September 6, 2011
Regressions - Things are Looking Up
OK. Still not perfect, but things are getting better. I really am quite convinced that the new Bio-Kult was making an impact.
September 4, 2011
Regressions - What is Going On Here?!?
Our youngest three children are having some issues. Our two older children and I seem to be doing fine. I'm trying to figure out what could have happened to cause our current state of being and I have a few ideas.
First I want to say that there has been so much healing that I don't think anyone would have any idea that anything is wrong unless they know my kids well. Most people would likely call their behavior "normal". I know it is not normal for my children anymore.
Our youngest (2 1/2), who has never had a vaccine and who has been on the GAPS diet from the start (4 months old), has been fussy, emotionally reactive, tactile, and rigid. His poos are a mess and stinky and he has a rash in his diaper area. We have not seen that in forever. He also avoids eye contact and has grabbed at his eyes some like CKS did when he regressed.
Our four year old, the one who regressed into autism after the vaccine just over two years ago, is behaving just like his older brother did at the same age. [The blessing in this is that I get to respond to all of the same behaviors as a New Creation in Christ. They are still difficult behaviors to deal with, but I am able to handle everything with more grace this time around. I believe (I know) that this is only temporary.] He has become very tactile. He's gasping for breath, like he did after Christmas. He is always moving. He's constantly humming, groaning, moaning, crying, or talking; never silent. He asks the same questions over and over and tells us the same stuff over and over. He talks and makes noise WHILE I'm talking to him. He can't focus to accomplish simple tasks and needs step by step help. He's eating messy and making messes in the bathroom. He's touching everything and climbing on everything! He itches in places.
Our seven year old, who also changed after receiving the same vaccine, has been itchy and somewhat emotionally reactive.
So here are my thoughts:
We changed eggs to soy-free, corn-free fed chicken eggs.
We started eating more eggs.
Maybe they caught a bug and the regressions come because they are sick.
Bio-Kult changed their packaging and their formula. They took out the maltodextrin.
I think it is the Bio-Kult.
Hopefully it is die-off from a more potent Bio-Kult probiotic and it is bringing a greater degree of healing which will be revealed to us after they get through this. This theory makes sense because the company who sold us the Bio-Kult told me the new capsule and packaging produces a more consistent and potent product. My littlest ones are the ones reacting. Their bodies are smaller. Usually, when it is a food reaction, everyone reacts.
I think we will press on for a bit. I will back off salicylate foods, fruit, and honey. We will eat fewer eggs for a while. If things do not get better soon, I will find a new source of eggs. Next step, I would back off on the Bio-Kult and/or consider switching to Custom Probiotics.
In the meantime, I will pray and trust God to lead us and provide for us. Please pray for us to get through this period of regressions with grace.
First I want to say that there has been so much healing that I don't think anyone would have any idea that anything is wrong unless they know my kids well. Most people would likely call their behavior "normal". I know it is not normal for my children anymore.
Our youngest (2 1/2), who has never had a vaccine and who has been on the GAPS diet from the start (4 months old), has been fussy, emotionally reactive, tactile, and rigid. His poos are a mess and stinky and he has a rash in his diaper area. We have not seen that in forever. He also avoids eye contact and has grabbed at his eyes some like CKS did when he regressed.
Our four year old, the one who regressed into autism after the vaccine just over two years ago, is behaving just like his older brother did at the same age. [The blessing in this is that I get to respond to all of the same behaviors as a New Creation in Christ. They are still difficult behaviors to deal with, but I am able to handle everything with more grace this time around. I believe (I know) that this is only temporary.] He has become very tactile. He's gasping for breath, like he did after Christmas. He is always moving. He's constantly humming, groaning, moaning, crying, or talking; never silent. He asks the same questions over and over and tells us the same stuff over and over. He talks and makes noise WHILE I'm talking to him. He can't focus to accomplish simple tasks and needs step by step help. He's eating messy and making messes in the bathroom. He's touching everything and climbing on everything! He itches in places.
Our seven year old, who also changed after receiving the same vaccine, has been itchy and somewhat emotionally reactive.
So here are my thoughts:
We changed eggs to soy-free, corn-free fed chicken eggs.
We started eating more eggs.
Maybe they caught a bug and the regressions come because they are sick.
Bio-Kult changed their packaging and their formula. They took out the maltodextrin.
I think it is the Bio-Kult.
Hopefully it is die-off from a more potent Bio-Kult probiotic and it is bringing a greater degree of healing which will be revealed to us after they get through this. This theory makes sense because the company who sold us the Bio-Kult told me the new capsule and packaging produces a more consistent and potent product. My littlest ones are the ones reacting. Their bodies are smaller. Usually, when it is a food reaction, everyone reacts.
I think we will press on for a bit. I will back off salicylate foods, fruit, and honey. We will eat fewer eggs for a while. If things do not get better soon, I will find a new source of eggs. Next step, I would back off on the Bio-Kult and/or consider switching to Custom Probiotics.
In the meantime, I will pray and trust God to lead us and provide for us. Please pray for us to get through this period of regressions with grace.
August 22, 2011
More Dry Nights!
Our little CKS has had many dry nights. This morning he woke up in a dry bed and he was so surprised because he did not get up in the night to go to the bathroom. He kept telling me how surprised he was, over and over and over and over.
We celebrate with a nut and a bit of honey for all when either KES or CKS wakes up dry in the morning. It is so much fun to celebrate their progress in their healing.
CKS has been praying for dry nights! We praise God for answering our prayer. Soon, very soon, our little girl, KES, will begin to have dry night after dry night after dry night. We will praise God and celebrate another step forward in her healing.
We celebrate with a nut and a bit of honey for all when either KES or CKS wakes up dry in the morning. It is so much fun to celebrate their progress in their healing.
CKS has been praying for dry nights! We praise God for answering our prayer. Soon, very soon, our little girl, KES, will begin to have dry night after dry night after dry night. We will praise God and celebrate another step forward in her healing.
August 4, 2011
Still Eating Salycilates
When we started the GAPS diet, my older two kids, who remember eating apples before we started the Feingold diet, were on board because they dreamed of eating apples again. September of this year will be our two year anniversary on GAPS. We are eating apples! It is a little bit of heaven on earth. What an wonderful gift to be able to eat apples.
We are also eating berries, nuts, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. After five plus years on the Feingold diet (Stage 1) it is almost to good to be true, but it is absolutely, positively true that we can eat these foods now without reactions! WooHoo!
Always giving thanks to God, who has answered every prayer and has held my hand every step of the way. I truly can rejoice in the trials we have been through. My faith has been proved genuine. May I continue to rest in the knowledge that God has it all in hand and that his plans are good all the time.
We are also eating berries, nuts, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. After five plus years on the Feingold diet (Stage 1) it is almost to good to be true, but it is absolutely, positively true that we can eat these foods now without reactions! WooHoo!
Always giving thanks to God, who has answered every prayer and has held my hand every step of the way. I truly can rejoice in the trials we have been through. My faith has been proved genuine. May I continue to rest in the knowledge that God has it all in hand and that his plans are good all the time.
Fingers In My Face
One of the signs that my four year old son is reacting to something is that he will always have his fingers in his face. Usually he will have one finger along the side of his nose with the fingertip in between the bridge of his nose and his eye while the other fingers will be curled up in front of or in his mouth. When really distressed, he will pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and middle finger and both hands will be in his face.
Today, I realized that it has been several days, at least, since I have seen him do this. Dry nights and fingers away from his face. Also, his eye-contact has been great and his verbal and reasoning skills are excellent! He is so happy and fun and amazing! I thank my God for this amazing kid!
Today, I realized that it has been several days, at least, since I have seen him do this. Dry nights and fingers away from his face. Also, his eye-contact has been great and his verbal and reasoning skills are excellent! He is so happy and fun and amazing! I thank my God for this amazing kid!
