My Easter Story

"A Blessed Happy Easter"

The flowers are beginning to bloom and the grass is getting greener. Oh how I love the song of the newly arrived robins. Nothing makes me smile more than watching those beautiful winged feathered friends hopping along the wet grass, leaning their little heads toward the ground and then plucking a fat meal from that very spot that he was listening to. Is that God or what!
The smells drifting into my nose send me immediately back into my past where things made me happy. In one moment I am living by the ocean, listening to the crashing of waves. Another smoothes the frown lines in my forehead as I remember the walks to the lake, The smell of coconut suntan oil and children laughing as they played in the water.
Today, I thanked God for my gift of smell.
I have been burning a candle in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us.

I would like to share with you

"My Easter Story"

It was the year 2000 and I had begun having heart palpitations and thumping. From being a high energy girl to lagging myself along as though my tail was tied to bricks, was very irritating. I worked 3 jobs plus I would help my friend with her catering business. I walked a great deal and played tennis. I owned my own little double wide trailer and had a lovely little yard to tend to. I chopped wood for my wood stove when I needed to and did voluntary cooking for seniors. I often was called to the hospital by my friend (she was the head nurse there) to ask if I would come and sit with the dying so that they wouldn't be alone. I was not afraid of this gift that God graced me with. I care gave to my mother as she fought cancer for 3 months and it just became natural to me.
One day, Hazel (the head nurse) said:
"We are going to have to get you a pager pretty soon , Glady"
We giggled.
My boss from the Seniors Center where I also worked (my home away from home) kidded me one day by saying:
"Pretty soon the patients are going to scream when they see the 'death angel' at their door!"
A lot of the dying and the families called me their angel so that is how that came about.
My health began to take a turn from active to sluggish and fuzzy brained. (Craig...don't you dare comment on that!)
I began experiencing fainting spells. My kids began to monitor the experiences and then one night when I was alone , I became very nauseas and a sharp pain seemed to stab me in my sternum and my jaw felt like it was frozen. I called my friend over and she took me to the hospital.
That began my 3 week stay in the hospital.
They didn't want to send me home because I would lose my spot for an angiogram.
They also did not want me to be alone.
I was feeling very, very sad this one day because I wanted to be with the church family as they went to the river and faced east at sunrise.
It was Easter-time.
I had been off of the heart monitor for a couple of days now and was able to walk up and down the halls myself. I was still very anemic so I had to be very careful.
On the eve of Easter morning, I told myself that I would get up and sit in the chair next to the window and pray as I watched the sun rise in the east.
I placed the chair in front of the window, placed my bible next to it and went to bed.
I felt so exhausted. I felt like I had run 40 miles!
The next thing I knew was hearing footsteps running around in my room and the Dr. ordering the nurse to hook me up to IV and back on came the monitor.
"Please, leave me alone. This is my time with the Lord. Just leave me and let me rest."
I thought I was verbalizing this but soon realized that I had absolutely no energy at all, even to say
"Go away."
The nurse tried 4 times to insert the IV (this was very painful but I couldn't move). She told the on call Dr. that my veins had collapsed and she couldn't get a vein.
It was then that I was able to verbally say very weakly,
"Trust God and He will guide it in"
It went in.
I might add that Jane was not a Christian and she told me a couple of months later that those words and the fact that it did go in smoothly had quite the impact on her.
Later, when I was able to talk to someone about the experience I explained to them how peaceful I felt. I felt surrounded by some sort of comfort blanket and I really wanted to shut my eyes. it was so peaceful.
I found out later that my blood pressure was clocked at 40/35 ! Just like a clock unwinding.
It was just not my time.

Jesus is always there for us...whether dying or living, healthy or sick.
He loves us so much. We can't even imagine the love God has for us. Even if you weigh His love, it is still not enough.

