Dear Jubilee

My family has been working hard to make the necessary changes to be more healthful and consciences in finding the best food choices possible from the internet and our own region- all within our budget.

In the last year or two we’ve enjoyed finding more sources for natural foods, tested and tried new recipes and methods of preparation as well as made plans for using kitchen helps that are best for protecting the nutrient value of foods like juicer and blender/ food processor being used daily.
Antibiotic free/ grassfed meat, eggs & dairy, local produce, bulk raw nuts and some select low carb grains like millet round out our diet. Our family isn’t able to eat ‘clean’ in all areas… we don’t get everything chemical free or organic… it just feels good to be getting the best products we can. When we find a local source for blueberries for instance, then we don’t buy any from the grocery. We also grow what we can ourselves! There are no organic farmers in our area but we are chemical free in our own gardens… and learning more each growing season.

Simply being more diligent in healthful practices like juicing, and adding essential fatty acids, chlorophyl, superfood powders, and eating larger portions of raw foods than cooked have added vigor to our lives. I’ve been able manage my auto immune condition and hope to be able to cure it.

Our youngest family member turned 1yo. a week ago. It is simply stunning to think what raw goat’s milk did for her- it saved her life! To think that just 6 months ago she was still at risk for failure to thrive and health problems but is now extremely healthy.

In the heartache of seeing our baby struggle and us having to find the best alternatives to conventional therapies for babies that have eating issues we’ve developed a real sense of what is wrong with our food sources and all the politics surrounding the vicious cycle of poor nourishment and illness in this country.

During this week of a National Breastfeeding Campaign; breast being best when the mother is healthy and nourished … the most healthful alternative to Mother’s Milk is once again vilified RAW MILK even when legal in a state is still under attack by the federal government.

Got the first negative comment this blog has ever had and I’m thankful I haven’t had more!

Just read your QF story.  So your first miscarriage was punishment for using barrier contraception, but the others were not punishment.

No, that is not the point of any comments in our story… I’m sorry it may have seemed so. I don’t believe we have been punished but I do believe that each time we have lost a baby we have had a reminder to surrender to the will of our Creator; in matters of life and death He knows best.

 So it’s okay to accept help from an elderly person, accept donations from strangers, and declare bankruptcy (thus screwing over your debtors for the money you owe to them) as long as you keep on having kids.

I’ve mentioned that we lived in the upstairs rooms of an elderly fiends home. It was a mutually helpful relationship… I’d lived there for several years as a single and after marriage and living with my husband in an apartment we decided to ask if we could stay in my old rooms while we decided what direction to take with employment and housing… we paid rent and helped her with her house/ property the whole year we were there as a family.
I mentioned being blessed with a stranger being led to approach me with a small money gift with no knowledge of our specific need and another time a $60.00 gift from some local Christians ( I ended up donating over a hundred dollars of materials to their church because I wanted to bless them too)
Bankruptcy can hit any person/ or any sized family… I see it as nothing unforgivable. When you loose your salary, have a freak engine blow in your only well maintained vehicle that ruins it and you still owe on it, you try to pay off as much debt as possible and your health suffers from scrimping on your food budget… after years of trying to honor agreements sometimes you have to make the hard choice of bankruptcy. It doesn’t automatically mean that you made a lot of terrible choices… And it doesn’t mean you are milking the system either. Even when b+

eing frugal you can need help a few times in your life. We have only had help from Jobs and Family Services a few times for like 6 months at a time. Again, that has nothing to do with family size… We never have used help as a long term solution to income.
Ironically in those rough 2 years we were in the middle of bankruptcy we never got more than some food baskets from a local food bank and some clothing from a charity as well as WIC ( which is available to households that have 4x’s as much income as we’ve ever made.)
Surely there is nothing in the Bible that says that you can live this way just because you keep on breeding.  Lady, you are a breeding sow who consents to being led around by your husband by a ring in your nose.   You and yours are a burden on society when you cannot even pay your bills and have to declare bankruptcy.  In this economy, will the rest of us pay for YOUR kids through welfare because YOU cannot do so?  Is that “biblical”?  Get some condoms and go get a job to support the kids you already have rather than breeding more.

