My brother

It was a long road trip to New York a couple weeks ago. My brother was sick and we didn't know how long he would be around. He had been sick for a while now. Juvenile Diabetes and not taking care of himself had left a deep mark on his health. Dialysis 4 times a week, he fell out of his hospital bed and broke 2 bones in his neck. ( we didn't find out they were broken until 4 months after the fact). 2 legs amputated below the knee, blind in one eye, going blind in the other, and his pinky finger got infected and had to come off. Not a very good place to be.

My mom was always there for him. Sometime to the chagrin of us sisters. We loved our brother, but couldn't understand why he didn't try to help himself get better, and why our mother had to constantly bail him out. Literally and figuratively.

My brother had 2 friends that would always go see him in the hospital. Jamie and Bob. Jamie never left his side and was there when George passed away. Bob sang worship songs and prayed with my brother and brought him to the Lord. There is a special reward for them from the Lord for this.

We got there on Monday evening. I prayed with him, told him I loved him. And then he said the most precious words I will ever remember him saying to me- "There's my baby sis."

He passed away Tuesday evening. My mom and my sister Michelle, and Jamie were there with him. I got there just a few minutes later with my sister Geanette. We said our goodbyes. Loved on one another, and somehow drew closer to one another. Life is precious. Live it. Love your family. Love your neighbor. Love God.

blessings to you all,
melody

Blank pages

It seems like every time I pray, all I see are blank pages. Like a book opening up and nothing is written in it. I like to think that maybe the Lord has new things in store for my family and has yet to fill in the pages. Or, it is the past where all the things I've done are wiped away, like a clean slate.

Either way, I trust my Father because I know He loves me.

Everyday is a new day. Everyday we make choices that affect the next day. God makes all things new. He is the only one I can trust with the plans He has for my family, because He alone is pure and holy. His ways are not my ways. His thoughts are not my thoughts. I have to change my way of thinking. It isn't if my thoughts are right or wrong, it is if they line up with the word of the Lord. Am I really putting God first in my life? Really?

So, the blank pages are an encouragement to me. New beginnings with the Lord, new life, new hopes. I can't wait to see the way He will fill those pages.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.~ Psalm 145v8

Tubing down the Little River

So, yesterday we decide to go for a tube ride down Little River. We were thinking that maybe a couple of hours floating down the river would be a fun family adventure.

Well, our little tube ride down the river turned into a 6 hour tube ride. Yes, 6 hours of riding over rocks and rapids. And a few long, flat places with no current to help you go. It was fun, but very long. We didn't know it would be that long. We planned for maybe 2 or 3 hours. Wow. We did see some geese, and a lot of cranes or blue herons. I don't know which kind they were.

There is a pretty cool rope swing that the boys got to use. And the rapids part was pretty fun. Did I mention I flipped over and smacked my shin against some rocks? Now I have a bump the size of an egg on my leg :) Not to forget that every single muscle from my head to my toes is making it very clear they did not appreciate being used so long yesterday. Did I mention I got stung by a bee? yup, first time I have gotten stung in years! That was a nice way to end the day.

The boys slept out in the tent last night. Their first night tent camping in the Smokies. They really enjoyed it. There aren't any bears to close to here, so Micah was ok with it. He tends to be a little afraid sometimes. Caleb is more adventurous, though.


Hopefully, heading out to a picnic in Cades Cove today. I want to explore the buildings a little more, and take some pictures of them. Then a long week-end ahead of us. The campground is booked full, so we will be busy! Have a blessed day.

You may be wondering about the title of my blog, so I will try to explain it to you. Everyday life is full of the things that make life worth living. Everyday is full of the things of Christ. Creation is full of the glories and majesties of the Creator.

I am going to try to write about the things in my life that happen everyday. Everyday Jesus reveals Himself in more and more ways to me. Through His word,through creation, through my children, through my husband, and through the people around me. I am not a theologian, a scholar, or anyone of any importance in the world's eyes. I am just me. See the everyday through my eyes.