I didn't keep up very well with what we did last week. We went out to town three times last week, and I was very busy. We read our daily chapter from Proverbs and finished Mark's. Jade wrote a paragraph nearly every day, from various sources. He practiced some addition two, maybe three, different days, from a workbook. We did a reading lesson or two. We went for our walks, though we didn't go a couple different days. I have no pictures of anything last week. Some Youtube videos the boys watched were:
Animal Planet's Most Extreme:
Killer cats (after my talking about having seen a countdown a few years ago that said house cats were the top killers in the world, killing for mere pleasure, because I tell the boys often that I like cats, except I hate how they love to kill, and they kill the creatures I like to watch and hear)
Bees
Aura Imaging (which I am saving to watch myself, because I have a high interest in various camera imaging, seeing things with other types of visual equipment, other than that with which our human eyes are equipped)
Honoring One's Parents:
Appreciating your parents
my favorite
Respect your parents
Life Lessons: Parents
On the first day of last week, the boys and I took our neighbor Brenda grocery shopping, because her car broke down, and Nathan looked into getting it fixed for her. Even if it had been running, though, she would not have been able to get out with her car, for she has to cross a creek in three places, one of which is really bad. When we got home, the boys played most of the day in the lake in our yard, while I played with Liv, read, and talked to my friend Lindsey.
The third day of the week, we cut out wheat and gluten, except Trusten had a bit of what was left of the homemade bread I'd made the day or two before. I didn't get to him in time. Nathan did not participate, though he had to participate somewhat at dinner. I ground rice for flour, instead of wheat. we went an entire seven days (Trust went seven days, too, as he went an extra day beyond Jaden and me), and we noticed nothing. Even after we re-introduced it into our diets, nothing bad happened. I'm glad, because I looked to see how much rice cost in bulk compared to wheat, and it is much more expensive. For example, Bulkfoods.com charges a little less than $38 for 25 lbs. of wheat berries and a little more than $61 for 25 lbs. of brown rice. Quinoa was 90-somehing dollars for 25 lbs. We had some quinoa noodles as part of our lunch on two different days, though, and they were delicious. I read the box to the boys, which told how the vast Inca empire lived on quinoa, and quinoa is much more nutritious than wheat, rice, corn, etc. There were a couple charts, which were very impressive. So delicious, too. If we did have to cut out wheat and all gluten, I discovered that it wouldn't be nearly as bad as I thought. The rice muffins we had for breakfast were tasty. I tried making tortillas, and though I have trouble getting my wheat tortillas to roll up as a burrito or fajita, the rice tortillas were impossible. I couldn't even get them big enough as I rolled the dough on the counter. Ha! So, I made small pancake sized circles with the hands, and we just put our chicken, peppers, and tomato (fully-cooked tomatoes from a can, as I can't do raw ones) fajita mixture onto those and ate with a fork. They were very delicious-tasting, at least.
I got two definite confirmations that Trusten is absolutely intolerance to casein, the protein in cow's milk. I'd started out buying this rice cheese for him. Well, I thought it was dairy free. He had stopped asking for cheese and said he didn't like that. Well, he started asking for sliced of that cheese. On the third day, after noticing that he'd been terrible for the previous two days and on that day, when he asked for cheese, I thought, "Something's not right. He is acting addicted to this cheese, just as he did dairy cheese, and his behavior has been awful." So, I take the package of cheese and read the ingredients. Casein!!!! It was only lactose-free. When I'd skimmed the ingredients at the store, I was looking for other things, assuming it was totally dairy-free. Since no one else was going to eat that cheese, I tossed it all out for the critters, without giving Trusten any. He had a terrible tantrum. His breath returned, too. It took him two days to line out.
Then another day, he saw that there was a honey candy in the top basket of my chicken baskets that hang over our kitchen sink. I took it down and said that it had been up there for a long time, probably had melted and hardened several times in the sun and wouldn't be good to eat, and besides it could have dairy. Then I did something that was just downright foolish. I knew it when I did it, and yet I did it anyway. I always pay the price when I pull such a stunt. I threw the candy in the trash in front of him. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Sure enough, later we were all outside, and he went in. After he was gone for a minute and thought he should be back if he'd just gone to the bathroom or went to retrieve something, I thought I'd better go check on him. I walked in the door to see him standing at the trash can eating. Oh, no! He saw me approaching him, knew he was in trouble, and started running! The rest of the day he was a mess...behavior-wise. I later asked Nathan whether that candy would have had any dairy, and he said, "Butter." Well, butter is mostly fat, and so has only a faint trace of casein, and yet that made him all-out crazy for 2.5 half days, and his breath was wretched, a stench of sewer again. The next day or perhaps two days later, I got the idea of giving him some digestive enyzmes I have in the cabinet. I broke open the capsule and gave it to him with a spoonful of honey. I'm not sure whether it contained the enzyme that breaks down casein, nor whether it helped speed his recovery.
But, he was about back to normal breath- and behavior-wise after 2.5 days. I'll do everything I possibly can to make sure he never takes in any casein. That poor baby. He stinks and is a nightmare to take care of when he has that in his body, because that enzyme that is needed is destroyed, but he can't help it. It's so hard to be patient and nice when he has the horrible tantrums he has had. I've stayed so tired and beat for the past few years. And yet the poor baby isn't normally that bad. He has a spirited personality, anyway, but the casein drives him to be a crazed lunatic. No more!!!!!!!
This is it for this post. The next post will discuss Pentecost, Trusten's 3rd birthday, and other interesting things.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Flowers, Plant Identification, More Letters
First day of the week, Roman date of May 9: It was Mother's Day in the U.S. We loosely observe Mother's and Father's Days. I surprised the boys by renting a Care Bears movie on iTunes, so they watched that in the morning. The boys learned an important truth, that you cannot use good power to do evil. An evil bear used deception to steal away the Care Bears' power. They realized that their power had gone out of them, but when the evil bear harnessed the power and tried using it to destroy the Care Bears' kingdom, Care-a-Lot, it would not work. The power was useless. Then the Care Bears realized that even though their special power harnessed in their belly badges were gone, they were still Care Bears. The main character, Oopsie Bear, had not had a belly badge in the first place. Maybe that's why he always made mistakes. He unintentionally was the cause of the Care Bears having their belly badges stolen in the first place. Oopsie reminded them all that he had still been a care bear, even when he didn't have the belly badge (and thus the special power). They all united together with one mind to show they were still full of love and care. The evil bear couldn't stand it. Anyway, in the end, once the bears realized they were still Care Bears, their power went back to them. Each one's belly badge found its way back to the right bears. The evil bear was flung out of Care-a-Lot. Of course, I used the movie to teach the boys a biblical lesson. Satan will never be able to use good power, the Spirit of God, with which true Christians are begotten, to destroy the Kingdom of God. Good will always prevail over evil. As the scriptures say, IF it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. The very elect will not be deceived, though. Only those with a false spirit will be deceived. In the end, all the evildoers will be flung out of God's Kingdom.
We had a LATE lunch or EARLY dinner, depending on how you look at it, at Red Lobster. Nathan took us out to eat. I love their salads and the wild caught Alaskan salmon with broccoli....oh, and needn't forget the Pina Colada. I don't know anyone who makes a better Pina Colada. Either I was just really tired, or the alcohol made me sleepy, but when we got home, I took a nap that lasted over two hours. A nap is a rare treat for me. It was nice that I could take one while Nathan took care of the children. Jade got to shoot his bb gun.
*2nd day, May 10: Jade did a page of double-digit addition, wrote a letter to my grandpa, and shot his bb gun. We read our proverb and a chapter from Mark's gospel narrative.
*3rd day, May 11: I reviewed family order and our relationships with others in various places of authority with Jade and some basic U.S. history, as well as basics about the different continents and the difference between a map and a globe. Proverb and Mark. Jade wrote a letter to Nathan's grandmother. I think he may have done some math.
Trusten pointed out a squirrel outside Nathan's and my bedroom window in the morning. He and I watched it, and I got it on video. It was digging in the yard.
*4th day, May 12: We read our proverb and a chapter from Mark. Jade practiced some triple-digit addition and did some reading aloud and answered some questions about the reading. The reading selection dealt with tagged and radio-id'ed animals, which I thought was great, since we'd just talked about that a few days before. He wrote a letter to his Aunt Meg, my sister. Then we all went for our daily walk, and I took several pictures, and I'm getting ready to work with Jaden again on the plant project.
Well, I can't include all the pictures here, though those whom are members of our Shutterfly picture website will eventually see them all. Here are a few:
Some sort of phacelia, I think. I'm not certain.
Canada Dwarf Cinquefoil/Common Cinquefoil
I'm unsure of what plant this is, but they are all seemingly infested with some sort of tumorous growths. Jaden burst one of then open, and it was empty. However, we brought another home, and he showed Nathan, after Na got home. Nathan then burst it open outside, and it had some sort of tiny insects, or rather insect larvae, I believe, crawling around in there.
I also took pictures of Queen Anne's Lace, wild blackberry, some sort of phlox or Wild Sweet William, and some sort of vetches. I also took a picture of some bush with berries that I have not yet been able to identify.
Jade also played Art Zone on the Internet while Trusten watched an episode of Davey & Goliath. Jade also drew me a new pretty picture with his new colored pencils that are made from twig bark. He then put it on the refrigerator for me by using magnet letters. At the top, he put the letters M-a-m-a and the bottom J-a-d-e. :-) What a nice surprise.
We had a raccoon come steal some of the cats' food, on the back deck:
5th day, May 13: Prov. and Mark. Jade wrote the words of "Jesus Loves the Little Children" in paragraph form. Somehow or another sponges got brought up. Jade was asking me about them, so I explained real animal sponges and the synthetic ones. I showed both boys pictures of sea sponges on Google Images and read a bit from Wikipedia. I later talked about how some sharks will eat plastic and metal trash in the ocean, and Jade didn't believe me. I showed them a Youtube video about tiger sharks that explained it.
We took our walk, and Jade shot his bb gun. He also hoed part of the back hillside. I held my red honeysuckle out of the way, while he hoed around it. I got cuttings from one of our previous neighbors last year, and I'm so happy that they made it. This year, I gave her two of my three Day lilies that I had grow from last year's parent. I've started to have blooms as I write this, but below is a picture from this date showing the first buds:
Both the boys played in puddles today, as it has rained a lot. Trusten has new puddle pants so that he can play with Jaden. I need to get Jaden the next size up, I suppose. They're getting small. Trust got in the sandbox with his puddle pants still on. He played a bit, and then he spotted a caterpillar in the sand. He dug it out, he asked me what kind it was. I fetched out moth and butterfly guide, but I could not figure out what it was. It was a caterpillar, though, and not some sort of other insect larva.
6th day, May 14: We read the bible. We also went through April's issue of Heaven's Family, where I read to the boys about orphans getting a new orphanage and a family being happy to get a water filter so that they no longer suffered illness from contaminated water. We also read through some of my last issue of Arbor Day. One of the articles was instructing people not to take firewood from their homes to a campsite away from home, because of the chances of introducing a foreign insect to that area which could wipe out plants. I better explained to Jaden the reasons why this was so, since he sounded very interested in that.
Then we all took a walk, but I didn't take my camera. I missed a rare event, I'm sure. We saw on some animal feces both a female Diana fritillary and a Pipevine swallowtail. Those who know butterflies realize that these are colored and patterned similarly. I really thought that was neat that they were right beside each other. I knew I should have taken my camera! There were scavenger beetles around, too, as well as flies. It's a shame to see such beautiful butterflies delight in something so disgusting.
7th day, May 15: On the sabbath I taught the boys their thankfulness lesson and read from Proverbs. I started on the 7th commandment in the book I'm writing. After the sabbath, we all watched a movie together...can't remember the name of it. It was a bit amusing, not one of the funniest, but some parts were pretty funny. It was something to do with a former night guard going back to the museum at which he worked. Something about a fight at the Smithsonian. Anyway...
I got some new books. Nathan logged into my Amazon wish list. I didn't even know he knew I kept a "wish list." Anyway, he went through there and got me several books. I had to tell him to get them used, as he was clicking away to buy them new. I got:
"The Private Eye : "5X" Looking/Thinking by Analogy - A Guide to Developing the Interdisciplinary Mind"
"Night Sky: A Guide To Field Identification
"The Amazing Story of Creation: From Science and the Bible"
"The Story of V: A Natural History of Female Sexuality"
"DNA and the Criminal Justice System: The Technology of Justice (Basic Bioethics)"
"What a Difference a Daddy Makes: The Indelible Imprint a Dad Leaves on His Daughter's Life" by Dr. Kevin Leman (I've read three of his other books.)
I'm excited! :-)
Well, that's it for now.
We had a LATE lunch or EARLY dinner, depending on how you look at it, at Red Lobster. Nathan took us out to eat. I love their salads and the wild caught Alaskan salmon with broccoli....oh, and needn't forget the Pina Colada. I don't know anyone who makes a better Pina Colada. Either I was just really tired, or the alcohol made me sleepy, but when we got home, I took a nap that lasted over two hours. A nap is a rare treat for me. It was nice that I could take one while Nathan took care of the children. Jade got to shoot his bb gun.
*2nd day, May 10: Jade did a page of double-digit addition, wrote a letter to my grandpa, and shot his bb gun. We read our proverb and a chapter from Mark's gospel narrative.
*3rd day, May 11: I reviewed family order and our relationships with others in various places of authority with Jade and some basic U.S. history, as well as basics about the different continents and the difference between a map and a globe. Proverb and Mark. Jade wrote a letter to Nathan's grandmother. I think he may have done some math.
Trusten pointed out a squirrel outside Nathan's and my bedroom window in the morning. He and I watched it, and I got it on video. It was digging in the yard.
*4th day, May 12: We read our proverb and a chapter from Mark. Jade practiced some triple-digit addition and did some reading aloud and answered some questions about the reading. The reading selection dealt with tagged and radio-id'ed animals, which I thought was great, since we'd just talked about that a few days before. He wrote a letter to his Aunt Meg, my sister. Then we all went for our daily walk, and I took several pictures, and I'm getting ready to work with Jaden again on the plant project.
Well, I can't include all the pictures here, though those whom are members of our Shutterfly picture website will eventually see them all. Here are a few:
Some sort of phacelia, I think. I'm not certain.
