Katelyn

the first time i felt the prompting to give to her i winced
not because i deemed her unworthy
but because of the fresh cigarette she had hanging from her lip
and the fact of my severe sensitivity to cigarette smoke.

i knew that the simple act of rolling down my window to buy a paper from this contributor seller
would cause me to cough for several minutes
and my eyes to water uncomfortably

yet i knew she was the one that week
to receive the money i had stashed to give to a seller
(i purposefully sow into this work
of helping the homeless earn money
so they can buy a room for the night
or save up for an apartment
or simply buy food that day...good, nurishing food)

so i rolled down my window
and handed her a few bills
saying "i actually already have a paper this month
but wanted to give you this"

she shoved a paper through my car window anyway
before i could protest
and said "no, take one!"

i don't often see the same people selling
but this scene
with this woman
has been repeated several times over the last few weeks

and it's been a joy
to drive away
(coughing ;-)
knowing that i'm sowing into one person's life
one among many

because most of the people i give a wad of cash to
i don't see again for several weeks, if ever
this woman, i've seen at least 2-3 times per week for the last month.

yesterday was a little different

as i rolled up to her normal stop
i smiled as i realized she was there

and as i rolled down my window
she snuffed her fresh cigarette on the ground
before she came over

since the light was freshly red
we chatted a bit
she apologized for being "dirty" today
but explained it was for a good reason
because she'd come straight from her brand new part-time job
where she was doing some sort of manual labor
(she told me exactly what kind...i just can't remember)

she was beaming as she told me
that she still needed to sell the papers for awhile
but once she found a second part-time job
she could be done

i told her i'd pray for her
and she lit up
and said "pray hard, please!"
and proceeded to tell me that she'd broken up with her boyfriend of 3 years
earlier that week
because she felt God was telling her that He had better things for her
and that the boyfriend was holding her back

so join me in praying for Katelyn please.
one of many
who has impacted me greatly
while i thought i was making a difference in her life

Year in Review

I promise this is the LAST New Year's themed thing I'll be doing until approximately 12 months from now!

First of all, last year I posted that my word of the year was BLESS.
I'm sticking with that word. It's not a word of the year; it's the word of a lifetime. I firmly believe that I was sent to this earth to bless and to be a blessing. You can read more about why I chose that word here.

So with that in mind, my word of this year will be GIVE.
I have learned over the last year and a half or so that giving does not have to be monetary. I can give my time, my talents, my service. Having been the recipient of so many wonderful things, how could I not give back?

And now, on to the mindless meme:

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
road tripped overnight with a BOY
:)
(actually like 4 times!)
consulted and invoiced large corporations, interviewed for teaching jobs and didn't get them (I have always been hired on the spot before!) and worked in the non-profit sector which I LOVE
had a high school reunion
gone to my first NFL game--several times!

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make resolutions so much as I make goals/expectations. I didn't lose the weight, but overall have a healthier lifestyle, so the weight will happen this year. I'm cool with that.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Several people. Starting with Laura (Israel), then a couple of babysitting clients: Anne (Elizabeth "Ellie") and Carolyn (Aaron), and then finally my friend Jessica (Finnegan "Finn"). I have a couple of close friends who are due in 2010 too!

Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year, which is a nice break

What countries did you spend time in this year?
Just the USA

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
a full-time job with BENEFITS

What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Uh...nothing huge that I can remember. Anthony and I have made a lot of memories and have seen a ton of good times, but I don't know as any DATES are etched on my memory. Events are though: football games, road trips, anniversaries and Valentines day, girls nights, high school reunion, visits from college/high school friends...

What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
making it through without being in a complete financial pit! Even though no full-time income since August 2008...

What was your biggest failure?
I choose to see failures as learning experiences.
I guess not sticking to a weight loss plan, but even then...

Did you suffer any serious injury or illness?
swine flu? maybe?
and my back going out twice now...

What was the best thing you bought?
the Colts/Titans tickets for Indy, my iPhone or my Mac. Can't decide :)

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anthony's...several good friends

Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed?
Eh. No one really

Where did most of your money go?
bills, bills, bills, mortgage, bills, bills, clearance sales

Compared to this time last year, are you,
a)happier or sadder? about the same, and infinitely blessed
b)thinner or fatter? fatter if anything
c) richer or poorer? richer slightly in money, richer by far in experience

What did you get really, really excited about?
oh, lots of stuff

What do you wish you'd done more of?
uh...nothing? I struck a pretty good balance.

Did you fall in love in 2009?
I think that one was sewed up before 2009 :)

How many one-night stands?
Uh, none. What kind of a question is that?!

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No...again, what kinda question?!

What was the best book you read?
Hmmm. The Search for God and Guinness was pretty interesting. I'll be reviewing it here within a few days.

What did you want and not get?
??

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 28. We spent it with wonderful friends, Andy and Mandy.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
nothing

Who did you miss?
LaJuana and Randy once they moved...very sad

Who was the best new person you met?
Did I meet anyone new? I guess a few people at church and co-workers at my temporary place of employment...and Laura's mom Donna...

Tell us a valuable life lesson(s) you learned in 2009
Just how amazing people can be...and how humbling it is to accept help when it's needed...

What sums up this year (a word, a quote?)
"I get by with a little help from my friends"
-John Lennon