Category: healthier

Finding Rest in a Restless World

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV

Those who know me well will tell you I don’t rest well. I may be a great sleeper, but sitting at rest is challenging for my ever wandering mind. There are always chores to do, people to feed or loved ones needing time and attention. Over the past years, however, God has shown me over and over that he desires my resting time as much as he needs me to do the busy things he has created me to do. So, I am making efforts to carve out times to just sit and be still.

For me, being restless hasn’t just been the actual physical busy I find myself consumed with, but also the busy in my soul and mind. Last week after Kali left, I found myself in a new and very unknown stage where I was not familiar with the emotions or the ways my mind would run. I couldn’t understand the tightening in my chest, or the way that tears would constantly show up in unexpected spaces. I know some of that is indeed the changing of seasons but I found something else tucked quietly behind one of those walls in my brain that provided a big ah-ha moment.

One day as I was putting something away in Kali’s room, it was as if I heard a quiet voice saying “she’s not dead…she just grew up.” Duh! All of a sudden it hit me. My body was processing and equating this season with Abby’s leaving. Now the way my chest constricted made sense. I had felt these things in very real and painful ways before. My brain knew about those and so that is the path it took. I was able to verbalize my realization with a dear praying friend who validated what I was feeling. It felt good just saying it out loud and God used those moments to bring my heart to peace. I am so thankful for our sweet Father, who blesses us with all the parts and pieces we need to find true rest in Him. He is good.

**Completely on a side note here! Not a paid promotion! If you need God honoring Biblical based help in this area of the power of the brain, my friend, Iva has been a great resource to me personally in this area!

**Photo compliments of my Kali from her Costa Rican travels.

Peopling

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I am married to a dear man who creates his own words. As I was pondering the title of this particular writing, I decided to look into if peopling was actually a word or if hubby was wearing off on me.

The Urban Dictionary notes peopling as the ability to tolerate people and their stupidity as well as your own stupidity in a public place. Hmmm. Not all that flattering of a definition. I like to think of “peopling” as being out and about mingling and interacting.

As a younger me, my sanguine self was quite adept at peopling, content to flit about hither and yon interjecting my bubbly self into many unique and fun settings, making action happen if life was to quiet. If all else failed I could always bring a scone or some of my fresh salsa and life would be right side up again. As I have gotten older, my desires to mingle and interact have morphed into different and sometimes unfamiliar shapes. The past decade has brought several major life traumas to our family necessitating huge changes in locale for us which resulted in uprooting and needing to readjust to new faces and places. This, if I am completely honest has been brutal for my 40 something brain to process and cope with. Starting over with friendships on quite a few levels has been overwhelming. It’s not easy breaking into circles that have been established for long periods of time, sometimes decades. I have compared myself to the Israelites after they left their bondage in Egypt. I know with out a shadow of a doubt that we are in much healthier places but I still miss the “leeks and the garlic” of Egypt which were the established comfortable routines like having monthly planned activities with other families and friends, having persons who love and appreciate my scones, and having someone to go camping with in the summer time. Being older and tireder and wondering what I have to offer, plagues the epicenter of my thoughts as I dream of being settled and comfortable in relationships.

Now I am not over here in some black hole but some days I am sad at how lonely I feel. (Important Side Note: I promise I do have a real friend or two.) As I have come to grips with the current season, I have become more aware and intentional. I listen and watch and hear other people’s hearts and the scary and sad, but somewhat hopeful in a very strange way thing is, I am not alone in this. People are lonely. People around me are lonely. People who sit around me at church, in my job, at my kids’ school are lonely. Loneliness is reaching epidemic levels. How do I know? People have told me so. Some say it just like that. Others say it more subtly. People are even writing books about it. Jennie Allen in her book “Find Your People” says this – God said it after he made the first man. It is not good for man to be alone. So, as messy as relationships might be, we can not live life alone. Allen goes on to share ways to find your circle of people.

