Spiritual Sunday, 06.2018

Dear ones,

It is early evening on the last Sunday of the month. I should have started on my Spiritual Sunday, 06.2018 earlier in the day (or week, maybe?) but here I am. Somehow it seems insincere to me if I write a Sunday post on, say, Thursday. Ha! But if I don’t type fast this is going to be a Spiritual Sunday post on Monday! Which was the case last month, here.

With fingers flying over the keyboard, away we go!

Spiritual Sunday, 06.2018

Each time we visit my in-laws in Ohio, PC’s mom, May, and dad, Wally, say a special prayer for us, asking God for traveling mercies as we return home. Isn’t that thoughtful? I always feel an extra hedge of protection around us knowing they have asked God to keep us safe.

This month, I am thankful that God extended traveling mercies to my family as we traveled to Ft. Worth/Dallas for Brennyn and Mustafa’s wedding celebration. Lauren, Francisco and Lucia flew in from Albuquerque, my sister Valerie and her husband Roby drove up from Houston, and my Prince and I flew in from El Paso. We all arrived and returned home safely. And enjoyed a very special weekend together. I hope to share photos of the festivities in an upcoming post very soon. This is a sneak-peek from the first evening.

An Update on Lauren’s Health

Last month I shared how I had accompanied Lauren to the Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion on her diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). The Cleveland Clinic has determined that she has inflammatory bowel disease and removed her from all the drugs she had been prescribed for MPA. But her doctor in Albuquerque truly thinks she has MPA. Lauren is hovering in limbo without a definitive diagnosis, prognosis or treatment plan. My poor darling baby.

She seems to be feeling a little less exhausted than she was a month ago, but is constantly battling minor health problems on top of her larger health issues. Praying that God leads us to some answers in the near future.

My beautiful baby and her beautiful baby.

I struggled much of this month with my devotional or quiet time. Still enjoy doing my Miracle Mornings, although not as often as I was. But had started reading a devotional that left me feeling beaten up rather than uplifted and encouraged. After six months of suffering through it, I finally decided life is too short (or too long) to start everyday with a book that I dreaded reading.

Have returned to my dear Jesus Calling. And am trying out a couple of new books, Everyday Holy by Melanie Shankle and It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond (Artist’s Way) by Julia Cameron. Both are speaking to me in a way my earlier devotional didn’t.

This Month’s Little Miracles and Gratefuls

• Having the money to grocery shop without a calculator to keep me from going over budget. Oh, the years I had to do that. If not on a calculator, with at least 2 children in tow, pushing one cart and pulling another, then adding up everything in my head. I could add in my head with an accuracy of within a dollar of the actual cash register total.
• Ability to swim a mile (no Mark* Phelps, however) and having a pool to swim in. *Woke up at 2:00 am Monday after writing this Sunday evening realizing I had typed MARK Phelps, not MICHAEL Phelps. But was too lazy to turn on the computer to edit my error. Just laid awake thinking about my mistake for 2 hours instead!!
• Beautiful storm clouds and rain followed by an unseasonable coolness that night.
• Our soldiers who fought in Normandy and all over the world, in all wars, to keep us safe at home.
• Peace that comes from swimming.
• Massage - the healing of human hands, the smell of essential oils, the sound of spa music.
• Early morning walk listening to my iPod and being reminded how much I enjoy music, singing and whistling.
• Scrapbooking with my sister via Skype.
• My husband, my family…love that transcends language barriers.
• Two-hour naps.
• Sleeping til 10:00 am.
• Watching my Prince play a sport he loves with all his heart.
• Enjoying a phone conversation with my mom where she shares childhood memories.

We still have almost a week remaining in June. Hoping to settle back into a routine here at home that will allow for quiet time, hobbies, house cleaning and exercise.

Your Turn

What little blessings and gratefuls do you have this month? Do you have any little miracles you can share? My daughter Lauren and I had a little miracle when we discovered we were both flying home out of the same gate at Love Field. We were able to stay together until she boarded her plane. Then 2 hours I boarded mine at the same gate. Considering all of the possible gates we could have been assigned, it was a little miracle that we both flew out of C1!

Wishing you a blessed end of June! Thank you for spending a few moments of your day with me.

Hugs and kisses,