Drawing Nigh

Today's sermon was on Israel's (Jacob's) dying wish to Joseph. His wish was to not be buried in Egypt, but rather somewhere else.

The closer we face the call of death, with certainty we must answer the call to eternity.
The closer we face the call of faith, with certainty we must answer the call of honesty,
The closer we face the call of God, with certainty we must answer the call of worship.

Helping Out in Cubbies

This is my first year in helping the Awana Cubbies and I am LOVING every minute of it! Betty Ann & I have Elie, Jackson, and Kenadee. We are going through the days of creation. Last night we talked about plants. They also planted flowers in their own flower pot. I really love working with children!

Teaching Puggles

I have taught the Awana Puggles for three years and have loved every minute of it. The two Bible themes for Puggles are Creation and God Love Me. Last year was my biggest class of Puggles: Jackson, Kenadee, Elie, and Jadyn (not pictured). When I was sick last year from January through the end of the Awana club year, my class prayed for me each week and made me cards!  Their Sunday School teacher tells me these children still pray for me! Their hugs are VERY THERAPEUTIC!!

Reasons Why I LOVE Being an MPK

To those who do not know what MPK means, it means Missionary Pastor's Kid. My parents joined Continental Baptist Missions (CBM) in 2008 and they do Church Rescue Work or Church Revitalization. We assist churches that have fallen on hard times and unable to support a full-time pastor . One of the reasons I love being an MPK is traveling to different churches to meet other believers and presenting God's ministry in Britt. It is exciting to share what God is accomplishing and knowing we had a part.  I especially enjoy singing specials with my daddy. I LOVE to sing and use my talent for The Lord.

What I Did to Entertain Myself in St. Mary's

Keeping my mind occupied was vital during my stay at St. Mary's. Music has always been important to me.  My sweet brothers helped in purchasing me a new iPod during my many hospitalizations.  Christian artists like Selah, Laura Story, and many others helped me to keep my focus on the Lord and trusting in Him when I was so sick. I enjoyed watching movies On Demand, which is a nice boredom buster. The first time I was admitted to St. Mary's, Mom bought me a rock painting kit and together we painted rocks!  At first we were going to make each rock a different critter; however,  the more we painted, the more I decided they needed to be ladybugs of different shapes and character!!

God's Preservation

Today's sermon was from Genesis 47:27--Joseph during the famine. The Lord alone keeps, protects, and preserves.
I comprehend God's preservaion through high regard for God's: Promises, Portion, and Purposes.

My Experience at St. Mary's Hospital and How It's Different Than Other Hospitals

When we met with the doctors at Mayo Clinic, we were instructed that if I were to require hospital care I would be admitted to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. During one of our MANY trips to Mayo Clinic, Dr. Hansel admitted me to Saint Mary's for extremely high calcium and low potassium. By the time I had been admitted to St. Mary's, I had been in four other hospitals, three in Iowa, and one in Milwaukee. There are several excellent qualities that sets St. Mary's apart from other hospitals.

First the nurses are proactive. Instead of waiting until you ask for medication or help, the nurses dialogue with the doctor to intervene before the pain or discomfort is beyond manageable. Second, the nurse call button is just that, a button that calls the nurse! On most hospital beds there is a nurse button, and usually it is intercom based where the nurse will ask, "May I help you?" However; in St. Mary's Hospital, you press the nurse button and the nurse comes to your room to see what you need! This is the only hospital of the four I have been in this year that does not screen your request, makes total sense if you ask to talk to a nurse that one comes to you! Personally, I think every hospital should follow this form of communication. It reinforces the fact that the patient is important and has a nurse that cares. Finally, the doctor encouraged walking and mobility and in my case pushed for activity rather than the Heparin injection. Since I was so ill during each of my hospitalizations, all the hospitals previous to St. Mary's required the Heparin injection to protect from blood clots. This approach of keeping active fits with the first approach of the nurses being proactive. The goal after being admitted to St. Mary's is having a team of doctors and specialists brainstorming on getting you better so you can be released from the hospital! I liked being challenged to walk versus taking Heparin, Saint Mary's has two courtyards, I loved being able to walk outside and feel the sunshine on my skin. Six months of repeated hospitalizations was quite challenging, but I am thankful for the care I received from each of the hospitals I was admitted. I am especially grateful for the extra dose of care I was given at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota!

