How Blissful the Sound of Two Coinciding Heartbeats....

Talk to me three weeks ago, and you would find me saying that it was very difficult for me to get through a day without thinking about today's upcoming baby appointment. The thought crossed my mind MULTIPLE times a day. My worry: not hearing a fetal heartbeat and having to go through the similar events in July (GOD'S BABY POSTING) .....only this time right at Christmas. Having a secret of sadness from relatives, or else feeling obligated to share my sadness story with everyone at such a joyous time!

Being a Christian, I know we're supposed to trust God in everything: (Philippians 4:6-7) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." But sometimes I need reminders. Reminders through prayer, from the Bible, from silent reflection, from friends and loved ones. This time I was reminded through a friend, with the words:

"Remember, 'Jesus is your life', and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence IN you! Try imagining your whole life, including that of your unborn, being acknowledged as belonging to God. Live in the knowledge of that humble submission. Our anxieties find no refuge when squeezed out by God's sovereign control." Those were the words God wanted to share with me....and He did, through a friend.

Those words were VERY POWERFUL to me, striking a cord of awakening. Like I said up above, I search multiple resources until I am able to sit comfortably with peace from the Holy Spirit within. Those words calmed me, brought me confidence and gave me trust back in my Savior. Not necessarily trust for the baby to remain healthy and alive, but trust that I would get through whatever darts my enemy may hurl my way.

I was doing so well up until today, then the same thoughts crossed my mind once again.

I prayed as I shoveled the driveway before leaving,

I prayed on the drive there,

I even prayed as I got after my kids to behave in front of others in the waiting room.

But the thoughts came back over and over again: "What if?......"

My only way of coping was to fire back with verses and prayers. I had to rewire my thoughts to positive ones, however impossible it seemed.

My midwife searched around my tummy for the heartbeat.

Multiple spots.....multiple uncomfortable smiles shared......multiple misses.

I had to turn my head to the wall as tears started to roll down my cheeks, "Lord, please....." I began to silently say a prayer of petition and.....

THUMP--THUMP, THUMP--THUMP.....I totally lost it--crying and laughing with amazement. We heard both mine and babies heartbeats together at the same time! The room formerly being filled with uncomfortable silence.....was now blasting with the fetal monitor's echoing rhythms of multiple heartbeats......what a glorious sound and what a blessing for us to share a laugh at the uniqueness of the situation!

The worry melted away.

The moment of trial had passed.

My only physical rememberence left is the pain in my arm from the 6 viles of blood being drawn infront of 3 apalled little girls.

NOW, nothing but a fading memory....

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

They Brought Forth Gifts of Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh.....

Ms. Salubrious at 5 years of age, belting out something only her heavenly father could be proud of....

Most of my memories of the Christmas story are of standing in the foreground of the manger scene as an Angel, singing of the glorious birth of my Savior. The manger scene was so miraculous to me: the animals, the angels, the earthly father and mother, the music that gave me tingles up and down my spine, and of course the baby doll that seemed to be REAL in my eyes. All gathered to celebrate the life sent to us from a loving heavenly father.

I remember watching in awe as the 3 wise men walked down the sanctuary aisle towards us bearing their gifts of splendor. I didn't give the gifts of Frankincense & Myrrh much of a second glance, but when the gift of gold came down the aisle, I couldn't take my eyes off of it! I had often wondered why the wise men didn't bring something of more value than just one gift of gold and 2 other "non-mentionables". In fact, to reiterate this thought, I recall a pastor's children's sermon on the gifts one year, with him saying that "the Frankincense & Myrrh 'may have been' something of value back then", as he was awkwardly trying to bypass the value of these to explain the gift of gold that everyone understood.

Recently......I ran across this excerpt from Healthquarters Ministries: December Newsletter. I was awed to discover that 'These resins and their essential oils were priceless medicines, worth more than their weight in gold!' In fact, I thought the explanation was so well-written that I included it all instead of paraphrasing it:

"In Biblical times, Myrrh was one of the most desired and expensive items in the world. It was also used in religious ceremonies and at the time of Christ it was also only available to the wealthy. It's not actually an essential oil, but rather the sap or resin from a tree.

