All posts by A Labour of Love

My name is Sherry and I am a stay at home mom of two, wife to my husband of 20 years, daughter, granddaughter, sister and aunt. My delight in this life on earth is serving a God who knows my weaknesses and guides me through each day. I have recently been diagnosed with Lymes disease and am determined to get my life back on track. I am determined to be able to move my legs and feet as I once could, to be able to regain back my energy level, and to continue to strive to be the Proverbs 31:10-31 woman. My goal is to beat this disease so that I will be the Titus woman to my daughter and those who need me in the future. I hope that you find this blog to be a blessing to you. Thanks for stopping by.
Following in Faith

An Old Journey Revisited, A Continuing Story of Hope

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I write this in hopes that it will help others on this journey we call Lyme.

I started this blogging when I was so ill, trying to find a connection to others like me and to journal my thoughts moving through the Lyme healing. It’s been 6 years and I am happy to report that I am doing pretty well yet I am not completely healed. I will never be cured, however, I am working toward a remission state of healing.

My journey over the last 6 years has taken me through not just a journey of pain and healing, but a journey of growth and understanding. When I was at my worst, I never complained to God, I never sat back and felt sorry for myself, and I never turned away from my faith. I knew that the pain, which was 100 fold worse than childbirth (and that was really bad for me…), would be used for something, I didn’t know what, but I knew it had to. I knew that my memory issues, when I couldn’t remember names of people or words, would eventually resolve. I knew that one way or another, one day, I would wake up and live again. You are likely asking yourself how I could be so reassured when I was in such a bad state. Faith. I prayed that should “God Choose” to heal my broken body, then I asked him to allow me to help others so they didn’t feel alone or afraid and lose hope. I prayed asking that all of my own suffering be used and not wasted on just a memory. I prayed that if I should not survive this torment that was going on in my body, that I show grace through the journey of it and that I keep my faith strong as an example to others. As I write this, it sounds as thought I was not afraid at all. Quite the opposite, I had fear. I feared that my life on this earth was coming to an end and that my children would no longer have their mom around. I feared leaving my husband and not growing old together. Fear was there, I just didn’t dwell on the fear and I did not let it overcome my faith in God and my walk with Jesus Christ.

As it turns out, God did choose to carry me through that time and get me to a place of healing, and I found the strength to help others. My healing is not yet complete, and let’s be real, never will be until my body is in fact in the grave and I am with my savior.

But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”Luke 8:50

Walking through the eye of the storm, I can see that there is hope for so many. I see the Lord opening windows and doors for others who are suffering. It’s a slow opening, yet it is opening all the same.

As I continue on the journey of healing, I have decided to take another leap of faith and try a new drug that doctors are starting to see improvement with when it comes to Lyme. This particular drug has been around over 70 years and has been used for one specific use, while other uses have also been proving to be successful. There is a lot to understand about it, it is still in clinical trials, and only a doctor who knows what to do with a patient on this drug should be prescribing. That being said, I have spent the last week and a half preparing my body for administration of this new treatment. I am hoping that anyone else out there, trying this, or wanting to try this, will stay following me and come along on this journey with me, sending support and encouragement. (Not financial support, I mean support to uplift.)

To begin, I have researched the heck out of this. I even have pages printed of things that interact with this particular drug, from medications to everyday household products to female toiletries including makeup and creams. I have watched researchers talk about the drug, been on the facebook support groups hearing stories of those gone before me and have been preparing my body.

I want to share what I have done in preparing myself for this so that anyone else can perhaps use it as an example of the things to do or not do. To start, I spent one week going through all of my supplements, herbs, tinctures etc. and boxed up what I am not going to be able to take. Since I am not allowed to eat, drink or use anything with an alcohol carrier, this is anything but easy. Many of my tinctures include some sort of alcohol carrier. Including vanilla extract. Vinegars and anything fermented are off all menu options. No caffeine either. So where does one go from there? I mean, I am already vegan because I have inflammation and pain with any and all animal protein. Well, let me share with you what else I have done and am doing.

