Ramblings-n-Writings » Musings

Twin Pregnancy – Milk for heartburn

Kara_S — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:34:25 +0000

About 2 weeks ago, I wrote about the things I’ve learned during our twin pregnancy. One of the things I mentioned is that milk does wonders for heartburn. Well, I need to revise that statement …

Whole milk does wonders for heartburn. 2% milk doesn’t do a thing.

I really wasn’t a milk drinker for years and years unless it was raw milk straight from the cow. (For those who are new here, I used to live on a farm.) My DH is a milk drinker but only whole milk.

So, after being afflicted with pregnancy heartburn and knowing that our little ones needed calcium, I started drinking regular store-bought whole milk. Raw cow’s milk during pregnancy is considered a no-no, by the way.

Well, earlier this week, our jug of milk was getting low and we had the threat of bad weather, so DH stopped to get a gallon. Unfortunately, so did the rest of the county, and he came home with a jug of 2% milk. Not a problem, because milk is milk, right?

Apparently, not really.

Last night, I had a horrid time with heartburn (blame it on the pizza I ate!). Over the course of a couple of hours, I drank multiple glasses of milk and still had heartburn. Normally, with whole milk, two or three mouthfuls did the trick. With 2% I could’ve drank the whole gallon and still not had any relief.

I imagine, and this is not scientific at all and is purely a guess, that the fat content in whole milk is what coats the throat and helps neutralize the stomach acid. Since 2% is an extremely watered-down version of whole milk, the fat content is gone and so is the heartburn relief.

Moral of the story: stick with whole milk if you want relief and sleep!

Twin Pregnancy – What I’ve Learned

Kara_S — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:39:55 +0000

As I’m sitting here at 34 weeks with a very large belly, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned while doing double duty and carrying twins …

Heartburn … Ah, my favorite friend. It really doesn’t matter what goes in – spicy or bland – heartburn will come and go. So I eat what I want. The advice to avoid spicy foods and carbonated beverages may be helpful in singleton pregnancies, but honestly, with twins your stomach is practically shoved out your mouth anyway so the acid is inevitable. Instead of suffering with a diet of bread and water, I learned to control my heartburn. A glass of milk before bed neutralizes the acid and works as the best preventative for me. Yogurt, ice cream, and cheese also help (yes, ice cream was recommended by my doctor.) I also use two or three pillows at night to prop up my head and upper chest – harder for stomach acid to travel up than straight. A little bit of fresh lemon added to water is another preventative.

Eating … I consume tons of food. Like constantly. For the first two months or so, I had a lot of nausea (never did get morning sickness or vomiting), but I eventually figured out that the nausea was because I was hungry. Within a matter of a day or two all of the nausea went away when I increased my food intake. Eating snacks (fruit, cheese, peanut butter, granola, veggies or anything that is considered food when you are desperate) between meals helps tremendously. Weight gain – don’t be concerned. Feed your little ones. I’ve gained 40 lbs. so far and our girls consistently measure well above the 50th percentile for their gestational age and weight.

Water … Drink a lot – more than the recommended 6-8 glasses. I started drinking about 100 oz. of water a day around 12 weeks. I do not have dry skin, stretch marks, or swelling, and my girls have excellent levels of amniotic fluid. One word of caution – don’t drink a full glass of water within 20 minutes of eating a meal (either before or after) unless you want heartburn. Once I adjusted when I drank my water, I noticed a significant decrease in the amount of heartburn.

Maneuverability … Yeah, forget about being flexible, getting up off the couch gracefully, shaving your legs, or climbing out of bed without feeling like you just ran a marathon. This will strike near the end of the 2nd trimester. If you drop something on the floor, leave it there – someone else will eventually pick it up.

Breathing … Starting around 20 weeks or so, I noticed increased difficulty in breathing at times, which is apparently normal. This might sound strange, but the worst was when I would lay down at night or roll over. I think it has to do with the shifting of the uterus and its occupants, not to mention the occasional limb that got stuck where it didn’t belong. Nothing much can prevent this other than breathing as deep as possible until everyone gets settled and then resuming normal breathing. I know my girls started dropping around 32 weeks because I don’t feel as starved for oxygen now.

