body – Page 3 – Salvaged Faith

preparing for surgery

Posted on February 19, 20094 Comments

I visited the surgeon’s office yesterday and now have my surgery scheduled. March 11. Three weeks seems like a long time to keep waiting – as it has been about 2 already. But at same time, I had a few things in my schedule to work around: namely my continuance interview for provisional membership in the UMC.

Until that time, I’m really trying to avoid fats and proteins. After much of the reading I have done, these are the foods that will activate my gall bladder the most. So high-fiber and low-fat eating, here I come. It actually is probably exactly what I need to lose some weight and be a bit healthier too, so I’m not complaining.

My surgery will be at 7:30 in the morning – four small incisions – and I should be home that afternoon. It all seems kind of surreal to think about – I haven’t had surgery since my tonsilectomy when I was little, and don’t really remember much about that. I can’t possibly imagine how I will feel, what I’ll be able to do, how my body will respond. I guess I’ll find out soon!

worn out.

Posted on February 13, 20091 Comment

I am absolutely exhausted today. I think in many ways I’m just trying to get caught up from an overly busy and stressful week. We have a fundraiser dinner for our kids on Sunday that I’ve been getting ready for and in the midst of all of it, I have been working on some medical appointments for myself.

Evidently, what I had assumed were acid reflux attacks are actually gallstones. And my gallbladder needs to come out. Which actually is a HUGE relief for me. After I found out that it might be gallstones I started doing a ton of research and it really fits the symptoms that I have been experiencing. As does acid reflux. But if it is mostly gallstones – that means that many of my symptoms might go away. I had gotten so used to a number of the things happening in my body, I thought they were normal. I’m looking forward to actually BEING normal again. But until I got the results, there was a lot of stressful waiting. And now there is waiting to see when exactly the surgery will be scheduled and how much I need to do beforehand to prepare for my time off. And a huge part of me just wants to do it now – get it all taken care of, and have a solid week off to breathe and recouperate. It would be nice to get it done before Lent starts. But then again – that means finding someone to fill in for me on very short notice.

We also had two funerals in our church this week, and I have gotten back on track with visitation of our homebound members. But in my efforts to catch up, it meant that I visited five people in one day – which has me socially spent. I never doubt that I’m an introvert after visiting with people. They are dear and wonderful people, but it takes a lot of energy for me to spend time with people. As opposed to extroverts who gain energy when they spend time with people.

I really want to curl up all day – but I need to get the bidding sheets done for our auction, and I need to get the fancy Japanese beer for our Asian inspired fondu party in honor of Valentine’s Day with my sister and brother in-laws. Crap. And practice guitar. I’m taking lessons from my brother in law, but I always forget to practice. well, with the busy week I had, I didn’t take the time.

Fit.

Posted on January 11, 2009Leave a comment

Today the hubby and I got up and headed over to my parents’ house for lunch and to see the rest of the fam. But not before we shoveled the driveway. There were six inches of beautiful white fluffy stuff on the drive. And it made the drive quite long.

We had a good day. I hadn’t seen my brother and sister-in-law since Thanksgiving and it was nice to just hang out. We exchanged our Christmas presents late, and Brandon and I were pretty excited to get Wii Fit! But I was not nearly so excited when I had to do my body test and had the scale pop up and my mii plumped out to match my current weight. Bleh.

We headed out with some friends and saw Valkyrie and then off to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. All and all, it was the sort of day where i just felt like normal person, instead of a pastor. And I like those sorts of days.

Sweat.

Posted on January 3, 20091 Comment

My life in this past year as a pastor has not been that great for my health. I have way too many sweets coming across my office desk from well-meaning and excellent bakers and cooks in my congregation. And since I love food, I can’t say no. Not to mention that as a United Methodist every gathering has food of some sort.

I’ve mentioned this many times, but I haven’t balanced my eating habits with my exercise habits well. But finding my rhythm is also about finding better patterns of behavior. So to start off this year right, I dug an unused piece of exercise equipment out of my parents’ basement today… and not only did I bring it home – but I actually used it!

I must admit, I’m encouraging myself to work out by allowing myself to indulge in a guilty pleasure while doing so… one episode of grey’s anatomy for each 45 minute workout. I have to admit… it’s been months, literally, since I last intentionally exercised. And after about 15 minutes, i thought my thigh muscles were going to explode… or implode… or something. But I was almost halfway through the episode and I allowed that to keep me focused and got through the whole 45 minutes. I’m dreading how my legs will feel in the morning.

