A reason to celebrate.. even though... A few weeks back we got the wonderful news that I was expecting! We could not have been more happy! It seemed an answer to many long years of prayer (4 to be exact). I had my initial appointments and my due date was set for July 13th. I was even reveling in the few days that I felt sick to my stomach! Two days before Thanksgiving I began to miscarry, most likely culminating on Thanksgiving. I was given the obvious news of the miscarriage the following Monday.
It seems to me that even those few weeks our baby was living within me are to be celebrated. No, I don't know if it was a boy or girl, I don't know if its' heart had begun to beat, and I will never (this side of Heaven) know what caused the miscarriage. What I do know is that Caleb has a brother or sister, and William and I have another son or daughter. I look forward to the day that we can meet our second child in the Lord's presence. Each and every life is precious, and I praise God for the few moments of this babies life.
All my love!
T
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Some conclusions
Another blog with no pictures! Sorry! I have come to a few medical conclusions and I wanted to share. Everyone who is reading might never struggle with these things, but statistically you do know someone else who does! So here we go...
1- When my grandma was pregnant with my mother she was given a drug called DES. At the time the medical community thought that it decreased miscarriages and pre-term labor. By the 1970s DES had been banned for use during pregnancy because it had adverse side-effects. There have been quite a few studies done on the "Daughters of DES" (those who were exposed to it in-utero), and their risk of certain cancers is nearly doubled and they have an incredible rate of fertility problems. Other than having babies a few weeks early, my mom has not seen any effects of DES. Just recently the medical community has started to research the "Granddaughters of DES". That would be my sister and I. They have not come to any solid conclusions, but it is suspected that many of the same fertility problems are passed on. Now I will probably never know, but it sure does explain a LOT of the issues my sister and I have!
2- OB/GYNs are not trained to treat anxiety/depression and Psychologists/psychiatrists are not trained to treat Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Your thinking "DUH!", but this has made a HUGE difference in my life. Nearly 35% of women who suffer from PCOS also develop some sort of anxiety/panic/depression problems. This is a huge number! It makes perfect sense really. We have all heard of post-partum depression and physicians are trained to look for it. A woman with PCOS experiences the same amount of hormonal imbalances that a post-partum woman experiences. The difference is that she experiences it over and over again every cycle! The range of hormones affects the way the neurotransmitters in her brain create serotonin. When these are out of wack her body begins reacting with anxiety and panic (This is all according to the Mayo Clinic, so it is pretty reputable info). Now, back to my main point. OB/GYNs are not trained to look for depression, and have no tools to treat it. The docs I have seen have often pushed me to just wait a few more months to see if the PCOS resolves itself, or prescribed high-powered birth control (Birth control pills and I do not get along!). Docs in the mental health field treat anxiety and depression with high powered anti-depressants. If counseling is provided, they concentrate on thought patterns. The problem is that the PCOS has caused the Anxiety/Depression!!!! But nobody connects the two!!! Heal the PCOS and you will most likely heal the anxiety/depression.
3- In my case, my first signs of anxiety, a strange rapid heart beat, began 3 months into my PCOS symptoms. I had no idea what it was and so I ignored it! When I spoke with my OB/GYN about my PCOS symptoms she felt she needed to follow the military Doc rule that I had to be trying to conceive for 1 year before they would intervene. What she missed was that I was a nervous wreck because my body felt out of control. Fast forward to a few years later and I was then having full blown panic attacks and in the ER 11 times in one year! The docs there were looking for all sorts of explanations for the panic attacks. Even though I always informed them that I had PCOS, no one ever put two and two together. Eventually my serotonin levels got so low that my panic attacks turned into depression symptoms. Now I was a candidate for a mental health professional. This whole time my PCOS got worst and worst.
