Archive for the ‘Christian Walk’ Category

Praises!

Mom had her cancer surgery yesterday. She’s now recovering in the hospital, and all went well!

Her doctor is very confident that they got everything, and the laproscopic procedure was uncomplicated. She’ll go home in a day or two to finish healing.

Final lab results will be back next week, but not a concern.

Praise the Lord for healing and mercy!

Ponderings…

After a lot of trouble getting connected, I finally went over to the mobile health clinic run by the pastor of our sister church, Kendall Brazilian. This was just a screening appointment, and I filled out an application to be sent to the County to qualify for free services.

Since I have been suffering, the doctor was kind enough to write me a prescription for my migraine medicine, to hold me over until I can actually be seen.

So I quickly headed over to my local pharmacy to fill it. Let me walk you through the result:

Fill: New (Self-explanatory, I hope)
Insurance: AMPLN (This is my AmeriPlan discount card, not insurance. It saved me $36.71!)
Quantity: 6 (Yeah, only 6. It’s 1 or 2 per headache, and they are closely guarded)
Status: Picked Up, Date Filled: 5/25 (Yeah…)

And… Did you catch that…

OUCH!

At $27.38 per pill, the stress of taking one is enough to give me a migraine!

It’s a non-formulary drug, so even when I’ve had various insurance overthe last two decades it wasn’t covered at all, or they paid a small percentage.

But it’s the only thing that works…

A lot of time and appeals for “medical necessity” have sometimes yielded fruit.

Hmmmm… What do you think my odds are of getting the military insurance to pay for it when Wolf is full-time active during his training?

Today my mother will undergo surgery for her recently-diagnosed cancer. (12:30 pm California time, to be exact).

They’ll be doing a complete ovo-hysterectomy, as well as removing the cervix.

She’ll stay overnight in the hospital and go home Wednesday. Hard to believe she doesn’t stay longer, but with the laproscopic methods they use now they can throw you out sooner… Good for the bill, but I’m not sure it’s best for people’s healing.

Her doctor is very confident that they will get everything and she’ll be “clean” when this is over. A pathologist in the room will confirm clear edges before they finish the procedure.

The hopsital is discounting her cost 75%, and the surgeon 30%. The total bill will “only” be about $50K, and she’ll only have to be off work 1-2 weeks.

Whew!!

I’m encouraging her to take at least a week off, then do another week of phone sessions. She’s anxious to get back (for her clients, and her income!), but I’m nervous she’ll push too hard and not let her body heal.

My sister is taking off work for at least a week to be with her.

Sure wish I wasn’t on the other side of the country with little kids!

Please pray with me for the outcome of the surgery, for financial blessings, and for my mother and sister to be drawn to the Lord through this trial.

This is something I hear all the time – from everyone from middle-aged women wearing low-cut shirts, to moms explaining their daughters’ too-short skirts.

(Seems to me that if you have to explain (justify?) something, that’s a sure sign of a problem!)

People say that they would like to dress more modestly, but “this” is all that they can find at the store.

I don’t buy that excuse for a moment.

I mean, yes, “that” is exactly what you’ll see if you look at the prominently-displayed items at any mass-market retailer these days… But it’s simply not as though there aren’t any other options.

Theoretically, we all know that people could sew their own clothes, but I realize that it’s not a realisitic option in many cases. Heck, it’s not a realistic option for me right now, living in the RV with my sewing machine in storage!

But there are still several viable options.

• Shop major retailers online. That same store you were just visiting in the mall? They have a much bigger selection online.
• Shop boutiques and specialty shops. There are both online and brick-and-mortar stores that cater to very specific needs, including modest clothing (defined variously!). Just type “modest apparel” or “long skirt” or something into a search engine, and away you go.
• Order clothing directly from a seamstress/small business. Bonus – you can often get things made to your exact measurements, as well as having “off the rack” options. My favorite store is Katie’s Mercantile – and it’s almost as cheap as buying garbage locally!
• Finally, and the thing that got me started on this post today: Think outside the box.

I was at one of those local stores, hoping to pick up a couple of inexpensive short-sleeved tops for me, to replace some that were just plain worn out.

The women’s section was very frustrating. Almost all the blouses had the exact same neckline – a collar, then plunge front down to the first button waaaaay down there, for a streamlined version of leaving the top few buttons undone.

Except, of course, that I don’t leave that many buttons undone!

How frustrating that they want to design away the very possibility of being modest.

Needless to say, I did not buy them, even though “that’s all there was.”

Instead I strolled across the aisle to the men’s department.

