*Must Love Dogs

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.
~Author Unknown

If you have a pet - a dog or a cat or a giraffe or a fish or a horse - you understand the quote I am using this week.  I love dogs, so that is what I am going to go with. 

Your dog depends on you. He depends on you for food and for shelter and for walks. He depends on you for potty breaks if he lives indoors and he depends on you for haircuts and baths and medicines and treats and toys.

In your dog's eyes, you do no wrong.  You are perfect.  Your dog is never UNhappy to see you.  I cannot remember a time that I have come home from work or school to NOT be greeted by a wagging tail and a slobbery kiss.  Your dog thinks you are the kindest, most caring, most loveable person.  Your dog thinks you are perfect. 



So you already know where I am going with this, don't you?   Why don't you BE the person your pet already thinks you are?  Obviously we can't be PERFECT.  But you can be kind and caring and loveable to everyone you come into contact with - not just your dog.  You can provide different things to different people in the same way that you provide food and grooming and shelter for your pet.  It's just a different way of thinking about it. 

And be nice to your dog.  Dogs do so much for us.  They listen.  They snuggle.  They don't judge.  And they do the stupid tricks you teach them.  :)

Today's Starfish

Tonight, I watched Kirk and Kalvin while everyone else was doing other things.  They get along pretty well so it wasn't too hard, but no one else had to worry about what the dogs were doing!  Kalvin even shared his toys with Kirk.  That is a Starfish within a Starfish!

The Beauty of Autumn

"When you are afraid to change, remind yourself of the beauty of Autumn."
~Unknown



The crunch of leaves beneath your feet is unmistakable.  The air is crisp and the sun has already started to fade for the evening. The pumpkin spice latte and salted caramel mocha have made their way back on the menu at Starbucks.  The crops are being harvested and you can hear the constant hum of the combine in the cornfield outside your window. Football season has arrived and everyone is cheering on their favorite team and talking smack to their rivals. The autumn scented candles are back on the shelves at Bath and Body Works and have made your home smell like "Apple Crumble", "Cinnamon Nut Bread" and "Autumn Leaves".  Your hooded sweatshirts have made a comeback to the front of your closet and your open toed shoes are on their way to the back.

Summer is slowly fading into fall.  Everything around you is changing.  The sights, the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the feeling in the air.  Autumn is a time for change.  A time to peel off a layer of the past and begin with a smooth, fresh start.  A time to close the chapter on summer and begin something new and exciting.

Today is the first day I really felt like summer was coming to a close.  It was chilly - especially this evening!  I just had to get up from my computer and close my window.  Kalvin, the puppy, even wiggled under the covers the other night in bed.  The seasons are certainly changing.  Now is a great time to make some of your own changes in your life :)  Peel back that dusty layer of the past, open that new chapter and dive headfirst into the gigantic pile of leaves.

Today's Starfish

Kindness is not only about being kind to others, but also about being kind to yourself.  I am going to take my own advice this season and start making some changes in my life.  I am going to dive full force into my pile of leaves and start living whole-heartedly.  I am going to pay close attention to nature and find the beauty in every single day.  I am going to burn more fall scented candles and I am going to wear more hoodies and I'm going to watch more football games and I'm going to tell you how great my team is even if they are horrible.  I am going to feel, really feel, the crispness in the air and and I am going to stop and really hear the crunch of the leaves under my feet.  I am going to drink more pumpkin spice lattes and salted caramel mochas (try to stop me!) and I am going to wear more scarves and sweaters.  I'm going to watch the sunset and I'm going to take Kalvin on more walks.  I am going to slow down this autumn and really LIVE.

My challenge to you:  Do the same. 

FIVE MILLION ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT!

If you can't feed a hundred people, just feed one.
~Mother Teresa


Saturday morning, I participated in an annual fight against hunger in central Iowa called Meals from the Heartland.  Meals from the Heartland began the hunger fight in 2007.  Since the beginning, it has fed 15,216 (average) hungry people per day. 

The event took place downtown Des Moines at HyVee Hall.  Teams of 8-10 of all ages join together and scoop soy protein, rice, vegetables and vitamins into bags that are shipped all around the world - Gallup New Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania and right here in Central Iowa. 

I was on a team of eight and we bagged meals for two hours.  We filled 22 boxes.  Each box contains 36 bags of food and each bag of food creates 6 meals.  If you do the math, I helped feed 4,752 people in just TWO HOURS!  And if you have not figured out my title already, the total meals packaged this year was 5,122,008 in just 4 days!  How AWESOME!

Isaiah 58:10 “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”

Today's Starfish

As I was grocery shopping today, I was thinking about the people who are hungry right here in my state. In my city. I tossed a few non perishable items into my cart that I will take to the Urbandale Food Pantry this week. It's the little things that we can do that can help someone else in a BIG way.