Dear Reader:

I started thinking, the other day, how quickly the depth of gratefulness for life shallows, if we don’t consciously dedicate our awareness to it. If we don’t let the first thought each morning be one of gratitude for life.

What brought about this revelation was the realization that I had stopped saying a “scriptured mantra” each morning and now for the life of me I couldn’t remember why or even when I stopped doing it.

The passage of scripture was:

“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

I do, however, remember when I first started the ritual of shouting this passage out each morning. It would have been in early June of 2008. I had just started my first round of chemo.

Having seen too many Hollywood movies and listened to too many second-hand accounts of horror stories concerning the terrible effects of chemo….the first night after my treatment, I got a trash can out of the bathroom, placed it next to the bed, threw in some kleenex tissues for good measure and a damp wash cloth.

I then spent most of the rest of the night staring bug-eyed at the ceiling… waiting for “waves of agonizing nausea” to start assaulting my body.

Nothing happened.

I finally fell sound asleep….woke up and was starving. I called a friend and we met for breakfast. I ate like a horse.

I found myself smiling from ear to ear. Friends and family started calling , anxious to hear how the first treatment went and I was still munching away…while reassuring them it was “all good.”

When I woke up to beautiful sunny skies the next day… immediately I heard myself shouting:

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Where had that come from? I had found my “voice” …God’s reassurance, through His Word, that He was with me throughout this health challenge.

Obviously more difficult days would follow with subsequent radiation treatments, more chemo, and surgeries…but I continued waking up to the sheer joy of being able to wake up. To be alive. I was so grateful for life itself…in any fashion!

I don’t remember the specific day when I didn’t say it. Perhaps I was running late or hadn’t slept well and simply forgot. My grateful shout-out to the world each morning became intermittent at best…and then gone and forgotten.

It was a subtle change…but an important one. I was starting to take life for granted again. After fighting so hard for it…I was letting the joy of simply being alive slip through my fingers.

It was actually this Christmas’s bronchitis/laryngitis episode that made me stop and re-evaluate my personal health and spiritual journey.

I felt somewhat depressed (which honestly doesn’t happen that often to me) and finally understood that it really wasn’t the virus, even with its “totally” annoying symptoms, that had me down. I was depressed because I was becoming an “ingrate” for life.

Where was my joy? I wanted it back. Finally the light bulb came on and a few days ago…I woke up and screamed out to no one, but myself:

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

I was back! My joy was back! My “being” had felt disconnected from God and my ability to rejoice in life through Him. I had forgotten to say “Thank you”… to thank Him for His presence and guidance in my life.

As my physical voice returns, so does my spiritual one.

I see now, more clearly, that we can’t separate our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual parts into separate components. We are all one “being” and as such must learn to fill each part of our needs through grateful acknowledgment to our Creator.

And not timidly or quietly,….but with a loud voice:

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

So until tomorrow…Help me Father never take your most precious gift to us, life, itself, for granted ever again. Fill me with a joy that will last a lifetime, while acknowledging Your Existence gratefully, every single day of my life.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Grandmother Boo Boo is back in action! I kept Jake and Eva Cate for John and Mandy to get out of the house together before Mandy starts back to work Monday and the reality of two small children being dropped off at pre-schools and two adults working… commences.

Poor little Jake is feeling a little under the weather…you hate it when they are so little and can’t tell you what the problem is…but he is so sweet.

I love the following two pictures….Eva Cate adores her new little brother but in her zeal to express it…Jake gets put in a strangle hold more times than not. He was on the sofa with me babbling and cooing when Eva Cate asked me to take a picture with him and hopped on the sofa with us.

One moment Jake was looking at me with big blue eyes… but the second Eva Cate started closing in (while I took the picture) I swear I think the kid played “dead” or at least pretended to be asleep. Survival tactics start early in life with siblings.

Before going to John and Mandy’s I stopped off  to see my grandson, Rutledge whom I haven’t seen since December 18. He came running to me….loved it!!!

I am so impressed with Rutledge’s vocabulary…at 18 months he is putting three or more words together. He loves playing the picture card game and can identify everyone of them clearly enough for me to understand he has it right. (Of course I am sure it helps having  mom as a speech therapist!)

Speaking of Walsh and family…if you know of anyone who needs a one bedroom place to live…Walsh’s condo on Daniel Island has just become available. It is in a perfect location…within walking distance of town, close to the water, situated by the walkways through the marsh and loaded with amenities to boot.

If you hear of anyone that might need a place….have them email Walsh at : [email protected]

For any more information.. Don’t hesitate to contact me (rebecca_dingle@hotmail. com) and I can  link you up!

 Betsy, Libby’s daughter, had another scare yesterday afternoon/evening and ended up at the ER again. Thank goodness she still was wearing the monitor so hopefully the doctors are getting information to help diagnose this puzzling problem from seemingly out of  nowhere. Prayers are still very much appreciated!