Once Upon a Time Continues

  Last post stopped the story where we had no clue what was happening to our daughter and it was a scary time. I did not know what else to do but pray.

  A  friend from church, to whom I am forever grateful, suggested we go to her doctor who was helping her heal from Crohn's disease. Our first appointment was supposed to be in December but it was cancelled due to bad weather and rescheduled for early February. I was hesitant having been blown off by so many doctors but we decided to give him a try. 

  We survived January and anxiously drove the 1-1/2 hours to see this doctor. The first thing he said was something no other doctor had ever said, "Start at the beginning and tell me everything about this girl." It all came out like a flood and when we were done, he hugged the girl and said, "I can tell that you are sick and with God's help, I will do my best to help you." That started our journey. 

 Tests revealed malnourishment but no Crohn's thankfully, just a leaky, depleted gut, a shot adrenal system, Candida overgrowth, a gluten allergy, and two tick-borne illnesses - Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Looking back, we remember that she had been bitten by ticks, even going to the doctor with one still attached because it was a deer tick but were told, "Lyme disease is not in this area." We trusted that opinion and even felt relieved, never thinking that doctor was wrong. To top it off all the diagnoses, he sent us to a chiropractor because he felt down her spine and discovered that her tailbone was crooked, which led us to finding out that she had severe lumbar scoliosis. Finally, answers! Bittersweet answers.

 Due to the gut problems and rounds of strong antibiotics during the kidney infection, the doctor suggested a natural protocol to start treatment plus diet changes and lots of supplements. With much prayer, we trusted the doctor's opinion.

 Over a year later, here we are at a new upgraded normal that includes a girl who works as a waitress, runs three miles at least once a week, hangs out with friends, laughs, smiles, lives life. From time to time, we hit a bump in the road of treatment and there are still struggles with the ability to focus and the rare joint pain or random crying but she gets through it quickly. Even the doctor is amazed at her progress.

  We are at a point where we are assessing what damage may be permanent. Probiotics will be part of her life always and possibly a gluten-free diet but I thank God that, although He gave me peace when I was not certain she would make it, she is healing and we have been able to help others. Glory to God! 

  Plus, it has led me down the road to studying nutrition, natural medicine, plants, and the body in a way that shows me more and more the amazing works of our Creator God. Do you realize that many of the native plants in an area have the ability to treat the diseases and health issues specifically in that region? Only God could do that!

 So, today, as I sit working on shaking off the Fall Blahs, I consider this new place God has me. So much is different and exciting but He has also chosen not to remove all the struggles of my heart - a family that does not know God, issues that plague me from the past, communication with our previous foster daughter, difficult people in my life. But as I look it all, I cannot help but think, "How will this also reveal Your glory, God?" No matter what I trust Him.

- 1 Chronicles 16:23-27

"Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods.For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. "

All Quacked Up

 Adding to our little "farm" this year has been an exercise in failure. Gone are the bees and now gone are the ducks. We bounced from 3 to a pair to one lonely male duck. Then we went to the country flea market and purchased two females.

 Right at the one month mark of buying the females, one of them disappeared. No feathers, no sign of foul play (or is it fowl play?). Two days after that we have no ducks. This time my husband found feathers in the back of the pond and some remains of the male duck. We are guessing a turtle is the suspect, a very big, very hungry alligator snapping turtle.

 Living in the country is not always what it is cracked up to be. It takes work and perseverance and for me, it takes not bargaining with God. Country living was a dream of mine for a long time. I had grandiose ideas of raising all our own fruits and vegetables in a quaint garden and spending days canning our bountiful harvests while chickens pecked around outside my window. 

 Then the dream became real with more than I had asked and it also came with a "but." 

 But, life as I knew it was being turned upside-down and as it was crumbling, I bargained with God. "Take back the house and the land and restore what I had before." A lot of praying, studying, and seeking Godly advice revealed the truth and stopped my foolish thinking. We cannot pave our futures on what we see but only on the solid rock of Christ.

