Verse of the Day
"Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation - some fact of my life - unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. . . .; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes." Big Book of AA (pg449)
Song of the Day
What If I Stumble by Dc Talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REkHgHSYaSk
This was a fitting song. Doubts stream through my head, still a bit amazed that I am doing this blog, then like clockwork I hear from another person who is enjoying this blog. With all that has happened throughout this blog, I am more confident than ever that this was indeed the will of God. And I continue to say, this isn't about me, but about God. I will continue to try my best to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work through me.
Food
There has been some rumbling on the home front. But we are making it through and to be honest the kids seem more settled, calm, and more even keel. Yes, it could be in my head, but if it is I hope it continues. I like it this way.
"Stuff" Detachment
I am definitely finding it easy to get rid of the junk. Today was a sweatshirt from when I coached volleyball about 16 years ago, had holes in it. Finally, got Mr. Fix-It some new jeans, so out went his old ones, along with a gigantic t-shirt. I feel like I am working around the outside of the issue. I am purposefully avoiding getting ride of anything with any sort of attachment. I'll keep plugging away.
Spiritual Growth
Today, I had the "fun" job of taking my boys for their pictures, always such a joyous event, but I continue to torture myself through the process probably because of my attachment to pictures. When I first began this picture process with Joke-A-Lot 8 years, I was filled with stress. I wanted the best pictures. I would worry about it before, during, and after. Thankfully, the verse above about acceptance was one of the many things I have learned through my journey as a recovering compulsive overeater. So, today was definitely growth for me. I had Curly sitting through every pose with the same exact "deer caught in the headlights look". He would sit, lay, stand, hold a balloon, all with the exact same look. On the other extreme, we had Race Car who was smiling so hard, his eyes disappeared and his teeth and gums took over his whole face. In the past, I would have pushed the photographer to take more pictures, try something different, etc. This time was different, I actually accepted the situation exactly as it was. So, the time came to view all the photographs. Thankfully, there was one picture of Race Car where we could indeed see that he was blessed with beautiful eyes. Then, there they came, Curly's pictures. Picture after picture of the exact same expression. I couldn't help it, I was laughing pretty hard. In the past, I would not have been laughing, but asking them to redo the session. I finally narrowed down the choice to the ones where his curly hair looked the best, since the expressions didn't change.
Tomorrow: I promise I will get back to my book on peace tomorrow. It is so good.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Nature's Pride 100% whole wheat double fiber bread with Smucker's natural creamy peanut butter, grapes
Lunch: McDonald's hamburger, no pickle, small fry, water
Snack: Gala apples with Smucker's natural peanut butter
Dinner: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes (made with butter, whole milk), asparagus (sauteed in butter), stewed tomatoes, canned pears in their own juices
Snack: More Gala apples with peanut butter, triscuits and marble jack cheese
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
March 9, 2010
Verse of the Day
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."
2Corinthians 12:9
Spiritual Growth
You might notice that this blog isn't following my normal layout. To be honest, I was going to skip the blog tonight as it is midnight, but as I checked my emails, once again someone sent me a video clip that was so inspiring. And the man in the video had a shirt on that said "Grace is enough" and I had just read that exact verse only moments before. So, once again, I felt the Lord has dropped this in my lap to share with you. I still am going to keep it short today, but you can enjoy the video instead. It is about 7 minutes and definitely inspiring. I should be back to my normal blog tomorrow.
http://www.allprodad.com/page.php?id=190
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."
2Corinthians 12:9
Spiritual Growth
You might notice that this blog isn't following my normal layout. To be honest, I was going to skip the blog tonight as it is midnight, but as I checked my emails, once again someone sent me a video clip that was so inspiring. And the man in the video had a shirt on that said "Grace is enough" and I had just read that exact verse only moments before. So, once again, I felt the Lord has dropped this in my lap to share with you. I still am going to keep it short today, but you can enjoy the video instead. It is about 7 minutes and definitely inspiring. I should be back to my normal blog tomorrow.
http://www.allprodad.com/page.php?id=190
Monday, March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010
Verse of the Day
"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied." Luke 6:20-21
Song of the Day
We Are One Body by Dana Scallon
http://www.spiritandsong.com/compositions/16432
This link has the song with the words. Once again, the verse, song and spiritual growth section have a running theme. God seems to be orchestrating that for me. Today the theme is the poor.
Food
Made some roasted cauliflour for lunch with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. It looked and smelled fabulous. I thought I would be reporting how they ate it up like candy, not so much. Race car claimed he liked it, but declined seconds.
"Stuff" Detachment
Got rid of a spatula, wooden spoon, and steamer basket. All were old and have been at the bottom of the drawer since we moved here.
Spiritual Growth
Today I went to pick Mr. Fix-it up. He had been away visiting his family on the east coast for a couple days. He agreed to take the light rail over to the Target Center where the new Twins Stadium is and would walk across the street and meet me at Sharing and Caring Hands. Perfect! I could drop off my bags of stuff I had accumulated to donate.
I need to back up a bit. Prior to him leaving, I saw he left his gloves somewhere, so I put them on his bag so he wouldn't forget them for his trip. It was then that I noticed how run down they were with a hole in the finger. Then I began looking around thinking about how everything looked run down, basically having a pity party, but I was the only one there. I made a mental note to keep my eyes open for some gloves. He walks about 15 minutes outside on his way to and from work, so he needs a decent pair of gloves.
Just a side note for those of you not familiar with Sharing and Caring Hands. Mary Jo Copeland started Sharing and Caring Hands in 1985. It has grown immensely to serve the needs of the poor and helping them transition into a self-sustaining life. She washes the feet of the poor when they first come in and gives them new shoes to wear. She is amazing, plain and simple. Check out their website if you are interested. http://www.sharingandcaringhands.org/index.htm
I always like to bring our donated goods there. We have gotten to know some of the Dominican Sisters that work there, plus I think it is good for the kids to see that there are people out there that we need to care about and pray for. So, when I pulled in, there stood Mr. Fix-it like a sore thumb talking to a homeless man. I was so proud of him, what a great thing for the kids to see their father sharing God's love with this strange man.
