power and purpose

i really love my neighbors.

last week my neighbor rachel got the first twinges of mastitis and sought out some advice from me. i was flattered by this but very happy to help. i sent over some mega doses of vitamin c and lecithin to get her now very plugged up duct moving and some info from kellymom.com on the subject of dealing with mastitis without the use of antibiotics as requested. and of course and most importantly, lots of prayer for her. i love rachel. our kids play together (sometimes with shoves and hair pulls but they always seem to sad to part) several times per week. i made her a loaf of bread today in exchange for the use of one of her loaf pans. she gave me left overs for dinner which we readily gobbled up. who wants to cook when you come home from camping and have so much to clean up? it was an answer to prayer that i never even uttered. little things are always being exchanged between our homes and i love that. eggs, children, popcicles, a loaf of bread, a prayer. truly i feel we are living in the Kingdom of God on earth when we live like this.

my neighbor kwame gave olive some shoes today. perhaps her "dust bowl baby" look sprouted some sympathy? i kid. his daughter is 2 and outgrew them. again, answer to a prayer that i never even uttered as olive needed new shoes for the winter. praise God for his provision and blessing in all things and in all ways unexpected!

i wrote something in my journal at around the time the new year rang in. something about being very sad about seeing 2007 go, for it was the happiest year of my life. while in no way am i diminishing the happy, growing season in my life that was last year this year seems to be marked by (dare i risk arrogance?) purpose and function vs simply feeling happy within the boundaries of my little life and home. when i read entries like these i smile and thank God for the foreshadowing, even if i had no idea what it meant.