Dear Aurora

Dear Aurora,                                               March 7, 2014

Tonight, while I was knitting, your Daddy came in and asked what I was making.   

“A scarf?” he asked.  He loves scarves!
“Nope,” I grinned.
“A sweater?”
“Nope.”
“Socks?”
“Nope.”
“Gloves?”
“Nope.”  He’s not very good at guessing, is he?  Heehee.
“I give up.”
“A blanket,” I told him.  “I hope she likes it.”  (Isn't it pretty, pink and blue and purple?  All different colors, like an aurora in the sky.) 
“She?  Is there something you need to tell me?”
I giggled, knowing he would say something like that.  Ever since I’ve joked around about being pregnant, he’s been on high alert.  “No, silly.  I knew you would think that.  I’m just knitting this for Aurora because I can…and because I want to.”

My darling daughter, whenever God decides to bring you into our lives, I want you to know something.  Right now, as I write this, you have not even been conceived yet.  But, your Daddy and I have already picked out your name, and we are already looking forward to having you in our lives.  You are already precious to us.  You are already loved by us. 

I can only imagine that this is sort of what it was like for God before He created the world and us in it.  In the book of Jeremiah, God tells us that “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”  He knows everything about you.  He knows how many hairs you will have on your head, what color your eyes will be, what sorts of things you will like and dislike, even what every single day of your life will be like because He has already numbered them all for you.

God knows you and loves you more personally and intimately than anyone ever will…even more than your Daddy and me.  We hope and pray that as you get older you come to know how precious you truly are to Him and to us, and how much we desire to see you grow into a beautiful woman of God.

With love now and forever,
Mommy         

The Eyes

A match was struck.
A light in the darkness
To illuminate the fears
That haunted her past.

Something lurked nearby.
She tripped on a shadow.
Two eyes gleamed
In the candlelight.

She stifled her scream
With the lump in her throat.
"No," she wanted to say.
"You won't hurt me."

The eyes remained
As the shadows danced.
Could it be that the eyes
Belonged to fear itself?

The candlelight fizzed
And darkness enveloped
The girl in salvation.
The eyes couldn't hurt her.
February 27, 2014

~RDP copyright.

Made by Love, with Love, for Love

In light of the upcoming debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham, I’d like to use this post to re-share some thoughts that God placed on my mind.  

 

This morning, I was daydreaming, as I like to do, when I was struck by this epiphany: “Made by Love, with Love, for Love.”  As I thought about it more, I realized that the whole of our existence is summed up by this little phrase.  The more I meditated on it, the warmer and fuzzier and happier I felt inside. 

1)  We were made by Love – Love Himself created us: “God is love” (1 John 4:16), and “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27)!  Can you imagine it?  You yourself were thought out, crafted, formed, and set apart from everyone else on earth by the very hands of Love. 

2)  We were made with Love – “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).  In this verse, the word “fearfully” in Hebrew translates to “with great reverence, heart-felt interest, respect.”  This carries very much the same meaning as when we say, “Fear the Lord.”  It does not mean that we are afraid of Him; rather that we are in awe and have great reverence for who He is.  The word “wonderfully” means just that: “unique, set apart, marvelous.”

 

3)  We were made for Love – to love God and others (Luke 10:27); to be loved by Him, and to bring Him pleasure, for His glory.  We were made not to love ourselves and our empty passions but to love the One who made us, who is worthy of all our love and praise and worship.  We were made for His good pleasure – not that we are toys or objects of amusement; rather, that we were made to be in union with Him, in a relationship, and He desires for us to do so willingly, out of our love and thankfulness and reverence for Him, our Creator.        

Ladies and gentlemen, I say all this to encourage you and point you toward what truly matters:  Your beauty and worth in and to Christ.

Let me just clarify –

I didn’t always believe I was beautiful or worth anything.  In fact, for a long time, I believed the exact opposite – that I was worthless and ugly.

But God. 
But God pursued me.  Had He not, I would still be where I was.  “[I] love because He first loved [me].” (1 John 4:19)  And we can only love because He first loved us.        

For those of you who doubt or have yet to realize just how precious your life is, these truths are especially for you.

1)       Your life is a gift. 
God didn’t have to create you but He chose to out of love.  Every breath you take is a gift from Him.  “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”  (Genesis 2:7) 

  

2)    Your life is unique.
You are the only you that there will ever be.  You are uniquely set apart for His glory and special purposes.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11) 

3)    Your life is worth Christ’s.
Christ died to save you from your sins.  We have no hope, no life, apart from Him.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

To deny that there is any beauty in the world is to deny the handiwork of a Master Creator, deny the miracle of your own existence, and deny that your life has any purpose.

I am blessed beyond measure by God.  I have a family who loves me, friends who care for me, and an adoring man who treasures me for and helped me see the gift that I am.  That is more than I deserve, and more than I could’ve asked for.  

