The most important thing in life!

Often when you are going through something very difficult it is an opportunity for others around you to put themselves in your shoes and think "If this happened to me what would I do? How would I handle this? What are the most important things in life, and are my priorities straight? It gives us an opportunity to get back to the things in life that really mean something, like our families, or making a difference to those around us.

We are faced with questions that are deeper as well. Questions of a spiritual nature. Why do bad things happen? Questions about life and death. If I were to die today...what would happen to my soul? God created us to be spiritual beings that were in an intimate relationship with Him. Once sin, and sickness and evil came into the world we could no longer be close to God. He desired to have us near Him. So he made a plan. You see He is a Holy God. He can not love anything that is evil or that does wrong. He knew mankind could not stop himself from doing or thinking evil. So He made a plan to win us back to Him. In the fullness of time he sent His Son to live the life of a man. To be with out sin or evil thought. Then when the time was right to sacrifice Him. Place on Him the judgment that mankind deserved. This Son did come! His name was Jesus and He did die! He was crucified. Once He was dead being sinless he was able to make a way for men to have that union with God once again.

This ment that man kind was with out hope before, but now he could again have an intimate relationship with God. Knowing the above facts are only one part of this amazing gift. We must also believe, and confess this truth.


Heavenly Father:
I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of
my Sins. I confess with my mouth and believe with my
heart that Jesus is your Son, And that he died on the
Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have
Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Father, I believe
that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you right now
to come in to my life and be my personal Lord and
Savior. I repent of my Sins and will Worship you all the
day's of my Life!. Because your word is truth, I confess
with my mouth that I am Born Again and Cleansed
by the Blood of Jesus! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Garfield's Dream come true!!!

More Mega cooking today. It will be Garfield's favorite breakfast.....Breakfast Lasagna!



I really like this breakfast and it freezes like a dream. It is layered with French Toast instead of Pasta. The bottom layer is salty, and the top is sweet!

• Breakfast Lasagna

12 slices of french toast

2c. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 lb. sliced or cubed ham, or pepperoni slices(we use the peperoni)

2c. apple pie filling

1c. granola

Layer the toast then the meat of your choice and sprinkle with cheese. Then top with the next layer of french toast. Top that with a can of apple pie filling and sprinkle with granola. Bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 25 min. You man put foil on the container to keep the granola from burning.

This is one that a questioned if it would be good, or if anyone would eat it. To our surprise the kids just love it. Give it a try you might be surprised!

Breakfast Mega Cooking!

Today i am doing some Mega Cooking. Making in bulk to have over the next few weeks. That will get us through to Thanksgiving. We have family coming and it is tough to make 3 meals a day when you are trying to visit. If it is all ready and just a thaw away then that leaves more time to visit and Thanksgiving prep will be much easier! i am making Breakfast to have in the freezer. Here is one of my "mega" favorites.

• Chocolate chip Bran Muffins

These are great for feeding a large family. Cereal is just such an overpriced breakfast for us. If the meal is frozen and ready to go its is much more cost effective for us. The Bran muffin recipe is one passed to me by my grandmother. She used to make this mega batch of muffins for the soup kitchen she ran in her local church. i remember her dropping spoonfuls of batter into the muffin cups. She made them in a mini version to make them go farther as well. She used to add pineapple to hers. If you need to stretch your grocery budget make them grandmas way. At our home it had to be modified. Since Jason didn't care to much for the fruit. We put in chocolate chips we buy them in bulk so they are not so expensive. The cost of chocolate chips have gone sky high these days. Or perhaps you could just add raisin bran cereal rather than the pineapple, or chocolate. Nothing is set in stone just use what you have on hand.

Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins

• 5c. flour
• 3c. sugar
• 5t baking soda
• 2t. salt
• 1t. cinnamon
• 1/2t. all-spice
• 4eggs
• 4c. buttermilk
• 1c.oil
• 120z. Bran cereal(use raisin bran if you like)

Optional additions:1(16oz.) can of crushed pineapples, or 1c. Chocolate chips. Or any other dried fruit you may have on hand!

Mix together the flour, sugar, soda, salt, cinnamon, and all-spice. In a small bowl mix eggs, buttermilk, and oil together well. Pour the wet mixture on the dry and fold in. Add the Bran, and any of the optional additions. Line your muffin pan and fill the muffin cups. Bake 400 for 15-20 minutes. Makes several dozen. Batter will also keep up to 6 weeks in the fridge!

Yummy!

How does Parkinson's affect our lives?

i had an interesting discussion today with someone about Parkinson's and realize there are so many questions people have about this disease and how it affects our lives. Most people are familiar with the disease only through Michael J. Fox, a well known celebrity who was diagnosed. This type of exposure to the disease has a limited understanding of how the disease affects a person other than the physical nature of what they can see, which is such a small part of what is really going on. A lot of these questions have no simple answers. i know that i had no real understanding of the disease myself until it became part of our lives. i will try to address as many questions as i can think of, at least the ones that come up often.

