Christian Encouragers ~ AUGUST 2013
 

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:angel: Welcome Friends :angel:
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You've found a great place to come and vent, share or ask for prayer support.
This is a great group who will be very encouraging, caring and loving....
....anyone is welcome to join!

A Servant's Prayer --

Jesus, My Jesus....How marvelous are your ways....
Far more splendid than my mind can envision.
What an honor to be chosen by you.
A lowly child I am, but empowered by the Holy Spirit
to fulfill the great hope to which you have called me.
I give myself totally to you, Lord.
Take my imperfect heart and make it perfect.
Peel away the hardness.
Close the doors I have opened to the temptations of this world.
Gently remove the roots of painful memories, sins, doubts and fears.
Discard anything that separates me from you.
Lord, fill the emptiness with the light of your love that I might be a
beacon calling the lost back to you.

To love as you love.....
To serve as you serve.....
To forgive as you forgive.....
Always mindful of my nothingness while doing great
and marvelous things in your name and for your glory.
This I pray, Jesus, in YOUR name ...
Amen.

:angel:

HI EVERYONE -- can't believe it is AUGUST already; boy, this year has flown by, just as the summer has, but we've had some fun too. Loved the trip we took to THUNDER BAY for my niece's wedding: the road trip was beautiful. Lots of winding roads, lakes, and lovely scenery. We went out to dinner in some super places that we had never been to before and that was so fab (that is a habit that our family has: going to places you've never been to and eating in restaurants you have never gone to before; you know, just touring & tasting our way around the province ... ;)).

We also went to see the TERRY FOX MEMORIAL which was very emotional experience for me. We are the exact same age and I remember seeing him on TV when he made his run. My mother was already a cancer survivor as was my wonderful Gramma, so we were cheering him on and praying for him too. To see that huge statue of him running brought me to tears as soon as I saw it. What a brave young man he was; and it was sad that he didn't realize at the time how much we all admired him then and still do today, but I know that he knows that now ... :D

We've been busy at home and my perennial gardens look great; lots of :rain: lately has helped that a lot, along with the compost we put on the beds last year. We will put some more on this fall as I have some bags left that I got for only two bucks last year in the shed. The large Ivy is almost around the entire porch and goes up halfway on the north side roof.

We have a long weekend here in Ontario; hope everyone else has a great one and an awesome month of August too ... :flow2:

Well,this is going to be interesting, as I have not been on this site for years. I confess to missing Christian companionship in my weight loss journey, which is why I am back. Justwan2behealthy, I seem to remember your name from a few years ago, and it is good to see you still here.
Be back tomorrow!
g

:welcome: BACK, ECMOM ~ glad that you decided to rejoin us here. For me, this journey seems to be an ongoing process; and will likely be that way for all of our lives here. Losing and maintaining; and sometimes some repeats along the way are very typical. That's why I am still here and plan to be as long as I am able, with GOD's blessing and a nice PC like the one I have now -- PRAIZE GOD for that! :D

ECmom-Welcome back!

Rosebud-I hear ya! I can't believe that August is here! Of course, for us, with sons in football, that means summer is over, done, kaput :( Glad you've had a nice summer, even with all the trials and chemo. Your positive outlook is inspiring!

Found out yesterday, with the mail, that, since DS2 is a senior, he has to report for college football camp earlier than the underclassmen and has to be there Aug. 9th!! He's still trying to find an apartment, so he doesn't have to live in the dorm anymore. He has a good lead and has been in contact with a guy who needs a roommate, so we're heading out there on Monday to check it out and make sure it's a decent living arrangement. Then, I guess we will be packing/loading him up to move him a week from today. I just can't believe summer has ended so soon!

DS3 has the high school football camp next week, so he'll be busy too. Classes start for both of them on the 19th and 20th! I still need to get some resources for DS2, as we're still doing a couple classes at home, but he really, really likes chemistry, so he's taking chem 2, physics, Spanish 2, and computer at the school, so he can get good lab experiences, plus I couldn't teach him Spanish or computers if I had to! LOL!

Well, must get my lists going here to make sure we don't forget something with all this moving and schooling and stuff..... Take care! Prayers going up for all!

ECmom - :welcome3: Glad to have you here.

Ronni - You have your work ahead of you with all the running. I pray everything works out good for your DS2 and the apartment etc.

Rosebud, Bargoo and others - Prayers continue for y'all.

