Born with a Purpose!

On the 17th of August 1994 a little boy, CJ Lues, was born. 

By the grace of God he was born naturally and not by caesarian. When thinking back, with the knowledge I have now, I can hardly believe that his birth didn’t end in a caesarian!  But it was meant to be. This tiny baby opening my womb for so many to come after him.

He was a strong little baby, he nursed like a pro and introduced me to the world of motherhood, in a delightful way. 

Then at 15 months the calling on his live began, but I didn’t know that then (my vocabulary didn’t include a Godly calling) and we only experienced the pain and hardship at the time.

He was due for his 15 months vaccination.  A few weeks before his vaccination we decided to move to Cape Town.  Christo was already in Cape Town to start our new business and CJ and I stayed to sell our house. I took into account how sick CJ became after vaccinations and the fact that I would be without any support in a new City, I decided to give him his vaccination at the familiar clinic in Bloemfontein. This meant that my mother and mother-in-law could help me take care of my sick baby the 48 hours after the shot.

But this time CJ didn’t recover after 48 hours, he only become weaker and weaker.  After a few days of trying to keep his fever down and feeding my restless, coughing baby, I visit the family pediatrician.  He immediately admit CJ to hospital.He feared that CJ may have meningitis and gave orders to get me out of the room and my baby ready for a lumper puncture.  I will never forget my anxiety, my mother-in-law holding me to prevent me from rushing into the examining room, grabbing my babyand run away!  His cries were more than I could handle as a young 25 year old mother, with my husband a 1000km away!  That night my mother-in-law and I slept next to his bed and the next day I took him home.  There was ‘nothing’ wrong with my baby. The pediatrician diagnosed him with “longing for his dad”. We immediately made arrangements for the two of us to move down to my husband,  leaving our house in the hands of the estate agent. God was so good, the weekend we left Bloemfontein our house sold.

In the Cape, our baby son didn’t recover as expected!  For months I visited the spacious  luxurious consultation rooms of one irritated, impatient pediatrician after another, complaining they could not examine a baby who started crying the minute he enter a doctors room. What would you expect from a little boy whose first encounter with a pediatrician was a lumber puncture without his mother, since she was forbidden to hold him.  I left every pediatric visit with a prescription for antibiotics and NO explanation of why my baby had  tonsillitis every two weeks and a chronic cough. 

Finally a pediatrician suggested allergy tests. This time it was me who needed to hold down my little boy on a hospital bed, while they pricked countless wholes in his back ‘testing‘ him for allergies.  I was to  stupid to know that you cannot do accurate allergy tests on a child younger than 5 years old! For days I had to wait for the results and when the pediatrician eventually called, he  informed me that the tests didn’t show anything. What he said next, literally crashed my spirit.  He said that he cannot do anything for my son, I need to find out by myself what was wrong!!

I looked at my 18month old son, who just finished another 3day course of antibiotics a week ago and realized I need Godly intervention or my son was going to die in front of my eyes! The rest of the day I prayed! The next day as I  entered the centre in which my husband had his men’s gift shop at that stage, when my attention was drawn to the health shop I passed every time I paid my husband a visit.  I just knew God sent me. Before I could stop myself, I walked into the health shop and asked for the name of a homeopath. Shocked with my own actions, I walked out of the health shop with the business card of a local homeopath.

At home, I walked straight to the telephone and fell in the chair next to it.  For what felt like hours I just stared at the business card. My husband and I grew up in very conservative religious homes and consulting a homeopath was totally foreign for me. But I was desperate. I just had to try the Homeopath as a last option.

The very friendly health shop assistant informed me that the homeopath  was very busy and I would most probably not be able to get an appointment in the next month. I could not wait that long, CJ’s cough was already getting worse.  So I prayed and asked God, since I was not very comfortable with the idea of a homeopath due to my’

ignorance, I would know He approved if I could get an appointment before the end of the week - it was Wednesday.  Then I made the call.  You can imagine the overwhelming joy when the receptionist inform me: “ They just got a cancellation for Friday...”

