Facing your Giants

Been doing this study based on a book by Max Lucado.

Its like I needed to be reminded how BIG my God is.

And if I don't keep him close, no matter how big he is, I can lose sight of him when all the little things start to clog my vision.

I have been re-evaluating my life, my priorities, my routine, and just when I am ready to make change.

BAM I get sick.

I get stuffy. I am tired. Physical illness is a giant to me. Not that I am that sick of a person, I know people with worse health problems. Its just that I spent so much of my childhood stuffed up and in a haze. I was the kid who always came to school sick. People asked me why I didn't stay home. If I had stayed home I would have missed sooooo much school.

I feel as if I miss out on life.

On the beautiful weather of the last two days, I have been in bed all day until I get in my car and go. And its not like I can enjoy it. My head is in the clouds.

God is in control. I give him that.

Now am I ready to face a Giant that I have been letting boss me around? Not on my own... not on my own.

Just where have you been young lady?

When your throat starts to swell up, and your co-workers call you a little horse (you calling me a pony?) you decide to sleep in, and catch up on your sleep. It has worked so far. Sleep is very restorative, it helps me to fight off colds, and fend off ponies in your throat.

Now, I have to get back to all the stuff I was supposed to be doing, but didn't do.

Monday Weigh IN!

Last weigh in weight: 245.6
Today's weight: 241.8 (loss = 3.8)
Total weight loss: 35.8
Weight to lose till next mini-goal: 16.8

If I lose 1.9 lbs then I have to drop a point in my WW calculations, less food! But its a good thing!

Did really well eating except for yesterday. A trip to the ER with Dave meant no breakfast, so we hit Brown's chicken on the way home... YUMMY! Corn Fritters with powdered sugar? Oh yeah, fried dough-licious. And their chicken beats KFC a million to one! Then my stomach hurt last night, gee I wonder why, so I had egg noodles and Maalox for dinner. (Not at the same time...)

Oh Dave??? You can pray for him. His digestive system is giving him a really hard time (will spare you details), and we have an appointment with the GI doc on Tuesday. Luckily he isn't dying or anything so the ER docs let us go home pending our Tuesday appointment.

Well, off to the gym, gotta keep up this losing streak!

2007 Year in Review

Wow, just looking back on Blogger for my entries over the past year... I am amazed at two major points... I was sick an awful lot, and the fact that God has really been sculpting me this year, its so awesome to see it happen. Here are some highlights:

1. I got married. It was probably the best event ever in my life so far. Thanks to all my friends and family who made it happen. I have the best husband ever.

2. I went on my Honeymoon and finally got to see the Grand Canyon. I felt so tiny in comparison to that. Yet it was really comforting to know that God cares for me, despite my insignificance in the universe. Sedona was also super cool. It was an experience I won't ever forget. Thanks to Dave's folks for the plane tickets and the rides, and Dave's brother for the house. And thanks to all the friends and family for all the cash gifts at our wedding, we couldn't have enjoyed our honeymoon without your generosity.

3. I got to wear a suit at work. This is odd for a person who wears pajamas (scrubs.) I will be doing this again in '08!

4. I changed my schedule. God put it in my heart to do so, and so I have, and it has literally changed my life. I enjoy being a part of Celebrate the Journey EVERY Tuesday.

5. My cousin Tammy got married! I was a first time bridesmaid. It was a fun wedding, Tammy glowed! Oh and I like her husband too! I will miss them when they move to Indy in the early spring.

6. Mom was laid to rest. On the one year anniversary of her passing (07-07-07) we scattered her ashes into Lake Michigan, and then went swimming! It was so awesome, and freeing. I love you Mom, see you when I get there.

7. Ignite Chicago! I got to see my two favoritest bands in concert! Tree 63 and David Crowder! It was fun, and my sister adopted a child.

8. Babies! A good friend announced that she was pregnant. Also several people at work are also pregnant, or were and now have babies!

