I Love You, LORD

Blessings to you that are visiting this blog!Appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to check this out...

When the phone rang yesterday afternoon, I knew it was not going to be a pleasant call from my husband. He doesn't call in the middle of the afternoon to chit chat, so when I saw the caller ID with his name on it, I knew something wasn't right. I don't like these types of calls.

He had received an email from a dear friend of his that simply said ANNOUNCEMENT.
It announced the obituary of the friend's wife...
He was stunned and by this time I was as well.
He forwarded the obituary onto me.

It is one of the most beautifully written obituaries that I have ever read.

It starts out like this: On (DATE), (NAME) completed the course of her preparation for eternity and transistioned into the heavenly presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The obituary continues to share about her life and finishes with what a card said on it that she would give to people.

JESUS LOVES YOU
How to make Heaven Your Home

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who ever believes in Him will not parish, but have eternal life. -John 3:16

For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. -Romans 3:23

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. -Romans 10:9

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through Me." -John 14:6


PRAY THIS PRAYER
Dear Jesus,
I am a sinner.
I believe that You are God's only begotten SON,
You died and rose from the dead to save me from my sins.
I want to be with You forever.
Please forgive me of my sins and come into my heart.
I give my life to You.
Thank you for saving me today!
In Jesus Name ,
AMEN

We will be attending her funeral this week-end.

This song comes to mind:

I Love You, Lord

I love you, Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
Oh, my soul rejoice!
TAKE JOY my KING
In what You hear
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

Tis true, this earthly life is short.
Though it may be full of trials and challenges...it will not compare to when we enter into our eternal home with the LORD.

May your earthly Home be a Haven to minister God's love to your family, friends and visitors.
May they feel the presence of God and know this place is different than what the world has to offer me.

And let's not forget that our own lives are in need of HIS nourishment, HIS peace.
God be with you.
Deanna

Focus on the Blessings

Hello,I am exhausted.
It's only one in the afternoon and I am ready for a nap.
Where do I even begin with the housework.Laundry is in.
Lunch over.Grand baby down for a nap.
Toys out.Dishes to do.
Bills to write out.Need a bath.
Major tidying to do, due to redecorating going on.With my age, my health challenges slow me down.I know the importance of taking care of myself and yet...I am where I'm at in life still discovering what I thought was truth isn't.
Ignorance is bliss? Not hardly.Doesn't the Bible say that My people parish for lack of knowledge?
Focus on the blessings.
Focus.Meditate on the blessings.
God help me today. I am tired.
Please change the meaning of what I am going through from this to what you call wonderful.Deanna

Eternal Values For Eternal Beings

Greetings Beloved!Years ago I lived in the Houston, Texas area. Seems odd to think how long ago that was. In my head it is a fresh memory, but according to actual years...it's been over 20 years ago.

It would be during this time that I would learn that I HAD HAD A PART IN CREATING ETERNAL BEINGS that will spend an eternity somewhere. Either Heaven or Hell. To think that I had a part in creating eternal beings was a new concept to me.

Back then I found myself involved in a Bible Study that required so much reading that I couldn't stay caught up and still get the dishes done along with everything else. So I plugged away the best that I could and called it good. If I didn't get all the reading assignments completed and my weekly lesson's questions answered than that had to be alright. The very fact that I had worked on it and was attending the weekly meetings was a VICTORY. This is a far cry from being a High School perfectionist that had to ace every class I took.

The Godly values I would be instilling into my children was extremely important...not in vain. The little munchkins (my children) that were entrusted to me were eternal beings. What I had the priviledge to teach my children was of eternal value.

All the things I had worked so hard at to raise a family was a part of ministering to eternal beings.

Far above everyday chores and activities is the importance of a Christian upbringing where there's respect toward Father God, Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the word of God and is Truth. A personal relationship with a personal God. Salvation.

As Children of the Most High God, we are royalty. Not in an arrogant way, but in a cherished way. It isn't correct to call ourselves children of God because we are a human being that's been created by God...we have to be adopted into the family of God to be called a Child of God. This adoption takes place after we accept God's perfect plan of redemption for mankind through accepting Jesus as our Personal Saviour.

