My journey ..so far

In my life, I have done many things. You could never say I have been on a career path. It's been more like a train ride with many stops everywhere and no idea where it's going. I thought I'd make a list of all the things I can remember that I've done. I started working full time at 14. This was the only time I can remember working only one job at a time. Graduated at 17 and began the multiple job life. I've worked anywhere from 2 to 7 jobs at a time since then. I've been a live in nanny, certified nanny and part time babysitter for different services, worked at Subway, many different restaurant positions from waitress to pie topper, drive thru girl, hostess, became a makeup artist and cosmetic sales consultant, opened a Merle Norman, started two lawn maintenance companies, delivered papers from midnight to 7 am, taught preschool, was a Kindergarten sub, sold AVON, invented a baby blanket and started that company, started a children's charity, became a dental assistant, worked the front desk and insurance billing portion of another dental office, temped at an additional office, became a physician's assistant, compiled work for the Helen Keller Foundation, worked for a forest owners association, telemarketed, took infomercial orders, worked in medical records, switchboard, insurance claims, retina surgery dvd cropper, medical transcription, transcribed and edited docs presented to the gov't regarding military eye injuries, built websites, ran a construction company, started selling Mary Kay, opened a bakery, started teaching cake decorating classes to children and adults, started teaching classes on how to start a small business, how to build a website, makeup and skin care, and cake decorating for adults, writing articles for money, ....I'm sure I'm forgetting some things but you see where I'm going with this. Train ride, many stops, no idea where it's going. God tells me to go do something and I just do it.  I wonder what I'll be doing next year???

Back to Basics

Today I am filled with thoughts of "the good stuff". Barefoot summers, lightning bugs, watermelon, real cartoons, chocolate covered kids smiles, big homemade breakfasts, smurfs, strawberry shortcake dolls that didn't have long hair, babies breathing softly while they sleep on my shoulder, koolaid mustaches, the smell of my great grandmother's sweet shrub, pies baked for no occasion at all...I want to get all those things back so I'm making some changes. As a poor single mom for years, I struggled and felt guilty for the amount of time I had to work away from my children just to provide them with a home. Then, I met Daniel and I got a great and I mean great job and we could pretty much do what we wanted and buy what we wanted whenever we got the urge. I overcompensated for the years that we didn't have anything and while I had this great job, I spoiled my kids terribly. Now that I no longer have that job or the means to support that lifestyle anymore, I see the error of my ways. My kids are in for some shell shock as they say but it will be good for all of us. We are moving to a new house and starting over basically so I will use this transition as a time to reverse and undo any damage hopefully. They have always been involved in charity but they will now learn to share and work together in our own house. This is my new mission. It should be an adventure.

Oh the things I've done

My life has been nothing if not interesting. I am so curious as to what it looks like in its entirety to the Lord. I picture it as a jigsaw puzzle scattered amongst the floor of Heaven. God already knows what it will be when all the pieces are together properly, but I only see glimpses of how it all fits together, one small section at a time. He strings the events of my life together this way. A piece that once seemed so out of place and unnecessary was needed to connect the piece on the other side that brought me to a beautiful new section of the puzzle. So many amazing things have happened in my life. Things that I would have never expected. Had I not had the piece I thought useless, I may have never know these events. I have met famous celebrities, been in books and on morning shows, turned Pauly Shore down for a date lol. .. most people would consider these things amazing for a young single mother. These, however, are not the events I am referring to. My amazing moments have been the births of my babies, finding a man that I trust to care for them as well as I do, losing everything but never going without thanks to God's grace, lifting the spirits of a dying young boy who just wanted his friends to see him on my website, watching my nephew who has AMC progress and move mountains everyday, meeting amazing people along this journey that God showed me how to find... These are my amazing events. There are no coincidences in my life. It would seem there have been thousands, but I know that each of them is just another piece in my life's puzzle and that I will see how they all connect over time.