4- Where am I today? I have come to understand a lot about myself and had to let go of a lot of unfounded expectations about myself. I still have the same issue with Doctors being so specialized that they cannot treat me as a whole person, but I always try to keep the whole picture in mind. I now treat the anxiety/depression with very low levels of meds, but I am also on a new drug for treating the PCOS. It has not been pleasant, but it is necessary for my future health.
That's all. Thanks for reading :)
1- When my grandma was pregnant with my mother she was given a drug called DES. At the time the medical community thought that it decreased miscarriages and pre-term labor. By the 1970s DES had been banned for use during pregnancy because it had adverse side-effects. There have been quite a few studies done on the "Daughters of DES" (those who were exposed to it in-utero), and their risk of certain cancers is nearly doubled and they have an incredible rate of fertility problems. Other than having babies a few weeks early, my mom has not seen any effects of DES. Just recently the medical community has started to research the "Granddaughters of DES". That would be my sister and I. They have not come to any solid conclusions, but it is suspected that many of the same fertility problems are passed on. Now I will probably never know, but it sure does explain a LOT of the issues my sister and I have!
2- OB/GYNs are not trained to treat anxiety/depression and Psychologists/psychiatrists are not trained to treat Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Your thinking "DUH!", but this has made a HUGE difference in my life. Nearly 35% of women who suffer from PCOS also develop some sort of anxiety/panic/depression problems. This is a huge number! It makes perfect sense really. We have all heard of post-partum depression and physicians are trained to look for it. A woman with PCOS experiences the same amount of hormonal imbalances that a post-partum woman experiences. The difference is that she experiences it over and over again every cycle! The range of hormones affects the way the neurotransmitters in her brain create serotonin. When these are out of wack her body begins reacting with anxiety and panic (This is all according to the Mayo Clinic, so it is pretty reputable info). Now, back to my main point. OB/GYNs are not trained to look for depression, and have no tools to treat it. The docs I have seen have often pushed me to just wait a few more months to see if the PCOS resolves itself, or prescribed high-powered birth control (Birth control pills and I do not get along!). Docs in the mental health field treat anxiety and depression with high powered anti-depressants. If counseling is provided, they concentrate on thought patterns. The problem is that the PCOS has caused the Anxiety/Depression!!!! But nobody connects the two!!! Heal the PCOS and you will most likely heal the anxiety/depression.
3- In my case, my first signs of anxiety, a strange rapid heart beat, began 3 months into my PCOS symptoms. I had no idea what it was and so I ignored it! When I spoke with my OB/GYN about my PCOS symptoms she felt she needed to follow the military Doc rule that I had to be trying to conceive for 1 year before they would intervene. What she missed was that I was a nervous wreck because my body felt out of control. Fast forward to a few years later and I was then having full blown panic attacks and in the ER 11 times in one year! The docs there were looking for all sorts of explanations for the panic attacks. Even though I always informed them that I had PCOS, no one ever put two and two together. Eventually my serotonin levels got so low that my panic attacks turned into depression symptoms. Now I was a candidate for a mental health professional. This whole time my PCOS got worst and worst.
4- Where am I today? I have come to understand a lot about myself and had to let go of a lot of unfounded expectations about myself. I still have the same issue with Doctors being so specialized that they cannot treat me as a whole person, but I always try to keep the whole picture in mind. I now treat the anxiety/depression with very low levels of meds, but I am also on a new drug for treating the PCOS. It has not been pleasant, but it is necessary for my future health.
That's all. Thanks for reading :)
Thursday, September 29, 2011
A Confession
Okay, so I am writing this post as an encouragement to myself, not as a plea for people to comment and try to make me feel better about myself. If I put in writing and make it public, I am much more likely to follow through!
So, in the last 9 months I have gained 15 pounds. If you have known me for awhile you know that keeping my weight down has never been much of a battle for me. I was blessed with a skinny frame and lots of activities as a child that kept me thin. But, now I have a few things working against me and it is high time that I take action!