The first week, last week:

  1. Cleared out all cupboards of supplements that are not allowed.
  2. Spent last week drinking only one cup of coffee each day to alleviate any sort of caffeine withdrawal.
  3. Stopped using all vinegars. I found instead flavored Olive Oils from Oro Oils. I have one that is infused with dill, one with sage and mushrooms, one with lime, and one with a buttery flavor.
  4. Gave up all alcohol. Finished my summer wines and did our October wine tasting at Cooper’s hawk and now I am done until I am done with this protocol.
  5. Got a baseline in my bloodwork so that my two doctors can watch my liver enzyme levels and my thyroid.
  6. Research Research Research!!!

So that was last week. This week, I am:

  1. Writing this blog post for others to follow and be encouraged through my journey and learning from what I have taken on. (Yay!)
  2. Stopped drinking all coffee. Rather I am drinking a home-brewed tea out of herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs in CO. It’s a special kidney, liver cleansing combination. I brew it till it steeps and then strain it. I then boil it down until it is half. I have been drinking 1-2 TBL. in hot water with a lemon slice each morning. Saving the extra in a glass jar for the next day.
  3. Ordering a medical bracelet or necklace so that if there is any emergency situation that needs attention, medical personnel are aware of what I am taking.
  4. Putting together a schedule of all of my supplements and medications, their times of day that I am taking them and how much.
  5. Finding recipes that are healthy whole food recipes that I can make with little fuss or minimal at that.
  6. I am going through my calendar and making sure that I have down days to rest.
  7. I have asked people to start praying for me and for my health. That this be the final step in getting my body into a remission state.
  8. Sitting in the Sauna M,W, F. Detoxing with Activated Charcoal and clay. I will also be doing Epsom Salt and Baking soda Baths on the opposite days once I start the new drug.

We are going out this weekend to meet with some friends we have not seen in a very long time. Meeting in the city. I want to be able to enjoy my time without making any mistakes that will affect my starting this next week. So I am:

  1. Packing little herbs containers with my favorite herbs to sprinkle on salads or on my veggies.
  2. Making my own dressings and placing them in little containers so that I can carry them without any issues in my purse.
  3. Packing my own snacks just in case. As well as some of my favorite sparkling water.
  4. We have planned out and made reservations at a few places that we know I can eat at safely. So planning ahead is always key.

You can see that I am likely going way over above and beyond what I need to do, yet for me, safety for my body and preparedness is important. If something that you put in your body takes 2 weeks minimal to get back out of your body, what about the preliminary intake of foods that will interact with the drug. That is why I have taken two weeks prior to beginning. I will be using this blog as a journal of sorts to share. So if you know someone with Lyme disease and who is considering Disulfiram, please have them follow along. I hope to help many more.

Next update will likely be next week after first day of my taking it.

Family Focus Travel

Traveling With Food Allergies

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Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Have you been to a fast food joint lately? As we traveled a few weekends ago, my daughter and I stopped in to get a cup of coffee and to get her an egg for her GF bagel. We were shocked to see that in this southern town, the McDonalds was actually more crowded than the Starbucks, a huge contrast to what we see in the northern Midwest. It’s been a long time since we have been in an establishment of the fast food industry where it took almost half an hour due to the great number of people ordering and receiving their meals.

I think that in looking back on that, I felt compelled to let people know how we usually travel on road trips, without the RV. It’s not difficult and just takes a little planning.

I shared how we do it in my Family Focus Travel by Sherry website earlier today and I want to share it with all of you. Keep in mind this is only part one and next time I will be writing how we did the same thing driving around Scotland.

http://familyfocustravelbysherry.com/2019/09/25/traveling-with-food-allergies-part-1/
Please join me as we explore the meal possibilities when traveling.
Following in Faith, Why?

Where Is Our Focus?

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I have recently been in touch with some very old friends, and by old, I do not mean in age. They were people who touched my life many years ago of whom we lost touch due to the turning of everyday life. Women who brought me joy, laughter and the safety to be myself. These women have been not long forgotten, and the friendship misplaced for only a period of time. Although Facebook and social media brings challenges, it is also a place to reconnect. From new friends that are destined to be lifelong friends, to lifelong friends that are destined to be new. I am blessed to be able to say that God has been renewing my broken spirit and refilling my empty soul.

The last several years I have been feeling lost in the upheaval of our church, saying goodbye to friends, being the mom of adult children, and just the everyday disappointments of family, earthly life and expectations. Each day, for the last few years I found myself becoming more and more “aged” with critical judgements of all the things that “didn’t go my way” or the “way I thought they should be”.

