.....I reject your "normal" and insert my own.
If there is one thing that can both bring me to belly grabbing laughter or tongue biting anger, it is the expectations people put on others. The standards of normal or the boxed stereotypes we try to put people in.
No one in my little family fits in those boxes. My normal doesn't look like yours. My season in life, does not look like yours or any other 35 year old woman I know.
Most people who are the same age as the Mr and I are having babies, dealing with toddlers and are in that hard season where everything is in constant transition and you are just trying to figure out when and how to wear the wife hat, the mom hat or both and wondering where on earth you went and who is this current person who replaced you and doesn't get near enough sleep....and where did my waist go?
The Mr and I are both 35, have been married for 13 years, we have Wonderteen who is 15 (she was a part of the awesome package that is my Mr) and the Dude who is 10, soon to be 11. We typically relate to couples who are 10 or more years older than we are. We are an odd mix. The Mr is a tall, dark drink of water at 6'6 with a look that mingles Brad Pitt and Brendan Frasier in a pleasantly awesome way. His stature and presence combined with standing next to a tall 15 year old make people assume he is older than he is.....well, that and the liberal streaks of silver in his hair, brought on by said 15 year old, that I personally find distinguished and kinda hot (he thinks I'm crazy). If I'm caught alone, people think I'm in my late 20's by appearance and then when I talk they think I'm older, if I'm with Wonderteen they think she's my sister (she has 8 inches on me!) and when we are all together....people either assume I look much younger than I am or I must have been a teenage mom. It's really all over the board.....apparently I'm confusing. Which I find awesome.
Our kids are not average and don't fit into the stereotype for their age and gender either. WT - she is confident, articulate and refuses to fit any stereotype or label. She is her own kinda girl and has her own style that totally embraces being different. She is outspoken and brash, a rule breaker and a rebel who refuses to let you see her cry but if anyone dare take advantage she will stand for truth and justice like a Mac Truck you do not want to mess with. She is as messy and disorganized as the Dude is orderly. Now the Dude....he is this sensitive, altruistic hero type who has no shame in dealing with emotion, shedding tears and telling it like it is. Truth is all he is and rules are for following. He doesn't have a deceptive bone in his body and he is so comfortable in his own skin that even with a speech challenge he will not hesitate to speak in front of a crowd. He OWNS who he is.
My Mr, a semester of college under his belt but that's it, worked his way up into a good career in mortgage and has been known to be referred to as Sweden due to his ability to not take sides. He is sensitive and intuitive, driven and strong with a faith people have referred to as being just as King Size as he is. Quick to apologize with humility when he is wrong and assertive enough to address, with grace, when you are but just as wise to know when to overlook an offense. Steady and dependable as an oak; gentle and sweet as a puppy. And just as hilarious....maybe more, but not nearly as hairy.
Together we are this odd little family of conundrums. We very purposefully set out to raise a family that is counter-cultural. We don't want to fit in. We live here on this earth but it's not our home. In it but not OF it. There are some people that can't figure us out and they don't care because they just love us as we are with all our little surprises. Then there are those who can't figure us out....and just must be the one who finds the cure.
Like the Dude's teachers. Drives. Me. Batty. Brings out the defensive momma bear who wants to just roar and swipe until they back off. School is not a realm that comforts me. Public school is like a whole other universe to me. My elementary experience was in a one room school...less than 40 kids k-6. Jesus was steeped into every aspect of my education. My class materials and how we dealt with classmates. It's how I deal with everything and I don't know how to speak the language these teachers use.
I feel ignorant. Incapable. Flat out stupid. Which only angers the bear further....don't poke the bear. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not stupid. I am very aware of my intelligence and have the tests to prove it, thank you very much (yes, I'm brilliant - no my grades didn't prove it, much to my mother's disappointment and my frustration that she now had proof of my brilliance and my laziness). And now these people want to test my boy to see why he's different. There is no proof or sign that there is anything wrong other than that he likes to take up their time. He gets that from me. His grades are great, his regular test scores show he is above average in every subject and is extremely smart. So I don't get it.
He's annoying, so there must be something that needs fixing? That's what I hear....as a mom. They bring up little things and all I hear is a description of myself and as I smile, they look at me like I'm a nutbag. That kinda makes me smile too....in all honesty. I usually sit there relishing that we've succeeded in a "yay he's not like the other kids" way and then I realize that we aren't there for a "your kid is so wonderful" talk...
I'm not in denial. We are letting them go ahead and see if they can solve the riddle that is the Dude. Frankly I'm expecting a scenario where they discover that he's a super genius and has already found the cure for cancer but they missed it because he was repeating himself and it was annoying (because he 'preseverates'....I had to look that word up...and I do it too....did you know spell check doesn't think its a real word? Me either.). Then they will humbly apologize and ask us to help them make sure he doesn't take over the world and use his power for evil.....which will make me smile smugly because they don't understand that he doesn't lie and is incapable of being deceptive or breaking rules so it is much more likely that he'll end up wearing tights and a cape and figuring out which area of the brain makes us capable of flight so he can more quickly arrive at locations where people need saving and because I'm his mom, I'll totally mock the tights and borrow the cape. And after I say I'm sorry for mocking his tights (because "it isn't nice to make fun of people, MOM"), he'll let me borrow the cape because he rocks and he will belly laugh until he cries watching me try to fly around in a cape which really isn't a whole outfit but he knows I wouldn't be caught dead in tights no matter what he says to try to convince me.........because he's a good boy and he loves his mom.
Blessings of delirium and hilarity for your weekend,
the Mrs.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
hidden in the secret spaces.....blessings richer than gold
I love words. They get under my skin and into my head...changing my spirit, my attitude...my words.
In my home there are words everywhere. Some are visible, some are hidden. Some are quotes, many are scripture. Some words motivate and encourage, other words guard or bless.
As a manager or "keeper" of the home my work is more than keeping a clean home and caring for the day to day activities, schedules and meals. Beyond the work of managing, I am also monitoring the heart of our home. Some say that the wife is the heart of the home and is some ways I suppose that may be true...but I think it would be more accurate to say that I set the stage and create the environment for the heart of our home. As wives and mothers the environment we create may be one of the most important aspects of our work.
"If momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy".....I've always hated this phrase. To me it has always evoked thoughts of a cranky, controlling woman who has to have it her way or the highway. Yuck. The fact is though, you can replace "momma" with any member of the family and the statement is just as true. The effect that a negative attitude has on the people around it is powerful. Have you ever noticed how even one sour person in a room of 10 or more can bring the whole room down? The atmosphere we create in our homes can either encourage or dissipate negativity. We send our family members out in the morning and over the course of the day they encounter many people and situations. When they come back home they can still be carrying that with them and bringing it right into the house. If your husband is in a particularly stressful season at work, the stress he brings home can be transferred to everyone in the house. If the perspective of Dad's home coming is "watch out, dad is going to be cranky" the tension will mount and when Dad comes home...his stress is then encouraged to stay, fed by the tension and apprehension in the home. But if the perspective of the home was "Dad has had a tough day today so lets try to encourage him when he gets here", his stress is melted away and doesn't have a fighting chance of sticking around. The home is a secure, united, sanctuary where all are refilled and refreshed to go back out into the world when it is time.
One of the ways that I nurture our environment is through prayer and scripture in our home. Most of the artwork on our walls includes words or scripture. The unseen is what has the most powerful affect though.
Years ago, when I was on my very first prayer team, I was introduced to prayer walking. The team would meet before, during and after a class at church. We prayed with the leaders, we prayed for the participants and while they gathered for dinner we prayed in the room where they would worship and listen to the nights speaker. While they listened to the speaker, we were in the rooms where they would soon meet in groups to discuss the evening topic.
We prayed for them as individuals and as groups. We prayed for the environment - that there would be grace and safety to be vulnerable, we prayed for their faith, their protection, for the work the Lord was doing in their hearts, for their conversations and for their leaders and families and the people they would encounter during the week before they came back for the next class. In some rooms we even prayed away the burdens that may have been left there from previous groups - grief and divorce care groups that met there earlier in the week. We covered a range of prayer and concerns I'd never have conceived of before. What I learned there, I eventually started to apply to my own home.
In my kitchen I would pray for our nourishment - that our food would be protected and that He would guide me to making healthy choices and meals for our family, but also that they would be financially smart choices for our budget. I didn't limit it to the food we ate....I would pray about His nourishing our family relationships, blessing the conversations and interactions that happened there. I asked that He would use meal times to feed our family spiritual nutrients as well as physical and relational nutrients.
As I folded laundry I would pray for the person I was folding for. When I made a bed I prayed for their rest and refreshment, their dreams, comfort and security. In the main gathering rooms I prayed over the relationships and the conversations that happened there. The social gatherings of friends and family...the conflicts between kids and tensions between spouses, the opportunities for ministry and joy and laughter.
Friends, I saw change. The Lord bends down to listen, He hears our prayers. (Ps. 116:1-2) I saw change in my family and I felt change in me. I saw arguing diminish and conversation replace it. I felt peace in the absence of tension. And people notice.... They can't put their finger on it, they can't identify what it is but they comment. "Your home feels so good." "Its soft here." "I love coming here, it's like a vacation." "I feel so at home, so welcome."
This is the work of the Lord. Flawed as I am I am not capable of creating that. Obedience to His prompting always results in great blessing.
What words hide in the secret places of our home? In the four corners of our property there are either rocks with scripture on them or a steak driven into the earth.
In my home there are words everywhere. Some are visible, some are hidden. Some are quotes, many are scripture. Some words motivate and encourage, other words guard or bless.
As a manager or "keeper" of the home my work is more than keeping a clean home and caring for the day to day activities, schedules and meals. Beyond the work of managing, I am also monitoring the heart of our home. Some say that the wife is the heart of the home and is some ways I suppose that may be true...but I think it would be more accurate to say that I set the stage and create the environment for the heart of our home. As wives and mothers the environment we create may be one of the most important aspects of our work.
