Grateful!

I have had a GRATEFUL day and don't want to skip over that without acknowledging how blessed I feel. As I told you that I have been down with a cold this week but... not down like I usually am. Yes, I got some chills, I had heaviness in my chest and other cold symptoms but it stayed just at that...a plain old ordinary cold, not bronchitis or pneumonia! That is a first in many years. 
About 6 months ago I felt impressed to call a lady that I knew ( but not well ), but who I knew was a strong and healthy person and one who definitely into healthy choices. She is also one of the happiest and most positive people I have ever met too. Just a wealth of knowledge and happiness all wrapped up in one.
I asked her about some healthy choices that I could look into before this Fall and Winter came, to strengthen my immune system. Since that is the flu season and personally I didn't want to go through another year of being sooooo sick. One of the things that she and her family use are doTerra Oils , I didn't know alot about them but was very curious so I went HERE: to learn more about them.
But since she sells them, it was great personally to get her knowledge and advice for what me and my body needed.  I have had other women help me with them, but I guess it just wasn't the right time, but I appreciate what they taught me. But 6 months ago I knew that I needed to get back into really paying attention to my body, and so I  started using the oils. I really do love them! My family and close friends are amazed at the results. I even took on 2 more jobs this fall and still stayed healthy through it all.
Now I am still a work in progress, but I was just tremendously grateful that this stayed at JUST A COLD!
I also went to a new Doctor today about my back. I will let you know more about that as I go along but it did remind me today that I need to stop and listen to my body more often, I need to do more positive affirmations,and I need to be more Grateful for the amazing life, family, friends and connections that I have!

Plus, my dear friend actually took me today to that new Doctor appointment, fun to be with her and not to have to do that alone. She is a PT herself, and so together we were able to share information that the DR wanted to know about me, my body and my life. So grateful that she went with me and we got to spend some time together!

After the DR appointment I was able to make a connection with a lady by phone that I found online through a you tube... she was so amazing that I emailed to thank her for her talent and for sharing it so freely with others. She is an artist, a scrapbooker, a stamper... and what a treat it was to just come upon her blog! You can check her blog out for yourself if you are into any kind of paper crafting ...look her up HERE: watch one of her you tubes and you will be amazed and her sweet personality comes through on her you tubes. I know... I should take some personal classes from her! :)

Then the dear friend who I mentioned earlier, came over tonight to help me with something I was having trouble with. I am alway amazed at how selfless she is, she has a young family, she is very busy and she is also a Massage Therapist and a great one at that ... see for yourself HERE:
but she just came and took time out of her busy life to help me...her friend.

I just feel so grateful to these people who are in my life now, helping me, or setting an example for me, who are teaching me how to make my life...even better!
 I am teaching a lesson at church tomorrow so I had better get studying!

Good Night dear friends!

Is it really May?

I kept thinking in March that the winter would last forever but ... now I realized it is already May. Where did all that time go? Yesterday when I was at the store, the black clouds were hovering and I thought for sure I could get in and out of the store before the storm hit. But as I walked out into this...a full blown Hail Storm. I decided to just roll up my pants and take off my shoes right there at the store and just get wet and enjoy it!

Today has been stormy looking but quite a few sun breaks and the most beautiful clouds you have ever seen. I feel so blessed to be able to live in such a beautiful place. 

I am really trying to enjoy life more and make the most of each day. After being so sick this winter, I realize that I have got to put more time and attention at taking care of my health first. 

At my PT appt yesterday for lymphedema, told me that I need to try and get back in the pool as soon as I can to help keep the swelling down. Today at my PT appt for my back, she suggested that I try doing Aqua Jogging again until my Doctor clears me to swim again ( she is worried about all the germs that are in the pool ). So I have to start thinking about getting back in the water soon. 

I don't necessarily feel ready for a lot of reasons but I have got to figure that out soon. It is May already and so I need to seriously get on top of my game and get 100% healthy again. 

What goes around...comes around!

It was another fun filled day with the family. Erica went with me to work...I taught the 3rd Day of Christmas today, then Amy and the girls came over. Jeff and family went to Seattle and the Zoo, so they had a great time too.
Then tonight we all went and got dinner and took it to the park...what a great visit this has been with my brother and his sweet kids.
Then right before it got dark, we decided we wanted to run by Michaels the craft store and get a few things for the girls while they were here. It was important that we get them as addicted as we could to sewing, crafting, scrapbooking. What fun!

I loved this video that my daughter sent me of someone who truly understood what the quote " What goes around...comes around" meant. Watch it and see, it's only a couple of minutes but you will need tissues...Just sayin!
What goes around...goes around...Here:

I have watched this video a few times, and cry each time. What a wonderful reminder that life is short and that each day we have a chance to change someone's life for the better!
Good Night dear friends!

Gratitude really does help!

Had a really tough night, and a tough day today.
The Doctor called today and checked on me, she was concerned that I was struggling so she thought it might because it was of my Mono. I sure hope so and I hope
to have a better night tonight, same to you dear friends!