People ask Why??

Why do you put so much work and money into charity when you can't afford it?

For those of you who know me well, this question is probably something you have thought but never actually asked and for those of you who don't and have come out and said it, here's your answer. Because I will never be one of the people who can afford it if I am not giving all of me to doing the things that God has laid on my heart. He will bless me as He always has and made sure that I never went hungry and never, even when we were homeless, never did I have to sleep on the street. My life before Daniel was more than difficult. I was a single mom of two with no family willing to help us. I came to my parents after my divorce and losing my job and our home and told them I had nowhere to go and they replied "our lifestyle doesn't work with you and the kids here so you can't stay". I put our belongings back in the car and loaded up my babies, then 2 and 5 and drove and cried and prayed for hours. I called a friend, the only person I could think might help me, the only one who was really always there to talk to and she graciously offered a guest room to us. The next 6 months were so hard. I found a job, but my daycare costs were 900.00 so I got a second job, then an apartment then another job to pay utilities. Before it was all said and done I was working 1 full time and 5 part time jobs all at the same time and raising two babies alone. Not long after we got settled in, I got a notice of eviction. I had been late on my rent after Macy had gotten sick and I had to miss work, The complex manager knew my father and had a grudge against him for something that happened years earlier. This I assume was the reason she gave me a three day notice to vacate instead of working out a late payment. Once again I had nowhere to go, but Daniel and I had started dating and he took over my childcare. We went to school together and lost touch over the years. We ran into each other again at a friends football gathering. We just hit it off like we had just always been together. I couldn't believe what he offered. A young single guy with no kids and had never been married offered to care for my children so that I didn't have to pay for daycare anymore. Then I got a better job offer. I had only 3 days to find a place to live so I called a number in the paper under rental listings. The guys said I dialed the wrong number because he didn't have house in Alabaster but he said it was funny that I called because he had a house that he rented out in Pelham and it would be ready in 2 days. It was one street over from where I was living. Daniel's parents offered money for us to move in on and we were able to move into a  house in that crazy time frame. My point to all this is that no matter how hard things have been for me, I have never been forsaken and I achieve great joy in helping others, especially children. If I have food to eat then I am more wealthy than so many others. If I have a coat to wear, I am blessed to not know a cold night without one. I owe it to myself to be the best person I can be, I owe it to the Lord to show him my thanks for all the miracles that he has worked in my life. I owe it to others who should be rewarded for being willing to help others but need help themselves. I want my children to see that it doesn't take much effort to be a good person and with a little more effort you can be a great person and an inspiration to others. I am just one person and I have very limited resources but I will use what I DO have in order to save a child from a life without a family or to give a coat to a homeless woman or to bake cupcakes for a family who wants to save a child, or to donate 5 dollars when I only have 10 because I know that I will be taken care of and He will reward me 10 fold. I could not look at myself in the mirror and see ME if I wasn't helping where I could. I wouldn't be true to what I believe or how I think God wants me to live.

So, to answer your question, I can't afford NOT to.

Thankful

Today I am thankful for the gifts in my life. My children, my family, my friends and most of all for the way God is using me. I started this blog after my friend Kathy encouraged me. I know that I am not a writer but I do love to put into words what I feel about things so maybe this will be good for me. Today I was reminded once again that it doesn't matter who we are, who we know, how much money we have, all of those things help but even when you are like me...broke, not knowing anyone with huge amounts of money or power and not being one of those people myself. A simple, kind-hearted person can make a difference if they open their hearts up and listen to what God is telling them. I want to leave a legacy of kindness and giving. I want to be someone that I hope my children grow up to be like. I want to make a difference. A BIG DIFFERENCE. It all started in 2005 with a blanket I invented and has passed through many hoops, some of which I will share with you. Now it's come to cupcakes and children. Is this how God will choose to use me to help others or will he push me into a new business again? I hope I'm listening when He tells me.