"If momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy".....I've always hated this phrase. To me it has always evoked thoughts of a cranky, controlling woman who has to have it her way or the highway. Yuck. The fact is though, you can replace "momma" with any member of the family and the statement is just as true. The effect that a negative attitude has on the people around it is powerful. Have you ever noticed how even one sour person in a room of 10 or more can bring the whole room down? The atmosphere we create in our homes can either encourage or dissipate negativity. We send our family members out in the morning and over the course of the day they encounter many people and situations. When they come back home they can still be carrying that with them and bringing it right into the house. If your husband is in a particularly stressful season at work, the stress he brings home can be transferred to everyone in the house. If the perspective of Dad's home coming is "watch out, dad is going to be cranky" the tension will mount and when Dad comes home...his stress is then encouraged to stay, fed by the tension and apprehension in the home. But if the perspective of the home was "Dad has had a tough day today so lets try to encourage him when he gets here", his stress is melted away and doesn't have a fighting chance of sticking around. The home is a secure, united, sanctuary where all are refilled and refreshed to go back out into the world when it is time.
One of the ways that I nurture our environment is through prayer and scripture in our home. Most of the artwork on our walls includes words or scripture. The unseen is what has the most powerful affect though.
Years ago, when I was on my very first prayer team, I was introduced to prayer walking. The team would meet before, during and after a class at church. We prayed with the leaders, we prayed for the participants and while they gathered for dinner we prayed in the room where they would worship and listen to the nights speaker. While they listened to the speaker, we were in the rooms where they would soon meet in groups to discuss the evening topic.
We prayed for them as individuals and as groups. We prayed for the environment - that there would be grace and safety to be vulnerable, we prayed for their faith, their protection, for the work the Lord was doing in their hearts, for their conversations and for their leaders and families and the people they would encounter during the week before they came back for the next class. In some rooms we even prayed away the burdens that may have been left there from previous groups - grief and divorce care groups that met there earlier in the week. We covered a range of prayer and concerns I'd never have conceived of before. What I learned there, I eventually started to apply to my own home.
In my kitchen I would pray for our nourishment - that our food would be protected and that He would guide me to making healthy choices and meals for our family, but also that they would be financially smart choices for our budget. I didn't limit it to the food we ate....I would pray about His nourishing our family relationships, blessing the conversations and interactions that happened there. I asked that He would use meal times to feed our family spiritual nutrients as well as physical and relational nutrients.
As I folded laundry I would pray for the person I was folding for. When I made a bed I prayed for their rest and refreshment, their dreams, comfort and security. In the main gathering rooms I prayed over the relationships and the conversations that happened there. The social gatherings of friends and family...the conflicts between kids and tensions between spouses, the opportunities for ministry and joy and laughter.
Friends, I saw change. The Lord bends down to listen, He hears our prayers. (Ps. 116:1-2) I saw change in my family and I felt change in me. I saw arguing diminish and conversation replace it. I felt peace in the absence of tension. And people notice.... They can't put their finger on it, they can't identify what it is but they comment. "Your home feels so good." "Its soft here." "I love coming here, it's like a vacation." "I feel so at home, so welcome."
This is the work of the Lord. Flawed as I am I am not capable of creating that. Obedience to His prompting always results in great blessing.
What words hide in the secret places of our home? In the four corners of our property there are either rocks with scripture on them or a steak driven into the earth.
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:9
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Psalm 121:5-8
He will love you, bless you and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that He swore to your fathers to give you.
Deut. 7:13
The main entrance to our home is our kitchen door....here people enter into blessing.
Blessed you shall be when you com in and blessed you shall be when you go out.
Deut. 28:6
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place - the Most High, who is my refuge - no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
Psalm 91:9-10
Whether words are spoken at our kitchen table or not....blessing is present...
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
Matt. 5:6
Our living room hides teaching and encouragement...
On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member that there maybe no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it, if one member is honored all rejoice together in it.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
1 Cor. 12:22-27
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
1 Thess. 5:11
All over the house there are scriptures......the laundry room is not so subtle. On the main wall (painted red by previous owners) the first thing you see when you enter the room is Proverbs 31:10-31 in white, hand written in paint pen from one end to the other. On the cupboards printed out verses are taped that speak of controlling the tongue and what a wife should be. The freezer speaks of managing harvest well, the ceiling speaks of where a husband who has a nagging wife is better off...
A good deep clean of a house, goes so much further than the corners and the nooks and crannies that only we can see.........a true deep cleaning goes to the depths of the heart and then pours out the mouth, laying every negative at the feet of Jesus and leaving behind only the fruit of His spirit....love for those we encounter. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Matt 12:34b It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles. Matt. 15:10-11
My kitchen window bears the lessons that need to change my heart or the focus my mind lacks. It changes as He prompts. A black permanent marker to write and a green scrubby to remove. So when I wash dishes I don't just see the yard but His Word. Bathroom mirrors often have a scripture or message on them....where ever the eye naturally rests....where we spend the most time standing still.....it sinks in. It encourages. It transforms.
The Word is powerful. For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Blessings for a clean heart, transformed mind and an unbridled passion for Him,
the Mrs.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Mommy bumbles it
My boy is home today. We've been dealing with a random and mysterious sore throat for a few weeks. When I say that I feel so delinquent. It has been here today, gone tomorrow, sometimes just annoying and other days making him feel yucky enough to stay home.....then mysteriously, he's fine. No fever, no runny nose or cough....just this one mysterious symptom. I thought it was a cold that just wouldn't let go...until yesterday. I got a call from the nurse at school. He'd been there twice...but "no fever".....this time he was in tears, he wanted to come home. I arrived to pick him up and he was clearly miserable, crying but trying to be brave...."but I don't want to miss school". ugh......my heart.
He is 10. The sweetest most un-10 year old boy you've ever met. He is an odd jewel of a person. It is captivating watching him grow, seeing who the Lord has made him to be emerge from childhood and into this boy......dare I say, young man. Perhaps I'm biased....but he impresses me, simply with being who he is. Uncomplicated, totally transparent, honest to a fault, give him a rule and he will live and die by it. He impresses me.
He then tells me that his face hurts, just beneath each eye. This is new. Sinus infection?? He's a kid....I've never had one myself so I can only go from the descriptions of others. We went straight to urgent care. I asked the Lord to please let us not have to wait for hours, let the freezing temps keep people home and let us get in quickly. I stashed bunny crackers and an apple juice box in my purse before I left the house, knowing this is where we would end up. The Lord is faithful and there wasn't even one person ahead of us. We got in less than 20 minutes from walking in the door.
Another negative strep test and a quick look in the nose.....massive sinus infection. She even grunted a half gasp at how bad it was. I could have crawled in a hole....how could I have missed this. We talked. I asked a million questions. The result; he has allergies and the drainage down his throat has been causing the sore irritated throat. Laying down relieves things which is why he feels so much better after laying on the couch for a day. A few days later it's built up again and he doesn't feel well. Mystery solved. Kinda... Now we have a whole new mystery.
I explained how I was reluctant to bring him in because he gets a sore throat every time he gets sick, no fever ever but he doesn't feel well and we get sent home, "drink lots of fluids, rest and wait". So that's what I did this time. She comforted me saying I couldn't have known what was going on, that doctors wouldn't have looked at allergies as the cause due to his age. The Dude's calm, laid back demeanor told her that he is clearly not a complainer and is a tough kid. She pressed on all his sinuses and his reactions were minor but he did say it hurt. I could tell from her comments and reactions she was expecting more drama from him.
"Anyone in your family have allergies?" again, I feel like I should shrink. How could I have missed this? I had allergies as a kid. So badly that instead of seeing a regular pediatrician I saw an allergy specialist for every sniffle and complaint I had. I was constantly sick with something or other and was at the doctor so often we had a close relationship. He took me on as one of his youngest patients, because he'd begun treating my mother while she was pregnant with me. He gave me tongue depressors to take home and I would bring them back to him decorated and drawn on, I would draw him pictures and name my stuffed animals after his nurses. When I was older, he was at a conference so I had to see a colleague of his. When he came in to see me he brought my folder, full and heavy. When he sat it down on the desk, he looked at me and said I must be special.......one by one he pulled out every tongue depressor and picture I'd brought him over the years.
Now I need to pull those memories back out of the archives and find someone to bring the Dude to. Once the sinus infection is cleared up. Time to test and see what he is allergic to.....and I'm curious to see if there is a food connection. Granted I see a food connection to everything......but still, it is the one constant source of input the body has that can trigger adverse affects. It has been true in my life and I know that it can be true for him. Has been since he was an infant.
So today I let him stay home....perhaps out of guilt. Though I know that one more day of letting his body rest and the medication do it's work will only help, not hurt. He looks so much better today than last night.....last night he looked like he'd been in a fight. His eyes were puffy and dark.....the light hurt his eyes and he was uncomfortable....but he didn't complain. He would just answer honestly when I asked.....so I know I need to ask more often and better questions.....because he won't complain, not unless it's bad.
What a kid. He is the epitome of a living breathing answer to prayer.....his name means "God has heard". I asked for him, begged for him....and I do mean himjust one. He did and I am blessed.
Blessings of abundance, peace and the encompassing awareness of His presence and love,
the Mrs.
He is 10. The sweetest most un-10 year old boy you've ever met. He is an odd jewel of a person. It is captivating watching him grow, seeing who the Lord has made him to be emerge from childhood and into this boy......dare I say, young man. Perhaps I'm biased....but he impresses me, simply with being who he is. Uncomplicated, totally transparent, honest to a fault, give him a rule and he will live and die by it. He impresses me.
