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When things feel uncertain…

We can all confess 2020 has been quite the year. I pray each of you have learned more about yourself and more importantly, more about who God is to you in your darkest hour. I also pray He will continue to lead, guide, direct and comfort you in the days to come. Here’s some very simple, heartfelt advice.

When God nudges you to do something that may sound impossible, don’t allow your mind time to question or sabotage your decisions. 

Follow His lead immediately.

Don’t look around at the storm; your glaringly evident circumstances; your current state of stability and security; or especially your past failures.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. 

Pay attention to His subtle tactics of making you uncomfortable in certain areas. Ask Him, not your friends or even loved ones, what He is trying to show you. Also ask Him for confirmation and follow the peace only He can provide. In certain times we want to follow our heart, but our heart can be fickle and deceive us.

Seek only Him.

There is no greater joy or peace once you’ve taken that first step. There is no greater honor in knowing how this change will allow you to bless so many others.

Ask Him where He wants you to sow.

This humbling step of obedience, although frightening in the moment, will ultimately lead to a greater dependency on Him.

He will increase.  

Assuring with each victory, always give Him all the glory and honor. This pleases His Father’s heart beyond measure and there are no limits to what He will do on your behalf. 

Be careful to glorify Him.

In the middle of a global pandemic, this has been my 2020. My two friends and I fasted, made lists, and prayed in December 2019 for specific things to happen in 2020. God was and continues to be exceedingly faithful to us.

Faithful God. He holds our lives secure. 

I sincerely believe, without a shadow of doubt, it was only the beginning and 2021 will be even greater. 

In the storm, He is our true north. And we are stronger through and after the storm.

Here’s to forgetting the past, embracing new beginnings and journeys. Happy New Year blessings to all!

g

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Stop the madness!

I graduated nursing school in 1979 & later advanced my degree. I’ve witnessed the evolution of healthcare; new disease discoveries; treatment processes & lots more. I finally understand what the saying, “I’ve already forgotten more than you’ll ever know” means. I worked in nursing before we used gloves like our second skin. I’m probably dating myself, but the timeline is important.
At the hospital I worked at we began admitting the first patients infected with HIV/AIDS during the early 90’s. The fear of contracting it was overwhelming sometimes. I would sincerely pray that I wasn’t assigned a certain patient & actually wasn’t until he was transferred to our skilled nursing facility (SNF). He was a pastor & his elderly mother never, ever left his side. We had to don full PPE prior to entering any affected patient’s room & it was a nightmare for me. I can’t breathe using masks unless the room temp is zero, so……. All the patient’s stories varied. One 26 y/o heterosexual male contracted it because of one night of unprotected sex with an infected female. Some were gay men whose previous partners were infected. One guy had advanced stages affecting his brain & was so mean/violent he spit in one of my favorite nurses eyes. She had to undergo months of treatment. This definitely didn’t help my paranoia.
Then there was one I’ll never forget. He was young; funny; Cajun speaking: & all the nurses on my floor became attached to him. His name was Robert & if he wasn’t admitted to our floor, we’d take time to go visit him wherever he was in the hospital. He learned our habits & I even cut my hair very short so the masks wouldn’t constantly mess up my hair! One night we went to visit him & he complained that I had coffee breath! He was always my patient when he was admitted to our floor & knew this wasn’t my norm at all! Lolololololol! Over time they determined that we didn’t have to use full PPE when merely entering the room, but we were to treat every patient as if they were infected. We were drilled to practice adequate blood & body fluid precautions. This wasn’t difficult because it was all so new to us.

