on abiding

This was in my reading this morning before church. The words are so simple, yet so beautiful. I had to share. : )

As its light opens on your waking eyes, accept it in these terms: A day, just one day only, but still a day, given to abide and grow up in Jesus Christ. Whether it be a day of health or sickness, joy or sorrow, rest or work, of struggle or victory, let the chief thought with which you receive it in the morning thanksgiving be this: “This is the day that the Father has given; in it I may, I must, become more closely united with Jesus.”

-Andrew Murray from Abide in Christ

a chance meeting

A while back during my hiatus here I went on a little trip. I don’t like to fly. I used to but not so much anymore.

But I flew.

I found my seat and waited for the rest of the people to find their seats. I sweet lady sat down next to me. 

I’m so thankful.

Her name is Natalie. (see her comments on this and this post)  Gasp…yes I gave her the url to my blog…first IRL person EVER.  Anyway, we chatted much along the trip. She is recovering from a surgery that has left her arm in a sling and I am recovering as well. So we bonded over our surgeries and struggles to get better.

I gave her gum and offered to help fasten her seatbelt and get things out of her bag.

But she offered up prayer for me on the plane before it landed. Such a treasure. Makes my gum and simple assistance seem like a pretty small gift.  But I know we were both in the right place at the right time. I’m so thankful we had more to bond over than the things going on with our bodies.

So if you’re reading Natalie…thanks for befriending a girl on a plane and being such an encouragement to me during an unsure time.

Hope you are well, sweet new friend.

Hugs and love! : )

taking a break

I am taking a bit of a blogging break.

I am overwhelmed with life right now. And there is just so much I need to learn to be able to keep myself healthy…eating and exercising and many other things. And they really need to be done properly to help me optimally in the long run.

But it takes a while. And a lot of prayer and effort. So I will see you girls later. : )

for the rest of my life

I know I’m making a lot of lifestyle changes. And I am enjoying them. Really, I am. But there are some days that the weight of all the changes, plus everything else just weighs heavy on me.

I was walking the other day, with all these things running through my head. I was overwhelmed with all the new things in my life that feel like “must-do’s” and I was starting to get really stressed out. And a little depressed.

All I could think about was…I am going to be trying to do ‘all these things’ and struggle to stay well for the rest of my life.

It was a lot to take in. And it sounded so much like the truth. Isn’t the enemy brilliant at making things sound so *right* inside our heads?

But thankfully there was another Voice not far behind that one. Saying “no daughter, all you need to do is love Me for the rest of your life and I will take care of you.”

*tears*

So that is where I am today. At times in both places. The place where I am stressed out. And the place where I am resting in the Love of my Father. Hopefully in the coming days the Truth will be more alive to me and the “other voice” will be drowned out by His Love.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

a new twist on breakfast

I like to eat breakfast, but I am ashamed to say that it used to consist of either toast (with jelly) or something like Cheerios.

Since this new turn of events in my life, I’ve been changing just about everything about how I eat. One of those changes was my morning meal.

I started eating oatmeal. And not the stuff in the packets either! I must admit I just buy “old fashioned” oatmeal…I haven’t graduated up to the steel cut stuff…yet! Baby steps.

I have never liked oatmeal much, but I knew it was super healthy for me. And when I had company for a week that cooked it for me…in a different way every day…I began to see oatmeal in a new light…as a blank canvas.

So these days, I am likely to eat apple cinnamon, almond coconut, or banana oatmeal. And they are all YUMMY. : )

My basic oatmeal “recipe” for my one serving is 1/3 cup of oatmeal and 2/3 cup almond milk (I get the unsweetened kind), a little drizzle of honey, a few shakes of stevia and a teaspoon full of (refined…meaning unflavored) coconut oil. Bring to a bubble and cook to desired doneness.

But to that, I add the goodies…a little bit of applesauce and some cinnamon with a splash of vanilla. Or about a half of the smallest baby food jar size of banana and some vanilla. Or non-refined coconut oil (meaning it tastes like coconuts…unlike refined oil) and some almond extract.

