Things That Make Me Feel Good

Today I read a book (or most of the book, I will finish at bedtime) about a 17-year-old girl who got addicted to meth. Her dad was a retired LA police officer and he did all he could, along with his wife, to bring his daughter out of her addiction.

It left me feeling like 1) I need to do something about the meth addiction in this region. Christians seem to spend so much energy trying not to sin, instead of using their energy to do something good. 2) I am hoping that we go through with the adoption thing (maybe adopt a child whose life has been affected by meth). I am beginning to feel nervous that we will get pregnant and that would ruin my plan to adopt. I feel like Jeff would want to back track and not want to adopt ... and now I want to adopt. But really, honestly, I don't feel too nervous about getting pregnant.

Last night I was going through this workbook on adoption called Labor of Love and one of the things you were supposed to do was write a list of 5 things that make you happy. Then you were supposed to do one of those things right away and another one before you went to bed. I didn't, do that, but I just wanted you to know what the assignment was.

One thing that makes me feel good is serving at my church. I admit that a lot of the time I don't want to go when it's time. It's sort of like going to the gym... I know I should do it and when I do I feel good when I leave.

Right now I help out in the nursery two services a weekend. Then I help Jeff lead a study for new believers called Starting Point during one of the services. I love helping in the nursery. Someone once asked me if it was too painful to be with babies. My answer: "No, it's not."

I like cuddling with them. I like it when they know me and reach out for me. I also don't mind if they don't like me and they are hard to handle. Because then I end up going home and thinking, "That was hard. I'm going to go home now and enjoy my quiet house."

I also like to hang out with the people that work with me. It is a great chance to get to know people at church. I think that if people say, "I wasn't able to meet anyone at church." Then for sure, they aren't serving anywhere. If you serve, you will make friends. I hate trying to socialize in the big foyer, but I love talking to the people I work with in the nursery.

Also it is a good chance to put things in perspective. Even when I am working (during the school year), and I think what I am doing is so important, it puts things into the right framework when I go to church and serve. It makes me feel like my life has purpose. And I always hear people's stories and realize that I have a lot to be thankful for and that other people have problems that I should be praying about.

And now my list of other petty things that make me happy:
2) Dog kisses
3) Scones with lemon butter frosting (I made some just for me today).
4) a cup of coffee (had that with the scone)
5) taking a walk with my husband

I could go on and on.

What are five things that make you happy?

I have only been on summer break since Monday (it's Wednesday now) and already I have run out of things to do.

Thursday, 6/12: It was the last day of school and after the kids left I drank 1 1/2 cups of coffee to put myself in hyper-drive, finished the report cards and cumulative files, then I came home from school and cleaned the whole house. Caffeine really affects me.

Friday, 6/13: I finished cleaning up my classroom at school and came home to clean a little more to get ready for the last small group meeting of the season at our house. That was very fun and I found out my friend Rachael is pregnant. Congratulations, Rachael!

Saturday and Sunday: They are a haze. I know I went grocery shopping and I know I went to church. Beyond that I am not sure what I did. Oh, yes! It was Father's Day on Sunday. Jeff and I went over to Scott and Leslie's to celebrate Father's Day with Jeff's parents.

Monday, 6/16: I got to watch Jada, my niece, for 4 hours in the morning. We worked on a puzzle, colored quite a few pages in a coloring book, made snakes with playdough, I read her about 15 books, we went to Happy Valley Park to swing, we made towers with Duplo blocks and she showed me how she rides on her trike on the back patio.
Later, Jeff came home for lunch. Then I got ready for a couple to come over to our house for Marriage Mentoring.

Tuesday, 6/17: I got the oil changed in my Corolla. I took Boston, our almost 1-year-old Boston Terrier, on two walks. I had dear, sweet Cynthia Clother over to my house. I fixed her tea and shared cookies and fruit with her and she gave me advice about how to paint my house. I am super excited to get started, but I can't yet because we don't have the money to spend on paint until July (we are trying to save the rest of our June money for fun times at the beach next week). And I shared with her how Jeff and I are planning on adopting children. That was good. She is a good listener.

Wednesday, 6/18: There is nothing on my calendar.

So this morning I figured I better get my money's worth out of my gym membership. I went there for an hour and I read Lucky magazine on the Precor. Then I lifted some weights. Then I jogged for 10 minutes. I figured I better ease myself back into jogging. That only took an hour.
I dropped off some items at Goodwill and went to the Learning Palace to use a gift card that I got from the PTA. I bought needed items for September and next year's class.

I also stopped by the library. There were so many people there. Wow! There was a band singing songs for children, so it was a special event, but sheesh, the parking lot was packed.
I know that lately surveys have been saying that less and less people are reading. But I think with gas prices climbing (last night I read Newsweek magazine and a column predicted that gas prices will rise to $7/gallon by 2012) I think more and more people will be visiting the library.
I keep thinking of Emily Dickinson's poem about reading, "How frugal is the chariot that bears the human soul." So true Emily, books are cheap! I think everyone else has the same idea, too.
I got 8 books at the library and I already read one of them. It was called Kimmie66 and it was a comic book about a teenager who was living in the 23rd century. Her friend commits suicide and she is trying to figure out if the person that she only knows in virtual reality is truly dead. It was a little weird, but it kept my attention. Probably not the kind of thing most people would expect that I would read, but oh, well.

I signed up for the Adult Summer Reading program at the library. If I read 4-6 books, I will be entered to win a McMenamins gift certificate or the grand prize, a stay at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport. How do you think I'll do? I probably won't win the prize, but I will probably will finish 6 books. Here are the books I checked out:
X in Flight (about a boy who gets his wish that he would be able to fly)
The Greatest Presidential Stories Ever Told
Houseonomics: Why Owning a House is Still a Great Investment
Kathryn's Secret (a novel published by Multnomah Press)
Correction of Drift (the story of the Lindbergh's baby being kidnapped)
Loss of Innocence ( a memoir about a girl on meth and her father trying to help her)
Jimmy's Stars (a novel about a girl's brother who goes to fight in the Vietnam War)
... and I am already halfway through Safely Home. Rachael loaned it to me. It's about the persecution of Chinese Christians.

Next on the day's agenda, read my Bible, pray, write in my journal and write a children's book.
Oh, and maybe clean out the closet.