Kidney Stones & Tummy Troubles

Reminder: These blog posts are a journal of sorts so that someone else dealing with kidney stones might see my experience and hopefully glean something helpful from it.

Warning: This is that topic no one talks about. Ahem. It's just not a pleasant thing to discuss, but it is what it is. And if you've ever lived in a third world country, you have talked about poop in your life more than anyone else. Apart from moms, that is. Moms all talk about poop.

If you have ever had anesthesia or even prescription pain medicine, you may have experienced "tummy troubles" aka constipation. Even though you are drinking lots of water (because it seems no matter what your illness or surgery is a big part of the solution is water), the meds are causing things to stop up a little. Now, this is great fun when you are also having pain in the general region.

In an effort to combat this issues, over the past few days I've had a small amount of Milk of Magnesia and small amounts of Miralax. The last thing I wanted was to be running to the bathroom because of taking too much laxative! Today I woke up around 3 a.m. The M.O.M. had started working, but thankfully not severely. Even so, it was enough that just when I'd get settled back into bed I'd need to get back out. Finally around 6 a. m. I drank some mint tea with honey. I had taken some hydrocodone at 3 since it had been 6 hours since my last dose and I was feeling some pain. I am only taking it at night now. It is now 7 a.m. and I have not fallen back to sleep. My tummy feels like it is settling a bit, but I'll have to see if I can sleep without any more runs.....to the bathroom. ha, ha! Gotta laugh sometimes, you know?

I'm so thankful that I'm not REALLY having to run to the bathroom. I'm also thankful that my legs are not sore like they were the first 2 days. I don't think I would have been able to move as much as I've needed to do so.

I will be getting back on my smoothie routine which includes flax seed to help with this issue.

Now this is definitely a TMI topic! Remember, you had fair warning! :)

I will survive

I know you now have Gloria Gaynor's song stuck in your head, "I will survive...." You're welcome. LOL!

Today was better than yesterday. It is not so painful to get out of bed or out of a chair to walk. I can turn over in bed without every muscle screaming at me. Now I am feeling the pain in my left side where the shockwaves were directed. My arm where I have carpal tunnel and arthritis is probably the 2nd sorest area. I think just having a weakened immune system along with nerve issues with fibromyalgia make me more susceptible to pain.

I slept for several hours solid, was up for a bit, then back to bed again. I did nap at one point this afternoon. I am calling it quits before midnight which is unusual for me but good. I only hope I can sleep pain free through the night.

I've not seen many more stone fragments come through today. I imagine it will take some time to wash them all out. I am able to eat & drink with much more ease today which makes getting the essential water into my system much better.

Took 2 hydrocodone overnight last night. Hoping for just the one I took this evening to help.

I have so much I NEED to do that doesn't take a ton of energy, but it does take some energy. Most of what I do involves use of my hands & arms so the pain makes it impossible to do the sewing, etc. I have waiting to be done. Even typing can be painful, so I have to be careful.

The Vicodin/hydrocodone is hitting so I am off to la la land. Good night!

Third Day---more boring yada yada yada about kidney stone recovery

Today is my third day on the lithotripsy trip. Last night I slept fairly solidly from 12:30 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. After that I tried to go back to sleep, but wasn't able to, so I got up & ate something around 9:30. I was able to sleep from 10 til noon.

I was able to get out of bed without feeling like I would come unglued. I am still very sore, but it's much more tolerable today so far. My throat is still hurting, so I'll keep doing what I can to help that.

The other day after the heavy doses of anethesia and after feeling so dizzy from the fluid in my ears, I thought I would never want to take hydrocodone again. My pain was bad late on Thursday, though, so I did end up taking 1/2 a hydrocodone, then a few hours later taking the other half. I've realized that my dizziness wasn't due to the hydrocodone, but rather the fluid, so I don't mind it as much at least at night time when I am trying to sleep anyway.

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm blogging this mostly as a journal and to help anyone else who is going through the trial of kidney stones to read about my journey. So this next part is strictly for medical purposes ;). I have passed quite a few pieces of the stone so far. I have to catch it in a strainer then put the pieces into a sterile container to take to the doctor.

I'm planning on doing more of nothing today which has been my routine this week. I'm antsy to do something, but my body won't let me. I suspect a good nap is in the works while my family hits Six Flags. That's okay, I'd rather be napping than on a roller coaster!

Have a good Saturday.

OUCH

I put this statement on Facebook but thought I'd share it here, too: I was thinking I'm so sore that I feel like I've run a marathon or done an all day workout. Then I laughed. I don't run or work out!

I managed to clean my tub and fill it with hot water and epsom salt. Then came the hard part: actually getting into the tub. I am literally sore from my neck down to my toes. I was a bit concerned that I'd get in the tub and not be able to get back out. Thankfully after soaking it helped my muscles enough that I was able to get out by myself. That would have just not been a pretty sight if my kids had needed to come help me. :)

We went to Walmart but it was slow going. The meclizine (dramamine's newer formula) along with 12 hour sudafed has cleared the fluid in my ears so I can turn my head without feeling dizzy. The biggest issue was just being sore. I had to have the girls put most of the items into the cart. I pushed the cart at first because it gave me something to lean on, but once it was full I couldn't push anymore. 

I have to wonder how much having fibromyalgia has to do with my level of pain. I have constant muscle pain daily, but it isn't this severe on a day to day basis, and certainly not this widespread. 

My throat is still very sore. I got some chloraseptic spray, some lozenges and am continuing with salt water and herbal tea sweetened with honey. WARM tea. Anything cold to drink hurts. I can get room temperature water down. 

I am supposed to be "pushing liquids." It is hard with my throat hurting, but I must be doing okay because little smitherings of Pebbles & Bam Bam are making their way into the world. LOL! 

I'm going to eat a gluten free Amy's meal tonight: Broccoli and Cheddar bowl. It seemed like it would go down easily. 

Since I only have a whopping 5 followers and I'm not sure anyone actually follows anymore, I'm using this as a journal of sorts. I want to go back and read about what they do during lithotripsy that makes your body so sore. Maybe somewhere down the road someone will wonder what another person experienced during this process and they can read this. But I wouldn't wish kidney stones on my worst enemy. Well, maybe on my worst enemy.....just kidding! 

My other "kids"---not a post for the weak of stomach

Years ago we sent out an annual letter with the line, "I had a kid.........ney stone." We didn't have kids yet so this seemed like a funny way to introduce the subject. It was April of 1992. Fast forward to January of 2011. Yes, 19 years later and 2 real kids later, I started this new trip down kidney stone lane. That year I ended up having 2 stones removed by ureteroscopy and passed some smaller ones. Since my husband and I like to take turns with major  health issues, in 2012 and 2013 he had oral cancer. As much as I hate kidney stones, I would rather he had those than cancer. It was not pretty. Oh, and I did have this little health issue of my own called a complete hysterectomy. The same week he had a feeding tube put in, then ended up in the ER from dehydration, and spent 2 months off of work (he was finishing his chemo & radiation by then, but the physical pain and wear on his body left him barely able to function). By the grace of God we made it through those events and even a major move, which involved a month in a motel and buying our first home after our rental was sold out from under us.

