jjohnson

. Who is your little Susie in life? WET PANTS Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened.. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives. The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.' He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. As the teacher is walking toward him, a class mate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap. The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!' Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!' Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.' May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good..

Lenny: :congrats: What a beautiful post in your Blog Lenny. I so enjoyed reading it and I could relate to a lot of what you shared. :signthankspin: :thumbup: We are so blessed that you are our Ambassador. You are such a good role model for everyone here. Keep up the good work that you do. Hope is always there.... Hugs, Jan :friends: :beer: Believe in Miracles and SOAR

She had me at Halo :Angel: On Wednesday, February 24th, 2010, at 5:45pm, God sent you your precious baby girl. Lillian Rose, was her chosen name Mom, Crista, and Proud Dad, Justin, couldn't have been more thrilled. She entered their arms weighing 7 pounds, 7ounces of pure love of the two of them combined. The length of their little bundle of joy was twenty inches. How blessed they felt when their eyes met, It was an instant connection of love. God surely blessed Crista and Justin as Their lives as a family of five has just begun. God will carry them through this journey for he has given them his very best ~ A child they can call their own to bring them hours, minutes and seconds of unconditional love. The future is full of hope, joy, happiness and so much more... Yes, an Angel came down from Heaven above but first her Heavenly Grandpop, Jerry, inspected her and held her and told her so many stories of the loving family she will be joining, He counted her ten little fingers, ten little toes, gave her butterfly kisses on her soft cheeks, and kissed so tenderly her little tulip lips he promised her he would be her Guardian Angel and watch her from up above and then God said it was time to become the newest baby girl in the Carrol County home of the Speigle's family. Her Big Brother, Jacob, and Big Sister Taylor are waiting for her. Her GrandMa Rose can't wait to hold her namesake along with Aunts, Uncles , Cousins, Nana and Pop Pop too... Welcome to the world Lillian Rose so many stories to share and so much love to give you You just wait and see! You are the best "Hole in one of 2010" Written with love, Jan Johnson 2/26/10 *Jerry was my dear friend who passed away from Cancer last month. I wrote this for his wife, Rose, and her family.

:You-Rock: Dear Canada..... :congrats: on a wonderful Olympics and being such a wonderful "Hosting" of the games to the world. :music_band: :groupwave: :groupwave: Lenny, you have been such a good Ambassador sharing Canada with the world. Your love for Canada can be felt by your enthusiasm. I have enjoyed learning about your homeland and seeing the beauty. I have honored Canada by drinking Canada Ginger Ale while watching the games. Yes, it is hard when such a lively event has ended, however, there is something new just waiting for you. So get your rest cuz there is something around the bend just waiting for you. It is wonderful you got to share all of these moments with your family especially your precious Grandson. Lots of memories have been made and you will revisit them later on ...... Enjoy the closing ceremony. Great Blog. Like Bob Hope always sang, "Thanks for the Memories..." Believe in Miracles and Soar

