Life's Blessings

I just had to post this!!


RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes.

I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprizing a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.

I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas.. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'

'Would you like take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble', Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one.

Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men.

One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking.

They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.

Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles.

With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them.

Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho '.

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself.

An unexpected phone call from an old friend.

Green stoplights on your way to work.

The fastest line at the grocery store.

A good sing-along song on the radio.

Your keys found right where you left them.

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!

Lake Louise

This weekend Nate and I headed up to Vandervilt (just past Gaylord) for the Lake Louise planning retreat. It was an amazing weekend. I love to catch up with the staff and plan the summer schedule. But Lake Louise is more than that. Its a place to feel "safe" to talk about God and pray and worship how I feel comforable. I always come back spiritually rejuvenated, and this time isn't any different ;)

So it's Monday morning...I am tired as all get out...but it was worth it.

I love this years theme which is Thy Kingdom Come. A very medievil theme. So I need to find a dress that fits the theme, so if you see anything lkeep me in mind ;) Our cabin will be decorated in princess ;) also very fun!

All around good weekend!

Thing's are looking up ;)

So after being a bit sad this week when everyone else was finishing clinical’s, attending class and finishing up the Med-Surg rotation, I am finally feeling better.

Today I went to my nursing assistant interview at Beaumont. It went awesome. She wrote excellent on my interview sheet and recommended for hire ;) So now it goes back to HR for a background check (oh no lol) and them Bam hired!!! I am so excited. The position is a floating position around the hospital. SO I could be in peds one week and Cardiovascular the next. It's going to be perfect for going back to nursing school. I will gain a ton of knowledge and even better get to look at the different areas to know what kind of nurse I want to be!

SO thanks for the prayers, rest assured I am feeling better and thing's are going to be fine. Ultimately I know that God is in control, sometimes I just need to learn to let him lead.

I am super pumped about going to the Lake Louise winter retreat this weekend. I always come back spiritually rejuvenated and feel so loved. All the camp staff are the best of people and so supportive! Besides who wouldn't love a weekend full of snow. Plus it's goint to be like 35 or 40 degrees! Rockeness!

Now I have to see what I can do

Welcome to my blog spot.

As it seems I screwed up this first go around in the Henry Ford Nursing Program. All was well till this semester which is med surg. The first test I got an 86%. OK not great but I could at the very least bring it up. Or so I thought. The second test, fluid and electrolytes, comes along and i get a 35/60....that works out to be a 58%...So this means within the next two tests I would have had to get a 100% on both test. And the test were going to be a week apart. No doable. So at this point I am on a hold with the nursing program, till I can decide what my best option is. HFCC again...Davenport...Schoolcraft who knows.

I still plan on Keeping in touch with the great friends I have met. Becky asked me to stand up in her wedding. I am so honored to do so. I am not saying I don't have my days...but for now I have to be ok with what happened. I believe that thing's happen for a reason and if it is meant to be it will happen.

So for now I am still job hunting, working at Auto Metal and getting my life in order. Besides the house could use some cleaning, friends need catching up with, and I would love to have a hospital job. Patients are still my passion and a nurse is still what I want to be. It will just be on hold for now :(

Keep in touch...I plan on updating this regularly.