Mentholatum

After the flu, upper respitiory infection, snotty fluid on the lungs, musinex, some codeine-laced cough suppressant, a Z-Pac, a bottle of Mentholatum, and a week in my robe living like a hermit, I FINALLY feel like myself again.  That was just me.  Cade and Ainsley suffered the same fate {minus the robe of course}.  My Coach Man and Shelby were spared thanks to the much overpriced contagion killer of Tamiflu.  Praise the Lord for Norbert Bischofberger, the beloved soul that invented that greatness.  If it was me, I’d change my last name from Bischofberger to Tamiflu, just so everybody would know…and because Bischofberger, although lovely, just doesn’t have the same ring to it.Trotter Tribe is back in motion and I have to say I have been one lucky gal.  Important Note: *If you have an aversion to Social Media PDA look away from the following few sentences* My Coach Man ROCKED this week.  His precious self took care of all the babies, got Ainsley to and from school, took care of me by letting me rest, made sure everyone got their meds and still worked his booty off as the final days of Bulldog recruiting roll on a week before national signing day.  He even managed to roll YMCA bball practice to coach last night even though Cade man was sick, then grabbed k-rations at Wally {aka Wal-Mart}, swung back to the house to pick up Ainsley and signed everybody up for Soccer!  The man is a legend of love….then in an extravagant act and gesture of peace and tranquility as I entered back into the real world of Mommie-dom today….he brought me back into my completely unhealthy addiction and presented me with a cup of steaming hot hazelnut coffee…… in bed.  True story.  He is the hottest man alive.I learned several things about myself while I was knocked cold by Type A flu and green lung goops this week:1. I am not a good rest-er:  I knew this about myself in part simply because I have to temper my psycho-side to be a work-a-holic.  I love the thrill of accomplishing a project.  I have a massive sin prob of lusting after perfection daily.   The fact that in my deranged mind I totally think I can somehow achieve project perfection in any area screams “Whoa, this girl’s got probs!”  Sooo, to be sick, out of the project loop, accomplishing nothing is like my worst nightmare.So I rang my hands for several days (like counting 1,2,3,4 over and over OCD style) between the fiercest body aches and pounding headache worrying and fretting that I was somehow missing saving the world.  Enter pride.  Enter the fall.  Enter God patiently and persistently reminding me of Isaiah 30:15 “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”….Learned that resting when you’ve been knocked cold by the nasty Type A Flu would be a good thing, matter of fact nobody is going to be saving anybody by not getting the adequate rest and medicine to recover.  Lesson learned.2.  Death by Laundry:  Due to the fact that there was a pile of laundry so large that my children reinacted the famous WWII picture with the soldiers hoisting the flag on top of Iwo Jima, I literally had to have conversation with myself that went something like this…”Self, you gotta stop feeling sorry for yourself because you have a mountain of undone laundry that will bleed the life out of you.  If you don’t get it done, pioneers will be settling on it and staking claims.”  As I have come out of the sick coma I was in this last week, laundry and random piles in my room mount an assault somewhat similar to Napoleon’s army coming against the French resistance in Le Mis’…well, ok that might be a little dramatic…none the less the bottom line is that I would rather pitch a fit than pitch an effort.  Ouch.In the words of my Ainsley {who is 4 and the coolest most mature kid ever and basically raising me} “Mom, I know you don’t want to hear this, but were just gonna have to clean it.”  She’s right.  So I did, had bomb diggity help from all the Trotter Tribe, and this time the laundry did not kill anyone and the last load of towels is tumbling threw the dryer right now.  {Pray for me because I was real powerful right there and felt massive victory and I’m hoping the pile yet to be folded beside me didn’t hear that and in turn decide to mount an assault as I type…}3. I’m not as brave as I say and I don’t go to the Word like I should:  Ok, so that is a true story.  Sad story, but true story.  I wallow in self-pity more than I would like to admit.  I seriously get blown down by green boogers and I’m like, “Welp, that’s it….just throw in the towel…the fort is taken….everyone hates me…I’m useless for God.”  For realz!  I mean am I telling someone else’s story too, or am I the only one that thinks she sucks at life and following Christ?  I wallowed around for several days feeling sorry for myself because I had to cancel plans, stay in bed and be…ooohh here it comes…..Out.  Of.  Control.  Booyah.  Learned massive amounts about that little self-test.  Got a big fat F this time.  Turns out I can be in control, hammering the Word, then things spin a little out of control and I turned into this inward wallow head.  Bummer.But, as Si Robertson says, “Hey, Jack!”  This isn’t about condemnation, sisters.  I’m not trying to provoke a whole load of postings about my awesomeness, but if it’s okay with you few readers {and my precious momma who loves me and reads all my articles – love you mom!}  I’d like to strike an honest cord with this whole faith thing.  It isn’t easy.  You’re not out of the game because you get sick, wallow in self-pity, or have a hard time saying YES! to the laundry Iwo Jima mountain.  What keeps you out is being unwilling to yield.  So I learned to yield my control or lack thereof and take a chill pill.  Turns out I rested better, heard from God and got back to my feet much faster.  {I’ve made some Bible notes over this one.}4. I have massive rejection fears:  I realized I had not written a blog since the end of November!  What the, hey?!  You know what?  That is a result of being terrified to be rejected.  Nitpicked.  Pulled apart.  Judged.  Rejected.  Insecurity mounted to an all-time high and well, we just can’t be having that and living an overcoming life, can we?  So can we make a pact?  I promise to come to you at least two times a week from now on…can’t promise anything but real life.  Well, I guess I can definitely promise that this isn’t some sort of Mante T’eo/ MTV’s Catfish relationship, the head shot of me on my facebook is real and those are my real kids.  Toby and I didn’t date online because…IT HADN’T BEEN INVENTED YET!   I am real and the life I live with the people I live is very real…and no offense, but living life out in reality is cooler than being locked up in my bedroom on my computer.  I like fresh air, real convos, real faces on real peeps.  So no more rejection fears, I know you love me.  Whew, glad we all feel warm and fuzzy now.5. Mentholatum and Aloe Kleenex:  I have a relationship with my vaporized rub and box of oily tissue.  This week they didn’t fail me.  Dear Grandma products, Thank you for your soothing vapors of healing and soft touch on my raw nose.  In the last week anyone that came within arms-length got a swipe of Menthol filled salve across the nose or chest.  Actually put the stuff on Cade’s feet with socks one night.  You #wintheweek, friends.6. Register for Remade now!  This will be the best weekend of your life.  No really.  We will have a blast and the Holy Spirit will show up and blow our minds.  Friday night and Saturday is extended Lady time greatness and we are super excited to see how God grows this event and the women involved!Prayers for health for you and your dear families!  For the love of health rest if you need rest, dear hearts!  And I would LOVE for you to use the comment box to jot down health related prayer requests.  Praying now!“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7