Hello there! Hope this finds you well. I am home from an early Mother’s Day brunch with my cousins and Aunt and Uncle. This was the first time seeing my cousin Heidi after her four brain surgeries. She is doing so good! You can hardly tell anything has happened to her. She is living proof of God answering prayers. Her hair is short but growing out. She described herself as a browning banana with all her bruises! We thought that was so funny! I think all of us feel like yellowing and bruised bananas these days!
There were a lot of grateful tears shed today. Hearing how grateful Heidi is to God for pulling her through everything really touched all our hearts. She is so brave!
My Aunt put together beautiful spread with charcuterie boards of meat, cheese and fruit. The boys went out and got us ladies bouquets of flowers. So beautiful!
Charcuterie board brunchBeautiful bouquet from Uncle John and Brody
Hello to you on this warm Sunday evening. How are you? I am feeling weak and tired again. I didn’t go to church this morning. I have just been wanting to sleep and the more I chase it the harder it is. The Olanzapine makes me sleepy and so like last night I was up at like 3 am taking it.
Here is the link for today’s message from Pastor Jason about the prodigal son:
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You
To see you high and lifted up Shining in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You
To see you high and lifted up Shining in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy
To see you high and lifted up Shining in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy
To see you high and lifted up Shining in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy
To see you high and lifted up Shining in the light of Your glory Lord Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy Holy, holy, holy Holy, holy, holy You are Holy, holy, holy Holy, holy, holy (I want to see You) You are holy, Lord Holy, holy, holy Holy, holy, holy Holy, holy, holy (I want to see You) Open the eyes of my heart Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You, I want to see You Open the eyes of my heart Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You, I want to see You
Little bloomsOne of my favorite trees on my daily walksSeems like just yesterday the leaves were bareMy Aunt and I on Easter
Hello to you. How are you doing? Since Sunday I haven’t been feeling so good. I’m writing to you from bed and it’s only 7 pm! Still very light out. I just feel weak and low energy. This too shall pass and I know I will push on beyond whatever this is. The only thing different I’m doing is I have started taking loratadine which is generic Claritin for allergies. The Flonase hasn’t arrived yet. This is another way of tackling the fullness in my ears.
Dear Jesus please be with my Uncle Bill as he navigates issues going on with his heart. I also ask you be with my cousin Heidi as she continues to heal. I ask you to be with the people in war torn countries- let there be peace. I pray you guide leaders at all levels of government – please give our elected officials the courage to stop the mad king! Amen.
2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”
Hello to you. How are you? I was up early after a night of lots of dreams. Dreamt a lot of shadow people but didn’t get scared this time. I had an appointment with the VA first thing this morning. I was there for a weight and ears check up. I gained a pound since my last visit which was disappointing and as I’ve mentioned before my ears didn’t respond to the antibiotic. We are going to try Flonase nasal spray and Claritin. She suspects my Eustachian tubes may be clogged and antihistamine treatment may clear them. My Aunt said she uses Flonase every night. We have similar allergy problems. She had me take a blood pressure cuff home to do a daily blood pressure check as my blood pressure was a little high. I am really disappointed we aren’t keeping her! Now I have to start over again with a new doctor next visit.
This past Sunday was Palm Sunday. We were in John 5:1-15:
John 5:1-15New International Version
The Healing at the Pool
5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b]5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
Whenever I hear “Do you want to be healed?” My resounding answer is “YES!” I can imagine Jesus laying his hands on me and my being completely healed.
Hello to you. How are you doing? I hope well. Today is day three of taking the Oregano oil – no real change yet. I am in the supposed clean out phase but don’t feel it yet. My Aunt recommended my talking to my doctor about a drug called wegovy. It can help with weight loss. I’m not happy with the side effects I read about- it supposedly slows down digestion which could affect the effectiveness of Depakote I take for being Bipolar. I am pretty sure I would have to pay out of pocket for it too but can’t hurt to ask about it. When I was prescribed a multi vitamin and vitamin D3 through the VA and had to pay out of pocket for both of them.
During the walk today I noticed lots of flowers – especially dandelions. I learned a while back that dandelions are not weeds but natural medicine. Also the bees rely on dandelion as an early food source. I saw but couldn’t capture actual images of bees visiting the yellow flowers. I am grateful to my neighbors who just let them bloom and don’t spray poison on them.
Dear Jesus I pray for this world and all the life within it. May there be peace in the war ravaged regions. I pray especially for the innocent children in these places- shield them from harm. I pray for you to make your presence known – illuminate the dark places. Please be with those dealing with the destruction of their homes after natural and man made disasters. I pray you be with all those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. I pray for your presence with the sick, healing, recovering and the poor. Please be with all animals that are suffering needlessly. Amen.
Romans 15:13New International Version
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peaceas you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hello there. It’s bed time as I write to you. How are you? This morning was my weekly prayer meeting. LOTS to pray about! I am hoping I will get a good sleep tonight. I am on my second day of taking Oil of Oregano with Black Seed Oil by Resilia. I am hoping it will help me with my bloating and sugar cravings. The reviews have been good so we shall see! I feel with certainty that I have parasites in my gut. After every meal my belly bloats up like I’m pregnant. I know part of the sugar cravings isn’t just parasites begging to be fed but is also the medication I’m on. Depakote and Olanzapine are known for causing weight gain. I am hoping the oregano oil will help me in spite of the medications.
