It's been almost two months since I last posted. If I knew then, when I wrote that last one, where I'd be right now, I probably would not believe it. A lot has changed. A new "About Me" describes it all in more detail.
I guess a lot of folks care about me. Cause I can't leave the house without three thousand people asking me how I'm feeling. (Slight exaggeration there.) Don't get me wrong, I so very appreciate that people do care. Sometimes I just don't know how to answer, and I know that they want more than just "I'm fine, thanks". Don't take me the wrong way, I want to talk, just not about that. Really, I just want to feel like everything's normal without having to explain all that's going on. Or perhaps if nobody said anything at all, I'd feel like no one cares. See how confusing this is?
But, really, I am fine.
Really.
Things are getting better. The future looks good. And I'm hopeful.
We're figuring all of this out, and mostly we're recovering from everything that's happened in the past few years. Sometimes we aren't ready to talk about it. It can stir up a lot of emotions. And that's normal. That's okay.
The amount of formula that I was getting fed every night was too high, I got sick. We reduced it and are continually adjusting it to find what works best. Like I said, we're figuring all of this out. So when I was asked how things were going, I really wasn't prepared to explain all of this. "I'm fine, thanks" seemed to sum it up pretty well in my opinion. If I started going into detail..well, your head tilts, your eyebrows rise, I can tell you are filled with confusion because I'm just not able to talk about it in an efficient way. My emotions get mixed in, I get confused, then I just want to leave. But, really, I do appreciate that you love me and care about me.
I'm trying to figure out what comes next. In a way...I don't know how to be normal. I'm so very used to being sick. I'm ready for things to change, but I'm worried I won't know what to do. I have so many dreams and plans that I can finally pursue. It scares me. It's a good scary. A new one.
If you have questions, ask me. But there's a different way to go about asking it. If you want to know about the feeding tube, ask me. You won't offend me. If you want to know how we're adjusting to a new routine, just ask. I'll tell you. I don't know how to respond to vague questions like "How are you feeling?". If you just want to talk, tell me. I'll talk, I'll tell you what you'd like to know. Maybe I'd even enjoy that.
See, when I'm trying to answer these questions, I don't know what you're asking for. I'm feeling good, that's always going to be the answer. If you want to know if I've gotten sick, ask me. Ask me if we're seeing improvement, ask me if there's any complications, ask me how things are going with the doctors, ask me about my plans for the future, once I'm healed. Ask me how my family is doing, if there's any restrictions with the tube, if it makes life easier or more difficult, ask me what the future plans are for my care, whatever you want to know, ask me.
If you ask me if there's anything I need, or anything you can do for me...most of the time, there isn't. Maybe because I don't always know what you're asking about. I'm not in the hospital, so we're good on meals, I don't need any materialistic things either. Whatever you think I might need, ask me. If you want to talk with me, seriously, ask me. If you just want to hang out, maybe cause I haven't been super social lately, tell me. If you want to hug me or tell me something, don't be afraid. I like hugs (Most of the time). And if you really want to do something, and find out what's been going on at the same time, ask me if there's anything you can pray for. There probably is something. But if there's not, that's okay too. That shows me more than anything that you care.
Thanks for reading friends. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Faith
Let's all be positive
Hey y’all! It’s been a while (Over a month, to be exact), I
know. Things have been crazy for me. One day I feel great, almost normal, and
the next day I’m confined to my bed for I’m in so much pain. Crohn’s Disease is
a vicious thing, my friends. I covet your prayers during this time.
Thanks for reading along,
Faith
Also, as you can see, in all faithfulness has yet another new look. I’m trying to
change things around to include more topics (As you can see in all the little
tabs above.) and I just cannot figure out a look to go with it. I’m not sure
how much I like this whole navy chevron design, so don’t be surprised if it
changes again. I’m open to comments and suggestions.
Moving on, I haven’t been sure what to write about. I wanted
to write something related to what I’ve been going through recently, but I just
got stuck. Sometimes I feel like when I write these, I’m writing to myself more
than anything. And I love that I have the opportunity to share my words with
others, so that they might be encouraged as well.
Today, however, I want to talk about something that helps me
in all aspects of my life. In some ways I have to be thankful for Crohn’s, for
it has opened my eyes to so much that I would have never even dealt with
before. Positive thinking, for example.
