Hydration Meditation

I have been meditating more lately and I have to say that the effects on my life are good and surprising.  I'll say more about that in another post.  What I want to tell you about now is my new practice.  This does not replace my morning and evening complete concentration meditation, but is something I've started to incorporate at various times in the day.

Some days I am better at drinking water than other days.  When I find myself lagging behind on consumption, I set aside about 10 minutes to stop and focus on hydrating myself.  I have messages in my head from my childhood that make that difficult and since I am usually constipated, when I was in a stress cycle and not eating well, drinking water could sometimes cause cramps and pain.  I need to actively work to replace those messages.

I have found a lovely Tibetan Bowl track on Spotify that has water sounds in the background and runs just over 10 minutes.  I queue that up with a 10-second bell track at the beginning and end, so that I don't wonder when I'm done.  Then, armed with a nice container of water, I sit comfortably, rest my hands around the container, close my eyes and think about my breathing.  I start the playlist and slowly think "Water is good, water is healing" while really thinking about how true that is.  I repeat that message over and over and over to myself.  Every so often, without opening my eyes, I sip some water, all while thinking about how good and healing the water is and focusing on being here and now.

Eventually the playlist ends and I get back to whatever I was doing.  I am more peaceful and certainly more hydrated!  Win-win!

Research: Swollen, Bruised Finger Joint

 Published August 30, 2019

An Acute Blue Finger: A Case of Achenbach's Syndrome

While I was driving to work today, I had another painful finger.  Since I've been having a lot of "some sort" of arthritis pain, I didn't think too much about it.  When I got to work and was in the plant with really good lighting, however, I noticed that the joint was also bruised.  I have not had any injury to that hand recently and haven't been carrying anything heavy.  I've had episodes of Raynaud's in the past, but this seemed different.  Painful.  Hot, slightly swollen.  I did some research.

According to the interweb, this is a rare and self-limiting condition that needs no treatment. Gee, thanks. Since it is mostly reported by middle-aged women, there's nothing to get all excited about.  And it goes away without treatment.  Never mind that it is painful and keeps coming back.  Just pat the women on the head and send them home.

Published May 16, 2019

Analysis of 24 patients with Achenbach's syndrome

The only thing this analysis seemed to show is that this happens to women more than men.  And further research is needed.  "According to current knowledge, Achenbach's syndrome is not among the know causes of mortality of morbidity." Really???

Research: The Gut-Brain Highway

 Published on October 4, 2018

The Gut-Brain Axis and the Microbiome: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications

"Based largely on results from preclinical studies, the concept of a brain gut microbiome axis has been established, mediating bidirectional communication between the gut, its microbiome, and the nervous system."

Wow.  I have to admit that I have been pretty skeptical about the idea that "the gut" plays such a major role in day-to-day life, but this peer reviewed article in a respected medical journal starts by stating that the highway between the brain and the gut has been established.  That is big!

The article goes on to explain more technical aspects of how the body does that.  They state that the first 3 years of life are critical for the programming of that communication channel.  Throughout the rest of our lives, we also can effect it through "diet, medication, and stress".  There is also a statistical correlation or some sort of relationship between that sort of alteration and "food intake, obesity and irritable bowel syndrome".  The authors do not have an explanation as to how that is accomplished, just that there is a correlation. 

Being doctors, the conclusion they got from all this is that there is a potential for DRUGS to fix everything.  Call in the pharmaceutical companies!

Research: Exclusion Diets

  Published May 19, 2021

Effect of Exclusion Diets on Symptom Severity and the Gut Microbiota in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

In this study, 346 IBS and 170 healthy folks completed a diet checklist.  171 IBS and 98 healthy folks gave stool samples that were analyzed.  Well, I assume they gave the samples.  Perhaps they were taken?

"IBS participants on an exclusion or restrictive diet reported more severe IBS symptoms".  This doesn't explain if the symptoms cause folks to eat a more restrictive diet or if the restrictive diet was causing more severe symptoms.  The only thing the authors were able to conclude was that what people eat has an impact on fecal microbiota.

