Spring and Community

The suddenly Spring weather is providing opportunities for connecting with my community outside. It's so nice to be able to say, "Hey, could you meet me for a walk on your lunch break?". My friend Rachel, who used to lead group fitness classes at the gym, made space in her day for a walk on Stone Dam Creek Trail. She is the one who coordinated my gym buddies to give towards a huge Visa gift card when I was diagnosed with cancer. That card made the first payment towards the many scans and surgeries and treatments, and their support encouraged and strengthened me each step of the journey.

The first bouquet of the year went to Grandma. She also has a little more pep in her step now that the weather is nicer. I love walking around Lake Conway with her on my weekly visits.

My little buddies have also enjoyed getting outside more. Lauren's kiddos bring such joy to everyone who interacts with them.

If I ever need hugs or kisses or a good laugh, this little guy always comes to my rescue. 

Health Update

My nine-month checkups consisted of a CT scan, bloodwork, meeting with my oncologist, and a SOZO scan with a lymphedema specialist. I love how thorough CARTI is with the cancer recovery process.

Everything came back clear, and I'm still on track to have checkups and scans every three months for the first two years after chemo finished. I'm so grateful for all of the prayers and encouragement my community continues to give me!

 

On my Bookshelf

When I drive to Grandma's house or to pick up raw milk, I like to listen to a book. I just finished Brene Brown's "The Gifts of Imperfection", and now I want to buy a hard copy so I can go back, take notes, and ponder what she wrote.

When I sit in waiting rooms or in my lymphedema machine, that's my time for reading. I'm slowly working my way through the very thick, "Outlive" by Peter Attia. His website and podcasts cover a wealth of health topics.

New Faces

 See those two faces on the screen? Those are the two twenty-something-year-old Lavukal students who live in Honiara while they study. When they are in town, they have access to the internet, so Aaron has set up a weekly meeting with them.

They are practicing "back translation" on the already completed books of the Lavukal Bible, and this regular time together is helping pave the way for working together when Aaron goes to the Solomon Islands next week.

Marriage Monday - Day 7 of 40

"If you get married as Jacob did, putting the weight of all your deepest hopes and longings on the person you are marrying, you are going to crush him or her with your expectations. It will distort your life and your spouse's life in a hundred ways. No person, not even the best one, can give your soul all it needs. You are going to think you have gone to bed with Rachel, and you will get up and it will always be Leah. This cosmic disappointment and disillusionment is there in all of life, but we especially feel it in the things upon which we most set our hopes." 

~Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods

The last day of our little getaway made up for the dismal beginning. Brunch at PJ's Rainbow Cafe gave Aaron the opportunity to try their famous "omwich". Fueled by delicious down-home cooking and lots of God given grace for each other, we drove north to find some hiking spots.

Once again, we quickly hit a roadblock. The trails we intended to explore were closed. And we had no phone signal to look for other trails. But we were somewhat familiar with the area, so we kept driving to the beautiful Gunnar Pool Recreation Area. 

What a gem! The little park is hidden several miles off the main road, with primitive camping sites and clean pit toilets. We joined the North Sylamore Creek Trail and decided to hike for an hour before we turned around and came back.

I'm so thankful we didn't crumple when our first plans fell through, or we would have missed this stunning opportunity. Growing up in central Arkansas, ice and snow are infrequent visitors. The granite cliffs along the creek dripped with icicles. The water was clear and cold. And the whole thing took our breath away.

I was reminded that one of the things I love about our marriage is that we don't quit when things get hard. We've built an atmosphere of trust. Between the two of us, our personalities hit all five of the "secrets" to better communication: stay connected on the mundane stuff, be curious, create emotional safety, get uncomfortable, be intentional when you need to.

I would add that having a sense of humor/playing together is a big part of the glue that holds a couple together. Aaron does this extremely well. On this trip it looked like ballerina twirling across a rickety bridge that we crossed one at a time (just in case!).

We drove home refreshed and ready to tackle the next few busy weeks leading up to Aaron's departure for the Solomon Islands. I'm so grateful for God's gift of my husband, even when we hit the unexpected potholes of life, because our Saviour is always up to something good.

 

Sweet Lenten Sabbath

"Idols never just disappoint us; they addict us as well.... What we tightly hold onto takes hold of us, now commanding of us what only God should ever command: our hearts. And what holds our hearts will dictate our words and behavior." ~Paul David Tripp, Journey to the Cross

I've been thinking a lot about idols lately. About what holds my heart. About what I expect to satisfy me. And I'm asking the Lord to gently pry my fingers off. Again.

Day 6 of 40

"God graciously uses community to expose our sin and to invite us to believe the gospel and allow it to work change more deeply into our attitudes, motives, words, and actions." 

~ Robert H. Thune & Will Walker, The Gospel Centered Community

Marriage is a type of community. Certainly, marriage is one of the tools God wields to faithfully shine light on my unbelief and to patiently draw my heart back towards him and towards my husband. On Saturday morning, we drove to the White River Bluff Loop for a hike. 

We weren't expecting several inches of cold wet snow to be covering the trail, but we also didn't anticipate the cold distance between us. This perspective of the White River delighted me, especially because we floated down this river last summer for my birthday. Unfortunately, I was distracted by trying to figure out what was coming in between us, and I struggled to appreciate God's beautiful creation.