Okay, okay, so I’ve known for a very long time the
significance of positive thinking and how our attitudes greatly affect the
outcome of our lives. But...well, it hasn’t been until just recently that I
actually decided to start using this power, I always thought it was weird and
honestly it all kind of annoyed me. The mind is an incredible tool, capable of
so much more than we realize. Just look at the thoughts of someone who is, let’s
say, depressed. They consume themselves in “doom & gloom” type of thoughts,
always negative and hardly optimistic. Then compare this to someone who tries
to stick to an attitude of “everything will be okay”, “This will all work out”,
and they consume their thoughts with positivity and build up around themselves a
stress-free and calm environment. People like to look to them and say “Well,
everything just works out for you.” When, really, it could be the same for us
all. The mind has the power to build up or destruct the body. And as I am desperately
searching for the road to healing, I constantly remind myself “The mind can
heal the body”. And, now I really do believe it. The mind can heal the body. It’s all through perspective, attitude, and (no
matter how cliché it sounds), the power of positive thinking.
I’m currently reading a book, “Don’t give up, don’t give in”
by Louis Zamperini. He is a great inspiration to me, especially as I read about
what great trials he endured, but all the while still came out on top. He talks
a lot in his book about positive thinking. While talking about his grandfather
he says, “He taught me that by holding on to anger and bitterness, I would only
hurt myself. He often told me that the most important thing I should remember
was to “have a cheerful countenance at all times.” No matter how grim your
situation is, whether you’re lost at sea, or just having a bad day, keeping a
positive, cheerful attitude is the key to your own survival.”
To add to that, Proverbs 17:22 says “A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” And I love this verse because it
paints a vivid picture of a joyful, positive spirit, in contrast to a crushed,
negative one.
A positive attitude all-in-all helps us cope with every day
scenarios in a much less stressful way. And, seriously, I could go on and on in
little details, or I could be blunt and tell you that keeping a positive
outlook will pretty much make your life a lot better. It’s easier to tackle
each day, easier to seek God in the midst of it all, and don’t even get me started
on how your attitude affects those around you.
Oh, wait, it’s too late. Now I’m already getting started on
the topic. But, seriously, we all know what it’s like to be around that “Bah humbug”
personality. It starts to seep its way into your mindset, too. Grumbling,
complaining, worries, fear, stress, anxiety, anger, depression, need I go on?
However; can’t we all agree that a positive attitude is highly contagious?
Maybe I’m the only one who finds great joy from being around those with an
optimistic outlook. It lifts my spirit, whereas negativity only weighs it down.
Dries up my bones.
It’s a hard habit to get in to, positive thinking. But once
you start – it’s addicting. That sounds weird, I know... but it can transform
your life. Sometimes things are so dire that all we want to do is cry and curl
up in a little ball and wish the world to go away. Changing your way of
thinking can change the circumstances around you. Or at least change the way
you feel about them. And sometimes that can make all the difference.
I can’t wrap my mind around God’s creation. The mind and
body are just so complex...I can’t even begin to fathom it. As I mentioned at
the beginning of this post, the mind is more powerful than we ever realize. No
matter your circumstances, there is always hope to turn things around. The mind
is an incredible tool.
Thanks for reading along,
Faith
Fall DIY: Paper mache pumpkin tutorial
Hey y'all!
Is it just me, or has this year gone by wayyy faster than usual? Sure feels like it. Summer is drawing to a close and autumn is pretty much here. So, I thought I'd get a head start on some fall decorations!
I love seasonal decorating. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, you name it. But I also don't like to spend a whole lot. By this, I mean I'm just plain cheap and if I can't find it at the dollar store I'd rather just say forget it.
I was working on a little project for my brother - a bridge for his NASCAR stop motion races. (Check them out here) And it ended up turning into multiple projects. You can see the pictures of the bridge at the end of this post, along with a little mini-tutorial.
I first stumbled upon this idea on Pinterest. I read a few little tutorials but ultimately just did my own thing as I went along.
Here's the finished product:
This is a fairly quick project, but can become time-consuming and most definitely can get a little messy. But it isn't difficult, and can be done with both kids and adults of all ages!
The paper mache might take a while to dry, some even say that it takes all day. Mine was dry in a couple hours, but I set it outside. (It was dry, humid, and sunny, so that made for perfect pumpkin-drying weather).
Supplies:
•Plastic bags
•Newspaper
•Paper mache paste (Mix 1 cup water, 1/4 cup flour, & a dash of salt)
•Paint & paint brush (I used simple craft paint, but you can use outdoor paint, spray paint, glitter, or whatever you desire.)
Get started by making the pumpkin form. I used a small plastic bag that had a couple other bags stuffed inside, but you can also use shredded paper or other scraps. Get creative! Tie off the top of the bag, and this will be your stem. I folded mine down in half. Then take some string, yarn, (or even duct tape, whatever you have on hand) and measure it around the pumpkin, leaving a couple inches extra. Cut the yarn and wrap it around, tying it tightly around your stem. Repeat this until you have as many sections as you desire. I cut 3 pieces of yarn so I had 6 sections.
