A Season of Singing

"In this season of much singing, I ask those who love our Lord Jesus to ask very specially for singing hearts.

"It would be sad if the lovely Christmas hymns and carols sounded only like a noise – even a noise of music – to Him. But if they are the glad and wondering adoration of our hearts, then I think they will give Him joy.

"Do not forget what Christmas cost Him – Gethsemane and Calvary." 

· Amy Carmichael
Edges of His Ways daily devotional

Merry Christmas!

~ Hannah

Why Eat Fermented Foods?

In December Dad found time to start a new years' supply of sauerkraut. The storage cabbages he grows are so large that it doesn't even take a whole one to make over a gallon of kraut!

See a short video of his sauerkraut-making process by clicking HERE.

Now we wait for the good bacteria to do its job.

So... Why Eat Fermented Foods?!

- For the variety of good bacteria they provide
- To fight bad bacteria such as candida overgrowth
- Promote overall gut health
- May even help prevent allergies

Do you eat fermented foods? 

Let's share our favorites in the comments!





Facts Source: Earthley Wellness

Summer Recap: July 2022

Time to attempt a little more catching up on this full summer, which included:

Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning to be able to move back into more parts of the house.

Removing layer after layer of porch floor to completely replace the rotted subfloor as well as windows and walls. It was sad to take out the tile we had laid years ago which was still in perfect condition.

More fun was transplanting Mom's collection of fiddle-leaf figs...

...enjoying the flowerbeds...

...and drying herbs for tea.

The 4th of July was a special time with extended family at the lake.

A new generation of second-cousins are starting to play together!

Mid-month we moved our tiny summer-home 6 hours south to a state park to be near two of our clinics.

Elsa and I celebrated our last skin-tests and decided it was time to say goodbye to the allergy clinic after at least 7 years of sublingual antigen treatments.



And we tried to enjoy our campground with little bits of strength now and then despite symptoms flaring from the above-mentioned tests.







Back home the month closed out with Dad and Mom's 45th wedding anniversary!

I Heard the Bells...

There is a Christmas carol we rarely sing even though we likely hear it played on the radio or in stores every year. It is not in our hymnal, so I had not really studied the words until this year, but I do remember feeling somewhat "turned off" by the second-to-last verse when I first noticed it years ago.

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Now that I know the story behind the original poem, it makes so much sense. Henry Longfellow had lost his beloved wife in a traumatic accident that left him not only emotionally, but also physically, scarred. Then their oldest son had run away to join the American Civil War without his father's consent.

The famous poet was surrounded by strife and pain, loss and death. In those years he even lost his poetry.

But have you ever thought about how fitting it is that a Christmas song should speak of hate and wrong? After all, the first Christmas took place among an oppressed people in a country occupied by a powerful enemy. Even Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem was due to a census which would enable the government to oppress them with further taxes. 

These disheartened people had been waiting centuries for God to fulfill his promises to send them a Savior - the Prince of Peace - which looked more hopeless than ever.

But in this dark time, some lowly shepherds out in their fields at night suddenly heard a multitude of angels praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men." 
· Luke 2:14

And so, nearly two centuries later, a broken poet heard those words ringing out through the bells of Christmas. And his hope was renewed.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

If you would like to know more of the story behind this song, find "I Heard the Bells" on Sight & Sound's streaming platform: https://www.sight-sound.tv/

Dad and I got to see the movie on what was supposed to be one of only a few days in theaters, but it was so well-received that showtimes kept being added! We can personally recommend both this movie and the fledgling company that produced it as their first venture, because we have appreciated the theater productions of its parent company, Sight & Sound Ministries, for years now. 

Note: this movie is rated PG and not for young children due to a war injury and a tragic death - though they are portrayed very mildly, all things considered.

Finally, here is the entire poem - including verses we do not hear sung.

Christmas Bells

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Written 1863

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Thanksgiving Week 2022

Thanksgiving week was an exciting one as carpenters returned for the first time since mid-September. Dad has continued on many parts of the project in the meantime, including getting old siding off the garage and resetting the front brick patio.

Now we are grateful for a new front door to replace the 46-year-old original that leaked and grew ice indoors in winter.

And the siding project has begun! 

Everyone got a break for Thanksgiving Day.

Even though it was only the four of us at home for the day, we had a feast complete with two versions of sweet potatoes and dressing to accommodate various food sensitivities. Elsa even managed to nearly replicate the pumpkin pie we grew up with for the first time since losing gluten and dairy options. But now that we can both handle eggs again, this was delicious! 

