Ginger Garrett's Blog

I read a fantastic story recently and I am not sure it’s true.

But like the great southern philosopher Reese Witherspoon says, “It doesn’t have to be true to be told.”

Join me, if you will, in outer space. One of the early NASA missions. The crew was working in the early dawn hours, command control in Houston was quiet, and home was just one more distant planet in their windshield.

Now, I’ve been lonely, but this was a loneliness that comes from being all alone in the universe, cut off from all help and support, friends and family, floating in the darkness.

And then the astronauts began receiving a radio transmission from earth, big band music, the old style from the 30’s, heavy on the brass horns and up tempo. The music was so unexpected, the radio program so delightful, the whole mood changed that night.

The next day the astronauts thanked NASA for the transmission. NASA replied the transmission had not come from them. Intrigued, NASA scoured the world to find the station that had broadcast that program. No one had. Unbelievably, the program the astronauts heard that night had been transmitted decades earlier.

The music had hung around. The astronauts intercepted it in the least likely way, in the most unexpected place.

It feels like our world is at a crisis point; many of us are in the darkness, keeping vigil on this long, lonely night, and we feel alone.

But consider this:

On your path today, you too might intersect with a transmission from decades past.

See, I believe that in every family there is someone who prayed, who sent messages to the heavens with all their hopes and dreams for a better future, for cycles to be broken, for freedom, for healing, for strength.

Their prayers for a better future did not die with them.

They never saw your face; they never knew your name. But they breathed words of hope, courage, faith. Listen closely today and you might hear the music of your family.

Even on the darkest night, when you feel far away from home, hope can find its way to you.

 

The post The Song that Shocked NASA appeared first on Ginger Garrett.

This post has had nearly 130,000 views on another platform. Here it is in an expanded format. Enjoy!

 

HOW TO WRITE A LOVE LETTER

Simple steps inspired by iconic love letters

 

Does this thought of writing a love letter leave you feeling more anxious than amorous? Don’t worry! While researching the most iconic love letters in history, and what made them so memorable, a pattern began to emerge. Most of the great love letters weren’t perfect or perfectly written. But they were heartfelt and had several key themes in common.

We’ve used this research to create a step-by-step process to help you write your own love letter, one that is personal and powerful. But before diving into the specifics of what themes to include, let’s take a moment to explore why a personal love letter can be so meaningful.

Loneliness and feelings of disconnection are on the rise—even among those in committed romantic relationships. Smartphones, with their constant demands for our attention, are a major factor. Researchers have even coined the term “phubbing” (a combination of phone and snub) to describe how phones impact our intimate connections.

The digital world often pulls us away from the present, and in a romantic relationship, attention is everything. Without attention, romance fades. Taking the time to write a love letter creates a powerful moment of connection, breaking down the digital wall and showing your partner just how much they mean to you.

 

What Do Famous Love Letters Have in Common?

If you spend a few minutes understanding what makes some love letters especially memorable, you’ll begin to get ideas for writing your own. Iconic love letters often share similar structure, themes, and imagery. (These similarities can inspire you, but they’re not a set of instructions that you must follow. Just keep these points in mind as you prepare to write.) Famous love letters often follow a similar structure:

1.The writer expresses a deep emotional bond with the beloved

2.The writer describes passion and attraction, both physical and emotional

3.The writer describes the pain of separation. Any time spent apart from the loved one is painful, and there is a real longing to be together again as soon as possible.

4.The writer wants their beloved to know that they are committed, body, heart and soul.

The letter invokes the five senses.The letters use metaphors. Metaphors are used to compare the loved one to various elements like a brilliant, white-hot strike of lightning, a warm and safe shelter, or a gently rolling river.The Letters are Hand-Written. Handwriting makes a bigger emotional impact than typing, and a love letter is all about making an emotional impact.

 

Iconic love letters also share quite a few words in common.

Below are the most frequently occurring words.

Love

Desire

Missing

Absence

Wanting

Longing

Craving

Happiness

Joy

Beautiful

Fascinate

Inspire

Admire

Loyal

Faithful

Devotion

Yearn

Ache

 

Do these spark your imagination? Are there any words you would want to add?

 

Ready to Write?

Below is a step-by-step process based on the format of the most iconic love letters in history. But your love story is unique, so your letter should be, too. If you have completed the brainstorming work, you should have plenty of material to use. Use these steps in any order, and feel free to omit or customize the steps.

1)Open with their name, and a statement about what you feel in their presence. “When I am with you, I feel…”

2)Compliment your beloved. What makes them stand out? What captured your heart. Try to invoke the five senses, and use a metaphor if you have brainstormed one.

3)Emphasize your unique connection. Use phrases that convey the depth of your connection, such as “you touch my soul” or “we see the world alike.” This is another great place for a metaphor.