I used some of the excess yarn from wrapping around the pumpkin to tie around the stem. It definitely helped it hold it's shape better. It looks a little tacky, yes, but it's functional.
Is it just me, or has this year gone by wayyy faster than usual? Sure feels like it. Summer is drawing to a close and autumn is pretty much here. So, I thought I'd get a head start on some fall decorations!
I love seasonal decorating. Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, you name it. But I also don't like to spend a whole lot. By this, I mean I'm just plain cheap and if I can't find it at the dollar store I'd rather just say forget it.
I was working on a little project for my brother - a bridge for his NASCAR stop motion races. (Check them out here) And it ended up turning into multiple projects. You can see the pictures of the bridge at the end of this post, along with a little mini-tutorial.
I first stumbled upon this idea on Pinterest. I read a few little tutorials but ultimately just did my own thing as I went along.
Here's the finished product:
This is a fairly quick project, but can become time-consuming and most definitely can get a little messy. But it isn't difficult, and can be done with both kids and adults of all ages!
The paper mache might take a while to dry, some even say that it takes all day. Mine was dry in a couple hours, but I set it outside. (It was dry, humid, and sunny, so that made for perfect pumpkin-drying weather).
Supplies:
•Plastic bags
•Newspaper
•Paper mache paste (Mix 1 cup water, 1/4 cup flour, & a dash of salt)
•Paint & paint brush (I used simple craft paint, but you can use outdoor paint, spray paint, glitter, or whatever you desire.)
Get started by making the pumpkin form. I used a small plastic bag that had a couple other bags stuffed inside, but you can also use shredded paper or other scraps. Get creative! Tie off the top of the bag, and this will be your stem. I folded mine down in half. Then take some string, yarn, (or even duct tape, whatever you have on hand) and measure it around the pumpkin, leaving a couple inches extra. Cut the yarn and wrap it around, tying it tightly around your stem. Repeat this until you have as many sections as you desire. I cut 3 pieces of yarn so I had 6 sections.
I used some of the excess yarn from wrapping around the pumpkin to tie around the stem. It definitely helped it hold it's shape better. It looks a little tacky, yes, but it's functional.
Now it's time to start with the paper mache! Have your bowl of paste and a stash of shredded papers set out. Take a shred of paper and run it through the paste. Just one side is good, you want the paper to be wet but not so much that it's soaked and soggy. The shreds should be the right size so that it wraps from just under the stem to the bottom of the pumpkin. I found this size of paper to work best - I tried using longer strips, but they wouldn't wrap around very well.
Continue working around the pumpkin, smoothing it out and adding more strips where needed.
When it came to the stem I found that using smaller pieces worked better.
Yay! Here's the covered pumpkin. Set it someplace to dry. I put mine outside, and it dried really quick. The flies were heavily attracted to it, however.
Make sure it's 100% dry before you get ready to paint.
I went with a traditional orange color for my pumpkin. I actually mixed it with a little bit of gold, since I didn't want it to be super bright. It made for a really nice color! (It's darker in person)
Depending on what kind of paint you use, you'll probably need several coats. The more coats - the better. You don't want any newspaper showing. (Like mine turned out..... Don't look too close! Lol)
Almost done, just need to paint the stem. I used a bit of brown and gold mixed together. It wasn't quite the color I was going for, but close enough.
Just let the paint dry and you're all done! I tied some twine around the stem and it makes a lovely little decoration piece!
For the bridge, I took some thin cardboard pieces that I had on hand (But you can use any kind of cardboard, cereal box, poster board, or whatever you can find.) and simply used scissors to cut out the shape of the bridge. Make sure you measure first to get the right size and shape that you're looking for. Then lay the first cut out piece on top of the other piece of cardboard and trace around it, to ensure that they're identical.
I recommend holding the two pieces together, (or have someone hold them for you), and wrap a piece of duct tape or string around it. This will hold the bridge in place while you paper mache around it. This is a very important step!
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the bridge before I paper mached it.
To paper mache the bridge:
Smaller pieces work better. Using bigger strips of paper didn't work since it was such an uneven shape that I was wrapping them around. There is no specific or definite technique to use, so just try what works best for you!
Once you set it aside to dry, it's time to paint it! I used the same type of craft paint that I did for the pumpkin, only in different colors. I used a very, very small paintbrush to do the lettering, but you could also use a paint pen or even a sharpie.
Thanks for reading along! I hope y'all have fun making your pumpkins! Let me know if you like these craft tutorials and what other ones you might like me to do in the future!
~Faith
"War Room" movie review
Most of you have
probably seen the trailers and advertisements for the new Christian-based
movie, War Room. I had the privilege to go see it this past weekend, and with
*hopefully* no spoilers, a review awaits.
