My Testimony

I haven't done a blog in over 3 years.  Haven't missed it either. 

But the circumstances are unique this year.  Things are changing (BIG TIME) around here, and for the few of you who want to hear what's been shaking things up, I thought I'd share my story, which has rapidly morphed since earlier this year.  No pictures today guys, all business here...

“You are a much loved child of the most high God!” -  Una, the woman who became my daughter’s namesake - would say to us often when we stayed with her during our visits to Israel.  Her husband John, a wealth of knowledge on the bible and bible history, gave us some of the richest (in understanding) tours of biblical areas in Jerusalem back in 2011 & 2013.  

After walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel (and where the gishon spring still flows) into the area where the pool of Siloam has been partially excavated…we sat there on the pool steps, imagining people sitting there, dipping for healing, hoping this would be the day for a miracle.  Imagining what it would have been like with Yeshua spitting in the mud and rubbing it on the blind man’s eyes, and when he washed in the pool of Siloam, could see!  It was a quiet moment on the steps, and soon John started doing a little question/answer segment as we sat.  It wasn’t long before we couldn’t answer his questions, and he asked in such a kind but altogether convicting way “don’t you guys read your bible?”  I should have been mad, or offended, but instead I was just...well, you know.  Convicted. I realized in that moment that besides whatever the pastor went over in church, and some of the New Testament….no, I didn’t spend much time in the Word.  

That was kind of where it started.  I grew up a bible-believing Christian (mainstream-style), and in my mid 20s grew an interest in Israel. So we saved up and went, but it was after that question John asked, that I realized there was a lot I was missing.  So I started reading my bible like I never had before.  I don’t remember the exact chain of events, but I recall lying facedown on our old living room floor begging for Truth.  I believe it was shortly after I learned of all the disgusting pagan roots to many of the manmade traditions I had once held so dear.  It wasn’t hard to ditch the traditions. I wanted to learn my Papa’s ways, and let me tell you, my bible got a lot more colorful after that.

The wealth of knowledge and understanding I gained from reading through the Tanakh and unlearning a lot of doctrine, it came with a cost. Heavy disagreements with family came during a time when I still couldn’t well explain my new understanding of Torah. We were told we were in "a cult" (although by definition impossible because our "leader" was Yahua and the bible, so...). But we had vigor and excitement, and even our best friends and their growing family were right there learning with us.  It truly was a sweet couple of years that built up a strong foundation that had never been laid. It was also when we wrote the “Good Medicine” album back in 2013.

But it didn’t end there. Papa allows us to be tempted by our own evil desires. All this revelation also came with another downside for me. An addiction of sorts. To knowledge. To finding out what I’d missed. I went down some weird paths. I sought man’s wisdom. I began questioning much more.  If Yeshua was actually Messiah. If the New Testament was corrupted and had validity. During this time I also popped out 3 babies in 3.5 years, so my studying and searching time almost came to an abrupt halt.  Having babies was (is) joyous and wonderful, but also I was confused in my faith. What was I going to teach my children to believe? There were a lot of unanswered questions floating around in my head, and eventually I just became okay with not having answers - for a while, anyway. 

For whatever reason, and I can only call it mercy, I could not put aside what I had learned about the importance of Torah. I knew that there was a Father, or at least a Creator, and that he has a standard.  And I believed the wisdom of the Torah laid out that standard. I couldn’t shake it. So we still did the feasts (sometimes rather half-heartedly), and ate clean, and stuck to the moral constructs of the commandments - kind of. I didn’t actively study them anymore, but I was familiar with them, so that was good enough, right? (no). I also knew, that when the time was right, He would let me know about Yeshua and all the other unknowns.  

In some circles they call this “deconstructing.” I didn’t deconstruct on purpose, but that is what happened. I felt like so much of what I once believed was completely broken down and I didn’t know which parts to pick back up. I wasn’t trying to convince myself of something one way or another though, I was earnestly seeking Papa’s Truth. Whatever that was. Whenever he wanted to show me.

