Sally Bolderson: Home

I sit here at 12:28 a.m. on January 1, 2009, wondering where did 2008 go?

As I try to think back to this time last year, it's amazing that it's really been a year gone by already. As we entered January Dave was in the hospital, I was trying to wind down from the busy Christmas season of music that tends to overwhelm most music ministers (especially those in a parish setting).

My debut CD was in the final days of production and ready to ship any moment. I wasn't feeling well, but nothing earth shattering (or so I thought) and on Friday, January 4th, I stayed home from work for a couple of reasons, to wait for the delivery of my 1000 copies of my CD and to rest.

By the next Monday, I was having a CT scan and on Tuesday right after Dave went home, I went into the hospital . After 2 hospital stays of over a week and a couple surgeries, I was diagnosed with an intra-abdominal abscess of the lower right quadrant which cultured out as e-coli. It took me 2 months off work to get to a place of some type of normalcy, although in truth it was several months before I could really grasp the reality of my CD and try to pray about where God was leading me with it.

I traveled to Italy with my husband and 20 high school students and although it was terribly hot, I enjoyed with a new spirituality the blessings and roots of our Catholic faith. I particularly enjoyed Assisi and it's beauty and holiness.

Beyond that I distributed about 600 of my cd's, most of them gifted to others because I was blessed with blessings of others to have it completed in the first place and I have been moving the blessings forward.

In November, my daughter and I began a nutritional cleansing program. My main reason for pursuing this was my realization that I have misused the gift of life that God has given me by my addiction to food. I love the gifts of music he has given me and as I struggled to regain my health from January, I realized I had to face the truth and do all possible to get healthy so that I can continue to be God's instrument. The fact that I could have died from the illness I had made me know that God isn't done with me yet. As of today I have lost just under 30 pounds!

I look forward to 2009 with a couple of retreats and a CAM Jam to share these gifts along with my continued ministry at my home parish Holy Trinity.

God bless all who read this for a blessed and grace filled 2009. My love and prayers are with you!

I have a co-worker who is a Christian (I'm not sure what denomination) but we share our love of Jesus and talk about our individual experiences of God in our lives. It's a unique friendship in the work place.

Yesterday, I noticed she wasn't at work and this morning she came to my desk and told me she totaled her car Friday night. I asked her how it happened and as the story unfolded I became more and more amazed at the Christmas miracle she received.

It was late Friday night and she fell asleep while driving and subsequently drove threw a guard rail and down an embankment and landed upside down in a creek. There was just enough water that she could have drowned.

But, as she sat there before me telling me this story with only a few bruises to show for it, I knew that God has other plans for her. Although she was right next to a fire department, they did not hear her crash. It was a woman in a 2nd story apartment across the street who heard a noise and looked out to see her car upside down in the creek. She hurried out calling 911, talking to my friend, keeping her calm until help arrived. It's like stories on TV, except this was real.

The firemen arrived not knowing what to expect. They had to cut her from her seat belt. My friend says that she just constantly prayed and God answered her prayers.

Today, she counts her blessings even more than she already did, knowing that she is not alone. One thing she mentioned was that if it were not for this guardian angel, she most likely would have perished since her car could not be seen from the road. It made her realize that we must not be afraid to be angels for others in need, whatever the circumstance. There cannot be wrong in doing good.

Well, I've made it to the one month mark and I'm pleased to report a loss of 19.4 pounds! It has been a revelation of the truth of just HOW MUCH I was eating before. Keeping an eye on calories and nutrition has been very interesting. Alhough the holidays and all of the eating that goes with them have been challenging, each day is a new start and I have tried to be diligent in my efforts to still keep the calories in check.

My daughter, Joanne and I work out at least 3 days a week at Curves for Women and that helps a lot too. I have more energy and just feel better about myself all around.

My immediate goal is to try to maintain at least some type of loss over the next 2 weeks through the high point of the Christmas Holiday. Your prayers are so helpful! Thank you and may you and your family be blessed throughout this season and the new year!