Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 11

Never Forget

We will never forget 9/11. May we return to the unity and patriotism that permeated the country in the days following.

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Growing Old

I’ve lived in a senior retirement community for over a year now. Our oldest resident is over 100, and many are in their eighties and nineties. Although canes, walkers, and wheelchairs are common, a surprising number of my friends here walk unassisted���not only within the building but also around the neighborhood. Most of us have medical conditions of some kind, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to enjoy life.

Young people don’t expect to grow old. In our youth, we understand in theory that everyone either grows old or dies young, but somehow it doesn’t seem real to us. Now all these years later, we’re often of two minds: on one hand, the diminished capabilities of our bodies remind us that we are, in fact, old. On the other hand, in our minds, we may feel like we’re just reaching adulthood or in the prime of life.

How happy we are in the later years of life can often be predicted by how happy we were when we were younger. I have many reasons to be happy: loving family members (my son and daughter-in-law, siblings and their families), great friends (old friends from years past and new friends here in the facility), faith and church (including prayer groups at my church and in the retirement community), good medical care (doctors and nurses who come to my apartment), wonderful services (excellent housekeeping, meals, and activities), and much more.

However, some people who have just as many things to be thankful for as I do are not happy. They don’t get along with family, have few friends, don’t practice a religious faith, focus on their medical problems rather than their good care, complain about just about everything. If we looked back through their life, chances are they weren’t as happy earlier in life as their circumstances would seem to indicate.

Of course, some older people have experienced great tragedy and have turned sad and bitter as a result. I am sympathetic to their situations, but for their sakes, I wish they would try to find something to be happy about. The “golden years” can truly be golden if we make the best of them and choose to be happy regardless of our circumstances. If you are estranged from loved ones, seek reconciliation. If you don’t have friends, take the initiative to make some. If you have problems, seek help.

You’ll enjoy old age much more if you choose to be happy. Joy keeps you healthier and helps you feel younger.

A joyful heart is good medicine,

��������but a crushed spirit��dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

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Positive or Negative?

This afternoon, as a friend and I chatted in a sitting area of the retirement community, two other residents arrived and sat down near us. The lady started complaining about how unhappy she is. She doesn’t want to be here. She doesn’t like the food. Her apartment is too small. The cost is too much. Her neighbor is not friendly. She doesn’t like …

The man with her said, “You need a grateful heart.” He reiterated many of the benefits of living here: We have everything we need included in our rent, which is among the most reasonable for facilities of this type. We don’t pay extra for utilities or housekeeping or meals. The food is plentiful; liking it is a matter of preference. Some people really like it, others don’t. Most residents like some items and dislike others, but there are alternate choices if the primary meal plan isn’t to an individual’s liking.

My friend and I added more benefits. We have the opportunity to befriend and spend time with other residents. We can participate in activities ranging from church to bingo to board games. We can choose to have medical care delivered to us in our apartments. We can enjoy …

I described an experience I had not long after returning to work in my interior landscape business after my stroke. I had called on one of my clients, and when I left, I discovered the layout of the office made it impossible for me to reach the door knob to let myself out. I had to ask my client to come open the door for me. She opened and held the door, but as I came through, she nodded toward my scooter and said, “If I had to be in something like that, I would never go out in public.” I responded, “Every morning, I have to make a decision. I can choose to lie in bed all day and feel sorry for myself, or I can get up and go to work with the limitations I have. I choose to live.”

“Each of us has a similar decision to make every day,” I continued. We can decide to be happy to have a comfortable and safe place to live, with all the services we need. We can choose to make friends and participate in activities and wear a smile instead of a frown. Our happiness does not depend on our circumstances but on our response to our circumstances.

Nothing any of us said made any difference. The complaining lady just continued to whine and complain until my friend and I found an excuse to escape the negativity. Although I’d like to be at least friendly acquaintances, if not friends, of everyone here, I won’t waste my time listening to someone else’s constantly negative words.

