Grace Sign Posts

If You're Watching This, Thermonuclear War Hasn't Wiped Out Humanity

2017-04-19T07:58:00.001-07:00

How the Media Needs to Respond to Trump Now | The Resistance with Keith ...

2017-01-25T17:11:00.001-08:00

The media needs to identify Trump's lies and not report them unchallenged. The Emperor has no clothes.

Keith Olbermann: 'We Were Invaded' | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

2017-01-21T06:11:00.001-08:00

We are humiliated. Trump is a puppet of Vladimir Putin.

What We Know About Trump's Russia Connections

2017-01-12T11:06:00.001-08:00

Why we need an Independent Investigation

This is the air I breathe

2016-11-13T17:29:00.002-08:00

I give thanks for a restful sabbath. This song expresses what this means to me.

Implore Electoral College Not to Elect Donald Trump

2016-11-13T16:24:00.001-08:00

Reflection on Thanksgiving

2015-11-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

(The UMR quote is from John Wesley’s notes on 1 Thess. 5:16-17 for those that might be interested.)
‘A conversation which [John Wesley] had late one night with the porter of his college made a lasting impression on his mind, and convinced him that there was something in religion which he had not yet found. At first Wesley indulged in a little pleasantry but when he found that this man had only one coat, and that though nothing had passed his lips that day but a drink of water, his heart was full of gratitude, he said, “You thank God when you have nothing to wear, nothing to eat, and no bed to lie upon. What else do you thank Him for “ “I thank Him,” answered the porter, “that He has given me my life and being, and a heart to love Him, and a desire to serve Him.”’ (John Telford, The Life of John Wesley, Chapter 4)

From the United Methodist Reporter

Koinonia Community Garden Dedication: A Vision Realized

2015-10-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dedication Prayer

"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg. Dreams are the seedlings of realities."-- James Allen

This past Sunday afternoon a group of people from two congregations came together on a brilliant October day to dedicate the Koinonia Community Garden. The ground where we stood overlooking beds of kale and collards was a wooded area one year ago.

Honey bee visiting flowering buckwheat

Much was accomplished by many people who worked together over the past year to bring this day into reality. There were many gifts and donations given by generous, caring people in our churches and community. It could not have come about except for the efforts of many who joined together, youth and adults.

Youth work day installing deer fencing

But it all came about because of a vision that one woman had thirty years ago. Pat Horton is a local gardener who shares much of her own garden produce with others. But Pat was concerned
about those in our area who are living in a "food desert."

One purpose is to provide fresh produce for the church food pantry that serves persons in a food desert. Yes, hard to believe in 2015 but one in four households in our counties are lacking enough food. One of five children in our schools are hungry. Just google "hunger in North Carolina" to get an idea.

"But he (Jesus) answered, 'You give them something to eat.'" --Mark 6:37

Thanks be to God for the bountiful harvest, the blessings of our working together, and the opportunity to serve our community. Koinonia is a labor of love and the witness of our faith.

Bok Choy and Chinese Cabbage

Raised beds

Cucumbers and Spinach

Hello Fresh: A Review

2015-10-13T10:29:00.002-07:00

Hello Fresh runs viral promotions of their meal delivery service. I got a coupon from a friend for a trial sub for 3 dinners for two, completely free.

Out of curiosity, I signed up for an account to order online. The process was simple. Hello Fresh has a choice of Omnivore or Vegetarian menus. Eight days after I placed my order, the box was delivered to my home.

A large box contained much insulation and cool packs keeping the perishable food cold on its two day trip from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.

The meals were packed in 3 shoe box size boxes with all ingredients except the meat or shrimp which were packaged individually.

These included a pack of chilled sirloin steak, shrimp and chicken sausage along with vegetables, rice noodles and condiments.

Since my pack arrived too late in the day, I prepared my first meal the next day.
The illustrated booklet had step by step instructions for Shrimp Pad See Ew. I started by washing the vegetables, then peeling and grating ginger, preparing everything for stir fry before turning on the skillet and boiling water for the rice noodles.

The Thai chilis had been left out of my box. Otherwise cooking was fairly simple and I was set to go.
There was a generous amount of food and actually about four servings of the rice noodles, depending on one's appetite. I eat smaller portions.

Meal 2 was Pan Seared Chicken Sausage with cabbage and butternut squash-apple puree. Everything worked out, with all the ingredients present and accounted for.