He then tells me that his face hurts, just beneath each eye. This is new. Sinus infection?? He's a kid....I've never had one myself so I can only go from the descriptions of others. We went straight to urgent care. I asked the Lord to please let us not have to wait for hours, let the freezing temps keep people home and let us get in quickly. I stashed bunny crackers and an apple juice box in my purse before I left the house, knowing this is where we would end up. The Lord is faithful and there wasn't even one person ahead of us. We got in less than 20 minutes from walking in the door.
Another negative strep test and a quick look in the nose.....massive sinus infection. She even grunted a half gasp at how bad it was. I could have crawled in a hole....how could I have missed this. We talked. I asked a million questions. The result; he has allergies and the drainage down his throat has been causing the sore irritated throat. Laying down relieves things which is why he feels so much better after laying on the couch for a day. A few days later it's built up again and he doesn't feel well. Mystery solved. Kinda... Now we have a whole new mystery.
I explained how I was reluctant to bring him in because he gets a sore throat every time he gets sick, no fever ever but he doesn't feel well and we get sent home, "drink lots of fluids, rest and wait". So that's what I did this time. She comforted me saying I couldn't have known what was going on, that doctors wouldn't have looked at allergies as the cause due to his age. The Dude's calm, laid back demeanor told her that he is clearly not a complainer and is a tough kid. She pressed on all his sinuses and his reactions were minor but he did say it hurt. I could tell from her comments and reactions she was expecting more drama from him.
"Anyone in your family have allergies?" again, I feel like I should shrink. How could I have missed this? I had allergies as a kid. So badly that instead of seeing a regular pediatrician I saw an allergy specialist for every sniffle and complaint I had. I was constantly sick with something or other and was at the doctor so often we had a close relationship. He took me on as one of his youngest patients, because he'd begun treating my mother while she was pregnant with me. He gave me tongue depressors to take home and I would bring them back to him decorated and drawn on, I would draw him pictures and name my stuffed animals after his nurses. When I was older, he was at a conference so I had to see a colleague of his. When he came in to see me he brought my folder, full and heavy. When he sat it down on the desk, he looked at me and said I must be special.......one by one he pulled out every tongue depressor and picture I'd brought him over the years.
Now I need to pull those memories back out of the archives and find someone to bring the Dude to. Once the sinus infection is cleared up. Time to test and see what he is allergic to.....and I'm curious to see if there is a food connection. Granted I see a food connection to everything......but still, it is the one constant source of input the body has that can trigger adverse affects. It has been true in my life and I know that it can be true for him. Has been since he was an infant.
So today I let him stay home....perhaps out of guilt. Though I know that one more day of letting his body rest and the medication do it's work will only help, not hurt. He looks so much better today than last night.....last night he looked like he'd been in a fight. His eyes were puffy and dark.....the light hurt his eyes and he was uncomfortable....but he didn't complain. He would just answer honestly when I asked.....so I know I need to ask more often and better questions.....because he won't complain, not unless it's bad.
What a kid. He is the epitome of a living breathing answer to prayer.....his name means "God has heard". I asked for him, begged for him....and I do mean himjust one. He did and I am blessed.
I love the Lord because He hears and answers my prayers. Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath! ~Ps. 116:1-2
The Lord is so faithful. He has answered so many prayers. So many custom orders slowly revealed in His perfect timing. He hears. He knows.
Blessings of abundance, peace and the encompassing awareness of His presence and love,
the Mrs.
Monday, December 5, 2011
thinks too much and too often......would make a seriously awesome monk.
my mind seems to have it's own steering wheel and GPS system that it refuses to share with me.
I am fiercely protective of people I care about....or people I've just met who happen to hit just the right note in my soul. Though frankly I doubt that I make that great of a friend. I am a solitary, lone wolf kinda person who rarely craves the company of people. Unless you are my Mr, he is the one and only person in the whole world whose company I crave like lungs crave oxygen......and I would still need time alone. Even as a child I preferred to be alone. This worried my mother and when she was irritated enough, she would simply tell me that I was grounded and if I wanted to come out of my room I was required to play with the neighbor girl.
Really? There's barbies in there. Sounds cool. See ya when I need food.
When she realized that was a massive failed experiment, she just started telling me that I had to play with her. That worked....until I figured out how to make her want to go home....like trying to force feed her peppers....which she didn't like. Or the time I convinced her that the beetle made of iron (I think it was for taking your boots off) near the fireplace was actually a family pet.....and alive.....and I tried to make her pet it.....she kinda freaked out....and ran home....screaming..... I only chased her a little...
Oh come on! I was like 6! ....okay maybe 8...or 10...but still.
It's always been there. A few years ago I thought I'd just be honest (cuz that's the best policy right?) and say out loud that I really didn't like people much. Didn't quite go over how I thought.....a tad awkward......turns out only other people who don't like people tend to like people who say that. Transparency apparently has limits.
Yes, I do have friends. Friends I love dearly but frankly I'm not a great communicator so they totally get the short end of the stick. I get lost in time. I forget when the last time I talked to someone was and could go months without speaking to them and think it was just last week that we had that great chat. I forget I have friends. I forget that they might need me. I forget that sometimes people need their friends to initiate contact or even ask questions instead of just assuming they will spew out all their thoughts without a prompt.....which means I'm probably a crappy friend more often than not. Unless it's email or facebook....I don't reach out. I'm not trying to be a jerk or avoiding people.....honestly, it really just doesn't occur to me. Fortunately I have a few friends who really see me for who I am. They have an abundance of grace for me and either accept or tolerate mymassive many negative qualities.
Change is something I strive for....to grow, to weed out these negative character traits. Unfortunately, I forget them more often than not because I do spend much of my time alone.....I simply am not out of touch or irritating to me. My friends are angels...they understand that they will have to initiate conversations, phone calls or visits.....I wish I was better at that but honestly I just get all kinds of awkward and it really is better for everyone if they take the lead.
I am fiercely protective of people I care about....or people I've just met who happen to hit just the right note in my soul. Though frankly I doubt that I make that great of a friend. I am a solitary, lone wolf kinda person who rarely craves the company of people. Unless you are my Mr, he is the one and only person in the whole world whose company I crave like lungs crave oxygen......and I would still need time alone. Even as a child I preferred to be alone. This worried my mother and when she was irritated enough, she would simply tell me that I was grounded and if I wanted to come out of my room I was required to play with the neighbor girl.
Really? There's barbies in there. Sounds cool. See ya when I need food.
When she realized that was a massive failed experiment, she just started telling me that I had to play with her. That worked....until I figured out how to make her want to go home....like trying to force feed her peppers....which she didn't like. Or the time I convinced her that the beetle made of iron (I think it was for taking your boots off) near the fireplace was actually a family pet.....and alive.....and I tried to make her pet it.....she kinda freaked out....and ran home....screaming..... I only chased her a little...
Oh come on! I was like 6! ....okay maybe 8...or 10...but still.
It's always been there. A few years ago I thought I'd just be honest (cuz that's the best policy right?) and say out loud that I really didn't like people much. Didn't quite go over how I thought.....a tad awkward......turns out only other people who don't like people tend to like people who say that. Transparency apparently has limits.
Yes, I do have friends. Friends I love dearly but frankly I'm not a great communicator so they totally get the short end of the stick. I get lost in time. I forget when the last time I talked to someone was and could go months without speaking to them and think it was just last week that we had that great chat. I forget I have friends. I forget that they might need me. I forget that sometimes people need their friends to initiate contact or even ask questions instead of just assuming they will spew out all their thoughts without a prompt.....which means I'm probably a crappy friend more often than not. Unless it's email or facebook....I don't reach out. I'm not trying to be a jerk or avoiding people.....honestly, it really just doesn't occur to me. Fortunately I have a few friends who really see me for who I am. They have an abundance of grace for me and either accept or tolerate my
Change is something I strive for....to grow, to weed out these negative character traits. Unfortunately, I forget them more often than not because I do spend much of my time alone.....I simply am not out of touch or irritating to me. My friends are angels...they understand that they will have to initiate conversations, phone calls or visits.....I wish I was better at that but honestly I just get all kinds of awkward and it really is better for everyone if they take the lead.
The solitary life of a monk, I would rock. To be silent, in silence and have no one but God to talk to....THAT I could be successful at. He knows me. He loves me and He understands all my crazy and my serious. He gets me. I forget to talk to Him too.....but He doesn't get mad or feel neglected. I know He's always with me....I think He's probably laughing at me many times, simply enjoying the random awkwardness that I provide a situation. That makes me smile to think that lowly me could actually bring a smile or a chuckle to His face. I love that He loves me in spite of my darkness, my faults and maybe He even loves me because of it a little....no, God doesn't do things little. He does things complete. If He loves, He loves completely. If He is present, He doesn't just "show up a little bit", He is there in ALL His fullness and glory.
God does not do things half way.
I love Him and He loves me......and He knows I would totally shave my head for Him. Cuz I've done it before. Yup. He knows me. But He also knows I love pants. I would hate to live in a bathrobe. He knows me.
yeah. I know I think too much and too often....and usually it's fairly random or highly concentrated....my daughter calls it OSD. "Ooh Shiny! Disorder".
Yup, she's awesome too.
Blessings for friendships as deep and wide as the love of Christ,
the Mrs.
Weigh in Monday - 6 Sweet mammajamma!
Well, howdy doo to you this very fine morning!
Currently there are beautiful fat snowflakes drifting down from the sky here. Which only adds to the sweetness of a goal matched and smashed. Ready?
-2.2
Yes, that's right, after a couple of off weeks I think I'm back on track. And you know what else makes it sweeter than sweet? I am but mere ounces from seeing numbers in the 60's.
I can remember the last time I saw numbers like that......approximately 11 years ago Mr and I did the Atkins diet and I got there. Then I got pregnant with our son and didn't see that number again until I'd nursed away the baby weight. Granted as soon as the nursing stopped the weight seemed to come on like someone had opened the hoover dam.
