The Hardest Christmas 2016 edition

The internet has been littered with memes of the cursed 2016. Its been like tragedy after tragedy, death after death...a horrible election/results. 2016 insists on continuing to cause destruction...we thought nothing more can happen after this election, but it has.... I could feel it coming.... I didn't know what it would be but I could feel it.

I usually try to stay positive and if I don't see a positive I stay quiet (unless it's about Trump or Kpop I can be very vocal). I like to have a positive message because if there are any ears listening or eyes watching then they will say... Dani said...Danielle said... Princess of DE said...that hope is not lost and we will make it. But as God would have it...

An unexpected death occurred and I can't really say unexcepted because you really don't know the time or place, but it was unexpected in a side swipe kind of way.

My Aunt became ill, took a turn for the worst and passed away on December 17, in this ill-fated year of 2016.  Dealing with death and the feelings that occur with it is a difficult process. It is like the phrase, "I don't know if I'm coming or going." Because I am me I have to be invincible. No breaking down, "God won't put you through what you can't handle." Happy laughing, Angry Yelling, Worried No sleep, Awake, exhausted. Crying...no tears...no tears...my face is wet...I said no tears. I could see it happening in my mom, her big sister died. She was grieving for real...but mine was inside. My mom took her time off...that was smart...I didn't that was dumb... but I carry a lot on my shoulders, my students me, my mom needs...and I can't break down...WHO AM I? I am Champion....

Thank GOD, my mind is flooded with good memories...mornings in the kitchen drinking coffee at age 6 (she gave all the kids their first taste of coffee), afternoon watching the stories (Soap Operas) drinking pepsi, walking the path to her house from grandma's house, she had Nintendo delivered I'd assume for my cousins, but she was so excited seemed like it was for herself, those Encyclopedias that I just enjoyed looking at (not the inside of them the outside...the numbers... yall know I am different books are pretty) her excitement about Luther Vandross, her excitement about my excitement about Michael Jackson, birthday calls ...growing up and still being "Strawberry Short Cake" who had "bad a$$" boots, that she was going to order for herself too and she did... and Christmas Days when my mom had to figure out which gift would be my aunt's Christmas gift and which would be her Birthday gift...which leads to my point...

The Hardest Christmas...Christmas Day is my Aunt's Birthday. This whole season has been hard on my family.... I have stayed quiet just because like I said I don't talk about my anger or sadness or worries because to harp on such is not for the greater good of any of us, but I have, to be honest with myself and say this has been a difficult time. I have held it together because I have responsibilities...time continues and my mom is mine...my strength is for her. This to shall pass... and as hard as it will be Christmas 2016 will be just like the Whoville Christmas in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." The devil can come in the night to try to steal our joy, but we will wake up with smiles on our faces singing the Mariah Carey version of "Joy To the World" totally undefeated pissing the devil all the way off.

My current image and hope for the spirit of my Aunt are to be hand in hand with my Grandma, my other Aunt while others we have lost are welcoming her to heaven. You think God is throwing a birthday celebration for Jesus the ultimate Christmas baby and all the other Christmas babies...

Please, people, all hope is not lost and we have almost made it to the end of 2016...God has given us grace and mercy, we may have lost a few but remember their suffering is no more... If God took them they have a greater purpose now...and our purpose is to live and praise God until it is our turn. PLEASE be a Whoville and if you feel like a Grinch has stolen your Christmas sing for joy anyway...don't give the devil the opportunity to think that you are down and out... God willing I will see you in the New Year!!!!

MARRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Where are The Walking Dead Riots taking place??? *Spoiler*

