Tsh Oxenreider
About the Author

Tsh Oxenreider is the author of Notes From a Blue Bike and the founder of The Art of Simple. She's host of The Simple Show, and her passion is to inspire people that 'living simply' means making room for more of the stuff that really matters, and that the right,...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. oh tsh, did this two years ago, did it again this january….it’s annoying for sure, but completely do-able 🙂 a couple rec’s – get a good personal trainer who specialises in knee rehab, rehab as best you can BEFORE surgery, the stronger you are the quicker the recovery. and once you can get back to the gym, rehab hard afterwards. personally, i found PT was more helpful than physio, but that was just my experience! i was off work for 4-weeks after the surgery, it’s pretty intense, so plan some serious downtime if possible!

    ice, advil and rest are your best friends at the moment.

    blessings in the resting!

  2. I’m in the middle of a waiting game right now. It’s less than perfect, and I would love to have more answers, but I’m trying to sit down and rest in my spirit. It’s not going so well;) I keep looking for a pair of emotional crutches to help me get around.

    Wishing you a speedy recovery, Tsh. With lots of rest in body and spirit:)

  3. Good word, Tsh! Choosing to focus on God’s goodness and all else that’s good and beautiful is pretty much the only way I can make it through the tough times with a (relatively) happy attitude. My husband is in grad school, so I often roll solo with the babies. In my better moments, I choose gratitude for the time we do get to hang out, the ways he does help, and for how I’m learning to be crazy intentional with my time during this season.
    Praying for a speedy recovery and more moments of seeing His beauty!

  4. Wow! Yes and thank you! I’d like to thank God for speaking to me to through you! We are in the middle of a move across the country. If it had been seamless we would have sold our house in a month and found a house and moved and the transition would have been easy. But we sold it in two days, we just started looking for a house this week, close on our current house is in three weeks, and we have a transition to include, a vacation rental (out of necessity not out of vacation), a hotel stay, a puppy hotel stay, and a home to prep for a 2000 mile move alone with three kids and a pooch. So, it isn’t always easy to find gratitude. But with prayer and constant reminders from wonderful people such as yourself. It can be done! Thank you!

  5. I totally forgot! I am sorry about your knee!!!!! I hope that your healing is quick and your snuggles from said two year old is abundant! And I hope your husband was able to find his stomach after watching you fall! How frightening for you both!!!!!

  6. Oh my gosh! I did exactly the same thing 4 weeks ago!! except not on a black….wish I could say that it was a blue…..but sadly…..green! clump of snow and a binding that didn’t release later…..snap! I’m praying for you sister!

  7. Praying you heal quickly, and to do that you must listen and move slowly!!! Take it from a therapist!!! But, enjoy the perspective you have at this time, your sitting alot, I know, but think on this: your at eye level with your children, your able to watch for and appreciate your husbands grin more easily, and as your pace slows your senses will sharpen and you will hear your Father more readily. Embrace the interruption, after all, in the words of ‘Special Agent Oso’, “its all part of the plan”!

  8. The last year has been one of utter frustration and growing reliance on God and His Word. We have watched in anguish as our youngest daughter has gone astray, behaving in ways she was never shown or taught in our home. I have felt as helpless as you in your chair, observing but unable to step in and do anything. Other than pray and cast the care over on to the Lord. I have also claimed Psalm 27:13 – I believe I will see the goodness of the Lord (it is the goodness of God that leads men (and daughters) to repentence) in the land of the living. I am also standing on my favorite verse: My children are disciples, taught of the Lord and obedient to His will, and great shall be the peace of my children. I have been reminded that each person has their own journey and they ultimately have to make their own decision regarding the Lord. We have taught her about the Lord and we have lived the life in front of her. I haven’t and won’t give up on her and I do believe that she will, at some time, come back to the Lord. In the meantime, I am to be still, and know that He is God and that she is also His child and that He loves her even more than I do. If I didn’t have that comfort, I would be, of all men, most miserable. We serve a loving and gracious God, my hope and trust is in Him. Some seasons are harder than others to go through, but He never leaves us. 🙂

    • Michelle ,I was a daughter gone astray. My mother never said why are you doing this? She prayed for me. When I had two sons I went back to church and God. Now I pray for my sons. I don’t think finger pointing,negative harsh words or accusations are what we need to do. We just need to lift thm up in prayer. God is faithful.

