Oh how grateful I am for the amazing friends I have who have poured out their love and support to me!! Sometimes it takes something tragic to get back to the core of who you are and realize that life isn't as terrible as you had imagined. The calls and messages and love shared were overwhelming! And this morning, when I was sitting on my little porch with my coffee in hand and Hudson in my lap, I realized I was smiling. Little steps! The Lord is beyond faithful to us always and his compassion far exceeds any heartache or problem we could ever imagine!!

Yesterday, I had to stay extra late at work doing a call night with our members. And yall, I thought my life was out of sorts until I had a few conversations. A mother pleading with me to find a magic potion to help her child walk again. A lonely old lady who just was desperate to talk to someone about anything. A man who is working four jobs to make sure his son can visit a neurologist once a year. Tears were welling up in my eyes with each conversation and I just had to stop and take a step back. One of those out-of-body moments where you realize that life is so precious and that your circumstances could be far worse. That's not to say that some problems are more important than others. That's what amazes me the most about our Father. He holds me closely with my broken heart the same way he holds a terrified mother. How incredible is this? If that doesn't make you feel like the luckiest person, I don't know what will!!

So, instead of us all focusing on our issues, we need to step back and change our gaze to an outward focus. Its far more rewarding to lend a hand to someone in need than sit in our own sorrows. And I'm NOT saying to help others to make you feel better about yourself or do it to pat yourself on the back. I'm saying this because this is one of the most important lessons Christ taught in His short time in this sinful world. Its so easy to get wrapped up in our daily issues. And before long, you think that your circumstances are just unbearable. But the truth is, this is a sinful world and EVERYONE has to deal with mess. So, what's the point in wallowing in your mess? There's power and healing in being selfless. Its a gift from the man upstairs!! Believe it or not, the more you get involved with helping others, however that may be, the happier your soul will be.

Am I patting myself on the back? No. I've forgotten this cornerstone for so long myself. And my JOB is helping others. But I can so easily get caught up in the numbers of it and forget the face of what I'm doing. There are hundreds of people I'm raising money for who have TERRIBLE circumstances and somehow when I talk with them, they're happy. How can this be?

So all this being said, I just want to once again pour out my thanks to all of you who have been faithful friends and surrounded me with love. I can't even explain how rewarding this has been!!

On a MUCH BRIGHTER note, I have a FUN weekend planned with my best friend in the whole world...my sister!!! Taking it back to the most fun town in the world, Auburn, and going to spend the weekend with her. I've made a few requests: Niffers, Amsterdam, downtown shopping and a walk through my favorite neighborhood with my pupsters. Could it get much better than that? Yes it could, it could be oh say, 2005 in Ross Park with my gearles!!! But that's not my focus. I'm just thrilled to get back to that sweet little town and probably feel old again.