Did Your Christmas & New Years Go as Planned?

This may be a foolish question, but did your Christmas and New Years go as planned? Does it ever?!

Years go as planned? Does it ever?!

Well, sometimes everything goes just like we had planned but - not always. I think... most of my holidays have gone nearly as I planned and expected, but there have been small glitches to make my life interesting.

Just the previous Wednesday I bent over at the car's trunk to push some stuff further into the back because I'd had a call that my sewing machine and serger were fixed and ready for pickup. As I bent forward I felt a tiny pop in my lower back! Oh-no! The clerk cheerfully complied when I asked if someone could carry them to the car, as I'd just had a back injury.

A friend brought them in for me the next morning.

I had deliberately planned not to invite older singles as my guests this year, as I knew my back could only tolerate so much standing in the kitchen. Then on Christmas Eve it appeared that two of my women friends, wanted to come, but they had already made commitments to others for their big meal; I suggested they could drop by for dessert if they were still up to it later in the day. However, they did not show up.

However, I did roast my smaller turkey as planned, and got the mashed potatoes and gravy done too. I snacked on the turkey meat while I was de-boning the turkey, separating the white from the dark meat while I put it into two old Tupperware bowls. Then I dropped the bones and skin pieces, etc, into the crockpot; added some water and started it to simmer all day and all night.

This is something my sister Elsie (who has been a hospital chef in two different hospitals. Our family food-expert) has taught me. When all the goodness is simmered out of the bones, scraps of meat, skin, etc., I fish them out with tongs, and into a sturdy bag for the garbage. I strain the broth after that, and put it into jars in the fridge. It jells and becomes flavourful basics for gravy, soups and stews.

So I've been set for fridge raids and quick meals all last week and still into this week, just as I'd hoped.

My cousin June and her husband dropped by at my door late in the afternoon on Christmas Day, and brought me a turkey meal in a disposable container. They had volunteered to serve at the Friendship Inn downtown which serves food to the poor, homeless and many indigenous people.

I was surprised to learn that the people in the kitchen had put 10 more turkeys in the ovens every two hours to keep up with the demand. Altogether they estimated that 1000 people were served!

Wow!

My Prayer & Planning Week (last week) went much as planned, and I was relieved that my back pain subsided so that I could fully concentrate on my prayers, looking for new promises, and setting up my new schedule and daily/weekly routines.

There are some differences to previous spinal injuries. It seems that this time it may be a disk that slipped as my balance is more affected. Sudden moves are more painful, and the pain can be triggered by leaning forward, backward, or to the left or right.

Also, when I wake in the morning, my back feels really broken and it takes very slow, cautious moves to turn my feet out of bed, and to creep to the bathroom with my cane. It takes longer to get dressed, then settled into my recliner with my heating pad.

On Sunday, I managed to get to church and fulfilled my volunteer job of praying throughout the service, taking notes on insights, which I type up later to send in to the pastor and the woman in charge of our prayer programs. After the service anyone who desired prayer for healing could come forward. I went and the pastor and 4 elders prayed over me.

A Promise God gave me several years ago, which I review and thank Him for each morning is Psalm 18:35-36. the latter verse says, "You stoop down to make me great. Your broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."(NIV) I told the Elders that just on the previous Thursday, I had concluded if the LORD was watching out I not even turn an ankle, surely I could ask Him to watch over my fragile bones too. They agreed.

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