Everyday is a Gift

Everyday is a gift.....I have this vinyl saying on the back of my bedroom door so I can see it every night before I go to bed and every morning when I get up.  It has been a good reminder for me to appreciate the beauty and blessings of each day....even when things go wrong or they are hard.  This very saying has been on my mind a lot lately and I feel the need to share why.  I don't know if this "journaling" is just for me or for someone else, but the feeling is the same....to blog. 

On May 31st, 2013, I found myself in the ER in a lot of pain and symptoms that just did not seem to make sense.  I mean, who would think a lump by your collar bone would make you feel sick to your stomach and cause you to feel like you can't breath? It didn't make sense to me and it sure didn't make sense to the doctor in the ER.  After being there for hours on end and having normal blood results and imaging (other than the obvious lump they thought to be a hematoma) I was sent home to rest and get better.  Two weeks go by when I finally feel like myself again, and then the exact same lump and symptoms arise!  This second round of symptoms would be the start of endless tests and multiple doctors  I have had just about every blood test you can think of and every appropriate test done.  Unfortunately, after the many tests (that have come back normal) I have had over these two years, no one can tell me what is going on, why my body has these symptoms, or what I have.  Sometimes the not knowing can be just as scaring as knowing. 

As anyone would be in this situation, I found myself frustrated with doctors and everything medical.  We are in the great age of technology!  Can't you just scan me and tell me what's wrong?!  My own personal Baymax would come in handy about now.  It just doesn't work that way and we do call doctors practicing physicians after all. But the frustration mounted and I found myself giving up when a doctor "psych-carded " me.  The tests were normal....what else were they to think or believe?  But I am the one who lives with a body that has a mind of it's own!  I live with flares and ups and downs.  I live with days and weeks were I can't eat because I am so sick....yet they think it's in my head.  To this day I have to fight for myself to not believe them.  I have REAL symptoms.  I have REAL health issues, that even though they do not make sense....they are REAL.  I thought the not knowing was bad.....it's even worse when they do not believe you and basically wash their hands of you.

I have had some help along the way that has pointed me in the right direction.  I drastically changed my diet after visiting a wellness clinic and I do my best to get out an exercise on a regular basis, but I still have days and weeks and periods of time that I just do not feel well or find it hard to function.  This blog is short in comparison to the last two years of health challenges that I have had and as much as I have fought to help my body physically, I have really had to really fight to see that everyday truly is a gift.  I have had many moments of tears, frustrations and anger over these two years....that seem a lot longer lol!  I can't tell you the exact moment that my thoughts of despair and questions of why changed.  For me it came by changing things little by little.  I put up my sign to remind me that today was a gift. I started counting my blessings more in my prayers at night. I stopped asking why all the time.  Little things changed so I could see the tender mercies that Heavenly Father was blessing me with along the way.  I let people help me more instead of thinking that it made me look weak.  I saw the blessing in not being able to eat for a week because that made my food supply last that much longer.  lol! 

I guess what I am feeling is that no one truly knows what tomorrow will bring.....I might be cured....or I might find myself in the ER again....but for today, right in this very moment.....I am alive!  My today and everyday is a gift! And for that I am grateful for!  

Love,
     Sarah     

        

Reflecting Windows!

"Service opens windows in your life instead of just mirrors that always reflect yourself." -Russell C. Taylor

Our Personal Progress focus for the month of October is Good Works.  So going along with that theme for my Personal Progress activity we went to the assisted living center, where I work, and decorated for Halloween!  It was a lot of fun and the YW really enjoyed themselves!  After we were done decorating we hung cute treats on their doors and the next day the residents and workers were just so excited about the decorations!  they really appreciated the decorations and it has brought the spooky spirit of Halloween to life!  It will really help bring the fun as we will have trick-or-treaters come around to all the residents! 

What I love most about service is the good feeling that always comes when you touch someones life!  I'm so grateful to my young women who gave of themselves that night to reflect windows instead of mirrors!  It made a difference in the lives of those they served and their happy examples of service has made a difference in mine!  

