Good Morning my friends. I've been thinking again and that's kind of a dangerous thing. It's about us and how we have forged these wonderful friendships. I feel as close to some of you - as if you were my own family. I mean I really do care.
Have any of you read or seen the movie Shadowlands? It's
Meaning that as with everything in life - there is both joy and pain.You can't live and be happy and love if you can't accept the pain at the end when things change. People get sick. People die. It's a fact of life just as being born is. If you're not interested you might as well stay an island. Don't love. Don't live. Because if you do - you WILL get hurt.
Now not all of us, but some of us are in our 50, 60, and 70's. (Now I don't usually think this way, but it has been a rough week out there in blogland). A friend has lost her husband, a friend is recovering from breast cancer, a grandmother's grandson is gravely ill, a friend's sister needs a new heart, a friend's pup needed surgery, another friend is on steroids for pain, a mother had surgery, my daughter had a student needing surgery, a friend is going thru a horrible divorce, two friends have melanoma, tumors in the jaw, jobs, colleges, husbands anemia, cataract surgery, separation in a relationship, an 11 year old with gall bladder problems, flooding, collecting for a little girl that has cancer, depression and bi-polar issues, colon cancer, tests being run, Alzheimer in parents, husbands needing therapy,and many more. This is all from friends on the blog.
In our church 3 - 24 year olds are in stage 3 cancers. Being sick is not just for the old anymore.
You know what - I'm sad. I don't want my friends to hurt or their friends or family or pets or anything. I don't want young or old to suffer. I can't say that I understand it. I do not believe it is the will of God to directly hurt us. Yet He does let it happen. I know that we will be okay - and things will work out - even if death is what ultimately happens. I know suffering makes you stronger. I know without the suffering I went through during my life time I would not be who I am today. But it still hurts.
And all this to say - would I change one friend I have on here? NO WAY! We are in this friendship for the joy and for for the pain if that what comes. So while I do not always understand the whys of things, I am here. Just as I know many, many of you are. There are so many wonderful gals and men on blogs. It is such a blessed place to have.
Okay off my soap box - but we are a community, a circle, of friends. And that is the most positive - wonderful - beautiful - happy - awesome - fantastic - good thing ever. Right? I mean we really do care about one another and that is a huge blessing.
Now to finish with a fun thing as to not leave you crying - sorry.
This is a Chinese Feng Shui.
To find your Feng Shui horoscope scroll down.
1.Which is your favorite color: Red, Black, Blue, Green or Yellow?
2.Your first initial?
3.Your month of birth?
4.Which color do you like more, Black or White?
5.The name of a person that is the same sex as you?
6.Your favorite number?
7.Do you like California or Florida more?
8.Do you like a Lake or the Ocean more?
Answers:
1.If you choose:
Red: You are alert and your life is full of love.
Black: You are conservative and aggressive.
Green: Your soul is relaxed and you are laid back.
Blue: You are spontaneous and love affection.
Yellow: You are a very happy person & give good advice to those who are down.
2.If your initial is between:
A-K: You have a lot of love and friendships in your life.
L-R: You try to live your life to the max & your love life is soon to bloom.
S-Z: You like to help others and your future looks very bright.
3.If you were born in:
Jan-Mar: The year will go very well for you and you will discover that you fall in love with someone totally unexpected.
Apr-Jun: You will have a strong love relationship that will last forever.
Jul-Sep: You will have a great year and will experience a major life changing experience for the good.
Oct-Dec: Your life will be great; you will find your soul mate.
4.If you choose:
Black: Your life is about to get better. You are more than ready for the change.
White:You have a friend who completely confides in you and would do anything for you, but you may not realize it.
5.This person should be your Best Friend.
6.This is how many close friends you will have in your life time.
7. If you choose:
California: You like adventure.
Florida: You are a laid back person.
8. If you choose:
Lake: You are loyal to your friends and your lover. You are very reserved.
