Happy 1st Year Blogversary to Food Faith Fatigue!
Actually, the official Blogversary is February 5th, but I don’t mind celebrating early.

Though I started the blog as an outlet for myself and hopefully a way to help others cope with being burnt out or sick (check out my very very first blog post here !), I’ve been so happy with all the special surprises I’ve received along the way!

Blogging has provided a way for me to connect with so many of you who have walked this same road and who have so much to teach me. Really, right when I need an answer to something, someone sends me a brilliant idea or encouragement. Thank you! You all are such a blessing!

1st Year Blogversary #1’s

In honor of this first year, I though it would be cool to share with you all a few #1 takeaways. Below you’ll catch a glimpse of my big health takeaway, my big Scripture takeaway, and one big thing I’m looking forward to this coming blog year.

Health Takeaway

Blogging my way through recovery got me really motivated this past year to stay on track health-wise, because what’s the point of having a blog on beating illness if I’m not into it? Through paying close attention to my body and how it responds to my choices (food, rest, emotions, physical exertion…), I’ve learned that the key to getting better is FIRST making the necessary lifestyle and diet changes that rebuild my body’s immune system.

If my immune system is not as strong as possible, no amount of drugs or herbs will ever be able to cover the work load.

Now that I’ve received a massive piece of my health mystery puzzle (you can read about my recent Lyme diagnosis here), I’ve been researching and praying like crazy: Antibiotics or Botanicals or both? I know there is no universal answer for everyone, but more and more I’ve personally been convinced that I should start with botanicals.

God sent me some wonderful friends who have had Lyme and successfully treated it naturally, so why can’t I (huge hugs and thanks to you guys!)? I also know of the long-term side affects of taking pharmaceuticals, and to me the risks at this point outweigh the potential benefits. For those of you interested in reading a bit more about how to start treating Lyme naturally, read these interesting articles: One in English, and one in Slovak (thank you Zuzka for the tip!).

In summary, my number one health takeaway is that to heal, I first have to address my gut and immune system naturally. I’ll talk more about this after my Scripture takeaway!

Scripture Takeaway

I wish it were easier to find a “life verse” for last year! It’s hard to sum up all the ups/ downs, hopes/fears, and how thankful I’ve been for how God has taken care of me.

Psalm 23 seems to express my heart best.

vs. 1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Meditating on this verse alone these last 4.5 years of sickness has been so comforting. As long as I am in the Lord’s hands, I won’t be lacking anything.

vs. 2
He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters.

The first year I was sick, I also had PTSD and a few other issues that I’m sure were all related to burnout (you can read about my mental and emotional health recovery here ). I went to a Christian counselor who thankfully understood my situation quite well, and she reminded me that God intends us to live resting in Him. Sometimes we push ourselves so much either for right or wrong reasons, and we miss His peace and plan!

She told me that sometimes for us more stubborn folk, there’s more force needed when “He MAKES me lie down in green pastures”. Haha. Well, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome definitely made lying down tons easier for me! If you think you might need to practice resting in these green pastures, you can read this post about taking a “Sabbath”.

vs. 3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

I am so thankful for the spiritual healing I’ve had during this time of illness. God has shown me that His will doesn’t always involve weary labor! Of course I wish I would’ve realized this BEFORE I totaled my body (you can read about how my story all started here ), but I’m thankful to have such a powerful lesson now. God wants to refresh and restore us always, but it can be so hard for us to remember to come to Him! Maybe this year we can do a better job of letting Him lead us down his paths. I promise they will be better than our own!

vs. 4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

When I’m scared, I remember a lesson I learned a while ago while facing a potentially dangerous and life-threatening situation. While praying for miraculous protection and safety for all involved in that particular event, God reminded me of Psalm 23:4 and the words came to life then as they never had before! Though my very life could be at stake, God is my shepherd. His rod will defend me from attack, and His staff will draw me to safety. As the author of this Psalm said, this definitely comforted me, and it still does!