While we were in the motel, I  had  extreme back pain. I was going through physical therapy (wow, what a year we had), but one day the pain was so bad I had to stop as I was walking from the bed to the bathroom. I also had seen some blood in my urine. We went to the Emergency Hospital where I was told that I had bilateral kidney stones (meaning both kidneys were rockin' them), but no, that could not possibly be causing my pain since they weren't in the right position to do that. They also tried to do me in with morphine. I prefer dilaudid.

The pains subsided once we moved in and finished all our heavy box lifting, so I figured it was just muscular pain. Until Good Friday, that is. That night, I went to bed and felt like I was having the world's worst gas pains. They weren't in my stomach, but in my back. My stomach did hurt some, too. Here is a funny tidbit, I had taken a new natural supplement called, "Regular," which does what its name suggests! Or is supposed to. That night I was SURE that was causing my pain and that I was bloated and constipated. I got through the night by dosing with Maalox every few hours and taking tylenol. The next day I took some Milk of Magnesia, sure that would be the final cure for what ailed me. It did its job, but still I had pains. By Saturday night I figured out that these pains were kidney stone pains and at 3 a.m. Easter morning I woke my husband to take me to the ER.

More scans, indeed I had a 4.4 mm stone moving, plus a small one in the kidney, on the left side. On the right side I have 5 stones, the largest one is 5.5 mm. Of course, they tell you, "They could sit there the rest of your life and never cause a problem." Oh, that would be glorious!

The earliest I could get in to see the PA (the doc was booked) was Wed. so I hobbled along on Vicodin. Very strong vicodin. I've never had the 10 mg codeine hydrocodone before. I also got a migraine (from either lack of sleep or just pain or something). I hadn't had one of those since I got a night/bite guard for TMJ. It was a weird experience after 1 1/2 years of no headaches.

When I saw the PA she sent me to get an xray. The doctor was in the office, so he looked at the xray, too, and told me that this time I could get the stone blasted based on where it was and we could do it the next day! So yesterday I went into a surgical center to have lithotripsy (which, for you word nerds like me, I read comes from the words English Litho---of stone and Greek tripsy---to rub). I thought this would be a walk in the park after having ureteroscopy, where they have to put in a stent, then use a wire type thing to go inside of you to remove the stone, then  you get to keep the stent a few more days. There was the possibility that I could get a stent with this, but he opted not to do that. Yea! I knew I'd be going under with general anesthetic, but I've done that & usually it's pleasant & just means I get to sleep soundly all day.

Pleasant is not a word I will ever associate with this procedure again. I feel like they gave me too much anesthesia. In the recovery room they were saying, 'You should be waking up by now. Most patients are alert by now." Not me. I could barely lift my head. My procedure was finished around 7:30. They wanted me to be up and moving by 10. After I got home, I slept until 4:30 on & off then dozed more all evening. I think what's made this worse is that I have been dizzy all week with what I believe is fluid in my ears. That compounded with narcotics/anesthesia have made me very "woozy" feeling. I was able to get some meclizine and found that if I take that with 12 hour sudafed it helps. I also used a "Sinus Rinse" to try to get some of that moving out of my ears. I'm on Cipro antibiotic and they gave me shot of a major antibiotic the day before surgery, so if I have an ear infection, I'm pretty sure it can't live through this!

And my throat...oh, my throat. I knew it would be sore from the tube. The only other time I recall having a sore throat like this from a tube was one of my many endoscopies. I wish I had asked my husband to get some chloraseptic spray. I'm using salt water gargles and mint and/or ginger tea sweetened with honey. I also mixed up some "Magic mouthwash" with benadryl & maalox then added in some liquid (oral) lidocaine. The salt works better than that, though.

Then there is the asthma factor that has never been an issue with the other procedures. The anesthesiologist had me take a breathing treatment before surgery. When I finally got out of bed yesterday afternoon, I needed to use more albuterol. I've used the rescue inhaler about 4 times now in about 12 hours. I wanted to do a breathing treatment, but I can't find our liquid albuterol. I'll see if I can get a refill at the pharmacy & see if Natalie knows where I put the box when we gave some to a friend along with her nebulizer  after Christmas when she got sick (we had 2 borrowed nebulizers).

They told me I would probably be sore in the area where they blasted the stone. Blasted---shockwaves---a far cry from "to rub!" I am not sure what they did to me while I was under, but sore is fitting. It's just not limited to that spot. My kidneys are sore, by legs are sore, my neck is sore. I'm pretty sure if it's attached to me it's sore! :) I did NOT want to take more vicodin. I really thought I could go with just Tylenol. However, between the sore throat and the sore everything else, about 3:30 I took 1/2 a vicodin with 1 Tylenol (since I was cutting down the tylenol in the vicodin to just over 150 mg). It helped a tad. I woke up at 5:30 and took the other half. It hurts to cough. It's like I've just had my hysterectomy all over. But my throat didn't hurt after that surgery. When I cough it hurts from my stomach up to my neck. And I have a big stomach, so it's big pain!

Now, here is something I really didn't expect at all:

This is my arm where the blood pressure cuff was. I've never had this happen with a cuff or with anesthesia. At first, being a good dork that I am, I thought maybe it was red dye as I had dyed some fabric yesterday. But I looked closer and knew it was blood lines. And a bruise.

I would say my bottom line advice in all this is just don't get kidney stones. If only it were that easy. I've done the dietary things that should have helped based on my type of stones and urine samples they've tested. There are a lot of things that CAN cause kidney stones from berries & nuts to dark chocolate. My top things were red meat and salt.

I know that God is faithful and always has a purpose in things even when we don't see them. He says He can use  ALL things for His purpose. I also firmly believe that things like cancer and kidney stones are part of living on this earth full of sin. I am really happy to know that these broken down bodies of ours won't be going on to Heaven!

Your tax dollars hard at work

You know, when you've had a year full of cancer, surgeries and being forced to move, little things aren't the end of the world. They are, however, annoying. They're especially annoying when they're caused by our government supported businesses. This is a completely bipartisan government frustration. I thought I'd share this story before I go postal. Pun intended. Read on to see why. It's fixable, not life threatening, and minor. Like a bad paper cut. Or maybe a bad cold. Or a case of poison ivy.

When we moved out of our former house in early November we didn't know where our next home would be. Temporarily we moved into an extended stay motel. We had our mail forwarded to a P.O. Box near our old house for the interim.

We moved into our house on December 10th. I had mailbox keys, but no idea which mailbox was ours. As much fun as it might have been trying every box in the neighborhood, I'm fairly certain it wouldn't have left a good first impression on our new neighbors. I found our local post office branch (which is just an annex in a strip business center). I took the right forms to prove my identity and residency. They told me in two weeks I would have new keys but could use my old ones temporarily then told me where the box was.

I drove to the box they'd told me was mine. I tried the keys. They didn't work. There were three sets of boxes at the same location, so I tried box 5 on all 3. The key went into the keyhole on 2 of them, but would not turn. I drove to another set of boxes and tried all of the number 5's in that set to no avail. I knew I'd need to wait for my new keys.