Ocean: You are spontaneous and like to please people.
1.Which is your favorite color: Red, Black, Blue, Green or Yellow?
2.Your first initial?
3.Your month of birth?
4.Which color do you like more, Black or White?
5.The name of a person that is the same sex as you?
6.Your favorite number?
7.Do you like California or Florida more?
8.Do you like a Lake or the Ocean more?
Answers:
1.If you choose:
Red: You are alert and your life is full of love.
Black: You are conservative and aggressive.
Green: Your soul is relaxed and you are laid back.
Blue: You are spontaneous and love affection.
Yellow: You are a very happy person & give good advice to those who are down.
2.If your initial is between:
A-K: You have a lot of love and friendships in your life.
L-R: You try to live your life to the max & your love life is soon to bloom.
S-Z: You like to help others and your future looks very bright.
3.If you were born in:
Jan-Mar: The year will go very well for you and you will discover that you fall in love with someone totally unexpected.
Apr-Jun: You will have a strong love relationship that will last forever.
Jul-Sep: You will have a great year and will experience a major life changing experience for the good.
Oct-Dec: Your life will be great; you will find your soul mate.
4.If you choose:
Black: Your life is about to get better. You are more than ready for the change.
White:You have a friend who completely confides in you and would do anything for you, but you may not realize it.
5.This person should be your Best Friend.
6.This is how many close friends you will have in your life time.
7. If you choose:
California: You like adventure.
Florida: You are a laid back person.
8. If you choose:
Lake: You are loyal to your friends and your lover. You are very reserved.
Ocean: You are spontaneous and like to please people.
Do I believe in this? No, just something kind of fun after a hard post.
Now my thought for the day (as if I hadn't thought enough):
64 comments:
We really need each other and I am thankful for my blogging friends.
The great thing about friends is a burden shared is so much lighter. You didn't tell us what your favorite color is.
This blogging community, and you are an important part, has meant so much to me. The love, support, and prayers are like those you can find nowhere else. Amen to all you said!
You are so right Sandie...
The truth is, I have found myself speaking of my blogging friends to my friends here at home...
We may be having a conversation and I 'll say something like.."Oh, my blogging friend Mary did this or that" I also have requested prayer for many of you at my church...
I love my blogging friends!
Good Post.
Hugs
Sandie, 'Shadowlands' is one of my all-time favorite movies! And that line you quoted has come to my mind SO many times. What a profound thought that is, and so true! And I remember when Jack and Joy are out in the pasture, taking cover from the rain in some little lean-to shelter and he's having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that she is going to die. She says, 'The pain then is part of the happiness now.' So both parts are true.
I have a friend who is undergoing brain surgery this morning. She was having trouble with picking things up and thought it might be a pinched nerve in her neck or back. Turns out it is a blood clot pressing on her brain. Please pray for her.
One thing we do know: God is in charge of the Universe and doing all things for our good and His glory. Of that we can be confident. Have a great day, Sandie.
Your thoughts are well-shared and so true Sandie. Our interest and concern for our blog friends is very real.
I loved your words because they echo the way that I've been feeling lately.
I'm the kind of person who is more relational than superficial. Because of that, I tend to think of the invisible peeps in my computer as friends. I was thinking the other day that because I have expanded my friendships into cyberland, I have more opportunities for shared sorrow. It's hard sometimes, to be honest.
And then, I thought about the fact that the more friends I have, the more opportunities I have to be part of a celebration.
Take your grandson, for example. It was so funny because every time you would have an update, my mother would mention it to me. She would be so disappointed for you. When you found the "right" school, she was so happy. There we were, celebrating for some little guy we will probably never meet.
That part is so good that I'm willing to risk the other stuff just to have it.
It is often tough to wrap my brain around all the suffering we encounter...sigh. You are correct that our painful moments makes us stronger.
I hope my horoscope comes true.:)
Hugs!
It is so hard to see so much illness & loss here in bloggyville or otherwise. Our hearts suffer & feel the same sadness for each. God does not cause the suffering for sure ... He is our comfort, tho.
Love the questionnaire, ironically it was not too far off.
You are a beautiful person, Sandie, that I so enjoy ... you are a wonderful friend. Thank you for being you & bringing us such daily lifts.
Have a wonderful day ~
TTFN ~
Hugs,
Marydon
the thing is i don't believe in those tthings at the end but every single one of them was right on the money, described me to a T. and i love your soap box sermon, i agree 10000 percent with every word your wrote. and i am seeing the same things on blogland and in the people i know, 3 of my friends here had their mother, husbands die and our neighbor shot himself to death 2 weeks ago. and you are so right, we can hide ourselves away from life and be miserable which is what he did, or we can love and feel pain with our loved ones. like we could choose not to have our dogs and miss the pain but we would also miss the love.
I'm very grateful for my blog friends, too. We are pretty much home-bound and through blogging I am able to visit around the country and share both joy and sorrow with folks with common interests. It is indeed a blessing! Hope you have a great day, Sandy.
Life can be such a scary place. We just have to keep thinking about happy things.
I would like to say this I'm one of few men in blog land has and I wouldn't ever dreamed I would find friendships online. I really trust them and it just proves the internet can be a great thing. Hope you all have a wonderful stress free day
To all your friends that are ill .. I will keep them in my prayers.
We must all pray to keep our spirits up.
Think of wonderful days ahead ..god is good.
I myself have been through some hard times.
Before my blogging days.
Its hard ..but what you write is true. Through suffering we become better people.
I dont wish suffering on anyone.. but gosh how it jolts one into reality.
thank you for sharing.
lovely post
val
Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog and asking about Spencer. He's doing very well now. In fact he returned to school this week! We have been so richly blessed!
I love this post. Shadowlands is one of my favorite movies for that very quote! When my Spencer was in the hospital a friend gave me a wall hanging that says, "I've learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse." All of these trials we go through are so difficult, but I KNOW that it's all part of a bigger plan and for our good. Thanks for your thoughts!
Not sure my hubby is going to be too thrilled to know what's coming this year as I have a January birthday. Oh well! :)
First of all, I am so very sorry for all of your friends that are suffering and struggling. Life can be such a challenge.
I've been thinking about leaving the blog world. I'm not sure why. But you have given me much to consider as I know I would miss so many of you so much.
God Bless You, Sandie.
Yes....life....rough moments and GREAT moments....we must cherish all of them, which is hard some days.
Ahh, the bad times and the good times. It is a hard thing but I am trying to live MY life as to bless someone and keep me happy.
There is enough trouble in our day to borrow from tomorrow (But I still do at times, when I forget!) I guess the secret isnot to forget. But to always love!
Thank you. It's been a hard week for me and I'm having a harder time trying to put into words all that I've been through; which is why my blog has remained empty for over a week. I need some joy big time. I told my hubby this last night as he was getting ready to leave yet again for the army and he'll be gone so much this summer. But I'm grateful for the extra money it provides. I miss him. It's our 25th anniversary in June and he'll be gone yet again. Thanks for sharing from your heart.
I have never seen that movie, but you have made me want to watch it. I am new to this community but feel blessed to be a part of it. I like your thinking...it was powerful...God is God, and He doesn't view death as a bad thing. He rejoices when one of His are finally with Him! It doesn't change our feelings of sadness and pain but it is our foundation.
So many people have trials in their lives...well, all of us do at one time or another. I think we need to support each other through good and bad. I love that you have such empathy. Thanks for that.
Such a sweet, sad, thoughtful post Sandie. I have seen Shadowlands - it's one of my favorite movies, and I am a huge CS Lewis fan. It's so true - we always want our lives to be happy and right but that's just not how life works and for me, God's greatest works have been done in the tough times. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, you're not alone.
