Answered Prayers, Always Hope, Encouraging Blooms, and Screened In Back Doors

Hello out there! It is a beautiful, breezy, blue skies kind of day! Jim fabricated a
screened in back door for our back porch. I can feel the cool breeze all the way
into my office! He designed it, ordered the material, cut the material, and welded
it out. I helped stretch the screen out! And I helped him hang the door up - doesn't
it look awesome? Made in Texas!

Two of our children have requested one - he says it is a one of a kind, never
again, type of thing! His work is really slow right now so the next quarantine
item on the list is a huge plant stand, with shelves that will fit on our
fireplace right in front of the window that is blessed with the morning sun!
I have a Christmas Cactus - actually two since I had to divide it into two pots
because it was getting so big. My cousin gave me this plant over four years
ago. It was a small plant and I took good care of it. It grew and I repotted it
and moved it to the back window. I kept waiting for the beautiful blooms that
I had seen on her plant. I knew it needed sunlight and I thought the morning
sun from that window would be the best. I raised the blinds higher hoping
that might help my plant produce blossoms. On the third Sunday of Easter I
saw a red reflection on the back window. I walked over to my plant and sure
enough it had finally blossomed! I hollered and yelled for Jim to come and
look at the beautiful red blooms. He couldn't believe it. He helped me pick
up the plant and turn it around so that the blooms would be where I could see
them. That's when I came up with the idea of a plant stand where my
Christmas Cactus would be able to sit up higher in the window and get more
sunlight! Jim said, "Let me get through with this door and I'll think about it."
I went outside and rummaged through some of his metal and he told me to
get out of there before I hurt myself! Anyway, back to my plant. I never gave
up that someday I would see it bloom and that made me think of when I
pray. I'm not sure when, where, or how God is going to answer my prayers,
but I always know that He will answer them and when He does the blooms
are spectacular. Sometimes the answers are not what I expected but I never
doubt that He'll be with me all the way!
I finished my 20th  radiation treatment last Tuesday (4/21/2020).
 I didn't want to do radiation. I didn't think I needed it.
And to be quite honest, I was worried about the cost. Still am!
 I felt like the lumpectomy and that my lymph nodes were clear was good
enough for me. I remember telling God, yes, instead of asking Him, I was
telling Him how I didn't need radiation and that I really needed Him to let
the doctor know that it wasn't necessary. I told my family and close friends
that I wasn't going to need it. I walked into the doctor's office that day. I
listened to him tell me how good my reports were, and I threw my arms into
the air and exclaimed, "Yay, no radiation!" The doctor looked at me like I
had lost my mind and said, "Oh no, you are having radiation treatments!" I
kind of mumbled, but...And the doctor went on to tell me why I had to, and
he called their office while I was sitting there and made the appointment
for me! He told me that he would see me in three months and patted my arm
as I walked out the door. By the way, this happened on Ash Wednesday. I
slowly walked out to my car and I started to laugh. God knows me so well.
I can almost hear God telling my doctor - "Be short, to the point, and do not
let her get a word in!" I keep waiting for my energy to bounce back - I'm
starting to realize that it may be more of a slow crawl. But the blooms I saw
on Sunday gave me hope and filled my heart with joy! Because I realized
that God gives us the blooms when we need them the most! He is always with us!

Blessings to you and yours,
Sharla