"Everybody's smilin', Sunshine Day!!"

Sometimes you just have a day like Greg and the other Brady kids sang about....as corny as it sounds. I really treasure those days, especially because they are rare gems in my calendar of life. The great things about a "Sunshine Day" (besides the fact that there truly has to be sun to make it authentic), are its unexpected components. It's as if God just keeps layering one wonderful surprise after another. The surprises are simple, but they still bring joy to the heart. Here is a little synopsis of my "Sunshine Day:"

I had the pleasure of going with a friend to the OHIO Thrift Store's 50% off sale. Now, I know what you are thinking... "THRIFT STORE??? Gross, disgusting, undignified!!" But we had so much fun together!!!! I realize you can't get every friend interested in going to a thrift store with you. Not everybody enjoys the "thrill of the hunt" and the proverbial "high" that comes from getting "something for nothing." But when you do find someone who professes a PhD in the Strategies of a Thrifty Shopper, you can't help but scream "Hallelujah! Dollar Store, anybody??!!" Frugally speaking, we hit "pay dirt" yesterday, and our washing machines are paying the heavy price afterwards. THRILLING!!! Can somebody say, "Amen???"

Other components of my "Sunshine Day" consisted of going to a new restaurant with this same thrifty friend, having great conversation and lunch, while sipping a cool Pepsi underneath a sun umbrella. Absolutely delightful!! Even more splendid is having her precious 5 yr. old daughter coloring pictures on her placemat and enjoying part of my "Sunshine Day" with me. The icing on the cake was when she invited me over to see her fish tank and her sparkling butterflies in her room. How could I deny such a heartfelt invitation??? She put wonderful colors into my "Sunshine Day."

As my Sunshine Day was coming to a close, I spent a moment thanking my Savior for wrapping up a special unexpected present for me. Fathers do that sometimes, don't they? They are just so overflowing with love for their children that they can't help but give "good gifts" to them. I can always feel the "sparkling butterflies" in my stomach when I know I am about to receive one.