Hi Sandie, Thanks for stopping by my blog, you always do and I appreciate it! What you say is so true. To live life fully is to experience pain. Without the pain, we can't appreciate the good. I have two friends who are going through Breast Cancer now and their attitudes are amazing. Such brave women who are turning their pain into good and showing everyone what it is to be a survivor. I go to chemo with one of them every week and I think the nurses enjoy us because we have somehow made it a fun time and laugh a lot.
I choose to laugh. Crying is exhausting and doesn't do any good except make me look like my eyes have bee stings.
You are the queen of laughter in blogland and I always smile at least once when I read your posts!
Ann
We will not understand the full reasoning for the scheme that is our life. Including the pain, the joy, the sorrow, the elation.
But. You DO learn from everything the heart does. You learn how to overcome a broken heart, you learn how to change your mind and to accept it. You learn how to adapt.
If there was no sadness, how would you even know what happiness really is? How do you know there IS a solution to things if there weren't mistakes?
No, God doesn't want us to hurt. He just wants us to learn.
Great post, my friend. Yes, there are so many ups and downs in life.... I took the quiz and it was right on for me! Thanks for sharing! Have a fun weekend!
A long time since I visited I know. I saw your comment on Betty's blog and knew I had to stop by and say hello, funny then how the post was all about friendship.
What a beautifully written post, Sandie, about friendship and the love and comradeship between all us bloggy friends. I couldn't agree with you more. It's so sad, that so many of our friends are suffering with one thing or another at the moment. I really do feel for each and every one. All we can do is to be there to support them. Hugs to you my friend.
It's so nice to have friends here that we can talk to and connect with. Yes, it seems so many folks are having such hard times! Lots to pray about. I hope you're doing well and will enjoy the rest of your week!
Very nice post...and yes, I have seen Shadowlands...can't remember it but know I LOVED...it is one I have been meaning to watch again....I like almost anything with Anthony Hopkins in it.
This is an amazing world...but we have to endure so much...many times when we do not want to. Many prayers to be said for those who need it. Hang in there, Miss Chatty!!! Have a good day!
So much truth in your post....
It is a wonderful world we live in (including our blog world). We are very, very blessed with such compassionate, caring, believers... our family. I am grateful to the bottom of my heart! We will keep on praying for and sharing each others' lives. blessings and hugs ~ Tanna
we are all connected - for the tears and the joys - whether we ever meet in person or not. :)
A most meaningful and inspirational post, Sandie.
It's true that Blogland is a very special place with VERY special people, like you!
There is a lot of pain and sorrow in the world but a lot of good and beautiful things, too. We have to just get through the hard times. The good times always come again. Susan
There is definitely a lot of pain and sadness in the world. In the place I work, there are a few really hard-hearted and selfish people who perhaps if they were to visit a sick children's ward would give them something of importance to consider instead of themselves all the time. Yes, there is a lot of sadness and difficulties in the world... sadly there are those who like to add to the world's sadness by being difficult and horrid!
That's my soap box moment!!!!!
you are such a sweet heart, when I started blogging I never would have thought of how close we get to each other, we really become apart of each others lives, I have many blogging friends (you are one of them) that i mention on and off all day, you have all become part of my world.
There are so many suffering out there and blogging allows us to be knowledgeable about things going on,and it gives us the power of prayer and positive thoughts in mega proportions, thats a good thing! Take care my friend, you are one of the happiest funniest people I know and you also feel things very deeply thats quite clear,
And as I write this my husband and his three brothers and his mother are bedside as my FIL is dying...it is a painful wait- Lymphoma...and I am waiting to get me daughter from school - we are in God's waiting room. And Also found out a dear friend (brother in Christ) also has passed into the Saviors arms, without warning. Shadowlands was so good...and hard. It's all so hard, yet it is all to be lived through by grace. I guess. Love to you Sandy while waiting.
