Winter Wonderland

A couple of weeks ago, we had a real heavy fog followed by freezing temps over night.  I snapped a few pictures of the "snow" that crystalized and covered everything, thinking it would as close to snow we could get this season.

The first snow fall of the season came over the weekend.  I don't think the kids could have been happier!  There was as much anticipation of waking up to a snow covered ground as there was for Christmas morning.  The snow did however, foil our plans to get to church as it took Jonathan 2 hours to dig ourselves out to the street, thanks to the 3 feet of snow the snow plow shoved into our driveway.  My man has some real brawn and even at that, there is something about heaving wet and heavy snow (not exactly the white fluff like in Michigan) in the drizzling rain, then later turned snow that really takes it out of you.  Makes for a good excuse to have a pot of coffee on all day.

This is our snow in Leinì...

One Thousand Gifts

For Christmas, I received from Jonathan, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, by Ann Voskamp.  It was a book that I have been wanting to read for a year, but was waiting to get it in book form instead of on the Kindle. I had heard it was a book I would want to read over and over again.  After reading it, I would agree.  One reason being, I felt there was so much to absorb and take in.  It is written in a poetic style that requires much concentration and contemplation as to what she is even trying to say at times.  For some, that style of writing might be a huge turn off and distraction, but for me I found it beautiful and inspiring.

Ann uses the book to tell her testimony and how the act of thanksgiving and intentional gratitude has transformed her life and her relationship with God, providing a way of seeing ALL as grace and thus allowing her to fully live.  She takes you on a journey through her pain, trials, questioning and discovery of the joy that is found in Christ.  I appreciate how she didn't just leave the challenge to list our gratitude for His graces, but to then BE grace to those around you.  "A life contemplating the blessings of Christ becomes a life acting the love of Christ" (p.184). And "to give the thanks away. That thanks-giving might literally become thanks-living" (p. 192). "

This year I am taking the 2012 Joy Dare Challenge of listing 1,000 gifts and moments of graces in my life.  Praying that I may learn to see more of Christ through the messy, mundane and every day moments of life.

FOR ALL IS GRACE!!

Sur.viv.al

Sur.viv.al:  The act or fact of surviving, especially under adverse or unusual circumstances.

Being in "survival mode" is really a place I don't like to find myself.  That feeling of sometimes just barely getting by is draining.  However, for the past two weeks that is where we have been as a family.  I have not had the strength to keep up with more than the bare minimum to keep our home functioning.  I have handed off nearly every task as a mother and homemaker to my husband.  He has worn so many hats these past couple of weeks, and has done so with joy as he has selflessly served me, our kids and our King.  Our love and appreciation for each other has certainly grown through this recent trial!  Did I mention that not only has he had to care for me, but two kids who had the flu during this time as well?

I am making progress in my recovery, even if it is frustratingly slow.  Sometimes it is two steps forward and one step back.  As is the case for me today.  I went to the grocery store yesterday and made dinner last night, and today I am feeling the strain and toll those tasks took of my body.

In the forced quiet and rest of these past weeks, I have been learning so much.  I have seen and marveled at God's grace over and over again.  I have been broken and strengthened in my weakness.  Resting in Him I have found joy and peace.  I have wrestled with fear and the what if's of my own body's frailty, and have had to cast those constantly before the Lord.  I have struggled with feelings of worth, only to have the Spirit reveal to me that I was putting my feeling of worth and value in the things I can accomplish, rather than in my Creator and who I am in Him.  I have had lots of reading time and have been challenged and convicted deeply.  This has not been wasted time for me, even though it may be tempting to think so when I have spent more time sunk into the cushions of the couch than I wish to acknowledge.  

God is working and right now he has chosen to do as I am wholely drained of all physical strength, making me wholely dependant on His strength.  I am thankful for this trial and pray that He will be glorified and His name lifted high as a result.

His Protection

Our Christmas vacation ended with quite an unexpected bang, of sorts.  I had three blog posts I was hoping to get written before the weekend, but my delay can be explained by the following happenings in our household...

I woke up Thursday morning around 5am with some extreme itching.  I felt like I had gotten bit in several spots, so got up to put some anti-itch cream on.  I returned to a light sleep before feeling as though I was getting bit again.  I got out of bed at that point, not wanting to continue to be live bait for some happy little creature.  The itching subsided and I had no more issues apart from still seeing a couple of red spots on my stomach and arms.

Later that afternoon, for our family fun day we headed to the Egyptian museum in Torino (post to come).  I started to feel itchy again after getting in the car but had forgotten to bring the anti-itch cream.  I thought, oh well, I am sure I will survive a few hours.  The itching kept getting worse and I would rub and scratch only feeling slightly gratified by the relief that would provide.  We continued on and I tried to enjoy the museum but was completely distracted by the growing discomfort.  Thankfully it was a small museum!

When we got back to the car I lifted up my shirt only to discover welts and redness across my entire torso, front and back, and arms.  Something was not right!  We stopped at the pharmacy on the way home and got a mega anti-histamine.  The pharmasist was convinced my reaction was not from a bug, but rather a food or contact allergy.  Nothing changed in my diet, so I knew it was not that.  I had to then think back over 24 hours previously when I used a sample liquid talc I received from a store.  That was the only thing different and I am convinced the cause of my allergic reaction.

I nearly cried when I got home seeing my body covered in hives, but not much time to dwell on that with dinner that must be gotten out and a family to be cared for.  The drugs started to kick in after dinner in which I started to feel pretty groggy, but unable to sleep because of the pain still.  A baking soda bath was taken and finally around midnight I was able to doze off and get some good sleep.

The itching did not return and just some slight skin discoloration remained when I woke up.  I took my second dose upon waking up in the morning as instructed by the pharmasist and was back in bed two hours later sleeping.  After lunch I started to feel some chest pain and pressure, almost like I had a piece of food in my esophogus that I could not swallow.  I felt completely lethargic, struggled to put thoughts together and just not all there.  I decided I would not take my 3rd dose in the evening but rather when I went to bed that night.  After eating dinner I started to get severe chest pain and felt nauseous.  The sweating followed and when I got up to go to the bathroom my world started to spin and turn black and it was hard to breathe.  Apparently my lips were blue and face ashen.  I called Jonathan and told him to call emergency.  He was giving them our address when I started to pull out of it.  I never completely lost consciousness, thankfully.  I started to recover and he decided to bring me in himself.

So pajama adorned and kids in tow, we headed to the "guarda medica" here in town.  We figured best to go locally before having to drive the distance to an ER.  The doctor on call there is equipped to handlle some basic non-emergency medical care.  She checked me out and although my blood pressure was still low, everything else was okay after experiencing anaphylactic shock.  She took me off the drug I had and gave me a cortezone shot to continue the treatment for my allergic skin reaction, which had not reappeared since the previous night.

I am so thankful for the Lord's protection over me.  For the strength given to Jonathan and the kids when seeing Mamma not feeling well.  His grace is always sufficient and all glory is given to Him in the good and hard experiences of life.  It is Monday, and I am still experiencing weakness and not 100% yet.  The hives are gone, but the body is still recovering internally I guess from these 2 back to back allergic reactions.

I know that was a long post, but I wanted to write it out so I can look back and be reminded of God's protection and watchcare over our family.