Good, good, good or good?

Good is life & life is good.
I know - it doesn't make any sense and I'm not sure that I would be pleased if it did.

Did you know: there are 45 definitions for the word GOOD in the dictionary. How is that possible you say. I myself am not quite sure. Could you imagine understanding the difference and applying that to the word every time you used it?

I can't.

In the past two weeks, I have seen 3 different movies in the theaters. Marley & Me, New In Town & InkHeart. They have all had good parts in them. And I don't feel bad about seeing them since, after adding the three prices up, I've only spent $11. CRAZY, yes? Yes, considering that I spent $10 on one of them alone, and a mere $ .50 on each of the other two. Oh, and before that, I saw a movie in February: Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I'm not even ashamed to say that I liked it a little bit...

I enjoy $ .50 movies! I don't even mind the fact that they are a little bit older.

Growing up, we rarely went to see movies in the theater.

We waited until they came out on DVD so we could rent them.

I like seeing movies in theater.

I also like writing in small type.

Life is treating me well right now. There are definitely times when I like to complain - mostly about the lack of car, but honestly I've got it good here.

Not gonna lie.

Last night was one of my most eventful nights since I've been here.

And by eventful I mean where I've done the most different things

and that I've stayed up the latest.

I went with Ashley & Candace to what I like to refer to as SAG

Single's Awareness Group.

Which it wasn't by any means.
Well, I guess that it did kind of make me aware that I am single,

but not in a depressing kind of way.

This was actually a young adult night put on by the worship pastor of Providence

Who also happens to be from Michigan.

We had a good chat about that.

and Minnesotan accents, don't-cha-know.

After that, I left rather hurriedly because we

[Pearson, Crystal, Isaiah, Isaiah's friend, myself and SeaBrooke]

were going to go to Red Rocks and hang out a lil.

SeaBrooke & Isaiah both drove and we wound up racing.

SeaBrooke, Crystal & I won, of course.

I would never ride in a losing car.

And I made a new friend in SeaBrooke

I enjoy new friends!

So much!

Well Red Rocks was FREEZING! but it was lots of fun.

Pearson brought her guitar and Isaiah's friend, Will, played it for us a bit.

He's good at guitar which was nice.

Singing in the Ampitheater was fantastic!

The sound was amazing.

As was the view of the city of Denver from there.

Which I wish I would have gotten a picture of. :[

After we left Red Rocks, we raced to The Shoppe -

a sweet Cereal Bar/Cupcake Shoppe.

It's greatness in the making, of that I am sure :D

We were there until closing - which is 2 am!

I am going out on a limb to say that this was the longest I have stayed up since I've been in Denver.

It's kind of AMAZING mixed with SAD and DISAPPOINTING.

I have been through all of those little emotions.

But you do what you can, I reckon.

So, yes. That was my night.

It was good [advantageous; satisfactory for the purpose]

Life is still beautiful...

...even when we mistake it for being ugly and nasty.

I think there is something about looking past what seems to be to strive for a glimpse of what is really just hidden most of the time.

I was riding the bus home on Wednesday [I had to work the midday shift, instead of the regular late afternoon shift] and I was reminded of how good people still are. We had rounded the corner and as we were doing so and heading to the next stop, people in the triangle were making oversized give-me-your-attention motions. They were letting the bus driver know that the man wheeling across the way in his wheelchair (wc) was headed to our stop to get on.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that a man wheeling a wc is fast, but not super fast. So, I looked over out the window and I see a younger homeless man jogging the guy in the wc to the bus stop. It was such an honestly nice gesture it brought a huge smile to my face!

The man was a really haggard looking fellow, old and a bit decrepid [it's the truth!] with this big white beard. He boarded the bus and flirted with the bus driver a little bit, who flirted right back, might I add ;) This man had the greatest spirit - he was just talking to all sorts of people on the bus and waving at a baby who was smiling and cooing right back at him. :o) I was very much surprised to see how loving and gentle this man was.

After he had gotten on, we made a little bit of small talk. He asked
me something but I didn't hear him so I say, "yeah" like in a questioning sort
of way.

He reiterated what he said and I actually heard him this time,
"Can I have a kiss?"
I kind of chuckled and shook my head while saying,
"No"
"I thought that was too easy," he replied.

It was one of the cutest things ever, I think. Soon after this, he got off to transfer to a different line to get to the airport. I do not know if this man was homeless or not. I wish that I would have asked him more questions and talked with him some more. He had on Western Michigan gloves and I really just wish I would have asked him about it. Maybe he was from Michigan and then we could have had a common bond - we do live in an all too entirely connected world :)

I keep hoping that one day I'll get to see him again, but I've never seen him before and I think it's not all too entirely possible, but God is good and it could happen.

I find that I see a lot of beauty on the bus. Granted, there is a lot of vulgarity too, but I am a firm believer that beauty, grace and goodness can outweigh any of the dirty and nasty things that life can sometimes throw at us. There are always way that people surprise me on the bus: the way they get up to let someone else sit in their seat; people who help secure the strollers that might come on the bus; the list really is endless. It just seems that every time I ride the bus, though it hasn't been much, I catch myself smiling a little bigger and feeling my heart expand a little f u r t h e r.

How is it that we serve such a GREAT God?

Recently I went to an all-staff meeting with DRM & they presented a chapter of a book entitled How to Keep it Once You've Got It; at least that was the name of the chapter. Basically it was saying that we need to ask God to do three (3) things with us every day when we wake up.

Stretch Me

• do the impossible - ask God to stretch me in new & humbling ways
• allow me to serve God to glorify Him
• [GLORIFICATION]

Ruin Me

• Break my heart
• God messed me up - he consumed me
• Get rid of the emotional shell - it's risky but worth it
• Feed the hurt - let it grow; God will provide for us
• [VULNERABILITY]

Heal Me

• Ask God to take me and make me new
• Learn to relax
• Stop giving into pleasure - even pleasing people
• [PLEASE GOD]

They went further and applied this to the the meaning of what we do at Denver Rescue Mission. Who we are and why we're here

:: We are an ambassador for Jesus Christ and a servant to the poor
:: Changing lives in the name of Christ
:: Meeting people at their spiritual & physical point of need
:: For those who are willing, we offer practical programs to provide productive & self-sufficient citizenship

6 goals:

.intentional outcome
.opportunity to know who God is and how He operates
.skills to live in community
.justice for all - same rules & policies for everyone
.good learning environment
&
.clear expectations

Proverbs 3:7, :13-14 & :27 (italics World English Bible, WEB, version) [Bible in Basic English, BBE, version]

x. 7 Don't be wise in your own eyes [Put no high value on your wisdom:]. Fear Yahweh [let the fear of the Lord be before you], and depart from evil [and keep yourself from evil].

x. 13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom [Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom], the man who gets understanding [and he who gets knowledge]. 14 For her good profit is better than getting silver [For trading in it is better than trading in silver], and her return is better than fine gold [and it's profit greater than bright gold].

x. Don't withold good from those to whom it is due [Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it], when it is in the power of your hand to do it [when it is in the power of your hand to do it].

God has called us to be faithful to Him!