Cheery-Because writing my last blog was emotionally draining for me, this
one will be a bit more "cheery". Not that there is an abundance of "cheery"
in my life these days. But I can think of a few things.
The very first thing that comes to mind when I think of "cheery" are my
grandkids, Even though I don't get to see my real grandson in person,
watching the little imp via skype never fails to bring a smile to my face.
But I do get to see my "adopted" grandkids frequently and, even when I think
that I will never smile again, they can always get a smile out of me or,
sometimes a hearty laugh. However, it is not just my grandkids that bring
cheer
into my life. It is all small children. I love to watch them. They are so
genuine and innocent in all they do and say.
The second "cheery" thing in my life is laughter. I have figured out that it
is pretty hard to be laughing and "down in the dumps" at the same time! I
don't spend a huge amount of time around the nurses but when I do,
especially at meals, I often have fun laughing and joking around with the
nurses. At times, I admit, we laugh so much that we are literally in tears.
Of course, it doesn't happen all the time but, when it does, it adds a bit
of "cheery" to my day.
Another source of laughter for me can be at church. There are the times, of
course, that the Holy Spirit comes over me and causes me to laugh
uncontrollably. More often, though, my pastor will say something so silly
that I have to laugh, whether I feel like it or not. I have a sneaking
suspicion that he does deliberately, especially when he sees people in the
congregation who a looking "down".
Visitors are another "cheery" in my life. Sometimes, they are a source of
laughter for me. I have a friend who, when he sees that I am feeling "bummed
out", will always say something really stupid to make we laugh. Other times,
visitors provide a "cheery" in my day simply by being there, to talk with me
or, maybe, to read to me.
One other thing that I find "cheery" is when I get to go on outings. The
majority of my outings are to church or church functions. However, I also ,
quite often, get to go other places as well. Sometimes out to eat, sometimes
shopping, sometimes other events of various kinds. No matter where I go,
those outings are a "cheery" time for me.
When I looked up the meaning of "cheery", one word used in a couple of the
definitions was optimistic. I am optimistic about at least a couple of
things. I am optimistic about a better life-both after I die and here on
earth. All born-again Christians are optimistic about Heaven. We are all
looking forward to that. What a glorious day that will be! But I am also
optimistic about a better life before I die. My healing is coming and, when
it does, my life will be a whole lot better than it is right now. The other
thing that I am optimistic about is that my children will become Christians
and start living for the Lord. It may not look like it right now but I know
it is coming!
Cheery-ho!
Me
At the beloved/hated writing vessel
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
The Stroke
The Stroke-I never, seriously, thought about writing about this as I didn't
see much point in it about and it would just conjure up some painful
memories.
However, one day, the thought came to me that I should write down as much as
I remember about when I initially had the stroke in case I ever want to
write a book about my experiences. Even though the stroke occurred over 30
years ago, I can still recall some of the emotions that I went through.
It was July 24, 1983. I was alone with two small children, 4 and 2, because
my husband was working out of town. Around 4 am, I woke up feeling really
dizzy. So dizzy in fact that I had to crawl just to check on the children.
Not knowing what else to do, I phoned the hospital. I mentioned that I had a
bad sunburn from being on the beach the day before. I wondered if I had been
silly enough give myself a sunstroke. I was told to take a cool bath. So
there I was. Sitting in a cool bath at 4 something in the morning with my
head spinning like a top! That didn't help so I phoned the hospital again
and was told that I had better come in. I called the lady who babysat my
children while l was working. She came and stayed with the children and her
husband drove me to hospital. They admitted me and, even though I was not
able to go back to sleep, it felt wonderful just to lie down as I was so
dizzy.
The next day I spent being poked and prodded and having my blood pressure
taken over and over while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me. I
believe that somebody did mention a stroke but it all went over my head. I
was convinced that there was nothing seriously wrong with me. Even when,
around 4 pm, they decided to send me to Edmonton I wasn't very concerned. I
figured that I would be there for a few days and then come back.
