What happens when you get humbled...

Tonight I headed to the grocery store to get supplies for the week. According to my kids, we had "nothing to eat." I went to get some needed stuff, but also to get out of my crazy house for a bit. While at the store, my mind was full of worries. Really all weekend my mind has been full of worries...mostly about finances and and Christmas approaching and all the work I need to get done both at home and work. I was distracted and stressed and almost in tears. I filled my cart, payed, and headed out to my car all still lost in my thoughts.

Then I heard a voice from behind my car..."Excuse me ma'am?". Now as a girl, you are always trained to beware of strange men in parking lots, so I was immediately on my guard. I came around the end of my car to see a man who was obviously down on his luck, but not scary. What struck me was the fact that he looked like a startled animal, more afraid of me than I was of him. He asked for money. I told him i didn't have any , but I was sorry. Then he asked for food. I looked down at my cart of groceries, which a few minutes before seemed like very little and "cheap" food in a whole new way. He proceeded to tell me that he had lost his job and he and his wife were living in the woods near the store. He almost started crying when he told me that he had never been this low before. My heart broke. I fought tears as I handed him a loaf of bread that was on top. He clutched it like I had given him gold. I started rummaging through my groceries for some lunch meat so they could have sandwiches. He said the bread was enough that he didn't want to bother me anymore. I finally found the turkey and gave him all I had bought. He didn't want to take it all, but I practically begged him to take it all. He said "God Bless you ma'am" and disappeared while I was going back to the cart to find him more food. I looked for him, but couldn't find him.

Now I'm not going to say he was an angel. He probably wanted to take off before he got in trouble for begging in the parking lot. But in those few minutes, I was humbled and brought to tears. The tears this time were not for my own sad situation, but for this man and his wife who had nothing. I started thinking about the people I have in my life who would give me bread if I needed it. My family would never go hungry. I couldn't imagine living a life where I had no one to help.

Do you ever have those moments when Jesus shows up and shakes you out of your stupor? When you realize that what momentary struggles you have are so insignificant compared to the pain in other people's lives. Or moments when you realize that you may have been an answer to prayer just by being there.

Tonight as I type this, I am still humbled and so grateful for all the things that I have and pray that I won't forget and take them for granted. And I'm happy that I was there for this moment.

Mmmmm...coffee.

Do you remember your first taste of coffee? I was really trying to think of when mine was and I can't remember. What I do remember is that it's always been a part of my life. My Grandpa Bob used to drink it black all year round. My Grandma Hope made it so strong that you had to chew it. It's always been around. I guess the end of high school and college are when I relaly remember starting to love it. My roommate, Allison, and I were the only ones in our aprtment who like it. We would make our tiny pot and drink coffee together while studying for accounting. I think that coffee was what led to my collegiate success!

As I've gotten older, I have realized how coffee plays a huge role in my life. When I want to meet with a friend, we have coffee. When I need a break at work, I have coffee. When I want to relax for a few minutes on a Saturday morning, I have coffee. It's delicious, calming, uplifting, and soothing.

At times in my life I've had to give it up. Both pregnancies were caffeine free. My bout with kidney stones left me coffee free. And I felt like I had lost a friend. :)

I'm sure that in the nursing home i will be trading things for my coffee. And I'm sure that when I get to heaven, Jesus and I will have some amazing java.

So if you didn't guess, my joy nugget for this weekend is COFFEE! Ever want to join me for a cup, we can heat it up and have some great conversation. :)

Much love.

This world is upside down

Yesterday started normally. We were all a little salty during the day from all of the stuff of life that gets to you. Finances, kids misbehaving, husbands misbehaving, work, work work. And then everythings changed. Part way through the afternoon, our friend, Betty received the call that every mother fears. Her only child, her 35 year old son, collapsed while jogging and passed almost instantly. In that one moment, the world changed. Everything else in our lives faded to black and the only thing we could think of was our friend and her grief. In this office, we are a family. We laugh together, love together, live life together. We sat helplessly and watched and prayed as one of our own experienced the most devestating loss imaginable.

It doesn't make sense. Why? Why does this happen to the most Godly woman I know? Why does God take someone in the prime of his life? Just WHY?????????

We all left early. I went home and hugged my kids tight. I prayed over them while they slept and came to grips with the fact that God gave them to me, but they could be taken away at any time. Sad and morbid, but true.

I calles my mom this morning to talk about my dad's birthday and to tell her I love hher. She told me the most profound thing. She said that this would is upside down and inside out beause we weren't meant to be here. We were meant for higher and better.

Today is the day

Ok so today is the day I officially start blogging. I started this thing months ago and haven't touched it. But today I was thinking about all the crazy stories that I have rattling around in my head and thought maybe I need to get them out. I'm definitely not a writer and my stories are waaaayyy funnier with my voices and gestures, but this is a start.

I also like to share joy nuggets, you know happy little things that make a sparkley place in my day.

Today's joy nugget is laughter with friends. I love how a gloomy day can be instantly turned around by the funny, wonderful people I surround myself with. Sometimes I am laughing at people, sometimes they are laughing at me, but regardless, I love it.

Well, that was painless. Let's see if I can keep up with it!

Much love.