* Park Day
Oh, what fun we had at the park, me with my two little ones (ages 2 & 4). We had fun in the car as we anticipated our arrival and what we would do once we got there. We got out and proceeded to carry out our plans and then we just played a little of this and a little of that, whatever we found interesting to do in the moment. It was hot, very hot, but that didn't stop us from having fun. We got in the van and decided to skip visiting the ducks, but once they had been wiped down with cool wipes they changed their minds again. All the way home, we discussed our plans for cleaning up with a "scrub-a-dub-dub" in the tub and for cooling off with a cup of water and a single ice cube. We decided on a video to watch while I put dinner on the table. I thoroughly enjoyed every stinkin' hot minute of it.
This is in contrast to anything before GAPS. When my oldest was little, he hated to be outside. He complained about everything. Then again, he complained about everything when he was inside, too. I tried to be a good mommy and take my kids to the park to play, but it was an out and out miserable experience for all. For one, I never felt good. I was tired and the heat made me miserable. My children, who were supposed to love running and jumping and playing out in the fresh air, did not enjoy being outside. They were tired and the heat made them miserable.
Oh, oh, oh, we used to get eaten up by mosquitoes, but not anymore! Actually, I think we do get some bites, but we don't react to them so much anymore. If we do get a bite and it itches, then we put some Cortsym homeopathic gel on it and it goes away (works on rashes and hives, too). I go outside every morning to read my Bible, talk to God, and garden. The mosquitoes swarm around me, but they do not land on me. I have noticed that when my thoughts are negative, they bite. (If anyone reading my blog notices this to be true, too, please let me know. I would be very interested.)
One day I went out and the mosquitoes were all over me and I told them to go away and that I didn't want them to bite me. I told them, "I don't need this or want this so go away." They did. When my daughter came out, they were eating her up and I told her to rebuke them and tell them to go away. I told her what I said and she did it. The mosquitoes did not bite her anymore and the bites she got went away and did not itch. Amazing!
I used to be afraid to go outside during the summer because of the mosquitoes and I hated the heat because it sapped my energy away and I hated to sweat. Now I love going outside. I am not afraid of the bugs anymore. The sun does not drain away my energy and I don't mind sweating at all anymore. So much has changed. My thoughts about it all have changed. I now see the sun as healing and nourishing. I now see that sweating is a great way to detoxify. Mosquitoes and other bugs pretty much stay away from, or don't cause reactions in, healthy bodies. I was also scared of the dirt. No more!
At the park, there were bugs. It was hot. We did sweat a lot. We got dirty. Their feet were filthy. We even had a boo boo or two, but it was no big deal. Skinned a knee, but no band aid was needed. Can you believe it?!?
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen!
This is in contrast to anything before GAPS. When my oldest was little, he hated to be outside. He complained about everything. Then again, he complained about everything when he was inside, too. I tried to be a good mommy and take my kids to the park to play, but it was an out and out miserable experience for all. For one, I never felt good. I was tired and the heat made me miserable. My children, who were supposed to love running and jumping and playing out in the fresh air, did not enjoy being outside. They were tired and the heat made them miserable.
Oh, oh, oh, we used to get eaten up by mosquitoes, but not anymore! Actually, I think we do get some bites, but we don't react to them so much anymore. If we do get a bite and it itches, then we put some Cortsym homeopathic gel on it and it goes away (works on rashes and hives, too). I go outside every morning to read my Bible, talk to God, and garden. The mosquitoes swarm around me, but they do not land on me. I have noticed that when my thoughts are negative, they bite. (If anyone reading my blog notices this to be true, too, please let me know. I would be very interested.)
One day I went out and the mosquitoes were all over me and I told them to go away and that I didn't want them to bite me. I told them, "I don't need this or want this so go away." They did. When my daughter came out, they were eating her up and I told her to rebuke them and tell them to go away. I told her what I said and she did it. The mosquitoes did not bite her anymore and the bites she got went away and did not itch. Amazing!
I used to be afraid to go outside during the summer because of the mosquitoes and I hated the heat because it sapped my energy away and I hated to sweat. Now I love going outside. I am not afraid of the bugs anymore. The sun does not drain away my energy and I don't mind sweating at all anymore. So much has changed. My thoughts about it all have changed. I now see the sun as healing and nourishing. I now see that sweating is a great way to detoxify. Mosquitoes and other bugs pretty much stay away from, or don't cause reactions in, healthy bodies. I was also scared of the dirt. No more!
At the park, there were bugs. It was hot. We did sweat a lot. We got dirty. Their feet were filthy. We even had a boo boo or two, but it was no big deal. Skinned a knee, but no band aid was needed. Can you believe it?!?
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen!
August 3, 2011
Dry Nights
WooHoo! Our little CKS (4) has had three dry nights in less than one week and two were consecutive!!! He has virtually never had a dry night. KES (7) still has not had a dry night, but on occasion, lately, her bedding is not quite so drenched. SSS (2) is off and on with the dry nights. KRS (10) is usually dry now. Praise God for more healing! Praise Him for more victory!
July 19, 2011
* I Make My Kids Sick
This is truly humbling and empowering. It is humbling because I must take responsibility for the choices I make that affect my children in adverse ways. It is empowering because I can make choices that affect my children in wonderful, nurturing, healing ways.
We had an amazing week of VBS (plus home improvement, plus babysit for friends in need, plus garage sale) and everyone did remarkably well. Attitudes were positive. We tolerated much stress and much exposure throughout the week.
Towards the end of the week, one of our kids caught a cold and it is making it's way around. Currently, three of our kids are sick. Home renovations continue. I was tired after the busy week and didn't want to have to deal with "stuff" and I got a bit irritable and mean on Sunday and Monday. Lo and behold, KES began to itch in certain inconvenient places again and also her eczema returned so that she was beginning to create scabs in her forehead again. I changed my ways and I was as sweet as pie (squash pie sweetened with a bit of honey) and my little girl was as fine as could be today. She even had a little fruit today and everyday. We have not backed off on having some fruit or honey everyday. It is consistently true that when I have a bad attitude, which leads to a grumpy and miserable day, all of the kids have reactions, particularly the ones who get in my way. I am actually making my kids sick. My sin makes my kids sick. Now the cold is simply unfortunate. I'm talking about their reactions to food and the environment and how it is related to our thinking.
God's Word does tell us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (can't remember the reference at the moment). When we were afraid of food, we seemed to react to just about everything.
Also, consider this...after reading through Matthew, Mark, and half of Luke these past few months I began to see that when Jesus healed someone, He almost always said "your faith has healed you." or something along those lines. In his own hometown it was noted that He could not do any miracles there, "except to lay His hands on a few and heal them and He marveled at their lack of faith." There is definitely a connection between what we believe and the results we receive.
In Psalm 103:2-3 it says, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."
There is a connection between being forgiven and being healed. We see this daily. When KES feels that she is forgiven and loved, then she does well. When I finally realized that I am truly free from sin and that "there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ," and when I realized that "it was for freedom that Christ has set us free" and that He does not want me to be burdened again by a yoke of slavery, then I stopped living a life full of guilt, shame, obligation, etc. Once I was free of the guilt, I began to heal at an astounding rate. I have tolerated everything I have tried (so far only full GAPS food other than communion) but we will continue to add in new food. I believe it will all go well. We have already added so many new foods. I can take communion!!!
If we are not completely healed in this life, I know without a doubt that we will be whole and perfect when Jesus comes again.
