Dinner opportunity within an International community

This past week David and I were invited to attend a "Burns supper".  Unless you are of Scottish descent, you may not be aware that such an event exists.  A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, January 25th.

Our hosts, Mike (Scottish) and Karen (Irish) ordered the haggis all the way from Scotland. I don't think that you can find it anywhere else!  

I typically don't like to be surprised, so I thought I would read up on what a Burns Supper would entail.  The order of the dinner is very precise....guests are invited to the table, the host welcomes everyone, guest are seated and grace is said.  

View of our table....attendees included 2 Irish, 1 Scot, 2 Canadians, 4 Americans,
2 Italians, 5 Spanish, 2 Swedish, 3 English and 5 French

The Selkirk Grace

Some hae meat an

canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae let the Lord be thankit.

Then the food begins with a soup course

and then the haggis makes it's appearance

Our friend Krys had the honor of bringing in the haggis

complete with a poem entitled 

"Address to a Haggis"

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!
Aboon them a' yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin was help to mend a mill
In time o'need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,            At this line, Mike drew out his knife, and plunged it  
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,               into the haggis and cuts it open from end to end. 
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin', rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckles as wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro' blody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' hands will sned,
Like taps o' trissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis!

Thank the Lord I took the time to "try to read" and understand the poem beforehand....I could barely understand a word being said!  I've uploaded the video to youtube, just in case you'd like to "hear it".

After the poem is read, the other courses are brought to the table and include a steak pie, tatties and neeps.

Steak Pie (think beef stew)

The haggis.....caution....do NOT google what's in it before you EAT it :)

Neeps....aka mashed turnips

All to be washed down with various bottles of Scotch Whiskey.  Dessert is a tipsy laird (whiskey trifle) served with tea and coffee.

While guests are eating, other Burns' poems, toasts and songs ensue. It's very difficult to read, let alone to recite.  I've included David's attempt.....don't be too quick to laugh unless you want to give it a try too.




While living in the great midwest, I am not sure that I have ever encountered a born and raised Scotsman. They speak with a heavy brogue and it's quite lovely to listen to, but unless you have an "ear for it", it's nearly impossible to understand, especially if they speak at their normal "pace". Fortunately, Mike is a very good sport about repeating himself.

It was a great evening and we were blessed to be invited.  Mike assured us that the leftover haggis would be delicious with our eggs the next morning.... while he might think so, we didn't ask to take any leftovers home!

DETOUR

What happens when you get comfortable?  For me, it seems, I take life for granted.  I don't see the "newness" in my daily routine.  It's for that reason that I have not had a new blog in over 6 weeks.  I mean really, who wants to know what I made for dinner, or that I walked through our Christmas market for the 10th day in a row? Same old, same old.

With today's technology, maneuvering through a detour isn't always that difficult.  Our car GPS system instantly offers us a "detour" when there is heavy traffic along our route.  We so heavily rely on it, that we seldom even know exactly what road we are supposed to be on.  We follow it blindly.  (My map-wielding father-in-law just gasped aloud) 

Having said that, now let me take you on my "detour".  What comes to mind when you hear that word?  The Webster definition is : the act of going or traveling to a place along a way that is different from the usual or planned way.

Nothing is worse than being at the end of your journey and seeing that big yellow/orange sign "DETOUR".  Have you ever considered the alternative?  What if the sign wasn't there to alert you?  What if you continued on your merry way and in the darkness and newness of your unfamiliar surroundings, you ran your car off a cliff, drove off the side of a damaged bridge or came to the end of a lane long ago forgotten and overgrown without any instructions for getting you back on your way? I hope to challenge you to see detours in a new light.

Sarah finished her first quarter of grad school in mid-December and made her way to France.  I had "planned" almost every moment of her time here with us.  She landed, she slept and we were on our way.  First up, a quick visit to her favorite spot, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.  

We spent Saturday hiking through the mountains and enjoying the snow. Okay, maybe I didn't enjoy snow, but David and Sarah did.  Then, the real reason for our visit....ROSTI.  Think hash brown potatoes with toppings.  Sunday we hiked through the valley and then headed back into France.  We did a quick stop at one of the village Christmas markets before finally landing at home.

