MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'blessings'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:51:37 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696889&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fwoman-in-scarlet.html She was born on Easter and you would imagine her anything but a woman of scarlet. Or flowers, for that matter. Similar to me, her namesake of sorts, she loved them but didn't have many around. Born and raised on the lonesome windswept prairie outside Aberdeen, South Dakota, the flowers of her childhood were the wild roses, thistles, and fields of gold just after planting, before the crops choked out the flowers and surrounded her with corn and wheat.She had plenty of spunk, but in the quiet post-Great Depression, committed housewife and mother sense. Every now and then you got a glimpse of that spark, in the flash of her eyes as she shot a sarcastic remark back at Grandpa Al, when she giggled long until she went into fits of coughing over some silly joke; in the pack of cigarettes in her p... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696889 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:38:00 +0100 4696889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670310&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fweekends-are-for-cousins.html Crying cousins, waiting for Mama's milk to come home, sick of applesauce...Silly cousins playing "library" on the couch at 10 a.m....Stoic cousins trying not to smile for the camera....And joy breaking through before the shutter quits clicking!May your weekend be filled with joys unexpected,muddy floors,outdoor hours in the spring sun,smelling the earth warming,watching those around you growing like weeds. (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670310 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:42:00 +0100 4670310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631621&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Frest-in-exhaustion.html It's one of those mornings when night gives way to dawn too soon, and we drag ourselves out of bed tired, pull the sleeping arms of children off our necks, and slide woolen stockinged feet over to the devotion chairs, our own private retreat in a bedroom too small. Crack spines on Bibles and open homework for our recovery group, and pray together. Interrupted as usual, half-way through, by the pitter-patter of feet coming to claim breakfast for growling tummies, the toddler-baby clamoring for a few more minutes cuddling under down with Mama.The moon meets the rising sun across the cobalt sky, the stars shut out by the glistening dawn on newfallen stone. The big crater there feels like the hole in my heart, hungry always for more time with my lover and more time with the Lover of my soul.&n... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631621 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:02:00 +0100 4631621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592645&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Ftrain-date-with-cousins.html ("diddle diddle dumpling, my son John,one shoe off, and one shoe on...")Excerpted from my gratitude journal this busy Monday morning, #200-239:#207 Mohawks are back - reminding me of brothers#210 Lies being dismantled#211 Katy reading devotions with my parents#213 Frost turning trees into diamonds#216 Baby brothers#220 More questions than answers means life is never boring#221 The blackness of an almost frozen creek#224 Fear of death makes every moment ALIVE sweeter#230 Dissertation proposal PASSING!#231 Reading the Gospels for Lent#237 The largeness of my suffering reveals the awesome provision of a powerful God (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592645 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:14:00 +0100 4592645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489932&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Ftheirs-ours.html Dressing in red just made sense, so that is how we started the day.Red velvet cupcakes when you had red velvet pancakes for breakfast = pink poop! (Just a little something to look forward to - at least one of my girls DID!)My mama hosted the kids for a Valentine's evening party.Heart decor and all.And Aaron and I went home and I made these while he cooked seafood:Truffles1/3 c heavy cream6 Tb butter, sliced2 c dark chocolate chips or 1 1/2 c bittersweet or Baker's chocolate1/8-1 tsp of several different liquorsWe chose Drambuie, homemade vanilla extract (the Jack Daniels bottle),and Kuhlua.And, just for me, Absolut Peppar.Heat cream on high in small saucepan until just simmering.Reduce heat to medium.Add butter and stir constantly until melted.Add chocolate and stir until just me... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489932 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:34:00 +0100 4489932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460148&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fthing-of-beauty-is-joy-forever.html We talk on the phone for hours, usually, and this time just 15 minutes. But this dear, far-away friend passed on the name of a little book - 31 Days of Praise - that is reshaping my winter. It does for your soul what the wheel blocks in the car wash do for your car: locks you into place, a certain trajectory, so that you can be scrubbed clean again. Praise is the scrub brush.For rashy pink cheeks in afternoon sun, for a boy still sleeping after I sneak my arm out from under his blond head, I praise you.For cousin's hands aching for his own baby, filled for the moment with a new nephew. For the soft texture of a baby's sweater and the glow of Christmas trees still lit in late January, I praise you.For yellow frosting and the small motor skills to frost cookies, I praise you.For buns in litt... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460148 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 04:38:00 +0100 4460148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4327050&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fday-of-sweet-rejoicing.html Skye and Smoky cuddling - Smoky's eyes like jasper in the sun. It has been a fun weekend with my aunts and uncle. I am going to my parents Sunday night to stay, and then over to my house around 6 a.m.!The reunion is the silver lining to the separation! I miss my little stinkers and can't wait to squeeze them. I was thinking back to other reunions (this is our 4th time through this) and I know from experience I can't plan to get anything accomplished tomorrow...other than sitting still and letting myself be smothered by the pile of kids that follows me like little steel babies to the mother magnet. Click here if you want to read old posts about previous homecomings.So today, rejoice with me?Their very first independent snowman - no help from parents!Praise God, from whom all blessings ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4327050 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 11:01:00 +0100 4327050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305070&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwarmth-for-this-hard-winter.html I bought it second hand for a Moroccan Valentine's dinner. Never used it much. Until my heart started beating wildly and coffee made me ever so much worse. I traded my morning coffee for morning tea...given me by a best friend totally out of the blue, the only tea one should ever drink, in my opinion! And now my pot steams warm and splendid every morning and again in the afternoon, and my children ask for oatmeal and we make it, hot and comforting, with tea pot water ever so much more easily than boiling in a pot (why??). And I see His hand as we discover new delights because He "hedges" our way with trials. What a family He is making us!Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4This is the day which the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!Psalm ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305070 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:12:00 +0100 4305070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275555&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Ffew-of-my-favorite-things.html This picture.Ham dinner tonight with our little family.Then...gift opening!!It is one of my favorite days of the entire year.Praise God for this holiday! How I long for the day when He comes again, and miracles explode all over the earth, the sky is afire with His glory, and we will see Him face to face. (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275555 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:17:00 +0100 4275555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272506&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Ffar-above-rubies.html Her children arise and call her blessed. (Proverbs 31:28)She's the kind of mother who bakes cookies with the grandkids one day...and frosts with them the next.The toddlers get their own container of frosting.And her beautiful hands are always ready to help with the task.Never mind the mess.We can clean that up, right?Even though I'm older now, and I'm better at passing on the compliments swirling around my brain, I'm pretty sure she still doesn't hear it enough...she is the best mother in the world, and has made my life easier, more beautiful, and full of joy.Thank you for the wonderful weekend, Mama and Papa! (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272506 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:19:00 +0100 4272506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203290&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fi-am-thankful.html For beautiful friends and the beautiful hands that serve us in love...For dancing on sunny days when our hearts are drenched in the rain of sorrow...For peace that passes understanding...For unbridled joy no matter the circumstances...For what He gives...(nephews)(nieces)(cousin-twins)And what He takes away...(aunts)(babies)(health)For sustaining us through the worst of times...For healing...For making the sun rise and set and bringing beauty to our lives each and every day.Thanks be to God, our Provider, Lover, and Friend.Happy Thanksgiving, America! (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203290 Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:53:00 +0100 4203290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172299&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fparents-trapped-in-hospital.html We are on our way home today, so I am re-posting something from the archives! Of course, I've added a few touches from the added experience of the past week. As well as photos. This yellow wheelchair has been in the hallway our entire stay, and as I hurriedly rush out to get water or milk for Amy, I have seriously wondered if an angel can impersonate a wheelchair. Even in my darkest moments here, this wheelchair has brought a smile to my face. If I ever become an invalid, I am ordering myself one of these!Ever have a friend whose child is hospitalized? I found an excellent resource online shortly after my son Caleb was unexpectedly hospitalized for a week last April. This list of things to put in a gift basket for a parent whose child is in the hospital is just about perfect. My friend Hea... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172299 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:02:00 +0100 4172299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134162&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fblazing.html Have you ever met the lone golden tree on the dark hill of deadwood?  A few burnt umber oaks flame distant.  The bare white of the birches long naked in the autumn sun punctuate the darkness of the forested hill.  That yellow is a breath-taking splash of color on a sea of monochromatic monotony.A Christian can stand alone, like the yellow tree on the hill. It is an unexpected pleasure to meet these blazing-aspen Christians at some secular event, discover the jewel of joy they store like hidden treasure deep within. I've met a few in the past few weeks - unexpected gifts in my day from my Father from whom all blessings flow. They've grown afraid of letting Him flame off their lips, this Truth they know. Tentative, they mince through the conversation with you until they f... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134162 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:30:00 +0100 4134162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055922&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Falways-goodor-never-good.html We know from all his writings that Paul trusted not only that God is sovereign, but also that his character is faithful and good (1 Thessalonians 5:24). It's critical for Christians to believe this, too. Why? Because without these additional attributes, we could view an absolutely sovereign God as a potential big bully. If I can't trust that God is always good and faithful, then God goes on trial with each particular circumstance of my life. I become the doubter who's like the waves of the sea, always being tossed about (James 1:6).Of course, it's easy to say I'm confident that God's faithful when I've escaped a negative situation, but is he still faithful when the friend I've lifted up in prayer for more than 30 years has never returned to faith in Jesus? Or when I was diagnosed with brea... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055922 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4055922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987095&cid=t_163291_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F21%2Fproof-positive-not-negatively-oriented-therapy-the-cure-for-happiness%2F “Misery loves company and our company loves misery.” –I.M. Kidding, NOT founder The happiness movement has reached epidemic proportions. It is now constantly in the news, and more blogs, journals and websites are featuring outcome studies indicating that happiness is within our grasp. Too many scientists, teachers and practitioners are pointing the way to cheerfulness. Where is it all going to end? Right here. Negatively Oriented Therapy (NOT) is specifically designed to blunt and reverse happiness. Here is an excerpt from a book we are working on that we have little or no hope of getting published. Stumbling on Misery is not likely to see the light of day. But this would be the introduction. Here are the top 10 ways to get you into, or help you maintain, a foul mood. Dwell on... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987095 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:25:10 +0100 3987095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889277&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fcarpe-diem.html I suppose something titled "Carpe diem" is an inevitability on a cancer blog.  But the reality of this age-old truth hit me in a new way yesterday.  "Carpe diem" is a theme in Scripture, which can be found in II Chronicles 15:7, II Corinthians 5, and, more laconically, in Ecclesiastes 9:10.  Yesterday, I traveled back to the hustle and bustle of the only city I've ever called home, Minneapolis.  It's no big secret that I am a country girl, although I was born near the heart of downtown Minneapolis.  My earliest memories are from my parents hobby farm in rural central Minnesota, and I remember the confines of Grand Forks seemed stifling during my childhood. After graduating from college, I found a great job at a great university hospital in Minneapolis, moved a... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889277 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:39:00 +0100 3889277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816663&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fshape-of-my-eye-changed-because-of.html The shape of my eye changed because of a physical hardship: I hit a toilet with my head, with my eyes open, and my eyeball got smashed.  I don't know yet if the effects are permanent, but I do know one thing: it has changed my focus.  Literally.  I focus my camera just as I always have, but because the "perspective" in my eye itself has changed, what I see looks...different.  There is more blur.  Almost like I am less attached to the subject.  Yet more art?I've admired a few photographers for years: the one I love most is Amy Glover, first a professional alliance, then friend, then the woman who discipled me, and now fellow artist.  The allegory between art and soul is so complete, it's almost too good to be true.  Just as I've followed the "perspect... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816663 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:51:00 +0100 3816663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786247&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fcircle.html She was my mother's friend; she received Christ through my parent's college ministry; she was my babysitter. Even at 4, I envied her blond curls and carefree ways with people.  She is one of my childhood heroes.I remember exactly how I felt inside when she handed me her bouquet for this photo taken at her wedding.  Like someone had just really loved me in a way I never expected.  I remember watching my mother hand-stitch the last details of the wedding dress sewed in the wee hours the night before the big day.  Mama sewed my dress, too.  And the little suits my brothers wore.Her kids were born, the first a friend-twin for my youngest baby brother.  I lived for 12 years in baby heaven, from Jared's arrival when I was 6, until I quit babysitting the 6 York kids ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786247 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:52:00 +0100 3786247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780403&cid=t_163291_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Fthe-old-man-and-his-horse%2F A few people lately have reminded me of the Chinese parable “The Old Man and His Horse.” You’ve probably heard it. I publish it here not to say that all your problems are actually blessings. But what can often seem like a misfortune can turn into a very good thing. I’ve seen this happen lately and it gives me hope that there’s more lemonade ahead for me. The Old Man and his Horse (a.k.a. Sai Weng Shi Ma) Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before — such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength. People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This ho... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780403 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:52:35 +0100 3780403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780532&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Finside-there-is-silver.html Yesterday was another day wasted spent at the doctor.  My headache isn't improving yet, and my double vision and the glowing aura in my vision became markedly worse yesterday, probably because I am spending so much time staring at a screen to revise my comprehensive exam.  The eye doctor gave me good news and bad: my double vision is due to a brand new astigmatism, thanks to changes in my eye shape from the fracture in my eye orbit and the impact to my eye.  Based on his findings in my eye 2 weeks after the fact, this doctor believes I hit the toilet with my eyes open and sustained impact right to my eyeball itself (even I, the oblivious and impervious nurse, find this somehow quite gross).  So I need glasses, for short distance stuff especially, at least for a few week... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780532 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:32:00 +0100 3780532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599699&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Ffar-from-painful.html You may imagine that I am suffering on my fairly strict no sugar/no starch diet. Much to my own surprise, I have found exactly the opposite is true! I tried a similar diet in college, in an attempt to control my fainting episodes, which at that time were thought to be linked to drops in blood sugar. I wasn't successful...I think probably because I couldn't afford enough protein to satisfy my insatiable hunger as a busy student athlete. Now...with a half of a cow in the freezer - all natural, primarily grassfed at that! - it is quite a different story.Last night, my meal was steak, a large mixed herb salad with homemade buttermilk curry dressing, and steamed artichoke with yogurt-curry and drawn butter & thyme sauce for dipping. (cultured dairy products are allowed on this special diet)... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599699 Wed, 26 May 2010 10:41:00 +0100 3599699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592384&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fout-of-ordinary.html Weekends are often outside the ordinary.This weekend more than most.Drive-in movies on Friday, munching popcorn coated in real butter. Even though it was 40 degrees and raining.(In adventures such as these, we teach our children to revelin unexpected joy found in inopportune moments of wonder.)Saturday: a sun-soaked day at Grandma's. The men are gonefishing in the semi-arctic at Cass Lake. The children and womenstay behind, and paint rainbows in the late afternoon sun. We make messes that normally wouldn't be allowed - and laugh about them. (In celebrating moments of beauty swimming in chaosand mess, we teach our children a different path to theworship He commands. We teach them to see His fingerprints in a cursed and clanging world.) A weekend full of adventure.A weekend full of tenderne... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592384 Sat, 22 May 2010 14:57:00 +0100 3592384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3570037&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fsundays-are-for-family.html A happy family is but an earlier heaven.~ John Bowring ~"Family Sunday" was instituted a few years ago by my parents, who sensed change in the air as some of my siblings started to move farther away from home in pursuit of career, family, mission. It has been a joy to have these days set apart for family games, meals together, and conversation. People have asked me time and time again how I got to this place of faith at such a young age. Herein lies the answer: it was passed down to me from my parents. Not just the church-going habit...way beyond reading Bible stories, or singing songs...see in this video the beauty and warmth of a million choices to serve Him daily with hearts and hands. See the imponderable joy, grace, love that shines in their home today. (And oh, yes - do try to ignore... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3570037 Mon, 17 May 2010 14:58:00 +0100 3570037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556351&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fbabies-for-mothers-day.html One from the new batch of kittens, born on Mother's Day.One year ago: Scarlet with her litter mates - bottle fed for6 weeks! Now she is a mom, too.I received a long-awaited, lovely surprise on Mother's Day: the cat I bottle-fed nearly from birth had her own litter of kittens in our basement on Mother's Day while we were away! They are teensy yet - as small as Katy's hand, and mostly tiger striped in grays and blacks. One sweet one looks just like our Alley Cat (yes, that was her name) who died shortly after giving birth last summer. She is black and white spotted, very cute. I've made a few changes to my blog, on the right sidebar. People often contact me for the titles of book or names of songs I've quoted here. I've added a place where recent songs can be played and purchased through Ama... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556351 Tue, 11 May 2010 17:58:00 +0100 3556351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546994&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Ffloating.html For this little girl, the best medicine is and always has been the bath. She had two seizures on Friday and took 4 baths. I reveled in the unbroken beauty of her spirit and her lithe figure, even in illness. She is preserved, so completely. Happy mother's day!Reminds me that, in addition to our brains and our science and our technological advances, we were first given herbs, wine, bread, oil (Psalm 104). The smallest blessings (running water, heated water, a large antique clawfoot tub) are sometimes the grandest life has to offer.He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realise just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546994 Sun, 09 May 2010 11:47:00 +0100 3546994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542840&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fsorrow-may-endure-for-night.html Summer was looking pretty bleak, a few hours ago. The consummate pleasures of we Northern dwellers crescendo in the summer months...gardening, running around barefoot, swimming, the long shadows of afternoon sun glinting on aluminum softball bats, and the crickets song in evening. How much of that can you revel in, fighting cancer?Deliverance.Freedom."Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."Aaron gave me a painting yesterday with four words in it: Dream big. [permission granted] And that's what God just did: permitted us to turn again to dreams. The pathology on the 2 inch tumor they removed yesterday came back, miraculously, benign. Which means a summer with hair, a summer without chemo or radiation or vomiting or slowly growing old. A summer without dying from cance... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542840 Thu, 06 May 2010 18:09:00 +0100 3542840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524431&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmay-day.html Faced with the question yesterday morning - "to sort laundry or not to sort laundry" - I chose the latter. Instead, we had an amazing late spring day, just the kids and I. Aaron has been in at work continuously - again, I wonder, blessing or trial? Can't even seem to sort the blessings from the trials in this confusing time. A reader here commented that it always seems like someone is deathly ill, and there is very little real life in our household. Yet it is there...crammed in every moment we are not separated by illness or the burdens of work that pile up when we are pulled away unexpectedly to tend hospital stays or diagnostic tests.We are living life differently now than ever before. My children have been asking lately why our family is in the hospital and other families never go there... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524431 Sun, 02 May 2010 17:24:00 +0100 3524431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425096&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fmy-burning-bush.html Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;but his delight is in the law of the Lord,and in His law he meditates day and night.He shall be like a treeplanted by the rivers of water, hat brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. ~ Psalm 1 ~Across the road, down the valley, where the trees grow tall next the little silver thread of Big Elk Creek, there is one lone birch that shimmers every evening in the sunset. Through March and April, this tree of diamonds delights my soul every day as I go through the hard work of keeping children content and cooking dinner, all at the same time. It is by far the most difficult hour of the day for m... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425096 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:06:00 +0100 3425096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318435&cid=t_163291_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F01%2Fproof-positive-counting-your-blessings%2F The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles. – William Penn Normally I’m known as a “nice guy:” easygoing, fair, pretty calm and generally happy. But several years ago I planned a weekend conference on psychodrama that unglued me. Planning the conference took six months and included the usual things; arranging for a block of rooms, guaranteeing registrants, coordinating lunches and dinners, and keeping the cost down wherever I could. As a clinical professor, the presentations and training itself were easy. I could lecture and demonstrate the use of role-playing in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, show videos of how to apply group principles to people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities, and demonstrate the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318435 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:12:00 +0100 3318435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3223474&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Ffun-filled-weekend.html Aaron and I are off to a conference on love this weekend. Then a wedding (I'm assuming the focus of that will also be love). Fun is fun...but it can also be exhausting! My pain made a major resurgence the last day of vacation, and continues today. Wondering how I will make it through a 14 hour day tomorrow, and how Percocet will affect my ability to soak up the conference. Prayers, please? (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3223474 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:04:00 +0100 3223474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197857&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fgod-highjacks-our-happenstances.html My marriage was recently revolutionized when I made a simple choice for the betterment of our children's sleep. For years, Aaron has assured me that my late nights don't disrupt our marriage at all. So I've taken him at his word, and stayed up to accomplish most of my housework and schoolwork during my peak energy hours, 10 p.m. to midnight. But the hustle and bustle - and even the clicking of the computer keys - seemed to be disrupting Caleb's circadian rhythm, and I made the difficult choice to attempt to accomplish things during the children's nap instead of after they were put to bed. The difficulty arose mostly from the fact that I really enjoy a nap with my children, usually several times a week. However, perhaps that nap is why I don't feel tired when the rest of the family does, be... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197857 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:22:00 +0100 3197857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180387&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fweekend-treats.html Yesterday was Friday, and like many Fridays, it was a day of rushing about and finishing up the weeks busyness. Caleb clogged up the wheels by coming down with a violent case of strep throat in the middle of the preceding night, keeping both parents up with his raging 105 degree temperature and fussiness. The doctor at urgent care was only too happy to give us some antibiotics. Funny how "acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" begins to fade into the background noise of normal; the doctors at the U of M don't seem nearly as concerned. When you go back to your country doctors, though, they take notice! That urgent care doctor provided me with his cell phone number in case Amy should develop symptoms, so that antibiotics for her are only a phone call and a Walgreens trip away over the weekend... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180387 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:35:00 +0100 3180387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3135686&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fopening-hands-to-receive.html Ring out the old, ring in the new,Ring, happy bells, across the snow:The year is going, let him go;Ring out the false, ring in the true.Ring out old shapes of foul disease,Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;Ring out the thousand wars of old,Ring in the thousand years of peace.Ring in the valiant man and free,The larger heart, the kindlier hand;Ring out the darkness of the land,Ring in the Christ that is to be.~ from Ring Out, Wild Bells, by Alfred, Lord TennysonSurgery is canceled. I just got the phone call from the doctor. After several reviews of the ultrasound, the radiologists feel that the area of question on my ovary is resolving. It would be silly to take out a perfectly healthy ovary. So as of right now, I don't even need follow up with the gynecology team. I should be dancing aro... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3135686 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:18:00 +0100 3135686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012595&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fstepping-in-right-direction.html We have had a wonderful week getting to know our "old" Amelia while she is on steroids. The neurologist calls daily to check on her progress. Keep those prayers coming! (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012595 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:34:00 +0100 3012595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931264&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fmiraculous-unbounded-kindness.html Less than 0.05% of women get pregnant in the first 18 months following a tubal ligation, permanent female sterilization. The surgery I had in late May, 2008. I'm guessing very few of those 5 women in every 10,000 underwent cancer treatment in the same 18 month interval. I knew before I took the test, this was one miracle that was going to knock my socks off, knock me right off my feet, most likely. After weeks of waiting in vain for a sign that I wasn't pregnant, I finally caved and took a home pregnancy test at 4 this morning. And I stood, staring at the two pink lines, thinking, "God, I can't believe you sometimes! I just can't believe this! I can't believe this!"Less than 30 days ago, as I pondered the upcoming adoptions some friends are undertaking alongside our own stalemate on the ad... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931264 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:58:00 +0100 2931264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912501&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fhow-well-i-know-what-i-mean-to-do-when.html How well I know what I mean to doWhen the long dark autumn-evenings come:And where, my soul, is thy pleasant hue?With the music of all thy voices, dumbIn life's November too!...the whole is well worth thinking o'erWhen autumn comes: which I mean to doOne day, as I said before. ~ Robert Browning, By the Fire-Side ~My local cardiologist is so wonderful. He looked over all the records from Mayo, and was befuddled by their decision not to diagnose me with orthostatic intolerance. That is the diagnosis he gave me today, after reviewing the test results from Mayo. He is loathe to treat me, as the treatments can be worse than the illness. I tend to agree! The main factor that seems to exacerbate my symptoms is the hypothyroidism prior to my radioactive iodine scans... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912501 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:18:00 +0100 2912501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858868&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Flest-i-forget.html Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;Moment by moment I’ve life from above;Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.Never a trial that He is not there,Never a burden that He doth not bear,Never a sorrow that He doth not share,Moment by moment, I’m under His care.~ Daniel Whittle, 1893 ~ (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858868 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:35:00 +0100 2858868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858882&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fsilver-lining.html Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light~ Precious Lord, Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932 (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858882 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0100 2858882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858885&cid=t_163291_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fmagical-moment.html Rarity brings pleasure; what is fleeting may be intensely enjoyed. The short life - one sun-drenched August - of these teepees made of beans in Grandma's garden has not lessened their magic.So, remove grief and anger from your heartand put away pain from your body,because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.Ecclesiastes 11:10 (Source: Turquoise Gates) Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858885 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:25:00 +0100 2858885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1134032&cid=t_163291_151_f&fid=35793&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejunkyswife.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fgezhundheit_07.html I've been blessed by my dear friend R from Discovering Recovering in a fun new meme. Yell at me if you want to, you meme scrooges...this one is nice, and I'm blessing you whether or not you like it!Here's the rules:It’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By participating in this endeavour we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image to their sidebar if they choose to. If you recieve a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave a comment on this thread here... Heroin Addiction Codependence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1134032 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:41:00 +0100 1134032