God Used a Tick

How God Used a Tick........

 With perfect divine timing, God intervened with a tick and saved me and my new baby Angelina born February 1, 2013.


Not the actual tick.........

We spent many of our summer weekends having picnics and long walks in the park trails- Samuel, Rose and I.  My ipod was filled with countless scenic pictures of  tall forests and peaceful  lakes and we had even become familiar with a duck family that lingered by the pond.  Some afternoons were spent watching the schools of tiny fish in the murky water. We were successful in catching one tiny silver colored fish with a butterfly net.  We were going to bring it home to live in our sea monkey tank but changed our minds- for the sake of the sea monkeys which would surely be consumed by the fish, and also for the fish who would be doomed to a life of solitude in a small container. 

 I was completely oblivious to the unwelcomed souvenir that I brought back with me one Sunday afternoon.  In fact I had not noticed it until it was well over 24 hours later on my commute home from work the following Monday.  Driving home I noticed a  tick attached to my leg! Its deep reddish brown body was engorged with my blood.  The swollen bloodsucker had been feeding for at least 24 hours.  It was the size of a small raisin.  Adrenalin rushed through my body as I plucked it off and stared in shock and disbelief.  Fears of lyme diseased loomed heavily. To add insult to injury I was forced to hold onto the tick because Al wanted to stop the car to release it for fear that if I dropped it in the car, he'd become the next victim.  He quickly pulled the car off the highway to the nearest strip mall parking lot.  Within seconds, in a blur of activity the passenger door was opened and a stealthy hand reached over and quickly flicked the tick from my unsuspecting hand and into the parking lot.  The tick was gone- no where to be seen as it blended with the black pavement.  I was upset as I had wanted to keep the specimen to have it tested for lyme disease.

I went about life as usual.  This tick incident occurred in the aftermath of a late term pregnancy loss and in the context of some physical problems I was experiencing for an unknown period of time.  Coincidently, my symptoms progressed: extreme fatigue, chills, bloating and weight gain as well as intestinal disturbances.  Along with these distressing physical feelings, I just had a generally gloomy and depressed outlook.  I was prone to mood disturbances and lethargy.  Finally I found myself completely bedridden.  I felt as I was living with a looming  fog- mentally and physically.  I assumed I had contracted lyme disease from the tick and that was the cause of the fatigue.  As far as the weight gain, bloating and depression- I just figured it was hormonal imbalances in the aftermath of my loss.  The abdominal and intestine disturbances were common symptoms for colon cancer- but I just dismissed that worry as being overly paranoid.  The depression and  mood problems- I was told was depression- which was to be expected for what I had experienced.

After a few days of physically being unable to get up from the couch I decided to make an appointment with the doctor to look into the possibility of lyme disease.  I was convinced I had it.  I went to a doctor named Debbie, who worked in the same office complex at work and shared my suspicion with her.  She was doubtful of my conclusion, nevertheless took my symptom of fatigue very seriously and apparently tested me for a number of conditions that I didn't know about. From her medical detective work,  I learned that I had an undiagnosed thyroid condition and I was on the brink of thyroid failure.  My underactive thyroid was responsible for the fatigue, and also other seemingly unrelated symptoms such as weight gain, chills, depression, digestive issues and mood swings.  I was also told that untreated thyroid problems could possibly cause pregnancy loss and stillbirth- a possible cause of my late term loss.  This problem was discovered at the perfect time as I was once again about 6 weeks into a new pregnancy.  Without quick treatment I would have gone on to lose my new baby.  I think back to how God intervened at one of the most difficult times of my life, and helped me with an undiagnosed thyroid condition by an unexpected means.  I cannot say with any certainty how long I had my thyroid condition.  But it is more than likely, if left undetected and untreated it would have caused another pregnancy loss or stillbirth.  With perfect divine timing, God intervened with a tick and saved me and my new baby Angelina born February 1, 2013.































I remember my nine months expecting Angelina were filled with anxiety and worry about anything that could have gone wrong.  I feel like parent in the account of Mark, chapter 9- when he asked Jesus for healing for his child.  Jesus replied back to him- "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." And immediately after the parent responded with "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  I was like the doubting Israelites in Exodus with short memories and bad tempers who one moment saw first hand the miracle of God parting the Red Sea and tasted the Manna from heaven, yet the next moment complaining and bellyaching and then crafting false idols from gold to worship.  I did minimal preparing in advance for her birth.  I waited until the end to get all the things she needed and if it weren't for Al's insistence who took the initiative, I wouldn't have had anything prepared in advance.


I wonder how Angelina will start her autobiography when the time comes. Will it begin with something like this.....