Would all the day to day doings be in vain?
Would all the times I shopped, prepared meals, did dishes, cleaned the house, picked up toys, did laundry, taught grooming habits, taught right from wrong, taught proper manners, helped with homework, wiped runny noses, bedtime curfews, etc. be in vain?

No, all of this wasn't in vain. All the things I had worked so hard at to raise a family was important because by doing all of this I was ministering to eternal beings.

All this activity was needed to develope life long behaviors that contribute to being a decent person, but none of this makes a person a child of God that will be eternally present in God's presence.

Please don't forget while you are so busy with the day to day activity to include the eternal values that have an everlasting effect on one's soul by leading one's precious children to the Lord. Don't forget that the way you live your life will have a profound impact on your children.

The next time you sigh because it's been the millionth time you told the little one to stop hitting their sibling and to stop picking their nose in public, try really hard to recall that you have an eternal being that you love and are teaching. This has importance. When you've picked up the room for the millionth time and will have to do this all over again tomorrow, remember that you are creating a safe place for your children to call home and be loved in. This has importance.

You my beloved are an eternal being that will spend an eternity somewhere. Do you know where?

May your Home be a Haven that ministers God's love to your husband, your children and others that come for a visit.

Til next time...don't forget to pray.
~Deanna~

CHILDHOOD PRAYERS

Blessings to you!
Three prayers come to mind that I learned and said as a child.

Meal Time Prayer
The Lord's Prayer
Bedtime Prayer


Meal Time:
Come Lord Jesus, be our guest.
Let this food to us be blessed.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen


The Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom,
and the power
and the glory FOREVER.
Amen


Bedtime:
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen


What do these prayers have in common?
All prayed by a child.
All asking God for something.

Mealtime Prayer is asking Jesus to be our guest and bless the food.
Lord's Prayer is addressing our Heavenly Father with respect as we admit that His name is honored and sacred. Then our desires. Ending with confessing once again who He is.
Bedtime Prayer is asking the Lord to keep us and take us.

I'm way too tired today to do a long blog on this. I won't get too philosophical right now about the breaking down of each prayer. Perhaps later.


The main thing is that my parents cared enough to introduce me to praying to the most high God and helped me to be respectful toward Him. I would learn to pray.


As my prayers would go from GIM ME, GIM ME, GIM ME to
PROTECT ME, PROTECT ME, PROTECT ME to
HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME, (Still good prayers, because I'm admitting that I need God)
The Spirit of God got ahold of me, my prayer life grew into more personal words and very lengthy prayers to a personal God.


I could list all the things that I wished my parents had taught me or had done more of in our Christian Home, but right now I won't. Right now I just want to say I am so very thankful I was taught those 3 simple prayers that are still said at 53 years of age. And when I can't seem to pray english words at all, the Spirit of God still helps me all the way.


May your home be a haven that you minister God's love in toward your family.

May you bless your children with 3 simple prayers that can be said a lifetime while living in this complex world.


To God be the Glory GREAT THINGS HE has done.


Simply said,
~Deanna from the Kansas Flint Hills~

Went Junkin'

Dear Ones,Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog.
Had some free time today, so I went JUNKIN'. Had such fun. Wish we could have had a cup of coffee and visited today about "the best junk we ever did buy."






Went to a near by thrift shoppe that has a used-book section in it.Made it home with:*16 hard back books at $1.50 each from TIME LIFE The Art of Sewing circa 1974/75.
Carrying these to the car was like lifting weights. I'm sure I will feel it in my body tomorrow. No need for a membership to a Health Club when I can get away with this kind of exercise.
(Just think how much money I save. Do you feel the burn? No pain no gain!)

*A pressed glass punch tray for $14. Pictured above.
Twas beautiful. I just had to have it. Awe Martha Stewart eat your heart out!
(please know this about me...I have a sense of humor.)
I have several punch bowls with cups that this
* A Sesame Street Big Bird stuffed toy for $3.50 to go with the Sesame Street stuffed toy Elmo recently bought at our City Wide Garage Sale.
Looked like new.
Machine washed it anyways.Play it safe and sound.