Good and happy Friday, Rosebud and Ronni and all who follow! Not sure if you actually remember me, I seem to have memories of both of you. Yes weight loss is a journey, for me I like to think of it as the long and winding road! I am happy to be back here, and am so thankful for your friendly welcome.

I used to be known as just ECmom, and right now just do not remember why I changed my name. Whatever, I am back andmsomhappy to be here!

Ronni, how sad that you are now in a hurry to get Ds2 packed and ready for senior year. Our time with our dear children is too short.....their lives so,precious.

Rose, I will have to catch up with your weight loss journey, as indicated on the bottom of your post. My weight is back up....this h as been a difficult summer for me. But let me explain why I am back. For several years I have been posting on a Christian board on Weight watchers site. Regretfully, one person seems to dominate that board, and she is constantly in "sales" mode, for her latest business venture. Yesterday was the last straw for me! The I thought of this thread.....prayed that maybe, just maybe you were still here! I am so thankful you are!

Got a nice walk in today......eating is a bit shaky but if I behave during dinner I will finish the day fine. Got a good points friendly dinner planned.
Have a great day!
ginny

Trisha, thanks for the welcome!
ginny

Happy Saturday morning! I made it through yesterday with only minimal stress eating...yes, I did some but did not overdo it. I have set a mini goal for myself to be in the 160's in about 5 weeks....should be able to do this with my WI this morning of 177.2.

Have a blessed day all!
Ginny

I am new to the thread and look forward to chatting with all of you. I have been posting on another thread, but look forward to connecting and praying with all of you here. Blessings as you start your week!

:welcome2: PRAIRIECHICKEN -- nice to have you join us in this faith chat thread. We've had a nice long weekend so far, except for my DH waking me up at 4:45 am today. He has ALZ (our code for Alzheimers); and was somewhat agitated last night before bed so didn't sleep much. He wakes me up in the middle of the night; but now he sleeps ... :dizzy:

I cut half the lawn on Friday; and was able to finish it off yesterday. It was :sunny: and beautiful all day, so we spent a lot of time outdoors. Gotta take advantage when we can -- it is overcast on the east side but the west looks clear so maybe we'll get another nice day.

Yesterday was great day until the evening when DH became agitated for some unknown reason. I went for my walk to the lake and tied our furry baby up so he couldn't get away; but somehow he ended up outside and off the rope. Wonder who did that but totally denied it while holding the dog in his hands ... hmmm. I asked a silly question ... how did the dog get outside?

Guess who just got back up and went outside. I found him wandering around the house with my cancer feces test this am and he got upset when I told him what it was ... you have to laugh really as it is funny. He said he was going to work at 5 am but when he went out and saw how dark it was, he came back in and laid down again. Not for long though ... ;)

I made a nice roast chicken with lots of veggies & new potatoes for dinner yesterday and we have leftovers too. My Aunt came over and we had a lovely visit together; chatting and laughing on our front porch. It was so nice to sit out there amid the flowers and vines and enjoy ourselves for a change. Dh was able to go for some rides on his bike (3-wheeler) today as well; and that's good for him really.

Oh LORD, please let us have a peaceful day today. They say today is the civic holiday, so the stores will be closed I guess. I ordered a new battery charger for my grass whizzer and it should be in by Friday this week, so I can do my trimming with it instead of by hand. I may start by hand until then; just taking my time.

I need to keep busy; it helps me get exercise and calms my mind at the same time. I hope you all have a wonderful week ... :flow2:

EDIT2ADD -- GINNY, I am so glad that you thought of us again; and we do not have anything to sell here ourselves. I managed to reach my goal finally, then had a 100 lb tumor taken out of my abdomen (another story), which brought me down into onederland. I was so elated to be there, but then had to have chemo and the steroids made me gain so much weight; they cause your body to lower the metabolism so low and cause weight gain. A friend of mine told me the exact same thing happened to her, as did our friend BARGOO here.

I had lost 55 lbs the year before the surgery; and it was actually a good thing that I had some extra weight at the time, as the tumor caused that. Now, I will have to work twice as hard to get it back off again. I would like to lose 30 lbs for now; that is my goal, but I want to do that very slowly becuz as we see, that weight came off so fast that it came back on fast too (in only 6 months). I was quite saddened to find out that they knew this would happen and I could have taken another anti-nausea med that would not have caused that weight-gain. They are great people; I just wish that I had known that I had an option.


August's financial tip is -- A DOLLAR SAVED IS A DOLLAR EARNED!

Prairie Chicken :welcome3: to our Faith group. This is a great support group. So glad you are joining us.

ECmom2 Loved seeing the Trisha made feel so warm & fuzzy inside like I was home :) as that is what my sisters (younger than me) call me. Took on the name Trish when I married my DH because he like it better than all my other nicknames. I have many alias :dizzy: LOL. Friends in TX call me Pat, Nieces and nephews back in TX call me Aunt Pat because it was easier for them to say. Daddy refuses to call me any thing but Patricia and my grands call me Nana, but my DH grands call me Nannie as they already had a Nana when I came along. Glad you had a good weekend with your eating.

Rosebud All I can say about your DH is that you never have a dull day. I see more and more about ALZ and I know they are looking for something to cure it. I sure pray they are able to find something soon for your DH.

Bargoo I don't know what your treatment is with your recent situation, but I am praying for you. God is doing so many miracles these days in the lives of so many people I know who have had this battle. I am praying for you to have the same miracle. Please know prayers are going up for you. Blessings.

I think I shared a while back about the 2 ladies in my church who have been in that battle themselves. Those women have been such an inspiration to me. One of them wrote a devotional book just before she went through her battle with breast cancer. She has come through the chemo to remove the breast etc and is now doing the treatments while getting ready for reconstruction. The pastor did an interview with her about 2 weeks ago. She just glows. I had not gotten one of her books when they were selling them. Yesterday she blessed me with a signed copy and I feel so privileged to have it. I saw the other lady yesterday and she has had all the treatment to get rid of the ovarian cancer and is in the final treatments of chemo they do. (I don't really understand all this just appears from what they are going through and what you did Rosebud that this is routine.) She glows as well. She had a treatment Friday and said that she has had so much energy after that she has been cleaning. Said she is waiting for the side effects to happen, but enjoying the energy while she has it.

You know, I don't understand why some people fight and end up going home with the Lord and some are allowed to have such victory. I thought of Gary and of our friend here Luke who went home to be with the Lord about the same time. I had a minister tell me once when I realized that my Mama wasn't going to stay here with us. He told me that my Mama had seen Heaven and decided she wanted to go home. I know my experience with her as she passed on and I am inclined to believe him. I heard a testimony of a woman who while having a grand mal seizure she was leaving her body and she heard her DH voice tell her to get back in her body in the name of Jesus. He was in the hall talking to their minister and didn't know in the natural what was going on. She immediately obeyed. My Daddy was holding my Mama up in a sitting position and we were discussing letting her go. I had a friend say she didn't hold on to faith for her Dad. I honestly believe my Mama knew me well enough to know what I was about to pray for her to stay, but she already knew all that day that she was leaving. She couldn't talk, but when I tried to feed her that day, she kept moaning no sounds. As I got down in front of her to say what I wanted to say, she just looked at me, smiled and took her last breath leaving us. I knew what the minister had told me was true and that she had already been telling me all day "I'm leaving, I'm going home". I have to believe that is what happened
with Gary and Luke. They, like my Mama, were the most loving, kind testimony of what a Christian should be. You could feel the glow when they spoke. I know those of us who knew Gary know what I'm talking about.

I guess, I said all that to say that this is why we never give up praying for anyone. We stand with them all the way until the get through their battle. And the blessing we have as Christians is that we NEVER lose regardless of how it goes because as my Mama always said when someone left us and went on to Heaven "They got their ULTIMATE HEALING".

Don't know why I sharing what is on my heart. WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE.

Prayers continue for all.

TRISH -- you are sharing your heart with us becuz you are supposed to and what you have to say is important to all of us. I just loved what your mother said; she is so very right. I wish people could really understand that very point and they would realize that a healing here is just temporary or even partial for some, but going home is indeed the "ultimate healing" becuz over there in heaven, they are healed completely in every way.

Yes, we desire them to stay becuz we love them and will miss them; but when they go home, they are healed in body, mind, and spirit; have perfect peace; plus all knowledge and understanding; and are released from all pain and suffering. I find this so comforting to know for loved ones who have gone on before us. :D

I too was blessed with a great healing; lots of comfort and strength all during my chemo treatments. Sure there were a few tuff days, but there were many more where I felt strong and energetic. They are really getting good at finding the right combos of meds to help all of us who are going through chemo treatments. I am so thankful and grateful to GOD for that and all your prayers; I have no doubt all the prayers I had from friends & family, and partners & warriors, near and far, made a huge difference in my case.

