I first want to say that I am a very blessed woman to have my family,  My test results did show a small stroke, however my CT showed it to be small enough  that the doctor does not think this is the cause for my headaches.  My heart test were good  and my  caryatid exam showed a little blockage but not enough to worry about right now.  I have a few little things on my thyroid  that need to be checked and this could actually be causing some of my issues. The body is a marvelous and delicate thing that I can never understand why a doctor would not be a Christian after learning how detailed and complicated a human body works. So as Joey says after $10K  we have found out I'm just getting old and hormonal.  So hopefully that means I can get a handle on the headaches and get to the new normal life of a 50 year old. 
Life at the Nifong home is never boring, we are always on our toes.  Thanksgiving Day was no exception.  I noticed Audrey seemed a little panicky when she walked in, Abby left with her, so I assumed they were hiding a present for Christmas or something. But instead, Wesley was in car and was not able to feel his hands, left arm, left side of face, and leg.  Audrey had drove like a mad women to get to the house so that Abby could check him out because he wouldn't let her go to hospital. Some of the feeling came back as the day went on, and his fogginess left him, His family was going to go and put out his granddad ashes that afternoon, but Wesley never really got to feeling better so instead they took him to ER in Davie.  They did not do a thing, they thought he was dehydrated, not..... He has a appointment Monday with family doctor  and hopefully with a Neurologist as quick as possible.  Audrey said today, I sure hope whatever this is we are going through as a family lets up soon. Please pray for Wesley, of course Joey and I are concerned, our brains go to everything that could be wrong, and he has some major symptoms. Abby being a nurse has concerns and he listens to her before he listens to us and she had a heart to heart with him. So I and glad he took her serious and set up the appointment.
 I was reading tonight in Joel and they had all kinds of locust destroying everything around them. The Lord said to them I will give you back what you have lost, but a few verses down it says, It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.   I know today's religious groups want to say that God is love and he would not bring bad to your life if you are obedient, but what stuck out while reading this book of the Bible is the line It Was I who sent this, sometimes we have to go through hard times and God allows, sends however you want to put it so that we will know what he says a few verses later, Then you will know that I am the Lord your God and there is no other.

Thankful Wednesday

Once again I have decided to be thankful and you do know that this is decision that we each make with the life we are given.  We can be thankful or we can always be wishing and wanting more.  I am thankful for a warm and cozy home, there are families in the world who live in a 8 x 8 brick hut with no water, electricity, or furniture.  I am thankful for clean water even when I really don't like drinking it and would rather have a coke. 1 in 6 people don't have clean drinking water. I am thankful that I can run to Walgreen's and get medicine for anything I might need when children are dying in the world because they have no Imodium to stop their poor bellies from hurting. I am thankful that I have food to eat when there are people around the world who have only a cup of rice a day to eat.  I am thankful to live here in America and am able to work and make some money to pay our bills when other countries live on $2 a day. In  saying all of this, what a humbling thought all of this is when you wonder why I live here and not there.  That God choose this place and time for me to live and that I need to make sure that I don't waste it, take advantage of it,  appreciate it and respect it .

Test and more test

Lets just say that I am not going to be sick ever again. I went to the neurologist office Thursday, stress from the very beginning, I am not surprised I didn't have a stroke there and then.  I walked into a office of 20 people, and I am the youngest by 15 years, average age had to be 75 .The doctor was 2 hrs behind, how do you get 2 hrs behind unless someone over books on purpose, I know how these offices work and I was for warned about how this office seems to always be behind.  Then I met the Dr. and lets just say we did not ge haw  as they say.  He came in rattled, told me things about myself they were not about me but must be some other patient.  Said he needed to shoot two needles in my neck ...What?  You don't know me from Adams house cat and you just want me to trust you like that.
Then to top it off he told me to calm down that I was getting too excited because I kept trying to ask questions. I finally gave in and let him give me the shots and it did help my neck and head, today it doesn't hurt hardly at all.  So after entering that office at 10:30 I finally left there at 1:00. They have decided that I had some type of stroke, so I went that afternoon to a CT scan and lets just say that the warm iodine they shoot through your veins makes you feel like you have wet you pants at one point. Then yesterday I went to hospital for them to check heart and then they shot saline bubble in veins (this was cold not hot) to see where the bubble go through your veins.  I go next week for a ultrasound of my neck veins to see if they are clogged.  So if nothing else I will know that  the upper part of my body is working right. I now have  high blood pressure which I have never had until a month ago, I have to take BP medicine which is working on my body because now it is starting to drop too much so I have to take my Blood pressure regularly  to keep eye on it till they get medicine right.  I realized today that I do not want to be sick, I wish for the days of small doctors office, when you are not a chart but a person.  When its not to get you in and out and send the bill to insurance company and hope they pay, depending on how it is worded in the chart.  I am trying to stay calm and rest till we find out what is going on, but I hate to lay around if I feel pretty good and I did today, so I went to church and put up Christmas decorations with a couple friends because we never know what the next day holds and I need to use the day I have to do what I need to do. In saying all this I have had to laugh a few things that have happened, like a little old man and his wife who had been married for 63 years and their conversation in the office. I told Joey that could be us one day, here is how it went, "Could you please move so I can sit next to my bride, Robert watch your attitude, I'm not sitting here any longer I will get my walker and leave, She stood up and laughed and shook the car keys and said look what I have". 

