But Lord, I thought You loved me?

4 Replies

#FiveMinuteFriday two weeks in a row?! Yes! Today’s word prompt was perfect for my week: LOVED. I realize this is way too long for a #FMF post but hopefully it will be a blessing and I won’t be kicked out with “But Lord, I thought You loved me?!”

Mention The Dentist and everyone has a story. Some of them you want to hear, others you could go your entire lifetime without having to picture their nightmare in your mind. Then some are clueless altogether:

“My dentist told me I needed a crown and I was like, ‘I know, right?!'”

I have had so little to smile about or laugh about when it comes to my teeth the last couple of years. Everything that can go wrong has done just that. I have spent thousands of dollars and still don’t have a million dollar smile. But yesterday was the worst day ever.

Just a couple of weeks ago I had two root canals and three new crowns put in. While we were waiting on the permanent crowns, one of the temporaries fell off in my mouth in the middle of the night, breaking the remaining tooth with it and requiring a special post to be put in before the permanent crown could be attached. So far, that is holding well.

I woke up yesterday morning with something floating in my mouth again. This time it was the other permanent crown, completely broken off at the gum line! I was beside myself and called the dentist who got me in right away. I assumed they would do the same thing and make another post but they said there wasn’t enough to attach it to and I would need to have that remaining tooth pulled and a bridge and another crown put in!

Now, I know it’s just teeth. I know some would consider this a first-world-problem. But I don’t have thousands of dollars right now and I am also stressed to the max with dental woes. I’m tired and weary of shots and bite blocks and drills, oh my! So, when they told me what needed to be done and how much more it would cost, I couldn’t stop the tears that trickled down my face. (Thankfully they were applying the cost of the crown that broke toward the new crown and bridge which helped a bit.)

My dentist is a woman and she is super sweet and kept apologizing, brought me a box of tissues and said they would give me a moment alone to think about it.

Thanks.

The immature Christian in me laid my head back in the patient chair, closed my eyes and prayed, “Lord, I thought you loved me?” Okay, maybe not those exact words but the thought was in my head I am sure. Every time I have had to go to the dentist the last five months, and it is a lot, I have asked God to intervene, to make a way with the financial side, to work a miracle that I wouldn’t have to have the painful and expensive things done and every time, every single time, the opposite has happened. My bill just keeps climbing.

So these thoughts were running through my aching head: “Lord, I thought You loved me. I thought you would intervene here. You know we need a new(er) car and yet my dental bill IS a car payment! Nothing is working like I have prayed, Lord. I thought YOU loved me!”

Can you imagine what our God was thinking? He loves unconditionally. He loves whether my teeth are in or out of my mouth. He loves REGARDLESS. I know that. I knew that yesterday too and I remembered the three Hebrew men who were thrown into the fiery furnace. They made up their mind ahead of time that it didn’t matter what was going on around them, it didn’t matter their circumstance. They knew that their God COULD deliver them, but if He didn’t, it was okay, they were still determined, they still believed He was in control and they were still going to serve Him REGARDLESS. This is their reply to the King: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 NLT

They could have felt like I did and even asked God, “I thought you LOVED me?! Why would You put me in this situation? I thought my life was to be nothing but dark chocolate, cold brewed coffee and shopping sprees?”

But they didn’t. They knew that they lived in a fallen world, that bad things happen to good people and sometimes it’s just LIFE.

Yes, God DID deliver them! Yes, it was a mighty testimony of His delivering power and the King was amazed. 

God does love us. Sometimes we walk through valleys and think we are alone and the answer is not what we were expecting. But eventually we see that He walked WITH us, He never left us, He gave us a testimony, encouraged us through others and encouraged others through us!

God does care about the big and little things in our lives. How do I know there won’t be a bigger miracle down the road in regards to my teeth? And what if it isn’t about the money but about how I react to the situation? That maybe the people in that office are watching me and I could show them Jesus even if I am upset? That every time I have had to go in there I was bringing Jesus with me. Maybe it isn’t about me and my teeth at all! Maybe someone there needs to know Jesus loved us all. He still does and He reaches continually for the hurting and the broken.

