Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa on the last weekend in January.  It has been another roller coaster ride of weather and temperatures with -36 windchills one day and temps in the thirties another.  Unpredictable.  That is the word for this winter's weather.  Unpredictable.

Speaking of unpredictable, isn't that how life has been the past 2 plus years?  And I would venture to say it taken it's toll on all of us.  Have children ever experienced such upheaval in getting an education, doing normal after school activities, or just getting together with friends, etc. let alone those who have lost parents to this vicious virus.  And we could add the rest of us to that unpredictable atmosphere.  I know that there are those who feel this is all a conspiracy.....or an attempt to control people.  And there are those who have believed our scientists and followed the guidelines to get us through this.  No matter where you stand, and people do stand......we are all weary of it all.  My heart hurts for the doctors and nurses who are working so very hard to stop the tsunami of death and destruction in peoples bodies. Help us God.  I know more people who have had or have Covid now than when it first started.  Some still have a few long term side effects from it too.  And yet at the same time I see less people taking any kind of precautions to stay healthy and avoid omicron.  I guess another word for how I feel would be a world my mom would use...It all "baffles" me.  The whole pandemic baffles me!  But then again, that applies to other things we see going on in our country too.  We seem to be in a season of being baffled and bewildered.  Tighten that grip on God everyone!  This too shall pass!

Speaking of precautions, we headed over to Mayo Clinic on Tuesday for my yearly check up with the radiology oncologist.  N95. KN95, 94, or surgical masks are required there.  NO cloth masks are acceptable.  We also noticed that the doctors and nurses where we were at not only wore N95's but also special goggle type glasses to protect their eyes.  That was new and we found it very interesting.   We had left by 6:45 that morning for the long drive, having an appointment at 9:15.  We then stopped at Trader Joe's to stock up on such things as organic unsweetened applesauce, yogurt, almonds and cashews....save lots of money going there.  Anyway, we were able to see the sunrise as we drove east.  The windmills seemed to be dancing gracefully as they welcomed the day!  Soooooo beautiful to see...God welcoming us to another day!

Sunrise 

Sunrise with the windmills "dancing"

to welcome the day!

Speaking of doctors, my appointment went well. I gathered a bit of confirming info also.  Like the weak/fractured ribs will be an ongoing issue due to radiation.  The chest wall tightness and pain are chronic also. Just like the lymphedema. I will be adding range of motion exercises to my PT for lymphedema.  I have mixed emotions about this appointment being my last with Dr. S.  He is my favorite doctor, but I have "graduated" now and my local medical oncologist is taking over all my care.  I confess after we left I shed a few tears.  Dr. S. was a true gift from God during that season of my life.

It has always been my intention to share my journey through life here....the good the bad and the ugly, so I do.  If the medical stuff makes anyone uncomfortable or bored, just move on....I get it!

Along with the ribs and lymphedema and chest wall issues, there are the side effects of the medication I take to suppress all the estrogen in my body.  The cancer was estrogen fed so the aromatose inhibitor  (exemestane) works to remove it. It is also used to treat cancer in women.   The side effects I personally deal with because of that drug are weight gain, joint pain, fatigue, increase in anxiety, and once again cognitive issues.  They were gone on this new med for 9 months but a week ago started up again with me pulling up random or wrong words when I am thinking and once in awhile speaking.  I know right away I have said the wrong word so that is helpful.  I have read a message board at Mayo Clinic Connect where other women talk about this same side effect.  At this point I continue to take this necessary drug believing that the cognitive issues are minor when being compared to having cancer again.  And we pray.  We pray for clarity 24/7.  Maybe that is too much to ask for this nearly 74 year old?!  Nahhhh  God has this!

Speaking of wrong words I must tell you a funny story from yesterday.  Joel and I were having devotions and I was talking about how we connect with our kids and I said the word visit.  Joel looked at me confused and said what did you say?  I said, "visit".  He said, I thought you said "zipper".  My thought was, did I say zipper when I meant visit (cuz that is what happens, random words pop into my head) and Joel was thinking, did I hear zipper when she said visit? (Cuz he has hearing aids now)......I said to Joel, "We are going to have to think about what kid we are going to move closer to when our minds start to go...."  I went on to say, :I'm going to tell the kids this story"......And he said, "Text them and tell them we will see one of them next week!"  We laughed and laughed.....I sent this story to the kids and a couple replied with laughing....probably a defense mechanism!

Last night we watched ABC's "20-20".  Not a show we usually turn to but it was about Jodi Huisentruit, a newscaster who went missing in June of 1995.  We used to watch her on a local station in north central MN when we lived in that area. Then when we moved here to Mason City, IA we discovered she had taken a position here and nine months before we arrived she was abducted and disappeared from the parking lot of her apartment building as she was going in early to work.  No one was ever arrested, and her body has never been found.  Last night they did a two hour special on her case.  It was strange to watch Mason City on national TV.  How tragic for her family and friends, and to just never have answers must be so difficult.  They did do a good job presenting Jodi's story.   

Joel and I have been continuing in the healing school class we are taking, plus a couple of sermons from churches in IA and CA.  Joel has been busy in the shop no matter the weather outside. I have been putzing inside with housecleaning, reading another fiction book, working on a winter puzzle, and walking 30-35 minutes a day indoors....in circles pretty much!  If I walk from our kitchen through the large entry area;, then through the living room and then through the large entry area again and then around the dining room and once again the large entry back to the kitchen it is 90 steps and takes me almost one minute.  I do that 20 times and then in the afternoon 15-20 times more.   Pretty boring but I usually listen to a podcast. Any amount of walking helps us, but I am pretty excited I am up to 30-35 minutes.  Haven't lost an ounce, but haven't gained either and have more energy.  Yippee  I decided to put a pedometer on my phone to see approximately how many steps I walk a day and was pleasantly surprised to see I walk 4500 to 6500 steps a day.  That is pretty darn good for this lady in this season of my life.  Grateful.

I cut Joel's hair this morning.  I have been doing this for decades.  Homemade soup ingredients are in the big soup pot to give us chicken and rice soup for a few meals, Alexa is playing soft music and the sun is shining into our home from our large windows.  I can see the birds are out and about and so are the squirrels.  One neighbor out here recently had a red fox on the front porch during the night.  Deer come through on their way down to the river.  Over Christmas we had 5 in the backyard.  Once in awhile a coyote or racoon is spotted.  We are not out in the country but close to the edge of town and nature just seems to thrive here.  

It is probably time to end this weeks' scribbles.  Today I am thankful for all of you who visit my blog.! Today I am giving thanks for the 10th anniversary of Joel's miraculous healing.  I am grateful for good reports and caring doctors, for the healing gift of laughter, homemade soup cooking on the stove, for sunrises, for the animals that visit or share our habitat, for Trader Joe's, for getting my steps counted, for energy to walk 30-35 minutes, for Joel's new band saw, for packages that come to the door, for N95 and surgical masks, for being able to cut Joel's hair, for prayer, for texts, phone calls, emails, and so much more!

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from snowy cold....like -36 wind chill cold Iowa this week where the people in this house are kinda over winter now.  The snow was pretty.........the cozy fireplace nice............and now heading into the third week of January, I am over it.  Ready for Spring!  Sigh.....guess it is time to put on my big girl boots and find the gratitude in each day whether it is bitterly cold, moderately cold, or slightly cold.  Cuz the bottom line is that it is gonna be cold for awhile.

Speaking of putting on my big girl boots, this coming week I head to Mayo for my annual check up with my favorite radiology oncologist.  He is a gem, no doubt about it.  I just filled out several questionnaires that they sent to my portal and as I was answering all the questions two thoughts came to mind.  First, there has been a couple of changes with lymphedema now a big part of my daily life, and second, how very blessed I am.  When you answer questions that in general make you realize how much we do have including no worries related to food or shelter or care, I can't help but be thankful.  Blessed.  

The big excitement this week was Joel's purchase of a new band saw.  He tried to fix his decades old saw three times before searching for a small engine repair guy, but finally accepted (with my encouragement) the idea that he needed a new one.  I expect I was a bit pushy on the matter....he has a hard time buying stuff for himself.  He voted for cheapest, I did not.  He uses it all the time and a moderately priced one came up with a good rating.  He came around.....and it is now being used in the garage (even in this bitterly cold weather) and we are both happy.  Me too?  Yep.  The old one was really really noisy and this one is safer too.    

Joel and I have been taking classes with Ana Werner's healing school, learning more on healing and deliverance from different teachers who focus on this kind of ministry.  It keeps us growing in our faith!  We have also been watching a weekly teaching from our local church, this past one on worship in the Lutheran church.  Add to that a few YouTube teachings by Liz Wright, and an old video by Brene Brown on the power of vulnerability..... and our brains are stretching.....We have also enjoyed a short series on boat excursions on the canals in Great Britain and Europe.  Of course we knew there were canals in Europe, but I did not know anything like that still existed in the United Kingdom, people owning their own boats and traveling through locks, and waterways the way we travel in cars or on airplanes.  You certainly see a lot more from a boat than a plane!\

Besides the teachings we watched, Joel has been playing with his new band saw and writing a bit for his new book.  I have been doing a challenging (for me) puzzle, reading, walking 30 minutes a day, and baking some homemade bread besides cooking and a little cleaning.  

Speaking of homemade bread, we have replaced our 2x-a-month-on-Saturday-night pancakes for the past three or more decades....I am NOT kidding.....and moved on to thick sliced homemade French toast.  Sooooo good.  We often eat breakfast meals for supper.  Anyone else do that?  Maybe yogurt (my go to breakfast), or eggs, or oatmeal, or French toast.  Don't feel like cooking?  Had a big meal at noon?  Then breakfast will call our names.  So easy!

I am thinking that it was about 10 years ago our daughter-in-law gave us her used iPad.  Joel was going to use it while traveling for an Interim job.  He ended up with a laptop and I used the iPad at home.  I tucked it away about 3 years ago when cancer came calling again,  and forgot about it.  Seriously.  Then I thought about reading some Kindle books again so I dug it out and charged it up and it is still working!  I go to "free Kindle books" on Amazon and see what I can find.  The lighthearted reading I have found have been enjoyable during January, and on an old iPad that was given to us used.....and is still working!  

I expect many of us could compare ourselves to this iPad.  In need of a charge to get going when the cold brings on stiffness in the joints and muscles or the need to just get under an afghan or throw and snuggle in takes over.   I find walking can "charge" me..........and inspirational teachings..........and laughter.........and the retraining of the brain stuff I am still dabbling in. Lots of ways to recharge.  And lest I forget the lessons God is sending me sometimes plain ol' rest recharges us.  But I know for me, writing absolutely recharges me.  I come alive when I am "talking to others" with my keyboard. Recently a family member shared that they have taking up painting in retirement!  How great is that!  Another way to recharge.....love it.  How do you recharge?

So, today I am grateful for the ways I can recharge, for phone calls from friends and family, for texts, for laughter, for teachings that take us out of our comfort zone and stretch our minds.  Grateful for French toast made with homemade bread, for getting back to 30 minutes walks, for Joel's new band saw, for an iPad gift that still keeps giving, for music from Alexa, for free Kindle books, for exploring England through the canals, for Joel, our family, and friends...........and so much more!

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from snowy Iowa where yesterday's snowstorm brought us 6-7 inches of the white stuff.  It was snowing when we woke up and still snowing when we went to bed last night.  Wind brought it's own headaches to anyone out on the road.  Winter in mid- January keeps us close to home, and grateful for our fireplace and warm house.  Still, there is a beauty to be found in the fresh snow and how is adorns the trees, bushes, and roofs, blanketing earth.  Thought I would share some of that beauty with you today.  