Of course, we all have bad days and specific situations that frustrate us. I don’t mind occasional complaints, but I prefer to stay away from people whose complete repertoire of conversation consists of negative comments. Negativity takes away hope and joy, and I want to face every day with joy and hope.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13

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Print Books, Ebooks, or Audiobooks?

Like most readers, I’ve always loved books. And for many years, books were print books. I began reading at an early age, and I remember my mother complaining that I didn’t answer her when she called because I always had my “nose buried in a book.”

I’ve often thought that if I were rich, the largest and most impressive room in my house would be a beautiful library filled with leather-bound first editions.

Then at age forty-five, I had a stroke. Damage to my optic nerve gave me blurry, double vision, and paralysis on my right side made holding a book almost impossible. In spite of my suspicion that I wouldn’t enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed reading, audiobooks made it possible for me to “read” lying in bed. In the early 90s, audiobooks were on cassette tapes, and the selection of titles was relatively small. However, I was happy to have audiobooks available from the library and the bookstore.

After several months, I recovered sufficiently to be able to read print books again, and I gave up audiobooks. By that time, I had read most of the ones I could get my hands on, anyway.

Then a few years later, when I became a writer, I wrote a romance novel about a heroine who experienced a stroke similar to the one I had. Stroke of Luck was not accepted by print publishers; I was told repeatedly that romance novels couldn’t have handicapped characters. An ebook publisher liked my book and was willing to publish something outside the ordinary parameters of the genre. So I became an advocate of ebooks and traveled around Texas and Oklahoma with a group of fellow authors to do booksignings, most of which consisted of telling people about ebooks and showing off our Rocket eBook readers, to the best of my knowledge, the first ebook reader, almost a decade before the Kindle came along.

Having a novel published electronically introduced me to ebooks, but I soon came to love them for other reasons. My vision is poor, and I can set the font large enough to read easily. It’s actually easier for me to hold my Kindle than to hold a paperback book. It’s wonderful to be able to carry hundreds of books in the palm of my hand and know that when I finish one book, I have a huge selection to begin the next book right away.

However, a few months ago, I developed a shoulder problem that limits the use of my arm. It became harder to hold an ereader. I saw an ad for some free audiobooks and remembered how much I had enjoyed audiobooks when I was recovering from the stroke, so I decided to give them a try. No more shoulder/arm problem holding anything���I just start the audiobook and set the phone down. I can listen in bed before I fall asleep; I can listen while I’m eating or doing something with my hands. My audiobooks are accessible on my phone or my computer, and I can build a library of unlimited titles.

I occasionally read print books, but not often because of the eyesight problem. I frequently listen to audiobooks in my apartment, but I generally carry my Kindle with me when I go somewhere. No earbuds are required to avoid disturbing other people, and my reading time���usually waiting for appointments���isn’t often long enough to cause severe pain in my arm.

Most people have a reading preference. I love books���print, electronic, or audio. No matter the format, the content is what’s important. A suspense novel is just as exciting, a nonfiction book is just as informative, and a romance novel is just as romantic regardless of the format.

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Free Indeed!

Today we celebrate our independence as citizens of the United States. Although we often think that the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain on July 4, the date of the formal declaration of independence was July 2, 1776. July 4 was the date the final text of the Declaration was approved, and it wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776. However, regardless of the specific date, what is important is that we did become an independent country and established the Constitution as the “law of the land.”

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

John Adams

We would do well to remember John Adam’s words if we want to keep our country free. It seems that the nation is drifting away from the religious faith that has been a hallmark of the United States. Our freedom is not guaranteed forever. We must take care to remain a “moral and religious people.”

Scripture also tells us to include our leaders in our prayers.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people��� for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 

1 Timothy 2:1-4

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer

We are blessed to live in a free country, but our real freedom comes through Jesus Christ. He frees us from the slavery of sin and guilt and gives us a new life of freedom as a beloved child of God.