Our pastor always stresses the importance of prayer to everyone and if they need prayer to be sure and call or send us their prayer requests. The friend I told y'all about who the pastor interviewed said "When I was at my lowest and I couldn't even find the strength to pray, I knew that my church family and others were praying for me and that got me through those times." Prayer is so very, very important in everything we go through.

I always wonder what people do who don't believe in God who loves them and wants to help them. I don't think I could have survived all the heartaches, hurts and things I've gone through in my life if I had not had the Lord to go through it with me and Christian friends and family to pray me through them.

We had a busy day today; went shopping and ran errands. My legs & feet are now very sore and tired from all the walking, so I am taking it easy now. Just gonna spend the night resting and reading. I came home; put the groceries away and had a couple of visitors (SIL and her SIL) until amost dinnertime. We had pizza tonight; haven't had that for awhile (cut it back to once a month again).

I put an old classic movie on for DH to watch; that is finally catching his eye and he is now watching it ... phew. I thought I'd come in here first to check for any requests and posts. Hope you all have a great weekend coming up ... :flow2:


TRISH -- I agree; I know that I wouldn't have made it through all these trials without GOD helping me, along with all the support and prayers of so many caring people. GOD is such an important part of my life, that I wouldn't want to live without Him my life.

Well, I managed to keep DH busy and at home for most of the day; but he did manage to find his church somehow this morning, and brought home a nice bulletin (I will share the story in the Prayer Warriors thread).

We just puttered around here doing minor stuff. Our hydro was off from the time we got up until 2 pm this afternoon, so I used our BBQ to boil water for coffee; and I made us grilled chz in a pan for breakfast. It all worked out well. The hydro came back on and I put on one load of laundry as the hydro is about 1/2 off on the weekends & holidays.

So we just rested for the remainder of the day since my legs have been quite sore lately. We had fish and homefries with coleslaw for dinner. It is a bit cooler here this week; you definitely need a sweater or jacket today. It :rain: for most of the afternoon, and it is a bit windy, but the :sunny: keeps peeking out now & then from the clouds. I haven't decided whether to go for a walk as it is so cold out right now; and my legs really needed the rest this weekend.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend out there ... :hug:

We're having nice weather here the last few days! Cool temps in the 70's and sunny. Could use some more rain for the garden, but things are ok for right now. I decided it was time to go through Dad's old paperwork and start shredding non-essentials, like taxes and marriage certificates, etc. Found that he had kept many things I had given him, like my first business card and articles I had written for a newspaper. Funny how he always acted like a gruff, tough old guy, but he sure had a soft spot for his daughters and grandsons! I have another box of old books and I think one's a first edition Kipling, so I need to see if it has any value, but I know there's some old, old family stuff in there, too, so that will be interesting to go through. I'm learning things about the family as I go through the old stuff. Kinda nice:)

I have an abundance of summer squash this year, so I'm gonna be giving some away, plus have plenty to freeze for soups, etc. I think our tomatoes were mislabeled because what were supposed to be Roma's are the smallest pear-shaped tomatoes I've ever seen! I think they're just some kind of mini-pear tomato instead of Roma, but I'll puree them and freeze them-I mix the tomato puree with onions and celery and freeze it for chili and soups. It's soooo good!

Well, time to get back to my shredder-it was taking a break-lol! It gets warm and decides to quit, so I come here or check my Facebook while it's resetting;)

You all have a great day! Enjoy what little's left of summer!

Hello All! So excited to find this faith based thread!!!!!
Robin here. I used to be on fat chicks every day when I attempted Ideal Protein. I couldn't stay on it due to severe migraines from low calorie intake, artificial preservatives and coloring adding to the migraine issue as well.
I have been at 170 for a few months now and am ready to get down more.
I am so tired of being stagnant and definitely am sick of the belly bulge, ugh.
I need to beef up my water drinking and start doing some type of exercise, and of course increase the fruits and veggies.
Any encouragement would be great.
Thanks
Robin

:welcome: BACK, ROBIN -- glad that you decided to try us again. I am just trying to eat clean as I can; had some basic tips from a dietician before I came home who said that the reason I was wanting to snack so much was that I wasn't eating enuff at my meals. Turns out she was correct -- now that I have added more to my meals, I am snacking much less.

