Thoughts and Insights from LD

Well, I'll be honest, I need a lot more whole food recipes that satisfy all family members. The 8 yr old would become a frutarian if I let him....he has stated that he very much misses meat and pasta. What he doesn't realize is that we can make our own pasta with fresh ground einkorn berries! So I may do that for Shabbat as a treat. We have enjoyed vegan chili with spaghetti squash, I think everyone will eat this, zucchini boats without the cheese on top (I miss the cheese!) everyone likes the zucchini boats and there is a very hearty kale salad I make that the 17 yr old and I like, the 2 of us also like the quinoa salad recipe I found. I have noticed that because everyone gets hungry faster there's a lot more grazing going on and less focus on meals. I still just eat twice a day that hasn't changed. Guacamole is another thing eaten a lot more of by everyone. I just eat a small bowl of it but the others eat it with cucumbers or carrots. Homemade french fries has been ...

Fun epiphanies happen during cleanses. So, this past week I've been rendered fairly immobile simply due to pain in my lower back. A long season of not stretching and getting adequate exercise had weakened my core so much and caused tightness in my hips and joints in general. So after a week of pain and getting back to the daily stretches and planning to increase my exercises, I realized that I'm dealing with this exact same issue in my spiritual life. Slowly getting out of habit of Scripture writing, devotions, or any kind of intentional prayer life, has been affecting my ability to judge situations righteously. I've opened my mouth a few too many times when in times past, my lips would not open and breach anyone's trust. I realize that yes, my hormones are off kilter with perimenopause and with T1D imperfect blood sugars often affects my filters and I say things I very much regret later. However, those are not valid excuses, it simply means I need to work harder at se...

So, I'm not super excited about any changes that normally would have occurred had my back not siezed up on Monday morning this past week. I wasn't able to maintain any exercise on the treadmill as walking became incredibly painful, what I realized though, is that my core muscles have become VERY weak over the last year or so. I was able to see the chiropractor on Monday right away and was given a bunch of stretches to do, which I've been doing, as well as adding heat, however one of the complications of T1D is the fact that I heal very slowly, and this time is no different. I'm able to stand to make meals now but only with the aid of a back brace....I haven't needed to use any walking sticks today so I count that as a win! It's been a challenge to provide meals for everyone as we all have very different palates when it comes to fresh food. Now for erev Shabbat our meal is usually an all out meal with an elaborate chicken dinner or lasagna, salad, garlic chal...

I'm not gonna lie, it was hard getting the supplements down this morning. I woke up with my back all siezed up, so working on stretching it out and keeping it moving as well as putting heat on it. Everything seems harder when there's significant pain added to the mix. I'm needing to use walking sticks to move around. Meals have kinda fallen away and everyone just eats as they're hungry, just the allowable foods... THE MORE YOU CAN EAT OF THESE DURING THE PARASITE CLEANSE, THE BETTER RESULTS YOU WILL HAVE. You should eat cucumbers, garlic, onions, fennel seeds, 1 WHOLE BUNCH CHOPPED OR BLENDED ORGANIC PARSLEY DAILY, 1 WHOLE CHOPPED BUNCH ORGANIC CILANTRO DAILY, raw pumpkin seeds, carrots, carrot/parsley juice, pomegranate juice, noni morinda juice, Xango juice, gogi, Ningxia Red juice. Many people make a salad daily of the vegetables. EAT AN ORGANIC VEGAN DIET WITH HUMMUS, MILLET, LENTILS, BLACK BEANS, CHIA, QUINOA, HEMP, AMARANTH, AND ALL KINDS OF VEGETABLES, LOW ...

Well... I don't think I will enjoy future liver flushes. It was reminicint of the preparation for a colonoscopy....haha We definitely rested well on this Shabbat day, thankfully with 2 bathrooms there were no emergencies. Looking forward to tomorrow and getting into a routine around food.

Today is where we start our Parasite Cleanse journey. Not only is it the sixth day of the week, it is preparation day for our cleanse and we started the liver flush at 4pm today. We are doing this as a family and I'm excitedly anticipating actually feeling good soon. While each of us will have our own stories to share about the process of the cleanse, I'm going to document my experience here. I'm starting this cleanse with: Toenail fungus on one toe, it's been that way for the past 15yrs, Type 1 Diabetes, which I've had for 38 yrs Minor cysts Moderate deafness, which I've had since very young (3yrs old) and wear hearing aids (thank you Grampa Bone!) Chronic constipation Joint pain Very low energy Low ferritin levels Perimenopause I'm 49 yrs old, 5'8", 175lbs

Well it's time to take the plunge. It will be Shavuot this weekend and because as a family we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we are taking a step in our spiritual and health journey that we've never taken before. We've wanted to do it many times before but have always caved and given up when we've experienced hurdles that seem to hard to jump over. I could beat myself up and think of this as failure OR I could embrace the idea that Abba's timing is perfect and we just weren't ready to do this before....it's a very real battle going on in my mind this week as I source all the things we need to take this first step in cleaning up. So what exactly does all of this mean? It means we are going back to Scripture to define our food. We are drastically ditching the ultra-processed products in our pantry and going back to whole foods. This I believe has been a roadblock in my personal healing journey and I am tired of it. I'm tired of ...

