Fall Violet

                   by Cornelia

Green Moss Grew on a large grey stone,
and with that moss there all alone
a violet of deepest blue
a violet of autumn grew

I think before, I'd never seen
a violet except in spring
except in spring but then it grew
and it was fall and birds were few

And it was on a mountain stone,
on mountain top and all alone.
This violet smiled up at me
and it was blue as blue could be

Have you ever a blossom seen,
A violet except in spring?
I'll show you where this fall one grows
for I'm the only one who knows.

Happy Thanksgiving. 

I have so much to thank God for this year. I believe that the greatest gift we have to give thanks for, is the giving of thanks. Because in praising God and keeping a right thought and a melody in our hearts we can get through the hard places in this life. His spirit fills me and his love overwhelms me. There have been times when I was hurting so bad, I felt so week and I really didn't feel like praising God but I was strengthened by encouraging words and ongoing prayers. And even in the midst of my own pain, I was reminded of others in my own life with similar and worse sufferings. Hebrews 13:15 let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. This is a continual strengthener and being pleased to sing to myself choruses and hymns that mean so much..Songs like "I am not Worthy", "He Lives", "How great Thou art", "Great is thy faithfulness". I have a list of song titles on my phone when I need to remind myself. What a friend, One day at a time, He touched me, I could go on and on. How precious and wonderful is his love for us.

I never want to lose sight of all the blessings and wonders that he has so filled my life with. So Happy Thanksgiving and Thank God for all of you, my family and my friends.

Rainy day today...but warmer. I think it reached 50 degrees today (11/23/2014). I am still on the mend. I have improved a lot since I received two new stents in late September to open some blocked arteries. Well enough to say that most of the time I feel quite healthy. I do believe a lot of how we feel has a great deal to do with our attitude. I know that I was pretty beat up a while ago and really wondering if there would be any better days. If you are reading this for the first time and wondering what I am talking about, I should explain just a little. In the later part of June 2013 I suffered a massive heart attack. It was a blocked artery. The one they call the widow maker. Since then I have suffered other problems relating to arthritis from a history of job related injuries. Then in the midst of these problems I was also diagnosed with Chronic Lympocitic Leukemia, Stage 0.
Now back to the attitude. I have a very strong belief in a mighty God. I don't blame him for anything that happened to me but do give him praise for bringing me through it. I believe that we will suffer trouble and trials in this life. I know that he is much more concerned with our next life or when this time on earth is over. Though I was at death's door, I knew where I would be when I crossed over. Absent from the body and present with the Lord. So in the worst of it I could still praise him. And praise him I do. This has been my anti-depressant. I was prompted to try to get on a drug to help me cope. I did try and it only added to how lousy I felt. So I found that if I just keep movin' -  Pickin' em up and layin' em down, praising God and signing choruses and hymns, it would lift me up and keep me in a brighter attitude.
I don't know what his plan is but I will continue to trust Jesus from moment to moment and day to day. He has more for me to do in this life and I make myself available.
I have recently been working on writing a couple of new songs for him. Also spending a lot of time tracking our genealogy and making sure about some of the dates and adding any relatives that I can find. We are the last of this generation. A fun and tedious project lately is working on some old photos and trying to name and date pictures that have no information on them. It is detective type work. Here are some pictures from the early 1900s of family.

 This calender will be good again in 1920

As life improves

Thoughts today after another good night's sleep. As I get to feeling better I realized that I get busy with normal everyday pursuits. For me, it could be this blog, working on a new song, taking care of household chores. All the necessary things of life. This is all good but I understand too that when I was feeling bad and feeling ill, it was so much easier to find much more time to pray and study God's word. It is too easy to get involved with worldly things and just life in general. So I determine to continue to set time aside today and every day. Let me Glory in the Lord. I know that talking about Jesus all the time will probably keep many from finding any interest in this blog. So be it then because my life is more and more and as much as possible about Jesus Christ, who loves me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20  

I Feel Normal

Psalm 3:3-5 

³ But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

 ⁴ With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill.

⁵ I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.