View from dining room side window

Backyard and deck railing piled with snow

Taken from upstairs looking down on the half

down landing and out the 8 ft. tall window.

A bit of drifting in front of the garage door!

Speaking of mid-January, we finally decided we better put away the Christmas tree.....and get the lights off the house.  Unusually warm weather ( 41 degrees) made the outdoor task easy.  Things look so stark when the tree and all the decorations and lights get tucked away.   And with the tree gone we do miss the glow of the lights at night, but know it was time.  

Speaking of time, I was able to get a hair cut this past Tuesday.  My hair had grown a bit in two months, although I had cut away on it myself a few weeks ago.  My hairdresser had sickness in her house for the month of December, but was healthy when she came to our house.  We wore masks "just in case" any germs were flying around from both of us.  What is it about a fresh haircut that makes a person feel soooooo good!?!

There is not much going on the first three weeks of January.  That is a good thing, but also means there is a lot of slow time.  Puzzles, books, music and TV fill the hours.  I was getting into a series by Jana Deleon and read the first four books in her 21 book series, but then realized they were pretty much the same plot over and over again and our library does not carry them either.  On to the next book!  Or puzzle....or TV show.  What do you do with your slow time?

Last Sunday we Skyped for a really long time with friends who spend their winters in Tucson.  It was nice to catch up on each other's lives....and have a good laugh or two in the process.  Whenever we chat with them about their lives I can't help but think back on when we were planning to move to Arizona.  They were encouraged by our sense of adventure and our thoughts of a new life with a new ministry in a different part of the country.  God used our plans to spur on their own long term plans and then the rest of the story happened......And now we listen and observe their adventurous life while we continue to be here in Iowa as we head into year 26.  We thought Iowa was a stopping point for us, but here we are.  Life is indeed what happens while you are making other plans!   To be honest, we still miss the west, but especially our home state of Minnesota.  Although if we were to think of a place where we would want to move to, we don't feel any town call our name.  But as military you always had to have a home state.....we still have that mindset, and there is much to love about ours.  The lakes, forests, four seasons, "Minnesota nice", family roots, and did I mention lakes?  There is much to like about Iowa too, and for us the neighborhood where we live is at the top of our list.  Oh, we will always love a new adventure!  We have moved 23 times and lived in 6 states and 1 third world country....it gets into your blood and I was born with it so alas...........the desire to live a somewhat nomadic life is there.....but then again, God has blessed us where we are.  Being in our 70's we know there is at least one more move for us ahead, but when and where?  Only God knows!

Speaking of only God knows, yesterday I saw the dermatologist for a melanoma check...all was good!  He is the nicest guy....he had been catching up on my medical chart and so was asking me about the lymphedema and using a pump.  Did the pump help?  I said I didn't know, but the pump is to move fluid out of the arm and won't keep it out, but moves out this toxic fluid which is a good thing.  So, last night as I was thinking, only God knows if this is helping.....after supper I used the pump on my arm and hand.  I ended up getting up 3x to head to the bathroom in the night and that surprised me until I was reminded by God that the tech had told me that moving the fluid out of the arm makes you go to the bathroom more.  Seriously.  So, here was my answer.........it is working and doing it's job.  The sleeve and glove are doing their jobs, the bandaging is doing it's job,, and as we pray over the lymphedema and persist with the above named daily check list, we are doing our jobs...and a quiet reminder in the night let me be at peace that it is working..........

