Cicadas and Sin

I do not think I will get used to the sound of cicadas. They are a new creature to me since moving to Kentucky. We went on a family outing to a forest and our children begged to leave because their minds were being confused by the irritating noises. Being the homeschool mom I am, I made them research the annoying critters but one child asked if they could keep it brief because even the thought of them irritates his brain.

What we discovered later is that the cicadas like any wooded area and they found our backyard. Now their constant buzzing is disrupts the pleasantness of being in our own yard for most of the summer. We have come to pronounce them, in our family as Sick-a-duz (sick of those).

These nasty critters do serve a useful purpose, however, because you can use them an illustration of how sibling bickering sounds to parent's ears.

I wonder if this is what my sin sounds like to my loving and holy God? Is my sin a constant buzzing in His ears? Is my sin like the screech of crunching metal? If my praise is a sweet sound to Him, then certainly when I sin, it must be one an annoying noise that begs Him to move away from me so He does not need to hear it anymore.

As the nights turn colder, the cicadas begin to die. Our backyard is peaceful.

I should have had to die so that God no longer hears the annoying buzz of my sin. Instead, Jesus died. Now there is peace with God. Thank You, God.  But when those sins creep back into my heart, I must die to myself, confess my sin and He is faithful and just to forgive me of those sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (annoying noises!). Thus, I can have peace with God. "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

Oops, I forgot--some memory resources

Some memory resources especially for the student who would rather not spend so much time studying (or the mom who wants to remember her list without finger counting):

The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas (yes, the basketball star, so maybe dads will like this book as well!). All the editions are the same material.

For any student--check out www.smart.fm

This is a helpful tool for reviewing vocabulary, numbers, states, etc . . . This sets goals and is very interactive making it hard to cut corners. It also sets up time delay review. If you don't see what you want there, you can create your own list/goals to practice (and another way to review the material). And it is free!

Jonathan is using it to prepare for a Biology CLEP test. I hope to use it to learn some Hindi because I am working with people from Nepal.

MP: The healing of the spirit

Today, I am cheating on the Marshall Protocol. I am sitting on my deck, in the shade, appropriately dressed within MP standards, wearing my Noir protective lenses. But I am outside while the sun is up and know that it would probably be better to be away from the natural light (even in the shade).

However, my spirit needed to see the green trees and grass, to feel the breeze, and hear the birds.

I have been outside in daylight hours, but that was for a specific need. Today, it is just to refresh my soul.

I would be foolish to think this was not just as important in the healing process. I am glad our doctor says, "Do not stop living." For me, today, this is just what I need to be doing--outside and enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Creation. It is healing to my soul.

Mommy Tool: Remembering

God's timing is such a blessing: Just when I am dealing with mental fog, he puts a memorization technique unit before us for academic learning (as well as many applications in real life).

But this has jogged my memory of threelittle tools I used to help my children remember the instruction I gave them. Maybe you will find them helpful as well.

1. Give them four things to do and have them use their fingers (on one hand) to go over each of the things and the fifth finger is for a hug from Mom so they can report they did the other things. You may have to start with only two instructions for younger children and build it from there. Remember, the hug and success is the goal! This technique is especially helpful for regular lists like what to do after they get up in the morning: finger 1: Change clothes; finger 2: put away pajamas; finger 3: brush teeth; finger 4: feed dog; finger 5/thumb: Hug Mom!

2. Give an instruction and link it to a silly word. "After you finish your board game, please go pick up the toys in the yard. Pumpernickel!" The child then has to repeat the silly word, after he says, "Yes, Mom," of course! Then when he claims those were not the instructions or he never heard you say that (it does happen :), you can gently remind him of the silly word. I usually just start to say it and they can finish it. Or sometimes I will just tell them that a silly word was attached to the instruction--and they will remember the word, and then the instructions. Ouch! Do not rush to give them the whole word because if they have to say it, they are accepting more responsibility and building their memory. This is also a very helpful technique for those children who struggle to wake in the morning and claim you never woke them up! I make them repeat a silly word before I leave their room and they do indeed remember the word when I remind them of it.

