tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46415691309281374862024-02-19T08:43:35.574-08:00X Amount of WordsThe thoughts, experiences, blurbs, insights, stories, spiels and accounts that chronicle my journey.Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-50373338881119424852010-12-21T19:45:00.000-08:002010-12-21T19:52:15.451-08:00Let it Go.In a recent conversation with a friend regarding her rapidly failing marriage, the subject of faith came up. As my friend and her husband are not Christians, this was an unusual topic for us to broach. However, in the depths of of her misery, my friend seemed to realize there was less and less hope in life without God somewhere in the equation. Regardless, not ready to "go there", she gently disregarded the thought that God could save her marriage. Talking things out with her, I said, "[Friend], I know as a believer that within my marriage, when my husband and I have conflict, we always have the Gospel to rely on as our guide. My question for you is, who or what is your guide? If you are going off of something, perhaps, a counselor has said, are you not using that particular person's own opinions of what your marriage should be as the guidelines for your marriage?" <br /><br />Unfortunately, even for Christians, submitting to the gospel within our marriage can be a difficult struggle. As newlyweds, my husband and I are still getting to know one another as a spouse. Because we didn't live together before marriage (a seemingly "old fashioned" concept these days), we are still adjusting to meshing our lives, our space, our bank accounts and our sock drawer. Recently, I was having a pretty down day. Actually, a down few days. I was having trouble picking my battles with my new husband and figuring out which things were quirky husband-type things and which things, in my self-focused mind, could be potential issues later and should be addressed immediately! Conveniently forgetting, in my selfishness, that I am nowhere near perfect myself, I forged ahead, picking apart every flaw in my sweet husband and throwing it into his face. "Did you <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> see the stack of dishes sitting here?" "Is there a <span style="font-style:italic;">reason</span> you insist on leaving the TV on when you leave the room?" After a few days of this, we were at a bit of a stand-off. My husband had just given up on thinking he could do something right, and I was just waiting for him to mess up yet again so I could point it out ever so helpfully. Had I been spending time reading my Bible or praying for guidance about my frustrations, instead of listing them out for my husband to correct at my command, I might have been able to approach these things with humility and grace instead of self-righteousness. I'm betting that within this humility, I might have recognized some of my own faults that my husband lovingly overlooks in lieu of a pointless argument. I might also have then identified the love of God within the words of the Bible, and have felt renewed...able to approach my marriage with a fresh perspective and a lighter heart. Instead, my husband and I drove silently to church last Sunday morning. We darted sideways looks at one another, waiting for the other to break the loud silence. We missed worship because we were late, and so we slid into our chairs as the service began. As the message was spoken, my heart lightened some, but I still wasn't ready to let go. At the end of the service, our pastor asked if any married couples wanted to come up and get prayer, almost as a renewing of vows. My husband took my hand and squeezed it, and unspoken plea to go with him to the front. I swallowed my pride for once, and we walked up to the front together. Someone we passed gave us a smile and said, "you two are newlyweds, you don't need to be up here!" If only she knew, I thought, how much I've already swayed from my vows to honor and respect my husband. What has happened to me in such a short time?! <br /><br />After a few moments, a friend approached us and prayed deeply, quietly, intimately over us...for God's blessing upon our new marriage.... and in the quiet drone of this friend's voice, the tears finally spilled over from my eyes. I felt myself let go of the anger and submit to the will of God, which is to honor my husband, and love my husband, and give grace to my husband. After all, isn't that the way God loves me?Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-63545537468620962352010-07-13T08:31:00.000-07:002010-07-13T08:44:11.652-07:00Blue SkiesSo, it's been a year since I've written an entry on here...I am in utter shock how fast the year has flown by! And by how many things have changed since then. This is where the concept of the "God box" would truly shine--writing down your worries, concerns and stressors, and put them in a box that symbolizes leaving them to God to work out. Then, after a year you can take out the slips of paper and see God's hand in your life. Had I done that one year ago, I guarantee I would be even more overwhelmed by His grace and faithfulness as I sorted through them today. Maybe I will begin one now...<br /><br />All I can say today, right now, is that I'm happy. This has been the hardest year of my life, but I can wholeheartedly appreciate today because of it. I would like to begin writing here again; it's such an outlet for me and I enjoy it immensely. Most likely, it will be sporadic at best, but one can dream!Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-25037827156678979902009-08-11T17:01:00.000-07:002009-08-11T17:23:51.097-07:00Splish, Splash!My niece, Tori, who I babysit during the summers, and I have been spending this summer trying to find the perfect pool. Since I also have MaryJane, it's got to be a pool that offers fun things for Tori to do, plus nice shaded areas for MaryJane and I to hang out in that are close to the 'action' so I can keep an eye on Tori. Tori loves slides, which, thankfully, most pools now have so that's also a plus. So here's my brief reviews of the pools we've visited this summer:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Premier Athletic Club - Upper Arlington/Dublin area, Sawmill Road<br />$$$ - attendence with membership to club only</span><br /><br />Premier offers three pools; two outdoor and one indoor, plus a two small kiddie pools. The main pool outdoors that is kid-friendly features a small curvy slide and a mushroom waterfall. All and all, it's just ok. Tori really enjoys it but I think that's because it's not that crowded.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Big Splash - Grove City, Southwest Blvd.<br />$ - $16 for the three of us</span><br /><br />Big Splash has a nice kiddie area with a zero-depth entry into the main pool (which I love, since I'm carrying a baby around) and two nice size slides. There is a lot of shade to sit in, although it's not set up very well to keep an eye on kids in the pool. I usually end up walking around in order to watch Tori. All in all, it's a good value for the money.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Hilliard City Pool West - Veterans Memorial Drive<br />$$ $18 for the three of us</span><br /><br />This pool was my favorite. Four large pools: one with a diving board, one with two slides, a lap pool, a huge kiddie pool/area with a setup that rivals the old Wyandotte Lake Christopher's Island area, plus there's even a lazy river. There are several grassy areas to sit surrounding each pool, and free use of rafts and life vests. The only problem was if Tori got bored of one pool and wanted to go to a different one, we had to relocate all of our stuff so I could keep an eye on her. I finally had to tell her to just pick one pool to play in. Overall, not a bad value for the money.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Reed Rd Water Park - Upper Arlington, Reed Rd<br />$$$ $20 for the three of us</span><br /><br />Extremely expensive for what you get, in my opinion. There are two really nice slides, though, and a lazy river. There's a large kiddie play area with a zero-entry pool, and a diving board with a deep pool although all the pools are linked together so it's really just one big area. There is a 'lazy river' as well, but it's just a glorified circle. One thing that I thought was really cool, though, was the community aspect of this pool. Quite a few times, people offered up benches for me (since I was carrying the baby around, watching Tori slide down the slides) and during the rest periods, all of the men lifeguards would line up at the diving boards while the kids would sit on the edge of the opposite end of the pool, chanting "Get Us Soaked!" "We Want Splashed!" "Can-non-ball!" etc. The boys would try to get the biggest splash they could and soak the kids. It was quite hilarious to watch. If I had someone else to go with, this would probably be my favorite pool because it's not too big, there are good seating areas, and lots of stuff for the kids to do. <br /><br />Hopefully all of this pool-hopping will give me a good idea of which pool to get a membership to next summer!Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-91099605893304674112009-03-24T08:10:00.000-07:002009-03-24T10:39:08.665-07:00Yet Another Testament of His Love...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh1zv9_juSwRV_PsBc-Rza_jA8jXAL5OqSOcXdwSCOGqGF5F2lWXn-OTgE473lJ9vS4zdLG2AjXEGervcKV1Jt6frUbouKp5Yz1iOH0SviwNr3v0HhzSpzBWPDc04IFKZuyzjwUi6pw/s1600-h/Psalm+28.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh1zv9_juSwRV_PsBc-Rza_jA8jXAL5OqSOcXdwSCOGqGF5F2lWXn-OTgE473lJ9vS4zdLG2AjXEGervcKV1Jt6frUbouKp5Yz1iOH0SviwNr3v0HhzSpzBWPDc04IFKZuyzjwUi6pw/s320/Psalm+28.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316771977504762242" /></a><br /><br /><br />The Lord is truly my strength. He has helped me in ways I still can't wrap my mind around. However one of the most powerful and clear ways that He has shown His willingness to provide happened yesterday afternoon.<br /><br />I took MaryJane to a lactation consultant yesterday because we were having some breastfeeding issues. As it turns out, there is a physical reason why she is having trouble nursing, which in turn has caused my milk supply to decrease dramatically. So, while I build it back up, the consultant told me that I have to supplement her at each feeding. While I have the option of using formula to supplement, that is personally not a route I feel is appropriate for us. Therefore, the only other option was to supplement with donor breast milk. This, however, meant that I had to FIND donor breast milk. Not an easy task, although not impossible either. However, the friends I contacted had either used up the milk they had saved, only had a little to give, or needed time to get milk for me. By yesterday afternoon, we were able to find enough to get us through until the next day but it was going to be tight. <br /><br />Then, I received a phone call. My good friend, who had already generously began a milk donation for us, was looking out of her window at her neighbor's yard, where the neighbors were outside playing. This neighbor is a friend of hers, and someone she knew would probably have some milk to donate as well. She walked over and explained my situation to this person, and asked if she might be able to help out. The friend said that she did, in fact, have milk she could donate. Not only did she have milk, she had a LOT of milk, milk that she had just decided <span style="font-style:italic;">that day</span> that she was going to throw out since she wasn't going to be able use it all. She packed it all up in a bag and gave it to my friend, who then let me know what had happened. I was able to pick the milk up yesterday afternoon; there is enough milk for weeks and weeks of supplementing- probably more than I will even need! <br /><br />I can't even begin to say how thankful I am to my friends, to this person that I don't even know who so generously gave her milk, and to God for providing for my daughter at a time when I am not able to. It's wonderful to know that our Father is providing for us in all of the ways that we need.Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-16291401234263940452009-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:002009-03-17T10:47:38.324-07:00She is Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhkgONh8mo2Ky7ADnaiC4MOgknGeybBgFCF5oqwuJADTuC2pOp8llHjaWWFVMrxXiiMndZL9zVgIdvdpYQzv5xcUDEtswtwGvvIwCEqjrcsnXhooq5g9d7-jgZMDbMI87qVI-jTmkMQ/s1600-h/IMG_0064.