SWB: Life without the bread makes a lousy sandwich

Even though I'm posting late on Monday, it is still Sleeping with Bread Day. SWB day is the day that I look over the past week of living and access the moments and things that both took away from and gave me life throughout the week.

For the sake of the hour I'm writing today, I'd prefer to simplify with a list (and some explanations) of the -'s and +'s of the last seven days. Hmmm... +'s and -'s. Sounds like the idea for a start of a song.
Maybe so.

- I did a terrible job of working out my work schedule for the last month or so. I added too many extra events (my own fault)and realized very early in the week that it was catching up to me. Why do I insist in filling time so much, or penciling in things without taking into account the investment: personal, physical, timely, and emotional that doing that results in? I need to work on this.

+ I'm so thankful for two volunteers that have come aboard to help me with the youth work at my church. It's wonderful to have the hands to help, the ears to listen, and the voice that help to teach the students and me as well.

+ I made some adjustments to my plans in the next week or so and I'm happy to say that I will be taking my first long weekend off in about eight months or so. It will be good to have the break after running in so many directions recently.

- It has been hard for me to think about, but grief over the passing of a my friend last November keeps sneaking up on me. I keep wondering if I made the most of the times we talked.

+ Knowing that I'm not alone in this sadness helps. Sunday was (although I was not aware of it consciously at the time) the six month anniversary of his passing. I stopped on a whim (or what I thought was one) to say hello to a common friend we had and he later sent me a text message stating that that day was the anniversary date. I had goose bumps on reading that message.

- Sometimes I don't follow my gut like I should. I try to shrug it off or just get to busy to respond to those nudges and prompts to take this or that action.

+But I'm glad that I did and went to visit that other friend. He needed to know someone cared and I needed to show some care in the midst of my own sadness.
Things work out well when I listen to those 'holy nudges', as I call them.

Why do these moments of synchronicity still surprise me after all these years?

Synchronicity helps to make a way even in the crummy moments and points to bread that sustains. Only, I need the eyes to see and the ears to hear those prompts towards synchronicity.

Give me the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Give me the brave heart to take the steps that need to be taken and when to goose bump moments come; let me soak every single chill and bump in. I don't want to miss a one.

+ Free bear hugs

+ Unity art

+ Kids that shout, giggle and help you with a community clean up project

+ Sunshine, blue sky and green trees on a Monday.
+ Email messages that make you tear up with joy.
+ Coming to a solution of a problem.
+ Spending a few hours at the park on a sunny afternoon.

+ Sharing an ice cream sundae with your best friend.
+ Joy, love, peace, patience, kindness and so much more.

This is my week of bread, the crumbs, the slices, the whole loaf.
Life wouldn't be much of a sandwich without the bread would it?
Thank God for the bread.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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