Today is an exciting day for Thrifty Thursday. Walgreens has it's new February EasySaver catalog out and boy were they generous with the free after rebate items this month.
I am also going to use today to introduce you to "my car." I felt today was appropriate because this week's zone cleaning focused on "my car" and it is a major part of my ultimate financial plan.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Pumpkin Pancakes- recipe modification
We ended up having the Pumpkin Pancakes tonight because it was something quick and easy and we had all the ingredients on hand. I did want to let you know that you will need to add some milk to the batter in addition to the milk called for in the Bisquick box recipe. Just add until the batter looks like normal pancake batter consistency. I also added ground flax seeds to the batter to beef up the fiber!
DRS- at its worst
We just got in late this afternoon from our vacation and guess what I did?
- I did not unpack. No some of the clothes are still sitting in suitcases.
- I did not do laundry. No that would have required unpacking.
- I did not open the mail that had piled up.
- I did not watch the DVRd episode of Biggest Loser
- I didn't even work on tomorrows Thrifty Thursday posts
No, instead of doing all those things that should have been done I instead opted to spend 2.5 hours of my life............................ Cleaning out the lint trap in my dryer!!!!
It's all Emily's fault! I decided to look through the comments left today and found Emily's comment for her daily Tidy Tuesday accountability report. She talked about how she had spent all afternoon cleaning out her lint trap and even gave some tips on how she did it. So in true DRS fashion I wanted to clean my lint trap too.
It started out harmless, I was just going to soak the pull-out lint screen in warm soapy water while I caught up on some blogging. But Emily had talked about cleaning out the lint underneath the lint pan so I thought I would just take a look before I sat down at the computer. GASP!!! Oh my goodness! It was like a giant lint party was overtaking the inside lining of my dryer!!!
I was too far gone at that point. Once I had seen the lint there was no way my DRS would let me walk away. The unfortunate thing about this lint buildup is that it is caught in a very narrow but deep opening between the dryer barrel (I have no idea if this is correct terminology) and the outside covering of the dryer. My weapon of choice was this long bristly wire thingy that could fit down between the opening and attract lint to it's bristles. It worked ok, but 1 hour later I knew that if I was going to fully conquer the fuzzy laundry droppings I would need a new tool.
I decided it was too late to get on the Internet and search out the perfect lint trapping device so I decided it was time for some creative thinking. Long story short I ended up making a lint cleaning gizmo out of a hanger and lint roller tape. I used the bristle brush to sweep the lint into a pile and then sent the hanger in to collect as much lint as it could. I almost went through an entire lint roller and the job was still not done. The last tool I sent in was a swiffer cloth taped to the above hanger to dust out the area.
If you shine a light down the hole you will still see some lint remains but after 2.5 hours hunched over my dryer trap door, I decided it wasn't healthy to continue. I need to conserve energy because tomorrow I have already warned my DH we are moving the washer and dryer out to mop underneath... no telling what we'll find.
WARNING: If you suspect you have any form of DRS DO NOT peek inside your lint trap door- unless your ready to go to war! You have been warned!
PS I did take pictures throughout the delinting process but I have lost the cord that connects my camera to the computer. Sorry!
Product of the Week
This week I am featuring the Pear as the product of the week. To be honest the pear has never been one of my favorite fruits, in fact I don't even like pear jelly beans. But I picked some up the other day at Kroger because they were on sale and me oh my..... DELICIOUS! So juicy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 5 oz Pear
Calories: 80
21g Carbohydrate
4g Fiber
Pears are also a good source of Vitamin C and Copper which makes them a good antioxidant!
Go grab a pear and enjoy!
Wellness Wednesday
Today I will be traveling back from our vacation and did not have time to write up a Wellness Wednesday tip so I decided to let my national organization do the job for me today (after all I pay my yearly dues). In honor of National Heart Month the American Dietetic Association is focusing on heart health. Go here to see a list of foods that have shown to have heart health benefits.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Car Zone- Enter at your own risk!
Warning: The pictures below contain very disturbing images. Donna's of the World- look away!
As mentioned in the introduction to this week's Tidy Tuesday I cleaned out my car before we left on vacation. As you can see in the pictures below it was long overdue. The sad thing is I had already taken out a load of junk before I thought to take pictures.
