Scary Backyard Project, part 2

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Noel and I couldn't lift the concrete grinder from the trunk of my car.  I'm too weak to carry my part of the load.  *sheepish grin* 

As usual, God totally provided!  Just as we realized that we couldn't pull the machine out.. into the complex comes Andy, our neighbor.  I'm sure we looked pretty helpless because after he parked his car, he came by to help.  *wide grin*  Yay!!!  Praise the Lord!   Two guys to lift the concrete grinder out of my car's trunk is much more effective than one guy and one weak girl.  *wink*

Now with the concrete grinder out of my car... we're READY!

Noel fights with the concrete grinder as I hold the hose out of his way.  Physically, I'm no use.  If Noel falls or the machine tips... not too much I can do.  There's no other way for me to help, so I pray.  I'll do my best to guard Noel while praying really really hard!  *sigh*  I feel really helpless and very useless right about now.  =S

Father in heaven, thank you for the opportunity to rent this machine again.  I ask that you help give Noel the strength and wisdom in managing the concrete grinder.  I ask that you guide his hands in how to approach each crease and crevasse.  Father, help guide the machine so that it runs smoothly and nothing breaks.  May the diamond grinding plate not fully wear out so we can get some money back!  *wide grin*  In Jesus' name I pray, amen!

Between periods of grinding, Noel rests while I spray water to clean the slippery silt.  Then we both squat down and take a close look at the ground to assess where still needs a little more work.  *wink*  Thank God for Noel... he really does a great job!

Upon Stephen's arrival (for those who may get confused, this Stephen is my neighbor), I go inside and chat with his wife and play with their dog, Mango.  Every now and then, I peek outside.  Wow!!!  Noel and Stephen really have this grinding thing down!!!  They take turns, one with the grinder, the other with a secondary hose to keep the dust down.  So efficient!  =D

By 2:45pm... it's DONE!!!  *drool*  The red stone inset with gray/white concrete really is beautiful.  The main part of the backyard is smoother than I ever expected!  As a bonus, we even got some money back because we only wore down the grinding plate halfway!  HURRAY!!!  *so excited*  (I love saving money!)  Important note: Stephen's technique and light touch with the concrete grinder prevented the grinding plate from getting chipped as badly this time around... leading to money back!  Heheheheee....  *happy smile*

Backyard is done!!!!  Well... almost.  I just have to grind the edges a little more with a hand grinder my dad gave me.... then it'll be finished!!!  In comparison to all the hard work Noel and Stephen did today... I did absolutely nothing!  Hehehheheee... I come up with crazy ideas... then I delegate.  *wink*

Next steps:  finish laying out the automatic watering system, clean and repaint metal shelves so that I can dangle orchids from the scaffolding, lay shade cloth so the orchids don't burn in the sun... then probably replant the veggie garden that just got demolished by the excess of 2-4 inches of sandstone mud particles.  *shock*  Who woulda thought that this project would be soooo messy! =O

Father in heaven, thank you for blessing me with the help needed to complete my extravagant projects that tend to require more work than initially expected.  *smirk*  Thank you so much for providing our neighbors, Stephen and Andy, as well as many many other friends and family and neighbors, to help with completing the surface of our backyard.  Without their help, this project wasn't going to go ANYWHERE!  I'm so happy that this year-long project is finally complete!  Hurray!!!!

Also Father, thank you for providing such a supportive hubby who is willing to help me complete these extravagant ideas that I can't complete on my own... thank you for placing into my life, my husband and partner... to work together... supportive and loving, strong and gentle. 

Thank you, Lord, for providing all that we need and more through the support of family and friends as Noel continues to search for a job.  In these 4 months with a significant decrease in income, Noel and I specifically want to honor you by continuing in our full tithes and gifts to missions as well as continuing to pay the same amount into our debts as before... To this point in time, neither Noel, nor I, have needed to dig into our savings!  Miraculously, Father, with your blessings, we are able to continue paying above and beyond into our mortgage... we are able to buy groceries without having to count the cost of each item... somehow Lord, even as we continue to give you our "first fruits" in regards to our money, trusting that you will provide... you have shown your power even in our finances!

