In the Blink of an Eye

Pardon any photos that might be too graphic. A year ago today my sister Rachel was on her way to Easter weekend services at church in Minnesota when an approaching car crossed the center line and hit her head-on. 

When fire department personnel and paramedics arrived, it took an hour for them to extract her and her passenger (friend Brian) with the hopes that at least one of them – hopefully both – would survive. Honestly, it was touch and go. The med flight from the accident scene to the Twin Cities included some emergency blood transfusions just to keep Rach alive.

Brian had a fractured pelvis and a shorter, but still painful, hospitalization and recovery. For my sister, there were literally months of time in the ICU at Regions Hospital where we all took turns visiting – and you, my prayer warriors, were with me on those journeys. Thank you!

Three months after the accident, Rachel could finally return home. But it was during that time that my mom had her own home accident and ended up in a nursing home, then hospital, then passed away. We waited until Rachel was able to attend a funeral – months later – and that's where that top photo is from. All of us together – and our wardrobes giving a nod to Mom's love of flowers.

Today, Rachel is not out of the woods. She's fighting an infection from some of her new internal hardware. And, once that's clear, needs to have major surgery on that left leg that didn't heal at the correct angle.

What I've learned from this is that we can never take even the tiniest of moment of our lives for granted. Never take your family, your friends, your job, your health, your home, the air you breathe for granted. Life can change in the blink of an eye!

I also learned that when I reach out to friends and family – even strangers, there is an army of prayer warriors just waiting to support us, whether they've met my sister or not.

We so appreciate all of you for not only praying during the immediate crisis, but continually asking "How is your sister?" It means the world to all of us. And God is definitely listening. 

In turn, I pray none of you have to go through anything remotely as stressful and painful as this. Treasure each minute of each day!

A Few More Requests, My Prayer Warriors

First of all, I thank all of my friends and family who have prayed on demand when I've asked for it. Secondly, I send super hugs to all of you who follow up later – even months later – to see how the situation is going.

I love you for that – and so does my family!

It's been almost 11 months since my sister Rachel was in a life-threatening, almost life-taking car accident. After 3 months in a trauma center then several months of rehab, we were encouraged with her progress. I mean she took several steps at Christmas unaided by a walker or cane.

But sometimes your body takes a minute to reveal what's happening internally.

She now faces a minimum of 3 more surgeries – starting with one tomorrow – and I don't know how her mind and body can handle it. I'm asking for prayers for physical, mental, and emotional strength for her. 

And frankly, please God, make these the last medical efforts to help her whole-y heal! I don't think I'd have the physical or mental power to endure what she has. That's why she's awesome. And I'm just the praying sister.

Thanks for your past and future support!

I May or May Not Resolve...

Since I wrote the column for our January church newsletter, I figured I'd share it here since it definitely has a New Year's theme to it.

I Resolve…

Happy New Year! Did you make your resolutions yet? Without fail, when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, people find themselves committing to becoming better people. In reality, there’s no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight. But society has decided this is the time to make a change.

Common New Year’s resolutions are commitments to quit bad habits, to manage money more wisely, and to spend more time with family. By far, the most common New Year’s resolution (and usually mine) is to lose weight. Fitness centers are packed every January! 

These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 

In other words, perhaps we should try faith-based resolutions this year – like praying more, reading the Bible every day, or attending church more regularly. Just keep in mind these New Year’s resolutions can fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions. 

Why? Because there’s no actual power in declaring a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation and dedication. 

You might not want to hear this, but that means we still have to do the legwork. We still have to maintain our commitment – even on the tough days. 

The good news, as Philippians 4:13 tells us, is we “can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Maybe if God is the center of our New Year’s resolution, it has a better chance for success. We still must do the work and remain steadfast. But if we rely on God’s strength and guidance to help us, we have a better shot at making it last past the month of January. 

Let’s do it! We all deserve a happy, healthy, and faithful 2025!

October Hump Day Headlines

Wicked Mother Nature

Rarely – as a landlocked girl in the Midwest – do tropical storms or hurricanes impact my life. Helene changed that a bit. 

First of all, super grateful Carter and Mamie live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, now and not North Carolina. That would have been overly stressful and maybe devastating. Secondly, we just had our 25 annual sisters' weekend a year ago in the Asheville area. And we visited the Biltmore estate! How devastating for them and the many, many shops and restaurants we patronized. Feel so bad for them!

Fall Sports

Oh gosh, I'm still trying to keep pace with fall sports. Last night I got to shoot pictures of the Royals middle school football team in action. Which took me to about an 11 p.m. bedtime after uploading (so I chose sleep over blogging). It was entertaining because just like when Carter was a shorter dude in middle school, there's such a variety of sizes at that age. See the very petite quarterback taking a snap from the super-sized (for middle school) center! Crazy. Our Royals lost but they were pretty aggressive and fun to watch!

It's October!

I'm crushed that my Twins were eliminated from the playoffs at the last minute! So, naturally, I'll be a good Wisconsin citizen and send my positive vibes to the Brewers. Based on my co-workers and friends attitude today, I gotta send mega-good vibes. I just checked and they are tied with the Mets tonight after a loss last night. I don't want to say anything to jinx them. So I'll just say go Brew Crew! NOW!

Cancer Sucks

It's true. Cancer is so non-discerning. It doesn't matter if you're old or young. It doesn't matter if you're the friendliest business owner in the community – like our friend D we lost this week – or a mother of 3 – like our friend J who has it everywhere after so many clean scans. We send prayers and hugs to all of you!

Pretty sure I should I should wrap up my blog before any other sad thoughts present themselves. As always, hug your loved ones and be careful out there!

Miracle Birthday

Not a lot of people look forward to celebrating their 60th birthday. But I can guarantee you my sister Rachel is on the short list of those who do.

Eleven weeks ago, we thought we'd lost her. But here's our miracle birthday girl today, having a few reasons to finally smile!

One, some of her sister brought her cake. Two, she's in the rehab area rather than ICU or Surgical Care. And three, she accomplished something yesterday most of us take for granted – getting out of bed unassisted and into her wheelchair unassisted and getting to and from her bathroom unassisted. It's a pretty big deal for her.

And now you also know how long of a road she has ahead of her – especially when she can only rely on her right leg, foot, and arm for support. For now.

She's not just a miracle. She's a Wonder Woman! 

Thanks for the prayers and please continue them if you have space in your heart to do so. She needs physical and mental strength – with some patience thrown in. 

You've got this, birthday girl! You've already proven you can do it! 
 

Roller Coaster Weekend

Not to sound like old hat, but I'd prefer a boring weekend with nothing to do and no place to go over a roller coaster of a ride through ups and downs and loops of emotions.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm – and about to get hot. 

My only mission was getting hanging flower baskets. I always wait until later in May, hoping to miss the risk of freezing temperatures.

I was not the only one with this line of thinking. Apparently hundreds of people – at one store alone – thought it was National Spend Too Much Money on Hanging Flower Baskets Day. I was happy with my purcha$e$. 😀 Got home, hung them up, mowed around the house, clipped the long grass close to the curb and front landscaping area, then took a shower. 

That was an "up" the roller coaster part.

Then it went "down." My twin called me and let me know that Mom had gone from the nursing home to the ER and had pneumonia. But it did not look good. Like "maybe you better drive up and see her" type of not good. 😟

Nothing like trying to make a 4-hour trip in less than 4 hours when there's road construction and detours! Two promising signs on my drive: 

These clouds were opening up like God was saying "I got you" when it comes to prayers for my mother, sister, and close friend with scary health issues. 

Then, as I was scanning channels, some song named LeRoy came on and I figured Dad was guiding my drive and watching over Mom, too!

Got there just before visiting hours ended to see Mom and see that thankfully their emergency administrations of oxygen and whatnot (not to diminish it, I just don't know) were helping her. She was able to communicate again. And though she had a tough cough, I was there when the tele-doctor was visiting her. 

When he asked her about what she thought might be bringing on her bouts of nausea, she answered, "I know one thing it's NOT. I'm not pregnant." The doctor got a good chuckle from that and said, "Marlys, if you're still making jokes, you're doing just fine."

That's my mom! 😀

After that, I called hubby to update him and learned that we got hail twice in the evening and the future state of my new flower$ was que$tionable. 😟

I slept at my sister Nell's place nearby and was able to get back to the hospital before 9 a.m. She just finished breakfast and was very tired. I offered her a chance to nap or play cards and she responded, "I think you know what I'd rather do." So I retrieved her cards from her nursing home room.

And she proceeded to kick my butt. (I'm embarrassed to show the score!) There's a fine line between luck and skill, but I haven't determined what that is yet. Her nurse said Mom has basically played cards against every nurse on every shift and even taught a few how to play. She's definitely not ready to give in and miss her play time!

On my way out of town, I had a quick lunch with my sister RoAnn, her son Travis and his family.

My great-niece is pretty much the cutest lunch date I could have! 😀

I managed to find a route home with minimal construction – thankfully! And was still an hour from home when Jim called me asking if I got a text. I said my phone dinged but I was waiting to stop at a gas station to check them.

Turns out I won the Assumption grand raffle of $5,000! Well that's something to end this roller coaster ride with! 😀 Before today: "I never win anything!" Now: "I might not beat Mom at cards but I can win something!" Based on all my "medical trips" to see family, I'll count this is gas money for now.

And maybe hail-damaged flower replacement. We'll see. 

Thanks for all your continued prayers. Let's all have a normal, even-keel week, shall we?

Bleeding Hearts

 

It's appropriate that my bleeding hearts plants bloom in May – the month my dad died 11 years ago. But this year it applies to even more stresses on our hearts as we continue to pray for my sister and mom. 

As I said some time ago (6 weeks seems like a year!), it's been two steps forward and one step back for these two. After a promising weekend, they both had setbacks to start their week. So prayer warriors, please pray for those doctors to have the knowledge and skill set to make them better. And of course, pray that they'll have strength. It's hard to have that after so many uphill battles!

Not that we need any more bleeding hearts in our lives, but we also found out today that two of our friends have cancer. I'll never understand why God allows this to happen, but I will still pray to Him to give them strength to fight this battle! 

As much as I dislike these stressors on our hearts, I know that the power of prayer works. (I mean, my sister is alive, after all.) And that I'm grateful for my somewhat sketchy version of "health" today. Never take that for granted!

Thanks for reading and praying and being a part of my bleeding heart! 

Beating the Odds

Sometimes life is like the Kentucky Derby. We all start out with the notion we all have an equal chance at surmounting our challenges.

Even when we're aways into our journey, we think we have a chance.

And sometimes we can overcome it. Not be a nose, but maybe by a nostril. Pretty insane.

Congrats to Mystik Dan for winning the Kentucky Derby. 

And congrats to my sister that today – 5 weeks after her head-on collision – she has her IV's and her feeding tube removed. If anyone has beat the odds and deserves a crown of roses around her neck, it's Rachel. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all your prayer and positive thoughts. Thanks to you, she keeps beating the odds. 

The Medical Marvel Tour

Our interstates always have safety messages. But the one today was a real "no kidding" one. That could be for any time of year. Plus, there are other things to watch out for.

It was 4 weeks ago today that my sister and a friend left her house to go to Saturday afternoon church service to celebrate Easter. Never realizing that that drive would change her live irrevocably. In some ways, the last 4 weeks have felt more like 4 months – at least. But thankfully, all of our prayers seem to be working.

Hubby and I smartly decided to do our "hospital rounds" over two days instead of one like I did last week. So we headed north after work yesterday.

We stopped for a delicious dinner at Milwaukee Burger Co. before going onto Rice Lake – our destination of the evening. This framed print was hanging in our hotel room. Really tempting to walk off with it for a birthday present for Carter, who collects license plates. 

