Able to sleep in today, ear plugs in, not listening to anything around me, I am awake and fully rested, ready to take on the day.
We give thanks throughout the year, but today we need to be more thankful than ever for everything we are able to have, even in our darkest of times. I am thankful for being able to wake up today and message my family and friends for Thanksgiving. Count is about to clear, and we will be going for our “holiday lunch”, hoping for that little extra treat.
Mr. Rivero is ready, as we sit and wait for the call to lunch.
“CHOW”, the officer calls, and we are on our way out towards the dining room. Everyone is seen ahead of us going the short way, and across the lake we see guys from other units walking with their to-go trays and a bag. It will be grab and go.
We get to the dining room, and Mr. Rivero is handed two trays and two bags, as we head out back to the unit.
For lunch today I received, four long oval slices of turkey, gravy, sweet potato mash, and green beans. I mix it all up, and enjoy it. I notice my roommate received a cornbread and an oatmeal cookie; I was not lucky enough today.
“You didn’t get a cookie or a cornbread?”, my roommate notices and asks me.
“No, but it’s okay, better for my diet.”, I tell him with a smirk on my face.
“Here, have mine, I don’t want it anyway”, he responds as he puts his cornbread and cookie on my tray.
Once again, thankful for a roommate like him. Any other would have probably traded those items for something else. In our dinner goodie bag, they gave us four slices of bread, and two packs of peanut butter and jelly’s.
After eating, I fill my water bottle, and grab a hand towel plus my I.D. and get ready for them to call “REC”. I sit beside Bon-Bon and Mr. Lorenzo as we wait.
Once at the rec yard, I remember I signed up for a pickleball tournament with a few of the guys, as I walk over to help them set up the net and begin warming up. In the end, we just played for fun, and some decided to go elsewhere. Finally, I head over to the racquetball courts to play a few games with Bon-Bon and the group there. After some back and forth, if the ball was OUT or IN, or if it was a point or not, we had a great time, but we were beat from the sun, so we return the racquets and wait for the call to head back to the unit.
What a great feeling to shower after a few hours of sweating in the sun. I stepped into the shower with all my clothes, so I could take advantage, rinse them off so they do not smell later. Now my clothes is hanging in the room to air-dry, and I am going to take a few minutes to call dad to see how they are doing, and possibly take a mid-afternoon nap.
So I took a nap before calling dad; I guess my dyslexia kicked in. Count cleared, and I get down from my bunk and grab my books to read my daily’s. “Jesus First for Men 365 Devotions to Start Your Day” was my favorite for today. It has written how we need to keep God’s word in our heart, so we won’t sin against him. It just so happens that the other day while on the phone with my mom we talked about being “God fearing”, which to us means we should live our life keeping in mind that God is always watching us, and we need to do good according to His word, so that he may bless us accordingly. Here in the daily devotional it reflects on being able to speak about God, and honor Him with our words, but also act on it with our behaviors.
“These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me”
[Matthew 15:8]
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”
[Psalm 119:11]
Soon it is my time to call mom. I have been watching the evening news, sitting beside my roommate, just relaxing and enjoying the evening in front of the televisions. My dinner today was two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and now having a snack of “Good Mix”, which include peanuts, raisins, M&M’s, almonds and more.
Dear God, thank you for today, and thank you for all the good things you have given us. Thank you Father God for the food that was provided today, and the extra that came my way in which others did not seem to appreciate. Father God, please help me use the humility I have built to guide others to be humble as well. Thank you God for my family, friends and loved ones. I pray they all have a beautiful evening together, because I know that some day soon by your will, I will be reunited with them to enjoy our time together with a different, more positive mindset. Thank you again for all you do Dear God, in your name I say this prayer, Amen.
Eduardo Luis Valdes
02499-506
November 28, 2024
19:14