I hope you will add me to your list of friends ♥I agree it is sad to see others suffer...but the Lord said life would not be easy...we live in a fallen world..but one day...it will not be this way and we will understand it all.Till then we are to love and encourage on another...I think bloggers do this really well.
Chatty,
I difficult post to write, I would think, but a fine one nevertheless.
I really appreciate the "be present" during those precious moments. While we are here at Lake Chelan, I am trying not to worry about what I am facing when I get home - because it is concerning.
Good for you for reminding us to stay present. Blessings - Marsha
You said it so well.I too feel close to so many blobby buds including you ......and Chatty....you got one awesome heart......
This was a wondeerful post from your heart, Sandie! It is so true that in each life we have to accept sadness along with joy, sickness along with good health. I have to look no further than my own family to know that is true, but it is a blessing to know we have a Lord Savior that will carry us when we need His help, and good friends (in "real" life and in blogging) that will be there to support us emotionally, pray for us, and cheer us up when we need it!
Great thoughts, Sandie... In this life, with God's love and help, we all do experience sadness and heartache in addition to joy and happiness... That's just LIFE....
YES---blog friends (including you) are very very special... Thanks be to God for our blog friends.
Love your thought for the day.. Think I'll put that on my sidebar... Thanks!
Hugs,
Betsy
I didn't expect to feel connected to my blog friends like I do. I find myself wondering what's going on with people and what will they share today.
Very cute quiz, BTW.
it's a wonderful community, it must be difficult to see so many friends who are suffering!!
and what happen to purple??
Life is pretty short, and I hate to see anyone suffer. Let alone younger folks or even kids. Having a place to share is crutical these days. Do you ever think about people back in the 1800's and how life gave them challenges. Challenges change with each generation. We all seem to get thru the best we can. I am sending good thoughts to all the ill people in the entire world.
People, friends, acquaintances, family..we are all knitted together somehow!...:)JP
blog friends are amazing and who would have thought that you could become friends with someone you have never seen before.
Dave and I saw Shadowlands, about a year and half after Cathy, his first wife, died. He was devastated and just about lost it in the theater.
As to grief and Dave's death? It's a daily struggle and some days, a lot of days, I haven't a clue if I'll be alive at the end of the day.
Dear Sandie...isn't it amazing that our posts were so similar today? But not a coincidence...(there are none of those, you know :)...a collective conscience sometimes, maybe? Of all the blogs, do you ever wonder about the path we took to find one another...you go to a friend's blog ~ see a comment by someone who "looks interesting" for whatever reason...go to her blog, her favorites...and maybe there you find someone who'll you'll connect with for the rest of your life...who knows? What a winding path it is, but in the end, we wind up connecting with the people we are supposed to, I believe. Thank you, for both this post, and for being a new friend...(if my daughter had taken the job at CNN last week instead of the one here, I would be coming to Atlanta a lot, I'm sure...but, though it sounds "impressive", the pay just wasn't enough for her to be in a "safe enough" ~ (my words) area of Atlanta (when she interned at TCM last year, we made sure she was in a gated apartment complex, but that was only for 3 months...she couldn't afford that on this offer (nor could we afford to help long-term)...so she opted for a very good job here in Sikeston. I didn't want to influence her decision, but I am so relieved, for now. She can always apply there again (or TCM, her real love) when she has more years of experience!
I really got off track there! Anyway, Sandie, thank you for all your sweet comments, and for being my new blogging friend!
Hugs,
Anne
Sandie-
So sorry to hear that your heart has been so heavy this week. Prayers that your friends get the miracles they need. So much sadness, a lot comes along with friendship, laughter, happiness, but also sharing the heartaches of life. You are a lovely lady to be such a good friend to so many. They are surely blessed by you.
Most of the people who connect to you are human, and most of who I connect with are furry.
The thing is- when we started blogging - we had no idea of the sadness we would encounter as our blog friends became ill and some went to the Rainbow Bridge.
Some of the humans also lost their mates.
