Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Changes In My Life By George, Part 2

It's been almost a month since I posted part 1 of Changes In My Life By George.  As I said in that post, I have to have the right time (enough time) and be in the right frame of mind to post these types of posts.  I touched on the changes of the end of our home school journey and my mother's declining health in part 1.  As for my mother's health, it has declined even more since part 1, so please, please pray for her and my daddy.  There have been a couple of situations since Scot surrendered to preach that I thought I felt as if someone had died; I thought I felt like someone had ripped our hearts out of our bodies and stomped them, but, that was nothing compared to watching my mother suffer day in and day out.  We have done all we know to do with little or no relief, which makes us feel so helpless.  The other day, I was bee-boppin' around, just a hummin', etc., and I realized that I was happy.  I immediately felt so guilty.  There my mother is home bound and in such terrible pain, and here I am going on about my business merrily.  But, then, I realized that what I was experiencing was that peace that passes all understanding and that strength that only the joy of the Lord can provide.  The circumstance, the situation looks so gloom and so sad.  But for the Lord, I really don't know how I could stand to watch.  I am extremely thankful for that peace and joy even in the midst of sadness and trouble.  Isn't He wonderful?! 

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:7


My daddy retired a few months ago.  My daddy has worked since he was a kid; either helping on the farm he was raised on, contracting & building houses for the public, or for the past 25 years, working at a motor home company.  He came home that Friday, sat in his recliner for a little while to rest his legs and feet, and when he got up, he realized there was something wet in the floor.  It was blood; HIS blood!  He hadn't realized he was bleeding until then.  A blood vessel had busted in the top of his foot!  Blood was shooting out of a little pin sized hole like water shooting out of a water fountain!  By the time, I got there, he had lost a good bit of blood.  He was sitting with his foot in a garbage can, trying to get the bleeding to stop.  When we realized we couldn't get the bleeding to stop, I helped him get his foot in a clean garbage bag, I tied it around his knee, and he and I headed to the ER.  The doctor and nurses were stumped!  They had never seen anything like it.   They tried all they knew to do to stop the bleeding, but, nothing worked, so the doctor finally put a couple of stitches in to stop it.  Daddy felt fine during the entire episode.   On the way to ER, he looked over at me and said,  "Well, I've been retired a little more than an hour and I'm already headed to the hospital."  I smiled and said, "Let's just get all the excitement out of the way to begin with, and we'll have it whooped!"    As I said in my last post, my daddy has done an excellent job taking care of my mother, the yard, the house, and the laundry.  Of course, I knew he would! 

Another change is Cale, our son, is now working full time at the same place my daddy retired from. I've shared with you before on Life By George about how Cale never really liked school; he loved to play and he loved to physically work.  Cale has a good job and he seems to enjoy it.  He is saving most of his paycheck so he can buy a better vehicle than the one he has.  He has been very wise with his money, and we are very proud of him.   He's so wise with his money that we are bad to tease him about being a tight wad.  When he spends money, you know there was much thought that went into it!

This Thanksgiving is different than any other before for us.  We had always eaten at my parent's house for the first 18 or 19 years of our marriage, and then, for the past 6 or 7 years, I have cooked at our house and invited Mother and Daddy to join us.  This year, we are cooking here and taking it to my parent's house.  We will eat with them there.  Also, Mother can't get out and see all the Christmas decorations this year, other than when she has to go to a doctor's appointment, so, tomorrow, we are going to decorate her house for Christmas.  She may can't go to the Christmas decorations, but the decorations can come to her! 

Part 3 will probably conclude this blog series about changes in our lives...unless something else changes before then!

O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods; for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords; for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 136:1-4

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalms 103:1-2