I pulled in to drop my stuff off. Mr. Fix-it walked up to see us. Of course, we were so happy to see him after him being gone for a few days, but I couldn't help crying on the way home. I felt so bad for this man on the streets. How much he would have loved to have a happy smiling family come pick him up and take him to a nice home. Then Mr. Fix-it told me a bit about their conversation. I guess the man has a tent that keeps him warm in really cold temperatures. Mr. Fix-it asked him if he had gloves because he was going to give him his. That is when it hit me. I said "Those gloves! There is a hole in the finger." And Mr. Fix-it said "Yah, but it is better than nothing." Turned out the man did have gloves and proudly explained how he got his jacket out of the garbage. So, here I was feeling sorry for myself because of everything getting run down and this man is happy about a jacket he found in the garbage. Sure makes you grateful. Maybe some things are run down around here, but who cares? We have so much. I sit here still having trouble with the image of him on the street. It just shouldn't be that way. Thank God for Mary Jo Copeland. She explains profusely that a large percentage of the people in there aren't there because of their own screwed up decisions, but because they simply came on hard times. I take it for granted that I have such a great family and support system. Everyone doesn't have that.
I chose the verse above because of this experience. I also think after an experience like this, it is necessary to recall this man in our prayers continually. Mr. Fix-it had a real amazing "It's A Wonderful Life" sort of experiences a year or two ago. Maybe I will share it one of these days, but I know we have to continue to pray for that man as well. We may be the only ones that they have to pray for them. We are one body in Christ, hence the song I chose above. We are all equally loved in God's eyes, homeless or homeblessed.
So, that is my spiritual growth for today - an attitude of gratitude and a prayer for a better tomorrow for that man. I will continue on as planned tomorrow.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Oatmeal made with whole milk, bananas, and cinnamon, Jone's sausage patties
Lunch: Ham Sandwiches, made with Nature's Pride 100% whole wheat double fiber bread, Shaved ham, marble jack cheese, roasted cauliflour, strawberries
Dinner: Stuffed peppers made with peppers, white rice, ground beef seasoned with chili powder and cumin, marble jack cheese, bananas
Snack: Butter snap pretzels
"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied." Luke 6:20-21
Song of the Day
We Are One Body by Dana Scallon
http://www.spiritandsong.com/compositions/16432
This link has the song with the words. Once again, the verse, song and spiritual growth section have a running theme. God seems to be orchestrating that for me. Today the theme is the poor.
Food
Made some roasted cauliflour for lunch with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. It looked and smelled fabulous. I thought I would be reporting how they ate it up like candy, not so much. Race car claimed he liked it, but declined seconds.
"Stuff" Detachment
Got rid of a spatula, wooden spoon, and steamer basket. All were old and have been at the bottom of the drawer since we moved here.
Spiritual Growth
Today I went to pick Mr. Fix-it up. He had been away visiting his family on the east coast for a couple days. He agreed to take the light rail over to the Target Center where the new Twins Stadium is and would walk across the street and meet me at Sharing and Caring Hands. Perfect! I could drop off my bags of stuff I had accumulated to donate.
I need to back up a bit. Prior to him leaving, I saw he left his gloves somewhere, so I put them on his bag so he wouldn't forget them for his trip. It was then that I noticed how run down they were with a hole in the finger. Then I began looking around thinking about how everything looked run down, basically having a pity party, but I was the only one there. I made a mental note to keep my eyes open for some gloves. He walks about 15 minutes outside on his way to and from work, so he needs a decent pair of gloves.
Just a side note for those of you not familiar with Sharing and Caring Hands. Mary Jo Copeland started Sharing and Caring Hands in 1985. It has grown immensely to serve the needs of the poor and helping them transition into a self-sustaining life. She washes the feet of the poor when they first come in and gives them new shoes to wear. She is amazing, plain and simple. Check out their website if you are interested. http://www.sharingandcaringhands.org/index.htm
I always like to bring our donated goods there. We have gotten to know some of the Dominican Sisters that work there, plus I think it is good for the kids to see that there are people out there that we need to care about and pray for. So, when I pulled in, there stood Mr. Fix-it like a sore thumb talking to a homeless man. I was so proud of him, what a great thing for the kids to see their father sharing God's love with this strange man.
I pulled in to drop my stuff off. Mr. Fix-it walked up to see us. Of course, we were so happy to see him after him being gone for a few days, but I couldn't help crying on the way home. I felt so bad for this man on the streets. How much he would have loved to have a happy smiling family come pick him up and take him to a nice home. Then Mr. Fix-it told me a bit about their conversation. I guess the man has a tent that keeps him warm in really cold temperatures. Mr. Fix-it asked him if he had gloves because he was going to give him his. That is when it hit me. I said "Those gloves! There is a hole in the finger." And Mr. Fix-it said "Yah, but it is better than nothing." Turned out the man did have gloves and proudly explained how he got his jacket out of the garbage. So, here I was feeling sorry for myself because of everything getting run down and this man is happy about a jacket he found in the garbage. Sure makes you grateful. Maybe some things are run down around here, but who cares? We have so much. I sit here still having trouble with the image of him on the street. It just shouldn't be that way. Thank God for Mary Jo Copeland. She explains profusely that a large percentage of the people in there aren't there because of their own screwed up decisions, but because they simply came on hard times. I take it for granted that I have such a great family and support system. Everyone doesn't have that.
I chose the verse above because of this experience. I also think after an experience like this, it is necessary to recall this man in our prayers continually. Mr. Fix-it had a real amazing "It's A Wonderful Life" sort of experiences a year or two ago. Maybe I will share it one of these days, but I know we have to continue to pray for that man as well. We may be the only ones that they have to pray for them. We are one body in Christ, hence the song I chose above. We are all equally loved in God's eyes, homeless or homeblessed.
So, that is my spiritual growth for today - an attitude of gratitude and a prayer for a better tomorrow for that man. I will continue on as planned tomorrow.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Oatmeal made with whole milk, bananas, and cinnamon, Jone's sausage patties
Lunch: Ham Sandwiches, made with Nature's Pride 100% whole wheat double fiber bread, Shaved ham, marble jack cheese, roasted cauliflour, strawberries
Dinner: Stuffed peppers made with peppers, white rice, ground beef seasoned with chili powder and cumin, marble jack cheese, bananas
Snack: Butter snap pretzels
Sunday, March 7, 2010
March 7, 2010
Verse of the Day
"You made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You" (Saint Augustine)
Song of the Day
Oh Father by Eric Genuis
http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=8e8a63a0a247eac98ede
There is an advertisement at the bottom of the video that you can close out.
I am completely amazed that I found a video for this song online. But as soon as I read the quote above, this song from years past (1993 to be exact) popped into my head. I have learned to just trust the direction that the Lord wants to lead me with this blog.
Food
I was a little sad this morning as Artsy seemed so fixed on trying to figure out something sweet to have, or something sweet she would have on her birthday this summer. I really think sugar affects her more than the others. Joke-A-Lot and Curly had the sugared drinks (Pedialyte, 7-up, etc.) when they were recovering from their illness and it didn't phase them when they went back to no sugar, but Artsy seems to be having a hard time. I will be curious to see how she is in a few days after being off of the sugar again. Will her talk revolve so much around sugared stuff that she wants to have in the future?
