School's Out! Part 3

Day 303  Had plans to meet at Starbucks with a new friend from choir.  Wanted to be selfish and just do my own thing during the afternoon, and was under spiritual attack about getting together with her for some reason.  I took time to worship and get out of my bad mood; we had such a good time, and a very encouraging, bonding conversation about life, struggles, choir, our calling, and the Lord! I'm so glad I went!!

Day 304  Today I finally checked off a three-year goal from my mental "To Do" list; I visited our local public library (known as the best library in the United States) and got a library card!!

Day 305  Since last summer when I discovered our local beach/pool I wanted to get a summer pass, but whenever it came to mind I either didn't have the time or didn't have the money.  Today I had both, purchased my much-awaited pass, and enjoyed the afternoon lounging poolside with some girl friends.

Day 306  This weekend is the big wedding!!  Today the bride called to see if I could come a day early, meaning TODAY, and help her move into her new apartment.  Claimed it, enjoyed it!  It was fun to have some time alone with the bride, see their new place, and just be there for her and her husband-to-be.

Day 307  Girls can be catty.  At the bachelorette party today I had to remind myself that a particular girl was 10 years younger than me and to just be the bigger person.  Slowly, kindness won out.

Day 308  Day before the wedding!  The bride had planned to be baptised in water at NOON.  I was tired, feeling lazy, and just exhausted from the run around.  I honestly wanted to just stay home (well, at the apartment of the friend I was staying with) and just relax.  I thought about the future and how I knew I'd look back and regret it if I wasn't there for such an important event.  I got to meet so many of their friends and family that I've heard about all these years, and the presence of the Lord was so strong!  They asked me to lead everyone in worship, and then the bride tearfully read a Psalm and expressed her love for Jesus.  I was so proud of her and her fiance (I was their youth group mentor through jr. high and high school) and so glad I chose to join her close family and friends in support of her decision to go deeper with Jesus Christ.

Day 309  The WEDDING DAY!  The bride and I left at 8:00am to make it downtown Milwaukee for our hear appointments on time.  I was really tired from all the planning, running around, and events of the weekend, and prayed for strength for the day.  When I went to the restroom, I passed a spa area with inviting cushioned beds with stacks of magazines in the lounge of the spa.  It looked so comfortable and the peaceful spa music pulled me in.  It'd be okay to use the spa, right?  I laid down on the comfy bed, closed my eyes, and escaped into peaceful bliss.  Though it was only for about five minutes, I got up rejuvinated and ready for the long day ahead.

Lesson:  now's the time--do it!

Coming Back, Listed Simply (Days 230-236)

Day 230: Chose to speak in utter honesty with my brother and his wife about my dating life and personal struggles.

Day 231: Bought gifts for the music pastor and music secretary at much church as a thank you for all they do.

Day 232: Answered the call of a girl friend that I knew could be a long conversation (even though I was tired) and seized an invitation to go out for dinner.

Day 233: Delivered the gifts to Pastor Tim and the music secretary and pushed back the cowardice approach of just "dropping them off."  Enjoyed watching them open the gifts infront of me.

Day 234: Left a message turning down a Saturday evening invitation to meet a friend and her husband for dinner, but then the claim mentality set in and I called back two seconds later leaving a message with a better time to meet up (which happend to be a "big sacrifice" for me as I'm jealous over my Saturday afternoons)!

Day 235: Finally did that errand that I kept writing post-its about: picked up my bridesmaid dress!

Day 236: The whole weekend I was struggling and stressing as I attempted to figure out how to do my taxes alone (I own my own business which makes it more complicated).  Today I decided, "No more stressing.  You can do this.  Believe in yourself."  And I did.  Without stress. If I can do this, I can do anything!!!
Lesson: perspective and happiness is always a choice

Day 198 & 199 Undercover Love

Day 198
Got a coverage slip at work;
had to cover an absent teacher's class.
A small amount of anxiousness set in.
You never know what to expect on these days!
Especially with this assignment: a bilingual classroom!

The Lord was all over it!
He helped me--gave me wisdom and favor--
from the start.
For the 25 minutes they worked,
I began some undercover work:
I started to pray for them.
I committed to praying the whole class period.
I don't know how to describe how good it felt.
I knew I was doing the best thing for them,
and nobody could stop me.

Lesson: separation of church/state shouldn't be a state-of-heart!

Day 199
Lonely lonely lonely.
Are you sensing a theme?
After so much time alone during the week,
the last thing I wanted was more alone time!
I wanted something FUN to do.

