Month: April 2019

I had a psychologist once tell me that whatever we say out loud is what a part of our brain truly believes deeply to be true.

It made me think this morning about a lot of things, but mainly how many times a day I tell Jesus I love Him.

Call it a nervous tick, but I say aloud: “I love you Jesus,” probably at least ten times a day out loud.

I think it is a better habit as I used to say, “I hate this,” quite a lot before I decided to change this part of my being and change some things up about my life. I can say that thinking positively even when things are rough to be one of the biggest changes I have made thus far in hoping I can better myself each and every day. To live more like Jesus, I must love Him, and this I do.

Do you have any mantras you say aloud or to yourself each day?

To live a Christ centered life can sometimes be hard in this world, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can do to make it easier for ourselves. To lose focus, is sometimes to lose faith so keeping centered sometimes takes some work on our part if we are to live Christ like lives.

My son this morning told me he had two colds—one for the cough and one for the sneezes. I laughed but it was hard considering I think I caught the one with the sneezes. I pray that I didn’t catch it as we both are trying to mend from this and I keep telling myself it is allergies.

When I saw my counselor the other day she told me she thought some of my depression was due to seasonal issues as we had a hard winter. She said she wasn’t making excuses for me, but it was rough for everyone with the lack of sunshine.

I think my depression came directly from losing Tyson. And I would say, before blowing anything out of proportion, that it is normal. Sometimes we are just sad. We are only human.

It doesn’t mean though that the sun won’t rise with each and every morning and that things won’t get better. In time things have “lightened.” I can’t quite explain this, as the mourning still hasn’t gone. It has become more short lived though in the acceptance of the things that I simply cannot change.

Today is another day without sun, but I know that with God, the sun is always shining. I must look to Him for guidance and in times when I feel weak. He is always there to guide me if I am willing to listen with intent. Whether I listen to Him or not though, is up to me. Life might not be easy, but if I listen to the Lord, I will continue to live a happy, joyous, and free life. And Amen to that!

I pray you have a good day sunshine or not, and that the Holy Spirit fills you with joy that you can share with others. Amen.

“Our old way of life before we believed in Christ is completely in the past. We should put it behind us like old clothes to be thrown away. When we decide to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, it is both a one time decision, as well as a daily conscious commitment. We are not to be driven by desire and impulse. We must put on the new nature, head in the new direction, and have the new way of thinking the Holy Spirit gives.” Ephesians 4: 22-24

They say that to lose weight, consistency is key.

I’m not trying to lose weight, but I wouldn’t mind it if a few pounds fell off unexpectedly. I do however, realize that as of today my consistency, not just with diet and exercise need focused on, but my consistency with daily life need to be looked at.

I haven’t been well lately. After Tyson’s death (for a small time) I started drinking again.

It made me very sick due to the medications I’m on and I realized that drinking is something I simply cannot do ever again.

After Tyson died, the consistency of my life changed, and I morphed into somewhat of a lost soul.

The good news is, that today is a new day and one in which I’m realizing its opportunities. There is always something you can do to change and because God’s mercy is new each and every day, I am able to transform. Amen! Either way, I haven’t felt like blogging much, but I can’t say that I would have been able to anyways. I was in a sad little hole, dealing with self-pity and not ready to speak of good news at the time. For that I am sorry, to God and to you. I simply wasn’t well.

Yesterday I went to a baby shower with my grandmother. It was a marvelous time and the first time in a long time that I felt happiness again. Surrounded by family we celebrated new life. And there isn’t anything better than that! I look at my five-year-old, who is ready for school and remember my blessings.

I saw my counselor also since the last blog and she suggested I find some new hobbies or ways to fill the time. Even though I know she is right, I know more so that my lack of consistency to be one of the culprits of things in my life suddenly spinning out of control. After Tyson died, I literally did too. And the laundry, the dishes, my home suddenly spiraled down with me and is now a mess. I can gladly say today, however, that even though my house is a mess, I am not. I am ready again to face my fears, to deal with the pain, and to move on with my life taking it one day at a time and not attempting to play God in my attempts.

My mom has been at a paint class these past few days and we have been watching her dog, Zoe. Zoe is a little bundle of Doxie joy and has really made a difference in allowing our family to accept something, “new.” She has really been a blessing. At first, I feared it would be too hard so soon after Tyson, but I prayed for a great experience and the Lord was good and answered our prayers—and more so.

