10 Years Ago Today

As I was getting ready for work, I called Penny and wished her a Happy Birthday. She should have been at work, but she kept getting so many calls that she wasn't able to get ready. That shows that she is well loved.

This morning I had to take Daddy to get bloodwork done. We went to the hospital where we usually get it done. We signed in as usual, but then they sent us a 1/2 block away to have the blood drawn. Daddy can hardly walk, but he managed to get there. Then we had to wait again. We got there around 7:45 and I got back to work at 10:00. We won't be going there again. Next time, we will drive a little farther and get it done - the place I always go to. It doesn't take all morning and Daddy won't have to walk very far.

Kim and I went to the gym and worked out. We ran into one of the young men from our church and talked to him for about 15 minutes. We had only planned on working out on this one machine for 7 minutes, but we went 15 because Alan was talking to us about the Lord and we just forgot about the intense pain in our legs. Our legs felt like jelly when we got off that machine. But, we felt pretty good afterwards. I think we are going to try to go again tomorrow. Alan promised us in two weeks we would get our wind and be able to go for almost an hour without any problems. We'll see......

Today is also the anniversary of my youngest brother's home going. He went home to be with the Lord 10 years ago. Penny and I had spent the day with him because we knew the night before that he would die on Penny's birthday. It was on my birthday, March 18, that the doctor told us there was nothing else he could do for him and he had about three months to live. But, Earl was getting weary and was ready to go home. Penny had to leave around 4:00 to go pick up her daughter, but I stayed. I told Jennifer that I was not going to leave his side until he drew his last breath. I had been with him when he was told he had cancer and I took him to almost all of his doctor's appointments, held his hand and prayed while he took his chemo treatments. No way was I going to leave him before the Lord took him home. The hospice nurse came in to give him a bath and change his sheets. As she was changing his sheets, I saw him take his last breath. She nodded at me and said he was gone. It was so peaceful, that I wanted to shout and praise the Lord. Some people will think that's a terrible thing to say, but I loved my brother, was with him when he got saved and I knew that he was going to heaven to be with the Lord. I called Jennifer in and she started crying and begging him to come back. He had been dead for over five minutes at this time, but she just kept begging him not to leave her. Earl had a vein in his neck that stuck out and you could see it beating. That vein started beating again and he started breathing again. I told Jennifer to let him go, please let him go. She finally said okay and started praying the Serenity prayer. I was watching Earl and he took a breath and the vein stopped beating again. I knew that he was in the arms of Jesus at that moment. Where he is, I would never ask him to leave. But, I know that one day I will see him again. He'll be waiting for me when my time comes. I miss him and think about him every single day. We were so close from the moment he was born. Mama used to wake me up at night whenever she had to go to the papermill to pick up Daddy and tell me to listen out for the baby. Well, the baby had asthma and he always picked those times to have an attack. I would be walking the floor with him when Mama got home. He taught me all my mothering skills and I loved him like he was my own son. I LOVE YOU, EARL, AND MISS YOU!!! HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN!

Goodnight and God bless..............