Only What is Good and Helpful.....

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (NIV)

Ephesians 4:29

Another version of the Bible says it like this:

"Say only what is good and helpful....and what will give...a blessing."

TLB

I think we can misunderstand this verse and think that we only should say "positive or nice" words.  Which yes, we do need to speak in kindness, gentleness, love, and patience to eachother in order to build eachother up. But speaking good and helpful words can be words that build us up can be words that confront, or challenge our thinking or stretch us, or even take us to see something "uncomfortable" about a situation in a our life- or makes us see who we really are in the mirror and your heart condition. 

There are people in my life that I just love to talk with because they always tell me "how it is."  They don't sugarcoat it.  They are truthful.  They challenge me in my thinking.  They push me to be better.  When they speak to me, they are "building me up" to be the best that I can be and I LOVE THEM for it.

 

   It means so much to me that they would care enough to tell me in love and confront me with something that is important.  And in all honesty- its not easy to receive words that stretch or challenge us. .  And I know that it's not always easy to confront a friend with truth.  You don't want to seem like you know everything or seem bossy or hurtful and the list goes on.  We worry about offending people sometimes more than we worry about the condition of their heart, life and soul.

I'm so thankful that I have people in my life that love me enough to speak good and helpful advice in my life. 

But whats so awesome is that we have the technology to find people in the blogging world who do the same thing, speaking truth in their blog.  I've been reading some blogs lately of real women/real moms, who inspire me to stay on task, to not give up and to keep striving.  I can get derailed easily but I'm so thankful for a God who never gives up on me. I'm thankful for my husband who loves me through my emotional ups and downs. I'm inspired by my girls to be a role model and to let God's light shine through me.
And I am praying that through your contact with me whether at church, small group, school, work, facebook- that you receive good and helpful counsel. Not because it comes through me but because it comes from God's Spirit within me giving you His insight.

And I'm finally going to post this! n I started this blog entry last week May 22nd.  Next blog will be about our Memorial weekend and pics to share.

Hardship Leading to Good Things

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 KJV

I remember my grandma telling me this verse alot as a young adult.  Reminding me that all the things that are difficult in my life or the trials I'm experiencing, He can work them for good in my life.  Its almost impossible to see that in the midst of those trials and difficulties.  Especially right now as I struggle to be faithful in my health and weightloss.  It feels like I've been jipped or handed a bad hand in a card game.  I've always been that bigger girl. My sister Gina was always this cute petite thing.  And it seems that even though I'm eating good and counting my calories and exercising, that the weight just only s-l-o-w-l-y creeps off when my sister can eat junk food and then go run 3 miles like it's nothing.
So I can choose to be bitter and give up and hold this grudge against life and God OR.....I can choose to understand that each person in life has their own struggle, their own "thorn" that they are working through.  So maybe my sister doesn't struggle with her weight but maybe she is experiencing hardship with finances or fear.  Do you get what I mean?  And those hardships or trials that we go through, God uses to shape and mold us into a beautiful masterpiece for Him.  Because it ultimately always boils down to us being made to be more like Him.

Now I can honestly say, I am not always thinking about lookin' like Jesus when I'm working out or when I'm counting those calories- I'm thinkin' "I so want to buy those cute little skinny jeans!"  Then there are days when I'm walking and jogging and I'm feeling like I just want to stop because its so hard and then I think "God, I can only do this if you help me!!  Make my Spirit within me strong!"

So then I think "God what are you teaching me? Are you teaching me that I need to learn to be steadfast? Do I need to learn to be humble because being fat sure does make you humble in this flesh oriented world we live in."  But I need to not focus on what the object of my hardship is supposed to mean or teach me- but only know that He is working it all out for good in my life and trust that....and lean in on that....and keep going and taking it one day at a time.

And that is my little nugget of truth to live by today!

Picture of me this morning (5/17/13) after my 10 day cleanse.  I wasn't as strict as I should have been. I had several days with icecream and where I added carbs into my diet.  But I still did lose 5 pounds in 10 days from the cleanse....and my jeans fit a little better and that is a small but noteworthy victory for me!!

On my way to work today I snapped this picture of me- My eyes look a little puffy and tired because I am tired.  My body is still healing and I'm fighting a bad cough and sore throat.....but I keep plugging away.

The view oustide my house last night.  Can you see the sun setting right above that old red barn? And the white blossoms of the apple tree remind me that spring is here and spring means fresh and new beginnings. And I feel like God is always reminding me that He is about giving us new beginnings and leading us on journey that leads to good things.  Pictures of God's beauty always brings me back to looking at my creator and His goodness to me.

All In a Day's Work

Sometimes life can be overwhelming but not with bad things necessarily.  I was just thinking what the past 2 days entailed for me and I was like "WOW!  I did alot in 48 hours."  Do you ever take a step back and think about all you did in 1 or 2 days?  Maybe you should.  Because you might realize you have too much on your plate and maybe need to eliminate something that is just "busy" but not a productive or fruitful in your life.  So here is what my past 2 days looked like:

Tuesday May 14th:
5:30am- shower and get ready for the day
6:30am- scooped Jaelle out of bed in jammies and headed to the hospital
7:00am- check in for ear tube surgery
8:15am- surgery began
9:00am- Jaelle is out of surgery in recovery room and GRUMPY. I'm itchin' to get that kid home
10:00am- home from hospital
10:15am- fed Jaelle breakfast of cereal, toast, yogart and fruit
10:30-11:15 am- snuggle time on couch with Jaelle watching a movie
11:25am- walking out the door to head for work
11:50am- arrive at work
3:55pm- zip out the door to leave for school presentation for Becca
4:15pm- meet Cornelius and girls in school parking lot
4:20pm- Becca is presented with Outstanding Student of the Month Award
4:45pm- home in time to start supper  ( I forget what we ate)
5:30pm- Cornelius drops Becca off at softball field for pregame warm-up
6:15pm- Becca's game starts
8:00pm- Game Over THEY WIN 20-5.  It's ridiculous how much talent is on this young team.
8:05pm- call Cornelius to tell him Becca and mommy are going out for icecream
9:00pm- Home from icecream date with Becca
9:30pm- Abby and Becca are in bed
9:30-10:30- laundry, folding clothes, vacuuming and getting ready for tomorrow
11:00pm- BED TIME (Cornelius and I stay up talking and just reminiscing about the day-its more like midnight before we fall asleep)

May 15th:
6:00am- up to shower and get ready for the day
6:45am- Jaelle wakes up
7:00am- breakfast
7:30am- out the door to take kids to school
8:00am- sitting in Becca's class getting ready for Field Trip to Midland Loons Baseball game
8:30am- board bus
10:30am- Loon's Game begins
1:30pm- leave Midland for home
2:15pm- arrive back in Vestaburg
2:15-2:35pm- Meet with Becca and Abby's teachers to go over scores and make plan for summer schooling activities (my kids are super smart and had great and above average scores) :)
3:00pm- HOME
3-4:25pm- housework and making supper
4:30pm- SUPPER TIME. I love that we all can sit at the table and be together
5:15pm- Everyone in the van to go to Abby's softball game in Beal City
6:15pm- game starts
7:30-7:51pm- GO FOR A LITTLE WALK with Jaelle and Becca in Beal City
7:51-8:00pm- finish watching Abby's game (THEY WIN! 12-9)
8:05pm- head home
8:35pm- Jaelle to bed
8:40-9:40pm- visit my parents and do a little email while visiting
10:00pm- home to do laundry, dishes and normal stuff to get ready for the next day
11:00pm- read a few chapters out of "The Four Seasons of Marriage"
11:55pm- head to bed after falling asleeping in chair


All in a day's work for a mom!!  Phew!!  Just typing it all out wears me out. :)  But it was just all good healthy normal living and I'm thankful to be able to have a family that is healthy and active TOGETHER. 

