Happy Thanksgiving

 

We can all use a good laugh.

Permission to Grieve

We get caught in the trap of feeling that showing grief means we do not have enough faith. The last thing you ever want to do is act better than you feel. To be placed in a position of having to be whole when you are still torn apart is devastating and even dangerous.

from the book Discovering Permission to Grieve by Doug Manning

Our pastor gave us this series of books on grieving this past Sunday night and they really helped me to sort through and understand what is happening to me.  I really appreicate these books. Although we never knew our 3 precious embryos that were placed inside my womb in October or the 2 that were in May, it still is a loss…one that needs to be grieved.  Not only did we lose 5 embryos in total, but we are grieving the loss of a dream of being biological parents. Yes, God could perform a miracle, but sometimes He choses not to for reasons we can’t understand. He doesn’t always heal or say yes to our petition. That is a hard reality to accept.

Sunday night was my first step in a long  journey of healing. I can’t tell you what it did for me to just have people cry with me.  They were validatating that I was hurting and that I had experienced a great loss. I didn’t feel like they were looking at me as a failure because I was sad. Thank you to all those who just cried with me.

Se acabo el sueño.

I am sad and grieving right now over the loss of a dream. Right now, it is hard to think that things will ever be ok.  But I realize and accept the fact that I have just experienced a devastating loss and it is normal to feel this way. It is comforting to know that I don’t have to hide this from God.  (And I couldn’t even if I wanted to hide it from Him.)I just want to be real here. I am hurting and I am thankful to know that my saddness, doubts and anger do not shock HIM. He is bigger than all of that. And how precious to know that Jesus  is “…a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:…” Is.53:3

I read a quote from C.S. Lewis that says, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, but He shouts to us in our pain.”

worship while we wait…

He’s Not a Tame Lion.

From the movie, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is a quote I love.  It is speaking about Aslan, the great lion, who represents Christ.

Mr.Tumnus: [of Aslan] He’s not a tame lion.

Lucy Pevensie: No…but he is good.

That has been going over and over in my mind recently.  The Lord is not someone I can train to do as I will.  He is not a puppet that I can force to dance at my command. Nor is He like my precious dog, Gracie-girl who is mostly controllable.:) In my limited human understanding I try to make Him predictable, but no, He isn’t a tame lion.  But, yes, Lucy Pevensie, He is ALWAYS good.

Oh, how I long to stroll along your shores again, Hawaii…

Back to School

 

It’s almost that time again! I start this coming Monday and the students start on Wednesday.  I went and finished up my classroom today and it’s good to go.  I dread the 5:25am alarm each weekday, but always get a sense of excitement when back to school time rolls around.  Seeing all those precoius faces parade through the hall on that first morning…well…there’s nothing like it!

The Bias Against Vitamin Supplements

I recieved the following email link to Dr. Brownstein’s blog which I found very interesting. I am happy to have learned this morning that there is a homeopathic doctor only an hour or so away from Paducah that most likely has the same mind-set as Dr. Brownstein.  That is an answer to prayer! Here is the article:

