Part 3 in the story of my son’s eczema has just gone live on the My Baby Has Eczema blog. If you’ve been following this story, head on over there to read it.

If you were raised as a Christian, like I was, you may have never really seen God. Oh, you knew He existed, and knew a lot about Him, but you may have not really known Him–never really looked deep into His heart.

It is also easy to get so used to the picture of Jesus as our Saviour that we fail to realize the deep significance of His death. Jesus suffered and died. So have many martyrs. What makes His death better or more efficacious than theirs? What is God really like? Is He really that different from us?

These are some of the questions that Ty Gibson tackles in what may be his most powerful book, Seeing With New Eyes. This book has had a powerful impact on my life, especially in the way I see God. It has given me a new perspective of God and His character. Let me quote one of my favorite passages:

We have tended to make God so distant, so nearly sterile that we have forgotten that He is a person. A person who made us in His image. A person, therefore, who has a heart that feels joy and pain like ours. All the passion of the universe has its origin in Him; and therefore all passion, both the pleasurable and painful, finds resonance in Him as well. Every pain that is felt, every sigh that is breathed, every sorrow that pierces the soul, like a rushing current of sympathetic vibrations, throbs in the Father’s heart.

This book is easy to read in the sense that it is not written in high, theological terms. It is written creatively, descriptively, colorfully. Yet the words have a way of awakening your deepest emotions, while at the same time imparting knowledge. Each thought is grounded in Scripture, expanded and simplified so that even a child could understand much of it.

Growing up as a Christian, I learned many facts about God. So I can’t say that there was anything exactly new for me in this book. However, the way it was put together was fresh, and it forced me to step back and apply the knowledge I already had. It opened my heart when I had been hiding from God–trying to live without Him, because I was afraid of the pain of letting go of my sin–and helped me to see Him not as a stern judge condemning me, but rather as a loving Father with aching heart, waiting to welcome me back. This view of God was not new, but by taking time to actually look, my heart was softened, and I was led to repentance.

And for someone who is struggling with understanding the character of God, this book could be a powerful tool to help them to really know who He is–instead of seeing him through the lens of how their father was, or the way they may have been taught He is. Jesus, in His prayer in John 17, said that knowing God is the same as having eternal life. Listen to how Ty Gibson explores this thought:

Understanding who God really is, seeing His true character distinct from all false pictures, is the psychological and emotional substance of which eternal life is composed. Knowing God heals the soul of all internal maladies and imparts a quality of life that is eternal. There is earth-transcending peace to be derived from knowing that the One who made us, and to whom we are ultimately accountable, is infinitely and intrinsically good. On the other hand, all false pictures of God are destructive to the soul, eating away the beauty and meaning of life.

So next time you want to take a fresh look at God, consider picking up a copy of Seeing With New Eyes, and look again for the first time.

By ozgurmulazimoglu on Flickr

Yes, that is right. I seem to have developed a wheat allergy at the age of 29. Maybe some of you know I just turned 30 last month, and I didn’t actually figure out it was wheat until about a week ago, but the allergy has been developing for the past few months now.

Let me back up. A few months ago, I started using Triamcinalon, a medium-level steroid cream on my son. Sometime thereafter I noticed that I would often get itchy right before bed in a small area, like my calf or lower back or wherever it was. For a while I thought it was that I was reacting to the medication. Maybe if I got some gloves to use while I put it on, I would be better. But I never got the gloves, and I only itched for a few minutes in the evening, so I wasn’t very motivated to do anything about it.

But gradually it got worse. I started being mildly itchy during the day, and the itchy spells in the evening became more intense and widespread. I would find myself scratching off and on for half an hour while trying to go to sleep. I also had pretty much figured out that it wasn’t the Triamcinalon, because some nights he didn’t need it, and some nights Daddy put it on, and yet I was still itchy. But I wasn’t always as itchy to the same degree every night–it would vary somewhat.

I didn’t want to admit it, so I ignored it for a while, but finally it started getting too much to ignore. I was breaking out with these little bumps wherever I was itchy, and when I scratched, it would raise welts and even get hot sometimes (though that only lasted for a few minutes and disappeared as the itch died away). Finally I decided I must be allergic to something. I suspected sugar at first (I have a gargantuan sweet tooth–which is shrinking, by the way), but I still itched even when I completely avoided it. So I figured it couldn’t be that. My next suspect was wheat.

