Queen Bee's Birthday! Part 1

So, you know those times when you look at your little girl and you realize that if you blink, you might miss one of those beautiful moments in life? Thanks to a family member blessing us, Heather and I had the privledge and honor of taking our sweet little girl for a day of fun to celebrate turning two years old! Here are a few pics from the day. I can already picture us when we're old and gray looking back on an amazing blessing... Hope you enjoy as well.

All dressed up and ready to go!

Phoebe's favorite character, "Mummow"!

Angelic!

Mommy and Bee

Someone is having a good time!

Oh & the Disney promotion folks thought she was cute too and kept snapping her picture. Keep a look out for her on any Disney advertising! Wouldn't that be something?!

Thank you, God for entrusting us with this great bundle of joy. Let us continue to pour Your love into her heart every day!

We love you so, so much Phoebe! Happy Birthday!

Carefree and Gluten Free!!!

So, this is a post for my readers! I get a lot of questions in regards to being gluten free...

How do you do it? What can you eat? What is gluten? What all is it in? Why do you do it?

The task of going gluten free can seem rather daunting at first but it is definitely manageable and not that big of deal once you figure it all out. I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease over a year ago and sadly had to give up all of that yummy, gluten goodness. Most people don't even know this about me because I'm really not into talking about diseases and diagnoses (despite Sy's stuff); I don't like to identify myself or my kids by their health issues. We have too many blessings to be overshadowed by our little "glitches." However, I get asked so many gluten questions (from those who know that I just don't eat it), that I thought it was worth a post. I do this in hopes of helping someone out there who needs some encouragement or direction.

Even though I've only been completely GF for over a year, I've been very familiar with it for the last five years or so. Back when Sy was a 18 months and was actually eating some foods, he had to stop with the gluten because of his allergies and, surprisingly, because he was on the autism spectrum back then. Yeah, crazy that there was a time he was on the spectrum! You would never know it today and I definitely think that going GF helped in his situation. (If you have more specific questions in regards to that, feel free to ask.) There were several times in the last few years that we all just stopped eating it. It was pretty amazing how much better Jordan and I felt.

So for me, it is not merely a preference of not eating gluten or just a mild sensitivity; my body cannot handle it. Celiac's disease can often lead to other more serious or life threatening diseases. I'm not worried at all about it because I know God has it under control. I just do my part and am very careful to stay away from gluten, not only in my diet but also in personal care products. You wouldn't believe what all it is in--make up, hair care products, soaps, lotions etc. You see it in almost every ingredient list and it likes to hide under loads of different names/labels. It is definitely a lifestyle change but if you think you need to go GF, you absolutely can do it and you'll probably end up not missing it much.

I am slowly starting a modified version of the Gerson Therapy (mostly raw foods, vegan) so I know that some day the Celiac's won't even be an issue. Yahoo! Meanwhile, going GF can be very enjoyable, simple, cheap and not a big deal. Soooo, I don't want to bore you with any more random details. If you have specific questions, please comment below or shoot me an email. If you're on the fence about trying it, go for it!!! You may just be surprised how much better you can feel!

About the Author...

So who am I? I suddenly realized that after blogging for over two and a half years, I've never taken the time to tell who I am and what is currently on my heart.

I'm Heather!

I try to be groovy, green, and keep my heart gunk-free. I am God's beloved and strive to live as an ordinary radical on this journey of life (more on that later). I am a mother of 4 small children--Esther (7). Silas (6). Phoebe (almost 2), and Asher (4 months). Believe it or not--fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth did not come easy to me and all of my children are definitely miracles.

Sy & Essi

I used to be a public high school teacher and cross country coach back in the day... I now homeschool Essi and Sy and that tends to be a daily adventure! For those who don't know us, Sy is a special needs kid. He is allergic to all food. Seriously. He was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis and is now ironically undergoing the Gerson Therapy in hopes to heal him.

He is in 1st grade and Essi is in 2nd grade. Phoebe is about to enter toddlerhood and Ashy has just entered "smileyhood." I cloth diaper (crazy I know; future blog post) and our home/lifestyle has to be very green for Sy's healing (and to also be good stewards of this earth). My husband, Jordan, is a firefighter and a paramedic and selflessly puts his life on the line in order to serve others.

Phoebe

Asher

This is a big year for us. In 2002, God called us into full-time missions. Obviously, this was before we had kids. I had been on staff at a church in Atlanta for a few years and just loved it. During that time, God grabbed a hold of both Jordan and my hearts and asked us to leave it all behind. We gladly obeyed, stepped out in faith, and lived out of a VW Vanagon (with two large dogs) and traveled the country to raise support. Toasty, our "home" for that year, was super groovy and we just loved her.

Toasty

We were living on mission in every sense of the word. We had raised our support in record time and then... In 2003, that chapter abruptly crashed ending in our brokenness. We knew that God had called us to the mission field--no question about it--but we later realized that He called us in order to break us. For us to come to the very end of ourselves with nowhere to turn but upward. We had given up all that we knew--lost everything if you will--but it was for heaven's gain. It was through sweet surrender that we experienced the loving, healing had of God (The Potter's Inn).