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhkgONh8mo2Ky7ADnaiC4MOgknGeybBgFCF5oqwuJADTuC2pOp8llHjaWWFVMrxXiiMndZL9zVgIdvdpYQzv5xcUDEtswtwGvvIwCEqjrcsnXhooq5g9d7-jgZMDbMI87qVI-jTmkMQ/s320/IMG_0064.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314211826185950866" /></a><br /><br /><br />As my precious MaryJane turns two weeks old today, it already seems like she's been in my life forever. I can't imagine a day without her, or what my life was like before she was here. It's been the hardest but most rewarding experience so far and I have already learned so much! I lose hours of the day because I can't stop staring at her and studying her little face. She makes so many expressions and she just loves to gesticulate with those hands! I understand now why people say that you don't know love until you have a child. <br /><br />The cloth diapers are going so well, I honestly find them to be easier than the disposables I used the first few days until she passed all of her meconium. The breastfeeding has been more of a challenge, but we are getting the hang of it more and more each day.<br /><br />I heard this song the other day and it made me sob because it's so sweet and tender and it makes me think of the love I have for my little girl.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M3uoKsCZ0RU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M3uoKsCZ0RU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-56295476941415719652009-03-10T01:48:00.000-07:002009-03-13T19:37:13.178-07:00MaryJane's Waterbirth StoryOn Monday. March 2 I was eating lunch when I started having mild contractions. I lay down to nap before work and when I awoke an hour later, I was still having contractions, but not strong or consistent. I decided to go ahead and go to work, but as the afternoon progressed, my discomfort increased. I ended up leaving work early, and went back to bed when I got home. The contractions ended up stopping shortly after. I didn't think much about it, as I had been having Braxton Hicks for a few days on and off and knew they could go for weeks before labor began.<br /><br />The next morning, Tuesday March 3, I awoke a little before 8:00 am and I already had the feeling that today could be the day. I went into the bathroom to take a shower and while standing waiting for the water to warm up I felt a distinct "pop" followed by a little gush of water. I instantly knew my water had broken. I ran to get my phone and then returned to the bathroom where I could stand on some towels and I tried to decide who to call first. I called my mom, who decided to go ahead and leave work and come home, and then I called my midwife, Amy, followed by my doula, Amanda. Amy had some appointments to take, but said she'd be by later to check on me. She warned that my labor would be a bit more intense since my water had broken but to take it easy, rest and eat lightly and drink as much water as I could. Amanda stopped by right after my mom arrived home, around 9:00 am, to check on me since she was in the area. My contractions had just begun and weren't bad at all, so she returned home to take care of some things with the instructions to call when I was ready.<br /><br />My mom made me a light breakfast of toast and eggs, and then we decided to begin setting up the birthing pool. Looking back now, I think we both intuitively knew to do this first thing. During this time my contractions began to intensify quickly, and were about five minutes apart by 10:00 am. My mom began to realize that my labor was progressing much faster than we had anticipated, so she decided to call Amy back. Amy decided to turn around and come back over just to check me, that way she could decide what to do from there about the rest of her appointments. We also called Amanda and had her go ahead and come over when she was ready.<br /><br />Once Amy and Amanda arrived, around 10:15 - 10:30, Amy checked me and found I was at 3 cm dialted and 90% effaced. She also noticed that the head that she was supposed to be feeling felt more like a butt, and although it was still early and too hard to tell for sure, she did want to call Kathy, my other midwife, and let her know. She must have also told Kathy to start heading over to my house at that point, because my labor was progressing much faster than anyone had guessed. During this time, Amanda and my mom were helping me through my contractions by rubbing my back and putting cool towels on my forehead and neck. It made so much of a difference to have them there helping me. It also felt great to sit on the birthing ball and to lean against someone while I was breathing through the contractions. They were intense and it seemed like they were coming so close together, sometimes with one beginning right after another had just ended. However all of the love and support in the room made me feel empowered and I just took them one at a time.<br /><br />Things begin to get blurry time-wise after this point, but I know my sister showed up with the video camera and Kathy was not far behind her. This must have been around 12:00 noon or so. Kathy checked me and found I had dialated to 8, almost 9 cm by that point! She also confirmed our fears: baby MJ was breech, with her butt presenting instead of her head. We decided to take a few minutes to pray about what to do, as if I had decided to transfer to the hospital I would have definitely had a Cesarean section. I was in so much pain with the contractions that for a moment the thought of having pain medication and not having to go through any more labor was quite tempting. However, I knew that it was not the birth that I had wanted, and I also knew that I did not want my baby to have to go through such a traumatic experience in her first moments out of the womb. Both Kathy and Amy were very encouraging and supportive, but were also honest about what we needed to be expect and made sure that I knew all of the risks of birthing a breech baby so I could make an informed decision. After Amanda and I prayed together, I decided to stay at home and birth my baby the way we had planned.<br /><br />Once that had been decided, Kathy told me that once I dialated to 10 cm, I would have to wait one hour before pushing. This was to ensure that the cervix had fully opened so that the baby's head would be able to pass quickly through once I began pushing. I got into the pool and it immediately helped to ease the pain of the contractions. Amanda poured water on my back as I leaned against the side and that really helped too. I drank tons of water and just tried to focus on getting through each contraction. Finally, my body decided it was time to push, but I was not dialated enough to do so yet, so I had to breathe through it. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. The pain was incredible, and trying to keep my body from pushing was almost impossible, but everyone just kept encouraging me that I could do it. Without that encouragement, I would not have been able to make it through that pain. Each contraction that came over me was more intense than the last, and it seemed like they went on forever. I knew I had an hour of this breathing to go through before I could push and it seemed like an eternity. Amanda reminded me, one contraction at a time. I kept telling her I couldn't do it, and she would look me right in the eyes and say, "Yes, you can do this Laura." It gave me the confidence I needed to stay strong and on top of the pain. My mom, after each one, would say "You did it! Great job!" and it really made me feel like I was progressing. I really can't stress enough how much love and support I had in that room, because I couldn't have done it without each one of those people being there for me.<br /><br />I remember at some point my dad came home from work, it must have been around 1:30 pm, and my mom inviting him down into the room. I didn't think he would want to be there for the birth, but I'm so glad he ended up staying because it was so wonderful to have my mom, dad and my sister there for it. I think they all took something away from the experience that was more than they expected. <br /><br />After about forty minutes of breathing through the pushy contractions, Kathy checked me again and told me it was OK to start pushing. I said "Thank you!" and almost cried from the relief I felt at knowing I could work with my body and finally get to see my baby! On the next contraction, I pushed and it was the worst and best pain I have ever felt. The contractions had slowed way down, which Amy told me later was a sign that my body was getting ready for the delivery, so I just rested in between so that I would have the energy to push as hard as I could at the end, since she was breech and I knew I had to get her out fast. I pushed for a few contractions in the pool, and then Kathy, Amy, Amanda and I went to the bathroom where I sat on the toilet and pushed a few times. This really seemed to help, and after about four or so pushes, we went back to the pool. That was really hard because the baby had moved down so much from the pushing and I thought I wouldn't be able to walk! Once I got back into the pool, I had about three more contractions and on the last one, I pushed with everything I had. I heard my mom saying something about "There's the baby! Laura, she's coming!" and that was all it took for me to just give it my all and push her out. She came out so fast and then I was holding her in my arms in a matter of seconds! I couldn't believe it! I felt so relieved and so happy and emotional all at the same time. I could not believe I was holding my beautiful baby girl in my arms after only less than seven hours of labor. She was born at 3:03 pm on 3/03. How amazing!<br /><br />It's hard to express just how fully I felt the Lord's presence at MaryJane's birth. Not only in the miracle of my daughter being born, but in the love I felt from and for the people who were there with me, and the peaceful, beautiful nature of the birth. I trusted fully in Him to provide, and He did. I could not have imagined a more incredible experience.<br /><br />ETA: I can't believe I forgot to add that it was my midwife, Amy's birthday too! How amazing is that?!?<br /><br />MaryJane Kathryn<br />born 3:03 pm on 3/03<br />6 lbs. 14 oz.<br />19 1/2"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Mu1rzaOfB13G8qBVkrmiHQ6iqTYSj3bxKu_wyNzZ2WAr6Cfadd631psV51yQiPZXQ1ZdfxABf48KBS5bS3kGKklNOPp_4fRKgmeAZJQze1sYvfKbJF_i2ew6F4jI6v-Gx9ofzsrwQQ/s1600-h/DSC_0121.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Mu1rzaOfB13G8qBVkrmiHQ6iqTYSj3bxKu_wyNzZ2WAr6Cfadd631psV51yQiPZXQ1ZdfxABf48KBS5bS3kGKklNOPp_4fRKgmeAZJQze1sYvfKbJF_i2ew6F4jI6v-Gx9ofzsrwQQ/s200/DSC_0121.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311976937723548274" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6t6_OOtIu7c86ObbZRHWHpFBQb_tpYR7lGbDXcLjZbt1DWlRrDxGHP8mt8prSkwxh0VUbC9gdy248hpbrJBZ55V3VaAQG1tbbxJK298JqMqlA7R5IfCixMi4hBu_o64d8MsLmwu02A/s1600-h/DSC_0148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6t6_OOtIu7c86ObbZRHWHpFBQb_tpYR7lGbDXcLjZbt1DWlRrDxGHP8mt8prSkwxh0VUbC9gdy248hpbrJBZ55V3VaAQG1tbbxJK298JqMqlA7R5IfCixMi4hBu_o64d8MsLmwu02A/s200/DSC_0148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311977450973425858" /></a>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-45819285265402773932009-01-29T10:07:00.000-08:002009-01-29T11:13:38.053-08:00What they don't tell you about being pregnant...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPKvTzonXbzXzLtPPJ1Esdp6_-ZETysMgsp6sTGDilA0Y53IRqvHwc61Ie9NZCGhf6HX2uyL0U0u5-eEyKPN1medOPh2N40i5MUYLPGcrAfv3IBtTPyUJWCR4CiJhLA26NpKgFYI8bA/s1600-h/IMG_0898.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPKvTzonXbzXzLtPPJ1Esdp6_-ZETysMgsp6sTGDilA0Y53IRqvHwc61Ie9NZCGhf6HX2uyL0U0u5-eEyKPN1medOPh2N40i5MUYLPGcrAfv3IBtTPyUJWCR4CiJhLA26NpKgFYI8bA/s320/IMG_0898.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296780606823851330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />I write this list in a very lighthearted manner, because despite some of the harder days I have thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancy and been blessed to have a healthy eight months, so far. However, here are some of the things that they don't tell you about being pregnant.