It Is Well

Posted on June 8, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

Rest. Peace. Quiet. 
Some words that come to mind since my mom passed mid-May. Yesterday, the last day before leaving town for a few weeks, I went kayaking alone on a nearby creek. Normally I would have been a flutter with last minute cleaning and organizing, but instead I forced myself to paddle slowly, float a little and look around me.

Breathe. 
Pretty cool all the wildlife I saw as I rowed along. Usually hard to spot, turtles were right and left. Maybe it’s just taking the time to watch for them. They are surprisingly fast in the water! I wondered if they laugh at humans and how slow we are in their turf?

God amazed me with His intricate detail to creation… so many tiny things. Spiders that walk on water. Groups of minuscule gnats flitting and hovering in clouds just above the surface. Why did He do all this? I wondered if it was more fun to create these treasures or reveal them to humans?

I left refreshed. God is so big, yet He felt close and personal. He made a Universe and still had interest in small bugs.  He always seems to take the time with me when I stop and take the time for Him. 

May was a whirlwind of activity. We celebrated my mom’s safe passage to Heaven, 2 birthdays, a graduation, several graduation parties and the final days of school for 5 kids! Whew, my mom always said May stood for Mayhem.

Every death brings with it many details to be tied up… yet for now  my husband has planned an escape for just the 2 of us. He wants time with me and I agree it’s the best way for us to regroup and rejuvenate.

ForGlorySake! -Anna 

have fun!
Posted in Devotional, Practical Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

It is finished

Posted on May 23, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

Freedom! After a harrowing week of watching another of my parents slowly succumb to death’s tight cords, my mom died May 17th, 2015. I have been caring for her and my dad since before 2010.

Death, my dear reader, is not pretty. As I’ve said before, there was no dignity in what I saw (either time). Without the experienced aid of Hospice staff, I would’ve sunk into utter helplessness. It was a long slow wait for relief. And a great anticipation for Jesus to come and bring freedom.

As quickly as the last breath, joy came, and fresh air, and the beauty of knowing my mom was released from this world into God’s Glorious Kingdom! I wanted to cry because it had been a hard birth for her, but I also wanted to laugh, because just as a mother forgets the pains of labor in the face of their newborn… I couldn’t stop smiling knowing she was there and she was free!

That final week, I told her, her dying was the last labor she’d ever have to deal with. This was the biggie, she was the baby and Jesus was just on the other side to receive her. We were there only to assist as far as we could. She wasn’t able to speak at that point, but she squeezed my hand. She understood.

I think she did a valiant job and I’m so thankful she’s on the other side! With my dad, forever. Some may feel I’m lacking proper emotions for the death of a parent. Some have even said, what I’ve lost hasn’t hit me yet. They may be right. Only time will tell. But today, I have Joy overflowing for so many reasons!

My parents have run their race and finished well. They left us a good heritage and lots of laughter! They worked hard and provided us with a path to follow Home. We have fun memories and wonderful family connections (if not too many nicknacks). I have seen death face to face and KNOW for certain it is NOT the Victor! 

The Bible is right- Jesus Wins.

ForGlorySake! -Anna 

one of my favorites
Posted in Children, Devotional, Illness, Practical Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Death's Door

Posted on May 5, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

I’ve posted a lot about nutrition lately… it’s been good to have something else to think about besides my mom’s health. She’s been bringing us a lot of concern since December when she fell.

Rapid decline began when my dad died in February. We believed for several weeks following, that she might join him at any moment. She really wanted to! Our kids started to gather at her bedside every night telling her goodnight and goodbye.They thought they wouldn’t see her in the morning. However, another day came. Finally my husband had us stop ending the day in this manner. Just a goodnight is sufficient.

Waiting for someone to pass every evening, can be emotionally unhealthy. Life needs to continue, especially daily joys over things like growing up! We want our children to be blessed by this time, not over-burdened. It’s been such a unique and special privilege to house and care for my parents until they go home.

Now again, we find ourselves at death’s door (per Hospice), waiting and wondering what the next moment will bring; when to call the family and when to make arrangements. It could be any time, they say. Yet in the midst of this, there are birthdays and a learner’s license, a graduation and many other exciting future plans to be made.

