DAILY CHAT ROOM

Have a blessed Lord's day

Have a day

Yesterday, I completed training for the Sherriff's department. It was cool. I was terrified on the way down there. The Law and the people who work as Police are outside of my comfort zone, or so I thought. I had such a good time! We toured the building and it was ... a wake up call. I've seen no idea and somehow it wasn't as bad as I suspected.
I was to learn new boundaries on how to survive in the prisons. I'm excited because I know God is in it!
On the drive there, I was thinking of my x-husband and how he went to prison. I remembered the trial even though I was only their once. The murder he committed effected not only my family but the entire community. God knows how long it hurt.
Many on prisons.
Will cont ...

Pastorvic, I'm agreeing with you, that your daughters wedding will be a blessed event!

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

It’s soon going to be a year since my wife of 48 years died. We would have been married 49 years this March 1. On a brighter note I’m officiating at my daughter’s wedding on that day.

I KNOW everyone is soooo busy these days on the jobs and the daily routines at home. It is hard to find time to use sparks as much as we would like. I am one of those busy people too. Yet, I wanted to say :HATS OFF TO YOU who have remained so faithful to this team and especially to our precious leader.

Hugs and best wishes,
From the heart,
Lois

Hope everyone's week is going good!! Wishing you all the best.

My encouragement today: Stretch yourself, you are worth it. Allow yourself top step beyond your comfort zones to see what can be. God has created you with everything you will need to achieve the purpose of your life.

My encouragement today is keep your eyes on the prize. Keep moving forward. Keep applying the healthy choices you have been learning and you will see results.

Today, I wanted to encourage you dear sparker.
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Nothing is an impossibility with God, for He walks with you every step of the way.
You are worth all the effort you put in to get healthy. All the time you invest in you will be well worth it.
Yes, there will be times of tears and yes, there will be struggle, but when you get past the hard times of life, you will come through stronger, more confident , but above all your faith will become strengthened as you watch God work in and through you.

Thank you. I wish everyone a wonderful week.

Great motivation speach RELISA4HEALTH. These are definite words to live by. Thank you for sharing.

Hello, we all go through set backs, but we pull through.
We all have battles that we face, but we are winners, because Christ first loved us.
I am learning I do not have to try to figure out the why's and how comes, but to take one day at a time, and look for the best in the day.
I come to encourage you that you can! Better days are coming. It may be cloudy at the moment, but the sun will come out. What is neat about what follows a storm is one can dance in the puddles left behind. I remember as a girl, I used to love to either play in the puddle or ride my bike through it.
When feeling down , I encourage you to watch something that will make you laugh. Laughter is such good medicine.
Please know that even as you take the time to reach out to someone to encourage and let that person know that you care, makes a bid difference in this world.
As you share your journey with others, even as you partner with your spark team, you help others who may be where you are , know that he or she is not alone.
Please know that you do make a difference.

Good morning everyone. Hope all is good. Had kind of a bad weekend with calorie count but over all I still lost 3 pounds, so I must have been doing something right, LOL!!!

Wishing you all a great week.

Hello, been awhile since i have been on, more to do with depression, winter, med changes, etc, hard now because the doc took me off anxiety/depression med, interfering with seizure meds, i no long work due to disibility, and i do not seem to connect with people/life that much, I do alot of thinkig/reflecting but have not really found the answer/peace to the answers i seek, more about the purpose of my life, at this time in my life where i feel i have nothing to offer any more, but God willing i will find where i fit in once again. smile, be happy, hug your pets for me, and I hope to check in here and there, maybe more in the background like i usually am, but I enjoy reading all the inspiring stories

Battling with congestion, but got some medicine today from the doctor to kick it out.
Today it was damp and rainy.
Planning on having kidney bean soup latter. This is made with red kidney beans, kernel corn, cream style corn, can milk and butter.
I am planning on having a cup of this with a nice grilled sandwich.
I have been using the menu planner spark people has given to help me stay closer to the needed calorie marker and to give me ideas of what I can eat.
Did not do much for the weekend, except to go to church. We had a smaller crowd due to the colder weather.
How about anyone else?

Thank you, I had a good day! It was supposed to snow here too (NY) but we didn't get any.
It was rather shocking to wake up to 23 degree weather when just last week we were breaking records in the 60s!

Anyone have plans for the weekend?

Hello SupperwomanSue. How was your day today? Here it is snowing again. We got spoiled with warm weather and now Winter says, "I am holding on for awhile longer.
I wish everyone a wonderful week. Keep Sparking!

Hi folks!

Tracy, how are you (and your home) doing these days?

