I wrote this to be sung to the tune of These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things. I think it'll give you a glimpse of what's been going on around these Prairie hills. ;)
Ahem! *clears throat*
Nose rings in noses, and more rings in navels,
Lil' barking doggies, and making you hoagies,
Baseball and sunshine, coming up this spring,
These are a few of my "favorite" things.
Math, Science, English, and Spelling and Vocab,
More Math, more Reading, more History, more Cursive,
I homeschool you, and I make all the rules.
How 'bout a snack and a nice little snooze?
Bridesmaid's and groomsmen, and flower girls, and candles,
Cakes vs. cupcakes, invitations where are you!?
You're getting married, he's yours and you're his,
You sure you can say without doubt that you do?
When the math's wrong, when decisions haunt,
When I'm feeling gaunt,
I simply remember it's not all 'bout me,
And then I don't feel so bad!
Changed hearts, new focus, with Christ at the center,
Friendships, and courtships, and challenging relationships,
All work together for our own good,
Yes these are a few of my favorite things!
Editing, and power points, and emails, and travel plans,
Vacuums, and dishsoap, and working with my hands,
Monday thru Friday, and sometimes weekends,
These fill my schedule, boy ain't it so grand?
Dinner with loved ones, and dinner with good friends,
Dinner 'round the table, devotions, then prayer time,
All make this poem indeed oh so grand,
Yes, these make my journey much sweeter than pie.
When life seems void, challenging with fright,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember it's all about Christ,
And then I don't feel so bad!
Everything mentioned in this poem/song has been part of my life this week, in one way or another.
Except the pie.
~Brenda
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
A Few More P's
**If you haven't read my last post, you may want to before reading this.
My dryer gave out this morning. Just went kaputt. The only thing it puts out is an atrocious buzz. No heat. No comforting humming. Just BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
We have major medical bills.
I have a goal to write a book in the next year.
I homeschool a boy with learning difficulties.
And as you know, I struggle with chronic illness.
Those are some of the major obstacles in my life. I didn't even mention others that I'd rather not share.
I need a pick me up. Perhaps a piece of chocolate. A poofy pillow? Better yet ... a poofy blankey, pillow, and a plank of chocolate ... a la book.
Or maybe what I need is a large portion of perserverance.
Perserverance.
The word kind of makes me want to run. After all, I'm an American, and I'd like to have it my way, right now, please. I'd like to have my illness (zap!) gone with the swallow of a pill. I'd like that book to be written by tomorrow. I'd like someone to just come deliver a dryer to me, paid in full. Oh, and could you add a washer too? I've not liked mine for quite some time.
The dryer was just the straw that broke this camel's back this morning. After a lengthy discussion last night with Shaun about how to best pay off our medical debt, the last thing I wanted to find on my plate was wet clothes.
I'm reading Luke in my devotions, and I am always amazed at how Jesus prayerfully perservered. When things got too hectic for him, what did He do? He went and hid and prayed. Then He got up, and went about His Father's business. He didn't pull Himself up by His boot straps, He prayed. Asked for strength. Asked for His Father's will to be done. Then He went out in perserverance and the strength that His Father granted Him, and continued His ministry.
I'm not trying to compare my faulty dryer to Jesus' ministry. I'm just making a parallel between what He did and how He dealt with the roller coaster of life and how I need to deal with the roller coaster of life:
With prayer and perserverance.
Sounds easy. But in this world, there is no easy button. If there was, you better believe I'd be running to Staples so fast it'd make your head whirl.
Shame on you, Staples, for getting my hopes up.
Instead, God wants me to first, pray to Him. And second, perservere in my problems.
What would quitting do?
If He quit, we'd be getting what we deserved in eternal damnation.
If I quit, I'd have a boy who can't function in life, a blank slate for a book, and a bad credit score ... all while donning some funky smellin' clothes!
So as I write this, I determine in my heart and my actions to prayerfully perservere in all things that God has decided to grace my plate with. The prayer comes from my heart, the perserverance comes from my actions.
I will write a little bit each day.
I will continue to teach my child.
I will continue to do for my body what it responds best to, even though it is mundane and lacks any eating pleasure whatsoever.
I will shop for a dang good deal on a dryer that will best suit ourwants needs.
I will pray!
I will perservere!
And I'll do it all out here on the Prairie, where the buffaloes roam!!!
Yeehaaaw and a Merry Christmas to all my Lovely Lurkers!!!
The Prayin', Perserverin' Little Housewife on the Prairie,
~Brenda
My dryer gave out this morning. Just went kaputt. The only thing it puts out is an atrocious buzz. No heat. No comforting humming. Just BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
We have major medical bills.
