By the grace of God
I’d like to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. May your day be filled with joy as you reflect on the abundant blessings the Lord has given to you and your loved ones.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1
Photo credit: Pinterest
I haven’t posted much in my health category. I have to admit I’m a bit nervous about it. People come to their convictions pretty strongly in this area, I have found.
And I don’t want this to be a strong dividing line between friends.
Personally, I see great advantage to using a multitude of approaches to health. It’s not one size fits all for us.
For our family, we start by striving to maintain our health. We eat real food, prepared mostly from scratch. I don’t say that to brag or bind anyone to my way of doing things. I just think it tastes better coming from real food rather than a box. And, let’s face it. It’s cheaper when you are cooking for many people to grab your own ingredients rather than a small amount that might come in an expensive package. So, I have learned to cook this way. And, I do think it is healthier for our bodies to eliminate as many chemical-sounding things from our diet. I honestly can’t imagine doing the box thing anymore. It isn’t appealing, and I don’t think it could possibly be much faster than cooking from scratch once you have the technique down, but I suppose it might be. One caveat: two of my children like boxed Mac & Cheese. I don’t fight it. I used to like it, too.
And, by and large, we don’t drink sodas. We seldom have any juice in the house unless we are having guests, and I remember to buy some. We are water drinkers. Almost exclusively, except for the tea and coffee, of course.
So, we tend not to get sick very often. We live post-fall, so we do get sick on occasion. What I do in those situations depends on what is going around and what I think we have caught.
I have experimented with various herbal tinctures, homeopathy, essential oils, and chiropractic care. I have found varying degrees of success with each of these methods. I have a couple of desk references that I turn to for advice on our medical care. I always seek that advice when we are first facing an illness. I love how thorough they are. And I seek out people I know are knowledgeable in this area if I am stumped.
Lately, I have been concentrating on learning more about how to use therapeutic grade essential oils. What I love about them is that they are made from the plants that God created. We read references in scripture about their use in biblical times. They are not chemically created. They are not going to come with a long list of adverse reactions and complicated disorders resulting from their use like pharmaceuticals. Nor do they come with a long list of ingredients. I like that.
What bugs me about them is how the new age movement uses them without glorifying God in the process. That can tend to make them look like they should be off-limits for the Christian in some people’s minds. I get that. But, so many other gifts from God have been abused by non-Christians (and Christians alike, sadly). Like food. And sex. And money. And alcohol. None of those things are condemned in scripture when used properly, with thankfulness to God, in the context of which they are given (ie, sex within the bounds of marriage). It’s when we start idolizing them that we get in trouble.
So, can Christians use essential oils, while glorifying Him for His beautiful gift to us in healing? I think so. I am so thankful for what I have learned about them, and how my family has benefited so much from their use. They have become my primary go-to resource for our health needs. From a cough to vomiting to sleepless nights, I have found essential oils to be an incredible aid to our family.
I have also just dipped my toes into the world of Juice Plus+. My mom has begun taking the Fruit, Vegetable, and Vineyard blend capsules to see if it will help her body during her fight with cancer and the chemotherapy that goes with it. My prayer is that she will find great aid on a cellular level. I have heard so many amazing testimonies about how Juice Plus+ has helped people in their difficult cancer battles. Stories about putting it in the feeding tube of a patient who just couldn’t eat anymore. Another story of a woman with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma who was told fifteen years ago that she would have to have chemo for the rest of her life to keep the cancer at bay, who during her second round of chemo started taking Juice Plus+ and has never had to have chemo again.
And not only that, more than 20 Juice Plus+ research studies have been conducted in leading hospitals and universities around the world. So, we’re not just talking anecdotal stories, which I’m glad about.
I have heard how excellent juicing is for a body. Getting good quality, organic fruit and vegetables in the quantity needed for juicing is extremely expensive. Juice Plus+ appears to be an alternative way to get those nutrients in our bodies with less mess, less expense, but with all the benefits. So, we will see how it goes. One benefit is that when I bought the Juice Plus+ capsules for my mom, they gave me a free supply for one of my children. So, I have one of my children on the Juice Plus+ for free. As long as my mom is on them, my daughter will have them. And, if we decide to put anyone else in our family on them, we get another supply for a second child, and so on. Not a bad perk!
I’d love to hear any stories you might have about Juice Plus+. Have you used it before? What are your thoughts? I was telling my hair stylist about it, and she said she used to take the Gummies they sell. She said they were so good that she would want to eat them like candy. So, that’s good news for the kiddos. You know how some gummy vitamins aren’t very tasty? Apparently that isn’t the case for these!
What are you doing to keep your family healthy? I am constantly desiring to learn more, research more, and learn how to better care for my family. I will say that most of my children have never been on antibiotics. Ever. A couple have, but that was before I knew anything about how to keep my family healthy and using more natural means for fighting off disease. I’m not saying that we would never use them. They are certainly valuable in some cases. God has obviously spared us those critical health crises that require the aid of the big guns. But, the whole idea of taking them for every sniffle is beyond me. We don’t use Tylenol, Advil, etc., very often either. Very rarely. They can be toxic for your body. Tylenol can cause issues with your liver. Advil can cause issues with your kidneys. And more. Google side effects if you haven’t before. I used to think that we could take as much as we want, as often as we want, that it was just free for my body to use as I wanted. Of course, that was MY faulty thinking. They don’t say that on the bottle. They give dosage recommendations and cautions. But, I never much thought about that.
So, I’m learning. Hopefully, I will continue to learn. My desire is that my children will know the things I am struggling to learn and memorize as more of a second nature kind of thing. They already know which essential oils to go to for many things they might encounter: burns, bug bites, stuffy noses, coughs, sore throats. They don’t even have to ask me anymore. They just go to the oils and apply them as needed, or diffuse them beside their chairs or beds. I love it. And they are learning how to look things up in the desk reference. They come to me for a second opinion, or for counsel on how to specifically use an oil if they haven’ t used it before. We’re learning together, which is pretty neat.
*Note: In our home, we choose to use Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils because we believe they are the best on the market. When looking for essential oils, be sure to use only therapeutic grade, which are safe for internal use. If you would like more information about Young Living Essential Oils, please feel free to contact me either through a comment on this post, or through my contact form.
Well, now that we are well into October November, how’s your homeschooling going?
We’ve been plugging along. It’s been a great start to our year. The children are applying themselves, not dragging their feet too much at the thought of working hard.
I’m teaching Latin to the girls together. I had taught my older boys Latin. It sort of dwindled over the last several years, but I picked it up again this year for my girls. Obviously, they are on different levels of grasping it at 7, 10, and 13. But, it’s been so fun hearing Faith conjugate her verbs. It amazes me how much young minds grasp and remember.
And it’s been wonderful watching the older girls coach Faith and drill her on her vocabulary. Little do they realize, but it helps them remember the words at the same time.
We have been learning “O Come All Ye Faithful” in Latin. The girls can sing it now without the words in front of them. And they can play it on the harp. I love seeing them integrate their harp into their Latin. {I still have to have the words in front of me!}
We’ve been experimenting with a new system of record keeping. It seems to be working. Keeps us all accountable daily for our work. And I mean us, because I have found that if I don’t have a system in place, that I get all off track and confused about who has done their grammar that day and who is hiding their science. They can be sneaky like that, you know, if they really apply themselves to it. I’ve been trying for years to find something that works for me, that is a quick and concise system. And I went back to our very early days of schooling and pulled out that system again. Hello? I guess I can be slow sometimes. It was right in front of me the whole time.
I was looking for some snazzy iPhone app or something more modern. Good old notebook with printed pages for check marks for the win!
I think the babies and the toddlers over the years really challenged me. I never knew what the next 10 minutes were going to hold, and it frustrated me. Now my baby is 7. I have no more excuses. Mamas of littles, hang in there. It is hard going some days. I know. Just getting all those bodies fed and clothed with brushed teeth and hair is about all we can manage on some days. Let alone the laundry and vacuuming, dusting, mopping, shopping, schooling, and PLAY. Yes, the children ought to see the sun during the week. It’s so easy to cram everyone into the basement for work, totally forgetting their frames and their need for natural Vitamin D.
I guess I just want to encourage you today. I want you to know that you won’t always have dirty diapers, runny noses, naps, and nursing babies demanding your attention. Saying goodbye to those days has been hard for me. I hoped for years that the Lord would give us another. But, after a couple of miscarriages and the calendar flipping so rapidly, I have come to accept that we most likely won’t be having any more babies in our home. So, eventually they come to an end, and you have more time to focus on spelling.
