We all have those genuinely good days.
You know the ones.
The ones we remember throughout all those crappy days.
These handful (or maybe two handfuls) of days are typically comprised of the day you graduate, your wedding day, the day you get a puppy, when your baby is born, the day you buy a house, when you see your favorite band live for the first time.
But sometimes, maybe, an average normal day creeps in there. A day where you think how you just had yourself a good day.
Well, I recently had one of those.
10/18/14
It was my dear friend Angelica's birthday.
We went to Visalia for the Tastemakers Festival because Nick Waterhouse was going to be there. We love that guy. Friends came from Fresno, Merced, and Bakersfield to meet in Visalia.
It was one of the first beautiful days of Fall. We found some shade next to the Dickey's BBQ tent and parked ourselves on a blanket. We ate giant pieces of pizza. We laughed and talked. We held out our arms and Hazel walked to us. We spent time together, just hanging out on the grass and being with each other all while listening to the bands that were playing.
We moved closer to the stage when Strange Vine was about to start their set.
Then it was time for Nick Waterhouse. We took our shoes off and danced in the grass through his whole set. It was ridiculously fun.
I am constantly reminded how blessed I am to have these wonderful people in my life.
All this to say that I need to write more.
And I need to write more about the good days.
Now let's hear it. I want to know about your average genuinely good days!
I was 20 years old and had just moved to Fresno. I decided it was time for me to look into sponsorship. I wanted a little girl from Brazil because I had been to Brazil before and I really felt that's where my heart was. I was so blessed by being able to help this little girl and her family.
I eventually received a letter from Compassion International stating that Andreza was no longer eligible for membership. My heart was broken that I would no longer receive letters and drawings from her.
There wasn't a reason why, but I pray it was because her parents were now capable of fully providing for their family.
I saw today that World Vision announced they will now allow gay Christians to work for them. (This in the letter from the World Vision President to employees) This in no way affects anyone's membership, but for some reason so many are up in arms about this. I had no idea this would even be an issue. I'm reading comments from people who have already cancelled their sponsorship (this news broke today) and how people will probably now boycott this organization.
Why? Why is this such a huge deal? Why is the fact that they now employ gay Christians a bigger deal than these people helping children who are the poorest of the poor? These children are just like me and you in that they need food, shelter, clothing, love, and most importantly -- Jesus.
I've never liked the idea of boycotting a company because you disagree with them, but if you don't want to purchase a product because you don't agree with what the company stands for, then fine. This is different though. The child you sponsor is not a product. He/She isn't just a picture on a piece of paper. This child needs you. They count on you.
After reading all the negative comments against World Vision, I instantly thought of the song "What Matters More" by Derek Webb. Why are we so concerned with things that don't actually matter? Watch the video and listen to the lyrics. Read the lyrics here if you want.
At work, we currently sponsor a little girl through World Vision named Ballu Harding who lives in Sierra Leone. She was chosen because she's just she's just as old as our company and she is from Sierra Leone (we're SIERRA Specialty). She sends us drawings and letters. We have her picture up on our refrigerator at work. She's a person. She has a family. She also has hopes and dreams. Ballu needs us right now to help her get through life. It's because of us she's able to eat, go to school, be a kid, and learn about Jesus.
Sam and I currently sponsor a child through Compassion International. I even have Andreza's informational card in my Bible still. I pray for her whenever I come across it.
The company does wonderful things around the world to share Christ's love with His children. What's even better is there are Christians who want to help spread this love all around the world to people who may not have heard about Jesus otherwise. The change in the employment policy doesn't change the impact they make.
If you are considering canceling your sponsorship with World Vision -- please don't. Your gift of love to this child is so much more important than your disagreement with this company.
(Disclaimer: This isn't meant to start a debate about whether or not same-sex marriage is alright. It's about what is more important for us as Christians in the world.)
We live in an apartment complex that's in a cul-de-sac right off Shaw Ave. in Fresno, just a few blocks away from the Savemart Center (I've seen Michael Buble, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, David Crowder, etc., there)
This morning, as I was driving out of the apartment complex toward Shaw, I saw a Police SUV and thought "somebody is in trouble!"