9. I gave in and joined Facebook. Be my friend, I need more people to poke, bite, and bomb.

10. The great remodel. We moved into Dad's house for 6 weeks and lets just say I am so glad to be home, so much so we vacationed here.

11. Abby tore a cruciate ligament in her knee, she now limps.

12. We moved back in the house, then had a small fire, lived in a motel for 9 days. Yeah, its was fun, not! Praise God that its all good now.

13. I won the most likely to star in her own reality TV show at work. Funny, my life IS like a reality show.

14. Miss Daisy Mae joined Muffi and Georgie and several others in Doggie Heaven. She was a good dog. She is missed.

15. I gave my testimony. Me, I got up on stage and told intimate details of my life to friends and strangers. It was one of the most freeing experiences of my life, and I did a good job.

16. The thing we haven't made public yet. No, I am not pregnant, but intimate friends know whats up. I pray for a peaceful resolution in '08. I know its redundant putting up something I cannot tell you, but lets just say it is that big and affects me that much.

17. The spare room is occupied. Pray that our friend Paul is able to get on his feet soon.

Happy Old Year to all of you. I have grown more than I could ever imagine, and I have to give God all the glory.

Here's to an even better New Year....

So, what's up?

It looks like we will be moving in this week. (Pray, cross your fingers and knock on wood.) Dave will be working on getting the house ready today.

I am still coughing and blowing my nose, but getting better. Slowly but... surely.

Daisy is not doing too well, and she spent a day in the hospital due to low blood sugar and seizures. She is still tired and needs lots of rest. She has not been using her right back leg, which concerns us. Abby is still limping, but not as bad. Rugby and Phoebe are doing well and causing lots of trouble as usual.

My buddy Neo is settled in up in the Great North (Canada) and I posted his link up on the blog again today. Apparently the squirrels eat out of his hands up there.

Dave and I are looking forward to a trip to the circus in early November with our nieces. We miss our little darlings very much, and it should be lots of fun. Hopefully they will have lots of hugs for me, because I have a lot of hugs for them.

I looked out the window this morning, it was sunny... but raining leaves. This is when I thank God that I don't have to rake. :)

What is the deal?

I have had a really bad month. I have had food poisoning, a bladder infection, and now (yet another) head cold.

I found myself having a hard time singing in church yesterday,then at work my sinuses just drained straight down my throat, leaving me feeling miserable. I did not sleep well last night, and am unsure of my condition today. All I know is my throat is scratchy and swollen. I don't like this.

Good news is that we can start moving back into our home soon. How soon? As soon as we have the time to do so. We need to move some furniture back into place, do some cleaning, then we can start with the stuff. I want my own bed back.

At least I have many cuddly dogs here, and even the cat was cuddly when I got up at 6am to empty my bladder.

Pray for me, please.

The Home Stretch

Dave tells me he is hoping we can get into our house in a week. That means this is the home stretch for going to our "new" home. When the housing market says you can't sell, we just decided to make our home new. Pray for us.

Doc said I had food poisoning. When 12 hours after you eat you vomit up that same meal, good indication of food poisoning. Also fever and body aches. Good news is that means I will not be getting the rest of my family sick. Doc says it takes 5-7 days to have a new stomach lining. I guess that means my fancy steak dinner is out.

I have missed too many birthdays to count. October is apparently a busy month for my family and friends to be born. I apologize. I feel horrible for missing you. Because I miss you. I love you. Happy Birthday.

Saturday marks the one year anniversary of Dave and I getting engaged officially. It was also our first date that we set for our wedding. I am soooooo glad we moved the date up! First of all, our pastor is now in KC. Secondly, I think I would have had a dozen ulcers and broken up with Dave if we waited this long. Seriously, I don't know why people wait when they know. Being 30 does help... Anyways, it was the best decision ever to get married to Dave, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you Dave, you are the best husband ever! Okay, you are the only husband, but you have exceeded my expectations, and I just love you sooooo much!