It is nearly time to take my little one to school. My apologies that this blog might seem scattered as I’m just now getting back into a routine, but I know that anyone who reads this understands the stages of grief and forgives it all. Just like the big guy, He knows my heart, mind and soul, and forgives me each and every time I’m brought to my knees. I pray today for forgiveness and ask for new beginnings, ones with passion and happiness and things that I can consistently carry forward to bigger and better things. Amen.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Today is the first day back on our old/new schedule without Tyson being here.

The Easter holiday allowed us to gather with family and celebrate, making much of the pain of his death at a distance but only for a short time.

I visited his grave yesterday for the first time. We had traveled up to Rimersburg, Pa, a small town that I grew up in to visit my in laws and celebrate our Easter at the old church I used to go to (with my now husband) growing up.

It always seems so surreal to sit in the very seats that we did as teenagers but now with our five-year-old son and do our traditional hymns and means of praise.

The church up there is slowly dying. And there are only a few members still left. When you sing, it feels like you are on stage, because it is such a big open area with a beautiful organ and pianist who plays but with very little voices other than your own. It never stops me from belting out those old traditional hymns from those old, red, and dusty hymnbooks though; I love every minute of it. It’s what I grew up with and what feels like, “home” to me. Well, somewhat.

Anyway, it all got me thinking—the whole weekend did, about Jesus and the resurrection, life and death, death and life, and generally having to try and process all of these heavy things while at the same time help with simplistic fun stuff like finding a plastic egg full of candy and coins. The foil of the whole situation is something I could go on about probably, forever…but nevertheless there were all the metaphors being thrown at me with every step (it seemed) that I took.

Have you ever been bombarded with messages? Not just on your phone or email but from God?

In psychiatric terms, this might be what they often refer to as “racing thoughts.” (Which is partly a joke I’m making right now). But, let’s be honest, either way, Easter is FULL of messages. TONS. And I truly believe the more open you are to be receiving these “messages” the more you will get.

We often pray out to God and ask for “signs.” We might even do this subconsciously, but we are looking and trying to find His guidance. The funny part about this is, how knuckle brained we are in thinking we have to “wait.” If the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we are at an extreme advantage when it comes to “being heard.” It’s the hearing back part that we all somewhat stumble around or attempt to “figure out.”

I see my counselor again tomorrow. It’s been a long time since I last saw her. It’s because I thought (at the time) that what we were doing wasn’t working well enough for me, so I took a break from my appointments for a month or two. The truth is, I simply wasn’t ready yet. I wasn’t ready spiritually even to move forward.

I’ve come a long way in the past year in trying to better myself and have done intensive therapy in choosing to deal with my PTSD, anxiety, depression, and dare I say any other diagnostics.

It has been a roller coaster ride, but one that is finally being set upright and on track. I could not have done this or gotten this far though without a Higher Power. To know Jesus is something that I continue to learn about and grow with. The Holy Spirit that dwells in me is so powerful it nearly scares me sometimes, but I know and fear a God that dwells in me and I know this to now be true. There is no doubt, there is just new life.

As I visited Tyson’s grave yesterday, I had taken three red tulips and cut them from my plant bed for him. All three of us, as a family, stood upon his grave, said some words, and placed a tulip near his head. It comforted me in a strange way, but I knew that he wasn’t really there. I could feel it. He had gone somewhere else, somewhere I simply couldn’t go, and that’s all I know.

Each day without him seems to get harder, but I know that that is simply the wrong mindset to have and I have been attempting to readjust this as time moves forward. The truth is, all of this is about moving forward. It has been a life lesson for me that has taken nearly forty years, but it’s true. Death is life. Easter is real. And moving forward simply means continuing to stay on track amidst all of the pain and suffering we do here on Earth. Until we go home.

This is not my home. My home can be found in those dusty old hymnals, praising the Lord…the feeling I get from that “feels” the closest to “home” I’ve ever been. And it’s because I am not “home” yet I’ve decided; I am simply living this life the best I can in looking for His will for me and my life before my time comes to get to go “home.” I believe that that is why we always feel like we don’t quite “fit in” here on this earth. And as much as we try, there is never going to be a person, thing, or time in which we have a true “home” or belonging here. If you believe in Jesus, you believe in life eternal, and know this already, but for me it has become a rude awakening and I’m awe struck with the wonderment and pure magnitude of it all. It is more than a blessing. There are no words for what I speak of.