* A porcelain musical figurine of little Bow Peep
from the ONCE UPON A RHYME COLLECTION
by Brenda Thomas
that plays "TRY TO REMEMBER" for $4.50.


















* Eight miniature white with gold trim
OVEN TO TABLE TO TABLE COOKWARE glazed dishes
for 60 cents a piece.

Not only are these pretty, but a economical find.
What a day I had! Know that God led me to these bargains and stretched my money...
I had a great time looking and shopping in the Kansas Flinthills.
May your home be a haven that you minister God's love to your family in.

Til next time, don't forget to pray,
Deanna
P.S. and yes, I do take prayer request seriously!

Hug The One You're With

Hi there!
We're one day closer to Spring and I'm ready.
Even with this cold weather, at times I can hear birds chirping in the top of the trees.  This reminds me of Spring.  Apparently they didn't go south to winter.  Very pleasant sound in the dead of winter.

I just got done cleaning the powder room toilet and sink.  Boy did they need it!

A few years ago, I had to make the decision to not keep getting EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED with the toilet.  Just clean it and be done with it. Sounds kind of petty to dread so badly cleaning such an object to the point that it put a frown on my face and I procrastinated cleaning it.  Much happier now that I quickly clean the porcelain princess with a smile on my face and utter not a word.

Way back when, there was a popular song that played on the radio about LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH by Stephen Stills.  If you like, Google the lyrics.  3o DITS later, I remember I liked the beat. Not so impressed with the subject matter now.  Not really about love, but self-gratification of the lust kind.  It would be better to be emotionally involved with a toilet than to follow this guys advice. Just cause a song has a catchy tune doesn't mean you should do what the song is saying to do.

With Love The One You're With...it made me think about what I have seen so much of on the internet.  Let me back track a little here.  When I was a Senior in High School back in 1972-73, there was talk about the computer over at the Junior College (another name for Community College) in town.  Better go see it.  So I did.

ONE computer filled a large room.  I didn't think it was that important.  Just a bunch of flashing lights and wizz bang noise. What could it possibly do, but spit out punch cards that meant nothing to me.  What a waste of paper.

As time has past, was I ever enlightened.  The computers continued to get smaller in size until we now have notebook size computers that will morph into a different creature as we speak.

About two years ago on a small sized computer, I got acquainted with Myspace.  As I investigated a friend's friend's friend and so on, it took me by surprise how many pictures there were of young women that had smiles on their faces as they held alcoholic beverages and had no fronts to their clothing.  Call me ignorant, but I had trouble believing that there were so many of them all doing the same thing...smiling while holding a drink, exposing flesh and HUGGING THE ONE THEY'RE WITH.  Quite a few pictures of miss so and so sticking her tongue out.  Picture after picture after picture, etc.  Sloppy drunk and hanging onto whoever. So much of it.  Diseased.

Now, I have begun to Blog.

So I praise the Christian Bloggers with scripture on their sites, clean conversations, decent pictures of family, friends, animals, flowers, sunsets, craft items, recipes, all together lovely.

I praise the Christian Women, Christian Wives, Christian Mommas and Christian Singles that desire to live a life pleasing to God and are.

Back to Love the One You're With and Hugging Whoever.  You'd be better off being emotionally attached to your toilet.  They have alot in common.  Dit dit dit dit dit dit dit dit...



May your Home be a Haven full of God's Love that ministers to all that enter in.

Don't forget to pray.
This is Deanna from the Kansas Flint Hills

Homemaker With Heels On

Dear Ones,
Hello from the Kansas Flint Hills.  Bitter cold outside this morning. Around 6 degrees.  So it really is comforting to be indoors where we are warmed by radiators.  My sweet husband gets up early each morning to tend to our 4 outdoor Airedale Terrier Dogs then off to work he goes while I am a Keeper of the Home.


Most days, I generally write in my day timer to refresh my mind what I need to get done and/or hope to get done.  Nothing is cast in concrete. My day timer is actually just a spiral notebook that I bought for a quarter.  I prefer using it over the fancy ones that are on the market.  It doesn't matter how neat or sloppy I write in my spiral...I am relaxed to plan.  If I scribble out something, it's no big deal.

