All posts by A Labour of Love

My name is Sherry and I am a stay at home mom of two, wife to my husband of 20 years, daughter, granddaughter, sister and aunt. My delight in this life on earth is serving a God who knows my weaknesses and guides me through each day. I have recently been diagnosed with Lymes disease and am determined to get my life back on track. I am determined to be able to move my legs and feet as I once could, to be able to regain back my energy level, and to continue to strive to be the Proverbs 31:10-31 woman. My goal is to beat this disease so that I will be the Titus woman to my daughter and those who need me in the future. I hope that you find this blog to be a blessing to you. Thanks for stopping by.
memories, Why?

Beauty or Truth? You decide…

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Proverbs 4:7  The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,and whatever you get, get insight.

Ecclesiastes 7:12  For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

We recently returned from another Highland Festival gathering which took place once again in Canada.  We decided to take an additional few days before the games to take a tour of the north eastern part of Canada since we were going to be so close.  So off to Quebec City we drove.  There is so much to share about our trip, yet one part of it continues to haunt my thoughts and is something I have been praying over for the last week.

When I began writing this blog, my earlier posts had a theme of “why”?    I thought it would be interesting to write in that direction, however, many other things popped up that had me writing and sharing outside of that why box.  Well, I have over the last week continued to pray about and ask why about one small hour in time that took place on our trip.   I know and am very aware that this subject could be a hot point and am not certain how many will continue reading once I get to my point, however, I certainly hope that more will at least consider that this is me asking why and maybe they will consider my question and God’s truth on the subject.  After all, 2Timothy 3:14-16 says “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

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On our country tour of Quebec City, we were taken to St. Anne’s Basilica, or as the French call it Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine.  My first why was questioning “shrine”.   In the dictionary this is how they describe shrine: a building or other shelter, often of a stately or sumptuous character, enclosing the remains or relics of a saint or other holy person and forming an object of religious veneration and pilgrimage.   My second question was more of a “who” rather than why.  Who was St. Anne?  On the tour bus we had the explanation given through our tour guide describing her as the mother of the virgin Mary.     Now comes the third question, why is the mother of Mary a saint?  Well, saint in the dictionary reads as such: any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, especially by canonization.  Did she lead an exceptional life?  Her name is not listed in the bible and from what I researched it is only listed once in the middle of the second century in the apocryphal Protevangelium of James.  Everywhere I looked for information about Anne, there were different stories and legends about her life.  From her being barren and sharing the same story as Hanna and Samuel, to her being married once to her being married three times and having three daughters.   I repeatedly found the word “tradition” used when describing her and her importance. Making me wonder what the definition of tradition was: a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom)
b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable.

Ah, definition b. is where I see the bigger picture. “Commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable.”  With such inconsistencies,  no clear biblical explanation into her importance, why is she a saint? It must be obvious at this point I am not catholic.  I do not understand praying to someone other than directly to the Lord in the name of Jesus.

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Back to the trip…off through the country’s winding roads and small towns we went to see a shrine dedicated and named after a woman who is a part of history yet whose name is not even in God’s holy scriptures.  The driver went on to explain that St. Anne was prayed to for healing and that people have hobbled into the basilica crippled and walked out leaving canes and crutches behind.  As I sat uncomfortably in my seat, knowing that my body is riddled with spirochetes and various other infections, I was no longer concerned over my own health, yet was concerned over the spiritual health of those who pray to someone other than Christ.  I began to pray  for the miracle of His divine power to change the heart.  I began praying for all of those who ooed and awed at the thought of seeing the basilica, seeing her hip bone under glass, and their praying to “St. Anne”.  I asked Christ directly to show those who did not know Him to be shown Him.  Just as my peace and healing has come from prayer directly to Christ himself, they too can feel healing if they only knew Him.

