The last week in July will always be a big week in our family. On Monday, the 26th, Mike and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary. To celebrate we spent the weekend in Austin, TX (Mike blogged about it if you want details). When we got home Sunday night we headed straight to the hospital to meet some of our close friend's new daughter that was born over the weekend. She is beautiful and just holding her gave me the baby bug! Monday life returned to the normal hustle and bustle, but we still tried to have a nice dinner and celebrate the actual day we got married.
Last night we said good-bye to a dear professor that was laid off in the ACU budget cuts. It was very difficult to see their family go through this transistion and for them to not be apart of the MFT program anymore. It is difficult for us to understand the plan God has for them when it seems so unfair that they have to uproot their family and move.
Today(29th) is Mike's 24th Birthday. For months I have been planning about his gift. He has been drooling over IPOD's since Christmas. Everytime I would get a little cash, I holed it away to go towards this present. Then I asked both parents to go in with me towards this gift. I am not sure who was more excited when he opened it this morning. Later this morning, he said he thinks he is in shock because it was totally unexpected. Needless to say he was thrilled.
I have said this before, but I am so thankful for my wonderful husband. He is so good to me and God blessed me beyond belief by giving him to me to spend my life with. This weekend was so great, sometimes I think he should be the therapist in the family. As we sat and had meals or coffee together he would ask questions about memories of the past year and goals we had for the future. It was a great time of recapping and planning.
I am constantly blown away by his love, devotion, and patience with me as we journey through life. Lord, thank you for blessing me with such a wonderful marriage. Thank you for walking beside Mike and I as we figure out how walk this journey together.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Running on Fumes
Well, it has been quite a long day. I feel like I am running on fumes right now. As I mentioned in previous post Mike was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when he was 10. Today, was the second doctor's appointment I have ever been to with him. We had to be in San Angelo by 8am, so it was quite an early morning.
After sitting in the waiting room for quite some time, we finally were called back to see the doctor. This visit has been much anticipated after the flare-up he had 3 weeks ago. After much discussion we didn't have many new answers, but we felt like we had a doctor who was dedicated to helping Mike get through daily life better. Tests were run to see if the JRA is still active or we are just dealing with mechanical damage that has happened as a result of the years of JRA.
Mike is finally at a place where he wants to try to be proactive in treating whatever is plagueing him. We both fear this disease affecting our family life later when children our involved and that is difficult to think about. Please pray that the doctor will be able to help us find a good treatment for our situation. In addition, as we all know doctors and medication are expensive. Since we are both in graduate school that can be difficult, so please pray that God will provide a means for Mike to recieve the treatment he needs.
God has been faithful, thus far, and I trust he will continue to provide for us.
Father, please give us direction and peace to know that you are in control and we are sheltered under your wings.
After sitting in the waiting room for quite some time, we finally were called back to see the doctor. This visit has been much anticipated after the flare-up he had 3 weeks ago. After much discussion we didn't have many new answers, but we felt like we had a doctor who was dedicated to helping Mike get through daily life better. Tests were run to see if the JRA is still active or we are just dealing with mechanical damage that has happened as a result of the years of JRA.
Mike is finally at a place where he wants to try to be proactive in treating whatever is plagueing him. We both fear this disease affecting our family life later when children our involved and that is difficult to think about. Please pray that the doctor will be able to help us find a good treatment for our situation. In addition, as we all know doctors and medication are expensive. Since we are both in graduate school that can be difficult, so please pray that God will provide a means for Mike to recieve the treatment he needs.
God has been faithful, thus far, and I trust he will continue to provide for us.
Father, please give us direction and peace to know that you are in control and we are sheltered under your wings.
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Been awhile....
Well, it has been over a week since I have last posted. Sometimes, I think about posting, but decide I don't have the energy to come up with something creative, so I just continue to read other's blogs instead. Other times, I feel as if I have so much on my plate that needs to get done, I can't take time to post. Some of those things that have been on my plate are done now. I finished my last term paper for the summer this past weekend. What a relief! I kept procrastinating writing it, however; I ended up enjoying the process. It was a great exercise to help me begin to integrate theology with my theory of counseling. As with many disciplines, a postmodern framework has emerged. In therapy, these are called narrative and solution-focused theories. Both are more focused on the future, what solutions the client can find within themselves and developing an outlook on life that is success oriented rather than problem oriented. For many years, therapy has focused on the problems that individuals and families have, thus seeming perpetuating the cycle of dysfunction. The postmodern theories assert that families and individuals have unique outcome in certain situations but they are unable to acknowledge those outcomes because they are focused on the problem. Therapists that work from this perspective help clients to build an alternative story that focuses on their success and their ability to reproduce that success in other situations. It is amazing in just the little time I have worked with clients, how true this is. Many times clients have never had anyone in their lives that encourage and notice their positive qualities. After just a few sessions of pointing out areas in which they are capable, the therapist sees an individual blossom, really take hold of that change and run with it.
As I wrote this paper, I had to write about how theology supports this theory. After thinking about this for several days, it dawned on my that Jesus practiced a similar "therapy" if you will on people. When he would talk to people, he did not focus on their sin, but empowered them to "Go and sin no more." God calls us to live worthy of our calling (Philippians). It seems to me that to live worthy of my calling is to live successfully for Jesus rather than being caught up with what's going wrong in my life. In many ways it is similar to Mike Cope's post the other day about being able to choose the attitude that we are going to have. We have the ability to write our story any way we want, why not choose to write about how we are capable of showing people Jesus?