In no time at all I had a cute textured grey polo shirt, and a button-down shirt in a small green plaid (similar to this):

It’s not “girly,” of course, but I just needed a top to wear under the jeans jumper that Jewel and I just got in matching versions from Katie’s!

(I’m pretty sure that’s her in the photo. Click it to visit the store and check the selection!)

So now Jewel and I can step out together in modest style, on a budget, with no sewing required!

My mother was just diagnosed with uterine and cervical cancer. There’s also a mass, which they have yet to identify (benign fibroid, or scary tumor).

In addition to the obvious, this means putting off a hip replacement surgery to have a hysterectomy immediately (she can hadly walk from the hip pain), *and* she’s self employed (so the time off work means no income) and has no insurance.

She’s in California, so it’s not likely I”ll be able to go see her, and certainly nothing practical I can do to help. My sister lives nearby, but has her own physical and emotional challenges going on. Neither of them knows the Lord.

I would be grateful for your prayers for my mom, Susan, and also for my sister, Teresa.

Thank you!!

If you stop and notice the little things, you’ll see the hand of God.

We’ve been putting off getting the air conditioner on the car fixed for quite a while now. Six months, maybe? Longer?

That may not sound like a huge deal to some of you, and in an absolute survival sense, of course it’s not.

But I do not cope well with the heat, and have struggled a lot with transporting two cranky little kids on errands and what-not in a car that rapidly becomes an oven in the tropical heat and humidity that we have here year-round.

Even when we got our tax refund, we had committed to Nick getting his braces on, and a couple of other things, so it remained.

April was Wolf’s first weekend of service in the Air Force Reserves (missed the back story?), so things were at least looking up for our finances.

Having been through a frustrating set of fruitless visits from the jack-of-all-trades that many in our church use for minor car issues, Wolf said we should take it in.

We handed it over to our friends at Princeton Auto, and now it’s chilly and delightful. (Found Princeton through our prior deacon – great people as well as great mechanics!)

And the God thing you shouldn’t miss?

The paycheck for the Reserve weekend was almost dollar-for-dollar exactly the amount of the repair bill.

Thank you, Lord, for air conditioning!

(Look, you know it’s Thursday, and I know it’s Thursday… but I just got the notification about this theme… Pretend, okay?)

Women of Faith Wednesday asks today:

If you could become a Women of Faith speaker, what would you talk about?

I guess this isn’t as far-fetched feeling to me as it might be for some people. Wolf and I are, after all, working on a couple of Christian Living books, and feel very much called to be out talking to people about these issues.

You can pretty much gather what I’d talk about, especially if you’ve looked over at my About Tiffany page, and noticed the “Three Hot-Button Issues” there at the end:

1. I have a huge burden for children that manifests in a lot of different sub-issues: pregnancy care (especially something like a “home for unwed mothers”), natural chilbirth, breastfeeding advocacy, mother/infant bonding, moms at home raising their children, family-friendly worship environments…
2. Modesty and feminine dress.
3. Frugal homemaking as a crucial component of good stewardship. This will mean different things for different people in different situations, but includes a wide range of possibilities such as sewing, cloth diapering, breadmaking, canning, gardening, using non-disposable products, re-using recycling and upcycling clothing and other goods, etc.

What about you? What are your “hot button” issues that you’d like to talk to other women about?

Women of Faith invites you to join in the coversation (even if it isn’t Wednesday anymore!). Check it out, below:

Happy Resurrection Day!

We are off to church this morning, of course, as soon as we are all scrubbed and polished.

We enjoy coloring eggs and playing hide-and-seek with them as a Springtime project – but we will be doing it next weekend. I have a few little gifts for the kids today, but all Christ-focused, not random secular “Easter” – and no big rabbit is involved.

Like separating gifts on St. Nicholas’ Day from Christ’s birthday, we feel this gives us the opportunity to enjoy the traditionions we like, while keeping the focus of the holiday where it belongs. These are, after all, the two key days for the Christian believer:

• Celebrating the day our glorious Lord humbled himself and took human form here on Earth, and
• Celebrating the day he rose from the grave – proving that He had overcome death and sin for all of us!

I hope your day is filled with joy, as you celebrate our Risen Saviour and Lord!!

Jesus makes it very clear that He is concerned wth our though life, not only with our actions.

In Matthew 5:21-22, our Lord says,

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.” But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
Matthew 5:21-22

And just a few verses later, in Matthew 5:28 he says,

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

With that in mind, I have to take issue with some of the language used by even “good” Christians.

If you say “friggin’” or “frickin’”, what does that mean?

Are you not saying it as a replacement, since you certainly wouldn’t want to say “The F Word”?

