I gotta admit that I don't think much about e-pets, since my RL pets and rescue volunteerism keep me busy.

But I sure would love it, if someone could retrofit a snooze button onto my cat.

Old joke, but trufax.

Tags: writer's block

 I prefer the type of reality show in which people cooperate and work together.  I'm not into "Survivor" or "Big Brother".  My favorite is "Dancing with the Stars".  It inspires me to see people stretch their boundaries by learning new things.

I've recently joined a church for the first time in my life, and I'd love to see a reality series in which a bunch of faithful amateurs work together to create church services and keep a congregation running.

Our church is a congregation of the Community of Christ, and we do not have paid clergy.  Everyone is asked to participate in the daily challenges and blessings of running the church.  I haven't been baptized yet, but nevertheless I am given something to do every week.  This week, a funeral was being held on Sunday afternoon, so I helped by taking a small child to lunch so that his grandmother could work in the kitchen.  We have a monthly movie night, and I had the privilege of buying a new popcorn popper.  I've pulled weeds, folded programs, brought food for potlucks.

This has helped me to feel immediately at home in church, and it's helped the other members to get to know me quickly.  As an adult convert with a strong will and a whole lot of ignorant opinionated-ness, this type of everyday fellowship has helped me through the "terrible twos" -- in my case, they happened when I'd been at church for two MONTHS!

I'd love to see a Catholic, a Methodist, a Pentecostal, a Presbyterian, etc., all given the task of creating weekly worship.

 

Tags: writer's block

 As someone living with chronic illness, my first thought was "Lived for 100 happy years".  My first 47 have been wonderful (and today is my 47th birthday BTW) and I feel that only now am I truly coming into my prime time of life, in terms of relationships and spirituality.

But I think that I'd like my memorial to be a plaque or a brick in a library where my dog Freddy and I serve as a literacy dog team, helping children to read.  There are already plaques at two different libraries honoring our recently-departed and much-missed dog Cindy.  A small storefront library in a subsidized housing project literally saved my life, because I learned there that there was hope for a better life than the one which my parents modeled in our household, and that libraries have the resources to help people grow and prosper.  That's why Freddy and I go to places where other dog handlers fear to tread.  That's where we are needed.

Tags: writer's block

Okay, so I am gonna start answering those "writer's block" questions.  I think that if I'm honest and thorough in answering them, eventually they will form a word-picture of Karunya.

I've been journaling for decades, and I don't want to reinvent the wheel.  So for those who are just tuning in, be patient with me.  Eventually you'll hear all about...everything.

*hugs*

 For me, it always comes down to the same thing.  No matter what type of negative emotion that I am feeling (anger, sadness, fear, helplessness), I can overcome it by God's grace which I receive by helping someone else.  I am living with a chronic illness (lupus) and when I feel the worst, that's exactly when I need to get outside of myself *AND* outside of my sickroom.  There are so many volunteer opportunities available, and many of them do not require a specific schedule.  I can always walk the dogs at the animal shelter, or call my elderly neighbors to see if they need me to run errands for them, or shelve books at the library.  The point is that I can't fix my own emotions by focusing on MYSELF.  That only makes me feel put-upon, damaged, and hopeless.  But when I reach out to others, it heals my spirit.  Then the pain in my body isn't quite so dispiriting.

Tags: writer's block