Good-bye Friend

Last night I went to the hospital to visit a friend who has cancer. I came back up this morning to help do a shift so that her husband could work getting their house ready for hospice. Connie is the friend I wrote about in an earlier blog. She is an inspiration. As friends visited her this week in the hospital she still prayed for her healing, but knew that whatever way God did choose to heal her (here or in heaven), it was ok. He was with her. She has a peace that passes all understanding that she always attributed to God's provision, it was not of herself. Well when I arrived at the hospital this morning she had just passed away. Her friend Rhonda has spent the last several nights at the hospital to help out. It had been a rough night. She has been in severe pain that is hard to manage even with medicine. At 8:00 she told Rhonda to keep on rubbing her neck (to help with the pain) and then she stopped breathing and passed peacefully to be with God and Jesus.
Those of us who were there this morning got to say good-bye to her one last time and we prayed and sang "It Is Well With My Soul" huddled around her body. We swapped funny stories and talked about the amazing faith, joy and love Connie had. She was one of the most amazing persons any of us have ever known in our life. She lived life every second it was given to her and glorified God at every possible moment. What a blessing it is to know her. So many lives have been touched by her witness. I can't thank God enough for putting her in my life and I can't wait to see her again in heaven some day. She will be singing and dancing (which she looooves to do) and grinning at me asking, "Girl, what took you so long?". Thank you Connie for so much. This is not the end, just a glorious beginning. God has not stopped using you to bless others. Thanks my friend and good-bye for now----until eterninty when we reunite.

So someone got a haircut . . .

Yes, Maizie just got a summer cut to stay cool. So did the boys. Sam told us a few weeks ago that, "Maizie loves us, but she loves God and Jesus more...Because she doesn't want to go to Hell." I just had to laugh. Anyway, she looks like an angel dog today. So do the boys (angel boys). It is quite deceiving. Just joking. I do love the way Maizie smells so good and feels so soft right after her bath. Same for the boys actually. Good time to snuggle. I hope you have some good snuggling this week.

Prayer Request

I just finished sending a querry letter to a literary agent for my novel. I had to change the name of my book from "Bitter Chocolate" to "The Tutsi and the Tsetse" since there is a book coming out in October with the name Bitter Chocolate. I was very bummed. Anyway, now I am waiting to hear an answer. If I get a rejection I will try a few more agents. I would love some prayer on the matter. I just want God to open the doors if it is His will for it to get published. If it is just my dream then I want to know to just let it go. It is His will or Nothing! Anyway, please pray.

Crazy Maizie and Crazy Boys

On Friday, Jason took the kids on a picnic at Woodward park. He took some cute pics of them. I had to work so missed out on the fun. The boys are doing ok. This afternoon, Sam told me he was already planning Halloween decorations for next fall. He is an angel/my special helper one second and a screaming banshee the next. Oh that voice! I woke up to him yelling this morning and he fussed and screamed for the next two hours. After that he has been wonderful. You never know what he will do or why. Max is obsession over a new DS game he bought with the points/money he saved up for the last few months.

Some recent sayings from the joy boys:

1. I overheard Max telling Sam "That sounds like a personal matter, Sam." I have no idea what they were talking about. When I asked him about it later he couldn't remember.

2. Sam loves to tell jokes, but they are a little hard to tell that they are jokes (examples: "You can't eat that Maizie." Just joking. "There is a hole in the floor!" Just joking. "It's a joke mom, I'm just joking."

3. Sam sounded out words that were color names. He sounded out (not spelled) r-e-d and then said "brown". "It says brown." Then he did p-ur-p-le. "I get it! Orange!" Other times he did better and got them right, but these two times I had to shake my head. I didn't get it. I guess we have some more work to do.

4. Sam likes to tell me often that, "My brain won't tell me what I want to eat." OR "My brain made me do it."

Yes they are crazy and fussy and fun. I just love them!