There was a gentleman who moved into the facility not too long before I moved to Alaska. He was never a rude man, just very quiet, keeping to himself. I would often say "hi" in passing with a smile and no return of recognition of existence in return. I thought, maybe he was extremely hard of hearing, so I would speak louder and slower. Occasionally I would get eye contact. PROGRESS!!! Anyways, today, I had the pleasure of cleaning his apartment and the entire time He talked about this that and the next. The health issues of his wife, how the health industry handles cancer and some lady in Canada that made an herbal solution that healed him from his cancer and his craft (most of it I didn't understand quite honestly). I was a little taken back by it especially by the time I was finished when he seemed sad that I was leaving.
Maybe this man is just lonely?
Maybe he is frustrated with the lack of ease in conversation. IE: hearing loss, loss of voice control as far as volume.....
Maybe this that or the next but one thing I am sure of.....
Is that for each of my residents that are present when I am cleaning, for the 30-45 minutes I am there, in some fashion, I am their companion. Their confidant. And that is pretty cool.
Much Love,
Rach
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
where my mind wanders
Most nights I am able to fall asleep fairly quickly and allow my subconscious to rule the night with thoughts that allow only minimal rest. Then there are nights like tonight where my mind is consciously writhing in deep thought, searching for answers and truth about something that happened last week.
A friend of mine, Joanna and I are reading through 1 Kings and we discussed the first 3 chapters. In chapter 3 God allows King Solomon to ask for whatever he wants. God literally comes to him in a dream and says, "Ask what I can give you." (1 Kings 3:5 ESV). Solomon, who was new to being King, asked for wisdom to discern between good and evil to govern the people.
This is what I was pondering this night, when I was hoping to be sleeping. I was considering, the daily life application of Solomon's request. The heart attitude of Solomon, who had a substantial authority over a large sum of people asked how to be a good leader. He didn't ask for riches or fame or _________________. So then, I asked myself, if given the opportunity to ask for anything, with the guarantee that I would get it, what would I ask for? Would I have the same heart attitude as Solomon or would I be self seeking. I was then reminded of an incident that happened at camp this summer, where 2 girls were both wanting sweatshirts but both were short of funds. One was a few dollars short and stated she would be willing to work around camp to pay off the difference where as the other girl who was more than half short, wasn't. Heart Attitude. Which spun me into my outlook at my current position as a housekeeper at an Assisted Living facility. It's not a glamorous job by any means. I bust my butt, making beds, laundering sheets, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing toilets, moping floors - the works. It would be easy for me to check out, mentally. Pop in my headphones and crank out my work and be done with it...OR...I could be open to receiving life lessons. What it means to be a servant. What it means to have a servant's heart.
Then I started broadening my scope. What areas of life when there are choices to make am I selfishly thinking of me first and not others? Or more importantly without a mindfulness of God? Sadly, this reality is most of the time, even in the little things.
Much Love,
Rachel
On a side note, this passage of Scripture points to how God is a relational God. He cares for us and allows us to make choices. (Finish reading Chapter 3 of 1 Kings)
A friend of mine, Joanna and I are reading through 1 Kings and we discussed the first 3 chapters. In chapter 3 God allows King Solomon to ask for whatever he wants. God literally comes to him in a dream and says, "Ask what I can give you." (1 Kings 3:5 ESV). Solomon, who was new to being King, asked for wisdom to discern between good and evil to govern the people.
This is what I was pondering this night, when I was hoping to be sleeping. I was considering, the daily life application of Solomon's request. The heart attitude of Solomon, who had a substantial authority over a large sum of people asked how to be a good leader. He didn't ask for riches or fame or _________________. So then, I asked myself, if given the opportunity to ask for anything, with the guarantee that I would get it, what would I ask for? Would I have the same heart attitude as Solomon or would I be self seeking. I was then reminded of an incident that happened at camp this summer, where 2 girls were both wanting sweatshirts but both were short of funds. One was a few dollars short and stated she would be willing to work around camp to pay off the difference where as the other girl who was more than half short, wasn't. Heart Attitude. Which spun me into my outlook at my current position as a housekeeper at an Assisted Living facility. It's not a glamorous job by any means. I bust my butt, making beds, laundering sheets, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing toilets, moping floors - the works. It would be easy for me to check out, mentally. Pop in my headphones and crank out my work and be done with it...OR...I could be open to receiving life lessons. What it means to be a servant. What it means to have a servant's heart.
Then I started broadening my scope. What areas of life when there are choices to make am I selfishly thinking of me first and not others? Or more importantly without a mindfulness of God? Sadly, this reality is most of the time, even in the little things.
Much Love,
Rachel
On a side note, this passage of Scripture points to how God is a relational God. He cares for us and allows us to make choices. (Finish reading Chapter 3 of 1 Kings)
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
collections
For most of you, you know that Organization is something that I struggle with to the depths of my core.
I could use help! I have papers from high school that I have held onto for who knows what reason. I have text books that I keep for "just in case". I have piles of books that I have wanted to read since high school and magazines that I looked through only once or twice. Don't get me started on the knickknacks of dried flowers, music boxes, and other trinkets. I find myself making ground in one area to only discover a domineering pile standing behind me. I'm trying to be thorough since a lot of this stuff hasn't been touched in the last year much less thought about. In which case, it's time for it to go.
How did I get this way? How did I get to be such a collector of junk. I mean really, I have receipts from my trip to Costa Rica in 2011 which at the time, I was like, "OMG I'm going to scrapbook these and keep them forever...because that one time when I bought __(fill in the item here)__." But now, I am wondering what the point of it was, because the pictures and the memories of actually doing things are so much better than a receipt typed in Spanish. <- maybe this is one of my quirks of sentiment. God help the man that wants to marry me!
I have had this idea of getting a binder to organize my monthly expenses in a really cool fashion with calendars in a Type A fashion and it's been a year since my attempt and desire for that was lit......
I have no methods of being organized which means I have no skills to remain organized once I obtain a level of order in this current state of chaos. So what I say I could use help, this is me, begging in desperation for tips, suggestions, motivation.
Much Love,
Rachel
I could use help! I have papers from high school that I have held onto for who knows what reason. I have text books that I keep for "just in case". I have piles of books that I have wanted to read since high school and magazines that I looked through only once or twice. Don't get me started on the knickknacks of dried flowers, music boxes, and other trinkets. I find myself making ground in one area to only discover a domineering pile standing behind me. I'm trying to be thorough since a lot of this stuff hasn't been touched in the last year much less thought about. In which case, it's time for it to go.
How did I get this way? How did I get to be such a collector of junk. I mean really, I have receipts from my trip to Costa Rica in 2011 which at the time, I was like, "OMG I'm going to scrapbook these and keep them forever...because that one time when I bought __(fill in the item here)__." But now, I am wondering what the point of it was, because the pictures and the memories of actually doing things are so much better than a receipt typed in Spanish. <- maybe this is one of my quirks of sentiment. God help the man that wants to marry me!
I have had this idea of getting a binder to organize my monthly expenses in a really cool fashion with calendars in a Type A fashion and it's been a year since my attempt and desire for that was lit......
I have no methods of being organized which means I have no skills to remain organized once I obtain a level of order in this current state of chaos. So what I say I could use help, this is me, begging in desperation for tips, suggestions, motivation.
Much Love,
Rachel
Monday, October 6, 2014
testing
Hey guys, I'm here at AT&T looking at a tablet promotion. Not sure what to think about it. Thoughts?
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