New Year's Resolutions

I think when thinking of what New Years Resolutions that we would like to make for the new year - we need to keep this in mind. Maybe look outside of ourselves- you know the regular resolutions that we end up failing - like losing weight, making lots of money, whatever. These things are temporary. We need to look outside of ourselves and think of what we can do change the world. We can do a lot on our knees. I know I want to make a resolution and not just a resolution - but a commitment to God to spend more time in prayer. Will you join me?

Roman's Road

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:10

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:23

 

But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

 

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23

 

that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:13

I got a cool ruler that says Romans Road and share these verses. I thought it was neat and wanted to share it with you all.

Higher or Not?

I live between two towns. In one town I have a Goodwill Super Store and in the other town - just a regular Goodwill.

I have heard people say that the super stores have higher prices on things than the regular stores. Well I am here to say that just isn't always the case. And I have a prime example to share.

Last week in the hustle and bustle of holiday activities I dropped by my local Goodwill. I found something awesome a vintage Avon Pitcher and Bowl set.

 

It cleaned up nicely and is a beautiful addition to my Avon collection. I do not collect ALL Avon things- but I do enjoy finding pretty Avon things for good deals.

On Christmas eve - I found my self in the other town and decided to drop by their Goodwill store where I found this:

I picked it up and turned it over and was surprised to see that it had a price tag of $3.99. No - I didn't pay that much for mine at the Goodwill Super Center. Nope- I only paid $1.99- for mine.

 

So you see it is best to keep an open mind and remember good deals are every where, you just have to look for them.

Picking Up the Machine

As you all know - I had a sleep study done and I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea.
On Tuesday, December 22, was the day that I picked up my cpap machine. Cpap stands for : Continuous positive airway pressure. 

When I went in for my trial run with my cpap I was allowed to pick which ever mask that I wanted to - so I picked a nasal pillows sleep mask. And it seemed to work just fine.

But when I went in to pick up my machine - I was told that a full mask was prescribed for me. Apparently I breath with my mouth at time. I was not happy about the change at all. I tried to be nice about it but let them know I was not happy about it. They fitted me for the full mask and also for the nasal pillows. By the end of it I decided - well maybe the Dr had a good reason to prescribe the full mask - so I went ahead with it.

I learned a few things about the cpap machine- they are prescribed for different reasons- the one I remember the most about was that they are prescribed for those with Down Syndrome- apparently sometimes at night they forget to breath.

I also learned that those who have heart problems can benefit from using a cpap machine. Apparently those with heart problems - when they don't use a machine can end up with me problems. Because when you stop breathing you put more pressure on the heart and damage can be done.

Anyway so it is a good idea to talk to your Dr about it if you think you may have sleep apnea.

I will be posting another post to let you all know how things have gone with my cpap machine and all. So check back later in the week. :O)

My Study Group and What's to Come

Last Monday was actually the day that ended my Bible Study group on the book "Steps to Christ" Most of the time throughout this 13 week series - it was just a new friend and I. As I shared - at first I was discouraged about it just being the one person. I had -had high hopes for the group. And although things did not go as I had thought they would, I still believe that God was in control. We were both blessed. And my friend is thinking of starting a group through her church(that is encouraging people to start small groups.) I am not sure if she would have felt capable of having a group if we had not studies this book for the last 3-4 months.

On our last meeting this quote was read in our last chapter. (If you are interested in reading the entire chapter- click on the link.) It ended up being a real blessing to me and I wanted to share it with you all just in case it could bless you too.  

"If we keep uppermost in our minds the unkind and unjust acts of others we shall find it impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; but if our thoughts dwell upon the wondrous love and pity of Christ for us, the same spirit will flow out to others. We should love and respect one another, notwithstanding the faults and imperfections that we cannot help seeing. Humility and self-distrust should be cultivated, and a patient tenderness with the faults of others. This will kill out all narrowing selfishness and make us large-hearted and generous."   SC121

At this point - I am not sure what my plans are - if I will start another study or not. I am going to focus on my family and such and wait on the Lord. If he wants me to do another study- He will make it clear to me. Please pray that God will lead. Thanks so much! :O)

If any of you are interested in looking at or copying out the study guides for "Steps to Christ" just click on this link.