Hyperparathyroidism Symptoms I Experienced Part 3

Here are the last two symptoms that I experienced.

Loss of hair: I lost a third of my hair due to hyperparathyroidism. Thanks to my personal hair dresser, for helping me get it back in shape the most affordable way possible!

Rapid heart rate: This was probably the scariest symptom I had. I really thought I was having a heart attack and that my life was almost over. Praise The Lord, I only had to experience this once and that I was in the hospital when it happened.

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
It may be unfulfilled, it may be unrestored
But you never know the miracle the Father has in store
Just watch and see, it will not be unredeemed ~ Unredeemed by Selah

Hyperparathyroidism Symptoms I Experienced Part 2

Here are some more symptoms I experienced.

Cannot fall asleep: When I could not sleep I would either write in my devotional journal or listen to Pandora and Selah. Music really helped me to relax and to focus on The Lord.

Forgetting simple things: This was VERY frustrating! I remember times when Mom would ask me to do something, I would have to go back to her and ask what she wanted me to do again.

Oh rejoice in The Lord, He makes no mistakes, He knows the end of each path that I take, for when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold. ~ Ron Hamilton

Hyperparathyroidism Symptoms I Experienced Part 1

For the next few days I will be going through some of symptoms I experienced when I had hyperparathyroidism. There is an extensive list of symptoms at parathyroid.com.

Feeling Worn Out All the Time: I can remember countless days when all I wanted to do was lay in the Lazy Boy and do nothing or listen to music. Music really helped me get my mind off of my fatigue.

Could not concentrate: When I would go to play the piano, I could not concentrate for the life of me. This was very frustrating as this was another way to keep my mind off of what was going on.

I am SO glad Mayo Clinic found out what was really wrong with me, because there were some days I felt pretty useless.

Going Gluten Free

People say that going gluten free is a challenge, but personally, it is not that bad. Sure I cannot have regular bread, curly fries, Fettuccine Alfredo, or Dutch Letters, but there are plenty of choices out there I can have. Like, hamburgers (with Minute Bread), tacos (with corn tortillas), candy bars, cookies, and even pizza. Here are two recipes I like  to use.

Pamela's Gluten Free Bread in a Minute: Perfect if you want a bun for your hamburger or if you just want some bread & butter.

1 large egg

1 tsp of water

3 tbsp of butter milk (or 3 tbsp of milk plus 3/4 tsp of vinegar)

1/3 cup of Pamela's Baking & Pancakes Mix or any GF Baking Mix (Aldi's makes an economical mix)

Optional 1 tsp of sugar

OR

1 large egg

1 tsp of water

3 tbsp of butter milk

1/3 cup of Pamela's Gluten Free Bread Mix

1 tsp of baking powder

Directions:

Use a large latte cup, or small glass or porcelain bowl - a one cup glass measuring cup works well too; grease the inside with oil or butter or use a non-stick spray.

Mix wet ingredients well in a cup or bowl. Once incorporated, add dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour batter into large mouth cup or small bowl. Using a rubber spatula or your finger, wipe the extra batter from the cup or bowl sides. Bake in a microwave oven on high for 85 seconds. The time needed to bake, will vary depending on if bowl  is ceramic or glass, and on the wattage of the microwave. Once baked, turn out on rack to cool before slicing. If bottom of bread is not fully cooked, put bread in the cup and microwave for an additional 5 to 10 seconds until the bread is done. 

Frozen Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Miss cheesecake? 

Problem solved.  This is one of our family's personal 

favorites for birthdays and special occasions! 

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups gluten free rice krispies 

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions

In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute or until melted. Stir together until combined. Add crispy rice cereal and stir well to coat.

Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. You could use a pie pan but I've found that a spring-form pan is much easier when it comes to removing slices. Place in the freezer to chill while you make the filling (about 10 minutes).

In a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter and mix until thoroughly combined.

Add vanilla and lemon juice and mix until combined.

Gently fold in the whipped topping. Pour filling into the prepared crust.

Heat fudge and peanut butter in two small separate bowls for 20-30 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over filling.

Freeze for 4-6 hours or until pie is firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving to make cutting easier. Garnish with peanut butter and chocolate candy bars.

