Blissfully Uneventful

I never thought I'd be happy with uneventful. When I was healthy, I couldn't pack enough into a day, a week, a month. I would be on the go continuously, and loving it! I worked a TON, worked hard and played hard. I couldn't stand being still or bored for one second!

While I still hate being bored, I cannot express how joyful it is for me to say that the last 3 days have been almost COMPLETELY uneventful...no sickness, no appointments, just kind of peaceful existence. I can't BELIEVE that makes me happy! (Although I am EXTREMELY looking forward to Bible Study tomorrow!)

Doug is still fighting some kind of cold or allergy issues...and he is under a LOT of stress at work with this expansion going on. It's like a $10 million project, and since he is the superintendent (the boss) a lot falls on his shoulders as far as approving the work, getting money he needs from the state, approval from city council, etc. If you could all keep him in your prayers, that would be great. Not to mention the fact that he has me....(which is a blessing and a chore!) to worry about, Jacob, the animals...lots of projects for spring...Not to mention my mother-in-law got second degree burns from boiling water last Saturday! (Her name is Pat, if you could pray for her too!) His plate is very very full. So please pray for peace, and enough time for him to NON-stressfully get what he needs to get done.

Hope you are all having good, PEACEFUL days!

Swine Flu??

Okay. I'm trying to be calm. For those of you who know me well, you know I have a thing about germs. Part of me always HAS had a problem, but now I NEED to be extra careful because of my medical...challenges. : ) So the WHO and the CDC are talking pandemic...which I know are supposed to occur 3 times every century, and the last one in 1968 or whatever a million people died as opposed to 50 million in the pandemic of 1918.

I guess I just urge everyone to be extra careful, wash your hands a LOT, and stay away from sick people! Seriously, Doug's cousin is married to a man who works for Homeland Security, and he sent her an e-mail from work telling her to stay out of public places, and to stay home. They live in Texas, so I think their risk may be higher.

I don't want to be labelled an alarmist, but I think this thing is serious. It's spreading, and there have been cases in Michigan now. Including Allegan county. PLEASE be careful. There is a saying that I think is appropriate for such a time as this: Trust God, but continue to row the boat. In other words, we DO need to put our trust in God as He is the ultimate source of Life, but we can be practical about taking care of ourselves as well. Just my two cents. (Or maybe three....) : )

What a message!

Last night at InTents Life Ministries we had a jaw-dropper for a service. First of all, praise and worship was amazing, as usual. Almost as "InTents" as Thursday morning. (hehehe) Thursday at Bible study I was literally stomping my feet. Maybe there's a little pentecostal in there somewhere! It was just overwhelming. Amazing. Talk about the presence of God. WHOA.

Anyway...last night's message: Our main priority as children of God and members of His body is to reconcile. We have to not worry about being right, but about being true to the Word of God. EVEN IF you have been wronged. EVEN IF you ARE right. EVEN IF the person on the other end is continually "being mean" to you for lack of a better term. Our job is to go to that person, and ask for forgiveness for OUR part of the mess, and then come back together as friends.

Waaaait a minute here....I had all that down EXCEPT for the last part. I thought if you forgave, truly in your heart forgave, and did not have any ill will toward a person, that was enough. That you certainly didn't have to get back in relationship with that person! But according to God, it is not enough. We shouldn't forgive and then put up a 2 foot thick plexiglass wall to keep that person at bay. Pastor Dave said, "Can you imagine if the whole church worked on this simultaneously? It would hasten the arrival of the Lord Jesus because He wants to come back to a church without stain or blemish." Now of course, the church will never be perfect, and we KNOW that Jesus IS coming back...but imagine the POWER the church could have if we could stop worrying about who is RIGHT and start coming together as one! Can I get an AMEN??? IF the church, all memebers and denominations, all people of God, would live in true reconcilation with one another...no judging. No competition. No keeping up with the Joneses, materially OR spiritually. The POWER that the church would have then....we WOULD defeat the gates of hell!