I hope you had a good Easter season and that Jesus touched your heart this year too. Please continue to pray for me and my family in this new time of adjustment as it is sorrow that the grief sometimes brings us. It comes in waves, but we are faithful in knowing that the tide always goes out again and with that, every new day God shows us new mercy and new life as we know it. It is all merely a preview of the greatness that is to come. Amen.

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Here is a picture I captured a handful of years ago when visiting my brother in Erie, Pa. I think it is inspiring so I thought I would share it with today’s blog.

I’m asking God to “bless this blog” right now, because I didn’t intend to blog this morning, but I felt called to do so.

What I am to be blogging about though…is too much and would have years full of memories that one simple page would not allow.

This whole thing with Tyson’s death and losing him so suddenly has really brought me to my knees. I didn’t sleep well again last night but yesterday was the first full day without our beloved boxer. I tried to take my mind off of things by helping my husband to deep clean our house, which definitely helped rid the constant memories we all seem to be surrounded with…but also I had to get out of this house. So, I went to my friend Kim’s for coffee. Kim is one of my very first friends that I would consider a true woman of faith. Her door is always open and as she looked and listened to me with her big dark eyes, she made me realize what blessings I have for friends right now in my life. The people that God has, especially most recently, put in my path, have been pretty remarkable.

They have all been Godly. They have sent prayers. They have told me randomly when out and about that “Indeed, God is good.” And it has been an earthly support and a feeling of true genuine love that I just can’t explain. I am so grateful for this.

I can’t say that I always had friends that truly supported me the way God does though.

I used to be angry with God.

I know a lot of people still live this way, even subconsciously. But I did for a long time too.

I was such a lost person when I lived in Texas and I remember my dad sending me these devotionals that he had been reading. My mother had been giving me bibles and other Christian outreach attempts for decades, but for some reason, those devotionals (at the time especially), hit HOME. The words. The way they made me feel. The way I knew deep down inside that my rock bottom was then and that the only thing getting me by were those…words. Scripture.

As those Bible scriptures and my Higher Power started to merge, I started to listen to that tiny voice I’d always heard deep down inside. And I remember at one point, deciding to take a chance on it. I had nothing left to lose.

My (ex) husband at the time was in the process of receiving a job transfer. And I prayed. And you know…I listened more than anything what God’s will was for me. And it was to stay put as long as I did way back in those awful Texas days in an abusive marriage and in total isolation from friends and family. It didn’t make sense; but I did it anyway because that is what I felt led to do. God then answered my prayers and transferred us to Wooster, Ohio and it was just close enough for me to get myself back home again. Home to Pa. My place of belonging and now my home again with my wonderful husband of seven years, and our five year old son we share together. God answered my prayers in bigger ways because I listened and for the very first time, I realized what it was like to have a real tangible relationship with the Lord.

When I was having trouble sleeping last night I thought about all of this. My divorce, and when I gave myself over ENTIRELY to the Lord. I gave him my life. Every part of me. Because I owed Him. I never thought I’d ever get out of there alive. My time living in Texas and in some of the places I’ve been were very very rough, but as people around here remind me, even now after a loss: “God is good.”

My prayers were answered and not in my time frame, but in His. And that tiny voice, that Higher Power, was right. It was my first big dependency and leap of faith and it moved mountains for me.

Thinking about all of this helped me to realize last night, how much independence I’ve gained from being so dependent on Him. This might not make sense to you if you still battle with your own self will, but truly…my heart and entire being belong to something much greater than myself and that is what has allowed me to grow in my faith and be able to even stomach these recent events as well as I have.

I am an extremely sensitive person and one who has been through a lot of things…but at the end of the day, I am grateful for my journey and all of the pain because truly, it’s what has made me find God and what has helped me to continue to form this everlasting relationship with Him. Life is better this way. It is happy, joyous, and free.

I am grateful for my friends of faith and for their prayers. They have truly helped. More than you’ll ever know.

I welcome this new season and these winds of change with open arms, as I know the sacrifice Jesus made for me and it’s something to celebrate, not mourn. I used to get extremely sad around Easter, because I didn’t get it…the resurrection. Life eternal. Salvation. It’s a celebration of life and quite frankly, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to be about. Here at Party Gatherings we celebrate life. So let’s sing, and dance and celebrate Easter this Sunday. Each and every day God’s mercy is new. And Amen to that!

