Friday, June 17, 2011
Pain's Process
Every once in awhile I need to express the impact that pain has on my life. Years ago I read a book by Philip Yancey and Dr. Brandt that put forth the idea of pain being a gift.
At the time I was suffering from my broken back, and the pain was intense, so I struggled with that concept!
But as I grow older I see how pain has forced me to rely on God.
Two spine injuries, headaches, internal abnormalities, difficult child births, and a non-functioning thyroid have all been used in my life to see my weakness and need for supernatural power. I'm one of those people who never would have made it to 40 in the Middle Ages. I am grateful for modern medicine.
I benefit from many meds in pain control.
It was about 6 years ago when my thyroid ceased to function. You don't think about a thyroid until it doesn't work, and believe me, it does have a function!
People laugh and joke about it now, but the effect of malfunctioning hormones on the brain is profound.
I have asked the Lord over and over, "Why me? Why did you give me this burden?"
The answer has always been to trust Him.
Hey, I have five healthy children DESPITE my health issues. Praise God. If that isn't a miracle I don't know what is! God has shown Himself to be greater than any human condition. He can work beyond all human limitations.
There isn't a day that I don't ask Him for help in facing one of my health issues. I have developed a reliance on His strength for each day.
All this pain has affected my spirit, and I need continual spiritual renewal from Him as well. When my blue days commence with a weeping spirit it is another invitation to lock into His joy, His comfort, His promises.
So, I am a living, breathing testimony of God's peace giving strength in facing each day, even if you couldn't tell by looking at me!
I am so thankful for my dear friends in supporting me through my weaknesses and pain. God has been so good to me. Pain's process has helped me count my blessings. I think that those of us who experience pain really anticipate heaven way more than most people. That promise of no pain is balm to my ears.
I look forward to heaven-----AND NO PAIN!
At the time I was suffering from my broken back, and the pain was intense, so I struggled with that concept!
But as I grow older I see how pain has forced me to rely on God.
Two spine injuries, headaches, internal abnormalities, difficult child births, and a non-functioning thyroid have all been used in my life to see my weakness and need for supernatural power. I'm one of those people who never would have made it to 40 in the Middle Ages. I am grateful for modern medicine.
I benefit from many meds in pain control.
It was about 6 years ago when my thyroid ceased to function. You don't think about a thyroid until it doesn't work, and believe me, it does have a function!
People laugh and joke about it now, but the effect of malfunctioning hormones on the brain is profound.
I have asked the Lord over and over, "Why me? Why did you give me this burden?"
The answer has always been to trust Him.
Hey, I have five healthy children DESPITE my health issues. Praise God. If that isn't a miracle I don't know what is! God has shown Himself to be greater than any human condition. He can work beyond all human limitations.
There isn't a day that I don't ask Him for help in facing one of my health issues. I have developed a reliance on His strength for each day.
All this pain has affected my spirit, and I need continual spiritual renewal from Him as well. When my blue days commence with a weeping spirit it is another invitation to lock into His joy, His comfort, His promises.
So, I am a living, breathing testimony of God's peace giving strength in facing each day, even if you couldn't tell by looking at me!
I am so thankful for my dear friends in supporting me through my weaknesses and pain. God has been so good to me. Pain's process has helped me count my blessings. I think that those of us who experience pain really anticipate heaven way more than most people. That promise of no pain is balm to my ears.
I look forward to heaven-----AND NO PAIN!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tick Tock
Another waiting game has begun.
I am waiting for two of my children to return home from camp tomorrow. They worked there this past week, and I can't wait to hear how it went for them.
More waiting on my husband's job search.
It never rains but it pours!
Today he was on the phone or email with FOUR different possibilities! One is in Gloucester, MA. One is in Georgia. Two are here in the state, but with one the resume had to be sent to Denver, CO. Next week should prove interesting, with one interview pending.
How do you pray? I'm praying for provision.
I don't know how or what, when or WHY.
I know that the Lord has made promises to me that He will fulfill. I'm sure it's boring to read all this, but when your life hangs in suspension you tend to obsess over the unknown more. None of us knows what tomorrow holds, but it's nice to have a pretty good guess!
