Good Friday

I’m writing to tell ya’ll about how Good this Friday is. I’m up super early and I feel so excited and blessed.  Now I realize good Friday is more than just a day where things are Good but a day where Jesus gave his life for me. I wanted to write this today because I was a lil frustrated, not really with Jesus but with the life he gave me. As many of you know I’ve been working at Kohls for almost a year now. That was great while I was in college, but I graduated and I wanted a full time job. I wanted something where I get up and go to work and then the gym, I wanted a routine, ever since my stroke I operate best under a structured routine.  I need the stability of a routine and so I started applying. I got another part time job at a gym near my home which was perfect, free workouts and a fun working environment. So I was training and started working there. I was there for a month and the  manager called me while I was at Kohls and she said Hi Sam, we are no longer going to be needing you at the Gym . I felt crushed, I’ve never been fired before. It took me by so much surprise that I cried. I looked over at a coworker and asked for a hug and she said, It’s okay honey where one door closes another door opens. And here I am today. This morning I am the newest hire at Jastal Plumbing where I will be the receptionist. I will be working full time and starting at a higher salary than I ever have before. I wanted to share because I was getting so frustrated, like I have a college degree and I cant land a full time job?  What the heck;. So I kept applying. I was offered a part time position at a daycare, but I wasn’t satisfied. Then I got a call for an interview for a full time position .I got up early got ready and went. I know the owners of this place so I was hopeful.  They said they felt good about the interview and hiring me, so the waiting game began. I ran some errands, phone glued to my hand in case they called. And they did! They called to offer me the Job and  I accepted. It’s close to my house and I can now have a routine and schedule! I am so excited and feel blessed! He’ll always provide. He knows your deepest desires and delights in prospering you.

Let them shout for joy and be glad that favor my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous.

You can’t convince me otherwise, He Loves me!!!

Yo Girl Sista Sista

 

T-LOUGH

Seven years ago  The little girl on the right was my “awesome little sister who hardly saw her mom  because she had to go to school and thus couldn’t stay in Akron while her sister lay motionless. Although she hated 6am she was glad her momma was back to take her to school.

 

When Taylor first saw the girl on the left  in  the hospital she opened the door to my room and immediately turned around and vomited. She was sick to her stomach to think I could not be okay, to that 9 year old I was invinceable, Back then I was pretty cool. And from this picture she’s suddenly grown. She’s now taller than me and planning her next adventures. She still has a year at home, but it’s weird that she or I may not live under the same roof as we have for the last 17 years. You see it would have been a little different if I had moved out when I was 18 and going to college but now it’s different because I didn’t. It’s weird and awesome that she won’t be wearing my clothes or asking to borrow my dresses. Actually it’s about damn time. LOL. Joke, Joke. Knowing that we won’t always live together gives me a new perspective on sharing my things.    And we still have those shorts, both pairs…

Prom 2017 I tell her she’s taller, but I’m prettier, again Joke, joke!

 

This morning Taylor left the house as my “awesome” lil’ sister , but she returned a senior. She returned within hours and said “Yo girls officially a senior. It only took hours for the transformation. Obviously it took years, but hose years go so fast it feels like hours.

So she says to me this morning 5/24/2017 I’ll be back in a couple of hours.I’m just taking one test and I’ll be home.

Hours later she returned, walked  in door and says “Yo Girls officially a senior.” Hours, it literally only took hours. So proud of this girl. Texted my dad . Both yo girls are officially seniors. We’ll both be graduating in the next twelve months and it’s crazy! We’ll both be moving on to the next steps of life. Hopefully!  Taylor’s not  actually planning to move, but she will be  possibly going to Kent for her first two years. She hasn’t totally decided.

 

Anyway Congrats to my awesome Hippie  lil’ Sister. ❤ you Sissy

In about one year exactly she’ll be wearing her own red graduation cap and gown but for now she’s still wearing mine 🙂

Crestwood Class of 2018  Here she comes ❤

Poppa

You, well I can’t talk about Poppa without singing…

Anyway this is not about a song it’s about a boy. It’s the story of a young man that without even trying has made me appreciate the younger generation.

