"A Long Night" June 8, 2011

Well, recently Ben and I have had many people tell us of some interesting research that reveals that gluten in the diet has an adverse affect on children with autism.  I have been looking into it, but honestly, not very hard.  Basically, the three ingredients you want to avoid are wheat, barley and rye.  What foods don't have those ingredients in them?!?  I don't know if any of you have had to change your diets....but it's HARD.  We are used to eating certain foods and learned to like those certain foods VERY MUCH!  :(  So, I have been resisting this disruption....UNTIL TODAY!  I made fettucini alfredo last night.  Yes, LOTS OF WHEAT!  And, boy, did we pay for it.  Now, the research that has been done regarding gluten and children with autism has revealed that it just doesn't settle right with these kiddos.  Children with autism don't have the right processing elements physically that "normal" people have anyway, so processing gluten is a nightmare!  They call it "leaky intestine", which is basically diarrea and gluten also has a "drug-like" affect on them.  Their senses are dulled and they don't feel pain like they normally would.  So, when you take gluten out, they are sharper and can concentrate better, supposedly....as well as have normal bowel movements.  So, last night...after the carb load...Ryan was awake from 1:30am to 5!!!!!!!!!!  Not sure if his little body just didn't know what to do or what.  He hadn't taken a nap that day either, so I know he had to have been tired!  After a very, very looooong night, I decided to research as much as I could about changing our diet.  Thankfully, many people are on the search for gluten-free diets, so the mainstream grocery stores are starting to provide for this need with gluten-free signs and aisles.  It will be yet another interesting process to start, but I am very willing to seek help for my Ryan's health! 
If any of you know anything about gluten-free meals/recipes/ideas/suggestions for kids, I will take all of the advice WILLINGLY!  :)  Thanks!!!

"Wake Up" June 7, 2011

So there are multiple times during the day that Ryan will come up to me, grab my shoulder and say, "Wake Up!  Wake Up!"  Obviously, I am very awake and I tell him that.  "Yes, Ryan, mommy is awake!"  But the other day when he did this, the Holy Spirit very gently said, "Nicole, are there places in your life that are 'sleeping'?  Have you "fallen asleep" in some areas in your life?"  Wow.  I was taken aback at first.  As I was pondering about this question and folding laundry I was taking an assessment of my life.  Now I have to say, I didn't feel condemned in the least!  God wasn't trying to hit me over the head or anything...He was just gently using the Holy Spirit to reveal to me some areas that needed to wake up!  The area that really stuck out to me was speaking truth and life into my circumstances.  The verse that was highlighted after that revelation was Ezekiel and the dry bones (Ezekiel 37: 1-14).  When God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones (dead places) and the bones awaken...that hit me hard!  But I like how the focus is not on Ezekiel, but on the LORD!  "Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.  I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.  Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord."  We merely rely on the Lord for guidance and He does the work!  He breathes life into the dead/asleep places in our lives when we walk out the obedience!  Whew...all that with one simple phrase that my little Ryan says to me all the time..."WAKE UP!!!"  Thank you, Lord, for using my wonderful 3 year old boy!!!