I have often thought with humor about how it might look to run an ad for friendship with the same theme as those singles ads that used to run in the Sunday paper. Wanted: Family Friendships. Prefer imperfect family units. Grumpy dads and helicopter moms acceptable. Love of camping, porch sitting, low country boils, veggie tales music and nut pickout nights a plus. Or Wanted: Christ Honoring Female Friendship. Prefers slightly bulgy, non perfect 35-65 year old female. Listening skills a plus. Must love Jesus, speaking the truth in love and celebrating life events together.

If it were only that easy right?!

One of the issues we face is we are to busy. Way to busy.

Secondly, we live in an era where 500 or even a 1,000 social media friends is the norm. Sadly, 100 likes on a post is not even any where close in value to a simple conversation in person with a real honest to goodness unadulterated person. We have become a dehumanized people hiding behind the screens of our phones and laptops where sadly we can say mean and hurtful things and even post anonymously only feeding the giant monster of loneliness and despair.

I am convinced that if each one of us took the time to work on building relationships in person, this epidemic of lonely people would diminish. But how do we do so?

I love what it says in Hebrews 10. Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up the habit of meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…

I do not want to take things out of context and I certainly don’t profess to be a deep theological student, digging into the back meanings and greek and hebrew meanings but am more of a words at face value kind of gal. I kinda like how this verse actually just spells some things out. Sound simple? Not exactly. Peopling IS messy, this we know for certain, and takes work but can truly bring about the biggest blessing in a lonely world.

Who’s with me?

A Spoonful of Comfort

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Today my precious baby should be turning 11. Instead we are in year 7 of her living in Heaven.

Grief has not been gracious to me pound wise. This year, I have taken some drastic steps to change my habits and hopefully my thought process in the kitchen, which has always been a haven to me in different seasons both grief and joy filled. While food is the center of so much, I am finding a new found zest seeing how yummy healthier can actually be!

While learning to turn to God for comfort instead of food, I can’t help but believe that he doesn’t condemn us for enjoying the beauty in the gifts he surrounds us with. I can’t imagine that He wouldn’t enjoy the tastes and smells of a ripe juicy peach or the smell of coffee brewing. After all He is the one who created us with emotions and the responses to them.

Recently I stumbled across a delicious peace crisp that I have been experimenting with. While I am still perfecting it, I found it to yummy to not share. It’s warm fall-ish smells filled my kitchen as it baked and did not disappoint when I scooped the first spoonful into my bowl. I was delighted to see the combination of ingredients contained very little sugar content and is happily gluten free. The nutty crumbly topping is my favorite.

A few things to remember if you try this recipe….

I have tried it with apples and it is equally delightful! Frozen peaches can be used though the end product is more runny. It is best when used exactly as written and with fresh peaches however today I tried maple syrup instead of the brown sugar and while it definitely doesn’t seem to brown as nicely it was still quite amazing.

Without further ado, here is the recipe!

6 peaches

1/3 c honey

2 T. cornstarch

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t cinnamon

Slice peaches and combine all items together in a 9×9 pan.

Topping:

1 c oats

1/2 c almond flour

1/3 c chopped nuts (I use pecans)

1/3 c brown sugar

1 t ginger

1/4 t salt

4 T softened butter

3 1/2 T greek yogurt

Bake at 350 for 35 min OR until crumbs are lightly browned.

Enjoy with a glass of milk or a scoop of Greek yogurt.

Must Have Muffins

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Over the summer, I came face to face with some pretty big decisions. With the last few years being ones I spent very sick, I had acquired quite a few pounds my doctors referred to as Prednisone pounds.

With some of the health challenges I have had, diabetes has been on the radar for quite some time. At my summer physical, my practitioner informed that now was the time to make some changes if I did not want to get to that actual diagnosis.

Since weight has always been a struggle for me, I was overwhelmed to think about what all this might mean for me. I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen. Baking is probably close to my most favorite pass time ever!

As I was praying one morning I opened up my computer and the first thing that came across my screen was an ad for the New Life Promise program. I haven’t ever felt so compelled and hopeful as I watched Isabel explain the setup of her lifestyle plan. So I paid the $49 and started off.

