Wrap Up

 Today was the final day of painting work on the exterior of the Penny Palace.  Good Thing!  Doc and I are exhausted. Temperatures each day in these past three weeks have been between 90 and 105 degrees! 

 

The Penny Palace has a “fresh new look”, but that pales in comparison to the Fresh New Outlook Fernando has.  He has repeatedly exclaimed how blessed he feels to have experienced the Penny Palace and all the love and positive energy from all of you.  “I have never felt such love before.  And from total strangers!” “People who care and want me to succeed”.  “I want to be like that former student of yours who has his own company and was willing to invest in ME!”

 

Fernando definitely had some of his previous beliefs shaken to the core. I, in exchange, had my ears, eyes and mind opened to a whole new world.  We spoke of abusive parents, hanging out with the wrong crowd, children, divorce, alcohol, drugs, months of incarceration and what life is like in jail, living on the streets, protecting your belongings, peer pressure, fear, starving and so much more.  He would ask me all sorts of questions, and I would return with just as many!  My thinking will never be the same after working with him these past few weeks.

 

The work was completed with so much love.  To celebrate this life changing time together there were non-stop hugs and Doc’s delicious Boysenberry Coconut ice cream.  The painters didn’t know what homemade ice cream was, so Doc offered to teach them!

 

We parted tonight with goals established: books to read, special things to save up for, dreams of travel, and of course promises to keep in touch.

 

*************

 

This is a BIG THANK YOU to those of you who sent loving replies these past two days.  I shared each one of those with Fernando.  

 

Here is his email reply to me which I am taking the liberty of sharing with you:

  

“Thank u so much for all the love means so much to me everyone showing there love Omg I can’t believe it from nothing I’m becoming something special thank u to all” 

More JOY

 Joy is Contagious.  Keep spreading it!

 

Quite a number of Penny Pals responded to last night’s Joy Story.  I shared each of those responses with Fernando today.  He could not believe it!  Readers around the world were sharing in HIS story!!!!!

 

Also last night after sending out the Tale to you, I created a rough “Dream Board” based upon the things Fernando shared with me.  One item depicted was a pressure washer.  Over lunch today, I casually asked Fernando what it would cost to purchase a gas-powered pressure washer and start his own business.  He answered: “Around $200”.  We wrapped up lunch agreeing that $200 seemed like a doable goal.  Little did we know ....

 

This afternoon one Penny Pal (a former solar car student) sent me $100 to add to Fernando’s Piggy Bank with the $100 I had put in there yesterday.  Huh????  No way!!!  God must have “nudged” K.S. to send the exact amount to complete that $200 goal!  COINcidence???? 

When the painters finished their work today, I treated subjected them to a tour of the Penny Palace.   LOL.  I concluded by giving Fernando the Dream Board.  Then I gave him the envelope with the $100.  Talk about amazing JOY and COINcidence!!!!  This photo can not EVEN express the love, shock, gratitude which was present.  The $200 goal had been reached!   

Two days ago Fernando would have probably thought “impossible” to be able to purchase the power washer THIS week.  Today Doc taught him to think instead “I. M. POSSIBLE!!!!!”

 

 

Yesterday I read a page in the book “The Shape of Love” by Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto.  In his chapter on our roles in life and tuning forks he wrote “All things, including human beings, are incapable of vibrating on their own, so let’s give love to others unsparingly”.

 

Lesson:  Each of us can send out vibrations of JOY.

 

 

Blessed Box

 It’s been months since the last Tale from The Penny Palace.  My heart is bursting with today’s JOY story, so I’ve just gotta share it with you.

 

Doc and I hired a painter Luis to paint the wood trim on our house and repair some minor wood damages.  Luis planned to bring his nephew to assist.  Nephew got injured by a horse and unable to help, so Luis worked alone that first week.

 

During the second week, Luis brought Cousin Fernando.  Luis somehow was “led” to bring Fernando even though he really did not have painting experience.  When Fernando first hopped out of the van and shook my hand, I instantly felt some sort of connection with him.  He was so huggable and pleasant natured.

 

The guys worked diligently each day in exceedingly high temperatures.  So of course at lunchtime I invited them to eat their lunches inside and to cool off a bit.  You know me, so YUP, the guys were subjected to non-stop Penny Tales and stories about the Penny Palace.

 

Yesterday afternoon, Fernando began sharing with me.  I have no idea WHY.  I am not a counselor or have any experience dealing with the kind of help I was beginning to think he needed.  Suffice it to say, I’m glad I did not meet him when he was out on the street.

Fernando shared with me some of his dreams and goals.   My heart was somehow overflowing with love for him.  Last night for hours, all I could think about was some way to show Fernando that I believed in him and his new path.  I went on Amazon to find a Piggy Bank that I could gift him and drop in a few coins to begin his “Equipment Fund”.  The soonest any Piggy would arrive would be Wednesday, but I wanted the bank today (Tuesday).

 

I saw a Wooden Savings Box.  “Nah, not what I am seeking”.  I kept looking and looking, yet kept coming back to the wooden box.  And it would arrive today.

 

It was nearly 6 p.m. this evening when the painters were getting into their van.  The Amazon delivery arrived!  I ordered Fernando to sit on a rock in the yard and open the package.  He looked at the item, looked at me, looked at the item... “No WAY!!!!  I have always wanted one of these!”  Tina:  “You are teasing me , right?  I wanted to get you a piggy bank.  I had never seen a Goal Setting Savings Box before.”  Fernando: “I swear I am telling the truth!  I have always wanted one of these.”

 

 

COINcidence that Fernando came to work at the Penny Palace?

COINcidence that he shared so much personal stuff with me yesterday?

COINcidence that I could not sleep until I found something “just right” for him?

COINcidence that he had wanted such a Wooden Savings Box?

 

 

I love how God unexpectedly drops amazing people off at the Penny Palace. 

 

Lesson:  Listen to the “crazy nudgings” in your life even though they might not make CENTS to you!