God is with us even in the midst of trouble - believe that!

It’s been a while since I have posted to my blog.  I am very sorry for that, there just is no excuse as far as I am concerned. It’s by God’s grace that things have finally settled down a bit to allow me to do this.  Things have been a bit hectic and Larry’s health well, has been up and down for a few months it seems.  He now has a breathing issue which an inhaler has helped to alleviate somewhat,  so we are thankful for this.  He also had another “shock” to the heart treatment (cardio-version) which this time it actually worked and his heart kicked back into sinus rhythm thank you Jesus.  He was so excited and so was I.  He had been in (affib) for almost a month straight, so this was a relief to see him get back to normal rhythm.  So we are trucking along doing the best we can with some of the concerns that we have.  Trusting God will take care of the things we cannot control.  He has been with us all along, I have felt His presence.  Every day right before bedtime I say a prayer and thank Him for all that he has done that day for us.  He gave us a beautiful sunrise to wake up to, he gave us our food for the day and health, breath in our lungs and so much more.  There are no complaints here by any means.  Yes I wish things were better with Larry’s health, but I believe they will be soon. My hope is in Jesus and he hasn’t ever let me down. 

The other thing that is happening is Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner so I have a few projects I have completed,  that I wanted to share with you.  First of all I’d like to introduce to you my new Ornament Cross Stitch Trio.  It’s Faith – Hope – Love ornaments.  You can stitch these in no time and create three very cute ornaments you can hang on your tree this year or give away as a gift.  They really do not take very long to make, really.

So here is the link to the pattern which is on my Etsy store.  While you are there check out my seashell angels and other cool gifts that might be appropriate for someone you love this year.  I do thank you for reading my blog and will do my best to post more often.  But until then, have a very blessed Thanksgiving and remember to always be thankful for what you have. I believe that being thankful for what God has given us is the key to our happiness.  Even in the midst of trouble and when things are not going our way, He is there holding us and comforting us.  He will never leave us nor forsake us to me those are the most comforting words of all.  Be blessed my friends! 

Introducing Samaritan Ministries - a health plan option to think about!

Greetings everyone, I do hope things are going well for you!  I am feeling much better thanks to God and to Samaritan Ministries.  In my last post, I explained what had happened to me suddenly regarding my blood pressure.  I have been treated a few times now by my Doctor and she has adjusted my medications to where they are working great. I am taking more walks these days and know that complete healing is right around the corner!

Now,  I want to explain that I had just joined Samaritan Ministries in January and then my health issues began the following month, in February.   I had great health coverage through Group Health for years and when Obamacare rolled out, my premium to Group Health went from $200 to $700.  I simply could not afford that.  Besides, I wasn’t working either.  

So, in this post I wanted to explain to you just what Samaritan Ministries means to me and what it actually is.  For sure it is not a “health insurance” company.  It’s a group of members who share each others needs, they explain a need as a medical expense when you have to go and see the doctor for something that is unexpected.  For instance a yearly physical would not be a need, but just an expense I would have to pay. So when I had the emergency room visit I called Samaritan Ministries and explained what had happened to me.  They published that need and forwarded on to me the paperwork that I needed to submit with all the bills.

All during the time I was receiving all the bills for my treatments a have to admit I had a little doubt that this new health plan may not work.  I quickly would erase those thoughts and remember what God says, which is to believe and trust in Him, so I did just that.  After all the bills had finally arrived I filled out the forms, wrote a letter explaining my situation.  It does require a little more work on our part, but it is so worth it.  I even had to go to my church leader and he had to also verify a few things about my membership there at our church.  Once I had all the necessary documents I prayed, then sent it off to them.  Again, believing God, it would be taken care of.  I had also called the hospital and some of the other places to see if I could get a discount.  I did get a slight discount for paying the hospital emergency room off within 30 days,  I just used my credit card. Also on the blood work I had done at LabCorp, they discounted the lab tests by 50%, I was shocked when I heard that but was very grateful for it.  Another thing thing about Samaritan Ministries, they have advocates that will also call on your doctor or hospital to try and get the amounts reduced for you, with your permission of course.

I will try and explain just how the sharing and needs work at Samaritan Ministries.  Their organization has over 45,000 members and each pay a share.  For instance, in my case, since it’s only me because my husband still has insurance and Medicare, my share is $180 each month.  I believe a couple would be $360 a month. God’s word encourages us to help each other out,  it’s a biblical principal.  Every month when individuals send in a need to Samaritan Ministries they publish it in a newsletter so that others can pray for them.  Then they will send out statements to each of us letting us know where to send our monthly share.  When all the checks finally came in that particular month for my need, I was excited and just thanked God for this ministry, it worked!  I also received many cards and prayers with those checks which blessed me each and every day I opened the mailbox.   