During the time we were gone for Christmas I got a call that the keys were ready to pick up. Then we got home, my husband got sick, yada, yada, yada, and I didn't get the keys until January 2nd. I tried those keys today (January 3rd) in the box listed on the envelope the keys were in. They didn't work. I tried the other boxes with a number 5. Still nothing. Sigh.

I called the Post Office branch (the one that has no desk, just a door with an upper section that opens when you ring the bell----mind you, we are in the nation's 7th largest city, so this seems odd). They said to come BACK and bring the keys with me. I did that. The person in front of me left, so I assumed I was next. The lady told me to wait a minute. In the meantime, apparently the lady who'd been in front of me had come back in with her ID. You see, in order to receive your very own mail, you need an ID. Not to vote, mind you, or to get free benefits from the government, but to get your own mail from the government. Sorry, I digress. The mail clerk then took 10 minutes to find this lady's certified mail. What do you know? It was right there in the stack of mail but had been "filed incorrectly." Finally, my turn.

I explained my situation and she took my keys. She told me it would be 2 weeks before I get new keys or find out what is going on with our box. I explained that people had sent me mail and it should be in that box now. She asked if my mail was on hold. No, no one told me to put my mail on hold. "Would you like to put your mail on hold?" I'd like to GET my mail, not put it on hold. "Well, we can put your mail on hold and you can pick it up here." I want the mail that is in my box NOW. "Fill out this form and the carrier will bring it back here. You can pick it up after 3 days." Clearly, it takes 3 days to drive from the post office annex 20 minutes away and take my mail back rather than just knocking on my door like my old postal carrier would have done. I miss him. So, I fill out the form and mark one of the boxes that seemed most logical. Turns out I was supposed to check the one that says, "I will pick up my mail when I return." I told her I wasn't going anywhere and wanted my mail NOW. She told me that I could come pick it up after 3 days (we'd been through this part), but that once I picked it up that would end the hold cycle and I couldn't pick it up again. She knew by this time we'd been in the house since December 10th with no means to access our mailbox. She said she would "let" me have one extra pick up. How nice. I can get mail twice before they keep it from me again. Who knows? In two weeks I might get new keys to a box and we'll see if they work or not.

I miss the mailbox that was attached to my house in Waco, Texas. I miss having a box in front of my house. Actually, I just miss being able to get my mail. See, the stuff that's being forwarded to the PO Box is mainly medical bills. Until we owe something to the electric or water company, I should only have GOOD stuff in my mailbox!

Like I said, this isn't life altering. It isn't cancer. No one is getting a feeding tube or having major surgery. We aren't being forced to leave a home. We aren't living in a motel anymore. It's just a mailbox. That doesn't work. Paid for my you and me. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how YOUR tax dollars are hard at work.

To Buy or Not To Buy, That is the Question

For 24 years we have been renting homes. Apartments, houses, a bungalow in the center of Africa. If we'd bought a house early in marriage we'd have it paid in complete by now. We had a different course than most, though. We planned to live in Africa as missionaries so buying a house wasn't in the picture. We did go to Africa, but it was only for a year. So, at ages 31 and 39 we started over with a new baby and no idea what we'd be doing. That was 17 years ago.

We're in a situation now which will likely force us to move. The house we are renting is being renovated to sell. We will be offered the option to buy the house or he could possibly allow us to lease, but the rent will be higher. Most likely we won't be able to afford to buy this one, so we are looking at other houses and learning a lot about loans.

Due to financial issues, we cannot get a conventional loan until October of 2014. Also we don't have money for a 20% down payment. We can likely qualify for an FHA loan, but it has to be manually underwritten so we can't get prequalified. That requires 3.5% down, which we've been offered as a gift.

We've always heard mortgage is cheaper than rent. That's true. However, mortgage isn't the only monthly payment with a loan. There's interest, homeowner's insurance, and taxes. Then 1.75% up front, then 1.25% monthly. That adds up fast when you're talking about over $100,000. In fact, it can add up to $200 a month. That is the catch for us right now.

We just learned today that with a USDA loan (for which we should also qualify) there is no MIP/PMI. There's also nothing down with a USDA. There will be some expenses at closing, but not much. The only thing with a USDA is it has to be in certain areas & NOT in city limits. So, we'd have to find something in our price range/size that is outside of city limits but not TOO far for driving to work/churh/homeschool stuff we do with others. We could get more house without that MIP to contend with and taxes outside of city limits are lower.

If the house we are in was low enough, we could buy this. Because it is owned by an investment company, we wouldn't even need to get a loan, but could do in house financing. I am just not sure how that would work as far as the APR.

A program we'd like to use for a loan is NACA (www.naca.com). They provide a 0 down, 1% below standard APR loan with no MIP/PMI. They are "character based" not "credit based" so they don't care if your credit score is low. They walk you through the process. You have to show that you can pay your bills on time, pay your rent on time, and keep your bank account above 0 for 12 months, or 24 months if you've filed bankruptcy before they will loan you money. They want you to be successful at owning a home & not get into something you can't pay. As the contractor told me today, with the investment company, if you can't pay your loan, they just kick you out & they resell the house. It's not about the people. Neither is FHA or USDA. Well, USDA is probably more so b/c they want to build up rural areas. Since we did file bankruptcy several years ago and are only one year out, we aren't able to do the NACA right now. If we do buy a house we could possibly consider refinancing through them.

Of course, the last option is to find another house to lease. Then we are back to square one: Rent usually costs more than mortgage.

We've lived in a bungalow in the center of Africa. We've lived in apartments, in old homes, and in small homes. We aren't looking for a big house to feel like we've "made it" or to feel pretentious. We do want space for Phil to have a computer work area so he can work on other computers at home and an area for me to sew, especially to quilt, so that I can earn money to help with expenses but still homeschool. We'd like a kitchen with a good space for me to cook since we have special dietary needs. We'd like kitchen storage for my Pampered Chef products that I use for us and for shows. We'd like the girls to each have a room of their own so we can move things that we have in the living room (and craft room) into their rooms. I'd love for Bethany to develop her artsy skills and have a space to work with that. Natalie would just like a quiet space of her own. Of course, a room of your own isn't a necessity in life. It would just be nice after spending almost 15 years in the same tiny spaces. If we stay in this house I will lose my sewing room, but with the girls taking their things into their rooms and getting rid of a LOT of unneeded items, I think we could make it work. Eventually I would want to close in part of the garage or put a little shed in the backyard that I could use for sewing (with an air conditioner).

Ultimately, we know that God will put us where He wants us. We know He will provide the finances we need. We don't want to presume He will provide for us to have a house that costs more than we can afford, though, and want to be good stewards. He has promised to provide for our needs. He has not promised me a 4 bedroom home with a pool in the backyard and a jacuzzi tub!

So, there you have it. After a year full of cancer and surgeries, we now get to figure out where to live. Life is never dull! Pray that we will make wise decisions and not get overwhelmed in looking at homes and figuring out costs. Thank you!

What does God say about marriage?