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ���If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.��� They answered him, ���We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ���You will become free���?���

Jesus answered them, ���Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:31-36

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6 Ways to Avoid Blogger Burnout: Guest Post from Mary Aspen Richardson

Blogging is one of those occupations that are hard to do well unless you genuinely enjoy them. However, what happens when the activity you were once passionate about suddenly becomes a burden and a major anxiety trigger? Even though this is what nightmares are made of for most writers, it’s vital to remember there is no reason to panic as the situation is reversible. Here are 6 ways to avoid blogger burnout.

1.      Set realistic goals

The start of any blogging journey is usually filled with enthusiasm and euphoric motivation that can easily lead to unrealistic expectations and goals. Because of this, it is imperative to objectively and soberly think about what you want to achieve.

Remember that your writing will likely be of higher quality if you don’t have to stress about posting every day. Allowing yourself the luxury of a flexible schedule will ultimately make you more productive. Therefore, if you notice your expectations are giving you a headache – set the bar lower. There’s no shame in sustainable goals!

2.      Don’t feel obliged to say yes

More often than not, blogging consists of collaborating with many different people, brands, and sponsors. While establishing relationships and connections can help you on your road to success, it can also become quite overwhelming and distracting.

Just like in life, learning how to say no in the blogging world can be game-changing. In return, this will allow you to invest your time and energy into things that matter. So, don’t be afraid to decline that sponsored post, unpaid review, or anything else you don’t feel like doing.

3.      Take time away

For someone who wants to succeed in today’s aggressively competitive blogging world, resting might seem counter-intuitive. However, bear in mind that overworking yourself is a sure-fire way toward burnout. On the other hand, time away from work can do wonders for your focus, inspiration, and productivity.

Make sure to set your working hours and respect them. Use your weekends for recharging your batteries and relaxing. Also, don’t forget to allow yourself a vacation once (or twice) a year and make it free of anything blogging-related. Remember – being a good boss to yourself is one of the most effective ways to avoid blogger burnout.

4.      Turn off the notifications

Social media can be an excellent tool for promotion and exposure. Nonetheless, it can be extremely easy to lose yourself in the comments and notifications. Even if you think other people’s opinions can’t do much damage, know that these are often the silent killers of productivity and confidence.

Think of your blog as your home, and don’t let people disturb you whenever they feel like it. Sometimes, ignoring (or turning off) the notifications is the best thing you can do on your blogging journey.

5.      Find inspiration through change

Sometimes, all you need to do to kick start your writing is to try something new. You can try to use different types of blog writing, change your logo or freshen up your workspace. Newness in any way, shape, or form is an excellent way to change your perspective and invite inspiration.

6.      Remember your passion

Contrary to popular belief, blogging can be a hectic occupation. The busyness and distractions are often the main culprits behind the lack of motivation. So, if you want to find ways to avoid blogger burnout, you have to remember why you started your blog. Whether it’s your passion for writing or something else, tapping into that initial enthusiasm will surely help you get back on track.

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An Accident Looking for a Place to Happen

I’ve always wanted to be poised and graceful. Alas, that is not the case. I have always been a klutz. My husband used to tell me, “Be careful! You’re an accident looking for a place to happen.”

One of my earliest memories shows my klutziness even as a preschooler. I grew up on a farm, and we had a very gentle horse. A neighbor family was visiting, and their teenage son took me for a ride on the horse. He sat me in the saddle and slowly and carefully led the horse through the field. I’m sure he told me how to hold on, but apparently I didn’t follow instructions. The only thing I really remember is landing on my rear end in a bed of grass burs. That cured me of my desire to ride a horse!

Although I’ve been clumsy my entire life, at age forty-five, I decided I had a good excuse. After my stroke at the hands of a chiropractor, physical and occupational therapy overcome many of my “deficits,” as the medical community calls the residual effects. However, my balance is very poor and I don’t have complete fine motor control of my right hand or my left leg. Occasionally I lose my balance or involuntary movements cause me to do something klutzy. Of course, I do many more clumsy actions that aren’t caused by the stroke residuals, but I think it sounds like a good excuse.

