Bring on the comments

1. PEGGY S says:

   October 15, 2010 at 4:57 am

   Hi Clara, lol
   Love 'em all.Best collection I've seen
   for a long time!
2. doctorblue says:

   December 8, 2010 at 4:09 am

   I'm so glad you wrote this post. I had regular annual checkups which consisted of getting your comprehensive blood count (without ferritin) and metabolic panel, ears and mouth check, your heart listened to, pulse and weight taken and basically told I was “healthy.” Then suddenly I became disabled because the standard blood and urine tests are far lacking in the information needed to effectively diagnose patients, as you say, for critical factors like ferritin.

   It's interesting for me to read that the symptoms of too much iron mirror those in people with too little iron — that's me. I basically had no iron stores but the hemoglobin was within the wide range for “normal,” which I now know is simply a representation of the range of results for all the sick people who go to see doctors and has nothing to do with being healthy.

   Among many other problems, my red blood cells were star shaped instead of being round due to immeasurable free radical damage and toxins, but because I had enough of them, the CBC showed “normal!” I had too much lead (heavy metal poisoning) in my blood, but that too is a special test.

   I also recently learned that the correct amount of ferritin is critical for the functioning of the thyroid gland. Yet a heavy metal overload prevents the body from absorbing enough ferritin. This explains why the thyroid medication one doctor prescribed had no effect and once the imbalances were corrected, a corrected dosage of thyroid medication now does work.

   I just don't understand how doctors can get away with taking patients' money when they don't have a clue of what they're doing.
3. says:

   November 30, 2011 at 5:18 am

   First, I'd like to say that I see one big difference with reamining single for the sake of ministry and leaving your children for the same sake. It's well and fine if you choose to forgo marraige for ministry if God is asking you to do that. But hear me say loud and clear that I don't believe God would EVER ask a person to leave a spouse (as in separate or divorce) for the sake of ministry. Along the same lines, I believe that if God asks a married couple to forgo children for the sake of being more involved and free in minitry, blessings to you. But once those children are born to you as parents, you and no one else will be held responsible for their spiritual and emotional wellbeing and training. I fully agree with Mr. Piper that only God can take them across the chasm of knowing, to believing and accepting but we are the ones responsible for the teaching and training. We cannot expect the church, school, grandparents or others to do what God has commanded that we do. Yes, they can help, they can fill in the gaps, they can confirm, but they will not be held responsible for what we don't do. On the other hand, I dont' think we should be islands trying to do this huge thing all on our own. In fact, that has been one of the most difficult things about living where we do. We feel all alone in this big task with no “iron sharpening iron” and no mirror to reflect in. We pray for large doses of wisdom and insight.I also believe, as Rhonda said, that 90% of “leaving children for the sake of ministry” is attitude. I have realy struggled at times with the sacrifices Arthur and I have chosen to give on behalf of our kids. It's much easier to give up stuff for myself. But some of the things “they” are “giving up” they will not even fully realize till they are much older…maybe even adults with kids of their own. Things that lots of other kids get and do such as (but not limited to) music lessons, swimming lessons, group sports, field trips, after-school jobs, high school, youth groups, parties, social activities, a few hours away from parents and family, playing at friends', close relationships with extended family, going to Sunday School, or church for that matter, being able to watch and learn from other strong Christians, etc. That's tough for me to do. But I believe it would be wrong for us to leave PH just so our kids could have and do all the stuff that “normal kids” have and do. Therefore we are leaving the “ideal” (not sure who made it that) for the sake of ministry, even though we have taken our children with us. Along those same lines, I believe it would be wrong for us to leave our children in RL or OH. with others just so they could have all those things. That would not be in thier best interest. They need us more than swimming or music lessons. Another thought I had is that age has a lot to do with this decision of leaving children. Yes, you should be willing to move away from adult children to go where God asks you to go, even if you have 5 grandkids you would miss. And I believe that when it comes time for them to go to college, you should be able to send them away from home even if they are going 1,000 miles away, without feeling like you need to leave the mission field to go with them. I'm not saying I think it would be easy, following God is rarely that. Also please keep in mind that I am speaking form our own very small perspective and experience on the mission field. We don't live in a place that requires we even consider sending our kids away at this young age. And also, our kids are still young. Things may change drestically in my mind by the time ours are leaving for college. =) But I desire to believe that God gives us the grace and strength to do exactly what he asks us to do. I say desire because I know it's true but I struggle to really believe it at times. And that never seems to be the same thing from one family to another. (I say desire because I know it's true but I struggle to really believe it at times.That's one thing God has been showing me lately, my unbelief in his being enough for our children. I tell Him all the time that I know His grace is enough for me, that He is the most important thing in my life, that I can handle anything if he is with me. But I have a hard time believeing that is true for our kids. It's a fear of mine that I have to confess over and over. I have to believe that his grace will also be enough for them, that he can fill in their gaps, be their best friend, bring them fullfillment. That the talents he gave them will still be there in 20 years and they can learn to play piano at 26 if they don't learn at 6. God has only just begun to be their personal God and he will never leave them. He has been reminding me often that He knew the ages, the make-up, the dynamics of our family long before he called us to PH. And he still called us. Because he has all the answers for each of our unique needs. He is able to meet them. He is enough. For each of us, no matter our age. But not all is sacrifice in taking children to the mission field. I often think of what “normal children” have and do and are like and I'm grateful our children are growing up in a different setting wehre it's easy to see what's important. They see God providing for our every need. And I don't mean just financial. They see his immediate answers for protection, healing, peace, wisdom. They are learning to fight spriritual battles right along with their multiplication tables and Roman numerals. They are putting Scripture into practice every time they “give to someone who asks of you and when someone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” They know what it is to forgive from the heart and have God heal their pain and anger. They know God in a way that I didn't experience till I was much older. Praise the Lord. And then there are the other benefits like living where you can eat fish 3 nights of the week, have lake front property, do Sonlight for school, learn another language at a young age, be extremely close to your family, ride bikes without a helmet, go boating for a picnic or a swim, go camping for overnight whenever we want, have your dad eat 3 meals a day at home almost 7 days of the week, go with daddy when he goes visiting or running errands, live an adventurous life that most kids only dream or read about. =)So anyway, that's a few of my thoughts on the subject. I hope I didn't sound too opinionated or judgemental. That's not my intention. Altough I do feel strongly about some of these things, I have to admit I am living one life and it happens to not involve decisions like boarding school and such. (Although I am grateful that in this age when homeschooling is much more common and easy it seems that boarding schools are less necessary than they used to be years ago.)So now that I finally commented, you can go ahead and post the next discussion question, Rhonda. =)]]>