As mentioned in the introduction to this week's Tidy Tuesday I cleaned out my car before we left on vacation. As you can see in the pictures below it was long overdue. The sad thing is I had already taken out a load of junk before I thought to take pictures.
This is a picture of the passenger side front seat. You can see the Quiznos coupons
and several empty food packages I used for label demonstrations (several months ago!)
I don't know why I can't get this picture bigger but if I could you could see that the
junk was overflowing into the shifting station of the consul- safe huh!
This is a picture of the backseat floorboard. This is the junk my 4 year old had
to climb over in order to get into his carseat- poor kid!
This is a picture of most of the junk (some went directly into the trash can) that I pulled out of the car. What you can't see from the above illustrations is the smell. My keen sense of smell sensed the aroma was a distinct mixture of mildew from the many spilled water bottles that have tumbled out of the flimsy cup holder over the past few months and sour milk from the very "colorful" sippy cup found underneath the front seat.
I know your totally grossed out right now, but this story does have a happy ending! Please continue....
After removing all the junk, me and the car visited a local car wash. There I did some pretty impressive acrobatics trying to maneuver the big vacuum tube throughout the car before my allotted time was up! Talk about a work-out!
Ta Da! Nice and clean!
Now I could even fit a passenger into the front seat. But if your needing a ride anywhere, now is the time to ask- I can't guarantee I'll have a front seat available for long!!!!
Stay tuned... You'll learn more about "my car" on Thrifty Thursday!
Tidy Tuesday- Accountability
Ok all you Tidy Tuesday Girls. Here is where you will check in throughout the week when you have done your zone work or your own plan for keeping a tidy house. Remember you can leave a comment at the first Mr. Linky option or link to your own blog with the second option.
Zone 5- Outside, Laundry, Garage, Car
Day 1- Tuesday
- Wipe down Washer and Dryer
- Organize Laundry cabinets
- Sort through and toss all out of date medications
Day 2- Wednesday
- Clean Laundry Floors
- Clean behind washer and dryer (odd months only)
- Clean out Lint trap (even months only)
- Clean Trash Can
Day 3- Thursday
- Clean out all of car clutter
- Vacuum inside of car
- Clean carseats
- Wipe dust off dashboard and paneling
- Wash car
Day 4- Friday
- Organize garage closet
- Organize tools and tool bench
- Organize right side of garage (odd months)
- Organize left side of garage (even months)
- Sweep out garage
Day 5- Saturday
- Clean up flower-beds
- Change wreath on door
- Sweep Porch
Tidy Tuesday
Woo Hoo this is the last of the five zones! In theory, at the end of this week our homes should be spring cleaned from top to bottom and in perfect order. In reality, at least at my house, each zone begins to fall apart the second I enter a new zone. Let me just tell you, my kitchen (zone 1) has been screaming for a bath since the start of zone 3! But I am not ready to give up on my zone cleaning or day tasks. I have to believe that one day I can and will conquer the house, or I'm afraid I will just completely give up and soon the dirt and clutter will overtake my household and my children will forevermore be lost in a sea of dirty socks and misplaced toys. Thus I press on.....
This week's zone is actually the zone that I most often neglect- Laundry Room, Garage, Car, and Outside. Too often if I don't think the kitchen can go another week without major attention I will just skip zone 5 altogether. This month, I will not be completing all of zone 5 because we are currently out of town- but no fear I did hit some of the zone before I left to provide the blog with some interesting reading material (stay tuned). Plus, my car was becoming a bit of a driving hazard because the passenger's side clutter had started migrating up and over the consul which was making shifting my standard 2-door car quite difficult.
This week's zone is actually the zone that I most often neglect- Laundry Room, Garage, Car, and Outside. Too often if I don't think the kitchen can go another week without major attention I will just skip zone 5 altogether. This month, I will not be completing all of zone 5 because we are currently out of town- but no fear I did hit some of the zone before I left to provide the blog with some interesting reading material (stay tuned). Plus, my car was becoming a bit of a driving hazard because the passenger's side clutter had started migrating up and over the consul which was making shifting my standard 2-door car quite difficult.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Deal Alert
It's a new month and that means new coupons on coupons.com. And guess what? They reset the Cottenelle TP coupon so that means two more packages of FREE toilet paper at Kroger!!!! Check out the coupons.com sidebar to print coupons or visit coupons.com for a complete list of available coupons for the month.