Since then, I have actually discovered how pleasant eating well can be. I am steadily losing pounds (16 at last check after 1 month on plan) and remain amazed at how full I feel. There are no special foods or calorie counting. I have even discovered how I can eat out with my family and friends and still stay focused on the goal. It takes thinking ahead, pre-planning and of course some experimenting.

After the initial phase, I am learning about making things that satisfy my sweet tooth. Most days I don’t feel like I am “dieting” at all even though it takes me a second to refocus when someone offers me a fresh yummy like peach pie. I still keep my Food Meets Faith cookbook on my counter, but am slowly but surely getting into better habits independently, that are so much more helpful to the body God has given me to take care of.

One of the things I keep around at all times is these muffins. Even my children like them. I make a batch each weekend and freeze them so I can easily pull them out for a quick breakfast or a snack to pack in my lunch bag when I head to work.

Almond flour is a bit different to learn how to bake with, but I have found it delish and very filling!

2 1/2 (Needs to be exact!) very ripe Bananas

1 T Softened Coconut Oil

1 egg

1 1/2 c Almond Flour

Pinch of Salt

1/2 t bkg. soda

3/4 c nuts (I use pecans)

1/2 c dark chocolate chips (preferably containing no or very little sugar)

Preheat oven to 350

Grease 8 muffin cups.

Mix all ingredients well and divide into muffin tin.

Bake for 20-25 min or until nicely browned on tops.

Let set in tins for 30 min. Use knife to make sure nothing is stuck before removing from tin.

Enjoy!

Goodness & Mercy

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Psalm 23:6   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…

As I sit reflecting on the last few years, my mind is drawn to the fact of it being the first week of May once again and my heart overflows with gratitude to God for his faithfulness. 

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you may remember hearing me continually prattle on about my barrage of health issues, surgeries, hospitalizations and long periods at home which is a trial in and of itself for this social bird.  

While I will probably always question grief’s affect on my body, I also acknowledge how amazingly God created us.  Sometimes we will not have answers to life’s tough questions (health issues, death, grief, loss…) on this side of eternity. 

As I entered 2017, I could not have imagined the journey of the next months and years. This exact time of May in 2018 found me hospitalized with mysterious symptoms that ended up being staph infection and an antibiotic resistant sinus infection that had gone septic. I remember slipping into a nearly unconscious state as my temperature skyrocketed.  All I wanted was cool for my burning head, but also warmth for the rest of me which was trembling with cold.  My words no longer came out even though my mind was actively trying to make them.   

I remember my friend Connie standing vigil at my bed, covering me with prayers.  

Those prayers, followed by her reassuring touch on my hand jolted me back to reality. My doctor, who did not make rounds at the hospital any longer, was there, out of breath from having dashed over from his office across town.  He has told me multiple times since how he thought I was gone.  It’s kinda scary to think about when you hear it that way. But, that’s God and his faithfulness protecting my very life for some reason.

My daughters brought a hairband and lipgloss to the hospital
Got to go home if i agreed to IV antibiotics!
Ended up on major meds, steroids and anitbiotics for over a year! So thankful for healing!

I’ve not always been sure about his plan, as my health has continued to be temperamental.  But as I’ve continued to cling to faith I have truly experienced his goodness and mercy time and time again. 

Fast forward to 2019 which once again found my still recovering self in undesirable health related circumstances.  Biopsies with unknown results, strange tumors, and the inability to continue the work I love, did not deter God from being faithful.  

I still stand in awe at how he used a new radiology tech to lead to the discovery of the tumor on my thyroid which had actually begun to, unbeknownst to me, affect my swallowing. I am thankful for his goodness in allowing the end results to be good.

In the current quarantine of 2020, He continues to show his goodness.  While my nature would normally tend towards fear, He has stayed close reassuring me with his presence and meeting all of our needs in sometimes unexpected ways.  It seems fear dominates daily life, especially on social media.  I ran a small experiment on myself recently and found my anxiety and depression levels much lower the days I stayed off of social media and abstained from watching the news.  