Guys, you’d think this is when it would get better, but instead I got more deceived. I started falling into the “universe is one”, “we’re all connected by energy” New-Age Thinking. It wasn’t about crystals and vibes…it was that “God created it, so it must be good, we all must be good - he is too merciful to punish sin” type thinking. I started reading about the science of magic mushrooms and it helping people in addiction. I didn’t have any serious addiction problems, but the experiences sure sounded amazing. I am ashamed to say it, but we went hunting for cow pies, and found the shrooms we were looking for. After learning (from reading) that even a few wouldn’t give the “experience” I was hoping for, we threw them in the mulch pile and forgot about it for a little bit.  (Trust me, writing about this makes me cringe).

Then guess what happened?  We got some good rain and suddenly our yard started shooting up hundreds of them. Everyday, more and more. All I could ever possibly need to have my “experience.”  And yes, they were the right ones. We live on Kauai. Plenty of people are very familiar with them.  So here it was, “god” supplying in his infinite abundance, the shrooms I needed to have my experience with “him” to get the answers I was seeking about Yeshua or whatever. But… we were about to leave to visit family, so I put it off thinking I’d do it when we came back.  (This was very clearly satan tempting me, not Papa’s generous abundance, but I didn’t see it that way yet). 

While we were in California, the state started hurling into lockdown mode for CV.  We went to the wedding we were there for and changed our flights to leave sooner (there was no way we wanted to get stuck in CA indefinitely). My “wokeness” on vaccines, propaganda, deep state, blah blah blah -caused me to be fully skeptical to the reaction the media was inducing. I wasn’t scared of the virus, not even a little. I was scared of what the virus would cause to happen in our social construct. Was this the beginning of the end? (maybe!). What about all our plans?  We got home, and as they began locking down the islands, I spent the next few weeks freaking out while also diving into the bible that had collected dust over the past few years.

I started in Revelation, and Papa… He is faithful. He is steadfast. He was waiting for me. Just thinking about His goodness makes me cry happy tears. When I read about the church of Ephesus, that they had “forgotten their first love”…He was telling me I had forgotten my first love. Who was my first love? Yeshua. That’s how I was introduced to Papa, was through Yeshua, and that’s who I had forgotten. He opened the floodgates and he hasn’t stopped. He showed me His wrath for the sorcerers and pagans who use pharmakeia to induce visions…and how close I had come to my desire bringing forth sin and death (see James 1:15). I repented for my error, for forgetting my first love, for not first seeking Him and His Word with all my heart, soul and mind.  And wouldn't you believe it, the mushrooms stopped growing shortly after this change of heart.

From then, which was not even that long ago, my desire for media, for “truth blasting” stories on vaccines and other similar topics on social media, for ingesting all of the CV-related alt news that I got sucked into…it is sloughing off like dead skin. I do believe He is faithfully chastening us, correcting us, and calling His back to Him, removing distractions and raising us up in Truth and Spirit, to know Him and make Him known in these times. I know there are still layers He is peeling off of me.

One of my big ones is to trust in my knowledge instead of trusting in His Spirit to lead. Instead of asking His Spirit to lead. Pray for me in this! There are areas He has yet to work on me and I am working to be still and listen. But I feel more confident now than ever in my life, that Yeshua is Messiah.  That the NT is valid and valuable, as is the Torah that I couldn’t shake. I finally feel confident in what I am teaching my children, and how they are blossoming in their little faith walks is absolutely a gift from Papa. I desire to die more and more to myself everyday and be a slave to Messiah, because what good is any of it without being His? 

He's doing some other insane things (insane to me).  We are moving from the islands soon. We are walking into a place we've never been and going to be driving up that state with open eyes and ears...allowing his direction to lead us to the place he has for us. We want to depend more on Him, and less on our government and the order of life that we have bought into for so long. If it is to prepare us for hard times - this may be the case. If it is simply to draw us back to focus on Him and our children more, that will be an incredible blessing as well.  We will hit big learning curves (cold weather friends, help me learn some stuff!), but we are excited and sad. Majority of our family is here on Kauai, and we love it here, but He will provide! 