Well, it's been one month since I had a Facebook account, I factory reset my smartphone a couple weeks ago and I'm officially feeling the effects of it. No more picture taking. No more looking up lyrics to the many songs sung at the Lodge when I visit Gramma. No more instand calendar.I also no longer have maps when I'm driving. or the ability to listen to music or podcasts when I'm working in the kitchen or going for a walk. No more being available 24/7 which I'm actually really liking. So it means I have a small paper daytimer in my purse and I use it in tandem with my homeschool planner so I know what's going on when. I'm in the middle of making a songbook of the songs typically sung at the Lodge and then will have a paper copy to take with me. I ask others to take pictures and send them to me....not a lot though. I was never a major picture taker in the first place. The only time I'm online is when I'm in front of my laptop in the office. I...

New York now has a Muslim mayor. The ideologies of Islam do not fit in the Western world...I truly wonder what will happen, it definitely feels like this is going to turn quickly into widesptread freaky stuff. I wonder how many other Muslims are in control of cities, towns, states or provinces in North America. At the same time chaos seems to be increasing in the world, my personal world is getting more simple. I deleted my Facebook account at midnight last night and started setting up my dumbphone. I'm laughing today though because somehow while setting things up I locked my SIM card and now I have to wait until tomorrow to unlock it at the store. I have been feeling Abba calling me to unplug for a few years...okay, since 2020 and it's taken this long to get brave enough to do it. What changed? I had to make a choice. I had to get off the fence. Do I choose my own comforts and pleasures or do I choose to truly focus on Abba? I'm ready to lay it all down. I know HIS way ...

I've got to say, I really like new beginnings. It's the end of the 7th Biblical month and even though it's kind of the middle of the year, it's the beginning of the new Torah cycle all around the world. We have the opportunity to read it anew and learn more with each cycle, going a bit deeper each year we read through it. As a family, we've read through the Torah portion at least 10 times, but we haven't read through the entire Bible that many times. This year we are reading every night after supper and following the BYNA reading plan found HERE Also new to us (not brand new, but it's been a long time), is that we are hosting Shabbats in our home. I kept getting asked if there was a Shabbat group in town and I would always say, "no, we drive 1hr-2hrs away to join one." Well, that's just not realistic anymore. If there is a need in town for a Shabbat group, AWESOME!!! We'll open our home until we are too big and then we'll find a bi...

This can be a hot topic in some dogmatic groups. We're gonna take a look at a few of the ways we experience deliverance in our walk with Messiah. When looking online for the 3 deliverance strategies I'm aware of, I came across this, by Apostle Joshua Selman. There are Three (3) Levels of Complete Deliverance: 1). The first level of Deliverance is casting out the spirit influences in your life and behind your challenges. 2). Deliverance through transformation by the Word of God. (Mark 5:15) Transformation closes the door of ignorance and empowers the believer to rise above the influence of demons. Demons easily return to a believer that does not contend for transformation. Demons depend on the wrong mental construct of their victim to remain resident. 3). The third level is the discipline of comformity (Compliance with scriptural standards for victory). You must sustain the discipline to adhere and conform to the principles of scripture designed to keep you in victory. As Beli...

There is such a huge battle going on. While it is in fact invisible most of the time, there comes a time when it DOES become visible and that is often unsettling. I think that is why North America is the way it is. Set-Apart Believers from almost all denominations out there have turned their eye from anything unlovely and just discards it. I am guilty of this myself. I took Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things." to a legalistic level. I not only used it as my guideline for entertainment (which I think is the appropriate use for this verse) but I also used it as a way to set boundaries for myself. I rejected those people who were struggling in areas and were not seeking live to a holy lifestyle. I look back now, and Abba kn...

Tends to be full of ups and downs, twists and turns, taking a few steps back before going forward again. This is where I am at. Realizing that I've fallen into survival mode instead of thriving mode. It feels like it will take me a bit to get back on track. It's time to look at my Authentic Life Plan again and remember what my core priorities are. I'm so thankful that I have that printed out so I can refer to it when I get into the mindset of "who cares". So how did I find myself in survival mode? I think it started when I stopped doing my Scripture Writing while on my 25th anniversary getaway. I started doing things in my own strength. Was it pride? Did I momentarily think I "had it all together" somehow? That's kinda laughable, but maybe... Here's the thing though. I let my spiritual armour get rusty. Oh sure I still had discernment, but when it's not balanced with Abba's love, it turns into judgement. Instead of praying over people and...