Cornelius and I started this thing where we say one positive thing to eachother before we go to bed. Its easy to end the day on a bad note but this way we are being mindful to speak to eachother kindly and in love.
Last night I was just so appreciative and thankful for how Cornelius is so involved in helpinig me with the girls and I told him that.  He told me that he appreciates how I am such a positive role model for not only our girls but for their friends. He likes that Abby's teammates love to have me around.

 If I would have added Cornelius' crazy schedule to this schedule, well, it would really make your head spin.  He is taking classes while working overtime or working out of town.  These past few nights Cornelius was doing class work from 9-midnight. And I didn't mention he met with our Pastor Wednesday night from 8-9pm because he is Vice Chair of the Church Board and the Pastor was just using Cornelius as a sounding board for some important items.

Anyway, I am sure that those of you reading this can spin circles around me with your busy lives! Just make sure that the things you and I fill our lives with our worthy of all the time we spend on them and that they produce good things in your life.

Here are a few pictures from the past 2 days-

Becca with her OUTSTANDING STUDENT OF THE MONTH award.

Becca and her friend Mya Austin on the bus to the Loon's Game Field Trip

Mascott dance-off!  It was very funny.

Just a nice picture of me and Becca together at the field trip Loon's Game.  We had a wonderful day full of fun and sunshine.

Results of Lab Work and Doctor Appointment

So we figured out what's wrong with me.  After dealing with feeling "not like me", I couldn't wait for this doctor appointment on Thursday May 9th.

I am not a person who likes to go to the doctor.  In fact, my last serious doctor appointment was late October 2012 when I went because I was having palpations.  I wore a heart monitor for a few days and did some tests and the results came back normal.  I have a healthy normal heart.  HAPPY DANCE!  But the doctor felt it would be good to do extensive lab work.  That was suppose to happen November 2012.  But then life happened.  Cornelius got a new job, then injured his back, then issues with our childcare and then Christmas.  So my health issues went on the back burner.

I noticed over the winter months that I was feeling more and more fatigued and "not me".  In fact, I would say, I was depressed. I contributed it to not exercising and eating high calorie rich foods that didn't really feed my body and in turn can make you feel sluggish.  On March 8th, Cornelius and I joined a health challenge at church with a group of friends in an attempt for me to be more intentional with my health and weight. I started counting my calories, watching my food intake and also joined Insanity workout group at church.  Cornelius was doing this with me and it was so great to do something with my husband and even had the girls joining us.  There was no cost, kids could come and play and you were surrounded by a group of people who really cared about you.  It was a win win situation.

A month into the program I was showing little weight loss.  It was SUPER defeating and discouraging. I was working so hard at this and not seeing results.  But I would get comments from friends telling me that I "looked" thinner and looked more in shape.  But it doesn't matter- if you don't feel good about yourself and your results, it doesn't matter what other people say.  Cornelius tried to encourage me by telling me he was proud of all the work and effort I was putting into my health.  He told me to not focus on the numbers......I was surrounded by people giving me good support but it didn't matter.  I still was DEPRESSED and DISCOURAGED.  I was moody and it wasn't until I got really sick around mid April with a sinus infection did I realize that I was in a bad way.  My mom was the one who told me "Cherri, you really need to talk to the doctor about your depression and fatigue."  It was a hard slap in the face of my reality because my family was noticing that I was depressed.