The first appointment was such an eye-opener.  My homeopath immediately won my confidence and over the next 6 months he changed our lives.  He diagnosed CJ with chronic whooping cough and started boosting his immune system and treating his condition. 

Over a period of 6 months he also gradually took us off yeast, sugar and diary products.  Still it took CJ 2 years to totally recover from his 15 month against whooping cough vaccination. 

As a bonus Christo got rid of his sinusitis and lost about 10 kg.  I had two miscarriages during this time, our homeopath treated me for candida and since 1997 I hadn’t had candida or a miscarriage!

In the meantime we got crucified by our conservative church and family for being involved in homeopathy and its evil roots.  Christo being an electronic engineer, understanding electronics and fault finding, studied homeopathy over a period of two years. During this time God amazingly guided us and even gave us a prophesy of teaching and healing His people.

When CJ turned 6years old, we closed the doors of our men’s gift shop and started our health shop.  Over the past ten years, thousands of people’s lives have been changed, improved and saved thanks to our experience with CJ.

  

Thanks to CJ not one of his siblings received any vaccinations.

Thanks to CJ we can teach parents about the health risks in giving vaccinations, such as autism. If we finished CJ’s vaccinations and gave him the 18month MMR shot, CJ would definitely have been autistic.

Thanks to CJ we’re not using any modern medicine with all its terrible side effects.

Thanks to CJ we totally changed our life style and daily give our family the priceless gift of health.

The little boy who has turned 16 a couple of days ago, were used by God with a purpose, when he was only a few months old.  

Today he is a young man, with a God given life stretching out before him.

He knows there is a calling on his life, he knows his purpose is to give glory to God in everything and he knows he will need to make some sacrifices to walk in his purpose, but he doesn’t hesitate one-second. This is why he was created by His Creator.

Today we are still periodically questioned for using homeopathic medicine, but over the years we got anchored in God and His guidance in our life.  I trust Him for wisdom and knowledge. I can still not understand that something with “evil roots” could save my babies life and have an abundant harvest!  In my Bible I don’t read anything about testing something by its roots, only by its fruit! 

On Tuesday it was evident again that the Hand of the Lord is on my son’s life.  A year ago he won the 27th round of Apologia Science Question.  He could choose his prize and received a rocket set, he needed to build the rockets himself before he could launch it. 

Over the past year we just couldn’t find a suitable, safe place to launch the rockets.  Two months ago he started horse riding lessons on a farm 15 km outside Durbanville.  The owner gave him permission to launch the rockets on his farm, which fulfilled all the safety criteria. 

It was so much fun.

Heidi-Mari and I also baked him a cake of his choice out of our Baking book - Strawberry Bavarian Cream Cake.  

We enjoyed every minute assembling this cake. 

For breakfast we surprised him with muesli and yoghurt (which we never have for breakfast - diary is a No-No in our home) and fresh homemade croissants!  

The evening Christo and I, took CJ and Josua (who is turning 10 next Tuesday) out for supper.  Heidi-Mari took excellent care of her three brothers and sister at home.The boys had pizza and lamb shank and strawberry milkshakes.  

After getting back home we watched a boy movie ‘Brave Heart’ (we need the boys to close their eyes for some scenes, but the courage and integrity of William Wallace is what we want our sons to have) and only got to bed 01h00. 

It was truly a memory making day - Thank you Lord!  

Thank you CJ for being such a blessing to us, may God Bless you and guide you in the calling on your life! Love you lots!

With love

Linnie

Look Out For the Interest of Others!

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:1

Over the weekend I got an SMS from my very special Friend, E. She wanted to bless me by bringing her domestic worker to help me in the house for a day! Isn’t that a true Friend?

We decided on Wednesday, just because it is the middle of the week. But God knew Wednesday would be the perfect timing.

