Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m thankful for YOU!

If you’re a person living with MS and come to the gym…thank you for coming to the gym and sharing your journey of living with MS with the rest of us.  I feel we all have a strong bond and connection as we deal with MS and it’s challenges together.  Thank you for joining us!

If you’re a spouse, friend or caregiver of one of us living with MS, Thank you for being there for us.  We don’t want to be this way and certainly don’t want to hold you back from doing what you’d like to do.  I know I can speak on behalf of all of us living with MS.  We thank you for the sacrifices you make for us.  We realize you make many.  Thank you for being there for us and with us.  We know it’s not easy.  You make us feel loved at a whole different level than many people even get to experience love in a lifetime.  Thank you!

If you’re a volunteer for our gym or special events, Thank You!  We are so blessed to have such kind, loving, caring, selfless, humble people help us the way you do.  We are so fortunate to have so many volunteers helping in so many different ways.  You make all of us feel blessed that there are people like you in the world willing to help us.  Thank you!

If you’re a financial supporter of our mission, Thank you!  You make it possible for us to do all we do for and with each other.  You are helping more people in more ways than you’ll ever know.  We have so many ripple effects that happen as a result of your support.  I’m thankful we have people like you in our circle of friends.  We all are thankful.  Thank you!

I’m also thankful for God who is with us and guiding us through this journey.  Like I’ve said many times, this is not my plan.  My human plan is to not even have MS and not deal with any of the challenges of living with it.  I’d get rid of it if I could and get on with life.  God apparently has a different plan for all of us than our human plan.  Let’s look for the good in it, do our part to make the best of it and give thanks for our many blessings this Thanksgiving season.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!  I’m thankful for you!

Cal’s Thankgiving Post last Friday

Speaking of Thanksgiving, did you see Cal’s Thanksgiving post on our website last Friday?  It’s beautiful!  Check it out by clicking here  Thanks Cal!

Group Picture with our new T-Shirts

We’d like to get thank you cards made for our donars and sponsors.  We’d like to have a group picture of all our friends with MS, their loved ones who bring them and our volunteers next Wednesday, November 30th.  Let’s do this @ 10:30am.  Please plan on being here for the group picture if you’re able to make it.

If you have MS, please wear the blue T-shirt we wore at the open house.  Everyone else, please wear the charcoal T-shirt.

Shelli’s memorial service is next Wednesday, November 30th

At the gym last Friday;  I announced the sad news about Shelli passing away.  I said her memorial service was Wednesday.  It’s not this Wednesday, it’s next Wednesday, November 30th.  I’m sorry for the confusion.  Here’s a link to Shelli’s obituary.

Let’s keep Shelli, her family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.  Shelli will be missed by many.  Like I said in my last e-mail, let’s go forward the way Shelli would want us to go forward.  With lots of determination and a big smile like Shelli always demonstrated.  Thanks for sharing your gifts with us Shelli…we miss you!

COVID

Again, we had one more of our friends with MS test positive for COVID this past week.  We’re not through it yet but I feel we’re getting closer.

To all who have reported their positive testing to me…thank you for letting me know and for being socially responsible and staying away until your symptoms are all cleared up.  If you do come down with it, it’s important we let people know that you have been in close contact with so they can watch for symptoms and help stop the spread.

We’ve all been dealing with COVID long enough and are very well educated on it by now.  I’m not telling you what to do but I’d highly encourage you to wear a mask again if you haven’t had it recently.  Let’s make good choices and be safe.

Please stay home if you have any symptoms or know you’ve been exposed to someone with the virus.  Please don’t come until your symptoms go away.  Let’s also give each other some space when talking to one another and continue wiping the machines down before and after you use them with disinfectant.  Again…let’s be socially responsible and stay safe!

Let’s get together!
Many have asked if we will be open this week with the Thanksgiving holiday.  There’s a good chance you’ll be over eating on Thursday so you might as well get ahead of it on Wednesday, eat what you want on Thursday and then work it back off on Friday.

So, yes, we’ll be getting together again from 9:00am – noon on Wednesday and Friday mornings at the gym.  I hope you’ll join us!  If we don’t have enough volunteers, please help each other.

Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186

 Prayer Group  We’ll be having our prayer group Wednesday @ 11:00am.
I just love the way we share, pray and laugh together while we witness prayers being answered weekly.  It’s truly amazing!

Thanks goes to God and to everyone that joins us.  Let’s get together to share, listen, talk, give thanks, and pray however God leads us.

MS Just Keep Caring – Our Caregivers support group will be the first and third Friday of each month from 10:00 – 10:30am.  The next one will be Friday, December 2nd.  If you’re a caregiver of someone you love with MS, please join us and share your experience of caring for your loved one.  This has been very helpful for many.  Thanks to all who participate!

Friday Morning Bike Rides
It looks like we’re done for the season.  Let’s ride indoors all winter so we can pick up where we left off next spring.  The bikes are all set up at the gym.

 

Our Facebook page is private.  That means you’ll need to join if you want access to all our fun and progress.  We’re now up to 309 members…awesome!   https://www.facebook.com/groups/2639832389489709

Our Facebook page is very active and fun.  Lots of people are doing more and sharing some of their journey on Facebook.  Feel free to join and share your experience and comments.  Thank you to all who are sharing!

There were some awesome pictures and videos shared again this past week.

Thai Massage with Ricky Heldt
Ricky will be here Wednesday and Friday again this week doing Thai Massage.  Ricky says he is comfortable to work with you even if you’re not wearing a mask.  Ricky will continue to wear one to protect you.

Many continue making great progress with chronic pain relief, range of motion, walking better and a new sense of hope when Ricky works with them.  Please keep in mind that consistency is key.  Not only with Ricky…with exercise too.  We need consistency to realize the benefits long term.  We want you to have long term relief.

Ricky has a sign up sheet based on first come first serve.  You can pick the time slot that works for you.  I highly encourage you to take advantage of Ricky’s Thai Massages each day and sign up for your time slot as soon as you get there.

Reiki with Linda  Linda will be here on Fridays doing Reiki.  Many people say Linda’s Reiki work is “magical”.  We’re thankful for Linda offering her gifts and talents to us.  Feel free to let Linda know you’d like to do Reiki with her.  She also has a sign up sheet.

Inspirational Humor with Adam Wollert
We’ll be having our inspirational humor zoom call with Adam again next Tuesday.  Adam is a gift to all of us.

Please join us if you can.
Tuesdays @ 1:30PM
Here’s the link to join us…I hope you do!
Join Zoom Meeting with this link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9431389152?pwd=bWlYbFNaazVnM1M1cWxWMitlODdXUT09

Meeting ID: 943 138 9152
Passcode: 3qP2hu
Phone:   1-312-626-6799

 Let’s reach out
I encourage you to share a smile and encouragement with someone.  Perhaps you could call someone that you have not talked with for a while just to say hi and see how they are doing.  We all could use a little extra love and encouragement.

MS is tough.  Let us have faith, remain calm, be flexible, help each other and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day as we make good choices.

Let’s keep moving and smiling 😊

In God We Trust…we are in good hands

Dan

http://msjustkeepmoving.org/

P.S.  This past weekend, I was taking some pictures of some birds.

The blue jays were fun to watch

The finches were happy to see me after I fed them

For those who can’t get out and enjoy nature due your challenges with MS…my heart is with you.  You are with me every time I’m out there.