I am also reading a book my childhood allergist authored. It talks about how food allergies can affect us. I have read the sections on acidic foods, MSG, aspartame, and now just began reading about refined sugar. I'll keep you updated on what I learn. Thus far from other resources, I think I finally get the answer to the age old question "Why is fruit okay, but fructose is not okay? They both are fructose." The short and sweet answer after listening to an hour and a half deal on why high fructose corn syrup and basically other sugars are bad is because when you eat fruit, nature gives the anecdote with the fructose and that is fiber. There is something about your the way your body absorbs the fructose when it has the fiber with it versus straight fructose. So, that is why sugared soda and fruit juice are basically the same in regards to sugar. Okay, not sure anyone really cared to hear all that, but that is my two cents and is always subject to begin wrong.
"Stuff" Detachment
Grabbed two necklaces from forever ago that I will never wear again and a bottle of post pregnancy baby oil. Sorry, my baby is two years old. There is nothing that oil can help me with now.
Spiritual Growth
I am hoping to get back to daily Mass this week. We have all really come to love going. God always brings me encouragement after I go. The last time I went before we all got sick, two people I didn't even know found me after Mass to tell me how much they enjoy hearing Curly make his little sounds. Yes, they said "enjoy". The one who was a guy said he thinks of it as Curly's prayers to God. I stood there looking at this guy like "Are you for real?" Although, he did reiterate, that screaming and crying would be a different story. So, that was comforting because either Joke-A-Lot or I usually bail out the back door at the first sign of toddler talking.
In "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe, he discusses that this peace is not available to everyone independent of their attitude toward God. "When individuals are close to God, love and desire to serve the Lord, the usual strategy of the devil is to cause them to lose their peace of heart, whereas God, on the contrary, comes to their aid to give them peace. But this rule is reversed for those who hearts are far from God, who live in indifference and evil. The devil seeks to tranquilize such individuals, to keep them in a false sense of quietude, whereas the Lord, Who desires their salvation and conversion, will trouble and disquiet their consciences in an effort to get them to repent." So, that is why I chose that specific Verse of the Day. We are made for the Lord, there will be no rest until we rest in him. So, the necessary condition for this interior peace that transcends is goodwill or purity of heart. Basically, it is a person determined more than anything to love God and to seek to do His will above their own. It is not perfection because it can coexist with imperfections and faults and hesitations.
Tomorrow - The Troubles of Life and the Fear of Being Without
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat Double Fiber bread with natural peanut butter, blueberries, Triscuits and cheese
Lunch: 1 piece of leftover pizza, mac and cheese, fresh cucumbers and brocolli, strawberries
Dinner: Grass-fed ground beef hamburgers from http://www.pasturesaplenty.com/ on Arnold Sandwhich Thins Multi-Grain, Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Golden Crinkles, steamed brocolli, baked apples with cinnamon
"You made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You" (Saint Augustine)
Song of the Day
Oh Father by Eric Genuis
http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=8e8a63a0a247eac98ede
There is an advertisement at the bottom of the video that you can close out.
I am completely amazed that I found a video for this song online. But as soon as I read the quote above, this song from years past (1993 to be exact) popped into my head. I have learned to just trust the direction that the Lord wants to lead me with this blog.
Food
I was a little sad this morning as Artsy seemed so fixed on trying to figure out something sweet to have, or something sweet she would have on her birthday this summer. I really think sugar affects her more than the others. Joke-A-Lot and Curly had the sugared drinks (Pedialyte, 7-up, etc.) when they were recovering from their illness and it didn't phase them when they went back to no sugar, but Artsy seems to be having a hard time. I will be curious to see how she is in a few days after being off of the sugar again. Will her talk revolve so much around sugared stuff that she wants to have in the future?
I am also reading a book my childhood allergist authored. It talks about how food allergies can affect us. I have read the sections on acidic foods, MSG, aspartame, and now just began reading about refined sugar. I'll keep you updated on what I learn. Thus far from other resources, I think I finally get the answer to the age old question "Why is fruit okay, but fructose is not okay? They both are fructose." The short and sweet answer after listening to an hour and a half deal on why high fructose corn syrup and basically other sugars are bad is because when you eat fruit, nature gives the anecdote with the fructose and that is fiber. There is something about your the way your body absorbs the fructose when it has the fiber with it versus straight fructose. So, that is why sugared soda and fruit juice are basically the same in regards to sugar. Okay, not sure anyone really cared to hear all that, but that is my two cents and is always subject to begin wrong.
"Stuff" Detachment
Grabbed two necklaces from forever ago that I will never wear again and a bottle of post pregnancy baby oil. Sorry, my baby is two years old. There is nothing that oil can help me with now.
Spiritual Growth
I am hoping to get back to daily Mass this week. We have all really come to love going. God always brings me encouragement after I go. The last time I went before we all got sick, two people I didn't even know found me after Mass to tell me how much they enjoy hearing Curly make his little sounds. Yes, they said "enjoy". The one who was a guy said he thinks of it as Curly's prayers to God. I stood there looking at this guy like "Are you for real?" Although, he did reiterate, that screaming and crying would be a different story. So, that was comforting because either Joke-A-Lot or I usually bail out the back door at the first sign of toddler talking.
In "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" by Fr. Jacques Philippe, he discusses that this peace is not available to everyone independent of their attitude toward God. "When individuals are close to God, love and desire to serve the Lord, the usual strategy of the devil is to cause them to lose their peace of heart, whereas God, on the contrary, comes to their aid to give them peace. But this rule is reversed for those who hearts are far from God, who live in indifference and evil. The devil seeks to tranquilize such individuals, to keep them in a false sense of quietude, whereas the Lord, Who desires their salvation and conversion, will trouble and disquiet their consciences in an effort to get them to repent." So, that is why I chose that specific Verse of the Day. We are made for the Lord, there will be no rest until we rest in him. So, the necessary condition for this interior peace that transcends is goodwill or purity of heart. Basically, it is a person determined more than anything to love God and to seek to do His will above their own. It is not perfection because it can coexist with imperfections and faults and hesitations.
