Notes are very powerful. They express your thanks, encouragement, sympathy, apology, congratulations, feelings, and requests to others.

Many people create notes on a computer and print them or send them through the Internet. However, I believe the most effective notes are handwritten. A handwritten note is personal and rare. Due to this, it will be given more attention by the reader and have maximum impact.

A few weeks ago I was in Michigan for my dad's funeral. While there I attended my mom's church on Sunday and met her pastor for the second time. While talking to him, I learned that his mother died a few months ago and his dad was critically ill. On my way home to Virginia, I had a stop at Chicago O'Hare Airport. While waiting for my connecting flight, I pulled out a box of note cards and wrote several notes and mailed them. One of those was an encouraging note to my mom's pastor. I found out later that he was so touched by the note that he took it to his church and read it at a meeting. He made it clear to those in attendance how much of an encouragement it was to him. What I didn't know when I wrote the note was that during the following week not only did his dad pass away but his wife was diagnosed with cancer. I believe God used my note to help him during a very difficult time in his life. I also wonder how many others he talked to were changed because of that note. Maybe some of them are now writing notes as well. What if I hadn't written that note?

I would encourage you to start writing notes regularly. What a simple way to influence people's lives in a positive way. If you are concerned about how to get started, the following two books on the subject have been the most useful to me:

- "The Art of the Handwritten Note: A Guide to Reclaiming Civilized Communication" by Margaret Shepherd

- "Business Notes: Writing Personal Notes That Build Professional Relationships" by Florence Isaacs

Get a note card, pen and stamp. Write a note to someone who has been on your mind today. Only God knows how much that person, and the world, will change for the better due to the few minutes you take out of your busy schedule to write a few sentences.