Sometimes God Just Gives Us a Blessing! by Patti Londa Greene, Author

Sometimes God Just Gives Us a Blessing!

www.PattiGreene.com

It was a typical morning today in Houston, Texas. I got up, made my coffee, said goodbye to my son as he left for work. My couch is the usual spot for my quiet time. I balance my coffee cup on a coaster on the couch and read the Bible and pray. Today my devotional was on LAZINESS (Proverbs 13:4.) I thought about the fact that if someone writes a book, they are not lazy! It takes time, dedication, editing, more editing, and persevering. I said my prayers, wrote some notes to some friends, and got ready for my day. I picked up lunch at Taco Bell, went to Kroger, bought some Christmas presents at Palais Royal, journeyed to my friend’s house for a visit, and then returned home.

I stopped at our mailbox on the way home only to be a little disappointed that there was no key in the box indicating I had a package. But, I did have a United States Postal Service Priority envelope. Honestly, I went through all my junk mail and then tackled the envelope. I saw immediately that it was from Lizzie. Lizzie (a.k.a. Elle Bee) is a young woman who attended the Sunday School Class my husband taught before we went on our little adventure to Nigeria.

 

The package was opened and I was so thrilled. I saw a book that Elle Bee had written and published. I was so happy for her, and was totally touched when I opened the book and read her sweet note to us. It said, “Patti and John, Thank you so much for everything you did for me. This book would never have been written without you. LB.” By this point I was more thrilled about her stick-to-itiveness to finish and publish this book. Then, I turned the page, and I had to sit down – I couldn’t even stand. This precious new author dedicated the book to our family. Never before have I been so honored as in that moment TODAY. The dedication read, “To the Greene family. For your support. For your love. And for your kindness.” By this point, I knew a “thank you email” was not going to be sufficient.



I immediately called Elle Bee. I congratulated her and thanked her for her kind gesture even though it did not seem like it was enough. I told her how proud I am of her for all her hard work.

You see Elle Bee isn’t someone who has dreamed about writing a book all her life and is finally doing it – like me! She is a young, single lady in her 20’s who is dedicating her gifts and talents to the Lord now. She is truly following 2 Timothy 4:12 which says, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

Love you “Elle Bee.” Because of you, I received a blessing that I absolutely was not expecting today. Thank you.

Raised practically by himself, ten year old Charlie would like nothing more than to be left alone. Unfortunately, he is a magnet for attention, particularly of the negative degree. Bullying. Blame. Teacher disapproval. For the majority of his life, Charlie has been able to take the attention in a "grin and bear" it sort of way. But what will Charlie learn as he is whisked off to Thailand?

To find out more, check out The Evidence (Mission with Miss Bee BOOK #1) by Elle Bee; ISBN 978-1-312-15522-0.

To read more or to order an autographed book, go to Joseph’s Grain at http://josephsgrain.org.

Pictures shared by permission!

Patti Londa Greene
Author of Awaken Me (ISBN 978-1-4627-2578-6)
God, It's Me (ISBN 978-1-4627-3821-2)

Autism

Detecting Autism

Many parents wonder if their child could have autism. They wonder if their child is growing both physically, mentally, and socially at the “correct pace.”

In addition, many parents, when they discuss their concerns with their pediatrician, are told to just wait and see what happens. But, many experts believe that if you have a suspicion that something might be wrong that you should have them checked out through tests and screenings. If a child is screened by a specialist and they find no justifiable concerns, then parents can rest at ease knowing that their child is developing at an appropriate pace. If there is a detectable concern, parents are able to find out early enough to get early intervention and the proper care for their child.

Mayo Clinic’s health information states, “Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development — social interaction, language and behavior. But because autism symptoms vary greatly, two children with the same diagnosis may act quite differently and have strikingly different skills. In most cases, though, severe autism is marked by a complete inability to communicate or interact with other people.

Some children show signs of autism in early infancy. Other children may develop normally for the first few months or years of life but then suddenly become withdrawn, become aggressive or lose language skills they've already acquired. Though each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior, these are some common autism symptoms.”

The Mayo Clinic continues to clarify the symptoms of autism as follows:

Social skills
Fails to respond to his or her name
Has poor eye contact
Appears not to hear you at times
Resists cuddling and holding
Appears unaware of others' feelings
Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her "own world"

Language
Starts talking later than age 2, and has other developmental delays by 30 months
Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
Doesn't make eye contact when making requests
Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
Can't start a conversation or keep one going
May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn't understand how to use them

Behavior
Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
Develops specific routines or rituals
Becomes disturbed at the slightest change in routines or rituals
Moves constantly
May be fascinated by parts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain

With all these symptoms, it is important to understand, that some of them may be seen in children whose development is normal.

Nancy D. Wiseman, founder and President of First Signs, discusses why early detection matters and why helping your child early in life can produce better results long term for a child. In her book, Could it be Autism?, Wiseman provides checklists and the steps you can take to either “confirm or rule out a developmental delay or disorder.”

If you are concerned about autism in someone you know, there is a lot of excellent reading material available to you. Please check these resources to help you or someone you love in their journey to make sense out of autism.

Brill, Marlene. Autism. New York : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2008.
“Autism.” Mayo Clinic. Website.

Teitelbaum, Osnat and Philip Teitelbaum. Does your Baby have Autism? Garden City Park, NJ: Square One, 2008.

