Saturday, May 26, 2012

So Much to Celebrate

Oh, see these two cookbooks? Found both in a basement for free this morning at a yard sale. Free old-timey cookbooks... hardly gets better than that. :)


Earlier, before Tom even got out of bed, I drove to the supermarket with a fistful of coupons and spent 28 dollars instead of $61, what with buying things on sale and using coupons. I showed Tom (who was up when I returned) all the things I got for absolutely free: 2 pouches of Starkist tuna, 1 box of macaroni and cheese, 2 cans Bush's mesquite beans, 4 candy bars (I know, I know) and 2 boxes of Barilla pasta. Those were just some of my great deals... I highly recommend online coupons.


And speaking of the supermarket, I saw a beautiful young black woman there, around 35, with long hair up in a ponytail, sunglasses on top of her head, a lovely red tunic-type stretch top with cool 3/4 length sleeves, black capri's and nifty sandals. I saw her and thought, "You know? I should tell her how nice she looks." And of course, God nailed me, as always, and said, "Since that thought came to you, yes, I'll now wait for you to say it aloud."


So I did, because oh, I hate that dreadful feeling which comes after not doing the obvious right thing. As she began pushing her cart past me, I turned toward her and said, "Oh! You look really nice!" Well, she much appreciated the compliment, told me her aunt gave her the top (I told her it was perfect for her, because it certainly was) and she said I looked nice, too, and how we both must like the same things because we wore similar colors (and she was tactful enough not to add that my clothes, though, looked like they first saw light in the1990's. heh).


Anyway, we both stepped away feeling blessed and well, isn't that one of the major things that matters in this life--that we live free enough to give compliments where they are due? Took me ages to get there, but God dragged me kicking and screaming until I finally became free in that area. Free, but still always needing that extra tiny push from Him. 




**********


And oh, I must say again... I do love Facebook.


Recently I got in-touch with a young woman at Facebook who I taught in a California Sunday School when she was 6 and 7, a girl who was probably my greatest challenge in all the 17 years I taught. :) I'd just begun teaching so, most likely, I wasn't as creative as she needed me to be (years later I grew and changed). But now? Now she's a single mom and she's growing closer to God daily and learning so much and turning into just about the sweetest, most creative young woman, ever. Her creative spirit inspires me to break-out of my same ol', sameness.


And I am blessed watching her grow all these thousands of miles away, thanks to Facebook.


There's another young lady there who I've known since she was 3 when she'd always face backward on the church bench and stare and smile at Tom and me until her mom would turn her back around. After Tom and I moved away, she and I began writing letters to each other (I believe she was 8) until she graduated high school and now, through Facebook, I've watched her get married and have an adorable little boy and lots of pictures have allowed me to share this time of her life with her as well.


And did I mention that I love Facebook?  






**************




Our cats enjoy sitting here gazing at the backyard in the mornings and afternoons. They watch all the birds and breezes making leaf shadows. Kitty TV,as Kim put it. Love that.


And my wallpaper for the blank wall on the right will be here very soon! Yay!






***************




"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."  ... James 4:17




*******************************


For a list of my favorite places to find coupons online, go here.




*******************************

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Debra - thanks for the wonderful post on encouraging others. It is something I am always working on. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
--- Taryn

Anonymous said...

I was blessed last week by finding a bag of 5 cookbooks...one a Hershey's one too..marked down to 19c! Love it!
I got in the habit of telling people how nice they look or some such comment bout every store I am in. I have been doing it for years. I have seen so many sad looking people straighten their backs up and walk away proud with a big smile on their faces. I have even mentioned to several old old men how pretty their wives look. The wives were down the row from where we were. Boy do they brighten up! You can see that love for that wife in their eyes. :) My mother did a lot of this...talking to the baggers or workers at any store etc. As you say treating people every where with respect they deserve. I wonder some times if they get as much fun out of what I do to I do. It just comes natural to interact with someone out of the blue that you think needs a pick me up or that God brings into focus for you. Just a few words...a few very honest words, is all it takes to make their day....and yours! Sarah