I Need Your Help!

Hello Cranberry Tea Time friends! Would you please help me with something? If you have time, would you please complete this survey? It will help me to know how I can better serve you through my blog.

I don’t want Cranberry Tea Time to be just for me. While it is a creative outlet for me and a way for me to keep busy while resting, I also want it to be a way to serve the Lord and to serve you!

I know that I have a wide variety of readers, from those who are friends and family to those whom I have never met in real life. Many of you have chronic illnesses, but there are also many of you who don’t. Some of you believe in Jesus Christ as I do, and some of you have other faith beliefs. There are moms, married women, single women, and even a few men who read here at Cranberry Tea Time.

There are probably many different reasons why each of you are here. I would like to get to know all of you a little better, to know what you like about Cranberry Tea Time, and learn what kind of posts are most beneficial to you. If there is a way I can better serve and encourage you through Cranberry Tea Time, please do share! 

You may choose to answer only one, or all, of the questions. All of your responses will be completely anonymous, even to me. If you are reading this blog post via email, I think you will need to click over to the blog to complete the survey.

Thank you for your help, friends!

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Five Minute Friday: Mighty

It is time for Five Minute Friday! Lisa-Jo invites us to write for just five minutes, and this week's word is "mighty."

“Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    His understanding has no limit.”

Psalm 147:5

Our children go to Awana at our church each week, and I enjoy working with them as they memorize their Bible verses in preparation for Awana. Earlier this winter Adelaide had Psalm 147:5 as her verse for the evening. I taught it to her along with hand motions. I wish you could see her recite this verse! She says it with great expression and emotion, and she flexes her arms when she says, “mighty in power.”

Working on this verse with Adelaide was fun, and it was a delightful reminder of God’s might and power. Our God truly is mighty! I find this especially comforting because I am weak. And aren’t we all? But God is great and mighty. He is all wise and all powerful. We can trust in His wisdom and might, and that is comforting.

Any strength I have comes from the Lord. On my own I have no strength or might, but I can "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power"(Ephesians 6:10). “In His strength I find my own” (Alone Yet Not Alone).

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 73:23-26

Busy While Resting

I have spent a lot of time resting in the past month. Those of you who are home-bound and/or bed-bound know how boring all of the resting can be! Here’s what I have been doing recently to keep busy while resting:

• Looking at pretty pictures.
• Wearing my bracelet from Mercy House and praying for the girls and ministry there.
• Watching television shows online either by myself or with my children and husband.
• Listening to The Story CD, the Annie Moses Band, the Gettys, and other favorite music.
• Reading books. This month I have read: Surprised by Motherhood, A Good and Perfect Gift, You Are a Writer, and Secrets of Harmony Grove. I am still reading: Speaking the Truth In Love and Seeing the Unseen.
• Working on my Take Refuge Bible study.  
• Chatting with friends through text messages, facebook, and twitter.
• Praying for friends and family and the many needs listed in my prayer journal.
• Listening to passages from an audio Bible on Bible Gateway. I only recently discovered this feature, and it is so cool! You can choose from various translations, languages, and readers.
• Volunteering online for DINET and (in)courage.
• When my arms are strong enough, I crochet. I'm currently working on making coasters.
• Doing small sewing and mending projects.
• Watching Into the Amazon on YouTube.

I would love to hear suggestions of other things to do while in bed or in a recliner. What do you do to keep busy while resting?

Fighting for Joy

Oh, Monday, how glad I am to see you! It was a very difficult weekend here. On Friday I joined the Five Minute Friday crowd and wrote about joy. Little did I know, that night I would be given the opportunity to fight for joy and live what I had just written.

I had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep on Friday night. My autonomic nervous system was going wild. My heart rate wouldn’t slow down. My blood pressure was nearly non-existent. Eventually I was up with one of the worst gastroparesis flares I have had. I’ll spare you all the graphic details, but let’s just say that throwing up while almost fainting is scary and really hard to do.

I got little sleep that night due to pain and a heart that kept racing. I was exhausted and physically felt miserable. My Friday post came to mind, and as I lay in bed I was reminded to fight for joy on that very hard night.

I am happy to say that I made it through the night, and I fought for joy with all I had! On Saturday Will took me to the ER for IV fluids. I was dehydrated and was given 2 liters of fluids. I had the sweetest nurse and doctor to help me, so that was a bonus! On Sunday my stomach still wasn’t emptying well, and we went back to the hospital for two more liters of fluids.

The fun side to all of this is that I got out of the house for the first time in over a month! And not just once – I got out two days in a row! I rolled into the hospital with my stylish wheelchair and light up wheels, and I joked with my friends that I have a rocking social life!

