God Provides (Part 39584): The Gift Cards

I mentioned that a few weeks ago I was able to go home and see my family. While there, my mom showed me a gift card she had received in the mail from dELiA's, a retailer I used to buy clothes from ALL the time. The letter said we had a credit with the company, and here was our gift card! I was shocked, mostly because the last time I bought something from them was AT LEAST 8 years ago. EIGHT YEARS! How could it be? But it was.

Then my hospital, who typically throws a large "holiday" party, decided to forgo the festivities and just give us all $50 gift cards. Fine with me!

So. Yesterday, the biggest shopping day of the year, I left my house armed with the two said gift cards on a mission to buy my Christmas presents. My first stop was at the dELiA's store in the Lakeline Mall, about 10 minutes from my house. I could've used the gift card online, but when it comes to buying clothes, I need to see and touch them before I buy them. On my way to the mall, I realized one important thing:

I hate malls.

With a passion. Something about the ridiculousness that is parking, the amount of people, their lack of awareness that they're standing in the middle of the passageway, and the sheer chaos of so many voices and flashing lights makes me want to run away. I would much prefer to go on a weekday in the afternoon when no one is there, but seeing as I work, that's not possible. So I scouted out the best parking spot I could find, made several mental notes of where I entered the building (JCPenny's, by the UT athletic wear, go up the escalator, take a left, in the mall), and began my search for dELiA's. Once entering the store I realized that I was probably the oldest person in there, including the manager.

The clothes resembled a cheaper version of American Eagle, and I set to work with my critical eye, trying to discern what, if anything, I could wear. I finally settled on a dressy tank top for me (need something for Christmas services) and a short-sleeved sweater for Meaghan. I tried both on, made my purchase, and made a beeline for the exit.

And then I breathed! It was over! After stopping at 1/2 Price Books, I had completed most of my shopping. I felt relieved that I had braved the crowds, but most importantly that I didn't have to spend any of my own money!

As evidenced by last week, the LORD has been showing me so faithfully that He provides ALL my needs, including Christmas presents. I have no idea why, 8 years later, dELiA's decided I needed $60, but the LORD did. And it's just beautiful because it is SO CLEAR that it was Him who provided. There is no rational explanation, and I love it!

The LORD provides!

Overwhelmed!

Last weekend a coworker flew me home to see my family. I was literally in Kansas for 24 hours. On the plane for 7 hours, in Lawrence for 24, but TOTALLY worth it. It was a great little "jump start" to get me through the next 20 days until I go home again!

This week has been so fun and ridiculous and crazy! And it's all been good! The Lord continues to show me EVERY SINGLE DAY how good He is and that He cares. It simply astounds me! For example:

Tuesday. After work, I went to get my blood drawn, then to work out. I then joined some of my friends for some sand volleyball which lasted a couple hours. On a whim, I stopped by P. Terry's to get dinner and then picked up Dawn (not planned) because we were headed to the same place. On our way to our destination, my doctor called (at 8:00 pm, so you know it's serious!) to tell me my blood was way too thin (INR of 13) and I needed to go to the nearest ER to get some Vitamin K. It meant a change in plans, but Dawn and I ended up just hanging out in the ER for a couple hours and were able to catch up on life, which was great! And come to find out later that the event we were going to was actually cancelled!

Wednesday. I worked a 12-hour shift, 6 AM - 6 PM, so after going to the gym, I was pretty tired. I wound up at my hope group (small group), where we went around the circle and prophesied over each other, basically encouraging one another with how God sees us! Everything that people said about me was so true - like that this was going to be a time of finding my identity, that one person saw me as a lighthouse, and my favorite was about a surfboard. One of my friends said that she saw me surfing and though it was dangerous, God was my surfboard and no matter how impossible things seemed, He would provide (this would become huge the next day - read below). It was so filling and amazing. I am so thankful for the community that God has given me!

Thursday. Last week, amongst some other crazy things, I got a flat tire and had to call AAA to change it. I've been riding around on my full-sized spare for a week or so, but at the prodding of my friend, I went to get it fixed since I would be driving out to camp this weekend and there's plenty of dirt roads and construction to ruin any spare tire I had. I wasn't sure about how I was going to pay for it, but I trusted that the Lord would work it out. I dropped my car off and then went to work out. When I came back, the guy just handed me my keys and said, "Have a great weekend!" I was dumbfounded. No charge! The Lord totally made the impossible possible! Such a small thing, but so important!

So now I'm at Camp Eagle, trying to process all the craziness that's happened in the past 2 weeks. I'm here to teach the Walkabout students (gap-year program) on exercise and stress management. I'm doing it in 2 shifts - I did half the students last night and it was pretty fun. If accreditation goes through with John Brown University, the students could be getting 12 hours of college credit and I could be adjunct faculty! Woot!

Needless to say, there is a lot going on in my life. But the Lord is good!