She told me to add a dairy serving to each meal: ie either a glass of milk, a serving of yogurt, or lower fat cheese (I just eat whatever kind I like); plus to have a fruit with each meal and as a snack. I also am using a tip from another man that eats a small bowl of cereal if he feels hungry between meals. Lately, I have been eating sunflower seeds again; that was a habit that I had forgotten from my younger years that really worked for us back then.

So I vary the dairy in each meal; add a fruit; added a salad or soup with lunch or dinner; usually I have an apple in the evening now, (only cereal if we are really hungry). We had an early dinner between 4:00 & 4:30 pm, so we each had a small bowl of cereal tonight. So far so good ... :)

Hey Rosebud,
Thanks for the warm welcome, great progress you have made.
I am lactose intolerant so I pretty much avoid dairy if possible.
I like the idea of adding a little more healthy items to a meal to make
sure you're eating enough. I may try that.
I thought sunflower seeds were fattening. What kind are you eating?

WHIRLYBIRD -- there are many lactose-free products available today, but it's a matter of personal choice. You can sub with other foods if you prefer. I eat the sunflower seeds in the shell; it takes so long to eat them that you only can eat a handful or less at a time. That is key of course, and it works well for me. I also put an apple on my bedside table just in case I get hungry later on in the evening.


We have two nice days in a row with lots of :sunny: all day; today we had a nice breeze as well. I wanted to cut my lawn a bit but I only got one round done and the danged thing just up and stopped working. I was going around the edge and hit a small hilly clump. I called around for advice and a mechanic where we bought it thinks that something got bent when I went over the grass/dirt clump. Geepers, doesn't take much to wreck a lawnmower.

We haven't been impressed with this machine since we got it -- it stops all the time and is sometimes hard to start. Our last one never gave us this much trouble (we only lost it becuz DH ran over some big rocks twice). Oh dear ... :( I hope it doesn't cost too much to get it fixed and we have to pay a transportation fee on top. The guy that usually does this kind of work is on holidays for the next 8+ days so our grass will be getting even higher by then if the store mechanic can't fix it.

There are supposed to be some new kinds coming out like battery operated ones; that would be nice to have as the electric ones are easier to start. I just hope the repair doesn't cost more than the original price. So then we had to take DH's 3-wheel bike to the BIKE MAN to get it fixed. One of the tires was split by the air valve. So we will be picking that up tomorrow after church.

I have gotten a lot more walking in lately; I know the LORD is helping with this as I haven't been able to do this before. I must go very slowly and rest a lot, but this method is working much better. It was a lot of trial and error until I found the best way for me. The canes help me with balance and of course to keep my right leg going with it's bad knee. I am thrilled with my progress so far. :)

justwant2behealthy,
Uh, it sucks when the mower breaks, so sorry!! Hope it doesn't cost too much.
I have a zero turn radius and I love it. I have an acre and a half to cut.
As far as the weight issue, I have definitely been doing better adding water to my daily regimen, but now I have to pee all the time!
Today I ate 2 hot dogs with chips for lunch and oatmeal and toast for dinner.
I worked as a waitress today for about 8 hours, so I burned a lot of calories.
I am in bad need of getting to the fruit stand and getting some fresh fruits and veggies, waiting on some additional income. I am craving a salad and bananas.
Take care all, Robin

Praise Report. DH and I had our 3 month check up and results of our blood work. I had asked y'all to pray a while back that DH would not have to start insulin. Praise God, both of our fasting blood sugar was down. DH was still high, but down to 7.8 from 8.3 last time. Mine was down from
8 something down to 6.8. His triglycerides were up a little bit, but his good cholesterol was down. My triglycerides were normal although he wants it down lower around 100, by good cholesterol was up 1 and bad cholesterol was in normal range but up a little. We both had lost weight. I was down 4 lbs, not sure how much DH had lost. DH was surprised he had lost. I told the doc I was working on improving our healthy eating learning to cook again, but the weight loss is very slow. He was thrilled with me exercising 5 days a week and said that he would be happy if I came in with a 4 lb loss at every visit. He thinks with the diet changes and the exercise that the cholesterol will continue to improve.

Thanks Prayer Partners for praying with me about this. God is so good. Couldn't wait to share with you. BTW I was really anticipating the triglyceride report because I had read that many people use coconut oil in their morning coffee to help lower it. Last time my triglycerides reading was 152 (normal is 150). This time it was 144. I told the doc what I was doing and he said "Well, it worked". Now working to get more fiber in my diet. Thanks again. I appreciate y'all so very much.