1- The medicine that I am on has a side-effect of making me gain weight easier. I have been on it for awhile now, but since Jan. I have phased out an additional medicine that had the side-effect of making me lose weight. Before, I never saw much of difference because the two meds counter-acted each other. Now I can see that the main med does make me gain weight. I have since decreased my dosage, but I am fairly certain that I will be on this med long-term. So I need to make some changes.
2- I have Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome. Docs do not fully understand this syndrome, but they are positive that it has a component that affects the way my body processes carbs. Most women with PCOS are very overweight. They are also at a very high risk of Type II diabetes because the body does not maintain the correct levels of insulin. On top of this, I have a strong family history of Type II diabetes, so I need to be very careful. As my PCOS has progressed, I can see where my blood-sugar levels have become more erratic, and the majority of my gained weight is in my tummy area (a typical PCOS pattern). The point is that I should be on a very low carb diet. I also cannot help but mention that when PCOS ladies lose weight, they tend to increase their fertility. That would be fantastic!
3- I do not like exercise. There, I said it! Everything that I did as a kid was fun, and did not feel like work! They do not have these options for adults! There is no fun cheerleading team to join as a 30 year old mom! There is no sprint team to work out with (only you crazy long distance runners!). I dread going to the gym because I am SO bored. I have tried taking classes, but those still feel like exercise instead of fun.
SO... if you have actually read this far, thanks! I need to re-train myself to eat different (although I don't eat very many processed foods to begin with), and I need to somehow trick myself into thinking that going to the gym is fun. Ugh. I am praying for a few things... self-discipline (something I lack when it comes to food quantities and working out), that I would focus on getting healthy in the long-term and not the fact that none of my clothes fit, and that I would stop complaining and just deal with.
Okay, I am going to get changed and go to the gym. Ask me at the end of October how I am doing.
Much love
T
So, in the last 9 months I have gained 15 pounds. If you have known me for awhile you know that keeping my weight down has never been much of a battle for me. I was blessed with a skinny frame and lots of activities as a child that kept me thin. But, now I have a few things working against me and it is high time that I take action!
1- The medicine that I am on has a side-effect of making me gain weight easier. I have been on it for awhile now, but since Jan. I have phased out an additional medicine that had the side-effect of making me lose weight. Before, I never saw much of difference because the two meds counter-acted each other. Now I can see that the main med does make me gain weight. I have since decreased my dosage, but I am fairly certain that I will be on this med long-term. So I need to make some changes.
2- I have Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome. Docs do not fully understand this syndrome, but they are positive that it has a component that affects the way my body processes carbs. Most women with PCOS are very overweight. They are also at a very high risk of Type II diabetes because the body does not maintain the correct levels of insulin. On top of this, I have a strong family history of Type II diabetes, so I need to be very careful. As my PCOS has progressed, I can see where my blood-sugar levels have become more erratic, and the majority of my gained weight is in my tummy area (a typical PCOS pattern). The point is that I should be on a very low carb diet. I also cannot help but mention that when PCOS ladies lose weight, they tend to increase their fertility. That would be fantastic!
3- I do not like exercise. There, I said it! Everything that I did as a kid was fun, and did not feel like work! They do not have these options for adults! There is no fun cheerleading team to join as a 30 year old mom! There is no sprint team to work out with (only you crazy long distance runners!). I dread going to the gym because I am SO bored. I have tried taking classes, but those still feel like exercise instead of fun.
SO... if you have actually read this far, thanks! I need to re-train myself to eat different (although I don't eat very many processed foods to begin with), and I need to somehow trick myself into thinking that going to the gym is fun. Ugh. I am praying for a few things... self-discipline (something I lack when it comes to food quantities and working out), that I would focus on getting healthy in the long-term and not the fact that none of my clothes fit, and that I would stop complaining and just deal with.
Okay, I am going to get changed and go to the gym. Ask me at the end of October how I am doing.
