I‘m so very grateful for Saturday this week. The only thing that would make this day better for me would be a cool, refreshing rain.
For whatever reason, the week of my birthday is always surrounded with what only could be described as chaos and turmoil.
This week was no different.
Thursday was my birthday. Over the last week, we’ve had huge home repairs, even bigger car repairs, have mourned the loss of someone we knew from our former church, and have grieved over a new life that doesn’t seem to be filled with the hope that a new birth is supposed to bring.
It’s been rough. I’m hoping with the arrival of the weekend will also come a much needed rest.
Now, onto our weekend format (which I’m sorry doesn’t get used as much as I would like!):
Remembering Your Family
July brings an excellent opportunity for family fun. If you have never tried making ice cream it is a blast. There are some very simple recipes for making homemade ice cream, even if you don’t have an ice cream freezer.
This is my favorite:
Ice Cream In A Ziplock:
Put in a sandwich size Zip-Lock bag and seal:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Place in a gallon size ziplock, the smaller bag and 2 T rock salt and ice cubes to fill the bag so that it fills the gallon bag to 3/4’s full. Shake and roll (or let the kids do it!) the filled bag over and over until frozen (about 15-20 min.)
Don’t be too concerned if the bag seems to leak a little bit and once frozen, feel free to add whatever you might have around the kitchen such as fruit, nuts, etc.
Remembering Your Body
The other thing that the July heat brings is a much needed reminder to drink lots and lots of water. The following are the facts on water found at http://www.resultsproject.net/water_facts.html
Top Water Facts
67% of the human body is water. It is almost impossible to drink to much water, although if large volumes of water are taken in a short space of time, it can provide short lived symptoms similar to being drunk
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This likely applies to an even higher percentage of entire world population.
37% of Americans have a thirst mechanism so weak, it is often mistaken for hunger.
Lack of water is the #1 cause of daytime fatigue.
Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger; fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen, or on a printed page.
Preliminary research indicates that 8 – 10 glasses of water daily could significantly ease arthritis, back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
In a University of Washington study – just one glass of water, instead of food, stopped midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied.
Drinking just 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and a person is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. In Dr’ Batmanghelidj’s book, Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, “Dr. B” argues that “water activates your body’s systems, and the lack of it causes a variety of thirst responses that we call disease.”
Drink your water girls!!!
Remembering Your Spirit
This week I’ve had a hard time not holding on to the stresses that seem to have found me from every crack and crevice.
Job comes to mind:
Job 30:20
“I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.”
NIV
If you have never read the book of Job…bless his heart, my week wouldn’t have even been one drop in the bucket of his sorrows.
The Lord sends His word like that refreshing rain that I mentioned earlier:
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
(NIV)
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
(NIV)
Habakkuk 3:17-19
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
(NIV)
Malachi 4:2
“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”
(NIV)
Lord, please send your rain!