The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started inve
This was said to me on Sunday morning when someone approached me at church to ask about my foot. I believe even in challenging circumstances -- especially in difficulties - we are to PRAISE GOD. There is ALWAYS something to praise God for. Yes, ALWAYS! If it weren't possible the Bible wouldn't tell us to bless the Lord at all times, to have His praise continually in our mouth. Psalm 34:1 is possible! Otherwise it wouldn't be there!
In case you missed all the excitement, I burned myself while making sweet tea. A pitcher of boiling water exploded. I backed my face and hands away quick enough but when it exploded it did so on my thigh and foot. The thigh burn is not as bad as the foot.
I've been researching how to heal as quickly as possible after a burn. When something happens to me, I'm a person who reads everything I can about it, to try to learn and apply whatever wisdom I can. I've discovered the unique difficulties people go through when certain parts of the body get burned. For instance, those whose feet burn on the bottom have an especially difficult time, much harder than people whose feet get burned on the top. The worst areas to deal with are the hands, feet and face as well as large areas in general. When reviewing the research I really began to feel blessed!! I started giving glory to God that I have a burn on the top of my foot rather than the bottom. And, I've always been so thankful that it wasn't my hands. For many reasons, that would have been the worst for me to deal with.
Before you start reading further let me just give a disclaimer that if you are eating or have a weak stomach you might not want to keep reading today's post.
When asked by people on Sunday about how I am doing, I told them about how blessed I am. No, I'm not thanking God that I got burned. I'm haven't checked my brain at the door. I'm thanking Him after the fact that things aren't worse and blessing Him for what I do have going for me.
A lot of caring people ask about the state of the burn from day to day. It's kind of hard to describe even for a wordsmith and a photo is worth a thousand words, so here you go...a photo of my foot today:
If you've seen my facebook page and the photo posted there, you realize today is an improvement!
Here is the foot just a few days ago:
And here it is below, when it was at it's worst:
You can see the redness is much less on the most recent photo and the skin is starting to grow back. It's a slow process. So much slower than I'd like! I don't like waiting in line at the store for 10 minutes let alone waiting for skin to grow back. [sigh]
I know there are those of you who are curious and you can't live for a second longer without seeing my thigh burn...lol...so, here it is:
As you can see it's not as bad...piece of cake compared to the foot. For this, I just coat it a few times a day in Vitamin E and Aloe Vera. Just say it..."Deanna Shrodes is the most REAL blogger out there...or at least wins the award for the grossest one, posting pictures of a burned thigh.
My foot was much easier to deal with when it first happened before the skin came off. Once it did, nurse Sheila (a critical care nurse) from church told me the nerves became exposed and that's why it hurt so terribly and I started limping a bit because moving it hurt so much to put ay pressure on at all. From that point on it became really painful to just get out of bed or take a shower, etc. I do shower of course (everyone's thanking God for that!) but not in hot water and I keep my foot out of the spray of water and gently clean my foot separately while sitting on the edge of the tub when I'm done. It's quite the different "getting ready" process in the mornings and in the evenings before bed. I miss my hot showers and warm baths so much and can't wait to get healed up and get back to them! I will have a whole new level of gratefulness.
My walking partner Liz has really missed me. I met Liz earlier this year while I was walking in the neighborhood. We have been walking together for many months and then last month she and her husband David came to our Celebration Church Fall Connection. They loved it and have made us their church home. (Isn't that wonderful??!!) So Liz has seen me at church limping on the platform with no shoes on. I've been preaching while sitting on a stool. However she and David haven't seen me up close because after church I'm with the visitors in hospitality for a while and "regulars" to CC sometimes don't see me unless they stay after that or unless they talk to me before church starts . So she was wondering about the state of my foot up close. I want her to know I'm not just becoming lazy or giving up on fitness goals. I emailed her these pictures (she doesn't have Facebook) and she was like, "Um, Deanna....thank you so much for those gross pictures..." Ha ha ha! Little does she know I've posted them online. :) After that she followed up by asking how she could help me. She's so kind like that. She's really taking it hard that we can't walk right now. David bought her two huge bags of chocolate and she said she's been sitting there eating them, until we can walk again. I told her I'm hoping for Monday. I miss walking and biking SO much! And I miss our talks. I also miss riding in the well fields with Hector and Sandy. My friends Hector and Sandy are my friends I met at Weight Watchers and bike with but they now also come to Celebration too and have made us their home. (Yes, isn't that wonderful??!!! So many blessings. My heart is FULL!)
Anyway, to continue on the theme of blessings and praising God...it's important to find the blessing in everything. My boss Kathryn talks about finding the "gift" in everything. I love the way she puts that and in addition I see it as an opportunity to find reasons to thank the Lord.
This burn could have been much worse!
I praise God that other areas of my body I need so much are unaffected!
I praise God for helping me heal.
I praise Him for so many friends who care and pray for me.
I praise God that I can still do my work.
I praise Him in all things.
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