Enough mushiness. Now I must return to life, easy does it. No more pajama days. Now I go into work and wear scrubs, which is like pajamas, only it has the hospital logo on it instead of stars and moons. Oh, and I have to wear a bra.

Nausea, fever, and body aches

... are the only symptoms I am going to mention on my blog to spare you. I have been sick.

Of course it hits me on my day off. I work hard all week for my day off, and I had to spend it aching and sick on the couch. I am still weak and dizzy and my stomach is not back to normal. So I called in sick to work... and this will count as my first call in for you who keep track.

The dogs were really great company, especially Daisy. She is just so calm, she curls up and snores on me. Rugby and Abby and Phoebe also contributed to comforting me yesterday.

I was really upset, because I missed group. I am hoping to still get the group newsletter out with the prayer requests.

By the way, I will not be eating a Ruben anytime soon.

Keep it up folks!

I want to thank those of you who have been praying for me. It is working!

(Especially my good friend Karen, who hasn't read this blog in a while, but she is undergoing surgery today. Right now as I speak. Karen is undergoing a life changing surgery. Pray for her and her doctors and her recovery.)

Your prayers worked and are working with me. I started to feel better yesterday after I asked for prayers. I am not 100% but the horrible course of the cold where it takes over my brain is gone! I am confident that I will be able to return to life at full speed sooner rather than later!

I also want to thank everyone who has been an encouragement to me. By saying that you missed me or thought of me or that I encourage you means so much. I am really trying to step out in life and make some new friends. Praises for that, and praises for another friend whose name also starts with a K who had an outpatient procedure Friday and seems to be doing well. (It was great to see you on Saturday!)

Anyone who can pray for me, I love it! I am praying for all of you too! With all of my love... Shelley

Of course, it goes without saying, but I am going to say it... thank you Jesus...

I am so in trouble...

I am sick! It totally hit me yesterday. How am I going to finish getting ready for the contractor? The condo is totally NOT ready. Maybe if I just go back to bed, this will all go away...

Why do I keep getting sick? Do I need to wear a mask in public? Okay, this time I know it was a certain good friend of mine's cold that I caught, and I wouldn't have missed her. Too bad man, too bad.

I am gonna go lay down now. Pray for me please!

Up for grabs

This random internet cat is courtesy of Neo at JBI. This is his cat Cody. I told him I was going to steal him, and he told me to wear long sleeves. Cody is a cutie. I bet him and Phoebe would get along great. Seeing as I am not going anywhere near Philly anytime soon, I have to settle for stealing his photos.

I am getting much better in the sick department, so much so that I am excited enough to mention it.

I have nothing left to say, so it is your turn. Click on comments and tell me what's up...

Hi how are you update

I just love it when people ask me "hi, how are you?" I highly doubt they want the true answer. This is what you just do to be nice. I am trying to cut that out... I am going to say "nice to see you" or "I miss you" or "what's shakin'?" but stop asking "how are you" unless I truly mean it.

Today's answer to "how are you?" comes from the dog in the above photo. I am okay, but still sick and thus not too happy about my sneezing and nose blowing. I prefer when my head does not feel like a booger. Praise God, I am not too sick to work, thus not sick enough to give up my raise by calling in too many times.

I am sure my co-workers are sick of me being sick, but not as sick as I am sick of me being sick. *cough*

I have many busy things to be doing. I work this weekend, so I have an excuse for not do anything (because I don't want to be too sick.) I just pray for the strength to get me through this next two months. Why? Well, here it is, publicly. Dave and I are re-financing the house and will be doing some major re-modeling. So, while we are not moving, this is the closest thing. I have to get stuff out of here so that the carpet can be pulled and the house painted etc... Thanks to Dad and Yola, we have a place to stay for free while we remodel. This will make the process easier, however we will be doing this without taking any time off from work. Thus, strength is needed, physical, emotional, and mentally.