This is a great scripture to start saying what I have been waiting to say.
It was a little more than 16 months ago that I suffered a severe heart attack (myocardial infarction). Most of that year and four months, I expected to expire at any moment. I was OK with that because of my faith. He gave me strength to work at staying active because I knew that if I didn't I would not have any quality of life. There are so many loving friends and family that have been holding me up in their thoughts and prayers and I know that it makes a difference. Even those who don't believe as I do may not understand but I think our Father in Heaven reads and hears those thoughts and feelings concerning his children. I am blessed to have a great team of doctors. Especially my cardiologist and my G.P..
The main thing I want to say today, just so you know....I feel normal! that is not a small thing.. I have not been able to say that for a long time. The two new stents have made a major difference. I have slept a full eight hours plus, for the last two nights. After only sleeping 3 to 5 hours a night for the last year or so, I can feel myself healing and life improving. 
I am still dealing with the pain of coccydinia(bruised tailbone), arthritic pain in my back, neck, knee and foot. They found that I have the early stage of chronic lympocytic leukemia. (Stage 0)
I have developed an inguinal hernia that we plan to take care of as soon as my cardiologist lets me slack off the blood thinner. Little things can be so annoying when all the other things are working against you, so it's hard to mention the corn on my toe that bothers when all else is resting... Ü. These things have made me mindful of others who are suffering with related problems and so reminds me to pray.
The Lord has brought me through so much and had some things to teach me. I think the most important of these things is that I have so many hours that I could devote to prayer (I mean serious prayer and supplication) and time to study and get into the word. Surely some will agree that sometimes in takes a two by four to the side of the head to get my attention but he has it now and I will lift his name and Glory in the Lord. 
He has given me a new song and I will be posting it on Youtube and on here when it's finished.
May he magnify your blessings today.

Praise God, I am still here.

                            Praise God, I am still here. 

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on here.  As many of you know, I suffered a severe heart attack in June of 2013. I have been working hard to come back from that. The medications that I take keeps my heart rate and blood pressure low and that and a damaged heart make it difficult to jump into things the way I use to. I don't have the same energy level.
I would like to tell you that I am working to stay very close to the Lord these days. It has made it more than possible to get through this. I have been blessed with a beautiful and loving family they have been such a great and wonderful support for me. Also friends from church and good neighbors. A lot of prayers have gone up for me and from me. I have prayed that as close as I feel to Jesus today will not change. It is good to feel him near.
Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me.  
I know that there is a purpose for my still being around and I want to be ready to serve him in any way I can. We never really know how what we say or do effects people, or how our witness touches lives. I may never know, but I have to say that God is good and he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
Two new stents in late September are helping me regain some strength and have renewed an optimistic attitude. I pray this will continue and increase in the future.
My thinking this morning is that I will be able to share some insights and thoughts that might help others to see hope and healing through these words and this blog.

 One day you're takin care of business. The next day, you are being taken care of.
Just working the way I always do but was brought up short with a blocked artery to my heart.
It was about 85 degrees on the 24th of June. I stepped into the house all sweaty and tired. Suddenly began to feel severe pain in my chest. At 1:30 PM I called 911, as there wasn't any doubt what it was. EMT and rescue was there within 15 and I was on my way to emergency before 2 PM. God bless those boys. I had taken an aspirin, but they gave me 4 more and a couple of nitroglycerin tabs on the way to the ER.

They pushed be into the operating room where I was fortunate to have had a couple of the best cardiologists in the country on hand. I was awake as they inserted a couple of stents in my heart. Then a week of poking and prodding, catheters, ekg's, sonograms, blood checks...Never ending and no rest, especially for me. With a bad back and hard to lay on my back, it just seemed so long and I can't sleep that way.
I want to compliment the nurses and staff of Sherman Hospital in Elgin. I can't imagine there being a better group of professionals. I was in the critical care unit while I was there. They were attentive and doing everything they could to ease your pain and make you comfortable. God bless them all,
from the EMTs and rescue squad to the doctors and nurses.
I was fortunate to have had my brother and his wife here visiting for a my granddaughters wedding. They were able to help me out for a few days as well as my kids who bent over backwards to be sure dad would be all right. Didn't make the wedding but you can see my boutonniere on my classy flannel shirt. Ü
We were able to have part of the little party I had been preparing for anyway and I feel I am much on the mend and ready to start rehab and meet the next 20 or 30 years with Gusto.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. “The Lord bless you and keep you;  
The Lord make His face shine upon you, 
And be gracious to you;  
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’

On the Mend