writing

I Feel Like I am On A Time Clock

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Hey Y’all!

I feel like I am on a time clock racing to get everything done. My writing is important to me. Though my writing has been nonexistent lately, I am trying again. I wish to do better and just show myself doing better.

I am doing stretches and walking. I am doing my pumps and a workout with the chores. I have chores in the mornings. My helper gets here late afternoon, usually, the heaviest thing she must do is the laundry and trash.

Physically, my wounds looked worse on Monday. My head has just gone mad with thoughts about that. Thankfully, they looked much better yesterday when the nurse was here. We shall see what they look like tomorrow and Monday.

I have not forgotten about working on the grief, loss, resentments, causes, and my part where it affects me. I must work toward forgiveness to free myself. I am collaborating with my therapist, the professional I mentioned in the last entry. I must find my way out of the emotional mess.

I am praying for help to be the best version of myself to be the best friend I can be and to give of myself the best I can.

I have been on the other side of seeing nothing wrong and wondering why everything is out of order. I have done stupid things and won stupid prizes. We cannot see; until we are willing to see. It takes work, meditation, prayer, and willingness to change.

There is no answer to the why until we do the work of HOW. That is Honesty, Open-Mindedness, and Willingness. We get down to causes and effects, and admission of our part. The one common denominator in everything that happens is me.

You learn by living it out. I fall apart when I am not spiritually fit. This is why I need my support system and simple reminders. Unfortunately, it takes what I consider devastating news before I call for the lifeline.

 “GOOD judgment, a careful sense of timing, courage, and prudence- are the qualities needed *(taken from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous) these and one spiritual we should have, “sensible, tactful, considerate and humble.” *(Taken from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous).

Every time I find myself in a spot, I must change. When we start seeing the changes in ourselves, we get excited. However, it is grunting work in the beginning. It can be an upheaval getting to the root. But it is so worth it. There will always be bumps in the road, when I hit one, I must get through it.

The truth is, I lose control when I hit those bumps. I am determined to be better.

  1. I am thankful for the ability to learn.
  2. I am thankful for the patience of others.
  3. I am thankful for answers when I seek them.
  4. I am thankful for the chance to write and share with others.
  5. I am thankful for the ability to see and understand.
  6. I am thankful for my choices.
  7. I am thankful I can turn around anytime.
  8. I am thankful God is forgiving.
  9. I am thankful for a song that just came on to remind me of happier times.
  10. I am thankful for my courage.

(1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV)

 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Thanks for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

It Is Okay To Not Be Okay

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Photo by Skyler Ewing on Pexels.com

Hey Y’all,

I came back to writing finally.

I am dealing with a lot of physical, emotional, and spiritual subjects as usual for all of us. We all have a lot to deal with daily. I want to say, I am willing to face it all. It is just a day at a time. Right?

Sunday, I felt touched by a short video I watched. I am botching it by summarizing what it said. Yesterday needed you today, we need you, and tomorrow we will need you, please do not quit. Do not give up. So many people care about you and love you. You are loved and needed.

Just because we do not talk deeply with everyone, does not mean we are not a hope for someone else. It also does not mean the same people who are not deep with us, are not giving us hope. Sometimes things suck.

The only way to get through the hard things in life is to face them We walk through those things, feel the feelings, and work through them. Taking the necessary steps is hard. No one said it would be easy or painless.

I have been dealing with chronic physical issues. I am also facing the fact that I need to deal with grief and loss. I am dealing with emotional and spiritual issues too. All of it has emotional and spiritual aspects. It all comes down to fear and anger. Anger because I am not in charge or better yet, in control.

Face everything and recover. We should look at it this way instead.

Face

Everything

And

Recover

Do you see, facing everything and recovering reveals fear? I have learned this in the past, but I need reminders. There is also a fact of me maybe facing things before, but finding even old things come back up because of not being perfect, I only dealt with them as far as I could understand it at the time.

Just because you work on things once or a thousand times, does not mean there is not more work to do.

I recently told someone that as much as I am sarcastic with I am also sarcastic with God and they told me they argued with God! This is someone whom I consider of a handful of people, I see, as the most devout  Christian I know.

At that moment, I admitted to myself that it was freeing because I had been mad at God for not granting me my wishes. Sarcasm is a form of anger. I am not okay because: I want to say I am doing great. I have no resentments; I am at peace with everything.

