How Great is Our God – Page 15

So, Bullets It Is!

February 16, 2010June 23, 2015 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Florida Weather, Food and Drink, Household, How Great is Our God, Isaac Update, What's Happening

Otherwise I will never remember to tell you everything! 🙂

Our Anniversary Sunday at our church was a wonderful day! We had over 3700 is attendance, and over 400 professions of faith. The first time visitors and those who accepted Christ will all be followed up by various members of the congregation. The really exciting thing to me was seeing so many families that attended together. You could see them everywhere after the service as they enjoyed the huge carnival that is put together for the children and teens every year. It was SUPER cold that Sunday – so rare for Florida – but lots of fun! We even took Isaac over for a little while, and he (and Daddy) managed to snag a rubber ducky with the winning mark, and came home with a cute stuffed duck! 🙂
Doug and I were able to go out Saturday by ourselves, a real treat for us. We found a used bookstore, that only carried hardback books. I came home with a couple of new (to me) mystery books. We enjoyed lunch together and then bought groceries at the Wal-Marts. ;) Such a nice day!
Grammy and Isaac had a nice time together, while we were out. She brought over his Valentines Day card and gift. Here they are, along with the balloon we bought him (and paid TOO much for!), and a little Valentine from his little friend at church who was so sweet to remember him.

We took Isaac for his first visit to the Dentist yesterday. And get this, his dentist name is Dr. Bopp! Isn't that funny? He had no cavities, and no issues at all. We were so glad! He does have plaque that is building up because he doesn't eat by mouth. They suggested to brush his teeth 3 times a day, and that would help to prevent it. We are going to do our best to keep up with that.
We found a HUGE Goodwill store, and had so much fun looking around. We found some books, and a few shirts – one for Isaac and two for me. $4 for a plus size shirt is a good deal, and Isaac's was only $2. Gotta love Goodwill!!!
It is cold again in Florida…has been for several days. I've just learned to dress in layers and have been comfortable in the house. Our electric bill was astronomical for last month, but the Lord is good and provided the extra that we needed!
I am making vegetable soup today. It smells really yummy, and I can't wait for the boys to get home so we can dig in. 🙂
OH! I got a new garbage can. Here she is…she is bee-yoo-tee-full!

Doug's uncle Roger made this gorgeous creature! We had one just like it for years, but when Isaac was in the hospital for a month, a sweet friend cleaned out our frig, but forgot to empty the trash. We were never able to get the smell out of the wood, and so had to throw the trashcan out with the trash. We were heartbroken! Uncle Roger finally relented to get his tools out of retirement and make us a new one. We LOVE her!!!

I guess that's it for my bullets. I'm going to have to allow myself to post shorter blogs, so that I can post more often. I always want my blogs to be ju-u-u-ust right, and so I put off blogging until I have more time. It seems like that "more time" almost never happens. So, I'm working on how to rectify that situation. 🙂

Blessings to you,

Alesha

Learning to Read

February 1, 2010 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, How Great is Our God, Just My Thoughts

Do you ever feel inadequate?

I'm not talking about the

"Oh, my! I didn't get the laundry finished today!"

deficiency ;

but the

"I don't even know what thoughts to think today!"

kind of inadequacy.

Some days I just feel overwhelmed with the lack of ability that I exhibit. Inevitably, though, I connect these feelings to my lack of time spent with my Heavenly Father.

When I am in the Word, I get instruction for my daily life; but I also find more than that. I am taught how to deal with emotions; I learn the thought processes of God; I find wisdom in His dealing with others; I see how He leads in ways that aren't always clear to His children; and I find peace knowing that He is in control.

All of these things give me comfort and guidance. The Holy Scriptures sift through my own selfish thoughts, and the Water of the Word washes away the grime of the world that has lodged in my mind.

Oh, how I need the Word! I cannot even think the right thoughts without the wisdom of God.

Do you feel inadequate today?

Run to the Word. Read it. Then read it some more. You will find the thoughts that you need to think. You will find His guidance there.

God bless you as you read!

Alesha

One Busy Week Followed By Another

January 26, 2010 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Hallelujah Diet, How Great is Our God, Isaac Update, What's Happening

We had an insanely busy week last week, as did most folks in our church. We had a wonderful Bible conference that went from Sunday through Wednesday, morning and evening sessions. Although I wasn't able to attend the morning sessions, I was able to watch them via our church's website; so I set aside time each morning for that. What a blessing that was to me each day!

I was also able to sing a few times last week; and of course, performances mean practices as well. So any extra time I might have had was swallowed up with practice sessions and then singing.

I have talked before about how much I enjoy singing and how it really feeds my soul, so I enjoyed my time spent preparing for the services. I found out that I have a cousin who can play almost anything I ask her to try. If you are a singer you KNOW how much of a blessing that is!!! I told her she was my new best friend!

Isaac was not able to attend all the services, but enjoyed watching them online with his dad when they had to stay home. We had some bowel issues with him last week, and it took the entire week to resolve them. Somehow, I let it slip passed me that the antibiotic he was taking for his sinus infection could cause constipation. Ack! So, we dealt with that. It was not pretty and it was not enjoyable for any of us; but he feels so much better now that everything is moving along nicely for him. (pun totally intended!)

Both mine and Isaac's sinus infections seem to be healing. I am almost through the antibiotic, and am feeling so much better. Isaac still has a nasty cough, especially in the mornings, but it is not keeping him (and us) awake at night now. Praise the Lord for that!

On the diet front, we did not do very well over the holidays, and Doug and I have both gained a few pounds. My doctor did not seem at all concerned, and said that everybody was having weight issues after the holidays. I did feel a little better when he said that!

We are faithfully continuing with our supplements, and have started back on our regimen of carrot juice every day. Even Isaac is getting carrot juice this week! We are hoping to avoid last week's issues, and thought that carrot juice would certainly be an all-natural alternative for him.

Next Sunday is a big day at our church. We will be celebrating the Pastor's 39th anniversary! That is quite a record for pastors these days, and we are so grateful for the faithful man of God who serves as our pastor.

We try to invite as many folks as possible, and aim to break the previous year's attendance record. The idea is not to brag about the numbers, but to have as many folks as possible under the preaching of the Gospel.

Last year we had over 4,000, with over 1,000 of those riding in on our Sunday school buses. After the preaching services, we have a huge carnival set up on our high school football field with food, games, rides, etc. The young people (and adults, too!!!) have such a great time that afternoon!

As a teenager and young adult, it was always one of the highlights of my year. It's really wonderful fun…well, for almost everybody. The guys that volunteer for the dunk tank sometimes have a rather chilly time of it, depending on the weather!!! :) We are praying for a beautiful, warm day for all the fun activities.

Last year, there were 300 children, teens and adults who made professions of faith in Jesus Christ during our anniversary Sunday service. Those were, of course, followed up by our bus workers and visitation teams. What a joy to think that they came to church to celebrate an anniversary, but they left celebrating their own spiritual birth day! 🙂

Well, I guess that's enough of an update for now. God has been so good to us, and our cups are really filled to overflowing after the great preaching we heard this past week. We look forward to letting some of that spill over now on those who visit on our special Sunday service this week.

It has been said that a sponge that merely soaks up water will eventually sour; it must be squeezed out in order to fulfill its purpose. God blesses us so that we can then bless others. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to "squeeze" us, so that we can minister to those around us.

May God bless you as you pass on your blessings this week,

Alesha

From Japan…With Love

December 15, 2009June 23, 2015 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Friendship, How Great is Our God, Isaac Update, What's Happening

I had such a lovely visit with Laura and her children yesterday! I felt like we had known each other forever, and were just getting together for an afternoon out. It was really odd to be with someone who you had never seen in person before, but feel like you had just chatted together the day before.

Here's the photographic proof of our lovely visit!

Aren't we pretty together in our red and green Christmas tops?

The beautiful, vivacious Bekah

A smiley Josh (so delighted that I caught that cute little smile!)

And here's will-o'-the-wisp Kei with Mom. I'm telling you, it was like trying to "catch a cloud and pin it down" to get a picture of this little sweetie pie. She was a busy, busy girl.

Here's the whole gang, with a new little friend that we met in the PlayPlace at McDs.

Just beautiful!

Kei and her new little friend, enjoying the huge slide!

Sisters in constant motion (but can you blame them, after a 12-hour flight from Japan, then a 2+ hour from Indiana to Florida – all in a 3-day span???)

Josh signed "please" to let us know that he wanted up off the floor.

Kei sitting still for just a minute, saying "goodbye" to her new friend. (this little girl's dad, mom and teenage sister sat and patiently waited for her to play for over an hour…very sweet!)

We had a wonderful time together. I just wanted time to stand still for a while, so we could visit just a little longer.

Laura brought me a beautiful gift from Japan A sweet tea set and chopsticks for Doug and I! She said the chopsticks would help with our diet! LOL!!!

I left the Japanese newspaper in the pic, because I thought it was cool!

I didn't get too close to this page…it is a family-friendly blog, after all! LOL!!! But I had to include it because it's just SO Japanese!

Really, Laura, Doug has a thing about reading the papers that people wrap stuff in. He loves to read the papers in his mom's packages, especially. He did say, however, that some things are just SCARY in ANY language!!!

LOLOLOLOL!!! :o)

Thanks, Laura, Bekah, Kei and Josh for a wonderful visit! I enjoyed it so much! And yes, we will need to do it again…maybe next time we can meet you in Indiana! :o)

And thanks to everyone who prayed for a safe and peaceful trip for them. Laura said everything went really well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess you probably noticed that Doug and Isaac weren't in any of our pictures. That's because our little man started running fever yesterday. He still has fever today, as well as a nasty croupy cough and a runny nose. I'd appreciate your prayers for him, that this will clear up on its own, so that we don't have to visit the germ-ridden doctor's office with him.

Thanks!

Alesha

Refreshing…

October 19, 2009 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Florida Weather, Household, How Great is Our God, Isaac Update, Just My Thoughts, What's Happening

We have FALL in Florida! Yay!!! It has been wonderful to feel the crisp cool air, and to be able to open the windows and have the fresh air circulate inside as well as outside. It will be in the mid-80s again tomorrow, but that is so much better than the 90s we were having. You will not hear anyone in our house complaining about the weather at this time of year. We enjoy it so much! 🙂

I am doing better. I have been able to care for myself, and even do a few things in the house. I helped with the dishes a little, and also with the laundry. I was able to whip up a batch of hummus. Of course the food processor does all the work for that! I just stand there and drop stuff in!

I was able to go to the services yesterday. I attended the morning service for just the preaching hour, then last night, I went to choir practice and stayed for the service, too. I took "Chairy" with me, and sat in the back in cushioned comfort. :)

I am still having considerable pain at times, like today. (I guess yesterday was just more sitting than I was ready for.) I have found that walking does help the pain. Doug, Isaac and I have been walking each evening for about 30 minutes. I've been pushing my wheelchair while I walk, and then if I am in too much pain, I just sit down and wheel myself. I know that's good for my upper body which is needing to be toned up any way, due to my recent weight loss.

I am not helping to care for Isaac yet. (Well, I do comb his hair! Some things Daddy just needs Mommy's help to do!) I did change one diaper one night while Doug was at work. It was only a wet diaper, and I did not need to adjust Isaac at all. He helped me to roll from side to side, and I did not need to lift any part of him. I was very careful and have only done it the one time. It saved Doug a trip home from work, which is helpful to him.

You know, I know that not everyone understands what's going on with me; and sometimes they pass judgment on me. They don't understand why I would do one activity, and not another. They can't understand why Doug is continuing to work nights, or why I am so "helpless" at home.

The bottom line is that I am just trying to do things that will not hurt me. Once you have been in the place that every movement caused severe pain, you find that you are loathe to be in that position again. So, as I gain confidence, I have moved forward. (I could write an entire blog about "fear"! What a powerful emotion, and one that I have not had to deal with on such a level before.)

So, if there are some that don't understand our choices at this point, I sincerely pray that they do not ever have to experience my situation in order to understand it. I would not wish any of this on my worst enemy! 🙂

The folks at Doug's work, and in my church, have been so kind and merciful to us. I am grateful for people who live out Christ's attitude of compassion. Their sweet spirits have been refreshing to our own spirits while we have been sojourning in the valley.

Isaac is doing well. He had a spate of seizures last week. We always hate to see him struggle with them. We had to administer emergency seizure meds one day last week, and he has not been sleeping very well. However, his sense of humor has remained intact! We just love to hear him giggle at a song or because of something Doug does. His joy is so contagious!

I guess this is enough of an update for now. I got a little long-winded, didn't I? :) I pray you have a good day!

Alesha

Counting Blessings

October 10, 2009 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Friendship, Household, How Great is Our God, Isaac Update, Just My Thoughts, What's Happening

I spent some time yesterday getting "pushed around" by my husband. LOL! (Thought you'd appreciate that, Hannah!) :) He took me to the chiropractor in my new chair. 🙂

The chiro seems to think I have "facet joint syndrome". Just click on the name to go to a site that explains it fairly well. To be honest, I was quite fearful that it would be something more serious. It certainly feels very serious! So this diagnosis, although unpredictable, is better than something that would require surgery.

I did feel some immediately relief after the adjustment. Although, after sitting for any length of time, the pain comes back with a vengeance. I keep doing a little bit more each day. "Slow and steady wins the race!" like the hare and the tortoise taught us. 😉

I'm feeling a little bit sorry for myself that I'm going to miss church again. And please don't tell my pastors, but I miss the choir the most! ;) We are already practicing for our Christmas cantata, and I love that so much! Also our choir is always learning new songs, so I miss out on those as well, and feel like I'm getting behind. I do enjoy watching them on the web site, though. It's fun to "see" your choir perform, rather than just hearing it.

I was quite pleased my how comfy my chair performed yesterday, although it did feel peculiar to be rolling around at everyone's waist level. It's funny how much difference a foot or two can make in your perspective of things. Now I know why they tell new parents to crawl around their house on hands and knees to view how their baby will see the world, so they know how to "childproof" their home more effectively. Thankfully, I was not quiiiiiite down on that level!!! lol!

Can I just say again how wonderful my husband has been through all of this? He is managing Isaac's care without a hitch. Remember he was home with him full time for a year or so, so he does really great with all of the things required to keep Isaac happy and healthy.

Of course, Isaac is older now, and we live in a different house, so some things are different. His taste in videos has changed and he loves to have his curtains opened so that he can see out; but most things remain the same: feeds, meds, clothes changes…and lots of TLC!

Doug is also caring for me extremely well. He has a real servant's heart and seems to thrive while meeting the needs of others. I do not have one complaint about his care for me these past two weeks. I have not gone without anything that I needed or wanted. He has done all the laundry, cleaning, and meals as well.

(Well, to be entirely accurate, I must say that Grammy did come over to visit the other day, and ended up dusting before she left. Moms always seem to know what little thing might just make your day a little brighter! She also sent over a few pieces of Jalapeno Cornbread last week. Yummo!!!)

I have felt so loved and cared for by my entire family (and my friends) for the past 2 weeks. I am such a blessed, blessed woman!

I pray you feel loved and blessed today. Even if you are alone, and in dire circumstances, please know that you are loved by God, and that He is right there with you. Remember too, that no matter how hard things may seem, they could be worse! So we need to count the blessing of this present difficulty. God has protected us from many other things, and we should praise Him for that.

May God bless you this day,

Alesha

Touch of Autumn

October 8, 2009June 23, 2015 by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Florida Weather, Hallelujah Diet, Household, How Great is Our God, Just My Thoughts, What's Happening

Well, here she is – all 20-inch-seat of her! Isn't she just beautiful?!! We call her "Chairy"…short for "Chariot" and "Cherry" – because she is such a sweet ride!

I can sit in it for short periods of time. Yesterday Doug sat me right next to Isaac's recliner, and after I had been there for a few minutes, Isaac t-u-r-n-e-d his head to his left and loooooooked at me…as if to say "I thought I heard you over there!" Isaac very rarely turns his head to the left, so when he does, it's for a good reason. 🙂

Today, I was able to trim and peel carrots:

This is how far I got:

Not a marathon peeling session, but a little bit is better than nothing. I was desperately trying to get those last 9 carrots done, but the pain was just too much. No need to prolong the healing time for something like carrots! 🙂

I had planned to get to my chiropractor today, but we forgot he closes at 11 a.m. on Thursdays. So I will call tomorrow for an appointment. He is always able to take me in right away. I will be glad to get everything aligned, so that the healing can continue in a better way.

Isaac is really enjoyed having Doug home during the daylight hours. Doug is enjoying working at night. I am just happy that they are both happy. 🙂

My mom brought me this gorgeous sunflower last week! The colors are just amazing for a silk flower.

I have it tucked in between the dresser and the nightstand, so I can see it all the time. Since the temperatures here are still in the 90's, and I can't get outside anyway, it's the only little touch of autumn I'm experiencing right now. :) I know cooler days are ahead. I just have to be patient.

Thanks for your encouraging comments and for your prayers. I know God is working miracles all around me. I can't see all that He is doing, but I know He is faithfully fulfilling the work that He has started in me.

Wishing you blessings this day,

Alesha

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