On Being Needy

This week has been rough. I had an excellent Sunday, full of activities that gave me life, and much rest as well. Monday hit like a ton of bricks.

I met with my ENT doctor, who informed me that the recent MRI of my eye showed my autoimmune disease flaring up. NOT the news I wanted to hear. This happened only 2 years ago, so I was quite surprised at the diagnosis. However, the Lord is good and I've been through the treatment before (low-dose chemo, steroids, antibiotics), so I know it will be good for me, in many ways.

Today was particularly stressful because my supervisor was absent, leaving just two of us to man the outpatient clinic and see inpatients as well. I got super internally frustrated (I'm really good at keeping it in), and ended up just being stressed. My coworkers are pretty good at sensing this, and finally when my supervisor did come in, she said, "Ya know, you need to let us know when you need something. Please."

I know I'm not good at asking for things. This has happened before when other health concerns have gone unannounced to my family, who would take joy in praying for me. I honestly am not sure why I do this. I know, at least, that it's because I don't want to inconvenience people, and I think that they don't need to be bothered with my problems. I'm learning a lot about myself through this process, but one of the most painful lessons is to ask for help.

On Sunday one of my friends, who has gone through a pretty horrible 2 weeks, was talking to me about how she doesn't feel guilty for being the needy one. She is confident that she needs others, and is not shy about asking for prayer, counsel, or your time. I understand that it takes great confidence to do so, but I also understand the other side: I love to meet people in their needs, but if I don't know what they are, how can I help them? I'm trying my best, and hopefully the fruit will be that I will one day be told it's too much. :)

South Beach Diet

Before I start talking about diets, let me make sure that everyone knows the word "diet" actually means what you eat. As in, my diet consists of cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and chicken for dinner. Or, my diet is high in carbs, protein, fat, vitamin K, etc. So when you say "I'm on a diet" it actually means "I'm eating." Just thought I'd clear that up. :)

A few weeks ago, I realized as I was grocery shopping that I eat the same 5-6 meals and it was getting pretty old. No wonder I hate going to the grocery store - it's the same thing every time! In general, meals that I cook need to be: 1. cheap, 2. easily divided up and easily heated up later, and 3. nutritious and tasty. In search of new, cheap, and healthy recipes, I found myself foraging through a South Beach Diet cookbook. I was pleasantly surprised.

The South Beach Diet was concocted by a cardiologist, Dr. Agatston, who happens to live in Miami, FL. Because it was started by a cardiologist, immediately I was intrigued. This means it's actually healthy! Yay! I read on and learned a ridiculous amount of nutritional knowledge, things I wish they would've taught me in all my years of education on exercise and diet.

Things like... if you eat anything with sugar in it, the time it takes to absorb into your bloodstream (and therefore trigger insulin release) is directly proportional to how high and quickly your blood sugar will spike. If you eat something with sugar in it but also with fiber, it will absorb slower (fiber slows digestion), thereby causing your blood sugar to rise and fall slower. Slower = better.

And... fiber actually has no nutritional content. None of it is absorbed by your body. It's whole main purpose is to slow digestion and help clean out your colon. Amazing, huh?

I'm technically not "going on" the South Beach Diet, just trying out the recipes and learning a whole lot about how food is processed in our bodies. I would recommend the diet to anyone trying to lose weight, but also for anyone who just wants to eat healthier. It's really simple, and you learn as you go, which means you're more likely to stick with it long-term.

I would love to give each of my patients his book. Maybe since he's a cardiologist he'll donate them....?! :)

Yoga

I began yoga practice in college during my junior year. I began in a very small class, led by one of my friends. I then got real excited when I found out one of my instructors taught Hot Yoga, or yoga done in a room that's kept at 90 degrees or hotter. I did that for awhile. When I moved back to Lawrence after graduating from JBU, I went to the yoga classes at KU and supplemented with some Baron Baptiste DVDs. And then when I moved to Austin, I began attending yoga classes at 24 Hour Fitness. So you could say I'm pretty experienced with yoga in general and have attended several types of classes: Hot, Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Power, and on and on.

In preparation for a talk I'm going to give about Stress Management next month at Camp Eagle, I mentioned to the coordinator that one of the practical experiences I could do was to lead the class in some yoga moves, since yoga is a very highly recommended stress management technique. He wasn't too thrilled, and I was confused. I've had my fair share of "weird" classes, but have not bought into any of the Buddhist or New Age concepts that are often a part of a yoga "practice." In short, I've learned to remain a believing, passionate Christian while also practicing yoga. The coordinator is a good friend of mine, so I asked why he would be uncomfortable with me doing this. He explained that a lot of his professors at Denver Theological Seminary were against it, and he didn't want to step on any toes or lead anyone astray. I conceded that he was the coordinator, so I would respect his wishes.

But what's the big deal? I decided to find out.