However, in the ambulance on the way to Edmonton it finally dawned on me
that this might be more serious than I had thought. I could feel the
paralysis creeping slowly over my body and, frankly, I was terrified. Just
as we reached the outskirts of Edmonton, I started choking and having
trouble breathing. When we pulled up at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, the
last thing I heard somebody say before I slipped into a coma was, "Hurry up.
Get her inside".
That coma lasted until early in September. Obviously, I don't remember
anything about that time. All I know is that I was on a respirator, had my
stomach cut open (I still have the scar) so they could feed me directly into
my stomach and I was given a 50% chance of surviving. My
memories of when I first came out of the coma are pretty blurry. No doubt, I
was still groggy from the coma. At first I had my days and nights mixed up.
I would sleep all day and cry with pain all night. I must have driven this
nurses, and probably everyone else, bonkers! I really did think that it was
all a bad dream from which I would soon awaken from. Eventually, though, the
pain lessened and my head got clearer. I had to accept that I could no
longer walk or talk and I was being fed through a tube up my nose and into
my stomach. In time, they started feeding me real food. They set me up with
a wheelchair and gave and taught me how to use a speech board. (The one I
have now is a copy of that one) The doctor said I would learn to walk and
talk again which I was determined to do. My son turned 5 while I was still there
so we had his birthday in my hospital room. While I was in Edmonton, my
husband was driving, with 2 small children, from Cold Lake every weekend.
One memory I have is that, one time when they were making my bed, I was
sitting in the hall. The elevator opened and out came my husband and
children.
On November 25, three days before my daughter's third birthday, I was sent
back to Cold Lake to be closer to family and friends. I settled into a
routine of having my husband and children visit every evening. On weekends,
my husband would take me home and look after me himself. Much nicer than
being alone in Edmonton all the time. One thing I remember is the cook
making ice cream sundaes for me. I had lost a lot of weight (at one time I
was 80 pounds ) so they were trying to fatten me up. This lasted until April
of 1984 when I was sent to the Glenrose Hospital for more therapy. That is
when things went wonky. At least from a human perspective. Probably not from
God's.
Despite the trauma I went through, I do see God's hands in a couple of ways.
First, by me not going into the coma right away. I don't even want to think
what would have happened if I had gone into the coma right away when I was
alone with two small children. Secondly, I believe that God had a lot to do
with me living at all. The doctor told my husband that one reason I survived
was because my heart and lungs were so strong from all the exercising that I
was doing at the time. It was only maybe 6 months before that I got the urge
to get into shape so I think God was preparing me for what lay ahead.
see much point in it about and it would just conjure up some painful
memories.
However, one day, the thought came to me that I should write down as much as
I remember about when I initially had the stroke in case I ever want to
write a book about my experiences. Even though the stroke occurred over 30
years ago, I can still recall some of the emotions that I went through.
It was July 24, 1983. I was alone with two small children, 4 and 2, because
my husband was working out of town. Around 4 am, I woke up feeling really
dizzy. So dizzy in fact that I had to crawl just to check on the children.
Not knowing what else to do, I phoned the hospital. I mentioned that I had a
bad sunburn from being on the beach the day before. I wondered if I had been
silly enough give myself a sunstroke. I was told to take a cool bath. So
there I was. Sitting in a cool bath at 4 something in the morning with my
head spinning like a top! That didn't help so I phoned the hospital again
and was told that I had better come in. I called the lady who babysat my
children while l was working. She came and stayed with the children and her
husband drove me to hospital. They admitted me and, even though I was not
able to go back to sleep, it felt wonderful just to lie down as I was so
dizzy.
The next day I spent being poked and prodded and having my blood pressure
taken over and over while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me. I
believe that somebody did mention a stroke but it all went over my head. I
was convinced that there was nothing seriously wrong with me. Even when,
around 4 pm, they decided to send me to Edmonton I wasn't very concerned. I
figured that I would be there for a few days and then come back.