Myrrh is anti-infectious, anti-viral, parasitic (worms), hormone-like, anti-inflammatory, soothes skin conditions, anti-hyperthyroid, and supports the immune system.

Myrrh is used for many skin conditions, such as chapped and cracked skin and wrinkles. It has one of the highest levels of sesquiterpenes. It is also widely used today in oral hygiene products.
Some uses of myrrh are for bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery, hyperthyroidism, stretch marks, thrush, ulcers, vaginal thrush, and viral hepatitis. This oil may help asthma, athlete’s foot, candida, coughs, eczema, digestion, fungal infection, gingivitis, gum infections, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, ringworm, sore throats, skin conditions (chapped and cracked), wounds, and wrinkles.

Frankincense has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. It was well known during the time of Christ for its anointing and healing powers. It was used to treat every conceivable ill known to man. Frankincense was valued more than gold during ancient times, and only those with great wealth and abundance possessed this oil.

Frankincense is high in sesquiterpenes, which helps stimulate the limbic system of the brain (the center of emotions) as well as the hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands. Frankincense is now being used therapeutically for its ability to improve human growth hormone production. Frankincense is used for asthma, depression, and ulcers. High in sesquiterpenes, it is stimulating and elevating to the mind and helps in overcoming stress and despair, as well as supporting the immune system. This oil may also help with allergies, bites (insect and snake), bronchitis, cancer, respiratory infections, diphtheria, headaches, hemorrhaging, herpes, high blood pressure, inflammation, stress, tonsillitis, typhoid, and warts. It increases the activity of leukocytes in defense of the body against infection.

Frankincense contains the following properties: anti-catarrhal, anti-depressant, anti-infectious, anti-septic, anti-tumoral, expectorant, immunes-stimulate, and sedative. "

If only people saw the value of these gifts today as the wise men saw these! To use these gifts for chasing away depression, funguses, infection, indigestion, asthma, immune system depletion , cancer, mouth problems, skin eruptions, blood pressure imbalances, and allergies the way God designed it! Would we have better results than the methods we use now days?Something to think about as you enjoy this Christmas's gifts and church activities.

There is a really good BLOG posting my friend Jennifer did last year over at "Oils For Wellness", mentioning these specific oils: OIL ARTICLE . She sells a high-quality brand of essential oils called "YOUNG LIVING", in which I have bought a few over the years and have been impressed with the results! I encourage you to check out her site and inquire with her of any questions you may have on essential oils!

Thanks for reading, may the Lord bless you in your pathway towards natural health!
Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

A Couple of Favorite Recipes

GUACAMOLE RECIPE

1-2 Avocados (mashed with a fork)
1 Big Roma Tomato-diced (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes)
1/4 yellow onion (chopped finely)
1-2 Key Limes-juiced (or else 1 tsp lime juice)
Pinch of Cumin
Redmond Salt to flavor
Handful Cilantro (I have made mine without this and it turned out fine!)

Mash avocados and add chopped veggies and lime juice....then TRY to stop eating it!!!

DEER JERKY MARINADE

1Tb Redmond's salt (sea salt is fine)

1/2 c warm water

1/3 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos

2/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tsp-1 Tb course freshly Ground Pepper (depending on how strong you desire it!)

1/2 Tb garlic powder (pref. organic, so no fillers)

1 tsp Liquid Smoke

Cut 3-5 lbs of meat, 1/8' - 1/4" thick

I recommend marinating it for 12 hours if you like normal flavoring, 24 hours if desire a teeth-clenching bite of flavor!

Put in a dehydrator for anywhere between 2-8 hours.

God Gave me the Opportunity.....

A woman with the nicknames: Ma-ha, Slugger Maroo, Princess, Asbestos Mouth?

You may be thinking that people must REALLY disliked her. In all actuality, all these names were given to my Grams out of love. You see, my Grams was the type of person that would just 'grin & bare it'. In other words, a real even-keel individual that you take for granted will be there for you whenever you need her. But, then life gets busy and you tend to overlook keeping atop of those times.......