Pumpkin Pancakes
If you have ever made Bisquick pancakes then you'll know how to make this recipe. I hit a sale on canned pumpkin around Thanksgiving last year and decided to try adding it to the mix- it turned out real yummy. This is a quick, inexpensive meal!
Pumpkin Pancakes
Reduced Fat Bisquick
Egg
Milk (according to Bisquick box)
15 oz can Pumpkin
Mix pancakes according to Bisquick package. Add pumpkin. Make pancakes according to package. That's it folks.
Nutrition Information
Coming at the end of the week, sorry again!
As a special treat try topping with 25 Calories worth of Rediwhip and Sugar Free maple Syrup! We will also be having this with turkey bacon but sliced ham would be an even better choice.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Reduced Fat Bisquick
Egg
Milk (according to Bisquick box)
15 oz can Pumpkin
Mix pancakes according to Bisquick package. Add pumpkin. Make pancakes according to package. That's it folks.
Nutrition Information
Coming at the end of the week, sorry again!
As a special treat try topping with 25 Calories worth of Rediwhip and Sugar Free maple Syrup! We will also be having this with turkey bacon but sliced ham would be an even better choice.
Taco Roll
Big thanks to Tori for introducing this recipe to my family many years ago. This is a very simple recipe but might be hard to describe so I promise to post pictures to illustrate steps at the end of this week.
Taco Roll
2 cans of Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Sirloin
Taco Seasoning
2% Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Salsa or Diced Tomatoes
Jalapeno Peppers (optional)
Fat Free Sour Cream (optional)
Brown beef, rinse and drain. Add taco seasoning. Unroll crescent rolls into triangles and then position triangles in a ring around a pizza pan. Pointy end of triangles sticking out of the ring. (This is where the pictures will come in handy- huh!) Spread seasoned beef around the ring. Wrap the pointy end of the crescent rolls up and over the beef. Bake in oven according to crescent roll package instructions and rolls are golden. Serve topped with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and if desired jalapeno peppers and/or fat free sour cream.
Nutrition Information:
Once again I will post this information by Friday once I am home and able to analyze ingredient labels. Thanks for your patience.
I will serve this with Black Beans.
Taco Roll
2 cans of Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Sirloin
Taco Seasoning
2% Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Salsa or Diced Tomatoes
Jalapeno Peppers (optional)
Fat Free Sour Cream (optional)
Brown beef, rinse and drain. Add taco seasoning. Unroll crescent rolls into triangles and then position triangles in a ring around a pizza pan. Pointy end of triangles sticking out of the ring. (This is where the pictures will come in handy- huh!) Spread seasoned beef around the ring. Wrap the pointy end of the crescent rolls up and over the beef. Bake in oven according to crescent roll package instructions and rolls are golden. Serve topped with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and if desired jalapeno peppers and/or fat free sour cream.
Nutrition Information:
Once again I will post this information by Friday once I am home and able to analyze ingredient labels. Thanks for your patience.
I will serve this with Black Beans.
Tuna Mushroom Casserole
Ok, you are completely on your own on this recipe. I am not allowed to even say the word tuna around my husband, much less bring it into our home. I think it is the smell that gets him, but anyways needless to say I won't be making this recipe. I hear, however, that people really like tuna casseroles so I thought this would be the perfect week to include it in the meal plan. There were a lot of tuna casserole recipes on the Internet to choose from, however the pickings got pretty slim when I tried to find one with less then 400 Calories per serving. Hope you like the one I selected! If you do try this recipe, please consider giving your honest feedback in a comment.
Click here for the recipe.
Tuna Mushroom Casserole
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
Meal Plan: Calories: 323, 2.5 meats, 2 starches, 1.5 fat
I would think this would go good with steamed broccoli.
Click here for the recipe.
Tuna Mushroom Casserole
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
Meal Plan: Calories: 323, 2.5 meats, 2 starches, 1.5 fat
I would think this would go good with steamed broccoli.
White Chicken Chili
Your gonna love this recipe. My family was first introduced to this yummy chili just days after we brought Cohen home from the hospital. Our Sunday School class brings a week worth of meals to every family after the birth of a new baby and we just happened to be the lucky family who had Jamie on their rotation. She brought us a big hot pot of this chili along with a skillet of fresh out of the oven cornbread- we finished every last bite and considered getting pregnant again just to see if we could get another pot in 9 months (ok, that was a little bit of an exaggeration- but it was really good!)