Canada Dwarf Cinquefoil/Common Cinquefoil
I'm unsure of what plant this is, but they are all seemingly infested with some sort of tumorous growths. Jaden burst one of then open, and it was empty. However, we brought another home, and he showed Nathan, after Na got home. Nathan then burst it open outside, and it had some sort of tiny insects, or rather insect larvae, I believe, crawling around in there.
I also took pictures of Queen Anne's Lace, wild blackberry, some sort of phlox or Wild Sweet William, and some sort of vetches. I also took a picture of some bush with berries that I have not yet been able to identify.
Jade also played Art Zone on the Internet while Trusten watched an episode of Davey & Goliath. Jade also drew me a new pretty picture with his new colored pencils that are made from twig bark. He then put it on the refrigerator for me by using magnet letters. At the top, he put the letters M-a-m-a and the bottom J-a-d-e. :-) What a nice surprise.
We had a raccoon come steal some of the cats' food, on the back deck:
5th day, May 13: Prov. and Mark. Jade wrote the words of "Jesus Loves the Little Children" in paragraph form. Somehow or another sponges got brought up. Jade was asking me about them, so I explained real animal sponges and the synthetic ones. I showed both boys pictures of sea sponges on Google Images and read a bit from Wikipedia. I later talked about how some sharks will eat plastic and metal trash in the ocean, and Jade didn't believe me. I showed them a Youtube video about tiger sharks that explained it.
We took our walk, and Jade shot his bb gun. He also hoed part of the back hillside. I held my red honeysuckle out of the way, while he hoed around it. I got cuttings from one of our previous neighbors last year, and I'm so happy that they made it. This year, I gave her two of my three Day lilies that I had grow from last year's parent. I've started to have blooms as I write this, but below is a picture from this date showing the first buds:
Both the boys played in puddles today, as it has rained a lot. Trusten has new puddle pants so that he can play with Jaden. I need to get Jaden the next size up, I suppose. They're getting small. Trust got in the sandbox with his puddle pants still on. He played a bit, and then he spotted a caterpillar in the sand. He dug it out, he asked me what kind it was. I fetched out moth and butterfly guide, but I could not figure out what it was. It was a caterpillar, though, and not some sort of other insect larva.
6th day, May 14: We read the bible. We also went through April's issue of Heaven's Family, where I read to the boys about orphans getting a new orphanage and a family being happy to get a water filter so that they no longer suffered illness from contaminated water. We also read through some of my last issue of Arbor Day. One of the articles was instructing people not to take firewood from their homes to a campsite away from home, because of the chances of introducing a foreign insect to that area which could wipe out plants. I better explained to Jaden the reasons why this was so, since he sounded very interested in that.
Then we all took a walk, but I didn't take my camera. I missed a rare event, I'm sure. We saw on some animal feces both a female Diana fritillary and a Pipevine swallowtail. Those who know butterflies realize that these are colored and patterned similarly. I really thought that was neat that they were right beside each other. I knew I should have taken my camera! There were scavenger beetles around, too, as well as flies. It's a shame to see such beautiful butterflies delight in something so disgusting.
7th day, May 15: On the sabbath I taught the boys their thankfulness lesson and read from Proverbs. I started on the 7th commandment in the book I'm writing. After the sabbath, we all watched a movie together...can't remember the name of it. It was a bit amusing, not one of the funniest, but some parts were pretty funny. It was something to do with a former night guard going back to the museum at which he worked. Something about a fight at the Smithsonian. Anyway...
I got some new books. Nathan logged into my Amazon wish list. I didn't even know he knew I kept a "wish list." Anyway, he went through there and got me several books. I had to tell him to get them used, as he was clicking away to buy them new. I got:
"The Private Eye : "5X" Looking/Thinking by Analogy - A Guide to Developing the Interdisciplinary Mind"
"Night Sky: A Guide To Field Identification
"The Amazing Story of Creation: From Science and the Bible"
"The Story of V: A Natural History of Female Sexuality"
"DNA and the Criminal Justice System: The Technology of Justice (Basic Bioethics)"
"What a Difference a Daddy Makes: The Indelible Imprint a Dad Leaves on His Daughter's Life" by Dr. Kevin Leman (I've read three of his other books.)
I'm excited! :-)
Well, that's it for now.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Some Pictures and Comments on Scorpion Video
I didn't share some pictures from last week, so I wanted to do that. Also, while I was talking about animals and all the different eyes/cameras different animals have and how people have just copied God's technology, and I mentioned the infrared, night vision, and others, Jade got very excited and told me that I just had to watch the scorpion videos that he and Trusten had watched the day before. He enthusiastically told me that scorpions had many eyes just like spiders, but they had them all around the head and that they could do all these amazing things. Well, I finally watched the videos today with them, and it really was amazing. I highly recommend watching it. The links are in my last post. Scorpions have some very interesting abilities, for sure.
Okay, now for some pictures...
My peony bush first blooming out
Jaden sporting a white clover necklace that I taught him how to make so that he can crown his little sister with them or make her necklaces when she gets a little older. My mother made white clover necklaces when I was little.
Trusten holding a green caterpillar
He's letting it crawl from hand to hand
I think it's a larvae of some sort of sulphur or white butterfly, but I really do not know. Can anyone tell?
Oh, and that reminds me. My fil told me that the snake I could not identify was probably some sort of garter snake. Well, there is an Eastern garter snake in Missouri. It didn't quite look that way, though. There is supposed to be a red-sided garter snake in the western half, and I'm not convinced it is that, either. It looks closest to an East Plains garter snake (I think it was called), but it's not listed as a MO snake.
Okay, now for some pictures...
My peony bush first blooming out
A lovely Diana fritillary
He's letting it crawl from hand to hand
I think it's a larvae of some sort of sulphur or white butterfly, but I really do not know. Can anyone tell?
Oh, and that reminds me. My fil told me that the snake I could not identify was probably some sort of garter snake. Well, there is an Eastern garter snake in Missouri. It didn't quite look that way, though. There is supposed to be a red-sided garter snake in the western half, and I'm not convinced it is that, either. It looks closest to an East Plains garter snake (I think it was called), but it's not listed as a MO snake.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Letter Writing, Context in Reading, Animal Mothers, and Hypothyroidism
Sunday, May 2: I can't remember whether Jade did an Explode the Code lesson or not. He's nearly done with it all, though. We're still in Mark, and we read a proverb daily. This night we watched "Planet 51," which is an animated movie about a man from our planet landing on Planet 51, to find green people living like we did in 50s America. The astronaut is targeted as a dangerous alien. The people on that planet were programmed to think that those of other planets were a threat and would take over and kill them, just as the people on this planet are programmed to think the same way. Well, in a way, it's true. There will be an alien--someone "not of this world"--who will come and indeed kill those who fight him upon his arrival. I'm a little different, though, in that I look very much forward to his coming, and I even plan to be a part of the fight...on his side. Ha, does that make me a "terrorist?" There are probably some idiots out there who would think so, and then there are the real terrorists who would falsely accuse me of being so.
The boys liked the movie all right. It wasn't worthy of some special award or anything, but I thought it was okay, too. Nathan didn't even stay awake for it all. Maybe it was boring to him.
