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Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday July 26, 2009

Welcome to my spiritual & inspirational Sunday post. Having collected quotes and scripture for over 25 years, my hope is that by sharing these quotes it will cause you to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share a quote with someone who is in need of reading that very quote.  On many Fridays for the past fourteen months I have assisted my close friend, Dr. Mark Houston, at his medical practice here in Nashville. His long time nurse wanted to cut back the number of days she works so he asked if I would come in on any Friday that I was available to assist. I take his patients from the waiting room, weigh them, find out what symptoms or reasons they have for being there, take their blood pressure, and if it is for an annual physical, I take their pulse and measure their waist circumference. (women should be under 35 inches, men under 40 inches).   Dr. Houston is board certified in internal medicine, hypertension (high blood pressure), and anti-aging. He has a masters in nutrition. He hosts a hypertension and cardiovascular symposium in October where doctors can obtain continuing medical education. He is a big proponent of vitamins and supplements, often prescribing those to his patients not only for optimal health and anti-aging but to treat various illnesses. He also does hormone profiles and prescribes bio-identical hormones. Knowing which natural supplements lower cholestrol, Dr. Houston created a product called LipidSirt using those components. LipidSirt became available about 8 months ago. In a three month study performed on patients with high cholestrol (these patients had not taken cholestrol lowering medicines and were given LipidSirt), LipidSirt lowered cholestrol and LDL by 25%.  He has another product that is soon to be released for lowering blood pressure called CardioSirt BP. In a pilot study, it lowered blood pressure by 15/17 mm HG. Athree month study will begin in October to see if those participants who are not on blood pressure medicines but have become hypertensive will see a drop in their blood pressure by taking CardioSirt BP. These type studies excite me especially when they show excellent results. Working in Dr. Houston’s office is an incredible learning experience and very rewarding. Not only do I learn about the medical world but I get to interact with and learn about a diverse group of human beings. His patients are young and old, skinny and fat, fitness buffs and couch potatoes, healthy and sick, rich and poor, and they represent many different ethnic backgrounds. It is inspiring to actually see patients turn their lives around by changing their lifestyles and following Dr. Houston’s advice. Yesterday, a husband and wife came in for the results of their physicals. The wife confided in me that she was very worried about her husband as his PSA was six. PSA is a prostate measurement and normal is 4.  Dr. Houston aggressively recommends further tests for most men if their PSA is greater than 4 and in younger men in lower levels if the rate of rise is too fast in a one year period. Her husband will be seeing a urologist on Tuesday.  As she shared her fears with me, I suggested she put them all in a box labeled God’s Box.  She said she tries to give them to God but finds she always wants to help God instead of totally letting go. I told her about my blog and suggested she check it out today as I would do a post on fear. This post is for her. I pray that her husband’s tests are accurate and benign. I pray that she gives God her fears and totally let’s go of them. Please consider saying a prayer for this couple.  Blessings.  …susan F E A R F.E.A.R.  False   Evidence   Appearing    Real “By expecting the worse, I cut myself off from hope” “If I am fearful, I am disconnected from God” “Never measure the height of the mountain until you reach the top.  Then you will see how low it is”  Dag Hammarskjöld “Negative thoughts dampen my soul and I like sunlight” If you have a favorite quote on fear please leave it in a comment. Thanks. Look for the second post in a series on Mountain homes. The source of these quotes is unknown. Please contact me if you know the source so that I may give credit.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday July 26, 2009

Welcome to my spiritual & inspirational Sunday post. Having collected quotes and scripture for over 25 years, my hope is that by sharing...

6:13:00 PM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday July 12, 2009

Welcome to my spiritual & inspirational Sunday post. Having collected quotes for over twenty-five years, I use this post to share those with you in hopes that something shared might cause you to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share it with a friend who happens to be in need of reading what I have written.  On Tuesday I will be undergoing day surgery on both ears to remove the preauricular pits which in the past twelve months have decided to become a problem in my life.  The left ear has required three visits to the ER resulting in lancing, drains, and packing performed due to an infection in the “pit'”.  Also, I have been treated in my ENT doctor’s office on a couple of occasions. Additionally, I was hospitalized a couple of weeks ago for four days trying to get an infection under control in the other ear (I guess it felt left out), including minor surgery to clean out the infection. Although I look forward to having this behind me, I am consumed with dread and fear of having the IV put into my arm. I have very little concern regarding the vertical incision from the top of my ear where it connects to my face to the bottom of my ear or any discomfort with the surgery. It’s the anticipation of the IV needle that terrifies me as silly as that may sound. I am working overtime trying to keep my phobia of needles in check.  Prayers are welcome!  I hope to be back to regular posting on my blog real soon. Please check back as I have some great photos and information to share with you in future posts.  Blessings.  …susan Because I have been dealing with my ear don’t you think some quotes on hearing seem to be appropriate? “If nobody is listening, don’t talk” “The attitude of the listener determines what is heard” “If you have already formed an opinion, you will not hear what a person has to say” “If you never hear my silence, you will never hear my words” ”Do you listen intently enough to know another persons footsteps?” The source of these quotes is unknown though I believe they were spoken by John DeFoore at one of the seminars he hosted in Boerne, TX.  If I am mistaken, please contact me so that I can give credit to the correct source.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday July 12, 2009

