Thanks for Dinner!

A few months ago I wrote about 2nd Chance Scratchers and how I pick up the discarded ones whenever I'm out walking. Since I haven't had a car for over a month, I've been doing a LOT of walking. On any given day I pick up at least ONE. Today I found FIVE.

I bring them home and enter them into the 2nd Chance drawing. I figure there's nothing to lose, and plenty to gain.

The other day I picked one up, brought it home, entered the code and received message telling me that I had either entered the code incorrectly, or...the card was a WINNER. I entered the code two more times and received the same message. At that point I realized that I truly had a WINNER on my hands. How exciting!

I looked closely at the card and could see that all of the boxes had been scratched. In the scratcher's haste, they failed to notice that one of the boxes was an automatic WINNER...a TWENTY FIVE DOLLAR automatic WINNER. WHEW!!!

I say a prayer of thanks every time I find a discarded scratcher, and said an even greater prayer of thanks when I saw that I had won TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. Something similar happened once before, but that card was only an EIGHT DOLLAR WINNER.

I know what's going on.

Folks scratch so quickly, hoping to win, that they don't always pay attention and end up throwing away winning cards.

On this evening's walk, I found the card that's pictured. As you can see, it was ripped in half BEFORE it even got scratched. Folks need to slow down...although I'm thankful that they don't.

Was the card a winner?

No. But it could've been...and without me having had to spend a cent.

With the twenty five dollar winnings, I treated myself to a footlong combo at Subway. So technically, not only was tonight's DINNER free...but tomorrow's LUNCH will be also since there's half a sandwich left. That's "win-win" if ever there was one.

Now it's YOUR turn: Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever found "free" money?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

SIXTEEN DAYS

One month and a day ago, as I was on my way to work, I was in a car accident right in front of my home.

I'm ok. My car is not.

I live on a busy street so as usual, I watched left, right, left again...and proceeded to go straight (which I am LEGALLY allowed to do).

As I headed STRAIGHT, the car coming from the opposite side of the street HIT ME as he was attempting to make a LEFT turn.

Ok...so lets's stop right there and take a little poll. I ask...WHO WAS AT FAULT?

According to everything I knew (and have read) about the driving laws...someone making a LEFT turn is supposed to YIELD to oncoming traffic. That means bicycles, cars, pedestrians. The guy who hit me CLEARLY did NOT yield.

In his statement to his insurance company, he even told them that he "saw me at my gate waiting to come out." Okay...so riddle me this...if he SAW me at my gate...then WHY didn't he WAIT to see what I was going to do. WHY didn't he WAIT for me to cross the street COMPLETELY, BEFORE he came out to make his LEFT turn?

It makes no sense.

After the collision, he immediately got out of his car, and apologized profusely (that's a sign of being at fault if you ask me).

We exchanged information, his daddy came down the street to see what happened, saw that the damage wasn't bad at all, and he was able to DRIVE away.

I, on the other hand, could no longer start MY vehicle due to the damaged caused by the impact and had to be TOWED back into my driveway. Yes..TOWED!

After weeks of battling with my own insurance company, who was absolutely HORRIBLE, and completely USELESS...it was determined that *I* was at fault because I was "coming out of a private driveway". WHAT?!?

Yes. That is the reaction that I have received from EVERYONE I've told my experience to. NO ONE had ever heard of such a "rule" until now. We were ALL with the understanding that if someone turning LEFT does not YIELD to oncoming traffic, then that person who was turning LEFT is at fault.

Well...live and learn.

Once again, I have learned the hard way, and at a very expensive price.

Since I didn't have collision coverage for as part of my policy, I have to pay for my car to be repaired. As a result, my car is still sitting in the driveway where it's been since April 29th while I scrape and scramble to get the money together for the repairs. That probably won't be for another TWO WEEKS. Even though I get paid tomorrow, that check will go completely to RENT. As I've mentioned in earlier posts...although I get paid TWICE a month, I am only able to LIVE off of ONE.

