Boasting in the Names of God

by Elise, age 11

Over the years I have at various times studied the names of God. This has allowed me to understand God in a deeper way. I am currently studying the names of God again using Kay Arthur’s book entitled “Lord, I Want to Know You.” As I travel this road of motherhood with 10 children ranging in ages 1 all the way up to 19, the Lord continues to speak to my mother’s heart how I can claim His names even in this journey of motherhood filled with so many everyday challenges. I am also striving to teach my children these names, so they, too, can claim the power that is found in His name. The devil wants nothing more than to snatch these  truths away from us. The names of God bring life, hope and healing. They are names we can boast in with full confidence!

One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 18:10 which states “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” We can turn to our Protector when all of our own energy is used up, when we are overcome by our many weaknesses and can no longer run in our own strength. That sounds like us as mothers many times, doesn't it? We can be tempted to turn to our friends, to engulf ourselves in social media or simply plop down on the sofa to watch another movie to get away from it all- when what we really need to do is run to God and fellowship with him in Bible reading and prayer. Many of us today really don’t know God.

Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3 is “that I may know Him.” In Jesus’ high priestly prayer He prays that we “may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Our goal in life should be to know God! In Bible times a name represented a person’s character. Likewise, the names of God represent His character- who He is. By studying the names of God, we can learn to boast (trust, have confidence in) in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 20:7)

Spurgeon said, "The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings and the existence of the great God whom we call Father." We should desire to know our God! 

I hope to share in the following posts the different names of God and how boasting in His names can help us as we strive to be godly mothers to our children. I will also share a Bible verse for each name that I encourage you to write down on an index card and try to memorize, as I am trying to do (a weak area in my life is memorizing and I am really trying to work on this!).

Verse to memorize:

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

IDEA for kids: have your children illustrate this verse and memorize it. An easy way to memorize is through song. The Harrow Family sings this song on their CD "The Heaven's Declare." (Available from Amazon).

by Luke, age 9

by Ashlyn, age 7

 by Edmond, age 9

by Eva, age 5 

FAQs About Essential Oils

I know when I first started using essential oils I had a lot of questions. In this post I hope to answer many of the basic questions you might have in regards to essential oils.

How are oils used?
There are 3 ways that oils can be used...

  Topically: oils can be applied on areas of concern for both localized and systemic effects. One of the best
   places to put oils is on the bottoms of the feet.

  Aromatically: oils can be used aromatically to impact mood and emotions, open airways,  and help reduce
  pathogens and allergens in the air. This can be done by inhaling a few drops in the palm or by using a
  diffuser.

  Internally: oils can be used internally using a capsule (you can add a few drops of carrier oil if desired) or
  added to water,milk/milk substitute or a little honey. It is very important to use high quality oils if 
  taking internally!

What does "neat" mean?
Undiluted essential oils are called neat. Many oils can be applied to the skin without a carrier oil. Some oils are better used with a carrier oil. Good carrier oils are coconut, jojoba, olive or almond oils. Oil blends combining several carrier oils are also available (like Young Living V-6).

How much oil do I use?
Oils are very powerful, so more is not always better. Typically 1 to 3 drops is all that is needed in an application. It is better to use a little and repeat, then to use large amounts.

How many drops come in each bottle?
A 15 ml bottle contains approximately 250 drops while a 5 ml bottle contains approximately 90 drops.

Can oils be mixed?
Single oils can be layered on the skin. Be careful not to mix oil blends- these have already been appropriately mixed and you don't want to change their chemical properties.

How do you store oils?
Oils should be stored in a cool and dark place to preserve their quality. A kitchen cabinet or drawer will work just fine.

