A cross for me and a challenge for you

How fast things can change in a day, right?

We were praying for a friend's dad who was in a very bad accident last Wednesday night during family prayers and I mentioned that comment above.  Little did I/we know, it would soon happen in our own family....

I had an appointment Thursday at my urologist because I had passed a kidney stone a month ago, and my family doc wanted me to have a follow up with one and get this kidney stone problem and long history of them figured out.  When I got there, my doctor wanted to scan my kidneys and compare them to what they looked like a month ago. Upon reviewing the scans, he came in the room and started sketching on a piece of paper and showed how that one was gone, but there was one brewing back then that was reaking havoc currently and was in a very dangerous spot.  I had a 15 mm kidney stone right at the top of the ureter and blocking or about to block any output.  Bad, bad, bad.  He wanted to do a same day surgery, but said since I wasn't showing any symptoms or pain, he'd let me wait til the next day.  

Lots of scrambling on Thursday when I got home.  .  Tried to get Lady to take a bottle, since she is a 100% nursing baby.  Every attempt was failed.  What would we do?  She had to eat, right?  And it's very likely she can't nurse with me having surgery the next day.  Yikes!!  We did what we could and had to trust God in the rest that He would help our little girl and work all that out.  

Friday rolls around.  Surgery not til afternoon.  No eating after midnight, so of course, I was a starving girl.  No biggie.  Definitely didn't want to chance an icky belly and getting sick there.  We show up to the surgery center.  Get my IV.  Find a nursing baby safe antibiotic.  All is good!!  Right?  Not right...  When they cranked up the antibiotic on me, I immediately started throwing up and broke out into hives.  Minutes before surgery!!!!!  They wheel me back.  I"m still yacking.  I'm laid on the table in the OR.  And they give me Benadryl via IV since I'm covered in hives.  And then I'm out....  45 minutes of surgery.  Blast the frickin' stone and placement of the stent.  If you don't know what a stent is, just be thankful you don't.  2+ hours of recovery (which was only supposed be 20 minutes!).  The surgery center is about to close and I'm Miss Dopey Thing.  I'm still getting sick.  They threaten to take me to the hospital, but I can't make myself wake up - lol!  Hubs says he'll play nurse and is comfortable taking me home and take care of me there.  Thankfully they send these handy dandy disposal containers, because of course, the yacking continues.  Fun!  Kids come home.  We pray our family prayers with me zonked on the couch and I'm sure everyone laughing at Miss Dopey Mommy.

Saturday comes bright and early and I'm awake.  And hungry!!  Hubs graciously grabs a yummy breakfast from Caseys - breakfast pizza and donuts (my favorite white frosted ones even!).  He really does make a great nurse for me. "In sickness and in health", eh?  He's great at living out that part.  Did I mention I've had multiple surgeries, including 9 c-sections?  Yeah, he's got that part down!  

Fast forward through some pretty big things on Sunday and another special day on Monday (more posts coming!!).  I had been having some complications yesterday and today and I went back in today.  Got re-scanned.  The big monster stone is broken up in pieces, but still not ready to pull the stent.  Gotta make it do its thing and give it more time.  Grin and bear the pain and other fun things that follow (I'll spare you the yucky details).  

Anyways, so what am I rambling about?  What is the challenge?  I'm yucky.  Miserable.  So so so so so so unomfortable.  But doing my best to choose joy and still be loving. My health issues are minor compared to what they could be.  I'll accept this cross chosen especially for me.  For some reason, God really likes blessing me with these stones, and for some reason they have something to do with my sanctification.  So my challenge for you comes from this quote I came across today, which is God's perfect timing and planning....  

"We can cure physical diseases with medicine but the only cure for loneliness, despair and hoplessness is love."

~St Teresa of Calcutta

St. Teresa of Calcutta was around death and sickness all long, and knew that many health issues have a cure through medicine.  But she also knew there was a very heavy cross that she faced on a regular basis and knew there was a cure for this one as well.  This type of cross affects SO many people daily.  Lonely, sad, left-out, despairing people.  People I know.  People you know. And how do we help them?  LOVE.  Yes, love.  Reach out and love them.  Step out of your comfort zone.  Step out of your group of friends and open up your heart to them.  God will guide you and show you how.   

Please join me in prayer for these people who are forgotten about by others that they will always know Our Lord doesn't forget them.  He loves them.  He is there.  Always!!  And, through many of you kind and loving people, I know you will be His hands and feet and heart to share his love with the world!!  

Book Detectives: Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Today was our first homeschool co-op and I volunteered to teach Book Detectives this semester, with a focus on liturgical living and celebrating feast days.  I taught the Pre-K/K group and 3/4th groups today.

Here's what we used for materials....

PreK-K group
We started the class by talking about books and I had each child share a favorite book or what they like to read about.  I then shared one of my favorite books - the Bible.  So I began with this book and read to them the first story in all children's bibles - the story of creation.  And, of course, we sang the B-I-B-L-E song before actually reading from it.

Then, it was time to move on to our saint story.  It was a no brainer who would we study - the soon-to-be St. Teresa of Calcutta (in 2 days!).  I read the smaller printable book St. Teresa of Calcutta (available at Real Life At Home).  There are many St. Teresa Calcutta books that are just coming out to help celebrate her canonization, but aren't even available for shipping yet..  So, I had to be creative and thankfully, this little book worked great!!  I still prefer picture books for this age, as it helps capture their attention the best, but I had to use what was out there.  (The book on the top left is absolutely beautiful and I very much recommend it - but not for this age).  As I was reading the printable book, I think I was asked at least 17 times when snack time was, so I let them eat their snack as I finished reading the book.  And, then I gave them each a coloring page of St. Teresa of Calcutta (also available from Real Life At Home).

3rd/4th grade group
I had taught many of these kids before, so they were familiar with how to be a Book Detective.  But since we had a couple new students, I thought we better review WHY we read books and HOW we read books.  I teach them four simple questions to ask every time you read a book....

1.WHO?
2.  WHAT?
3.  HOW?
4.  WHAT?

We say this a few times until it sounds like we are chanting them.  And then the giggles follow. It's fun to say and easy to remember.  But then, we expand upon the single words.....

1.  WHO is story about?
2.  WHAT is the problem?
3.  HOW is the problem solved?
4.  WHAT did you learn from the story?  (WHAT does the author want to teach me?)

Simple, simple, simple!!!  For this group, since they were a bit older, I would have loved to have read the Mother Teresa book by Demi, but it takes a little longer than our class time allowed.  Thankfully, once again, God provided perfectly for our learning time on St. Teresa of Calcutta.  We read a short story about her from the Book of Heroes from Amy Welborn.  If you don't have any of Amy Welborn's books on saints, I highly recommend them!  They read beautifully to kids with many places to pause naturally and ask them questions to draw them into the story.  After we read about Mother Teresa, I had the kids work on the "All About Saint Teresa of Calcutta" sheet (available from Real Life At Home).  And, I couldn't pass up printing these beautiful Mother Teresa quote coloring pages  for them to color as well, although most kids took them home to work on, since class time was up.