The Joy of Neighbors

                                                             How nice to have a backyard fence

                                                             Across which neighbors chat,

                                                             Exchange a cookie recipe-

                                                             Or speak of this and that...

                                                             Someone who'll reach to hold your hand

                                                             When you are feeling sad,

                                                             Or double-twice your happiness

                                                             When you are feeling glad!

                                                             Today my neighbor called to me,

                                                             "Come see my summer rose!"

                                                             And as we chat her coffeepot

                                                             Boils up and overflows.

                                                             We laugh together and she says,

                                                             "Oh well, come in for tea."

                                                             We share a fence, a rose, a cup-

                                                             And, oh, how blessed are we!

Taken from: Quiet Moments for Women by June Masters Bacher

                Copyright © 1979 by Harvest House Publishers

                                                                     Eugene, Oregon

                                                                     Used by Permission.

Yesterday, I got home from work, early, to find one of my dearest neighbors out in her front yard.  Her husband came out, and we chatted in my driveway (as we were admiring my new-ish Ford Escape...I've had it for a couple of months, now), and stayed to chat with us for a while.  As we chatted, my sons unloaded my car, another neighbor came and went, and her husband went inside.  But, having not seen each other in person for a couple of weeks, we sat in the shade and visited for the better part of an hour.  We have been neighbors and friends for almost 33 years.  God has showered us with wonderful, Godly neighbors who have been blessings to us for all that time, and I can never praise him, nor thank him enough!  One of my greatest joys in this life, is knowing that I will get to spend eternity in heaven, with these same people!   

I use many poems written by June Masters Bacher from the devotional book cited above.  This book was given to me by another very dear friend and neighbor, for Christmas in 1985, and I am rediscovering the messages found in this book.  The messages that God clearly laid on Mrs. Bacher's heart.  Thank you, Kathy B. for giving this to me, so long ago! 

My prayer for you, today, is that you will find joy in your friends, neighbors, and community.  That you will stick together in the good times and bad.  That you will laugh and cry with each other.  And, that you will love each other, and praise God together for all eternity.  Thank you, Lord, in advance for answering this prayer!

Love, Hugs, and Prayers for All, 

Special Request

Yesterday, I received the following request in my e-mail, from a sweet friend.


 

To whom ever recieves this note,

Almost 3 years ago I was priveleged with the opportunity to take care of a young patient while working in Houston at The Methodist Hospital. Casey was a 22 yr old newlywed, with an 8 month old baby girl when he was diagnosed with leukemia. Him and his family flew from Kentucky to Houston shortly after diagnosis to be treated. After chemotherapy, blood tranfusions, bone marrow biopsies, etc he went back home and did very well. In March he had a bone marrow biopsy that came back clean, he had been clean for 2 years, so they called him "cured". About a month later he got sick, and another biopsy showed the leukemia was back. Casey went to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. for treatment. The chemo he recieved was very hard on him. His immune system is completely wiped out and he has gotten pneumonia. The pneumonia became too much for his lungs, and it was too difficult for him to breath on his on. He is now in ICU on a ventilator, fighting for his life. With leukemia it takes a while to recover from chemo, their blood counts take a while to come up. It's a slow process, and very hard to watch and wait.

This is a very overwhelming time for Casey's family. They are out of town, in a hospital just waiting for things to get better. His wife Kristen texts me often with questions and updates. Not only is she worried about her husband, but having a 3 yr old who doesn't understand is tolling. I would like them to be overwhelmed in a different way as they face each day of unknowing.  I ask that all of you write a personal note to Casey, Kristen, and Adlee Grace and let them know that you are praying for them.  I would like for them to feel the presence of God and see the love of His people.  In addition, I would ask that you enclose a one dollar bill for each person the note represents  as praying  for them.  As  they see the "prayer dollars" stack up, it will encourage them and give them a special story to tell.  I don't mean for this to be a fund raiser; only for a unique way for them to realize how  many people care for them.   They won't have to "wish they had a dollar for everyone who is  praying for them." Please pass the word (mail, email, text, etc.)  and let's give them something good to remember when they look back on this tough time.

 

Casey Smithson

MICU Rm# 8641

C/O VUMC

1211 Medical Center Dr.

Nashville, TN 37232

 ckarsmithson@gmail.com

 

  Let me know if I can help you help them.

In Him,

Allison (Crowe) Breeding

tbab730@yahoo.com

281-797-2219

I have been praying for this special family, and am mailing my note, today!

Thanks, Allison, for allowing me to share this with my precious, prayer-warrior readers.  

Love, Hugs, and Prayers,

Happy Mother's Day

To my Wonderful Mother, with all my love, "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!"  

 

I got the following verse in my e-mail this morning.  Thank you Janet!  I hope you do not mind me sharing this with everyone! 

 

 

 

Dear Lord
Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day

With little time to stop and pray

For life's been anything but calm

Since You called on me to be a mom

Running errands, matching socks

 

Building dreams with building blocks

Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes

And other stuff that children lose

Fitting lids on bottled bugs

Wiping tears and giving hugs

A stack of last weeks mail to read

So where's the quiet time I need?

Yet when I steal a minute, Lord

Just at the sink or ironing board

To ask the blessings of Your grace

I see then, in my small one's face

That you have blessed me

All the while

And I stop to kiss

That precious smile

 

Author: Unknown

 

 

Hope each and everyone one of you have a wonderful and blessed Mother's Day.

 

 

 Thankful and Blessed!

Hey, Ma-an!

A little over a year ago, I began this blog as a way to count my blessings.  I had let the world crowd out the joy in my life, and was really stressed.  It has been over 2 months since I last blogged.  I have been spending time in reflection, serious thought, prayer, and reading.  Jenny's passing was the last in a long line of friends and relatives that have gone to heaven over the last 6 months...or, so I thought.

Just as I thought that spring was warming the memory of the HARSH winter season, another has gone home to be with the Lord.  During the 2 months that I have been in hibernation, I have been studying my Bible and reading several books on my Kindle.  First, I read "The Shack" and then I read "90 Minutes in Heaven".  I would recommend these books.

In "90 Minutes in Heaven", the author describes how people we have known and loved, throughout our lives on earth, greet us at Heaven's Gate.  Today, the family and friends of Joseph Paul Lovell, Jr. (known as "Deuce"), will be saying goodbye.  I have a special picture in my head of my sons arriving at the gates of Heaven, and an auburn haired, 5 year old boy, running toward them shouting, "Hey, Ma-an!" (yes, in Texas the word "man" is two syllables)

I am asking you to join me in praying for his family, in this most difficult of times.   Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Joe, Cindy, Kristina, and Morgan.  We love you, and wish that we were hugging you, now.


Deuce


Love, Hugs, and Prayers,

Clinging to Him

                                                          I borrowed God's hand in my sorrow

                                                          and held it till tears went away;

                                                          I said, "I'll return it tomorrow;

                                                         Just let me hold on for today."

                                                          Somehow the time slipped thro' my

                                                 fingers

                                                          (I feel that's the way He planned);

                                                          Feel of His Presence still lingers-

                                                          I can't let go of God's hand.

                                                               Taken from: Quiet Moments for Women by June Masters Bacher

                                                               Copyright © 1979 by Harvest House Publishers

                                                               Eugene, Oregon

                                                               Used by Permission.

 

Jenny has gone Home

This is the final post from Jenny's carepage:

 

Jenny Bizaillion

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your
sting?

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ!

Jenny Bizaillion passed from this world at 3:38pm.

She was the most beautiful, wonderful friend, perfect mom, devoted
sister, loyal daughter, and best wife a person could ever have.

We will see her again.


Thank you to all who have prayed for Jenny and her wonderful family.  Please keep her family in your constant prayers, as they adjust to life, here on earth, without her. 

Another Update on Jenny's Status

The following is the latest post from her Carepages

Sun, Feb.21, 6:45pm Update

We trust that God is still involved in this. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His ways are higher than our ways.
We are so desperate for him to speak a word, because his words do not return to him empty.
This situation is very serious…worse than we could imagine. Lesions (infected abscesses) are all over Jenny’s brain. She is still a very, very sick girl. At the time, the doctors do not know the extent of damage caused.
We are calling for our prayers warriors to beat down the doors of heaven tonight because we are in need of a serious Holy Spirit breakthrough.
1) Pray for the lesions to shrink with the new antibiotics.
2) Pray for the seizures to stop.
3) Pray for Jenny to wake up and respond. The reason she isn’t waking up is because of medicine issues, but we need Jenny to respond.
4) Pray that nothing has been affected by the lesions. Pray against long-term affects.
5) Continue to pray for the doctors to have wisdom and discernment because at this point the doctors are forced to think outside the box. Dr. Lester is bringing in more experts tomorrow to decide what the next step is. We need the new doctors to be able to understand this crisis.
Thank you to the 3 winners of ACU’s Sing Song for donating all their earnings to Jenny Bizaillion.


Thank you all, in advance, for honoring this family's specific prayer requests.  If you leave a message on her Carepage, or on the Facebook group "Praying for Jenny Bizaillion", you can rest assured that her husband is reading the messages and prayers left on these sites to her.  Please pray, also, for the strength, stamina, and comfort of her entire family.  This roller coaster ride has been exhausting for all of them.  Please continue to lift Jenny and her family up to the Father!

Praying for Jenny!