But, we were law-abiding citizens, of course, when we headed up to Grantsburg hospital this morning.

My twin sister met us there so Mom got to visit with both of her babies. Even though Raylene found some reason to remind me she's 9 minutes younger. Ha.

Mom is looking 100% better than when I visited her last week. And, most importantly, she's feeling better. While we were there, she demonstrated how sharp her mind still is by beating both Jim and I in cards. And we were really, really trying! That made me feel good, though, that she still has her wits about her despite the trauma to some of her body.

But, for a strange flashback, one time when it was my turn at cards, she said, "Your turn, Reuben." That is something she hasn't called me since childhood. You can Google this, but there was a song that went like this:

Reuben, I have long been thinking,
What a good world this might be,
If the men were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea.

But she'd only sing the first two lines to me and we'd fill in the rest. I distinctly remember this one:

Mom: Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking what a grand world this might be...
Me: If only one thing had been invented.
Mom: What's that?
Me: I don't know. It hasn't been invented yet!

Thank you, Mom, for bringing a long-lost memory to the surface! She was also forward-thinking today. She is improving so much, they could release her next week from the hospital unit to what they call the Continuous Care Center – in the same building. Like a nursing home, but we won't call it that. And she's OK with it because her recent fall, in her words, scared the "H-E-double toothpicks" out of her!

Just thanks for praying for my mom and her recovery!

From there, we headed to St. Paul to see Rachel. She's the one who was in disbelief that it had been 4 weeks since her accident and in some ways couldn't believe it was that long ago – and in other ways, it has felt like forever ago.

She was in good spirits today. Since she loves singing and listening to music, Jim had a great idea to stop and get her a blue-tooth speaker. She absolutely loves it! Hopefully one small thing to keep her mind off of the long road ahead. She was also grateful that next week she'll have her 7th ( I believe) and final (fingers crossed) surgery when they address her left shattered elbow and ankle and foot. 

Oh, what she's been through and what lies ahead.

After living through this excruciating 4 weeks, I firmly believe both her and Mom are medical miracles. And praise the Lord for that! 

And all your prayers of support. If you're willing to keep it up, we'd all appreciate it. It's working!! 

Faith to Move (or See) Mountains

Most people know I like to take pictures of sunrises and sunset and yes, even clouds. When I pulled up to a stoplight on the way home and saw this, I immediately thought, "Hey, that looks like Denali!"

If you've ever been to Alaska, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, here's the legitimate scoop from Robyn-pedia.

Denali (aka Mount McKinley) is the tallest mountain in North America, rising some 20,000 feet. I can't think of anything to compare it to, but that's huge. Yet, sometimes you can't see it.

What?! How does a massive pile of granite play hide and seek? Well, in simple terms, it's so tall, it can create its own weather pattern and therefore, clouds to hide in. I'm serious! When my sister Renell and I were in Alaska a couple years ago and touring the national park named after Denali, we didn't see it all day. And then, when we did see it the next day, we exclaimed, "How the heck could we miss THAT?"

Well, all those mountains just above the trees in this photo are pretty big mountains. They just aren't "The Big One," as they call her, in the background. Since only 30% of tourists actually see Her, we felt extremely fortunate. As for the other 70% .... I mean they don't doubt Denali exists, do they?

It's like our current family situation is filled with big mountains right now. But even though we can't see God – the real Big One – we believe He's there. Thankfully, He shows Himself to us often enough, we don't forget.

How does He make His presence known? Oh, when Mom or Rachel have good days. Or even on bad days when He puts the right medicine in the doctors' hands to fight the next mountain of infection or other steep climb.

Thanks for working hard, Big One, even when we don't see You!

Tonight I saw a special movie that further reinforced my faith in, well, having faith!

Our local theater had a special preview showing of Unsung Hero – a remarkable true story following David Smallbone as he moves his family from Down Under to the States, searching for a brighter future after his successful music company collapses. With nothing more than their seven children, suitcases, and their love of music, he and his pregnant wife set out to rebuild their lives. As the story unfolds, Helen's faith stands against all odds and inspires her husband and children to hold onto theirs. And while their own dreams are on hold, the parents discover the musical talents of their children–who, of course, go on to become two of the most successful acts in Inspirational Music history: five-time Grammy Award-winning artists for KING + COUNTRY and Rebecca St. James.