We at first thought bloggy land was a happy place- and it is,,,, but all the sadness takes its toll sometimes.
To me it has affected how often I do my own new posts.. because it seems I am always in a state of sadness over all my friends who are hurting... or have maybe died.
But - do I walk away? No,, I cannot.
I will be here for all my friends whether they are sick or hurting or not. Because we support one another- that is what we do...
This post you wrote is wonderful--
love
tweedles
(((HUGS))) I am so sorry.
I am actually working on a post similar to this one. I have been very sad lately and I know that reading about the sad things in the lives of those I follow is breaking me. Sometimes I want to back away to take a breath. But I always want to be here to pray for those in need. I will keep all of these people in my prayers. Love, Debby
Wonderful post. Without the hurts we wouldn't know the joys. We are here for each other for all the ups and downs ( especially you for me lately)...we're all connected by our heart strings xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
*hugs*deb
I stopped over today looking for a lift in my some what terrible day. When I read your list I decided to forget about my problems and say a little prayer for your friends. Thanks for the reminder that I need to be thankful for the problems I don't have.
I'm so glad I've been able to add you to my friend list here in blogs. It seems there are more nice people here then the other. Wish I could add more but its late and I'm running behind. Thank you for your nice comments.
It is sad when young people suffer. I've gone through a lot of tough things in my life, but while those things have shaped the person I am now, they do not define me. Our mistakes and challenges in life make us appreciate the good things. It's the whole there must be opposition in all things. We don't appreciate our health until we're sick. We don't appreciate our prosperity until we experience true want.
Great post.
Wow, that is a tough week with bloggers; Sandie. I do think we have such a great community of bloggers here that do care about each other. I was telling an old friend of mine that found me on FB about how I like blogging and how we do have friendships here; pray for each other, encourage each other, etc. Even when we are sad, it is good to know we can come here and pour our hearts out and people will care, give us hugs, pray for us etc.
God does allow suffering and pain for reasons you said, to strengthen us, make us trust in him, etc. Unfortunately after sin entered the world with Adam and Eve along with evil, we're kind of stuck with the way things are here until Jesus comes back and restores the earth to how it should have been. But why God allows one to suffer, one to get cancer, one not to, one to conquer cancer, etc, that I don't know and that is that sovereignity of him :)
hugs to you!!!
betty
Oh I feel the same way about blog friends. I talk about them and say my friend blah blah blah. People would probably shake their heads if they knew I had never met this friend!
I want to read that book. I am looking it up.
The horoscope was spot on for me!!
Have a great weekend!!
I do remember Shadowland. I thought about it the other day when I wrote a review of one of C.S. Lewis's books on my other blog.
The blog universe is a great community. There are several bloggers who started about the same time I did 3 years ago and we have become good friends.
My prayer list gets longer everyday, as I hear about so many with illnesses. Being there in spirit is important, too.
I have not seen nor read Shadowland but it is now on my list. Thanks.
We do enter the lives of our blog buddies don't we. While blogging expands our list of friends with pains or hurts in need of prayer, it also expands our list of friends who are sharing moments of pure joy, humor and wonder.
There is balance and I am grateful they are there.
Thoughtful post.
Life can be hard for certain. I hope next week has more positive stories in blogland. Always thankful for my blog friends :-)
Sandie I've been so blessed by you and your friendship. So many friends need our prayers. Hugs, Linda
Beautifully written Sandie. It is so very hard to comprehend the pain and suffering some people have to endure.
Of the many blessings I have found in Blog Land, my friends are right there at the top. YOU are a very special friend, Sandie, as close as family indeed. Thank you for your caring and thoughtful ways, and for understanding me and my stuff!
Yes, I am saddened by the many troubles that are in people's lives. I agree that it seems like there are many more physical ailments that are plaguing people. All I can think is that the enemy is really busy - and we believers must be a real threat to him. So, prayers for all.
By the way, I like it when you think!
GOD BLESS!
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