Echoes of Joy Blog

Charlie Bones and the Puppy ICU

Posted on by Staci Mauney
Charlie Bones on the way home from the animal hospital

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Josh. 1:9)

Last night, I took Charlie Bones, my Yorkie-schnauzer mix puppy, for a walk late in the afternoon. As usual, when we got home, he wanted to keep playing—the walk never wears him out and only seems to give him more energy. He brought his favorite squeaky ball to me to throw so he could play fetch, which we did numerous times. My house is small, and I was in my office, so I threw the ball into the living room. Charlie would chase it down and run back to me at full speed. On one return trip, he either misjudged the opening to the doorway or his paws slipped—whatever caused it, the result was that he crashed headfirst into the doorframe. He looked stunned for a moment, but then he resumed playing as if nothing had happened.

But within an hour, he began wobbling and having trouble walking, and when I approached him, he flinched and backed away. Something was wrong, so I loaded him into my car and drove him to the emergency animal hospital. That was only my second trip to the emergency hospital ever—the first trip was almost a year ago, on March 30, when I rushed my Yorkie, Lilly, there after she started having breathing problems. Continue reading “Charlie Bones and the Puppy ICU” →

The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post appeared previously on February 28, 2021.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Mt. 22:37)

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first proclamation to make February American Heart Month. With the ongoing, global COVID pandemic, paying attention to our heart health carries even more importance since the virus impacts the heart. Continue reading “The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are” →

Connecting with a Stranger

Posted on by Staci Mauney

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)

A recent trip to JCPenney provided an unexpected opportunity to connect with a stranger. When I was checking out, I noticed that the employee was wearing a sparkly necklace in the shape of a paw print. I hesitated to say anything. My shyness still comes out sometimes in these situations, but I felt a nudge, then thought, Why not? What could it hurt? Almost everyone appreciates a compliment, right?

So I complimented her on the necklace, and she told me that she’s a dog mom. She mentioned that she doesn’t have any kids of her own, but her dog is her baby. I told her that I’m the same way—and then I showed her a picture of Charlie I pulled up on my phone. She, in turn, showed me a picture of her dog. We talked about how spoiled they are and laughed, knowing exactly what the other meant. Continue reading “Connecting with a Stranger” →

The Valentine’s Day Dinner

Posted on by Staci Mauney

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)

Years ago, I attended a small Baptist church in my hometown. When I say “small,” I mean that we had about fifteen to twenty regular attendees. I was by far the youngest attendee—by about twenty years.

One year, the women of the church decided to hold a Valentine’s Day dinner. They fixed lasagna, salad, and breadsticks—yum.

But I wasn’t going to go. I thought it wasn’t for me because I was recently divorced, and honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was celebrate love.

Eventually, I changed my mind. I don’t remember who convinced me. Maybe it was my mom, or maybe it was my aunt, who played the piano at church and helped organize the dinner. Both of them knew I didn’t need to be sitting around by myself, moping the night away. Continue reading “The Valentine’s Day Dinner” →

Fighting Burnout

Posted on by Staci Mauney

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. (Matt. 8:18)

Merriam Webster’s defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” In January 2022, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that burnout and stress were at all-time highs across all professions, and statistics show that just 51 percent of small businesses make it past five years.

None of these statistics are in my favor as a small business owner coming out of the pandemic. I’ve run Prestige Prose for almost eight years now. The good news is, my business has survived the pandemic while many others have not. Continue reading “Fighting Burnout” →