Monday, May 3: I got a phone call from someone to let me know of my thyroid test results. My TSH was in the "normal" range. That is the hormone the pituitary gland makes to stimulate the thyroid to make more hormones. It is used to diagnose hypothyroidism. If it's out of range on the high end, then a person is considered hypothyroid, because the pituitary is having to secrete a lot of TSH to get the thryoid to make more hormones. However, my free T4, one of the two most dominant thyroid hormones (the other most dominant one being T3) was low. The nurse told me that I was diagnosed with "subclinical hypothyroidism," because the TSH was normal. Of course, that name is so very stupid. "Subclinical" is a term used to describe something that is not major enough to cause symptoms. The whole reason I went to get tested in the first place is because of a host of symptoms, some of which have become quite frightening. Then, my free T4 (as opposed to total T4), the actual thyroid hormone that was tested, is indeed low. I wonder how surprised the doctor was that my free T4 was low. I suspected that she just thought I had some serious anxiety issues, and I told her right off the bat that I know I didn't look like the usual hypo-t patient, since I'm very thin, and most hypo-t persons struggle with weight gain. I struggle with the exact opposite, and while I do have some symptoms that can fall into either the hypo-t or hyper-t, I believed strongly that I was hypo-t. I told her this and said that I only wanted to make certain, before I started treating myself and possibly put myself in even more danger.
The nurse on the phone said the doctor did not want me to start taking my thyroid supplements that I'd ordered and to wait for three months so that she could retest me. Well, that's easy for her [the doctor] to say, but she's not the one who feels like she's having a heart attack! Furthermore, she'd had me set up to go somewhere else to get a 24-hour holter monitor, which is a portable EKG that I'd have to wear for 24 hours. The EKG they had done in the office was normal, which had brought me great relief. I couldn't understand, then, why they wanted me to be hooked up to a holter monitor. The reasoning? It was because the regular EKG only lasted a few seconds, and so they wanted to see whether they could pick up heart palpitations. What a waste of my husband's money and my time! I already know I'm having heart palpitations. I told them so. What is the point of picking them up on the monitor just so that they can say they did? How pointless! Is it any wonder this nation is second in medical technology (last time I checked) but toward the very bottom in health among the industrialized nations? They misuse and abuse it! They do far more harm than good.
I did some research and found that it's actually quite common for a person's TSH to be in the "normal" range and for the free T4 to be low and for there to be hypothyroid symptoms present and that those who are treated have improvement. So, I decided to treat myself. I also canceled the appointment for that holter monitor. I've continued to take extra magnesium via magnesium oil on my feet and bigger portion of dark chocolate (the best food source of magnesium), and chlorophyll supplements. I then started taking one Thyromine capsule a day, which includes bovine thyroid and adrenal tissue, from naturally-raised beef (pastured, no hormones or antibiotics). I'm writing this a week after this date, and I've had a great reduction in heart palpitations, and I can't remember the last time I had chest tightening, lump in the throat, and other feelings of anxiety. The doctor had told me that if my thyroid testing came out normal, she wanted to treat me for anxiety. I feel like I have none now. I will re-test myself in several weeks. I'll order thyroid tests online. I just wish they would have tested for free T3, too.
I'm genetically predisposed to thyroid issues. My maternal grandmother had her thyroid removed and took replacement hormones. I'm not sure whether my issue is in any way related. I don't believe a person is destined to have the same problems, and there's nothing he or she can do about it, but there is that inherent tendency. So I'll be exploring some possible causes of this. My instinct has told me for a few years, though, that the main problem is two mercury amalgam fillings in my teeth. I believe that is a major root to most of anything I have wrong with my body. I do not feel safe having them removed while pregnant or nursing, and so I have been stuck with them, which sadly means I've also been gassing mercury to my children via placenta and breast milk. I hope that I will successfully weed out the root problem in due time, but until then I will treat myself with extra magnesium, since I continuously have deficiency symptoms (and apparently hypo-t contributes to that) and thyroid supplements. I'm hoping not to have to take thyroid supplements forever.
That's it about me. Now, as for Trusten, I cut out his dairy a few weeks ago. Almost immediately (two days later), he started getting up a little earlier and continued daily. Another nearly immediate reaction was that he stopped asking for cheese all day, every day. He clearly had a dairy addiction. He still remained quite hyperactive, though. Well, more time has passed, and he's only had a few infractions. While still hyper, possibly due to his age and personality, he has calmed down somewhat lately. I can better reason with him. There are still tantrums, but there's been a drop. He's become more pleasant. He'd had horrid breath. It smelled like a sewer. I figured it was either due to a yeast overgrowth in his gut or tonsil stones. He'd been diagnosed by a naturopathic doctor with enlarged tonsils, but she said we shouldn't rush into removing them (and I agreed). I definitely believe he had (has?) sleep apnea. The smell didn't immediately go away, and it's not completely gone, either, but it is drastically improved, almost gone.
I'd wanted to cut out dairy with him in the past, but it was so difficult, and I didn't have a lot of support. It is difficult, but we're making it, and I believe it's so worth it. It's easy for Nathan to forget, still, because he's not here with us all during the day most days, but he's been supportive of it and is trying to remember. I was starting to think we were going to have to have his tonsils removed. Surgery is a big deal, especially when it's the removal of organs that God has put there for a purpose. So, while we'd do it if we had to, it's a last resort. Living without dairy isn't the end of the world, and removing tonsils wouldn't change the fact that casein (milk protein) is unacceptable to his body. Something is simply damaged in his body, and it cannot process the protein correctly.
Ah! That reminds me. I inquired whether they thyroid panel would include tests to see whether an autoimmune disorder was responsible for the trouble. It was not. I said that I was curious about that, because I did recently acquire an allergy to raw tomatoes. What she said after that indicated to me that she didn't really have a clue. She didn't seem to realize that allergies and autoimmune disorders could be linked. I didn't say anything more, as I knew I'd be wasting my time. Allergies are a very big interest of study to me. I just do not have enough time in this SHORT life to try to understand everything the way I'd like. I'll never understand everything.
Okay...back to this day's events. We went on our daily walk, but I didn't even take the camera on some days during this week. Jaden wrote his Gamma Pat, my mil, a letter today.
Tuesday, May 4: I don't know what all occurred on this day, except Jade wrote my parents--Papa Chuck and Nana--a letter.
Wednesday, May 5: We went grocery shopping, Jade learned about context in reading in the CC3 book. He has already used context, I've noticed. He did one page of double-digit addition for math, and the boys watched some Youtube videos: how to hand spin wool and fibers, flax spinning, One Sensitive Scorpion--BBC part 1, Scorpion part 2
Thursday, May 6: Jade wrote his Grandpa Bill, my fil, a letter. We read the boys' magazines for this month, Jade's Your Big Backyard and Trust's Wild Animal Babies. We learned about animals mothers, May flowers, the folly of four-leafed clover "luck," and Trust learned about skunks. We went to the recycling center, where Jade and I sorted through our stuff to be recycled.