Today I am able to drink fluids and eat soft and liquid foods again. I'm still extra weak, but I am doing so much better than I was yesterday. This weekend was hard, but it was also a good opportunity for me to choose joy even on the hard days. 

Photo Credit: Sara Frankl

Five Minute Friday: I Will Take Joy

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    He makes my feet like the deer's;
    He makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

This winter has been difficult for me, and the past three weeks have been especially hard. The lonely, stuck-in-bed days aren’t too bad at first, but in time they start to wear on me. It has been over a month since I have stepped foot out of our house. It has been three weeks since I have visited with someone other than the mail man. I grow weary of having to rest so much. I get lonely.

On days like these, joy is a struggle. I have to fight for it. It is easy to focus on my circumstances and think that I have it so hard. But do I really? No. I live a very comfortable life. Here are just a few things that make my life comfortable and easy:

• A soft bed
• A laptop
• Running water and indoor plumbing
• A recliner
• Plenty of pillows and blankets
• Internet
• Good books and movies
• Yarn to crochet when my hands are strong enough
• A good husband who loves me and takes care of me
• Children who adore me and are so patient with me on the sick days

The list could go on and on. I have been truly blessed! I have a good home and a comfortable life. Best of all, I have been forgiven of my sins and adopted into the family of God. The Lord has poured out His grace and mercy upon me, saved me from my sins, and given me a home in Heaven. Now that is a reason to have joy! I can take joy even on the hard days. I will choose to live a joyful life.

When I take my focus off of the hard things of life and start to look at the blessings God has given me, especially the gift of salvation, I find that the joy of the Lord is my strength! And the weak days aren’t so hard when the joy of the Lord is my strength.

Marriage Letters: What Makes You Come Alive

Dear Will,

What an honor it is to be your wife and to walk alongside you in life and ministry. You are my favorite teacher and preacher. I love cheering you on from the sidelines as you fill the role to which God has called you. Sound theology and Bible teaching – this is what makes you come alive. This is what you are passionate about, and that passion is part of what makes you a good teacher and preacher.

For two years now you have taught the middle school Sunday School class in our church, and those kids are learning so much from you. As they see you come alive in that classroom, they get excited about learning theology! I love hearing about the biblical truths that they can communicate at such a young age. Your passion for sound theology rubs off on them, and they, too, are striving to understand and communicate truths from God’s Word.

Your gifts bless not just those in the church, but our family as well. I am so thankful to have someone who is so knowledgeable in Greek and Hebrew in my home! I love the fact that when I come across questions as I read my Bible, I can ask you about the text in the original language. I see you come alive as you help me dig into God’s Word, seek the Lord, and grow in Him. You shepherd my soul so carefully and patiently, and I am the wiser for it.

You don’t just shepherd me, but you shepherd our children daily. You care for them physically and you care for them spiritually. You guard and protect and teach them, and they love you for it. You help our family to not just survive, but to thrive. As we grow closer to the Lord, we also grow closer to each other, and our family is strengthened.

Thank you for leading us and serving us faithfully.

Love,

Rachel

--

Read more Marriage Letters at theRunAMuck.com.

Book Review: Surprised by Motherhood

Lisa-Jo Baker is a writer, encourager of women, and cheerleader for moms at her blog, lisajobaker.com. When I heard that she was writing a memoir of her life and the way motherhood changed her, I knew it would be a delight and encouragement to read. As expected, the book did not disappoint. Lisa-Jo weaves words and writes with a beauty and honesty that will immediately draw you in.

In Surprised by Motherhood, Lisa-Jo tells her story of growing up in South Africa and losing her mom at the age of 18. She knew that she never wanted to be a mom herself, but God had different plans! He worked in her heart and healed her. He gave her children who have taught her, challenged her, and helped to change her. Lisa-Jo learned that motherhood is hard, but glorious.

This isn’t a “how-to” book with secrets and formulas for helping babies sleep, potty training little ones, instructing toddlers, or raising teenagers. This is the story of the making of a mother. It is Lisa-Jo’s story, and her heart is in these pages. This story is for all of the exhausted and tired moms who think they can’t do it. It is for the moms who are searching for happiness and humor in the mundane. This book is for all women who enjoy a good story of motherhood and mess and joy.

I personally enjoyed reading Lisa-Jo’s story very much. Even if you are a regular reader on her blog, there is so much in this book that will be new. It is worth the read!

Surprised by Motherhood releases on April 1. You can pre-order your copy here. If you want a sneak peek, you can download the first three chapters for free here!