I am not okay because I am angry with God that He has allowed the death of precious loved ones, and that negative things keep happening.

In the meantime, I am dealing with these issues with a professional. I am also using the twelve-step program. It will work because God is not going anywhere. I have work to do and much to prepare for.

The biggest help is that 99% of my fears will not even happen.

I have a great support system. I must use my words instead of keeping everything bottled up.

God can manage all my emotions. He is not going to fall apart because I am mad at Him. It is going to be okay.

The most important thing I can do for myself is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Freezing and fleeing keep the problems hanging over my head. It becomes heavy baggage that stops me from receiving anything good because; everything is a complaint and nothing is good enough.

That said, I need to find those things for which I am thankful for:

  1. I am thankful for the support when I need it.
  2. I am thankful for the words to write.
  3. I am thankful for an unexpected visit.
  4. I am thankful for reminders and knowing how to take care of myself; even, in this time of waiting and seeing.
  5. I am thankful for Communion, forgiveness, and the ability to forgive.
  6. I am thankful for provisions.
  7. I am thankful for lymphedema pumps.
  8. I am thankful I can walk.
  9. I am thankful for my nurse’s supplies
  10. I am thankful I can pay my bills.

Thank you for reading!

This has been another blogpost entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

Still Working On Goals Happy May Day!

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Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

Hey, Y’all!

Here we are at 1:54 am. I cannot believe I am up this late. I went to bed tired, and I was sure I would fall asleep. Instead, I am right here writing to you all. There has been a week or so lapse in entering any blog entries because it has been putting in the work on my base goals.

I am fighting tiredness and feeling sick off and on.

I am happy I have my calendars filled out and ready to go for the month. Having the calendars completed and the ability to make my lists each day helps me feel more organized and goes a long way in being initiative-taking each day. I am realizing I have work to do on the inside of myself to be more assertive in the right way in situations.

There are emotions I am fighting that have led to depression that I must overcome.

I tell myself that it all will be better tomorrow. It may take more than tomorrow to feel better. Even during the times, I say I give up; I have not given up. I still get back up.

It sucks at times because a group may be going through our life lessons at the same time. For me, it is always hopeful I have not burned new bridges that have taken years to build. I also hope I am not disappearing from older friendships.

The calendars and lists: they tell me where I am so I can figure out where I am going. I want to excel at a faster rate than what it is taking and that is where the emotions and doubt come in. It is where I fight myself because I want to be better.

Inside my head, I scream you must do better! I am impatient with myself.

I keep holding on to a friend’s words he said to me about eight or nine years ago. “It will not always be this way.” I am angry at the slowness in myself. It seems and looks like others can just change overnight. The truth is I know it took them longer as well.

It all goes back to cautioning myself to not compare ourselves with one another.

We never know where another person is at their starting point of change. We do not know the work everyone else had to do to get where they are. We do not know what sacrifices each of us has made to do better or to get better.

To make a real change in this life gets to the core of our being. We run the gamut of emotions from screaming, crying, laughing, and silence. We must keep hanging on for one more day. I will get through these twenty-four hours just as I have all the past days.

  1. I am thankful to have courage.
  2. I am thankful for my portion.
  3. I am thankful for smiles.
  4. I am thankful for hope.
  5. I am thankful that change does happen.
  6. I am thankful for life lessons.
  7. I am thankful for others helping me figure out what I cannot figure out alone.

Acts 17:28 ESV

28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.

Thanks for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

We See What We Cannot Control But What About What We Can

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By Mel Robbins 2024

Hey, Y’all!

I did take an unplanned two-day break.

I am glad to be back again to share with you more that I have gleaned from Mel Robbins’ Make It Happen Workbook. I just finished watching training video two of “Make It Happen.” It has given me more to be excited about moving forward by thinking about the steps needed to complete my goals.

I think one of the things that helps is getting the obstacles of fear, excuses, and overthinking listed. You lessen the power of the obstacle by naming the obstacle. Working on the goal of fifteen to thirty minutes, each day consistently, for six weeks, is establishing your agreement to overcome the obstacle.  

I would say the next thing is to not give up and keep doing what is working and you will find you are different from being the person you were when first deciding what exactly it is you wanted to change in your life.