Tomorrow - The Troubles of Life and the Fear of Being Without
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat Double Fiber bread with natural peanut butter, blueberries, Triscuits and cheese
Lunch: 1 piece of leftover pizza, mac and cheese, fresh cucumbers and brocolli, strawberries
Dinner: Grass-fed ground beef hamburgers from http://www.pasturesaplenty.com/ on Arnold Sandwhich Thins Multi-Grain, Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Golden Crinkles, steamed brocolli, baked apples with cinnamon
Saturday, March 6, 2010
March 6, 2010
Verse of the Day
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
Song of the Day
Go Light Your World by Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVSHCbolJew
Songs evoke such strong emotion in me. I thought I better not pick another one that makes me cry, although this one can bring a tear or two. I am reminded that we are Jesus' hands and feet. He has chosen to work through us, hence the unleashing of the Holy Spirit at so many times in our life. Thinking especially of my nephew who was confirmed this morning, praying that God sends the Holy Spirit upon him in a powerful way, lighting his path and making his mission here on earth more clear with each passing day.
Food
Our sugar-free journey has been imperfect thus far, but really going quite well. Even Joke-A-Lot who normally isn't a big fruit eater has been enjoying the variety of fruits that I put in front of her. I continue to be grateful that all of the kids are listening to their stomachs thus far. Today, I had some extra cheese I had cut and offered it to Joke-A-Lot and Race Car. They both love it. Neither of them wanted any, so I almost began to argue with them "But you guys love this cheese". They responded "But we aren't hungry". Yes! Somewhere along the way my full/empty switch got broken, hence the reason for my 12 step program of recovery in compulsive overeating. So, thrilled to continue to see that there systems are working and they are listening to them.
"Stuff" Detachment
Hitting the closet today. I will be right back. Yes! I got three of Mr. Fix-its short sleeve shirts, all fall into the "worn out" or "never wear" category. He'll never know. Good that's done. I am glad I am forced to do this and report in.
Spiritual Growth
I again am not surprised that as I write this, an email came in with an encouraging story about a blind young man. It begins with him playing the song "Light of the Moon", so I am guessing Light is the theme of today's blog. It is really neat to sit down and have no idea where God is going to lead me. Here is the link. I have seen it before and you many have too, but it is inspiring to say the least. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg
Fr. Jacques Philippe in his book "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" discusses the struggle we have with our thoughts. The opposition is between those thoughts that originate in our own spirit, or the mentality of our surroundings or even sometimes from the enemy himself which cause us disquietude, fear, discouragement against the other thoughts that could comfort us and reestablish our peace. He believes we need a quiver full of good thoughts, one of which should be "all the reasons that cause us to lose our sense of peace are bad reasons."
"If we seek peace as the world gives it, if we expect peace in accordance with the reasoning of the world, or with the motivations that accord with the current mentality that surrounds us (because every thing is going well, because we aren't experiencing any annoyances and our desires are completely satisfied, etc.), then it is certain that we will never know peace or that our peace will be extremely fragile and of short duration." Like right now, Joke-A-Lot and Race Car will not stop fighting over the train, but that doesn't mean I need to lose my peace right?
The reason we can be at peace comes from trust in the World of Jesus. "Peace I leave with you, My own peace I give to you; a peace the world cannot give, this is My gift to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid . . ." John 14:27 So, these words carry the same weight as the words that brought earth and sky from void, that quieted the storm, that healed the sick and brought the dead back to life. This peace can never be taken away, God says so "For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 Because of our lack of faith we don't always know how to acquire or preserve them.
Tomorrow I will be discussing the necessary conditions for peace. And after that I will be discussing certain situations where we frequently lose our peace. Stay tuned.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Grapenuts with whole milk and sliced banana for Joke-A-Lot, Puffed corn and peanut butter toast for Curly, Van's waffles with peanut butter and sliced banana on one half and carmelized banana (sliced banana and butter sauteed) on the other half, nothing for Artsy (still recovering)
Lunch: Soft flour taco with taco meat and cheese, noodle soup with saltines, vege tray, small mandarin oranges
Dinner: Deep dish Pizza Hut pizza (cheese or pepperoni), sliced apples. Easy night!!!
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
Song of the Day
Go Light Your World by Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVSHCbolJew
Songs evoke such strong emotion in me. I thought I better not pick another one that makes me cry, although this one can bring a tear or two. I am reminded that we are Jesus' hands and feet. He has chosen to work through us, hence the unleashing of the Holy Spirit at so many times in our life. Thinking especially of my nephew who was confirmed this morning, praying that God sends the Holy Spirit upon him in a powerful way, lighting his path and making his mission here on earth more clear with each passing day.
Food
Our sugar-free journey has been imperfect thus far, but really going quite well. Even Joke-A-Lot who normally isn't a big fruit eater has been enjoying the variety of fruits that I put in front of her. I continue to be grateful that all of the kids are listening to their stomachs thus far. Today, I had some extra cheese I had cut and offered it to Joke-A-Lot and Race Car. They both love it. Neither of them wanted any, so I almost began to argue with them "But you guys love this cheese". They responded "But we aren't hungry". Yes! Somewhere along the way my full/empty switch got broken, hence the reason for my 12 step program of recovery in compulsive overeating. So, thrilled to continue to see that there systems are working and they are listening to them.
"Stuff" Detachment
Hitting the closet today. I will be right back. Yes! I got three of Mr. Fix-its short sleeve shirts, all fall into the "worn out" or "never wear" category. He'll never know. Good that's done. I am glad I am forced to do this and report in.
Spiritual Growth
I again am not surprised that as I write this, an email came in with an encouraging story about a blind young man. It begins with him playing the song "Light of the Moon", so I am guessing Light is the theme of today's blog. It is really neat to sit down and have no idea where God is going to lead me. Here is the link. I have seen it before and you many have too, but it is inspiring to say the least. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg
Fr. Jacques Philippe in his book "Searching for and Maintaining Peace" discusses the struggle we have with our thoughts. The opposition is between those thoughts that originate in our own spirit, or the mentality of our surroundings or even sometimes from the enemy himself which cause us disquietude, fear, discouragement against the other thoughts that could comfort us and reestablish our peace. He believes we need a quiver full of good thoughts, one of which should be "all the reasons that cause us to lose our sense of peace are bad reasons."
"If we seek peace as the world gives it, if we expect peace in accordance with the reasoning of the world, or with the motivations that accord with the current mentality that surrounds us (because every thing is going well, because we aren't experiencing any annoyances and our desires are completely satisfied, etc.), then it is certain that we will never know peace or that our peace will be extremely fragile and of short duration." Like right now, Joke-A-Lot and Race Car will not stop fighting over the train, but that doesn't mean I need to lose my peace right?