Why is it so difficult to find pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils?
Producing the purest of oils can be very costly due to the fact that it requires several hundred or sometimes even several thousand pounds of plant materials to extract 1 pound of pure essential oil. The majority of oils produced in the world today are used for the perfume industry, so these oils are being bought for the sole purpose of their aromatic qualities. For this reason most oils are mass produced to generate large volumes at a faster rate. Although these oils may smell similar and cost way less, they will lack most, if not all, of the chemical properties necessary to produce therapeutic results.

How do you know whether an essential oil is pure and safe?
Oils need to undergo testing to ensure that the proper constituents are present in the right amounts and that there is nothing present that shouldn't be there, like fillers or pesticides. All oils should be tested using a gas chromatograph (GC) and a mass spectrometer (MS). Just because a bottle says 100% pure doesn't mean that it is. Most essential oils on the market today are synthetically produced. If the bottle says "do not take internally," that is a good indicator that it is not a good quality oil. Do your research! Using high quality, pure and safe oils is very important!

What are some of the health benefits that pure essential oils provide?

1. They fight unfriendly microbes in the body without destroying the friendly ones
2. They balance bodily functions
3. They are antioxidants that purify our systems
4. They help clear out negative emotional baggage
5. They raise our bodily frequencies restoring it to its normal, healthy level
6. They can help with spiritual awareness and healing

Other precautions when using oils:

• Use glass water bottles or pitchers if adding essential oils to water. Oils can break down plastic, so plastic water bottles should be avoided.
• Don't handle contact lenses right after handling oils for the same reason!
• Avoid getting oils in your eyes. However, if this happens, add a few drops of oil, not water.
• If applying oils and they burn or sting, dilute with a carrier oil, not water. This is especially important with children who are more sensitive.

{If you are interested in purchasing high quality essential oils, click here. If you are interested in purchasing high quality essential oils at wholesale pricing, click here}

Intro to Essential Oils

I was first introduced to essential oils over 15 years ago. Although a friend lent me a CD and it sounded very interesting, it seemed way "out there" in my nursing mind. Simply rubbing oils on your body and inhaling them could bring about healing? I wasn't all that convinced. Fast forward many years later, pregnant with my tenth baby, and my search began for natural remedies to help with pregnancy and delivery. I had used herbs with several pregnancies, but they all seemed to stimulate contractions before pregnancy, and didn't cause contractions when I needed them to! Baby # 9 had been 14 days late, so I really wanted to find natural, alternative remedies. My search led me to essential oils; I bought a few oils recommended for the last few weeks of pregnancy as well as for my birth, and I loved using them. I will share in a future post what oils I used for labor, delivery and postpartum as well.

I didn't give essential oils much more thought after that until a few of my kids came down with the whooping cough last fall. I immediately called a friend who also had gone through this horrible cough with her family and she gave me a few essential oils to give to my children, both to help those that were sick and to prevent those that weren't sick from getting it. The oils she gave me were Young Living Oils and I immediately saw a difference in these oils compared to the ones I had used previously. Half of my children, including my 11 month old baby, never got the whooping cough. You can read more about how we treated whooping cough here.

During this time I began to read up on and really study essential oils. My friend had given me several little booklets as well as a Reference Guide for using essential oils and I was fascinated by their many uses. My kids also caught on quickly and started using oils all on their own. We now use oils every day for all kinds of things- headaches, growing pains, poison ivy, rashes, concentration, relaxation, sleeping, burns, warts, sore throats, allergies, sore muscles, skin care and the list goes on. As the saying goes, there's an oil for everything! My 11 year old daughter is the oil expert in the family and the go-to person when someone needs her to rub some oils on! She even learned to do the Raindrop Technique, a great cleansing and healing technique using a variety of oils on the spine.

So what exactly are essential oils? They are the life blood of the plant. They are called essential because they are necessary for the plant to stay alive. In plants, these oils regulate growth (like hormones), help with plant metabolism (like enzymes), and help ward off diseases when the plant is damaged or cut. These life giving oils do much of the same thing when introduced to our human bodies. These oils consist of tiny molecules that can easily pass through all of our tissues and into our very cells- right through our cell membranes. Any essential oil placed anywhere on the body can reach every part of the body within minutes!

