embryonic stem cell research

What do you really think?

What do you know about it?

What are your thoughts about it?

Good?

Bad?

How do your own values or morals play a role?

Even if you don't know a whole lot about it, what are some are your first thoughts?

Curious....

allergies: natural remedies

I started a post at the beginning of this month talking about allergies. It wasn't something I struggled with as a child, so I'm relatively new to the whole "allergy" thing that happens to me every Spring. But in my adult years, it seems every year has been getting worse for me. To check out the last post on a few natural remedies and other great blogs that talk about facing allergies the natural way see here.

Anyways, today's post is in response to what my allergies have been doing these past few weeks and what I am learning. I would like to say there are two things happening that are both important factors to why I have been getting sick so often. (lately my allergies always develop into some sort of infection which ultimately makes me very sick). The first is the natural aspect of things....I don't always eat what I should and I don't get enough fluids like I should and I'm usually on very little sleep. The more and more I study pasteurization (especially milk products) the more I see how it can compromise the immune system, making me even more vulnerable to sickness. (please don't comment on pasteurization since this is not what this blog post is about). Also the lack of sleep is huge to not only maintaining health, but in order for our immune system to recover and build antibodies its pivotal we get the rest our body requires.

But I can't blame it all on natural things occurring. I personally know its a spiritual battle as well. Without a doubt every allergy break out, at its worst, always happens after we are facilitating the 24 hours of prayer and worship weekends. Last month's was awful.....it developed into a sinus infection and felt it moving to my lungs 2 weeks in. not scary for me, just more annoying than anything. And this month, literally a few hours from going into the weekend i again felt the tension behind my eyes, puffiness behind my face as my chest began to feel heavy again. Oh no! Gotta be kidding Lord! Needless to say, I believe in the power of prayer and certainly knew that this was a spiritual battle I must fight. So I prayed, I rebuked, I was steadfast walking in the truth of being whole and healthy. I had some friends praying for me as well. And though I've seen nothing happen physically in my body, the brighter side of things is I've been learning a WHOLE LOT about what I can be doing naturally to help my body recover faster. In the meantime I do think there are some things God is wanting to teach me in all this.

Anyways, back to the main thing I wanted to share. The past 24 hours have been very unpleasant. I was on two hours of sleep due to a full weekend with full blown allergies at its worst. My poor children....i was just asking for grace all day so i wouldn't act stupid. But as a result I've done a really good job these last 24 hours taking care of myself. I wanted to share some things I've done because this morning I literally woke up a different person! It's the best results I have had in a 24 hour period thus far! Whether it was prayer or the remedies - I'd like to think its both!

here's what I did:

1. I stayed away from sugar (including fruit juices) and grains during this time, and pretty much "tried" to stay away from pasteurized milk (I'm getting raw milk soon, wish I had it now - oh well).

2. I ate a raw sweet red pepper - these delicious veggies have Vit A and 3x the amount of Vit. C as a cup of orange juice...and since I think orange juice can be counter-productive for your immune system I wasn't drinking it.

3. I took Vit. D3 supplement - I knew I had been deficient, but didn't have any castor oil on me. I did spend some time out in the sun with the girls, but found my allergies getting worst so i resorted to a quick fix with the supplement this time. I usually don't do vit D supplements.

4. I wanted probiotics, so I've been drinking Kefir. I actually have been drinking this alot lately because of being pregnant. I tested positive for the Strep B with the first two pregnancies and because I don't take the antibiotics during labor, Kefir is found to naturally reduce the risks of the culture growing irregular. (More on that later, as I plan to blog more on kefir in the future).

4. I had some organic chicken stock stored up in the freezer that I had made a couple weeks ago. I turned into a spicy garlic chicken oregano soup with cayenne pepper to help clear my sinuses. Woo! Was it hot.....but I enjoyed it and it was still yum! (I should totally post the recipe it was that good!)

5. I took a nettle leaf supplement. You can also do nettle leaf as a tea. Most people are allergic to its pollen in the spring, but not its leaf and actually getting chlorophyll from this can help my body produce a antihistamine naturally.

6. Drinking tea. I've been reading a lot of the benefits of fermented teas, but this time around I just went with a respiratory mix of licorice root, eucalyptus leaf, fennel fruit, peppermint leaf, calendula flower, ginger and pleurisy root. I use to hate the taste of the tea, but its really grown on me and I've found it to be very good now. Thank you Wegmans! I also add locally harvested RAW honey to it.

7. And sleep - well unfortunately my youngest kept me up last night until 3:30am and awoke this morning at 6:30am, so I am still working on this one. Sleep and rest have been the BEST things for me in the past, so I wasn't too happy about it, to say the least, when I awoke this morning. But God has certainly given me A LOT of grace. Can all the mothers out there say AMEN?!

i have to admit though, I still had my cup of coffee this morning because of a headache that came about from not drinking it yesterday. I find that coffee does interfere with recovery, despite the argument of how many antioxidants are in it....i don't drink it black and so it's really no good for me.