In the meantime, I try to be full of praise and thanksgiving for all of the little things (big things, too, of course) and to keep my thoughts on things that are good. God is God and He knows what He is talking about when He tells us in His Word to think about things that are good and lovely and right (Philippians 4:8). He also tells us not to be anxious about anything, but instead we are to talk to Him about everything. We are to be thankful and we are to ask Him for whatever we need (Philippians 4:6). Also, rejoice in the Lord, always! Paul says it again, "Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4-5) When we do these things, God gives us His peace (Philippians 4:7).
I am so full of joy for all that the Lord has done in our lives through this journey. I want to love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength and I want to love my neighbor as myself. The benefits of trusting God and obeying His Word are amazing! Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
I make my kids well by loving them the way that my Lord loves me.
We had an amazing week of VBS (plus home improvement, plus babysit for friends in need, plus garage sale) and everyone did remarkably well. Attitudes were positive. We tolerated much stress and much exposure throughout the week.
Towards the end of the week, one of our kids caught a cold and it is making it's way around. Currently, three of our kids are sick. Home renovations continue. I was tired after the busy week and didn't want to have to deal with "stuff" and I got a bit irritable and mean on Sunday and Monday. Lo and behold, KES began to itch in certain inconvenient places again and also her eczema returned so that she was beginning to create scabs in her forehead again. I changed my ways and I was as sweet as pie (squash pie sweetened with a bit of honey) and my little girl was as fine as could be today. She even had a little fruit today and everyday. We have not backed off on having some fruit or honey everyday. It is consistently true that when I have a bad attitude, which leads to a grumpy and miserable day, all of the kids have reactions, particularly the ones who get in my way. I am actually making my kids sick. My sin makes my kids sick. Now the cold is simply unfortunate. I'm talking about their reactions to food and the environment and how it is related to our thinking.
God's Word does tell us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (can't remember the reference at the moment). When we were afraid of food, we seemed to react to just about everything.
Also, consider this...after reading through Matthew, Mark, and half of Luke these past few months I began to see that when Jesus healed someone, He almost always said "your faith has healed you." or something along those lines. In his own hometown it was noted that He could not do any miracles there, "except to lay His hands on a few and heal them and He marveled at their lack of faith." There is definitely a connection between what we believe and the results we receive.
In Psalm 103:2-3 it says, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."
There is a connection between being forgiven and being healed. We see this daily. When KES feels that she is forgiven and loved, then she does well. When I finally realized that I am truly free from sin and that "there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ," and when I realized that "it was for freedom that Christ has set us free" and that He does not want me to be burdened again by a yoke of slavery, then I stopped living a life full of guilt, shame, obligation, etc. Once I was free of the guilt, I began to heal at an astounding rate. I have tolerated everything I have tried (so far only full GAPS food other than communion) but we will continue to add in new food. I believe it will all go well. We have already added so many new foods. I can take communion!!!
If we are not completely healed in this life, I know without a doubt that we will be whole and perfect when Jesus comes again.
In the meantime, I try to be full of praise and thanksgiving for all of the little things (big things, too, of course) and to keep my thoughts on things that are good. God is God and He knows what He is talking about when He tells us in His Word to think about things that are good and lovely and right (Philippians 4:8). He also tells us not to be anxious about anything, but instead we are to talk to Him about everything. We are to be thankful and we are to ask Him for whatever we need (Philippians 4:6). Also, rejoice in the Lord, always! Paul says it again, "Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4-5) When we do these things, God gives us His peace (Philippians 4:7).
I am so full of joy for all that the Lord has done in our lives through this journey. I want to love the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, with all my strength and I want to love my neighbor as myself. The benefits of trusting God and obeying His Word are amazing! Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
I make my kids well by loving them the way that my Lord loves me.
July 16, 2011
* What an Amazing Week!
Can I write it all down in twenty minutes or less so I can get to bed by midnight?
This week was our Vacation Bible School week. I lead the music for VBS. I love it! I have the best volunteer job of all. I also take pictures of everything and my husband puts a slideshow together to show at the closing program. It is a lot of fun!
Last year we skipped VBS altogether. It was just too much to think about and too many dangers. Besides the kids rarely felt well and you never knew if it was going to be a bad week or a good week. Everything was always up in the air. We missed it, but it had to be so.
This year, we knew it would be a challenge, but we wanted to give it a try. I stepped out on faith that we could do it, with God's help, and I committed to lead the music. I had no idea how we would be able to do it. It didn't seem possible, but I just had to trust God to work out the details...and boy did He ever!
Not only did we manage to make it through a week of VBS, but we did so with grace. All praise to God, our Heavenly Father, for making it so. We made it out the door on time every morning with smiling faces and lots of excitement. Everyone took a bath in the morning before VBS and another one after VBS. Meals were simple and planned out to every detail. My husband and I did food prep over the weekend and a little every night. They drank water every morning. They took their gut bugs (probiotics), carrot juice, and fermented CLO upon waking and ate pizza eggs in the car on the way to church for breakfast. I made and delivered GAPS snacks to my children during snack time (mango, pear slices with nut butter, banana nut muffins with honey and a nut on top). Lunch was ground meat and onions, veggies, salad, broth, and sauerkraut everyday. Dinner was soup and salad everyday. We usually had a snack in the afternoon, too.
Not only did we manage to make it through a week of VBS with grace, but we also cleaned up the garage, cleared out the attic, insulated the entire attic with fluffy pink stuff, and organized and priced stuff for a garage sale, which I am having tomorrow to fund some renovations. All of this was supposed to happen next week after VBS was over, but my husband misunderstood my plan and I decided to go with it. He is going to build in our garage, add outlets, and insulate it to make a large playroom for the kids since the two small bedrooms are full of beds and clothes. I am so thankful that he is willing to take off of work and spend the time and money it takes to do this. The kids are so thankful to be getting a cool and bug free space of their own.
We had our closing program tonight, where I lead the kids in singing six of our VBS songs and gave a summary of all that we learned this week. After, we had an ice cream social for VBS participants and for our church. We got the kids to bed a bit late tonight so I plan to let them sleep in a bit tomorrow morning. Several of the kids are having reactions to ???, but all in all, it isn't so bad. They will recover. We all will.
Did I mention that I got to meet a whole bunch of really neat kids and did I mention how much fun it was to lead them in worship and to teach them about Jesus? What an amazing week!
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for working out all the details and for making this such an amazing week. Lord I really stepped out on faith, not knowing how in the world we could pull off a week of VBS, but we were able to do so much more than I ever dreamed we could do. It was all you! I am in awe of You! Amen.
This week was our Vacation Bible School week. I lead the music for VBS. I love it! I have the best volunteer job of all. I also take pictures of everything and my husband puts a slideshow together to show at the closing program. It is a lot of fun!
Last year we skipped VBS altogether. It was just too much to think about and too many dangers. Besides the kids rarely felt well and you never knew if it was going to be a bad week or a good week. Everything was always up in the air. We missed it, but it had to be so.
This year, we knew it would be a challenge, but we wanted to give it a try. I stepped out on faith that we could do it, with God's help, and I committed to lead the music. I had no idea how we would be able to do it. It didn't seem possible, but I just had to trust God to work out the details...and boy did He ever!
Not only did we manage to make it through a week of VBS, but we did so with grace. All praise to God, our Heavenly Father, for making it so. We made it out the door on time every morning with smiling faces and lots of excitement. Everyone took a bath in the morning before VBS and another one after VBS. Meals were simple and planned out to every detail. My husband and I did food prep over the weekend and a little every night. They drank water every morning. They took their gut bugs (probiotics), carrot juice, and fermented CLO upon waking and ate pizza eggs in the car on the way to church for breakfast. I made and delivered GAPS snacks to my children during snack time (mango, pear slices with nut butter, banana nut muffins with honey and a nut on top). Lunch was ground meat and onions, veggies, salad, broth, and sauerkraut everyday. Dinner was soup and salad everyday. We usually had a snack in the afternoon, too.
