Blunder in the Blender

There is one duty about being a wife that I have never enjoyed and still don't.  Dave sympathizes and helps when able, but it really is my wifey duty and when I do it, I can rest in peace for the rest of the day. :-)   That duty is packing lunch.  Dave must be the easiest person to pack for but, I still don't care for the job.  He loves cold leftovers!  And for the last few months, he prefers a light lunch - milkshake, fruit, nuts......    Well, this past Friday, I made his usual milkshake.  There was some that didn't fit in the thermos so he poured it in a cup and took a sip.  He immediately responded with "what did you put in this?" all the while pulling tiny bits of "something" from his mouth.  I said, "frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt and milk."  "Well, it tastes like lunch meat!"  I took a sip and it certainly did taste like lunch meat!  Gross!  Here what I thought were bananas, were really hotdogs!   Now, just wait!  Don't go thinking I am loony!  I did have my glasses on and yes, I was awake and yes, I really do love my husband!   We buy bananas by the case, peel them, break them in half and freeze them on trays.  After they are frozen, we put them in ziplok bags and whenever a milkshake is desired, we reach into the freezer and take out a few and put them in blender with other ingredients.  After a time in the freezer they can turn a light brown and get a little frosty.  I knew that we were almost out of bananas that morning, but ahhh haaa!  I found a bag with just 2 halves left and I just tilted the bag and dumped them right into the blender!   Waalaa!  A delicious nutritious milkshake, or so I thought.  Well, every now and then, Ben brings home some goodies from the butcher shop and some of the goodies were hotdogs and guess what?  we put them in ziplok bags in the freezer. 

Here is a test for you......is this a bag of bananas or hotdogs?

Well, they are......sƃopʇoɥ

Anyway, we had a really good laugh that morning, and that afternoon, and the next day!  I told him that my blunder was worse than his blunder and maybe we could call it even up.  You see, one day I was looking high and low for my liquid stevia.  Finally, one of the boys found it in the freezer.  Who put the stevia in the freezer?  You guessed it!  My man!  I reminded him that it only belongs in the fridge (and actually he got it out of there).  Well, about 2 days later - no stevia.  Couldn't find it again!  In the freezer!  After another reminder...thought it was all good.  Well, the next day he went to put it away again and was all ready to put it in the ....... where?  THE FREEZER!  The boys were giving him a hard time and he is now thinking about pressing harassment charges. ;-) 

Saturday night Dave wanted to have a cookout on the campfire.  He politely informed me that since I put the hotdogs in his milkshake, all I can have is grilled bananas.  ummmm....would that really be a terrible punishment?  Certainly didn't sound as bad as hotdogs in milkshakes.  Maybe I should give it a try.

Actually, they were delicious!  I had sprinkled some honey and cinnamon on top before grilling.  So, which would you choose?  A grilled banana in a bun or a hotdog with strawberries and blueberries?

Until next time...............

Huh? Say What? (continuation of health journey)

Methylisothiazolinone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Bisphenol-A, Diethanolamine, Monoethanolamine, Triethanolamine, DMDM hydantoin, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauryl sulfate.  How did you fare?  Were you able to pronounce any of those words?  No?  Ummmm........Well, maybe we would have learned them if we would have taken a class on toxic materials for that is what they are.  The sad part of it is that these toxic materials are found in the shampoos, deodorants, and other personal items that we use. 

Now, lets try this set of words - Potassium Bromate, Sulfur Dioxide, BHA and BHT, Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite, Monosodium Glutamate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Aspartame, Curcumin Erythrosine, Vanillin.  Some of these may be easier to pronounce, but they are as toxic as the first list.  The only difference is that these are found in foods that grace the supermarket shelves and are consumed by human beings.    I do not want to go into detail of what they are, but I would highly encourage you spend some time with "Google" and you may be very surprised!

Our family's chemical-free quest began many years ago.  We were experiencing some frustrating times in our schooling with difficulty learning and behaviour issues.  Dave happened to hear a commercial on the radio for the Feingold Diet and after we researched it, we were convinced to give it a try.  From there, we started learning even more about food ingredients and better food choices.  Over time we have witnessed an increase in public awareness of this issue and some manufacturers and food producers making changes according to people's interest.  However, most have not, for it is easier and cheaper to use the chemicals.  Even though we have adopted Dr. Feingold's way of eating ever since, and have removed even more foods, like hydrogenated oils and "white" stuff, we have never addressed what we were putting on our skin until within the last few months.  In my research of thyroid issues, it became very evident that what we put ON our bodies, and not just what we put IN our bodies, has an effect on our health.  After all, how do we de-worm a cow or dog?  By pouring dewormer down their backs along the spine and it is absorbed through the skin into their system.  What about wearing a patch for car sickness or for other health issues?  Whatever is on patch gets absorbed into the skin to do its job.  Our skin is porous (very obvious) so it absorbs all the toxic chemicals named at the beginning of this post right into our systems as well!  Some of them attack the nervous system, while others attack the endocrine system and others cause severe allergic reaction.  It always amazes me that drinking raw milk is considered by "certain" people to be a health hazard, but nothing is said about the poisons that the USDA approves to put in our foods and personal care items.  Maybe that kind of thinking is the result of using too much toxic filled shampoo!  heehee!  No, wait! It's not funny!  It is madness!  Maybe we should take a closer look at those labels, do our own research and say, "out with store bought shampoo, out with the fluoride toothpaste, out with the paper mill waste called "vanillin", out with food colorings and preservatives, and in with products that can be pronounced by a first grader."  Yup, by people who do not have a bachelors degree in English!  I will share the changes we made and some recipes, but, sorry, you will have to wait.....