4)Describe one moment that stands out to you in your relationship. Try to describe what you felt in that moment.

5)Describe the pain or sadness you feel in their absence, or how much joy you feel when you are reunited.

6)End strong. Remind your beloved of your commitment, your desire for their happiness, and why they are the only one for you.

 

There you have it: the complete guide to writing a swoon-worthy love letter. I hope you enjoy the process of crafting the letter as much as your beloved enjoys reading it.

 

The post How to Write a Love Letter (this post went viral!) appeared first on Ginger Garrett.

 

Exercise Before You Start

Research shows that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise can immediately boost brain connectivity and creativity, including divergent and convergent thinking. Whether you’re solving problems or brainstorming fresh possibilities, begin your New Year’s planning session with some physical activity.

 

Brew A Cuppa

Black and green teas are rich in theanine, an amino acid known to reduce stress, relieve anxiety, and improve focus. Combined with caffeine, tea offers a cognitive boost perfect for planning and reflecting. Matcha, with its high theanine content, is an especially great choice. Pair your resolution-writing session with a soothing cup of tea for both relaxation and clarity.

 

Write Your List By Hand, Not on a Keyboard

Handwriting activates multiple areas of the brain, fostering deeper analysis and stronger connections to the content. Studies also suggest that writing by hand can help process past trauma, making it particularly effective for addressing areas in life where you feel stuck. Crafting your resolutions by hand might unlock new insights and solutions.

 

Choose the Right Color of Ink

Colors can influence how we think and feel, even with the ink we use. Here’s a quick guide:

Red Ink: For tackling tricky problems, as red is linked to improved critical thinking.Green Ink: Ideal for sparking creativity and brainstorming new ideas.Blue Ink: Best for expressing emotions and calming the mind.

Choose the color that aligns with your goals to maximize the impact of your resolution-writing session.

 

And finally:

 

Ask for Revelations, Not Resolutions

A child psychologist once shared with me her strategy for working with uncommunicative patients: “The mind can never resist a question.” Questions invite reflection and clarity, making them powerful tools for self-discovery.

Ask yourself:

What change would improve my health the most?Where do I need to focus at work next year?How can I improve my relationships?

Your mind will immediately begin brainstorming the answers. Let the ideas reveal themselves, guiding your intentions for the year ahead.

 

May your New Year bring peace and prosperity! Have tips to share or feedback on these strategies? Leave a comment below or connect with me at gingergarrett.com. 

 

The post I’m A Writer … Here’s How To Write Your New Year’s Resolutions appeared first on Ginger Garrett.

The highest compliment anyone can pay is to ask for your recipe. They want to recreate your results. Live your life so that by the end, everyone wants your recipe.

Put your name on your dish. What you write on the label determines where the dish ends up. In life, the labels we wear can determine our destiny.

After dinner, save your fork. In classic potluck tradition, you save your fork when dinner is done and the plates are cleared. Dessert is on the way. Remember that in life, the best is still ahead for you, too!

 

May you enjoy a bountiful fall as we prepare for the holiday season…

The post Everything I Needed to Know in Life, I Learned at the Potluck appeared first on Ginger Garrett.

Are you a highly creative person, with multiple talents? Here is how you can discern between your talents and your calling. Today’s post offers a template to discover which of your talents may be your true calling. This will give you a level of passion and focus that will bring clarity and direction to your life’s work.

Everyone has innate abilities, but often, a highly creative person will have multiple gifts. If that’s you, you may struggle to know which of these gifts should be the focus of your life’s work.

When we speak of choosing our work, we often refer to it as a “calling.” If you are especially talented in several areas, how do you know which gift is your calling? Whether you are just starting on a career path or are investing your retirement years in a new pursuit, this is a critical decision.

How can you know the difference between a talent and a calling?

First, please remember that when I speak of your calling, I’m referring to your work, not your identity. Your work simply expresses the truth of who you are.

But to discern a gift from a calling, there are four important clues to look for. The first is passion. Passion actually comes from the Latin word, pati, which means to suffer. So, ask yourself: what am I willing to suffer for and through? If it’s not worth a little (or a lot!) of suffering, it’s not your passion.

Second, how much of your focus does the gift take? Perhaps you enjoy teaching, but the work doesn’t keep you awake at night, your mind racing with new ideas. You are even content to set it aside during busy seasons of life. A calling, however, comes with a greater degree of focused intensity. The gift is always on your mind and heart.

Another surprising clue is which activities you choose when it’s time to relax and unwind. We choose hobbies to relieve our suffering, in whatever form that suffering takes. Whether we’ve bored, stressed or overwhelmed, a hobby relieves that pain.