The other thing I need to mention is that the first $300 is your portion for each need that you have, for instance, my total bill was $3680 but I received only $3380 from others shares.  There are a few other medical procedures that they do not allow as needs such as physicals or abortions so you need to check the website for more information, if you are interested.

You also receive a list of the individuals who are going to send you money so you can add the date, amount and check number of the money received and send off to Samaritan.  You can do this by mail or on the website.  It’s a great check and balances for them. 

I give glory to God in all this and thank each and every individual who sent me a note of encouragement.  It sure meant a lot to me. Everyone I talked to at Samaritan Ministries was always so helpful and concerned for my well being, they were such a blessing to me. This ministry may not be for everyone, but for me, it’s exactly what I needed at the time.  If it is something you might be interested in here is the website: www.samaritanministries.org

I don’t know what the future brings, only God knows that.  But what I do know is that there are other options out there besides Obamacare for a lot less money.  Until next time, never take your health for granated.  Eat good healthy foods, get good sleep take a walk every now and then and keep God first in your life.  If you do your part - God will do His!

Love ya!

Never ever take your health for granted!!!!!

Hello everyone! We are having a very mild winter here in the Pacific Northwest.  The temp today is supposed to be in the high 50's possibly 60 degrees, unheard of in January, but we will take it.  The sun is shining and I can't wait to take a walk on our trail for some needed exercise.

The reason for this post today is to encourage everyone to stay healthy!.  My goal for the last year has been to do just that, until Sunday evening came along.  My husband had to take me to the hospital emergency because my blood pressure and heart rate was pretty high for me.  It was 202/110 with a pulse of 133.  Mind you I was just sitting, had not done any exercise or anything for that matter.  I was a little scared and I believe the anxiety that I was feeling was actually causing my numbers to be higher every time I took my blood pressure reading.  The other sign that something was wrong was feeling overly tired.  I had just spoken to my mom in Texas on the phone and had told her I was hanging up because I felt really tired that afternoon.  The other thing was feeling my heart beating so very fast.

So to make a long story short, the Dr. at the hospital immediately asked the nurses to start blood work, an EKG, plus a chest E-Ray.  After those results came back he was a little perplexed because all were totally normal.  He then began an IV of sodium/choride to help bring my blood pressure down and that certainly did the triick.  In about an hour my blood pressure was down to 140/80 with a 75 pulse.  I was so glad that it had not been a heart attack or clots.  I guess now when they run blood work on you they immediately check for blockage, so I was happy those numbers came back negative.  So he told me to see my regular Dr. the next day for a plan as to how to treat my high blood pressure.  Next day I did just that, I am now on an anti-anxiety/blood pressure medication for a bit.  She is checking my blood pressure again in 2 weeks to see how I am doing, then another follow up in a month.  I guess we can have times when we do not realize that we have anxiety, I certainly didn't.  I wasn't going through any stress that I could think of.  But maybe it was a sign that I needed to exercise and walk more.  I had been on a get healthier kick for a while, even started taking more vitamin supplements which the Dr. said could have been part of the problem.  One of my multi-vitamins Centrum for women has extra vitamin B-12, like a lot more than your daily requirement.  Since vitamin B-12 is an energy booster it's possible this could have made my heart go faster.

They are not positive on what brought on the high blood pressure, but one thing is for sure,  I am so thankful that it was not more serious.  I prayed to our Heavenly Father that evening and thanked him from the bottom of my heart that they caught it and nothing else happened.  It's those times that you feel so vulnerable, so helpless because our life is not ours.  We are in His hands and I certainly felt a peace about that, but for my family I was so afraid, especially for my husband Larry.  After his heart operation last year we certainly rely on each other for so much now, we are connected and take good care of each other.  I knew he was a little worried about me as well. 

So I will be sticking to my original plan of getting healthier, after this episode I am much more serious about sticking to it. I have discontinued drinking diet cokes and caffeine.  I also am stopping the Centrum and going back to my regular multi-vitamins with much less V-B-12. I also do not eat fast food at all.  I try to eat only fresh fruits and vegetables with meals and hardly any carbs, due to the fact that Larry is diabetic so he can't have that very often, if we do they are smaller portions.  I have cut back on cookies and candy, which is really hard for me since I used to eat a cookie before going to bed, that was something I really enjoyed.  I now eat a tangerine or half of an apple.  Larry has a membership to the local gym so he goes everyday to work out, I am so proud of him for that.  I walk on our treadmill and or we take walks in our neighborhood when weather is nice.

