My rotator cuff tear & how it will be fixed

 I knew exactly when I injured my right shoulder.  Two young men, one of which was my grandson, were helping me burn a large pile of brush and debris that remained from the disastrous 2009 ice storm.  As the pile of brush burned down, long unburned tree limbs were left on the outskirts of the fire.  In demonstrating to the boys the need to get these to burn, I picked up a rather heavy tree limb and hurled it into the glowing coals in the center.  As I tossed it, I immediately felt discomfort in my right shoulder.

Because of recent bilateral knee surgery, I wasn't ready to go under the knife again and tried conservative methods of treatment.  My son-in-law gave physical therapy treatments and taught me exercises to strengthen and maintain the muscles, but after 2 to 3 months of therapy, I continued to have shoulder pain.  He advised me to see my orthopaedic doctor, and stated that I probably had a rotator cuff tear.

Still, I wasn't ready to give in.  I wanted to give God time to heal it if He chose, and I prayed for His healing touch.  Nearly two years later I am finally ready to let my orthopaedic doctor be part of God's plan of healing!    A painful flare up of lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) in my left arm led to impairment of both arms, and I knew it was finally time to get something done.  An MRI confirmed my son-in-law's suspicions; I did have a torn rotator cuff. 

Click on picture to enlarge

Surgery is scheduled for March 14th.

I have peace about obtaining God's healing for me in this way,

even though it will involve more pain for awhile.

If this subject interested you, or you feel you might have this type of injury,

click on this LINK for more information.

Linking with Tracy, Courtney, and Charlotte.

Click here to see my Name of God for today.

Chicken and Dumplings

If you came here from my Rock4Today blog,

here's that quick and easy soul food recipe for Chicken and Dumplings.

   Minus the veggies on top, it's my youngest daughter's favorite!

Bring to a light boil on medium heat:

2 small cans (10 and 3/4 oz) Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup,

one cup of water,

one cup of cooked, cubed chicken,

and two cups of chicken broth.

Stir frequently to keep from scorching.

After above has come to a slow boil,

tear apart canned biscuits into pieces

 and drop them into the hot mixture,

stirring to make sure all pieces have been well immersed.

Turn the heat down between low and medium,

cook covered and no longer stirring,

letting mixture slowly return to a rolling boil.

It usually takes about 12-15 minutes until biscuits are

fluffy and fully done.

This is the part I skip for my youngest daughter.

If desired, garnish with some of your favorite stir-fried veggies.

In the photo above, I used a small package of frozen summer vegetables

which included green beans, yellow and zuchini squash, and red peppers.

I cooked them in a small saucepan with about a teaspoon of butter

before spreading a few on top for garnish.

Do you observe Lent?

Why or why not?

To read about my first lenten experience,

and nutrition for the soul,

click here.

Linking with Tracy, Laura, and Charlotte.

God Likes Perfume?

The Smell of God's Presence!

Okay, I know this sounds a little far out, but when I was reading from the book of Exodus the other day, I decided that God must like the sweet smell of perfume!

Maybe He doesn't go for the same perfumes that I do,

like these that are below,

but He was choosey in what He wanted in His tabernacle.

 

 If you have trouble believing that God likes the sweet smell of perfume,

 just click on this link to read about it -

  Exodus 30:22-38.  

As you read, you'll find the instructions God gave to Moses

 regarding making fragrant anointing oils to be used in the tabernacle. 

 I tried to imagine why God would want this good smelling incense

in His tabernacle or "tent of meeting".  

I thought about the sacrifices that were offered back then,

and how hard it must have been to keep the tabernacle clean. 

The priests were probably kept very busy with all the regulations of

preparing and offering the various sacrifices.

  It must have smelled a little like a steak house,  

 a perpetual barbecue with steak always on the grill. 

(That made me think God must like the smell of steak, too!)

It interested me that although God required the sacrifices of animals for atonement,

that was not the smell that He wanted to be remembered by.

He wanted the sweet smell of incense to be associated with His presence.

He was very specific in how this fragrant anointing oil was to be made,

where it was to be used,

and who could use it.

...And it wasn't available for everyone;

It was to be used on various items in the tabernacle,

and only used by the priests.

So, this got me thinking...

What kind of fragrance do I leave behind?

Can people tell I've been in God's presence?

...Or maybe, even more so, when I have not?!!!

I could not end this post without being thankful to God

for the sacrifice of His Son Jesus,

who died in my place so that I need not have to offer

an animal sacrifice to atone for my sin!

Hebrews 10:11-12

Many thanks to Tracy, Laura, and Charlotte for allowing me to link with them.

Click on their names to check out a diversity of blogs

.

Thanks for dropping by!

To see my name for God today, click here.

Waiting for the fog to clear...

A few days ago it was extremely foggy.

It was so foggy I could only see a faint outline

of our neighbor's house across the street.

It was a few hours before I could see

the little windmill in her back yard by the duck pond.

I was remembering that foggy morning as I read Exodus 24:12-18;

this is when God called Moses to come up on the smokey mountain.

(The smokey mountain, not The Great Smokey Mountains!)

When reading this at other times, I had never noticed

that when Moses entered the thick cloud,

he had to wait there for SIX days

before God spoke to him on the SEVENTH day!

I don't know about you,

but often I am very impatient.

I wonder if Moses was cold, or hungry,

or impatient for God to speak

as he waited, ...and waited, ...and waited.

It sounds like the Israelite people

at the foot of the mountain had more evidence

of God's presence in those SIX days than Moses did.

It says in Exodus 24:17 that the glory of the LORD

appeared to them as a raging fire on top of the mountain.

I wonder if sometimes when I feel I am

in the middle of a dark cloud,

...can't see God,

...can't feel Him,

...just waiting for Him to show up

in the midst of my cloud of challenges,

can other people around me see

that I am in His presence before I do?

But just as the sun finally started breaking

through the fog a few days ago,

God will come through and show Himself.

As He faithfully sends us rain in the spring,

He promises to always come to us

when we wait for Him!

Joel 2:23

Linking with Katie Lloyd for Scripture and a Snapshot,

Tracy for Winsome Wednesdays,

and Charlotte for Spiritual Sundays.

For a look at my Name of God for Today,

click on this Rock4Today link!

Thanks for your visit!