Wonderful promise of what awaits us.

Hugs sent your way Tracy.

TGIF! Sorry to be missing in action. Have been hanging on as life keeps whipping me around! I have been tracking good...but not in my support teams...which I am missing dearly.

I guess it's been 2-3 weeks ago when we had our last big dump of snow that also had a lot of freezing rain. Well that caused our porch roof and porch to collapse. We were trapped in the house for a day. I had just stepped off the porch and was opening my car door when I heard an odd almost rhythmic sound but couldn't figure it out. As I closed the door to my car the roof collapsed! The porch rails held it mostly up, I had to crawl through there to get back inside, which i was terrified to do. We live in an older single wide mobile home and our porch was about 3' off the ground. When the roof collapsed it broke our kitchen window, ripped off the porch lighting and bent our front door frame. Thankfully we have insurance that is covering it. We had emergency removal the next morning. So now we have been living with a pile of junk in what was our yard since then. Damage could have been much worse and I could have been seriously injured, but I thank God for keeping an eye on me.


I am sad because we just spent last summer putting on new lattice and lighting and it was really nice and cozy feeling. Because the deck was so old the depreciation cut off the insurance payment is about $2600....so we are not sure how much we can rebuild. But DH and I saw and discussed it and we have some ideas if we need to go simpler. Just anxious to get the junk pile hauled out and get our place fixed. Do not know when they can start rebuild with winter weather still looming.

Financing have had me pulling my hair out, or at a minimum giving me more gray hairs! We have a $500 insurance deductible we are trying to scrounge together. We have a tiny bit available on two credit cards and then I have some of my tax man $ that I have saved we will have to use. I am trying to drive extra for Uber now, to help offset the tax money that we need to dipped into. I know we owe uncle sam this year, but we have no idea how much yet - which also has me stressed out.

I am on a new hormone replacement medication. Insurance informed me that the cost was going to skyrocket so I was forced to change. I can say that I have not been in the best shape to emotionally handle all of this stuff! Hormones have been messing with me anyways, not it's just a free-for-all. Having some night sweats again and running super hot during the days. I am hoping that it will balance out some after my body adjusts to the new medication.

I am feeling much better this week, emotionally. I feel more stable and am able to think more clearly. Last week I was ready to just pack a bag and runaway.

Supposed to have some snow showers on Sunday..but so far nothing major. Super cold at night and then 30's during the day. I will be just fine if the snow skirts around us! I am so over winter!

I hope everyone has a great weekend.. and thank you for listening

We can and will gain ground

Good morning. I know it has been awhile since I have been on the Support Team. I left for a season and have come full circle to knowing I need the mutual support. I am still walking on my tread mill 30 minutes , 5 days a week and have been eating more veggies and fruit as I was doing last year, I walked with this team.
I have removed the blogs I had written, wanting a fresh start for a new year to record my journey and what the Lord has been sharing with me.
I hope to hear from people on this team.

Anyone have any home redemies that work to pass kidney stones. I have two that won't move on out. It looks like surgery will have to be the alternative to drinking water, lemon juice and a little apple cider vinegar.

We are expecting 14 degrees tonight here in central Washington! With a winter storm warning for the next 3 days! I love winter and the weather it brings! It does keep me from walking but I get to haul wood :-)

Burrrr it is getting cold where I am. What is it like where you are?

Yes, and the best presents cannot be wrapped. Jesus is the reason for the season.

I got all of my Christmas shopping done today. I hope you are all ready for the Christmas season or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year. Jesus is the reason for the season.

Amen

A lot of excitement and nervousness may exist for many in our divided country. Regardless, the one you voted for, remember this, God has the solution and always has. He is in control. What should we have done all along and start doing with sincere hearts. I believe what God spoke to Israel about in 2 Chronicles 7:14 would honor God tremendously and revive our spiritual hearts and heal the brokenness in our nation if we did as this verse says "if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Have a super day and be encouraged in the Lord.

Thank-you Susan and Wow you Mums had to go through alot .

Blessings on your knee surgery.

My mom just had her elbow replaced. She also has TWO shoulder replacements, ONE hip replacement and one knee replacement and a plate in her right wrist.


So my dad jokes, "Instead of CREMATING her, I'm going to RECYCLE her."

G'day team,
Ive been given a date for surgery, lm having my left knee replaced on November 17th.

We are a 'father supporting the family' kind of family, too. (and boy was that hard when Hubby was down with a bad back for 5 years!) We have 9 children and everyone pitches in nicely.