It's funny how we remember certain things and their association to certain places in our life. I was certainly not this excited about those numbers the first time around. I am relishing each new destination this time. Each week I am getting closer and closer to a new version of me. A healthier more confident version.
My treadmill TV show was Felicity. I just finished that series up. What I will miss is the theme song that they adopted for the final 2 seasons. "I need a new version of me" is one of the lines....my step picked up each time....it certainly was appropriate. Time for a new series to walk/jog my way through. I'm testing out "Parenthood".
Anyhoooo....thanks for being here for my little celebration because now it's over....there are new goals to accomplish people! One of which is picking up speed on that Mill of Tread. I managed a sustained run at max speed for about 3 minutes. I so impressed myself that I am starting to incorporate 1 minute bursts of running into my treadmill time. Time to bump up that intensity right!?
Blessings to you wherever your journey finds you, right now, here in this moment,
the Mrs.
Currently there are beautiful fat snowflakes drifting down from the sky here. Which only adds to the sweetness of a goal matched and smashed. Ready?
-2.2
Yes, that's right, after a couple of off weeks I think I'm back on track. And you know what else makes it sweeter than sweet? I am but mere ounces from seeing numbers in the 60's.
I can remember the last time I saw numbers like that......approximately 11 years ago Mr and I did the Atkins diet and I got there. Then I got pregnant with our son and didn't see that number again until I'd nursed away the baby weight. Granted as soon as the nursing stopped the weight seemed to come on like someone had opened the hoover dam.
It's funny how we remember certain things and their association to certain places in our life. I was certainly not this excited about those numbers the first time around. I am relishing each new destination this time. Each week I am getting closer and closer to a new version of me. A healthier more confident version.
My treadmill TV show was Felicity. I just finished that series up. What I will miss is the theme song that they adopted for the final 2 seasons. "I need a new version of me" is one of the lines....my step picked up each time....it certainly was appropriate. Time for a new series to walk/jog my way through. I'm testing out "Parenthood".
Anyhoooo....thanks for being here for my little celebration because now it's over....there are new goals to accomplish people! One of which is picking up speed on that Mill of Tread. I managed a sustained run at max speed for about 3 minutes. I so impressed myself that I am starting to incorporate 1 minute bursts of running into my treadmill time. Time to bump up that intensity right!?
Blessings to you wherever your journey finds you, right now, here in this moment,
the Mrs.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
When I remember my potential for hilarity, I smile because God loves the world enough to know it couldn't handle me without brain damage.
I'm always trying to find the positive in things. You know....search for a lovely thing and you will find it. This morning I was reminded how much God love me/us and how well He knows us.
First, when I savored a half a bavarian cream doughnut at 3 points this morning for breakfast. Yes, just one more thing to add to the whopping pile of evidence that God loves me and wants me to be happy. Yes, I believe God cares about even the little trivial delights in my life.
Secondly, when I all of a sudden realized through a random crazy-train of thought, that perhaps my brain damage was a gift to the people who would enter into my life.....because without it, I would just be too much to handle. If left to my own devices, unhindered.....I have the potential to be completely hilarious....even if only in my own mind. But, due to a serious knock on the head at 15, I get so sucked into being a serious adult and trying to keep track of what is going on (and lets face it, trying to appear totally "normal") that I totally miss the funnier things.....until way later when all of a sudden I realize that making my 6'6 husband try on the red leather moccasins at Nordstrom's Rack (because they carry size 16 canoes for mammoth men like him) was totally a picture worthy moment. I missed it. Granted I may have missed it because I was having too much fun trying to get him to put on all the crazy looking shoes.....and laughing hysterically. But still.....had I realized that I should be taking pictures I could have forgotten all about it, found the pictures later a relived the hilarity all over again. Now, I will just forget it and then miss out in the future. That is lame....but it's my cross to bear.
Perhaps I should take a page from the Bloggess (a completely and totally crazy profane woman who has a mass of health issues but somehow maintains an incredible sense of humor - I can only assume that if I weren't ultra conservative and didn't have a brain injury that I would be exactly like her, and the world just couldn't handle two people like Jenny Lawson. If you have no tolerance for poor language, do not read her blog.) and use my disabilities as opportunities for humor........which brought me to another thought on my crazy-train this morning.
I accepted my short comings long ago. Brain injury and weird diet....but perhaps I should just face the label of disabled. It might explain why I keep getting mail from the Scooter Store.....and a scooter would be seriously fun. I'd like flames and lots of chrome on mine, thank you.
Other than in random moments when I totally let my guard down, I'm a fairly uptight, insecure chick who has allowed the fat lady to take over. I haven't recognized the fat girl in the mirror for years. She ate the skinny, energetic, confident girl I once was.....the one who was funnier and didn't care what other people thought. The fat girl thinks WAY TOO MUCH about what other people think......but I have a feeling that says more about me than other people....in my head I still feel like the skinny girl, until I see a mirror and realize the fat girl is keepin her down.
Then I pondered how I would evolve once the fat girl is gone and the skinny girl is re-released to the public. Will I drive my husband batty? Will there be more laughter in the house? Or will there just be a whole lot more crazy......and eye rolling and head shaking....the kids do that a lot already....
What I do know for sure is that we would most certainly own something like this:
I once saw a teapot similar to this at an antique place and have regretted not buying it ever since. Ugly? Yes, in the most delightful hilarious way that would bring serious joy.......I mean for someone like me, who would forget that I own it. I could rediscover it over and over in random places in the house providing repeated outbursts of laughter. Seriously, this is how my brain works. I forget stuff, all the time, probably more than other people realize cuz I'm awesome at hiding it and the only consistent thing I remember is I used to have an awesome, nearly perfect, memory...and sometimes I forget that I don't anymore.....yeah, that gets confusing. (but movies are awesome cuz I get to watch them over and over like it was the first time....SEE silver lining! You can always find the lovely if you look for it!) If anyone actually knew how many times a day I forget something and totally question whether I have the signs of early onset Alzheimer's and then freak out a little until I forget that I forgot something and then just move on like it never happened......true story.
I should probably tell you that my husband made the coffee this morning. Normally that's my job......it turned out kinda strong.........and I forgot that I got my Green Tea supplements this week so I tossed back my vitamins this morning - which included a green tea cap - with a double cup of extra strong coffee. I might be just a little jacked up. Maybe.
I'm sure I'll work it off on the treadmill later.
See ya tomorrow, less jacked up, for weigh-in Monday.
Blessings for a groovy kind of love on this blessed day of rest,
the Mrs.
First, when I savored a half a bavarian cream doughnut at 3 points this morning for breakfast. Yes, just one more thing to add to the whopping pile of evidence that God loves me and wants me to be happy. Yes, I believe God cares about even the little trivial delights in my life.
Secondly, when I all of a sudden realized through a random crazy-train of thought, that perhaps my brain damage was a gift to the people who would enter into my life.....because without it, I would just be too much to handle. If left to my own devices, unhindered.....I have the potential to be completely hilarious....even if only in my own mind. But, due to a serious knock on the head at 15, I get so sucked into being a serious adult and trying to keep track of what is going on (and lets face it, trying to appear totally "normal") that I totally miss the funnier things.....until way later when all of a sudden I realize that making my 6'6 husband try on the red leather moccasins at Nordstrom's Rack (because they carry size 16 canoes for mammoth men like him) was totally a picture worthy moment. I missed it. Granted I may have missed it because I was having too much fun trying to get him to put on all the crazy looking shoes.....and laughing hysterically. But still.....had I realized that I should be taking pictures I could have forgotten all about it, found the pictures later a relived the hilarity all over again. Now, I will just forget it and then miss out in the future. That is lame....but it's my cross to bear.
Perhaps I should take a page from the Bloggess (a completely and totally crazy profane woman who has a mass of health issues but somehow maintains an incredible sense of humor - I can only assume that if I weren't ultra conservative and didn't have a brain injury that I would be exactly like her, and the world just couldn't handle two people like Jenny Lawson. If you have no tolerance for poor language, do not read her blog.) and use my disabilities as opportunities for humor........which brought me to another thought on my crazy-train this morning.
I accepted my short comings long ago. Brain injury and weird diet....but perhaps I should just face the label of disabled. It might explain why I keep getting mail from the Scooter Store.....and a scooter would be seriously fun. I'd like flames and lots of chrome on mine, thank you.
Other than in random moments when I totally let my guard down, I'm a fairly uptight, insecure chick who has allowed the fat lady to take over. I haven't recognized the fat girl in the mirror for years. She ate the skinny, energetic, confident girl I once was.....the one who was funnier and didn't care what other people thought. The fat girl thinks WAY TOO MUCH about what other people think......but I have a feeling that says more about me than other people....in my head I still feel like the skinny girl, until I see a mirror and realize the fat girl is keepin her down.
Then I pondered how I would evolve once the fat girl is gone and the skinny girl is re-released to the public. Will I drive my husband batty? Will there be more laughter in the house? Or will there just be a whole lot more crazy......and eye rolling and head shaking....the kids do that a lot already....
What I do know for sure is that we would most certainly own something like this:
I should probably tell you that my husband made the coffee this morning. Normally that's my job......it turned out kinda strong.........and I forgot that I got my Green Tea supplements this week so I tossed back my vitamins this morning - which included a green tea cap - with a double cup of extra strong coffee. I might be just a little jacked up. Maybe.
I'm sure I'll work it off on the treadmill later.
See ya tomorrow, less jacked up, for weigh-in Monday.
