Choices

Have you ever had a really tough decision to make, but you weren't really sure what was the right choice? For the last few days, I have had some tough choices thrown at me. I sent out some emails, seeking Godly advice from some of my closest friends. Overall, I got the same answers from most. But still I have been struggling with what that right decision was. This morning I woke up to David Jeremiah on my alarm clock radio. I normally turn it off when it comes on and get up. But today, something amazing happened....as I lay there and continued to listen....one of the answers to the many questions that have been floating through my head came in the voice of a stranger...who was speaking about Heaven. I welcomed his answers as he spoke from different places in the bible and how this answer was based on these passages.

As I would love to say that I am totally at peace with everything, there is still a huge part of me that is struggling. Although, I am more at ease about things....it is just amazing to me how God continues to speak to us, when we seek His will in our lives.

Some success stories.....

For those of you that have been following my blog, you know that we have been testing things in and out. A few weeks ago, we decided that we needed to test out benzoates, because of a known sensitivity that Audrianna had to cinnamon. When she was exposed to cinnamon early on in our new diet, we noted that her concentration was markedly affected. She has been avoiding cinnamon, since that time. We recently decided to see if it was just cinnamon that she was sensitive too, or if the other natural benzoates were also an issue. When I say natural benzoates, I am speaking of foods that contain naturally occurring benzoates which includes: blueberries, broccoli, cauliflower, cinnamon, cranberries, ginger, green grapes, greengage plums, green peas, licorice extract, ripe olives, spinach and tea. Some of these included are stage 1 and some of these are stage 2. Benzoates can also be found in food, as a preservative. So for a couple of weeks, we removed all of the benzoates from our diet and waited. Then we reintroduced them back into our diet. And this time to our amazement, we didn't react. Removing benzoates seemed to have virtually no affect on us. I haven't tried to reintroduce cinnamon with Audrianna to see if the issue still exists, because I am fairly certain that it does. This was a successful test, with great results!

We did report a failed test with an unpeeled organic golden delicious apple, before we did the benzoates testing. This was very disappointing to all of us. The funny thing is the same day that I purchased the golden delicious apple, I also purchased a granny smith apple. One day short of having it for a month, we decided to test the organic granny smith apple. The apple looked virtually the same, as it did the day that I purchased it from Whole Foods. This time we decided that we should peel the apple, because the majority of the salicylates are thought to be in the skin. This time some how, we were successful and no one reacted to the apple. So needless to say, we will be testing some more organic granny smith apples that are peeled. It was such a small amount, because we shared the apple between six of us. So this time, we will try a couple apples and hopefully we will have the same results. I will say that it was very exciting to not end up being sensitive to something we once loved.

Our testing is going well for the most part. We are nearing another testing, as Jaden seems to be very sensitive to something. Thanks to our charting, I believe that I have put my finger on it. This will be a bigger test....because it involves eliminating corn. We are going to ease into this one. This isn't the first time that I have suspected corn with him. I actually believed in the very beginning that it was something he was sensitive to. Then we found an alternative cause and thought that corn was no longer the issue. Over the last few weeks, corn has become pretty prominent in the kids diet with snacks, such as popcorn, corn chips and fritos. I believe once again that CORN just might be the issue. So, we will do the best we can to slowly eliminate those things which contain corn. I guess I would rather eliminate corn than gluten. That is the other thing that we have been contemplating eliminating. Wish us luck with our new test.

Homeschooling is going really well for us. I have created workboxes for each of the kids. It is a concept that I read about on one of the homeschool groups that I belong too. The workbox system was started by a lady named Sue Patrick. It was created to help her oldest son who had autism. If you would like to learn more about it, check out her website for more info about workboxes.. There are so many different ways that you can adjust the system to fit the needs of your family. I have created these great boxes and I fill them each evening and it makes our days go so much smoother. I believe that the kids are really enjoying it too. It also helps me to get the fun things into their day, that I had a hard time fitting in.....in the past. It also makes it easier for each of the kids to see what they have left to do for the day.



We are enjoying cooking, baking, watching educational films together and just learning more about God's creation. Learning is so much fun when you do it together! Jaden is such a wiz at math and was really bored with it, so we have gone all the way through his Kindergarten math book and now we are working on first grade math. It is so nice to be able to work at your child's pace and not put them in a box and try to make them fit. I love watching each of the kid's faces light up when a new concept is learned. I truly love having them home to be schooled......it is one of God's biggest blessings to our family. We have also been blessed with an amazing home-school group and a wonderful group of kids. I know that I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for the love and support of the wonderful women of our home-school group.

While You Were Sleeping

Have you ever been hit so hard by a song that you just don't quite understand why the impact is so great? This happened to me nearly two months ago. Last winter after Christmas, I went into the Christian bookstore in town to get a gift for someone. While I was browsing, I came across two Christmas CDs on clearance, of two of my favorite artists: Casting Crowns and BarlowGirl. So, I purchased both of them. I never even opened the CDs until around Thanksgiving time this year. While we were decorating the tree this year, we were playing our new and old Christmas music. We have done this for years, so it was nothing new to anyone. After a little while, this song comes on the stereo, that I haven't ever heard. I don't know what it was about the tune, but I was automatically drawn to the piano. So, I sat down and starting playing some of the chords. This is something that I never do, without printed chords. Something about it just drew me in. Over the next few weeks, we as a family began to listen to this CD a great deal. I am not sure what it is about this song, but our family seems to love this song(maybe because when we like songs we play them over and over). We did listen to the song on our trip to and from California over and over....along with the whole Cd. I'm sure by now, you are all wondering what in the world this song could be.

First, I would like to paint the picture of the time when this song takes place. It takes place in a tiny town that is very quiet and dark, but a bright star is shining in the sky. This song is of Bethlehem. But this song is so much more than that. It is about us as a nation, not paying attention and going on with life. And all the while Jesus comes back and we miss it, because we are too wrapped up in our own stuff to pay attention. The whole idea behind this song is amazing to me! This song is a constant reminder to me that we are to be the salt and light of the world, and not try to fit in and be like the world. We are to be different. Different doesn't need to be bad. And we aren't necessarily supposed to be comfortable. We are supposed to be uncomfortable for Jesus! After all, He was uncomfortable for us when He died for us.

Are you walking through your life at such a fast pace that you are missing all the little things that are happening around you? Are you cherishing each moment with those you love? Or are you so busy that you don't know which way you are going? Do you ever stop and just listen, or do you have noise going on constantly? It is hard to hear what He might be telling you, if you never have any quiet time. This reminds me of something that a friend pointed out tonight. A friend was commenting on how she never uses her good silverware, because it is special. Then, she went on to ask, "when are we special enough to use our special silverware?" What happens if we never use it? Is it really even worth having it, if it just sits in the cupboard?

I believe that now is the perfect time to mend those relationships that have been broken or strained. Sit down and write that letter that you have been meaning to write. Call an old friend and visit for a few hours. Why wait for tomorrow, what is wrong with today? Why get stuck in that rut, when you could change someone's life today? Is the pain of losing someone really better than trying to communicate through the problems and work through it? What will you choose?

The last six months have definitely been my wake up call. I have been so blessed beyond measure by bringing my children home to be schooled. You know when you make such a huge choice, sometimes you battle yourself. I have had to complete let go of control of the things that I can't change. I know that I am only a keeper of my children. God is their father and He is the one in charge. Bringing them home and letting God show me slowly what I am to be doing and not having it all laid out hasn't been easy. But the peace that I am getting, is far better than any plan I could have come up with.

I spent the past two years before that trying to change my future into what I thought it was supposed to be. I did consult God, but He kept changing things the whole time I was in school. Then when He suddenly told me to come home and bring my youngest daughter home.....without a second thought, I said okay. Okay, I did struggle for 24hrs or so, but that is exactly what I did. It isn't that I wasn't supposed to be in school, but the time wasn't right. God has already shown me some of the benefits and reasons for my partial education. Maybe part of it was just to reinforce in me, that love of learning that I already had. Someday, God willing...I will get a degree. I know that God is constantly changing our path and it may seem that one direction is the right way, when all of a sudden you make a U-turn and then you are back where you started. Maybe this is because you were on the right path and YOU chose to change it, not God....or maybe that is just my way of looking at it. Who knows? I know that all paths are bumpy and nobody gets a smooth straight road. So, when your road is bumpy or curved....just remember it will get better eventually!

I am going to include the song from YouTube. The song was written by Casting Crowns and is on their Peace on Earth CD. The name of the song is, "While You Were Sleeping". This song has been so heavy on my heart for two months...so I knew it was time that I posted something.

I pray that this song will touch your heart in the same way that it has touched mine! May God add His richest blessings to each and everyone of your lives!