The reason we can be at peace comes from trust in the World of Jesus. "Peace I leave with you, My own peace I give to you; a peace the world cannot give, this is My gift to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid . . ." John 14:27 So, these words carry the same weight as the words that brought earth and sky from void, that quieted the storm, that healed the sick and brought the dead back to life. This peace can never be taken away, God says so "For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 Because of our lack of faith we don't always know how to acquire or preserve them.
Tomorrow I will be discussing the necessary conditions for peace. And after that I will be discussing certain situations where we frequently lose our peace. Stay tuned.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Grapenuts with whole milk and sliced banana for Joke-A-Lot, Puffed corn and peanut butter toast for Curly, Van's waffles with peanut butter and sliced banana on one half and carmelized banana (sliced banana and butter sauteed) on the other half, nothing for Artsy (still recovering)
Lunch: Soft flour taco with taco meat and cheese, noodle soup with saltines, vege tray, small mandarin oranges
Dinner: Deep dish Pizza Hut pizza (cheese or pepperoni), sliced apples. Easy night!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
March 5, 2010
Verse of the Day
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine." Isaiah 43:1
Song of the Day
You are Mine By David Haas
You know, I sat down at the computer without having a lot to say. I was up from 10:30pm until 5:30am with Artsy who was so sick. I didn't have a verse, a song, or much of anything running through my head. I thought I would keep this blog short since yesterday's was so long. All I have in front of me in my computer, my Bible and the book "Searching for and Maintaining Peace". But what just happened has left me absolutely speechless and trust my family, not many things do that. I just went to check on Artsy and I continue to walk with this stunned expression. Here is what happened.
I prayed about the blog and then said "Lord, we'll see what you have in store." I then started looking through my Bible for one of my favorite highlighted verses. But instead, I found a verse on a page with no highlights, no bookmarks, no crinkled pages that would lead me to that page. It was the verse above from Isaiah. Then I remembered the song that came forth from that verse, "You are Mine". So, I began searching for a song to link here. The first one I found was the one I will link below. So, I sat watching it.
You need to understand something about this song. We chose this song for my mom's funeral a little over 3 years ago after she died on January 19, 2007. I always loved it because it comforted me when it spoke of "the lame will now run free", "come and follow me and I will bring you home" and "embracing all your pain" and "stand up now, walk and live". My mom suffered immensely for years with the worst case of lupus doctors had ever seen. I won't go into the horrible details, but to think of her being able to finally stand up and run and being welcomed by our Lord was so comforting.
Now, back to the story. I always watch clips in their entirety to make sure there aren't any crummy ads and stuff. At the end, I had missed the writing so I slide the bar back to see what it said. There listed the two people that sang the song, along with the date they sang it - January 19, 2007, the exact day my mom died. I am sorry. If that doesn't bring chills to your arms, I don't know what will. I am still sitting her stunned. The exact month, date, and year. I will take that as an affirmation that my mom has indeed found her home in the loving arms of her savior, Jesus Christ. She clung to him desperately in her last years of life, constantly saying "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you." And he has not let her down. He has clung to her and brought her home. It would be my honor if you would listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vMYP4uJAqY
Food
We are trying to just get by. "Everyone for themselves" is kind of how this week is going with all the sickness. Not the healthiest week, but we are getting by. I will say the TLC Oatmeal Raisin Flax cookies are going over much better than when I first brought them out.
"Stuff" Detachment
I headed to the video/dvd cabinet, which is way too full. Grabbed a Mickey Mouse Club video and 3 weight loss videos. Before I found recovery from compulsive overeating in my 12 step program 4.5 years ago, I searched high and low for the answer. I recorded anything I saw on tv and kept it to try and motivate myself. Two of the three tapes were recorded by me, the third was actually one that I ordered from Oprah. I remember paying an obscene amount, like $25, for that video. I looked more closely at it as I walked upstairs to record my findings here and guess what the date was on that Oprah video? You guessed it January 19th, only this time it was 2004. Is this getting crazy or what?
Spiritual Growth
Well, my spirit definitely grew through this blog. And these are simple things, but God has the big things under control too. Onto the book I have working through. In the section titled "Peace Is Often at Stake in the Struggle", I quoted yesterday something we all need to remember "The devil does his utmost to banish peace from one's heart, because he knows that God abides in peace and it is in peace that He accomplishes great things." He goes on to explain that this is exactly what spiritual combat is "defending one's peace of heart against the enemy who attempts to steal it from us". When we lose our interior peace, our spiritual progress slows.
". . . quite often in the daily unfolding of our Christian life it happens that we fight the wrong battle, if one may put it that way, because we orient our efforts in the wrong direction. We fight on a terrain where the devil subtly drags us and can vanquish us, instead of fighting on the real battlefield, where, on the contrary, by the grace of God, we are always certain of victory. And this is one of the great secrets of spirtual combat - to avoid fighting the wrong battle, to know how to discern, despite the ruses of our adversary, which is the real battlefield, what we truly have to struggle against and where we must place our efforts."
Interestingly, he speaks of the goal of spiritual combat like this. "The first goal of spiritual combat, that toward which our efforts must above all else be directed, is not to always obtain a victory (over our temptations, our weaknesses, etc.), rather it is to learn to maintain peace of heart under all circumstances, even in the case of defeat." He explains that it is through maintenance of our peace that God can most efficaciously and rapidly instill the grace necessary to work on our imperfections and on being more Christ-like.
Tomorrow - "The Reasons Why We Lose Our Peace Are Always Bad Reasons"
To add to the craziness of this blog, I went to get Curly up from his nap. On the way down, Artsy called me (as she has every 10 minutes all day) and said "I feel Jesus touching me" and she put her hand on her face. What the heck do you say to that? I said "Oh, is he healing you?" Hmmmm. And, yes she is fully alert, not dehydrated.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Stoneyfield Farms Plain Whole Milk Yogurt sweetened with a couple drops of French Vanilla Stevia, blueberries, bread, cheese
Lunch: Noodles with parmesan cheese, flour tortilla with cheese, pretzels, canteloupe
Dinner: Toasted cheese sandwich, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bananas, vege tray
Snack: Triscuits and marble jack cheese
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine." Isaiah 43:1
Song of the Day
You are Mine By David Haas
You know, I sat down at the computer without having a lot to say. I was up from 10:30pm until 5:30am with Artsy who was so sick. I didn't have a verse, a song, or much of anything running through my head. I thought I would keep this blog short since yesterday's was so long. All I have in front of me in my computer, my Bible and the book "Searching for and Maintaining Peace". But what just happened has left me absolutely speechless and trust my family, not many things do that. I just went to check on Artsy and I continue to walk with this stunned expression. Here is what happened.