Thank you, Father God, for the abundant peace that I can always find when I seek to follow and obey you.  Thank you for the partnership I continue to build with Noel as we face challenges together with you as our guide.

In Jesus' name I praise my Father in heaven for always providing above and beyond... amen!

Scary Backyard Project, part 1

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Just came back from renting a large concrete grinder with a 10" plate to grind down the uneven parts of our backyard.  The difference in our backyard is that we have a mix of flagstones and concrete with river pebbles imbedded into the concrete portion... really nice, but to expose the inlaid pebbles, we need to grind down the surface.  Heheheheeeee... everyone tells me that this is a "real custom project" and that "no one I know has ever done it before."

The tone in which I was told these phrases.... ummmm.... how can I say it.... sounded very... not confident.  Following those phrases were ones like "I think what you have planned will work" or "I'm not sure which rental equipment will work best for you, but this should hopefully do it."  Yeah... very convincing!  *wide grin*

I like my crazy backyard project!  When things work out... it works great!  When things go wrong... well... I've got smart people and God to back me up!  *impish grin*

The last time I rented the concrete grinder... Noel and I fully wore away the metal/diamond-coated plate until one of the bolts sheered off!  Well... that only finished like 2/3rds of our backyard and in less than 3.5 hours!

So this time around, the tool rental company was only willing to rent us their equipment on the basis that we buy a new grinding plate!  The cost!  *shudder*  But actually, they totally lost out on the deal last time... we wore out their machine so it needed to be fixed AND we demolished a brand new grinding plate... we only paid about 1/3 to 1/4 of what all that damage was worth with the rental fee.  *sheepish grin*

This time, the rental price is significantly discounted because we didn't get the equipment the whole day last time... but we pay for the grinding plate.  Still, If we break their equipment again, the manager states that they will take care of anything regarding equipment failure.  *cringe*  I don't wanna break anymore stuff!  =S

Father God, please protect us, this house, the equipment, our backyard stones and fence so that nothing breaks, gets chipped, or ruined in any way.  Father God, please protect me, Noel and Stephen as we work on the backyard together... keep us physically safe, help us be patient, have wisdom in how to use the equipment on the backyard with uneven ground, and provide us all a positive and fun-filled attitude as we work together to complete this project.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Dietary update

Sunday, June 17, 2012

One night, Noel and I were bored after dinner.  Flipping through Netflix... there's nothing good to watch!  Or at least, nothing that caught our eye.

Hmmmm... tired of scrolling through a TON of video titles... I decide that we will watch the next one that has 4 stars!

Ahhhhh... the video that we landed on is called "Fat, Sick, & nearly Dead."  Grrrrrr.... do we really have to watch this?  Sounds so boring!  *internal grumbling*  However... turned out to not be so bad.  The video's about an overweight man with medical issues... he decides to go on a veggie/fruit juice only diet.  The diet resulted in weight loss, improvement in health, and the determination to change his health life for the better.  Another guy with similar medical issues does the same process and likes how he feels so much that he convinces others to join him.

Why don't we try it?  We borrow my parents' juicer... sooooo much cleaning and looks like a lot of wasted side products.  How about the juice?  Ummm, not that bad... I couldn't live off of it though.  Nope... not happening.  *wry grin*

Recently being so tired, turns out that my red blood cell count is really really low again (7.7).  My doctor tested my iron... that was super low too!  My iron level was 12 as of June 12th.  Normal iron levels are between 40 and 160... so basically, I don't have enough iron for my body to produce red blood cells.

Okay... easy enough fix right?  I just have to eat more iron-rich foods... well, I'm eating tofu daily, beans, spinach... a lot of the main plant-based sources of iron... so if my iron levels are still low, that means that my body's not absorbing the iron I do eat.  Two reasons... I may need more vitamin C to increase my body's absorption of iron or... my body has difficulty with absorbing iron from plant products.  My other option is to eat meat.  Meat contains a more easily absorbed form of iron.  *drool*  Meat.... yummy!