Not only did we manage to make it through a week of VBS with grace, but we also cleaned up the garage, cleared out the attic, insulated the entire attic with fluffy pink stuff, and organized and priced stuff for a garage sale, which I am having tomorrow to fund some renovations. All of this was supposed to happen next week after VBS was over, but my husband misunderstood my plan and I decided to go with it. He is going to build in our garage, add outlets, and insulate it to make a large playroom for the kids since the two small bedrooms are full of beds and clothes. I am so thankful that he is willing to take off of work and spend the time and money it takes to do this. The kids are so thankful to be getting a cool and bug free space of their own.
We had our closing program tonight, where I lead the kids in singing six of our VBS songs and gave a summary of all that we learned this week. After, we had an ice cream social for VBS participants and for our church. We got the kids to bed a bit late tonight so I plan to let them sleep in a bit tomorrow morning. Several of the kids are having reactions to ???, but all in all, it isn't so bad. They will recover. We all will.
Did I mention that I got to meet a whole bunch of really neat kids and did I mention how much fun it was to lead them in worship and to teach them about Jesus? What an amazing week!
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for working out all the details and for making this such an amazing week. Lord I really stepped out on faith, not knowing how in the world we could pull off a week of VBS, but we were able to do so much more than I ever dreamed we could do. It was all you! I am in awe of You! Amen.
July 6, 2011
* Love Heals
The healing continues. We are definitely seeing that feeling loved and accepted helps the healing process. Laughter truly is the best medicine.
We are all eating a nice variety of food each day. We love cooking and eating. Since everyone can now tolerate fruit and honey, our snacks and meals have gotten a bit more creative. We made chicken salad yesterday, and because everyone loved it so much we made it again today.
Recipe for dairy free chicken salad: chopped up chicken, chicken patè (in place of yogurt or mayo), chopped raw onion, chopped apple, chopped grapes, salt, and pepper.
God is healing us spiritually! He has freed us from fear, guilt, shame, anger, bitterness, etc. It tries to sneak in here and there, but we are quick to catch it and say, "NO! No more!!!" God is transforming us by the renewing of our minds and we are changing the way we talk and the way we think about things. As a result, we are tolerating everything better. Healing is easier, for sure, when your body is not constantly being pumped full of bad chemicals produced by bad thoughts. Dr. McBride mentions this on her website under the FAQ question under adrenals as quoted below:
"1. What recommendations are there for GAPS patients for boosting their adrenals?
Adrenals love fat and cholesterol. So, as far as the diet is concerned, eat lots of animal fats with every meal and cholesterol-rich foods, such as egg yolks, sour cream, butter and fatty fish. Another essential for the adrenals is sleep! Sleep is really not optional, so organise your life in such a way that you can have a nap every afternoon and a good long sleep at night. Another essential is to lower your stress, which is easier done than you may think. Stress is not the event itself; it is your attitude to this event. Research shows, that people react to stress very differently depending on their attitude to life. The one, who generally has a negative personality and tends to worry a lot, has all the stress hormones and destructive chemicals racing around their bodies. But the person, who has a philosophical and positive attitude to life, will have much less stress chemicals in their blood and will cope much better. It is the first type of people that “burn” their adrenals out. There are excellent books on this subject: you can start from Dale Carnegie’s book “How to stop worrying and start living”, for example."
I had a bad week, feeling irritable and angry, right after the homeschool conference. The children started reacting to the food again, or were they reacting to me?!? Rashes, eczema, and behaviors returned a bit. I immediately changed my thinking and began to act lovingly once again to my children and all of the reactions went away.
This week, my oldest started to sneak food (all GAPS legal and all well tolerated foods). He seemed to be reacting to something, but I could not guess what it could be. He reverted back to old rules. His memory became very poor. He started eating too much food at meals and would shovel it in and swallow without chewing (something he used to do all the time before GAPS). He made poor decisions. He didn't feel well and stopped getting up early in the morning and would move slowly and scuffle his feet while doing chores. I could not figure out why he was acting like this. Then...I discovered that someone had eaten half the bag of grapes in a matter of two days. Then I remembered that there didn't seem to be as many nuts as I was expecting when I put them in jars after dehydrating them. I asked him about these things and he confessed to eating them. I told him that I thought the guilt and the shame of stealing food and hiding it was probably what was making him sick. He agreed. I forgave him and even told him that it would be fine for him to take a nibble here and there throughout the day (keeping it to a minimum). Today was a great day!
I really do believe that fear, guilt, shame, anger, bitterness, and negative thoughts of any kind really do make us sick. Believing that I am truly forgiven by God and knowing that "there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ." is indeed THE reason that I can now eat food that I couldn't tolerate before. Jesus is in me and the fruit of the Spirit is now evident in my life. The fruit is showing in my kids, too.
Not only is God healing us physically and spiritually, but new life is popping up all around us. Did I mention that I am gardening and that I go out and tend my garden and yard every morning after my Bible study? Also, we are caring for and learning about fish and rats and turtles (our pets). I used to think of gardening and pets as too much work, but I am learning so many new and wonderful things from reading God's Word and from observing God's World. It is all very exciting and wonderful! I love it! I enjoy the work so much now.
We are also serving in the body of Christ by leading worship on Sunday morning (I am on the praise team), teaching Sunday School (my dear husband), babysitting the pastors kids from time to time as they make hospital visits and such (as a family), and watching other children when needs arise (as a family). Also, I will be leading music for VBS next week and taking photos for the slide show and my husband will put the slideshow together. I am not bragging! All of this is a joy and comes so easily (totally NOT out of obligation) because God has done a mighty work of regeneration in our hearts. "It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purposes." (Phillipians 2:13) It feels so wonderful to use the gifts that we have and to serve in ways that fit our circumstances right now. We are doing what we were created to do, "for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
In the book of John, it is repeated over and over again that a new command is given to Love one another. We are to love one another. We are to forgive, just as the Lord has forgiven us. We are to love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. What are we to obey? The law of the Old Testament? No. The new commandment to love one another? Yes.
In our house, we are loving one another. Laughter fills the air. We are healing.
Love heals!
We are all eating a nice variety of food each day. We love cooking and eating. Since everyone can now tolerate fruit and honey, our snacks and meals have gotten a bit more creative. We made chicken salad yesterday, and because everyone loved it so much we made it again today.
Recipe for dairy free chicken salad: chopped up chicken, chicken patè (in place of yogurt or mayo), chopped raw onion, chopped apple, chopped grapes, salt, and pepper.
God is healing us spiritually! He has freed us from fear, guilt, shame, anger, bitterness, etc. It tries to sneak in here and there, but we are quick to catch it and say, "NO! No more!!!" God is transforming us by the renewing of our minds and we are changing the way we talk and the way we think about things. As a result, we are tolerating everything better. Healing is easier, for sure, when your body is not constantly being pumped full of bad chemicals produced by bad thoughts. Dr. McBride mentions this on her website under the FAQ question under adrenals as quoted below:
"1. What recommendations are there for GAPS patients for boosting their adrenals?
Adrenals love fat and cholesterol. So, as far as the diet is concerned, eat lots of animal fats with every meal and cholesterol-rich foods, such as egg yolks, sour cream, butter and fatty fish. Another essential for the adrenals is sleep! Sleep is really not optional, so organise your life in such a way that you can have a nap every afternoon and a good long sleep at night. Another essential is to lower your stress, which is easier done than you may think. Stress is not the event itself; it is your attitude to this event. Research shows, that people react to stress very differently depending on their attitude to life. The one, who generally has a negative personality and tends to worry a lot, has all the stress hormones and destructive chemicals racing around their bodies. But the person, who has a philosophical and positive attitude to life, will have much less stress chemicals in their blood and will cope much better. It is the first type of people that “burn” their adrenals out. There are excellent books on this subject: you can start from Dale Carnegie’s book “How to stop worrying and start living”, for example."