But doesn’t that very substitutional process mean you’re thinking of that other word? And don’t you think that the same process will occur in the mind of whoever hears you?

And the same thing applies to “Snap” (as in, “Oh, SNAP, I forgot to do my homework!”), and any other unique replacements you may have come up with on your own.

So, when using these clever replacement words, not only are you *still* sinning by using vulgar language (even if only in your mind!), but you are causing your brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble on that issue, as well.

Granted, there may be those people out there who have led such a sheltered life that they aren’t even aware of the swear word, and use “frickin’” simply as a funny way to say “Ooops” or “Totally”… But I think for most of us who live in the world today that’s not the case.

English is by many multiples of words the largest language in the world. There are words in the language to express anger and frustration. There are exclamations. There are colorful adjectives.

Carry a thesaurus with you for a while, find some uncommon words that fit the bill, and develop your own unique style.

But, please, let’s not say that.

We only have one vehicle, so Wolf rides the bus/train/bus to get to and from work. Last week he came home with an alarming story, and the cell phone picture to prove it.

Dadeland Station is a transit hub. It is the South end of the train line, and a stop for all the area busses.

As he walked into the lobby one morning, he was greeted by an enormous round decal in the center of the floor – a swimming pool. And there, underfoot, life-sized or better, was a woman floating on a raft in a teeny bikini.

To see for yourself, you can View the Picture (naturally, this comes with my advisory that it is an immodest image).

I am aware that “most people” wouldn’t be offended by the picutre, which they would probably argue is entirely non-sexual. (Don’t get me started on how far society has slipped down the slope of accepting indecency!)

But I find it appaling that such a thing would be so rudely thrust “in your face” in a government agency location.

It is wholly unacceptable for the government to be so avidly promoting something which offends the morals and “strongly held religious beliefs” of a sizeable segment of the population.

Not to mention those people who have other issues:

• Men and boys trying to control their hormones (lust)
• Women who feel lowered self-esteem from the unfair comparison
• Those who might be triggered in their struggle with PTSD from past abuse
• “Sex addicts”
• Mothers who don’t feel it’s appropriate for the children they have with them
• People who find it disrespectful to be stepping all over a lady
• And on and on…

Yes, images like this (sadly) are “everywhere” today, but I find two main differences here.

One is the lack of ability to “opt out.”

Magazines and catalogs we can choose to keep out of our lives. I certainly don’t get lingerie catalogs, but I also don’t even get Lands’ End or other catalogs with swimwear (remember the Lands End Facebook debacle?).

Movies and TV we can choose not to watch. Billboards we have to look the other way.

But what about this?

In the lobby of the train station – a portal through which people must pass. And underfoot, where they must look at it at least somewhat (or risk tripping because they aren’t watching where they are going!).

This is far more… invasive? intrusive? forced upon you?

The second, touched upon above, is the government involvement.

By placing this ad in a County facility, the government is endorsing, sponsoring, and profiting from (a) immodesty and immorality, and (b) the discomfort and alienation of a lot of people.

Will you join me in letting them know this should be removed?

Mayor Carlos Alvarez
mayor (at) miamidade.gov

Michael De Cossio
Chief, Transit Advertising & Media Relations
Mike1 (at) miamidade.gov

(Modesty disclaimer – photos of shirtless young men are used to illustrate this story, below)

Political Correctness is so ridiculous, I continue to be amazed.

I do “mystery shopping” from time to time. It earns me a few dollars, or free stuff, and it’s flexible…

But filling out the survey forms is getting harder and harder.

Naturally, you are expected to identify the employee with whom you interact during your visit. Sometimes the name is enough, but if you can’t get the name (and sometimes even if you do) they want a description.

Except, as it turns out, you are strictly prohibited from discussing certain attributes that could be politically incorrect or sensitive.

I cannot mention a person’s race or skin color.

While I understand that this can be used in an offensive way, it is also true that it is a very useful means of identifying someone out of a small pool of choices (such as the employees who were working at a given time).

I cannot mention a person’s weight or size.

Again, I know that you can insult someone by labeling them as “fat”… But, again, differentiating between a stocky individual and a very thin individual can be very useful.

It got me to thinking…

If I were primarily concerned with political correctness, I would describe Nick as:

Young man, about 6′ tall, dark curly hair.

Hmmm. Not much more I can say, right?

But, based on that, my son could be this guy:

Or, just as easily, this guy:

Wouldn’t it make more sense to be accurate?

My son is a stocky, very fair skinned person.

The other young man pictured is very thin, and darker skinned.

Is that cruel, insulting, or unfair?

No. It’s simply the truth.

As Christians, we need to be committed to speaking the truth in love. All the time.