So that's it. Not all pretty. Embarrassing some of it, but you know what...if it helps anyone being sucked into New Age thinking from moving forward into it, it is all worth it!! Don't stop studying and praying! Man's wisdom only goes so far. Satan is so sneaky, and jumps at the opportunity to pull us away from Papa.

Anyway, Pray for us if you think of us. I hope my story can inspire you to call upon Yahua! Ask for Him to take any veils off that are still lingering, pull us from the deceptions we are believing. To mold us to be more like His Son, and that we would desire to BE like Yeshua!

SHEMA ISRAEL Yahua our Eloheim, Yahua is One.

Shout it From the Heights - "shofar song" free download!

  IT IS NEARING MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR…
(scroll to the bottom to skip the story and get the song!)

The fall Feasts of the Lord!  The last 3 of the 7 holy days of YHWH are upon us.  Coming up on the calendar we have:

6.  Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah (commonly known as)
7.  Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
8.  Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

(I know some who celebrate calculated Yom Teruah was earlier this month and are about to celebrate Sukkot...hope you are having a wonderful celebration! This is a little tardy for your Feast of Trumpets, but nonetheless, sing a new song!).  

Don’t get me wrong, the spring feasts are wonderful.  But there’s something about blowing ram’s horns & hanging out in sukkahs (tent-ish structures) that make these last three extra spicy in my book.  OR maybe it’s because they signify the coming Messiah (riding a white horse with sounding horns…on the clouds with fire kinda stuff) & the events leading to the most radical wedding party of all time.

I like parties, ok?

Dream a Little Dream

Now I'm not one to think everything means something, but I had a rather vivid dream a long time ago (this is relevant to the topic I promise).  My husband and I were going somewhere, but a bit lost and concerned about it.  We weren’t frantic, but we were not settled either.  Finally we end up in a parking lot with my best friend and her husband, at night, overlooking a neighborhood, and the ocean.  Like this:

then this happened

and lastly, this:

Sorry for the bad graphics, but I just did that at 11pm on a cheap design app.

THIS IS IT.  THIS IS IT

So anyway, this seeming shooting star explodes.  Captivating and a little terrifying, but you know what made it weird?  TRUMPET BLASTS were reverberating from the SKY and we were trembling in holy FEAR.  In my dream I remember thinking “THIS IS IT.  THIS IS IT”

Now listen, I’m not saying any doomsday/end of the world/etc. event is going to happen like this.  I don't know what to expect really.  This was just a dream.  However, if I had known anything about the Feasts of the Lord or shofar blasts at the time, this wouldn’t be as strange.  But the thing is, this dream was before I knew any of that.  I had only recently become fascinated with Israel and was mildly curious about Passover.  

Shortly after I read a book called “Feasts of the Lord” and came across part of this verse:

Amos 3:6-8

When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?  Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.  The lion has roared-- who will not fear? The Sovereign LORD has spoken-- who can but prophesy?

So there's that.  It kind of caught my attention.  Quite a wonder those dreams.  

Moral of the Story

Whatever all that is, I think it might be why I have a special fascination and connection to Yom Teruah (the first of the fall feasts) and LOVE blowing our shofar as often as appropriately possible (so does my husband,  love that my kids are going to grow up with shofar blasts being the norm..).  

That being said, we wrote a song a while back.  It’s called “Shout it from the Heights” and there might be a line in there (multiple times) that says “Sound the great shofar.”  

Free Shofar-Blowing Song Download

In the spirit of the season I’ve made our song Shout it from the Heights available for free download.  Now you can sing a new song while you dance & blow your shofar this Feast of Trumpets.  Oh, and if you don't celebrate Yom Teruah (yet) I highly recommend it.  

See "Google" for more info on that.

Here’s the verse that gave Shout it from the Heights it’s original inspiration:

-Ezekiel 33:1-6- 

"The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood." 