I prayed about the blog and then said "Lord, we'll see what you have in store." I then started looking through my Bible for one of my favorite highlighted verses. But instead, I found a verse on a page with no highlights, no bookmarks, no crinkled pages that would lead me to that page. It was the verse above from Isaiah. Then I remembered the song that came forth from that verse, "You are Mine". So, I began searching for a song to link here. The first one I found was the one I will link below. So, I sat watching it.
You need to understand something about this song. We chose this song for my mom's funeral a little over 3 years ago after she died on January 19, 2007. I always loved it because it comforted me when it spoke of "the lame will now run free", "come and follow me and I will bring you home" and "embracing all your pain" and "stand up now, walk and live". My mom suffered immensely for years with the worst case of lupus doctors had ever seen. I won't go into the horrible details, but to think of her being able to finally stand up and run and being welcomed by our Lord was so comforting.
Now, back to the story. I always watch clips in their entirety to make sure there aren't any crummy ads and stuff. At the end, I had missed the writing so I slide the bar back to see what it said. There listed the two people that sang the song, along with the date they sang it - January 19, 2007, the exact day my mom died. I am sorry. If that doesn't bring chills to your arms, I don't know what will. I am still sitting her stunned. The exact month, date, and year. I will take that as an affirmation that my mom has indeed found her home in the loving arms of her savior, Jesus Christ. She clung to him desperately in her last years of life, constantly saying "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you." And he has not let her down. He has clung to her and brought her home. It would be my honor if you would listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vMYP4uJAqY
Food
We are trying to just get by. "Everyone for themselves" is kind of how this week is going with all the sickness. Not the healthiest week, but we are getting by. I will say the TLC Oatmeal Raisin Flax cookies are going over much better than when I first brought them out.
"Stuff" Detachment
I headed to the video/dvd cabinet, which is way too full. Grabbed a Mickey Mouse Club video and 3 weight loss videos. Before I found recovery from compulsive overeating in my 12 step program 4.5 years ago, I searched high and low for the answer. I recorded anything I saw on tv and kept it to try and motivate myself. Two of the three tapes were recorded by me, the third was actually one that I ordered from Oprah. I remember paying an obscene amount, like $25, for that video. I looked more closely at it as I walked upstairs to record my findings here and guess what the date was on that Oprah video? You guessed it January 19th, only this time it was 2004. Is this getting crazy or what?
Spiritual Growth
Well, my spirit definitely grew through this blog. And these are simple things, but God has the big things under control too. Onto the book I have working through. In the section titled "Peace Is Often at Stake in the Struggle", I quoted yesterday something we all need to remember "The devil does his utmost to banish peace from one's heart, because he knows that God abides in peace and it is in peace that He accomplishes great things." He goes on to explain that this is exactly what spiritual combat is "defending one's peace of heart against the enemy who attempts to steal it from us". When we lose our interior peace, our spiritual progress slows.
". . . quite often in the daily unfolding of our Christian life it happens that we fight the wrong battle, if one may put it that way, because we orient our efforts in the wrong direction. We fight on a terrain where the devil subtly drags us and can vanquish us, instead of fighting on the real battlefield, where, on the contrary, by the grace of God, we are always certain of victory. And this is one of the great secrets of spirtual combat - to avoid fighting the wrong battle, to know how to discern, despite the ruses of our adversary, which is the real battlefield, what we truly have to struggle against and where we must place our efforts."
Interestingly, he speaks of the goal of spiritual combat like this. "The first goal of spiritual combat, that toward which our efforts must above all else be directed, is not to always obtain a victory (over our temptations, our weaknesses, etc.), rather it is to learn to maintain peace of heart under all circumstances, even in the case of defeat." He explains that it is through maintenance of our peace that God can most efficaciously and rapidly instill the grace necessary to work on our imperfections and on being more Christ-like.
Tomorrow - "The Reasons Why We Lose Our Peace Are Always Bad Reasons"
To add to the craziness of this blog, I went to get Curly up from his nap. On the way down, Artsy called me (as she has every 10 minutes all day) and said "I feel Jesus touching me" and she put her hand on her face. What the heck do you say to that? I said "Oh, is he healing you?" Hmmmm. And, yes she is fully alert, not dehydrated.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Stoneyfield Farms Plain Whole Milk Yogurt sweetened with a couple drops of French Vanilla Stevia, blueberries, bread, cheese
Lunch: Noodles with parmesan cheese, flour tortilla with cheese, pretzels, canteloupe
Dinner: Toasted cheese sandwich, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bananas, vege tray
Snack: Triscuits and marble jack cheese
Thursday, March 4, 2010
March 4, 2010
Verse of the Day
"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens." Ephesians 6:10-12
Song of the Day
"Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman
This is a song that I listen to frequently, just to keep my head on straight and focused appropriately. If you aren't familiar with the deep tragedy that hit Steven's family, the following is taken from http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/05/maria_chapman.html and there is a Chapman family picture there as well.
May 23, 2008
Maria Chapman
Maria Chapman, 5-year-old daughter of Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday when accidentally run over in the family's Franklin, TN, driveway by one of her older brothers, compounding the tragedy. Wrote the Chapman's manager...
Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago.
Last night Artsy said "Mama remember that beautiful picture I made to take to heaven with the pretty scarf on it?" I did remember and have had it for about 2 years. If I remember correctly, she had made it to take and give to her Grandma (my mom) who died 3 years ago. Last night she said "When I die, please don't forget to put that with me." GULP. As my dear friend said "Don't go there." But, I will tell you one thing. When I do have the reality of this life in mind, I am much more kind and loving and patient toward my children. So, I am hoping this was a simple reminder (and nothing more) from God, that every moment is precious and not to let them slip away.
So, I decided to put this song in here today for any of you who are getting caught in the crazies of life and forgetting to stop, watch, enjoy, and hug our children, our spouse, our parents, our friends, whoever is near and dear to us. Do you ever just stop and watch the kids without them knowing you are watching? Hysterical!
Enjoy! And grab a tissue! http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/radio/thismomentframe.htm
Food
It would be hopeless and quite boring to try and catch you up. Let's just say that my girls were pouring through the desserts in the cookbook, figuring out what we should make after Lent. Artsy incessantly talks about her Easter basket.
Joke-A-Lot and Artsy were given a juice box and fruit snacks at their sewing class. Artsy wanted to have them, but then we had a talk about how if we always make exceptions then giving up sugar really won't turn into much of a sacrifice. So, we agreed to put it away until after Lent. I figure in this world of "I want and I want NOW." A little delayed gratification won't hurt at all.