Monday, Sarah and I headed to London for three days of adventures!  We were both excited.  I was thrilled to land and to see and hear ENGLISH.  We found our hotel (which was a little difficult without an internet connection) and headed to our first adventure.....a "Jack the Ripper Walk".  

Who hasn't heard of Jack the Ripper?  Who wouldn't find it interesting to walk along the dark foggy streets of London and retrace where the murders happened?  Okay, maybe it's not something for everyone, but Sarah and I found it interesting.

Days 2 and 3 were filled the "top" sites of London:  Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, we shopped at Harrods, we saw a musical production in London's theater district and we of course stuffed ourselves with "fish and chips".

Back to Strasbourg on Thursday.  Now it was time to prepare for our "next adventure".  DJ was arriving on Sunday morning (11AM) and our family was hosting a Christmas party on Sunday evening. The invitation said to "stop by" for a "Cup of Christmas Cheer" between 5 and 9pm. Apparently, in France, you don't "stop by".....you "stay". (Detour)  So while I anticipated 50+ guests "popping in" to meet DJ and Sarah, I didn't know that all 50+ would stay the entire time.  We had such a fun time and there were so many different people (neighbors, people from our church, AIA members, Lilly people) here that I wouldn't have had it any other way.  

Some of our "50+" guests.

We had people in one corner speaking German, we had another group speaking French, we had DJ standing in the middle of the dining room with his eyes glazed over having only had 3 hours of sleep in his last 24.  (Note to travelers:  if you are claustrophobic, please don't choose a middle seat.  Poor DJ wasn't able to sleep a wink because the lady beside him had to get up and walk around every hour)

When the people were gone and the apartment was "back together" both kids commented on what great friends we have here.  (Detour alert:  Strasbourg was NEVER our plan.  It was God's plan to be here.  What fascinating friendships would we have missed if we never made the detour!)

Bright and early Wednesday morning we boarded a flight to Morocco.  I was so excited for David and the kids to experience Africa.  I had an event/excursion planned nearly every day.  

We experienced a bit of a problem at the airport with our driver. We couldn't find him and the owner of the company was not answering his phone.  After about a 40 minute "search", we finally gave up and hired a taxi to take us the 2 1/2 hours to Essaouira.

We made it safely to our beach front hotel and were able to enjoy a few hours in the sun before we headed into the Medina for dinner.  We enjoyed our best meal of the trip at a funky little 70's inspired place called Elixir.  

Wednesday, Christmas Eve.  We were all excited to begin our Moroccan adventures with a 3 hour ATV ride through the sand dunes and along the beach. It was absolutely amazing.  It was also the only adventure that I would be able to take part in.  DETOUR.

With about 30 minutes left in our tour, I crested a sand dune and my ATV landed badly.  In a failed effort to keep myself upright, I planted my left leg in the sand.  Well, the ATV kept moving forward, I heard (above the sound of the ATV motor) a "POP" and it felt like my kneecap exploded.  Into the sand I went, clutching my knee.  The only thing I remember is thinking "I broke my leg".

Let the DETOUR begin.  They gently loaded me onto my ATV and we began our last 30 minutes back to the end point.  Let's just say that it is difficult to drive an ATV over rough terrain with one hand while you hold your kneecap in place with the other.

As we began our trip back to the hotel, our driver was kind enough to attempt getting to an open pharmacy so that we could attempt to locate crutches or at least some type of brace.  I never expected a Muslim holiday during the "Christian" Christmas time, but apparently, for the first time in over 460 years MILAD UN NABI (The prophet's birthday) fell on Christmas eve. Guess what?  Nothing was open.  We tried no less than 4 pharmacies, even ringing the personal residence of one of the pharmacists.  

I was unable to bear any weight on my leg without my entire kneecap shifting inward.  My two able bodied heroes (DJ and David) were tasked with carrying me from the van to my room.  Yes, take a moment to mentally picture that.  Two 6ft+ men walking through the lobby of a 5 star hotel carrying a woman (legs splayed).

