What does God Say about the Health Vs. Freedoms Dilemma?

God’s been working on my heart the past few days. I’ve been pretty busy around the property, working on the garden and taking care of my seedlings and helping my daughter get her chickens set up in their new home. I’ve been doing a little spring cleaning and the usual baking and cooking. And all the while telling myself that this work excuses me from other work. Other consideration and study and… what I most want to avoid – saying something. Speaking the truth, even if my motivation is love.

It’s the work of dealing with the conflict and the unrest that simmers around me. My least favorite thing in all of life is conflict. I’m not talking about conflict in my home, but in our relationships that have been reduced to a less-than-ideal sharing of opinions and convictions via various social media platforms.

But what’s the answer? What do we say in the middle of all the arguments about protecting health versus preserving freedoms? What do we say to the economic uncertainty and the possible breakdown of even our food systems? What are the answers to these extremely difficult questions? Shouldn’t we argue and strive over them? Aren’t they important enough? Won't presenting our valid opinions change other people's minds and be the answer to everything going wrong?

This week our pastor had us consider the life and teaching of John Bunyan, who had a sad life, to say the least. Nothing ever went Bunyan’s way, yet he made the most of his days anyway, writing when he can do nothing else. Some of that writing went down in church history, helping thousands upon thousands be strengthened in their faith through the story of Pilgrim’s Progress, even retold again and again to this day. 

So what? Why does it matter what Bunyan went through? Why should that apply to us? We are FREE. We have the right to speak up and protect our freedoms. No one can take that away from us because we are Americans. Right? Either that, or we are secure. Our health and safety is of supreme, even divine importance. Nothing is more important than protecting the safety net of medical science we’ve established in our modern world. What does that have to do with Bunyan’s world of death and disease? It was different. The two worlds can't be compared.

I’d like you to consider for a moment that maybe we don’t live in such a different world than Bunyan did. And I’d like you to consider whether our being happy, being free, having everything we could want or need available in any store or delivered the next day to our doorstep, having medical services ready any time and place to solve any health problem we could have, and plenty of tests to have even if we're feeling fine, having seventeen different activities each week to engage in and distract us from anything we don't want to think about, if all of that is really what’s best for the people who make up the body of Christ here on earth? When did we start believing that this world is heaven? That we deserve what is being held for us in the perfection of eternity – now?

Friends, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not our home. And what won’t be an issue in eternity is not our right to claim here. It’s not time yet. Here, Jesus promised us we would face hardship and persecution. He PROMISED it. In this world, we are in a spiritual battle against evil, and sometimes it's going to seem like evil is winning. But Jesus also said why it was okay, over and over again in the gospels. It's okay to suffer because in the end, JESUS WILL WIN. It’s okay to suffer because we’re closer to him when we face these things, things like viruses that don't follow any rules or things like governments that use hardship to strip away freedoms. Standing with Christ and obeying his instructions are how we fight and win spiritual battles. And when we stand with Christ, we change. We move into the head-space of Christ as we become hardier, as we don’t get everything the way we want it to be, as we learn to appreciate the way it is now versus the way it will be in eternity. And God wants us to complete this hardening process, to mature to look just like Jesus. TOGETHER. We can only really accomplish his purpose together. 

Dear fellow believers, it is a blessing to suffer! It is a privilege! It is good for us to face opposition to our faith. To trust him for our daily needs. To give the number of our days and the quality of them to his wise plan. God has a purpose in the joy and in the pain, and he won’t let either

go to waste. Don’t be afraid of this world disappointing you. It’s going to. Be more afraid of not fulfilling the purpose God’s given you to do while you’re here.

More on that! Our pastor also gave us specific verses to study to find our path through this trial. He started in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. Look it up. Read it in a couple versions. Ask yourself what “arguments” and “lofty opinions” are coming up against the knowledge of God in our society this very day? (Don’t stick to one side, either.) What have you already heard people saying that you know doesn’t stand up to the truth of Scripture? What have you said or believed that might need amending? Which of your “captive thoughts” do you know Christ is going to reject as not of God?

As I consider these verses, I think of a few ways we can fight spiritual battles, right from our homes:

1.       Prayer, Fasting, and other spiritual disciplines

2.       Meeting needs

3.       Teaching truth

4.       Loving God and others

5.       Being willing to suffer for Christ’s sake

If we are busy with these objectives, we won’t have time to be afraid, be incensed, or judge everyone else. We won’t be obsessed with our own interests. We’ll have replaced our natural inclinations for God’s exciting purposes for our days.

Some more verses from my pastor on the subject of how to spend our time amid the crisis:

·        Hebrews 10:24-25: Consider these things. Stir each other up to love and good works. Meet together even if no one else does. Encourage each other. Do these things MORE AND MORE as the times start to look like the “Day” Jesus warned us about.

·        1 Peter 4:10-11: Use your gift. Serve. Speak God’s words. Serve in God’s strength. Give God glory.

·        Ephesians 4:15-16: Speak the truth with love as your motivation. Remember we are all one body, responsible to each other for our growth. We each must DO OUR WORK.

·        Matthew 28:18-20: Go, make disciples, baptize them, teach them to obey Christ. Keep in mind that Jesus will be here with us to the very end of this age. (This should keep us in check from our natural tendencies toward fear or pride.)

So let’s get to work! Let the world argue and worry about where everything is headed. We already know the end of the story! Let’s take this day by day and do the next right thing, letting Christ capture every thought in us before it grows into destructive weeds of fear or pride. Let’s be about his business.

