Small Boy- Huge Blessing

I'd been sitting at the computer for several hours, updating journals and answering mail, when I got an email from a friend. She asked me to pray for a little boy who has cancer." He's just five years old." she wrote," and his Grandmother is very worried about him."
   
I wrote her back, asking  her to send me the Grandmother's email address. As soon as I received it, I wrote the grandmother, asking her to tell me about her grandson. The letter she wrote me was long and quite sad. Her love for her grandson was so great that the very thought of losing him was making her ill. "I can't sleep," she wrote, "and can't keep food down much either. I cry all the time. My precious Marco (her grandson) is my heart. He has been in and out of the hospital, Barb, since he was three and a half. The cancer went away but came back again, six months ago. The chemo is not helping much. He is wasting away, is nothing but skin and bones. "
 
  I asked about Marco's parents. She wrote "His father cries almost as much as I do. His mother is like a zombie, just walks around the house, doing things that need to be done, then sits down and stares into space. And Marco's little brother, who is three, keeps begging to see Marco. But Marco won't see him. He gets hysterical if asked to see his brother. He says "I'm ugly now, with no hair. I don't want my brother to see me."so the parents don't make him. They try to keep him calm as they can.

"Barb ( the letter continued). "This  is so hard. What will I do if my sweet Marco dies?  I don't know what to do to help him. He looks like a little old man; never smiles any more, doesn't talk much, just gets more depressed."
  
Sleep became rather elusive once I began writing Marco's grandmother. I kept thinking of this small child, so loved, who was dying a little every day. I prayed about it; asked God to bless Marco and his family, and to help me find a way to lift their spirits. He did.
 
I  bought two big bottles of Bubbles, 1 smaller bottle of Bubbles, and six fancy Bubble wands. I also purchased a miniature Bambi.  Angels must have delivered Marco's present, because it seemed I barely sent it, when I got a thank you letter from his Grandmother.
 
"Dear Barb. I can't thank you enough. I wish you could have been here when my sweet Marco opened the gift you sent. He is very weak, and the medicine he's taking makes him  very sleepy at times too, so when he got the present unwrapped, it took him a few minutes to realize what he was looking at. He was too weak to open the bottle of bubbles, so I did. I dipped a wand into the bottle, then waved it back and forth. Bubbles were everywhere, BIG ones as well as little ones. Marco's smile, Barb, lit up the room. He said,"Let me try, Grandma." I held the bottle, while he dipped the wand. When he waved it back and forth and saw the bubbles, he laughed, Barb...for the first time in many months. And not only that, he said, "Go get Anthony (his little brother)
so he can blow bubbles too. And the sweet Bambi, Barb, he plays with it all day, and at night, when he goes to sleep, he places Bambi on his pillow. "

A small gift, bubbles, but what huge blessings came out of that gift. Marco's grandmother tells me that Marco never runs out of Bubbles. It has become his favorite thing. This happened three years ago. Marco is now eight, has thick, curly hair and runs and plays like any other eight-year old boy.
   
And Bubbles? I keep many bottles on hand. I take some with me when I go anywhere; hand them out to kids, to people sitting alone on a bench, to family members, to neighbors, to anybody who crosses my path. Sometimes I sit on our patio, and blow bubbles. Try it. Silly as it sounds, you just may surprise yourself- just may enjoy being a kid again.

Why not purchase a few bottles of Bubbles for yourself. Keep them on hand- haul them out when

you are lonely, feeling a little blue, or just wanting to lower your stress level. Hand them out to strangers. It's  amazing how such a small thing as blowing bubbles can lift one's spirits.

 

First Impressions Are Not Always Right

People matter to me, so I go out of my way to understand them; to learn what makes them happy, angry, sad, disappointed, hopeful, depressed, or fearful. I try to learn what makes them feel good about themselves, hate themselves, get to the point that they want to give up. I like to know why some people are so successful, while others struggle just to make ends meet; like to know why some individuals have dreams and set goals, while others set no goals, don't even have a dream.
 
What I know about people, including myself, is that their inside seldom matches their outside. It is wise to look behind angry words. An angry person is usually a hurting person.

A smile doesn't always mean a person is happy, and tears don't always mean a person is sad. People who don't cry are oftentimes seen as cold, but  often it's simply their way of keeping strong. It happens sometimes, that if you've cried openly, shared that deep sorrow, and got put down for it, were criticized and ridiculed, you no longer cry; or if you do, it is when you are alone. As well, many hurting people are afraid to let themselves cry; believing that once they start they might not be able to stop. I have felt like that many times.
  
We all influence somebody, every moment of our lives, but just don't realize it. We're influenced by another person's confidence, their strong faith, their talent, perhaps just their ability to express themselves. We're influenced by those who climbed to the top, when others failed to believe they'd be able too.
 
People wear masks; pretending to be happy, when they aren't, pretending to be alright, when inside, they are falling apart. They pretend to be satisfied with their looks, but in reality hate themselves, always wishing they were different.

People pretend to be strong because others tell keep telling them how strong they are. It never occured to them to just be honest and say."Look, I"m not feeling so strong today. I am really afraid, or insecure, or feeling lost and misplaced, or worse, losing the desire to live. Could you stay with me for a little while, or call me?"


People have become cautious, find it difficult to trust. Our world has become such a dangerous place that  many have chosen to make a fortress out of their home, becoming increasingly fearful to venture out of it. Their comfort zones have shrunk.
Where once they covered a huge amount of space- it now covers  very little, usually only includes a trip from home to the store, to a relatives house, a doctor maybe, and to church. Some people are even afraid to enjoy their front yards. It is wise to be cautious, but a mistake, I believe, to let those who are evil have such control over our lives. Bad things happen to good people sometimes. It hurts, but it's true, But  in the  end, I know that everything will one day be made right.