In light of some news today, more decisions about same sex marriage in the news, I wanted to see what God said about it. Not what I think, not what the media thinks, not what my pastor thinks, but what did God say about it in His Word? What God's Word says: "7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. I Corinthians 7:1-2. Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
John 3:16
New Living Translation (NLT)
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

My understanding of this is that God loves everyone, whatever choices we make in life. Lots of other verses say we've all sinned. None of us is perfect. It also says to me that God intended marriage for a husband and wife. I respect people's choice to have different views and I love plenty of people with different views. When it comes to tough issues, though, I have to believe what God's Word says. Not my opinion, not my feelings, not the media, not my pastor, not my friends, but God through His Word. I'm a sinner, you're a sinner, except for the blood of Christ we all fall short of His glory. And he created male and female and says marriage is between a man and woman.

I don't expect everyone to agree with me and I'm thankful we have the freedom to discuss these things in the US. Respectfully. I even had a weird dream about this topic the other night involving Phil's extended family at a reunion & a tv star. Very strange!

A few loose screws

No doubt most folks who know me could agree that sometimes I have a few screws loose. Our family would be included in that comment. Right now, though, there's a good reason. Not only are some screws loose, but we might be coming unglued, too. Sounds like we need a good repairman.

After Phil had a cancerous tumor removed from his tongue in May, all pathology reports came back clean, meaning no more cancer. After a lengthy recovery, but never feeling quite up to par, Phil discovered another spot on his tongue around Thanksgiving. He saw the doctor right away and had a biopsy of it. It is another cancerous tumor.

We saw an oncologist on December 5th, but found out that with a new insurance plan starting on January 1st, this doctor would not be covered. We had to find a doctor who was both on the old plan and the new one. We found Dr. Santiago at the Cancer Care Center. We got to see him on December 18th and a plan was laid out for Phil to have a course of radiation along with a targeted drug called Erbitux. Phil will have radiation 5 days a week for about 6 weeks. Once a week, he will also have an infusion of Erbitux. This means they will give it to him through an IV. The Erbitux is basically a vaccine. It's been found to do wonders with oral cancer as well as colorectal. I guess it's an "all in the family" kind of drug!

Now, you are probably wondering if we saw the doctor in December why I am still using the words "WILL start." Good thing to wonder. He had to see a radiation oncologist to set up the radiation treatment. He did that just before Christmas only to learn he had to see a dentist to be sure his teeth could handle the radiation first. He has since had a crown, been in major pain and then had a root canal. NOW he has to wait for his mouth to heal 2 weeks before they will begin radiation. In the meantime he had a mask made of his face, which is pretty cool.

You can keep up with our journey through cancer at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/philgarrison 

Now, back to those loose screws. A few weeks ago we were at the library and when we went to leave, the car wouldn't start. I had no jumper cables. There "happened" to be men sitting in pick up trucks on either side of the car. Surely one of them could help. Neither of them had jumper cables! One, though, offered to go to his house & get his. He went & came back with brand new cables. He actually bought some when he realized someone had borrowed his. He tried to jump start my car. Nothing. Nada. Nil. He then pulled out a wrench & tightened a screw. That was it. The car started right up! I offered to pay him (though I had no cash, my "rich kids" still had Christmas money on them), and he refused saying God would bless him. What a special blessing for us! 

So, we may have some screws loose. But that's nothing new for us! We'll just keep plugging along seeing what God has in store in this journey! 

Holly Jolly Christmas

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Joyeux Noel! Have a Holly Jolly Christmas! God Jul!

Do you use any of those expressions this time of year? For years now the "War on Christmas" has been raging. Stores call their special items, like trees on which you put lights and decorations to celebrate on Dec. 25, Holiday items. Employees have been told they can say "Happy Holidays!" but not "Merry Christmas!" I agree with those who believe this is wrong and that it is an infringement of freedom of religion and free speech. However, that's not what this post is about. Not really, at least.

I am probably in the minority here. I am a Christian. I do believe people should have the right to say "Merry Christmas" if they choose to do so. I do believe that we celebrate Christmas as the Mass of Christ---a celebration and worship of the Lord's coming to earth as a baby so long ago. That's not what puts me in the minority, of course.

What does put me in the minority are these things. First, we chose not to "do" Santa Claus. We never told our kids that a fat man with a white beard, a red suit & deer would be bringing gifts. Which is really funny, because as long as my parents lived at Canyon Lake, my dad CLEARLY fit that description. He grows out a little mustache & beard just for Christmas. It's white. He has red shirts & a Santa hat. At the lake they always had deer in the yard (not reindeer, but deer still). And he is definitely a good physical copy of the "Dude in the Cherry Red Suit." We just didn't tell them that a MYTHICAL character was bringing gifts. Phil & I both loved Santa growing up, but he really wanted Christmas to focus on the Truth of Jesus' birth. As they got old enough to know about Santa, we did teach them about St. Nick, that many families chose to pretend that Santa was real, and not to bring that up to others. Of course, that led to problems because if Santa DID come up, they were honest. If someone asked, "Do you believe in Santa?" They said no. Which got translated into, "Your kids told my kids Santa isn't real." Both girls have said that they are glad we didn't do Santa (I've asked them several times), Natalie has a real disdain for the guy for a LONG time because she was always getting in trouble with others for not believing in him.

Next, you'd think that would mean we are the kind of family who bars all things remotely related to the frivolity of the season. That is the farthest thing from us! We (okay, the girls & I) LOVE the festive part of Christmas. Each girl has a little tree with ornaments she's been collecting through the years. With pink lights. Then we have a big (artificial---we have allergies) tree full of decorations. Yes, even some Santa ornaments. We love watching Christmas movies. I think Natalie has seen every Hallmark Christmas movie produced this season alone! We love a Charlie Brown Christmas & even Rudolph. Who wouldn't love a show about an elf who wants to be a dentist? LOL! Not "doing Santa" has in now way diminished the fun of the season!

That brings me to the third way I am probably in the minority: I really don't have an issue with Happy Holidays. I say Merry Christmas, but I don't mind signs that say Happy Holidays or people saying that. I DO mind "Holiday trees" and "Holiday ornaments" and such. That's just plain stupid. No one puts up a Kwanzaa tree or a Hanukkah tree! A Yule tree, perhaps, but not the others. No large chain store closes for the other holidays, either. They close on December 25th. Even so, the words Happy Holidays doesn't bother me. If you think about it, the word Holiday means Holy Day. So, those wishing you Happy Holidays are wishing you multiple Holy Days!

Finally, I really like Christmas music, and not just carols. I LOVE Christmas Carols. I love singing of the birth of my Savior and thinking what it was like for Mary and Joseph that night. What it was like for the Shepherds nearby. What it was like for the Wise Men who visited the child in his home later (you do know they didn't go to the manger, right?). But I also love hearing Burl Ives burst out Holly Jolly Christmas. Or Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. I even like some of the newer songs, but you can keep "Last Christmas I gave you my heart." That has to be one of my least favorite EVER songs. I love thinking that somewhere someone is having a White Christmas or is going home for Christmas, if only in their dreams. And I laugh at "Mom & Dad can hardly wait for school to start again" since I homeschool my kids! This music brings back memories of Christmases past. We'll never have a Hallmark Christmas. We will probably never have snow in San Antonio in December. And only once every 20 years or so do we even get flurries that stick for an hour. But, I still like the music about such things! I don't think this makes me a hypocrite since the Lord created snow and families!