In the meantime, just for interest, I'm linking to an article about my brother and his company: http://www.investmentadvisordigital.com/investmentadvisor/201106#pg1
I thought it was fun to see him on the current cover.
He has done well, but as we all know, (and does he) it's only temporary. This life is incredibly short compared to eternity, but oh so important! Eternal destiny is determined in the "few" minutes of this existence, and when we feel time dragging we can remind ourselves that really, what we do every moment really does matter.
Follow Christ in everything.
I am waiting for two of my children to return home from camp tomorrow. They worked there this past week, and I can't wait to hear how it went for them.
More waiting on my husband's job search.
It never rains but it pours!
Today he was on the phone or email with FOUR different possibilities! One is in Gloucester, MA. One is in Georgia. Two are here in the state, but with one the resume had to be sent to Denver, CO. Next week should prove interesting, with one interview pending.
How do you pray? I'm praying for provision.
I don't know how or what, when or WHY.
I know that the Lord has made promises to me that He will fulfill. I'm sure it's boring to read all this, but when your life hangs in suspension you tend to obsess over the unknown more. None of us knows what tomorrow holds, but it's nice to have a pretty good guess!
In the meantime, just for interest, I'm linking to an article about my brother and his company: http://www.investmentadvisordigital.com/investmentadvisor/201106#pg1
I thought it was fun to see him on the current cover.
He has done well, but as we all know, (and does he) it's only temporary. This life is incredibly short compared to eternity, but oh so important! Eternal destiny is determined in the "few" minutes of this existence, and when we feel time dragging we can remind ourselves that really, what we do every moment really does matter.
Follow Christ in everything.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Triangle
I'm the kind of person who likes to draw connections. Yesterday was fun for me in this.
I showed up at church to find a pastor from Japan on the docket to speak at both Sunday School and the worship hour.
He opened his testimony with a self-made video of the tsunami destruction in Japan. I really can't describe the mounds of demolished garbage, the huge ships sitting rakishly 1/2 mile from the sea, the utter devastation in just one of the numerous towns affected by the terrible wave.
His stories of heroism, loss, and wonder touched me deeply.
Less than 1% of Japan knows the Lord as Savior. The pastor cried as he told of the terrible human loss----for eternity.
But he also told his own courageous story, and here is where I found my triangle. This man became a believer as a junior high school student. He was the only believer in his high school. His mother accepted Christ two years after he found the Lord, and so did his brother. Can you imagine his commitment to truth? God strengthened his faith despite great opposition to it.
He came to America to study Christianity. Here he found "christians" completely uninterested in sharing their faith. How discouraging! No real joy in the Lord, no apparent concern for the eternal destiny of others.
God called him to be a missionary, and he thought he was supposed to go to Russia, the great atheist entity of the time. Three times God showed him that he was supposed to minister to Japan. He ended up going to Guam, speaking on a Japanese radio program, working with Trans-World Radio. There he met many Japanese, including the famous Mr. "O," a baseball player from those days.
First angle: I just recommended that my TWO book clubs read a book that my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas several years ago, "The Housekeeper and the Professor." This is a Japanese novel about an amnesia suffering math professor who loved Mr. "O." I loved the book, and now both of my clubs will discuss it this summer! I am not a Japanese baseball buff, so I knew nothing about "Mr. O" before----(and the pastor did not know anything about this book!)
Second angle: My husband's aunt and uncle were also serving as missionaries on Guam with Trans-World Radio at the same time as this man. Of course our Pastor from Japan knew them!
Third angle: Our own Pastor John met this pastor when he attended seminary in California, kept up the connection, and that was why he came to visit and encourage us here at our church.
The triangle was complete. It was drawn on a Sunday morning in Minnesota, listening to Pastor Kando from Osaka, Japan.
Being a part of the family of Christ is full of these wonderful connections. No matter where you go, you have this spiritual bond that transcends our daily lives. There are so many yet to be discovered!
I think I'll be writing more this week. My children are dispersed, and a boy scout camping trip will be taking my husband off to the Northwoods with our token Boy Scout.:)
I have applied for two more job possibilities. Last week I was busy with that.