TRISH -- that's great news about your recent check-ups; sounds like you are doing a lot right!!! PRAIZE GOD -- HE does hear and answer our prayers. HE answered another one for me today and we had a good, peaceful day. I was able to go for a couple of walks: one shorter one to a nearby store and one to our beautiful lake (longer route this time too).

We had another angel helper today. He came to get our lawnmower and fixed it for us for free. Good enuff that I was able to cut our lawn today. It was really low on oil, so he filled it up; must watch that in the future too. There is still something that isn't right about this machine that has been happening since we got it -- it seems to overheat, then stop. You have to let it cool off then start it again. I did the front and side first, then 2/3 of the back with two breaks in between. That is good becuz it gives me a break too. It is also possible that the carburator is dirty and may need cleaning; I have heard of that happening. The fella said that it may need to go in for servicing later on when the small engine mechanic opens up again at the end of the month. I'd like to get through this season at least, as we haven't had it that long.

I sure did my share of exercise today -- and I THANK GOD for the strength HE has been giving me each day lately. We have had a lot of unnecessary stress this past week or so, and I forgot to go to my doctor appt so I will have to rebook that. I also have to do one test over as I made some mistakes on it.

Well, it is supposed to rain over the next two days; so it won't be so hot. We had a lovely breeze here all day and it was so nice to sit on our front porch as the breeze goes through it so nicely. There is a neighbouring fence that blocks the airflow beside the deck at the back so it gets quite uncomfortable on hotter days. So glad that we have the front one to keep us cool with all my beautiful flowers and vines that are doing so fab this year too. :D

Just called my beauty operator and made an appointment to get my head shaved. When I told her what I wanted her shocked response was "OMG ! You've got cancer " ! Other people are afraid to mention it.

BARGOO -- that's probably true ... I have noticed that some people find the subject uncomfortable and conversations seem to halt abruptly. I don't share my experience for pity; I don't want anyone's pity -- I just want some understanding and a listening ear: that's what true friendship is all about.

Somebody kept saying that to me recently: "I feel so bad for you, I really do" ... so often, that I wanted to strangle him. I thought just what I said above: I don't want your pity; all I ever hoped for was understanding and friendship, but some people just can't give that for me & my situation nor for my DH & his Alzheimers.

I share what is going on in my life becuz it's the truth; and that truth is my reality -- it's what I am dealing with at this time. I only want to share HOPE: that if I can make it through all I am going through, then they can too if they ever find themselves in a similar situation. Some people just don't seem to understand Alzheimers; that it is an uncureable disorder of the brain. He won't get better; we can only try to manage the symptoms the best we can on a daily basis.

Then there are those with what I call misguided good intensions; they hurt you without realizing they are. They think they know what you need in your life; but they don't. Then they try to rearrange your life or future for you becuz they think you don't know what's best for you and they do. They mean well, but they don't ask you what you want.

Then there are those that ask really personal questions in public that I would never even think to ask someone in private. I'm talking about total strangers here; not someone I know. I have been affronted three times in the last week by people in this manner. I am always so flabbergasted by this that I struggle to come up with answers, then later wish I just had the guts to tell them to all mind their own business (my friend told me that is what I should have said).

I am so kind-hearted that I always think carefully what I ask or say becuz I don't want to offend anyone for be too nosy. I keep my distance and try not to intrude into other's lives; unfortunately, that may be interpreted as if I don't like them nor care, which is not true -- I am just am trying to be considerate of their privacy.

Wow, sorry for the rant -- but man oh man, have I been experiencing some weird situations and people lately. It has been somewhat disheartening with so much on my plate, I forgot to go to my doctor's appt this week, so have to rebook it and wait that much longer; thank goodness it is just a follow-up and some tests that I have to do every so often.

We had really :hot: :hot: :hot: weather here today; it started off nice in the am so I did some housework then, but later on it was really hot. We met some friends at a local restaurant but the walk there and back was sveltering. So we stayed indoors for the rest of the day and ate a very light dinner.

Rosebud, your post is so true. I get that "I'm so sorry", too. I know they mean well, BUT I have a flash for them, there are actually things worse than cancer. Yep, I said it out loud.

