November 30, 2011 7:20 p.m.

I saw this blog post about free math and science high school textbooks available for Kindle.   Just wanted to share about them with my blog readers who are closer to the high school years than I.

November 19, 2011  8:22 p.m.

There is so much going on here at Breezy Point.

And it’s all really good stuff.

But I have been super busy, and haven’t had time to talk about it.

But I will soon, when I get a breather in a few days.

I promise.

Big goings on here.  Big!  Really big.

November 8, 2011 4:06 p.m.

I received good news this year in the area of health. 

First of all, several years ago, I was diagnosed with Barrett’s Esophagus.  This is a change in the cells lining a part of the esophagus resulting from long term partially- (or un-) treated heartburn over a long period of time.  The cells basically change to stomach cells.  When I was in my late 20s, I began a pattern of developing heartburn, which increased in frequency and intensity through the years.  I self-medicated with OTC heartburn meds.  During this same time, the types of OTC meds increased in variety and effectiveness, and they somewhat were able to keep up with my increasing need for them.  But guilt caught up to me and I finally went to have it evaluated about 4 years ago.  I had an EGD (upper endoscopy) and was told of the Barrett’s.

I was disappointed to learn this, because I knew it was thought to be irreversible.  In addition, it placed me in a higher risk population for esophageal cancer.  But since then, I have tried to take my daily dose of omeprazole, and more recently have been advised to add in a dose of Pepcid Complete at bedtime.  Every two years I am supposed to have another EGD to check on things and make sure things aren’t getting worse.

Well, this summer, I was scheduled for my third EGD.  A week later, I received a call from the technician telling me that everything looked normal and that there is no longer any evidence of Barrett’s!  And yes, you guessed it, I was happy, happy, happy over this.  My doctor had mentioned in my recent visit that there have been a few patients who have been known to resolve Barrett’s through lifestyle management and daily medication.  I might also add in my opinion that prayer has more to do with it.  Turns out I am one of the few who have had such positive results.  So I am thrilled.

Has my heartburn gone away?  No.  In fact I suppose I will need this omeprazole for good.  The only thing that will cause me to avoid the need for every stronger meds will be diet and lifestyle management, which I have been doing to some extent.  But I am very happy to have gotten rid of the Barrett’s for now, and I do not have to have another EGD for three years.

Another good thing is that since July, I have had a conviction to get out exercising.  I had been living an inactive lifestyle (except for basic activities around the house).  I could tell that my body was crying out for exercise.  Then, in early mornings in late July, I began to walk more briskly than I had been doing, increasing the distance from two laps around our acreage to 3 – 4 – and finally 5 laps.  Gradually I interspersed short periods of jogging.  Then I took to the road.   I earned the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award simply by logging five periods of 30 minute exercise per week.  Recently, I have decreased the exercise sessions to three per week to not overstress my bones and joints.  Now I am routinely covering 2-1/2 miles each time I exercise, with nearly 50% of the distance covered by running.  I am loving it, and find that I crave more of it. 

This is another act of God in my life.  Earlier this year, I never thought I would have had it in me.  I am feeling so much better than I used to.  It seems that everything about my body is working better.  A couple of examples: when I enter a lit place from a dark place, my eyes adjust to the light much faster.  Also, I used to be stiff and unsteady on my feet when getting out of bed in the morning.  Now I just jump out and walk across the house like I did when I was younger.  And all it cost me was a pair of running shoes.

I am now about halfway through one of the Couch to 5K training plans that I found online here.  I am pursing the Conservative Run program.  I am trying to encourage everyone else in my family to do something similar.  So far, only the children are interested.   

Final health update.  My recent physical showed that I am still low in my vitamin D levels, but not as low as last year, when I was abysmally low.  .  My doctor also sent me for a bone density test, which discovered some beginning loss of bone mass, a bit more than should be at my age.  So I am adding in weight- bearing exercise for my arms on the mornings I do not run.  Mostly curls with weights in hand.    Hopefully future scans will show improvement in this area. 

Feeling good and energetic, like I am younger than I used to be.   Makes me a happier Mama.  Thankful to the Lord for this blessing, and hoping I can use my newfound energy to His glory.

November 3, 2011 5:31 p.m.

We have gotten into a new groove at our church this year, as our children are getting older and aging out of (or in to) different ways of serving and being ministered to.

Our church has experienced a recent period of rapid growth in visitors and as a result, the nursery has had a surge of babies and toddlers.  I am scheduled to serve during the Sunday School hour, but our baby nursery attendance at this time has grown from around 5 children to upwards of 14!  So I have been needed to serve in the nursery far more often than I have been on the schedule.  They have to maintain a 4-to-1 ratio of babies to adults in the room.  Also, I have been serving quite often as a Sunday School helper for the 3rd and 4th grade class.  What a sweet class!  I love that age group.

On Wednesdays, I bring Sweet Girl to her Chorister’s group.  Chips is now too old for this (boo hoo from me) and he just brings along his violin and practices in the sanctuary while she is in chorus.  Then at 6 p.m., the children both get a pizza supper before Sweet Girl goes to Bible Memory Club and Chips goes to Youth Bible Study.  During that time, Self-Reliant Man and I are free to have a weekly date.  We meet in a fast food restaurant and enjoy each other’s company alone for over an hour each week before returning to the church to pick up the children.  We so seldom have had these opportunities.  It is great. 

Chips is really feeling involved this year in his church.  He is getting opportunities to plan his violin for a morning service, an evening service, and also for the children’s Christmas pageant.  He is also available to help with small service projects that come to pass while he is at weekly Youth Bible Study.  This is our church’s version of “Youth Group”.  I like the annual events that this group has.  It is like no other youth group I remember.  They try to ensure that the time together is truly God-centered, and I have observed several teenagers who obviously love Christ and are really trying to be obedient to him.  There is some real growth going on there.  I have already witnessed a remarkable transformation in one 14 year old boy so far in this past year.  I had approached Youth Group with some trepidation, but so far, it has been good for Chips and he has been happy there.

One of the first Youth events that Chips will participate in is a Progressive Dinner.  Three church members will open their homes to the Youth to each serve one course of the dinner.  Then they will be driven to the next home.  There are three homes (courses) in total.  The Youth are expected to dress nicely and to show forth good dinner manners throughout the evening.  My young man is growing up.

Sweet Girl has been memorizing her verses for Bible Memory Club.  For a few weeks, they were giving out points for trading in for small prizes, kind of like Awana.  But that feature is being abandoned, lest the children get distracted from the true reasons for the memory work.  Kudos to those who recently made this determination.  Sweet Girl is nurturing some newer friendships during the time she spends at Bible Memory Club.

I know, this hasn’t exactly been an exciting post, but it documents part of the transformation as the children in our family are getting older. 

p.s. Please take a moment to pray this evening for a special mother of eight children.   She has suffered a leukemia relapse, and received very discouraging news this afternoon.  She just came out of a round of chemo and was due to go in for a transplant in the next couple of days.  But unfortunately, the cancer returned already.  She really needs prayer.

Oops!  Almost forgot to mention that I had the pleasure of attending our church’s first women’s conference, and it was wonderful.  The speaker was Mrs. Martha Peace.  Her testimony was amazing, and she taught about becoming a Titus 2 woman.  I am so happy that I went to this conference.  It was very encouraging to me at a time when I really needed it.  I am now reading her book Attitudes of a Transformed Heart and it is excellent.

Next post is going to be …. On Health!