I have been asking Jesus to heal me and I feel like he has been leading me down a path of possibilities to do just that. It’s been a struggle at times as I have gotten so out of shape. Becoming more active each day with Tai Chi and a longer walk each day and changes to what I’m putting in my body are all holistic approaches to healing. I just have to surrender and believe we are on the right path together.
A good prayer for these days we are in:
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
View from my back door today- the fruit trees are in bloom. When you get close to them you can hear the humming of the bees.
Hello to you. How are you? Today has been long for me. The fullness in my ears has been really intense the past couple of days but I am pushing on. I have an appointment with my doctor next week. I am curious as to what she is going to say since the ear drops/ear infection treatment didn’t get rid of it.
With my physical discomfort aside, boy is it beautiful outside these days! The fruit trees in my neighbors backyard are literally humming with new life. The bees love fruit trees! We have cherry, apricot, plum and apple trees in our neighborhood. Sadly most of the fruit ends up on the ground or the squirrels and birds eat it.
Matthew 7:16-20New International Version
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Ai interpretation of this passage:
Matthew 7:16-20 teaches that people’s true character, especially that of spiritual teachers, is revealed by their actions and life outcomes (“fruit”), not by their words or appearances. Jesus explains that good character produces good deeds, while corrupt hearts produce bad fruit, urging followers to evaluate and avoid false prophets.
Dear Jesus thank you for yet another day of life. I pray to you for all in this world that need your healing and loving touch. All that need reassurance that you are present in their lives. For with you no one is truly alone in whatever it is they are going through. Amen.
Hello to you. It’s Sunday again. The weeks are flying by already. I’m just back from a family birthday party at my cousins house. Lots of good food and company. The men grilled burgers, hot dogs and elk burgers. The grandchildren always bring joy and laughter as does my Aunt Ruth. They even did an Easter egg hunt that the kids really enjoyed. It was good to see everybody.
Church was good. Roy was there in a wheel chair with his sister and brother-in-law. That is a miracle of Gods healing power! We had Bryant Strodt give the sermon out of Mark 5:25-34:
Mark 5:25-34New International Version
25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
When God heals, it is to build our faith. When God doesn’t heal, he also uses it to build our faith.
I have been asking God to heal me for the past couple of years and he hasn’t yet. In his divine timing I have faith that he will heal me if he’s going to. I also have to accept that as we get older our cars (bodies) break down and don’t work like they used to. What I am praying for might be unreasonable! I may never be completely pain free.
Hello to you. I went to bed with the intention of going to sleep but alas as soon as I turned off the light, my eyes popped open like one of those spooky antique dolls! This is normal for me. So where are my thoughts and why are they so loud?! They are on the Holy Spirit and surrender. The last time I surrendered to the Holy Spirit a bunch of really big things happened. I got sober and quit smoking which are really difficult things to deal with on your own.
I’m currently on a healing journey with the Holy Spirit and I can feel slight changes. I keep asking God to heal me of what afflicts me and I can tell that I am being lead on a path. The latest thing is Tai Chi. It’s everywhere I look online! I followed a beginners YouTube video today and could really feel it:https://youtu.be/cEvSqHZIj8w?si=_h8_XwBwlUTiJuhj – Tai Chi for beginners 7 min workout. My back didn’t hurt and I was able to get a mile walk in today. I want to get better and get back into shape. I’m tired of being overweight and without purpose.
Dear Jesus I thank you for this beautiful day. I am grateful for being allowed the privilege to get another chance to walk with you where I feel you are leading me. I pray for all my family and friends on this side of the veil. I pray for this entire planet and all the lives dependent on her well being. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Hello there. How are you doing today? I’m doing better. My back pain is gone for now. I’m trying something out in addition to walking each day. I’m trying Tai Chi movements. I’ve been seeing Tai Chi all over the place lately so last night I couldn’t sleep and I got up and did Tai Chi movements to a song called Lotus: https://youtu.be/Zrxdgat3y9c?si=D5hLG5XoqUVdIDoU and in those approximately 4 and a half minutes I felt better! I could feel the circulation moving in my body. I did it again today with similar results. I want to work up to more time but this is a good start. Tai Chi is very gentle on the body and feels like dancing to me. From what I’ve heard it’s good exercise for the back and may be help me lose weight! I am hoping doing it will help restore my balance also.
The prompt for today makes me think of the sunshine people in my life. The people who laugh easily. Give big hugs. Sing along with their favorite songs. Whistle. People who always seem to have a smile on their face even when things aren’t going so well in their lives. I like the company of people who have a sense of humor. I like being around kind people. I am blessed to have the people I’m describing as blood family, friends I’ve made through the years and my church family. I try to be one of these kind of people but as I’ve mentioned before, I have become a serious person as I’ve gotten older! I used to be a person that always “kept the lights on.” It’s easier to be around other people who do that also than being around serious people.
Dear Jesus I pray for everyone two legged and four. With skin, fur, feathers and scales. I pray especially for the countries and people experiencing war and upheaval in the world. I pray for leaders at all levels of government throughout this world – guide them to being peacemakers. I pray for all experiencing health issues that there would be restorative healing and comfort only found in you. Amen.
To be 