Angelia S. Phillips's Blog: By the Way..., page 5

#MusicTherapy: Maumee's Generations Jam!

Back Row (L-R) Pastor Kevin Miley, Nathan Ramsey Front Row (L-R): Billie Zehner, Kathy Smith, Joyce Turnbow, Sarah PattersonImage via ASPhillips​A while back, Maumee GB Church (Johnson, Indiana) launched a weekly Gospel jam session. It’s all-inclusive,  for anyone wanting to join in, whether they attend Maumee, or not.

Since then, participation has grown, and now has folks in their teens up to (so far) 90-years-old! 

​Elder Bill Krohn sang with a local Gospel quartet for many years. He's now a retired Deacon of Lighthouse Assembly of God. in New Harmony, IN, He’s also the oldest member of the Maumee Gen Jam, having celebrated his 90th birthday in May (2023). Congratulations to him on this wonderful milestone!
Elder Bill Krohn and Billie Zehner sharing a hymnal during a recent Gen Jam session.Image via ASPhillips The weekly Generations Jam allows for a great time of fellowship for the participants.

​​Session content varies as participants suggest favorites. The list ends up being a fair mix of both older and newer music.

Depending on who joins the gatherings, sometimes we’re blessed with multiple instruments being played. This makes them an excellent atmosphere for new musicians. No pressure for perfection, just an air of camaraderie and encouragement among friends.
​With the challenges of busy schedules and a large list of stressors, these jam sessions can be profoundly therapeutic. Past the music, we not only sing and play together, we pray together, too! Music, worship and prayer make an excellent combination for healing hurts and refreshing a weary body and spirit.

I hope you’ll enjoy the short slide-show, featuring some of our Gen Jam crew. If you see someone you know, please leave them a “Hello!” in the comments below.Images via ASPhillps ​Is music one of your go-to medicines to help you feel bright and better? If you attend church, do you have a regular program for music fellowship, too? I’d love to know about it in the comments.

Also, if you’re not part of a group like Maumee’s Generations Jam already, I personally invite you to come visit if you’re free on a Tuesday evening. We meet from 6p to about 7:15p. We’re a friendly bunch and we’d love to get acquainted with you!

Thank you for visiting and hope to have you back again soon.

Shalom!
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DIY Organic Salve: Help for cats with wonky tummies

Image via AS Phillips​Not a cat person? ​Me either, but then this scrawny little dude showed up all alone at a friend’s house, out in the country, and was determined to hang out with me.

Couple days later, I brought him home. He’s been here, mostly thriving, ever since.

I say, mostly because, wouldn’t you know? I rescued and adopted a cat with a gastrointestinal disorder. His wonky-gut has convinced me of our path-crossing being a God-thing.

​The good Lord knew I’d be sensitive and patient with that, because, lo and behold, I’ve had a GI disorder since birth. Savitch​Image via AS Phillips​My sister named him Savitch, after Jessica Savitch , who ignited my love for journalism, when I was in my teens. If ever I end up with another pet, I’ll name it Sawyer , after Diane , a fellow conservative  Briarhopper , whose excellence in journalism is equally inspiring. 

Savitch has grown up to be super smart, determined and very self-confident. I think Nee (my sister) named him perfectly and I hope Jessica would be as impressed with her name-sake as we are!
​Wonky-gut challenges​Savitch's poor digestive function puts him at risk for consistent constipation. From there it quickly escalates to vomiting, abdominal pain, whining, hissing and drooling.

First time it happened, I was nearly frantic. We weren’t sure what was going on. He was in pain and miserable, so we rushed him to Stone Ridge Animal Care . Their small animal team is awesome and they’ve been helping us take great care of our senior quarter-horse, Touching Fire, for several years, too.

For Savitch, they checked him out and immediately administered laxatives. He spent the day with them and when I picked him up later, he was a few pounds lighter and feeling much better!Learning which foods and meds work best​We didn’t learn until later that the GI challenge was gonna be an ongoing thing with Savitch. Little by little we learned what foods he tolerated and what foods got his tummy all jacked up. We switched him to a soft-textured diet but that alone proved to not be enough. He needed more help to digest his meals.