Much love
T
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
A few more pics
 |
| All the family that came in town for the occasion. |
 |
| Caleb and Ellie Grace playing on the kneelers. |
 |
| Sweet Katy faith |
 |
| Mr immediate family. Sorry I do not have a close-up of Reese! |
My dad's ordination
Okay, blogger has decided to upgrade to a new interface that actually works. So even though I proclaimed that I was moving to wordpress, I am giving this one last shot over here!
This past weekend we headed down to Georgia for my dad's ordination. Many of you that are reading are not familiar with the Episcopal church, so some of the pics might look a little odd. I am very proud of my dad and all his hard work!
 |
| In front of the Bishop |
 |
| During the Prayers of the People the priest-to-be lays down before the alter |
 |
| Once they have proclaimed him ordained, us kids got the chance to put on his priestly robes. This is my sister getting ready to put on the first part. |
 |
| My brother and I are putting on the chasuble. |
 |
| My mom and Dad |
 |
| Celebrating communion with the bishop |
 |
| The next morning my dad celebrated his first service as a priest. |
Monday, August 29, 2011
New Blog
Good news, Friends!!! I have posted tons of new pics! Bad news? They are not on this blog! Head on over to our new user-friendly blog at:
Re-bookmark this new blog for all further updates!
Much Love,
T
Thursday, February 03, 2011
The Magic House
If you ever visit St. Louis there are a few places that you must go... if you have kids the Magic House is one of them! I remember going there when I was younger, but nowadays it is double the size. We had a blast this day!
Caleb as a construction worker
Caleb as a judge
Caleb as the President
Caleb as Jack from Jack and the beanstalk
More pictures
Some pics from Smoky Mountain National park near Gatlinburg. We got there right as the leaves began changing colors. I'm not sure we can call these mountains, but I will say that they are rather beautiful!
pics #4
Since our trip to Gatlinburg was in October everything was beautifully decorated for fall. I have never seen such large pumpkins in my life! It just added to the charm of this riverside town. Did I mention that my parents honeymooned in Gatlinburg 40 years ago?
Can u find Will in the picture above?
Caleb took this pic... not too bad for a 4 year old!!
Pics #3
In October we took a trip to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN. We had a great time exploring the two towns, playing plenty of puttputt, and riding the go-carts.
This was Caleb's first time driving a go-cart. They had a tiny circle track for the little guys. We took a video of it and I wish I could upload it here! Notice that Caleb is not looking where he is going! This is how he spent most of his time going around the track, causing him to run into the railing and some other go-carts a few times. Will and I were cheering him on, but having a hard time containing our laughter. Let's pray his driving skills improve before his 16th birthday!
more pics
For awhile we were always playing the game Monopoly Deal. Caleb wanted in on the action so we came up with a slightly less challenging format, and started playing it with him. He did such a good job learning all the rules, and even managed to win quite a few times. Here he is with a winning hand of three full sets.
We quickly signed caleb up for soccer lessons when we arrived. This one is before his first practice.
Here are a few from a game. You will notice that Caleb is smaller than most of the kids. The teams were composed of 4-6 year olds. Caleb had just turned 4.
Pics from August
Well, I am finally getting back to the blog! Here are some pics of the past 6 months!
Somehow they never get loaded in the correct order (I'm thinking it's user error), so I will explain as we go!
After Caleb's first day of Preschool here in Illinois, we treated him to a milkshake from Steak'n'Shake
The day after we moved into our new rental Caleb headed off to Preschool. Here are a few first day pics!
Toys are great, but they are not as fun as a giant cardboard box!! We had a lot of these after this move!
Here is Caleb's new bed and desk (over to the far right). They were given to us by some good friends we met in Guam that are now stationed here in Illinois. This is Caleb's room before it got painted blue and gray.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Please Pray!
Hi Friends...