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. provided me with a complimentary review copy of Surprised by Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

Busy Hands: Fingerless Gloves

I enjoy working on small crochet projects while resting in bed. As you all know, I like to keep my hands busy if at all possible! For my birthday my sister gave me this book: Crochet One-Skein Wonders. It is full of great little crochet projects that can be made using one skein of yarn or less. I have a lot of yarn that was passed on to me from my Oma, and this book has had lots of great patterns and ideas for me as I use the yarn remnants.

In January I made these fingerless gloves using yarn from Oma. I never thought I would be a fingerless glove person, but these have been so nice to use at night! Sometimes my fingers get cold while I am typing, holding a book, or crocheting in the winter. These fingerless gloves really help! Now I have a way to keep my hands busy wand warm at the same time.

What have you been doing lately to keep your hands busy?

Favorite Books of 2013

An improvement in my health that I greatly enjoyed last year was a decrease in brain fog. I don't know why that symptom improved, but I am so glad it did! A few years ago I really struggled to do much reading. There are still days and weeks when I can't read much, but I am so glad that on a good day now I can read an hour or more per day!

Something that has helped me to be able to read more is a kindle. There are many days that I can't hold a book open for an extended period of time because my arms grow too weak. On those days I can read on my kindle by propping it up in bed and just tapping to turn a page.

In 2013 I read a total of 24 books! Some of them were very short books, but books none-the-less. I had not read that many books in a single year since I was in Bible college!

Here is a list of my favorite books from last year:

• Choices - Changes by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Joni & Ken by Ken and Joni Eareckson Tada
• I Will Carry You by Angie Smith
• Standing Strong by John MacArthur
• The Faithful Parent by Martha Peace and Stuart Scott
• The Feminist Mistake by Mary Kassian
• The Quiet Place by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Wait Until Then by Randy Alcorn

So far in 2014 I have read seven books. If you want to see the books I'm reading this year, you may visit me on GoodReads.

What good books have you read lately? I need suggestions for what to put on my "To Read" list!

Life Lately

These are my favorite verses. I have them hanging on the wall beside my bed 

so that I can look at them and be encouraged on the hard days.

This winter has been a difficult one for me health-wise. In December I had a gastroparesis flare. Before I could recover from that completely, I came down with a virus that wiped me out for the month of January. I thought I would recover in February, but never did completely. The setbacks in December and January had taken their toll on my health, and my body grew weaker. By the end of February it was consistently taking me four days or more to recover from at-home activities that would usually only take me a day or two to recover from.

A week ago I could feel that I was close to a crash. I had great difficulty typing and carrying on a conversation. I was unable to read with comprehension, and even watching television was hard. Based on past experience, I knew that if I kept pushing it my health would only deteriorate further. Will and I decided that we needed to cancel everything for me last week. I needed to rest with the goal and hope of avoiding a crash.

My primary responsibility last week was to rest, and I had to spend most of my time in bed. The extra rest proved to be so good for me! I began feeling a little better each day. My arms began regaining strength, and my brain fog has improved. Our hope was to avoid a bad crash, and I think we have.

This week I plan to start adding some more around-the-house activity back in and see how that goes. I am hoping that I will be able to slowly ease back into my normal routine without causing my body to crash.

That is what has been going on here lately! I’m not where I'd like to be right now, but this is the reality, so I’m working with it as best I can. In days like these, I am thankful that the joy of the Lord is my strength.

Five Minute Friday: Willing

Today I am participating in 5 Minute Friday with Lisa-Jo Baker and her delightful blogging friends. We write for only five minutes without worrying about making everything perfect. This is quick and easy blogging, and it is just what I need today. This week's word is "willing."

Today in the Bible study I am working through we read Job 1:20-22: “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (ESV).

I am always struck by Job’s response. It isn’t just one of grief; it is one of trust and worship. Am I so trusting? Would I be willing to worship God no matter what trouble came my way? What if I lost all of my children, my house, and my belongings? Would I be willing to come to God with an attitude of worship?

I like what Job says in chapter 2, verse 10, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

God is sovereign over all. I can trust God, knowing that nothing can come my way that has not first passed through the loving hand of the Father.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).

Am I willing to worship God today in sickness?

I have been mostly stuck in bed this week, recovering from the last three months of health flare ups. It isn’t easy. It isn’t what I would have chosen. But it is what God ordained. This is the portion I have been given, and even this is for my good! I can trust and worship God while home-bound. Lord, may I always be willing to bow before you in worship.

Are you willing to worship God today no matter your circumstances?

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