Once again, I found myself trying to get through the adversity that was bigger than life. I truly didn't think just because I got through a Brain Stem Stroke my life was going to be a bed of roses, however, I never thought I would have to go through the heartbreak of losing my Harley Boy. Harley was bigger than life to me and he had my heart one hundred per cent. I always thought Birthdays were suppose to be a day of celebration, fun happy moments, December 26th was the worst day as far as Birthdays go in my book. That was the day Harley took a turn for the worst. I sat up with him all Sunday evening and literally watched him go into a coma. After all he had done for me with my stroke recovery it was my turn to be there by his side. Monday morning he left me at 8:30am and my life changed .... I have had such a hard time getting through this loss. Those out there who don't understand the love of a pet find this hard to understand. I truly feel bad for those individuals who have never known true unconditional love. All I have been able to do is cry, the tears just came one after another. I knew I had to pull myself up by my boot straps but the pain was huge. I tried to remember the good times, the wonderful times. Yet, the tears just kept flowing. My wonderful Dr. Banfer would call me and check up on me and suggest maybe getting another dog would be just the medicine that the Dr. would order. NO NO NO I couldn't do that to Harley. I have been busy organizing his "Celebration of Life" service. Things are all set for Sunday, March 7th, which happens to be HIS Birthday. I have been busy working with a dear friend, Amie, who is in Korea working and she has been so gracious putting together a beautiful slide show for his special day. I had the task of picking out which pictures I wanted her to use and which songs would go to each one. She has done an awesome job. I feel there will be "Closure" after this day.... Wayne is on the same page with me on all of this. I realize this isn't only my "Pain but OUR Pain"... He loved Harley and he is going through his own hurt and grieving. It's something how a bundle of fur could touch "humans" so much. They are just blessings from God. I have prayed and asked God if he would just let me feel him as I need him more now than ever. I have never asked him WHY after my open heart surgery or after I got out of the coma and on life support, I never asked him WHY when I was one hundred per cent paralyzed. Who am I to ask him WHY? But, I did the worst thing after Harley died....I asked him WHY..... I just needed to know why.... I have always had such a deep rooted faith ....I never compromise my faith for anyone or anything.... I remembered after I got out of the coma and realized I couldn't move I just laid flat in the hospital bed staring up at the ceiling and just cried out to God and he said to me "He would never leave nor forsake me".... He never has and then I realized he wouldn't now. It was he who put Harley into my life..... It was just Harley's time to go over the Rainbow Bridge. There had been such a big void in our lives, the joy was missing. We knew there were people praying for us and those who felt our pain.... We received some beautiful cards and little things that were sent to us. We appreciated the kindness that people showed us but still the fact remained our days were long and truly missing something. I was on my Facebook one evening and I saw an ad about shelters and it said Pet Finders. I had never looked at Pet Finders but for some reason, that evening I did. It was then that I found "Bolt"......He was a real cutie. His little face just caught my eye and his story truly broke my heart.... "Hi everyone! My names Bolt and Im a very sweet 1 yr. old 18 lb. Westie/American Eskimo dog (best guess!) mix. I am very outgoing, active, and playful and I love other dogs and cats too! I was rescued from a shelter in OH where I was chained outside in the cold! I really hope that my luck will change in the new year!" Harley was my Therapy Dog and helped me with my Stroke Recovery so when I read his name was "Bolt" I immediately thought.... the sign for stroke is a Lightening Bolt... Then I read the Shelter/Rescue place that had him was called "Rainbow Tails" .... a Rainbow is a sign of God's Promise and Harley went to the Rainbow Bridge, then his id was 319 and that is the day my Mom died from Pancreatic Cancer, March 19th... I