Today is my Mom's first surgery of what we hope is only 2. She is having the carpel tunnel release to her right wrist at 2pm today in Athens. Pray for her spirit to feel calm and void of anxiety. Pray for healing and recovery. Pray for the guidance of the surgeon's hand.
Nehemiah 6:9 (New International Version)
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed."
But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Help Me Carve the Gizzard???
Okay so I apologize if I tell this story incorrectly. But I have heard this story since I was a child. Apparently when my parents first got married they had to have a Thanksgiving with Navy friends and wives instead of family. So here is a newly married, YOUNG couple (10 years younger than me!) cooking their first Thanksgiving away from family in New Orleans.
Mom has the task of the turkey. Now I am not sure if she volunteered for this job or offered but either way she was very proud of her bird. So as my parents go to carve this lovely bird among new friends, they realize the gizzards were cooked along with it!
Now I can either spare you the details so that you don't read about this prior to your own Thanksgiving turkey but just know typically recipes call to remove the gizzards. I think my Mom said that she didn't know what that meant so she skipped over that step in the recipe. I could have made that up in my child's mind, so I apologize Mom!
But in order to get to the point of my post I need to sort of explain what the gizzards are. This is the Wikipedia entry:
Birds swallow food and store it in their crop if necessary. Then the food passes into their glandular stomach, also called the proventriculus, which is also sometimes referred to as the true stomach. This is the secretory part of the stomach. Then the food passes into the ventriculus (also known as the muscular stomach or gizzard). The gizzard can grind the food with stones that have been swallowed and pass it back to the true stomach and vice versa. Bird gizzards are lined with a tough layer made of the carbohydrate-protein complex koilin, to protect the muscles in the gizzard and to aid in digestion.
Okay so I am not a biology major but my analogy is that the gizzards help in digestion. And this is where the correlation comes in. You my friends, my prayer warriors, those who brought food, anyone who called, stopped by or sent a card or email have added in the digestion of this year.
It has not been the most enjoyable year for the Adams clan but if not for the "gizzards" to help break down the food and help us to digest it then I don't think I could have made it. If I did not have those around me and my family to help me get the nutrients and the rewards from this year's trial and heartache then I would have never grown or learned as much as I have.
I have so much to be thankful for but what I am most thankful for above all are the people in our lives that have helped us through this trial. Those that have showered us with love so that we can digest the struggles. I wish I had a way to pay you all back. To give you a gas card to drive wherever you need to go this holiday season, to cook your entire family turkey -no gizzards- and bring soup, cakes, breads, tea and all the fixin's, to call you and wish you a good day, to pray with you, to sit with you and to love you. If I could spend a week at each of your houses cleaning and cooking I would do it!
You have no idea how thankful I am that my parents have such amazing friends around them and that I have such amazing people around me to cheer me up, to let me cry, to hear me yell or complain while I dealt with the ripple effects of this year.
Thank you! Thank you for being a gizzard in my life this past year!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (New International Version)
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations
Mom has the task of the turkey. Now I am not sure if she volunteered for this job or offered but either way she was very proud of her bird. So as my parents go to carve this lovely bird among new friends, they realize the gizzards were cooked along with it!
Now I can either spare you the details so that you don't read about this prior to your own Thanksgiving turkey but just know typically recipes call to remove the gizzards. I think my Mom said that she didn't know what that meant so she skipped over that step in the recipe. I could have made that up in my child's mind, so I apologize Mom!
But in order to get to the point of my post I need to sort of explain what the gizzards are. This is the Wikipedia entry:
Birds swallow food and store it in their crop if necessary. Then the food passes into their glandular stomach, also called the proventriculus, which is also sometimes referred to as the true stomach. This is the secretory part of the stomach. Then the food passes into the ventriculus (also known as the muscular stomach or gizzard). The gizzard can grind the food with stones that have been swallowed and pass it back to the true stomach and vice versa. Bird gizzards are lined with a tough layer made of the carbohydrate-protein complex koilin, to protect the muscles in the gizzard and to aid in digestion.
