This weekend I painted our bathroom. (That post will come soon) While I painted, I decided to listen to the audiobook I bought my mom for Christmas. The book is called
Before My Heart Stops by Paul Cardall. In case, like me, you don't know much about Paul, here is the description from the Deseret Book website.
"I was born with half a heart. God made up the difference."
This is the remarkable true story of one man's struggle to survive long enough to get a second chance at life.
Award-winning musician and popular speaker Paul Cardall was born, essentially, with half a heart. After living more than three decades with a congenital heart defect and undergoing six major heart surgeries and numberless procedures, Paul was informed that his heart would not beat much longer.
"Paul was a poor candidate for a heart transplant," says Angela T. Yetman, MD. "It would be technically difficult and possibly fatal ... but Paul was determined to beat the odds." And beat them he did.
Along the way, Paul wrote down his thoughts, feelings, and observations in an online blog called "Living for Eden," named for his three-year-old daughter. This book reflects those blog entries and additional intimate insight into a miraculous journey that convincingly shows that God knows us personally and that we are put here on earth for a reason.
Paul says, "I'm a witness that these soul-stretching experiences can offer us, if we let them, joy, wisdom, happiness, and a personal relationship with God."
After reading his story, you might also ponder the question, What do I need to do with my life ... before my heart stops?
I remember little of my painting, but I was deeply impressed with the book and highly recommend it. It made my ponder things that I don't normally take time to think about, and made me so much more grateful for the blessings in my life. I stopped several times to jot down quotes that I want to remember. These are just a few:
"Paul Cardall had end-stage heart failure. We talked about options. There were no easy options. He could choose to live or choose to die. The latter would be easier. He chose life, not passively, but vigorously, with the kind of energy that left me asking what I had been doing with my own life.” -Angela T. Yemtan, M.D., Director Adult Congenital Heart Program Intermountain Region "God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability." - Neal A. Maxwell
"In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the the center of our lives and the top of our priorities." ~L. Tom Perry "Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting, that's laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard & slow. That is patience." ~Leo Tolstoy
I have really liked the warm garden feeling but was ready for a change.
Over the past few months I've looked at paint colors and thought about what exactly I wanted. Then I went and bought what I thought was the perfect color, and painted. Cody helped. Looking at it as the paint was drying, I began to think that I'd made a mistake.
So last week I went and started shopping for the finishing touches. It was a good thing I was alone, because I spent a great deal of time standing in one place, thinking of how best to save my poor, bright blue bathroom.
I'm still in thought about this part. I'll keep playing with it and hopefully it will come together.
The postcards in the vertical frame and the two framed pictures above the toilet are from Hawaii. I also used some of the coral we found in the ocean.