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done.” AMEN.

My dog passed away yesterday.

I didn’t blog because truly, I couldn’t.

I have never felt such strange grief. He was like a part of our family, but for me was like my right hand man. He was constantly with me and at my side and for many years, much like a therapy dog.

I feel very lost but yesterday I felt sick. I was physically ill and ended up having a panic attack. My husband had to actually go to the pharmacy and pick me up some medicine for it, it was so bad. My whole rib cage felt like someone was squeezing it as tight as they could, and no matter how much deep breathing I did, it would not surpass. I prayed and after receiving some of my medicine, I felt a little better but nothing, nothing could contain the sickness I felt inside.

We took the day yesterday as a day of mourning and today are deep cleaning the house. Tyson’s fur is everywhere. I received many condolences, including one from his doctor, that I truly appreciated.

I have had many friends lose a pet, but have never gone through the pain and agony like the night/early morning of the 18^th. We knew Tyson was gravely ill and I had made a call into the vet for them to call me back the next day…but as the hours went on, so did his sickness. I have never seen death before so this was a new experience for me. To watch something die is not something I’d wish on anyone but part of life.

I kept thinking that he nearly made it until Good Friday. That he, like Jesus will rise again and now that he is in heaven, he is at peace with our Lord. There were a lot of things that helped, but nothing like time. Time really does seem to heal all wounds. So just remember: “it gets easier,” as my father in law would say. And hang in there. The pain will not last forever.

There are very few that write about the intensity of grief in ways that seem helpful. They label the emotional roller coaster using huge blanket terms or umbrella words like: “anger, sadness, denial, etc.” but the truth is…it is basically a sickness. Something that you fight each and every day, but unlike those who are truly ill, it passes and gets better with each day too. It is guaranteed. They don’t often tell you that part…that there is an end to its intensity and that once we claim it and process it, that it does get better.

So, if you are feeling at a loss or you have lost something, all I can say from what I just went through is that it DOES GET BETTER. It is simply time. Suffer through it, process it, grieve, because each day like God promises is new and with each and every day a new sun will rise. It will get better and better as the days go on. But you must believe that your loved one is truly in a better place and that you WILL see them again. It is true.

The night of Tyson’s passing I knew that my aunt had come for him. I could feel her presence in the room, and shortly there after he left us. I know that he is somewhere I cannot go, but someday I will be on the other side of the door and able to not just knock but go in. I will see him again. And Amen to that.

I pray you have a good day and enjoy your holiday. I am taking a break from blogging to enjoy the holiday with my family and to reflect. It is a very special time of year. I hope that you see how special you are to the Lord this season, as he died for you…for the world to live in greater ways. Make them great and special. Enjoy yourself and your loved ones. Amen. Happy Easter. He is risen!

“Some of us will be surprised to see some of the people who made it into Heaven…and some of them will be surprised to see some of us.” T.D. Jakes

 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Romans 9:9-10 (NLT)

My son has taken to clapping.

I don’t know what this means, but it is definitely something that makes our house more joyous. He often watches TV when I blog, and I can hear him randomly clapping and murmuring things to himself as he watches.

I woke up today in a foul way. The dog has thrown up twice since, and I was late in doing my normal routine. I decided though it wasn’t going to keep me from blogging.

I am still reading Joyce Meyer’s “Starting Your Day Right” devotional and for today the scripture reads: “And they who know Your name {who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy} will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You Lord have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You {on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity}.”

This reminds me that God has given me the tools to help me through each new day. But it is up to me to take advantage of that. My foul mood this morning was then transformed into thanksgiving when I started to count my blessings.

My dog threw up on my rug. Something that made me hit a level ten. But then later when spending time with the Lord, I was instead, grateful I still had a rug. I cleaned up the mess and now it is just as it was before. Clean. It all reminded me how trivial things on this earth can be and if we let them get to us, it can really ruin our day. I would hate to blame this on the devil, but it does seem to be part of his work—to unbalance our already balanced lives with God.

My five-year-old is SO excited because today they have their Easter party at school. He is taking a chocolate bunny for each child in his class, and it is (for a five-year-old) a very big deal. But shouldn’t it be for all of us? To get excited with our children and watch and remember as they are so amazed with the world? That is one of my very favorite things as a parent and something that allows me to refresh each and every day—to see my son experience the world in new ways. I then get the blessing of re-experiencing it with him and Amen to that! Thank you, Jesus, for starting us fresh each and every day. If we can just remember that we can refresh with God’s mercy every day, then every day should be a good one.

