This is Mr. Bell Smiling.....
It has nothing to do with my post today, but as I said before, I think that Chihuahuas should rule the world!!!!
He may be smiling, because I have the best friends in the world....
At least I like them...
April 2 was my birthday...I turned 37 ..and i am not sure how I feel about that, as really...I don't feel 37..and i am not sure i act like it either! (LOL)
(As I am sure our church youth would attest....)
I got a phone call early in the morning..we were up because it was Sunday, and we were on our way to church...
It was Paul. (He is the associate pastor/worship leader at our church.) He told me he had laryngytus and asked if i would mind coming in early and singing...
When i got there the power was out, so first we all gathered and asked God, if He had time, would He please mind turning the power back on first as someone had hit a powerpole the night before, and it had been off all night. 
We just finished praying and wouldn't you know it, the power came back on. I love those little faith building moments.....
After the first song, Paul kindly announced to the entire congregation of 300 people that it was my birthday, and they proceeded to sing Happy birthday to me...(I was soooo embarrassed.....
After church we went for lunch...to Kelseys with some friends. We were all sitting around talking when Paul gave me an envelope with 280 dollars in it! For those of you who haven't been keeping up, we had a breakin and they didn't steal anything except for my guitar and my keyboard...Unfortunatly we had no insurance (which we do now) or an alarm (which we do now...) and so the guitar was gone. Kendal felt sorry for me and bought me another one..but it was money out of pocket. Fortunatly we did get some tax money and were able to put about 800 dollars on the new one, (which you can see if you scroll down the blog..) However it was going to be monthly payments for the rest.....
And this is why Taco was smiling...
and the reason i love my friends.
The 280 dollars wasn't just from my friends Paul and Tammy, (apparently he and my mother in law had been conspiring...and according to her are now good friends...) but it was also from some other friends from my church. AND
not just my church. There is more money coming from some friends in another church I used to go to but no longer attend.
Some of the money coming is also from family members....and .....
it is still coming!!! My 2 children who still live at home both donated...Brandy gave me 100. and my youngest gave me 50! My oldest apparently is also donating....
So far we have received 600 dollars.
It isn't the money that means anything to me...It is the heart behind the money. For example, after the break in...our friends Scott and Cori showed up on our doorstep after church...with a bunch of security stickers and a Washburn guitar for me to use...I am not sure how well i responded, since i usually am embarrassed when people do things like like that...old habits die hard...i guess i always expect people to act badly....but i was really touched that they would have thought to do something like that. We also called Paul and Tammy the night of the breakin, and Paul offered to come right over and pray for us even though it was midnight...you can say it is because he is a pastor, but i have known lots of pastors.......and they also brought us a bunch of security stickers....Thanks guys (even though i haven't sent the address of the blog yet, so you probably won't read this...hehehe) That is why i love Saskatchewan.... my husband and I have been blessed time and time again by the unconditional love and kindness from the people we have met here...We have made some of the best friends we have ever had in Regina.
It shocks me again and again to see the completely unselfish attitudes and love which have been extended to us over and over ...and which make us glad that we have moved here and chosen the friends we have..
( BTW...For those friends and family who live outside of Saskatchewan, we still love you too,...Jason and Shawna, Jeremy, Sandy, Scott and family and others....but you should move here!)
We just want everyone to know that we love you dearly....and I am blessed beyond belief to have the friends and family i have....(and Paul...your birthday will come....hehehehe...)
All of this has also proved to me yet again the grace of God in my life, that what Man intends for evil (the break in)...the Lord intends for good....(the blessing)
If the break in hadn't happened, then I would not have been able to witness just how blessed I really am....and this guitar means far more to me now, then my other one did. I feel like i have a piece of everyone in that guitar because of the gifts which helped to pay for it! I would rather have this one now...!!!
The thief can keep the other.........it was just mine.