<br /><br />1. Morning sickness is not just in the morning. It's all day long. And it can strike at a moment's notice, with absolutely no warning.<br /><br />2. I honestly have no idea that I'm acting crazy and hormonal. To me I seem perfectly normal.<br /><br />3. Everyone has a different theory of what you can and can't eat, drink, be around, etc. If you took everyone's advice, you'd never get to eat, drink or do anything.<br /><br />4. Getting kicked/punched repeatedly in the bladder... it's never-ending. Not to mention that you always, and I mean ALWAYS have to pee, so it doesn't help matters any.<br /><br />5. People -even complete strangers- have no problem telling you if they think you are too small, too big, carrying low or high, or expressing any other opinion on the way your pregnant self looks without being asked.<br /><br />6. The dreams! Every night the bizarreness tops the night before.<br /><br />7. When you need a donut (or a hamburger, or a pickle dipped in icing), it's not just a 'craving'; you will literally obsess about it until you have one.<br /><br />8. While the baby's movements feel weird at first, you get used to them. The hiccups the baby gets, however, are definitely the strangest feeling.<br /><br />9. Advertisers prey on your fears and emotions as a pregnant woman in order to convince you that you need every brand new expensive thing on the market or else you're going to be a bad mom. <br /><br />10. You are more loved and supported than you ever imagined, and your friends and family will go out of their way to help you in any way they can!Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-70087908021207827382009-01-17T17:49:00.000-08:002009-01-17T18:02:08.294-08:00Invitations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFZ_rJo2l8pvDBvBtkqWOcCPuuQo9qUFLmfiyieq1fAuSvtkKenJrIU9LlxR9W4j3ez8XgwuxpXJJg0-tEidgmJyjrkhkjtlELVLkj3fdGkcNA08G1SQftqJW4t0NS6k8vyv0zp13ig/s1600-h/IMG_0874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFZ_rJo2l8pvDBvBtkqWOcCPuuQo9qUFLmfiyieq1fAuSvtkKenJrIU9LlxR9W4j3ez8XgwuxpXJJg0-tEidgmJyjrkhkjtlELVLkj3fdGkcNA08G1SQftqJW4t0NS6k8vyv0zp13ig/s400/IMG_0874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292445726220135154" /></a><br /><br />I made my own baby shower invitations for my family shower (but you already knew I would, right?), because I love to take on way more than I have the time or energy for. It's a really crappy picture, but you get the idea. I've already made matching birth announcements so that I'll just have to add the picture and they're ready to go...Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-82445676914921920622009-01-03T08:14:00.000-08:002009-01-03T08:46:16.914-08:00Vaccines?A few friends of mine have expressed interest in reading the paper I wrote for my English class last quarter. So, I decided to just post it here so anyone who wanted to read it, could. I've actually included two papers, as I had to rewrite it (see explanation at the end).<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Infant and Childhood Vaccines: <br />Preventing an Epidemic, or Creating One?</span><br /><br /><br /> “Vaccine: a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, it’s products or its synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease. (Oxford American Dictionary).” In this standard definition, you can find a few key phrases that remind us of the original purpose for vaccinating infants and children, such as “provide immunity” and “act as an antigen without inducing the disease.” It’s interesting to me, then, that more and more vaccine research shows us that these vaccines really aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing, yet our pediatricians and M.D.’s are encouraging us to vaccinate our little ones more than ever before.<br /><br />THE HISTORY OF VACCINES, AND A LOOK AT HOW THEY WORK<br /> The idea of vaccines was developed sometime around 1796 by a British physician, Edward Jenner, who “believed that dairy maids who had caught cowpox could not catch smallpox (Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective?, p. 13).” Jenner infected a young boy with cowpox and after the boy caught the disease, Jenner injected him with smallpox, with no effect. This was the first recorded vaccination. In the years following, Jenner met with criticism from other physicians as they debated the efficacy and safety of using an animal disease to treat humans, so it was clear another approach was needed. “During that time, [Louis] Pasteur [who developed a rabies vaccine for humans in 1885] enhanced the concept of attenuation, which is the use of a weakened form of a virus to provide immunity. Pasteur found that a weakened form of chicken cholera (an attenuated form) was highly effective in preventing disease. Attenuated vaccines are widely used today. (Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Mitchell, Deborah. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. p.13).” <br /><br /> Most vaccines today contain some form of the virus it is vaccinating against. This is because “The main purpose of a vaccine is to stimulate the formation of antibodies at a concentration high enough to stop the pathogen in its tracks... as long as you maintain a certain concentration for a specific disease, you have immunity (Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Mitchell, Deborah. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. p. 7).” However, how does the vaccine include the virus? What other ingredients are used in these vaccines to help the body react appropriately to them? <br /><br /> First, before we answer those questions, let’s look at how vaccines work in the immune system so that we can then understand why they formulate vaccines the way they do. Vaccines, essentially “trick” the immune system. A form of the virus is manipulated and mixed with other ingredients, and then injected into the person. The body creates antibodies against the disease that basically live inside the body and are ready to attack the virus should you ever come in contact with it. “A vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to create antibodies and immune cells that recognize the pathogen and are thus prepared to battle it when it presents itself at the portals of the body (Allen, Arthur. Vaccine p. 14-15).” It makes perfect sense that a vaccine would be effective in an adult’s body, then, but consider the way an infant or child’s immune system may react. The immune system strengthens as we grow by responding to natural challenges in the environment. “When the vaccine virus is injected directly into the child’s bloodstream, it gains access to all of the major tissues and organs of the body without the body’s normal advantage of a total immune response. (Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? p. 89).” The child’s immune system has not had time to develop and thus does not work the same as an adult’s does. If this immature immune system is injected with a barrage of vaccinations, rather than passing through the natural immune defenses, the immune system is not able to process it correctly and thus the defenses are overwhelmed. This could mean the vaccines are actually harming the child’s immune system, causing future issues with it’s ability to protect the child later in life. <br /><br />HOW MANY VACCINES DO CHILDREN NEED, AND WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF, ANYWAY?<br /> Today, most pediatricians along with the US government recommend a vaccine schedule that includes more than thirty-one doses before they even reach kindergarten age, with the first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5t5Ki_x0EtBGMJllukleuKV_ZfBaaADYYdpu8Xk8isPGkrnmZeBcOX4UBc3X-4XgL8peHn-jEiRyec-8jonMujNSNr18QC_pqhcODCirKc7qbRDiA2HtkqKUksRu_Mer1peiP9Es9g/s1600-h/chart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5t5Ki_x0EtBGMJllukleuKV_ZfBaaADYYdpu8Xk8isPGkrnmZeBcOX4UBc3X-4XgL8peHn-jEiRyec-8jonMujNSNr18QC_pqhcODCirKc7qbRDiA2HtkqKUksRu_Mer1peiP9Es9g/s400/chart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287108348813251602" /></a><br /><br /> “Approximately 100 years ago, children were on the receiving end of one vaccine, smallpox. Approximately 40 years ago there were five vaccines being promoted: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and smallpox. Usually the child received eight shots of one kind or another by age two. A detailed count reveals that kids now get 52 vaccines via 15 shots by age 16 months, if parents stand still for the shots recommended by AMA medicine (http://www.tuberose.com/Vaccinations.html).” If you take into account the underdeveloped immunity level of children, as mentioned earlier, the fact that our children are being injected with fifty-two different vaccines at such a young age is just scary.<br /> <br /> Even scarier, however, are the ingredients in the vaccines. First, obviously, is a form of the virus. The virus is usually incubated or harvested in an animal or human medium such as chick embryo, pig pancreas tissue, monkey kidney tissue or even aborted human fetal tissue. Then, the additives, preservatives and anti-bacterial agents consisting of formaldehyde, dangerous metals like mercury and aluminum, MSG, antifreeze (although this ingredient is debated, depending on the resource), and cancer-causing agents such as Polysorbate 80 and Beta-propiolactone are included. <br /><br />THE LINK BETWEEN MERCURY AND AUTISM, AND OTHER DANGERS<br /> Obviously, you could look at each of these ingredients and see why they might be dangerous to the human body. However, let’s just focus on just one of these ingredients: mercury. It is well known that mercury, in the form of thimerosal, a preservative, has been used in common vaccines for many years. In the Hepatitis B vaccine alone, there is “12.5 micrograms of mercury (thimerosal), which is more than twenty-five times the EPA ‘safe level’ of 0.1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day (Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Mitchell, Deborah. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. p. 62).” By the time the child has been given the suggested doses of Hep B, plus the Hib and DTP vaccines at six months of age, they had received 187.5 mcg of mercury, which could not be filtered out of the body as bile production does not begin until after six months of age.<br /><br /> Under “Mercury Poisoning” Wikipedia.com describes, “Symptoms typically include sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination (wikipedia.com). Other symptoms include verbal or physical ‘tics’, obsessive-compulsive behavior, sound sensitivity and many, many others. “Yet it was not until 1997 that the FDA reviewed whether exposure to thimerosal from vaccines was dangerous (Bookchin, Debbie and Schumacher, Jim. The Virus and the Vaccine. p. 282).” This investigation only began because parents started noticing and reporting their children’s symptoms, which seemed to correlate with mercury poisoning. It’s interesting to note that the symptoms of autism are almost identical to those of mercury poisoning. Coincidence?<br /><br /> In the early 1980’s the autism rate was about 1 in 10,000. In the late 1990’s, it was 1 in 500. In 2000 it had increased to 1 in 250 and in 2004 it was 1 in 166. It’s steadily risen to current rate of 1 in 150. Why? Some parents and medical professionals feel it’s because over the last fifty years the number of vaccines recommended for children has increased and these children can’t process the high levels of mercury, causing autism or autism-like symptoms. <br /><br /> As of now, vaccine manufacturers are removing the thimerosal from their products in response to this public outcry, however, this is just one of many harmful ingredients that should be removed. There has just not been enough research to determine all of the possible effects of the ingredients in these vaccines. “In fact, research focusing on possible correlations between vaccines, autoimmune diseases, and neurologically-based disorders (i.e., multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, cancer and AIDS) is just beginning (Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? p. 89).”<br /><br />POLIO VACCINES: CAUSING CANCER AND AIDS?