Meal 3 was the Steak and Vegetables. The steak was thick and good quality, enough for three meals for myself, with plenty of carrots, parsnips and sour cream.

I found all of the recipes easy to prepare with step by step instructions.

Overall I would give Hello Fresh 4 stars. It was fun to try some new recipes this way to get new ideas. The meals were tasty, and the portions generous. The instructions were complete and easy to follow. It saves some shopping and meal preparation time, for busy people who are looking for convenience.

The cons were some of the chopped veggies in plastic packages were not quite as fresh as you would get with pre-cut veggies from a local market. The root vegetables also were a little soft.

The amount of coolant packaging required was bulky and heavy. Hello Fresh suggests to keep them for reuse in storage of transporting cold and frozen foods. If one was a subscriber, though these would accumulate quickly and you would have too many to re-use unless they could be donated or recycled some place.

If that sounds good to you, I recommend trying Hello Fresh.

The Wonders of Vitamin D

2012-02-26T07:29:00.002-08:00

The Germans found that Vitamin D increases the immune system by 3-5 times and is BETTER than any vaccine at helping the immune system beat the h5n1 (bird flu) virus. Vitamin D is much More important and has many more beneficial effects on health than was ever known.

Clergy Members Are at High Risk for Serious Health Problems

2012-02-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Members of the clergy are at high risk for developing serious health problems including higher rates of depression, obesity and high blood pressure, and many are burning out.

Duke University has surveyed Methodist pastors in North Carolina and found they are more unhealthy than the general population. The Duke study found that pastors' health was worse off across the board than the populations where they serve. Their rates of obesity were about 10 percent higher. The study observed other kinds of chronic diseases were also higher among this group. High blood pressure rates were about four percent higher, asthma rates also about four percent higher. Their diabetes rates are about three percent higher than other state residents.

It is actually not a new problem, but one that has been increasing over the past generation, affecting clergy from all faiths. I am a retired pastor who left my vocation at age 55 in part due to the effects on my health.

While I was in the ministry I gained about twenty pounds. I saw many colleagues who developed serious health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, strokes or heart attacks.

There are several reasons for this, one being having an impossible job description trying to juggle too many balls with the stress of constantly trying to help people with their problems.

Priests, ministers, rabbis and imams are generally driven by a sense of duty to answer calls for help. But research shows that in many cases, they rarely find time for themselves. Many clergy neglect their own self care. Always being on the go, they eat too much unhealthy food and get too little exercise.

Many of the churches carry self-funding health plans, which are very costly due to the high-risk group that they fund. Over the years, the insurance plans tried to encourage more self-care and prevention, but it has not always succeeded in creating change.

After leaving the ministry, my health didn't automatically improve. Actually I had a couple of serious issues that needed to be addressed. But now, my health has improved significantly and I am in better health overall and have more energy than I had for many years. I have learned much about how to be proactive and practice preventive medicine to achieve true health. As a result I am able to help others with their health needs by sharing what I have learned.

2012-02-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

The recent firestorm after the Susan G. Komen Foundation decided to stop grants to Planned Parenthood, has shined a spotlight on the Komen Foundation's fundraising as well as how they spend the money.

The Pink Ribbbon campaign has been enormously successful in raising money for the group, much of which is spent on huge salaries for the executives. Pink Ribbons is a film produced in Canada that explores the issues surrounding the Komen Foundation.

Using Food Pyramids or Healthy Eating Plates as Dietary Guidelines

2011-11-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

The USDA recently revised their recommendations for a healthy diet. The food pyramid has now been replaced by a food plate.

The new food recommendations call for a much greater amount of vegetables and fruit, with smaller portions of carbohydrates, fats and meat per day than the previous pyramid.

The new guidelines recommend half of the plate should be fruits and vegetables, or five to nine servings per day.

Harvard's School of Public Health a slightly different version of the healthy eating plate from USDA's presumably due to the influence of agribusiness and commodity interests on the USDA.

You can see a comparison on their website, along with 5 tips for using the healthy plates and pyramid. The healthy plate-pyramid are handy guidelines for anyone who desires to make positive changes in their diet because diet is a basic factor in health outcomes.

Anti-Cancer A New Way of Life: A Review

2011-11-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

Cancer changes life. I found this book while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and radiation treatments. I wanted to learn more about cancer and more importantly be a part of my own healing.

Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, a physician and scientist, wrote Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life to share his experiences with cancer, and what he learned as a result of his ordeal. He was at the top of a successful career as a psychiatrist and research scientist when he discovered by chance that he had a malignant brain tumor. After receiving his unwelcome diagnosis and undergoing the treatment for disease, he found that his physicians could not answer many of his questions regarding what he might do to increase his own ability to fight the cancer.

His thesis is simple: All of us have cancer cells in our bodies, but not all of us will develop cancer.
What are the factors that contribute to the formation of this disease, and what if anything can we do to prevent cancer or discourage it if we already have it?

Dr. Servan-Schreiber shares his journey, research, and what he learned about diet, environment, emotions, stress and lifestyle and how these factors can influence the body's immune response.

He concluded that the causes of cancer are similar to the causes of other chronic diseases, including unhealthy diet high in sugar and fat, exposure to toxins and pollution, high stress lifestyle, lack of exercise, and the loneliness of modern life for many people.

I realized that I needed to make significant changes in my life. First, I was living alone in a city far from my family, and was only able to see them a couple of times a year. This wasn't enough, so I moved across the country to be near them.

I was disappointed that Dr. Servan-Schreiber has no religious beliefs though, as I personally believe that faith can be a strong factor in health and well-being. But overall this is a positive, encouraging book.
The anti-cancer diet is primarily plant-based, including 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. It is low glycemic, and also high in omega-3 foods.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber strongly recommends foods that are high in anti-oxidants, but he does not discuss nutritional supplements as a factor in getting enough anti-oxidants.

I found that trying to get enough anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids through my diet alone was complicated. So I also take a comprehensive nutritional supplements including USANA HealthPak, Biomega and Proflavanol C 100.

Adopting the anti-cancer diet and lifestyle along with taking nutritional supplements daily has markedly improved my health, given me more energy and greater immunity to colds and flu. So far all of my follow-up mammograms have been negative as well.

How Healthy Is Your Home?

2011-01-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

Check out this video from youtube about hidden dangers lurking in your home:

Your Healthy Home

Simply Grateful

2010-11-26T04:38:00.003-08:00

When I woke up this morning, Thanksgiving Day I turned on a tap to get some water and discovered the water pressure was much lower than normal. By about an hour later there was no water at all. I was on my way over to my next door neighbor's to see if theirs was off too, when I found them outside with a couple of other neighbors who were all wondering what had happened to the water, and of course how that would affect their plans for the day, to be cooking and having guests in for a meal.
Funny how suddenly losing something that we take for granted disrupts our plans and causes us inconvenience. Water of course is a basic necessity of life, but here in North America it is still relatively abundant and inexpensive, and also easy to obtain even when the normal flow is turned off suddenly.
As it happened, the problem was caused by a broken water main down the street, which took most of the day to repair, and our water utility crew came to deliver bottled water and inform us of the estimate of when the repairs would be complete.
In my case, this disruption of water didn't cause more than a slight change of plans, as our family celebration of Thanksgiving wasn't planned until tomorrow anyway. But it did come as a reminder of how much I have for which I am grateful. This year I am especially grateful, because my daughter and her family have moved back here from Norway. So this was the first Thanksgiving I have spent with her three children.
We went for a drive in the rain, and stopped at a playground so the kids could have a chance to play outside for a while. I spent Thanksgiving Day playing with grand-kids, reflecting that overall life is good.
And later when I returned home the water was back on, with a note from our water company at the front door advising that the water may possibly be contaminated due to the break in the line and that we should boil tap water for drinking or washing for a minute before using it, until they let us know it has tested as safe again.
My hope is that you also enjoyed the blessings of gratefulness on this Thanksgiving Day.

Out and About

2010-08-10T05:10:00.000-07:00

Today looks to be another scorching, steamy day here in North Carolina. Usually I try to walk early in the morning, because the heat lasts into the evening. I walk almost every day if I can, or at the least try not to skip more than a day. I don't have a treadmill, and at this point I don't belong to a gym.

Sometimes I walk and talk with a friend, but usually I go alone. Going on a walk gets my circulation going, clears my head, and relieves stress. Along the way I can admire the roses, listen to the cicadas, or hear the morning bird songs.

When I lived in a noisy apartment building last year, walking was an important respite from barking dogs, loud music, and neighbors talking on the cell phone outside my window. Walking gets me out and away from the computer, telephone, and the tyranny of the urgent tasks of the day.