Though I'm 48, I still feel like I'm 17. I can't get PAST that! lol I guess I had so much fun, having babies and playing and laughing with them, that I forgot to get old. :)

And it's SUPER nice, that I have sisters who will reach 'old' before I do. But regrettably, ONE Sis can say that about ME!

I remember when I too was afraid to be a certain age, like 45.
That's when my dad died of a heart attack! We were European first generation. A family of four with my father supporting the whole family. Possibly eating out a lot. I used to think that was so old. Then I thought that the sixties was old. Or the Seventies when my mom died from a doctor over medicating her, so she had a stroke. Now I am 67, and feel like I am still in better health than most. Yet I do abuse myself. I just hope that I get my emotions, and chemistry in control more, so I don't become a statistic. I do really want to live into my 100's, yet be healthy and happy, with more people in my life, eva.


Edited by: GENRE009 at: 10/19/2016 (12:10)

Good morning team.

Tracy, I had an awful time accepting thaat I was turning 50!! Finally it dawned on me that the only was I coulld get from 49 to 70 and beyond, is to go through 50!!!

I'm 78 now! I got through 50, 60 and 70!!

In my family there were my parents, my sister and me. I had lots of cousins but our family was small.

Take care of yourself. With a big hug, Darlene

Glad you are back Tracy; you have been missed. Seems like turning 30,40., 50, 60 , 70 etc are the difficult ones. No wonder the department stories say, $29.99 or $39.99 etc. (teasing)
In 3 more years I will hit the 70 mark and that really sounds old to me. I will never forget when mom was in her 80's she said she still felt young inside.

Best wishes and yes spend time with your family all you can. I miss mine so badly.

Hi everyone.....sorry I have been missing in action. I have been spreading myself too thin and not being very effective that way.

I think I am having some issues with turning 50 this week. I have told myself it is just a number, and it isn't that I feel particularly any older than I have. But it really makes aware of how old my parents are getting and that I won't have them with me all the time. Not being a big family we have always had a very tight family unit of 4 (mom, dad, sister and I) and then with my nieces and their families too. Just a dose of something that I try to not think about very often, I suppose.

My weight loss has pretty much stopped. I have strayed from my strict path I had been on for the past 2 yrs. I got tired and felt burnt out. But I need to restart somehow and I haven't had the umph to do it yet.

I will try reading through posts to catch up. Have a great day!

On dealing with vertigo, here's what I know about it briefly.
being a Diabetic. Not eating in between meals, or not properly can make you light headed. Even low blood sugar can experience these symptoms.

Eating allergy foods, and those 7 intolerance foods( in one of my blogs recently) can trigger symptoms, and sinuses. You can have inner ear problems. Once I had an inner ear problem, and my dr. actually told me to use the sinus medicine in my ear!

Having asthma, In humidity, I get light headed because it's either humid out. In mountainous areas the altitude is thinner in higher, and that affects breathing & light headedness.

Some medication thin our your breathing basically because you don't drink enough water to hydrate. Some medicines cause vertigo, so please ask your pharmacist for the print out of the symtoms. If it's a new product, maybe you'll be the first to experience this.

Well I am sure that there are many more things about vertigo I don't know about, but these are some of the things I have experienced. eva

Edited by: GENRE009 at: 10/19/2016 (11:09)

Here its 1.30am and it a coooolldy.
I hope you are enyoying your day and have a very Blessed week.

Isn't this beautiful weather? From where I am sitting, I can look out at those awesome color-filled mountains?

I know everyone has a life outside sparks but wouldn't it be nice if all of our members could just check in on the wall post once a week. Maybe those who read this would invite all our members by way of a comment on their spark page. Let's have a reviving or reunion....wouldn't that be awesome.

Hugs and blessings your way.
Lois

It is has been awhile since you posted this, did you so the 5% challenge? How do you get on it? Is it a team.

I had vertigo for several weeks this past year. It finally went away on its own. I did not have it as bad as most people.

I am so thankful for God's healing.

Is there anyone on this team doing the fall 5% challenge?


Re: vertigo .... several years ago my hubby was suffering with bouts of this quite regularly. It ended up being a heavy metals toxicity. He did a 2 month detox and went over 4 years before experiencing it again. We just did the detox and nipped it in the bud.
We used a product called Metal X. Now its called Metal Shield available through swansonsvitamins.com .

Tracy, I have had vertigo since May. It is not as bad now.

Look up the exercises on u-tube that you can do for it.

Best wishes

I know I started having issues with vertigo about 17 yrs ago. Something in my right inner ear is now floating around. I cannot lay absolutely flat on my back or everything spins out of control. Most of the time it only bothers me if I get head congestion. I usually take an allergy or sinus over the counter medication to help alleviate the vertigo. Even on good days I still have problems laying on my right side because of it.

