Today I completed the fill-in-the-blank activity for the cumulative memory verse review and I think I did well, but my oldest daughter felt the need to quiz me on it anyway. The good news is… I did it… all the verses from Proverbs 31:10-15. This is exciting for me because, as I have mentioned before, my previous attempts at Bible verse memorization as an adult have not gone as well. Thank you Lord for helping me with this! During my weekly evaluation, I discovered that I do not feel as if I have heard God’s voice as clearly this week as I have in previous weeks. I think I got caught up in the BUSY-NESS of trying to get back into my routines, as well as focusing on our food choices this week. Sadly, I think I allowed it to distract me from my evening Bible study routine. Not having this evening quiet time seemed to detract from me hearing God’s voice clearly. 🙁

As far as the fruits of the spirit go, I am encouraged by most of them this week, even self-control. I watched my food choices and turned down sweet, unhealthy choices more than once. Several times I opted for a fruit or veggie choice in lieu of a less healthy option. This is a big change for me. Over the past 7 years with fighting the RA, I pretty much ate what I felt like eating. With all the meds and pain, food was comforting. Thankfully, my appetite has been extra small for years – or this could have resulted in a huge weight gain for me. This week helped me feel like I was breaking away from my old RA Lifestyle and gave me the opportunity to start establishing new eating habits. The only Fruit of the Spirit that I need prayer over is Faithfulness this week – mainly in regards to my evening Bible Study time.

During TAG this week, I really enjoyed the quietness of my time with God. I was finally able to find a little space in my home to carve out a TAG Zone. Here are the pics of it:

In this quiet little area, I found that my oldest daughter wanted to join me and read her Bible, too – on the couple evenings that I was able to have Bible Study time. That alone makes it a worthwhile venture to work towards having this time every night. I think THAT is what God was teaching me this week – that I need to continue setting the example for the children, so that they can grow in their knowledge and faith of God as well.

Priorities and Goals that I lived by this week:

• Practicing morning and evening routines
• Waking up on time
• Dinner at home, together, every night
• Healthier food choices, eating, and portion control for myself (with suggestions to my family) – Here is a pic of my clean, although empty-ish pantry {We keep extras of items in the garage, especially after our Costco runs.}:

My evening TAG was neglected this week, so that is definitely something I want to work on for next week.

This week has been especially difficult for me as I have been trying to de-tox from my RA and pain medications. The most difficult one is the Tramadol, an opiate for pain. In my mind, I KNOW I do not need this medication – but my body is so used to 7 years of the maximum dose of this med, that I cannot just give it up “cold turkey.” I have experienced the harsh withdrawal symptoms this week of brain-crunching headaches, chills, feeling yucky all over, and downright grumpiness with Kevin and the kids (who definitely do not deserve to be treated this way). I read online this week that many people need to be admitted to a rehab center to get over withdrawal to this medication, but abandoning my family is not feasible at this time, so I have opted to step down from the meds slowly. I have reduced from 6 pills per day to 3 – which is an improvement. SO, What does this have to do with God? Everything! The only way I have made it this far is with God’s aid and tons of prayer – from me and my friends and family. Although it has been difficult, it would have been impossible without God’s help. Thank you Father for all the progress that I have made because of You!

Okay… so as I reach the end of my weekly reflection, it is time to set my specific priorities and goals for next week. So, here goes…

For next week, I want to work on the following priorities and goals:

• Evening Bible Study (TAG) EVERY Night
• 6:30 am wake-up on the weekends rather than sleeping in
• Begin planning for “Once-a-Month” cooking to fit into a “Weekly Shopping Budget” – I think that “Once-a-WEEK Cooking” might be the better option for us with our budget restrictions

Day 22 – Week FOUR starts tomorrow! WOOHOO on how far we have come! I am looking forward to the changes that week four will bring. I pray that your day and upcoming week are blessed ones!