Safely within the confines of my room I began the task of "detouring" my next 10 days.  Massage appointment, cancel. Sunset camel ride, cancel. Segway tour of Marrakech, cancel. Dinner reservations, cancel.  David and I were scheduled to spend a week upon our return from Marrakech touring Normandy, the Loire Valley and the Champagne region of France.  CANCEL. (Below are some photos of David and the kids enjoying the excursions....good news was that I apparently picked "awesome" tours)

If you know me on a personal level, then you know that God has gifted me organizationally.  I had spent HOURS researching, planning and reserving nearly every detail of 4 weeks of my life.  From December 9th when Sarah landed, until January 4th when David went back to work, there was an itinerary in place. I even knew how much drive time there would be in the car from point A to point B....DETOUR.

I'm going to spend a few minutes to praise God and allow His mercy to shine through.  It happened to ME.  Praise God that it wasn't David, DJ or Sarah.  While I had "things to do", I was the "best case" scenario for an injury.  I can't imagine sending either of my kids home to begin a new school semester injured. There was no way that I could have managed getting David around by myself, he's simply too large for me to help in any effective way.

I sent a text to our friend Brittney Howard.  I needed a doctor in Strasbourg.  She and Matt were preparing to take some much deserved time off and travel through Belgium and into Amsterdam.  Matt immediately contacted the team orthopedic doctor on my behalf and arranged an appointment for me during the doctor's day off....yep, that is God's audible "turn right here" in the middle of my detour.

I could go on forever, but I don't want to bore you.  My current "position" is damage to both my MCL and ACL.  The doctor wants an MRI (which I will get in 2 weeks) and a follow-up appointment on the 27th of January.  He said that my MCL should self heal and my ACL would most likely need surgical repair.

The best part of receiving this news is that while my loving family thought I was just being "wimpy" and that I just needed to "suck it up", I actually DID hurt myself.  Someone (who shall remain nameless) actually called me "the grinch that stole Christmas" during our time in Morocco.  I guess that I now have a little more "street cred" with the family.

I'm not much for making "New Year's resolutions".  Do I need to lose a few pounds, yes.  Should I be working out more, yes. You know the usual stuff.  However, I think that because of this detour, I have decided that perhaps I should allow God to do more of the planning in my life.  Perhaps ask Him to direct my path a little more often.  I'm not saying that I will hang up my "travel agent shoes", but maybe not plan the dinner location and time for a trip that's 6 weeks away. 

I will try to be less self-sufficient and to allow others to help me.  I am usually the first person to accuse some of my "more independent" friends that to deny my offer of help is to "rob me of the blessing".  I guess now, it's my turn to allow others to bless me.  TRUST ME....that is not an easy thing for me, just ask David.  He has been my knight in shining armour throughout the last two weeks and I have HATED every minute of it.  

Thanks to all of you who have messaged me, have prayed for me and have visited me. Your friendship is the best part of this detour.

"AT WAR" in France

We had just arrived home from an exciting win for our SIG basket team over Real Madrid.  David was tired after a long work week and was ready to head to bed.  I was checking my email.  I'll be honest, we NEVER check the news happening here in Europe.  Luckily, David's brother/sister/mother are news junkies.  David received a message from his brother Michael asking where we were....something was going on in Paris.  Normally, we would just go to bed and check in the morning, but we turned on CNN and watched in horror as the events of the Paris attacks were being reported.

That was a week ago today.  Much has happened in 7 days.  Even in the relatively small town of Strasbourg there have been raids and arrests. Instead of seeing 3 military personnel carrying uzis, now there are groups of 6 patrolling the streets.  There is a Turkish embassy one block from our apartment.  Military are stationed on each corner of the block.  Trash cans have clear liners hanging from the OUTSIDE of the cans to prevent explosives from being thrown inside and hurting passersby.

The borders are now "closed", meaning it's no longer a unfettered crossing, but police checking cars, bikes and pedestrians as they come and go from France.

