Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blessings. Show all posts

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Tragedy and Triumph

My eight year old granddaughter who has autism.  She is the light of my life.

When a family first gets the diagnosis of autism, they often go through a mourning period.  To help, there are wise writers like the author of Welcome to Holland, Emily Perl Kingsley.

This adventure has been difficult and delightful, tragic and triumphant, humbling and holy.

God gives us beauty from ashes.  My beautiful girl will always triumph because she is wonderfully made, not a mistake, perfect in His eyes and mine.

treelightingbooboo

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Weathering the Storms

The first national nightmare I remember was John F. Kennedy being shot. I was in first grade and our teacher platform carrying the president’s coffin.

Since then, there have been natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. There has been all manner of human depravity in the name of power and “rights.” We have weathered two 9/11 tragedies and, in the U.K., 7/11. Terrorism comes in many forms.

Last week, Hurricane Sandy came right to my front door. Being the “lucky” ones, we were without power for only three days and three nights. Many others are still, after more than a week, without power, and some, many without homes, whilst still others are burying their dead.

Yet, we have seen some of the best of humankind; our neighbor shared his generator power so that our freezer goods wouldn’t go bad. People with gas grills were cooking food for neighbors which would have otherwise gone bad. Those with power are sharing their homes and their electricity to anyone who has need. Samaritan’s Purse sent people to local churches to help people devastated by the storm by cleaning out what was left of their homes. Utility workers from states not affected by the storm caravanned to our aid.

Yes, there are looters and burglars and scam artists looking to make a quick buck with inferior or non-existent repairs. However, kindness has been the rule.

Just don’t try to cut into a gas line in Jersey. It would could get really ugly.

*I wrote this a few days ago. Today, a Nor’Easter came in and we have wet snow. Some areas which had their power restored are losing it again. Please pray.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

ABC Thankfulness

Apples! They have been a blessing in my weight loss journey as I cut them up or microwave bake them with cinnamon and plain Greek yogurt.

Brothers. I love them and they love me.

Chocolate, dark chocolate

Dining. Isn't food delightful?

Experience that I can pass on when it is good and learn from when it is not.

Fun - something I didn't allow myself enough of when I was younger and what I cherish now!

(the)Girl, my lovely daughter who needs to find some filters to her comments (the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree) but who loves me.

Handicapped Parking for my dear mother-in-love who has such a hard time getting around.

Isabella! No surprise there. She holds my heart.

Jesus - the only reason I am alive today.

Kilometers because they are shorter than miles...

Laura, my bff

Mama B., my mother-in-love.

N - the town I live in. It has been good for my family to live here. It has a small town feel even though it is densely populated.

Opportunities to serve - I wish I could do more.

Precription medications that help people to be healthy physically and mentally.

Quilts made with love to keep us warm.

Reunions that heal broken hearts.

Sisters - the one God gave me through birth, the one I got through marriage and the ones I got through friendship.

The Boy, my son who is always surprising me - sometimes in a good way and sometimes not but I love him.

Unbearable joy - the kind that makes me feel like I am going to jump out of my skin! It doesn't happen often but, when it does...

Velcro - this invention has made many a parents' life so much easier!

Worship - something I don't spend nearly enough time in.

X - when doubled, girls, along with a "y," boys!

You! It's so nice to have you stop by.

Zebras - one of my favorite prints since I was a small child.

What are you thankful for today?

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Catch Up

Well, daylight savings gave us an extra hour of light today. It was nice but what a drag for the moms trying to get their kids to go to bed on time; especially special needs kids who have issues with melatonin. Oy.

The annual walk for Autism Speaks is coming up soon. I am overwhelmed with even thinking about putting it all together again: sponsors, contributors, walkers, t-shirts - ugh! Will anyone else step up to be Team Isabella's team leader? Nah ah. Double oy.

My mother-in-love is not doing well. Having my father-in-law around until he was nearly 95 makes me think Mom's 85 years is young but that is not the truth. Congestive heart failure and bad arthritis make her so uncomfortable. We all want her around for as long as possible but have to accept reality; life is frail. Oy, oy, oy. At least my parents are in great health. Phew.

I am pleased to report that Isabella is still progressing more than she is regressing. She actually recited the eleven months of the year whilst clapping! (She left out November.) It is thrilling to see that she is learning things that neurotypical children her age are learning. We had a phone conversation earlier that made more sense than any other we have ever had. She was able to relate to the fact that tomorrow is a school day. Me: "Tomorrow is Monday, Boo." Bells: "I know that." Hooray!

Yesterday was about the 28th year (less the three they moved out of state) I celebrated St. Patrick's Day with my bff and her husband. The corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and soda bread were good but the company was great. I have been blessed with a number of people I can call "friend." So many of them are around for only a season. However, L is the one who I know will always be in my life. Another hooray!

Living in this part of the great Atlantic northeast is very expensive. Himself wants us to make plans to move to a state we can afford to live in. Leaving my grandbaby behind is not an option as far as I am concerned. The Girl doesn't want to move. What to do? Hope God gives us perfect wisdom on this. It's so hard.

Well, that's about it for now. What's up in your life?

blessings, g

Thursday, May 13, 2010

New Routine?