GET "SHOUT IT FROM THE HEIGHTS" HERE

Shaloha!

Why Permaculture is Permaclutch

Permanent Culture Now

Boring Words

Words are funny things.  They can say so much, just by looking at them.  The word education sounds and looks boring until you put "sex" in front of it (or something of your particular interest).  Casserole...meh. That is, until you’re nose deep in a savory, melty-cheese, meat laden mishmash dish that took only moments to whip together.  

Permaculture sounds and looks like the pinnacle of loaded and boring.  It’s not some dazzling word that gives you a twitch in your clicking finger.  But I think if we all just got past the word itself, most people might actually tune in.  So instead of calling it permaculture, we’re going to call it Permaclutch today:

1. Perma:

A prefix that works with pretty much any word one would like to emphasize the permanent-ness of.

ex. Sheez B...I got so trashed last night - I slipped and took a mean digger. My back is killin' now, B! Pretty sure it's perma-jacked up

2. Clutch: 

Great, Essential, and Potent rolled into a single word. Conveniently awesome. Clutch is also used to describe something that is done, not something that is.

ex. Stealing your orange soda was so clutch. 

(courtesy of Urbandictionary.com)

Therefore:

Permaclutch: Something done that is permanently and conveniently awesome.

Why is Permaclutch so "clutch" anyway?  

A Good Day's Harvest

Let start out with the fact that Permaclutch starts with ETHICS!  Wait, isn't that weird? Aren't we just talking about gardening?

Yes we are, and this is why it's unique.  Here's Permaclutch's ethics:

-Earth care
-People care
-Return of surplus

IMAGINE  if other "gardening" techniques had such ethics!  GMOs WOULD NOT exist.  Like - break those down for a moment.  That's not just some hippie mumbo jumbo.  You have a responsibility as a grower in permaculture, to be sure that you are adhering to the three said ethics.  You must intentionally think of the harm that could be done to the earth or people before you do anything! And when things are growing in surplus, you must return it, either sharing with the people around you, or put it back into the compost bin to close the cycle.  Hows that for accountability?  Guys, ethics in gardening?  It's a thing.  In permaclutch.  Don't be a hater.  This is actually cool.  Keep reading.

Free Food

Maybe it’s just me, but I love free, fresh avocados.  Papayas.  Kabocha squash…  Anything that grows.  Abundant, flavorful, good for me…and free (key word “free.” I think the millennials and socialists could get into this too).  I also don’t like a lot of maintenance.  If I don’t have to brush my hair, put on make-up or shave my legs, I usually won’t.  If a dishwasher will wash the dishes, I won’t.  If I have a plant producing fruit for me to pick in my backyard, I won’t go to the grocery store to get it instead.   Ease of efficiency, you know?  

Now to get low maintenance, there’s an initial downpayment (buy the dishwasher, pay a hair stylist, plant a seed)… you can’t expect to do absolutely nothing and get something.  BUT what if the up front investment turned into a consistent cash flow? Or should I say *food * flow.    

One word guys: Permaclutch.  Your deepest efficiency needs and desires for "free food" can be met.  Recipe calls for basil...don't want to run to the grocery store for four sprigs of basil that cost $3.50?  Don't have to! Just walk outside.  If you take one thing with you from this, let it be that Permaclutch = Free Food.

The Mama Bear

Most people I know, including myself, have had some serious garden woes.  We hop onto the “grow your own groceries” bus, fresh out of the institution,  and ready for adventure but we don't know anything.  We jump in feet first & slip on the first stair and it’s all a bloody disaster.  Everything dies, tomatoes catch disease, squash gets implanted with fruit fly larvae & our efforts wither into hades.  That’s how I’ve felt anyway.

But suddenly: (ta da!) Permaclutch.

Great.  Another flipping way to grow your vegetables.  Hydroponics, aquaponics, agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, vertical gardening, hugelkultur, raised beds, chinampas! …all these hot words that are supposed to light your flame of produce passion.  

