Blessings

I have had this song on my iPod for a year and I play it over and over.  Every time I play it, I cry, rather sob.  Laura Story is the artist and she wrote it while her husband was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. I was so proud of her when she won a Grammy for Blessings.  I know it touched my life and I am sure MANY others.   Listen to the song HERE and click Track 5. Here are the lyrics to follow along:

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise


So many of the lyrics hit my heart starting with "Blessings thru Raindrops," which is why I even started My Intestimony.  I know that God will turn my illness into a blessing, be it for me, or for someone else.  The "Thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near" and "the trials of this life are your mercies in disguise."  How many times can we all admit that Garth Brooks "Unanswered Prayers" has applied to our lives?  It's the same thing to know that ANY trial of our life is going to produce real fruit if we just hang on for the blessing to come.  God is FOR us, He loves us and He will not harm us.


I start to cry by the second verse:
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe


I know how many times I have prayed for healing and also the tears of frustration and pain that follow.  I am ashamed when I am angry or when I don't feel that God is near...I know the Lord has bigger plans and He is just saying, "Penny!  Please trust me.  My plan is so much bigger than you!"  (See...I am crying now!)  I often think about my pain and think about how many OTHER people have had greater pain and how Jesus suffered to his DEATH on the cross..for me!  How can I complain about pain?


I know with confidence that I am learning about trials period.  I have had a great life with no big waves to speak of.  I had faith in my heart and in my mind, but now I am really learning to put it to the test.  And, I am being tested for sure.  Even more difficult for me than the pain, is the fact that it affects my family...and my kids!  I cry every time I think of missing something of theirs because of my health.  However, there are days like today where I just can't pretend I don't feel good.


And this part really gets me:
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home


SO TRUE!  If anyone would have ever asked me what my greatest fear was 10 years ago, I would have said without missing a beat "Eternity."  I know I am going to Heaven, I know thats where I want to be, and I know its GLORIOUS!  But I CANNOT comprehend eternity...forever and ever and ever and I drown in those thoughts and actually start to have a panic attack.  What is eternity?  My feelings have certainly done a 180 since then.  While I still don't comprehend eternity and am thrilled beyond words to be assured I am spending eternity in Heaven and not in Hell, I actually dream about being in Heaven.  To be without pain and to be able to be "normal" in how I eat (Do we even eat in Heaven?)  Just the thought of being renewed and my body will be whole again....(tears again!)  


Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy


Earth is NOT our home.  This is NOT our home and we should not get too comfortable here...because something beyond words is waiting for us! WHY in the world would we choose EARTHLY treasures for this short time when we will be in HEAVEN FOREVER?  (slight anxiety!)  If you have never thought about it that way...it's probably time you did. ;)

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Parasite Cleanse

Since this little blog is a testimony to my journey through a major health crisis, I am learning to be more truthful with myself and those around me with how I really feel.  It is actually helping me to admit it more when I have a bad day...or week.  I never want to be a complainer and I always fear that people will think I am complaining if I voice my pain too much.  I still think it's a fine line.  But having this place to journal my feelings helps!  With that said, I have learned that I am more honest about my pain if I write while I am in it...as opposed to after I have recovered.

So, guess what?  The last 24 hours have been brutal.  I have been doing SO well.  My diet launched me to a new level, I had energy, I was starting to think about exercising again, I felt good for the first time in a long time.  I was able to "cheat" a little on the weekends, but always landed back on my diet for the week.  I also started acupuncture.  It has been a new experience for me and I am still watching for big results.  I am dreaming for the first time in years!  I really haven't dreamed since I had kids.  Since acupuncture, I have dreams every night.  I guess thats good?  When I told my acupuncturist about my entire health history, she asked if I had ever done a parasite cleanse.  Of course, I hadn't, but it sounded interesting since I did acquire Giardia the first week we moved to Houston.  She suggested I try it and I was willing.  I had just started recovering from the big detox and even Babe suggested I wait a bit to start something new.  "Let's just enjoy your good health right now, " he said.  I totally agreed.

So, I geared up and started the Parasite Cleanse last week.  It is very safe and easy and the more I read, I was thinking I should do this every once in awhile!  Without grossing everyone out, we do have parasites that we aren't aware of...from undercooked meat, from daycare centers, and more.  It is a simple regime with 6 pre-packaged pills in the morning and 6 pre-packaged pills in the evening for 10 days.  After the first two to three days, I started to get a skip in my step. Could this have been my problem all along? I was feeling great! However, yesterday was Day 6.  I started to get some pain in my stomach. I thought I just needed to eat, but it continued to get worse.  So great that I couldn't sleep.  UGH!  No more sleepless nights!  I thought I was over that!  By about 3am I started to get worried and got online to research the cleanse with greater detail.  Bingo!  The way the cleanse works is by taking natural herbs that create an acidic environment in the gut that parasites cannot live in.  Sounds fine to most people...but not to a girl with a massive bleeding ulcer in repair. My pain is a relapse in my ulcer.  After all the hard work, all the strict eating, I am so discouraged thinking I am back where I started from?

