Hello friends....it's been a week since I've had time to post. I've enjoyed reading your blogs this week and am trying to get caught up on responding to comments. I'm sorry I get behind on that sometimes. Your sweet comments always bring a smile to my face. I don't want this post to be a downer...but I feel that I must share some events that have gone on around me recently that have had me down. I know many of you are prayer warriors and prayer is definitely needed in my little area of the world right now. My hubby and I rode down to the river this afternoon to see how high it had gotten and to restore some peace to my soul. The water does that like nothing else for me.
So...enjoy these pictures as I share some things with you.
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| The ramp that is sticking up is normally slanting down a few feet. |
In the past week, my husband's co-worker lost her young sister-in-law to a brain aneurysm, one of my co-workers dad was admitted back into the hospital because his bowels won't wake back up after his bladder cancer surgery when they removed his bladder. They are not sure what they are going to do for him yet. Another former co-worker lost her father. A friend lost her 36 year old daughter and 8 year old granddaughter in a car accident. The little girl was not killed instantly but due to many injuries and lack of brain functioning, she passed away a day later. They leave behind a husband/father and younger daughter/sister. This same family buried a baby last year that had many complications after birth. I also found out yesterday that one of my nearest and dearest friends is about to go through a divorce. My heart hurts so badly for her and I pray that happiness and joy will return to her life in time.
So....all of this on top of a really stressful week at work has been just about more that my heart car stand. I feel so helpless. I want to fix things and I can't...
I do have a few bits of good news as well. First is that my friend Heather is tolerating her chemotherapy very well now (other than it making her sick) and she is doing as well as can be expected due to her condition. My little group of friends is planning to get together and can some veggies and make some jelly this summer. I have always wanted to do this and have never made the time.
This year....I'm making the time.
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| Joey and Sadie on the floating dock. Sadie wasn't too sure about the new sights and smells...:) |
Another bit of good news...my daddy went to his skin cancer doctor and his skin graft is doing well where they did plastic surgery on his nose after his cancer removal. I am so thankful they were able to get it all and patch it up afterwards.
Answered prayers...:)
My son's friend had a healthy baby girl this week. So sweet...:)
I had a fun morning out with m sister and nieces yesterday prom dress shopping. She found a pretty dress and is ready for prom!
I enjoyed a sweet evening with my bestie yesterday. It was nice catching up and talking. We haven't done that in a long time and I realize how much I miss it. If you're reading this Jeana...I love you and am always here for you. My sister joined us for a while later in the evening and we all had a good visit. Looking forward to celebrating Jeana's birthday on Friday night. It was this past week but Heather wasn't up to celebrating after her chemo treatment. The week after is pretty rough on her...so we are all getting together Friday night for a nice dinner out.
Just like this beautiful river....life is full of ebbs and flows.
We are at their mercy and they can't be stopped...you just have to ride it out and pray for peace and understanding along the way.
The river like our lives, can not only be beautiful in and of itself, but also in what it reflects. We can choose to reflect the things of this life that are positive and good or we can choose the negative or bad things that happen and reflect that. I myself try to always reflect the good things. I try to stay positive and surround myself with positive people. Does this make sense?
So....while I have been sad this week and truly aching for so many, I am still trying to remain positive. I am praying for so many and will continue to do so.
I still enjoy the beauty of this life.
There is always something beautiful...if we just take the time to see.
I don't want to let life pass me by. The older I get the more I want to truly live and live an authentic life. Do for others and do what makes me truly happy. Taking pictures of God's beautiful creations makes me happy. I hope you enjoyed them as well.
Sadie makes me happy too....she bring me such joy...:)
Just like each of you reading this right now....:)
This says it all for me.....
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| Feel free to use the graphic...I created it myself on PicMonkey! |
I pray you have a blessed and beautiful new week.
I hope it is filled with JOY!
Until next time.....
Dearest Vicky as you know I understand exactly what you are going through. One's heart gets so heavy with mourning for those we love. It's so very hard to see them going through pain and loss. God is good, this I know and He is close to the brokenhearted. There is a day coming where we will not have to endure the pain this life can sometimes bring and that is cause for Great Joy! Yes you must choose to see the beauty in life even when it gets hard, sending prayers, comfort and encouragement you way and for your dear family and friends.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Teresa
Hi Vicky, I sorry to hear about all the sadness going on around you right now. Thanks for sharing this and all of the beautiful photos of where you live with us. Your Sadie is just the cutest dog and yes they make us happy! Hang in there and I hope you have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteJulie
I am so sorry that you have had one of those weeks in which every bad thing that can happen seems to happen all at once. It does my heart good to know that you are a person of faith and that you know the One to look to when times are like these. Do you ever wonder how people of without faith make it through the ebbs and flows of life? But I digress...I am glad that you have a wonderful, understanding husband who knows that you need that river time to de-stress and that you have chosen to look for joy even when your heart tells you not to. "Count it all joy." James 1:2-3. Lots of prayers headed your way!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post, Vicky, to examine what we hold dear in life. I had you in my thoughts earlier when walking the dogs. I felt you needed something special in the way of prayer. I hope you felt the gentle thoughts coming your way.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry this past week has been rough on you, all the sadness coupled with all the joyful things probably creates a little turmoil and "which way do I go" sort of feeling... emotionally anyway. I hope this next week will be better for you and I think you have the right attitude Vicky, hang in there my friend! :o)
ReplyDeleteTania
Vicky I rejoice with you in the good news and offer my prayers for the illnesses, loss and heartbreaks of so many. I have had a week like this recently and was so thankful for the many prayers that helped get me through it. I'm here for you always and I too choose JOY!