Now, you must understand something about our diet. We don’t have the typical American diet by any means. We can go anywhere from 1-3 days without eating wheat for breakfast or lunch. We don’t eat bread with every meal. In fact, bread usually only gets eaten for sandwiches or as toast for supper. And since I don’t eat supper, there were days I didn’t eat wheat at all. So I started paying attention to how much I itched every evening, and taking note of whether I had had wheat that day or not.

And I definitely noticed a pattern. The days I didn’t get any wheat I itched very little. The night I itched the worst was the day that I had biscuits for breakfast and cornbread (with wheat flour) for lunch. And thus I diagnosed my wheat allergy. Or sensitivity, or whatever it is.

So things are going to be different around here. I’m not cutting wheat out 100% just yet–with my son’s allergies and everything I’m trying to do, that just isn’t something I am ready to do yet. But like I said, we already have many wheat-free days. So I’m going to take one recipe at a time and figure out how to substitute either the recipe or the wheat in it. Last night I took my souffle recipe and used oats instead of breadcrumbs. It turned out okay, except I think I need to increase the salt slightly, or add something else, since oats have less flavor than breadcrumbs. The texture was good, though.

I am also doing an experiment with kamut, and soon will try spelt. They are both related to wheat, but some people with a wheat allergy can eat them. So today I made cornbread (we eat it every week here!), and used freshly ground kamut flour in it. They didn’t raise quite as high as they would have with pastry flour (what I usually use), but they tasted just as good. I have also made it with barley flour, but I wanted to test the kamut. I have also made biscuits with 100% kamut flour, and they turned out beautifully. I haven’t had any wheat since Saturday, and I have been less itchy every night. If I get more itchy tonight, I’ll know I can’t eat kamut either. If I don’t, then maybe I can use it in place of wheat in some things. If not, I know I can make that recipe with barley flour (my mom does it that way), so at least I will be able to continue to make this family favorite!

I got a bread machine recipe for spelt bread, and I can get spelt flour at the grocery store. So I am going to try spelt soon. If I can handle kamut and spelt, I don’t think I’ll even miss wheat. If I can’t… well, then I guess I’ll have to get more creative!

Have you ever had an allergy show up in your adulthood? Please tell me about it! I would love to know how you dealt with it, how you adjusted. And check back soon for the results of today’s kamut test!

I think one of the most annoying things on earth is a screaming toddler when his will has been crossed. Kind of like a siren, only it’s right in your ear. People stop and stare at you. You just know they are thinking all kinds of judgmental thoughts about you, like, “Why can’t that mom get her kid under control.” (More than likely, they’re probably thinking, “I’m glad that’s not my kid!”–not that that is any better.) And all you can think is, “I just wish I could make my baby stop crying!!!”

But now there is hope! I have learned a method that, if used consistently, will help teach a child self-control so that you don’t have to make a spectacle of yourself every time you have deny him something he wants. It’s not an overnight fix, but it with consistency it can make your life much easier!

First, though, I want you to watch this video, where I describe the technique and give a few cautions. An outline is available below for those who prefer to have things written down–or in case you want to print it.

Here are the main points:

• Don’t use on a tiny baby or on a child who is hurt or has a real need
  • Newborns cry for legitimate needs–meet their needs!
  • Use for older babies and toddlers who are crying because their will was crossed
  • Don’t use on children over 3 years old–time outs and reasoning are better for that age
• Start using this method at home; don’t start in public
  • It will take longer initially, then shorter each time
  • Be consistent at home; that will make it easier to deal with away from home
  • Later, when child surrenders quickly, you could use this in public to avoid attracting so much attention
• The method:
  • Hold them, restraining arms if necessary
  • Cover mouth with your hand as they cry out
  • Do NOT cover their nose
  • Remove hand when they breathe in
  • Repeat as needed
  • Remain calm throughout (frustration feeds the child’s negative emotions)
  • Talk soothingly to them
  • Continue until they surrender–never give up before they surrender!
• This method teaches the child self control, laying the foundation of a very valuable character trait

Something I didn’t mention in the video is that if you asked the child to do something and he started screaming, you can use this method to calm him, but be sure to bring the first issue back around, repeating as needed until he submits.

With that introduction, here is the video demonstration of the method with my son. Please note that it is short because I had been using it frequently for 2 or 3 days prior to making the video. It will not be this short the first time you try it!

Works for me! Any questions?