3. Finally, relating the known task/assignment from a known thing to an unknown is a very helpful tool. I just found out that orators of old (when written language was not as common as it is now), remembered the flow of their stories by associating it with things within a common building (as their houses). This technique has been especially helpful in our academic studies: "How is multiplication like addition" for example (answer--multiplication is rapid addition and you show this with examples, of course). I love how Joyce Herzog uses this technique in the Scaredy Cat Reading System: Vowels are scared and brave and when they are scared they make scared sounds. When they are brave, they can say their names. Now what child has problems understanding "brave" and "scared". Now they just need to learn what is scaring those vowels!

As you practice these skills, you will find yourself making new applications all the time--even to your own work around the house. Don't forget the hug when you finish your four things.

Marshall Protocol: An odd time to call the doctor

It is very strange to call the doctor to get advice when I am consistently feeling the best I have in almost two years. Very odd. Most of the time we call for medical help when we cannot take the symptoms anymore, but I am calling because I have had almost no negative reactions since starting the new antibiotic. I feel a little "off" about an hour before my Benicar dose (every 6 hrs) is due and a few minor symptoms but all very manageable. It is very strange to think you are doing something wrong when you feel good! I felt funny trying to explain this to the receptionist in my message to the doctor but she handled that information just fine. The doctor has been out of the office most of this week so no word back yet--but I guess that is okay because I am feeling fine. It is very odd to feel almost normal and it is even odder to think that is odd :) That is what happens when you take a different approach to defeating the enemy lurking in my body--there has to be something wrong if it is all quiet on the frontlines of battle. I had the same qualms when the children were very quiet in the house. They must be up to something. I've read much on what to do if my symptoms are going wild, but have not found literature on what to do if they are quiet. Very odd.

Tools for Moms

Our homeschooling resumes next week. Only one child left at home. Very strange transition. We don't really like it. But, as I am contemplating this reduction in class-size, I am also remembering the tricky parts of having many young children at home. There were times I wanted the "Take a Number" system as you see at some delis and Department of Motor Vehicles. We discovered that young children (and some adults) need to learn the correct transition to interrupt a conversation or activity. The most helpful tool was having the child gently place their hand on our arms to indicate that they wanted/needed our attention or wanted to participate in the discussion. We practiced it at home before taking it public, and it worked extremely well. I do want to warn moms that you have to be very specific with some children to place their hand, not lean or tap their hand, to get the attention! Some people are just more insistent and it can be a distraction. The parent also makes a commitment that she will close the conversation and give the child attention as soon as is reasonable. Now, in our time of training and educating, I discovered this polite interruption technique is also very helpful. For us, it took place most often during our educational hours, but we also used it doing our together work times because I might be in the middle of reading a recipe or helping another child learn a task. We also took it one step further. We placed "Mommy-Pass" cards in a pocket on our wall. Each child had at least one card with his/her name written on it (non-readers had their name plus a symbol). When I was working with someone else and another child wanted my attention, they would remove their card from the pocket and place it next to me. They were then to proceed with another activity until I was able to meet them. Thus, they continued After I met with them, I placed the card backwards in the pocket so we knew it had been used. This was wonderful! There were so many moments when a child was on the brink of that educational breakthrough and I could finish working with them without interruption. It made for a more pleasant school time for all of us. One other benefit we discovered was that children began to work out more of the problems on their own. As our children matured, they had less "Mommy Pass" cards available to them. Then as they approached me with their card, I could also most see them thinking, "Is this really worth a Mommy Pass card? Oh, now I remember how to do that exercise," or "I had a similar problem before; I will look at that," or "I will try doing that chore on my own again." They were excited and I was excited that they discovered different pathways to come up with an answer. Another reminder that transitions can be formulas for learning.

MP: When to step up the anitbiotics?