I have a goal to write a book in the next year.
I homeschool a boy with learning difficulties.
And as you know, I struggle with chronic illness.
Those are some of the major obstacles in my life. I didn't even mention others that I'd rather not share.
I need a pick me up. Perhaps a piece of chocolate. A poofy pillow? Better yet ... a poofy blankey, pillow, and a plank of chocolate ... a la book.
Or maybe what I need is a large portion of perserverance.
Perserverance.
The word kind of makes me want to run. After all, I'm an American, and I'd like to have it my way, right now, please. I'd like to have my illness (zap!) gone with the swallow of a pill. I'd like that book to be written by tomorrow. I'd like someone to just come deliver a dryer to me, paid in full. Oh, and could you add a washer too? I've not liked mine for quite some time.
The dryer was just the straw that broke this camel's back this morning. After a lengthy discussion last night with Shaun about how to best pay off our medical debt, the last thing I wanted to find on my plate was wet clothes.
I'm reading Luke in my devotions, and I am always amazed at how Jesus prayerfully perservered. When things got too hectic for him, what did He do? He went and hid and prayed. Then He got up, and went about His Father's business. He didn't pull Himself up by His boot straps, He prayed. Asked for strength. Asked for His Father's will to be done. Then He went out in perserverance and the strength that His Father granted Him, and continued His ministry.
I'm not trying to compare my faulty dryer to Jesus' ministry. I'm just making a parallel between what He did and how He dealt with the roller coaster of life and how I need to deal with the roller coaster of life:
With prayer and perserverance.
Sounds easy. But in this world, there is no easy button. If there was, you better believe I'd be running to Staples so fast it'd make your head whirl.
Shame on you, Staples, for getting my hopes up.
Instead, God wants me to first, pray to Him. And second, perservere in my problems.
What would quitting do?
If He quit, we'd be getting what we deserved in eternal damnation.
If I quit, I'd have a boy who can't function in life, a blank slate for a book, and a bad credit score ... all while donning some funky smellin' clothes!
So as I write this, I determine in my heart and my actions to prayerfully perservere in all things that God has decided to grace my plate with. The prayer comes from my heart, the perserverance comes from my actions.
I will write a little bit each day.
I will continue to teach my child.
I will continue to do for my body what it responds best to, even though it is mundane and lacks any eating pleasure whatsoever.
I will shop for a dang good deal on a dryer that will best suit our
I will pray!
I will perservere!
And I'll do it all out here on the Prairie, where the buffaloes roam!!!
Yeehaaaw and a Merry Christmas to all my Lovely Lurkers!!!
The Prayin', Perserverin' Little Housewife on the Prairie,
~Brenda
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Drive by blogging.
It's what I do now days.
Why so hurried? Well, here's a few reasons:
***I am in the process of getting ready for company. Dan'l -- the boy my daughter is head over heels in love with (her words) is coming to see us on Friday, and will spend the weekend with us. He plans to meet some of the extended family, go to church with us, and simply get to know each other a little better. Obviouly not a long visit, but we are really looking forward to it. If you want to get to know Dan'l better, go here.
***Shaun is preaching on Sunday, because our Pastor is out of town. This doesn't require much of me, except giving him time to study, more praying and ... wringing of hands. Maybe not all in that order.
***Shaun's sisters just visited from out of town. They came to see Jeanine, of course. And by the way, Jeanine is doing well, considering. Since they removed the brain tumor, and now that she is off of all meds from the surgery, she is looking like her normal self. And oh how I love her little self. Now she is undergoing chemo and radiation. She did have a struggle with the chemo at first, but they've added a med that helps her keep the chemo (and her lunch!) where it ought to stay.
***Shaun and Andrew will be going hunting in a week or so. This usually means lots of preparation, and this year is no different. I'm excited for them, because it will be just the two of them this year. I can't wait to hear the survival stories, and more than that, I can't wait for my freezer to be full. No pressure, guys. ;) And by the way, if you're reading this, and you are shocked and appalled that we would be hunters ... keep it to yourself, and don't open that can of worms. You know ... for the sake of keeping peace on this blog. Ha!
***Secretary work. If you remember, I'm the secretary for our little church plant that we've been attending for about three years now ... or maybe it's four! While this does take a bit of my time, it's worth it. I can't say that I enjoy all of the work, but I always enjoy helping. And I actually do enjoy much of the work. Especially if it involves emailing, writing, helping missionaries, etc. All right down my alley!