This seems to be an awfully obvious conclusion to me.  Although I suppose it is important to recognize that IN FACT what we eat does truly impact our gut flora.  In case there was any doubt that the cheeseburger and beer are not doing anybody's body any good, including the helpful little guys living in our digestive systems.

A little history of my digestive system

  My earliest memories were of stomach aches.  I regularly got spanked for throwing away my meat even at a very young age. If I didn't drink my glass of milk, it stayed there waiting for me, until I drank it, or in many cases, ate the chunky mess it had become.  I can remember trying to choke down "onion pie" late in the night, trying to make the horrible stuff disappear so I would finally be allowed to go to bed. The rare occasions when we were allowed to go with the Grown Ups to a restaurant, I would get a terrible stomach ache and not eat much anyway.  My father was rather proud of the fact that he rarely drank water (or anything else for that matter).  I was in my 40's before I realized that most people pooped every day, usually a little while after eating.

I was diagnosed with IBS-C in my mid-late 30's.  My slow digestive system coupled with the stress of being a single mother was too much.  But there wasn't much I could do to help myself. No diet seemed to make a lasting difference.  I also had un-diagnosed gall bladder problem, that was finally corrected when they took my gall bladder out around the time I was 40.  No more gall stones, but the digestion issues continued.

I also have Graves Disease and had my thyroid radiated (twice) in my mid 30's.  I have taken thyroid replacement hormones daily since then and have my levels checked every six months or so.  I am developing some sort of arthritis in my hands, feet, hips, neck, back, knees, etc...  I have developed Vitiligo and Lichen Sclerosis, indicating that my immune system is out to get me.

I have tried an elimination diet and determined that I don't have any problem with gluten or nightshades.  I am becoming more sensitive to dairy and have switched to a largely vegan diet.  All of this brings us to the present.  I am finally coming to terms with my digestive system and have figured a few things out.  I hope explaining all of my stuff will help someone else who might be struggling with a similar story.

A little over a year ago I started seeing a different doctor and two important things came out of that.  Well, make that three; A Really Truly Good Doctor is SO hard to find these days, but is worth their weight in gold.  Mine didn't perform any miracles, but having a knowledgeable professional who really listens to us is so important.  I feel he hears me, asks good questions and so I'm more likely to trust his suggestions because they are based on both his expertise AND what I am going through!

Second, he made an offhand comment that made me realize that I don't have a bunch of autoimmune disorders, I have one autoimmune system that is disordered and attacking my body in a variety of ways.

Third, he gave me some simple solutions to help with my digestion and helped me see that a few of my problems were actually me misinterpreting things that happen.  "Fruit helps people poop." I had no idea.  I've cut refined sugar almost completely out of my diet and had rather assumed that sugar-laden fruit was no good for me either.  One day I had eaten a lot of watermelon about a year ago and had my digestive system clear completely out in less than 12 hours.  At least it had all gone the right direction (no vomiting).  But I had seen this as a cautionary tale that meant I should Avoid Fructose.  He suggested it was just too much fructose at once.  Amazing what good communication and some expertise can do!

The good news is that I have been tweaking my diet and haven't had a real problem in several weeks. I haven't wished I never existed because of my stomach in quite a while!  I can clearly tell when I have eaten refined sugar since it makes my stomach clench up and twist, but the rest of the time it is smooth sailing.  My gut has been mostly quiet and what little bloating I've had was tolerable.  I have been drinking nearly the amount of water that is recommended every day, too.

The bad news is that my poops are still rocks, but they appear at more regular intervals now and don't cause the cramping and pain I used to endure every few days.  I am still learning how much fruit I can handle and how much food overall I can eat on a given day and still maintain my appropriate weight.  It's a work in progress, and I'll keep you updated.

Shifting Gears (again)

OK.

