Going Gluten Free

So, I found out that I most likely have an intolerance to gluten. I have had stomach issues my entire life and was told that I was lactose intolerant. However, I still got sick when I didn't have milk. So a few years ago I went in to my doctor and had several tests done and they didn't find anything and chalked it up to having irritable bowel syndrome. Well, you can't do much for that except live with it.

This past week I went into a specialist for some issues that I've been having with my hips popping out of place. The doctor took a look at my lab results to make sure that nothing was wrong there. He found something completely unrelated. He asked if I had gluten intolerance. Of course I had been curious about it, but never enough to find out. He told me that if I cut out gluten my irritable bowel syndrome issues would go away and some other issues that I've been dealing with.

Anyways, yesterday was my first full day going gluten free. IT WAS HARD!! There is so many things that I can't eat! I just finished emptying my snack drawer at work that was full. Now the only thing left in there is a very small bag of trail mix and a can of pineapple. The rice crispies, nutty buddies, milano cookies, cereal, and berry pies went in the trash.

If anyone knows GOOD recipies or things to buy at the store that would help me up this steep hill that I just found, I would be very greatful!

Do you know the value of eight weeks? I just found out. Last night I took my final exam and turned in my final paper for my International Business class. Friday night, after being sick with the flu for 1 1/2 weeks, I found out that I had read my syllabus wrong - on my biggest assignment. I received a 38 out of 80. The absolute best I could do at that point was a B-, and that was only if I received 100% on my final paper. Throughout the whole term I did my best in this class often using my whole weekend to do homework. And to see it amount to this is devastating. After finding this out I was sorely tempted to take the class over next summer to erase the C from my record, but thanks to my dear husband, I gave it one last weekend of hard work. Though my paper left something to be desired, I can honestly say I did my best with the amount of time I used. Then last night I took my final exam in my math class. I went into it feeling pretty good. However, when I saw the potential results (the teacher has to review the whole thing before the grade is posted) I was devastated. From what I could see I will recieve 50%. There were things on the exam that weren't in the homework, and I am praying that other people will say something in addition to my email and that he will remove it from the exam??? I know I am grasping at straws, but I can't help it. This term has been full of hard work and this is the fruit that comes of it. I have a 4.0 at SOU and now, with just one term I have the potential to have two C's on my record.
I know that to most people getting a C is nothing compared to life's other troubles. But this is my life right now. It is what I put most of my energy into during my "free" time. And to see all of that work ....
God, please show me the meaning of this trial. I don't understand what you are trying to show me through this. Please help me to understand.

Shiloh's bout with a saw

Here is Shiloh's finger after its battle with a saw at work. :( He lost unfortuately. I had to change the bandage last night and surprisingly didn't barf. It's a little cleaner in this picture (lucky you). We are hoping it heals soon and that it won't be majorly deformed.

A Smart Man

I stole a quote from my brother-in-law's blog because I feel it is so appropriate for this day:

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves......Abraham Lincoln

Army Reserves

My brother was flown to boot camp this morning. It is a day of reflection for me. I am so very proud of him for taking this step. I am nervous for him and all I can think to do is pray for him. He told us not to send ANYTHING but letters and to keep those to a minimum. Apparently if you get letters or packages while in boot camp you have to do extra work to receive them and they may open them and read them allowed. He said if it comes down to that he may refuse to take the letter. :)

He wasn't originally suppose to ship out until the 12th, but he called his recruitment officer yesterday morning and he told Kyle that he was going to ship out this morning so he needed to be down in Little Rock yesterday evening. He was upset because he didn't really get a chance to say good bye to his friends and some of his family. My dad was on the road in New York and didn't get to say a real goodbye. He unfortunately doesn't know if he will be back after boot camp or if he will go straight to AIT. Originally he only had two days between the two, but he didn't know the story as of yesterday afternoon.

Please pray for him when you get the chance. Pray that he will have the strength and willpower to get through the next 6-8 weeks (I'm not sure how long it is). I told him to keep his eyes on God and He will give him the strength he needs. Thank you all!

Believing is seeing

This past Tuesday I received a call from Shiloh and he was very upset. He was in the cafeteria and set down his backpack to order lunch. When he came back two minutes later his backpack was gone. In the backpack was his laptop, math book, writing book, homework, term notes, syllabi, money, thumb drive, and the only copy of his paper he had just recieved from his teacher to rewrite. He was very angry, and rightfully so. His friends from student government helped him search the campus, but it was a futile search - the backpack was gone.

When he called me and told me what had happened I tried to stay calm and to calm him down. As soon as I hung up the phone I went to the only person I knew could help - Jesus. For one of the only times in my life I was able to step out of the situation and really look at the situation from His perspective (with limited information). I prayed that whoever had taken the backpack would not only feel convicted, but more importantly would feel the love of God overwhelm him/her. I prayed that God would use this situation to further his Kingdom and this story would go on to magnify His name.

After I was done I tried to work on my homework, but couldn't concentrate. I called Shiloh and said that I would come out to the campus and do what I could; I couldn't do anything really except be there to comfort him. I arrived and went directly into the cafeteria and opened my laptop to work on homework that desperately needed to be done. However, all I could do was look around and pray. Since the time that Shiloh had called me I had not only felt peace over the situation, but I also KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that we would get it back. There were times when I would get a little spirit in me that would say "how are you going to pay for a new book and a laptop?", but within the next minute I would dismiss the thought because I knew he would get it back.

He decided to come home and try to watch some TV (he couldn't do homework). He calmed down after a while and went about the day as normal. That night around 9 or 9:30 we received a call from security at the school. They found his backpack in a classroom with everything in it (even the laptop and his money). Nothing at all was damaged or taken! The security guard was completely flabergasted. He said that he has never seen a situation like this where something has been stolen and then found completely.

Praise Jesus! To Him be all the glory forever and ever, Amen!

Alcatraz: A small city of desperation

So in my previous post I mentioned a "break" from homework. Well, our break was going down to San Fransisco. We left around 3 p.m. with the intention on going to the coast for some peace and quiet to get some homework done there. Well, when we arrived in Cresent City one of us wondered aloud, "How far is it to San Fransisco?" (Who this person was will remain unknown). So, we started the trek. If no one has ever told you, let me be the one to enlighten you - San Fransisco is a lot farther from Cresent City than from Grants Pass! You may wonder how that is possible, but let me assure you that it is true. Unfortunately, cars to not have the advantage of flying as the crow flies; we have to adhere to the construction of man that must have been drunk when designing the roads. There is not a straight road between Cresent City and San Fransisco that isn't in a town with a speed limit of 25. The short story is that it took us 9 hours to get to San Fransisco on the way there and only 5 hours on the way back.

The reason for this blog was not to tell you of our driving experience, but of our experience at Alcatraz. Before going there I thought, "This will be cool to see what a prison was like back in the day". However, by the time I got out I had the most creepy feeling I've felt in a long time, and even now when I think about it I can feel a creepy feeling crawling up my spine. Don't get me wrong, it was a great experience and I learned a lot. However, it was creepy. There are photos of both the prisoners and the guards. There are headphones that conduct a tour throughout the prison and there is even some action that you can hear: fighting, running, gunshots, and even the reaction of people getting shot. Because they have pictures of the prisoners and the guards up on the walls you can picture what is going on very vividly. It is creepy. If you have a weak stomach I wouldn't suggest going.