Since then I have had to call Jamie 3 different times for the recipe because I keep losing it once I write it down. So Jamie, you'll be excited to know it will forevermore be stored on the www, right where I will know where to find it. (I did forget exactly how long you are supposed to let it simmer, but was too embarrassed to call Jamie AGAIN so keep that in mind if you decide to make this dish)
White Chicken Chili
2 chicken breast boiled and shredded
2 cans Great Northern Beans
2 cans Shoepeg Corn
1 can Rotel
1 can Reduced Fat Cream of Mushroom
1 can Reduced Fat Cream of Chicken
1 lb 2% Velveeta
2 Tbs. Butter
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 cup diced Onion
Garlic to taste
1 cup Chicken Broth
Mix all but the Velveeta together and simmer on stovetop for 45 min to 1 hour. Chop Velveeta into cubes and add to chili the last 30 minutes. Stir often. Serve.
Note: I have not tried this recipe in the crockpot but I'm sure it would work great. I bet you could even put your chicken in raw and just add more broth. I would cook on low all day. But again DO NOT add your Velveeta until the end or the cheese will curdle! I will not be making this recipe this week second to our vacation but I promise to try it in the crockpot next time i make it and I'll let you know how it works. If you give it a try please leave us a review.
Nutrition Information
I will have this information for you by Thursday, Sorry!
Since then I have had to call Jamie 3 different times for the recipe because I keep losing it once I write it down. So Jamie, you'll be excited to know it will forevermore be stored on the www, right where I will know where to find it. (I did forget exactly how long you are supposed to let it simmer, but was too embarrassed to call Jamie AGAIN so keep that in mind if you decide to make this dish)
White Chicken Chili
2 chicken breast boiled and shredded
2 cans Great Northern Beans
2 cans Shoepeg Corn
1 can Rotel
1 can Reduced Fat Cream of Mushroom
1 can Reduced Fat Cream of Chicken
1 lb 2% Velveeta
2 Tbs. Butter
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 cup diced Onion
Garlic to taste
1 cup Chicken Broth
Mix all but the Velveeta together and simmer on stovetop for 45 min to 1 hour. Chop Velveeta into cubes and add to chili the last 30 minutes. Stir often. Serve.
Note: I have not tried this recipe in the crockpot but I'm sure it would work great. I bet you could even put your chicken in raw and just add more broth. I would cook on low all day. But again DO NOT add your Velveeta until the end or the cheese will curdle! I will not be making this recipe this week second to our vacation but I promise to try it in the crockpot next time i make it and I'll let you know how it works. If you give it a try please leave us a review.
Nutrition Information
I will have this information for you by Thursday, Sorry!
Mealtime Monday
Welcome to the first week of February Mealtime Mondays. This week is going to be a little different in that I am not home to prepare the meals to let you know how long it takes to prep for the week. However, looking at the recipes I think it is safe to say you will easily be able to prep for all 5 dishes in less then 1.5 hours. I do apologize that I neglected to look at the nutrition information for 3 of the recipes before I left, so I will get that information to you when I get home.
If I was to prep for the week here is the order and storing guide I would follow:
Monday Night: Taco Roll- Prepare ring and loosely place foil around pizza pan and place in refrigerator until ready to bake.
Tuesday Night: Simple Spinach Lasagna- Cover unbaked lasagna and place in fridge until ready to bake.
Wednesday Night: Pumpkin Pancakes- If I did prep for this meal I would simply prepare batter and store in fridge; however this is a meal that is so quick to put together that I would probably just prepare the night I serve.
Thursday Night: White Chicken Chili- I would mix all ingredients into a freezer Gallon Ziplock bag and place in freezer. I would transfer chili from freezer into refrigerator Wednesday morning to thaw.
Friday Night: Out or leftovers
Saturday Night: Out or leftovers
Sunday Afternoon: Tuna Casserole: Prepare and place unbaked casserole in freezer. Transfer from freezer to fridge on Saturday morning.
If I was to prep for the week here is the order and storing guide I would follow:
Monday Night: Taco Roll- Prepare ring and loosely place foil around pizza pan and place in refrigerator until ready to bake.
