November 30th, 2011

Today my sweet Nick would have turned 54. I think about how blessed I was to have been able to celebrate many birthdays with him. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of our life together and how fortunate I was to have that time. Happy Birthday to my man who is dearly missed and still so loved. 

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy"

Papa Nick: Dec.19,1920-Nov.28th, 2011

Nicholas Badida or as we all came to know him as "Papa Nick" was born in St Clair, PA. on December 19th, 1920. Born the son of Czechoslovakian Immigrants. 

He served our country from October 6, 1941 to August 27, 1945 in the 593rd Division of the United States Air Force. He attended the Air Forces Airplane Mechanic Aerial Gunnery Pilot training school during WWII. He flew Air Offensive Europe and Air Combat Balkans. He was honorably discharged.

He was ranked a T Sergeant (Technical Sergeant). This rank has "historically been the second most difficult rank to achieve." 

He received many honors during that time:

European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with 6 Bronze Stars

Good Conduct Medal

Distinguished unit badge with Oak Leaf Cluster

American Defense Service Medal

Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters

Papa Nick also received the Distinguished Flying Cross medal. The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States Armed Forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight."


After his discharge, he attended Pennsylvania State University on the GI Bill where he got his degree in education. He eventually became a special education teacher in New Jersey, where he retired. Tired of being a snowbird, he moved to Florida in the 1980s where he settled in. 


Papa Nick always had such a great mind and was very quick witted. His memory of details from years having passed was amazing to us. Even in his late 80's he could articulate stories in a way that was quite impressive. Our Nick was his only child and after his passing, you could see that Papa Nick had lost that spark and that willingness to press on. He longed to be with his son and now he is. He passed away peacefully this afternoon at St. Luke's Hospital at the age of 90. 


Now my sweet man has his Mom and Dad with him. We find great peace and comfort in that. 


“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." John 14:1-4

Rest in peace now Papa Nick.

November 21st, 2011

It is hard to believe Thanksgiving is here. I can still remember every part of our day together last year and I am very thankful for those memories. It is a bittersweet time of year to say the least. But in the midst of the sadness there is much joy and many reasons to be thankful. Although, I will say many of my reasons this year are pretty different from years gone by.

This year, I feel as if we are entering Thanksgiving with the attitude of King David in 2 Samuel 7.

  Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign LORD, is for a mere human! “What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign LORD.For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

First and foremost I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and His constant love and guidance in my life.

I am thankful that my husband is no longer suffering and is whole again resting in the arms of his Maker. (even though I miss him terribly).

I am so very thankful that we are healthy. 

I am thankful that we are surviving this year. I pray it is the hardest one we will ever know.

I am so thankful for the friends and family that have poured into a 17 year old boy's life after losing his father, the people who have loved him unconditionally through what I hope will be the most difficult time in his life. I thank God for you and your compassion. You have left a footprint in my heart. 

I am thankful for the family and friends who have stood by me, without questions or judgment, and just accepted me just as I am, those who have plainly and simply loved me through the pain and never gave up on me. 

I am thankful for the friend, who without fail, has sent me a card every single week since losing my husband. She has no idea how those cards provide a pick-me-up every week. Even Aaron looks forward to them!

I am thankful for the friend that has lovingly and fiercely poured into me with God's word.

I am so thankful and blessed to have the opportunity to write and share about my healing journey. It is truly a gift to be able to write down what's on my heart and mind, and try to glorify God in the process. I am  truly thankful for the support I continue to receive, it is a great source of encouragement for me. It has been a joyful surprise, and one that I am very thankful for, to also be able to write above and beyond my blog for SML. I am blessed by that opportunity.

I am thankful for the new relationships that are edifying, encouraging and loving.  My heart always has a place for a new friend. 

And of course, I am very thankful that we have a roof over our heads, a safe place to sleep at night and food on our table. But the real blessings this year do not come from "things." Instead, they have come from the people in my life. I have learned so much, hopefully grown a lot, and just feel truly thankful for the angels in my life who even ten months later, when the dust has settled and the pain is still gripping, never let go! You are not only an earthly gem, but I think God sees you as a heavenly one as well.

I pray that you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving. Enjoy those you love, while sharing delicious food, wonderful stories and great memories. Make this a time of real thanksgiving and fellowship. For those with loved ones who are no longer here to celebrate.....cling tightly to those loving and sweet memories in your heart, they are yours to treasure.

May God bless you all,

Tammy 

   

November 15th, 2011

Hello sweet family and friends,

Hope you all are doing well! I am not sure I have told you this in a while but I appreciate your constant love and prayers in my life as I continue to rebuild and heal! You rock!

I wanted to share with you about a Wednesday morning journey I have been on for a couple of months now.

I have felt so blessed to be able to attend a woman's Bible study at Celebration Church on Wednesday mornings called Sisterhood. Those of you who know me well know I love me some Bible studies and fellowshipping with other women. When I think back to that first Wednesday a couple of months ago, I can remember feeling a little apprehensive about attending and committing to a new study. I was little startled by the way I was feeling, but I thought I would give it shot, go when I could, meet a few new ladies, and get through it. Ha! I should have known better than that!

We have been studying a series called "Ancient Wisdom, Modern Life", a study of 1 Corinthians. I always take a lot of notes, but I remembered writing down, underlining and highlighting something Pastor Kerri said that has stuck with me throughout this study, she said "Find God's rhythm for your life." I think that resonated so much for me because it made me realize that I had gotten out of rhythm in my own life with a few things.

In many ways, the past couple of months at this study had allowed me to recognize just how out of sync I was. I hadn't been engaged in studying the Word as diligently as I had before, I hadn't been fellowshipping and building new relationships, and I hadn't been planting fresh seeds. As we near the final study this Wednesday, however, I'm amazed at how much all of that has changed since diving back into the Bible. It was purely a case of bringing the body and having the mind follow.

I really just positioned myself in a place where God could speak to me, and I was blessed by meeting some incredible women and being fed wisdom that I could apply to my life. It was an awesome experience, one that allowed me to be in an environment where I could grow spiritually and even leave my comfort zone a little bit. I was right where I was supposed to be on Wednesday mornings!

Giving God the opportunity to move in your life through studying His word can help you get in tune with His rhythm. It can help you feel that balance spiritually, emotionally and physically. This doesn't mean life won't come without it's share of disappointments, but we can better equip ourselves to handle them when they do.

As I continue on this journey I am constantly reminded that my Heavenly Father provides a warm blanket of love and protection for me, (for all of us) daily. That even through the sorrow of loss God will shine through and bring hope and life.

 Be encouraged! 

Blessings Always,

Tammy