Great Weekend!

I had a really great long weekend! Thursday night, I went to another Singles Night Out: this time we went to Adventure Landing for a night of go-karts, putt-putt golf, and good old fashioned video games. It was really fun to hang out and get to know more people in the group. My church recently instituted these Singles Nights Out, in an effort to meet the needs of the young singles in our 20s group. We started out by racing go-karts, and in the words of Nathan, "go-karts just never get old." Then we broke off into groups to play a little putt-putt; I had 3 holes-in one! Definitely my lucky night- haha. Before we headed over to Sonic for dessert, Nathan and Lindsey teamed up to play a game of Ocean Hunter. It was a really fun night!

I did work on Friday, but they let everyone go at 2:30, which allowed me to head home to San Antonio a day early! I was able to surprise my mom and grandparents by arriving at family good friday; she wasn't expecting me until the following morning. Saturday we had some good family time, as Michael was in town too. We went to church that night, then out to eat at Mamacita's. It's always a requirement to have Mexican food when I go home. It's just not the same anywhere else. Easter Sunday we spent at my other grandparents' house, so it was good to see family. I hadn't seen anyone since Christmas (which they all made sure to remind me of- haha).

I took Monday off because I had another doctor's appointment in San Antonio. Things went well with the doctor...good news is that I am healthy and there are no long-term effects of the medication I am on. So I am pretty sure the migraines are stress-related. Anyway, it was nice to be home this weekend. It had been too long, and I enjoyed being home with my family.

Good Friday

"As the echo

of the crunching of the fruit

was still sounding in the garden,

Jesus was leaving

for Calvary..."

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~ Max Lucado, Everyday Blessings

Do This in Memory of Me

This evening, I was able to participate in a Passover Seder. The 20s group at my church invited Chris Kaltuka from Friends of Israel to walk us through a traditional Jewish Seder. I was so excited to attend! It was so great to hear the history behind the Jewish celebration, and even more exciting to connect what I have learned in BSF this past year about the origination of the Passover. To see the pages of Exodus come alive was so cool! Chris walked us from beginning to end, explaining what each Jewish family would do to prepare for the Passover and how they teach their children to "remember what the Lord has done." We ate the bitter herbs and unleavened bread. It was such a great way to start this week as we look ahead to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

In celebrating the Passover the way a Jewish person would, my heart broke for the Jewish people. In their very own ceremony, they use a greek word "afikoman." Translated in Greek, it means "He came." They place a full piece of unleavened bread in the top pocket of an afikoman bag, a broken piece in the middle, and another whole piece in the bottom. It represents God, the broken body of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But they miss the important piece: He came! That broken piece represents Christ, whose body was broken for the forgiveness of sins. The Messiah has already come, was crucified, and was resurrected! And yet, they don't believe that. They are still waiting in anticipation for the promised Messiah. They still hold a seat open for Elijah, not connecting that "Elijah" (John the Baptist) has already come! God's chosen people walked with Him in the Old Testament, learned of His promises, and were present at the time of His miraculous signs and His covenants. Learning that they still live under the old covenant made my heart break for their salvation in Christ.

On a related note, can I just say how much I LOVE my church?!?! God has blessed me so abundantly through Woodcreek, and I cannot thank Him enough for the sweet Christian fellowship that I have found here. I searched for a year for a church, so I am definitely grateful for this faithful body of believers. To be encouraged in genuine Christian fellowship is such a blessing! And I absolutely love the 20s group. I have never met more genuine people; they honestly love and care for each other in a way I have never experienced before. I am excited as I continue to get more connected. In addition to church and the Gathering (our 20s group on Sunday mornings), I have been attending Singles Night Out events (which have been SO fun), and I am attending the women's retreat at Pine Cove in a couple of weeks. I praise God for providing such an amazing group of believers, both in the congregation and in the 20-somethings!

Do You Think My Dog is Fat?