I am going by Mel Robbins’s teaching on this subject. However, I also learned when I was first in recovery it takes somewhere between twenty-one and twenty-eight days to make a habit and this is a scientific fact. Who knew this fact would come into play again, as I think about the goals I want to accomplish in the next six months?

The other thing she has added to the workbook is a place to record what I do each day to work towards each goal. This is a real help in being and staying consistent and showing the work I have done. It will be proof that I can change and will have changed.

The final thought in this workbook is if you all down and fail you get back up and go at it again.

I wanted to get more work done today because I felt guilty for the past two days of not doing anything about writing or working on the workbook. But each day has its limits and it is just as important to work within the parameters of each day and not get burned out.

I am looking forward to making it a priority for the men’s meeting on Tuesdays and doing my recovery meeting on Thursdays. These are things that have worked in the past and only added to my recovery, and personal, and spiritual growth.

Things I am Thankful For:

  1. The rides to and from the wound clinic.
  2. My nurse team.
  3. Having a real supper.
  4. Working towards changing myself today.
  5. I get the opportunity to be happy with myself.
  6. A nap I took today.
  7. My daily phone calls with a friend or two.

My Strengths:

  1. Determination to do what is necessary.
  2. Looking  at the positives of today
  3. Moving forward.
  4. Adapting to changes for a day.
  5. Not forgetting those who help me along the way.
  6. Sharing what I have learned.
  7. Practicing grace for others.

Thank you for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

Focusing On The Fuel Tank For Each Area Of My Life II

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Hey, Y’all!

I apologize for the fact of failing to write about the different areas of my life. The fuel gauge that I am using as suggested by Mel Robbins, gives me a picture of where I am in each area of my life. I must know where I am before I know which way to go next.

  I- Health and Wellness

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Evening Routine
  3. Physical Health
  4. Mental Health

 II- Career, Money, School

  1. Career
  2. Money
  3. School
  4. Work/Life Balance

III- Relationships, Love, Friendships

  1. Friendships
  2. Family Relationships
  3. Love
  4. Making New Connections

IV- Happiness

  1. Happiness
  2. Hobbies
  3. Fun
  4. State Of Your Home

V- Purpose, Spirituality, and Meaning

  1. Purpose
  2. Spirituality
  3. Meaning
  4. Fulfillment

In each area of each section is a fuel gauge in which you find your location.

Empty- Depleted

1/4 – Meh

1/2 – Fine

3/4 – Good

Full- Energized

The next action is answering: Why do you feel this way? (Feelings)

Are there any behaviors or attitudes that contribute to why you feel this way? (Truth Finding-Facts) Only you know the truth.

It is important to be honest with ourselves. It is also important not to beat yourself up because that does not accomplish anything.

We cannot change what could be wrong if we do not know what it is and where we are.

As far as my journey is concerned in most areas, I do feel I am at ¼ of a tank on the fuel gauge. In some of the areas, I found myself feeling completely depleted or empty.

If I plan on reaching any goals, this fact-finding truth is valuable to me to make changes and reenergize myself.

Can this be any more related to recovery, as far as the HOW?

Honesty

Open-Minded

Willing

I have told friends I want to make more time and do better at being a friend. To live up to that, I know I am going to need better time-management skills.

I want to change and do better in all the areas of my life, there again Rome was not built in a day. I also cannot use that as an excuse to hardly do anything to change either. There is always room for improvement.

It is exciting to learn new things! The difference becomes when we use the newfound knowledge to crush the paralyzing fear we often face when questioning ourselves. I want things different from what they have been.

I know I can make things happen. It will take putting in the time and work while being honest. Working through the difficult stuff honestly, is what is going to make me free. I do not have to think of the hard work as hopeless. The more I work through, the more hopeful I will become for making 2024 my best year.

Things I like:

  1. Getting through the tough work.
  2. Breakfast for supper.
  3. Stand-up Comedians.
  4. Saying what I mean, meaning what I say, not saying it mean.
  5. Check Marking the Checklist.

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Thank you for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

Planning The Rest Of 2024 To Make It Happen

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Make it Happen Workbook 2024 By Mel Robbins

Hey, Y’all!

I have completed the first workbook by Mel Robbins, “Make 2024 Your Best Year.”