<br /> In 1916, the country was hit with a huge polio epidemic that began in the immigrant sections of New York City. By then end of that year, polio had spread across the country and more than 27,000 cases of paraylis were confirmed and people were in a panic. It was clear that something needed to be done. <br /> <br /> Jonas Salk and other researchers who developed the Polio vaccine decided to use monkey kidneys to culture the disease for use in the vaccines, mostly because of the large supply of monkeys already “on hand” in researcher’s labs and because the kidneys were easy to obtain from the animals, as opposed to hearts or lungs. The problem? “Remove a kidney from a monkey and you reap with all of the offal circulating through the monkey’s blood – parasites, bacteria, unknown viruses- plus whatever microorganisms are actually living in the kidney itself. (Bookchin, Debbie and Schumacher, Jim. The Virus and the Vaccine. p. 32).” In 1959, it was discovered that these vaccines contained an infectious agent that caused cancer, SV-40.<br />SV-40 has been found to be a catalyst for many types of cancer. Cancer research has found SV-40 in brain tumors, leukemia, bone cancers, and a deadly form of lung cancer called mesothelioma. Further, a study in 1998 found higher rates of these types of cancer were found in people who were exposed to SV-40. <br /><br /> There are even more dangers associated with using monkey kidney cultures. The diseases monkeys carry may not always be known, and they can even mutate in the human body, creating new diseases. “Evidently, some viruses can live inside monkeys without causing harm. But if these viruses were to somehow cross species and enter the human population, new diseases could occur. (Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? p. 22).” By the 1980’s, as vaccine research was growing substantially more sophisticated, researchers found another shocking discovery. A virus called SIV, found in over half of the primates used in these vaccines, is a close relative to the HIV virus. In fact, some AIDS researchers believe it is the same virus, mutated into human form. AIDS expert Robert Gallo has said, “The monkey virus is the human virus. There are monkey viruses as close to isolates of HIV-2 as HIV-2 isolates are to each other.”<br /><br />VACCINES AND AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS<br /> <br /> In the United States, the incidence of autoimmune disorders – disorders where the immune system produces antibodies against natural presences in the body- are higher than they have ever been in history. Why? Some speculate that the huge number of vaccines given to children before their immune system has fully developed is changing or damaging their immune systems. Further, it’s possible that the new ‘combined’ vaccines could be creating reactions never seen before. “There are a rising numbers of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile diaetes, pediatric asthma, pediatric Chrohn’s disease, and Guillain-Barre syndrom (progressive muscle weakness). Behind cancer and heart disease, autoimmune disease is now the third leading cause of illness in the United States (Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Mitchell, Deborah. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. p. 79-80)…” <br /><br /> The immune system is designed to find and attack ‘enemy’ germs and organisms. However, when you inject these foreign cells into an otherwise healthy body, rather than letting them enter naturally as in contracting an illness, the alien cells can fuse with the healthy cells instead and then the immune system can no longer differentiate between them. This confusion of the immune system can cause it to “either invade its own cells (cancer), or ignore danger signs altogether, leaving the organism vulnerable to any number of autoimmune diseases (Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? p. 90).” <br /> <br /> Some researchers relate this vaccine reaction to the way the human body has responded to antibiotics. Over the years as antibiotics have been developed to destroy disease causing bacteria, the bacteria has learned to mutate, therefore we find diseases that are no longer responding to antibiotics. It’s possible that messing with the body’s natural reaction via the immune system could actually be hurting the body, confusing it and even causing it to turn on itself.<br /><br /><br />WHY YOU ARE BEING PRESSURED TO VACCINATE, YOUR RIGHTS, AND THE FUTURE OF VACCINES<br /><br /> There are many studies now that show that rates of disease were steadily decreasing before the corresponding vaccine was ever introduced. There are even studies that show that, with some illnesses, the rate increased again after the vaccine began being used, indicating that they were actually infecting people with these vaccines rather than building their immunity against these diseases. “The oral [Polio] vaccine…has been shown to cause polio – about ten cases per year – and so after January 1, 2000 it was no longer recommended for use in the United States except in limited circumstances (Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Mitchell, Deborah. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. p. 167).” <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY5yYRtGQS7TN7YpkLBWVdeWLdIIwlROg9oTmOdTBcD-azRZa4_B9BJZoLA3YzbAVZnk26OSyjUT-aQhGHYz9TLDUEIquXqg_OQ7Iq0Z_E5JS6rGcSiPIbW2x4F9GfwQQ_koYlzSecw/s1600-h/Measles.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY5yYRtGQS7TN7YpkLBWVdeWLdIIwlROg9oTmOdTBcD-azRZa4_B9BJZoLA3YzbAVZnk26OSyjUT-aQhGHYz9TLDUEIquXqg_OQ7Iq0Z_E5JS6rGcSiPIbW2x4F9GfwQQ_koYlzSecw/s200/Measles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104742502528194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4-C7dQc1moDax2S2RUoSQHpferjraVdcJXCRPjvFxQeaDNvUCtke-9gp0XIhlU3U1S2Ankz7wg4EXYBhO95HDfCc8_a1qM5IeHfni9DFpLFNSvt19uyUQ0X0o6r6TFFfqj886wQJKg/s1600-h/Scarlet+Fever.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4-C7dQc1moDax2S2RUoSQHpferjraVdcJXCRPjvFxQeaDNvUCtke-9gp0XIhlU3U1S2Ankz7wg4EXYBhO95HDfCc8_a1qM5IeHfni9DFpLFNSvt19uyUQ0X0o6r6TFFfqj886wQJKg/s200/Scarlet+Fever.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104741453609154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv7wyP6bMzR1w3ox0txQ1InwwPDRb3VEiECJrhkv5NqdDjEn5LBU5T5utEO0PPUo088MXI-A11dBo07E5sGKrOChcBkriVhb7arxMJqjPm43fNGZvQZplgUNQhhd-n4pB4r-cykmI2A/s1600-h/Typhoid.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv7wyP6bMzR1w3ox0txQ1InwwPDRb3VEiECJrhkv5NqdDjEn5LBU5T5utEO0PPUo088MXI-A11dBo07E5sGKrOChcBkriVhb7arxMJqjPm43fNGZvQZplgUNQhhd-n4pB4r-cykmI2A/s200/Typhoid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104737396889026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9Xy9AfnA50b8T0_Ri-fklVQs-9X8AKYywV_c7AYEKcA16BzbenGzvtPHW3y30MVyxPii3WbW-2bljkSWbvjXNqJWIeV7eg7rKKygs3L1ciYNgKm77pGPhplmF-JNJ5SB4Xqhle_7Lw/s1600-h/Polio.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9Xy9AfnA50b8T0_Ri-fklVQs-9X8AKYywV_c7AYEKcA16BzbenGzvtPHW3y30MVyxPii3WbW-2bljkSWbvjXNqJWIeV7eg7rKKygs3L1ciYNgKm77pGPhplmF-JNJ5SB4Xqhle_7Lw/s200/Polio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104740266985970" /></a><br /><br /> <br />Photos: http://www.vaclib.org/intro/present/index.htm#5<br /><br /> While not all experts agree with these studies, the underlying issue is that these vaccines are still being marketed as completely safe and effective in spite of the varying research out there. Drug companies and some doctors are not being straightforward with parents about the possible risks of vaccinating. To consider another point, if we assume 90% of children are receiving the recommended vaccination schedule before entering school, why would anyone be against allowing the admittance of the 10% of children who are not vaccinated? Obviously, if these unvaccinated children contract any of the diseases, the vaccinated children would be safe, right? So what’s the real concern?<br /><br /> The real concern, in my opinion, is the money the drug companies are not getting from those that choose not to vaccinate. Vaccine manufacturers fund non-profit programs like Every Child By Two (which promotes the passage of laws designed to require children to be vaccinated before entering school) and the CDC (which is trying to enforce mass vaccinations). Also, physicians who use the vaccinations in their offices receive numerous perks from these companies. Many of the scientists who are creating and working on vaccines are receiving money from these drug companies, and they are the same scientists who are advising the federal government on decisions regarding making some vaccines mandatory.<br /><br /> New vaccines are being developed every day. It is rumored that the new cervical cancer vaccine will eventually be added to the recommended vaccine schedule for female children. There is also a diarrhea vaccine that has just been developed and released, making it the most expensive vaccine on the market today. This is another vaccine that could be added to the recommended schedule of vaccinations for children, even though it was developed mainly for the disease I which mainly affects lower-income countries such as parts of Africa and only has about 20-40 reported cases in America each year. It will cost the consumer over $300 per dose, per child.<br /><br /> If you are, or hope one day to become, a parent, you do have rights. You can choose to delay vaccinations, have them separated into single doses, or even choose not to vaccinate at all. In most states, you can file an exemption with your child’s school, citing either personal or religious reasons for not vaccinating. “Even though all states require children to receive specific vaccines before they can attend school, every state also allows at least one exemption, and many offer two and even three to that mandate. (Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Mitchell, Deborah. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. p. 251). It’s important to check with the state’s health department to find out the regulations in your state, if you choose not to vaccinate your child(ren) as recommended.<br /><br /> It’s true and wonderful that vaccines have been helpful through our country’s history to save hundreds of thousands of lives and eliminate widespread disease. In some instances, vaccines are still very beneficial and should be considered as an option. However, we should take a good look at the amount, frequency and appropriateness of the vaccines that are recommended for our children today. We should also look deeper into the way these vaccine ingredients are affecting children who have been immunized. If we don’t, it’s possible we could be creating new and more dangerous diseases that these vaccines are actually responsible for. We should remember that the body has it’s own, natural way of fighting disease and perhaps we should give our bodies a chance to work the way they were meant to work before relying on synthetic means. We need to encourage each other to be responsible in doing our research, to ask questions of our doctors and our government, and to stand up for the health and safety of our children.<br /><br /><br />Laura Caudill<br />123 Main Street<br />Anytown, OH 12345<br /><br />American Medical Association <br />515 N. State Street <br />Chicago, IL 60610<br /><br />Dear Medical Professionals:<br /><br />As a soon-to-be parent, I have begun research into my child’s medical future, in order to be well prepared and informed once she has arrived. One of the things I have learned is that there is a recommended schedule of vaccinations for infants and children. While I understand the theory behind vaccinating, I am concerned with a few things regarding the federal recommendations for vaccinating in this country.<br /><br />First, I find that the number of doses in the schedule is very large. Is it truly necessary to inject children with this many different types of vaccines? How can this be healthy for a young child whose immune system is still developing? I realize that your organization deems these vaccinations safe for children, however it just seems hard to swallow the fact that, while each vaccine may be safe in itself, so many vaccines in such a short period of time is not going to overwhelm the immune system, wreaking havoc and possibly causing health issues that did not previously exist.