be praying for and sending a thank you card to my great aunt and uncle out in California. They’re getting up in years, not in the best of health and yet sent me not one, but two boxes of See’s candies. (I know they don’t read my blog about how I was sugared up through the entire month of December! Ha!) I’m hoping they feel my love all the way from the east coast!
I also signed up to review some DaySpring cards this month. I love all DaySpring products and thank you for the opportunity!
Writing cards is not hard for me, I love it and do it almost weekly. I love to sit still and think of something meaningful to say to that person. I truly believe it’s life changing and secretly I hope to receive more cards myself.
I think hand written cards are even more powerful in todays society where the majority of people email, text, etc. Not many people take the time to stop, think and hand write and mail a personal letter/card. I have kept those hand written notes that just mean so much to me and my family. A few of them are on my fridge right now actually!
What a great and thoughtful post!
I remember getting a random card from someone when I was a 20-years-old, scared single, and pregnant with my son. It meant the world to me at the time because it was a sign of support when I didn’t think I had any. Come to think of it, this same woman (who i hardly even knew) even through me a baby shower!!
Wow, It sounds like I really need to send a card to HER!! Sheesh, thanks for getting the wheels turning in my brain.
I can think of quite a few people who could use a card. I’m sure all of us can!
Thanks again, Jessica!
My Mom always said that I should have been the one to move away — she means it as a compliment. I write cards and letters and always have. This was before it was so easy to phone home. 🙂
I am going to write a note to the neighbor across the hall who is also a friend of mine. She took the time last night to listen and to pray with me when I was down. She also gave me a bag of Christmas candy, so I want to show her she is appreciated.
Thanks for the good reminder!
I love this- and having a card-writing ministry is a fairly simple thing to do and inexpensive. I’ll be sure to link up, get the review deal from Dayspring and send a few cards out posthaste! Thanks for this!
I am actually knee-deep in sending thank you notes right now. And I usually use my own handcrafted cards, but I might be checking out that review deal with Dayspring! Thanks for sharing.
last week my 4 yo and i sat down and sent out cards to both grandma’s and two special friends! i hope she always loves the privilege of encouraging others as much as she did in that moment!
This is so timely for me, just as God has put it on my heart to be more intentional about leaning on Him and loving well the people He puts into my life. I appreciate your beautiful, encouraging words here, Jessica.
I don’t have my card stash with me because I’m not at school but I’m going to hand write some thank you letters to my pen pal, my friend and her mom thanking them for their wonderful christmas gifts!
excellent post…think i will write to my neighbor who just gave us an immaculate leather couch for our garage/family room. and to my husband, who does so much for so little reward…
and thank-you for the reminder…you will be in my prayers!!
Holly
This is one of my most favorite things to do. I usually just enjoy letting people know they are appreciated, but I have had such interesting and amazing responses from people receiving the notes during the fall. Some shared how timely the cards had been and how much they meant coming from practically a stranger. The responses were just so sweet, and I definitely had not expected to get blessed in that way from appreciating others. God is so gracious.
Today I am sending a card to author Susie Larson. Her father just died after being diagnosed 12/23 with Stage 4 lung cancer. 🙁
I love sending cards. I love making them too!
I am going to send a card to my husband. We have just recently bought a house and I want him to know that his thoughts and oppinions do really matter to me. I also want him to know what a wonderful husband and father he is and how great a provider he is.
I don’t have my own blog… but I send out an email to a list of friends monday through friday…. My best friend is who I would send the thank you for being you…. he has been so thoughtful caring and kind, always ready to listen to whatever need I may have or just be supportive when I’m feeling down….
My two girlfriends I would send thank you cards too… I love the peanuts cards, and Holly Hearth… I love all the encouragement cards because I use them regularly…. I would love to review them so its possible through facebook I would do it…
Thanks
I love sending cards to people. This week I am sending one to my former assistant pastor’s wife and family. He passed away very suddenly last week.
I am bad about not doing handwritten cards. I use Dayspring cards constantly. Usually I send one to my hubby.
I enjoy letting people know how much they are appreciated and loved by me. When I do send cards (non-electronic) I write a little note inside.
Would love to review some of your encouragement cards.
I am going to send a special card to my long time friend and co-worker. I retired at the end of 2011 and I want her to know how special she is and that I will never forget her.
I have started a card ministry for prison inmates. They live in a daily situation where they are often mistreated by fellow inmates and by guards who all to often treat them like they are less than human. They so often feel hopeless and a simple card on a birthday or anytime can make them feel someone cares and that they are worthy of God’s love. I sent out a lot over Christmas and was pleasantly surprised by the response I received from several of them. One asked me if I could send a sympathy to another inmate whose mother died.
I have several other stories about how these cards minister to the inmates!
I do wish Dayspring would make some “not so pretty” cards, the inmates can’t have cards with any glue or glitter on them !
