YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

This is another one that I got via email.  I've seen it several times before, but thought it was worth sharing.




 Good morning said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on ground.

The man slowly looked up.

This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new... She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. 

His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before...  "Leave me alone," he growled.... 

To his amazement, the woman continued standing. 

She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked. 

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away." 

The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.  

"What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked. 

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?" 

The officer scratched his head.  "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile." 

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!"  Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.  "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack" the officer answered. "Don't blow it." 

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner.  It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived...

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.  "What's going on here, officer?" he asked.  "What is all this, is this man in trouble?" 

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.  

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business." 

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin.  "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."    

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled... "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"  

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."  

"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?" 

"What business is that of yours?" 

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company." 

"Oh."  

The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."  She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?" 

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."  

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."  

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."  

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said. 

"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."    

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently...  "Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes.  "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry." 

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly.  He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. 
 
"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything.  Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days.  It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat." 

Jack lit up with a smile.  "Now I remember," he said.  "I was behind the serving counter.  You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."  

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it.  I was afraid that you would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right." 

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said. 

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up.  Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office."  She smiled.  "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet... If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you." 

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus... He led me to you."  

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways....

"Thank you for all your help, officer," she said. 

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee." 

For My Crafty Friends

A friend of mine forwarded this to me in an email.  I thought it was pretty cool so I thought I would post it here.

Here is a money saver.

Don't throw out your old magazines, do some green crafting with them. Having a lot of patience and time you can create this amazing-looking multi-looped gift bow. Magazines have never been so crafty until now.

Materials:

• 1 magazine page (or 8 ½ x 11” paper of your choice)
• Small hole punch (or a sharp object for poking a small hole)
• 1 metal brad
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut across the magazine page to make nine 3/4 to 1 inch strips. 
   
   
    
2. Start with one strip and make a loop at one end.
   
   
    
3. Turn the strip and make a loop at the other end.
   
   
    
4. Use the small hole punch (or sharp object ~ be careful!!) to make a hole through all 3 layers of paper. 
   
   
    
5. Place the brad through the hole. 
   
   
    
6. Repeat with the remaining 8 strips. (I find it best to hold the prongs of the brad between my teeth while I loop the next strip, but do whatever works for you.) 
   
   
    
7. Open the brad to hold all the strips in place. 
   
   
    
8. Attach your finished bow using double sided tape. 
   
   
    

Related Projects

Seed Paper Flowers

Handmade Paper "LOL" Card

"Love You" Note Card and Envelope

DECEMBER 7, 1941…

…"a date which will live in infamy".

Let us not forget those that lost their lives on this day 69 years ago. Nor should we forget those that survived. They made sacrifices as well.

Thank you to all the Veterans of that era as well as those that fought in other conflict, and those still serving today.

God Bless America!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope that everyone has a joyous Thanksgiving. Travel safely and be happy.

What is going on!?!?!

I can't believe how screwed up our government's priorities are. There so many things that they could be concentrating on, but what are they doing? Screwing around with the airport security screening process.

They are so concerned with not offending foreign visitors or foreign immigrants (legal or illegal), but they are more than willing to let their own citizens be fondled, ogled at, and downright humiliated trying to use our own airline industry. Women with prosthetic breasts have to be submitted to the humiliation of someone "adjusting" their prosthesis to satisfy the curiosity of the TSA agent. If they choose not to go for the full-body-pat-down, then they are subjected to being scanned and every inch of their bodies exposed to the world.

Come on people. As I just heard someone say our government should be more concerned with finding these groups and stopping the terrorist groups instead of trying to fix things after they have gone wrong. They need to be more pro-active instead of always re-active.


 

I Believe

* I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

* I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

* I believe that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distances. The same goes for true love.

* I believe that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

* I believe that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

* I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

* I believe that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

* I believe that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

* I believe that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

* I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

* I believe that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

* I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

* I believe that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

* I believe that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

* I believe that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want him or her to doesn't mean they don't love you with all he or she has.

* I believe that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

* I believe that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

* I believe that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

* I believe that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

* I believe that you shouldn't be eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

* I believe that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

* I believe that your life can be changed, in a matter of hours, by people who don't even know you.

