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Two past Mother to Mother w/Cheryl Moeller and Co-host Lisa Jungheim that you can podcast or listen to on blogtalkradio

Mom humor, inspiration, and twoslow cookers cooking with a crockpot cooking hints or cooking demos on each show.

We are moms just like you and want to encourage you today!

1.  First Show

2.  Second Show

Tell Your Story. Elaine Told Her's

 Choose Life  

 Guest Essay By Elaine Doss

  

I just celebrated my 53rd birthday last weekend and I am elated that I am still in this world!

I can see from my own experience where God has been present in my life leading me and blessing me all along the way even though I was not always faithful to Him. He has been there through my mistakes and has blessed me with courage in times of overwhelming fear.  

There have been times when I could not see God's way clearly because of blinding stress and questioned "why am I here?" and "why is this happening to me? What did I ever do to deserve this."   

At the age of 26, just two years after being married, I found a lump on my left side. It was soon diagnosed as a rare form of sarcoma and I was told by some of the best physicians in the world that I had a 20 percent chance of living only two years. Hearing the prognosis sent me into severe anxiety and depression.  

After two surgeries, I faced 18 months of chemotherapy and six weeks of intense radiation. Every four weeks I checked into the hospital to receive chemotherapy over a five-day period. I continued to work and put one foot in front of the other to just make it through each day. I faced the harsh reality that I might not live to see 30 years of age.  

There was no one to turn to for hope. Doctors made no promises, my friends didn't know what to say, and my family was devastated. I felt completely isolated, alone and scared. I stared death in the face.  

I shook my fist at God and screamed at Him "Why me? What have I done to deserve this?" All I could think about was dying a painful and slow death to cancer. I did not know anyone back then who had lived very long after cancer treatment. I felt there was no one to turn to for answers or empathy.  

I contemplated ending my life and thought through the ways that I might do so to avoid the pain of death to cancer. I did not want to go through chemotherapy and be sick, bald, and pathetic. It was humiliating and embarrassing. My vanity was getting the best of me.  

I seriously considered suicide for weeks. I was afraid to commit suicide and afraid to live.  After wrestling with the decision for a while, I decided that I really wanted to live. So I made the choice to try to find ways to cope with the situation. I poured what little energy I had into prayer. I was not sure how to approach God in such a confusing time but I knew that He was all that I had.  

Even in the midst of great emotional pain, I could still sense that losing all hope and taking my own life would be taking control away from God, making impossible any plans that He had for me.  

In my heart, I wanted to be God rather than surrender to the unknown, uncontrollable, possibly pain-filled future. I had yet to learn that I had to lose my life to save it (Matthew 16:25). I finally had to relinquish all control to God and let Him rule my heart. God is the source of life, not me. My life is not my own to take. A reverent fear of God was growing in my soul.

I was hospitalized for 5 days each month for chemotherapy because I was so nauseated that I could not function and I was allergic to most of the anti-nausea medication. But, I continued to work at my job and made up the lost time every month.  

After the first chemotherapy treatment, all of my hair fell out and I cried as my husband shaved my head to remove the last few strands. All vanity flew out the window. I actually visualized vanity sprouting wings like a bird and flying out of sight. It was gone forever. I bought a wig and tolerated the pitiful stares from my co-workers who knew what I was going through, yet they didn't. Many friends and co-workers did not know what to say to me, so they just withdrew.  I felt very much alone. The demon of isolation was ever present and my life was plagued with fear.  

 

One day as I lay in the hospital bed I decided to make a deal with God. I told Him that I would do anything He wanted, if he would just let me live. Just please let me live to see 30. Two years sounded so short, so I thought I would bargain for at least 4 years and maybe in that time I could find a purpose for my short life. I did not feel a sense of peace in bargaining with God because I was taught that we can't make deals with God. God's will is done sometimes without regard to our wishes. I was desperate. I had nothing to lose.  

At the bargaining table, though, I humbled myself before God and left all of my sins lying there. I fervently repented as I had never done before. I pled for mercy from the depths of my heart, "God just let me live to see 30 years of age and between now and then, I will do anything that you ask."   

I believed that Christ paid the complete and full penalty for my sin on the Cross.  His shed blood cleanses me from all my sin.   

