BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE!

Tonight the temperatures in Houston will dip to the low 40's.  If you know anything about Houston, we consider that a freeze.  The weathermen will remind you to bring in the pets and the plants.

And few will even think about the people who will be sleeping on the streets trying to stay warm while we are snuggled down in our warm beds.

My son, Cody, went with me tonight to hand out some sleeping bags.   We visited one of our feeding locations and gave out about 9 of them.  

There was the old man who lives on the street in his wheel chair.  He is missing one leg completely and most of the other one.   I wish you could have heard him thanking us.   The face of Jesus.

And then the vet who lives behind the brick wall of the old Sonic Drive-in.   When I called at to him, he was so hesitant to even come near us.   I asked how many were sleeping there tonight.   "Just two of us.  Just two of us."   He seemed fearful.   "Well, here is a sleeping bag for each of you.  It's gonna be cold tonight so be sure you get in your bags."

His eyes filled with tears, "You are an angel, ma'm.  Thank you so much."  

We traveled down a street in downtown Houston.   There sat a man and a woman.  She was bundled in an old blanket.  I handed them each a sleeping bag.  Her name is Rocky.   Her face lit up.  "Are those for us?" 

"Yes, ma'm, they are!  It's gonna be cold tonight so be sure you bundle up."    "Thank you so much for these."  When we drove off, she was hugging that sleeping bed like it was a luxurious bed in a fine hotel. 

And then the man that walked up to me, "Can I shake your hand?  I see you come out here and all you do for the homeless.   Not many people do that, ma'm.  Thank you so much and God bless you."

People ask me why I do these things for the homeless.   I do it for me.   It makes me so grateful for all the blessings I have.   It makes me remember what being a Christian really is.   It's about doing for others.   It's about doing unto the least of these as Jesus would.  

It is about giving to those who cannot give to you in any way.   For the first time in my 62 years, I know that I am doing God's work.  And it completes my soul.

Thank you to all who have helped provide sleeping bags for my homeless friends.  I'm ordering two more shipments this week.  As cold fronts hit, the sleeping bags will be delivered.  

I wish I had 1000 sleeping bags.   But even with a 1000, it wouldn't be enough.

Please give to those who are less fortunate.   It will bless you more than it could ever bless them.

copyrighted 2015

caryn cannatella

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THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE

If you have never fed the homeless, you have missed out on a great experience.

It will make you grateful. It will make you sad. It will make you feel useful. It will give someone hope. It will make you see people the way God does. Just like you but less fortunate.

Homeless people are not taken care of by the government. They are invisible people. Hoping for shelter but usually lying on concrete or sitting in wheelchairs in the same place day after day. The food lines are never long enough for everyone to eat. They will tell you how long it has been since they have eaten. They never take more food unless it is for someone who can't walk to the line.

They aren't greedy. They aren't mean. They are just like us. Just down on their luck. Most have no families that can or will help them.

If you or your partner were injured or got sick and couldn't work, how long would you be able to live in your home or apartment before you became homeless?

For most it is less than a month. Just a month away from being like the people who live on the outskirts of one of the most beautiful and successful cities in the world. And we don't even see them. Except when we go to an Astros game and we just don't want these dirty homeless people near the parking or stadium. Then we see them.

They hurt. They cry. They are embarrassed. They are hungry. They are dirty. They have few clothes. Many have no shoes. All they have are a few belongings that if they walk away for a few minutes will probably be picked up by the city and thrown away.

We are the homeless. They were once us. No matter where you live, there are homeless people. None of us can feed them all. But we can feed 50 or 30 or 10 or even just one. Even one will make a difference. And a difference in your life.

Matthew 25:35-40 New International Version (NIV)

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Brothers and sisters. That's what they are. Just like us but down on their luck.

copyrighted 2015

caryn Cannatella

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AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?

Every Friday I pick up two cheeseburgers, fries and a large coke from Macdonalds. It costs me $4.36.

I take it a mile down the road to a busy intersection. He is always there. It's his corner. I figure he is in his 40's but he looks like a 60 year old man who has had a hard life. His right foot looks like it was broken at the ankle and never set It's difficult for him to even walk.

I know he is homeless. He always has that backpack with everything he cherishes stuffed inside.

Both streets are very busy. I always honk and pulled to the side. He hobbles over as I roll the window down. Today I hand him the bag and drink. "God bless you ma'am. I can't tell you how hungry I am. Thank you so much." I always watch him take it back to where he was standing. He takes his time opening the bag and laying everything out.

I'm always amazed by his gratitude. $4.36. I probably misplace more than that in change every week.It reminds me to be grateful for every thing, large and small, that is in my life.

It is up to us to help the less fortunate. And there are oh so many in our country who do. Not the government. Not programs. US. Americans. It's part of our DNA.

Love your neighbor as yourself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Are we our brothers' keeper? I think we are.