Do Not Fear

Can you remember a few short weeks ago when everything was normal? When we heard rumors about a virus in China but none of it was real or close? When we didn’t think a thing of hugging our friends and hanging out with Grandma at her house, buying the week’s supply of toilet paper or soap? When we came and went as we pleased and did as our little hearts desired every day?

It seems like a different lifetime. It’s amazing to me that life can change so quickly. We thought ourselves safe inside our bubble of society. We’d heard of history’s tales of pandemics, but we didn’t think something like that could touch us. Not in our modern world. We were invincible.

You know, it’s good God corrected our thinking. It wasn’t best for us to have so much trust in our human systems. It’s one thing to say we believe in him and follow him when doing so offers no personal sacrifice. It’s another thing when we are entrusting our lives to him. Suddenly, our faith is real. We realize that without him taking care of us, we are severely at risk.

But no matter how much we believe that God is doing a good thing, a loving thing, to teach us to trust in his ability to look after us, it’s scary. Perhaps more so now than in history, when no one was quite as connected to everyone else in a virtual way. We can see in nearly real-time the tragedy and fear rippling across the entire world. We know the facts - how we are exposed and vulnerable to a virus that seems to have no pattern, no easily discernible course of action. We know the mad scramble to figure it out as advice changes daily and sources tell us opposing views on how we should act or what we should look for. We know we do not have enough resources to help everyone who needs support. We feel the virus there, just out of our sight, lurking. Ready to strike. We feel powerless. 

Don't get me wrong - I’m glad we can connect. I’m glad our pastor can still speak to us every week, multiple times even, and I’m glad our small group can have a Zoom meeting and check up on each other. I’m glad I can text, Marco Polo, and see on Facebook how all my friends are faring. I’m glad that when I scroll through, there are multiple pastors and missionaries and evangelists, near and far, praying and encouraging and speaking God’s Word, perhaps in a newer and more tangible way than ever before. I'm glad we can see first hand how we should pray, how we can help, how our submission to the authorities is helping the cause.

But still, I have one worry. The one thing that keeps me up at night. The one thing that tests my faith more than any other worry I might have at this time. 

I don’t mind being stuck at home. I live for it. My daughter reminded me after this all began that I had been lamenting that big snowstorm we never got where “everything gets canceled.” Little did I know! But as an introvert, I’ve been feeling desperate for time where I don’t have to go out. Where I can sit and stare out my window and think and observe the quiet nuances of nature and weather and the way God made the world. That I have time and margin to think thoughts I can translate into words and stories that give God glory. To have all the time in the world to work to build my new garden out in the field, and help my daughter raise her new chicks. There is plenty to do here at home. And it is work I have so much heart for. In that, I don’t mind this at all. My husband already worked from home, our children have always been homeschooled, so our lives haven’t changed much at all, except for one thing, besides wondering where our next roll of toilet paper is going to come from:

Church.

You know, church is hard. At first, it was kind of relief to be excused from the constant coming and going with all the different activities the six of us can be involved in. At first, I was thankful for the breather. Our church has been through major changes in the past five years. Major. At times, I feel like I’m holding on by a thread as I remember all the things I missed about an established church with a pastor who’d been there for decades and all the traditions I’d grown up with that made me feel safe and secure. At times, I feel like I no longer have a place in the modern church that has formed in place of what I knew and loved. Like the things I was brought up to do in church are no longer relevant or desired.

I know that’s not true. I know God is still God, his Word is still exalted, prayer is still offered. Even in my new modern church. I still have a place, and I know God has and will continue to help me find it. But all this to say – I wasn’t exactly disappointed to have a break.

But now, if I’m going to worry, I worry that Satan will use this pandemic to destroy the church. Flatten it into nothingness. God’s people were made to be together, to sharpen each other. No matter how much time online you spend, it’s not the same as real, in-person relationship. And what if we come out of our dens after months of being apart and we no longer no how to be one body?

I can see the gentle smile of Jesus. His shaking head. His reassuring voice, reminding me I was never in charge of his people. The responsibility for their care does not rest on me, the outcome is not mine alone to bear. I don’t know why I tend to think it is. Maybe growing up a pastor’s daughter in a small rural church did something to my psyche to make me think I was accountable to make it all work. Maybe it’s my extroverted emotion, feeling responsible for everyone’s emotional well-being. Whatever caused this thinking, it’s not right.

God is not worried about his church. God knows he can care for it. God knows he already redeemed it, and set the Holy Spirit loose among his children, and that nothing this world can ever throw at it, no pandemic or lockdown or quarantine or financial crisis can ever hope to break it up. Satan will not win in his feeble attempt to knock out the structure of the Body of Christ. It’s just one of his last desperate attempts before God silences him forever. When we’re standing with the Lion of Judah at our back, nothing in front of us has hope of defeating us.

So take heart, dear brother or sister in Christ, for we have not seen the end of God’s glory. In fact, we’re about to see it in ways we never have before, in powerful messages of his love sent at just the right time. He is trustworthy, he is kind. He will not leave us or forsake us. He can be trusted.

These verses were meant for Israel during their time of exile, but the same God who spoke them through his prophet to his people, speaks the same message today to those who have been grafted in to his family. They are meant for you, Christian. Revel in the love of God through Christ.

“Do not fear, Zion;
                do not let your hands hang limp.
                The Lord your God is with you,
                The Mighty Warrior who saves.
                He will take great delight in you:
                In his love he will no longer rebuke you,
                but will rejoice over you with singing.”