Buying Local

2010-08-09T14:24:00.001-07:00

I planted a couple of tomato plants this summer, but the critters have attacked them relentlessly. The heat wave that started in June combined with a drought parched and baked the soil. Unable to dig into the ground the squirrels devoured all the tomatoes, starting with those that were almost ripe, then going after the green ones. Possibly some damage was from rabbits, though I have not seen any. Then a deer came in the night and pruned the top of the Beefsteak plant, biting into the one large tomato left, and dropping it on the ground.

I'm giving up on urban farming. Fortunately there is a twice-weekly Farmer's Market close by that has a variety of locally grown and organic produce. I have been going there each week to shop for tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, peaches and more.

Drinking my lunch...

2010-03-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today I drank my lunch, and no I wasn't at a bar celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

A shake makes a nutritious lunch, filling yet low in calories while high in protein. My shake today was the Dutch Chocolate flavor Nutrimeal from Usana, which provides 15 grams of protein, 230 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Some people like these for breakfast, but I usually have mine at lunch.

It's easy to take along in my backpack when I go to work, and quick to make up on a busy day.

On a hot summer day a shake makes a perfect meal. You can add fruit and make it in the blender for a refreshing change of pace.

Cheers!

An Ounce of Prevention

2010-01-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

Since last summer I have blogged about health care, the issue and the process of health care reform prospects in the United States both here and on my other blog: http://gracelog.wordpress.com from the perspective of my own situation-- being ineligible for insurance coverage. At this point, the outcome of the health care reform legislation still remains in doubt. In any case, whatever legislation might be passed probably will not go into effect until 2013.

So I've decided that the best thing I can do for myself is to concentrate on my own health and wellness to increase my body's ability to heal and resist disease.

Over the past year I've made various lifestyle changes to aid my own recovery and healing from breast cancer, including many of the recommendations of Dr. Michael Servan-Schreiber in his book, Anti-Cancer. Dr. Servan-Schreiber advocates being proactive regarding diet, exercise and emotional health. I found his diet recommendations particularly helpful, and noticed a change almost immediately in my immune response to colds and flu when I increased my fruits and vegetables to five a day.

This fall I found something else that has been just incredibly beneficial when I began taking nutritional supplements. I've always taken supplements here and there of one kind or another, usually the store brand that I purchased at a drug store. I had never heard of Usana until last fall, and I began taking Usana Health Pak. (I found this inadvertently as a business opportunity on Twitter.)

Disclaimer: I am now a Usana Independent Associate.

Having never heard of this company before, and was a little bit skeptical. But I decided to try the products. Within a couple of weeks I noticed an increase in my general energy level, and a decrease in feelings of stress and anxiety. I have also not had any colds or flu this winter, so my immune defenses are working. I will have to say taking Usana nutritional supplements has made an amazing difference in my overall health and well-being!

While lifestyle and diet are important, it is not always possible to eat well balanced nutritionally complete meals each day. Supplements for me are an important part of being proactive and improving my overall resistance and stamina to maintain my health.

I Am a Survivor - Part II

2009-12-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

One year ago this week, I returned home after spending Christmas with my family to start six weeks of radiation treatments as follow-up for my breast cancer lumpectomy at Thanksgiving.

I was somewhat apprehensive, and didn't know just what to expect. I only knew that I was determined to get through it, one day at a time.

Fortunately I did have health insurance. For the past four years I had been self-employed operating two small businesses, and had managed to keep my own health insurance policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield.

But 2008 had been an extremely bumpy year for me financially. My reserves had fallen very low after paying taxes, and my income had plummeted with the recession. In November my last two students discontinued, and I was left with the income from my small online book selling business. The weather was colder than normal, and heating bills for my condo were high. In the fall I had tried to apply for the fuel assistance program, but never received a call back until the end of December when I was granted an appointment. Fortunately I did qualify but the grant would not begin until January, and I still had to pay the gas bill.

In January I had to choose between paying my mortgage payment or the next two months of health insurance. The last of my reserves had dwindled with the market crashes in the fall. I was afraid of not paying the health insurance premium while I still had to go through the rest of the radiation treatments. In any case I had decided to sell my condo and move to the state where my son and his family lived, so that I could be close to them. It was a hard decision to make.

I had tried to sell the condo during the summer, but hadn't sold it, so I had taken it off the market with the economic crash in September.

Meanwhile I managed to get up each day and drive myself to the hospital for the radiation, which really wasn't too bad. Even on the coldest and stormiest days I went for my treatment. I must say all of the staff at the cancer center were wonderful and I felt that I received excellent care.

