by Sharon O | Nov 8, 2026 | Uncategorized
Three weeks ago, I went into the hospital for a total knee replacement surgery. It was life changing and I am adjusting to the recovery time.
I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be.
My walker helps in stabilizing me. My physical therapy is a huge challenge because they want you to push to your highest extent. I come home pretty wore out and I find my chair and my ice pack.
I know others have had this surgery and they have recovered well.
My husband had two replaced and even both shoulders, so it is possible to recover well.
I haven’t used the big drugs very much, but when they are needed, I am not afraid to use them. On our 53rd wedding anniversary I made the error of judgement to take a big pain pill with not much on my stomach. That was a bad choice, I was very sick all day long.
So much for going out for dinner.
I have a month to get the knee to bend more, and I have specific goals to work on. Have not gone anywhere other than the doctors or physical therapy. It is just too hard to navigate around places and people. I am glad we can watch our church service at home in my chair and in my pajamas, drinking my coffee.
Soon this will all be behind me in about six months and we can one more time enjoy spring and summer. For now, I look forward to Thanksgiving and then Christmas.
This will be in my ‘remember when’ topic and then we can move on to other things.
Three weeks ago,
I had a knee replacement surgery, and I am feeling my age and my impatience. Lord give me strength and teach me to trust in this process.
by Sharon O | Oct 8, 2026 | Uncategorized
Change happens to all of us.
At some point in time, we will move, we will change jobs, we will find new friends, not to take the place of our old friends but to fill our ‘desire’ for a close friend, now time.
I have had friends move away and we still talk and share and keep in touch but it’s not the same as an everyday friend close by that can be available for coffee or tea and a long heart to heart talk.
It is something that takes effort on my part to find and encourage a new friendship and it is possible, but I need to make it a priority.
I have had friends who eventually wore me out with their personality that was not at all like mine. At first the friendship was nice, but I am not an in-your-face type of person. I will encourage or challenge, but I am not out there in your face. It was exhausting.
So that friendship moved on, and my best friend moved three hours away, it was partly my fault, but she is married now and happy.
Another good friend moved three hours away and that has to be an overnight visit. We enjoy it when we can make it happen.
As we age we don’t need friends like we did in high school we just need someone who is consistent and caring.
A few weekends ago, we met with a couple who we met in the hospital when we were having our son. They had a son too. Both boys are men now over 50 and my goodness we have aged too.
We are in our 70’s they are in their 80’s.
We are good friends even though we see each other a few times a year.
Change happens to all of us.
Time moves forward and we move with it or we stay stuck in hard places of bitterness and anger and or unforgiveness.
We must let the days move forward.
It will all work out in the end and even though change is hard and happens to all of us, we are left with a choice to live in peace or not.
Change happens to all of us and we decide how we will accept it.
by Sharon O | Oct 2, 2026 | Uncategorized
The idea of branding is something that came up in the blog world years ago. If you write you want YOUR style, your name, YOUR words to be unique and in such a way that if someone read your writings, they would know it was you.
My business card and my logo are very similar.
My style of writing is I guess off the cuff with a lot of thinking around it. sometimes an idea comes and I run with it; other times it is a struggle to find words.
My mind right now is focused on the upcoming knee surgery on the
20th. I ask for prayer, and peace and calm.
I desire to come out of it with a better knee and the ability to walk for a distance,
I will continue my writing perhaps journal each day as I heal. I knew there will be much to share and much to go through.
My branding is also Christian focused because without the LORD what would we do?
I cannot share if I am not sharing the love and faithfulness of God,
The other reason my words have been less is a new computer which is a challenge to me.
IT will be OK. I can learn how to use it so I can share matters of MY heart to you all soon, today we are taking a beach break.
it is peace to my soul.
The idea of branding is not a new idea it is just something I have to continually learn and try to do as I can.
photo from our favorite beach in Oregon
by Sharon O | Sep 4, 2026 | Uncategorized
Friendship means to love within many ways and many circumstances.
Part of the series of the upper room shows the meaning of friendship.
Those who were in the room with Jesus were his followers, his friends, his trainees, if you will allow a bit of responsibility put upon them.
He was mentoring them to continue in his footsteps and healings and follow what he had begun in ministry.
Our Pastor said;
It is ACCESS
Meaning to be with Jesus they had to have access to his teachings, his life lessons, his concerns and ministry.
They had to believe in what he was doing.
It is PARTICIPATION
They shared in his day-to-day ministry and followed him
It is shared JOY
They shared in his joy when someone was healed not only were they surprised but they were joyful with him
It is shared SUFFERING
They shared in the suffering he felt when Lazarus died and other instances where suffering often came before a deep healing took place.
It is sitting, not just SOLVING
They learned to sit with him, not try to solve the issue but just sit.
It is Listening while LAMENTING
They learned to listen while they lamented with him (dictionary.com said it is to express sorrow, mourning or regret) with another.
It is ACCOUNTABILITY
They learned accountability when walking with him while he did his ministry. They knew what he was capable of doing and they kept that knowledge close to their hearts.
The ministry and friendship of Jesus was very easy to see when watching the show THE CHOSEN.
You see him in a very real and different way and it is good. It is real and believable. That was the intention of the show.
I think when we have a good friend we tend to move through each of these areas depending on the depth and maturity of the frienship.
To be available and accountable. To have access. To listen and not try to solve the issue but JUST listen. That is a good friend.
I think it is really important to share in the suffering.
To remember matters of Their hearts and to honor where they are in the process and to keep confidential until it’s time or allowed to share.
Friendship means to love someone without any kind of other intention other than to be a friend to them.
by Sharon O | Aug 31, 2026 | Uncategorized
The upper room is a place and has been the topic of our Pastors teaching lately.
It has challenged us to think about the relationships Jesus had with those who followed him and those who listened to his teachings.
You can listen too, if you log into our church website:
Grace Chapel (You tube) Wilsonville Oregon.
The series is well worth your time to find it.
Now back to the teachings.
Jesus prepared those who followed him for his last day of meeting with them. HE KNEW the breaking of the bread, the sharing the cup, the lessons spoken. HE KNEW those would be the last few words he would share with them.
Then he washed their feet which was a huge thing to do back in those days where everyone wore sandals and the feet were dirty.
It was symbolic of what was to come.
IT was challenged by those who he ministered to.
Jesus knew what he was doing and as he moved into the last moments, he let them know. “Someone will betray me tonight. And he is in this room.”
Can you imagine the tension and questions among them?
Who would it be? How would he do it? Why?
I know it would feel very uncomfortable and Jesus challenged that.
What would it look like for us to have a last night with those we cared for? I know I would not wash feet. I am positive I would not be challenging I think and hope I could say good things, words of affirmation to those around me. But we never know how would our last night look like?
Jesus broke bread, and told them, “This is my body, he shared the cup.”
He prepared them, even though they did not understand or try to comprehend what he was saying.
The time has come and they had heard that over and over, yet even at that point, they did not get it.
I think Jesus knew the denial of their hearts would come soon and even though some said to him, “I will never leave you.” when it comes to truth and safety one can change the course pretty fast.
The upper room is a place of soft feelings in the middle of words that are heard from the savior’s heart.
