One Small Step . . .

I'm excited. Yesterday, for the first time, I WALKED across my living room with my new leg braces and the walker. The living room isn't very large, so it wasn't a long distance. But when you consider that I haven't been able to walk at all in more than a year, it was a milestone for me.

I placed a chair at each end of the room and then I just went for it. It wasn't exactly easy, but I did it. I had to rest each time before I made my way back across the room. I did this a couple of times during the day yesterday. It felt good.

The braces make quite a difference in keeping my ankles from turning in and steadying me when I walk. Now, I know that I can do it and will keep working to get stronger.

We will be working on endurance now in my physical therapy sessions twice a week until I can walk farther and farther. The therapists seem to be pleased with my progress. I've only been going for about two months, so they tell me that I've made a lot of progress in a short time.

To me, this is a miracle. I couldn't have made it this far without God's help! There has been a lot of people praying for me, and I can tell you that prayer works! I'm thankful to everyone who has been praying.

To those who don't believe in miracles, I would say you better think again. I've had many miracles in my life, and I'm living proof that God is still in the miracle business.

I thank God for what He has done for me, and I give Him the praise for it!

The Greater Good

I hear people often say, "Things didn't go as I had planned." With man, our plans do go awry many times. But God's plan is sure and forever settled.

Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Oftentimes, we think we know what's best. We come up with our plan and we set out on our own to make it happen. When things go amiss, we wonder what happened. It is then that we turn to God and ask Him to show us the right way to go. It would be better for us if we went to God first.

God sees the big picture. He knows the end from the beginning. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.

I think about the story of Lazarus in the Bible. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus knew what the ultimate outcome would be. After He said this, Jesus waited two days before he went to the town where Lazarus lived.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus already had been in the tomb for four days. When Mary went out to meet Jesus, she said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Mary couldn't see the big picture. She only knew that her brother had died. Jesus was then able to do a greater work when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus delayed going to the family he loved in order to strengthen the faith of that family and His disciples and to perform for them a greater good. His delay was for the ultimate eternal good of the believers.

Too often, we focus on our own plans and fail to look for the greater good. It wasn't in my plan to have these struggles with my walking. But I know that God, in His plan for my life, has a miracle for me! In the end, it is all for His glory.

Facebook Frenzy

I am amazed by the Facebook frenzy that has swept the country in the last few years. Everyone is on Facebook or so it seems. I was slow to get on board at first. When a friend sent me an invitation to join about two years ago, I didn't really know what it was all about. Now, I'm addicted to it!

On my birthday this week, I received 75 to 100 birthday wishes on my Facebook wall. I heard from old friends and new friends, former co-workers and friends from church. I even heard from my very first pastor, who came to the hospital when I was born. He likes to joke that he was there when "Christopher discovered America."

It's fun to hear from so many friends. Right now, I have about 380 Facebook friends on my page. I didn't think I even knew that many people! And the number keeps growing. Every few days or so, I hear from another friend from my past.

For me, Facebook is a good way to communicate with friends. I don't like to talk on the phone because people can't understand me sometimes. But Facebook lets me talk and interact in a whole new way. I can shoot the bull with the best of them now.

When it comes right down to it, Facebook is a whole lot of talking about nothing. But that's what makes it fun. I like to insert my political comments. Some people love to read them. Others hate them. It's also a place where you can post a Bible verse or a word of encouragement. You never know who might really need to read it.

It's not just a social network for young people. Older folks are joining in, too. I still can't get my mom to join, but maybe some day she will. If you're not one of my Facebook friends, look me up. I'll be glad to add you. You can never have too many friends, even on Facebook!

42

Another year has passed. I turned 42 today. The years go by so fast. I remember two years ago when my family gave me that over-the-hill turning 40 party. I didn't dread turning 40 the way some people do. After all, it's just another number. I have learned to take one day at a time and trust in the Lord each day.

The past year has brought a lot of changes to my life. It was just after my last birthday when I officially quit my job at the newspaper. That was in November. Then, in February, I left Amarillo -- where I had lived for 17 years -- and moved back to my hometown.

Coming back to Pampa was a big change, but I have adjusted well. I am near my family. I'm happy. And things are going well.

I have a home health-care aide who comes to help me several mornings a week. She's great. She said that before she started working for me she was worried that I would always be sad or depressed. She wasn't sure she wanted to take the job. She did, though, and said she was surprised by how cheerful I am every morning.

I have no reason to be sad. Life is not depressing to me because my hope is in the Lord. HE gives me joy each day.

The key to happiness is placing your hope in God. The apostle Paul said he had learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

I learned to be happy and content when I came to realize that God has given me in my present circumstances everything I need to be victorious in Him. My circumstances did not take God by surprise. He knew I would come to this place in life, and He has everything I need to live a happy, fulfilled life.

Learning to live triumphantly over changing situations comes from Christ's power living in us. This doesn't come naturally. It only comes through total dependence on Christ. He is my strength, and "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13)!

Keeping The Faith

You've heard the saying: "Where there's a will, there's a way." I've even said it myself. But I think a more accurate saying is: "Where there's FAITH, there's a way." That's what the Bible says in Mark 9:23. It says, "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Faith is the key to all of God's promises. We couldn't even be saved without faith. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8).

All through the Bible, it describes faith as the way to receive whatever we need from God. It takes our action of believing to receive God's promises. We must believe in our heart and not doubt.

When I started physical therapy last month, it seemed like such a long shot that I would be able to walk again. The therapist honestly said she didn't know if I'd be able to do it. But we went ahead and started treatments. I believed that I would do it. Now, we are starting to see signs of progress. It's small signs, but it's progress and the same therapist says I probably will walk if I get braces to support my ankles.

That's the next step. I have an appointment this week to see what kind of braces I will need. The braces will help keep my ankles from turning in when I walk. They should also give me added support. We were concerned that my balance might cause me to fall more easily. Hopefully, though, the braces will make me steadier on my week.

Last week, I surprised the therapist when I was able to pull myself up off of the floor and get back in my chair. It was an exercise to see if I could get up by myself if I did fall. I did it! It surprised me, too, because I couldn't do it three months ago. It showed that I am getting stronger.

I just have to keep believing that I will walk. Anything is possible if I keep believing.

As it says in Matthew 17:20, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Blast From The Past

It was classic. Classic country, that is. Country music legend Don Williams was in Amarillo this week, and I went to the concert. I have missed going to concerts since I moved from Amarillo. I waited all year for that one special concert to come to town so I could go back, and this was it. It was definitely worth making the trip.

Don Williams is one of my all-time favorite country singers. He's not much of a conversationalist on stage, and his shows don't have all the flashy lights and glitz that most concerts have these days. But he brought back some of the good ol' oldies, which are favorites of people of all ages.

Isn't it funny how the words of songs instantly come back to our mind when a song starts, even if we haven't heard the song in years? That's the way it was at this concert. People were singing along with these great old songs by Don Williams.

Local musician Andy Chase opened the show. He was great, too. He does a lot of fun songs, like "Home Grown Tomatoes" and my favorite Andy Chase song, "Portales Alice." He had the crowd pumped when Don took the stage.

I went over a little early and had dinner at Cracker Barrel. That's another thing I miss about Amarillo: the restaurants. I met up with my cousin and a couple of old friends at the restaurant. Then, I saw some other friends at the concert. That was an added bonus to an already great night!

Mom worried about me being on the highway alone at night. I keep telling her that cars have these new-fangled things on them called headlights. I actually like driving at night. Besides, I'm not really alone. God is with me.

It was a fun night. The next day, I dug out some of my old Don Williams tapes and started playing them. I have several boxes of old cassette tapes. Remember cassettes? Besides Don Williams, I found my tapes by the Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers and other country legends, and I've been enjoying hearing them again. So thanks for the memories, Don!

Easy Living

I learned a long time ago that there's no such thing as easy living, but there are ways to make living easier. I went to an Independent Living seminar last week, where they gave tips to help older people and people with disabilities. It was interesting. I picked up several good ideas.

Three speakers gave presentations to show us ways to make daily living chores a little easier. The first speaker had a table full of products and gadgets for making housework simpler. He showed some bowls that have a non-skid surface on the bottom to keep the dish from sliding around when you're eating. I already use something similar to that. I have non-skid placemats that keep any dish from sliding.

I saw one gadget that I could use. It's a device that you attach to a lamp, so the lamp turns on and off by touch. These are not new, but I hadn't thought about getting one before. I went to Wal-Mart and got one, and it has made it easier for me to turn on the lamp beside my bed, especially at night.

Another speaker demonstrated the safe way to transfer from a wheelchair or scooter to the car. She said you should never grab onto the car door to pull yourself up. The door could swing back and cause you to fall. From a safety point, that's probably good advice. But in the heat of the moment when you're trying to get yourself into that car, trust me, you'll grab onto anything you can!

I admit I use the door to pull myself up. But my scooter is positioned up against the door, so the door can't swing back on me. I've tried other ways to transfer, but using the door to pull up works best for me. Sometimes, you just have to do what works best for you. That's what I tell my physical therapists. They say I scare them when I get on and off of my scooter. But, hey, it works for me.

The speakers had a lot of helpful hints, and I learned some things at the seminar. I'm glad there are gadgets out there to make things easier.

But even if these things weren't available, I know I can count on God to help me. HE is my ever-present help. I call on Him many times throughout the day, and He always comes to my aid. I couldn't make it one day without Him. I'll use all the gadgets, but my trust will remain in the Lord.

The Hollywood Connection

Pampa may soon become a popular destination for celebrities. A company is buying the old junior high school and plans to open a substance abuse recovery center. Could Lindsay and Paris show up on our doorstep? Could be... if they don't kick their drug habits.

Some people in the neighborhood around the school opposed the sale. They said if the treatment center opens it will cause their property values to drop. They also worry about safety in the area.

I think it is a good thing for Pampa. The school district was very lucky to sell that property so quickly. The new junior high just opened last month. I figured the old building would be left sitting empty for years, which would be bad for the neighborhood. Pampa has enough empty buildings.

My mom lives within walking distance of the campus. I walked home from school sometimes when I went to that school. (Hard to believe now that I used to be able to walk that distance.)

I don't think the rehab center will pose a safety problem. It's not a court-sponsored program, so it's not like there's going to be criminals. People will have to pay to get treatment there, and it's probably pretty expensive. So the people who check in there have to want to be there and want help.

The company plans to make major renovations. The designs call for a pond and lots of trees, and the property will have a fence around it. If anything, it should improve the look of the neighborhood.

I wonder if any celebrities really will come here for rehab. I doubt it. But who knows? Pampa could become home to the next Betty Ford Clinic.

*****

Speaking of celebrities, this weekend is Woody Guthrie Days in Pampa. Believe it or not, Pampa was Guthrie's second home for a while. So the city is trying to cash in on the Guthrie connection. There's a "museum" downtown and lots of Guthrie memorabilia.

My grandmother and aunt actually knew Mr. Guthrie when he stayed here. When my aunt had a diner downtown, Guthrie went there to eat, and he sometimes played his guitar in the diner. He was also somewhat of an artist. He scribbled some pictures on the back of his checks and gave them to my grandmother. I think one of my cousins has the pictures now.

So that's Pampa's connection to Hollywood and the stars. I'm not sure if we should claim Guthrie, though. Guthrie allegedly stole the melody to put with the lyrics he wrote for his famous "This Land is Your Land."

Guthrie was certainly one of Pampa's most colorful characters. And I guess we can be proud of that.