Treasures of Friendship

Sometimes I guess I have underestimated the value of friends in my life. I am sort of an independent spirit and don't like to rely on anyone for anything...and maybe that is not always so good! This last year has been very interesting....I have made more friends this year than I think in my whole life! I have restored some friendships that I thought were forever lost and maybe the most important valuable lesson I have learned is how to be a better friend!
Throughout this last year, I have made some new friends who already have become special to me. I  love each of them dearly and we have laughed, cried, and prayed together over many things.
I guess somehow I am special to them as well for each of them at some time or other has given me some gift! I have never in my life had so many gifts given to me as this last year!! Someone asked me the other day how I rated and why I should be so favored as to always be getting these gifts? Well, I am not for sure....but I have turned my gifts from these treasured friends into prayer reminders. You see, each of these friends belong to my prayer group I go to each Tuesday. Each one has a special need. These gifts from my friends are scattered throughout my home and as I wander from room to room I am reminded of each friend and I silently utter a prayer.

I look at these ducks and I think of the man who is  in the wheelchair

A lady who is in chronic pain gave me this dish

 

 

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There's the oil lamp that my dear friend gave me. She is losing her sight.I am reminded to pray for her as I sit on my sofa.   There have been many numerous other gifts throughout the year...I cannot name them all and I did not take pictures of them all; but I have come to treasure the friends God places in my life and have learned that if you pray for people instead of cutting them down ...your friendships blossom into a special treasure!

Mommy of Twins Twice!

Jeffrey Daniel Wood/Justin David Wood

Bryan Michael Wood/Bethany Leigh Wood

Yesterday, February 1, was Bryan and Bethany's 25th birthday! I am amazed at how the years have flown by with the wind speed of a tornado! Maybe you will be amazed to know that I had a second set of twins exactly one year and one week after
Bryan and Bethany were born! That's right! Bryan and Bethany were three months old when I found out I was pregnant once again....ugh! My belly was growing too big too soon once again and our suspicions were justified after an ultrasound once again showed a set of twins! I remember driving home from the Dr.'s office thinking to myself that this just couldn't be....why me? I felt so special! I always loved kids....funny that God should allow Me to have two at once but then to have another
two? Wow...what a privilege! So, as overwhelming as it was to think of the fact that I would have a set of newborn twins,one year old twins, and a three year old all at the same time with no family around to help.....I was overjoyed!  The only apprehension I had was I didn't want to go through the same thing with this set of twins with the intensive care unit and all of the many problems at birth. I was determined to carry this set of twins to full term so they would not have the same problems. I was ordered on bed rest for most of the pregnancy which for me was a difficult thing to do seeing I had little ones to care for but we managed and all took naps at the same time! Thankfully I made it through another twin pregnancy and on February 7th, a year after my first set of twins, I was wheeled into that same operating room and had another c-section! This time I was wise and chose to Not watch as my guts were sliced! Of course I was a bit fearful that the same thing was going to happen and a little bit anxious that when I awoke the nurses would tell me my babies had been whisked away to the intensive care unit as the last set of twins. I had to pray and trust and just rest. When I came around from the anesthetics I heard the babies crying from across the room and it was a welcomed sound! The two baby boys were completely healthy and over 6lbs each! In just a few days we were taking these two little boys home to our family! I didn't have much help,but I did have some and somehow we managed! I look back now and am amazed at myself and know that it was the Lord who gave me the strength and the love for children and the endurance that I needed at that particular time in my life! Well, February 7th is coming up..it is a day to celebrate the birth of Justin and Jeffrey. Twins have a special bond...Justin and Jeffrey are identical twins which is special in itself! So on Feb 7th I will be saying...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN IN TEXAS  .....AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFFREY IN HEAVEN.
 

I'm Still Standing

When I  was growing up my dad took us on camping trips every summer. It was something that I always looked forward to. I loved the freedom of being outdoors and I still do. I still enjoy a relaxing afternoon walking through the field or just walking through the woods listening to all of the sounds of nature. I don't think my mom enjoyed these camping trips as much as us kids as they were work for her, but it was an adventure to me. It was exciting to me and my sister to check out each new campground for the outhouse! As soon as we unpacked our gear we would run to find it and inspect it to see if it would make a suitable place for us to set up our "Barbie's house".  This time period of course was back when most campgrounds only had the old stinky outhouses with just a hole and lots of bugs and by no means sanitary by today's standards. 
On one of these camping trips when I was maybe eight years old, I remember getting up on top of a picnic table and I began shaking it and singing at the top of my lungs. We weren't the only ones there by the way, so I am sure I must have been somewhat of an embarrassment  to my mom but I was oblivious!  With every bit of confidence I could muster for an eight year old, I bellowed out...."I'm a WOMAN....W-O-M-A-N!!  Cuz  I'm a WOMAN.....W-O-M-A-N!"(song from Helen Reddy?) I was so confident, so ready to take on the world, so unafraid of anything!!
 I am now fifty and I have been through many hardships. Some have just happened. Everyone has things happen in their lives and we all have to deal with that. Some have more than their share and some people give up at the first sign of trouble! No one knows better than my own family the many things that I have been through. I can't, nor will, list them all , but just to name a few, I've experienced the loss of a child, divorce, disease,rejection,betrayal, cancer of a loved one, caring for a brain injured spouse,and numerous other trials along the way...some which were just natural consequences of my own poor choices. My point is..."I'M STILL STANDING".... not just because I'm a woman, and I am a feisty one indeed...but because ...."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  Phil.4:13