change of address

I've stopped posting on this blog and started a new one...
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Please join me there!

Blessings - Day 3

Yesterday was day 3 of my "blessings" path. I had no great aha moment about what I was to do with the day or receive from the day. I tried, but just didn't feel it. So I watched and went about my day as usual. Did any big surprise come my way? Not really. Was it a good day? Yes it was. But it was one of those days that you just go through and enjoy. Normal. Which is truly a blessing all in its' self when you stop to think about it.

I woke up in a great house (not big or fancy, but just what I NEED), got in my good-running, air-conditioned car (not new or pretty, but just what I NEED) and drove to my nice, comfortable, fun, and sometimes challenging job with an air-conditioned office. I don’t earn a 6-figure salary but I pay my bills and have a little shopping money left over each month. My co-workers are great. My family is here and we love spending time together. My church family is just that…family. My blessings list goes on and on and on.

Last night was church skate night! Although my son is 17 and didn’t need transportation from me, I went anyway. I used to love to skate. Even as a teenager in high school. That was the thing to do in my day (that sounded old!). It took a few laps and a few skate-lace adjustments, but I got my legs and balance back and had a great time pretending to be young again. You’re only as young as you act, right? The soreness has yet to kick in, but I’m sure it will! Totally worth it!

Thanks, God, for ALL my blessings. You have truly blessed me beyond my worth.

Blessings - Day 2 followup

As I left work and headed for the gym, my son called and asked if his friends could come over and hang out at the house. Since I was going to the gym, they decided to go to one of the other kids homes. Mom must be home. As I finished my workout and was driving home, he called again and asked if they could now go to our house. I offered to pick them all up on the way back.

After I hung up, I realized... I have to feed these kids! And they really aren't kids. They are 15 & 17 year olds. The other moms have so graciously fed my son many times recently as they've made the house-to-house-to-house stops. I picked them up, stopped by the grocery store, grabbed a few things, and went home to cook a very good enchilada, rice, bean-dip, chip supper. They ate every bite up and thanked me many times telling me it was a delicious meal. I even made brownie-cookies for dessert.

As I cooked, I realized... hey! This is my "blessing"! An unexpected blessing at that! And I received it happily!! I had not planned on cooking a big meal for everyone, yet I had the opportunity to and was happy to do it. Amazing how God plans these things.

So... my FB post last night: "At 6:00 I agreed to feed dusten's 4 buddies. Quick thinking and a quick stop at W/D and we all ate home-made bean dip, chips n enchiladas. Brownies are in the oven. Fun times! Guess that counts as being a blessing."

Blessings - Day 2

So last night at 2:00am, I got up to use the bathroom (too personal? Probably). My mind went to the thought of blessings again. I wondered what unexpected blessing I would receive the next day. Then the thought occurred to me that I should be a blessing to someone else! I shouldn't expect God to always give me unexpected blessings. The daily blessings I receive are wonderful and amazing. Do you stop and "count your blessings" often enough?
My bed, house, clothes, stuff in my house, a/c (LOVE that one), plumbing, electricity, phones, my car, my finances, job, son, family, pleasures in life, and freedom. SOOO many more. So many we take for granted every day.

I have been blessed lately to be able to be a blessing to others at times. It feels wonderful when I do. Years ago, a co-worker bought my lunch. I tried to pay for it and he repeatedly said "no" then finally said "Don't rob me of my blessing!" I like that saying. I like that idea.

So today on my FB wall, I posted:

"We are blessed when we can be a blessing to others. Today I'll look for ways to BE that blessing!"

Now I watch and wait to see who I can bless today.

Many blessings - Day 1

As I sat contemplating what to write on my FB wall yesterday, I decided to write something encouraging about blessings. Not the everyday blessings we all come to expect and take for granted, but the unexpected blessings. So here is what I wrote.

"Another day. What unexpected blessings await us? With God... you just never know! Keep your eyes and ears open. And don't EVER limit Him!"

I thought about it a couple of times in the day. Hoped it might have encouraged someone. Then when it was time for bed, I reviewed my day and realized I had received an unexpected blessing and didn't even realize it (that's what typically happens, isn't it?). I put it on my FB wall.

"My unexpected blessing today: easily found humor and felt no stress as I spent 90% of my day dealing with my failing laptop. Might not mean much to some, but it sure does to me!"

And that truly was unexpected. My entire day consisted of setbacks and sidetracks, but I was in a great mood and laughed about it all. I handled it as best I could and figured I needed to do some computer house-keeping anyway. I was thankful I had the time to do it.

Today I was a bit annoyed at having to use a substitute computer, but I got mine back around 2:00 and it was almost 100% fixed. My tech guy will come finish the job soon, I hope.

Moses is from Kenya

The Daraja African Children's Choir was at our church last Sunday. I was blessed to see them last year and got to spend time with 6 of the kids in a host home. They were SO loving and wonderful. This year, I was able to enjoy some of the boys in a host home on Saturday evening and again on Sunday evening. I can't tell you how happy these kids make me feel. They truly display the love of God in their hearts. He radiates in their faces.

Sunday evening, three of the boys shared their personal photo albums with us. We saw pictures of their home, their animals, their gardens, and their families. Such poverty. It broke my heart to know they would be returning to homes with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in some cases. Yet in each of the pictures the boys were in, they had faces of true happiness. They might have a life that we consider difficult, but they were still happy.

I've heard it so many times before….and know it to be true. But we are terribly spoiled. And tremendously blessed. I just can't understand this world. Why some countries live in such poverty while others enjoy the land of plenty. And we constantly want more. I wonder how I can help these kids. How can my money help them? We can't change their government. We can't change the crime that occurs in their neighborhoods. Looking at the big picture, it seems hopeless. It seems all we did was show these kids what it's like to live in comfort and ease, then send them back to a new realization of how bad they really have it. Is that fair? I'm not sure it is. Yet at the same time, we've given them hope that their life might not always be that way. They can aspire to greater things. These few have an opportunity to rise above the rest.

My son and I became very attached to one particular little boy named Moses. He's 11. He is a happy, very comedic young man. And he loves to hug and be hugged. I want to help him. Not sure just how I can yet, but I'm going to try. I want him to know that once he returns to Africa, we have not forgotten him. He made a difference in our lives. He was not just a "receiver" of gifts while in the U.S., but he was a "giver." He, and all the Daraja kids blessed us.

This little story helps me put things into perspective.

The Starfish Thrower
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." "Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!" After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…
I made a difference for that one."

MAT... I PASSED!!!

Hooray!!! I finally took the test and passed!! I am so happy to have that behind me. Guess I wasn't "dumber than dirt" afterall. Seriously, the test wasn't as hard as the all the practice tests I took.

I'm still taking my first grad class. Doing okay, so far. Lots and lots of busy work. Think I'll continue to take things slow with only one class at a time...unless I can find some scholarship money!