Sunday, April 29, 2007

morning

I've been in a strange mood lately. I'd say it was depression but I know it's not that. I've been healed from that. Yah God!

It's almost like I'm stuck in a rut. Work is good but frustrating. The year is winding down and the kids it seems are losing their minds. We've been busier the last three weeks than during flu season. How messed up is that? Sometimes I think it's time to move on but I stop because I feel God was telling me in December I am right where He wants me. I am working with the kids and there are people around me who need encouraging. Sometimes the positive word that is spoken is the only good words some of these students hear. I'm standing on that.

This past week was our missions conference and it was the AFM conference. I ran powerpoint/worship for it on Tuesday night. The worship was WOW. We're singing a new song lately that is so powerful. When LA Joiner came up to speak, he started out by saying he felt God was saying that song was prophetic for his people. That alot of people are tired and looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Watching but ready to give up. (I feel that way sometimes lately). He said God was saying for those holding on, the light is coming. The revelation. The breakthrough. Thank you God!

Yesterday, we had a small group get together at our house. Today is the last day of Alpha so we decided to just fellowship. It was good. Three hours of talking about different things God is doing in each of our lives and talk of how we can fall away from Him by our actions and things we thought would never separate us.

Today, pastor spoke of "Leaving Egypt." What things do we need to leave behind in order to move forward with God into the things He has called us to? What is my Egypt? Food, money, the computer. All these things pull me from God.

A friend of mine and I have been discussing a small women's group. Something crafty. Something that lets women be creative and make things that they can share with others. Whether it be a journal, a scrapbook page, a clock, a card. (Oh yeah, my latest clock is at the bottom) There are so many people who need to be encouraged. If we can help that then we're going to.

You Never Let Go - Matt Redman

Even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught
in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming
for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light
that is coming
for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end
to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You
still I will praise You


Tuesday, April 24, 2007

10 on Tuesday and other stuff...

10 on Tuesday and other stuff...
 
 
1) Surf the Net
2) Read
3) Visit Hobby Lobby
4) Visit Books a Million
5) Sleep
6) Listen to music (most of the time)

7)
8)
9)
10)
 
It's been an interesting couple weeks. 
 
My head has been hurting because my glasses prescription is seriously wrong.  I am dominate right eyed.  My left works when it chooses too.  I don't have a lot of input in it.  I've been praying for my eyes to be healed. 
 
It appears my left eye is trying to work through a totally wrong lens and in the process is causing the eye muscles to spasm.  I've been having horrible pains/aches behind the left eye for about a month now.
 
On the 12th I finally couldn't take it any more and went to the NavHosp ER.  They did a CT scan and dilated my eyes and stuff. 
 
On the 13th, I had an appointment with the eye surgeon who examined my eyes and let me know just how bad the prescription was.  He gave me a new script and recommended I see a civilian eye doctor for a prescription.
 
Bad part is TRICARE only allows retirees one eye exam every two years so I had to make an appointment with my primary care to get a referral.
 
The referral came yesterday.  It sent me to the NavHosp eye clinic.  The referral said it was a glaucoma referral!?!  I talked to the receptionist and explained what was going on.  I have to call back and see what the verdict is and hopefully they can help me.  Otherwise I have to start over.
 
Last Friday, I had a close encounter with what appeared to be a Satanist.  It was calm but shocking.  He was in the church and let fly with the "f" word in conjunction with a comment he made.  I had only been awake for about 20 minutes by then (I had just driven to the church minutes earlier).  All I could say was "excuse me?"  He repeated himself without the expletive and then began to rant.  By the time he was finished, he walked off saying he served the one true god and made some sort of hand signal (not a flying middle finger).  When I talked to one of the workers about it, she said it was a standard hand symbol for a Satanist.  When he pulled out of the parking lot, he backed into one car, clipped the bumper of truck, and then jumped a curb as he was going around a corner.  Amazingly enough neither the truck or car had damage. 
 
Our missions conference started on Sunday.  I let the kids each pick out a missionary that we will support through the year.  Chaz chose the missionary to Russia, Breezy chose one of the missionary families to Scotland.  The rest are rounded out by a missionary to Uganda, our friends who are in training to be missionaries to the Muslim nations, Dirk Wood (a character all by himself) and the couple who are missionaries to Japan! 
 
Yah!  Japan!  Finally!  One day, that's where we are headed.  My kids are warming up to the change of visiting Japan after spending a lot of  time telling me they would never go.  Breezy asked if we could take a month off and go visit Japan.  Chaz said about a month ago that he would like to go for a little bit.  That's major changes on both of their parts.  Thank you Lord!
 
They will get to see their dad this summer.  He's going to fly into Portland Oregon from England, and they will fly to Portland also to meet him.  His family lives in Oregon and Washington so they will get to see all of his side of the family as well.  They've not seen their paternal grandparents since 2000.  Their dad's mom is paying for all the trips.  They will be gone most of the month of June it appears.
 
Maybe during that time I'll get to attend the TAC conference! 

Sunday, April 15, 2007

I've been having trouble with my eyes for a while. Because of it, I've been wearing my glasses more than usual for reading and working on the computer.

The last week in the evenings, I've been having sharp throbbing pains from the inside corner of my left eye all the way to my left ear. The pain has only been in that area. None above or below that would indicate a sinus infection.