Welcome to my spiritual & inspirational Sunday post. Having collected quotes for over twenty-five years, I use this post to share those ...

7:28:00 PM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday June 21, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. Each Sunday I want to share with you some of the quotes or scripture that I have collected over the past twenty-five years. My hope is that after reading the quote or scripture I share below, you take a moment to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share it with someone who is in need of reading this very quote or scripture.  In the past few weeks I have been forced out of my comfort zone, the one I call peace and serenity. You know how it is when it rains, it pours! For me, when lots of things happen at once, I submerge myself into whatever it is that is happening and sometimes find myself forgetting to ask God to come along. Then, I realize it is my faith in God that I need. With that in mind, I wanted to share a few quotes I have dealing with faith. Getting out of my comfort zone began with my daughter having  leg/vein surgery. You know that feeling of nervousness that creeps in when our children have any sort of health issue or other issue for that matter. Fortunately, there were no complications and she tolerated the pain and discomfort well. A bonus, I got to spend some time with two of my precious grandbabies. Soon after returning home I found myself dealing with a reoccurring ear issue called a preauricular pit. Something I was born with and never knew the medical term until last August when it became infected. If you have ever seen a tiny hole in the upper part of a person’s ear, it was probably a preauriclar pit.  I was asked on many occasions if that was a hole from getting my ear pierced.  This was way before body piercing was popular. I have met nine people who have these including my surgeon.  (To see a photo, click on this link. <a href="http://www.doctorhoffman.com/xpit.htm" title="http://www.doctorhoffman.com/xpit.htm">http://www.doctorhoffman.com/xpit.htm</a>   I share this information so if perhaps you know of someone who has one of these or one on each ear as I do, you can tell them what it is called. If they have ever had trouble with “the pit”, you can tell them there is a surgical solution, something I wish I had known years ago.) My first infection surfaced last August and I was told if it occurred again they would operate and remove the pit.  Fortunately, this is not inner ear and does not affect my hearing.  I went to see my surgeon who scheduled my operation on his next surgery day which was the day after the Memorial Day holiday. Unfortunately, infection set in two days prior to surgery and the surgery had to be postponed indefinitely. Later that week, using syringes, the surgeon drained the infected and inflamed area around my ear, temple and cheekbone. Imagine an area so inflamed and tender that feeling the air blowing from a fan hurts and he is going to put needles into it. Yikes! Talk about painful, I wanted to lose my last meal right then and there! Fortunately, my sweet friend Laurie went with me and she held my head tightly against her chest as instinctively I was trying to move away. So after almost two weeks of dealing with my ear, I was getting back to a full nights sleep and  my peace and serenity. Then came the news of the death of two friends, three days apart which I mentioned in my last Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. Of course both of them are still in my mind and heavy on my heart but each day is better. My peace and serenity was beginning to return until last night. After going to bed, my other ear felt tender. As I went to sleep, I thought to myself, there is no way the same thing is happening to that ear. Well, it is. Ugh! I called one of my best friends who is an internist and ran by his home this morning. He put me on an antibiotic which hopefully will prevent infection.  I plan to call my surgeon tomorrow and see if he can see me. He operates on Tuesdays, so hopefully he can fit me in. I am putting my faith in God and turning all of this over to him. Letting go and letting God!  Blessings. …susan Where the footprints of God lead you, the grace of God can keep you. God is not going to give me anything I cannot handle. Faith is not like gasoline in danger of running out if we go too far, it is more like a  muscle that strengthens and grows from practice and use. God is with me, God is helping me, God is guiding me. Faith…in God, in ourselves, in other people and in the natural order and destiny of things in this world. The source of these quotes are unknown. If you know the source and contact me, I will give credit.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday June 21, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. Each Sunday I want to share with you some of the quotes or scripture that I have co...

