EMprints - Electronic Media prints   My Wakeup Call  When I Began Making Horseshoe Nail Crosses Written w/for my husband Rick after his severe brain injury Very late one night, April - May 2004, I was sitting at the computer, experiencing insomnia and depression as usual. (playing my ten thousandth game of solitaire) I remember saying, "God it's been almost ten years to the day since my stroke.  I'm trying!  You know that!  But, I'm tired of living like this! If this is it, please get it over with!  Maybe you should have let me die then. It would have been a lot easier!" Less than one minute later, I heard a chime.  I knew that it meant that we have mail. I opened our email program to find an ad.  It was from someone trying to sell a kit to make crosses.  The ad said that they were good as a business (I would make thousands of dollars a month) and good as therapy for disabled people to make from home.  Being severely disabled myself, it got my attention. I read it over and over and with my wife's help, (She has the job!) decided that it was just another junk email scam and wouldn't be worth the risk.  Life drifted back into the same old rut for the next week or two.  I had completely forgotten about the incident when the exact series of events happened again! I thought, "This can't be coincidence. God wants me to make those crosses."  I begged her to let me get try.  Reluctantly, she ordered the kit. The kit arrived in a few days with a video and enough supplies to make twenty-five crosses.  With my wife's help, we began trying to make them.  But, she couldn't make them either!  The few that actually made it to completion were pitiful to say the least.  Virtually every one of them ended up in the trash can. To continue we needed more supplies. The kit came with a contract that indicated to make them, she had to sign and return it and purchase supplies from them.  But the supplies were expensive and we were throwing them all away anyway.  Profit was never our objective. She called to discuss this with them informing them of my condition and that we were having a lot of trouble.  She was told that it didn't matter; they had standards of quality to maintain.  To participate in their buy back program, we had to purchase supplies from them to meet their standards. Then she explained that we had no intention of participating in the program.  We only want to make them as therapy.  There was no way that our crosses would ever be approved! She was told that we still had to sign the contract and purchase supplies to have permission to make them. She asked, "Why?  We're going to throw them all away? When is a 'Xxx Cross' not a 'Xxx Cross'?" It took several phone calls but she was finally told, "Fine do whatever you want, but don't use our name." At the time we knew absolutely nothing and didn't know where to go for help.  The video instructed how to make their crosses with their materials, for them and that was it.  It never went into specifics about anything.  It became apparent that if we were going to succeed, we were going to have to do it on our own. We took a bent nail and a deformed cross from the trashcan and began visiting the hardware stores.  No one even knew what they were.  After visiting all of our hardware chain stores, we started going to smaller locally owned hardware and specialty hardwood stores.  We were beginning to give up hope, when we finally went into one of the smaller stores. A man there looked at the nail and cross and said, "That looks like the crosses our church youth group makes every year as fund raisers.  Go see the blacksmith at the fairgrounds.  When we got there we began to finally make headway.  I was explaining our intentions and problems when he said, "Just try different size nail".  He identified the nail and gave us a catalog to order more informing us that they came in different sizes. We modified the components to make assembly easier for people like ourselves.  With time, practice and many wasted nails, they have evolved into an attractive, respectable cross. These crosses and the series of events that have followed since we began making them have literally changed our lives and have given me a reason for living again.  I would recommend making horseshoe nail crosses to everyone!  Although I seriously doubt that you will ever make thousands of dollars a month, It can still be a very rewarding experience!!!  (read more)  Written with/for my husband Rick  My Near Death Experience* - (Severe Base of the Brain Stroke)  -  Lessons Learned, Count Your Blessings & "The Rest of the Story" How I Make a Horseshoe Nail Christian Cross Necklace - The motivating craft idea that changed our lives!!! (Great when used as therapy to improve motor skills.)  * Written w/for my husband Rick after his severe brain injury    To view more publications Visit my Self Help / How to Library of Digital Downloads EMprints / CSC,   P.O. Box 8261 Springfield,   IL 62791-8261 Home                                                                              Q&A's PRIVACY STATEMENT - This website DOES NOT use spy ware.  You are NOT tracked!  Hit-counters are used to monitor activity; but THAT'S ALL! You will not be receiving annoying emails by visiting or clicking on any of the  text links or pictures on this website! GUARANTEED!!! Information is NEVER harvested, given away or sold to any individual or organization!

 

- - - Rehabilitation Reference Library - - - If you know someone with a disability, disease, in pain or have/has a serious medical problem it could be worth taking a look!  You might find something that works for you.       More >  Since it's creation in June 2004, many of you have visited my Patriotic / Inspirational Libraries hundreds of thousands of times.  Now, I want to help others avoid the wasted years of valuable time and torment that we experienced.  I've added a Low-Cost Rehabilitation Therapy Library to include possible therapies, treatments cures for cancer, stroke... / brain injury victims, diabetes, heart, blood pressure / hypertension, Alzheimer's, rheumatism / rheumatoid arthritis, pain, hearing / vision / memory / balance & insurance - long term health care problems to read in privacy without ever leaving home. On Easter Sunday 1994 my husband of 23 years at the time, Rick experienced a severe base of the brain stroke (torn vertebral artery) at the age of 44. It left his entire right side, concentration, memory, cognitive skills, vision and personality traits severely impaired. The conventional medical establishment saved his life but did very little to help with motivation, attitude, inspiration and long-term rehabilitation. That's when our long journey began! The majority of Rick's recovery came after he was told by his medical doctor that he would probably never improve, was refused therapy and sent away. After a short time in therapy Rick was let go and told that for any further therapy he was on his own.  We were told that our insurance company refused to pay for any further therapy because he would probably never get much better anyway.  Not being able to afford $150.00 per hour at the time on our own and being declined by the state Department of Rehabiltiation, Rick sank into a deep depression, began drinking while on antidepressants and became very bitter.  It wasn't until later when he met Dr. Vincent a clinical psychologist that things began to improve.  We began searching for low-cost alternatives that we could afford and do/use at home. Through years of searching, joining support groups and talking to others we learned more from ordinary people with experience than we did from the so called experts. I've gathered possible alternative solutions to the sometime-embarrassing emotional, mental, physical, financial/income and spiritual problems that we encountered into one place for others that are too poor to pay but too wealthy to get aide like we are.  Hopefully, it will help others to avoid the wasted years of torment we experienced!!!  Continued > > >
It takes less than a minute (about 15 seconds) to click on the button above to go to go to The Animal Rescue Site and click on their "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. Each click on the purple button on their site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary.  This doesn't cost you a thing.  Funding for food and care is paid by sponsors / advertisers and distributed to animals in need.  They use the number of daily "button clicks" to determine the amount of food to donate.  Please tell others!	A - G    H - M      N - S      T - Z The Patriotic American Red, White & Blue Christian Soldiers Cross was created as a non-denominational religious symbol to show to Honor our Military Members / Veterans and to show that "We are Proud to be Americans crusading in the Army of Soldiers for Christ!"  Q&A's To download easy to follow step-by-step instructions that explain everything that you need to know to start making your own crosses today click here.
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