As I write, the accident happened about 72 hours ago. At this point the doctors look for the swelling inside the brain to be leveling out. Please pray that God would supernaturally intervene and heal little Mady! Also please pray that her family would be comforted during this time, especially her mother, as she was driving the car (even though there was no way she could have avoided the accident). Thank you ahead of time for your prayers! Madyson and Caleb are nearly the same age, and I simply cannot imagine having to watch my little boy suffer in this way!
I write today with a heavy heart asking for prayers. My sweet second cousin, Madyson (not my niece that lived with us) is in a fight for her life. This past Sunday my cousin's wife, Sonya, and their two daughters, Madyson (4) and Mikayla (3), were in a car accident. One of the rear tires on their pick-up truck blew out and the truck flew off the road, flipping several times.
Sonya was able to get the two girls out and start CPR on Madyson. Once the paramedics arrived they got them to the closest hospital, but quickly had to move Madyson to Jackson, MS to get her the proper care. Sonya, after passing out and being revived, got a clean bill of health. Mikayla had quite a bit of glass in her which they were thankfully able to remove.
Madyson did not fair as well as her mom and sister. At this point we know that she has at least 4 skull fractures, as well as a fractured C4. She sustained liver damage, and an unknown extent of brain stem damage. She is currently still in Jackson, MS in the ICU. Her brain pressure remains unsteady, and her current regimen of medicine keeps her in a coma. At this point there is some signs that her body is trying to breathe over the ventilator, but with her brain being unable to regulate its' own pressure, there is no way for the doctors to know how much damage has been done. We do know there is at least one blood clot behind her eyes keeping her pupils from dilating.
As I write, the accident happened about 72 hours ago. At this point the doctors look for the swelling inside the brain to be leveling out. Please pray that God would supernaturally intervene and heal little Mady! Also please pray that her family would be comforted during this time, especially her mother, as she was driving the car (even though there was no way she could have avoided the accident). Thank you ahead of time for your prayers! Madyson and Caleb are nearly the same age, and I simply cannot imagine having to watch my little boy suffer in this way!All my love!
Teresa
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pretty in Pink?
Okay, I changed our blog layout. The old layout kept giving me a "Picture removed by photobucket" square right in the middle of the screen. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what photo it was talking about!
So, what do you think about the new layout? Is it a bit too girly and pink? Will hasn't see it yet, so I'm thinking I have a few days to search the web for a new one I like :)
You were probably hoping this was going to be a post with photos, but I fooled you! Ha! Just kidding! No, but really, we bought a new Mac when we arrived here in Illinois because the movers destroyed our PC. I will be honest in saying that I am totally Mac incompetent. In fact, I have often referred to it as the Apple! Yes, I realize that I am totally comparing this great new computer to my family's first Apple-E computer! Some of you out there will think I am crazy, but I digress. All our photos are downloaded on this magnificent (or so I am told) Mac, and since I have only touched the thing twice since we bought it 3 weeks ago, I am not about to make it 3 times by trying to download pics by myself. So, as soon as I can convince William to do it for me, I will post those pictures... to include... Caleb's fourth birthday party, our last days in Colorado, our fun road trip through Kansas (seriously we made it fun!), the new rental, Caleb's first day of Pre-K, Caleb's soccer team, the Magic house, and our trip to Huntsville.
Since this is no longer a blog all about me (shucks!) I am only going to include one little paragraph about myself :). My health since we arrived here has been fairly good! I have been so thankful that my headaches have been few and far between. Right before we left Colorado I was able to see a Medical Massage Therapist. She was amazing! These sessions were in no way nice relaxing massages though! She was very well trained to work specific muscles in the body, and she knew exactly how to manipulate the muscles up and down my neck and back to release the grasp they had on my Occipital Nerve. It did wonders! Here in Illinois we have not been able to find someone with the same credentials as this therapist, but I have been able to get my referral to a new neurologist. As for my primary care, we have already been experiencing the run around with Tricare. Please pray that we can speak to the right people to get the problems sorted out! I am in need of having some medicines re-leveled, so it is very important for this to happen in a timely manner.
As for ministry happenings, Will and I are encouraged by the opportunities we see around us. The base Chapel is always a place in need of people who are willing to labor for the kingdom. We will be teaching the high school Sunday school class starting this Sunday. We are hoping that this will blossom into some key relationships within the chapel community. There are moms all around that I get to interact with, and I am hoping that those relationships will lead to some great ministry times.
Well, that's about all from Illinois right now. I am busy trying to get the house in order, and anticipating a Midwestern Fall.
Much Love
Teresa for the 3 of us.
So, what do you think about the new layout? Is it a bit too girly and pink? Will hasn't see it yet, so I'm thinking I have a few days to search the web for a new one I like :)
You were probably hoping this was going to be a post with photos, but I fooled you! Ha! Just kidding! No, but really, we bought a new Mac when we arrived here in Illinois because the movers destroyed our PC. I will be honest in saying that I am totally Mac incompetent. In fact, I have often referred to it as the Apple! Yes, I realize that I am totally comparing this great new computer to my family's first Apple-E computer! Some of you out there will think I am crazy, but I digress. All our photos are downloaded on this magnificent (or so I am told) Mac, and since I have only touched the thing twice since we bought it 3 weeks ago, I am not about to make it 3 times by trying to download pics by myself. So, as soon as I can convince William to do it for me, I will post those pictures... to include... Caleb's fourth birthday party, our last days in Colorado, our fun road trip through Kansas (seriously we made it fun!), the new rental, Caleb's first day of Pre-K, Caleb's soccer team, the Magic house, and our trip to Huntsville.
Since this is no longer a blog all about me (shucks!) I am only going to include one little paragraph about myself :). My health since we arrived here has been fairly good! I have been so thankful that my headaches have been few and far between. Right before we left Colorado I was able to see a Medical Massage Therapist. She was amazing! These sessions were in no way nice relaxing massages though! She was very well trained to work specific muscles in the body, and she knew exactly how to manipulate the muscles up and down my neck and back to release the grasp they had on my Occipital Nerve. It did wonders! Here in Illinois we have not been able to find someone with the same credentials as this therapist, but I have been able to get my referral to a new neurologist. As for my primary care, we have already been experiencing the run around with Tricare. Please pray that we can speak to the right people to get the problems sorted out! I am in need of having some medicines re-leveled, so it is very important for this to happen in a timely manner.
As for ministry happenings, Will and I are encouraged by the opportunities we see around us. The base Chapel is always a place in need of people who are willing to labor for the kingdom. We will be teaching the high school Sunday school class starting this Sunday. We are hoping that this will blossom into some key relationships within the chapel community. There are moms all around that I get to interact with, and I am hoping that those relationships will lead to some great ministry times.
Well, that's about all from Illinois right now. I am busy trying to get the house in order, and anticipating a Midwestern Fall.
Much Love
Teresa for the 3 of us.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Dear friends, it has been quite a while since our last post! We have been very busy getting ourselves settled into our new home here in Illinois. I don't have any pictures to share today, but I will soon be doing a giant photo post. Today I just had to share a few words of inspiration. Will and I have been struggling to make our new rental house feel like a home. Things have been constantly going wrong with this house! Between leaking faucets, broken pipes, dirty bathrooms, a broken dishwasher, and strange smells we are really having to trust that the Lord brought us to this house for His purposes. I stumbled across the following the other day and was brought to tears...
"My Home is God Himself"; Christ brought me there.
I laid me down within His mighty arms;
He took me up, and safe from all alarms
He bore me "where no foot but His hath trod,"
Within the holiest at Home with God,
And bade me dwell in Him, rejoicing there.
O Holy Place! O Home divinely fair!
And we, God's little ones, abiding there.
"My Home is God Himself"; it was not so!
A long, long road I traveled night and day,
And sought to find within myself some way,
Aught I could do, or feel to bring me near;
Self effort failed, and I was filled with fear,
And then I found Christ was the only way,
That I must come to Him and in Him stay,
And God had told me so.
And now "my Home is God," and sheltered there,
God meets the trials of my earthly life,
God compasses me round from storm and strife,
God takes the burden of my daily care.
O Wondrous Place! O Home divinely fair!
And I, God's little one, safe hidden there.
Lord, as I dwell in Thee and Thou in me,
So make me dead to everything but Thee;
That as I rest within my Home most fair,
My soul may evermore and only see
My God in everything and everywhere;
My Home is God.
-Author Unknown
Will and I love that we move every few years at the whim of the Air Force. We are always up for meeting new people and exploring new places. The downside to this is that we also have to "rebuild" our home and our support system. Yes we can always pick up the phone and hear friendly voices, but it takes a little while at a new base before we can just walk next door and see friendly faces. This poem reminded me again that as our family sojourns in this world, we have a permanent eternal home in God. It is perfect, steady, and a place of refuge. What words of comfort!
Much love!
T
"My Home is God Himself"; Christ brought me there.
I laid me down within His mighty arms;
He took me up, and safe from all alarms
He bore me "where no foot but His hath trod,"
Within the holiest at Home with God,
And bade me dwell in Him, rejoicing there.
O Holy Place! O Home divinely fair!
And we, God's little ones, abiding there.
"My Home is God Himself"; it was not so!
A long, long road I traveled night and day,
And sought to find within myself some way,
Aught I could do, or feel to bring me near;
Self effort failed, and I was filled with fear,
And then I found Christ was the only way,
That I must come to Him and in Him stay,
And God had told me so.
And now "my Home is God," and sheltered there,
God meets the trials of my earthly life,
God compasses me round from storm and strife,
God takes the burden of my daily care.
O Wondrous Place! O Home divinely fair!
And I, God's little one, safe hidden there.
Lord, as I dwell in Thee and Thou in me,
So make me dead to everything but Thee;
That as I rest within my Home most fair,
My soul may evermore and only see
My God in everything and everywhere;
My Home is God.
-Author Unknown
Will and I love that we move every few years at the whim of the Air Force. We are always up for meeting new people and exploring new places. The downside to this is that we also have to "rebuild" our home and our support system. Yes we can always pick up the phone and hear friendly voices, but it takes a little while at a new base before we can just walk next door and see friendly faces. This poem reminded me again that as our family sojourns in this world, we have a permanent eternal home in God. It is perfect, steady, and a place of refuge. What words of comfort!
Much love!
T
Monday, July 12, 2010
Faith Grows Amid Storms
Well, I headed back to the Neurologist for one final visit last week. It wasn't my last visit because my headache is gone, but because we pack out next week and will be on our way to Scott AFB before the month's end. These past few weeks my headache has become more and more centered in a specific area of my head. I shared this with the neurologist as well as the work I have had done with the D.O. and the comments from the Dentist about my jaw being pulled out of alignment. As we spoke it became more and more clear that the pain I am experiencing is from my Occipital Nerve. This nerve runs from the back of my head (down where my head attaches to my neck) up to the crown of my head. The pain I feel daily radiates out from this line. He shared with me that the "Miracle Drug" I received in the hospital would relieve any rebound headache that I was suffering from (which it did) but would not remove the pain from an Occipital Nerve. Bingo! Now... the question is...is my nerve responding to some stimulus (such as tight neck muscles), or is it a myalgia and therefore creating pain where there is none? No matter what the answer is, the next step is pain management. As we see what works and what doesn't, we will have a better idea of what is going on and how to treat it. So there you have it, the latest medical info!
As we transition to Scott AFB, I feel that it is time to turn this blog back into a family affair. SO, this will be my last post all about me. I will continue to put in updates as they come along, but we are going to return to daily life in the Sage household. To close up my time and thoughts on trials and suffering in the life of a believer I want to share one last entry from my devotional book "Streams in the Desert". Please read all the way through. I promise you will be greatly blessed!
