I had already posted my daily post today. I was praying and refecting on those who are sick in my life and their needs.The memory of this song came to me and I got up to get some chicken broth for lunch. Why, I need to tell you that I really don’t know lol but, thats okay. 🙂 So, I sat down and put the computer on and I had received an email as a reminder and invite to a meeting of people living with Chronic desease etc. A support group, I have gone once before. It was such an inspirational experience for me. My faith was built by each and everyone that was present that evening in that room. Their are no victims or Matyrs present there either. They are God’s children and Jesus Christ has already won that war for us. We Already have Victory Through Christ, Jesus. They are people loving and caring for eachother and carrying one anothers crosses through prayer. It lightens their loads and burdens ultimately building their faith. A strong foundation!. Its simple and not dramatic. Its LOVE.
I mentioned in my blog last Friday I believe that it was that that I could not go to Dana Farber this past Monday. I saw my primary on Monday instead and I have a cold that got pretty heavy. So,I am just riding it out and I will go To Dana next week for the scan . It will happen at God’s appointed time. That, I do know.
It was no coincidence that God brought me to this song today it is for this moment. So turn up the volume of your speakers and go full screen. Let the Spirit of God heal you in this moment . AMEN!
Please pray todayÂ
For : Paul S and his family
for Anne K and her family
for Jenn C and her family
For All of Our Hospitals, medical doctors, nurses, support , Physical therapists and scientists
For the group of those from my parish  living with cancer and other chronic illnesses.
For all of the sick in this world, all of those in pain and despair. For world peace and peoples hearts and souls to turn back to Jesus Christ/ God in this moment. Amen.
Greet The Day, no matter what is going on and kick it!! Â We are alive in Christ ! Amen
In the video below ……………………………
We can do anything !!!!! God is here !!!!!! Nuns found Emmanuel and his brother in a park in Iraq. They were in a box left to die, In a war zone and the nuns saved them. They were  then adopted by their mom who is Australian and she is clearly an angel ! God Bless Them All !
Emmanuel is his name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Emmanuel is: God with us.
Do not give negative thoughts a moment, like the next song says…. Beautiful.
God calls us all to service. Each one of us lives to help and make life better for the next one. When we are young our minds wander and we think and sometimes worry what we are going to do when we get older? What will I be? And then there is the little voice that becomes the Big voice as we grow with faith with our God. The Holy Spirit calls us to descern what our destiny will be.
For Me, I remember being between 7 and nine years old and got the interior question, should I be a priest ? My dad and mom thought that it would be great, they said just think about it Dan, and I did. My mom had at least 3 or so counsins who were dedicated to the Lord and were nuns. They would come by to visit our home and my mom so they were very real to us. We saw the person and the nun. Nuns were people too. 🙂
I remember going up to the beach and they were there on the sand sitting with their parents etc. It was a beautiful time. I just never envisioned them on a beach and yet they were. 🙂 lol What a revelation to a kid. LOl
Having gone through the Catholic school system in the Late 60’s and 70’s I remember the nuns. Sisters of Saint Joseph taught us at St. Agnes. it was around the time of Vatican Two and the changes were happening in the church. The nuns were changing their habits. 🙂 Literally.
We had some of the sisters in the traditional long black habbits with the bright white bibs. And other sisters wearing the newer habits with the small head piece.
The habits changed but their love,devotion, and care for us their children did not. The school staff was at least 90% religious with a few lay teachers but even those lay teachers were so dedicated to their faith as well. It was a very Holy environment. It was strict and there were rules and consequences for us all.
The Parish priests made it their business to get to the school and would make their presence known. It was a big deal for us kids for them to come by. ( thats a future writing ).
Every morning the nuns would come out of the convent and would enter the school together and open their classrooms.
When the bell rang in the school yard, Everyone formed lines and each child orderly followed their teacher in lines of 2 and quietly followed them into the school.
I had a problem with the quiet part 🙂 lol. I got detention a lot. I cleaned a whole lot of chaulk boards and erasers. The nuns had no problem staying late to allow their students to learn the boundaries and decipline. They did not have a job, they had a ministry. They were God’s brides and they were doing the most important job in society helping to grow future leaders of the church and society.
I could go on and on. I miss the nuns , I miss the huge May Processions. I miss the faithful packing the church. So many changes but is all change good ? I do not think so.
I remember all the nuns in church all the time it was a special time.
And yet, The nuns took vows of poverty, chastity etc. They were servants of God.
You know I hear all the time to pray for the religious life vocations. Which makes me want to ask this, Â Did God stop calling people to religious life ? I do not think so. I think society is not listening? What use to be a noble and proud service for God is now some how uncool? Only God knows the reason for this taking place.