– Zephaniah 3:20

Perfect Gluten Free Bread

I've been gluten free for close to a decade now. I can't say that I've regretted the decision at all. I saw a marked improvement in many troublesome digestive and skin problems when I stopped eating wheat.

I didn't eat any bread for a long time, and I was okay with that. Most store-bought gluten free products taste like cardboard, anyway, and it usually falls apart in your hands as you try to eat it. But in recent years, I've learned how to bake bread, and I started to wonder if there was a better recipe out there somewhere. So I tried a few, and then I found a recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I started making it, and tweaking it, and a couple years later, I'm happy to share the final recipe I came up with. I hope you'll find it useful! 

First of all, this is what you'll need. You can use any gluten free flour blend, but I like the one from America's Test Kitchen. They guard their recipes pretty carefully, but it's worth looking into. Here's the link, but you'll have to jump through some hoops to get the recipe. Other than that, you need oat flour, milk powder (I've used both dairy and goat milk and they both work great), psyllium husk powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and dry yeast. For the wet ingredients, you need eggs, butter and warm water (100-110 degrees F.)

I like using a scale to measure a few of the ingredients, but I'm including (roughly) the cups if you don't have a scale.

Once you clear out your mess, this is what you'll be left with. I use an electric mixer with a dough hook to combine the ingredients. First you'll combine your dry ingredients on low speed, and after a minute add your wet ingredients. Combine on low for another minute, then increase the speed as it starts to come together. Then, let it go on high speed for 7 minutes.

After it's done, you're going to split the dough between your two pans. These are the ones I use, and I love them. I grease them with a little ghee and dust them with the ATK flour. 

I like making sure they are exactly the same size so they both bake evenly. I weigh them in grams, and they usually come out to something between 1350-1400 grams each. 

After that, they are ready to spread into the pan. Be aware - gluten free dough is very sticky. It's not going to be as easy to handle as regular bread dough. But I just get my spatula a little wet and mash it down, going around the sides at an angle to make it into a bread shape. This takes a little practice, but you get the hang of it after a while.

Time to let it rise. I usually just leave them to sit on top of the stove, but there was actually a little sunshine today, so I set them in the sun. After an hour, they looked like this:

I put them in the oven at 350 for an hour and a half. This is how they looked when they came out.

After they cool, use an electric knife to slice them. I like to make them pretty thin, but it's up to you how big you want the slices. Store in a reusable bread bag. If you'll be using it quickly, the fridge is fine, or keep it in the freezer if you want it to stay fresh for a while. I usually toast or warm them up in the microwave before I use them.

Enjoy! Recipe below.












Miranda's Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread (inspired by America's Test Kitchen's recipe)

21 oz (3 1/2 cups) gluten-free flour blend (mine does NOT have xantham gum)
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) oat flour
2.25 oz (1/2 cup) dry milk powder
4 1/2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder (must be the powder)
3 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

3 eggs
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups warm water (it takes about 2 minutes in the microwave to get to the right temp)

Ten Quick and Easy Homeschooling Tips

So you’ve recently been compelled to homeschool by Corona virus? Wondering how to go about it? How to keep your sanity? Don’t want a thousand detailed instructions, but a quick and easy big picture take? You’ve come to the right place! (You can even skip to the list if you want!)

I didn’t intend to homeschool, either. I went to private schools from the age of four to college, and I figured my kids could do the same. But when I actually had a bright-eyed little girl ready for school, the options weren’t there. I found homeschooling, and with much trepidation, I dipped my toes in the water with my four-year-old.

I made a ton of mistakes at first, and really, homeschooling is something that is only starting to feel more natural (most days) now that I’ve been a homeschooling mom for over twelve years. But I was able to start slowly, so I feel for you that have been thrown into this so unexpectedly.

What I want you to know today is that you CAN do this. I’m not saying it won’t be hard, even downright terrible some days, especially in the adjustment, but you CAN do this. And you will see it as a good thing, eventually, when you are able to gain some perspective.

What I won’t do is sit here and tell you I’m the best homeschooling mom ever, who does all the things and the co-ops and spends hours a day actively teaching and planning and doing cool projects and outings. That vision of homeschooling families you may have – some are truly that good at it – that’s not me.

I like for things to “coast.” I like to spend the initial time setting things up like a wind-up toy, and then letting them go and move around of their own accord. So, yes, you need a plan and a schedule, but the biggest things you need in your new classroom are HABITS and FLEXIBILITY.

Whether you’re starting out on your own, or you’re following your child’s teacher’s guidelines and plans, here are a few tips to success. I hope you’ll find them helpful!

