This Too Shall Pass

We woke up today to -28 degree weather with a -58 windchill.  Yes, that is correct.  No typo....it is that cold here in northern Iowa.  So cold that not only are all schools and colleges closed, but mail delivery has been suspended in our state and surrounding states as well.  This is as bad as it gets.  Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois have declared states of emergency......This is record breaking cold.  Joel and I cannot remember -58 wind chills, ever.  And we have a few memories of cold weather over the years!

Like when we went to Malta Montana for Internship and woke up to -30 in late October.  We quickly discovered there were no heat vents in the small kids bedroom so we went to a local hardware store and purchased electric wall heaters!  Montana has some cold winters!  Or when our middle daughter was married on Epiphany in north central Minnesota and the actual temperature that evening was -37.  Yeah.  Cold.  But -58 is a new one.

Nature has a way of stopping our world from moving forward, and extreme cold is no exemption.  So grateful for our warm house, good furnace, and gas fireplace.  As we sit this morning reading in the quiet (our cable is experiencing an "outage") we are nice and warm, snuggled in under quilts and staring at a toasty fire.  We have soup to warm our stomachs and books to warm our souls.  We are blessed.

I think of the firefighters who brave the cold.........our police officers who still work to keep our cities safe.............emergency workers and more.  At risk for those who are at risk or risky.  Again, we are so blessed.

Sometimes life also throws things at us that seem to stop our world from moving forward.  I read today of the death of a friend's brother.  His long battle with cancer is over and he is with Jesus this day, but those left behind feel his loss greatly.  Another woman I know was recently diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, and her world is now at war with an enemy of the body.  Maybe the hopes you had for a child or a loved one seem lost.  Maybe the dreams for yourself seem far away.  The world, our world stops momentarily, a shift occurs and we prepare for what is ahead, just as we do for cold weather. 

But we are not alone.  God is with us, and nothing.......not one thing surprises Him.  Not one thing is too big for Him.  Not one thing prevents God from moving forward..........Today, if your world seems to have stopped, take a deep breath.  Pick up the Word and seek peace.  Stay warm wrapped in His love.  Remember that God is bigger than any problem we face.  This too shall pass.  Just like this brutally cold weather, this too shall pass. 

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday afternoon to you from cold and snowy Iowa! A place that's only going to get colder in the days ahead. In fact it is forecast for our temperature to be -30 by Tuesday with wind chills between 40 and 50 below!  This is not okay. I cannot remember the last time we experienced this kind of cold weather in Iowa OR Minnesota. Thankful for the furnace and the gas fireplace and my wool socks and all the blankets I can bundle up under!

It has been a quiet week here with no doctor appointments.  I have enjoyed reading this week and watching too much TV, I'm sure.My energy is not where it was before surgery, but it is much better!  I am dealing with some stomach issues and pain that is pretty intense.  Sigh.  The pelvic pain ( also a side effect of the drugs) makes it hard for me to walk.....I have been trying to build up my strength, but that is on hold once again.  My body is working hard to tolerate the drugs and eliminate the cancer.  Just need to remember that each day is a gift, right? 

Speaking of gifts, last Tuesday we opened up a Christmas gift from our son and daughter-in-law and discovered a Roomba. Joel is delighted since he does the floors here at home and "hates it".  Now he can program "Nora" as we call her, and the cleaning is done for him.  I am happy because I sometimes had to wait weeks for Joel to muster up a positive attitude to do the floors!  It is a win-win situation.  Why do we call the Roomba Nora?  Well, when we lived in the Philippines everyone in the military had maids.......our maid we had the second year we were there was named Nora!  Nora not only kept the house clean but often cooked and watched the kids.  Yeah, we were pretty spoined.

Speaking of spoiled, I am so grateful for all Joel does for me.  The shopping, laundry, cooking, caretaking, etc.  And working.  I am able to help out some again, and hope to do so more and more.  He keeps telling me, you are "on chemo", you are fighting cancer and other issues, you are actively resting to give your body what it needs.  And God, in His goodness has given me what I need body, soul, and spirit......a truly amazing hubby.

I was thinking about my mom and how we used to talk every week on the phone.  It was weekly because of the cost then!  No cell phones.......just a house phone with a long cord and a long distance plan.   I would try to keep her updated on all that was going on, and send her letters and pictures of the grandkids.  I think she would have loved technology today.....like texting!  I love getting a text from my kids and photos and videos of the grands.  It helps us feel like we are more of a part of their lives, especially now.  And it comes instantly.  Amazing!

