Gold Medal Champion

There has to be a gold medal in heaven for moms.  I can tell you the hardest service I do is to serve my family, specifically keeping my patience when things get rocky with my kids.  Know this right now, I don't always do it.

I have to share a story. First, this really did happen. Second, God must have a sense of humor.

Mornings are hectic here at the Pfalmer house.  Sometimes there is laughter and sometimes there are tears.  But almost always, we are late.  It doesn't matter when we get up, time gets away from us.  On this particular morning, we were not too late or really late at all.  We were just on the verge of being late. I sent the boys to the car and took one more look through the house. I wanted to make sure all the lights were off and the dog was put up. A much easier task when three noisy boys are already in the car.

Exhaling a deep breath, I patted myself on the back. One more day and one less tardy! And that is when I saw the chaos in the car.

I had a three-liter bottle of soda (yes, THREE liter soda, sold only at the dollar store) spraying or should I say, spewing in my car.  The boys had been messing around and dropped the bottle on the metal guide below the driver's seat.  This created a puncture in the bottle. The result was something just short of Old Faithful.

To my utter disbelief, my second son and third born was trying to put his mouth over the hole to stop the spray.   Was it because of my many lectures on waste or should I give these kids more soda??

Frantically, I raced to the car and crouched down to grab the bottle.  I drive a Durango with doors that weigh 500 pounds. One of those well-designed doors wasn't pushed open all the way and as I tried to stop the possessed soda, I nearly suffered a concussion from the door. With an eye full of generic Sprite, I grabbed the unruly soda and threw it into my neighbors yard.  Soda dripped from the ceiling, filled my boys' shoes and doused my hair.

Too late to change, I hopped in the front seat, started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

My oldest and sometimes wisest son said, "At least if wasn't the grape soda!"

Funny God, funny!

Just A Little Late To The Party

I am usually late to things.  It is usually only a few minutes.  And, honestly, I don't really like being late.  But this time,  I think I went a little over a few minutes.  I think I am more like a few years.  Well, I guess better late than never.  So many questions, may come to mind when you stumble across this blog, so I thought the best way to provides some answers would be in true Q&A format.

What really is this blog about and why choose the name "The Broken Samaritan?"

First and foremost, this blog is about serving others.  It is my attempt to listen to God and provide a service to my family, neighbors, friends, community, country and world.  Initially, I was going to call the blog, The Good Samaritans, but it didn't feel right.  While this blog tells a story about my attempts at serving others and being selfless, I want it to be "real." I am a flawed, broken person that has to ask for grace about a gazillion times a day.

What qualifies you to write a blog on service?

Nothing really.  Remember, the Good Samaritan in the bible.  He was just an ordinary person and while he chose to do the right thing with the guy in the ditch, I have no doubt later that day he was on his knees asking for some grace.  Yep, that's me. Trying to do it right, but failing along the way.  Also,  I am a mother of four.  And like many of you, I am desperate to raise my children in a Godly way while living in a fallen world full of entitlement and selfishness.  I have been on this service journey for the last five years.  I have co-founded and lead two service groups,  Moms on A Mission and Kids On A Mission.   I helped launch a non-profit, House of Light (www.houseoflightproject.blogspot.com). House of Light works with a local homeless shelter, Family Tree, to furnish homes with furniture donated from people in our area.
Most of the people we serve are single moms escaping abusive situations and getting off the streets.

Why start now when the blog world has been in full swing for years?

I am going to stand by the old motto, "better late than never," but I am not real sure that is the reason. I believe it has taken all my experiences and life adventures up to this point to put me in a place where I feel writing this blog is right.  Also, just a little background on myself.  As a mentioned in the previous question, I have four children.  My four children are five and a half years apart.  Yep, my oldest wasn't in kindergarten when my baby was born.  Well, my youngest is in first grade now, and four kids attend an full day of school. I have done other things in the past 11 years outside
 of the home.  I have sold candles. I have done independent public relations and marketing.  I have helped teach preschool and have been an administrative assistant.  Oh ya,  I also worked at a book store and waitressed. (Do you think I was searching?)  Lately,  I have been doing LOTS of praying to ask, "what is next?"   "And please whatever might be next, make it something meaningful." This is a piece of what I believe is next.

Why read this blog?

I am a real mom and a real person with a TON of shortcomings.  I want you to laugh with me and cry with me, but above all, I want you to be inspired to serve others and make a small step in changing our world and our kids' world.  

Momma's Paycheck Doesn't Include Money

I know to some this may seem like just an ordinary-although it is Nike-orange shoe box. On the contrary, this is just a little token of service and kindness between my kids. And it is a small miracle, but a miracle, that I had nothing to do with it.

If you look closer, you can see in childlike printing the monogram "Q" sits in five different places.  Small holes have been punctured to imitate a smiley face. And upon closer examination, you can see the bottom of the boxes has been swooped in suggesting someone has sat on it, and indeed someone has.  My youngest, who's personality leads me to believe may have the hardest being kind without being forced, has given his older brother a motorcycle seat for his birthday.

This act is a little funny, but it is the act of kindness to a sibling that has me beaming.  I didn't make him give his sibling a birthday present.  In fact, I haven't even brought the impending birthday to attention.

It is this little act of kindness and service, that gives me hope my efforts to incorporate service into my children's lives

Sent from my iPad