1.  Start with a positive attitude. Whatever you have to do at the beginning of the day to get your head in a good place, do it. Pray, read, drink coffee, sit and stare out the window, but come at it from a place of calm motivation. Your kids probably won’t. You have to lead in this, and persist in it when they ruin all your plans and ignore your sacrifices and efforts.
2.  Don’t be a slave to the schedule. Have a rough outline of what the day will look like, but be open to allowing your imaginations and interests to throw you off course. If something catches your attention, go with it. Research, discuss, play. We’ve had some of our most memorable learning times this way. The work will get done. Use the moments you have for whatever will spark learning.
3.  Let them do their workbooks on their own. And be open to them doing it their own way. If they decide the only way they’ll get through that math is hanging upside down on the couch with classical music blasting on their headphones while eating raisins, let them. If they want to go out in the sunshine and take frequent breaks to run around the field or visit the neighborhood goats, let it be. The work will be there (unless it blows away in the wind!) when they get back.
4. Don’t allow non-educational electronics until after work is done. This is a good motivator for them to finish in a timely manner. Don’t be afraid to completely take away non-educational electronics for tantrums, either. I don’t include Bible videos or educational websites in the ban, so I still have some leverage during their groundings. Find out what your child’s motivation is and use it.
5. Make it fun, and enjoy learning along with them. I’ve enjoyed school much more as I’ve gone through it again (four times!) with my kids. All the things I missed as a kid! Enjoy the chance to marvel at the world and all of its intricacies. This will help your kids have better attitudes, too, as you mirror a childlike wonder at creation and everything there is to learn within it.
6. Don’t fret. I was so worried at the beginning that I would miss something, that I would do something wrong, that I would mess up their entire lives through my big-picture, non-detailed personality. Surely I would forget things they needed to know. And you know what? I have. So does everybody. I just think about all the stuff I didn’t get the first time around. Education is not as linear as we think it is. It can’t be boiled down to a list of subjects. If you miss something this year, catch it next year. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
7. Combine subjects. This is advice if you decide to go it on your own and pick your own curriculum. It’s not for everyone, but if this sounds more appealing to you, a great time and sanity saver is combining the subjects they need into one. For instance, my two youngers have handwriting that doubles as geography. They write about the states. And it’s easy to combine writing with any other subject – just have them write about whatever they’re learning. We combine art and reading with history (Check out Draw and Write through History and Story of the World.)
8. Make use of the white board. If you have a child who will not sit and do that math on their paper, have them do it on the white board. If you want them to memorize things, write it on the white board. If you are trying to teach a difficult concept, a white board is a handy tool.
9. Make a weekly list of their assignments. This only works for students who can read well, but it’s important for them to have accountability to do everything they are supposed to do for the day. I’ve tried just having them “do the next lesson.” It doesn’t work out well. You both need to know the expectations for every single day. I like this template for younger kids and this one for my high schoolers.
10. Look for ideas online. I’ve got several homeschooling Pinterest boards I use to collect ideas for art projects, online classes, places we’d like to visit, etc. The vastness of resources available, many for free, is staggering. It can be overwhelming, but once you have a vision in your head, keep your ideas in one place and implement them a few at a time.

Don’t sweat the bad days. They’ll come. Some days all you can do is get through it. Other days are easy. That’s just life as you educate your own children. Use your time together to grow closer as a family. Have important discussions, ask those questions you’ve been putting off. See this as a blessing, and use up every last second of it for good. I hope you’ll look back on this time as an unexpected treasure.

What about you? How are you feeling about the schools being closed and kids being home? Have any ideas to add to this list? Feel free to comment and let us know!

Seeing Opportunities in the Obstacles

Introverts everywhere may be rejoicing at the mandate to stay home and cancel all the things, but there’s no denying the days we are living in right now feel very strange. It’s amazing how quickly everything can change. It’s sobering to realize how close we are to the line where we have to trust God and not our security and comforts.

But we can trust God. And you CAN enjoy this time. You can catch up on all those things you always say you just don’t have time to do. Read. Cook. Bake. Clean. Walk. Relax. Play games with your family. Plant a garden. Tend your trees and bushes. Organize, purge.

Sit still. Be still enough for long enough that you start to hear the still small voice. God is still speaking. We just have such a hard time listening. And what else would God be saying, in allowing this virus to make such a global impact, that it is time to be still and listen to him. To trust him to take care of us. We have been taking care of ourselves for so long that we have forgotten the rich blessing it is to entrust an unknown future to the God who is already there, and who loves us enough to bring us through it.

Some verses for your first day of the new normal, at least for the next couple weeks, and maybe longer:

Deuteronomy 31:6 - “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them; for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.”

Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

John 14:26-27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

God’s got this, friends. Let’s take him at his word and not be panicked or worried. Let’s do the opposite of hoarding and looking out for ourselves. Let’s give and watch out for others around us. Let’s be like Jesus. He didn’t back down when he had an opportunity to show extreme love.

We don’t have to, either. We’ve got his resurrection power running through our veins if we know him. More than enough to take this on.

What about you? How are you coping with the increasing restrictions and uncertainties? What Bible verses are you relying on right now? What ideas are you implementing to be the hands and feet of Jesus during this difficult time?

Check back tomorrow! I'll give you my best tips on homeschooling that I've learned in twelve years as a homeschooling mom. I'm definitely no expert, but I can give you some tips that will help the task seem a little less daunting. 

The Cure for Coronavirus

The world we live in can be a strange place. All you have to do is read the headlines to know it. On our own, human beings have the capacity to make brilliant strides, do wonderful things that spring society forward… but as a group, we’re sheep.

For example, there’s not one person perpetrating the panic surrounding the newest virus. At least not that I can see. In fact, I see plenty of people trying to calm down the unrest with common sense. And yet, nearly every other article when scrolling through a news site suggests the threat of the world being wiped out by the Coronavirus.

I read an article recently that suggested that our DNA contains memories. That we, on some subconscious level, retain the experiences of our ancestors. If say, a pandemic spread across the world and killed five percent, or even as much as twenty-five percent of the planet at times in history when our capacity to treat it and our understanding of how viruses worked was not as advanced, according to this theory, our DNA remembers what that was like, and doesn’t want it to happen again.

I’m speaking of the pandemics of the Spanish flu in 1918, which killed around 50 million people and infected half a billion, and the Black Death, which killed as much as a quarter of the world’s population, wiping out half of Europe. When you look at it from that perspective it makes sense, then, that we get a little worked up as a species when a virus comes knocking. We’ve seen their capabilities.