* I believe that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

* I believe that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

* I believe that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Author Unknown – I saw this posted in a Jimmy John's restaurant and had to post it here.

GIRLFRIENDS

My very dear friend, Glenda, gave me a plaque years ago, that is sitting on my desk at home.  I look at it every time I sit down here at the computer.  It is a great poem about girlfriends and what they mean to us.  Here it is:

Girlfriends are much cheaper than therapists and a whole lot more fun.

A girlfriend knows your deep dark secrets, but likes you anyway.

Girlfriends are no farther away than the phone, even if it's 4 a.m.

A good girlfriend is hard to find, impossible to replace and never forgotten.

I love you Glenda.  Thank you for the plaque and more importantly for being my friend.

Don't Forget to Say THANK YOU!

This came to me in an email from my aunt.  I know personally there have been a lot of prayers going out for various illnesses, sadness, hurt, etc., but I also know that I forget to stop and say THANK YOU when things are going well.

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, ' This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed."  How is it that there is no work going on here? ‘I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed.  "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments"

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?” I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?"  I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. "

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity."

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.”

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world."

"If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm; you're unique to all those in doubt and despair......."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are

ATTN:  Acknowledge Dept.

"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it."

If you have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been blessed with, how can you not send it on????  I thank God for everything, especially all my family and friends!

New Found Blog...

A friend of mine pointed me toward a new blog that she found. It's a crack-up! Check it out over in my "Who Am I Following" section. It's called CATALOG LIVING.

Writing from a Cousin

I am the first grandchild on both sides of my family.  On the maternal side of my family, over nearly 27 years there came to be 20 grandchildren.  Janel is #20.  There are nearly 27 years between us.  I have to admit though that this “kid” has really impressed me recently.  She has become a lovely young woman, a good wife to her husband Michael and a loving mother to her son James.

Janel has been writing periodic posts to her family’s blog and several have touched my heart.  I want to share one with you (click here).  As she says, she was raised on the land that her paternal grandfather owned, so she’s a “country girl.”  There was a wonderful old barn that stood on this land.  Recently it has been coming closer and closer to falling over.  A few weeks ago there were some big winds that blew through the valley and sadly the wind was strong enough to blow the old barn over!  You can see from the pictures though how easy that would have been.

Thank you Janel for sharing this wonderful insight to a piece of your life and those that love you.

These are my pictures of the barn that I took a couple of years ago.

Goodbye Grandpa

Last weekend, May 22, 2010, my Mom’s family all gathered in their home town, and celebrated the life and passing of my Grandpa, Cletus Turner Rogers.  He had just turned 96 years old on May 6.  His passing came exactly 24 years and 11 months to the day after my Grandma, his wife, Mary Luella Rogers.

I know this may sound cliché, but my Grandpa was a wonderful man.  He and Grandma celebrated their 44^th wedding anniversary just a couple of months before she passed away.  They raised 6 children, and had one that passed as an infant.  From those 6 children, they have 20 grandchildren, of which I am proud to be the first, and 36 great-grandchildren with another one due in July.

Grandpa’s service was truly beautiful.  Eric Smith, a dear friend of the family, delivered his eulogy.  My Mom spoke, as did another friend of the family.  There was a musical number presented by 2 of his sons and a few of his grandsons, as well as one presented by a grandson-in-law and his brother.  It was a song that I had never heard before, but it was lovely.  It is called “These Hands.”  Here is a youtube.com version by Johnny Cash.  It brings tears to my eyes hearing it again.

After the service, the funeral procession was escorted through town by the Alamosa Police.  I was so touched to see the officers as we passed by standing outside their patrol cars with their hands placed over their hearts.   Adding to the small town, country feel, drivers traveling in the opposite direction on the highway would pull over and stop as we passed.  This was a 23 mile trip, so there were quite a few that stopped.  Such respect! 

Grandpa was buried beside Grandma in the Manassa Cemetery.  Although it was very windy that day, it was still beautiful out there, very simple, quiet and peaceful.

