A New Development...

As a rule on my blog, I generally don't share a lot personal things on here. Just because I like to keep it light and fun, and some things I just don't think is necessary to share with the world wide web. But, this post will be different. It's a little bit of an update on what's been going on with me personally, health-wise.

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It sounds worse than it is but, it is still a bit of a bummer. Celiac Disease (in case you don't know) is basically an allergy or sensitivity to gluten which, unfortunately is in everything. How did I find this out? Well, here is the story...

I've always had mild issues with my stomach but, just chalked it up to stress. Now that I look back, I can almost pinpoint when it started. For the last several months I had been dealing with extreme exaustion, I mean the "I can't even take one foot out of my bed kind of exaustion" everyday. I was also having migraines, nausea and abdominal pain and burning. It got to the point where I thought maybe I was pregnant because I was nauseous so much but, I wasn't. So, after this would not go away, I decided (with my husband's prompting) to see a Doctor. After 4 or 5 visits, he could not figure anything out, and I was still feeling awful so, he sent me to see a Gastroenterologist. Right away, he asked me all of my symptoms, sent me for a blood test and scheduled an endoscopy test (a test where they look at your stomach via a tube down your throat). Before my E test the Doctor came in and said "just as I suspected, your blood test was very high for celiac disease." And I was like "thanks for telling me right before you sedate me, doc." So, they took a biopsy of my small intestine to check for definite signs of celiac. So, that night I went home and thought "geez, if this is real then this Italian girl is gonna starve." I waited on pins and needles for the test results to arrive. When they finally did, it was consistent with celiac.

So, I am feeling 2 ways. 1: I feel good now that I know what has been making me sick. In fact, I can look back and remember several occasions and think..."that's why I was feeling so bad."

2: I was bummed for the first couple days but, I am not discouraged. I've been experimenting with a bunch of different foods and have even received some support from others who have it.

For the last week and a half, I have been eating gluten-free and can say I have had way less stomachaches, no headaches, and a ton of energy...even my husband noticed!

So, now this may become a part of my blog, in an effort to maybe help others with this as well. I hope to post some GF recipes and info about Celiac Disease. If any of you out there live Gluten-free too, I'd love to know who you are.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna make it through the Holidays...very creatively I think. :) Thank The Lord for Trader Joe's and Whole Foods!

NEWSFLASH!

I realize that my blog has become more of an archive than an actual blog. I mean, 9 days between postings...that's ridiculous, right? Well, I guess if you are in the midst of the kind of busyness I've been involved in than it would be OK to skip days. :) I mentioned a few months back that we were in the midst of a transition and we weren't exactly sure what that meant at the moment but, new and exciting things have transpired and I am wanting to share them with you all...my faithful and loyal readers. My blog is about to really live up to its name as we continue to move forward on this incredible Journey of walking with God!! Here is a letter my husband wrote that explains it all...

Dear Friends,
We wanted to take some time to tell you more specifically some of the things that are developing in our lives. As you remember, in September of 2008, we felt the Lord asked me to put in my one-year resignation as the Executive Director [of BASIC College Ministries]. Like Abraham, we were to “Go forth from our country, and from our relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). At that time, we weren’t sure whether that would involve a physical move but we were open to it. As time has progressed, the Lord has made the next step of His plan veryclear.
For the past three years, I have been traveling to Boston, MA. As I have traveled there, the Lord has given me a clear burden for Boston and in particular the Cambridge/Harvard area. My wife has now accompanied me on a few trips to Boston and her heart has been stirred in the same way. Our hearts have resonated with energy, hope, and a sense of destiny concerning Boston.; where nearly 300,000 college students reside! We feel the Lord has spoken clearly to us that we are to lead a generation of young people in the worship and adoration of God. As you havewalked with us and supported us over these years, we have done things in Boston like the “Campus Evangelism Blitz,” the “Harvard Siege” (where we camped near Harvard and prayed in front of the gates for three days), and recently went to support the launch of “FenwayChurch” with our good friends, David and Betsy Hill. We feel the Lord has very clearly revealed and confirmed in multiple ways that we are to move to Boston. We have begun making preparations to move in August of 2009, as we end our term with BASIC. I will travel to Boston once a month (the family will probably go every other month) during this season to meet with leaders, make plans, and look for housing. This has been a step by step process of the Lord walking with us and revealing His heart to us. We are currently praying about a few different ministry opportunities in Boston. We are planning to continue as missionaries and will shift our focus from BASIC to Boston. We are looking forward to your continued financial and prayer support in this new endeavor. We also ask that you would pray for additional avenues of provision from the Lord as the living expenses in Boston are significantly higher than Rochester. We will keep you updated as the Lord continues to make His will clear. Remember, as the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, the waters of the Jordan River did not part until they actually stepped into the water (Joshua 3:14-17)! This is both exciting and scary at the same time! On one hand we are enjoying the adventure and discovery process of following Jesus, and on the other hand we are naturally nervous about the unknown! To quote a friend, we believe “God will defend, God will prosper, God will reveal and God will fight for us asHe does for all he loves.”
Would you please keep us in your prayers during this exciting time? Please pray for wisdom, clarity, faith, protection and provision as we take these steps of faith! It will be a busy year as we prepare BASIC for transition and make preparations to move to Boston in August.

We're movin' to BOSTON! We are very excited. I will try my best to keep you all updated as things progress. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and for their wonderful words of encouragement and love!