During some of his later stages I took the time to pray with Robert. He was raised Catholic & he happily repeated the sinners prayer with me. My most painful memory was calling his partner & begging him to make Robert a DNR. Doctors had been unsuccessful so they asked if I could try. I can still remember exactly where I was sitting at the nurses station that night & pleading, though tears, for this. None of the medical staff wanted to code him. The partner, who had stop coming to visit, refused. Not long after that phone call I returned to work from my usual days off & Robert had died. As painful as it was, I knew he wasn’t suffering & I would eventually see him again in Heaven. My fear of a disease began to slowly dissipate & I began to understand the humans affected by it. Fear grips us. Faith calms & brings peace.
Remember the pastor? I frequently worked on the SNF unit & I finally had him as a patient. Because my son, Bryce, was a toddler I continued to utilize full PPE when doing any treatments on him. Even when I explained why I did, his mom was very offended. On one occasion, during the wee morning hours, I had to restart his IV. He was very angry & began yelling & lashing out at his mother. I immediately stepped in & told him that he would in no way disrespect her in my presence. I reminded him that she has been by his side for months neglecting her own health/well being & his behavior was unacceptable. He began to cry. I listened. Afterwards, in the hall, the mom gave me a huge hug & thanked me numerous times. She was exhausted; hurt; felt alone & uncertain about her son’s future. So many pent up emotions were discussed on a regular basis & we developed a wonderful, respectful working relationship until he was finally discharged.
Stories like this were repeated over & over with every new wave of unknown disease. As a nurse I was subjected to every virus that hit our ER. There were some patients quarantined in ICU that even our greatest diagnosticians couldn’t figure out what they had. Those are unforgettable.
I left nursing in 2004 after moving to Texas & worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Hepatitis clinical research. This educated me in the field of an entirely new disease process. One patient had a horrible vehicle accident & contracted Hep C from receiving blood products that weren’t properly tested. Another from being stuck by an infected needle during reconstruction on a house that had apparently been a crack house. None were IV drug users. I knew their stories. I prayed with/for them. I bought conditioning hair masks for my female patients to use on their brittle, straw-like hair. I spent time with our dietitian & created specific dietary instructions. The drug company wanted to clone me because of my patient enrollment & retention. They paid me to speak at best practices conferences in Las Vegas & Miami. Another drug company wanted me to be on their trial steering committee. I learned to treat the human while investing in their positive trial outcomes.
Throughout my nursing career I learned to treat every person, until I knew otherwise, as though they had a contractible disease. To this day, even after leaving that field, I still do. It’s common medical practice. It’s common sense. It helped me cope with the unknown.
Today we’re watching as a global threat, the Coronavirus or Covid-19 paralyzes nations. Every movie I’ve ever seen regarding this scenario – I Am Legend; Outbreak; The Patriot; & even all the zombie/vampire comes to mind regarding the aftermath of incidents. Doomsday 101. Hopelessness. Uncertainty. Fear.
What happened when the pandemic of 2009 happened? Remember it? H1N1 Coronavirus Swine Flu? I don’t even remember it being called a pandemic. Although there are over 70,000 reported cases of infected Covid-19 patients being healed, the media is creating widespread paranoia. That my friends is worse than any disease. How did we react to H1N1? Did businesses close? Did schools close? Were spring breaks extended or colleges/universities reverted to online classes only? Did travel cease to happen?
What about how we handled HIV/AIDS? Musicians held concerts for worldwide support. Televised documentaries were done on the devastation of what the disease did to children & families. Did our nation or nations shut down? Did we clean out our local grocery stores? Did common bleach sell for $40 per 2 pack? None of this happened during either epidemic/pandemic. What changed? The advancement of social media has created a massive storm of widespread panic. Please, please don’t contribute to this. Stay informed, but exercise wisdom.
People are stockpiling normal every day items as if an apocalypse is happening. We aren’t preparing for an earthquake or tsunami with total power outages are we?

I have a few questions……
(1) How are the people, who can’t afford these things on a normal basis, going to survive should this hysteria continue? Think of senior citizens who typically have to choose between buying their meds or using fans in the summer instead of air conditioning because they can’t afford the higher utility bills. What about single parent households?
(2) How are people who currently live paycheck to paycheck going to survive being quarantined two weeks or longer without paid time off? If the recommended quarantine period is 2 weeks, is it 10 weeks for a family of 5 or 12 weeks for a family of 6? Who pays their expenses after sick time is used? Short/long term disability insurance benefits?
(3) If a company shuts down what happen to employees? Who will step in? FEMA? If so, & if we have to avoid face to face contact, who’s going to do intake & provide funding to clients? I’m used to hurricane disaster relief & long term recovery, & this is already causing the same devastation to the family finances.
(4) Last, but certainly not least, are people taking their salvation as serious as their toilet paper stashes? I am personally clinging to what the Word of God says about protecting His children. I am abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. I am His.
More people die from H1N1 Coronavirus than Covid-19. And…… let’s not forget the other number one killers…. Heart Disease. Stroke. Cancer. Why aren’t we prepping or changing our lifestyles for the effects of these? Again…… I contribute this to social media craze.
Please do your part in minimizing or de-escalating the mania.
Practice common sense.
Practice being considerate of those who need help.
Practice humanitarianism.
Practice faith in a God that already knew this would happen.
Rant over!
Blessings,
g
I will never be shaken
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Dead Ended

Just a thought…..
I’ve heard the expression, “dead end relationship” or “dead end marriage” several times this week. I’ve typically used this description for jobs that have zero capacity to excel or advance through the ranks so to speak. Or…. a dead end street. Relationships, whether marital or not, have a kazillion ways to evolve & excel. Where are relationships traveling to for them to reach a dead end? Who was navigating? What were the unreached goals or brick walls qualifying them as dead end? What were their destinations? Were there ever any set goals & plans implemented to achieve them? Some common goals such as purchasing a home; starting a family; plan for retirement; are often just following a path laid out by millions. Why is there so much pressure for relationships to become anything? Why isn’t the relationship journey simply enjoyed? Why does claiming relationships are a dead end provide a ticket to walk away from it? Or… justify sin?