 Every few months, headlines in the newspapers will proclaim that vitamin supplements are a waste of time and money. For example, headlines in the Wall Street Journal proclaimed, “Vitamin Pills: A False Hope?”. The article asked the question, “Are vitamins worth it?” The article went on to describe a study showing the failure of vitamins at providing any benefits. The article also contained quotes from doctors and researchers who commented that there is no benefit from taking vitamins. The WSJ article was reporting on the data from the Women’s Health Initiative, which tracked eight years of multivitamin use in 161,000 women. The study found that there was no lowered risk for heart disease or certain cancers in those that took a multivitamin. There are so many flaws in this study, I don’t know where to begin. This study was done via a questionnaire which asked women if they took a multivitamin. No vitamins were given to women; it was up to the individual to purchase and take it themselves. This is not a way to do a study. Many people say they take a multivitamin when they actually do not. Furthermore, many of the most commonly used multivitamins in the market place are of poor quality and full of synthetic vitamins. I can look at a vitamin label in a few seconds and have an idea about the quality of the product depending on the source of nutrients the manufacturer is using. In fact, most of the reported negative outcomes related to specific vitamin therapies (such as beta carotene and vitamin E and lung cancer) are due to the use of these synthetic, toxic vitamins. Vitamins need to be from a natural source and have the same bioidentical structure as naturally-occurring vitamins found in the human body. Synthetic vitamins need to be avoided. Without controlling what form of vitamins these subjects were using, I don’t feel any valid conclusions can be drawn from this study. I wish these doctors and researchers would come to my office and observe my practice for a day. They can see the positive results I see from my patients taking the correct nutrients. In today’s world, with our food supply overloaded with devitalized, refined products, is it any wonder there are so many people suffering from nutrient imbalances? I routinely check vitamin and mineral levels and I am continually astounded by the numbers of nutrients that are imbalanced in my patients. I am constantly trying to keep up with the research on natural items. There are literally hundreds of studies each week reporting on the efficacy of natural items. The naysayers of natural items need to look at this research. Much of it shows positive results when the right supplements are used for the appropriate condition. I see the positive results in my practice every day. One final note. This study was poorly done. Why would it make headlines in every major newspaper? There is a bias against natural items. Big Pharma does everything in its power to discredit natural therapies in order to leave prescription items as the only available treatment for the consumer. Perhaps a multivitamin does not treat cancer or prevent heart disease. This question can only be answered by doing the appropriate study and employing a good supplement that contains natural, bioidentical supplements. Until this study occurs, I say taking a good multivitamin should do no harm and can provide a wide range of nutrients necessary for maintaining optimal health.

https://www.drbrownstein.com/blog_main.html

posted by Dr. David Brownstein @ 6:35 AM

 

 

Nuggets Gained From Church Today

Trouble is something that happens to all of us, but the difference when we are serving the Lord is that we have HIM to help us through it!  Many times God is using this trouble we are facing to prepare us for eternity! Suffering is part of our salvation.  God is working in this trial, this storm!  If we can see that, it will help us endure.  The Lord is looking for a finished people, so we musn’t faint on God. If we are going to be saved, we have to endure fire.

My prayer is that I can go through the fire and come forth as  gold.

God is GOOD!

We serve such a good God!  I am filled with thankfulness in my heart because the Lord of all the earth, the creator of this universe knows my name. I love Him so much! He has so much mercy and patience with me.  I  sometimes wonder why He hasn’t given up on me yet, but then I remember He is my #1 fan.  He wants me to make it more than anyone else! I have been going through bit of a rough time lately (ok, that’s putting it mildly), but I feel like God is giving me strength to bring me through. Have you ever been in a trial that you thought would never end?  I feel like the Lord gave me something regarding that thought.  God wants to help us get through the trial-meaning to the other side of it. This overwhelming feeling will not last forever.  Isn’t that a great thought? I want to make it through my trials victoriously!  And with God on my side, I can make it!

In service today, a sister praying with me stated how we need to praise the Lord at all times, even when we don’t understand!  There is a song someone from work told me about that is called, “I Will Praise You in the Storm.”  Though the music is quite contemporary, the words are very powerful! I do want to praise Him in the storm. Not just when things are going great, but when life is hard and it doesn’t make sense-I want to lift my hands in praise and say “You are still a good God! “

We were able to visit the Creation Museum last week and the Lord really used this place to help me get refocused.  I have this very human problem…I get so focused on my little slot of time and the circumstances in it that I sometimes forget about this ETERNAL plan that God is working on. And it is a plan that He has allowed me to be a part of! PRAISE HIM! Being at the museum reminded me of this great plan of salvation! Looking at the time line of these approximate last 6000 years was like a gentle call from the Lord talking to my soul about what really matters in life. What awesome things are ahead! No matter what happens in my life, I do not want to lose sight of the goal! We also were able to listen to some of the CDs from the camp-meeting and it was amazing!  God really ministered to my heart and I am so thankful for that! I think I am coming through this!  I am sure I will have some hard and weaker days, but the finish line of this trial is in sight. Please pray for me that I can be triumphant!