Sometimes I put some flax seeds in the mini blender with a spice grinding blade and make some powdered flax to sprinkle on top.

It’s very yummy and it fills me up much better than toast of cereal. As a matter of fact, I don’t even miss it. And THAT is saying something. : )

food tv

The buzz all around is that Paula Deen *finally* admitted to having type 2 diabetes. Surprise!

not.

I feel bad that she’s got diabetes. I really do. But what bugs me are the recipes all the FN “stars” put out. Just about everything is decadent. It’s all about taste and not very often about health or nutrition. I find myself totally uninterested in Food Network (and sadly we don’t get the Cooking Channel) because there isn’t anything on there I want to eat! Every once in a while Rachael Ray will make something that is healthy…she is all over the board with her recipes, so sometimes it’s good for ya. And I know I can think of recipes here and there that are ok, so I don’t want to get nailed for this. But by and large, most of the stuff on that channel is bad for you.

When are these cooking stars going to start taking things more seriously and use their powers for good instead of evil make healthy food???

And especially Paula because she has now gone on tv and admitted she has a disease directly linked to the way she eats…whether she wants to admit it or not. I know there are other factors…trust me I know…both my parents were diabetic. But what we eat is a big player in this. A big one.

Come on “stars”…help us eat good food that’s healthy too!

and worth every mile

I visited the new onc today. It was 40 miles of white knuckle driving…each way. But so worth every mile. : )

He was the kindest man. And he listened to me. And agreed with the things I’ve been saying. He has some views that are similar to mine, I feel. He seems to be a bit of a rebel and I like that. No, I need that. I needed somebody to step outside the box with me and help me find the best care. And he did. And he didn’t even have to have that open a mind to find a better treatment for me than what was offered at my old onc. I remember saying she never said that at the other office several times.

He is in agreement with all the things I am currently doing…even saying they are excellent things to do. The same things my other onc wouldn’t even acknowledge, much less actually discuss. He told me not to lose any more weight. Not sure about that one, since I have a belly pooch that really needs to go. But he suggested I do resistance training, which I have done in the past. He wants me to gain muscle mass..it is helpful for me chemically for where I am right now. He recommended a book to me by Vonda Wright…Fitness After 40. He told me the title over and over again and I couldn’t figure out what he was saying. I kept hearing Feet…Feet After 40. He is from Columbia and has a pretty heavy accent. He talked about a lot of things that made sense to me. Some things were very shocking…going on bc pills before 20 triples your chances for breast cancer. I’ve never heard that from anybody. Not even a gyn I took my daughter to see and discuss going on the pill. I am ever so thankful we didn’t do it. His comment to me was DON’T DO IT. Trust me, I won’t. He has been around long enough that he’s seen a lot of things and he’s got a wealth of knowledge and not just knowledge, wisdom. I have no doubt that my old onc has a lot of knowledge in her…but not a lot of wisdom…or people smarts. She was so hard to talk to..impossible to have a conversation with about my care. She was like a blank wall. Not so with Dr. O.

I walked in and signed in…one girl at one desk. I filled out my papers and sat down. In one waiting room. At the old clinic, I’d sign in and sit down..in the first waiting room. And then they’d hand me a folder and I’d have to go through another waiting room and stand in line at a window to give her my red folder for her take one piece of paper out and put it in an orange folder to be send to a third waiting room to wait to be called. No joke. And then they took me to an exam room that looked like it was going to be in a storage closet…I stayed so turned around in there that I couldn’t even find the bathroom by myself. The old office just wasn’t very user friendly on many levels…and that’s putting it mildly. Today I stopped at the nurse’s station right outside the exam room and met one of his nurses…who was very warm and friendly..and then followed one sign to the appointment desk to made my next appointment and left. It was so easy compared to the other office that was a tangled mess of red tape from walking in the door to walking out. It seems as though it will be well worth the drive for me. So thankful to have found him.

I got in the van to come home and called the hubs to let him know how the appointment went…and ended up almost in tears because I was so pleased. Thankful to be in tears for a different reason after an appointment. : )