Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Natural vs. Conventional

Natural vs. Conventional.

Pretty straightforward? Makes sense, right?

Well, most people think so until a real emergency arises and then natural gets thrown out the window for this....

FEAR.

Why does that happen? Their inner spirit tells them that this circumstance can be fixed following natural remedies too, but they chose to run to the "doctor" for his words of "safety". I said it above....fear. Is dealing with a health issue fearful? Yes, it is. Has God given us the spirit of fear? No. Then why is it that we run to man's medicine seeking peace from our fear? Human flesh:-)

The true test of commitment to God's way of healing reveals itself when a health issue arises. You're faced with a decision. Do I run to the Doctor when I already know what he'll do (shot, antibiotic, drugs) or do I research and change my lifestyle? 

Well, this past week I had one of those "revealing" moments:-) I have NO idea why these things happen except I guess God wants me to pass these "learning moments" on to you to give you the strength to make decisions for yourself about your own health. 

A couple of weeks ago I got a split on my ankle bone. The skin there had been unusually dry for some reason and the skin split...obviously. I kept Coconut oil on it to keep the elasticity and just pretty much left it alone. This past Wednesday morning, I got up, put my feet on the floor and this is what I had....

As you can see in this picture (taken with my husbands phone so it's not too great, but you get the idea:-) my right ankle is obviously in trouble:-) I don't know if you can see the red or not, but it was bright red halfway down my foot, around the back of my foot, my arch, and above my sockline. It was also 3-4 times the size of my other foot/ankle. I'm not sure what set this off, maybe an infectious mosquito bite on the area? I had gotten a few around there a few days prior to this. Maybe a spider bite in the night? Don't know for sure, but one thing was for sure, I had gotten a poison in my bloodstream.

I was not feeling very well that day, nor had I been feeling well for three days prior to this either. I had been taking bentonite clay so I think that was a plus for me at this point. I think it stemmed the spread of the infection internally due to the fact that the clay was already in my system doing it's job.

So, what did I do? I can tell you this much, I DID NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR. Even my natural-approach-to-everything husband wanted to take me in, but I said no. I knew what to do. I do my research, I keep things on hand for emergencies. I knew that the Doctor would only give antibiotics and those wouldn't help. Oh, they might kill off some of the bacteria, but they would do more harm than good and make me susceptible to other infections and diseases because of the stress they would put on my system. NO THANKS!

So, on to the stove went the pot of water. I boiled it to remove any chance of any bacteria in the water, cooled it down, poured in the epsom salt and plantain herb and started soaking. I soaked for 20 minutes, dried off the foot, packed it in bentonite clay paste, let it dry, repeated the process again. I did this several times on Wednesday on into the night Wed. night. Before bed I put raw yogurt on gauze and wrapped it up, iced it down for 20 min. then went to bed with the yogurt still on it. I kept repeating this process several times over the next three days. Saturday I did something different. I chopped up garlic and onion, sauteed it to get it hot, wrapped it in gauze and put it on! OUCH! Garlic and onions have a way of stinging when they get in opened skin...HAHAHA! They might sting, but oh the power punch those little things have!!!

After the garlic and onion episode, the red began to fade away rapidly. Today the swelling is almost normal and the soreness is limited to just the ankle bone and my tendon.

I got bit and I got bit by something very poisonous. It was extremely, extremely painful. I could liken it to a very bad sprain. Any movement was excruciating....kinda hard to deal with that when you have kids to take care of:-) but never say "I can't!", right?:-)

Point is this....natural remedies work. You don't have to have a shot for infection, antibiotics, or drugs to take care of things. YOU have to be educated, YOU have to know your body, YOU have to know food and how it works in the body, and YOU have to take responsibility for the body God gave YOU.  Doctors have their place....they sew back on what gets cut off, they set bones that are broken (they can't seem to tell if they're dislocated very well...lol) they can see down to your eardrum and confirm what you already knew...my ear is clogged up! and then flush it out with hot water for you, then show you how to do it so you can do it for yourself next time....they have their place. They are there for the "telling", you must do the "fixing".  99% of health problems are due to one thing....diet and lifestyle. The other 1% deals with bug bites, open wounds, and broken bones.

The important thing is this, get educated! You can know your body and you can take care of it! God designed it and He would not have put a brain on it that was incapable of knowing how to take care of the rest of it. You just have to get rid of fear. Don't be afraid! God has given power and a sound mind. Just trust His way!