Well, for me at the age of nine or so the voice of priesthood quieted in my head. As I grew in years  I just knew that I was not cut from that cloth to be a priest. To be a great priest you need to be there 24 hours a day and need to be very strong in faith to fight the barrage of stuff being put upon you. I was not that person and God led me to my beautiful wife so, I know that God did not intend me for that special service. He expected me to pray and think about the invite though. I was intended to be a son,husband, dad and friend. My own life ministry I guess we can call it 🙂 You have one too. 🙂
When I see the culture laughing and making jokes about these special people it comes from one place. evil. Making fun of a servent who is given their lives to Honor God is not funny. It is in this case ……..
A song came back to me today and I went in search of it and tried to find what the meaning of the song was. I remember being in grade school and this song was very popular. It was in regards to St. Michael the Archangel. God and his angels are with us constantly. This song is the part of the rich fabric of my Catholic upbringing.
And, I loved the nuns too. A writing for another day.
The highwaymen  Michael Row Your Boat Ashore.
By Kim Ruehl
History of “Michael Row the Boat Ashore”
“Michael Row the Boat Ashore” is an old American folk song that hails from the slave era, and became a popular anthem during the civil rights movement. Its existence was first noted in the early 1860s, although the song itself is probably much older. The song was noted in letters between teachers and abolitionists, who heard it while on St. Helena Island in South Carolina.
“Michael Row the Boat Ashore” Lyrics
Most people nowadays probably only know the refrain from this traditional song, which repeats “Michael row the boat ashore, Hallelujah” twice. The full song, however, talks about crossing the River Jordan, and Michael is the archangel Michael. While there are many versions of the song—due to the fact that it was passed down orally for a long time before being recorded—the lyrics basically talk about finding God and one’s family on the other side of the river in the promised land:O the Lord he plant his garden there.
He raise the fruit for you to eat.
He that eat shall never die.
When the river overflow.
Pete Seeger has noted that, since the song was found in the islands off South Carolina, it may be indicative of a work song that the slaves sung as they were rowing to the mainland. In the more mainstream version recorded by Seeger (purchase/download), he sings also of the familial calls of the song:
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah
Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah
Who has recorded “Michael Row the Boat Ashore”?
Several popular versions of “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” have been recorded through the years. In addition to Pete Seeger’s version, the song has also been recorded by Harry Belafonte ( purchase/download ), Peter, Paul and Mary (purchase/download ) and the Nields ( purchase/download ).
Life is not a cake walk and we have to see the positive in it and not allow ourselves to become down and put out in any way shape or form. No Way ! God calls us all to Victory through him.
News Boys Stay Strong.
I just had to cancel my Dana Farber appointment for tomorrow because I not only have a recurring sciatic nerve condition that has been with me for at least 4-5 weeks now, but I also had a tooth extracted and its effects are lingering. The final piece was a sore throat that started Saturday a post nasal drip arrived and finally the cough.So, tomorrow I will not go for a scan but will see my Regular doctor for a sick call.
This is just lifes twists and turns and a reminder that we need to hang tough and be flexable. My family is disappointed because they kind of count the days to my scans. And my wife has altered her work schedule yet again.
As part of my last writing on 9-15 about the effects that I feel that my illness has had on my life and those that are part of it is.
There are so many guy things I used to do, husband things, dad things etc. You will understand what I am saying. My wife, kids and family have had to assume so many of my responsibilities .
But I am not allowing this to change my mind set. Not one bit. I am kicking this life in the butt and finding out the new person that God is creating in me. Amen !
For my beautiful bride 🙂 xox
Love never fails.
My wife does not complain too much even though she is tired alot. She just does  what needs to get done.
God gave me his peace but he not only made me a witness to everyone of what he can do but more importantly God has opened my eyes to witness everyone in my life to see what true love is and what true sacrafice are all about. Starting with my wife, children, family and all of friends from so many areas of my life some have been friends for decades now. The type of friend you pick up the phone and talk to and it could be years and that does not matter, time collapses back and we are in the moment. Now, that is a gift !
This week my wife had to go places on her own. Church, grad party etc. I find myself all the time just saying , go and have fun. I want her to, but I also know that she is longing too for the good old days when being spontaneous and in the moment were the norm..
As far as the scan goes, I am not worried. I would prefer to go tomorrow but, obviously that is not God’s plan. So, we will see what is in store for the day.
The wedding vows my wife and I took over 28 years ago are being lived everyday by us here. Because God is here with us. God’s love is perfect. As difficult as it can be in our lives in any given moment , life  is still very beautiful.