Tuesday Night: Simple Spinach Lasagna- Cover unbaked lasagna and place in fridge until ready to bake.
Wednesday Night: Pumpkin Pancakes- If I did prep for this meal I would simply prepare batter and store in fridge; however this is a meal that is so quick to put together that I would probably just prepare the night I serve.
Thursday Night: White Chicken Chili- I would mix all ingredients into a freezer Gallon Ziplock bag and place in freezer. I would transfer chili from freezer into refrigerator Wednesday morning to thaw.
Friday Night: Out or leftovers
Saturday Night: Out or leftovers
Sunday Afternoon: Tuna Casserole: Prepare and place unbaked casserole in freezer. Transfer from freezer to fridge on Saturday morning.
Mealtime Monday Accountability Sound-off!
If you wanted accountability for weekly meal planning here is where you will sound off for the week. Remember you certainly don't have to follow my meal plan but simply need to have a goal to prepare at least 3 dishes for your family at home this week. Once you have planned your week of meals come here and let us know about it. Feel free to leave a simple comment or link to your own blog.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Just checking in
Hi! Sorry I haven't been around today. Hope everyone had a GREAT Sunday. Didn't you just love the message Emily had for us today. I am going to start looking for God's Miracles and claiming His Power! Thanks again, Emily.
Deal Alert
Just last Friday a couple of you girls were talking about how expensive stainless steel BPA water bottles were so I thought of you when I saw Thrifty Mama had a deal alert on this particular bottle.
Right now you can get this eco-friendly Brushed Stainless Steel 700 ml BPA Free water bottle for $5.45 + SH at amazon.com You can find out more details on this bottle by typing in "eco-friendly stainless steel water bottle" at the amazon link found on the sidebar of this blog.
Trials or Triumps? Guest Post
TRAILS OR TRIUMPHS? The choice is mine. Which will I choose?
Some of you might know me and others not, but I have volunteered to help Niki complete this weeks Sonday Sunday due to her fabulous vacation she is on! I have had several years of trials, as one might call it, but for me I am choosing now to call it triumphs. I was a once “wanna be” Donna Reed and thought I had my life in order when God had different plans for me. He has taken me through many journeys and I am still along for the ride. The main thing God has taught me is that I have a choice in life of whether to embrace these trials and use them for His glory or not too and be a very sad, lonely person. I am not at all saying that each day is easy at embracing this, but God reveals His presence and power to me daily and all I have to do is ask. He is always faithful, never changing, loves me unconditionally, and can work miraculously in all of our lives.
Now if I had my own blog I could journal weekly and slowly fill you in on my “story” but to not get into too much information or make this so long you are snoring at the end, I will try to condense it to the points I feel like God is laying upon my heart. Life until 4 years ago (before the birth of my son) was similar to Donna Reed’s or at least I thought so. My husband was perfect, our marriage seemed perfect, I tried to keep our house perfect, I tried to keep myself perfect, I loved my perfect little job, I tried to spend time with God daily and for sure in the morning b/c that seemed to be the “perfect” time to do that, I served at church and other organizations, and tried to act and behave perfectly to everyone. My DH (dear husband) might differ on some of these comments.
Then we begin to want a family and I assumed this would happen perfectly. We tried for over a year and had surgery for endometriosis and finally conceived a child. A few days after a positive pregnancy test I was told I was miscarrying but then miraculously did not. At week 28 of my pregnancy I was put on bed rest for contractions and had to quit my job and then delivered my baby boy early He had to stay in the hospital for a week because his lungs were underdeveloped. THEN we finally got to bring that miracle baby home and once again I assumed my “perfect” life would resume with our new addition to our family. I thought I had conquered all these obstacles and honestly felt like after we got our son home that the valley would turn into a mountain! I remember thinking how blessed we had been to have gone through so much and see God’s miracles and to experience a deeper, closer relationship with Him.