Today my chest feels clear, I'm not blowing my nose nearly as much, my head is lighter and my face isn't puffy. Looking at me you wouldn't know at all what i had faced the last 24 hours.....Praise God!

All that to say....WOWZERS! Today I feel really good. I was so excited to share the news with you I just had to let you in on the secrets of what I've learned about natural remedies. And I found this time to be more pleasant than the apple cider vinegar shots (which works, just taste awful). ;-)

So, what do you do when you face the discomfort of allergies or being sick?

my babies

I got a "new" old camera.

Actually, my dad gave it to me cuz he got better one for his birthday.

I'm happy about that!

and I've had fun enjoying it with the girls....

And so here are some very recent photos....

just taken this morning.

I'm just amazed at how big the girls are getting!

never bored...

every day is something different.

what a joy these two gifts are to me!

modesty?

If you didn't get to see my last blog on this topic, check it out!. This is in response to that blog. This is something I have been wondering about and wanted to hear what others think.

This is from the website of PureLife Ministries: (I highly encourage checking out this website, along with Setting Captives Free if you or someone you know is struggling with a sex addiction, infidelity, pornography or sexual fantasies PLEASE, check out these websites....there is freedom.)

The following is a heart-felt letter written by a godly single young man to his sisters in Christ. In it he shares his struggle with immodestly dressed women in church. Eye-opening for sure.

"Dear Sisters in Christ,

I’m 34 years old and single. Up until I was 26, I shamelessly indulged in lust while I outwardly paraded myself around as an upstanding Christian man. But today, because of the blood of Jesus and deep repentance, I am able to say that I am no longer that man. And the work of God’s grace has not only taught me to deny the ungodliness of lustful thoughts, but to go one step further and truly seek to honor you as sisters in my thoughts.

I wish I could write to you and tell you I am able to walk into church without any fear of encountering the temptation to lust anymore; but I can’t. In fact, to be honest, in the past eight years I’ve even decided not to go to church on more than one occasion because I knew I was too weak to face some of the women there.

As I type I can still remember a few times when I actually had to turn around and get on my knees during some of the worship services because I didn’t want to be more captivated with some of the girls on the worship team than with God. There have also been plenty of other times when I had to purposely look at the floor as I walked through the foyer in order to avoid the same thing. Did I not desire to put the ugliness of my past behind me, I would not go to such lengths. But honoring you and my God now means more to me than my own self-indulgence.

Therefore, I hope that what I am about to share will help those of you who dress without any consideration for these things.

You are beautiful; yes. That much I can see without you doing anything to convince me. But please do not entice me to notice you. Is it not enough that God endowed you with the beauty you possess? And that He has made you a gift to your present or future husband? Please help me to rejoice with him rather than tempt me to steal from him.

I understand that the fashion world is becoming more and more revealing, and that it’s increasingly difficult to find attractive clothing that’s modest. But have you considered my weakness as you look at yourself in the dressing room mirror? If you only knew how often the immodest outfits you wear accost me, perhaps you would see yourself differently.

“But you’re responsible for your thoughts, not me,” you might think. Yes, you are right. I must stand before God and own every one of them someday. And were you a woman of the world I would have no grounds on which to make my appeal. But you name the Name of Christ, as I do. And you call me your brother.

My desire is to honor you; yet there are times that you dress as if you wish I wouldn’t. I implore you; please consider these things. I have spoken openly and honestly. But I have endeavored to do so in love, not in criticism.

In Loving Sincerity,

Your Brother in Christ"

And if your a parent, check out this article! Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps!

How did we get here?

Ever wonder why you should be giving your baby real food?

Lentil burgers

These are how mine turned out and they are quite delicious!!!

1 c. dry lentils

1/2 c. brown rice

3 c. water

1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 med onion

2 stalks celery

half green pepper (or one small one)

1/2 tsp. of oregano

1/2 tsp. of salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or can finely chop fresh garlic as well)

tsp. curry powder (optional)

3 T. oil

Both lentils and rice in water, low heat, cover for 45 min.

Remove from heat, let stand 10 min.

Mash (do not remove extra water) and then stir in bread crumbs.

You don't have to do this, but I like to saute my onion, celery and peppers with the seasonings (especially with curry) before I add them to the mixture.

But you don't have to this, you can just add to mixtures without pre-cooking as well.

Shape and smash with hands into patties.

press patties into wheat germ.

When ready to eat just heat them over a skillet with oil for 10 minutes.

Serve on a bun or do it Mediterranean style in a whole wheat pita with some lettuce, tomato and feta cheese.

Love this recipe?

Want more ideas on lentils and why they're great for you?

Check out another recipe!

modesty vs. fashion

What do you really think?

I plan to share a letter written by a brother in Christ once I hear everyone's thoughts on this particular topic. But it is certainly something that has interested me, and even more so now that I am married and a parent.

