LIVING
Time goes by faster and faster now
and life doesn’t slow down either
Take time to laugh and sing and dance and dream
really relish the life you’ve been given
Sure, bad things happen
and people and our pets die
this is a part of life we never want to see
but death, too, has its place
Time goes faster than we would like
and our lives don’t slow down either
Make it a reminder for yourself
that going forward, you will really live as you live
Richard Warren, among 10 passengers in the landing party, when the Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod, November 11, 1620 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
PILGRIM
The people coming over on the Mayflower
were a brave people
guided by their faith and aspirations.
They chose a road little traveled
because it would lead to a goal ~
freedom and life.
In America, they learned new ways
and built community amongst themselves.
I am here now
as a modern-day pilgrim.
My course is set
and my faith is ready to lead the way.
There are obstacles to overcome
but this is just part of life.
A whole new world awaits me
though the path may get rough.
I forge ahead,
knowing that trials and learning experiences
will build my character,
and with pain comes beauty out of ashes.
I am — a pilgrim.
“Tell us about the role that faith plays in your life – or doesn’t.”
Faith plays a big role in my life. Through the abuse in childhood to a couple near drownings, abandonment as a teen, miracles, and complete cancer recovery, I just “know that I know” that God was with me every step of the way. I owe my life to him, as without him I would probably be dead already.
My faith has always given me something to hang onto even when I felt very unloved and like there was no one on earth that wanted me around.
My faith nicely took away my problem of worrying.
It got me through my breast cancer and allowed me to remain positive and inspired through it all.
My faith helps me to see that it’s not all about me, and there is a grand scheme to this thing we call life.
Friends (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Diamond Engagement Ring with side stones – In Platinum – 1791 Diamonds (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: pink ribbon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today is a holiday in the U.S. that promotes thankfulness.
I wish giving thanks were on the forefront in other parts of the year too.
The holiday is known for feasting (and usually overeating).
Personally, I sort of gag on turkey and prefer other meats (if at all).
Back to the subject of giving thanks – here is my list of the past year (in chronological order):
1. After dating a couple of years, my former husband and I decided we should marry again (see my countdown in the right margin). It’s so much different, and better, this time around. We wonder if it’s because of the difficult things we have had to go through the last five years that made us appreciate each other once again.
2. I was in my first photo shoot in February; I saw my picture on a billboard on the way to work every day for 2 weeks in April.
3. I found my new favorite author – Ken Barr of http://theroadcrew.wordpress.com – and I asked him if he blogged and if so, where. He said “WordPress”, and I was immediately hooked into this wonderful community we call WordPress.
3a. Having three different blogs has really been a blessing in my life. I have hit my writing stride and feel so artistically complete (and dreaming of and working on other projects too). Thank You, God!
4. Last April Fool’s Day I marked my 23rd year of work at the same company. They have treated me very well. I also have them to thank for my cancer care and recovery!
5. At my job I have been learning many new tasks. It is an exciting time there for me.
6. I am thankful for all the incredible blogs I have been reading and for all the friends I’ve made through them. So, in other words, you are my #6.
7. My first follower on this blog, my first blog, is a phenomenal person. (You know who you are) His support and enthusiasm is a constant.
8. I live in the U.S., which has its problems of course, but I love it here.
9. I serve a God who loves me and wants the best for me.
10. Last but not least, I am so glad I have life in my body, that I am here to write to you. It’s an amazing journey!
Thank You, God,
and thank you, friends,
Love,
Debb
Silk Road Covered Bridge (Photo credit: jcbwalsh)
Sometimes bridges are real high and modern
but sometimes they’re low and short, just to cross a river.
These are the ones that fascinate me:
The ones that have paint or a few planks missing
have the most character.
They could tell many tales, of that I am sure.
Most get to witness nature all around them
and travelers get to witness the wear and tear of the bridge’s years.
A bridge leads to the other side
to more terrain, beauty and even tragedy.
I have heard Heaven referred to as The Other Side,
and it is a bridge I sure want to cross.
However, the other bridges in my life I must cross, too,
and aid in my life becoming what it should be
and going where it should go.
_____
II.
I’m So Sad
Okay, God, I’m going to tell it to you like it is. Someone once said that you’re big and powerful, and you’ve heard it all before, so you can take anything we say. So, I’m going to talk to you like you’re sitting across the table from me.
My friend is dying from her cancer, as you know. I am so sad that she is in her final days now, and I am not in the small group of people that is allowed in the house to see her. I miss her terribly already. What can I do now? Pray is the only thing I can do, I guess.
