Mary did you know...
The more I hear this song, the more I like it. As the lyrics played again last night, it struck me that Mary had to wait thirty whole years before she saw God finish the work He started.
...that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
There was a lot of excitement surrounding the angel's first appearance to Mary, and then again at the birth of her baby. But then...nothing. Life as usual.
The Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.
What did Mary think as the years went by, as she and Joseph eeked out a living to feed and clothe their family? What went through her mind as she taught her Spirit-conceived baby to walk and feed himself, just like any other baby conceived by man?
When you kiss your little Baby, you kissed the face of God...
What sort of future did Mary see for her boy as she watched her husband's skilled carpenter hands teach the family's livelihood to a set of awkward teenage hands? Did she wonder about his future of public speaking as he taught his circle of peers in the dusty streets? Or did he prefer the quiet and lonely comfort offered by wood, a hammer, and nails?
Mary did you know...
When her son became a man and joined the ranks of humble carpentry, did she start to question the events surrounding his birth? Did she wonder if she heard wrong, believed wrong, misunderstood? Did she start to question God and His plan? Did she start to give up on hope for the miraculous and settle for ordinary instead?
...that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Or did Mary hold God to His promises? For thirty uneventful years, did Mary trust God and believe unwaveringly that He would come through? Did she pray "May it be as You have said" just as fervently in the third decade as she had when the angel first appeared?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great I Am.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Homesickness finally hit me this week for the first time since I moved over three months ago. I'm finally slowing down long enough to start processing my new life. At the same time, five hundred miles from me, precious hearts are being broken, and I am too far to be close.
My friend and I have been chatting this week, and there is a steady pattern to our conversation.
Sam made it home.
She made it home for Christmas.
One by one, saints whose lives I only know from a distance are going home. One in high school, another in a nursing home. As I type, I am waiting to hear from another friend who is spending her December sitting bedside in a hospital, waiting for her mother to make it home with the others.
What a homecoming it must be.
Not that long ago, I walked this same path that these friends now tread. I remember the night my dad made it home. I can't help but wonder if these friends are experiencing the same thoughts and emotions I did. Pain, yes. But more overwhelming than that was the peace. Peace that transcends all understanding, that guards our hearts and minds. Peace that makes the whole process somewhat bearable. And hope. Hope in knowing that this is not the end. Oh no. Definitely not the end. Merely the beginning.
I wonder if, instead of the shadow of death, my friends see their loved ones in the very presence of Christ. That is the thought that consumed me during that late-night drive home from the hospital. It was overwhelming and I couldn't think on it more than a few moments at a time, for it was too much. When we walked out of the hospital room for the last time, we left my dad's body laying in the bed, cold and silent and still. But he was not dead, and I knew that as tangibly as I knew the sky was black and the stars were shining over the dark county roads. I cried, not because my dad was dead, but because he was in the very presence of Jesus, and it was more than my heart could contain.
These saints, young and old, knew Jesus. They believed Him and knew Him and loved Him in this life. And because of their faith and His grace, they stand with Him now, more alive than ever.
I wonder if my friends are brought to their knees in the hope and peace and wonder of this beautiful mystery.
Sam.
Estrid.
Melvin.
They made it home.
My friend and I have been chatting this week, and there is a steady pattern to our conversation.
Sam made it home.
She made it home for Christmas.
One by one, saints whose lives I only know from a distance are going home. One in high school, another in a nursing home. As I type, I am waiting to hear from another friend who is spending her December sitting bedside in a hospital, waiting for her mother to make it home with the others.
What a homecoming it must be.
Not that long ago, I walked this same path that these friends now tread. I remember the night my dad made it home. I can't help but wonder if these friends are experiencing the same thoughts and emotions I did. Pain, yes. But more overwhelming than that was the peace. Peace that transcends all understanding, that guards our hearts and minds. Peace that makes the whole process somewhat bearable. And hope. Hope in knowing that this is not the end. Oh no. Definitely not the end. Merely the beginning.