Chinampas!  

I mean, yes, those are all great words, but here’s the difference.  All of those outline one way to garden.  Aquaponics is great…but it’s limiting.  Organic gardening has it’s pros, but there are certain pesticides that are still used that are questionable, therefore, limiting.  I hate being limited!  

Hugelkultur

Permaclutch is different because it takes all of the clean gardening techniques (clean meaning pesticide-free) and is a big inclusive mama bear of a method.  Use them all within the system.  Mix and match your methods, intermingle...go crazy.  But don't forget your ethics.  You have to think (kind of a lot) before you go spreading your seed around (practical advice in at least one other situation I can think of).  

What I really mean is that maybe your garden herb spiral should be right by your kitchen door (pretty, practical & convenient)!  Veggies & greens - nearby for picking & tending.  Fruit trees get to live a little farther away, because you don't access them as frequently. We call this zoning. Need a better watering system?  Put a bird swale on it.  Conserve moisture?  MULCH it (see "I Love You So Mulch" for more on that).  You see, there is a system to the maddness.  It is actually creating a natural ecosystem that mimics nature.  The goal is that the created ecosystem will support itself entirely in 5-6 years.

(Um...that's AWESOME, remember the part about your downpayment paying off?  For lots of free food?).  

One man at the start of his permaclutch legacy

Things that seems so obvious, yet we don't know or never think of on our own.  There is a lot more where that came from.  It’s the EPITOMY of what food production can and should be (and I’ll tell you this, will save the world far faster than any of it’s G-MO foes).  

Problem is, it starts with the individual.  It can only start from the bottom.  Big ag has no chance in permaclutch.  Permaclutch is about YOU and ME growing fresh, easily acquired food, trading with your permie neighbors and growing a community of abundance.  Over abundance in all aspects, really.  It’s kind of a big topic to tackle, but fortunately it is much more tackle-able than your home depot 10x10 failed garden plot built in dead bagged dirt.

So What Now?

What if?

It is up to you.  Fail at growing tomatoes for the last time until you renounce growing, declare a black thumb and succumb to buying pesticide laden food.  Depend on a system of sham & big money to feed your children.  If S*#& hits the fan and the trucks and boats stop coming, get ready to swap your kidney for your next dinner.  

-OR-

That's Better.

Look into permaculture and save the world starting in your own backyard (or front yard, or balcony, or roof, or acreage, whatever).  Quite literally.  The melange of ways to garden naturally that actually do work all rolled into one big package is a truly beautiful world to discover.  SO GO FLIPPING DISCOVER IT.  I DARE YOU.

Start here to discover Permaculture
^watch some cool videos that will inspire! Remember: Free food!

Shaloha!

"Good Medicine" Anniversary Giveaway!

Anniversaries!

August is/has been a big one for us.  We FINALLY celebrated our 6 year anniversary this past weekend (May is our actual marriage month…), the other day was my parent’s anniversary, and this month is our 10 year dating anniversary.  

1st official "date." Wowzers!  Weren’t we cute?  And young?  How's my mom's mauve blinds? 

This month happens to ALSO be the 3rd year anniversary for…wait for it… our most recent album! HA! Talk about retired.  But really, we wrote a lot as a duet prior to babies, and lately - together - we’ve been working on a whole lot of nothin’.  

That’s why I’m making a big deal out of this 3 year anniversary… because somehow this album has stood the test of time (OK, my test of time), and seems to hold it’s value.  I always and still do get embarrassed at my other old music…I can’t understand why anyone is into it.  However, this particular album I don’t think I will ever feel that way about.  It’s good, and I think you’ll like it too.  

The Giveaway Part

SO to keep it fresh and to get you jiving… I’m giving away 3 digital albums to 3 winners to celebrate 3 years!  Here’s to a little “Good Medicine” to soothe those over-POPped ears.

Here's what you can do to enter:

-1 entry - Share this post on your FB page.

-2 entries - Subscribe*

-3 entries - Share & Subscribe*

-4 entries - Comment which bible verse our album title is based off of and Subscribe* to get blog notifications. 

