Dear Friends,
I pray this Advent season has been beautiful for you and your family. I know for me it truly has been a challenging season but God has provided so much grace and I can't begin to tell you how lovely that has been. I have completed week 2 of paleo and I'll recap that for you as well.
Last Sunday I began to notice I wasn't feeling myself. I was tired and my asthma began to flare. As someone who has really gotten my asthma under great control this was abnormal and I started to worry, was I getting sick? I then remembered I spent Saturday evening on a farm, in the woods, on an old train looking at lights. It was a cold night but this was the perfect conditions to set everything off into a whirl wind for the allergy ridden asthmatic that I am. This was different than my normal and progressed much more than in the past. I won't go into all I've felt in the past week but I'll tell you here we are a week later and I am not 100%. Exhausted doesn't cover it. My asthma is still bad despite my efforts with medications, tea, and rest. Thankfully while this hasn't been easy I know it's a grace from God and I ask He join my suffering for the good of those who have lung ailments worse than mine. That He would heal them and invite them into the light of heaven. I love knowing God can use my worst for His best.
This challenge has forced me to rest. I am not one to rest I am one to go and accomplish but I've had to sleep. I've had to say no. I've had to keep quiet and honestly it has been helpful in reminding me to truly embrace this season. To wait and watch and listen. To be still and know that He is God. Thankful He has come and answered me.
He reminded my heart on Wednesday : Isaiah 40:25-31
To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
It's as though He was telling me... He will give me strength when I feel weak. He doesn't grow tired. No matter how tired and weak I am, He will not only never grow faint but He renews my strength. It's as though I heard these words in a new way. Friends have you ever thought about that? God, never gets tired. He never takes a vacation or calls in sick. He is eternal. He always was, always is, always will be. He's with you from beginning to end. Oh friends I needed this on Wednesday.
He spoke to me on Friday through Isaiah 48:17-19
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
These words Friday really spoke to my heard. Listen to His commands and He will take care of the rest. My heart was reminded of our Blessed Mother calling to us at the wedding of Cana: Do whatever He tells you. She's echoing this reminder friends. She's telling us listen just as He told us to Listen. When the servants at the wedding did as she said, did what Jesus told them a miracle occurred. Water turned to wine. Friends this reminded me on my busy Friday that a miracle can happen.
Friends these are a few examples of how God blessed my heart this week. It helped me so much to get through each day with His help. He also helped me to stick to Paleo. In a week where I didn't feel myself I didn't want to cook, but He helped me try. I didn't want to eat healthy I wanted comfort food but He reminded me to want to be as healthy as possible reflecting on my love and care for Him and his creation. So here we are week 2 done and I'll tell you it wasn't easy. I realized how simple the excuses I make for eating bad can be and on more days than not I could have found a reason to justify cheating. The only thing I will say I was not faithful to was mints. I actually haven't found anything that tells me they are wrong but I imagine they are as they are processed. I bought sugar free mints as an effort but mints are what got me through work. I couldn't have worked this week had it not been for mint, tea and albuterol. I want to be honest with you and perhaps there is an alternative I didn't find. If you know of any let me know.
What do I notice different physically this week on Paleo? I came to the awareness that the strange aches and pains I've had in my joints over the last several months seem to be gone. No migrating knee pain, no hand pain, no begging my husband to rub this or that. When asked my husband says I've complained of these discomforts our whole marriage which makes me laugh because I wouldn't have thought it had been that long. He agrees I haven't complained. Only time will tell if this truly is related to Paleo or if I happen to just be having a good couple weeks. Friends have you experienced any changes like this?
Yesterday we finished 33 Days of Mourning Glory on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is a consecration to Mary private retreat which my husband and I completed together. It really opened my mind and thoughts to Mary's role, which honestly I am still trying to understand more and more. I am thankful for our Blessed Mother and ask for her intercession. It was great to read some of the things in that book that I had never heard, as well as inspired me to know more about Our Lady. Friends have you done this retreat? If you haven't I recommend it. I would love to hear your thoughts on Mary. How has she inspired you?
Today is Gaudete Sunday and my husband and I have been discussing more how we can celebrate advent. In an effort to establish traditions this year we landed on the following:
We put up our tree today. We have a fake tree so pulled it out of the garage, fluffed the branches and it is up. We didn't put anything on it. It's barren. We thought this was a beautiful reminder in our family room that we are waiting. We are discussing putting on the lights and turning them on just for today for the feast of St. Lucy, and waiting until Christmas for otherwise. So far, it's without lights, an arrow pointed heavenward. Part of me wishes we did this from the first Sunday because it really seems like a statement in that room now. Christmas is coming but we are waiting to celebrate it before we can prepare for it. No tinsel or lights or Christmas music just yet. Christmas will keep just a few more days while we reflect, pray and ready our hearts. We will decorate for Christmas when Christmas comes.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.
Indeed, the Lord is near
God bless you friends.
Anita
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.
Indeed, the Lord is near
God bless you friends.
Anita