The Lord was always near and waiting for me to pursue Him with not just my eyes in scripture, yet with my whole heart. Don’t get me wrong. My prayer life has never faltered and my faith never wavered. I just have felt a “quiet” in my heart, that I have not felt in a very long time. Being unable to dance through each day knowing that there is so much more to every day living on earth. Sin is ever rampant, not just in unbelievers, yet also within our Christian community, making my emptiness ever so exasperated and enlarged. I never ask “why God”, nor do I question His will. I do however, sit back, still as a chipmunk who is hunted by the cat, and stare off wondering when will enough be enough.

More recently, I have confessed to the Lord that I needed Him to close that gap and help me to seek Him without distraction. What the Lord did in answer to that prayer, was bring forth a friend of my past whose adult journey parallels in so many ways my own. Her faith has been unwavering. She is a woman of God who has been used to reach out to me, fulfilling that desired hope in human kindness, with a Godly perspective.

The Lord has also helped me to see how often Satan feeds my mind with lies. I have been lost in thought, in everyday life, and in “time consumers” rather than focusing on what is most important. I have felt lost in my worship due to so many unspoken circumstances. For me, it was the bringing forth a new friend who shares a bond of sisterly encouragement. The Lord shared with me, the comfort in knowing that the woman leading our group has a common bond through a bible study that I have so missed. In learning this, my heart warmed and I felt a peace I have not felt in years. The Lord has heard my prayers and has not disappointed. It’s all been in His timing, not that of my own. Praise God for His mercies. Relying on him and trusting in him is all he wants from us. As difficult as it is sometimes, we find peace in the most unexpected ways. He brings forth iron to sharpen iron in the middle of the tea party. He keeps that cup that is tipping from falling off the edge and fills it to the brim with weight that is immeasurable, keeping it stable.

Friend, are you lost in the busyness of life that you have not sought out the One true love of your life? Have you given your time to Him so that He can fill you with springs of living water? Are you nourished so that you may grow? Have you prayed for the Lord to bring you closeness with Him? I encourage you to take all of your cares, lay them at his feet and pray not for him to send you a savior, as you already have one in Jesus Christ, yet to pray that you can see the blessing in every circumstance and that if you are unable to see the blessing before you at this very moment, that you will be given the eyes to see it when the Lord is ready to show you. How about putting away social media long enough to refocus our attention on the one true media outlet that can change out lives, bring us peace and give us grace to overcome all that is before us on a daily basis.

For two dear friends, I am reminded of these verses.

Romans 8:26-30 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercede for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Why?

Travel News

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I am excited to share that my latest adventure in the travel business has been obtaining my certification in Autism Travel. I have received my Certified Autism Travel Professional Certification and am creating a business plan to help my clients enjoy their experience in traveling with their families.

I have a website for my business and have begun blogging more about travel opportunities that I hope you will take a look at and sign up to receive.

Join me at Family Focus Travel by Sherry!

My latest post is about Jamaica.

http://familyfocustravelbysherry.com/2019/07/30/beaches-resorts-ocho-rios-jamaica/
Family Focus Travel, Why?

Bucket List Time

Do you have a bucket list? Do you have a list of places you want to see or places you would like to explore? Well at Family Focus Travel by Sherry, you can start planning your next vacation and checking off destinations.

I have started a newsletter that I hope will be informative on new adventures and information to help travelers feel they are “in the know” when it comes to travel. To begin, I have started with Disney and the new adventures that are arriving to both Disneyland and Disney World.

Won’t you sign up for my newsletter? Freedom in Travel will help you find your adventure.

Following in Faith, Lymes, Why?

May is Lyme Awareness Month

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Most people do not remember being bitten by a tick or remember a rash. Take a look at
letter D. Perhaps that’s because they never saw the grain of sand?

I woke up this morning to another call from a friend whose one child is treating for Lyme disease, while two others had ticks pulled off of them this weekend. A fourth child they had treated a years ago and they are discussing the symptoms of a fifth child needing testing. I am so grateful that my friends can call me and ask me questions about doctors or where to send the evil critter that made the human body a host for destruction. Without experiencing the hell of Lyme disease first hand, I never could advise.