However, in the ambulance on the way to Edmonton it finally dawned on me
that this might be more serious than I had thought. I could feel the
paralysis creeping slowly over my body and, frankly, I was terrified. Just
as we reached the outskirts of Edmonton, I started choking and having
trouble breathing. When we pulled up at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, the
last thing I heard somebody say before I slipped into a coma was, "Hurry up.
Get her inside".
That coma lasted until early in September. Obviously, I don't remember
anything about that time. All I know is that I was on a respirator, had my
stomach cut open (I still have the scar) so they could feed me directly into
my stomach and I was given a 50% chance of surviving. My
memories of when I first came out of the coma are pretty blurry. No doubt, I
was still groggy from the coma. At first I had my days and nights mixed up.
I would sleep all day and cry with pain all night. I must have driven this
nurses, and probably everyone else, bonkers! I really did think that it was
all a bad dream from which I would soon awaken from. Eventually, though, the
pain lessened and my head got clearer. I had to accept that I could no
longer walk or talk and I was being fed through a tube up my nose and into
my stomach. In time, they started feeding me real food. They set me up with
a wheelchair and gave and taught me how to use a speech board. (The one I
have now is a copy of that one) The doctor said I would learn to walk and
talk again which I was determined to do. My son turned 5 while I was still there
so we had his birthday in my hospital room. While I was in Edmonton, my
husband was driving, with 2 small children, from Cold Lake every weekend.
One memory I have is that, one time when they were making my bed, I was
sitting in the hall. The elevator opened and out came my husband and
children.
On November 25, three days before my daughter's third birthday, I was sent
back to Cold Lake to be closer to family and friends. I settled into a
routine of having my husband and children visit every evening. On weekends,
my husband would take me home and look after me himself. Much nicer than
being alone in Edmonton all the time. One thing I remember is the cook
making ice cream sundaes for me. I had lost a lot of weight (at one time I
was 80 pounds ) so they were trying to fatten me up. This lasted until April
of 1984 when I was sent to the Glenrose Hospital for more therapy. That is
when things went wonky. At least from a human perspective. Probably not from
God's.
Despite the trauma I went through, I do see God's hands in a couple of ways.
First, by me not going into the coma right away. I don't even want to think
what would have happened if I had gone into the coma right away when I was
alone with two small children. Secondly, I believe that God had a lot to do
with me living at all. The doctor told my husband that one reason I survived
was because my heart and lungs were so strong from all the exercising that I
was doing at the time. It was only maybe 6 months before that I got the urge
to get into shape so I think God was preparing me for what lay ahead.
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Father
Father-One afternoon, I was lying in bed, listening to music and not
thinking about anything in particular. One song started playing about our
Heavenly Father. It struck me just how much God is like a human father. A
good one, of course. There are plenty of human fathers out there that could
not be classified as "good".
Both good human fathers and God love their children unconditionally. They
don't just love their kids when they are doing everything right. In other
words, the love that God and good human fathers have for their children
doesn't depend on performances. Thankfully! Knowing that God loves me just
as much on bad days as good ones is such a comfort to me. I have days I
don't much like myself but what helps me get through the bad times is
knowing that God's love doesn't change everytime that my emotions do.
Good human fathers like to spend with time with their children. So does God.
I imagine good human fathers like to listen their children tell them things.
Not always asking for something. And I am sure that God is the same. He
loves it when His children come to Him in prayer. He is a giver so, just
like a good human father, He likes to give gifts to His children but, I am
sure, it means a lot to Him when His children come to Him in prayer simply
because they want to talk to Him. Obviously, I have never been a father but
I can imagine how endearing is when little ones run to him and tell their
daddy that they love him. Must melt his heart. Bet God's great heart melts
the same way when His children run to Him with love on their lips.