It’s not rocket science people! 

I love Ann’s reminders and clung to this when I wasn’t sure how life was going to end up!

God has gifted us with his word which admonishes us many times to not be afraid. 

And while each of us copes differently, I am thankful for encouragement from friends who help me focus on God’s daily goodness and mercy.  My hope and prayer is that I can portray his goodness and care to those around me! 

Psalm 23 

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Creative Chaos ~ Inviting Children Into The Kitchen

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If you’re anything like me you might shudder at the thought of having your young ones help in the kitchen.  After having 4 babies in 4 years, the many needs of littles took precedence over my love of cooking and baking.  

Now as I navigate through what was once my haven, I sigh as I remember my clean, organized, pre-motherhood kitchen.  Remnants of toast and strawberry jam occupy one corner, while a dirty pot someone warmed hot chocolate in sits unwashed on the burner.  A jar of peanuts with the lid half off sits beside my flour and sugar canisters. 

Can you picture it?

Now, don’t let me mislead you with the title, I am not always an inviting mother.  My descriptive tag could usually more accurately be “momzilla”. I confess that on any given day,  there may be frequent grumping and loud roars at my young one’s attempts to help me in what I consider to be my space.  Sadly, I am guilty of crushing tender hearts, sending them away in tears as I huff and puff, hurrying to just get done. 

As my children have grown into independent human beings with definitive tastes of their own, it has become more challenging to prepare a good balanced meal everyone consumes willingly.  

Each meal turned mom into an on demand, short order cook. The realization of how little my children actually knew about the kitchen and what happens there reinforced the reality that my impatience and inability to share my space was actually doing my children a huge disservice. 

Since we are a home school family, I decided to implement food prep and time in the kitchen into our schedule.  Each of my children, ages 13, 12 & 10 now cook independently or at least help me cook on their scheduled day. Doing so has forced me to be intentional in not making our schedule to full, a big key to a harmonious shared space.  My own grumpy doesn’t seem to sneak out as easily when we aren’t rushed. Plus, each meal has some kind of learning involved. Both reading and math are present in our menu, which is my sneaky way of practice for the one that struggles.  Surprisingly, I must say that involving my children has greatly decreased the appearance of the picky eating monster and I’m delighted to simply cook one meal that all enjoy. Watching their creativity as they plan, prep and prepare their meals has made my mama heart proud.  

When our oldest daughter was about 8 or 9 all she wanted to do was concoct her own recipes.  Though some things did not turn out as she envisioned, she came up with some yummy treats like chocolate apple pie. (it’s really quite delish!)   While she would rather be out playing volleyball, she never ceases to amaze me with her meal plans and foodie ideas.

Daughter number 2,  is my naturally born chef and at age 10, literally spends daily time serving us.  I find her entertaining to watch and wonder often what God is preparing her to be and do.  She tastes and samples as she goes, making sure each flavor comes through just right. She’s become quite the salsa making expert and loves coming up with healthier dishes for us to enjoy. Some days when ingredients are smeared all over the stove and every square inch of counter space, I have to bite my tongue and gently and quietly help her learn how to properly clean her cooking space when she’s finished with her creations, which is a life skill in and of itself.

Recently as the family bemoaned the fact that there was no dessert to be found in the house, my son asked if we could try making our own biscotti.  I had no idea at that point, that he even knew what biscotti was, but we had a bunch of fun looking through recipes till we found the perfect one. The whole container full was gone in about 48 hours so we set out to make them again, adding more of our own personal flavors the second time around.  While they still have sugar in them, it is less than a traditional cookie and I feel like I am serving a bit of a healthier option. Plus he and I made some great memories in the process. 

Here are some of our kid tested and approved recipes that are used on a frequent basis. 