Good friends!

I thought this card was too funny and so true! I haven't had many visitors in the past 8 weeks, and I am not actually suppose to... until we figure out what is wrong with me. But the ones that have come, I realized are good friends, because I really didn't clean up for them. I didn't even put on my face and I haven't even taken down my Christmas/ Winter decorations either! Now that must mean I am really sick! :)

Headed to the DR today, she was discouraged that this 3rd antibiotic isn't doing it's job and neither is the nebulizer. She checked my throat and said she was worried about strep so she took a culture. Then she did a culture on my nose and sinuses to check for the flu virus. She showed me the chest x rays and I still have bronchitis and she said they can see that the bronchial tubes are narrowed because of something... bacteria related? She wasn't sure, but that is why I feel so bad, straining to get air and winded easily. So she is sending me to a pulmonary specialist tomorrow and we will go from there!

 

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts, that means a lot. I need to just stay hopeful and trust that my Heavenly Father will help us find more answers soon.

 

P.S.  Oh I forgot to tell you that tonight when Jeff got dinner we got a fortune cookie with it, guess what mine said? " Now is a good time to finish up old tasks" then I asked to see the other one maybe it would be better and more positive. Here is what it said " Now is a good time to start a new hobby or collections"

Gee, I guess that means I will never get out of here! :) Actually I wouldn't mind to have the energy to either one of those! :)

Gossip or True Concern?

Loved this article by Jason Wright. A lot of good healthy advice for body and soul!

 Wright Words: I’m not dying — I’m just skinny!

The questions started a year ago. “Are you sick? Are you dying? Are you well? Are you losing weight?”

The answers were no, no, no and yes. I explained with building frustration that I was simply losing some of the pounds I’d found over the years in fast-food bags, ice cream cartons and by visiting the Milky Way with my friends, The 3 Musketeers.
By the time I hit my wedding-day weight of 160 pounds — a loss of 46 pounds from my all-time high — hardly a day passed without someone asking about my health.                           

Because my father died of cancer at a relatively young age, my well-meaning mother launched a full-scale campaign to get me into the doctor to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. I gave in just before she started running television commercials.

The questions started a year ago. “Are you sick? Are you dying? Are you well? Are you losing weight?”
The answers were no, no, no and yes. I explained with building frustration that I was simply losing some of the pounds I’d found over the years in fast-food bags, ice cream cartons and by visiting the Milky Way with my friends, The 3 Musketeers.
By the time I hit my wedding-day weight of 160 pounds — a loss of 46 pounds from my all-time high — hardly a day passed without someone asking about my health.
Because my father died of cancer at a relatively young age of 50, my well-meaning mother launched a full-scale campaign to get me into the doctor to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. I gave in just before she started running costly television commercials and online banner ads.
I made an appointment with the wonderful Dr. Regina Bray of Fairfax Family Practice in Fairfax, Va. Over the course of our visits, she checked me for everything imaginable. She tested my blood, kidneys and bones. We discussed exercise, family history, career, stress and diet.
She introduced me to a new term: sleep hygiene. It’s the promotion of better sleep habits by going to bed and rising at a consistent time, avoiding the use of phones, laptops and television in bed, and even resisting the urge to read a good book while you drift off. I pledged to do better with all of the above.
Dr. Bray also asked me to keep a food diary and record everything I ate. Because I wanted to be a good patient, and because my mother couldn’t fly the airplane banner over my home forever, I agreed to keep studious logs of every single thing I ate or drank on seven random, non-consecutive days. Meanwhile, my weight remained steady between 158 and 165 pounds.
What was the doctor’s first reaction on my next visit? “Mr. Wright, are you aware that gummy bears are not on the food pyramid?”
After all the tests and questionnaires, I was finally given a clean bill of health last week on my final visit with Dr. Bray before she takes a new job in the Midwest. With a smile and the kind concern of a good doctor, she looked at me and said, “I feel pretty confident I can give you my blessing. You’re not dying.” She paused and laughed, “Not today, anyway.”
We shook hands, I wished her well on her new adventure and we said goodbye. Then, as soon as I stepped off the elevator, I called my mother. “Hey Mom, guess who’s not dying? This guy!”
As I made the 70-mile journey home, I thought about all the people who’d wondered both privately and aloud about my health. I considered their bold assumptions and how I’d lost patience with the constant queries.
Friends, neighbors and church pals had all assumed the very worst. Or was I the one making assumptions?
I'd chosen to imagine that every comment, question and furrowed brow must have come from Gossipy Curiosityville. I didn't permit myself to ponder, "What if they're all just concerned? What if everyone who stops me on the street or at the mall is genuinely worried? What a blessing!"
All these months passed with me assuming that everyone else was assuming the very worst. Whew, that's a lot of assumption! Isn't there an easier way to live?
What if I'd accepted that folks were asking out of sincere concern? What if I gave them the benefit of the doubt and chose to believe they had the best of intentions?
After all, they didn't create my frustration through action; I caused it from reaction.
With my mother satisfied and my doctor ordering me to avoid all doctor's offices for 12 months, I'll make a new pledge. I'll try harder to always assume the best.
So next time you ask if I’m all right, I’ll thank you for checking on me and answer with a patient smile. “I’m not dying — I'm just skinny.”
You can read more of Jason's articles here:

Missing my friends!

