30 Days of Gratitude - Day One - A New Knee

Have you peeked at any of the 31 Day Bloggers that posted one blog per day during the month of October? I discovered them about mid way through October. What do you ask did they blog on? Anything and everything! There were 746 different blogs posted. I clicked on the ones that interested me, some which fell off after the first week and a half and others who were blogging away like the Energizer Bunny.

Of course, I am thrifty to the bone; well maybe not to the bone. I am still not willing to make my own Clorox wipes, laundry detergent and hand soap, but I love a good deal! So I was instantly attracted to those blogs with a thrifty theme of reclaim and repurpose, reuse, to make something that is useless, thrown to the curb into something useful and beautiful. When I am able to accomplish this, it reminds me of what God did for me. Despite my unworthiness and wrongdoing He bought me, cleaned me up, gave me a new purpose and a new hope. The beauty of it was He didn’t have to, but He chose me and a very precious price to Him … His Son.

Here are a few of those thrifty blogs that I have been following the past couple of weeks. They have done a beautiful job! You may have to go back to October 2011 to see the posts.

The Frugal Homemaker blog tagline is “Turning our House into a HOME…one DIY project and yard sale find at a time. Her name is Christina and she says she has a Pottery Barn style on a yard sale budget.

One of my favorite days of the 31 dayer was her yard sale finds.

The Biblical Homemaking blog tagline is “Desiring to glorify Jesus in Everyday life – homemaking, marriage, parenting and more…” Her name is Mandy and is a busy wife and mother who not only finds items for herself, family and home; but finds items that resell on Ebay. I love to do that too! I once found a complete set of Joy Berry’s Help Me Be Good Series for $10 and resold on Ebay for over $100. If I remember it was like $112 and I picked up two Highlights Magazines for a dime each, the kind the Doctor’s offices always had in their waiting area and sold them for $10 each. It totally thrilled me and I wished I had more time to do that.

Because I like a challenge and since I missed out on the 31 Day Challenge, I am challenging myself to post one blog a day during the month of November on thankfulness. Gratitude. Appreciation.

I may fail miserably, but at least it will be among family and friends, who can pick me up.

Today I am thankful being pain free in my left knee. One year ago today I had my old arthritic – injured knee cut out and replaced with a new titanium Zimmer knee. I know I am young to have a total knee, thank you for noticing. <grin>

I first tore my left ACL in 1986 doing gymnastics. I had a total reconstruction.

Those are EARS not just BIG hair. My friends Janice (Dr. Hixson) and Kim
talked me into going to the OCU Halloween Dance in 1986 despite my injury.

Minnie Mouse got caught in the mouse trap. Check out the
mini-trampoline at my parents house.

Ten years later in 1996 it wore out and I had my second total reconstruction which I actually got to watch at Tinker. I was also told it would be my last reconstruction. My next surgery would have to be a total reconstruction. Like clockwork ten years later my ACL was out again, I had bone on bone no cartilage, bone spurs on my patella and severe osteoarthritis. In 2006 my doctor told me if I could just hold out that artificial knees were getting better and better. That currently the knee replacements were only lasting 10 years and they were getting close to developing 20 and 30 year knees and with me being so young I could have two or three in my lifetime. For the next four years I did the shots, therapy, pain pills, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation waiting for those 20 and 30 year knees. Eventually the pain became so bad and constant that I reached that point of being done.

I am thankful for medical technology, Dr. Kirkpatrick, the nurses, Anesthesiologist, the therapists, the nerve blocker, pain pills, insurance; but most of all for family. Prayers. Ultimately God. Thankful for the perspective He brings me through His Word. Through His character. Knowing full well that He is sovereign and even through my knee woes I have seen and experienced His goodness to me and that is humbling.

What are you thankful for?

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; 

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. 

I will be glad and exult in you; 

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

~ Psalm 9:1-2