I am so excited and grateful to be a part of this. Bodie Hodge has a new book coming out and it is something every Christian should read. Lots of scripture, too, which I greatly appreciate. Check it out here:
War On Christmas
I have one weird friend who doesn't put up a tree, doesn't exchange presents with anyone. A real grinch, right? That is what I thought at first. I was even guilty of giving her a hard time about it. I really did not understand. However, her defense is that all the celebrating that is done has nothing to do with Christ. Whoa. That was a blow.
I adore putting up the Christmas tree. We take a picture nearly every year of our son topping the tree with the star. I reverently unwrap each snuggly-put-away ornament to hang, to claim a branch of its own for the current season. Tying the bow on the tree skirt my mom made when I was 10 or 11 brings back the scent of the fireplace, the fresh fir tree, warm apple cider and matching pj's for my sister and me. I unravel the lights and lovingly wrap them around the tree and most years, ferociously forbid my husband to adorn the tree with tinsel.
We put up a nativity scene with fir branches around the perimeter as homage to a tradition I picked up while in Germany. The nativity is quite accurate with only the cruche, Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. Right? No animals clutter the perfect scene and I don't burn "barn animals, hay, and manure" candles nearby.
We have a small tree that has all Peanuts ornaments for my teenage son's room. Of course, in our kitchen there is room for a firefighter-themed Christmas tree since that is my husband's profession. We have depicted and carefully assembled quite the cozy, secular, idolatrous picture of Christmas, haven't we?
I never evaluated how I personally contribute to the erosion of Christmas's true meaning, which is to celebrate the birth of our dear, precious Savior, Jesus Christ's birth. Hodge's book examines the history, the traditions and the real meaning. As a Christian, this is historically the most joyous occasion in the world. Yet am I, as a follower of Christ, polluting this holiday or making it only about Christ? Where is the line? Is buying gifts for family members sinful? Well, buying gifts in itself isn't as long as your motivation is recipient-focused. However, the timing of gift-giving at Christmas may be problematic.
Now, I am not saying I am going to divorce my Christmas tree ornaments or forsake celebrations or gift-giving. However, I am examining my own heart in regard to all of these things and War On Christmas is a timely, informative book that is guiding me through many of these issues. I will keep you posted on the book, the launch and my own self-examination.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Happy Fall, Y'All!
My favorite time of year. Warm organic apple cider with a dash of cinnamon in it. I love the thickness of the liquid and the warmth that it seems to radiate as you swallow it. I love that when you look in the mug you cannot see to the bottom because you know you are getting the whole apple every mouth full. Hay rides. Bonfires. Cool mornings and evenings. It is gorgeous when it looks like it is raining leaves, too. Noticed that the other day.
The bible study, The Excellent Wife, is a really difficult book. We began the study by holding ourselves up to Proverbs 31. I am not that picture. Perhaps in some ways, but not in nearly enough of them. I work with my hands, though I could in more ways and actually make an income. I have also really been focusing on II Corinthians 13:4-8a. It is the portion in the NT that describes what love is and isn't. Love does not seek its own. One thing that is hard is to figure out is how to better serve my husband when he is hardly ever home. I am by no means making excuses; just at a loss. Finding our connection after he has been on duty is also difficult. I was a very independent, feministic, single-parent woman when I met my husband. It is much easier to fall back into that lone ranger mentality that to pick up where we leave off and it is definitely my comfort zone. Not the feministic part anymore because I understand the purpose of a wife and the institution of marriage in a biblical way.
Completely different subject. I get to meet a pet squirrel today. Sooo excited. Will post pictures.
My favorite time of year. Warm organic apple cider with a dash of cinnamon in it. I love the thickness of the liquid and the warmth that it seems to radiate as you swallow it. I love that when you look in the mug you cannot see to the bottom because you know you are getting the whole apple every mouth full. Hay rides. Bonfires. Cool mornings and evenings. It is gorgeous when it looks like it is raining leaves, too. Noticed that the other day.