When We're Helping We're Happy

It's been a little while since I have written on my blog but I have been waiting for a family project to be done.  This has been in the works for over a month now and we are done with great success!  My brother Scott was the project manager on this and he wanted to get our family together and have a day of service for mom and dad.  That is exactly what we did this past weekend!  It was a mad house with a total of 28 people are my parents so we had a lot of helpers, babysitters, food and fun.  We wanted to update the house in several ways but the real reason for the makeover was for my two brothers, Steve and Jon. 

 They are both in wheelchairs and my parents house does not have a ramp up to the door.  We have made due over the years with portable ramps or good ole elbow grease.  So one thing in the make over was a ramp on the house for them and eventually when my parents need it.  We updated some bathrooms, splashed some paint on some walls and doors and everything looks amazing!  We had a great time working side by side in accomplishing something big and great for my parents!  We also ached side by side from all that was accomplished.  I'm not sure when we will all recover, but it was worth it.  Ok, now it's time for the pics!  I have before and after pics of what we did.....so enjoy!  :)

 Ok up first is the before pictures of the half bathroom. 

             Here is the after half bathroom reveal!

     Here is the living room wall before

 And after with a lovely coat of green paint!  Awesome!

 Main bathroom before makeover.  It really needed some help. lol!  With the roses everywhere!

   This is my awesome sis in the shower....notice her clothes lol!
   And this is the MUCH improved main bathroom!  LOVE IT!!!!!

 We re stained the cabinets and it is so beautiful and the floor was changed too!  Thank you Krisite and Teresa!

This is the painted pantry door we did. 

It was just white, but not anymore!  Looks Fab!

 This is the front porch.  See the stairs we had to pull wheelchairs up to.  An adventure to be sure.

 Here is the NEW front porch with stairs and RAMP!!!  YAY!  My brother Adam drew up the plans and it turned out great with MANY hands helping and working hard! 

I hope you have enjoyed the new improvements at my parents house!  We are grateful for them and are enjoying them!  I can't wait for Steve and Jon to come try out the ramp.  We are already thinking about the next improvements!  lol!  Luckily there will be no more ramps. :)

"P" Party!

So I got this awesome idea from Sugardoodle.net and put it to use as my first Personal Progress activity!  We had a blast!  Ok so the P Party is a Pizza Pajama Personal Progress Party!  Prizes were given to those that had the most "P" on like pink, polka dots, purple, pj's, etc.  There were points for punctuality and bringing their personal progress books.  It was a little wierd at first to be wearing Pj's to a activity, but it was fun to see the girls in their pj's!  Each YW made their own homemade pizza and counted up their points for the winner of the prizes.  The top three got a polka dot pad, with Reses Pieces and a pen....but of course we are all winners so everyone got a Tootie Pop.  While pizza was being made I had the opportunity to meet with each YW and talk to them about their Personal Progress.  It was such a great experience for me to get to know these beautiful, bright Young Women!  We all had a great time and I got to share my thoughts and testimony with these young women.  To sum up my thoughts about the Personal Progress program, I have found a scripture that really hits home.

2 Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

The Personal Progress program is all about coming closer to Christ and being like Him!  It doesn't come all at once, but little by little, line upon line, by progression and I know that the experiences these young women will take the opportunity to do WILL bring them closer to the Savior! 

Overall, our "P" Party was a great night and I cannot wait until the next activity!!

Our Yummy Pizzas!
 

A Powerful Force For Good

Hello!  I'm new to the blogging world here but I'm excited to get started.  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and have been assigned to work with the youth, specifically the young women in my ward (congregation).  So far it has been a wonderful experience!  I am to help these young women achieve the honorable Young Womanhood Recognition Award that includes finishing hours of scripture study, journal entries, projects and service in the following value areas: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Choice & Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virtue. 

As a leader I can't expect my young women to accomplish such an award without putting forth the effort to achieve it myself.  Though I have already attained the award when I went through the program as a youth, I am excited to again serve, learn and grow closer to my Heavenly Father.  That is where this blog comes in.  As one of my value projects I am to read an article called "Using New Media to Support the Work of the Church" by M. Russel Ballard and then start a blog where I can share my life and love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I hope you will enjoy my thoughts, pictures of fun things I do with my young women and just the fun things I do in my life!  Enjoy!

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/using-new-media-to-support-the-work-of-the-church