After a little research and careful experimentation, we came up with an inexpensive, simple-to-make organic salve that works great.
Mix this...with this... to get this... Tah-dah! Wonky-gut salve!Image via AS PhillipsA little dab’l do!​It can be refrigerated, but we keep ours at room temp, making it easier to apply. Savitch isn’t a fan either way, but it’s a necessary med to keep him free of tummy trouble.

Just a tiny amount applied to his leg, or the top of his paw, is all it takes to keep his gut function in good order. It has to be applied where he can easily lick it. Some cats, although not mine, like it enough to just lick it straight from your fingertip.

If you end up using this stuff yourself, be ready for your cat to hop or limp until they can clean it away. Savitch has been getting a dose like this, almost daily, for a few years now and he still maintains a dramatic reaction.  Only a tiny bit neededImage via AS PhillipsAbout half-n-half​The recipe doesn’t have to be exact, although I do about a half-n-half mix, just to fill up the tub. You actually don’t even need both ingredients to dose your cat--one or the other alone, works fine. I just blended the two to keep the sugar and oil intake to a minimum of both, because Savitch has to have it regularly. 

A wonderful side effect you’ll notice soon after using this is, your cat’s hair will be glossy and super soft! ​An alternative ​Petroleum jelly is another vet-approved home remedy for feline gastric upset.

I’ve tried it and it worked perfectly. Savitch dislikes it as much as he does the coconut-corn blend, so no improvement on taste. I ended up migrating to the corn-coconut blend to keep it vegetable-based and to provide some quality nutrients (via the coconut oil) that help to maintain healthy skin and block cholesterol absorption.
A healthy tummy makes for a happy cat A happy, healthy Savitch!Image via AS Phillips

⁷Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.”
They took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
2 Kings 20:7 
​(World Messianic Bible)

​The wrapHope you’ve found this info helpful, whether or not you’re a cat lover. Never know when a friend’s cat might need some help with tummy trouble. If so, I hope you’ll consider recommending this blend for a safe and effective treatment.

​Also, if you have any experience or information you’d like to share, I encourage you to please share the info in a comment, below. We’d love to hear from you! 

I pray you have a beautifully, blessed weekend and hope you’ll visit again soon!

ShalomComment

Earthing: Does it help?

Image via Greyerbaby of Pixabay ​Bare feet...

Walk them on grass, sand, stones, moss, and clover. No spa needed.

It’s one of those simple pleasures loads of folks enjoy. Until a couple years ago, I wasn’t aware that there was more to it than the feeling of freedom and the natural bit of acupressure it provided. 

I’ve developed a habit of taking some time as often as I can to stroll through the front lawn in bare feet. It’s usually free of rocks and sand burrs, making it a very comfy place to walk. My sister is a reflexology therapist. She often encourages her clients to engage in an activity called earthing to help them feel better, especially if they develop it into a frequent habit.

To make it an organic activity, all that’s needed is to spend a bit of daily time putting your skin into contact with the ground or against some organic object connected to the ground, like a tree. 

Easy-peasy.

In the research I did on earthing, (also known as grounding) I learned it’s an age-old practice that got tossed out with lots of other homeopathic therapies when modern medicine pushed its way into the scheme of things. 
What good can it do you? efore I go further in sharing an answer to that question, I wanna ensure you've got a least a layman's understanding of free radicals (the bad guys) and antioxidants (the good guys). 

The following is an excerpt from Rice University's Sports MD Web page that explains it in a blonde-friendly fashion even I can understand. 😊

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules that can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the principal micronutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, selenium, a trace metal required for proper function of one of the body's antioxidant enzyme systems, is sometimes included in this category. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet.
​For the homeopathic medicine tribe, earthing involves connecting to the earth through the soles of your feet. Dr. Steven Sinatra, MD, one of America's most respected cardiologists and founder of the MD Heart Institute, insists that time with our bare feet against the earth is incredibly good for us and serves as an excellent intervention for life-threatening diseases and disorders.