Since I have been a stay at home woman for years that doesn't carry a brief case and wear high heels all day, I was once asked, "What do you do all day?" I simply replied, "Everyday is different and every year is different."  This could have gotten into a harry discussion about what I do with my time as well as to having value as a human being.  But if I had been more on my toes, I could have used it as an opportunity to share WHY I choose to stay home.  Live and learn.

In the eyes of those that think a HOMEMAKER doesn't count because she's not making a paycheck and the use of my time is odd.  PRAISE THE LORD!  I have learned that ALMIGHTY GOD is who gives me value and I don't have to LIVE TO THE STANDARDS of those that cannot see the importance of a woman being a keeper of the home.  I honestly think that they don't know what this is.  Oh government...plezzzzz don't take this away from me!  PTL (praise the Lord) we can have our eyes of understanding opened to see things as God would want us to see. PTL, I live in a country that still allows women to be homemakers without getting taxed more for breathing air.

Have you encountered those that think a baby in the womb is just tissue and not really a baby?  Have you encountered those that think babies have no value because they don't bring home the bacon (cash)?  What about you have value as long as you make money and contribute back to society because you make money?  Couldn't we debate that the more money made the more value a person has? The issue of how they made their money isn't really important, just the fact that they made lots of money...so a drug lord that is rolling in the dough has so much more value than the little guy that pays his bills and gives an honest days work?  I don't think so. 

Using money is part of the system we live in, but it's not my god.  Value doesn't come from the amount of mula we make, but value comes from God.  We can have huge bank accounts and still have value in God's eyes.  We may only have two nickels to rub together and we still have value in God's eyes.  It's not the money that gives us value in God's economy.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying money is all wrong.  It can be an answer to many things.  We still need to be responsible with what money we are allowed to handle.  I'm saying it's not the money that gives us our true value, tis God that gives us our value.

I use to not take COFFEE BREAKS nor down time during the day while at home because I thought I had to justify why I stayed in the home and had NO career.  I had to justify that what I did in the home had as much importance as the woman in the so-called work force.  That I worked just as hard if not harder than those employed.  My focus of what was important was in "want."

I fully understand that there are situations where women must be in the work force.  These precious women were not who I was in competition with.  When push came to shove, I was in competition with my own husband wanting his approval for being a Homemaker and not a so-called career woman.  As well as wanting to outshine the secular world that was breathing down my neck. 

Emotional support and the cheering section that could of been Homemaker Friendly was not coming from family and friends.  Not even the homemaker peers I was honored to associate with gave encouragement to be a Keeper of the Home. So I believe that it is part of my godly duty to CHEER HOMEMAKERS ON and that it's perfectly alright to be a woman that stays home to raise her own children or be a woman that stays home without children.  Homemaker with children or without children.  And to those dear ladies that wish they were home instead of in the work force...We can pray.  God answers prayer.  God is still on the throne and answers prayer.  He will show you the way in which you should go.

Thank God my thinking changed and I take coffee breaks, spend time in prayer and don't always get dressed before noon. Ouch, did I really admit that I don't always dress before noon?  Can that be possible.....what will you ever think of me?  

I still believe while teaching young children how things are done that order and structure are important teaching tools.  My presentation is so different now then what I practiced as a young homemaker and full-time momma before God opened my eyes on many things.  Thankful that HE did.  My husband has matured a great deal when it comes to wanting a wife at home verses being a playboy driving a new sports car.  God did a number on him as well.

This internet stuff with all these fantastic Christian Women Sites and Blogs is awe inspiring.  I am so impressed with the number of women that are sold out to Christ and desire to have a Christian HOME that becomes a HAVEN to respect their husband in and nurture their children in.  Praise God!

As for wearing heels?  Well, sometimes you've just gotta! Playing dress up isn't all bad.  Don't forget to splash a little good smelling parfum on behind the ears.

Til next time, may our homes be a haven that's a ministry to our families.

God Bless and don't forget to pray,
Deanna

Peri-menopause Pause

Hello from the Flint Hills!
Women considering having their tubes tied for convenience sake so they won't get pregnant PLEASE READ THIS ONE.
This blog message has to do with being peri-menopausal, hot flashes, heavy menses, TUBAL LIGATION, hormonal imbalances and more...as I ramble abit.

