Starting New

Today is an exciting day for me.  I am officially starting down a new path in my journey through life.  This path has been in view to me for awhile now but it wasn't yet time to walk there.  Now is the time, and besides being excited I'm nervous, but mostly excited for what's to come.  Many things have happened in my life, in my children's life, this past decade but have been concentrated in the last few years and became extremely intense recently with the tragic death of my beautiful, sweet, 22yr. old daughter.  I will forever be changed and pained, with a part of my heart sectioned off where there is no comfort, no light, no relief from suffering.  But, until recently, I had no control of that space.  It has been a room where the door was always open and like in a dream I always found myself in it unable to get out - I really couldn't even lift my head to look out of the room, I was not aware of any windows, only grey walls and echos of weeping and sadness.  Somehow, miraculously, little by little, things changed.  And one day I will write about the process that took place between then and now where I find myself being able enter and exit the room as I please.  I see windows now, with shades and sheers and draperies so that I may have as much sunlight or as little as I need.  There is much more to this room and my relationship to it that will wait for another time.  But, suffice it to say that forward movement is taking place within me and without and I am starting a new chapter in my life while also lingering a bit in the last one.

Much to do, to do, to do....and I will express more later.  But for now, here is a thought...

My pH is Outta Whack!

We balance the pH of our pool water, our fish tanks, why not our bodies?

Wow, when I first read about this a little over a year ago or so, it's like a light bulb went on above my head!  Seriously, why had this not even occurred to me before?  Well, I stumbled upon it doing some healthy eating research.  Truthfully, I shouldn't say I stumbled upon it, because I have no doubt that I was led there by the Great Spirit, YaHWeH.  But when I came across all this information on why it's important to have a balanced body pH, what being acidic does to our bodies and our health, what makes us acidic, and how we can balance it...it totally summed up my health problems and issues, and their affects on me.  I couldn't believe it!  I dove right in and started making changes, and I was amazed at how quickly my body responded!  I felt better, looked better, and functioned better in less than two weeks.  Actually, I started feeling better in a matter of days, and my skin and eyes got clearer and brighter within the first week.  I also noticed an increase in energy.  Well, it was a wonderful and unbelievable few weeks and then....I bombed.  *sigh*

 Something happened that I reacted to and upset me very, very, much.  And my emotions got the best of me and I surrendered and went on an emotional eating binge.  It was awful, and all the horrible feelings flooded back in on me, physically and emotionally.   I couldn't get back in line with the program.  I should say, I didn't  get back in line....I was not letting go of the "thing" that put me over the edge in the first place, and the anger grew, and grew, and turned into bitterness and I found myself in a trap.  All my joy, and praise, and thanksgiving, turned to sadness, complaining, and discontent.  This is really about more than health issues, I see that now..

In any case, it's been a long, extremely long,  year.  As I write this I can almost not believe how long I've hung on to things.  But the crazy thing is that I had actually fooled myself into thinking that I had let them go.  But, no, it all still lingered there deep down inside of me, hiding yet seeping out here and there in little bits and pieces.  I'm so stubborn and hard-headed that I clung to my pain, like it was my best friend, instead of clinging to the One who made me, loved me,  sacrificed and saves me.  But, praise YaHWeH, He has helped me see the light again!  Oh, I am constantly amazed at His patience and gentle nudges.  His forgiveness and cleansing floods over me, and His beauty and grace overwhelms me...and peace fills my psuche.  HalleluYaH!  Interestingly enough, the awareness and forgiveness He has brought has led me back to this place of addressing my health issues.  I am repeatedly reminded how everything is spiritual at its base.

Well, without going into all the details right now on research and the information I've gathered, I am here to say that I have started to get back in line - or should I say, in balance,  as of two days ago.  And already, today, I have noticed a difference in my energy level and mental clarity and also the clearness of my eyes.   Again, I say I'm amazed at how quickly my body is beginning to respond to these changes.  I will have to do another blog post on what exactly I'm doing and include information and  links to websites from which I've "gathered".   And I want to continue to post my progress on here as an added incentive and accountability for me to keep it going.  *little cringing face*

I'm including my children in on this and am trying to encourage my hubby to join in, as well.   Although, that's a bit harder to do.  But, I think as he sees how things are going, and through much prayer, he'll jump on into the pH pool with us.  :))

Go Green!  GO Alkaline!

Love Is All You Need...

On a day when our American world is consumed with the idea of love, I can't help but think of the love our gracious Father and beautiful Savior show to us eternally and infinitely.

Just a few expressions for the day:

"There are three things that amaze me....no four things, I cannot comprehend:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake upon a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
the way a man loves a woman. "
                ~Agur, son of Jakeh (Prov. 30: 18,19) 

  "A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate."  ~Prov. 15:17

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."  ~John 15:17 

"...and above all, love each other earnestly because the love shall cover a multitude of sins."  ~1 Peter 4:8 

 "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."  ~Romans 13:8

"Dear friends, let us love one another for love is from God and anyone who is loving is born of God, and knows Him."  ~1 John 4:7 

 "I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."  ~Mother Teresa

"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as the sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world.  It was a perfect act."  ~Mahatma Gandhi

"This is how God loved the world, He sent His only Son..."  ~the apostle John

"And now these things remain, faith, hope, and love -- but the greatest of these is love."  ~the apostle Paul

 And now one of my all time favorite expressions of love:
This is from a card my son made for me and gave to me after I was out of town visiting my daughters....

