My Family

My Family
Here we all are!

Monday, February 14, 2011

His Hands

Last night our church served dinner at the Simpson's Homeless Shelter again.  Ella, Jacob and one of Ella's friends also come along.  Our Sunday school kids had created Valentine's to be handed out, so that was the kid's job.  When we were ready to leave the kitchen and hand them out Ella said, "I'm not comfortable with this,"  to which I replied, "Get ready to get out of your comfort zone then because that's why we're here."


The three of them went from table to table passing them out.  Some quietly received them, at one table a couple of the women giggled together how sweet that was and how cute they were and one gentleman asked Ella's friend to write his name on the envelope.  Then there was the younger gentleman who wanted to share a magic trick with them in return.  He had two cards that were red and blue and curved so when they were on top of each other they were the same size, but when side to side one looked taller.  They were baffled and he was thrilled by their response.  He came back about 5 or 6 times to repeat the trick.  He then let each of them hold the cards and try it as well.  It was so very sweet to see them huddled together and to see the man smiling so very broadly.  We always pray before we serve and ask God to give us Jesus' words of kindness and to let our hands be His hands - the kids did just that and I was so very proud of them.

Every time we go I am amazed at the resilience of people.  Yes, there are some folks there that look as if they can barely hold their heads up and for them, my heart breaks.  But, there are so many people we meet there who smile and are so gracious and thankful that it's amazing.  One woman came in and introduced herself and thanked us for the food and then said, "It was great because I'm eating for two - because I have a split personality."  That a girl!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Happiness is...........

According to a new study people who make $75,000 per year are the happiest - less then that and they're more unhappy and more doesn't make you happier.  To that I say - wowser - that's a lot of dough.  We are in the process of raising 11 kids and somehow we've managed to be pretty happy I think with considerably less.  I certainly understand that at a certain point when you don't have to worry about paying your bills or if you can provide for the necessities of life including health care, but every thing after that is really gravy isn't it
  I learned early on in parenting from a friend not to take kids shopping unless necessary.  Her philosophy was it just creates discontent about what they have when they discover what they don't have.  How true that is for all of us, especially those of us who live in overindulgent suburbia.  I had to remind my kids often that - no - we are not poor.  We just happen to live amongst people that contrasted to the rest of the world are completely rich.  In fact, contrasted to the rest of the world - we - are really rich.

 How very skewed our perspective can get.  This is why traveling is so very important.  When you are exposed to how the rest of the world lives it is easier to keep things in perspective.  Now, maybe if we did fall into that $75,000 income range we could do more of that traveling - maybe that would make me happier - most likely I'll never know.