After writing that paper, God renewed my desire, vision, and the need there is for good Christian therapists in the world. These are people that have been beat up, stomped on, and thrown out with yesterday's garbage. They DESERVE so much more. They deserve to believe in themselves and have another human believe in their abilities. God put them on this earth for a reason, he has a plan for each one of us, and I believe in that plan.
Lord, please guide me as I talk with people about the deepest pains in their lives. Guide me to the words you want them to hear, soften their hearts to hear your story, and help them to write an alternative story to their lives that brings glory and honor to you!
As I wrote this paper, I had to write about how theology supports this theory. After thinking about this for several days, it dawned on my that Jesus practiced a similar "therapy" if you will on people. When he would talk to people, he did not focus on their sin, but empowered them to "Go and sin no more." God calls us to live worthy of our calling (Philippians). It seems to me that to live worthy of my calling is to live successfully for Jesus rather than being caught up with what's going wrong in my life. In many ways it is similar to Mike Cope's post the other day about being able to choose the attitude that we are going to have. We have the ability to write our story any way we want, why not choose to write about how we are capable of showing people Jesus?
After writing that paper, God renewed my desire, vision, and the need there is for good Christian therapists in the world. These are people that have been beat up, stomped on, and thrown out with yesterday's garbage. They DESERVE so much more. They deserve to believe in themselves and have another human believe in their abilities. God put them on this earth for a reason, he has a plan for each one of us, and I believe in that plan.
Lord, please guide me as I talk with people about the deepest pains in their lives. Guide me to the words you want them to hear, soften their hearts to hear your story, and help them to write an alternative story to their lives that brings glory and honor to you!
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Whirlwind of Emotions
Well, to say the least, this week has been a whirlwind of emotions. While we were at the family reunion, Mike's legs began to swell uncontrollably. By Monday, he was finally convinced he needed to see the doctor on Tuesday morning when we got home. First, it was diagnosed as an infection, and then when the antibiotic didn't work, we ended up in the Emergency Room on Thursday afternoon. After 5 expensive hours of being there, Mike had been tested for numerous conditions including diabetes, lupus, and blood clots, but was finally diagnosed as having had an acute flare up of his rhematoid arthritis (he has had this since he was 10) along with something called cutaneous vasculitis. By Friday, his ankles were looking much better. Today, they are smaller than they have been in months. Unfortunately, the steroids make him feel like a truck ran over him, so he is still not back to his regular self. Not to mention he is preaching tomorrow in Cottonwood, TX so he has been frantically preparing the sermon, class, and songs he has effectively put off till the last minute. So needless to say, this week's emotion have involved worry, stress, and eventually relief. Our small group has been wonderful through the whole process. They have truly been community and family, coming to pray over Mike at lunch on Thursday, bring us or taking us out for meals all week, and praying incessantly for us. However, I guess I just didn't realize how much of a toll this ordeal was taking on me. The stress caught up with me today and I probably was not the a very fun person to live with this morning as I had to get laundry done, the house cleaned, and countless other tasks that I have been neglected since before we left town. Even after a bike ride, I still felt like a bottle of emotions that were not completely released. Sometimes, it amazes me how Satan can take ahold of us and make us miserable with ourselves and short with those around us. I could tell this was happening, this made me more frustrated but I had a difficult time releasing this burden. Thankfully, after much prayer, I truly believe that God released me from this bondage. After some quiet time, I was finally able to release much of the stress and enjoy the rest of our Saturday together.
This afternoon Mike and I went to a 50th wedding anniversary reception for a lady at the counseling center where I am doing an internship. The neatest thing was that Doreen's mother surprised her and came to celebrate this day. Doreen is 68 and her mother is 94 and had told Doreen that she wasn't up to coming. Doreen was sad, but understood. However, today she told me that as they were coming to the party, she told her husband the only thing that would make this day more perfect was if her mother could be there. Lo and behold, her mother surprised her and came. I don't hear of parent's being around to celebrate their children's 50th anniversary often so it was a great blessing for Doreen.
Saturday has turned out to be a pretty good day. We just finished a homemade pizza a family from our small group brought us and it was delicious. (thanks Pybus family!) Hopefully, the night will end without any more surprises and tomorrow will be a glorious day to worship with family.
Blessings!
This afternoon Mike and I went to a 50th wedding anniversary reception for a lady at the counseling center where I am doing an internship. The neatest thing was that Doreen's mother surprised her and came to celebrate this day. Doreen is 68 and her mother is 94 and had told Doreen that she wasn't up to coming. Doreen was sad, but understood. However, today she told me that as they were coming to the party, she told her husband the only thing that would make this day more perfect was if her mother could be there. Lo and behold, her mother surprised her and came. I don't hear of parent's being around to celebrate their children's 50th anniversary often so it was a great blessing for Doreen.
Saturday has turned out to be a pretty good day. We just finished a homemade pizza a family from our small group brought us and it was delicious. (thanks Pybus family!) Hopefully, the night will end without any more surprises and tomorrow will be a glorious day to worship with family.
Blessings!
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