As I've written before, we are known as Strasbourg capitale de Noël.  (you can click on the link to read more)  Our Christmas market is set to open the Friday after Thanksgiving.  There is a huge tree lighting ceremony.  Earlier this week there was a vote by local officials as to whether the market would happen this year. (The vote was yes, it will) Let me just say, if terrorists are looking for a "soft target", I'm living in the middle of one during the month of December.

crowds from last year's market in front of the cathedral

While much of the world is "Praying for Paris", others are not.  During the soccer match between Greece and Turkey fans booed during the moment of silence.  Last night David and I attended another basketball game between the SIG and Belgrade.  After the moment of silence, the crowd began to sing the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise" . David and I were stunned as the large section of Belgrade fans began to sing THEIR national anthem.  It didn't seem like a spontaneous action, rather a planned "attack" if you will.  Karma "got em" though, Le SIG came back from a 21 point deficit to win the game!!  Allez le SIG!!

Should I operate from a place of fear?  I think not.  God's plan for me cannot be altered. (Jeremiah 29:11) If it is my time to meet my Saviour, I will be taken home whether I am inside my apartment (cowering from possible threats) or walking along the streets of France.  Case in point, have you seen the video from the Paris café?  The one where the shooter is standing over a woman and either his gun jams or he runs out of bullets?  He absolutely intended to kill her, but it was obviously not "her time" to meet her maker.  I pray that she has had a "moment with God" after that encounter. (here is the link)  http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/19/world/paris-attacks-cctv-footage-woman-gunman-daily-mail/ 

I won't go into the politics of the US entering the fight.  I only say, please don't be fooled into thinking that the violence "is far away".  I praise the military men and women who fight for my safety and for the opportunity that my children have had to live in a free country.  Can you imagine living a life as a mother trying to protect her children from the atrocities happening in Syria and other parts of the world?   I cannot.  It breaks my heart.  Even so, come Lord, Jesus.

As we enter the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, I pray that you will consider the blessings that you have and be thankful for each of them.  While France does not celebrate/recognize this holiday, there are many families who now wish one of their "blessings" were still with them.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle, don't fall prey to the "gotta have it" mentality that advertisers will throw at you in the coming weeks.  You can't buy the "real" things that will make you happy, the things that will make your life more complete.  Those are the PEOPLE in your life.  Be sure to let them know that they MATTER.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all.  

Just what have I been doing since June?

Yikes!  No wonder my father-in-law asked me if he'd been removed from my blog mailing list.  4 months?  It doesn't seem possible that it's been that long since I've sat down to write about our lives in Europe.

Why haven't I blogged in that time?  It isn't because "nothing has happened".  During these past 4 months of my silence, David and I have:

• been back home to the states twice, once in June and then in August to help move Sarah to Chicago for Grad school and DJ back to Purdue.
  
  
  
  
• spent 10 days in July traveling the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Capri
  
• travelled to the south of France for a weekend visit
  
• enjoyed having two of our Hedge friends (Marcie and Dave) come to Europe and we visited Paris and the Bordeaux region
  
  
  
  
• just returned from a visit with our French/American friends the Lucks touring Dijon and Beaune.

  

  Outside the Hôtel-Dieu

  

  Enjoying our mustard tasting

  

  David mixing up our mustard

  
  

So maybe I haven't had the time to sit down at my computer and blog? No, but life has certainly been adventurous and full of fun.

There are so many things that I could share that I don't know quite where to begin.  David's comment to me was that I have "become French" and that is why I haven't blogged in so long.  He is somewhat correct in that I have become accustomed to so many of the things that I found so odd/frustrating when I first moved here nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

I accept the fact that as I walk down the French sidewalk pedestrians are not going to move over....I continue to "ram" shoulders occasionally, often eliciting a "gasp of surprise" (maybe even sometimes pain because they weren't expecting it).

I am no longer surprised when I show up at a restaurant or boutique and they are "closed" from 2:00 until 4:00.  Everyone needs a lunch break, right?

I know that a dinner out will be a two hour event.  There is no such thing as "fast food" here.

So what does shock/surprise me?  What makes me say "what the heck?".

Cute little Cameron going for his 3 month check-up and being told that he is "growing like a mushroom"? That is apparently a common French saying.  Are mushrooms weeds?  I don't know.