We also talked in great detail about how God knows our thoughts. I explained the modern technology of man, how the U.S. government tracks every single email and phone conversation now, and it's on file in a big building full of computer storage. He was amazed enough by that. I also told him about the history of phone tapping and about recording devices such as black boxes in airplane cockpits. I talked to him about people tracked wildlife and other animals to keep up with their locations and habits. I told him that it was nothing for the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and everything in them to have a recording feature. I explained that God knew at any moment how many ants, crocodiles, and blades of grass were alive on the planet. It sounds impossible to us, but just look at what man can now do. Can the One who created us all and this planet not do much more? It's all about knowledge and the application thereof (technology). And He's the Mighty Genius, the One reigning above all others. I explained to Jaden that manmade computers were really copies of creatures that God has made, including us. God has made organic computers. I told him his memories--his videos, still images, sound clips, and everything that was stored in his brain is accessible to God, just the way those same type of things are accessible to us on our computers. I also reminded Jaden how all the different cameras (visual equipment) that man has made, including black-and-white photography, color photography, infrared, etc. are all things that God already has done. Some animals have only black and white vision, others have color, some have infrared. Our eyes are our cameras, our vocal chords are our speakers, and our ears our microphones.
Friday, May 7: ????? Besides preparing for the sabbath, I do not know.
Saturday, May 8: It was the sabbath, and I did the boys' sabbath school lesson outside with them, and it went well. We had a nice, restful day. We went for a walk. It was also my fil's birthday, and so we all talked to him on the phone.
Until next time...
The boys liked the movie all right. It wasn't worthy of some special award or anything, but I thought it was okay, too. Nathan didn't even stay awake for it all. Maybe it was boring to him.
Monday, May 3: I got a phone call from someone to let me know of my thyroid test results. My TSH was in the "normal" range. That is the hormone the pituitary gland makes to stimulate the thyroid to make more hormones. It is used to diagnose hypothyroidism. If it's out of range on the high end, then a person is considered hypothyroid, because the pituitary is having to secrete a lot of TSH to get the thryoid to make more hormones. However, my free T4, one of the two most dominant thyroid hormones (the other most dominant one being T3) was low. The nurse told me that I was diagnosed with "subclinical hypothyroidism," because the TSH was normal. Of course, that name is so very stupid. "Subclinical" is a term used to describe something that is not major enough to cause symptoms. The whole reason I went to get tested in the first place is because of a host of symptoms, some of which have become quite frightening. Then, my free T4 (as opposed to total T4), the actual thyroid hormone that was tested, is indeed low. I wonder how surprised the doctor was that my free T4 was low. I suspected that she just thought I had some serious anxiety issues, and I told her right off the bat that I know I didn't look like the usual hypo-t patient, since I'm very thin, and most hypo-t persons struggle with weight gain. I struggle with the exact opposite, and while I do have some symptoms that can fall into either the hypo-t or hyper-t, I believed strongly that I was hypo-t. I told her this and said that I only wanted to make certain, before I started treating myself and possibly put myself in even more danger.
The nurse on the phone said the doctor did not want me to start taking my thyroid supplements that I'd ordered and to wait for three months so that she could retest me. Well, that's easy for her [the doctor] to say, but she's not the one who feels like she's having a heart attack! Furthermore, she'd had me set up to go somewhere else to get a 24-hour holter monitor, which is a portable EKG that I'd have to wear for 24 hours. The EKG they had done in the office was normal, which had brought me great relief. I couldn't understand, then, why they wanted me to be hooked up to a holter monitor. The reasoning? It was because the regular EKG only lasted a few seconds, and so they wanted to see whether they could pick up heart palpitations. What a waste of my husband's money and my time! I already know I'm having heart palpitations. I told them so. What is the point of picking them up on the monitor just so that they can say they did? How pointless! Is it any wonder this nation is second in medical technology (last time I checked) but toward the very bottom in health among the industrialized nations? They misuse and abuse it! They do far more harm than good.
I did some research and found that it's actually quite common for a person's TSH to be in the "normal" range and for the free T4 to be low and for there to be hypothyroid symptoms present and that those who are treated have improvement. So, I decided to treat myself. I also canceled the appointment for that holter monitor. I've continued to take extra magnesium via magnesium oil on my feet and bigger portion of dark chocolate (the best food source of magnesium), and chlorophyll supplements. I then started taking one Thyromine capsule a day, which includes bovine thyroid and adrenal tissue, from naturally-raised beef (pastured, no hormones or antibiotics). I'm writing this a week after this date, and I've had a great reduction in heart palpitations, and I can't remember the last time I had chest tightening, lump in the throat, and other feelings of anxiety. The doctor had told me that if my thyroid testing came out normal, she wanted to treat me for anxiety. I feel like I have none now. I will re-test myself in several weeks. I'll order thyroid tests online. I just wish they would have tested for free T3, too.
I'm genetically predisposed to thyroid issues. My maternal grandmother had her thyroid removed and took replacement hormones. I'm not sure whether my issue is in any way related. I don't believe a person is destined to have the same problems, and there's nothing he or she can do about it, but there is that inherent tendency. So I'll be exploring some possible causes of this. My instinct has told me for a few years, though, that the main problem is two mercury amalgam fillings in my teeth. I believe that is a major root to most of anything I have wrong with my body. I do not feel safe having them removed while pregnant or nursing, and so I have been stuck with them, which sadly means I've also been gassing mercury to my children via placenta and breast milk. I hope that I will successfully weed out the root problem in due time, but until then I will treat myself with extra magnesium, since I continuously have deficiency symptoms (and apparently hypo-t contributes to that) and thyroid supplements. I'm hoping not to have to take thyroid supplements forever.
That's it about me. Now, as for Trusten, I cut out his dairy a few weeks ago. Almost immediately (two days later), he started getting up a little earlier and continued daily. Another nearly immediate reaction was that he stopped asking for cheese all day, every day. He clearly had a dairy addiction. He still remained quite hyperactive, though. Well, more time has passed, and he's only had a few infractions. While still hyper, possibly due to his age and personality, he has calmed down somewhat lately. I can better reason with him. There are still tantrums, but there's been a drop. He's become more pleasant. He'd had horrid breath. It smelled like a sewer. I figured it was either due to a yeast overgrowth in his gut or tonsil stones. He'd been diagnosed by a naturopathic doctor with enlarged tonsils, but she said we shouldn't rush into removing them (and I agreed). I definitely believe he had (has?) sleep apnea. The smell didn't immediately go away, and it's not completely gone, either, but it is drastically improved, almost gone.
I'd wanted to cut out dairy with him in the past, but it was so difficult, and I didn't have a lot of support. It is difficult, but we're making it, and I believe it's so worth it. It's easy for Nathan to forget, still, because he's not here with us all during the day most days, but he's been supportive of it and is trying to remember. I was starting to think we were going to have to have his tonsils removed. Surgery is a big deal, especially when it's the removal of organs that God has put there for a purpose. So, while we'd do it if we had to, it's a last resort. Living without dairy isn't the end of the world, and removing tonsils wouldn't change the fact that casein (milk protein) is unacceptable to his body. Something is simply damaged in his body, and it cannot process the protein correctly.
Ah! That reminds me. I inquired whether they thyroid panel would include tests to see whether an autoimmune disorder was responsible for the trouble. It was not. I said that I was curious about that, because I did recently acquire an allergy to raw tomatoes. What she said after that indicated to me that she didn't really have a clue. She didn't seem to realize that allergies and autoimmune disorders could be linked. I didn't say anything more, as I knew I'd be wasting my time. Allergies are a very big interest of study to me. I just do not have enough time in this SHORT life to try to understand everything the way I'd like. I'll never understand everything.