As we feast this Easter and remember why we celebrate this particular 3 days, may we give thanks for everything we have.
We can see the sunrise and sunset as they colorfully paint the sky.
We hear the robin sing in tune to the lark, and smile as we hear a baby's laugh.
What a blessing to smell the aroma of a baking ham, biscuits and pie.
I love to feel the contours of my kids' faces. I can't hold a new born baby long enough to ease the yearnings of my heart.
When I hear my voice rise in praise of Jesus, I become teary-eyed. Not because of the sound of my own voice but who I sing about.

"Thank you oh Lord for all that I have.
Thank you that I am able to show you how very much I love you.
Thank you for giving me the chance to live and share your words.
Father, I pray that if I ever disappoint you, You would show me the right path to walk.
Thank you Jesus for always walking besides me...
and carrying me through the tough times...Amen"

It's Almost Spring Again!

Here it is Spring of 2009. The winter of 2008 seemed to drag by slowly as each new found day brought an assortment of weather shades. Most of the time it was dreary and my fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis did not like the cold one bit, although walking in the snow was a beautiful trip back to my childhood. I remembered distinctly how the snow crunched underneath my brand new black patten shoes that were a size too small. I had never had new shoes before so I was willing to suffer because I felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz...except my shoes were black and flat and small.

The skies are clearing a little each day and the wind is still a bit chilly but the air smells so fresh and alive! This month we once again welcome the new arrival of buds, crocus, hyacinth & snowdrops. To follow will be much, much more of an array of colors that the good Lord has given us. Oh how I do appreciate this wonderful gift just for our pleasure.

The beginning of 2009 also brought us the new arrival of a beautiful gift of a new born child. My brother Randy is now a Grandfather. He is the youngest in the family and he beat us 'middle kids'! The little princess is so beautiful...but then so is Mommy. Her Daddy is big and strong and handsome. They have been truly blessed.

I have been writing up a storm for Chicken Soup Series and Cup of Comfort Series but I will not know for a while if they have made the grade. It has been difficult writing because of my condition and I can't stay at it too long but I keep plugging away. I shall post another story soon but just wanted to touch base and let you know that I am still alive and kicking seeing how I have not made an entry for quite some time. I am sorry for that as I do enjoy writing for you.

I want to thank those of you who visit and read. You are my encouragement,

Blessings,

Glady

Still Recovering

Hello friends,
It has been a while since my last post again but I had a lumpectomy by way of "fine wire biopsy" because of a suspicious lump in my left breast. I have survived cancer twice alreay so when there is "something suspicious" they remove it. I am grateful for that. My surgery was June 24 th. and I still to this day am very tender. She had to go quite deep so she said it would take a while.

I also have been having trouble with my heart again. Chest pain, chest pressure, jaw pain. I had this trouble back in 2002 but an Angiogram showed that it was stress related. I am in no doubt that this too is stress related but I am in good (God) hands. I am being set up for a stress test at the hospital and must carry around "nitro-spray"...just in case. I have already used the spray once and I pray that I won't have to again. Be that as it may, I am in God's good hands...0:)

So, with this I will leave you, briefly, until the weather cools because I do not fare well in the heat (nor does my brain). I will return to you with many, many more stories that will hopefully fill you with laughter, joy and love.

Bless you,
Glady

"I Am Still Here"

I just wanted to pop in to let you know that I am still making entries but at this time things are a bit crazy. I also have a face book site with more stories if you feel like browsing for a laugh. It is "Auntie's Column" on the face book pages. Once you go to face book from the internet and if you register you will be able to go in.

I shall return my beloved and faithful readers.

Spring Is Here Again

I have been involved with so many projects that I have not been faithful in my journaling. I was also reading through some comments about people who "blog" and I felt a little shy about returning because it is said that some people feel "bloggers" are 'vane people' with all the writing they do about themselves and their lives and who cares what happens to them anyway. I, in no way, mean to brag about my life. My only intention is in hopes that my writing would maybe touch the heart of even one person and open their eyes to how precious life really is. I love writing and I also find blogging a way to be in touch with people because of disabilities preventing me from venturing outside like I used too. Blogging also brought some beautiful attention to my little friend Kaylanna, the 5 year old girl with cancer.