Okay so I am not a biology major but my analogy is that the gizzards help in digestion. And this is where the correlation comes in. You my friends, my prayer warriors, those who brought food, anyone who called, stopped by or sent a card or email have added in the digestion of this year.
It has not been the most enjoyable year for the Adams clan but if not for the "gizzards" to help break down the food and help us to digest it then I don't think I could have made it. If I did not have those around me and my family to help me get the nutrients and the rewards from this year's trial and heartache then I would have never grown or learned as much as I have.
I have so much to be thankful for but what I am most thankful for above all are the people in our lives that have helped us through this trial. Those that have showered us with love so that we can digest the struggles. I wish I had a way to pay you all back. To give you a gas card to drive wherever you need to go this holiday season, to cook your entire family turkey -no gizzards- and bring soup, cakes, breads, tea and all the fixin's, to call you and wish you a good day, to pray with you, to sit with you and to love you. If I could spend a week at each of your houses cleaning and cooking I would do it!
You have no idea how thankful I am that my parents have such amazing friends around them and that I have such amazing people around me to cheer me up, to let me cry, to hear me yell or complain while I dealt with the ripple effects of this year.
Thank you! Thank you for being a gizzard in my life this past year!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (New International Version)
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Hospital Holidays and the Manger
Because of insurance reasons, my Mom has decided to go ahead and have 2 more surgeries before the end of the year. Why not end 2009 with a bang right!? (Bring on 2010 and all the health it has to offer!)
She will have the first surgery on her wrist Nov 30th. This is the carpel tunnel surgery that should fix some of the nerve pain she is currently feeling.
She will then have one more surgery Dec 28th. This is for her knee. She has experienced some pain in the past with this knee but we aren't sure if the accident aggravated the area more. So i am unsure exactly what kind of surgery this is but I believe it is to repair a torn meniscus. We will get more details after her MRI this week.
Please keep Mom in your prayers this November and December.
Selfishly I wanted our holidays to be pain free because of what we had to endure last year. I wanted to stay away from hospitals and the hospital cafeteria food at all cost this Christmas. But I suppose Mary wanted to have her baby in a room on a bed and not in a manger surrounded by farm animals.
Makes the reality of our Savior and his humble beginnings that much more meaningful. And in turn makes the reality of my selfish desires a bit insignificant.
Luke 2:4-7 (New International Version)
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
I had to add the lyrics to this song by Andrew Peterson at the urging of one my good friends-thanks Torry!
Lyrics to Labor Of Love :
It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
Noble Joseph at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
In the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night
So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love
To see and hear the song set to an image from The Nativity Story please check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m4xY175ZYo
She will have the first surgery on her wrist Nov 30th. This is the carpel tunnel surgery that should fix some of the nerve pain she is currently feeling.
She will then have one more surgery Dec 28th. This is for her knee. She has experienced some pain in the past with this knee but we aren't sure if the accident aggravated the area more. So i am unsure exactly what kind of surgery this is but I believe it is to repair a torn meniscus. We will get more details after her MRI this week.
Please keep Mom in your prayers this November and December.
Selfishly I wanted our holidays to be pain free because of what we had to endure last year. I wanted to stay away from hospitals and the hospital cafeteria food at all cost this Christmas. But I suppose Mary wanted to have her baby in a room on a bed and not in a manger surrounded by farm animals.
Makes the reality of our Savior and his humble beginnings that much more meaningful. And in turn makes the reality of my selfish desires a bit insignificant.
Luke 2:4-7 (New International Version)
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
I had to add the lyrics to this song by Andrew Peterson at the urging of one my good friends-thanks Torry!
Lyrics to Labor Of Love :
It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyways that night
On the streets of David's town
And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
Noble Joseph at her side
Callused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
In the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night
So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the Author of the faith
That could make the mountains move
It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love
For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love
To see and hear the song set to an image from The Nativity Story please check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m4xY175ZYo
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Cancer Monster
Mimi had her surgery on Friday and everything went well. The lymph node had grown another centimeter or more so we are glad we were able to get it out when we could. At the time of the MRI it had not attached itself to any tissue but once the surgeon began to operate it actually had begun to attach itself to tissue. However, the surgeon feels good about the amount he was able to remove though and we will just closely monitor that area. Mimi is home now at my uncle's as of Saturday afternoon.
