Lessons learned from MG

So I have been suffering from migraines for the last 3 months. I have literally had probably 5 days where I had no headache at all and only a handful of days when the headache didn't escalate to a full blown migraine. It has been rough to say the least.

I have been less than able to preform cursory tasks in the home and I have been dealing with pain pretty much all the time. My kids have suffered and my husband has taken up a ton of the slack...he is already really busy with work and ministry so I feel bad when I have a day when I can do nothing but sleep(if only I were able to enjoy it). I feel like I am useless and a burden and I hate feeling that way.

Joy in long baby lashes

I was crying the other night as mg cared for our children and I lay helpless on the couch... a prisoner of the pain racking my brain... I told him how badly I felt that he had to do my job as well as his. He just said "why? This is the day God gave me and I am fine with it" That touched my heart so much. That my sweet mg wasn't bogged down by doing triple duty but in fact he saw it as a gift from God...a part of the good works that God has set aside for him and only him to do...an area he could use to show Gods glory. He didn't say as much but I could see it...the love of Christ shining through him... and it was lovely.

Joy in brothers playing together

Then later this weekend mg taught at church, his message was on Titus 3 and he asked us what distracts us from the the story God is telling in the world and in my life? What takes the place in our mind where insisting on Gods truths should be? He said it better than that though. Any way... I have been thinking about that a lot. And now I know that one of those things for me is migraines. They distract me. I also have been considering how God gives us what He has planned for us each day, special acts of good-or sometimes just attitudes-that reflect him...and sometimes those things come in a package that isn't so pretty(like headaches) sometimes they even cause us pain. And the way we react to them is the way we can reflect the love and(hopefully)the glory of God. I have been doing a cruddy job.

Can I be Fine with what God has planned for me? Can I sit there in the pain of a migraine and see the work of God in my life? Can my attitude be good? Can I still find a way to shine for Him? Usually I just feel sorry for myself(and very rarely)I consider the fact that there could still be joy there-I consider it then dismiss it as a funny thought-but funny it is not. I can still find joy here in this day. I can be fine with the day God has given me and I will be.

Joy in patting the bunny

I can learn here and lean on Him. I can praise Him that not every day is a Migraine day. Praise Him for I am still (even while suffering with intense headaches) receiving His grace and getting more than I deserve(which is death). Migraines are a distraction from his work in my life. When my head hurts I don't remember who I was before and who He is and what He has done in my life...all I know is pain. I don't want that to be the case any longer, I want to win! and even if I still suffer with physical pain I want to win the battle for my mind while I suffer. I want to always remember to rejoice! To insist on the truth. That He is good and He is strong and that He loves me. That He took this rebel to His cause and held me close and called me daughter...That He healed me and grew me and nurtured my heart. That He still Is and will always be the only one who can deliver me. I want to do His good works big and small in my life. Sometimes that may be just having a cheerful attitude and loving those around me and other times it may be sacrificing something I want to do what my family needs. I do not want to be distracted even in the rough spots because being inflicted can be a gift. I want to see it that way from now on...as a gift-as something God has given to me for that day-and I want to do it well for Him even when it hurts.

Joy in chocolate

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So we do not loose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.  As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are unseen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal. 
Revelations 21:4 
he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,  neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away,

Running,Pinning, and Birthday Fun

On Sunday Mg and I ran the shamrock race...well Mg ran...I am not sure what you can call what I did... I was running... just slower than I walk...like 3 minutes per mile slower(how is that even possible??)... but I "ran" the whole 3 miles and change(with out training first). At one point during the race my dentist and his 10 year old daughter passed me(that's when I knew I was going slow)so I decided to count how many kids passed me 17 little boys and 10 girls...plus 2 pregnant women and several people who were walking...I finished that's what matters... right?. Next time I will train and go a bit faster(at least faster than I can walk) I hope. Oh and I forgot to get this thing cut off my shoe...

We were with our sweet friends (Eric and Jocelyn) who run well. We spent time with them before and after the race. That was by far my favorite part. I always feel so refreshed after talking with Jocelyn(check out her blog and you will understand why) she is amazing and wise and I am so happy that we got to do something fun together with our wonderful husbands.

OK switching gears completely now. Pinterest is this crazy fun addictive site where you can virtually pin things to virtual cork boards. It works for anything you may want to save now and look at later from craft ideas to gardening help.  If you find something you like on the Internets-or on pinterest itself-you pin it and and you have a place to find all your ideas. The problem for me is that I want to try all the recipes I see(people pin a TON of recipes) and all the recipes I have tried have been huge flops. I find something online or on pinterest (some recipes go viral on there so you think they will deliver the goods) but then I make the recipe and it lacks flavor and depth. I am totally bummed. So I will be doing a new thing here on this blog...If I try something on pinterest (recipe or craft or something) I will post about the results. I will not be doing any retroactive type posting as there are way too many already tried(and failed) things and that would just be depressing. But I will keep you updated from here on out.

And last but definitely not least Mg had a birthday yesterday. This year I actually made him breakfast and dinner and a special desert. Oh and I got him a gift too. Those may sound like givens but last year I forgot to do all of them(yes all...not even a card). Henry was a new born babe and my dear sweet Gram had just died a few days earlier, So I just forgot.  He was sweet about it and never even complained. This year I did better. We even went to the Evergreen air space museum. It was lots of airplane, rocket, boy museum fun times.  Next year I hope to do an even better job as it will be his 30th so I really want to bring my A game.
Here is what I made the hubs for his birthday treat.

Peanut butter cup brownies !!

I better end here...this is the only part of the day that is even a tiny bit restful for us all so I must take advantage.