Second thought....maybe I WILL take those knuckles....

Geez!  Where have you guys been?!?!?

Just kidding. 

I was going to get on here and tell you guys that I hadn't blogged because I've been fasting with my church but that would actually be a lie.  Not good.

Blogs aren't restricted in the Daniel fast, which is what I did.

Dang it. 

So I don't have an excuse.  I just couldn't think of anything interesting to write about. 
What's interesting about me?

Then I woke up Sunday morning to get ready for service and it hit me. 

 

I don't remember if I have shared this on my blog before but for anyone who doesn't know me or doesn't know this about me, I do not have knuckles on 6 of my 10 fingers and a few of my toes. 

It's hereditary.

There is actually a knuckle there but there is cartilage in and around the actual knuckle that prevents it from moving.  So I don't even have the extra skin and ridges on those fingers. 

Please don't make fun of my fat, old lady hands but here is a picture for those of you that are visual....

Here's is me as a kid with my tiny no knuckle fingers.  It was cuter back then.

It has actually never bothered me.  Many people would never notice and I have always liked the thought of being different.  People have said to me before, "Awe - I'm sorry!" 

I'm not sure that reaction is needed but whatever.  :)

But the truth of it is, there have been times over the years where knuckles actually would have come in pretty handy. (ha!  Get it - HANDY.)

  And I find that the older I get, the more aware I am.

Sooooooo - I thought I would share them with you so you could understand just how thankful you should be for your fully operating joints.

Remember when we were growing up and we had to do those fitness tests?  Remember the pull up bars?  Not great when you can't grip the bar.  It hurt so bad and I am not sure that at that young an age that I really explained myself well.  So I still had to do them and obviously never did well.  Not that I was destined to be some amazing athlete or anything.  HA!  That makes me laugh just writing it.

Chop Sticks.  Thank goodness I don't like Chinese food because that would be an issue.  I'm sure I would figure out a way to hold them but it certainly would not look right.

Say So.  We have this song that we sing in church called "Say So."  And when you say it, you do this Jersey Shore-type fist pump.  Well one of my friends one day lovingly pointed out that I look ridiculous doing it.  So now every time we sing that song, I giggle a little and just point.  Points for Jesus.  :) 

The reason that I look ridiculous doing it is because I cannot make a fist.  Below is a picture of my fist from all angles.  Warning:  It's a little (lot) disturbing.

Speaking of Jersey - I could never live there because I wouldn't be able to fist pump.

Carrying things.  I am THA WORST at carrying things.  Ice chests are probably the worst because the handles are so thin.  When we decorate outside for Christmas and I help Jarrod get the boxes out of the garage, I always have to stop and re-grip.  Jarrod thinks its because I'm a wimp (which is partly true) but my grip really does slip!  See - I truly wasn't created for manual labor!  It's not my fault.  :)

Singing into a microphone.  I am on the worship team at my church and so I regularly sing with a mic.  Me holding a mic, not a super cute look.  Now - do I think anyone in the congregation is paying attention....of course not!  Does it really actually bother me....not in the least.  But it's funny looking.  So because it's funny I'm sharing.  Here is a picture of what it looks like...

And lastly, interviewing.  I work in staffing so I spend a lot of time in an interview room with people looking for work.  I sit with a clip board holding their application and I take notes about their skills.  Therefore, much time is spent staring at me writing.  I will say, in the 17 years I have worked in this industry, MANY people have noticed my shortage of knuckles and asked me about it.  I guess because I hold my pen strangely, it sort of sticks out. 

This is the view from the applicant's interview chair....

Feel sorry for me yet? 

Well don't.  I have always loved being weird.  And I have weirdo relatives that look just like me! 

I do wonder sometimes though.....I wonder if I could talk someone into giving me a handicap hanger for my car.  Just saying.  It technically IS a handicap. 

Jewels...

WARNING!!!  This blog post has no depth................

I have a slight love for jewelry.  Not jewelry that's worth anything.  Gaudy costume jewelry. 

