Heart Choices: 2015-02-01 -->

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Five Minute Friday: KEEP



It's Five Minute Friday when I link up with Kate Motaung. Each week we are given a one word prompt. We have five minutes flat to write. Our word for today is KEEP.

GO

I hear the words 'let it go' every day. I teach preschool children and so it's not unusual to hear little girls spontaneously start to sing the familiar song from the Frozen movie.

I hear the words 'let go and let God'. These are words of faith. But how often do doubts and worry replace trust? In a world that can be turned upside down, it can be all too easy to cling to our things and people in our attempt to keep them close.

How thankful I am for the words of assurance from my Bible. The verse from Isaiah 26:3 is one that I often quote when my mind is tempted to gravitate towards worry.

As I learn to trust my God, the Holy Spirit so often provides me with a peace beyond understanding. I cling to this Scripture. I am reminded that nothing in this world will last forever. I cannot keep it. But as I let go and trust God, I have His peace.

STOP

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit

National Wear Red Day is Friday


February is a special month for me. Yes, my birthday is the first day of the month but it's also Heart Month. It's the month when we draw attention to the fact that:

The #1 killer of women is heart disease.

It's often thought of as a men's disease but it's not.

I've often heard people justify their poor health habits by saying you have to die of something. Why not a sudden heart attack? But that's not always the case.

I worked as a cardiac nurse for 25 years. I once conducted a survey asking heart patients what they were most afraid of. I thought they would say they were afraid of dying of a heart attack. But no. They were more afraid of surviving a heart attack and becoming dependent on others.

It's a preventable disease. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and prediabetes,  lack of regular exercise, family history of heart disease, age 55 or older (for women). The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's website has much more information.

As a child, I suffered the effects of a congenital heart defect. I was unable to keep up with other children. I spent much time alone coloring and drawing. When I was seven years old, surgical techniques had improved so I was able to have the operation to correct my defect. Today I am healthy and have no limitations. The American Heart Association helped my mom find blood donors. At that time we needed 30 blood donors with B+ blood to donate the day of my surgery. Every year afterwards, my mom and I walked door to door collecting money for this organization.

Many years later, I was asked to speak to a large auditorium of people at New York Presbyterian Hospital. It was a homecoming for former patients and healthcare workers. I had my surgery way back in 1960. Here I am wearing RED with my heart surgeon Dr. Malm. This was back in 1971.

I was impacted greatly by my heart condition and surgery. I became a cardiac nurse. I continue to encourage others to choose a more healthy lifestyle. It's your day to day choices that determine what your tomorrows will become. I truly believe that.

Let's bring attention to this deadly disease and not continue to assume it's a man's disease. Women are dying of heart disease every day. Find out your risk factors and make the choice to take better care of your health.

So I am going to ask you to do something. Will you wear RED this Friday?

Blessings and love,

QuickEdit
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