A good human father is there when his child needs comfort for whatever
reason. I always think it is precious to see small children run to their
daddy's arms for comforting when they hurt themselves or whatever else is
upsetting them. In the same way, our Heavenly Father wants His children,
born-again Christians, to run to Him when they are hurting. This is one
quality of God that I really value. When I am upset, so often I feel His
presence strongly like He is there in Person to comfort me.
A good human father will provide things like food, shelter and clothing for
his children. Little children don't think about such things because their
fathers has provided it all. In the same way, God provides for His children.
The difference, though, between adults and little children is that, too
often, we don't have the implicit trust and fret, worry and try to provide
for themselves. But, in addition to providing for his children, a good human
father will often give them gifts just because he loves his children and
wants to make them happy. God is the same way. He loves His children very
much and, as long it is for their good, loves to give them gifts.
A good human father does everything he can to make sure that his children
are kept safe. Things like car seats, helmets, etc. God keeps His children
safe, too. I have heard, many times, of Christians that have had accidents
averted by God. Or, sometimes. He will have Christians in certain situations
to protect them from a potentially more harmful situation.
However, a good human father will also discipline his children for their own
good. Nobody wants to be around children who are allowed to do whatever they
want, when they want. Likewise, God disciplines His children when he deems
that they need it in order to become what He wants them to become. I confess
that I have been on the receiving end of a "spiritual spanking", though,
because of His great mercy, probably not as often as I deserved.
Of course, in many ways, God is far above a human father but there are
enough similarities to help understand God a bit better.
thinking about anything in particular. One song started playing about our
Heavenly Father. It struck me just how much God is like a human father. A
good one, of course. There are plenty of human fathers out there that could
not be classified as "good".
Both good human fathers and God love their children unconditionally. They
don't just love their kids when they are doing everything right. In other
words, the love that God and good human fathers have for their children
doesn't depend on performances. Thankfully! Knowing that God loves me just
as much on bad days as good ones is such a comfort to me. I have days I
don't much like myself but what helps me get through the bad times is
knowing that God's love doesn't change everytime that my emotions do.
Good human fathers like to spend with time with their children. So does God.
I imagine good human fathers like to listen their children tell them things.
Not always asking for something. And I am sure that God is the same. He
loves it when His children come to Him in prayer. He is a giver so, just
like a good human father, He likes to give gifts to His children but, I am
sure, it means a lot to Him when His children come to Him in prayer simply
because they want to talk to Him. Obviously, I have never been a father but
I can imagine how endearing is when little ones run to him and tell their
daddy that they love him. Must melt his heart. Bet God's great heart melts
the same way when His children run to Him with love on their lips.
A good human father is there when his child needs comfort for whatever
reason. I always think it is precious to see small children run to their
daddy's arms for comforting when they hurt themselves or whatever else is
upsetting them. In the same way, our Heavenly Father wants His children,
born-again Christians, to run to Him when they are hurting. This is one
quality of God that I really value. When I am upset, so often I feel His
presence strongly like He is there in Person to comfort me.
A good human father will provide things like food, shelter and clothing for
his children. Little children don't think about such things because their
fathers has provided it all. In the same way, God provides for His children.
The difference, though, between adults and little children is that, too
often, we don't have the implicit trust and fret, worry and try to provide
for themselves. But, in addition to providing for his children, a good human
father will often give them gifts just because he loves his children and
wants to make them happy. God is the same way. He loves His children very
much and, as long it is for their good, loves to give them gifts.
A good human father does everything he can to make sure that his children
are kept safe. Things like car seats, helmets, etc. God keeps His children
safe, too. I have heard, many times, of Christians that have had accidents
averted by God. Or, sometimes. He will have Christians in certain situations
to protect them from a potentially more harmful situation.
However, a good human father will also discipline his children for their own
good. Nobody wants to be around children who are allowed to do whatever they
want, when they want. Likewise, God disciplines His children when he deems
that they need it in order to become what He wants them to become. I confess
that I have been on the receiving end of a "spiritual spanking", though,
because of His great mercy, probably not as often as I deserved.