I’ve known Poppa(Nicholas Rushnok) since  I was in high school because I knew his older sister, but I wasn’t sold then.

As you know In march of 2010 I had a stroke well then in about June or July my mom and I were  in walmart.I was looking at something and I had my cane well I dropped the cane and couldn’t really bend over to get it when poppa, his mom and sister walk by. His mom says Nicholas grab sam’s cane for her.  He coulda looked at me and said why me?Or at his sister and said why can’t lex. He didn’t he ran over and handed it me.

That started our journey together.

Fast forward two-three years I start to workout at his families gym, I had started to run but was not allowed to go alone in case I fell. So  one day after school Poppa walks into  the gym and I was ready to run I said “Hey you gonna run with me. He kinda looks at me and his mom and she explains, Poppa, Sam can’t go alone because if she falls she’ll need someone there. The explanation wasn’t needed. Poppa looked at us again and said okay. He put his book bag down and then  we went to the trail.

Poppa unknowingly became my running buddy.   He ran with me like every other day, as much as my left knee could handle.One day we were running and poppa kinda looka at me smirking,

I don’t think either of us realized at the time but Poppa became more than my running buddy that day.He became my friend and little brother.

“You know they said you might never walk again?” Yep I know…  as we keep running.

It was literally the cutest thing. We ran a lot together and just chatted about life and stuff because I was training for a 5k.I was determined to run and when I found a race I texted his mom and said can you please bring poppa I don’t want to run alone. Of course that was almost no option.

She brought poppa and we ran.I fell, for he first time and it made him a lil nervous but I was okay as we finished the race! We killed it!!

I kinda stopped going to their gym because my school schedule didn’t allow for it. But this was forever my running buddy. We ran another race last July. I fell again but you know who was standing next to me? It was poppa!

Fast forward to the new school year.Poppa transferred back to Crestwood and he gets a new teacher Mrs. Grabowski.

 

Well isn’t that funny.Mrs Grabowski mid as well be my cousin? I mean her mom dated my uncle way back in the day, we only hung out every summer since we were kids.  Mrs. G has recess or whatever and there’s this kid who doesn’t have a group. What does poppa do? He goes over and asks then if he can join them?

Mrs.G tells his mom(Nicki) how proud she is of Nicholas!! Nicki cries,

Anyway Nicki then asks, Can you write a letter of recommendation for poppa to join leadership. Uh well Duh. I did,

“I Samantha Lough would like to recommend Nicholas Rushnok for the Crestwood Middle School leadership challengers program as Nicholas has shown leadership skills in helping those who need extra assistance and encouragement.

Personally, Nicholas has taught me to stay positive in extremely frustrating circumstances. Nicholas became my running partner because he knew I couldn’t do it alone and he runs by my side in every race I sign up for. He assisted me in every aspect of training that I asked and never once complained. Nicolas has held my hand through the last two years in my recovery process. He challenges me to be a better person and leader every time I come in contact with him.

Not only has Nicholas helped me personally he watches out for kids who aren’t apart of groups and invites them into his.

Nicholas has shown leadership in his families’ place of work by assisting members without being asked. And doesn’t complain when he has been asked.

Nicholas was diagnosed with a blood disease last summer and finds other ways of doing things and has never whined about not being able to do certain activities

On another personal note Nicholas has always performed random acts of kindness before he was ever asked to. I can remember being fresh out of the hospital at Walmart. I dropped my cane and as Nick and his family walked by Nick picked up my cane and handed it to me then continued on his way.

just this school year he sat with a lonely girl who didn’t have any friends. Nicholas is the epitome of integrity. He does nice things for people just because that’s who he is.

I recommend Nicholas for leadership because he is a kid with a heart for everyone. He doesn’t care who you re he just wants to help and make your world a better place.

Nicholas is a true leader.

Again Nicki cried…pointing out “Nicholas has a hear  for everyone.”