My encouraging words to you are this; if you do not already have a plan for getting healthier - start now! It is so important to do this.  Stay active and eat food that is good for you, and get good sleep.  If you are serious about it pray for God to give you the strength and abilities to carry the plan out.  He has certainly encouraged me to keep doing it, this little bump in the road is just that a bump, possibly a walk-up call not to take my health for granted.  I urge you to talk to your kids about good health, especially if they are young to help establish good eating and exercise habits.  I wish I had done this when I was younger.  The good news is I am not a candidate for high blood pressure because I am not over weight,  don't smoke or abuse alcohol and I am active, but sometimes when high blood pressure is in our genes there isn't a whole lot we can do about that.  My mom and some of my family members have high blood pressure so it does run in the family.  So we have to do the best with what we are dealt with and try to control it and stay healthy.

Today is the day the Lord has made, I will be glad and rejoice in it.  It's only by God's grace and his amazing Love that I am here, so I will make the best of it - hope you will too!!

Be blessed and do take good care of yourself!

Will the Seahawks do it again in Superbowl 49?

Having lived in the Pacific Northwest, Whidbey Island to be exact, for the last 28 years, I can honestly say that I have not been a Seahawk fan for a very long time.  My favorite football team of all time, will always be the Dallas Cowboys, since I grew up in south Texas.  But, last year when the Seahawks won the title I began to take a second look at this very driven and young team.  They were so pumped up and were not taking any prisoners. Their games were so impressive they were able to energize my spirit for the game again. So, after the Dallas Cowboys were defeated by the Green Bay Packers last week, my attention quickly turned to the Seahawks. 

I faithfully watched the Sunday game between the Packers and the Seahawks and at first with sorrow and much disappointment, up until the third quarter.  I prayed for favor for each of those young men, especially Russell Wilson, who was not having a very good game day.  As I watched in anticipation, I began to feel a sense of relief, that things were going to turn around.  They did, Wow! Was the only thing I could think to say as well as “Thank you Jesus”.  I texted my daughter who had also pretty much given up on this game as well, she was beside herself.  The Seahawks began to play with confidence, grace and determination. The onside kick that converted to the kicker throwing for a touchdown was unbelievable.  Then they were down by 12 points with only minutes to go in the game, Russell Wilson walks a touchdown in the end zone.  Amazing.  Then they went on to win the game in overtime 28 to 22.  Incredible, seemed impossible at first, but that is when I knew God’s hands were in this game.

What I took away from this game was not just excitement for the team because they are now going to the Superbowl, but my faith was strengthened by the fact that after the game was over and they had won, the team, lead by Wilson who by the way was weeping profusely,  they all began to pray.  When he was being interviewed by a reporter, and in tears he said, “God is good all the time”. Those words, not only Glorified our Heavenly Father, but they boosted my faith in Him.  It was only by His grace that they won the game.  Yes, they are all excellent athletes, the best of the best.  But without God we are nothing and Wilson and some of those Seahawks know this all too well.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

I have a whole new appreciation for those Seahawks, and if they place their trust in God, who knows just how far they will go in years to come. 

You ask me if I think they will win the Superbowl?  My answer is: “they are already winners in my book”.

Go Seahawks!

The after Christmas blues....why does this happen?

Merry Christmas everyone!!! It's only a few days after the big day and some of you out there may be feeling the after Christmas blues.  I know, because I certainly have in past years.  I remember one year, and this was a long time ago, because I had not really heard from some of my family members, I hurt so bad I just wanted to run to a corner and cry.  Those were the days when Satan had a hold of me.  Yes he did and by God's grace he is never going to do that again.  See I used to listen to what thoughts Satan placed in my mind about how my family was jealous of me and that they didn't really care about me.  These were lies from the enemy, but after reading scripture and truly walking with the Holy Spirit,  I have learned that was not the case at all.  Yes, there may also be jealousy or bitterness on their part for something I said or did in my past, but I refuse to go backwards.  I want to live for the future and what God has in store for me.  Picking at old wounds only makes them bleed over and over again, and that is no way to live at all. Besides, we have been forgiven by Almighty God, if our own friends or family cannot forgive us, well then that certainly is not our problem.