1. What is (early onset)Parkinson's? This is a quick (layman) summary of Parkinson's. There is a place in the brain called the Substantia nigra. This is Latin for "Black substance". This is a structure in the middle of the brain that plays an important role in reward, addiction, and movement in the brain. This portion of the brain makes dopamine. dopamine is a neurotransmitter. It tells your body to control its heart rate, blood pressure, and all muscles. In Parkinson's this portion of the brain is not working correctly. These cells either die or become impaired. Why or how this happens is not known. The body does not have the dopamine it needs to preform muscle controlling and all functions effected by dopamine. Once this process is started it is progressive. Which means that once the process starts the cells will keep dying and it can not be stopped. You do not show symptoms of Parkinson's until 60-80% of the cells that produce dopamine are dead in your brain.
2. What causes (early onset) Parkinson's? The exact cause of Parkinson's is not know. Your genetic make up can play a role. Your environment and exposures to toxins also may play a role in development of the disease. Mostly we do not know.
3. What are the symptoms of (early onset) Parkinson's? The most visible symptom is a tremor (shaking hands or legs). Bradikineisa, which is slowness of movement. This symptom makes it difficult to initiate movements. Such as writing, walking, sitting up, to name a few. One of the biggest symptoms is muscle rigidity. This has been one of the most difficult ones for Jason. Tight stiff muscle cramps that are extremal painful! Like the worst Charley horse you have ever felt. He describes it as feeling as if you have just finished a MAJOR work out all the time! Another symptom is impaired balance and posture and loss of automatic movement. Some examples are Blinking, swinging your arms while you walk, smiling. These can be diminished or even in some cases lost. Problems with speech and voice. Trouble swallowing, speaking quietly or trembling voice. Finally Dementia, confusion, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping. (This all just scratches the surface but it gives you a good idea)
4. Will your children inherit Parkinson's? They are only and a slight increased risk to develop Parkinson's. Less 10% of cases are direct relatives of some one with Parkinson's. Most cases are people who have no family history. For us, ultimately, God is in control of that!
5. Does he move like Michael J. Fox? The movements you see Micheal J. Fox making are not a symptom of the disease, these are a side effect of the powerful medications that are used to treat Parkinson's. (primarily the medication Carbodopa/Levedopa) Jason does not move as noticeably as Michael...yet. However he will! And he does move that way sometimes.
6. Don't they have medications that can help him? Yes, there are treatments that do help with some of the symptoms. They however do have side effects, like the movements described above, and others. Another down side is these medications loose there effectiveness over time. Which means that the longer he has the disease the more medications he will have to take to get a shorter time of relief! And the more medications he takes the worse the side effects. It has been difficult for some to understand that he can't just, take and ibuprofen or go to the hospital and take powerful pain killers and feel better. Those treatments provide NO RELIEF! Living with this type of pain is a fact of life with this disease! There is no cure, it is all about symptom management.
7. Will he die from this disease? There is a saying with in the Parkinson's community...."You don't die of Parkinson's, you die with it" People with (early onset)Parkinson's on average do not die sooner that of someone with out it. However the disease is different for every person. It all depends on how soon you were diagnosed, your treatments, your health and life style. Most people die of Parkinson's related complications, like aspiration(from not being able to control throat muscles), phenomena, falls, accidents, and so on. The disease is considered to be a slowly progressing disease, however some people do progress more rapidly.

These are some of the questions that i hear a lot. If any of you can think of any others that you may have send a comment.

So, you think no one cares!

We were driving down the road on our way to write a check for our rent that we did not have the funds to cover. i kept hearing a verse from the popular 120th Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." We often forget that part of the Psalm. i guess i had to remind myself to believe it! Sadly i had been saying in my head all day..."No one really cares what happens to us." That is what it feels like at times, when we struggle and no one knows. i am a very inward directed person, and often when i struggle i usually tell no one, not even my husband.( but most of the time he knows me well enough to figure it out)

As we were driving the phone rings and someone from the Church is calling to tell us someone had donated $200 for us! The exact amount we were short! What a blessing, that given my attitude i did not deserve. God knows. He cares. Yet i forget from one miracle to the next! When Jason became sick our living situation was placed in state of dependence on his grace. We had to let go and accept that! We have just enough to meet the bills, with the hope that the electric bill does not go too high, or the car does not break down. The Lord has come though every time we wonder what is going to happen. i felt so stupid about it afterwards. i fret at every critical point but i have seen the provision time and time again. Boy, i feel like an Israelite griping in the desert about Manna!
If it were not for Grace!!!!! i have been foolish,(forgive me) and will be again. Yet, He is still mindful of me! Oh, what a blessed soul i have even if i have nothing but those facts in my life!