Here's what Dr. Sinatra says about it, paraphrased into lingo by yours truly... 

👣When you walk on the ground in bare feet, free electrons transfer from the earth to your body. It's one of the most potent antioxidants known. 

👣 Often folks with inflammation have thickened blood, free radical stress and positive charges in their bodies. Studies show grounding to be effective as a natural blood thinner (remarkably effective) by eliminating the charged ions through the soles of their feet.

👣 Grounding improves the energy between our red blood cells, starting in about 80 minutes after connecting our bare feet with the earth.

👣 Grounding is so effective, that if a person is already taking a blood thinning agent, it may thin their blood too much. So, if you qualify for that please abstain from running around barefoot until you consult your doctor.
Grounding products ​For folks that have a hard time finding a place for some earth-to-skin contact, there are products to help with it—things like shower mats, bedding, sleeping mats, wrist bands and even shoes!

I’ve spoken with friends and colleagues in the medical field who’ve invested in at least a few types of earthing products that they insist they sincerely feel better since using them.
​The red glow... ​This is a picture Nee (my sister)  took of her own feet, standing in the field behind our home. The color hasn’t been manipulated. She spends quite a bit of time outdoors in bare feet. While walking in the field adjacent to our yard, she came across an old horseshoe.

The back story to it is that Nee struggles with auto-immune challenges that sometimes put her in a great deal of pain. The day she took this shot, she was feeling quite rough and decided to spend some barefoot time in the newly plowed field behind our little farm.

While she was stepping through the dirt, she came across what looked like an ancient horseshoe and thought it’d make for an interesting photo op and snapped a shot with her mobile. 
Image via Alicia Jaye Phillips ​In less than ten minutes after she stepped into the field, her pain decreased and she began feeling much better! 

Later, when she viewed the pic she’d taken, she noticed the reddish tinge on her feet and the ground near where she stood, that had not been visible to the naked eye. The glow is Intriguing, at least to the two of us. 

For tribal folk, red is the color associated with healing. It’s the same for Christian folk, and Nee’s a healer by profession. 
​

Afterward, she noticed the reddish tinge on her feet and the ground near where she stood, that had not been visible to the naked eye. The glow is Intriguing, at least to the two of us. For tribal folk, red is the color associated with healing. It’s the same for Christian folk, and Nee’s a healer by profession. 

It causes me to think of a blending of energies that normally aren't visible to our eyes but the camera was able to make visible to us. When it comes to colors, our eyes are limited. (If you're curious about what color blends we can't see, click here .)

¹He showed me a† river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, ²in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 2:1-2
​World Messianic Bible

​Maybe all of us could feel a striking difference after spending some time grounding. Perhaps most of us never noticed it before because we didn’t pay attention when against the earth in bare feet, climbing a tree, or walking over rocks.

Your opinion or personal experience with any of this is encouraged and welcome in the comments section. My opinion is that grounding for good health and preventative medicine makes sense. How 'bout you?
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Annual Walk for Dreams via the Isaiah 1:17 Project (K9s welcome to participate!)

Image via the Isaiah 1:17 Project The Isaiah 1:17 Project’s Walking For Dreams event, at Evansville’s beautiful Dress Plaza on the Ohio Riverfront, is happening May 21, 2023. Registration begins at 1 p.m. 

Not only are YOU invited to participate, but your K9s are welcome to come along and enjoy the walk with you! How cool is that? ​This wonderful activity makes for some fun fellowship while generating awareness and helping to raise funds for a variety of supports that enhance the lives of area foster children and the families caring for them. 
Image via Visit Evansville, Indiana site ​I encourage you to not only attend, enjoy and make some new friends at the event but to also get further acquainted with the many types of support that are funded through the Isaiah 1:17 Project . You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to help monetarily, physically (as a volunteer) as well as lifting the Project and the families they serve, in prayer.

“Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.”
Isaiah 1:17 Messianic Bible Translation

​

​Speaking of prayer, fair weather for the weekend will be much appreciated.

