Christmas

[Anna Marta]

What a holiday!

I am hopping mad, look like the Battery Bunny with a scowl. We bought the 3 boys the same police helmuts from Play School and NONE of them worked!!! :mad: :mad: Contacted Amazon.com and have to return them.

Rediscovered the joy of a good fun fight. I had one of the nerf guns and spent an hour shooting and getting shot by a 6 year old. Had forgotten kids cheat, he locked himself in his room and I had to sit on the floor for 5 min. waiting for him to open the damn door so I could "get him!"

Has anyone else played the Wii game? Competed against my equally (un)athletic daughter in bobsleigh. It is sooooo much fun! At least I survived, which is more than I can say for my skills at ski jumping. This is a dead grammy writing a note!:eek:

Sad news too. My cousin was diagnosed with end stage cancer Christmas Eve, metatasized by the time it was found. She has chosen to go from the hospital to a hospice. Good for her! She and her her husband are both Phd's and have lived remarkable lives. Her husband is a pack rat and she does not want to spend the last 3 months of her life cleaning up and organizing his mess! :D We are 3 girls left now who keep in contact over Internet. My mom was right, getting old is hard as our loved ones begin to leave us.

I am weighing whether to fly to Florida next week. My daughter is not in favor of the trip because of my immune system problems. She fears the experience may screw up my own stable health status. I would appreciate your prayers.

It is at times like this that I am thankful I have been able to retain my faith. It is a great solace for all of us as we share with each other. We have the comfort and joy of knowing our loved ones are waiting for us in heaven and that we will be reunited with each other again. It is hard to leave this life, but heaven is what we have been preparing for and looking forward to...

Love,
Anna Marta

[Jerry]

Dear Anna Marta,,,,
Yes your own health issues are of concern,,,,,,,But I know and love you too,,,,,,,,,I'll be praying for your safety in travel to Florida :(

LOVE Jerry

[hornblower]

I agree living longer gets harder but oh my the alternative ??????... Im glad that I have some loved ones in heaven waiting for me. I 'feel' their prayers for us at times.

Work for me is so much harder than it used to be or is it? It was always hard for me! So I cant wait to go to heaven in a lot of ways.

Im relearning many things I thought I had a handle on, relearning a lot about interactions with other people and what makes them tick, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

This christmas is hard but not as bad a most Ive been through.

Sorry Anna I know what Im replying with is not making much sense and its your posting and well I guess its brought up many issues for me.

I wish I could have played with my grandsons but I am so tired, it just wore me out even watching them. Kind of made me mad the way it always is.

We get stuck baby sitting so the older 'kids' can go out and so then theres no quality time with any of the grandkids.

Im really tired of being so used all of the time!

Then if I say anything at work my dumb boss says 'well its your own fault!'

They dont get their grandkids for christmas I dont think. Lol.

Thats so bad about your cousin having cancer like that. I lost one of my cousins to cancer not long ago and I know he is in heaven now so thats a good thing but still life sucks doesnt it? This life?

Ok Ill shut up now and go back to my hole.
I miss this place.

[Jerry]

Ok Ill shut up now and go back to my hole.
I miss this place.
Dear Hornblower,,,
Your posts when helping others are so very good,,,,,,,,,,,,I wish you would stay out of that damn hole ;)

Love Jerry

[Anna Marta]

Im relearning many things I thought I had a handle on, relearning a lot about interactions with other people and what makes them tick, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Ok Ill shut up now and go back to my hole.
I miss this place.

You are not the only old dog learning new tricks! It seems like the older I get the more I learn and the more I yearn to learn.

What hole? Why shut up? You don't need to miss us cause we're here for you.

Love and hugs for a better New Year than you could dream about.
Anna Marta

[JaniceB]

AM, it sounds as if you had a good time. Sorry to hear you have health problems. Right now I think Florida might be healing but that could be from all the snow on my brain. Can't wait for this to go away!

Take care of yourself and of our favorite saint Mr. Steinar of Norway.

[Janice]

Lea,
You know I love you madly so PLEASE don't take this the wrong way!!

Sorry to hear about your cousin but, it sounds to me like you already have her dead & buried. Don't forget...God IS a MIRACLE working God!! I AM LIVING PROOF!!!! Please try & stay postivie about her situation.

I will keep her and your whole family in my prayers!!

[Anna Marta]

Dear Janice,

I understand where you are coming from. Sadly, My cousin's situation is not at all like yours. They did a laprascopic surgery to test the tumor on the ovary and then removed the ovaries but were naturally unable to remove the liver tumor using that method. The incision in the naval began to leak fecal material after the surgery. They wanted to go back in and repair the bowel and take out the tumor but she refused. They then placed her on an antibiotic to give her a few more comfortable days by fighting off the infection in the abdomen caused by the feces leaking. She has a 24 hour hospice nurse with her.

I talked her twice and she is okay with the situation and has chosen to allow things go their way because she has a strong desire to return to her creator, as she puts it; she is a Unitarian.

I am okay with whatever she chooses because I love her and think she is entitled to have her own way when it comes to decisions about her life.

I have decided not to travel because I couldn't get permission to do so alone without risking my own health status. I am sad, because no one wants to let someone go... but there is a time in life when we need to respect the choices of those we love.

Steinar and I and my children have the same agreement with me. When this liver disease gets to the point where I have had enough and feel it is time to walk off with my Lord, they have promised me a good send off and not a morbid one.

That is what I am doing for my cousin. As she told her nephew "Delete all the emails from the gardening shop because the only thing I will be planting this year is me." I told her that I could only imagine how she was driving her family nuts with her sense of humor! Her sister, who is a nurse, and I are able to talk openly with her and let her share what and how she chooses. We had a serious talk and then lapsed into the dry humor.