Fresh Salsa

1 hot pepper

1 cucumber (optional) 

1 bell pepper

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

4 sprigs fresh cilantro (or 1 T dried) 

1 small onion

1 qt canned tomatoes (drained)

Juice of 1 lemon or lime (about 2 T) 

½ T salt

I allow my children to use the food processor when I am present.  It has been the easiest way to prepare this quickly unless you love chopping. 

Place all ingredients into food processor except for the tomatoes. We like to see and taste the individual flavors so we just pulse till nicely blended not pureed. 

Place chopped items in serving bowl and do the same with the tomatoes. 

Mix gently.  Refrigerate till serving time. 

This has become a staple in our home as it tastes fresh even in the dark days of winter. It is the basis of several meals and snacks including hay stacks and wet burritos both of which can be a yummy way to incorporate fresh veggies. 

King Arthur Biscotti

6 T butter 

Scant ⅔ c sugar

½ t salt

3 t vanilla

½  t almond extract

1 ½ t baking powder

2 eggs

2 cups flour

Add ins – our favorites are any kind of nuts especially peanuts and pecans, chocolate chip (white or milk).  We usually add about 1 to 1 ½ cups into the dough at the end.

Side note: We found this original recipe on my favorite King Arthur Flour website. I have found that these seem to turn out better using that flour. 

Preheat oven to 350.

Line 13 x 18 baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract, salt and baking powder till creamy.  Beat in the eggs. At low speed, add flour. Lastly gently fold in chosen add ins. Dough will be sticky. Divide dough in half and shape it into 2 logs about 10 inches long by 2 inches wide and about ¾ inch tall.  Wet a spatula and use it to smooth out the surfaces, making sure each log is the same thickness so that they will bake evenly. Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spray bottle filled with room temperature water, thoroughly spritz the logs making sure to cover the entire surface. Reduce the oven temperature to 325.  Place trays back into the oven for 5 minutes, then pull out and slice into ½ inch slices with a bread knife. Set slices on edge and place back into the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes or until they start to feel dried out and turn golden brown. 

Transfer to a baking rack to cool. We store in large glass jars. 

We love sipping/dunking these into hot chocolate, chai, coffee or even just plain cold milk. 

Our Favorite Family Salad Bar

Lettuce and/or other greens (I have learned my family loves the butterhead lettuce I purchase pretty much year around at Costco.)

Cucumbers

Peppers

Onion

Carrots

Broccoli

Cabbage

Eggs

Cheese

Bacon

Grilled Chicken, steak or turkey (Can grill a large batch and freeze for later!)

Various dressings

Recently some health challenges spurred me into thinking about incorporating even more veggies into our diet.  While I don’t usually run into issues with desserts and yummy main and side dishes, getting my kids to choose to eat salad seemed impossible until I started asking them for input on what they think might be salad topping. I have found that my children are fascinated with and love to use my kitchen gadgets.  This makes chopping, shredding and dicing a breeze. We serve each ingredient in a separate bowl, as I have found allowing each family member to assemble their own salad makes for a much happier meal time. 

The protein options actually make this a super simple and complete meal that leaves even my big eaters full. 

While I still am guilty of displaying a less than Christ like attitude to my children when they come into my kitchen,  I find it helpful to recall how patient Christ is with me in the learning process messes that I make. I am also painfully aware since my youngest daughter died suddenly,  how quickly life can change and that we may not always have the children we take for granted.  

God has gifted us with them and instructs us to teach them in the way they should go. Teaching takes time and patience.   I can’t help but think there can’t be a much more fun (and delicious) place to do so than in the kitchen. 

5 Tips For Cultivating Gratitude

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In a study noted at Harvard, psychologists found that giving thanks can actually make you happier. They also found gratitude helpful for people focusing on what they had, instead of what they lacked. 

As fall turns to winter, shorter amounts of daylight breed depression for many.

Instead of succumbing to the negative, why not try gratitude instead?

#5. Write a thankyou note to someone who has made a difference in your life.  

A real honest to goodness stamped envelope or postcard in the mailbox is an extra treat in a society bombarded with instant everything. 

