So last night's blog made me really consider the people around me. My family is great, and I don't want to diminish their value in my world, but they live pretty far away so I have managed to make other people part of my extended family. It makes me feel really lucky.

Every Friday afternoon during the school year I have coffee with these two teenage girls from my church. WE have been meeting this way to have a short Bible study and such for almost five years now. I really feel like they are my sisters and I have watched them grow up. As I have no children of my own, it is nice to be a part of the lives of these girls.

I also count them as people whom I could not live without, because they are two of the happiest teenagers I know. They bring such joy into my life, and I am so thankful for them everyday.

I guess sometimes it is so easy to focus on the negative things in the world around me that I forget that there is SO MUCH good. It reminds me how lucky I am to be alive and kicking to enjoy it.

I AM BLESSED BECAUSE I FOUGHT THE STROKE DEMON AND WON!