I had a bad week, feeling irritable and angry, right after the homeschool conference. The children started reacting to the food again, or were they reacting to me?!? Rashes, eczema, and behaviors returned a bit. I immediately changed my thinking and began to act lovingly once again to my children and all of the reactions went away.
This week, my oldest started to sneak food (all GAPS legal and all well tolerated foods). He seemed to be reacting to something, but I could not guess what it could be. He reverted back to old rules. His memory became very poor. He started eating too much food at meals and would shovel it in and swallow without chewing (something he used to do all the time before GAPS). He made poor decisions. He didn't feel well and stopped getting up early in the morning and would move slowly and scuffle his feet while doing chores. I could not figure out why he was acting like this. Then...I discovered that someone had eaten half the bag of grapes in a matter of two days. Then I remembered that there didn't seem to be as many nuts as I was expecting when I put them in jars after dehydrating them. I asked him about these things and he confessed to eating them. I told him that I thought the guilt and the shame of stealing food and hiding it was probably what was making him sick. He agreed. I forgave him and even told him that it would be fine for him to take a nibble here and there throughout the day (keeping it to a minimum). Today was a great day!
I really do believe that fear, guilt, shame, anger, bitterness, and negative thoughts of any kind really do make us sick. Believing that I am truly forgiven by God and knowing that "there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ." is indeed THE reason that I can now eat food that I couldn't tolerate before. Jesus is in me and the fruit of the Spirit is now evident in my life. The fruit is showing in my kids, too.
Not only is God healing us physically and spiritually, but new life is popping up all around us. Did I mention that I am gardening and that I go out and tend my garden and yard every morning after my Bible study? Also, we are caring for and learning about fish and rats and turtles (our pets). I used to think of gardening and pets as too much work, but I am learning so many new and wonderful things from reading God's Word and from observing God's World. It is all very exciting and wonderful! I love it! I enjoy the work so much now.
We are also serving in the body of Christ by leading worship on Sunday morning (I am on the praise team), teaching Sunday School (my dear husband), babysitting the pastors kids from time to time as they make hospital visits and such (as a family), and watching other children when needs arise (as a family). Also, I will be leading music for VBS next week and taking photos for the slide show and my husband will put the slideshow together. I am not bragging! All of this is a joy and comes so easily (totally NOT out of obligation) because God has done a mighty work of regeneration in our hearts. "It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purposes." (Phillipians 2:13) It feels so wonderful to use the gifts that we have and to serve in ways that fit our circumstances right now. We are doing what we were created to do, "for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
In the book of John, it is repeated over and over again that a new command is given to Love one another. We are to love one another. We are to forgive, just as the Lord has forgiven us. We are to love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. What are we to obey? The law of the Old Testament? No. The new commandment to love one another? Yes.
In our house, we are loving one another. Laughter fills the air. We are healing.
Love heals!
June 18, 2011
They Did It, Again!
Wow! Last night my little CKS woke up about 3:30am and threw up. I have no idea why. My oldest two feel a bit under the weather today, too. Detox baths helped. I went ahead and left them with the babysitter so I could participate in the last day of the conference. They did fine.
Almost all of everything got done today. One load of laundry was still waiting to be washed, the dishwasher was not started, and dinner was not on the table when I arrived at home, but everything else was done. Still, pretty amazing. Two loads of laundry were done, beds were made, rooms were somewhat tidy, probiotics were given, juice and cod liver oil were given, lunch and snack were served, eaten, and cleaned up, they played a bunch and everyone was happy. They did it!
Almost all of everything got done today. One load of laundry was still waiting to be washed, the dishwasher was not started, and dinner was not on the table when I arrived at home, but everything else was done. Still, pretty amazing. Two loads of laundry were done, beds were made, rooms were somewhat tidy, probiotics were given, juice and cod liver oil were given, lunch and snack were served, eaten, and cleaned up, they played a bunch and everyone was happy. They did it!
June 17, 2011
They Did It!
They did it! The kids had to carry out all of the basic chores all on their own and they did it! We worked hard during the first part of the week to prepare for this weekend. I'm gone all day for three days, my husband is out of town, and a babysitter is staying all day with my kids. Laundry was washed, folded, and put away (only pee pee laundry as we finished the rest of the laundry during the first part of the week). All beds were made with dry sheets. All meals and snacks were served, eaten, and cleaned up. Dishwasher was loaded. Rooms were all tidy when I got home. Dinner was on the table. They played. They read books. They played Wii games, which is a rare treat for my kids. They did art together (my girls are artists and our babysitter is an amazing artist). They did it!
I am so proud of them. They did it because God has been working in us and they wanted to do it and do it well. They knew I was counting on them, but they were not afraid of getting in trouble. In fact, I had expected that a few things might be forgotten and I had made up my mind to overlook anything unfinished and simply praise them for what they did well and encourage them to remember tomorrow, but they did it all. Our babysitter kept telling me over and over how wonderful they were. She had only positive things to say. Mind you she was with them for ten hours from 7:30am to 5:30pm and she still plans to be here again tomorrow. I am so proud of them. All glory to God! He did this.
Side note: I am enjoying my time away and I am learning so much about how to teach my children classically. I am more and more excited about this coming school year. It is delightful to let go and trust God that all is well. I thought to call home a few times to check on the children and to remind them about what to do, but I am so glad I resisted the temptation. It was their opportunity to shine! They DID!
Praise be to God, our Heavenly Father, for His great love for us. It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purposes, for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do. We will be able to do God's work because He is preparing us to do the work. We can not boast in ourselves. It is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and it is a gift from God, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ! I can now say with confidence that Christ lives in me!
I am so proud of them. They did it because God has been working in us and they wanted to do it and do it well. They knew I was counting on them, but they were not afraid of getting in trouble. In fact, I had expected that a few things might be forgotten and I had made up my mind to overlook anything unfinished and simply praise them for what they did well and encourage them to remember tomorrow, but they did it all. Our babysitter kept telling me over and over how wonderful they were. She had only positive things to say. Mind you she was with them for ten hours from 7:30am to 5:30pm and she still plans to be here again tomorrow. I am so proud of them. All glory to God! He did this.
Side note: I am enjoying my time away and I am learning so much about how to teach my children classically. I am more and more excited about this coming school year. It is delightful to let go and trust God that all is well. I thought to call home a few times to check on the children and to remind them about what to do, but I am so glad I resisted the temptation. It was their opportunity to shine! They DID!
Praise be to God, our Heavenly Father, for His great love for us. It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purposes, for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do. We will be able to do God's work because He is preparing us to do the work. We can not boast in ourselves. It is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and it is a gift from God, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ! I can now say with confidence that Christ lives in me!
June 16, 2011
Quiet Time
What an amazing blessing!!! I am ever amazed at what God is doing in my life and in the life of my family. I have started reading through the Bible and have been working to hide God's Word in my heart by memorizing scripture using the Say and Do method. I am working my way through a Bible study at my own pace and I am really taking it in, stopping to ponder, reflect, and apply what I am learning to my everyday life. I am talking with God every morning and throughout the day about anything and everything. I ask Him questions. I tell Him what I am thinking. I talk to God as if He is right there next to me, and He IS. He is real. He is there. I can't see Him or hear His voice, but He answers me. I read His Word, fully expecting Him to speak to me through His Word. He does. Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Ask me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things that you have never known."
Seek God by reading His Word, talk to Him about everything, and ask Him to teach you great and unsearchable things that you have never known. HE WILL! Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.
Seek God by reading His Word, talk to Him about everything, and ask Him to teach you great and unsearchable things that you have never known. HE WILL! Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.
Proverbs
Chapter 4:20-23 - "My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and HEALTH TO A MAN'S WHOLE BODY. Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."