The day after Christmas my so called monthly "VISITOR" arrived with me already having a full house. Being peri-menopausal has been an awkward, tiring and messy thing to go through with much learning that has led to much research. I'm still experiencing this phase of life that I had no idea even exsisted until I was in my forties. I was aware of menopause...that BIG CHANGE OF LIFE THANG! But I had no idea that the peri part could take years to lead up to the meno part. Had heard that menopause means to pause which can cause one to think and ponder a great deal about life. What I have learned is that while waiting for the pause in menses and to think, I am doing a great deal of thinking about life already and wondering when the laborous part of inching my way to the meno part will take place and OH LORD, PLEZ DON'T LET ME BE ONE OF THOSE WOMEN THAT HAS WHAT IS CALLED late menopause AND STILL HAS MENSES UNTIL SHE'S 60!!!!!

While waiting for the CHANGE OF LIFE to happen, this waiting for the big event to happen is causing CHANGE with how I conduct my day to day life. How to handle getting out of the house to shop, socialize, do good deeds, react to relationships, grooming, sleep habits, cleaning the house, laundry, etc. Just being around people in general has changed so much.

After much time surfing on the web and reading what some others have gone through and what I know I have experienced, I am a firm believer that women should NEVER have their tubes tied. This surgical procedure is called a tubal ligation and is a way to sterilize the female.

What I have learned about what comes across as a simple procedure that has minimal side effects is this...what seems like a solution to birth control can lead to a hormonal imbalance that causes the menses to be too heavy or light. Which leads the female to the conventional doctor that suggest synthetic hormones (HRT or hormone replacement therapy) be taken which can lead to cancer, stroke, heart attack, and in the long run of using HRT, dementia. The HRT may not calm the savage beast that has come to life due to the hormonal imbalance that has come from having the tubes tied. In fact, you'll probably be led to taking antidepressants to numb or soothe the mood swings that are happening.

The hormonal imbalances can lead to uterine fibroid tumors which seem to grow when too much estrogen (also known as estrogen dominance) is in the system. The hormonal imbalances may lead to migraine headaches, unwanted weight gain and additional facial hair. The fibroids may cause heavy menses (anemia can occur), a bloated abdomen in appearance, fatigue, cramps, uncomfortable internal pressure elsewhere in your body, frequent urinating, difficult bowel movements due to constipation, lack of interest in sexual relations, irritation toward others. The hormonal imbalance can cause the uterus to enlarge as if having a false pregnancy without a baby in the womb. As a woman advances to being peri-menopausal, the enlarged uterus and hormonal imbalances leads to heavy menses which continue to get heavier with age producing blood clots, gushing and flooding. Don't forget the hot flashes. Which leads the female back to the conventional doctor that suggests putting her on birth control pills to help with the heavy menses and HRT to help ease the hot flashes or a gynecologist that suggest a hysterectomy. Which means after the hysterectomy she will be instructed to take synthetic HRT which can lead to cancer, stroke, heart attack and dementia.

Couldn't the birth control pill which plays with the estrogen level so you stop bleeding go ahead and feed the fibroid which will cause it to grow????

A vicious circle.

Take good care of yourself. Have test done to make sure you don't have cancer, thyroid problems, infections, other things that might cause heavy menses before getting a hysterectomy.
Take a good quality daily vitamin and IRON. Take the iron until you are actually menopausal. Heard that too much iron after menopause isn't good for you and can cause other health problems. Don't forget the old fashion remedy of drinking hot water with molasses.

