Alicia Benton

Wear Your Colors Proudly, Ladies!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:14:00 +0000

According to the September issue of LUCKY Magazine, it's no longer considered a faux pas if your nail and toe polish aren't the same color - unless wearing a classic red or a deep wine color.

Check out our selection of O.P.I. and CND Shellac colors and see what fun color combos you come up with!

Walk ins welcome for nail services if time available or call to schedule 770-649-9555.

For a full list of our services, visit us online!

www.gallerysparoswell.com

You get what you give

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:15:00 +0000

I read a great quote today by Bernard Bailey off my iGoogle page. It said, "When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it." (Bernard Bailey was an American comic book artist best known as co-creator of the DC Comics characters the Spectre and Hourman, and a comics publisher, writer, and editor - but that's neither here nor there.)

It seems like I've been dealing a lot lately with people who truly think that they are the center of the universe. When did people stop caring about others? This is the thought process that is ruining our world! Just imagine what kind of a world we could create if people became others focused ... it would be the utopia that Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, Ghandi and a handful of others dreamed of and eventually died trying to achieve.

People need to stop thinking of themselves as the shiz-nit and start realizing that what will make us great is to take the focus off of ourselves and instead love and serve others. Matthew 20:26b-28 says, "... whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Further Luke 10:25-28 says, "And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? How does it read to you"' And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.' And He said to him, 'You have answered correctly; Do this and you will live'."

My personal favorite is the way that Martin Luther King, Jr. said it ... "If you want to be important, wonderful. If you want to be recognized, wonderful. If you want to be great, wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be a servant. That's a new definition of greatness. And this morning the thing that I like about it, by giving that definition of greatness, it means that EVERYBODY CAN BE GREAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY CAN SERVE. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, (and a) soul generated by love and you can be that servant."

We, as followers of Jesus, have been called to LOVE. Love is not selfish. It doesn't put itself first or view itself as better than others. Love is gentle and kind and accommodating and serving and unconditional.

I want to challenge myself to live a life immersed in LOVE. Let me speak it, read it, talk about it, seek it out, surround myself with it and most importantly live it. If I want to be great, if I want to change the world, if I want to make a lasting difference in the cosmos - there is only one thing I must do - LIVE LOVE.

It is what I put out into the world that defines who I am. So that begs the question, who am I and what do I want to be remembered for? When the history books are written, I want them to say "Alicia Benton loved."

30 is the new black

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:08:00 +0000

May 26th is a very important day. Thirty years ago a today my best friend was born. The impact that he's made on me alone is worth writing about, but if you know him, he's no doubt touched your life and heart as well. He has an ability to see the best in people, even when those qualities are very difficult to find - he doesn't give up - and he loves with every ounce of his being.

Drew, you inspire me to love, to grow, to not accept failure. You have helped me become a better person. You extend yourself to everyone that you come into contact with, regardless of any of the things that would keep "normal" people from involving themselves. You have touched more people with your kind presence and since of brotherhood than one can count. Who you are is a rare treasure indeed and I love you so very deeply! I thank God for you everyday and I can't wait to see what the next 30 years of your life brings!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!

Already??

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Today Drew, Aven and I attended the end of the year award ceremony at Emma's school, Bolton Academy. I can NOT believe that first grade is over!! Ahhhhh. Where did the time go?!

Emma got several awards, the Accelerated Reader Award, Honor Roll Award and some award for highest class GPA.

When the bus pulled up at the end of our driveway this afternoon, she about fell off the bus because she was so excited to show me her trophy. She was screaming, "I got my very first trophy!" Her excitement about life is so contagious.

I'm so very proud of you Emma! You are brilliant and you surprise me more and more everyday!!

Sweet Emma is 7!!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:14:00 +0000

As of today, I officially feel like I'm getting old. Today my sweet princess Emma turned seven! Yep, you heard me correctly. S-E-V-E-N. It really feels like it was just last month that we found out we were pregnant. My pregnancy with Emma was completely the opposite of the one with Aven. Emma was very, very unexpected! We were 21 and had only been married for 6 months. Kids were no where on our radar. But life never seems to happen the way we expect, and in this for instance, we're so glad for the redirection.