So now while I am super excited about living in our "new" home, I am not super excited about the process. I guess life is like that with any change... it kinda is hard work to do, but worth it in the end. Please pray for me and Dave as we undertake this changing process so that we can keep our sanity. In the meantime, I want to coin a new phrase "when the going gets tough, stick out your tongue!" What do you think? (Let me guess, cheesy?)

Not again...

I knew I was in trouble the minute I said it. Last week sometime, I mentioned to me boss that I only had a few more weeks to make it without being sick before my call-ins were reset. Now, I have yet to call in, but I am sick. Of course this means that everyone else is going to get sick, or at least those of us that get sick.

How come some folks never ever get sick, and some like me get sick everytime it comes around? I take two different allergy pills, so when my sinuses act up, it is not my allergies. I can no longer take original Sudafed, as my blood pressure cannot handle being on meth. Sudafed PE only lasts four hours and makes me a little out of it. My nose is red and raw.

Luckily today, it is moving down. The cold is in my lower sinuses and my throat today. I will start taking Mucinex instead, hopefully that will help. I just sneezed, perhaps in addition.

So, don't mind me if I go around doped up with boogers in my eyes. I have things to do, people to see, a write up to NOT get. Pass the vitamin C.

Megan has a Rugby face

No, not the sport, the dog. Megan is in love with Rugby, my dad's dog. He is the cutest thing and he has an under bite. So I took this second picture at my wedding, where she is all done up making a rugby face, sticking out her chin and showing off the under bite.

When we were growing up, (puberty was not kind to me) Mom often told me how I had a Tiki face. Now a Tiki is one of those statues we had in our back yard with a horrible grimace on his face. She would always make me jump in the pool when I had a Tiki face. I guess it cooled me off and made me forget my reason for grimacing. (Not that I knew, puberty makes you mad for no reason.)

Now Megan has a Rugby face. She has been battling kidney stones and its painful. I should know, I have had them. But not like Megan. Poor Meggie got overwhelmed with pain today, and was hot, nauseated, and suffering. She could not get comfortable. I remembered my Tiki face. It is gonna be okay, I just wish we had a pool to throw her in. In the meantime, she took pain meds and it was starting to work.

Pray for her if you pray. Thanks.

This guy took up residence in my lungs

If you watch any TV you have seen this guy. Mr. Mucus moves in to your lungs and takes up residence. Sometimes he brings his bride, sometimes his son. I want him out.

Today I went to my doctor to get some help. While I have been taking Mucinex, it is not enough. I have bronchitis yet again. Antibiotics are on the way, Dave will pick them up soon from the pharmacy (and also some lunch, which is good, I am hungry.)

I love my doctor. Not in the I want to marry him sense, but in the he gets me sense. Today he brought up one of my all time favorite SNL skits... the Lung Brush! I shared one of my bad jokes using the brand name Biaxin, and he laughed. It doesn't matter if people laugh because the joke is bad, but he laughed. Anyway, he really listens to me and I wish more docs were like him.

Now if only I would listen to him as much as he listens to me.

I am convinced, it is a plague

I called off work, hocked up two gigantic green globs from my lungs. That qualifies me to stay home today. I did however manage to read a fantastic book, which I cannot wait to blog about. However, I want my brain in it. In the meantime, you should figure out which type of sandwich you are. FYI, I still love grilled cheese too!

You Are a Ham Sandwich

You are quiet, understated, and a great comfort to all of your friends. Over time, you have proven yourself as loyal and steadfast. And you are by no means boring. You do well in any situation - from fancy to laid back. Your best friend: The Turkey Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

Not again...

So I cleaned out the spare room a bit on Wednesday, and yesterday and today, sick. Again!!!! What is up with that? I think my spare room has germs that cause me to get sick. Either that or every time I just get over something, I work in the ER and some kid coughs on me. Dude! Seriously!

