Christ in the Clouds: 11/08/15

Sunday, November 8, 2015

4 Years of Blogging...Sharing My First Couple of Posts

I can hardly believe it, but it's officially been 4 years that I have been blogging. I've written over 300 posts here on "CITC". Lots of stories and many memories are in these posts. They revealed my struggles, my joys, and how God has always gotten me through both. Below are the first two posts I wrote.

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My First Post 11/8/2011

There are several reasons I decided to start a blog. First and foremost I like writing, especially about how God is working in my life. I also love to read. I've been reading and following other bloggers for a while and decided it would be fun to be a part of that community. I have read how others have been encouraged and built friendships from all over the world through blogging. I also know that I have more recently had more time on my hands and God has been working in my heart to do this. I held off doing it, more out of not knowing how to get it started or what I would even write about, than anything else. I also know that I’m not a professional writer and would hate to bore anyone who would read what I wrote. Even if I get very few(if any) followers, I hope that someone may find my blogs helpful in their lives, as so many have done for me in sharing theirs. Maybe, I’ll even learn a little about how to become a better writer. No matter what, I want to give God the glory and grow in Him, and have fun doing it!!!! I’ll do my very best to keep this blog updated, at least every week. There’s nothing more frustrating than for me to follow someone’s blog and all of a sudden they stop blogging for several months!!! So, here I go…

My Second Post 11/9/2011

When You Get the Dreaded Phone Call

Well, here I am writing my second blog post and already, it seems that God is testing the deepest part of my faith! What a night I’ve had! Went from finishing up an evening at our church Bible study to rushing off to the hospital emergency room! It was eerily familiar to me, that dreaded phone call, a stranger’s voice on the other end of my son’s cell phone. It’s a girl on the line. He’s been hit in the head, knocked unconscious, but now he’s awake and confused. It’s a 30 minute drive to the hospital. A train whistle jolts me from a moment of shock. Bad timing! Why now, Lord? We can’t wait for a train! We have to get there! I take a deep breath…we had just finished talking about how God initiates events in our lives…He’s in control…that we must trust Him! I pray, “Lord be with our son!”, under my breath. The drive is so LONG! I text friends to pray on the way there. Finally, we make it…..it is congested and confusing, people everywhere! It’s a busy night in the ER. Make it into his room, he’s confused, asking questions. We wait for the doctor to come in….finally! He orders a cat scan. Another 30 minutes, come back and wait yet another 30 minutes for the results….Looks good (thank You, Jesus!) It’s a minor concussion. Dr prescribes meds for pain and nausea, says go home and rest and that memory will return slowly in the next 2-3 days. The drive home isn’t much easier. He can’t remember and keeps asking questions from one minute to the next….my heart aches for him in his frustration to remember. He starts to panic…..I remind him to stay calm. Can we make it home before he loses it? We do, but even then he can’t relax at home…..questions and more questions (yikes! Will he be like this the next 2-3 days?) Please, Lord, bring back his memory! …..let’s please go to bed…..it’s 1:30 in the morning!!! There’s still tension, but he lays down his head on the pillow. He’s soon asleep. I start to feel the release of my emotions from the stressful evening and shed some tears! Oh, the things we endure as parents! We love, yet at such a cost!!! I remember that we also discussed in church how God yearns for a close relationship with each of us and pursues us relentlessly and He is heartbroken when we walk away from Him. He doesn’t want to lose even one of us and would do anything for us, even die for us!!! It’s the same with a parent’s love for a child! I could not imagine losing my son! Even the thought makes me weak!!! I pray tomorrow will be better, that God will heal him and strengthen him! And all I can do is trust in God hold him and take care of him!

I also realized that one thing I have missed doing is writing my blessings,(the gifts that He has provided to me) here. Over the years I've listed 1,757 gifts, so far. Click on the words below to read my listing of the first 100.

I've decided I want to continue to list these gifts, whether it will be on a weekly basis or even a monthly basis. Life can be quite hectic, but I never want to forget where all my blessings come from and how the Lord continue to provide. Here are some I've thought about lately(with some pictures from a recent day outing with my mom to an outdoor public garden out in the country.)
Gifts:
#1758 - Going to see my aunt and uncle at one of his woodcarving shows.(He is an amazing wood-carver.) I will share some of his work in a future post.

#1759 - Getting back into my personal journaling. along with writing down my blessings again.

#1760 - So thankful for sunshine, even though the fall days are cooling things down!!

#1761 - In the midst of some difficult and painful recent events, still knowing that the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations!!(Psalm 100:5)

#1762 - Being able to see my wonderful friend, after she had been away a few weeks traveling.

#1763 - Having a few days where I don't have to go into work each week, now that my hours are reduced. More time to get things done at home and spend more time with my mom.