A study that I am very interested in doing - maybe just on my own is from the book " Mount of Blessings. Click HERE for a link to the study guide for it.

Oh I am SO excited! I just found a study guide for a book that I just bought. The book is called " A Sanctified Life" Or click here for a study guide of the book!

So one way or another I will be working on both of these books/study guides- either with others or on my own. I hope you will check them out - maybe you too will be blessed.

Power of Prayer

Just a little something that I saw on Facebook last week that I wanted to share with you all today.
There is so much truth in this.

Earlier I said that my husband had gotten me the "War Room" movie. Well we watched it this afternoon. And I have to say that I HIGHLY recommend it. It lives up to the high standard of the  Kendrick brother movies- such as "Flywheel" "Facing the Giants" "Fireproof" and "Courageous." All of these movies are great and well worth the money spent to add them to your movie collection. Be sure and check out Walmart - or other places - you might be able to get them in a set and save some money.

So the movie is about prayer. a favorite quote from the movie- maybe not word for word -but here it goes "Hey Devil you just got your butt kicked!" said by Clara on the movie. It is a great scene! 

^"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,

against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Ephesians 6:12

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!!  It is certainly not snowing here, in fact it's about 52 degrees and an expected high in the 70's - actually probably just 70 degrees. The sun is shining and it is a pretty day!
My husband❤️ is having to work today. So it's a very quiet day for me. I'm planning on spending time in my sewing room! We don't get our granddaughter until the 28th. That will be when we do our family Christmas.
 My husband got me the movie "War Room" it is by the makes of "Courageous" "Facing the Giant" and "Flywheel" all of which are excellent movies! If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend them! I look forward to seeing this movie!

Well I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Remember Jesus is the reason for the season!  Love and prayers to you all!

Something to Consider

A friend got this in an email and shared it with me. I thought it was something worth considering:
*****************************************************************************

The first day of Christmas Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

 -The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John....
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

I Feel Bad...

I feel so bad. I feel as though I have really been neglecting my blog over the last several months. During this time I had some good ideas of things to write about, but most if the time I did not make it to the computer to write out a post. And sometimes I did. So I'm just going to share now that I will try to do a better job of posting and I'll apologize up front just in case I repeat a thought or idea that I may have recently written of.

I look forward to spending more time in Bible study. During the last three months I have been trying to keep up with my Steps to Christ study group study guide. And my Desire of Ages study for Prayer Meeting. And also my Sabbath School lessons each week. So I have been quite busy with uplifting reading and such but I really enjoy studying the Bible and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct my studies. There is nothing wrong with all the other studies I've done. I'm just really looking forward to studies in which God leads me to awesome finds that I am then able to share with you all.

I hope you have all been well. I continue to pray for you all. If there are any specific prayers that I could pray for you- don't hesitate leaving a comment with your special prayer request. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me through these quiet months, I really appreciate each and everyone of you.  :0)

Thrifty Tips

So I wanted to share a thrifty tip that I have been reminded of recently. The last couple of weeks as we have visited a local thrift store- we have found some awesome Christmas items! I realized that I have not really like the new Christmas items sold at stores these days. What brings me more joy is the things made years ago. Not all of what we have found have been considered antiques but - some have been. It just seems that I like things that were made before the last couple of years. The things now seem to not have as much detail and character to them. Anyway so today I wanted to share that if you would like more items to decorate your home for the holidays - you may want to start looking at thrift stores and such because up until this year - I really did not enjoy decorating for Christmas because I did not have as much stuff as I really liked to decorate- and now with a few purchases - I have a decent amount of great things that bring me joy. Now I will look forward to decorating the house for Christmas!

Here is a sampling of some of the great deals we have found:

This center piece I showed last week - $1.00 - and it look great with my table cloth!

I love this "JOY" nativity set. We found this at the Antique Mall and paid just over $3.00 for it.

I love it!  

This next set - almost got over looked by me. In fact, I had walked past it. My husband took a little more time at the Christmas shelf and found it. I was thrilled when I saw it.

And for 75 cents- we thought it was a great deal! 

Oh this photo shows how tiny the set is! We are on the look out for a great little stable for it. Hoping I find something great - when I do - I will post it on here.