But as individuals, I like to think we have a little more sense. I’ve had the flu quite a few times in my life, and never once did I imagine I was actually dying. I may have wanted to because of how bad I felt, but never did I think my life was in danger. In fact, I generally don’t get around to getting a flu shot most of the time. And judge if you like, but I know I’m not alone. As individuals, we kinda think we’re invincible.

But again, as a whole, we tend to blindly follow whatever panic and hype we hear. We’ll run to the store to load up on cleaning supplies and face masks and survival rations, because some newscaster somewhere said that the world was facing a pandemic and people were dying right and left. Why? Why do we overreact as a society?

I would suggest it’s not just our DNA remembering. I think we’re all quite aware, even as reckless as we may behave sometimes, that we ARE dying. Every last one of us. And if we’re too young and healthy for this round of sickness to get us, that doesn’t mean a few years down the road we won’t be a prime target.

So if you think about it this way, we’re all trying to escape death, which the Bible explains happens because of sin. And we can run all we want, but unless God says differently, everyone on this planet will someday return to the dirt. It’s inescapable. It’s the price of a piece of forbidden fruit that unleashed the curse that will eventually wipe out 100% of everyone ever born. And we all know it, way down deep in our heart.

The good news is that we don’t have to panic on an individual level. And we surely don’t have to spread panic. We can share common sense advice, like the benefits of elderberry or vitamin C, sneezing into our arm and of course, washing our hands for twenty seconds with soap and water just like our mommas taught us. But more than that, we can share the hope for the curse. The cure that is as 100% effective as the curse is deadly. It’s Jesus.

I’d say that’s a reason not to panic. He’s got this. He’s got me. He has held me in his hands since I first realized I needed a Savior, and I’d argue he was holding me well before that as well. There’ll never be a moment in this life I have to face without a Savior who loves me enough he took the curse on himself, even though he could exist outside it, and not only did he let the curse kill him, he beat it. He came back. And as he did, he was saying something to every last one of us stuck in the grip of the black death we call sin.

Whoever believes in me will not perish, but have everlasting life.

You can bet your life on it.

When comes the Spring

A Light exists in Spring

Not present on the Year

At any other period –

When March is scarcely here.

-Emily Dickinson

As of yet, there is hardly a whisper of spring here. Some days are cold, rainy and dreary, some are very cold and frosty, some are merely dreary. Dreary seems to be the word that comes to mind the most when looking out the window in the morning, hoping to see signs of life emerging in the forever gray winter.

My baby plants wait patiently in their little nursery on my kitchen counter, nestled between homeschool books and art projects. They don't worry that spring will never come. They aren't sighing at the weather day after day, wishing that the first warm breeze of spring would blow through and wake up nature once again to life and vitality.

Would that I could be more like those little plants, trusting in the warmth of their grow light and the moisture from the spray bottle and their little paper cups that keep them safe. Spring will come, they insist. One day soon, there will be no more need for a heat mat that keeps the temperature at 75 degrees. 

You are looking at the first plants that have emerged that will become part of my garden this year. I have flowers and herbs and vegetables and fruit, all with a particular purpose for the garden I hope to grow. Some will be food. Some will attract valuable insects. Some will repel pests. Some will feed the chickens my daughter is hoping to get next month. Some will make teas and herbs I hope will be helpful to a few of the specific ailments my family tends to experience.

This is only my second year growing completely from seed. I learned last year that I do not need to attempt to plant the whole bag of seeds. They will grow. With the haul I purchased this year, I hope to have no need for more for several years. Beyond that, I hope to be able to save seeds and become a self-sufficient gardener.

In the meantime, I have two places I purchase seeds from. Baker seeds (rareseeds.com) prides themselves on providing heirloom seeds that continue on the legacy of our ancestors with seeds that have not been meddled with by science. They are the plant as they have always been. Baker sends out a free magazine with all their seeds early in the year, and it's fun to look through. They have things I've never even heard of before! I get seeds from Baker that I can't get through my local heirloom seed provider. I like getting the more common seeds locally. I think plants do better when they grown in their native climate.

So for now, my plants are beginning to grow, and I continue to watch the weather and dream about spring. Much work comes, though now I can't even bear to go outside for the cold. Someday. Someday spring will be here, and a garden that has only been a dream will come to life.

Reminds me of other truths. Someday, they will come true as well. God means to keep all his good promises to his people. We can trust that one day will we look back from our future lives and see all he did, and barely remember the dreary, cold years that produced no fruit and provided no nourishing warmth. One day it will all be a memory.

A Garden Dream

The day is as dreary as the last one, and the one before that. I spend most of the day wrapped in a big blanket, a sweater, fleece leggings... it's hard to imagine a time when I wasn't cold.

Will it be winter forever? Are we stuck in an endless succession of cold, bare, gray days?

Thankfully, I reminded of the verse in Genesis 8.

As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.

If our world is still in motion, if the last day of the world is not upon us, than we can be sure that the cold of winter will pass. Warmth will once again bring the sleeping plants to life again, and it will be time to plant. To harvest.

Praise the Lord for the seasons. To teach us that no matter what we're facing, it's temporary. Nothing lasts forever. Times of sunshine and abundance will pass, but so will the times when the earth lays bare and dead.

A reminder of our very existence. The hard days, even if they lasted a lifetime, which they rarely do, are still going to pass by and be forgotten in the expanse of a perfect eternity.