I am hoping and praying that I can get through this on my own.  I popped a Prevacid in the night and while I had moved back to one dose a day, I am stepping it back up to two.  Dear Lord, PLEASE don't let me get to the point of another blood transfusion.  I am hoping the increased dose of Prevacid will kick in and help me re-heal in the next few days.

I do know that I am on the mend.  While I have made HUGE strides forward, I know there will certainly be small steps backwards.  I just have to remind myself to focus on the prize.  I so often think of the verse from Psalm 34:8.  "Taste and see that the Lord is good.  How blessed is the man who finds refuge in Him."  I have tasted the feeling of good health over the last few weeks and it is SO good.  I can get there again!

Coconut Oil

Because I love coconut oil now, I wanted to share this with you. I found it on Pinterest, no less!  See how GREAT coconut oil is!
Reposted from: Delicious Obsessions

52 Uses for Coconut Oil

1. Eat a spoonful when you need an energy boost.
2. Use it as the base for a homemade body scrub.
3. Use to condition your wooden cutting boards.
4. Use as a super conditioner on your hair (apply to dry hair, leave in as long as possible and then shampoo as normal).
5. Use as a styling agent if you have really dry hair. Just rub a tiny bit on your palms and apply to your hair and style as normal.
6. Keep a little container in your purse for lip moisturizer.
7. Add a spoonful to your dog or cat’s food. CO is great for our furry friends!
8. Replace nasty, unhealthy vegetable oils in your cooking and baking with CO.
9. Make healthy Magic Shell ice cream topping.
10. Use it for oil pulling (learn about oil pulling here).
11. Use a tiny dab on your underarms for a natural deodorant.
12. Use coconut oil instead of shaving cream.
13. Add to your bath tub for a moisturizing soak (a drop of peppermint oil is wonderful!).
14. Use as a makeup remover.
15. Use it to help sooth chicken pox, shingles, or other rashes or skin irritations.
16. Use it to treat athlete’s food, ringworm, or other fungal or yeast infections.
17. Take a spoonful with your vitamins to help improve absorption.
18. Spread a thin layer on cuts or burns to speed up healing.
19. Take up to 5 spoonfuls per day for improved thyroid function.
20. Add a spoonful to your smoothies for extra nutrition and flavor (here, here, andhere).
21. Use on the delicate tissue around your eyes to help prevent wrinkles and sagging.
22. Use as the base for homemade toothpaste or lotion.
23. Use in place of massage oil.
24. Use on your baby’s diaper rash or cradle cap.
25. Use to help reduce visibility of stretch marks or to prevent stretch marks.
26. For nursing mothers, use coconut oil on your nipples to prevent cracking and irritation.
27. For nursing mothers, consuming coconut oil will help increase your milk flow.
28. Apply to bee stings or bug bites to soothe and heal the wound.
29. Women can use in the nether regions to relieve yeast infections, dryness, and/or discomfort.
30. Eat a spoonful with each meal to improve digestion.
31. If you’re prone to nosebleeds, coat the inside of your nostrils with coconut oil regularly.
32. Helps soothe and heal hemorrhoids.
33. Take to helps reduce or eliminate migraines.
34. Use as the base for homemade vapor rub.
35. Mixed with peppermint, lemon balm, rosemary, or tea tree oil makes an excellent insect repellant.
36. Mix with baking soda for a non-toxic “Goo Gone”.
37. Use to help detox the body during a cleanse or fast.
38. Use as a metal polish, but always test a small area first.
39. Use as a leather moisturizer.
40. Season your cast iron pans.
41. Use to oil your pans and baking dishes instead of pan spray.
42. Got gum stuck in your hair? Try using coconut oil to remove without cutting your hair.
43. Use instead of WD-40.
44. Use as a personal lubricant (not safe with latex).
45. Take a spoonful to help with heartburn, acid reflux, or indigestion.
46. Use as a natural sunscreen.
47. Mix with a tiny bit of fresh lemon juice and use as a furniture polish (always test a small area first!).
48. Mix with butter and toss your popcorn in it.
49. Use on cracked or rough heals to help smooth them out.
50. Massage into your nails and cuticles to help strengthen them.
51. Use as the base for homemade chocolate candy (like peanut butter cups).
52. Take a couple spoonfuls every day to help overall immune function.

Now, go get some coconut oil! :)

Healing Cuisine by Elise

I have one major "go-to" blog that I use for recipes.  I discovered Healing Cuisine by Elise when I was searching for Advanced Plan recipes.  She happens to be the wife of a Maximized Living doctor and a foodie.  So, she creates some great recipes according to the Advanced Plan in the green Maximized Living Nutritonal Plan Book.