Friday Dad is back to work sealing around new doors. 

And we are enjoying pulling out Christmas music and CDs again while getting ready for family coming tonight!

Shut In – Day 281: Giving Thanks for Signs of Hope

Happy Thanksgiving Day! Today it is just the four of us at home, but we hope to enjoy some extended family time tomorrow. And we still plan to find ways to make today a celebration.

But rather than focus on the amazing history of the American Thanksgiving celebrations in this post (see past years for that), today marks another key point in much more ancient history. 

I am still tracking with Noah on the ark.

The last time we checked in, he was sending out scout-birds to get an idea of the state of the flood-ravaged earth. That began two weeks ago. Since the birds did not find anywhere to live other than the ark, Noah set himself to wait another week.

Imaging his joy and thanksgiving when the dove came back with “a freshly plucked olive leaf” in her beak! There was finally a sign of life off of the ark!

We really cannot picture the impact of this one leaf after all those months of death, destruction and isolation. But try to imagine a winter stretching for 11 months with no sign of green… not even a spruce tree or hardy vine to add color to an empty prairie where sky and land are all the color of old snow. You have been kept indoors by the weather the entire 11 months. Even if you had neighbors, you would not have been able to get out to visit them. (Read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “The Long Winter” for just a partial, but powerful, example of this.)

Then after eleven months unlike anything experienced before or since in the history of the world… you finally see an olive leaf! Praise God!!!

Now, remember that God had shut Noah and his family into the ark, and Noah was still waiting on God’s timing to exit. So we come to today…

“Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.” – Genesis 8:12

This was a day to celebrate! There were clear signs of life and hope in the world!

Even when we are living through dark and lonely days, God eventually sends those signs of hope. What are yours today?

A few of mine after nearly 10 years since my health completely crashed include:
- I find myself trotting up the stairs some days!
- Piano practice has become a joy again since I resumed several days a week in October.
- My mind can have more capacity for language study than for years past.
- Chemical exposures have less effect on my body and brain.

And yes, this has all changed since getting the mold out of our house. It was, and still is, so much work and expense… but so worth it for my mom, sister, and me. We are grateful to God!

See previous posts in series here:

Part I: The Lord Shut Him In
Part II: Day 10: The Animals
Part III: Day 20: The Man Noah
Part IV: Day 30: The Walls
Part V: Day 40: What God Says... He Does
Part VI: Day 70: After the Crisis
Part VII: Day 100: When Waiting Turns to Years
Part VIII: Day 150: Touch Down!
Part IX: Day 181: Survival Mode while Shut In
Part X: Day 227: Land, Ho!
Part XI: Day 267: Testing the Waters

Next post: 
Part XIII: Day 319: A Birthday with a View

olive leaf photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash

11.10.22 Shut In – Day 267: Testing the Waters

“At the end of forty days…”

That is where we are in Noah’s season of being “shut in” by God.

Forty days ago, Noah and family and menagerie in their mighty ship were already perched on the mountains of Ararat, and the tops of the mountains were finally visible! And yet there has been no change in daily life since then (unless possibly the earth and waters have calmed down some more from the violent upheaval geological records show were still happening as the flood receded.)

40 more days of waiting.
40 more days of feeding and cleaning up after animals.
40 more days of wondering how they were going to possibly start life again in an empty world.
40 more days of waiting for God to show the next step.

And still there was no sign. So, Noah decided to check things out for himself.

“At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ark… and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.” Genesis 8:6-9

As far as we know there was no disobedience or rebellion in Noah’s heart or actions. There is no record of God being displeased at His child’s experiments. It may show a little impatience, or simply a desire to plan ahead.

But as we will see in the weeks to come, Noah was still committed to waiting on God for clear direction.

See previous posts in series here:

Part I: The Lord Shut Him In
Part II: Day 10: The Animals
Part III: Day 20: The Man Noah
Part IV: Day 30: The Walls
Part V: Day 40: What God Says... He Does
Part VI: Day 70: After the Crisis
Part VII: Day 100: When Waiting Turns to Years
Part VIII: Day 150: Touch Down!
Part IX: Day 181: Survival Mode while Shut In
Part X: Day 227: Land, Ho!

Next Post: 
Part XII: Day 281: Giving Thanks for Signs of Hope