She has fought her cancer like a trooper, never giving up, always holding on to her faith. How I wish I had that much faith!
I think when people grieve, we are grieving for ourselves and not the one dying. We are sad we won’t see them anymore (unless we see them in heaven later on) and sad to lose a friend. They say death is a part of life, so why does this seem so foreign? I am so utterly helpless, there is nothing left I can do. So powerless! So angry that she has to be taken already!
You know, maybe my friend is the lucky one. She gets to see you and heaven and all her family and friends before I can. She’s going where there are no more tears or pain or disabilities or broken hearts. Everything is perfection in heaven, so I’m sure she’ll really enjoy it. Thank you, God, for bringing her safely home. Please give me the strength to endure her absence, and help me to be thankful she’s with you, even though my wished-for timing of events is not your timing. Help me to be a good source of blessing and peace to her family and to do for them what they need right now.
Thank you Lord,
Amen.
English: pink ribbon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I will use the pronoun “she” in this poem, even though yes, some men do get breast cancer, and I don’t forget that many men suffer many different kinds of cancer too…The Cancer Survivor Warrior
There she is in the grocery store
looking tired and weak.
She is certainly these things
but her badge of honor is not worn on the outside.
She is much stronger in her character now
Much stronger than she’d ever guess herself to be.
She has been through so much
and probably still forces herself to keep going to her paid job.
There is another cancer survivor in the post office.
Unless she is bald,
you would never know she has cancer.
She goes about her normal every-day duties
even though she has a membership in “the club”.
The cancer survivors club was not something
she ever chose to join,
it just found her as she won an unseen lottery
that wasn’t necessarily genetically based
or inherited.
The lottery “prize” for this club is
a sharp wake-up call,
an experience that will teach you things
that you never dreamed you would learn.
The experience changes the warrior’s life
forever, but not in a bad way.
Cancer survivor warriors report that they
receive a new clarity, a new appreciation for life
and their people.
Sometimes membership in the cancer survivors club
leads to a shortened life
and sometimes to a life that has been changed for the better.
Whether their lives are cut short or returned to them,
let us remember the warriors in prayer as they fight for their lives.
They need our support more than
advice we are not qualified to give
and our opinions that mean nothing.
Hats off to my dear fellow members
of the cancer survivors club.
You are awesome and incredibly strong,
brave and courageous.
You may not feel that you are these things,
but some day you will realize it is these qualities
that helped you through.
I pray that the Lord would bless you
with good health, guidance and peace.
I am so proud of you,
I love you, and to you I will
always remain loyal and supportive.
— Debbie Loesel Stanton
Blueprint of design Heilig Hartkerk, Eindhoven, Netherlands (modified by me) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Remember the paper that blueprints were printed on? They always intrigued me because here was something put on slippery, weird blue paper…Houses must have been on my mind a lot, because I remember discovering at the tender age of seven which my two favorite house styles were: Colonial and Salt Box. Then, I discovered my mother’s “Better Homes and Gardens” and “House Beautiful”, and I loved poring over the house plans they always had in the back of the magazines. Kinda strange for a kid…who couldn’t draw (and still can’t) to save her life and never even thought of becoming an architect. My parents weren’t gifted with drawing ability, either, so it’s hard to tell where my love of architecture came from. I still love to explore different neighborhoods and see if I can name the different styles.Life is a little bit like that. We don’t always know why we do things or love certain people or things, but we just simply do. I believe God is a great Master Architect…he does have a plan for each person on earth, but it is one that constantly changes because we humans change, and we are able to make our own choices. So when we choose the wrong path and mess up, for example, and we get the blueprints all smeared up with our wayward peanut butter and jelly, God is able to revise the master plan. He knows our weaknesses and strengths, so he helps us build our lives accordingly. He would never install a fireplace without a chimney or put luxurious carpeting in the garage, because he knows what will work and what won’t. Likewise, things he plans for us (blessings AND tests to help us grow strong) are thought through and not just thrown at us.
And now, my friend, you have just witnessed the closest thing I will ever get to a sermon on my blogs. And that’s just fine. My intent is never to preach, but in this case, I just found things interesting…
May the blueprint of your life remain interesting and flexible, with stains and rips and too much ink kept to a minimum. 🙂
Debb
“Really Living”
There is a fabulous word named “living”
which sometimes is associated with giving.
Living is not something you do,
Not making it on the list of Who’s Who,
But the way you experience life
and not just survive with your children or husband or wife.
Life is important, this much is true
To try to not waste it, this we should do.
The Sunshine Factor 