Thank your hairstylist for the great cut you get each month.  Compliment your pastor for the time he spent on last week’s sermon. Tell your child’s teacher how much you appreciate the extra time they spent helping Johnny with a harder concept.  Look up someone from your childhood who made a difference for you during those tough preteen/teen years. Your parents, spouse, children and friends are excellent choices as well.

#4. Thank God (out loud) for the green light and the open parking spot.

Our children hear us loud and clear.  The vocal grumping at the slow poke driver in the fast lane needs to be balanced by thanks for the non irritating parts of the day.  Or, you could try thanking God for the slow poke. 

#3. Keep A Prayer Journal.

Sometimes writing out requests helps our focus become less selfish.  Charting answers to prayer can provide a faith boost. The Harvard study also stated that people who pray and meditate are more grateful. 

#2. Start a “3 Things” Tradition with your family. 

At the end of each day, whether at dinner or at bedtime, have each family member name 3 things they are grateful for.   It can be the good supper mom made, or the play date with a best friend. We live in a warm house and our shoes don’t have holes in them. You get the idea. 

#1. Be intentional.

After Abby died, I found it a chore to get out of bed each day. 

My sweet friend Sara introduced me to the idea of taking pictures and making an Instagram post each morning about 1 thing that brought me joy or that I was thankful for. What started as a 30 day challenge, ended up being a year plus of daily posts.   Even though the time included hospitalization with a scary illness, there was still always something good if I chose to look for it. Being intentional takes work but is so rewarding!

Psalms 9:1 says,  “ I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” He has blessed us indeed.  The least we can do is live with a heart of gratitude!

What are you most thankful for today? I’d love to hear your list!

Easy Peasy Healthy Lasagna

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I am always on the quest to better our diet as a family.  That can be challenging with a dear hubby who grew up on the typical American Mennonite diet consisting of high amounts refined white carbs, cream of mushroom soup and Velveeta cheese. Tonight however I concocted something healthy that actually ended up being quite tasty.  Not only did I use whole wheat lasagna noodles (bleh is what I would’ve thought about that before trying these!) I actually used my trusty vita mix to whip up an amazing very green (literally) cheese concoction that won the hearts of my kidos who now think green cheese is the coolest thing ever. (kind of reminds me of the fun I have sneaking cabbage into the Vita mix ice cream I make for them–but that’s a post for another day when it’s much warmer. And hey don’t knock it before you try it- it really is good too!  Come over and I’ll make you some just to prove it)
Here is how I did it:

I started out with these. For a 9 x 13 pan I used one box and 2 or 3 noodles from another
Begin by preheating oven to 350
Brown 1 lb burger of your choice
I brought up a qt of my home canned tomato/pizza sauce and started out with some of that in the bottom of the pan then laid out the first layer of noodles.
I covered that with the yummy green cheese mixture which consists of the following:
1 c Ricotta cheese (which BTW I got in a large container at a bargain price and froze in cup portions)
3 cups fresh spinach
1/2 c Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh)
1 egg
Blend all ingredients in blender till smooth and green   (LOL)
Follow with another layer of noodles then layer of burger then noodles again.  Top with rest of sauce
Pour 1 c water around the outside (not on) of the noodles to help cook them (such a time saver to not have to precook!)
Bake covered for 45 minutes 
Uncover and sprinkle 1 c of cheese ( I just had co-jack tonight)
and bake till cheese melts.
Enjoy!
I so enjoy making food that is actually good for my family and is equally enjoyable!  My children have not licked their plates as clean as they did tonite in quite a while so we will be having this one again soon.

The Quest for Good Health Naturally

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I have long been a fan of the natural ways for caring for one’s health.  My mom was big into helping our family and the many others that came thru our doors hoping to feel better.  When she first started using essential oils we kids used to make fun of the smells that drifted out whenever she opened her van door, her purse or her closet where she kept her stash. Now I am her. Recently someone came close enough to smell the recently applied Thieves oil and commented about it as did the lady at the hotel when we checked in and she smelled the ones poking out of my travel bag along with my diffuser I take everywhere. A few years ago I would not have gotten caught dead smelling “natural”.  Guess I have matured or gone nutty?
Some of my many favorites just to name a few include Valor, Peppermint, Thieves, Harmony and of course Lavender.