In the Marshall Protocol, small pulses of antibiotics are taken every 48 hours. Each time a new antibiotic is started, you start on a very small dose and slowly increase it to make sure you can handle the immunopathology that follows the dying bacteria. Immunopathology is a fancy word that means that you feel sick because your body is fighting the bad guys. The objective is to reach the full therapeutic dose without giving up on the protocol because it interferes too much with daily living. Therefore, you can step up to the next level of antibiotic when you can tolerate the side effects of killing those bacteria for a week or two (depending on the bacteria and your life). You can also hold off on the new level if you have an important meeting or event in the near future--just to avoid surprises. My body is doing a good job of letting me know when to change the dosage. I stagnant or plateau and wonder why I am even following this protocol. My husband said, "You seem to sense that it is no longer doing you any good." This is exactly the feeling that I get. My health does not go backwards I just feel like the scum-covered pond that was near my childhood home: water, home to many fish, full of food, important. Yet, it just does not compare to the life of the clear, bubbling brook set amongst the trees: sparkling, refreshing, clean. The other indicator is the ability to regularly take Benicar on the regular schedule of every six hours. If I am needing to take Benicar every four hours and increase my dosage, then I have eliminated the most effective method of making any bad immunopathology tolerable. One woman encouraged mothers to listen to their "mommy-gut" instinct regarding their children. If mothers are in obedience to God, they can listen to this instinct because they are filtering it through the lens of Truth. Likewise, I am listening to my body (which God designed) to determine how best to proceed through this protocol--for me. Your way may be different for you. Blessed is the doctor who realizes this that we need to listen to our bodies (my doctor does)! I am sure there are other ways to determine when to take what and when to stop. These are just two ways that have helped me at this time.

Who would have thought?

Those who have known me for anytime can tell you what my favorite time of day is. I love mornings. I love to see the darkness give way to the light. I love the soft shadows that play along the streets as they are chased away. The air is fresher after a night of slumber. Dew often hugs the grass. Sometimes a gentle breeze awakens the leaves. It is quiet. The nocturnal animals are settled into their beds. The morning animals are just beginning to stir. Few people are en route to their work or school. In my house, no one else is awake. I can think. Yet, as my circumstances have changed, and mornings are usually my most difficult time of the day (physically/emotionally), and I need to limit exposure to sunlight, I determined to stay up later at night. Who would have thought? After the sun sets, I walk with Trevor and sometimes I sit on our deck to enjoy the outside. This is not a quiet time: The cicadas and frogs are VERY loud. It seems no animals are sleeping. Cars are coming and going. More planes zip towards the airport. Machines buzz. Our sons prefer the night hours. Friends and family on the West Coast are more available to chat at night (their evening). Yet, God is using this time for some more prayer, little spurts of energy to do something creative (gasp!), and interacting more with our family and friends. Trevor likes that when he awakes I am still in the bedroom. Who would have thought that God would bring such a transition into my life? Maybe the morning treasures will be returned to me, but right now I think I will dig what I can out the night. Maybe I will discover jewels in this blanket of darkness for my God created both the night and the day. Maybe night will become a friend. "The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; and His song will be with me in the night. A prayer to the God of my life." Psalm 42:8

a poem for times of transformation

A friend sent me this devotional poem in a time of darkness. She did not know but my heavenly Father did and ministered to me through this sweet fragrance of His grace.

Beside my cottage door it grows, The loveliest, daintiest flower that blooms, A sweet brier rose. At dewy morn or twilight’s close, The rarest perfume from it flows, This strange wild rose. But when the raindrops on it beat, Ah, then, its odors grow more sweet, About my feet. Often with loving tenderness, Its soft green leaves I gently press, In sweet caress. A still more wondrous fragrance flows, The more my fingers close, And crush the rose. Dear Lord, oh let my life be so, Its perfume when stronger winds blow, The sweeter flow. And should it be Your blessed will, With crushing grief my soul to fill, Press harder still. And while its dying fragrance flows, I’ll whisper low, “He loves and knows His crushed brier rose.”

I always encourage my children to learn more information about subjects. This poem's author may have studied some attributes of this rose which I share with you. Now, an appropriate application and delicate reminder would be to plant a Sweet Briar Rose. Botanical: Rosa rubiginosa

The flowers of the Sweet Briar are a little smaller than those of the Dog Rose and generally of a deeper hue, though of a richer tint in some plants than in others. They are in bloom during June and July. The fruit is eggshaped, its broadest part being uppermost or farthest from the stem.

