Coupon savings

I thought I'd lost the coupon mojo, but alas I've still got it!! I just saved $93.34 at Kroger! The entire back of the vehicle is full!! It took me all morning to go through my coupons and the ads but I was able to buy everything I needed for dinner tomorrow at church, dinner at work on Wednesday, Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, and last but not least Trevlyn's birthday cheesecake with the family on Thursday!! Of course I also had to buy food for everyday meals at the house this week!! I spent $147.63. I know it sounds like a lot but it could have been a lot more!

It Is Well

This was the sun rising on my way to work this morning!

I know I've posted this song before but it is one of my favorites! I felt like rehearsing it again today. This is a beautiful hymn and a beautiful history! It reminds me to Praise the Lord no matter what the circumstance. Last night my husband was preaching and I was so proud of him. He said we can complain of our circumstances or we can count our blessings. He reminded us that we could complain 'I'm about to lose my car' or 'I'm about to lose my house' or we could say at least we have a car or house to lose. There are homeless people and people without work all over the world. I want to remember to praise the Lord! He has given me so much and he blesses my family everyday. I realize that I complain about my job all the time but I must remember today that I am thankful that I have a job. I get a paycheck every 2 weeks that helps me to pay my bills. Without it I could be homeless too! I thank the Lord for all he does for me and I thank Him for letting me see another sunrise on my way to work!

It is Well With My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

HYMN HISTORY:

This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled, 'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words, "When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.

Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned.
He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read: "Saved alone."

On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only 12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her,
"You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."

Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.

The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers was.

It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us.

No matter what circumstances overtake us may we be able to say with Horatio Spafford... It is Well With My Soul!

October 22, 2010

I am done with all the supplements that the doctor put me on, and to be honest with you I can't tell that the detox has done much of anything...

I do feel better. I have more energy, and I've lost 15lbs. I guess I just had bigger ideas of what the detox would do. I am still doing the diet. I have almost grown accustomed to eating this way. I wanted to do a blog everyday but what I've been eating is very boring!

This is basically what my diet consists of....

Breakfast
Smoothie
Almonds

Lunch
Salad - Mixed greens, feta cheese, broccoli, cauliflower, and my homemade vinaigrette

Dinner
Baked Chicken or Fish
Asparagus or Green Beans
Roasted Peppers
Sometimes a salad

Boring, right? But I like it. I going to keep eating this way, and I hope that by the time Caleb & Courtney get married in May that I'll be down to 150lbs. I won't tell you how many pounds that is to lose but just know that it is a lot! Believe it or not this time I have a lot of will power. The hardest part is going to be making it through the holidays. I love to cook, and I'll be pacing myself. I'll indulge on Thanksgiving & Christmas day only!!! That's my plan anyway....

I am writing a monthly post over on our local church's website. If you are interested in checking it out go to http://www.thechurchofgoduaclaxton.com/ and it is on the ladies group page.

Wednesday, Sept 15

I started pretty good today, but let's see if I can keep it up!

Breakfast
2 boiled eggs
8oz of V8

Lunch
Roast Beef
Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower
Salad with grilled chicken & feta cheese with Italian dressing

Snack
nada

Supper
2 eggs & 2 pieces of turkey bacon

I didn't really like my lunch today. I brought roast beef & the steamed vegetables. I ended up throwing away the cauliflower, and the roast beef was like leather! Thank Goodness my supervisor brought in a huge salad that was left over from a meeting. It made my day! Teach me to not bring a salad for lunch! I should know better.

Monday & Tuesday, September 14

I know I'm a day late, but it is really hard to find the time to document my meals every night. Since I was sick and slept most of the day I don't even remember if I ate at all on Monday.

Tuesday

Breakfast
Hot Tea

Lunch
Mixed Greens Salad

Snack
Bell Peppers & Homemade Guacamole

Supper
Chicken Salad

I drink lots of water everyday! I still haven't lost anymore than the 5lbs. that I originally lost. It gets a little discouraging but I have to keep reminding myself that the doctor said it could take up to 60 days before I see any results!