I must sign off for now in hopes that you will leave me your comments on this subject.
Bless you...and goodnight,
Glady

Can You Help Me?

I am hoping someone passing by here will be able to give me some advice on how to add my blog to the web site so that it can be accessible to the Internet.
Could you please post advice.
Thanks kindly...0:) and remember, "a smile costs nothing but gives everything."
Glady

I'm Back! Thank You Dawn & Pastor Rogers

In

Memory

of

my Dad

March 17 th. 1919-June 25 th. 1970

Peter Harvey Wheeler

I only had my Dad for 16 years. A lot of those years were filled with heart ache because he had a drinking problem. His Father was overseas at war while my Grandmother was in her nineth month of pregnancy with my Dad. Grandpa Wytnick died overseas and my Grandmother's heart died with him. They were so in love. They also had a daughter whom I am named after. Charlie was a friend of my Grandpa Wytnick and he married my Grandmother because she couldn't be on her own with 2 small children. The marriage was okay but then she began having his babies and he took a dislke toward my Dad.

Polio struck my Dad when he was nine years old and his step-dad used to horse-whip my Dad because he was sluggish and not keeping up to his chores. Dad grew up a pretty bitter man. Now he had 2 sisters and 3 brothers. Dad left home and sought a living at sawmills and other odd jobs and then he met my Mother and they married.

Mom & Dad had three girls, my sister Doreen (10 yrs old) and Linda (9 yrs. old). I was 2 years old and do not remember anything. My sister fell ill with a brain tumor and died. This tragedy threw my parents into a tailspin of pain and sorrow. My first memory was at five-years-old when my Dad was very inebreated and he got me out of bed and sat me on the table in front of him and he would look at me and cry, "DOREEN! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE!" I resembled Doreen and he would torture himself during these times. I thought I had done something to Doreen, (whoever she was), and I turned to self anger over the years.

Our life was a mixture of ups and downs...mostly downs. Mom & Dad had three more children after me. They were all boys. Dad seemed to break inside. Mom was angry. She always kept her grief inside her and steamed off in anger when she was drinking. Other than that, she was quiet, very quiet.

My parents had been through so much. My Mom was the oldest daughter of 15 children and a lot was left on her shoulders. In those days you didn't seek help. It was a shame to even think of seeing a Dr. for grief.

My 16 th. birthday was 16 days away. This one afternoon, my Dad stopped by for a visit with me. (Mom and Dad had been separated for about 3 months). Mom walked into the room and they began to fight again...AGAIN! I was so tired of it. I was so sick of it. I loved them deeply and had always tried to get between them and make them happy so that they wouldn't fight. Sometimes it worked...sometimes it didn't.

I got between them and pushed them apart. I could feel my head swirling from the anger & frustration! Dad said

"You're on her side now! You wouldn't care if I killed myself!"

And I screamed out four words that haunted me for 27 years,

"You're not man enough!"

Dad drove into a bridge abutment that night and died the next morning at 6:00 am.

He had struggled all of his life. I often wonder, 'what would it have been like if he had not been horse-whipped'.

(my dad is 9 months old in this pic)

Once, me & my cousin, Marie, locked Dad in the little shed where he kept tools. He didn't say anything for the longest time and then out of this tiny little hole came a little old fashioned oil can...the one that is really little with a long spout on it for working on cars. Anyway, we finally set him free and we all laughed until we almost burst. It was a fond memory for me to see my Dad smile. When he smiled his sky blue eyes sparkled like crystal blue. He was a beautiful man. He was a St. Patrick's Day baby.

I am at peace now, Dad, knowing that you are yet once again celebrating another birthday in Heaven.

"Happy Birthday Dad"

your

loving daughter

Glady