Love is….
It boils down to this today at Casa del Danny 🙂
I look as my medical circumstances today as a challenge that will in Gods time be straightened out. My wife feels that way as well . My doctor has told us that if the cancer was to re-e·merge that I would know it. And asside from the throat, mouth and my back I feel great !! 🙂  LOl Aint life beautiful. 🙂
Lets have some fun 🙂   My wife loved this song, when were younger.Â
What resounds in my heart today, is how fragile we all are. I have never really discussed on my blog as a guy what my diagnosis with a terminal cancer had meant in that moment to me, my family, my parents, siblings and my friends.
This could be a long writing but I will break it into peices over a period of time. Upon receiving the news about my friend Paul yesterday it was so close to home for me that when in prayer last night , I had his whole family unit and friends in my large web of thoughts and prayer.My wife and I met Paul and Linda 20 years ago and were neighbors for 10 years and have remained friends since our move to a different home in town.
I know what I felt like after I was diagnosed personally and I felt like I had let my family down. I wrote once that to me, Â I felt that I was my wifes knight in shining armour and had fallen off the horse. I felt that I had failed my wife and family. I really beat myself up for a while over this.. My wife did not feel that way. And, as I grew in my awareness of what this situation truely was and where God was in it. I realized that what happened to me was not of my doing it is a condition that God had never intended for us either.
If you have read my blog you would know that God made it clear to myself and doctors through the Holy Spirit that …. I had cancer, cancer was not of God and that I do not own this cancer. And, I never did.
Well,
That goes for my friend Paul and you all as well. We are all the same in God’s eye’s. He loves us all so much ! cancer and evil is not of God, period !
But, he will get us through , Amen !
You know,  recently ( two weeks ago) , my wife and I were sitting in the family room here and she reminded me of how Paul and Linda had come to visit one night after my diagnosis and Paul had to get me out of the sofa, I was so weak.  I remember being stuck and not being able to get up and out of it. We are all our brothers keepers. For anyone who is currently not well, think positive thoughts, trust in God and expect healing.Pray and visit healing services too. God answers all prayers. Look for the angels in your life. I have too many angels in my life to count. Thank you God ! 🙂 xo
Remember to laugh always no matter what !
I will continue on this topic shortly. Hope abounds !!!!!!
Tamela Mann  Take Me To the King.
Kick Cancer in the Butt! Pray for a Cure ! There is nothing that he cannot do !
Today,  Thursday, I went to Physical therapy. I was in the exercise area with my therapist and there was a lovely women sitting across from me in a chair doing here supervised weight excercises. She was so pleasant looking and after a few moments I became aware that she was blind. We began to talk and the word cancer came out and I said that I was recovering my left side at the moment by the grace of God. She said what kind of cancer? do you mind me asking? I said no problem I was diagnosed with Gleo Blastoma Multiforme Grade 4 non surgical and was given a very short window of survival. I told her that I feel great and I am currently cancer free  it has been 2.5 years since that diagnosis.
I then asked her what kind of cancer she had and she said pancreatic. She said that she is cancer free and has had 3 clean scans now. She goes once again in  Oct for a scan  and I will go for my next  scan on this coming Monday.
The common factor for both of us was God. As I said to her, I do not worry about Monday and she agreed. God’s got it. This is the time of Miracles !!
As I say we meet everyone in our lives for one reason only because God preordains it. psalm # 139 say’s it all.
Explanation of Psalm #139 Very beautiful. God is our refuge.
Well my meeting today with this lovely women in the PT office had a purpose, God was behind it. I was getting into my daughters S car after PT and she was weeping. I said what’s wrong honey and she said P. S. has pancreatic cancer, I said to my daughter,  look to the right. Do you see that beautiful older women standing there? She has been blind since birth, is married to a blind gentleman and just survived pancreatic cancer. I said I met her today because God wanted me to witness her and to then witness  to Paul, Linda and their family that fact. You see I was not certain that I would get to PT but God made sure that I did.
Disease and theses terrible sounding  prognosises that we hear and receive are a burden we all carry from the fall of the Garden Of Eden, but God is the author of life.So we have every expectation of full recovery through him.
Paul is a long time Somerville Fire Fighter, Has a beautiful wife Linda and 3 awesome. kids. P and L have wonderful parents and siblings as well. God is good.
They are parishoners of St. Joseph’s
My wife and I sponsored them for Cursillo so they too have attended St. Basils in Methuen Ma as well.
This is a link to a fund that was  just set up to help his family during his treatment.