"He hath acquainted Himself with my beaten path. When He hath searched me out, I shall come out shining" Job 23:10
"Faith grows amid storms"- just four words, but oh, how full of import to the soul who has been in the storms! Faith is that God-given faculty which, when exercised, brings the unseen into plain view, and by which the impossible things are made possible. It deals with supernaturals.
But it "grows amid storms"; that is, where there are disturbances in the spiritual atmosphere. Storms are caused by the conflicts of elements; and the storms of the spiritual world are conflicts with hostile elements. In such an atmosphere faith finds its most productive soil; in such an element it comes more quickly to fruition.
The staunchest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds from every quarter beat upon it, and bend and twist it until it becomes a giant in stature- this is the tree which the mechanic wants his tools made of, and the wagon-maker seeks.
So in the spiritual world, when you see a giant, remember the road you must travel to come up to his side is not along the sunny lane where wild flowers ever bloom; but a steep rocky, narrow pathway where the blasts of hell will almost blow you off your feet; where the sharp rocks cut the flesh, where the projecting thorns scratch the brow, and the venomous beasts hiss on every side.
It is a pathway of sorrow and joy, of suffering and healing balm, of tears and smiles, of trials and victories, of conflicts and triumphs, of hardships and perils and buffetings, of persecutions and misunderstandings, of troubles and distress; through all of which we are made more than conquerors through Him who loves us.
"Amid storms." Right in the midst where it is fiercest. You may shrink back from the ordeal of a fierce storm of trial... but go in! God is there to meet you in the center of all your trials, and to whisper His secrets which will make you come forth with a shining face and an indomitable faith that all the demons of hell shall never afterwards cause to waver.
--E.A. Kilbourne
All my love
T
As we transition to Scott AFB, I feel that it is time to turn this blog back into a family affair. SO, this will be my last post all about me. I will continue to put in updates as they come along, but we are going to return to daily life in the Sage household. To close up my time and thoughts on trials and suffering in the life of a believer I want to share one last entry from my devotional book "Streams in the Desert". Please read all the way through. I promise you will be greatly blessed!
"He hath acquainted Himself with my beaten path. When He hath searched me out, I shall come out shining" Job 23:10
"Faith grows amid storms"- just four words, but oh, how full of import to the soul who has been in the storms! Faith is that God-given faculty which, when exercised, brings the unseen into plain view, and by which the impossible things are made possible. It deals with supernaturals.
But it "grows amid storms"; that is, where there are disturbances in the spiritual atmosphere. Storms are caused by the conflicts of elements; and the storms of the spiritual world are conflicts with hostile elements. In such an atmosphere faith finds its most productive soil; in such an element it comes more quickly to fruition.
The staunchest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds from every quarter beat upon it, and bend and twist it until it becomes a giant in stature- this is the tree which the mechanic wants his tools made of, and the wagon-maker seeks.
So in the spiritual world, when you see a giant, remember the road you must travel to come up to his side is not along the sunny lane where wild flowers ever bloom; but a steep rocky, narrow pathway where the blasts of hell will almost blow you off your feet; where the sharp rocks cut the flesh, where the projecting thorns scratch the brow, and the venomous beasts hiss on every side.
It is a pathway of sorrow and joy, of suffering and healing balm, of tears and smiles, of trials and victories, of conflicts and triumphs, of hardships and perils and buffetings, of persecutions and misunderstandings, of troubles and distress; through all of which we are made more than conquerors through Him who loves us.
"Amid storms." Right in the midst where it is fiercest. You may shrink back from the ordeal of a fierce storm of trial... but go in! God is there to meet you in the center of all your trials, and to whisper His secrets which will make you come forth with a shining face and an indomitable faith that all the demons of hell shall never afterwards cause to waver.
--E.A. Kilbourne
All my love
T
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Family Photos
I thought I would take a break and share some recent family photos we had taken. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)