ann kiemel

tonight

was graduation night

for our12-step group.  at

celebrate recovery.  joyful.  we are sisters.

we each were to give  a

2-minute, typed-out testimony

of our year's journey together.

our leaders are merciful.  mine

had not been turned in, and i

simply pleaded, "trust me."  i

sat in bed this morning, and in

ten minutes, wrote from my

heart to my head to the page.

then i called my friend, tere,

with shaking courage, and read

it to her to time. 1 minute, 30 seconds.

i had scrawled it on an envelope,

and took it to the stage to read.

a guy came up to me after small

groups, and said, "ann, do you

have some experience in speaking

to small groups?"

it was hard not to laugh out loud.

it's such a joy not to tell people

what i do...and just love the world

to Jesus.

the last two days,

i've been with a very sick

young mother.  urgent care and

the packed emergency room

of a hospital here.  yesterday, i

accompanied her to a private

exam room.  she is in my 12-step

group, and i really love her.

out of nowhere,

she blurted out that i was

a writer.  for her, it was showing

great honor.  i was horrified. the

female physician became completely absorbed with me,

and i was very embarrassed and

shy.  the one blessing..a beautiful one..

is that i was able to share

about Jesus.  i cannot imagine a

doctor being impressed with a

simple writer.

all four of my children called

today.  colson called while i was

taking a bath.  brock called from the bank.  

and taylor left a message

that he loved me and would call

this evening. 

brandt said he and jasmine were taking care of three of colben's cousins.  

oh, i miss that dollbaby of mine...and am so

proud of my amazing children. they

are everything to me.  have i told

you that recently?  smile.

tomorrow, i have an appointment

with my ankle-foot specialist, and i

am terrified.  the bone did not fuse

in my left foot, and i have lived

with such excruciating pain. i have

no words.  he is supposed to be the

number one doctor in this entire region, and he says it will require

another surgery where they remove

a piece of bone from my hip,  and use it for the fusion.

"my flesh and my heart may

fail, but God is the strength

of my heart...and my portion

forever."  psalm73:26