Hope to see you there!

Shalom
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Trolls...

​Trolls? Really?For centuries they’ve been the stuff of faery tales but in modern times, the term troll has been applied to humans who engage in a variety of acts, some of which are considered to be in poor taste, socially inappropriate and without integrity.

One specifically, I’m addressing in today’s edition, is regarding social media trolls.

Before I go further, I didn’t come up with the term, but when the shoe fits, I’ll employ it.

Social media trolls are people who use social media platforms, but of course, not all people who use social media platforms are trolls. Thankfully, they make up a far smaller percentage of users, however, one social media troll is still one too, many. How to spot a trollSpotting trolls is easy!

You won’t even have to hunt for them. They’ll find you!

Trolls may or may not look like ugly, gnarled goblins. Most look like regular people. It’s not their looks that define them, it’s their actions.

Trolls are social media users who seldom interact with you, unless you post something on your own account that they disagree with. It drives them nuts, and they’ll be compelled to fly to your social media page and leave a comment (or comments) that can be any of the following...
AccusatoryOffensiveDisagreeableHypocritical InflammatoryInsultingThreatening
If any of those sound like familiar comments on your social media posts, from folks you seldom (if ever) hear from, unless you post something they disagree with, you’ve likely encountered a troll.

They may look like regular folk (or not!) but looks aside, the content they leave on your page can be downright ugly.

Being a liberty-lovin’, conservative Christian who loves my country, Old Glory waving in the breeze and appreciates a free republic governed by and for the people, I’ve encountered a good many trolls over the years.  ​How to keep trolls at a safe distanceMy best advice on troll-defense is to take the offensive as soon as possible, which involves two steps.
Issue a warning, and encourage them to play nice, or not play at all. If that’s not enough to bring about an attitude adjustment, see step two.Block them from interacting with your account, or you may end up not even having an account. When trolls fail to take over, they often file an unsubstantiated complaint against the user they’re trolling. Next thing you know, your account’s closed.
Often the warning is enough. When they realize you’re not troll-fodder, and their negative content on your account (page) isn’t welcome, they’ll often troll elsewhere for folks who’ll put up with their shenanigans.

That is usually enough to put a stop to not only them, but their troll-friends, too. Trolls don’t always hunt alone, they love to run and attack in packs, not only leaving their own mess on your social media page, but will invite and encourage their troll friends to do the same. 

All the while, of course, they’ll be going on and on about love and acceptance while labeling those who disagree with their ideologies, as haters.

They apparently love to invite other trolls to join them in splashing their sludge on other users' media pages, leaving a mess by trolls you may know and others you’ve maybe never heard of.

Free speech is a blessing, and a high price is paid for it. Even trolls have a right to free speech, it’s just best for them to express themselves on their own social media accounts. Good stewardship is a responsibility each of us should exercise and the world would be a much better place if trolls just stopped being trolls.
Meanwhile, some food for thought

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?
Amos 2:3
(World Messianic Bible Translation)

Thank you for your visit today.

Until next time,

Shalom

Blogging & Vlogging: Have the cake and eat it, too!

There’s a transition on the horizon. As much as I’ve not wanted to make the move, it’s gonna have to happen.

With an ever-growing majority of folks who prefer video content over reading through typed content, I’ve been encouraged to consider migrating to vlogging (video logging) instead of blogging (web logging). My reasons for dragging my feet on the transition come down to two things...I don’t like being on cameraI don’t like lengthy journalism podcasts
With the health challenges I’ve encountered during cancer recovery, my attitude toward vlogging has changed, at least enough to try it. I can easier accommodate vlogging. Chemo-induced neuropathy has been an ongoing challenge. Reducing time on my keyboard won't be as much fun (I have an awesome keyboard and I loveee to type) but it'll make it easier on my hands when the discomfort is more acute. 