So with that story, I am bringing this Saturday's Scribbles to a close today with so much to be grateful for.  I am grateful for the reminder from a loved one to see the miracles in 2022, grateful for the "tools" we have to manage and maintain, grateful for good reports, for sunshine after a storm, for fresh snow and it's beauty.  Grateful for my Alexa playing worship music in a moment, for walking 30 minutes again, for an old iPad that lets me read free Kindle books, for homemade pork stew on a chilly day, for a toasty fireplace, blankets and my "woolie" at night, for texting with siblings, kids, grands, and friends, for phone calls, for a much needed hair cut, for a drive down by the river, and for so much more!

}
Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

 

Good Saturday to you from Iowa in January!  It has been a bit chilly the last few days with temperatures dropping below zero and a wind chill of -33 one morning.  Are we having fun yet?  It took us back to when our middle daughter was married on a cold January day in Minnesota.  And I mean cold!  -37 degrees meant getting up during the night to start everyone's cars before the day of the wedding.  And tt was a bitterly cold night outside for a wedding, reception and dance.........but the church was packed, the ceremony beautiful and we celebrated!  

So the theme of this first full week of 2022 was staying warm and resting.  We have appreciated our fireplace, wool socks and slippers, and sweatshirts.  We have appreciated that we had no agenda whatsoever,  I have read three fiction books since Christmas Day and Joel and I are reading aloud a book Santa gave him about a donkey named Henry.  Henry is buddies with another donkey named Flash and we have read that book about Flash too.  The author does a great job in blending life with donkeys with faith.  Seriously, they are good.  The fiction books I have been reading are a series of "mindless matter" by Jana Deleon.  Sometimes you just gotta escape and with this "virus that acts like Covid but tested negative for Covid" still dragging me down some, a fun read or two has been a good thing.

Speaking of Covid, our hospital and Des Moines Mercy hospital put out a message asking people to please get vaccinated.  In their words, they are "overwhelmed" by all the hospitalizations and deaths they are dealing with.  I hear from others the idea that "if you want to be vaccinated, do so, if your don't don't."  Keep your opinions to yourself.  I get that, except for the fact of how it is affecting our medical angels of mercy AND those who can't get the care they need for other medical concerns because the hospitals are filled with unvaccinated (and some even vaccinated) people.  Our choices have a rippling affect.

Speaking of a rippling affect, we put away our Christmas decorations on Epiphany but have left the undecorated tree up in the living room.  Joel is enjoying the lights and is just not ready to go back to the stark look of winter in January.  I am in agreement.  Often at around 5-6 in the morning Joel goes downstairs and sleeps in the recliner with the fireplace and tree lights glowing around him.  Nice..........peaceful way to begin the day, or end your night?!

We have sat this week and reread the Christmas notes and newsletters we received this year and looked again at the photos.  We enjoy doing that once the holiday has past.  It just leaves you with a good feeling!  One couple that we hear from we have not seen in person since 1976 when we tearfully said good-bye to Helen (and George) from the airport in The Philippine Islands.  We have remained friends from afar and we know some day we will meet again, even if it is not this side of Heaven.  

It has been a year since Joel self-published his book, "A Little To The Right Of Crazy".  He did not expect it to be a best seller and it is not.  He wanted his story of healing put out there for our family and friends, he wanted God's story of healing to be told.  He was obedient to God in writing it.  It is why I write things on my blog that may make others uncomfortable or that they disagree with regarding my own journey of faith.  It took me a long time to be okay with writing what God shows me in my divine imagination as I have heard it called.  It makes some uncomfortable, it sometimes makes me uncomfortable but I have had to trust that God has a purpose for me/us sharing what we share.  Do we always get it right?  By no means, but when God speaks or shares or gives me a "video" playing in my mind, I pay attention.  Ana Werner has helped me greatly with her own stories and books on her gift of seeing in the Spirit.  Her gift goes wayyyyyyyyyy beyond mine, but is affirming for me.

Speaking of Ana Werner, Joel and I are taking her Healing School 8 week class again this year with new speakers and new teachings.  The first one had us "uncomfortable" as we stepped out of our comfort zone into a realm new to us, but solidly Biblical.  I am also, thanks to a friend, tuning in to a woman named Liz Wright and her teachings.  Attempting to start the new year out with our favorite thing to do........learn something new!