10 Things To Know About Me

1.  I don't believe aliens/extraterrestrials exist.

2.  I don't believe the world is older than 10,000 years.

3.  I don't believe in evolution or the big bang.  

4.  I don't believe life happened (or happens) by chance.  

5.  I don't believe abortion is right, under any circumstance.  

6.  I don't believe in superstitions, luck, random chance, or coincidence.

7.  I don't believe Christ followers should drink, smoke, or use drugs or foul language.

8.  I don't believe ghosts exist, although I do believe that demons could be responsible for what most people consider "ghostly" or paranormal activity.

9.  I don't believe you can live a homosexual lifestyle and be a Christ follower.

10.  I don't believe that dreams come true without diligence.

What Made Me Smile (Again) This Week

This week was my youngest brother Ben's birthday and, while I was writing a birthday message to him, I remembered the instance back in December that not only made me smile but I know must have made Jesus smile, too.  

I was at church helping the cast and crew of the Christmas play by painting a town scene for the backdrop of the set.  As I stood with my back to the kids (my 4 little siblings included) who had made half of the room their playground while the grown ups rehearsed and worked on more set details, I was privileged to overhear their conversation.  

Ben had brought a huge box of his toys (mostly cars) with him and two of his little friends were oohing and aahing over them.  "We're collecting old cars," one of them said.  I heard them dig through the box and then -CRASH - they dumped them all out on the floor.  I kept painting.

"Ooh, this one's cool," the other one said.

"You can have it," Ben replied.

"What about this one?" 

"You can have it," Ben said again.

The boys kept pulling out cars and talking about them.  Then Ben was asked about another car.  His response was slightly different but it melted my heart.

"I love that one...but you can have it."  (Italics for emphasis)

To hear a little boy so willing to give away one of his beloved toys so quickly, so easily, and without a second thought is so rare.  Usually my ears hear the all too familiar words, "That's mine!" and "No, you can't have that!"  Even some grown ups are so selfish and that selfishness is sinful human nature.  We are born with it.  We don't know how to be loving, how to be selfless, apart from God because God is love.  

For Ben to be so selfless with something he loves is of God.

And that, my friends, makes me happier than a smile can express.

eBook and PDF copies of The Darkest Years Volume 1

I have made an eBook version of The Darkest Years Volume 1 and it is currently on sale in my Blurb.com bookstore, here. 

As an eBook, it is only available on the iBooks app and is only viewable on Apple iPads, iPhones, and iPods. (Sorry, no Kindle editions yet!  I was disappointed, too!)  You will need iOS 7.0 or later to download the app.


There is, however, a PDF version that you can purchase and download as well, AND you can open it in Kindle!

Print copy $11.99

eBook copy $9.99

PDF copy $9.98

--> My Bookstore

Looking back on 2013 and Looking forward to 2014

Well, 2013, it's been real.  Today's your last day.  Tomorrow we start fresh with a new year.
Highlights of 2013:  

• getting married in March and honeymooning in the Bahamas for a week.  :) 
• welcoming a new baby nephew in May 
• watching Joe & Georgi get married in June
• visiting my family over the summer and swimming in their pool
• vacationing in Old Fort in August and geocaching for the first time
• self-publishing my first poetry volume in September
• moving to Tennessee in November
• celebrating our first Thanksgiving and Christmas as husband and wife

It's been a good but hard year.  But as hard and frustrating as it has been, I wouldn't change anything.

I've decided that a gluten-free diet isn't enough...I need something more - actually, something less.  I need an even more limited diet.  I need an organic, simple diet like the hunter-gatherers had.  My antibody levels for Celiac may have dipped back down into the normal range, but I still feel sick to my stomach sometimes, as well as lightheaded when I stand up too quickly and nauseous when I shouldn't have any real reason to.  I know there's a lot of damage that's been done to my gut from processed foods and toxins that are being snuck into foods that are being labeled as "safe" to eat (but they're not, of course!).  My blood sugar numbers spike continuously and sometimes drop unexpectedly.  I really do hope that a simple diet like the SCD Lifestyle diet can help me get a handle on my gut healing and blood sugar numbers.  It will involve cutting out grains, starches, and other high carb foods, meaning I will eat nothing but meat (fish, poultry, red meat, etc), veggies, fruits, dairy, and nuts.  Yes, that means no bread, cakes, pies, pasta, cereal, etc.   Not even the "gluten-free" kind.

I want nothing more than to start this new year with that goal first and foremost in my mind.  I've been drifting aimlessly for too long and I have nothing good to show for it.  I want 2014 to be the year that I stop drifting and pick up my paddle and start rowing with a purpose, toward the prize I can't yet see.    