***Doctor's appointments and procedures. My life has been full of them lately. However, this week ... no appointments or procedures scheduled!! Woot woot! I do have to start a new med, which I have so far cowered away from. I'm sorry!!! But I know it's not going to sit well with my tummy, and yet ... if you want to be cured, you have to do what the doctor says. You can't go in and tell him his suggestion didn't work if you haven't tried it. So there ya' go. Do I have to take the pill? Yes, I have to take the pill. Somebody give me some motivation here, because that's not quite cutting it for me. I am, at times, a horrible patient. Especially when it comes to conventional medicine, aka pill popping at it's finest. Bluh.
So there you have it. My life the last week. It's hectic, it's stressful, and it's awesome all at once. This is what God has put on my plate right now, and I am more and more accepting of whatever it is that He gives me. Note that I didn't say I was good at managing it all! I said I was good at accepting it. But I suppose that is a start. Because years ago, my tendency would have been to simply run from it all. Whether that be ignore it, move away from it, or get severely depressed from it all.
After reading the above, you might ask what it is that is really all that stressful. Well, to start, I didn't name everything and every challenge me or a loved one is going through. But yes, a lot of this is just "life."
Some people deal with everyday challenges better than others. And I would say that I have never really learned to deal with everyday stress and what most people would consider "normal." Add to that the health problems (of me and my family), and the stresses that our close family is going through right now, and it's a prescription for anxiety, depression, and ... running.
But don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.
I won't run. I won't hide. I will deal, with God's help, with what He has given me to deal with. He is the one in control. It's my job to trust Him, ask Him for help, and draw strength from Him.
Is it not good that we have that kind of Savior? Folks that "trust" in Buddha ... in dead gods ... they have no hope. Nobody to draw strength from. No living well to quench their very real spiritual thirsts.
I am thankful for the opportunity to trust in Him. And without the troubles, why would I need to trust Him? Lean on Him?
I wouldn't.
So thank you, Lord, for the troubles. Help me to trust in You, not in my own strength. Help me to only be refreshed by You, and not turn to what the world would tell me quenches my thirsts and longings. So many distractions, and yet You are the One who satisfies and is so faithful. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you ... whether the waves be calm or tumultuous.
Amen!
~Brenda
It's what I do now days.
Why so hurried? Well, here's a few reasons:
***I am in the process of getting ready for company. Dan'l -- the boy my daughter is head over heels in love with (her words) is coming to see us on Friday, and will spend the weekend with us. He plans to meet some of the extended family, go to church with us, and simply get to know each other a little better. Obviouly not a long visit, but we are really looking forward to it. If you want to get to know Dan'l better, go here.
***Shaun is preaching on Sunday, because our Pastor is out of town. This doesn't require much of me, except giving him time to study, more praying and ... wringing of hands. Maybe not all in that order.
***Shaun's sisters just visited from out of town. They came to see Jeanine, of course. And by the way, Jeanine is doing well, considering. Since they removed the brain tumor, and now that she is off of all meds from the surgery, she is looking like her normal self. And oh how I love her little self. Now she is undergoing chemo and radiation. She did have a struggle with the chemo at first, but they've added a med that helps her keep the chemo (and her lunch!) where it ought to stay.
***Shaun and Andrew will be going hunting in a week or so. This usually means lots of preparation, and this year is no different. I'm excited for them, because it will be just the two of them this year. I can't wait to hear the survival stories, and more than that, I can't wait for my freezer to be full. No pressure, guys. ;) And by the way, if you're reading this, and you are shocked and appalled that we would be hunters ... keep it to yourself, and don't open that can of worms. You know ... for the sake of keeping peace on this blog. Ha!
***Secretary work. If you remember, I'm the secretary for our little church plant that we've been attending for about three years now ... or maybe it's four! While this does take a bit of my time, it's worth it. I can't say that I enjoy all of the work, but I always enjoy helping. And I actually do enjoy much of the work. Especially if it involves emailing, writing, helping missionaries, etc. All right down my alley!
***Doctor's appointments and procedures. My life has been full of them lately. However, this week ... no appointments or procedures scheduled!! Woot woot! I do have to start a new med, which I have so far cowered away from. I'm sorry!!! But I know it's not going to sit well with my tummy, and yet ... if you want to be cured, you have to do what the doctor says. You can't go in and tell him his suggestion didn't work if you haven't tried it. So there ya' go. Do I have to take the pill? Yes, I have to take the pill. Somebody give me some motivation here, because that's not quite cutting it for me. I am, at times, a horrible patient. Especially when it comes to conventional medicine, aka pill popping at it's finest. Bluh.