The specific name rubiginosa signifies, in Latin, 'rusty,' the plant having been thus named as both stems and leaves are often of a brownish-red tint. It delights in open copses, though is sometimes found also in old hedgerows and is more specially met with in chalk districts in the south of England.

Its fragrance of foliage is peculiarly its own and has led to it holding a cherished place in many old gardens. Under its older name of Eglantine its praises have been sung by poets.

It takes a shower to bring out the full sweetness of Sweet Briar, when its strong and refreshing fragrance will fill the air and be borne a long distance by the breeze. Though the leaves are so highly odorous, the flowers are almost entirely without scent.

Sweet Briar only obtains a place among perfumes in name, for like many other sweetscented plants, it does not repay the labour of collecting its odour, the fragrant part of the plant being destroyed more or less under treatment. An Essence under this name is, however, prepared, compounded of various floral essences so blended as to resemble the spicy fragrance of the growing plant. In olden days the Sweet Briar was used medicinally.

Information and image obtained from

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/roses-18.html

poem from "Streams in the Desert", compiled by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

MP--A Gentle Introduction to Phase 2

My gracious God has gently introduced me to Phase 2 of the Marshall Protocol. I was just starting to feel more "normal" physically and emotionally on Phase 1 so I knew it was time to move on but I must admit that I was also reluctant to face the symptoms of dying bacteria. However, in my first week on Phase 2, I have continued to have a functioning brain and energy to do household projects. I have only had a few blocks of time that I felt poorly. I am very grateful for this time to enjoy thinking and attacking some neglected work. After reviewing a chart of the normal immunopathology associated with minocycline, with my husband's wise input, I switched to taking the antibiotics in the morning (instead of the night) so that most of my symptoms would hit when I am sleeping. Now, sleep has not been the greatest, but I am feeling better doing the day and my morning, in particular, has been more tolerable. Each antibiotic has a different schedule so we will see what happens with clindamycin. Chart for immunopathology of Minocycline http://mpkb.org/home/mp/mpmeds/minocycline I am presently taking 1/4 dose of the full desired dose minocycline (25mg) and clindamycin (37.5 mg) every 48 hours, and will continue at this level for at least another week, or until my symptoms are tolerable. Then I increase one of the antibiotics another 1/4. This stair-stepping continues until I can tolerate a full dose of both antibiotics. I am using these tools to chart my symptoms. I prefer the Phase 1 chart as it allows more room for a greater variety of symptoms. I also track my average ratings on any given day (which my husband and I devised and I posted recently into another blog). http://mpkb.org/home/lifestyle/toolsformp#symptom_chart Thank You, Lord for some gentle transitions and for providing wisdom and tools for those transitions.

Sweet Fragments of Refreshment

God reminded me of how He uses sweet fragments of life to encourage us in a brief 12 hour period of my life. We heard the testimony of a woman, infused with God's truth via her grandparents, eventually brought to repentance because His Word kept speaking to her heart though she spent years walking her own way. Now God's Word is her song and her son says that his mom does not have a favorite verse; she loves it all. It was a delight to hear her speak God's Word, one verse after another and how they ministered to her. As you know, in my chronic illness, the staying power of God's Word has been a struggle and some of my sleep is filled with terrifying images. The other night, in my dream, I was completely recalling verses I have memorized. Oh, how my spirit was refreshed as the Word of God spoke to my heart. Such a sweet sleep, it was difficult to wake. As I walked to the our mailbox with another batch of letters to send, a beautiful black moth with white accents landed just in front of me and stayed still while I watched it. It was a moment to reflect upon the awesome work of our Creator and His directing hand on all of His creation. Thanks Lord for the fragrance that You placed in this 12 hours. You refreshed my weary spirit, my heart, my ears, my mind, and my eyes.