What are your thoughts?

Can we still be fashionable and modest?

Where is the line drawn between the two?

What is your definition of modesty?

How does your faith/your values influence what you think?

How has your opinion changed over time?

What about for children?

Is modesty just as important?

At what age?

I thought this was a great topic for my "What do you really think?" blogs right as the weather warms up and more and more individuals are going to wear less. So, in all sincerity....what are your thoughts?

ever hurt by the prophetic?

We had come friends up for the weekend, which was really refreshing. What was interesting was some of the conversations I had this weekend about the prophetic, with different individuals. I think its in no question that I believe God speaks to us, and I believe its for everyday. In fact, the I believe the rhema word is all too often neglected in alot of people's relationship with God. But as I shared different experiences I have had with prophetic people and heard different stories from others, I heard a common thread of things that lead people hurting, mislead and confused, more than built-up, encouraged or full of direction.

This is by no means a blog to lash out or tear down prophetic people (I would be discrediting myself if it were). Know in my heart I believe without the voice of God in the hearing of our ears, we have little to no direction in our personal lives. And I am also a firm believer we need each other in the Body of Christ to grow in the things of God. But far too often I am finding many who are left isolated, hurt and confused, with even a deep darkness clouding their own view of God because a prophetic person gave a word that was either off or without love.

I could share countless bad experiences I have encountered over time but that wouldn't be fair either because my "good" experiences have far out-weighed the bad. And accuracy within the prophetic has even far out-weighed the erred. But I wanted to share some things that have helped me over time, especially in a ministry that is very driven on the prophetic, and have aided me in giving and receiving what God is saying.

1. LOVE. if I could sum up all the things I have learned it would be in this one word. Paul makes it quite direct that is we have no love, or if love is not what is driving us (but even have every gift of the Spirit), then we have absolutely nothing. This is what will weigh and judge every Word given! Are we more about "being right" or are we compelled by love to share the truth? This is also of utmost importance when we are a receiving a Word - especially one that may be hard to swallow.

I've come to realize that though prophecy is a powerful gift, which requires high sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, prophetic people are also very sensitive people in nature. I will be the first to say that it took a long time for me to learn to not be moveable in the case of an offense. in fact, even though prophetic people can cause offense, they often struggle with being offended. Which leads me to another suggestion:

2. Humility. i encourage people to have an opinion. In fact, let that opinion be loud, clear and heard! far too often I see silence as the one of the largest injustices to all the injustice in the world. Righteousness and justice are executed through our actions and our voices. But if being heard out-ways the desire to see people free, we have really committed an injustice against ourselves. So I now say, have an opinion, loud and clear, but always makes sure its coupled with love and humility. The ability to put someone above yourself is what Christ did for us. If we don't learn how to do this than we aren't representing Christ at all.

3. Learn to hear God for yourself. This can be tricky as all of us are in completely different places when it comes to hearing the voice of God. And a lot of times its even learning the language and way God speaks to you uniquely. But this will certainly be your best friend when someone is giving you a word that may be a little off. There were times when someone gave me a word that I knew was off, but because I was listening as well to God i was able to feel the freedom to not respond to the word.

There are a lot of good, well meaning individuals, who can still be very wrong in what they are saying. yet, there are very abrasive and obtrusive people who will be dead right in what they are saying. the truth is, we will come across many different circumstances were we need the prophetic, however it is being filtered through the person giving it.

4. Be unoffendable. Jesus was never shocked by the responses he got when he shared. And he certainly was never offended. yes, at times he was offensive, because the truth doesn't always feel good. But it would be of great value that we learn as believers to not be so easily offended. It would help all of us in a mature way. i realize this is very hard for our American culture because from childhood we are taught we have rights, we must be treated fair and we have the freedom to do what we want. But this earthly and american kingdom and the Kingdom of God are at war with one another. And we must fight the urge to always "protect our rights". Jesus was treated very unfair, even unruthlessly judged and put to death. We will have a lot more joy in our situations if we learn to appreciate suffering and even offense.

5. Don't spectate. This is different than judging the word with the Scriptures. This is the hardest one for those whom have been hurt by the prophetic. Instead of working through the hurt, feelings of rejection or mis-interpretation of God, they become people who totally turn away from the prophetic. They spectate and dissect the prophetic word, trying every capability to tear it down before its had a chance to minister to them at all. The problem with this is you will put God in a box. Whether the word isn't from God or came straight from heaven, you have already made up your mind that it is flawed. And furthermore, the voice of God in your own life can even begin to become muffled, unclear and even confusing. It is best we work through our feelings of hurt, discontentment with the prophetic and confusion so we can lean toward an even greater capacity to hear God for ourselves.

There is so much I could write on this particular topic and depending upon what others share I may write more. But I wanted to share some of what has been happening in my heart lately. I've ran into many people recently who have been severely hurt by the prophetic and I know God has been using it to teach me a lot, including some of my own hurt. My purpose in sharing this is not to discredit the prophetic, but to show how we can better communicate and receive what God is saying to each of us.