I’m going to send one to my friend, Jody =]. She has been such a blessing to my family this past year. I have always had a card ministry and love sending cards. This past
year was the hardest of our lives & I found that I just couldn’t write any cards. Thanks for the encouraging devotions. The Lord sent us so many cards through our difficult journey & now it’s time for me to get back to doing the same. Love – Stacey
There is such power in hand-written letters! I think my hubby needs one today:)
This is an odd one, but I’m sending one to my lactation consultant! My son just turned one, and she was integral to the success of making it to (and beyond) the one year mark. I had lots of difficulties at the beginning, and then when my supply dropped (and I was pumping at work), but she always made time to answer my questions.
Oh boy, you really got me! It has been on my heart to send out an encouraging card or not on nice stationary once a week for a while. My list is long. As a lover of words and blogger, I can’t help but think that God wants me to share a portion of these words through these means, regularly. I will pray about who should be the first! Thanks for this post! Thanks for sharing the Dayspring opportunity!
I am going to send a card to a friend that I have lost contact with in the hopes of reconnecting and refresh a friendship.
Love this thought and idea!
Jessica, Thank you for the reminder to say thank you. It is a dying art. I, too, taught my children to write thank you cards and am proud of them as adults when I see them sending a card, especially in the digital world we live in.
I will be sending a card tomorrow to my sister-in-law who lives in Florida (I live in Michigan). She has been a treasure to me in spite of the fact that my brother put her through a nasty divorce. She has come alongside my daughter who is fighting cancer and is financially supporting her through her treatment. She doesn’t have to do this but she can and so she is being used as a blessing and I want her to know just how much she is appreciated. Thanks for the nudge!
Lu
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this superb blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding
your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward
to new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group.
Talk soon!
To an incredible friend and her family and to an amazing encourager! Thanks for planting the seed, Jessica.
Great thoughts- I just organized my stationary in fact and am looking forward to getting back into that habit. It’s just too easy to get too busy to do the simplest things like writing notes. Thanks!
I am going to send a card to each person that was a part of my new business last year. Because of them I found a new me in all the craziness of 2011.
LOVE THIS! I am a total thank-you note writer too and I love encouraging the ones I love through an amazing thing called the USPS. 🙂
I can testify to the power of a card or handwritten note. I had an extended recovery from surgery, and I LIVED to receive notes. It brightened my day, but it humbled me to know that someone cared enough to take the time to write something to encourage me.
Thanks, Jessica!
I’m sending a card (actually one from DaySpring) to a coworker who is going through chemo treatments. I do not see her much, and we haven’t spoken since I’ve heard of her sad news…but I care about her & feel so helpless with the situation she is in. Praying for a full recovery & hoping my card will help to brighten her day during such dark times. Thanks so much for this opportunity 🙂
I am writing one to a young mother that has blessed me since moving here nearly 2 years ago. When we met, there was an instant “kindred spirit” bond that blessed my heart; her kids became my grandkids, and she drew near to me like a daughter (my own 2 live far from me).
I want to remind her that she might feel swamped now, in the midst of mommy-hood, but to savor each moment – they pass too quickly!
Thanks again for the great reminder of how powerful a word of encouragement and blessing can be!!
I love this message. So close to my heart. I signed up to win yesterday and I sure hope I’m one of the 200 lucky folks. What makes me so happy to read this is it’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell folks for years. I am a letter writer. I cringe when people send thank you’s and Christmas and Birthday notes via e-mail. It’s cheating. And it’s sad because then the one you sent it to cannot see the love in your own handwriting. I mail cards, notes and letters nearly every day that the post office is open. There is always someone in need of a cheery note. There’s usually always someone who deserves a thank you from you for something they’ve helped with and there are so many facing hard times like illness, loss, and lonliness. I pray before I write and then I pray at the mailbox too … even for the postal workers who pass my envelope through their hands. It’s a joy to be able to do such a thing. Yay for snail mail!! {{Yay for Dayspring for giving away such a gift!! Thank you for the opportunity to get some fabulous free cards so that I might make another person smile!}} DeniseLynn
I am going to send them to my friends from college. Cards are great way to show the people you don’t get to see everyday you still care and are thinking of them. Earlier this year I moved away from my family, and I really appreciated every card that I received in the mail.
I am really loving the card pack of Encouragement greeting cards that I got! The artwork is lovely, and Holley Gerth’s sentiments are beautifully written!!
I am going to send one to my God-parents who are both cancer survivors. They touch my heart, because through everything they have been through and are going through, they never ceased to be a blessing in my life. They never let any occassions go by without them showing their love. They are diamonds and I am so grateful to have them in my life.
[…] One of the things that I decided to commit to this year, besides reading my Bible through, was to write letters and pray for those I was writing to. I wrote about my idea at A Martha Heart (click HERE to read). Then right after I committed to do this, I saw a post over at (in)Courage where they were doing a give-a-away of DaySpring cards (click HERE). […]
[…] read her post, the one where she says writing cards changes lives. Is that dramatic, I wonder? To think a card could really do […]