Change of Eating...

Getting Personal in Our Digestive Systems...

In November 2012, Travis was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis- an Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  If you have ever heard of Crohns disease, it is similar.  Its an inflammation of the large colon and his was completely covered.  He is now on medication for the rest of his life.  I have always had digestive issues my whole life, and we both have come to this peak of frustration of needing to change. I went to the GI doctor and asked him what I could do for my issues.  He basically said I needed to be on medication the rest of my life in order to function properly.  I asked him if it was possibly a food allergy, and he said it probably was not because I didn't have any raging symptoms.  Also, the medication is in "Category C" meaning the effects are unknown if I were to get pregnant someday.  I felt deeply convicted by this and gave it to the Lord to heal.  

Enter Gluten Free...

Enter Change...

Enter Healing...

Travis and I slowly began to let go of certain foods in our diet: cookies, toast, breads, cereals, flour tortillas, desserts...

While adding:  a refrigerated probiotics to the diet, Juice Plus, tons of water and drinking less coffee, and added green smoothies to our weekly food plans, vegetables every night for dinner, fruit every day, and increased our protein intake.  

We also exercise often, almost everyday through runs, weights, work out class, basketball (Travis not me, I hope you didn't have a mental image of me in bball shorts hooping it up)  We take walks with the dogs 1-2 times a day as well.  This helps with digestion and gives you more energy.  

It took a couple of weeks to feel like I knew how to shop for us on this diet plan.  Now, I can go to Central Market and Target and know what is gluten free and what is not.  

It has literally changed so many things though.  My digestive issues have changed dramatically for the good in one month. I am scared for Travis to get off his meds, due to the fact that the last time he got off of them cause he was "feeling better" and didn't want to tell me, I noticed just by looking at his face something was wrong.  We were walking and I looked at him and said "Travis you look pale and your face looks like it is sagging.." Then he had a huge flare up while we were in Colorado and admitted that he hadn't been taking his meds... I think we are a ways away from getting him off those, but it is a goal for sure!

It is an act of discipline to go gluten-free and only by the strength of the LORD have we been able to do it.  He has given us self-control when we desperately need it.  Its strange how we have to use self-control when selecting foods to eat.  You think it would be easier said than done.  I love sweets and I love my Hideway Pizza and Mellow Mushroom, my white chocolate mochas from Starbucks... But now its a thought process of "do I really want to go back to the pain I have been in my whole life?" Absolutely not.  

A verse that I have been clinging to during this is:

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness" Hebrews 12:11

Thanks for reading :)

Have a joy-filled day,

Tricia

Spazzy

I know I can be a spazzy blogger.

I think it's the seasons of life that either inspire me to write or forget to.  

Please forgive my spazziness. 

I am just going to jump right into things.

Travis and I bought our first home 2012 and sold it November 2013.  We felt like the Lord was prompting us to put it on the market, although this was a leap of faith and doubt at the same time, we sold it quickly.  We had some interesting lessons buying a 1926 home and I don't think I would buy an older home ever again in my life :) We sold it thinking we would just rent for awhile, however, we found a new built home right by the Trinity River.  Score.  We lived in our friends vacant house that was 4 homes down from our old house, and our friends were living next door to their vacant house.. make sense? We were there for 3 months longer than we thought, but absolutely loved our simplicity of having 1/8 of the stuff we owned and being perfectly content in that-- vacant, no central heat, coldest Texas winter, watch fires and Lord of the Rings and Star Wars movies, snuggle with dogs on the floor-- home.

We moved into our new home and its just surrounded by the Lord's peace and plan for us.  I am so thankful that He has lead us here.  I love that I get to walk 1 minute to the Trinity Trails with the spoiled rotten dogs that we have and go for a run.  I love that I feel "out of the city" because it is so quiet and calm.  I love that I don't hear cars zooming down the street. It is amazing.

Travis is working at XTO Energy still and was promoted to an Associate Landman position.  He LOVES his job and is very thankful to be where he is at.  They are paying for him to get his Masters of Energy Business at the University of Tulsa (online).  I am so proud of him for taking on that challenge.  He studies every single night and is in accounting and financing this semester.  I love that my husband is a hard worker.  

I am at All Saints Episcopal School as a Early Childhood Division Assistant.  I also get to teach a Bible Class for the little ones, which is where my heart is.  What could get better than teaching them about our Lord? Its truly a gift to me to be able to teach this.  

Tuffy and Prim are loving our new house and walk to the Trinity.  I think Prim is permanently stuck in the middle school awkward growing stage.  She is cute though.  

I will upload pics later :)

This was the catch up blog post....

Till my spazziness hits again... 

Have a JOY-FILLED day,

Tricia