The bible study, The Excellent Wife, is a really difficult book. We began the study by holding ourselves up to Proverbs 31. I am not that picture. Perhaps in some ways, but not in nearly enough of them. I work with my hands, though I could in more ways and actually make an income. I have also really been focusing on II Corinthians 13:4-8a. It is the portion in the NT that describes what love is and isn't. Love does not seek its own. One thing that is hard is to figure out is how to better serve my husband when he is hardly ever home. I am by no means making excuses; just at a loss. Finding our connection after he has been on duty is also difficult. I was a very independent, feministic, single-parent woman when I met my husband. It is much easier to fall back into that lone ranger mentality that to pick up where we leave off and it is definitely my comfort zone. Not the feministic part anymore because I understand the purpose of a wife and the institution of marriage in a biblical way.
Completely different subject. I get to meet a pet squirrel today. Sooo excited. Will post pictures.
Monday, September 16, 2013
I looked up how much water a person needs if they exercise in short bouts (meaning not longer than an hour) from Mayo Clinic. They recommend 1.5 to 2.5 cups more a day to replace what is lost through sweat and breath. However, if you are doing more than that, the requirements change quite a bit because then you are getting into needing to replace electrolytes like sodium and potassium.
The Wheat Belly Cookbook in some ways is better than the original book. It has shorter lessons on much of the same stuff that is covered from the original. So far, though, I have not read repeat anecdotal stories. The recipe are definitely improved from the original as well. There is nutritional information, and are designated as kid-friendly or not. Definitely happy that there were some changes made for the better. Now I just need to get started. I did use the pumpkin muffin recipe from the original book and there were way too many walnuts for my taste, so I just cut them down from 1 cup to a 1/4 cup and added pecans to make the difference. Major hint: grind the nuts so there are not chunks- it makes a huge difference. I also added cardamom and cocoa. They were MUCH better the second time I made them.
I have also made the flax seed wrap. It is very filling and surprisingly tasty. Someone else made the granola and I tried theirs. It was good, but there was chia in there. I bloat like an inflatable bouncy house with just a tiny bit of chia. Will be looking in other places for additional recipes. One thing that Davis mentions in the Wheat Belly Cookbook is that because someone is wheat sensitive or has celiac disease, they should consider drastically reducing all their carb intake because too much can lead to diabetes. Personally, I think it is important to find a carb balance and not go too Paleo. His major concern is diabetes, but we just won't feel satisfied if we are not getting some carbs, and more than he recommends. He does point out that a lot of gluten-free food just adds simple potato or tapioca starch which are calorie fillers, but not necessarily nutrient-dense. Also, quinoa, as I said before is a nearly perfect food. Because of its high protein content, the carb action is somewhat neutralized. That is my two cents on some of the things I found in The Wheat Belly Cookbook.
The Wheat Belly Cookbook in some ways is better than the original book. It has shorter lessons on much of the same stuff that is covered from the original. So far, though, I have not read repeat anecdotal stories. The recipe are definitely improved from the original as well. There is nutritional information, and are designated as kid-friendly or not. Definitely happy that there were some changes made for the better. Now I just need to get started. I did use the pumpkin muffin recipe from the original book and there were way too many walnuts for my taste, so I just cut them down from 1 cup to a 1/4 cup and added pecans to make the difference. Major hint: grind the nuts so there are not chunks- it makes a huge difference. I also added cardamom and cocoa. They were MUCH better the second time I made them.