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Exiting the bus, it was hard not to breath deeply at the beauty of such a towering “shrine”.  It certainly was beautiful from the parking lot, and from the road.  I took a great number of pictures of the beautiful windows that the suns rays shown through, and the enormous copper doors which a local man had made.  However, as I studied the sculpture above the door as we entered in, I was wrought with sadness.  Sadness at seeing a woman (St. Anne) portrayed as an idol by those who were bowing down before her.  (I tried for 3 hours to download the picture, not sure why it will not upload.)  Why?  Her name is not listed in scripture, she is not the reason for Mary’s immaculate conception, her history is sketchy at best and there is no history of her doing anything spectacular other than being a mom to someone else who was an important part of history.  Bus loads and car loads of people unloaded to go into the basilica and pray to her.  There was even a campground across the street and a small building behind the church to buy your souvenirs.   Why pray to her?  Scripture tells us even in the old testament prayers were lifted to either the creator of the earth, our Lord God Almighty, or to man made idols.  So, since we know she herself is not God, does that make her an idol?  After all, people make pilgrimages to her basilica where miracles of healing are proclaimed and they pray to her.

The following prayer was found laying out for people to read and use in their prayers.  (Please note 1/2 way down the page under Before a relic of Saint Anne, second paragraph..)

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It must be mentioned that the Catholic Church in 1677 condemned the belief that Anne also participated in the immaculate conception of Mary.  Another why… why then is this prayer sitting in a Catholic Church dedicated to a woman who is not listed in scripture enticing people from all over the world to visit and to pray to her?

1 Timothy 2:3-6  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

I know that the answer falls back onto the shoulders of those who taught such ideas, as well as tradition.  Tradition passed down from generation to generation.  It is possible however, to be the one person to break with tradition and begin reading scripture as God intended for us to do.  We no longer live in an age where all we have is personal reflection and stories passed down due to the lack of writing and paper.  We have bibles in our stores, churches, hotels and prayerfully in our homes.  We have internet, Bible aps and ipads.  If one begins reading them and praying directly to the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ one may find wisdom.  As Christians we need to ask hard questions when something doesn’t seem right in the teaching of the scriptures.  If people do not know truth, how will they know Him?

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

To the reader that has read all the way through, thank you.  Thank you for pondering with me the questions which need to be asked.  I hope that you will continue to read the scriptures below and listen to the following sermon posts on the first two commandments so you may understand my concern for those who pray to anyone other than Jesus Christ.

I titled this post Beauty or Truth?  because I think it’s another pondering question.  Would you rather have a beautiful sanctuary with gold and silver relics and copper doors or would you rather have truth?  I would rather have truth.

Who should we pray to:

John 14:13  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.  

John 14:14
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

(Please note that the Father in this text is God, not the local priest or pastor.)

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Let us remember:

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

6″I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.
8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
17 “You shall not murder.
18 “And you shall not commit adultery.
19 “And you shall not steal.
20 “And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 “And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

Jeremiah 18:15
But my people have forgotten me;
they make offerings to false gods;

Zechariah 10:2
For the household gods utter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

Jeremiah 10:1-15

Idols and the Living God

10 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord:
“Learn not the way of the nations,
nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens
because the nations are dismayed at them,
3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity                                                                          A tree from the forest is cut down
and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.
5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,
and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried,
for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
neither is it in them to do good.”
6 There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.
7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.
8 They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction of idols is but wood!
9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is violet and purple;
they are all the work of skilled men.
10 But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”
12 It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
cand he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
14 Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
hand there is no breath in them.
15 They are worthless, a work of delusion;

 

I hope that you will consider listening to these two sermons on the first two commandments.  Very thought provoking.

http://crbc.us/media_events/953-The-First-Commandment

http://crbc.us/media_events/954-The-Second-Commandment

 

For more information on biblical teaching of the commandments, visit CRBC.us.

Menus / Recipes

Pizza Anyone?

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One thing I miss about eating gluten free and rice free is pizza.  On occasion I will eat a gluten free pizza however, due to the rice flour I usually pay for it.  One of my friends suggested a crust made out of zucchini.  Since I have an abundance, I gave it a try.

The crust was yummy and the pizza definitely hit the spot.  I have to yet figure out how to be able to hold it, although using a fork was just fine.

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Zucchini Pizza Crust

Shred zucchini and sprinkle with salt in a bowl.  Let sit for about 30 minute until the zucchini has lost much of its liquid.   I used about 2 cups which made a huge pizza.

Cut up some garden fresh basil, pineapple, prosciutto, onion, mushroom, olives, spinach, goats cheese, and another cheese of choice.

