i hate my bangs and other such nonsense...

so.

 i asked the girl who cut my hair

{first hair cut in a year!},

to leave me a long side bang.

uh-huh.

i look like a puppy from the 1950s.

i'm not really sure what that means, but it's what i thought of.

it's a good thing i'm not one to pitch a fit or whine about things like this.

  i do hate them, but whatever.

it's hair.

it grows.

{those forehead wrinkles, however, will just continue to get worse.  let's pretend they don't exist, m'kay?}

and now onto a question i keep getting asked:
How did the gluten free thing go and are we still on it???

answer:

awful.

and no, we're not still on it.

we did it for 8 weeks, and we {the hubs and i} did not feel any difference.

it was supposed to be beneficial for his crohn's disease, and for my

multitude of problems.

but, no, we felt no changes.

no clarity of mind, energy, weight loss,

or any of the other benefits everyone else apparently sees after a few weeks.
and, we did not feel headachey, bloated or yucky after reintroducing gluten.

i honestly wasn't sure if i was livid or relieved.

go back to carbs and regular cooking?

yes please!

no easy solution to seeing health improvement?

uhhhhh!

but i am still on my supplements, and hoping that by the time i return to the dr., that my levels will at least be getting closer to normal.

and despite my thought process earlier in this stuff,

i do believe that when finances are better, i will return to my neurologist to get an official diagnosis.

if for no other reason than my own peace of mind.

and yes, this was the nonsense part of the post;)

blessings,

mandy

books to love...

i have a great recommendation today.

if you like fiction, and have not read the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers...

well.

let me tell ya.

here

you are majorly missing out on what is one of the most well-written, inspirational books i have ever read.

taking place about 40 years after Jesus' Crucifixion.

Rome.

Ephesus.

capitols of world power and idol worship.

Christians and Jews are being slaughtered or enslaved.

the entirety of Rome is drenched in filth and vulgar living.

gladiator games are entertainment,

sin in rampant.

bring in a Jewish Christian slave girl, just a young teenager.

as Haddassah attempts to live out her faith in an environment rich for evil, she is by far one of the most heroic and inspirational characters i've encountered in literature.

Mrs. Rivers doesn't shy away from 'going there' like most goody goody christian authors.

i don't mean that to be critical of other authors of the genre, because i also love Jeannette oak, Jane Kirkpatrick, etc.

but,

it is so refreshing to read a Christian book that deals with fleshly temptations,

sexual deviancy,

violence,

drug and alcohol abuse,

and flat out everyday trials such as fear,

judgementalism,

gossip, etc.

this book examines the culture of Rome in the first century after Jesus,

but could very well be describing the world we live in today.

a nation on the brink of bankruptcy due to irresponsible and extravagant living?  check.

a younger generation giving into fleshly temptations and 'living for the moment'?  check.

excessive use of drugs, alcohol?  check

sexual sin and diseases that follow? check.

abortion?  check.

thoughts on welfare systems? check.

violence and murder as our source of entertainment?  check.

a health care system in crisis?  check.

worship of money and power?  check.

and yet this author handles it all through a lens of Scripture, and sheds light in the darkness.

it is written with integrity and truth.

i could go on, but i'd rather you just go read it.

Haddassah will encourage you live boldly in your faith like no other fiction has done

{for me anyways}.

this book gets my highest rating of ***** !

blessings,

mandy

linking up here:

and baby monkey is four...

i can hardly grasp that my baby is four years old today...

you are such a sweet boy little one.

you made our family complete

<3

{anyone know why the edited version of my pictures never show up?  blogger always reverts them back to straight out of camera shots, even when i've photoshopped them???}

***************************************************

also on this good friday,

be reminded of Christ's work on the cross.

He died,

 for you.

you were on His mind and in His heart as He breathed His last breaths and felt the weight of your sin.

go watch

this video.

my kids love this singing this song at the top of their lungs!!!

blessings,

mandy