Although I may not always feel up to sitting and typing out an article, I can probably (hopefully) manage to jot down the who-what-when-and where points and combine them into a short, informative vid with inclusive images. Just the thought of it eases my mind, in regard to workload.
​Why keep at it?​I’ve loved journalism since junior high school and to be able to do it from my own platform, not bound by the preferences of mainstream media’s inaccurate reporting and penchant for dirty laundry, is something I only dreamed of when I was younger. Blogging and vlogging finally provided me with a way to do that.What to expect...Hopefully, you can expect better.

I’ll do my best to maintain a weekly post on my YouTube channel as well as here, on By the Way...

It’s an easy thing to take a YouTube video and embed it into a blog post. I’ll be able to also have written content, in at least an introduction and closing comments, and still be able to include a couple of ads per post.

The vids that are included in a blog post, won’t play ads within their content, which is a plus! I hate videos being interrupted by ads, but, if they’re short, I let them play out in order to ensure the content maker earns some revenue for their work.

If guests prefer to watch the weekly posts via Facebook (and later, Rumble), then they’re welcome to go those routes instead, but YouTube and Rumble will monetize them within the scope of their platform ad preferences.
Apologies​I’ve got a growing list of topics to present in the upcoming weeks, which I’m sincerely thrilled about. 

In moving to vids, I’ll be able to maintain getting them put together and published in a far more timely fashion. I also want to apologize to those I’ve interviewed, or have made arrangements to interview, or produce a post on requested content, and haven’t yet gotten to them. 

You’re not forgotten and I’m sincerely thankful for your interest and patience.
​More options, opportunities and fun!
​One of the aspects of videoing I do love is the opportunity to record short interviews. Whether the info I’m sharing is local or away, being able to offer the opportunity for folks involved to speak for themselves about their businesses, not-for-profit endeavors and ministries is a plus.

Thanks for sticking with me and your continuing interest in the journalism aspect of the independent business community!

​Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9  Do the things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8 World Messianic Bible Translation

​My thanks to you for joining me today, and bearing with me during this long season of cancer recovery and the challenges it presents.

Although I’m not back up to par, I’m still much, much better than I’ve been in many months and continuing to steadily gain ground in better health.

Shalom!
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Archie Rooster: Goat boss!

Archie! Getting him to be still for a shot turned out to be quite a challenge!​This winter, two beautiful, young roosters, left the farm where they were born, and relocated to new homes. One is Jedidiah, who lives here, with my family. Jedidiah’s brother, Archie, went to live on a farm, just outside of our village.

Jedidiah has his own flock of chickens. Archie has no chickens. Instead, he has his own herd of goats and he loves them!
​Lee Brown, a neighbor and close friend, told me how Archie has adapted since moving to Lee’s goat farm. He sleeps with them (they surround him), does his own version of grazing with them, and although he gets along with all of them very well, he even has a best friend that he spends most of his time hanging out with.

Both of the roosters are sweet-natured and easy to interact with, but Archie (with his goat bonding) has become quite protective of his four-legged, bleating friends and can get right rowdy when he thinks they’re being threatened.

The farm has more than one goat pen, and Archie knows which goats belong in his pen and which don’t. The ones who don’t can get him riled if they come too close to his goats’ pen, causing him to jump and rail at them, through the fence.
​I wanted to visit the farm and see Archie’s new family for myself. I was thankful he didn’t deem me a predator and was a total gentleman. The last time I saw him was at my house, where I got to spend several minutes giving him a thorough petting before Lee moved him to the farm. 

Many bird species are very smart and roosters are no exception, at least that’s so of the roosters and hens I grew up with.

Rather than have this post be all wordy, I decided to keep it short and provide you with a slideshow of Archie, his new digs and his handsome, goat family.

Enjoy...Archie and pals! I lived away from the rural Midwest for many years. Although I loved the perks of city-life, and the wonderful family and friends the Lord saturated my life with, I always longed for the country life. When living in Fort Worth area, I spent as much time as I could in the Fort Worth Stockyards, just to be near the horses and cattle that are housed there to interact with the touristas, as well as patrolling and eventing. 

Now that I'm back in the Midwest, I miss all my peeps, living in other states, but I'm so thankful to be able to be immersed in country life again. Excursions like the one to visit Archie and his herd are good for the soul. My thanks to our Marine for making it happen!

