Springtime Cheer H.O.M.E. Family!!

Speaking silently from the still walls of my two-toned yellow and white decorated room, are florally designed pictures that read: Dance, Dream, Sing, Love, Live, Peace, Joy, Serenity and Happiness.  I chose this particular décor to ignite positive energy all around me; and to stir up the gifts within me.  The Yellow Room has become a place of solitude—a refuge of sorts where I often come to pen messages, letters, thoughts and ideas that seem to creep up calmly from the crevice of my soul.  With sunflower decals smiling brightly to my left and sun-lit kisses sneaking through the blinds to warm me tenderly on the right, I’m reminded yet again of the gift to see another day that was not promised.   

It’s so easy to get caught-up in the mundane moments of life.  For The H.O.M.E. Team, this work includes: Loading and unloading furniture, gathering basic necessities, unpacking boxes, sorting linen, folding towels, waxing tables, polishing chairs, packing dishes, selecting décor, matching curtains, sanitizing sofas, organizing, arranging and so on.  While I’m certainly not complaining about this manual labor, I do recognize that without believing help is on the way, I would faint at the mere notion that no relief is in sight.  How many of us feel like we’re desperately waiting on something spectacular to happen in our lives?  Yes, we’re looking with expectation for the song and dance to eventually change from a regular routine rumba—to an exciting, fresh, free-style tango!  You see, this is what the spirit of hope looks like, never losing sight of the positive and powerful moments that infuses us with faith to see a prosperous tomorrow.

When we put faith, hope and love into our daily work and practice it will change the way we see contentment.  This requires no money, material things or worldly possessions to conceive it or achieve it—you need only to believe it!  Perhaps you should consider adopting a Yellow Room mentality where quiet moments speak louder than actual words.  A place of solitude and serenity where seeds are planted, watered and rooted in gratefulness every single day.  A newness that awakens us afresh with exhilaration that this could be the day our song is up next and our dance awaits!  It’s time to step into your very own Yellow Room of imagination and sing louder, dance longer, reach further, stretch higher, dive deeper and believe stronger than ever before!

Remember, God never promised us the gift of life each day, but a perfect plan for life tomorrow.  So no matter how many broken records, sad songs, or multi-colored downbeat rooms we’ve stepped into over the course of our past, God will never disown or discard us because Jesus loves us.  He will always see value in our ability to hope, dream, love, sing, and of course—dance!

As always… lovingly and graciously yours,


 

Carolyn A. Watson

 

H.O.M.E. Hero to the Rescue!!

Become a H.O.M.E. Hero by being a monthly financial donor.  Visit www.Home2heart.org and sign up today!  No contribution is too small when given from a big heart!

 

Floridian native, Ms. Julia Benton, spent most of her adolescent and teen years growing up in St. Croix, Virgin Islands.  After struggling to overcome a life challenged with drug addition, in and out of rehab, and even a five-year prison sentence, she is rising up and ready to accomplish great things.  It was a consistent flow of trouble that landed her in Georgia where she was ordered to face federal probation charges, serve time incarcerated, and enroll into a rehabilitation program for her addiction.  During this time, Julia’s mother was granted guardianship over her three children who today are ages 7, 11 and 13.  Because of numerous relapses, Julia and her mother’s relationship remained strained over the years.

While in rehab, Julia met and eventually married her husband, who was also an addict.  This relationship soon turned physically abusive as she recalls one of her worse incidents. “One time we got into it and he burst my eardrum.  There was another time when I was pregnant; he choked me until I was unconscious.”  After giving birth to her sweet and precious 14-month-old daughter, Ivy-Rain, who was born with drugs in her system and weighed a little over 4lbs., she knew she had to change her life.  This premature infant fought to survive in the hospital for two weeks.  Julia was forced to give up temporary custody while she, herself, fought with all her might to get clean and stay sober for good.   



Julia finally left her abusive husband, was accepted into a domestic violence shelter and received the resources needed to obtain an apartment.  “I’ve been clean ever since, Julia stated.  I regained custody of my daughter; my DFACS and federal probation cases are closed; and I’ve been working to reestablish my relationships with my mother and children.” We here at H.O.M.E. support and applaud Julia in her efforts to change her life for the better.  She is well respected on her job and has received two promotions in a short period of time.  “I had a housing voucher but had no furniture—I was only making $9.75 per hour and didn’t have enough to get furniture, so the residential manager gave me the application for H.O.M.E.”   

When asked how it feels to now have furniture in her apartment, Julia replied, “It’s a big deal… it feels like peace, serenity, comfort and a home to relax and sleep; my daughter has everything she needs.”  Indeed, we are proud of this strong and courageous 37-year-old mother and wish her all the very best that God has in store.  We believe there are many positive doors waiting to open, so we encourage her to keep looking forward.  In closing, Julia expressed this heartfelt message to her three older children, “We are not our mistakes; everything in life is a journey and our past mistakes don’t define us.  I want them to know that I love and think about them every single day.”

On Behalf of
The H.O.M.E. Team
Congratulations 
Julia Benton
for Being Our Pearl of the Quarter