Blessings for a groovy kind of love on this blessed day of rest,
the Mrs.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
today is brought to you by the letter T
This morning my son left for his school Trip. He is such a laid back kid. He has never been nervous for anything. He is always ready for an adventure and I always have to say "Hey! You can't go without hugging me goodbye!" He always laughs at me. :) First day of preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade or first time off to camp...every time I got a casual "bye mom!" and I had to tell him to hug me. Now at 10, he's done this enough that I too am fairly casual about it. I still require a hug but I thought it was quite funny that every adult I encountered this morning thought that I should be a mess. My thoughts are that I am getting a mini vacation, I can work on the abundant list of projects and Christmas shopping to be done and in the evenings, we get to actually see what it's like to not have kids! Every parent needs refreshment, we just take ours however it is offered.
Next I helped my dad bring his Christmas Tree out of storage, along with all his decorations. As he gets older the help is much appreciated and so much easier on him. Now he will work his way through setting things up as he has the time.
At lunch I made myself a Tasty veggie sandwich! I toasted a sandwich flat in the oven (little spray of oil and a sprinkling of Mrs Dash Table blend and garlic powder), layered it with mayo, thin sliced dill pickle, cucumber, lettuce, spinach and tomato. YUM!
When it was time to change so I could workout, I found that a particular puppy (she's a year old Yorkie) had hidden Terds under our bed. Needless to say I was none too pleased and she was in quite a bit of Trouble. She tends to either hid the evidence or eat it......either way it's gross. Of our three dogs she fits a "youngest child" descriptor....wild, crazy and always into trouble. We never had this much trouble with the older two.
Once that was cleaned up I headed straight for the Treadmill to try and accomplish ONE thing that this day was supposed to do. The whole first day is gone and not one thing in my house got done.
Time to shower and get ready for my Mr and my WonderTeen to come for dinner. Tonight's menu: Stuffed shells! I'm looking forward to it. After, it will be list making time. ToDo and ToShopFor.
Tomorrow is a new day and it's full of possibilities!
Blessings to each of you for a beautiful and peace filled night,
the Mrs.
Next I helped my dad bring his Christmas Tree out of storage, along with all his decorations. As he gets older the help is much appreciated and so much easier on him. Now he will work his way through setting things up as he has the time.
At lunch I made myself a Tasty veggie sandwich! I toasted a sandwich flat in the oven (little spray of oil and a sprinkling of Mrs Dash Table blend and garlic powder), layered it with mayo, thin sliced dill pickle, cucumber, lettuce, spinach and tomato. YUM!
When it was time to change so I could workout, I found that a particular puppy (she's a year old Yorkie) had hidden Terds under our bed. Needless to say I was none too pleased and she was in quite a bit of Trouble. She tends to either hid the evidence or eat it......either way it's gross. Of our three dogs she fits a "youngest child" descriptor....wild, crazy and always into trouble. We never had this much trouble with the older two.
Once that was cleaned up I headed straight for the Treadmill to try and accomplish ONE thing that this day was supposed to do. The whole first day is gone and not one thing in my house got done.
Time to shower and get ready for my Mr and my WonderTeen to come for dinner. Tonight's menu: Stuffed shells! I'm looking forward to it. After, it will be list making time. ToDo and ToShopFor.
Tomorrow is a new day and it's full of possibilities!
Blessings to each of you for a beautiful and peace filled night,
the Mrs.
Monday, November 28, 2011
weigh in Monday - 5 GOAAAAAAAL kinda
This morning was less awesome than I had hoped but awesome none the less.
I had a -1.2 BUT I hit FINALLY and for the first time my 10%!!!! Yep, I got a splash of purty stars on my screen saying I'd reached my 10% goal and actually went a little past it!
Didn't hit my -2 goal though....so, since I didn't hit goal it's time to reflect on why.
Thanksgiving? Nope...didn't over eat. I did however make a significant change in my diet this week and ended up finding myself with more than 50% of my daily points after 5pm. So, cramming that many points in at the end I think may have botched things a bit in the 2nd half of my week. This week I hope to figure that out better and if I'm satisfied and not hungry, I won't be freaking out about eating all my points. If I have left over then they will just have to sit there. I will not starve or die if I don't eat all my points.
What does my grocery list look like?
I had a -1.2 BUT I hit FINALLY and for the first time my 10%!!!! Yep, I got a splash of purty stars on my screen saying I'd reached my 10% goal and actually went a little past it!
Didn't hit my -2 goal though....so, since I didn't hit goal it's time to reflect on why.
Thanksgiving? Nope...didn't over eat. I did however make a significant change in my diet this week and ended up finding myself with more than 50% of my daily points after 5pm. So, cramming that many points in at the end I think may have botched things a bit in the 2nd half of my week. This week I hope to figure that out better and if I'm satisfied and not hungry, I won't be freaking out about eating all my points. If I have left over then they will just have to sit there. I will not starve or die if I don't eat all my points.
What does my grocery list look like?
this.
I usually go to 4 stores to get my shopping done.
Here's what I got since my list is probably illegible.
TJ's (Trader Joe's)
Carrots, mushrooms, english cucumbers, spinach (in a bag), bag of avocados
Pesto, hummus, rice, rice pasta
1/2 & 1/2
organic popping corn
jar of sundried tomatoes
Tapioca pudding
ricotta
Organic Midnight Moo (chocolate sauce)
Aldi
Cauliflower, Broccoli, celery, bananas, lettuce, clementines
english muffins
Super Target
Simply Lemonade and Orange juice
Chips: Tostitos and Sunchips (original)
Walnut oil
Frozen peaches
Paper lunch sacks (to make the popcorn in the microwave! Pinterest!)
Cub
Tomatoes
coconut milk
sweet potato (2 to try)
Tahini
lentils
Roasted Red Peppers
We buy meat in bulk usually so I already have that for the family in the freezer and don't ordinarily buy it anyway. For this week - this is what I got. I already have some things but several things on the list are things that I wouldn't ordinarily have on hand. I might pick something up here or there later but this isn't too out of the ordinary of a list for me. The way they will combine will be the difference I guess.
Today's lunch: 1 cup Basmatti rice medley (from Trader Joes) made in the rice maker with chopped celery. 1/4 cup black beans, 1/2 cup homemade spaghetti marinara and 1/2 a mozzarella cheese stick pulled apart on top. Points: 8
Stat roundup so far:
Total lost: 19.8 since starting WW
Lost since revamped goals: 8.8
Left to go: 20 weeks and 41.2 lbs......if I did my math right....
Total inches lost: 11.5 (combined)
Blessings to you all this week!
the Mrs.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
changes on my plate
Belated Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your celebrations were filled with joy, family and fun!
My "less meat" adventure has begun. On my Thanksgiving plate I had a pile of green beans, 2 fork fulls of mashed potatoes, cauliflower and about 2 ounces of turkey breast.....I think this was the first thanksgiving I that I felt both satisfied and "healthy" at the end.....meaning I didn't feel tired or like I was going to explode.
Though I have realized that meat in some way shape or form has been the bulk of my points in a day. Taking meat out has brought me a new "point" challenge in my Weight Watchers journey. Yesterday I found myself having 19, of my 29 total points for the day, left to use for DINNER. I was hungry but not that hungry. So I have some things to figure out....besides the change in my grocery list so I can get some new ingredient staples into the house. I can say that while I haven't gone 100% meat free in the last 3 days, I do feel really good.
Flexitarian. My new word. I had no idea this term existed. But now that I do, it probably most accurately describes my changing approach to food. Food and I have an interesting relationship. It's certainly something that we can't just stop consuming. We must eat to live. There is no choice here. When the very thing that is required for life is the very thing that is ripping your body apart.....things get interesting. For the last 3 years I have "cleaned" our grocery list. There are a few random items that still come into the house for family members or the occasional treat but for the most part, things are made from scratch. Ingredient lists are read for every item purchased - I do mean every item.
I have a list of around 100 ingredients that I cannot consume. When I say "ingredient" I do not mean "milk" or "tree nuts", I mean when you purchase table salt there is an ingredient list. When you purchase milk, cheese, chicken, a can of beans or a package of organic anything.....there is an ingredient list. Yes, did you know that your meat actually has a list of ingredients? I nearly had a meltdown in the meat isle when I realized that....and then completely swore off any and all Jennie-O products as they made me want to cry and curse at the same time.
3 years ago I was couch bound and incapacitated for months and doctors had no idea why. Thanks to the Lord providing me a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, I was able to shuffle my way to an answer. Food was making me sick. I was in so much pain doctors initially thought I was quickly developing rheumatoid arthritis. My speech was slurred and I couldn't think clearly. My joints hurt so badly that some days I couldn't even hold the spoon to feed myself the food my husband had cut up for me.
So now, I'm 35, I've figured out the things that I can and cannot eat. Which also includes how they are cooked.....no slow roasting, no crock pot cooking and no fermented foods. Inviting me to a dinner party isn't really something people usually want to tackle....or at least I discourage it. Frankly people don't realize the complexity of what goes into me being able to eat food that won't cause me to have a reaction (or at least 1 of the 18 different reactions I can have). When people ask for a list they expect me to give them a list of maybe five different foods not a list of 100 ingredients that can be found in food.
Most people who hear a little about my food sensitivities think its some sort of crazy lady, food conspiracy, oh my gosh don't stand too close, she might just stab you with a carrot thing. Once they hear that when I took all the ingredients out of the house my family started to develop sensitivities to the ingredients as well....they pause to rethink....but only for a moment. If, if, they have a desire to learn more - and lets be honest, it's always the mom's - I will email them the information I have compiled. Once they have read through that and their eyes and minds are open....they start asking me questions, often.
I'm totally un-intimidated by this new foody adventure. I am looking forward to feeling even better than I do, looking even better and perhaps increasing the speed of my weight loss as an added bonus (but my focus is still only on those 2 pounds per week). I only eat whole grain, whole wheat bread if I have purchased it myself because anything "enriched" or containing a corn product will cause a reaction. No soy products what-so-ever, they all cause a reaction and I've read some things about how soy is processed in the body and while it may be good for skin care it is not good for human consumption (I also can't eat animals who have eaten a diet of mostly corn and soy products). But I can't source those sites for you right now because it was long ago and in the many, many, many different resources I've used over the years.....my brain just cannot file it all. Nothing fermented - so no yogurt or vinegar...we'll see what else that may include, like miso paste...I'm not trying that one.