"My God shall supply ALL your need, according to His riches in Glory"
Pastor Kando had just an amazing story to relate about how God did that for him. I was encouraged. He should write it down!
The shape of the week is "triangle!" When you see one remember that God draws the lines, connecting us to His purposes.
I showed up at church to find a pastor from Japan on the docket to speak at both Sunday School and the worship hour.
He opened his testimony with a self-made video of the tsunami destruction in Japan. I really can't describe the mounds of demolished garbage, the huge ships sitting rakishly 1/2 mile from the sea, the utter devastation in just one of the numerous towns affected by the terrible wave.
His stories of heroism, loss, and wonder touched me deeply.
Less than 1% of Japan knows the Lord as Savior. The pastor cried as he told of the terrible human loss----for eternity.
But he also told his own courageous story, and here is where I found my triangle. This man became a believer as a junior high school student. He was the only believer in his high school. His mother accepted Christ two years after he found the Lord, and so did his brother. Can you imagine his commitment to truth? God strengthened his faith despite great opposition to it.
He came to America to study Christianity. Here he found "christians" completely uninterested in sharing their faith. How discouraging! No real joy in the Lord, no apparent concern for the eternal destiny of others.
God called him to be a missionary, and he thought he was supposed to go to Russia, the great atheist entity of the time. Three times God showed him that he was supposed to minister to Japan. He ended up going to Guam, speaking on a Japanese radio program, working with Trans-World Radio. There he met many Japanese, including the famous Mr. "O," a baseball player from those days.
First angle: I just recommended that my TWO book clubs read a book that my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas several years ago, "The Housekeeper and the Professor." This is a Japanese novel about an amnesia suffering math professor who loved Mr. "O." I loved the book, and now both of my clubs will discuss it this summer! I am not a Japanese baseball buff, so I knew nothing about "Mr. O" before----(and the pastor did not know anything about this book!)
Second angle: My husband's aunt and uncle were also serving as missionaries on Guam with Trans-World Radio at the same time as this man. Of course our Pastor from Japan knew them!
Third angle: Our own Pastor John met this pastor when he attended seminary in California, kept up the connection, and that was why he came to visit and encourage us here at our church.
The triangle was complete. It was drawn on a Sunday morning in Minnesota, listening to Pastor Kando from Osaka, Japan.
Being a part of the family of Christ is full of these wonderful connections. No matter where you go, you have this spiritual bond that transcends our daily lives. There are so many yet to be discovered!
I think I'll be writing more this week. My children are dispersed, and a boy scout camping trip will be taking my husband off to the Northwoods with our token Boy Scout.:)
I have applied for two more job possibilities. Last week I was busy with that.
"My God shall supply ALL your need, according to His riches in Glory"
Pastor Kando had just an amazing story to relate about how God did that for him. I was encouraged. He should write it down!
The shape of the week is "triangle!" When you see one remember that God draws the lines, connecting us to His purposes.
Monday, June 6, 2011
95 and Sunny!
Finished "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" last evening in time for book club today. I was intending to skim it, but it was an easy read and it drew me in. It's a gentle tale, and well told. The majority of us who attend liked it and I recommend it.
We had a lovely drive to and from Iowa this weekend. The corn is ankle-high. The beans are sprouted. There is the sheen of green on every field that only happens in early June. Beautiful!
Things are looking up for friends and relatives. Graduations, new houses, successes.
Surely our situation is also about to change?
I've got over my self-chastisement for completely messing up my first job interview in 20 years! It took a few days of smarting last week, but now I'm over it and looking forward to "boning up" on my weak areas and trying again. I was miserable all last week, but I'm ready to try again!
I think my husband is ready to try again too. Finding a job is so hard.
I really do want to keep home-schooling my younger two, and I'm glad I can have that opportunity. Home schooling is a successful educational endeavor, and I've only seen the incredible results of it in my own children and other home schooled friends.
On NPR today there is a piece on "unschooling," which we have delved into somewhat. I was amused at the comments after the piece. If I hadn't just today read a piece about reviling I'd be somewhat harsh about the attitudes on display by people who really have no idea what it is like to "unschool."
