A lot to blog about!

There has been a lot of random acts of kindness in the month of July that I have failed to take the time to blog about. I know there will be some I will forget to include but here are the ones I remember:

-Friends from the church I belonged to in Ohio brought Rosie, their comfort dog, to my current church. This was to spark interest in having our own comfort dog. Rosie was a hit and there seemed to be many church members interested in volunteering for the comfort dog ministry. Huge thanks to my mom for arranging this.

-My sister took a staycation to help me watch a friends child for 3 days. Because of medical needs someone has to sit next to her so Julie was our chauffeur and we had a blast!

-A friend of a widows husband called to check in her and the call moved her to tears (happy tears of course)

-The same widow was talking to me about how she doesn't receive a lot of encouragement as she continues to find normalcy in life again. I sent her an uplifting text message that included this verse:

 

Philippians 4:6-7New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

She was extremely appreciative and told me that was exactly what she needed that day as she was having the first meeting regarding her husbands headstone. I also sent her  the book When God Winks at you. She probably hasn't received in yet but I think she will appreciate and enjoy it.

-My sister was involved in a car accident when a truck pulled out of a gas station and t-boned her. I let her borrow my car while her vehicle was in the shop and she hadn't gotten her rental car yet.

-When I worked at Riley Hospital for children, I was part of an incredible team that worked in the infant ICU. After working there for two and a half years, IU Health decided to shut down the unit. This forced us all to separate. Some nurses were laid of, some transferred to other units within the hospital, some forced into early retirement. Despite being scattered, we have all remained in contact with one another. The unit has been closed for a year and a half now and we were all able to get together for an Infant ICU reunion. This is incredibly rare in the nursing field. Because there are so many different areas of nursing, employees will come and go and simply lose contact. I feel so blessed to have been part of a group that has refused to let time and distance separate us. I had a lovely time at dinner and since my sister had my car, a friend drove me home.

 

-I was at a picnic and saw a father daughter that had an awesome bond. I took the time to tell them they were inspiring and to not let go of that bond

-A friends child had surgery and she had several supporters that traveled to see her. Her grandfather also bought me and the child's parents lunch.

-My sister came to cycling class with me (she hates it but I like it) so the next day I surprised her by showing up at her turbo kick class (I hate it but she likes it)

-I've been collecting boxes for a friend that is moving

-A friend had my sister and I over for dinner. It was delicious!

-My sister injured her knee at volleyball and is unable to drive so a friend drove her home. Many people have also been texting her and sending messages of quick healing

-My dad was in town for work so he stayed with me to save money on hotel expenses

-I left work early to take my sister to the ortho doc. I've also been helping her out a little around the house

-my mom and I arranged to pick up my sisters car that she had to leave in a parking lot when she was injured

-My sister and I went to a concert and as we were walking in (or in my sisters case, hobbling in), the handicap parking security said they would let us in without a sticker. So I went to pick up the car and parked in the handicap area. It was much easier on my sister after the show and we were able to get home in 11 minutes since we didn't have to sit in much traffic!

-While at the concert we noticed that a group of 3 friends had been separated, leaving one friend to sit alone. My sister and I had a friend that was unable to go so we had an extra seat. Even though it was nice to have the extra room for my sisters, we decided that we would want people to let us sit together if possible. So we moved down and squished in so they could enjoy the concert together

Who did you make smile today?

Racing brings family together

I am really slacking on my blogs and I apologize. I will try to be better. Here are some things that made me and others smile in the past couple weeks:

-I left the gym last week to find this note on my car

My sister saw my car in the parking lot as she was walking in for a class and placed the note on my windshield.

-I continue to feel blessed to have an amazing job where I meet extraordinary people.

-While I was at work last night, I received a message that the case I was supposed to work today was cancelled. I asked the mom whose case I was currently working if she had a nurse the next day. When she said she didn't, I offered to come back the next morning to help. She was ecstatic. The client had 2 hours of therapy the next day so she was very thankful for the help. She was also able to get a lot of errands done. I think it's safe to say that I made her smile and made her day a little better.

-My family has been racing karts for 15 years. I'm very thankful that our family has been able to stay close because of our love of the sport. My dad has been able to turn his karting expertise into a living. Even though he has paying customers that require his attention, he has still been able to provide a kart for me to race. It always makes me smile when I hear him say "Good luck kiddo. Have fun kiddo. Love ya kiddo" every time I sit on the grid. I also see him cheering me on from the sidelines. My sister and mom also come out to the track. It means so much to have their support. My sister often brags about my performance on facebook and includes #proudsister in her posts. This always makes me smile. When the races are over, my dad frequently tells me that I'm always his favorite person to watch race. Simply being at the racetrack, puts a smile on my face.