International Women's Day

So, International Women's Day was on March 8th, Saturday. I bet you didn't know that did you? :D
Happy Women's Day! I'll share my flowers with you:



Okay, so I just enjoyed taking the pictures and wanted to share them. :P But really Women's Day is a big deal here. It's a government holiday, so even though it was on Saturday, Monday was off. And on Friday we gave all the women in the office a box of chocolates. Flowers are customary, but as long as you give some little gift you are okay. And flowers are getting expensive.
In one sense Women's Day is the communist Mother's Day, but don't tell anyone I said that. :) We have also begun celebrating Mother's Day here in the last few years, but we don't get a day off for that. The primary difference between the two is that on Women's Day all women are given flowers, not just mums. It's interesting and kind of fun and of course I enjoy the flowers! :)

A Praise

So, I was tlaking to mum th other day and I realized that since I have had my braces I have not yet had a migraine from my TMJ! This is huge, I've used a retainer for ten years to avoid those migraines and I was uncertain about having braces because I knew I wouldn't be able to use my retainer (even though the braces are to solve this particular problem by realigning my jaw, hopefully). I'm thankful.
And I really am doing better every day. It takes time and I wear out quickly, but I am having less migraines and am gradually building up energy. :)
Thanks for praying for me!

Keep Praying

Hi everyone,
I have not died, nor have I dropped completely off the face of the earth. Only almost completely. :) In case you couldn't tell from my long absence on here, I am still sick. That's the bad news. The good news is that I am doing better than I was a couple of weeks ago. So keep praying!
I run out of energy fairly quickly, but am mentally alert which is a good sign. However, I notice today when I came into the office that it was like a thick fog descended on my brain. This could be from any number of causes, but I would say it is primarily a spiritual attack. I'm also getting a headache as I sit here and I have had very few headaches while I've been home sick (maybe two, which in a two week time period is almost miraculous for me). I've struggled with this kind of mental fatigue in relation to my work for several years, but it only ever comes up when I am doing spiritual work and specifically in relation to my work on the New Testament Survey course. That's when it started. It is very discouraging as it makes it difficult to concentrate and get anything done.
Please continue to pray, both for healing and that I would not fall into discouragement or depression because of being sick and not being able to do the work that I am here for. The enemy uses every weapon he can to bring discouragement and insecurity into my life and it is a constant battle.
I plan to be in the office three days for a couple of hours each day this week and then increase that next week and see how my body handles it. I'm excited to be partaking in life again!
Oh and another praise, thanks to some special gifts from friends and family and a little saving on my part I was finally able to purchase a new washing machine (the one I had bought used was never able to be repaired because we can't get the parts). It has been delivered and will be installed tomorrow, Lord willing! It will certainly make my life easier not to have to cart my laundry to my parents' place every week. :) But thanks all the same, mum and dad!