In the long run, this may just simplify how I eat by taking out the one large, questionable, category I've had to deal with. Organic grass fed beef is expensive so I have a feeling we will be saving some money in the future.
My hubby is a self-proclaimed "meatatarian" and he has no fear of me trying to convert him but my journey with food has opened his mind to a lot of things. IF he chooses to join me, great! But for now it will just be me, figuring this out, for me.
If anyone out there is interested, here are some things I have found in the last few days that might be helpful: (Please forgive my blogger incompetence in not knowing how to insert their page graphics)
My "less meat" adventure has begun. On my Thanksgiving plate I had a pile of green beans, 2 fork fulls of mashed potatoes, cauliflower and about 2 ounces of turkey breast.....I think this was the first thanksgiving I that I felt both satisfied and "healthy" at the end.....meaning I didn't feel tired or like I was going to explode.
Though I have realized that meat in some way shape or form has been the bulk of my points in a day. Taking meat out has brought me a new "point" challenge in my Weight Watchers journey. Yesterday I found myself having 19, of my 29 total points for the day, left to use for DINNER. I was hungry but not that hungry. So I have some things to figure out....besides the change in my grocery list so I can get some new ingredient staples into the house. I can say that while I haven't gone 100% meat free in the last 3 days, I do feel really good.
Flexitarian. My new word. I had no idea this term existed. But now that I do, it probably most accurately describes my changing approach to food. Food and I have an interesting relationship. It's certainly something that we can't just stop consuming. We must eat to live. There is no choice here. When the very thing that is required for life is the very thing that is ripping your body apart.....things get interesting. For the last 3 years I have "cleaned" our grocery list. There are a few random items that still come into the house for family members or the occasional treat but for the most part, things are made from scratch. Ingredient lists are read for every item purchased - I do mean every item.
I have a list of around 100 ingredients that I cannot consume. When I say "ingredient" I do not mean "milk" or "tree nuts", I mean when you purchase table salt there is an ingredient list. When you purchase milk, cheese, chicken, a can of beans or a package of organic anything.....there is an ingredient list. Yes, did you know that your meat actually has a list of ingredients? I nearly had a meltdown in the meat isle when I realized that....and then completely swore off any and all Jennie-O products as they made me want to cry and curse at the same time.
3 years ago I was couch bound and incapacitated for months and doctors had no idea why. Thanks to the Lord providing me a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, I was able to shuffle my way to an answer. Food was making me sick. I was in so much pain doctors initially thought I was quickly developing rheumatoid arthritis. My speech was slurred and I couldn't think clearly. My joints hurt so badly that some days I couldn't even hold the spoon to feed myself the food my husband had cut up for me.
So now, I'm 35, I've figured out the things that I can and cannot eat. Which also includes how they are cooked.....no slow roasting, no crock pot cooking and no fermented foods. Inviting me to a dinner party isn't really something people usually want to tackle....or at least I discourage it. Frankly people don't realize the complexity of what goes into me being able to eat food that won't cause me to have a reaction (or at least 1 of the 18 different reactions I can have). When people ask for a list they expect me to give them a list of maybe five different foods not a list of 100 ingredients that can be found in food.
Most people who hear a little about my food sensitivities think its some sort of crazy lady, food conspiracy, oh my gosh don't stand too close, she might just stab you with a carrot thing. Once they hear that when I took all the ingredients out of the house my family started to develop sensitivities to the ingredients as well....they pause to rethink....but only for a moment. If, if, they have a desire to learn more - and lets be honest, it's always the mom's - I will email them the information I have compiled. Once they have read through that and their eyes and minds are open....they start asking me questions, often.
I'm totally un-intimidated by this new foody adventure. I am looking forward to feeling even better than I do, looking even better and perhaps increasing the speed of my weight loss as an added bonus (but my focus is still only on those 2 pounds per week). I only eat whole grain, whole wheat bread if I have purchased it myself because anything "enriched" or containing a corn product will cause a reaction. No soy products what-so-ever, they all cause a reaction and I've read some things about how soy is processed in the body and while it may be good for skin care it is not good for human consumption (I also can't eat animals who have eaten a diet of mostly corn and soy products). But I can't source those sites for you right now because it was long ago and in the many, many, many different resources I've used over the years.....my brain just cannot file it all. Nothing fermented - so no yogurt or vinegar...we'll see what else that may include, like miso paste...I'm not trying that one.
In the long run, this may just simplify how I eat by taking out the one large, questionable, category I've had to deal with. Organic grass fed beef is expensive so I have a feeling we will be saving some money in the future.
My hubby is a self-proclaimed "meatatarian" and he has no fear of me trying to convert him but my journey with food has opened his mind to a lot of things. IF he chooses to join me, great! But for now it will just be me, figuring this out, for me.
If anyone out there is interested, here are some things I have found in the last few days that might be helpful: (Please forgive my blogger incompetence in not knowing how to insert their page graphics)
Blessings for the journey He has you on,
the Mrs.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
a mixed bag
With Thanksgiving tomorrow I've been planning a post about preparing our homes for more than the holidays. Touching on how scripture and prayer in our homes goes beyond art and ritual and the effect it has on the people who live and enter into our space. Life on the other hand has offered some distractions....
The Dude has been fighting this cold bug for what seems like an eternity. A few days of a light cough and sore throat (no trace of a fever), a tummy ache here and there and then he's feeling better and back to normal.....until a few days later. This has been going on for about 2 weeks. Not one symptom has raised the doctor flag so we've treated with rest, juice and some elderberry and zinc lozenges...a little echinacea dropped in his apple juice and then he's raring to go again. Until this week. Stayed home from school yesterday. Today he tells me that he feels way better and his throat doesn't hurt so much anymore.....and TODAY he actually has his first fever! Granted it's only 99.5 but still. How weird is that!? I'm foregoing the fever reducing meds today so that hopefully this fever will kick those germs to the curb for good finally.
On top of that I now feel strange....kinda nauseated and blah. I'm hoping it's just some phase in my cycle and not an actual illness. Wouldn't that just figure though....the day before thanksgiving? Wouldn't be the first for me. It's actually happened several times where I've missed some holiday because I've gotten sick and because I am so careful (probably too much so) about germs and passing them on to people. I do not appreciate when people assume that the rest of the world has no issue with the simple cold and put no care into who might catch it.
I learned how important this was when my mother went through chemo and was so susceptible to germs....I've also had plenty of my own health issues and tend to pretty much catch anything I encounter. So simply because I so appreciate when others are careful, I do the same. Or at least try my best!
One of my favorite tricks is that when someone gets sick around here they get their own bathroom towel. One towel goes up over the shower curtain and the other goes on the towel rod. When the kids were little they got those Velcro towels for the stove, on the inside doorknob to the bathroom. I also separate the toothbrushes into glasses with water mixed with either hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. Those things have helped immensely in containing illnesses.
Yesterday I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives it's about an hour and 30+ minutes.....I watched the whole thing on the treadmill. It was SO interesting I believe I totally forgot my legs were moving. So now I'm totally considering eating less meat. Yeah.....it was THAT compelling that me, someone who believes that bacon is "meat candy" is considering phasing out meat. I do not plan on forcing my family into this but I do hope to start incorporating some vegetarian meals or at least something they can use as a side dish to start experimenting. With the genetics I have inherited for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and a host of other things...I feel I should take the science presented in the film seriously. I've already phased out chemicals and processed foods so this shouldn't be too hard....over time. Nothing happens over night.
Time for a walk on the mill....nothing too strenuous since I'm not feeling 100%. I've got a goal to hit people!
Blessings for a beautiful thanksgiving and an overwhelming awareness of how truly blessed you are,
the Mrs.
Monday, November 21, 2011
weigh in Monday - 4 grr arg but YAY!
Happy Monday!
So....weigh in today didn't go as well as I'd hoped BUT it went in the right direction. Baby steps, right people?
Today was a whopping .8 loss.....I was tempted to re-weigh myself 30 minutes later to see if I could eek out another .2 and at least say it was a full pound but.....no way that timing would have allowed that this morning.
BUT! Wait there's more!
What I did realize is that my .8 has brought me down to my lowest WW weight to date! Can't believe I'm putting this out there but wiser people with math skillz could probably put it together without much effort. Grr arg, I am .6 shy of my 10%! BUT...
That means I have lost a total of .........(yes I'm getting out my calculator, stop laughing) 18.4 lbs! yeah....I'm currently 173.6.
I can remember the last time I weighed that. I can remember the day clearly when I stepped on a new scale in a blue bathroom and saw 177 and nearly fell over.....right after I checked to see that it was working correctly and stepped on the scale about 3 more times.
YAY! I'm almost at 10% and will KICK that goal in the rear as I charge past it this week! YAY! I now weigh less than I did when I realized that I'd gone past "gaining a few pounds" and officially reached fat. (I know for many, that is not what it means for YOU - lets not focus on numbers - for my frame and height 5'3, this IS what it means FOR ME). I look forward to the day that I'm not in an "obese" category.
For now I am celebrating the little victories.....like the fact that I am SO close to wearing size medium tops....that I can thrift for clothes easily and actually find things in my size! Cuz seriously....who doesn't like both clothes and crazy cheap prices? I can say "gosh I so need a belt or I'm going to lose my pants" and actually mean it. I can give away clothes because they are TOO BIG!
Slowly but surely, I am getting there, step by step.