Even if He doesn’t answer the way we think He should, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t love. It means He is working in ways we cannot see and will use US to reach others even if it means enduring some temporary pain in this life.

For the kingdom

 

Keto Cauliflower “Oatmeal” – Just try it!

2 Replies

As the commercial plays repeatedly throughout the day, I find myself quoting along:

“What good is having insurance if you get punished for using it? Newsflash: Nobody’s perfect!”

I’m far from perfect. So far that I can write a post about shortcomings and failures and know that those that struggle with the same, will understand and benefit in some small way. Usually my posts are more spiritual but today it’s physical to be sure.

I’ve been Keto-ing about six weeks…this time…Embarrassed to say that I was on it last year, in anticipation of my son’s wedding and I did lose some weight. One month of that I was even overseas and stuck with it the entire time! It can be done!

But nobody is perfect….and unfortunately, I fell off the wagon with two surgeries, steroids and inactivity the last six months I gained too much of it back pretty quickly. (insert sad and disappointed-in-myself face) But today, 4 1/2 months post op from my lumbar spinal fusion, I am finally feeling better, getting around without a cane or walker, even vacuuming and taking care of my own household again. Victory!

I decided to jump back into Keto full force knowing it is the ONLY thing that has worked for me in years. Obviously I am insulin resistant and diabetes would likely be in my future, thankfully my blood sugars are normal and I am not diabetic and do not want to be.

The first step with Keto is throwing out sugar. That included my Dr. Pepper and I cried since we have had an ongoing and sweet relationship for most of my life. Following the sugar, all breads,  flours and processed foods are out the door. We can be more specific if you need help but suffice it to say, the first week or two may be difficult, but after that, you will not even crave carbs! That is sugars main job: eat sweets, breads and junk and it leaves you wanting more and more. Take all of that out of your daily routine and all of a sudden you find yourself eating one meal a day just because you are not hungry!

And the weight will come off.

The one thing I missed last year, and the last six weeks, is something good for breakfast. Of course you may have bacon and eggs but I can only do that so many times so I began Intermittent Fasting basically because I didn’t want breakfast. (We can talk more about Intermittent Fasting in another post.) But I miss oatmeal just about more than anything (except Dr. Pepper!).

Low carb dieters are aware that cauliflower has become famous the last several years as a substitute for our favorite carbs; we make mashed potatoes out of them, pizza crusts, macaroni and cheese and all kinds of comfort foods that we cannot partake of on a strict, low carb diet. And surprisingly, if you do it right, you will be amazed at how the cauliflower smell and taste disappear and you will truly think you have died and gone to carb heaven.

But cauliflower oatmeal? Really? Yes, it really is good! The texture is perfect, the taste is delicious and it is super easy and flexible to suit even the most particular eater.

I hope you give it a try, let me know if you have questions about Keto, would like to see more posts and help for the diet or any success stories and suggestions YOU might have for others!

Keto on!

Cauliflower Oatmeal
1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
2/3 c. UNSWEETENED almond, coconut or cashew milk
2/3 cup water
2 eggs
1-2 Tablespoons of flax meal
At least two teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt
Stevia, monkfruit, erythritol sweetener of choice

First, take the bag of frozen riced cauliflower and put it in a strainer, run warm water over it to break it up. Squeeze as much of the water out as you can and then put it in a medium saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Add the water and milk and bring to a boil for about ten minutes, until almost all liquid is gone. I added a little more almond milk and then removed it from the heat and added the two eggs (slightly beaten beforehand) and stirred very well. Don’t worry, the eggs are cooking in the hot porridge and will disappear, leaving a great texture and oatmeal-like-thickness. Add the flax meal/seed at this point and stir well. Don’t forget the teaspoon of vanilla and a sprinkle of salt.