Joel and I have been long time readers of Guideposts magazine.  This year they added a devotional that comes every two months where the daily readings are connected to nature.  "All God's Creatures" is a daily devotional for animal lovers and we are enjoying it very much!  All God's creatures!

Hope you are having a great weekend.  Stay warm!  Stay safe!  Stay connected with those you love!

Unique And Quirky

I have been reading a Jan Karon book in her Father Tim series titled, "Shepherd'z Abiding". Jan Karon's Mitford series are such a delight to read.  Good, clean, faith based fiction books that give pause and bring joy.  You can even buy a book of "Father Tim quotes", there are so many treasures to hold on to.  Over 20 years ago Jan Karon spoke at Luther Seminary in St. Paul MN and Joel and I drove up to listen to her speak and to have the few books we had by her back then, autographed.  It was a great experience.

It has been quite awhile since I picked up one of her books, but I have been thoroughly enjoying it.  Father Tim and his wife Cynthia are now retired in the small town of Mitford North Carolina where he served as an Episcopalian priest to his unique and sometimes quirky congregation.

I cannot help but look back at the many churches Joel served over the years, each one unique with a few quirky members at times.  And are we not all unique and quirky in our own ways?  Each congregation with its own personality and purpose.  Oh what great memories we have for every place we called home, for every congregation that welcomed us.

And such adventures as we traveled in northern Montana where hawks, eagles, and antelope outnumbered the people.  And in Eastern Montana where Joel was able to baptize a 75 year old man and celebrate the eternal life that awaited him.  We still chuckle over one council meeting where it was put in the notes that the new pastor was wearing "inappropriate footwear" (square toed boots).  Joel was in need of new boots, so at the next council meeting he took off his new pointed toe boot put it on the table, asking the secretary to note that the new pastor now had appropriate footwear!  We ran into some very quirky people, and it was not always fun.......but the joy we experienced in the churches we served far outnumbered any negative experiences.

I love how Father Tim sees the good in all people.  How he quietly stands firm in what he believes without judging others.  For are we not all broken people, unique people, and even at times quirky?  God created each one of us as a masterpiece of His own making.  Our uniqueness is planned and used for God's purposes.  We can embrace who we are and trust God to guide us on our journey.

Do you have a congregation you sit among on Sunday mornings?  Do you observe the unique or quirky in the pews.........are you one of them?  Having served 7 churches and filled in or worked at 24 more over the years, we cannot help but smile at all the memories we have of those congregations that welcomed us.  Unique and sometimes even quirky as the members were......and us amongst them!

If you are looking for a good read.........a series that touches the soul, pick up a Jan Karon book.  You won't be disappointed, and it may give you a new perspective of your own home church!

A 4 AM Wake Up Call!

It was seven years ago this week, in the early morning hours of January 24th that my sweet husband was completely, divinely, miraculously healed.  We had watched a evangelist from Colorado speak on healing the night before.  We don't agree with all this man teaches, but his words on God wanting us well resonated within and were Biblically sound. Joel went to bed that night speaking to Lyme Disease and commanding it die in Jesus name.  He woke at 4am, sat up in bed and said, "I am healed!".  (The affirmation that followed was not something he had ever desired......he spoke in tongues.  God blessed him right then and there with a prayer language.) 

Joel was healed instantly from Lyme and the co-infections Bartonella and Babesia.  He was healed of arthritis.  He was healed of thyroid disease.  The "Pre-parkinson's" symptoms he was experiencing completely left.  He eventually was healed from sleep apnea and recurrent corneal erosion of his eyes.  The fatigue left completely.  A doctor verified all these miraculous changes a couple of months later. He was healed by prayer.  Thank you Jesus!

Needless to say, this put us on a journey to my own healing from Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, and Ehrlichia.  I was healed of thyroid disease and no longer needed meds after 27 years.  The MCS and CFS improved over a few months and then were gone.  My healing was not instant, but a process.Our journey continued as we studied the scriptures and read everything we could on healing.

We celebrate Joel's healing every year by sharing his story and giving GOD the glory.  We celebrate by sharing our beliefs that God does want us well.  Jesus still heals.  Miracles still exist. 

