We were sitting on the sofa, in front of a cozy fire this morning. As usual, I had our prayer journal in front of us. Out of habit, I write down the date, what the weather’s like, and what we will pray for that particular day. “You know what day it is today?” I turned [...]
At Crater Lake, a few months before his death. Five years ago today [at this writing, it is seven years ago], the doctor came into the hospital room with the terrible news. They told me my husband would not survive the brain bleed he'd endured. That day was one of the most difficult [...]
Storms will come..... It was a January day, exactly eleven years ago today. My night was short because the evening before I had spent several hours waiting for ER physicians to determine what was wrong with my first husband, Bill. They told us it was a TIA, or mini stroke, sending us home, [...]
The Storm I’ve been through some terrifying storms in my lifetime. I imagine you have too. The first storm took place when my husband of forty years, Bill Rudberg, died from complications of Leukemia. I was shocked at how difficult the storm was. Harder than losing my father, my eighteen-year-old-best-friend, my stillborn baby, Carrie. I [...]
January January is a month of hope for a lot of people. It is for me. I am ready to take down the beautiful Christmas decorations, perhaps rearrange furniture in my living room, and do some deep cleaning. January is also a month of resolutions. We’re going to…..you name it. I regularly go [...]
Widows and widowers sometimes ask us, "How can you love someone as much as you loved the man/woman you made your vows with the first time?"
I enjoy marriage. I really enjoyed being married. My first marriage was by no means perfect. In fact, there were a lot of struggles in those forty years. Especially the first twenty. We found joy. In the latter half of our marriage, Bill and I found a better way to communicate. We climbed mountains, hiked [...]
Photo taken in Jerusalem April 6, 2012…… I just received shocking news from a man who was soon to be my husband. Instead of calling me to talk about our future together, to tell me he loved me, he said, “It’s over.” “What?” I asked, totally confused and slammed with the surprise news. [...]
This has been a different kind of week. Monday and Tuesday were normal, but after midnight Tuesday night, it changed. No food or liquids after midnight because I was scheduled for surgery Wednesday morning. Surgery? You might ask. Yes. I had a bunion removed and some repair to some toes. I won’t give too much [...]
After a day or so, we began to look at that accident as a miracle from God. Only the night before the accident, my husband installed a roll bar to protect the driver and passenger from serious injury if the car was overturned with its soft roadster top.