I tend to move a little slower after standing up because if I go too fast I get dizzy easily.

oh, my. Sorry for both of you, dealing with vertigo.

I have had vertigo/dizziness since my stroke in 2008. One of the things I've done is to not move "fast" as much as possible, I also do not bend over or raise up quickly. I often walk with a cane, as it can help assist just like a "portable" railing (most of the time I don't need it, but it is nice to lean on it if I do).

I try to practice my balance by being in our little kitchen, so I can have hands on the counters. Then I do leg lifts, stand on one leg to balance, I do deep squats (although I could not do them for a few weeks - it took a while to get more than just a knee bend. hahaha). If you have a safer place to do them, that is great. I'm going to try them in the pool. When I was younger and a regular drinker-to-excess, I started standing on one leg and bending over to pick up a quarter to improve my intoxicated-balance. So I know it is possible to accomplish assistance in moving sort of normal, in odd situations.

I would also think you need to look at lots of fluids-soups-stews-juices-water. I've tried the exercises, but those are mainly for benign positional vertigo. I tried several of them and got so dizzy I passed out. It was not the answer for me.

I would not mind walking through this with you, and encouraging you. I am open to new things as well. I've known a person whom the exercises helped a great deal, and a former pastor of ours had to have surgery done to solve his issues. So there are many factors that come into play.

When overcome by them, I'm dizzy all the time but sometimes it is worser, I move to sit secure and just say "Okay God, I'm open and ready". He has not decided to let me come home yet, so after I recover I continue. I have found that for some reason the heat is making me sick while I'm dizzier. I'm not sure what that is about.

Anyone experiencing Vertigo. I have had them off and on for many weeks. Changing to a new blood pressure med. helped for a while, then the new one started me having them. I am now on a 3rd type. I am currently doing exercises for it as shown on utube.

What do you do for it?

Last day of VBS today. This has been a full week. Our VBS is all day and night. Kind of like a VBS Camp.. LOLOL At a friends camp by their pond. The kids have a blast. They learn so much about the Lord and about getting along and picking up.. LOLOLOL
I have been teaching 4th thru 8th.. I bought each one a beautiful special journal and you would have thought I gave them gold. They have been writing Gods promises that they want to hold on to and prayers and prayer requests. It has been so sweet talking with them this week. They have been having fun with art , music, swimming , kayaking , paddleboating .. I am exhausted!! LOLOLOL
Food wise.. Not good ... you eat what is there and there are many mouths to feed so there are a lot of carbs and starches .. fruits and veggies just not alot and not alot to fill up on...
Thankfully , have been able to get a lot of exercise in... LOLOL So hoping the weight gain goes down quickly!! LOL
Everyone have a blessed week and keep your eyes on the One who created you and loves You and holds you in the palm of His Hand

Edited by: CD1336516 at: 7/22/2016 (07:39)

Lily, that was a great comment and prayer. Too many folks in our congregations still think human beings are basically good, and the pagan culture of Western Civilization is also convinced "everyday, in everyway, I'm getting better and better." That's a form of Social Darwinism.

Our surprise should be that we don't hear of such tragedy more often. Indeed, we actually don't hear it through most media outlets but such horror continues all over the world. We must be prayerfully ready, looking for ways of defusing evil in the world around us. We are ambassadors of God's Kingdom, and we are all called to be on the job.

Thanks again for the comment and prayer.

I wanted to share this beautiful prayer...
A prayer, from Josh Wines:

"Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." -Psalm 126:5-6
I'm speechless and heartbroken after hearing of the latest terror attack in the streets of Nice, France. For those grieving with me, there is hope. Our Lord Jesus will have the final victory over sin and death, and He has made a way for us to enjoy that victory with Him. The cross is the only means to true peace, love, and unity in such a broken and hateful world. My prayer along with my friends here, is that through this tragedy, more will open their eyes to the truth of God's Word, and embrace His promise of eternal life to those who believe in Christ Jesus.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3)

Tracy, Black Cohosh worked for awhile .. St Johns Wort worked very well for me for a very long time.. Soy also.. Nothing was perfect so when one stopped I tried another natural plan..
Praying ..

Realiltyshowgirl, Evey day we have new opportunities to react either impatient or with kindness. Reacting the wrong way sets the whole day wrong. I try to see others as someone created in God's image and needs kindness and patience shown to them just as I want shown to me. Sometimes I fail to do this. I find myself then asking God's forgiveness and wisdom for the next time.

Today we believe God wants us to know that what you say and what you do matters.