Harmony  is amazing for allergies, hay fever and sinus issues. I have seen it calm and soothe someone experiencing a severe anaphylactic reaction.
Valor is amazing for aches and pains.  I keep a bottle handy for my kids’ bumps and bruises. It helps stop bleeding also. I have seen it effective for such painful conditions as Plantar Fascitis
Thieves is my go to infection fighter.  I love dabbing it behind my ears before I leave the house. Plus it smells amazing.  Great for sore throats, ear infections.
Peppermint is amazing for digestion.  I also use it in many of my reflexology sessions as a great opening force for plugged or drippy sinus issues.
Lavender is good for many many things!  One of my favorite uses is a few drops in my bubble bath. it is good for burns and putting a few drops in a few ounces of olive oil have been the healing force for diaper rashes and other skin issues.

Sometimes tho I doubt myself and  worry I put to much stock into the stuff I do to take care of myself and my family after all we still get sick and have actually had some fairly major issues where we have had to use some traditional western medicine this very year.  Over all thru trial and error and many experiments I am finding empowerment and  feel armed and more able to do things to help us get out of the slump of yucky.  I love learning about health and how the body works and am so blessed to have people surrounding me like my colleague Dr. Bradi Arnold who wrote a very convincing article about the importance of fevers and how they fight infection.  Here are a few direct quotes from her write up which she kindly gave me permission to share.

Many parents panic when their child has a fever. I did too the first time a child was 
brought to my office with a spiked temperature of 102.5 F. It is a scary thing to see that child 
hot, flushed and obviously very uncomfortable. 
It is important to learn ways to manage your child’s fever and not lower it artificially with 
over the counter medications. It would be best if you just threw these drugs away and don’t 
even have them in your medicine cabinet because even infrequent use of an over-the-
counter drug like Tylenol has been linked with serious, lifelong illness like asthma. 
Instead of panicking, honor your child’s fever and learn to use it constructively to improve 
your child’s health and vitality over the long term, because, believe it or not, fevers are 
fabulous and accomplish important things in a child’s developing body. 
Whenever we would get fevers during cold and flu season, my mother would never give us 
OTC’s to bring it down because she know that bringing down a fever would only prolong the 
illness and would weaken vitality for the next illness to come – we would sicker quicker next 
time. 
Why do our bodies produce fever? One reason is that fevers greatly slow down 
pathogens. Fevers are a highly beneficial immune response that we suppress to our 
detriment. 
The “germ” – bacteria or virus causing the child’s distress typically replicates every few minutes 
and the fever slows this process down. Fevers work to slow down the spread and severity of 
the illness and are your friend in avoiding a secondary infection (usually respiratory illness), a 
trip to the doctor and a script for antibiotics.
Repeated forced reduction of childhood fever has been linked to childhood cancer.
And eliminating fever will usually cause a secondary infection. When you bring down a 
fever you start a domino effect toward antibiotic use. In other words, if you want to avoid 
antibiotics, don’t bring down the fever. Fever reduction suppresses the immune system. 
Your child is trying to get well himself with the fever and when you bring it down you are 
opening him up to a secondary bacterial infection that will further entrench the virus or bacteria. It cannot be stressed enough that fever has an important role to play in your child’s 
overall well being
So when you bring the fever down you are giving free license to the virus or bacteria to spread in an unrestrained manner. And don’t panic if your child’s temperature gets to 102-103 F degrees—this is the ideal range for a fever. 
I can’t tell you how many times I have seen children spike a beautiful fever of about 102-103 F for a few hours with no other symptoms what soever. When the fever resolved, the illness was over. No cough, no rash, sinus congestion, no nothing. Just a fever and that’s it. I can almost guarantee that if the parents had forcibly brought the fever down with meds, they would have gotten a secondary illness on top of the fever – probably a cough or sinus congestion and the illness would have morphed from an afternoon of chills and discomfort into a two week ordeal with a trip to the doctor and prescription meds. 