I've had three children enter college from junior year in high school. All of my children test off the charts on national standardized tests. My 12 year-old tested 12.9 (twelfth grade, ninth month) plus on EVERY subject in his last NST (Peabody). I don't reveal this to brag, but to emphasize the success of home schooling!
Even more important are the type of people my children are becoming.
Character? Spiritual? Helpful? Successful? Check. God bless them! He has already.
Let me encourage you to be open minded about home schooling! There are so many clear advantages to it.
It's hot and sunny out there today, and my kids re-filled the wading pool with cool, clear water. Softball tonight, Scouts Court of Honor/potluck, and the first Monday in June is complete, always the busiest day of the month! Another "unschool" year is successfully over!
We had a lovely drive to and from Iowa this weekend. The corn is ankle-high. The beans are sprouted. There is the sheen of green on every field that only happens in early June. Beautiful!
Things are looking up for friends and relatives. Graduations, new houses, successes.
Surely our situation is also about to change?
I've got over my self-chastisement for completely messing up my first job interview in 20 years! It took a few days of smarting last week, but now I'm over it and looking forward to "boning up" on my weak areas and trying again. I was miserable all last week, but I'm ready to try again!
I think my husband is ready to try again too. Finding a job is so hard.
I really do want to keep home-schooling my younger two, and I'm glad I can have that opportunity. Home schooling is a successful educational endeavor, and I've only seen the incredible results of it in my own children and other home schooled friends.
On NPR today there is a piece on "unschooling," which we have delved into somewhat. I was amused at the comments after the piece. If I hadn't just today read a piece about reviling I'd be somewhat harsh about the attitudes on display by people who really have no idea what it is like to "unschool."
I've had three children enter college from junior year in high school. All of my children test off the charts on national standardized tests. My 12 year-old tested 12.9 (twelfth grade, ninth month) plus on EVERY subject in his last NST (Peabody). I don't reveal this to brag, but to emphasize the success of home schooling!
Even more important are the type of people my children are becoming.
Character? Spiritual? Helpful? Successful? Check. God bless them! He has already.
Let me encourage you to be open minded about home schooling! There are so many clear advantages to it.
It's hot and sunny out there today, and my kids re-filled the wading pool with cool, clear water. Softball tonight, Scouts Court of Honor/potluck, and the first Monday in June is complete, always the busiest day of the month! Another "unschool" year is successfully over!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
God Answers Prayer
Yesterday was a day of gorgeous weather and anxious thoughts. I had my interview on Tuesday, my husband had a professional business gathering of his engineering peers, and school got back into full swing after the Memorial Day Weekend. Yesterday we all prepared for a visit from our last Chinese student and a friend of his: rhubarb pie, homemade ice cream, s'mores and hot dogs on the campfire. (Quite the spread!)
As I did my laundry I asked God for something very specific for yesterday. I know that the answer can be "no." That doesn't discourage me, even, because often the answer is NO. God's ways are higher than my ways.
But it is SO exciting when He does answer a prayer. An answer that only can be His, and in the affirmative, with a specific action. Do we twist His arm? Horrible thought. Do we need reassurance of His love? Sometimes. Yesterday He answered my simple prayer, and it was so wonderful.
I must tell of His love, and His concern. We are His witnesses, and when something wonderfully special happens we are bound to testify.
So what did I ask for? I asked for a certain phone call to happen, out of the blue. And it did.
As I did my laundry I asked God for something very specific for yesterday. I know that the answer can be "no." That doesn't discourage me, even, because often the answer is NO. God's ways are higher than my ways.
But it is SO exciting when He does answer a prayer. An answer that only can be His, and in the affirmative, with a specific action. Do we twist His arm? Horrible thought. Do we need reassurance of His love? Sometimes. Yesterday He answered my simple prayer, and it was so wonderful.
I must tell of His love, and His concern. We are His witnesses, and when something wonderfully special happens we are bound to testify.
So what did I ask for? I asked for a certain phone call to happen, out of the blue. And it did.
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