so i feel bad for not writing in a while but honestly i haven't really felt like i've had anything worth writing about. i've still been doing my kindnesses every day and i have to admit, sometimes i love it and sometimes i don't. sometimes i feel like i have a lot going on with my kids being home for the summer so i don't always want to focus outward. so this experiment has definitely been challenging me to see beyond my schedule for the day and realize blessing someone else's life might actually make my day better in the process (how unselfishly selfish of me). this last statement reminds of the friends episode where joey challenges phoebe to find a selfless good deed b/c every time you do something nice it, usually, makes you feel good too. and joey thought that was selfish b/c you were only doing nice things to make yourself feel good. which, to be honest, is a little bit true. it does make me feel good to do nice things for others. where i get tripped up is when i think these good things are all about making me look or feel a certain way. that's when the devil dangles pride right in front of my face. and pride is an ugly little thing, isn't it? it makes us so puffed up and fools us into thinking we're really good people. when the truth is, we have no good in us except for the good jesus put there. i'm reminded daily of how little good i have in me when i catch myself yelling at my kids, or gossiping, or being short with my husband. these are things that remind me of how much i need jesus' grace b/c he knows i don't deserve it. but i'll take it every day of the week!

so i did a little baking this week b/c who doesn't looove receiving baked goods? so i thought i'd make some peanut butter cookies for some of the men we had working at our house this week. they didn't speak english but they seemed grateful...and confused. they were probably thinking, "this girl just gave us peanut butter cookies with nothing to drink and it's 90 degrees outside! she must be muy loco!" in my defense, i'm pretty sure they had water bottles. i also baked some bread for my neighbor who's having her kitchen renovated. i know how much i would hate to be out of a kitchen and thought she and her husband might enjoy something homemade. when i took it to her she showed me her kitchen and it made me want to cry. there was literally nothing in it besides the floor and the walls. no appliance, no cabinets, no sink, no counters, nothing. she said it's been that way for 6 weeks. and seeing that i would love to redo my kitchen one day, this completely freaks me out! i mean, no kitchen. with 3 kids. come to think of it....my kids would LOVE this!!! they could eat out every night and not have to eat their designated 3 bites for dinner. chicken nuggets, cheese quesadillas, and fish sticks every night, YES! sad, b/c i'm an ok cook. i'm definitely not horrible, my roast could use some work but really i can follow a recipe so my meals usually come out ok. but when your kids don't eat grilled anything, green veggies, casseroles or things with a chicken texture...options are limited. well, i've gotten a bit off task now haven't i? sorry. anyway, i think i may need to invite these neighbors over for dinner sometime soon. and i also think it's about time i get to know some more of my neighbors. we know a few but you never know when you'll need a cup of sugar! til next time...