<br /><br />Secondly, how does your organization respond to the studies out there that question the safety of the ingredients in these vaccines? Pregnant women and children are discouraged from eating certain types of fish due to the levels of mercury, however the vaccines in your recommended schedule contain more mercury than is deemed safe for children to ingest. Also, there is aluminum, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, there are the studies that link SV-40 to cancer. I realize that many of these issues are still being researched, however if there is even a minute chance these studies could be accurate, is it fair to pressure families into injecting these substances into their children’s bodies without questioning the possible effects?<br /><br />Finally, while I understand that your organization must take into consideration the health of the general population when creating these recommendations, I urge you to rethink them in the considerations of the rights of parents who choose not to vaccinate based on religious, personal or philosophical reasons. It is very hard for these parents to enroll their children in school or to discuss the different options with their doctor without being ridiculed, swayed or pressured to vaccinate. There is a reason we live in a free country, and I would hope that your organization would honor and encourage the freedom of choice with respect to medical considerations within a family. <br /><br />As a concerned future parent, I ask three things of your organization. One, that you would be more forthright with information regarding the vaccines, including the ingredients and possible side effects, so that parents may make well-informed decisions regarding vaccination. Two, that you would re-think the vaccination schedule and consider raising the age of certain vaccines, in order to give the immune system a chance to develop before these children receive their vaccinations. Three, I respectfully ask that you would address the laws concerning school-age children who are not vaccinated and are enrolling in school. It should be a parent’s choice whether or not to vaccinate, and laws should reflect this freedom of choice.<br /><br />Best Regards,<br /><br />Laura Caudill<br /><br /><br />WORKS CITED<br /><br />Bookchin, Debbie and Jim Schumacher. The Virus and the Vaccine. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2004.<br />Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Deborah Mitchell. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. New York: Wellness Central, 2001.<br /><br />Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? Santa Fe: New Atlantean Press, 2002.<br /><br />Allen, Arthur. Vaccine. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007.<br /><br />Vaccines? Assesing the Risks and Benefits. Perf. Dr. Jay Gordon. Choices Video, 2008.<br /><br />Vaccinations. <http://www.tuberose.com/Vaccinations.html><br /><br />Ingredients and Side Effects. < http://www.knowvaccines.com/aboutus.htm.><br /><br />Vaccination Liberation Information. 24 March, 2005. < http://www.vaclib.org/intro/present/index.htm#5><br /><br /><br />Please keep in mind, this was not the final paper I turned in. I did submit it as my rough draft, but had to completely edit the paper because it was too long and it was too persuasive, and the assignment was to give information about a topic and let the reader decide. I guess I got really caught up in writing the essay. So I re-wrote it, and here is my final submission:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Infant and Childhood Vaccines: <br />Preventing an Epidemic, or Creating One?</span><br /><br /><br />“Vaccine: a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, it’s products or its synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease. (Oxford American Dictionary).” In this standard definition, you can find a few key phrases that remind us of the original purpose for vaccinating infants and children, such as “provide immunity” and “act as an antigen without inducing the disease.” It’s interesting to me, then, that more and more vaccine research shows us that these vaccines really aren’t doing what they are supposed to be doing, yet our pediatricians and M.D.’s are encouraging us to vaccinate our little ones more than ever before.<br /><br />THE HISTORY OF VACCINES, AND A LOOK AT HOW THEY WORK<br /><br />The idea of vaccines was developed sometime around 1796 by a British physician, Edward Jenner, who “believed that dairy maids who had caught cowpox could not catch smallpox (Miller, 13).” Jenner infected a young boy with cowpox and after the boy caught the disease, Jenner injected him with smallpox, with no effect. This was the first recorded vaccination. In the years following, Jenner met with criticism from other physicians as they debated the efficacy and safety of using an animal disease to treat humans, so it was clear another approach was needed. “During that time, [Louis] Pasteur [who developed a rabies vaccine for humans in 1885] enhanced the concept of attenuation, which is the use of a weakened form of a virus to provide immunity. Pasteur found that a weakened form of chicken cholera (an attenuated form) was highly effective in preventing disease. Attenuated vaccines are widely used today. (Cave, 13).” <br /><br />Most vaccines today contain some form of the virus it is vaccinating against. This is because “The main purpose of a vaccine is to stimulate the formation of antibodies at a concentration high enough to stop the pathogen in its tracks... as long as you maintain a certain concentration for a specific disease, you have immunity (Cave, 7).” However, how does the vaccine include the virus? What other ingredients are used in these vaccines to help the body react appropriately to them? <br /><br />First, before we answer those questions, let’s look at how vaccines work in the immune system so that we can then understand why they formulate vaccines the way they do. Vaccines, essentially “trick” the immune system. “The vaccine is made from an antigen [or toxin] produced from the disease-causing microorganism. The vaccine is injected into the blood stream. The B cells in the blood stream respond to the antigen by producing antibodies. The antibodies bind to the antigen to "neutralize" or inactivate it. In addition, memory cells are produced and remain ready to mount a quick protective immune response against subsequent infection with the same disease-causing agent. (http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/making_vaccines.php).”<br /><br /> It makes perfect sense that a vaccine would be effective in an adult’s body, then, but consider the way an infant or child’s immune system may react. The immune system strengthens as we grow by responding to natural challenges in the environment. There are those of the opinion that the immune system of an infant is, in fact, “relatively complete upon birth” and that a breast-fed infant will even have the added benefit of receiving the mother’s antibodies through the breast milk, assisting the immune system in completing any unfinished development (http://www.immune.org.nz/?t=899). There are also those of the opinion that it’s not fully developed yet. “When the vaccine virus is injected directly into the child’s bloodstream, it gains access to all of the major tissues and organs of the body without the body’s normal advantage of a total immune response. (Miller, 89).” One conclusion that could be made from the conflicting theories is that no one really knows exactly how developed an infant’s immune system is upon birth, or how exactly it might react to vaccines at such an early age.<br /><br />HOW MANY VACCINES DO CHILDREN NEED, AND WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF?<br /><br />Today, most pediatricians along with the US government recommend a vaccine schedule that includes more than thirty-one doses before they even reach kindergarten age, with the first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth. The following table is the Center for Disease Control’s recommended vaccination schedule, which is approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5t5Ki_x0EtBGMJllukleuKV_ZfBaaADYYdpu8Xk8isPGkrnmZeBcOX4UBc3X-4XgL8peHn-jEiRyec-8jonMujNSNr18QC_pqhcODCirKc7qbRDiA2HtkqKUksRu_Mer1peiP9Es9g/s1600-h/chart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5t5Ki_x0EtBGMJllukleuKV_ZfBaaADYYdpu8Xk8isPGkrnmZeBcOX4UBc3X-4XgL8peHn-jEiRyec-8jonMujNSNr18QC_pqhcODCirKc7qbRDiA2HtkqKUksRu_Mer1peiP9Es9g/s400/chart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287108348813251602" /></a> <br /><br /><br />“Approximately 100 years ago, children were on the receiving end of one vaccine, smallpox. Approximately 40 years ago there were five vaccines being promoted: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and smallpox. Usually the child received eight shots of one kind or another by age two. A detailed count reveals that kids now get 52 vaccines via 15 shots by age 16 months, if parents stand still for the shots recommended by AMA medicine (http://www.tuberose.com/Vaccinations.html).” <br /><br />Does this large amount of injections in such a short time period seem excessive? The American Academy of Pediatrics says it’s perfectly safe. “Infants and children are exposed to many germs every day just by playing, eating, and breathing. Their immune systems fight those germs, also called antigens, to keep the body healthy. The amount of antigens that children fight every day (2,000-6,000) is much more than the antigens in any combination of vaccines on the current schedule (150 for the whole schedule). So, children’s immune systems are not overwhelmed by vaccines. (http://www.cispimmunize.org/pro/pdf/Vaccineschedule.pdf).” <br /> <br />However, some parents, and even more interestingly, a growing number of physicians believe it is, in fact, excessive and that it can even be dangerous. Dr. Donald W Miller, Jr., MD, writes, “Public health officials…have not proven that it is indeed safe to inject this many vaccines into infants. What's more, they cannot explain why, concurrent with an increasing number of vaccinations, there has been an explosion of neurological and immune system disorders in our nation’s children. (http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller15.html).” <br /><br />What about the ingredients in vaccines? First, obviously, is either a live or dead form of the virus. The virus is usually incubated or harvested in an animal or human medium such as chick embryo, pig pancreas tissue, monkey kidney tissue or even aborted human fetal tissue. Then, the additives, preservatives and anti-bacterial agents consisting of things like formaldehyde, questionably safe metals like mercury and aluminum, MSG, antifreeze (although this ingredient is debated, depending on the resource), and possible cancer-causing agents such as Polysorbate 80 and Beta-propiolactone are included. (Bookchin, 163). As vaccine manufacturers are required to release the ingredient information, the list of ingredients is easily obtainable knowledge to anyone who seeks it and therefore not something that leaves much room for question. The safety, necessity and volume of these ingredients in vaccines, however, are hotly debated issues among medical professionals, parents and child safety advocates. “Research focusing on possible correlations between vaccines, autoimmune diseases, and neurologically-based disorders (i.e., multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, cancer and AIDS) is just beginning (Miller, 89).”<br /><br />A CLOSER LOOK AT MERCURY<br /><br />A concerned parent or advocate could research each of these ingredients individually and find out if they might or might not be dangerous to the human body. However, let’s focus on just one of these ingredients: mercury. It is known that mercury, in the form of thimerosal, a preservative, has been used in common vaccines for many years. Is it safe? There are two sides to every story.