What about personal development; trust; loyalty; fidelity; weathering storms of life together? Wedding vows elude to two people becoming one. Scriptures guide & direct us toward dissolving individual relational motives & becoming one flesh as if to live in a symbiotic culture. There are direct commands about how to accomplish this.

the two will be one. So they are no longer two but one. – Mark 10:8

If a relationship is a “dead end” which one caused it? If the two are now one, who’s fault is it? One flesh concepts make blame shifting inconceivable. I guess I have a completely different perspective, but…… relationships grow as we grow or regress as we do. I learned this the hard way, but it was a lesson well learned.

Who’s responsible to assure this doesn’t happen? Is it only the wife? Or just the husband? Or is it a mutual responsibility? Marriage or relationships aren’t 50-50. It’s 100-100.

As a single adult, who still loves the idea of marriage, hearing relationships rated as “dead end” saddens me. For anything to remain viable or alive, it has to be nourished & maintained. Often times a plant becomes root bound & no longer grows or thrives. Other times a fungus or even bacterial growth in soil leads to poor nutrition. Then parasites can wreak havoc too. Determining root causes of any condition is critical before healing & restoration can occur. What are the root causes of a “dead end” relationship? Who’s responsible for mending the problem? Who tills the soil? Who repots the “plant” to ensure continued growth & development?

Mutuality is the standard answer. Allowing the one who has created relationships since the dawn of time to lead, guide & direct your path is the ultimate answer. Remember…. He gave His most precious gift to reconcile man back to Himself. Reconciliation is His specialty.

Nurture those you love. Allow God to heal your relationships. Embrace the moments. Enjoy the journey.

Blessings,

g

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Broken

We read a lot of ”share this” or ”copy & paste” posts on social media. Most of those I merely scroll through, but I actually took time to read this.

Holidays, as a single parent, used to present such a challenge to me. A year or so after my second divorce I purchased those Christmas cards where you inserted family pictures. That should date myself as pictures are the cards now!  OK! Early 90’s!! Anyway…. when I purchased the cards, I told myself I would be able to send out a nice new family picture next Christmas. I packed & unpacked those cards for years repeating the same mantra.  One year my daughter spouted off to me about it as if to say, ”why hasn’t this happened yet?” The struggle of being a single parent is difficult enough & knowing how much it affects our children makes it worse. My children are beautiful, amazing, determined young adults facing the challenges of the world for their own families. My daughter has recently experienced divorce & the unbelievable consequences. She has done so with humility & has heavily relied on the grace & strength of a loving Father.

My son has asked me, in wonder, several times how I ever managed on my own knowing I worked 3 jobs & did the best I could. Adulting101 was now a reality for him, but he & his beautiful wife are amazing. They figure things out together! Observing both of my kids lives & knowing at times what they’re feeling makes me want to rescue them. As an empty nester living on a non-profit income, this isn’t always possible.  Aside from offering encouragement or some words of wisdom, from previous experiences, I’ve realized not being able to rescue is a good thing.

Being broken & discovering ourselves in the process doesn’t represent weakness. Bones break & once healed, are stronger. Broken, reinforced pottery, is stronger.  I love the picture of the broken pottery filled with gold to represent the value isn’t lost.

Art of Precious Scars

The ”copy & paste” below seems long, but I love the story behind it. If you’re a single adult;  single parent; empty nester; recently lost a loved one; just dreading the holidays or life in general, please be encouraged today. Even in your brokenness, you are loved, valuable, very important & never, ever alone.  I pray you glean wisdom & strength from your experience. One day others may need your support.  I wish you the very best this holiday season. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Blessings,

