Thursday, August 30, 2007
Lazy Day
Today has been the laziest day we have had in a while. Adam took the day off (the church gives them a free day off for their birthday, yeah!) and we didn't do a thing all day long. Last night we were at church, and a sweet lady stopped me to ask how she could pray for us right now. I told her we needed prayer for rest, b/c Adam has not had a day off for the last three weeks. He has been so busy, working on both of his days off every week. I am so proud of him, but a little worried, too! Anyways, God answered her prayers...we woke up at 11:00, ate breakfast and went straight to our big chair and a half in our pjs. It is now 6:00, that is, 6:00 p.m., and I just brushed my hair for the first time! (Poor Adam, I didn't think about what he was having to look at all day, ha!) We are actually going to go work out for a little bit, and then rent a movie and sit on the couch again...ah, what a wonderful day!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Tag!
I've been tagged by Lindsay! Here is some life changing info about me...
The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
8 Random Facts or Habits about me:
1. My name is Laura and I love love love to cook. I also love to eat, so I guess those two hobbies go well together! I've noticed that I tend to bake when I'm sad and cook when I'm stressed. Both bring me great joy!
2. My favorite person in the world is my husband, Adam. He makes me laugh, cry, sing, think hard and also relax...all at just the right time. I thank God every day that I get to share my life with my best friend.
3. I am an aspiring song writer. Key word: aspiring. I tend to write campy, jingly songs most of the time, but I am inspired by great song writers of our time, such as Nicole Nordman, Bono from U2, and of course, my husband. :)
4. I take a bath almost every night. It is my down time and therapy for the day! I'll read a magazine or just lay back and take a short nap, with either bath salts or bubbles. The lights have to be off, with just a low lamp on. It is kind of a ritual, but I love it! I get really sad when we are out of town and I can't have my baths...I know, that is kind of ridiculous. Can you imagine how hard dorm life in college was for 3 years? No bath tubs there...
5. Lately my new hobby is working out, if you can call that a hobby. My favorite is the elliptical, but I also bike and treadmill. I am amazed at how much more energy I have, and I sleep better, too! Not to mention the pants go on a bit easier. :)
6. I am a creature of habit. As mentioned before about baths, I have a nightly routine, morning routine, a method to a lot of things I do. I also enjoy being spontaneous, but I think due to our busy schedule at the church, I enjoy the few things I can keep the same every day!
7. I am a crazy dog lover, I just can't have dogs since Adam is highly allergic. I am blessed to live near my parents and their dog who I grew up with, so I am able to go get some "Ginger-lovin'" fairly often and fill my need for a pup!
8. I love fresh sheets on my bed...the smell, the feel...I heard Oprah say once that she has new sheets everyday, and I fought jealousy over that! Every day? What a treat! I literally smile as I fall into a fresh set.
Ok, now all my blogger friends to the right are tagged! Go!
The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
8 Random Facts or Habits about me:
1. My name is Laura and I love love love to cook. I also love to eat, so I guess those two hobbies go well together! I've noticed that I tend to bake when I'm sad and cook when I'm stressed. Both bring me great joy!
2. My favorite person in the world is my husband, Adam. He makes me laugh, cry, sing, think hard and also relax...all at just the right time. I thank God every day that I get to share my life with my best friend.
3. I am an aspiring song writer. Key word: aspiring. I tend to write campy, jingly songs most of the time, but I am inspired by great song writers of our time, such as Nicole Nordman, Bono from U2, and of course, my husband. :)
4. I take a bath almost every night. It is my down time and therapy for the day! I'll read a magazine or just lay back and take a short nap, with either bath salts or bubbles. The lights have to be off, with just a low lamp on. It is kind of a ritual, but I love it! I get really sad when we are out of town and I can't have my baths...I know, that is kind of ridiculous. Can you imagine how hard dorm life in college was for 3 years? No bath tubs there...
5. Lately my new hobby is working out, if you can call that a hobby. My favorite is the elliptical, but I also bike and treadmill. I am amazed at how much more energy I have, and I sleep better, too! Not to mention the pants go on a bit easier. :)
6. I am a creature of habit. As mentioned before about baths, I have a nightly routine, morning routine, a method to a lot of things I do. I also enjoy being spontaneous, but I think due to our busy schedule at the church, I enjoy the few things I can keep the same every day!
7. I am a crazy dog lover, I just can't have dogs since Adam is highly allergic. I am blessed to live near my parents and their dog who I grew up with, so I am able to go get some "Ginger-lovin'" fairly often and fill my need for a pup!
8. I love fresh sheets on my bed...the smell, the feel...I heard Oprah say once that she has new sheets everyday, and I fought jealousy over that! Every day? What a treat! I literally smile as I fall into a fresh set.
Ok, now all my blogger friends to the right are tagged! Go!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Perspective
Well, it has been a while since a post. We have been in recovery from our travels and finally getting back in the swing of things.
Last week I got to go visit hospitals with Adam during the day. Once or twice a month he will go make hospital calls, visiting members of the church (or sometimes non-members) that are ill or just had surgery. Since he is part of a large staff, they take turns going and make sure people are visited a few times a week. Anyway, he invited me to go, and I was excited to join him. He has done this for 3 years now, and I've always wondered what it was like. Wow, did it shake me and change my perspective!