In finishing the first workbook I have a l clearer picture of what I want to do, in planning the rest of 2024. I do feel more confident in moving forward with plans. I made a goal to start making things happen. This is barely scratching the surface.

I woke up this morning feeling unmotivated. However, as always in my phone call with a friend, we always claim for it to be a good day.

I wanted to start digging into the second workbook by Mel Robbins, “Make It Happen.” I did start digging and by the time I turned the page, I found I was in for a surprise! I found I wanted more goals.

I just want to say I am tired as I am writing this. Despite being tired I am determined to get through this day.

This part I just learned in the last few minutes. While determined I am also having a late lunch writing this entry, and felt compelled to pray, as I heard this song, so I texted a prayer over someone and I got a brand new spark of energy!

This is spiritual learning along the way.

Sometimes, you must ignore how you feel and do what you know. There is strength in praying, I believe that.

I know that a long time ago I was taught, that if you allow enough goodness to come into your life, the bad cannot stay. The bad would be allowing tiredness to win. I fought it and I will continue to fight it.

To get back to the workbook subject: I believe that by working towards enough good goals and doing them, I will change.

You can make goals all day long, you can feel something all day long, and think about it all day long! Until you take action, nothing changes! This is different I am usually unwilling to fight the tiredness. But, something changed in me, and something changed when I took action.

This lesson I received in writing thus far, is all about the workbook.

I have said this is my journey, and you who are reading this are on it with me right now. There seems to be a load of education in this journey. It brings a smile to my face.

I have watched only half of the first two parts of the training videos with this workbook. This is huge for me because, with only a couple of pages in the workbook, it is bringing me more hope for everything I am about to learn, and put it into action.

Even though I say, I want more goals I may learn that some goals may be grouped to make one goal. We shall see, what we see, and do what we can. I am not giving up.

Philippians 4:9 (ESV)

9. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Thank you for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

At 58 I Wonder What I Will Be When I Grow Up

/ boxcarmike / 3 Comments

September 2023 Elephant Rock

Hey, Y’all!

I went to bed at eight-thirty last night, I intended to get somewhere between six and eight hours of sleep. I woke up three hours later and here I am now after midnight. I will smile through this.

I am fifty-eight and I am wondering what I will be when I grow up. This is because there are things left for me to do. I have happiness left to live out and things I am learning.

I am not just learning to love me I do love me. I do not mean this in a conceited way. For years, I hated who I saw in the mirror and inside my head. I was self-destructive and I stayed stuck inside the self-made prison. I wanted to love, but I did not know how to love. Everyone deserved love. I hurt on the inside, and I only knew how to hurt others.

I am thankful this has changed, and I am rebuilding my life piece by piece. It is a step-by-step process and has been a long journey.

Love is being willing to change. Love is letting go. Love is freeing yourself from bondage. Love holds no hostages. Love heals. Love always wins.

Two people I knew, died on the third day of this month 2024. I was afraid I was going to die just a couple of weeks before 2024 began. I even said to myself, I played too much! Of course, I deserved to die. I was afraid to die. I was not ready to die.

I have been on a healing journey for a while. I am still healing, and I am still learning. Love is winning.

Here is what I have learned: No matter what illness is; it is far deeper than illness. The roots are fear, anger, and hatred. It has a victim mentality. It plays the blame game, and nothing is ever my fault! “They did it to me. If it were not that thing in the way I would have gotten the job!”

“Look, Man! If you lived my life you would drink, smoke, and take pills too!”  If it, you, or they just would not have made me mad I would not have made the hole in the wall! It is your fault! No, they had it coming; they needed to hear the truth from me!”

“You do not know pain until you have known my pain. So just shut the heck up! Yes, these have been the examples of things I have said except, usually with expletives.

People have stood by me, and I am not just changing, I have changed, and my life has changed. I continue to learn more because there is always more action needed.

Forgiveness frees me. Forgiveness allows me to heal inside out. Dropping the rock keeps me from drowning! Working with others, sharing with others, and listening to others sharing with others is so valuable in healing because the message gets shared.

My faith has grown. God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and doing my part is healing me and it is working. Why stop doing what is working?

Now, I have shared all this to say, I am still doing the work in the workbook. I worked more on it yesterday. I will work on it again today, and I am finally ready to start planning. Once the plan is in place, then I will begin a second workbook by Mel Robbins “Make It Happen.”

