Mom's Turn for Tests

Now, it's Mom's turn. She is going in tomorrow morning at 8:30 for a Chemical Stress test to check out the condition of her heart. I'd sure appreciate your prayers - and I'll let you know how things go and what we find out.

Mom and Dad Update :)

I just have to brag on my parents....
As you know from my posting a few weeks ago, Mom and Dad put their feet down: NO MORE HELPERS - no more caregivers!!! They were ready to resume 100% care of themselves on their own. They would allow the cleaning lady to come in twice a month, but other than that - they could handle things.

While I was very apprehensive about the timing of this decision, I decided to count my blessings (always a good thing to do) and be grateful that, instead of Mom and Dad adopting a 'poor me' mentality, Mom and Dad were pulling their energies together in a positive way and taking action to do their very best!

That was three weeks ago, and I am pleased to report that they are doing very well.
Dad continues to be able to drive them safely to places they need to go, they are both working hard to eat right (as best I can discern from what they tell me), and in general they are pulling together to make things function well around their place.

AND the most exciting news of all.....(drum roll please!)...Mom is going to the pool to exercise her legs with a friend each morning. She has gone four days in a row this week. This is particularly wonderful because it will most likely raise Mother's degree of circulation in those legs, which would be such a wonderful thing! It's a tremendous step that my mother is taking. I am SO proud of her for doing this, and am hopeful to see it continue. [Thanks, by the way, to Mom's friend Maxine for being such a good exercise buddy!]

Dad's speech therapy will hopefully resume next week after a long pause around the time of Dad's surgery and recovery, then the therapist was ill, then the insurance had some problems....but all is set to resume next week, and we anticipate more positive results once that starts again.
So, all in all - Mom and Dad are doing very well.

It's funny, earlier this afternoon as I was thinking about posting this update on my parents, an email came in from Mom in which she typed, "Dad wants me to ask you if you think we are getting along good, taking care of ourselves??" :)
**Yes, Dad I do! I think you're doing very well....I am proud of you and thankful for both of you!

Germ-a-Phobic

That's pretty much me. I like to be CLEAN....wash those hands. Sickness is going around? Let's wash them even more....
"Don't touch the bathroom doorknob on the way out! Be careful! We don't want to get sick!"
Eat right, get enough sleep, take your vitamins...Take care of yourself; stay healthy.

And all that's only referring to health from a physical standpoint....

When it comes to computers I am the same way - I wouldn't want to get a virus! Been there, done that! Getting a virus on the computer is a major inconvenience, and just this week I've spent lots of time taking steps to avoid getting a virus. My paid anti-virus subscription ran out, so I was testing some of the freebies offered online....and they worked well as far as I know but they also slowed my computer way down. Such a pain....so after two days of back and forth with the freebies, I am back to paying for my subscription again.....why? Because no one wants a virus, do they? Nope, not even on their computer.

That's why when I read this sentence yesterday from Lloyd John Ogilvie's devotional book Quiet Moments with God, it caused me to stop and think. He wrote:
"It is so easy to catch the emotional virus of frustration and exasperation."
Ponder that with me for a moment....
Isn't that such a true statement?

I find that in my own life, I am less quick to think of avoiding these emotional viruses of frustration and exasperation than I am the other kinds of viruses mentioned earlier...
Why in the world is that? It seems so easy to give in to the frustration; to give in to the exasperation...to finally feel that I'd "had enough"!

Yes, it is easy to catch the emotional virus of frustration and exasperation, but now that I've read this phrase, I think I'll be able to start looking at this a bit differently.

I want to remain healthy: not only physically, but mentally, spiritually.
In all ways, I want to be well.
God's peace and tranquility, freely offered 24/7 is the anti-virus protection I need. I want to stock up!

Goodbye Preston Overway

Preston Overway, the father of my dear friend, Lisa Beals, passed away very unexpectedly early this morning, in his sleep.
A more caring, kind, gentleman than Preston, you'd never meet.
He was a man with a gentle, quiet strength.
Everyone who knew Preston Overway greatly respected and thought highly of him.
Through the years my friendship with Lisa allowed Preston and I to forge a special connection as well. He made me feel very special. He said "I love you" to me every time we were together, and I knew from the look in his eyes that he truly meant it.
This week we say Goodbye, and while we experience loss to no longer have him with us, our loss is heaven's gain, and I'm sure that Preston is basking in the radiance of heavenly sunshine.
Preston Overway, you are greatly missed and loved. Thank you for your life and example.

Something to Think About....

Here's something I read that is good food for thought by Sheila Schuller Coleman:

When the request is wrong, God says, "No."
When the time is wrong, God says, "Slow."
When we are not right, God says, "Grow."
When everything is right, God says, "Go!"

Variety....

....is the spice of life! so that's why I keep changing the look of my blog. Sorry if it drives some of you nuts! I just like a new look every now and then. :) It's FUN!

My Terrific Teens

Allow me a moment to brag....I'm a proud mama. Tyler and Emily returned on Sunday night from a missions trip to Arizona and it's so good to have them home.

I am tremendously proud of who they are as individuals. I am thankful for the initiative they exhibit to serve those who are in need. Tyler and Emily are outstanding young adults and I blessed to be their mom.




Additionally, I am grateful for the wonderful friends Tyler and Emily have to do life with! And I am also thankful to our church and the leaders of the High Schoolers who arrange and organize many wonderful serving opportunities all year long!


Today Tyler got vaccinated for his next missions trip, which will be in June to Zambia, Africa. This will be with high schoolers from our church as well, in conjunction with World Hope.



Enjoy a few pictures of their time in Arizona..