IN LOVE

Um, I die. This litle girl is so cute it melts my heart. Not like it takes a lot to melt my heart, I'm totally the girl who cried at the picture of the dog sleeping by a soldier's casket and it doesn't even take me a full Hallmark commercial before the tears start flowing. I'm a sap, what can I say?

I know you guys have met my little Brendy before, I introduced her a LONG time ago. Like, a year.

I first learned about Compassion International when I was at a Michael W Smith/Amy Grant (Yes it was a Christian concert but she sang Baby, Baby) concert. They both sponsor children through this organization. While Christian orgs are not the only ones I support, I do try and do right by the Snoop GOD and honor him through my charity work. Soapbox-out. Anyway, Compassion is a Christian organization that center their focus on the compassion of Jesus in order to best help others. I wasn't super sold on this idea because all I kept picturing was Sally Struthers trying to get me to donate pennies a day to keep these kids alive but I knew she was eating my pennies. After doing my due diligance, I decided to go for it. For the low, low price of $30 a month, you help your sponsor child and their families survive. Literally, your money keeps most of these family alive. It gives them food to eat and water to drink. It clothes and shelters them. Some kids are orphans, Brenda is lucky, she's not. She has a whole family to love her, other kids are not as fortunate.

This is just the most recent letter I received from Brenda, we sent her money for Christmas and the dress below was picked out by her. She also picked out new shoes, purchased an amazing amount of rice, flour, and beans for her family. And she bought sweets to share with her classmates. This letter was extra special to me because she took a crack at our name. It's a tough one I have trouble with sometimes. I think she's a genius.

Anyway, if honoring Christ is as easy as loving this sweet little girl who is half way around the world, count me in.

#Tebowing #2011 #Amazing

Pretty much that's how I feel about 2011. This was just one of the most amazing years ever. I celebrated my first wedding anniversary driving through Germany with my more than amazing Husby. LOVE HIM! Wonderful husby purchased 60 more stores which doubled how many stores we own, in turn, I took a 6 month leave of absence from work and got to spend those months traveling through Kentucky and Indiana, eating soft serve each time I turned around. We have just about the cutest additions in the entire world, added to the family this year when my twin niece and nephew were born and Husb and I started sponsoring a Compassion child, Brenda. After a year and a half of looking, we finally found the perfect house. I ran a marathon AND I ran a PR. I turned 30. I have the most amazing friends and amazing things are happening for my amazing friends. Tim McGraw touched my hand. December 31st is the first time it snowed in MN for the winter. I'm healthy, my husband is  healthy, our furbaby is healthy, our families are alive and kickin', I saw my Uncle Kevin for the first time in 10 years. Just, really the most amazing year ever.

Super hot Tim McGraw

One whole year together, Happy Anniv Beeb!

Marathon #4 and a PR, what up?

Husb ran his first race!

Lil Brendy, my fav Ugandan.

My lil Niece and Nephew!

Uncle Kev!

Workin with Husby on MTD

All of this makes me wanna Tebow and just thank God every day for giving me the most amazing life. I'm awestruck by how much I love my life every single day. It's ridiculous, really.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I’m veering off the “30 day challenge” beaten path.

Something happened last night that I just have to get out there.

I was craving an avocado last night (no I’m not pregnant, I just eat/crave weird things) and since I hadn’t been to the grocery store since we got back from FL thought I’d go. I usually go to our local grocer, little bit more expensive but I like to shop local when I can (oh well and I'm lazy and this is easy). Except last night I went to a different store. I don’t know why because 99.9% of the time I’ll shop at Jerry’s but last night I wanted to go to Lunds/Byerlys.

I walk in and am looking at bananas, red bananas to be specific. Sign says they are there and now I want one.  As I’m scouring the bananas a gentleman asks if he can help, he has a thick accent and is probably 55-60. Turns out his name is Ernesto and he grew up on a banana/pineapple plantation in Nicaragua but has been in MN for almost 40 years. We start chatting and all of a sudden he looks at me and says, you're like an angel. I gave a a nervous laugh and said thank you. And he goes no, you are at this grocery store because I asked God for an angel. He told me he had been home all day with his best friend, his wife, who was dying of cancer and hospice had just come to relieve him for a couple hours. He said he came to the grocery store because he didn't know what else to do and on the way there, he prayed and asked God for something to refresh him, a sign that he can, and needs to, keep going. 

He said he knew as soon as he saw my smile. He gave me his business card to verify he was telling the truth and said thanks, shook my hand and left. 

It wasn't until I got in the car that it hit me that something amazing just happened. I started crying, I was crying for Ernesto, for his wife Mary, and because I was so overwhelmed with gratefulness that God put me in that place to be there for that person. 

I don't usually shop there but for some reason, last night, I did. Of course I'm not an angel, but to Ernesto, I was. 

I am in awe of how God used me last night. It's just something I've been thinking about since it happened and the greatness of that moment is inexplicably amazing to me. I'm sure some people might think it's just a coincidence and that, due to my Buddy the Elf -ness, something like this was bound to happen but I really can't help but think this happened for a reason. 

Gesundheit

I need to explain when I say "I'm blessed" because I think it can sound pretty self righteous at times.

I'm a Christian, I believe God is my Father and His son Jesus Christ, bless his heart, died on the cross for me and my sins so that after my earthly days are gone, I will get to live on in Heaven (which I assume is like Hawaii). That is what I believe. Now, by no means do I consider myself an exemplary Christian, heck, most days I'm sure God is embarrassed by me and my thoughts, words, and deeds. But through it all, He continues to love me. No, He didn't tweet or text me, I didn't read His blog(although the Bible would appear to be the first blog...), nor Facebook stalk Him, all I really do is believe. God is something to give me hope when I'm hopeless and to give meaning to my actions and the actions of those around me.

I would never force my beliefs on anyone and I'm not trying to. I respect free will and the ability to choose what each of us wants to believe in, or not. Life is an amazing thing and I choose to live mine in Christ. So, I guess what I'm saying is, when I say I'm blessed, it is my tiny way of saying thanks to God. For the good times AND bad. And everything in between.

Amen.

Too much?