When you show kindness to others, your words and actions have a positive ripple effect which spreads out to affect many people. The same thing happens when you are impatient, intolerant or indifferent to others. What kind of effect do you want to have?

Tracy I was on PremPro for six weeks and it worked like a charm! I just got concerned when I saw some studies about the long term issues, primarily that women who were experiencing some breast pain on the PremPro (which I was) were more likely to get an aggressive breast cancer. I just wasn't willing to take that chance, even though my GYN said it was just fine.

Tracy, glad you are getting something to help with the hot flashes. I went through all that and it is horrible!!! I took some over the counter soy based product that did help me quite a bit. Soy does mess with thyroid meds so avoid it if you take them.
I'm doing so much better since God gave me Psalm 37. I know evil has a strong hold, but I've read the last chapter of Revelation and know God will be the final victor! We just need to be in prayer for our country and each other daily.
Hope everyone is doing okay and enjoying the weekend. Make it a healthy one!

Thank you! I did get some of the black cohosh yesterday. I will mark my calendar for when I should stop taking it.

Of course my doctor says that if the Premarin isn't stopping all the hot flashes he doubts anything else will. I expected that and I don't except to not have any symptoms. I just want to be able to manage them without them disrupting my days.

ShortStory that is wonderful, praise God!
Though I am very concerned about our ongoing political agenda, God is on the Throne!

Tracy when I was going through menopause, black cohosh helped me quite a lot for a few months. When I was using it, I kept coming across research that said that you should only take it for six months at a time and then give your body a break from it. I don't know if that has changed, but wanted to give you a heads up.

I used Estroven (I think that's the name). Got it at the local grocery store.
Hope it helps you.

Edited by: CD15145828 at: 7/7/2016 (08:28)

Today I am starting to take black cohosh nutritional supplement. I have done some research and this seems to help a good number of women with the hot flashes and sweats associated with menopause. Yesterday was one of the worst days I have had in ages for menopause symptoms. It totally disrupted my day, but am thankful that I had the day off and didn't have to go through that here at work. So I am hoping that this new supplement will help. Just about at my wits end.

I had the most amazing experience yesterday!!! I just had to share it with you. I was so ANGRY yesterday!!!! It's political so I won't get into the why, but was angry and felt so hopeless. Last night I was reading my Bible before I went to bed and was ready to put it down when I felt led to read a Psalm. I started to page back to the beginning and opened to Psalm 37. It was like Jesus was there beside me reading the words. I could sense His presence so strong. I felt at peace and was reminded that God is in control no matter what goes on in the world. I was able to sleep and still feel at peace. Do take time to read Psalm 37. No matter what the problem is God cares. Sometimes evil does score a victory, but in the end it will be defeated!

We had a wonderful time camping this weekend. I hope all of you had an enjoyable one as well.

There were fireworks all around us, but we didn't put off any at our camp. It was folks up the street putting them off and we could see them just fine. I didn't get to watch much though, I was in the camper with the dog. She hates loud noises like that & gets really nervous if her mommy is not there with her. I don't know what she does in a thunderstorm when I'm at work.

I'm having a hard time getting started with the bible study myself, but I WILL NOT let the devil win, so I'll keep at it until it becomes a habit!

I hope everyone has a blessed day!

Donna

We didn't celebrate personally, but could hear plenty of fireworks in our close neighborhood. We had a storm come up, so I imagine some people got a bit frustrated at having to run inside and postpone setting off their fireworks. But it did ease up, and we could hear them resume later on.

Today's plan: right now hubby is at a friend's house helping to work on his car. I know it needed to be jumped, I don't know if they'll be doing anything else. This afternoon he has a vision appointment - he's grumbling about it. One of those "it represents getting old" things in his mind. lol As for myself, not much going on, although I do have some more computer work to finish up.

Eileen, it does seem the Word of God (and those who believe in Him) are becoming more and more under attack in both large and small ways. What really saddens and even angers me is when it's the so-called believers that attack one another. I know staying in the Word is a struggle for me at times, as well - lately included. But I also know the difference in my own life, personality, and outlook when I neglect my time with God. Yes, we definitely need to always keep other believers in prayer, that God will protect us and strengthen us and that we will seek to keep Him first in every area of our lives.

Hope everyone had a great holiday. Ours was really nice. Started the day out at the parade in town. Quite political this year with all the locals running for offices there, but everyone had a flag and there were lots of handouts and just a feeling of community which is so nice. We hit the pool in the afternoon just before the thunderstorm ; ) and then went to the fireworks last night. I prayed for the country last night thanking God for our freedom and asked that He would give us one more chance. I feel like we are living in Sodom and Gomorrah with all the corruption and political correctness so out of control.
I think our team will be under attack with wanting a Bible Study. The evil one doesn't like that! I have had the desire to back off myself, but know that I need to keep in the Word even when it seems like it's just reading to read. Lets hold each other up before God for His protection as we move on. Have a great day everyone and be sure to make it a healthy one!