I AM BORN

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether
that station will be held by anybody else, only time will show.
To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was
born (as I have been informed and believe) one freezing cold afternoon, at 2:38.
Before I even emerged, it  was remarked that my outstretched left arm groped for the daylight
and I began to cry, simultaneously....... and as for the rest, the end remains to be written.

As far as a baby book or a scrapbook with hospital bands, belly pics and sonogram photos? I don't believe I have one. If I do, I know I have never seen it.    My sister Rose and brother Samuel have their own pregnancy journals and first year calendars that chronicle their nine months of development as well as their first years!  I found an entire stash of books, notebooks  and little trinkets commemorating their births in a dusty old trunk.  There was even a small bow covered box dedicated to a sister who was born too early and never lived.  The only recorded memories specifically for me are a few scribbled sentences and blurry sonogram prints hastily included in the pages of her memorial book on a shelf behind glass.  ....

One Glorious Ambition by Jane Kirkpatrick

One Glorious Ambition: The Compassionate Crusade of Dorothea Dix  by Jane Kirkpatrick is a novel about a strong independent woman in the 1800s who makes it her life's mission to fight for the rights of the sick and imprisoned.  As with Jane Kirkpatrick's other works, this novel features a strong, self sufficient woman in the context of a specific historical period.  In contrast to the common expectation of seeking out a mate to marry and have children, her novels feature women who reject the social expectations in favor of an independent life with purpose. 

Dorothea Dix, the heroine of the story struggles as a child with an abusive father and neglectful mother.  In an effort to seek a better life for a younger brother, she leaves her childhood home.  At the age of 12 her independent journey towards self sufficiency begins.  Her strong biblical morals and faith lead her to set aside worldly goals of marriage, and wealth in exchange for an ongoing mission to help those less fortunate.  This book is in striking contrast to the genre of Christian fiction written for  women that focuses on a young woman's plight to find a man to marry.   For those readers that enjoy classics such as Jane Eyre, this book is a modern novel in a similar tradition.

This book is like two books merged in one.  While the first half is more of a novel focusing on the life and struggles of Dorothea, the second half of the book focuses on her reforming efforts in specific detail.  There are references to historical political figures and events that give historical realism to this book.  The second half of the book is like an auto biography that focuses on more specific details of her life and mission.  This epic novel covers an entire lifetime, starting with Dorothea at age 12, and continuing on to her mid 40s and beyond.  The reader can truly follow the events of her lifetime.  Her glorious ambition refers to her motive of helping others- a common theme throughout her entire lifetime.  In fact she forsakes marriage, children and wealth in order to help others.  The reader may wonder about such a strong woman who is willing to sacrifice her entire life. 
As a blogger for WaterBrook publishers I received a copy of this book for the purpose of writing this review.

Unglued Devotional

Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect progress by Lysa Terkeurst is a new pocket sized 60 day devotional book based on the author's original book Unglued.  Regardless of whether you read the original book, Unglued, this independent devotional book can be appreciated and enjoyed.  Over the course of 60 days, the author sets realistic goals and offers practical biblical advice for the modern woman in today's world. 

Terkeurst's personal and friendly conversational tone is certain to draw in many readers.  To her credit, she acknowledges that women face different circumstances and are in different phases of life.  Her audience is broad and includes mothers, wives, grandmothers, and independent career women, students and singles. She also recognizes the variety of experiences women face- ranging from the trivial day to day issues to intense pain and grief.  I believe it is important that she recognize the varied life circumstances so as not to alienate a large portion of the female readership.

 Nevertheless as the devotional days progress, the reader find that Terkeurst draws heavily on her own personal experience and anecdotes.  While this is not a problem of course,  this may alienate some readers whose personal or financial lives are less than ideal- as these readers may not be able to relate to her circumstances or stories. The reader finds the author's life is heavily into modern, worldly convenience and commercialism. The backdrop for many of the daily reading and lessons are based on her family anecdotes and personal stories.  For example, married upperclass mothers will certainly be able to relate to the holiday shopping at 3am and the embarrassment of having a credit card declined due to a bank error.  There will be a host of readers nevertheless who cannot relate.  For example, readers who are too impoverished to be able to holiday shop and don't have the luxury of dining out after a hectic day of intense shopping.   For them, humiliation comes in the form of ragged clothing, broken down cars, and not being able to buy their children Christmas gifts as the worldly society dictates.  She also makes reference to her pastor's wife, Holly, who "loves her fashion" and is heavily into fashion magazines.  Personally I feel that is a major flaw to be so into worldly commercialism.  A brief glance at any fashion magazine shows hedonistic images of greedy, materialistic women in expensive, luxurious clothing and jewelry. The bible admonishes to build our treasures in heaven and not on earth. To me that is a misplaced priority especially for a pastors wife! What believer has any business in reading spiritually devoid fashion magazines that celebrate every manner and form of greed, explicit sin and pride and wealth. 