So, we embrace today. We embrace the growing, learning, conjugating Latin verbs that can now pick up again. And embrace it with JOY.
Wherever you are in this journey of your life, embrace where the Lord has you today. Today is your gift. We have no promises of tomorrow.
It gets easier, in some sense of the word. The physical sense, I suppose. And it gets harder, in that the children start asking really hard questions and pushing limits and boundaries (other than how far away from Mommy can I walk and still be safe). They start thinking logically, they start questioning the why of the rules. They start wondering about doctrine. They have opinions (other than the famous two year old “NO!”) and well thought out ideas. They ask questions that we don’t know the answers to.
Pride has to be set aside if we want to face this stage well. Humility is on the menu daily. Crying out to God for a whole new type of strength is our only hope. I go to bed at night sometimes wondering how I did. Did I adequately address the heart of my daughters who are struggling with contentment? Did I react with frustration at the bickering? Did I show my children hope in my interactions with them, or was I too busy with the schedule that I squashed opportunities for growth, and instead chose to bark out orders to pick up toys and set the table? It’s a constant battle between getting things done in time for the next deadline and truly living out the day, accepting the interruptions of life as God’s providential gifts to us.
Being a mother, a truly Godly mother, is so hard. We can’t just live for us. We must live for God. We must draw our strength from Him alone. May the Lord give us wisdom as we plot out our days and make room for the interruptions that always come. One day we’ll get back to the task we thought was so important before life took over. And honestly, I miss those sweet baby days, the foundational days, which make conjugating Latin possible in the later days of our children.
Mike and I were talking the other night as we drove home from somewhere with the kids. We were talking about joy, and how we feel so blessed that we see that joy abounding in our home with our children. We tried to figure out what it is that brings that joy to such a level that we feel it most of the time in our home. It’s not like we have a rule that we have to be joyful or anything. We just feel it within ourselves, and we see it in our kids.
I mean, we know that Christ is the center of it all. We know that our joy comes from Him alone. We get that. But, we know other Christians who love the Lord and have a faithful walk who seem to struggle in this area. We all have struggles, to be sure. But the joy seems like it should be central. We have been saved from death (in the eternal sense of the word)! That’s no small thing. How is it that we get bogged down by the insignificant daily events of life enough for it to steal joy from us? I suppose they daily events don’t seem insignificant at the time. Flooding bathrooms (I should tell you that story sometime…), layoffs, cancer, disobedient children seem pretty insurmountable when you’re living in that moment. But, when we look at the big picture, perhaps we can step back and look at Christ, at His amazing gift to us in His perfect sacrifice on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins…then just maybe we can look past our fears and pains and headaches and see joy.
One of the things that came out in our conversation is the concept of contentment. I suggested that maybe people are not content with their lot in life. Mothers who stay home with their children to school them have signed up for a very difficult and often thankless task. We joke that I don’t get “employee of the month” or a special parking spot. I don’t get raises or bonuses or any other accolades to put on my resume. I get dirty dishes, piles of laundry, squabbling siblings, and no-notice dinner guests.
But I LOVE what I do. The Lord has been merciful to open my eyes to the blessing that it is to be able to do what I do. I don’t always do it well. I have days that are real challenges to me. I’ve sure you’ve heard the adage that the dirty dishes mean that you’ve had food to eat, the piles of laundry mean you have ample clothing to wear, the squabbling siblings mean that the Lord has seen fit to give you blessed children, and dinner guests mean that you get to show the love of Christ to a stranger (and that you have a home to welcome them into). So, what do we do with that understanding?
I remember years ago when we had babies, I used to mentally keep score over who changed more diapers than the other. I actually said things like, “I changed 5 diapers in a row. It is *your* turn.” Or, when my husband came home from his very demanding job, I would hand him the baby and say that I was tired and tag, you’re it! I shudder at that today! What was I thinking? Who would want to come home to that? {He still came home faithfully everyday and jumped right in to relieve me, in spite of my thankless attitude.} I was not content in my role as wife and mother. Don’t get me wrong. I loved being a wife and mother. But, I wanted the storybook edition, not the real life, get your hands dirty edition. When Emma was a baby, I decided that I was going to be the diaper changer. Small thing, really, but to me at the time, it was pretty huge. From then on, I just took her and changed her. You know what? I ended up loving that time with her. It became a very special time of bonding with her. I had joy in that task which I had kept score on for 4 babies prior to her. I wish I had known this before I had my first child. I was missing the gift! And the joy. I’m so thankful that the Lord opened my eyes.
