Asking for HELP--before we even know its needed.......

One minute everything seemed fine--I felt well, was staying busy doing the things I  love--sewing, quilting, and being with my husband.    I have had my  share of  serious bouts  of illness--staph infections  that had me in the hospital--suffering through the hard recovery and  making it one day at a time, with God's loving Grace.

I did not  know what lay around the corner for me--within hours of  feeling so good and then finding myself in the back of  an ambulance--rushing to the hospital!  My memory from there on is very fuzzy~~but I  have a vivid  recollection of sitting in my chair  and suddenly uttering these words---
'Lord-its been a long time since I was really sick--I sure hope it does  NOT happen again but if  it does, PLEASE watch over me  and help me recover from it.!!" 

Asking for Prayers--before  I knew what lay ahead frightened me for  a few  seconds but I  leaned hard on my faith and felt all  was fine.   Hours later I  woke my husband and he knew something was seriously wrong with me.

I believe when we pray, our  words are HEARD and my heart tells me HE was right beside me all the way and will continue seeing me through the long road to recovery.  My body feels as if it was run over by a  Train--and recovery  is NOT easy.   Yet I am so thankful to be here, and I do 
lift my heart in major Thanksgiving to The Lord....

martha

Being Grateful on this Day.....

The Best Blessing of my life~~~

I know its Valentines Day~~ a time of romance, flowers,candy,flowers~~~Cards expressing Love and   Care for each other, but for me~~it is truly a day of being Grateful in so many ways!  As I reflect  back over the years and all the major Health Scares I had~~I give THANKS to the LORD for my still being here--alive and able to laugh, cry, fuss, and simply be with my fantastic Husband!

We met  the 2nd weekend of Sept. 1973~~~yes, I know there are much younger ones out there  who see that year and think--"When was that, and Wow, she must be really OLD!"     Well, yes we are both Older, but when I pause and go back to the exact moment we met----it seems like just a few  moments  ago, as I was with a group of  High School Girl  pals and walking through the grounds  of a large Chili  Cookoff.  One of them mentioned something about 'Look  at that bunch of  good-looking guys  over there"  and when I turned--there He was!!

They were a bit cautious about walking up to meet these guys and all I could  say was, "I  would really like a sample  of Chili"  and off I went.  Of  course there He  was when I  walked up to ask for  a sample of  Chili and we started talking~~as if  we had known each other forever.   Two hours  passed  and it was time for me to  re-connect with my friends, I gave him  the phone number of where  I was  staying and we  both agreed to see each other at a dance planned later that night.

The  dance came and went-I never saw him and got up  early the next morning,  heading back home.  My  friends told me later they had a very "early morning"  phone call from some guy who was looking for me!!  He finally convinced them  of who he  was  and  they gave him my home  number.

I recall  my Mom asking me about my weekend and I  told her "I met this guy, very nice  and he had the happiest SMILE  I  had ever seen!"   She listened quietly, said  nothing and within a couple  of hours, the phone rang and YAHOO--it was Matt!!  We arranged to go  out the following weekend and as our  first  date came to  a  close,  I  asked him  "Why did you want to go  out  with me?"  He looked at me, no stumble-just complete assurance and said, " Cause I  think I love  you!"

We dated for 1 1/2 years--he proposed  to me on Christmas Eve,  1974 and we married  on April 26th, 1975!!   My Mom told  me shortly after we met that she knew  I  had  met  the man I  would  spend  the  rest  of  my Life  with!

I don't feel  our  meeting was an  accident~~~about three weeks before I met Matt,one day I put  my head  down and went to The Lord in prayer---I asked him to "Please"  bring me a Man who would Love me for the person I am,  someone who would  respect  me  and Love  me Forever........

My Prayer was  answered.....I hope  we  grow  very Old  together, and I could not begin to  imagine  my Life  without him.......   

Blessings to all on this day... 

martha

Surfing the Internet~~Learning about C5/C6 Neck Disc!!!

 With our high-tech world today--finding information on any subject  is a few simple key strokes away and we stumble into a  'Pandora's box" of data and suddenly we are in over-load mode!     There were lots of "success stories" and I found a big list of  "symptoms" which helped me understand why I am having these strange new Aches and Pains.

Then I stumbled  across page after page of "nightmare stories" where people had tried every possible  procedure,  medicine, holistic treatments, surgery~~Nothing had worked for them and  their lives evolve  around PAIN every single  day.   

My husband  saw me pushing the OFF button of  my computer and sitting with a blank  stare~~he knew something was up--"So have  you been researching tonight?"   I just looked at him and said "Big Mistake to search about my Neck--BIG Mistake!"

