RELEASING CONTROL

Had the vegan diet been the thing to positively impact this RA my body is struggling with, it surely would have worked! I gave it my best and have enjoyed the benefits of feeling good, except for the bad of the RA:) And my cholesterol jumped way down to a super healthy level, so we'll keep eating this yummy way.

But it's time to let go even more into the Lord's care and hands. Perhaps I controlled my life a bit. (Really?) Or thought I was controlling it. 

So now I'm seeking advice and possible help at OHSU, so I can hold my grand babies without painful ramifications, and hopefully avoid permanent debilitations. I still long to do so without pharmaceuticals.

Sunday night, the Lord spoke to my spirit while reading a psalm, highlighting that it's better to trust in Him than in man. That the victory is His, and today is the day of His victory. That there are more for me than against me. I just need to open my eyes and see. So I rest in God's victory, rest in His strong hands, and trust Him. What a place to land! Safe, secure, good. What a blessed girl I am!

ALL THINGS COME TOGETHER FOR GOOD

I have experienced and recognized God's words to be true in a new way today! Cool!

"ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD 

for those who love God and are called according to His purposes." 

I love it when God speaks to my mind and heart through multiple sources, driving deep His message of truth and love! So it was yesterday. I woke at 2:30am with both shoulders and arms being in bad shape. Shucks. I hadn't felt that discomfort since early February, pre-prednisone. Yes, I did drop the drug yesterday one mg, but I also moved a few mattresses and stuff upstairs in an attempt to bring a little organization to the grandbaby storage closet. Guess I shouldn't have done that.

But God still speaks, even when I'm not very wise!

In the early hours of the morning, I opened my eyes and my iPad to read Joni & Friends devotional, just for me it seemed!

 "Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?"  Job 3:23 
 "He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains." (Lamentations 3:7)


Yet it is GOD who hedges us in. God who has built the wall.  God's chains. I don't blame Him for this disease, but He seems to know well how to use difficulties in our lives for good! So I rest in that truth. God knows our sufferings and pain. He knows our struggles and limitations.

I am aware of the much greater suffering of those imprisoned for Christ's name abroad, suffering persecution and separation from loved ones. That is deep suffering.  And those like Joni who have the suffering of confinement and pain all of their lives. I can't imagine. Nonetheless our physical or emotional pain occasionally have quite a voice and demand a hearing. It can all feel relative.


I then listened to Gregory Dickow's devotional about feeling like one's life is out of control. I can get into a little drama when I hurt, so I was there with the title of the message! I was reminded that life isn't all that I can see. Elisha's servant saw from "above" and realized there were more FOR him than against him (2 Kings 6:14-17) That was a fact he hadn't been aware of, even though it was as true as true. I know that was an Israel thing God was at work on, and this is little me. But....greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world! The Spirit in me is greater than the issue at hand. He's greater than the unknown solution and necessary way of endurance. He is greater.

He is great! All things do work together for good for those who love Him. 

He is good and to be trusted.

OVERFLOWING CUP

My cup is not half empty, it's not half full, 

it's OVERFLOWING with the goodness of the Lord!

Beautiful Hannah Ivey Burge was born last Thursday....they are all doing so well 

and loving being a full-fledged family of four! 

 

 Grace is a big helper, and likes to point out 

where Hannah's nose is, and her ears, and eyes....

 Hannah brought Grace a home-coming gift of some golf clubs. 

Someone in the household must have given Hannah that good idea!

And then there's adorable Marisa Lee Milne, 3 weeks old now. 

She's sleeping nice little 4-5 hour stretches at night, and I hear she's giving her mom and dad a sample of Michelle's baby-opinion and evening dissatisfaction, 

until she wears herself out and drifts off to sleep:) It's got to be hard to be a baby!

I'm still working away with experiments in my diet, in great hopes and expectations that I'm going to land on something that will work for me soon. I have some good support from a few who've walked this exact path and have found the way out of the forrest without drugs, so I'm encouraged. These Oma hands and arms are anxious to hold these babies! And after responding to a question a few days ago about what I'm doing this week with, "Well, besides daily naps and friends visiting this weekend, I don't really have a life right now," I'm looking forward to stepping into a life of service as the Lord permits me. It seems I just gotta have hands and feet and energy that works....it seems to me. 

YUMMY VEGAN RECIPES, 

approved of by three discriminating male connoisseurs:

Black Bean Dip (from the Epicurean website)

1 med red onion
1 peeled garlic clove
3 cups black beans (2 cans rinsed well, if not freshly soaked/cooked)
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T lime juice
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 t cumin
Whip it all up in a food processor, and enjoy with veggies and black bean chips! EASY!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers (from Dr. Fuhrman's website)
1/2 cup raw cashews, ground in a food processor
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can, rinsed well)
3/4 cup baked sweet potato (or cut a raw sweet potato in 1/2" slices and steam for 15 min or so - retains the most nutrition that way)
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 T chopped cilantro
1 t garlic powder of 1 clove
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes or a jalapeño pepper (seeds removed)
1 T cider vinegar
1 T lime juice
Whir it all up in a food processor. Form or blop & shape into 6 patties with a spoon. Place on a baking pan sprayed or wiped with oil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so, until lightly brown and done enough inside. Greg said these were fantastic on a romaine lettuce leaf with mayo, dijon mustard and optional hummus. Serve with slices of avocado & tomato.