WORSHIP

 

This last week in our Bible Study it was on how we are all created to worship something, if we are not worshipping God we are worshipping something whether it be creation, people, jobs, money or Satan. This is one of my favorite Christmas songs that came out a few years ago, it really isn't a typical Christmas tune.  But it says starry host will declare, all the earthy will declare, and no one else could ever compare... Glory in the Highest.. Please slow down today and really listen to these words and worship.

 

 

 

 

Nerves

For the last couple of months I have had a headache on and off, I figured once again welcome to the world of menopause.  My  personal nurse, Tobi said next time you have a headache take your blood pressure so we can make sure it is not tied to each other.  Last week  I had a tighten in back of head that lasted on and off all week. So I remember to take BP well I about fell off chair, my BP usually runs 120/75 it was 165/100 I thought maybe machine was off so I took it every half hour for a couple hrs, it fluctuated from 145/85 or 165/100 all afternoon, so I called office and they had me come in.  Because of moms only stroke and since it was life ending he decided I need a MRI Saturday. So stressing out in that little tube with the rock band drums going off in my head for 20 min. didn't help my BP. Today they finally tell me that I have to see a neurologist because it showed on the MRI a possible small stroke has occurred at some point.  BP is still up and down, they have put me on BP medicine till I get to Dr. Thursday.  In saying all this, please pray family is nervous along with me. My sister is very upset still having hard time with the holidays coming and mom not being there and I am really her only family now. So she is nervous along with me. Pastor asked Sunday, are you really ready for the Lord to return. Do you look for it? In saying this, are you really ready to leave this world? I say sure Heaven will be a better place, I know where I am going, but when the rubber hits the road, and you have to sit and think will I wake up in the morning or die in sleep, will I have a larger stroke like mom and it knock me out fast and hard, will I have a stroke and become like so many I know who have had a stroke. Trying to stay positive and except this time of life that God allows you to be in can sometimes knock the wind out of you. One thing I do know is that God is in complete control and I really don't have but so much of a say in what happens.  I know I can exercise more, eat better, sleep more and try and not stress over the dumb stuff and use the brains the Lord has given me.

The day in the life of Harper

I'm going to get you mam-maw

See I told you, I am funny

This is a big ole tree

Who me?

Yes I am going to roll your pumpkin in the woods.

Liberal Chrisitan????

What exactly is a liberal christian?  Josh has decided to comment on someones facebook page who wrote this. He is trying to figure out what a liberal christian is.  For us when you say liberal our  first thoughts go to someone who has no problem with gay marriage, abortion, letting the government take all our hard earned money and giving it to someone who doesn't want to work and wants handouts.Who thinks that everyone should be entitled to exactly the same thing on all accounts.
Where does Christianity fall into this view.  Maybe they really don't know what they are talking about but he has decided since they put it out there on facebook that he can debate this with them.  I looked up what the definition of liberal is "open to new behavior or opinions & willing to discard traditional values, not limited to authoritarian attitudes or views".  I am open to new opinions and sometimes even willing to change my stance on somethings, but my first rule is I have to see what the Bible says about it first.  The Bible is real specific on alot of things, feed the poor (that does not mean hand outs to everyone) in Proverbs it says many times if you don't work you do not  eat. Take care of widows and orphans, where the church has failed is that we have sat by and let the government take care of this instead of us. Love your neighbor as yourself, I like to think of people as my family, if I see them going down a destruction path I try to help, but today, most liberals do not want the help from Christians, they want us to mind our own business and let people do whatever makes them feel good.
Once again as I tell my children, Gods first concern is not whether you are happy or not, his first concern is if you are obedient to his Word. So whether I am closed minded or not by the definition of a liberal, my first and only concern as a christian is whether I am being obedient to Gods Word.