When the liquid is drained out of the zucchini, add in two eggs, 1 – 1 1/2 cups of Almond Flour, and a dash of salt.  Mix well.  Spread out on a heated pizza stone that has been sprinkled with GMO free organic corn meal and bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned.  Once the crust is browned, add your tomato sauce and toppings and bake another 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until cheese is bubbly and vegetables and prosciutto are cooked to desired tenderness.

Cut, plate, serve and enjoy!  🙂

 

 

Following in Faith

Past vs. Present

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I admit it, I’m a bible thumper.  I enjoy being in church and when we travel I miss fellowship with those who are dear to my heart, my church family.  I enjoy learning about the history of the gospel, the truth of God’s Word and the approach of which we should all be living out our lives if we are truly sheep of His flock.  I am continually held accountable through conviction of my own sins and am blessed by the knowledge that I will never be perfected in Christ until my redemption through death.

I remember the day I sought out His will for my life and that of my unborn child.  The day I wept in prayer seeking forgiveness for a life spent looking for happiness and “fun”.  Oh, it has been a journey and sanctification can be long and sometimes difficult.  Attending a world wide bible study with over 17 denominations, yes there are many, I learned about reading the bible and how to study scripture.  I learned about how to be a wife and a mother as God intends, a friend, a servant and a daughter to an almighty sovereign Father.  I learned about forgiveness and the blessings that follow and learned about the toll bitterness can take on one who does not seek it.   I have been encouraged in times of trouble, I have been comforted in times of darkness, and I have listened hearing words spoken that I had not before understood.  I remember feeling as Saul must have felt when the scales were removed from his eyes and he became a servant.  I felt as if I had been blind and was finally seeing colors and shapes as they had never been seen.  Things have over the years become clearer and the journey has not been easy.  Taking me from being a nominal christian in the worship of several different denominational churches where my stirring heart to hear truth in a way I could not explain was not satisfied, to the community of which I call home.  A community of like minded believers that see things as I see them.  Where truth comes from God’s most holy word, through teaching that is scripturally sound and thoroughly studied.  Christ has led this sinful mind, body and soul to a place of humbling grace surrounded with unconditional love and forgiveness.  I praise God that I have been led out of darkness and into the light.  I praise Him for His continued watchful eye over my family, grabbing hold the hearts of my husband and children so that generations will share in His kingdoms glory, serving Him together for an eternity.

As we sat in church this morning, I once again felt that society needs to hear truth.   Truth spoken from a pulpit that does not focus on “bringing in the numbers” by pleasing the people, yet a pulpit that seeks to honor the Father on His day with truth from His own book.  Do people really understand why we have the family platform we have?  Do they understand that it was not a man made concept that just took off in tradition?  How many people understand that the bible is the most widely read book in the world?  What is taught on Sundays and any other day of the week for God’s faithful should not just be left at the door step of the building as they leave, it should be carried through out their week and taken seriously.  Hell is real.  Heaven is real!  (And no, I do not watch movies that try to tell me it is, I know it because I read it in God’s spoken word in the scriptures and I feel it in my heart.)  We live in a corrupt world of deception that tries to destroy families and what they stand for.  We as believers in truth and followers of Christ need to stand up for what we believe in and teach our children to be strong in their faith, protecting the Word as God would have us.  He will overcome!

Therefore, I am posting today’s message spoken from the pulpit.  This is a subject dear to my heart as I teach my children about marriage, expectations in relationships and the honor and glory commitment is to our almighty sovereign God.  To Him be the glory!

I pray that you are blessed by the message and that you will be given the ears to hear it as God intends.  If you are a sinner seeking forgiveness, I pray that this gives you hope.  If you are a parent, I pray that it gives you a clearer vision into the scriptures to teach your children.

Please read these first and then listen to the audio.   (If you do not own a bible, please google the verses in ESV.)

Psalm 30:2-3,  Proverbs 5:1-14,  Ephesians 5:22-33 and Exodus 20:14

http://crbc.us/media_events/976-The-Seventh-Commandment

(Courtesy of CRBC.us, and with permission to post.)