So, how do they compare to man-made pharmaceuticals?

                           DRUGS                                                         ESSENTIAL OILS

Druggists & Doctors want a drug to have no variation and to be very predictable. They strive for consistency.	Oils have variations from batch to batch making resistance to them impossible- there are too many variables, which make them work so well.
Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and new, stronger drugs have to be formulated. Eventually this cycle will end- their days are numbered!	Oils are as effective today as they were thousands of years ago when used by ancient civilizations.
There certainly is a place for man-made drugs, especially in emergencies and life threatening situations. But their benefits are temporary, not causing true healing.	Oils can help boost the immune system and help our bodies bring true and lasting healing.
Antibiotics cannot fight viruses, so they are helpless against things like the common cold and flu.	Many essential oils are not only antimicrobial, but also combat viruses in the body making them very beneficial in fighting off colds and flu.
Most drugs don’t work well together and many contradict each other. Man-made pharmaceuticals confuse the body.	Oils can work together well in the body to achieve overall harmony and health.
Thousands of people die from physician administered drugs and procedures every year.	There is no recorded case of anyone ever dying from an essential oil that was administered according to common sense precautions.
Antibiotics kill all bacteria- both good and bad. This often causes more problems in the body.	Essential oils, by God’s design, kill only harmful bacteria and viruses, while leaving the friendly and useful ones alone.
Drugs are generally used for one specific use.	Oils can help with many functions in the body- for example; an oil like peppermint can clear the sinuses, relieve a headache, relieve heartburn, break a fever, take away itching and reduce inflammation, among many other things.
Drugs have many side effects.	Essential oils have no side effects and are safe to use. Many can be used during pregnancy.
Drugs make one dependent on the medical system, often for a life-time.	Using essential oils promotes health and often brings freedom from the medical system.

What sets Young Living oils apart from other companies? Many other companies add chemicals to enhance aroma or make their oils stretch. Young Living is the only company I know of that has the Seed-to-Seal guarantee. They grow their plants from seed, cultivate, distill, test and seal all their own oils.You are even welcome to tour a distillery. Young Living oils are so safe that most single oils can even be taken internally. It is vital that the oils you use are pure.

If you're ready to enjoy the amazing benefits of oils, you have 2 options. You can either purchase them at a retail price here. OR you can become a Young Living member and enjoy all the oils at wholesale pricing. You can find more information here.

{There is a great testimonial website where you can search what oils help for varying conditions OR you can type in the name of an oil to see how other people have used it. You do have to register, but it's free! The link is here}

Mom Turns 70!

My Mom, better known as Oma  (the Dutch word for Grandma) turned 70 in May. The whole family came together to celebrate this special occasion. We celebrated the event at Mike and Judith's beautiful new home. And after some very hot and humid weather, we were blessed with perfect weather- 70 degrees!

My mom loves to cook and have people over. So it was fun to let her be on the receiving end for once. We came up with a simple make-ahead menu: mustard baked pork-tenderloin, potato salad, green bean salad with balsamic vinegar and shallots, homemade rolls, a large garden salad and watermelon. Dessert included strawberry shortcake (with freshly picked berries), key-lime tarts and chocolate mousse cups.

                                     

We decorated with miscellaneous painted jars filled with fresh flowers in a grey and yellow floral theme. The kids sat outside on the deck.

The grandchildren made special pages as a keepsake for their Oma- pictures, sayings and poems to honor her. We also sang her favorite hymns together and read Psalm 90, a Dekker family tradition recited at birthdays.

Seventy used to seem so old. But somehow when your parents reach that age it no longer seems so far away! How quickly life moves along... "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90: 12).

                                                      (group picture taken by Bill Cerynik)

"Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her: many daughters have done well, but you excel them all."

