The Jackson Family Online

Happy Friday! I gave in this morning and called my doctor back to see if he would call me in an antibiotic…I saw him earlier this week and he said if things didn’t improve he would call one in later…so hopefully that will help. Last night I was awake for 3 hours…I have a feeling that there is something in Day Quil that specifically keeps you awake and that’s all I had so I took it…it’s definitely non drowsy:). I ended up getting up and making a to do list of 30 items. no wonder my brain was going crazy. Too many thing to keep track of at one time.

I feel incredibly detached from the world this week…the only way I’ve been able to access email at home is on my phone and I can only take so much of that…I haven’t been able to access school email…facebook, or other various websites. I’m amazed that I can still blog…not sure why that hasn’t shut down too. I rely on the connection I feel on the computer with other adults more than I realize and possibly more than I should. Maybe it’s good for me to have a break…
The only real problem is that it dawned on me that my talk for the ladies thing next week is on my virused computer…ugh…I also posted it on this blog awhile back so I’m hoping that I can go back to that day and print it off somehow…I should’ve printed it off before…but had no idea that I would be in this jam.

Martha arrives at 10:15pm so that is something to look forward to. I’m sure we’ll have a great weekend together. And the girls and I are taking Monday off…which will involve me getting a permanent crown (oh what fun) and then a trip to the airport.

This morning I was reading in a book called “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore and these quotes stood out to me. The chapter I’m quoting from is “Hearts broken by loss”…I knew it would be applicable to my life.
1. Life involves change. Change involves loss. (I love how simple that statement is but it covers much territory. In some ways maybe I’ve dealt better with loss then some might have simply because I generally enjoy change…I’m always ready to move on to the next thing, the next idea, the next goal, the next plan…sometimes I’ve been accused of never being satisfied…but I don’t think that’s the case…I just think I enjoy change.)
2. Every time we suffer loss, we encounter an opportunity for the loss to bring gain for Jesus’ sake by allowing His life to be revealed in us.(I think this is incredibly true…I’ve lived it, felt it…know it to be true…I like the words…every time, opportunity, by allowing.)
3. Christ never allows the hearts of His own to be shattered without excellent reasons and eternal purposes. (I say a huge Praise the Lord to this one…this is what I hang my loss on…that for whatever reason God allowed it and He is using it…I will never know how much until I get home.)
4. Thank goodness, the loss of something or someone dear never has to mean the end of abundant, effective, or even joyful life for any Christian. (Again…this is incredibly true. one can almost feel guilty if after a loss you experience something wonderful…but hey…Mark’s in heaven having the party of his life, he surely wouldn’t expect me to put on black and pull the curtains for the rest of mine. I love the fact that I can live an abundant life, effective…joyful…I don’t have to fake it, put on appearances…it’s genuine. That is truly a miracle from God.)
5. When our hearts have been shattered by loss, we have an opportunity to welcome a supernatural power to our lives. The power to live again on this earth when we’d really rather die. Perhaps the most profound miracle of all is living through something we thought would kill us. And not just living, but living abundantly and effectively-raised from living death to a new life. (I’m so thankful for the “opportunity to welcome a supernatural power into my life.” I’ve had many days when I would just as soon die and go to heaven…but God gives me the power to live here, to live abundantly and effectively…to live “through something”…I like the visual picture that puts in my mind…kind of like wading through a big pool of jello…I could get out of life…step out of the pool, it’s not easy…but instead I’m taking one step at a time wading through life to get to the other side and enjoying the view along the way.)
6. We must learn to survive and once again thrive when change involves heartbreaking loss.

I hope those quotes encourage you in some small way no matter where you find yourself today.
God is faithful,
Ruth