I'm not talking praying for "unity;" as Pastor Dave pointed out, many times this is just a way to avoid and not deal with the true problems in the church. Pray for unity, and we'll be unified. Not necessarily so. Pray for reconciliation! Between friends! Bewteen pastor and church member! Between husband and wife! Betweeen demonimational lines! There are MANY things we will not agree on with others....but that doesn't mean they are not saved! There are what Pastor Dave would call "disputable matters" i.e. sprinkling or immersion in baptism. Adult or infant. Ya know, topics like these have seriously caused problems among believers! If someone was more concerned about being RIGHT than being true to God's whole Word....do you see what I'm saying here? If it's not a salvation issue, LET IT GO.

I'm all about hastening the arrival of the Lord Jesus, so I for one, know I have some e-mails to write, some apologies to make, and some reconciliation to do. Church, I BEG you....do the same. You know there is someone you are thinking of right now...maybe they really hurt you. Maybe they did do something wrong...maybe you ARE right about this specific thing....but in 5 years from now is it really going to matter? And how about in eternity??

Back to Reality?

Okay so yesterday here's some of what I did:
{crickets chirping}

Sat on the couch.
Managed to feed my child a couple of times.
Went to the eye doctor and got some bodacious glasses. Very dramatic.
Went out for dinner with my husband because my niece, God bless her, was here cleaning my house (I paid her, don't worry, cuz she worked her tail off), said, I'm here, I'll watch Jacob, you go out for dinner with Uncle Doug for some "aloooone time!" She said it so cute...she is only 20 and just recently married to a young soldier in Iraq...Daniel).

So yah. Back to reality, and I probably DID overdo it on Monday...but like I said, when I feel good, I just go flat out til I can't go no mo'! : ) So Tuesday, "go no mo'" I did!

So today my sister Lori is coming to visit, tomorrow is Bible study and lunch with Joanna, and Friday is Ann Arbor. Even with the hideous needles, this week is turning out to be fabulous!

Again, many thanks to those who faithfully life me up in prayer. Heck, even to those who have ever prayed for me at all!...I am so appreciate of you all I can't even tell you. God is working in my life, for sure...it's not always a pleasant road, but I just HAVE to keep my eyes on the destination!

Look at the Water Walker, not the Wind and Waves!!
Have a TERRIFIC day.

I Will Never Understand This Disease!!!!

Okay, so yesterday here are SOME of the things I did:
Folded 3 loads of laundry.
Washed and folded Jacob's laundry.
Boxed up 5 boxes for a garage sale.
Gave Jacob a bath.
Took a shower.

THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN IN ONE DAY IN MY LIFE!!

And that was all after an entire day out Sunday. That's the nature of this beast. (MG) No predictability! And can I just admit that I LOVE predictability? I CRAVE it! And who says God doesn't have a sense of humor!! After Sunday, I should have been wiped out Monday. But no! And sometimes, I will be fine one minute, and practically fall down the next.

I guess that's why I've decided that when I feel good, I'm going to go til I stop, ya know? I'm not sure if that's what's BEST for me...but as long as I'm getting my rest...I think what's helped a TON (other than all of you praying for me!) is that both Jacob and I slept really well the last 2 nights. He wasn't up coughing all night, Hallelujah!

Check out on my side bar Dinner with the King....you have to read the last couple of posts. God is doing a work in so many, and as Leigh commented on Crista's post, suffering isn't a popular message, but friends, it is an important one...Thank you Crista for sharing such powerful words!

Roller Coaster??

Okay, so I think everyone has heard and probably even used the old cliche "life is like a roller coaster...up and down."

Well, I'm going to expand on that a bit...My life feels more like the Corkscrew. You know, the one that not only goes up and down, but upside down? Actually that was my favorite the last time I was at Cedar Point, which was oh, let's just say a looong time ago. The biggest Coaster then was the Gemini. No kidding.

Anyway, I digress...