Proverbs 31: 28 & 29

Falling In Love All Over Again

For five years I longed to understand my little girl. I remember holding her little head in my hands and pressing my head close to hers and crying out to God to get through to her. I knew she was a special gift from God, and yet I longed to know what was troubling her. Why couldn't she formulate sentences properly? Why did she fall apart when we took her out in public? Why couldn't she show and receive affection? Why did she continue with odd behaviors despite my best efforts to lovingly correct her? Although at times we saw small glimmers of hope, it wasn't until just recently that we made a major breakthrough with Eva. I hate to use the word "normal," but that is how I would now describe my sweet little girl. Going through the Brain Balance program has made Eva a normal, better functioning little girl.

Eva just completed the extensive Brain Balance program. In my previous post (here) I shared about the Brain Balance program and some of the things we did with Eva. In this post I want to share some of the positive changes we are seeing and should continue to see in the weeks and months ahead.{You can read more about our journey with Eva here}

One of the first changes we saw in Eva was that she began to show a lot more affection. All of the sudden she loved to give and receive hugs! In one of her first sessions she was sitting on Dr. Jackson's lap in Brain Balance and she turned around and gave her a kiss.This was after having a really hard time going to her sessions. Now she loves to snuggle on our laps and no longer minds having her back rubbed, her teeth brushed or her hair done- which were always a fight with her. She also now spontaneously will tell us she loves us, adding "with all, all, all my heart" or "very, very, very much!" After so many silent years, this alone makes Brain Balance worth every penny!

I mentioned around Christmas time that Eva finally began praying on her own. We have our children pray around the room before they go to bed. Although Eva always wanted to, she could never formulate her own prayers. One day she said a few short lines in the form of a simple prayer. She repeated this same prayer for several weeks. Then she began to pray her own prayers from her heart. And wouldn't you know it, she now asks to pray when someone is hurt or sad with  "Do you want me to pray for you?" I love my little prayer warrior!

On our way home from Brain Balance on Saturdays we go right past Trader Joe's, my favorite place to shop. Eva has never done well inside stores and so I was hesitant to take her. But the practical side of me realized I couldn't pass this exit 30 minutes from my house without stopping in! At first Abe and I would take her together. Slowly she was able to go shopping with just me while sitting in the cart. Then one day she announced she didn't want to sit in the cart. I was hesitant to let her down, but she did perfectly well. She didn't wander off and I didn't have to chase her! She now pushes her own little kid's cart and fills it up with "her" special foods and bags them at the end! That may not seem like a big deal to most parents, but this was a huge milestone for our family. She has even gone on "dates" with her older siblings recently and did really well. This shows that her brain is finally able to handle all of the stimuli around her.

We are learning that Eva has a wonderful sense of humor! She loves to tease and is really a lot of fun to be around. I would never have said that one year ago... Eva was a lot of work and tired us out- but today she is truly a delight. God is so good!

The last few weeks Eva is constantly singing. I think her brothers would like her to stop singing the ABC's, because this is her all-time favorite. I love to hear her sing a chorus she learned at church and also hears on the radio- "I need you, Oh I need You, every hour I need You. My one Defense, My Righteousness, Oh God how I need You." Just the way she pronounces "defense" and "righteousness" makes my heart melt every single time. And what an awesome reminder of how we need God every hour of every day!

Last May Eva tested way below age level. Although she was 4.5, she was functioning at a 1 year old level in most areas. She struggled to remember her colors, letters and numbers. Now she is blowing me away with her desire to learn! I recently ordered her her own set of school books and she is so excited to be doing school along with the big kids and loves her phonics and math. She still often writes words and numbers backwards, which is not uncommon... and I'm okay with being 24!!

