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Long Overdue Update

It has been a minute since I've blogged and I really miss it. I have a lot on my plate and it is hard to put into words everything that has happened in the past year, so I have avoided it. I realize that I need to express my thoughts and write down how God continues to show up in our lives. We are so grateful for the truth that "He never leaves or forsakes us." In the past year my brother, Gerry, fought cancer and was ultimately called to his heavenly home with Jesus on January 30, 2024. My sister, Cheryl, went through chemo, surgery and now infusions for her ovarian cancer. She is still struggling with the effects of chemo (etc.) but is cancer free and hopefully will soon be gaining her strength back. My sister-in-law, Connie, is here in the Village where we live and the sisters have wonderful fellowship together. Rich struggles with communicating, memory, and doing simple tasks (such as dressing, grooming, eating). He is such a blessing with his sweet and grateful spirit. I am thankful that I am able to care for him and enjoy life together. Our 46th wedding anniversary is June 17th and I have taken some time to reflect on our years together. They have been wonderful, heartbreaking, stressful, full of joy, frustrating, full of love, in other words, very normal. We have weathered every storm together because of our commitment to our Lord and each other. It hasn't been easy but it has been so worthwhile. Rich continues to be my best friend but oh, how I miss talking with him about our life, my thoughts, his thoughts, theology, and just about everything. Our conversations mimic talking to a toddler or preschooler but that can be fun, too. My prayer is that I will be able to care for him at home until God takes him to his eternal home. The nights when he wakes up at 3 a.m. and insists that he needs to go find our truck (that we haven't owned for years) or help a neighbor find their dog and then wakes up again in two hours with some other concern makes me lean hard on the Lord for strength, patience, and calmness. The waking several times each night hasn't happened for awhile and I am thankful. I have started walking each morning between 7 & 8. Rich has slept while I am out walking and this addition to my daily routine has been transforming. I have time to pray, listen to music, and meditate as I take in the beauty of the community that we live in. My goal is 6400 steps per day and although that is not a huge amount of steps, the consistency of walking everyday has begun to reap rewards. I sleep better, hopefully my heart is getting healthier, and my stamina is improving. I've lost a few pounds and that is always a blessing!

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