These workbooks have asked me to ask others how I have changed. I have learned though if you are paying attention to those you surround yourself with and are doing the work, you do not have to ask them. They are already telling you how you are changing and have changed.

If you do the work, you cannot help but change!

Doing the work does not make you perfect. I make mistakes every day. I still oversleep. Thank goodness a friend kept calling me yesterday morning.

I say and do things I should not say and do. However, it is way less than I used to. I tell on-myself to those who have my best interest in mind. We work out a way for me to make things as right as possible and I move on.

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

I am ready to start living this 58th year.

Thank you for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

Working My Workbook Prayerful Meditation Happy Easter

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St Joe Park St Francois County March 2024 By Boxcar Mike

Hey Y’all!

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates Easter!

March has gone by too soon for me.

I have worked on my workbook slowly. I look at what I want differently after seeing areas of my life and deciding how to do them with different results.

I find opening myself up to others and trying to learn new things along the way gives me new challenges and opportunities to gain experience. I get to put into practice the changes I want.

I have reflected on my life. There is much more I want. It takes doing the footwork to make the changes happen. I have not had the willingness as I do now to do the work required for changes. I wanted to take the work like a buffet taking what I want only; it does not work that way.

There is work required I may not want to do. It is in doing that work I do not want to do that the change will happen.

When I hit the bottom with my drinking, I said I wanted to be sober. While it has been a few twenty-four hours since my last drink and drug, that does not mean the insanity automatically stopped. I agree with the phrase for the stupid stuff we do, “When you do stupid stuff, you win stupid prizes.” Just because you decide to change your ways does not mean you escape the consequences of previous stupid stuff you have done.

Changing includes stopping the insanity I create. I can only choose to stop my insanity. I have no control over people, places, and things. This is why I choose to do things that force me to look at my life. I want to make the necessary changes to stop the insanity in my life. I also want to make sure that I am living in truth.

I do have a connection with God as I understand Him. A friend asked me to speak next weekend as I said yes, I could feel God say; “Do not lie to my children!” This includes me. I cannot change by lying to myself. This does not mean dumping my stuff, it means being honest. But I cannot be honest without an honest look at myself.

This means doing continuous work required for change. When you grow others can see it even when you cannot. It is all within the journey.

I have taken two weeks to write this blog post entry. Changes have happened. I ended up being ill this past weekend. So, I missed my opportunity to speak. It made me sad in ways but again, it was out of my control.

I have a lot of work ahead of me and I feel so far behind because I am at a slower pace. I am praying I am done with being sick. I am hoping to reclaim more time for my workbook and writing. I need to take inventory of my time and go back to trying the timeline method for my day to help me meet my deadlines and meet goals more efficiently.

I want to share seven things I like.

  1. Being able to write freely.
  2. Phone calls to and from friends and family to support each other.
  3. Being able to see God’s creation at work with a Solar Eclipse.
  4. Clean and clear counter space.
  5. The weekly and monthly appointments with my therapist.
  6. The memories that I can recall correctly.
  7.  Sweet and funny cards.

Five Things I will do to make changes:

  1. Commit a specific time for each task.
  2. Allow myself the freedom to be happy.
  3. Go through shelves and closets to purge the stuff I will never use and throw out or give away.
  4. Allow my helper to start cleaning my carpet today.
  5. Make more time for people I love and miss but not forget the others I still love and do get time to be with. Remembering nothing and no one will be perfect here on this earth, including me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Thanks for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

/ boxcarmike / Leave a comment

May 2016

Hey Y’all!

I am back!

Right before Christmas, I was in ICU for a day and I was moved to a regular room for another several days. I remained ill for some time and the rest has been trying to get back to life.

I am very blessed to have people praying, calling, and answering when I call as well. I also received a few cards for which I am grateful and over three months late in thanking people for them.

I struggle with trying to find a normal routine.

Tonight, something happened to help me find my happy place in writing again. A teenage Boy Scout interviewed me! His dad, who is a friend of mine, was present. But it was in his dad’s prompting and his asking me questions that I realized I want to organize my thoughts better and be more dedicated to the things I love which also enrich my spirituality.

