Day 10…and I’ve now worked out every day for a week…

Coop came today and brought me my 5 lb dumbells, a pair of better sneakers and my 5 lb “ball”.  So, today I overdid it 🙂 with weights.  I am having back issues so I’m trying to take it a little easy on the core exercises…I did them lying on the bed instead of lying on the hard cement slab – hey, I forgot to have him bring my pad from home.  I’ll be there next week so I will pack all that stuff up.

So, I guess I could have talk about all kinds of stuff from today – I made bread.  Yeah.  I actually baked bread.  Yeast, rising, punching down…yup.  Stem to stern.  Making bread is actually really fun.  Quite awesome.  It is in the line of things I wish I could make money at.  I think good yeast, and good flour makes good bread.  I am also bringing back from home a baking cookbook with some really wonderful bread recipes.  Anadama bread.  If you’ve never had it – well, Google it.  It’s very tasty.  I think I might even be able to make it better.  Well just have to see.

I’m gonna share an idea.  It’s all about a passion I have and I can’t seem to let it go.  So if anyone out there reading this is a multi-millionaire and wants to help bank roll my mission, I’d sure appreciate it.

As many of you who pay attention to my Facebook page know, I like to cook.  Clearly if I decided to make bread today, out of the blue, I like to bake too.  I don’t really want to go to cooking school and become a chef – I just want to cook.  I might fancy myself a cook that could do it for a living.  So…that’s about me.  I want to talk about my mission/passion.

I am saddened that there are children in this world (in this country…dang, in Horry County!) that go to sleep hungry.  I think it’s sinful for ANY child to know hunger.  I don’t care if it’s because they live in a third world country, or if it is because their family has fallen on hard times in THIS country.  No child should have to wonder when they will eat again.  It’s not like they can DO anything about it…they aren’t old enough to get jobs (nor should they have to).  Children should be able to eat three square meals a day. I kinda agree with Jamie Oliver that they should be HEALTHY meals.  Let’s just go with square.

See, I grew up fortunate enough to not know what it’s like to go hungry.  I’ve known where my next meal will come from…almost every day of my life…most certainly when I was a child.  So –

I really want to open a restaurant.  You probably think I’m nuts.  That doesn’t help anything, right?  Well, stick with me.

I’ve found that churches know how to find those in need.  Somehow, churches just know families that need help.  So, I would like my little sandwich shop/diner to serve great meals that people pay for (hopefully LOTS of people…) and through churches in the area, give “vouchers” to families that could use a square meal or two.  They get a voucher.  They come to the diner with their families…sit at a table just like everyone – and get served a square meal.  It might be a limited choice (can’t order lobster…no steaks…) but it will be everything – entree, veggie, starch, salad, drinks and maybe pudding parfaits or something sweet.

Sunday, AFTER church, I think I’d open my doors for a  brunch buffet – and the paying customers will be my church friends and I bet they’d cough up a buck or two for those who don’t have enough to feed their family.

I’d like to see the diner turn into a way to provide meals that the family can take home if they have a home.  I think that would be great.  And, I would work full time.  All I would want is enough money to pay for my own health insurance.  Maybe a couple bucks for gas (okay it would be more for gas than for health insurance, I admit).  But…

So there’s my idea.  While some people might say, “Don’t tell anyone…they’ll steal your idea…”  Let me say:  STEAL AWAY.  Please steal my idea.  Let’s make it the norm that we are feeding our hungry children.  And, for those 30 people who actually read this…seriously – I need a partner. With money.  I can put SOME money in…but not much…not until I can fix my house and sell it.

Okay.  You may think, “Mary, you don’t LIKE children.  Why is this your passion?”  For whatever reason, God has put it on my heart to help children.  I may say I don’t like them but I don’t want them to know hardship and pain.  Hunger must suck – as an adult.  As a child, it isn’t right.

As Jesus said in Matthew:  “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Again from Compline:

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.