I have also made the flax seed wrap. It is very filling and surprisingly tasty. Someone else made the granola and I tried theirs. It was good, but there was chia in there. I bloat like an inflatable bouncy house with just a tiny bit of chia. Will be looking in other places for additional recipes. One thing that Davis mentions in the Wheat Belly Cookbook is that because someone is wheat sensitive or has celiac disease, they should consider drastically reducing all their carb intake because too much can lead to diabetes. Personally, I think it is important to find a carb balance and not go too Paleo. His major concern is diabetes, but we just won't feel satisfied if we are not getting some carbs, and more than he recommends. He does point out that a lot of gluten-free food just adds simple potato or tapioca starch which are calorie fillers, but not necessarily nutrient-dense. Also, quinoa, as I said before is a nearly perfect food. Because of its high protein content, the carb action is somewhat neutralized. That is my two cents on some of the things I found in The Wheat Belly Cookbook.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Has anyone read Wheat Belly? That book is opening my eyes. I used to joke that I was addicted to Thin Triscuits, but for realz, I was. A box in two days, all by myself. I forced myself to stop eating them when I found out the soybean oil used is GMO. I already have food allergies and intolerances, since I was a kid. So I really thought going wheat-less was going to make me feel really, really desperately deprived. I cannot have dairy, citrus, or pork. That makes a lot off limits. But recently, I remembered how much I adore goat's milk cheese and yogurt. (With the cheese you have to make sure the cheese starter culture is from goat's milk and not cow's milk.) I also have tried a few of the recipes at the back of the Wheat Belly book. I also have been on a mega quinoa kick and there is no flaw in that- high in protein, even contains healthy fat. It is a near-perfect food. One of my friends made a comment that perhaps manna was similar to quinoa.
Now I have been off wheat for about 3 or 4 weeks. I am not even counting. I have NO cravings, I tend to eat less, and for the first time in YEARS, my belly is not upset ALL THE TIME. I have lost a little bit of weight, but have not being doing the greatest job of keeping up with walking.
My one concern about the Wheat Belly book is that the recipes are....not that great. The cardiac doc who wrote it, William Davis, being diabetic himself, has some diabetes educated ideas he comes to the table with that are actually not that healthy. Ironic how he is so enlightened about wheat, but still says it's ok to use Splenda or other sugar substitutes. Some of them are a good start. And I have just received the actual cookbook, so maybe it gets better, right? I have made a few adjustments to the recipes I used and they seem a LOT better. The other thing that is glaringly missing from the cookbook portion of the main book is nutritional information by recipe. No calorie counts, no sodium content, no protein, carb and fat content...yikes! After I get a chance to look at the cookbook that literally just came to my door, I will give my two cents worth on it...
I have also increased my water intake. I know this helps to lose weight as well- this cannot be underestimated!!! If you want to lose weight and you are not drinking a LOT during the day, then you don't really want to lose the weight. There is a formula for how much you should drink: take your weight and divide it by two. This is the number of ounces you should drink a day. A caveat however: For every 25 pounds you are overweight, you need an additional 8 ounces. So, if you are 60 pounds overweight, divide that by 25 and you get 2.4 which means you need about 19-20 ounces more than what you calculated above. Also consider if you live in a hot climate and/or exercise daily- that means more, depending on the weather and how much you worked out. For every caffeinated coffee you drink, you need another 8 ounces of water.
Here is something I am going to find out and will post an answer. Based on climate or exercise how much do you increase water intake?
A little something to make you smile, but only if you like cats.
Simon the Cat
Now I have been off wheat for about 3 or 4 weeks. I am not even counting. I have NO cravings, I tend to eat less, and for the first time in YEARS, my belly is not upset ALL THE TIME. I have lost a little bit of weight, but have not being doing the greatest job of keeping up with walking.
My one concern about the Wheat Belly book is that the recipes are....not that great. The cardiac doc who wrote it, William Davis, being diabetic himself, has some diabetes educated ideas he comes to the table with that are actually not that healthy. Ironic how he is so enlightened about wheat, but still says it's ok to use Splenda or other sugar substitutes. Some of them are a good start. And I have just received the actual cookbook, so maybe it gets better, right? I have made a few adjustments to the recipes I used and they seem a LOT better. The other thing that is glaringly missing from the cookbook portion of the main book is nutritional information by recipe. No calorie counts, no sodium content, no protein, carb and fat content...yikes! After I get a chance to look at the cookbook that literally just came to my door, I will give my two cents worth on it...