And of course this great Mr Christmas Marching Band set - that cost me $5.00 but was well worth the money!  

This next photo shows a cute little set. I actually have the exact same set - that were not made to be ornaments, notice the gold thread on these to hang up. Well my husband found it for about $3.00. We bought it because my granddaughter loves my set. So we bought this set. We cut off the gold thread and we are going to give the set to our granddaughter for Christmas. She loves to decorate her room at her daddies house.

And my plan is that we are going to let her open this present up first. Then we will read our Children's Nativity book and let her play with these guys while the story is read. This will be done before opening the presents.

 

Anyway - so like I said - if you are looking for holiday decorations- you may want to try thrift stores or Goodwill stores. You are sure to find some gently loved great items that will brighten your holidays as well and for a fraction of the price.

 

Oh I actually found my Christmas Cards at my little thrift store for $1.00. And they were very pretty cards! Give it a try. Oh and if you find some great finds come back and share your finds with me! I love to see good deals- even if they are not my good deals! :O)

 

Getting Gas in God's Timing

Did you realize that even when you get gas could be something that is done in God's timing? I did not know until last week. Here is what happened:

My husband had planned on getting gas on his way home from work, but ended up working over a bit and by the time he was headed home - he was too tired. So he decided to wait until the week end and us go get gas. Well we had a lot of errands to run and by the time we were done - we just did not get around to getting the gas. So on Monday on his way home from work - he stopped by QT and filled up. This ended up being a blessing in more than one way. First of all the price for gas had been $1.68 when he filled up. The next morning on his way to work, he noticed prices of gas were $1.86. What a jump in price!

But that was not the biggest blessing. Tuesday morning I got a phone call. It was from the fraud department from our bank needing to speak to my husband. Well I got the phone number to my husband and waited patiently to hear what was going on. Well come to find out someone in Illinois had used my husbands debit card number to make 3 purchases - one of them was for over $100.00! These charges came through and then my husband stopped by QT, a normal place for him to stop, and got gas and the bank knew something was wrong and they cancelled his debit card. And then the next morning contacted us. So as you can see - had my husband gotten gas on Friday or on Sunday - as was his plan - it would have been much longer before this fraud was caught. And it would have been stressful for us indeed. The way it worked out - by him getting gas in God's timing - the problem was taken care of before we realized there was a problem.

I am praising God for this blessing. We don't realize how many blessings we have or how many times we are protected from harm and danger coming our way. God is good and only allows what could be beneficial to us to come our way. The things may be painful but God has promised to give us what we need for each day. As one of my favorite promises says- in my rendition of it- "As are your days, so shall be your strength!" Deut. 33:25b God provides what we need - we just need to look to Him. :O)

too tired to post - but checking in anyway

Be sure and stop by tomorrow for a great post on "God's Timing - even when to get gas" It's a great story to show the importance of following God's leading. Sorry I have been missing in action. I have been busy and right now too tired to share the special story with you all. See ya'll tomorrow. :O)

A Healthy Substitution for Mac and Cheese

So last week - I shared about how I found the awesome cookbooks! This week I thought I would share a recipe with you all that I have already tried and found that I liked it. It is a healthy Mac and Cheese recipe - using no milk or cheese. It is not only really pretty good - but it is also very filling.

 

Mac and Cheese

1 1/2 C. whole-wheat macaroni

 

Cheese Sauce:

 

1 C. water

3/4 C. raw cashews

1 1/2 T. nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 T. lemon juice

2 oz.  pimentos OR 1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

 

Boil 6 cups of water. Stir in macaroni. Boil for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Drain. Do not rinse. Return to pan. Add Cheese Sauce and cook until thickened.

Cheese Sauce: Blend all ingredients until smooth.

 

When I made this - I did not use the whole-wheat macaroni. My husband does not like the whole wheat products like that. So it's find to use either. I was listening to a program earlier this week and they were talking about food sources for calcium- because it's better to get our nutrients through our food if possible. Anyway one of the things listed was regular spaghetti- so I am figuring any of the noodles would be a good source of calcium- since they all have about the same basic ingredients.

One thing I would like to add - if you make this and have left overs- you may have to add a little milk or water to it when you reheat it to cream it up a bit.