To the author's credit, she is aware of the fact that many of the issues she faces aren't really hardships and they do not even begin to compare to the hardships and grief that many women in the world face.  This gives the author an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation that everyone would do well to emulate. If you can get past the author's references about her carefree, and comfortable personal world view, you will find some meaningful and relevant spiritual  lessons.  For example, the author shared her dissapointment and anger to find that her special jewelry was suddenly gone from its drawer! Apparently it had been robbed, but rather than react with anger or despair, she purposely refocused to direct her thoughts on everything she had to be thankful for. Such a reaction took faith and dependence on God. 
Personally I feel this book is a perfect outreach in order to draw in the modern middleclass- upperclass woman to integrating biblical principles into her day.  This book teaches an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation- traits that are often overlooked in modern privileged society. The bible says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than it is for a camel to crawl through the eye of a needle!  Oftentimes, its upperclass privileged society that needs to hear the gospel too as often their financial stability and prosperity erroneously lead them to believe that they do not need God in their lives.   In general, I feel this is an empowering book as it addresses the special and unique emotional needs of women.  Any reader who meditates on the author's messgaes will find better coping techniques in accordance with biblical teaching.
As a blogger  for Booksneeze I received this book from Zondervan publishers for the purpose of writing this review,

World Literature by James Stobaugh

World Literature by James Stobaugh published by Master Books, is a fully illustrated literature text for high school students. The most accurate first impression is that this book is a hybrid mix between a philosophy and literature text.  There is quite a bit of emphasis on various world religious texts and philosophical development with a small sampling of fiction literature. This book is one of a series of a thorough alternative high school home school studies curriculum.   The quality presentation of this book rivals that of many popular public school texts.  This is the conservative answer to all those revisionist, liberal revision of history that are disguised as text books that are so common in public schools and colleges today.  The Teacher's text is formatted for a three ring binder and basically contains work sheets and activities to supplement the student text.  I believe that teacher's text can serve as a student work book as well. 

The ambitious  title- World Literature,  in of itself is rather broad- encompassing the whole of world philosophical thought and written works  from the ancient times to the modern day. Historical events, as well as cultural and social events are captured in the context of literature and religious works.  The text begins with the Epic of Gilgamesh of Mesopotamia and a sampling of excerpts of other ancient writings.   Integrated within the coverage of widely known historical facts are biblical stories as well.  There is a focus on biblical personalities and writings in the context of world events and geographic locations.  This course is like a comparative literature course where the student is urged to compare and contrast ancient works with the biblical accounts of the bible.  For example, ancient world accounts of a world wide flood are compared and contrasted with the Genesis account.  This gives the student a comprehensive view of history and literature in its entirety!  Culturally relevant artwork, archeological sites and historical figures are photographed as well.  The information is presented in an easy to read magazine article type of format in contrast to large passages of bland text.  Basically the student can pick up this book starting with any lesson within any chapter. 
Aside from the recognition that for many, homeschooling is not an option- The book is complete with photographs, charts and other visual material- just as any other  text. It would make a good supplement to any public school curriculum. As a sampler of various works- it is not an exhaustive account of world literature.  In fact the book offers additional reading suggestions for a more rounded approach.  Additionally, the focus is heavily concerned with religious writings and works.  With a BS in History, I greatly appreciated the perspective of this book and the recognition that history and literature is not all about relativism, but there are morals and absolutes in life and history as well.  The only downside to this book is that all the photos and graphics are in black and white and not color.  Instead of the glossy full color pages that one would expect from a modern text, this book is in black and white- which is the only downside.  There is also a use of less formal slang language that is used by the author.  An example of this is found on page 12, when  the author states that Gilgamesh is a "selfish self-centered prig".    As a blogger for New Leaf publishers I received this book, published by Master Books for the purpose of writing this review.

Next Door Savior by Max Lucado

Next Door Savior - Near Enough to Touch Strong Enough to Trust By Max Lucado is among the most uplifting books that I have recently read. In true Lucado fashion, Max writes in an animated, easy to understand style that communicates biblical truths to the reader. His books bring bible stories and biblical truth to life in an inspirational way that speaks out to the reader.  His analogies are very relevant and simple to understand words, he expressed the warped priorities of our society where the speitiual insignificant such as physical beauty and sucess is valued while the dignity of human lived is considered worthless.