*Uptop ^^ FYI I never spam email, and only post a blog about every 3-4 weeks...so don't worry about being email bombarded.  I don't have time for that!

To keep it classy, entries will be a 1 time thing.  None of that "enter every day" hogwash.

I'll handwrite the entries on slips of paper on the end of the 26th and my husband will pick the three winners out of a hat... the old fashioned way!  


And if you aren’t a winner but you want to listen to it, or have already and really dig it, you can get it here.

Shaloha!

Building Dreams

Hey!  My month long break is over.  I’m back!  But I haven’t just been fiddling around all this time…I’ve been growing cannabis! - permaculturally of course.  

JK.
Really.  
I’m really kidding!  

If this is your first time here and you are confused, it’s because you missed my last post: I'm Coming Out.  

But really, we have been busy and are finally reaping the rewards of a year’s hard work.  Indeed…we have built a dream.  A dream that is a house.  On half an acre.  On Kauai.  (I am dreaming, am I not?  Is this reality?!) 

The whole process was a whirlwind wonder…how we ended up with a slice of jungle while I was 8 months pregnant and raising a 1.5yr old, with a year timeline to finish this thing, also about 4 months into starting a brand new vintage coffee trailer business…not to mention a few other financial hurdles that should have made this house impossible. 

The driveway.  Off to the right is our little cliff.

Not that everyone is a pray-er, but the thing is, we knew that we couldn’t do it by ourselves.  I am not sure what I believe about destiny - I think we play a big part in it and it’s not all worked out necessarily - however, I think that some blessings God simply likes to make happen, if you let Him (like how my man and I met, but that’s a story for another day).

So we prayed that if it was supposed to happen, He would make it happen, and walk us through it.  There were some moments of testing, but to be honest, it was somehow not that stressful.  If you’ve ever heard the term “give it up to God,” you can be sure that is what we did.  We “let go and let God”…yes I am full of cliche christian phrases tonight!  But seriously,  we simply knew it was not in our control, so we rolled with it.  And I will NEVER downplay the blessings beyond blessings many of our friends and family bestowed on us in a variety of vital ways. THANK YOU!

Forever I believed that I wouldn’t ever own a home.  It seemed unattainable and impractical.  It didn’t make sense to stay put like such.  Then I started learning about permaculture (a nomadic lifestyle doesn’t work so well with growing things on the long-term).  Then we got a dog.  Then we had a kid.  Then we found out we were having another kid.  Suddenly things got R E A L.  Buying a house on our smug little island was not a financial option and we were looking into alternatives.  Big Island, mainland, NZ, living on parent’s properties…any and all cost-effective possibilities were on the table.  

Well, a year ago the dirt I’m sitting above was a rugged, steep, muddy-buffalo grass, bamboo-consumed mess.  A piece of tropical wilderness next door to my mother in law’s house that had desperately tall avocado trees & felt like more like an easement between properties than anything.  However it had a mystery about it.  It had a strange shape that you couldn’t formulate because the overgrowth masked it’s potential - and it’s treachery.  Our builder frequently called it his “nightmare job”, and initially told us it couldn’t be done.  Working with our “skeleton budget” as he so graciously put it, I think secretly he rather liked the challenge.  Regardless, lets just say the fact that I’m sitting 25 or so feet above the dirt below, with a roof and flooring and running water…it is truly a miracle.  And yes, 25 feet up is tall.  Since it’s on practically a cliff, it is super high from the bottom of our back yard.

So while there is still work to be done, we are in.  And it feels like a million bucks.  On top of that, I’m in the beginning stages of my first official permaculture project - not just a design, but the whole shebang.  Mulch and swales and puppy dog tails… I mean herb spirals.  There will be climbing vine walls, keyhole gardens, food forest, a banana circle, plenty of comfrey, pinto peanut ground cover and food for days (a blog on that at a later date).