* My Amazing God
Of course, He's amazing! God has been teaching me so much through His Word and then He keeps confirming the truth of what I am learning. He teaches me something and when I am sure that I know what I know, someone else tells me what I just learned so that I am constantly saying to my children, "That is exactly what I was just telling you about."
It is good for them (and me) to see that God has revealed the same things to others who have also sought out His wisdom. It only makes sense. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A new revalation for me is only new to me. It makes sense that He would reveal the same things to others.
This morning I wanted to read a short bit of scripture to ponder as I got dressed and ready for my homeschool conference. I read the first part of Ephesians 2 about how we once lived as slaves to sin and while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It is by grace that we we have been saved, through faith, and it is the gift of God so that no one can boast. By divine decree, the coordinator of our conference began the day with a short devotional based on Ephesians 2:3-5.
During the conference, I was filled with such joy to discover that what the Lord has been teaching me lines up perfectly with the program we are about to commence. He has been preparing us for this. The purpose of Classical Conversations is to know God and to make him known. I have been praying for my children to be mighty warriors in God's kingdom. They will be!
Also, the theme of love keeps coming up again and again, in the Word, of course, and also in other places, like the Son-Rise Program for healing autism, our church during a time of transition, Classical Conversations conference, and in conversations with others. Love is healing me. Love is healing my kids. When they tantrum or cry or whatever, we now respond in love (God has made this possible in me) and peace comes. Still, no eczema. Still doing well.
I truly believe that because I have been set free from guilt, shame, fear, anger, and all kinds of negativity, that my body is healing very fast and is tolerating and accepting all kinds of new foods. I truly believe that because I am now filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and that I am loving and accepting my children for who they are and where they are and am not placing demands on them to be more than who they are, that they are experiencing freedom from guilt, shame, fear, anger, and all kinds of negativity and, therefore, they are healing very fast and are tolerating and accepting all kinds of new foods. Also, we are not afraid to try new food anymore. We eat all of our food with thanksgiving and rejoice that it is food we can eat.
I am eating nuts and fruit and I am no longer very bloated. Truly, the battle is the Lord's. If he can take 300 men and defeat thousands upon thousands of Israel's enemies, then he can take whatever good gut bugs I have managed to put in my body and multiply them. He will balance everything out. I'm only guessing at what I need. He knows exactly what I need.
Psalm 103 - Praise the Lord, oh my soul! Praise His holy name! Praise the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. Who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and mercy.
He has redeemed my life from the pit! I rejoice in the trials He has ordained for me because through it He has been refining me and has been making me more beautiful. Jesus is IN me. Really! He really IS in me. Thank You, my Lord!
It is good for them (and me) to see that God has revealed the same things to others who have also sought out His wisdom. It only makes sense. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A new revalation for me is only new to me. It makes sense that He would reveal the same things to others.
This morning I wanted to read a short bit of scripture to ponder as I got dressed and ready for my homeschool conference. I read the first part of Ephesians 2 about how we once lived as slaves to sin and while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It is by grace that we we have been saved, through faith, and it is the gift of God so that no one can boast. By divine decree, the coordinator of our conference began the day with a short devotional based on Ephesians 2:3-5.
During the conference, I was filled with such joy to discover that what the Lord has been teaching me lines up perfectly with the program we are about to commence. He has been preparing us for this. The purpose of Classical Conversations is to know God and to make him known. I have been praying for my children to be mighty warriors in God's kingdom. They will be!
Also, the theme of love keeps coming up again and again, in the Word, of course, and also in other places, like the Son-Rise Program for healing autism, our church during a time of transition, Classical Conversations conference, and in conversations with others. Love is healing me. Love is healing my kids. When they tantrum or cry or whatever, we now respond in love (God has made this possible in me) and peace comes. Still, no eczema. Still doing well.
I truly believe that because I have been set free from guilt, shame, fear, anger, and all kinds of negativity, that my body is healing very fast and is tolerating and accepting all kinds of new foods. I truly believe that because I am now filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and that I am loving and accepting my children for who they are and where they are and am not placing demands on them to be more than who they are, that they are experiencing freedom from guilt, shame, fear, anger, and all kinds of negativity and, therefore, they are healing very fast and are tolerating and accepting all kinds of new foods. Also, we are not afraid to try new food anymore. We eat all of our food with thanksgiving and rejoice that it is food we can eat.
I am eating nuts and fruit and I am no longer very bloated. Truly, the battle is the Lord's. If he can take 300 men and defeat thousands upon thousands of Israel's enemies, then he can take whatever good gut bugs I have managed to put in my body and multiply them. He will balance everything out. I'm only guessing at what I need. He knows exactly what I need.
Psalm 103 - Praise the Lord, oh my soul! Praise His holy name! Praise the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. Who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and mercy.
He has redeemed my life from the pit! I rejoice in the trials He has ordained for me because through it He has been refining me and has been making me more beautiful. Jesus is IN me. Really! He really IS in me. Thank You, my Lord!
June 14, 2011
Still No Eczema
We added mushrooms yesterday. Still no eczema. They had some nut butter with honey yesterday. Everyone had a few grapes today. Everyone is just fine.
I have been eating nuts, apples, grapes, strawberries and more, in addition to soups, broths, salads, and ferments. I am on top of the world. I am so full of gratitude towards my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the change He has brought about in me and in our whole family!
My children listen better. They rarely interrupt anymore. They have stopped commenting on everything all day long. They are figuring out what it is that they want or need and they are finding the words to ask for it, instead of whining, complaining, or throwing a tantrum. When those behaviors do happen, they cease when the children are reminded to think about what it is that they want or need and ask with nice words. They are working cheerfully and quietly. They are working with each other instead of against each other. They have learned to yield to those who are older. (and on and on and on)
OK, my two older boys (4&12) are having a few issues yesterday and today, but we have figured out that they are reacting to their cousin (cologne? deodorant? detergent?). They have been hanging out together in a small bedroom all afternoon for the last three days. MKS had to change his bedsheets because there was such a strong scent in them. He has been anxious and teary. Little CKS, is getting rough red cheeks and his eye-contact is now very minimal. He has been complaining of headaches. He is putting everything in his mouth and has been licking stuff. He has grabbed at my face during prayer for the past two nights. (and on and on) He has not done these things for at least a month or more, and nothing like what he is doing today. He is emotionally reactive, too, but he is a good little boy and he listens when we remind him to think and ask. He tries hard to look at us when we ask him to, but you can tell it is difficult. These are definitely reactions to the scent. We have experienced this before. Bathroom air fresheners, insecticides, fabric softeners, and other scented products do cause regression in our little boy and reactions in all of us. I am thankful that there are only two more days for the cousins to play together. I'm glad they get to have a good relationship with each other and spend this time together, but...
Oh! This makes me think...we ought to let our babysitter know that she will have a better time of it if she skips the deodorant and perfume this weekend. Hmm. Never would have thought of that.
I have been eating nuts, apples, grapes, strawberries and more, in addition to soups, broths, salads, and ferments. I am on top of the world. I am so full of gratitude towards my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the change He has brought about in me and in our whole family!
