My Rambling Thoughts

Happy Birthday Jesus <------- (click me) Yesterday I was doing some last minute shopping for the Christmas Store for our Children's Department at church.  All year the children save their Bible Bucks to buy presents for their parents, siblings, family and even pets.  We've been busy stocking this with the coolest items for the kids to buy and we needed a few more items.  OK, 170 more items which I had in 2 carts at the store. Originally I was going to post the scenario I had with an obviously unhappy with life woman but I've changed my mind.  She stole enough of my joy yesterday.  Today I want to celebrate. I have to come to accept that not everyone celebrates Christmas.  I even understand that many that do, do not do it because of it being Jesus' Birthday and that's totally fine.  But you know what, I do. I will say Merry Christmas to people and not happy holiday's.  I will bake a birthday cake for Jesus for Christmas.  I will sing all the Christmas s

hate hāt/ verb 1 . feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone, something). "the boys hate each other" synonyms: loathe ,  detest ,  despise ,  dislike ,  abhor ,  execrate ; Yes, I know that hate is not an acceptable word especially in the Christian community but I hate cancer.  I hate the feelings it generates both with the patient and those around them.  Being involved with the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life I have learned a new term "caregiver".  A caregiver is anyone who helped to take care of someone with cancer.  It is usually a family member or close friend but today I am looking at the caregiver in terms of a spouse - me.   In my role of helping to take care of Joe over the past years and now with his third go round with this enemy cancer - in my mind, heart and soul - I am his wife.  In sickness and in health.  In good times and in bad.  I really don't like that whole caregiver concept because I am not doing

Melissa:                                                                                   I have always tried to be a friend who listened to others and be understanding and compassionate.  I have never wanted to downplay anyone else's story by saying "Oh when I did that" or "That's nice but I.....".  I need to share a story with you that I hope will help you and what you are going through with Nicole moving away. In 2006 when David and Lori moved to Texas - I truly thought that I would die of a broken heart.  I know that you have heard parts of my feelings when they left but I want to share the rest. Knowing for weeks before that they were leaving gave us time to do things together and as a family that we needed to get done.  If you remember, they moved in the middle of your dad having cancer the first time.  I just couldn't see God's plan in that but I trusted in Him anyway.  I remember the night before they left, our church did a special g

As we are finishing up preparations for tomorrow's surgery I couldn't help but remember 6 years ago when Joe was preparing to leave the hospital after a 21 day stay.  Most of those days we were not sure he would ever leave.  It was not a good time but in the end the chemo did it's work and killed all of those cancer cells.  Well, at least for 6 years.  Fast forward - the family flu turned out to be anything but that and came out of nowhere and totally blindsided us.  Back then, as now, I try to communicate with family and friends so that they know what is going on with Joe.  Those 21 days in 2007 I emailed daily - sometimes more than once a day.  Those emails were a release of my fears, my thoughts, my unspoken words. I know that we could not have gotten through this experience in 2006 - 2007 nor this time since August without our friends and family.  You have been there for us with prayers, love, meals, visits, cards, flowers, taxi service, hugs and support.  We are not