This year I have struggled some with finding the balance between Joel's and my healing and the cancer, kidney stones, and macular degeneration I battle now.  My experiences right now do not verify or change what we know to be true.  God is still our Healer.  Miracles still exist.  Jesus still heals and has given us the authority to command our mountains to move.  The scriptures tell us, "by His stripes we are healed."

And that is where the truth lies.  In God's Word.  In what we know to be true!  We have seen that truth manifested in the bodies of others we have prayed for.  Knees healed or improved.  COPD gone.  Allergic reaction to a wasp disappearing.  Back pain gone.  We continue to pray for my own body to heal............we continue to pray for others..........we continue to know that Jesus is the best physician while giving thanks for the physicians he has provided to care for us on earth. 

When I watch Joel ride his bike 20 miles.............when I watch him run up and down the stairs......when I watch him skipping with a look of pure joy on his face...........I give thanks.  I give thanks for the healing that took place in his Lyme ravaged body at 4 am on January 24th, 2012.  To God be all the glory!!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa.  Snow has finally arrived, definitely making itself known.  It began Friday morning and started piling up.  The storm continued throughout the day and evening, leaving us with no doubt that winter is here to stay.  We are thinking 6-8 inches, although we have not seen anything official.  Joel definitely was able to use his new snow blower today!

We tend to make homemade chicken soup when we know a storm or cold weather is coming.  I don't know why, we just do!  So we began sipping soup last night and nibbling on some paleo biscuits.  The large pot will get us through the weekend when the temperatures drop and below zero wind chills keep us bundled up. Today's high?  6 degrees.

We woke Thursday to a furnace that would not run.  Joel called our furnace guy and he came right out, found the problem and fixed it quickly.  Yay!  Wouldn't it be nice if all problems were solved that fast and easy. 

Joel also spent Thursday running errands.  My husband likes to skip..... backwards, forwards, cross over, one leg.  You name it, he does it and invites others to skip with him.  At the hospital.............in church...........and even in a store Thursday.  He was returning a Christmas present he had bought me and no one was in the store but two clerks.  He was chatting with them and "somehow" skipping came up and before you know it he had both of them trying to skip.  Really?  It just happened?  That is his story and he is sticking to it!

I have had more energy return the past few days.  I managed a couple of household jobs and helped with supper a couple of nights.  Progress is a sweet thing and feels so good.  I am done with IV antibiotics and hoping things are good.  As of yesterday I am back on the Verzenio treatment pills at a lower dose, and unfortunately challenges are already rising up.  Still, after 3 weeks of completely being "helpless", two weeks of slow improvement, and now feeling stronger and more "normal", I am giving a sigh of relief.  This last battle ~ the surgery disaster~ really took a lot out of me.  I read a great quote this week and realized that the last 6 weeks have definitely dulled my "sparkle".

Anyone or anything

Speaking of normal as I was earlier, weekends have never meant the same to us as most other people.  As a pastor, weekends are your busiest time of the week.  Getting the bulletin organized, sermon finalized, and then the services themselves.  When we were in eastern Montana Joel had a 3 point parish, preaching in all 3 churches every week.  As a family we would try to visit the different churches, but the kids needed to have one place for Sunday School, etc.  And now.................nearly 40 years later my 3x's retired pastor hubby is serving two churches again.  Two services every week in two churches around 25 minutes apart.  Weekends are still spent mostly in preparation and presentation.......the normal life of a pastor.  That also includes Sunday afternoon naps~!

My Saturday's Scribbles has been just that today..........a scribble of thoughts that have come to mind!  I hope you all have a great weekend!  And don't let anyone or anything ever dull your sparkle!

Don't Leave Home Without Him!

It was five years ago about mid January that I began feeling the presence of Holy Spirit in a physical way.  I don't really know how to explain it well and when I try my words fall short.  I was worshiping one morning when suddenly I could not stand up.  I felt a weight on me that pressed me down to the sofa.  As I continued to worship, His presence became stronger and stronger.  I literally felt God like a heavy blanket on me.  This did not last just a few minutes, but actually went on throughout the day for a few weeks.  Most of what I experienced during this time I have kept between Joel and myself, but it changed my life forever.

I have pondered the purpose of this time, and I believe that Holy Spirit was bringing about inner healing for me from childhood trauma.  He was also letting me know how much God loves me, body, soul, and spirit.  Oh, I felt so very very loved.