For example, if you love to bake, and everyone insists that your baked goods are worthy of a bakery, is that your calling? Your reaction to those compliments can help you decide. If you are left lukewarm at the thought, it’s a hobby, not a passion. You don’t want to suffer for it because it is an activity that you’ve gravitated towards to relieve suffering. The passion and focus that work would require would be counterproductive.

We will have pleasure as we pursue our calling, of course, but when we are pursuing our calling, much is demanded from us. We often experience enormous pressure. The work will seem too great for us many days, and yet we will be compelled to keep going. We will be forced to confront our limitations, and push on.

This, then, is the final clue to know the difference between a gift and a calling: look for a change in character. For example, let’s pretend again that you enjoy baking as a hobby, and you’re quite good at it. After you’ve passed around the platter and cleaned the kitchen, is there much difference in your character? Have you been forced to confront your limitations and fallen on your knees asking for Divine help? If not, baking may be your talent, but it’s not your calling.

A true calling commands complete humility.

There are important reasons for needing this humility. The process of following our calling will always reveal our character flaws. First, we will recognize that our natural gifting is often an enemy to our greatest work. We can be tempted to get by with our gifts, instead of plunging into a battle to excel. A calling may also involve tasks we don’t especially enjoy. We will procrastinate, grumble, and blame….until we resolve to push past the resistance and do the work. The process is not pretty.

A final word: although a calling seems to be greater than a gift, we cannot judge the impact either makes on the world. The smallest gift still has the power to impact the world. It’s not always great art that strengthens us at our weakest moment…it is the kindness of others, expressed through their own gifts.

Use it all. Whether it is a gift or a calling, it all matters. Every gift, every talent, every moment, is a chance to change the world.

Today, I want to talk about something crucial for all of us working in nonprofits or ministries: the power of storytelling.

If you have a passion for making a positive impact in the world, you have a story to tell about why you do what you do.

But do you tell that story effectively? Powerful storytelling is a skill that makes your message memorable and impacts people on a deeper level.

I’ve been working in the nonprofit sector for many years now, and I’ve come to realize how important it is to be able to tell my story in a way that resonates with others.

Whether it’s speaking at an event, writing a newsletter, or simply engaging in conversation with a potential donor, I have learned how to effectively and confidently share my personal and professional journey. This skill has been a game-changer for me and the people I work with.

So, how can you tell your story effectively, anytime and anywhere?

Let me give you the real world, authentic advice that has already worked for countless people just like you. Your story is powerful, and it deserves to be told in a way that will captivate and inspire others. Here are five steps to help you develop a story that will impact others.

1) Know your audience
Make sure you understand two things about your audience: what they need and what they expect. A powerful story will give them what they need, but not in the way they expect.

2) Share your vulnerability
A powerful story takes the audience on a journey. Sharing personal experiences, including our failures and setbacks, invites the audience to lean in and follow along.
Look for a story to share that will be relatable to your audience. Think “personal, not private.”

3) Keep it simple
Like a door, a great story moves along three hinges: where you started, what happened, and where you ended up. Skip all other unnecessary details and information.

4) And those visuals
Whether it’s through photos, videos, or even just props, a visual makes your story more memorable and impactful.

5) Memorize this, practice that
Memorize your opening line and your last line. That way, you begin the story with ease and move toward a pre-determined conclusion. This creates ease and confidence as you speak.

And practice. Practice in front of a mirror, with a friend, or even record yourself and watch it back. The more you tell your story, the better you’ll become at delivering it in a compelling and authentic manner.

Your story is powerful, and it deserves to be told in a way that will captivate and inspire others. And best of all, it’s your story. No one else can offer it.

Use these tips today to prepare your story. The next time you find yourself in a situation where you have the opportunity to share your story, you’ll be ready. You’ll watch the magic of authentic connection happen.

Here’s to effective storytelling and the amazing impact it can have on the world. Let’s go out there and make a difference, one compelling story at a time.

A Thanksgiving meditation for you, from this writer currently baking pumpkin pies in Georgia…

Before we begin, brace yourself for a shocking revelation. The canned “pumpkin” sold in the stores is a different vegetable than the orange pumpkins sold in the produce department. Growers raise specialty squash grown just for the canning companies.

Once I learned that, I was determined not to support poser pumpkins. I buy real pie pumpkins every year, then roast and puree them for my pumpkin pie. (see below for the EASIEST way to roast a pie pumpkin—or any hard winter squash)

And while I actually dislike pumpkin flavors (don’t get me started on the horror of bananas, either), my hubby Mitch loves pumpkin desserts.
He also loves infomercial exercise equipment. A few years ago, Mitch’s pull-up bar fell from a doorway, striking me in the head. The next day I decided to grow my own pumpkins. (Coincidence? You decide.)

