Puerto Vallarta Food Drive

I’m sitting here in my office, drinking my Piña Colada Fruitista from Taco Bell, and imagining my feet dangling in a deep blue swimming pool surrounded by hundreds of Palm trees.(Wait…. Excuse my 5 second brain vacation…ahhhh. There. Okay. Done. Actually, I just got back from a week’s vacation with family in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I love going to Puerto Vallarta(or “PV” as mom calls it). Mom’s been going there on vacation for many years and I’ve had the privilege of going with her on a number of occasions. It is a beautiful place to just… be. In fact, it is one of my favorite places in the world.

Today is Wednesday, and I’ve had four days to get back into the swing of things since my vacation. Usually, the Monday after a vacation is a very blue get-back-to-work kind of day, but this week has not had one day like that. Being home is a good thing, and getting back to doing the things (well, the other things) that I like doing, has been energizing. So in short, “Veni, vidi, vici, visa” (I came, I saw, I conquered, I shopped) and then I returned refreshed, renewed, and reinvigorated.

Some folks were concerned about my going to Mexico with all the Swine Flu that was supposedly everywhere. In truth, there was more Swine Flu in Houston, Texas than there was in PV (PV had no cases that I am aware of). But, as the rumor of the raging beast of Swine Flu blew through the vacation minded population, people chose not to go to Mexico. No tourists? No tourist dollars. No tourist dollars? No jobs. No jobs? No food on the table for lots of families. But I did the research and found out PV was just fine. Rumors weren’t going to stop my family from going there. But I also learned that the people in PV were working to solve the hunger issues by having food drives. I found about this at the last minute before my departure to Mexico, and put one quick email out to a short list of generous people. I let them know that only $5 would buy a packet of food that would feed a family. These kind folks came through and in only a very tiny amount of time, I had a quick $450 to take to PV. I did the math… that’s 90 families who were helped.

The video you will see here is of Chris Benson, the owner of The Coffee Cup, one of the places where people in PV dropped off money and food that would be given to families in need. I had the pleasure of visiting with Chris and here he shares just a short bit about the process and how families were affected. I wish to thank Chris for helping me out before my trip began. I wish to thank the generous folks who were so kind to offer up money and prayers for the people in PV. Too many times we forget just how blessed we are. Hope you are counting your own blessings today.

Consider the Doggies

The granddogs are here. While their parents are on vacation, my granddogs are staying with me a whole week and changing the way I live. I have to come home earlier and more often, to make sure that they go outside and are watered and fed. I wake up earlier than normal and do the same. I have made my fake groans about it, but really, I like having them here. They make bad decisions sometimes, (okay, one of them presented me with a half eaten pillow), but they are good dogs that I enjoy being around.

I like watching them from my kitchen window as they play in the yard. They chase daring squirrels and nose about the vegetation. They play tag with each other and wrestle until they find something new that catches their attention. And when I bring out the leashes, they excitedly gather around me waiting for that long walk together. They are so trusting and know that grandma has rules that must be followed. They know that I will provide whatever they need. And, because I love them I give them all of those necessary things, plus those extra things (a half eaten couch pillow).

In Luke 12:22-30, Jesus tells his disciples to think about watching the birds that peck about looking for food. He tells them to consider the lilies that grow and thrive without lifting a finger (errr…, a pedal) for themselves. He then points out how God takes care of the needs of such little creations and asks the disciples to consider the fact that God will also take care of the people whom He loves so dearly.

So in watching the granddogs, I am reminded, that as much as I truly care for them, God cares for me and all his children even more. How would my life be if I trusted God with as much fervor as the granddogs trust me for all their needs? We all need to put God first and trust that He… oh, I’d finish but I need to let the granddogs inside… Have a blessed week.