felt like all these were signs that this was the dog being sent to me. My Harley was up in Heaven right by God watching over me. I just kept looking at his picture and praying and wondering about it. When Wayne woke up, I asked him if we could talk that I had something to share with him. He asked if we could do it when he got back from his Dr's appt. He wanted to know what it was about, I told him a Dog named Bolt. Wayne got back from his Dr's appt and our "Talk" started. I showed him Bolt's picture and let him read his story. Wayne had said maybe in the Summer we would think about getting another dog, however, I shared how I truly felt I needed one now due to the stress I was going through and I was concerned I would stroke... etc. He did agree that the joy was missing since we lost Harley. Before I had the "talk" with him, I did send an e-mail asking if Bolt was even still available. He was. We went through the "Adoption" process and I just left everything up to God. We both were having feelings that we were betraying Harley...Then finally I shared with Wayne, this is the greatest tribute to him and his memory. We LOVED him SOOOOOO much that we want to give love and share it with another Shelter/Rescue dog. Bolt would never be Harley, heck no one ever would... we weren't looking for that. We were looking for a lil one who could join our family and have a better life .... Harley was nothing but a bundle of joy and pure LOVE..... On Sunday, February 14th, Valentine's Day, Bolt was delivered to us and the moment he walked through our front door our "New Leash On Life" began. Changes made where his new post on his Pet Finder Site: "I was adopted today, February 14, 2010! I now live in Churchton, MD with my AMAZING new mommy and daddy! They say they are very lucky to have me but I sure am lucky to have found them-I am going to be one spoiled and very happy boy! I couldn't have found a more perfect home!" Harley was there that is for sure. My Birthday was a bust, however, Valentine's Day was a happy day. Wayne and I truly feel Harley was looking out for us. We feel he is at peace now and just running and playing over that Rainbow Bridge. We also changed his name from Bolt to Beau. When I said Bolt it just reminded me of the adversity I went through with my Brain Stem Stroke and how Harley came into our lives. I want to move past that. Plus I want Beau to have his own unique name... Our lives have truly been busy. We started Obedience Training this past week and Beau is doing pretty good. Wayne and I have homework to do daily .... It is very interesting to learn the history about Wolves and their "Pack" theory. We are working through an awesome group, "Bark Busters"... they use the Dog Whisperer theory. Beau realizes I am different from Wayne, so he brings me his toys to play with him. When I am in my lift chair, He jumps up on me and puts his lil arms around my neck and just gives me hugs and kisses. My sadness is turning to joy. Harley put his loving paw prints on my heart and they will stay there forever more. We have so many beautiful memories of him and he will always be in our hearts. We now have started a new journey.... Beau has joined our family tree and has his own branch. He has given us a New Leash on Life and for that we are greatful. Dr. Banfer called to see how I was doing and he was overjoyed to learn we were getting Beau. Where was God throughout all of this? He was "behind the scenes all along".... My grief had gotten the best of me. He didn't leave me in 2003 and he didn't leave me in 2010. He was hurting because I was hurting. I truly feel, in my heart, he appeared to me in the form of Beau. Whether it was Harley or Beau it was God. When you spell God backwards it spells DOG..... DOG = Depend On God. What a reminder for me, I need to ALWAYS Depend on God in all things.... He wants to be there for me .... no matter what the cause. He is there in Adversity.... In good times and bad... no matter what, he IS THERE.... All I have to do is realize this. Throughout all of this journey I have grown. I have a better understanding through the lessons I have learned. Faith, Hope and Love... the greatest is LOVE..... this is one Valentine's Day I will never forget. I have remembered my "mantra" Believe in Miracles and SOAR Well, Beau is making sure of that.... we are soaring.... one day at a time. Yes, there is joy again, even laughter. Life is good.

ONE MONTH TODAY It's been a month today since you went away I miss you being by my side I miss everything about you The way you would tilt your lil head to let me know you always seemed to know exactly what I was saying I miss your unconditional love and understanding I could type and type and NEVER be able to cover how very special you were to me I never could have children, Harley, but God gave you to me and you were the best "Son" I could ever had been blessed with The tears just won't stop The sadness just won't go away I am trying to be strong I try to be grateful for the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years we did have together I thank God daily, all through the day, for the happiness and memories we made together and I cling to those to get me through the rough spots. I just wanted more I guess it just wasn't in God's plan I hurt Harley I know you will always be in my heart, mind and soul I just loved you so but, I know you knew that You brought so much joy, laughter, healing and love into my life I thank you for that. Thank you my precious lil boy for loving me. Your memories will live on forever.... If it hadn't been for my Brain Stem Stroke and the "RX" from my Cardiologist, Dr. "C" .... you would never have been part of our family. You were such a faithful blessing to me and I thank God for YOU. Enjoy Heaven and know one day we will be together again. You are whole again and running and enjoying yourself and out of pain. God is watching over you and I know you are in good hands. Love, Your Mommy xoxo

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because..... This morning I woke up and knew where my Grandchildren were. This morning my home was still standing. This morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried after being pulled out from underneath a pile of concrete. This morning I was able to drink a glass of clean water. This morning I was able to turn on the light. This morning I was able to take a shower... I had food to eat. I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti . Lord I cry out to you, the one who makes the impossible possible, the one who turns darkness into light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so help can come. May you provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all they need without hesitation! For all who have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, and give them courage to continue! Protect the children and shield them with your power. I pray all this. Friday evening I watched the special Haiti Fundraiser and it was amazing the outpouring of love. People coming together for a common goal. It makes me think of the many blessings that I have in my life. I picked up my phone and made a pledge. Those dear people..... The best I can give is my prayers daily. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wayne and I sat vigil all evening with our Harley Boy. He went over the RainBow Bridge at 8:30am this morning. Thank you to those that have prayed for us .... We truly appreciate your kindness.

I wanted to give tribute to my Harley Boy. Tomorrow the Vet will come to our home and assist that he will be free from all of his pain. My heart is so broken but I know we are doing the best for Harley Boy. He has been the center of our "universe" since I came home from Rehab in 2004. He has been going down for a while and my Birthday, December 26th, it all came to a head. Gosh, what a Birthday. But, maybe it is Harley's "Birth" to a pain free life. The Vet Assistant came over today to check the situation out and she said it is the best thing to do. She knows Harley very well and loves him and it broke her heart as well. She agreed that ever since his surgery he has gone down hill. Believe me, if love could save him, he'd be here forever. I have done my share of crying and I just have wanted to be by him the whole weekend. My life is going to be so empty without him. But, I have so many wonderful memories of our life together. I wanted to share the entry that I had written about him and shared in our SN creative writing issue a few years ago. It was truly written from my heart. I thank GOD for the gift of Harley. I have learned so much from him and I thank him for all he has done for me and my stroke recovery. He won't be gone for he lives in my heart and soul. I have a special Guardian Angel watching over me. These pics were taken about a year or so ago. He looks so good in them. This is how I want to remember him looking. He was a cutie pie that is for sure. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paw Prints By Jan Johnson In life you meet lots of different people Some are trustworthy, Some are kind and sincere Some have no hidden agenda While others may have different plans I have found in my life there is one Four legged fellow who is so special from all the rest All he has to do is look into my eyes and there I find it Unconditional love, forever love and devotion The way he tilts his head and moves his ears to listen to every word I share with him He looks into my eyes and can see down to my soul It is times like that I feel additional Harley Paw Prints being put on my heart These Paw Prints will last a lifetime With each one given to me, our bond just gets stronger and stronger He is there when I shed tears He is there when I share laughter with him He is there just because he wants to be He knows I am different from the rest He sees me in my wheelchair and with my walker or cane He knows I must sit in my Lift Chair None of this matters to him, he could care less that I am a Brain Stem Stroke Survivor All he cares about is the love I share with him There is no greater love than that Harley is my blessing from Heaven For you see God sent him to me Backwards is the word DOG This is the message sent to me He was sent from GOD for if I hadn't gone through this journey, there would be no Harley.[/font]

Sue, I respect your opinion. I just have had some very rough moments lately, and my friend sends me these from "Streams of the Desert." I try to keep an open mind when someone sends me something knowing they are only trying to help me. I have been going through some serious health issues and I have been hit hard at times, therefore, all I can cling to is my faith. This Blog entry really hit home to me and I thought I would share it in my Blog to possibly help others. *I welcome feedback from others.

