I have 9 grandchildren whom I love with all my heart. 2 of the 9 are often on my mind because I'm not sure of their commitment to the Lord. Supposedly they have accepted Christ as their savior, but I don't see a lot of evidence of it.
Yesterday I received a "tweet" from one of them in which a four letter word I absolutely hate was used. I wasn't sure how to respond, or even if I should respond. Should I tell his mother and let her know what he wrote? Should I just forget it and chalk it up to how young people talk these days? Unsure of what I should do I decided to sleep on it for a day.
Sure enough in the middle of the night the Lord told me exactly what to do. Often I do my best deciding on any given issue in the middle of the night. I was told to write to him, express my love for him, but tell him that I don't wish to receive any more messages that use offensive words.
He's an upstanding young man and he texted me back, not apologizing, but reaffirming that he loves me and "love" was a four-letter word we could both agree on.
I retexted him and told him he is an upstanding young man and I appreciated his reply. I hope my praise of him and my prayers for him will bear fruit sometime in the future.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Surprise guests
I don't know where I'm going with this post. I'll just tell what happened.
My niece and her husband showed up unexpectedly at our door yesterday morning. We had talked to them when we visited in NY in May and invited them to visit (blackmailed, really) when they were so close to our vicinity when they were visiting Branson. So here they are! Now, in their defense, they talked about calling us when they got to their motel in St. Louis at 10 p.m. the night before, but decided it might be too late for us (yes, it would have been - we octogenarians go to bed at 9), then they decided they shouldn't call before 9 a.m. (in case we were still in bed (bad decision, we were up at 5:45, exercised, ate breakfast, and gone our separate ways to various activities). Thus, the reason they appeared without notice.
So, of course, my first thought was - what do I feed them? We don't eat bread any more, there isn't a potato to be found in the house - what to do? Thankfully, I had some mini bagels in the freezer along with shrimp. Nuke the bagels to thaw them, use the shrimp, add celery, onions, peppers and shell macaroni, dress with onion dressing and add some spices, steam some frozen veggies, put some strawberries in dessert cups, and voila - a passable meal. Healthy, not very filling, but they didn't look like they were starving.
Best part - we were able to converse with these two folks who are both very interesting. I really don't get to visit for a long time with them when we are in NY because there are a zillion other relatives around - so we are glad they came, and we hope they'll come again now that they know the way.
My niece and her husband showed up unexpectedly at our door yesterday morning. We had talked to them when we visited in NY in May and invited them to visit (blackmailed, really) when they were so close to our vicinity when they were visiting Branson. So here they are! Now, in their defense, they talked about calling us when they got to their motel in St. Louis at 10 p.m. the night before, but decided it might be too late for us (yes, it would have been - we octogenarians go to bed at 9), then they decided they shouldn't call before 9 a.m. (in case we were still in bed (bad decision, we were up at 5:45, exercised, ate breakfast, and gone our separate ways to various activities). Thus, the reason they appeared without notice.
So, of course, my first thought was - what do I feed them? We don't eat bread any more, there isn't a potato to be found in the house - what to do? Thankfully, I had some mini bagels in the freezer along with shrimp. Nuke the bagels to thaw them, use the shrimp, add celery, onions, peppers and shell macaroni, dress with onion dressing and add some spices, steam some frozen veggies, put some strawberries in dessert cups, and voila - a passable meal. Healthy, not very filling, but they didn't look like they were starving.
Best part - we were able to converse with these two folks who are both very interesting. I really don't get to visit for a long time with them when we are in NY because there are a zillion other relatives around - so we are glad they came, and we hope they'll come again now that they know the way.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Forgiveness
We just returned from a week's vacation in Wisconsin. Two of our children with grandchildren in tow accompanied us. Each of the 'family' units had a condo for their own personal use.
The nice thing about ours was that it had direct access to the playground equipment, so our two youngest gkids were constantly running through our unit to access the playground.
One thing happened that I want to talk about. In a conversation with one son, he became very upset and angry with me. He told me (with anger in his voice and his eyes) that he was offended by something his Dad and I had said. I immediately apologized and asked his forgiveness, and told him he needed to express his feelings to his Dad as well as me. He didn't want to do that, but did, as I didn't feel like taking all the brunt of the ill feelings.
Relations were tense for the rest of the day and Monday. On Monday I talked at length with my husband, and expressed my hurt at being misunderstood.
Tuesday morning this son knocked on our door very early wanting to talk. We were able to both of us express our feelings and get everything 'out on the table' and clear the air.
Had he not come to our unit there might still be hard feelings. I think the lesson here is that it's important to express feelings. This is the kind of incident that can spiral out of control and cause family rifts.
I'm so grateful that we are all Christians and know how we are to act and proceed when disagreements happen, as they surely will from time to time.
The nice thing about ours was that it had direct access to the playground equipment, so our two youngest gkids were constantly running through our unit to access the playground.
One thing happened that I want to talk about. In a conversation with one son, he became very upset and angry with me. He told me (with anger in his voice and his eyes) that he was offended by something his Dad and I had said. I immediately apologized and asked his forgiveness, and told him he needed to express his feelings to his Dad as well as me. He didn't want to do that, but did, as I didn't feel like taking all the brunt of the ill feelings.
Relations were tense for the rest of the day and Monday. On Monday I talked at length with my husband, and expressed my hurt at being misunderstood.
Tuesday morning this son knocked on our door very early wanting to talk. We were able to both of us express our feelings and get everything 'out on the table' and clear the air.
Had he not come to our unit there might still be hard feelings. I think the lesson here is that it's important to express feelings. This is the kind of incident that can spiral out of control and cause family rifts.
I'm so grateful that we are all Christians and know how we are to act and proceed when disagreements happen, as they surely will from time to time.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Update and frustrations
My daughter has gotten into her home safely. That's a praise. Her church had a van with wheel chair capabilities which they willingly loaned to her husband.
Supposedly everyone is glad she is home.
Here's the frustration - now that she's home and needs help, the help is not willingly given at the time she needs it. She cannot walk because she has spacers in her knees to keep them from collapsing, but they are not strong enough for walking. She has a hospital bed, commode (only bathrooms in the house are on an upper level), and wheel chair. She needs help pivoting from bed to commode to wheel chair. Her 22 yr. old daughter doesn't seem to see the urgency when she says she needs to use the commode - so she might come several minutes or even an hour later (when her TV show ends) to help her mother. Said granddaughter refuses to learn how to clean the IV tubing because it's 'yucky'. Food that she requests be put on the lower shelf of the fridge so she can access it herself is not moved - How hard is that? The list goes on and on. Granddaughter does not even make dinner, so when husband gets home after working all day, he has to cook dinner.
In granddaughter's defense (if you can call it that), 22 years of not having to make her bed, take dirty dishes and put in dishwasher when done using, or in general do any work has now come home to roost.
I hope writing this blog will help me with my frustrations.
Supposedly everyone is glad she is home.
Here's the frustration - now that she's home and needs help, the help is not willingly given at the time she needs it. She cannot walk because she has spacers in her knees to keep them from collapsing, but they are not strong enough for walking. She has a hospital bed, commode (only bathrooms in the house are on an upper level), and wheel chair. She needs help pivoting from bed to commode to wheel chair. Her 22 yr. old daughter doesn't seem to see the urgency when she says she needs to use the commode - so she might come several minutes or even an hour later (when her TV show ends) to help her mother. Said granddaughter refuses to learn how to clean the IV tubing because it's 'yucky'. Food that she requests be put on the lower shelf of the fridge so she can access it herself is not moved - How hard is that? The list goes on and on. Granddaughter does not even make dinner, so when husband gets home after working all day, he has to cook dinner.
In granddaughter's defense (if you can call it that), 22 years of not having to make her bed, take dirty dishes and put in dishwasher when done using, or in general do any work has now come home to roost.
I hope writing this blog will help me with my frustrations.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Mental Illness
I love my daughter - no question of that. She has suffered from a form of mental illness (clinical depression) for 19 years. No one else in our family has it. It is a debilitating disease. Along with the depression she suffers from anxiety. The medical profession's answer to all of this is to ply her with all kinds of medicine.
Right now she is in rehab recovering from a severe staph infection which she's been fighting for six months. The staph attacked her two knee replacements. First thing done when she got the infection was to have the plastic pad in her 'knee caps' removed, then she was on a regimen of drugs infused every 4 hrs., 24/7. Those drugs caused her to begin to have blood marrow problems. Then she was on a regimen of one drug infused 3x a day. At that point she was allowed to go home since this could be done at home.
Then, it was discovered that she had a small amount of infection which had attached itself to the knee replacements. At that point both knee replacements were removed and 'spacers' put in to keep the knees from collapsing together. Back to the rehab and infusions every 4 hrs., 24/7. No weight can be put on her feet except enough to pivot from bed to wheel chair to commode (not necessarily in that order). Now she has been trained to do that and will be released from the rehab for the rest of her recovery (4 weeks, hopefully) At that time she will go back to hospital and have new knee replacements.