I never saw the first episode, at least not when it first aired. I remember hearing about this show. "The Walking Dead." "The Walking Dead." "The Walking Dead." All I knew was that it was about the Zombie Apocalypse, and even though my favorite movies are: "Night of the Living Dead('68 and '90)," "Return of the living Dead ('84), Shaun of the Dead ('04), Dawn of the Dead ('04), and Zombieland ('09), I hated the idea of a weekly zombie show. One thing you have to remember is zombies don't stop so I thought that the show would get very boring. In EVERY ONE of the zombie films mentioned, Zombies didn't stop...in Return of the Dead they burned the zombie bodies the disease went in the air, it rained on cemeteries and boom Zombies... How were they going to keep it up? I didn't know it was from a Comic Book.  I tried to stay away from the show, but I came home from work one evening and it was on...my mom and my little brother watching it like zombies, "talking about its a really good show." I just went upstairs like, "Nope." Come home from work again they are watching. I watched a little and just went to my room. Then all of a sudden I was coming home from work and would sit down and watch.  I think it was the Rick, Lori, Shane love triangle that got me. I opened my eyes realizing that this was not a Zombie apocalypse movie where the main goal was getting from point A to point B, all while fending off zombies. There were some serious story arcs. I have always enjoyed adventures that make me ask questions like, "what do girls do about periods? Do the characters get to take baths? Do they stink? If they have sex, then where? Randomness... questions that intrigue me with movies like "The Blue Lagoon," and the tv shows Lost and Gilligan's Island. 
We get deeper into the show and we meet Hershel, Maggie, and fam who were devout Christians who  had some false beliefs and ideas about the Zombies and God.  And then that 20 something angst kicked in and Glaggie was created. Glenn and Maggie. 

 I was stuck...hooked...in it to win it.... I was at the beginning of my Asian awakening and any interracial relationships worked for me. As time progressed and the gang went through it...I needed them. They were what I could relate to, kids my age, in love taking down walkers and getting busy in the look out tower at the prison. Its gives me goosebumps. LOL!!! This show gave us so many gut-wrenching,  up and downs, sometimes we were really up sometimes we were really down, and Glenn made it every time like a cat with nine lives. 
Now I can't forget about Abraham and his awesome quotes and how he left a latina for a natural black  girl... (Asians and Black women really win on this show even if we thought they killed all the black people in the beginning, well the black men...WAIT A MINUTE!!!!) I like him but I didn't connect with him.  I feel like I was about to and then this... Season 7... we all knew someone would be leaving. We sat a the edge of our seats and nervously waited to see.... and unlike others, I really didn't know what they would do... it's a show that you can't calculate UNLESS you read the Comic.  On a normal show, they would have killed Eugene and left it at that because you can't take your base. Saban learned about this when he tried to take Tommy's powers and took him off the show. Walking Dead fans often say "kill Daryl we riot." Well, kids sort of had a riot and parents complained hence "your new white ranger is Tommy" because you don't kill your base. The Walking Dead doesn't follow this rule or they did until know. Honestly, in previous deaths, I wasn't invested. I loved Hershel for being wise and it was sad for Maggie, but I wasn't phased, Noah's death I can never watch again, but I wasn't invested he wasn't a base character. We wanted Lori gone, T-Dog... meh....Merle (Good!!) Bob...meh, Tyreese he fought but meh.... I feel like we were ok with their deaths (even Beth's) because we knew that if it was going to be someone and usually there is a turning point for characters Abraham wasn't the base character, so I think fans could have taken that like...meh... he had just had a turning point with Sasha, but Glenn.... Glenn??? He is a base. Season 1-7. He is like when they switch out Kimberly for Katherine on Power Rangers.... that was when I walked away from Power Rangers (sort of not entirely). I love the Walking Dead, but I think I love Glenn more. I don't think he had that turning point, I feel like he leaves unfinished. Luckily, I am an adult and not a 10-year-old. So I won't be walking away from the show, but seeing a picture of what's to come including a new character with a tiger... like wtf? If this turns into Lost I might walk away and remember those times on the farm. I am not sure if I liked it when the team was on the farm, at the Jail or at Alexandria. Now wherever they go I will miss Glenn. I don't know what it is like to watch this show without him. Even when we thought he died by the Zombies at the trash can there was hope. We knew somehow he made it. But what is real crazy during all those moments that Glenn made it by the skin of his teeth, my eyes were watching the screen. Remember Valentine's Day during the 6th Season premier and the Zombies surrounded him and boom he was saved, I was literally crying, laughing and fainted all in a minute. This time...I turned my head...I didn't watch Abraham and I didn't watch Glenn's. I couldn't...I think it really would have been too much. Now I don't know how long they have to play Negan's silly little game...but I do know that..."it's about to go down." In the name of Glenn and the unborn (hopefully the baby will still be born and it better look a Lil Asian or I really will riot) Rick Grimes and family shall rise again!!!! 

