Use Your Words

This post was sponsored by Hallmark Signature through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Hallmark Signature, all opinions are my own.

There are some people that you meet that you just immediately connect with. Something about them makes you want to be near them. You feel a peace around them and their words inspire something in you that stirs the soul. From the time that I was a young girl, I remember hearing missionaries come in to church events to tell their stories. These were people that had traveled the globe or maybe just stepped out their front door and they were doing extraordinary things in the world but they looked just like me. The impact that they were making was creating a ripple effect and the stories they had to tell were inspiring. The older I get, the more evidence I see of God working in the details. It's amazing to see the dots that are connected when you spend the time connecting them. 
I recently spent some time getting to know Luke and Rachel Whyte. They were on season 3 of the HGTV show Fixer Upper. Luke had a life changing moment that drew him into a deeper relationship with Christ as he clung to the side of a mountain in Alaska trying to survive, praying for a way out. During the reveal of his newly designed home by Chip and Joanna Gaines, there was a metal sign with a mountain that said "your mountain is waiting so get on your way." Luke revealed to me that Joanna hadn't ever heard that piece of his story and yet the detail that came together in that moment took him back. 

A few weeks ago, I met a young woman I will call Kelsey, who has dedicated her life to serving women and young girls who are coming out of being enslaved by Isis. She's working on the front lines willing to give everything, even her own life, to support and love those women who are hurting and broken. Kelsey was back stateside for a time of rest and I was fortunate enough to get to hear her stories and listen to her heart. I caught a glimpse of Kelsey and the love she has that is overflowing when I would see her interacting with some of the teenagers she came in contact with. She would grab their little faces and look into their eyes and speak 5 little words of truth that I am sure had a lasting impact on them. She would say "you are a world changer."  

There was a boldness about the way that Kelsey spoke. She was inspiring to not only me but to countless others that she came into contact with. We only spent a few days together, but in those few days, I was changed because I knew her.  

The written word is powerful. I don't take for granted that words have the power to heal, restore and encourage. I was just talking to some friends the other day who mentioned that they missed getting mail. A handwritten letter seems to be a thing of the past but it doesn't have to be! At our annual church meeting, one of my favorite things that we do is provide a stack of empty cards in the middle of the table. Those cards are available for the members to write a note of thanks or encouragement. I try to take some time to thank those people that have made an impact on me or my kids that year.

Because there are no ordinary people, there are no ordinary cards and I rely on Hallmark Signature cards to help express those sentiments. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to send your hand written thoughts to someone that you love and reflect on the year examining those people in your life that made an impact. Hallmark Signature cards are unique just like the people you are sending the cards to.

Take the time to write a personal note inside the card. Thank them for being who they are and explain what it is that they have done to make an impact on you this past year. Write down ways that they have inspired change in you or those around you. Those words will be treasured. There is nothing that can compare to receiving a hand written note.

Don't send an ordinary card to an extraordinary person this holiday season. Hallmark Signature holiday cards are one of a kind and made for those people in your life who are anything by ordinary! You can find Hallmark Signature cards in the card aisle wherever Hallmark cards are sold.

Writing your story, sharing your thoughts or opening your heart may just be one of the dots that connects the details of life for someone that inspires you. Take some time to reflect on the people this year that have inspired you, and then take the time to write down why you appreciate them. Your words may just be the best gift that they receive this season.