Now as I look back I see that was just the beginning of the journey that was preparing me for the biggest challenge of my life. Soon postpartum depression set in and I battled that minute by minute and learned a lot about not being “perfect” anymore and that God wanted to use me to be REAL to others and help them. That was a very humbling experience but one I don’t even hesitate to share now. Then the pain, fatigue, bladder infections, etc. started to creep in. No doctors around could put their finger on what was causing this or what was going on. I had been an avid runner, always in shape and even pushed our son in a 5K shortly after giving birth. Slowly my pain stopped me from doing the things I thought were my “love” in life. God had bigger plans and I had to put my “Donna Reed” persona aside and let my husband, my family, and friend’s ministry to me. I was battling a chronic illness that is said to be incurable but there are treatment options that can help. I began to research my heart out searching for answers, I saw every doctor and tried every medication and procedure known and some not even tried before in this area, and finally found the ONLY answer that would heal my body and soul: MY Jesus.
No, my house wasn’t perfect anymore and I couldn’t keep up with my zones (Niki and I competed on these). My marriage wasn’t as perfect as I thought it was suppose to be and somehow I couldn’t find the time or energy for those romantic getaways and surprises. I couldn’t get up early in the morning anymore and have my daily quiet time or even run with my friends that were huge encouragers. I was doing good just making it through the day taking care of my son. After two years of chronic pain, major hormone changes, life as I knew it no longer existed, BUT at this moment I am happy to say “TO GOD BE THE GLORY.” God is still at work in my life and expecting He will be until I see Him in eternity. I have learned that if he isn’t working in our lives and teaching us be victorious in the storms, then we are not learning much and how boring would that be!!!!! (now don’t get me wrong there are many days I wish I could call boring) How boring would it be if my life was “perfect” as I thought and wanted it to continue to be? Would I really be growing with God? Would I be ministering to anyone except making them feel like their life should measure up to a “perfect” life that really doesn’t exist? Would I have been blessed with some new friendships that have literally “carried” me through some very dark, trying times? Would I have ever been on that receiving end of being ministered by my church family that was so overwhelming it brought me to tears? Would I trade any of this hardship, pain, sadness for that “old” perfect Donna Reed life? Absolutely NOT! God is more real, I am more real, and He is still working on me! Those small things that I thought were my “loves” in life are just that…SMALL THINGS.
So for those of you that are reading this, be encouraged that no matter what life brings us with Jesus by our side we WILL prevail. If we didn’t go through the valleys we wouldn’t see any mountains and rainbows. If you are in the “pit” right now, know I am praying for you. Today I am lifting up prayers for all of you that are ready this blog and that God will ministry to you in an amazing way that you would never expect. That has been the joy of my trials, is to see God at work and to see the little “blessings” he puts in my life each day to lift my soul and others. I challenge you to take the time today to think about what you are going to do with the trails in your life. Take the time to stop and listen to God and see the blessings in front of you. Don’t miss out on that card or phone call from a friend that God might have used to encourage you, a scripture or words straight from God’s book, a rainbow after the rain storm, a flower blooming before you eyes that you never thought could represent the “new” life God is giving you in Him, the smile or words from your child that God could only orchestrate, help from your husband around the house or with your children, or blogs like Niki’s that is being used to minister to others. I want to end with this scripture to claim this week and to all of you that are struggling. I choose to believe in the miracles He has performed and will continue to perform in my life. May God richly bless each and every one of you.
“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people.” Psalm 77:14
Emily McCarron
Some of you might know me and others not, but I have volunteered to help Niki complete this weeks Sonday Sunday due to her fabulous vacation she is on! I have had several years of trials, as one might call it, but for me I am choosing now to call it triumphs. I was a once “wanna be” Donna Reed and thought I had my life in order when God had different plans for me. He has taken me through many journeys and I am still along for the ride. The main thing God has taught me is that I have a choice in life of whether to embrace these trials and use them for His glory or not too and be a very sad, lonely person. I am not at all saying that each day is easy at embracing this, but God reveals His presence and power to me daily and all I have to do is ask. He is always faithful, never changing, loves me unconditionally, and can work miraculously in all of our lives.
Now if I had my own blog I could journal weekly and slowly fill you in on my “story” but to not get into too much information or make this so long you are snoring at the end, I will try to condense it to the points I feel like God is laying upon my heart. Life until 4 years ago (before the birth of my son) was similar to Donna Reed’s or at least I thought so. My husband was perfect, our marriage seemed perfect, I tried to keep our house perfect, I tried to keep myself perfect, I loved my perfect little job, I tried to spend time with God daily and for sure in the morning b/c that seemed to be the “perfect” time to do that, I served at church and other organizations, and tried to act and behave perfectly to everyone. My DH (dear husband) might differ on some of these comments.
