A Couple of Things Minus 5

In my overzealousness (is that word?) to accomplish my tasks, I ended up with two separate service/volunteer projects to be working on side by side. Thankfully, the two projects go together very well, and they both have an infinite timeline. This means I can do each of them each month for the rest of the year, and I will have met this goal to volunteer monthly. I'm sure Adam and I will still participate in Operation Christmas Child like we do each year, and we may do another stint sorting at Harvesters or filling back to school backpacks for needy kiddos.

However, I decided to do something different this time around - and to do it on my own. Through an organization called herobox.org, I've "adopted" a soldier. He's a Sergeant in the Army and currently on his second deployment in Iraq. He has a wife and two young children at home in Las Vegas. I've been able to correspond with him via email, and I am scheduled to send him a care package each month. It's an extremely rewarding feeling to know you are doing something so little for someone doing something so big. I forgot to take a picture of my completed box to share, but it's really very simple if it something you are interested in doing. Go to herobox.org, and you can help, too.

My church is large. No, it's humongous. No, wait, it's ginormous. A friend of mine calls it the Church-a-Palooza. Because of its size, however, they are able to offer endless volunteer opportunities. Recently, homelessness has become a top story on the nightly news due to its rapid increase. Our church provides many opportunities to help these individuals, and I decided since I was already shopping for my soldier, I could shop for them, too. I'm making six sack lunches a month (six...that's it!) that will be delivered to the homeless via Westport United Methodist Church. Again, this is easy and inexpensive. If you are interested in something like this, visit my church's website at www.cor.org. You don't have to be a member to volunteer, and there really is something for everyone. Here is a shot of my lunches, prepped and ready to go, each one with what I hope is an inspirational message attached. 

During all of my do-gooding, I was able to find time to prepare yet another recipe from one of my numerous cookbooks. This was a crock pot recipe that Adam chose. We agreed it was bland and totally boring. Not bad, but definitely not good. I won't bother to share it with you, other than to say one more cookbook down and to share this darling picture of my husband. 

 On a side note in relation to goal number one - I am down 5 pounds in two weeks. Perhaps if I keep making that last recipe, the weight will just keep disappearing...