Being someone who doesn't like change all that much, the fact that I have been thinking that I need a change in routine is a bit odd. It's not that my life isn't fulfilling because it is. It would be nice, though, to have some choices.

One choice I would make would be to be fibromyalgia free for a while. Usually, I don't even notice the pain I live with daily. It is just part of my life and I accept it. However, when I have a night like last night, where the pain woke me so often, well, it would be nice to sleep uninterrupted. Also, I would like to be able to make plans without having alternatives planned just in case the fms flares up.

Another choice would be to have the concentration to go back to school or hold down a job. FMS works havoc on one's concentration. Just the thought of going back to work causes anxiety deep within me.

I know that every school day I need to be available to pick up Isabella at 2:30. Do I have a choice in this? I could refuse but who would do it? Today, it would have been lovely to take a nap to make up for last night's lost sleep. Yet, here I sit, with The Little Mermaid on for the fifth time in three days.

A friend recently wondered out loud what her life would have been like had she taken the path she originally planned. We won't ever find out, will we? This is not the life I planned either. However, we are where we are and can either dwell on the past in times of doubt or press on and make the best of where our choices have led us.

Sometimes overwhelmed but always blessed. I suppose that sums up my life right now. That's not too bad, right?

Friday, January 8, 2010

Thankful Thursday

January 07
Thankful Thursday

In following dear Meg's example, here are things I am thankful for:

a roof over my head

clothing on my back

food in my belly

health in my family

progress in Isabella's cognition

cars running well

chocolate being healthy

parents being alive and well

God in me

Can you add to this?

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Miracles and Such

There are skeptics among us but I believe in miracles.

This afternoon I sent out a prayer request to heal my migraine and it is gone. I put my hands on my niece's swollen, nine months pregnant baby belly and felt my new great nephew moving within her. At one of my Tuesday night meetings (group of women from my church), a members hands got hot and she touched several of us and we were all healed by the next day of what was ailing us (I was healed within an hour or so).

The greatest miracle of all that I have experienced was that God took a piece of Himself, came to earth and became human so that I might never be able to say, "Lord, you just don't understand." Not only that, He became sin whilst on the cross so that we could have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him.

Can it get any better than that?

I no longer try to picture what heaven is like. There is no way my limited mind could ever do it justice. I tell my children what my mother told me: when you get there, whatever makes you happiest is what heaven will be like. As a child, I used to imagine unlimited boxes of Whitman samplers (chocolates). Himself hopes for reenactments of the miracles in the Bible like the parting of the Red Sea. Now, I am waiting in anticipation for when I join my Lord and savior. I know with everything in me that no joy on earth can compare.

In a few days, we will be celebrating the birth of that bit of God sent to earth. Technically speaking, shepherds don't watch over flocks in December so the actual date is up in the air. Does it really matter when Jesus Christ was born? I don't think so. All that matters was that He WAS born and why. Born to die that I may live.

My greatest desire is that all I know would come to know Jesus for their own. Sometimes I ache with this desire.

May the honoring of God by remembering Who He gave us be of the utmost importance in your life this week and always.

blessing, joy and peace, g

Friday, September 18, 2009

Feeling Free Falderal

September 18

For the last two and a half years (three and a half if you count a false start), I have been working through the book Walls of My Heart by Dr. Bruce Thompson and Barbara Thompson. It is described as "Powerful Keys to Breaking Out and Being Free."

Since I was fifteen years old, I have been in and out of therapy. All those counselors, all those years prepared my for this journey through which I was led by, for the most part, my friend Am. I learned that I had built walls of sadness, insecurity, bitterness, anger and many more negatives around my heart. My experience taught me why I put them there, how to tear them down and how to build new walls which are healthy for me and pleasing to God.

There is so much I want to write but I am hoping that maybe some of you will take this journey. If you have no one here to guide you through it, I hope you will ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. I will be happy to answer questions via e-mails.

The weekend is upon us and it couldn't have come too soon! I'm beat. Isabella is my companion from seven am til school starts at nine and then I pick her up at two thirty. She is with us until six pm. I love her more than anything in this world - still, weekends are good!

Do you have anyone you can talk to about what's on your mind? I am blessed in that area. I have wise friends and a great mom.

Breakfast sausage or bacon? Neither! What are you trying to do, kill me? My cholesterol is high enough. Who thinks up these questions anyway. Besides, I hate the spicing in breakfast sausage.

Do you think about whether or not what you watch or read effects you spiritually? More than ever before. I have learned that a person's brain retains memories so well that, when having brain surgery in the memory portion of the brain, memories and the feelings that went along with them are relived when probed! I must be careful what I put in here.

You can be instantly transported anywhere in the world right now for three hours. Where would you go? As of this moment, I would go to be with my friend V in South Africa to take care of her because she is sick.

Once again, are you ready for some football??? Last Sunday, because we have the NFL channel, we also have a channel called Red Zone. It is five hours of non-commercial football switching from game to game when teams get close to the twenty yard line or further if the other teams are on commercial break. My son and his buddies had a hard time tearing themselves away for potty breaks! Himself and I went to a fair in town for an hour but I enjoyed the games with the guys while reading a book.

Let me know what you are up to, people. Sending blessings your way, g