Sitting … Sitting on hard surfaces like a dining room chair also becomes more difficult with each passing week unless you want to sit with your legs sticking out to the sides. My girls hate when my belly rests on my lap and they give me all sorts of little punches to remind me to move. Cushioned chairs and recliners are wonderful inventions! Reclining keeps the pressure off of the pelvic area, however reclining does put pressure on the back and veins so sit with weight shifted slightly to a side. Using a pillow to prop up the ever-growing belly helps add support.

Sleeping … Enjoy sleeping comfortably early on. In my case, I wasn’t able to lay on my back from about 18 weeks and on for any longer than about 5 minutes without getting an extremely ill feeling. When you have only two choices – left or right side – you find yourself waking up to turn over quite a bit as the little ones squish this nerve or that bodily organ. And, about midway through the 2nd trimester it becomes physically impossible to roll over without waking up. Sometimes I feel like I deserve a gold medal for reaching the other side!

And, finally, Advice … People love to offer advice about pregnancy (you know, so-and-so heard from her fifth cousin’s neighbor who had twins …). Take it all with a grain of salt unless they are twin moms or a medical professional. Every pregnancy is different. Do a lot of research online to learn what to expect during pregnancy and read about twins, twin products, twin necessities, and anything else twin related. Everything I’ve written here is based on my personal experience, not scientific or medical research, so proceed with caution.

What have you experienced during your twin pregnancy that other moms would love to know?

Fearfully and wonderfully made

Kara_S — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 13:15:02 +0000

I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well. ~Psalm 139:14

Isn’t it amazing how each of us is a unique individual? No two people are exactly alike. Some may look identical (maybe the two little girls growing inside their momma right now?!) or have a similar personality, but each person is still unique. As a result of being unique individuals, we respond to similar situations differently.

One of the biggest areas in my life that I noticed this was divorce and moving on. Every person who walks the road of infidelity and divorce is a unique individual. Each person’s circumstances are different. The stories might sound similar – he had a mistress and left his wife for her – but the individuals involved are unique.

To me, one of the hardest things to deal with wasn’t necessarily the divorce, but the assumption that I was the same as everyone else’s acquaintances and should manage my divorce and healing how those people managed theirs.

We’ve probably all heard the “warning” about not telling a widow or someone else in mourning “I know how you feel” unless we have actually walked in the same shoes and lost a spouse / child / parent. From my perspective, the same is true of divorce and moving on. Here’s some of the phrases I heard from various individuals and what I really wished I could say in response.

Well, when my sister’s husband left her, she did /didn’t … Guess what? I’m not your sister! I’m me!
How can you be so sure that your marriage is over? … Well, let’s see … The husband walked out, moved to another state with another woman, and proceeded to tell me a bunch of lies since leaving. Yeah, sounds like it’s over to me.
How can you even think about dating / remarrying so soon? So-and-so needed a lot of counseling and is just now getting her life back together 2 years later … Sorry, but I’m not waiting just because the “proper” amount of time in your eyes hasn’t passed.
Are you sure he isn’t a cheater too? (speaking of the guy I was dating) … Um, no one can know for sure and if you think you can, you’re only fooling yourself.
Why get a divorce? Don’t you have faith that God will restore your marriage? … Absolutely! But it takes two to make it work, and the evidence isn’t there that the other half is willing to make it work. Plus I have complete, undeniable peace from God that this is the step I’m supposed to take.

I’ll admit my responses are somewhat sarcastic. But, honestly, every person is unique. We all handle situations differently. Think about how two people would respond to watching a boating accident happen. One person jumps in the water to rescue whomever he can. The other stands on shore and calls 911. Do we fault either one for how they responded? Likely not.

There’s a new television show (at least I think it’s new) this season. I don’t know the name of the show, but actors / actresses go to public places and “test” people to gauge their responses on serious issues. For example, one episode took place in a restaurant. A young teenage girl was obviously being held against her will by people who weren’t her family members. The TV cameras recorded how the diners reacted as voices were raised, etc. Some did nothing but talk amongst themselves while others took action and tried to remove the girl from the situation. Another episode had a segment of a teenage boy getting beat up for being gay. Most people ignored the fight, but some intervened and rescued him from the bullies. Every person reacts differently to the same situations.

So even if my situation was identical to Suzy Q’s situation, my reaction will be different than hers because I am a unique individual. God made me the way I am. I deal with tragedy and hard times differently than Suzy Q. How is that possible?

Simply, I was reared differently. I was taught differently. I am a unique individual, fearfully and wonderfully in God’s eyes, who followed a unique, God-given path to the point I am at.