I had been running way behind schedule the last two weeks. It all started when Andrew developed a fever 2 weeks ago. For days he had a fever and complained that his gums that were sore. We thought it was teeth and kept the fever under control with Viburcol and rubbed Traumeel S on the gums. But by the 5th day of fever his lips and whole mouth on the inside was covered with blisters! He was crying in discomfort and brushing his teeth was very painful, ending in bleeding gums. Getting medicine down was a nightmare and eating was almost impossible. By day 8 there was a turning point and he could start eating again. BUT, on the same day David developed a fever…

He followed exactly the same pattern. Fever for days, but on occasion he would sleep for the whole day. This was a good sign and I was convinced he would not get the blisters. But today, day 6 he also couldn’t eat anything! He is crying constantly in pain (and I think hunger) and getting the medicine down is a challenge!

Needless to say the house wasn’t exactly my priority over the last 2 weeks and floors and bathrooms fell by the wayside. With Heidi-Mari’s help, I just (added by Christo, I’m an opportunist!) managed to stay on top of the laundry.

We also received 14 boxes of Above Rubies magazines on Thursday and I desperately wanted to send it out, but I was months behind on my admin and needed a few hours in front of the computer before we could start putting Above Rubies in envelopes.

How could I take care of my sick, older baby (David is actually just my older baby), get the Above Rubies admin up to date (there are currently 500 readers in South Africa and I need to check every address card to make sure there are no address changes) and stay on top of my house, while suffering a few first trimester pregnancy symptoms?

Isn’t it amazing, the Lord already knew what I was going to face this week! My Friend’s lady walked into my house at 8h30 and started to clean my house win places I seldom have time to clean. Washing my windows and cleaning my oven, and as a bonus cleaning my bathrooms and washing the kitchen floor! She had the most delightful attitude and lightened up the house with her serving attitude. And me? While Daniel was asleep, CJ and Heidi showed David and the other little ones a video and I could work for 3 hours on the computer getting a head start on the Above Rubies address labels!

The Lord is so faithful! He is never caught by surprise, with the enemy’s attempts to harm us, our temptations or the testing of our faith. Thank you my friend for being obedient to Jesus’ call. Comforting me in my time of need with your act of love!! It surely was a sacrifice for you, to put my interests before yours. I do believe you had to do some extra chores this week that your lady usually does for you. May God bless you abundantly!!

Living by Faith, not by Feelings!

It has been a depressing weekend!
It has actually been a depressing week!

It all started on Sunday evening, when David had a fever. Monday morning was CJ’s Cross Country Event and all the children went with Dad to watch CJ, while David, Daniel and I had to stay at home. Already a great disappointment to me.

Monday evening Andrew had a fever too. By Tuesday afternoon they were so ill with the flu, I had to juggle the big children’s extramurals with the little ones’ staying at home. The first half of the afternoon, Heidi-Mari stayed with David and Andrew while I dropped CJ at horse riding and Danika at ballet, with Josua staying at the premises of the ballet school with her. During Danika’s ballet class I popped in at an art shop for accessories needed for an Astronomy assignment, at Pick n’ Pay for groceries and Woolworths for the week’s organic fruit and vegetables. After picking up Danika and Josua, I rushed home, left Josua and Danika with the little patients and dropped Heidi-Mari at ballet. On my way back home, I quickly picked up our laundry at the Laundromat. Meanwhile, it was raining and I had to take little Daniel with me in and out of shops.

By Thursday night Andrew, David and Daniel were sick with fever coming and going and a terrible cough! By now Christo was sleeping with Andrew and David to manage their coughing during the night and me with Daniel with his coughing and crying. You can imagine how much sleep we got.

To make things even worse Josua and Danika started coughing too and by Saturday evening only CJ, Heidi-Mari and I were not coughing and struggling with fever and terrible flu. And it seemed like Pappa Christo had it worst of all.