 

And under the picture he wrote, "If there was a love-o-meter it would go all the way around the world from me to you."  :)  Heartmelting

Oh, and I almost forgot this last little tidbit of wisdom...

:))

The Right Words...

     While cleaning and reorganizing my sewing/craft space I came across this booklet titled, "The Right Words for Any Occasion" distributed in 2001 by Publications International, Ltd.

 If I remember correctly, I got it along with a bunch of old stationery that a friend was getting rid of and passed along to me.  As I was flipping through it I was thinking this could really come in handy!  Sometimes I find it hard to express the right sentiment when I'm sending off a note to an individual, especially if it's someone I don't know very well.

     There are 13 categories listed filling up about 20 pages in this booklet.  Here are a just a few samples that I thought were nice:

"Hoping your birthday is wrapped in smiles."

"May your birthday make you feel as beautiful and special as you are."

"A kind gesture lasts a lifetime.  Thank you!"

"I hope it lightens your burden to know I'm here for you."

"Memories are the legacy of love."

"Good friends are the rare jewels of life--difficult to find and impossible to replace."

"Congratulations!  You have a brand-new reason to smile."  (for a new baby)

"Hold tight to the dreams you have today, and walk boldly in their direction." (for graduation)
 Hopefully, none of the people I write one of these to will have read my blog.  ;)

Oswald Chambers - A final apostasy

Love, Love, Love

---

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." ~John 15:13

Loving Wishes To All

     Early this morning, my 18yr. old daughter hopped on a plane and headed southwest where she'll be living, (for who knows how long) at least for the time being.  So, that makes 3 daughters now living out of state.  I miss them immensely.  But, I'm thankful that they are all happy and healthy and they have always been beautiful blessings to me. 

      I don't know if it's just my imagination, but candy hearts don't seem to be what they used to...I couldn't find one "Be Mine" or an "XOXO" or even just a plain old "Love" in the whole bag.  Call me old fashioned, but it seemed kinda strange to see "LOL" and "eMail Me" stamped on those little colored hearts.  And seriously, "Hey You" ?  We don't say "Hey, you!" to each other, seems a little rude.  :)

      I crocheted a few little red hearts for the kids.  I found a pattern at julie-k's blog.  Mine look basically the same as hers, but for some reason when I followed her pattern they came out almost round, so I changed it just a wee bit to make it more heart shaped.  I added a couple double crochets and an extra chain stitch.  They worked up so quick and easy and were fun to make.  :)  I am really enjoying crocheting.

Oswald Chambers

I have been using "My Utmost for His Highest" for years as a devotional book. Even though I've already gone through it several times, it continues to stay fresh for me. Here are just a few thoughts of his that have really been impressed on me.

John 16:33 ~ "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

"An average view of Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble.  It is deliverance in trouble - which is very different."

"God does not give us overcoming life; He gives us life as we overcome.  The strain is the strength."

"If you spend yourself physically you become exhausted; But if you spend yourself spiritually, you get more strength."

"We are not taken up into conscious agreement with God's purpose, we are taken up into God's purpose without any consciousness at all. We have no conception what God is aiming at, as we go on it gets more and more vague."

"God's aim looks like missing the mark because we are too short-sighted to see what He is aiming at."

 These last two quotes are especially meaningful to me.  And God used a natural instance to open my eyes even more regarding being "short-sighted" when it comes to His working.

When coming home from somewhere I usually turn onto our block and drive past our house to the end of our street and make a U-turn at the corner so I can be facing in the right direction to park in front of the house.  Well, recently, while driving home with the kids in the car, I decided to just pass our street and go down one more block and come around, avoiding the U-turn at the corner.  Well, my youngest exclaimed, "Mom, I thought we were going home, you passed our street!"  I said, "We are going home."  And he replied, "No, we're not, you passed our street."  The other kids in the car made an attempt to explain to him what I was doing.  I thought it was interesting that it seemed that he couldn't understand but mainly because he simply would not accept the explanation.

Our Father showed me, by His Holy Spirit, that this is what I do.  And, apparently, I do it often.  Many times when I question the work of God in my life and my family's it's because I am short-sighted and I look upon His work as "missing the mark".  Sometimes, I'm not even recognizing God's hand.  The other interesting and startling thing to me about this quote of Mr. Chambers is his usage of the phrase "missing the mark".   The Greek word hamartia is translated sin in our New Testament, and it is deeply rooted in the idea of missing the mark.  So, in the same way, when I consider God to be somehow missing the mark in the way that Oswald Chambers mentiones it, I am considering that work of God to be sin.  Looking at it this way definitely hit home with me and has truly humbled me and brought me to a new place and way of thinking about Jehovah and Yeshua. 


Thank you Yeshua for being our Redeemer, You are truly the Beautiful One, the Christ, the Lamb for sinners slain.  Praise and glory and honor be to You and our Sovereign Almighty Father.  Glory to God!!  Praise and Adoration be lifted to You beautiful Savior.  Thank You, Praise You!  Yeshua Christ the One Messiah!  Hallelujah!  Amen!