Although I had pretty bad morning sickness, once I was past that, things couldn't have gone more smoothly. I was 10 days over due when she finally decided it was time. My labor with her looked just like in the movies - I was completely fine and then at 11 pm, POP! WHOOSH! And the contractions hit like a freight train, one right on top of the other. I was ready to go to the hospital by 8 the next morning. I had zoomed to almost 8 by the time we arrived. And then things started to fall apart - our midwife became so aggressive and hostile that my labor completely stopped. My friend and doula called it mother bear syndrome. Long, painful story short, I ended up electing to have a c-section in order to get away from my awful doctors. I just wanted to meet Emma and all these crazy people were keeping me from seeing her sweet face.

Finally at 2:13 am on April 26, 2002, Emma Mallory Benton made her grand entry weighing 10 lbs 2 ozs and was 22 1/2 inches long! Wow, right!?! I fell in love the second I saw her perfect, scrunchie face and that thick black head of hair.

Emma has grown into such an amazing little person. She's loving, sweet, kind-hearted and a free spirit. She's so creative and imaginative that we call her version of reality "Emma-world". She's also completely impulsive. She brings so much liveliness along with her. Life is definitely never dull when Emma is involved.

She's my first born. The one who's had to endure the learning curve of first time parenthood. She's such a joy. Here are some of my favs over the years ...

You are my Sunshine, My only Sunshine.

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Three years ago today we were blessed with the birth of our second daughter, Aven Ray Benton. She's my little Sunshine - if you know her, then you know why we call her that. She's a gift we never thought we'd get to enjoy ...

We were the proud parents of Emma but we wanted to add a sibling to the family for her (and us). We tried to conceive for almost two years. During that time we learned that I have PCOS and that without fertility treatments (which we could not afford) the odds of us having another baby were pretty much nil. I was devastated. I took a long bath the day we found out that news. I cried and prayed and came to terms with the fact that we had more than we could have imagined with Emma. So I decided to let go of my dream of another child and simply put all of my focus on Emma. Little did I know, I was already pregnant!

We made the choice early on not to find out the sex of baby #2. We also kept the names we had picked for the baby secret from everyone. My pregnancy went pretty much perfectly. My due date came and went, just like with Emma.

On April 14th I started contracting. Such a different labor than the 0-60 mph one I had with Emma - this labor was slow. By the morning of the 15th I couldn't take laboring at home any more so we headed to the hospital. After over 30 hours of labor, I had my second c-section. The surgeon, nurses and Drew and I were all taking bets in the delivery room as to what the sex was. I will never forget when the surgeon pulled her out and said, "It's a girl!" I shouted, "We have an Aven!!"

Aven Ray Benton was born on April 16, 2006 (Easter morning). She was exactly what this family needed - we are now perfectly balanced.

Aven's our resident drama queen and comedian all wrapped into one. She's so particular and expressive and has these baby blues that could melt a heart of stone. She's a princess and she reminds us of that fact every day. I am so blessed to have her in my life!

Here are some of my favorite picutres of my Sunshine ...

Card Me

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Check out this organization and see how you can help the needy with the $2.00 left on the random gift card in your wallet.

jeffshinabarger.com

Small gesture, Huge impact

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Homeless man, Ansley Park neighbors strike deal

Life looking up for man who lived under tree in Winn Park for 10 years

By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

He lived under a tree at Winn Park. He’d been there a decade, long enough that people living near the Midtown park knew him — Jake Compton, the homeless guy in the sleeping bag.

He did the occasional odd job, accepted handouts. He was a reminder that life isn’t always easy, or fair.

For 10 years, Rodney Jacques Compton has slept in a sleeping bag in Winn Park in the Ansley Park neighborhood.

Compton has been working to clean the pond at Winn Park after being hired by the Ansley Park Neighborhood Association. He’s saved some money and may soon have a place to move into.

Jerry Attkisson worried about Compton. Was he warm enough? Did he have enough to eat?

In June, the 67-year-old retired real estate investor was tired of worrying. He approached Compton with a proposition: If Compton would distribute mulch around the park, Attkisson would pay him $2 for every pile the homeless man moved and spread out. Deal, said Compton.