Figuring out who would look after who during Saturday night was a challenge! Daniel was coughing and crying so badly, only I could comfort him. He had been on my breast the whole day and I didn’t foresee that the night would be any different. Christo was really sick, but only he would be able to look after Andrew and David. So Andrew, David and Christo slept in our queen-size bed and we prayed that they would be over their coughing to give Christo a chance to sleep and recover. I moved into Daniel’s room, Heidi-Mari took responsibility for Danika and CJ for Josua, when they coughed and off we went for the night.

CJ and Heidi-Mari were really amazing! They got up for their brother or sister every time they heard them coughing, gave them medicine and looked after them very well. As we had prayed, Andrew and David didn’t cough once during the night, and did not need Christo to get up for them. But Christo himself had a terrible night, being able to sleep for only half an hour at a time.

Within an hour of everyone waking Sunday morning, you could hear coughing and blowing of noses.
Now I have to confess, I don’t take sick children well, and when my dear husband is sick too, I'm even worse. I like to be in control and when my loved ones are sick, I'm out of control and that is not a nice place for me to be. So, I could feel the hopelessness, frustration and anger build up during Saturday, and that, combined with my utter exhaustion after nights without enough sleep (how much is enough?) meant I was no good.

So waking up this morning, realizing nothing has changed since yesterday, I'm facing yet another day of coughing, crying children. And seeing my dear husband with the worst flu ever, has left me drained, feeling like a flat tyre with nowhere to go.

But I do know I have one special friend that knows of our family’s ailments and she has promised to pray for us. It must have been their family’s intercession for us and the beautiful, crystal clear, sunny, autumn day outside that made me make a U-turn in my emotions. Somewhere during the early morning I found myself protesting against my own negative feelings. My Mother always said I was a bouncing ball. No matter how bad things got, I always bounced back. This was a bouncing ball moment!

I just knew we needed a little fun, we (I!) needed sunshine. Within minutes everyone was dressed and we were heading for the sun. I have a neglected rose garden, (because of lack of time and security reasons) and we decided to have everyone help prune some dead flowers. What fun we had, I could even take some nice pictures of the children while they played with the rose petals.

The beauty of God's creation and my smiling children (they were actually still sick) made me remember to thank God for all the Blessings that surround me and lifted me out of the negative feelings that overwhelmed me. Nancy Campbell said in her Beautiful Woman teaching CD: Don’t live by your feelings, live by faith! Feelings come and go, but living by faith, is pleasing to God.

Thank you Lord, today I chose to live by faith and not my feelings. I will love my children; take care of my sick husband and give You glory!

Help! My Baby has a Fever!

About 6 weeks ago, as we went to bed, I discovered that little Daniel (7 months at that stage) had a fever! We do not use a thermometer, but I know the difference between hot because of a high room temperature and a fever. He had just cut his first tooth the week before and I immediately thought this must be the reason for his fever – another tooth perhaps.

We own a health shop and use only natural medicine (herbal and homeopathic medicine). We never use anti-pyretic medicine (medicine that lowers fever) or any other normal chemical children’s medicine. We also do not vaccinate (another story for another day). Thus we do not follow the usual route when a child develops a fever.

What do I do when my baby has a fever?

For a start, I immediately give a Viburcol suppository (from Heel). This is a homeopathic product and you can insert one suppository every hour, with NO harmful effects. Viburcol will NOT take the fever away; it will only manage the fever within safe borders, but has the same efficacy as any paracetamol based product, without any of its side effects.