Looking back I can see that God knew my heart and knew that it was filled with humility even in my physical pain. I owe Him my life and He knows that I know that. He knows that I will try to honor Him, build my faith, and learn His purpose for me.   I learned to live day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month giving thanks to God that I could live another day. I found it difficult to attend church because I could not keep my composure when I felt God's presence.  

My doctors told me they would release me from their care after 10 years. That was an eternity to me! I just wanted to get past 2 years. I counted the days.   Time passed and the treatment appeared to be successful but there was always a haunting sense of foreboding in my life that I now had to deal with.  

I did grow from my own experience. I learned compassion for those who are going through difficult times. I learned how self-destructive bitterness is and decided it was not for me. I laid it down forever and replaced it with compassion for others. Along with bitterness, I laid down judgementalism and replaced it with empathy. We are all works in progress.

I put aside the need to control and replaced it with patience. All things happen in God's time, not when we want it. When I realized what it really means for my very existence to be out of my control, I realized that I had no choice but to be patient.  

Fast-forward 6 years. I was just getting comfortable with the idea that I had defeated cancer and was on the road to a long healthy life, when I received a call from my gynecologist. My last Pap test was abnormal and he wanted to address it right away. At the same time, I found out that I was also pregnant. I now had to face my worst nightmare. I was 10 weeks pregnant and had cancer. My worst fear had been realized.

The type of cancer that I had is normally treated with a hysterectomy, but I was pregnant and the choice to continue the pregnancy was up to me. This was a decision that was NOT all about me. I now had a baby that I had to make decisions for. I believed that this baby was a gift from God and I knew that He didn't want me to abort the pregnancy. But would He spare my life? I didn't know.

I chose to continue the pregnancy not knowing what the outcome would be and with every passing day my baby grew and so did my faith. God was allowing my baby to live and grow normally. What mattered was that God was with me and He would decide my future. My life or death was totally out of my control. I prayed to live long enough to raise my baby to at least the age of 18. Again, praying for my life! I prayed out of fear more than by faith. But, by living each day drawing closer and closer to God, He gradually replaced the fear with courage.

 

My baby will soon be 21 years old. She is a miracle. All children are miracles and gifts from God. Raise your children to know God and teach them how to discover His purpose for them.

I want you too to learn your purpose in life and to live life with and through the Holy Spirit, so that you will have hope when it seems there is none, joy and peace in your heart always, and the courage to do life with God daily.    

 

I became determined to be happy even if it was only for a few months or years. I was not going to die miserable. I remembered my promise in my hospital bed to God to do His will. I knew that the direction for my life would be determined by God but I didn't know which direction He would take me. I was so afraid that the direction that I wanted to go would not be the same as His plan for my life. My life was still "all about ME." But with each day that I was given to live, my faith grew. My life gradually became "all about HIM."  

I let God start to mold me into the person He created me to be. What I have received in return is more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26).  

So I chose to go to God for answers to avoid my own spiritual and physical death. I opened my heart and soul to Him so He could work in my life. I let Him touch me. I let Him drive my life. I let Him show me what I could do for Him. My life stopped being all about me and became all about Him. With God's help, I made life-giving choices.

Had I ended my life in my 20's, there would have been no story to share. Had I ended my daughter's life prematurely, there would have been a regretful and sorrowful story to write. As it is today, I am leaving a legacy through my daughter, Erin, and sharing our story. I am learning what it means to take up my cross and follow Jesus. In this life there is suffering and even as Christians we can't avoid it. But, we can walk hand-in-hand with Jesus and triumph over it through Him.

My own experiences with God have given me a special view of how much God values each and every life. I have learned how precious my life is to God and how I live it as a Christ-follower is a reflection of Him. He impressed upon my heart His desires and gifted our family with my precious daughter.

Open your heart completely to His miracles and let Him touch you. Don't hold back anything. Let Him get His hands all over you. Let Him leave His fingerprints on you. Let Him bless you and use you for His purpose. It is then that you will find your purpose. Every day will be filled with purpose and less hurry, less stress, less worry, more restful sleep, more peace, and more harmony in the home. Make living with God your choice and choose to put aside those things that interfere with connecting with Him.

 

Elaine conducts Wellness Workshops to help others live life to the fullest spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically according to God's design. To connect with Elaine click here

Add a Radio Show or Podcast...