I feel emotionally yanked back and forth -accompanied by physical pain. Downstairs is one world, upstairs is another. We take shifts. The only solid ground is in the LORD. He encourages me again and again to ask Him for wisdom, err on the side of mercy and find my peace and Joy in Jesus.  Many times throughout the day I run to Him for a refocus.

This has been considerably more than we ever bargained for, but we also pray it will be used in our children’s lives. Far more than I could ask or think, right? Until then, I’m testing the depths of God’s grace – I’m sure I haven’t reached bottom yet!

ForGlorySake! -Anna

spring
Posted in Children, Devotional, Illness, Practical Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Death's Door

Feeding Your Endocrine

Posted on April 28, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

How fascinating that we can help our bodies shed excess weight by eating instead of starving and over exercising. I love knowing that what I’m putting in my body has a benefit. It’s guilt-free nourishment! …And there are so many good things out there to try. It’s very important according to all the sources I read, to eat things in their most natural state. No salt, sugar, dyes or chemicals added. Nuts and dried fruit for instance, must be eaten Raw.

Recently I tweaked 2 of my favorite recipes to be more thyroid-friendly (Nutra Balls & Granola Squares). I eat these every day!

Nutri Balls (great before a workout): 2T. Sunflower Butter, 1T. *Flax, 1T. *Chia, 1T. Hemp, 1T. raw Sesame Seeds, 1T. chopped raw Pumpkin Seeds, 1T. chopped raw Almonds, 1T. Molasses, 2 chopped Dates, 1T. Yerba Mate Tea (run through coffee grinder), 2T. plain dried Coconut. 1T. chopped raw Cashews, 3 chopped raw Apricots. Mix. Roll into 12 balls- store in fridge. 63 calories each. *Grind the fax & chia seeds.

Granola Squares : 1C. Oats, 1/2 C. Coconut flour, 2T. ground Yellow Peas, 1T. *Flax, 1T. *Chia, 1tsp. Cinnamon, mix with: 2T. Molasses, 4T. Yacon Syrup, 3T. Sunflower Butter, 1T. coconut oil, 1T. Hemp oil, 1T. Maca Powder, 1T. plain dried Coconut, 1T. chopped raw Almonds, 1T. chopped raw Sesame Seeds, 2 chopped Dates, 3 chopped raw Apricots.  Press into a sprayed square pan. cook 350 for 15 mins. CUT into 16 bars. Store in fridge. 96 calories each. *grind the flax & chia seeds.

Besides these yummy treats, the thyroid craves Iodine and Selenium found in:
Flax seeds, Chia seeds, Hemp seeds (oil and protein), all Coconut, raw dairy products (haven’t been heated to 180*), hormone-free chicken, turkey, grass-fed beef, wild saltwater fish and seafood (shellfish), eggs (with yolk), seaweeds, almost all nuts especially Brazil nuts (2 daily) and all seeds (like sunflower & sesame), mushrooms (especially crimini), onions, winter squash, parsley, garlic, celtic sea salt, molasses, apricots, prunes, dates and all Gluten-free grains.

I learned Goitrogenic foods (ones that enlarge the thyroid and generally aggravate the gland), must be cooked: peanuts, peaches, pears, strawberries, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, mustard and mustard greens, turnip greens, radishes, rutabagas, pinenuts, millet, kohlrobi, linseed and cassava (known as Yuca, arrowroot, tapioca, manioc).

If you truly have a thyroid issue- there were just a few Goitrogenic Foods to avoid as they impede the bodies ability to absorb iodine: Sweet Potato, Bamboo shoots, Soybeans and soy related products, Canola oil, Horseradish, Bok Choy, any Gluten grains, Garden Kris, Tempeh, and Babassu. ***Caffeine, fluoride and plastics with PBA -as with all chemicals are considered aggravators as well.