In the beginning Eva was unable to tell me what she was doing in her sessions at Brain Balance. I would ask questions and get a nod here and there. The last few weeks she would get in the car and chatter away in the back seat about Miss K, her special glasses that she has to wear and what she did that day. Her brain can finally process and verbalize what she is thinking. Yesterday, after going to the feed store with her daddy, she came home and told me all about the cute little chicks she saw there (and wanted!)- it was so sweet!

Eva has never done well with strangers. Recently I've seen her waving at people in the store and saying hello to friends and family. I've also heard her introduce herself several times with a "Hi, I'm Eva!" She now has a ready smile and I think she may take after her father in the friendliness department.

Other changes we've seen...

• listens better
• is more focused
• happier, more even-keeled disposition
• keeps herself occupied better
• understands sequence of time better
• can sit through a chapter story book and enjoys it
• loves to draw and color- and both are improving
• can reason with her 
• speech has improved
• shares with others willingly
• interactive play with her siblings- this has been a huge blessing!
• stronger body, less floppy in her core
• is no longer clumsy or runs into things
• enjoys smells and can inhale deeply
• very little to no drooling
• sleeping better on her own
• more helpful with chores and things around the house- volunteers to help!
• improved fine-motor skills
• less tantrums and when she does get upset, it resolves quickly
• quicker to confess she has done something wrong and to say sorry
• tolerates long car rides, where in the past she often got car-sick

All of these changes (and I'm sure there are more) were beyond any expectations we ever had for our daughter. I am so grateful for the wonderful staff at Brain Balance who went above and beyond the call of duty. Eva really struggled with being cooperative in the beginning and yet Dr. Jackson and the staff persevered, using creativity to combat the challenges and never gave up (even when I was ready to call it quits!). They truly love the children they work with and pour themselves into the kids. I will forever be thankful for the work they did that caused us all to fall in love all over again with a little girl we always knew was there, just waiting to come out.

I am also so grateful for my family who drew together to see their sister succeed- for my girls who gave up a year of dance, my middle children who spent hours keeping Eva company and occupied on the long drives back and forth to Cary, for my older children who juggled work schedules to be home with the little ones and who put dinner on the table many nights, and for a husband who never stopped encouraging me even when the days were long and hard. Eva is so blessed to have so many cheering her every step of the way!

Last, but certainly not least, I am so thankful for my in-laws who took a leap of faith and invested in their granddaughter. May the Lord use your investment in her therapy to continue to produce much growth in Eva's life!

Eva Goes To Brain Balance

Eva with her main coach, Miss K

April is Autism Awareness month. All of us probably know a family that has been impacted by autism. Although almost unheard of just a decade ago, it is estimated that 1 in 150 children are somewhere on the autism spectrum disorder today and those numbers continue to climb. In this post I want to share how Brain Balance has helped our daughter, Eva, who was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) which is on the ASD. {You can read about our journey with Eva here}

While studying autism and talking to others about it, I felt overwhelmed by how many different therapies we would need to employ to get our daughter the help she needed. Mainstream treatment utilizes various therapeutic approaches that seek to improve the problems associated with the child's development and behavioral problems. There are behavioral therapies, occupational therapies, social skills therapies as well as language/speech therapies and all of these require daily or weekly sessions. I am so thankful that a friend told me about Brain Balance. Right from the start I felt like the staff understood what was going on with our daughter and they were confident that they could help. For the first time in Eva's life, we felt hopeful.

What is Brain Balance? Brain Balance is the groundbreaking program for children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and other Neurological Disorders. The majority of professionals today don't take a whole body approach to seeking a solution to childhood neurological dysfunctions. Instead they focus and treat each individual condition, focusing on things like attention, learning, socialization, tics etc. Dr. Melillo, the founder of Brain Balance, however, looks at all of the body systems involved, not just the brain...