I have also increased my water intake. I know this helps to lose weight as well- this cannot be underestimated!!! If you want to lose weight and you are not drinking a LOT during the day, then you don't really want to lose the weight. There is a formula for how much you should drink: take your weight and divide it by two. This is the number of ounces you should drink a day. A caveat however: For every 25 pounds you are overweight, you need an additional 8 ounces. So, if you are 60 pounds overweight, divide that by 25 and you get 2.4 which means you need about 19-20 ounces more than what you calculated above. Also consider if you live in a hot climate and/or exercise daily- that means more, depending on the weather and how much you worked out. For every caffeinated coffee you drink, you need another 8 ounces of water.
Here is something I am going to find out and will post an answer. Based on climate or exercise how much do you increase water intake?
A little something to make you smile, but only if you like cats.
Monday, September 9, 2013
No More Silence
Been off the proverbial grid for, ahem, quite a while. Lots of things worth sharing, though. So, I am back. Just started attending Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife study at church. Expecting great things. Especially since several of the husbands are doing The Exemplary Husband on the same night. Already seen tremendous growth in my own husband. Mostly, it has been that he sees some of his behaviors for what they are, thanks to Mr. Scott's revealing writing.
I will be back to make some more updates shortly.
I will be back to make some more updates shortly.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Learning Curve
Just when I thought I knew it all, God puts me under the drill.
Really, it is a good thing. Right now my heart is heavy with a few issues. I am glad they are coming up before we solidify our church membership so that I can commit fully, having worked through some serious issues. It was all quite unexpected, though. God is amazing.
Really, it is a good thing. Right now my heart is heavy with a few issues. I am glad they are coming up before we solidify our church membership so that I can commit fully, having worked through some serious issues. It was all quite unexpected, though. God is amazing.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Medicine- Does it really heal anymore?
Warning: This is a venting session.
I went to the doctor yesterday and it got me thinking about health insurance. How come eyes and teeth aren't covered in health insurance in our personal medical insurance? They are body parts, they affect our overall health. Some plans include both, some include one or the other. But when a person takes a job in their chosen field, how is it possible that an employer gets the control over how much medical coverage a person gets? It is cheaper for us to buy an individual policy for our child than to have him on my husband's coverage offered through his employer. How messed up is that? And because our son had surgery on his knee for a congenital issue, we could not continue on that private policy and ended up paying twice as much on a new policy but still less than through my husband's employer because of the pre-existing condition that is congenital and cannot return, at least on that knee. This is not about being ungrateful for insurance or criticizing the employer because I know they try to choose very carefully. It is about the insurance industry and the cost of medical care and the priorities someone else choosing about my medical care and the care of my family. So, in order for me to have glasses I can see an opthamologist and they are covered under medical insurance, not an optometric physician. But to pay for the condition (needing corrective lenses) comes completely out-of-pocket whether I see an MD or an optometrist. My need for glasses is the same as a prescription for diabetes or high cholesterol and yet that isn't the concern of insurance. Don't even get me started on the laws on drug patents.
It took me 2.25 hours at the gynecologist yesterday. I was waiting, on the exam table, in my paper half-shirt and the paper blanket that hardly wrapped around me for 40 minutes without anyone coming to let me know anything. The doctor comes in and whimsically says, "I got hung up with something," and immediately starts my breast exam. (This was after I got redressed because I had to go to the bathroom so bad after waiting for so long and the only person in the hallway was a doctor at my doctor's office doorway, hanging out.) No one even noticed I'd left my exam room except for that random doctor because I asked for directions. It was the roughest exam I have ever had. And then the doctor would hardly answer any of my questions- why bother to even take me into your office if you just want to talk at me about what I should do? What about what you did and found? He reminded me of my father-in-law, which certainly did not enhance the situation. He seems to be from the school of thought that I should just let him do his job and not ask questions or be involved in my body's care. It does not make me a feminist because I want to know what a person is doing with my most intimate body parts. I would take this stance with any physician regarding any patient in any situation, except for a life-or-death no-time-for-questions emergency.