Thanks alot

Today is another thankful Wednesday.... I am so thankful for the cold mornings, for me they are very refreshing. I am thankful for a beautiful sky yesterday with great clouds, God is a great artist.  I am thankful for  a husband who lets me try new things and doesn't stop my creativity (more later on all my painting). I am thankful for friends who are real, ones that I trust completely, ones I can be my real self with. I am thankful for clean water just watching those poor people in the Philippians drinking dirty water just breaks my heart. I am thankful for Hallmark movies, I can't watch them all the time but they do get the Hope Boat floating.. LOL Don't we all wish for Hallmark endings and sometimes we need a little hope in the unimaginable. I am thankful that my Hope is in the Lord and he never fails....

First thing first...

First things first, Barbara's  surgery went well, Mark said Doctors were very pleased how good it went, Mark said prayers answered. Thank you for praying...
Second, has my mind being going crazy lately, I have been in deep thought on life in general. Life is short, I believe shorter than we even realize. I know I worry about dumb things that really have no baring on life in the big scheme of things. I am becoming such a Peter than I don't know what to do about it. I know the Bible says that in end times people will become a lover of themselves. But on my goodness I think I am going to throw up my insides if I have to see anymore or hear anymore about how pitiful we here in American. So and so offended me, so & so hurt my feelings, I think that my opinion is more important that yours,  children can't play kick Ball anymore, sports should only be for fun, we all should be accepting of diversity, and if your not you are a bigot. Why then when they are not accepting of my beliefs are they not called a bigot? I see  more pictures of people on Facebook with such vulgarity and they claim to be Christians. Why do we think we are so important?   I told the Sunday school class the other day, I have come to realize that in 100 years, who is going to remember me? When you think about it, this can be so humbling... I want to love the Lord with all I have and I struggle with myself everyday and my evil thoughts against people. I know that in the big scheme of things my only goal while I am here is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind & strength and wouldn't you know this is one of the hardest things to do when you are dealing with your own self....  I sit here and think about how spoiled and alienated I am from the world as a whole.Those poor people in the Philippines  have lost everything, The human trafficking around the world that goes on,  the Sudan and all the killing and I hear someone (Sometimes me) that it took a restaurant 25 minutes to get me my meal. Shame on me..  We fuss (Sometimes me) how hot or cold church was on Sunday, as we sit in a beautiful building in padded seats. We fuss (Sometimes me) when someone hasn't acknowledge me and we have a pity party as missionaries around the world are hardly ever acknowledged and those d--- Kardashians and Miley Cyrus are acknowledged at least 30 times a day on TV. I believe that this is a time in my life where I am really beginning to understand the "want and need" for Christ return.  I am getting that are you looking for me (Christ) that the Bible talks about. Sorry for my rants but thanks for listening

Please Pray

 

I want to live this live unsafe, unsure, but not afraid
What I want is to give all I got somehow
Giving up letting go of control right now

‘Cause I’m already out here, blind but I can see
I see the way You’re moving
God how I believe that
I can push back the mountains, can stand on the waves
I can see through the darkness, I’ll hold up the flame
Take me to the ocean I want to go deeper
I’m not afraid no, I’m a believer
And so I lose this life to find my way and come alive
They can try to deny what’s inside of me
But there is more, can’t ignore all the things unseen
Oh I believe I can walk on water with You, Lord
When I walk through the valley of the shadows
When I’m trapped in the middle of the battle
I will trust in You
‘Cause trouble comes, but you never let it take me
I hold fast ‘cause I know that You will save me
I will trust in You, I will trust in You
Oh here I stand all alone waiting on you, Lord
Waiting on You

Please pray for a friend of my undergoing a mastectomy today, the radiation and chemo did not work and the tumor grew. She is have her surgery today and if you know her she would claim this song.  She is a devout christian and worries more about her husband than herself.  She told Joey and I if I don't make it through this I will be OK I will be with Jesus, I worry more about Mark.

Her name is Barbara Tysinger

 

 

Thanks

I have to say that today I am very thankful for laughter.  I told Joey the other night after he made me laugh so hard, if you had a tombstone it would say "you ain't right" on the front of his.  I am so thankful for a man who makes me laugh, when life is hard you need laughter.  Harper has a new song she is singing right now and the only part I know is " and I won't back down, no I want back down" it is a Johnny Cash song that she heard on some cartoon about a cow named Ben and this is what he sings.  Josh said hopefully she will never hear the rest of the song, but imagine a 2 year on on the potty singing to top of her lungs " no I want back down" and you will laugh too. Its great to know that the God I  serve made laughter and has a sense of humor.  A day without humor is wasted....