I never quite grasped how fast the time would fly between these two pictures, until the time was no longer available. My Grams went home to her Savior on October 23, 2009.

We got a call a few weeks back that Grams wasn't feeling too well, and was asking for family. She felt the Lord calling her home; her body didn't want to function as well, and she desired for loved ones to help soften the adjustment. At this time, I started to spend almost every night with her. Helping get drinks, helping to find assistance in turning, covering/uncovering her body with her afghan for temperature comfort. I was fortunate enough to take home a piece of this particular memory with me. Here's my Gram's afghan, that has found a new home on our chair in front of our fireplace:

Pictured above: Sage (3yrs old) with Grams last October, 2008 with her Afghan on her lap.

My Grams found breathing, drinking, adjusting, sleeping....all these things took such immense man-power, that she sadly said, "I still can't believe this is happening to me", and "I feel so helpless"....this coming from a woman not needing NOVOCAINE during dental-filling procedures! Yes, she had reached a breaking point, and YET STILL found reason to smile, and remained optimistic for what lay beyond the shortsightedness of life here on earth! Even though she felt ready to go before God took her, I believe He would use this time as a tool to prepare ME for the loss. We spent one night polishing our fingernails together; I had hoped that that wouldn't be our final night (the nurses told me that residents typically desire to be dolled up as they feel life slipping away), so I said a prayer and Bible verse with every stroke of that nail polish brush......just so I wouldn't break down and cry in front of her. Oh, the next night I lost it while praying with her, but at least the nail polishing party wasn't dampened with tears!

The night before Grams left us, my dad came to visit as well. We enjoyed the laughter of memories that Grams seemed to also enjoy as she listened. After my dad left, I took the opportunity to sing to Grams a few songs (each of my girl's favorite hymns, along with one of my favorites: "As the Deer"--a song they would happen to sing during Sunday church worship 3 days later), prayed for her to find peace, and held her hand so long that my fingers grew numb. You know the saying of "holding some one's hand so long that you couldn't tell where your hand ended, and theirs began"? Yes, I found out what that saying is all about.....but didn't mind a bit! Upon seeing us, one of the nurses stopped to tell me that she just loved watching me with my Grams, because one could tell the deep love I hadfor her as I talked and sat with her.

I also got the opportunity that I had been praying about. When I had my miscarriage in July, I told my Grams that I had bad news to tell her. Without hesitation, her hands flew to her mouth and tears welted in her eyes."You lost the baby!" Yes. We had. But, God gave me the opportunity to give her good news before she, herself, left us. The night before Grams died, I told her "Grams, we're going to be having another baby! The due date is in June--wouldn't it be a blessing to have a baby born on your birthday,the 9th?" (just deep breaths) "Grams, will you hold my other baby until I get up there to hold it?" ( again.....just deep breaths) Now, just because God gave me the opportunity to tell her, doesn't mean he gave me the opportunity to feel completely fulfilled by it. I had to keep in mind I wasn't telling her for MY sake, but for HERS. OH, I knew that if I had found out a few days sooner, she would have given me a huge smile when I told her. Beings as it was, I had to assume that she heard me, and assumed that her heart did a leap with joy. GOD GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY....EXACTLY the way that I had prayed for it!

PICTURED BELOW: Grams holding one of her 10 Great grand-babies, Sophie, at age 3:

We got the call on Friday that Grams was in the process of passing, about 2 hours from when my mother had left her side. Typically there are a few hours between the time that my mom would leave my Grams, and when I would arrive for the night. During this time, the nurses said that her roommate hold her hand (even though my Grams complained about having to live with a crabby roommate!), and that Grandma had slipped away peacefully and quickly between the calls the nurses made to us. We had all made it a habit to say goodbye to her as we left each day like it would be our last.....I always got a smile out of my Grams, as every time I left I said "If you see God, before I see you next.....save a place for me up in heaven!"...a smile everytime, until that last night I saw her. I knew then that Grams would soon be leaving us. Now that she has, she will be welcomed among angels, and with my grandfather. "PRINCESS" is now re-united once again with "ACE".......