Okay...back to this day's events. We went on our daily walk, but I didn't even take the camera on some days during this week. Jaden wrote his Gamma Pat, my mil, a letter today.
Tuesday, May 4: I don't know what all occurred on this day, except Jade wrote my parents--Papa Chuck and Nana--a letter.
Wednesday, May 5: We went grocery shopping, Jade learned about context in reading in the CC3 book. He has already used context, I've noticed. He did one page of double-digit addition for math, and the boys watched some Youtube videos: how to hand spin wool and fibers, flax spinning, One Sensitive Scorpion--BBC part 1, Scorpion part 2
Thursday, May 6: Jade wrote his Grandpa Bill, my fil, a letter. We read the boys' magazines for this month, Jade's Your Big Backyard and Trust's Wild Animal Babies. We learned about animals mothers, May flowers, the folly of four-leafed clover "luck," and Trust learned about skunks. We went to the recycling center, where Jade and I sorted through our stuff to be recycled.
We also talked in great detail about how God knows our thoughts. I explained the modern technology of man, how the U.S. government tracks every single email and phone conversation now, and it's on file in a big building full of computer storage. He was amazed enough by that. I also told him about the history of phone tapping and about recording devices such as black boxes in airplane cockpits. I talked to him about people tracked wildlife and other animals to keep up with their locations and habits. I told him that it was nothing for the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and everything in them to have a recording feature. I explained that God knew at any moment how many ants, crocodiles, and blades of grass were alive on the planet. It sounds impossible to us, but just look at what man can now do. Can the One who created us all and this planet not do much more? It's all about knowledge and the application thereof (technology). And He's the Mighty Genius, the One reigning above all others. I explained to Jaden that manmade computers were really copies of creatures that God has made, including us. God has made organic computers. I told him his memories--his videos, still images, sound clips, and everything that was stored in his brain is accessible to God, just the way those same type of things are accessible to us on our computers. I also reminded Jaden how all the different cameras (visual equipment) that man has made, including black-and-white photography, color photography, infrared, etc. are all things that God already has done. Some animals have only black and white vision, others have color, some have infrared. Our eyes are our cameras, our vocal chords are our speakers, and our ears our microphones.
Friday, May 7: ????? Besides preparing for the sabbath, I do not know.
Saturday, May 8: It was the sabbath, and I did the boys' sabbath school lesson outside with them, and it went well. We had a nice, restful day. We went for a walk. It was also my fil's birthday, and so we all talked to him on the phone.
Until next time...
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A Break for Momma and Grandparents for the Boys
Sunday, April 25: Nathan and I met my parents halfway, and we ate at a Mexican restaurant together, then they took the boys home with them.
Monday, April 26: The boys really missed out during the walk today. I nearly ran Liv's stroller right over a snake! It was a harmless, non-venomous snake. The only problem is, I still don't know what kind it is. We've seen some already this year, but I looked on Missouri's website at all the snakes listed, and then I even looked for Arkansas snakes. Beats me. It has dull reddish stripes down the length of its body. Well, that's the best way I can describe it. I just need a camera to take a picture of one. I know the boys would have enjoyed it.
Jade said during their visit he steered a tractor with his Papa Chuck (Daddy to me) to bush hog. He also burned some hay and sticks, push mowed (with a reel mower), fished, held baby chicks, and celebrated my sister's 25th birthday with her.
It was nice to have peace and quiet, but I missed the boys, too. I got them back on Friday. I went to the doctor on Thursday to get my blood tested for hypothyroidism. I also got an EKG. I will talk more about the results in my next post.
Saturday, May 1: I enjoyed the sabbath day, but the boys didn't have their sabbath school lesson. I did read the bible to them. After the sabbath, and after the boys were in bed, Nathan and I watched a movie called Precious. Watching that ought to make anyone thankful for their life, no matter what bad things have happened, because most of us don't suffer things to that extent. It's based on the book Push by Sapphire, but I don't know whether it's based on a true story, or not. One thing is for sure, those type of things do really happen in the world. Anyway, it is about a sixteen-year-old black girl who is pregnant with her second child by her father, and she lives with a super-abusive mother who blames her for "stealing" her man. So very twisted. That poor girl was being sexually abused and then being made to feel it was her fault. The end of the movie revealed that it had happened since the age of three. Her mother threw glasses at her, tried hitting her with a skillet, told her she should have aborted her, and all sorts of things.
The movie also brings out the sad truth how much people are too hung up on people's physical attributes. It's just so sad. :-(
Well, it has a happy ending. That's the good thing. :-)
Monday, April 26: The boys really missed out during the walk today. I nearly ran Liv's stroller right over a snake! It was a harmless, non-venomous snake. The only problem is, I still don't know what kind it is. We've seen some already this year, but I looked on Missouri's website at all the snakes listed, and then I even looked for Arkansas snakes. Beats me. It has dull reddish stripes down the length of its body. Well, that's the best way I can describe it. I just need a camera to take a picture of one. I know the boys would have enjoyed it.
Jade said during their visit he steered a tractor with his Papa Chuck (Daddy to me) to bush hog. He also burned some hay and sticks, push mowed (with a reel mower), fished, held baby chicks, and celebrated my sister's 25th birthday with her.
It was nice to have peace and quiet, but I missed the boys, too. I got them back on Friday. I went to the doctor on Thursday to get my blood tested for hypothyroidism. I also got an EKG. I will talk more about the results in my next post.
Saturday, May 1: I enjoyed the sabbath day, but the boys didn't have their sabbath school lesson. I did read the bible to them. After the sabbath, and after the boys were in bed, Nathan and I watched a movie called Precious. Watching that ought to make anyone thankful for their life, no matter what bad things have happened, because most of us don't suffer things to that extent. It's based on the book Push by Sapphire, but I don't know whether it's based on a true story, or not. One thing is for sure, those type of things do really happen in the world. Anyway, it is about a sixteen-year-old black girl who is pregnant with her second child by her father, and she lives with a super-abusive mother who blames her for "stealing" her man. So very twisted. That poor girl was being sexually abused and then being made to feel it was her fault. The end of the movie revealed that it had happened since the age of three. Her mother threw glasses at her, tried hitting her with a skillet, told her she should have aborted her, and all sorts of things.
The movie also brings out the sad truth how much people are too hung up on people's physical attributes. It's just so sad. :-(
Well, it has a happy ending. That's the good thing. :-)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Miracles and Technology, Caterpillars, and Thankfulness
Sunday, April 18: Jade did an Explode the Code lesson, the children and I went grocery shopping, we read our proverb and some in the gospel of Mark, and then Nathan and I watched the movie Sherlock Holmes online. Wow, did I ever like that movie. We thought it would be okay for Jade to see and would give me an opportunity to talk to him about some things, so I planned to play it again the next day.
Sherlock Holmes, of course, is a fictional detective, most know. This movie's case revolved around a guy seeking to control government, ultimately the world, using technology deceptively disguised by the "dark arts." Intelligent and logical Sherlock Holmes knew there was an explanation for all the seemingly unexplainable events, such as the evil character Lord Blackwood rising from the dead. He said that he didn't believe in magic, but rather science. I couldn't agree more. Magic is a myth, the whole "hocus pocus, abra-cadabra" nonsense. There's an explanation for everything. Even when people use dark arts, the spirits behind it all are literally bringing things about in some way. It is explainable. When God made the heavens and the earth, He did it by His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding:
Jehovah by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew (Prov. 3:19-20).
