November 8 2014

November 8 2014 Greetings My Friend, Coffee has been drank, breakfast ate, Facebook looked at and Bible study has been done. So goes my morning routine. I am writing at present and when this is done I will enter into the day of cleaning and cooking, living and loving. It is almost noon when I finish my morning routines. Today I was awake at 7:00 my times vary but not like they were a while back. Somedays I’d be up at 7:00 and some days it was 11:00. Today the latest I generally sleep is 8:ish. I like being morning oriented to be honest. I have always loved the freshness of a new day and all the adventures that await me. Since I can’t get myself moving and doing the first thing these days I have fallen into a routine of waking up slowly and entering into my day’s activities later than sooner. I saw someone online that wrote they now tell themselves that they are living their “new normal” and that phrase has opened my eyes to the fact that I am living a new normal also. In talking to my Chiari friend I also learn that it took her a while to realize that she would have real good days and days that she could barely move. I am entering into that realization. I am starting to accept the fact that I’m about as good as I can be and that is okay. I won’t be able to run a marathon but I will be able to do more than I had been doing. I am learning to keep up with exercise, eating healthy and living a slower paced life. The more I enter into this thought process the less anxiety I feel. Next I watch Junior. He has lived his disability for decades now. It is 2nd nature for him to slow down and stop from time to time. He does not beat himself up for those days he does next to nothing, it is what it is. I also see finished projects so he keeps at things until they are done. I learn from Junior to keep at it instead of giving up and giving in to my limitations. I now feel that God has given me a gift with my disabilities instead of having a punishment due to bad behavior or such. Once more I learn Paul’s teaching and I find myself content in all things. I love the study times I now have in God’s wonderful Word. I love my quiet prayer times and a physically able “Janet” would not slow down enough to dig as deeply as I am digging these days. In all things I am learning to be thankful and grateful. I think back to an Aunt that was diagnosed with COPD twenty years ago and she worked hard at doing all she could to maintain a quality of life by being proactive. Today she is involved with her grandchildren and loving life even if some days are a bit harder. I am thankful for the generations before me that took old age by the handles and lived life to the fullest they were able. They give me hope and I pray my life will also inspire another generation to live life and to love each day of life. I also pray they see that I am handling all things by turning my life moment to moment more and more over to God. To me “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet