Another useless day work wise. Well - I got a lot of office work done and it was nice being in CA to do it, but not really necessary. I didn't even get a chance to go into the account because they were still working on fixing problems that I had found.
So, I found a great cafe in San Jose Mission area and just sat on my laptop for quite a while.
After I had had my laptop fill and had finished most everything that I needed to I decided I had a little time and I wanted to take a run so I found a trail area - actually titled "wilderness" area. What started out as a run turned into more of an intense hike in running shoes as most of it was straight up. My little legs kicked out as much run as they could but it was more my thighs and butt that decided the feet needed to slow it down. Once I came to terms with the hike - it was amazing! There was no one on the trail and I was out for about an hour and a half and I just prayed and contemplated things and felt so much peace by the time I got back to my car. It was absolutely beautiful!
This was outside the coffee shop I was at. I had to do a double take... For some reason, a lot of times when I go to sign my name on my iPhone, it changes Alison to Alsion so when I saw this - I think my brain transposed it to my name. Just made me have a little laugh!
After my run in San Jose area, I headed back over to Tracy to stay with Willie and Lillie for the evening. They do their food pantry prep on Wednesday night so I was excited just to see how things ran and to help out.
They pick up food from a food bank on Wednesday afternoon. That means boxes and cans and meat and frozen goods. Then they do this assembly line and have a shopping list of everything that goes in a bag.
Finished bags. We did 75 of them last night.
And then we closed off with prayer for all the families that were going to come on Thursday.
Then Lillie and I headed back to the parsonage because Willie had made dinner for us. We ate and sat around and talked for a long time and then Willie went to bed and Lillie and I stayed up and talked even longer. She even had bought a tostones maker for me! Those amazing fried plantain things - I can't wait to try and make them!
When I went to bed last night I just had to thank God for new friends and for the crazy ways and places he has me meet them! Willie and Lillie have been such a blessing and encouragement to me in the short time I've known them and they definitely have helped me up a few hills that I've had lately - and it's a reminder to me that God provides what I need, when we need it, sometimes even before I know I need it! There are always hills, but He's faithful to get me up and over those hills every time!
I have to insert one more thought from a devotional reading I did tonight. I'm reading Morning And Evening by Spurgeon. The reading for the evening starts "memory is frequently the bondslave of despondency. Despairing minds call to remembrance every dark foreboding in the past, and dilate upon every gloomy feature in the present; thus memory, clothes in sackcloth, presents to the mind a cup of mingled gall and wormwood." I loved that thought of how we can take a memory and let it debilate us and control us into depression. The solution is from Lamentations 3:21-23 "remember my afflictions and my wanderings... My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of The Lord never ceases; his mercies are new every morning, great is your faithfulness". To allow God to control my memories and use them rather than allowing my memories to control me and use me. It's a freeing thought.
Ponderings concluded....:)
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