FF: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Posted on January 2, 2009Leave a comment

As we look back we may come to understand how God has worked in and through us in joy and saddness. how we have grown against what may seem impossible odds. As we look forward we may do so with expectation, and we may do so with fear and trembling. As we look back and forward in New Years liminality I offer you this simple yet I hope profound Friday Fivein two parts:

First list five things that you remember/treasure from 2008

My very first church
Adding Turbo and Tiki to our family
Worshipping with my new congregation – especially Maundy Thursday and Christmas Eve
Wednesday Night dinners with the family
Learning how to disc golf with some great friends

Then list five things that you are looking forward to in 2009

Becoming healthier (exercising in particular)
Learning to play the guitar
More time spent with my immediate family
Finding my rhythm as a pastor… less trial and error, more consistency
Building stronger ties with other young adult pastors.

whew…

Posted on December 29, 2008Leave a comment

The Christmas season is almost over and I am absolutely exhausted.

There were a few days in this past week that I allowed myself to sleep in very late, so I thought that I would make it through just fine, but with four worship services in a week’s time and countless gatherings and people… I was completely and utterly spent by yesterday noon.

We were driving up to my in-laws after morning worship, and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. We had an AMAZING dinner and I got through the present giving/receiving just fine, but after that, all I wanted to do was sleep. It was as if all of the energy I had been giving out all week long had run out. All I wanted was a quiet room, maybe a movie, and a pillow.

We got home about 7, and I curled up on the couch and watched “Mamma Mia” not once, but twice.

While many people do not believe this about myself, I am an introvert. It takes an extrodinary amount of energy for me to be around people, especially if I have to be “on.” It doesn’t matter if they are my best friends or complete strangers… it still takes more energy out of me than it gives, and if I am correct, that is one huge definition of introverted. The nice thing about my in-laws is that I can simply sit there and be. And I think that’s why everything finally ran out.

healthy bodies and christmas candy

Posted on December 21, 20082 Comments

I walked out of church this morning (very briskly, I might add, since it was -1 degrees Farenheit!) with my arms loaded with four gift bags full of christmas goodies. Cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, peppermints, etc, etc, etc. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful church members that have blessed Brandon and I with these sweets =)

As I sit here eating some white chocolate covered pieces of pretzely goodness, I suddenly start thinking about that commercial where the people become donuts and burgers… you know – the “you are what you eat” message. And I pause for half a second… before eating the next chocolate covered pretzel.

All things in moderation is a very good motto. My confirmation kids helped me to eat half of this little baggie full of pretzels this morning – it’s probably not so bad if I finish the rest of this one baggie.

But in thinking of moderation, there is such thing as excess and there is such thing as neglect. As in, none at all, zero, zip, zilch (how come all of those start with z’s?). And in thinking of the counter to all of this sugary goodness, I do have to admit that I have done a big fat nada in regards to exercise lately.

I could blame the cold weather, but that’s just an excuse. I’m making a promise to myself, right here, right now, that I’m going to borrow the unused cardio machine at my parents and start using it! I have to use it at least four hours a week… split up however I manage to do it. That is my promise, and if I can borrow it before then, it will be a pre-new years resolution.

It’s not so much a matter of how much I weigh – although I have been scared to step on a scale since before Thanksgiving. But it’s a matter of feeling healthy. I know that my GERD will be helped by losing even five or ten pounds. I know that I’ll have more energy if I exercise more regularly. I know that my back and my neck will feel better. I know all of these things, I just have to do it.

routine and roots

Posted on September 18, 2008Leave a comment

I’m working on routine in my life right now (yes, I know I’ve said it time and time again… but hey, what can I say, I’m a work in progress). So far this week, I’ve stayed fairly on target with my plans – focusing on two particular goals: exercise and spiritual centering.

For exercise, I run/walk on a nearby trail. I think the whole course, from doorstep to doorstep is a little over 3 miles, and I spend about 10 minutes of it running. I went Monday morning and again this morning… if I can do 3-4x a week, I’ll be happy.

For centering, I’m working on quieting my spirit before I begin work each time I’m in the office. I have three candles next to a chair that I light and I pick up my handheld labryinth and work through it. When I get to the middle I say 6 prayers: for myself, for my family, for my church, for the church, for the nation and for the world… and then I pray my way out asking guidance for my work this day and with the Lord’s prayer. It has felt amazing to set aside that time for myself! I really do feel like my work is more productive and more on task to what God wants me to do with the day than it has been before.

In the midst of that re-focusing of my time and energy, I’m thinking back to what I wanted to do and how I wanted to incarnate postmodern/missional views of church into this congregation and my life. One of those was through setting down roots – and I’m excited this week about going the homecoming football game and also the gardening that I did to weed and get things ready for fall in my flower bed. There is still a lot of work that is left to be done there. Both for me are about roots – about getting involved with the community, getting my hands dirty and meeting people where they are.