Day 38: Perks

I have found that God makes a wonderful personal shopping assistant.  Not to mention, parking assistant.

Maybe it’s just because I get giddy about fun, silly little things and like to give God the credit for them.  Shouldn’t He get it anyway?  If scripture says every good and perfect gift is from above, shouldn’t that include fabulous parking spots and scandalously good deals?

I guess it simply confirms the delicious truth that He loves me. 

And that I’m His favorite. 

You are too.  Just don’t tell anyone I told you.

I digress.

Perks.  For instance, today, I ventured out to the mall in the hopes that I could snag a fur-lined hooded vest from Old Navy’s 60% off racks that I’d spotted on a friend yesterday {I love, love, love vests…and all of mine are in the storage unit}…on a blustery, snowy, slushy day…with 2 children by my side.  Make that 3.  Becks accompanied me with our niece, Zuri.

Chances of finding one at the very end of the post-Christmas weekend were slim, and I was half expecting to have a stressful, unpleasant {kid} experience, but it was glorious!

Apart from having a woman ask me if I was missing a little girl {she had stopped Alathea as she snuck out the door} – gulp! – it went seamlessly.  I even walked away with the exact item I’d hoped for, a gorgeous furry vest in the perfect color, in my size.

Aaaah, I’m feeling the love!

On another note, there are only 3 days until January 1st, 2010.  I have informed the friends we’re bringing in the New Year with that at 12:01 on Friday morning I will be indulging in a decadent cup of coffee and whatever chocolate I can lay my eager mitts on.  And then I may just repeat the process.  Again and again.

But, maybe not.

I’m just a wee bit terrified to reintroduce two things I seem to completely lack any sort of control over.  A true choco-coffee-holic I seem to have become over the past few months.

And that’s one of the reasons I love a New Year!  Fresh beginnings provide such a stunning source of hope and encouragement. 

I like them even more than I like Mondays!  Yes, I’m odd.

In the same way the stunning flakes that have fallen from the sky all day have left the horizon clean, white and sparkling…a New Year wipes the slate clean and provides a magnificent new canvas for us to apply the bright colors of hope and glittery sprinkles of joy upon. A fresh start always provides a host of new colors to work with; a brand new palette of possibilities, if you will.

I’m all about new.  Hope and joy are simply the perks of being His.