Sunny Redlands

4:14 p.m. Today's project was to be in Redlands, my hometown, about twenty miles east of Riverside along the 10 Freeway. The small city is very dear because my dad still lives in the house he bought my senior year of high school; my daughter, like me, got her degree from the University of Redlands; and she met her husband there.

In the last few years, I've been driving to Redlands on Thursday evenings with team members in tow for our Mary Kay Thursday Nights Together, but the Pink Studio is on the west end of the city, a distance from my dad's house. Lately, since I participated in a massive children's consignment sale, the "Moolala" boutique in Redlands, I've been setting appointments with those who evinced interest in a free facial for Saturday morning "Muffins & Makeovers" at our studio. Next Friday, I'll be doing an MK booth at Somerford Placee, an assisted living facility for Alzheimer's victims. It's their 9th annual Festival for residents and community. Steve will be coming along as well, perhaps with a caregiver. I hope we get some leads for facials, as well as cheer up the residents and their families. Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 15:15 and Proverbs 17:22 speak these truths:

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance;

He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast;

A merry heart does good like a medicine.

May we bring cheer to the residents of Somerford Place for the afternoon!

Whether I drive the freeway or take the "scenic route" through San Timiteo Canyon, my heart warms on my way to my hometown. It was the site of many great adventures and exploits from my childhood, like waving to my friends on my new two wheeler just prior to banging into the back of a parked car on our street; and seeing how far into the orange grove at the end of Arlene Street I could go before getting too scared to keep walking! (I also would trek a ways into the woods on my way home from Center School in Hampton, New Hampshire, but would be limited by the time my mom would expect me home. I even hid a paper with a bad grade under a rock in those woods one afternoon, I can now freely admit! I just had to bring home "A" papers, and usually did). The same striving landed me in the top 6 of the Redlands High School graduating class of 1,000 kids in 1969 and earned entrance into UC Berkeley and UCLA. My proud parents chose the latter in those wild days of Vietnam War protests. As for university? More and more intense striving for this small town girl!

What freedom and release to no longer strive for perfection in any area of life, because only one perfect Person ever walked the earth! And my Lord Jesus Christ loved me enough in my sinful lifestyle--unrepentant, like all who don't confess and ask the Lord to save them--that He offered me salvation from hell, peace by living for Him and in His will, and eternal life in heaven with Him!

In tough times like these for so many people, NO ONE is smart enough, hardworking enough or courageous enough to guarantee a successful tomorrow. And NO ONE is kind enough, charitable enough, or industrious enough to work their way into heaven!

But every one of us qualifies as sinful enough to need to seek a Savior, and let His qualifications as the sinless Son of God grant us the free gift of eternal life!