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“Q”uiet
The details in the simplest of experiences can be just what we need to see God.
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Five Minute Friday: A bittersweet BLESSING
Usually when I think of blessings, I think of positive things that I find incredibly heartwarming or awesome, that have happened in my life. Today, I’m counting a blessing that is bittersweet. Our tabby striped, 12-year-old Maine Coon cat, Tikey, had to be euthanized last night at the vet, amidst hugs and an ocean of tears. What my husband, Joe, and I thought was an aggressive ear polyp that was next to his eardrum and had begun bothering him (with dizziness and nausea which had caused him to stop eating), was compounded by stomach/colon lymphoma. A good quality of life was no longer possible for him and I believe he…
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A to Z Challenge: “U”pside down, over and under
Roller coasters have been a part of my life since I was little. I am terrified of them, at least the large ones that flip you upside down with no respect for what you had for breakfast or lunch! My family went to Elitch Gardens amusement park in Denver. When I was small, I loved the boats that I could captain around the pond, the train that circled the park, the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Haunted House and many other rides. I have such fond memories of it. One of the country’s top 10 roller coasters was Mister Twister which opened at Elitch Gardens in 1964. It was a 96-foot-tall wooden coaster…
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Winter preparations for Christmas
I listen to WGBL on my way to work and the day after Thanksgiving, they begin playing Christmas music. Recently I heard a song by Matt Brouwer and I had to call in and ask for the name because it struck a chord with me – it was “Better Days.” Here’s a sample of the lyrics: “And you ask me what I want this year And I try to make this kind and clear Just a chance that maybe We’ll find better days ‘Cause I don’t need boxes wrapped in string And designer love and empty things Just a chance that maybe We’ll find better days Refrain: So take these…
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Happy Mother’s Day!
My husband, Joe’s, mother and father came up to visit us today, on Mother’s Day. They just entered their 80s but you wouldn’t know it – Bernie still mows the yards at their rental properties and they both are avid golfers. Dorothy attends church regularly and helps distribute the Eucharist to nursing homes. Dorothy is pictured above with Oliver, our 9-year-old Manx kitty. © Photo by Diane Weidenbenner Joe and I don’t have children but Dorothy has “adopted” our kitties and dog, Hershey, as her grandpets. She’s Grandma Dots. Dorothy was a district sales manager for Avon for 31 years and retired some time ago. She was a model…
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“V”ictory
Becky became “Aunt Becky” to Hershey, who my husband and I adopted, at a humane society fundraiser. She loved animals! Photo © Diane Weidenbenner Thursday, April 25, around 11:45 p.m., my good friend lost her battle against lymphoma. She was a very special person, as most people who knew her will tell you. She was a blessing and incredible friend to me both at work and in my personal life. Her name was Becky and she was a Christian. She’d been diagnosed with aggressive non-Hodgkins lymphoma in January (after successfully beating another type of lymphoma last year.) I am grateful that she is no longer sufffering, no longer in pain.…
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“R”escue
My entire family loves animals – dogs and cats especially, but we’ve had our fair share of turtles, hamsters, a pet rabbit – you get the idea! I think “love of animals” is in our DNA. Hershey at 8 months old, stopping to smell the roses! Photo © Diane Weidenbenner Before my husband and I got married, I promised him that we’d only (ever) have two kitties – I’d always had two because if I traveled and had to leave them alone in my condo, they wouldn’t be lonely. We’ve been married 13 years as of July 1 of this year and we have four cats and one dog. All…
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Little blessings – an oxymoron
I’m all about the little blessings in life. By “blessings,” I mean a special, unexpected sign or gift bestowed by God (I believe) to us. Not exactly the Webster’s Dictionary definition, I know. One of these blessings has been the wildlife that has appeared in our yard over the last few weeks. It’s not uncommon for us to have “sightings” of animals – a coyote, fox or turtle cutting through the backyard that runs parallel to Lost Creek. The blessing has been that we’ve had a family of foxes that repeatedly come out at dusk to romp, play, climb on our fallen tree and generally amuse my husband, Joe, and…
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Blogging from A to Z: Love, everlasting
I’m reading “When the Game is Over, Everything Goes Back in the Box,” by John Ortberg. Got it for 80 cents at a recent library sale! I’m on Chapter Five and I’m really enjoying it. I also feel incredibly challenged. The premise is that much of what we strive for in life is temporary – money, fame, a nice house and car, the next promotion or step in our career, the latest wireless phone or tablet. What lasts forever is love. Our love for other people, for God, loving acts towards friends and even more so toward people who are hard to love. With the urgency and seemingly high priority…
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Blogging from A to Z: Fireflies and faith
Fireflies have shed a little light on Easter for me. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Each night when I take Hershey out to “do his biz-ness” I’m reminded of the firefly’s amazing ability to light up the night. The have a unique gift and offer a flickering dance that draws me closer to God. Unlike me, fireflies are not native to Denver – they are a benefit of living in hot, humid Indiana. Fireflies are cool! There are over 2,000 species of fireflies and their light patterns are unique to each species. Fireflies blink in code to…