Of course, in many ways, God is far above a human father but there are
enough similarities to help understand God a bit better.
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
???
? ? ?-For the first time ever, I have no idea what to write in my blog. It
is Saturday, which I have never liked. Even though it really hasn't been
that
long, it does feel like it has been awhile since I have had the inspiration
of a good church service. I guess all the crud I face everyday makes it feel
a lot longer between church services. Add to that the fact that I seldom do
much on Saturday morning. Occasionally I go out but the majority of Saturday
mornings are pretty hum-drum. To make Saturday mornings pass by more
quickly, I have started to write part of my blog for the week on Saturday
morning. That way, I have less to write on Tuesday. Saturday mornings, I do
most of my Bible reading before breakfast, as normal. That way, I can spend
most of the time after breakfast,until lunch, working on my blog.
So, here I am. Ready to write my blog but no inspiration from the Holy
Spirit what to write. I always told myself that, if the Holy Spirit didn't
give me an idea to write about, I wouldn't write a blog for that week but,
here I am, babbling away about nothing. As I wait for something to write
about, I am looking outside. My computer is by a window that looks into the
courtyard here. I like to look out and watch the people. When there people
in the courtyard. I also sometimes see birds and a even a cute little
squirrel.
Most Saturday mornings, I write on my blog until around noon. The remainder
of the blog I write on Tuesdays. After writing all morning, I am tired and
ready
for a rest. After lunch, as every other day, the nurses put me in bed. I am
always glad to lie down and rest but I am also glad to get up again around
4. The afternoons can get rather long when all I can do is lie and listen to
music.
The rest of Saturday is pretty much like any other day. Once I am up and
back on my computer, I like to read until supper. The only problem is that,
when it sunny and the sun is low in the sky, the sun shines in my eyes,
making it hard to read. But I still to like to keep my drapes open. I figure
the sun will move. After supper on Saturday, I watch tv like I do most
evenings unless I go out. During hockey seasons, there is always plenty of
hockey to watch on Saturday evenings.
One thing that I do look forward to is having a friend come and read to me.
Being read to is one of my favorite things.
Well, it is Tuesday morning and time to finish this blog. On Tuesday
mornings, I like to start writing on the blog as soon as I get up, 7:30 or
so. That way, I can finish, or almost finish, it by breakfast which is
usually between 9 and 9:30. After breakfast, I proofread the blog (which I
don't like) and e-mail it to a friend to post for me. Then I forget about it
until it is time to write my next blog. Once that is taken care of , l turn
to my Bible reading for the day. It is my favorite part of the day and takes
most of the remainder of the morning so Tuesday mornings go by pretty
quickly.
I wish I could say the rest of the day went by just as quickly but they are
just as tedious as any other day, including Saturday. Most days, I don't
even have anybody to read to me. But the afternoons go by and, once I am up
and back on my computer, I can do my own reading. Which I like to do if
there is nothing on tv I want to watch.
When I started to write this blog, I had no idea what I was going to write.
I am thinking that I maybe emphasized too much how hum-drum my daily life
is. But it IS tedious. Having said that, I also have to say that I am
grateful for it for a couple of reasons. First, it has given me time to get
to know God in a way I never would have if I were busy, busy, busy.
Secondly, I see that being in Long-term Care with its mundane routine is the
way that God has chosen to protect me from the pitfalls "out there". Still,
my life is not a whole lot of fun!
is Saturday, which I have never liked. Even though it really hasn't been
that
long, it does feel like it has been awhile since I have had the inspiration
of a good church service. I guess all the crud I face everyday makes it feel
a lot longer between church services. Add to that the fact that I seldom do
much on Saturday morning. Occasionally I go out but the majority of Saturday
mornings are pretty hum-drum. To make Saturday mornings pass by more
quickly, I have started to write part of my blog for the week on Saturday
morning. That way, I have less to write on Tuesday. Saturday mornings, I do
most of my Bible reading before breakfast, as normal. That way, I can spend
most of the time after breakfast,until lunch, working on my blog.