DURING THOSE TIMES WHEN THE MENSES ARE FLOWING TOO HEAVY use over the counter Motrin IB (NSAIDs) to help slow or stop the heavy menses.
Give yourself a break and take a warm bath to stop menses.
There are natural progesterone creams and pills that you can take that your conventional doctor probably won't tell you about. Available at health food stores and mail order catalogs. Also some all natural HRT are on the market now that you might consider using.
There are certain surgeries available that remove only the fibroids and keep the uterus in tact for future pregnancies.
You may need an D and C to stop the excessive flow and to check the uterus lining for other problems.
Extra large, thick and long sanitary pads to wear are available. There are thicker pads available for those with urinary problems that work very well for heavy menses flow. These pads are thicker and more absorbant than the regular sanitary pads that I have used.
May want to make your own sanitary pads to assure that you are wearing 100% cotton pads that are next to your body. I have often wondered what the petro chemicals used to make sanitary pads does to the health of the wearer.
Throw away panties that people with urinary problems wear can be worn to add extra protection for those times that you gush blood that you had no warning was going to come.
You may want to avoid excessive amounts of caffeine from coffee and tea.

And above all else, rest and pray.

If you are in the age group that's getting very close to crossing over into menopause and you want very badly to retire with your organs than you may need a cheering section from a support group as you tough this time out. Remind yourself that the convenience that a hysterectomy has to offer may not be so convenient in the long run with the side effects it has to offer. Doctors can admit that they don't know all there is to know about hormone production and what hormones the woman will produce from still having a uterus after menopause. Just because you are no longer going to have babies is not a good enough reason to have the uterus removed!

When I was 24 years of age, I wanted an easy, convenient way to have sex with my husband and not get pregnant. Spontaneous SEX. We already had 3 healthy children and I had talked myself into thinking that 3 was enough. I never asked the GOOD LORD if I should get sterilized by having my tubes tied. I never asked Him how many children He wanted to bless me with. One doctor I had visited with told me that I shouldn't have anymore children after the age of 28 due to having had Rheumatic Fever when I was six years old that left me with a heart murmur.

I regret not turning to the Lord as I had gone off of what a doctor had to say alone.
I weighed this man's opinion over God's.

I have had a great deal of time with pain to rethink what led me to getting my tubes tied and all the troubles this mind set and surgery gave me. The end results has not been convenient at all.

As for spontaneous SEX...I have come to know that God never intended for us to have spontaneous SEX. His plan is far higher and better than what man reasons as acceptable sex.
God is into PLANNING and PREPARING.

Sex can be a very pleasurable act. It is meant to be that way with godly, protective guidelines which are for our health, safety and enrichment...not punishment. The covenant commitment that is to come within one's marriage that nurtures sexual intimacy between husband and wife is a higher PLAN for humans. When selecting a spouse, we should give great thought as to their character and integrity. When choosing a spouse it should take deep thought that shouldn't be clouded by sexual attraction before examining a person's relationship with Almighty God and how they will live their life. How they will treat you and others. How they will conduct their estate and business.

Marriage is something that we should not enter into lightly. We need to plan and prepare for marriage, actually get married before sex happens. The covenant relationship that comes from becoming one in marriage should take place first, then be blessed with sexual intimacy.

Then we are to plan our sexual time. Clean our bodies and prepare for this private and intimate activity between husband and his wife. Sexual intercourse was never meant to be JUST BECAUSE WE CAN. It was never meant to be just when ever, with whom ever, where ever.

Back to being 24 and getting my tubes tied. I was young, stupid, rebellious and insecure. My God walk was not a high priority at the time. I had believed that a tubal ligation was for me to prevent future pregnancies and would allow spontaneous sex. Carefree and wonderful. Kind of like no strings attached. Wow have sex and not have to worry about getting pregnant sounded great.

This procedure happened after my third child was born on a Saturday in April. I had surgery on Monday. By December I came down with a kidney infection. Years of Urinary tract infections after tract infection began. I do mean years of them where I was plagued with fatigue, discomfort, pain, multiple visits to the doctors and specialists (where I was told, we just sometimes don't know why these happen) to the financial, physical and emotional expense involved by them. Along with the unanswered questions and disruption in life as a wife, mother to 3 active children and homemaker that relocated on the average of every two years due to husband's career. Do I suspect these infections came having had a tubal ligation? Yes, I do.