Marshall Protocol: Communicating My Status

My husband worked with me to develop this rating system so we could communicate better how I was fairing for the day. I encourage others dealing with chronic illness to do likewise (or it may come in handy during other life-changing times like pregnancy, grieving, frustrating job situations). Of course, I may hit many stages throughout the day but I kind of average it and may note particularly bad or good times. Effective and brief communication is very important for me and my support. 10—GREAT! Sustained over time 9—Pretty Good; symptom free 8—Stable plus some creativity 7—Stable; productive, clear head, happy 6—Guarded; unsure what is going to happen 5—I’m getting by 4—Struggling; coping 3—Barely functioning 2—Hiding (not down but away from others/activities) 1—NOT doing ANYTHING Levels 1-4 call for specific coping strategies and intervention.

Transitions Take Time and Make Messes

This summer our middle son and a friend resided with us while they took a break from studies to work so they could resume their studies (without incurring more debt). So, they loaded up two cars and a van and moved back into the dorms. In the spirit of college life, this was done at the last possible moment choreographed with the washing machine and dryer twirling nonstop for all day and most of the night. The busy beehive of activity reminded me that transitions require TIME and make MESSES. In order to fill a box, a shelf needs to be emptied. In order to stuff a car, other objects need to be strewn across the floor to see how to finish the jigsaw puzzle. And then there is the small refrigerator with leftover food that was ignored for a parent to discover. I have not ventured into the unknown cavern of the bedroom closet yet. Of course, in all humility, I tried to clear off my desks (kitchen and school) this week. I gave up and used the box method. The desks are now cleared but the items are stuffed in boxes to help me reorganize the desks to my purposes. So, this is not a problem with just college students! Any transition needs time to work through and we need to allow ourselves the extra time to work through those transitions. I am very aware of this in the kitchen as our transition to healthier eating (and my MP limitations) requires even more food to be made from scratch. Since God has only given each of us the same amount of time and brings these transitions into our lives, I need to go to Him for wisdom in how to budget the time for His purposes. Also, my attitude is challenged to relax about the messes. This is part of the process. Transitions are messy. I can fuss but messes also take time to clean up and this goes back to my comment on time. Transitions can be messy and require time in another way: They have a tendency to reveal my heart and my sin that God wants to deal with in His way. I need to budget time to confess my sin and take every thought captive to Christ as He sanctifies me so, in my transition, I am transformed to His likeness. Lord, please help me use time to deal with the messes of my heart while I take time for transitional messes.

Mood Mugs

Okay, this is another coffee story. However, I also drink herbal tea so it is also a tea story--and for my kids, it is a hot chocolate story. I have discovered I have "mood mugs". As most of you, I have been given an assortment of mugs. I find that I select which to use based on my mood or where my thoughts are going for that day--or where I need to redirect my thoughts for that day! A friend gave me a mug that proclaims one of the many verses we use to encourage one another, "Be still and know that I am God." Another is just uniquely pretty with a subtle green transforming into bronze. One mug is HUGE! Ready for one of those times I feel the need to have a larger portion and still call it just a cup :) When we first moved here, I regularly used a mug from my husband's work to remind me to pray for his new employment. Now, I often use the one that declares "Army Strong" as I reflect upon my fourth child's new adventures. and lift him up to the True Strength-Giver. I have pretty mugs, different colored mugs, light-hearted mugs and special mugs because of who gave them to me. My children prefer the penguin, Christmasy-snowflake, or leopard-spotted mugs, though the black BIG mugs are also popular (they get part of that strategy from me, but mostly from their father). Moods are transitional. I cannot depend on them. Every thought needs to be taken captive to Christ. I must bring them under His truth and authority by His grace. Thus, He transmutes my moods: Transforming or transitioning them from lead into gold that brings praise to HIM. As goes my clothes' closet it would be probably be wise to clean out my mug cupboard. Would that be as hard as getting rid of books that have become friends? However, I know that there are some mugs that are largely ignored. So, I think the time has come to transition them from my house to a place where they could meet another's need or mood. In fact, I know what I will do: I will give them to my immigrant friends and recent refugees to our city. God has brought these special friends into our lives in the midst of our transition and their transition. Sharing my mood mugs is just another way of sharing in the other person's lives--and when I go to their house, they will share their chia tea with us. Maybe God will take this simple act and transmute my humble offering to bring about His transformation in their lives.