An update and Vintage Thingies Thursday

It's time for Vintage Thingies Thursday! I miss participating in this fun weekly event. I decided to share something this week. Here's a cute little plate I picked up from the thrift store for $1, that's right! It has the Shabby Chic and girlie look that I love, so it was definitely a real steal!

New topic: After feeling like a 6 year old trying to sell finger woven pot holders in the front yard, circa 1990 (yes, I tried doing this once with my cousin; unfortunately, our 'store' went out of business the same day :P), I've come to realize that my Etsy store really needs a makeover. Now, I didn't open it up with hopes that I'd get a ton of business the first month, or even a ton of business ever... but it's been a few months now, and all is still quiet on the western front.

So what to do, what to do? A friend of mine has a successful Etsy store. I asked her for a few tips and she was kind enough to share some of her wisdom with me via email. Things have got to change, they really do! I admit, I've gotten lazy, I don't take nice pictures of the things I create. I am also not doing a very good job of keeping the (potential) customer satisfied. For instance, I don't think it's such a great idea to sell single illustrations anymore. That's a little boring and, let's face it, I can't offer prints at the moment. My pal's suggestion? Sell a small bundle of illustrated cards. Cards! Yes, of course! Initially, I was a bit weary of being yet another Etsy card seller, but at this point, what do I have to lose? So long as the illustrations are unlike anyone else's, I don't see why this is a bad idea. In fact, it sounds like a pretty good idea. So that's the first change I'll be making to my Etsy store in a few days. I'll probably take a few of the illustrations off of the site this weekend. Until then, I'm working on creating a small themed collection. Here are two cards from the first (you'll recognize the second illustration :):

In other news, after waiting 2 weeks for genetic test results to arrive, someone helpful and caring finally faxed them over yesterday. What test am I referring to? Well, after not feeling so hot tummy-wise (funny how it all started after ingesting gluten while out of town), I decided to go back to the doctor. Turns out I have a gene for Celiac disease! Who woulda thought? I was a bit surprised. This doesn't mean 100% that I have it at the moment, but it means there is more than a 2/3 chance I could have it/develop it later. Given my symptoms, it's possible that I have it already. This simply means I need to be more strict about the gluten issue, like no more bubble gum, no more hair products or lotions that contain gluten, no more baking for friends using 'regular' flour, that sorta thing. Not so bad, really. Of course, there are other food sensitivities to take into account, as Celiac disease can contribute to other intolerances, but it's much more manageable than one would think (it just requires some discipline on my part).

If you haven't been feeling so hot, especially if you're experiencing digestive issues, please watch this video and read this! Celiac disease is ridiculously under-diagnosed!

Everyone's Calling

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:17

I've read those verses before, but I'm just beginning to understand the connections between the two. I used to believe that the only people who truly suffered for Christ were those who were on the mission field, serving him in the rawest, realest form... so ignorant to believe that, I know. Then I finally realized, this entire Earth is a mission field and we don't even have to interact with anyone to be 'in the battle'; the most obvious battleground is the mind.

If you're trying to live for God, Satan's going to do anything he can to stop that from happening; he doesn't want to be lonely in hell, after all. These days, you're the Job and he's still the same Satan that went up to God and asked for permission to test him. Job lost his property, family, health... but not his God. That man refused to turn his back on God even when his own wife falsely claimed that he'd already turned his back on Job.

Was Job a missionary? Not in the way we use that term today, but his obvious love and devotion to God did minister to those around him and his story still ministers to many today, including myself.

I had a Job day today. It was rough, probably my own fault (I inhaled gluten while baking something for a friend, this sounds crazy but when you have Celiac disease it's a big no-no) -- it still frustrated me. The tummy troubles continue and today they were worse than ever, the pain almost sent me to ER, no joke. I hit a low point where the only thing I could do was pray, as I was losing hope in my body (and realized I was a fool for placing that hope in anyone but God in the first place).

Psalm 22: 4
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Times like these, I have to make the extra effort to not let myself get sucked into taking the paradoxical easy way out -- the one that only produces bad results, negative thinking. But as I was balled up on the bed, asking God for guidance and patience, he reminded me that this truly is not a 'struggle against flesh and blood'. It occurred to me that I could confidently cry out to God because I've been trying to put him first in my life, then I realized that's exactly what Satan does not want.

Satan is unhappy, this means I'm doing something right, and he wants to wrong me because of it. Satan enjoys doing this to you and me because he knows how much it hurts God to destroy his creation. The evil one had to ask God for permission to cause the pain and God allowed it to happen. Some might think that God is unfair, but no, he isn't. This is a chance for my relationship with Christ to be strengthened. At my weakest point, if I am still trusting Jesus, he will only bless me for it. This doesn't mean I'll have an instant answered prayer and wake-up cured tomorrow, this does mean I'll have the antidote for my own spiritual illnesses: God's everlasting love and the promise of eternal life that won't include any kind of physical suffering whatsoever.