Then I saw another Police car and thought "Ok, someone is really in trouble!"
As I got closer to Shaw and stopped behind a garbage truck and another car, I saw a third police car. And another one. That's when I knew this was something else. Several more drove by.
Then I saw a couple limos, two hearse, a couple more limos and several dozen motorcycle cops drive by. As the motorcycles drove by, I noticed there was one officer on a motorcycle in the left-hand turn lane directly in front of us who was saluting all these people while he blocked that left-hand turn lane.
Sometime around seeing the hearse and the man saluting these officers and hurting family members, I realized the hearse that drove by carried the two police officers who were killed in the line of duty last week in Kingsburg. (Read more about the accident here)
I just kept thinking how amazing it was to see this community of officers give their support and show their respect for these these two men who they probably considered their brothers.
It was an incredibly beautiful, calming moment that brought me to tears. I don't even know these men, but I am so glad I was there this morning. It was something I'll never forget.
Photo Credit: The Ksee24 News Facebook page
Please keep these officers, as well as the families of the fallen officers in your prayers.
Thank you Officer Juan Gonzalez and Officer Brian Law for your service.
A couple Saturdays ago, I went to the eye doctor for the first time in two years. To be honest, the only real reason I went was because I could tell my prescription was changing and my eyes were working overtime.
I went to Eye-Q, and everyone there was so nice and everything went quickly. Possibly because I was there at 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and really... who wants to willingly get up that early for a doctor's appointment? Either way, it was a pleasant experience!
Happy with my new glasses!
This pleasant experience probably centered around the fact that they have moved passed that terrible puff of air in the eye to check your eye pressure. Now if you've been to an eye appointment, you know the horror I am talking about. Instead, they put eye drops in your eyes that numb the eyeball. They then touch your eye with some tiny thing and since your eyes are numb, you don't feel anything. While my eyes felt a little swollen and gooey afterward for a few minutes, I'd much rather have that than the puff of air.
This got me to thinking of some things that people who don't have to wear corrective lenses probably take for granted.
1) Seeing in the shower
I've never been able to see clearly in the shower and I never will. Everything is blurry.
Hmm... I see there's a little black/dark blue/brown thing at the bottom of the shower. It might be a piece of fuzz or lint, but it also might be a spider. I'm not going to get close enough to find out so I grab the shower head and kindly help that most-likely-spider make its way down the drain.
2) Being able to buy/wear sunglasses anytime
I've never actually owned sunglasses. I can't go to Target and pick out a random pair that I like to wear. I can't buy an expensive pair of sunglasses from some name brand store. If I buy a pair of sunglasses, I have to have them with my prescription, you know, unless I want to wear sunglasses over my regular glasses. Insurance doesn't actually cover sunglasses, so it would have to come out of my pocket.
3) Not having a frame around everything you see
I'm so used to it now that I don't even realize it. Sometimes I think how nice it would be to wear contacts so I don't have to see my frames in everything I look at, then I think "naahhh..."
4) Enjoy standing and/or walking in the rain
Now, don't get me wrong. I do love the rain. Sometimes though, it's annoying to walk into because my glasses get raindrops on them. It's even worse when I'm shopping in an outdoor mall or in a large shopping center, because then every time I go in and out of a store, I have to clean my glasses off. I often jokingly say how nice it would be to have windshield wipers for my glasses. Maybe it's time to turn that joke into a reality.
5) Going to 3-D movies
For some reason, 3-D movies all all the rage. I usually avoid them if it wasn't recommended that a certain movie must be seen in 3-D. Now, if I didn't have to put the 3-D glasses over my glasses, it might not be so bad. Soooo... when I go movies I actually have six eyes. Pretty sure that's alien status right there.
6) Not having to worry about losing or breaking the thing that allows to you see
Just yesterday morning I went to grab my glasses off my nightstand and I accidentally knocked them off. This is a weekly occurrence. So, there I am in my dark room, looking for glasses that I could really use to actually find the glasses. It's a tangled web where there's no winning.
