Post a Week · Weekly Photo Challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Regret

Gena Elam19 Comments

Verse of the Day:
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10

NO REGRETS!

Normally I would not share such a scandalous dorky silly picture of myself with the Internet world… however the WordPress Weekly Photo topic intrigued me. In this picture I am wearing my husband Ryan’s pajama pants. We were in a hotel room in Rochester, MN. Continue reading “Weekly Photo Challenge: Regret” →

Recipe

Paleo Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Gena Elam7 Comments

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So today I was super hungry, but my fridge was empty… But my freezer was hiding a treasure. Buffalo meat sauce that I made the month! Sweet! My next thought was… What am I going to do with this sauce? Looking around the kitchen what do my little eyes spy… A spaghetti squash! Oh yeah baby… I am having spaghetti with meat sauce for lunch! All I had to do was heat up the sauce on the stove and cook the squash in the oven… Easy. Continue reading “Paleo Spaghetti with Meat Sauce” →

Health and Wellness · Spiritual · Surgery Specific

Dear Diary – I am getting a shiny new valve

Gena Elam7 Comments

Verse of the Day:
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desire, but rather for the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:1-2

This post is an entry from my diary. It is ramblings of how I was feeling 24 hours before my heart surgery and the weeks following. I am sharing this because I have been emailed by several people recently who are facing similar surgeries. It is not an easy path. It is very scary to say the least. I hope it helps  someone by hearing my point of view. May God bless those going through tough times.

Continue reading “Dear Diary – I am getting a shiny new valve” →

Post a Week · Weekly Photo Challenge

Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful

Gena Elam12 Comments

Verse of the Day:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

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This is a photo of Ramsey Ranch ranch. It is no longer in our family, but being there always brought me a sense of peace. I love being outside and enjoying the beauty of nature because I feel closer to God somehow. Whether on a ranch or on the ocean my spirit always sores with joy and relaxation. The ranch brought so much fun, happiness, and love to our lives. It will always have a place in my heart.

Recipe

Ratatouille Stew – The Paleo Way

Gena Elam4 Comments

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I love Ratatouille! Fresh veggies cooked into a stew… Oh it is so yummy… It warms me up! Body and soul! When making this dish I used all organic produce and products, right down to the herbs. This stew is very good for winter weather and the ingredients are in season right now. I picked up all my produce from my local Co-Op Rawfully Organic. Continue reading “Ratatouille Stew – The Paleo Way” →

Spiritual

Do You REALLY Believe?

Gena Elam6 Comments

Verse of the Day:

“I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” – John 3:12

First of all, Happy New Year! I know I have been away for a while.  The cold/flu virus really hit me and I have been sipping hot tea with honey, sucking on cough drops and sleeping a lot. It hit me the day after Christmas. With my heart I have to hit the antibiotics at the first sign of infection and my immune system isn’t always up to snuff. So it’s been quiet around here. My husband and I rang in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark on the couch and let me tell you, that was the most boring New Years Eve EVER! We will have to pull it together next year… Continue reading “Do You REALLY Believe?” →

Health and Wellness

Yesterday I Was The Grinch!

Gena Elam1 Comment

Verse of the Day:
The Lord is good to all, 
And His tender mercies are over 
all His works.  – Psalm 145:9

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Yesterday I was the Grinch! With a capitol GRINCH! I did not feel good at all on Wednesday. Nothing was particularly wrong with me but my chest hurt, I was exhausted, couldn’t catch my breath and and pacemaker kept jacking me up. This is what happens sometimes in my life. Continue reading “Yesterday I Was The Grinch!” →

Post a Week

Feeling Brave?

Gena Elam12 Comments

Verse of the Day:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. – Ephesians 6:10-11

When do you feel the Brave? This question was posed on the Wordpess Daily Post by Scott Berkun. When I saw this question I thought I don’t know if I ever “feel” brave. I have often been told that I am brave or that I have been brave but I don’t know if in a moment I have ever “felt” brave. Have you?

Continue reading “Feeling Brave?” →

Health and Wellness

Perseverance and Joy

Gena Elam5 Comments

Verse of the Day:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must first finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

Sometimes life can kick you while you are down and then stomp on you just a little more. The last three years of my life have felt much like that at times, and this year hasn’t been a real walk in the park either. But, things are looking way up. After two heart surgeries, a pacemaker replacement, a staph infection, kicking crack Oxycontin – and then walking around with a malfunctioning recalled pacemaker, I kind of went inside my head for a little bit. I mean all that happened May 2009 trough November 2011. Can you believe that?! It was enough to make any sane person a little crazy. Thanks be to God that I have Him and Jesus on my side or who knows where I would be! I also have to give props to my amazing husband who through very thick and very thin has been my rock of Gibraltar.

Continue reading “Perseverance and Joy” →

Health and Wellness

Open Heart Surgery – The Fontan Procedure

Gena Elam4 Comments

Verse of the Day

Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

My story begins at birth. Due to the fact that I was born with my heart defect in 1978 there wasn’t a whole lot of options back then other than wait and see what happens. I had blue lips, fingers, and toes and I was underweight all my life. I was sick, but I felt ok. Normal for me, though, I couldn’t play as much as my friends because I would get tired easily and that frustrated me but for the most part I had a great childhood. Well, minus all the heart caths and checkups that is. I started to get really sick around 10 and 11 years old. My energy level was decreasing and my heart size was increasing. So in 1991 the doctors told my parents that I need to have heart surgery to live. It was that simple. The Fontan procedure wasn’t being done in Houston at the time and the best place to have it done was The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. So that’s where we went. I went up in 1991 for a review, checkup, and meet and greet with the doctors. The next summer on June 26, 1992 I had my very first open heart surgery. Continue reading “Open Heart Surgery – The Fontan Procedure” →