While coming home from work the other day, it landed upon me to protect the lives of 2 parent Canadian geese and their five gosslings -- at least I think there were five; it was hard to tell given the circumstances.
My subdivision is off a 4-lane, divided road that's almost like a highway because the speed limit is 55 mph. Although it's very open, it's also curvy in one section right before the turnoff into the subdivision, and there's a divider of grass about 15-20 feet wide in the middle. As I came around the curve the other day, I was in the left lane and was leading a "pack" of cars that had just gone through the light, and there, right in the divider and heading onto the roadway, were two geese with their little ones! I was destined to hit them unless I stopped! As I braked quickly, I turned on my car flashers and prayed that no one would rearend me or the car behind me! The geese and gosslings were literally right in front of my bumper and heading into the right lane of traffic when I realized that the drivers in the other lane could not see why we were stopped, and my heart went into my throat as I feared that I'd witness the wipeout of an entire family of geese in a split second!
Fortunately, the driver of the first car in the right lane slowed down and stopped just as the geese waddled and squacked their way onto the other side of the road. I watched them go as I tried to keep my eyes on the traffic backing up behind me, thankful that a pileup had not occurred and grateful that the goose family had successfully crossed the road. Needless to say, I was a bit shaken by the event. I just hope they don't try to go back where they came from!
There is a natural drainage area at the side of our property, and it runs the entire length of the subdivision and then goes under the 4-lane road, and as the water ponds there, it attracks all kinds of wildlife, including ducks and geese. It's a natural area that invites them to nest and hatch their young, and since the geese don't have any reasoning capabilities, if they decide to cross the road -- well, they cross the road, and it's upon the drivers to not hit them. I encountered this migration about two weeks ago when I was going to the bank and ended up behind a car that was protecting some geese as they crossed another road with their little ones. Since I'm an animal lover, I'll stop and let them pass while I enjoy the sight.
The black-capped chickadee babies in the nest in one of our birdhouses are finally gone. Much quieter outside now! Found a robin's nest the other day and are waiting for eggs to appear. I love this time of year when nature reproduces and we're blessed with the cycle of life that God has established. And today little Julian is one year old! And I must remind myself that I'm a year older than I was when he was born! Time passes, babies are born, children grow up, parents grow older, and grandparents grow old. Grab every day with enthusiasm and thank God for it.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
New Readers!
I'm continually amazed at the internet. For the first time, people in Brazil are reading this blog! Welcome! I hope you find truth and hope in my feeble attempts to convey God's love through my everyday activities. Japan is also a newcomer, and Russian readers have been strong the last week. I want you to know how much I appreciate your readership. Without you I'd be sending these posts into cyberspace!
The internet is a powerful tool and can be used for good or evil, as every knows. Technology has changed our world in the last two decades in ways that were only science fiction when I was a young girl. I tell my grandkids about not having a television when I was very small, and when we got one, it had only 3 stations and everything was in black and white. They smirk at me as they use their Droids to text their friends! Satellite now brings so many stations into homes that it's ridiculous; we have satellite television and get a lot of stations, but we watch only a few that are our favorites. Actually, we hardly watch television, probably not more than 10 hours a week, if that!
Anyway, it would be great to hear from my old and new readers through posting a comment. Again, thanks for reading and making my need to write rewarding and fulfilling.
The internet is a powerful tool and can be used for good or evil, as every knows. Technology has changed our world in the last two decades in ways that were only science fiction when I was a young girl. I tell my grandkids about not having a television when I was very small, and when we got one, it had only 3 stations and everything was in black and white. They smirk at me as they use their Droids to text their friends! Satellite now brings so many stations into homes that it's ridiculous; we have satellite television and get a lot of stations, but we watch only a few that are our favorites. Actually, we hardly watch television, probably not more than 10 hours a week, if that!
