The God Set Up

2013 Facebook memory

My whole life I have fallen asleep at 10 P.M., (even at sleepovers), and wake at 6 with the sun.

Turning 50 my body started to wake after midnight and stay awake for hours.

Falling asleep became a goal but often I am still awake in bed until 5 A.M., one day I try my mom’s suggestion, drinking Hot Chocolate. It worked once.

Eventually I decided to follow wisdom and work with my body instead of fight it.

Wisdom said, “Do not go to bed before midnight, no matter how tired.” If I need to lay down and take a short nap, I do. Then I wake up and accomplish something.

I believe it is a God setup, making me comfortable typing in the dark to write the book!

It has been years in the making. But God Knows how to time things so it is an easy transition.

First I become comfortable with being awake and trusting God to give me the energy for the day no matter what time I fall asleep.

Choosing Peace, I take the time to listen to podcast teachings and praying for people.

When this becomes a nightly occurrence, I decide to do clean house instead of lay in bed.

About 18 months ago I started typing on my computer daily, learning my scrivener program, getting better at typing, and strengthening the muscles that help me sit at the computer.

Today, I have put a blog post out every day for 21 days. This process has turned my writing a story from day or weeks into one day. Sitting and typing for hours using those muscles even more.

This is the last step before writing that book making me strong enough to type all the hours it will take. This has been a 10 year process.

I believe God is setting up a purpose for everyone. He has prepared a purpose before the foundation of the world.

God Is Good!

Going Against the Odds

Facebook post 2018

My trusted doctor left, I started with a new doctor.

She said, “You need to realize your limitations, you have scoliosis and should not help your daughter move or work in your garden!”

I said, “You want me to lay on the couch and watch TV?”

I REJECTED WHAT SHE SAID!

I am so very glad no one ever told me I couldn’t! 

I might have believed them!

I have Reached for the IMPOSSIBLE and Fought to have My best Life!

In 2015 my mom said,  “You are no longer handicapped.” So Thankful Mom never spoke handicapped out loud in my presence.

Being handicapped never crossed my mind. I just kept fighting my whole life to be strong and keep going no matter what!

We had ice skating lessons the whole time I wore a brace, continuing after surgery with a body cast. Mom said, “I cannot watch, afraid of a fall.”

Taking swimming lessons after surgery was easy.  I could do every stroke, even the butterfly, but flipping at the end of the lane was the one thing I didn’t try. There are some limits I recognize.

The only thing my parents said NO to was going to Mexico with the Spanish club. “You can’t even find your way home from a game in town, how will you find your way in Mexico?” This had more to do with dyslexic issues that where not yet diagnosed.

I wonder what my new doctor would think if she knew the year after I had the spinal fusion inserting the Harrington rod, I chose gymnastic for my gym class! The amazing trick to pass the class was using my elbows to be the round for my back so I could do a forward roll. The rest was easy.

My surgeon did say no horseback riding, motorcycle riding, or sky diving.

The horseback riding bothered me. I love horses. Sky diving was on my mind for some reason, but motorcycle riding was lost. I never had any desire -until boys entered the picture. They came with bikes and this is where my life became a bit more interesting.

I am Thankful for miracles and fight. Everything was needed to help me survive the accident. That is another story!

Herm and Jean

Hermanjean, this word I heard often confused me.

I finally understand that it is two names combined. Herm and Jean, wonderful God filled couple together so long their names melded into one.

They impacted my life greatly, how much I didn’t understand until they each died. Jean was ailing in health before COVID and died after the lock-down.

Today is Herm’s funeral. The last time we talked, I knelt by his chair and God’s Love welcome me in. The Love and acceptance radiated off him so thick, I can still feel it today.

Feeling the need to tell Herm about his wife, I told him the impacted she had on my life. Jean was the one who included me into the group. She notice I wasn’t joining in the crowd for lunch. Giving me an invitation and directions Jean picked up how overwhelmed I was and offered to take me.

I continued joining this group for years. Through these 10-20 women that attended the Bible Study and lunch, I learned how to be in a group. These older women brought me into the fold and became friends.

This was the door that opened, leading me to good changes in the future. Being part of a group is good, we are created to be in community.

God Is So Very Good!

Praise and Worship to the Rescue

The Peace stealer, life is attacking:

I turn to my dear old friend, Praise and Worship!  Peace returns.

Today has been a good day, but my husband found out he needs more testing. The Blood test gave a reason but why is the other question.

My mind goes to the worst case possible. Then I choose to fight and turn on Michael W Smith’s Worship album, “Surrounded!” My soul is comforted and I am able to tackle my chores.

Depending on how needy I am, Worship is Filled with Passion! Worship is better when I need it! Life has been pretty calm lately and I haven’t needed it as deeply. I kinda missed needing to PRAISE with ALL MY MIGHT!

Of Course at the end of the day I find an email telling me I still owe a bill. I know it is taken care of, but the fear of a problem tries to steal my Peace!

I NEED to PRAISE AND WORSHIP WITH PASSION again!

Thank You Holy Spirit for the tools to fight the good fight and keep my Peace.

Thank You Jesus! God Is Very Good!

I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know

We owned an RV for five years and used it for three.