Next time I’ll share more of my favorite recipes -like yummy Bean Burgers and my daughter’s Trail Mix. Until then, eat something healthy 🙂

ForGlorySake! -Anna

Yumminess!
Posted in Nutrition, Practical Life | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Feeding Your Endocrine

Fat Vegan

Posted on April 26, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

Three weeks ago as the warm weather arrived… I pulled some old shorts from my closet. I was horrified to find that that they didn’t fit! What??? I fluctuate a bit over the month :/ but have weighted relatively the same since my last pregnancy 13 years ago. I hadn’t been on a scale since my Dr. appointment last summer, so I decided to find one and jump on. Shock & dismay… 15lbs!!! How in the world can an exercising vegan gain 15lbs?!

I Googled “fat vegan” and surprisingly it’s a common topic. The more I read the more I realized my thyroid might be sluggish and of course I was to blame for not supporting its amazing functions. The thyroid is the seat of the metabolism and without getting too technical about it, we can eat to encourage all it is intended to do. Go Thyroid!!!

I set off on a quest reading about anything pertaining to health of the endocrine system, including all the receptors in the body that take our fabulous little hormones and convert them to fat burning tools. I’ll just say, without ANY crash dieting or extreme exercise, I’ve lost 13 of those unwanted pounds in about 3 weeks! Now that’s really crazy. This was solely my body doing what God designed it to do (stabilize) as I clear the path instead of building a roadblock!

Here’s how I began:

  1. Drink a mug of hot water and 2T. of lemon juice each morning, 1st off.
  2. Add a 50 Billion Probiotic daily to detox. Pricey, but really worth the money for at least one round.
  3. Eat 4 to 5, 300 calorie meals a day. This is what the thyroid likes best- small doses of nutrition at a time. Pick your own number of meals. My biggest help!
  4. Make sure each meal has about 3 oz of protein included. Yes, I’ve been eating hormone-free meat, fish, seafood or Yellow peas ground to flour which make an excellent protein powder. 
  5. Sprinkle food (even smoothies, etc.) with cayenne pepper. About 1/16 tsp daily.
  6. Add 1 T of Apple cider vinegar somewhere. I usually hide it in my smoothie.
  7. Search out strange and exotic Superfoods that stabilize blood-sugar, and naturally support thyroid function: Yerba Mate Tea, Maca Powder, Sacha Inchi Seeds, Yacon Syrup, Goji Berries. I ordered through Amazon. A little pricy, but only a little is needed each day.
  8. Drop the gluten, white sugar and caffeine from your diet. This was definitely the hardest. For the record, I  only cut-back on coffee! Do what you can 🙂
  9. Add in any coconut products. Coconut is another Superfood.  Coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut meat, coconut water, coconut flour, coconut sugar. Just count the calories!
  10. AVOID all raw Goitrogenic foods. This made the biggest difference for me! This list includes; kale, spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, mustard greens, cauliflower, millet cabbage, peaches, strawberries, pears, pine nuts, radishes, Bok Choy, cabbage, peanuts (ALL of these should be cooked).

Soy was the only Don’t Eat I could find… but there’s a lot on the Do Eat list: raw sunflower seeds, seaweed, eggs, molasses and 2 Brazil nuts a day! 

Here’s a link if you’d like to start your own research. [https://experiencelife.com/article/repair-your-thyroid/]

ForGlorySake! -Anna

Another great resource
Posted in Nutrition, Practical Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fat Vegan

The Three C's

Posted on April 13, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

For two plus years I gleaned information from a parent support group in conjunction with our son’s out-patient sobriety program. Every Thursday night different topics were discussed among parents. One in particular came up again and again – called The Three C’s – for parents.

  • We did not Cause it. -i.e. addiction issues.
  • We can not Control it.
  • We could not Cure it.

This came up so often because so many of us were riddled with debilitating guilt. Where we had gone wrong, what could possibly be done to correct the situation, and who might we get to fix it? Peace slowly came as we gave the whole issue over to God. Again and again, purposing to allow Him to do what only He could with our child. We learned to “Let Go and Let God”– a favorite Al-Anon saying.

With life as it is right now – caring for my Mom, who seems to be hanging onto life by a thread, and as life has been –my dad passing in February after suffering with Alzheimer’s for 3 plus years… I’ve been thinking a lot about those three C’s.

