Morning musings

Amidst my usual morning prayers and special intentions during the morning bike ride, I added in a prayer of thanksgiving for sprinklers and trellises! They suplemented my ride so pleasantly that I just needed to say thank you for their creation. Haha, and then we passed a church marquee that has a tendency to be kind of humorous and/or clever. It said: Seven days without prayer make one weak. And now, time to start the day!

The breeze!

We walked outside this morning and there was a cool breeze for the first time ever!
So fitting for the beginning of fall!

"Make Me a Servant"

Make me a servant, humble and meek,
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be:
Make me a servant, make me a servant,
make me a servant today.

OH MY GOODNESS!

Am I ever so glad for the work day to be done!
After lunch was so much better!
I went back into my room to find three sleeping babies.
Two had gone home.
My eternal gratitude goes to Valerie, who calmed the stormy seas of infant-land!
I honestly almost started crying during lunch.
My eyes welled up and then I decided to call my dad.
I told him about my five crying babies and he chuckled...obviously having gone through worse things in his life. Then he said he'd gladly trade my dog who barks all night long for all the babies! What a jokester!
I needed a hug...and I got one in the form of dad on the phone.
The silence of the room when I returned had never felt so essential and necessary.
Today was so hard, but we made it through.
The babies all went home with smiles on their faces,
and their mothers all picked them up in gratitude.

Hahaha, and I couldn't help but laugh when, on three separate occasions today, a baby went to the bathroom while I was changing them! Good thing I had the diaper there to block it. Either I'm crazy or my job actually is humorous because I just started laughing! Thank goodness for comic relief.

Oh baby! Looking forward to 8 AM tomorrow....

I am the interim infant teacher.

5 babies
all crying simultaneously.
Do I have to go back after this lunch break?

One baby crying: heart wrenching.
Five babies crying: utter terror.

At some point in time, they all go to sleep....

Today:

6:10 wake up
7:10 leave the house on our bikes
7:45 arrive at work
8:00 find out Valerie is out sick again
9:30 give breaks to the teachers outside
11:00 the infant teacher has an anxiety attack
11:15 she goes home unexpectedly
11:16 I am asked to cover her room
11:30 baby falls asleep on my shoulder in the rocking chair
1:30 eat the first turkey sandwich I've had in about 2 months
2:30 bananas bananas bananas
4:00 scrub two high chairs till they shine
4:30 breathe out and prepare to ride home

What does it mean to count my blessings?

It means to understand that I live in abundance.
Not in riches or glory, but abundance nonetheless.

I have good food to eat every night and friends to dine with.
I have a shower and soap to cleanse myself with at the end of the day.
I have a bed to sleep in.
I have all the amenities of a comfortable lifestyle that I could possibly imagine.
I will not say that I can’t complain, because I can and do.
I will not even say that I don’t deserve to complain; everyone knows when their life could use some improvement.

What I will say is this:
I live in abundance.
I have chosen my life.
Everything I lack is because I decided that I can live without it.
I’ve done this to learn.
I’ve done this to appreciate my life more.
I’ve done this to release myself from reliance upon material items.
I’ve done this to introduce myself to a new way of thinking.
A life which is flexible and can compromise.
A life which seeks opportunity and does not dwell on what it lacks.
A life that is mature enough to know the distinguishing characteristics between true needs and wants.

Let me ask you this:
Do you know a girl, who comes to school with no underwear because her mom can’t afford any?
I do.
Do you know a 27 year old mother of three who is homeless?
I do.
Do you know a child who eats two servings of both breakfast and lunch at school because there is barely any food at her own apartment?
I do.
Do you know a confused, upset single mother who can’t rid her apartment of bedbugs and whose one year old son gets bit by them nightly?
I do.
Do you know a boy who only finds solace in his teacher, who is more nurturing than his own self-obsessed mother?
I do.

Think about the realities of your life?
What is your biggest problem?
Is it really irresolvable?
Is it really worth getting upset over?
Do you not already have everything you honestly need?
Have you not been blessed beyond belief?

It's about time I said something real

Hello, hello from the desk I share with two other people! Everyday I get off of work at 4:30, but I wait for Eileen, who finishes at 5, so that we can bike home together. One of my fears: that my vocabulary is decreasing...I don't have time to read as much so I feel like I'm gaining/retaining knowledge at a much slower rate than when I was in school. Do I like it here? Yes and no. I like that I'm doing something different and learning about reality through the people I see on a daily basis. The heat doesn't bother me too much. As a matter of fact, I'd rather be hot than be cold. My body is just taking a beating due to my job and the commute. 10 miles a day in the furnace of Phoenix is taking a toll. Also, my immune system can't quite keep up with all the illnesses that are present here at the shelter. There are multiple children out everyday because they are some sort of sick. I've caught at least one or two things and I'm just sick! Plus, I have new tasks everyday. Some things are the same, but the name of the game is fluidity and flexibility here. If I don't bend, then I definitely will break. Pray that I don't lose my optimism because I feel as if it might be fleeting! And here of all places, I need to try and smile as often as possible. Time to go! Another day, another dollar?

oh happy day!

I FIXED A BIKE!

Our bikes have been plaguing us!!! We'll fix one thing and then something else will go wrong. BUT, yesterday, i finally went into a bike shop entitled The Slippery Pig and salvation occurred. Oh my goodness, the guy was so nice to teach me how to do all the things I couldn't pay to have done. And they worked! The bike is FINALLY in working condition and I don't feel like quite the naive rider that I once was. I may (fingers crossed) be able to put one together one of these days. I AM EXCITED!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike! I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike!