Day 2 in Sicily

On the road in our car rental after a wonderful European breakfast of croissants, ham, cheese, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, and of course the espressos to wake up my husband! We drive along the northern coast of Sicily with rugged, lively green hills on our right and the sparkling "med" on our left. I would have to describe this part of the island as a myriad of tunnels connected by glimpses of the sea. It took approximately four hours to reach our final destination of Taormina, a quaint coastal town nestled into the rugged eastern hillside of Sicily. Once again we are thankful for our GPS because our hotel is on the TOP of the "mountain" and located only after a harrowing drive through twisting, narrow roads. (Thankfully, I am blessed with a husband who "cut his teeth" driving in New York and in Italy in 1968!)

The evening was spent walking down MANY stairs to the towns center, wandering the streets of this beautiful little town, and eating a delicious meal at a local pizzeria, where we met a delightful couple from the Netherlands, sharing traveling adventures. Now how do we find our way back to our hotel in the dark??

 

Sicily in October 2013

Day 1

Arrived in Palermo via AiItalia airlines, thankfully both bike bags came off the baggage claim belt on time and in good shape! Successfully navigated the outskirts of Palermo onto our final destination of Mondello, with the help of our hand-held navigation system. What would we do without that tool?!

Hotel Palace Mondello is far from a  "palace" but remember this is Sicily. It's old but clean with wonderfully friendly and helpful staff! Our evening meal was served in a small sidewalk cafe overlooking the Mediterranean Sea "kissing" the rugged coastline of the island. Hunter and I shared a seafood pasta dish with shrimp, mussels, and clams accompanied by crusty fresh Italian bread and grilled egg plant. A lovely white wine completed the dinner. Currently, while I am composing this blog, Hunter is assembling our tandem in our bedroom. Wish I could video this process, think you would be amazed at his skills, but then again he is doing this in his underwear so maybe a video would not be a good idea! Can we say a warm evening in Sicily?

Arguing with God

Have you ever had an argument with God? Did He ever "tell" you something He wanted you to do but you refused or at best "drug your feet" in compliance? This morning, during my daily devotions I had such an experience. Those of you who read this blog know I have had digestive distress for 13 years. It is a chronic problem, not solved by any medical or even homeopathic doctors. I have good days and bad days with no apparent pattern to gauge what I should eat and what to avoid. Frustration and discouragement are often my "sidekicks", as unwanted as they may be. All of this is compounded with the fact that I LOVE to bake and eat sweet, unhealthy desserts, (in moderation, of course)!

But I have in the past been willing to give up a multitude of foods in order to "cure" my chronic eating problem. I have tried so many "diets" that I've lost tract of them individually! So where do I go from here? ON my knees! I have, for years, brought this topic up often to The Lord, asking for healing or at least easier management of the problem. I know He listens but doesn't often offer specific advice, at least specific as far as what foods to eat or not eat. He has taught me more patience and acceptance but I still want more answers. Well, this morning He actually gave me a specific, but I didn't want to hear it. I was reading from Oswald Chambers. Following is some excerpts:

" Have you anything to hide from God?...Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?... Never discard a conviction. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to have brought it to your mind, it is that thing He is detecting. You were looking for a great thing to give up. God is telling you of some tiny thing; but at the back of it there lies the central citadel of obstinacy: I will not give up my right to myself-the thing God intends you to give up if ever you are going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ."

OK-so what is the thing God specifically asked me to give up? SUGAR!  I know years ago I tried this but couldn't do it very long so gave up. Now He has put that into my mind again. I know sugar is hard on the digestive tract and basically not good for the body. And I have been asking God the question: "What do I need to stop eating or to eat in order to get relief?" Honestly, I didn't think this would be His answer. 

Have you looked at the grocery shelves of food lately and read labels? Sugar is in everything!! Sugar is also at the heart of all potlucks, restuarant food, and most recipes. Can I do this? Not on my own, but with God all things are possible? Right? 2 Chorinthians says: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." I'll need His strength to overcome this weakness (sugar lover) in me! 

On the bright side God did "say" remember I created sweetness in fruit and a bit of honey now and then so cling to that knowledge. OK. I'll stop arguing and start being creative in my baking and learn to trust more and also to take "food" off the pedestal of worship and replace it with my Lord and Savior!

Pizza "parade"

Allergies, intolerances, rashes require special food preparations and we are getting good at juggling ingredients to accommodate a variety of needs. Keaton must avoid food with dairy,  eggs, and some fruits and vegetables to prevent face and eventually total body rashes. Stacia is dairy free while nursing to help clear up Beckham's skin. And I'm on a gluten free, dairy free, some veggies and fruits free diet. So I'm preparing pizza tonight with all these variables??
I've settled on three different kinds-one hot sausage with a lb. of cheese for the boys who eat any and everything; one no cheese with mushrooms and canadian bacon for Stacia and Keaton; and finally mine with a gluten free crust, little cheese and a few veggies and canadian bacon. Wow-I love cooking but this is a real challenge. Thankfully, the kitchen has a big island which is now covered with bowls of various ingredients. Now, I must attempt to get the right "things" on the "right" crust and into the oven so we can all eat at the same time! Thankfully, I generally love challenges in the kitchen and this is definitely a good one!
I'll take some photos if all goes well!

Results:
                                          Keaton's & Stacia's pizza; My two little pizzas

                                           Hunter & Jacob's "giant sausage pizza" already 1/2 gone!

How do you spell success?   "MORE?" says a 2 yr. old!!

"Grandparenting" Advice

Stormie OMartian has written a book: "The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children"
In it there are two sections concerning prayer for your grandchildren.

                      Five Ways To Pray For Your Adult Children To Be Good Parents

1. Pray that they will recognize their children as a gift from God. (Psalm 127:3)

2. Pray that they will train up their children in the ways of the Lord. (Proverbs 22:6)

3. Pray that they will teach their children with love and not anger. (Ephesians 6:4)

4. Pray that they will be diligent and wise to discipline their children. (Proverbs 13:24)

5. Pray that they will walk in obedience to God's ways in raising their children so their prayers will be answered. (1 John 3:22)


                      Ten Ways To Pray For Your Grandchildren

1. Pray that they will be healthy and whole in their mind, body, and soul.

2. Pray that they will live free from accident, injury, or disease.

3. Pray that they will always live in peace, security, and love.

4. Pray that they will be protected from anyone with evil intentions to harm them in any way.

5. Pray that they will come to know the Lord early in life in a genuine, deep, and committed way and they will learn to walk in His ways. 

6. Pray that they will be disciplined and corrected properly so that they understand consequences for bad behavior.

7. Pray that they will have a humble, repentant, and teachable heart so they will live free of rebellion and trouble.

8. Pray that you will have wisdom from God as to how to be the best grandparent and faithfully support their parents' wishes. 

9. Pray that God will give your grandchildren's parents good health, great stamina, godly wisdom, and amazing patience.

10.Pray that God will show you how to intercede for each grandchild specifically. 

"2 part Post"

Part 1:-Diet, Doctors, Diagnosis, Drugs, Discouragment?

My journey continues. For years I've posted about my digestive distress and various diets I have discovered and implemented. From eliminating sugar as the "bad guy" to going grain free, taking aim at mainly wheat as the culprit. And of course we can't forget dropping dairy and other "offending" foods that are naturally enjoyed by the normal population! All of these efforts met with little to no improvement in my overall comfort after eating a meal.
Now there is also the visits to gastroenterologists across the nation! I've seen them in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, and most recently Austin, Texas. I've had scopes, c-scans, beathe tests, pin-pricks, blood analysis, saliva tests and the list goes on. The general consensus being either diet changes from the homeopaths or drugs from the MDs. I do feel I have an adequate diagnosis of IBS, only "stamped" in my medical records recently from the MD in Austin. I am thankful to have a handle on my chronic problem. Unfortunately this same doctor's only and promised "miracle" cure was more drugs. Since February 5th I have tried 5 different IBS drugs, all of which gave me side effects worse than the stomach distress. One side effect is still plaguing me after I have been off all meds for over 2 weeks-hand tremors- similar to what you might see in a person with Parkinson's Disease.
So where do I go from here? A possible "solution" I'd like to try is illegal in most states, except Colorado, California, and Oregan. You guessed it-medical marijuana. It has now been approved for IBS sufferers. Unfortunately, for me, you must be a resident of the state in order to get "in the system" to see a dr. and obtain a script. And I WON'T go an illegal route so that is off the table, for the moment anyway-until Florida votes to approve majiuana as a legal drug. (Then I'm driving there, knocking on a provider's door and "asking for a joint"! Ha!)

But, for now, where do I go? Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord..." doesn't give discouragement as an option so.....
After much internet surfing Hunter and I have found two avenues to pursue. One is to take hemp oil daily-1 T. 4 x daily. Hemp is in a similar family as majiuana and may produce some of the same benefits. The other is another diet. Yes, I said it-another diet! It is called the Low-FODMAP diet. It is currently being studied and implemented at the University of Michigan. FODMAP is the collective abbreviation for a group of fermentable, poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates that provide fast food for bowel bacteria and may cause digestive discomfort. 75% of IBS suffers in their program improved dramtically while on this diet. (Let's hope I'm not in the 25% who did not!)
There are a number of restrictions but I won't go into that for now. I am used to "doing without." If this diet could bring me some results I'd "do without" forever! The journey just keeps trucking along.....

Part 2-Keaton & Beckham

Prayer Works!

5:00 a.m. and your adult son comes into the guest bedroom where you are staying to "announce" his wife is in full labor asking us to keep an eye on Keaton, their 22 month old sleeping son, and handing us the baby monitor. They are preparing for a home delivery with a doula and a midwife and her assistant already in their bedroom.
I grab my Bible and move to an adjacent room with a lamp and easy chair and settle in to pray. My mind and emotions are as hard to control as a run away stallion yet I pull on the reins and settle into the Psalms. Thankfully I've read them many times and underlined in my pocket Bible verses that have held special significance to me. So I begin in Psalms 18: "I love you, O Lord, my strength" and ask God to give Stacia the necessary strength to birth that baby! "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer" asking God to deliver that baby healthy in His perfect timing! I went from Psalms to Psalms in like manner reading, praying, and directing His Words back to Him on behalf of Stacia and the baby and Jacob. I loved it when I got to Psalm 139 where the psalmist states: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made: your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Now as I gaze on little Beckham Daniel Stall I know that indeed he is "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God himself!
Oh the joy I experienced in those two hours of prayer can not be fully expressed in words. I shall never forget that precious time with the Lord nor the experience of "praying into this world" our little grandson. May God be forever praised!!