My thoughts are turning to my garden. On my new 5 acre property, I have space and solitude for the garden I've always dreamed of. No longer will I try to make something of the little bit of earth in my backyard, surrounded on all sides by houses.

My first plan I presented to my husband in excitement was a garden of 50 ft by 20 ft. I was dazzled by the amount of space I could have to plant. The abundant harvest I would bring in. He gently questioned whether it was the best idea to start THAT big. At first I was miffed. He was just trying to step all over my dream.

It didn't take me long to realize he was probably right. So I modified my 2020 garden and came up with this plan. (I used https://gardenplanner.almanac.com/ to create my custom size blank square foot garden.)

Even though I broke it down by more than half, my starter garden is still going to be almost bigger than my imagination could fill. I can almost see the reality that will emerge from my organized little drawing. The plants, breaking out in neat rows from the soil, the paths of straw I will wander as I tend the seedlings and later the fruit they will produce.

Since I'm starting from scratch, I thought it might be helpful to record the journey. I plan to keep a record of what we do this year in our garden for those who are thinking of starting their own kitchen garden. Subscribe or follow my fb page for updates!

While the earth still sleeps, here's a few places that are helping me dream (and spend some money!)

https://www.starkbros.com/

https://www.rareseeds.com/

https://ohioheirloomseeds.com/

My first update:

Last fall I planted two elderberry bushes, a cherry tree and two apple trees as whips (unbranched tree seedlings.) Right now they aren't much to look at, but I'll keep you posted!

I also have two blueberry bushes and a brown turkey fig in big pots. I'm still undecided as to if and when I will transplant them into the ground. I discovered I have wild raspberry bushes growing by the outbuilding, and I've started a big compost pile.

What about you? Do you have any garden plans this year? Any tips and tricks as we start thinking about starting our seeds in the next month or two?

Happy garden dreaming!

Is it Possible to Thrive with Autoimmune Issues?

When I was a child, I had a pediatrician I loved. Her name was Dr. Valencia, and she was the sweetest and most opinionated little Filipina lady you could ever meet. She saw me through my problems with asthma and allergies, and was probably credited with saving my life a time or two. Every time I went in to see her, she would sit behind her desk and lean back and talk to me like she had all the time in the world.

“Listen to your mother,” she demanded over and over. “You’ll regret it if you don’t listen to your parents.”

After puberty when I began to have the symptoms of autoimmune problems, she had no idea what was wrong with me. And since we were in a small rural community, pretty far away from any city of any size, there wasn’t anyone she could send me to in order to get to the bottom of it. So she did her best to treat my symptoms. And though she couldn’t diagnose what was ailing me, her care went a long way in seeing me through.

As a young adult, after moving to a city, I was able to be diagnosed and treated for ulcerative colitis. I respected and trusted my gastroenterologist. Dr. Subler followed all the traditional protocols of lots of procedures and tests and medications as treatment for this autoimmune disease, but I lived with the less than ideal results because I liked him. I would come into his office, and he would sit and talk to me about life. We would share what we were going through. He always cared about what I was experiencing and wanted to alleviate any suffering I was having. I never doubted that for a second.

After Dr. Subler moved away, I had two more gastroenterologists I loved. They cared about me, they did their best, and I trusted them.

Unfortunately, they both left the practice as well. And I entered the decade of my pregnancies, which for me caused my ulcerative colitis to all but disappear. If I began to have problems, after a little research and a few supplements and diet and lifestyle changes, I seemed to have everything under control. I thought I had figured out the cure, and I was set for life.

But my success didn’t last. When the positive effects of reproduction began to wear off a few years ago, I went back in search of a doctor. Because that’s what you do. But I found in the years I’d been having babies, things had begun to change in the world of specialists. I was suddenly in a production line of patients, being pushed through a factory-like list of procedures. When I would try to discuss the realities of autoimmune disease and the fact that medications and tests don’t work, I would be quickly dismissed or lectured at. When I would put off making appointments, I would get a letter saying I was being dismissed as a patient for not following the will of the doctor. Disheartened, I went my own way to take on the responsibility of autoimmune disease on my own, as so many like me have done.

Autoimmune disease is hard. It’s hard to figure out what to do, because what might work at one point may not work again in the future. And there are so many variables that we have no personal control over, like the weather or stress or environment. We can do everything right, and yet still suffer.

My symptoms intensified in the past couple years, and dragging my feet all the way, I went back to the doctor at the urging of my husband. I found a wonderful GP, actually a friend from church going all the way back to our teenage years. And once again I was sitting in the room with a doctor who truly cared, who wanted to help, who didn’t mind sitting and listening and taking her time to carefully decide how to proceed. She sent me to a new gastroenterologist we both hoped would be a better fit than the last one.

In July of last year, I called to make the first appointment. I waited two months to actually see the doctor. When I arrived in her office, I was greeted by an unfamiliar doctor, a young man who told me it was his first day as an intern. He was friendly enough, but he simply read through a list of questions. He went to confer with the doctor, who literally stepped into the examination room for five minutes. She gave me a checklist of tests that she would be performing that I should schedule, and brushed off my concerns about my inability to prepare for one of them. She was gone in a flurry of white.

Months went by as I waited for the tests she wanted done. (One of them was canceled once because she was taking a vacation to Europe.) In the end, by December, I had finally completed them (and was completely right about my inability to adequately be prepared for one of them, through no lack of trying.) Her verdict was sent to me via email. I was to take meds (that I had already told her I don’t see any results from.) She would no longer be seeing me (no explanation given) and suggested I call three other doctors for further treatment.