So today, I am thankful that I can learn new things regarding God, and for how He speaks to me through videos/visions in my mind.  Grateful for a warm house, a toasty fire with the push of a button, lights this give off a warm glow on a chilly morning.  So grateful for books that transport us, teach us, entertain us.  Grateful for Joel's book, his story in print.  Grateful for phone calls, texts, emails, pictures, and prayers of friends and family.  Grateful for being encouraged by God when feeling discouraged.  Grateful for catching up with old friends via Christmas cards and photos.  Grateful......for all this and so much more.

Enjoy your weekend!

Are We There Yet?

 

Anyone who has traveled with children in tow has heard the question at some time....."Are we there yet?  The long hours of a car trip can seem endless......no matter how much time you spend on social media or playing car games.  Yeah.......are we there yet?  

This season of our lives with a pandemic moving like a tsunami into 2022 probably has us saying....Are we there yet?  To the end of this craziness.......are we there yet?  

Today as I still heal from a virus that acts like Covid but tested negative for Covid, I have found myself weary and discouraged.  And today when the wind is blowing, the temperature is dropping, and pandemic and political chaos reigns in our country, the world............I am asking, "Are we there yet?  Is the shift coming?  

This morning when I started to wallow in the weariness of it all, God brought to my mind a few things He has given me in the past......nothing new for 2022......but words from God going back over four years.  

In August 2017 we went to Bethel Church in Redding CA for 10 days.  It was not a conference, or an event, just the two of us stepping into a world we had only experienced from our living room.  And while we were there God blessed us greatly.  He also spoke to us through the prophetic words of two people whom we had never met before, but who shared their gift with others in a structured, prayerful way.   For ten minutes or more they spoke over us and were spot on with what they were saying and they also gave us words for the future.  One person said, "I see you on your hands and knees moving forward.  It is a time of humbling for you.  You have always been strong and independent, relying on yourselves and your abilities and you have a great foundation under you.  But you will need to humble yourselves and depend on God alone.  He will eventually pick you up and you will leave this season behind but during this time, remember the joy of the Lord is your strength.   It was not what we wanted to hear, but it was only a year later that I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and the journey has been one we could not do alone ever since. 

A few months after this prophetic word, I  had a vivid dream one night where Jesus said to me, "I am giving you a new car:.  I replied "I don't want a new car.  We love our car."  He said firmly, "I am giving you a new car".  He walked over to the car in my dream and I said, "It looks just like the old car!"  He opened the backseat for me to get it, and then he climbed in behind the wheel and said, "Let Me drive"........

Today I find myself asking Jesus..........."Are we there yet?"  When is this humbling journey coming to an end?  As I look around our country I ask "Are we there yet?"  If you are driving Jesus, are we there yet?  

So what do we do, when we are NOT there yet.  When a pandemic continues to cover us like a tsunami.  When life knocks us around.  What do we do as we sit in the backseat of the car...........We rest.  

God has been highlighting the word rest for me this whole week.  Rest has always been a four letter word that I deeply dislike, basically because I spent so many years sofa bound with Lyme Disease.   But God's word tells us to come to him and rest....and within the word rest are so many other words we need to embrace. I heard yesterday a teaching that stated that rest is relational.  It is really about being in the Presence of God.  Where we trust..............praise........... worship...........have peace........... receive God's love...........and it is in resting that we let Jesus drive the car.   

So on this cold, windy 6th day of January 2022, if you are feeling weary and not feeling the "Yeah, this is a new year"  Whoohoo", I suggest you rest.  It is okay to not be okay, and it is okay to be okay.  Just rest in His Presence.  Receive. Trust.  Praise Him.  And let Jesus drive the car.

