Don the Happy Homeless Man

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity  to meet an inspiring homeless man. It was Simple Saturday where I attend weekend services. It's where we go out into the streets, hand peeps cold bottles of water, hand out Bibles, and pray.

We happened upon a man named Don. He's 60 and has been without a roof over his head for 20 years.  He didn't even look as if he'd been weathered beaten. His skin was smooth and his face beamed. We asked him if he needed anything.

He said, "I don't need money to live. I have everything I need. God takes care of me. Everything I have I bought myself." He nodded at his shiny bike and then lifted his feet to show us his shoes. "I'm a carpenter." He does odd jobs here and there to buy what he needs when he needs something.

We were amazed. He wasn't bitter or down and out over losing everything. He went on to say, "I used to be a drug addict. But one day I got up and was sick and tired of getting sick everday. I made a decision to stop and did."

He never went through rehab. While he got his life back, he lost everything he owned because of it.

Don further shared, "Everything looks so different when you don't use. I can see everything clearly. The trees. The sky. The water. People. It all looks different when you're on dope. Now it's all beautiful."

One of the ladies pushed services on him. He said, "Offer them to someone who really needs them."

"How about a tent? We can get you a really nice tent."

"No thank you. Law enforcement  will just come and tear it down."

The lady said, "What about Salvation Army?"

"Nope been there. Done that."

"Can we pray for you?"  another lady asked.

"No. I'm good. Really."

"Do you know Jesus?" another asked.

His face got even brighter. "Yep. He was a carpenter like me and had no pillow, you know. I'm the same. I have what I need." He even told us his father was a carpenter as well and that his dad's initials were JC.

It was awesome to see someone who what most Americans consider a loser, a real winner at heart. He was content where he was in life, with the clothes and shoes on his back and feet, and the bike he piloted daily.

Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have, for he saith, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrew 13:5 (KJV)

It's cool that someone we would think would be troubled without daily necessities is so happy and content.

Ever come across someone like this?

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Conspiracy Theories: Is It Me? Or What?

A lot has happened this past week. And some time tonight the full moon will turn blood red. It will be hanging over Jerusalem. It's the 4th one. The 1st one appeared last year on the Jewish Passover.

This morning the media claimed that it was a sign of the end of the world. People said that when Y2K was upon us. However, I never believed that. Or felt it coming.  And I also remember a song that played a lot while all the hype with Y2K was happening. R.E.M.'s, It's the End of the World as We Know It.

It wasn't until the following year that 'the end of the world as we knew it' happened. 9/11 and it was the beginning of me taking notice of America's laws changing drastically. Bush must've slipped his magic pen to Obama because things have really changed since his first inauguration.

Anyway. Moving on...

I don't know what you all have seen this past week, but I know what I saw and HEARD. It gave me chills while I watched.

In 5 minutes

Caught a glimpse

The Eye of Horus

A white throne

A man in a snow-colored robe

People singing

Shouting

Praising

Worshipping

A man

I wonder when Yeshua comes if people will give Him the same welcome? He is the true Prince of Peace. He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He's the only one who was born without sin. The living Torah.  No one can or ever will take His place.

My dreams have been telling me we are in for a rude awakening. Pretty words and empty promises have been spoken this week. They will be the demise of us all. I hope and pray you know Him.

Not to mention, R.E.M's, It's the End of the World As We Know It, has been playing in my head...ALOT!

So is it me? Or what?

Hugs and chocolate!
Shelly

Cleaning Out the Bitters

Generally, I don't care much for Holidays. Back in 98, when my younger daughter's dad left, I decided then I would drop them altogether. They held too many bittersweet memories for me anyway. Who needed them?

Things really changed after he left. Besides, it reminded of God's so called goodness. I blamed Him for everything that went kapoot in my life. Not to mention, the church people were cruel when it all fell apart. I was totally alone. Not even my family offered a shoulder to cry on.

It didn't help that the ex had all the five girls for Christmas and Easter every year plus every weekend.

Those days were especially dubbed for cleaning out my closets. It kept me from missing them and gave me a good excuse not to have to spend any spare minutes at mom's. She's another story that I've been writing about over at Two Fur-Peeps and a Writer, www.shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/ .

As for getting together with other family members it usually spelled disaster. So and so didn't speak to so and so and on and on. Everyone within my family had their own little clique leaving me somewhere in the middle. 

There is no excuse for bitterness and anger or trying to make people be something they'll never be. Everyone is what they are. No one can make another person self-reflect and apologize. One can only do that for themselves. Something I learned since I had a few bitters growing on my own unhappy tree. But it took time.

So for years, I spent holidays quietly at home. In 2005, I ressurected Thanksgiving. It was always my favorite holiday and least commercialized. It also forced me to reflect on and count my blessings. And stop ... Being so bitter about all the crap that had exploded into my life. Kaka happens! And since we can't change the past. One must go forward. Right?

I also discovered that God wasn't at fault here. Bad things happen either because of our own personal choices or someone else's. And if any of us are guided by our own selfishness to do or not do something, well ... God had nothing to do with it. If we didn't ask Him in the first place to do or not do something, why get upset over it?

The path to forgiveness has been a long one. And I know I'm not there yet. People and family can be downright mean, self-serving, and critical. But so can I. Although, I've been diligently working on those areas. 

For every wrong someone has done to me, I can say I've bounced a lot of bad basketballs off of them. 

Yeshua told us to forgive someone seven times seventy. To forgive is to love thy neighbor as thyself. If we can't forgive others, how can we possibly expect God to do the same for us?

And yes, our family members are our neighbors.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and all went well with their families this year.

I had a very special visitor on Thanksgiving Day.

His mom and dad tagged along, too. The mom is my youngest daughter, Sticky Bun.

And of course, my dad came. Hair Ball claimed him as his own for the day.

Is anyone out there working on forgiveness? 

Hugs and chocolate, all!

Shelly