People may be small on the outside, but mighty on the inside. The same could be said about big people on the outside may be small people on the inside.
What determines the size of a person is their character. I love people and I am very interested in hearing different individuals tell me their story. Of course I get right in there and ask the questions because I am genuinely curious.
I applied for a seasonal position at a Macy's department store this past Christmas, and just when I thought that season had ended, I received a call asking if I could cover a 9 hr. shift. I struggle with fibromyalgia, so the thought of working a long day was a little concerning; nonetheless, I agreed. The day proved to be very eventful as I got the privilege of meeting a "Little Giant".
While on break I began talking to a lady who had come into the break room minutes after I did. I asked her how she was doing and then I began asking her how long she worked at Macy's. She told me how she began working at Strauss Department Store when it was located in downtown Warren many years ago. Her husband had just lost his job and she picked up a job to help out with the families finances. Shortly thereafter her husband was employed again and encouraged his wife to quit her job. Just a few days later, he passed away. She suddenly became a widow and consequently had to keep her retail job. She continued to work for Strauss during it's relocation to the Eastwood Mall in Niles, and continued on after Strauss had been replaced by Kaufman's. She continued working through another change as Kaufman's became Macy's, and she has been there ever since. All the years combined, she has worked for over 50 years. She is now in her 80's and still going at it. She does struggle with arthritis but commented, how all the walking that she does, helps to keep the arthritis at bay. I asked her if she had ever married again of which she replied that to have married again would feel like cheating to her because her husband had been so wonderful. I don't know the specifics because we didn't have a lot of time, but I was amazed by this little sweet lady.
She may be little on the outside, but huge on the inside!
This 80 year old lady is still having to work a 20 hr. work week in order to keep her benefits. I am not sure why she is still having to work for benefits rather than retire, but I can tell you that she does not have a bitter bone in her body. She did not have a "feel sorry for me" mentality. Not one complaining statement or even a hint of complaining came out of her mouth. Her work ethics are impeccable as she told me how many loyal customer awards she had for the month of December. It had to be a record!!
I struggled to work the last 3 remaining hours of my shift due to pain in my back, but the whole day had proved to be a day that I would want to carry with me for a long time to come.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Monday, May 2, 2011
Why are Americans celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden?
The death of Osama bin Laden tugged at the heart strings of the American Patriot. Since September 11, 2001, Americans have had to live with the vivid memory of a terrorist attack, on our very own soil, resulting in the death of 3,000 innocent people.September 11th caused the American people to Rise up; United, with a great aim in sight; Resolve.
Standing upon the ashes of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Sept. 14, 2001, President Bush pledges that the voices calling for justice from across the country will be heard. Responding to the Presidents' words, rescue workers cheer and chant, "U.S.A, U.S.A.."
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Standing upon the ashes of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, Sept. 14, 2001, President Bush pledges that the voices calling for justice from across the country will be heard. Responding to the Presidents' words, rescue workers cheer and chant, "U.S.A, U.S.A.."
For many years our determined soldiers have carried on with the grueling task of fighting the war on terror. Many strides have been made, and victories won, but unfortunately lives lost. Throughout the past ten years, Memorial Day and September 11th have served to bring Americans, a great sense of pride, as Firefighters, Policemen, and Servicemen have been recognized and honored. Our eyes swell with tears as our hearts burst with joy when we witness a soldier returning home to his loved ones.
And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood
We did not ask for this war on terror, the terrorists beat down our doors. We do not desire to attack innocent women, children, and men. The United States of America, in response to this war on terror, has relentlessly fought to keep our country safe from acts of terror here as well as abroad. Freedom comes with a price. We enjoy the benefits of living in the land of the free because of the sacrifices that have been made to assure our liberty. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Where liberty dwells, there is my country."
As I think back over the past years concerning this war on terror, I remember a young man by the name of Pat Tillman. You can click on this link and read his story. What courage this young man had as he laid aside his dreams of being a football player with a $9.0 million dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and chose to join the army along side his brother. He had paid the ultimate price for freedom when he was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire.
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This is just one of many examples of sacrifice, courage, dedication, and commitment that our American soldiers face, as they daily lay down their lives to protect our freedoms. Just as policemen are needed to stop crime, so too are our servicemen needed to stop this war on terror. We live in a free country because we have men and women who serve to protect us. If we had no laws there would be no order. What good would laws do if we had no one to enforce them? This same principle can be applied to the rights that we take for granted; "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
Monday, April 18, 2011
Better Than a Hallelujah
Have you ever heard the song by Amy Grant, "Better Than A Hallelujah"? Some of the lyrics go like this:God loves the drunkard's cry,The soldier's plea not to let him die,Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.The tears of shame for what's been done,The silence when the words won't come,Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.The honest cries of breaking hearts,Are better than a Hallelujah,Better than a church bell ringing,Better than a choir singing out. If you have never heard that song you may want to listen to it after reading this blog; you can watch the video on YouTube.
