November Thankful Challenge, Week 4

I did not get this posted yesterday so I am a day late for week 4. The month of November is where we focus on things we are thankful for so I am posting this weekly during the month to share all that I am thankful for. Some overlap a bit but thankfulness has a way of doing that because life overlaps in many ways as it should. If you didn’t see the others and would like to, they are listed here; week 1, week 2, week 3.

Nov 19 – I am thankful the Lord has given me yet another day. Hopefully I use each day as the gift it is.

joy

Nov 20 – I am thankful that although the pain in my foot is minor as I recover from surgery, at least I still have a foot that is healing nicely. Now both are done.

IMG_20181114_115640

Nov 21 – I am so thankful for God’s light that shines on all of us and for the many artist that use their talents to remind us and lift us when we need that lift.

Nov 22 – I am thankful for what this day remind us of and for the love of family and friends that surrounds at this time. Also for the many memories of this day, the “Wow” moments and the “Oh, Really” moments.

Nov 23 – I am so very thankful that I do not have the shopping bug so that I do not have to get out in the madness of Black Friday.

crazy

Nov 24 – I am thankful for the fun I have with college football and super excited that my team won and is headed to the conference championship, Go Dawgs!

uga mascot 1

Nov 25 – I am thankful for all the blessing I have received and the ability to enjoy sitting on the couch watching the birds eat as much as they can before the snow gets too thick on the feeders. Then of course it did.

Nov 26 – I am so thankful that I have a daughter that is taking care of me as I heal and that she took care of all the snow removal since I am still on the knee walker from surgery. Don’t think it would do well in 13″ of snow.

And remember as always, especially when times, weather and situations get trying, be kind. It can be the greatest gift you could give.

kind 10 — Friendship and kindness and healing tools

And Startup for Christmas Begins

Christmas is filled with religious meanings and family traditions that echo our love toward the season and mankind. There are many stories or ideals we all share that originally came from myth or folklore and then get sprinkled with embellishments that make us love the story or the tradition even more. One of these for me is the candy cane.

There are so many stories about their origin of this coming from a Christian perspective but they always seem to get debunked as untruths. Lets go through a few of these myths and at least enjoy them for the tale that they are.

In Germany over 250 years ago a white straight stick of candy was created for the supposed holiday season. There was some stories that were told the the white symbolized the purity of Christ but that evidently can not be substantiated. Then in 1670, in the USA, in the state of Indiana, a choirmaster made similar candy using the same symbol of white for purity but he added a “J” shape to the cane to represent the staff of a shepherd and the “J” of Jesus’ name. His thought was to give the children something to remember about Christ and to help keep them quiet during the nativity play.

It was not until the 1900’s that the stripes and the peppermint were added and the Christian meanings/myths were increased and are believed as true.

The white represents the purity of Christ. The “J” still represents the shepherd staff for us lost lambs and for his name as well. There are two types of stripes on the candy cane, a large thick stripe and three small thin stripes. The small stripes represent His scourging for by His stripes we are healed. The large stripe represents His blood that was shed on the cross for us. The peppermint represents hyssop which was used as purity in biblical times.

I don’t understand why someone wants to worry so much about proving the factual truth of a wonderful story concerning Christmas instead of enjoying the beauty it represents today. At the end of the day it is a candy cane. Especially when people use this to look for extra reason to show their love of Christ or find was to energize the imagination of a child to help them understand the intricate details of the meaning of Christmas. It a joyous time of year. Have a candy cane.

And remember this season of thankfulness as it springboards us in the joyous season of Christmas. Its a time of year where we can share extra doses of kindness to all creation. Remember that no act of kindness is ever wasted but can create a ripple effect that spread across the world.

The ABC’s of Christ’s Love for Me

I ran across this the other day and it helped me understand and reflect on “My Identity in Christ” listing many of the ways we can see how we are a new creation of His making as we go through the ABCs of His guidance for us. I did not write this but I am sharing it as I think it is so much worth the share. Hope you enjoy and realize how you too are blessed with the same love and guidance given by Him to you.