Once the due date for the mortgage payment passed, I began to receive phone calls from a call center in India. I tried to explain my situation, but wasn't able to speak with any one in the US office of the company. At the end of the month, they callers began demanding that I pay two months payment to bring it current. I paid the health insurance to keep it going for the next two months. The calls continued. When I tried to call the US office, I was referred to the call center people in India. Between them and some other bill collectors, I was now receiving daily calls.

I received a notice in the mail that the mortgage was going in to default. Once I was put through to a counselor in the US who told me to send in various documents regarding my financial situation, and reason for being in default. Though I complied, the calls continued. On one occasion when I tried to explain that I had sent in the documents and asked to speak again to the office, I was told that once a mortgage went into default the homeowners were no longer permitted to speak with anyone besides the call center people.

I tried to call HUD. When I finally reached someone in the city I lived in, I was told to sell my condo on a short sale and get a job at Wal-Mart.

I saw a TV commercial of a person cowering in their home unable to answer the ringing phone, and I called an 800 number for foreclosure counseling. They gave me a contact for a local referral and I went there. None of this did any good. No one could figure out any solution.

Online I found Debtors Anonymous. I got materials from them, and though there was no group meeting in my town, I participated in some online forums. Their advice was very supportive and helpful to me in dealing with the debt collectors and my foreclosure situation. With help from DA I was able to develop my own vision statement of what I wanted to do. My vision was to move to be with my family, to heal and recover from the cancer and resume my life.

What I learned from Debtors Anonymous was that my own needs for healing and sustenance had to be met before the demands of the debt collectors. Eventually I had to find ways to earn more and repay the debts. But meanwhile I was living one day at a time without debting.

Meanwhile, I had put the condo back on the market, and now people were coming to look at it. At first I was quite hopeful, but weeks passed with no offers. My realtor said we were competing with foreclosures, which were the only homes being sold. With each new showing, I would be encouraged, race around getting the house ready, and leave, only to be let down again when nothing happened.

Also in February I enrolled a new student, a Mexican man who wanted to improve his English reading skills. This gave me some additionally income, and working with him was therapeutic for me, because I really enjoy this work. He was one of the most eager and conscientious students I ever had, a really blessing. Additionally I continued with my book business as much as I could. Weather permitting I went out to find books, listed them and shipped them out.

On February 18 I finished radiation, and had another mammogram that again indicated no breast cancer. I was exhausted from the radiation and taking naps every afternoon, as well as having burns, but thankful to be finished.

I needed to de-clutter and clean out my house. I hauled out boxes of books to trade at a local used book dealer for ephemera that I sold on eBay. The books that weren't suitable for either trade or selling online I donated. I began going through my belongings and hauled carloads to donate at the local thrift shops. This too was positive, as the thanks I received from Salvation Army workers really gave me joy.

Through it all I tried to focus on my faith in God. I prayed daily for my needs, health and financial. I had bought a St. Joseph home selling kit, followed instructions and buried a small St. Joseph statue near my deck. I prayed a novena and daily prayers to St. Joseph to bring a buyer for the condo. I began praying for God to bring just the right buyer. I knew that I only needed one.

In March the mortgage company demanded that I send them proof that I had gone for foreclosure counseling, so I had that sent in. But I never received a confirmation that they had received it, and the calls continued. I just wasn't answering the phone.

When the rest of the hospital bill came that wasn't covered by insurance, the hospital gave me an application for the charity fund. I applied for it and was approved, but I still had much unpaid business debt and the miscellaneous doctors bills that hadn't been covered by the insurance.

I looked online for information about filing for bankruptcy. I spoke to an attorney on the phone and another one made an appointment for a consultation in his office. He specialized in bankruptcies. He was such a sad-looking person, and the office just had an air of shabbiness. He just began making a list of my debts, then told me about the bankruptcy filing process. It would cost $1,000 for his fee and about $200 for a court filing fee. Plus I would have to appear in court five weeks after it was filed and undergo counseling. In my mind I weighed the options.

I thought of my vision statement and my desire to move and be with my family. Since I had no assurance of selling the condo, this would take all of my money. Something inside me tugged against it. "No," I said. "It's not in my spending plan. I just have to move. Once I move, I can't come back here for court. It doesn't make sense."

