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Thursday, October 18, 2007

Bowled over by His blessings!

I volunteer at The Good Shepherd Center –our local “mission”. (heretofore The GSC) Some days I spend my time conducting intake interviews to determine if an individual or family meets the income guidelines to receive free food from our Pantry.
Other days I stock the shelves of the Treasure Store with all kinds of neat junk that people donate. And I run the cash register in the Treasure Store too.

Ninety percent of my Christmas shopping for Olivia has been done at The GSC. Over several months I've picked up games (Green Eggs and Ham, Operation, Don’t Break the Ice, Arthur Goes to School), books (too numerous to list!), clothes, videos, a Dora doll backpack, puzzles, an addition to her Fisher Price dollhouse village...and the list goes on and on. In fact, I’ve had to curb my spending because I ran out of room in my “Christmas chest”. All told, I think I’ve spent about $25 - maybe less. And some of the things are still in the original packaging - never been opened.

I decided that I needed a new purse. In addition to a purse for me, I was looking for one made of tapestry to use as a backdrop for photographing my jewelry which will be put up for sale on my website. Purses at The GSC are always 50 cents each. Granted, some of them have decades worth of lint and cracker crumbs in the bottom, but most are clean and in good condition. They had no tapestry purses, but I found a little leather wallet clutch with a long strap - perfect to sling over my head, allowing for hands-free rummaging and shopping. There's even a pocket on the back for my cell phone and a pen. Perfect.

On my way out the door of The GSC, I spied a bowling ball. “How much?”
“Free - it’s going in the trash.”
“Trash!!”, I said with horror and disbelief, “Don’t throw it away, I want it.”
“For what?”
“I use them as lawn ornaments.”
(Insert strange looks and shoulder shrugging here.)
“Well, we’ll save them for you if you want because we get them in all the time and we just throw them away.”
Filled with excitement and glee (I know - it doesn't take much...) I picked it up and headed out the door.

When I got home, imagine my delight when I discovered that the bowling ball was RED! I quickly added it to one of the many groupings of balls we have throughout the property.



Then I sat down to 'change' wallets. Upon transferring my things from old wallet to new –guess what was in one of the pockets of the ‘new’ wallet for which I only paid 50 cents?.....$25.00

Brillo Man comes home that evening from his scrapping adventure and asked me if “this is anything you want to keep”. He handed me a tote bag full of highly collectible Shenango China and antique glassware. The tote –made of TAPESTRY!

So - all my Christmas shopping at The GSC has been ‘reimbursed’ with the $25.00, I’ve got my garden ornaments and my tapestry...and the end of the day, when I listened to my phone messages, there was one from The GSC.

They have another bowling ball for me!

God is good.



All these blessings will come upon you
and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God...
Deuteronomy 28:2a

10 comments:

Pat said...

A. It's about time you got back to what's really important -BLOGGING!
2. Can God tell you he loves you any more then providing bowling balls, wait not just bowling balls, but a RED bowling ball? I don't think so! I think your cup runneth over, and it's starting to over flow onto me! Joy is contagious!
I need to come shopping at GSC.

Anonymous said...

This could only happen to you!

Lori said...

I can just see Dad shaking his head and saying "...you're beyond hope". :)

Margie said...

What a great BLOG!!

SO AWESOME!!

Pat, we have this great place in our "area" about 45 minutes away... Rescued Treasures - part of Grace Centers of Hope. I got a Coach purse (great great condition and it had the authentic tag in it) for a song!!

Pat said...

Seems I don't need GSC, according to Margie I've got my own verson just down the road a piece...now I just need to find the time!

Anonymous said...

What Lori said.

Arlene - BY HIS STRIPES!!! said...

Isn't it awesome how God just gives us the desires of our heart?

Mrs. Mac said...

It's an even greater blessing when we recognize that the blessings have come from God. Wish I was done with Christmas shopping!

Jada's Gigi said...

Wow, you did have a good day!
PS I'll bet the flies all hatched out from somewhere in your house like an AC vent or something...We had that happen last year.

ancient one said...

Love your collection of bowling balls. My daughter and I glued half glass marbles all over ours and use them as substitues for "gazing" balls. Got the idea off Garden Junk. Never even thought of just using them as bowling balls. In fact the last one I did, I covered in pennies.

Thanks for coming by to visit me!!