The Most High God and His Firstborn are both more highly advanced than any human is. Their wisdom, knowledge, and understanding far surpass that of ours, for we are created by them and given these things in limited amounts.
Certain elements in the movie reminded me of how people will be deceived in the last few years of this world/age. Already there are fascinating technologies that are kept secret from the general population. There are those who serve Satan and practice the dark arts. These people include our top government officials who claim outwardly to be Christians just to deceive the deceived into thinking they are like them and nothing to fear! What secrets do these evil spirits share with these people? What sorceries are in store to deceive the masses? One thing is for certain, that those who do not have the love of the truth shall be deceived. The nations are fighting so and cannot get along. The leaders and the rich keep meeting together to try to formulate a plan of peace. They do realize an important truth, namely that in order to have peace, there must be a world government, and so everyone must obey the same set of beliefs. What beliefs, what law, should be implemented, is the question.
Eventually, it will be decided in the Western world that the Christianity religion should be used to bring everyone under rule and that Islam should be once and for all stamped out. Of course, except for the true Christians who know the truth, namely that the Satan-inspired man-made religion of Christianity (Catholicism) is against God, and perhaps a minority of atheists and others, most will come to think it's a good idea and there will seem to be a short time of peace in this part of the world. They will serve this coming government with their thoughts and actions (symbolized by the forehead and hands), rather than God's government. They will obey a lie, rather than obey the truth.
Fancy technology will be used to show signs and wonders, as I wrote in my intro to science and technology on my website. Satan is working behind the scenes to inspire this in the minds of evil men so that ultimately he can be worshiped as only God should be. No fancy technology, no wonders that man can do, even under inspiration or possession of devils, can compare to what God can do. I want my children to know, though, that there will be fancy things done that people will believe is from God and is not.
Monday, April 19: I refreshed Jaden on how to scan and copy with the printer, since we will soon start adding more to our plant binder that we started last year. I let Trusten push buttons. :-) He loves to push buttons, so I let him do so when I can. I lift him up so that he can push the button to start the washing machine. We let him push the play and pause button when we watch movies on the iMac.
*********
I can't remember the exact thing Jaden William said now, but he made some comment about water at a certain temperature, and I told him that was hot (I think he said 160 degrees) to us, and he was thinking it was cold, so I had to remind him of the numerical values of certain temps. that have been assigned to the Fahrenheit scale. Somehow that conversation also involved reheating food, but I honestly do not remember the conversation really well right now.
*********
Another thing we talked about this day was a spirit vs. flesh body. We were doing our daily bible reading, and I can't remember what I'd read over, but he said, "I just realized something. Our bodies are God's body." So, I had the opportunity to talk about that. I told him he was partly right. In the same way his body is Nathan's and my body, God's begotten children's bodies are His bodies. In the same way Jaden is a reproduction of both mind and body by Nathan's and my coming together as one, so a begettal with the Father God's Spirit, we have a reproduction of His mind and will have a reproduction of His body, just as His Firstborn's (the Lord Jesus).
*********
We also talked about Jesus' spitting and other strange things that he did when healing others. I explained to Jaden that those things that he did were not really what healed them. God's Spirit healed them, and in the case of the blind, the cells of the eye were made whole, or whatever was wrong with the vision was corrected. We have certain powers in the modern medical instruments and drugs that are used today. How much greater are the things with which God has at His disposal? They would not have understood such things 2,000 years ago, but the modern medical miracles man has shown he is capable of should put it in a new light.
If man can do such things, what can God do? Of course, one only has to look at heavens and the earth and how everything runs. Wow! Well, to anyone with any sense, I think it's plain that someone of greater intelligence put this all together. Of course, the foolish have always given unintelligence credit. As IF a rock (or block of wood) that can't speak or see or reason could create life. The evolutionists, with such theories as life springing up on the "backs of crystals," as one guy put it, are no different than the heathens throughout history who have given rocks and other such things the credit. Crazy, if you ask me. If that's real science, I'm a dodo bird.
I am amazed at this iMac that I have and even more so with the iPhone. What geniuses it took to put something together that does all that it does and it have such a small size. Now, what person with sense would ever guess that something like that just "evolved," all the needed parts and applications just randomly came together to create the iPhone and all its programs. Of course, that's nonsense! How much more nonsensical it is to believe the earth and every creature on it just got here and is running all this complex programming from some random evolving of things. Just the way the earth and the other planets are held together in orbit is amazing to me.
********
We've been taking daily walks. The day before Jade opened up a web of Eastern tent caterpillars with a stick. Today I brought the camera along. I wasn't sure what the name of the caterpillars was as of yet, nor was I sure of the tree from which they fed and made their home. I discovered later that it was Choke cherry, and there are Choke cherry trees all up and down this road, with Eastern tent caterpillars making their homes in them.
Click here for video footage of Jaden's observation.
Oh, and I wasn't 100% sure what those little "black things" that Jaden asked about were, but later when we read more about these caterpillars, we found out that the black things are feces. Nice, eh? You should have seen the look on JW's face.
Here's a cute video of Trusten with one of the caterpillars.
Tuesday, April 20: We read from Mark and Proverbs. We talked more about technology vs. "magic" and end time deceptions, and we talked about stamps and mail sorting and transport. I explained summarily how it all worked and how long it took for mail to get from place to place. It all started with his asking why we need stamps, and then he also was under the assumption that the addressee received the mail piece the same day the sender mailed it.
Wednesday, April 21: We read Mark and Proverbs. The boys learned about syrphid flies. Here's a video of Trusten studying one on our front porch. It was a bit annoying that JW kept asking Trusten what he thought about the fly, even interrupting Trusten's question, but JW and I had thought it was so funny the day before when Trust said he thought "good" of the caterpillar as he dropped it and brushed his hands together. I watched that video over and over, laughing.
Thursday, April 22: I started taking cal-mag supplements again today, though, as well as chlorophyll again. I know my magnesium is low, even though I do not eat a mainstream diet of refined grains and do not eat more than one to two dairy servings a day (too much calcium can cause less magnesium absorption, though magnesium helps calcium to absorb).
The lilac bush in our front yard smells lovely, and we delight in smelling the fragrant air as we walk by during our daily walks. Also, JW thought the Mullein we have around here was Lamb's Ear. They are both soft, and they look similar, but I told him I didn't think it was Lamb's Ear. I couldn't remember what it was called, though, so we id'ed the plant when we got home. I look forward to the mullein blooming. We had a pretty one near our creek last year, but JW said he thinks he accidentally hoed it down last year.
Friday, April 23: Mark and proverb. I realized my magnesium was low yesterday, but today I start wondering whether it's linked to hypothyroidism, with which I have suspected myself having for over three years.
Saturday, April 24: The boys had their thankfulness lesson.
I'll update more in a later post.