 Our move was not some rogue bargain where I traded the real "good life" for a fake. God is not a game show host on the sideline wringing his hands, hoping that I pick the right curtain and not the whammy. He is holy, infinitely wise, always just, and always sovereign. He moved us here in His time for His purpose which I do not know. I know one thing.

 He is using it ALL for His glory.

 And so, this lesson I learned, times will come that will shake you to the core and you can either be cracked to pieces or be freed of all that you latched onto that was unnecessary in a life following Christ. And unlike country living, rest assured, in Christ, there is no failing.

- Psalm 73:25-26  "Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Stinky Ducks and Flunkin' Donuts

  In my long absence from the blog, this little piggy has been at work and sometimes just wallowing. Once again, God has vividly reminded me that He is in control and I do not have to be anxious over anything.

 The "farm" is growing. We lost one chicken this winter to a hawk, we think. We lost some trees in a hard freeze but we also planted 2 more apple trees, a plum tree, 2 blueberry bushes, and ordered bees that we will pick up in April. This month we also acquired 3 ducklings. It seemed like a good idea. They eat lots of bugs and lay lots of eggs but, right at this moment, their benefits seem less valuable in light of their aroma and mess. I am counting down the days until they can go outside. God made ducks to be in the great outdoors for sure.

  In my herb searching, many nifty and cheap ideas for cleaning have come across my path. Vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide are my new found cleaning weapons. Black tea and orange essential oil are the go-to for wood floor cleaning. Vinegar and tea tree oil are knocking out the mold that was pre-existing in our shower when we moved in. I made my own little piggy labels for the bottles of my creations. It is exciting to see something you made work and do the job really well. Of course, all credited goes to God because essentially, He made the tea, baking soda, and well...everything.

  I have this very vague idea of somehow incorporating all this into my study on Proverbs for women. It is fueled by my passion for Titus 2, of course. Spring is more than just cleaning my house. It really is more of determining how God wants to use me and preparing myself to be used. Examining our hearts is much more profitable than dusting the fan blades and washing the drapes (although do not neglect these chores too long). There is nothing more important than spreading God's glory and it should consume us.

  If you are interested in spreading God's glory to women you come across, try teaching some skill you have or sharing some talent. Women today, particularly younger women, need older women to come along side them, encourage them, and teach them. Meal planning and living on a budget are two things that younger women get really excited about learning...at least the women I have come across do.  In my next posts I will share some of my new secrets and you can share them with someone else. 

  Please do NOT think that I am super Susie Homemaker, far from it. Sometimes I do things and they do not go so well and when I fail, it is always giant. Take for instance this morning. My daughter is up at 7:30...never happens. She wants donuts and not just any donuts but donuts like Krispy Kreme. This is no easy feat in gluten-free form. We found a recipe guaranteed to work and it was intense. It took lots of our gluten-free mix and 2 hours of rising. Two hours later though they had only risen a tiny bit but we tossed them in the oil with high hopes. Nope. What came out looked like deep-fried pineapple rings and they tasted (oh yes, we did try to eat them anyway) like glazed rocks. Not particularly what I wanted with my cup of coffee. Needless to say, my daughter was unsatisfied as well and reminded me that she had not a real donut in over a year. Poor kid.

   Yes, I have gotten on this soapbox before but it is sooooo important. If you do not believe that this is your job just read Titus 2 or look at the story of Ruth and Naomi. Some things men are just not experienced at because God made them different, i.e. birthing children, breastfeeding, how to be a wife. In our culture today, these skills are not being taught a lot of times. 

  Step up ladies. Sure you may have things in your life that aren't so pretty, like stinky ducks and failed donuts, but use it for the glory of God. What can be gained from someone thinking you have a perfect life. Women need to know how to deal with life's situations in a Christ-like manner. Live out your relationship with Christ for all to see. It can be done.