Happy 2005

[calicowriter]

I'd like to wish all of the Petheads a blessed and happy new year. I hope to meet some of you in 2005.

[St. Augustine's Pears]

I hope 2005 is better than 2004. I don't think I can take another year like this past one.

I lost 2 jobs to circumstances beyond my control, and my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer on May 17, 2004.

Thank you Jesus, for giving me strength to get thru this past year. I don't know how I would have managed without You.

2004 couldn't end fast enough for me.

[epdc]

I`m so sorry to hear all that . though you are right, only Jesus would carry you the way He did through all this last year... hang in there, when we are closer to the blessing or the answer we will receive is closer things like this happens for making us stronger in our faith and be able to bless other people and because the enemy wants to take away our joy since the blessing is near.....*HUG*


yeah Calico Writer, I pray I can meet some other petheads too in 2005. I know you will Calico Writer. God knows the desire of your heart and believe me, if me, from M�xico (lolol) could have gone to two pethead conventions, you surely will too if you ask God for it

[Shell]

Happy New Year. Yeah, it's hard to lose someone to cancer, and it stinks to lose your job. The lovely company I used to work for shut down my particular department about three years ago. It stunk at the time, but looking back it's just as well I'm not working for them any more. I really think God wanted me out of there. I'm working at home and back in school, and I might not have gone back to school if I had kept working there.

The one thing you can hang on to during rough times is God knows what is going on and He is in control even when your circumstances stink.

[epdc]

Love you shell thanks for letting God use you

[St. Augustine's Pears]

I really don't know what's going to happen to me when my dad dies. Next to Jesus Christ, he's the man I admire most.

My dad knew he was going to die from cancer. He started smoking at age 6, and smoked for 50 years. He finally quit at age 56 because he had emergency surgery for 6 aneurisms (sp?) on his aorta 4 years ago. He flatlined during the surgery, but somehow, God spared his life. Nobody was happier than I was when he quit smoking. He always knew, though, that the damage to his lungs was too much. He was not surprised at all when he got the diagnosis...this is how the conversation went...

Doctor..."Mr. Lehmer, you have cancer."
Dad..."Okay...(pause)...how bad is it?"
Doctor..."I'm afraid it's terminal."
Dad..."How long do I have?"
Doctor..."With chemo and radiation, 2 years...on the outside."
Dad...(sigh)..."Well, I better get things lined up then."

That's my dad...practical to the end.

By the end of November, Dad had gotten his funeral expenses paid for, lined up his death benefits (Social Security, etc.) for mom to receive, and got approved for SSI disability. He wanted to keep working (he was a school-bus driver/part-time mechanic for I-35 Schools for 22 years), but the chemo made him too tired.

He has been receiving chemo (from the time of his diagnosis), and more recently, radiation treatment. He has side effects like tiredness, vomiting, etc. and he has started to lose his hair (my dad would joke that he didn't have much to lose anyway).

It's really hard for me to watch this strong man who never got sick slowly start to go downhill. And this isn't even close to the worst yet. I'm really worried about my mom, too. She's never been alone...she went from living at home to marrying my dad. I worry how she's going to be towards the end. I have to be strong for her.

I'm also trying to witness to my dad about receiving Jesus as his Saviour. He says he believes in God, but I don't think he is saved.

I've told my wife that I want to do my dad's eulogy at his memorial service. It's the least I can do to honor his memory. I haven't told my parents yet, because I don't want to creep them out (Mom might think I'm planning this too soon).

This past Christmas, my wife, our daughters, and I were to go down to my parents. But that was cancelled because Dad's not been feeling good.
My wife's best friend Lawonda said we could come over for Christmas at their house. I told my wife to take the kids over to Lawonda's...I stayed home. Same with New Year's Eve...I just didn't feel like celebrating (and I'm not going to fake it).

The hardest thing for me to swallow is that Dad won't be around to watch his grand-daughters grow up. Leslie is 9, and is technically my step-daughter (she's from my wife's first marriage), and Emily just turned 3. The thought of them growing up without Grandpa just kills me inside.

When the time comes, I told my wife to expect a lot of crying from me, possibly more. I just don't know what's going to happen after Dad passes away. I might even end up in a mental ward...I don't know. I need Jesus now more than ever, and I pray He'll get me and my family thru this.

[Shell]

That is hard...It's normal to be angry at the idea of losing him, you need to let yourself go ahead and feel that. Don't isolate yourself from other people though. You don't have to say a lot, it can help just to be around other people. God is going to get you through this.

[bakersfieldpethead]

2004 had its ups and downs for me too

The band i'm with celebrated 30 years, I had issues to deal with in my personal life, but i'm out of it now.....

I think if we all look back, God has carried every one of us through, we can even look through the zone and see how many prayer requests went up last year alone.

I have to say that God has blessed each and every one of us with each other and you guys are a great family of friends to have.

Happy 2005 guys, another year of serving God and being petheads.

a quick note guys.....the album "No Doubt" will turn 10 years old this year, (makes me feel old)

[epdc]

man, I know how that feels, is not exactly the same but it was awful. I almost lost my mom once, I was 12 years old.


My big sis was using drugs on that time and she had a fight with my mom and all of sudden my mom`s throat closed and she couldn`t breath, she was all white, my sis ran (all in drugs) and throw her water and then she could breath again. My dad arrived like an hour later with my brother and mom asked us to not say anything (she could hardly move from bed), my dad took her to the hospital and the doctor said she could have died.


that hour was the most horrible of my life. My mom, my whole life, the rock God has used to keep me stand almost disappeared that night. Gosh I just got goosebumps...and I remember ithought i would never ever would wish that to anyone.

I will be praying for you and please receive a big hug from myself. I know it sounds so empty what I`m gonna say but you are gonna make it through all that. Right now you don`t see it but believe me, Jesus is gonna hug you in all that time, God is gonna hold your hand and both will pass through that valley...and you are gonna make it.

Hang out with your dad as much as possible, if you don`t live closer, call him often, tell him how you feel, he is your dad after all...we always ran to our fathers when we are scared. Pray with him and both, father and son ran to the Heavenly Father for peace in this scary time because I bet he must be be scared too ya know. Hug him all you can and tell him how much you love him.

[Shell]

That is scary, Elo, that sounds like an allergic reaction or asthma attack.

My mom and the grace of the Lord has been what's kept our family together too, I cannot imagine being without her.

[epdc]

actually it was because of the huge stress my sis did to her....I always get scared when my mom starts to yell and stuff , i can`t help to be scared something happen ya know...