Louie is happy to have heard from her newest California friend, America Faith. This is her second letter to her.
Thursday, May 26, 2005, 10:49 a.m., C.D.T.~
Dear America Faith (and Anna)~
What a wonderful letter from you; and what a beautiful picture of Anna! She is such a pretty young lady; I am sure you are more than proud of all the miracles that has been evident in her life! She is going to be a servant of the Lord's; I just know it!
Speaking of children, I will be sending you a picture of one of my Miracle Children, Ronee' Le-Anne, who is twelve now and has had many miracles in HER own life. She has battled back from extreme prematurity (at birth, she weighed just one pound and three ounces; she was but a tiny peanut of a child), chronic lung ailments that put her into the hospital or required her to use oxygen, a devastating stroke at the age of eight, and the onset of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of four (although she wasn't officially diagnosed until she was five). She walks with the aid of braces and forearm crutches, and she sometimes uses a wheelchair; but she hasn't let the pain of her JRA slow her down very much. She had her first "joint replacement" surgery last year, on her knee, and in a few weeks, she will be having her second joint replacement surgery, this time, on her hips; so she will face a very long (and hard) recovery ahead of her; but if I know my Ronee', she won't be down for long. She is such a determined young lady, and she just exudes with youthful personality and charm; everyone who meets her can't help but to fall in love with her!
Ronee' has also written a book, last year, telling about her struggles, and offering hope to other kids who are chronically ill or are facing serious disability, and she also has been blessed with a beautiful singing voice. She is very talented, and she wants to be a famous singer when she is older; but she is already on her way now, at the age of twelve. She was just in California earlier this year for a taping of an appearance on the show, "America's Most Talented Kids", and although she didn't win, she still did very well, and the audience just loved her! She loves music of all kinds, but her heart is in country and in southern gospel, and her favorite singer is none other than the "Coal Miner's Daughter" herself, Loretta Lynn.
But enough about Ronee'...sorry about that, but I just had to tell you of the miracles in her life! God has blessed her with so much, and she is such a loving, giving, compassionate child whose love for the Lord shines in her face and in her actions; and she just loves life, period! We are indeed blessed in having her, and while she has given us more than our share of grey hairs, we wouldn't trade her for ANYTHING!
Linear scleroderma sounds like an awful disease; but unfortunately, I am not familiar with it. If you can send me any information about it, I would be most grateful. I am happy that you were able to take a few steps today and write to me; it seems funny, but many people don't think of their own bodies and what they can do with them until disease, accident, or illness takes that away from them. I had always lived with severe, crippling back pain due to a fall when I was a child, but I recently had back surgery, and I have been pain free for the past few months. It has been nothing short of a Miracle! I also have been able to walk without a cane or crutches for the first time in YEARS, and I even went as far as dancing at a recent Cajun music festival when we went to Louisiana earlier this month! I will most certainly be praying for you and your young Miracle Child, Anna; you can count on that, friend! :) Now, unfortunately, my other disability (epilepsy and arthritis) will never go away, but my seizures have been under control for the past ten years, and it's been that long since I last had a seizure. I also have arthritis, but compared to the pain I HAD been in with my back and sciatica, my arthritis pain is NOTHING. So what's a little joint pain, hunh?? At least I can walk and get around (especially now, since having my back surgery)!
Sounds like you are having a streak of hot weather over there in Soulsbysville. Well, here in Nashville, we have had a lot of rain, and severe storms, and frankly, I am getting sick of seeing storm clouds building. I hope it clears out in time for the Memorial Day weekend, especially since my daddy is going to be in the annual Memorial Day parade (he will be riding on one of the veterans' floats). We also will have a picnic, and there will be special patriotic music, and at night, there are scheduled to be fireworks. So I hope it doesn't rain on our parade (LITERALLY!)! Hey! Wanta' trade weather?? LOL I'd gladly pay you for some drier, sunnier days! LOL
In this letter, be on the lookout for my first book, "A Family Made out of Rainbows and Miracles"; it will be autographed, and it will be a gift from me, so don't even WORRY about paying for it. I hope you will enjoy it! There will be pictures of the kids (and my hubby and me, as well as pictures of my parents), so you will see what we all look like, and what a true "SuperFamily" looks like! LOL Don't worry about not knowing who is who: the kids' names are labeled, and so are ours. LOL I am the woman who looks like Dolly Parton! LOL (No kidding! I DO resemble Dolly--even to the chest and hips! LOL--, but I am dark-skinned, dark-haired, and dark-eyed; people have gone as far as telling me I look like Dolly--"but in negative". LOL)
Well, sweetie, I think it is time for me to put this to bed; have to eat before I get back to work in a half hour. So if I want to get some food in my belly before I go back to work, I'd best hustle to the cafeteria and EAT! Take care, America (I STILL love your name! :) ), and God bless you most mightily! Will write you again!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your new Christian friend in Tennessee, Louisiana. :) >grins<
P.S.: The picture of Ronee' was one that was taken when she was almost eight. She still has the same round face, but she IS taller (although she is still below average for a lot of kids her age; she is still rather short), and her hair is now permed; so it looks like her head exploded...mass of curls EVERYWHERE! LOL Enjoy! :)
From the Caribbean Sea to Machu Picchu in Peru, and from birds to flowers and butterflies, Reflections and Treasured Wonders offers a collection of images gathered from around the world.
Thursday, May 26, 2005, 10:49 a.m., C.D.T.~