My sister and a girl friend both reached out,
and I spent a fun day with them.
But then the night came.
Friends were on dates, out of town,
or with other people I didn't know
(you know how it is--
when you're heavy hearted,
making conversation isn't all that fun).

After a good deal of prayer,
I decided to get out of my world,
stop feeling sorry for myself,
and do something for someone else.
So, I went to the store for a gift--
for my friend Nicole who's struggling too.
I bought her a "Hang in there" card and a journal.
It made me feel so much better!
Honestly!!

Lesson: love-in-action can bring a happy-heart reaction! :)

Day 194 & 195 Snacks & Chats

Day 194
Monday after work--tired, wanted to just stay in.
Afer settling in for the evening, realized I forgot an important errand:
tomorrow was the beginning of ISAT testing with the kids at school,
and I'd wanted to buy them a helathy snack to enjoy inbetween tests.
Last year the teacher that I worked with did that and I remember how thoughtful it was.
Claim? Stop being selfish with my night and GO TO THE STORE!
I totally changed my mood and made me excited to do a "good deed" for them!

Lesson: a good deed can turn a night around

Day 195
I didn't want to be home alone.
Loneliness has been a constant companion.
Had a great prayer time:
prayed that God would make me a blessing that night.
Decided to reach out to a friend--
turned into a comical night of volleybal with Nicole and her friends!
Afterwards, we had a heart-to-heart in her car on the way home.
Turns out she's been totally discouraged too.
It felt nice to be needed and lend a listening ear.

Lesson: remember that you're not the only one going through a struggle

Day 190 & 191 Reaching Out

Day 190

Today I simply took a moment to be a helping hand.
I left my 3rd floor classroom to walk down the stairs,
homeward bound after a night of parent-teacher conferences,
when I saw a colleague with a walker and foot in a cast.
She was trying to go down the stairs,
and the male teacher next to her was going to pass by!
So I offered to carry her walker.
I found myself smiling as I carried her walker,
and chatted with her, down to the first floor.
People. It's really about people.

Lesson: choosing to be a blessing brings a cheerful heart--to both people!

Day 191
Something new! With someone new!
Tonight I went to a modern version of a play:
"As You Like It" by Shakespeare,
with a woman from my church choir.
She called me last-minute with an extra ticket,
as her friend had to take someone to the hospital,
and I claimed it! It was so fun!!
We had the best seats in the house, in a row for two.
It meant a lot that someone I barely know reached out...
thought of me.  To be honest, it made my night!

Lesson: be a "Yes Woman" once in a while

Day 187 Driving Miss Diva

This claim was a fabulous experience!

As the music teacher at our school, there is no way of getting out of participating in the district-wide staff talent show that we affectionately call "Razzle Dazzle." It's a lot of fun, but also requires a lot of commitment for practices and the performance. Well, today after school was the meeting for all the representatives of each school, and as one of the youngest members in our school, I somehow became one of the people in charge of coming up with an act for us to do. So, my colleague and I went to the meeting. Wow, was it a meeting! Two ladies got into a very intense squeeling half-teasing half-serious argument when they found out that both of their schools were doing the same style of dance for their number. When I innocently asked why they couldn't both do it, one of them boisterously stated with a laugh, "Oh no. No. We are out for blood!"

Well, this very vocal lady happens to be the new drama teacher at one of the other middle schools and is a very dramatic, loud, "diva-like" personality.  She's African American, had a high ponytail with a flip at the top, huge dazzling silver earrings, and a personality that filled the room. When it came time to leave, she announced that she needed someone to give her a ride home. They seemed to ignore her comment and I shifted my gaze down so that she wouldn't ask me. My coworker asked her where she lived, and when I heard her descrive almost the exact same route I take going home, I thought, "Not me, not me." Not that I disliked her, but I was just feeling lazy and into my selfish mindset of wanting to just do my regular routine and go home and relax. It was a Monday after all!

But then, well, you know.

I was reminded once again of how I'm supposed to be claiming moments like this.  So, I looked up and said with a smile, "I can give you a ride home!" 

Now this lady is quite the diva, and had to flitter to every office in the building tosay "Hello ya'll!" and spread her cheer through the offices of the service center (including the office of the superintendent).  Finally she was ready to go and I found myself asking her all sorts of questions about her life, job, husband... and her telling me all about her exciting story of growing up in NYC and being in Broadway shows and flying back frequently to visit all of her friends who are currently actresses on Broadway.  She showed me her professional photos and talked excitedly about her upcoming 50th birthday party.  This lady did not look above 35 or 40!!

