The PDF file below includes the video notes from my Natural Antibiotics post (http://www.joyfuljunction.com/1/post/2010/04/natural-alternatives.html.)  I realize the video was blurry due to uploading challenges on YouTube, so I wanted to make the information easily accessible.

I would like to make little projects, such as these notes, available for those seeking motivation for improved health.  If you 'd like to view this information easily, then simply click on  the "Resource" section in the left column.

As always, your feedback is appreciated :-)
Here's to the Health of Your Family!!!

I highly reccomend viewing these 3 documentaries which have been recommended by my friends over the past few months.  Each is available to watch instantly on Netflix or may be available at your local library.

Below are the titles & links to the trailers for the movies (Note: some scenes and/or language may be a bit graphic for some viewers):

Food, Inc :
http://www.foodincmovie.com/


No Impact Man:
http://www.noimpactdoc.com/trailer.php


The Business of Being Born: http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php

As I take some relaxing time over the next few weeks I'll be doing lots of reading & probably watching a few movies, so if you have any good ones to suggest then please don't hesitate to share :-)

For our dear family & friends to whom we haven't spoken to recently:

Marlon & I just returned from the hospital after the early delivery our sweet baby  Though our time with our baby was short and we are both heartbroken , we trust that YHWH will use this experience in an amazing way. Thankfully we had many precious & peaceful moments with our baby at the hospital.

This experience is still very surreal & we truly appreciate your prayers in our time of grief. 

"Trust in the YHWH with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding".
Mishle (Proverbs) 3:5

"And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I return there.  YHWH has given, and YHWH has taken away.  Blessed be the Name of YHWH.'
In all this Iyob did not sin nor ascribe wrong-doing unto Elohim"
Iyob (Job) 1:21-22


HalleluYah!

A few weeks ago I watched an intriguing dramatization about the potential effects of a widespread global disaster (PART 1 of 9: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlcYpgfI564  )
Not only did it give me a lot to ponder, it also triggered many questions.  I was especially interested in the ending when a former medically trained man contracted a bacterial infection & had a hard time treating it without the modern antibiotics he was familiar with (in part 8).

This scenario prompted me to study Natural Antibiotics and I recently produced a little video to explore some simple options:

Springtime is in full action---As usual, we have several gardening projects going on:  From raised beds to grow boxes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjQAq7vVKIs) From plants growing in containers to a few sown directly in the soil. I also put together a new compost bin near the old chicken coop and hope to increase the quality of our soil.

I'm still working on my "green thumb" and was grateful to see that last years grapevines are producing little grape clusters & we have about 2 dozen ripe strawberries almost ready to pick.

For this season I planted organic cucumbers, zuchinni & tomatoes which are almost ready to be transplanted. Last week I planted some watermelon, bush beans, squash, sunflower & marigold seeds.

I hope your gardens are growing well & I look forward to sharing pictures soon.

Although I haven't done much research on the history of bartering, I can attest that it has great benefits.  One of the most common means of bartering we use is Marlon's carpentry & labor skills.  We recently bartered for 12 boxes of 16" decorative. tile for our living & dining room.

Below are a few pictures of some items we've received in exchange for Marlon's hardwork

In the past I've also bartered childcare & bookkeeping services.  I've also offered some of my multimedia video editing services.
Ultimately, I definately believe that bartering is a great alternative to exchanging money for products or services,

Can you share any bartering tips?

Our friends from Florida recommended this Free Online movie called "Amish Grace" which is based on the Amish School Shooting in 2006 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_school_shooting )

Though some of the details are dramatized, I believe it did a good job expressing the power of forgiveness:

MOVIE LINK: "Amish Grace"
http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/amish-grace

It's really hard to beat the imagination of children. 


It's not uncommon for our youngsters to spend hours outside pretending to be Native Americans or even the Boxcar Children
Today I was in for a surprise as they invited me to be a guest at their Backyard Circus.

The children had several acts ranging from a tamed fire-circle jumping lion (Macie with a painted face on 4 legs hopping through a hoola hoop) to an acrobatic phenomenon (the older girls balancing on tree limbs, doing cartwheels & spinning upside-down on their swing.)

I'm grateful that I don't feel obligated to spend hundreds of dollars on digital entertainment.  I  totally encourage adventure and creativity as part of childhood. Just as when I was young, I believe the freedom of exploration in nature is a fundamental part of learning.

Consider some ways you can nurture the creativity of your children.

It has been an exciting year since we embarked upon raising egg-laying hens last March.  There is a wealth of learning lessons while raising animals. 


 Here's a little recap (those who followed our blog Aug '08-Aug'09 will remember many of these tales :-) ):

--March '09 We bought 2 Barred Plymoth Rock Chicks and hand raised them with the utmost care -- Named "Speckles" & "Dot"
--Arpil '09 We noticed the neighborhood hen, "Henny Penny" had 7 sweet little chicks following her around our yard and the neighborhood
--We adopted 5 of Henny's babies (genders unknown)--Later we discovered we had 2 roosters "Midnight"& "Rocky" and three hens "Sunshine" , "Fluff" & "Puff"
--Later the other 2 wild raised chickens with Henny Penny frequented our yard during feeding times. We named them "Rose" and "Solomon" (yes, he definately proved to attract the hens and defend his position as the head rooster.)

After many hard rains and a few attempts to erect a reliable coop, we finally got tired of rounding up the chickens for the "chicken chase," every day.  We allowed them to free range, which is not uncommon in our neighborhood.


Needless, to say we're down to 3 hens and lots of lessons learned.  Between a few confirmed dog attacks and suspected kidnappings, our chicken adventures have been far from boring.  We haven't given up on raising more egg layers, but we have gained a little wisdom on how to be more prepared!

Wild Babies!

Going for a Stroll in the Backyard

The Original Hens: "Dot" & "Speckles"

"The Aunties" protecting the chicks (see under wing)

I sure miss those fresh organic eggs

4H Pet Show

Yes, I'm coming out of the closet (lol).  We are delighted to announce our expectancy of another baby blessing in September!  I actually expressed my "mommy heart" in a YouTube video in early January, so I am very excited that my prayer has been answered--HalleluYah!

Believe it or not, this will be our biggest gap between children (approximately 28months) and I'm pretty confident that Jean-Felix (our youngest) will welcome this baby with open arms.  He's actually quite attracted to babies and he seems very compassionate & curious.

Overall, I'm not planning to "broadcast" a ton of baby news.  Especially due to our last hospital ordeal (unnecessary C-Section) & I'm also trying to limit negative influences.  Though I still can't wrap my head around why children are so rejected in our culture, I can boldly say that Marlon & I continue to embrace more children to our family (regardless of the naysayers) :-)

"Lo,children are an heritage of יהוה: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Tehillim (Psalms) 127:3

May 2008:
"Welcoming
M. Jean-Felix"
WHAT A JOURNEY IT HAS BEEN!