So, if you see me and want to say Happy Holidays, go ahead. I'll tell you Merry Christmas back, but I won't be offended. And if you want to tell me to have a Holly Jolly Christmas and to have a cup of cheer, I'll listen. Just don't try to hang Holiday ornaments on my Holiday Tree. THAT is a crime punishable by....something!

Does Every Vote Count?

While I'm waiting for some more guest bloggers, here's a political/government question that might be asked in a class. During the elections we hear the phrase, "every vote counts." It seems that in most elections this is true. I wonder, though, how that works with our electoral college. In our homeschool co-op last spring we taught a short government course. It was the first time I understood how the electoral college works. However, I'm still trying to figure out why we have it. Why is popular vote not enough? If we have a certain number of voters who make that final vote based on popular vote, is it truly effective? What happens if the popular vote is divided equally among 3 candidates, but your state has 10 people in the electoral college? Does every vote truly count then?

I don't know but I'm hoping someone who speaks peoplese (vs. legalese) can answer this for me!

Any volunteers?

Christians and Politics: Guest Blogger 3, Beth

Welcome to my third Guest Blogger, Beth! She's a dear online friend and a fellow "dork sister" (a group of us who admit to doing really silly things on a daily basis). Enjoy reading her take on this topic!

Should Christians be involved in politics? If so, in what ways? 

 Yes, I believe so.  I think we should do our best to make our voices heard. I think we need to stand by our Christian principals and faith when we are involved.  For me, I can't check my faith and beliefs at the door of my house when I leave to go elsewhere. My faith is a core part of who I am, how I respond to life, and my outlook and world view.  I can't check it at the door and go and be someone else when involved in politics or community events.  I think our biggest way to be invovled is to PRAY.  God promises he will hear the prayers of the righteous and all of us can be involved in prayer for our nation, our leaders at the local levels and national levels. 
 
Does God's Word, the Bible, have anything to say about politics?  

I think we need to remember the fruits of the spirit when dealing in politics....love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness,  mercy, etc.  If we respond and interact this way in  our political dealings, I think God will be blessed and we will show others what true Christians really look like. The verse about rendering to Cesear what is Cesear's comes to mind too. I think we do need to be faithful, tax paying, law abiding citizens.  The issue for me is if the laws change in such a way to where they are not meeting my biblical standard...what then? Will we be forced to abide by laws that go against our religious beliefs?? That's a problem and I think at that point my religious beliefs should overtake the laws of the land. But, hum.....not sure I have all the answers for this one.
 
Should pastors share political ideas from the pulpit? Why or why not? If yes, in what ways

 I'm not sure about this one.  Our minster has been pretty quiet about it lately. He's not really touched on the subject.  I agree that you don't want your church to be divisive over political issues but truth needs to be told as well. I know our church has biblical voter guides available out in the hall for people to take and look over, but that's about as far as they have gone to say anything about the elections to the congregations.  I guess that's how it should be. Provide the info and let the people decide but don't make a big deal about it from the pulpit. People do have differing views...for very good reasons...on both sides of the isle and many do come from christian perspectives.
 
(Optional) How are your personal political views influenced by the Bible? 

 I do vote my biblical views as best as I can and as long as there is a candidate that is somewhat influenced by faith and their religion.  I will always vote prolife.  I feel that is one area where the Bible speaks loud and clear about not killing or murdering. I consider abortion murder.  Other's don't feel that way and don't have an isssue with the topic.  That being said, people will bring up the topic of capital punishment and war.  I do beleive God told his people to go to war on several occasions to follow his will, protect the nation of Isreal, etc.  So, I do feel that if war is warrented for the safety and protection of our country and allies, then our nation should consider it as an option.  God bless the men and women who stand up and fight for our nation by being in the armed forces.  There is not enough gratitude in my heart for what many have done on our behalf.

Politics and Faith: Guest Blogger 2, Becky Kiser

My sweet niece is today's guest blogger on the topic of politics and Christians. Enjoy reading!

Before I answer the questions, I wanted to share with all of you that I feel in process about all of this. This is my fourth election to vote in and I feel like each experience has been totally different for me. I've voted from different motives (and often wrong motives) each time. So none of this is me sharing as an expert at all but simply from a woman, like you, wanting to honor God in all areas of my life whether that's voting or grocery shopping. :)

Should Christians be involved in politics? If so, in what ways?
Absolutely Christians NEED to be involved in politics... and in every way they personally feel called. If you are over 18, then clearly voting is a huge part of it. But before voting even occurs (or you turn voting age) you have to become educated. My first election I voted straight ticket out of total ignorance. I had heard that the Christian way to vote was Republican, so that first year I did straight republican. I hate that I voted with such ignorance and naivety (note: because of how I voted, not who I voted for). Since then I have really study each issue and compared it to the current times. I have looked at each candidate and looked at not just their character or religious beliefs but how they have done their jobs in years past. I've studied and continue to study ALL the issues not just abortion and marriage and see how they line up with the Word and our world. One thing that I feel like should be addressed is ways we should NOT be involved in politics. But I'll address that in the next section too. :)
Does God's Word, the Bible, have anything to say about politics?
Sadly all I've heard about from the majority of Christians when it comes to politics is really disheartening. I want to remind all of us of to things the Word says for sure to us as Christians (there's no room for interpretation):
1. Love God and Love Others (Matt 22:37-38). I think we need to be VERY cautious in how we share about politics. Unfortunately social media has removed the filter for a lot of people. They've posted things too quickly that can do a lot of harm. I've been so saddened after debates to hear so many make fun of the other party/candidate and cry victory (this goes for both parties). How we speak of each candidate (president, congress, etc.) matters. The same rules the Bible gives us about slander, gossip, hate, etc. all still apply. Because they've put themselves in the public eye doesn't mean we all of a sudden have permission to speak poorly of them. We are still called to respect our authority, and whether we like it or not, the government is our authority. Parents especially should be modeling kind and gracious words and behavior for their kids. In all our opinions, actions and words we should be very intentional to be loving towards others and God.

2. GO and be a disciple (Matt 28:19).  Remember that not everyone you share your opinion with shares your same belief in Christianity. I have heard from so many who don't share my faith how annoying Christians are during the political season. Before you speak or tweet or status update, ask yourself how this is winning others over for Jesus.

3. Be peace loving-- James 3:17-18 syas, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."

Along with those two challenges from the Word, I think it is important to search out the Word for your own on all the issues. Ask the Lord what needs to be a law for the whole nation NOT just what is my personal belief? What are commands just for Christians NOT just what I want my world to look like so I am more comfortable. 

And remember, from what I've studied comprehensively anyway, WE as Christians are the ones called to go and be the church. Somethings I think we put too much pressure on the government to change things. We live in the world, it will always disappoint us. We live with other humans, and they are not a holy God we can put our full trust in.  All that to say, be the church to the world we live in. We may not be able to pass into law all the things we believe most in and that's OK. :) Because that doesn't change how you can still live. You can still have a strong marriage and model how the Word says it should be (while loving your gay neighbors). You can still pray at school (while doing it respectfully for your Muslim classmate). You can still chose life in your pregnancy (and pray and support pregnancy centers and adoption and whatever else you can do to help eliminate abortion). You can live within the means you are given (even if you are taxed even more this next year because you have been given all you need). You can still reach out the poor because that's what Jesus did (even if the government doesn't help them). You can still pray for healing for the sick (regardless of how healthcare works out). You can model faith in a God that can be trusted (not fear in the god of government).