God prepared me long before I knew it with how to handle and manage the trials that came my way. Little lessons of heart break along life’s path taught me how to handle the big test of a broken heart. I’m not saying I handled it perfectly because I had learned everything beforehand. Hardly! I had my days of walking on eggshells, becoming a basket case, going through boxes of tissues, and downright anger. But, I knew that in order for life to continue, I had to grieve, allow the grief to heal my heart, and take the first tentative steps forward. One step … having faith … led to another … trusting. Each within God’s perfect timing. I have no doubt.

Creating Hope in Darkness

Kara_S — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:37:35 +0000

A couple of days ago, while searching for a recipe, I came across the following handwritten in one of my notebooks. I realized I had never posted it for you to read. Today is an anniversary date for me of a personal tragedy and I chose today to post about having hope because I realize the miracles God chose to bless me with.

When you are in your darkest days, it is hard to have hope.

We tend to ask ourselves questions like … Will things really get better? Will I continue to fail at ___? When will change come? Is there really hope that I can move on?

Webster tells us that hope is “what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to feel that something desired may happen; to continue to hope although the outlook does not warrant it.”

In my mind, hope walks hand-in-hand with faith. We can have hope that things will change in the future, and we need faith to keep that hope alive. Let’s dissect what hope is…

What is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best - Hope is believing. When my ex-husband walked out, it was soooo hard to believe things would get better. I could only see the darkness and what I had lost. I feared losing my home, the possibility of becoming a mom disappeared, and I thought I had to change job professions to survive. I didn’t have this kind of hope because I couldn’t see how my husband leaving could turn out for the best.

To look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence – The part of hope that rang true to me was looking forward to how things could work out. I wanted to see how God would mold me. How would the trying of my faith work out patience? Through the tears, heartache, and refiner’s fire, I knew in the end something good would be created – either the restoration of my marriage or the healing of my heart.

To feel that something desired may happen – Those first days were dark. Admitting to friends that my marriage might be over was humbling. One evening on Facebook, I started chatting with a friend in Colorado. We chatted about life’s events, and I honestly don’t remember much that was said except for one line that she shared. She said, “It may not seem like it now but this could be the catalyst for something more extraordinary than you can even imagine.” Wow! Her statement gave me hope!

To continue to hope although the outlook does not warrant it – Who doesn’t want to believe that things will get better? My friend’s statement made me start looking for the extraordinary. Deep inside I began hoping for something extraordinary. Some very tiny, seemingly insignificant events started occurring. The outlook for my life in general was still bleak. I had faith that God would bring me through the trial because that’s what He promised, but my outlook wasn’t the greatest. I started each day hoping it would be better than the one before. Slowly my heart was healed and today I am living what is even more extraordinary than I could imagine.

What is my extraordinary? Today, I am very happily remarried to the most amazing, loving man who is everything I dreamed of. My work is what I choose it to be – no 9 to 5 job. And the most special blessing of all … against some very strong odds, and only through God’s amazing grace, we are expecting two little bundles of baby joy in early 2011. Praise the God of miracles who gives hope in life’s darkest hours!

Why I Purged Twitter

Kara_S — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:49:23 +0000

Since I have finally resettled into a daily routine, last week I decided to re-add Twitter as one of my daily habits. The last time I tweeted was about 4 months ago, and since then I noticed a definite correlation between my time on Twitter and the traffic on my websites. I recognize the value in Twitter and decided it was time to get back into tweeting.

I sat down last Thursday, and before typing my first tweet, decided to catch up with those that I follow. After scrolling through countless updates and wasting more time than I care to confess, I realized I needed a plan of attack. I had to decide what I was going to use Twitter for.

Was it to follow as many people as possible?
Was it to gain knowledge / ideas / links?
Was it to generate relationships?

Everyone looks at Twitter differently. To me, I want to use it to build relationships and to learn.

In order to accomplish my purpose, I needed to purge the list of those that I was following. So, for about 2 hours, I sat engrossed in the my “following” list. What criteria did I use to decide if someone stayed or went?