Holy Spirit has been defined as a wind, a comforter, and dynamite to name just a few.  God gave us the Holy Spirit when Jesus left this earth. He told His disciples to attempt nothing until they had been given the Holy Spirit.  There is power there.   And Holy Spirit loves to communicate with us.  He enjoys helping, guiding, and leading us. He is mostly a gentleman who waits for permission to make Himself known.  There is so much available for us if we just open our hearts to the possibilities.

I love the quote above.  We DO need Holy when we go to Walmart........to Target.........the grocery store.........church.......school.............in our home.  We need Him 24/7 in our lives.  And He is always  there  We may not always feel him, but He is always always there.   He still "nudges" me as He did five years ago, and I still open my heart to Him.  "Come Holy Spirit Come".  Sometimes I long for those weeks of His intense Presence, but mostly I am grateful for how much that period of time shaped me and my relationship with God.   Here is an article I wrote about that special time.  More

My advice?  Don't leave home without Him!

Ain't No Battle, Ain't No Valley, Ain't No Grave

When I lay in the hospital that first night I was so discouraged that the surgery had failed.  It had been an ordeal with bad results that still knots up my stomach when I think about it.  Joel was sleeping in a recliner next to my bed, and I was quietly talking to God.  I asked Him what He, Jesus, and Holy had to tell me.  I immediately saw three separate segments of scenes.  Jesus was in the first one and I could see only a close up of His scared hand.  God said to me,  "Jesus, my Son, and man of God suffered."  Immediately I was looking at the throne of God.  God was sitting on the throne and asked me to come sit by Him.  I was a young child and climbed up next to Him.  I said, "We are not even to look at your face, so I don't think I should be sitting beside you on the throne."  God replied, "You are my child, my heir and you can sit right beside me!"  He had His arm around me holding me close.  Then I saw a long brick road with trees lining both sides.  They were barren, no leaves or fruit.  I saw a palomino horse slowly going down the road.  For reasons that are personal I expect, I sometimes see Holy Spirit as a Palomino.  Behind Holy Joel and I were on our hands and knees trying to move forward. At times the horse would look back at us.   I immediately thought, "This is the valley of the shadow of death."  I noticed we were slowing going through...opportune word....going through.  There was no real explanation given for what I was seeing that night.  I tucked it away and tried to sleep.

Then this week I was listening to the song "I Raise A Hallelujah" and saw the brick road again.  I saw Joel and I on our hands and knees behind the palomino horse.  I noticed the horse's tail actually was the word Hallelujah.  Then all around this valley the sky became a beautiful sun-gold color and as I looked I realized the sun gold was people.  People surrounding us, praying, singing, and smiling.  I am not sure what it all means yet but praise was in the atmosphere.

Joel has told me over and over that in the last three months he goes back to the prophetic word we were given at Bethel Church where a woman shared that she saw us going through a season "on our hands and knees".  I told her I did not want to go through any more struggles and she said, "There is grace in it."  She went on to say that this season would end.  We would stand back up and be blessed more than ever with a "new thing" that God has for us.  The man who also spoke over us told both Joel and I to hang on to our joy.  Our strength would come from the joy of the Lord.  Joel keeps holding tight to the words.........you will stand up again and there will be amazing new things ahead.

The brick road I saw in my visual encounter brought to mind the prophetic words we received.  Do we understand it?  No.  Do we embrace it?  Not really.  But somewhere in the midst of it all there are things we know.  God looks at us as His kids.  He loves us so much He sent His Son to suffer and die....AND raise again.  Going through the valley, any valley, we are not alone.  Even in death, and it will come for all of us some day, we have victory.  Victory is ours because of Jesus.  It is a done deal!

Spending so much time at the cancer infusion center, I have observed so many who are in a battle to live.  Who are hurting, weary, and yet hopeful.  This weekend at the ER infusion room I was in a chair next to a woman who was getting an IV antibiotic like me.  Her arms were covered in bruises where veins had failed.  She was obviously weary.  We saw her again yesterday at the cancer center, smiling and nodding at us in recognition as we walk a familiar journey.  I thought about how the enemy uses cancer for evil, to discourage and try to destroy God's beloved.  He is such a coward. Tears rolled down my face as I thought about the bravery and hope expressed in all those who fight to live.  I pray they all know that they have Jesus fighting for them!

