Month: June 2018

Pre-Surgery Preparation: Prayer and Meditation

I’m having surgery tomorrow morning. Early. Check in time is 6:45 AM, with surgery scheduled for 7:00. I’m not looking forward to it, but who ever really looks forward to having surgery. I’m worried. Okay, more than a little anxious about the pain, since the type of surgery I’m having is rumored to be excruciating.

In an effort to keep my teeth decay-free during this horrid two and a half years of wearing braces, I’ve overzealously brushed and flossed and managed to severely damage the gums around my bottom four front teeth. Because of the gum recession, the bone density of the roots on two of the teeth has already decreased to such a dangerously low point that I am at risk of losing the teeth. Ugh!

 

Surgery preparations—

Of course there is a mile-long list of things I must do and must not do prior to the procedure. Like: stop all anti-inflammatory meds (like Advil, ibuprofen, etc.) four days prior to surgery so my blood clotting capability isn’t affected; and no concentrated caffeine drinks, like Red Bull. (No problem there.) No strenuous exercise 24 hours before surgery (I should have asked him to define “strenuous.”) And stop food and water intake six hours before.

 

 The process—

He’ll be carving out tissue from the roof of my mouth and making new gum out of it to cover up the exposed roots. To enhance healing, he’ll be drawing my blood and mixing the platelets and stem cells with tissue and applying that to the wound. I won’t be able to apply ice packs anywhere near the surgery site (ice is always my pain treatment go-to) because any pressure to the surgical site can undo the delicate tissue. So much for the hoped-for ice.

Recovery time is six weeks, with the first several days off-limits to chewing, sucking liquids through a straw, (the vacuum can undo the sutures and tissue), or tooth brushing in that area. (I don’t think I’m going to attempt to brush any tooth in my mouth those first several days!) Room temperature liquids and swishing with water will be the norm.

Along with a lot of pain.

And that’s what I’m preparing the most for.

 

Meditating for mental (and physical) success—

The last thing I want to do is go into the morning exhausted and mentally overwhelmed. So I needed to spend today (the day before surgery) in mental and spiritual preparation for this three-hour, anesthesia-blessed procedure. I’m laying low, resting, doing some last-minute tidying up around the house so I can recover in a clean, dust-free environment.

And I’m spending a lot of time praying.

I’m asking God to prepare my body and mind for this, and to respond well, and joyfully. After all, my concern led to questioning the condition of my teeth, and two dentists recommending the best oral surgeon in town, a guy who uses the latest and greatest procedures to maximize success. And I managed to get this done before being surprised—like when my two front teeth might have ended up in a crisp apple I had just ripped into.

I’m thanking God for going ahead of me to prepare the procedure room, every last bit of equipment and the doctor and his assistant for the surgery. I’m requesting that God guides the doctor’s hands, and the assistant’s. I’m praying the procedure will go better than expected, and faster, with accelerated healing.

 

I’m also doing a lot of deep breathing exercise because that has the potential to decrease my stress and agitation and improve my immune system. (It’s the breathing in yoga exercises that makes that activity so successful health-wise.) Adding some light stretching will help, since I’ll be stuck in that chair for so long.

 

And I’m playing some of my favorite praise and worship songs, both high energy and low, to remind myself of God’s presence and promises and to increase my sense of awareness and presence—the state of mind and body posture one assumes when facing intimidating or stressful circumstances.

 

Overall goal—

In a nutshell, I’m focusing. And I’ll be leaning into the recovery. Resting as much as I need, or my body dictates. Setting aside other distractions. Maintaining a sense of peace and quiet amidst lots (or as much as possible) of smiles and laughter, even if they have to be internal. Doing a lot of general reading, which is a favorite activity I never have enough time for. I’m really looking forward to that!

And I’ll be spending a lot of time with my dogs, gazing into their eyes. Studies have shown that people holding gazes with their dogs showed increases in different hormones, like oxytocin, which is a feel-good hormone. Letting them give you pooch smooches also helps, but I won’t be able to allow them to do that. Too much risk to the graft.

