The Life of Glory

July 2012 " 'I can do all things through him who strengthens me' has been my mantra for many years but recently a woman from my church gave me the okay to say "I can't." She said 'we are only human, we have   limits .' It is very hard for me to admit that. However, the freedom I have had this month by simply saying "I can't" and knowing that God gets it, is extraordinary. For the truth of the matter is that I can't handle this. I can't handle leaving church because my right arm won't work and I'm terrified it will move to the rest of my body and cause a scene. I might endure it, for I have no choice, but I really can't physically, emotionally or spiritually handle it. I'm going on 7 years of living like this, a slave to my body, with no answer as to why. And now it has progressed to a stage that prevents me from working like a normal person. Yet  God gave us himself so we can live in the freedom of "I can...

S ometimes you just need an excuse to dress up and watch a movie! Last June (2012), after my near fatal bout with influenza, I had been mostly bedridden for three months. I was making good headway toward more frequent walks beyond the front door. Even driving around being a part time nanny! (Although I still had to sleep the entire time the kids were in school to have any kind of energy and that didn't always work). So, I took a break from my sorrows and spent six hours of bliss, with tea, snacks and good fellowship.  These two extraordinary women with me in the photograph hosted a themed Pride & Prejudice  viewing party that we all dressed up for. My own dear Junia Leigh (one of the besties) and her beautiful mother, whom I call Marmie. They are both stunning examples of strength, perseverance, gentleness, ingenuity and womanhood in general! With my sweet sister Junia, the kindest soul I know, and her fearless honesty by my side. Then beautiful Marmie with ...

 Friday, March 4, 2011  It had been a few weeks since I watched my favorite dog, River Tam, get hit by a car. The dynamics of my household were all out of whack and too blue. So, while Emily was in school, I went to High Sierra Animal Rescue "just to look" at some dogs I had seen on their website. Of course, I fell in love with a funny looking, skinny dog I hadn't even considered, who had a cone on his head and tiny little dreadlocks. He was the only dog who didn't bark at me when I walked down the isle. He just stood there wagging his whole body and looking up at me. So that Friday I brought a 2 1/2 year old "Scampy" home and he hated his name. Seriously, this dog rolled his eyes at me when I said Scampy and proceeded to ignore me as much as possible for days. Emily and I tried name after name after name. I really wanted to name him Winston or Knightly, but neither he nor Emily liked those. So, on a chance, I called him "honey" when he w...

 Saturday, March 23  The Day of the Wedding: I was fine...and then I wasn't. " It was time to start lining up to walk down the isle. I was one of the bridesmaids and my back started having painful muscle spasms. I thought I could push through it at first, but when I stood up to go get in line my legs fell underneath me and forced me to sit back down. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized that I was going to miss the ceremony. One of my best friends was getting married and I was going to miss it. I was happy beyond words for her as she stood arm in arm with her father ready to walk. She looked over her shoulder, giving me the okay to stay behind. I wept. I knew this was likely to happen when I woke up that morning, but it snuck up on me and caught me off guard at the worst possible time. The spasms increased as I listened to the processional from my little room. The bride's uncle and his wife stayed at my side and talked me through each painful set of spasms. The...