Monday-September 13

Today is 2 weeks completely on the Cellular Healing Diet. I will say the weekends are really, really hard! I don't have a problem not eating starches, sugars, etc but I do have a problem getting in 3 meals with snacks.

Saturday

Breakfast
2 hard boiled eggs

Lunch
Nothing

Supper
Salad (mixed greens, broccoli, cauliflower, oil & vinegar dressing, 1 boiled egg)


Sunday

Breakfast
Nothing

Lunch
Grilled Chicken & Shrimp with stir-fry vegetables (zucchini, onions, mushrooms)

Snack
Hot Tea (decaf ginger tea)

Supper
Grilled Chicken Salad (lettuce, tomato, guacamole, cheese, salsa)

No weight change...

I do have a cold so I don't even want to eat! I can't taste anything. I didn't go to work today because I just don't feel good. I have laid in the bed all morning so I still haven't eaten breakfast. Today probably won't be much better than the weekend. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow and I'll feel like eating.

Catching Up

I can't believe it has been since April that I've blogged. I've had lots of things to happen that I could have blogged about however unfortunately I just haven't had the time. I should probably say I haven't made the time.

The last couple of years has been a sea of change for my family. Trevlyn is now 18, almost 19, and started college this fall at a local community college. Yes, he still lives at home! I wouldn't have it any other way. Elizabeth is a senior in high school, and planning her college future. She doesn't want to live at home once in college. She wants to live on campus of any college that will take her! I wish she'd stay at home too, but I'm trying not to hold her back. Once I had a lady tell me that if your children couldn't make it own their own once they were raised then you didn't do what you were supposed to do as a Mom. That is what we raise them to do, right? Be successful adults! I just wish I could wind the clock back a few years. I miss them being little. I miss the basketball games, t-ball games, and football games that we watched. I miss helping them with their homework. There is no way I can help them now! Trig, what's that? I just nod and smile when they start telling me about their homework. They are learning so much more than I did 20 years ago in high school.

I decided to post today because I wanted to record what is going on in my life right now. I am on a new journey. I have had many health problems over the last 2 years. Some of them I recorded here earlier. I've finally decided that the medical doctors weren't going to do anything for me other than make me addicted to medicine. I started going to a chiropractor in July of 2009 for the migraines I was having daily. The doctors at Exodus Chiropractic are absolutely fabulous. It is a christian atmosphere, and the doctors believe that God made our body to heal itself. This is what I've always been taught so it has been very easy for me to continue going. I visit them 2-3 times a week, and I always leave feeling refreshed both in body and mind.

One of the doctors is also a nutritionist. Back in April, he had a meeting about healthy eating. I went to the meeting and I really liked the plan but at that time I just didn't have the money to do it. It involved a full diet makeover and a detox. Oh, I forgot the most important part! Since April of 2009 when Charlie's parents were killed, I have gained a massive amount of weight.

The first of August 2010 I went back in to renegotiate our yearly contract, and I was told that over the last year I had overpaid. Oddly enough it was within $40 of what it would take me to start the nutrition program. I asked if they would be willing to take the overpayment and apply it to the program then let me pay the difference. The doctors agreed to apply my overpayment however they didn't make me pay anything extra. The doctor said that he had been praying for me. He said he had watched me struggle with my weight and he had prayed that if the Lord wanted me to do the program then he would make a way. HE made a way!!

To give you an idea of what is going on. Per my medical doctor and my nutritionist, my body is in adrenal failure or adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal failure is brought on by prolonged stress. To keep it simple if your adrenal glands quit producing enough hormones then your body doesn't process food(sugar) correctly, and there are a whole host of other problems that come along with it too. The symptoms include recurrent infections, muscle weakness and back pain, problems sleeping, dizziness, inflammation, hypoglycemia, headaches, moodiness, salt craving, swelling, brown spots on skin, and even heart problems. These are all the problems I've had over the last 18 months. You should see the brown spots on my face that have appeared just this year. I look older than my Mother!

