The Long and Winding Road......

 Greetings to all my friends!! I just want to take this time to say thank you all for your love- your support- your prayers during these last 3 1/2 months. My family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This was probably the hardest season ever in my life- my set back has me ready for a come-back.    

As most of you know this all started the first of August when we took my brother into the E.R. for what we thought was a migraine only to have him admitted with COPD, Pneumonia, Emphysema, gall bladder poisoning, Thrush and anything else they could find.  It was touch and go for several days - and then on Tuesday, after being in the hospital for 10 days, they told him they were releasing him to go to rehab. That next morning- he died every unexpectedly.  We have no rhyme or  reason- he just went Home to be with Jesus.  5 days later, we get a torrential downpour and our basement floods with 2.5 feet of raw sewage and we lost almost everything- heirlooms from my Mother- Christmas heirlooms, keyboard, so many memories- just GONE.    Count it all joy?? Just how do you do that in the midst of your world being turned upside down?  We had to get help from our church to take care of my brother- he had NOTHING- no pension, no life insurance- NOTHING.   I went through a funk like I have never been through in my life. There were days I did not and could not get out of bed- I felt like a zombie- I didnt want to pray- I didnt want to read the Word- all I wanted to do was cry.  Thank GOD for my Anthem family!!!!!   They held me up- checked on me- prayed- sent food.  Just when I felt like things were getting back to our new "normal"- I get sick -- with pneumonia.     I know I am no spring chicken anymore- but I think from all of the stress of everything, my body was not bouncing back from the sickness either.  Yes, I totally believe in healing- and I claimed it and stood on it- but there are times you just need to slow down and rest-  which is what I am trying to do now.  I heard a fantastic devotional this morning about God setting your "set back" for a "come back"- and it ministered to me like nothing else I have heard recently.         It challenged me- it encouraged me- it pricked my heart- it excited me.  One thing I have learned from all of this that what the enemy means for harm-- God is turning it around for HIS glory and HIS purpose!    I have felt like I have only been going through the motions for the last 3 1/2 months- motions of just barely living- motions of just trying to put one foot in front of the other and make it to my next place-   I have wanted to quit- to throw in the towel- to just turn my back and walk away from everything and everybody- BUT God has a bigger plan.   A MUCH bigger plan.  Sometimes we just need to pull back the reins- stop what we are doing and just REST in HIM.    Get the big picture from HIM again and when He says go-- GO!!  

I love you all- thank you again for your love- support- prayers- encouragement- and just "being there".......  It means the world to me!!