Today I want to close with a quote from someone named, Renee Swope, who I don’t know but loved what she said about womanhood. She states: “I want to be a woman who overcomes obstacles by tackling them with faith instead of tiptoeing around them in fear.” I too want to be a woman like that. What about you? There is never a time when new ways can’t be challenged. Take a leap. Try something new. And have a great day.

 

This morning I noticed that my dog is tied out with nearly a thread.

Our rope that is attached to a hook on the wall of the house has grown nearly threadbare. It made me laugh so hard to see this in knowing that even though my dog is tied, he would never run away…it is just meant as a safety so that HE feels comfortable in going out using some type of lead or routine.

It got me thinking this morning though about God and how we are so much like this…wanting so badly to be tied to Him but knowing that free will is something real that we must address and deal with. It would be much easier if we were constantly tied physically to God, but that’s not how it goes. Instead, through our faith we are tied to the Lord and in that way, we are happy, joyous and free when spiritually bound.

Today, is Tuesday and garbage day. There isn’t much happening here, but I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers because my son is better and not only that, so is my dog. He has even started begging for food again and attempting to sneak into the garbage when we aren’t looking.

I made one of those huge pre-made lasagnas for dinner the other night…which was so bad we actually had to throw it away (the bottom was burnt to a crisp and the top had melted cheese). But anyways, it didn’t stop Tyson from nosing in the garbage can! It was then that I realized that yes, he is our same old dog again and I was, for the very first time, excited that he was attempting to rummage through the garbage to find that marinara sauce—one of his favorites.

As I look at the rummage of Notre Dame today I had a friend who posted an article from “Christian Today” that said: “Hope amid the rubble: surrounded by damage, devastation and the broken hearts of a nation, a cross remains standing and unscathed in Notre Dame, Paris.”

It made my heart delight and rejoice. What a sign. What a huge metaphor. How good God is…that in the aftermath of ALL of our storms, He is risen.

I pray that as we grow closer to celebrating this special time of year that you hear and see His voice. Meaning that what remains in your heart really speaks to you…even though sometimes our “things” are burned, we as a people will always rise if we are with Him. Amen. Thank you, Jesus.

It is a new day and God’s mercy is new every morning.

“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.” Psalm 62: 5

I got a call yesterday from a contractor that left a message on my phone.

It was a wrong number.

But anyway, the message said that they weren’t coming today because believe it or not…not only was it going to rain, but it was going to snow!

That is how I found out today’s forecast. And right on schedule, it’s cold and damp and looks as though it could snow any minute. It’s supposed to be Spring!

My son is staying home today. He is sick…so he says, with a cold or allergies. Either way he is cuddled up on our couch and hasn’t moved a muscle for a while now, so I know he is under the weather.

I haven’t blogged in a couple of days and I’ll admit I feel as though I’m out of practice. It had become so much a part of my early morning routine. And I’ll also admit to you that without it, I felt somewhat lost.

Have you ever cut out part of your routine and felt this way?

This morning I went out to the mailbox to mail a piece of our taxes. I know that my husband wasn’t happy to hear that our five-year-old was sick and not going to school, but when I went out to the mailbox the weather reminded me that some days are best kept inside.

Have you ever had days where you knew you needed rest and you allowed yourself to get it?

Part of my lack of blogging recently was due to this need. I was starting to burn out and knew that my mornings with God needed revamped. Some things are very private and a lot of things I share with the Lord I’d never share otherwise. Not even in this blog.

Just like any other relationship, my time with God is precious. There are many times that it is just between us. Not that we have secrets. But we do. There are things that are near and dear to me, things that I keep close to my heart that only He knows. And Amen to that! It is so nice to have a best friend that you know, without a doubt, that you can confide in. And the Lord does just that. He is on your side.

Do you have this type of intimate relationship with God?

He definitely wants to have one with you. It would please Him to know that your heart desires the same. So, I pray today that you find what you’re looking for, but that it includes God. He is the biggest part of my entire day and I pray you find this type of comfort in Him too. Amen.

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.” Psalm 149:4

I just got a notification from my computer that my “battery was running low.”

And I thought: “No kidding!”