Nicholas was accepted into Crestwood Middle School’s leadership program!

Fast forward again to May, (Now) Nicki texts.”Hey you free Thursday at 1:30, Uh probably Y?

Poppa is getting an award at CMS at 1:30 can you come?

Uh ya probably.

I walked into the gym, can’t find poppa anywhere and I hear a yelling voice SAM!! SAM! SAM! and then I get the biggest tear filled Hug. He, a twelve year old, started crying because I would come to support him.It made my heart melt…

 Poppa received awards for leadership, merit roll,

and a caring award…DUHH

He said to his mother later on, ” when I got my leadership award I looked up at Sam and thought this is because of her.I may have taught you how to help lead, but that award is because of you. You deserved it!

I’m so proud of this 6th grader! way to go Nicholas!!

And just because everyone pointed out that they saw us up thee taking selfies ❤

Fit Fam<3

And Nicki is crying again…

 

Steward

I’ve been away for awhile. I would say I just don’t have the time, while part of that is true I just haven’t made the time.I get up I make coffee, read my daily devotional, workout, shower and go to school. Lately even when I do have the time I’ve been consumed with well this is due and that is due and I have to get this interview, call this person, yadda yadda. I’ve definitely ben a lil distracted. This morning, not worrying about an ounce of homework I sat down with my coffee and my daily devotional.

Not thinking about anything else I noticed the phrase in my devotional “…God provides for and stewards his people. Stewards his people?

We always here about stewarding our money. Better give your ten percent, better spend it rightly.  So I began thinking of the men with the talents and the sower. The more we sow into our friendships the more we may have, but the less we give to even our small circle of friends the less we will have.

Matthew 13:12For Whoever has, to him more will given and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken from him.

 

 

I ask Lord that you help me to sow into the small amount of true friends that I do have, That I may steward the love and grace you have shown me, In Jesus name, Amen!

 

The Lord is Good.

SMO

Sydney Nicole MOsby-

I met Syd at 10U Akron Sapphire softball tryouts when we were nine. I pitched and then I caught for Syd. Bitch gave me a bruise on my right arm on the first day. She was a lil wild back then and I used to bail her out.We only saw each other at softball practice a lot of the time, but we were attached at the hip. She was my partner and I was hers. We were unstoppable. A battery. We couldn’t charge anything without the other. After the Akron Sapphires we tried out together for the Ohio Lightning. Again inseparable.. Poor Lee. He was stuck listening to us sing pimpin’ all over the world and talking in our British accents. He acted like he hated it, but he loved us. We went on every college visit together In our minds we weren’t going to collge without each other. We told all the coaches we came as a pair. She liked pitt. I wasn’t sold.I chose Cap. Then mom called her onMarch15, 2010 and asked her and her momma to come to the hospital that something was wrong. Of course they rushed there and when they had to remove my hoodie. Bitch stole it and never gave it back. She wore it to school for a week.She went to catholic school and the principal yelled at her. Her daddy called and said look it’s her best friends. She’s wearing it and she did. We went toe each others graduations. One day at the hospital in my hoodie she asked if shecould lay with me. The nurse said it was fine just to be careful. I don’t know if I was out of it or not, but I remember her getting in my bed and holding me as I had her.

Even though we saw each other mostly at practice or tournaments Syd was my best friend. Her family treated me like family and my family her.  Though I couldn’t play my senior year she wore my number on her arm every game.That continued into  college. Syd made sure I was with her on the field no matter what. Syd killed it during her time @Pitt-Bradford and I know it wasn’t just for her. She played because I couldn’t. I’m forever gratful for the memories we’ve made.

Although we aren’t as close anymore I know if I needed her she’d be there and she knows that of me also.

 

Happy  Birthday Syd!!! ❤ you

 

You’re not a bad friend

I have seen many posts about a blog that says “I’m a bad friend.” No you’re not. You’re not a bad friend! You are a great mom and a great wife, and I applaud you for those things. Being almost 25 and single I applaud all the friends I have that do other things that interfere with our friendship.