Five years ago, right after I moved to Fresno, I was in my room and noticed there was a smudge on my glasses. I took off my glasses and as I was using my shirt to clean them off, they snapped in half. I still don't even know how that happened, but it was terrifying! I tried taping them together but that didn't work. I couldn't even drive anywhere to get new glasses. I had to wait for Sam to be available that day and find a place where I could get glasses that same day for a decent price. Luckily, Lens Crafters was able to help me, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't panicking.
I used to hate wearing glasses and would avoid them unless I absolutely needed to wear them. Then one day in college I had this epiphany... "I like seeing!" That's when I started wearing them all the time. I even had fewer headaches which was a huge plus.
I got my new fancy specs from Warby Parker in the mail Tuesday. They were wonderful to work with. If you're looking for new glasses, I'd definitely suggest you check them out first.
My glasses are now to me what Linus' blanket is to him.
And now... for your viewing pleasure... Johnny Nash...
But not that day; the day that man and woman broke into our apartment all I could think about was how blessed we were.
Where did that positivity come from? It certainly wasn't me. Why wasn't I dwelling on how they took nearly all my jewelry and both of our (film and digital) cameras? They stole Sam's watches and his pedal board. Why wasn't I more upset that they tore apart our home and disturbed our lives?
All I could think about was how blessed we were. That feeling, that peace, came from the One who gave us everything we have. God was comforting me on the day when I needed Him the absolute most.
I was so thankful that even though, as far as I'm aware, we were in the apartment at the same time, I never saw them. I only saw the window open and things missing.
I'm thankful that I took my laptop to work that day. Something I never do.
I'm thankful that I have a husband who is apparently intimidating enough to scare two people off. I'm glad that the sound/scream that came from him when he came home and opened the door to see them standing there has since left my mind.
I'm thankful I have a husband who did what he could. He grabbed the woman's backpack and told her he wasn't giving it back. She was dumb enough to tell Sam that her friends lived there and they were in the laundry room. You know, all while she was pulling some of our clothes out of the backpack and throwing them on the ground. She left without the backpack.
I'm thankful they were dumb enough to look through the Xbox box, but didnt see the actual Xbox sitting next to the TV, not plugged in or anything.
I'm thankful that about five our neighbors came out to see what was going on. One let me stand in her apartment (never met her before), while I was on the phone with the police and the guys were seeing if they could find any sign of the man and woman.
I'm thankful that they left behind the mason jar full of cash we had been saving; more cash than what they could get from selling all the stuff they stole. How they didn't see it, I'll never know. The word "miracle" comes to mind. Yay God!
I'm thankful they didn't steal our social security cards. They stole some of Sam's checks, but just trashed them and kept the cheap wallet they were in.
I'm thankful for all the love and prayers we received from friends and family after posting it on Facebook. I'm particularly thankful for one family who offered for us to come spend the night with them and when we declined, they then offered to come sleep on our couch so we could get some sleep. I'm thankful that even though the police didn't show up until nine hours later, he still showed up. He didn't give us a hard time for leaving our window slightly open for some air circulation.
I'm thankful for my colleagues at work who wanted to make sure I was OK. They shared their own experiences so I knew I wasn't alone.
I'm thankful for my apartment manager who fixed our window screen immediately, then installed another lock on our back door, and window stoppers on every window. They even fixed the lights on the back part of our outside hallways. We live in the very back, so it gets really dark.
And most of all, I'm thankful no one was hurt. Some have said how they would have tackled the guy who had most of the stuff or done this differently. Blah blah blah. They can have whatever they want, so long as everyone stays safe.
See how many things we have to be thankful for! If anything, my heart breaks for the two who broke in. How can one be so disconnected from everything that when they see the pictures we have on our walls and the life we have built, they still don't care that they are stealing from people who have worked hard for what they have.
While I have so many things to be thankful for, this was just the push I needed to get out of there. Come May, we're hoping to be out of the apartment and moving into a house somewhere in Tower or downtown.
This post is long overdue. It feels good to finally get this down in words. Thanks for all the prayers and love you given us!
