Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Giving Back

This past year, I felt like we needed to be more involved in volunteering our time to those in need.  I also felt like the girls were old enough and the sooner I helped them see the blessing in giving, prayerfully they will make it a normal way of life.  We wanted to volunteer at the Autauga InterFaith Center downtown.  They help give clothing, food, etc to those in need in Autauga County.  One day the girls and I drove down and were sadly disappointed to find that the girls weren't old enough to volunteer.  The girls were sooooo disappointed so I thought of everything I could that we could do that day and came up with the pound :)  We all love animals and thought going to play with those without homes sounded like a good idea.  We drove out to the pound only to find out that they didn't open for another hour and a half.  So far, it wasn't a good day for volunteering.  Again, the girls were very disappointed.  As we drove home, I prayed that God would open a door for us.

An hour and a half later, we drove back to the pound, filled out some paperwork, and played with some kitties and pups.  Girls were so happy!  We have been a few times but not much lately :/  (need to put that back on the to-do list).


Meanwhile, I kept praying that God would show us what it is that we could do to help the human race :)  I mentioned wanting to do Meals on Wheels to my neighbor and she said that her friend at her church was the MOW Coordinator for them and she was sure I could go with her one day to see what it was like.  I was super excited and contacted her immediately.  Not long after, we went with her (Monique) for a delivery.  We were hooked!!!  I absolutely LOVE old people and I love to give food to others so this is a perfect fit!!!  My Great-Grandma Pippin and my Mamaw received MOW for a little while and I know how much it meant to them and I am so excited to be a part of doing this for others.  The first time we did the route alone made me a little nervous because I don't know my way around these Prattville neighborhoods very well. Thank goodness for GPS!    We have absolutely fallen in love with these folks.  They are so precious to us and we look forward to going each month.  It is just as much a blessing to us as it is to them.  I miss my grandparents greatly and this lets me get to love on some little old folks.  Did I mention how much we LOVE this!!?!
I just learned yesterday that one of the men on our route died this week.  It makes me super sad because you really get attached to these people very quickly.  I am thankful to have met him and been able to minister to him in Jesus' name!  

Simplicity


Messiah's Mansion

Back in August (yes, it's February....so far behind), we went to the Montgomery Sanctuary put together by Messiah's Mansion.  It was a "full scale model of the wilderness temple built by Moses and the Israelites."  This was a very interesting field trip!  I have often read and studied about the tabernacle, Ark of the Covenant, etc but could never fully picture it in my head.  Everything seemed so intricate and ornate, I just couldn't really wrap my head around it.  This was a great experience because it really brought it all to life and helped me to get a good picture.  The fact that every little detail of the tabernacle was designed by God and had meaning really hit home that God cares about the details....even the little details. If the tour comes through your area, I encourage you to go.