I don’t consider it a bad testimony to have declared bankruptcy. It was a time of great hardship and much soul searching about what to do, morally. I did almost get hired in the past but they aren’t usually thrilled that I had/ have 4+ kids to care for that would come first if there was illness etc… and back out of hiring me often at the last step of hiring in!

Sadly, this person’s comments are believed by Church goers and leaders… we have no support locally because of similar judgments passed on us for family size.

We are frugal and try to be as self sufficient as possible. From observation of the average two kid families we are doing a great job of not being wasteful or a burden to anyone.

I do enjoy learning to let my husband lead as we share our ideals and make mutually agreeable decisions. My husband laughed out loud about the thought of him leading me around as though I have no say in anything; generally I have plenty of room to help make decisions.

Children being a product of ‘breeding’ and children born to bless the world they are brought into are two vastly different perspectives on life and the responsibility to care for and bring up the next generation. I’m sorry that reader has the view they have… or any other persons might feel the same way.

And even though arbitrarily sent I am sure it happened to be somewhat true. I haven’t blogged much because I have been trying to not whine publicly about this hard season in my life however, I do whine sometimes on forums and on facebook… and it convicts me to do better and make something beautiful out of all the searching and decision making I have to do for my own family.

I feel I could be doing a better job as a wife and mother if I had some more tools to work with. So very stretched with the day to day I’ve felt helpless to DO much about my situation. I’ve brainstormed and written out some ideas even *started* a few ventures but I must be determined to keep at it!

In the coming months you shall likely see more posts though I certainly will add sincerity in all the sharing I will also be adding some commerce 8^) ;^) 8^) :^) 8^) ;^) 8^) :^) 8^) ;^) 8^) :^) 8^) ;^)
I so appreciate a place where I can assimilate what I am learning. I’d like to get certificates in birth education, herbalism, as a Doula and as a source of wellness coaching but that is a lot to accomplish with homeschooling my now 6 children and keeping them healthy, fed, fed and clothed! I thrive on the challenge of my own continuing education.

So I will be ME a Mother that wants to be supportive in ways she can.
And I hope I can bless others as they have blessed me. ~ Jacinda

In reading Would you want a midwife who asked you not to nurse in public? my own experiences came to mind.

This excerpt especially struck me because those concepts have shaped me as a nursing mother.“Nursing infants should not be a disruption in such a hearing, especially if their mothers are not having to get up and leave every time they whimper rather than nurse them. Asking mothers to not nurse in the hallways or not be seen in public during these hearings is defeating at least part of the purpose of midwifery, to ensure that postpartum and nursing is a healthy period where women are confident in their ability to care for their infants.”

In my almost 9 years of nursing infants I have allowed nursing on demand. Not everyone chooses this but MANY of us do. So to bar women from suckling their children while attending most any event is unduly segregating these mothers from the whole of society.
We do know how to best meet our babies needs and we do know how to do so tactfully. Others should not impose their ideas about what is appropriate for any mother or child.
After experiencing half of my brood needing more constant accessibility to nursing to thrive than what is considered to be average I think it a light burden on society to allow us that freedom to go about our lives amongst others. Are we to be under seclusion for several years because we have babies that need hourly feedings?

The world is missing much because of these restrictions and mothers are missing the very interactions that will make them wiser mothers with stronger families.Society will always loose healthy balance when taking the needs of all the members out of consideration.

To answer the question “Would you want a midwife who asked you not to nurse in public?” “No. I would not.” Just like I would not want one that would tell me that her role and knowledge as midwife was more important than my role and knowledge as mother.

We all make mistakes! As mothers our first mistake is usually believing the idea that others know more and that handing over the place we should be filling to someone else is best.

So I credit any good health we have held onto in the last few years to be direct result of working my way back to nutritional therapy.

I read the Breaking the Vicious Cycle book from my library about a year ago and KNEW the diet would be the answer for my family.
Since then I have decreased simple sugars, wheat, and grains significantly trying new grain free recipes weekly, reading online, and sharing continuously with friends.
We are finding better food sources and laying plans to invest in our health.

One very helpful source of encouragement has been through a friend’s blog efforts to help others experience healthy happy homes. As she has shared her experiences she has also developed specific helps for those implementing the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet.