If this wasn’t discouraging enough, the bills from the two procedures she had prescribed (that she had barely addressed the results of) ended up costing us over $1000 after insurance paid all they were of a mind to pay.

And I was back at square one, with no improvement in my health after six months of pursuing traditional medical help.

Why do I tell my story? Because I hate doctors and the medical field and believe that we should depend completely on herbs and oils and vegetables for our health? Not at all. I still have had far more experience with caring people in the medical field than I have had negative. And beyond that, I’ve gone the other way and went to an integrative doctor who tried to treat my problems through supplements and diet changes, and though I did everything she instructed over a period of several years, I saw very little improvement in my health. And the reality was that insurance didn’t like paying for her services, either.

So what’s the answer for those of us with bodies who can’t seem to tolerate life? Who have conflicting health concerns that sometimes make us feel as if we are going completely crazy? Are there any solid answers for living with autoimmune conditions?

I’m not claiming to have any concrete answers that will change our lives. I think part of having an autoimmune disease is coming to the conclusion that our lives will always be more difficult than others’.

We will not be able to do it all. We will have to rest, stay home, be still, avoid stress and eat a strict diet.

We will have to learn to depend on our own good choices and research. We will have to find out, by trial and error, what helps and what makes no difference.

We will have to be disciplined to keep our bodies in shape even when the thought of moving makes us want to cry.

We will have to patient when flares interrupt our plans, our dreams, and cause us to disappoint those we love.

We will have to find something greater to live for than health. We will have to learn to smile and move on when others tell us we just aren’t trying hard enough, or we are unwilling to be helped.

This life is hard. Autoimmune disease is one way the darkness of this world is revealed. Our world and our bodies are wearing out. We are beginning to understand the verse in the Bible that says all of creation is groaning, waiting for God to make everything right.

But that being said, we can persevere. Autoimmune disease is no excuse to curl up in a ball and give up on everything. Pressing against adversity is what makes us stronger, both mentally and physically. Our despair shouldn’t go on continually or become a habit. At some point we must pick ourselves up, claim God’s promises that he will sustain us and accomplish his purposes for us, and we must go on and defy the odds.

Some practical advice that is likely to do some amount of good: 

Eat God made foods. 

Eat in balance. 

Take rests from eating.

Drink water. 

Be in the sunlight and fresh air as much as you can. 

Move every day, and increase the intensity of your movement little by little. 

Find your passion. 

Be still and hear God’s voice, and tell him your every thought and feeling. 

Rest. 

Find ways to declutter your schedule and have more down time. 

Enjoy relationships and pursue what is inspiring. 

Make deliberate steps to avoid the stress and chaos of this overcomplicated and greedy society. 

Live for others. 

Show compassion and mercy. 

Wherever you are, ask what you can do to improve it.

Autoimmune disease probably won’t be cured without an act of God. But we can learn to exist anyway. To fully live. Don’t let it be an excuse that causes you to give up or become bitter.

What about you? Do you have any ways of coping with autoimmune problems? Have you found anything that helps? Share in the comments. And thank you for reading! I pray God’s best for you in this new year!

Five Goals for a Healthier and Happier 2020

Ah, the first week of January. When we look in horror at our Christmas pictures and realize we are not what we had thought. When we begin to appreciate how the end of the year can gradually dull our senses to healthy choices. When we realize we haven’t had time or energy to exercise in weeks. So out comes the notebook and down go the resolutions that we want with all our heart to keep.

One of my resolutions is to devote more time to this website. I’ve begun a new life in the country, and I am eagerly anticipating discovering the art of creating a more sustainable, more independent, healthier lifestyle based on simplicity, work ethic and learning to be still and hear God’s voice more clearly in such a frantic world. I plan to record my journey of this first year here for anyone who is contemplating similar goals.

I’ve made a few intentional changes I’m going to share with you in this post. This is a list of easy way you can begin to make different choices that will seem small, but over the years will cause an impact in our world – one you can be sure will make life just a little better for your children and grandchildren. These are goals I have already implemented and have found to be straightforward and doable. Even if you aren’t in a place to do all five, you could pick one or two to start. Any move forward is a step in the right direction.

But why do we want to become better stewards of our bodies and our world? Does it really matter what we do? Does God care about the way we take care of our bodies, our homes, our land?

The Bible says in Psalm 24 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (NIV). That means this world and all that it contains, and our very bodies and minds and souls belong to the God who created us. So it’s God who gets to say whether it’s okay for us to fill up a Texas-sized trash heap in the ocean or fill our bodies with all manner of convenience and junk food and irresponsibly made products. 

And do we really need to debate what God would rather for us? He gave us such a large and vibrant variety of plants and animals and materials with which to build our lives. What are we missing in settling for the easy substitutes? Even if it is just one small step at a time, I believe God is honored when we make progress back to his original design for us.

So here are ten ideas to get you started on your own journey to a more intentional existence:

1       REDUCE TRASH.

·       Recycle your recyclables. Most cities implement some kind of recycling program now. If you live in the country like I do and don’t have recycling pick-up, we found a recycling drop off two miles down the road at the fire station. We keep a big leaf-recycling bag next to the back door and throw all our recyclable material in it. Once in a while we throw it all in the back of the van and drive it down to the fire station. It isn’t a big deal when it becomes habit.

