Turning 50 with No Hot Water

I had a delightful 5oth birthday - so many special moments and I felt totally celebrated. It was just my kind of day (actually a couple of days!) spent in small gatherings of good friends and, of course, my family. Thank you all so much for letting me know that you care about me. I think 50 is great!

The next night was a different kind of experience - an "oops, the hot water tank busted and the bathroom is a flood!" We just got a new heater installed today and are delighting in being able to run the dishwasher and washing machine. Although it was a bit inconvenient to heat water on the stove to bathe or wash dishes with, I really didn't mind it too much. I just kept thinking about what I have compared to what the people in Burundi have - I have it really good!

I've also been thinking about the homeless who are struggling in our freezing temperatures. My sister & brother-in-law are spending part of the night tonight in a temporary shelter so that some of their homeless friends have a warm place to sleep. I couldn't be more proud of them. They volunteer at a drop-in program called Stop, Drop and Roll where they've made many friends. Each Thursday night they spend time with the homeless of Lake City who come together to make meals and have a safe place to put their belongings for a few hours. It's a great program and I wish more churches would set up ones like it. I'm hopeful that this economic downturn will make us all care for each other more. The food drive at Ridgecrest (our elementary school) has been a huge success and it's a good thing: families with needs are up 40%. Seeing needs and responding to them - doing what we can with what we have. If we all do a little it adds up to a lot!