A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
Proverbs 18:14

The truth is, as God's children, we are all called to be missionaries; to minister to the world with our own lives, with the choices we make, with the words we say. I often fail miserably; I have the pity-parties. You know, the drawn-out ones that are followed by migraines and puffy, tired eyes? I even have the occasional annoying bad attitude that likes to rear its ugly head when the gut starts acting like a monster. <----These are all things that get me nowhere fast.

Like in Job's case, some might say I have every reason to be angry at God. Doctors have told me everything from "If you ever want to have kids, you'll have to take fertility pills because of your defunct ovaries" (don't like to talk about that much here, just bringing it up to make a point) to "Sorry, there's no cure for your digestive problems, you'll probably be in pain for the rest of your life." But one thing that keeps me going is a wise saying used by a pastor of a church I used to attend: "Don't ask God why, ask him what. 'What am I supposed to learn from this Lord, what is all this for?'" So this is what I did today, and the content in this post what he put on my heart as the answer.

I don't know what you're going through, but we all experience our own version of hell on earth at one point or another. It's obvious we can't trust the state of the economy; we can't know that we'll have a job tomorrow, we can't even be certain that we'll be able to stay healthy so that we can support our families financially. We can only trust that God is faithful and so is his word. Christ said this battle isn't about tangible things but spiritual ones for a reason. The only things we can control are the thoughts that enter our mind and what we do with them; our attitude and heart. The person who gives us the strength to do this right is with us all along, we just have to be willing to cry out to him, even when Satan tries to stifle us.

If you've read this and it's encouraged you, that's the answer to the second part of the above question: 'What is all this for?'. Never underestimate God or his ability to use your negative situation to encourage someone.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

Ready, Set, Go!

Over the years, I have grown more and more skeptical of doctors! Seriously, they pay these people to give me crazy drugs that don't work and just make me feel more sick?!

Ok... so that's not always the case, but sometimes it feels like it :P. Those of you who've followed this and other blogs of mine know that I've had issues with my gut since who knows when. Things got progressively worse as I got older, but I've learned how to 'manage' the symptoms to the point where I just have a mild stomach ache every day, instead of a gut-wrenching one. Every now and then I do have my flair-ups, like now, but why be in pain at all?!

The doctors want to poke and prod me even more than they already have, make me drink a couple pints of gag-inducing laxative to undergo a nasty test, and diagnose me with ibs, crohn's or some other ugly digestive autoimmune disease. Why? Because of the gut pain; because of results that came back in a blood test I had done years ago. What's that? A high white blood cell count and the annoying presence of antinuclear antibodies in my body. What do I have to say to this? NO!

Yes, I am a stubborn patient. I don't like to take medicine unless I have an infection. But steroids? No, thank you. I already had to take them nearly every month for my asthma when I was little and I don't like how they make me feel.

So what's left? The holistic approach: The healing of the mind and body! I used to be very skeptical of this shady type of 'medicine' (back when I had faith in doctors) but when it comes right down to it, I just want to feel better. Steroids aren't going to cut it for me anymore.

I'm writing this on here to keep it real, not to whine--that'll just make it worse. I hate pretending like everything's perfect, that makes it worse too. I'm also writing this to better hold myself accountable. So here it goes, "Self, I'm going to treat you well. I'm going to be disciplined and actually take this program seriously because it's helped many people and it can help me. Plus, there are no nasty side-effects."

I don't know how many times I've heard it said that most illnesses are caused by stress. It's been drilled into my stubborn head over and over. Though I feel quite happy with my life at the moment, I will admit that my digestive system is still recovering from previous periods of grief and hell.

You see, the digestive system is like the serotonin powerhouse. In fact, it holds most of the serotonin in our body. Check this out:

A recent study published found that people with IBS have significantly lower levels of serotonin in cells lining the stomach. Although serotonin is best known for its role as a mood-boosting brain chemical, it is also involved in many digestive functions and in the perception of pain. In fact, more serotonin is found in the stomach than in the brain, and the GI tract is very sensitive to changes in its serotonin level. The researchers concluded that IBS may arise from abnormalities in serotonin levels responsible for digestive functions.

For more, see this article

According to an old child development textbook I used in school, if you experience long periods of low serotonin levels as a child, your body struggles to maintain a normal level as an adult. Basically, you never reach the healthy peak--your levels are always low, which just exacerbates things.