g

 I was in Dollar Tree last night and there was a lady and two kids behind me in the LONG line. One was a big kid, one was a toddler. The bigger one had a pack of glowsticks and the baby was screaming for them so the Mom opened the pack and gave him one, which stopped his tears. He walked around with it smiling, but them the bigger boy took it and the baby started screaming again. Just as the Mom was about to fuss at the older child, he bent the glowstick and handed it back to the baby. As we walked outside at the same time, the baby noticed that the stick was now glowing and his brother said “I had to break it so you could get the full effect from it.” I almost ran because l could hear God saying to me, “I had to break you too show you why I created you. You had to go through it so you could fulfill your purpose.” That little baby was happy just swinging that “unbroken” glowstick around in the air because he didn’t understand what it was created to do which was “glow”. There are some people who will be content just “being” but some of us that God has chosen, we have to be “broken”. We have to get sick. We go through divorce. We have to bury our spouse, parents, best friend, or our child because, in those moments of desperation, God is breaking us but when the breaking is done, then we will be able to see the reason for which we were created.

 

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Legacy

Last night, after prayer time, this midnight conversation was in my head & heart, so I wanted to get it on paper today.  Often times we talk about being Christ-like. What does that really look like? It’s beyond bumper stickers, crosses on our walls, working in church ministries, or speaking Christianese.

So many times people rush through life trying to hang on for dear life or climb to the top rung of the ladder & completely neglect the weightier matters. Matthew 23:23 defines this as justice, mercy & faithfulness. Many of our races to survive or succeed neglect most, if not all, of those. Some people feel being the best parent they can be; supporting their spouse in the most dedicated measure or simply being a good human is their life goal. Others believe that is degrading & are constantly striving for more. There should never be judgement from either category towards the other.  The last time I noticed, what we choose to define personal happiness & purpose wasn’t a competition! And….it was just that…..personal.

During raw, emotional prayer time before God I realized & confessed to sounding so double minded it was if I had alternate personalities. I think I would give Sybil a run for her money.  Yes, I just dated myself, but……. it’s OK! Being single for 23 yrs has presented a plethora of challenges; obstacles; unbelievable circumstances; tears; fears; anger; uncertainty; doubt; rejection; repetitive failures;  defeat; victories; triumph; success; & miracles. The most important factor of all,  faith in an unseen God who holds my future.

Numerous times I’ve prayed that I wanted a husband & other times I’ve been beyond happy not to risk having another possible heartache or having to answer to anyone for anything.  My dog, Sven, is all the responsibility & accountability I want! Then I want someone else to make decisions because I’m tired of making them. But… what if he’s not making the right decisions?? What if he’s a worse procrastinator than I?  What if…..

hear my cry o God

I clearly don’t need to be rescued, but sometimes want to be, but don’t want to appear weak or appear as a damsel in distress. Can someone just fill up my tank with gas & wash my car??? Or…..help me unload the groceries??? The simplest decisions & activities really suck sometimes. How can God answer any of my prayers when I’m so wishy-washy??? My pride or time honored independence totally creeps in wreaking havoc on my humility!  I can just picture God probably scratching His head wondering, “What in the world does she really want?!?!?!?!” At any given moment He could be directing angels to act on my behalf only to have to call them back to wait…….. I’m so thankful He knows what’s best for me regardless of my fickle mindedness!

In 2009 I was sitting on my love seat petting & talking to Marshall, my son’s Cairn Terrier. The conversation with Marshall happened after talking to a friend having marital problems.  I admitted to Marshall I didn’t want to deal with any of that stuff ever again. My life was complete & for that I was extremely thankful. If I felt the need to fill a void, all I needed was a dog!  Marshall loved that idea!  A dog would love me unconditionally; be happy when I returned home; make attempts to please me; offer emotional support; provide companionship; allow me to spoil them rotten; & most of all…..never question my loyalty to it. Perfect!  Marshall proved all this while patiently & lovingly enjoying his time of being petted.  Notice a pattern? There was more focus on me being happy with the current situation rather than waiting for someone else to make me happy.

Suddenly….. I had a stark revelation that, for the first time after being single 15 years, I was content in my state of singleness. It was a very painful, yet surreal moment. My best friend, Kayline would tell me, “You’ll find love when you’re not looking.” I used to become incensed that she would say that & finally asked her never to tell me that again. I was always looking for love! I loved the union of marriage. I immediately called Kayline to apologize & ask her to forgive me for being a tyrant when she’d mention that. I could honestly tell her I was content & not specifically looking.  The morning after my stark revelation, on my way to church, I made a pact with God.  If I could fulfill my purpose & complete my destiny as a single woman, then I would happily live the rest of my years contently single. If said purpose & destiny could only be completed joined with a husband, then I would trust God would direct our paths to meet. According to simple math, that was 8 yrs ago.  I haven’t stopped pursuing my purpose or just sat around for a mate to suddenly appear.  This reminds me of a famous quote:

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. -Theodore Roosevelt

What do I really want? Besides giving angels whiplash??? In this raw prayer time I determined exactly what I truly wanted. To leave a beautiful legacy just as Jesus did. To be servant minded; a cheerleader for the underdog; be civic minded within my community; love the unloving; participate in social justice; be present & involved more in with my loved ones; be supportive & influential to those walking the same path I’ve walked. To be sincerely Christ-like, not perfect. I simply want to leave a legacy. Like the words of one of my favorite Nicole C. Nordeman’s song…..