So...my car will need to sit for another SIXTEEN DAYS before I can get her fixed. Til then, I'll continue to become an expert at our local transit system. Long Beach Transit, and Metro have become my BFFs lately. Looks like that relationship is about to get even stronger.

That's all for now. As usual, there's always SOMETHING going on in MY world. Good or bad...there's always SOMETHING going on.

Now, let's Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you took public transportation?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Just a Prayer Away

My goodness! There is so much going on lately. In my life, and in the lives of my friends. Just a whole lot going on, and not all of it good. As for me, I am still dealing with the ramifications of the car accident that I was in on April 29th (I'll be writing about that soon), and still have some family (and "other") issues that I am working through.

Nevertheless, I still have a reasonable portion of health and strength, so I can not, and will not complain.

Tonight's post will be short and simple. I am asking that you pray for me (in the name of Jesus) as I am praying for others as well (in the name of Jesus).

We serve a God who is able and there is absolutely NOTHING too hard for Him.

Although my prayers are NEVER the same, I have some areas that I try to cover. Not always, but most times.

I always begin with THANKS (although I can NEVER thank God enough for all that He has done, and continues to do).

Then I CONFESS my sins. Note that I did NOT say that I ask for forgiveness. You see...Christ shed His blood on the cross for our sins...ALL of them...past, present and future. In that sacrificial act, He forgave us. So there's no need to keep asking for what has already been granted. There is however, a constant need to CONFESS our sins. Not sugar coating them...but calling them what God calls them. And so...that's what I do.

Then, I present my requests before Him.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

Now Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you prefer to pray in the morning, evening, or do you pray throughout the day?

Talk to me (and ESPECIALLY to God)!

Til next time...

Four Alarm FIRE!

There are sooo many things I could write about tonight, yet the only thing on my mind is my NECK. It's on FIRE!!!

Although I have been trying to conscientiously control my stress levels...my body is NOT buyin' it, and as a result...the rash on my neck has become HORRIBLE. It's to the point now that when people talk to me, I find myself watching their eyes as they stare at my neck. I'm sure they're trying to figure out what the heck is going on...and they may even be wondering if it's contagious.

I would post a pic, but I've already attached one in a previous post and all I can say is...it's WORSE now.

It's red.

It's hot.

It's flabby.

And the skin is extremely thin. I mean, I am beginning to feel that there really isn't much protecting my esophagus because the skin covering it is FILO DOUGH thin.

I don't know what to do.

Every day I apply vaseline, aloe vera gel, and Eucerine. Not all at the same time, but throughout the day.

So far, the vaseline works the best because it seems to provide a level a moisture that my very thin dry neck now needs.

The aloe vera gel feels cool going on, but I feel like it dries my skin.

The Eucerine BURNS!!!

What to do? What to do?

Thankfully, I have a long awaited doctor's appointment on Monday and along with all of the other things that I was already going to ask him about...this neck rash is most definitely being added to the list.

That's all for now.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have any tried-and-true remedies for a rash?

Talk to me PLEASE!

Til next time...

Blessed!

Today was Mother's Day. The second one without MY Mom, yet there was still joy as I spent it with my three kiddos.

We started our day by attending 8:00 worship service at the church that I visited last weekend. I tell ya...that church sure knows how to break this sista down.

Last week I cried like a baby, and today...I cried, but held back because I didn't wanna have a meltdown in front of my kids.

There's so much LOVE at this church, and their musical selections are so moving...giving great honor to God. Mind you...some of the songs we actually sing at MY home church too, but they just ministered to me differently at this church.

This morning, there were great songs and a BEAUTIFULLY POWERFUL praise dance. I mean...WOW!!!

The two women MINISTERED through dance to Shekinah Glory's song "Yes." I would try to describe the experience, but words wouldn't adequately express it. There was such a connection between the two. They were so "in sync."