We took over seven trips West driving the 5,000 mile to visit family.  Every trip an alarm went off about Idaho warning us the battery for the cabin losing  power. All we knew was to get a new battery.

When we found a truck stop for help, the mechanic would suggest we run the generator while we were driving. We tried this but it didn’t do anything except burn gas.

We did not know plugging the camper into the generator was a thing. We found this out selling it.

Most of my life I thought my physical problems stemmed from my accident and I didn’t understand why other people with bad accidents were able to do things like climb mountains.

In my 40’s I visited a new spine doctor and found out that the scoliosis might have much more to do with my limitations then the accident. I also didn’t know my numbness meant lack of muscle and weakness.

When God started to give me miracles I found strength.

God used technology to make me stronger with Fitbit.  My husband and I started to compete over consecutive of days with 10,000 steps. I reached 103 days in a row. Then I added running daily after 30 days and the next 30 days I started typing daily on my computer.

Writing daily on my computer for over a year has set me up to be able to type this blog daily.

Writing a blog when I had never seen a blog means I knew nothing. The only reason I ever used a computer was to write letters to family.

I paid for help to set this up and I haven’t changed it much. At one point I was forced to change because my site was shut down for maintenance.

Hearing most people write daily felt like God saying, “It is time to start writing stories daily!”  I am doing my best to do it.

I don’t know what I don’t know, but God does! He will help me to accomplish what He needs me to do.

God Is Very Good!

Pain, Pain, Go Away!

This was my Facebook post in 2020 saying:

“GOD IS WISE!”

Today, my abdominal muscles were screaming, so I curled up until the pain lessened.

Finally about 8:00 P.M., I was able to sit up. Putting on shoes with hope, I prepared to walk.

When my back muscles are tired, my walking compares to a sloth. Many days I get ready to walk and only go around the block, but some days I won’t even make the corner.

The craziness of my body is later in the evening my body will have recovered giving me the ability to walk or run miles.

Yesterday, when I felt able to sit up, I started to dress for walking.  But God suggest running. I ran 3 miles. Tonight I had no thought of running.

God’s Wisdom in giving me the back muscles first came with benefits, such as running and standing up straight.

Knowing this gives me patience with the pain. I know some great gain will be achieved with muscles in my abdomen.

I am so Blessed! God Is So Very Good!

 

 

 

 

When God Seems Silent

I have been hearing from God and getting guidance on how to clean my house to running daily 2 miles.

What do I do when He isn’t doing what He used to do?

There have been He has been trying to Grow me and help me to push to do what I couldn’t do before.

Could there be something that He suggested and I didn’t actually do it?

Is He waiting for me?

Help Me Jesus!

Love You!

Healing Brings Change

Jesus meets the man sick for 38 years He asks, “Do you wants to get well.”

The man gives excuses why he is not well. (John 5:1-7)

Jesus says, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”

The man had been laying around for 38 years, obviously someone was bringing him food and water to survive.

But now, he was going to need to learn a trade.

Because God gave me 5 new vertebrae taking away 28 years of constant pain and nerves to give me muscle: I am in the process of learning a new trade. It started little.

 I asked, “God,Teach me how to clean my house.”

This sounds like a funny request, but I had been a slave to pain for so long I didn’t know how to start.  My eyes focused on an item, I Knew, pick it up and put it away.

Message received.

I needed to step up and do what I couldn’t do before.

God Is Very Good!

The Interesting Healing

This strange body that I have is starting to confuse my husband.

For our almost 40 years of marriage my body has run hot, especially while sleeping. I would wake in the night and throw off the covers but keeping my legs covered.

One night I touched my back and found hot skin down to this line across my buttocks. It was amazing how cold skin below the line was in comparison .

That line appeared after back surgery the summer of my freshman year of high school. After turning 50 that line started to change when my nerves began reconnecting. (IT is all a miracle from God!)

The change is much like ink on a piece of paper and the attempt to erase it. As the eraser is rubbing, the ink line smears. This explains the sensation of my nerves.

I asked my doctor  about the heat and she compared it to quadriplegic not able to control their core temperature. I  have always thought the perfect coat would be one that had arms and no vest, especially when walking.

One day I asked a women what hot flashes were like. She described heat building from inside the core.

From that definition I have had hot flashes for 40 years and now that I am 60 they are almost gone. How weird is that?

God Is So Good!

How Words Can Stick

I have been making meals for my family for 35 years. The gift of having everything ready at the same time has not been mine, but it has been okay.

Lately anxiety has made a claim on my dinner prep. I need the whole day to get my self together to make the meal.

Today I made fish, Rice, and asparagus. Frustration fills me, because the fish is (over) done and water still covers the rice. Turning off the oven but leaving the fish in it is my best option. The fish is dry and I am berating myself.

The stress grabs my attention. “God, What is going on?”

A care taking moment comes to mind. Dad gently says, “The potatoes were cold, the rest was good but, the potatoes were cold.”

This brought memories of my mom running hot water to heat the serving dishes and using the oven to keep food warm.

The question: How do I become set free from this anxiety? I know it might take time, But God Do Your Work! Love You! Thank You!

“Jesus Fill me with Your Peace and Confidence. Amen.”

God Is Very Good!