And there is just no better feeling than the joy of giving to someone you know can never do anything for you. Giving helps others but it helps the giver more.

You can never out give God. He will always return it. Shaken. Pressed down. And overflowing.

It takes so little to individually help someone who is less fortunate than we are. The blessings are overwhelming.

I challenge everyone to be a blessing to someone this week who just needs a little help.

copyrighted 2015

caryn cannatella

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NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE YOU

NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE YOU

This is a tough pill to swallow no matter your age.  I experienced it as a child, a young adult and even as a senior.  It was true as much in my personal life as it was in my business life.

For whatever reason, some people are just not going to like you.  They don’t want to be your friend.  They don’t want to hang out with you.  They don’t want to talk to you.  And chances are, they won’t even interact with you. 

It can be tough at times.   You meet someone and you admire something about them.  You might even think you have things in common.  You try to interact with them and they look through you like you aren’t there.  Others might tell you “she is so great!  You should get to know her.”  And you are thinking, “I have.  She completely ignored me on 4 (or 5 or 100) different occasions when I attempted to just talk to her.”

You know what you need to do?  Stop trying to please this person or even interact with them.  Not everyone is meant to be your friend or even in your life.

There are over a billion people on this planet.   Just because a few people are rude or plainly don’t want you in their life is just a blip on the screen.   Always go for quality over quantity.  There are plenty of people who will think you are the cat’s meow and better than a bag of chips!  These are the people you want in your life.

If someone acts like they are better than you, let them.   Really, who cares?  No one is worth your time who doesn’t make time for you.   Don’t waste your time calling people who don’t return your calls.  Don’t send messages to people who ignore yours.  Don’t try to hang out with people who make it very clear they aren’t interested.  Realize the truth and move on.  You can't miss a friendship you never had.

Surround yourself with people who not only like you but love you.   Find those who share common interests with you.   Cling to those who have proven their friendship.  You know the ones:  They can talk for hours about nothing.  You spend hours with them laughing.  If you need them at 2am, they are there for you just like you are there for them.

For all the others?  Let them go like water off a duck’s back.  Not everyone wants to be your friend.  Honor those who do and let the rest go.  When you can do that, you will have made peace and will be able to move on.  

It’s a feeling of freedom like no other.  Trust me on that!

copyrighted 2015

caryn cannatella

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BEAUTY ISN’T MEASURED IN POUNDS!

BEAUTY ISN’T MEASURED IN POUNDS!

Why do we believe this?  Because everywhere we look that is what we are told. 

When we go to the dr, they weigh us and that is what they make their determination on.  They don't ask "have you lost weight?"  They just assume you are a big fat pig who never does anything but stuff your face.  “You need to lose weight.”   “I am.”  “You need to lose more.”   I bite my tongue and hold back stinging tears.  What I want to say is, “Bite me!”   But I don’t.  Because when you are fat, anyone and everyone has the ultimate weapon against you.  All they have to say is “YEAH, BUT YOU ARE FAT!”  End of discussion; end of argument.  You go home and lick your wounds.  And sometimes the spoon after you eat that pint of ice cream.

They never ask if you are doing any exercise.  They ASSUME that if you are fat, you are lazy and certainly could not be walking, or jogging or working out.   You should see the faces of people (and drs) when I tell them I jog and that I have completed a 5K.  They give me that poor pitiful look like “sure you have”.   Sometimes knowing the truth is all you have.  Hang on to it.

And I've never had one dr in 62 years ever comment about my beauty.  Not my nails, not my hair, not my make-up, not my clothes, not my smile, not NOTHING!

Then look at tv, magazines, award shows. newspapers, etc.  Models and celebrities are photo shopped and air brushed to make them look thinner, prettier, younger, etc.   And then we, the everyday woman, thinks that is what we should look like.   And if we had a nutritionist, chef, hair stylist, make-up artist, trainer, someone picking out our clothes for us, an air brush artist, a photo shop expert, etc., we would be looking darn good too!

Our beauty is not limited to the house we live in.  Just like the home we live in, the house our inner self abides in does not tell the entire story.  Haven't you seen a beautiful home before and you knew the family inside didn't not reflect the outside appearance?  Same goes for us and our bodies.

Instead of always looking at your body and defining and judging yourself based on the pounds on the scale, why not try looking at the REAL you who resides inside your body.  Being fat does not mean you are automatically a good person.   However, I know many many overweight people who are the salt of the earth, nicest, most giving people around.  They will give you whatever they have and go without.  Many times they do it without a thank you and sadly, many of us do not even expect a thank you.

The next time you step on that scale and you start to judge yourself for the numbers going up or staying the same, just take one minute to stand in front of the mirror and say out loud: 

I AM NOT JUST A PERSON WHOSE BODY IS FAT.  I'M A GOOD, LOVING, LOYAL AND GIVING PERSON.  Embrace that part of YOU.  Your spirit.  Your being. 

Remind yourself of that daily.   Let that sparkle from knowing this dance in your eyes!  Others will see it even if they don't acknowledge it.  The most important thing is that YOU know it, see it and acknowledge it.

Your beauty is not measured by the numbers on a scale.  Only numbers are. 

copyrighted 2014

caryn cannatella

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THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

I wanted to share something with ya'll. Today I was at the bank cashing a check. I watched an old man (he might have been younger than me but he looked tired and old). He was bent over and using a cane. He was clean and carrying a back pack. I don't know about where you live but if you see an adult carrying a backpack in Houston, they are usually homeless and carry everything they own in that backpack.

I watched him walk through that strip parking lot picking up trash and putting it in the garbage. When I finally got my cash, I decided to drive over and talk to him. I got out of the car and said hello. He said, "I don't mean to bother anyone, ma'am." I told him that he wasn't bothering me.

I said, "I noticed you were picking up garbage and putting it in the trash can." He said, "Well, you know people just throw trash everywhere these days." I said, "I really appreciate it and I want to give you this gift card to go across the street and get you something to eat and I want to give you this cash for Christmas."

He was sitting on the curb when he looked up at me, with tears in his eyes and said, "Thank you so much. I'm a veteran waiting on my disability."

I had actually cashed my weekly allowance for twice what I usually make it out for so I went back to the car and got more money to give to him. I told him, "I have had a very good year and I want to share it with you." He said, "How did you know?" "God told me."

This old, tired, veteran of our armed forces put his head in his hands and cried so hard his shoulders shook. I thanked him again and wished him a Merry Christmas. Several minutes later I was on the street at the traffic light and I glanced over and saw him where I left him. His head was still in his hands and his shoulders were still shaking.

So why am I sharing this? Because there are many people out there who just need a little help. We all hear about the spirit of Christmas but too often it seems to be centered around what we buy as gifts or what we get as gifts. These people are invisible to most of us all year long. Find someone who needs a little help this Christmas and just help them. It doesn't have to be a lot. It doesn't even have to be money. It could be a blanket, some gloves, a coat you don't wear. You will feel the love emanate from that person.

Make the Christmas Spirit come alive this year. It will make your Christmas so special.

copyrighted 2014

caryn cannatella

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NO MATTER WHAT SIZE, YOU ARE STILL BEAUTIFUL

NO MATTER WHAT SIZE, YOU ARE STILL BEAUTIFUL

I think many women struggle with this.  Especially those of us who are overweight.  We begin to see ourselves as only fat.  It’s a terrible feeling when you embrace the notion that all there is to you is fat.  And sadly, in our culture, fat often equates to ugly.

I have never believed I was beautiful.  Never in my life.  It has only been in the past 6 months that I can look at pictures of myself and say, “I’m cute.”    I still see the wrinkles.  I still see the jowls.  I still see the turkey gobbler under my chin.  I still see the abdomen that hangs down 6 inches and weighs over 25 pounds.  I still see my upper arms that are more the size of a thigh than an arm.

We all have beauty in our bodies and more importantly, in our hearts.  When I look in the mirror I see my beautiful blue eyes.  I remind myself how my daughter has always said she wished she had blue eyes like me.  And I’ve always said I wished I had brown eyes like hers.  When I look in a full length mirror I see strong powerful legs.  I believe that my legs are one of my best assets and when I put on a pair of black stockings, well, I just think they are lovely!  I keep my nails and toes polished so that my feet and hands are beautiful.  I’ve been blessed with good skin that needs very little attention. 

I am told I’m a good friend.  I have a good heart.  I’m a giving person.  I’m loyal.  So why don’t I think these things make me beautiful?  Why is it that if you are fat, somehow you just don’t or can’t see the beauty in yourself?  How come we can’t look at ourselves and see how lovely we are as a person?  What causes us to decides that we can’t be both fat and pretty?

I don’t know.  I wonder if I didn’t feel pretty so I became fat or I became fat and didn’t feel pretty.  I’m not sure it even matters which came first.  I know this though.  If you don’t like yourself and you feel you don’t have worth and that you aren’t worthy of anything, you will never feel beautiful.   It’s so hard to change that mindset.  

You really have to retrain your mind.  I guess it is no different than re-training your mind when you decide to eat healthy, start exercising, change your career, go to college or any other goal you set for yourself.  Until your mind believes it, neither will you.

I think I will ask my best friend to print this picture out and then hang it in my bedroom with other encouraging pictures.  Then every day I can see it and repeat it.  Until the day that my mind truly believes it.   Believing I’m beautiful is not that far down the path.  As long as I’m willing to take the walk.

What about you?  Are you ready to believe in your own beauty?  I am.  It’s time to let the struggle go and embrace my own beauty.

copyrighted 2014

caryn cannatella

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