The only fireworks I heard was the small "click" as the beans I was canning "sealed"!!! Hee Hee... The Lord was so good to bless our garden. I canned 104 and still had some to give away.
Nothing taste as good as fresh canned beans that you put up yourself.

Hope all had a fun and safe holiday.

Have a great day and week.


Edited by: CD16552053 at: 7/5/2016 (09:25)

Good morning!

We didn't make it to church this morning - my phone turned itself off I guess, so the alarm didn't go off. It's been randomly turning itself off once in a while - crazy.

I'm sorry for not getting the Romans team study posted yesterday. It hasn't become habit yet, so I didn't think about it last night. I spent most of the day working on my computer. I had to restore it to factory settings, then reinstall all the programs, etc. Also our laptop died, so now we all kind of take turns on the PC.

Hope you all are having a great day and a great weekend!

I sure hope that you enjoy your camping trip.

I agree with you, there's Satan written all over that thought about Bible study not being a good thing for you.

I am currently not doing a bible study at the moment. Still feeling that it may not be the best thing for me. Been kind of discourged cause it feels like no one wants to be there, but I know these feelings are from Satan. I am going to try and get more active again. I am camping this weekend but will try to check in. Hope all of you have a happy 4th for those of you that celebrate. I know if you are not from the united States it does not mean the same to you. We are celebrating our country's independence. We were formed 240 years ago. Happy Canada Day to all of you from our neighbors up north.

Sue - that sounds scary! I'm glad the injection works well! Some things can definitely get our attention.

I'm glad so many are willing to do a team Bible study. That's so great! :) I will get it started very soon - tomorrow is my goal, but I'm not making any promises on that.

Today is supposed to be a busy day, running errands, then meeting a friend to help him brainstorm ideas for our church's upcoming Bash and write out a script for a skit my friend is planning to do. Then church this evening.

My husband woke early, feeling sick. He tried to lay back down, but laying down was increasing his nausea. :( I'm praying it passes quickly - don't you just hate that feeling when a loved one is sick, big or small, and you can't do anything to fix it?

Sign me up for the study too!
The new month starts tomorrow. Got to set myself a doable goal and see if I can't get some more weight off. Have been avoiding the scale, but I know I'm doing okay. My clothes fit better and I feel lighter on my feet. I guess 15 pounds will do that ; ) Just want to be sure to get the 10 off my doctor told me to by November.
Hope everyone is doing okay. Make today a healthy one!

I would love to be part of a Bible study in any shape or form!
Before I went back to work I led a women's bible study for 15 years..... it was amazing.

Lois I'm so glad you're having relief from your dizziness, that is the WORST!
I am also thankful to God over a medical issue. I have had heart arrythmia most of my life and had a cardiac ablation eight years ago to fix it. Though it made me feel much better in several ways, it wasn't the perfect fix. I was put on heart meds and have spent all of those months since, without having to go to the ER. Well last week unfortunately I did have to go back. The ER administers an injection that stops and restarts the heart (my heart rate was 153 for three hours) and it works like a charm.
There were several blessings to the ER visit. One is that it is literally five minutes from my house, AND it is a heart hospital. The second blessing is that it scared me enough to make me realize that I was playing games with all of the caffeine I was consuming, which can certainly trigger arrythmia... and I have been caffeine free for a week now. God is so amazing in the big and little ways He care for me... and my husband is too.

Lois,

I'm so glad the ultrasound went well. Praying that they get your bp meds straightened out.

Carla,

I'll join the bible study whenever you set it up. Thanks for doing it!

Carla, The ultra sound went great yesterday. I am singing praises to the Lord for so very much today. Now, I just need to get the Blood pressure back down (159 over 116) Part of this was being allergic to the other bp meds and the doctor took me off of them completely to see if I need to even be on them any more. Well, it proves I need to be. I know I need to eat better and exercise more.

How is everyone else doing?

I look forward to the study in Romans as you, Carla, set it up soon. Hopefully, many will join the discussion. It is a power packed book.

Love you all. Have a blessed day.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!! I knew your time off was important, but girl, I missed you! I know you were missed by the whole team! So happy you're back!

Also glad to hear you dizziness seems to be leaving. Let us know about your dr appt as you can.