The other day, I ate a single meatball my sister made... the next day... wow, I felt so alive!  *smirk*  Guess I'm a meat eater through and through huh?  Because of my iron absorption needs, I'll probably focus on re-adding small amounts of meat to my diet once or twice a week... maybe.  I'm kinda lazy in shopping and have actually gotten to love eating a more vegan-based variety of foods.  *wide grin*  Who woulda thought I'd ever say this?  =D

Lord Father God.... hehehheeee, thought I'd have fun and combine all the titles I use when I think of you... thank you for this life I have.  *hugs*  Even with the hardships and times when my body's not working quite right... I'm really enjoying it!  Thank you for this body I've been given.  Thank you for the work I'm able to complete.  Thank you for energy to make it through each day.  Thank you for my husband who shows me how much he loves me in so many different ways.  *wide grin*  Lord, I'm given so much... thank you for opening my eyes to appreciate your blessings so that I can more fully enjoy your gifts.  

You'd think I'd learn better ways to rest right?  Well Father, I'm having to re-learn it!  I'm so eager to pack my schedule, hang out with friends, see family, get chores done, and read manga... but slowly, I get drained more and more.  Father God, help me to balance my life a little... on my own, I don't have much motivation because everything interests me!  But I need rest too... so please give me the wisdom in how best to manage my life while honoring you!  As is... I use fatigue as an excuse to read manga and zone-out watching TV while flopped on the couch... but Lord, I find the most rest when I spend time with you (which I totally haven't been doing)... so Father, turn my heart around to prioritize spending time with you first, then family, then friends, then jobs and responsibilities.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.  *deep bow*

Hurray!  It's just so relaxing to live a life I don't need to worry about... to know that when I lean on my God, everything will be taken care of better than I can even imagine!  So the hard part?  Spending time with God and learning more of him so that I can better hear his voice.  I really do find it true that as I abide in my Lord Jesus Christ, I receive in abundance: peace, joy, fulfillment, hope... and the knowledge that my life is in the most capable hands ever!  What more can I want?  Well.... hehehheee... there's always a LOT of "things" I want... but so far... God's more than proven to me that he knows what I truly want and gives me the heart of my dreams... way better than getting a cheap substitution... I get gifted with gifts beyond my imagination!  And why?  Because I have a Father God who loves me so much that he delights in me regardless of my thoughts and my actions.... Yeah... you can say it... I'm spoiled!  Heheheheeeee... spoiled and proud of it!  *impish grin*

Happy Father's Day to all my Dads!  Laters!  =D

Health Update...

Monday, June 11, 2012

Hello Everyone!  Sorry for this late update... again.  I've been really tired since Bigfoot.  First week after Bigfoot, my body was reacting to cold food and cramping whenever my body temperature dropped.  Second week, dealing with nausea and increasing weakness.  This week, feeling super weak and slightly dizzy...  I'm easily out of breath when I walk fast or run up a single fight of stairs.  Sometimes, even carrying my little backpack feels like a huge weight dragging me down. *grimace*

Got my CT scan results... clear!  Got my lab work results... very anemic (hemoglobin of 7.7).  I'm just glad that my oncologist didn't require me to get a blood transfusion.  *wide grin*  Next step, I get my iron levels checked out.  The doctors will decide what to do from there.  *shrug*  I'm able to work, although not at optimum levels... so overall, I'm happy.

Enough gloomy talk... there's only so much I want to dwell on my health... or lack of it.  =D  God has provided me the ability to still work full-time.  The days I really feel tired and need to rest, somehow they fall perfectly on my days off.  Because of times I don't have strength, I appreciate and can look forward to days when I am strong.

So yeah... keep praying for me... to have wisdom in how I live and what I do... to have a positive attitude and be joyful in all situations.  I have much to live for and lots to do!  =D

Lord Father, I choose to follow you and to use my life to glorify your name.  Please give me the wisdom in how and when to expend my energy... and give me strength to follow you in what you've called me to do.  Lord, give me wisdom to not add more into my life than you want for me so that I don't get drained by my own pride and independence.

Father God, please give me the strength to continue work... to make it through each patient with a joyful smile and a heart focused on serving.  Help me be positive and trust that things I cannot do both at work, at home, at church... that Lord, you will provide an alternative or helping hand.  Lord, it's so much easier to be irritable when I'm so tired I feel like I'm on the verge of tipping over... my store of patience to any irritant is almost non-existent!  Father, give me peace of heart and your eyes so I can see others with the love that you have for each person.  Lord, help me to abide in you when I can't function well on my own.

