A new tumor…

a brain glioma and the growth of a plexiform neurofibroma causes us to have a new journey through chemo. Koda’s status; sign his guestbook.

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Can it get any worse for me…

is what I use to say as I have looked homelessness in the face, I have been in a place of my life when I didn’t have a bed, I have known a lot of people and never had a “friend”, I have been in the pits of darkness, loss, and despair. I have been by the bedside of my loved ones whom took their last breath, I have been forced to do things I would have never chose on my own, I had to grow up fatherless, I have children with medical/health/development/behavioral issues, I have lost my mother at a young age, I have been through a divorce, I have done and seen way more than I would ever ask anyone to even image. But because of these things; I can say “I understand” when there is another one in that place, I can comfort with words of experience, I can encourage when there is no hope, I can just listen when they need to tell someone, I can embrace when they need to cry. There’s healing in relationships of being known. I’ve healed because God has so gracely placed such people in my life. For this I am so eternally grateful.

…for the little things, but some of the most important things; a roof, a bed, blankets, and the things money can’t buy; like true friendship when you need a bed…they bring you one. I’ve got to experience that a lot lately. More than I want really but am so thankful. Through people being the hands and feet of Jesus I have a desire to know Him better. It’s because of Him that we have anything good. I have gifted, energetic, creative, and amazing children, I have a simple home with all the love in the world, I have Jesus in my heart, and I have a husband who loves me, provides to the uttermost, and just plain likes me. I have a Heavenly Father, I’m no longer in a pit of despair, I have a mother awaiting me in Heaven, I chose to do things now that make a difference in the world, I see things in a different view, I walk hand to heart with people into the unimaginable, I help deliver backpacks of food for children in need, I have a lot of friends, I can sit and be quiet when I really want to shout, I can help comfort the dying to a place they really want to go, I see the light daily, and I’m thankful that He has made it so clear through the windows of our eyes if we’ll just open them and take off the glasses of lies. We are without excuse the Bible tells us…

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Romans 1:19-21

Thankful…for my vision, health, limbs, ability to move, speak, hear, and most of all live in the freedom to express my love for Jesus; and all He has done for me! Are you thankful?

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The journal

Image via Wikipedia

As I wrote in my journal today; I asked why? Why do I journal? My journal is everything to me, it’s my life on paper; my every thought, desire, light bulb moments, goals,…………  I’m in too deep……but I keep going back for more; save me!  I really think that I am being truthful when I say I am emotionally devoted to getting my story out to the world that deeply hides the very same secrets, desires, and experiences in life. I have always known I was supposed to write a book; what type of book…….never really knew.  It’s becoming very clear to me today that I have been led down a path of deliverance that has brought healing through such writing. I may not even have a thought when I start, but I start even if it’s with what I had for breakfast; then it just rolls off the fingers.

I don’t know even where to start on getting a book published, so that’s one of the excuses of why I never did it. I have found so much happiness in life and who I am through these writings; who knows, maybe this is really my “purpose” in this world. I’ll never know if I don’t try, right? I always thought it was to interpret for my deaf mother, or help my grandma think through things and be the only one who seemed to care about her, to be at the beck and call of some man, to mother my three children…………….Wait, what about me?

Ohhh that sounded selfish! I can’t do that, it’s not right to think about me when I still have so much to do for everyone else. I can no longer interpret for my mother, she’s no longer with me; but hearing all the beautiful sounds of heaven. I am no longer “needed” to take care of granny because she now lives with my uncle, and she has “forgotten” so much that there are days that no one else exists in her life but him. I am no longer being at some man’s beck and call because I’m not with a person that requires that of me any longer. I will always be a mother, and that job really never ends just the job duties as they age.

All the stuff I have to do: really is only Motherhood, and it doesn’t require my every moment; though it sometimes feels like it. How I can be the best for everyone else if I can’t be the best me. I can’t be the best me if I’m depressed, fatigued, and so busy doing ……..and if I’m not the best me how can I be the best at what I do. I do desire being the best in every area of my life. No I’m not a perfectionist, and I realize that I cannot be the best at everything. I have desires that I want to fulfill.  Why shouldn’t I be able to do it; it is my life, isn’t it? Why have I been brought up in this world to think that living by giving to everyone and not taking myself into consideration is the way to “leave my legacy”? Who taught me that? Was such teaching by example; now that I write it down……….it was. The very people who taught me that are/were unhappy, alone, no one comes to see them, gave everything and have nothing, lost a sense of reality…….why would I want to end up that way.

Why? No! I refuse to end up that way………life is too short! I have some more changes to make……..it seems to never stop. It’s autumn now……….another season in my life; I really like it today because its full of vibrant rich colors! I am happy! Without my journal I don’t think I would ever figure a lot of my life out the way that I have. I have found freedom in my writing even though no one may read it, but they do read it. I have got many emails from people stating they feel the very same way, and I have been thanked for showing such subjects in another light. There is a reason for it all…………and I am full of emotions right now about the exciting new seasons coming my way.

Can’t wait to share it with you! I’ve always wondered why I would lay awake at night running so many thoughts through my head; it was “time to journal”. There is a time for many things in life; cry, laugh, dance, ……..it’s best said: Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven.

2A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

3A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance.

5A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

6A time to search and a time to quit searching.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

8A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.

………………..and now my journal has helped me realize there is a “time for me”! Enjoy Life!