Are you a skeptic? I was once as well. In fact, I remember giving books on natural remedies for viruses and bacterias, diet and more, to individuals we were praying for in church who were afflicted with Lyme. Little did I know, God would offer me the opportunity to experience the pain and agony of Lyme. I remember praying that should God allow me to recover rather than die, I wanted to use the experience I endured to help others and bring awareness and education to those who do not know otherwise, as I once was. Would I change what I experienced for good health? Nope! I would not. Why? The way I look at it, I was given an opportunity to experience what so many experience so that I can give back. Give back to a community that is not being heard. Give hope to those who have lost all hope and to be an example of what others can attain.

Newsweek ran a story recently that Lyme is expected to affect over 2,000,000 people in the next year. Whether or not you agree, the science and the statistics are not unproven. Most of these folks are undiagnosed, or wrongly diagnosed and not getting the help they need for remission. Some may also be improperly treated, as we know that more and more doctors are not educated in proper treatments. For some reason, even hospital administrators are having their hands tied to the IDSA treatment protocols rather than the ILADS. The infectious disease doctors are not allowing Lyme patients to be given the help needed. They stop willing doctors from CME courses that would give them the tools for proper diagnosis and treatment. Why? Question of the day as we celebrate Lyme Awareness Month.

If you know someone who is battling Lyme, give them a hug, lend them an ear, make them a meal or just be a friend. Many have lost relationships due to a lack of understanding,

If you have not seen Under Our Skin, please watch it. It is on Amazon Prime at this time. Check your local theater listing as well as sometimes there are showings during the month of May as well.

Prevention is key. Make sure that you are protected from ticks by wearing light colored clothing, socks over pants and treat with Deet products or Permethrin. Make sure to do tick checks not just on yourself or your children, but also on your pets. (I should also note that this disease is not limited to deer ticks…any insect or arthropod MAY be infected and transfer. NOT ALL DO, but they MAY.)

To all the Lymies out there, I stand with you, fight with you and pray that we will one day have a voice that will be heard. Ticks bite and we fight! (Motto from Wisconsin Lyme Network)

Why?

New Beginnings

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Many of you know that I started my own business and I believe I posted that here as well.

I am a travel agent at Family Focus Travel by Sherry.  I specialize in ALL things travel with highlights on Disney travel.  I do have a website and a Facebook page dedicated to my travel services.  Head on over to them and check them out.

My most recent post focuses on the dedication Disney has for caring for it’s clientele with disabilities.   If you are not already following me on my business site, please go ahead and check it out.

http://familyfocustravelbysherry.com/2019/04/10/disney-and-families-with-disabilities/

Following in Faith

Advocacy….

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Advocacy:  a)  public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.  b) one who pleads the cause of another c) one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal

Are you an advocate for a cause, a someone, a group or an agenda?  Is anyone your advocate?  Have you ever considered what it means to be an advocate?

In our world today, I think that too many people look at advocacy as a chore.  An act of self sacrifice for someone else, whilst attesting to that act as a duty that only they can take care of.  I am not so certain it’s always genuine and I am beginning to think that more and more people are using the word advocacy as a way to exercise their thoughts in promoting themselves rather than the cause of which they are exerting their energies.  Why are we advocates?  Is our heart in the right order?  Are we advocating for something or someone so that we may be elevated?   Are we trying to prove something to someone or to ourselves?

I admit that sometimes I consider my voice as a tool to say or give an opinion because I think I am “helping” someone, only to realize that perhaps I was actually only elevating my own self worth.  Hmmm….something to consider isn’t it?  Have you done that?  Do you think off the cuff you are helping someone yet in reality when you look back you were only voicing an opinion to make sure you were heard.  Making sure you are heard is very different than making sure you are an advocate for a cause, policy or for someone.

I consider Christ and all that He succumbed to in His short life on this earth.  All that he said and did was not for his own good, not to uplift himself nor to validate who he was.   It was for a cause, a cause of salvation for those whom he met and for those going forth who would be followers of the one true God.   This salvation would bring about the praises and Glory of his Father to whom all life has  been blessed.  His life was the vessel used to bring about a change in attitude.  A change that would bring salvation to those whom needed to hear the Word and for those of us who read the Word.   That we may glorify the Lord and worship Him will all our hearts.  Our cause and advocacy of the scriptures is not to elevate who we are, but elevate the One and only who gave so much to allow us to do so.   Remembering that is sometimes difficult.   That is why we need the truth of the gospel to lead us.  Truth in our worship, truth in our study and truth in our intentions.  How do we get there?  Prayer, study, hearing gospel truth and understanding that we are a small part of the picture.  Our voice doesn’t always need to be used to bring about advocacy, our actions do.