So, here I am. Ready to write my blog but no inspiration from the Holy
Spirit what to write. I always told myself that, if the Holy Spirit didn't
give me an idea to write about, I wouldn't write a blog for that week but,
here I am, babbling away about nothing. As I wait for something to write
about, I am looking outside. My computer is by a window that looks into the
courtyard here. I like to look out and watch the people. When there people
in the courtyard. I also sometimes see birds and a even a cute little
squirrel.
Most Saturday mornings, I write on my blog until around noon. The remainder
of the blog I write on Tuesdays. After writing all morning, I am tired and
ready
for a rest. After lunch, as every other day, the nurses put me in bed. I am
always glad to lie down and rest but I am also glad to get up again around
4. The afternoons can get rather long when all I can do is lie and listen to
music.
The rest of Saturday is pretty much like any other day. Once I am up and
back on my computer, I like to read until supper. The only problem is that,
when it sunny and the sun is low in the sky, the sun shines in my eyes,
making it hard to read. But I still to like to keep my drapes open. I figure
the sun will move. After supper on Saturday, I watch tv like I do most
evenings unless I go out. During hockey seasons, there is always plenty of
hockey to watch on Saturday evenings.
One thing that I do look forward to is having a friend come and read to me.
Being read to is one of my favorite things.
Well, it is Tuesday morning and time to finish this blog. On Tuesday
mornings, I like to start writing on the blog as soon as I get up, 7:30 or
so. That way, I can finish, or almost finish, it by breakfast which is
usually between 9 and 9:30. After breakfast, I proofread the blog (which I
don't like) and e-mail it to a friend to post for me. Then I forget about it
until it is time to write my next blog. Once that is taken care of , l turn
to my Bible reading for the day. It is my favorite part of the day and takes
most of the remainder of the morning so Tuesday mornings go by pretty
quickly.
I wish I could say the rest of the day went by just as quickly but they are
just as tedious as any other day, including Saturday. Most days, I don't
even have anybody to read to me. But the afternoons go by and, once I am up
and back on my computer, I can do my own reading. Which I like to do if
there is nothing on tv I want to watch.
When I started to write this blog, I had no idea what I was going to write.
I am thinking that I maybe emphasized too much how hum-drum my daily life
is. But it IS tedious. Having said that, I also have to say that I am
grateful for it for a couple of reasons. First, it has given me time to get
to know God in a way I never would have if I were busy, busy, busy.
Secondly, I see that being in Long-term Care with its mundane routine is the
way that God has chosen to protect me from the pitfalls "out there". Still,
my life is not a whole lot of fun!
Thursday, 1 October 2015
People In My Life
-To be honest, I wasn't too sure that I would even be
writhing a blog this week. I had made up my mind that, if something came
into my mind unbidden, I would write but I wasn't going to specifically seek
God about it. A couple of days ago, this popped into my mind so it must be
from the Holy Spirit.
Though not, technically, people, by far, the most important presence in my
life is that of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If They weren't here,
frankly nor would I be. I know that. Probably, the two things that mean most
to me are these. They are with me all the time. Even if they wanted to, there are
simply times when people are not able to be with me But the Holy Spirit,
representing God and Jesus, is with me 24/7, good, bad and blah times.
Secondly, I always have somebody to talk to, even though I am not able to
speak so people can understand me.
One human being who has had a profound influence on my life is the man that
led me to the Lord. Even though I know that if it hadn't been him, God
would have used somebody else, I will be eternally grateful to him.
Thankfully,though, he didn't just lead me to the Lord and walk out of my
life. During the early years of my Christian life, he spent quite a bit of
time with me, including driving me to church when I first started attending.