Though crohn's disease and IBS are not one in the same, since IBS does not cause physical damage to the intestines, it's possible to have both. (Also, doctors are beginning to think that IBS is an autoimmune disease.) What triggers an autoimmune disease? Not only genetics but stress. When your body's defenses are on overdrive, it's hard for them to go back to normal; your body can start attacking itself--which is pretty much what happens in an autoimmune disease. Just take a look:

Does stress cause autoimmune disease?

Stress is definitely a factor. Researchers have identified hormonal and cellular changes that occur in our bodies when we are under stress. Chronic stress is thought to be worse for our immune systems. When our body perceives an attack, we go into attack mode, often referred to as the "fight or flight" syndrome. This response to acute stress could be a lifesaver. However, after a period of chronic stress, our bodies can't keep up the fight and may produce less of these hormones leaving our tissues vulnerable to inflammation and disease.

and read this

Childhood traumatic stress increased the likelihood of hospitalization with a diagnosed autoimmune disease decades into adulthood. These findings are consistent with recent biological studies on the impact of early life stress on subsequent inflammatory responses.

Taken from here

So why share this with you? Well, sometimes we forget how much power we have over our own suffering. (Points finger at self.) Life isn't fair, that's why there's prayer and plenty of wisdom to be given by God who gives you the strength to act. Remember the sparrow? Always be your own advocate! Even though it may not be in your gut, you could still be carrying around something debilitating that's taking a physical, mental, or emotional toll on you, especially during these rough times.

I don't blame anyone or anything from my past for this, even if my 'illness' is a result of unpleasant experiences. Why? Because I can do something about it now and because it's been a blessing in disguise; it's made me who I am. I don't give up easily. My stubbornness can be a very good thing :).

Side note: I am not getting paid to promote the site I linked to earlier on. I am seriously going to try that program by Jini Patel. It is definitely a much safer approach than anything the doctors want me to try. I will try it out and post back with results later, it might be awhile; it'll be a long journey! I pray it works...

Resolve to love yourself...

So many folks resolve to eat healthier, that's the stereotypical New Year's resolution, right? Well, maybe the more common one is deciding to eat leaner foods...

In a way, my body forces me to eat healthy; it literally rejects the really bad stuff. I don't eat anything with preservatives or heavy oils. I just can't digest it. I've said this before, but in college, my diet consisted of a bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies (in one sitting!), tons of soda, a burger, fries, processed dorm food...and I was always sick and broke-out too much! And to think, I weighed 110 when I was eating like this, but I also had high cholesterol and a gallbladder that didn't work. I was NOT healthy, even though I was thin.

These days, I go on the occasional chocolate binge, only to suffer the consequences shortly after. My gut is wimpy, and became even more difficult after the cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal). All of that acidic bile, previously held by my gallbladder, now goes straight to my intestines from my liver. Oh yes, I also found out that 60% or so of my digestive issues were related to food allergies and sensitivities! And have you all ever noticed how expensive pre-packaged and gluten-free/allergy-friendly products are? It's ridiculous.

Problem: Allergy-friendly food is expensive and I can't eat hard-to-digest foods. Solution: Cook and bake almost everything from scratch. This is very time consuming; lucky for me, I love to cook and bake. I usually cook copious amounts of food on Sundays, so that Jose and I can eat mostly leftovers during the week. (Or I cook the main entrees on the weekend and the sides on weeknights.)

Awhile ago, Jose read The Omnivore's Dilemma, and he shared a few eye-opening facts with me...after reading those enlightening facts, we were very convicted. So now we try to shop for more 'humane' meats and as much organic produce as possible. (There is actually a chart, click here for it, you can check out that measures produce pesticide levels, we use this to decide what NEEDS to be organic.)

I bet you're you're wondering how we do it on a tight budget, with Jose in law school and all. Well, like I said, I make as much as I can from scratch. We buy the raw ingredients; the veggies, meats, fruits, and flours. I do the rest! Also, we are very stingy when it comes to everything BUT food. We don't have fancy clothing, I'm always looking for stuff that's on sale. We sold our car before moving to Cambridge, so that we could afford to live this way; we also live in a humble one bedroom apartment. We walk as much as we can, instead of renting a Zipcar or taking the subway (which contributes to an even healthier lifestyle). We also don't have to spend as much on medical expenses!

I'm not bragging; this isn't easy, really. We have our personal incentives and beliefs. I admit, we cheat, but we also try very hard to live a spiritually and physically healthy life; the two go hand-in-hand, in my humble opinion.

Hope

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it is credited to him as righteousness. The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Romans 4:18-24