Here's a list of things that I keep on hand for medical emergencies at all times....
  1. Bentonite Clay - acts like a porous sponge in the intestines, trapping bacteria and pulling it out of the body. Great for internal and external use.
  2. Diatomaceous Earth - fossil shell flour that is cone shaped and razor sharp. Great for parasites and intestinal worms. Also a GREAT source of Silica for hair, skin, and nail health.
  3. Activated Charcoal powder - wouldn't be without this! This is what the Emergency room charges $$$ for when you have food poisoning.
  4. Dried elderberries - fights flu and speeds the healing of coughs.
  5. Catnip - great fever reducer in children. Relaxes them so their body can fight the illness.
  6. Raw yogurt - this is ALWAYS in the fridge. Taken internally every day, but can be used topically to fight infection in open wounds
  7. Raw honey - when applied to open wounds the healthy bacteria in the honey kills off the bad bacteria to end the spread of the infection.
  8. Garlic and onions - used topically and internally. I also cut these up and put in a stainless steel bowl to float in a crock pot of water in my kids rooms when they get a cough or have congestion. Opens the airways to enable good breathing and yet are like porous sponges to bacteria floating in the air. They will absorb bacteria to keep it from floating from person to person through coughing. 
  9. Mustard seed powder - for the emergency of severe congestion. Can be made into a poultice and applied in clean cloths to the chest to enable breathing.
 10. Wintergreen oil or Eucalyptus oil. Dab a drop under each nostril to open airways, put a few drops in coconut oil and smear on the chest and back, or put several drops on a washcloth and insert into a pillowcase for congestion relief. I use this with my kids (especially baby man) all the time and have even used it for myself a couple of times I have felt a little "stuffed up".
  11. Plantain - excellent dried or fresh for any poisonous bite. Can be applied in poultice form or can be made into a paste from the fresh leaves and applied.
  12. Comfrey - for severe sprains, broken bones, severe bruising. Use only topically.

Going the natural, minimal doctor-use way requires one to be educated and prepared. You cannot say, "we try to be healthy" or "we try to not use medicine" and not be prepared. You'll end up going the conventional way because you haven't prepared to do the opposite. Don't plan to fail, plan to succeed!

*Disclaimer- nothing in this article is intended to diagnose or treat your particular problem. You must assume all responsibility for the information given and seek your own medical advice when needed*
 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Bits and pieces

Just some photos from everyday happenings around here...
Daddy and Caleb reading a book on an EARLY saturday morning:-)


Little Ethan's first birthday!

Two of the cutest toddlers EVER!

My little wild man

Our big girls playing a game...I mean, really, sliding with babies is just not their thing anymore...lol!

The "other" wild child..lol!


Ethan's Bean bag toys I made him


Caleb and Silas...best buddies!


Grandma and Grandpa Lockharts birthday cake I made...it got a little squashed on the way over in trunk...oh well!


Enjoying the beautiful day with Grandpa at the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock NC




Addy is SO ready to cut that cake!


Jd is petting the goats....hard to believe he'll be five next month!

Audrey helping Kaylah pet the goats....she's such a good helper!



I think the chickens were Caleb's favorite...he knew how to talk to them!
Take One!

Take TWO!

TAKE THREE!!!

Oh well, either someone is going to have their hand in their nose or mouth but at least in this one they all looked at the camera!!....it is what it is and we gave up trying to get a good one!! lol!!
Just some fun happenings in our house over the last few weeks. We're enjoying the cooler weather now here in the mountains and are looking forwards to being able to make a visit over the mountains to Aunt Cissy's new house only 3.5 hours away!! WHAHOO!!!
We're also looking forwards to the fall chicken and turkey butcherings that are coming up in the next few weeks...those birdies are getting big!
Stay tuned!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Goal accomplished!

After four very long years I finally did something last night that I didn't think I would do again:-)

I ran 1/2 mile.

Now, I know that is not a lot, but I've not been able to run at all since my accident almost four years ago due to hip and knee injuries. I was pleasantly surprised last night as I was running that my right knee and hip didn't twinge at all. My left still did (which is where I got the direct hit) but it wasn't sore or anything this morning which is REALLY HUGE!!!

I accomplished a goal this week that I've been working for for almost four years. Despite excruciating pain most days, I've pushed through workouts and twisty pretzel stretches in order to rebuild muscles and tendons that were damaged. Last night I got to reap a little reward for the hard work! I'm looking forwards to pushing it to 3/4 of a mile next week!

I work out at 4-5 days a week at home and then while the girls are in sign language class on Tuesday nights, we walk while we wait on them. I very cautiously tried what I thought would be the impossible last night and was just happy to see that the killer workouts I've put myself through have actually worked! :-)

It was just a reminder to me that faithfulness, diligence, and perseverance always pay off in the long run. It was a reminder that this body that God has given me is perfectly capable of healing itself if I treat it right. It reminded me that God is faithful. He has heard my pleas of "no more pain!" but has also provided me the right resources of nutrition and food to help heal what exercise can't. He is faithful.