Today my husband gets home from his week away from work, and man am I ready! I am feeling burnt out and my five-year-old and I are starting to actually get on each other’s nerves. There is no buffer and my husband, I’m realizing acts as the perfect buffer between these long days going one on one with a five-year-old.

Sometimes we don’t appreciate the things we have until they are gone. But sometimes we don’t even realize what we have until they are gone.

Even though it’s been really rough this week without my husband, I am now realizing more so what a blessing he is to our family. Our family unit is balanced and blessed and amen to that! So, I am growing more excited for him to get home as we do miss him but more than that, what he does for our family allows us to be complete and stable. Take one of us away, and things become unbalanced.

This morning my son started screaming at me from his bed room: “Mom! Mom! Mom!” over and over again until I would get up and go get him “unstuck” from his covers. It wasn’t the fondest memory and even now I find irritation with remembering how I woke up this morning. It is time for my husband to come home. He called this morning amongst my irritation and reassured me that soon enough he would be back again and things would go back to normal. Back to normal meaning my son would scream at the top of his lungs “Mom!” in the morning when he wakes up, but not repetitively like he did today.

I have to keep praying and reminding myself of my blessings when things get to me here. I forgot to turn on the heat last night and we all woke up with runny noses and a freezing cold house. It is 58 degrees right now and rising but it was just another thing I felt I had let down.

The dog refused to take his pills this morning too, so I actually stuffed them into his mouth and held it shut until he ate them. Yes. I know. I am not proud of these moments recently when I have lost my cool, but again, my battery is low. And I needed recharged.

I spent my time with God this morning and this did it for me. It helped me to reflect on my actions before anything or anyone else got worse. God gives me the patience and love I need in my heart to keep on going and with a better attitude.

Do you ever pray to God and suddenly feel re-energized? More at love and peace with the world?

I do this a lot as it’s what allows me to create balance and harmony here on earth in my own little world. God saves me each and every time and even times when I think I’m really going to lose it, he recharges my battery and I’m able to go on. And Amen to that!

I pray you have a great day that is harmonious and when things get tough you look up. God is there with you and is awaiting your call. Not many take advantage of such a divine service, but I pray that you will. And Amen to that!

“Let my pray be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

These past two days I haven’t felt like blogging. I don’t know why…but I have done it anyway.

It is part of my morning routine. I wake up, feed my child three small white donuts with chocolate milk, make my coffee, put my make up on and get dressed, and then spend my time with God. Then, I blog. Lately though it seems I have needed an attitude adjustment.

Have you ever spent time alone with God and feel like you just want to keep the message for yourself?

It would take a lot of honesty to admit this, but one of the reasons I do blog is to share what I have been recently blessed with…and most of the time it’s God’s word, definitely it’s never mine.

I used to think it was the coffee talking, but no, I often pray for God to speak through me, and that is the only reason I do blog—to share His good news.

I took my dog, Tyson to the vet. yesterday and things definitely turned out better than they could have; his liver and kidneys are functioning well. He does have some type of gastro intestinal issues which we have new medicine for…this morning he woke up and ate some wet food and so far so good at keeping it down. Thank you, Jesus! Things are looking up again.

One thing I do want to thank everyone for is your abundance of prayers. We have felt such love and support since he fell ill and it really means a lot.

Have you ever been surrounded by thoughts and prayers in this way?

I can’t tell you what a difference this makes. It reminds me how important it is to ask for prayer. To share.

I think a lot of people suffer silently and alone. Even if you are praying to the Lord, sometimes it helps to have God’s mercy poured out in other ways…meaning by use of His people here on earth too. Helping one another is one of the best ways I can see that Christians can unite and be there for one another. It helps to SHARE! Don’t try to go to battle alone. With just you and God, things can get better, but God wants you to share your news and His word as much as you can. It is part of serving Him and He delights in how it can grow your relationship with Him and unite fellow Christians together.

Today is another day without my husband. And I will admit to you, I’m missing him terribly. My blessing is that he is to come home late tomorrow evening but I think of those who no longer are able to be with their loved ones. We have all lost someone in our life that we miss dearly, but we must remember that it is only a matter of time before we will see them again. Our Lord is good—and always!

I pray you have a great day full of sunshine and hope. The Holy Spirit is with you and along with those that surround you today, I pray you rejoice. Good news is here. Jesus has risen. Today is a new day full of new mercy. And Amen to that!

“But to all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.” Psalm 5:11