ReplyDeleteLinda
Vicky, Life surely does have its share of ebbs and flows. Prayers are being sent for all your loved ones who are going through difficult times right now. I'm glad you also received some good news to take the edge off your sadness.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and choosing Joy! You know your blogger friends can work wonders with prayers. Hugs my friend, xo, Pam
Vicky, I'm so sorry that you're experiencing so much sadness right now, but you have a wonderful attitude about life. It can really be a challenge to stay positive sometimes especially when those around us are hurting. I loved your photos, and I wish you much better week this week. I'm so glad that you choose JOY.
ReplyDeleteI too had a difficult week and like you I am choosing joy. A week ago yesterday, the 38 year old assistant principal of my school was killed while out jogging in training for a marathon. A young 23 year old girl was drunk and on drugs at 6 a.m. when she lost control of her car, jumped the guard rail and killed Chris instantly.
ReplyDeleteJust tonight, Steve commented that he has never in his 65 years seen a death hit a community so hard, but also challenge a community to be better people. Chris truly was a saint on earth - deaf from a young age, he never let it be a handicap. He played water polo and swam in high school going on to represent the US and win a medal in Copenhagen on the Deaflympics team. As a high school teacher, he challenged his students to raise the money to build a school in Sierra Leone, Africa. He and his students went to Africa to actually build the school.
On Saturday, the stands of his former high school football field were literally full with the community there for his memorial. The best speakers were 4 old friends of Chris who broke down the stereotype of Macho Male crying, hugging one another as each spoke and actually saying, "I am heartbroken".
Chris's wife and their 7 year old daughter spoke to us. Erin told us she felt badly for our loss. She said there is a word for her grief - widowhood, but there is not word for what the community is feeling. She and Chris's friends challenged us all to:
forgive
LIVE
"MAKE it a great day" - one of Chris's favorite sayings
challenge ourselves.
So far,
- I caught myself ready to snap at my daughter for something mean she said, but I chose forgiveness rather than meanness.
- Steve challenged himself to be more adventurous (the last couple of years his health has kept him from doing things) and so we are going on a road trip for Easter.
- a friend told me that she has chosen forgiveness 5 times already since I told her about the challenge despite her not knowing Chris
- the mother of one of my volleyball girls told me she is choosing to go out and MAKE it a great day after listening to the speakers at the memorial.
If Chris had to die a needless death, then we are all going to make it mean something. My prayer is that the 23 year old loser on a path of self destruction is reading the articles in the newspaper, on facebook and the internet and will use this tragedy to turn herself around.
One of the sweetest gestures of the memorial is that we were each given a postcard with pictures of Chris and his family. We have been asked to write to the daughter and tell her what Chris meant to us. I can just imagine the joy it will bring her when she is older and can understand the impact her father had on each and every person he came in contact with.
Oh Vicky, I am so sorry that you have had a hard week. I will be lifting up everyone you posted in my prayers this week. Sometimes we feel like we need to do more, but just know that God is a Mighty God and he can handle these heart aches more than we can bear. On a positive note, Joy is the best solution for times like these. That's my motto, anyways. Your pictures are beautiful and I am so glad you got outside and took some amazing pictures of Gods Beauty. I will be praying for you as well. Keep your chin up and just know that God's got this!
ReplyDeleteHugs and Blessings,
Amy
Oh my dear friend, my heart hurts after reading this. Life is not always a bowl of cherries and it sounds like you have had a very rough week. I can understand your desire to want to fix things, to make the pain go away. Thankfully we have a loving God who will do that and He is the great Healer, the precious Comforter, He is our Rock.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are lovely and to choose joy is a beautiful thing! Thinking of you and remembering these dear people in prayer.
Love and hugs to you!
Sweet Vicky, I am so sorry to hear of all this news and life's challenges that you have experienced lately. That is quite a bit at one time but you are so right, pray to our Lord for peace and understanding.
ReplyDeleteI love the button or badge that you created on PicMonkey. I have been going through some of life's challenges that last few weeks myself but like you, I choose Joy as well.
Thank you for posting this...good, bad and better :)
Have a blessed week!
Vicky..I'm so sorry to hear about all these tough times your loved ones have been going through. Prayers for you and them.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy your pictures. .Be Blessed
I'm sorry to read you had such an emotional week. But, I admire the way you made the post so hopeful. I'll keep you in my thoughts.
ReplyDelete