Sunday's Saturday Scribbles

Good Morning to you on this first Sunday of 2022!  We awoke to -12 degrees today with a high of 7 forecast.  We missed the snow that piled up south of us, but the arctic cold has settled over us for a few days.  Pretty typical for January in the Upper Midwest.  We are cozy and warm in our home with plenty of heat, a fireplace going, blankets covering us and our trusty "sweats" and smartwool socks covering our feet.  And then there are my old wool slippers that add another layer of warmth.  Yeah.....Winter in our corner of the world requires layers!

I hope your Christmas was filled with joy as we celebrated the Babe in the manger....as we gathered to worship in our local churches and online.....as we opened our homes to family and friends if possible.  We went to Christmas Eve services at 1:30 pm thinking we would avoid the crowds at the three later services, but it was a pretty full church.  Came home to a quiet house where we enjoyed a good dinner and pie, We then worshiped online with Lutheran Church of Hope.  Christmas Day was quiet, but filled with preparations for our family arriving the afternoon of the 26th.  Sadly, but I guess not surprisingly, two families had to cancel due to a Covid exposure and then flu..,.and another who tested positive for Covid.  Those who came were healthy and we had a good time with each other while at the same time missing those who were absent.  We played cribbage, Yahtzee, and some played chess.  Our granddaughter Abbi wanted to make Krumkake while everyone was here so Abbi taught me how to do that.  It was great fun!!  Our oldest son and granddaughter Greta went home Monday evening but our gathering ended a few hours early on Tuesday as the rest were heading home in snowy weather with sleet and wind thrown in to the mix.  All arrived home safely.  Thank you God!

Wednesday morning I woke up sick and after 2 negative Covid tests, Influenza A and B tests, and a strep test, we believe I am dealing with "some unnamed virus" that is kicking my butt.    I am on the mend, slow but steady as we step into 2022.  Not the way I wanted to start a new year, but it is what it is and moving forward is the name of the game.

Our oldest son and his family gave me an Alexa for Christmas and I am sitting here on my laptop listening to praise music.  I keep forgetting it is always listening ( kinda creepy) so more than once it has come on....once from a commercial on TV!  Haha.....Joel wasn't sure about getting one when I mentioned it awhile ago, but now before I even get downstairs he has it on playing soft praise music or George Winston music in the early mornings!  Our oldest daughter and her family gave us a subscription to a service where we write in memories to the questions that come up and at the end of the year it is complied into a book! So fascinating and fun.  

So on this second day of January, 2022 what are you thinking about?  Are you making resolutions, or setting goals?  For me at this place in my life now and where I have been the past few years, my hopes and dreams center around what is important in life.  Relationships.  #1 is my relationship with Papa God, Jesus, and Holy.  Just a few days ago someone I know from high school and followed on Facebook lost her battle with cancer.  She won the war as Jesus welcomed her home, but her body just plain wore out from the battle with such an ugly disease.  From what I have read she had a good relationship with God and was very close to her family and friends.  In truth, what other legacy is there?  It had me thinking............when Jesus welcomes me home I want to feel like I am being welcome by a dear friend.....my loving Heavenly Father, and the Great Comforter...

So, in the first days of 2022 as I bundle up in sweats and blankets and nurse myself back to my kind of "normal", my resolutions....my goals,....my desires.....are that I know God more....through the Word, through prayer, through conversation which means not only talking but listening.  I have this hope to intentionally use my five senses to embrace each day!  And can I add, I am sure hoping that 2022 brings us all more peace and joy and less Covid along with the Greek alphabet of variants that have followed! 

Today I am grateful for the time we had with family, the laughter, the tears, the fun games, the Krumkake learning and chatting, the gifts, the giving of gifts.  Grateful for praise music filling our home in seconds, for worship in person and online, for my super loving, caring, patient hubby.  Grateful for 2021 ~ another year where we experienced God's love, a few adventures, and the love of family and friends. 

 And today as we walk into 2022, I pray you each have an amazing year walking with God, and that each day is filled with joy and peace, with a few great adventures thrown in.