“But ask the animals now, and they will teach you;
the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
8  Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
The fish of the sea will declare to you.
9  Who doesn’t know that in all these,
the LORD’s hand has done this,
10  in whose hand is the life of every living thing,
and the breath of all mankind?
Job 12:7-10 World Messianic Bible Translation

How 'bout your own farm interests or experiences?Thanks so much for visiting today! I hope you've enjoyed getting acquainted with Archie and company!

​If you've got a countrified experience you'd like to share, please click the comment button and tell us about it! 

'Til next time,

​Shalom!
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YouVersion: Are you using it?

Image via YouVersion YouVersion’s, The Bible App , hit the app stores in 2008. In 2022 it reached a celebrated milestone of being available in 100 languages and 36 countries! It’s free, but they do offer a non-pushy option for users to contribute to funding its operation and development costs.

YouVersion’s mission is “...to encourage and challenge people to seek intimacy with God, every day.”

YouVersion partnered with OneHope  to build their Bible App for Kids . I’ve used it myself, when incorporating it into some life-skill activities with younger folks, and found it to be easy to use and engaging. Here’s a list for you, of reasons I’m promoting The Bible App. They’re why it has maintained as my fav, portable Bible Study Tool...Comes with a boatload of translation versions, including the World Messianic Bible Translation (one of my favs and most used).Its main Bible can be downloaded to your mobile devices in whatever translation you prefer, that the app offers.You can take notes in itYou can color code scripture in itIt has bunches of study plans, or you can study scripture aloneYou can engage in the studies alone, or let your friends see what plans you’re studying, or invite them to join you in a study. (The last two options work great and I use them often!)You can generate images with embedded scripture to share within the app, download to your device, or export to share in social platforms.The study plans are in categories and many of them have the option of linking to a larger version, by the author.Doesn’t take up lots of space on your mobile device.Has online versions for Windows, iMac, Android phones/ tablets, Windows phones/tablets, iPhones and iPads.
The Bible App is currently (2023) installed on “...more than 500 million unique devices around the world. Their generous partners make it possible for them to offer 2,898 Bible versions in 1,884 languages for FREE, and with NO ADVERTISING. 

Did I mention it’s free? (Grin!)

From my perspective, that’s something to appreciate and celebrate.

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation. 
Mark 16:15
World Messianic Bible Translation

​I hope I’ve encouraged you to at least take The Bible App on a spin. It was good when I began using it many years ago, and it’s only gotten better! If you’d like to add your own experience with The Bible App, or have any questions about the information here, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Shalom, shalom!
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StomaLife: Keeping the wig-outs at bay

Image via johnhain of Pixabay The ideology of working smarter, not harder, is diamond. In every field I’ve worked, when I discovered a more efficient way of doing things, without sacrificing accuracy, I did my best to present it and convince the higher-ups to implement it. Amazingly, I often countered resistance, not from upper management, but from those on the same level, or lower, than I.

Their reasoning?

“We’ve always done it this/that way...”

On the bright side, for the times my idea was accepted, once it was implemented, and folks got used to it, they appreciated the time and effort it saved them, especially in environments that required lots of tasking and hectic schedules.
Presently​In June of 2022, I had surgery to remove cancer and have a stoma built into my abdomen.

Stoma (per Google):  An artificial opening made into a hollow organ, especially one on the surface of the body leading to the gut or trachea.

Colostomy (per Google): A surgical operation in which a piece of the colon is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall so as to bypass a damaged part of the colon.

My colostomy is non-reversible.
United Ostomy Associations of America
BagTastrophesNow that I’ve got one, seems I’m perpetually learning to navigate life in ways I’ve never had to before.No pressing my abdomen against the sink when washing something.Sleeping on my side or back. No more tummy-snoozing.Carrying a stoma-supply pack with me whenever I leave the house, even on short trips.Ensuring the stoma-supply pack is filled out with more than I think I’ll need.Keeping a change of clothing with me.
I’ve started calling pouching system (stoma device) failures, BagTastrophes. 