That summer, a range of new hills spread across the park — 25 piles here, 50 there. It was as if a giant mole kept popping out of the ground, leaving huge mounds in its wake.

Attkisson kept his part of the bargain, regularly paying, “but it was getting kind of expensive.”

He wrote 200 other families who live near the park, asking if they would help create a fund that would beautify their park and get a man back on his feet. About 40 households responded with an average $100 donation — $4,000 in all. Compton worked through the rest of the year. The piles, and his savings, grew.

Now, Compton, 48, is helping clean the pond at Winn Park. He’s got a bank account, a cell phone, and his eye on a nice little place on Piedmont Avenue. He’s been on the street for 10 years, following “family problems.”

“I’ve met some nice people,” said Compton, who moved to Atlanta 33 years ago from Griffin. “Hopefully, things are looking up for me.”

These days, Attkisson and Compton occasionally dine together. They talk about books; “Same Kind Of Different As Me,” a novel about people from markedly different backgrounds, had a particular resonance. They talk about families, about a decade in a sleeping bag. They are linked by their park, their humanity. They are friends.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is what it's all about folks. You don't need to rearrange your life or sell everything you own. You don't even have to inconvenience yourself. All you have to do is be willing to open your eyes to see what's going on around you. This man's small gesture has made a huge impact not only on the life a homeless man, but on his community as a whole. In these financially trying times, no one expects for you to go broke trying to save the world ... so why not instead simply try to help improve the life of just one ... you'll be so surprised to see the ripple effect in your community.

Kindness will help the Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:31:00 +0000

KINDNESS WILL HELP ECONOMY, HOMELESS WOMAN'S RESCUER SAYS

Acts of kindness will help pull the nation through its economic crisis, according to the woman who came to the rescue of a homeless Floridian who publicly appealed to President Obama.

Henrietta Hughes, and Chene Thompson talk on the lawn of the home Thompson is letting Hughes use.

Chene Thompson, the wife of state Rep. Nicholas Thompson, R-Fort Myers, is letting Henrietta Hughes and her son stay in a house she owns in nearby La Belle rent free until they get back on their feet.

"You don't have to be a politician to put forth a stimulus package," Chene Thompson said during a joint interview with Hughes Thursday on CNN's "American Morning." "This is our own little mini-stimulus package for a person who was a stranger and now is a friend.

"Anybody can help anybody at any time. It doesn't need to be something that comes from Washington; it can come from your own home and from your heart, even if it's for a little bit."

Hughes emerged from the crowd at Tuesday's town hall meeting in Fort Myers to tell Obama she and her son were living in a car and needed immediate help. The president asked her name, kissed her on the cheek and promised his staff would work with her. Watch Hughes' emotional plea to Obama »

Thompson, who was in the audience, stepped forward afterward to offer Hughes her vacant house, which the Thompsons had to leave because it is outside her husband's legislative district.

"She was sincere and direct and to the point, and she needed help," Thompson said. "And it actually touched me and I started to tear up and I started to cry. ... It sort of broke my heart."

Hughes feels "overwhelming gratitude," she told CNN in the front yard of the house, "because no one would do that."

"Oh, yes they would! Yes they would!" Thompson interjected, wrapping an arm around Hughes' shoulders. "I was just in the right place at the right time." Both women beamed.

The house has remained unsold in southwest Florida's depressed market, Thompson said. She continues to be responsible for paying the mortgage, property taxes, insurance and utilities, so it benefits her to have someone occupying it to keep it from becoming run-down, she said.

According to the White House, the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation last year, with 12 percent of housing units receiving a foreclosure-related notice.

Median housing prices in the Fort Myers metropolitan area have plummeted from $322,000 in December 2005 to less than $107,000 in December 2008, the Obama administration said.

Nearly 12,000 jobs have been lost in Fort Myers in the past year.

White House spokesman Joshua Earnest said Wednesday that the administration connected Hughes with local housing officials in the crowd.

On Wednesday, the head of the local housing authority, Marcus Goodson, said he met with Hughes and is working on finding her a subsidized housing unit with a short waiting time.

Hughes on Thursday urged Congress to approve legislation to deal with the housing crisis.