 

memories

A Mothers Joyful Heart

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Psalm 127:3 (ESV)   Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

I can still remember the feeling of my children when I was pregnant for them.  I remember the movement they would make, the hiccups that kept them jostling around in  consecutive rhythm, and the elbow or knee that would poke out under my rib that kept me from being able to bend forward.  I remember the glorious feeling that God had chosen me to be their mom on this earth.  That he chose me to carry two of His children so that I could raise them up in His word and teach them what I know of Him.    What a blessing, what an honor.  

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)  Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

My daughter and I had the opportunity to spend some time together a week ago leaving the boys home to meander doing “boy stuff”.  The true test of how much I am healing.  From not being able to drive at all, to driving the 8 hours one way to our home away from home.  The drive back home 4 days later was more of a challenge, yet we made it safely and the memories of our time together will be a blessing for many years.

We cooked, shopped, took apart old watches and made bracelets out of the gears, and began working on quilts from the material we found at the quilt store.  We also drove around one day with our cameras and took some photographs of nature and the beauty that God provides.  I think many people go through their days not noticing what is around them.  Not us, we embraced the moment with two lenses, one lens being the eyes of youth and the other being the eyes of age.  We laughed and discussed how glorious God is that he has found favor in us to have given us the ability to see beauty in the things around us.   From the flowers blooming in the garden of a older woman, to the trees in the forest lining the road way.  We saw deer, a skunk, an eagle, and the black squirrels jumping from limb to limb playing tag.  Our weekend was not short of excitement.

My highlight was spending time with my daughter, and watching the doe with her fawns that visited our yard each day.  Sometimes more than once.  At one point I opened the upstairs window to capture a clear shot and I heard one of the fawns honk as he/she communicated with his/her mom.  I nearly cried.  I watched as mom looked in all directions before she led her babes across the street, and watched as she led them to the greenery teaching them to forage for food.  I also watched the babes chase one another around the yard jumping and running at full speed.  It was beautiful and for a moment I felt a connection with the doe.  We were both teaching and spending time with the blessing of our womb.

I hope that you find favor in the site of the Lord and that you can see the beauty that is around you.  No matter where you are, what you are doing, what affliction tries to carry you away, I pray that you can and will cry out for the eyesight to notice the creations of the Lord.  Enjoy the pics, we sure enjoyed taking them.

 

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And the surprise out my bedroom window at 5:30 a.m.

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Big, fluffy white coat and a tail that swirled and swayed as he ran into the woods (when I tried to take the screen out to get a better picture) … If only it didn’t smell!   🙂

 

Menus / Recipes, Why?

Healthy Meal Idea

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A friend of mine recently wrote about her Strawberry Mango Salsa and I was drooling.  Okay, not literally drooling, I was salivating in thought.   It reminded me of a salsa that I used to make years ago, allowing a few summers to pass without it blessing our table.  So, while my daughter and I were away we decided to make fish tacos with our Mango Salsa.  We’ve now enjoyed two meals with it.  🙂

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Mango Salsa

2 ripe organic Mangos

1/2 organic yellow sweet onion

1 small organic red pepper

1 bunch organic cilantro

2 garlic stalks

Chop all of the above and put into a bowl.

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Add:

1/2 tsp. Organic Balsamic vinegar

1 TBS. Lime juice

1 TBS. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 TBS. Coconut Sap

Salt

Mix all ingredients well, cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

The fish I used was a thick white fish (any that are wild caught).  I cut them into squares and seasoned them, placing them into a cast iron pan with coconut oil.  I cooked them just until they were done.

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We loaded the fish into the taco shells (organic is best), then added fresh cut organic red cabbage and placed the mango salsa on top.

The following day we broiled some Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon with some dill and placed it over a bed of garden fresh lettuce with a sliced avocado and some 6 bean salad.  Who needs dressing for the salad when you have Mango Salsa.  🙂

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Gardening, Lymes, Menus / Recipes

Health and Healing, Dinner Part 3

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There is nothing like dinner on the porch with the whole family enjoying fresh wholesome foods sharing their thoughts on their day.  Tonights dinner was soup and salad.  If your like my family you are likely saying to yourself, “Soup?  It’s summer…soup is for winter and cool weather.”  My son and my husband both had this look on their faces as if I had 10 eyes when I told them soup.  I have to tell you that at the first bite they both were delighted and enjoyed what they thought was going to be a mistake of a meal.  So, here it is:

Asparagus Soup (Sherry version)

1/2  Large yellow onion, chopped

4-6  Yellow, Red and Orange Sweet Peppers, chopped

2 Center stalks of Celery, chopped

2-3 Bouquets of fresh asparagus

Sautee vegetables in 2 TBS butter or coconut oil.
Sautee vegetables in 2 TBS butter or coconut oil.
Add Asparagus and sautee until tender.
Add Asparagus and sautee until tender.