What was the date of the last tweet? Seriously, anyone who hasn’t tweeted since 2009 probably wasn’t going to tweet again anytime soon. I realize some people, like myself, have life circumstances that interfere and tweeting just isn’t feasible anymore. But more than a year makes me think they probably won’t be back.
Did I remember the person from back when I tweeted regularly? I figured if I remembered them, I must have had some kind of interaction with them or they shared meaningful tweets. At some point, they had made an impression, and I liked that.
Did I know them in real life?
Did the person seem to be about self-promotion? If, out of the last 10 or so tweets, a large majority of the tweets were links to their personal site and the site content wasn’t something I felt would be of value to me, I purged.
Would the person be a better match for @SkalaCreative, my business twitter? I also looked for those that I followed with both accounts.

So, did spending about 2 hours going through the 675+ on my “following” list help? After just a couple of days, I can honestly say that it did.

I paired my list down to about 170 followings, and it is very easy to spend 5 minutes scrolling through the morning tweets, replying/retweeting, and clicking on links of interest. Then I repeat the process at some point in the afternoon.

I no longer feel like I might miss something important. I can easily manage what’s there.

By the way, I also purged the list of blogs I follow in my Google Reader. Instead of over 100 blogs, I now follow have 27.

It’s all about simplicity and stewardship of time.

Rejected: One Year Later

Kara_S — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:36:16 +0000

On September 4, 2009, I shared the following words with my online friends …

Four years and almost 1 month to the day after I stood before God and pledged my life to my husband, I woke up to find him gone. For good. Not coming back. Ever. That happened in early July. Since then I’ve grieved, learned to deal with the pain of rejection, went to my first divorce hearing, found out how amazing and gracious God really is, and discovered I have some of the best friends in the world.

Today marks the one year anniversary of that day when my former husband walked out of my life permanently. My perspective last year at this time was one of grief and my world crumbling down around me. Tears poured from my broken heart. The tunnel was really dark and seemingly had no light at the end.

Little did I know how dramatically my life would change within a year. I am truly amazed at how much God has done and how He has healed my heart.

Today my ex and I are casual friends. We’ve been divorced for over 8 months, and are both in committed relationships with other people. (While growing up I was taught that divorce is bad and is not an option in a marriage, yet I’m here today to say that I am incredibly thankful for my divorce. In a way, it was a relief and allowed me to finally emerge from that dark tunnel.)

My heart truly rejoices as I look back and see how God orchestrated the events of my life to bring me to where I am today.

He provided work exactly when I needed it, and in fact I am continuing to do work that I love. Initially my biggest fear was that I’d have to get an office job somewhere to make ends meet and give up the passions in my life. Not at all. I did work part-time for a couple of places, but there was always enough money for my needs and I had complete control of my own schedule. Only God could’ve done that!

God has also given me someone that I know I will spend the rest of my life with without a doubt. When I think in reflection, I’m often reminded of the Rascal Flatts song “Bless the Broken Road.” While my road has been broken and rough, I wouldn’t change a thing that has brought me to where I am and who I am today.

I do want to say a very deep heartfelt “thank you” to those of you who walked portions of my broken road with me. You know who you are and I will forever cherish you as true friends.

Reflection on My Census Journey

Kara_S — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:28:39 +0000

At the end of April I started training for the US Census, and for the next two months I was one of those people that knocked on doors. Lots of doors.

As I drove hundreds of miles on country back roads, I learned a few things about life in West Virginia and life in general.

One of the first things I learned was that anything not 100% necessary in my life had to go. What that meant was if it didn’t help pay the bills or put food on the table, I had to think twice about it. Juggling the census and my work with Two Lane Livin’ became a very delicate balancing act. Throw in some book reviews and things got interesting. Blogging (as you well know) didn’t happen very often.

By weeding out the unnecessary things, I learned what was important to me and what I needed in my life to be happy. Those things have been added back in now that this phase of the census is over. The unimportant stuff is left in my past to collect dust.

While spending hours driving around and knocking on doors, I discovered that West Virginia has some of the nicest, most helpful people that you’ll find. So many offered information on how to get from Point A to Point B and avoid hazardous road conditions like rocky low water crossings, 4-wheel drive ruts, creek bed roads, and gigantic potholes (seriously, I’ve seen a few that could swallow my car). Others offered advice on neighbors – who worked and who didn’t and when the best time was to catch them at home. I learned family history as well as who lived in the hollow the longest, where the old homesteads were, who was related to who, and tons of other fascinating stories.