“These disorders may manifest with different symptoms but they are really one and the same problem; a brain imbalance. There is even a name for it- Functional Disconnection Syndrome, meaning areas in the brain, especially the two hemispheres of the brain, are not electrically balanced, or synchronized. This electrical imbalance interferes with the ability of the two hemispheres to share and integrate information, meaning the brain cannot function as whole. The result is that a child with a brain imbalance has normal or even unusually good skills associated with the higher-functioning area or side of the brain, and unusually bad skills associated with the underactive area or side of the brain. The problem seems to come about because one side of the brain is maturing at a faster rate than the other. As the child develops, this imbalance becomes more significant and the two hemispheres can never fully function as one. The brain is functionally disconnected. Fix the disconnect-that is, get the immature side of the brain to catch up to the other side-and the symptoms go away. So does the disorder.” (taken from Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo, page xi)

What the Brain Balance program endeavors to do is stimulate the slow side of the brain to develop properly without affecting the other side. This is done through daily sensory, physical and academic exercises that are selected to target the troubled areas. These exercises work at eventually integrating the two hemispheres of the brain, getting them synchronized. The popular approach today is to work on the child's strengths, which constantly makes the already strong side of the brain stronger. This is really causing the weaker side to become weaker and is in essence making the problem worse. Brain Balance does just the opposite- it focuses on the "broken" side, or weaker hemisphere, to catch up to the stronger side. 

Part of the program includes limiting screen time of all sorts- including TV, movies, computers and other electronic devices. All of these produce a slowing down in the brain. Thankfully we don't watch TV and Eva wasn't exposed to computers or other electronic devices very often. We really tried to limit her movie time to one a day, if any at all. Ironically, most of these children have an amazing aptitude with the computer. Whenever Eva got her hands on someone's phone or iPad, she just seemed to know what to do! The tendency for parents, then, is to allow their child to spend hours on the computer, because their child is brilliant with one. But this really hampers the weaker side of their brain even more and ultimately accentuates their problems.

Another big component is diet. All children that enter the program are sent for blood work to test for food sensitivities. Although we are all familiar with food allergies which can cause things like hives and breathing problems, food sensitivities can come on slowly and produce symptoms that can cause behavioral problems. Food sensitivities produce inflammation in the body, so eliminating the food culprits will reduce the inflammation, heal the gut, and ultimately help the brain to function properly. I wasn't too worried about Eva's blood test because we had already eliminated both gluten and all dairy from her diet and seen great results. Boy, was I in for it! Her tests revealed over 36 foods that she was sensitive to! This showed that food was also playing a major part in Eva's behavior. On the list were things she consumed almost daily- bananas, garlic, vanilla, onions, strawberries, rice, limes, cocoa, tea, egg whites, soy, chicken, turkey, beef, pork and many others. She could, however, eat shrimp, lobster and oysters- although I don't know too many 5 year olds that like those! To say I was overwhelmed, was an understatement. Thankfully I had several sessions with a nutritionist as part of the program, and she helped me figure out a balanced diet for Eva. I learned how to make things out of garbanzo bean flour and how to make carob chips from scratch! Eva cooperated amazingly well and we are slowly incorporating some of the foods back into her diet. Part of the diet also includes adding probiotics, healthy fish oils (which Eva still dislikes) and digestive enzymes to aid with digestion. As I've mentioned in a previous post, it is vital that these children are on a whole-foods diet, free of sugars and artificial sweeteners, additives and preservatives.

We did many things to stimulate Eva's brain to allow it to catch up. Eva had a right brain weakness. Children with a right brain weakness don't feel their bodies very well. This shows up in the way they walk and they are often clumsy and fall and bump into things a lot. They have poor gross motor skills including balance, rhythm and coordination. They struggle with non-verbal skills, have poor social interaction, and are often impulsive, anxious and display poor attention. Children with a right brain deficiency have immune systems that are in overdrive- their immune systems speed out of control and remain in defense mode often causing allergies, asthma and/or chronic food sensitivities. {Left brain weaknesses show up with different symptoms, which I won't go in to- but Dr. Melillo's book Disconnected Kids does an excellent job explaining all of this}

Eva did lots of exercises to strengthen her core and to help her become stronger, both during her Brain Balance sessions as well as at home. Every movement we make stimulates our brain! We also really tried to increase aerobic exercise with the mini trampoline, playing outside and even doing workouts with mom.