All of this history to say she is panicked over how to get into her house (a split level which requires going up about 10 steps). Because of her need to be in control and her tendency to be anxious about all things that are out of her control, she is fixated on how she will get into her house.
Hopefully our advice to her today will bear fruit.
1. Your husband will figure it out.
2. Call your church and see if 3 men couldn't come out and lift you up the stairs in your wheel chair.
Telling her not to worry is fruitless. She is a worrier.
Sometime I will blog about where I think she went wrong that she has this degree of illness.
Right now she is in rehab recovering from a severe staph infection which she's been fighting for six months. The staph attacked her two knee replacements. First thing done when she got the infection was to have the plastic pad in her 'knee caps' removed, then she was on a regimen of drugs infused every 4 hrs., 24/7. Those drugs caused her to begin to have blood marrow problems. Then she was on a regimen of one drug infused 3x a day. At that point she was allowed to go home since this could be done at home.
Then, it was discovered that she had a small amount of infection which had attached itself to the knee replacements. At that point both knee replacements were removed and 'spacers' put in to keep the knees from collapsing together. Back to the rehab and infusions every 4 hrs., 24/7. No weight can be put on her feet except enough to pivot from bed to wheel chair to commode (not necessarily in that order). Now she has been trained to do that and will be released from the rehab for the rest of her recovery (4 weeks, hopefully) At that time she will go back to hospital and have new knee replacements.
All of this history to say she is panicked over how to get into her house (a split level which requires going up about 10 steps). Because of her need to be in control and her tendency to be anxious about all things that are out of her control, she is fixated on how she will get into her house.
Hopefully our advice to her today will bear fruit.
1. Your husband will figure it out.
2. Call your church and see if 3 men couldn't come out and lift you up the stairs in your wheel chair.
Telling her not to worry is fruitless. She is a worrier.
Sometime I will blog about where I think she went wrong that she has this degree of illness.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Liverwurst
What an interesting day!
Today I was heading to my Tues. A.M. Bible Study when I recognized my husband's car coming toward me. We stopped and rolled down windows, an I mentioned that I might go out for lunch if anyone at B.S. wanted to. He said- "Well, if you don't have any takers, I'll go".. O.K. - where do you want to go? Your choice, he said. So, we went out for lunch to The Brick House Deli which specializes in sandwiches. Here's where I had a surprise.
Liverwurst! My husband spied it right away, and ordered his sandwich.
Now, I've been married to this guy for 57 years and that is the first time I knew he liked Liverwurst.
Just goes to show you (or me as the case may be) that we don't always know everything about another person, even when we think we do.
Today I was heading to my Tues. A.M. Bible Study when I recognized my husband's car coming toward me. We stopped and rolled down windows, an I mentioned that I might go out for lunch if anyone at B.S. wanted to. He said- "Well, if you don't have any takers, I'll go".. O.K. - where do you want to go? Your choice, he said. So, we went out for lunch to The Brick House Deli which specializes in sandwiches. Here's where I had a surprise.
Liverwurst! My husband spied it right away, and ordered his sandwich.
Now, I've been married to this guy for 57 years and that is the first time I knew he liked Liverwurst.
Just goes to show you (or me as the case may be) that we don't always know everything about another person, even when we think we do.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Being Thankful
I was reminded today how much it means to have someone say they are thankful for what you've done for them.
We were visited today in our Sunday School class by a young boy, cerebral palsy and autism challenged, who had just returned from a camp especially designed for handicapped people. In halting speech he told us how much the camp experience meant to him, how thankful he was for our class that takes up a collection once a month to help children like him have a camp experience.
It takes so little effort to thank someone who has blessed you - a simple phone call, a note of appreciation - a touch on the arm. We were the ones blessed today.
Paul said - in all things give thanks - this while he languished in a Roman prison.
Now as we celebrate the birth of our nation - flawed as it is - let's give thanks. It's still the best nation on earth. I don't hear of anyone trying to cross Iran's borders because they'll have a better life there.
We were visited today in our Sunday School class by a young boy, cerebral palsy and autism challenged, who had just returned from a camp especially designed for handicapped people. In halting speech he told us how much the camp experience meant to him, how thankful he was for our class that takes up a collection once a month to help children like him have a camp experience.
It takes so little effort to thank someone who has blessed you - a simple phone call, a note of appreciation - a touch on the arm. We were the ones blessed today.
Paul said - in all things give thanks - this while he languished in a Roman prison.
Now as we celebrate the birth of our nation - flawed as it is - let's give thanks. It's still the best nation on earth. I don't hear of anyone trying to cross Iran's borders because they'll have a better life there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)