I’m allergic to wheat gluten, but I’ve found some really cool things about living with it.  Who knows?  I’m thinking someday I’ll be totally free from it.  I really do.

My decision to unplug from the celiac community, i.e. to stay away from forums and lists, may not be your best choice.  I did it because I found it fueled my negative thoughts about the disease, and I know how hard it is for me to keep my mind in a positive state.

I’ve found that celiac affects people differently.  I have yet to found anyone like me. I have dermatitis herpetiformis, and you may have that type of celiac disease, but your reaction to wheat gluten, and the amount you can tolerate is probably different from me.

I find that I can tolerate more when I’m in shape.  That probably makes sense.

Wheat gluten is in a lot of foods but companies are getting much better about listing it on the ingredients that contain it – like modified food starch.  One of the best places I’ve found that lists ingredients well is Whole Foods Market.  Have you been there?

This place is crazy good.  Did you know you can walk to info desk and ask for a person to help you find gluten-free foods.  And not just those obviously marked!  They have lists of foods – just ask for it.

And did you know that the best flour in the world that is totally gluten-free and my “normal” family says tastes better than regular flour – is a brand called Pamelas?  Maybe you knew that, but I stumbled on it at a Wild Oats store a year or so ago.

So check ‘em out.  If you don’t have a Whole Foods Market near you, you can order Pamela’s online.

Why is it that it’s so easy to worry about anything? And like something combustible, it we continue to worry, we simply feed the fire and eventually get sick. Maybe you’ve never been there, and if not – good for you – but for the millions who struggle with this very natural feeling, let me tell you how I work with it.

I bet if you’re worrying, you don’t have a game plan written down with a lot of specifics. I’m not talking about a to-do list. I mean sitting down and writing out your goals for this year. If you want a really cool sheet for doing this, shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you. This is a must.

When you have where you’re going in clarity, everything else falls in place. And the first step in busting worry is defining the situation clearly in writing. So much I have found can be solved just by defining the issue. As they say, “Accurate diagnosis is half the cure.”

See that notepad on your desk? Grab a pencil and write what is the worst possible outcome of the situation. What’s the absolute worst? Get this clear in your mind and on paper.

And yikes – not sure you’re gonna like this one, but it’s being willing to have it so. Say, what? Resolve to accept the worst should it occur. That’s my first piece of advice – being willing to have it so. Once you resolve to accept this, well… your mind will become more calm and clear and you’ll be ready to snap out of depression and take action.

Got it? If you’re dwelling on the problem instead of the solution, you’ll be depressed. Time is on your side, most of the time – you will have enough time to work out this plan.

Snapping out of that mood is like someone throwing cold water on you – your state changes and you say – OK, that was interesting – now, I got to get down to work. OK? If you’re not clear on this, use the contact form and I’ll make sure to explain it more.

Now that you and I are clear on that – the next step is to do something. Take some action. What I suggest is begin immediately doing everything possible to improve the worst.

Still worrying?

Worry is just a sustained form of fear caused by indecision. Wanna know how to get over it? ACTION. Get your butt in gear and do something about your situation. And guess what? You won’t have time to worry. Take action and watch your confidence rise, your courage and control returns. And fear… is gone.

Still have the paper handy? Make a list down one side of the things that you believe are stressing you out. Next on the other side of the page, write the worst possible thing that could happen as a result. And tell me if this doesn’t help the worry just disappear!

You know I sometimes laugh when I hear what people give as excuses, especially when Debbie, my big sister who is a missionary on the Amazon River, sends me updates like this. Read along about how her and Les, husband, are fighting a nasty bout of malaria.

Thank you all for praying for us. I wrote our daughters about the visit to the hospital and thought I’d send the description on to you hoping it would give you a better mental picture of medical care in the Amazon. They are pretty efficient for all the cases they have to handle.

I wanted to let you know that we went to town on Monday to do the follow-up appointment at the Tropical Hospital. They run you through the same procedure as the first visit. First you go to the malaria section of the hospital. You take a number from the machine on the wall that dispenses numbers and then wait for your turn. When your number is called they get your name and if it is a follow-up they actually look up your name on the computer and find your file. They then prick your finger and make a blood slide. You then go back and sit down in the waiting room with around 50 other people and wait for your name to be called. That part took about 45 minutes. The room is air-conditioned. That was fine this time but the last time I had chills so bad that my teeth were chattering and my legs were shaking. We tested negative for malaria this time. Once you get your results you have to go to the secretary’s desk at another part of the hospital and give her your results. She types it into the computer and then gives you a card with a number. You go to another waiting room with no AC but much smaller and full of lots of people. We waited there for an hour and a half for our name or number to be called. That was a bit funny as I wondered how we would hear our name with so many people and a small TV set turned up pretty loud. Not to worry! They had a nurse with the voice of a drill sergeant. Once you were called you went in to see a doctor that asked you some general questions about your case and answers any questions you may have. We were told that we need to test negative 3 times before they “release” us from treatment. That will mean another trip next Monday and the following Monday. We trust that the following tests will be negative and that our strength will continue to increase.

Currently we are trying to help plan our grade school Spiritual Emphasis Week. It will be like a short Vacation Bible School for the students. Please pray for wisdom in planning something meaningful and yet within the abilities of our some what tired staff.

Care to comment? That’s wild!