Not moving to Mongolia after all.

Now what???

Waiting Again

Waiting is not my best thing.  Not really my worst thing anymore, but still. 

1--I'm waiting to hear from the girl at the organization I hope to go to Mongolia for. 
2--I'm waiting to hear from my church about what I'm supposed to do next, now that I've decided to become a full-time missionary
3--I'm waiting for a good opportunity to talk a fellow choir member into giving me free advice about finances.
4--I'm waiting for the idea of me being a missionary to stop sounding so silly to me.

Missionary.

Without You

You are the sun, I am the moon.  Without you, I am a cold, dark stone.

I''m thinking about moving to Mongolia to teach English.  Boy, I sure could use some direction here.  The task of getting my debt cleared up seems impossible TO ME.  (The Lord is my shepherd!)  Steppes and Gobi and Mongols... oh my.

Horses.

People who need to see The Light.

I don't have any light of my own, I think I finally get that.  But I know for sure that there is Light in me and I would love to live where it can shine in some dark corners.  I CAN DO THAT!  I also can teach English.  I prefer the idea of doing something "during the day" anyway.

Horses.

Please.

Decision Making if you are a Christ flower (tee hee)

How's this for some EXCELLENT advice on decision-making: (this came from here and I LOVE the typo in #2)

So how do we tap into the wisdom of God? First, we acknowledge that all wisdom comes from God. Second, we ask. Like James the brother of Jesus wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask of God.” (James 1:5) After I have asked God, I have learned the value of taking inventory to help me decide God’s will. Here are five questions that I often asking when trying to find God’s will in a certain situation: 

1. What does God seem to be saying in His word?  I look for patterns of thought in my general Bible reading. Sometimes a certain pattern will surface that gives me insight into the direction God is leading.
2. What does the Holy Spirit seem to be prompting me to do? Remember if you are a Christ flower, you have the Spirit of the Living Jesus living within you. When making a weighty life decision – I create space to sit in silence to listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
3. Which option brings God most glory? God created us to bring Him glory so it makes sense to consider which option brings God most glory? Sometimes a good question that helps me determine which choice brings God the most glory is to ask myself, “Which way is the way of faith?”  
4. What is the best use of my resources?  This is a good question because it analyzes not only how to best use your financial resources but also how to best use the gifts, talents and abilities that God has given you.      
5. What are my mentors saying? I am a huge fan of mentorship. I believe we all need people in our lives who are farther ahead in their spiritual walk. These folks can be a great resource in assisting us in finding God’s will.

Sermon Notes

Suffering and the Exaltation of Christ
1 Peter 3:8-22
Pastor Steven Lee
College Church, Wheaton

How to not retaliate.
Peter has been instructing followers to not compromise, to hold fast, to shift in order to make pressure stop.  Be counter cultural--live as a people called to be set apart.  Challenge us to live a godly life anyway.  Do we exhibit these qualities?

1--Love for our enemies...not just fellow believers, but pray for those who hate you.  Psalm 34 Just because things are going badly, don't assume God is judging you, God allows suffering to those he loves.  If we truly believe God will judge and take vengeance, then WE can be passive and let God be God.

2--Boldness in speaking about our faith...revere the Lord in your heart and you won't have room for fear of others.  Fear the Lord.  Do we share our trials so that others might see the difference?  (Plug for small groups here)  Are you engaged with non-believers?  If so, do they see a difference, do they see your hope?  "Never let a serious crisis go to waste." Rahm Emmanuel.  Have we made the Gospel intelligible?

3--Do we exhibit a hope in a suffering savior, a belief that Jesus has saved us (believers will never suffer for our sins--we may suffer as children of God, but never FOR OUR SINS because we have a suffering savior, he has paid the price, is paying the price)  Jesus overcomes.  Do we rest in Him?  Peter admits it is hard.  God left us here in order to be lights, not to lash back, but to show God's love through us.  WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU?