Vacuuming

A friend of mine came over this morning with her teenage son and she had him vacuum the house for me while we visited. If you ever know someone who has had surgery, this is a really nice thing to do for them. My floors were getting really gross looking, so even though he was not as compulsive about vacuuming in straight lines as I would be, it is so nice to that they are clean again.

Recovering

It has been 10 days since my surgery and my recovery is going well. I am so glad to have the surgery behind me. My surgery was Tuesday, December 4th. I got to go home on Thursday afternoon. On Monday I went to the doctor to have my staples removed. Every day it gets easier and easier to get around. Hopefully I will feel up to start posting daily again very soon.

Shape Worries into Prayers

This is from my Lose it for Life Devotional. It spoke to me about my worries and anxiety about my surgery.

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying , pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. ~ Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

Aware of our tendency toward anxious, emotional eating, we must instead transform our worries into prayers. By turning to God with our fears and emotions, we let Him know our heart. It is then that He brings everything together for us. Our faith in His
loving attention and protection is renewed. We are now able to settle down because we know Who is in control.

Our anxieties and worries are usually about things over which we want control but can't have it. Worries can be touched off by the fear that we will lose something we have--or that we won't get something we want. In the past, we have either eaten too much or avoided eating because it was something we felt we could control.

But fretting, worrying and over/undereating do not accomplish much more than sheer harm to our overall wellness. When prayer and praise replace these behaviors and Christ is at center stage, a wonderful sense of peace and serenity flows.

Today, Lord, I turn over my worries and concerns to You, praising You for Your love and grace for my recovery.

Lift Your Eyes

Today's Scripture
I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
What are you looking at today? Are there challenges in your life to overcome? Don’t just look at your problems day in and day out, lift up your eyes and look toward heaven. You will naturally move in the direction that your eyes are looking. If you are always looking at your problems—meditating on them, feeling sorry for yourself, telling everybody about them—you will become consumed by them. But when you look up, your life will start to move up. When you keep your eyes on Jesus, it is also a sign of your faith and expectancy. The Bible tells us that faith is what moves the hand of God. When you have an attitude of faith and expectancy, you open the door for His power in your life. Decide today to focus on the goodness of our God. Lift your eyes and heart to Him and begin to praise Him with your words. As you lift your eyes, your help will come, and you will live the victorious life He has in store for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, today I choose to lift my eyes to You. I will look to You for my help. Thank You for showing me Your salvation and deliverance. I bless You today in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I needed this today because I have become very self-absorbed in my upcoming surgery.

Nervous About Surgery

I am starting to get nervous about my surgery. Today was my pre-op appointment so it is starting to "get real." Sugar Pop went with me and he understands better why the doctor is recommending the surgery and why it will be an abdominal hysterectomy instead of vaginal/laproscopically (because of the way my cervix is tilted, it "hides" and she has to make sure she gets all of it).

Tomorrow is the annual planning meeting at work. I hate this things and they make me very nervous and anxious. I will feel better once I make it past that.

Food at Work

We are having food at work tomorrow. I am so SICK of food everywhere. Bleh! Like we aren't all going to be eating too much on Thursday. But I will participate. I may not eat much, but I'll be there. Just a few more days and I get a break from work and I will not have to be there for all the food that will be pouring in during December. Another reason that this is good timing for my surgery. :)

Cooking and Cleaning

I spent some time this morning cooking some meals to go in the freezer. I made chili (two meals), spaghetti sauce, and bezella (Thanks Lori!). These can all be thawed and then put in the crockpot and heated up.

I have also done some more deep cleaning. I cleaned the inside of the cabinets where my plates and bowls are stored and then inside of the refridgerator. I am now prepared for someone to unload my dishwasher or put food in the fridge for me while I am recovering.

Then I put out a few Christmas decorations. I have several things that are kept in a roll top desk that are easy to access and easy to put up.