It is always this time of year that my thoughts turn to my friends and family, of course that is only natural! Still how I wish I could just get on a plane and go visit them or better yet, buy them a plan ticket so that they could fly in and we could spend the holidays together.

I had to go to the Doctor today because my cold has settled in my  chest and I just wanted to check and make sure that it hadn’t turned into pneumonia…it hasn’t thank ! Then the Doctor (who has become a dear friend to our family) just smiled and said “Lynn you need to slow down a bit and get more rest”. When I told him what my calendar looked like, he smiled once again and said “ then at least get some rest, you know how much your body can do “. He knows me all too well. ( I think he is also smiling because I am living life again, it wasn’t that long ago I was sitting there telling him I didn’t know if I would ever have enough energy to do anything again! )

Well, I don’t have a Mother to call and ask her to tell me what I need to do or how I will be able to handle the crazy schedule that is coming up. I could always call a dear friend though, I know they will be honest with me and yet not quite so brutally honest …like my family will be . Still I am grateful to have family and friends close to my heart this time of the year. To quote a song…IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! Good night dear friends!

 

  
 
 
Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrows keep you Human,

Failures keep you Humble,

Success keeps you Glowing,

But .... Only Friends ....

Keep You Going!!!

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”   ~Arnold H. Glasow

“Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.”

Most Children BELIEVE!

I have always been taught that we need to be more like little children, in thought, deeds, beliefs, honesty and actions. I think it is because they are so innocent, plus pure and haven’t been filled with prejudices and selfish ideas yet. When I listen to my granddaughters pray, I am always amazed at the simplicity and yet straightforwardness of their prayers. They pray from everything from …thankful for the strawberries, leaves on the trees, Daddy to be safe at work, to help my sister not be mean to me any more… and share her dinosaurs with me, and on and on.
Yes, they pray from their heart, they believe from their heart, it is refreshing to listen to them. 
When I read this story, I thought how sweet and true it is …that children do have great faith!  It made me take a look at my own heart and how much faith I really have.
Hope you enjoy it. Good night dear friends!    
 
 
A little child’s prayer!

(This is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa.)
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter.

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator and we had no electricity to run an incubator. We also had no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). ' And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in

the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby.

I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During prayer time, one ten-year-old
girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.

'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon..'
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, ' And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'
As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say ' A men?' I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there?
The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.
Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large 22 pound parcel.

I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly Excitement was mounting.
Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked
a little bored.
Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.
Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the......could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle.
I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really
loves her?' 'Of course,' I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child – five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'
'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

   '” Little Johnny was softly saying his night prayers kneeling down, and his mother was beside him. "Say your prayers louder, darling, I can't hear you," Said Little Johnny's mother. "But I'm not talking to you" was the instant reply. “

   “ A little boy's prayer: "Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we're gonna be in a big mess."

   “ A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you  for these pancakes." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight."

What's on the other side?

   Today is Sunday, I love Sundays. It is the only day of the week that we completely just do things as a family and  relax, go to church and to just do things that normally you wouldn't or don't take the time to do... like write cards to loved ones, call family and friends and so on. I was hoping tonight to share with you a few things I learned today but instead, my son is sick and I only have a few minutes to write.
    I found this little story and thought it was worth passing on. I have always said that Knowledge is Power, just like this story puts it. When you have a knowledge that your Heavenly Father lives and that He is in control of our lives, then you put fear away and trust that He knows what to do and will tell you what to do. For that knowledge, I am extremely grateful.

   Good night dear friends!

 

That Is Enough 

  A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room with his tail wagging and an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside... He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing. I know my Master is there and that is enough."  ~Unknown

http://www.inspirationpeak.com/cgi-bin/stories.cgi?record=110

"God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them."  ~Author Unknown

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."  ~ Norman Cousins

 

Finding Jesus

Oh my goodness what a great story, it reminded me how much Faith a child can have.

Some times life doesn't turn out like we think it should, but usually in the long run... it
turns out better!

It is important that we are patient in our suffering, and it is also important to ...Find Jesus!
Enjoy!

The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. "Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..."

"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.

The surgeon looked up, annoyed. "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, "to see how much damage has been done..."

"But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there." The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly.

"When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up and I'll plan what to do next."

"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."

The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."

"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there."

The surgeon left. After the surgery, the surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes: "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis:" here he paused, "death within one year."

He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud.

"Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"

The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow."

The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months.

Why?"

The Lord answered, "The boy, my lamb, shall return to my flock, for he has done his duty: I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb."

The surgeon wept.

The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"

"Yes," said the surgeon.

"What did you find?" asked the boy.

"I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

Author unknown

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled.  For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."    ~ Unknown

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."    ~Ambrose Redmoon