Baby Cameron in his Halloween costume...cutest Lobster ever

How about googling the "best rosti restaurant in Basel, Switzerland", driving 2 hours so that Marcie and Dave can try rosti (think hash brown potatoes) and then finding out that they aren't open at 3:00 in the afternoon?  Ok, so maybe we were at fault there, but really? We tried no less than 5 places before we found a hotel diner that was serving food in the middle of the afternoon.

Dropping off a birthday present for our downstairs' neighbor and being greeted with "I'm full of microbes"...yes, that meant that she was sick.

Vive le différence!

We have new friends (both just born and newly moved to Alsace).  Baby Noone (Cameron),  baby Lee (Andrew) and two new basketball families; the Weems (baby Kyrie expected in December) and the Coles (Kayda Belle).  Aunt Teresa is certainly getting her baby fix. Yes, I am old enough to be the parent/grandparent to all of these newcomers.

While some "new" transplants are able to adapt to the differences, all are not. (The aforementioned families are all adapting well)  I think that the term "ugly American" comes directly from people who are either visiting, or have relocated to Europe and expects that everyone will adapt to "his/her American" needs/wants.  It doesn't work that way!  How many times have I heard my mother say, "if you expect to live in America you need to speak English"?  While she and I have had many heated discussions on this topic, in essence, she is correct in the main concept...MAKE AN EFFORT.

Adapting to a different culture and a different language is difficult.  Does that mean you shouldn't try?  I think not. Be observant, be polite and humble, don't just bully your way through and expect things to go the way you want them.  I certainly don't expect that people here in France can speak English.  I am always THRILLED when they do, but it's ultimately my responsibility to adapt to this culture and this language while I am a guest here. Trust me, my bad French coupled with a smile and a humble spirit has gone a l-o-n-g way.

No, I canNOT have chips with my sandwich at lunch, they won't bring me a glass of iced tea and I certainly won't get a free refill.  I WILL be seated next to someone who is puffing away on their cigarette and probably has a dog sitting beside them inside the restaurant.

I can find veal, rabbit and horse at the market and inside the grocery store.  I can see a 60+ man walking through the market in tight leather hotpants.  It's an adventure and I am blessed to be living it!!

Dumpster diving in France

How many of you cringed at that title?  Remember, I grew up poor.  Like reduced lunch poor.  As a HORRIFIED teenager, I can remember my mom and aunt collecting aluminum cans and exchanging them for extra cash.  Our families used that money to spend on vacation.  I'm not referring to THAT level of dumpster diving, so relax.

Behind our apartment building we have trash bins.  One for "regular" trash, one for "recycling" and then one that belongs to "La Pharmacie" that occupies the first floor of our building.  David and I were on our way out on Saturday and took both our trash and recycling out.  Our recycling bin was piled twice as high as it should have been.  Most of the cardboard boxes were from the pharmacy, so I wondered what the heck was in THEIR bin.

I opened it up and it was filled with little pink "new baby" boxes.  (the sort of box a new mom might get during her first visit to a pediatrician's office) My curiosity got the better of me so I opened one up.  I was amazed to discover that each of these boxes had loads of "stuff" inside them.  A sealed pamper, lots of coupons, samples of baby soap, etc.  So, the poor girl in me said "hey, we are going to get the pampers out of these boxes and give them to our pregnant friend".  David, having been married to me for 24 years was not surprised and helped me to pull out about 6 boxes.

We took them back inside our apartment stairwell and pulled out the goodies.  It was like Christmas!!  Some of them, in addition to the pampers and coupons, had baby wipes and even full sized bottles of baby shampoo.  Upon seeing my excitement, my executive husband said, "do you want me to go get the rest of them?"  I LOVE HIM!

sorry it's blurry!

why wouldn't they give these away?

Could we afford to buy a pack of pampers?  Yes
Could we afford to buy wipes?  Yes
Could our friends afford to buy themselves pampers and wipes?  Yes
Are we too proud to empty boxes from a "trash bin"?  No!

I'm going to have to start looking in that Pharmacy bin a little more often!!