I have had some experience with Cancer because of family and friends going through the ordeal. Everyone has the same reaction. I can't describe the facial expression with words but everyone gives the same response of fear, sadness and worry.
The Merriam Webster definition describes cancer using words like -invasion, evil, destructive, fast spreading, harmful, abnormal.
I think if we could personify Cancer it would look a lot like these monsters I ran into a few years back at Halloween parties. Scary, nasty, evil, and terrifying. The people in these costumes had one intention that night-to frighten others. Luckily at the end of the night-the costume could be removed and the fear dissipated. Unfortunately that isn't always the case with Cancer. Or for that matter-sin.
And in the same way we have to treat cancer we sometimes have to treat sin. We have to surgically remove it from our life lest we become slaves to it and then often times it is still attached, lingering and we have to monitor it and make sure we go in for checkups and get out any remaining pieces.
Sometimes sin can even lead to death much like cancer but luckily God allowed his own Son to suffer so that we can be free from the consequences of sin.
Romans 6:20-23 (New International Version)
20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we begin to approach the holidays thank God when you see the ugly little monsters knocking on your door for candy, that you are free from the monster of sin. Give thanks to God when you sit at your table to feast with family at Thanksgiving, that you are free from the chains of sin. And finally, thank God when you open your gifts in front of your Christmas tree, that the gift of His Son is eternal life.
I have had some experience with Cancer because of family and friends going through the ordeal. Everyone has the same reaction. I can't describe the facial expression with words but everyone gives the same response of fear, sadness and worry.
The Merriam Webster definition describes cancer using words like -invasion, evil, destructive, fast spreading, harmful, abnormal.
I think if we could personify Cancer it would look a lot like these monsters I ran into a few years back at Halloween parties. Scary, nasty, evil, and terrifying. The people in these costumes had one intention that night-to frighten others. Luckily at the end of the night-the costume could be removed and the fear dissipated. Unfortunately that isn't always the case with Cancer. Or for that matter-sin.
And in the same way we have to treat cancer we sometimes have to treat sin. We have to surgically remove it from our life lest we become slaves to it and then often times it is still attached, lingering and we have to monitor it and make sure we go in for checkups and get out any remaining pieces.
Sometimes sin can even lead to death much like cancer but luckily God allowed his own Son to suffer so that we can be free from the consequences of sin.
Romans 6:20-23 (New International Version)
20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we begin to approach the holidays thank God when you see the ugly little monsters knocking on your door for candy, that you are free from the monster of sin. Give thanks to God when you sit at your table to feast with family at Thanksgiving, that you are free from the chains of sin. And finally, thank God when you open your gifts in front of your Christmas tree, that the gift of His Son is eternal life.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Update on Mimi
Hey Blogosphere!
I wanted to update you all and let you know that Mimi's cancer is localized to that lymph node. We will find out when she can have the operation to remove it and if she will require any follow up radiation. Thank you for your prayers. I know that no matter the outcome of these tests our God is a good God.
Your faithfulness to my family and now my extended family has amazed me so much and I am so thankful to know I am not alone in this journey.
I wanted to update you all and let you know that Mimi's cancer is localized to that lymph node. We will find out when she can have the operation to remove it and if she will require any follow up radiation. Thank you for your prayers. I know that no matter the outcome of these tests our God is a good God.
Your faithfulness to my family and now my extended family has amazed me so much and I am so thankful to know I am not alone in this journey.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Running the Same Race
I realized this past Saturday as I was running in the Race for the Cure, that I had ran this particular race about 4 or 5 times. In addition, I am also gearing up to run my 3rd or 4th Vulcan 10K next month. You would think after running both races so many times before I would either tire of the course or decide to run something else. Perhaps that is partially true but each time I run the race there is something different about it. The weather, the shoes, my time, my training schedule or the people I enter and run each race with.
