Importance of Preparation

Another week has come and gone and it's Sunday afternoon once again. Thankfully, my breathing has continually improved. I was able to go from late Tuesday until Friday afternoon without needing my lungs cleared, which is near my regular routine. However, it was also a week of reminders to prepare.

Over the July 4 weekend, flooding in Texas was in the news. Several people were killed in flash flooding, including many children, when a storm produced much more rain than expected. The Quadalupe River quickly flooded its banks and ripped through homes, camp sites, and a girls' summer camp.

When Jesus was confronted with tragedy in His time (Luke 13), He answered "Repent, or you likewise will perish." Times like this call Christians to offer comfort, but also a reminder that we always need to be ready to leave this life and enter eternity. On Friday, I was also reminded to check supplies carefully.

For the past several months, I've had trouble with my trach button. My ENT and I decided to change it after a few weeks of treatment around it. That requirement was fulfilled, so Friday was another trip to Des Moines to see the doctor. Before leaving, I made sure to ask my caregiver if we had a new button. She confirmed she had checked just prior to leaving Thursday and all was good.

Unfortunately, when we got to the doctor's office and went to unpack everything he needed, the button wasn't found. My doctor was understanding and didn't charge for the visit, but now I need to return in two weeks. Upon returning home, the missing hardware was found and put in my travel bag. We don't know what happened, but learned a lesson in checking more than once.

Living the quad life is quite the journey sometimes. I'm thankful to have improving health and look forward to a very busy few weeks ahead and getting used as God allows. 

Weekend of Independence

Friday was the Fourth of July, or Independence Day in the United States. It has been 249 years since this nation declared its independence and freedom for all citizens.

One of the guaranteed freedoms the founding fathers wanted for Americans was the ability to worship. In many European countries, the Catholic church had political power and restricted, or outlawed, any other faith. It's still the case today that some nations only allow Islam while others say the country's leader is to be worshiped.

Recently, Christians have been more maligned in American media and beliefs labeled as hate, but we thankfully have remained free to worship. With the current administration, some of the former oppression has reduced, but it still pops up in some areas.

Due to recent passage of some funding measures, I have seen comments on social media how our freedoms have been revoked and we're living in horrible times. Looking back in Christian history, believers were used as torches to light parties and killed in various ways for following God's Word. The only restrictions I've seen now in the US are to enter the country legally and less government funding for abortion providers.

On this weekend, I'm thankful for this time God has placed me to be used by Him. My lungs are still needing more suctioning, but I'm thankful for improvement and access to necessary supplies. No, everything isn't perfect in the United States, but no human institution will be.

Living the quad life, and seeing other countries, I am very thankful to be alive, active, and still able to live independently. Some of these may change in the future, but this weekend is a time to give thanks.