Another thing I discovered is that there are passable back roads. To the average person who doesn’t live in West Virginia that might not make sense, and to those of you who do live in WVa., I think I hear you snickering. West Virginia is ranked as one of the better states for interstate highway systems. The problems start when you exit off the interstate to a rural road. The state roads are maintained at an okay level. Patched areas are prevelant as the state attempts to control the potholes, but most state roads can be navigated safely at 45-55 mph. Turn off of a state road on to a county road and … well … things go from okay to risky. Top speed is 25 mph on a “paved” road and 15 mph on a gravel (aka dirt) road.

Driving for the census taught me that the shortest distance in miles, not necessarily time, between Point A and Point B is often the gravel road. Any time you take a gravel road in WVa. you are taking a risk. Many gravel roads used to be main thoroughfares years and years ago (think horseback riders about 20 years ago). Sometimes the road is still there and according to maps and the GPS it is a viable road. After venturing up more roads than I can count, I learned to ignore the map and rely on what the indicators told me. I got pretty good at guessing if a road continued through or if it was too rough for a car to pass or if it just plain ole’ stopped at a gate. I also perfected my 3-point turning skills and backing-up-down-a-hill skill. With my newfound knowledge, I feel safer knowing I can take backroads with confidence and make it home with my car still in one piece.

Another thing I learned is that so many old homesteads are just left to ruin. It’s really sad. West Virginia has some gorgeous old farmhouses that have been restored. But for every one that has been restored, I’d guess there’s at least 5 that are rotting away. I’m talking about homes with real hardwood floors, two-story porches, and beautiful lattice work, all with farmland and views to die for. My understanding is that most of these homes belong to families that just can’t get along. The patriarch of the family left the family homestead to the kids, but they can’t agree who gets to live in the house, so no one lives in it or maintains it. It really is quite sad to see so many pieces of architectural history just deteriorate because of some family squabble. I’d love to live in and restore some of these old homesteads. New job in my future? Probably not.

Trying to Find a Pattern

Kara_S — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:34:21 +0000

I love patterns and orderly things. I also love dissecting them and seeing how they work.

My BF does drywall work as a side job, and one of his specialties is texturing ceilings. He loves to put “sunbursts” around ceiling fans. I can’t quite describe a sunburst, and unfortunately I don’t have a photo of one. A sunburst is a swirly circular pattern that extends about 20-30 inches out from the center of a ceiling fan or light. (The width depends on the size of the fan or light.)

I asked him how he makes the sunbursts, and I got the verbal explanation. It didn’t quite make sense, so I stood underneath one and tried to figure out the pattern. I wanted to know where he started and how the layers of swirls were created. After staring at the ceiling for about 5 minutes, I found one tiny, almost hidden, overlap of swirls. That little overlap told me all I needed to know.

I now knew where he started the pattern, the direction he went, and every stroke he made in the drywall mud. I found his pattern.

I wish I could find a pattern in my work right now. I seem to have lost all sense of orderliness (is that word?).

At the end of April, I started working for the US Census. I enjoy the work and totally love the weekly paycheck. As a freelancer, steady paychecks are hard to come by. Plus there’s the wonderful bonus of not having to worry about saving $$ for taxes, because the taxes are taken care of (happy sigh of relief).

But having a sorta full-time, albeit temporary, job has really thrown a wrench in the rest of my life. Blogging has almost gone by the wayside. Over at Skala Creative, I’ve missed two regular posting days. I didn’t do near as well this month with advertising sales for Two Lane Livin’. And I feel like I’m scrambling to get my ads finished for this month’s deadline too.

I’ve made lists, am trying to keep on my book review reading schedule, have ideas swirling in my head for blog posts, and yet I still feel like I’m wandering aimlessly. I’m used to managing my own time - which I can still do even with the census work – but the added responsibilities have wreaked havoc. I need a pattern soon!

I have to find that almost hidden, secret spot that is the key to everything falling in place … before I go insane. LOL

Lessons From a Not-So-Very-Big Blizzard

Kara_S — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:04:28 +0000

So we were forecasted to get a bunch of snow … ya know, 6-12 inches which for around here is a lot. All the milk and bread disappeared from store shelves. Schools closed their doors. And everyone prepared for the worst … that never came.

Only a dusting of about 3 inches of really light powdery snow filtered from the sky during the past 48 hours. Definitely beats the 2-3 ft of snow that landed in my home state of Pennsylvania!