I just started on Romans yesterday. In my opinion, it is quite possibly the most important book in the Word of God. It shows what Christ did for us, what it means for us now (not just Heaven's benefits but now also), how to overcome the sinful nature we have, and how to have life more abundant as Christ promised.

I have thought the same thing - about doing a team Bible study on books of the Bible. I think it would be a great thing.

Goooooooood Morning "Family". I had taken off for about a month, but just peeked in from time to time, but now I AM BACK. I have enjoyed my time off and increasing my study time with the Lord. The more I read His Word, the more I want. One can take a look back at the many times in their lives that they studied God's Word to realize there is far more to learn than has been learned. I am studying the book of Romans right now and just want to memorize the whole book. Hee. Hee. I wish we could do a few verses of it, chapter by chapter as a team.
Anyone interested?

Hope all have a great day. Love, hugs and prayers.

p.s. I have a praise. Today is the second day that I have not been dizzy in many weeks. Praise the Lord. I still go for another test today. No worries, God is in charge.

Lois

Good morning, family! How are you? What do you have planned for your day? Anything special going on this week?

I feel so hung over this morning. That's the term I use to describe how I feel when I wake up like this - foggy-headed, moving slow and gently, hard to focus, etc. I feel like that when I've slept very hard. I guess I did last night, although I do remember waking up a few times - and I didn't sleep long enough. I think it's also partially due to the events of last night (details in my blog). The mysterious car at church didn't really have me scared, but we were definitely on alert, because they were just acting so suspicious. Then just as we were leaving, hearing the news about C... I didn't know him well, only met him once. But his family was a part of our church. They aren't now, because the husband was called to another church as pastor... but in our hearts, this family is still part of our church family - "THE church, not a building". My heart is just so heavy for them, especially the mother. To lose your child... and he was only 24.

No plans for me today, as far as outside the house. Just finish catching up on some housework. I gotta have a serious discussion with the laundry basket... it takes the command to "be fruitful and multiply" very seriously! Our weather is supposed to be cooling down this week - the highs are showing 80's. I can handle that!

Y'all be blessed today. Make it a priority to enjoy the day... be aware of every blessing, big or small... treat others better than they deserve... talk to God every moment you can.

Awesome, Carla. I appreciate knowing this Scripture now.

In Luke 17, Jesus encountered lepers, who begged Him to have mercy on them. By the context, it's easy to understand that they were asking for Him to heal them. It does not say that Jesus spoke healing to them, or laid hands on them; instead, He told them to go to the priests. In those days, priests were the ones who were able to diagnose leprosy (in Leviticus 13, God taught the priests how to recognize, diagnose, and treat this disease). In my opinion, Luke 17 tells us that going to a doctor is not an act of faithlessness. Just as God appointed certain people to be priests, or kings, or preachers, or prisoners, or any other title, I believe He also has appointed some to be physicians - He has led them during their lives to go through medical school and given them the wisdom to recognize, diagnose, and treat diseases.

Perhaps you could also remind your friend that God provided all things that we need, but we must "work" to gain access to them much of the time. What I mean is, we do not pray for God to provide our food, then sit and wait for the food to appear on a plate before us. We grow it, or we buy it, and we cook it. Yet it is not we that have given ourselves the abilities and means to do so - it is God who enabled the food to be grown in the first place, and for us to have the means to procure it. It is not showing wisdom when we ask God for something, but then limit Him or define ways in which we will recognize that He could provide the answers.

This is a topic that I myself questioned for a long time - these are the conclusions that I have reached after studying and praying about it for myself.

Eileen, I'm with Donna.. the Lord created doctors to help us!

Actually now that I think of it, there is absolutely nothing Biblical that says that we should just have faith and not seek medical assistance.

I am so very grateful for doctors, especially since I was in the ER just last Wednesday night after work due to a heart arrythmia. Those doctors and their meds fixed me right up.
My Dad, after many years of being told to investigate funky blood work, died within just a month of discovery, of leukemia. I guess it's not my right to believe that had he checked it out years earlier, with treatment he might even be alive today. And what is super sad is that he wasn't a Believer.

Eileen,

I truly believe that God put doctors here on earth for a reason. They are blessed with the necessary tools to heal us, God works thru them. I have all faith in God but I know that he works thru the doctors that are here for us. I've seen miracles happen with people that are close to me because of the care given by the doctors they were going to. Doctors are just another outlet that God uses on our behalf.

My Aunt Ruth (who was like a second mom) was the same way your friend is. She wouldn't go to the doctor no matter what. When she finally had to go, it was too late; the cancer had spread to other parts of her body and there was nothing that could be done. We lost her within a year and half. I don't know that it would have made a difference if she had went earlier but it could have and you never know if you don't try.

