“Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose
and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in His sight is what
you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave
this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…
but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by
honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”
Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226
“Letters to Rulers of People”

How often do we keep a clear eye to our life's end? How often do we forget our purpose and destiny as God's creature? Too often I think, far too often. We become so entrenched in this place that we lose sight of what lies ahead. This isn't all there is. We know that, but we often fail to live as if we believed it.

I think perhaps that's one reason I've dealt with health issues as I have. They take my eyes off of the here and now and put them where they need to be ... on Jesus alone. In times like these He's the only One who fully understands what I'm dealing with. He alone holds the remedy and cure for what ails me. This week I have thought to myself that I will either recover or I'll go Home. We only have two options when sickness comes ... recovery or leaving.

Once again I'm in a place of pain and discomfort and once again I learn of mercy and grace that grants the next breath. Each breath is a gift and each one means I'm one breath closer to Heaven than I was yesterday. One of these days my next breath will be my last on this earth.

There was an older gentleman in my former church who had lived with asthma for years. I remember going to the hospital to visit him shortly before he died and as he lay propped up on pillows in the hospital bed, struggling to breathe, we could hear him whisper "There's a reason, there's a reason..."

Yes, Bro. Simcox, there's a reason beyond our knowing here. You lived a Godly life and I never heard you complain. I think of the last time I saw you and your words stay with me ...'there's a reason'.

We all will go through difficult times. Not all will deal with health problems, but trust me, you're surely apt to walk a path you'd never choose for yourself. It's there we need to remind ourselves .... 'there's a reason.'

THE PERFECT MAN

The less we have in our scale, the more He puts in His;
Because His hand the balance holds, level and true it is.

His strength for all our weakness, His courage for our fear,
His love to fill the lonely heart, His voice for silence drear;

His light when darkness deeper grows, His hope for our despair,
His grace for loss and emptiness, for burden and for care;

His full supply for all our need, His comfort for our grief,
His patience for our puzzlements, His faith for unbelief;

His rest for toil and weariness, His joy for heavy hearts,
His wisdom for our ignorance, His balm for all our smarts;

His peace for every anxious thought, His armor for our strife;
The less we have, the more He gives, and so rounds out each life.

Because His hand the balance holds, level and true it is,
Till we shall stand complete in Him, with all the glory His.

Annie Johnson Flint

Thank you Jeanette, for sharing this poem with me.

Chest ex-rays this afternoon show I have some pneumonia in my right lung. That explains the pain I've been having. The Dr. said that if I'm not feeling better within the next couple of days, he will admit me to the hospital for IV antibiotics & chest percussion therapy. Please pray that this medication works.

My husband is up and moving around but you can tell he's ill and my going into the hospital would be so difficult for him.

Thank you.

I will see my lung dr. this afternoon. While I feel a bit better, I'm definitely not where I'd like to be and with my lung issues, the longer I deal with asthma & lung infection, the more likely it will cause increased damage to my lungs.

If you would, please say a prayer for my husband. He had to take a breathing treatment late yesterday and had chills for most of the night. He's running a slight temp this morning, looks flushed, sounds congested, sore throat, etc. and as of one hour ago, told me he didn't want to see a doctor. He's on antibiotics for another issue so we'll see what happens the next few hours with him. If he doesn't improve, I will do my best to get him to agree to see a doctor. Sometimes he just wants to tough it out. However, with the episode he had last month, he must be careful.

Thank you for praying. I'm tired & going to rest a while. I love you and appreciate you.

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth dear friends, I've been busy with doctors appointments and dealing with fatigue the past couple of weeks. Then, I had an asthma attack Saturday evening and today feel like I've been beaten. It is amazing how the body reacts to severe coughing and trying to breathe. I am so very sore from my head to my feet and it hurts to move. I am, thank God, breathing a bit easier this morning. Every little improvement is a major blessing.

What amazes me is how I often discard the way my body feels. Looking back, I see that I should have slowed down two weeks ago. But I didn't. I kept on going, telling myself I would be okay as soon as I could rest. When sleeping 9 hours a night didn't bring that rest, I should have known there was something going on with my health. To be honest, I knew there was something going on, I just thought that since I had gone through Winter unscathed by sickness, I would surely get through this fatigue.

It's hard to come to terms with the fact I am not what I think I am, in more ways than one. It is difficult to admit I am weak and cannot fight off illness as some can. Yes, I've done well this Winter, but reality came to me on Saturday, showing me how frail this body really is.

Lord willing, I shall once again recover. Not sure how long it will take, and that's okay too. My times are in His hands.

Bless you all.

Many thanks to my dear friend Amrita for these two awards. If there be any good found in me, it comes from our Father in heaven. All glory goes to Him.

Hello my friends. It's hard to believe nearly a week has passed since I last posted anything. I find myself wondering where time is going and how does it go so quickly? We're almost at the end of another week and it's the first week in April already.

It's been a relatively normal week for us. (Define 'normal', I dare ya.) I had been more tired than usual and found myself resting and sleeping more than usual. I have learned, the hard way I might add, that I need to heed what my body is telling me and rest when I need to regardless of what time it is. So, I take naps at 1:00pm; 3:30pm; 5:45pm, etc. And I don't feel guilty about it. There was a time when I did. I thought that every minute of the day had to be filled with good and worthwhile endeavors if I my life was to matter at all. I am happy to report I have recovered from that train of thought.

I shall close for tonight. I have been checking all of your blogs daily and even though I don't leave comments each time on each one, you're all in my daily reading.

Blessings to each of you.