My Smile Box

Shai wanted to know what my smile box looked like.

So I took a couple of pictures.

It is quite simply a plastic box with a smiley face clamp. These were given out at a journal writing meeting some 4 years ago, I believe.

I held it up, frowned hard. "What the heck is this, man!!!!????"

You know I don't like girly touchy-feely craziness.

The ladies hollered, "Oh calm down, Dr. Parker. Work on your entries for your smile box. Have a few ready for the next meeting."

Yes, they use to have to talk me into stuff, and be very very specific with the instructions.

"Stop whining, Dr. Parker!!!"

LOL

So I worked on my entries.

Here are two that I've talked about in recent posts. ("God don't like ugly" is from my work cubicle mate, The Cowgirl Cre. I kept that one, lol).

Nothing fancy, just notes hastily scrawled on bits of scrap paper.

It sits on the bookshelf in my bedroom...

Just within arms reach if I ever need it.

Post 5: Tales from the Smile Box, part I

I've been doing a little New Years cleaning this week, organizing and throwing out much stuff.

Out with the old, in with the new, you know.

Anyway, I came across my "smile box" which was sitting on my bookshelf. It is not something that I lost, but I knwo I haven't gone through it in awhile. I tend to go through it once per month.
It is a box of quotes and scriptures and anything else that remind me to stay positive. It is full of little scraps of paper containing any and everything that keeps my head straight.

I was showing it to my cubicle mate, The Cowgirl Cre a couple of years ago. For some reason, I brought it to work. We were looking at some of the various quotes, and Cowgirl Cre must've gotten excited, because she grabbed a post-it note from her desk and printed very clearly, with a blue sharpie, 4 simple words.

God don't like ugly!

LOL. We laughed so hard at that.

But I have kept her hastily scrawled thought in the smile box. It reminds me to keep my stank attitudes in check, and make an effort (no matter how much it pains me) to be and act nice.

You get the drift... the smile box can be important if used correctly.

Anyway, the box contains a scripture that I came across some 9 years ago. This was at a time when I was sorely depressed about just about everything going on in my life: living in New Orleans away from my family, being caught up in a bad job and jacked up marriage... just looking straight crazy, you know? When I think of the turbulent times in my life, that time of my life right there, from 1999-2000, is right up there at the top of the list.

But one day, while sitting in my office reading and eating my lunch, I came across this verse

Hebrews 13:5 (Amplified Version)

"...for He God Himself has said I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you donw (relax my hold on you)! Assuredly not!"

That right there jacked my faith up a notch.

Man, I got so excited about that that I showed it to one of my coworkers, a biologist who worked on my floor. She got excited by this little treasure also. We printed it out in size 32 font and posted it on the walls of our offices.

So we could walk in and see it...

Read it, chew on it, and meditate on it, ponder it, pontificate...

Day after day after day after day.

That verse right there reminds me that if no one in this world cares for me...

God does.

He will not fail me. He will not leave me without support.

I am happy about that.

That is something that gives this Oldgirl hope.

That is something that makes this Oldgirl smile:)