My new afghan

Back in the fall I decided, very randomly, on a Friday night that I wanted to learn to crochet. Howie went with me to Joann Fabrics and I bought some crochet hooks and yarn. I impatiently waited till the library opened the next day to pick up some "how to crochet books." Between those, YouTube, and some really sweet ladies at church, I picked up the hobby rather quickly. I made scarves and prayer shawls for church, but I had initially wanted to learn so I could make myself an afghan...well, three months after starting my afghan, it's finished. I crunched some numbers yesterday and I spent about 90 hours total working on this thing. That's LOT of time. It made me realize that I was spending so much more time on something that in the grand scheme does not make a lot of difference. I can honestly say I have not spent 90 hours over the past three months truly focusing on God, as I have the crocheting. I attend church, I pray, I have devos daily, Howie and I read the Bible and pray together, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't been 90 hours worth. This crocheting project of mine has opened my eyes to better prioritizing my time...God really should be getting more of me. I do believe this project has helped me sharpen my focus.

Psalm 8
1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise [b]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

** If God is so mindful of me, I should be so mindful of Him. **

Otra dia, otra adventura

Recently I started reading the book Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. Another book of his that I read, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day was amazing. God used that book in big ways while I was job searching. But back to Wild Goose Chase. So far, I've only read the first chapter, but in that Batterson shared a story that included the Spanish phrase "otra dia, otra adventura." In English, that's "another day, another adventure." I think life should be like that...each day can be a brand new adventure full of opportunities from God. My job is definitely like that. The coming weeks will be an adventure. Maybe not a fun one, but an adventure nonetheless. I really like this passage from Psalm 18:

28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

29 With your help I can advance against a troop [d] ;
with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

I know that no matter the adventure, no matter what happens at work or wherever, my God is perfect and flawless, and He can use every adventure to bring something good.

Here we go!

So here it is...my new blog. I figured, for as many as I read, I should contribute, because just maybe, there will be someone out there who's interested. We'll see what happens. It could very well end up being a passing interest that goes away quickly.

In honor of the first day of spring, I thought I'd share part of an email I sent to a good friend recently. For those who don't know, I am a case manager for a transitional housing program. Basically we provide free housing for up to two years for single women (with and without children) who are homeless and help them obtain employment, education, etc. in order to achieve permanent housing and other skills for self-sufficiency. It's an awesome job. It's almost been a year and while there are challenges, it's a perfect, God-ordained fit for me right now.

However, because I'm half the age of most of my clients, that can pose problems. And for some of them, the simple fact that I'm white is an issue. Howie said that, considering the nature of my clientele, I can't expect them to trust me in the few short months they've been here, when they've had a lifetime of living in survival mode. That's such a true statement. Especially since they've spent more years than I've been alive, cultivating a personality, behaviors, and skills, which more often than not includes lying, manipulation, and distrust. It just makes sense, but it's not okay, not really, in the grand scheme of things for me to get as bothered as I do by this, or for them to be so rude. But it's so like the seeds God talks about planting. I can plant seeds of success and hope, generosity and kindness to these women all day, every day during their two years here, but in the end, I may not ever see the changes. And that's okay. It just made me think about the people you meet anywhere you go. It takes time to build relationships and make changes. It takes time to plant seeds and for those seeds to grow. Maybe one day I'll get to see more fruit, but for now, I'm learning to be content with passing along the resources I have, and celebrating the milestones. Just this week two clients got jobs, two kids in the program celebrated birthdays in a HOUSE, not a shelter, and clients are working on their education. Here's to hoping you are able to see the joy in your life amidst planting seeds.