The View from Here

A Life Well Lived...

My aunt, Betty Ann Owens, finished her work on earth yesterday. She was a wonderful woman, one of my role models, and a joy to be around. She will be missed by our family and the many people who counted her as a friend. 

Faith

 

A dear friend is trusting God this week with an important change in her life. She has prayed and pondered, discussed and deliberated for several months before making the decision to resign from a job that is making her physically and emotionally ill. I know that a million “what if” scenarios have overwhelmed her mind and disturbed her sleep, but her heart and soul finally convinced her that a paycheck is not the priority that should dominate and direct her path.

I have been in her shoes more than a few times. I’ve made that terrifying decision to resign and I’ve also lost a few jobs because of company layoffs and bankruptcy. I’ve moved to new locations and had to “start over”. During those times I often claimed to trust God while my mind was busy trying to figure out what in the world I would do next. It wasn’t until I truly understood the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5 that my life changed.

One day I was examining an unexpected turn in my life when it suddenly occurred to me that I had been trying to solve my problem based on my knowledge and understanding. I was considering all the options I knew about and contacting the people I knew. God knew so much more…past, present, and future…and offered me a path that I didn’t know existed!

I’m not going to claim that I’ve never worried again. I have. But I quickly reach the point of reminding myself, “God knows so much more than you do!”

So I pray today that my friend will trust God to reveal her best path.

I pray that you and I will do the same.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Always worth the wait...

So happy to walk into the spare room this morning and see this! 

They're Back!

So blessed yesterday to go to Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and see the geese beginning their return. There will be many more arrivals in the coming weeks as they migrate. 

New Tricks

The past year has been a challenge. My goal has been to create a balance between respecting my disabilities and not letting them dictate my life. I’ve maintained a pretty good schedule of exercises at home and at the gym. I’ve made some prescribed changes in medications, even though I rebel against taking any of them. I’ve eaten healthier food, though admittedly still too much of it.

This week I added some new tricks to help me fight against chronic pain. I’ve been doing “chair yoga”. Okay, you can take a break for a moment of laughter.

Now, seriously…chair yoga simply incorporates stretches and poses with the added support of a chair. Many of us are unsteady, can’t sit on the floor, and need some assistance. And I can tell after just a few sessions that the first thing yoga of any kind will do for you is to pinpoint your weaknesses. That’s a good thing! My sessions have revealed a difference in pain and flexibility between my left and right sides. There are two poses that I can NOT do, so that motivates me to figure out why I can’t and work on that problem…and the pose.

If you are interested, you can Google “chair yoga” and find multiple YouTube videos. I’m practicing with Christina Mroz videos.

S. A. D.

Each year I have friends and family members who experience a period of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder. It usually occurs in the fall and winter and is often triggered by the change to standard time that results in less exposure to sunlight. People find themselves driving home in the dark and the weather gets colder and colder with the approach of winter.

People with SAD lose interest in activities, have less energy, feel moody, crave carbohydrates, have trouble sleeping, and just generally feel depressed. People with bipolar disorder may also experience an increase in symptoms during the fall and winter.

If you or someone you know begins to show symptoms of SAD, please seek the advice of your doctor. There are medications, special light devices, and therapy to help you through the season. Please don’t ignore this or just wait for it to go away. Some complications can become serious.

To read more click here.

Welcome to November!

Jacket and gloves required this morning. 

Halloween

Halloween is a mixture of good memories and bad. 

Lots of good memories of my grandfather, who was born on Halloween in 1904. 

Good memories of dressing our children in funny costumes and wandering around our neighborhood. 

Sad memories of taking our children to their great-grandmother's house for treats in 1976 and finding that she had died just before our arrival. (The photo is Gary with his grandmother.)

Praying that all of the children stay safe tonight!

I Told You So...

Felt much better yesterday. The weather cleared up and we went for a stroll through the butterfly garden at Hagerman Wildlife Refuge. 

 

Rain and Pain...

Yesterday it rained and rained and then rained some more…

So I spent yesterday battling pain and stiffness and fatigue. My hips and knees and ankles were stiff and achy. They resisted every move I made as I attempted to do some laundry and complete my usual daily tasks. I managed to get through the morning, but by afternoon my condition became so disabling that I couldn’t even imagine going to the gym. I stayed home and spent the hour reading.

I share this with you, not to garner sympathy, but to assure you that there is a direct correlation between my aches and pains and the weather. That knowledge should allow both of us to endure these periods of increased pain without feeling that our underlying conditions have worsened or that the increase in pain will be permanent.

My grandmother always told me that she could predict an impending storm by the pain in her arthritic knees. I have to admit that I was guilty of thinking she was a bit crazy and just repeating an “old wives’ tale”. Turns out that according to a recent study by the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston that she was correct. Changes in barometric pressure do affect people with arthritis!

Reading more about the effects of the weather and knowing that I can use the weather forecasts to anticipate changes I might need to make in my plans allows me to be much more positive about this correlation. We have seven-day weather forecasting on our local news. I can also check the National Weather Service and a barometric pressure map if I want more details. I usually don’t need more of a “warning” than the words storm or rain.

I’m already feeling better this morning. Tomorrow’s forecast of a sunny day and 74 degrees will most likely find me back to my normal pain level and activities.

Knowledge is power.