"If that would pass, that would help many other -- hundreds and thousands of -- low-income persons to receive housing," she said.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There was a time in our nation's history where it was neighbors and the church that would bring aid to their fellow man. In this time of such economic uncertainty the only thing that can be counted on is the fact that our government already has their hands full! We need to get back to this kind of thinking ... neighbors helping neighbors ... people helping people. We've relied on our government enough. One simple act of kindness will mean more than you can imagine.

Isn't it time we lean on one another to get us through?

The Bible is not a weapon, folks

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:32:00 +0000

I am about to go way out on a limb here. I can only imagine what's going to be said about me after this post but honestly, I'm not trying to seek anyone's approval. And for my churched friends, let me preface this by saying that I have studied my bible and spent time in prayer about this subject and I have also spent a large amount of time in the gay community ... all of which has led me to my stance on this subject. So, at the risk of great ridicule, I would like to say that I am not opposed to gay marriage.

Now, give me a chance to elaborate ...

I believe that the way that God views marriage and the way that government views marriage are very different. I understand that the way God describes marriage in the bible is between a man and a woman. But God also describes marriage as a spiritual covenant made between those two individuals and God. (And just as a reminder, the bible condones plural marriage - something that we as a society have chosen to make illegal.)

That being said, I also believe that marriage as we see it today is something very different. It is a legally binding contract entered into by two consenting, non-related individuals of legal age in their state who are contracting to combine their lives, and as a result are granted certain benefits for their commitment - such as the right to inherit, tax benefits, health benefits, etc.

Now, here's where I'm going to stretch you ... the bible also states that God is love and love is of God. I believe that anywhere you find love, you find God because the one can not exist without the other. If two men or two women share love, then whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, that is from God and of God. 1 John 4: 16 says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." Just because the church interprets the bible in such a way as to believe that God does not condone a spiritual covenant between two people of the same sex does not mean that those two individuals should not receive the same legal benefits as a heterosexual couple would receive. A lifetime commitment is a lifetime commitment. People are people and should be treated as equals ... regardless of race, sexuality, social or economic background.

We, as Christians, need to stop hopping up onto our soap boxes all the time and realize that love is of God, regardless of whether you understand it or not and that contractual marriage between two people does not mean that God views them as married - whether they are gay or straight.

We can not share Christ with people if they think that we hate them. We are making a mockery of God and using His words to serve our own agendas. The bible is not a weapon people ... it's a love letter.

Do we really want to continue to allow God to be the butt of the jokes? Do we really want to continue to be viewed as close-minded bigots who will use God as an excuse to be a-holes? The only way that we can affectively reach the world is through the power of LOVE.

Let's take back the idea of what it is to be a Christian and give it a positive meaning because I, for one, am tired of being viewed like this ...

Imagine all the people

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:44:00 +0000

On Sunday Drew and I attended Courageous Church. We had been invited to represent SafeHouse Outreach because the pastor,
Shaun King, was speaking on poverty. At beginning of the service they showed a video that I haven't been able to stop thinking about and I wanted to share it with you.

Be prepared ... it will get your wheels turning ... What if the world were made up of only 100 people ...

No Greater Love ...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:50:00 +0000

I was laying in my bed this morning with Aven sitting next to me watching Handy Manny. The warmth of my covers was way to good to get out of bed so I grabbed my phone and started reading the news off CNN mobile. I stumbled across an article that brought me to tears ... not that crying over the news these days would be abnormal, but this story was different. It was about LOVE ... beautiful, innocent, desperate love ... Christ like love ...

Teen attempts suicide to give liver to dying father

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Chinese girl tried to commit suicide because she wanted her family to donate her liver to her cancer-stricken father, state media reported Thursday.

The girl, Chen Jin, swallowed more than 200 sleeping pills after she discovered a medical note in her mother's purse that said her father was dying of liver cancer and had three months left to live, the news agency Xinhua said.

Jin's mother returned home after visiting her husband in the hospital to find the front door locked. The mother climbed in through a back window and found two empty bottles of sleeping pills.

"Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you any longer," read a note that the teen had left next to her. "Please give my liver to dad and save him after my death."

The incident occurred January 24 in Jiangsu province in east China. The teen was taken to the same hospital as her father, where she remains in intensive care, drifting in and out of consciousness, Xinhua said.