I have said before, I'm a boring dresser.  I wear plain clothes so that I can wear over the top jewelry. 

I went through everything this weekend to weed out what I didn't wear anymore and to better organize everything.
I have a nice stand that my parents bought me for a birthday a few years ago but I'm convinced that those things are for nice jewelry.  All of my junk doesn't fit in it.

Here is the damage below....

Here is the overflow that I keep in tackle boxes. 

And here of course is jewelry that I have in clumps around the house.  The clumps will eventually turn into mounds of tangled mess and then I will have to put them away.  

I also went through a period where I was obsessed with flowers.  I usually keep stuff like this because things always come back in style I get tired of repurchasing everything. 

 The worst of it is that my daughter doesn't like to wear any of it!  :( 
It's just not her thing yet.  I just knew for sure that I would raise a girly girl.  But she hasn't reach that stage yet.  I'm still holding out. 

Where there's a will, there's a way

Shout out to my co-worker for giving me the title for this blog post. 

Today was insane.  Actually, this entire week has been nuts.  We have been so crazy busy and I honestly cannot remember when I have had this much fun at work.  It's so awesome when it's busy.  I think you have to be in the staffing industry to really understand just how incredible it feels to put tons of people out to work in a week. 

We have our staff meetings on Thursdays and I found this really awesome devotion to share with the group.  It was completely in line with what our heart has really been for this year.  To really be intentional everyday to be available for people and whatever their needs are.  God sends people to us for different reasons.  It doesn't always result in a job, but we know it's not for nothing.  So our mission is to always be available.  Ready and willing to be a vessel.  Not to allow ourselves to get jaded and give up on people.  Because people will let you down.  We are imperfect and you are kidding yourself if you think it isn't going to happen.

Like I said, today was nutso.  We were running around like crazy interviewing, sending resumes, taking new jobs orders, drug testing, scheduling people for interviews, searching after missing people, etc. 

It was toward the end of the day and I had just finished drug screening someone who was hired at a client company and as I walked him out, this is what I saw on our front walkway at the office.



I knew immediately who it was.  This is how one of our employees gets around town.  I've known this about him for a long time but for some reason today, it got to me.  I started thinking about him, about what a great employee he has been.  How dedicated he has been and faithful to get to work and get the job done better than most.  He was in the office because he had completed a short term assignment for us and we had something more long term lined up for him and he came in to get all of the information for it.  When he arrived we realized that one of his identification cards that we keep on him had expired and he said, "no problem.  I have it at home.  I run and go get it and come right back."  Again, us really forgetting that meant getting on a bicycle on wet roads.  But he said it without hesitation.  He returned with the card and we were able to get his file up-to-date. 
He then visited with one of my co-workers about the specifics of the job and asked her if it was 10 miles away or under.  She assured him that we knew his situation and that it was only a few miles from where he lives. 

The reality is, it is only a few miles away but it does require him to go on the feeder road of a freeway.  To which he did not flinch.  10 miles.  10 miles on a bicycle and he was willing to commit to our job, come rain or shine. 

That picture of that bicycle speaks so much.  It speaks of someone that isn't going to allow their current situation to get in the way of what they know needs to get done.  Someone who isn't going to allow their current situation to stand in the way of their future.  My co-worker came back from visiting with him and said that before he left he thanked her again and again for being so good to him and finding him work. 

Out of respect for him and his privacy, I am not going to share what he looks like.  But let me say that he doesn't necessarily look like a stand-up citizen.  But he is.  On paper, he doesn't look like someone you would want to employ.  But he is.  When you look at his situation, he doesn't look like someone who would be dependable.  But he is. 

I think that's what makes this story so much sweeter.  I think that's why I saw his bike on our porch and immediately began to tear up.  How much we could learn from him! 

I say this all the time and will probably continue to say this constantly but I am so thankful to do what I do.  I told everyone in our meeting on Thursday that we have to remember that sometimes God brings people to us not necessarily to help them.  But to help us.  Not to teach them something, but to teach us something.  This employee has blessed our lives so much and taught us so many things.   So amazing....