Most people hate shots. I have never minded them, though I can’t say I exactly enjoy them. But my son loves them. At least, he gets excited when I tell him it’s time for a shot, or if he sees me bringing the needle up the stairs. For example:

Maybe it has to something to do with how we finish the shot. I poke, squeeze, and pull out faster than you can read it. Then I recap the needle, break the end off, and hand him the cap with the sharp point safely inside. Then we ceremoniously walk over to the sharps container and he drops it in.

I was thinking that maybe we would switch to a sublingual B12 supplement, but this is working so well, maybe we’ll just keep doing it!

Note: I originally meant to post one of my favorite tofu recipes here, but I forgot to buy tofu and didn’t have time to make it when I realized I didn’t have it. So I couldn’t get pictures. Then I heard of a friend on Twitter who was thinking of going dairy free, and thought I should post this recipe instead. I will continue with the tofu theme next week.

I like cheese. I will admit that it is one of the hardest things to avoid when I am vegan. And many foods seem to require cheese. I mean, what would pizza be without cheese? Sure, I’ve eaten cheeseless pizza… but I don’t really like it all that well.

I should clarify that this recipe does not taste like cheese at all. Although I use it as a substitute, I don’t expect it to taste like cheese. I feel it should stand alone on its own value. And I must say, it’s downright tasty!

Cashew Cheese Sauce

Blend until smooth:

2 cups water
1/2 cashews
1 small jar pimentos (I sometimes use canned red bell pepper, because it’s cheaper)
1/4 cup heaping of nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

When nice and smooth, dump in 3 Tablespoons of potato flour. This will thicken it instantly. Use raw sweet red pepper and fresh lemon juice, and you have a raw food recipe.

If you don’t have potato flour, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot and cook until thickened. Of course, then it won’t be raw. I prefer the first method, but have used the second on occasion, when I ran out of potato flour (or thought I had, because I couldn’t remember where I had stored the extra!).

Such cheesy deliciousness!

I grew up eating this once or twice a week on macaroni. Mac & cheese–my brother’s favorite food. Here are some other ideas good uses for it: pizza, tacos, haystacks*, nachos–the sky’s the limit!

So try it and let me know what you think!

*Haystacks, in my culture (religious culture), are layers of chips, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese, sour cream, olives, and other related toppings–sort of like a big plateful of a taco on chips. They are a favorite at potlucks at my church.

Have you ever made a decision that affected your entire life? Of course you have. Probably lots of them.

For me, the decision not to go to college has shaped who I am as a person in a very powerful way now. I don’t have a school debt to pay off. I don’t feel like I wasted my time in college learning stuff I’m not using. That was a big decision for mew and one I’m happy I made.

But there have been other smaller decisions that I have made that also affected the course of my life. Little decisions about actions or thoughts that I made, almost without thinking, have molded who I am as a person in much more subtle ways. Like whether I picked up something I saw laying around; whether I made my bed every morning or not; whether I got upset when things didn’t go my way, or sent up a prayer for grace and smiled instead.

I’ve been watching a seminar lately that has been teaching me a lot about the power of the decisions that I make in my life. And it is having an impact on my daily life. I wish I could summarize it for you, but there is so much that I think you really should just go and experience it for yourself.

The best part is, it’s free! That’s right. You can watch the seminar online for free. And the second-best part is that it is short. That is, each day’s session is short, 15 minutes or so, plus 5 minutes in a workbook afterward. Even the busiest person can find 15-20 minutes a day for self-improvement–and if they can’t, something’s wrong!

He’s not exaggerating. So here is my suggestion. Click on this banner and go sign up for the seminar:

When I got to day 12, I was inspired to try something new on my blog. I have been learning about making decisions, and I wrote down 5 decisions that I want to make in my life. Then I thought, What if I could have a link-up here, so that others could share their decisions, and we could support each other and learn from each other? So that’s what I’m going to do.

Every Monday I am going to share with you how the decision I made the week before affected my life, and then share my new decision for the following week. Then I’m going to have a link-up here so that you can post a link to your blog if you blogged about your decision. If you don’t have a blog, you can just post it in a comment. But please don’t start until you get to day 12–even if you take 4 or 5 hours and do each session one after the other–or you won’t understand what is going on.

My decision for this week that I am sharing is a decision regarding my emotional state. You know, we choose our emotional state; no one can force us to be angry or frustrated or anything. So here is my decision for this week:

I am choosing not to be frustrated by my children. Instead, I will model love, understanding, and patience.

Next Monday I will share how this decision affected my week.

Now it’s your turn. What decision are you making this week?