Thankfulness leads to contentment, which I believe leads to joy. When we struggle in this area, we ought to look around and remember that God doesn’t have to give us anything. Christ Himself most likely had way less materially when He walked the earth than most of us have. Yet, we think we need more: More time, more children, more help around the house, more clothes, more something. We need to look around us at what God has given to us and count our blessings. Have you noticed how many storage units are out there? People have so much junk that they have to pay a monthly fee to house it all somewhere other than their house. The junk doesn’t bring contentment. It doesn’t feed the joy. It feeds more coveting and greed. It’s bondage.
I had the blessed privilege to chat with a friend today. We were discussing the feeling of losing our joy. She is going through some pretty hard things, and she needed a friend to talk and pray with her. I gently reminded her that God is not unaware of her heart’s desire for her future, her struggles of today, and her heartaches. God is sovereign over her today and over her tomorrow. He is uniquely preparing her for her future. The things she is battling today are for her sanctification, to make her ready for what lies ahead. To teach contentment, to help her remember that joy is from God alone. It’s one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. And I reminded her that she is loved. Not only by me, her family, and her church, but mostly by God. And so it is with all of us. We will be sifted, put through the Refiner’s fire, and sanctified. Those are not easy processes. They hurt. They bring heartache for a time. But they produce beauty. The dross is skimmed out. We are left more purified, able to love more, serve more, radiate joy more.
We ought not be afraid of the trials that come to us. We need to walk in faith, not by sight. We can embrace what God has for us because He is perfect, loving, and all wise. He holds us in His gentle hand, those who call upon His name for salvation. Run to Him. Hold onto Him. He doesn’t judge you based on what you can do for Him. It isn’t about that. He judges us based on what His Son already did. We *do*because we love, not because we want to be loved. There is a huge difference in that. We can’t earn that love.
If you are reading this, and you have lost your joy, turn to Christ. I want to encourage you to count your blessings, name them one by one, thank God for them (sounds oddly familiar…are you humming along?). Be content in whatever state you are in. Pray that the Lord will restore your joy. Are you burdened by the very demanding job of raising children? Tackle today. Don’t concern yourself with tomorrow or next week. Just do today the best you can. Light some sweet smelling candles, play some beautiful or fun music, smile at your children. And do today. Kiss your husband goodbye if he leaves for work, and greet him with another when he returns. Be thankful for this man you have covenanted with, even though he most likely isn’t perfect. And mostly, pray that the Lord will get you through today with joy.
If you are reading this and you don’t know Christ, but are looking for joy and contentment and peace. I’d like to introduce you to the One who created all things, including you. He is the only place you will find peace, joy, contentment. For eternity.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6
Feel free to email me or even leave a comment if you are struggling with any of this. I don’t believe anyone can force Christianity on anyone. It’s a work of the Holy Spirit. But, I am happy to discuss it with you, to show you where to find hope. As they say, “I’m a beggar showing another beggar where to find bread.”
I have a friend who is fighting a horrible cancer. The prognosis doesn’t look good. It grieves me so incredibly to watch her, mostly via Facebook, going through her battle. But the thing that is so overwhelming to me is seeing how her faith has grown to such an incredible level. Her trust, her faith, her love for the Lord overflows in her words. We are praying for healing, daily, not knowing what the Lord is going to do with her life. But, we have complete confidence that her life is in His ever capable hands. He is walking with her in her valley. He is bolstering her faith. She is teaching so many important lessons to her children about faith and hope and trust. Mostly she’s teaching them about the faithfulness of Jesus.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
He is giving her mercy and grace in her time of need. I love this verse. We often wonder how we could go through a trial that someone else is going through so well. “I could never go through that! She is such a great example! She has such strength!” Yes. Perhaps. But, we don’t need that strength and that particular faith today to go through her trial. We receive that mercy in our time of need. But, we get our faith bolstered by watching the Lord work in the lives of those who are having grace rained down on them. He is real, living, compassionate, loving. And He is personal.
May your day be filled with joy today. May you be content wherever it is that God has you in this season of your life. Let’s all learn to take the gift of today and be thankful. We have no promises of tomorrow.
Blessings to you!