Our first visit was with a lady, Jan, who just had brain surgery. Jan had back pain for 2 years that numerous MRIs and tests could not diagnose. She was told that she was imagining it, she needed to exercise more, try a chiropractor...but the pain worsened and continued...then in July, she visited a new doctor who ordered a scan of her brain, and within 3 days was rushed in for major brain surgery (from which she was told she might not wake up). Wow. Turns out she had a large tumor at the top of her spinal cord that was pinching and pushing, causing severe pain. We spent almost an hour talking with her, and I was reminded of how quickly life can change. One day it was just back pain, the next, a life-threatening tumor. She is now in rehab to regain movement on the left side of her body, and has an incredible outlook. Her main prayer request was for God to be glorified through her situation. Perspective.
Next we moved on to visit Rebekah. She was not a church member; in fact, she is not even from this city. Rebekah was in town and while here found out she needed surgery. Without friends or family near, she called our church for support. When we arrived she was not in her room--she was already in for her procedure. I can't even imagine having to go in for a big surgery, much less go without any family supporting me and waiting for me to come out. I also can't fathom being so alone, looking up a church in the phone book and calling for support. But I am so impressed and glad that she did that. We left her a note and prayed for her. She is still in ICU. More perspective.
Our day ended in the NICU. I was looking forward to this more than any other, because it involved a friend of ours, a fellow choir member named Carmen, and her preemie son, Tyler. When she was about 4 months into her pregnancy, Carmen found out that she was lacking amniotic fluid and that Tyler's stomach was not developing properly. Her doctor told her that most often this ends in death of the baby, but that there was a risky procedure they could perform to try to save him. Carmen went forward with the procedure and refused any suggestion of aborting. We all gathered around her on a Wednesday night at church and prayed. It was successful! Yet Tyler is still not out of the woods. He was born 6 weeks early, still has stomach issues (a surgery will be performed later to take care of that) and is unable to breathe on his own. Determined to breastfeed, Carmen goes to the milk bank and pumps every 3 hours (obviously I know nothing about this, but apparently pumping is a bit harsher than regular feeding, and this is her first time to do this--talk about tender!). I told her she is amazing for doing that. Anyway, I was struck in a deeper way than ever before that life is truly a miracle. I think I have taken for granted the healthy births my friends and family have had... I thanked God for my precious nephews and for the many babies born to my friends lately. I prayed for our future children, and I asked God to take care of little Tyler. Another child in the same situation as him died a week earlier. Life is fragile, and God is in control. I needed that reminder, and, well, perspective.
Last week I got to go visit hospitals with Adam during the day. Once or twice a month he will go make hospital calls, visiting members of the church (or sometimes non-members) that are ill or just had surgery. Since he is part of a large staff, they take turns going and make sure people are visited a few times a week. Anyway, he invited me to go, and I was excited to join him. He has done this for 3 years now, and I've always wondered what it was like. Wow, did it shake me and change my perspective!
Our first visit was with a lady, Jan, who just had brain surgery. Jan had back pain for 2 years that numerous MRIs and tests could not diagnose. She was told that she was imagining it, she needed to exercise more, try a chiropractor...but the pain worsened and continued...then in July, she visited a new doctor who ordered a scan of her brain, and within 3 days was rushed in for major brain surgery (from which she was told she might not wake up). Wow. Turns out she had a large tumor at the top of her spinal cord that was pinching and pushing, causing severe pain. We spent almost an hour talking with her, and I was reminded of how quickly life can change. One day it was just back pain, the next, a life-threatening tumor. She is now in rehab to regain movement on the left side of her body, and has an incredible outlook. Her main prayer request was for God to be glorified through her situation. Perspective.
Next we moved on to visit Rebekah. She was not a church member; in fact, she is not even from this city. Rebekah was in town and while here found out she needed surgery. Without friends or family near, she called our church for support. When we arrived she was not in her room--she was already in for her procedure. I can't even imagine having to go in for a big surgery, much less go without any family supporting me and waiting for me to come out. I also can't fathom being so alone, looking up a church in the phone book and calling for support. But I am so impressed and glad that she did that. We left her a note and prayed for her. She is still in ICU. More perspective.
Our day ended in the NICU. I was looking forward to this more than any other, because it involved a friend of ours, a fellow choir member named Carmen, and her preemie son, Tyler. When she was about 4 months into her pregnancy, Carmen found out that she was lacking amniotic fluid and that Tyler's stomach was not developing properly. Her doctor told her that most often this ends in death of the baby, but that there was a risky procedure they could perform to try to save him. Carmen went forward with the procedure and refused any suggestion of aborting. We all gathered around her on a Wednesday night at church and prayed. It was successful! Yet Tyler is still not out of the woods. He was born 6 weeks early, still has stomach issues (a surgery will be performed later to take care of that) and is unable to breathe on his own. Determined to breastfeed, Carmen goes to the milk bank and pumps every 3 hours (obviously I know nothing about this, but apparently pumping is a bit harsher than regular feeding, and this is her first time to do this--talk about tender!). I told her she is amazing for doing that. Anyway, I was struck in a deeper way than ever before that life is truly a miracle. I think I have taken for granted the healthy births my friends and family have had... I thanked God for my precious nephews and for the many babies born to my friends lately. I prayed for our future children, and I asked God to take care of little Tyler. Another child in the same situation as him died a week earlier. Life is fragile, and God is in control. I needed that reminder, and, well, perspective.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