By five years after the stroke, I could walk without any mobility aids, but as I’ve aged, my balance has worsened and arthritis has slowed me down. I began using a manual wheelchair; while I sometimes bumped into something, I never fell from the chair. Then I added a scooter to use outside my home. I was using the wheelchair in my apartment and the scooter elsewhere in the building when I moved into a senior retirement apartment during the COVID quarantine last year.

I had several falls transferring to or from the wheelchair or scooter. Twice I turned the scooter over on its side. I was trapped under the handlebars, but fortunately they weren’t touching me���just too close for me to crawl out on my own. My falls were so frequent that when EMS came to pick me up, they sometimes remembered they had been called for me before.

My home health nurse suggested that the scooter was too dangerous for my klutziness (although she said it much gentler and kinder). She talked to the doctor and they agreed that I need a power wheelchair. It took several months to receive it, then another few months to get it adjusted and customized for me. I’ve had more than my share of accidents with the power chair, too. However, I have a seat belt, so I don’t fall out and I don’t turn the chair over. Instead, I run the large footrest into walls and doors, and I get myself in awkward situations.

Earlier this week, I had been out much of the day (a one-hour doctor’s appointment takes a big chunk out of the day using the handicapped transportation system), and I noticed about midnight that a few of the small plants on my balcony were slightly wilted. I filled my one-gallon watering can at the kitchen sink and rolled over to the patio door. Unfortunately, when I crossed the threshold, the chair was at an angle and caught against the door frame. I couldn’t go forward or backward or sideways. I was totally stuck. My phone was on my desk, a few feet away, but my emergency alert button was around my neck as always. I punched the button and interrupted the operator when she started asking me about my emergency. “All you need to do is to call the building office���it’s the first listing in my emergency contacts���and ask someone to come help me.” When the staff member arrived, she pushed and pulled and pulled and pushed and …. Finally, I told her I could stand up and hold on to the door frame if she could move the chair without me in it. That worked! I got back into the apartment and was going to give up on watering the plants. However, the staff member volunteered to do that as well.

Then last night came one of the funniest accidents I’ve ever had. It did not seem funny at all, last night; in fact, I was afraid I was going to panic. I was ready for bed and went into the kitchen to get water for the night. As I rolled back from the refrigerator, the edge of my pajama bottom got caught under the wheel of my chair. It’s not unusual for something (a piece of clothing or my oxygen tubing) to get caught, and usually I can roll forward or backward to loosen whatever is wrapped around the wheel. Not last night. Whichever way I went, the pant legs grew tighter and tighter around my ankle. I thought it might be easier to get the pants free if I took them off, so I unlocked the seatbelt and wiggled out of the pants, holding on the whole time so I didn’t slide down and off the seat. Even when I got the pants down around my ankle, the leg would not come loose. Every movement tightened the cloth around my ankle until I thought I would never be free. Finally I gave up and called the same staff person who had helped me a couple of days ago. She came up and struggled to get the pants loose, but eventually had to admit defeat, get scissors, and cut the clothing off. She had to whack holes in several layers, and the holey, jagged pants leg was quite a sight.

Through the years, I have had more than my share of falls and minor accidents. However, praise God!, I have never done any serious damage to myself or anyone else���not even to property, unless you count the pajama bottoms I wore last night!

There’s a saying that “God protects fools and babies;” another version is that “God protects fools and drunks.” My version is “God protects fools and klutzes.”

These sayings remind me of a family story of two sisters in my ancestry. One of them let her kids do whatever they wanted. A favorite game of theirs was to tie the horse to the wagon filled with hay. They took turns with one boy on the ground hitting the horse to get him to run and the other on the roof to jump into the wagon as it went by. The other sister monitored her children closely and restricted them to games she considered safe. Her sister, the mother of the daredevils, said, “You need to let your children have more fun. God will take care of them.” The careful mother responded, “I have to watch out for my own kids. God is too busy taking care of yours.”