They did a lot of visual therapy during her sessions to improve Eva's eye movements. I also work with Eva several times a day using finger puppets to encourage her eyes to track properly. This was probably the hardest thing for Eva to do and she really resisted these in the beginning. Her eyes tired quickly. It still isn't her favorite, but she has improved so much. I now see her glancing sideways using only her eyes, which she couldn't do in the past. She still is unable to cross her eyes which is supposed to be the last exercise she will master which also requires the most muscles to perform. (Incidentally, our eye doctor never caught on that Eva had huge visual processing issues).

We also did daily smelling exercises. I never realized that she had trouble inhaling properly to smell. She has a bin full of spices and essential oils that she loves to smell. We also regularly applied peppermint oil to her right shoulder to stimulate her brain. Do you know that there are certain areas of the brain that can only be stimulated by smell? (As the daughter of a perfumer, I find the sense of smell fascinating!)

Music therapy was another aspect of our daily routine. Eva has her own playlist of music that is geared to stimulating the right hemisphere of the brain using low frequency sound. We cut the wire to her right ear so she would only hear the music in her left ear. Here she is listening to her music while coloring just before bed.

Probably Eva's favorite exercises were the vestibular exercises. In Brain Balance she would spin around in a tire swing and chair. At home we used a bar stool in the kitchen that spun all the way around. Just a few days ago the little girls were dancing in the living room. Eva was spinning around and around- and she never stumbled or bumped into anything! She may just become a ballerina yet!

In Brain Balance they also did academic stimulation with Eva. Here she is holding a chain of her rewards for moving up a grade level in various areas. I think in one area she is even at a first grade level! At home I was finally able to begin working on school work as well. She is now doing Kindergarten workbooks and able to sit through a short chapter book. I am amazed at how eager she is to learn!

We have been so encouraged by how Brain Balance has helped Eva. We have also met other families whose children have also benefited in so many ways. (I haven't met a parent yet who hasn't seen some good results in their child). I have also read dozens of incredible testimonies that all testify of the same thing. Dr. Melillo's book "Disconnected Kids" also has many profiles with amazing stories of how autism and other disabilities have been turned around completely. Most parents are told there is no known cause for their child's problem and, even worse, that there is no cure. But Dr. Melillo says he has seen astounding results with his program. In Dr. Melillo's own words:

"The Brain Balance program is based on my clinically proven findings that the way your child's brain functions today is not necessarily the way that it has to function for the rest of his or her life. My research and the research of others has found that many children can recover from disorders such as autism, ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, dyslexia and others when their unique developmental needs are met and the underlying causes of these disorders are addressed. Even children with the severest forms of these disorders have the capacity to improve behaviorally and academically and learn skills that will enrich their quality of life." (Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo, page 5)

In my next post I hope to share the positive changes we have seen in Eva after going through the Brain Balance program...

Real Love

As wives and mothers, we have amazing opportunities to show agape love each and every day. This is the kind of love that gives without demanding or expecting anything in return. It sacrifices. It forgets about self. It is consumed with the well-being of others. It shows love by our actions. And it is often times hard. In studying the well-known chapter of love found in I Corinthians 13, I realized how short I often fall of God's perfect standard.

My prayer is that as women of God we would demonstrate real love more and more- that our families would see more of Christ in how we love.

Love suffers long when things spill, tissues go through the laundry, or the boys forget to feed the dog. It does not lose heart, blow up or become easily offended.

and is kind  it searches for little opportunities to do good, it kisses boo-boos, reads stories, makes a warm cup of coffee. Love is found in uplifting words for the "law of kindness is on her lips" (Proverbs 31: 26).