I want to leave a legacy,
 How will they remember me?
 Did I choose to love? 
 Did I point to you enough?
 To make a mark on things
 I want to leave an offering
 A child of mercy and grace 
 Who blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy.

Regardless of my state of contentment with my relationship status, when the time comes, I want to hear His voice welcoming me home. Simple. Clear. Precise. Decisive. Unwavering.

What does your raw prayer time look like? What have been some surreal moments for you? What type of legacy would you like to leave? Please share!

Blessings,

g

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Happy Mother’s Day ’17

Happy Mother’s Day to YOU!! I love Bible Journaling (others, not mine!!) so I’m adding some of my favorite scripture passages for you! A couple may be the same scripture,  but I love the different artistic concepts. 

As a single mom of 23 yrs., now empty nester of 7, my heart always gravitates toward single mothers. I do admire & respect single dads equally, but afterall….I am female & this is Mother’s Day, so please don’t think I’m purposely leaving you guys out!! Each day has the potential to present rewards & challenges. Some days you are the best friend; confidant; coolest neighborhood hangout; the styling & profiling everyone’s favorite! Other days or often even within the same day you can be labeled as the hateful boundary maker; wicked witch; rude; mean; disinterested; uninvolved; clueless; old fashioned troll. 

No one knows or comprehends the sacrifices made. Between juggling the finances of your one income; balancing the emotions of anxiety, stress, depression, or sanity; fighting with ex-spouses regarding child support & visitation; making sure food & everyday necessities are adequate; school uniforms & supplies are purchased; being the chaperone; nurse; teacher; coach; mentor; spiritual advocate; mediator; counselor; chef; handyman; lawn care provider; mechanic & let’s not forget……veterinarian. That sounds like a lot, but in all honesty, there’s probably some duties left out. Multiply all those tasks times the number of children one has & you’ve just taken multi-tasking to a whole nutha level. 

I look back on my early days of being a single parent & can’t even fathom how my kids or I survived. The only way to describe it is, ”Except for Grace!” Once someone told me I functioned in a perpetual survival mode mentality & I guess they were right. In my eyes, it was far better than being a co-dependent; weak minded; vulnerable; victim who easily surrendered or cowered to the weight of responsibility.  I’m not being judgemental of anyone, but this is a polar opposite description of what I was. I sincerely didn’t know any other way. I worked as a nurse & had four jobs. Add juggling four work schedules on top of all the duties listed above & I should’ve been a robot. Because I could make more money per hour by working options such as Per Diem, Float Pool or Agency, I chose this option over being a staff nurse in an attempt to make ends meet. I also worked some travel nurse & strike assignments out of state. Ends never seemed to meet, but… This also meant I had zero medical benefits & if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid. My son developed asthma at fifteen months old. He was in & out of the hospital, often Pedi ICU for status asthmaticus attacks or pneumonia. Once divorced, making sure he always had meds & keeping him out of the hospital was the ultimate goal. His pediatrician used to lecture me on the lack of insurance benes, but he soon learned it was a futile attempt.  He also learned & later appreciated that I knew every trigger, early onset warning signs of impending attacks & exactly what the best method of treatment was for him to quickly recover. When he got sick, taking off work to nurse him back to health always meant there’d be a reduction in income & jeopardizing my job security. None of that mattered. His health & well being was my number one responsibility.  Add this to the ongoing list of dealing with school situations & honestly just typing this gives me a headache!! You see, not only was I a single parent, but I had no familial safety net because both of my parents were deceased. My daughter was eleven years older than my son & she was a fabulous resource.  She was an amazing daughter, excellent student, teachers favorite, was taught household responsibilities at age nine & loved kids. She used to beg to not be the only child. Although he referred to her as the ”Drill Sargent” I can’t tell you how fortunate I was to have a brilliant; mature; responsible; reliable; low-maintenance; trustworthy child who didn’t add drama to our fragile world. Don’t get me wrong,  it wasn’t always her favorite thing to do & she often reminded me he wasn’t her son, but….Everyone pitches in & there’s sacrifice at every level. We were a family & that’s what families do. Now she’s a single mom & trust me, she’s in my daily prayers. 

