Small Miracles...

Just a short post. This has been quite a week leading up to my mom's birthday. I've had so many wonderful memories of her. A little project that got put on the back burner, first by me and then by my sis, was to find a reel to reel player to listen to mom's old tapes. Two days ago, my sister's partner surprised her with an old portable reel to reel player. The first tape she listened to had mom learning the guitar and singing one of our dad's favorite songs to sing, Keys to the Kingdom. Needless to say, we both did some crying and some laughing too. It's the small miracles that make life so amazing!

Give Aways and Happy Sunday!

Here are two more wonderful Give Aways! The first is from Carol Anne's Boutique.

Click this image to go directly to the Give Away.

Here are some of Carol Anne's Give Away Items! Lovely!



The second Give Away is at Miss Molly's Cottage.

Click the image below to go directly to the Give Away post and sign up.



Miss Molly will be adding a picture of her Give Aways.

It is a lot of fun entering, and I have actually won a couple in the past. There are so many generous, sweet ladies in "blogland" and it's been a pleasure getting to know so many. When you visit these blogs to enter, try to take a minute or more to browse through their posts. I know you will enjoy it!

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It's a happy Sunday for me! I do my final Solumedral (steroid) infusion, and get to remove the catheter. Yay! Some of the side affects are not so great... more facial hair (ewwww!), achy bones (and it thins the bones and can cause dental problems...boo!), puffy face, weight gain, metallic taste in the mouth, on and on...

I know which ones I will most likely get as I have had to have the 6 hours of infusions three other time. It really puts a stop to the attack I am having, and usually gives me more energy for quite some time. I decided not to have it when I had my last checkup 6 months ago. This time my neurologist and I went through the pros and cons. The worst was that over those 6 months, I had continued to go downhill. My left eye started losing vision just last week. It was definitely time to have this done again!

I believe in the gifts of healing that God has placed in the hands of doctors. This hasn't stopped me from praying and hoping for a complete miracle of healing, but I am so thankful that these treatments are available for me. I continue to support and pray for more revelation in the field of medicine... Cures for MS, Parkinson's, Cancers of all kinds, Lou Gehrig's Disease... and so many others. Pray and Believe with me!

Blessings!

Nita Jo

Joy In My Journey

I have been having a few "bad" days with my MS. I had the worst headache I can remember having. It started Friday, and continued to get worse on Saturday and Sunday. I had told one of my very best friends about it.

When she went to church Sunday morning, they asked for all who were suffering with headaches to come forward. Since I was not there, my dear friend went up in my place. The pastor prayed for healing for me and that I would hear a song in my heart. My friend just told me about this an hour ago. The following song by Michael Card has been going through my head since Sunday evening. I've been singing bits of it around the house and when driving my son to driver's ed.

Joy in the Journey
Michael Card

There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
And freedom for those who obey

And all those who seek it shall find it
A pardon for all who believe

Hope for the hopeless

And sight for the blind

To all who've been born of the Spirit
And who share incarnation with Him
Who belong to eternity stranded in time
And weary of struggling with sin

Forget not the hope that's before you
And never stop counting the cost
Remember the hopelessness
When you were lost

Cause there is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way

There is a wonder and wildness to life

And freedom for those who obey
And freedom for those who obey

I love the music and the lyrics of this song! Oh, and my headache was easing off at noon and was gone by about 2:30 Sunday afternoon. This is what keeps me believing in the power of prayer. I didn't know I had been prayed for, but I know the results. I've been struggling with these terrible headaches off and on for the past three months. They last anywhere from 3 days to a week. They are resistant to pain medication, and they had gotten progressively worse. Saturday the pain was well beyond the "10" in the "rate your pain from 1 to 10, 10 being the worst you have ever had" and I didn't know what else I could do... then somebody prayed.

So, today I put myself on our prayer chain for the other things that are happening in my body. I try very hard not to complain (though I do now and then... being human and all!) so I had not shared everything that's been going on. My left arm went numb a few weeks ago, and this week the numbness spread to the left side of my torso. What's strange is the skin is numb, but there is still muscle and bone pain underneath. My muscle spasms in my legs and back have returned, so I have been forced to use a cane to get around again.

Even with all this, I know I am so much better off than many people around the world. I have a loving family who takes care of me when it's needed, I have excellent insurance and health care, I have a church family that prays for me when I ask, and I have a Heavenly Father that answers prayer... sometimes with a miracle. My head is pain free today, and my heart is grateful that I can always find joy in my journey.

Sunday Scribblings - Miracles

mir'a-cle, n., unusual splendid occurrence

That is the definition in my mother's little "Thumb Ease Webster's Dictionary". It's a paperback, spiral-bound, portable edition. I'm sure there are more detailed definitions in other dictionaries, but I love this one;
Unusual... Splendid... Occurrence...
The words are interesting on their own. Combined, they are beautiful.

My mother had an unusual splendid occurrence. If you believe, as she believed, then she was healed of cancer at the age of 26. A divine miracle. It was a life changing experience for her.

I have often prayed for miracles. Some I've seen fulfilled. The couple who wanted so much to have a child; they explored all options... time passed and still they prayed... odds were stacked against them, but they continued to hope. Now they watch their beautiful daughter laugh and dance and live. Their miracle.

Many times I pray, but the miracle does not come. You might think this would cause me to lose faith in miracles, but you would be wrong. I still pray. I still believe. If a miracle was granted every time I asked, then it would cease to be a miracle. For me it is worth believing in, and waiting for, that sweet moment of an Unusual Splendid Occurrence.

copyright 9/8/2008

Prayer Request

My cousin, Sally, had a stroke Sunday evening. Family and friends have been holding her in prayer. She is now conscious and has been able to communicate. She has some movement in arms and legs, and most importantly, knows her family and knows where she is (though she wants to go home).

She is healthy and strong, a dancer, but the bloodclot is in a dangerous place. Her recovery may take quite some time. She needs a miracle.

I would appreciate those of you who pray, to pray with us believing for that miracle.