You are likely saying to yourself, what?  She went from talking about elevating ourselves by using our voice and now she is talking about action.   Well, let me explain.  I think that actions shout a lot louder than the words that come out of the mouth.   Our actions show our true selves and what we are promoting.  If you look back on your actions, were you promoting a cause for something or someone, or were you promoting yourself?

I am going to leave you with those thoughts….Advocacy can be good, if used appropriately and can be viewed by others very differently if spoken.  Therefore, consider the actions that you take and what others will see out of those actions.   Promotions of self or promotion of cause?

 

Following in Faith

Each Passing Day…

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Dakota – Black Lab mix (although we think he is closer to a pure bread), our gentle giant.

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Lexi – Pyranees Lab mix, our little muffin

Each day I awake to the delightful warmth of one cat cuddled at my side and two dogs at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me to come down to them for their morning petting.  The excitement of a treasured pets response to human interaction is unlike anything I’ve experienced.   One wags her tail so excitedly that it looks like a windmill going in circles.  Waiting at the bottom of the staircase with anticipation.

We’ve had two cats for awhile now, and with the addition of two dogs in the last year, I have to say life are has come full circle.  We used to say we were cat people and not dog people…haha well that certainly has changed.   The joy they bring to our lives is certainly nothing short of true bliss.

How did we get here?  I have to say that God’s roll in our lives is never ceasing of His love.  He guides, protects, and has plans for us that even we could not imagine.  To think that a year ago, my daughter and I were heading to FL for a girls week of fun in the sun, only to return with a 24 hour car ride home with a sweet little puppy from Alabama.  Helping one friend find a home for him and another friend find the love of their lives.  For Sydney and I, it was bittersweet.  We fell in love with that little guy so much so in 24 hours that we sobbed in handing him over.  That experience led us to realize that a dog was possibly the completion to our family unit.

The weeks went on and our daughter continued to look for the same breed that our little Alabama friend was until finally she found one that was going to be transported to the local rescue from Missouri in just a few short weeks.  Looking for a foster home first, then adoption the sweet face of that little munchkin melted our hearts.  We knew she had to be ours.  Ironically, one of our friends mom ran the rescue locally.  She was able to to secure our little Lexi so that we could foster her and “see how it went”.   Of course, it wasn’t long and we knew we had to adopt her.

The family unit, we thought, was complete.  That is until we went to Scotland and Lexi played with two other dogs for almost 2 weeks.  When we brought her home we quickly realized how much she needed another dogs interaction.  We decided to adopt a black lab brought up from Alabama who was found in a kill shelter and brought up to our state.  He is the most gentle giant we know.  He and Lexi have become brother and sister, Gary and I have become parents all over again (as they act like toddlers sometimes….) and the kids are loving having dogs.

Who would have thought…..I mean, you would think a simple trip to Disney would be exactly that, simple.  Yet for us, it was unknowingly the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.   A new chapter that brings us great joy daily.

All of this has had me thinking about life in general.  We think that we plan out our lives, detail for detail, thinking that we know what is around the next corner.  Yet, we are not actually in control.  We are subject to the greater good of a God who loves us and who cares for all of our needs.  A God who watched His own children fall into sin, only to love them enough to bring them back to himself by sacrificing.  Making a sacrifice of his own Son so that the sins of man will be forgiven.  How often do we consider what a loving God we have?  How often do we take for granted His mercy and grace in our lives when things do not go “as we planned”?   Sometimes, we need to reflect on His love, the outcome of our situations, and the blessings that we receive through His plan of redemption in our lives.

As I look at that trip to FL, I actually see the blessing of three lives that were saved due to the unexpectedness of that trip.  Little Gus, whom rode home with us, the farm dog that needed a home, Lexi a rescue whose mom abandoned she and her litter mates at birth, and Dakota, the good natured sweetest boy who was found at a kill shelter.  To be able to see those blessings, is also a blessing.  To have the eyes to see something out of the unplanned circumstances that we had not planned on happening.

God’s plan is always perfect in our lives.  We have nothing more to give other than praises and thanksgiving to a God who knows, sees, hears, and glorifies.