Ready

Today's sermon was on Joseph. Joseph makes ready to meet his father, just like we need to make ready to meet our Savior. In an honest evaluation of my readiness to action I must evaluate my: Prior activity, Prepared activity, and Presented activity.
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Hitting the Books Again

As most of you know, I love to play the piano, but due to my illness and strong medication I have not been able to play. Yesterday, I played and it went very well. It is best to practice every day, because you never know when you might have to play at church. My sister usually plays when our church pianist is on vacation, but since she is getting married in December, I will have to fill in. I love to play congregational hymns, it is a great way to use my talent for The Lord.

While I was sick, Grandma Lois, my adopted grandmother, gave me a devotional journal called Tapestry Hope & Healing by Adrian Rogers. Today I picked up where I left off. The devotion for today talked about when eaglets are learning to fly. Mama bird would stir up the nest by beating on it with her wings causing the nest to be thorny, just like how God stirs up our nest with some difficulties and troubles. Guess what the first question was? "What are some things in you life that you might now be able to look at and see as 'blessings in disguise'?" See yesterday's blog entitled, "A Blessing In Disguise".  It is so cool how God places these kinds of things in our paths!  

 

A Blessing in Disguise

It all started at the age of three. I was diagnosed with  CVS (Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome) by Dr. David Fleisher. They equate CVS to a migraine of the stomach. It starts out as a minor sore throat or stomach ache then I start vomiting upwards to every five minutes. By this time, I become dehyrdated and the only solution is direct admission to the hospital for rehydration and medications to abort the vomitting. I was in remission from ages 10 to 12, but CVS returned at puberty.

 Things started to get very difficult in 2013. After being released from the hospital, I still would be vomiting. It came to the point that the nurses could not get the IV started because I have been poked too many times. We decided to try the hospital in Mason City. While I was there they noticed my calcium was high. They did some imaging and found out that I had an enlarged parathyroid. Unfortunately, the hospital did not have an endocrinologist . My mom called Dr. Fleisher to ask him what we should do. He arranged us to be transported to Iowa City. I was transported by ambulance. While in Iowa City, they did an endoscopy. Instead of treating the parathyroid, they treated the symptoms and said to take vitamin D then come back in six months. 

Since we did not want to wait six months, we tried a different approach. We went to Wisconsin to see another CVS specialist. While I was there, I became sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for 10 whole days!  I became homesick and I literately begged them to release me. It was so nice to finally be home! 

 When I got sick again, we decided to go to our county hospital. While I was there, a nurse practitioner from Mayo Clinic asked my parents what was going on. They explained and he asked if we have tried Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I remained at the county hospital for over two weeks and during this hospitalization I had an nasogastric tube inserted, which was very miserable. Due to a disgusting circumstance, they took the NG tube out and inserted  a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line, to receive nutrition, as I had lost 31 pounds of weight due to months of vomiting .They did some blood work and my calcium was high again, so Mom did some research. She read an article that summed up what I was going through.  Mom & Dad met with the Dr. to discuss the possibility of hyperparathyroidism, but the Dr, did not agree with this diagnosis.

 When I was released, I was referred to Mayo Clinic. They did lots of tests. On the last day of testing, they reviewed the blood work and noticed my calcium was extremely high, so I was admitted to Saint Mary's Hospital in Rochester. While I was there, the endocrinologist visited several times and concluded that indeed it was the parathyroid. Upon being released, they scheduled a time to have some imaging done on my parathyroid. When the  results came back, the surgeon, who literally reviews hundred of parathyroid images, was shocked with the clarity of the enlargement of seven times the normal size! This was a direct answer to prayer as MANY were praying for me!

      
We had the option for surgery as soon as the next day or a month later.  Of course, we chose the next day. After the surgery, my calcium level was back to normal within an hour. Also, the Dr. looked at the endoscopy and noticed some irritation in the stomach and determined gluten sensitivity. Through out this whole ordeal, I was experiencing hallucinations, voices in my head and drug withdraws. So, you may be asking, how on earth can this be a blessing? Well, if I had not been so sick, the doctors would not have found out it was my parathyroid and more than likely, I would still be sick!

Reason For Starting a Blog

The reason I started a blog was so I can share what's going on in my life. I will be posting events that have happened or are happening, songs, pictures, and videos of my father and I singing.