Anyway, it would be great to hear from my old and new readers through posting a comment. Again, thanks for reading and making my need to write rewarding and fulfilling.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Stairs and Faith
What do stairs have to do with faith? I'll tell you! I work on the 5th floor of a building, and there are 98 stairs in the interior stairwell. I used to go up them but only go down since my back surgery; my plan is to drop enough of those extra pounds (some are already gone - Yeah!) added during my back injury to be able to do the stairs in a reasonable amount of time soon! So I usually take the stairs down to the first floor during my lunch break, and this is where faith comes into play. I know exactly how many stairs are between floors -- 2 sets of 12 stairs except between the 1st and 2nd floors, where there is one set of 8 stairs and 2 sets of 9 stairs -- but I find it extremely difficult to go down the stairs without looking at them! How silly is that?! I've counted them multiple times, yet to look at the wall and take each step causes me to pause at the eleventh step and cautiously take the last one! No one has changed the number of stairs in the staircase, so I keep telling myself that I have a lack of faith in what I know to be positively a sure thing! I'm now trying to take the stairs while focusing my eyes on the wall, but it's not an easy thing to do when I'm so used to looking as I put my foot on each step.
Faith is like that. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His promises are true. So why do we think we have to see every step that we take? Stepping out in faith when there doesn't appear to be anything there is not easy, but it's the only way to move forward in God. I'm faced with faith-walking in the realm of my book sales now, and I can tell you that I don't see anything happening. I want to see what's next; I want to see that God's promises to me are fulfilled, but not seeing the future is what keeps me walking in faith. The Lord is calling me to writing and speaking, and I must continue to have faith that it will come about. Easy? No, but I'll cling to what God has told me as I step out in faith every day.
Faith is like that. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His promises are true. So why do we think we have to see every step that we take? Stepping out in faith when there doesn't appear to be anything there is not easy, but it's the only way to move forward in God. I'm faced with faith-walking in the realm of my book sales now, and I can tell you that I don't see anything happening. I want to see what's next; I want to see that God's promises to me are fulfilled, but not seeing the future is what keeps me walking in faith. The Lord is calling me to writing and speaking, and I must continue to have faith that it will come about. Easy? No, but I'll cling to what God has told me as I step out in faith every day.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Learning Curve
With "Amanda's Hope" published, I'm languishing in the language of computers. WestBow Press has set up a Yahoo account for me, as well as one on Facebook, AuthorsXpress, Twitter, TwitterFeed, AuthorCentral, and a few others. The only ones with which I'm remotely familiar are Yahoo and Facebook. I'm completely lost on the others. Marketing this book is time-consuming, and since I work full-time, I'm stressed to the max about learning this other stuff. I'm trying to find a college marketing student who'd be willing to help me learn how to use these social media, but my search is only one day old. Young people have had computers around all of their lives; older people like me (notice I did not say "old") have a huge learning curve. Yes, I use computers daily, but my knowledge is limited to the programs I use on my job, e-mail, and the Facebook thing. I can't fix anything computer problem if something happens. I use what I know and I know what I use.
I put up a post on my "official blog" and shared it on Facebook and Twitter, but I have no idea who will get my tweet. It did show up on Facebook, and you can see the post by going to www.barbaranstewart.authorsxpress.com.
Publishing a book is great, but it will do no good sitting in boxes and not being read. The message of waiting until marriage for sex, the right to life of the unborn, the need to live a godly life, are all detested by the enemy of our souls, who is doing his best to keep this book and its message from getting out there. I know I've been targeted because these things have happened in my life since March 19: Husband Bob suffered a heart attack; the driver of another car pulled out in front of me without stopping at a stop sign, causing me to swerve to the left to avoid hitting him; a bicyclist turned directly in front of my car at an intersection, and I narrowly avoided hitting him; Bob didn't see and yield the right-of-way to another car at an intersection and we were almost hit; and a candle started a towel on fire in my son's house yesterday while I was there. Thank God the fire was quickly extinguished by pulling the burning towel into the sink and turning on the water. Not for a minute do I consider these events coincidences; they've all occurred since March 19, the day I gave final approval for the printing of "Amanda's Hope."
I know full well that I'm in for battle with the writing of the book, but God's truth always prevails and God's will is never thwarted! Please lift me and my family in your prayers for protection from the enemy. I covet and cherish your prayers and your readership. If you can go one step further and purchase a copy of "Amanda's Hope", you'll be standing with me in the fight for the rights of the unborn and for the truth of God's Word.
