Tuesday, November 22, 2011

and the teddies go marching along!

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
II Timothy 1:7

Today is November 22nd!  It is a day to celebrate!  God has provided teddy bears in abundance for my Nan's good will bears project!   On July 22nd, I took the first two dozen teddies to the emergency room at Iredell Memorial Hospital to be given to sick or injured children who come through the ER in need of that special comfort that comes from holding a cuddly teddy bear.  More than 150 children have received this special comfort since July 22nd.  My brother in law asked me several months ago "how long are you going to do this?"  I told him confidently "as long as God provides teddy bears" (with a big smile on my face).
Parents receive a copy of the poem I wrote explaining the details of how this project came to be.  You can visit www.wordchimes.com to read it.  It's entitled appropriately Nan's good will bears.
Please keep Jeff White and his staff of Sloan's Cleaners in your prayers.  Jeff and one of his employees had been cleaning the teddies for me, but Ashley continues to have health issues.  They are heavily into the holiday season in the dry cleaning business.  Jeff taught me how to care for the bears and I suggested to him that since the shop is so busy and he is often short staffed, I will pick up the responsibility for cleaning them.  He gave me some of the cleaning solution and I am cleaning them at home now.  They have to be cleaned prior to the children taking them.
God calls us to do the possible and to let Him do the impossible.
Take care and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers today.
Love always, Nan

Monday, November 7, 2011

Love Came Out Of The Woods

Love comes out of Heaven unasked and unsought.
Pearl Buck

This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son.
1 John 4:10

On October 18, 2011, love came running out of the woods by my office.  We call this love Gracie.  My co worker, Leann, had gone outside for a moment.  The wind was howling and the leaves were being ripped from the trees.  She heard the chattering of birds, obviously taunting some creature below.   In the midst of  this audible display of autumn, she paused, listened more carefully and to her amazement, she heard the muffled cry of a kitten somewhere in the woods.
Coming through the door, Leann called to me and said "Nan, I hear a kitten in the woods."  Since we didn't have any patients to assist nor was the phone ringing, we went outside to investigate.  We listened closely and then we heard the kitten crying again.  I followed the sound to the far edge of the parking lot near the highway and looking into the woods, I saw a tiny kitten all alone.  I began calling "here kitty, kitty" and the kitten heard me and ran as fast as it could directly towards me and didn't stop until it reached my feet.  It could barely see me because one of its eyes was shut from all the gunk in it.  The other eye wasn't much better.  I reached down and scooped it up into my arms and rubbed it.  It looked pathetic.  It was covered in fleas, I mean, to the point of being infested.  It weighed barely a pound.  I told Leann that I was taking it to my Vet.  I found a zippered case in my car that was perfect for the occasion and placed the kitten inside.
Long story short..... Gracie is free from fleas, her eyes are clear and bright.  She still has a ravenous appetite and is full of life.  Yes, she is like the love of which Pearl Buck speaks.  She came out of the woods unasked and unsought, but she came and she has given us all the love a little one pound kitten can give.  She has trusted me from the very first moment she heard my voice.  She was at death's door in many respects.  She could have died from the fleas, starved to death, become a snack for a wild animal, and not to mention, it rained that same night we rescued her.  She could have died from being out in the rain all night.
She is named Gracie, because by the grace of God, she didn't die that fateful day.  I pray for the person who abandoned her in the woods.  Little does that person know that God had greater plans for the life of that tiny kitten.  She fills our lives with love.  Sometimes, we think we have given all the love we have to give and have no room for one more responsibility.  God's plan is far greater than our near-sighted visions.
When love comes to you unasked and unsought, how will you respond?
Nan's Calendar comes to you, unasked and unsought, because I am filled with love and compassion for all of God's creations, because I am called to love, to encourage, to challenge and to inspire.  This is not from me.  I am merely a vessel God uses in whatever way He so chooses.  I am willing and able.
Love and prayers lift you this day.  Always, Nan

Be sure to notice the photo of Gracie I have included for you.



Sunday, November 6, 2011

Time and Time Again

Time and Time Again

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Steve Jobs


John won't be leaving this week for Air Force Basic Training.  He broke the long finger on his right hand (accidentally ran into a door as he was leaving The Upper Room) on Oct. 7th and the bone didn't heal in the proper alignment.  The doctor said he would need surgery to implant a plate that will cause it to come back into proper alignment.  John had to make a very difficult decision.  He wanted to leave next week so badly, but he knew in his heart what would be the right thing to do.  He made the decision himself to have the surgery, knowing that he would lose this AGE (Aerospace Ground Equipment) job he really wanted.  He did have the surgery on Friday and we are looking at recovery and healing time of about three months.  When he gets a clean bill of health from the doctor, he will go back to Charlotte and begin reprocessing into the Air Force.  It is a mystery how long it will be before another job comes open for John.  
Right now, his plan is to attend this next semester of classes at our local community college and go back to part time work at his job when his finger is healed properly.  Allen and I are so proud of him and the maturity he has shown throughout this last month of uncertainty with his finger and his future.  He has consistently maintained a positive attitude and has had no time for self-pity.  
The time is always right to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.  These next few months will not be wasted time for John, because he doesn't perceive them as wasted.  This event with the broken finger is simply a part of the process of his life.  He is a masterpiece in the making.
As well, you are a masterpiece in the making.  Everything happens for a reason even when we can't see the big picture.  Whatever is happening in your life right now is happening for a reason.  Hold your head up and gracefully walk on...... and do it with a happy heart.... no time for regrets.
Take care and know that you are always in my thoughts and prayers.  Love, Nan