Basically, both me and the coordinator have been searching through articles on either side of the issue, trying to not only figure out the truth but also how to present this topic to the students who will be listening. We want THEM to decide and have a good discussion. We've found everything - pros, cons, cautions. And I have to say that I don't know the answer.

I do know, however, that I am not sensing from the Holy Spirit anything negative when I practice yoga. I simply do yoga for the physical, fitness benefits. It's a GREAT workout and really helps to keep me flexible. If there is ever a moment in a class where I'm sensing something New Age-y, I just shut my mind off. I pray. I think about something else. And so far it's worked for me. I believe that you can practice yoga for the fitness and not the spiritual.

I know believers, strong believers that I deeply respect and trust, who have conflicting opinions. So I'm wondering if it's just one of those issues like drinking, baptism, or any other "non-essential" in the Christian life? As with those issues, the real matter is your heart. Where are you at? I think that, above all else, is the only thing you can have an answer to.

I would love to hear anyone's thoughts, too!

Lessons from the 33 Miners

If you were like me, you were captivated yesterday, glued to CNN, watching every moment of the miraculous rescue of the 33 Chilean miners trapped underground for over 2 months.



I had to stop watching a couple times because I was actually tearing up at work! I was listening to the news anchors discuss the joy and hope that was being displayed, and just reveled at how this single event on another continent was giving me and others around me such joy. There is an element of humanity and mortality, and how we all know we will face death, but to almost face it and be rescued is glorious! We are drawn to such stories and people because we see hope, which is not very prominently spoken of today. We see that the bad can be made good, and brokenness can be restored.

How much more is our relationship with Christ? We were sinners, in the darkness, wandering around, and he came and gave us LIGHT and freedom and joy. He took us out of the pit and brought us into new life with joy and hope and restoration! What I witnessed yesterday on TV was such a beautiful real-life illustration of what God has done for us and why Christians should be joyful and hopeful. I am searching for a picture of the family reunions that can print off and hang on my wall. I want to be reminded of this joy everyday!

Happy Fall!

First post of October! I'd like to highlight some fun new stuff that I've done in the past few weeks:

1. Last night was my first visit to a Texas high school football game. If you're not from Texas, it's ok, you may be confused as to why this is such a major event. IT'S BIG. One of my friends is a tennis coach/teacher at a local high school, so she volunteered her free passes so we could go. Another friend that went used to be in marching band like me, and we got there just in time for halftime, thus my experience started with comparing Texas high school marching band to my experience in Kansas. Some differences include the twirler chick who throws the baton (raised from infancy with private tutors), only 2 drum majors (not dependent on size of band), and most notably that the marching band attends ALL games, even away games. So at halftime, the away team goes first and then the home team. Weird. As far as the game goes, the most disturbing thing was that there was no student section! No school spirit! All the students were spread out! How silly, right?

After my experience, my friend remarked to me that the game I just saw was not representative of a true game, and that I would need to visit a more rural location to get the full cultural experience. I'm looking forward to it!

2. I ate at my first food trailer in Austin. Food trailers seem to be a unique occurrence, as several of my friends have remarked they aren't that common elsewhere. Needless to say, the food was amazing and so was the experience. A lot of local Austin restaurants get their start in a trailer, so it's usually a good bet - and pretty cheap!

3. Another food one. I ate at a restaurant called Frank, which served gourmet hot dogs, anything pork, and yes, even a chocolate bacon martini. (Yuck, right? Apparently my friend who ordered it didn't think it was that bad!) The restaurant was really well decorated, with lots of "old" or unique items, like this sweet fan thing on the ceiling that was connected to one motor. Anyways, it was also in downtown Austin, which makes it that much more fun.

4. I love fall in Texas.

5. I just finished the book Atonement by Ian McEwan. Overall, I would not recommend it. All of the people on the back cover seemed to like it (but don't they always?) and even compared him to Jane Austen. Woah, buddy. I found it to be overdescriptive and had a really unnatural, odd plot. The premise of the book (from the back cover) is that little Briony, aged 12 or so, witness a flirtation between her sister and a family friend the same age. Because Briony doesn't have a grasp on adult motives and is just growing up herself, it results in a crime that spans year and years.

After reading that introduction, I started reading the book waiting for the event to happen that would supposedly change the course of everything. Well, it happened, but I didn't see any huge ramifications right away, and so was pretty disappointed. Then, another event happens that I think they actually meant to say was THE event, which in turn does effect a lot of things in the future. So I was thrown off for about half the book. In normal plot structure, you get a few pages of introducing the characters, then a problem arises. The rest of the book is full of ups and downs as the problem is worked out and finally resolved. This book did not follow that structure, so it was really hard to follow and lacked momentum. At times, the chapters were written from the point of view of the mother (who wasn't a main character) or trailed off talking about one of the main character's war experiences. And I had a lot of questions at the end. A LOT. And a lot of ways I thought it could've been a better book. Sigh.

6. Did I mention I love fall in Texas? It's 75 degrees and sunny outside right now!