On to a whole other YAY. A parental one. Yesterday at church we were proud blubbery parents. We attend a very small, second campus church. It's only a year and a half old and the congregation is maybe at 100 on a good day. Sunday school classes are small and the upper grades have a max of 6-8 kids in 3-5th grade. Our Dude is in 5th grade and has become the class pray-er....for lack of a better term. We were asked to start working with him to formulate a prayer to be prayed over the Operation Christmas Child shoe-boxes they were assembling. I showed him an example and then he wrote his own prayer on a note card. Before service started he showed his teacher and the worship leader overheard their conversation. He asked to read it and then asked if he could read it to the congregation before the children were dismissed to class.
We had both already read the prayer, we had already told him how proud we were of him. But then the worship leader prefaced his reading the Dude's little purple note card with how important it is to listen to the children. How he had overheard the conversation and asked if he could read it to everyone. The Spirit moved as he read it and we both welled up as our son ran up on stage at the end to get his note card back and go to class. Our son's commentary......"Its a pretty special day for me."
I will leave you with this angelic prayer for the day...typed with errors and everything. :)
Dear God, Thank you for putting Christ in our bodys with generousity and Grace. Please help our gifts show them the love of Jesus. So that they will be able to give you thanks no matter what. Help us do the same. Thank you for all you have done for us. Amen.
Blessings of the warm gushy variety,
the Mrs.
So....weigh in today didn't go as well as I'd hoped BUT it went in the right direction. Baby steps, right people?
Today was a whopping .8 loss.....I was tempted to re-weigh myself 30 minutes later to see if I could eek out another .2 and at least say it was a full pound but.....no way that timing would have allowed that this morning.
BUT! Wait there's more!
What I did realize is that my .8 has brought me down to my lowest WW weight to date! Can't believe I'm putting this out there but wiser people with math skillz could probably put it together without much effort. Grr arg, I am .6 shy of my 10%! BUT...
That means I have lost a total of .........(yes I'm getting out my calculator, stop laughing) 18.4 lbs! yeah....I'm currently 173.6.
I can remember the last time I weighed that. I can remember the day clearly when I stepped on a new scale in a blue bathroom and saw 177 and nearly fell over.....right after I checked to see that it was working correctly and stepped on the scale about 3 more times.
YAY! I'm almost at 10% and will KICK that goal in the rear as I charge past it this week! YAY! I now weigh less than I did when I realized that I'd gone past "gaining a few pounds" and officially reached fat. (I know for many, that is not what it means for YOU - lets not focus on numbers - for my frame and height 5'3, this IS what it means FOR ME). I look forward to the day that I'm not in an "obese" category.
For now I am celebrating the little victories.....like the fact that I am SO close to wearing size medium tops....that I can thrift for clothes easily and actually find things in my size! Cuz seriously....who doesn't like both clothes and crazy cheap prices? I can say "gosh I so need a belt or I'm going to lose my pants" and actually mean it. I can give away clothes because they are TOO BIG!
Slowly but surely, I am getting there, step by step.
On to a whole other YAY. A parental one. Yesterday at church we were proud blubbery parents. We attend a very small, second campus church. It's only a year and a half old and the congregation is maybe at 100 on a good day. Sunday school classes are small and the upper grades have a max of 6-8 kids in 3-5th grade. Our Dude is in 5th grade and has become the class pray-er....for lack of a better term. We were asked to start working with him to formulate a prayer to be prayed over the Operation Christmas Child shoe-boxes they were assembling. I showed him an example and then he wrote his own prayer on a note card. Before service started he showed his teacher and the worship leader overheard their conversation. He asked to read it and then asked if he could read it to the congregation before the children were dismissed to class.
We had both already read the prayer, we had already told him how proud we were of him. But then the worship leader prefaced his reading the Dude's little purple note card with how important it is to listen to the children. How he had overheard the conversation and asked if he could read it to everyone. The Spirit moved as he read it and we both welled up as our son ran up on stage at the end to get his note card back and go to class. Our son's commentary......"Its a pretty special day for me."
I will leave you with this angelic prayer for the day...typed with errors and everything. :)
Dear God, Thank you for putting Christ in our bodys with generousity and Grace. Please help our gifts show them the love of Jesus. So that they will be able to give you thanks no matter what. Help us do the same. Thank you for all you have done for us. Amen.
Blessings of the warm gushy variety,
the Mrs.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
and I was doing so well....
...okay so I just missed yesterday....it is Wednesday right?
wow....it feels like a lot longer has gone by since Monday.
Today my son his home sick from school. Nothing big but when I ask the question "do you think you can make it through a whole day at school?" and his answer is "no". I know he really isn't feeling well. He is the most honest straight forward kid I have ever met. If he didn't want to go to school, he'd say "I don't want to go but I am not sick enough to stay home, I can go." Not kidding. This boy epitomizes "rule follower".....to the letter. I love it and him. It can be amazing, frustrating, inspiring and hysterical to have such and honest and literal child.....I wonder if this is what I was like as a kid?
Anyway.....I have gotten my workout in for the day and even made a trip to Goodwill to search for "sock hop" clothes for Mr. I think I may have found something but not entirely sure. I did however find a few tops for myself while I was there. It is the coolest feeling to go through a random rack of clothes and know that SOMETHING will fit and flatter! It's not such a huge search anymore! I can shop pretty much anywhere right now. No need for a special "plus size" store or section anymore!
Currently I'm able to wear a top in a size Large - sometimes a Medium! (that's down from a pre-weight watchers size 14/16) I don't know numbers yet tho... Jeans or pants....I'm not entirely sure yet. I have one pair of jeans that actually fit and look nice on, they are a size 15 from the Jr's department (which is down from a 16/18 in the plus size stores).
I am short and carry all my weight in the middle on top of chicken legs - picture a tomato on toothpicks.
The waist area is taking its sweet time in melting but there are beginning to be signs that there really is a rib cage under there! I still have no waist or hips to speak of....really more of a block. BUT that will change in time! :)
So there's my check in for the day. I'm struggling to stay on track and get things done in a timely manner but working out is throwing things off. Mr told me in no uncertain terms that I am not to put housework before working out. My priority is supposed to be me and whatever I need to do to keep going and he will help with whatever doesn't get done. Isn't he sweet!
Time to hit the showers and get ready for him to come home with Wonder Teen. It's our weekly Wednesday night visit before she goes to church.
Blessings,
the Mrs.
wow....it feels like a lot longer has gone by since Monday.
Today my son his home sick from school. Nothing big but when I ask the question "do you think you can make it through a whole day at school?" and his answer is "no". I know he really isn't feeling well. He is the most honest straight forward kid I have ever met. If he didn't want to go to school, he'd say "I don't want to go but I am not sick enough to stay home, I can go." Not kidding. This boy epitomizes "rule follower".....to the letter. I love it and him. It can be amazing, frustrating, inspiring and hysterical to have such and honest and literal child.....I wonder if this is what I was like as a kid?
Anyway.....I have gotten my workout in for the day and even made a trip to Goodwill to search for "sock hop" clothes for Mr. I think I may have found something but not entirely sure. I did however find a few tops for myself while I was there. It is the coolest feeling to go through a random rack of clothes and know that SOMETHING will fit and flatter! It's not such a huge search anymore! I can shop pretty much anywhere right now. No need for a special "plus size" store or section anymore!
Currently I'm able to wear a top in a size Large - sometimes a Medium! (that's down from a pre-weight watchers size 14/16) I don't know numbers yet tho... Jeans or pants....I'm not entirely sure yet. I have one pair of jeans that actually fit and look nice on, they are a size 15 from the Jr's department (which is down from a 16/18 in the plus size stores).
I am short and carry all my weight in the middle on top of chicken legs - picture a tomato on toothpicks.
The waist area is taking its sweet time in melting but there are beginning to be signs that there really is a rib cage under there! I still have no waist or hips to speak of....really more of a block. BUT that will change in time! :)
So there's my check in for the day. I'm struggling to stay on track and get things done in a timely manner but working out is throwing things off. Mr told me in no uncertain terms that I am not to put housework before working out. My priority is supposed to be me and whatever I need to do to keep going and he will help with whatever doesn't get done. Isn't he sweet!
Time to hit the showers and get ready for him to come home with Wonder Teen. It's our weekly Wednesday night visit before she goes to church.
Blessings,
the Mrs.
Monday, November 14, 2011
weigh in Monday - 3
I think I'll theme up my Monday posts. It's going to be what I'm thinking about anyway...
This weeks goal..............ACCOMPLISHED! -2.2! YAY!
It feels so good to have my hard work pay off!
I changed a few things up this week. I actually got on the treadmill 2x a day several days last week. Don't go having crazy thoughts that I like the treadmill or anything. I do not. BUT as a part of improving my efficiency and productivity (as well as taking my mind captive) I don't turn on the TV at all during the day. Mr won an iPad last year and we have a Netflix account. So I prop up the iPad on the console, plug in my headphones and work my way through a TV series - hour long shows, which after the commercials are edited out end up being about 44-46 minutes long. It gives me something to look forward to and I have to be on the treadmill to watch!
Currently I can get up to 3.2mph. I go between a light jog or a fast walk, I have to hold on most of the time just to keep myself in the center but I actually sweat. I usually follow it up with wii boxing (12-13 minutes). Yesterday I pulled out a wii game My Fitness Coach, that I had totally forgotten that I had. Kicked my butt. My legs were total jello when I was done.....and it was a CORE workout! HA!
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout is the one I really, really want! Mostly because it focuses on boxing.
Anyway. As I was folding laundry this week I was chatting with the Lord and wondering what quantity He designed the stomach to actually hold from one meal. I know that there are statistics and stories about stomachs being stretched from over eating and that it is supposed to expand a bit at meal time, then there is the reduction issue....but what was it really designed to hold? How much, in quantity - not calories, quality or points but in actual volume/weight? I had just eaten lunch and while I only ate 7 points I realized that I shouldn't have eaten the container of raspberries I did at the end. About 20-30 minutes later I was beyond comfortably full and had that "I ate too much" feeling. So this started me thinking and talking. In general, even if its healthy, we can consume too much food.