When vegetables are tender, add fresh parsley, thyme and sage from the garden.  I also added 1 TBS garlic, 1/2 TBS sea salt and pepper to taste.  Stir all together and add:

1 Quart of fresh homemade beef broth (cook down soup bones with water and 1 TBS apple cider vinegar)

Add also either 8 oz. milk or coconut milk.  Simmer until all vegetables are cooked down and liquid is hot.  Then I use an immersion blender and make sure all of the vegetables are broken down so the soup is not chunky.  I then let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

For the salad, we picked fresh green out of the garden tower, added fresh grape tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and cut up turkey breast.  I added an Organic Creamy Ceaser dressing.

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Just a note:

Asparagus is a great source of Vitamins A, C, E & K, chromium, glutathione, and is a natural diuretic.

Lymes, Menus / Recipes

Health & Healing Part 2, Lunch

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What could be better than leftovers?  For lunches we either make salads, nachos, or eat leftovers.  Sometimes the kids will make a sandwich if we have turkey.  Above is an example of a tasty lunch from some leftovers.

Cut up organic veggies leftover from the weekend at the Highland Games, a cup of hummus (organic individual cup from Costco), Organic 6 bean and onion salad, and a leftover grilled chicken breast with some raw honey mixed together with a little mustard.

The kids and I also like to make taco salads, homemade chicken caesar salads, homemade soups, and once in a while a gluten free, rice free tuna pasta salad with veggies.  The possibilities are endless if you stock your fridge with fresh healthy whole foods.

My afternoon detox / energy drinks are either homemade Kombucha and/or my recent concoction of Young Living Essential Oil’s Ninxia Red (2 oz), 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 TBS raw honey, juice from 1/2 squeezed lemon and 6-8 oz. coconut water.  Mix and drink.

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Nutrition does not need to be expensive or difficult.  I hope that you too can find healing from some of God’s most natural healing foods.

 

Lymes, Menus / Recipes

Breakfast, Health and Healing Part 1

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Over the years I have been amazed at the food choices some people make.  I have had acquaintances with women who are skinny as rails, spend hours in the gym, go home and eat 1/2 of a chocolate cake.  I’m not kidding!  I on the other hand can spend hours at the gym, eat salads 3 meals a day and gain weight.  I’m serious!

With Lyme disease, I have found it so painful at times and the exhaustion so extreme that cooking anything seemed daunting.  I know I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I praise God for a husband and children who love me enough to take over the “mom” duty of cooking over the last year.  They not only cooked, they also prepared healthy meals following the directions I’ve given them over the years.  Even as teenagers, their rebellion  against food is usually against the bag of organic gluten free cereal.  They are becoming more and more against cereal and enjoy their eggs, yogurt and a pancake once in a while.  You could say they typically complain if it’s not cooked or prepared just prior to eating.

Research after research shows how unhealthy our food choices are in this country.  We have GMO’s and many other toxins in our water, vegetables, meats and fish.  So what is one to do?  Learn, read, study and educate yourself.  I am quite confident that my own battle with Lyme disease and all of it’s wonderful co-infection friends will only be won if I stay on track and continue to try to build up my body with nutrition and not give in to the foods that can make my mouth water at the name or smell.

Since I had the B12 shot, changed my meds around, and made more significant changes in my meal choices,  I have been increasingly finding myself better each day.  I have moments of fatigue, so I rest, I have moments of pain, so I evaluate my diet or activity level and I make more changes.  I thought I would share what a typical day of my diet looks like, since it only changes slightly.  Today, we will start with breakfast.

A pint of juice from fresh vegetables provided by my own garden and our local CSA that is now in full swing.