Later in the afternoon, the entire family went out to Peggy and Carl’s home in the country.  We all thoroughly enjoyed spending time together and having fun.  Some rode the old tractor.  Some rode the motorcycle, while others rode the ATV.  The kids played on the trampoline and the 2 tire swings.  It was a great time for the adults to visit and for the kids to get to know cousins that they see all too infrequently. 

I am so grateful for the family that my Grandma and Grandpa started.  I pray the we can all continue to make them proud.  I thank my entire family and my friends for the love and support that they continually give me.

Grandpa, you will be missed but I love you and am so glad that you are free of your tired old body.  This separation is only temporary.  I know we’ll all be together again some day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREVOR!!!

Trevor is the BIG 5 today!!!!  What is so magical about that number?  He is excited to be 5 and I know that we've all been building him up for it too.

Casa Bonita tonight for dinner then back to Papa & Mimi's for cake and presents.  The big birthday party is a week away at Chuck E Cheese.

Happy birthday Buddy!  Have a great day.  Auntie Roo loves you!!!

And happy anniversary to my Mom & Dad!  49 years.

Moving and Catching Up

The actual physical move is complete.  Now comes the unpacking. I'm anxious to get back to all of my daily reads, but it's going to take me a few days to get caught up.  Amazing how far behind on even the personal stuff you can get when you're out of communication for 5 straight days.  I'm glad to be back among the technologically connected.

Adorable Kids

Saturday, April 3, my Sis & I took the nephew, Trevor, to the Easter Egg Hunt at the church where he goes to preschool.  He had a ball, but it was even better when Zoe showed up.  They adore each other and as his Mom says "I think she has his heart right now."  They both lit up when they saw each other.

Children's Miracle Network and Hershey's

Hershey’s has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network and this Easter Hershey’s will donate up to $5000 to CMN through the Better Basket Blog Hop campaign. It’s so easy to participate and will only take a few minutes of your time. Hershey’s will donate $10 per post up to 500 posts. When we are all done that will be $5000 raised for Children’s Miracle Network!

Here’s all you need to do.

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES:

* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop toChildren’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.


I found out about this on Weebles Wobblog.  I’m sending Easter Baskets along to Stacey, Heather, Karen, Jami and Annie.

And to YOU. So pass it on, peoples.

You can follow the giving on Twitter using hashtag #betterbasket.

Thank you to Hershey’s for making a difference and giving us the chance to participate!

If We Can't Laugh at Ourselves...

I'm feeling like the blond you hear all the jokes about...DUH!

Does anyone else have the WEATHER CHANNEL DESKTOP utility loaded on their computer?  Have you noticed when there is a severe weather alert in your area it puts out an audio reminder that sounds like thunder?  I have this utility on my desktop at home, which stays on pretty much 24/7 because of a couple of programs that are on it.  It needs to stay running.

Well, for the last 2 days I've been hearing this strange noise while in other parts of my apartment.  It would sound like someone was banging on the steel girders of the building.  I was really getting annoyed because I couldn't figure out what people were doing.  Then I became worried that it was the hot water heater.  It is in need of replacement, but I've decided that since I am moving out in 4 weeks that they can just deal with it after I'm gone.  However, this noise was making me rethink that attitude.

So, this evening I've been sitting at the computer uploading pictures and videos.  This thunder has gone off a couple of times and has scared me both times because the speakers are turned up pretty loud.  I had been watching movies on the computer while packing and hadn't turned them back down.  I finally had an A-HA moment... the thunder noise is what I've been hearing!!!!

As I said... DUH!!!!!

The speakers have been turned down and now I can rest easy again.

If we can't laugh at ourselves, who can?

Twilight

I finally joined the ranks...I started the Twilight series last week and I'm hooked.  I finished Twilight yesterday, but did not have New Moon loaded on my iPod yet, so I am redoing Twilight.  GOOD BOOK!

Olympic Coverage

My friend/acquaintance/fellow-church member, Amber Johnson is going to the Olympics!  She was one of two winners of a contest sponsored by Microsoft to send bloggers to the Olympics.  She's quite talented and entertaining.  Follow her journey through the Winter Olympics in Vancouver via her blog...Crazy Bloggin Canuck.  You won't be sorry!

Can't wait to hear about your latest adventures Amber!