After the dance, the pastor mentioned how pleased he was by the performance. Turns out that the two dancers were mother and daughter (that broke me down right there), and one of the two doesn't even live in the state. Somewhere along the way they had to have practiced their dance, because it came together in a way that gave God ALL the GLORY.

Once the singing and dancing were over, we moved into the Word and the pastor delivered a great message on motherhood.

All in all...my visits to this church have been so REFRESHING and HEARTWARMING. Although I love my church family and have been a member for over twenty years...my soul has been REPLENISHED by visiting that just wasn't happening at my own church. I love fellowshipping with God's people in NEW places and I believe that He approves of my decision to FINALLY do what He'd been urging me to do for YEARS.

Not sure where I'll end up next...my bowl is still FULL of church names. But I can truly say that my heart was made glad these past two weeks my visiting Glory Christian Fellowship in Carson, CA. Once I've made my rounds to all of the other churches, I will DEFINITELY be stopping by THAT one again.

Now...Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever been in a praise dance ministry? If not, would you like to be? If you'd like to be, what's keeping you from doing it?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Come On In!

Hmmm...I seem to have gotten a bit behind on sharing with you all my church visitation experiences and thought that today was a great day to catch up.

Although I visited a new church yesterday morning, the one that I will write about at this time is the one that my daughter and I visited during our recent travels to Washington D.C.

Finding a church to attend when traveling is a bit trick for me because I don't know anything about the churches, so I pray and ask God to lead me. That's what I did in New Orleans, and that's what I did in Washington D.C.

So on the morning of Sunday, April 17th, my daughter and I headed to what I believed was the church where God wanted us to worship. We hopped on the train (which I absolutely LOVED due to its convenience), got off at our designated stop, and walked about a mile or so to the church.

We finally arrived at "A" Street, which was the street and continued to head toward Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

On the way to that church we passed another...very old and beautiful.

We stopped for a minute and looked. I read the name and told my daughter,"This isn't the one." We proceeded to keep walking.

We may have taken TWO steps and woman opened the door and said, "Come on in. Pastor told me to come out and get you two."

I wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't our planned destination.

I politely thanked her for the invitation and let her know that we were heading just up the street and were running late..."but thank you."

It was about 10:45 at that time and she responded with, "Well...our service doesn't start until 11:00. So if you come on in you'll be right on time."

At that point, who could say no?

My daughter and I walked up the steps and into the church. As we entered, the woman (Elder Renee) gave us some history about the church, letting us know that Frederick Douglass was a member, and she encouraged us to look around. We did, and then headed upstairs to the sanctuary.

I tend to have an issue with churches who have services UPSTAIRS because it doesn't allow for folks with "mobility challenges" to attend.

I was very impressed to see that this church had a motorized seat that could transport folks up and down the stairs. That warmed my heart.

Service began with Praise, Worship and Prayer.

There were some things that were a bit different than what I'm used to, but I understood that although I was in a CHRISTIAN church...I was NOT in a BAPTIST church. We were in a PENTECOSTAL church and as I said...worship is just a wee bit different from what I'm used to.

Eventually, the Pastor began delivering the message which I enjoyed. It was Bible based (which they should ALL be, yet many are not).

The church members were very welcoming, and the Pastor even spoke with my daughter and I before we left, praying for God's traveling grace on our return home.

My "Season of Visitation" continues and I am STILL enjoying it. I love attending the various services, praising and worshiping our Lord with folks I don't know, yet we all have ONE purpose in mind...to give glory to God. That always leaves me thinking, "this is what heaven will be like. All of us together, praising and worshiping our Lord." Hallelujah!!!

That was my Washington D.C. worship experience at Faith Tabernacle United Holy Church of America (pictured). I'm glad we went.

Now Let the DIALOGUE begin: How old is the church that you attend? Has anyone older than Frederick Douglass ever been a member?

Talk to me...and feel free to shout out your church so that I can visit one day!

Til next time...