    • Michelle I understand as I have a daughter that is going through the same thing. I pray for her everyday and trust that God has the situation and things will go the way He plans. It’s very hard to watch and feel helpless. As a Mom I have always been able to fix everything but as they grow up to be teens and young adults it’s a different playing field for sure. I pray for peace for you and will pray for your daughter along with mine.

  9. Tsh,
    I can so relate. I too have been sporting the latest in “gimp fashion” this season. Extensive knee surgery has me sidelined, but had I not had this time to “be still”, I wouldn’t have listened to God’s whisper to write. With bum knee and laptop in hand, I have been trying to capture what God would have me convey. So, I too, can be thankful for God’s goodness in the midst of what might seem like adversity.
    From one crutches gal to another…
    Blessings,
    Bev @ walkingwellwithgod

  10. Oh Tsh..I’m so sorry about your knee! OUCH! My son dislocated his elbow last year and this year his knee too! OUCH!

    I love your heart and I know that God is so pleased with you…because truly He is good ALL the time.. It’s not always easy to say that and see that.. but He has a way of getting our attention and turning our hearts and our heads to focus on Him and then no matter what is going on in our lives..He gives a measure of Faith that is just right for the season.

    I will pray for your knee and thank you for sharing your great faith Sister..
    May the Lord Bless you abundantly!

  11. Praying for your speedy recovery Tsh! Thank goodness for your supportive husband. There are some husbands who are not only not helpful when mama goes down, they actually resent her for not being up to par.

  12. Thank you for this reminder! I needed to hear this, It has been a hard few months and I have been having trouble seeing God’s blessings. I need to remember that they are everywhere. My two kids and husband being the most important.

  13. Trying to count my blessings. After working 35 years and being very active at my church I am now at home on disability. I have some health issues that leave me in the house most of the time. I know it could be worse and I am thankful that it isn’t. Some days, like today, I wish I could trade in this body before my new body in heaven.

  14. Tsh,

    Praying for a speedy recovery!

    I count my blessings daily! Constantly remind myself of how blessed and fortunate I am compared with others around me. Praying for God to help me with me tongue. It slips & things come out-although quietly-that I wish would not. Doing a ton of praying about that!

    Great post!

  15. You sweet thing. How very like you to use such a trial to encourage our hearts. Praying for you, loved one.

    I’m learning to rejoice in the midst of a whole lot of uncertainty. The next year will be an interesting one for my posse! Part exciting, part scary as all get out. But it’s comforting to know God knows it all and has our backs no matter what!

  16. It is hard to find things to rejoice over in those moments. Sometimes He is teaching us to sit down and listen. It sounds like you have a good attitude about it all. Hang in there, eventually the messes will go away.

  17. Tsh, I’m going through a similar progression with a wrenched back that once again hung me up (Just when we were about to go skiing to celebrate all this snow!)

    In addition to recalibrating and trying not to get too hung up on what I can’t do, I use this experience in two ways:
    1. I try to hold onto this feeling so when I am in better shape, I can appreciate my mobility and not overdramatize life’s little annoyances.
    2. I try to hold onto this experience as a reminder for me to use more wisdom and foresight when I do something – I could have prevented this by using a different snow shovel!

    BTW – one of the best thing’s my husband introduced to our active family before ski season was heavy-duty strength-training: squats, jumps, weight, etc. When ski season hit we had a built-in superlayer of protective muscles to help us weather similar tumbles without so much pain. Leg conditioning is way underrated – a must , esp. as we get older and less resilient!

  18. Oh no! So sorry!

    I’ve had a challenging week myself. Every single day something awful happened.

    Mon – my brother was arrested! For a crime he didn’t commit!
    Tue – found a mouse in my kitchen ( a baby, so there are more)! House for sale!
    Wed – my bankcard info was stolen and checking acct. emptied
    Thurs – had a headache that I couldn’t outrun.
    Fri – ended up working with a sub that needed me more than I needed her. (Thankful to be used by God…just tired after a long week)

    I’m clinging by a thread….but finding blessings to cling to.

  19. Thanks for this reflection – I read it aloud at our Moms in Faith opening circle this morning, and we all responded to the thoughtful question. Very fruitful conversation! Prayers for your healing.

  20. Sorry to hear of your predicament but glad to hear you are still rejoicing in God’s goodness.
    I have been sick for over six weeks now with bronchitis and I thank God each day I wake up. In the early weeks I was thanking (& asking for) my next breath as it was quite scary to wake up sputtering and gasping for air! Now I have two inhalers but I am keenly aware that God provides each breath.
    I also get migraine headaches and I am on that cycle now too. I am focusing on Grace… that this too shall pass and that I am getting better. I am practicing patience and kindness and looking for what is good in all this.
    I agree, God is STILL good.