All I can say is that ALL things, are DEFINITELY possible.  Glory to God, for sure.  This post is semi-pointless, only really to share the journey, show some fun pictures of this “nightmare job” and encourage you to do what cannot be done.  Because that attitude is not going to get you anywhere, and I bet somehow "it" can be done, whatever “it” is.  So go! Do it.

Here’s some pictures.  Yay!

All taken from MIL's front porch: 
Upper - Raw land - all of the trees to the right are avocados
Lower - after some weed whacking, tree cutting and putting up a mini shed.  Don't worry there are about 10 more avocado trees to the right of the picture.

Same view after some light earthworks.  Shed had to come down :)

20' bottom columns

Hey it's a house! (Entry on other side)

My personal favorite part of the house: Entry door view.

The interior is still in progress.
Eventually this will be a long table with wall bench.
And soon an epic original painting from StephieAnnMay

The back porch view...Up in the clouds.

House Materials:

Flooring: Home Depot Pecan Lakeshore Laminate

Kitchen: 

Cabinets - Golden Cabinets & Stone

Koa Countertops - Courtesy of Rich T., built by Jon M.

Sink & faucet - Amazon baby (and about a million other household items)

Dining Room: 

Pendant Shade - DIY fashioned to be similar to THIS

Chairs - Craigslist special

Shaloha!SaveSave

I'm Coming Out

Wisdom Bestows Well Being

Remember that time you were wrong about something but you just acted like you always believed otherwise?  Like, you’re all for Round-Up as a pesticide (glyphosate is the active chemical ingredient) to use safely around your home and children and on your food, and suddenly the CDC recognizes it (WHO too) as a carcinogen, worse than DDT …and now you swear it off like the plague, like you knew how terrible it was all along?  

We have all done it.  Thought one way about something - a bit unstudied on it perhaps - then someone brings our attention to an opposing view on it, and after some weighing and searching, we realize we were wrong about it…but in the mean time act like we knew all along?

Well I’m not going to pretend I always knew.  I have always been extremely anti towards "this thing" (thing will be revealed shortly).  But not now, and sooner rather than later this topic is all but going to burst forth from it’s stigmatized little bubble and enlighten us all on it’s health potential.  Even though I know there’s still a lot of controversy on the subject, I’m staking my claim now.  I was wrong, and there is really something to this. We’re going to talk about how wrong I was and why.

Don’t Know What You Don’t Know ’till You Know It

A couple of months ago, someone whose opinion I value, posted something on FB (talk about FB posts not changing people’s minds…they can and they do. I’m not saying about what yet, because we have to ease into this).  The fact that this level-headed normal person (in my book) posted something about this particular subject surprised me, and I clicked.  The article didn’t change my mind immediately, but it spurned my curiosity.  

Over the past few months now I have been looking more and more into this subject.  After having negative opinions about the subject for years, I am rather surprised at just how 180 I’ve gone.  Basically I am now a firm believer in it’s benefits and have come to the point where I can’t be silent about it anymore, because not to share is downright shameful (ie. being scared of the reputation related consequences), and there are too many people suffering due to not knowing.  If me saying this “out loud” will get a conversation started that could help a sick person get better…it’s worth it.

You see I have to preface this, because it comes with a stigma that is hard to see beyond, particularly if you aren’t familiar with the research that is now coming out on the topic.  Some are already well aware of what I’m going to say, and to you I say, “Be Louder!”  There are supporters on this topic - I am finding - that are in the closet about it because of the stereotyping that comes along with it.  Well, I just don’t care anymore, because it has too much good potential to be tight lipped about.

I even feel like I’m late to the game on this.  However, I know a lot of people who would think me quite radical to be saying what I’m about to say.  If what I say surprises you, and you aren’t there yet, I assure you - there is a wealth of information that if simply googled, may likely begin to change your mind on the topic.  Don’t take my word for it.  Go find out about it for yourself and draw your own well-researched conclusions.  

So here goes, I’m coming out

Cannabis is healthy! Very, very healthy.  