Silence  filled the space between us~~~my husband waited patiently for me to find my way--- I slowly looked up  and said~~

"Lord---please help me, please give me the strength and courage to get through the Pain!"

I knew "where" to search for my answer...........

I pray for all the people who are suffering with Pain...... You are not alone........    martha

Here we come again!

Time for another Neck Injection today~~~we arrive at Clinic in the dark of morning- pick  out  a  good seat and the doors keep opening,  one after another is coming for relief of their  Pain. We find our seats and wait for our turn  to go through the doors leading to the Procedure Area.

The people who work at a Pain Clinic seem to all have a set of "invisible Angel Wings" as they treat all with an extra load of kindness, concern, dignity and Hope~~~as we each are rolled away for our time with the Needle, you can feel them saying a silent word of Prayer for each of us, hoping the next time  they see us--perhaps the Pain will not be so bad.

Even as we are rolled out of  the facility to our waiting loved  ones--we are  sent away with a good  wish "Hope you feel better soon!"   

We all hope to Feel better 'Soon."

Martha

A sleepless Night~~~

I can hear the steady ticking of my Grandma's old  Mantle Clock~~the half  hour  sound gongs as I recall how  aged the clock  is--over 75 years  of ticking, only needing  the required Winding  every eight days.   It  was  a delight to watch my Granny slowly wind it  up-and I dreamed there might come a day when the Clock would  belong  to me!    

Yet  I never dreamed how comforting the ticking sound would become as I find myself sitting here in the wee hours  of  the morning--my husband sleeping peacefully and I am waiting for the next major Weather change--PAIN is barking at me, legs  and feet are aching--Neck  is  starting to get my attention---nothing to do but wait.

I could get Angry and inwardly Rage about Pain~~been there, done it and the results  are never Good!  Pain dictates my life  in many ways~~~at first  I  fought the changes  like a  Tiger--but years of battling against Pain has taught Hard lessons, and I  am fully aware of the respect  I  must  grudgingly give to this Pain.

The Clock ticks away and I know~~God is here with me, giving me gentle assurance of  HIS love! 

I know there are others who are hurting--Pain has pulled them from needed Sleep and they walk the floor, wishing Pain would  just go  away.   HE is with them too.   

martha

New Pain stopped me Cold!!

I haven't posted  on my blog for  a while  now~~~sadly the reason is  More  Chronic Pain came into my life and it did stop me Cold!   The words have felt "Stuck" inside me~~normally I would be frustrated about this and push myself to  find the words, but the New Pain is  literally a Pain in the Neck and it hurts  a hundred times more than my usual Sciatica Pain that stays with me every single day.

So here I am--back at my Blog and trying to get "Going'  again~~as this New Pain hangs around, I  am learning new lessons about coping with More Pain in my life~~things like its okay to give myself permission to relax more, have less stress, don't fret so much!

Its not easy to struggle  with more  Pain in my Life---but I look around me and know that I am very blessed in so many ways~~and this is what helps  me to keep pushing, don't let Pain be the only thing about me.

Wow~~I did it!!  God be with each of you and know you are in my prayers...

martha

The Other Side of Holidays~~~

Christmas is probably the biggest Holiday of the Year~~lets face it, Promotions start in September as stores start showing all the Glitter and Shine, and when we see these "early Christmas signs" I would swear there comes a collective "How will I get through this Holiday?"

People start to worry about the costs of gifts-money they might not have, children they will let down if that "perfect Tree with tons of Gifts" is not waiting on Christmas morning--while  family relations are churning all around them.

 Christmas brings a load of emotions toward us~~~Bells Ringing, Christmas Carols sung non-stop, the struggle  through shopping lines, watching the cash register soaring upwards, stopping to wait for that "fast Credit Card Swipe" bringing more worry while nervous  Store Clerks say a  "Happy Holidays" greeting,  hoping the customer will just move on and not insist on saying "Merry Christmas!"  Why should a clerk live in fear of  losing their job by saying those  two words, "Merry Christmas?"

Worry, anger, sadness, frustration, helplessness--the list sadly goes on as to the range of emotions flying around as this holiday rapidly approaches us.  There is no magic cure--people must find their way through this time, and the statistics of Violence around this time of  year are rising at an alarming rate.  

What can be done to change the "Commercial Christmas?"  Its not that easy but there is a way to start~~~PRAYER.  Remember the Christmas story~~a BABY was born in a manger, surrounded by animals, shepherds stood still, Three Wise Men arrived with Gifts for the child.  They called him  Jesus...................

May your Christmas find moments of Peace.  God bless everyone.  
martha