I have never seen a live armadillo, and this little guy was enjoying an "all you can eat buffet" of some critters exposed by the melting snow. Mr. Armadillo had no intentions of letting us interrupt him from his feast, so we just gave him a wide berth.

After we finished the hike, chilly in too many ways, we sat in the van for an hour and spilled our hearts. We talked about our differences. We took the time to listen. We appreciated each other's strengths. We refused to let our hearts stay cold toward each other. Reconnecting wasn't easy. And it took longer than I wanted it to take. But we have a history of trust. Of fighting together. We know we are better and stronger and more resilient together. And we know our Savior is up to something good as He works in our marriage.

Day 5 of 40

"If you focus on how you were victimized, you brain will immediately shift into survival mode. You'll be on edge, constantly watching for threats to your security, connection, and sense of control. You'll eventually get angry, bitter, and resentful.... When you choose to see yourself as a willing participant in an adventure -- rather than a victim -- your brain chemistry actually begins to shift. Your mind goes into exploration and learning mode rather than fear.... You're willingly confronting what is ahead as an adventure." ~Joel Malm, Connecting the Dots

Thanks to Aaron's willingness to donate plasma, we were able to get away last weekend and put together a little marriage retreat. The last time we took a few days together, everything went so smoothly. This time, I had many opportunities to practice seeing myself as a "willing participant in an adventure". Our first stop was at Daily Grind Coffee, a creative combo of gym and coffee shop. Then things began to get challenging for me. It's no secret that my husband and I have very different personalities. No matter which personality test we take (and we like ALL of them!), we are on opposite ends of the spectrum. He can flex and thrive seemingly without any effort.

We took a chance on a cheaper Air BnB. Although it had a beautiful vintage silverplated iced tea spoon in the drawer which made me smile, that was the only thing that made me smile about our accommodations. The videos we chose to watch to enrich our time together? Meh. We were left with a bad taste in our mouths about those, too. We didn't sleep well, and it began to look like our time away together was going to be a big letdown. I had to work really hard to go into "exploration and learning mode" and fight disappointment. Because I like to make sure my environment supports flourishing, we always bring our own food to keep our bodies happy and a fan for white noise to encourage good sleep. But nothing was kicking my heart and mind into adventure and trust the Lord mode.

To be continued...

It's Still Cold Outside

As my next round of three-month checkups draws near, giving my body the best chance to recover from cancer treatments is on my mind. So is strengthening my body to fight in the future, since HER2+ is the most aggressive form of breast cancer.  

According to Native Path's website, good physical health is based on these five pillars:

1) Sleep 

2) Hydration

3) Sunshine

4) Movement

5) Nutrition

Katherine and I tackled this list when our town was snowed in and school was cancelled for several days. We walked to a new coffee shop, Secret Nook Coffee and Books. She did homework and I checked email while our toes thawed and we sipped hot coffee.

The sun was shining, but the wind stung our cheeks and made the cold temps feel even colder. But you know what helps make everything warm and cozy? Soup.

African Peanut Stew

Adapted from "The Oh She Glows Cookbook"

1 teaspoon avocado or coconut oil

1 medium sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2 pieces

1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, with their juices

salt and pepper

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked 

8 cups baby spinach

roasted peanuts for serving

1) In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

2) Add the bell pepper, sweet potato, and tomatoes with their juices. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season the veggies with salt and pepper.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and 1 cup of the broth until no clumps remain. I find mixing them is easier if the broth is warm. Stir the mixture into the vegetables along with the remaining 3 cups of broth, chili powder, and smoked paprika.

4) Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is fork-tender.

5) Stir in the chickpeas and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

6) Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with roasted peanuts.

 

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Last week our temps dropped to 25-30 below normal. Before the blast of artic air hit, I wanted to soak up as much sunshine as possible. One of my orchestra students was selling local coupons as a fundraiser for the baseball team, so I bought some. I've already saved more than the amount I spent just by my BOGO coffee purchases :) The combination of beautiful friends and hot coffee and trails with majestic herons creates a worthwhile way to spend an hour.

Though it's been cold outside, the tomato seedlings are beginning to sprout. The Blush Tiger variety won the prize for first plant to break through the soil!

Advisor Checking

Guess who made it through all 150 of the Psalms for the first swipe of the Lavukal translation advisor check?

 

Braids and Curls

"Stones, huts, bread, and boxes -- all these were outward displays of the inner life. They stood as both reminders and revelations of how the people of Israel were feeling their way toward and finding God. None of these practices added to their abundant life, the practice just recalled them to it and revealed their abundance to the world." ~Jamie Erickson, "Holy Hygge"

I love all of the tangible reminders of God's faithfulness found throughout the Old Testament. Currently, my biggest "outward display" of God's work in my life is my hair. The curls are slowly growing back, and every time I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of my community and how God provided them to buoy me through all of the hardships that cancer brought my way.

My hair is even getting long enough that Katherine wanted to braid it. My curls didn't cooperate like she had hoped, so I ended up with only partial braids, but that's a step in the right direction!

 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Dad's birthday was a quiet affair this, unlike previous years. I was excited to have a big box of Arkansas Black apples given to us by a local farmer who was planning to feed them to the pigs until she heard that I would use them. Old apples still cook beautifully! So, apple crumble substituted for Dad's birthday cake, and it was perfect, delicious, and cozy for the unseasonably cold weather.