His words speak to everyone... "Catch God in a bad mood? Won't happen. Fear exhausting his grace? A sardine will swallow the Atlantic first. Think he's given up on you?" ..... Lucado's use of colorful language and his conversational tone, make it so that biblical truths are memorable and meaningful to the average modern reader. The text makes it easy to visualize biblical truth in a whole new way.  True to life dialog brings the gospel message and its heros to life.  The gospel message is made personal and relevant.  You need not be a theologen, educated in an expensive seminary or college to understand Max Lucado's books.
This inspirational book will be certain to leave the reader with a lasting impression. In today's self centered society, without offense Max Lucado illustrates the importance of living life based on biblical principles. Lucado illustrates with clarity the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  In real life words he explains the significance of Jesus' diety- as God in human flesh.  In vivid detail, he makes clear, in everyday words and language, the significance of Jesus' life and death for us.  After reading this book, and really meditating on the biblical truths communicated via Max Lucado, one can feel a renewed sense of empowerment to live a selfless life style. Max makes use of personal anecdotes as well as bible stories to illiustrate the importance of depending on God rather than on the material things of this world. If you are a theologen, looking for an apologetic defense on the purpose of depending on God then this book isn't for you. But, if on the other hand you are simply looking for bible based motivation and a relief in a world that takes pride in materialism, selfish ambition and competition, then this book is perfect. Difficult biblical concepts such as Jesus being God in human form, are explained in a way that everyone can appreciate. As a blogger for booksneeze, I receive books from Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for writing an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Unglued Devotional by Lysa Terkeurst

Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect progress by Lysa Terkeurst is a new pocket sized 60 day devotional book based on the author's original book Unglued.  Regardless of whether you read the original book, Unglued, this independent devotional book can be appreciated and enjoyed.  Over the course of 60 days, the author sets realistic goals and offers practical biblical advice for the modern woman in today's world. 

Terkeurst's personal and friendly conversational tone is certain to draw in many readers.  To her credit, she acknowledges that women face different circumstances and are in different phases of life.  Her audience is broad and includes mothers, wives, grandmothers, and independent career women, students and singles. She also recognizes the variety of experiences women face- ranging from the trivial day to day issues to intense pain and grief.  I believe it is important that she recognize the varied life circumstances so as not to alienate a large portion of the female readership.

 Nevertheless as the devotional days progress, the reader find that Terkeurst draws heavily on her own personal experience and anecdotes.  While this is not a problem of course,  this may alienate some readers whose personal or financial lives are less than ideal- as these readers may not be able to relate to her circumstances or stories. The reader finds the author's life is heavily into modern, worldly convenience and commercialism. The backdrop for many of the daily reading and lessons are based on her family anecdotes and personal stories.  For example, married upperclass mothers will certainly be able to relate to the holiday shopping at 3am and the embarrassment of having a credit card declined due to a bank error.  There will be a host of readers nevertheless who cannot relate.  For example, readers who are too impoverished to be able to holiday shop and don't have the luxury of dining out after a hectic day of intense shopping.   For them, humiliation comes in the form of ragged clothing, broken down cars, and not being able to buy their children Christmas gifts as the worldly society dictates.  She also makes reference to her pastor's wife, Holly, who "loves her fashion" and is heavily into fashion magazines.  Personally I feel that is a major flaw to be so into worldly commercialism.  A brief glance at any fashion magazine shows hedonistic images of greedy, materialistic women in expensive, luxurious clothing and jewelry. The bible admonishes to build our treasures in heaven and not on earth. To me that is a misplaced priority especially for a pastors wife! What believer has any business in reading spiritually devoid fashion magazines that celebrate every manner and form of greed, explicit sin and pride and wealth. 

To the author's credit, she is aware of the fact that many of the issues she faces aren't really hardships and they do not even begin to compare to the hardships and grief that many women in the world face.  This gives the author an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation that everyone would do well to emulate. If you can get past the author's references about her carefree, and comfortable personal world view, you will find some meaningful and relevant spiritual  lessons.  For example, the author shared her dissapointment and anger to find that her special jewelry was suddenly gone from its drawer! Apparently it had been robbed, but rather than react with anger or despair, she purposely refocused to direct her thoughts on everything she had to be thankful for. Such a reaction took faith and dependence on God. 
Personally I feel this book is a perfect outreach in order to draw in the modern middleclass- upperclass woman to integrating biblical principles into her day.  This book teaches an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation- traits that are often overlooked in modern privileged society. The bible says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than it is for a camel to crawl through the eye of a needle!  Oftentimes, its upperclass privileged society that needs to hear the gospel too as often their financial stability and prosperity erroneously lead them to believe that they do not need God in their lives.   In general, I feel this is an empowering book as it addresses the special and unique emotional needs of women.  Any reader who meditates on the author's messgaes will find better coping techniques in accordance with biblical teaching.
As a blogger I received this book from Zondervan publishers for the purpose of writing this review,