Confidence in the pouching systems ostomates (folks with ostomies) use, is needed. Sadly, even the best of them, they can (and do) fail. All sorts of things can cause it. Damp skin, thick output, liquid output, or a defect in the system.

MUCH to my dismay, a third BagTastrophe occurred recently.   Not all incidents are the worst of incidents, but all of them feel pretty epic at the time. I’ve read some horror stories, and seen some incidents shared on YouTube, about pouching system failures that made me cringe!

In general, if it’s a big failure and we’re a good distance from home, without a change of clothes or a nearby bathroom, equipped to handle the situation, it’s a big challenge to clean up and get a new pouching system in place. The ordeal is as emotionally taxing as it can be (for many) physically, at least that’s my experience. Mortified is a good description.

I can’t imagine how difficult stoma life must be for ostomates with poor eyesight or restricted mobility. My heart breaks for them.

I can usually see well enough (and even carry a magnetized mirror with me), to remove and replace a pouching system. They have to be placed very carefully to prevent injury to our stomas and reduce the risk of leakage.

Past that, there’s the cleanup. It can be a huge challenge because we have to hold one hand (with a cloth, paper towel, whatever we can grab that's clean) over our stomas. We use our free hand to wash, apply whatever products we might have to use (anti-sting skin-barrier spray or wipes, paste and sometimes a few other things. Then allow for our skin to dry before putting the new system in place.

The struggle is real for me, even at home. I can't help but wonder how folks who have limited hand-useage, or maybe even prosthetic hands, manage ostomy life. Image via StepIntoFuture of Pixabay ​This week’s bag-tastrophe taught me to ensure my portable stoma kit is carrying more supplies than I think I might need, and a change of clothing. Even if there’s a bathroom, where we can rinse things out, wearing them wet and having to step outside in frigid weather was just... Yeesh!!!

I’m thankful the bag-tastrophe wasn’t worse. It was more than bad enough, but still could have been worse. I’m also thankful my friend (who was driving me),  stayed as calm as a windless sea during the whole episode. That was an absolute blessing because the more anxious I feel, the more my gastrointestinal system reacts to the stress (not in good ways).

Seeing she wasn’t wigging out helped my stress to a minimum, allowing me to focus on getting myself cleaned up and sorted with a new pouch as fast as possible. 

I’m happy to report that I lived through one more thing I used to believe I’d just die over. Image via Rollstein of Pixabay In the knowAs is, I feel obligated to tell most folks I spend time with (that aren’t already aware) about my stoma. Things like...
It can make rude noises that I can’t always hear, nor do I have any control over it.My pouch’s filter occasionally works, and it’s not always at a good time. We have to pull over at the nearest place with a restroom because I’m suddenly, and without warning, at maximum capacity.Thank you but I have to decline. My tummy’s feeling wonky and I have to stick with safe food today.Nope, I can’t spend the night, but when I get a van, I can camp in the driveway! (Vans are wonderful vehicles when folks with stomas need to be away from home for lengthy periods.)
That’s at least a few points of the heads-up speech some of us give when we feel the need to warn those we’re with, about what hanging out with us might entail.
Shook​This post came about because I’m not quite past the shook feeling from the last incident. The memories and associated anxiety tend to linger. It happens every time.

Yup. I do realize the correct term is shaken but, shook is still the better description so I’m engaging artistic license.
​The culprit​Before I had the colostomy, I didn’t have trouble with intestinal blockages, but that changed after surgery. Since then, I’ve had several episodes. Sometimes the blockages are due to food reactions. Others are prompted by intestinal inflammation, an aspect of the gastrointestinal disorder I was born with. 

They cause abdominal discomfort and output challenges due to gas pressure or sudden overfill in the pouching system. These cause the adhesive on the flange to pull away from the skin around the stoma, which allows for leakage.
​RemediesOstomates, and their loved ones, have access to a large compilation of online resources, where they can learn how to live with a stoma as well as discover products and services available to help them with the challenges they face.

