Grandpa loses house to fire.

My birthday is January 7. A few years ago I didn’t have a party and there was no-one to celebrate with. I went to the grocery store to buy some Chicken Teriyaki frozen dinner for my lonely pity-party.

In one of the aisles, I saw a man in a wheelchair trying to reach down and pick up a box of frozen dinner from the floor. I offered to help, picked up three boxes from the floor, put one in his cart and two back in the shelf. His hands shook – maybe Parkinsons?

This small action changed my perspective: FROM — feeling down because I had no-one to celebrate my birthday with, TO — realizing how well off I was because I could walk and run and play pickleball.

I walked out of the store with gratefulness full in my thoughts.

NOW HERE I AM IN EARLY 2019. MY BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW. It’s a big one, which is depressing in itself. My knee hurts and hampers me playing pickleball, my favorite workout. I’m getting over a bad cold, and the meds depress me.

Suddenly I remember the wheelchair man in the grocery store. And I think… let’s turn this around… what can I do to help someone else?

Then Joshua Ellison and his grandpa come to my mind. Joshua is a friend who had sent me a request that I hadn’t acted on, and I quickly decided now is the time.

JOSHUA’S REQUEST:
My grandpa Ernesto, a Korean War veteran, and step-grandmother lost their home to a fire on December 14 of 2018.

They lost everything including three cats and a dog. They did not have any homeowner’s insurance.

This is a devastating blow coming just before Christmas.

Ernesto and Maria Martinez are two very hardworking individuals. They live in the small town of Alcalde, NM.

My grandpa is known for his great stories of the Korean War where he almost lost both legs to frostbite.

Even at 87 with his house burned down he still wakes up early to feed his chickens with a smile.

He has always been that great exemplary character for our family and I want to take care of him in this trial.

If you would like to contribute something to help, please click HERE which will take you to the GoFundMe website.

Joshua finishes with this: Any contribution will be used to build a new home for my grandpa as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your loving support. God bless you and your family.

POST-SCRIPT — ABOUT JOSHUA ELLISON.
Joshua is an engineer. I met him at UNM after teaching a class on Fracking and Earthquakes. After working in construction for a few years he went back to college to get his degree.

But when he graduated, he couldn’t find a job. He had done well in his classes, but other students who hadn’t done so well had already found a job. With two young kiddos, he was feeling some pressure. I was able to help out and provide a little work around my home. He eventually obtained a good job with the city of Albuquerque. He has worked hard and done well.

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The Gray Nomad ….. Be kind.
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This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him from all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And He rescues [each of] them.
O taste and see that the LORD [our God] is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
[Book of Psalms, chapter 34].