Veague, Heather. Autism. New York : Chelsea House, 2010.
Wiseman, Nancy. Could it be Autism? New York:Broadway Books, 2006.

Thyroid: The Master Gland of Metabolism by Paula Owens

This is a very informative article on your thyroid. If you scroll down, you will see the one of the most comprehensive lists of symptoms I have seen. I know - I have experienced a lot of them. Enjoy the article if you are into reading about the master gland of metabolism!

Thyroid: The Master Gland of Metabolism
January 4, 2010 · Published By Paula Owens

Part one of a series on Hypothyroidism

Your thyroid is the master gland of your metabolism. It is your body’s internal thermostat, regulating the temperature by secreting two hormones, T3 and T4 that control your ability to burn calories and use energy. The thyroid controls your weight, body temperature, heart rate, energy levels, menstrual regularity and muscle strength.

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped, hormone producing tissue the size of a walnut located at the lower front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. Every cell in your body needs small amounts of thyroid hormone to function optimally. Thyroid function is vital to your health.

Hypothyroidism is a health condition in which there is insufficient thyroid activity which is often undiagnosed. Less than 25% of people with an underactive thyroid have been properly diagnosed and treated. Untreated hypothyroidism dramatically increases your risk of serious health concerns and degenerative diseases.

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is secreted by the pituitary gland in your subconscious brain. In early stages of hypothyroidism, the pituitary gland releases more and more TSH, causing elevated TSH levels. This causes the thyroid to work overtime to secrete more thyroxin (T4) and T3, the biologically active form of thyroid. Most of the T4 produced is converted to T3 by your liver.

Most conventional doctors only test TSH. This is not thorough testing for thyroid function.

Measuring different hormones in the blood can determine if the thyroid gland is working properly. To most effectively screen for hypothyroidism and other thyroid imbalances, Dr. Galitzer recommends that doctors also request blood tests for thyroid antibodies.

Therefore, it is recommended that all women be tested for hypothyroidism by the age of 50 as well as those women who are or are planning to become pregnant in order to detect thyroid problems. In addition, the American Thyroid Association suggests that everyone over 35 years of age should be screened with a TSH test every 5 years.

New data from a study of 25,000 participants whose TSH was measured argued that the ideal TSH level is 1.4 or less, not the usual 5.5 limit still cited by some labs.

Suggested Thyroid Tests:
Basal temperature test (read about this in my book, THE POWER OF 4) – Oral temperatures consistently <97.3˚ F may suggest hypothyroidism; temperatures consistently <97.0˚ F suggests hypothyroidism.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). This is the BEST test, but beware most all of the “normal” ranges are simply dead wrong. The ideal level for TSH is between 1 and 1.5 mIU/L.
T4 panel
Free T4 – The normal level of free T4 is between 0.9 and 1.8 ng/dl.
T4 Thyroxine – optimal levels are 8-12.5
Free Thyroxine Index – optimal levels are 1.5-5
T3 Panel
Free T3 – Optimal ranges are between 1.8-5.4
T3 Uptake – optimal levels are 27-37
T3 Total – optimal ranges are 72-170
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody – optimal ranges are 0-19
Thyroid hormones are affected by stress. Adrenaline and cortisol, hormones released by stress, interfere with the body’s ability to convert T4 into T3. When T3 levels decrease, the body produces even more adrenaline and cortisol to help speed up metabolism which further inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3. Healthy functioning adrenals must always be factored in when dealing with thyroid imbalances. Excess cortisol increases risk of Candida.

Suggested Testing to Evaluate Low Adrenal Function:

Cortisol levels (8 a.m. and 4 p.m.)
DHEA and DHEA-S
Adrenal Stress Index (ASI)
ACTH
Other testing to consider:
Homocysteine (clinical research has shown that homocystinuria is found with many cases of primary and secondary thyroid hypo-function).
Liver function. (Thyroid hormones are conjugated in the liver).
Hypothyroidism affects an estimated 10% of the U.S. population of which 90% are women. Thyroid disease and breast cancer are most common in post-menopausal females. Sugar intolerance, menopause and depression cause many of the same symptoms of thyroid disorders. Those with low thyroid may experience elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides caused by failure of the anterior pituitary to drive the thyroid.

When thyroid disease is left untreated, it can cause elevated cholesterol levels and subsequent heart disease, infertility, Candida, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, muscle weakness, osteoporosis and sometimes even coma or death. According to new research, women who had a prior history of hypothyroidism for more than 10 years had a two to threefold higher risk of liver cancer compared to women without a history of thyroid disorders.

Symptoms of an underactive thyroid may include:

Catches colds and other viral/bacterial problems easily and has difficulty recovering
Chronic digestive problems (gas, bloating, indigestion)
Constipation
Decreased immunity
Depression
Dry or brittle hair, hair falls out easily
Dry or itching skin
Edema, especially in the face and eyelids
Elevated LDL cholesterol levels
Fatigue, especially in the middle of the day
Increase in weight even while on a low-calorie or low-fat diet
Loss of outer third portion of the eyebrows
Low temperature
Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses.
Muscle cramps while at rest
Overly sensitive to cold weather
Poor circulation, joint stiffness, numbness in hands or feet
Reduced initiative, mental confusion, and poor memory
Requires an excessive amount of sleep to function normally
Ringing in the ears associated with decreased blood pressure and/or slow pulse rate
Wounds heal slowly
Three or more of the above may indicate hypothyroidism.

Three or more symptoms above may indicate hypothyroidism.

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