There is a chorus of a song I have been listening to that says it all.  We do live with hope for healing, for a long full life filled with purpose.  Even while we fight battles, we do so from a place of victory! Walking through the valley we do so carrying a Hallelujah victory sign.  And when our time on earth is fulfilled, the ultimate victory is ours.   Jesus already paid the price for our healing and for our salvation.  Wherever you find yourself today, remember that victory is yours!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday morning here in our corner of Iowa where winter continues to confuse and surprise with temperatures warm enough for Joel to ride bike in January.  Snow is not just lacking, it is nonexistent here although south and north of us it keeps showing up!  So strange........those who like to predict keep saying, "If it is nice now what is coming!"  Well, hopefully nothing!  There has been plenty of wild weather this year, but so far we have avoided it.  I remember when our daughter and her hubby were married many years ago in the first week of January.  The temperature was -37 that night. Not the wind chill......the temperature!  Beyond cold!  That is was in Minnesota and we don't see that kind of weather here.  Cold, yes, but not Alaska Cold! 

Joel headed to Target today to purchase an electric hot water kettle for us.  I was given one 1-2 years ago and used it every day, all day.  I drink hot water and it was always so nice to have it available.  Then the kettle decided it's only temperature was the boiling point.  We went a whole day without one before we realized how much we depend on it.  A new Mr. Coffee electric tea/water pot is now sitting on our counter and all is well in the Dahlen house.  We are certainly spoiled......Ha.....

Speaking of boiling point, we have been on this health journey for three months now.  It finally caught up with my hubby.  The continue taking care of me, getting me to appointments, doing the cooking, laundry, some cleaning AND working part time.  I'm thinking it took him a long time to reach his "boiling point".  Not boiling, but more like a saturation point of needing some relief....release......we both are there.  Must be time to watch a few episodes of Fraiser on Netflix!  We need a good laugh or two.  Seriously, I am so blessed to walk with him through not only this, but our 50 plus years together.

 I was reading a beautiful Guideposts story on Facebook today about a couple who were both diagnosed with terminal cancer only a short time apart.  They shared their journey of how they learned to cope and live a full life in the day to day moments.  Their "two years to live" has them still living nine years after their original diagnosis.  What a wonderful testimony!

My energy has improved enough off the treatment pills and on the antibiotics, so I am up more and actually was able to help with getting food today AND get our Christmas decorations put away a little at a time.  We will take it!  Any improvement is just that.........improvement!  Today we will head to the ER at the hospital since the cancer center is closed on the weekends.  I will receive IV antibiotics there today and tomorrow in their small "infusion room".  Who knew all these places existed?

Have any of you watched the show, "Tidying Up" on Netflix.  It is about a woman from Japan with helps people organize their homes, their lives, and of course that overflows into their relationships.  I watched one episode and could not relate to all the clutter, piles of laundry, and utter chaos.  I am past the years with kids and ALL that involves.  We have always been organized.  Last night Joel was talking with the nurse giving me the IV and they were discussing how to load the dishwasher.  He found a kindred spirit in that both of them separate the silverware before washing it.....and keep big plates in one area, smaller in another.  And when you put away the silverware of course you have the spoons actually "spoon" each other so you can get more in the holder!  They bonded over their need to order!!  Ha.....

Hope you have a good week.  Our's was a bit rough, but we are taking things one day at a time with a few Fraiser episodes thrown in. 

The Vein Whisperer

We were in the infusion center at the cancer center last night.......quietly praying as a nurse tried to get an IV line into my rebellious vein.  This journey with cancer has brought with it veins that don't want to give blood and even collapse at times.  The nurse tried, I gritted my teeth as she attempted.....but the vein collapsed so she had to start over.  She said, "You know, I am going to have A. come and do this.  She is really good at working with unruly veins."  And A. was.  She found a vein she liked, and quickly without pain got the IV line placed.  I received the first of a week's daily IV antibiotic injections and we were home by 6:15pm.  They work late at the Cancer infusion center.  When A. left our area, Joel said to me, "She is a vein whisperer...  she knows how to talk to the veins and get them to cooperate!"  She definitely had a gift and was using it to help others.

I have heard of horse whisperers.........even dog whisperers......but a vein whisperer was a new one.  I just love how God is in the midst of our circumstances.  He even provides the right nurse in a difficult situation.

