Posts

Not In, But Not Out....

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  I know just about enough to be dangerous.... that right now is my whole take on religion.  You see I was raised very conservative ( think Amish, without the buggy ), and was taught conservative beliefs my whole life.... and there was alot of good that came from being raised that way. But, there was also alot of bad.... as my husband says, "if he wasn't already a Christian, seeing the way my conservative family and churches I was raised in act, he wouldn't want anything to do with God if that's how he was introduced to Christianity." Which is sad, but I agree with him 100%.   I joined an Independent Fundemental, KJV Baptist church ( which is pretty conservative ) and though I would say my belief aligns with a conservative Baptist, I am tired of the church politics, rules, and people acting one way on Sunday and another through the week.... the 'whatever' attitude of the Christian faith is off putting to me...... On the other hand, I was rebellious in my

Organ Donation

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"Leave a legacy of life - be an organ donor!" Are you registered as an organ donor?  I know it sounds a bit crazy, but I have always wanted to be an organ donor, but I was always scared to register or put it on my licence.... somewhere along the line I was told ( and believed ) the myth that if I was an organ donor and was in a car wreck, or hospital, that EMTs, doctors, nurses, etc. would not give me the care I needed and instead, kill me prematurely to use my organs for someone else.  It sounds silly now, but that is the #1 most common myth surrounding organ donations.  But here's the thing... even if you are a registered organ donor, y our life always comes first. Doctors work hard to save every patient’s life, but sometimes there is a complete and irreversible loss of brain function. The patient is declared clinically and legally dead. Only then is donation an option. So, the more I think on it, the more I want to chose to be an organ donor.   I want my life to mean s

Wyatt's Little Tractor

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Today, my son, Wyatt is 14 years old! Wyatt is a special needs kid . He has multiple learning disabilities and is on the spectrum. He can only read and write at a 2nd grade level. He tries very hard , but still has a difficult time understanding and fitting into this world. He is however, the sweetest kid you'll ever meet! Wyatt had brain surgery in 2017 where his skull was removed for 5 weeks. He has been through lots of testing and struggles in life. He has had 4 surgeries, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and audio therapy, and more... Wyatt has always had a unique relationship with his Grandpa Frick ( owner of Frick Sales ).... when he was little he'd call him 'junk grandpa'! His favorite place in the whole world was to go to Grandpa Fricks. He'd wander through the junk yard and would find treasures that he'd talk about to anyone who'd listen.... his favorite was his Grandpa's little B6000 Kubota. My dad had purchased/traded

Jekyll Island Georgia Abandoned Amphitheater

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"Through a sea of Spanish moss in a forest just north of the firehouse on Stable Road is an amphitheater. More than 40 years ago, its 2,000 seats were filled with residents and tourists watching popular musicals as wood storks soared overhead and stars lit the stage." - Tess Malone Our family's favorite winter vacation spot is Jekyll Island Georgia! When you live in Indiana and its been a cold winter with 7* F temps... walking along the beach in 75* F  sunshine feels absolutely wonderful! Anyway.... we have been going to the Island for 5 years now, but we just discovered the amphitheater this year! It is a beautiful spot for this rust loving, abandoned spirit searching, nature loving, soul and I can't wait to visit it again on our next trip. The true history of the amphitheater is slowly being forgotten. This once popular and family-friendly island attraction most definitely deserves its rightfully owned place in history, a memory that slowly fades with time passing b

Ashes To Ashes

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My Dads funeral was on a cold winter day.  The actual funeral service really didn't mean much to me. It seemed the preachers just talked about random stuff ( like sexual assault and how we shouldn't be cremated -it was weird). My mom made it very clear which kids she wanted with her and those of us that were not welcome....  Anyway, it was probably the weirdest funeral I've ever been too, and I've been to alot! (My ex husband and I used to manage a Cemetary and help at the funeral home, so I do know a bit about funerals.) But, when we got to the graveside, the most beautiful, big snowflakes were falling all around us. The little country Cemetary was covered in a white, fluffy, blanket of snow.. it felt like God made it perfect just for me!  The graveside service and story about my Dad, ment more to me than any other thing that was said during the funeral.  The following poem was read by my Dad's long time customer and preacher friend, at the graveside service.     T

Viewings and Visitation Lines

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I absolutely hate the visitation line at viewings and funerals. No matter which side of the line I'm on. I hate standing there next to a deceased loved one for hours at a time. The loved one is gone, its just an empty shell (if you know anything at all about embalming/autopsies, you know that the body has been so mangled, glued, wired, sewn, painted, etc, its really not the same person at all.) I hate trying to come up with small talk with people, or trying to comfort them when I can’t even comfort myself. I hate having to endure people I barely know trying to “solve” my grief, as if some saying or cliché can take away the pain. I hate the awkward things people say, like, "oh, doesn't he/she look so good!" Excuse me. You don't look good when you're dead.... you just don't. (This is one of the reasons that I will not have a veiwing, an open casket, or a traditional funeral when its my time to go.) And most of all, I hate the cheap casket-side theology that

Miracles

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I was by my Dad's beside when he died today.... Someone had said, that we should have prayed to God for a miracle so that my Dad would be healed completely here on earth..... But after talking with my sister about it... the way that I see it, my Dad's death was a miracle. It was a miracle that he lived for five months after his diagnosis, without standard treatment. It was a miracle that he was in his right mind up until the day that he died. It was a miracle that we had five good long months to talk with him, to be together, and to learn things about his life and spend time with him.  Dad and I just understood each other so much more... we just let the past go andade so many good memories.... just like the following song.  https://youtu.be/DTFbGcnl0po It was a miracle that he was pain-free the majority of the time.. It was a miricle that he was only in pain at the end. That he didn't have to suffer long. It was a miracle that we were able to be by his bedside when he passe