Doctors say that even if she pulls through, she will need surgery for burns she suffered from an electric blanket on her bed when she lost consciousness, the China Daily newspaper said.

According to Chinese media reports, the family -- whose monthly income is about 1,000 yuan ($146) -- has already spent nearly 100,000 yuan ($14,600) in medical expenses since the father was diagnosed with cancer more than a month ago. The mother, who is also in poor health, retired early more than eight years ago.

The woman told China Daily she is now trying to keep her husband from learning of their daughter's desperate act of love.

Updated 3:45 a.m. EST, Thu February 5, 2009

John 15:12-13 says, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (NIV)

When was the last time that you loved someone so much that you were prepared to give up your own life for theirs? Let's be honest here folks ... when's the last time that you loved someone enough to even inconvenience yourself? Love is not simply a word ... Love requires action. It's not love if you have to "fit it in".

Love is what motivates me. I challenge you to let yourself be motivated by love today ... beautiful, innocent, desperate love ... Christ like love ...

MLK, Jr. Day

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:43:00 +0000

When you visit the website for The King Center you are greeted by audio of Martin Luther King, Jr. This clip contains one of my all time favorite quotes. Dr. King says ... "If you want to be important, wonderful. If you want to be recognized, wonderful. If you want to be great, wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be a servant. That's a new definition of greatness. And this morning the thing that I like about it, by giving that definition of greatness, it meas that EVERYBODY CAN BE GREAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY CAN SERVE. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, (and a) soul generated by love and you can be that servant."

Wow.

Those words have been a huge inspiration to both myself and Drew. Those words are one of the things that fuel why we do what we do ... but that's something to dive into another day ...

The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was created to bring honor to the life that he lived and the service that drove him and ultimately ended his life. He was truly an amazing man. He was great ... because he was a servant. In that theme, SafeHouse holds a day of service on MLK day every year. We go into neighborhoods that most people pretend do not exist for the sole purpose of showing them love and friendship.

Yesterday we went to Forest Cove Apartments on the west side of Atlanta. These apartments are located directly next door to the Federal Prison. It looked like a TuPac video ... hoopties rolling by, dealers congregating on the street corners, very young children wondering around alone. I say that just to paint a picture of the neighborhood we were in.

We rolled in with our tents, mobile medical unit, bounce house, hand-up services, entertainment and groceries (compliments of Convoy of Hope). The day went off without a hitch! It was a beautiful day of blacks and whites, rich and poor, urban and suburban, young and old, police and dealers just being people hanging with people. The walls were down, smiles were on, fun was had by all. It was a fitting tribute to my personal hero, Martin Luther King, Jr.

To me, that's what it's all about ... people ... people loving and serving and just being real. I'm so grateful that I got to be a part of such an amazing day!

Hope you enjoy these pictures and can get a glimpse of why we do what we do ...

SO PROUD!!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:38:00 +0000

I know that every mother thinks that their kids are the cutest, smartest, funniest, best kids on the planet ... but my really are! At least that's my opinion. But I have reason to think so ...

Today Emma rushed in the house from the bus screaming and waiving a piece of paper around. At first I was like, "Oh, No!" But once I got her to tone down her excitement and catch her breath, I found out that Emma was put on Honor Roll! She got a certificate, a medal and a coupon for a free Happy Meal ... which I think the Happy Meal was her favorite part. I'm so proud of her!! She's brilliant! She's never made less than an A on anything at school. She loves, loves, loves to read and learn. I can't wait to see what she accomplishes in the future!!!!

Unblocked

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:22:00 +0000

I've had a creative block for months. I haven't been writing or painting ... which is usually not a great sign for me, but I think it has been because of all the commotion of the holidays and what not. My creativity is officially unblocked! Yay! I only wish I had time to paint all the ideas in my head right now. Hopefully I will be able to squeeze out some more time to paint this week.

