Thankful for God and those He uses

On Wednesday, June 20, Rick had a heart cath. With 2 arteries closed at 99% Dr. Hazen sent him straight to Charlotte to Carolina Medical Center. Lori and I followed later. Rick was in good spirits with no pain but Dr. Hazen said you don't want to go home and think about it because any time the arteries could go to 100%. So he went by ambulance. On Friday at 10 am he had surgery for 3 bypasses. So many circles of people were praying. He had an excellent doctor, Dr. Stiegall and excellent care throughout the hospital. It was a little touchy because of his lung function but still with that he did great after a few days. He came home on Thursday, June 28. We were both exhausted and it was a little scary being on our own at home. But with help from Lori, Julie and Clay we are now progressing. Backtracking a little, Dru, his sister, and husband Glenn stayed with me in Charlotte during that week. We were directed to the Hospitality House right behind the hospital. For $40 a night we had a private room with 3 single beds and bathroom, tv. This place was a God send. Three floors, each with a fantastic laundry room. A large kitchen with double appliances, a pantry with donated food and pans, dishes and small appliances of any kind you might need. You could cook your own meals. We met so many nice people there, volunteers and families all with their own health crisis. Eric, Seth, Ericca and Megan came down from Ohio. It meant so much to Rick to see the eagerness they had to spend time with him. Mike and Kelly visited him also and he was very pleased to see them. Many friends and family have helped us out financially and no words can say thank you enough. I am learning to dole out his many medicines. Something I didn't get involved in previously. He always took care of that. Among his "chores" I am taking over is laundry, bill paying, cooking, upkeep of small house maintenance and grocery shopping. OF COURSE, I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR ALL OF THIS. Lori, Julie and Clay have been a great help. And Dru and Glenn will be back this evening to stay a few days while I am at work. I am so thankful for God and those He uses to perform such miracle tasks as fixing a heart. Thanks for the many phone calls, facebook posts and texts to check on us. If I have left anyone out forgive me. May God bless you all.

Well here I am again awake. Slept for about an hour then seemed to have indigestion and couldn't go back to sleep. I have been enjoying my granddaughter Allie Jane and any extra time I have I go see her. Thankful to God for the joy she brings. To her I am Grammy and I love it. She is 5 weeks old now and "talking" to me when I talk to her in my high pitched Grammy baby voice. I love singing little songs to her. She was born in the same month as my grandaughter Ericca who is now 10. Ericca and her brother Seth who is 16 got in their snuggles a couple of weeks ago, along with dad Eric. Isn't she a cutie? I want to enjoy each stage with her but I am already planning on having Grammy tea parties! Now let me see, how soon can I start? I guess we can have pretend tea with an empty cup. I'll have to go searching for the right tea set. Do they have baby rattlers that look like a tea cup? Off to search before I go back to bed. Can't get these pictures and words to place correctly and I give up.

Night (Early morning) thoughts/ramblings

Well I guess I am following in my daughters footsteps. Can't sleep so I'm on the computer. This will not be a long post because I am thinking I better lay down before I have to get up for work. I have caught a glimpse of some of my old posts/devotions shared. I need to go back and read them and catch some of the blessings God gave me then. The blog setup has changed so much and I have written so little lately that I seem to have lost my ability to move around and understand the new setup. I am impatiently waiting for my granddaughter to be born. Can't wait to hold her and snuggle. Praying for many spiritual needs as I am awake. Seems I can't get prayer requests off my mind: my children & grandchildren, cancer victims with young families, girl at work who lost her mom last night, my husbands health, the whole world that needs delivered from great sin by a wonderful Saviour. How we need a great revival and deliverance from God! May God bless everyone who reads this and goodnight.

Granddaughter Excitement

Excitement is my inward feelings these last few weeks. We are expecting our 5th grandchild, a girl, in the next couple of weeks. My daughter has been so gracious in letting us be involved with all the plans. She even picked out names for us: Grammy and Poppy, and made picture frames for us with the last ultrasound picture with Allie Jane seemingly smiling. She has let me feel Allie Jane kick. How neat! We have worked on making a cradle mattress. It is done. We have yet to complete "Momma rocker" seat and back pads. We made a crib skirt. And I am currently working on finishing a quilt with the help of a friend that has 6 embroidered squares of Mother Goose characters, which is the theme of the nursery. All of this is skills that I have not practised for years and I pray my way through each project. :}

I pray for a safe, great experince in labor and delivery. And I jokingly talk to Allie Jane and tell her when she is born to ask for Grammy Jane! I read her a story the other night and I have sang her songs. Of course, none of this compares with everything her mother is doing and will do for her. It's just an experience that I have not yet got to experience with my other grandchildren, although I love them dearly.

Their phases are great also, texting back and forth, seeing them say I love you. Watching their basketball game. That warms my heart.

Well, this is a great start to a long Easter weekend. Thanks for listening and God bless you.

Alone with God

I am alone with God this morning. When I woke up I didn't expect such a drawing from God to Him.

I have lots of time today to do anything I want. And I certainly planned to spend some time in the Word and in prayer. But I wasn't quite sure how this day would pan out. I don't have to be anywhere at all.

With my cup of tea in hand I retreated to my double rocking love seat to sprawl out with three different Bibles. The first thing that came to mind was an old hymn "Alone with God":

"When storms of life are round me beating, when rough the path that I have trod,
Within my closet door retreating, I love to be alone with God.

Chorus:
Alone with God the world forbidden,
Alone with God oh blest retreat!
Alone with God and in him hidden
To hold with Him communion sweet.

What tho the clouds have gathered o'er me? What tho I've passed beneath the rod?
God's perfect will there lies before me, When I am thus alone with God

Tis there I find new strength for duty, as o'er the sands of time I plod
I see the King in all His beauty, while resting there alone with God."