I wonder if, instead of the shadow of death, my friends see their loved ones in the very presence of Christ. That is the thought that consumed me during that late-night drive home from the hospital. It was overwhelming and I couldn't think on it more than a few moments at a time, for it was too much. When we walked out of the hospital room for the last time, we left my dad's body laying in the bed, cold and silent and still. But he was not dead, and I knew that as tangibly as I knew the sky was black and the stars were shining over the dark county roads. I cried, not because my dad was dead, but because he was in the very presence of Jesus, and it was more than my heart could contain.
These saints, young and old, knew Jesus. They believed Him and knew Him and loved Him in this life. And because of their faith and His grace, they stand with Him now, more alive than ever.
I wonder if my friends are brought to their knees in the hope and peace and wonder of this beautiful mystery.
Sam.
Estrid.
Melvin.
They made it home.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Case Study: The Long-Term Effects of Kinesio Tape on Hallux Valgus - Week 2
(To read the first installment of this seat-gripping self-study, click here.)
Honestly, I haven't been expecting much in the way of results this early after starting my little experiment. So I was a little surprised with my first follow-up measurements. Let's review.
WEEK 0
Starting Measurements (11/21/11)
L MTP: 35 degrees valgus
R MTP: 30 degrees valgus
Measurements after Taping
L MTP: 15 degrees valgus
R MTP: 20 degrees valgus
WEEK 2
I've been keeping to a consistent wearing schedule of three days on, one day off. That means I've taped my toes four times since starting. I've been using the same taping pattern each time. After this fourth taping, I measured both immediately before and after I removed this fourth round of tape.
Measurements with tape on (12/7/11)
L MTP 21 degrees
R MTP 18 degrees
Measurements with tape off
L MTP 25 degrees
R MTP 22 degrees
After I'd had the tape off for a full 24 hours, I re-measured. Then I measured one more time with new tape on.
Measurements after 24 hours
L MTP 28 degrees
R MTP 28 degrees
Keep in mind that my original measurements were 35 and 30 degrees (respectively). My left toe valgus showed a 7 degree decrease, and my right a 2 degree decrease! Like I said at the top, I wasn't expecting to see any change this early.
Measurements with new tape applied
L MTP 24 degrees valgus
R MTP 20 degrees valgus
So, there you go. And by the way, I appreciate those of you who have voiced your interest in following along with these reports! (Granted, most of you are fellow therapists...) Knowing you're paying attention will help me carry through with this. Thank you!
Honestly, I haven't been expecting much in the way of results this early after starting my little experiment. So I was a little surprised with my first follow-up measurements. Let's review.
WEEK 0
 |
| Starting toes |
Starting Measurements (11/21/11)
L MTP: 35 degrees valgus
R MTP: 30 degrees valgus
Measurements after Taping
L MTP: 15 degrees valgus
R MTP: 20 degrees valgus
WEEK 2
I've been keeping to a consistent wearing schedule of three days on, one day off. That means I've taped my toes four times since starting. I've been using the same taping pattern each time. After this fourth taping, I measured both immediately before and after I removed this fourth round of tape.
Measurements with tape on (12/7/11)
L MTP 21 degrees
R MTP 18 degrees
Measurements with tape off
L MTP 25 degrees
R MTP 22 degrees
After I'd had the tape off for a full 24 hours, I re-measured. Then I measured one more time with new tape on.
Measurements after 24 hours
L MTP 28 degrees
R MTP 28 degrees
|
| My toes a full 24 hours after removing the 4th taping. |
Keep in mind that my original measurements were 35 and 30 degrees (respectively). My left toe valgus showed a 7 degree decrease, and my right a 2 degree decrease! Like I said at the top, I wasn't expecting to see any change this early.
Measurements with new tape applied
L MTP 24 degrees valgus
R MTP 20 degrees valgus
 |
| In NWB (non-weight bearing), the amount of correction from the tape is much more obvious! |
So, there you go. And by the way, I appreciate those of you who have voiced your interest in following along with these reports! (Granted, most of you are fellow therapists...) Knowing you're paying attention will help me carry through with this. Thank you!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Case Study: The Long-Term Effects of Kinesio Tape on Hallux Valgus - Week 0
This past weekend I took the final of three courses in Kinesio taping. A couple of weeks from now, I will hopefully have taken and passed the test for certification. (Which means I can add "CKTP" behind my name. Not gonna lie, I'm kind of excited about that.)