We all gathered around for a bedside memorial at the nursing home that the the nurses put on as a closure. During this ceremony, one of the nurses shared that she got the pleasure of telling Grams one day that someone (ME!!!) would be coming to take her for an outing outside. The nurse said from that moment on, she was a different woman; grinning, excitedly picking out her sweater, full of talk and excitement. The nurse said she would never forget how good it made her feel to see someone so excited over spending time with another. Here were pictures from her last two outingsthat the nurse spoke about:

ABOVE: Our last picture with Grams, on the Bike Trails

Sierra, 2 yrs, hitching a ride on Gram's wheelchair while at the zoo

Now that she has left, I keep wishing I would've taken her on more trips those last few weeks. I keep thinking I should've come to the nursing home earlier that day and been alongside her when she passed. I then force myself to accept the realization that it is all out of my control. I am not the one in control. God is. What happened is what was what was meant to be. My grams lived a good life, and left everyone whose lives she touched with pleasant memories of her. In fact, she made each of her Grandchildren and great-Grandchildren homemade block quilts and homemade hook rug wall-hangings, here are my girl's, pictured BELOW:

My wall-hanging from my childhood bedroom, that is now hanging in our "BOOK Nook ":
YES! Our future baby has a wall-hanging waiting set aside for the day he/she is born. What a special Great-Grandma to have, with such a vision for her Great-Grand children's future, even before she knew of him/her. She gives of herself, even after she is absent among us. God Bless her legacy!

Please, pray for her remaining family to be continually blessed in our memories of her, so that the comfort we seek in the loss of such an exceptional woman will draw showers of love. The Family Visitation will be Tuesday evening, and the Funeral will be on Wednesday early afternoon. Please keep the family in your prayers if you think of it at these times.

Like a Thief in the Night.....

PLEASE PAUSE MUSIC PLAYER INTHE RIGHT COLUMN, BELOW to hear this video! Thank You!!

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.Mark 13:7-9

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-14

My Grams

In the past I have always been uncomfortable in discussing death and thinking about death......God is changing me in this respect. He has broken away my inhibitions by completely submerging me in the concept. I have dealt with 2 close deaths so far this year, and will be sadly expecting another one shortly. My mom's mom in January, you can read the full story here: Grandma Has Left Us . The next, quite interestingly, someone whom I had never met, read it here: God's Baby . My third one I'm mournfully anticipating is one of a woman whom I greatly admire, respect and love: My dad's mom.........my Grams. Her need for support and company right now, far outweighs any uncomfortablness I have of the situation. I have prayerfully, but confidently set aside any apprehensions of experiencing such a loss in person, and am wanting and desiring to be a part of her miracle with her!I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the recent increase in time with this special lady, someone who I've always "known", but yet not, in a sense. When you REALLY get to "know" someone, it is typically in their times of difficulty--how they react to others, how they react to discomfort, how they react to unexpected situations. My Grams is an exceptional lady who I currently have the blessing of getting to know on a deeper, adult level in her final days with us. She is someone who has always been familiar to me in my life journey, someone who I will be deeply hurting for, while in her absence.
If you were familiar with the basics on my Grams, you would find she was born in 1920, had 3 children (my father being her only boy) & lost her hard-working husband to a heart condition early in life. So has lived contently alone for the past 30 some years--spending most of her waking hours watching Mass on TV and praying with one of her many rosaries.

Spending several hours alone with her in a nursing home room, you would ALSO find out that she is an exceptionally selfless individual. When I spend the day with her, she wants to make sure my feet are up, wants to make sure my husband is functional without me, wants to make sure I have enough light during her sleep hours to read the book I can't quite focus on anyways, wants to make sure I am eating and drinking....all the while, not being able to meet her own basic needs. Most people would be focused on having help with various desires....not Grams. While overlooking her own needs, she is continually looking to have mine met.

Having lived so many years alone, my Grams is content and thankful in any one's presence, therefore one can't help but feel the same in hers. In fact, when I think of my Grandma, the first word that comes to mind is "peace". Everything about her is peaceful--her posture, her facial expressions, even the mood she puts out onto people for them to reflect back. In the company of others, she patiently waits for an opportune moment for conversation to come up......if none does, she will continue to sit peacefully with a smile on her face, all the while putting you completely at ease. Since we all would know what she is TYPICALLY like, it makes it a peaceful time to spend time with her NOW, knowing that she is completely happy with only smiles and silence if necessary.