I can say this because man is not in control. God still is.

For prayers, encouraging words, good wishes, and the unexpected cards and letters.

Diamonds & Pearls

I woke up this morning with a particular song on my mind. It's been playing steadily for over a week now, so thought writing it out would perhaps slow it down a bit. Just kidding. This song is one I don't mind playing a lot, even if it's inside my head, and not on a turntable.
  Do you remember this song?
 I got no diamonds, got no pearls,
Still I think I'm a lucky girl,
I've got the sun in the morning
And the moon at night.
That's all I remember, but it's enough to keep me smiling. How could I not? Diamonds are gorgeous, sparkly things, but very expensive too. And pearls are not cheap. But without possessing either of them, I consider myself very rich.
 
I am rich because I have the sun to warm my bones, the moon to enable me to see God's nightlights, which remind me that HE is always on call, always there, should I need him, and I always do.
 
I am rich because my life experiences have taught me to be brave, to hang tough, when the ground is pulled out from beneath me; to hang tough when I'm disappointed, to hang tough when I'm misunderstood, or unjustly accused of something. My life experiences have taught me that love once given, is never wasted. They have taught me that forgiveness is possible. All I had to do was say the words, then ask the Lord to help me mean what I say.
 
  I'm rich, because I understand that it's never about who I am, but WHOSE I am.

 Many of you, I'm sure, are having to cope with a lot; have problems that weigh heavy upon your heart as well as your mind. I'd like to remind you that every trial comes to its own end. And as long as you keep a tight hold on your faith, you'll be okay.

I may not have walked in all of your shoes, but have in several.  I understand how difficult it is to deal with chronic pain, how it feels to hurt or be misunderstood. I know what constant criticism does to one's self-esteem, know how heavy lonely can be. I know the sting of betrayal, being almost homeless, being out of work, having problems with your children. I know the pain of having loved ones struggling with addictions, and how it feels to have death steal a loved one away. I know too, what it feels like to feel alone, though you are surrounded by people.
  
It's not always easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it pays to believe that it exists- that you will see it down the way.
   I always tell my children that "Attitude is Everything." It pays to focus on the Up- side of things, rather then the Down side. I tell them too, that the choices we make, or don't make, determine, to a large degree, what kind of life we'll have, how each of our "Today's" will go.
 
  If you're having a good day  embrace each moment, for time passes swiftly. If your day is not going very well, make the decision to look for the blessing in it. Trust me. There is one.

   My prayer for you today, is that you don't let the day pass without spending out what God has given you. Every one of us has something that can, if we share it, uplift somebody else. It may be something as simple as thanking somebody, or as great a thing as forgiving somebody you've not been able to forgive. I pray that each of you will remember how unique and precious you are; that nobody can be YOU better than YOU.
 
  Well, I've rambled enough. Just wanted to share that song with you, and wish you an awesome day. Keep smiling, keep humming that tune, keep trusting and believing that your turn will come. And  keep loving the unlovable, forgiving those difficult to forgive.
After all, isn't that the way the Lord always treats us?

LETTING GO

This wonderful poem has helped me make
wiser decisions without feeling guilty.
It is my prayer that it helps you too.

 Letting Go

To let go doesn't mean to stop caring,

                                                 it means I can't do it for someone else.
                                                  To let go is not to cut myself off,

it's the realization that I can't control another.
To let go is not to  enable,
but to allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
I can only change myself.
To let go is not to care for,but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging the outcome,
but to allow others to effect their own outcomes.
To let go is not being protective, it's allowing another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue,
 but to recognize my own shortcomings and to correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes.
To let go is not to criticize and regulate everyone,
but to try to become what I  dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more.

-Author Unknown.


Have an awesome day. Remember,
life is short so create a beautiful memory.

Good Morning, Guys & Dolls

I had a neighbor ask me "Are you always this happy?" My answer was yes. I have no reason not to be. I have the Lord with me every day. My body is still working for me in spite of health issues. I have family members enduring hard, painful situations, children who have lost their way, and a husband whose health is failing, but I never forget that my worst day is the kind of day some people face every day, with no friends, no love, and no support. There is always somebody worse off than me.

I am loved, have people in my life who believe in me, in my goals and in the dreams I hold so tightly too. I am content with what I have and have learned not to take life, or myself too seriously.
 
I've also met some compassionate, caring, loving, supportive people, here on the Internet, people who take time out to email me even when they're busy, or going through hard times themselves. They have no idea how much they have blessed me, how much those unexpected notes uplift and encourage me.

 I am able to spend time alone each day, which strengthens me, helps me remain focused, and enables me to have a quiet mind and a peaceful heart. Solitude also enables me to hear more clearly, that which the Lord would have me hear.
 
 I've learned, but not easily, how to live in the present moment, rather than waste time looking over my shoulder, longing to relive what once was. I hope that you are happy too; that each morning you are able to see the many blessings God sends your way, and that you're able to recognize and appreciate
the unique, and special individual you are.


Well, July 4th is just around the corner. It offers us opportunity to share so much with family and friends, to create special memories that will, down the way, see us through our more difficult times.  Have a wonderful time. I'm not too sure what we will be doing on that day, but know new memories will be created.

                                      DON'T FORGET TO PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS.


 
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