Two months later, on a blistering hot Georgia afternoon, I noticed weeds growing around the pumpkin vine, threatening to strangle my gorgeous new baby pumpkins.
Obviously, the weeds had to go. Those freeloaders were eating up the soil’s nutrition that was meant for the pumpkins. They clearly didn’t belong. I wanted a pumpkin patch, not a mixed-use development.

Eyeing the first weed, I grabbed it and tugged. As the weed emerged from the ground, its roots bumped a baby pumpkin, and the pumpkin fell right off the vine, its stem torn.
The same thing happened with the next weed I removed. Every time I yanked up a weed, I disturbed the stalk attaching the pumpkin to the vine. The disruption severed the connection, effectively killing the pumpkin.

Now, pumpkins are big, sturdy vegetables. But what I didn’t know was that their connection to the vine is delicate, and the stalk is vulnerable. If you attempt to remove the weeds that grow near the vine, you’ll damage the connection between stalk and vine.

A strong, undisturbed connection to the vine was more important than the weeds growing in the garden.

Now, you may know that Jesus once told a parable about roughly the same thing. Not that Jesus ever grew pumpkins or was injured by pull-up bars manufactured in Taiwan, but He spoke about the connection between vine and fruit, warning us not to pull weeds before the harvest was ripe. (See Matthew 13: 24-30 if you’re curious.)

If I had listened to Jesus, my pumpkins would have lived and I would have stacked all of them outside my front door to flaunt my vegetal wealth. However, after pondering my pumpkin disaster, I have settled on a few valuable insights. The garden always has something to teach me.

First, I saw quickly and clearly that attacking weeds at the wrong time kills the harvest. Self-improvement can be the enemy of abundance.

Our connection to the vine brings life and bounty. Protecting the connections is what Thanksgiving is all about. Nurture the connections that feed you. Strong connections yield good harvests.

Weeding has its place in the garden, but it’s not during the growth cycle. Recognizing the season is more important than spotting the weeds.

Thanks to another life lesson learned too late, I had to buy my pumpkins at the store this year. Next year, I will do better. It will be a pumpkin-palooza here.

BTW, Mitch has asked to permanently install a pull-up bar. With no new head traumas, I don’t know where the idea for my next hobby will come from. But I’m thinking about bead work. With sharp needles and terrible vision, what could go wrong?

EASIEST WAY EVER TO ROAST PUMPKIN OR WINTER SQUASH
Remove produce sticker.
Rinse the exterior.
Place whole, uncut squash or pumpkin on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place in 350-degree oven. Bake for 10 minutes per pound. Allow to slightly cool.
Slice open the squash (exterior will be soft by now).
Drizzle parchment with olive oil and seasonings, if desired.
Place halves face-down on the sheet.
Bake until soft, about another 45 minutes.
Cool and scoop.

I simply CANNOT WAIT to share all the juicy stuff happening around here… but you need to catch up with me on Instagram or Facebook for faster updates. I don’t blog a lot due to writing deadlines that keep me glued to my keyboard (and the Cordyceps coffee from Four Sigmatic brewing). All my words are going into the books. But I will be back here in a few to post some news, so if you aren’t feeling social, check back. The news will be up soon.

Meanwhile, soak up the sun wherever you are!

It’s peach growing season here in North Georgia, although if you remember my video from last season, you know that the most important work happens in winter. Before anyone knows anything green is going to sprout. Life is like that…we have to work when everything looks flat and dead. If I put all my effort in at harvest time, I won’t actually have much to bring in.

But right now is when I have to complete a task I hate, mainly because I’m sentimental and have mush for a heart. I can’t bear this next part but I’ve learned by hard experience that it has to be done.

I have to choose, right now, which peaches get to stay on the tree. I have to choose which peaches get to reach maturity. When peaches grow too close together, it invites disease and pests. Peaches have to be thinned out so that the remaining ones get optimal light and air.

So I look at a cluster of tiny peaches like the ones in my photo and I choose one to pluck off and throw away.

If the peach has already been nibbled by a bird or insect, that makes my job so much easier. But often, the decision comes down to this: which peach will get the most light?

Light matters. Light brings growth and extra protection from pest and disease. Bad things happen where there’s no light.

So I make my decision, pluck a perfectly good peach and throw it away, and hope the remaining peach thrives in the sunlight. I walk slowly back toward the house, so comfortable and air-conditioned, and wonder how much light is getting into my life. I’ve sought to shelter my soul, but I wonder now if I’ve done myself, and others, a disservice at times.

It’s been a hard growing season in America, in so many ways, but summer is coming, and we could all do with a little more light.

A brief interview with Ginger Garrett about online bullying and the surprising (and free!) resource available to any parent:

https://gingergarrett.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/video-PromptSmart-1.mp4

And if you’d like a great list of books to recommend to your kids, start here: 9 Novels for Kids Who Feel Like Outsiders

9 Novels for Kids Who Feel Like Outsiders