  • No one Caused their illnesses. So when decline happened and aging took over there was never any need for guilt. In this situation, someone had to take charge and neither my mom or dad brought the chaos of needing so much care.
  • No one can Control where this is going… but God. I have only to love and serve to the best of my ability (remaining conscious of my own well-being). Comfort and safety are all that are needed at this point – hard as it is to watch.
  • No one can Cure death, but Jesus. Who did, Hallelujah! I’m am forever grateful to my parents for planning ahead, not by paying for coffins and funeral plots, but with their firmly placed Hope in The Creator of the universe and His Son Jesus Christ.

There again, I have found peace in letting God have His way with His creation. I can blame Him for everything and thank Him at the same time. He understands my limited understanding, my frustrated circular thinking and the whole role-of-sin regarding sickness and death. I can trust Him, because He loves us wholly and completely. He even provided The Way to Him.

He is the best C, He is The Cure.

ForGlorySake! – Anna

Happy little nuts from our yard
Posted in Addiction & Recovery, Practical Life, Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Three C's

1 Thing for Me, 10 for You

Posted on April 3, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

As you already know I’m crazy about veggies! I’m about 90% Vegan with an occasional raw-sushi breakdown. Recently I was given the Book THRIVE by Brendan Brazier (professional Ironman Triathlete). It’s “the vegan nutrition guide to optimal performance in sports and life.”

Brendan is the creator of the VEGA health products (yumm). All I can say is it’s great info- great recipes! I’m learning much daily, which I love. He’s very generous with all he has learned, even giving out his recipes for VEGA’s drink mixes… so you can create your own at home.

I’m no triathlete, but I do exercise and I want the most out of my body and food. I measure on the lowest rung of  Thrive’s workout scale -based on length of time and difficulty, but I can truly say I feel more energy and am recovering faster from working out with his suggestions. It’s just a little something for me and I feel good about it.

10 things I’ve learned from THRIVE:

  1. Lower the ph in your body through foods – fight potential cancer. (Lists of “highly alkaline-forming food” are available on line.)
  2. Seed are amazing. Each offers a different benefit not to mention Amino Acids. Like: Flax-potassium, sesame -calcium, pumpkin -iron, sunflower -22% protein, hemp -35% protein.
  3. Almost all seeds and beans can be sprouted -as in a jar with water rinsed over them daily- after they have soaked over-night. Great on digestion of their nutrients.
  4. Appetite diminishes as the quality of food improves. This is so true it’s creepy. Eating nutritionally well, turns into eating less!
  5. If I have a fruit smoothie with pea protein powder, a BIG salad, a homemade energy bar and a couple of “fuel bites” daily -I’m doing well.
  6. A small pre-workout drink made in the blender (fruit, water, sea salt) and post work-out drink (fruit, dates, water, protein, good fat) really do help with recovery from exercise, keeping adrenal glands from becoming over-taxed.
  7. Flax seeds need to be purchased whole and ground at home in a coffee grinder/stored in the fridge. Add a little to everything.
  8. Soaking nuts (pumpkin & sesame seeds too) makes them even more nutritious.
  9.  Fuel bites are yummy and keep low blood-sugar away. I’ve been making these for years: 1/2 C. almond butter, 1 C. oats, 2T: flax, sesame & sunflower seeds, agave (sweetener) and chopped dates (dried fruit), 1 T. coconut oil. Roll into balls- store in fridge.
  10.  Energy bars (by Ann Machel) are: 2 cups of oats, 1 cup amaranth flour, 2 Tbl. flax and chia (ground), 1 tsp. cinnamon, MIX with: 1/2 cup Agave or honey, 1/2 C. almond butter, 2 Tbl. coconut oil, 2 cups total various raw nuts, seeds, dried fruit! Press into a sprayed pan. 350 for 15 mins. CUT into bars. Store in fridge.

Ok, the last 2 are variations of Mr. Brazier’s recipes. His are similar. It’s all good stuff and since you’re one of a kind, why not eat something healthy?