Report Card

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:04:00 +0000

I am so proud of my sweet Princess Emma. She came home with her report card today and once again she got all A's!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:36:00 +0000

On December 30th Drew and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary! Yea us!! We are two seriously odd people that somehow managed to find each other and I'm so glad that we did. So, what do most people do for their anniversary? Maybe give each other nice gifts, go to a fancy dinner, take a vacation ... all of those sound fun, but we went a completely different route. Drew and I spent our anniversary showing 33 teenagers the plight of the homeless in Atlanta. We took them on a tour of Peach and Pine (aka Task Force for the Homeless) which is the largest overflow shelter in the city, showed them "Chicken Run" where people dumpster dive under the 5 Points Marta Station, the Abandominium that houses more than 100 homeless people and "Jurassic Park" where a large number of crack addicted homeless live.

That might sound like a crazy way to spend such an important day, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I will say this, for as weird and crazy as we are, we've made it this far. It's sad to say that our marriage has outlasted most of our friends marriages. I feel so blessed that Drew and I both never stop trying, and working, and striving to better our relationship. It's been a lot of hard work that has gotten us this far! I look forward with great anticipation as to what lies ahead of us over the next eight years.

Peach and Pine.

The resident volunteer dorms at Peach and Pine.

the Abandominium

Avoiding the Trap

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:50:00 +0000

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget. - Thomas Szasz

Wise words. Forgiveness isn't easy for many people in the world. I happen not to be one of those people. Forgiveness comes easily to me ... now, trust, that's a completely different story. Forgiveness is so vitally important in life. It we do not forgive then no forward progress can be made. Sometimes I think I forgive too easily and then fall into the trap of forgetting. Remembering the wrong is just as important as forgiving it. If we forget and just wipe it from our memory, have we learned or grown from the situation?

I forgive, but I can not forget because I have changed as a result of the wrong ... I am wiser and stronger than before and know what to do when a similar situation appears in the future. It's a fine line, though, between remembering and harboring. Remembering is a must but harboring negates ones ability to actually forgive and that's the trap I want to avoid. I have a feeling that this is one of those balances that takes ones entire lifetime to figure out.

Daily Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:35:00 +0000

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary the definition of Hero is as follows - a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; b: an illustrious warrior c: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d: one that shows great courage.

The first name that pops into my head when I hear the word Hero is my husband, Drew. He wouldn't much agree with that, but those of us who are so privileged to have him in our lives very much think that to be the case.

The second name that pops into my head is Martin Luther King, Jr. Talk about an amazing human being who was driven by passion ... He was passion personified! Not only did he give one of the greatest speechesof all time but he retaught an entire generation how important love and peace are, not to mention the fact that he won the Nobel Peace Price. That's what makes him my hero. He was driven by the same things that drive me ... love, life, peace, family, God.

I have an application on my iGoogle page that gives me a quote from MLK, Jr. everyday. And as you can imagine, everyday when I get on my computer, I am inspired by his words, his life, his passion ... inspired to lead a revolution, inspired to see things from a different point of view, inspired to show love when I really want to rip someone's head off ... but I digress ... the quote for today reads as follows:

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."

Again, his words are so inspiring to me. Love is the most important life force. Without love, what do we have? Hate is easy but Love take courage. I want to live every moment of my life out of love, which is super hard for me. My first reaction used to always come out of a place of hurt and pain. I didn't used to care who got hurt in the process as long as it didn't end in more pain for me. That's not the case anymore. I still do react like that more than I'd like to admit, but something inside of me has changed ... it's Love. It's the influence of love around me that has stirred the love inside of me to grow. Love has awakened a part of me that I didn't even know existed because it was being strangled by hurt, pain and hate. MLK, Jr. said it accurately here ... hatred truly does darken life and love illuminates it ... life becomes brilliant, exciting and fulfilling when it's lived out of love.

I really wish I could have met Dr. King. I would have really enjoyed learning at his feet and experience his passion first hand. But I have the next best thing, Drew. His ability to love, his compassion for others, and his passion are infectious. His presence changes people. It's the craziest thing! He inspires and awakens emotions inside of people that that had no clue were even possible. He challenges growth without even realizing what he's doing. It is a direct result of Drew's influence on my life that has allowed me to make the changes within myself that have been made.

I want to surround myself with other Heros ... other people who inspire and challenge me to be the best person that I can be.