People show love in other ways and not everyone is the same. I now pray for them and hope that the spirit of God will be in their hearts, and that they will experience the peace of God.  That is so important to me, having that peace means everything, because even when things are not good in a relationship, the spirit of God will comfort and keep you strong and the enemy will not get his way.  I will keep encouraging those I love, keep on loving them unconditionally and hope and pray that their lives will reflect the peace of God always.

Being truthful with yourself is so a very important, looking inside and figuring out what your motives are is what God wants us to do on a daily basis. To walk in love by showing God's love to others should be our main goal, not what we are going to get that day. It's taken me a long time to finally get that,  I realize that I will never please everyone, my only goal is to please God.  Then we have to remember that God's mercy and love is new each and every day.....which is what keeps me strong in my faith.

So, there are other things that bring on the Christmas blues, one is the cleaning up after all the festivities.  I had my family over for Christmas eve dinner and exchanging our gifts, it was so much fun.  But the mess afterwards at least in the kitchen, well was not fun at all.  My grand kids, bless their little hearts cleaned up the living room and put away all the wrappings, that was so nice and thoughtful of them.  I have been blessed with a wonderful family and I see God in each and every one of their hearts!

Then there are the blues you may feel when you did not receive what you truly wanted for Christmas.  Well I do not have any experience in this area, because since I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior,  I received that awesome gift of salvation, which is exactly what I needed, and that makes me not want anything else.   What an awesome gift it truly is, and it comes from loving and believing in Jesus Christ.  Each year it just keeps getting better and better and my love for him keeps growing.

I hope you are filled with joy because of what Jesus did for us, and not so much because of the gifts.  May your hearts be filled with the love of God for others and may 2015 be the best year ever in your finances, your relationships and in everything that God brings forth in your life.  God's grace be with you all, and a great big Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!!!

What does humility really mean?

Good question! Our Pastor in our church this past Sunday demonstrated the very act Jesus performed over two thousand years ago with his disciples, he washed the feet of three of our church leaders.  He washed the feet of an older very wise lady, of an African American gentlemen who does so much for our community, and a Hispanic gentleman who spreads the word of God to others like there was no tomorrow.  These three have given their lives to bring others to the Lord and our Pastor humbly washed their feet and prayed for them at the 9:00 service.  Wow this is humility at it's best!

I constantly ask God to humble me especially when I start to feel greed or bad feelings start to stir up in my spirit.  See lately my relationship with two of my sisters has been strained.  I don't understand their animosity towards me because I have always tried my best to show them love and respect and have shown them grace. But for some reason that grace does not find it's way back to me.  They are in my prayers constantly and what the Lord has shown me through this ordeal is humility.  He reminded me of James 4:10 "Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it".…bingo!! So, I got the message Lord, I am trying and with the help of the Holy Spirit I know I can overcome anything that comes my way.  Amen.  So I will love them from afar and will only want the best for them. Thank you Jesus for your word and how it helps me to be lifted when I am feeling sad or hurt.  You are my strength.

Now I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.  It's going to be a great year - a year closer to seeing our Lord and Savior - Blessings to you all.

As Fall arrives so does my "art fabric panels" for all your sewing projects!!

Hello fellow bloggers, it's been a while since I posted on here and feel like I am so behind the eight ball.  Well today I am so excited to announce that some my "art fabric panels" are now available at "In Stitches Quilt Shoppe", in Anacortes, Wa.  As you recall a few posts ago I introduced a photo of a pillow I created using one of my digital oil paintings fabric panels.  Well, after this I did more research and with God's grace and help, I am now selling these to local quilt and sewing shops.  "In Stitches" will carry these exclusively in Anacortes, so be sure to stop in, say hello and check them out!  This is such a friendly shoppe to visit and they have everything you can possibly need to sew any project imaginable.  When you walk into the shoppe you are instantly drawn to all the beautiful sample quilts and projects on display.  My art panels are their "newest" fabrics for sale, so they created a gorgeous art panel displaying them all.  "In Stitches" also now carries six of my Pacific NW Lighthouse fabric panels as well.  So if you need some inspiration for your next sewing project do stop in or shop online, they will truly keep you In Stitches!!!

My art and photo panels on display at "In Stitches Quilt Shoppe"

Get inspired in this fun quilt shoppe!

Pacific NW Lighthouse fabric panels available at "In stitches Quilt Shoppe"

 

 

Happy Fall & Happy Sewing everyone!!!!!!!