What a Month - of Gratitude and Friendship

I knew April was going to be a challenging month for me. The first weekend in April was Gary Renard and Cindy Lora-Renard's ACIM Immersion Weekend retreat. A lot of preparations were handled much earlier not only by me but also by Rebecca and Carmela, like booking a block of hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn Clinton, booking their plane tickets, preparing a flyer/registration form, taking registrations over the phone and generating and replying to a lot of email inquiries. How nice and gentle the ACIM students are.

The weekend went very well. We had over 60 attendees, decent weather and a nice net income for Unity programs.

Three days later the lease started for the Friends of the Hunterdon County Library Used Book Sale at the Fairgrounds at the South County Park. This year was the third year I served as co-chair. For this event also there was much preparation in advance of the actual event not only by me but by my co-chair and over 150
active, capable volunteers.

The book sale weekend was April 27-29, the last weekend of April. I was at the South County Park for long hours on that Friday, Saturday and Sunday, counting money, answering volunteer and customers questions and serving as time keeper for closing each afternoon.

The weekend went very well. We had several thousand sales transactions by happy customers carrying loads of books to their 100s of cars in the parking lot each day, typical spring weather of rain and sun and wind, and a nice gross income for the Friends group which will give most of it to the Hunterdon County Library System.

I took Monday off and then was back at the South County Park one last day for clean-up on Tuesday. The Daily Word for that day was "Gratitude." Here is some of the meditation:

When I look at my surroundings, I see the manifestation of the divine spark everywhere - in everything and everyone. God's spirit is part of who I am as well. I have the joy and gratitude of knowing that I am eternally part of something greater. I am a spiritual being.

On Wednesday (yesterday) the Daily Word was "Friendship." Part of the meditation is:

I have a family, linked by genetics, whom I love. I also have another family - the family of friends that fill my life with beauty and joy. I cherish this chosen family as much as the one I grew up with. My friends are the family I choose.

Looking back on both events I feel such gratitude to have been part of each of them. My Unity friendships and the Friends of the Library friendships are all family that I have chosen. And now, in truth, I'm also grateful that they are over and I can catch up on rest.

~ JEAN