T.A.N.W.....

.... for how blessed I am.

I spent over 4 hours today going through all of the cards, letters, newspaper articles, comments, etc. from the past 22 months. I wanted to organize everything and pull out all of the comments that will make up the book I'm making for Jim's 50th (in January). It will be a book with everyone's thoughts about him so I'm hoping that most people have sent them in (though there's still time to get more!).

There were hundreds of cards. Hundreds. From all over the world. A few friends sent several over the first year. My friends A and K sent the funniest and the most touching. Another friend from church, SB, sent an amazing number. I had forgotten, or had just been in too much shock to really see, how many people showed us they cared and were praying and thinking about us by

sending cards.

There Are No Words for how touched I felt going through those cards today.

None.

Here's how they looked once I was done sorting everything:

I had just finished this project when the doorbell rang. It was the postal carrier, with a package for me that required my signature. I was a bit puzzled, because I hadn't ordered anything and then I looked at the return address and suddenly thought I might cry.

It was from Pam, in Canada.

And this is what was in it:

There.

Are.

No.

Words.

Or at least there aren't enough. Not enough words to say thank you, to a wonderful woman who only knows me through my blog, but whose heart is so big that she saw a pattern that said, "One day at a time", and thought of me. And then got the pattern and changed it, cross stitched it, put it in a frame and then wrapped it very carefully and sent it to me ...... basically a complete stranger.

I am so humbled and blessed. God has used this horrible event in my life to bless me so much through all of you. Yes, I'd rather have Jim here, but he's not .... and so I'm thankful that God can and does use Jim's death in positive ways.

He gives me the ability to write words that somehow help other people and He gives you all the capacity to care and to let me, and others, know that you care. You all let me know that I am not alone .... that even in the darkest dark, there are people pulling and praying for me. And cheering for me in the lighter moments, too.

So thank you, Pam ..... more than I can say. Thank you for following your amazingly loving heart.

And thank you, Peeps ..... for being out there ...... always pulling and always praying.

It's been a good week. Which brings up another "p word" ..... Praising.

Thank God for good weeks.

Heck ..... thank God for good days, hours, minutes and seconds.

Have a good Saturday evening, Peeps.