“In the Garden” Video of Classic Hymn

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I love the hymns from years past. As a child growing up in a church that sang hymns from a hymnal & not the "cool" upbeat songs, I thought our little church was behind the times. Now I have an appreciation for the beauty in the simple words. One of my favorite CDs is Alan Jackson's Precious Memories, an album he made for his mom & then eventually released to the public. Here is one of my favorites to share with you on this Sunday morning. Take a moment to walk outside today & hum "In the Garden" to yourself. httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=yzzqhaLl_8w& If for some reason you cannot see the video you can watch it directly here. … [Read more...]

The Hero

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By Rhonda Clark Her days are filled with poking & prodding. Doctors & nurses keep a watchful eye over our little darling as they adjust & administer medications. Every moment her tiny heart beats is one more moment we have with her. My days are filled with learning hospital jargon as I sit in the brightly painted rocking chair near my daughter's NICU bed. Today, I get to hold her but only for a brief time. She's so tiny, frail, & weak. Her six-week-old body has survived one surgery, & only God knows how many more will be required to mend her malformed heart. The God-given talents of special surgeons will make her heart right. The second surgery will happen as soon as the doctors believe she can h&le it. We call her Faith because we … [Read more...]

Mom, I Remember You

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By Richard L. Provencher Letting us dunk our cookies in our glasses of milk at the kitchen table, even though we made a mess spilling milk & dropping cookie crumbs. Laughing as you watched us take apart our Oreo cookies, then slowly licking each side making sure we collected all the inside sweetness. Letting us help bake cookies, especially peanut butter ones & not being upset when I used to eat a clump of the batter, which was so tasty. Giving us the fish eye whenever we jostled each other's elbows on the table, after you had marked an imaginary boundary line with your finger. Bringing home Chinese Food from Dick Woo's, eating & laughing with us even though you were tired after just finishing your waitress duties. Shaking … [Read more...]

Take my Son, Touching Story to Read & Share

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Every so often we get one of those emails that people are forwarding around that have a really neat message. In light of Easter approaching & thinking of the gift God gave us in His son, I thought this a touching story to pass along to you. I do not know the author of this piece. Feel free to share it with other. --Lisa ______________________________________________________________ A wealthy man & his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together & admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous & died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified & grieved deeply … [Read more...]

What Do You Do When Illness Forces You To Rest

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I received this email awhile back & thought Helga's thoughts well-spoken. Whatever might have happened, not every thing is bad news. Jesus is on your side. You may be forced to spend a lot of time on your own, but utilize that time. I find it enables me to get a lot into the Word, & to pray for many people. I see all the people rushing as I used to do, & many are hurting. I have learned to sit & watch people. As a lady walks past I say, "Thank you Lord that she can walk. I am sure she needs it more than I now do. Maybe she has family," & I start praying for her needs, & I find that as I do that I can cope with any hurt in my heart. I am convinced there is no hurt in your heart that you cannot overcome as you reach out to the needs of … [Read more...]

Quotaton – All Pain Has Meaning

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It is easy to feel like every day we are in too much pain to do what we want or need to do is a waste. We loved this quote that reminds us that when God allows the pain into our life, He never wastes it! "One thing we may be sure of, however: For the believer all pain has meaning; all adversity is profitable. There is no question that adversity is difficult. It usually takes us by surprise & seems to strike where we are most vulnerable. To us it often appears completely senseless & irrational, but to God none of it is either senseless or irrational. He has a purpose in every pain He brings or allows in our lives. We can be sure that in some way He intends it for our profit & His glory." -Jerry Bridges, Navigators … [Read more...]

Remembering That God Remembers

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March & April are wonderful months. St. Patrick’s Day & Easter bring cheerful images of pastel colors & sunshine. The bright, Kelly green, Irish shamrock is not just about leprechauns & good luck. The shamrock represents God in three persons – the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit. Even the “lion & lamb” idea of March winds comes from scriptural references in the book of Revelation. April is a great relief to the winds of March. The light rain showers refresh us & settle the l& making it ready for the new birth about to take place. When the sun breaks through the clouds after an April shower, another God-given image – the rainbow – appears. It is an awe-inspiring moment when we first see a rainbow. As it appears in … [Read more...]

What’s a Man With an Illness do as a New Empty Nester?

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I am the father of a 22-year-old son who recently moved out of the house. My wife works at a local craft store full time, but I have been unable to work the last few years due to a degenerative chronic illness. Usually it seems the women grieve an "empty nest" more than the men, but since I was the one around the house with my son, I feel like it is impacting me more than ever. I'm quickly getting depressed about how quiet is & how, well, dull my life actually is without the energy of my son here. Where do I go from here? -Jonathan Jonathan, it's interesting that you should bring this up. My best friend (Kathleen Y'Barbo) & I just wrote a book for Empty Nest moms titled, "The House is Quiet. . .Now What?" In it, we deal with nine … [Read more...]

6 Reasons the Chronically Ill Should Shun Making Resolutions

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"3-2-1 Happy New Year!" Is it? When that ball dropped in Times Square did you have some New Year's resolutions all ready to start January second? - I'm going to lose that extra weight - I'll really save some money this year - I'll give people more grace - I will exercise on a regular schedule - I will start some good habits We all start out with the best of intentions but as March 23rd rolls around we reflect on all the ways we've already let our goals slide. It's easy to feel like we are letting ourselves & those we love down. The concept of setting resolutions is worthy & helpful for most people. When you are chronically ill, however, resolutions can be wearisome & even scary. Most of the time our bodies & our health, … [Read more...]

How Being “Tolerant” Can Ruin Your Health

Start Your New Year Right by Eliminating These Common Energy-Drainers by Mary Yerkes My desk is messy. My clothes don’t fit. The dog needs grooming. Life coaches agree that people zap their energy & increase their stress by putting up with a multitude of things that bug them, what life coaches call “tolerations.” And for the chronically ill, lingering stress can translate into increased pain. So, why not start your New Year right by identifying—& then eliminating—those things that deplete your energy & dampen your spirit. Here are four common tolerations, along with practical suggestions for addressing them or eliminating them from your life: Health Tolerations If you live with chronic illness, you probably realize … [Read more...]

What Was Life Like in 1902?

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We may not be all that happy with our current circumstances, but let's take a look back at 1902. 90% of U.S. physicians had no college education; Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press & by the government as subst&ard. 14% of the homes had a bathtub Average life expectancy was 47 The five leading causes of death in the US were: Pneumonia & influenza Tuberculosis Diarrhea Heart disease Stroke Most women only washed their hair once a month—with borax or egg yolks Crossword puzzles, canned beer, & iced tea hadn't been invented yet. Only 14 percent of the homes in the US had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York … [Read more...]

The Christmas Shoes Video – Tear Jerker!

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The Christmas Shoes – If you need a good cry? this is the video to watch. (Get a tissue!) … [Read more...]

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