 

Remember my step-dad had a heart attack earlier this month? Well he is suppose to really be watching his salt intake. He really loves Mac and Cheese- but as you know it is very high in sodium. Well that is one reason why this Mac and Cheese recipe was the first one that I tried- a way for him to still have something he loves but a lot lower sodium content and also lower in fat- well it may not be a lot lower in fat - but it is a healthy kind of fat. A fat that your body needs. Anyway my Mom and he really liked the Mac and Cheese. We all think it is a good substitution. :O)





Keeping it fresh in our Memory

This week I was reading the chapter "The Touch of Faith" in The Desire of Ages book. It is a great chapter. If you have the time I would recommend you reading it, the link is below.
When I read the very last paragraph, it brought this great song to mind so I had to share them together. I hope you are blessed by both! :O)

"It is for our own benefit to keep every gift of God fresh in our memory. Thus faith is strengthened to claim and to receive more and more. There is greater encouragement for us in the least blessing we ourselves receive from God than in all the accounts we can read of the faith and experience of others. The soul that responds to the grace of God shall be like a watered garden. His health shall spring forth speedily; his light shall rise in obscurity, and the glory of the Lord shall be seen upon him. Let us then remember the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the multitude of His tender mercies. Like the people of Israel, let us set up our stones of witness, and inscribe upon them the precious story of what God has wrought for us. And as we review His dealings with us in our pilgrimage, let us, out of hearts melted with gratitude, declare, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His people." Ps. 116:12-14." DA pg. 348

To read the whole chapter in Desire of Ages ~ The Touch of Faith.

Power of Prayer

"Christ's lessons in regard to prayer should be carefully considered. There is a divine science in prayer, and His illustration brings to view principles that all need to understand. He shows what is the true spirit of prayer, He teaches the necessity of perseverance in presenting our request to God, and assures us of His willingness to hear and answer prayer." ~Christ Object Lessons, p. 142

If you would like to read the whole chapter - that this quote is borrowed from - click on this link.

Heart Gifts....series

Where Can We Find Him?

 

Where can we find the Holy One?

Where can we see His Only Son?

The Wise Men asked, and we're asking, still,

Where can we find this Man of Good Will?

Is He far away in some distant place,

Ruling unseen from His throne of grace?

Is there nothing on earth that man can see

To give him proof of Eternity?

It's true we have never looked on His face,

But His likeness shines forth from every place,

For the Hand of God is everywhere

Along Life's busy thoroughfare...

And His presence can be felt and seen

Right in the midst of our daily routine,

The things we touch and see and feel

Are what makes God so very real...

The silent stars in timeless skies,

The wonderment in children's eyes,

The gossamer wings of a humming bird,

The joy that comes from a kindly word...

The autumn haze, the breath of spring,

The chirping song the crickets sing,

A rosebud in a slender vase,

A smile upon a friendly face...

In everything both great and small

We see the Hand of God in All,

And every day, somewhere, someplace,

We see the Likeness of His Face...

For who can watch a new day's birth

Or touch the warm, life-giving earth,

Or feel the softness of the breeze

Or look at skies through lacy trees

And say they've never seen His face

Or looked upon His throne of grace!

 

~Helen Steiner Rice

Treasures Found

 Ok - So I had meant to get on here yesterday morning and write out the next poem for our Heart Gifts series, but I ended up having to take care of a few things instead. So that post might be delayed till tomorrow since right now I am more of a mood to share with you some treasures that I found.

I went to my favorite little thrift store in a town nearby and I found some awesome cookbooks!! These first 3 cookbooks are usually 12.00 or 15.00 dollars. I paid - $1.00 a piece for them! You can't beat that. That is why I love this thrift store! I just have to be patient.

 

One thing that I really love about these cookbooks is that they have so much more than just recipes in them. At the beginning of each book there are a few extras. This first book has a couple of pages that tell of home remedies- like essential oils, charcoal and herbs. It has a pages that explains what Omega- 3 is and why it is important in our diets and how we can incorporate more into our diets. The next several pages tell of different ingredients and why they are so important in filling our nutritional needs. Then there are a couple of pages telling of the benefits of fruits and veggies in our diet - and what nutrients that they provide and also the good that they do for our bodies

With 150 recipe in this book there are plenty to try out and I am sure to love some.  