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Now, I began juicing each day broccoli, kale, spinach, carrots, celery and cucumbers.  I felt great about 2 weeks into it and then I crashed.  I learned from a friend who is in the medical field and who also has health issues of her own that if one is hypothyroid caution should be taken with cruciferous vegetables.  It dawned on me that I had read that early on in my diagnosis of adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism a number of years ago.  So, I read up on what is safe to eat and for the last two weeks I have once again been feeling that my energy is better.   I am quite certain that the nutrients released out of the fiber has helped my body regain the vitamins and minerals it needs to help heal itself.  When I have to miss a day, I certainly feel it.   Here is my daily juicing recipe (all organic):

bunch of celery – Known to be an antioxidant, helps with inflammation, contains Vitamin C, B1, B2, B6, and also potassium, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and many amino acids.   Some caution is taken due to the sodium content in celery.

1/4 large cucumber – aids in digestion, helps with hydration, has been found to fight cancers, is also a good source of  the B Vitamins

 beet greens – vitamins C,  A, and K, protein, phosphorus, zinc, fiber, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, iron

organic pre-cooked beets – lowers blood pressure, fights inflammation, Vitamin C, minerals, detoxifies

carrots – beta carotene, Vitamins A, K, C, calcium, potassium, copper, B6, folic acid thiamine, magnesium

cilantro – detoxifying, phytonutrients, antioxidant, is used as an anti-septic, fungicide, aids in digestion, has Vitamins A, C, K and B as well as calcium an potassium

swiss chard – used as an antioxidant, beta carotene, Vitamins E, C, zinc, lutein, also helps in regulating blood sugar levels and is a good source of calcium

dandelion greens – Vitamins K, C, B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, zeaxanthin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper

1 lime – Vitamin C

I also eat a gluten free, rice free Glutino English Muffin.  Toasted twice, and on both halves I put 1 TBS each of Coconut Oil.  Then I sprinkle Maca Powder on one half with an organic soaked and dried nut butter on top.  The other half gets a TBS of my raw honey.

This mornings addition was left over Avocado Cucumber salad.  Consisting of:

Sliced and de-seeded cucumbers, avocados, fresh chives chopped up, fresh garden cilantro chopped finely, and two limes which I cut in half and squeezed on top.  Add a little salt  and stir.  The family like it and it was so healthy.  I was glad there was some for breakfast.

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Gardening, Household Helps

Sherry Sherry Quite Contrary, How does your garden grow?

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A Girl’s Garden

Robert Frost (from Mountain Interval, 1920)

A neighbor of mine in the village
Likes to tell how one spring
When she was a girl on the farm, she did
A childlike thing.

One day she asked her father
To give her a garden plot
To plant and tend and reap herself,
And he said, “Why not?”

In casting about for a corner
He thought of an idle bit
Of walled-off ground where a shop had stood,
And he said, “Just it.”

And he said, “That ought to make you
An ideal one-girl farm,
And give you a chance to put some strength
On your slim-jim arm.”

It was not enough of a garden,
Her father said, to plough;
So she had to work it all by hand,
But she don’t mind now.

She wheeled the dung in the wheelbarrow
Along a stretch of road;
But she always ran away and left
Her not-nice load.

And hid from anyone passing.
And then she begged the seed.
She says she thinks she planted one
Of all things but weed.

A hill each of potatoes,
Radishes, lettuce, peas,
Tomatoes, beets, beans, pumpkins, corn,
And even fruit trees

And yes, she has long mistrusted
That a cider apple tree
In bearing there to-day is hers,
Or at least may be.

Her crop was a miscellany
When all was said and done,
A little bit of everything,
A great deal of none.

Now when she sees in the village
How village things go,
Just when it seems to come in right,
She says, “I know!

It’s as when I was a farmer——”
Oh, never by way of advice!
And she never sins by telling the tale
To the same person twice.

Weekly Update:

The garden tower is providing our lettuce, spinach, bok choy, swiss chard, cabbage, kale and soon our fennel.

 

 

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The beans and peas are growing taller by the day and will soon provide a welcome addition to our table.

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The tomatoes and tomatillos are growing taller and I had to put in the tomato cages.  I’m hoping they hold up to the weight since they are not in the ground.  Surprisingly the ph is staying within range even with all of the rain.  I like this kind of gardening.  🙂

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They survived the strong storms, high winds and hail the last few days.  The old garden holding the radishes, onions, carrots and beets is already providing radishes for our salads.