Over the course of the weekend, I decided to do a case study/experiment with the taping. I'm excited that the subject of my study is...me! (There's gonna be a great deal of excitement in this post...)
I have weird toes. They've been this way as long as I can remember. My big toes point outward instead of straight ahead. See?
The technical term for this is "hallux valgus," which I more commonly refer to as "crooked toes." I don't know if I inherited this trait, or if it's a combination of being a toe-walker and running around barefoot my whole life. (I can safely say it's certainly not from wearing too many tight pairs of high heels.) They don't really cause me any problems, except some occasional soreness after running longer distances. But I could eventually end up with painful bunions, which does not sound all that exciting to me.
Anyway, I'm going to see if Kinesio taping my toes for a length of time will correct and reverse the crookedness. The instructor of my course told about some women with this same condition who managed to change the bone structure of their toes after only two months of taping, which they evidenced by x-rays. I don't expect a complete correction of my toes, but I do wonder if I can permanently alter the valgus angle by a few degrees. Here comes the technical information:
11/21/11 - Starting Measurements
Left (L) metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint: 35 degrees valgus
Right (R) metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint: 30 degrees valgus
Taping Technique
Measurements After Taping
L MTP: 15 degrees valgus
R MTP: 20 degrees valgus
It just now dawned on me that this will be the most boring blog post some of you have ever read and that not everyone shares the same happiness over seeing my toes taped. I apologize. I'm posting anyway.
Anyway, if you happen to still be paying attention, you will have noticed that the tape decreased the valgus angle of both toes. Not enough to make them completely straight, but enough to make a significant difference in the joint alignment. I'm hoping that, over the course of a few months, my foot muscles will be retrained enough to hold my toes in a slightly better position and maybe even change the bone structure.
Enough geeking. I'll try to post an update every few weeks for your reading pleasure...or non-pleasure. Mostly it's just more fun to blog about it than to write up a boring research paper.
Over the course of the weekend, I decided to do a case study/experiment with the taping. I'm excited that the subject of my study is...me! (There's gonna be a great deal of excitement in this post...)
I have weird toes. They've been this way as long as I can remember. My big toes point outward instead of straight ahead. See?
The technical term for this is "hallux valgus," which I more commonly refer to as "crooked toes." I don't know if I inherited this trait, or if it's a combination of being a toe-walker and running around barefoot my whole life. (I can safely say it's certainly not from wearing too many tight pairs of high heels.) They don't really cause me any problems, except some occasional soreness after running longer distances. But I could eventually end up with painful bunions, which does not sound all that exciting to me.
Anyway, I'm going to see if Kinesio taping my toes for a length of time will correct and reverse the crookedness. The instructor of my course told about some women with this same condition who managed to change the bone structure of their toes after only two months of taping, which they evidenced by x-rays. I don't expect a complete correction of my toes, but I do wonder if I can permanently alter the valgus angle by a few degrees. Here comes the technical information:
11/21/11 - Starting Measurements
Left (L) metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint: 35 degrees valgus
Right (R) metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint: 30 degrees valgus
Taping Technique
Measurements After Taping
L MTP: 15 degrees valgus
R MTP: 20 degrees valgus
It just now dawned on me that this will be the most boring blog post some of you have ever read and that not everyone shares the same happiness over seeing my toes taped. I apologize. I'm posting anyway.
Anyway, if you happen to still be paying attention, you will have noticed that the tape decreased the valgus angle of both toes. Not enough to make them completely straight, but enough to make a significant difference in the joint alignment. I'm hoping that, over the course of a few months, my foot muscles will be retrained enough to hold my toes in a slightly better position and maybe even change the bone structure.
Enough geeking. I'll try to post an update every few weeks for your reading pleasure...or non-pleasure. Mostly it's just more fun to blog about it than to write up a boring research paper.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Overdue Confessions
I have some 'fessin' up to do. Remember that one post I wrote back in January? (Maybe you don't remember me. Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I used to write.) I made some non-resolutions for 2011, one of which involved me losing forty pounds by the end of August. Well, August has come and gone, and I've been a little preoccupied in the meantime, so here's my long overdue update.