11:51:00 AM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday June 14, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post…one day late. It is my hope that what you read will cause you to stop and reflect. Perhaps you will share it with a friend who is in need of reading this very scripture or quote. The past nine days have almost bankrupted me emotionally. A wonderful friend of mine here in Nashville died after a courageous battle with cancer. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to visit with him four days before he passed away. He was able to converse and laugh. Two days later when I stopped by again, it was a totally different situation. He was unable to keep anything down and his discomfort was heartbreaking. In between the two visits with my Nashville friend, I learned that someone I knew well in Texas had taken his own life. I was stunned. As details emerged, I was overwhelmed with sadness. I found myself trying to get into his mind and imagine the pain he was feeling over the past few weeks which led to this decision. As his despair mounted, I wondered what those final days, hours, and minutes were like for him. I thought of his elementary age son he adored, his wife, and his mother. His death led me to talk to people I had not spoken with since moving to Nashville as together we tried to make sense out of it all. Ironically, both were laid to rest on the same day at the same time. While I was attending the funeral in Nashville, my heart and mind were also in Texas. Following the funeral, I headed to the town of Monterey, a town mentioned in a previous post on my blog showing floral design. I worked along side a very special friend of mine in her flower and vegetable garden all weekend. This was just what I needed! I have decided for this post I will list some quotes or statements that deal with pain as well as some quotes that remind us to live life to the fullest.  I hope you will find some inspiration. Blessings  …susan Quotes on pain and having hope: “Birds sing after a storm, why shouldn’t we?” Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy “When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars”  Ralph Waldo Emerson Tomorrow WILL come God refines us through difficult situations When you come to the end of your rope, God is there to take over On living life to the fullest: “Better to wear out than to rust out” Shakespeare “Don’t die before you die”  John Hoad Don’t leave myself out of my own life Nothing is worth more than today

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday June 14, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post…one day late. It is my hope that what you read will cause you to stop and reflect. P...

11:24:00 AM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday June 7, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post.  For over twenty-five years I have collected quotes. The nature of these quotes tend to be spiritual, religious, business, relationship, and sports related. My hope is that by reading this post it will cause you to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share it with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading this very quote. Today I want to share a few quotes with you that are related to success. Success is defined in my Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary as a favorable or desired outcome also as the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. I challenge you to think of the areas in your everyday life where the word success would apply. Examples of where one would feel successful in their everyday life include: calling a company to discuss being overcharged and ending up with an apology and refund (favorable outcome), saying no to a certain food that is not healthy for you (desired outcome), getting X Y & Z done before you had to leave the house (desired outcome), being on time for an appointment (desired outcome), stopping yourself from repeating a particular pattern that always seems to end up with negative results (desired outcome), learning a particular tune on the piano or other musical instrument (desired outcome), finishing a bike race (desired outcome), mastering a new recipe (desired outcome), getting an appointment for a job interview (desired outcome), closing a business deal (wealth), being named to a particular board or committee (eminence), and being told you are loved by your child (the best outcome!). Some things take repeated mistakes to master, repeated effort to reach the desired result, or even complete failure which in turn makes you find a different approach which leads to your success.  The fact that you are taking action is a success in itself because you have overcome the fear of failure, overcome the fear of rejection, or overcome the fear of change.   Why not start a Successful Journal to record the many successes you achieve each day. Wishing you many successes.  …susan If you first succeed, try something harder. If you first succeed, try to hide your astonishment If you are not failing now and again, then you are playing it too safe. The more difficult the obstacle, the stronger one becomes after hurdling it. Success requires heart and soul effort and you can only put your soul into something you truly desire. You may not get what you want in life, but you get what you expect I heard all of these quotes in the early 1980’s from John DeFoore.  I do not know if these were his or if he borrowed them from someone.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday June 7, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected quotes. The nature of these quotes ten...

11:07:00 AM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday May 31, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected quotes.  The nature of these quotes tend to be spiritual, religious, business, relationships, or sports. My hope is that by reading this post it will cause you to pause and reflect on what you read. Perhaps you will share it with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading this very quote. Today I am listing several different quotes which resonated with me when I heard them.  Unfortunately I do not know the author of such quotes. If you do, please contact me and I will give credit to the author.  When Praying, consider all answers, not just the one you expect.  How many times do we pray for the answer that we think is best and consider no other ones? The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet. I am sometimes guilty of reflecting back on the past with rose colored glasses . Life will not always be what I expect. Sometimes it will be more and other times it will be less. For me, the main thing is to set realistic expectations and then let go and let God. Happiness is an inside job.    How true it is that my happiness is totally dependent on me. Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.   Reminds me of the Law of Attraction. What about you-do you have a favorite quote you want to share or do you want to comment on one of the quotes listed above?  Blessings.  …susan

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday May 31, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected quotes. The nature of these quotes ten...

