My grandson Will is with us again this weekend. We've been playing the x-box games all evening. He's a lot better at it than I am. LOL
It's been a good week in so many ways. The fact that I am able to get up and walk each morning is a blessing in itself. Carolyn has been by to visit a couple of days and I enjoy that very much.
Mom got hooked up on Yahoo this evening and we were able to talk back and forth with no long distance charges. Thanks to my brother and sister for getting her computer going. With my web cam hooked up it's a lot better than the phone.
I found a real great chat room on the Internet this week thanks to David Queen. Everybody who goes there has ALS and its a good bunch of people. I haven't heard one person complain or cry about their illness. They all accept it and have decided, like myself, to face this disease head on with God's help.
On the down side, I have been trying to deal with insurance companies. I need to pray real hard everytime I hang up the telephone after talking to them. May the good lord bless them because I'm having trouble with the blessing part right now. LOL
Have you ever had somebody ask you how soon you were going to die? I was asked that very question this week. My reply? I asked them to tell me the date and time that they were going to die and I would do my best to do the same. Once again, God grant me the strength. I did guarantee them that I would die sometime in the future if that made them feel better.
Here is an actual part of one conversation with one insurance rep.
Myself: "I apologize for my voice being so hard to understand. I have ALS and it makes it hard for me to speak clearly."
Insurance rep: "That's quiet alright Mr. Osburn. I'll try to talk slower so you can understand."
Myself: "I said I couldn't speak clearly. I can hear fine."
Insurance rep: "I understand. I'll try to speak slower."
My prayer this evening is: God grant me the patience to put up with people who do not have a brain!"
On the up side of all of this, I have to thank Rose and the people at the Fayette School Board who have tried their best to help me with this mess. Special thanks to Diana for putting up with the phone calls.
I can assure all of you that there are wonderful people still in this world.
Note:
Please, if you see or hear someone who can not speak well, has trouble holding things, and doesn't seem the most co-ordinated, don't make the assumption that they are mentally challenged. I have trouble speaking, have trouble holding things, and am not real co-ordinated. I also hold a Bachelors Degree in Education, a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership (4.0 average), am a certified machinist and have held several other certifications. I may not appear physically to be all together but I do have my mind.
Yesterday at Wal-Mart I was talked to like I was a child because my voice was not perfect and I had trouble holding my wallet. Once again pray that God grants me the strength to deal with some people. Satan knows the weak points in everyone and will use them to his advantage. Through the strength that God has granted, I did not lash back in anger at the clerk although the temptation was there. I now have something else to be thankful for.
Wonderful weekend this week. My grandson went with me to Ashland Ky to see the family. We had a short visit but a good one. Family has such a wonderful way of picking up the spirits!
I have been meeting a lot more people with ALS through an online chat room. People from all over the world who are dealing with this desease come to talk and share their lives. This has been a real blessing for me. ALS affects approximately 30000 people in the USA. When you figure the size of the nation it's not something you run into everyday. Thank God for that.
Looking forward to the week this week. Although the weather is causing aches in my muscles I am still able to get around and walk. To those who are able to go through the day normally please remember to thank God for your health.
Man alive if God doesn't constantly astound me. Why he spends the effort to take care of me like he does is a miracle in itself.
ALS is devastating in it's own right. Along with the deteriation of the nerves, there are days when you just don't do well. Today started out like that for me. I started out the day tired, aching and mentally beating myself up. I think we all do that from time to time.
To make a long story short, Speedy Chiminy Sweep came to the house to clean my fireplace. I have always done if myself but the family was worried about me getting on the roof so I called someone else to do it.
They had cancelled coming for several days and I was pretty aggravated. I'd never met the man before so I was beginning to doubt. I should have known better. When they called and asked if I still wanted the work done I told them to come on over, but didn't expect what I got.
The man who runs the company turned out to be my biggest blessing of the day. While his men cleaned the fireplace, (and did an excellent job) the gentleman, his wife and I talked about God and his blessings. We ended up having a fellowship right there at the house.
Jimmy, thank God that you came by today. It was uplifting to me at a time when I needed it. The prayer you said, with your wife and I, brought the strength I needed to face another day with my head up. Thank you.
Note: The scriptures say, "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am also."
Let me tell you that God was in our midst on this day. When I asked God to let me run the ball a while back I had no idea what I had done. He took my prayer and has cleared a path to his Glory. Folks, we've got a winning streak going and this is just one example. With God as the Coach and you all as the prayer team there can be no defeat.. Glory be to God! Satan just fell back a few more steps in the race.
Note: Pray for Connie to be healed of her disease. She is to get a report from the tests and the doctors have told her their pretty sure it's not good news. They think she has cancer.
I'm to a point on this site where I need some feedback. Should I go back to the start and delete some of the entries or continue adding to the pages. It's as easy for me one way or the other so I would like to ask for your opinion.
Visited the family in WVa and Eastern Ky. this weekend. Had a super church service at Wayne Community Church. I got to hear my Nephew preach and he did a good job of it. Thanks to all back home who keep me and mine in your prayers. Tamara and Randy, thanks for the ride!
Feeling a lot better this week. I stopped taking the one approved drug for als. It seems that one of the side effects is a general "not good" feeling. I think their right.
Wayne Community Church is having a Thanksgiving Dinner for the community this Saturday. If you live in the Wayne WVA area come on down and get a good dinner no charge.
Note: The doctor told Connie that she didn't have cancer. :) Praise the lord!!! Now the doctors don't know what to think.
It's early in the morning the the first snow of the year is falling. In the lights of the houses the snow is beautiful. It's strange how such a simple thing as snow can bring to mind so many wonderful times in my life.
The deer hunting trips that my father, brother and I used to take. I remember the first deer that my brother ever got as though it was yesterday. The memories of these times make me miss being young but also remind me of the blessings of my family.
The sleigh rides that we used to take everytime it snowed. I can remember my younger sister and I bundling up and sleigh riding all day long on a neighbors hill. I looked at that hill not long ago and it doesn't seem near as big as I remember.
The snowball fights and snow forts that all the kids of the neighborhood would build, then destroy in mock battles. When we finished we would go in the house and Mom would always have hot chocolate and toast ready.
When I look back, those times were blessings from God.
This weekend was a continuation of those blessings. I was able to go back to West Virginia and be present while the local churches gave a Thanksgiving dinner. Although the turnout wasn't as big as everyone expected I was able to witness a combining of several different churches and denominations to acheive a common goal.
The event was an answer to prayers that I have had for years. Churches with people who agreed that they served the same God no matter what the name over the church door proclaimed.
People came together from the Community Church, Church of God, Methodist and Baptist to work toward one goal. Praise God!
Pray for this to continue and grow.
Check out the pics of the trip..
