I Was Right

I recently wrote about intuition. I had known something was wrong with my little guy's port and it ended up that we didn't need to get anything checked out. It started to feel okay, so we thought all was well...and Tuesday it happened...it didn't work.

We drove to Albuquerque to get it checked out and we were admitted to the hospital. He went into surgery Wednesday and we found out his port was toast. It came out and a new one was implanted. I knew almost two weeks ago that something was wrong with it. My gut just told me.

He is doing very well, but we won't be leaving until Tuesday. Ah, the joys of "living" in the hospital...hospital food, daytime television, the "comfort" of the guest bed, and the bored patient. (But, I was told we have one of the best views for the big fireworks show on Saturday!)

Thankfully there is a great activity center and playground to help the days go by faster now that my Christian is doing better.

I am here surrouned by children who have also had major surgeries that won't be going home anytime soon. Children with cancer, others moms who haven't been home in weeks...

I thank you, Father, God, for the blessing of my children and their medical conditions. I wouldn't trade them for the world.


Today I Am Thankful For:

1. a new port
2. nurses that have answered their calling
3. wireless internet
4. crushed ice
5. our amazing hematologist

Prayers Please

I am sitting in the hospital in Albuquerque with my little "Christian." We came in today with complications from his port-a-cath. He is having surgery tomorrow to have it removed and a new one inserted.

Please keep him in your prayers. He's had a really traumatic day.

I'll be back with an update soon.

Blessings,

The Corners

I spent the morning cleaning house. My company had just left, and I needed to get things freshened up for the week.

My least favorite part of cleaning house, is cleaning floors. Yuck! Give me a toilet, or a stove no problem, but the floors? I just hate doing them.

I try the fastest approach...the Swiffer. I love my Swiffer simply because it is fast and no fuss. But, it doesn't do a fabulous job. The dirt gets pushed to the corners and after awhile, builds up.

I decided the floors needed extra attention, so I dragged the mop and bucket out. It does a better job than the Swiffer, but still, there is dirt in the corners.

What is the best way to clean a floor? On your hands and knees.

I equate it to studying God's word.

Its easy to find a great verse and say, "Oh, that is nice, it really speaks to me and fits my situation right now." You even go to the lengths of writing it on a card and memorizing it, but do you truly know what it means.

Do you let the scripture sink into you? Do you sit and marinate yourself with the word and let it transform you? Are you on your hands and knees?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. a new blouse
2. new slippers
3. the swimming pool
4. fresh sheets
5. bathroom floors

He Never Leaves

One of my biggest fears came to pass yesterday. My vehicle died in rush hour traffic. Thankfully, one of the Courtesy Wreckers in Albuquerque (big yellow trucks that run around during rush hour) immediately pulled in behind me.



I turned the car off, restarted, and it was as if nothing was wrong. I called my husband (in Denver, like he could come rescue me....) and he was my GPS. He directed me to a local garage and the verdict...bad gas. Bad gas! I still had to drive the 3 1/2 hours home!



I managed to get to the scrapbook store and then my business dinner and hit the road at 8 pm. I've never driven as intently (and at the top of the speed limit) as I did last night.



You know what I learned last night? God never leaves me alone. He sent the wrecker to me, my husband was able to direct me to a garage open till 5:30 and not 5:00, and He stayed with me throughout my drive through rain and darkness all the way home, while my cell phone was in the red.





"Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5



Today I Am Thankful For:


1. great conversation
2. nice restaurants
3. grapefruit
4. fuel treatment
5. Chevron

Humidity

I lived in Houston for 30+ years, and humidity was something you lived with. Over 100%? No worries, it was the norm.

Now that I live in the desert where the humidity is in the single digits, Ah, Life is Good! No more bad hair days...that is...until the monsoon season strikes.

Our humidity is in the 60% range and I am suffocating! My hair! It's awful the minute I walk outside my house!

But you know what the truth is? What is on the outside does not always reflect what is on the inside. God knows our insides. He doesn't worry about what our outsides are doing as much as what is going on in our hearts.

I struggle with my outward appearance. I need to lose weight, my hair is having a bad day, I could use a few new pieces of clothing. What I need to spend my energy on is the inside of myself. The words I use to talk to myself.

I am reading a great book, "Self Talk, Soul Talk" by Jennifer Rothschild and I am also working her bible study "Me, Myself and Lies" with Beth Moore at the LPM Blog.

We can dress ourselves up, have perfect hair and makeup, but if the words we speak to ourselves are ugly and not of God, the outside is just for show.

I need to work harder at getting my insides to match what the Lord wants for me.

What about you?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. my weekly menu
2. webcams
3. socks
4. my corner rounder
5. UPS

A Great (Exhausting) Weekend

What a weekend!

We threw a birthday party for my teenager to be (June 23rd) at the local gaming place. It's a place where they have flat screen tv's and game systems. We were there for SIX HOURS! Lance and his friends had a fantastic time!




Oh, but the day was not over yet. Our church held a Performing Arts Camp and the kids presented the musical HONK! What a precious retelling of the Ugly Duckling story. My Lance was "Ugly" and my husband was "The Cat!" It was wonderful!





And to top off our crazy busy weekend, we have relatives in for the week and my husband left for Denver (seminary) for the week.

Am I blessed, or what?!

I thank God for the people in my life. For my sons and their hemophilia, my husband and him following God's call on his life, for a family that has taken me in and always made me feel as their own.

It doesn't get much better.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. family
2. talent
3. half popped popcorn kernels (the best part!)
4. ice chests that leak
5. selfless gestures by sweet people

Intuition

Intuition - quick and ready insight; knowledge or conviction
"Mother's Intuition" - 98% on the money!

I think the moment I gave birth to my first child the "motherly intuition" gene was activated. It's that intuition that tells you when something bad is about to happen, when to turn and look right at the moment your toddler is climbing up the bookshelf, the sickening turn of your stomach when a doctor walks in your room and you know the news will be grim.

My motherly intuition is kicking into high gear today as my youngest son, "Christian", is having issues with his hemophilia. He is in pain when we infuse through his port and I just know something is wrong.

I am waiting for Christian to wake up from his nap so that we can (he's had a pretty bad shin bleed so we're infusing every three hours)see how he handles his infusion. If it doesn't go well, we're off to the emergency room for an x-ray. A great way to start the weekend.

I believe in intuition. Actually, I believe it's God speaking to you. That whisper, that nudge on your heart to call that long, lost friend. The desire to write a letter or send a special something to a relative who recently lost their spouse. That word of encouragement you are impressed to share with a dear friend. Those are the times God is speaking to us. To do His work. To show His love.

Has He nudged you lately? Did you dismiss that moment or act on it?

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. lunch with a friend
2. feathers
3. a freshly baked cake that popped out of the pan
4. our new Wii
5. birthday parties