"FAINT NOT!" How great is the temptation at this point! How the soul sinks, the heart grows sick, and the faith staggers under the keen trials and testings which come into our lives in times of special bereavement and suffering. "I cannot bear up any longer, I am fainting under this providence. What shall I do? God tells me not to faint. But what can one do when he is fainting?" What do you do when you are about to faint physically? You cannot do anything. You cease from your own doings. In your faintness, you fall upon the shoulder of some strong loved one. You lean hard. You rest. You lie still and trust. It is so when we are tempted to faint under affliction. God's message to us is not, "Be strong and of good courage," for He knows our strength and courage have fled away. But it is that sweet word, "Be still, and know that I am God." Hudson Taylor was so feeble in the closing months of his life that he wrote a dear friend: "I am so weak I cannot write; I cannot read my Bible; I cannot even pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust." This wondrous man of God with all his spiritual power came to a place of physical suffering and weakness where he could only lie still and trust. And that is all God asks of you, His dear child, when you grow faint in the fierce fires of affliction. Do not try to be strong. Just be still and know that He is God, and will sustain you, and bring you through. "God keeps His choicest cordials for our deepest faintings." "Stay firm and let thine heart take courage" (Psa. 27:14, --After Osterwald). Stay firm, He has not failed thee In all the past, And will He go and leave thee To sink at last? Nay, He said He will hide thee Beneath His wing; And sweetly there in safety Thou mayest sing. *Streams of the Desert

Since October, my two friends who join me for my Monday Bible Study, Kathy and Debbie, have been praying for Holli. I rec'd this e-mail from Debbie tonight letting me know Holli earned her Angel Wings. Would you please pray for her family .... I pray for her Husband and two children. God Bless them. *********************************************************************************** Hello, I have a prayer request

----------------- LOVING EACH DAY ----------------- A very effective means to focus the mind and open to your loving is chanting. Since the beginning of time, religious and spiritual groups have made a practice of intoning sacred words, sounds, prayers, and songs. Chanting builds up a powerful field of spiritual energy that can change your consciousness. The key is your intention -- bringing an attitude of reverence and love to whatever you are chanting. Mantras are specific sounds or syllables that invoke a spiritual essence. It is said that as you chant, you bring that essence, or vibration, into your own being. I recommend the HU chant. HU (pronounced like the man's name, HUGH) is a name of God found in Pali and Sanskrit, ancient sacred languages of southern Asia. Chanting HU silently or aloud, alone or in a group, helps create attunement and bring you into spiritual alignment. - John-Roger with Paul Kaye

Bill: the house is just beautiful.... what a blessing. Only thing is: where are the pics of BUD? I was so looking forward to seeing him in his "Castle" best dog house I have ever seen. I pray for lots of good health, love and happiness there. You truly deserve this.

Kimmie: They have always said, The best things come in small packages..... but in that small package i.e.mya is tons of love..... and in time that love grows..... I am so happy you have her. I can feel your joy just by reading your entry. Can't wait to see the pics. Keep those updates coming. Give her a hug and kiss from her Auntie Jan.

There is so much I want to share with you, however, with this skin, it looks like our comments are showing up, I will try anyway. I am proud of you. YOU are gifted with writing, your Poem was just beautiful. You know you need to know in life, you do things for YOU, not to make others proud, or anything like that. You are just setting yourself up for disappointment. You are a smart gal, God has blessed you with so much. No , life isn't fair, BUT GOD is good. Toward the very end, you shared some wonderful accomplishments. Just focus on the good and strive to move forward. Take each day.... enjoy those 24 hours, stay in the "present" cuz that is what it is a "Present" from God. I am sorry about your boyfriend breaking up with you. There are lots of other fish in the sea. Just focus on you.... the other things will fall into place when the timing is right. Just keep blogging cuz I love keeping up with you. Be happy.

----- WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

LETTER FROM GOD TO WOMEN x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x* When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you. Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone, I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man's life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone, I shaped you..... I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully. Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side. You are my perfect angel.....You are my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes......don't change them. Your lips -- how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form. Your hands so gentle to touch. I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep. I've held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are most like me. Adam walked with me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you; my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support. You are special because you are an extension of me. Man represents my image, woman my emotions. Together, you re present the totality of God. So man......treat women well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is such a touching and true image of how God views and created women. We as men need to see our wives as God intended us to see her and work together as God intended.