<br /><br />In the Hepatitis B vaccine alone, there is “12.5 micrograms of mercury (thimerosal), which is more than twenty-five times the EPA ‘safe level’ of 0.1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day (Cave, 62).” By the time the child has been given the suggested doses of Hep B, plus the Hib and DTP vaccines at six months of age, they had received 187.5 mcg of mercury, which can not be filtered out of the body as bile production does not begin until after six months of age. <br /><br />Vaccine manufacturers and some doctors say, however, that the amount of mercury in vaccines began to be reduced or almost eliminated in 1999. Interestingly, the form of mercury (ethyl mercury) used in vaccines has been found to leave the blood faster than other types, and it’s possible the levels of this type used in vaccines may never have been dangerous to begin with. The type of mercury that is used in the safety research, and the kind most people are familiar with is the type found in fish: methyl mercury. (http://children.webmd.com/vaccines/news/20080130/vaccine-mercury-leaves-blood-fast). <br /><br />While many parents may blame mercury for causing Autism, ADD or other illnesses in their children, it’s clear more research is needed and this concern seems to be echoed even among manufacturers. “More research is planned to evaluate if the thimerosal in vaccines poses a risk to children (http://www.immunizationinfo.org/thimerosal_mercury_detail.cfv?id=3).”<br /><br />VACCINES AND AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS<br /> <br />In the United States, the incidence of autoimmune disorders – disorders where the immune system produces antibodies against natural presences in the body- are higher than they have ever been in history. “There are a rising numbers of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile diaetes, pediatric asthma, pediatric Chrohn’s disease, and Guillain-Barre syndrom (progressive muscle weakness). Behind cancer and heart disease, autoimmune disease is now the third leading cause of illness in the United States (Cave, 79-80)…” <br /> <br /> Some speculate that the huge number of vaccines given to children before their immune system has fully developed is changing or damaging their immune systems. Further, it’s questioned whether the new ‘combined’ vaccines could be creating reactions never seen before. <br /><br />The immune system is designed to find and attack ‘enemy’ germs and organisms. However, when you inject these foreign cells into an otherwise healthy body, rather than letting them enter naturally as in contracting an illness, it is possible for the alien cells to fuse with the healthy cells instead and then the immune system can no longer differentiate between them. This confusion of the immune system can cause it to “either invade its own cells (causing cancer), or ignore danger signs altogether, leaving the organism vulnerable to any number of autoimmune diseases (Miller, 90).” <br /><br />Some researchers relate this vaccine reaction to the way the human body has responded to antibiotics. Over the years as antibiotics have been developed to destroy disease causing bacteria, the bacteria has learned to mutate, therefore we find diseases that are no longer responding to antibiotics. “Health experts have noticed that antibiotics are becoming less and less effective as people use them more and more. This happens because of antibiotic resistance, a problem that develops when antibiotics are overused or misused. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2601/is_0000/ai_2601000093)”<br /><br /><br />WHY YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO VACCINATE, YOUR RIGHTS, AND THE FUTURE OF VACCINES<br /><br />There are many studies now that show that rates of disease were steadily decreasing before the corresponding vaccine was ever introduced. There are even studies that show that, with some illnesses, the rate increased again after the vaccine began being used, indicating that they were actually infecting people with these vaccines rather than building their immunity against these diseases. “The oral [Polio] vaccine…has been shown to cause polio – about ten cases per year – and so after January 1, 2000 it was no longer recommended for use in the United States except in limited circumstances (Cave, 167).” <br /> <br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY5yYRtGQS7TN7YpkLBWVdeWLdIIwlROg9oTmOdTBcD-azRZa4_B9BJZoLA3YzbAVZnk26OSyjUT-aQhGHYz9TLDUEIquXqg_OQ7Iq0Z_E5JS6rGcSiPIbW2x4F9GfwQQ_koYlzSecw/s1600-h/Measles.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY5yYRtGQS7TN7YpkLBWVdeWLdIIwlROg9oTmOdTBcD-azRZa4_B9BJZoLA3YzbAVZnk26OSyjUT-aQhGHYz9TLDUEIquXqg_OQ7Iq0Z_E5JS6rGcSiPIbW2x4F9GfwQQ_koYlzSecw/s200/Measles.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104742502528194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4-C7dQc1moDax2S2RUoSQHpferjraVdcJXCRPjvFxQeaDNvUCtke-9gp0XIhlU3U1S2Ankz7wg4EXYBhO95HDfCc8_a1qM5IeHfni9DFpLFNSvt19uyUQ0X0o6r6TFFfqj886wQJKg/s1600-h/Scarlet+Fever.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4-C7dQc1moDax2S2RUoSQHpferjraVdcJXCRPjvFxQeaDNvUCtke-9gp0XIhlU3U1S2Ankz7wg4EXYBhO95HDfCc8_a1qM5IeHfni9DFpLFNSvt19uyUQ0X0o6r6TFFfqj886wQJKg/s200/Scarlet+Fever.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104741453609154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv7wyP6bMzR1w3ox0txQ1InwwPDRb3VEiECJrhkv5NqdDjEn5LBU5T5utEO0PPUo088MXI-A11dBo07E5sGKrOChcBkriVhb7arxMJqjPm43fNGZvQZplgUNQhhd-n4pB4r-cykmI2A/s1600-h/Typhoid.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv7wyP6bMzR1w3ox0txQ1InwwPDRb3VEiECJrhkv5NqdDjEn5LBU5T5utEO0PPUo088MXI-A11dBo07E5sGKrOChcBkriVhb7arxMJqjPm43fNGZvQZplgUNQhhd-n4pB4r-cykmI2A/s200/Typhoid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104737396889026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9Xy9AfnA50b8T0_Ri-fklVQs-9X8AKYywV_c7AYEKcA16BzbenGzvtPHW3y30MVyxPii3WbW-2bljkSWbvjXNqJWIeV7eg7rKKygs3L1ciYNgKm77pGPhplmF-JNJ5SB4Xqhle_7Lw/s1600-h/Polio.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9Xy9AfnA50b8T0_Ri-fklVQs-9X8AKYywV_c7AYEKcA16BzbenGzvtPHW3y30MVyxPii3WbW-2bljkSWbvjXNqJWIeV7eg7rKKygs3L1ciYNgKm77pGPhplmF-JNJ5SB4Xqhle_7Lw/s200/Polio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287104740266985970" /></a><br /> <br /><br />Photos: http://www.vaclib.org/intro/present/index.htm#5<br /><br />Not all experts agree with these studies. There are arguments against this, such as the fact that the population has increased since the 1800’s, skewing the numbers. Another argument is that these rates are based on death rates due to poor conditions. “What was changing before vaccines became available was the death rate from some of these diseases. Improvements in social and economic conditions led to declining death rates for many common diseases. Children who are healthy and well-nourished are much less likely to die from measles or pertussis than malnourished children. (http://www.bccdc.org/content.php?item=19).”<br /><br />Some argue that the drug companies are the force behind the push to vaccinate from doctors and the medical community. It’s true that the vaccine manufacturer Wyeth funds non-profit programs like Every Child By Two (which promotes the passage of laws designed to require children to be vaccinated before entering school) and the CDC (which is trying to enforce mass vaccinations) (http://www.whale.to/vaccine/handley1.html). You just need to look deep enough to get the information. Also, physicians who use the vaccinations in their offices receive numerous perks from these companies, such as free lunches and dinners and gifts. This is common practice for the medical community among drug manufacturers of all kinds. However, does this mean that potential for these companies to make money is the only reason we are encouraged to vaccinate?<br /><br />New vaccines are being developed every day. It is rumored that the new cervical cancer vaccine will eventually be added to the recommended vaccine schedule for female children. There is a diarrhea vaccine that has just been developed and released, making it, interestingly, the most expensive vaccine on the market today (Vaccines: Assessing the Risks and Benefits). There are also vaccines being developed for autoimmune diseases such as cerebal palsy and certain types of arthritis.<br /><br />If you are, or hope one day to become, a parent, you do have rights. You can choose to vaccinate on schedule, delay vaccinations, have them separated into single doses, or even choose not to vaccinate at all. In most states, you can file an exemption with your child’s school, citing either personal or religious reasons for not vaccinating. “Even though all states require children to receive specific vaccines before they can attend school, every state also allows at least one exemption, and many offer two and even three to that mandate. (Cave, p. 251). It’s important to check with the state’s health department to find out the regulations in your state.<br /><br />It’s true and wonderful that vaccines have been helpful through our country’s history to save hundreds of thousands of lives and eliminate widespread disease. To continue this trend, we should take a good look at the amount, frequency and appropriateness of the vaccines that are recommended for our children today, and determine if they are safe. We should also look deeper into whether or not these vaccine ingredients are affecting children who have been immunized. We need to encourage each other to be responsible in doing our research, to ask questions of our doctors and our government, and to advocate for the health and safety of our children. <br /><br />WORKS CITED<br /><br />Bookchin, Debbie and Jim Schumacher. The Virus and the Vaccine. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2004.<br />Cave, M.D., Stephanie and Deborah Mitchell. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations. New York: Wellness Central, 2001.<br /><br />Miller, Neil Z. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? Santa Fe: New Atlantean Press, 2002.<br /><br />Allen, Arthur. Vaccine. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007.<br /><br />Vaccines? Assesing the Risks and Benefits. Perf. Dr. Jay Gordon. Choices Video, 2008.<br /><br />Vaccinations. <http://www.tuberose.com/Vaccinations.html><br /><br />Ingredients and Side Effects. < http://www.knowvaccines.com/aboutus.htm.><br /><br />Vaccination Liberation Information. 24 March, 2005. < http://www.vaclib.org/intro/present/index.htm#5><br /><br />Making Vaccines. < http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/making_vaccines.php><br /><br />"The immune system, infants and immunization.” Health Professionals Online Resource Centre. 2004. <http://www.immune.org.nz/?t=899><br /><br />“The Childhood Immunization Schedule: Why Is It Like That?” American Academy of Pediatrics. <http://www.cispimmunize.org/pro/pdf/Vaccineschedule.pdf><br /><br />“Thimerosal: Mercury in Vaccines.” National Network for Immunization Information. 6 Aug 2008. <http://www.immunizationinfo.org/thimerosal_mercury_detail.cfv?id=3>..<br /><br />Ross-Flannigan, Nancy. “Antibiotics.” Find Articles.com. <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2601/is_0000/ai_2601000093><br /><br />“Immunization FAQ’s.” BC Centre for Disease Control.11 Dec 2006. <http://www.bccdc.org/content.php?item=19>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-73287007223336231232008-12-13T10:36:00.000-08:002008-12-13T12:16:15.511-08:00The Unexpected Keeping of Christ in Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvId1xNgFHUS46p-NmQXDy-Rf4UWJHiEpvNboQHfxkcmvfAMER1FZfXQlpaMDst-ut5vDAA_wxPq7ZMgGMcOmJtUe6SVk83n4_QJ_fuylVkEF_WSYeQn52GNvlb1Gwre5Vcq3qqgAGjQ/s1600-h/walmart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvId1xNgFHUS46p-NmQXDy-Rf4UWJHiEpvNboQHfxkcmvfAMER1FZfXQlpaMDst-ut5vDAA_wxPq7ZMgGMcOmJtUe6SVk83n4_QJ_fuylVkEF_WSYeQn52GNvlb1Gwre5Vcq3qqgAGjQ/s200/walmart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279347193209308546" /></a><br /><br /><br />Ah, Walmart. The 'evil' empire that people just love to hate (and yet most of them still shop there). Just mention the company name in a public setting and you won't have to wait long for the bashing to begin. Growing up with a father who has worked for Walmart for the last 18 years, I've not been a stranger to the comments and am perfectly aware of the overall negative public image of this company. I can even see the validity of some of the points that are made, however I must stand up for Walmart. As an employee of Walmart and as a truck driver, my father has been treated with more respect and honor than any other company I know treats professionals in his field. He has been paid a fair, possibly even generous, salary, and has been able to more than support our family over the years. I have seen the pride he takes in his job grow over the last almost two decades as he has been repeatedly promoted and rewarded for his performance, and have attended many of the functions put on by Walmart that celebrate their employees. Most of my father's coworkers have become like family to us and to each other, as they have worked together for years and years because they are treated so well and enjoy their job so much. In fact, most of the drivers see Walmart as the ultimate goal in their career path because their reputation in the industry--they are known for treating their drivers with the utmost respect and fairness.