Until next time........

Morgan is 1 Year Old

Morgan turned 1 on July 29th (I know! I am behind in my postings)!  She toddles all around and makes the cutest/funniest faces at us.  Kelsey had made a bumblebee cake and it was enjoyed by 3 sets of great-grandparents, 2 sets grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Happy 1st birthday to Morgan and thank you, Lord, for the blessing of having this sweet little lady in our lives....

Gordon also had a birthday July 11th (yes, I am REALLY behind in my postings of birthdays!) and he turned 25.  Our family was camping at Kevin's that weekend and Kelsey had a cake for him, however, I realize that I didn't take any pictures of him with it.  The only picture I could find was when the boys were playing basketball, so here it it.....

Happy 25th to our favorite son-in-law! :-)

Until next time...........



Dear Moms...

Dear Stay-at-Home Mom,

You are a gift of God to your husband and your kids.

But you don’t always feel that way, do you?

There’s a low-level feeling of guilt that creeps into your heart from time to time. Sometimes it bubbles over into tears, usually on lonely, difficult days.

You scan blogs and read books about being a good mom. You find some helpful tidbits here and there, often from women who are grandmothers now. Women you can learn from but who seem to have forgotten the struggle. They seem to have it all together.

In your heart, you want to be the kind of mom who trains up kids to make a difference for the kingdom. You know it’s an honor to be entrusted with these kids. You know you’ve only got one shot. You want to be the mom who teaches them the Bible, models how to pray, and trains them up in the fear of the Lord.

But most of the time you feel like you’re barely holding it all together.

Your house cleaning can’t keep up with your kids’ mess-making.

The kids embarrass you by acting up right when your guests arrive.

Your husband doesn’t get just how worn out you are by the end of the day.

You come to the end of your patience. You lose your temper. Then you feel worse.

The last thing you consider yourself to be is a “good mom.” And you think to yourself, It’ll be a miracle if my kids turn out okay.

And – surprisingly – that’s right where God wants to meet you. The place where you admit your powerlessness and your need for Him.

It’s only by God’s grace that any kid grows up to be a force for the kingdom.

You see, there are no perfect kids and no perfect mothers. No matter what you read in blogs, see in magazines, and learn in books. There are sinful kids and sinful moms and dads.

And the only thing greater than both is the grace of God. The God who says “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The God who loves to forgive, to transform, and empower.

God loves you – not because you are a good mother but just because you are His precious child.

God loves you – not because you’ve mastered all the skills of parenting but because He has.

It’s divine grace that will transform your parenting – not guilt.

It’s grace that will keep you going and serving and scrubbing when you’re exhausted and worn out.

It’s grace that will conquer your feelings of inadequacy and remind you of God’s love for you in Christ.

It’s grace that goes for the heart of your kids, not just their behavior.

God has demonstrated the fullness of His love for you through the cross of His Son, even while you were still a sinner.

He has promised you His presence.

He has spoken His approval over you in Christ.

He is the perfect Father who delights in you as a daughter.

Find in Him your Treasure and Joy. Be to others what He is to you.

So walk in freedom. Let Him hold you together when everything seems to be falling apart.

Bask in His unfailing love for you. And rest in His promise of power.

This letter was penned by a gentleman named Trevin Wax. He’s the managing editor of the Gospel Project as part of LifeWay Christian Resources.

I copied it from Jim Daly's (from Focus on the Family) blog, which you can read Here

Until next time......

It Is Not Mine Anyway!

No, it really isn't!  I once thought it was, but to tell you the truth, I don't want it back.  I did not build it, but Someone else did and that Someone else knows far more about it than I do.  He took great care in the architecture layout and has designed it so amazingly! His plans from the beginning were to take up residence in it and stay for as long as He is made welcome.  My responsibility is to keep the doors wide open, to keep it clean, pure and surrendered to the Designer.  Can anyone guess the riddle?

In my recent post of my thyroid story, I shared some of the parts of my journey in trying to find "Better Health".  Since that post, I came to realize that something seriously was missing.  I had become consumed in frustration, bitterness and un-thankfulness, which only added to the "sickness".  I was trying to do it alone.  The big bad  I was searching for answers and attempting to find healing solutions for my body and I was totally leaving the designer out in the cold. I felt so defeated and then conviction took hold of me.  Change!  I needed to make some changes   So, I started over in my quest by repenting, thanking God for all the trials He brings into our lives, and then surrendering my body, my sickness, my healing to the One whose temple it is by receiving the healing annointing of oil.   This should have been my first step and the first one I recommended to you before any search of a good book, a good website and an earthly Physician.  The Architech, the Builder of this vast universe, of all living things, who knows all the stars, knows the number of hairs on my head, has designed each amazing cell in my body and I wonder if I can trust Him?!  Can I not just trust Him in some things, but in every single thing in my life?  Sigh!  I want Him to be able to walk into every room of my heart and every fiber of my being and find a welcoming mat to wipe His feet and a recliner to rest in.  This earthly body is His residence, and I want Him to use it however He deems best and be glorified, whether healthy or sickly, rich or poor, skinny or chubby!  :-)    I want to be able to say as Job did "even though He slay me, still will I trust Him".  I have come to realize though, that this is not a once and done surrender.  It is daily and sometimes hourly, and when I start to be tempted to do it alone, I hope I can always remember that being in that position only opens the doors to anything but peace, joy and happiness.   Does this surrender mean then that I can eat and treat my body half-hearted and with carelessness?  If our bodies are to be called a temple of the Lord, then 1st Chronicles 29:1-5 will give us an idea of how important the input is. 

To be continued......

Until next time........