In order to do the full program I must do a full body detox, and change my diet. I have to make my body start using the food that I eat for energy rather than using the quick sugar and caffeine hits that I was using. As of August 16th I haven't had any caffeine. I was up to drinking at least a pot a day if not more. Yes, I had major withdrawals. That in itself made me very angry. How could become so addicted to something and call myself a Christian? I'll have accomplished a lot if all I do is break my addiction to caffeine! As the days have went by I have removed more and more of the sugars from my diet, and as of August 30th I am only eating vegetables, protein, and a few berries. I can not have starches like potatoes, corn or pasta, sugar of any kind, wheat, flour, or fruit that is high in sugar. I can have 15g of protein with each meal and unlimited mostly green veggies. I only drink water, and herbal tea with no added sugar. Mostly, I just drink water. I've had hot tea the last few days just because I wanted something hot to drink! I make my own salad dressing out of apple cider vinegar and olive oil. I have learned to eat hummus, and I actually like it. I love almond butter with celery.

I know this isn't going to be easy. The doctor told me that it might take 60 days before I see any results. Some days when I'm eating my salad I think that I could hate this, but then I remember why I'm doing it. I want to be healthy! I do not want to die young. I have lost 5lbs as of today. That doesn't seem like much when I need to lose 50! I do feel better already. I can come home from work and not need to lay down immediately for a nap. This is going to be a long journey. I will have to make this a lifestyle change. My family is supporting me so that makes it a little easier.

I am going to try to record my daily challenges and meals. For the last few weeks I've been eating boiled eggs for breakfast, a salad at lunch, and then a protein and vegetable for supper. I do eat snacks during the day. Usually that is green peppers with hummus, celery with almond butter, cheese and olives, or cottage cheese and berries. Snacks are important to me because I feel like I am getting a reward!

Here we go....this is day 12 of the journey!

Talking, Conversations, Listening

As I get older I think more about things that I never used to think about. Lately I've been thinking about how different people are. Have you ever met someone who always talks about themselves? You try to have a conversation with them and they always trn it around to something they think or do? Like today I was talking to a lady about this past weekends youth trip. I got out about two sentences and then she started telling me about the youth group at their church. She talked for over 30 minutes!

Don't get me wrong, I am a talker! Get me nervous and I just ramble, but I am learning to be a better listener. You never realize what people are really saying or what they mean until you hear what they don't say. I want to be someone that people can talk to. I want to be a shoulder that others can lean on. I want my friends to know that if they talk to me about something confidential that it stays between us. I don't want to 'lead' the conversation because that isn't a true conversation.

Do you have conversations with the Lord? I love talking to him because he is my best friend! He is my confidant! He is not judgemental! But I want to learn to listen when he talks to me too...

Just thinking...

In memory of Loyd & Lethia Singleton

We thought of you today but that is nothing new. We thought about you yesterday and days before that too. We think of you in silence. We often speak your name. All we have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake from which we'll never part. God has you in his keeping and we have you in our hearts.

Blogging

Wow! Has it really been since Trevlyn's birthday that I've posted? I very rarely use the computer at home anymore. As a matter of fact the only time I am online is when I am using my iPhone! I wish that I could blog directly from my phone, but I haven't found an app for that!

I still visit your blogs often via google reader. It is a little difficult to post so I am now more of a stalker than blogger...

Well, life is about the same. We are a very busy family right now with a high school senior. There are so many events that I don't want to miss. I wish there was someway to record every little detail. I am so afraid that I am going to overlook something and then have regrets.

Trevlyn is still playing high school basketball. He is actual PLAYING this year not just sitting on he bench! It is so much fun to watch him play. He is so intense, and he reminds me so much of his Dad. When Charlie and I first married we were just teenagers. Many Friday nights would find us at the recreation center. Charlie playing pick up ball, and me in the stands cheering him on.

Life goes so fast...

I'll try to post a little more from time to time. Tonight I decided to post while I was waiting on the washer to finish spinning. I just heard it stop so it is time for me to go! A Mother's work is never done!