I’ve listed a few below... United Ostomy Associations of America American Cancer Society Stoma and Ostomy Support Group (Facebook) Ostomy Inspire Tiny violin?​Thanks for making it this far! I didn’t mean for any of this to come across as complaining.

I felt the need to write it so I could do my part in helping raise awareness of the challenges ostomates sometimes face in public. Too, I want to be supportive of other ostomates (and their loved ones), who’re maybe new to stoma life and are maybe feeling alone or isolated in it.

This is my way of raising my hand, to let them know they’re not. As for me, I have the Lord Jesus Christ, who has comforted, encouraged and strengthened me through every bit of this journey and maintains with me moving forward.

Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
Yes, I will help you.
Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
World Messianic Bible Translation

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​My thanks for your visit today, and as always, for your support of the independent blogging community.

ShalomComment

The Isaiah 1:17 Project: A beautiful community service

Image via The Isaiah 1:17 website Imagine being taken from your home, without warning, by strangers. Let’s also imagine it’s nighttime, you're tired, wearing jammies, and it’s cold outside. The strangers put you in an unfamiliar vehicle and take you away. At the end of the ride, you're left at an unfamiliar house, with people you don't know.  

This process would be frightening for an adult. Imagine how much more so it must be for children.

As of 2022, there are nearly half-a-million kids in foster care--407, 000.  Understanding the challenges of being taken from home, then left in the care of strangers (most often it's strangers) is exactly what birthed the Isaiah 1:17 Project .

The project came about in 2017. It was a dream come to life, for Cameron and Marcia Lambert, foster parents since 2012. They were well-acquainted with the struggles of children entering foster care, as well as the importance of having everything they needed when they arrived.

As stated on their website, children often arrive with nothing but what they’re wearing and in many cases, those clothes aren’t even useable.

Initially, the project team provided Blessing Bags, containing clothing, snacks and comfort items for the children. As time went by, the project gained ground and developed into so much more!

Currently, the it provides the following to the foster care families of Southwestern Indiana... Bags of Hope Dream Cycles Fortifying Foster Families Family Advocacy Ministries Care Communities Foster Success Beauty for Ashes Christmas Hopes & Dreams Resources
Not long ago I was privileged to attend a meeting with several of the project team members. There, I learned so much about this amazing program and the help it’s providing to my own community.

Right here, I want to thank the team for welcoming me and allowing me to get acquainted with the project. Also, a big thanks to Port Side Coffee for hosting us. Port Side Coffee is locally owned and operated, and there'll be more info coming up about them in a few weeks. 

I would also like to thank Kathleen Elliot, Program Manager Fortifying Foster Families, for welcoming me to the meeting and after, providing me with a tour of their facility in beautiful, downtown Princeton, Indiana. ​Everyone I met was kind and enthusiastic in their support of the program and the families it serves. Their office and storage areas were well maintained and organized, even though it was the Christmas season.

The amount of work that must have gone into the holiday prep had to have been enormous!

I was sincerely moved by all aspects of the Isaiah 1:17 Project and plan to continue to be involved in its endeavors, as much as possible.  Images via The Isaiah 1:17 Project website I encourage you to please get familiar with them, even if they’re not serving your area. The mechanics of the project could be built into nearly any community, where there’s a desire to improve and be a blessing to the families in your area's foster care system.

For more information, please reach out to them. They’d love to hear from you!

You can call them at (812) 386-0117 or email info@theisaiah117project.org . 

If you belong to a church or social group, inviting one of the project’s team members to speak at one of your meetings would be a wonderful way of getting acquainted with the program.

At the very least, please lift the project in prayer. Prayer launched from a burden and love is one of the best helps you can provide.  Image via AnnieSpratt of Pixabay

Learn to do well.
Seek justice.
Relieve the oppressed.
Defend the fatherless.
Plead for the widow.

​Isaiah 1:17
​World Messianic Bible Translation

​Thank you for your visit and your interaction with the independent blogging community is always appreciated! 

‘Til next time,

Shalom!