Should pastors share political ideas from the pulpit? Why or why not? If yes, in what ways?
I don't think they should. I think it is really inappropriate and divisive. Publicly endorsing certain parties or candidates from the pulpit seems out of place to me. I have NO problem with them doing so personally though. 
(Optional) How are your personal political views influenced by the Bible?

This has actually been what's made voting so hard for me, considering what is the most God honoring way to vote every two years. Considering ALL issues and also considering if they should be a law or if they should be something the church/Christians should be doing is a challenge. Often times what I believe personally is moral or Biblically acceptable is not the same as what I think the government should have authority over or in. Also, often times there are issues on each side that I feel strongly about as a Christian. At the end of the season when it comes time to vote, you just have to trust that you've come to the right choice for yourself. And more than all of that trust more in Christ then you do in the outcome of the vote! :)

Guest Blogger 1: Politics and Religion

My first guest blogger asked to remain anonymous. Here is the info I received:

My feelings can best be expressed in the attached blog. Regardless of those who receive their “truth” from the NPR/MSNBC camp or the Fox News/Conservative Talk Radio camp there is only one Truth and it doesn’t involve politics or hating people because they believe something different than you. I will let my vote that I do in the privacy of the polling location do all my talking in the realm of politics. 

 

Here is the link to the blog:

http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/163120-how-to-overcome-election-fatigue.html?p=2

 

Thanks to the contributor and thanks to you for stopping by to read! 

Talking about Politics and Religion

You've likely heard the saying that if you want a dinner party to go well, never discuss politics or religion. You also have likely been inundated with BOTH of those the past few months, and even more as the election date draws near! I decided to ask some fellow Christians for their take on our role as Christians in the realm of politics. I've heard enough of the "your candidate stinks" information to last a lifetime. I want to get to the issue that would effect all believers, not just those in the USA.

I asked several questions and am hoping to hear back so I can share these on my blog. Some will be anonymous and some might share their identities/backgrounds. Hope you will come back to see What's Cookin' with Chef Mama's friends! First order coming up shortly!

What I Want to Know Is...

Several years ago Natalie & I read a series of books called "Life of Faith." There are actually several series within the Life of Faith book line based on some books written in the 1800's. In one of the sets, a young girl has an insatiable curiosity about life. She forever was saying, "What I want to know is..." and followed with her query.

What I want to know is something that is probably more complex than I want to dive into headfirst. It has to do with the topic of abortion, probably the number one most heated issue in the USA today. People fall into one of two camps in general: those who are pro-choice, meaning the pregnant woman should have the choice to or not to abort the pregnancy, or pro-life, meaning the baby developing inside of the woman has the right to live to full term. Usually the terms used to describe the growth inside of a woman's body is different in each camp. Pro-choice folks use terms such as "viability, embryo, and fetus." Pro-life folks use the terms "Baby, from conception, and heartbeat" more often.

I am part of the latter camp, and that is no shock to anyone who knows me. Please don't stop reading just because I said that, as my question goes deeper. I think often pro-life people and pro-choice people can be very harsh towards one another. This is a deep seated issue that is not likely to be swayed easily in any person. When something is that personal and that deep, it evokes emotional responses, and typically not pleasant ones towards someone who believes differently. I will ATTEMPT to not do that in this post.

While I am 100% pro-life (perhaps even more so that some other conservative folks), I want to say that I understand why a woman would choose an abortion. If a woman is single and finds herself pregnant, especially if the father is not ready to commit to a lifetime of raising a child, she would certainly be in a difficult spot. It took 2 to create that pregnancy, but she is the only one able to make a choice about it. Maybe she is a high school student who had wanted to stay "pure" until marriage but had a boyfriend who persuaded her to have sex. Yes, she agreed, but he also did. Now, if she continues the pregnancy, she will be ostracized, likely, by her peers. Even if she wants to place the baby in an adoptive home, she will have to spend the next 9 months caring for the new life inside of her by caring for her own body. Maybe her boyfriend is forcing her to have an abortion. Maybe her parents are forcing her to do this. Or, maybe the pregnant woman finds out that the baby might not survive. Or maybe the pregnant woman has 5 kids and no income. Sure, she should have "thought of that before," but she didn't and now she wonders what in the world she will do. Those pro-lifers aren't going to come swooping in to pay for her new baby, most likely. Obviously, the consequences of sex are much greater for the woman than for the man. I understand.

Next, I also understand that if someone believes that an embryo is not truly a baby until a certain point in pregnancy, then I would not expect them to find abortion wrong. Perhaps they see the removal of an embryo much like the removal of a tumor. Again, I disagree, but I understand it. If you see it this way, or maybe as a part of the woman's body, rather than a separate being, then I get how you would see how a woman could choose this route.

Here is what I DON'T understand. I am not trying to sound angry or hurtful. I just really don't understand this. If a  person believes that a SEPARATE life DOES start from conception, THEN I don't understand how that person would say it is okay for a woman to have an abortion. I think the biggest fallacy is the line, "I think it's wrong to have one, but I think a woman should have that choice." IF you think the baby is a separate life, then that line is no different from saying, "I think it's wrong to shoot my toddler, but if a woman wants to, then that's her choice." That is usually followed by the "viability" statement: "It's okay to abort a baby before they are viable" meaning can survive outside the womb. NO baby can survive outside the womb without help being fed. And we've all seen or heard of babies being born very prematurely who survive and thrive.

Here is part 2 of what I don't understand. If someone believes that the Bible is God's Holy Word, then I don't understand how he or she could say abortion is okay. The verse that comes to mind is:

Psalm 139:13-14

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

If God's Word tells us that He put that baby into his mother's womb, then I don't understand how, if you believe that part to be true, could also believe a woman should have a choice to end that life.

Because this is an election year, the last part of what I don't understand is this: If someone believes abortion is wrong and is murder in God's eyes, how can that person support a candidate who not only believes abortion should be a choice, but wants to use taxpayer money to pay for abortions? Like the character in the book, I just don't understand and really would like to know. I might disagree with you, but it will help me to understand where you are coming from.

If you have an answer to this and do not want to post it publicly, I would really like to hear from you. My e-mail is cheflag@satx.rr.com. If you are in the same "camp" as I am, I ask that you respectfully do not say harsh things in your comments, but share a measure of grace for those who disagree. Thank you!

Do We Need a Welfare System?

This may be the most heated presidential election of all time in the United States. Lines are not only being drawn between parties, but within parties. Just hearing about the decision first to remove any reference to God out of the DNC's platform, then returning it to the "boos" of those opposed, tells me that we are a very diverse country.

