by Sharon O | Aug 28, 2013 | Uncategorized
If someone would have told me my heart would expand
to love more than my two children
I am not sure I would have believed them
But when those two children had three children of their own
my heart was filled to over flowing love and joy and wonderment and adoration and praise.
We started our life as grandparents with one
then one became three
then three became six and
now we are so incredibly blessed to know and love each one of them.
Each are different. Each are individual. Each are unique.
Even the twins are very different from each other.
If someone would have told us that having each one of these precious little people would add to our family in ways that we could ever imagine.
Would I have believed them? 
Would I have believed them if they told me my daughter would have three daughters
and two would be identical twins?
OR my son would have three sons?
If someone would have told me that being a grandparent is the most precious, most rewarding, most exhausting, most challenging and the most reason to pray.
Would I have believed them?
by Sharon O | Aug 20, 2013 | Uncategorized
I went to visit my parents this weekend.
Dad is stable but definitely not well.
Mom is reviving a bit.
It is strange and sad and surreal to see your parents old and needing care.
I often wonder
what will happen to me when I am that age.
Will there be foster homes who are good and take good care of seniors.
They say the new 60 is 40 and will we get younger as we age and eventually be
out of our minds before our bodies leave?
Or out of our bodies before our minds leave?
Which is worse?
To know… your legs don’t work…
Your hands don’t work.
Your ability to feed yourself is gone or even go to the restroom alone is gone.
Which is worse?
To have your mind able and your body not so strong?
Or your body able and your mind not remembering what should be?
Growing old is hard.
It is painful.
It is a walk of quiet words and gentle reminders from those who do the caring.
It is a giving when you want to not give any more.
From the care givers…
It is anger not shared… or sometimes shared when it shouldn’t be.
It is a gentle reminder that we all need compassion and caring and
patience and kindness.
When our real feelings are to scream and say, “do you not hear me?”
It is a gentle reminder for us.
That we all will be in this place someday.
And when we get there we can only hope and only pray that someone
will care enough
to speak for us when we are not able to speak for ourselves.
That there will be someone stronger in mind and spirit than our ‘situation’ and who will not be afraid to say
this is not working.
This needs to change.
I wonder… when the time comes will someone have a voice when I don’t?
It is a reasonable question.
by Sharon O | Aug 11, 2013 | Uncategorized
At about the same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach.
In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat.
Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem and the Sunday Community.
by Sharon O | Aug 9, 2013 | Uncategorized
The word for this Friday’s five minute challenge is Lonely.
You write for five minutes with no editing and no revisions.
As I walked into the lobby I noticed the men and women just sitting.
Some were in a chair or love seat waiting… as if in anticipation
of a visitor coming.
There were others who leaned around a piano played by wrinkled hands
and memories that are blurred of songs and of notes that were easy so long ago.
The keys playing
some in tune and some not.
In a loud force as if to say by golly ‘I am here and I can do it again’.
If I stop and look at the faces I see a desperate loneliness.
It is an empty space.
Where hollowed eyes and empty souls sit and wait.
We are uncomfortable when we think of what they are waiting for.
The home is not filled often unless those from the outside choose to come inside
to visit.
I see this in a care home where my sister lives.
I also see it the care home where my parents live.
We will all face this kind of loneliness someday
where months and days run together
and doctor appointments will tell us when it’s time to go out of the doors.
It is a different kind of loneliness.
A heart and soul kind.
Where aging souls sit in reclined chairs and stare at televisions
set on one channel.
Lonely.
It is a quiet and hard place to deal with.
Even when we are together we can feel the lonely.
by Sharon O | Aug 8, 2013 | Uncategorized
The last few months have been rather busy with grand children and other assorted things.
At one point in time when it was really quiet… and calm
I felt a nudge from the Lord.
Now I am not saying I had a ‘real’ audible conversation with the Lord but it is a knowing…an internal conviction.
Ever had one of those?
The conversation went a bit like this.
“Do you remember when you received the word Quiet for the word of the year?”
I said, “Yes.”
“Well sometime the meaning of Quiet is not so obvious.
You were anticipating solitude. Silence.
Moments where you just take in the goodness and beauty in a complete peaceful space.”
“Yeah that was the idea. You know. Be still and know that I am God.”
There was silence.
Then the revelation came to me.
Sometimes Quiet is also keeping your mouth and your opinions closed.
Saying nothing when you really want to say something.
Making an opinion when it is not needed or wanted.
Quiet… Be STILL… and know…
That I am God.
It was as if He was telling me:
I can take care of those moments where you want to take over the control. You have the drive inside you to make things change and move in a direction of your choice.
Be Still… means to do nothing.
Quiet… is not just a moment of silent meditation and studying of the word.
Quiet can be a form of worship.
It is in the process of saying nothing where you will learn and allow me to teach you.
The other meaning of Quiet.
It is then that you will have a teachable moment.
by Sharon O | Aug 6, 2013 | Uncategorized
I am not sure what to think about the statistics on this blog.
It is extremely confusing.
One week it will tell me 18,000 readers from Germany read it.
Really?
The next week it will say 12… I really don’t care it is just not something I worry about or care to lose sleep over. I just don’t understand how they ‘record it’ in blog land.
Then it shows I had 57 readers and now I have 28… if it is not interesting that is OK.
I am not always ready or in a space where I can write something.
A few years ago when I started this blog my heart was full of many things to share.
Perhaps the sharing is not as deep or not as often but it is a goal to write at least a few times a week.
Will try a lot harder to do that and to be more disciplined in finding topics and words that flow in a good way for the readers out there who do like this place.
Some have shared with me they appreciate it.
That is good and I am thankful for their faithfulness.
Here are a few new things I can share.
My parents are settling into their foster home and doing well for now.
All of our children and grand children are healthy and doing well.
I am becoming more clear about what I need to do with all the stuff in the den, spare room and even our master bedroom.
There are many items that need to be purged and taken away.
It is something only I can do for when we choose for ourselves and do the hard work we become empowered by our new ‘clarity of heart and mind’.
So the fall goal is to purge and clean and donate all usable items to a good cause.
I am not a hoarder but there is stuff I have have had stored and in boxes and when it is not remembered or needed it is time to move it out.
Do you have something you have been needing to do and have been putting it off?
Let us encourage and stir each other to press on and purge the things that weigh us down.
Let us roll up our sleeves and get busy.
