I am now 17 months post stroke. My rehab starts again for 14 visits, but this time I will be getting in the pool as part of my therapy. I just found out the pool is great for stroke survivors. I had been led to believe the opposite.

In a way I feel bad thinking how much more I may could have been if I had been given pool therapy. No two strokes are the same with different people, so there is no way to tell what might have been.

Another thing I don't understand is to my knowledge, I've had no depression with or from this stroke as some others have reported. I am thankful for one less medication to consume. My take on this is I feel simply blessed to have survived death and be alive to rejoice living.

I have nothing to feel bad about. Sure I can't do all the things with the same speed and finess as before. I feel GOD slowed me down for a reason and I want to see what it is he has planned for my christian life. God is in my midts, I can still go to worship, have bible study, pray and he has allowed me to do things for myself. That"s many blessings right there alone.

You can see I have a strong belief that everything has a reason to happen, better or what we may think of as worse, it's for our good.

I often think about the people who said how they missed the flight to New York on Sept 11, 2001, or they would have been at the world trade center that morning. Also those that missed the flight that hit the Centers.

I read this little tid bit and the moral is true: A little bird fell from the air into a field, the cow came by covered him with manure, he started singing and chirping trying to escape, along came a big hungry cat from the nearby farm house and ate the bird:sometimes we feel crapped on. Play the cards we are handed(stroke) Praise God,bless your friends(who turned away)God is blessing us. WE are survivors, he is the reason we are still here on earth, he has the plan.

You have got to believe in something or you will fall for anything. Thank God for what we have left physically, it is the time of our life. Where would we be without our spouses? Yet another blessing, even preachers endure,hardtimes,challenges, trials, divorces and death. Why not us?

Part 3 Blog coming soon!