Add chronic illlness and a 2 1/2 year old and you've got a no holds barred, up and down and upside down, stomach churning, mild blowing, thrilling, terrifying ride. One minute, you're just having a blast...the beast called MG has been satisfied momentarily, Jacob is healthy and wonderful and perfect...and then...BAM! Upside down...but this time the straps holding you in snap, and you're hanging on for your life. You're literally white-knuckling it for your very life.

This is my life.

Some days I am the happiest, most contented, thrilled-with-my-life, on-the-right-track-with-God, getting-along-perfectly-with-my-husband, feeling-strong, super-mom, confident woman. Then there are the other 360 days of the year! : ) But seriously...lately, WOW...what a battle. If I did not have God in my life, and friends who know Him, I would be in the loony bin. (I've also recently connected with an old friend on facebook who is the BOSS at the loony bin, who holds the keys to the padded cells, so...I'm just sayin').

One dear friend has been calling me DAILY to pray over me. Every day. Do you have any idea how precious that woman is to me? Another friend who I know lifts me up in prayer daily also listen to me rant and rave and emotionally vomit, and she take it with the greatest of ease...but she's not afraid to ask the tough questions either. God Bless you both....I couldn't get along without you.

Sometimes I almost feel schizophrenic...but I have good company. David, the Psalmist, was one emotional guy! He makes me feel better about all of my outbursts, good AND bad. Psalm 42:9-11 "I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

It's like he not only goes back and forth but he also talks to himself, and then answers! I LOVE this guy! I'm not sure what the whole point of this post is...just that life is crazy, I guess, and I'm really glad I have godly friends who help me stay on track, spiritually, emotionally...(I don't think mentally, but that's a whooooole other subject!)

After 32 Months....

After 32 months, almost to the day, my precious baby got his very first ear infection. And a double one at that. You should have seen the doctor when she asked if he was allergic to any medication, and I said, well, he's never been on any, so I wouldn't know... She was like, he's never had an ear infection??? I'm like, um, no? Jacob has only been really sick 3 times in his life. Once when he was about 12 months, last June when he got giraffe-lickem-itis from feeding the giraffes at Binder Park (it was really roseola but it's funnier the other way) and now. But he has never required an antibiotic. He's actually doing pretty good, but yesterday, oh it just broke my heart to look at him. His eyes were all droopy and watery, his nose was just a constant stream, he was coughing almost continually...Horrible!!!

He looks pretty darn good here, but his little nose is all red from drippin' and his cheeks are red from wiping his drippin' nose with his sleeve...I know, I know...he HATES it when I wipe it. And then there's the "Booger Sucker;" the bane of every baby and toddler's existence. When he was really little, he would just lay there and be like, whatever...now he screams and thrashes his head side to side...I'm not strong enough to hold him down, so I have to go for the jab-and-suck, which as you can imagine isn't always successful. He starts screaming, "No boodah! No Boodah!" (His "g"'s aren't great get...so when you ask him what Daddy's "other" name is, it's Doud." Pretty darn cute.

The not so cute part is that my chest hurts again, and I had to miss my trip to Ann Arbor yesterday, so I'm hoping that doesn't mess everything up. We're tacking on an extra one after next Friday, so...we'll see! I certainly don't think I'll get an ear infection, but everything goes to my chest, which is the weakest part of me (and the most dangerous to be sick there!) But whatever. I made it through this last time....I can make it through again, I suppose.

I did get to Linda's folks...please keep praying for them...she's been gone just over 6 months, and the pain is still very fresh and raw. I was bummed that they didn't have any of her clothes, but I got a whole try of her earrings, a candle snuffer we had gotten her...the jewelry box Doug had made for her...and a couple of other tangible things...Like the giant green Rainforest Cafe mug that is now my morning coffee mug. Oh, how I miss her...but as painful as it seems, it helps me to have these things of hers...not sure why...Her mom couldn't even look at them.

So....please, once again, still, continue, however ya wanna say it....keep us in your prayers.... We need them, and we appreciate them more than you know!!