  *Was Glenn the last of the Asians?? Like um, gotta be more than him out there." 

Never Forget...

As a senior in high school when the events of 9/11 occurred I watched in English in a strange awe of seeing airplanes crash into the towers, my immediate thoughts went into my dreams and aspirations of wanting to work there one day, it wasn't until that evening and watching it all night and seeing people jumping for their lives that I started to realize people were/had dying/died... each

year since that day my sensitivities of the events have grown more and more...and I know that, just like my grandmother's memory of Pearl Harbor, and the fear my mom describes of the Soviets  when she was little, and the sound of my dad's voice when he described events of MLK'S assassination and later the sounds of guns and bombs in the distance when he was in Kuwait, Uncle's who remember Vietnam...when I go to tell my children about this day, it will be a time when they will see their mother kind of squirm looking for the words to explain such a horrific situation to occur in her lifetime. I think what I want them to take away from everything is the unification that America made quickly after the attacks, and even though currently we are at odds within this country now, I really want them to see how at that time we all held hands, as one race....under the Star Spangled Banner we were one.....I hope we can get back to that without another catastrophic event occurring.... 
Never Forget....

Lost Luggage

Bad luck Dani... I have had two episodes of "lost" luggage. 

The first instance of "lost" luggage occurred, but luckily I got it delivered to the hotel that night at about 10pm... so my weekend was saved... but then there was Alaska Air... smh and the trip that could have been the worst if it weren't for my awesomeness and my true optimism... first let's go back to 2014 and Lexington Toy and Comic Con.... 

One the East Coast in March its still pretty much winter like Blizzards happen... so it wasn't odd that flights were delayed or late... this caused me to get to North Carolina just in time for my flight to Kentucky, with literally no time to spare. So I arrive in Kentucky to NO luggage... I am just like OF COURSE!!! But I didn't freak out I just talked to the people who said the luggage was on its way. I went to my hotel and prayed to  Jesus.  I was making plans to wear the con's tee... after fries and a drink at the bar as the night moved on I went to the front desk one last time just to see if maybe my bag was there and it was...I was thanking the Lord for sure!!! 

SO the first tip on Lost Luggage is: Stay Optimistic

This is just for your emotional state... no one likes to see any one be sad, crying, angry, outrage... just relax... it doesn't help to have you worry about it... you being sad, mad, or worried won't bring the bag back.... Just breath and smile..... 

SO fast forward to August 2016 Power Morphicon... 

I decide let's take a straight flight to LAX and I won't have to worry about the luggage... WRONG!!!!

I get to the airport slightly late... BUT the chick at the counter told them ONE more is on the way... I get to LAX and NOTHING!!!!! 

I was kind of mad but whatever I stayed calm and put in my claim.... 

That is tip number 2 after remaining calm go over to baggage claim and tell them what's up they will let you know that they will get your luggage to you as soon as they can or they will reimburse you for whatever you have to pay for cause of this lost bag.... I head on over to Pasadena.... With practically nothing....

I check in to the Hotel, Check-in to the con... meet and greet friends... check out the con floor and afterwards I call the airport who tells me "dfghjk';lkjhgfdsfghjkl;';lkjhgfdsfghjkl" which translates to a bunch of crap... by like 5 pm that evening I had a feeling I would not have my luggage so tip number 3 is:

 HAVE EMERGENCY MONEY!!! 

I didn't exactly plan emergency money but I wasn't hurting either... tip number 4: 

Use GPS to find a store.

I didn't have a car... with Uber you can do like anything, PLUS everything I needed for the convention was walking distance, but I didn't know Pasadena from a can of paint... first I looked up Ross, it was too far, so I tried Forever 21 which(randomly) was nearby. Now tip number 5 is: 

Try to be frugal. 