    Be well soon!
    Lina

  21. I am constantly learning to rejoice in my less than perfect circumstances. Being a third culture kid (adult) I am always missing something about another country. Learning that I can’t have everything in one place (until heaven!) is hard!

  22. AMEN! You have found the key! Soak in His Word, believe in His promises, and simply rest in His Presence and worship the King. Be ‘content’ Paul said…I know… easier said than done – but we have to persevere. And with His strength, we will come through every trial, every tribulation and every challenge that God either ‘brings’ or ‘allows’. And it’s all for our good, to help us to become who He created us to be – and to give Him Glory. He IS always good. Thanks for this great reminder today! I am praying for a quick recovery for you! As I sit here with MY sore left knee… 🙂
    Blessings to you!
    Susan

  23. Praying for a quick recovery! God Is Good.

    I was just in that place. At the end of August, my pregnancy which was only 24 weeks in, suddenly began to get complicated and I began having a lot of contractions. Amazingly, I managed to slow down and commit to bed rest for 14 weeks to keep baby Callen safe and inside until it was safe for him to come out. But in that time, my 3 year old was well behaved, and healthy and cooperative. My mother and sister in law were amazing assets and helped potty train, and care for the 3 year old. My co-workers and my husband’s provided meals all week every week for 8+ weeks and my husband, my dear sweet husband, held the world together. As I sit here now in the chair I spent weeks in, with both of my boys here and healthy, I rejoice at how wonderful our God truly is!

  24. How does it happen that a pastor leading a successful ministry in a church gets ‘let go’ twice for no apparent reason? How is it that churches who profess that they love one another really don’t though it is printed on on their materials? How is okay for churches to opt out of unemployment compensation and yet give a miserly severance? How is it that God is incredibly faithful when the bottom has fallen out and there is no light in sight? How is it that my faith has grown and my prayers get results? God is good all the time. Even when I don’t like the place I am in. And he truly can be trusted to provide, strengthen, and sustain. Though I must say it would make my day if all this would take weeks not years.
    Trusting with you for God’s amazing hand of healing and timing in your restoration and recovery.

  25. Oh, I absolutely have…in fact, since last September. Throughout the long process I have been blessed with God’s Grace. I had to pray, many times in fact, for it…I’d pray for patience…and if I couldn’t have patience then I needed grace!

    Take care of yourself and use your time to watch your little one and all of his 2 year old wonder. And appreciate that husband of yours and all his hard work – it sounds like you are already.

    And keep on blogging…it’s so nice to hear from you!

    Thanks for sharing your story…I have an impending surgery also. We can get through this together!

  26. Broke a bone in my foot that required surgery and no weight bearing for 4 -6 weeks. As a single woman and a teacher this has been very difficult to stay still

  27. Thanks for the reminders of how much I have to be rejoicing in, not just surviving. I did get up before the rest of the family and started reading my Bible while needing to check closing lists because of the winter storm of 2 days duration. yuk I know Got made the seasons, etc. Ironic this storm’s name is “David” :=) Wishing you a quick recovery.
    Your Sister, Janet

  28. Today I realized that through days of much hardships we look for blessings and count our five or six but it hit me there are thousands God is giving that I’m not even seeing! He’s that good. Today look for a seventh blessing if you usually count six. Today my blessings. I’m glorifying God for many for when I praise God satan is defeated.

  29. Ouch! Take it easy and great job keeping your thoughts focused on God and your attitude brimming with thanks. Dwelling on the negative is a downward spiral and it doesn’t help anything.

  30. Tish sorry to hear about accident, sending up a prayer for you and your family

  31. Glad you have a supportive husband and that you are seeing God at work in your life.am,praying for healing for you and the grace to make it through each day.

  32. Will pray for you healing and rejoice in your unexpected sitting and learning time.

    I believe, in the sun.
    Even when it is hidden.
    I believe in the flight of the dove.
    Even when she flys hidden.
    And I try humbly to listen toHim,
    Because what is hidden
    is found so easily when I do.

  33. I can totally relate! I just had my second c-section with our darling daughter, and this is exactly what our living room was like a few days ago. I’m on my feet so it’s better today 🙂 Enjoying a snuggle with my newborn this Sunday morning while my guys are at church. God is good.