I AM…

Accepted in His beloved grace
Blessed with all spiritual blessings
Chosen in Him before the world’s foundation
Delivered from the powers of darkness
Elevated to heavenly places
Forgiven from all my sin
God’s masterpiece
Healed by Jesus’ stripes
In Him…forever
Justified by faith
Kept by the power of God
Loved unconditionally
More than a conqueror
Not condemned
Overcoming the world through faith
Predestined to Sonship
Quickened together in Christ
Redeemed from the curses of the law
Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
To His praise
Unto His glory
Victorious through Him
Washed from my sin through His own blood
X “Crucified” with Christ
Yoked together with other believers
Zealous to do good works

And as I remind myself and anyone else, remember to be kind. Kindness is a gift to be shared and spread thick wherever you go.

kind8

November Thankful Challenge, Week 2

Last week I posted a challenge that was actually started on facebook to remind us the wonderful things we can be thankful for. In the US, November is a dual thankful month for us as we celebrate Veteran Day at the first of the month and Thanksgiving at the end of the month. So I am doing a daily thankful challenge but posting it only once per week each Sunday. If you want to check last weeks post out, it is located here. And if you would like to join in on the fun, I would love your thoughts.

Since pictures are so powerful in connecting our brain with our heart, I thought I would add pictures with my daily challenge.

Nov 5 – I am thankful that now with the weather turning wet and cold, I have a warm and dry house to live in.

March Snow 3 — First snow of the season, didn’t last long thankfully

Nov 6 – I am thankful that all the the medical testing I have been getting are showing good results.

Nov 7 – While the medical test were good, my BMI was high. BMI for those who may not know what it is, it means I am overweight. That means I have plenty of food on my table and for that I am truly thankful as there are some who do not.

Nov 8 – I am thankful for the laughter I have in my life as laughter can remove a lot of hurt in this world.

Nov 9 – I am thankful for the basic good health I have. Being in my mid-60s, I am on no daily medication other than a multi-vitamin. God has been good to me.

Nov 10 – I am thankful for all the military men and women who have served and sacrificed themselves for my freedom.

military thanks

Nov 11 – I am thankful for friends and neighbors who do little things that mean so very much when you need the help.

And as we share in the thankfulness of this month always remember to be kind. Kindness is a gift from God that should be spread thick like jam on toast.

Medical Practice, A Conundrum of Sorts – #6WS & #SoCS

Means being justified by an end result – that can be wrong on so may platforms if it involves trickery or cruelty when used only for selfish gain.

Yesterday I had the second, and last, operation on my feet to correct misaligned bones. The anesthesia doctor was different and used a new technique by means of a nerve block behind the knee. The technique in the long run could be a real help for healing, in his opinion. After speaking with my surgeon this morning when he called to check on me, I asked him about this. He was not aware it was going to be used and I could tell in his voice that he question its use at this time but they were already starting it. It was very painful to administer using ultra sound to guide a needle through the side of my leg by my knee to block the nerves all the way down the leg through the foot. He had told me he would give me some light sedation medication where I would not feel the needle digging through my leg. but what he did not realize was that my body fights light doses of numbing medication. I needed horse size doses doing a job like that. He called another anesthetist to administer another does in the IV as his hands were busy. That helped but gee whiz.

medicine

But I am doing fine today, foot still numb a bit and I hope that wears off soon. Numbness is such a weird and uncomfortable feeling.

I do need to express the thankfulness of where medicine is today. We are such a far cry from the ‘blood-letting’ practice days. While that process of getting rid of the bad blood was good in theory, it really was not a good idea. But it shows the ever involving field of medicine and when you think of the diseases we now have control of or the diseases we are on the brink of discovering a cure of, it is all amazing.

I am tagging in with two wonderful bloggers to help us all unite with fun and new discoveries. Linda G Hill with Stream of Consciousness and Debbie Smyth with Six Word Saturday.

And as I heal from hopefully this last procedure, I rest and enjoy my Christmas decorations,the enjoyment of the birds fighting over the several feeders (they don’t share well) and I am comforted by my loving companion and my gracious daughter as they take care of me.

Below is a picture of my current transportation for the next 3 weeks. I think it was designed by a woman as there is an indention in the center so that you can pull the cart flat to the sink and clean dishes. I don’t think a man would have thought of that. And maybe that is not what it is for but it’s my theory and I am sticking with it.

IMG_20181110_080936_1 — My first cart did not have this center indention. I like this better.

As I was going through the painfulness of the nerve block, the operating staff were marvelous in showing empathy and kindness as I would get shoulder rubs, hand holding and gentle touches. Kindness is never wasted.

So I close as always with reminders of being kind and also a reminder that Nov 13 is World Kindness Day. The more you are kind, the more ways you find to be kind.

kindness day