The Vulcan 10k is one of my favorite races partly because 10 kilometers is my preferred distance. It’s 6.2 miles, which is long enough to challenge me but not so far that I am exhausted. The one thing about this race is that it has a few hills. So as part of my training every year I have a mapped out a 6 to 6.5 mile route around my apartment that I like to add back into my weekly runs.
For those of you that don’t know, I live in Vestavia Hills…Hills being the key word. There are a few flat portions in the route that I have created but you have to scale a few hills to get to them and once you are there then you have to run up a few more to get back home. For any skiers out there, I would classify a few of these as black diamonds. I am thinking if covered with snow and ice you could definitely have a nice run down.
Needless to say, I have run this route several times during my training over the years. However, the problem lies in that I only remember how I feel at the end of my training and not at the beginning. So when I start out to run the route I forget that it usually takes me a few tries to get the hang of the course.
So yesterday I started out to tackle my 6 mile route to prepare for my upcoming race. About a mile into my run I had the thought; can I quit and go home?
About two miles into my run I had the thought; this didn’t seem so hard last time?!
About three miles into my run I had the thought; I feel pretty good and I’m halfway done!
I would have to say that I think those same thoughts enter my head when I am going through a lesson that God is teaching me. Though the circumstances may be different the lessons I am learning aren’t. Whether God is teaching me about pride, forgiveness, self control, bitterness, selfishness, dependency, etc it is the same lesson that I have learned before.
I am pretty sure I have asked the same questions of God. Can I quit and go home? This didn’t seem so hard last time? Or I have my “a-ha” moment and I realize, this feels pretty good and I see the finish line up ahead.
So why do I run the same race? I know right away I never enter these races to win. I am not Kenyan, as a matter of fact I am a former fat girl who still dreams of Doritos and cupcake day at the Samford cafeteria. No, I enter these races to improve myself as a runner, to challenge myself, to have fun and maybe have a PR (personal record).
Same reasons we are still metaphorically running this Christian race. We aren’t ever doing this to “win.” Luckily, it was already DONE for us on the cross. We never are required to really DO anything any more. Christ already DID it all and paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. And by his grace we are saved. But out of gratitude we “run this race that we may share in the blessings and get a crown that lasts forever.” 1 Cor 9:23-25.
Often times running this race means learning a few of the same lessons over and over. Just like with my training, I have to keep at it because I am not the perfect runner. Luckily for us, Christ also keeps at it and teaches us the same things over and over for the same reasons.
James 1:2-5 (New International Version)
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Here Comes the Flood
"When the flood calls; You have no home, you have no walls; In the thunder crash; You're a thousand minds, within a flash; Don't be afraid to cry at what you see.." Here Comes the Flood-Peter Gabriel
As many of you know living in the metro Atlanta area, it has been quite a week already with flood and rain. Birmingham hasn't had it nearly as bad as the Atlanta area. Just lots of nasty, rainy weather.
Luckily those lyrics above are simply that-lyrics. They aren't truth or fact. We do have a home when our physical walls come down due to a flood. Whether that flood is an actual deluge of water or if it is a series of circumstances that seem overwhelming and overflowing, we have a solid rock to stand on.
It seems that this year has brought flood after flood in our lives. Yesterday we found out that my grandmother, Mimi, was diagnosed with cancer. We aren't sure of what kind of cancer yet and are awaiting some other tests. She will be moving to Virginia to live with my Uncle and Aunt so that someone can take her to and from the doctor. I think once we know the type of cancer and treatment involved, we are going to evaluate our next steps.
Please keep her in your prayers and my Mom. Despite the hiccups of having Mimi stay with us while Mom was healing, she was there! I am forever indebted to her for staying by my Mom's side while she needed someone to feed, bath and help her do daily tasks.
And fortunately for us we know that those lyrics aren't truth. We do have a home. God will never destroy with a flood. In fact the waters may rush over us and it may feel as if we are drowning yet He will see us on the other side.
Genesis 9:11-12 (New International Version)
11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:
Isaiah 43:2-4 (New International Version)
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush [a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
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