Having sickness in the home didn't help either, as 7-up and Orange Pedialyte are loaded with sugar. What are you going to do? As I am writing this, the neighbor kid just brought more fruit snacks for them. I told them they could save them for after Lent. The neighbor kids looked at me like I was from another planet. I don't think I even realize how many "free" treats the kids usually consume. It never ends.
"Stuff" Detachment
I think I hit a monumental point in detaching. I finally hit an item that I regretted throwing away. My Grandma used to make these beaded dolls. Well, my mom had set aside two of them that I had as a girl. I still have one of them, along with the attached umbrella and poodle, but this one I liked better although it was broken, so I threw it out. For some reason, I feel so guilty and sad. It was easy to get rid of the broken Baby Einstein video, the Farve shirt (we'll that was a little hard, good thing Curly still has his), my black sweatshirt with my maiden name on it back from when I coached volleyball, the black pants with holes worn through, the t-shirt with a picture of the kids on it so worn out you couldn't see their faces anymore, and the "Holidazed" CD, which was a CD about getting through Christmas without stressing out. I don't know, never listened to it, was always to stressed out. But the little purple beaded doll from 30 years ago, spoke to my need to detach from stuff. That somehow there there is a connection with this item, when really the connection is with the maker of the item. I thought that a helpful solution might be to take a picture of something that brings back good memories for me.
Spiritual Growth
This is the part of the post I have been dying to write. I don't think it was a coincidence that within a couple of days of me conjuring up enough courage to send my blog link to everyone in my address book, that our family was hit with the flu (at least half of us). We haven't had so much as a sniffle all winter. And here is the really interesting part. I had been planning to discuss spiritual warfare in my next blog which is now a week later than intended. When you see some of the stuff that I will be sharing it will be clear that there was indeed some spiritual warfare at play.
First, I wanted to talk about being sick and suffering. As I lay there sicker than sick, I was thinking about who I should offer my suffering up for and it was easy, for all those sick like me who don't have a nice bed to lay in, a clean bathroom, towels, drinks, pillows, and all the things that make being sick a little bit easier. I mean can you imagine being sick like that without a roof overhead or a bed to lay in? Interestingly, when I mentioned this to my brother that is exactly who he thinks of when he is sick too. Maybe everyone does. I think being sick once in awhile is good simply from the perspective of appreciating how good it feels to feel good. I felt like I was stepping out into the Land of the Living again today. Kids had the Saturday Night Fever CD cranked. It felt so good to feel good. I know some of you are smirking at our CD preference. This just somehow became the CD of the kids youth. We always dance to it and are goofy. In fact, the same night that Artsy made the comments mentioned above, she also said "Mama, I know what my wedding song will be." You guessed it - "How Deep is Your Love?" by the Bee Gees on that same CD, track 2. I said "I'll remind you of that when you are getting married. But if when you actually get married you decide on something else, maybe you and your daddy could dance to that one."
On March 3rd in my One Bread, One Body meditation, it talked about learning to suffer. I thought it was so good, I would just copy what it said.
God's word shows us ways to react to suffering and pain.
1) Jeremiah resisted not only his sufferings, but also those who caused them (Jer 18:19-21). This reaction to suffering is usually sinful and vindictive. Sometimes it is good to resist those who cause our sufferings. We hold them accountable in order to help them because we love them. However, we must always remember that our battle is not against people, but demons (Eph 6:12). My boldness added.
2) Some people try to escape from suffering. They deny the reality that suffering is an almost inevitable part of life. This makes matters worse and prevents them from building up the Church through suffering (see Col 1:24).
3) Another reaction to suffering is throwing a "pity party." Wallowing in pity, we neither accept suffering nor remove it (see Jon 4:1-3,8).
4) We can also react to suffering by resisting and removing it. This is often the right reaction to suffering. Jesus did this when He healed the sick. We also resist and remove suffering when we heal or care for the sick and oppressed.
5) Finally, Jesus' reaction to such sufferings as persecution, rejection, and self-sacrifice is to freely choose these redemptive sufferings and make them the most powerful expressions of love possible (see Mt 20:18).
In this Lent, may we let Jesus teach us how to suffer by being formed into the pattern of His death (Phil 3:10).
It is interesting that since I have started the spiritual growth portion of my blog, I have been interrupted about 10 times from the kids who are outside. Actually, this doesn't surprise me at all, in fact, I expected to be attacked a bit, but my patience is waning.
Shoot, I didn't even get to all of the good stuff about spiritual warfare and this is way too long already. I will talk about it tomorrow, but I need to tell you one of the quotes that I had planned to write the day before sickness hit. Geez, battery just died, had to go plug in the computer. I will get this out if it is the last thing I do. It is from a section of the book titled "Peace Is Often at Stake in the Struggle". Here is the quote:
"The devil does his utmost to banish peace from one's heart, because he knows that God abides in peace and it is in peace that He accomplishes great things."
There I got it out. I know God is accomplishing great things, at least within me, through this blog and maybe for some of you out there too. So, I felt the devil ramrodded this sickness through to try and destroy the peace. But to know our Lord is more powerful, gives me the strength to perservere. It is hard to get back on track with a blog after a week of absence.
So, keep your eyes open to where the devil is trying to banish your peace. I think being aware is half the battle and the other half is knowing Our Lord is more powerful and calling on that power to help us. We'll see what Fr. Jacques Philippe, the author of the book, says tomorrow as I am sure he has much more helpful information that me.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Oatmeal made with whole milk, mashed bananas and cinnamon
Lunch: Lipton Noodle Soup, saltines, bowl of fruit (strawberries, blueberries, canteloupe, bananas)
Dinner: Tacos, canteloupe
"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens." Ephesians 6:10-12
Song of the Day
"Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman
This is a song that I listen to frequently, just to keep my head on straight and focused appropriately. If you aren't familiar with the deep tragedy that hit Steven's family, the following is taken from http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/05/maria_chapman.html and there is a Chapman family picture there as well.
May 23, 2008
Maria Chapman
Maria Chapman, 5-year-old daughter of Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday when accidentally run over in the family's Franklin, TN, driveway by one of her older brothers, compounding the tragedy. Wrote the Chapman's manager...
Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman's completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago.
Last night Artsy said "Mama remember that beautiful picture I made to take to heaven with the pretty scarf on it?" I did remember and have had it for about 2 years. If I remember correctly, she had made it to take and give to her Grandma (my mom) who died 3 years ago. Last night she said "When I die, please don't forget to put that with me." GULP. As my dear friend said "Don't go there." But, I will tell you one thing. When I do have the reality of this life in mind, I am much more kind and loving and patient toward my children. So, I am hoping this was a simple reminder (and nothing more) from God, that every moment is precious and not to let them slip away.