Speaking of my "executive" husband, we had a very special visitor in Alsace this month.  The CEO of Eli Lilly, John Lechleiter and his wonderful wife Sarah were here for a site visit and we had the pleasure of joining them for dinner.  What's a girl to wear when she is having dinner with the company CEO?  A nice dress and a pair of heels, right?  What about when this same girl has to WALK to dinner (about 3/4 mile) along cobblestone streets?  Yep, she still has to wear heels.  I am happy to report that not only did I make it without twisting an ankle, I also didn't totally destroy my shoes.

Not a tall heel, but hey, a heel nonetheless 

The next day was the big site visit for David and so I had the pleasure of taking Sarah out for lunch and a little shopping adventure here in Strasbourg.  I was so proud of David and his team.  Everything went like clock work at his plant….well, except for the cafeteria lunch that day….seems as though the cook didn't quite get the chicken cooked thoroughly and David only noticed it AFTER John had eaten half of his meal.  How does one gracefully tell his boss's boss's boss that he is about to get salmonella poisoning?  (Luckily, this didn't happen!)

Other big happenings this month involved a tuscan dinner invitation (thanks Matt and Germaine), attending a gender reveal party for our friends Stephanie and Martin (they are having a baby boy), co-hosting a baby shower for our friends Katie and Kevin (thanks Lynn and Katie Luck for helping to host!), attending a "farewell dinner" for our Spanish friend Ainhoa, an AIA General Assembly meeting, another "farewell dinner" with the Howards and Dobbins, David's league basketball tournament and Le Sig's championship tournament.  Did I mention that we've only been home from Greece for 15 days?

One highlight from the last two weeks was when our Le Sig friends, Matt Howard, Tony Dobbins and their wives Brittney and Allyson came to watch David's Lilly team play in the semi-finals of their league championship.  David and Kevin Noone were HORRIFIED that two professional basketball players were coming to watch an industrial league game, but oh my goodness were the other players starry eyed!  Allyson was entertaining us all with her "trash talking" and other sideline antics and the underdog Lilly team pulled out the win.  Of course, everyone wanted a photo with the Pros, so it was a great night.

Allyson, our #1 cheerleader/trash talker

Lilly team with Matt and Tony

Finally, we hosted a "deep fryer" night so that I could say "goodbye" to Matt/Brittney and Tony/Allyson.  (We are hoping that BOTH Matt and Tony re-sign with the Strasbourg team next season)  You can't get spicy food here in France, so anytime someone is willing to cook buffalo chicken wings you have a winner.  Our new deep fryer got a work out.  6 lbs of chicken wings, 2 pounds of homemade nuggets, french fries and onion rings.  What a great way to spend our anniversary.  They were horrified that we would host a dinner on our special night, but hey, didn't we all have our friends around us when we initially tied the knot?

Matt, Brittney, David, me, Allyson, Tony, Katie, Kevin

The girls…many fun nights playing games with these 3

The guys….rarely is David the short one in a photo

As I reflected on our last two weeks of craziness, I was struck by a single thought.  My foundational change in character.  I was once so caught up in what people thought about me.  I can still fall into that trap, but it is not my everyday concern.  Pride is an ugly thing and I wonder how many proud people wish that they could be "real" with those around them?  For me, I think it was my own insecurity about being seen as "less than" and so I always wanted to do everything myself,  I never wanted to accept help from anyone else, and so this then continued to feed my pride.  I am a success, look what I can do.  Do you notice how many time "I" appears in this paragraph?  It's really unattractive.

Isn't life much more meaningful when our story includes "we, us, them"?   Aren't we called to love others?  If we truly do, if we work hard at showing the love of Christ to all, I think our stories and our lives can only be filled with blessings.  That isn't to say that hardships will come, but when they do, we can be surrounded by the love that we have cast out to others and it returns to us multiplied, therefore diminishing the sorrow of our earthly trials.

Cast out some love today.  Don't be proud, "dig" into the dumpster of your heart and provide a blessing to someone in need.  It doesn't have to be painful and it doesn't need to cost you money.  You just need to be intentional.  Smile at someone, say hello to a stranger, hold the door for someone.  That's my challenge to you….let me know how your day becomes brighter after you decide to cast some love out in the world around you.