mental health MON
Reasons to Be Up!
- I'm writing this on THU 2/9, while enjoying a relatively stress-free day at my daughter Sarah's in Lincoln. Lunch is leftovers from Lois' & my take-out dinner from Applebee's last MON 2/7, when we celebrated my beloved spouse's birthday. She enjoyed a commendably healthy salmon dinner, while I indulged in a favorite--fish & chips. The seasoned fries are, ehhh, but the battered cod filets, dipped in tartar sauce, while not necessarily carb-friendly, are delicious. KUDO's to Applebee's! [NOTE: This is not a paid, product placement.]
- I'm continuing my course of steroids as a cluster headache preventative. The doctor doubled the dose of one of my other preventative meds, & I have gone over 24 hrs w/o a headache. Knock on wood! *
- One of the hymns we sang in church on SUN 2/12 was "God's Own Child, I Gladly Say it," found in the LSB, #594. It's one of my favorite hymns, found in the "Baptismal Life" section, & I plan to comment more in my devotional entry later this week.
Bracing for & Racing toward Retirement
I thought it might be a good idea to start sharing some "bucket list" ideas for our travel ideas after the little woman & I are BOTH retired. I invite your comments. This list is hopelessly long for the time on earth our Good Lord has apportioned for us &, truthfully, * while heaven offers a richer reward than any travel bucket list, I could still use your commentary. So here goes. **- Visit the Philippines [KUDO's to our nephew's wife Erose, thanks to a link she shared on FB.] ***
- Australia. [Thanks to a book I've almost finished, entitled "In a Sunburned Country," by Bill Bryson.] ****
- Alaskan cruise [My parents cruised the Alaskan coast & took a few side trips for their 50th anniversary.]
- Mackinaw Island [My brother & sister-in-law Christy stayed at a B & B on The Island. Lois & I spent a few hours there while we waited for a car repair in Mackinaw City back in the summer of 1970. We'd like to return for a more leisurely visit.]
- North Shore of Lake Superior.
** CAVEAT: This list is in no particular order. I've been jotting down ideas as they come to me, & kindly remember my OCD.
*** CAVEAT: Cost may be prohibitive.
**** CAVEAT: Cost may be prohibitive, but you should buy this book if {a} you like reading travelogues; (b} you've read other books by Bill Bryson & haven't read this one; {c} if you haven't read Bill Bryson. He's hilarious.
Reasons to Be Down . . . But Not Out!
- I've been doing a fairly good job of watching my carbs, ever since I went on steroids, since they can elevate blood glucose levels . . . that is until the last few days. When my stress levels are high, my calorie intact rises in general & my carb intake goes up specifically. Eating for comfort, you know.
- Still experiencing an uptick in anxiety. Did you say you wanted me to share another cause for anxiety? There is an elevated danger of acquiring tick-borne diseases in our area. [You can look it up yourself.] I have to be extra careful when visiting my favorite bass fishing pond, because one has to thrash his way through a plethora of brush to get to it . . . but it's worth it. Big bass!
- Still trying to hold fast to my insight last week that God has not appointed me the apostle to those whom I disagree with politically & morally. It's a huge burden on me. I probably would be much better off, especially due to my various & sundry mood disorders, if I was much more judicious in my use of FB & partisan media sources. Alas, I don't seem to have the mental energy yet. Something to keep praying about. My therapist continues to be a blessing. My dearly beloved spouse continues to be an encourager [also an amateur therapist]. I hit it off very well w/my new psychiatric nurse practitioner & I am scheduled to have my 2nd appointment w/her this afternoon.
- When my new APRN(?) w/me for the first time, she asked if I had concerns about my meds. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. [If you saw my med list, you would be appalled.] I told her that I wanted to be weaned off of a specific anti-anxiety med or possibly converted to an alternative. She agreed, but I also ended up on a new med to help w/my disrythmia(?). Also she had me start taking a pro-biotic. Although she will begin weaning me off some other meds soon, my list just got a little longer. On the flip side, my new additions maybe will benefit me psychologically, emotionally, physically.
- The Omaha World Herald's front page story on SUN 2/12 was about the new Omaha Public School's sex ed curriculum that has been adopted. Multi-pages are devoted to it. Among the charming details include condom demonstrations & promotion of abortion. I plan to comment further in this week's whimsical WED blog.
More Reflections *
"And He [the Good Shepherd] comes quietly, gently, reassuringly to me no matter where or how I may be cast down . . . We have to be realistic about the life of the child of God & face facts as they really are. Most of us, though we belong to Christ & desire to be under His control & endeavor to allow ourselves to be led by Him, do on occasion find ourselves cast down."We discover that often when we are most sure of ourselves we stumble & fall. Sometimes when we appear to be flourishing in our faith we find ourselves in a situation of utter frustration & futility . . .
"The toughness it takes to face life & the formidable reverses which it brings to us can come only through the discipline of endurance & hardship. In His mercy & love our Master makes this a part of our program. It is a part of the price of belonging to Him.
"We may rest assured that He will never expect us or ask us to face more than we can stand (I Cor. 10:13 **). But what He does expose us to will strengthen & fortify our faith & confidence in His control. If He is the Good Shepherd we can rest assured that He knows what He is doing. This in & of itself should be sufficient to continually refresh & restore my soul. I know of nothing which so quiets & enlivens my own spiritual life as the knowledge that--'God knows what He is doing with me!'"
MY REFLECTIONS: This has been true in my life.
- Too often when I am bogged down in temporal concerns, like I have been lately, which result in increased anxiety & OCD symptoms, I try to work my own way out of the swamp.
- At my advanced age I shouldn't have to, yet I need to be reminded yet again that my own resources just won't cut it. I need to go to the Lord in Word & prayer, informed by meditation on His Word.
- An advantage of the aging process is the ability to look back on devastating times in our lives & recognize now how God's hand was at work.
** "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Cor. 10:13
* One of my favorite Bible verses.
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