Our radio show entitled "Don't Let Supermom Rent Space in Your Head" this week features:

1.  Mom humor about setting our goals too high and what actually is attained

2.  Today's Topic:  Emails from God.  
Help for moms from God's Word to make life a little easier.  Live in faith instead of fear. There are those times when God send you an email that he is still there, that hope is not lost, and that he is thinking of you.

3.  Slow Cookers in the Kitchen cooking advice - Top Ten  Reasons You Should Read the Directions First when crockpot cooking.  It always helps to read the directions first, right?  You can learn from me who already learned the hard way.   Tips for crockpot cooking.  It's kind of like a terrarium.  (See the Top Ten Reasons below on this post.)

Humor:

Mom's 2012 New Year's Resolutions Four Months Later

January 1st: “My children and I will learn Modern Hebrew this year.”
February 1st: “My children and I will weekly eat one dozen bagels with lox.”

January 1st: “I will get the kids the pet they’ve always wanted.”
February 1st: “I will buy a collar and a leash for my chia plant.”

January 1st: “I will make only home-made yogurt from only organic ingredients.”
February 1st: “I will allow my children only two Gogurts in their mouth at a time.”

January 1st: "I will take my children to a museum once a month."
February 1st: "I will show my kids where I ate super chili dogs in high school.”

January 1st: "I will make sure my children eat multi-grain fiber filled items at each meal."
February 1st: "I will store my bag of Krispy Kreme doughnuts next to a bottle of Metamucil.”

January 1st: "I will feature a Van Gogh each month on our coffee table."
February 1st: "I will fill up our Van at The Stop and Go.”

January 1st: "We will never eat food in the car in 2012."
February 1st: "We will quit using our gas grill in the car in 2012."

More Momlaughs Humor About Being a Supermom

Help for Moms:

We are moms just like you.  We search out stores giving the most free samples.  We can pull five course meals out of our purses.  We camp out in tents with 62 kids in our backyard after showing a cartoon video on the side of our garage.  Sometimes we don't have the energy or courage to keep plodding ahead, and then God breaks through and sends us an email, saying, "Thinking of you today.  Love, God."

Here's one such time that God sent the Moeller's an email.  
- Just a few weeks after moving to a new home we let our beautiful year and a half old Collie named Bo out into the back yard and he was stolen.  

We were devestated.  The police even called us a few times thinking they had found him, but broken-hearted we would drive empty-handed.  
Bo had been gone five years, when our oldest daughter returned from her studies in Israel and one night had a most unusual dream. “I dreamed Bo (our lost collie) was playing in the back yard with Katie and Rudy (our other dogs).” We dismissed her dream as simply wishful thinking. 

Bo had been gone five years and there was no clue as to his whereabouts or even if he was still alive. Three days later at 6:30 Am in the morning, we received a call from an animal shelter 85 miles from our home that Bo had been found!

Imagine our joy and jubliation when family members and Bo were all reunited in the police station.  Even the police chief had to fight back a few tears.

For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37

Dear God, Thank you so much for reminding us through Bo that you can restore those things that we thought were forever lost. God can take care of those we love and bring them back to us in His time. With God nothing is impossible.  We are grateful that you can intersect time and space to send us an email, saying, "Thinking of you today.  Love, God."
In Jesus' Name, Amen 

Twoslowcookers Cooking Helpful Hints and Advice
Ten Reasons You Should Read the Directions first:

From  page 9 of Creative Slow-Cooker Meals

1.  Don't fill your slow-cooker more than 2/3 full.

2.  Cooking for one hour on high is equal to two hours on low in your crockpot.
3.  If there's too much liquid in the dish, you can thicken the juices by removing the lid and cooking on high for the last half hour of the cooking time.
4.  In most slow cooker recipes, vegetables do not need to be initially sauteed.
5.  Most meats, except fish require 8 hours of cooking on low.
6.  You will usually need to coat the crockpot with nonstick spray.
7.  Do not set the stoneware liner on a stovetop burner that is lit.

8.  To avoid heat loss, don't open your crockpot unless absolutely necessary.

9.  To avoid curdling, generally add milk products during the last hour of the cook time.

10.  Your crockpot can be a tortilla warmer, pancake warmer, punch bowl, fondue pot, ricemaker, etc.  You get the idea, now what ideas can you think of for additional uses for your crockpot stoneware liner?
For  the complete page, check out free pages from the book including page 9. Click here 

 

Creative Slow-Cooker Meals, perfect for a Mother's Day gift click here to check out and buy


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