ForGlorySake! – Anna

Thrive!
Posted in Nutrition, Practical Life | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on 1 Thing for Me, 10 for You

Break of Dawn

Posted on March 17, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

The truths are there. All through scripture God tells us He’s in our midst, reminding us again He will help and He does rescue. So what’s the crisis? …I’m wearing out. I’m so tired. How sad if I give out on the last stretch; give up at the final mile. I’ve been warned again and again, care-givers can lose their compassion… Help!

This hasn’t been every second. Somedays, I wakeup refreshed and ready, only to wear thin by noon or evening. Other days, it’s like dragging through oatmeal all day long, talking myself out of running away. Shocked? Don’t be. I’m told it’s quite normal and… I haven’t followed through… yet.

What we have chosen to do here (care for parents in-house) is not revolutionary, only recently people had other options. But I will never claim it’s easy and I certainly won’t be shy in sharing our struggles so others can make clearly informed decisions about their own parents. Worth it? Yes. Easier? No way. For sure, without Crossroads Hospice, I would’ve drowned.

Hope For The Caregiver by Peter Rosenberger, recommends tips for caregivers.

The 1, 2, 30 plan:

  • 1 -thing a week just for me!
  • 2 –weeks a year of some “vacation” (or 1 day a week OFF for a year =2 weeks)!
  • 30 –minutes of laughing a day!

Be aware of FOG: Its normal, get support.

  • Fear
  • Obligation 
  • Guilt 

God’s GPS will guide us:

  • His Grace covers us,
  • His Purpose pushes us to continue
  • He will bless our efforts to be good Stewards

God is in the midst of her, she shall, not be moved; God shall help her just at the break of dawn. Ps 46:5

ForGlorySake! -Anna

Dawn
Posted in Devotional, Illness, Practical Life | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Break of Dawn

ME, MYSELF-ish I

Posted on March 14, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

Life has changed. It’s different without Papa here. My mom is sad and despondent  She is angry and unsettled. Can I blame her? She is mostly angry he left her here alone. They have never been apart like this… without any contact.

The other night she dreamed he came to see her. He “woke her up rummaging in the dresser for socks, he could not find a matching pair.” He asked if she’d “like to go with him.” She responded she didn’t think it was time yet. They talked about heaven- how there were people there he was surprised to see… and people he thought that would be there, but weren’t.

Food for a lot of thought.

She told me the whole conversation very clearly, so I wrote it down. I asked what she had been wearing and if she had stood up without support? Not something she can do now. Surprised, she said, yes, she was standing and wearing her old blue robe 🙂 Today she has decided that she can not walk, so we are using the wheelchair for a stroll.

There is less to do and yet still I feel tired and pulled and impatient to sit and be still. I struggle with accepting her criticism and anger. I constantly need reminding that there is much involved with grief. My mom does not want my father’s “helper” to come again. Hospice would like to assist, but she tolerates only one particular nurse and then… it’s occasional.

Tolerance is low, so we whisper and cancel anything unnecessary. The hospital bed, she demanded we move, must stay says our nurse. She is encouraging mom to give it a try. I see she’s thinking about it. They are good with giving her choices.

There is grace with love.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. We love each other because He loved us first. ‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭11&19‬

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. ‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬

ForGlorySake!– Anna

… in my mud shoes 🙂
Posted in Devotional, Poetry, Practical Life | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on ME, MYSELF-ish I

Surprised by Snow!

Posted on March 5, 2015 by For Glory Sake!

What a surprise! The end of February brought snow to north Georgia. We were all so excited at even the prediction. Then the flakes began to fall and it was just incredible. Because it’s rare, its so fun… at least that’s what my friends who live up north tell me.

We caught flakes on our tongues and made tiny snowmen, threw rocks on the frozen lake, got good and cold and drank lots of hot chocolate!  Just the break everyone needed. Something different, something happy. Even if there always seems to be a lack of waterproof gloves!

It melted quickly, but no group could have appreciated the fun more. Such a reprieve and a beautiful sight. I was reminded again that in just a moment of time, all things can be made new.

God is full of surprises, and mercy, and fun. He is in the business of blessing His children, and we have been so very blessed.

Thank You!

ForGlorysake! – Anna

Posted in Children, Devotional, Practical Life | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Surprised by Snow!