Today’s e-devotional reminds me of the pledge I made to myself recently:

I have been given the gift of this new day, fresh with the possibility of discovery, industry and joy. I pledge to do everything I can to use it and benefit from it, sharing those benefits with all I encounter today…

Time Enough

Suggested Bible Reading

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you–you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

-Matthew 6:25-34 (NRSV)

MODERN technology allows us to both speed up time and slow it down. In a television-makeover program, a garden or home is transformed in minutes. But in real life beautiful gardens take years of hard work, and redecorating is not as easy as it looks on TV. On the other hand, modern technology can also slow down time, as we see in the endless slow-motion replays of decisive moments in sporting events. The past is gone; the future comes at its own pace. In reality, we cannot rewind or speed up our life.

We may look back with regret, anger, and resentment at all our dashed hopes, at all our “if onlys.” Or at times we may consider the future bleak and want to rush past it. But we cannot alter time. What we have is God’s gift of today and the freedom to choose how to live it.

The apostle Paul gave us an example when he wrote, “Forgetting what is behind … I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14, NIV). Like Paul, we can take each day’s opportunities to use the gifts that God has given us.

Anne Rasmussen (Somerset, England)

Prayer

O God, help us choose to use our time wisely, always grateful for all your gifts. Amen.

Thought for the Day

Worrying about the past or the future keeps us from taking joy in the present.

Prayer Focus

Those who worry

You are the World

Completion, Good Reward.

The World is the final card of the Major Arcana, and as such represents saturnian energies, time, and completion.

The World card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. Everything is finally coming together, successfully and at last. You will get that Ph.D. you’ve been working for years to complete, graduate at long last, marry after a long engagement, or finish that huge project. This card is not for little ends, but for big ones, important ones, ones that come with well earned cheers and acknowledgements. Your hard work, knowledge, wisdom, patience, etc, will absolutely pay-off; you’ve done everything right.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

July was quite action packed. First, there was really great trip to Rochester and we had SO much fun! Then later on, I got to go to a Mary Kay Seminar and ride to Dallas with some of most bestest galpals. Yay! Two other things got started that same month that are still going on right now…
The first one was this built-in bookcase that was put in by the previous owner (that should have been our first clue–their attempt at bathroom remodeling cost us almost 10 grand last year after trying to figure out just what they did wrong in there for more than a decade) that collapsed while I was in Dallas and damaged the cabinets below it as well as the wall where it was hanging. I never liked the way that paneling was done on that wall and took this unfortunate event as my cue to make that wall more to my liking while the bookcase was down getting repaired. While attempting that, I did something to my shoulder and I am still feeling it even now. The fumes from the paint were also getting to me since it was still so hot I did not dare to open windows, so I decided to call in my wonderful home remodel/repair guy to bail me out of my mess. He was planning on scheduling my little job between the big job he was wrapping up when I called and another one coming up soon which did not yet have all of his permits cleared so I could have my family room back put back together in time to do Mary Kay Holiday Open Houses before Thanksgiving. Then his wife took a nasty spill from one of their horses during the time that he was supposed to be here and he did not want to leave her all alone out in the country where they live until she was a little further along on the road to recovery, so my family room, hallway, guest room and dining room still looks a lot like a tornado aftermath even now, but how could I be upset with such a caring fellow?
The other thing that happened was this little problem that I had just been putting up with for a good while now started causing me more problems in adjacent areas while I was in Dallas, so as soon as I got back, I asked my doctor for a referral to a specialist to evaluate the situation and find out what could be done. (In addition to the shoulder stuff, I am also seeing a corneal specialist in Houston every month and my local eye guy every other week, too, so for the last several months, I have felt like most of my  waking hours have been spent in some doctor’s office waiting room!) After testing and evaluation, the specialist told me that things had gone beyond the point where much besides surgery would fix it but the good news was that it is a fairly low risk and short recovery procedure. Then she asked me what I wanted to do. The surgery she recommended was the same thing that my younger cousin was saying did her so much good when we visited at the reunion the year before last and that made me a bit less apprehensive about the whole thing. I decided to go for it before the deductible amounts on our insurance went back to zero, this doctor left for her vacation, the hospitals get filled up flu cases, daughter’s wedding was demanding my attention (note to self: pick out mother of bride dress asap!) and my Mary Kay holiday sales (already picking up!) started gobbling up the rest of my time, so it was done early yesterday morning and I was home in time for hubby to fix me a nice late brunch. Then daughter and her intended came over to fix us spaghetti, son, mother in law and brother in joined us, stayed for a game of Scrabble after and the drugs they gave me are still doing their job, so things are looking pretty good for me right now!
If anyone was wondering why I hadn’t been around much, now you know…

 Life has been crazy-busy lately, but I still try to do my e-devotional from Upper Room every day. This recent one reminded me that we can spare ourselves a lot of grief if we keep our expectations about ourselves and others more realistic:

Today’s Scripture

What does it matter? The important thing is that … whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.

-Philippians 1:18 (NIV)

ONE night while we were wilderness camping, raccoons tore into a bag of trash I neglected to hang up. I rose early to find a mess. I pondered three simple thoughts. First, This is what raccoons do. Second, They really didn’t hurt me. Third, Next time, I’ll tie my trash up higher!

God led me to write in my journal about the “raccoons” in my life, the people who seem to go through my “trash” — my weaknesses, scars, and unresolved pain — making a mess and causing me problems. One by one, I prayed for and about them, remembering the three thoughts above.

In Philippians, Paul spoke of those who “preached Christ out of selfish ambition, … supposing they could stir up trouble” for him. But Paul had learned to let go of anger at people like this. He said, “What does it matter?”

Some people seem to rummage through our weaknesses, trying to “stir up trouble.” But anger, retaliation, and distress are unnecessary. As Jesus told his disciples, we can be “wise as serpents” and “harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16, KJV). All of us, even troublemakers, are welcome at God’s table.

Stephen P. West (Alabama, USA)

Prayer

Lord, help us to face life’s troublemakers with confidence in your power. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Thought for the Day

Troublemakers are troubled people. Pray for them!

Prayer Focus

My troublemakers

All these years, I thought it was just some sort of bad karma between me and whatever health insurance company that we happened to have at the time and my inability to figure out what hoops needed to be jumped through to get what we needed when we needed it. The constant battle with those companies to get them to allow us to use the drugs and treatments that we found to be effective for our medical care needs with the funds that WE HAD PROVIDED TO THEM  in the form of premiums every month instead being informed by the insurance company that their choices were the only ones allowed (either because they had some sort of deal worked out with some other drug company/clinic/whatever or because hubby’s employer changed insurance companies, usually going with the lowest bidder, often changing every year, thus requiring us to learn the new rules for each one) has raised my blood pressure to very unhealthful levels lately.

The newest form of “cost control” being practiced by health insurance companies seems to be to just refuse to pay. When I began to have trouble with my cornea several years ago, I was referred to several different specialists, all of whom determined that this corneal topographic test would be of some benefit to determine what the trouble was initially and also to monitor how well it was healing during treatment. I have had several of these tests done, each costing about $90. When the first one was denied coverage by BCBS (I think we all know what the BS stands for) I called to ask why it was not allowed. The answer they gave me was, “We do not allow that test to anyone for any reason.” Not only does this cost have to be covered by us IN ADDITION TO THE PREMIUMS WE ALREADY PAY, they will not even count it toward our out of pocket maximum–even though it was a test ordered and performed by a doctor that they deemed worthy of being in their “network.”

With all of the debate about health care reform, all kinds of stories about people getting screwed by health insurance companies have come to light. This one just came to my attention:

Robin Beaton is a 59-year-old retired registered nurse who bought an individual insurance policy when she started her own business. Earlier this year she offered this testimony at a congressional hearing:

In May 2008, I went to the dermatologist for acne. A word was written on my chart and interpreted incorrectly as meaning pre-cancerous. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with Invasive HER-2 Genetic Breast Cancer, a very aggressive form of breast cancer. I was told I needed a double mastectomy. When the surgeons scheduled my surgery I was pre-certified for my two days hospitalization.

The Friday before the Monday I was scheduled to have my double mastectomy, Blue Cross red flagged my chart due to the dermatologist report. The dermatologist called Blue Cross directly to report that I only had acne and please not hold up my coming surgery. Blue Cross called me to inform me that they were launching a 5 year medical investigation into my medical history and that this would take approximately 3 months. I was frantic. I did not know what to do or where to turn. I knew I could not pay for the surgery myself….

Next, I found out that my insurance was completely canceled; this was devastating.

Robin’s ordeal is not a tragic, unusual mishap. She further testified that:

The sad thing is Blue Cross gladly took my high premiums and the first time I filed a claim and was suspected of having cancer they searched high and low for a reason to cancel me.

There is a nurse who attends my church who works full time for Blue Cross and all she does is read medical records looking for reasons to cancel people. After she heard what happened to me, she told me how very sorry she was.

Blue Cross will do anything to get out of paying for cancer. Another sad fact is anyone who has a catastrophic illness who is not part of a group stands a great chance of being left out in the cold without insurance.

Nor, testifies Robin, is this the policy of a single rogue company:

One of the main things I look forward to in my life is attending a cancer support group every Monday and Tuesday. We meet others who have cancer and share our lives. Four of the women in my group had their insurance canceled because of cancer. The women in my group frequently talk about [how] once you have cancer you are considered uninsurable.

Only after the intervention of her member of Congress did Robin’s insurance company finally reinstate her coverage and pay for her surgery—but in the months that passed since her original diagnosis, her tumor had more than tripled in size, and because of the advanced stage of her cancer, her lymph nodes also had to be removed, and she continues to require treatment.

As long as health care is an industry run by drug and insurance companies and the primary reason for them to exist is to turn a profit, I do not see how any improvements can be made to our current system without a major overhaul. I also believe that even though the current system has wrecked economic havoc on the average joe, it is working very well for many individuals and organizations that still wield a tremendous amount of power, so I do not hold much hope of any actual reform taking place. I am praying fervently that I am wrong in my assessment and whatever Obama manages to get done will somehow improve things at least a litle bit…

I just love my Mary Kay consultant friends! One recently sent me this to ponder:

Perception

..something to think about…

Washington , D.C.

Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.

The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.

This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $200.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…. How many other things are we missing?

The weather is more of the same, the tales of our playing “ketchup” since our return would put even Spazzz to sleep and Donkey has documented our visit to the heart of xanga fooldom fairly well, with the possible exception of many of the wonderful sounds (what is it about water cascading over rocks that can evoke such a peaceful feeling?) smells (fireworks even smell cool!) and tastes (awesome home cooked meals as well as Tom Wahl’s, Watson’s & Abbott’s) which I would also find difficult to describe in a blog, so what is left? Funny stuff. My younger sister has supplied me with a great one for today that gave me a really good giggle, so I thought I would share:

It has been over 100 for several days in a row now. We had about five minutes of rain one morning last week and none since. I looked at the forecast at the website of our local rag, but it seems that we are in for more of the same for at least the next five days:

Current Weather Conditions Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon

Sunny

81°F

Sunny

as of 7:55 AM

Wind Speed: 2 mph

Relative Humidity: 62%

Barometer: 29.84 inches

Feels Like: 91°F

% Chance of T-Storms: 24%

Extended Forecast

Jun 25

Mostly sunny and very hot

H 104°

L 78°

Mostly sunny and very hot

Jun 26

Mostly sunny and hot

H 101°

L 76°

Mostly sunny and hot

Jun 27

Mostly sunny and hot

H 102°

L 76°

Mostly sunny and hot

Jun 28

Sunny to partly cloudy and hot

H 100°

L 76°

Sunny to partly cloudy and hot

Jun 29

Mostly sunny and hot

H 100°

L 76°

Mostly sunny and hot

I know Donkey could have somehow copied the cute little sun pictures that were on there for you, too, but I am so tired of looking at them, I decided not to bother…

Thanks to all of you who visited to wish me a Happy Birthday. It feels like I have been “birthdaying” for nearly a week now. Most of the family had other obligations on the day of my actual birthday, so they all did cool stuff in the days before. Last Saturday evening, we were invited to our daughter’s house for chicken stir fry, some yummy lemon bars and I got a nice gift while I was there, too. Donkey’s sister and her daughter who was attending orientation at a nearby college the next day arrived on Sunday, and the whole family gathered once again for a nice meal which was topped off by daughter’s freshly baked buttermilk pies. Yum! The next day, Donkey’s sister decided she needed to do something to repay us for our hospitality, so she fried the chicken I had purchased (I was originally planning a stir fry for everyone before the meal at daughter’s, then did not really have a plan after that, so the fried thing sounded pretty good to me) and we finished off the buttermilk pie for dessert. Sis in law presented me with a lovely birthday present, too! 

All this early birthday stuff turned out to be a good thing, since we discovered our kitty Juliet had died the morning of my birthday (She came to us on Valentines Day in 2000, so I guess she had to leave us on an equally memorable day.) and no one was in much of a celebratory mood. Donkey’s sister and her daughter did stay a bit longer than they planned to, partly due to the fact that our niece wanted a little time to relax after her drive up from the school before the more than three hour drive back to their home, but also perhaps to spend time with me under the circumstances, too, since I knew they both had obligations waiting for them at home. Donkey’s mom and brother came over, too, so they could spend time with the out of town family before they left. (Or so they said) Our daughter called me in the afternoon since she knew everyone was leaving that day and she was worried I was home alone on my birthday, missing our Julie-cat, but I actually had a houseful when she called. She and her fiance invited us to go out to dinner with them that evening so I would not have to cook and I thought that was very sweet of them.

Last night I met some new customers at the Mary Kay studio on south side and all of my MK friends there wished me a Happy Birthday. (Some had learned of the other event that occurred that day and expressed their sympathy and understanding as well.) I got the most thoughtful and caring sympathy card from my sales director, too. Tonight, I will attend my regular meeting where I will be presented with a “Birthday Princess” ribbon to wear, since my birthday is this week. The director that runs that meeting bakes killer desserts, too!

I have been missing our feline family member and it has been scrambling my brain a bit, (left my checkbook on the counter at the bank yesterday after getting a deposit slip out, but a very attentive and honest guy noticed and I was spared the aggravation of having to return for it later) but these last few days have also been a great reminder of how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family, too.

Juliet lived quite a long time for her circumstances and she was able to spend most of her days in familiar surroundings, in her usual routine among people who loved and cared for her. I am grateful for that as well. God was certainly paying attention when I shared my concerns about how our kitty might spend her final days. She was spared from dying in a place where she was cared for in the most professional and caring manner for the last decade, but she never did seem to feel safe there and we did not have to wrestle with that terrible decision that many other pet owners have had to make…

I can always count on my sister for really great diet advice. She sent me this (titled Love this doctor) and I just HAD to pass it along…

Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can’t think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain…Good!

Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!! ….. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It’s the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! ‘Round’ is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any mis-conceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

‘Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways – Chardonnay in one hand – chocolate in the other – body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘WOO HOO, What a Ride!’

AND…..

For those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health. It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Bon apetit!