Fast forward to 2017 & the world has evolved exponentially adding even more pressure & responsibilities for single parents. Just the technological advancements & addition of social media alone has altered the single family nucleus significantly. Staring at tiny screens has replaced looking into the eyes of tiny faces. It’s supposed to help is stay in constant contact, but oh my goodness the drama!! Then….the changes, requirements & expectations within the educational system alone makes me dizzy. My grandkids are soaring, but to be honest, I’m so thankful to have all that behind me! 

I’ve said this before & it bears repeating. The struggles I endured, whether self inflicted or just happenstance, made me who I am today. The lessons were often repeated until learned, but I grew from them. It is hard. It isn’t fair. It is lonely. It is sad. It is frustrating beyond measure. It is extremely & unbelievably exhausting. It is confusing.  It is heartbreaking.  It is sometimes moment by moment devastation. It is cruel. It will cause you to discover or develop layers of emotions you’ve never even dreamed could co-exist in one human. You can do it! It isn’t easy, but I can now tell you it’s worth it. 

Many of my friends have watched their children succumb to various addictions; become involved in tumultuous affairs; develop relationships with the wrong influences; become estranged; never find themselves outside of their parents circle of provision; attempt to take their own lives or have even lost their children at an early age. I thank God on a daily basis for my family. Through all my mistakes, misunderstood tough love & some right decisions they are beyond amazing.  I treasure & love spending time with them. I used to pray for God to at least let me live long enough to make sure they were alright.  This was selfish & conceded because He’s the only one who could do that.  I’m just an earthly guide. I can honestly say…. they are more than alright. 

Some of my single parent friends have just experienced watching their children graduate from high school, begin college or even get married. It’s an entirely new season & portion of your journey. Take a deep breath, look at yourself in the mirror & say, ”Good job Mom!” Embrace the moments ahead & be thankful for every step. Please remember…. you are never alone.  

Blessings, 

g



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And so it begins!!

Many of you know I’m ready to put down roots in San Antonio so…​the home buying process has begun!! One of my neighbors is selling her house & wanted me to look at it today. It’s a small 2br / 1 1/2 ba; living room with a fireplace & built ins; original wooden floors with ceramic tile in kitchen & bath; huge walk-in pantry; a bonus room; located on a corner lot with decent sized, well established shaded yard with some of my fav plants & trees. Favs as in crape myrtles; mountain laurel; desert willow; oak; pecan; bamboo; pittosporum; agave; prickly pear type cactus; purple jew; jasmine; firecracker plant; roses; privet hedge & more.That was just my quick glance inventory!  

Mountain Laurel

I think every room in the house was painted the colors I’ve used to paint past houses, especially my house in Libuse.  Exact same colors! My neighbor is very artsy & eclectic. She did the coolest thing to the kitchen ceiling by hanging assorted vintage, various sized lamp shades across the entire ceiling. She wasn’t even taking them down! 

The house desperately needs updating & the only major room is the kitchen. It actually had a fireplace that had been covered with sheetrock. I went gaga over that thought! Master bedroom & half bath needs to be resituated, but that’s an easy fix. Plenty of room on the enclosed front porch will accommodate that change. The roof is brand new & foundation was worked on last year.  It’s built on a hill backing up to the railroad tracks meaning it’s low in the front & very high in the back. Also that the nearest back door neighbor is in the Alta Vista neighborhood across the tracks.  She’s lived there 14 years; has always felt safe; knew all her neighbors & has moved a street over. That’s really what you want to hear. The City just upgraded the corner portion of the yard installing nice, textured, raised sidewalk entry points.  

Here’s a kicker… the dryer was outside under the house & of course I had to see the back yard too!  We walked down the outside stairs & underneath the bonus room where she opened a door that I thought was a utility room. She turned on a light & it was a regular storage type room & then the entire underneath of the house. I kinda freaked & froze in my tracks. It’s the same reaction I have to dark water in swimming pools. A stop-breathing kinda thing!! I explained the reason for my sudden halting; regained control of my emotions; took my phone; turned on my flashlight & it was very cool. Most of the beams/piers of the house were literally cedar trees cut to fit. Seriously original to the house & they’re still good!  The actual enclosed room area was large & tall enough to finish out as a legitimate room. I immediately thought it’d be great storage for ferms! The rest of the underneath space was fair for quite a bit of distance & a workspace would be awesome. And….. it was the perfect dog space for fosters. They would be in their own condo protected from the elements! When we began walking back out, the dryer was situated under the back stairs, but there’s plenty of room to create a real laundry room upstairs.