YEPPERS, I so agree with you on that one; never thought I'd say that but dealing with DH's Alzheimers is 100 times worse as it is ongoing every day 24/7/365. It never ends; it gets worse all the time; you never know what is going to happen next; you get blind-sided at least once a week; he does & says things that are inappropriate so you are constantly apologizing for him; and inside you feel mortified; you pray that others will be kind and understanding but sometimes they are not; and you get funny looks and queer comments at times; it is so lonely becuz you cannot ever have a normal conversation with them; sometimes he cannot finish one sentence though his new meds are helping in that area a little bit; he's very moody; and you are living with someone who acts and talks like a child but lives in an adult's body; you have to stay with them most of the time; and you are limited to the places that you can take them for many reasons; you have little or no help at all (it has been promised here but hasn't shown up yet); it is constantly getting worse; it is difficult to get cooperation/help & needed meds from the doctors; your life is on hold while you care for them (well, you don't have a life unless like me, you arrange one with him included); and it is truly the longest goodbye in the world.

It's kinda like the thoughtless things people say about and to those who are overweight -- they don't stop and think about what it would feel like to have someone say that to them. I am getting that with the end result of my surgery; I don't know if I will have more surgery as I have to wait til my body heals and adjusts. Annnndddd, I am not sure if I want another surgery; why people have a problem with that I don't know. It's not them that will be going through the recovery and the pain, it's me. Every surgery is risky so my doctors will do it only if they feel it is necessary and safe. To tell you the truth, my stomach doesn't look too bad; it's much better that I ever thought it would be. You can hardly see the scar in some places, my muscles pulled up wonderfully becuz of the tummy exercises I have been doing; and the skin pulled up with it. My stomach was a lot worse before. I guess it depends on the person; if it is causing me discomfort or duress, I may consider it. Honestly, I'd rather not have it at all. I am OK with how I look. Heck, I have scars from my spina bifida surgery and other issues too. I have no illlusions about my body. I wear a comfortable support brief when I go out and I am told by others that I look great (GOD BLESS THEM FOR THAT). Just the other night a lady stopped me to tell me that very thing and I was very touched by that; it was a very needed boost for my self-esteem which had been taking some bashing lately.

My walking is getting better and better these days; I went to the beach just yesterday all by myself. It was a long way but I made it. That was another first for me; haven't done that since my twenties either. The weather was perfect for it. Tonight DH & I went to the lake and did a round loop and back home again. There were a lot of people out walking tonight; dozens in fact. It seems to be catching on ... ;)

rosebud, I just read a great piece on Facebook. It was written by my DIL's DS. I will shorten it but what she said was that she was playing in the yard with her daughter, wearing a bikini top and a total stranger came by and said why would she want to show those disgusting scars to the world. She was talking about stretch marks .She wanted to get angry but rather said those marks represented her becoming a mother and she was proud of every one. ,

Can A Catholic join?

Of course, all are welcome,.

BARGOO -- yes, my scars represent the battles I have survived. The Spina Bifida surgeries were a battle against pain and enabled me to continue to walk for my entire life. I am a cancer/tumor/chemo survivor; and I am so grateful for that. I am an overcomer and that's worth celebrating, IMHO. :carrot:


:welcome: TAM -- everyone is welcome here; I have seen you around the site before. My DH is Catholic and sometimes, I went to his church with him.

Two nice ladies from our local Anglican Church came to visit us this afternoon and gave us communion right in our home. I knew these ladies for years and years, as they were friends of my mother's too. They sure had a lot of good information for me; and they were both full of life experiential knowledge, that's for sure. I am so grateful that their church has decided to start a home visitation program at this time; just in time for us. Both our parents were originally Anglican, and my sister (a qualified Church Army Pastor) and her DH (an ordained priest) work for this church denomination.

My eating has been going well; I have only had two days where I made some mistakes (yes, the stress was getting to me), but I am back on track now. Gotta just forgive myself and move on. As you know, the walking has been going fabulously and I am sure that will make up for any occasional eating errors. Tonight, I went to the lake by myself as DH wanted to nap instead. I made it there just in time to watch the sun setting -- so nice!:)

Finally!!!
 

Good Morning all! Well I FINALLY did it, after at least 3 years of trying to get out of the 250's I am at 250!!!:cp: I has been a struggle but there is hope!!! Off to pray in church before work. Have a blessed day!!:hug: Tammy

HI Tammy, welcome and happy for you.
Pray for me as I seem to have lost motivation to lose weight.
I am sick with a sore throat and chest congestion, fatigue, etc.

Will do!
 