A new word has come to light during the past nearly 4 years in which we've had our current president. It is a word that rouses cheers from some and pleas for change from others. The word is "Obamacare." While it is the dubbed title of the "Health Care Reform Plan," it seems to scream the very essence of what President Obama stands for and to many represents his views on welfare in general.

If you spend 5 minutes on facebook, you will see people fuming on both sides of this issue. Some things I've seen include, "It is wrong to tax a person nearly to the point of death in order to provide for someone who will not work." Or on the flip side, "You say feeding the poor and helping them is wrong? I thought you were a Christian." As we get closer to the election, this topic is certain to fuel more fire.

Do we need these kinds of programs? Do we need medicaid, food stamps, etc.? Do we need to help others who need food, medical care and clothing? Are these the same questions? I don't think so. My view is based on what I have found in Scripture. First, do we need to help others? Does God call Christians to help others? Yes. A resounding YES! Clearly, even just reading this one passage, we know that God expects His children to help others:

The Sheep and the Goats (NIV)

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
When Christians say they don't support Obamacare and don't support food stamps, they usually aren't saying they hate poor people. At least I don't THINK they are. No one I know feels that way. Instead, they are saying they don't think the GOVERNMENT should be taking money from those who work and giving it to those who will not work. Notice in the passage above, it never says, "When I was hungry, you sent me to the right offices so I could get signed up for food stamps. When I was thirsty, you had the president give you something to drink." I believe the first key ingredient is that God calls His children to serve others directly, or as directly as possible. I believe churches and Christians should be helping others in need.

The second issue is taking money from those who work hard to earn it and giving it to someone who won't work. Check out these words that Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

⁶ In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. ¹³ And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

If you WILL not work you SHALL not eat. Pretty clear cut. 

The ideal answer would be that individuals would help others. I have a friend who has different political views than I do, but she takes this to heart and helps a group of refugees who have fled their country due to persecution. They are here legally, but that brings up the 3rd big issue: should we be granting medical care, food, and more to those who have come to this country illegally? In Scripture, there were clearly countries and territories established. However, many that exist today weren't around back then. Should we let our country's borders keep us from helping others? It seems like the straight forward answer would be that we help all people. However, it's not straight forward. There is an underlying theme throughout Scripture calling for us to "obey the rules." We aren't saved through following rules, but through accepting Jesus' death and resurrection to pay for our sins, thus being "born again." But we are called to follow His rules, which means follow the rules of your country unless they go against His word. Remember, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's?" My ancestors came to this country over 100 years ago. They left all they knew to come here. They had to have all kinds of paperwork to get here. Have you ever heard of Ellis Island? While my ancestors came before the Island was a port of entry, the rules were the same. When you arrived at the Island, if you were ill or hurt, you were not allowed in. It seems harsh, but the reality was then, and is now, that our country cannot care for every one in the world. And we seem to be the only country that thinks we need to do this. Maybe it would be better to help Mexico build some better hospitals than have people risk their lives to get here and then give them free medical care. I have a good friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer and had no insurance. Obamacare became available around the time of her diagnosis. She discovered it was not free and her out of pocket cost would be outrageous. By going in as an uninsured patient, she received discounts from doctors and hospitals. She will be paying for her treatment for some time, but how to you place a value on a life? My husband had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor this year. Though we have insurance, we will also be paying bills for at least a year. 

I ask you this: Is it right for my husband to work hard to earn money to provide for his family, while I teach my children at home, including an mildly autistic child, and do part time work when I can to help us pay for our basic needs, then expect us to give money to the government for someone who comes to this country illegally and does not have permits to legally work here? 

Back to the subject: Do we need a welfare system? I think the bottom line is that yes, we do. In fact, there were times when we used the system to help provide basic needs. When I had our 2nd child, we used Medicaid and for a few years also used the WIC program. Were we sitting around idly while someone else paid for us? No. My husband was working full time. I was caring for our firstborn, then 2 young children rather than putting them into a free state supported preschool program (meaning, the government was not spending money to babysit my children). We also have had individuals help us over the years. Our parents have been very gracious and helped when they could. Friends have offered us help in a variety of ways (even giving us a second car to use until it died a sad death recently).  There are times when a person is in a tough spot and sometimes other individuals can't provide the help that is needed. Do I think our health care system in general needed an overhaul? Yes, yes, yes. Did you read what I said above that we will be paying bills for a year & my friend for years? One of my friend's medications was in the 10's of thousands. That is for ONE drug! Do I think we need reform? Yes. Is it the insurance companies that are making the money? Is it the pharmaceutical companies? Are doctors making a fortune? A friend of mine who happens to be our pediatrician makes an okay living, but she works long days, has to pay rent on the office building, pay her staff, pay for insurance for the clinic, and takes mostly medicaid and CHIP patients. Does she make a fortune? Well, she is also a co-Pampered Chef consultant to make extra money. Does that answer the question? 

In essence, yes, we need a welfare system of sorts, yes we need healthcare reform, and no, I don't have the answers. I find it tragic that some of the things this new program includes are considered "women's rights," even when it steps over the boundaries of what a religious institute believes. So much for that beloved phrase "separation of church and state," one of the most overused and incorrectly used quotes of all time. This is a springboard for a different post a different day. Now it is time to go to sleep for the welfare of my family!

And then came Cancer

Wayne Watson wrote a song in the 80's (maybe early 90's) called "Home Free." I'll post the lyrics at the end of this blog post, but want to share with you one line to begin:

You know pain has little mercy
And suffering's no respecter of age, of race or position

Every person I know has had their life impacted by cancer. Our first close encounter with cancer was when a friend was diagnosed not long after we were married. Don and Nancy Hollis had been the teaching leaders at Bible Study Fellowship and something of a second set of parents (you know those folks who are like an aunt & uncle but no blood relation) to Phil before I met him. They soon became as dear to me as to Phil. Don lost his fight with cancer in the early 90's. While we were living in Africa in 95-96, my Grammie was diagnosed with oral cancer (never smoked and rarely drank) and lost her battle in 96 just days after we'd arrived back in the US. I was able to speak with her once before she went to be with Jesus. 

In 2007 cancer came calling in a big way and has not stopped knocking at the door. Phil's dad, Bill, was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Following a few rounds of chemo, the doctor performed surgery. Bill's body was not strong enough to handle this, it seems, as he developed pneumonia and within 3 weeks was gone: February 1, 2008. In late December of 2009 my dear friend Kathy felt a lump in her breast. After months of tests and struggling with insurance companies (then discovering she had NO coverage), she had a mastectomy in May of 2010, followed by months of chemotherapy, then radiation, and an entire year of herceptin treatment. Kathy is our survivor! Just a couple of weeks before Kathy's surgery our mutual dear friend Linda was diagnosed with stage 4 endometrial cancer. Same song next verse: Surgery, then months of chemo. Sadly, Linda developed an infection just days following her final chemo treatment. We said our goodbyes to her on Dec. 1, 2010. 

In December of 2010 an online friend, Katie, who had such a sweet spirit that no one felt like they knew her only on the internet, was diagnosed with stage 4 gastric cancer. She fought the odds for many months, but late in 2011 we also lost her to this dreaded disease. This year my friend Debra went through chemotherapy for a gastric type cancer and is now cancer free!