I have never been more excited to have a doctor appointment then I was for this one May 9th.  I was praying that they would find something wrong. Something to explain how I was feeling.  I did my lab work on May 2nd and a week later on May 9th at my appointment when the doctor walked in, read my notes and then looked at me and gently said "How are you really doing Cherri?"  I started crying....and told her "Not good.  I just don't feel like something is right.  I'm forgetful. I have signifcant hairloss, I'm tired and so discouraged about my weight issues and life in general. I'm hoping that the lab work shows that something is wrong with my thyroid."  She looked firmly at me and said "No, actually.  You thyroid looks good. Your fasting sugar levels show that over the past 3 months they have been around 120 which is excellent.  Your cholesterol levels are excellent.  Blood pressure is good. BUT, we did find that you are extremely deficient in Vitamin D which was alarming enough that we called you and left a message with a family member to have you call me but you must not have gotten that phone call.  You are here now and we are going to fix this.  Vitamin D deficiency has caused people issues with their heart, hairloss, depression and fatigue.  So it does help to explain what is going on with you."

I WAS RELIEVED.....there was an explanation to what was wrong and it was something we could work at with a Vitamin suppliment.  She called it a super pill.  I take it once a week for 12 weeks. I also am taking a Vitamin B pill daily because that was low too, but not anything compared to my Vitamin D defiency.

I believe that I am on my way to being on the mend and I feel like I have answers to my health issues.  And I am believing that in a month I will have a good report to share that my overall health is much better.

Below is an excerpt I found that was simple reading regarding Vitamin D Deficiency:

Do you feel tired and achy during the winter months? Your symptoms may be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. If you suspect you're vitamin D deficient, you can have your doctor perform a simple blood test to check your levels, says Dr. James Dowd, associate professor of medicine at Michigan State University. Bob talks with Dr. Dowd, author of The Vitamin D Cure, about the causes, symptoms and cures of vitamin D deficiency.

Causes:

• Lack of sun exposure: People who work indoors or live in northern climates where the sun shines very little in the winter often don't get important doses of vitamin D from the sun, Dr. Dowd says.
• Race: Latinos and African-Americans are at a much higher risk of becoming vitamin D deficient because they have more melanin in their skin, Dr. Dowd says. "That's because melanin is a natural sunscreen and it blocks the type of sunlight that helps you make vitamin D, so your risk goes up the darker your skin is," he says.

Symptoms:

• Fatigue: "It can be a quite severe fatigue," Dr. Dowd says. In fact, those diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome may also suffer from lack of vitamin D, he says.
• Body aches: "Bone pain, muscle pain, joint pain [are all signs]," he says. "[The pain] typically moves around—one day it's your back that bothers you, a week later it's your shoulders and the next day it is your feet and hands."
• Difficulty controlling weight: Vitamin D plays a role in regulating weight, and Dr. Dowd says a deficiency may make it difficult to keep your weight in check.

Cures:

• Supplements: A daily multivitamin has about 400 units of vitamin D, but Dr. Dowd says you still need to take a straight vitamin D supplement on top of the multivitamin to reach normal levels. "Your average [100- to 200-] pound person is going to require probably between 2,000 and 4,000 units of vitamin D a day," he says.
• Sun exposure: Eating lunch outdoors when possible or going for walk during a break to get sun exposure will help you achieve normal vitamin D levels, Dr. Dowd says. "Increase your sun exposure at midday between spring blossoms and fall colors," he says.
• Eat vitamin D-rich foods: Dr. Dowd says green, leafy vegetables, fish from the ocean and sun-dried produce such as mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes are excellent sources of vitamin D.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Vitamin-D-Deficiency#ixzz2TI2Pw4y0

Mother's Day 2013

So I had the most wonderful Mother's Day probably to date- IT WAS FANTASTIC.  I feel so loved and spoiled.  My girls gave me a most tremendous gift that they made with their sitter, Larita Helton.  So I'll post the pics and talk about them one by one :)

So Cornelius and the girls let me sleep in until 8am.  I woke up to find our table full of this- home-made cards and posters and.....

This picture!!!  I cried. It was taken by Larita a few weeks before Mother's Day and she helped the girls make the posters and letters that they held in the picture.  I think its my most favorite Mother's Day gift to date.  Ive been given jewelry and clothes and all kinds of nice gifts. But this tops it. :)

Kisses of love :)

After church, Cornelius took our family to Impressions 5 Kid's Museum in Lansing.  We had so much fun playing and exploring.  These are square and triangle bubble makers that Abby and Becca are holding.

This was a fun stand up bubble maker that Jaelle and Becca played in.

Goofy kid!  This is Jaelle telling me "Cheese!"

Jaelle helping daddy make a lawn mower with big tinker toys.

Jaelle making a mess- but then she would clean it all up and sing her "Clean up" song. :)

They had a craft table to make the cycle of a butterfly or something- all I know is that Jaelle was samplin' the glue!!!

Upclose of Jaelle at the dominoe table. She was having so much fun.

The girls and I decided to take a crazy silly pic.

One of my favorite pics of the day.  Jaelle just had a blast exploring at the museum.  When we were leaving, she said "We had fun day."  And we all smiled and said "Yes we did."

Becca made this very sweet printed card and wrote this:

Calling all girls! 

Dear Mom,

I love you so much,

Your such a lover to me,

 I'll never forget you. 

I could eat you like cookies and milk!

 Love your sweet peas,

Rebecca and Abigail

I think that I'm pretty blessed and had a tremendously amazing mother's day!

I



Tears in a Bottle

So its been hard to blog when your hubby has been gone for work out of town since April 22nd and with the family computer (laptop).  He finally returned May 4rth at 9:15pm.  The girls gave him a most grand welcome with welcome home posters and so much love and hugging and kisses and jumping on him.  They surely missed their daddy and so much life happened while he was gone.

So I'll begin with the random pictures and then go into the "Tears in a Bottle" afterwards so stay with me!!

So here are the pictures that I took the last week that Cornelius was gone April 29-May 4th. 

BIG HAIR MONDAY (April 29th).  I was hoping that having big hair would help the day start out good.  Well, it didn't. I ended up with a flat tire on my way to work! But thank God it was right as I was getting to work and I was able to park the van at work.  And a most wonderful guy at work, Erik Cummings, changed my tire in his dress clothes and was so gentlemen like.  I was blessed by his kindness.

Jaelle at the Ear Nose and Throat specialist April 29th.  Isn't she a doll?  The specialist took one look in her ears and asked me a few questions and scheduled the ear tube surgery 2 weeks later May 14th at 7:30am.  I am looking forward to her not having so many ear infections- its been nonstop since 11/2012 with ear infections and fluid in her ears. The antibiotic just never would clear it up.  We're praying that this surgery will be just what she needs.

Becca and Jaelle walking in the yard May 1st in the evening.  We have really had such beautiful weather since April 25th.  Its been sunny and just beautiful.  So we decided to go to the pond, catch bugs and frogs and canoe in our little pond.

Jaelle has seen Abby canoe around the pond and she acted like she knew just what to do.

Jaelle practicing her paddling skills before we head out on the pond. 

Saturday, May 4rth our church had a breakfast and craft day for the ladies.  I decided that I needed to go and bring the girls to do something special with them.  I had a sitter arranged for Jaelle but she canceled.  So I had to bring Jaelle. It actually turned out ok with Jaelle- a little more work. (more like a lot more work!) Abby and Becca brought their friend Hannah Palmer with them.  We were painting with acrylic paint and had all kinds of stencils and items to decorate our clay pots. The pots could be flower pots, candle holders or bird feeders.

Becca was so proud of her little bird feeder. She has it on our back porch and the birds have been happily eating from it. :)

The girls felt that Jaelle should make something too. She had a little clay pot base and painted it with her little water paints and then the girls helped her pick out things to glue to it.

This is Gina's bird feeder (the one with pink flowers0 and mine is the smaller one that I'm going to use as a candle holder on my back deck for summer entertaining.  We both did a great job I thought!

And can you see how much Jaelle enjoyed her time?  You would never know that the night before she was up most the night because of being so congested from allergies.  In fact, my dad came over at 1am to help me put medicine drops because her eyes were full of goop....poor kid.  So she slept with me.  She wasn't feeling so good at the craft day but she is such a trooper and always loves being with other people.  You wouldn't have known that Jaelle and mommy spent some time crying the night before in the rocker because Jaelle was just not feeling so good. 

Last night I was faithful and did my first walk/jog of May. 3.1 miles in 46 minutes and 46 seconds. Sunday May 5th, Cornelius measure me with a measuring tape.  We're going to see if I see more tangible results with a measuring tape since my weight loss as been so minimal.  Its so discouraging when you are working so hard and exercising and eating right and still don't see much success on the scale. Thursday May 9th I have a doctor appointment to go over the blood work to check my sugar and thyroid and other lady stuff.

This morning I was feeling especially discouraged and was on the phone with a dear friend from Evansville that is such a praying friend and truly gifted in praying for people.  While she was praying I received this email:

Hi Cherri,

I feel that God has put you on my heart this morning. I'm praying for you and I want you to know that I strongly feel that you are meant to hear this: 

But now, this is what the Lord says-

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; and you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

the water will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior"

Isaiah 43:1-3

I cried while I read this email.  Tears just streamed down my cheeks- I couldn't stop them and it was healing.

 God knows my heart and what is going on.....and He put my name on someone's heart to pray for me without me having to ask or say one word.  God is with me. And it has been very healing for me to just shed tears and confess that I have really been struggling with depression.  And it's not that I doubt God because I know He is there. I sense His presence and I believe. But there is this real presence or cloud over me and I've tried to pinpoint if this is health related or spiritual/emotional. 

Right now and this morning as I was praying with my friend and read these verses from Isaiah,  I realized that it doesn't matter if this is spiritual or emotional or physical depression.

Because  I am leaning on the promise of this verse this morning while I ride through the storms of my life right now and Jesus is enough...He truly is enough.  And I know that He will reveal what needs to be revealed. That He will help my doctor with test results, that He will heal my heart and emotions.  And that the tears I shed He promises in His Word that He is holding every tear in a bottle because every tear I shed He cares about. "You number and record my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle—are they not in Your book?" Psalm 56:8 AMP

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 73:25-26 NIV

May 2013 Health Goals

May is here! I love fresh beginnings!  And the start of a month is a perfect time to get fresh perspective and make new health goals for this month.
Because my girls are on different softball teams, and there will be games every night of the week, I won't be able to do Insanity with my group of workout buddies like I did in March and April.  The weather is warming up (YEAH) and I LOVE walking outside.
 So I'm changing up my workout routine this month because if it isn't something attainable and realistic, it ain't gonna happen! 

May Goals:
1. 30 minutes of Walking/jogging 3 times a week.  I'm thinking I can walk do this during some of the girls games too. 
2. One night a week of strength training exercises (weights, plank etc)
3. Complete a 10 day Advocare Challenge- I really should do another 24 day challenge and if I started May 6th, I could complete this by the end of the month.  I get afraid that it won't be managable becaue of the crazy softball schedule.  But really, I think I'm afraid of doing the 24 day challenge because it's SO CHALLENGING!
4. Take measurements today and on the last day of the month.

And those are my goals this month. I think that this is attainable and something I can do with my family.

Today makes 10 days that my hubby has been gone for work in Gaylord. Its been a long 10 days, but I've survived with the help of my girls and my family. I will say that I have missed having him there to cuddle, or just lean on and rest. I miss him helping with the girls and with supper. He's such a helper!!  And the girls miss their daddy too.  He's hoping to be back by May 6th.  Lets pray that its sooner than that!!

It's Wednesday people!!  Our weekend is almost here!! Happy Dance!

Your verse of encouragement for today:
"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."
Psalm 36:5