 

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The Father figure………

 

Cover of The Last Song

 

is what most of us would call “Daddy”. First though, I must say that I have been four days thinking about this blog and just couldn’t get it written due to distractions, fear, and really ignoring the pain of it all. I was scared that I might find the wound to be more than the scar it had become. This all started by watching one of the best movies so far this year: “The Last Song“! Amazing! I know, I was skeptical too because it had Miley Cyrus in it, but it was shocking, tender, and humorous all in the same scene so many times. I definitely recommend it. This movie touched a open wound in me, a wound that I really have looked at several times throughout my life; but never tried to completely heal.  It’s like I sprayed “new skin” over the wound to cover it up, but never let it heal properly from the inside out.

This wound is called my biological father, a male figure that had a part in giving me life but had denied his part in it for many years. In short, my mom & this man were married for approximately six months. In that time frame, I was conceived. I never knew this man, and only met him at the age of 12 due to an urgent need to find out family history for an illness I had. So for the first 12 years of life, my family consisted of my mother and maternal grandparents. There was a picture of their wedding day that hung high above the staircase……though my mother had always wished it to be taken down. My grandmother always insisted that I know as much about my father as possible. All I knew is what he looked like, and their side of the stories.

I’m not sure when this wound truly came to be an actual wound, but I do know it has been festering up with a infection from the very pit of me for a very long time. I’ve always had a way to quick treat it with excuses, denial, forgiveness, and other men in my life. That statement alone could be a blog all by itself for another time. The quick treatments worked for awhile, but the subject kept being brought to my attention. Then one summer, summer of 2008, I realized that this very man was the beginning of my conception of men at a very early age and who I was going to be in life. A worthless accident!

Men are not to stick around, they don’t love their wives until death do us part, they are cheaters, they abuse, they don’t care about anything but themselves, they are to be given what they ask whenever they ask it, they are to be idolized, they are to be the boss of everything, you have no say, you don’t count, you are not worth them staying around for, you are not a princess, and there is no prince coming to sweep you off your feet. Your very father didn’t stay around to even see you, why in the world would any other man want you. You are worthless!

See it didn’t matter really what the stories I was told about him were; the only message I got was I wasn’t worth it! I didn’t care that they got divorced, but I did care to have that “Daddy” that so many girls look up to. I did care to have a man acknowledge that I was pretty and their princess; as all girls truly desire. I wanted to be wanted! Don’t we all?

I had a man that tried to take that place, and that was man was my grandpa. He did the best that he could, but no one can really fill that void of an abandoned father. He did do all those things that a “daddy” would do, but he wasn’t my dad and I knew it. I’m grateful to have had my grandpa so close to me, and to try and step in that place that I think he; himself felt he had failed with his own children. RIP, Grandpa Emerson……you were a man that taught me great things, and most of all loved me through it all!

At the age of 12, I met my father for the first time. I grew angry to find that he only lived about 30 minutes from me the entire time. You see, it’s a small world that I was born in because both of my parents are deaf. Deaf communities are very tight and closely knit……..so how was it I never was faced with this meeting much sooner; I don’t know. I was excited, but had a soreness about it all. I met his parents and my half brother soon after that.  I had a whole other family…….I thought for sure now that he could see I looked just like him; we would begin to build this late relationship. This relationship never got built. We seen each other a few times over the next couple of years, but no “daddy” was ever established. I have several times as an adult faced my father trying to get some type of “approval”, but always finding out in the end: I’m not worth it!

I ended up in life trying to have every man unconsciously fill those shoes; so in the end every relationship with men has failed. I had failed as a person, I was an accident and that is why I was abandoned and abused. WRONG!

I made one final attempt that summer of ’08 to mend the heart of a girl whom never grew out of the need for “daddy”……..only to find I have the most wonderful Father of all! He has always been there with me through every tear, laugh, test, boyfriend, car wreck, etc. I got to free my conscience of needing to please my biological father, to gain his approval, to be his princess, to be what he wanted me to be, and to have his unconditional love. My true “Daddy” blows all daddies away………..no matter what I do, He loves me and only asks that I love Him back.  Love in exchange is the only condition in this relationship. I have through my life treated Him just as I felt I had be treated…………I’ve abandoned Him, cussed Him, used Him, lied to Him, abused Him, think of Him only when I gain from it, etc. He forgives me and loves me like the Queen of all the court. Thank you Daddy for being there even though I didn’t know it, ignored it, or denied it. Thank you for allowing the wound to fester up and come to a head, so I could figure out what was Truth, Life, and Love!

So after the movie, I looked in the mirror and cried due to the sadness of it all; but you see that is not what this very movie is even about; I won’t tell the story so it’s not ruined for others. The movie only reminded me of that very open wound that I had for so long…..it reminded me of a time when I had to please men; however, whenever, wherever, so that I could prove to myself that I was worthy! I’m sad because how many girls are living life today “without a daddy”……….but are truly a beautiful Princess that they have disguised through the actions and words of the “not real” men in their lives to be true.

If you believe you’re not a princess……..you are very wrong! You were made in His image, so you are of the Royal Court; and you are loved like no one else! You are His most prize possession. He will not push the relationship on you, but gladly runs to you only if you desire Him……..He’s right there, now. You didn’t read this post by accident; accidents don’t happen…….I thought I was one; I am not and neither are you! You are worth it, you are everything, you are beautiful, and you have a Daddy! Free your conscience of the guilt, anger, and lies so you can love like you have never loved before! It so fun to live life and love everyone with no conditions!

My Father figure is a heavenly man that only some have heard of through stories……….He is the Ultimate Daddy; and I share!

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