Cancer, like the suffering mentioned in the song I posted, is no respecter of age, race or position. It doesn't strike just the lower class. It doesn't hit just the old. It isn't a white man's disease or a middle eastern condition. Great leaders and tiny children have been diagnosed. I've been in the "friend chair" in the chemo room and see that the only connection these people have is cancer. While it is a murderer, for those who will allow it, cancer can be a means of drawing people together. Those how have been through cancer have been changed and can connect in a way that the rest of us can only sit back and view. 

Until about 2 months ago my little family of 4, while having been exposed to too much cancer for a lifetime, had not been diagnosed. Then, my husband Phil felt a funny spot on his tongue. He thought he had bit his tongue, but the spot did not go away. He saw his primary care doctor who didn't know what to think of it. Another doctor came in and could not diagnose it, but knew it did not look good. She sent him to an ENT to have it looked at. He saw the ENT on a Monday and had a biopsy. By Wednesday we had the news: this was cancer. On Friday we were in his office making plans. Phil had a PET/ct scan on May 9th. The results were negative, which, while not perfect method of diagnosis, gave an indication that the cancer had not spread. The biopsy had shown this was at stage 1, which means it was caught VERY early. Praise God for that!

On Tuesday, May 22nd, Phil had a section of tongue removed (a slice off the side) as well as a large incision in his neck to remove lymph nodes for pathology. We are now waiting on path reports to see if there is any cancer in the nodes. As the doctor told us in the hospital, "I do not have microscopic eyes so we will wait to see what the lab reports show."

I will write about how Phil is doing in a different post. For now I just wanted to let you be aware of what is happening. Interestingly, this is "Help Whip Cancer" month with Pampered Chef. I have done nothing with my business this month. I wanted this to be the year I raised a lot of money for the American Cancer Society. But then came cancer...to our house...to my husband. And we are trying to whip cancer here. Of course, the greatest weapon we have is the Lord and we beseech Him to heal Phil. We know that is long as there is life there is hope and we trust that He is still able to heal. I have an entire post in my head on this topic, but I will spare you the details for now! Suffice to say we are not "name in, claim it" people, but do believe the Lord is able to do what He wills. 

I GREATLY REJOICE that my friends Kathy and Debra have been given an extension on this life. I still grieve those whose lives were cut short by this disease. Yet, I have this hope: those who knew Jesus in this life are FREE OF PAIN and in His presence now. We grieve because we miss them. They are complete and healed in the greatest way ever! One day all who have trusted in Christ as their Savior will be healed of all pain and suffering! So I leave you with the words of the Wayne Watson song, "Home Free."

I'm trying hard not to think you unkind
But Heavenly Father
If you know my heart
Surely you can read my mind
Good people underneath the sea of grief
Some get up and walk away
Some will find ultimate relief

Chorus
Home Free, eventually
At the ultimate healing we will be Home Free
Home Free, oh Ive got a feeling
At the ultimate healing
We will be Home Free

Out in the corridors we pray for life
A mother for her baby, A husband for his wife
Sometimes the good die young
It's sad but true
And while we pray for one more heartbeat
The real comfort is with you

You know pain has little mercy
And suffering's no respecter of age, of race or position
I know every prayer gets answered
But the hardest one to pray is slow to come
Oh Lord, not mine, but Thy will be done

Let it be...

Chorus
Home Free, eventually
At the ultimate healing we will be Home Free
Home Free, oh Ive got a feeling
At the ultimate healing
We will be Home Free

Home Free, eventually
At the ultimate healing gonna be Home Free
Home Free, oh its more than a feeling
At the ultimate healing
Gonna be Home Free

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/w/waynewatsonlyrics/homefreelyrics.html

Life with Us

Just a quick post with a few pictures to show what's been going on in our lives. I spent most of March making this:

So this could happen, in England:

While her parents were in England for the wedding, my children went from this:

to this:

 for 2 weeks.
While the parents were gone our co-op went to the zoo:

to see this and this:

The very wild animals we found:

Then I took the 4 girls to the LBJ State Park and we found more animals:

On April 11th we welcomed a new baby to our family. We got to see her on April 12th. My nephew & his wife had their 2nd girl!

Everyone wanted a closer look, even great Poppaw! Great-Mammaw is holding the baby.

This is how my girls looked when we saw the baby in the morning (above). Then we went to see my niece, nephew-in-law and their sweet little girl (modeling the dress I made for her AND her Daddy's shoes):

I left my babies with my niece and came back to find them all grown up looking like this:

And somewhere along the way we had Easter and I took ZERO pictures! WAAAAAHHHH!!! And homeschool, and co-op, and Girl Scouts, and church, and yes, I've even had some shows for my cooking business that I don't know if I'm allowed to mention now that I'm doing that again. It rhymes with Hampered Jeff.

Hope you enjoyed this little picture tour!

It's not Thanksgiving anymore

My dad reminded me that I hadn't posted on this blog since Thanksgiving. So, here I am. Since then Natalie turned 13, we had Christmas, New Year's, my dad & mom-in-law had birthdays & we've had Valentine's Day. Exciting, huh? Phil had a birthday yesterday, too. And mine is on Thursday (the 15th).

What have we been doing? Schoolwork, digging through piles of junk in the house, more schoolwork, more junk digging & tossing, sewing, more school, more digging. Oh, also cooking, washing dishes & clothes. Yep, all that! LOL! My allergies got the best of me this year and I ended up with a sinus infection that is finally responding to antibiotics. We also sold Girl Scout cookies in February---on the 2 coldest nights of the entire year! Having older girls now they can have booths from 8-10. Of course, it's a guess as to what the weather will be. 3 of them were VERY cold (2 the same day, an afternoon & night). One was very pleasant. Welcome to South Texas!

I've been sewing when I can to get some projects finished to list on Etsy as well as a BIG project: a wedding dress! I'm almost done with that but fitting this sweet bride has been a challenge as she's built a bit like Dolly Parton. She's 5'11". I think she may be taller than Dolly, and she may not be as tiny in the waist, but she's pretty close. So the bodice (top part) has been the major challenge to fit. She's a very down to earth girl who would prefer wearing jeans to her wedding. She is wearing her boots---the kind you might go walking in. It's pretty funny! No sparkles or lace, but there is a bit of shine in the cotton sateen we're using. I'll post pictures after the wedding.

I am also trying to restart my PC business, but with being sick & sewing, that's been slow going. I'm currently doing a special for March on my own & hope to book shows for April. I really need to get some shows going & get bookings from those!

Other than teaching my kids & our tiny co-op (I teach Literature), these are the things we've been doing. Glamorous, huh? I'll take non-glamour accompanied by NO hospital trips! For 2 years in a row we had one of us in the hospital on Valentine's Day. This year marks a new beginning! 2 1/2 months and NO ER trips! woo-hoo!

We are waiting for our next great niece to arrive. She is due on 4/17, her dad's birthday, but she keeps trying to arrive sooner. I've told my niece-in-law that 3/15 is a GREAT day if she DOES have to come early. LOL!

Now, I'm off to the drugstore. I know you are all jealous that I get to do that AND come home to cook, clean, and wash more dishes and clothes. ha, ha.