Let me preface with this: I’m not a stoner.  In fact, I haven’t touched the stuff since a few failed attempts in 11th grade.  But if I get sick, I assure you I will be finding a way to get my hands on CBD oil (a type of oil made from Cannabis), and juicing the plant for it’s healing benefits.  The potential for healing with this stuff is proving to be crazy!  If there becomes a legal way to take supplements in the future, like any medicinally useful plant, I will probably juice it, along with my turmeric, ginger & moringa.  Believe it or not, it can be consumed (without getting high!) a number of ways alongside a healthy lifestyle, clean diet & other raw food supplements for whole body wellness.  You guys…the evidence is mounting, in fact the mountain of positive health uses is getting as high as everest (pun intended).  It’s even made its way onto cancer.gov as a tumor shrinking & growth blocking treatment. I'm an interesting link too, check me out.

Washington, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon…these states are onto something.  It is a plant that God created, that has wildly positive elements for our body’s health that we’ve demonized into this slacker drug.  Sure, anything can be and is often used irresponsibly (alcohol, cheetos, antibiotics, Facebook..to name a few).  Anything can be abused in a manner that can harm yourself or others.  But lets think for a second…The side effects from cannabis are occasional disorientation and psychoactivity (usually only when heated, or using plants with a higher level of the THC component rather than the CBD component), but it’s a plant that actually heals your body, and it comes free, from a seed out of the earth.  No one has ever died from direct use or overdose on Cannabis in any of it's many forms.  No one.  As opposed to the other option: pharmaceuticals, that have dozens of small print, often very negative side effects (burning from the inside out, anyone?) also from which tens of thousands die from every year (alcohol use has a much higher death toll as well).  These drugs make a small elite very wealthy, and these drugs only treat symptoms - they don’t actually heal your body.  If you want a good moral absolutes shake up, check out this docu: The Culture High.

Say it with me: Illegal Plant.  Illegal Plant.  A plant that is illegal?  You can make a plant illegal?!  What if we found out rolling and smoking banana leaves had a relaxing, sometimes psychoactive effect, are we going to outlaw growing bananas? But bananas are so good for you!  Just because people *potentially* can misuse the leaves, we're going to nullify the benefits of bananas for everyone else?  The logic is ridiculous.

I’m not an expert and I’m not going to pretend I am.  It was only a few months ago I literally scoffed at the legalization of recreational cannabis use in some states.  But the tides have turned.  I'm for it.  A plant should not be illegal.  What can be illegal is irresponsible usage.  If someone needs or wants to use it for its insanely beneficial health properties...they definitely should be able to!  Or use it to calm their nerves, like a nice glass of wine would, perhaps they should be able to.  Or if they want to have it free - like grow it for themselves (gasp!), they should be able to - medical card or not - it grows like a weed after all.  Medical cards are just one more way to give your $$ to Uncle Sam - yay!  If it were legal, besides its health elements, over time the allure of it as a psycho active drug would fade.  It would be about as exciting as growing and juicing turmeric, or kava (powder from a root that creates a muscle relaxing drink).  Anyway, we'd put a plug in the drug cartel's MJ smuggling and free up some prison space for more serious criminals (and the prison issue...OMG just watch the documentary from above.  Mind. Blown.) 

So there you have it.  A mom that writes lullabies, believes in following Torah and is an advocate for responsible cannabis use all in one.  If  you don’t believe me yet about all this cannabis-goodness, get over your preconceived ideas about it and search it’s health benefits in google.  Search how it stops seizures.  Search how it has blocked, shrunk and diminished cancerous tumors in tons of people (along with a healthy diet & lifestyle).  Search how it’s used for alzheimers, asthma, swelling, brain injury, etc. etc. Search “health benefits of cannabis” or “CBD oil and cancer” or whatever you’re curious about.  You won’t find a lack of it.  If you already know all of this…wonderful.  Please share your knowledge.  If not, I hope I’m spurning your curiosity.

Shaloha!

PS...The Culture High it's crazy good.