Other people who are having an influence on my life at present are my pastor
and his wife, also a pastor. Even though most times they
are not involved in my day-to-day life, their teaching and preaching is a
constant source of knowledge and inspiration for me. I would also have to
say that previous pastors have also had a big influence on my life.
Friends play an important part in my life. Especially the ones who spend time with me. I am in a constant battle with my thoughts so, having somebody with me, helps to keep negative thoughts at bay. There is not much that I can do on my own so it is wonderful to have friends who do little, or not so little things for me. People who are praying for me also play a big part in my life as I know how important prayer is.
Other people who play a big part in my life are my e-mail contacts. Chatting by my speech board is slow and frustrating so a lot of my interaction with friends and relatives is via e-mail. Even though writing e-mails is a long, slow process, I enjoy doing it because it allows me to express my thoughts much better than with the speech board. An added bonus is that, because I am thinking about what to write in the e-mail, it keeps me from yucky thoughts.
The nurses, ah yes, the nurses! Where would I be without the nurses? Not only do they give me good care but, for the most part, I also consider them my friends . Let's face it. I spend a lot more time in Long-term Care than anywhere else and they have seen the best of me, the worst of me and everything in between! I have been in Long-term Care for a very long time and many nurses have come and gone but I have always been treated with consideration and friendship.
So, even though a lot of my time is spent with just my computer and the Holy Spirit for company, there have been, and still are, some people who are really important to me. This blog is mostly just to say, "Thank You".
writhing a blog this week. I had made up my mind that, if something came
into my mind unbidden, I would write but I wasn't going to specifically seek
God about it. A couple of days ago, this popped into my mind so it must be
from the Holy Spirit.
Though not, technically, people, by far, the most important presence in my
life is that of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If They weren't here,
frankly nor would I be. I know that. Probably, the two things that mean most
to me are these. They are with me all the time. Even if they wanted to, there are
simply times when people are not able to be with me But the Holy Spirit,
representing God and Jesus, is with me 24/7, good, bad and blah times.
Secondly, I always have somebody to talk to, even though I am not able to
speak so people can understand me.
One human being who has had a profound influence on my life is the man that
led me to the Lord. Even though I know that if it hadn't been him, God
would have used somebody else, I will be eternally grateful to him.
Thankfully,though, he didn't just lead me to the Lord and walk out of my
life. During the early years of my Christian life, he spent quite a bit of
time with me, including driving me to church when I first started attending.
Other people who are having an influence on my life at present are my pastor
and his wife, also a pastor. Even though most times they
are not involved in my day-to-day life, their teaching and preaching is a
constant source of knowledge and inspiration for me. I would also have to
say that previous pastors have also had a big influence on my life.
Friends play an important part in my life. Especially the ones who spend time with me. I am in a constant battle with my thoughts so, having somebody with me, helps to keep negative thoughts at bay. There is not much that I can do on my own so it is wonderful to have friends who do little, or not so little things for me. People who are praying for me also play a big part in my life as I know how important prayer is.
Other people who play a big part in my life are my e-mail contacts. Chatting by my speech board is slow and frustrating so a lot of my interaction with friends and relatives is via e-mail. Even though writing e-mails is a long, slow process, I enjoy doing it because it allows me to express my thoughts much better than with the speech board. An added bonus is that, because I am thinking about what to write in the e-mail, it keeps me from yucky thoughts.
The nurses, ah yes, the nurses! Where would I be without the nurses? Not only do they give me good care but, for the most part, I also consider them my friends . Let's face it. I spend a lot more time in Long-term Care than anywhere else and they have seen the best of me, the worst of me and everything in between! I have been in Long-term Care for a very long time and many nurses have come and gone but I have always been treated with consideration and friendship.
So, even though a lot of my time is spent with just my computer and the Holy Spirit for company, there have been, and still are, some people who are really important to me. This blog is mostly just to say, "Thank You".
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