Then we begin to want a family and I assumed this would happen perfectly. We tried for over a year and had surgery for endometriosis and finally conceived a child. A few days after a positive pregnancy test I was told I was miscarrying but then miraculously did not. At week 28 of my pregnancy I was put on bed rest for contractions and had to quit my job and then delivered my baby boy early He had to stay in the hospital for a week because his lungs were underdeveloped. THEN we finally got to bring that miracle baby home and once again I assumed my “perfect” life would resume with our new addition to our family. I thought I had conquered all these obstacles and honestly felt like after we got our son home that the valley would turn into a mountain! I remember thinking how blessed we had been to have gone through so much and see God’s miracles and to experience a deeper, closer relationship with Him.
Now as I look back I see that was just the beginning of the journey that was preparing me for the biggest challenge of my life. Soon postpartum depression set in and I battled that minute by minute and learned a lot about not being “perfect” anymore and that God wanted to use me to be REAL to others and help them. That was a very humbling experience but one I don’t even hesitate to share now. Then the pain, fatigue, bladder infections, etc. started to creep in. No doctors around could put their finger on what was causing this or what was going on. I had been an avid runner, always in shape and even pushed our son in a 5K shortly after giving birth. Slowly my pain stopped me from doing the things I thought were my “love” in life. God had bigger plans and I had to put my “Donna Reed” persona aside and let my husband, my family, and friend’s ministry to me. I was battling a chronic illness that is said to be incurable but there are treatment options that can help. I began to research my heart out searching for answers, I saw every doctor and tried every medication and procedure known and some not even tried before in this area, and finally found the ONLY answer that would heal my body and soul: MY Jesus.
No, my house wasn’t perfect anymore and I couldn’t keep up with my zones (Niki and I competed on these). My marriage wasn’t as perfect as I thought it was suppose to be and somehow I couldn’t find the time or energy for those romantic getaways and surprises. I couldn’t get up early in the morning anymore and have my daily quiet time or even run with my friends that were huge encouragers. I was doing good just making it through the day taking care of my son. After two years of chronic pain, major hormone changes, life as I knew it no longer existed, BUT at this moment I am happy to say “TO GOD BE THE GLORY.” God is still at work in my life and expecting He will be until I see Him in eternity. I have learned that if he isn’t working in our lives and teaching us be victorious in the storms, then we are not learning much and how boring would that be!!!!! (now don’t get me wrong there are many days I wish I could call boring) How boring would it be if my life was “perfect” as I thought and wanted it to continue to be? Would I really be growing with God? Would I be ministering to anyone except making them feel like their life should measure up to a “perfect” life that really doesn’t exist? Would I have been blessed with some new friendships that have literally “carried” me through some very dark, trying times? Would I have ever been on that receiving end of being ministered by my church family that was so overwhelming it brought me to tears? Would I trade any of this hardship, pain, sadness for that “old” perfect Donna Reed life? Absolutely NOT! God is more real, I am more real, and He is still working on me! Those small things that I thought were my “loves” in life are just that…SMALL THINGS.
So for those of you that are reading this, be encouraged that no matter what life brings us with Jesus by our side we WILL prevail. If we didn’t go through the valleys we wouldn’t see any mountains and rainbows. If you are in the “pit” right now, know I am praying for you. Today I am lifting up prayers for all of you that are ready this blog and that God will ministry to you in an amazing way that you would never expect. That has been the joy of my trials, is to see God at work and to see the little “blessings” he puts in my life each day to lift my soul and others. I challenge you to take the time today to think about what you are going to do with the trails in your life. Take the time to stop and listen to God and see the blessings in front of you. Don’t miss out on that card or phone call from a friend that God might have used to encourage you, a scripture or words straight from God’s book, a rainbow after the rain storm, a flower blooming before you eyes that you never thought could represent the “new” life God is giving you in Him, the smile or words from your child that God could only orchestrate, help from your husband around the house or with your children, or blogs like Niki’s that is being used to minister to others. I want to end with this scripture to claim this week and to all of you that are struggling. I choose to believe in the miracles He has performed and will continue to perform in my life. May God richly bless each and every one of you.
“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people.” Psalm 77:14
Emily McCarron
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