From My Heart

Several years ago, Larry and I had the chance to cross off one of our bucket list trips when we went to Alaska. We were not disappointed. It is a spectacularly beautiful place and we were able to see things we may never have the opportunity to see again. In addition, we did it all with great friends and some incredible memories were made. Now, I feel like I am a moderately adventurous person and I love to try new things. BUT.... I am afraid of heights. Or maybe a better way to say it might be I am afraid of falling. So when the entire group decided to go zip lining, I was terrified. On the other hand, I  didn't want to be the only one in the group wouldn't do it - the party pooper, if you will - so I agreed to go. The day came and we got all geared up. The practice runs were nothing. We got to the first big line and I was nervous, but it was a nice, tight line and seemed pretty stable. I took off. Flying through the trees was wonderful. I thought, "I CAN DO THIS!...

I can promise you this: If you ever get mono, you will hear or see the words “get some rest” 5,492 times a day. Well.... maybe not that much, but a lot. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. We see two sisters with vastly different personalities - and that’s okay. Jesus came to visit. The God of the Universe, the Messiah is sitting in the living room. Verse 40 is very telling regarding Martha’s state of mind. It starts off “but Martha”. Jesus is in the house teaching those who were present, but Martha.... she was distracted, anxious, troubled, tired. All of that emotion drove her to confront Jesus with the words, “don’t You care?”. Oh my, how many times have we all been there? When my doctor called me to give me test results this week, he told me that 80-90% of the population carries the Epstein-Barr Virus that causes mono. Most of the time a healthy immune system is able to fight it off. But when we become over tired and stressed ...

In my previous post, I mentioned that Larry and I have been dealing with aging parent problems. My mom in particular is suffering with dementia and I knew my dad could no longer take care of her alone in their home. Unfortunately, until they came to live with us, I did not realize just how much she had deteriorated. After an illness, surgery, and two hospitalizations, I came to realize I could not bring her home again. So she went to rehab, my dad stayed with us, and we began the search for an appropriate assisted living. After looking at options and talking with my dad, we found a place we felt was perfect for them, got them at the top of the waiting list and began to pray for an opening. In the meantime, we were shuttling my dad back and forth to the rehab every day and at each visit my mom would beg us to bring her home. I know his heart was breaking. After a couple of weeks of this, I began to feel tired. No big deal. We've been busy and stressed and we all just needed...

I haven’t written in a long time and decided I would make the most of my time of confinement. The first quarter of two thousand eighteen has been a difficult and stressful one for my husband and I.  Dealing with issues related to aging parents has put a strain on us that we could not have anticipated. Wanting to do what is best for them, still do what is best for us, dealing with dementia, hospitalizations, nursing homes has been enough to create a level of stress that has taken a toll. On a particular week when we had been running back and forth to facilities, doctor appointments, and just trying to keep up with day to day responsibilities, I remember venting to the Lord in my quiet time and praying what I have come to see as a fateful prayer. I remember, probably a little resentfully, telling God that I wished I could have a day to just do nothing and read a book..... As of today, I have had FIFTEEN days to do nothing and read books. As a matter of fact, it is being en...