Last Friday I saw the oncologist and because of how weak I was and the low white count, he did a few cultures.  Blood and urine....and an x-ray.  The urine showed two different bacteria growing so thus the IV antibiotics.  I was taken off the treatment pills, but given the monthly injections.  We have seen a bit of improvement with my energy.  I am now able to dress daily and get my own breakfast.  It was that bad.  I still nap twice a day and sleep 10 hrs at night, but then again, I am trying to heal from a surgery that went wrong, two bacterial infections, and I am fighting cancer,  Off the Verzenio I can taste food again, am not nauseated, and a bit stronger.  I expect I will go back on tomorrow, but we will see what the doctor has to say.

We feel like our cancer center here is a real gift.  The staff is helpful, kind, and very efficient.  Dr. Singh is treating my whole body which we feel is so important.  Yeah.  In the midst of this awful journey, we are blessed.

A song that has come to my attention is giving us hope and courage for each day. It is sometimes an effort and a sacrifice of praise we raise, but there is always  a blessing to be found.  Always a reason to give praise.    We are raising a song of praise for a "vein whisperer" today!  The song was created when a young boy at Bethel Church in Redding CA was fighting for his life a year ago.  I remember it well.  A powerful miracle saved this young child and the world rejoiced as the enemy was defeated!
I hope you enjoy it.............

A Pulse? Then A Purpose

I have always been honest here in my writings, and that has not changed.  Yesterday morning I woke to a deep blanket of heaviness over me.  The treatment meds were causing me to be weak and tired, nauseated, I had stomach pain with cramps and diarrhea, and at times when I would stand we think my blood pressure was dropping.  Everything would get "bright" and close in on me.  I was also having symptoms of a UTI which were causing pain and frequent trips to the bathroom.  I could not stay up past 8:30 pm and have never desired more to be in a one level house.  The 17 steps to our bedroom at night completely exhaust me.

I woke up thinking..............why am I still here?  Heaven sounded so good.  No more pain, suffering, or fighting.  Just freedom.  I lay with my eyes closed and God gave me a short visual encounter.  Jesus and I were walking down a hallway with gold dust on the floor.  I knew we were in Heaven and Jesus opened a door and ushered me inside a big room filled with angels.  There were beautiful globes standing around and large maps of the world on the walls.  Angels were busy making plans for people around the world.  I noticed a small red heart in the middle of a large world map and as I focused on it everything moved in and I could see it was a heart right in the center of northern Iowa where we live.  It was a heart representing me.  I thought, "Well, God's angels are fighting for me."  Ok.  How could I not fight for myself if God's angels were fighting for me."

Soon I received a text from my sister Jan asking how my day was going.  I shared with her how discouraged I was and she sent out a prayer request to her prayer warriors, then sent me some of their and her encouraging words.  Later in  tihe day I listened to a voicemail from our oldest son, which gave me another boost of courage to keep going.

Joel requested I not take the pills yesterday, to give my body a break and see if symptoms subsided.  They did and I could actually eat a full meal at supper and stay up until 9pm.

Later in the day I received a book and card from my friend Katherine in New Hampshire.  The words she shared with me had me weeping.  They came on a day I really needed them.

In fact, God knew what I was going to be feeling and he sent messages from Heaven, from my sister and her friends, from our son Matt, and from Katherine.  I felt the spirit of heaviness lift some.  Today as we read devotions, Ana Werner said that a friend told her, "If we have a pulse, we have a purpose." I don't begin to know the purpose in all this, but I do still have a pulse and I can't help but see that God is aware of what I am going through.  That He is there with the encouraging words and prayers he has sent, not only yesterday, but throughout this journey.  Words from old friends, new friends, family, siblings, and last but never least, my Joel.

Today is a new day, the first day of 2019.  I woke up with a pulse......still here, still breathing.....still fighting.  In fact Joel and I played a game of Scrabble from the sofa.  It really tired me out, but we did it!  Yippee.....The pills are still knocking me for a loop, the antibiotics for the UTI are talking to me, the need to rest and nap is strong, but the fight goes on and most importantly the promises of God are holding us. 

I truly pray that 2019 is a year filled with "new things" that God brings your way.  Isaiah 43:16-19. Prayers for blessings, good health and much happiness for each and every one of you.  This is the day that the Lord has made......let us rejoice and be glad in it!