Monthly Archives: March 2012

Mar28

Really? for the week

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Really? for the week

These are a few of the things that caused me to say, “really?” last week…

  • Watched 4 hours of a Storage Wars marathon…And liked it.
  • Traveled for 2 hours (each way) for my son to play baseball. Twice in one week.
  • Have the worst sunburn on my knees.  Just my knees.
  • Pollen.  Just pollen. (GA broke the count record at 9,369)
  • Spent an hour on the phone with a dog whisperer… (prozac dog post HERE)
  • Found out there’s a TV show called Duck Dynasty…(wondering why we can’t come up with a show idea and make it big…)
  • Had my daughter tell me that the larger spoons threw off the “feng shui” of her breakfast cereal experience.
  • Caught my husband watching Welcome Back Kotter on his iphone…
  • Had my son tell me the Hunger Games really wasn’t that violent.
  • Had to remind my son that 22 children were killed in the Hunger Games…

I also found out that my daughter is almost to her fundraising goal for her mission trip this summer.  She will be heading to Africa for 2 months.  You can read my original post about it HERE…

If you feel led to contribute, please do! otherwise, we certainly covet your prayers for her as she fulfills her call.

What made you say Really? last week?

 

Mar10

What’s Your Prozac?

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What’s Your Prozac?

I’ve recently posted on social media about my little dog, Sam, and his unacceptable issues.  We started him on Prozac a few weeks back, as well as suiting him up with a nifty “Thunder Shirt” and a pheromone collar…  We’ve also isolated him to 2 rooms 24/7… All for the purpose of calming his little doggie demons and extending his life in this world.

We have had Sam since he was a wee little pup, when we rescued him from some neighbors.  He was abused his first few weeks of life, and has struggled ever since.  His past obviously haunts him, as he doesn’t trust anyone, especially boys.  He shakes, paces, scratches, relieves himself at will, and occasionally bites.  At this point, you’re probably wondering why we have kept him all these years.  Well, we wonder the same thing most of the time, but we actually love him and he was originally my daughter’s (aren’t they always?)…Even though we have paid for him, and ended up taking care of him 99.9% of the time, she swears that she will take him after she graduates from college.  So, the new routine will hopefully get us through the next 3 years.

All of this dog business got me thinking about human nature and how we deal with stressful situations or even just life…How often do we let our past, or our fears, dictate our behavior, subconsciously or consciously?  We can wrap ourselves in any kind of “thunder shirt” or take any kind of pill to try and numb the fears, but they always seem to come back, don’t they?

There is a way to be free from all of your fears though, and it doesn’t cost a thing.  There’s a love out there for each one of us, no matter how bad our past has been, or how many people we have bitten.  It’s the love of Christ.  He wants to adopt you, fleas and all.  (Romans 8:15) He can wrap you in a thunder shirt of his grace, that forgives you permanently. (Acts 2:38) When the storms come, and the fears surface, you can pray to Him, in faith, and his Spirit will comfort and restore you every single time. (Romans 15:13)

So, what’s your Prozac?  Consider trying the love of Christ.  That prescription never runs out.

Mar1

Dancing, ER’s & Gallbladders, Oh My…

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Dancing, ER’s & Gallbladders, Oh My…

This week has been one of the strangest yet.  Saturday night my husband and I went to a formal event, complete with filet mignon, open bar, and a big dance floor.  I was in a gown, and he wore his tux as we danced and laughed and had a fabulous evening.

Sunday morning I had a stomach ache, but I was up and around.  Sunday night I woke around midnight with intense pain in my back and chest.  I was short of breath and nothing was making it better.  I woke my husband around 1, and he took me to the emergency room.

After the EKG and blood work, they did an x-ray and an ultra sound.  Then the doctor pushed on my gallbladder and I went though the roof.  It hurt so bad, I saw stars.  Apparently my gallbladder was so full of stones, that it was enlarged and stones were even backed up in my liver duct. I needed antibiotics and I had to have surgery that day. Really?

The doctor informed me that I would have the gallbladder removed, and then the next day, I would have a procedure to clean out my liver.  I ended up not having to have the liver procedure, because the doctor from the first surgery was able to clean it up himself. Praise the Lord.

Now I’m home, resting and recovering.

I’m still in shock.  I never had any issues with my gallbladder before. I honestly thought I had heartburn, or gas.  My husband thought I was having a heart attack. I certainly didn’t plan on having surgery this week.  It really reminded me just how fragile life is, and how things can change in an instant.

I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and concern.  I know I have friends, but I have never had so many people offer prayers, food, company, or rides.  I’ve gotten cards, flowers and wonderful meals.  I know that I received a miracle, having to skip the liver procedure, and getting the medical care that I did.  On top of that, I literally felt the prayers of my friends, and that filled me with the peace that passes understanding. (Phil 4:6-7)

As much as an emergency surgery was not in my plans this week, it was in God’s, and he took excellent care of me, through the doctors, my family and my friends.

An unexpected added bonus has been watching my husband trying to take care of my responsibilities, as well as his… Today he even told me he thought that I’m really super woman… That alone, was worth all of it.

Now I am trying to figure out how to eat without having issues.  I’ve read all kinds of things!  I know I need to avoid fatty foods – anything with more than 3 grams of fat, should not go in my mouth.  Fried and spicy foods are also on the no no list.  With so many people who have had their gallbladders removed, you would think there would be an easy go-to place for diet.  Everything I found seemed to be all over the board, and even contradicting.

If you have had a similar experience, let me know!  I would really appreciate hearing how your eating habits have changed, and how long it took to get back to normal…