26 April 2026

Life definitely took an unusual turn in October of this year. I am now living at Manchester Rehab and Healthcare in Ballwin, Missouri. I moved here because I had unexplained issues with my body that weren't being handled well until I came here and began to know the wonderful staff who work here. It was discovered by the doctor here that I am dealing with IBS. For anyone not familiar with "alphabet soup", IBS means Irritable Bowel Syndrome. No, it certainly doesn't sound pretty. It is not. But it is under control with a drug called Linzess. It's working pretty well.

But something pretty wonderful has shown up on my horizon. It is a program called "SHOW ME HOME". With the assistance and recommendation of our social worker here, I am now enrolled in the program. It means that I look for independent housing and, once found, they help with moving me in, getting my medications arranged with a new doctor. Now, the search is the tricky part. I've been able to pull together, with the help of our financial expert, the necessary documents to get into the program. But, so far, I've been greeted with the not-so-great news by one apartment complex I called. Their wait list is three to five years! Yep, you heard me right. I have checked out a few others in the St. Louis area, but nothing has shown up yet. I'm a faith-filled woman. God, Jesus Christ and the belief in Heaven are a huge part of my faith. I've drawn "pictures" of sayings from the Bible encircled with designs. They are hanging on the walls of my room, even the bathroom! You might say I can get a bit carried away. I've done dozens of these "drawings" since I have been here and given them to staff and residents as well.

And some very kind people working here have been very encouraging. One kind nurse who has become a friend over these past months believes I'll be moving in my new place within the next eight weeks. I appreciate her support and I hope that is indeed the case.

And since my faith needed a little boost right now, I watched on YouTube a movie I had seen at the theater in 2014 when it first came out: HEAVEN IS FOR REAL. It's the true story of a little boy who, while undergoing surgery for a burst appendix, left his body and went to Heaven, where he saw beautiful Light beings - Angels that laughed. He met Jesus Christ, even sat on his lap. He saw his parents' grandparents. And one of the most amazing things is that Jesus introduced him to his little sister, who was about three years old, but who had died in her mother's womb. Todd Burpo was the pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska. The surgery of little Colton took place in 2003. So he is a young teenager now with a very real little sister a few years younger.

Simultaneously in an Eastern country a very talented young girl, Akiane Kramarik, was painting "Prince of Peace" - Jesus. "eight years old. Based on her recurring heavenly visions. The 2003 painting is renowned for its detailed, human and divine portrayal of Jesus. She did this despite being raised in a non-religious, atheist home...... Akiane began having spiritual visions at age three, and by age four she was creating art based on them." Her model was a stranger that she met and was inspired to use him as her model for Jesus. Google states that "the painting took 40 hours to complete. Google also shows the picture which was "famously lost or stolen for years before being recovered. It was later featured in HEAVEN IS FOR REAL." Now it hangs in Marble Falls, Texas in THE BELOVED GALLERY. She continued her art and poetry into adulthood (also from Goggle).

Todd and his wife went through great difficulties at his church. Even though they were devout Christians, the congregation and its Board could not bring themselves to believe that Colton's out of body experience was real. Even experts told him it was impossible, and his little boy had a fixation with Jesus and Angels. That sounds ironic, doesn't it? But how many of us when questioned about our faith would act any differently? Do we really believe what we have been taught to believe?

Fortunately, since that movie came out another wonderful movie came out: THE PASSION OF CHRIST - a Mel Gibson produced film starring Jim Caviezel who needed to learn Aramaic, Latin and Italian for the movie. It is superb and extremely powerful, and certainly made Jesus real for me. I've watched it many times. Mel Gibson is now working on THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST with a younger Finnish actor - Jaakko Ohtonen playing Jesus. This is due to come to theaters in about a year.

During the original production of 2014 with Jim Caviezel, an Italian actor named Pietro Sarrubi played Barrabas, the convict the crowds yelled should be released. Sarrubi was an athiest who turned Christian after the movie was made. During one scene when Barrabbas glances over at Jesus with a Crown of Thorns on his head while he is standing next to Pontius Pilate, Sarrubi takes another look as was written in the script, but then an unscripted second look and he saw the "real Jesus", not Caviezel. That gave me chills the first time I watched it.

We are also blessed by another production titled THE CHOSEN with Jonathan Rhoumey doing a wonderful depiction of Jesus Christ and great actors as all his apostles. Dallas Jenkins is the producer of this series. The final season will be shown in theaters next year. The cast and crew have developed a deeply spiritual and emotional bond with one another which is touching to see.

As you have probably guessed by now, I'm going through a renewal of my own Spirit which has caused me to think more deeply, and create according to my spiritual beliefs. It's life-enhancing and deeply spiritual delving into these various avenues of inspiration. We find inspiration wherever we choose to find it.

NAMASTE