At the beginning of this next book - you will find a broader explanation of the "Simple Home Remedy- Charcoal." Next up is a page telling of "Spices, Condiments and Leavenings." Then a "Glossary- Food Dictionary" here again different ingredients are listed and there is important information on them.

At the back of this book - it has a section telling how to make "Healthy Baby Foods" 

So we are at book three in this set. At the beginning of this book - we find a section called, "Water, Water, Water"

"In health and in sickness, pure water is one of heaven's choicest blessings.

 Its proper use promotes health."

 quote from Ministry of Healing, page 237)

Next we find the author's testimony - along with a page or two of other testimonies.

Then another food glossary. This is to help because there may be ingredients in these books that you have not heard of before. 

This next cookbook that I found- I actually have a copy of it already. My copy is well worn and the cover is long gone. So I was happy to see this nice copy- in much better shape than how I got my copy. It was written and copyright date of 1979 and revised in 1983.  This cookbook was written by Agatha Thrash, M.D.
If I understand correctly Agatha Thrash and her husband(both have passed way) were the founders or part of the founders of Uchee Pines which is a lifestyle center that puts on seminars and training programs. On the website there are counseling sheets that have some information that may be very helpful in dealing with different health ailments. I am including links to both the home page and the counseling sheets pages - just in case anyone is interested.



"Blessed art thou o'land when the princes eat for strength and not for drunkenness."

Ecclesiastes 10:17

SO that was all the cookbooks that I got.

Next is something so very cool! I found a Mr. Christmas Santa's Marching Band!

I have looked it up on google and I think that they play 35 different Christmas songs. One of the people on ebay had a photo of the songs but I could not see the photo big enough to see what the songs were. I do have 1 of the ringer rods-(what the people hold that they use to hit the bells to make music) missing. The set came with 2 replacements - originally - I saw that in the ebay ad as well. Wish we had a replacement want thing. I am hoping somehow I can figure out how to get one or maybe we can figure out how to make one.

You have to see a close up of Santa. And notice the clear bulb on his hat- it lights up when he hits a bell.

The Marching band people have a little red light that lights up on their heads as well.  

And for now this is where I have them - on my table - around my new center piece. Eventually I am thinking of setting up a place on our bar - and putting them around a small Christmas tree- but we don't have the Christmas tree - right now so that will have to wait till we get the tree.  

 

In the photo you saw the other cool thing that I found- for only $1.00 - I found a great thing to put in the middle of my table!

 

And finally when I took my MIL to the Dr this week - we saw this great sign. I took a photo of it because I thought we all need to be reminded of this. While we are going through this season- many times it is easy with so much to do - we can feel overwhelmed - but be sure and not get your tinsel in a tangle!

 Oh please do keep me in your prayers. I have to go back to the sleep study place tonight- to try out a machine to see how I do and how best to set up the settings for me. Please pray that I am able to get some sleep and that I can get used to what ever it is that I am going to have to use. Thanks so much! :O)

Sleep Study and more

So sorry, but I am just now getting a chance to get on here and share with you what has been going on and also share with you about the sleep study. I had hoped that I would not have any problems and would not have to go for the second night - to try out what ever device that might be needed, but I was not so lucky...

Last Tuesday at 9:15pm - I checked in at sleep study place. You either need to wear something comfortable that you can sleep in or change into pajamas. I changed into pajamas.

After I changed the attendant hooked up to all sorts of wires and things. Keep in mind you can not see everything that was hooked up to me in this photo, but it give you an idea:

So there are also 4-5 different leads hooked up or glued to my head- that was fun to wash out later. They have to put really thick sticky stuff onto your scalp in order to keep the leads where they are suppose to be. I also had 2 things connected to each of my legs and then one lead to each side- of upper chest - up and over a bit from the underarm. I also had an heart rate thing pinched onto my pointer finger. And right now that is all I can remember.

Once you are hooked up - you are kind of confined to a small area. You are given a wrist bang thing that had a call button for the attendant. This is important because if you need to go to the bathroom(or need any other help) you will need to call them and let them know. They come in and unhook you from the equipment  and you carry a lot of the stuff with you to the bathroom. I always have to get up at least once( sometimes more) to go to the bathroom.