Long overdue for an update! First, I just want to share that my eye appointment in July showed that there was improvement with the cataracts! They have not disappeared but they are not increasing nor are they affecting my vision. So that is exciting news! Have I mentioned yet that the sanctification process is one we will be in for the rest of our lives? It can feel a bit daunting and I am the first to admit that I can get distracted easily when things seem hard. These last few months have been rather full and I make no excuses, but share my life openly because I'm fallible and am learning to have mercy and grace, not only for others but also for myself. So WHAT exactly have I been up to? Well, most of September was filled with harvesting fruit and processing them, mostly canning but some freezing and baking like crazy and consuming tons of awesome desserts thanks to my fabulous 18 yr old daughter! I was also busy getting everything ready for our school year that began after we ce...

Wow, can I just say this summer has been incredibly eye opening and freeing?! I just wanted to do a quick recap of what I've been learning as I go through Dr. Strydom's book dealing with the issue of Cataracts. First off, if you haven't downloaded the book yet, HERE it is. So on page 976 we discover that judgment, criticism and fault-finding are the sin issues behind Cataracts, remember what I said in pt 1 on Cataracts, there can also be other causes of Cataracts, but I'm just dealing with the sin issues here as I knew it applied to me. So far I've shared about step 1 taking the mystery out of the disease, and we've been parked on step 2 for most of the summer. Step 2 goes through all the blocks to healing....it took us back to Chap 12-Overcoming Bitterness Through the Healing Power of Forgiveness, which had us read through Chapters 26, 27 and 28 and then learn how to practically renew our minds. This is where I'm currently camped out. Renewing my mind a...

I would have to say that chapter 28 has been the most encouraging yet challenging chapter yet! You can get Dr. Strydom's book HERE It really became crystal clear how our every day interactions with people are all tests that determine whether we are going to become lifegivers or destroyers. They are ALL opportunities for us to practice the Fruit of the Spirit that we read about in Galatians 5:16-25. Are we going to walk in the fruit of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit? 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensio...

Continuing our sanctification of the soul process in chapter 27 of Dr. Strydom's BOOK on page 488, it doesn't appear to get any easier. It does seem that complete thought process changes need to happen. phewf. Seriously though. There is no room for ANY victim mentality if we are going to live a life as a victorious over-coming warrior Bride of Christ! Okay, lets just say I underlined a LOT of this chapter. I will trust that you will just read the chapter soon after reading this post, I'd like to lighten the mood a little with this excerpt from Dr. Strydom... With that in mind, some of you must realize something about the angels that have been assigned to you-they are a bit depressed right now and have requested to be reassigned! It's like they're saying, "Please God! Please do something! Give him a brain transplant, a heart transplant, do something! Give him a full-frontal lobotomy! I just can't bear having to go around the same mountain again and throug...

1“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. I don't know about you but this was convicting. How often do we do things simply for a pat on the back? I know when I was in the work world, I had amazing work ethics and was praised by my boss and sought out by others who needed certain jobs done in a timely manner. I thrived in that atmosphere and worked harder because I became a praise junkie, and yet, according to the above Scripture, that is the only reward I will...

So in Chapter 26 in Dr. Strydom's book, which is available HERE , the 5th Principle deals with managing our finances with faithfulness. Reading this gave me goosebumps as I felt confirmation from the Holy Spirit that I'm following His leading. Back when the new year started I also started tackling our lack of financial faithfulness and made a plan that was Biblically sound. So reading the 5th Principle was a fabulous confirmation for me and very encouraging, giving me hope and desire to continue this journey, even when it's not easy. So lets take a look at the Faithfulness Principles, shall we? We are on page 478 in the book linked above. 1. HARD WORK . I will admit, I was a bit mindblown at the comparison between the Israeli's work day and our North American work days....I definitely need to change how I do this. If I worked hard during the daylight hours, I would definitely be ready to sleep as soon as the sun goes down! The problem is, I'm still asleep when th...

Today, I'm beginning the work of sanctification of the soul (renewal of the mind) where I will counter the poisnous mind-set (Satan's lie) by studying the Word of God (which is the truth). Before I get into the Word, to do a study on forgiveness, I will be reading 3 other chapters in Dr. Strydom's book which will provide me with perspectives that will greatly help me in releasing hurt from relationships because the wounds run deep. So today's homework is to read chapter 26 and to read it slowly and absorb what is being said on the pages, asking Abba to reveal to me the areas He wants me to stop running away from. I invite you to join me, if you too have cataracts or have criticism or a judgmental spirit in your family history. Tomorrow I will read chapter 27 and on Friday I will read chapter 28. On Shabbat, I will be able to get into the word and read the study on Forgiveness. I will share the pages here, as I may or may not have more time to read and reflect over th...