Please keep the  in your prayers . Thank you 🙂
The Earl of Alpine is one of my nephews. He is hands down one of the nicest and kindest people that I have ever encountered.God gave our entire family a very special guy in this one! My nephew was sent to our entire family as a special gift. I am his favorite uncle sorry boy’s, ( my poor brothers ) lol 🙂 He is a lot like me silly and likes my sence of humor. He is always getting me presents when he is out with his mom. 🙂 He even shares his candy with me:)
Stevie is special and loves everyone from the word go. His best friend and partner in crime is Harry 🙂
This link shows what Harry looks like. The little white one.
For S and Harry, He will love this song ! Big time.
Best Friend – Harry Nilsson
S loves The power rangers
The Lego’s
Frozen, Yes, he knows every word of this song  and sings  it with the best of them ! lol. xo
And of course,
Like his dad, he loves The 3 Stooges. 🙂
Some people really touch your life and you learn patience, service and we learn also what an angel on Earth looks like. They are real hero’s , he is one of those:)
My mom always said, she had 13 grand children and that there was only one that she new was definately destined for heaven and that is my buddy S, even though he found out my wifes pet name for me and calls it out to the crowd as often as possible! Good Lord! I still love you buddy :).
He also gives his grandmother M, a run for her money too ! They are so great together. 🙂  lol
One important thing that came to me as I ate my 1/’2 sandwich for lunch on Monday was a conversation that  I had with an older friend of mine years back. She was a walker. She walked 365 day’s a year with a friend who was committed to doing it with her.
She had various illnesses that were possible if not probable of effecting her due to genetics. He physician told her to use it or she could  lose it. He was speaking about her body. I can attest to that point as I sat here side lined with this cancer that I have never owned.
The bottom line is this according to her doctor, and I agree 100%, once the legs go then the rest of the body follows.
When cancer took my left side. I went from 150 miles per hour to 5 miles an hour physically. When my legs could not walk , my arms did not move involuntarily either, my lungs shrunk from sitting and my bodies energy withered too. When we walk, all of our muscles are involved stomach, back, legs, arms, chest, buttocks, heart and lungs included. Your mind is renewed by what it is sensing in smell, sight and sound it is a win, win for life. Your mind and Spirit can connect easily.
What I did have was God’s Peace, Faith and the knowledge that when this curtain falls on my life here that Act two with God and Jesus Christ will be absolutely Beautiful and will never end. Being united with all who have gone before me, including my pets. Love just does not die, thats my belief anyway. Last but not least, God gave me the Holy Spirit and the will to see things in my life through a magnificent prism. I love my wife, children, family and friends so much that my desire to live and conquer my  adversities to be physically whole once again is as large as a mountain. I can see it. .  My goal makes life, a sheer joy. If I get an inch forward , I will stretch that gain to  a mile. It is very simple. I can only imagine what God could use me for if He blesses me with my physical healing that I see.. God has already peirced my heart, humbled my life and has grown me in relationship with him. Its the same for you all too 🙂 The Holy Spirit has transformed and renewed my mind and has convicted me of my sins and any of the the crap that was in my life. That stuff was left on the confessional room floor. So in life bring the stuff to God and he will heal that wound. I have said it before yet, I feel once again compelled to write these words so, I would love to live and be here to love and support my wife, to love my kids and witness who they grow to become, weddings grandchildren the works but none of us truely knows what God’s plan is.  So, I take comfort in knowing that I am doing everything in my power now to faciltate that desire to happen. But, I also am grateful to know that should God call me to him then he knows the reason, and I believe that I will still be with my loved ones and friends, watching over them and perhaps in my purified state having accounted for my lifes errors To God . My prayers will be even more valuable for my loved ones and all of you 🙂
So, Sitting down constantly was not an option. By Gods grace, I fought to my feet and dragged my left side up and down the stairs with me. I began to try and empty the dishwasher and vaccuum the hard woods on the 1st floor. If I have a little energy I try to expell it and to cause my body to have to rise to the occasion and make more energy, I made a roasted chicken dinner for my family complete with vegetables that hit the kitchen floor. Too heavy for one hand, but I was hours in the kitchen doing what I used to do cooking and it was a labor of love. We all had a wonderful dinner too 🙂 What they did not know, did not kill them:) Everyone was raving about it. I must keep that recipe! LOl.  I began to walk the track when someone can drive me down and be with me, a safety net. I must say the first time I looked at the 1/4 mile track I almost stayed in the car. Question?, what if I in that moment I had said no, I can’t do it ? I probably never would have walked. I have walked two laps now which is 1/2 mile so again, my legs were moving my arms were moving and my lungs were talking deep breathes because I was winded. What a wonderful feeling that is. I have been taking it to the limits because God has called me to be bigger than myself! He has called me to be God strong for everyone. If I can do this, then you can too. 🙂
Below is a photo of myself and brother in law at the relay for life, Cancer walk this past May 2014. I walked the survivor lap with my brother in law C, he is another one of my hero’s 🙂 Oh BTW, I am on the left, no wheelchair, no walker, no 4 prong cane. God wants the best for all of us !!!!  Amen !
