of birthdays, banquets, bedding and such....

Well, I guess we start with "birthdays"...on Saturday I finally got my official prison card from Brandon, and here was part of his note inside:

I'm guessing they only have one "Card, Birthday, Feminine" design made by New Zealand natives? Pretty damn lazy. Another thing, every time I send one of these out I realize I can't remember my own address. Well, when they print it for you on nearly every envelope they're just providing you means to become THAT slothful.

And so, my card, birthday, feminine finally made it!

Next we go to banquets...there was one on Friday night for the prison ministry I'm involved with, Providing Hope. PHM has two yearly banquets to promote the organization and raise money via donations and table sponsors. I couldn't find the Knights of Columbus (I guess they were out crusading somewhere)-it took two passes around town to realize I kept passing this outwardly nondescript stucco building, and that didn't do much for my already not terribly public mood. At any rate, finally I made my way to an empty chair and salad, and things got better from there. A ministry DVD was unveiled, and once again, I found myself rather wishing I thought more about my grooming on any given day, as I was a principle player in this film offering. The day Pastor Gaetano picked to come to the prison to film I had on a shirt that did nothing to de-emphasize certain aspects of my shape. Mercifully he shot me mostly from the neckline up. But it was well done and that's not end of the story...I was gifted with a copy of this "commercial" and took it to a local meeting the next day. A fellow leader asked to see it, I gave it to her, and it turns out her nephew was on the first screen shot-he was one of the speakers at the banquet with an amazing story of redemption and new life through Christ, and he started his own organization upon leaving to assist former inmates. Lisa got a huge surprise seeing all of this, as she did not know his story.

And finally, bedding-once again, another air mattress failed us, which in a way is funny, but when the gas tank is empty, the paycheck doesn't cover the bills, the fridge is also pretty bleak...there really wasn't room for even such a simple thing as new bedding. It was one of those times I didn't really even think about how much I know God can supply if I just trust and don't complain, but I did, in my head. And because I in my all-sufficiency, could really do nothing but complain, chuckle...God did. There was a check waiting for me in the mail-well, two actually-interest from a bank account I never really do much with, and payment for an art job I sort of gave up on. AND my husband, dear soul, stepped in and asked his mother if we could pinch a top mattress off her guest room bed temporarily. That worked.

So that was the weekend grab bag! Always interesting, always a few diamonds in the cracker jack.