Lessons and Revelation

I am involved in a Beth Moore bible study about the book of Revelation. I just wanted to post some things I have learned so far. This will probably make no sense to anyone but me. God chose to reveal to John. John was in the spirit on the sabbath, praising God while isolated on an island. Alone. Even by himself, he made a choice to worship the Lord and keep the sabbath. We will never live in the spirit by accident. We must make the choice. The number seven means perfection or completion. Revelation 1:5b "All praises to Him who loves us." I love how beautifully simple this is. It is not the will of God for us to live under our problems. It is an opportunity to overcome. Icabod means no glory. Satan works in generalities. The Holy Spirit works in specifics. Forgiveness is not just letting go/sending forth into the great unknown. Rather it is sending it to the very hands of God so that he can deal with it. You cannot hang on to unforgiveness AND your first love. We will never shine brighter than we love. When we love God he fills us up and we will love even the unlovable. Self centeredness will never lead to fulfillment. We much be God centered. God will let us feel the loss of what we are missing. Revelation 5:4 "I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside."

Food Allergies

Declan has food allergies. I took him to the doc several weeks ago for a possible kidney infection. Urine tests and blood work showed no kidney infection but one of his white cell counts was elevated and it usually is associated with allergies. A few days later at his 3 year checkup, I mentioned a rash that he had on his arms, legs, and butt. He has had that rash for a year or two. I thought it was dry skin but NOTHING worked. Doc said the rash is often associated with food allergies so he ordered a blood test. I didn't really think it would show anything. But I got a voicemail last night that he is allergic to wheat, dairy, and egg whites. The dairy allergy is low. The other two are on the low end of moderate. But he wants me to eliminate all of those from his diet. As I was walking around the grocery store last night I realized how hard that would be. Especially since I am all about convenience foods for breakfast and lunch. Eating out is going to be next to impossible. And how are we going to be able to tell him no pizza or cheese. He LOVES those. I am really hoping that this is only temporary. Most kids outgrow these allergies. But this is going to be hard. I am wondering if I should ask for further testing. They only tested for a few common allergens. They didn't even test tree nuts and they didn't do a scratch test.

And now I am a nervous wreck about the other kids. Should I have them tested as well? What about myself? All of us have some symptom of food allergies. But they are also symptoms of so many other things as well. Gabe has rashes all the time. He has a history of anemia, headaches, and poor growth. And he has a mood disorder. Carmen also has a mood disorder, joint pain, asthma, high blood pressure, and headaches. I have eczema. Logan doesn't really have any of those but he does have strong food cravings for wheat and dairy (another sign of allergy) and we were told we should consider testing years ago.

It is not like me to fret like this. I am just so overwhelmed right now.

Thankful

Always be thankful. Afterall, you can't be thankful and unhappy at the same time. Today I am going to list just a few things that I am thankful for. I am thankful for my my family, for a Godly husband, for my job, for my home, for my health, for my church family, for good memories, for fun times, for the trials that have shaped me into who I am today, for opportunity, for quiet moments, for snuggles from my little man, and the ability to be a blessing to others.