So I googled and basically found that a healthy human stomach should only hold about 20 oz or 1 liter. WOW. Think about that! If you are eating fast food, your drink alone is probably that much! Then, consider that the carbonation actually expands your stomach. On top of that who knows how much the burger and fries weigh, not to mention the calories.
So.....guess what I bought.
This weeks goal..............ACCOMPLISHED! -2.2! YAY!
It feels so good to have my hard work pay off!
I changed a few things up this week. I actually got on the treadmill 2x a day several days last week. Don't go having crazy thoughts that I like the treadmill or anything. I do not. BUT as a part of improving my efficiency and productivity (as well as taking my mind captive) I don't turn on the TV at all during the day. Mr won an iPad last year and we have a Netflix account. So I prop up the iPad on the console, plug in my headphones and work my way through a TV series - hour long shows, which after the commercials are edited out end up being about 44-46 minutes long. It gives me something to look forward to and I have to be on the treadmill to watch!
Currently I can get up to 3.2mph. I go between a light jog or a fast walk, I have to hold on most of the time just to keep myself in the center but I actually sweat. I usually follow it up with wii boxing (12-13 minutes). Yesterday I pulled out a wii game My Fitness Coach, that I had totally forgotten that I had. Kicked my butt. My legs were total jello when I was done.....and it was a CORE workout! HA!
Gold's Gym Cardio Workout is the one I really, really want! Mostly because it focuses on boxing.
Anyway. As I was folding laundry this week I was chatting with the Lord and wondering what quantity He designed the stomach to actually hold from one meal. I know that there are statistics and stories about stomachs being stretched from over eating and that it is supposed to expand a bit at meal time, then there is the reduction issue....but what was it really designed to hold? How much, in quantity - not calories, quality or points but in actual volume/weight? I had just eaten lunch and while I only ate 7 points I realized that I shouldn't have eaten the container of raspberries I did at the end. About 20-30 minutes later I was beyond comfortably full and had that "I ate too much" feeling. So this started me thinking and talking. In general, even if its healthy, we can consume too much food.
So I googled and basically found that a healthy human stomach should only hold about 20 oz or 1 liter. WOW. Think about that! If you are eating fast food, your drink alone is probably that much! Then, consider that the carbonation actually expands your stomach. On top of that who knows how much the burger and fries weigh, not to mention the calories.
So.....guess what I bought.
Yup......I bought a food scale. I already had one of those little tiny plastic ones but it only went up to 12oz. This one goes up to 5 lbs I think. It zeros out so you don't have to count plates or bowls, which is handy. So I've added this to my food routine. To keep me aware of what I'm consuming and making sure it's not excessive - despite zero points.
Extra workouts.
Measuring portions and counting points.
Weighing meals.
3 20oz bottles of water a day
2 cups of loose-leaf green tea a day.....okay I'm trying on this one but am not consistent.
And most helpful of all - Mr is helping me avoid temptation by not enabling me. Random suggestions to pick up food on the way home - even if everyone is starving - have stopped. He has quieted outbursts for spontaneous trips to the ice cream shop. He has been SO wonderful to listen to what I need to keep going....which has more to do with what NOT to say than what TO say. That has been so incredibly helpful!
Total lost since October 24th: 6.8
Total left to lose by April 16th: 43.2
Week #3 done. Hooray -2.2! But now I leave you behind and focus on the next -2.
Blessings to you for a motivated and encouraging week,
the Mrs.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
anything but flat
I have a new food love. Sandwich flats...thins, slims....whatever name they choose to go by, I love them. This little bundle is a bounty of versatility in a tiny 3 points each. (forgive my sad photography)
Found this double pack at Sam's Club. I was ridiculously excited. Mr did not understand my glee. But I had discovered that they are great for more than just sandwiches...
I sliced them up with a pizza cutter last night. A light spray of olive oil cooking spray....a dusting of salt and garlic powder and a few minutes under the broiler.....crunchy heaven. Tastes exactly like pita chips!
Look how thin they are! Yes, I post motivational encouragements on my cupboards.....
This was the most filling and delicious concoction yet.
Again a light spray of cooking spray, a sprinkle of chili powder and a schmear of spicy chipotle humus and crisped under the broiler. Then a layer of black beans and a sprinkle of cheese - back under the broiler. Then I piled tomato, lettuce and sour cream with a drizzle of salsa.
ALL that = 8 point dinner.
I have also made them into little mini pizzas and am now thinking I should toast them for breakfast! I only eat the multi grain ones because it's what I can eat....so there may be other versions that are less points.....but these have SO expanded food for me. I love them!
That's my foody ramble for the day complete with unappetizing pictures taken with my iTouch cuz it is SOO much faster to upload pictures that way.
Okay I'm off to get some work done. It has been the most off kilter week for me.....you know those weeks where just one thing at the beginning of the week just totally throws off your groove? I'm there. No worries though......like you would.......I've been hauling my butt onto the treadmill even when it keeps me from doing things I should be.....like making more laundry detergent that we are out of. The laundry thankfully is incredibly patient and will just sit there waiting for me.
Blessings of perseverance to you,
the Mrs.
we are having our first real snowflakes here today!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Have you told them?
Renee over at What's in an identity asked the question: Who has God put in your life that has made a difference and have you told them?
Immediately one person came to mind. And yes, I have told her.
She watched me before and after school when I was a kid. She cleaned homes for a living and often brought me with on days I didn't have school. She showed me the basics of cooking...not that I picked up on the cooking part much.....it was why she was cooking that stuck with me. She would make huge batches of food and put it in smaller containers. When she went to clean peoples homes, many of the people were older, she cleaned out the fridge and left them meals.
This woman modeled for me what it means to be a christian. She is full of selfless love. She was like a second mother to me. At first I thought she was crazy. In the morning she would bound down the hall in her night gown with a loud cheery "Good Morning GOD!!!" in this joyous sing-song voice. I was dropped off before she woke up for the day, her high school kids would leave the door open when they left for me, and I would go watch cartoons until she got up. On the way to school she would ask me in the car - "Have you talked to God today?"
Now, I was in elementary school.....I think in first and second grade when she started to watch me. It was a christian school but still....this kind of personal "chat with Me" God was not someone I'd been introduced to. God was still in the stories to me but she introduced me to His Person. I watched her and soaked it in quietly. She never preached to me or pushed me....but she lived what she said. She served those who were in need right in front of her, she did what she could with what she had.
Several years ago I wrote her a letter to tell her how she had impacted my life. That her example was a model of what I now, as a grown woman with a husband and children of my own, strive for. I learned more about what I wanted to be when I grew up from watching her than from anything I've ever done in my life.
The Lord used her to plant seeds in my young life that are still growing today. After she received my letter, I found out from one of her daughters that this letter had a profound effect on her. She proudly and tearfully shared the letter with her daughters, her small group and confessed that she thought she'd had no effect on anyone. That she'd done nothing to expand the kingdom. Knowing the effect she had on my life gave her joy and peace. It encouraged her walk.
I was shocked at her response. I was shocked at her self-doubt. This was a lesson I never forgot....when someone is a gift to you....tell them. Tell them how you appreciate them, tell them why and how they have impacted you. Share with them the imprint they have left in your life. Tell them often and tell them well.
Sometimes it doesn't sink in the first time....surprise has a way of dulling your ability to fully appreciate a compliment...some are just too humble to receive it all. If you can't say I love you too much, then you can't tell someone how much you appreciate them too often.
You are appreciated. You are loved. Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25
Blessings of love and grace,
the Mrs.
Immediately one person came to mind. And yes, I have told her.
She watched me before and after school when I was a kid. She cleaned homes for a living and often brought me with on days I didn't have school. She showed me the basics of cooking...not that I picked up on the cooking part much.....it was why she was cooking that stuck with me. She would make huge batches of food and put it in smaller containers. When she went to clean peoples homes, many of the people were older, she cleaned out the fridge and left them meals.
This woman modeled for me what it means to be a christian. She is full of selfless love. She was like a second mother to me. At first I thought she was crazy. In the morning she would bound down the hall in her night gown with a loud cheery "Good Morning GOD!!!" in this joyous sing-song voice. I was dropped off before she woke up for the day, her high school kids would leave the door open when they left for me, and I would go watch cartoons until she got up. On the way to school she would ask me in the car - "Have you talked to God today?"
Now, I was in elementary school.....I think in first and second grade when she started to watch me. It was a christian school but still....this kind of personal "chat with Me" God was not someone I'd been introduced to. God was still in the stories to me but she introduced me to His Person. I watched her and soaked it in quietly. She never preached to me or pushed me....but she lived what she said. She served those who were in need right in front of her, she did what she could with what she had.
Several years ago I wrote her a letter to tell her how she had impacted my life. That her example was a model of what I now, as a grown woman with a husband and children of my own, strive for. I learned more about what I wanted to be when I grew up from watching her than from anything I've ever done in my life.
The Lord used her to plant seeds in my young life that are still growing today. After she received my letter, I found out from one of her daughters that this letter had a profound effect on her. She proudly and tearfully shared the letter with her daughters, her small group and confessed that she thought she'd had no effect on anyone. That she'd done nothing to expand the kingdom. Knowing the effect she had on my life gave her joy and peace. It encouraged her walk.
I was shocked at her response. I was shocked at her self-doubt. This was a lesson I never forgot....when someone is a gift to you....tell them. Tell them how you appreciate them, tell them why and how they have impacted you. Share with them the imprint they have left in your life. Tell them often and tell them well.
Sometimes it doesn't sink in the first time....surprise has a way of dulling your ability to fully appreciate a compliment...some are just too humble to receive it all. If you can't say I love you too much, then you can't tell someone how much you appreciate them too often.
You are appreciated. You are loved. Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25
Blessings of love and grace,
the Mrs.
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