You can already imagine that my creative senses were off the chart!! In my mind, I’ve already knocked down walls; uncovered the kitchen fireplace if for no other reason than to have a gorgeous textured wall; created a laundry room & pantry; repainted every room neutral colors; installed new ceilings; trimmed bamboo; put up Sven escape-proof privacy fencing & automatic opening entry gate…….. 

It’s technically a few minutes closer to work & definitely closer to the Pearl. But….. I wanted a property with income potential! 

I definitely need to pray for God to show me His wisdom, guidance & direction. I’ll keep you updated!  

Blessings, 

g

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My AIP journey – Week 5

​Just a little background before I begin. Every year I participate in the Daniel Fast for the first twenty one days of the year as a first fruit offering to God for my new year. It’s been my practice for 13 years & I look forward to it. Not only does it give me clarity for important decisions & direction about things God wants for my life,  but it forces me to exercise healthy eating discipline. This year I also participated in a weight loss challenge at work. I’ve purposely resisted the last three challenges, but decided it was time. Once my twenty one days of DF were completed,  I chose to attempt the Autoimmune Protocol diet, or commonly known as AIP. This discipline was more toward eliminating constant neuromuscular pain rather than weight loss, but if that was a side effect,  hey…. I wouldn’t mind. I determined two weeks would be enough & began the journey. The biggest hurdle was not to focus on what I couldn’t eat, but rather the lonnnnnng list of things I could have. I realize some foods trigger intestinal problems & that clearly wasn’t my problem, but nevertheless….. I was all in. Once I got past the first week, I decided two weeks wouldn’t nearly do my body justice.  It’s like the book, Slight Edge says about the one donut not causing long term problems, but a donut a day over time would. I didn’t eat a donut a day or per week or month for that matter, but the foods I was ingesting, over time, led to the current problems I was having. Some, I felt, weren’t relative, but I was so wrong. Two weeks couldn’t begin to help in the measure I needed. 

Yesterday I was talking with a coworker about how much better my body feels since being on AIP. I’ve just completed week five & will continue toward the suggested three month cycle. 

How does this make me feel better?? Primarily I was in constant & continual neuromuscular or fibromyalgia type pain completely unrelieved by up to 2500 mg. of Naproxen Sodium daily. I say ”type pain” because I’ve never been clinically diagnosed,  but as a nurse, I’ve treated hundreds of patients exhibiting fibro symptoms,  so…. I know. The pain was so debilitating, I was to the point of asking my doctor to run tests & put me on meds. Those who know me know this was obviously affecting more than my muscles. It had affected my brain & thought processes because I’m the antichrist of Big Pharma & prefer natural alternative medicine.  

My daily activities, primarily on weekends, were geared around how much walking or standing I would have to do. Shopping was virtually out of the question.  My visits with my family were so anticipated because I miss them dearly, yet I had to psychologically prepare myself to endure the pain. How horrible!  This constant pain began limiting my desire to do anything but stay at home, binge watch TV & that only made things worse. Inactivity only accentuated stiffness & pain, so it was a freaking vicious cycle.  Yet…. my recliner won. Those who know me know I’m not a sloth!  

Also…. I had developed this wheeze that only occurred when I reclined or went to bed. Again….being a nurse…..I was in the process of diagnosing this.  I simply blamed it on being morbidly obese. That’s how the BMI chart defined my weight category. Well… last night I actually noticed it was completely gone. The only pain I have is caused from osteoarthritis, specifically in bilateral knees. The neuromuscular pain has been eliminated.  I won the weight loss challenge in the most pounds lost category & am never hungry. Seriously I am satisfied by sticking to the allowed foods. I must confess I never gave up coffee & the only dairy product I allow is a reduced amount of half & half used in my coffee. I’ve mixed coconut cream with that, so technically I’m not ingesting the normal amounts I typically did. Trust me when I say my psyche had a fit with that adjustment because my coffee had to be a certain cream to coffee color, so…. it’s an ever bigger sacrifice than I expected.  So worth it!  

I am 56. I am even more consciously aware of the natural deterioration of the human body.  I am also more consciously aware of mortality. Constant pain robs me of my zeal for life. I had to overcome the root cause. Even though I ate relatively healthy, some of those foods were greatly exacerbating my pain. I used to love the saying, ”nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” Today I can say that’s only half true. Nothing tastes as good as feeling good feels. I can’t wait to see how I feel after completing the third month. 