I'm a long ways from running 5 miles a day like I used to before the accident, but it was so encouraging that the 1/2 mile I ran was EASY! I laughed and talked with my husband the whole time I did it. It barely even winded me! My killer workouts have not only strengthened my legs and knees but my heart and lungs as well!! That's an even extra plus!

God is so faithful. He gives strength to accomplish things when humanely it seems impossible. It's funny, while your working on something hard the mountain seems too high, but when you get to the top you then see that so long as you kept putting on foot in front of the other you got to the top!!

Keep putting one foot in front of the other....you're just one step away!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Summer "Anti Procrastination" Project Completions!

My sister in law over at,  www.imperfecthomemaker.com has had some super ideas on anti procrastination this summer! I've been taking her advice and getting some things done around here that I have been putting off for way too long!

The Whiteboard Easel my husband built and I painted! He did a super job!

I was able to get some awesome blue Krylon paint from Mighty Dollar for a $1...LOVE THAT!

Finished hanging the school shelf and got all the supplies organized!

Got my window shelf painted and hung and made new cafe curtains from repurposed fabric

Redid my kitchen countertops and absolutely love them! You can't see the dirt!!! YAY!

Spray painted my old wire basket in a neat "Avocado" color paint by Krylon...paid $1 for that too!! Don't the green apples look awesome in this?:-)

My World market curtains for the back hallway and living room that I got for a song on Ebay!

Do the colors not just make you happy??? They do me! I love happy curtains:-)

Finished making my "sheet" curtains for the kitchen windows. I could NOT justify spending over $150 on blinds for these three windows!!! They are odd sizes and the roller shades just don't hold up under the wear and tear on these windows. I've already been through $70 worth of roller shades the last 4 years.

Still need two more flat twin sheets to add the the one on each of the smaller windows, but we're getting there!


My very busy husband has also been working very hard the last couple of weeks building shelves out of repurposed wood in the garage for storage. When we're all done out there, I'll show you that as well! A big thank you to my sister in law who inspired me to just, as we say it where I come from, "GIT ER' DONE!"
She has a wonderful blog that you should check out for all kinds of neat ideas for the home, homeschooling, and such! Thanks ME!!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

First Day!

The beginning of a new school year!

Audrey - 6th Grade!

Adalyn - 1st Grade

Caleb - "I'm just cute!"

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Labor Day 2012 fun!

Here's what we did to celebrate Labor Day...
The Kings Soldier...I have NO idea why Stephen is making that face?? lol!


The Revolutionary Housewife

The Blacksmith


He has his stick! Watch out!!


The Doctor

touring the museum


Can you believe she's in first grade this year?

My dirty, sweaty, sticky little boy who just had a ball being that way!

Kings Mountain State Park was having a Militia Encampment Outdoor setup and we went! It was fun! It was neat for the girls to get to see "hand's on" some of how things worked back in the Revolutionary War Period. They will be studying this period this year during History, so this was a great way to get it started!
Caleb had a ball running around, digging in the dirt with his stick, and playing with everyone's dogs:-) He LOVES puppies!
We enjoyed having the girls friend, Kylie, with us that day! After we left the Encampment area, we went over the park and lake and let them play a while. It was SOOO hot and muggy, but they didn't care:-)

We had a great time together and it was fun to do something fun that was free! We are looking forwards to October and their Fall Festival:-) On a side note, if you would like to attend a fun fall festival  this year and you live in the NC Rutherfordton, Cleveland County area, head over to Green Creek NC for their Fall Festival this coming Saturday, September 8th! http://www.lasr.net/travel/city.php?NC+tryon+green-creek-heritage-festival&TravelTo=NC0217005&VE=Y&EventCategory=&Event_ID=NC0217005e001#.UEZAj5aQmSA

I am SO very happy that Fall is just around the corner! I've always said that I was terribly lucky to have been born in my favorite month - OCTOBER! Now, I'm NOT going to tell you how "old"I will be this October, but nevertheless, it is still my most favoritest ( I know that's not proper English...) month of the year! Maybe because the days are still somewhat warm, and the nights are PERFECT for cookouts and camping!

Speaking of camping, I get to go this year! My husband and I are taking a two night jaunt to the beautiful mountains in Cades Cove TN to camp! This will be our first trip away together in two years and we are super super excited! Camping is so cheap, but the experience of being in the Smoky Mountains is always priceless! I am very very very very (can you tell I'm excited!) about our little getaway...yeehaw! We're going to do some hiking to Abrahms Falls, tour the Loop Trail in Cades Cove and actually get to stop at all the stops we want too...lol!, read books, and cook our food over our campfire, watch the sun go down over the mountains, and probably freeze half to death doing it!!! hahahahah!!! Oh well, we don't care:-) Life would be boring if you didn't sweat half of it and freeze the other half, right? *smile*

Have a happy week and Happy "almost Fall" Month!