Sherlock Holmes, of course, is a fictional detective, most know. This movie's case revolved around a guy seeking to control government, ultimately the world, using technology deceptively disguised by the "dark arts." Intelligent and logical Sherlock Holmes knew there was an explanation for all the seemingly unexplainable events, such as the evil character Lord Blackwood rising from the dead. He said that he didn't believe in magic, but rather science. I couldn't agree more. Magic is a myth, the whole "hocus pocus, abra-cadabra" nonsense. There's an explanation for everything. Even when people use dark arts, the spirits behind it all are literally bringing things about in some way. It is explainable. When God made the heavens and the earth, He did it by His wisdom, knowledge, and understanding:
Jehovah by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew (Prov. 3:19-20).
The Most High God and His Firstborn are both more highly advanced than any human is. Their wisdom, knowledge, and understanding far surpass that of ours, for we are created by them and given these things in limited amounts.
Certain elements in the movie reminded me of how people will be deceived in the last few years of this world/age. Already there are fascinating technologies that are kept secret from the general population. There are those who serve Satan and practice the dark arts. These people include our top government officials who claim outwardly to be Christians just to deceive the deceived into thinking they are like them and nothing to fear! What secrets do these evil spirits share with these people? What sorceries are in store to deceive the masses? One thing is for certain, that those who do not have the love of the truth shall be deceived. The nations are fighting so and cannot get along. The leaders and the rich keep meeting together to try to formulate a plan of peace. They do realize an important truth, namely that in order to have peace, there must be a world government, and so everyone must obey the same set of beliefs. What beliefs, what law, should be implemented, is the question.
Eventually, it will be decided in the Western world that the Christianity religion should be used to bring everyone under rule and that Islam should be once and for all stamped out. Of course, except for the true Christians who know the truth, namely that the Satan-inspired man-made religion of Christianity (Catholicism) is against God, and perhaps a minority of atheists and others, most will come to think it's a good idea and there will seem to be a short time of peace in this part of the world. They will serve this coming government with their thoughts and actions (symbolized by the forehead and hands), rather than God's government. They will obey a lie, rather than obey the truth.
Fancy technology will be used to show signs and wonders, as I wrote in my intro to science and technology on my website. Satan is working behind the scenes to inspire this in the minds of evil men so that ultimately he can be worshiped as only God should be. No fancy technology, no wonders that man can do, even under inspiration or possession of devils, can compare to what God can do. I want my children to know, though, that there will be fancy things done that people will believe is from God and is not.
Monday, April 19: I refreshed Jaden on how to scan and copy with the printer, since we will soon start adding more to our plant binder that we started last year. I let Trusten push buttons. :-) He loves to push buttons, so I let him do so when I can. I lift him up so that he can push the button to start the washing machine. We let him push the play and pause button when we watch movies on the iMac.
*********
I can't remember the exact thing Jaden William said now, but he made some comment about water at a certain temperature, and I told him that was hot (I think he said 160 degrees) to us, and he was thinking it was cold, so I had to remind him of the numerical values of certain temps. that have been assigned to the Fahrenheit scale. Somehow that conversation also involved reheating food, but I honestly do not remember the conversation really well right now.
*********
Another thing we talked about this day was a spirit vs. flesh body. We were doing our daily bible reading, and I can't remember what I'd read over, but he said, "I just realized something. Our bodies are God's body." So, I had the opportunity to talk about that. I told him he was partly right. In the same way his body is Nathan's and my body, God's begotten children's bodies are His bodies. In the same way Jaden is a reproduction of both mind and body by Nathan's and my coming together as one, so a begettal with the Father God's Spirit, we have a reproduction of His mind and will have a reproduction of His body, just as His Firstborn's (the Lord Jesus).
*********
We also talked about Jesus' spitting and other strange things that he did when healing others. I explained to Jaden that those things that he did were not really what healed them. God's Spirit healed them, and in the case of the blind, the cells of the eye were made whole, or whatever was wrong with the vision was corrected. We have certain powers in the modern medical instruments and drugs that are used today. How much greater are the things with which God has at His disposal? They would not have understood such things 2,000 years ago, but the modern medical miracles man has shown he is capable of should put it in a new light.
If man can do such things, what can God do? Of course, one only has to look at heavens and the earth and how everything runs. Wow! Well, to anyone with any sense, I think it's plain that someone of greater intelligence put this all together. Of course, the foolish have always given unintelligence credit. As IF a rock (or block of wood) that can't speak or see or reason could create life. The evolutionists, with such theories as life springing up on the "backs of crystals," as one guy put it, are no different than the heathens throughout history who have given rocks and other such things the credit. Crazy, if you ask me. If that's real science, I'm a dodo bird.
I am amazed at this iMac that I have and even more so with the iPhone. What geniuses it took to put something together that does all that it does and it have such a small size. Now, what person with sense would ever guess that something like that just "evolved," all the needed parts and applications just randomly came together to create the iPhone and all its programs. Of course, that's nonsense! How much more nonsensical it is to believe the earth and every creature on it just got here and is running all this complex programming from some random evolving of things. Just the way the earth and the other planets are held together in orbit is amazing to me.
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We've been taking daily walks. The day before Jade opened up a web of Eastern tent caterpillars with a stick. Today I brought the camera along. I wasn't sure what the name of the caterpillars was as of yet, nor was I sure of the tree from which they fed and made their home. I discovered later that it was Choke cherry, and there are Choke cherry trees all up and down this road, with Eastern tent caterpillars making their homes in them.
Click here for video footage of Jaden's observation.
Oh, and I wasn't 100% sure what those little "black things" that Jaden asked about were, but later when we read more about these caterpillars, we found out that the black things are feces. Nice, eh? You should have seen the look on JW's face.
Here's a cute video of Trusten with one of the caterpillars.
Tuesday, April 20: We read from Mark and Proverbs. We talked more about technology vs. "magic" and end time deceptions, and we talked about stamps and mail sorting and transport. I explained summarily how it all worked and how long it took for mail to get from place to place. It all started with his asking why we need stamps, and then he also was under the assumption that the addressee received the mail piece the same day the sender mailed it.
Wednesday, April 21: We read Mark and Proverbs. The boys learned about syrphid flies. Here's a video of Trusten studying one on our front porch. It was a bit annoying that JW kept asking Trusten what he thought about the fly, even interrupting Trusten's question, but JW and I had thought it was so funny the day before when Trust said he thought "good" of the caterpillar as he dropped it and brushed his hands together. I watched that video over and over, laughing.
Thursday, April 22: I started taking cal-mag supplements again today, though, as well as chlorophyll again. I know my magnesium is low, even though I do not eat a mainstream diet of refined grains and do not eat more than one to two dairy servings a day (too much calcium can cause less magnesium absorption, though magnesium helps calcium to absorb).
The lilac bush in our front yard smells lovely, and we delight in smelling the fragrant air as we walk by during our daily walks. Also, JW thought the Mullein we have around here was Lamb's Ear. They are both soft, and they look similar, but I told him I didn't think it was Lamb's Ear. I couldn't remember what it was called, though, so we id'ed the plant when we got home. I look forward to the mullein blooming. We had a pretty one near our creek last year, but JW said he thinks he accidentally hoed it down last year.
Friday, April 23: Mark and proverb. I realized my magnesium was low yesterday, but today I start wondering whether it's linked to hypothyroidism, with which I have suspected myself having for over three years.
Saturday, April 24: The boys had their thankfulness lesson.
I'll update more in a later post.
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