You are my Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:49:00 +0000

Aven is such a cool little girl. Her personality is so bright and happy that we call her Sunshine a lot of the time. She may only be 2 1/2, but she has the funniest sense of humor and her comedic timing is spot on. She is constantly doing something to make us laugh or bring a little sunshine into the day. She rounds out our family perfectly.

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:23:00 +0000

Emma has really blossomed into a book lover ... which, of course, makes me super happy. I love reading now, but not so much when I was a kid so I'm especially happy that it's something she's into at the age of 6. I was at my mother-in-law's over the weekend and was telling her that Emma has read every children's book that we have (which is somewhere in the 75+ range) and that I thought that age appropriate chapter books would be a good Christmas present idea for her. Penny promptly lead me downstairs to a large tupperware container filled with books from when her boys were little. Needless to say, we came home with a ton of new books for Emma to read. As a result, Emma spent at least 2 1/2 hours in her room reading yesterday afternoon and when it was time for bed she asked if she could read two more books. We reached a compromise of one and then it was lights out. I went into her room to check on her after a half hour had passed and this what what I found ... my little reader sleeping with her book still opened to the page she was on. I totally melted. This is definitely one of the cutest things she's done lately.

Great minds ...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:00:00 +0000

I had this great blog written earlier about Mother Teresa and how she's one of my heros. I was about to put the finishing touches on it and post it when I got a call from Drew telling me he had just posted a blog about ... guess what? ... Mother Teresa. I mean, I think it's great and all that we are so simpatico but come on ... ugh. Oh well. I decided not to post mine because I though it'd look like I don't have an original thought. I need to be quicker on the draw I guess.

International Hug Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:02:00 +0000

In 2004 Juan Mann started the Free Hugs Campaign, a social movement involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places. As a part of the campaign he started the International Hug Day. The campaign caught traction in 2006 with their music video by the Sick Puppies and an appearance on Oprah.

So, with that said ... lets get out there and dish out the love ... hug it out folks!

Most Hectic Weekend Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:04:00 +0000

Most people relax over the Thanksgiving holiday ... eat some turkey, maybe hang the Christmas lights, take in the latest movie. Not us. Not even close. Thanksgiving is one of the most hectic times for us. Not only did we have to do the whole holiday share thing again spending Thursday divided equally between my parents house and Drew's parents house ... but we also help put on the annual SafeHouse Chili Outreach. This year was extra busy because Drew also had a team of 20 students in town for the weekend as well! Yeah, I said it was hectic.

Chili Outreach was amazing ... even though the weather was not cooperative and the whole event had to be moved indoors at the last minute. We had a great client and volunteer turnout! Hundreds were fed, clothed in winter wear and connected to assistance of all types. Amazing day!

Needless to say, restful the weekend was not ... but it was so worth it. Now I think I need to sleep for a days to catch up.

So many reasons to give thanks ...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:59:00 +0000

The Annual SafeHouse Chili Outreach was an amazing day ... despite the pouring rain. There were hundreds helped, clothed and fed. I wish I could share with you all of the stories of the day, but I narrow it down to my favorite ...

Verizon Wireless loaned us 20 cell phones with free service and unlimited minutes so that our homeless friends could call their loved ones. Many, many of them took us up on this and made contact with friends and family that they had not spoken to in months or even years.

One of the many who used this service was a young man who had not spoken to his mother for quite a long time. He made contact with her using our Verizon Wireless Call Home station. They spent over 45 minutes on the phone. When the conversation was over, he hung up the phone, with a huge ear to ear grin handed it to one of the women working this station, gave her a big bear hug then proceeded to walk to the corner of Ellis Street and Courtland Street and hop in the car with his mother!! Even retelling this story now brings tears to my eyes.

There is something so indescribable about being involved in moments like this. This young made is home and off the streets because of myself and every other volunteer that came out and helped us make the Chili Outreach happen. People ask Drew and I why we do what we do and why we choose to spend our time hanging out on the streets with homeless people ... this young man is why. We do what we do because we love each and everyone of them and want to see them restored to being the best version of themselves that they can be. This young man reconnecting with his mother explains why we make every sacrifice, why we live in the city, really why we do pretty much everything we do. Drew and I want to show the world love ... even the part of the world that others chose to pretend doesn't exist.