My children listen better. They rarely interrupt anymore. They have stopped commenting on everything all day long. They are figuring out what it is that they want or need and they are finding the words to ask for it, instead of whining, complaining, or throwing a tantrum. When those behaviors do happen, they cease when the children are reminded to think about what it is that they want or need and ask with nice words. They are working cheerfully and quietly. They are working with each other instead of against each other. They have learned to yield to those who are older. (and on and on and on)
OK, my two older boys (4&12) are having a few issues yesterday and today, but we have figured out that they are reacting to their cousin (cologne? deodorant? detergent?). They have been hanging out together in a small bedroom all afternoon for the last three days. MKS had to change his bedsheets because there was such a strong scent in them. He has been anxious and teary. Little CKS, is getting rough red cheeks and his eye-contact is now very minimal. He has been complaining of headaches. He is putting everything in his mouth and has been licking stuff. He has grabbed at my face during prayer for the past two nights. (and on and on) He has not done these things for at least a month or more, and nothing like what he is doing today. He is emotionally reactive, too, but he is a good little boy and he listens when we remind him to think and ask. He tries hard to look at us when we ask him to, but you can tell it is difficult. These are definitely reactions to the scent. We have experienced this before. Bathroom air fresheners, insecticides, fabric softeners, and other scented products do cause regression in our little boy and reactions in all of us. I am thankful that there are only two more days for the cousins to play together. I'm glad they get to have a good relationship with each other and spend this time together, but...
Oh! This makes me think...we ought to let our babysitter know that she will have a better time of it if she skips the deodorant and perfume this weekend. Hmm. Never would have thought of that.
* Victory in Jesus!
Today I nearly melted down on two occasions because I have a lot to do in the next three days to prepare for a homeschool conference that I am going to this weekend. My husband is going out of town this weekend. We have a babysitter coming to watch the kids.
Unexpectedly, my sister's kids came to visit for the week and so we have to get the kids together. Stress for me. My husband is sick, fever included. Stress for me. He's home instead of at work. I thrive on routine, so this is somewhat stressful for me to have all of these unexpected things come up. Also, my oldest daughter has not been feeling well and is unable to help as much as she normally would. I increased my probiotic on Sunday. I have been eating all kinds of new food. These things would have caused me stress in the past.
Today I handled things differently. Because of what God is doing in my heart, I did things differently. I prayed. I explained my fears to my children, making sure they understood that I was not blaming them for my anxiety and asked them for help to figure out how to get it all done. We came up with some great ideas and everyone was agreeable to do what had to be done.
They suggested that we push back the time the cousins would come over to play, in order to give us more time to finish everything before they got here. They suggested that we let KRS take a detox bath and just rest until she felt ready to come and help, if at all. MKS and I would run around super fast trying to do everything ourselves. We prayed together about the day, thanking God for helping us to work things out together in love.
Other things came up, too, but we worked through it all with respect and love. We DID get it ALL done before the cousins arrived. I was able to go to a meeting I had in the evening. My older children put my younger children to bed and put themselves to bed, while their daddy rested in the back. They did not ask for his help. They did it! They did it all by themselves. What great kids! We have come such a long way!!!
Also, we continue to eat the food we added in, including fruit and honey. No eczema! None! Not on anyone! Praise the Lord!
God IS healing us!!! He is healing us spiritually and the physical healing is following. Hate hurts! Love heals!
What is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus, my faith in You has grown through all of this and I am truly filled with the Spirit, so that I truly love others. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I have to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It always perseveres. Love never fails.
These three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Jesus fulfilled the law and gave us a new commandment to love one another. We are to love each other the way that He loves us. If we love Jesus, then we will follow His commands. Whoever follows His commands loves Jesus. His command is to love.
When I became anxious and afraid today, I responded in love. It is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purposes. I responded in love. Victory in Jesus!
Unexpectedly, my sister's kids came to visit for the week and so we have to get the kids together. Stress for me. My husband is sick, fever included. Stress for me. He's home instead of at work. I thrive on routine, so this is somewhat stressful for me to have all of these unexpected things come up. Also, my oldest daughter has not been feeling well and is unable to help as much as she normally would. I increased my probiotic on Sunday. I have been eating all kinds of new food. These things would have caused me stress in the past.
Today I handled things differently. Because of what God is doing in my heart, I did things differently. I prayed. I explained my fears to my children, making sure they understood that I was not blaming them for my anxiety and asked them for help to figure out how to get it all done. We came up with some great ideas and everyone was agreeable to do what had to be done.
They suggested that we push back the time the cousins would come over to play, in order to give us more time to finish everything before they got here. They suggested that we let KRS take a detox bath and just rest until she felt ready to come and help, if at all. MKS and I would run around super fast trying to do everything ourselves. We prayed together about the day, thanking God for helping us to work things out together in love.
Other things came up, too, but we worked through it all with respect and love. We DID get it ALL done before the cousins arrived. I was able to go to a meeting I had in the evening. My older children put my younger children to bed and put themselves to bed, while their daddy rested in the back. They did not ask for his help. They did it! They did it all by themselves. What great kids! We have come such a long way!!!
Also, we continue to eat the food we added in, including fruit and honey. No eczema! None! Not on anyone! Praise the Lord!
God IS healing us!!! He is healing us spiritually and the physical healing is following. Hate hurts! Love heals!
What is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus, my faith in You has grown through all of this and I am truly filled with the Spirit, so that I truly love others. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I have to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It always perseveres. Love never fails.
These three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.
Jesus fulfilled the law and gave us a new commandment to love one another. We are to love each other the way that He loves us. If we love Jesus, then we will follow His commands. Whoever follows His commands loves Jesus. His command is to love.
When I became anxious and afraid today, I responded in love. It is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purposes. I responded in love. Victory in Jesus!
June 11, 2011
Beautiful Clear Skin
Today we had watermelon for snack. Yum! So refreshing on a hot summer day in Texas to be eating watermelon. I also gave some of the kids some raw local honey with the honeycomb from a local farmer. Delicious! Skin is clear. Behavior is fine. Attitudes are cheerful! Yeast is under control!
We had cauliflower and broccoli again today. It is such a treat to have all of these foods after going without for so long. We feel like we are having a feast at every meal. We have also been making salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, and avocado. We mix in some sauerkraut with a little sauerkraut juice as our dressing. It is delightful.
May all who read this post find the same kind of success in their own homes and may they be as delighted as we are to be enjoying the bounty of what God has made for our pleasure and for our nourishment. Let it be so.
We had cauliflower and broccoli again today. It is such a treat to have all of these foods after going without for so long. We feel like we are having a feast at every meal. We have also been making salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, and avocado. We mix in some sauerkraut with a little sauerkraut juice as our dressing. It is delightful.
May all who read this post find the same kind of success in their own homes and may they be as delighted as we are to be enjoying the bounty of what God has made for our pleasure and for our nourishment. Let it be so.
June 10, 2011
* No eczema and No other reactions
In the last two weeks we have added tomatoes in for everyone. We had cucumbers once. We are eating broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, brussel sprouts, and asparagus. We've been making soups with bone broths. We are cooking with garlic.
I have been giving the little boys grapes and even apple. Yesterday, I gave my daughter, KES, two bites of apple and a bit of honey. NO eczema! Today, I gave her a few grapes and a bit of honey (not together). NO eczema!!!
My four year old is not having any problems either. His eye-contact is hit or miss, but it is there at least some of the time every day. He smiles a lot. He talks constantly. He plays make-believe. He is very interactive. He begins to freak out over something not being the way he expected or wanted it to be, but he responds well when reminded to stop, think, and use nice words. My actual words with him and his two year old brother are, "Think about what you want or need and ask for it with nice words." He can do this now. He is not sensory seeking. His rashes are gone, except for one in his diaper area because he still wets the bed.
OK, bedwetting is still an issue for us and it has gotten a little worse since we added in all of these new foods, but I believe it will be resolved very soon.
God IS healing us! GAPS helps. Staying away from toxins as much as possible helps. The allergy treatment helped. The drops for parasites might be helping. All of these things help, but it IS God who is healing us.
Did I mention that I have been increasing my Bio-Kult by a half capsule every 2-4 days? I am not getting angry or rigid. I started my last cycle right at 28 days and was so surprised. I had no PMS symptoms at all. I was expecting to start 4 days late, as usual. I'm eating all of the food I mentioned above an I am not having any discernible reaction. God IS healing us!