Many blessings and love to you all!

my nose told me so

I know spring is official when my body tells me so! It's those darn allergies that so many of us deal with every year the sun decides to come out from hiding and the crisp bitter cold air seems to break into a cool breeze. And though I love the peaking of the sun after a long hard winter, my head and nose tell me otherwise. I am ever learning about my new-found responses to the air, mostly because I never had any allergies as a child....it came more when I was an adult. There are several things that I found over the past couple years that helped relieve me in a holistic way without the means of allergy medicine or anti-histamines. Before I share what has helped me (and my children) I thought I would link you up with a couple blogs from people that I thought had some awesome advice as well. Sometimes allergies are not from pollen at all, but just from being cooped up in the house all winter.

But what can you do in your house that won't cause more dust, more allergens and more harmful chemicals in the air?

I'm no expert, by any means, but I've been reading a blog titled Healthy Interior Design. I've grown to really respect this blog because its something not a whole lot of us think about. Sure, the green market is growing....and food is usually the focus. But there are so many other ways we can help our bodies (and our families) stay healthy and work the way they should be working, if we keep other areas of our life greener.

Also inspired by the Healthy Interior Design blog on "taking care of clean air" was Brooklyn Allergy Mom, Heidi Bayer with her blog post Allergy Free Spring. Both are great blogs since they focus in different areas of how to aid in the comfort of indoor and outdoor allergies.

Here are a couple things that have helped me and the girls:

1. We have wood floors. This has helped greatly for the main downstairs floor. Since the main entrance is where we track a lot of our dirt, I think its essential for us to have floors that are easy to clean and doesn't hold on to microbes of dirt and dust. We still have carpet upstairs, which occasionally does still mess with our noses, but we just can't make the switch right now up there. For now this works.

2. As much as I would love to install an air filtration system in our heating vents and ducts, the investment would be too high for a house that we know we are not going to permanently stay in. So we settled on something a little different but less expensive. We use an essential oil diffuser by Young Living. There are lots of different oils we diffuse, for many different reasons, so its best to diffuse according to the purpose you want to accomplish. For instance, if I want clean air I diffuse purification, which is a mixed oil that helps to purify and cleanse the air from environmental impurities including cigarette smoke and other disagreeable odors. (Not a smoker by the way). Other times if I just need something to help me breath a little easier I will diffuse eucalyptus. It all depends on what you want to do. But I love my diffuser and it has really helped shorten the duration of discomfort when allergies are at its worst. We get our oils from Young Living, which does a pretty thorough job of educating its people of what each one does (if interested).

3. We stopped using detergents, soaps and cleaning supplies that have sulfates, dyes, unnatural fragrances or harsh chemicals. This includes cleaning supplies, laundry detergent (which does get into the air!) and shampoos, soaps and lotions for the body. We haven't gone completely green and wild, but these are a couple areas that making the switch was painless and easy...and has really helped alleviate certain allergens. The steam mop has also been wonderful since it requires nothing but water to run. Unfortunately there is still lots in our house that contributes to pollutants in the air, but we work slow and one day at a time. This is what I recommend to everyone! You don't have to make the switch over-night! Take your time to switch things out gracefully and stress-free. And I am sure, that way, it feels no different, and is pain free for both your pocket book and your bodies :-)

It's quite amazing what our bodies put up with. Some of us never have one allergy symptom at all, but that doesn't mean you're not breathing toxic air. I encourage you that despite what your body tells you, that it would be beneficial for us all to aim toward a greener and cleaner way of living <3

I would love to hear what some of you do to aid in comfort and healing during the indoor/outdoor allergies! Finding what works for your body is quite the scavenger hunt sometimes. Any creative, yet clean and green, ideas would be great!

Also, for all you mommies out there who are going green you would LOVE this blog

(I sure do):

cancer sucks

Meet Conner James

This young man, 11, has been battling brain cancer. I am only one out of the thousands who are praying for Conner. And longer than any of us his family, Nathan and Kristy, have been contending for their son's life. But they are growing increasingly tired. And though the grace of God has been abundant in their lives, I am telling you their story so you may join with one voice, praying fervently for this young man's life.

Conner's story is interesting. This is not Conner's first time of encountering cancer. Conner was first diagnosed in 2007. After surgery and 6 weeks of radiation he was fine. It came back in March of 2009 and him and his family have been fighting since.

Conner is in the hospital today receiving the beginning, yet another round, of chemotherapy. Will you trust God with us? If you would like to join us in prayer, please visit us on FB. Conner's life depends on a miracle. "For nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37)

Would you like to help in other ways? There are two things currently happening for the "Conner" family.

If you love coffee as much as I do, then you'll love this little fundraiser. And if you care about nutrient-rich whole foods, you even love this more! The coolest thing about this instant coffee is it is infused with ganoderma lucidum. I've tasted the coffee myself and really enjoyed it....but I warn you - with all those antioxidants you may be feeling more energized than normal. No worries! It's side-effects are great if you have children:-) Here's what FOX News said about ganoderma infused coffee. For every box sold, $10 will be going to Conner's family and toward Conner's desire to go to Hawaii.

Visit Conner's Cafe Blog for more information!

Also there is going to be a christian worship concert in benefit for Conner for only $5 per ticket. You can order your tickets online HERE. Colin Ministry & Church Radiant will be holding the Concert April 30, 6:30pm. Halos of Love Worship Band will be playing.

Location: Church Radiant 744 Elmgrove Rd.

There will be live music and refreshments.

Tickets are a $5 donation. T-shirts will be a $10 donation.

I think Jesus hates cancer just as much as we do. To him, "cancer" is just a name. But HIS name is above ALL other names. And I am believing life for Conner - JOHN 10:10!!!!

Double trouble for clothe

So I decided to do another blog on clothe diapering, but this time I'm coming from a perspective of having TWO in clothe at the same time!!!

Click to see my blog on cloth diapering and its benefits.

Here's my babies sporting their "green" bottoms.

But I'm gonna be real....it wasn't easy. I'm gonna be honest...clothe is not for everyone.

I decided to blog about some of the struggles I've had with clothe. I'm still advocating for clothe and I still think its the better way to go. But instead of being unrealistic about it, I also want to talk about the struggles I've had with it.

The first is the fact that I am doing laundry EVERYDAY! With two in clothe, the ammonia smell that stems from my bag is almost deathly after 24 hours. :/ So if I want to keep the house smelling pleasant, I've got to always have the laundry soap on hand.

I soon found out that you can't do clothe without a water sprayer connected to your toilet. I tried the whole "scrape the diaper" thing before the second baby arrived and it was just not cutting the poopies. So, if you're gonna do clothe, get a sprayer (and be prepared for lots of hand washing).

Another problem we ran into is rashes. Many will tell you because there is no chemicals in clothe they don't cause rashes. Not true! Urine, once oxidized, is chemical! And it hurts your babies bum just sitting in it. Unlike disposables that are designed to pull away from the butt, clothe does not. Though changing a clothe diaper doesn't take any longer than changing a disposable, you will probably be changing more often.

Would I go back if I could?

No I wouldn't. Clothe is hard work, but you work for disposables as well. I save about $2,000 for each child I use clothe on. Crazy, right?

And I feel good about not contributing to the e. coli in our water because of feces being dumped in trash cans and not our sceptic tanks.

i also feel really good about knowing my children aren't absorbing any harsh chemicals into their porous skin from bleached-out diapers.

And though I hate another load of laundry added to the pile, I know in my heart that i am having good stewardship over what God has given me the grace to do as their mother.

Plus side too is that Abigail potty trained by 23 months. I mean, full blown, no diaper even at night, by 23 months....so we starting training a couple months before. She actually refused to wear the discomforting diaper. She would hit her private parts after going to the bathroom in her diaper. So we knew she was ready.

And I am looking forward to the cute summer outfits to partner with their fun and fashionable diapers

:^D

The girls sure are cute!!!

If you're considering clothe and live in the Rochester area I know a great distributor who does a $15 trial week with all the different kinds of clothe. Great for first timers!!!

Or...you can ask me and I can help :)

CD recording...

I'm doing it because God told me to. But to be really honest it makes me a little uncomfortable.

i think because its stuff I've written....so it makes me feel, kinda, put out there. But I've had a lot of encouragement from others, and for that I thank you!

Holly has been a huge help. In fact, not only did she help with the CD (both playing and producing), but she's always there when I need her. She has been doing the Sanctity of Life worship with me since Brandon and I started in '07!

That's John over in the right. He's great! I actually met him and his wife in Washington D.C. while we were attending The Call. They lead Bound4LIFE Syracuse....so we have a lot in common! And he drove all the way to Avon to help with the CD.

Maureen is a HUGE asset to the face of worship! She is so in love with Jesus and her worship through her violin is absolutely breath-taking! She is truly one who worships in spirit and truth. She gave this recording something that I could not. So thankful for her!

And here's Matt. And Matt's been a buddy since he moved to Rochester. He's helped with SEVERAL worship opportunities and he is always so creative and gifted on the drums. Not to mention, that he seriously keeps me laughing throughout the whole day recording. And sometimes....i just just need to laugh.

Thank you friends for your help and encouragement to move forward in this. if anyone has any fund-raising ideas for finishing the CD we would love to hear...as the CD is still in process of being financed. But what's awesome is that it provides another outlet for bringing in support for Bound4LIFE and Rochester Burn. Our goal is to have it out by Christmas :-)

Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness and goodness to us.

it's official...

we're having a home birth!

And to my own surprise. In fact I was not thinking about having a home birth at all until one night I had a dream. It's one of those dreams where you wake up and you don't need convincing it's God. I was so impacted by the dream I couldn't sleep the rest of the night. And immediately when morning came I began my search for a mid-wife in the area who could possible do a home birth. I didn't even know how much it would cost, or even if I could make the switch this late in the game (23 weeks), but I couldn't let go of it. And I knew the greatest challenge would be convincing Brandon. When the hubby was game, I knew it was really God :-)

Why Homebirth?

Although the reasons for deciding to give birth at home vary, most families in this country who choose home birth share a belief that birth is a natural physiological process, not a medical condition which routinely needs intervention, and therefore can safely take place outside the hospital. Also common is the feeling that labor, birth, and early newborn / parent interaction are events which are facilitated and enhanced by the continuity, security, and familiarity of the home environment. In addition, for some families, the decision to birth at home may be driven by a desire to take greater personal responsibility for the entire birth experience. A wish for more decision-making authority is often a motivating factor when families have had a disappointing previous hospital experience and wish to have a more enjoyable subsequent birth. Whatever your reasons for considering home birth, you can rest assured that for healthy, low-risk women experiencing normal pregnancies, studies indicate that home birth with a trained attendant can be a safe option.

So I share this to say we are embarking on something very exciting for our family. It's something that may have terrified me in the past, but now has brought so much peace that it terrifies me to do the former. I had one friend tell me the other day "you're brave", but I tend to think women with low risk pregnancies are brave to have their children in hospitals. I only know what I've experienced. And it's exciting to see God make this birth all the more intimate for our family and our precious daughter in waiting <3

abstinence or sex education?

What do you really think?

*********************************************************

What is appropiate to teach our children?

I found in many cases that a lot of families don't know what the sex education provided in our health classes includes. And though most parents would like a segment on abstinence, the two are usually taught separately. In fact, in many states, they are seen as two seperate curriculums.

For example, the Center for AIDS Prevention says, "the content of sexuality education curricula in America varies widely by region, by school district, and, sometimes, by classroom. The highly charged political debate concerning sex education could lead most people to believe there are hard and fast divisions between educational approaches. In fact, there are multiple program designs, many of which resist clear classification, or share components of seemingly opposing approaches. For this monograph, we use the definitions commonly found in the sex education debate: curricula are grouped into the two broad categories of comprehensive sex education (also often called “abstinence-plus”) and abstinence-only until- marriage (or “abstinence-only”) education. The former generally emphasizes the benefits of abstinence while also teaching about contraception and disease-prevention methods, including condom and contraceptive use. By contrast, abstinence-only programs generally teach abstinence from all sexual activity as the only appropriate option for unmarried people. Absitinence programs usually do not include detailed (or any) information on contraception for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies."

Here's the issue at hand. Comprehensive sex education (abstinence-plus) sounds great, but indeed, in most cases, there are few educators pushing abstinence. We are actually having this issue right now in the schools of Rochester, NY because educators are wanting to provide condoms to every teenager between the ages of 12 and 18. And most Abstinence-only programs say the kids already have condoms and don't use them. This won't solve the issue of "safe" sex, it only promotes it more.

What do you think?

Side note: If you would like to get involved in the sex issue in Rochester. There is a meeting tonight. Meeting: Forum on Teen Health 6-8:30pm March 16th (Wed.)131 W. Broad Street -3rd floor conference room Central office

stove top quiche

My husband and the girls absolutely LOVE the way this comes out far more than any other way I cook eggs. And I'm not big on quiche crust, so I like it all the more. Hope you enjoy as well!

All you need:

6 organic eggs

c. of organic whole milk
(I sometimes add more by eye to a consistency i like)

You can add anything you want:

This morning we did:

organic fresh spinach

cheddar cheese shredded

chopped sausage (we use the fake sausage by Morning Star)

garlic powder

salt and pepper

toss it all up with a fork till smooth.

Oil stove top skillet and pour in eggs.

Let cook covered on low-medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Letting it cook slow keeps it from burning and not having to stir. very important that you have it covered.

Did you know

I am actually a pretty bad speller.

Thank goodness for spell check!

My brain usually is very disorganized.

Thankful for my planner!

My life is very unscheduled and I'm usually pushing my children to join me in the sorts.

But they are so gracious in flying with their mommy!

I'm not great at communicating my feelings,

but my husband doesn't ever complain that he's my guinea pig for practicing:-)

My car looks like a tornado hit it and it smells like one of the stray cats around the neighborhood might have died in the back.

And though I am terribbly frightened on what I could find, I'm thankful today is beautiful so I can finally throw a disinfectant bomb in it.

I have a bad short term memory,

which usually means if you make plans with me they're loose plans (even though I write it down),

but thankful for gracious and understanding friends.

I forgot about my midwife appt yesterday.

But the lady still treated me like I was literate on the phone, so for that I'm thankful.

I'm on NY state medicaid, even though I don't believe in taking from the state.

But it always makes me careful on who I call a hypocrite.

I believe in simple living,

even though I think I have too much.

And lastly, did you know I have 5 years of college and still no degree!

That just makes me think God is hilarious!

Philippians 3:12-15

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you."

Here's my thought. Maybe being perfect is not about what we do or how many mistakes we make. I don't even think its a person without sin. Because then how is perfection obtained? Maybe being perfect is devotion to God, freedom to obey, and the humility to live like we need Him more than anything else.

the fight for education

So i have to thank the so many people that posted on my last blog. It's because of you that I am even writing this.

I had two different people recommend me to watch the documentary that recently came out Waiting for Superman. Usually if one person says it, I consider it. If more than one says i find it worth checking out. After watching its trailer - I knew I wanted to get a hold of it:

So I did...watched the whole thing and took notes, a part from the parts where I was actually crying and couldn't. This I can tell you, after watching it, my heart broke and my blood was boiling hot. I was more than upset. I was undone.

Here's the most impressive thing that came to my attention. Essentially, even if I decide to homeschool, the effects of the public school system still directly affect me - EVEN IF MY CHILDREN DO NOT GO. I was appalled to find out that because there is so much illiteracy in our American children that if we continue the way we are that we will actually have less people to fill bigger jobs to run our country.

Wowzers. oops America. oops Crystal.

here are just a few of the statistics the movie gave:

1. the annual cost of prison for an inmate is more than double what is spent on an individual public school student. Eight years after Congress passed the No Child Left Behind act, with the goal of 100% proficiency in math and reading, most states hovered between 20 and 30% proficiency, and 70% of eighth graders could not read at grade level. By 2020, only an estimated 50 million Americans will be qualified to fill 123 million highly skilled, highly paid jobs. (There it is!) Among 30 developed countries, the United States ranks 25th in math and 21st in science.
2. In America right now, a kid drops out of high school every 26 seconds.
3. 68% of 4th grade public school students scored below a proficient reading level in 2009.
4. 89% of Latino and 86% of African American middle and high school students read BELOW grade level.
5. 80% of pre-school and after-school programs serving low-income communities have no-age appropriate books for their children.
6. In the U.S. there are 32 million adults with low literacy skills.
7. Nearly 1 in 7 American adults have trouble reading well enough to understand the side effects listed on a medication bottle.
8. Having a QUALITY TEACHER through-out elementary school can wipe out the academic disadvantage of a low socioeconomic background!

And a lot of people think it's a money issue, but as David Guggenheim said it in his film, "we've doubled what we spend on each child. But double the money is worth it if we're producing better results. Unfortunately, we're not." And though many people will say the type of neighborhood you live in dictates the type of schooling your child will receive, researchers are now starting to believe the schools and education quality dictate our neighborhoods.

And because of tenure and the teacher's union, it's nearly impossible to fire a teacher on the bases of ineffectiveness. For example, 1 in 57 doctors in the U.S. lose their medical license, 1 in 97 lawyers lose their law license while 1 in 2,500 teachers lose their credentials. We fire doctors when their practice is ineffective, but not our teachers. It sounds hard, but if the union didn't exist we may just have more teachers wanting to do their jobs.

I realized that the issue of education is much larger than the question public school or home school? And because of the failing education system, more and more families are choosing the latter. But I had a revelation....this still doesn't solve any of our system's crisis. And if I don't become an advocate for quality education than I am not doing my part as an American citizen. Our country needs to raise up men and women who can intelligently lead this country.....and there are a whole lot of jobs to fill! If you would like to get involved as well check it out on how. And also, if you are choosing public schooling for your children, learn about the resources and schools that are local.

And if you're torn on homeschooling or public schooling I encourage you to check out some statistics and comparisons on the two.

Lastly I would like to conclude that this movie also made me more than aware that many parents do not have the privilege or choice to home-school. In fact, a majority of families cannot, whether its because they are a single parent, both parents working, the parent themselves is unable to read and write, or just lack of resources in their community....there are well-meaning parents who have no choice other than to put their child into the system. For those parents, I honor you by standing by quality education. i believe our children deserve it. Every child matters when we are measuring success!

And I am so thankful I have a choice - that I have the opportunity to choose what I think is best for my children. I think, ultimately, if parents are committing themselves to their child's education (in whatever way they can), they are doing a good thing:-)

public school or home school?

What do you really think?

i decided to start doing one blog a week directed more as a discussion forum for information. There are a lot of people out there that know a lot more than me. I love blogging, but sometimes you never really get to hear what the reader really thinks, only what the blogger thinks. And usually if your reader disagrees, they simply are not always going to write it. Well from hot topics, to things i'm just curious about, to random thoughts or questions I have through out my day....i want to know.....what do you think? And I want to know without giving any of my own thoughts first.

So this week's first What do you really think? Public Schools, private/charter schools or home schooling?

incredibly blessed

So not long after I wrote my last blog, did I come into a very difficult week. It was like the Word was given so that it could be tested and approved in my own life.

But you know what I found out this week? I am incredibly blessed! And I had no idea! Really. I knew I was blessed, but I did not know I was incredibly blessed, supernaturally blessed, divinely blessed. Meaning, God had so wanted to bless my socks off that He sovereignly orchestrated this week so that i would know without a doubt that I am highly favored!

So here's a brief synopsis of what my week entailed. I recently came home from celebrating our anniversary from Colorado at about 2 am on Friday morning. i came home to a very messy house...and with the amount of luggage we had, I didn't even know where to begin. And because I have two children who are 2 and under, the early birds were up around 6:30 am. Later that evening Brandon and I were facilitating 24 Hour prayer and Worship, which means I usually pull an all-nighter with the children sleeping in the prayer room with us. Though Brandon and I were able to arrange split night shifts, I still was a little overwhelmed with the fact I didn't know how I was going to contend with the rest of my week on that amount of sleep (especially since I've been extra tired with the pregnancy). Sunday we had small group out in Lima, while Monday I host and lead a small women's group at our place. Wednesday was going to be a long day at the salon and I would have to arrange to leave early because we are having our first core-team meeting with the leadership of Rochester Burn. And Friday Bound4LIFE has a dinner banquet to attend that Rescue Rochester puts on every year, in which we had already covered the expense for our whole team to go. Not to mention I had no one yet to watch the girls. I was burnt and I didn't know what to do about it. So I did something I NEVER do.

I asked for help.

It was quite humbling to say the least. That super woman needed help. I mean I have a reputation to uphold. I can do it all. Just God and me, right?

Nope. It wasn't God and me this time. God was saying its time you learn to ask for help and see people want to give to you if you let them. (It tears me up just writing it.)

So I sent out an email to the group of girls I meet with on Monday nights. All of them are wives, mothers and are very busy. Even as I was sending out the email my thoughts were, "well I'll be obedient and ask, but I doubt anyone will have the time." I left it very open ended for any of them to help in anyway. You know what happened after that? I got help alright. I got WAY more than that.

Two women came over my home while I was at 24 hour and cleaned and organized the downstairs of my home. I came home to a beautiful spotless house! Another women took charge and said not to worry about Monday and they would facilitate it. Another woman offered to care for the children while we go to the Friday dinner. It was quite shocking how much everyone was willing to do. And to even a greater surprise I receive this amazing gift on Monday night - a huge wicker basket full of all my favorite teas, two enormous chocolate bars, a jumbo pack of hot chocolate and a whopping $75 gift certificate to Wegmans! i seriously had a melt down by how incredibly blessed I was.

And I just want to say THANK YOU! Thank you girls for taking time out of your busy lives and showing me how much I am loved. Grace came in my week through your act of kindness. It was truly a benchmark for me to see how much God loves me.....and for this, I am eternally grateful.

Post dedicated to: Amanda R., Angelica A., Cassie C., Erin B., Kathy B. & Lara C.

sometimes you just have to

be thankful!

Today on the way home from small group the Lord reminded me of a story. It was a story of when I was thankful for very little. I was in college, a small Bible school, and because we had several internationals who came to this school there many times that those students had no where to go during holiday breaks. So the school always tried real hard to make things a little easier for them by finding a family for them to stay with or doing something on campus during the school break. Well, it just so happened to be near Thanksgiving break and the cafeteria decided to do a Thanksgiving dinner right before everyone went off. Honestly, I think about the meal now...and its nothing I would have cooked. It was cut turkey and/or beef (which wasn't organic), mashed potatoes that could have very well came from a box or were at least bought pre-made, and some cooked cut carrots...you know the ones...the ones with the ridges already perfectly cut into them. Yeah, certainly nothing fresh. But as I sat with my plate in front of me, starring at the abundance of food I had been given to eat, my heart grew glad. It was so glad that I began to cry. Yes, right there. And as my friends who were sitting with me wondered what was wrong, it dawned on me that I had everything in the world I needed. I was so thankful! And as God began to over-flow my heart with this gratitude, I couldn't contain it. I looked at everyone with tears in my eyes and started to express how thankful I was for this meal. I mean, some thought I was nuts, while others caught the same spirit. Yeah, man....we are rich, aren't we?

I think about the meal now and I'm like, wow...what was I thinking? But that just shows you I needed to be reminded of this story. We complain about so much and so often that sometimes its hard to even recognize we're doing it. But sometimes you just have to purpose yourself to be thankful. I think we sometimes want to see the abundance and blessing come first, and then we're thankful. But I think we're thankful first, and then we recognize the abundance. Just like Jesus when He thanked God for the fish and bread before feeding the thousands.

i can't embed this video but its only 2 and 1/2 minutes. You should watch it. It challenged me because I needed reminding of what I've been given: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH_eqDwTDRY

Or look at this one man who is changing the face of what it means to be thankful!

A little reminder to us all....that we have everything we need!