I know that it may seem cumbersome for a doctor to have to explain things to a layperson about their body, but a little talk can go a long way. This connection is part of healing and there a very few doctors who seem concerned about it. After I get my diagnosis from this ob/gyn I am going back to midwives for care or to a female ob/gyn. What about building a relationship with patients so they trust you and you know them and their issues? The one thing I have been the most impressed about recently is the call I received from my primary care physician to talk to me directly. That goes a LONG way in my book towards respecting him, wanting to comply, wanting to listen, knowing he knows his stuff. I do have some medical background which is far from being a doctor. But I do know myself and my body. That does make me an expert on me and together with a doctor, that should be optimal care. I wonder how much it bothers doctors today to have very little time with their patients and to just churn out a daily schedule and hardly make real connections.
I went to the doctor yesterday and it got me thinking about health insurance. How come eyes and teeth aren't covered in health insurance in our personal medical insurance? They are body parts, they affect our overall health. Some plans include both, some include one or the other. But when a person takes a job in their chosen field, how is it possible that an employer gets the control over how much medical coverage a person gets? It is cheaper for us to buy an individual policy for our child than to have him on my husband's coverage offered through his employer. How messed up is that? And because our son had surgery on his knee for a congenital issue, we could not continue on that private policy and ended up paying twice as much on a new policy but still less than through my husband's employer because of the pre-existing condition that is congenital and cannot return, at least on that knee. This is not about being ungrateful for insurance or criticizing the employer because I know they try to choose very carefully. It is about the insurance industry and the cost of medical care and the priorities someone else choosing about my medical care and the care of my family. So, in order for me to have glasses I can see an opthamologist and they are covered under medical insurance, not an optometric physician. But to pay for the condition (needing corrective lenses) comes completely out-of-pocket whether I see an MD or an optometrist. My need for glasses is the same as a prescription for diabetes or high cholesterol and yet that isn't the concern of insurance. Don't even get me started on the laws on drug patents.
It took me 2.25 hours at the gynecologist yesterday. I was waiting, on the exam table, in my paper half-shirt and the paper blanket that hardly wrapped around me for 40 minutes without anyone coming to let me know anything. The doctor comes in and whimsically says, "I got hung up with something," and immediately starts my breast exam. (This was after I got redressed because I had to go to the bathroom so bad after waiting for so long and the only person in the hallway was a doctor at my doctor's office doorway, hanging out.) No one even noticed I'd left my exam room except for that random doctor because I asked for directions. It was the roughest exam I have ever had. And then the doctor would hardly answer any of my questions- why bother to even take me into your office if you just want to talk at me about what I should do? What about what you did and found? He reminded me of my father-in-law, which certainly did not enhance the situation. He seems to be from the school of thought that I should just let him do his job and not ask questions or be involved in my body's care. It does not make me a feminist because I want to know what a person is doing with my most intimate body parts. I would take this stance with any physician regarding any patient in any situation, except for a life-or-death no-time-for-questions emergency.
I know that it may seem cumbersome for a doctor to have to explain things to a layperson about their body, but a little talk can go a long way. This connection is part of healing and there a very few doctors who seem concerned about it. After I get my diagnosis from this ob/gyn I am going back to midwives for care or to a female ob/gyn. What about building a relationship with patients so they trust you and you know them and their issues? The one thing I have been the most impressed about recently is the call I received from my primary care physician to talk to me directly. That goes a LONG way in my book towards respecting him, wanting to comply, wanting to listen, knowing he knows his stuff. I do have some medical background which is far from being a doctor. But I do know myself and my body. That does make me an expert on me and together with a doctor, that should be optimal care. I wonder how much it bothers doctors today to have very little time with their patients and to just churn out a daily schedule and hardly make real connections.
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