Those sayings and that story may bring on a laugh, but they aren’t Biblical. However, we can count on God’s protection. Many places in the Bible assure us of God’s love and care. Some of the most beautiful are in Psalms.

The��Lord��is my rock and my��fortress��and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2

He who dwells in��the shelter of the Most High
��������will abide in��the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say��to the��Lord, ���My��refuge and my��fortress,
��������my God, in whom I��trust.���

For he will deliver you from��the snare of the fowler
��������and from the deadly pestilence.
He will��cover you with his pinions,
��������and under his��wings you will��find refuge;
��������his��faithfulness is��a shield and buckler.
You will not fear��the terror of the night,
��������nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
��������nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
��������ten thousand at your right hand,
��������but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
��������and��see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the��Lord��your��dwelling place���
��������the Most High, who is my��refuge���
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
��������no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his��angels concerning you
��������to��guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
��������lest you��strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on��the lion and the��adder;
��������the young lion and��the serpent you will��trample underfoot.

���Because he��holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
��������I will protect him, because he��knows my name.
When he��calls to me, I will answer him;
��������I will be with him in trouble;
��������I will rescue him and��honor him.
With��long life I will satisfy him
��������and��show him my salvation.���

Psalm 91:1-16

Lord God Almighty, thank You that You are our protection, our fortress to run to. Whatever happens to us, You are watching over us. You have saved me from serious injury so many times in my life. Thank you saving me. Forgive me for taking Your protection for granted. To You be the glory and the honor and praise and the thanksgiving for Your mighty protection and love. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Photo: AndreyPopov/Deposit Photos

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Friend Request���Accept or Not?

Every day, I get friend or connection requests on Facebook and LinkedIn. Today, I have 1,146 friends on Facebook and 2,651 connections on LinkedIn. Obviously, I can’t interact with even a small percentage, and when I add new friends/connections, I wonder if I’m just adding another name of someone I won’t ever communicate with.

In the early days of social media, I accepted every friend/connection request I received. Now I am more discerning, but in many cases, it’s difficult to decide. A lot of my friends on Facebook are missionaries who are friends of other missionaries in my friends circle. Many are seeking financial support, which I am unable to give as I am already supporting all I can. However, they are always open to prayer, so I pray with many of them on Messenger.

When I get a new friend request, I read the profile and some posts. If several of the following conditions, apply, I will delete the request:

The profile is locked.We have no or few friends in common.Many of the posts are selfies with little other content.Many of the posts are in a language I don’t understand.There are few posts, mainly a few major life events.

I will typically accept the request if several of the following apply:

The profile shows that the person has some similar interests to me. We have many friends in common or the friends we do have in common are ones I interact with.Posts have valuable or interesting content.Most of the posts are in English, even if some are in another language.There are a number of posts over a period of time.

Often, though, some of the conditions apply and others don’t, so I have to weigh the options and decide whether I should accept the request. I don’t want to miss out on connecting with someone who will enlighten, entertain, or inspire me or someone I can help. On the other hand, I don’t want to have lists of friends and connections for whom our only contact has been the friend request and acceptance.

Do I get it right all the time? Of course not. But I hope I get it right most of the time.

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Happy Birthday!

The last year and a half have been as crazy for me as for the rest of the world. A move from my home of 53 years to a retirement community combined with COVID lockdowns, medical issues, and going from a walker to a manual wheelchair to a scooter to a power wheelchair distracted me from blogging.

Now the lockdowns are ending, and it’s time to return to a more normal life. Today, however, on the fifteenth birthday of my blog, is a good time to get back on track. That will include posting to my blog about once a week.

So I’ll wish my blog Happy Birthday, and next week I’ll start to learn about the changes to WordPress since I posted regularly.

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Good Friday

This powerful video demonstrates the meaning and significance of Good Friday.

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