My mom and dad are in the Dominican Republic this week but not for a holiday. They are on a missions trip. I am so impressed with what they are doing over there. They have brought school supplies and soccer balls for the children and are using their talents to repair buildings in this poverty stricken area.

My father recently told me that he is giving up his cell phone. He said that for the price he pays every month for the luxury of making a few calls, he could send a needy child to school in a third world country. His words have been tugging at my heart. We so often complain about the bills that we have to pay when maybe we should be thankful that we have electricity, food and clean water. We always dream of what we'd do with the millions if our 649 numbers ever came up, but then I think about those poor children elsewhere who don't even have enough to eat. For all my complaining about my life, I really am blessed. There are so many others that have endured much more than I could even imagine. I am ashamed of all the times that I've whined about how tough my life is.

Today, I will go to work and be thankful for my piece of crap job. When the coffee ladies pay me in pennies, I will cherish my two cent tip. At least I'll try.