Thoughts on Faith

I texted this to my son today and I don't want to lose it. I'm going to put in the book I write before I die someday.

Thoughts on Faith

By Andrea Tadpole-Broussard

You remember when Destiny was born? When Alicia got pregnant I had no clue how I was going to take care of a baby. I had no money and a crappy job. I look back and I see God's hands all over us then. If He can do that then He will take care of you and Victoria and Michael. Help will come from the strangest most unexpected places. Look at where it came from for us and Destiny.

People who didn't even know us came out of the woodwork. We were given diapers and clothes enough that I didn't buy any for a year! God reminded me of money Mike had hidden years before and I was able to get a car for Alicia. Someone gave her just enough $ for a crib and carseat. Someone else gave us the pack n play.

You and I are both in a scary spot in life but these are times when God shines the brightest.

Sonya texted me this the other day:
God writes your story. Praying you are able to live the story God wrote about you! Also, in Exodus, there is a scripture when the Hebrew people left Egypt and were up against the sea God spoke to them and said "Stand still and watch the salvation of the Lord". Same goes for you! 

When I read that I got this picture in my heart of little old me standing at the Red Sea with parted walls of water towering over me on either side. I could hear God saying, "Walk through, I got this." Could you imagine that? I stood there for a minute amazed and terrified but then I saw the Egyptians or enemies fast approaching so I thought what the hell go for it. Somehow despite my humanity and Doubting Thomas personality,  God still pulls me through and saves me. He does the same for you.

So, you tell me to have faith and I'll tell you. We will get thru this thing called life together. Ok? I love you son.

Tears

It's been 235 days since my grandma Lillian died. This came in my email today. I like what it says.

Tears - Day #235

My most recent hospice client hated to cry. Part of it comes from being unable to wipe her own tears away; part of it comes from family members who tend to get annoyed or angry when she cries – because they are powerless to “fix things,” not because they’re mean. Her tears make her really mad; and this anger has nowhere to go either: she is literally paralyzed in bed and has no way to rid herself of rage. She is physically frozen, but emotionally seething.

One day I read her a passage from a book about the healing power of tears, and it was the key to moving her forward into expressing her grief around her own imminent passing. She cried for a long time; not sobbing, just a quiet weeping. I wiped her eyes, and cheeks, sat very close, and looked at her with compassion and love.
Don’t forget to cry, and do it often. Every drop carries away the toxins of sorrow, and leaves your body refreshed and more able to carry on through the overall grieving process.

Quotation of the Day
And with tears of blood he cleansed the hand,
The hand that held the steel:
For only blood can wipe out blood
And only tears can heal. - Oscar Wilde

Butterfly Message

My husband wrote this for his sister who died in 2001. I'm sharing it on my blog so I do not lose  it. I think its beautiful.

Butterfly Message for Dearest Carolyn
Our Daughter, Our Sister, Mother, Wife and Friend

July 1, 1965 – May 9, 2001

By Andre M. Broussard

Your beautiful smile now will be shared by all to see. You smiled through the pain. Your many Journeys through life have been a challenge. You have managed to continue on, when so many would have given up. Your strength and courage has been a personal testament to us all. You have earned your wings among the Angels.

Your growth and development reminds us all of the Butterfly Message which went as follows:
A man found a cocooned butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seems to stop making progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could not go any farther. So, to help the butterfly he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small-shriveled wings. The man watched and waited for the butterfly to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in all of our lives. If God were to let us go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly! Carolyn, God healing your wings enabling you to soar above us all, has given us hope, that one day our wings will be healed, and each of us will be able to fly together someday.

Now, when we look up among the stars, and gaze at the many beautiful wonders of the night, your star will be the newest and brightest of them all. When we feel the heat from the sun upon us, it will be you embracing us all, letting your loved ones know, you have arrived safely into God’s arms, and you have been greeted by other loved ones, who arrived earlier. And you have been welcomed with open loving arms.
From time to time, there will be signals from you above, reminding each of us that you are keeping a watchful eye on us all. Each time we see a butterfly, we will see you.

We release you for your long awaited journey home. We all know you have left a piece of you here, to protect the many memories of you.
You are loved and cherished and will always be remembered.

Love, your family and friends.

My Journey with Nanuk

by Andrea Tadpole-Broussard

I have always believed that animals have spirits. I also believe that animals are sent to be in our lives like people are. Back in mid February, a friend of mine, April Rain Wind, rescued a dog and posted it on Facebook in hopes that someone would foster him. I usually scroll on by those types of posts but this one stopped me in my tracks. Nanuk, as he has been dubbed, is a White Siberian Husky. His eyes are a beautiful, ice blue and they captivated me from the start, even in pictures. Nanuk had been obviously abused. His 2 front legs had been broken. He also had a choke collar with teeth that had been on him so long it had grown into his neck. He ended up having surgery on his legs and they had to cut the choke collar off.

One thing lead to another and Nanuk came to live with us. From the moment we met he has been like a long lost friend to me. Its as if we've known eachother forever. He is sweet and loving in spite of past hurts. His eyes are even more beautiful in person and I know he can see into a person's soul. I'm very blessed to get share this journey with him.

