I think it's so ironic that my last post was about my good ole friend poly....you remember, Poly Myo Sitis. ;)

We had our fall GMOM sale last weekend. A new, sweet friend texted me just before it started to tell me she was praying for me as she knew it was going to be a tiresome time! Well, I barely made it through the sale. If you ask my co-coordinator, I probably wasn't her favorite person come Saturday afternoon. My energy had plummeted, I was having crazy heart palpitations, and I just felt like poo in general. After a quick trip to urgent care and a fun little EKG, I was told to go home, rest, drink lots of water, and call my dr Monday.  Monday was not fun! My legs ached pretty badly. The dr had me come in for a check and some bloodwork. It turned out I had shingles! I sorta thought those were for my 80 year old friends....anyway. My levels had also risen pretty high and pretty fast which caused the severe leg pain. Apparently shingles make you feel like you got hit by a bus....or a train....something really big. The elevated ck levels made it hard to walk. So in turn we've had the "Jenn gone hermit" special this week. I have to say its been nice to be home. Nice to have more quiet time. Even nice to not put on a stitch of make up.  

I am SO thankful for a hubby who could come home early and also has a schedule that allowed him to rest with me help me for a few days. I'm thankful for 4 blessings who do their best to help their poor achy mama. I'm thankful for parents who let the kids play at their house and take them on field trips because I just.couldnt.do.it. I'm thankful for friends who pray for me and check on me and bring me Starbucks and try so hard to do for me even though I am self-admittingly a bad receiver of said help! I am feeling so much better than I was at the start of this week! PTL!

During this week I was reminded on numerous occasions that my reaction to my situation is a choice. I chose to embrace it.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

I'm sure I've shared this verse before but it just speaks volumes to me. On good weeks and bad ;).

poly-myo-si-tis

Many of you reading this are aware of my autoimmune disease, polymyositis.  I haven't talked about it in a while so I thought I would give an update.  We have been back and forth on what meds "help" and what not.  I am currently taking prednisone and methotrexate.  I haven't had a rituxin infusion since last September.  My levels at last check (which was about a month ago) were at a record LOW!  As a matter of fact, they were 2 away from being in the normal range.  Oddly enough about 2 weeks ago, I began having some pain.  My hands and wrists are the most bothersome.  Probably because they are being used the most.  The muscles in the backs of my legs have also been sore.  Sometimes to the touch.  Prayers are appreciated for the pain to stop!  I have to say I am thankful this disease is not affecting me in many of the ways it has other people.  It's not fun, that's for sure but, I am doing my best to focus on the positive.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

After we lost Jordan, some sweet friends of mine gave me a butterfly bush that we planted in our front yard.  It has grown and is so beautiful!  There are always lots of butterflies around it.  Daddy-O saw this one while mowing the other day and stopped to grab the camera.  Isn't it pretty?

Photo shoot

When I saw that Adam Mowery Photography was offering "surfer" style  photo sessions, I knew my kids needed to have them done!  We were MORE than pleased!  I love every single one!  I picked just a few of my favorites to share...but that was super hard!  I have to say, Joss was a hard one to crack!  She did NOT want to smile!  The last picture you see was full on bribery!  Candy for a sweet smile!  Of course she obliged ;).

Our famous pencil cake

The year that Jax started Kindergarten, we made a pencil cake similar to this one to kick off our year.  It's fun, and it tastes good, so we have kept it up every year!  

The Duke's first annual cabin adventure ;)

Daddy-O and I decided to take the kids on a "mini-vacation".  We did some research and asked around and found a cabin in Asheboro.  This was perfect because the price was right and it was close by.  We were also able to get into the zoo for free so it made for a wonderful time!  This cabin was lovely.  It was small with no cable and no internet.  There was a great pond for fishing right out front.  We had goats, sheep, and alpacas for neighbors.  Cows who lived across the pond.  And to top it all off, the owners were super friendly!  They came and picked us up on their gator to take us to "visit" the cows.  It was a perfect time to just be together.  I think this is something we will definitely be doing again in the future.  

I had a really hard time choosing which pictures to share!  I tried to narrow it down as much as I could!  

When we left the cabin, we went to Durham for a few nights.  We spent one night with Chris' parents and one with my Grandparents.  It was wonderful to spend time with family and catch up with some we hadn't seen in a while!

We are so blessed!

I am a little over 50% finished with a book called 7, by Jen Hatmaker.  I know this because my Kindle app.  keeps up with that for me. This book has my mind working in so many ways I'm not even sure which I want to act on first.  I am realizing now more than ever how much we have and we don't even realize it.  I complain sometimes that I can't do this or buy that.  There are people living right down the street, in my neighborhood possibly, sitting next to me at church on Sunday morning, who are suffering.  Suffering because they don't have food to eat.  Suffering because they can't cloth their children.  Suffering because they can't make the rent payment.  And here I sit, reading this book on my iPad Kindle app. wearing a shirt I literally can't remember the last time I wore, drinking my coffee out of a mug I paid to paint, pondering which of the many things in my pantry I might like to eat for breakfast.  Something is wrong here people.  This book is showing more and more that we live in a society where bigger is better.  More is better.  Expensive is better.  Pretty is better.  But is it really?  When you stand before God on judgement day, do you think he is going to look at a list of all your things and commend you on working hard to achieve the money to go out and purchase this or that to increase your standing amongst other people.  I don't think so.

       "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where

        thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth 

        nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there 

        your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19-21

A change needs to happen.  In the hearts, in the minds of so many.  I posted a quote on, yes, you guessed it, Facebook the other day that Jen said in her book. "If we all raised OTHERS up instead of raising ourselves a little higher, there would be few needs left on this earth." (emphasis mine)

We live in a "me" world.  People think it's like Burger King where you have "your way right away", always looking out for #1 (ourselves) when we should all be looking UP to #1, our Lord and Savior.  

I'm not saying sell everything you own to help those in need.  I'm not saying sell your house and go live with the homeless to see what they really endure each day.  (Although I must admit both those thoughts have gone through my mind while pondering all of this.....seriously)  I just think if every one of us took a good look at all we have, in the grand scheme of life, what does it matter?  It's just STUFF!  Do you REALLY need another Coach bag?  Do you REALLY need another pair of Dolce Vita shoes? (honestly no clue what these are, I googled shoes sold at Nordstroms....just being real)

Ok, I am going to step down off of this soap box...for now.  But if you are reading this, spend some time looking at how blessed you are.  Even if Sally down the street has way more than you!  And maybe God will reveal to you ways that you can bless others.