When I came to a stop at her destination, she asked me something about if I perform/sing outside of school and I was able to mention that my passion is music ministry and that I'm now in my church choir before she animatedly jumped in to share about how she also sings at her church and is known as the choir diva.  Then, the cutest thing happend.  She got out of my car with flare, thanking me and adding that I was "very sweet" and then, just as she closed the door she put her face up to the window and said with the most sincere, yet embarrassed face, "I'm so sorry that I cursed!" 

I drove the whole way home smiling.  Even though I hadn't had the chance to say much, the Lord used me to show her His love and a reflection of His character. I will never forget my adventure of driving Miss Diva!

Lesson: if you're willing, God will use you even in the smallest ways

Day 175 A Second for Sam

There is a janitor at our school named Sam.
Kind, soft spoken, African American, probably in his forties.
When he first started at the beginning of the year,
my heart went out to him because he was always alone.
Mopping alone.  Sweeping alone.
I wondered how he felt as people walked on by.
So, at the beginning of the year I introduced myself and chatted a little.
Now, every time I see him he smiles and greets me by name.
The past month or so, I've been too busy to stop and chat;
I just smile "Hi Sam!" as I busily rush by,
always on my way to the copy machine, office...
something "important."

Today I was on such an errand when I came around the corner and saw him, standing there alone with his mop in hand.
My typical greeting and smile lasted only a few seconds,
and my "How are you?" was said in passing.
As I heard him reply, "I'm doing okay" something pulled at me.  STOP.
I thought, "Just okay?"

I stopped and walked back to him and chatted about his weekend,
the weather, and a few other small things.
I walked away with a smile.

Lesson: learn to really care about how someone is doing

Day 161-168 A Week at a Glance

If you read my last post "Day 169" you will know the reasons for this less-detailed description of the past week of claims.  I am encouarged to find that this journey is bringing me into newness of life.  Contentment, happiness, and change hover near.

Day 161
First night of choir practice.  BIG event in my life.  A door finally opened after three years of prayer.  No one there had an comprehension of the mighty move that had just occurred in my life, or the change that it would bring.  When I left, sadness caused my heart to sink--I realized I was in experiencing this pivotal moment all alone.  No one to celebrate with, being excited with, or praise God with...  So I claimed to be okay with that, and to celebrate alone.  Except I wasn't alone, because the Lord was there, smiling with me and rejoicing in all that was happening in me.  I purchased a strawberry sundae from McDonald's as my celebration, and then savored it and read my Bible.  A twinge of sadness lingered, but my mind went to Him.

Lesson: even when we feel alone, He is there.


Day 162
Today I decided to take anothe step of faith and e-mail the worship pastor/choir director to see if he'd meet with me and give me some tips on one of the song I'm currently writing.  He'd mentioned that he had been studying gospel music of over 20 years, so I thought that he'd have some great insight.  I was so excited to see what God would do.  Sure enough, the next day he e-mailed back saying he'd be happy to help and we set up a meeting time for the following Tuesday.  I was ecstatic!

Lesson:  you'll never know unless you ask


Day 163
Tonight I decided to watch a movie and stay up an hour past my normal bedtime just because I felt like it.  I'm not a morning person, so I definitely wouldn't do it all the time, but there was something freeing about not letting my work schedule choose my bedtime for me.  I felt like I was back in college, and the next day was fine.  I actually think I may have been more chipper about being at work because I felt was enjoying my time outside of it to balance it out.

Lesson: change up your routine; sometimes it's just what you need


Day 164
Friday night!  Finally!  Sometimes when I'm exhausted I end up just lazing around the house when Friday night finally comes, but then I usually regret it the next day because I feel like I just wasted the only night of the week that I can stay up late.  Not tonight.  I decided to go to the late-night showing of a movie at Hollywood Palms, a dinner movie theater in the area.  Even when I found out that my sister and brother-in-law were going to the same movie at the same theater at 8pm, and I wasn't sure if anyone was going to be able to go with me, I stuck with my decision--I wanted to get OUT and feel like I'd had a night; It was FRIDAY after all!  Two friends ended up being able to go with me and we ended up laughing a lot and just enjoying being part of the few people in the theater.

Lesson: make it happen!


Day 165
Living is such a matter of perspective, isn't it?  Outlook often affects mood, at least for me.  Tonight my perspective was tested.  When I got "stuck" in Zion, IL longer than I'd hoped because my sister's car wasn't done being fixed, I had to make a choice: get over it, or get under it.  We'd been spending time with my family there all day, holding our adorable new little nephew, and I wanted to turn in early so I'd be awake and in good spirits the next morning (my first morning singing in the church choir).  When things didn't go quite as planned, I felt stress and frustration mounting.  I just wanted to get home!  Very selfish, I know.  This whole journey of claiming popped into my head and I knew what I needed to do: let it go. So I did. I made the choice and the frustration lifted.  I was able to enjoy the extended time with our family, and for the most part, be genuinely happy.

Lesson: if you're in a bad mood, change your perspective

Day 166
Sunday morning--my first day singing in the choir.  Wow, did it feel different than I expected!  To be honest, I was actually a little nervous, which was very strange to me (considering that I've been performing since I was eight!).  It was such a weird feeling to all of a sudden be on "the other side" of the service and to go from receiving during the church service to serving in the church service.  It was encouraging to be a blessing through music, and the presence of the Lord drew me so quickly to Him.  Claim? Genuinely worship, even with thousands of people watching, and reach out to the choir members.  I met many people and left feeling more connected and closer to the Lord.  Highlight? Sharing with a choir member how God miraculously healed my voice/throat in college.

Lesson: remember that it is all just about Jesus anyway

Day 167
The day before meeting with the worship pastor to have him critique my song.  I couldn't believe I'd be doing such a thing!  Here I am, a nobody, meeting with a musician of a huge church! (By the way, I found out this church has between 5,000 and 7,000 people, not the statistic of 3,000 that I was originally amazed by.)  Although I was tired from work, I decided to push myself and do as much as I could to notate the song correctly and neatly, and get as many harmonies as I could figure out, before going to bed that night.  I ended up working on the song the whole evening and went to bed excited for tomorrow and proud that I'd put so much effort into it.

Lesson:  if you're going to do something, give it your all--it's much more fulfilling!

Day 168
Please don't stop reading when you find out today's claim...  Dare I say it?  Well, here goes...  Today's claim was to actually NOT blog.  I know that may sound crazy, but dear reader do you ever feel this way?  More burdened by "having" to write than finding freedom in it?  That's how I felt today--weighed down with all the claims that I had to find time to type about.  I just wanted to enjoy my night. So I did.  And it was great.

Lesson: remember the purpose of this journey

Days 150-152 The Abridged Version

I do apologize in advance for this keyhole view of the past week.
As mentioned in my post earlier tonight, Day 148 and 149  I've been so busy living I haven't found time to be typing!
That is the goal of this blog afterall, isn't it?  Still, we are on this journey together, and I enjoy sharing it with you and receiving your feedback; thanks for all of the support!

Just so you know, I finished baking all the chocolate chip cookies before my friend Nichole arrived.  And I managed to lick the spatula and beaters and get most of the dishes done before she knocked on my door.  After a fun night of chatting, munching on cookies, and watching a cheezy chick flick, I'm back to finish telling you my recent claims.  So here we go...

Day 150 A Small Gesture

Part of the reason I went to Milwaukee over the weekend was to do wedding planning and pick out bridesmaid dresses with Ashley, a close friend who asked me to be her maid of honor! We shopped successfully and then decided to continue planning over "fine dining" at Olive Garden.  Soup and salad for two, please. When the bill came I decided to claim it.  She smiled brightly at my offer to pay, which of course made me all smiley, and somehow doing that small gesture helped me to feel better (I was still fighting off the stress of that speeding ticket from the night before!).

Lesson: a small gesture can be a bring a big smile to both people involved!

Day 151 Unsocial Shower

Have you ever woken up in an unsocial mood?  That was totally me today!  Still in Milwaukee, I went to visit Ashley and her fiance's church, and let me tell you--I didn't want to talk to anyone.  Normally, I'm bubbly and outgoing.  But today when they wanted to introduce me to several people, I was able to avoid it by using the excuse of having to get to the BIG EVENT: the last baby shower for my brother and his wife.  On the 45-minute drive there I knew what my claim for the day needed to be: change my mood and reach out to people! We (my mom, sister, and I) got to show up for the shower and just enjoy it, as it was being thrown by my sister-in-law's side.  My sister was already feeling social and seemed to want to go chat with people.  I explained my present mood, but went along.  A short time later, after catching up with a girl who I'd met a year before in my brother's wedding, my sister congratulated me for being so social.  When she brought it to my attention, I realized how making the choice to act social really had changed my whole mood.  For the rest of the shower, I enjoyed catching up with acquaintances and meeting new people.