So there you have it. My life the last week. It's hectic, it's stressful, and it's awesome all at once. This is what God has put on my plate right now, and I am more and more accepting of whatever it is that He gives me. Note that I didn't say I was good at managing it all! I said I was good at accepting it. But I suppose that is a start. Because years ago, my tendency would have been to simply run from it all. Whether that be ignore it, move away from it, or get severely depressed from it all.
After reading the above, you might ask what it is that is really all that stressful. Well, to start, I didn't name everything and every challenge me or a loved one is going through. But yes, a lot of this is just "life."
Some people deal with everyday challenges better than others. And I would say that I have never really learned to deal with everyday stress and what most people would consider "normal." Add to that the health problems (of me and my family), and the stresses that our close family is going through right now, and it's a prescription for anxiety, depression, and ... running.
But don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.
I won't run. I won't hide. I will deal, with God's help, with what He has given me to deal with. He is the one in control. It's my job to trust Him, ask Him for help, and draw strength from Him.
Is it not good that we have that kind of Savior? Folks that "trust" in Buddha ... in dead gods ... they have no hope. Nobody to draw strength from. No living well to quench their very real spiritual thirsts.
I am thankful for the opportunity to trust in Him. And without the troubles, why would I need to trust Him? Lean on Him?
I wouldn't.
So thank you, Lord, for the troubles. Help me to trust in You, not in my own strength. Help me to only be refreshed by You, and not turn to what the world would tell me quenches my thirsts and longings. So many distractions, and yet You are the One who satisfies and is so faithful. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you ... whether the waves be calm or tumultuous.
Amen!
~Brenda
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
No News Is .....
.... No news!
Not sure if no news is good news, bad news, or just no news. I'm still twiddling my thumbs, waiting for Dr. S. to call me about the ultrasound (echocardiogram). I did hear that my blood work was all normal. They tested electrolytes and magnesium levels. I'm glad they were normal, in a not so glad way, as that would have been a simple fix to a scary problem.
So ... we wait. And in the meantime, I am practicing the word "no" and handing off various forms of commitments. I'm rather proud of myself for doing so, if I do say so myself!!
Have I mentioned I'm co-dependant? I like to rescue people in their troubles, even if it's their fault.
Sorry ... I digress ...
I'm learning the world goes 'round without this little housewife on the prairie stepping in to rescue. So I will continue to rest when I need to rest. Those extra heartbeats really kick in after I eat, and so I will continue to take a nap - guilt free - during those times.
And I pinky swear that I will post any little tidbit of news I hear.
In the meantime, let's get to prayin', prairie fans!! Not just for me, but for Stellan, whom you can read about by clicking on that little button on the left that says, "Pray for Stellan."
Amen?
Amen.
~Brenda
Not sure if no news is good news, bad news, or just no news. I'm still twiddling my thumbs, waiting for Dr. S. to call me about the ultrasound (echocardiogram). I did hear that my blood work was all normal. They tested electrolytes and magnesium levels. I'm glad they were normal, in a not so glad way, as that would have been a simple fix to a scary problem.
So ... we wait. And in the meantime, I am practicing the word "no" and handing off various forms of commitments. I'm rather proud of myself for doing so, if I do say so myself!!
Have I mentioned I'm co-dependant? I like to rescue people in their troubles, even if it's their fault.
Sorry ... I digress ...
I'm learning the world goes 'round without this little housewife on the prairie stepping in to rescue. So I will continue to rest when I need to rest. Those extra heartbeats really kick in after I eat, and so I will continue to take a nap - guilt free - during those times.
And I pinky swear that I will post any little tidbit of news I hear.
In the meantime, let's get to prayin', prairie fans!! Not just for me, but for Stellan, whom you can read about by clicking on that little button on the left that says, "Pray for Stellan."
Amen?
Amen.
~Brenda
Thursday, July 9, 2009
SVT, Pacemakers, and Other Junk
I've never shared my specific health problems with any of my Lovely Lurkers. Partly because I don't like to talk about it, and partly because I'm not sure it makes for very interesting reading. ;-)
However ... I have some (potentially) good news, and an answer to prayer, so I'm having a hard time containing myself.
In a nutshell, I have:
A pacemaker. This is due to going into complete heart block after open heart surgery to correct SVT. I've had the pacemaker for 20 years, almost exactly, and am currently on my third pacemaker (they have to be replaced once in a while). I also have mitral valve prolapse, which has never been corrected.
Digestively speaking ... I have gastroparesis and celiac disease.
And last, I have ankylosing spondylitis (early stages).
Instead of going into detail about each problem, I'll let you decide whether you'd like to clicky on the linky's I provided.
Ok, so here's where the juicy stuff comes in.