Wow.

Even that was the Big One peeking out from His own weather system to say, "I'm here! I've got you."

Great story, great movie, and great music, too! Spoiler alert: The mom is the Unsung Hero. Find the song and listen! And, if you need a pick-me-up or reminder of how faith can move mountains, go see the movie when it comes out this weekend. And bring tissues!

Hopefully that's the only tears I'll need to shed today. My two favorite patients had pretty stable days today. 

Thanks, Big Guy.

Mother Earth Day

It's Earth Day! The temps are in the mid-60s but the wind is high and the fire danger is even higher. Mr. Deck Chair and I tried to bond in the great outdoors to honor the holiday, but that cool wind did not support those plans. (Thankfully, it was nice yesterday, too.)

I find it interesting that we refer to our planet as Mother Earth. Why? Well, I found this explanation on Robyn-pedia: 

No man is as wise as Mother Earth. She has witnessed every human day, every human struggle, every human pain, and every human joy. For maladies of both body and spirit, the wise ones of old pointed man to the hills. For man too is of the dust and Mother Earth stands ready to nurture and heal her children.

Funny, that also describes my mother! (Probably yours, too!) When it comes to her and her 8 R's... She has witnessed just about every human day, every human struggle, every human pain, and every human joy.

And now we don't know what to do because she is the one struggling.

Both her and my sister seem to be on that same "2 steps forward, 1 step back" path to recovery. 

I was excited yesterday that Mom was getting some her strength back and could walk down the hospital hallway with her walker. That's so much progress from when I saw her a few days ago. But then today, her blood pressure is up and so is any food she's consumed – if you know what I mean. 

I just talked to her a little bit ago and she sounds so weak. Hopefully they can get this latest setback under control. Or I may have to run up there in the morning. I keep praying but I just don't know how many times my favorite 92-year-old can bounce back!

As for Rachel, she had good days and bad days. While she's between surgeries right now, she's getting some physical therapy in. I honestly don't know where they're starting because it seems like her brain and her right arm are the only things unscathed by that crash. 

Prayers for both are appreciated beyond measure!

On this Earth Day, hug a tree or hug a loved one. Or both. I pray they'll be around for many rotations of Mother Earth!

Half Empty or Half Full?

When I noticed a half-moon on my way home tonight, it instantly brought to mind the question of whether my glass (attitude) is half-full or half-empty. With all the challenging situations on my plate, am I focusing on the positives more than the negatives?

It didn't take me long today to realize I was exhausted. Not just from the physical driving yesterday but all of the emotions attached to it. At that moment this morning, I was thinking about me and my empty tank. 

Later, I realized that all I can do about my sick family members is think the glass is half FULL and offer a positive attitude and prayer. Thankful for their progress. Hoping to fill that cup.

My struggle with coping with what's happening to my mom and sister is nothing compared to what they are literally going through. I need to remove ME from the situation and focus on them. 

If my "glass" is only half-full right now, I need to fill it up with prayer and positive thoughts. I need to realize that my prayers will be effective.

And as I told my sister yesterday, let's thank God for how far He's got us now!

At the end of the day, many of us should just thank God for what we have and for miracles he's performing that we don't even know about.

P.S. Extra prayers will still help!

TGIF (Thank God In Faith)

Sometimes we casually talk about the power of prayer, but I firmly believe it works! 

Tomorrow marks 2 weeks since my sister's horrific accident. As I've previously mentioned, she seems to make progress but is not out of the woods yet. 

If you follow her Caring Bridges site, you know the doctors have discovered a couple of blood clots that were concerning. They couldn't operate until other blood numbers (I'm not smart enough to understand) are at the correct levels. But today they couldn't wait and she had surgery number 5, I believe. And even though I reported 2 days ago that she was out of ICU, this means she's going back.