The funny part in all of this is they were coming after a scout meeting to give jump the battery of a car I am driving at present. But they more than helped me. I hope that I was of help to them also.

I had every intention of going to bed early, but I became excited enough to write.

Everything that I love points back to God. It is because of God that I am reminded of everything I love that feeds the soul and connection between others, me, and God. I am here because of God and others are around because of God and connecting with my soul seeing me when I do not.

Sometimes chance meetings or interviews are just divine appointments reminding us that we are genuine and that we have a message to share. The most important message sometimes that we have to share comes from deep within our souls that we also need to hear.

What I heard from my friend sharing with his son about my story in that little bit of time reminds me more, we are walking each other home. It feeds my soul. We feed each other.

The boy inside of me needs to hear the message inside of me in my soul. If you catch me most days, I deny how I love people; but I am wrong. I love people! I want to know, share, and exchange with others our stories.

I say I hate people in a way to deflect because of the hurt I have caused and the hurt I felt. I say it sometimes to think that I am being funny. What I truly hate is the fact that each of us can hurt each other. It is painful and cuts us deeply with just a careless word.

Now there is another point here, and that is knowing when you must stand up for yourself and not allow yourself to be steam-rolled. Sometimes that includes a real fight and war. It means defending yourself and what is yours.

Is that not always the question, where is the balance? We find balance in the true message. Let’s keep seeking, walking, helping, loving, hoping, and praying.

It is good to be back, I love y’all!

Thanks for reading!

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out!

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!

My Journey For The Past Three Months

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My Patio

Hey Y’all, 

Today is my first attempt at writing about my journey currently and what has happened in the almost three months break which I never intended.  

I have experienced some short-lived joy and some sadness, but mostly doing what I need for my health. There have been at least two surgeries and two inpatient hospitalizations. It started as soon as I returned from visiting my mama and attending my grandma’s funeral. 

I also lost my tomatoes and jalapeno peppers which were making me happy to have living things growing. Also, my patio has been replaced with new dirt and rock. I do feel getting the dirt replaced was a blessing considering the state did that to get rid of the lead in our ground. 

I am healing from having the head of one of my bones taken from my foot. I hope to finally get the stitches taken out this week coming up. I am supposed to see a vascular surgeon next week. Some of this I feel is routine when it is not supposed to be. 

There have been lots of prayers on my behalf that make me feel grateful. Did I mention life stops for no one? Well, let me be one to tell you it does not stop, at least not until you draw that last breath. But then it is only the one that draws that last breath that it ends for on this side of everlasting life. 

My mama and friends keep me going. Without my mama I am convinced I would be a ridiculous fool and I guess I do behave as such sometimes. 

I am also currently going through things such as trying to keep life as simple as possible, but it feels rough much of the time. People talking behind your back does add stress. I can say people are ignorant because they are ignorant of the facts of what is needed to live my life. 

I am challenging myself to post pictures of my apartment and to prove as a single person you can keep a house clean daily and that you do not live in filth. Even through the holidays. Not that I have always been perfect but to prove I am not an unclean person. These are the types of things people make assumptions about, especially if you are a smoker. 

I will put in extra work because I want to do the extra work for myself and do what makes me happy. So, it is a win/win. Shut people’s mouths and be satisfied. 

I am not decorating this year because there is no need to. I do keep cards and do try to send them, but it is not as important to me as living happily and having peace. 

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. Besides, are not the true decorations in the heart and living a life of thankfulness? Holidays are not a time for competition, to keep up with others or to try to outdo someone. 

You give of yourself and the true gifts that you were born with as we try to do each day. 

No one’s journey is easy. So, should our aim not be for love, peace, and happiness? This is where we connect and find joy. 

  • I am thankful for life.  
  • I am thankful for the lessons I have learned. 
  • I am thankful I have gratitude during storms.  
  • I am thankful to share what I have with others. 
  • I am thankful for the connection. 
  • I am thankful for those who remind me: “Praise The Lord Mike!” 
  • I am thankful for the gift of writing and connecting with God. 
  • I am thankful man is not the true judge. 
  • I am thankful that joy comes in the morning. 
  • I am thankful for a clean safe home

I may fall and fall hard but I am getting up! 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) 
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

Thanks for reading! 

This has been another blog post entry by Boxcar Mike, over and out! 

God Bless Y’all, Everybody!