Thank you Father, that Noel still doesn't have a job.  It's so nice to come home and have meals already prepared.  Having Noel home is a huge comfort and I'm grateful that I can relax with my husband after work... and he has both the time and energy to run the chores when I feel so tired.  =D  Heheeehehee... I have a personal nanny!  *wide grin*  (Thanks Hubby!)

Thank you, Lord, for the big and little blessings in my life... for the strength to keep going... for the 15-16 hours of sleep I got last night!  Yay!  In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Bigfoot 2012 - (Re)Discover

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Heeheheheehe... Sorry everyone!  I've been lazy resting after Bigfoot ended last Monday... got too lazy to update my facebook pictures and write this blog.  I'm back!  =D  Well... too lazy and also not feeling well, but that's besides the point!  *wink*  I'll tell you about it later... maybe.  *smirk*

This year's Bigfoot (our annual youth retreat)... so awesome!  Each year is great... but I feel that this year, God particularly made his presence known.  Going into this retreat, we have 20 adult counselors and 40 kids... wow, a ratio of 1:2 is great... potential for lots more personal attention and time to each individual.  =D

Our theme for Bigfoot is Mark 8:27-29... all about (re)discovering who Christ is. 

Main points I got from this weekend:
  -God doesn't want me to be religious (doing "works" to gain his approval to get what I personally want), but he wants me to have a personal relationship with him.
  -Identity in Christ Jesus means that my self-worth comes not from what I do, what I have, nor does it come from my own achievements... but that my freedom and identity is based on Christ's death and resurrection in payment for my faults (sins) because God loves me so much beyond anything I can imagine.
  -Faith becomes real when tested in action (example of knowing a chair can hold my weight, not sitting in it, then how can I be sure the chair will not collapse?  I don't have faith in the chair's capability to uphold my weight unless I test it... to sit in the chair with my whole weight, if it breaks, then I'll fall.  Same with God... faith grows when I can't depend on my own strength, but depend solely on God to come through.)
  -With Jesus' death, payment for my sins/faults is COMPLETE... there's nothing I can do to pay it back or earn favor... instead, God delights in me and the best I can do is get to know my God more by spending time with him... and out of God's over-whelming gift of unearned love and salvation towards me, I share the knowledge of his gift with others.
  -Following Christ Jesus requires that I die to my personal earthly wants... I can't completely serve God if I want to serve myself... this is an expected daily struggle, not meant to be painless or easy... slowly learning to let go in order to fully obey God.
  -Jesus washed his disciples feet, not so that they would wash his feet in return, but as an example so that they may follow to serve others.

This weekend, I relearned a little about God's unconditional love through Christ Jesus.  That God cares more for my personal relationship with him than any task or chore I can do.  Like a child who loves his parents so much that he cleans his room because he knows that will please his parents... I love God because he first loved me... and I want to show my love to my Lord God by obeying his commands. 

Lord God, you have shown me your love first before I ever loved you back.  Like a parent, you want to provide what's best for me, to give me great gifts, but at the same time, you will not spare me heartache nor discipline as I learn to grow up strong.  I often have a hard time seeing you, Lord, but when my own strength fails me... that's when I can see you most clearly.  So, thank you that my life isn't easy.  Thank you that I don't have to depend on my own strength to survive.  Thank you that my purpose is to follow you and my hope is found in your promises.  Thank you, Lord, that wherever this life leads, I'm never alone.  Thank you, God, that even as my body doesn't feel well this past week, I've been blessed to see and appreciate the times when i feel great... that the health I have now... Thank you, God, that my body still works... Thank you, Father, that even after 2 surgeries and chemo... my body responds well enough that I can still work full-time, participate fully in my church's youth program, continue to do crazy back-yard projects, and just enough to strength to sometimes play paintball.  =D

Thank you, Lord Father, for my life, for hope, and for the strength you've given me to keep going... one foot in front of the other... facing new challenges as they come, but never alone.

In Jesus' name I thank you, amen.