If you didn't plan on an emergency, you have to watch your budget. Forever 21 isn't expensive, but $20 and $20 is $40 and $40 was the cost of my uber ride back.... (didn't realize Pasadena is HELLA far from LA) and I hadn't even really begun to get all the autographs/photos with Rangers, and I needed to eat (even tho during con life I barely eat, but that is a different blog) so I needed to find the clearance  section.... I was able to get a cute shirt for $5 and a cute skirt for $5... awesome deal right!!! I also bought a comb and a pair of undies. Which is tip number 6: 

If you don't do anything else buy some underwear... (bras have a longer life expectancy than panties so what you do about that... I will leave that to your discretion.) 

My mom tells me to keep this kind of stuff in my carry on but I never do... Tip number 7: 

Listen to your mom, more than likely she is right. 

SO I head back to my hotel... and of course call the baggage. New story... from them that sounded more like I wouldn't be getting  my luggage... now I was mad... now previously I said stay calm and smile.... sometimes there comes a point where you get a little mad. I grabbed some food, went back to my room called the airport I got more garbage from them. I actually don't want to talk about them anymore at the end the day... the luggage wasn't going to make it... which really disgusted me and while I was all alone I cried like a 6 year old little girl. I called my mom LOL!! Remember tip number 7: Listen to your mom... yeah repeat that step. She made me feel a lot better (she made me feel like I could conquer the world in the little outfit I bought from Forever 21) and said you know you can hand wash your underwear and use a blowdryer to dry them.... 

This is tip number 8: Hand wash your draws... I guess you can do this if you are a guy too, but girls most def.... and I did have to use the hotel blowdryer the next day to dry them LOL!!! (They hadn't completely dried) 

Tip Number 9 is: 

Go to the front desk a the Hotel and ask for toiletries... these are usually complimentary items.... the hotel gave me a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. And all the hotels I have ever stayed in have shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc in the rooms.  

 

Tip Number 10 is: Buy t'shirts at the con. 

If you are at a convention 9 times out 10 there are t'shirts, they might be free or you may have to pay... go for it.... I bought one tee from Johnny Yong Bosch and one from the people who run Lexington Toy and Comic Con...(they had a booth with an awesome Pink ranger tee) 

BY the way these are tips for a weekend situation, if I had of been there a whole week I may have had some problems for sure...of course some of these tips may help...also had I been there a week I would have been able to get my luggage. 

So I bought a t-shirt and even tho I said I was going to wear the jeans I had on the day before I found an upscale consignment shop around the corner, and got another pair of jeans... I also bought a back pack because at this point I needed a way to carry all my stuff.... 

When ever thing was said and done...I get back to the airport...and Tip number 11 is to make sure the airline reimburses you for the things you had to buy.... 

SO review: 

1.) Stay Optimistic

2.)Remain Calm 

3.)Have Emergency Money

4.) Use GPS

5.) Try to be Frugal

6.) Buy underwear 

7.) Listen to your Mom 

8.) Hand wash underwear

9.) Ask the hotel for toiletries 

10.) Buy Convention t-shirts

11.) Get reimbursed by the airport

AND extra... never check your luggage again...  DO NOT check you luggage always carry on.... smh.... 

I made it through this situation...you can get through it too!!! 

Its Not Just the Power Rangers...it's Fam...

May 2012 I actually published a blog about my bucket list (before I turned 30). My top goal was to go to an anime/comic/power ranger convention and meet the power rangers.  As it is now known I did in fact meet actors who played the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. 

Squad 1

Squad 2

I found out about Power Morphicon (Power Ranger Convention) and wanted to go, but it was in California and for a chick in Delaware it seemed to only be a dream. ESPECIALLY since at that point in my life I didn't travel out of state unless it was in a car or on a greyhound. Also Power Morphicon is every two years (I actually really like that about the con). So in 2012 when I made the goal I looked for cons that were fairly close. Otakon is in B-More (although it will be moving to DC in 2017), and Anime USA is in DC.  

So I met Jason David Frank who played Tommy.