I also want to write more this year.  More poetry, more novel-writing, more blog articles and posts.  I need to make more of an effort to get my "art" on paper.

I'm still trying to decide which direction to take this blog.  2013 proved to not yield the results I was hoping for and I'm honestly surprised about that.  "Don't Kill With Your Words" was my highest viewed post with 465 views.  None of my other posts came anywhere near that number.  As much as I appreciate the traffic, I'm hoping to see a more consistant viewership in 2014 regardless of my post topic.  I guess we'll just have to see what happens.  And once I figure out what to do with this blog, I'll have my answer.

Anyway, may 2014 bring the changes for which we're hoping and the answers which we're seeking.

God bless.

The Darkest Years Volume 1 now 25% off!

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The Darkest Years, Volume 1

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25% off discount lasts until December 31, 2013!  Get yours today!

(Was $11.99, now only $9.00!)

Researching an Old, Healthy Diet

Lately, I've been researching an old, healthy diet that I think I need to try.  No, it's not for weight loss, or weight management, or anything like that.  It's for the health of me and my body.  

Celiac disease has taken its toll.  Even being on the gluten-free diet, I still don't feel the way I know I should.  My stomach still gives me issues, my head aches and throbs for no apparent reason sometimes, and I'm less energetic than I know I can be.  

If you've read my household blog, www.gentleandquietlamb.wordpress.com, you know that I've been researching all natural skin care products, hair care products, and cleaning products, and I've been pleasantly surprised with almost everything I've tried in the past year.  It feels so good to be rid of those unhealthy, chemically-laden, cancer-causing, commercial products that plague our everyday lives.  What's worse is that they are being passed off as "good and necessary" things!   

While researching all the different products I mentioned above, I stumbled upon some articles about the additives (artificial flavors and food coloring, etc.) and carcinogens disguised as preservatives (BHT, BHA, etc.) they put into our foods (aka processed foods).  I couldn't believe that even some of the so-called healthy foods that we are being sold are filled with these sorts of things!  

A few days ago, my mom sent me an article about the same toxins being found in gluten-free foods (and even in higher concentrations than non-gluten-free foods) and, I admit, I was disheartened to hear that the diet I have been prescribed to follow is nothing but a basic surface diet.  It not only neglects to eliminate all of the contributors to my poor health, but it also deceives me into believing that gluten-free foods are "safe" when in reality, they may very well be even more toxic!  

It seems to me like it's a feeble attempt to keep Celiac patients hanging dependently on their doctor's every word.  We're supposed to trust the experts, aren't we?  At least, that's what we've been told to do because the experts know what they are talking about and have our best interest in mind.  

Yeah, right.  If that's true, why aren't they telling us to go on the Paleo diet?  

 

(Y'know, the way human beings used to eat, back before meals were packaged and sold to us in convenient little cardboard boxes?  I knew I admired the Native Americans for a reason.

• They exercised dominion over the animals and used every resource the animals had to offer so as not to be wasteful.  Every part had a use.

• They ate off the land and tended to the plants and fields surrounding their villages, the way God first commanded Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  

At the end of the article about the toxins found in gluten-free foods, there was a link to the author's research on the Paleo diet and I started looking into it for myself to see if it was something that might actually help me in my search for Celiac symptom relief.  I honestly have to say, I wish I had thought about food this way from the beginning.  

- If wheat nowadays is so heavily laden with chemicals and is genetically modified beyond my body's ability to digest, common sense would have me wonder about the genetic and chemical properties of all the other foods I eat on a daily basis! - 

What I found was incredibly encouraging, even though the concept was incredibly simple.  The Paleo diet is basically the hunter-gatherer diet.  It consists of things you can hunt or find, such as the following foods*:

• Meat - GRASS-FED, not grain-fed. Grain causes the same problem in animals as they do in humans.
• Fowl - Chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that (try to) fly.
• Fish - Wild fish, as mercury and other toxins can be an issue in farmed fish
• Eggs - Look for Omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables - As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.
• Oils - Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural.
• Fruits - Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.
• Nuts - High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.
• Tubers - Sweet potatoes and yams.  Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

That's the way our ancestors ate before processed foods came along.  You can read about it here (and I strongly encourage you to do so!):

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

(*Note: list taken from The Beginner's Guide to the Paleo Diet website)

 

The health benefits are for everyone, not just Celiac patients.  If you're living on processed foods like all the other obese, diabetic, and chronically ill people in America, how long do you really think your body can last without developing those same problems?  Our bodies weren't made to be nourished by fake foods.  Our bodies consist of delicate, sensitive vital organs, tissues, and cells which can only function properly with specific nutrients and dietary requirements that just aren't being advocated enough by national experts or doctors.     

The research is out there.  So, why aren't doctors recommending this diet when treating their patients?   

I don't know about you, but I think it's time I went Paleo.