If you’re struggling with any type of ailment,  I strongly recommend AIP. Three months of my life to identify & eliminate triggers that cause me to feel absolutely horrible has been the greatest gift I’ve given myself.  It’s totally not giving up anything,  but gaining control & feeling better! 

Blessings, 

g

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To die is gain…

​Today is a bittersweet day. 

Today a very sweet, funny, caring, loving friend is dancing with the angels. 

Today my friend of 38+ yrs, Linda Marrie Cheveallier, has looked in the eyes of her Savior. 

Oh the memories!!  Raising our daughters together; sharing joint custody of a friend’s 2 small kids while she attended boot camp; attending a kazillion church services; hours of prayer and small group meetings in my home; cooking; having parties; family get togethers; struggles and much more. Through our friendship,  I became even closer to one of her sisters, Kayline.  I can’t even begin to say how beyond thankful I am of that. 

Linda was big hearted and would do whatever she could to help anyone. Nothing was too small or large for her to contribute to.  She didn’t let too much bother her and was often referred to as ”Scarlett O’Hara ” from Gone with the Wind, because everything could wait and be done tomorrow!  Many, many years ago her next door neighbor had a garage sale. She knew I loved vintage leather suitcases and purchased one for me. Not only was it vintage,  but her neighbor was the librarian from my elementary through junior high school days.  Through the years and what seems like a thousand moves, the suitcase was always moved with me. She was tremendously thoughtful. 

Pearle Slatten 

Years ago, during one of our girlie get togethers at our fav Mexican restaurant, El Reparo, we discussed peri-menopausal symptoms she was having. I begged her to have a thorough checkup and a hysterectomy if necessary.  I know this is a controversial subject for some, but it changed my life, so I speak from experience. I can still remember the details like it was yesterday.  Over time I’d inquire about how her symptoms were and what treatment she had chosen. I’m not certain if a pap smear had been done, but I know a hysterectomy was never an option.

Years later she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian /abdominal cancer. Would a thorough checkup have discovered this? Would a hysterectomy performed years before have prevented this? We can never know for sure. Only God knows the length of our days. 

She fought valiantly through multiple surgeries, chemo, complications from diabetes, and more. Finally the doctors could do no more. Did we pray? Absolutely.  Accepting that death is indeed an answer to prayer is a hard pill to swallow, but we have to believe His infinite mercy is compassion in the finest measure. 

Anytime I thought of her poor prognosis it caused me to just cry without seconds notice. This was completely out of character for me. During my nursing career I’ve experienced hundreds of deaths. I’ve prayed with family members and over patients for God to show His mercy. Many times, death was an answer to prayer as death was kind by ending earthly suffering and misery. Out of character because Heaven is always in my view. Often I’d prayed prayers of salvation with my patients sometimes moments before death. Once I joined forces with a friend praying for a man in ICU who had such a debilitating stroke that all he could do was blink his eyes in agreement to prayer. His daughters literally broke down in tears when I shared the news. They had been concerned for many, many years over the state of his salvation. Again, out of character because coping with death is second nature to me. 

These crying spells continued for several, several weeks and one morning, while getting ready for work, I received a beautiful attitude adjustment.  Through the tears and prayers, the precious Holy Spirit enlightened my eyes and heart to see Linda would be accomplishing everything we believed in. I know that seems very simplistic for someone who claims to keep Heaven in their sights. All those years of praying, believing that Heaven is our reward and greatest accomplishment was going to happen for Linda. I immediately repented for being selfish. Yes selfish.  Selfish about losing a friend and even though we hadn’t seen each other for a few years, she was one of my dearest friends. Selfish about feeling forlorn that she’s the first of my ”sisters” that was leaving. Selfish and maybe even a gut-wrenching, fearful, reality check because we’re so close in age, my own death was iminent.  I became thankful. Thankful that we had amazing times through the good, bad & nightmarishly ugly. Yea, some events require inventing a new word!!! Thankful that through all the years, one constant remained…. seeing our Savior face to face was an ultimate desire. Thankful that my joyful friend was now laughing and finally enjoying immeasurable love, peace and eternal life.  

I pray grace, peace and comfort over Linda’s children, who recently lost their dad to cancer and sadly, a day or so after Linda’s death, also lost their step-mother. Praying for her husband; her family and most of all her sisters, Mary and Kayline. Our pack has lost a member, but I am convinced we will be together again. 

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. –Philippians 1:21

Blessings,

g

Now serves as my end table!