JDF VIP Otakon 2012

 Now JDF is sort of a fan favorite, as in, someone says: "hey remember the power rangers?" and the response is: "Yeah I always liked the Green Ranger or Tommy or the White Ranger." JDF or better yet "Tommy" is that guy.  I kind of got to the climax before even hitting the exposition (Smh I am such a teacher its ridiculous) But really it was just the beginning of the story.... and then I found Lexington 2013 and 2014.... that's right Lexington, Kentucky.

And things really took off with my goal in 2013: 

Walter Jones Original Black Ranger

Karan Ashley 2nd yellow ranger of MMPR

David Yost blue ranger 

Catherine Sutherland the 2nd Pink Ranger (season 3 of MMPR)

   

Jason (Skull) Narvy and Paul (Bulk) Schrier

In 2014 I met Steve Cardenas, he was the 2nd red ranger on MMPR and regrettably I didn't get a pic with him like HOW? So instead I will just promote his business called Force Balance Brazilian Jiu Jitsu....

After 2013 and 2014 things went real crazy and I actually met a lot of other rangers from all sorts of seasons.... But still needed 4 more of the originals...sadly Thuy Trang who played the original yellow ranger passed away in 2001. The original pink ranger Amy Jo Johnson, limits her appearances, at this point Austin St. John had been under the radar having been overseas working as an EMT, and so I kind of let the hope of meeting them go (although technically I was in the same vicinity as Amy Jo while in Lexington during a party so I have that as my keep sake of Amy Jo.) This leaves Johnny Yong Bosch who was the 2nd black ranger of MMPR. He has made a name for himself in the Voice acting world and in the indie music world. I began listening to his band, Eyeshine  and also allowed that love of Asian men out and found out that for me meeting JYB would be a better climax than meeting JDF (SAY WHAT!!!!!) By the time I was meeting Bosch many things in my life had changed, I was a teacher, a girlfriend, I was 30, I was wiser (I suppose).  At this point the friends I had acquired in the ranger world was crazy... so many including artist... Daniel Coney, Cosplayers... Tony Ray... and just the homies everywhere across the United States (across the world really), both male and female (although males are predominant).  I was dabbling into cosplay myself... 

Civilian Cosplay, Joe and Luka Super Sentai Gokaiger

 

That was 2014 so when 2015 rolled around I thought oh I will go to rangerstop, or lexington again. And I didn't...2016 gets here and again I didn't...between teaching, being in a grad chapter of a sorority (was also a dream come true) and being a girlfriend (still yay!!) The cons just weren't happening, BUT WAIT 2016 is a Morphicon year and honestly I was just going to let it go again. I mean me and my boyfriend discussed going, but the likelihood was so slim. Until...I won a ticket to go...I was on Facebook and a contest came up on my timeline from a group called Ranger Live Chat . I usually don't win ever, so I entered thinking no way I am going to win. Time passing and I forget all about it until I get a message from the group saying I had actually won. I really thought it had to be a joke, but soon I received a message about the tickets being processed. So I was like ok I am definitely going.  BUT let us remember life has changed; now I am not going to say power rangers isn't important to me, but at this point with all the responsibility I had gained since making my goal in 2012 I wasn't really showing the excitement. I had a classroom to figure out for summer school/upcoming school year and now I was house shopping with my boyfriend, like wait a minute am I Adulting???? BUT the time comes and I was going to California. Visiting California is a dream come true in itself. Only when I get there NO LUGGAGE!!! I didn't panic... YET... I left my claim and went to Pasadena. (Mind you I was alone. The loner that I am is crazy but that is another blog). Get to Pasadena check into the hotel, go to the convention center get my badge for the con and then I call the airport again. The bag is of course in Baltimore and allegedly on the next flight to LAX and I would get the bag by 8am the next day. I am just like smh. I am still not outraged as there is nothing I can really do. So I go to enjoy the con.  If I don't have my luggage I don't have any clothes by the way and I always try to travel light so the only thing I have in my carry on is a binder of autographs of the people you see above.... *insert crying laughing emoji* I go enjoy Friday night of the con... as much as I can. I decide that I better buy clothes (and underwear) so I find a Forever 21 in walking distance (In my Miss Sofia voice, I knew de was a God).  Now remember I dabble in Cosplay... for Saturday I had an awesome cosplay put together so I could meet...             