I've had some consistent and bothersome heart issues come up within the last month. So when I had my three month pacemaker check a few days ago, I just mentioned what was going on, and asked if I should be checked. The pacemaker tech said that he wasn't seeing anything significant that the pacer recorded, and that it was up to me if I chose to see the cardiologist. His suggestion was to indeed make an appointment if the symptoms were bothersome.
But I walked away from that appointment, not scheduling anything. I wanted to wait it out. I don't like doctors. I don't like having to convince someone that something is wrong. I didn't want the stress of it.
I went home and have been praying about it for a couple of days. I had my heart surgeries in Texas, and I was contemplating whether I should call them to see if they had any suggestions ... someone who would know whether this was heart related or intestinal.
As I was running over in my mind whether to make that phone call, my phone rang.
It was my cardiologist. Good ol' Dr. S. himself.
I nearly passed out ... partly because I wasn't sure if he was going to tell me something really bad (why else would he call me???).
To make a long story short(er), he didn't think the problems I'm having should be swept under the rug and wants me to have a 48 hour heart monitor put on next week. This is to try and catch an episode, so they can then see if it's heart related, or more of a digestive problem. (Turns out, the pacer won't record any episodes shorter than about twenty minutes long. Since my episodes happen frequently, but not for long periods of time, it's not recording it.)
I hung up the phone rather stunned that it had been that easy to get this ball rollin'. It's a long story (much longer than the one I'm telling here!), but I've not had good "luck" with doctors in my area taking me seriously when I say there's a problem. Sure, I have lots of labels for my illnesses now, but it hasn't always been that way.
I told Dr. S. my feeling is that my symptoms are related to the gastroparesis (I've experienced heart related problems from it before). But he said he'd like to rule out anything cardiac before pursuing anything else.
Okay.
I can deal with that.
So I'm feeling blessed to have received that phone call this morning. It's a direct answer to prayer. I know what to do next. I have no idea what they'll find out, if anything. But I at least know what the next step is.
And that's a good feeling.
~Brenda
However ... I have some (potentially) good news, and an answer to prayer, so I'm having a hard time containing myself.
In a nutshell, I have:
A pacemaker. This is due to going into complete heart block after open heart surgery to correct SVT. I've had the pacemaker for 20 years, almost exactly, and am currently on my third pacemaker (they have to be replaced once in a while). I also have mitral valve prolapse, which has never been corrected.
Digestively speaking ... I have gastroparesis and celiac disease.
And last, I have ankylosing spondylitis (early stages).
Instead of going into detail about each problem, I'll let you decide whether you'd like to clicky on the linky's I provided.
Ok, so here's where the juicy stuff comes in.
I've had some consistent and bothersome heart issues come up within the last month. So when I had my three month pacemaker check a few days ago, I just mentioned what was going on, and asked if I should be checked. The pacemaker tech said that he wasn't seeing anything significant that the pacer recorded, and that it was up to me if I chose to see the cardiologist. His suggestion was to indeed make an appointment if the symptoms were bothersome.
But I walked away from that appointment, not scheduling anything. I wanted to wait it out. I don't like doctors. I don't like having to convince someone that something is wrong. I didn't want the stress of it.
I went home and have been praying about it for a couple of days. I had my heart surgeries in Texas, and I was contemplating whether I should call them to see if they had any suggestions ... someone who would know whether this was heart related or intestinal.
As I was running over in my mind whether to make that phone call, my phone rang.
It was my cardiologist. Good ol' Dr. S. himself.
I nearly passed out ... partly because I wasn't sure if he was going to tell me something really bad (why else would he call me???).
To make a long story short(er), he didn't think the problems I'm having should be swept under the rug and wants me to have a 48 hour heart monitor put on next week. This is to try and catch an episode, so they can then see if it's heart related, or more of a digestive problem. (Turns out, the pacer won't record any episodes shorter than about twenty minutes long. Since my episodes happen frequently, but not for long periods of time, it's not recording it.)
I hung up the phone rather stunned that it had been that easy to get this ball rollin'. It's a long story (much longer than the one I'm telling here!), but I've not had good "luck" with doctors in my area taking me seriously when I say there's a problem. Sure, I have lots of labels for my illnesses now, but it hasn't always been that way.
I told Dr. S. my feeling is that my symptoms are related to the gastroparesis (I've experienced heart related problems from it before). But he said he'd like to rule out anything cardiac before pursuing anything else.
Okay.
I can deal with that.
So I'm feeling blessed to have received that phone call this morning. It's a direct answer to prayer. I know what to do next. I have no idea what they'll find out, if anything. But I at least know what the next step is.
And that's a good feeling.
~Brenda
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