I did not meet my goal.
I hate to say that, because now it's going to draw your attention to my body next time you see me, and quite frankly, I prefer to pretend that no one ever notices my physical flaws. (Kind of like putting my hands over my eyes and playing the if-I-can't-see-you-then-you-can't-see-me game.) But part of the reason I announced my plan to lose weight in the first place was to have additional accountability. If I tell you I'm going to do something, then I'd darn well better get it done, even if you never say another word about it.
The eight month weight loss journey was quite amazing in itself, primarily because of the Spirit working in my heart through Lysa Terkheurst's book Made to Crave. It's an incredible book, and I highly recommend it to any woman who struggles with identity and self-worth. Anyway, by the beginning of August I had lost twenty-five pounds. Not that close to my goal of forty, but certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
Unfortunately for my bathroom scale, I let life get the best of me and haven't been able to keep up with my new eating lifestyle. As a result, I've gained back some of that twenty-five pounds. However, I can't tell you how much exactly, because (fortunately for my bathroom scale) I've been too afraid to step on to assess the damage. My pants still fit, so I know I'm still ahead of where I was at the start of the year.
The dust around me is settling just a bit, and I'm hopeful that I can soon pick up where I left off. The challenging part is examining my motives behind losing weight. I want to do it for purely selfish and cosmetic reasons. God wants me to do it because I am to honor Him through obedience and the decisions I make, including the choice between eating a cookie or an apple with my lunch.
Don't hear me wrong - I'm not saying God has pre-ordained every single bite I'm supposed to eat or that I'm only allowed carrot sticks and water (ew). But I do believe that the quiet decisions I make regarding my food - even cookies vs apples - matters in how He is glorified in my body, which He created for His desires and purposes. He gave me this body to look after and tend to while I'm on this earth, just like He has given me a job to work at with all my heart (Col 3:23). It's my job to take care of it to the best of my abilities so that I can offer it back to Him as my living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). I want to give Him my best.
I did not meet my goal.
I hate to say that, because now it's going to draw your attention to my body next time you see me, and quite frankly, I prefer to pretend that no one ever notices my physical flaws. (Kind of like putting my hands over my eyes and playing the if-I-can't-see-you-then-you-can't-see-me game.) But part of the reason I announced my plan to lose weight in the first place was to have additional accountability. If I tell you I'm going to do something, then I'd darn well better get it done, even if you never say another word about it.
The eight month weight loss journey was quite amazing in itself, primarily because of the Spirit working in my heart through Lysa Terkheurst's book Made to Crave. It's an incredible book, and I highly recommend it to any woman who struggles with identity and self-worth. Anyway, by the beginning of August I had lost twenty-five pounds. Not that close to my goal of forty, but certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
Unfortunately for my bathroom scale, I let life get the best of me and haven't been able to keep up with my new eating lifestyle. As a result, I've gained back some of that twenty-five pounds. However, I can't tell you how much exactly, because (fortunately for my bathroom scale) I've been too afraid to step on to assess the damage. My pants still fit, so I know I'm still ahead of where I was at the start of the year.
The dust around me is settling just a bit, and I'm hopeful that I can soon pick up where I left off. The challenging part is examining my motives behind losing weight. I want to do it for purely selfish and cosmetic reasons. God wants me to do it because I am to honor Him through obedience and the decisions I make, including the choice between eating a cookie or an apple with my lunch.
Don't hear me wrong - I'm not saying God has pre-ordained every single bite I'm supposed to eat or that I'm only allowed carrot sticks and water (ew). But I do believe that the quiet decisions I make regarding my food - even cookies vs apples - matters in how He is glorified in my body, which He created for His desires and purposes. He gave me this body to look after and tend to while I'm on this earth, just like He has given me a job to work at with all my heart (Col 3:23). It's my job to take care of it to the best of my abilities so that I can offer it back to Him as my living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). I want to give Him my best.
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