Lesson: sometimes our feelings follow our actions   

Day 152 Gram
Today's claim was to write back to my grandma, affectionately known as "Gram."  As you know, she sent a handwritten letter (scrawled on flower stationery) in response to my Christmas card.  Since I also needed to take my car in for an oil change, I decided to fulfill my claim while waiting for my car to be finished.  I took some elegant daisy stationery with me and wrote her a long response (front and back) filling her in on my life and asking questions about her and grandpa ("grampa") and their love for antiques.  Unfortunately, Dr. Phil was playing on the public T.V. in the lobby and I had a hard time concentrating.  What I'd hoped to be a reflective, reminiscent experience turned into a lesson on disciplining my attention and tuning out the loud, gossipy story on the television.

Lesson: save the letter-writing for home 

Day 141 Almost Anonymous!

When I first started this blog, I wasn't exactly sure how this journey was going to go. I didn't know if I'd wake up each day and "claim" what I'd do that day, and then try to make it happen, or if it would be more like a choice in a moment that would turn into a claim.

Does this make sense, or am I talking crazy?
With some reflection, I've realized that the journey started out the first way, but as timed passed, (and I became more conscious of how to really live in a moment), it morphed into the latter.  Side note: I still have a long way to go! ...But, such was today's claim...

We had more snow today.  And more ice. I left my classroom at the middle school where I teach, hurriedly walked down the spiraling staircase, and rushed through the brisk air to my cold, yet lovely, snow-covered silver Honda. I grabbed a scraper and brushed and joined the freezing folk who were getting their own cars ready for the ride home.

Just as I was finishing, I noticed that the car parked next to mine was piled high with snow and ice. Should I scrape it?  Dare I break the barrier and step out into this unknown territory?  "Wouldn't it be such a wonderful surprise to walk out of school and see my own car fully brushed and ready to go??"  I made my decision.

I worked as quickly as I could, wanting to complete the task and drive away before the car's owner saw who did it.  There's something special about anonymous, random acts of kindness!  Just when I thought I was going to make it, I heard a voice calling my name.  I turned around--it was my good friend, Deb, and it was her car!  She kept thanking me and expressing her surprise and appreciation. I think my smile grew even bigger than hers!

Maybe God wanted to give the kindness right back to me?!

Lesson: anonymous is nice, appreciation feels wonderful!

Day 140 A Flute Farewell

Today was the first time a claim didn't make me happy.
I walked away with a tinge of sadness and doubt.
When I was in 4th grade, I joined band as a flute player.
My flute was special, for a beginner player--
we found out after I'd purchased it that it was an open-hole flute.
Playing flute soon became a passion, and continued to be all the way through high school.

I didn't major in it because I hurt my wrists my senior year and couldn't play for a few years.

It has popped into my head a few times to sell my flute

(I have a much nicer, expensive, open-hole flute that I currently play)

but then I'd always hold onto it. 

Did I really want to get rid of my very first one?

Quite an emotional attachment to the "first" of something,

especially something that turned into a passion.

I was going through my closet the other day and decided it was time.

Why hold onto it, even for my future children,

if there are kids with a need for one now?

(I teach in a school where there is a desparate need for supplies.)

Today I walked up to the band room at my school and handed it to the director.

It was an emotional journey for me--

doubt, hesitance, and sadness grew stronger with each step.

I pushed them away.  "No.  I don't need this.  It's just an object.  Someone else needs it more."

I walked away with a small sadness in my heart.

Down the stairway I went, out the back door, across the parkinglot...

And then I told myself, "I will forget all about it in a few days."

I know it will make some child very happy some day!

Lesson: sacrifice does not always feel great in the moment

Day 138 A Strolling Stranger

Left work---briskly cold out!
Too torturous to sit and warm-up my car.
Pulled out of the parking lot and onto a main street.
Shivering, I chugged along, encouraging my "baby" to warm up fast.

As I drove away, a woman walking on the sidewalk caught my eye.  She was all bundled up in a red winter coat with brown fluffy fur around the hood, making her way down the block with both hands full of bags of groceries. I remembered the winter my car completely died and I had to ride my bike to work everyday,
(in the wind, snow, ice) and my heart went out to her.

As I drove by, shivering in my car, the thought crossed my mind to pull over and offer her a ride. I kept driving, contemplating.  "Well, my car is still cold..."  and "She'll probably get freaked out..." (I work in a "ghetto" neighborhood...), but then I remembered the "old me."  The me before Illinois. That sounds terrible, but I was always a small-town girl; I grew up and went to college in towns where people waved at you across the street and you could walk to Walmart or Blockbuster in your slippers.