I'm sorry about your friend and I will be praying for a miracle. I know they happen, I've seen it!

Love and Hugs

Donna

Hope everyone had a good weekend and are empowered for another week. Life sure has its way of delivering bad news or some struggle we have to deal with, but God is with us all the way!
I've been thinking a lot lately of my friend in Oregon and having to live with the news of stage 4 cancer. It just reminds me of how uncertain life can be. It also brings up a conflict of faith verses seeing a doctor. She didn't go to a doctor for a long time. At Christmas she had bronchitis but wouldn't see a doctor for it. She let it go until it turned into double pneumonia. She didn't have mammograms and now has breast cancer which has spread into her bones. The doctor said she probably has had it for 5 years. When I tried to tell her to see a doctor she just said "what does that say about my faith". This is something I have been talking about with God quite a bit. My mother had great faith, but she died of colon cancer just the same. I do believe God can heal and chooses to some times, but not every time. I still believe we have to pray for the sick and for healing. We also need to remember that God always answers prayer, but like a good parent doesn't always answer the way we want Him to. It all does test my faith, but I know God is in control and only has the best in mind for us. I don't have the answers, but I know my faith will be stronger by dealing with all this.
Hope you all have a good week. Thanks for listening.

Carla, May God direct and empower your husband to go and carry out His Will. It is not easy to stand up but we are never alone. Where God sends, he equips with His presence and His Word.

Good for your husband being true to his calling. So many churches have just turned into country clubs where people come to feel good, but care little for what God wants. Churches are full of people bound for Hell and the leadership is paving the way. God will bless your husband for trying to set things right.
I hope people will support the mid week service. Hope it will bring people closer.
This team is like a family. People are caring and supportive. That is so needed in this crazy world we are living in.

Glad to hear you had a good day!

Our church started back its mid-week service last night. They hadn't been having a mid-week service because 95% of our congregation was working evenings. It was nice to have it again. We met an hour early for a simple meal, and the plan is to continue that. I love when a church does that - it's hard to get to know one another and build relationships when all your together-time is spent sitting in the pews. My husband and I were talking just the other day about my strong belief in having a set time for the church to come together and just fellowship with one another, like a potluck or some such thing. It allows time to build relationships. Then when trials come and you need a friend, you have learned who you can trust to pray, to keep your matter confidential, etc.

My husband went yesterday to a few area churches and talked to the ministers. There are some churches that he disagrees with their doctrines and what they teach. So he wanted to speak with the ministers, trying to address their error, and teach truth from the Word of God. One minister seemed to really engage in the conversation at first but when hubby asked him to back up what they were calling "our church laws" with Scripture, they politely instructed him to leave the premises. I tell ya, my husband has more boldness than most people I have met ever met. I have problems talking to people I don't know in general, but to speak to a minister I've never met and address his false teaching and leading his church wrongly... But we are responsible for speaking God's truth to all - not just to the lost world, but also to those who are teaching things that are not founded upon the Word of God. I would appreciate a few prayers lifted for these false preachers, locally and all around this world, and also for my husband as he steps out to do in faith to do this hard thing the Lord has asked of him.

Want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes and goodies. You are all so thoughtful!
I had a great day yesterday. We got so much accomplished and had fun too ; ) Hit the pool yesterday and ate out twice. I think I got my sodium for the month!! The scale showed a three pound gain this morning!!! I know it's the salt because there is no way I GAINED this week. I was so good! What ever. Not letting it dim my determination!
Was out for my walk this morning and have 4 cups of water in so far. Still thirsty from all the salt!
I never touch the stuff at home. Going to the pool this afternoon and then just relaxing. I told my husband he can have the day off ; )
Hope everyone is doing okay. Nice to see the new members coming to the team. I know God brings those He wants here. This is a very caring team and the love of God is obvious. Take care all and have a great day!

AHA! Caught ya! Your name wasn't on the team's birthday list, but you just told on yourself! hehe Just teasin'! But HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! It sounds like a busy but good day! I hope it will continue to be blessed and filled with love and laughter!

Thought I'd better stop by before the day is over. It has been a busy one for us! I was up and out for my walk at 6:30 and then we went out for breakfast. After that drove up to Patrick AFB for shopping and then back to get hair cuts. I went to the library for another bag of books and then in the pool for a refreshing swim. Kind of hot here today. Home for a few hours before we got out to Ruby Tuesday for my free birthday burger. I can get a gluten free bun there so will enjoy!
Hope everyone is doing okay. Got to check in on my other teams now .