9:43:00 PM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday May 24, 2009

Welcome to Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday!  I received an email forward filled with photos taken of various types of signs seen in front of churches in the  U. K.  I found reading the words on those signs to be both spiritual & inspirational.  My hope is that you, too, will enjoy them. As you pass this little church, be sure to plan a visit so when at last you are carried in, God won’t ask “Who is it?” All services are different. We leave repeats for TV. God, You are Great! Speak well of your enemies. After all, you made them. Let us help you study for your final exams. There are some questions that can’t be answered by Google. Down in the mouth? Come for a faith lift. Can’t sleep, don’t count the sheep, talk to the shepherd. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the snake. The snake didn’t have a leg to stand on. We are the SoulAgents in this area. God is perfect. Only man makes mistakes. Almost 2000 years old and still under the Maker’s guarantee. Blessings.  …susan

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday May 24, 2009

Welcome to Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday! I received an email forward filled with photos taken of various types of signs seen in f...

7:56:00 PM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday May 17, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspiration Sunday post.  For the past 25 years I have collected quotes that inspired me. These quotes may be of a religious, spiritual, relationship, sports, motivational, or business nature. My hope is that the quote used in this post will resonate within you causing you to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share it with that person who is in need of reading this very quote. “The Lord leads us to troubled waters not to drown us but to cleanse us” Many times in my life I have found myself in “troubled waters” which has caused me feelings of despair, pain, fear, sadness, panic, hopelessness, etc. depending on the situation. These “troubled waters” may have resulted from the death of a loved one, an illness of a loved one, my job, my children, my friends, my relationship, or simply an everyday situation. When I was younger I found when I was in “troubled waters” it was quite disturbing and uncomfortable. As I matured, so did my faith. I learned that the Lord led me to “troubled waters” to teach me something, to prepare me for something better, or to even prevent something from happening. Now when I am faced with “troubled waters” I remind myself of two sayings that I have heard many times: “If God took me to it, God will bring me through it” and “when one door closes God will open another door”.  I have learned time and time again no matter how painful the situation, God will bring me through it. I have also learned when I think I know what is best for me and it does not happen, it ends up what I thought was wrong. I have learned to let go and let God though I  must admit occasionally I still think I know what is best for me thus setting myself up for disappointment. If only I would remember to turn everything over to God then life would be simple. At age twenty-nine, I remember attending my mother’s funeral and being so sad and shocked by her sudden death. She was only fifty-four and a healthy woman. I was divorced with an almost six year old and seven year old. At her funeral, I remember thinking if I can make it through this alone then I can make it through anything. In the “troubled waters” of her death, God taught me I had the strength to get through anything. Have you ever been cleansed by the “trouble waters” in which you found yourself?  Perhaps you were distraught because you did not get what you thought was your dream job only to be led to the real dream job. Please share your experience in a comment. Blessings.   …susan PS Thank you for all the prayers and sweet comments and emails regarding my daughter’s surgery. The surgery went well and she is doing fine. When I googled the quote “The Lord leads us to troubled waters not to drown us but to cleanse us,” I found many different sources. I am not sure which is the source from which I first heard the quote.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday May 17, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspiration Sunday post. For the past 25 years I have collected quotes that inspired me. These quotes may...

8:32:00 PM

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday

Welcome to the second quote for Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday. For the past 25 years, I have collected quotes that inspired me. These quotes may be of a religious, spiritual, relationship, sports, or business nature My hope is the weekly quote will resonate with you causing you to pause for a minute and reflect. Perhaps you will share it with that person who is in need of reading this very quote. “The most important conversations I will ever have are the ones I have with myself, about myself.” What I have learned through the years is to make sure the thoughts that occupy my mind are positive and healthy. None of that stinkin thinkin! I need to control the conversation that goes on between my own two ears. If I find myself obsessing over some person, place, or thing, then I need to replace those thoughts by making a list of those things for which I am grateful or making a list of my positive qualities.  Please leave a comment telling me how this particular quote resonated with you and/or share your favorite quote.  Blessings.  …susan Source: I heard this from John DeFoore in the early 1980’s, an incredible man from Boerne, Texas. I am not sure if it originated with him or if he borrowed it from another person.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday

Welcome to the second quote for Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday. For the past 25 years, I have collected quotes that inspired me. These...

6:39:00 AM

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