 

It’s not going to be easy, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to describe it as fun. But if everything goes according to plan, it won’t have to be as scary or painful or disrupting emotionally, physically or spiritually as it could be.

 

Reader request—

I would appreciate your prayers. At this point, I’m planning to be away from the blog for two weeks, so please check back around July 9 for the next Mediation Mondays installment.

 

Until then, thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers, and be thinking about how you can lighten your mental and physical load through planned and structured meditation!

 

Blessings,

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photo Copyright Desiring God

Cows, God and a Great Story

Stories change us. And mysterious or miraculous events make for great stories. Sometimes even cows get involved, with God.

What?

This amazing, entertaining and true story by David Armstrong is just an example.

 

“My mind jumped into overdrive. I couldn’t swerve—the highway had no shoulders. I couldn’t honk—that would do nothing. I couldn’t slow down—I was going too fast. If I made any sudden movement on the slippery road, we’d crash into the trees framing the old highway. It was an impossible situation. Not sure what else to do, I yelled, ‘Jesus, help!’

“Instantly, the cows stopped moving. And I heard it. A firm but quiet voice. Deep from within. ‘Don’t hit the brakes. Grab the wheel tight.’

“I grabbed the wheel, kept the same speed and headed straight for the line of cows. ‘Oh God, I said. ‘Oh God!’”

 

Want to know the ending, and how David got to this point? Go to Guideposts.org/FourCows to enjoy the entire short story.

 

You’ll also find the full story in Guideposts magazine June/July 2018 issue of Mysterious Ways: More Than Coincidence. If you can, get your hands on the issue. It’s full of impactful stories and articles, like how listening to stories impacts our brain chemistry.

 

Until next week,

Keep enjoying (and telling) stories of how God cares for you.

Blessings,

 Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photo Courtesy of Time.com on Google Images

Mind and Body Walking

Have you been able to start your walking program, do some re-arranging in your walking schedule to optimize weather and traffic and reduce injury risk?

Have you been able to set up a program and stay with the plan, or does it need some adjusting or a different time allotment?

As for me, I’ve taken my walking program “on the road” as I’ve been trying to attend to my walking program while I’ve been out of town and vacationing.

I’ve been enjoying the weather in the Northwest since last Wednesday, and the walking has been glorious! I’ve strolled in sunshine and rain, padded through a college campus and zoo, and enjoyed late sunset walks around the lake just a block from our vacation house.

 

Total engagement!

All of my senses have been engaged as I’ve encountered Canada geese of all sizes, night-prowling raccoons, nut-hunting squirrels, neighborhood dogs taking their owners for a walk and friendly residents. The vibrant spring flowers and verdant trees are a feast for my eyes. The aroma of fragrant flowers, trees and freshly cut grass lift my spirits.

I wish everyday could be like this. I’m determined to somehow make that dream a reality when I return home. My brain and body will thank me as I see to their health!

We’ll be leaving this gorgeous part of the country next this week, but I’ll be on hiatus for at least two weeks as I undergo extensive oral surgery next week. Although full recovery is six weeks, I hope to be up and writing again within two, so check in again the second week of July. (I may be back earlier.)

Until then, happy walking and exercising in fresh, healthful air!

Blessings,

Andrea

Celebrating Milestones—Becoming a Thinker of Great Thoughts

My older son, who is my first-born child, emerged from the womb with bright, wide-open eyes taking in his new surroundings. “Are they always this alert?” I asked the doctor who’d just delivered him.

“No. That one’s going to require extra stimulation.”

Oh, how right that doctor was!

 

My son was busy, and a innovative, master Lego builder. He thought big thoughts and dreamed big dreams. He disrupted his first-grade class with too much socializing and talking after finishing all of his seatwork early and having nothing else to do. When I brought him home to home school, I worked hard to stay ten steps ahead of him. I wasn’t always successful.

