Sunday, January 23, 2011

Recovery Progress

I had another moment where I realized I am continuing to make recovery progress.

I was at church Saturday evening and my friend sitting next to me made a statement about the loudness of the music. The sound level was bothering her, but it wasn't bothering me.

I say that because due to my brain injury, louder noises have bothered my ears. There were times at church when I would wear ear plugs. I don't know how loud the music really is, as I am not a good gauge due to my injury.

The cool thing this weekend was that the noise level was not bothering my ears! That is progress. There are some loud noises that still bother me, but progress has been made. I am very grateful for that.

I have also been encouraged by the reports of progress that Congresswoman Giffords has been making since suffering her brain injury from the gunshot. Her recovery too will be a day-by-day recovery. Please pray for her and her family. It is a long road they have ahead of themselves.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thank You Sometimes Doesn't Seem Enough

When someone does something for us our natural response is to say thank you. Most of us learned that pretty early on from our parents.

Thank you is a very good thing to say, though sometimes it seems too small of a word to say. Is there a better word?

I am not sure if there is or not, but lately as I have been pondering the incredible road for recovery of my injuries, saying Thank You to God doesn't seem enough. I know I don't take it lightly and I don't want to communicate it lightly back to Him. He knows my heart, so I recognize that He understands.

I was thinking today that even though the word can sometimes feel insignificant, I can seek to live a life that reflects my thanksgiving.

With my life, it is not seeking to earn or deserve what God has chosen to do, but it would be responding to what He has done. That I seek to live my life with love, gratitude, compassion, hope, thanksgiving, and more. To respond to the gifts that God has bestowed on my life.

THANK YOU GOD!

Monday, January 3, 2011

The Only Thing Consistent is...

As we are now fully into year 2011 I suppose we can be confident in one of the consistencies of life: change will come.

Change is all around us; it doesn't just happen to me or to you. It happens to all of us. When change occurs, especially something that is very familiar to us, it can seem that change is wrong or bad. But is it?

Watching college football games on New Year's Day, I realized that concept has changed a lot. It is different, it was okay.

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team has entered the New Year with a change: they are no longer undefeated (they did have a record 90 game winning streak), but they lost to Stanford on Dec. 30. I know it happened, as I was able to be an eyewitness to the event, as I attended the game.

The sports changes are minor, compared to the changes that we face in our personal lives and families. But there are changes that we will face this year.

There have been a ton of changes in my life the past 2-1/2 years. Some of the changes I did not want to happen, but as time has gone by, I see the good that has come out of the change. It has required me to adapt and adjust; it has required me to adapt my focus from what was, to what is; as well on Whom I focus.

Do I miss the things that have changed? Yes, at times I do, but my focus is not just on the thing, but on God who has allowed change to take place. He is faithful. He is good. He loves me. He desires what is best for me. He has a plan for my life. He is in control. I can TRUST HIM with the changes.

Change is usually not one of our favorite things in life, but God who is in control is One we can trust because HE NEVER CHANGES! The God who was faithful in the familiar and comfortable, will continue to be faithful in what we do not know or understand.