Here is a post I wrote last February about how we have nothing to fear with God by our side.

vs. 5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

You guys, if you haven’t noticed, I love LOVE food, and food/dining analogies totally speak to me. One of the hardest things for me about being sick isn’t that I can’t go back to work (yet!), or that I have problems with my organs, or even that I’m so SO sick and tired all the time.

It’s that I can’t eat my favorite foods!!!! (read my latest recipe for a Bean-Based Marble Cake to see the measures I go through to enjoy some of these forbidden foods!)

So, this verse is really beautiful to me because it reminds me that my life is abundant and full of promise. God has never been stingy with me, and I know that it is because He loves me that He is teaching me humility and rest. Though I am weak, I am getting stronger, and though I feel like I’m losing everything, I’m gaining more of Jesus. And one day, either here or in eternity, I’ll eat a feast worth waiting for!

vs. 6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

And here’s the clincher. There is only one reason I am still alive and at peace today. The Lord’s goodness and mind-blowing mercy has been with me every day and will continue to bless me until forever! Knowing that I am His and He is mine for keeps is the one thing I need to know to continue living and thriving. It fills me with strength and hope. To read more about how trials help us see God’s goodness and mercy, read this post from a few weeks ago. Also, to read more about how we should go to God when problems come, read this!

And, now for one big thing I am looking forward to this coming year:

Plexus Supplements and Starting My Own Plexus Business!

As I said at the beginning of this post, I’ve been praying a lot about what to do in light of my latest Lyme diagnosis. Being positive again for Lyme came as a surprise and in a moment our hopes and plans for 2018 were changed. One of the things that happens in the doctor’s office moments after you get the news is the discussion of treatment options. It got overwhelming FAST, but what my husband and I DID get out of the appointment was

• sticker shock.
• the urgency to research everything we could about pharmaceuticals vs. botanicals.

A few weeks ago, a friend (who has had Crohn’s for many years) reached out to me when she heard of my Lyme diagnosis. She encouraged me to try some natural supplements useful for supporting the body’s immune system by helping clean out toxins and infections. Ever since being sick, I’ve been taking loads of supplements just to maintain a subnormal quality of life (I counted at the start of this year and I’m on 19 different supplements not including essential oils), and I get really skeptical when anything new is added or the protocols change. But, like I said, being diagnosed with Lyme changed everything, and I was in search of a new, safe, effective, and PROVEN treatment plan.

Anyway, my friend told me about her experience with Plexus products and how after years and years of struggling to find the right diet and supplements, she was happy to find relief with Plexus. She then showed me testimony after testimony of how Lymies were able to start healing after taking specifically the Plexus TriPlex combo.

Hmmm…

After spending a week of researching all the ingredients and studies about the ingredients, trying a sample (this was important because my body is so sensitive that I can TELL when I’m taking something fake or harmful), and talking to a friend who’s mom has seen a night-and-day difference in her Lyme recovery once adding Plexus supplements,

I was sold.

In fact, I’m SO sold now on the quality and mission of these products that I’ve become what they call an “Ambassador” and I’m open for business!  This has been a huge answer to prayer as now I have a fun and healthy way to cover medical costs.  Win win!
https://plexusworldwide.com/foodfaithfatigue/home

Like I said earlier,

If my immune system is not as strong as possible, no amount of drugs or herbs will ever be able to cover the work load.

That’s what I love about these products. I’ve finally found supplements that safely offload toxic burdens from the body including infections so that the immune system is free to clean me up like it’s supposed to!

Of course, if you want to know more about HOW it does so safely and effectively and why it could be super helpful with specifically LYME, let me know 🙂 . I’d also love to share with you how to become an ambassador yourself and anything else that might interest you about Plexus!

Well, all in all, I am so thankful for this last year of lessons learned and love from all of you. More and more (and more and more and more!) I see that God’s got this crazy journey totally under control, and though this next year is filled with a lot of unknowns and shelved dreams, it is also filled with HOPE. If you’ve been around me the last few weeks, you’ve probably had your ear talked off about all that I’m learning about my health and all I’m looking forward to! Yes, there’s a lot of hope. With God walking with me, I’m in good hands. Let’s do this!