Over the last few weeks we have all worked hard with him. We have done everything the vet said. He's been on very limited activity, crate to leash to outside for bathroom breaks or eating only. Worn a cone around his neck 24/7. Absolutely no running or jumping. When he first came to us he had splints on both front legs and they were wrapped. At his first checkup the vet found that the splints rubbed sores on his legs that got infected. He spent a few days in the hospital then back home with even more limited activity. If anyone has ever had a Husky you know what a challenge this has been!

Slowly over the weeks Nanuk was getting better and better. He was also making inroads in my heart.  My life had been pretty stressful and he made me focus on something besides me. Needless to say, we have become close friends. I believe you can do that with animals. It's strange, no words every really spoken, yet a bond has grown out of the seeds of love and hope that were planted every day in the commitment to be there.

Anyway, last Saturday, Nanuk took a turn for the worse. He would not use his right leg at all. It started swelling and he was in alot of pain. April and I rushed him to the vet and they said his body might be rejecting the hardware in his legs. We were so scared and I was an emotional wreck inside. The vet started him on antibiotics and we posted a call for prayer for him on Facebook.

All I can say is, PRAYER WORKS!!! Yesterday morning when I took Nanuk for a walk he was putting weight on his right front leg on the walk outside. On the way back in he started limping, I assumed from being tired. As the day went on he got better and better. April, whom I now call his his rescuer and "angel extraordinaire", and I  took him to the vet after work anyway. The vet said he thought the infection was localized and not a rejection to the hardware. He put him on 6 weeks of antibiotics to make sure all infection completely clears out. He said he did not have to wear the cone anymore and next Monday we can start with gradual normal activities. The vet said everything is healing nicely!!

I am so grateful to everyone who has touched Nanuk's life in any way, be it through donations, time, and prayers. I know prayer works!! I am also grateful to this beautiful dog, Nanuk for pulling me and my dear friend April back together. Life makes us all crazy busy sometimes and we lose each other in the pursuit of God-knows-what...I know I'm guilty of it. I believe all animals come to us to teach lessons. Nanuk has taught me to refocus and make time for the ones I Iove.

Thanks again for the prayers everyone! I will keep you updated.

P.S. I let him off the leash for just a few seconds, the first time in weeks. Of course he had to do a victory lap!!! I'm sure next Monday he'll really go crazy! 😍

Nanuk Update 4/2/19

by Andrea Tadpole-Broussard

Last Saturday Nanuk took a turn for the worse. He would not use his right leg at all. It started selling and he was in alot of pain. We rushed him to the vet and they said his body might be rejecting the hardware in his legs. We were so scared and I was an emotional wreck inside. The vet started him on antibiotics and we posted a call for prayer for him on Facebook.

All I can say is, PRAYER WORKS!!! Yesterday morning when I took Nanuk for a walk he was putting weight on his right front leg on the walk outside. On the way back in he started limping I assumed from being tired. As the day went on he got better and better. April Rain Wind, his rescuer and angel extraordinaire and I  took him to the vet after work anyway. The vet said he thought the infection was localized and not a rejection to the hardware. He put him on 6 weeks of antibiotics to make sure all infection completely clears out. He said he did not have to wear the cone anymore and next Monday we can start with gradual normal activities. The vet said everything is healing nicely!! I am so grateful to everyone who has touched Nanuk's life in any way, be it through donations, time, and prayers. I know prayer works!! I am also grateful to this beautiful dog Nanuk for pulling me and friend April back together. Life makes us all crazy busy sometimes and we lose each other in the pursuit of God-knows-what...I know I'm guilty of it. I believe all animals come to us to teach lessons. Nanuk has taught me to refocus and make time for the ones I Iove. Thanks again for the prayers everyone! I will keep you updated.

P.S. I let him off the leash for just a few seconds, the first time in weeks. Of course he had to do a victory lap!!! I'm sure next Monday he'll really go crazy! 😍

Nanuk

I wrote this back in February when I first started fostering my rescue dog Nanuk, a Siberian Husky.

by Andrea Tadpole-Broussard

I have always believed that animals have spirits. I also believe that animals are sent to be in our lives like people are. Recently, a friend of mine rescued a dog and posted it on Facebook in hopes that someone would foster him. I usually scroll on by those types of posts but this one stopped me in my tracks. Nanuk as he has been dubbed, is a White Siberian Husky. His eyes are a beautiful ice blue and they captivated me from the start even in pictures. Nanuk had been obviously abused. He had 2 broken legs. He also had choke collar with teeth that had been on him so long it had grown into his neck. He ended up having surgery on his legs and they had to cut the choke collar off.

One thing lead to another and Nanuk came to live with us. From the moment we met he has been like a long lost friend to me. Its as if we've known eachother forever. He is sweet and loving in spite of past hurts. His eyes are even more beautiful in person and I know he can see into a person's soul. I'm very blessed to get share this journey with him. I love you Nanuk! ❤