I guess things could’ve been a lot worse, like back in December when we really did get 12 inches of snow. That blast of snow sent our county into a blackout with many not having electricity for 5 days or more.

So I’m grateful that we didn’t get another 12 inches. But either way, I learned a few things from all this snow …

Our road crews are definitely doing a better job this year with road care. I’ve seen more snow plows and cinders this year than in the previous four winters combined! While this may not sound significant, it’s a really big deal when you’re used to not being able to drive on the roads for at least 48 hours after an inch of snow. In fact, from what I’ve heard, they’ve actually treated the roads so well this year that they ran out of salt/cinders/sand and had to purchase some from another county.
It is physically possible for cows to eat the entire center out of a round bale of hay and leave the outside layer still standing and in tact. I really wish I had a photo of this, but imagine a huge round bale of hay standing up on it’s side (the rounded part, not the flat side). Then make a great big hole right through the center, and keep the top of the bale still in place so all it looks like is someone drew a great big circle of hay and forgot to fill it in.
Electricity and internet are luxuries. Heat is a necessity. Gas stoves are marvelous appliances. I can do a lot of things without electricity, and quite a few more things when I’m not distracted by the internet. However, if I’m cold, I can’t do a thing! And you can always cook a meal on a gas stove.
If the snowflakes are big enough, it is possible to see the individuality of each of them. If you’ve never seen the detail of a snowflake, it is truly amazing. I saw some of the most beautiful flakes, each one unique. Some of the flakes looked similar – maybe the same tips on the points but different centers. I imagine the snowflakes are just like us. God made each of us unique yet we have some of the same characteristics – hair color, eye color, voice accents – yet we’re all different. The design of our human bodies is intricate with so many parts relying on other parts to make up the whole. To me, a snowflake reflects the same intricacies.
And finally, the most profound lesson … if you want the electricity to stay on, don’t bother resetting the clocks to the right time. Inevitably as soon as you do, the electricity will go off again … even if for a split second but enough to start the clock flashing again!

Seeing God Every Day

Kara_S — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:35:44 +0000

As I was contemplating possibly moving after my divorce, my heart always felt heavy, but I never quite knew why. All of the usual reasons came to mind – friends, work, etc. – but they didn’t seem to be the root of it.

Finally, earlier this week, I figured it out. I was walking to my car with a friend one evening and we stopped to gaze at the stars. Here in our tiny county in the center of the West Virginia, the eye can see thousands upon thousands of stars. My jaw drops every time I gaze at the sky. There are so many specks of light and tiny galaxies!

Our area has little to no light pollution making the night sky jet black. The closest city with street lights is 25 miles away – probably a little closer if you were a crow – but that little town only has 1 street lined with lights. The closest major city giving off a glow in the sky is about 60 miles away. So, our nights are really, really dark – don’t expect to see your hand two inches in front of your face unless you have a flashlight.

To give you an idea of what our sky looks like … below is an image of the constellation Orion and is considered a magnitude 6 (that’s apparently astronomer speak for how dark the sky is, and there’s only one level higher where you can see more stars). For all I know, we could be a magnitude 7 and, honestly, the picture really doesn’t do it justice. All I know is it is gorgeous.

But anyway, I’m slightly off topic. The thought that ran through my mind that evening consisted of the words to How Great Thou Art…

Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed, then sings my soul, my Savior, God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art.

I realized that here in West Virginia I see God every day, and that deeply increases my personal faith and walk. I couldn’t live where there are huge homes with perfectly manicured lawns lining every street and shopping plazas and drug stores on almost every corner. That describes where I grew up – goodbye farmland, hello drug store.

There’s something deeply personal to me about being able to drive down the road and see a newborn calf just figuring out how to use his wobbly legs. Or standing outside on a summer afternoon listening to the thunder roll through the hills and echo for miles. Or gazing at millions of stars on a cold winter night. Or watching an ugly weed next to the ditch turn into a beautiful wildflower. Or noticing a fawn or a flock of turkeys or a hawk or a small barn owl.

I finally figured out that seeing God through nature is part of what makes me tick deep down inside. And I couldn’t possibly leave it behind.

And, as a little treat today, I’m ending with my absolute favorite version of How Great Thou Art. Every time I hear Carrie sing this song, I get goosebumps. This particular video doesn’t quite do Carrie’s performance justice, but you can catch the “live” version on either CMT or GAC on a really great show called “How Great Thou Art.”