I went with a friend to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting last night to get a better insight to the world of alcoholism. This young man spoke from his heart as he shared with the group what years of alcoholism had done to him. He was so humble and I am sure he encouraged many people, who like himself, have struggled to stay away from alcohol. This young man had to do a lot of group work along with going through the steps with a mentor; which ultimately helped him to stay sober. He had to do a lot of soul searching in order to learn how to deal with hurts in his heart, and by facing those hurts rather then covering them up. You could tell that an all out effort was put forth for his complete recovery, not just on his part, but with the help from his 2 mentors, and I am sure the AA group was an encouragement as well. I sat there listening with the biggest lump in my throat as he went into details about his home life, his years of crime and later his prison life. I am sure he is glad to be on the other side of the fence (literally). The young man that stood before us speaking was a different person then he was years prior. He had learned from his mistakes, was willing to turn his life around, and now helps others. I had been to church earlier that day; this was just as moving on a different level. Many people were present at this meeting and I am sure their stories were very similar. I seen several people shaking their heads as if they were able to relate to what was being said. I noticed early on how supportive this group was, you could sense everyone's willingness to cheer each other on to victory.
When I think about God and what gets his attention, I am convinced that it is a person's heart. I have been around very judgmental people in the past, and I have personally watched as they would pass judgement on others and never once consider what that person had been through. The saying goes like this: " Don't judge a man unless you have walked a mile in their shoes. " I am not sure who gets the credit for that quote, but it is a good one. You don't know where a person has been or what they have been through. I believe that is why God tells us not to judge or we will be judged (Matthew 7:1). The young man from the meeting may be closer to God then the most, looked-up- to person, in church. The heart is the focus. Jesus was covering the area of adultery and he said that if a man lust after another woman then he as already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28.
Your secret thoughts and motives may be hidden from man, but they are not hidden from God. You can look one way on the outside and be another way on the inside. Just as this young man had hidden things of the heart to address before he could experience freedom, so too, do we all have areas within our hearts,that need to be worked on. This is enough to keep our eyes very busy, too busy to be looking for specks in other peoples eyes. Matthew 7:3
I went with a friend to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting last night to get a better insight to the world of alcoholism. This young man spoke from his heart as he shared with the group what years of alcoholism had done to him. He was so humble and I am sure he encouraged many people, who like himself, have struggled to stay away from alcohol. This young man had to do a lot of group work along with going through the steps with a mentor; which ultimately helped him to stay sober. He had to do a lot of soul searching in order to learn how to deal with hurts in his heart, and by facing those hurts rather then covering them up. You could tell that an all out effort was put forth for his complete recovery, not just on his part, but with the help from his 2 mentors, and I am sure the AA group was an encouragement as well. I sat there listening with the biggest lump in my throat as he went into details about his home life, his years of crime and later his prison life. I am sure he is glad to be on the other side of the fence (literally). The young man that stood before us speaking was a different person then he was years prior. He had learned from his mistakes, was willing to turn his life around, and now helps others. I had been to church earlier that day; this was just as moving on a different level. Many people were present at this meeting and I am sure their stories were very similar. I seen several people shaking their heads as if they were able to relate to what was being said. I noticed early on how supportive this group was, you could sense everyone's willingness to cheer each other on to victory.
When I think about God and what gets his attention, I am convinced that it is a person's heart. I have been around very judgmental people in the past, and I have personally watched as they would pass judgement on others and never once consider what that person had been through. The saying goes like this: " Don't judge a man unless you have walked a mile in their shoes. " I am not sure who gets the credit for that quote, but it is a good one. You don't know where a person has been or what they have been through. I believe that is why God tells us not to judge or we will be judged (Matthew 7:1). The young man from the meeting may be closer to God then the most, looked-up- to person, in church. The heart is the focus. Jesus was covering the area of adultery and he said that if a man lust after another woman then he as already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28.
Your secret thoughts and motives may be hidden from man, but they are not hidden from God. You can look one way on the outside and be another way on the inside. Just as this young man had hidden things of the heart to address before he could experience freedom, so too, do we all have areas within our hearts,that need to be worked on. This is enough to keep our eyes very busy, too busy to be looking for specks in other peoples eyes. Matthew 7:3
Monday, April 4, 2011
My first blog.
I have wanted to do a blog for some time now; I just didn't know where to start. So I went on Google and clicked on the first thing that popped up concerning creating a free blog. It has been easy up to this point, you just follow the prompts. Now I have come to the page where I get to write something and I have a brain freeze. What should I write about.......hmmm.......what would the readers of my blog be interested in reading? Well I guess I will just start by writing about myself, and what it is that I believe I can contribute. I am a 45 year old female who has 2 adult children plus 1 pre-adult child (he is 16 yrs. old), I have been married 24 years, I am attending college full time to be a social worker, I have my real estate license, I love to decorate my home, I use to love to cook when I had more time, I love spending time with family, and most importantly I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. What is it that I contribute: Well let me start with a disclaimer, (Lol!!) I don't have a master's degree or even a bachelors degree yet. I have great children, but they are not perfect. I have been married a long time; but it hasn't been smooth sailing. I don't have a great big bank account, and believe it or not, I have never been on an airplane. But.... I have life's experiences. I have allowed God to work in my heart and believe you and me, it has been a process.I have heard it said, what your test or trial is, will become your platform (something along those lines). I have been through many test and trials. When you are tested, there is always some sort of temptation you face to do the wrong thing; I have passed some and failed some. So consequently I can speak from a trial and error perspective. I have learned to love when I didn't feel like loving, I have learned to speak and believe positively when I had my doubts, I have had to trust God to get through each minute, one minute at a time, and above all, I have learned that there are different seasons in life and you need to blossom where you are planted. One thing that helps me to get through tough times is keeping the perspective that "this too shall pass". I hope you have found my first blog to be interesting. I look forward to sharing my heart with yours again real soon. Until then, may you be comforted in knowing whatever it is that you are facing, do your best to blossom where you are planted, and keep the perspective that "this to shall pass".
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