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Following in Faith

Tis The Season

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It’s Christmas time and the trees are decorated, the garland is up, the music plays daily and the movie marathon has begun.  It’s always such a beautiful time of year and I am so grateful and thankful that we have a home, family around, the weather is mild and the smiles are still on the faces of those dear to us.

This Christmas is going to be slightly different  for our family.  With change, comes sadness, and with sadness comes concern.   Concern over the unknown, concern over more loss of friendships that we’ve held dear, and the acknowledgement  that we live in a cruel world.

As I ponder these changes coming toward us at a rapid pace, I continue to focus on the reality that God’s grace is not about prediction, not about having all of the answers nor is it about abundance.  God’s grace is about the unconditional love of a shepherd over a flock that doesn’t deserve to have Him.  It’s about trusting in the unknown explicitly,  knowing only one thing…there is someone who cares enough to make sure to plan out every detail  so that we do not have to worry about anything.  It’s about trusting in blind faith that carries our burdens for us.

For some, giving up control over the things they truly cannot control is difficult.  There is an innate sense of obligation that is understandably part of human nature.    How do we overcome disappointment?  How do we overcome loss?  How do we move beyond and trust in the Lord completely while giving up the human nature side of our inner being?  Dear friend, it is not easy.  It is not natural and it is not the reality for many.  It takes a great deal of prayer to overcome that of which we have within us that is not of a Godly nature.   Searching within ourselves, understanding who we are, where we have been and where we are going, actively seeking truth in the gospel to understand ourselves is just part of the process.  Sometimes, we do not like who we see, and yet, there is a great deal of growth from being able to admit we are not who we want to be.

In years of past, for me personally, I have seen that there were a great many holidays spent trying to control how everyone saw our home, trying to be inclusive to everyone, trying to make sure that we did the best for everyone else…except for our immediate family.   Notice how this sounds.  It was all about a visual outward appearance.  I thought I was doing what was right in the eyes of everyone else except the one of which we honor during this season.   Taking a step back, I reflect on my own insecurities in wanting to be accepted and to be unconditionally loved.  I had forgotten the whole point of that precious gift that Christmas represents.  I can honestly say that although I still struggle with some of those feelings, I have in the last year especially understood that I am as I was created to be, by the unconditional love of a Father who blessed me with life.  No one this earth will ever love me or care for me as much as He who gave life, only to take that life so that others may be cleansed and be given life.  It’s not about the outward appearance.  It’s about an internal struggle given up to become someone new.  Someone who can enjoy loved ones that are held dear and make them a priority while also offering up thanksgiving to a God who has provided so much.

A year ago, I could never have seen what was yet to come.  I have learned to love in different ways while slowly learning to give up that which I am unable to control.  One of those things is the incredible love for two beautiful fur babies that have become part of our family.  Two sweets pups who were rescued from the horrors of shelters, abandonment and loss.  In some ways, I can relate to these two, and to love them unconditionally has been a wonderful growing experience for myself and for my family.   They have helped me to personally accept the lack of control I have in this life, remember that love comes in different packages and that when we let go of that control that dwells within us, we can learn to embrace  the joy of life and the one who blessed us with it.  Nothing in life comes easy, and nothing in life should give us such worry that we cannot look beyond to see the blessings we truly have.  Life itself is a blessing.

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Our two fur babies who have captured our hearts.

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Welcomed into the local Humane Animal Welfare Society from a kill shelter in Alabama. He is beautiful both in his appearance and in his personality. He is little lover that cannot get enough and therefore he gives much.

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It all started with her capturing our heart from a local shelter where she was brought up from Missouri after her litter mates and she were abandoned by their mother at 2 days old. We fostered her from 6 weeks until her adoption and she has been our sweet loving example of the preciousness of unconditional love.

As we celebrate the season of giving and thanksgiving, it is my prayer that we can all be reminded of the gift that was presented to us many years ago.  A gift that would carry the burdens of the flock to an eternal peace.  The gift of a savior who came to spare those in despair from lives of uncertainty, separation, and death.  Be well sweet ones and embrace that of which has come your way, without worry, and without concern, identifying that which holds you back.  Giving thanksgiving to the Lord who has opened your eyes to knowing that He has unconditional love for all who trust in Him with their whole being.

Merry Christmas to you and your families!