I am participating in the 40 Days in the Word campaign at Saddleback church. I have some big goals and decisions to make this year, and I need some help. I know this study will help me take the right path.
I have always respected Pastor Rick Warren and I respect him even more now that I am participating in this bible study. There are daily bible verses, daily video devotionals, a workbook and weekly sermons from Pastor Rick. It’s all free….yes, free…no donation required….free!
Grace is a gift from God. It is…
- that flash of perfect insight into a difficult situation.
- finding what you were looking for in a way you did not expect.
- being able to forgive someone who hurt you badly.
- moving on.
- a moment of perfect stillness.
- sunlight streaming through a window.
- the unconditional love of family and friends.
- forever letting go.
- a slice of chocolate cake with buttercream filling.
Grace is knowing that you do not have to work for every gift – some gifts are freely given to those who are ready to freely receive.
In March 2009, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and placed on three meds, one of them was a drug called spironolactone. On 15 November 2011, I was taken off that said drug.
As soon as I was prescribed these drugs, I made up my mind to get off them. I work in the industry and know how toxic these drug can be. I have always favored natural healing methods and now I regret not recording my journey, so that I can look back over my achievements. In 2009, I was placed on medium levels of all three drugs, today I am on the lowest doses of all three (actually, as of today – the lowest doses of two!)
The journey to wellness is still ongoing but so far it has involved; a yoga retreat, joining a yoga studio, cardio at least twice a week, biofeeback, meditation and trying to eat right (I am now a fish-eating vegetarian). What has also helped has been choosing a place to call home, acceptance of my condition and myself, not seeking perfection in everything and being able to receive the love of my friends and family. I am still working on those last four things.
Most of all, has been the power of prayer and the grace of God.
This past week, I have been getting up in time to watch the sunrise from my deck and have noticed that as the sun rises over the horizon, you can stare straight into it. At that point it is a red/deep orange. As it moves up the sky, it goes from an orange gold, to gold, to yellow and when it’s up high in the sky, it’s white and blinding.
Last Friday morning, the sky and Richardson Bay were saturated with the red/deep orange color. It was amazing! This photo does not do the scene justice.
Today I ran out of time with a person I considered my “second mother”. She lost her battle with lung cancer last night. I have fond memories of hanging out with her in her Upper East side apartment in Manhattan when I first moved to the US. Just her and I. Usually on a Saturday, we would talk, have dinner that she had spent all day preparing, watch TV, talk some more and then I would leave, not just well fed but a little wiser. As I was heading out, she would always ask me what I wanted her to prepare for me next time.
She always insisted on sitting at her dinner table, using her best silverware and doing everything herself – even back then, over 7 years ago, she would run out of breath easily. At that time, she thought she had allergies. I last saw her in Miami in 2009, by then she needed portable oxygen to even walk around the apartment but she still had not been diagnosed with lung cancer. The last time I spoke with her was this August. She told me her cancer was not responding to chemo and that I should come and see her soon as she did not feel she had much time. Since she had said that to me before, I did not want to believe her.
Aunt Fannie lived a full, unapologetic life. God blessed her with considerable wealth and although she did not suffer fools gladly, she had a big heart. I will miss her. Her daughter told me today that Aunty Fannie really loved me. She always told me she loved me when she would sign off on the phone, I did not realize she also told others. As with my mother, I ran out of time with Aunt Fannie way too soon. At some point, we will all run out of time with our loved ones.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot” Ecc 3 v 1-2