Cara has developed a well laid out meal planner with proven to please the taste buds recipes. She guides you through procuring the best quality foods to preparing well in advance so you have what you need ready to go for that next meal. The evening before preparation tips and reminders are
what sold me on the value of her Grain Free Menu Planners. To be reminded that I want to soak my almonds or I can use left overs from a previous meal to start the next is freeing to my psyche! I see a special diet is all in the practical preparations!

I know when we stock a deep freezer this year it is going to be with all the components possible to make the recipes suggested in the menu plans.

Looking forward to sharing news of the farther healing of my own family.

Just a quick update on our family.
Our baby is doing beautifully as she has had our full attention for 6 months! The sweet baby that was struggling is thriving and even has started her first foods! Talitha is 15 pounds at 6 months old. She rolls, almost sits up, vocalizes, reaches for toys, shows much affection, and enjoys her bouncy seat!
Momma and family still have little Talitha in arms daily and are planning to wear her outside this Spring in a new carrier! She is pure joy and worth all the work.
The special thing about the experience with her is we learnt so much about ourselves as we were stretched to care for her. And as it is said, “A people without vision parish.” We found an even deeper sense of what is important to us, where our weaknesses are and what we need to do about those weaknesses!
I appreciate all the prayers and encouragement and ask for continued prayers. We are not the family that just bounces right back after hard times and our lives never seem to run smoothly. I have friends that can get right back into a productive routine after a rough patch. That would not be us.

Man does not live on bread alone… but by every word…

I was just going through some paperwork and realized what we ‘made’ this year… net. We are just covered for monthly expenses… At one moment I was thinking “How can we go on this way.”
( a now 8 person family on 29,000. net!?! )
Then as I was accounting for each family member I thought how each one being added has grown us as parents and children of Yahweh. Then the next moment I was PRAISING Abba because it really is miraculous!

And though I worry about things like house repair etc… He has done GREAT THINGS in that area to meet those needs in His timing.

And though we go without new shoes or something like that for awhile we always get what we need over time.

Most of all I am so thankful for all the stress of caring for our family, cutting corners, and using frugality as consistently as possible.

There are so many more skills I’d like to garner when I have more time and the kids are older and more helpful.

I am just thankful that when I am weak HE is all the more able!

Able to grow us more dependent on Him as He shows us the way we are to go. I will have to write more on this regularly as needs get met.
And as we establish the next generation of our family in Yahweh!

Tonight I had a knock on my door. It was a police officer asking if I’d seen any unusual activity going on as our neighbor had her purse stolen from her vehicle. I was admonished to be careful about locking our van and garage up constantly. Apparently as the economy gets worse there have been more thefts taking place. People are getting desperate and dare I say during the Holidays when everyone tends to feel entitled to ‘things’ we may see even more sin nature come out!

I pray to put down my desire for things to always be as generous as possible every time of the year and to be THANKFUL ALWAYS.

May your family walk in His blessings daily

When we try to control our fertility we get into trouble. Setting ourselves in G-ds place making choices for His creations.

Sadly our nation is following hard after Pagan nations practices.

My conscience is pricked with the implications of Birth Control.
Why do we so easily follow the herd?

It would be refreshing to be able to discuss Health Care without including the nation’s fertility and the government’s move to control it.

Focusing on a toddler through these days of blurred vision from tending to an extra needy baby has been a challenge. Mostly I am trying to keep him safe but I am trying to ENJOY him too. I prayed for him and was gifted him just two years ago. These first years are what I longed for those ‘little boy’ antics and explorations. The sloppy pbj smiles, thrills with dirt and bugs and creativity.
Jonny is a special boy in that he is ‘ALL BOY’ as they say… rough and tumble yet he has a PASSION for drawing and tries to be gentle and loving. Watching him with his new baby sister has been something else.

Though extremely challenging to keep all safe its been enjoyable to see the interest Jon has in Talitha and intense ownership of ‘His Baby.’

Its been a ‘good thing’ having a little one for him to pat and hug and plant sloppy kisses on. “Gentle, gentle…” are words he needs to hear often to develop his softer side.