We love the verse John 10:10--"...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." So the last 9 years have been great and we are richly blessed. We are so thankful! It's a bit shocking though that so many years have already passed us by... 4 kids later, several moves, a new career, an amazing church, supportive friends and family, and we are still in pursuit of what God wants to do with our crazy little family. We've needed the rest. We've needed the time to heal, plant roots, focus on our marriage and children, gain education, gather life experiences, etc. but that call on our lives... Those last words of Christ that continually ring in our ears... 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

We try to ignore it but, almost a decade later, it's still there. As I teach it to my children, they ask, "Why aren't we doing that?" "What does that look like?" Bam! No escaping it. No beating around the bush with them. 

So as I try to stick to the topic and explain who I am, I feel like I can't appropriately do it without explaining what's been on my heart lately. This is what my husband and I talk about when we get a free moment... What we dream about... This yearning is it. So what is next for us? We're not sure. We would covet your prayers. Even as we homeschool this year, our theme is on different countries and cultures and we are ALL on our faces seeking God for his favor and direction on what lies ahead for the Hargers. It may be to stay exactly where we are but just to focus the lens of our lives a bit differently. We want to be content but not get too comfortable... Are we out making disciples? Are we going to the ends of the earth? What are we truly sacrificing for the poor? ...the widowed? ...the orphaned? Do we even interact with these people that Jesus loved so much? So this is where we are on our journey. I truly love my life but the reality is that we were called by Jesus to give it all up--everything. His call is to come and take up the cross (Luke 9:23). It is a call to radical faith, complete surrender, total abandonment, and forsaking everything. His power is made perfect in our weakness.

I don't want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn't be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for [God] to come through... I don't believe that God wants me (or any of his children) to live in a way that makes sense from the world's perspective, a way I know I can "manage." I believe He is calling me--and all of us--to depend on Him for living in a way that cannot be mimicked or forged. He wants us to walk in step with His Spirit rather than depend solely on the raw talent and knowledge He's given us.  

                                                                                        -Francis Chan

Wow! It is really a call to die. It totally scares me yet awakens me to my core because I know it is truth. So please pray with us. Pray for us to be ordinary radicals for the Kingdom. Pray that those opportunities would arise so we can move forward. 

Meanwhile, how can we pray for you? Let us know!

Bountiful Harvest of Friends!

As you all know, Sy is hitting the Gerson Therapy full force! Even though he can only have a very few of the allowed foods and still lives on a mostly liquid diet of juice and soup, the amount of produce needed is unbelievable. For Sy's diet, this is the amount of organic produce he goes through on a MONTHLY basis:

150 pounds of carrots
48 pounds of apples
25 heads of romaine
4 bunches of swiss chard
16 pounds of green peppers
12 pounds of onions
35 pounds of tomatoes
10 pounds of leeks
10 bunches of celery
4 bunches of flat leaf parsley
60 pounds of potatoes
A few oranges for juicing (everybody needs a treat, right?)

Sy and his personal fridge of goodness

As anyone can see, it is not only easy to get buried under the sheer amount of produce, but by the cost. A family of six on a firefighter's salary cannot make this happen on their own. When we think about taking on Sy's health by ourselves, we can easily get discouraged, but so many people have rallied around Sy and our family to make sure this kid gets healthy! Here are a few examples:

A few months ago, we were blessed by a group of folks who saw our need for produce and went way beyond to give us a tool to help lessen our costs. We were surprised to find out that people had come together to help purchase a tower garden for Sy. It is one of the coolest things ever! Putting a garden in our yard is not possible, so this tower allows us to grow an immense amount of food in a small area. It also allows us to make sure that the food we are harvesting is 100% organic. We are still learning the ins and outs (still working on our green thumbs), but this blessing was huge and the hearts that were behind it are simply amazing. Check this thing out:

Isn't it beautiful?

If you have a moment, check out the Living Towers site and see these great gardens! Thank you, Jessica and the Living Towers peeps for helping us kick EE to the curb!

Another way that God has provided is through our local organic coop group. Because Laura (the gal who runs it) has a great heart, she told us that she was burdened to help Sy in some way. Both she and her husband have grown the local coop and have put hours into making it easy for people to get great organic produce at a great price. Even though some local stores carry what Sy needs in his diet, the prices can be a deterrent. Not only has she provided great convience and pricing, but she found a way to rally the other members of the coop to buy a portion of what Sy needs. Since money was dwindling down in Sy's medical account, this ENORMOUS blessing has allowed us to continue the therapy longer! Just when we were coming to the end of our rope, God brings people into our lives to show that He cares for Sy and that no obstacle can stand in His way.

If you are local to Clermont and you are in need of organic produce, please consider checking out the Clermont Organic Co-op site and start getting great prices! You guys are making a tremendous impact on Sy's health and our family! We love y'all!

Thank you all for taking the time to read this! See you soon!
Jordan