It took me some time to understand that you do not want to take the fever away. Fever is a symptom, like a red light on the dashboard of your car. Always find the reason for the symptom. When suppressing the body’s symptoms, you suppress the body’s way to heal itself the way God intended it to. God made our bodies fearfully and wonderfully, why do we treat it like it cannot heal itself?
The body reacts with a fever when there is an infection developing. A bacteria or virus cannot multiply at a temperature 2-3 degrees above the body’s normal temperature (37.5 deg Celsius). So by increasing the temperature – fever – the body inhibits the proliferation of the pathogens, while its own immune system is given the time to manufacture a unique anti-body to the invader. When we bring the temperature down with unnatural medicine, to ‘normal’ body temperature, the bacteria or virus thrives and the body’s own precise fighting mechanism is inhibited.

With Viburcol you only prevent the temperature from rising above forty one degrees, which could become dangerous.

We also gave Daniel Engystol tablets (from Heel). Engystol helps the body fight against a possible virus or bacteria by stimulating its immune system. This is also homeopathic medicine, with NO side effects. You can give baby 1 tablet every half an hour. I crushed the tablet between two teaspoons and put the powder little by little, with my finger, in his mouth.

Christo also mixed together some Traumeel S tablets, for body pains and inflammation, Chamomile powder, for its calming effect and Ferrum Phos ( a tissue salt) to help with the fever. He crushed these together in a pestle and mortar, into a fine powder, which I gave regularly.

After giving Daniel the Vibercol suppository and the powder mix, I laid down beside him for the rest of the night and let him be on the breast, as much as he wanted to. I believe in feeding on demand, so Christo and I are used to me breastfeeding sometimes through the whole night. My babies usually sleep in our room on a mattress on the floor, until I’m pregnant again (babies’ average between 8 – 12 months old). When I’m pregnant, I sleep very lightly and wake up with the slightest sound. We therefore move baby to his/her sibling’s room, so I can get some sleep.

The next morning Christo made sure I got in some herbs and vitamins and minerals that would reach Daniel through the breast milk. He gave me extra Vitamin C, Omega SLO, Olive Leaf extract, Berriola, Activ 8 and my Viridian multi vitamin, and made sure I remembered to drink ample water (around 4-6L of water with Coral Calcium sachets in) during the day.

Since we suspected it was teething that caused the fever, and we knew the gums could be painful and sore, we rubbed some Traumeel S ointment onto the gums. Traumeel S is a homeopathic product from Heel with no side effects for baby. Traumeel S is also excellent for any bruise; I always have Traumeel S in my handbag.

Daniel had this high fever for almost 48 hours. During this time I gave him a Viburcol suppository every 2-3 hours during the day and 2-3 during the night. I gave him the mixture Christo made, as often as I could. I made sure I drank more than my normal quota of supplements and double my usual volume of water to provide enough milk for his needs. We also managed to feed him a mixture of organic apples, pear and carrots three times a day (that we made freshly with our Oscar juicer).

Daniel’s brothers and sisters also prayed a lot for him. They could not bear it that their always friendly, smiling baby brother would try to smile and then start to cry…

By Thursday night Daniel’s fever dropped and he was back in his normal sleeping and feeding pattern. Praise the Lord for keeping His Hand on our baby.

Friday morning we discovered the actual reason for Daniel’s fever. He had Baby Measles. Baby Measles or Roseola is a very common viral infection. It usually begins with a sudden onset high fever. Some babies may also have a slightly sore throat or a runny nose and swollen glands in the neck.

Once the fever goes away a rash usually appears. The rash is usually composed of tiny flat pink patches or spots, although there may be some raised patches as well. The rash usually starts behind the ears, then spreads to the chest, back, and abdomen, and then spreads out to the arms and neck. It may or may not reach the legs and face. The rash, which is not itchy or uncomfortable, can last from a few hours to several days before fading.

I’m used to Baby Measles, some of our babies had it 3-4 times in their first two years, but there were also one or two of them that never got Baby Measles. I therefore didn’t panic at all. Daniel most probably will get it at least one more time, before his 2nd birthday.

In a next posting I would like to share with you my First Aid Kit for Babies. Maybe you would like to get some of these for your baby. Or you could include it in your next Baby shower gift.