I am on the road to recovery and like I said it is a long and winding road, I have my family and friends who see me in the down moments that I may have and  they give me a kind word or a  slap on the rear end LOL and I am back in the saddle again. So we are all helping oneanother 🙂
The Eagles  Take it to the limit! I am always running back to God !
God adores us All, Don’t leave him standing there !!
Believe in the Miracle that you are and see the the day of endless possibilties that lies ahead !
Even if you move one inch further on your road  today  then you are gaining your Victory through God. Amen !!
The Long and Winding road  The Beatles
Gene Autry. Back In The Saddle Once Again 🙂  Try not to smile, I double Dare You !!!
During my mothers hospitalization at Spaulding Cambridge in the ventilator unit she was very sick, very weak and  slept a whole lot.  Remember, her prognosis was not good. My mom did not have a private room and I think it was a great thing for my mother and for her roomate Mary.
You see my mothers roomate Mary was not wanted in any other persons room in that unit. She was put in my mothers room because she was loud at times and dilsruptive to her roomates and the staff.
My mom was pretty much sleeping at first so they figured my mother would not be affected by Mary’s outbursts etc. God had a purpose for this situation and my mom was selected in this time to witness Christ and unconditional love to so many in that hospital during this time. And she was! My mother listened to the daily goings on in that room with Mary and  My mom continued to get  stronger by the day. When my mom was weined from the ventilator and was able to speak once again as I wrote in my last blog. At this point my mother looked like she was a Miracle that was on the road to a recovery, and she was. Right away the staff said, I am sorry to my mom,  Mary has her moments. We will try and find her a new room, she is hard to place with others. My mother said don’t be silly, its fine. Due to Mary’s health condition it can be 24 hours of non stop action. The staff one after another came in and thanked my mother, my mom just felt that Mary was an angel, and just needed a calm reassuring hand. It was scary for Mary being there alone with all the machines, noises etc.
You see, Mary is a beautiful women in her late 50’s I am guessing and she is very bright. Something happened at her birth and her brain was deprived of oxygen and she was like a child from that point. This was prior to my cancer diagnosis so, I was able to be there daily too. My dad was there every morning and stayed until late afternoon with my mom and we (her children and family) coodinated so we would all be there at different times. Well, my mom would be helping from her bed fordging a relationship with Mary. Mary is just a beautiful person who would get upset and did not always have an ability to understand. I looked at her and saw a beautiful child there in that bed. Innocent and she needed to rely on everyone to survive. She too was on a ventilator off and on depending on her respritory needs. She had her older sister Dotty coming in daily, late in the day and would read Mary her childrens books, help her with some private care issues etc. Mary loves all her old movies and watched them all the time the sound of music, Judy Garland etc. Mary was living in the past speaking about her mom and dad who were her life.They both passed when they were in their 90’s. Mary has an identical twin who is healthy.
My mom , dad and family grew very tight bonds with Mary and her family. My mom would get Mary to talk, calm her down and help the staff to work with her when she was having a bad day. My mom prayed and talked about Jesus with her. When Mary’s sister Dotty could not come and Mary was waiting She had a private nurse Elizabeth come in . Elizabeth had helped and assisted her over the years at her home too. She is family to Mary:) She too would be praying with Mary, just beautiful.A gift to Mary and I believe Mary is a gift to her too.
Mary had her baby ( a doll) named Michelle. She had a toy baby bottle and she would be feeding that doll burping it and the doll slept with Mary every night. Mary would tell the baby its okay and she would tell my mom that Michelle was crying.  My mom was involved when Mary was in a bad place my mom would end up feeding the doll and burping the doll, it made Mary so happy. My mom had such compassion for  Mary and she loved her. My dad was there all the time so he could see her struggling, trying to eat. The staff was helping but she did not want them for whatever reason so my dad would say Mary, would you like me to help ? She would say yes, and my dad would help to cut things up etc. The staff was so happy to see Mary content and it really helped to calm the unit down.  There is a saying, If you cannot do something nice then donot do anything at all. Service to others is an honor as far as I am concerned. It is not alway’s easy but there is nothing more rewarding.
I will continue with this shortly,
God Bless You,
Danny
A dedication to all the special needs kids around the world.
Just Danny Speaks 