Weight gain slowly started to make itself present. PMS increased. After, the urinary tract infections stopped, then the night sweats started while I was in my early 30s. Fibroid tumors were discovered during a physical in my late 30s. Starting in my early 40s brought migraine headaches with vomitting. Mid 40s brought on heavy menses with small blood clots. Early 50s an increase in heavy and longer periods with huge clots.
And yes, I do believe that all of these struggles were brought on by a tubal ligation that caused these troubles.
The devil presents things to you that look inviting and exciting that he wants to offer as a solution to your problems and challenges you're encountering in life. He will present what may look like a workable solution to dealing with what's going on in the here and now. It may appeal to your desires and lusts or your ignorance and simple minded thinking. He will never tell you the horrific consequences that you will have to deal with after you have believed his lie and fallen for his con job. There are aweful consequences to not leaning on the Lord and knowing His point of view about all things.

KNOWING God begins with having been introduced to Almighty God and then experiencing being spiritually BORN AGAIN (when we willingly accept for ourselves God's perfect plan of redemption for mankind through Jesus Christ becoming our saviour and our original sin forgiven), getting filled with the Holy Spirit, spending time in God's presence while praying and reading the Bible (HIS WRITTEN WORD), meditating on His Word, talking to God about what you've read.

Being tender and sensitive to the Holy Spirit and doing what God would like for us to do will lead to knowing God.

I will continue later...
Til then, don't forget to pray.
May your Home be a Haven full of God's love.
Deanna

Getting It Together For 2009

Hello from the Kansas Flint Hills!
CHRISTMAS 2008 has come and gone, so has ringing in the New Year. Though I didn't get everything I had planned to get done before Christmas arrived, we survived and didn't starve. During my planning and preparation time for Christmas I was ill...which altered what got done. Priorities can quickly change. Health issues have been familiar most of my earthly life. I don't have all the energy I would like to have, so I have to pace myself.

PRAY
PLAN
PACE

This past year has been very challenging to me. In January 2008, Mondays thru Fridays I started baby sitting one of my grandchildren in our old stone house that's full of projects needing done. While dealing with the side effects that come from being peri-menopausal, I've been setting a different routine by getting use to taking care of a very (and I do mean very) active one year old in our 123 year old house. The things I've learned on this mission have been life changing.

In 2007, The Lord gave us an opportunity to go from 7 years of empty nesting to opening our home to a broken hearted daughter whose husband abandoned her and their 9 month old daughter. While still unpacking and getting settled from a move into an historic house in a small community nestled in the gorgeous Kansas Flint Hills, we quickly made way for sharing our haven with family. There was a water leak in the basement that would need fixing, so I have had to use the Laundry Mat until the leak was fixed and utility room remodeled. Before we had been in the house a year, our property taxes doubled...there went our cushion. God had given us this opportunity to decorate this old house on a shoestring budget while enlarging the household number. Praise the Lord! We rode the storm out and now 2009 is here.

Have you caught yourself saying or thinking, "WHERE'D THE YEAR GO?" or "I can't believe a year has already gone by and it's that time of year again to do what we have to do?"

Remember hearing that the older you get, the faster time goes? Our bodies are continually changing and we continue to get older. Our bodies movement may slow down, but time sure doesn't. At 53 years of age, my internal soul feels youthful, but then when I glance at the mirror...hey what happened? I don't recognize that woman looking back at me. How on earth did I get sooooooooo heavy?

Don't be fooled by the saying that 40 is the new 20s. It isn't true. 40 is 40 and 20 is 20. As I've aged and thought alot about what should have been done differently in life, I have come to the conclusion that it is always best to do things right the first time verses having to labor at cleaning up a mess when working at getting on the right track. It seems like there are times during the clean up that the resistance one faces is like trying to raise one's head up while riding a roller coaster and the force makes it very difficult to do that as the chin is now somehow stuck to the chest.

With God's help, guidance and grace...difficult things can become doable. I know in my heart that doing things God's way is the best way. The way to get Blessed is by doing things God way.

If you wake up one morning and see that your destructive habits and actions have ruined your life by having done so much wrong, being remorseful and turning to God for forgiveness and guidance on how to fix this thing will be a strong place to begin the clean-up.

May God grant you all you need to receive HIS Blessing you hunger for.
May your Home be a Haven full of God's love.
Don't forget to pray.

Til next time,
this here is Deanna writing to you from the Kansas Flint Hills