Here is what is different: My older three children and I get up early every morning and read the Bible and talk to God about everything. It is a great way to start the day, connecting with the Creator of Everything! He has been changing us from the inside out. He is changing our hearts. My oldest girl (10) told me that she thought that God was healing our spirits and as a result He is healing our bodies. I believe that she is exactly right. I was thinking the same thing. Ever since we have made it a priority to Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness, things have been changing for us. God is very real and ever present in our lives. He really does speak to us through His Word. He really does answer our prayers. His Word really is the Truth. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another. We have been learning how to love, to truly love one another.
To confirm that I was on the right track, I found out about the Son-Rise Program for healing children with autism. Some of the key principles of the program are joining the child, loving and accepting them for who they are right now, and focusing on connecting and building relationships. This is basically what I was beginning to do with my own children. As a result, I now have their hearts. I truly love them and they truly love me. My younger daughter (7) told me yesterday morning that she was glad that God made me to be her mother and that she loved me very much. She has been helping very cheerfully with chores and tells me that she finally feels like a seven year old, which tells me that she feels proud of herself for willingly choosing to do big kid stuff. I knew the moment she told me how much she loved me that she was going to be able to eat some fruit or honey. I just knew it!
Our negative thoughts create a whole cascade of chemical reactions in our physical bodies that are detrimental to our health. Feelings of guilt, shame, fear, anger, hatred, bitterness, or any negative thoughts are detrimental to our physical health. When we get nervous, we get butterflies in our stomachs. When we get angry, we feel hot. When we are hurt and feeling sad or depressed we feel shaky or cold. When we are stressed, we get tense or we get a headache. Negative thoughts or feelings have a negative effect on our physical health. God knows this. He created us!
As we have been reading God's Word and memorizing scripture (hiding God's Word in our hearts) and as we have been talking it over with each other and with God, He has been making His thoughts our thoughts and He has been making His ways our ways. We have made a game out of trying to say everything in the positive. We strive to say only what will bless others. We think about things that are lovely, noble, and right. We praise God and we thank Him for everything. We have stopped looking at both sides of the coin. We have stopped playing the devil's advocate about everything. We have stopped making thoughtless comments all day long. We have started to look for ways to bless each other with our words and with our actions. We respond to each other in love and try to understand each other. Oh, how we have been changed.
It is because God has set us free from guilt, shame, anger, frustration, and negativity in general that we are really beginning to heal. God led us to GAPS. GAPS has been a real help to us and we are still following GAPS. God has used this journey to teach us many things and to bring us back to Him. By believing in Jesus and obeying Him by loving each other, as well as others who are difficult to love, we are being healed. Jesus said many times when he healed people that it was their faith that healed them. I thought I had faith, and I did, but it needed to grow. Now, what I thought I believed, what I wanted to believe, I truly do believe!
I am thankful for everything that we have been through and I gladly take whatever is to come because God knows what He is doing. He has it all in hand. He is good and He is good all the time. He has a plan for us and he plans to give us a hope and a future. I rejoice in my trials, even the trials of these past few years, because my faith has been proven genuine and will bring praise glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
May it be so for all who hear our story that they, too, will rejoice in their own trials and find that they, too, have a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that will bring Him praise, glory and honor, when He is revealed. Our God reigns!
I have been giving the little boys grapes and even apple. Yesterday, I gave my daughter, KES, two bites of apple and a bit of honey. NO eczema! Today, I gave her a few grapes and a bit of honey (not together). NO eczema!!!
My four year old is not having any problems either. His eye-contact is hit or miss, but it is there at least some of the time every day. He smiles a lot. He talks constantly. He plays make-believe. He is very interactive. He begins to freak out over something not being the way he expected or wanted it to be, but he responds well when reminded to stop, think, and use nice words. My actual words with him and his two year old brother are, "Think about what you want or need and ask for it with nice words." He can do this now. He is not sensory seeking. His rashes are gone, except for one in his diaper area because he still wets the bed.
OK, bedwetting is still an issue for us and it has gotten a little worse since we added in all of these new foods, but I believe it will be resolved very soon.
God IS healing us! GAPS helps. Staying away from toxins as much as possible helps. The allergy treatment helped. The drops for parasites might be helping. All of these things help, but it IS God who is healing us.
Did I mention that I have been increasing my Bio-Kult by a half capsule every 2-4 days? I am not getting angry or rigid. I started my last cycle right at 28 days and was so surprised. I had no PMS symptoms at all. I was expecting to start 4 days late, as usual. I'm eating all of the food I mentioned above an I am not having any discernible reaction. God IS healing us!
Here is what is different: My older three children and I get up early every morning and read the Bible and talk to God about everything. It is a great way to start the day, connecting with the Creator of Everything! He has been changing us from the inside out. He is changing our hearts. My oldest girl (10) told me that she thought that God was healing our spirits and as a result He is healing our bodies. I believe that she is exactly right. I was thinking the same thing. Ever since we have made it a priority to Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness, things have been changing for us. God is very real and ever present in our lives. He really does speak to us through His Word. He really does answer our prayers. His Word really is the Truth. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another. We have been learning how to love, to truly love one another.
To confirm that I was on the right track, I found out about the Son-Rise Program for healing children with autism. Some of the key principles of the program are joining the child, loving and accepting them for who they are right now, and focusing on connecting and building relationships. This is basically what I was beginning to do with my own children. As a result, I now have their hearts. I truly love them and they truly love me. My younger daughter (7) told me yesterday morning that she was glad that God made me to be her mother and that she loved me very much. She has been helping very cheerfully with chores and tells me that she finally feels like a seven year old, which tells me that she feels proud of herself for willingly choosing to do big kid stuff. I knew the moment she told me how much she loved me that she was going to be able to eat some fruit or honey. I just knew it!
Our negative thoughts create a whole cascade of chemical reactions in our physical bodies that are detrimental to our health. Feelings of guilt, shame, fear, anger, hatred, bitterness, or any negative thoughts are detrimental to our physical health. When we get nervous, we get butterflies in our stomachs. When we get angry, we feel hot. When we are hurt and feeling sad or depressed we feel shaky or cold. When we are stressed, we get tense or we get a headache. Negative thoughts or feelings have a negative effect on our physical health. God knows this. He created us!
As we have been reading God's Word and memorizing scripture (hiding God's Word in our hearts) and as we have been talking it over with each other and with God, He has been making His thoughts our thoughts and He has been making His ways our ways. We have made a game out of trying to say everything in the positive. We strive to say only what will bless others. We think about things that are lovely, noble, and right. We praise God and we thank Him for everything. We have stopped looking at both sides of the coin. We have stopped playing the devil's advocate about everything. We have stopped making thoughtless comments all day long. We have started to look for ways to bless each other with our words and with our actions. We respond to each other in love and try to understand each other. Oh, how we have been changed.
It is because God has set us free from guilt, shame, anger, frustration, and negativity in general that we are really beginning to heal. God led us to GAPS. GAPS has been a real help to us and we are still following GAPS. God has used this journey to teach us many things and to bring us back to Him. By believing in Jesus and obeying Him by loving each other, as well as others who are difficult to love, we are being healed. Jesus said many times when he healed people that it was their faith that healed them. I thought I had faith, and I did, but it needed to grow. Now, what I thought I believed, what I wanted to believe, I truly do believe!
I am thankful for everything that we have been through and I gladly take whatever is to come because God knows what He is doing. He has it all in hand. He is good and He is good all the time. He has a plan for us and he plans to give us a hope and a future. I rejoice in my trials, even the trials of these past few years, because my faith has been proven genuine and will bring praise glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
May it be so for all who hear our story that they, too, will rejoice in their own trials and find that they, too, have a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that will bring Him praise, glory and honor, when He is revealed. Our God reigns!
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