Hello from West Virginia!!

As most of you know, I am currently in Charleston, WV, helping with disaster relief efforts from Hurricane Sandy. I wanted to post tonight, because I feel as if the media has somewhat forgotten about the people of West Virginia. I know that all of you have seen the many devastating photos & clips from New York & New Jersey. I'm not trying to steal their thunder in any way. I just want the country to know that more people have been affected.

When I arrived in Charleston yesterday afternoon, I was expecting up to 3 feet of snow. That was not the case. Rain bands from Sandy had passed over & started washing away most of the snow. I was surprised to find that the hustle & bustle of city life had continued. I thought this meant that I had spent two days traveling for nothing. Boy, was I wrong!!

After entering the Red Cross Headquarters, I found out that people in 30 counties in West Virginia were without water & power. Some of the larger municipalities, like Charleston, had regained power soon after the snow storm had passed. The people that are mostly affected, live in the mountains & hollows. Some are unable to come down to even receive help because of impassable roads.

I came planning to work in a shelter, but that soon changed. Because I was one of the few volunteers with computer skills, I was asked to stay stationed at Headquarters & take on the role of Feeding Manager. I reluctantly accepted because of this being my first major disaster. Sure, I've had plenty of training, but you never know what you're dealing with until it's real. Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck this morning when I arrived for my first day of work.

Feeding Managers are solely responsible for making sure that every shelter has enough food to feed the people that are staying there. In West Virginia, there are currently 51 shelters open & I'm responsible for each one. Today alone, we were able to send 12 Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) to some of the shelters with 9100 meals. One ERV, spent the day searching for people that had no way to a shelter & distributed almost 300 meals. I spent the entire day running in circles & feeling as if I had accomplished nothing. You can imagine my surprise when we started adding up the numbers late this afternoon.

Even though I hate being away from my dog, family & friends, I know that I am serving a great purpose here. Tomorrow, a Southern Baptist kitchen will be opened that has the capacity to serve up to 24,000 meals per day. On Sunday, an additional kitchen will open with a 10,000 meal capacity. The American Red Cross will be delivering these hot meals to the needy in 25 ERVs from all over the country.

I never thought that I would spend a Friday night blogging about something like this. I guess it's just part of growing up! Sometimes, you have to put the needs of others ahead of your own. In order to receive, you have to give.

What are you giving??

Timing is Everything

I'm sure that most of you have heard this song from the hit movie "Country Strong". In case you haven't, here are my favorite lines:

 

You know I've had close calls
When it could've been me
I was young when I learned just how fragile life can be
I lost friends of mine
I guess it wasn't my time
Timing is everything

And I could've been the child that God took home,
And I would've been one more unfinished song
And when it seems a rhyme is hard to find
That's when one comes along
Just in time

 

 

The first time I heard this, I had an emotional breakdown. I can relate to these lyrics in so many ways. My life has been full of heartache & loss. I often wonder what the reasoning or lesson is that I'm supposed to be learning. But, just when I think I'm at a breaking point, something is there to save me.

We sometimes overlook blessings that God sends our way. I'm a firm believer that He doesn't take away without substitution. It may not be something that happens automatically or as quickly as we would like, but you just have to be patient.

 

I'm am not confessing to be the most spiritual person in the world; I know there are areas in my life that could use some MAJOR clean-up. I do believe, however, that God has a plan for me. And that through that plan He has accounted every heartbreak, tear, pain, and conviction that I have had to bear. He has molded and shaped me into the person that I am today. Everything happens for a reason.

 

The timing of these "happenings" are completely out of our control. Just when we think we have it all together, the rug gets snatched from under our feet. My belief is that God is trying to keep us on our toes. Keep us from taking advantage of the things He has given us. It's sad that sometimes we as humans have to have something or someone taken from us before we realize how much it meant.    

  
With that being said, take the time to let your family and friends know how much they mean to you. Knowing that somebody sincerely cares for them may be something to help them through the day. A few kind words can make a world of difference. And after all, timing is everything...

The Many Faces of Friendship

Face it..

At some point in time, we've all come across those "friends" that make us wonder, "What the heck have I been thinking??". Through the years, I've learned that all friendships are different in one way or another. Every friend has a different "face". No, I'm not talking about the one on the front side of their heads; I'm referring to their inner face.

Unfortunately, sometimes it takes us a while to unveil what type of face a new friend may have. Beauty or The Beast...

I've come up with a list of faces that I have been subjected to in my life. Of course, there's no possible way I could ever name them all, but these are a few of my favorites!

1. The "I Need You" Face - I need you... I need you... I need you... Ugh.. The face that shows up everytime it needs something.. The face that will not be around when YOU need something. I've had my share of dealings with this face my entire life. After a while, you realize the easiest thing to do is ditch this face & find a new one. This face will suck you dry & leave you hanging.  
2. The "Fair Weather" Face - This face is one that you'll only see when things are going good in your life. Once you start the downward slope into hell, this face will disappear. Don't worry though! After you bring yourself out of the pits & start pushing forward, it will show back up.. My advice is to not put these faces on a pedestal. They will surely let you down in the long run.
3. The "User" Face - What a heifer.. All this face wants to do is meet other faces, use you to make their face seem prettier, & borrow your resources to their aid. If you're not careful, you will find your own face in a major bind. These faces definitely aren't worth your time & generosity.
4. The "I'll Be There For You" Face -  It's hard to find one of these faces. They are few & far between. You'll probably only come across a handful of these in a lifetime. These faces will cry with you, laugh with you & bring the shovel when someone pisses you off. You may not see this face or talk to it every day, but you know that as soon as your face needs it, it will be there.
5. The "Soul Mate" Face - The best & rarest of all faces! Compare it to outward beauty & a Swedish Super Model couldn't touch it! There's probably only one of these faces per person in this world. This face knows there is something wrong before you do. This face can finish your sentences, be brutally honest without hurting your feelings & pick you up when no one else can. This face is often thought of as one of the opposite sex, but I don't believe that is entirely true. I don't think there's a man in this world that could do a better job at being my "Soul Mate" Face than the girl that now holds the position! You'll have ups & downs with the face, but somehow, you'll always manage to work it out. And you're relationship will grow stronger with the face because of the lessons that each of you have learned.

There they are! A few of my favorite faces. I hope that maybe you can take my experiences and use it to your advantage. I challenge you to figure out which face you are. If you can see where your face can use some adjusting, do it. Don't be the face that everyone hates to see coming their way.

Following the Fad

Well.. I've decided to give in to the "Blog Fad"..

Those of you who know me on a personal level, know that I tend to express myself better through written words than verbally speaking. I've created this blog as a sort of "Venting Machine" for myself. I hope you enjoy what I have to say. I apologize in advance if anything offends you. I'm just a girl practicing the First Amendment!

So, here goes nothing!