Just to reiterate, I am following the Candida Yeast Diet.  My husband is following the Advanced Plan.  They are both VERY similar diets.  The Candida Diet eliminates all things sugar in order to starve the yeast in our bodies, thus killing it off.  The Advanced Plan eliminates almost all of the same things, with a few exceptions.  The goal of the Advanced Plan is to reduce all inflammation in your body, allowing your body to heal itself.  Sugar causes inflammation, so sugar is eliminated.  The exceptions that are allowed on the Advanced Plan are berries, because they are natural anti-inflammatories.  Also, you are allowed to have raw cheeses because they are loaded with probiotics.  There are a few more differences, but those are the major differences I see in the recipes on Healing Cuisine and what I am allowed to eat.  So, be sure to always be aware of what you are allowed to eat and adjust your recipes accordingly.

This site is a great resource...I have made LOTS of her recipes and really like them.  I will share some specifics in the future.  But for one....this week I made the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  It was good!  A bit of a different texture than I was expecting, but it sure filled my need to have a scoop of Blue Bell!

Dynamic Greens

I will be the FIRST to admit that I don't LOVE vegetables.  I have a few staples, including broccoli, squash, zucchini. Oh! And I LOVE fried okra :) I love things that are added to stir fry like bean sprouts and water chestnuts.  I eat tomatoes in salsa or bruschetta and I love grilled or sautéed onions.  And thats about it for me.

Being on this diet, I eat a LOT of protein and not enough veggies.  I can tell it's slowing down my digestive tract.  And my hubs caught on to it, as well.  So, he investigated and found these Dynamic Greens to be one of the suggested greens powder for those of us that don't like greens.  And I LOVE IT!  I have even surprised myself.  I just plop a scoop in my protein shake, which makes it BRIGHT GREEN and slurp away.

What I have discovered is that for me not eating ANY sugar, I shouldn't have eaten this at this stage in my diet.  It does have fruit in it, thus naturally occurring sugar, which I can't have.  However, it is a fantastic way to get your vitamins from green veggies if you are watching what you eat...just not if you are trying to eliminate sugar from your diet, like me.

I have the berry flavor and it tastes amazing...a far cry from greens powders I have tried in the past!

Yonder Way Farm

I mentioned that I would explain grass-fed vs grain fed beef a couple posts back.  The first time I ever heard of such a difference was about 3 years ago when my husband and I were on a hot date having a steak dinner.  One of the items on the menu was a 4 oz grass-fed steak and a 4 oz grain-fed steak served together to compare.  So, we compared.  While I had no idea my future held a life of grass-fed beef, the grass-fed beef was, by far, richer in taste, juicier, and more tender.  We were sold!  It only makes sense that what a cow eats is whats in its muscles.  You ARE what you EAT!  So, if a cow eats synthetic food, then when you eat a steak, you are eating the synthetic food that fed that cow..antibiotics, hormones, and all!  However, cows were created by God to eat grass.  Eating grass doesn't hurt you and it certainly doesn't hurt the cow.  Cows should be eating grass!

We have since started order all our beef, chicken, and eggs from a local farm that delivers to Houston and the surrounding areas, Yonder Way Farm.  We love them.  It is a young family just doing their thing, living off the land and growing healthy food for those of us city-folks who can't do it for ourselves.  PLEASE peruse their site and their blog.  It is loaded with all sorts of information, including the Grass vs Grain debate.

If you are lucky enough to live in the Houston area, I would highly recommend ordering your meat from Yonder Way.  Your bodies will love and appreciate the REAL THING!

Coconut Oil

Before I learned about Expeller-pressed, I ordered this gallon size.

Coconut Oil has become our life blood.  When on the yeast diet you can't have many of the oils you are used to cooking with.  Coconut Oil is one oil that is allowed and it is allowed to be heated, unlike olive oil.  So, I buy coconut oil by the vat.  I often substitute for butter and always for oils.  I make my scrambled eggs with it.  Even when I wasn't following the diet, I started using coconut oil in brownies and treats (yummo!) and we have always used it to pop our popcorn.  Coconut oil is a treat in and of itself and makes everything taste better.

The great thing about coconuts is that they are a natural anti-fungal agent, so it is REALLY good to eat lots of coconut products while on the yeast diet.  ALWAYS be sure to read the ingredients and make sure that there is no sugar or unidentifiable additives.  I have read that sticking with the Thai brands of coconut milk is good.  And I order my coconut oil online.  Expeller-pressed coconut oil is the best form to get because it was extracted the old-fashioned way with as few added ingredients as possible.

This is the primo!

Gratefully, there is SOMETHING on this diet that I love.  AND, drinking a coconut protein shake is like have my own little sugary sweet.  If you are interested, I just concocted my own shake and LOVE IT!


I fill my Magic Bullet up about 1/4 - 1/2 full of ice.  I fill it half way with raw milk (we get it from a local farm) and another 1/4 with coconut milk.  I put one scoop of my vanilla protein powder (in the margin) and I sprinkle about 4 Tablespoons of organic, unsweetened coconut in to give it a little texture. Mix 'er up and DELISH!