I put up a post on my "official blog" and shared it on Facebook and Twitter, but I have no idea who will get my tweet. It did show up on Facebook, and you can see the post by going to www.barbaranstewart.authorsxpress.com.
Publishing a book is great, but it will do no good sitting in boxes and not being read. The message of waiting until marriage for sex, the right to life of the unborn, the need to live a godly life, are all detested by the enemy of our souls, who is doing his best to keep this book and its message from getting out there. I know I've been targeted because these things have happened in my life since March 19: Husband Bob suffered a heart attack; the driver of another car pulled out in front of me without stopping at a stop sign, causing me to swerve to the left to avoid hitting him; a bicyclist turned directly in front of my car at an intersection, and I narrowly avoided hitting him; Bob didn't see and yield the right-of-way to another car at an intersection and we were almost hit; and a candle started a towel on fire in my son's house yesterday while I was there. Thank God the fire was quickly extinguished by pulling the burning towel into the sink and turning on the water. Not for a minute do I consider these events coincidences; they've all occurred since March 19, the day I gave final approval for the printing of "Amanda's Hope."
I know full well that I'm in for battle with the writing of the book, but God's truth always prevails and God's will is never thwarted! Please lift me and my family in your prayers for protection from the enemy. I covet and cherish your prayers and your readership. If you can go one step further and purchase a copy of "Amanda's Hope", you'll be standing with me in the fight for the rights of the unborn and for the truth of God's Word.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Help
Once we were home, Bob, being male, immediately started trying to figure out how he could get back to work. He owns a vending company, which means he fills drink and snack machines, and his routes take him to Raleigh, Durham, Research Triangle Park, and surrounding areas. If the machines are allowed to run empty, he loses money and increases the risk of vandals breaking into the machines. An empty machine signals lots of money in the box.
Anyway, in order to prevent Bob from doing too much, Ellen, his oldest daughter, organized friends and family to help Bob on his routes. Since he couldn't lift any more than 8 pounds at a time for 2 weeks, that meant lifing 12-packs of soda wasn't allowed. Bob came home on Wednesday, rested on Thursday, and was out for the first time on Friday with Billy, his son-in-law, who took the afternoon off so he could help. Kristen, Bob's daughter, also came over, and the help they gave us was amazing. Billy went with Bob and did all the heavy work of the vending, and Kristen stayed at the house. She vacuumed every room, and that was a big job since the house hadn't been vacuumed for 3 weeks. The weekend before Bob's attack, I had gone to the Joyce Meyer convention in Winston-Salem from Thursday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, and when I got home, I worked in the yard with Bob. After church on Sunday, we worked in the yard again, including spreading the last of the 20 cubic yards of mulch which we had worked to spread the prior weekend. I had every intention of vacuuming the house Monday night, but spent it instead at the hospital with Bob, so by the time Kristen cleaned it, it was a mess -- leaf litter, pine needles, dirt, yard debris -- all of which came in on shoes, and CAT FUR! I didn't know Kristen was going to clean, and when I came home and found my house vacuumed, I was so surprised and very grateful. And after Kristen finished cleaning the house, she went outside and began pulling weeds in a bed that runs alongside the garage. The weeds had gotten out of control last year due to my back surgery and recovery, and some of the landscape beds had been overrun with grass and weeds, ruling with an iron fist. But Kristen dethroned many of them!
Later, when Billy and Bob came home, I fixed dinner, including T-bone steaks on the grill, and we had a wonderful time with just Billy and Kristen -- no kids, no other people, just one-on-one. We are so thankful for the energy and time they gave to us and all the work they did.
On Saturday, my son Nathan came over and helped. Bob doesn't usually work on Saturdays, but he wanted to get caught up on some of the work that he'd missed. Monday's help was David, a friend from church; Tuesday's help was Jerry, a friend who sings in the chorus with Bob; Wednesday, Ellen, Bob's oldest daughter, took the day off to help; Jerry came back on Thursday; and Friday, Clay, a friend from church. Thanks to everyone for giving so selflessly of your time and energy to Bob!