Hope this explains my sounding negative. I firmly believe that we will all die eventually and it is important to deal openly with it when it comes.

Love and hugs
AM

[FreeinJesus]

That's terrible about your cousin Ana Marta.:(

What awful news to hear at Christmas...(or anytime) .:(

[Anna Marta]

Thank you FIJ,

As I look back, our family seems to have a history of deaths around Christmas. There have been 5 Christmas deaths. I am still processing that one.

Love
AM

[FreeinJesus]

((Ana Marta))

My mom's best friend died on Christmas....:(

That happened when I was newly indoctrinated in the cult.

I used to think that she died on Christmas as punishment.... (I was told Christmas was evil, etc. as you know xgroup didn't allow Christmas celebrations)

So glad to be out of the twisted thinking. and hey, if my moms best friend went to Heaven on Christmas day then it was a good day for her! I'm sure she is in heaven.

but I do regret the twisted *Grinch* thinking around the holidays......BLEGH.....

Glad to be out of that!.. moving onward.....
***SIGH***

[Janice]

You explained it perfectly dear friend. I understand. I also told my family the same thing.

I WILL STILL PRAY FOR A MIRACLE FOR HER THOUGH!! ;)


Dear Janice,

I understand where you are coming from. Sadly, My cousin's situation is not at all like yours. They did a laprascopic surgery to test the tumor on the ovary and then removed the ovaries but were naturally unable to remove the liver tumor using that method. The incision in the naval began to leak fecal material after the surgery. They wanted to go back in and repair the bowel and take out the tumor but she refused. They then placed her on an antibiotic to give her a few more comfortable days by fighting off the infection in the abdomen caused by the feces leaking. She has a 24 hour hospice nurse with her.

I talked her twice and she is okay with the situation and has chosen to allow things go their way because she has a strong desire to return to her creator, as she puts it; she is a Unitarian.

I am okay with whatever she chooses because I love her and think she is entitled to have her own way when it comes to decisions about her life.

I have decided not to travel because I couldn't get permission to do so alone without risking my own health status. I am sad, because no one wants to let someone go... but there is a time in life when we need to respect the choices of those we love.

Steinar and I and my children have the same agreement with me. When this liver disease gets to the point where I have had enough and feel it is time to walk off with my Lord, they have promised me a good send off and not a morbid one.

That is what I am doing for my cousin. As she told her nephew "Delete all the emails from the gardening shop because the only thing I will be planting this year is me." I told her that I could only imagine how she was driving her family nuts with her sense of humor! Her sister, who is a nurse, and I are able to talk openly with her and let her share what and how she chooses. We had a serious talk and then lapsed into the dry humor.

Hope this explains my sounding negative. I firmly believe that we will all die eventually and it is important to deal openly with it when it comes.

Love and hugs
AM

[hornblower]

Dear Anna, how is she doing right now? I lost my brother on Christmas eve morning. Two days later after a state of shock Christmas.......thats the only way I can describe that day....I was numb and Im sure most people in my family were so numb especially his wife and children...... it was one of many miserable Christmas days I have had in my life as Im sure many of us have had.
My daughter came to me the next day while I was just sitting frozen not knowing which way to go what to do or anything and said Mom you need to take a hot bath. She drew the water for me and all but put me in the tub. When I got into that hot water and the steam was rising all around me I felt like the heavens opened up...tears began to flow freely.........and there above me was my brother and he was sitting up there in wonder at my depressions...........He said to me........well isnt this what you always prayed for? Ive met the master carpenter with the holes in His hands......(my brother was a carpenter too).......then Jesus showed me that my brothers penance for being such a shit here on earth was to play with puppies and little babies and children and to be so happy at that playful state of being and not to work at all, not one single minute, until he was totally healed from all of his trials of working till he was half dead.
Jesus showed me how my brother was to hold his own dear baby girl, 'Sunshine' was her name, that had died when she was only one week old. My brother secretly had blamed himself for her death and was a very bitter man because of such things as this happening in his heart.

I dont want to die Lord Jesus I want to live here and know happiness again. Please God forgive me for all Ive said and done and be with me today and help me pack and do good and be joyful for once.
I dont do well with changes Lord Help me. Give me peace and give Annas cousin so much peace and no pain at all Lord God take it all away from her please Jesus help her to be in heaven without going there (im not praying for healing but real healing if you understand my meaning here) Give Anna and Janice and all of us joy and peace today Lord God, thankyou for helping us.

[Anna Marta]

Janice,

I knew you would understand after I gave you the details. There are some things only those of us who have stood close to the reality can truly comprehend, huh?

Love
AM

[Anna Marta]

Dear HB,

Thank you so very very much for sharing your experience and your thoughts about your brother's death and subsequent healing in heaven.

I am always so surprised at the ways God brings solace when we need it most. As our Father He knows what kind of love our hearts need most in order for us to find peace and healing. That is why I enjoyed "The Shack" book so much. It enabled me to use my imagination to envision new images and affirmed my impressions of just how loving and compassionate my Father God really is.

I pray for you dear HB that you will have another heavenly visitation that will clarify some more things for you regarding all the hurt and pain you have endured. May you be blessed.

Love
AM

[ex-shep]

I have had two close friends have similar losses during the holidays. One co-worker had to go her dad's funeral on Christmas Eve. I had a former significant other bury her mother one year on the 26th. I still think of "Mary" and how she fares this time of year. In my case, I did not get the news of her mother's passing until finals week of Winter Term. Needless to say I had my hands full.


I have not read the posts in detail, but heart goes out to anyone who has suffered such a loss.