I will most definately pray for you!!! So sorry you are sick, not a good time to be sick with flu/cold like symptoms. Hubby and I have realized that we are not getting any younger and if we want to live to be older we need to start taking care of ourselves, we do not like having diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. I know God can heal us, but since we did it to ourselves we do not see why He should, so we just pray everyday for the grace to do the right thing and make the right choices. Hope you feel better soon-:hug: Tammy

:wave: Tammy. Glad to have you here. I understand how you feel about not liking being diabetic. DH and I are fighting this battle too, but we are improving. I seem to have my motivation back. I have the same attitude as you, I know that other than the diabetes that I am basically healthy so I better get things straightened out so I can live a better quality of like.

whirlybird68 WELCOME. Sorry you are ill. I'm sure that is why you are feeling so bad and feeling so not motivated. Just take good care of yourself right now and plan to get back OP 100% when you are well. I will definitely be praying for you.

Rosebud So glad you were able to spend some time at the lake. Sounds like a very good peaceful time for you. Hope things are going ok.

Bargoo Thinking of you and praying for you. Mentioned you to one of my friends at church who is still going through treatments she has to do before reconstructive surgery after the cancer treatments is praying for you.

Some of you know that I've really struggled finding a plan that I feel that I can live with for the rest of my life. I've known what I needed to do, but just couldn't get with it. But I believe that I finally have my motivation back especially since I need to help DH get on a good plan to get his diabetes under control. I can't explain it, but suddenly I have the plan that will work for both of us and I feel so good about what we are doing. I really believe it is all because of y'all praying with me about all this when I felt so low and just couldn't seem to want to do anything. OH WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE.

We are having a fall celebration tomorrow to kick off the school year etc and it is a day Pastor is starting a new series called Stand What will you Stand for. I've been inviting my beautician for quite some time and she promised that she would come tomorrow. Last Sunday as we sang the first song before we greet and really get into the service I told Tony, "Hey that is Jessie, our docs nurse". She told us Monday at our appointment that she will be back that her kids loved I-Kids and she enjoyed the service because she could understand everything the pastor said and so did her daughter. Can't take any credit for her coming as I was surprised when I saw her. During greeting time I did go say hi to her and she was so thrilled to see a familiar face. I know how she felt... been there done that myself.

Y'all have a blessed Sunday tomorrow.

WHIRLY -- praying that you will feel better real soon; and the motivation will return as well.

TAMMY -- congrats on hitting the 250 mark again; every milestone matters! :carrot:

TRISH -- so glad to hear that you have found a plan that works for you and your DH. I am back into my groove again too. As I had said, I had a couple of days where I slipped, but I got back on track the very next day. Eating bigger meals and smaller snacks is helping me too. I am getting more walking in and going to bed earlier too; all of this is working well for me.

DH is doing much better -- my doctor listened to me and doubled his meds when DH was in his care recently; and that seems to have helped a lot with his hallucinations and fears. I have seen such a huge improvement over this month, mostly in the area that affected his moods. A neighbour commented that he is so much quieter now; and doesn't get as upset as before, so I know it isn't just me noticing the difference. He needed this peace so badly; and when he is at peace, we all are ... as it has a ripple effect. Indeed, PRAIZE GOD for answering these prayers for us!!!

Hi, This is my first time on the site hope to find some good Christian support. Have you heard of the Lords table, it an online interactive site that offers bible based support for weight loss with their 60 day Lords table course.

:welcome2: Simplyme -- Yes, we have; many times. There is at least one or more threads about it in this very forum, if you want to do a search and revive one. Unfortuneately, the followers don't seem to stick to the thread long-term and it drops off the front page eventually. Not sure why that is ... :shrug:

Just checking in. We are doing fine. Heard from my oldest DGS yesterday and I'm going to have my 1st great grandson due Dec 30th. I told him that I would try to go see him in January after he is born. I have 2 beautiful great granddaughters who just moved to CA. I am so excited about the great grandson. I was there when first great granddaughter was born although I can't be there for the birth for the baby boy, but am going to do my best to get there after he is born.

Tammy Re-reading previous posts, I realized that I forgot to Congratulate you on getting under 250. So CONGRATULATIONS. I am struggling to get under 230. Sure would love to be at least in the 220s when I see the doc again.

Rosebud So glad that your doctor listened to you and upped your DH meds and so thankful they are working. The song you shared was beautiful. I'm not sure that I've heard it before.

Bargoo and others:wave: