Life Interrupted...

My world has been knocked off its axis.  No, it isn't about the ongoing unemployment.  That's just been a little bump in the road.  We've been down that road before, and eventually it will smooth out.  There are options we haven't even begun to explore.  Something will come together and we will survive unemployment one way or another.

A few weeks ago Bob and I were enjoying dinner at Olive Garden with my brother and his wife.  They were treating us in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary.  Don winced every now and then...his back was still bothering him and physical therapy wasn't helping.  He was disappointed because he had hoped to be training for his 12th marathon. At age 59, he was the picture of health and vitality.  He had been running for fitness and stress relief  for decades.  But this new pain in his back was bringing all that to a screeching halt, and he was having all kinds of scans and tests run to see what was going on.

One night he ended up having to go to the ER, the pain was so great he felt he couldn't move.  He was admitted to the hospital for more tests and morphine.  A few days later he sent us a text message late at night.  "got the test results.  news not so good."  As my husband read the details to me, I was at first stunned and then angry.  I wanted to start throwing things.  I felt sick to my stomach.  I thought I was having a nightmare and I just wanted to wake up to my normal life again...life as it had been before this news.

I'd heard of multiple myeloma before. Our grandmother died from it 40 years ago.  It is an incurable blood cancer that settles in the bones.  It is very rare, representing only about 1% of all cancers.  And just a few years ago I had done a little research on the internet when I had a small tumor removed from my inner elbow area.  Mine was not malignant but I was curious as to the symptoms of multiple myeloma.  That was when I found out that in spite of many new experimental drugs, radiation and chemotherapy, not much progress has been made in finding a cure or in survival rates. Still, the doctors are saying this cancer is "very treatable".  So we hope.

In my brother's case, a tumor was found on his L5 vertebrae, and had in fact crushed it, causing the severe pain he is experiencing.  More scans, more tests...  The good news so far being the cancer has not metastasized in any other bones.   Chemotherapy begins in just a few days.

As I sat before my brother yesterday while he rested on the hospital bed that has been set up in their family room, he held both of my hands for a long time.  He is taking a liquid morphine every 2 hours so he faded in and out as we talked.  He wanted to tell me about the good things he sees happening already as a result of his suffering.  "God stories" as he calls them.  His faith is strong.  He is determined not to "waste his cancer".

We don't know where this road is leading.  It's not a journey any of us would choose to travel.  Only God knows the end from the beginning and the number of our days.  In spite of the shock, the pain, and the uncertainty, as individuals and as a family we will choose to say "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  And we would so appreciate your prayers for healing, for strength, for faith to remain strong through the storm.  Thank you friends.  I know you will.

 Don Lichi 

Sept. 2011

Please meet my friend Hilary!

I've been meaning to feature Hilary Bernstein and her blog, Accidentally Green, for some time now.  Hilary is one of the young women I am so blessed to have in my life.  She and her hubby were friends with my son and daughter-in-law first and before too long,  they became our friends as well! 

Hilary has written a book with the same title as her blog, and is patiently waiting for the right publisher to discover her.  I know it will be a huge success when that happens, and I'm right there in her cheering section!

A gifted writer and an avid researcher of cleaning products, personal care products, and just about anything that affects the health and safety of her family, Hilary seeks to honor God by making wise choices in her everyday living.  In the process she has discovered that many of these choices are not only personally healthful, but are kind to the environment as well.  

Hilary and I have a lot in common despite our age difference.  First and foremost, we are sisters in Christ.  We both love a good bargain at the store, and we are both committed to the well-being of our families.  We take seriously our roles as keepers of the home front.  Hilary has joyfully accepted her calling to be a wife and mother, and  she uses her researching and writing talents passionately to help others.

I heartily recommend following Hilary's blog as well as Accidentally Green's Facebook page, where you can scour for topics that would interest you.  She frequently has give-aways too.  I was the winner of  these fantastic personal care products not too long ago.  

In fact, Hilary has a giveaway going on right now. Leave a comment and tell her I sent you!  Check it out! www.accidentallygreen.org.

"...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

2 Corinthians 7:1

Lessons from the strawberry patch...

Just as summer is beginning here in northeast Ohio, the strawberry fields are ripe for the picking. I've been waiting for the "perfect" day to take my grandchildren. I had hoped the crop and weather conditions would be favorable the first week of June when all four of my grands could go, but sadly we had too much rain that week. So two of them had to go back home to SC and missed out.

When we had a dry and slightly overcast and not too warm day this week, my friend Jennifer called and said she and her two boys were going to a nearby farm to pick. I didn't think twice about it, and hurriedly got the two grands I was babysitting packed in the car and off we went.

I'm actually not a farm girl, but I do like to pretend now and then. I was having such a great time being outdoors and giving my grandchildren this new experience that I began to think about what a teachable moment it could be. While we were moving slowly down the rows between the plants and filling our baskets, I asked Jennifer if she felt a little like Ruth (of the Bible) gleaning the fields. We happened to be near the edge of the strawberry field, where in ancient times, crops were left for poor people to come along and pick, allowing them dignity as well as sustenance.

The strawberry season is a very short one, lasting only a couple of weeks. Since I only picked one nice basket, I'm so tempted to try to find another day to go again. We'll see. But isn't that just like life? Life is short, even if we'd live to be 100. We really do need to live each day to the fullest and redeem whatever time we have on this earth.

Did you know that there are different varieties of strawberries and they grow to different sizes? Some people prefer large ones, but I have found the smaller ones tend to be sweeter and tastier. Strawberries also need to be handled with care. They are a fragile fruit and can be bruised or crushed easily, so care should be taken not to overfill the baskets with too much weight. Also, walk in the rows between the plants and be careful not to trample on them. I think there could be a whole sermon in here making an analogy between strawberries and friendships!

One thing I definitely did notice while we were picking: Some of the plants were full and the leaves were firm and a lucious green color. Others were dry and withering. The plants that were the healthiest looking had the best looking berries hidden under their leaves. So as I moved along, I first looked at the leaves and focused on the fruit from the healthy plants. Surely a spiritual lesson here as well!

I ended up giving away almost half of my berries. How could I not share my experience and my joy? I was fortunate to have the time to "play in the fields" and I know how blessed I have been to be on the receiving end in the past.

Strawberries are not only delicious, but did you know that a cup of fresh strawberries contains about double the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C? So if you'll excuse me now, I need to go take my vitamins!

*Thanks to Jennifer Meybaum for photos of the children.

Be careful little mouth, what you say...

graphic compliments of www.penniwigs.blogspot.com

The two grandkids I babysit regularly and I have been singing the children's Sunday School song, "Be careful little eyes, what you see" this week. In case you don't know it, it goes like this:

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

Then the other verses are little ears, what you hear, little feet, where you go, little hands, what you do, etc.

The Bible verse that has been on my mind a lot lately ties in. It is this one:

"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." Ephesians 4:29

Dictionary definitions of the word "unwholesome" include "detrimental to mental, physical, or moral well-being". When I was growing up, the kids in our neighborhood used to yell these words back and forth, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Well, we all know what a lie that is, and hopefully we try not to hurt others with our words.

But what about the rest of the verse? We are to say "only" those things that are helpful for building others up according to...what? THEIR NEEDS??? Our words are supposed to be of benefit to others.

I know I have failed many, many times in my life and have both intentionally and unintentionally disobeyed this scriptural admonition. Since I've been teaching the Sunday School song to my grandchildren, I've been thinking about what it would be like if I actually, very intentionally, tried to speak only wholesome words that would seek to build up the listener according to "their" needs.

The times when it becomes especially difficult are those when someone does or says something that I either strongly disagree with, or is hurtful to me. It's so easy to just let something fly out of my mouth (or off my keyboard!) in defense of my position or feelings. But the fact remains that as a bible-believing Christian, I must own that it is not only possible, but necessary that I need to be careful with words. Words are powerful, and they have meaning. Oh be careful little mouth what you say!

It's not easy being short...

I saw a headline this morning and it was the first thing I read:

"Short people at risk for heart problems"

As if we don't get enough warnings about all the things we can control in our lives such as diet, exercise, sleep...now we are supposed to worry about what we cannot do anything about.

Apparently statistics now show that if you are 5'3" or under (that would be me), you have a 50% greater chance of dying from heart trouble. "We don't want to scare short people, but perhaps they should be extra cautious about their lifestyle" said one professor, who wasn't even connected with the study.

Here are the potential reasons for the greater risk:

1) perhaps short people are poor and undernourished - Well, I'm certainly not wealthy but in comparison to most of the world I am certainly not poor or undernourished. Seems like it used to be that potential heart problems were of special concern to the "over" nourished!

2) short people may have a hormone imbalance - Oh my. The report didn't say if they were picking on women in particular, but they better watch it!

3) short people have smaller arteries and therefore are more susceptible to artery clogging and high blood pressure problems - This possible reason seemed to make the most sense, theoretically speaking, but I'll tell you, we have a lot of short people in my family's lineage, but we also have a lot of longevity.

One spokesman stated that cardiologists need to be careful at drawing conclusions that short people are more susceptible to heart problems, that it would potentially unfairly stigmatize them. This is the scary part to me. How unfair it would be for insurance companies and employers, for example, to discriminate against short people on the grounds they could possibly be at greater risk for heart problems.

Just what the world needed, another report coming out to scare people about health hazards! While I definitely think it is a good idea to use common sense and apply wisdom in trying to take care of the bodies we have been entrusted with, the fact remains that we will not live in these bodies forever! Something will wear out or fail us eventually.

I refuse to live a life of fear over something I had no control over. Yes, I am short. In fact I'm an inch shorter than what I was when I was younger! But my times are in His hands, the One who created me and determined how long I would live before I was even born. Read all about it in Psalm 139. And live each day to the fullest!

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.