One day in college he called me to have a philosophical chat, something we still enjoy doing. “I’m thinking about going into artificial intelligence,” he said. “But I’m worried about it. The moral implications. In the wrong hands, AI could be dangerous and disastrous. I just don’t know if I should do it.”

We chatted, and I gave him some things to think about. But mostly I just listened to him . I think he needed to hear himself talk, to lay out all of his pros and cons. And then make a decision.

 

 

Here he is, seven years later, wearing a Doctor of Philosophy robe and cap and holding a PhD in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Specifically Mechatronics—a technology that combines electronics and mechanical engineering.

And I think it’s ironic that I now have a Doctor of Philosophy in the family at a time when we’ve been studying philosophy and the great thinkers here on Meditation Mondays.

 

Now my son has a “great thinker” degree. And that’s what they encouraged him to do when he arrived on campus for his M.S. and PhD combined program.

 

At first, he thought it was pretty swell, being encouraged to stroll around campus, sit and think and take notes about his thinkings. He still does things like that, especially when he’s out hiking the Cascades or Snoqualmie with his trusty hiking buddy Nox, (my adorable Maltipoo granddog). But now he mostly thinks great, useful thoughts. Practical thoughts that produce designs and devices to help mankind. He knows the process of thinking and putting to the test great thoughts, but he’s more focused on the moral issues and ramifications.

For that, I’m grateful.

I hope his B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) dreams come true!

 

Thanks for letting me indulge in family news the last two posts and let my pride ooze over a little more than it should.

See you back here on the 18th for some practical meditation!

Until then,

Make it a great week of (moral and ethical) thinking!

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photo courtesy of Andrea A Owan

Celebrating Life’s Milestones—Body and Spirit

This weekend is another big one for the Owan clan. We’ll be celebrating with our older son as he is bestowed “with all the rights and privileges” of a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, specifically robotics and artificial intelligence.

 

Several weeks ago we celebrated as our younger son was graduated with all the rights and privileges of a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a minor in International Communications. He outshined all of us with an impressive magna cum laude status and a host of other awards, including Engineering Ambassador for the University of Arizona. He’s on his way to law school, where he plans to focus on IP—intellectual property—law.

 

Boy, are we proud of them!

 

But the accolades and achievements didn’t come easy, even though our older son is unusually bright and picks up concepts faster than normal. Way faster than normal, actually. And our younger son has the enviable capacity to be deeply introspective, which helps him identify his weaknesses and strengths and work in a way to take advantage of his strengths and neutralize those weaknesses.

Aside from their natural God-bestowed gifts, their awards came through hard work, lack of sleep, heightened anxiety, and poor eating habits. Sacrifices and deliberate avoidance of certain activities. Making conscious decisions to choose the best over the good. Sometimes—even though you strive for a balanced life—life needs to be lived unbalanced, as long as it doesn’t become a habit and the norm.

And I think they took to heart something I repeated to them from the time when they were very young:

 

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV).

 

I love how The Message renders this:

 

“Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.”

 

We taught them that if they had just B brain capacities, then they needed to be the best darn B brains they could be. No excuses for what they didn’t have. They needed to use the gifts God gave them to His glory. So they wouldn’t look back on their lives with regret about talents and gifts they’d wasted or neglected to mature and develop.

 

They were also reminded often of the verse from Colossians 3:23-24:

 

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

 

And they were taught to dream big.

B-HAGS we call them in the Owan house. Big Hairy Audacious Goals.

Sometimes I think our older one goes a bit overboard with this, but he really is his father’s son, so I’m not surprised.

So this weekend we’re celebrating what he’s accomplished, where he’s come from and where he’s going. Memories of the last 28 years are already causing me to break out in melancholy.

It’s going to be a weekend to celebrate both the spirit and the body. And rejoice that our lives are a combination of both.

 

We all have stories to tell. Our lives are stories.

 

I’m having a grand time watching my sons’ stories unfold! Here’s the younger one on his big day!

 

 

Until next Friday,

Dream big, explore your potential, and celebrate body and spirit!

Andrea

May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).

Photos by Andrea A Owan