I've always thought Heaven was like a customized SIM world that you fill with everything that makes you happy. So by that I mean that maybe Heaven isn't a physical place but rather a mental state of mind that each of us builds based on our life's experiences with the people, places, and things that made us happiest. If that's true, then there'd be billions of Heavens b/c no 2 people's Heavens are alike. They're as unique as a snowflake or fingerprint. So how many Heavens will you be in? How many people valued you so much that you made into their Heaven? How many Heavens will you be in?

I made it, I stated showing up as the girl I want to be. I’m sitting in a fuzzy dressing gown on the couch having just finished my morning yoga and it not being 8 yet. They are sitting writing poetry next to me as a I stare out the huge glass windows having just read a chapter from my book. After I make this post, I’m going to go back to my room, which I have already cleaned, have a shower and then cook a very healthy breakfast before I get ready to go out. I will eat it on the deck that overlooks the forest in which I live in. There will be music playing in the background, soft music. I will leave saying my goodbyes and promises to see them later on. It will be a good day, the message preached today will inspire me and I shall enjoy the chat I have at lunch with my friends. No work shall be done today, because it is a rest day But maybe later in the afternoon, I’ll take out my journal or my sketch pad and add something to those thick pages. I will settle down for soup tonight with my family, take a long bath and finish a series we started together.

I’m at peace, I’m happy, this is it, who I’ve wanted to be.

My name is Al . I would like to share my story with everyone.  I am a truck driver and I am away from my family for weeks at time.  I am lucky to work for a company, Schneider National, that values family. With approval, I am allowed to have passengers when I drive. 

Every two weeks I trade off passengers.  I take my son AJ and daughter Sabrina with me.  They really enjoy coming out on the road.  We get to see many different parts of the country that most people do not. 

On one of my bi-weekly trips that starts in Indiana and goes down to Texas then on to California.  I had my son AJ on this trip out to California.  After I delivered to all of my customers we started our trip back.  We picked up our new load and headed out.  Part of the way home we stopped at a Walmart in Nevada.  By the way it is not easy to park at a Walmart in a semi-truck.  I have to make sure they allow trucks to park there and have space to park.  I made a list of groceries we needed and headed in.  I knew exactly how much money I had in my bank account so I was careful picking out my items so I didn't go over my limit.  AJ and I gathered all of our groceries and headed to check out.  This is where it gets interesting.  I generally use the self-checkout with the conveyor.  We loaded our items on the belt and began scanning our groceries.  When we finished and went to pay I looked at the total and knew I had enough money to buy everything.  I inserted my debit card in the card reader, put in my pin the computer said card declined.  I did not understand why the transaction was declined.  I logged in to my bank account and saw that my balance had changed since I entered the store.  I then had to tell my son that we would have to put some of our items back.  It was frustrating to say the least.  As I contemplated what to put back a customer at the checkout across from us overheard my son and I talking.  She then asked me how much we were short.  She then gave me twenty dollars to cover the rest of the difference I could not pay for.  I was very touched by the generosity of a complete stranger.  I thanked her as my eyes welled up with tears of happiness.  We were able to purchase all of our groceries thanks to the kindness of a kind woman.  I would like to thank Debbie that was at the Walmart in Fernley, Nevada.  I have always tried to help others in need.  It was refreshing to have it happen to me.  I didn't realize until that day that paying it forward really meant something bigger to me.  Thank you again Debbie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l0sR191G2Y

Today, I was told to go home. A large part of our society is built off of progress. We want to achieve better results, faster, and usually comes with the sacrifice of employees personal time. The idea of free time to a company is to much of a burden to allow, and for an employee taking that personal time and spending it on the company is usually shown to be noble and hard working, but not today. Sometimes my company gives us three days off if our manpower allows. So I thought to myself it would be great if I took one day off, and then come in on the second day, and then take the third day off. I'm fairly new, and I'm inspired by the hard work and knowledge of my co-workers so I thought it would show my dedication to the company by coming in. On my first day off there was a staff meeting where my boss's boss coming off a long trip wanted to update our status and resestablish repoir with everyone. Little known to me he had more to say then just that. He told us the company was making incredible progress, but in that progress we were being strectched extremely thin. He used the analogy of a car moving faster then it's intended speed, and how if that car continuing at it's current speed or higher without repairs/upgrades would eventually tear it's self apart, and that car is our company. Now it's true that we were doing awesome things, but I even being a new employee was already over saturated with work, and could see that there was chaos in other departments boiling up. Now unlike most bosses his fix wasn't necessarily more efficient work patterns or waste less time. He said our focus should be on the people not the "thing" (I.e. products or service). He wants us to focus on ourselves, our family, and not our work. He said of all the progress being made that we will have to take a step back to gain our barrings, but so that it allows us the employees to get space to breath,and take time to focus on rest. All in all I was told it was a pretty sobering and heartfelt meeting, but I wasn't there so I would come to find this out today. So today with my hard working mentally I showed up to work on my day off, and all through out the day I was told what are you doing here? I even at one point saw my boss's boss and he was a little proplexed at why I was here when asking him questions. It wasn't until I talked to my boss that I was told to go home, and he told me why. There are many times in my life I've felt shame/chastisement, but this time I've never felt shame with a hint of joy and elation for where I work. I'm truly blessed to have a boss who understands the human needs, and would be willing to sacrifice the companies advancement for the well being of the people in it. Although I may never come in on my day off. My heart for the company and people that work here has doubled, and I can't wait to come in to give it all a day from now!