I was able to put some of this into perspective this week as each one of my children ended up with the dreaded 24 hour high fever/general achy flu.  Tho every fiber of my being tensed in fear at Hunter’s rather high temps that stayed where they were for close to 6 hours I am already seeing benefits in his overall health just a few days later. I simply pushed fluids and kept cool washcloths handy when it was at its highest points and of course oiled him down with all sorts of my essential oils.

Another great learning source is my friend Kristi who  is an amazing herbalist and puts together some potent formulas from the great Dr Richard Shultze’s recipes. She has been tremendously helpful in giving me ideas on how to rebuild good health in Alexia’s lungs since her hospital stay for pneumonia a few weeks ago.  Who would have known stinky garlic chopped up and made into a poultice would help pull Lex out of respiratory distress? And her echinacia tincture is unbelievable.  WOW!
I am blessed to have so many great teachers to help me along the path of help! I think we have so many wonderful God given tools available to help us along in the quest for better health and living.

Resolutions

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I have to admit I fluctuate back and forth between secretly hating all the new year’s resolutions clogging up my news feed and a sudden burst of energy and new determination for some of the things I would like to see differently in my life.  Like the typical ones, yes please! I would love to lose weight and yes! I would like to read thru the Bible this year and yes! I would like to think I can yell less at my children and yes! I would love to be debt free…the list goes on. But when I sit and ponder my mind flies a hundred different directions and I wonder what is really important?  What can I aim for this year to really make a difference in my life and in the lives of those I love?

2013 was a beautiful but tough year.  Our little family faced disappointments, with the most “fresh” one being the big deal of missing Christmas at Nana’s due to Lexi’s being in the hospital.  Another biggie was hubby and I missing out on a whole week’s worth of celebration in honor of our anniversary because Kali was in the hospital. (yup, this natural minded, “crunchy” mama has had way to much hospital this year!) Probably the most stressful part of the year started when I got a call from my sister saying my dear mom was having a stroke. I still tear up thinking of all the emotions gripping at my heart as I beheld my strong vibrant mother helpless as a small child. Tough and not necessarily fun stuff….

The “prettier” side of the year was wrapped up in small presents and handed to us gradually just as we needed them…  Kali has become more confident in her reading and I am now delighting in catching her sitting reading to her siblings.  Both of our girls who had hospital stays and my mama are thriving and becoming healthy again. Hunter finally got his 2 front teeth out (after the new ones made their full show right behind). We got some precious time with Nana & Pawpaw in the fall when we met them in St Louis for a short vacation.  Abby is finally sleeping in her big girl bed and not wondering aimlessly thru the house at all hours of the night.  All of these may seem pointless and small,  not really anything to make a big deal about, but they are gifts none the less….

I love finding the good which is present indeed in any circumstance.  When Kali was in the hospital, she beautifully portrayed the simple love of Jesus to “mean man doctor” (as I referred to him) and to the nurses some of who had never heard the sweet simple song, “Jesus Loves Me”.   When mama had her stroke, my siblings and I grew closer then we have ever been .  When Lexi’s hospital stay resulted in us missing our vacation we actually benefited in catching up on some serious sleep deprivation and we had some stay at home as a family time even if it was forced.

Recently Hunter had some bad dreams that made it hard for him to rest.  Ironically his Bible verse that we have been working on is from Psalms where it says simply, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in THEE”.  I urged him to lay quietly with his flashlight in hand and simply quote that verse when ever he felt afraid.  It calmed his restlessness almost instantly as he lay there and quoted that verse.  The first night I heard him say it over and over and then just like that he was asleep and has been doing fine since.

Perhaps the most important resolutions include attempting to be more childlike in my faith and looking more intentionally for what God is doing even when life isn’t exactly how I want. After all no matter what comes our way,  Zephaniah 3:17 says “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Who can’t burst forth with joy at promises like that?!