Love does not envy the mom who's 4 year old is reading chapter books or the woman with a bigger house or the friend with more or less children. It is content with my circumstances.

Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up in my own accomplishments or those of my children, because apart from Christ, I am nothing. Love esteems others better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).

Does not behave rudely  it doesn't hurt others with my words or actions. It looks my child in the eye and makes her feel important. It cherishes face-time over facebook time.

Does not seek its own it keeps on making meals, washing dishes, folding laundry, and making beds even with little gratitude in return. It delights more in spending time with my children than having "me" time.

Is not provoked when earthly possessions break, jackets get caught on wire fencing, or dirty socks end up under the couch. It strives to give a soft answer (Prov. 15:1) and desires to create a peaceful atmosphere.

Thinks no evil it doesn't recall past failures or rub in wrongs. It repays evil with good. Love doesn't dwell on the negatives.

Does not rejoice in iniquity instead it chooses to think on whatever things are good, pure, noble and of good report (Phillipians 4:8). 

But rejoices in the truth it chooses to believe God's truth, not the lies of the enemy who seeks to bring discouragement and doubt to my home. It gladly speaks of Him who is Truth with my children.

Love bears all things it covers a multitude of sin (I Peter 5:8). It doesn't divulge what shouldn't be said, it doesn't gossip or act like a busybody. It desires to forgive, over and over again.

Believes all things If God's Word says it, her heart believes it to be trustworthy despite what the world may be saying or doing. 

Hopes all things God is her confidence. She rejoices at the future (Prov. 31:25), she is optimistic, smiling and encouraging. "Happy is (s)he who has the God of Jacob for (her) help, whose hope is in the Lord (her) God." (Ps. 146: 5).

Endures all things despite fatigue, discouragement and hard days. Love presses on and moves forward because of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).

Love never fails although hard to fathom, even a mother may forget her  nursing child (Isaiah 49:15), but God, who is perfect Love, has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. He always goes before me (Deut. 31:8). I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Phil. 4: 13).

Little Girls Room Makeover

We've lived in our current home for over 2 years and finally got around to re-doing our little girls room. {The bright side to a few days of  freezing weather so Abe could be home long enough to work on it!} Three of our little girls share a fairly small bedroom. We have a beautiful Pottery Barn trundle bed and armoire, but these both took up the majority of the room with little room for them to play. The walls were painted a dark brown and the paint was textured showing up every little scuff mark. Yup, this room really needed a face lift! With the help of my very handy husband and a day trip to IKEA (complete with Swedish meatballs) the new room turned out beautiful!

Our long term plans are to add a second story to our house. This room will eventually house the stairs leading to the second story, with this room possibly becoming a craft/sewing room. But for now it will need to continue to be the bedroom for our little girls, ages 3, 5 and 6. Since they are small enough, I decided to give them more space by giving them all toddler beds (which we already had). 

The new room is so bright and cheerful!

I had Abe put up wood bead-board 6 feet up the wall which he painted white to brighten up the room and make it feel much bigger. He added a ledge all the way around the room giving us lots of room to put knick-knacks and pictures, well out of reach of little hands. We painted the top part of the wall a light beige color. We hung a canopy tent in the corner with tie-backs that serves both as decoration as well as imaginary play. PJs are stored in bins under each of their beds.

I found these cute wicker chairs, little stools and table at IKEA, perfect for little girl's tea parties.

These fun alphabet cards were a present from my mother-in-law several years ago, and were my inspiration for adding a ledge to the room. Aren't they fun?

 Stuffed toys, photos and the kids' artwork decorate the ledge as well...

The bedding and curtains have a strawberry theme which the girls copied for these pictures. I love to decorate with homemade art work!

Stacking bins keep toys neat and organized and make clean-up super easy.

I found these duvet covers and pillow cases in coordinating prints at IKEA in bright, fresh colors.

The girls LOVE their new room!