<br /><br />Today was my father's work Christmas party. Notice I said "CHRISTMAS" party--not "holiday" party. That's because Walmart is not afraid to call it what it is, a Christmas party. In this day and age of PC-ism, of stores and people being afraid to offend someone by merely uttering the word Christmas, this alone should be a reason to applaud Walmart. But it gets better, folks. As the opening speaker welcomed the crowd, he asked us to think about the reason for the season. He chose to recite the following poem to help us to keep Jesus central this Christmas:<br /><br />This Christmas...Let's Give a Little Jesus, a thoughtful word or deed, an act of generosity for someone who's in need. Let's Give a Little Jesus to everyone we meet--the salesclerk or the server, the person on the street. Let's Give a Little Jesus, that's what really counts--not what's spent or bought, for whom, in what amounts. Let's Give a Little Jesus to everyone, large or small...for Jesus, the Messiah, is the Greatest Gift of All<br /><br />I have to tell you, I was shocked. Here is a room full of hundreds of people who all work for this so-called evil corporation, yet this man has no fear bringing Jesus up. I had goosebumps, I swear. I could not believe that I was at a non-church or non-Christian event and here was a man freely speaking of Jesus without worrying about creating some kind of outrage. You could really tell that he believed in what he was saying, and it was powerful (even if the poem was a little cheesy). <br /><br />But then. THEN. The unthinkable happened. Just before we were being dismissed to the breakfast buffet, this man asked us to bow our heads in prayer. He prayed a heartfelt prayer for us, asking Jesus to be with us and to bless each one of our families this season. He prayed for our food and asked that Jesus nourish us with it. He prayed for peace and for the families out there who do not have jobs right now and are struggling to get by. He thanked Jesus for a roomful of people who still have their jobs, even in this economy. Amen.<br /><br />As far as I could tell, everyone in that room bowed their heads along with him and prayed; it did not seem that anyone was offended or put off by him saying a blessing before the meal. <br /><br />The rest of the party went the way many work parties do...the usual door prizes and acknowledgements and that sort of thing. However, each one of the speakers mentioned at least once that we need to focus on the real reason for Christmas, and to remember that there are others out there who are not able to afford gifts and things for their families this year. Walmart has so many ways that they are giving back to communities all over the United States and while they did not flaunt it, they did mention some of them in order to urge each employee to do their part to give back as well. Honestly, it was very tactful and it really seemed as if these managers felt strongly about what they were saying. It was encouraging.<br /><br />While I believe that there are things that Walmart as a large corporation does need to address, I am more proud than ever to say that my father works for this company. I hope that Walmart continues to set this kind of example to their employees.Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-77878739442189788532008-11-04T17:02:00.000-08:002008-12-07T07:23:38.693-08:00Cloth Obsession<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG5tM7TwZ-XB_H64xXFAVzrWsWgC6Atn-gHBPmeqxbVqXJZERHogitz0k7lsLq5tsBvkM9e6h4Z5a0wXfXptQ02Wno3S1zo0vnmZkwPtXM1dBNLKUxnDwcBk1r0Rp6FrjcUESBnDXAg/s1600-h/diaper+clip+art.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG5tM7TwZ-XB_H64xXFAVzrWsWgC6Atn-gHBPmeqxbVqXJZERHogitz0k7lsLq5tsBvkM9e6h4Z5a0wXfXptQ02Wno3S1zo0vnmZkwPtXM1dBNLKUxnDwcBk1r0Rp6FrjcUESBnDXAg/s200/diaper+clip+art.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264973121344047106" /></a><br /><br />I am officially obsessed with cloth diapers. Ever since deciding on them for my future little one, I have been researching and researching and researching the different options and have finally graduated from 'completely overwhelmed' into 'figuring it out' and finally into my current 'officially obsessed' state. It's amazing, all of the choices and decisions there are to make when cloth diapering...I honestly had no idea.<br /><br />Once I decided on cloth, I then began the task of choosing the right 'stash' for my 'LO'. (Keep up, people, this is diaper lingo. 'Stash' refers to, well, one's stash of cloth diapers and 'LO' means little one, or the baby.) Prefolds and covers, AIO's (all in ones), pockets...the possibilities are endless. It's also an investment, but one that pays off in the long run. While doing my research, I found diaperswappers.com. You can buy, sell, trade, ask questions and communicate with other cloth diapering moms. I have been able to build a nice stash without going broke, and I'll be able to try out different things without the commitment since most of the cloth holds its value extremely well upon reselling. <br /><br />Most people think I've chosen cloth for the environmental aspect, and while that is a definite factor, it's also extremely cute and better for baby's skin. What mom can deny that a cloth diaper paired with baby legs is the cutest thing ever?? <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP-UHTGqioz-heBwaP4_2WEvueLG4-ksOWiqkCuwi5Q9KIPYfJLytg8ZhytQNQx3FTaWdCxhbE3Ehd7PTofKmCzHWrJbEqBlSExwgdrLL-Lr9G7UhiAuhWBUh3XMPnTBLm0glYgaaKA/s1600-h/baby_legs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP-UHTGqioz-heBwaP4_2WEvueLG4-ksOWiqkCuwi5Q9KIPYfJLytg8ZhytQNQx3FTaWdCxhbE3Ehd7PTofKmCzHWrJbEqBlSExwgdrLL-Lr9G7UhiAuhWBUh3XMPnTBLm0glYgaaKA/s200/baby_legs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277068752864637634" /></a>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-10433399292432566992008-10-31T17:13:00.000-07:002008-10-31T17:58:13.507-07:00Amazing (Love)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwukI8VzO93P7VsLKJFGBEbDuE6n5JJqa4y4xms36vqEhkEUBJcbUH7t5OtjG_0kvKdz-hI5IaNFFKXplUBk3BipCjL87vtNVe9_PR6jYnTCHocvD8Yj4Hdrfq3cZ5dAkvAor7-K82g/s1600-h/040213_jimCaviezel_bcol.widec.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwukI8VzO93P7VsLKJFGBEbDuE6n5JJqa4y4xms36vqEhkEUBJcbUH7t5OtjG_0kvKdz-hI5IaNFFKXplUBk3BipCjL87vtNVe9_PR6jYnTCHocvD8Yj4Hdrfq3cZ5dAkvAor7-K82g/s200/040213_jimCaviezel_bcol.widec.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263475968430207234" /></a><br /><br /><br />I love love songs. I especially love well-lyricized love songs. Sometimes when I listen to these songs (and sing along at the top of my lungs) I find myself longing for that kind of love. I wonder if it really exists, or if it's just something everyone else is looking for too and that's why it's such a popular theme for music and movies and books and TV.<br /><br />Then about a week ago, I realized something. That love DOES exist, and I am a recipient of it. Today, right now, I am loved that much. The love I'm talking about it even better than the love in these songs. It's a life-changing, life-saving kind of love. The kind of love that makes your heart sing with joy, the kind of love that makes you feel lighter than a feather even though the plenitude of this love is so great that you can't believe you can hold it all in your heart. The love of Jesus.<br /><br />I feel like I'm opening my eyes for the first time. I've learned that God has this love for me, but I never really understood it and I had a hard time feeling like I was loving God back in the same way. I would think to myself, "I love God, but do I LOVE God?" And I felt guilty because I wasn't sure if I knew how. Turns out, all I needed to do was ask Him, because he not only showed me, he showered me with it! And when He did, I realized something else: loving God is not something I had to learn how to do. It's something that's always been there but was floating around under the surface just waiting to be released. Christ released it for me, and now I understand that part of experiencing the fullness of His love is loving him back with all of my heart. Praise God and His love for us!!<br /><br />The Love of Christ Is Rich and Free<br /><br />The love of Christ is rich and free;<br />Fixed on His own eternally;<br />Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;<br />Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.<br /><br />His loving heart engaged to be<br />Their everlasting Surety;<br />’Twas love that took their cause in hand,<br />And love maintains it to the end.<br /><br />Love cannot from its post withdraw;<br />Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,<br />Can turn the Surety’s heart away;<br />He’ll love His own to endless day.<br /><br />Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;<br />And love will bring them safe to God;<br />Love calls them all from death to life;<br />And love will finish all their strife.<br /><br />He loves through every changing scene,<br />Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;<br />Not all the wanderings of her heart<br />Can make His love for her depart.<br /><br />At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love;<br />In endless bliss, His own shall prove<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The blazing glory of that love<br />Which never could from them remove. </span></span>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-91845379931852344512008-10-09T09:45:00.000-07:002008-10-09T10:31:54.942-07:00Independently Happy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjri12ZUMAWLHmbjU1qipzT7uhGVbb4ynmLsg_fGthPS94TESF9Ponesw9nDKdvzoAgDaRETck5p2BuSLzYgSbHEzs1n1rndljXu0HHcxLH1LGT7DpnRRmTjiHOkHF76g-KUEWWZmHyKQ/s1600-h/in-gods-hands.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjri12ZUMAWLHmbjU1qipzT7uhGVbb4ynmLsg_fGthPS94TESF9Ponesw9nDKdvzoAgDaRETck5p2BuSLzYgSbHEzs1n1rndljXu0HHcxLH1LGT7DpnRRmTjiHOkHF76g-KUEWWZmHyKQ/s200/in-gods-hands.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255207940663244482" /></a><br />As I settle into my second trimester, my sickness gone, my appetite back and my mood improved, I am beginning to realize on a deeper level why God desires us to have children within a marriage. I find myself praying to Jesus, asking Him to be the husband I need right now. It's very hard and very lonely to be pregnant and alone. By alone, I don't mean physically alone, as my parents are incredibly supportive and of course I live with them, and my friends have been wonderful and caring and giving, and I have my sister and my niece who are so excited already. However, it's different when it's your own child. When I lay in bed at night and feel my little girl moving around inside me, it's a very humbling and awe-filled experience, creating an intense emotional response. But there's no one next to me, who I can say, "feel this!" to, and know that's its not only creating the same emotions in him but also bringing us closer to each other over this incredible gift that God has given. In a way I almost feel more separate from my friends and family than ever before because of my pregnancy. There's so many deep feelings and thoughts going on in my head and they're not the kind of thing you call up a friend and chat about, or bring up at the dinner table with Mom and Dad. <div><br /></div><div>It's safe to say I still have a lot of guilt that is preventing me from fully enjoying this experience as well, and I'm working on that every day. I do believe that God has a plan for my daughter and for me, but it's so hard to see that right now when all I can think of is the stupid, selfish decisions I made that resulted in this situation. I realize that what I'm going through now emotionally is a direct result of my sin and I am responsible for those decisions but I don't always know what is the right thing to do now that I have come back into the fold of God's love and grace and have repented for those things. </div><div><br /></div><div> I know God will continue to provide me with what I need to get through this and I know that he will provide for my child as well. Praise God, He has already made sure I have what I need and enabled me to make it even when I thought I wouldn't, both financially and emotionally. Please just pray that God will also fill my heart with peace and surety, that He will be my child's true and real Father and that he will be the Husband there next to me when I need Him to be. </div>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-45702301401733744872008-09-17T13:37:00.000-07:002008-09-17T14:00:33.542-07:00Breakfast After 10<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxPsgD9gjJPCj67QWQMzO3CgSh8Z5os33xyDyElq_Y9Y7lS9u9n4gct2Hwu6rrOLgGToscCKpTl11CCmxplaTzl9UfBImU9BR9W8byPEKrorGfNWpGrxUw8P6ThYc8xcUltlaM7gDzg/s1600-h/jesus.