Yesterday I took Sasha for a run; it was a beautiful day and we both needed to release some energy. When I got back into my apartment complex, I was stopped by one of our new maintenance guys. He saw me with Sasha and stopped to ask me if my dog was going to have puppies soon. I was so caught off guard by this question, but managed to politely tell him "no, she's actually just a puppy herself." I am sure he was just trying to make conversation. But when other people have done that, they have always asked me if I was going to breed her. People find my dog attractive (she gets a lot of compliments for being a "beautiful dog"), and wonder if I will let her have puppies. Of course, these people don't realize that I got my dog spayed as soon as the vet would let me, so that's out of the question. One Sasha is enough for me. Another thing people don't realize is that she isn't a full-bred lab. Her daddy was a boxer. But she looks like a lab. To the untrained eye, I could see how people can make this mistake.

But this question was just so out of the ordinary. And the more I have thought about it, the more I have been put off by it. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I am wholly offended by the question. The protective mama instinct in me immediately wonders if my dog was insulted and called fat. LOL. Now, you have to understand that I realize my Sasha is not the smallest dog. At a whopping 80 pounds, she is a far cry from a lap dog. And I also realize that my dog has added a few pounds to her physique in recent months. It is completely my fault, as it became difficult to run her every day like she is used to. In recent weeks, though, we have gotten back into our exercise routine, but even so, my dog was never fat. I even put her on a strict workout regimen and portioned controlled diet. I realize that is extreme, but the vet had told me that I had to monitor her weight while she was young so she wouldn't have hip problems when she got older. I will do anything to extend my dog's life and avoid extra vet bills.

So when this man asked me if my dog was pregnant...I couldn't help but think of when a woman is asked if she is pregnant (and she is not). Of course, Sasha knew no difference; she thought he was a new friend to meet. She had no idea he had just insulted her. But I knew. LOL. I have been trying to look at her from all angles to see if she could be mistaken for pregnant. And while I am biased, I just don't see it. She does have a more pronounced chest than normal labs; but that's part of her boxer traits. And that's the wrong end of her body for someone to think she is pregnant. And why would I be running my pregnant dog? So what do you think? Do you think my dog is fat?

The Mysterious Migraine

I had an appointment with my neuro-opthamologist yesterday, and in the words of my mother, "it's only migraines." Haha. As crazy as that sounds...it is a praise that it really is just that and nothing more serious. Although, as I type this, I realize that it's crazy that I have my own neuro-opthamologist. Who else can say that? I have never been one to have normal sicknesses or diagnoses...nope. Always the weird stuff. What can I say? God made me "special." LOL

The doctor said that the spots in my vision, particularly the blinding light in my right eye, was a classic symptom of a migraine. Apparently, you can have a migraine that consists of headache, nausea, vision problems, or any combination of those symptoms. Luckily I have only experienced bad, though tolerable, headaches. Oh, and the vision issue only once. Migraines are genetic, and I have 2 aunts that suffer from migraines. I just might be the lucky one who got picked in the gene pool to get them. Of course. He also said they could be stress-induced. Which makes sense, considering the last year of my life. He also said it could be related to the medication I am taking. I already have doctor's appointments scheduled to address those concerns, in case that medication is the direct cause, or if it increased my risk of getting them.

So for the next four weeks, I am supposed to keep a headache diary to chart when I get migraines, what might have triggered them, etc. He gave me some sample medications (for those who speak migraine-lingo, he gave me an abortive and a rescue drug; after the 4 weeks, he will determine if I need a preventive...please pray that I don't!) The bad thing about all the medications is that they are supposed to make you drowsy. Translation: can't be taken during the day if I want to function like a normal human being. And I really don't want to be on any medications. So basically, I am on a mission to (a) find out what caused them in the first place, (b) find out what the triggers are for me so I can avoid those things, and (c) monitor to see if this is situational or something that will stick around for awhile. Good news is that he said it's unrelated to the swelling on my optic nerves; there just happened to be something else wrong with me- lol.

I am trying to do my research, because I don't want these suckers to stick around and/or get worse. I have friends who suffer from what I have always thought of as a migraine (severe headache, nausea, extreme light sensitivity). The doctor said there is the possibility mine could escalate to that...which makes me all that more determined to figure this thing out so it doesn't reach that point (at least if it's in my power to change). I realized yesterday that I have had more doctor's appointments this year than I have had most of my life. So sad. But thank you, Lord for early diagnosis, good doctors, and good insurance.