E.I. Prayer List

Whenever I mention prayer requests on this blog, it's so encouraging for me to know that people will read them and be praying. Thank you! 

Today I wanted to share a few prayer requests for some of my E.I. friends:

S & R - mother & daughter who both have E.I. 

They've been in "survival" mode for a very long time - just trying to keep the bills paid, keep breathing, keep from giving in to despair.... Every time I call, S is faithful to tell me about whatever good thing has happened lately, in spite of all the bad things they're experiencing. God continues to do miracles for them! I wish they didn't have to suffer so, but I can only trust God and expect Him to do great things on their behalf.

*Please pray for miraculous provision and healing for them both, and for daily encouragement in God.

S, N, & K - twin brothers and their mom.

They've been living with E.I. for about 20 years now. Severe allergies, MCS, and chronic fatigue make life very difficult for them. In fact, their 93 year-old grandmother is the healthiest one in the family and often helps take care of them. Their perseverance and endurance is incredible! If I could make them well instantly, I would! But again, I must trust God with their pain and believe He is working out His perfect plan for them.

*Please pray they can get to a better living situation at a lower elevation so they'll be able to do more to work on their health, and for continued courage and trust in God.

D & G - friend with E.I. and his mom who is taking care of him.

He has RA, severe allergies, chronic fatigue, etc. He said that right now is the worst he's ever been, and he's desperately in need of prayer!

*Please pray God will alleviate some of his symptoms, strengthen him to endure, and give him peace of mind in spite of the suffering. Also for his mom to have strength and wisdom in taking care of him. 

K.M. - young lady who lives with constant pain, Chronic Fatigue, etc. 

She's been to many doctors and is still looking for answers. She has an amazing inner strength and heart for God, but she's weary of the battle (as you can imagine).

*Please pray for wisdom in all her health decisions, God's healing touch, and a growing understanding of His immense LOVE for her! 

J.L. - friend who's the same age as me and is as sick as I was when I was at my worst point 3.5 years ago. 

She's so weak she can't even talk, allergic to everything, etc. She has an incredibly positive attitude for her situation! (I was not very positive at that point in my journey.)

*Please pray that the lymphatic massage will begin to make a big difference for her, and that she'll hold on to hope. 

These are only a few of the people included on my E.I. prayer list. It seems to grow longer every week. I feel for each person, yet I know God is in control of these difficult trials. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to pray for them and to give encouragement and help where I can. 

If you'd be interested in "adopting" one of these individuals or families to pray for, I know they would be SOO grateful! Even if you can pray for them once a week, it would mean so much! 

(If you want to let me know you're praying for one of them, I'll gladly pass that encouragement along to them.)

Also, if you are an E.I. in need of prayer or if you know someone with E.I. in need of prayer, please feel free to post your prayer request in the comments or email me if you'd just like me to be praying. (My email address is on the sidebar.)

It is our privilege to pray for one another. Let's continue to "carry each other's burdens" (Galatians 6:2).

Thank you so much!

God bless,

-Joanna

When God Says "No"

Three and a half years ago I was in an awful state physically. I don't even want to describe it, so I won't. 

In that horrible place, one night I wept in agony and begged God to heal me! 

I knew He could. I knew it was not hard for Him to instantly make me well. I poured out my heart to Him in anguish and pleaded for a miracle. 

I finally fell asleep. When I woke up nothing had changed. God said "No." 

Again, I won't describe the days that followed my prayer. They weren't pretty. But in my suffering, God never abandoned me. He carried me through one moment at a time. 

Now, three and half years later as I look back, I am astonished at what I can see! 

The path God led me on after that prayer was so filled with important details, that if He had said "Yes" to my request, not only would I have missed out on many blessings, but a lot of other people would have been hurt as well. 

If God had said "Yes" - 

- I never would have started working with my herbalogist and learned so much about how to keep a body healthy...things I've shared with many people in need!

- I never would have gone to see Dr. Smith, whose CBT treatments have been a true lifesaver for my mom's health!

- I never would have done the DNRS brain program, which I've recommended to other friends whose lives are being transformed by it!

- I never would have met so many people with health issues who desperately needed encouragement, help and prayer!

When I begged God to heal me, I didn't realize all the ramifications of what I was asking. I was only thinking about myself and my own pain. But God sees EVERYTHING. 

The blessings I've received since God said "No" would fill a book. But now I realize that He wasn't only thinking of me when He said "No". He was also thinking about countless other people whose lives would be affected by what He did in my life. 

And now from this viewpoint, I can only stand in awe of my marvelous God! I'm SOOO glad that He loves us enough to do what is BEST even when it may be what is painful. 

If you've begged God for something and He's said "No," please take heart! You have no idea how many people will one day thank Him for that "No" and praise Him for what He did in your life instead! 

"The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made." -Psalm 145:17

If You Give An E.I. Girl A Lumpy* Pillow...

Here's something a little humorous to cheer your day, mostly based on my personal experience. =) 

(*It's lumpy because it's actually made of rolled up cotton jeans and t-shirts, because she can't afford an organic cotton pillow)

If you give an E.I. girl a lumpy pillow, her neck will get out of alignment. 

If her neck gets out of alignment, it will cause inflammation in her back.

If there's inflammation in her back, it will cause nerve pain in her right hand.

If she has nerve pain in her right hand, she'll make an appointment with her physical therapist.

If she goes to the appointment with her physical therapist, she'll accidentally bump into a handsome lawyer who works next door and who happens to live a fragrance-free lifestyle. 

If she goes on a date with said lawyer, they'll end up getting married and going on a honeymoon.

If she goes on the honeymoon, she'll forgot to take her expensive cotton pillow and end up using a pair of rolled up jeans instead.

If she uses a lumpy pillow, she'll get a neck-ache. 

And if she gets a neck-ache, she'll remember how happy she is that she once had a lumpy pillow. 

The End.

Ok, so the second half of this little story is totally fictional, but then again you never know what might happen. Which reminds me, I better go make that physical therapy appointment.... =)

Coca-cola Recipe for Clean Clothes

A few years ago my mom found this great formula for getting fragrances/smells (even gasoline odor) out of clothes:

We call it the Coca-cola Recipe -

- put 1-2 cups baking soda and 1 quart (4 cups) of coca-cola in a small water level in the washing machine

- stir mixture (or let the machine agitate for a minute) 

- add the clothes (you can increase the water level after adding the clothes if necessary, just try to keep the load fairly small)

- turn off the machine and soak clothes overnight (or up to 24 hours)

- finish the machine's washing cycle and then wash once more as you normally would (we use Charlie's Soap for our laundry - charliesoap.com)

If the fragrance/chemical in the clothes is really persistent, you might need to repeat this process again the next day. 

This has worked really well for us. I'm just glad to know there's a healthy use for coca-cola. =) 

Note: If your laundry room is not air conditioned and you live in a hot, humid place (like FL), then after doing this a couple of times you'll probably need to rinse your washing machine with vinegar, as the coca-cola combined with humidity can cause a slight mildew build-up in it.

If you have any questions, please let me know. 

Non-toxic Woman

I frequently mention my mom on this blog, otherwise known as "Non-toxic Woman" - my trusty sidekick. 

The reality is that she is more like the super-hero - doing feats of greatness, while I am more like the sidekick - cracking the silly jokes. =) 

(Although I was the one who climbed in through the tiny bathroom window the day we got locked out...but otherwise she's had the harder job for most of the last 8 years.)

During her tenure as my full-time caregiver, the amazing Non-Toxic Woman has done the shopping, cooking, laundry, cleaning, massaging, grasshopper killing, cross-country driving, researching, form-filling out, recipe inventing, cheering, encouraging, praying, and so much more! 

I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without her selfless, loving, prayerful and devoted care.

So to Non-toxic Woman - today as you celebrate your 70th birthday, I just want to say again - 

THANK YOU!!! 

You are my hero! 

I'm so blessed to be your daughter and your friend.

Happy Birthday! =)

My real life super-hero and her sidekick (me). =) 

Indoor Air Quality

You've probably heard that indoor air is much more polluted than outdoor air. I wish it weren't true, especially since most of us spend as much as 90% of our time indoors.

I just read a long article about this topic that frankly, is pretty scary for people who are unaware of the dangers. 

We've done a LOT in our home in recent years to significantly improve the indoor air quality:

- removed furniture items made of particle-board or other toxic materials and replaced with metal shelving, wood or glass furniture

- removed all carpeting and replaced with tile or laminate wood flooring (Tile is best, but we learned that after using the laminate in some rooms. I believe the laminate is still better than carpet.)

- got rid of mold in the bathrooms and painted with a non-toxic paint 

- replaced synthetic air ducts with metal ones

And of course, we've invested in several air purifiers. We've tried different kinds over the years, but by far our favorite is the 160R2 Room Air Purifier from Foust.  

Some other things we do to help the air quality are:

- open the windows and air the house out on dry, clear days

- frequently set plates of baking soda out for 15 minutes at a time to absorb chemicals and smells that accumulate

- allow any newly purchased items to "off-gas" outside or in the garage before bringing them into the house (all new items contain some measure of chemicals--either wash or let them air before using)

- leave wet towels or clothes outside and keep a light on in the bathroom to help prevent mold

- use a filter in the air conditioning intake vent (these are also available at Foustco.com)

It does take effort, but improving the air quality in your home is well worth it.

Question: What suggestions do you have for improving indoor air quality?

CELEBRATE!!!

I'm SOOO happy, just have to celebrate another of God's miracles in my life -- yesterday I went to CHURCH!!! 

The last time I attended a church service was 5 years, 7 months ago. And it's been even longer since I was able to go to church consistently. 

This is something I've been praying and hoping for for a very long time! And yesterday the dream came true! God's promise to me was fulfilled! And I was back with my church family for a WONDERFUL time of worship, fellowship, and rejoicing! 

I'm SO grateful for everyone who has prayed for me on this long and challenging road. Praise God for His healing power and His perfect wisdom! 

I would never have chosen this particular journey for my life, but looking back I can see that it was God's perfect plan for me. I wouldn't trade the last 8 years for anything!

I've learned that the best dreams are the ones we'd never think to dream for ourselves, but God dreams them for us. 

This is the journey I needed. This is the path God prepared so He could give me a better dream than I had imagined! 

As I celebrate this HUGE milestone in my recovery, I'm overflowing with joy and looking forward to the beautiful plans God has in store for me! =)

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High." -Psalm 9:1-2

Here's a photo of me after the church service with my brother and my nephew. =)