Any prayers upward are soooo appreciated.

Of course, life never hands you just one challenge at a time, so please pray for another person we love who is having a few issues. Thanks.

On the upside, after many crossed fingers and possibly prayers upward, our boy did a very adult thing today and purchased his first car! Of course it's another Honda. We swear by them!

He quickly learned adulting is not as easy as it looks. So glad at the end of the day, he could buy it, insure it, and take those keys and run! 

It's just a tiny reminder things can work out if you have a little faith. And perhaps a lot of prayers.

Thank you for your prayerful support!

Just Ducky

As far as spring days go, today was just ducky! We've had a slight warming trend this week. Thankfully, since I had to wear a winter coat Monday to shoot softball pictures and graduated to a mere sweatshirt for baseball pictures Tuesday.

Today would've been a perfect day to do anything outside. But there's no sports on Wednesdays. Oh, and I had to work. Still, a handful of us took a walk at lunchtime just to soak in the sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

We passed by a small pond on our work property and saw this pair of ducks. I was pretty jealous until they reminded me they live outdoors on the cold days, too!

Speaking of things that are just ducky... My sister finally moved out of ICU and is in a somewhat regular room on their surgical and trauma floor. She tends to move 2 steps forward and 1 step back, but that's progress. So we thank God – and all your prayers – for that.

P.S. Don't let the weather determine your happiness. We do live in Wisconsin (or Minnesota) after all! Find your "just ducky" moment every day!

Making Tracks... Forward

As it happens once in awhile, the weather dudes were right. And we got a bit dumped on in the greater Wisconsin Rapids area. Enough for them to call off school today. Which means enough for me to think working from home is a good idea.

It wasn't terrible. Just a deep slushy, wet, slippery mess. As of this photo at 6 p.m. our street and the main road it leads into hadn't been plowed yet. 

But I wasn't upset because seeing these tracks was reflective of the day my sister had. Making tracks – slowly but surely – and still moving forward.

As a family not quite attuned to how tragedies work (thank you, God), we're quickly realizing that any tiny baby steps forward reflects progress!

Today was a good day for my sister. They removed her breathing tube and she was able to breathe on her own! Maybe with a little help, but mostly on her own. 

AND... yes, there's more... she opened her eyes and could communicate nonverbally (thanks to that breathing tube traumatizing her vocal cords a bit) and appeared to be aware of what was going on. And they already have therapists on the scene, so to speak, to start moving her arms, legs, whatever can move now. 

She undergoes yet another surgery Thursday so it's not like today's good news solves for everything. But it sure feels good to be heading in the right direction.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Portage County Choppers

Even though I've worked in Stevens Point for nearly 6 years, I didn't realize that my after-work exit to Michael's and JoAnn's also had an Aspirus ER. I guess my priorities (and blessings) are mixed up.

Tonight after work, as I took the County HH exit to hit Walmart in rural Plover, I saw the chopper when I stopped for a red light. Of course, second nature is to grab my camera (or in this case phone) and snap a picture.

Don't judge me for being an ambulance chaser. I did my usual prayer, too. 

Long ago, I switch my praying habit from asking for a miracle. It's more like: God, please help the medical personnel do the best to their ability. Then, please help the patient and family have strength to deal with the outcome."

Even tonight, in my quest for chocolate for my work candy dish, it still might have just been a training exercise. But I said the prayer, as I do with every other emergency vehicle. Then, of course, said thank God my family and kiddos were safe. At least for that moment.

Thank you, emergency personnel of any branch, for doing the best you can to keep us safe!

It's Gratitude Month

I feel so behind. I realized today that it's November, which I always observe as Gratitude Month. As this lovely illustration shows, some days I need a crap-ton of coffee to get that gratitude train a-chuggin'.

Today I am grateful for health. That even though my heart is hurting, I am physically OK. Even though hubby is recovering from surgery, he's going to be OK. And hopefully more mobile.

