30-Day Giving Challenge: Days 6,7, & 8

Day 6:  As previously mentioned, I donated blood on Saturday.  This was my first time to successfully do so since college.  Once upon a time, donating blood was my biggest fear.  I mean huge!  Even when I was young and it was time for blood tests at the doctor, I would always jump when they tried to prick my finger - the nurses weren't such a huge fan of me.  I tried to give blood once to fulfill a health requirement my Freshman of college and was grateful to be told I had a low iron count.  Score!  A couple years later, though, I was determined to conquer my fear - and so I did!  How freeing to get rid of something that had hovered over me for years.

I convinced my husband to overcome his fear last year - but I was unable to donate at that time and so, here I was, about six years after the first donation, ready to face the needle again.  And I realized that after giving birth four months ago and being stuck with countless needles (and that being the least of the pain endured), one tiny stick in the arm was actually not something that invoked even the tiniest anxiety.  Are you kidding me?  It's a good day when a nurse only has to jab one sharp object into me.

In fact, I'm counting the days until I'm allowed to donate again. 

I encourage you to find a blood drive near you!

Day 7: Our Sunday School Class provides a meal for Good Shepherd Chapel (a church-like program for needy children in our area) the first Sunday of every odd month - which just so happened to be yesterday.  Thus, I spent Saturday and Sunday baking five dozen muffins from scratch.  This makes me feel so domesticated. 

Muffins, to me, have always been in the same category as brownies:  Things I Never Realized Could be Made Without a Box.  Having only ever seen these two baked good be prepared straight from the Betty Crocker Mix, it never occurred to me there was another way.  So, truly, baking muffins from scratch makes me feel like Suzy Homemaker.  When doing so for children who cherish every crumb?  Priceless.

Day 8: Last week, when donating my time to my sister-in-law's cause, I also took the opportunity to browse other booths at the event at which she was selling her photography.  At one of these I purchased an ornament hand-crafted by Burmese refugees in Oklahoma City (donating to a worthy cause!).  Today, I took the time to fashion the ornament into a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament for our brand new son - thus giving him a meaningful ornament to cherish.  Sure, he can't show much gratitude now, but I hope he will be grateful for the effort someday.  (If you're interested in buying your own handcrafted ornament and happen to live in the OKC area, The Spero Project is also selling their ornaments in a retail location at Shop Good in downtown OKC.)