Daniel Fast for ALL SIX OF US for three weeks Reflections

We started this fast after our church www.liquidchurch.com decided to ask everyone who wanted to, to join in on a 3 week fast of everything but fruits, veggies, nuts, and water similar to what Daniel did in the bible. It is called the "Daniel Fast".  During this time, we prayed for breakthrough in specific areas in our lives. Here is what happened with our family during this extraordinarily interesting time.

So, first week, I will say it. HELL. It was very hard as our bodies were detoxing all of the coffee and sugar that we were not aware had such a hold on our every day lives. Many days laying in bed, headaches, feeling really crappy and not very spiritual at all. BUT, starting on day 1 of the fast we decided to take time out to pray every day for our specific breakthrough (that I will tell you about) and read an encouraging blog from our pastor to one another over our vegan dinner.

What happened for us during this time that I did not expect or even pray for but turned out to be a real specific answer to our prayers was: a unity in our family that we had never experienced. Even though we are a distinct Christian family, it has been a rare occurrence that we have prayed together as a family of six.  We all had the same prayer for breakthrough. We prayed for Hailey's healing.

As many of our friends already know, Hailey, our second child, has Aspergers Syndrome which has all kinds of symptoms but the most significant being that she suffers horribly on a daily basis to just do the normal tasks of life. Her suffering and emotional distress has been a constant source of stress for everyone in the family, but mostly for Hailey.

Hailey was really thrilled that we decided to pray and fast for her. She received our prayers and encouragement with open arms. The most special parts of these prayer times actually were my boys ages 9 and 10 who prayed EARNESTLY for Hailey like I have never heard a child pray before. They cried out to God on Hailey's behalf in desperation for her to be set free from constant torment. If I was God, it would be almost impossible to not hear and answer the sweet, heartfelt prayers flowing from my sons lips. I had never seen them pray so hard in their little lives.

As week one rolled into week two a common trend became apparent. We became a united family that was seeking God as a team for a real breakthrough. I felt united with my kids and husband like never before.

Fasting was okay on some days, hard on others. But for all of us, every time we thought of foods we wished we could be eating, we prayed for Hailey. This resulted in prayer cover over Hailey throughout every day for three weeks.

There was an answer to our prayers. Instead of being exasperated and inpatient about our circumstances with a teen or sister with special needs, we started to have empathy again. To believe again for God to move in our family and became a united force of support on Hailey's behalf.

We moved from anger to forgiveness. From frustration to patience. From disappointment to hope. Most importantly, we became a family who locked arms around Hailey to provide a hedge of protection and love around our little girl who is not so little anymore. We broke the fast this weekend on Hailey's 14th Birthday by all laying hands on her and praying for her future. Following that, we made a bee line for IHOP and  enjoyed diving into a stack of pancakes!

We all stand together now, united to help and support Hailey as God brings her through each season of life to accomplish His purposes for her. To give her a hope and a future.

Hailey's mom,

Tracy:)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

So yes, I know as you do that High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you and your kids. But new news just hit the press that I had to share with you. The Washington Post released new information that almost HALF of the tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Admin. to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply" the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

I don't want to have to type the whole article so here is the just:

a non-profit watch-dog group, found that nearly one in three of 55 brand named foods contained mercury.

Four plants in GA, TN, OH and W. Vir still use mercury cell technology in the preprocessing of HFCS that leads to contamination.

Find the source of this article at:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

Basically as many of you know, mercury in shots are what many parents are blaming for Autism. Could it instead be the ketchup we are dipping our chicken nuggets into and the peanut butter we are spreading on their sandwiches? I have done some reading on this, and in my studies I have found that not all but some children can not handle the metal/mercury overload and have neurological effects of Autism possible from the metal overload in their system. Over 65% of kids with Autism who have had their mercury levels tested have levels off of the charts one of my books shares.

I recommend if you have a child or educate a child with ADD, ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, PDD, reading the following book for more information. "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics - Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies" By Kenneth Bock, M.D.

That's all for now, only organic Ketchup for us from now on, no more Arizona Iced Teas for me and def. only natural peanut butter in our home from now on. We have to do what we can with the information we have. Hope this is helpful to you and your family in some small way.

Tracy:)

6 Early Warning Signs that a child may have Autism

Today I want to talk about Autism. That way, if I meet someone with questions, I can refer them to my blog so that I do not forget to mention some of the most important warning signs. Sometimes one sentence spoken to someone can make all the difference in the world for them. SO here we go...

Lack of basic information about Autism can lead you down years of doctor appointments and tests with no real answers. Even worse, you may take no action at all because the things your child is doing that set off warning bells in your head, you assume, they will eventually grow out of it or maybe they are just "misbehaving". Then years pass and you find yourself in a position where if you would have known what the warning signs are for Autism way back when, then you could have had an early diagnosis and received early intervention years before. It turns out that brains can heal if aggressive treatment is sought early for Autism. Children who are on the Autistic Spectrum who have early intervention have much more successful outcomes as they mature into adults. The American academy for pediatrics now gives six things to look out for in a child that may determine if they are the 1 in every 105 children who are diagnosed with Autism. The following are BIG red flags for you or a friend or family member to look out for.

1. Little or no eye contact.
(in their own world)

2. Lack of social engagement
(if you smile at your baby and they don't smile back)
(if 6-9 months they don't understand peek-a-boo)

3. Speech delay or any lack of speech.
(by 7 months baby should respond to their name being called)
(12 months baby should say a few words like mama dada or baba)

4. Lack of pretend play.
(don't zoom cars around, just flick the wheels - don't play tea party etc.)

5. Unable to point with index finger.
(kids with autism don't point at things, by 12 months they should point if they want something.)

6. Regression or loss of skill - Most important sign
(Any going backwards in development, they were making eye contact - now their not, they were talking - now their not, they were smiling - now their not.)

If you have a feeling in your gut that something is wrong, talk to your doctor about it and ask to see a specialist. Make sure your pediatrician does the screening for Autism that they are suppose to do as the child develops. You are your child's best advocate and you can't wait for other people, family or your doctor to discover this. You who are with your child 24-7 know what is best for your child. Have confidence and actively pursue educating yourself about autism. If you have a friend who you suspect may have a child with autism talk with your friend about it. Being polite and not saying anything about it to them can lead to years of treatment lost for that child.

If this information is helpful in even some small way to one family, then writing this here was well worth it. I am always available to answer any questions to the best of my ability on this issue.