I drugged up with some Mucinex-D, and rinsed my sinus passages out. They still continue to ache, and drain and I cough. But, I am NOT going to call in sick again on my weekend to work. I can't do that to the good folks I work with. That, and I will be just as sick as the whole ER. I am going to try to make it through. Wish me luck, pray for me, cross your fingers, send positive thoughts, whatever it is that you do.

In the meantime, I am considering hiring out a flamethrower for the spare room. (Not really, but I scared you didn't I Dave?)

In a completely different arena...

This just in, the Bible is not considered indecent despite rape, incest, sex, and violence. Glad to know that some things are still taken in context. When I was a kid and grounded, I wondered why I could read about two daughters getting their father drunk and raping him to get pregnant. It was the only thing I was allowed to read (the Bible) also it was my mom's funky hip 70s version called "The Way." At least I could understand it. I don't think they still make it, but you would not believe what I found online. Think you can't understand the KJV? Try the KLV Klingon Language Version. Life is too weird. People are too weird.

I hate the flu

It always seems like when I plan something big, or things or going well, I get sick. This time it was the stomach flu. I woke up Friday before my time with nausea and well, you don't want to hear the rest. Nothing but bed rest yesterday and today. I was happy to actually eat some buttered noodles today. So your prayer week update? My stomach hurts, my joints ache. Yes, I am drinking fluids, and I suppose I could use some prayers.

Over the hump and post 99 all in one!

Welcome to my 99th post on Blogger!

For the past week, I have been in bed, sick with bronchitis. I have only been out of the house 3 times, and all were walking the dog (er, well escorting the dog downstairs for a quick potty trip, I couldn't walk too far without getting short of breath.) I am still coughing like crazy, but I actually slept through the night as opposed to waking up every two hours. So I am going to try to return to work today. I know that if I didn't go to work, I would want to go out, so that means its time. I just sneezed.

Its a thin line you walk, not wanting to leave your shift short, not wanting to be half a person, and not wanting to infect the rest of the staff. Not to mention that I work at a hospital, with sick people. Sick people do not need to be exposed to whatever virus I happen to be fighting off. I happen to be one of the lucky people who have "sick pay" at work. Most people don't get paid if they don't come to work, which makes them come to work sick, which infects other people (coworkers, clients, etc.) Also, most people who don't have sick pay work low end jobs, with low pay, meaning they really need the little bit of money they will be missing out on if they don't show up to work. Think about that the next time your waiter brings your meal, or before you enjoy your freshly cleaned hotel room. Now, I have to take 3 "vacation" days before I can use "sick" days, so I am motivated to come in to work or lose out on my vacation. Seems like being sick perpetuates itself around the world.

I will at least be getting away from commercials. I refuse to buy anything from Quiznos, Geico, and Hillshire Farms due to the annoying commercials they have put forth. I really wanna smack the woman at the end of the Quiznos commercial. Dave and I race for the remote when we hear the commercial start because we don't want to hear her laugh. As for Geico, who needs a self-righteous caveman? (a self-righteous anything really!) Hillshire Farms... I don't like a team cheering me on to eat meat, and if my friend reached over to shake chicken on my salad to hear that song, I would smack her. (No, I don't have anything against meat!) I really am not a violent person, I have never smacked anyone. Perhaps that's because people know better. Also I will not be going to see the new movie with Hillary Swank (no further comments here.)
I guess over-repetition leads to smack!

Aww man...

Seems just like me to get sick as soon as the weather gets good. Yesterday I started cleaning out the spare room, and when I got to work I started coughing. I thought it was because of the dusty room, or because the outdoors smelled like burned leaves... nope.

The night progressed so I knew as it settled in. There is no denying it, I am sick. *hack*

I wonder how long I will have to battle this. I pray not long. I think I will be laying down now, and drinking fluids. MMM...popsicles...