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxPsgD9gjJPCj67QWQMzO3CgSh8Z5os33xyDyElq_Y9Y7lS9u9n4gct2Hwu6rrOLgGToscCKpTl11CCmxplaTzl9UfBImU9BR9W8byPEKrorGfNWpGrxUw8P6ThYc8xcUltlaM7gDzg/s200/jesus.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247097517397801506" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Our new 'season' of the Wednesday morning women's Bible study I attend began this morning. I love, love, love this group and I'm so thankful that God originally called me to it last year. It was an enormous factor in my growth in my faith throughout the year last year and I made some awesome new friends, as well as getting to know some previous acquaintances on a deeper level. There are some new faces this time around and I'm excited to develop new relationships with these women as well.<div><br /></div><div>I always feel so refreshed after leaving the church, so connected and more understood than I ever have felt anywhere else. The way we are able to open up and discuss the Gospel and Jesus freely with each other, without judgement and reservations is just incredible. Plus, the food's always good, too. I struggle with so much sin in my life and I can get really down on myself trying to deal with it on my own. I start to feel lonely and ugly and scared and depressed. However, getting these fears and failures off my chest and sharing in the hope and love of Jesus in the company of these women just uplifts me in a way I could never explain. Having the assurance that I'm not alone in my struggles goes a long way in refreshing my spirit and preparing my heart for another week out there in our broken, sinful world. </div><div><br /></div><div>I pray that God will continue to bless our group and His Spirit will dwell among us as this year as we study the Gospel of Mark.</div>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-67115618412249245262008-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:002008-09-09T07:43:32.416-07:00Flavors of Entanglement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmwno7fM9cJ6yVRnfSzO-riTk9S3Gj5K56XNAcASmYPd5RFb2y_HAD6iFwkx0te-tVynj59QbfRPxvd6HIBnLKPSoi224L8ymtyYgQcQ1KL4CMQLzJ_I7vSFdz8nWXy5hWRSeZimhpg/s1600-h/alanis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmwno7fM9cJ6yVRnfSzO-riTk9S3Gj5K56XNAcASmYPd5RFb2y_HAD6iFwkx0te-tVynj59QbfRPxvd6HIBnLKPSoi224L8ymtyYgQcQ1KL4CMQLzJ_I7vSFdz8nWXy5hWRSeZimhpg/s320/alanis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244025783602669394" border="0" /></a>It's no secret (at least, I don't think it is) that I've been an Alanis Morissette fan for a very long time. I own all of her albums and they get frequent play time on the ol' iPod. I've struggled with it because I guess I feel like she's kind of a cliche', like angry chic-rock music or something, but the truth is, she is an incredibly talented musician. She writes all of her own music, plays many different instruments and often her albums are surprisingly complex and highly personal accounts of her life that she is not afraid to share with the free world.<br /><br />Her new album, Flavors of Entanglement, is no exception. At first listen, I wasn't totally sold on it. I was having a hard time getting into the newer style she tries out, which is a little less "raw" and a little more "produced," for lack of better terms. However, after about the fourth full listen, something just kind of clicked, and I understood where she was going with this new sound. Suddenly, it made perfect sense. I had chosen a few songs that I liked and those were the only ones I listened to, but after the epiphany I went back and re-visited the album in its entirety and I heard it in a new way. Since then, I haven't been able to listen to anything else. <br /><br />It's the perfect break-up music, without being bitter. She's saying, I'm sad it's over, I still think you're great, but we're better this way. She's saying, I've grown, I'm not perfect, but I'm comfortable with me. She's saying, I'm not looking back, but I'm not trying to forget it all, either. I think those of us who have experienced this type of relationship know, it's hard to get that across without seeming like you're just trying to convince yourself and everyone else that you believe it. However, Alanis manages to tell her story honestly, without any irony at all, <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> it's fun to sing along to.Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-34678242704339825372008-08-29T09:07:00.000-07:002008-08-29T09:29:50.517-07:00Random thoughts and updates for a Friday afternoon<div>I've probably read about 40 books in the last month. Sometimes two or more a day. Novels, non-fiction, everything. I guess it's been an escape of sorts for me. I am reminded of the book Girl Meets God where she gives up reading for Lent. I found it ridiculous that she would consider reading as something she did in place of -or instead of- connecting with God, but now I kind of get it. It's an easy escape and, to me, it's better than TV or a movie, but I can easily lose a whole day in a good book. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm officially in my second trimester of pregnancy, and I'm finally feeling better physically. The morning (um, all day) sickness is dramatically reduced and I'm not so dead tired all of the time. Although, the new "waking-up-at-4-am-STARVING" is not much fun, either. I meet with my new midwife on Tuesday, which I'm super excited about because it will be my first actual confirmation of what's going on inside me (is it a baby? am I sure it's not just gas and I've been confused this whole time?). I'm slowly rising out of my depression/guilt/fear/unbelief and tiptoeing into acceptance and potential -dare I say it?- excitement, which has only been made possible by the loving grace of God. For that, I am so thankful. The thought that God has a plan for this little one is what keeps me going everyday. Praise Him.</div><div><br /></div><div>I start school September 14th, which I am extremely excited about. It will be wonderful to be learning and challenging myself in new ways. I'm not sure what my goals are yet, as far was what I'm studying... they change frequently. I am just trying to keep an open mind and an open heart, and look to God to direct me where He will. I know He'll show me when I'm ready.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-11712149479095689992008-08-27T17:57:00.000-07:002008-08-27T18:26:36.963-07:00Everlasting FriendLately, I've begun to realize how truly and utterly God has blessed me with my wonderful family and friends. These are people who have stood beside me through thick and thin: They have tried to help me even when I thought I didn't need it- taking their advice and dropping it on the side of the road where I thought it belonged- and then welcomed me back with open arms when I came to my senses and came crawling back. As a matter of fact, they didn't even let me crawl back, they helped me pick myself up and dust myself off, and then they hugged me.<br /><br />They have given me food, shelter, and open ears and hearts; they have paid me generously for doing their hair or baby-sitting their children and in doing so helped me rebuild my self-confidence; they have welcomed me into their homes and families in order to remind me that we are all in this thing called Life together.<br /><br />I have enjoyed so many heartfelt and honest conversations with these wonderful people, and have been enormously humbled by the love and support they have given, and continue to give, me. It feels so good to be <span style="font-style: italic;">home</span> again.<br /><br />In the past two months, the Lord has worked graciously in my life in so many ways that I cannot begin to count them all. While I've been focusing on the big picture and selfishly wondering what He could possibly have planned for me, I've practically missed the small (small in the sense of daily, not as in insignificant) but amazing ways he's beginning to put the pieces of my life back together and prepare me for what's to come.Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4641569130928137486.post-26648696130509445662008-08-20T19:05:00.000-07:002008-08-20T19:46:22.124-07:00Weight of the WorldI have been reading a fantastic book called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">God's Story</span> by <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Anne Graham Lotz</span>. It's a really good read for a new Christian, or someone who is interested in Christianity but wants to know more about God and developing a relationship with Him.<div><br /></div><div>There's a section in the prologue where the author discusses the fact that God is not bound by 'time' - that which exists to us on Earth. She has a very clear and direct way of describing this hard-to-fathom (at least for me) truth that makes it relatively easy to comprehend. She manages to delve into the subject and break it down without getting lost or overcomplicated about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the concepts she brings up is predestination. I have discussed this with many of my Christian friends, and there seems to be a divide in the belief that God has already determined our life plan. It's hard for some to believe in both predestination and free will. However, Ms. Lotz has a profound application of God's existence outside the boundaries of time to predestination. She states, "He sees all of your life from beginning to end at one time." In essence, to us, we make a choice and then thirty years later, we might make another choice; to God, He sees those thirty years- in fact, our whole life- happening at one time, because time does not exist to Him. Therefore, He can choose us, yet at the same time, we have free will to choose.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most shocking concept she brings up, however, is a seemingly obvious "if...then" theory that somehow has never occurred to me. I actually gasped aloud as I read it. It's this: If Jesus was God, and God is not bound by time, then isn't it possible that when Jesus was crucified, suffering the sins of the world, he literally suffered an <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">eternity</span> of God's wrath in order to save us? Could it be that those six hours that he hung were actually an ETERNITY to Him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Take a minute to wrap your mind around that. For me, it's been a struggle to truly comprehend Jesus' death and just how much love He had for us in order to die so that we could live. I mean, it was soooo long ago, and it's not like I ever met the Guy when He was here on Earth. Therefore, I constantly ask Him to fill my heart with His Holy Spirit so that I may get a grasp of the depths of His love, a better understanding of Him. However, when I read that Jesus may have hung for a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">timeless eternity</span> on that cross, for some reason it was like a switch flipped on in my brain. I was immediately flooded with this....awe, this immense gratitude for His sacrifice. I realized that I will probably never even come close to understanding what a gift He has given us.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you get a chance to read her book, I highly recommend it.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Laura Vannattahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05562476901180330357noreply@blogger.com1