I recall the first evening in her nursing home that I was blessed in spending with her. She was to be having her first shower.....something that in a nursing home is terribly unflattering, leaving no room for her typical discretion. I unquestionably volunteered to stay with her, knowing that for ANYONE, it would be a humiliating experience as a first time. Being familiar with my Grams unselfish nature, I knew she would've had me go, had I not volunteered. What a woman! She is always ready to face anything coming at her with a smile and confidence, no questions asked, no complaints to be filed. She is the perfect example of what I strive for in being submissive. Not submissive in that she lets others walk all over her...but submissive in that she respects others enough to bipass her own agenda.

That same night, I enjoyed her simple pleasure in me brushing her hair, holding her hand while falling asleep, and cozying up alongside her in her "new" and unfamiliar bed. We both knew that that bed would take some getting used to, so I think we both recall that evening with great pleasure, knowing that our simulated "slumber party" made the adjustment THAT much easier for us both. I stayed as late as a could, all the while bringing up childhood memories for both of us to enjoy. This memory is one of my favorite memories with her, because it was the first time she let me into her uninhibited heart.

Even though my grandma is now struggling for deep breaths, has to be turned over by having her body manually adjusted by others, and is limited with how much she is able to say.....she continues to keep a smile on her face while she remains optimistic about her short-term future. She knows what is around the corner, she has spent many years and many hours praying and waiting for this upcoming moment. Spending time with God in reverence and patience is something my Grams is familiar with.....and something that has greatly prepared her for her current life experience. I ask that you pray for her continued strength, and for a continued absence of pain to make her exit a "PEACEFUL" one....something she would be familiar with.

I am on my Grandma's lap, my brother Grant is next to us
My cousin Jody, my sister Heather, my cousin Amy

Typical silliness associated with memories of our Gram's house. Yes, that is me, resting a top of my father's head. Yes, those are Cheetos in my ears & nose. Yes, that is a Chocolate Covered Cherry hanging out in my mouth. Yes, this is our Christmas picture at my Gram's house that year.......












I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read about this remarkable woman. I know this will be an immensly difficult time for us, no matter how prepared we are for it, and no matter how ready my Grams is. Please surround my family with prayers when we cross your mind in the next week.

God Bless.
Ms. Salubrious

Blessed Be Your Name

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER, IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, TO HEAR THE VIDEO.

I'm sure we could easily find excuses to seperate us from our Savior.....excuses that give rationalization for us not having to submit to Him. Excuses such as cancer, unemployment, infertility, drug & alcohol addictions, depression, disbelief, loss of loved ones, and broken relationships to name a few. Many of us 'deal with' some form of "possible" daily barriers such as these. Barriers to happiness, barriers to God.

But what some people have figured out, is that these "barriers" can instead become "bridges" to God. It's a matter of perception, really. Perceiving possible problems as, instead, being blessings. Maybe you have heard of someone viewing cancer as a blessing? Sounds odd....but some people do! They do this by looking at the problem as a way to draw closer to their maker.

When you have a relationship with someone (like God), you draw closer to them as you share more....whether it's sharing experiences, sharing insights, sharing burdens, or sharing simple talk. Sharing with God these burdens that we carry, essentially passes them onto Him, and off our own backs--"lightening the load" you might say! God WILL carry them for us, we just need to acknowledge Him and accept His help.

SOMETIMES these barriers are even needed for us to lean on His strength, and in doing this, putting aside our own. I have found that when God feels me puling away in my pride, self-confidence, and abilities......usually He finds some way to pull me back in, so that I acknowledge Him. Wether it be unfortunate circumstances......or blessings.

We can let our problems consume us, or we can consume them with the help of God's strength. Are you rationalizing an excuse as to why NOT to accept God's strength to enhance/replace your own?

Thanks for reading, may the Lord bless you in your pathway towards Him!

Ms. Salubrious