That’s it! Top it with whatever sounds good to you. Sometimes I just sprinkled sweetener over it and a little more unsweetened almond milk. So good. I have also added unsweetened coconut and walnuts or pecans and love it with a couple of blueberries or other berries. (Berries are your fruit of choice on Keto but all fruits are high in natural sugar so be careful!) You could even add unsweetened, sugar-free maple syrup!

I hope you enjoy the recipe and we welcome any suggestions. Be blessed!

 

What’s in a name?

Leave a reply

#FiveMinuteFriday! Word prompt is Woman. Join me for What’s in a name?!

Names are intriguing at times. Just take mine, for instance. No, really, take it! Yvonne is my first name but my parents have always called me by my middle name, Nannette, which I prefer. Yvonne was my grandmother’s name, it’s always an honor to be named after someone and I adored my grandmother.

Then there is the origin behind Nannette. Obviously, both names have French roots and even sound better if the French are doing the pronouncing. You might think my parents had some rich friends from Paris that visited often and the wife’s name was Nannette Eloise Babineaux (BAB-in-oh). Elegant. Classy. Cosmopolitan!

But no, my parents didn’t have French friends, had never been to France and didn’t take French in high school. They did have a friend though that influenced my name and that friend had a dog. A french poodle, to be exact. And the French poodle had a name.

Yep.

Nannette.

So, with all confidence when someone asks, “Who were you named after?” or “Nannette is such a pretty name, is it in your family?” Ugh.

I was named after a dog, people, a dog.

Names matter. Names are remembered. Names have lifelong consequences or blessings! The Book of Acts only briefly mentions a woman with an unusual name that we do not hear much of today.

In the 17th chapter of Acts,  the Apostle Paul is preaching on Mars Hill and addressing The UNKNOWN GOD that the people of Athens had inscribed on an altar. It is said that about 600  years before Paul preached in Athens that a devastating plague tore through the city. A man named Epimenides thought he could please the gods by sacrifice so he let loose a flock of sheep through the town and wherever they lay down that was where they sacrificed that particular sheep: to the god that had the nearest shrine. If it didn’t lay down near a shrine or temple then they sacrificed it To the Unknown God. But Paul let them know, “The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He who gives to all life and breath and all things.” 

What comes next gives a woman a place in Biblical history and leaves us to forever wonder about her life, her relationship with God, her faith and her conversion.

“So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.” Acts 17:33-34 ESV. (Emphasis mine.)

A woman named Damaris? She is mentioned by name this one time in the Bible and we are given no other information about her except that she joined Paul and she believed.

The Greek meaning of the name Damaris refers to a calf or heifer. Probably not going to mention this to my expectant daughter-in-law as a name choice for our little one on the way!

But the Latin name means gentle and after reading the account of Paul’s sermon, understanding the background of the people in Athens and their infatuation with The Unknown God, I thought that maybe, just maybe, this woman named Damaris was given her name for a purpose, even if it wasn’t revealed to her parents at the time. Quite unlike me and my French poodle.

Her spirit was gentle and yet perhaps it was strong-willed, meaning when she was convinced of something she wasn’t about to let go. “But some men joined him and believed…and a woman named Damaris…” For a woman to be mentioned in scripture in this fashion was a big deal and says to me that she was singled out for a reason. She was wooed by the Savior, by the scripture, not only for her personal salvation but for her influence. Damaris was likely well known and perhaps looked up to in the community and when she joined Paul, when she believed in Jesus Christ, this gentle woman plowed through the rest of her life letting others know about the One who gave His life for everyone.  She wasn’t intimidated by those that did NOT believe, 

Can the same be said of us today? When we walk by do others get a sense of peace because we shine the Light of Christ or do they whisper about that woman who does nothing but cause division?

A woman named ___________________________. Insert your name here and determine from this day forward to be like Damaris. Even though we know so little…okay…. we know nothing about her; we are looking at that name and surmising that she was strong as a bull but yet gentle like a dove. A perfect combination for a soul winner. Be that woman!

(You might also like my humorous post about my alter ego. Read it here!)