Today is Saturday, and Bob has gone to Cary to sing in The General Assembly Chorus's Pretty in Pink Concert. The GA is an all-male a capella babershop group, and the concert is to raise money for Pretty in Pink, a non-profit group here in North Carolina that provides free medical care for women with breast cancer who don't have insurance or when insurance doesn't cover the cost of treatment. There's an afternoon perfomance at 2:00 and another this evening at 7:30. Rehearsal is this morning, and Bob will be sitting down as much as possible to conserve his strength for the performances. It will be a long day for him, but he really wants to be part of the concert.
The only residual physical ailment from his stent procedure is the bruise that resulted from the catheter placement in the vein in Bob's groin. He has a massive bruise which has migrated down his leg, almost to his knee, and across his abdomen, and it causes him a lot of pain, especially when he gets up after sitting or resting. Eventually, the bruise will dissipate, and so will the discomfort.
So we're now getting back to "normal," but we have a fresh, profound understanding that life is fragile and we have only the moment we're in. None of us know when we will breathe our last breath, when our hearts will beat their last beat, so we need to be ready to move on to our eternal home. Hug your loved ones, speak kind, encouraging words, help unselfishly, give abundantly, and serve and love God. Winning the lottery doesn't matter; having nice cars in a huge house doesn't matter; taking expensive vacations doesn't matter; none of these things have value in God's sight. Live each day as if it were your last, living for God while preparing to meet Him, for everyone will stand before Him one day.
Anyway, in order to prevent Bob from doing too much, Ellen, his oldest daughter, organized friends and family to help Bob on his routes. Since he couldn't lift any more than 8 pounds at a time for 2 weeks, that meant lifing 12-packs of soda wasn't allowed. Bob came home on Wednesday, rested on Thursday, and was out for the first time on Friday with Billy, his son-in-law, who took the afternoon off so he could help. Kristen, Bob's daughter, also came over, and the help they gave us was amazing. Billy went with Bob and did all the heavy work of the vending, and Kristen stayed at the house. She vacuumed every room, and that was a big job since the house hadn't been vacuumed for 3 weeks. The weekend before Bob's attack, I had gone to the Joyce Meyer convention in Winston-Salem from Thursday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, and when I got home, I worked in the yard with Bob. After church on Sunday, we worked in the yard again, including spreading the last of the 20 cubic yards of mulch which we had worked to spread the prior weekend. I had every intention of vacuuming the house Monday night, but spent it instead at the hospital with Bob, so by the time Kristen cleaned it, it was a mess -- leaf litter, pine needles, dirt, yard debris -- all of which came in on shoes, and CAT FUR! I didn't know Kristen was going to clean, and when I came home and found my house vacuumed, I was so surprised and very grateful. And after Kristen finished cleaning the house, she went outside and began pulling weeds in a bed that runs alongside the garage. The weeds had gotten out of control last year due to my back surgery and recovery, and some of the landscape beds had been overrun with grass and weeds, ruling with an iron fist. But Kristen dethroned many of them!
Later, when Billy and Bob came home, I fixed dinner, including T-bone steaks on the grill, and we had a wonderful time with just Billy and Kristen -- no kids, no other people, just one-on-one. We are so thankful for the energy and time they gave to us and all the work they did.
On Saturday, my son Nathan came over and helped. Bob doesn't usually work on Saturdays, but he wanted to get caught up on some of the work that he'd missed. Monday's help was David, a friend from church; Tuesday's help was Jerry, a friend who sings in the chorus with Bob; Wednesday, Ellen, Bob's oldest daughter, took the day off to help; Jerry came back on Thursday; and Friday, Clay, a friend from church. Thanks to everyone for giving so selflessly of your time and energy to Bob!
Today is Saturday, and Bob has gone to Cary to sing in The General Assembly Chorus's Pretty in Pink Concert. The GA is an all-male a capella babershop group, and the concert is to raise money for Pretty in Pink, a non-profit group here in North Carolina that provides free medical care for women with breast cancer who don't have insurance or when insurance doesn't cover the cost of treatment. There's an afternoon perfomance at 2:00 and another this evening at 7:30. Rehearsal is this morning, and Bob will be sitting down as much as possible to conserve his strength for the performances. It will be a long day for him, but he really wants to be part of the concert.
The only residual physical ailment from his stent procedure is the bruise that resulted from the catheter placement in the vein in Bob's groin. He has a massive bruise which has migrated down his leg, almost to his knee, and across his abdomen, and it causes him a lot of pain, especially when he gets up after sitting or resting. Eventually, the bruise will dissipate, and so will the discomfort.
So we're now getting back to "normal," but we have a fresh, profound understanding that life is fragile and we have only the moment we're in. None of us know when we will breathe our last breath, when our hearts will beat their last beat, so we need to be ready to move on to our eternal home. Hug your loved ones, speak kind, encouraging words, help unselfishly, give abundantly, and serve and love God. Winning the lottery doesn't matter; having nice cars in a huge house doesn't matter; taking expensive vacations doesn't matter; none of these things have value in God's sight. Live each day as if it were your last, living for God while preparing to meet Him, for everyone will stand before Him one day.
Home Again
Hospitals are notoriously easy to get into but difficult to leave! That was the case with Bob's hospitalization. He was given the green light to go home before 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 21, but it was 2:25 p.m. when we left the hospital.
But the day was not wasted. Bob's nurse for the day, Courtney, introduced herself to him and warned him the process could take several hours. Before I arrived that day, Courtney had seen a book which I had taken to Bob for him to read during his stay, "America's Providential History." Bob explained a little about the book to her, and she was very interested in it because she had homeschooled her children prior to moving to North Carolina from Pennsylvania about 6 months earlier, and her young boys love history.
During the ensuing hours, she came into Bob's room frequently and told us how things were progressing. Mostly, we were waiting for everyone to sign off on his discharge papers and for the pharmacy to fill his prescription for his free month of heart medication. Since Bob wasn't the only one being discharged, he had to "wait in line," so to speak. Anyway, we could tell from the way Courtney spoke and the things which she spoke about that she was a Christian, and I wondered if she'd found a home church since her move from Pennsylvania. I know that finding a new church home is one of the most difficult things when a person moves. So I asked her, "Have you found a church home yet?"
"Yes, we're going to Durham to King's Park."
Together, Bob and I exclaimed, "That's our church!"
Courtney and her husband had been attending for about 2 months! God is amazing, isn't He?! We got Courtney's e-mail address from her and informed her that we could connect her to people her age in the church, as well as others who homeschool. She was so grateful, and we were so excited that she attended our church. You might wonder why we'd never seen her -- well, King's Park seats about 2100 people, although it isn't full on Sundays, and it's difficult to find people you know, not to mention noticing people you don't know!
Lunch time arrived at the hospital and we were still there. Again, I was blessed with a meal on a tray. Later, Bob got dressed and ready to leave, and after Courtney explained everything to us as she handed Bob his medication (we later got 3 more prescriptions filled at the pharmacy close to our house), Bob walked out of the hospital! We thought he'd have to be wheeled out, but they allowed him to walk! It was amazing to see him do that so soon after his heart attack.
He was so happy to be home; he's been resting and working some, but only light work. I can testify to the fact that he's not been doing any heavy work or straining himself. We e-mailed Courtney later in the week and told her where we usually sit every Sunday in church, and after the service, she found us and introduced us to her husband. "You look so good!" she exclaimed as she gave Bob a hug. It turned out that the people we were sitting next to were involved in homeschooling, so Courtney and her husband got to meet them right then.
Our friends pretty much swarmed Bob at that point, including two of our pastors and elders, who laid hands on him and prayed for him. Many people were surprised to see Bob in church in the first place!
We realize that God's hand was on Bob the entire time. Stents do not work on everyone. An attorney at the office where I work had open heart surgery to perform a quadrupal bypass the Friday after Bob's attack because stents would not work for him. He will not be back to work for weeks. We're so grateful that the stents fixed Bob's problems.
Looking back, we can see that the blockages in Bob's heart were building up over a long period of time. Even last summer he was out of breath when he'd do heavy work and would often sit down to rest, his face flushed as he struggled to breathe deeply. Even though Bob is fit and trim, his genetics couldn't be controlled, and the plaque that built up over time finally caused a very significant, sudden problem. But God was still in control!