Thursday night, I finally had enough. I got a friend to watch the kids and went to the ER. When I described what was happening, they had me read the basic eye chart and then did a CT scan (?!!). The results of the CT scan were clear. Nothing wrong. So, the doctor called the eye surgeon. He had them numb my left eye and do a touch test (?). The numbers on it were good. So then they dilated both my eyes to look behind them. Nothing. I left the ER several hours later with the expectation of a consult with the eye surgeon at a later date.

Friday morning on my way to work, I got a call from the eye surgeon. He would see me as soon as I got there. Dropped the kids at school, turned the keys over to my nurse and headed for the Naval Hospital.

The eye surgeon did a color test and a basic read of my eyes and my prescription glasses. It appears that my glasses are way to weak for reading/computer work. The left eye needs to be nearly 3 times stronger.

The problem is, when most eye doctors examine my eyes, they assume that because I am dominate right eyed and my left eye is so weak that I can't see out of the left eye corrected. It's like they totally ignore the left eye.

So what has been occuring is that my left eye is trying to work (as in for reading) and because the lens isn't the right strength, the muscles of my eye kept adjusting trying to get the eye in focus. This is causing the pain behind my eyes.

He wrote out a new prescription for reading/distance glasses. the easiest way (and possibly the only way) to correct my vision is for me to wear a contact lens in my left eye and then have a pair of glasses to get me to reading strength.

He also recommended I see a civilian eye doctor to get the prescription in the event I have glasses made and there is a problem.

I called TRICARE to see if I could get a new eye exam. NOOOOOOOO. TRICARE only pays for one eye exam every two years. But your prescription is good for only ONE year. Hello? Do you see a problem? They told me I would need to visit my primary care physician and get a referral.

I visited my primary care physician only to discover that he quit taking new clients five years ago and I couldn't see him. Back to the hospital I went to see the TRICARE office. They set me up with a different doctor in the same office and I was set.

Back to the doctor's office to set up an appointment for Monday so I can get a referral to an eye doctor.

Guess it was overdue. I've not had an exam in about seven years. Yeah, I know. Bad Deb.

All the time I'm doing this running around, my eyes have been dilated.

The eye surgeon had dilated them with the regular drops they use for that and then used another kind of drops to cause them to dilate even more! Before I left he told me they would be dilated for up to 6 hours. This is why I got a day off. I couldn't see the computer monitor to make entries nor read the paperwork for the kids medications.

Saturday, Chaz had a soccer game. They lost but he scored another goal for the season. He's up to 11 goals total in 4 games. He's the dude! LOL

Last night was GraceFest. We were given tickets to go but because of the weather, the kids and I decided not to attend.

Instead, we chose to go to the homeschooler's drama presentation. Afterward, as the kids talked and I talked with the other Deb, we changed our minds and decided to go.

We got to the fairgrounds around 7:25 p.m. Kutless went on stage a few minutes later. About 10 minutes into their set, the skies opened up and it poured. The band stopped playing and told us they were calling the show because we were expecting 55 mph winds and torrential rains.

It took nearly 30 minutes to get us all back to the vans. By then, we were all completely soaked through. We didn't even try to get out of the parking lot or crank up our vans for nearly an hour. There was that much traffic flowing out.

The lightning kept getting closer and closer. I know a couple times, the hair on my arms was standing straight up. Yeah, that close.

The parking lot beside the outside fence had water standing nearly a foot high in places. This was since we arrived an hour earlier! Whoa, rain!

Today was good. Sort of a lazy, windy, chilly day. We held communion at church today. The worship was great as always.

The kids practiced their drama at 4. Video'd it all on my digcam. I think I'm going to drop it to a disk to share with their aunts and uncles.

Later, time to make the coffee.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!

May your day be full of blessings! Most of my family will be at our house today for dinner. :o)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

clock/window

Thought I'd post the pictures of my clock and window that I've been writing about.



This clock is 3x5 foot. The face of the clock itself is 2 feet in diameter. And it really works! It's made from pressed plywood so it has texture. It hangs over my living room couch.



This window hangs between my living room and dining room. It conceals the top of the refrigerator. You know, potato chip bags, boxes, etc?

Back later.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

housewarming...

It was awesome. Every time God shows up is good. Yesterday was just another time God showed how good He is.

More people showed up than we expected. My sister was even here for it.

The kids had a blast playing the "moat." Chaz had his remote control hummer out jumping the piles of dirt and the moat. The kids were running around, up and down the piles of dirt and across the moat with play swords battling each other.

The "grownups" sat and talked about homes, kids and what is going on in our lives. It was just good. No other word for it. Good.

Church is good this morning. Amick led the worship. He did a new song that he wrote. First time we've heard it and wow, nothing like a little bit of power as you praise God. Pastor Ron preached this morning on God's Will and Grace. I have another visual from the sermon drawn with my notes to put to canvas/paper sometime in the future. I'm so grateful for the grace. I'm so grateful for the love. I'm so grateful for the forgiveness.

Today, our new campus in Fairhope starts. I'm praying my brother is called there. Sort of like I was called here 5 years ago. Yes, we've been at Liberty for 5 years now. It's such a cool thing. Family. Yes, family.