Spring came, and Easter, and the condo showings tapered off. Buyers seemed to be getting scarce. After consulting the realtor, we began lowering the asking price incrementally. In April I received an official letter from the mortgage company stating that I was now in a one month grace period declared by my governor, and again demanding the proof of financial counseling which I had sent previously. I called the counselor I had gone to and they said they would send them an official copy. Meanwhile the lawyer had told me the whole foreclosure process in my state was log-jammed anyway, and the procedure could take so long that I might be in the condo until January. But I didn't want to be there then. I didn't want to be there when the sheriff came knocking on the door to serve the papers. I wanted to be gone.

Near the end of May we lowered again. I asked my realtor to call back the agents of our most recent lookers and tell their realtor our new price. Incredibly, this yielded an offer, albeit below our price. I threw in my washing machine and we countered, then accepted their next offer.

They wanted to close in two weeks.
"I don't think they'll be able to do it," my realtor said. She called the buyer's bank to ask if he was approved.

He did. It was over.

I Am A Survivor

2009-12-01T04:33:00.000-08:00

November 26 marked the first anniversary of my undergoing a surgical lumpectomy for breast cancer. On Thanksgiving Day I added to all that I have to give thanks for, most especially my life and family, gratitude that I am a survivor.

I received the bad news of a negative biopsy just after Barack Obama's election as President. My diagnosis seemed so unreal, standing in the hospital parking lot talking on my cell phone with my son. I did not know what to expect, and felt very apprehensive. I was living alone in a city far from family, stressed out by struggling with two small business in an economy that was in free fall. That month I lost the last of my students and income from the one business.

All of the appointments with my doctor and the nurse at the cancer center were a blur, as they discussed the treatments, surgery followed by radiation and possibly chemotherapy. Overwhelmed, I turned to my faith and began praying a novena to St. Anthony for a miracle and healing. My son came out to be there on the day of my surgery; I was praying my rosary when he came in just before I went down to the operating room.

When I awoke I could scarcely believe the surgeon's words as I heard him say he had not had to remove any of my lymph nodes as the tumor had appeared to be limited in the breast, but more test results would be forthcoming for a definite confirmation of the result.

Two days later, when I awakened my first thought was, "It is good to be alive!"

The next week the nurse at the cancer center shared that the test results following my surgery revealed the cancer to be early stage one and a less aggressive type, so I would only have to go through radiation and not chemo-therapy.

Thoughts swirled through my mind-- how would I manage to get through this? One thing I had decided was to spend Christmas with my family prior to starting the radiation. I was able to be with both of my children and their families and all five grandchildren together for the first time.
The joy I felt being together with them was like a healing balm.

Bohemian Rhapsody . . .

2009-11-27T17:43:00.001-08:00

Just for fun-- Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody on youtube:

Posted via email from debgorman's posterous

God"s Grace Is Sufficient

2009-08-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." -- Psalm 68:19

During the past year I have experienced numerous instances of God's grace at work in my life; in this journal I will attempt to record and reflect on how the this grace has come to me.

I have faced financial disaster, significant health problems, been on the brink of foreclosure and near bankruptcy; yet through all of these circumstances I have been able to find a way through them and the strength to keep going. Through it all I kept praying and praising God, and thanking him for answering my prayers even before I could see the answers.

I had a vision that I should move to another state where I could be close to my family. I did not know how I could do this, but I trusted that God would provide. I wrote out a vision statement and kept praying, seeking God's help. I began to get ready to move by clearing things out so that I would not have so much stuff to move. I gave away carloads of items that I hauled to the Salvation Army thrift store. I was touched by the gratitude of the people for what I brought; being able to help others in need gave me joy.

I kept praying for God to bring the right buyer for my condo and thanking him for the offer I would receive. Many people came to look but none of them made an offer. I decided that I must move, and that I would do whatever was necessary to realize my vision. I just kept on packing and getting things moved out as much as possible, and we did lower the price a couple of times.

Finally I received a notice that I was in a grace period from the mortgage company before they started to foreclose. I still kept praying, asking for God to provide.

I just kept going in faith each day on what I thought I should do next. I decided I would have to get ready to move, and began working out the details of moving. Then a miracle happened, and a qualified buyer finally came forward with an offer, which called for having a closing within two weeks. My realtor said she didn't believe they could do it, but they did.

About this time my children asked if I would be a nanny for my younger grandson after I moved, and I was able to get an apartment, just a few blocks from their home. Everything seemed to happen at once, and it has all worked out.

This amazing grace truly has been sufficient for me. Surely, God is able.