Then I read the word “Beware”

In the parking lot of church today I was smacked in the face (not literally) with what has become a reoccurring frustration of mine.  Ok… “frustration” is not the word I mean…reoccurring blood-boiling is more like it. 

My blood boils in the effort to protect, to guard and to keep at bay those whom, for what ever reason, seem to consistently stir up trouble and division. 

I know that I am powerless to do such a thing but my heart beats with passion for healthy relationships, personal as well as body-of-Christ relationships. 

In the heat of my blood-boiling I decided to go do some research.  I’ll show them…reason number one.  I’ll find a tool that will help train – say a book or an article to “share” that could so perfectly apply to the person situation…reason number two.  

So I clicked on over to the Peacemaker web site.  I love the resources of their ministry!  There were some new resources and some links to blogs—oh how I love blogs. 

As I was clicking away on the blog links I found one of them to be quite humorous.   You see as I was reading it I heard God speak to my heart a shepherding tone--

“ Rhonda, remember that this Peacemaker ministry is needed because conflict always exists, which is not the same as it being needed in order to prevent conflict from existing.” 

Humbled, I again, face my flawed thinking that longs for perfection here on earth.  So I whisper a prayer…..

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr
 

Praying also that I learn more and more how to be part of solutions rather than part of an illusions.

        Tink~

I changed my blog skin to match my, thankfully lifting, mood of the past two weeks. Or has it been all summer?

Looking back at my post records it is mind blowing that March was the last month of chatty-ness bloggville received from me.  What a long valley of deep, dark, summer this has been.  Many of you, my sweet friends, have been given difficult circumstances this year as well.  I am sorry I could not be more of a support for you.

Though my circumstance trail through the shady cold valley has been most of the summer's terrain, there were several wild flower meadows bathed in the sunshine of JOY that enlightened the soppy mud and cold heavy fog. 

• My father's 70th birthday bash was a blast
• My Peanut's graduation from High School bash was a blast
• My sister's marriage was a blast
• Friends and family bringing me flowers and food from their gardens, driving me to appointments and the grocery store, baking us delicious nutritious food, lending us items to assist in dealing with my limited movement and pain, cleaning my house, helping me with puppy umbilical cords, doing our laundry, walking the dog, lifting us in prayer, moving  furniture for us and giving us so many reasons to Praise Him in the valley.

I am thankful for being held!

I have a few weeks before physical therapy will be prescribed.  I won't lie there are moments that fear seems to over rule my thoughts of tomorrow but the reasonable Tink knows that time passes and physical strength and restoration will come!!!!

Midsummer musings from my horizontal perspective

This is a stock photo from Google Images...I do not look this cute in spin class

Let the record show that this middle aged girl has always had a bit of a weak back but as of late it's episodes have increased and thanks to a spurt of spinning class excitement in early April, it again, took a turn toward the pain inducing side.  I babied it, took it to the chiropractor and massage therapist for several weeks, nursing it back to a painless state just in time for Peanut's graduation bash, which needs to be a blog post topic. 

I succeeded in also taking it (my back) to beautiful Leavenworth for a quilting retreat.  It behaved, and fun was had...also a blog post needing to happen.  As the cycle of life would have it, the next week, my adorable Labradoodle was ready to breed.  This required a car trip 4 hours south for stud services and three days of mild car travel from my accommodations to the home of said stud...the goal being adorable puppies in Sept.  My goal, sadly during this trip, did not occur...a future post on how and when that goal was accieved will come soon.  Meanwhile the ole back was sending me loud and clear messages of warning.

My Blueberry Pie

My Friend Miche's Traditional Fourth of July Cake

July arrived with fireworks and celebrations along with a now painful back screaming at me.  I had no time for massage, and my Chiropractor was on vacation.  Suffer through...was my motto...the Chiro returns the 12th you can make it girl! 

The 7th I decided to see a Physical Therapist which was a great idea...it gave me a reality check and a set of positions to help my back get on the road to recovery.  Ooh Ahem...what about that dreaded little detail of being scheduled to work?  I will be fine I tell myself...as I limp out the door two days later, hoping it would not be a busy Kingston Quilt Shop day.

Side bar note about the shop...it is closing and, you guessed it, I will be posting about that in an upcoming post,

Where was I...maybe mid story about another dimension of my denial tendencies?...Ah yes.

Denial became reality the following day...when a bolt of lightning pain shot through my right hip down through to my right foot.  I won't give the unlovely details of my sobbing and screaming and feeling like death from pain was possible...you may be one who knows exactly what I would describe.  If so, I tip my hat to your brave and overcoming strength!!  It hurts soooo freaking bad

I was in panic mode but tried  to send out prayer request texts...who knows who received my cry for help, I had zero cognisance abilities at this point...I merely felt like every pain demon that operates against God Almighty were presently having a pain-fest inside my body.  Thank you if you "happen" to be one of those text receivers, and have been able to pray for me.  Based on the text logs in my inbox it looks like the horrid pain-fest lasted over an hour.  After the pain-fest demons flew away they left only the consequences of a numb right foot, inability to support my body weight, what felt like electricity buzzing through the leg and a physical moratorium on sitting or lying down.  I was powerless to do anything but limp around upright begging for relief.  Finally, several hours later, I some how got into a semi sitting position and was able to fall asleep.

So here I lay...obeying doctors orders of staying as horizontal as I possibly can with the goal of seeing if the nerve activity will become more normal. 

I have a solution for ice packs...if only a solution for narcotic induced constipation were as simple.  :)  Sorry people, but narcotics cause constipation! 

Hope in the Living God and pain meds produce this smile....

I am blessed to have Fairborn Guy mostly home from work playing nurse with back up reinforcements on a list either engaged or to be contacted if needed.  A great friend lent me his massage table which is so much easier to lay on than our sofa or my comfy bed.  Another great friend lent us his lap top so I can bloviate about the current events of my life in healing.  And so many are on the clock praying and or sending me calls, Facebook posts, and texts of encouragement...to all of you THANK YOU!

Until next time...which will be sooner than my vertical normal,
Tink

My Psalm 132

Like the wind storm of last week, your anger O God can "blaze out" (2 Sam 6:7) against what and whom despise your present day Ark Of The Covenant -- 

Your Word...

the place in which you meet and give instruction (Ex:25:21-22)

Remember all of the too-many times in my life I have neglected your Ark's direction.

At times living with the consequences of that neglect has incited fear and anger in me toward You

Causing me to want to run from You, trying to push You out of my life

Thank you for the longing ache of your absence when my stupidity thinks it prefers separation from You

Living with out You near calls in me: "Come close Tink, My Footstool waits for your joyous laugh.  Come put on that beautiful righteous Priestess dress I bought you -- bring your bible and meet with me.  I have so many things to share with you",

David did not pray for Your covenant made --

"always a son of obedience to sit on the throne"

His imagination could not have even thought of such a possibility

As I seek Your face feeling like what I ask is so hard...so big.

You have loosed in heaven my unimaginable!

You have, through Christ, given me and my generations to come an inheritance 

We are Priest and King -- Anointed Light

with the only requirement -- obedience to your covenants and degrees

Thank You for remembering me in your will!!!

This Agent of Salvation and Anointed Light is singing for joy!!!