The Faith of her Friends

 I have once again been sick. I know, it's ridiculous. Same upper respiratory issues as before, for the third time this year. This month I've struggled also with sadness - loneliness, homesickness, weakness, and disappointment. And by "struggled," I really mean the struggle is real! I read the Psalms and think, "Yeah! Why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? What is your problem - just suck it up, Buttercup!"   I talked to my brother, Kevan, about it last week, and he recommended a powerful medicine: music. "I think you need to sing more praise songs throughout the day," he said. "Maybe start asking your friends who come visit and care for you to share a song that you can sing together."  So, I did. It's been a really awesome exercise, as I ask my friends what their favorite praise songs are or what song has been stuck in their heads lately. Here are a few of them:  Lay It All Down What a Friend We Have in Jesus I...

There were very few modifications that needed to be made to my house when I moved in: a little ramp at the front door, cutting out the cabinets under the bathroom sink so I could pull up to it, and installing the Barrier-Free lift system in my bedroom and bathroom. Of course, my dad did all of these modifications for me... in two days. Yes, he's that awesome.  It was nice to find a home that had been well cared-for by its previous owner, and it already had wider doorways and hallways and spacious rooms. There is also a sliding glass door in the guest room that opens to the back patio and yard, with a pretty big step down to the patio, but I told Dad we should save further renovations until the spring. So, when he returned in May, he set to work.  Instead of building a ramp down to the concrete slab, he built up a wooden deck, that is flush with the door threshold. He also built wooden fencing on the sides of the deck, for some shade, and strung lights around the top of i...

 I have a pretty cool kitchen in my house. It's not huge, it's not fancy, and it doesn't have new appliances or granite countertops, but it works well for me. It's kind of a galley-shaped kitchen, with counter space, the sink, and microwave on one side and the fridge, oven, stove, and toaster on the other side, and an exceptionally spacious pantry on the far end. But the floor space in the middle is wide enough for me to spin around in donuts, too. Thanks to a lot of generous friends, my kitchen is stocked well with utensils, bowls, and various cooking supplies.  The thing is, I don't actually cook. I don't know how obvious that is to the general public, but people who know me and spend any significant time with me take for granted that cooking is not in my skill set. Like a lot of things, it's not for lack of interest or competence, but mostly because my arms and hands don't work well. No one wants me to try to flip a pancake, chop a carrot, mash a pota...