February

Well, I haven't posted anything all month, but there's kind of a reason.

February has become one of those bittersweet months for me.

Bitter: My amazing, kind, funny, wonderful, loving Granny Simeroth passed away three years ago (Feb. 21). I sometimes still find myself forgetting she's gone and then missing her terribly. I still want to write Carl and Katie anytime I send something to my grandpa. I still have their home phone listed under Granny & Papa in my phone. I love her so much, that will never change.

Also a bitter moment is that a little over a year ago (Feb. 11) Grandma Barnes also passed away, but hers is a different kind of bitter. Yes, sad that she's gone, but worse, I think, that she was not able to live out her last years in peace. I just hope that somewhere in her mind she was able to remember the good times in her life... and that perhaps I was a part of some of them. I still think of her everytime I look at the old candy dish I have of hers. Fond memories!

Sweet: I've been surrounded by blessings and celebrations this month too. Celebrating friendships, birthdays, and exciting changes in friends' lives. I've been so blessed in my job and that my bosses think I'm doing well, even if it's really hard sometimes, it's a real blessing.

What is the world coming to?

Saw an article online today on this...

Wow. What is the world coming too. Just what we need when I've got patients I take care of that are 600-700 pounds. Pizza and cookies. Real great. Not saying that I might not indulge, but still. What's next... fried beef burritos and chocolate cheesecake?

WOW!

This weekend I went to a youth conference with the middle & high school youth. I was an adult. Ha! That still throws me off every time! Anyway, the main speaker was Shane Claiborne. He was amazing! He kind of reminded me of Allison's cousin, Phil, he looked a lot like him. He had a great message to share that if we all really tried to live and love like Jesus, think of what this world could be like. No more wars, no homelessness or those who have more than they could EVER need and just down the street, those that are dying because they don't have one coat or haven't eaten all day. He really threw how twisted our American culture can be in our faces. He gave a lot of hard hitting quotes from some amazing people (sorry I can't remember who said what right now). One of which was, "If you have two coats you have stolen one because someone else doesn't have one to wear." Wow. It reminded me of how materialistic we all are. How we want the biggest and best and most out of this world. We want to have the best and newest gadgets, more clothes than we really need, to gorge ourself on more food than we could eat, etc. Made me think. What could I do or give up for those that have none?

Another story he gave was in his community in Philly, he was walking down the street and saw a prostitute on his way to the store. On his way back from the store, he saw her again, huddled in an alley, shivering from the cold and crying. He and his friend went and comforted her, offered her to come to their house to keep warm for a while, where she told them her story. She came back a few weeks or months later, on fire for the Lord again and shining with His love. When he was talking with a friend about it the guy said this, "Jesus never hung out with prostitutes... because he never saw them as a prostitute, he saw them as a lost child." I thought that was amazing. And it reminded me of work, particularly about the prisoners that I sometimes take care of. Most of these guys are nice and polite, but I've been too nervous or just don't want to take the time to talk with them much. I need to treat them as Jesus would, like a friend, like I would anyone else. I need to not look at the needle in their eye when I have a plank in mine.

He's just done amazing things, worked with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, traveled to Africa and Iraq, and a lot more. Look him up.