·       Try to buy things not contained in plastic. Buy a few reusable recycled bags at your grocery store and get in the habit of taking them with you every time. Choose your own fruits and veggies and put them in THESE REUSABLE NETTED BAGS. Our society uses a ridiculous amount of packaging for everything and anything, but be mindful of it. Check for places at Lowes, the library, the fire station or the grocery store that have drop offs for recycling things like plastic grocery bags or batteries. Once again, it’s just about making it a habit. If you can’t avoid it, at least try to reuse it. I reuse Aldi's deli meat tubs for other purposes, as well as jelly and salsa jars (to make my own.) I ordered a few of THESE REUSABLE ZIPLOC BAGS and I like them a lot. They’re easy to rinse out and hang over the teapot or the kitchen faucet to dry overnight.

·       Start a compost pile. I have THIS LITTLE BUCKET I keep under the kitchen sink to collect scraps. Things like paper towel and toilet paper tubes, egg cartons and cardboard boxes can be broken down and tossed into a compost pile. Egg shells, fruit and veggie waste, banana peels and coffee grounds are all great additions to make a compost pile of your own and save money on that compost you have to buy every year when you garden. In the country, it’s easy to find a corner to start tossing your compost, but you may have to be a little more creative in the city or a neighborhood.

·       Be more mindful of what you buy. Do you really need it? Will you use it long-term? Is there something you already have that might work in its place?

2       MINIMALIZE.

·       There is something freeing and truly wonderful in getting rid of the excess. When we moved, I was dismayed by all the junk we’d collected in twenty years. And when I really asked myself if it was necessary, I was able to part with quite a bit of stuff. I’m not where I want us to be yet, but I plan to spend this year carefully combing through every cabinet, shelf and closet and seeking out the things we don’t need that are cluttering our existence and keeping us from finding the truly useful possessions we have. Clothes you don’t wear, books you already read, kitchen appliances you never used, extra sheets, blankets, pillows, toys or décor you thought might come in useful at some point but it just never became necessary – these are the things you should part with. Take them to Good Will, have kidney services pick them up, sell them in a garage sale or ask around and find someone who can use them. You won’t miss them.

3       STAY HOME.

·       One of the things that makes our society so stressful and crazy is the fact that most of us don’t spend much time in our home. Between job and school and extracurriculars, church activities, doctor and dentist appointments, play dates, field trips, vacations, family visits, clubs, sports, entertainment and shopping, we can find excuses to be gone all day every day.

Are these bad things? Not necessarily, depending on our reasons for pursuing them. But can they take over our lives? For sure. You don’t necessarily need to follow a doctor’s or dentist’s schedule for visiting them. Remember, they are interested in the money they can make to sustain their business, so your health is not their only concern. You can find a more reasonable schedule that you are comfortable with, even if it means making routine visits less often and pursuing lifestyle and diet changes first when you notice a non-emergency problem creeping up in your body. Take responsibility for your health instead of being dependent on the system to stay healthy. Make conscious choices like exercise, moderation and balance in your diet and plenty of sleep and stress-relieving activities. You’ll find you need to go to the doctor less, and that time you save will be yours to spend in another way, maybe doing something at home to build a better environment for your family.

Consider only allowing your family to have one extracurricular activity going on at once. It won’t always work out, but kids don’t need to have constant activity to have a full childhood. They need to time to play, to be still, to be bored. Restricting their organized activities will be good for them, even as good as restricting their electronics time. Teach your kids how to be busy at home instead of constantly on the move.

Don’t be afraid to say no, even if an activity you’re being pulled into is a good one. Be choosy with the things you allow to steal the precious moments of your life. If something isn’t going to matter much in a few days or weeks or especially at the end of your life – don’t let it take too much time. If it must be done, learn to do it efficiently and as fast as you can, and try to multitask these activities together as much as possible. Delegate jobs to kids as well, even if they won’t do something as well as you would. They’ll get better with practice.

If you don’t have time every day to be still, to study God’s Word, to read, to be quiet and contemplate the world God has made for us, you’re too busy. These are the things God wants to be priorities in your life. Protect your time.

4      MEET NEEDS.

·       It’s easy to get stuck in our own world, do our own routine. We get so focused on our agenda we don’t see the people just outside our zone. Make a few intentional decisions to give your time, money, energy and compassion to those in need. Find a shelter in your area and sign up to help serve a meal. Volunteer at places like the Ronald McDonald House to do laundry or clean rooms. Make blessing bags to hand out to people with signs you may pass at stoplights. Join a mentoring program or volunteer to teach English to people who have moved to your area from other countries. Look around at your neighbors and see who might need a helping hand. Be others-minded, and willing to drop what you are doing to help someone else. The reward you receive for such acts of sacrifice is undeniable. You won’t be sorry.

5       PLANT A GARDEN OR AN ORCHARD.

·       There’s nothing like growing your own food. I’ve had a garden for years, but this year I’m excited to begin a bigger, more intentional garden to grow most of our vegetables and herbs for the year. Even so, a small garden still pays off. Not only do you have food you didn’t have to buy, you learn lessons by interacting closely with God’s creation, and you can teach kids how the elemental processes of creation actually work. This year I plan to have a lot of info about what it takes to get a garden going, so stay tuned. Beyond that, though, there are so many you tube and other resources out there. You probably won't have a question or roadblock you could come across that wouldn’t have an answer online or in a book (check your online library search system.)

      Want to start from seed? Check out Baker seeds or Ohio Heirloom Seeds. For planting trees, I've had great experiences with Stark Brothers.

So there are my five top ways to make some changes in your life for 2020. If you have other ideas, leave a comment to share them. If you have tried any of these and have tips to share, please do so!

I pray we will have a quieter, more intentional, more meaningful year and decade to come.

“That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”

– 1 Timothy 2:2-3

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