The bed was comfortable and they had 2 different types of pillows so you will probably find one you like. They do usually let you bring your own pillow if you think that would help.

I tried to go to sleep - believe me I really tried. I have to say here- I have a hard time going to sleep when I am away from home. So I knew I would have problems I did not realize that I would have this much trouble. Oh and I also really like a pretty dark room to sleep in. It is better for you to sleep in as dark of a room as possible. My room had a pretty big gap at the bottom of the door to the floor and the bright lights in the hallway shining under the door did not help in my efforts to sleep. There was a fan that I turned on so that the noise would help me go to sleep.

I did end up sleeping for about 1 1/2-2 hours and then needed to go to the bathroom. I think that he bright lights in the hallway and bathroom made it harder for me to get to sleep the next time. I finally got to sleep and may have slept about the same amount as before - then I woke up. Then I just laid there for the next 45 minutes to an hour. Then the attendant came in and unhooked me. And told me once I was change I could leave. It was about 5:20am when I left. It was cold outside and there was frost on my windows. So I had to wait there long enough to clear my windows.

When I got home - I knew that my husband did not have to wake up for 10 more minutes or so - So I moved his vehicle where it would be easier for him- and then I scraped the windows on his car. There was a thicker layer at home for sure.

After my husband left- I went and scrubbed the sticky stuff off of either side of my forehead. I did not want that stuff getting onto my pillow. I then changed into my pj's again and laid back down. I was about to sleep about another hour and 45 minutes.

I am telling you - I needed that last bit of sleep. I would have been no good during the day had I not done that.

When I left the sleep study - I did not have any information about how I had done during the night. I was discouraged because when my husband had his done several years ago - he came home knowing that he had sleep apnea.

I waited and waited to hear some results. Well when we set up my first appointment - they set up a second appointment with you so just in case - you will have it set up. They had sent the results to my primary Dr but because it said that I had a follow up appointment with the sleep study - she thought I already knew results. Anyway so on Monday at 4:30pm - I decided I would call my Dr to see if she had gotten results back - sure enough she had. I do have sleep apnea - she said I had a 87% saturation- or something like that. So basically ideal is that your oxygen level stay at 100% or as close as possible - but I was having some issues with interruptions of breathing and it caused my level to go down. It isn't a horrible case but it is something that I need to take care of. So as much as I really do NOT want to go back - for another rough night - Thursday night I will. And hopefully we can get through the night with a bit more sleep. I have a few things that I will do differently - I will be wearing a short sleeved top(I may have gotten to hot last time) and I will see if I can put my hair up in a pony tail. I always do and I sleep better than having hair all over. I am also going to see if I can go in at the 10:15 appt. instead of the 9:15 apt. Maybe if I am more tired- I will be able to sleep easier.

Anyway I know that there are at least a couple of you reading this that may need a sleep study done. And I would have to say - it isn't fun and games but in order to get a better nights sleep(I am assuming that I will get a better nights sleep once I get used to the machine) And sleep is really important for us. It helps our bodies recover from the assaults that it endures. I have also heard that getting plenty of good sleep helps in weight loss.

Speaking of weight loss~ I know that being over weight can cause sleep apnea. So I am really going to be trying to lose at least 10-20 pounds if at all possible. My plan is to get back onto a more plant food based diet. With my husband not wanting to do a plant based diet- I can not go 100% but I can work towards a bigger percent of what I eat being plant based and work on getting a variety of nutrient. It is much better to get your vitamin from food. So anyway I am hoping to be able to lose weight and I am hoping maybe eventually I will not need a sleep apnea machine - but for now it is what I need to do to be healthier- so I will do it. I will come back and share with you about my next experience with the Sleep Study.
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Ok - so an update on my step-dad: He is still in the hospital. The Drs and the physical therapist have said that they think it would be best for him to go to a skilled nursing center -to help build his strength back up and to control pain in the process and it looked like he was willing to go yesterday afternoon. But apparently he has changed his mind. He wants to go home. I am leaving this worry in God's hands. Please continue to pray for them.
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Well I had planned....

Well I had every intention of getting on here on Wednesday after my sleep study and telling you all about it. However Tuesday morning my step-dad had a heart attack. So he has been in the hospital since then. I will try to get on later and share about the sleep study- oh and by the way - you might get to see a photo of me all hooked up....it's too funny not to share. I really believe going through the whole - no hair things has helped me be a lot more able to share photos of me - not at my best. I used to hate photos of me looking crappy- I still don't really like them but I have come to figure out that photos only give a small glimpse of who a person is - and there is so much to who people are than their looks. And if someone is going to think poorly of me because of how I look - I really feel sorry for them for not taking the opportunity to get to know who I really am. Anyway I do have a photo I just don't have time at this moment to get it where I can upload it and get a post written up about it.

So I have been very busy. Oh and on the sleep study - no results yet. I was SO disappointed. Several years ago when my husband had it done - he got the results before he left the place. I have to wait - I guess at least 5 days. So maybe I will have the results by the time I have time to share about it.

If you could keep my step-dad - David in your prayers - I would really appreciate it. It has been a stressful week for him and my Mother, pray for her also. There are problems with him that really need a bypass done - but the Drs say it is too risky. Hoping to be able to find a combo of meds to help manage his health. Thanks so much! :O)

Heart Gifts....series

Anywhere Is a Place of Prayer If God Is There

 

I have prayed on my knees in the morning,
I have prayed as I walked along,

I have prayed in the silence and darkness

And I have prayed to the tune of a song-

I have prayed in the midst of triumph

And I've prayed when I suffered defeat,

I have prayed on the sands of the seashore

Where the waves of the ocean beat-

I have prayed in a velvet-hushed forest

Where quietness calmed my fears,

I have prayed through suffering and heartache

When my eyes were blinded with tears-

I have prayed in churches and chapels,

Cathedrals and synagogues, too,

But often I've had the feeling

That my prayers were not getting through,

And I realized then that our Father

Is not really concerned where we pray

Or impressed by our manner of worship

Or the eloquent words that we say...

He is only concerned with our feelings,

And He looks deep into our heart

And hears the "cry of our soul's deep need"

That no words could ever impart...

So it isn't the prayer that's expressive

Or offered in some special spot,

It's the sincere plea of a sinner

And God can tell whether or not

We honestly seek His forgiveness

And earnestly mean what we say,

And then and then only He answers

The prayer that we fervently pray.

~Helen Steiner Rice

 



Insight about the Burdens that Cause Discouragement

So yesterday we talked about how times of discouragement give us opportunities to be courageous. Well this morning as I was reading one of my devotionals - I just knew that I needed to share it because it goes right along with discouragement. And I think it is some great insight and will better help us to deal with the things in our lives that cause discouragement. I hope you are blessed.

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Streams in the Desert Devotional for December 1st:

There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God (Heb. 4:9).
The rest includes victory, "And the Lord gave them rest round about;... the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand" (Joshua 21:44).
 "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).

An eminent Christian worker tells of his mother who was a very anxious and troubled Christian. He would talk with her by the hour trying to convince her of the sinfulness of fretting, but to no avail. She was like the old lady who once said she had suffered so much, especially from the troubles that never came.
But one morning the mother came down to breakfast wreathed in smiles. He asked her what had happened, and she told him that in the night she had a dream. She was walking along a highway with a great crowd of people who seemed so tired and burdened. They were nearly all carrying little black bundles, and she noticed that there were numerous repulsive looking beings which she thought were demons dropping these black bundles for the people to pick up and carry.
Like the rest, she too had her needless load, and was weighed down with the devil's bundles. Looking up, after a while, she saw a Man with a bright and loving face, passing hither and thither through the crowd, and comforting the people. At last He came near her, and she saw that it was her Saviour. She looked up and told Him how tired she was, and He smiled sadly and said: "My dear child, I did not give you these loads; you have no need of them. They are the devil's burdens and they are wearing out your life. Just drop them; refuse to touch them with one of your fingers and you will find the path easy and you will be as if borne on eagle's wings."
He touched her hand, and lo, peace and joy thrilled her frame and, flinging down her burden, she was about to throw herself at His feet in joyful thanksgiving, when suddenly she awoke and found that all her cares were gone.
From that day to the close of her life she was the most cheerful and happy member of the household.

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
--Longfellow