By decatur library on Flickr

During my mom’s last visit here, we decided to take a few hours and go shopping on Monday while my husband worked (instead of Sunday like I normally do). We had several stops to make, and were looking forward to getting a lot of things done.

The trouble began at our first stop. Mom had to go to the bathroom, and just as she came back and found us, she remembered that she had not picked up her purse on the way out. She rushed back, but it was gone.

Thankfully, she uses a wallet–the size that holds her checkbook–so she didn’t lose everything most women would lose when they lose their purse. Her keys and cellphone were in her pocket. The only important things were her checkbook, debit card, and license. She wasn’t carrying a credit card in her purse.

The next blessing was that she had a GPS in the car, and it informed her that her bank was only one mile down the road. So we went there to get things straighened out on that end and get some cash. By this time it was lunch time, so we ate and then went to the mall to buy her another purse. The library was behind the mall, so we went there next to find out how to get her a new Idaho drive’s license.

I figured it would take only a few minutes to find the information we needed. With my iPod, I wouldn’t need to wait for Internet access.

Or so I thought.

For some reason, the wireless wasn’t working–and the guy who was in charge of it was out to lunch. When I tried to get a computer, I found out there was an hour and a half wait time. Nobody told me how the express computers worked. I didn’t know the wait time for them was much shorter, if there was any weight time. While I was trying to figure out what I could do, another patron misunderstood me, and started to give me a lecture about waiting my turn “like everyone else”. I tried to explain my situation–that I shouldn’t have to wait since I had my own wifi access device–but she wasn’t listening.

I was tempted to get frustrated at her, but then I realized, she just doesn’t understand. I wasn’t trying to cut in front of other customers, just trying to find some WiFi. Her misunderstanding was getting her all worked up. It didn’t have to get me all worked up too. So I quickly gave up trying to explain things to her, and went to ask the librarian where I should wait for the tech guy to get back from lunch. She pointed to his desk and was about to walk me over there, when the irritated lady got her attention and began to try to explain why I should have to wait like everyone else.

Letting her have her say, I went over to a different librarian, told her the WiFI wasn’t working, and asked if there were any other hot spots nearby. She said I could try Barnes & Noble. I thanked her and headed over there. After all, it was just on the other side of the mall from where we were (practically in the mall’s back parking lot). So we drove around and I went inside and got signal instantly. There I found out that getting a new Idaho license when out of state was as simple as faxing in a form with a temporary address to send the new license to. So off we went to the library to print out the form. Which, of course, would require a computer connected to a printer.

This time, though, I wasn’t in a hurry. If there was an hour and a half wait, I would just sign up and then go off and do my thing until it was time for me, then go and get it done. But then when I explained what I wanted to do, I was informed that I could use one of the express computers, and in fact one was available right then! So I was able to get on right away; 5 minutes and 10 cents later, I had the form printed, ready for my mom to fill out and fax. We found a store to fax it at nearby, and she got her license a couple of days later by FedEx.

Looking back on it, I realized that it was better to be misunderstood than to get into an argument. Arguing with that lady would have just wasted my time and brought my stress levels up. By choosing to be calm and let it go, I was able to keep my focus on finding a solution.

Jesus was one of the most misunderstood people on earth, yet He didn’t let it affect His life. Sure, it hurt. But He rose above the hurt of misunderstanding and focused on His goals. He is our Example, and I am thankful that I had a chance to imitate Him in this small way.

If you read part one and want to read part two, you will need to click through to the My Baby Has Eczema blog to read it. Every time there is an update to this story, I will post the link here, so you can follow it from wherever you read my blog posts.

After my first post last week about my son’s eczema, I realized that I should really start a separate blog for this topic. There are a lot of reasons for my decision, not the least of which is that I would like to target readers that might not be interested in all the other things I write about on this blog.

I went all out and bought a domain and everything. So go check out My Baby Has Eczema, and please share it with anyone who has a baby or young child with eczema!

Whenever something I post on that site is relevant to my readers here (for example, another installment in the story I started last week), I will post a link here on my blog, so you can follow it from here.

In the process of making the decision to start a completely separate blog, I learned some great information that any blogger who is thinking about a second blog should consider with regards to buying a new domain and the alternatives. I sent it to my favorite learning-about-blogging blog, Blogelina.com, and you can read it here.

Blogelina.com is a great resource for blogging moms. I find myself going there whenever I have questions about how to make my blog better. If you are a mom blogger, I recommend that you subscribe to her site. No matter what your goal in blogging is, there is something for everyone, which means there is something for you!