You see a few years ago after my stroke all my friends left. They went to college, got new boyfriends/girlfriends  and then got jobs. I was sad and a little depressed but I see a lot of the now and I’m so proud of them . We all had different lives at the time but I don’t think they were bad friends. I think they were good athletes, good students and good mothers. You are not a bad friend for not responding immediately to any message or phone call or whatever, you simply have different priorities and that is okay.

I would rather you be with your children teaching them love and respect than be at my place watching Netflix. You are an amazing mom and as a real friend I applaud that.

It’s okay and perfectly amazing that your kids come first, that you put your husband and job above my emails and text messages. I applaud all the moms who run their kids five different places a day. I respect you and I still respect our friendship. You are an amazing friend.  Get back to me when you can and I love you. Hold onto every second of those little moments with your children and  we can hang out when they’re to cool for us.

I would rather you be with your children teaching them love and respect than be at my place watching Netflix. You are an amazing mom and as a real friend I applaud that.

Any true friend understands that priorities change and as soon as your together again you’ll pick up right where you left off.

New Beginnings

This is a little late, I realize but I have been enjoying my break and was staying with a friend. Today I started a new reading plan on my Bible App and it says that Beginnings are a time to reflect on the past. So here I am reflecting on 2016.

Everyone has said it was such a horrible year. We lost a lot of celebrities, but this year was okay for me. I got my first journalism job.  I reconnected with old friends and  think that has been the best part. Friends that never looked at me any different. Friends that  have seen me at my worst and at my best and think the same of me either way. We all lived our separate lives, but have been brought back together. It makes me happy and I love them!

I became a beach body coach in January and I had been working out all year, but it took me till November to catch the mindset. I have lost some weight,  but I don’t know how much. 2016 taught me how to love myself no matter what.My friend helped me do this also. She’s always said how naturally pretty I was, but I never believed it myself. I learned to love myself and to take care of myself because of it.

2016 was a scary year once August hit. As I had been sitting in class my left and  bad leg was going numb and so numb that I couldn’t walk and when I tried it hurt. It made me want to cry. With my history I freaked out.,I was scared. We called doctors and they ran tons of tests. Doctors said I was healthy and that my brain was actually healing and the reason it felt so bad and weird was because I hadn’t been able to feel those sensations in 5 years. It left me feeling hopeful to know that after all these years my brain is healing. There is always hope!

I lost my license in March because of an insurance issue I really didn’t understand, partly my fault I know, but that has been very frustrating.  I have been getting rides but it makes break kinda boring I have to wait till 6p.m. to go anywhere. Since that was really the worst part of my year I  think 2016 was good to me.

In 2017 I will be graduating college. I will be the first Lough in my dad’s immediate family to have graduate college and only the second Lange in my mom’s immediate family. Doctors told my family that college might not be an option when I laid unconscious  almost 7 years ago. I’m seeing 2017 as another year to defy all odds. I realize that it’s only day 5, but I don’t have any “resolutions”: I have goals and goals that I plan to crush.

Already this year I have learned or reestablished my understanding that God is with me. He is on my side in the smallest issues and if  God is with me, Who can be against me? I’m ready to go on new adventures and explore new things.  2017 I am ready.

Mary

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem the town of David. He went there to register with Mary who was pledged to be married to him  and was expecting a child. Luke 2:4-5

 

Yesterday, Christmas morning  I woke up at 4. I tried going back to sleep but I was to excited so I watched a movie and when dad said he was on his way I got up and sat in front of the tree.  I started to pray and to thank God for Christmas and for his son.  Then I stated to pray, God I thank you for Mary. We  always talk about Jesus and for good reason and I love him and appreciate all he has done, but without Mary there would be no Jesus, at least not the exact man

Mary could have said nope,no thanks, I’m not married I’m gonna look like a liar people might talk about me and make fun of me  but Mary,Mary said yes so this morning I’m thankful that Mary said yes. I’m thankful that Mary went through  a lot of pain to birth the man that would save me and love me. Happy birthday Jesus and thank you Mary!!

