Hearts in Service

Dan & I had an adventure today and really enjoyed ourselves. We decided to hit the road and drive into the Adirondack Mountains to go hiking. We went to Mt. Arab, elevation 2,545 feet. I haven't done a lot of hiking in the mountains the past few years due to my knee issues.  It was a moderate climb though since I haven't done it in a while it was difficult and I was breathing so heavily that I was getting light headed. But the views when we got to the fire tower were beautiful. I even made myself fight through my fear of heights and went up the 35' tower. I didn't stay long up there but at least I made it!   We ate our lunch at the top and enjoyed the scenery. On the way home I made Dan stop by the side of the road so I could get Queen Anne's lace for jelly.   We left the house at 8 this morning and got home around 4:30. Dinner has been made, we played a couple of games with the boys and I'm sitting and ...

It was a busy week and I have another one coming up so I'm going to do my "Multitude Monday" post on Sunday night. In many ways it was not a very good week and yet, when I reflect back I can find many things to be thankful about. This week I'm thankful for the blessings #3,686 - 3,700. 3686. I haven't had much time to get out back and pick our blackberries. But I was able to get about 6 cups tonight. They are starting to rot on the vine so I had to be selective in what I took but since I'm turning them into jelly these will work. 3687.  My mom finished up her chemo this past week and seems to be doing well. They will be doing three days of internal radiation but she has been feeling good despite the daily radiation and 5 weeks of chemotherapy. 3688. This spectacular sunset greeted me the other night when I was driving home. I'm thankful for the beauty of the sky here. 3689. This picture makes me happy because I'm thankf...

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ~ He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." There have been times in my life when I have found myself in circumstances that I don't like and dealing with  difficult situations and at times, difficult relationships. During those times I've desperately wanted to be able to react to those situations, but I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to respond differently. Instead of lashing out, I  spent time praying. Instead of defending myself, I kept my mouth closed. I met anger with gentleness. I dealt with unjust accusations with a peaceful response. And it was hard! The reason is that my human response is to be angry. It'...

I traveled a total of 1,600 miles this past week and 1,100 of those were by myself. That's the furthest I've ever driven alone and I'm so thankful to have made it down to my mom's and back safely. My biggest concern was getting sleepy while I drove but for the most part I was alert the entire trip. It was a good week but I was so happy to be in my own bed last night. Normally, I've already posted my Multitude Monday post but wanted to get started on things this morning. It's been a long day but I did manage to get a lot accomplished including cleaning out my closets and drawers. It's back to a daily routine and I have a busy week ahead. But I want to stop and reflect over the past week and be reminded of the many things I'm thankful for in my life. This week I'm thankful for the blessings #3,676 - 3,685. 3676. As I traveled I stopped here and there so I could get out and stretch and walk for a bit. This was a beautiful place on t...

I'm sitting here on the 5th floor of the Wake Forest Baptist Cancer Center as my mother goes through her chemo treatments. We arrived at 8:30 a.m. and she went through her normal Wednesday routine - labs, radiation, oncology appointment and then was to start her chemo treatment. However, they found that her white blood counts were low and so now she has been admitted for blood transfusions. A long day has just gotten much longer. I came down to a different floor to do some work for a bit, but as I was sitting here a commotion began at the end of the hall and I heard heart-wrenching sobbing. A young lady is crying uncontrollably while her companions try to console her over the prognosis of a family member. I saw a doctor give her a hug and then he walked by me with a very dejected look and slumped shoulders. A friend just lost her husband to colon cancer, leaving her and her two children behind. Another friend's husband is going through brain cancer. To be blunt - c ancer...

  “Love without laughter can be grim and oppressive. Laughter without love can be derisive and venomous. Together they make for greatness of spirit.” -- Robert K. Greenleaf I feel refocused, reconnected, and re-energized this week after spending some time with Dan's family. Dan and I have not had a vacation this year and it's been such a stressful summer. So in many ways, I've felt dried up and anxiety-ridden for much of it.  This past Wednesday we drove 2 hours to meet up with Dan's older brother, wife and son and we enjoyed dinner and some time with them. I went to lunch with a friend on Thursday and I chose to skip the farmers market on Friday and instead spent some time taking my daughter out to lunch. I was actually have a good end of my week.  Then on Saturday, Dan, Emily and I drove out to Erie to visit Dan's parents and the rest of his siblings. We had a picnic at his sister's house and then the girls wen...