Becoming educated . . . the painful way

Ray and I handle trauma in very different ways, yet throughout the past seven days I have fallen more deeply in love with my best friend. He has protected me in prayer and action in more ways than I can begin to count. Praise Jesus for such a loving man.

One way he has loved me so well has been by encouraging me and joining my quest for understanding, education, and answers. After a lot of research, identifying puzzle pieces and placing them together, and the concurrence of two of my doctors, I believe God has led us to the culprit of the two miscarriages we've experienced in the last six months:

Celiac Disease.

Over the past several years I have exhibited multiple (chronic) symptoms of gluten intolerance/celiac disease. Yet, my blood work has always came back as not having the full-blown disease. Because gluten-free living is such a drastic life style change, we changed some things, but not all. Honestly, after several negative tests I convinced myself the symptoms were thanks to stress; so I dealt with side effects and tried to push it to the back of my mind.

After a pretty dramatic pricking of my finger to take an at home blood type test, we discovered my blood type is O+, which (according to the research we've done) is the type that is highly susceptible to gluten intolerance. We also discovered it's not good for people with my blood type to be vegetarians (yeah, depressing I know. Ray and I are going to celebrate my leaving vegetarianville on Friday with his family at a nice dinner).

The more we dug the more we discovered, and then the flood gates opened as we found thousands of articles reporting story after story on women who did not know they were gluten intolerant/celiacs and had (in some cases) dozens of miscarriages or struggled with infertility before realizing the gruesome and deadly effects gluten was having on them and their unborn children. When you are intolerant to gluten, your immune system and body as a whole is so focused on fighting off gluten, it doesn't have nutrients or protection to give to the baby.

Although we are still not 100% sure and there are sill other blood tests to run, the signs and common sense point to gluten.

We have a long way to go on our healing journey and have been deeply thankful for the nearness of God, especially through the people who have been praying for us and contacting us often with words of love and encouragement. Even though I know rough days are still ahead, God helping us put the pieces together has filled me with peace, and hope I was not sure would resurface for a while.

Thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray for Ray and I as we journey with God on this new, completely gluten-free life. Please God, let this be the answer.

Am I still breathing? Not sure.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God, to order and provide

In every chagne, he faithful will remain.

Be still, my sou: thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

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Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future, as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

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Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,

And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

then thou shalt better know His love, His heart,

Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.

Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay

from His own fullness all He takes away.

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Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on

When we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, Love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Great is His Faihfulness . . . Take 2.

We lift up our eyes to the hills--

Where does our help come from?

Our help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let our foot slip--

he who watches over us will not slumber;

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over us--

the Lord is our shade at our right hand;

the sun will not harm us by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep us from all harm--

he will watch over our life;

the Lord will watch over our coming and going

both now

and forever more.

Thank you, Sweet Jesus

After months of every kind of attack from Satan imaginable, this is the after math of my sister, niece and brother-in-law's RV that was bringing their band, Addison Road, on a cross-country tour with Sanctus Real.
Their RV unexpectedly exploded on Friday, March, 5th. It took Jesus breaking down that bus 6 times before the band got out and rented cars. My beautiful niece Annie would have been sleeping in the bed over the engine that randomly exploded. They literally have lost all of their belongings. Clothes, toys, book, electronics, gear, thousands of dollars worth of band merchandise (basically the only way they make any money), make-up, the list goes on.

E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

Through all of the attacks they have endured they have clung to Jesus and the Christian community. God Has emotionally and physically sustained them, and laid it on the hearts of others to take care of the livelihood. They still need lots of help. Please go here if you can help. And thank you for your prayers for them . . . this time your prayers literally saved their lives.

Thank you, God, for protecting your servants.

A few from Kristina and BJ's Wedding

Yes, it is true

I have the cutest dog in the world.

Game Changers

Over the past several years Ray and I have begun to educate ourselves on proper nutrition and a whole foods type of diet; investigating what our western society tells us is true food that will bring us health and life, and trying to determine whether or not the messages from the people and companies we trust are true. The more educated we become, the more we realize we have been blatantly lied to. This journey has quickly become a passion of mine, and slowly I will begin to write more about our findings.

As Spring break approaches, I encourage you to take a few hours out of your schedule and become a bit more informed about the food you feed your body. For me and Ray, these films were "game changers." Although they may not have the same impact on you, I still strongly believe our education is non-negotiable. If you get a chance to watch, let me know what you think!