He is the Healer

Today's Scripture
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
Aren’t you glad that God is a healer! It doesn’t matter what is “broken” in your life today, God’s nature is to bring you complete healing. Do you need healing in your body? Your mind? Heart? Finances? Relationships? God is your healer. Notice what the Psalmist says in this verse: He binds up their wounds. In the natural, if you have a broken arm, it doesn’t just heal over night. The doctor makes a cast to hold it in place and protect it. He binds up your wound. In the spiritual realm, God does the same thing. He wraps Himself around your brokenness and protects the wounded area until it is strong enough to function properly again. The Bible also says that He is a restorer. That means that when He does a work of healing in our lives, He makes us better than we were before. If you’re going through the healing process today, know this: it may take longer than you planned, but God is binding up your wound. He is protecting you and healing you. He will bring you out better and stronger than you were before. He will take you to a place of complete healing so that you can live the life of victory He has in store for you.
A Prayer for Today
Father in heaven, thank You for being my healer. Thank You for restoring every area of my life. I give You everything that I am today. Use me for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Surgery Approved!

I talked to the nurse at the doctor's office today and the insurance company approved my surgery without difficulty. I also found out that our insurance will not be changing until January 1st. So, I am all set for surgery on December 4th. I am also pleased that my surgery will be at a surgery center instead of the regular hospital. There are sick people at the regular hospital! The center I will be is strictly surgery and has a better nurse to patient ratio.

I feel God's peace about this surgery. I see God's timing at work in this.

I called my hairdresser to reschedule an appointment and told him about my surgery. He immediately saw God's timing too.

God is so Good!

God is on Your Side

And yet something else from Joel Osteen:

Today's Scripture
“If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)?
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
As a believer in Jesus and a child of His, God is on your side today! If you haven’t thought about it yet today, remember, you are created for greatness. You have the seed of Almighty God inside of you. There is no obstacle that can stop you. There is no disadvantage that can hold you back. You’re in the palm of God’s hand, and He has equipped and empowered you for everything. When God is on your side, He sets the right people in your path. In fact, He’s already released favor into your future. He’s planning for you to come in to new seasons of increase. Have you given up on a dream? God is on your side, and He wants to resurrect it. Have you given up on a family member? God is on your side, and He wants to restore that relationship. God is on your side, and He has a plan for victory in every area of your life. Let that sink down into your heart today. Begin to expect His favor. Expect Him to work in your life. Focus on the fact that God has equipped you. He has anointed you. Your best days are still out in front of you! If God is for you, no one can rise against you! As you meditate on this promise, it will become real to you. You will walk in the favor and victory God has in store for you!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for being on my side today. Thank You for equipping and empowering me to accomplish everything You’ve called me to. Give me a deeper revelation of Your love for me today so that I can live the abundant life You have prepared for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I needed this today. I found out this morning that our insurance at work will be changing which could mean I will have more out-of-pocket for my surgery. It will depend on whether the change takes places effective 12/1 or they wait until 1/1 to change. Please pray for the change to wait until January 1st!

Surgery

I am tentatively scheduled for a hysterectomy on December 4th. I say tentatively, because the surgery still has to be approved by the insurance company. Hopefully, that will go smoothly.

This is actually unexpected. I am been having pap smears that go back and forth between normal and abnormal for a long time. Last December I had a LEEP procedure done and this was supposed to get rid of all the bad cells and I would have normal paps from now on. My first pap after the procedure in April was normal. Then I had another one on October 12th. I talked to my doctor this week and it is abnormal again. She is recommending a hysterectomy because of the way my cervix is titled it is hard for her to see to take a biopsy and she is afraid something might be missed and I would have the possibility of developing cancer.

I am nervous about the actual surgery and all that it entails, but I am excited about the benefit of no more periods! The timing actually works out well because as you know I have been wanting to find a new job. So far, I haven't found one which means I am still with my current employer where I have over 9 weeks of sick leave accumulated. More than enough to be out for this surgery.

So, please pray that the surgery is approved first of all and then that everything goes smoothly with surgery and my recovery afterward. I have lots to do to prepare and get ready for Christmas before then. The challenge of getting prepared is helping me feel motivated and energetic. That is just what I need right now as the days start getting shorter and that starting tomorrow it will be dark an hour earlier every day.