So, I decided to put this song in here today for any of you who are getting caught in the crazies of life and forgetting to stop, watch, enjoy, and hug our children, our spouse, our parents, our friends, whoever is near and dear to us. Do you ever just stop and watch the kids without them knowing you are watching? Hysterical!
Enjoy! And grab a tissue! http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/radio/thismomentframe.htm
Food
It would be hopeless and quite boring to try and catch you up. Let's just say that my girls were pouring through the desserts in the cookbook, figuring out what we should make after Lent. Artsy incessantly talks about her Easter basket.
Joke-A-Lot and Artsy were given a juice box and fruit snacks at their sewing class. Artsy wanted to have them, but then we had a talk about how if we always make exceptions then giving up sugar really won't turn into much of a sacrifice. So, we agreed to put it away until after Lent. I figure in this world of "I want and I want NOW." A little delayed gratification won't hurt at all.
Having sickness in the home didn't help either, as 7-up and Orange Pedialyte are loaded with sugar. What are you going to do? As I am writing this, the neighbor kid just brought more fruit snacks for them. I told them they could save them for after Lent. The neighbor kids looked at me like I was from another planet. I don't think I even realize how many "free" treats the kids usually consume. It never ends.
"Stuff" Detachment
I think I hit a monumental point in detaching. I finally hit an item that I regretted throwing away. My Grandma used to make these beaded dolls. Well, my mom had set aside two of them that I had as a girl. I still have one of them, along with the attached umbrella and poodle, but this one I liked better although it was broken, so I threw it out. For some reason, I feel so guilty and sad. It was easy to get rid of the broken Baby Einstein video, the Farve shirt (we'll that was a little hard, good thing Curly still has his), my black sweatshirt with my maiden name on it back from when I coached volleyball, the black pants with holes worn through, the t-shirt with a picture of the kids on it so worn out you couldn't see their faces anymore, and the "Holidazed" CD, which was a CD about getting through Christmas without stressing out. I don't know, never listened to it, was always to stressed out. But the little purple beaded doll from 30 years ago, spoke to my need to detach from stuff. That somehow there there is a connection with this item, when really the connection is with the maker of the item. I thought that a helpful solution might be to take a picture of something that brings back good memories for me.
Spiritual Growth
This is the part of the post I have been dying to write. I don't think it was a coincidence that within a couple of days of me conjuring up enough courage to send my blog link to everyone in my address book, that our family was hit with the flu (at least half of us). We haven't had so much as a sniffle all winter. And here is the really interesting part. I had been planning to discuss spiritual warfare in my next blog which is now a week later than intended. When you see some of the stuff that I will be sharing it will be clear that there was indeed some spiritual warfare at play.
First, I wanted to talk about being sick and suffering. As I lay there sicker than sick, I was thinking about who I should offer my suffering up for and it was easy, for all those sick like me who don't have a nice bed to lay in, a clean bathroom, towels, drinks, pillows, and all the things that make being sick a little bit easier. I mean can you imagine being sick like that without a roof overhead or a bed to lay in? Interestingly, when I mentioned this to my brother that is exactly who he thinks of when he is sick too. Maybe everyone does. I think being sick once in awhile is good simply from the perspective of appreciating how good it feels to feel good. I felt like I was stepping out into the Land of the Living again today. Kids had the Saturday Night Fever CD cranked. It felt so good to feel good. I know some of you are smirking at our CD preference. This just somehow became the CD of the kids youth. We always dance to it and are goofy. In fact, the same night that Artsy made the comments mentioned above, she also said "Mama, I know what my wedding song will be." You guessed it - "How Deep is Your Love?" by the Bee Gees on that same CD, track 2. I said "I'll remind you of that when you are getting married. But if when you actually get married you decide on something else, maybe you and your daddy could dance to that one."
On March 3rd in my One Bread, One Body meditation, it talked about learning to suffer. I thought it was so good, I would just copy what it said.
God's word shows us ways to react to suffering and pain.
1) Jeremiah resisted not only his sufferings, but also those who caused them (Jer 18:19-21). This reaction to suffering is usually sinful and vindictive. Sometimes it is good to resist those who cause our sufferings. We hold them accountable in order to help them because we love them. However, we must always remember that our battle is not against people, but demons (Eph 6:12). My boldness added.
2) Some people try to escape from suffering. They deny the reality that suffering is an almost inevitable part of life. This makes matters worse and prevents them from building up the Church through suffering (see Col 1:24).
3) Another reaction to suffering is throwing a "pity party." Wallowing in pity, we neither accept suffering nor remove it (see Jon 4:1-3,8).
4) We can also react to suffering by resisting and removing it. This is often the right reaction to suffering. Jesus did this when He healed the sick. We also resist and remove suffering when we heal or care for the sick and oppressed.
5) Finally, Jesus' reaction to such sufferings as persecution, rejection, and self-sacrifice is to freely choose these redemptive sufferings and make them the most powerful expressions of love possible (see Mt 20:18).
In this Lent, may we let Jesus teach us how to suffer by being formed into the pattern of His death (Phil 3:10).
It is interesting that since I have started the spiritual growth portion of my blog, I have been interrupted about 10 times from the kids who are outside. Actually, this doesn't surprise me at all, in fact, I expected to be attacked a bit, but my patience is waning.
Shoot, I didn't even get to all of the good stuff about spiritual warfare and this is way too long already. I will talk about it tomorrow, but I need to tell you one of the quotes that I had planned to write the day before sickness hit. Geez, battery just died, had to go plug in the computer. I will get this out if it is the last thing I do. It is from a section of the book titled "Peace Is Often at Stake in the Struggle". Here is the quote:
"The devil does his utmost to banish peace from one's heart, because he knows that God abides in peace and it is in peace that He accomplishes great things."
There I got it out. I know God is accomplishing great things, at least within me, through this blog and maybe for some of you out there too. So, I felt the devil ramrodded this sickness through to try and destroy the peace. But to know our Lord is more powerful, gives me the strength to perservere. It is hard to get back on track with a blog after a week of absence.
So, keep your eyes open to where the devil is trying to banish your peace. I think being aware is half the battle and the other half is knowing Our Lord is more powerful and calling on that power to help us. We'll see what Fr. Jacques Philippe, the author of the book, says tomorrow as I am sure he has much more helpful information that me.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Oatmeal made with whole milk, mashed bananas and cinnamon
Lunch: Lipton Noodle Soup, saltines, bowl of fruit (strawberries, blueberries, canteloupe, bananas)
Dinner: Tacos, canteloupe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
