January 29, 2009

It's Thursday evening and I'm nice and tired after running around in the cold. It always feels so good to get back inside and feel cozy.

Yesterday, I met with a friend that I had met at the Space over a year ago. Laura is a very talented musician and voice coach and many other wonderful things, including ministering to musician types through her church. We had tea/coffee and chatted for over an hour. It was really fun to catch up with each other. She is very encouraging and supportive of what God is doing with Parable and in my life. Laura connected me, via Internet, with her sister-in-law who is a church planter in California. Linda and I have corresponded by email and look forward to sharing encouragement and advice with each other. I love being introduced to other sisters in Christ. I love hearing their stories of God's work.

After I left Laura, I walked a few very cold blocks in the chilly rain to GCN where I help in the soup kitchen on Wednesday nights. (I'm really going to appreciate spring) Mr. Lou and Vanessa are the staff workers for the dinner shifts at GCN. Our relationship is building slowly. Some of the clients there are getting friendlier since I come by every week. Some of them are really funny. Some are cranky, and some are a little crazy (literally). But most seem very appreciative of volunteers coming to help out. And the staff are very happy to have volunteers!

Tonight I helped with dinner at the PF Coffeehouse soup kitchen. I used to volunteer there most Sundays for lunchtime, but haven't been there much since I first started feeling sick. Instead of early on Sundays, I'll be volunteering for the dinner shift on Thursdays. It was great to see the staff again. And some of the clients remembered me and waved from across the room, made a point to say hi, and a couple even welcomed me back. I met a few of the staff and volunteers from other PF locations. It was an interesting evening. The clients seem to be spunkier on Thursday nights than they are on Sunday mornings. :)

This evening I received a call from my friend Carol, who was having a tough day. I enjoy talking with her, even on bad days. We had a good conversation and I'm very thankful to have her in my life. God has blessed me with many friends here.

Tomorrow I'm going by another PF center to volunteer in their kitchen. This one is called Clinton Sr. Center and is just 9 blocks from my place, so by NYC standards, that's like being just next door! I will talk with them about volunteering on a regular basis, probably on Monday and Friday lunch shifts. I'll also be talking to the director there about how mission teams can better serve them when in town. This center has a container garden area that they could use help getting ready and planted in the spring. Perhaps we'll have a few people on a team who have green thumbs. I can dig and do dirty work, I just don't know much about the decision making on growing things.

There are still friends back in AR who are without power from the bad ice storm. I think the weather is supposed to be warm there this weekend, so hopefully it will melt the rest of the ice. I hope they can get the power back on for everyone asap.

My Mom said they got 11" of snow in Indiana. My sister said that the grandkids were having a great time sledding down the big hill at their house. (I think Sandy did a little impromptu sledding on her bum when she slipped on the snow/ice.) My family all have power, and Sandy's house as well as Mom's are heated partially by wood stoves anyway. They'll be cozy. I'm sure my sister is probably keeping the kitchen warm with her yummy baking.

Speaking of baking... a friend of mine, Jenny, is interested in going to pastry school in the future. Right now, in addition to her fulltime job, she is interning at a bakery. How fun!! She brings yummy stuff to Parable get togethers. Even though I can't have them, they look and smell fantastic and everyone raves about her talents. I'm excited for her and her passion.

My Mom is still having major stomach problems and will be undergoing more tests soon. Please keep her in your prayers for a diagnosis, treatment and cure. And please pray that she and my stepdad will learn to trust in God for everything in their lives.

January is almost over already, but it has been an oh-so-wonderful month so far. I'm finding Joy in the blessings as well as the challenges this month has brought so far.

I pray you are finding Joy in your days, too.