We just have to look at all the people we're praying for and we know we're grateful that for this moment in time, we don't carry their health burdens. We don't have cancer or a child with cancer, we don't have diabetes, we don't suffer from dementia or osteoporosis, we don't have COVID (long or short), we don't have crippling diseases like MS or even fibromyalgia. We aren't recovering from a miscarriage, heart attack, stroke, or rare infection.

We're just plugging along and thanking God that for today, we've got it pretty good in that department. We also know, from very recent experience, that it could all change in the blink of an eye.

So thank you, Lord, for our health. Today.

#gratitudemonth

The Week Ahead

I love starting my day with Sweatpants and Coffee. Yes the comfy clothes and caffeinated drink. But also an inspirational Facebook page. Today's message is spot-on for the Monday following an uplifting weekend.

My favorite part is "May you take the time to notice a good moment while you are in it."

When tragedy or some ill befalls us, we often realize we didn't know how good we had it when we had it. 

I've been reminded of that plenty lately as I pray for loved ones who are going through tough times physically and mentally. I just want them to get past it and return to the good part of life. We just don't know it's good when it's good.

Think about that this week when you find yourself smiling or laughing about something this week. You're in a good moment. Something good is happening and it makes you feel good.

May we all strive to carry that good moment with us for as long as we can. Have a great week!

Remembering Thou Art Great

Sometimes, when we remember to look up, we see amazing things. For example, when we stayed at a historic type hotel recently, this was the what the chandelier looked like from below. In this case, a circle of light. Sometimes we see, or feel rather, a circle of love. A circle of friends. A circle of strength.

We look up and see God.

On Sunday when my sister and I were in church, the hymn How Great Thou Art was played. I turned to her and said I always cry at this song because I think of Grandma Hedberg and our dad. We sang it at her funeral and it was the first time I saw Dad cry. Rayna said she cries too because this was played at her husband Paul's funeral this spring as well. 

Even though the song should make us rejoice that our loved ones are reunited with God – "then sings my soul" –  it's still a tear jerker. But oh so powerful and a good reminder that His love surrounds us at all times – even in death, anger, and sorrow.

It's been an emotional week. A friend's 20-year-old son died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm. Only 20! An Eagle Scout and volunteer firefighter going to school to be a police officer. Why him, God? His whole life ahead of him. Why him and why now?

The worst part about professing to have a strong faith is accepting God's will without understanding it sometimes. Well, a LOT of times. All we can do then is pray that He'll encircle the grieving brother and parents with love and support. And do our part to help that effort too.

On a positive note, I've seen God work miracles too. In recent days, I've welcomed a new great-nephew and new great-niece to my life. And I've seen God's healing touch work to heal a family member in pain, and chase away evil cancer cells in a friend's college-age son – and a girl I took senior photos of tonight!

When I first met Hannah, about 12 years ago, my nephew Colin had a sticker on this car to support her fight with leukemia. 

Despite her battles, she was smiling even then.

And tonight, a few weeks after another "cancer free" report, she was smiling again during our senior photo shoot. What a miracle and blessing to be a part of it. 

Looking up, I say, "That was you, God." How great Thou art, indeed.

May you all find the circle of light, love, and strength you need today!

Patience is a Major Virtue

Interesting phrase I saw today. A good reminder (if I'd listen) for being patient when it comes to God answering our prayers. 

It was another day of praying for some loved ones who can't seem to catch a break. We're impatient. We want more than survival. We want to see improvement. And of course we want that now.

But we'll wait. And patience to our prayer list!

In the mean time, I just distract myself with taking pictures. Went to a dance recital today that a handful of friends' daughters were in. It was a great distraction. From the littles on up to high schoolers, they were all so talented. It was fun to watch – even without my favorite dancer who aged out/graduated last year!  

Managed to get a few decent photos but lighting is a nightmare. It's dark and then there are so many colors of spotlights. Every picture looks like it could have been taken in a different place. Oh well, that's just me being picky. It was good to get out of the house and see some friends.

Now it's back to watching golf – and football – and I guess trying to uncover some virtues. #patience