Life has been a bit hectic here, hence the lack of posts. I’ve thought of things I want to write about, but that’s usually been while I’m driving, or trying to fall asleep, or making dinner. You know, all the wrong times. And I determined when I started this blog that family must come first. I can’t find much virtue in being a slave to a blog while ignoring my more important responsibilities. But, I so love to write and share my heart. Hopefully, I will get to some of those thoughts soon.
My mom started her chemo last week. I wish I could be there to help her, but 1700 miles separate us, which makes it kinda hard. I hear that my dad is taking such good care of her though, which is so precious to me to hear. I love it that he is pouring out his life to make hers a little bit easier to handle.
We celebrated Reformation Day this weekend with our church. My husband helped pull together a play about Martin Luther in front of Cardinal Cajetan with Tetzul.
Faith came to me and asked if Martin Luther had any children. So, we looked it up. Wiki to the rescue. Apparently he had six children, the youngest of which was a daughter. She asked if she could be Luther’s youngest daughter, Margaret, in the play. She said it would be so happy if she could do that. I called Mike, who said he would write her into the play. Of course, the issue was that the play took place WAY before Margaret would have been born. Mike wrote some lines for her to introduce the setting and conclude it at the end. She had a few lines to memorize. When I told her she could be in the play, she was so excited. She ran from room to room, letting all of her siblings know her joyous news. “This is the best day of my life!” I showed her her lines. She read them, and then said, “Okay, now let me see if I have them down.” I started to protest that she could read them several times, practice with reading them, and study them before having to say them all out.
But, she didn’t need that time. She covered the page and proceeded to recite them perfectly. By reading them once. I was shocked.
Throughout the week, she would say things like, “I like the name Margaret!” So funny.
So, at the play, she jumped onto a chair, stood at the microphone and said her lines. Perfectly. So cute. And I totally forgot to record her. Major mommy fail.
Oh, and we decided that we need to downsize my car. I’ve been joyfully driving a 15 passenger van for the last 7 years. It might sound odd to most people, but I really loved the van. It fit all 6 kids comfortably, plus room for things in the back (groceries, luggage, etc.). It has such a comfortable ride, and I could have gleefully continued driving it for years. But, it’s kind of overkill these days. I have only 4 children left at home, and often just drive around by myself, or with just the girls. So, even if all of us were in the car, that left an extra 9 seats. Or at least 5, with the back seat out. So, my husband is right. Downsizing is what we need. It will save on gas. And parking will be much easier. If you know anyone interested in a beloved 15 passenger van, let me know! You can check out our Craigslist ad if you want more info.
And, as a bonus, it’s not white. That was my one caveat when we bought it. I didn’t want a white one.
And, I started the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating. It hasn’t been very difficult. It sounds way more complicated than it really is. I am surprised at how easy it is to get rid of the sugar. I was seriously dreading it! But, I’ve lost 6 pounds in just a little over 2 weeks. Not a record pace, but it isn’t meant to be a fast weight loss plan. It is a healthy way of eating, by not mixing carbs and fats in the same meal. The body can only process one type of energy source at a time efficiently. If it gets too much by a mixture of carbs and fats, it releases too much insulin, which must be stored in your cells, making you gain weight. At least that’s how I understand it. 😉 I highly recommend getting the book if you are at all interested. The whole thing is very forgiving when you make mistakes or have to eat off plan for a meal. You’re never more than 3 hours from being back on plan. So gracious. They have a Facebook page if you want to find out more. The ladies there are so very helpful and knowledgeable. They post lots of progress photos. I just love those! So inspiring!
Also, I relaunched my Fruitful Vine Creations website. That has taken many hours of work. I still have more to do, but I probably will continually want to load new items. It was a huge time investment, but so worth it! I believe it needed to be done for many years. Please go check it out. And, if you are looking for vinyl lettering for your home, please consider shopping with us. We specialize in custom designs, and also have a large selection of off the shelf designs. If you aren’t already a Facebook fan of Fruitful Vine Creations, you might want to go check it out. I offer specials over there periodically, and have one going right now!
Well, that about sums up my life. More posts to come this week, Lord willing. So thankful for you. May the Lord bless your week, your families, and all that you put your hands to.
Welcome! I'm Tonya. I'm wife to Mike and mother to 6 delightful children plus one amazing daughter-in-law. We live life loving the Lord and each other. Read More
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