Joseph and Mary went to register together. People probably looked at her and could of said “They are only getting married because she’s pregnant.  Mary endured much ridicule for  allowing the Lord to use her body and for that I am grateful. I am thankful for  Mary and her yes.  So Lord I thank you for the yes’s of your people and especially for Mary’s yes.

Think about that. Think about what may not have been had Mary said No, no way, I wont do it.  O Lord I thank you for Mary’s yes!

 

Brother

Today my brother turns 26. My brother was my first friend.We were complete opposites growing up , but that’s why we got/get along.

We weren’t always great friends, but we were always siblings and got along for the most part. especially as young kids;oh we were soo rotten. Lets see we blew up a microwave by putting crayons in it. We made a slip and slide in the kitchen with any condiment we could t our hands on;mayo, mustard, ketchup, syrup you name it. and obviously dad was babysitting or sleeping…. We played in the creek behind our house . We argued over cartoons or news channels on Saturday mornings.

He got in trouble kind of a lot, mainly because  I always blamed him and he was older and should have known better.  Anyway we drifted apart a little in our teenage years. I was the athlete and he was the gamer. I was supposed to drive him to school, but 70% of the days he wouldn’t wake up so I left him at home.
Then we both had to grow up quickly. I had my stroke. Mom made him get me clothes thsrt morning ; o lord I wore his pants and a hoodie to the hospital…anyway brother couldn’t come in the room. He’d visit and look through the glass at mom who would give a thumbs up and he’d nod. We always joke about not loving each other, but this was proof, he loved me.  He loves me soo much and I love him although he always calls me fat, which is hilarious because I’m almost half of him :0. Anyway one day I was home and he was too . As I came down the stairs I nodded, he nodded and we were best friends. It was a sibling thing and it was hilarious. One day after my stroke he asked mom for something and I looked at him and said “Hey shes not your bitch, shes mine.”It was hysterical because mom literally had to do and get everything for me, so unintentionally she was my bitch!! O my family :0

You see he probably hated playing barbies with meas a kid, but I was simply preparing him for his life full of girls. He has two sisters and three daughters and he loves it. He absolutely loves his girls and he’s so good with them. Literally I am probably most proud of my brother for the Dad that he is. He provides, he cares for, takes care of and raises my best friends. Even if its n a sick sarcastic way I love you brother!!!

Anyway all of these silly memories to say Happy Birthday to my Big Brother!!! Love You!

 

Shoes

Today as I started my walk /run I started to think about y shoes. I just bought new shoes on my black Friday adventure.

I tried to go for a run Thursday morning and I put the running shoes on that I used to wear and I went to run and my foot kept sliding in the shoe and then my Ipod died., I got so frustrated that  I turned around. Running isn’t easy for me as it is and being frustrated while trying to run doesn’t help . Anyway so I came back home to change shoes and those ones were too flat. I need a flatter shoe for my left foot so that my ankle doesn’t turn, but  these weren’t working Thursday either so I just said forget it I’ll work our at home in my room and I did.

Then I went black Friday shopping for the first time. I was helping my friend look for men’s shoes and as I walked pat a sale sign I said I love these! I thought they were girls shoes for sure. Anyway  they were on sale for 50$. I never spend that much on shoes because I know the value of a dollar and usually that would be a lot.  knew I had the extra money so I tried them on and they were perfect.

As I walked this morning I thought of the story of children wearing their parents shoes,. They are always to big and the child falls. The child longs to fit into mommy or daddy’s shoes but they can’t until they grow up. When you wear shoes that weren’t meant for you, you always get hurt. Not today. Today I found shoes that fit perfectly. Now I’ll admit they are little big for my right foot, but they fit my braced foot perfectly.  I did get a small blister, but the knowledge of me being able to run better outweighed the pain of the blister so I kept going. Sometimes the cost is greater but it will always be worth the wait and extra effort.