Peri-Menopause?

What is this thing that seems to creep up on us women?

I turned 50 this year! I look back and cannot believe this is where I am. Where did the years go? I think we all ask these questions when we look back. For me it has been a year of reflections…..

We all go through these changes and in the end, I believe strongly, that our attitude towards this huge event in our lives as women will make all the difference in the world concerning our well being.

How do you choose to view this? For me, I choose to go into this phase in my life with a great attitude!!!

This begins with the Wake-Up Call…

All of my life when I work out or work hard my face turns red when I’m hot. Unfortunately for me I never perspire…my face just turns red. Well a few weeks ago many of our church families were at our new building cleaning up etc…, that day my face was totally Red. A dear friend says to me, (we will just call her Linda):

Linda: “Wow Ruth, your face is so red”!
Me: “Yeah, my face always turns red when I’m hot”
Linda: “So… are you on hormones yet”?
Me “No, I’m not there yet… really, my face just always turns red when I’m hot”

she looked at me with raised eyebrows and sarcastically said...
“Oh, O.K. Ruth, if YOU say so”

We laughed so hard after cause she was probably right….I was getting a real old fashion “Hot Flash”!!!

I decided then to have a great attitude about it…. I read something very interesting on this subject….Everything is magnified, starting with your peri-menopause, then continuing on as you make the transition into menopause. Issues you have not reconciled as a woman will surface for you to deal with. Perhaps long overdue lifestyle changes need to be made. Your body is very smart and it will start to purge any “stuffed” emotions. This simply means the body does not want to carry these negative thought patterns or habits inside anymore.

If you have experienced trauma or hurtful experiences - that have been unresolved – they will come up. If you understand this purge and welcome it, you will experience an easier transition.

Health issues that you have neglected will also wake up. This is when what you eat is so important, and how you exercise is a must!…

I’m excited about this new phase…because it has allowed me to see myself in a new way….I am happy with who I am….I want to prove to myself that in this phase in my life I will not use my state as an excuse to not change the things I need to correct. I hear some women say “well she is acting this way because it’s the menopause” No…that’s just an excuse…

During this time in a woman’s life you will also find a spiritual awakening. The things of old are of no significance. The career, the money, the cars, the house…etc.. are no longer a priority. I believe with a good attitude, a good doctor, diet, nutritional supplements, exercise and the love of our family all the effects that this time brings up can be minimized to a great extent. It will allow us to be knowledgeable to the things that will happen to our bodies, and then we can prepare for it and take the steps forward with grace and embrace it.

These are helpful actions I read about:
1. Make choices to eliminate/reduce stress √
2. Create a sanctuary space for yourself where you can pray, write, draw…express
your thoughts and emotions.√
3. Find an exercise you like and stick with it
4. Evaluate diet and reduce weight – (I finally found one that works for me) √
5. Become a little selfish with your time for yourself.√
6. Get enough rest and sleep √
7. Develop an outside interest or hobby (husbands work well here also) √
8. Have joy and fun in your life. Try new friends! √
9. Remove toxic relationships from your day to day life. √
10. Laugh, laugh, laugh √

I am free, it’s a choice!……Those women who dread menopause, see it as unnatural, or a sign of old age and they have more problems enjoying the transition during perimenopause. They report more symptom issues. Negative attitudes result in negative experiences.

Lets embrace our age, I’m 50 and I’m excited that I arrived here with minimal heart ache! My family is intact and we love each other very much. I keep hearing… 50s is the new 30s? NO!!!! 50s is the new 50s and for me that’s ok! I don’t want to look 30 or 40 (I already did) I want to look 50 but look good for 50 right?

Off to play with my grandkids……

What comes out of the mouthes of babes?

Harold and I just returned from our trip to Carmel California....we were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary!

We had not seen our grand babies in a whole week and we were missing them something awful...so on Sunday they came over. We were playing in the game room and little Emma wanted a bottle of water ... I was trying to hold it for her so she would not drop any and because I would not give it to her directly she got upset and walked away and began to throw a little fit. She looked so cute but I tried not to laugh cause I knew her mom was reprimanding her. Sammy looked over at Emma and said "Emma, you need to change your heart!" "right Mom?" Andrea and I tried very hard not to laugh at the whole scenario...see this is what Andrea always tells Sammy when he gets upset about not having his way. Now it was big brother teaching his baby sister about her wrong attitude....

Boy...that has stayed with me all week....

Sammy is totally right! It's a heart issue...most of our issues are.

When we get upset because things don't go our way...
When we can't quite seem to forgive the hurts bestowed upon us by others...
When we react negative to a situation...
When we criticize...
When we complain... etc....etc.... "Its a heart issue"

Psalms 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me"

Psalm 24:3,4 "Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart."

Psalm 139.23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; and if there is any wicked way in me...

We must get rid of envy, strife, bitternesss, unforgiveness and every other thing that will bring offense to our hearts. Otherwise these will also put holes in our armor. If you are still offended...then its a "Heart Issue".

A lot of us have a heart condition...a diseased heart will not allow blood to flow properly and will keep the rhythm from sustaining a healthy spiritual life...
How important do you think the heart is to your salvation?

Have you ever been in a church service and felt the strong presence of God during the service and left there feeling completely in awe of His goodness only to speak to someone else and their comment was "I don't quite feel at home in this place...its almost awkward" Two different experiences in the same place....what happened? "Its a heart issue".....

Do Lord...examine my heart and if there is something clogging the blood to flow freely then please remove it!