  Camille Hyde the first african american to play a pink ranger. This was also a dream come true as I always saw myself as the pink ranger, but it appeared that Saban only could see black girls as a sassy yellow ranger. In the probability that I would not get my bag I searched Forever 21 for a pink tee and found a really cute jean skirt, not an elaborate outfit, but pink.  Go back to the hotel, call the airport, they say something to the effect of it will take 24 hours to get the luggage which means I would get the bag late saturday or sunday; the day I am leaving. So I am so ANGRY. I am burning angry and hungry. SO sulking I go down to the hotel restaurant and partake in Pasadena crab cakes (are they known for that... why would a person from the east coast eat west coast crab cakes)? Now get this... There are power rangers walking all around me, White ranger from Dino thunder is there, Blue Ranger from dino thunder, time force red ranger, black from mighty morphin...come to find out there was a VIP party going on and more and more people started to come thru and I was just sitting there sulking like, Who cares???? I didn't even try to figure out how I could sneak in I just went to my room and called the airport again who just gave me more and more dismal answers. I even made a point to called at 4am when they said they would be open they didn't answer until about 5:30am (i kept calling back) at this point the bag had never left, and was on a flight from baltimore in which it would be at LAX at 9:22 am. Seems like there was hope...nope... knowing airplanes it might land at 9:22 but the bag wouldn't be seen until 10 something and the people at the airport probably wouldn't notice no one was getting it until 10:30...and no one would be calling until 11:00am.  I know what you are thinking well Danielle you are a faithful person so you know God would work it out... yup you are right I knew it would work out but not with that bag. See Pasadena is a good 30 minutes away from LAX if you are just talking distance but the traffic in LA will make you late to your funeral so really its an hour + on a bad day, that would have been both ways, and I wasn't driving I was catching an uber which was going to cost $40 each way. So at 5:30am my eyes were sweating and to keep from calling my mom with a shaky cry baby voice I attempted to call my boyfriend which at 5:45 am in LA means it was about 8:45am on the east coast but he wasn't awake so I called my mom... Won't ya momma make you feel like you can conquer he world??? She was like: "well you bought a pink shirt, well you wear that, you will still look like her!!! and you let the airport know that you had a performance and needed your costumes and everything was cancelled." LOL!! After talking with my mom putting on that simple outfit wasn't so difficult. I thought to myself I can be any pink ranger. 

So I walk over to the convention center and several fellow ranger fans say: "Nice Shelby Cosplay!" I kid you not... $5 shirt $5 skirt, no name brand white sneakers from target, no planning and straight hair with a little  pink lipstick... I was Shelby... It probably helps that I am black and she is black because no one said: Nice Kimberly cosplay or Nice Kat cosplay...It didn't matter... I was on cloud 9 at this point. So God did work it out. I told the airport to keep the bag til Sunday I mean what would be the point in trying to get it. I got to meet Camille Hyde had a great Saturday and by Sunday I didn't want to leave.  I had just met people I knew for years, I met new friends, I met more power rangers, like one I didn't think I had a chance to meet: 

Austin St. John the original red ranger 

The beginning of this trip really made me want to let all of it go. I was really ready to retire the con life. I mean I am not as deep into it as some of my friends but I was really about to retire. I was really about to be like cosplay is over, cons are over, I am never traveling again, I am stupid...etc...etc...etc... parts of me feel like this is only the beginning, again or I am about to begin the sequel... because in a weird way we are family, we are a family of adopted misfits... Our Parents or better yet our God Parents are the actors of Mighty Morphin, Zeo, Turbo (Episodes 1-19 except Blake Foster he is my age). Our Play Aunts and Uncles (like the cool Aunts and Uncles) are the seasons after the originals...we start getting play cousins around Dino Thunder (now they are like the same age as me at least Kevin Duhaney is lol) I mean they are forever using 20 somethings to play teenagers so after Dino thunder you have a mix of play Aunties and Uncles and play cousins and really you have little brothers and sisters because I am older than most of the most recent cast members...(including RPM like really)... but the fans, the adoptees don't just love the rangers, we love each other. And that is why by Sunday I was sad it was over.  After con blues.... so we look forward to the next one... everyone says see you in 2018... or see you at Ranger Stop.... 