Once I moved here, I quickly realized how everyone is focussed on their own lives, their own tasks, and getting to where they need to by zipping through yellow lights whenever necessary. I now do the same thing, so please don't feel like I am putting down IL residents. But before moving here, I was much more aware of others around me; I wouldn't have had to contemplate so long about picking the woman up.

By the time I decided I should offer her a ride, I was several blocks past her. I had to take one-way streets to get back to the place I saw her, only to see her cross the street and turn the corner.  I followed her. When I rolled down the window and offered her a smile and a ride, she politely smiled and said thank you, but pointed that her house was the second one on the left. She smiled gratefully and called out, "Bless you!  Bless you!" I drove away disappointed I missed the opportunity, but happy I was able to offer kindness. I wish I wouldn't have contemplated the situation so long, but it exposed the change in my heart. I don't want to lose the side of me that's compassionate toward others--the world has too great a need!

Lesson:  be quick to serve

Day 112 Click, Send!

I'm finding this journey is bringing me out--
outside of myself,
my needs, my wants...

Today I decided to send a close friend an e-card.
It's not her birthday.
And it wasn't for the holiday.

I decided to send it just because.

I picked my best friend that I've told you all about.
(For her privacy, let's leave her name out.)

You, dear reader, may recall those entries...

about our friendship drifting apart.
See, I've lost her to a new best friend--
her new groom,
the man of her dreams!
I'm so happy for her, but it still makes things hard;
I'm no longer the one she shares everything with.

If you're single, I'm sure you've been there.
Have you?  Do you know how that feels?
Watching friend after friend drift as they draw close to "the one"?
If you do, you understand how bittersweet it all is!
So much joy for the other,
yet sadness for yourself.

For me, not necessarily the thought of "when?"

but more the mourning of letting the friendship

(in the way I knew it), go.

I've decided to make more efforts to keep her.

...even though, now, we're states apart.

I smiled as I clicked "send" and away it went.

And then the next day when I saw her name on "missed calls."

We chatted away like old times--

I do love her, and miss her,

and need her still.

It's worth every effort!

We'll stay close, we will!

Lesson: be the one to reach out--it will be returned

Day 109 I'll Take Two, Please

Bed Bath and Beyond
(one of my favorite stores)
has the cutest coupon/receipt holders!
You have to get one.
They come in black,
purple, or lime green,
and look like alligator skin.
Adorable,
and all for $9.99
(not including using a 20% off coupon)!
They have them right by the checkout counter.

So today when I was picking one out for me,

I decided to buy one for someone else too.

Not for Christmas, or a birthday,

or any holiday really.

Just because.

That was my claim--

to suprise someone and see their smile.

The gift will be delivered soon!

Lesson: ah yes, "the gift of giving."

Day 44 A Rose in Another's Hands

Day 44

Tonight I hosted our prayer meeting.
I was so excited for everyone to see my newly decorated apt!
I proudly displayed my beautiful roses on the coffee table,
an elegant glass vase their shelter.
They were so enchanting,
captivating really.
So white, so pure.
I thought,
"This is what I want to be, Lord."

When my close friend, Nikki, was leaving,
we couldn't help but gab about my roses.
In my excitement, I offered her one.
It was a great feeling,
watching her look them over and pick "the one."
Her glowing smile lit me up inside.
True beauty should be shared!

Lesson: don't just appreciate beauty alone.

Day 40 Prioritizing Priorities

Day 40

It was a splendid Saturday.

So much I wanted to accomplish,

fun things around the house.

The weather agreed--it was gray and gloomy;

perfect for what I had planned...

painting my entire bathroom!!

Here were my priorities:

#1 Paint my bathroom (I was to be hosting prayer meeting next week)

#2 Buy some cute decor for my new place

#3 Get some yummy fall-scented candles

#4 Reward myself with a night at the movies ("Love Happens")
#5 Fall asleep satisfied with all I had accomplished, mainly Goal #1

But then I found out one of my friends had been putting off painting,

had a 2nd coat to do on her kitchen, but too much work for one

She didn't ask for help,

didn't even know I was painting that day.

I hesitated, thinking of the big project I wanted to accomplish. The priority, though, was easy.

We finished her project rather quickly.

It felt great to help her out!

As for my list of priorities?

#1-#3 were checked off by that night.

Movie time got pushed back a day,

but I was so tired anyway.

Fell asleep in the contenment of Priority #5.

Lesson: people are more important.