Now I don’t want to go
into a lot of detail about the movie itself, for believe me, I’d give it all
away. Overall I found the moral of the story to be quite compelling. It’s really
something that could be applied to so many different lives and circumstances,
and that’s a really great quality for a film to have. I was expecting it to be
like every other film, a vague topic fluffed with drama, purely for entertainment
with no real purpose. But I was pleasantly surprised. The movie really didn’t
drift from the point; it stayed on topic and had real purpose. And it was easy
to follow. It all flowed nicely and hit so, so many valuable key points along
the way. The kind that stick with you even after you leave the theater, the
kind that you keep thinking about for days and weeks and months. It’s the kind
of movie that inspires people to actually get up and do something. And I admire that greatly.
Not to mention in the
midst of all this, - the movie was hilarious.
And that’s coming from me (It takes a lot
in a movie to make me dub it as hilarious.). There may have been some pretty
sappy and corny parts in there as well, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Except in the scenes that I found the acting to be...as much as I hate to have
to say this, and I’m not quite sure how to put it, fake and forced. There were
just a few scenes that were far too predictable, at least for my taste. The
casting was overall wonderful, don’t get me wrong. It just wasn’t the most
convincing at times. But that’s certainly
nothing to get caught up on.
In conclusion, this
movie had a motive to inspire and change, and they surely achieved it.
Personally I can say that I walked away highly impacted. Impacted to change my
walk with the Lord and more specifically change my prayer life. Strengthen my
prayer life, revive my prayer life.
And I only hope it would do the same for you. This is an incredible movie that
I’d recommend to anyone. That’s what I love about it – like I said earlier, it
has something to be applied to so many different lives and circumstances. For
children, for teens, adults, couples, groups, families, I could go on. So if
you’re still debating about going to see it or not, I’d highly encourage you to
go! I’d definitely label it a must-see.
Some Favorites.
Hey y'all! ❤ As you can see, In All Faithfulness has a new look - again. I'm still working on editing it and designing it, so it may be a bit inconsistent for a little while. Thanks for your patience! I'd love to hear your feedback and ideas. Contact me through the little box at the bottom of the page if you'd like.
Anyway, back to the post.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight I just wanted to take the time to share with you several of my favorite pieces of Scripture.
Scripture is pretty incredible. I mean, it's God speaking to His people. Too often we take that for granted. The God of the universe gave us His holy word to read at our own will...who doesn't have time for that? But now I'm getting off topic. The point is, scripture is to be cherished greatly and shared among fellow believers.
As many of you know, I was hospitalized just this past week for many days, and scripture was a sole source of strength for me during those times. When things were silent and I was left alone with only the thoughts in my head...I was reminded that I need only be still, the Lord would fight for me(Exodus 14:14). When things were panicked and I feared the future...I was reassured that He was already there, for I know He goes before me (Deuteronomy 31:8).
There will come a time in every one of our lives where we may not have access to a Bible...and all of a sudden your memory is the only resource you have. I once heard about people in China who have no access to Scripture...I heard about how they will weep together if they can even get a glimpse of God's word. Not even just a couple tears but from the depths of their souls they will weep and cry out for their God.
And I've never forgotten that...because it reminds me of how much I take the privilege of having His Word at my fingertips for granted.
Anyway, back to the post.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight I just wanted to take the time to share with you several of my favorite pieces of Scripture.
Scripture is pretty incredible. I mean, it's God speaking to His people. Too often we take that for granted. The God of the universe gave us His holy word to read at our own will...who doesn't have time for that? But now I'm getting off topic. The point is, scripture is to be cherished greatly and shared among fellow believers.
As many of you know, I was hospitalized just this past week for many days, and scripture was a sole source of strength for me during those times. When things were silent and I was left alone with only the thoughts in my head...I was reminded that I need only be still, the Lord would fight for me(Exodus 14:14). When things were panicked and I feared the future...I was reassured that He was already there, for I know He goes before me (Deuteronomy 31:8).
There will come a time in every one of our lives where we may not have access to a Bible...and all of a sudden your memory is the only resource you have. I once heard about people in China who have no access to Scripture...I heard about how they will weep together if they can even get a glimpse of God's word. Not even just a couple tears but from the depths of their souls they will weep and cry out for their God.
And I've never forgotten that...because it reminds me of how much I take the privilege of having His Word at my fingertips for granted.
I hope that you, too, will find some encouragement in these verses. I made them all myself, so feel free to copy and share them as you'd like.
I'd love to know some of your favorite verses as well! Leave some feedback in the comments below. ❤
~Faith
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