But the day was not wasted. Bob's nurse for the day, Courtney, introduced herself to him and warned him the process could take several hours. Before I arrived that day, Courtney had seen a book which I had taken to Bob for him to read during his stay, "America's Providential History." Bob explained a little about the book to her, and she was very interested in it because she had homeschooled her children prior to moving to North Carolina from Pennsylvania about 6 months earlier, and her young boys love history.
During the ensuing hours, she came into Bob's room frequently and told us how things were progressing. Mostly, we were waiting for everyone to sign off on his discharge papers and for the pharmacy to fill his prescription for his free month of heart medication. Since Bob wasn't the only one being discharged, he had to "wait in line," so to speak. Anyway, we could tell from the way Courtney spoke and the things which she spoke about that she was a Christian, and I wondered if she'd found a home church since her move from Pennsylvania. I know that finding a new church home is one of the most difficult things when a person moves. So I asked her, "Have you found a church home yet?"
"Yes, we're going to Durham to King's Park."
Together, Bob and I exclaimed, "That's our church!"
Courtney and her husband had been attending for about 2 months! God is amazing, isn't He?! We got Courtney's e-mail address from her and informed her that we could connect her to people her age in the church, as well as others who homeschool. She was so grateful, and we were so excited that she attended our church. You might wonder why we'd never seen her -- well, King's Park seats about 2100 people, although it isn't full on Sundays, and it's difficult to find people you know, not to mention noticing people you don't know!
Lunch time arrived at the hospital and we were still there. Again, I was blessed with a meal on a tray. Later, Bob got dressed and ready to leave, and after Courtney explained everything to us as she handed Bob his medication (we later got 3 more prescriptions filled at the pharmacy close to our house), Bob walked out of the hospital! We thought he'd have to be wheeled out, but they allowed him to walk! It was amazing to see him do that so soon after his heart attack.
He was so happy to be home; he's been resting and working some, but only light work. I can testify to the fact that he's not been doing any heavy work or straining himself. We e-mailed Courtney later in the week and told her where we usually sit every Sunday in church, and after the service, she found us and introduced us to her husband. "You look so good!" she exclaimed as she gave Bob a hug. It turned out that the people we were sitting next to were involved in homeschooling, so Courtney and her husband got to meet them right then.
Our friends pretty much swarmed Bob at that point, including two of our pastors and elders, who laid hands on him and prayed for him. Many people were surprised to see Bob in church in the first place!
We realize that God's hand was on Bob the entire time. Stents do not work on everyone. An attorney at the office where I work had open heart surgery to perform a quadrupal bypass the Friday after Bob's attack because stents would not work for him. He will not be back to work for weeks. We're so grateful that the stents fixed Bob's problems.
Looking back, we can see that the blockages in Bob's heart were building up over a long period of time. Even last summer he was out of breath when he'd do heavy work and would often sit down to rest, his face flushed as he struggled to breathe deeply. Even though Bob is fit and trim, his genetics couldn't be controlled, and the plaque that built up over time finally caused a very significant, sudden problem. But God was still in control!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
"Amanda's Hope"
As an aside from the stressful event of last week, my book, "Amanda's Hope - A Choice for Life", which started me on this blogging journey, is available and can now be purchased at http://www.westbowpress.com/. Simply type the book title in the search box to find it. It's available in e-book, paperback, and hard cover.
I don't have a huge reader base on this blog by a long shot, but any help you can give me in spreading the word about the book's availability will be hugely appreciated! Please spread on Facebook or similar sites to friends, family, and your home churches. I don't consider it a coincidence that my husband's heart attack happened as soon as this book was printed, nor the fact that I've almost been involved in two car accidents. Please read my old blogs to get the gist of the story -- I don't want to give it away. And thanks in advance for your support!
I'll finish my husband's story soon. He's doing extremely well, for which we're very grateful.
I don't have a huge reader base on this blog by a long shot, but any help you can give me in spreading the word about the book's availability will be hugely appreciated! Please spread on Facebook or similar sites to friends, family, and your home churches. I don't consider it a coincidence that my husband's heart attack happened as soon as this book was printed, nor the fact that I've almost been involved in two car accidents. Please read my old blogs to get the gist of the story -- I don't want to give it away. And thanks in advance for your support!
I'll finish my husband's story soon. He's doing extremely well, for which we're very grateful.
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