I technically made my quota of rangers... and the other crazy thing is they remember me... Catherine Sutherland in that beautiful Aussie accent says: "It's Danielle, right?" Walter Jones, recognizes me and says: "What's Up?" Johnny Bosch pretends to smash my head in a Facebook live video. It's like one of the most interesting communities where everyone is accepted... every race, sex, education levels, disabilities, gay/straight/unicorn, cosplay or not, geek, nerd, dork, cheerleader, frat dude, sorority girl...we are in this community.... The cons are our family reunions. 

A new friend shared a video and I think it further expresses the FEELZ of morphicon.....

OH and damn you Alaska Air!!!! 

Blessings.... Give onto others.... You never know how you are Blessing someone....

I try to do my best with tithing. I feel like I was better at it in the past even with making less money. I had less bills though. So, I didn't budget well... and well here comes Sunday. I whip out the check book and there is an amount on my heart to give, but that meant I had to BE OH SO VERY CAREFUL until payday. Meaning my almost daily trip to 7 eleven in the morning had to stop, any fast food had to stop and no online shopping until further notice. All very do-able especially since I had already planned to do coffee from home, and had stocked on these honey roasted peanut protein pack I snack on. 

When I came home from work I found left overs warmed them up, but saw that my dogs were about to be out of food. I usually get a big box at Foodlion but recently they had only been selling the small boxes, but I know Acme sells the big boxes. I also remembered that my students reminded my para and I that we need to have special pencils for St. Patricks day. My para had looked at the dollar store but hadn't seen any so I said I would go to Party City. Acme then Party City that was the plan. 

Remember I am on a budget so I could get to excited in party city. So I am looking around I found pencils for both St. Patricks and Easter, two small play brushes for barbies or my little pony so my my one female student would be able to brush their hair. And really cute sign for outside of my classroom. Not much. I was trying to be really careful because I didn't want to go over.  I get in line.  Their is an older African American gentleman behind me who asks if I was a teacher. I said "yes" and said "as a matter of fact all of this is for my class." He said, "yup I could tell." So I go to pay and she begins ring it up and this gentleman comes and says, "I am taking care of hers." And I am just like kind of at a loss for words. I want to say: "no sir that's ok" but I also no I am not supposed to block my blessings. It wasn't that much but it was still a huge blessing in two ways. First monetarily and second humanity. 

I told the gentleman that, "when you sow into others you will be blessed times over what you give." He even asked me if I need more pencils. I explained I only have 3 students. Humanity or being nice, showing care, having a heart, noticing a teacher, noticing the love we have for students that was the other blessing. I do have a heart for my kiddos. I am always trying to figure out how to make sure students have a great day, are safe, fed(they don't always like lunch), and learning. 

But I can relate this situation back to Sunday and tithing.  To be honest sometimes when I give I don't always remember that God will give back to me over and abundantly. But today I wasn't just sowed into monetarily but I was shown how good people can be... I was reminded that I need to show others the same kindness.  I knew that this was something that I couldn't just write a small Facebook post. 

This isn't the first act of kindness in this year. Someone else blessed me and I would have blasted it all over Facebook because one it was kind of her to think of me and two I really look up to her, but I don't think she really needed it to blasted everywhere. BUT GOD IS SO GOOD because not long after she blessed me, she was blessed monetarily 10x what she had given to me and I automatically knew it was God blessing her and I explained it to her. I am not one to preach but in that moment I knew it was God. Prior to that my boyfriend took me to a teacher store I carefully chose things trying to stay on a budget but when we got in line he took care of it saying "I just want you to be successful." 

Now I am starting to see a the bigger picture, God's picture... These individual situations are all blessings into my career. Lately I have been questioning my teacherdom as I have some exceptional students or should I say students with exceptionalities. It gets REALLY REALLY hard. But now realizing that these 3 times of what I can remember, (because my para blesses me as well) are times my career has been sowed into I know that I need to stay on my path. 

Thank You Jesus!!! Please bless those who have blessed me! AND help me to bless others and to be a blessing to my students!! Amen!!!