We have had colds in our home the past couple of weeks - it wasn't clearing as I thought; instead, us girls all came down heavy with congestion. We sure have been going through the tissues!

Massaging Abigail's sinuses - Jon had just done it to me and she wanted a turn

I have had incredible pain from the sinuitis this week - my cheeks, teeth and head ached terribly. The first few days I had to rely on painkillers to get me through as it was unbearable (I wasn't even able to sleep). Not wanting to continue on the drugs (particularly with being pregnant), and not wanting to go to the doctor (who I was sure would just give me antibiotics) I have hit the natural remedies hard - lots of raw garlic, saline irrigation, apple cider vinegar inhalations, garlic tea, apple cider vinegar in my water, even snorting cayenne pepper! I've been smearing my feet with crushed garlic and coconut oil each night too (covered with a couple of pairs of socks; our bed smells garlicky!).

A sick little girl who took herself to bed at 9am one morning!

It has been a bit of a dark time for me emotionally - I had taken so many precautions with diet and was doing all the 'right' things, yet we'd all gotten worse, and the pain was incredible (I've never had sinuitis before)! Psalm 116:6 struck me early in the week, "I was brought low, and he helped me"; initially I read it hopelessly - God didn't seem to be helping! A couple of days later I came back to that verse and really cried out to God. I needed His help; my efforts hadn't achieved health. I read through the whole of Psalm 116, praying it aloud. The next day (Friday) the pain was lessened a little and my nasal passages were clearing - I made it through the day and night without pain-killers. Today, I have almost no pain; and the mucus is thinning and pouring out! The infection is clearing!

Maybe the remedies just needed time to kick in, but I really believe God was using this time to get me to trust in Him more; to throw myself on Him rather than relying on myself to get through/fix it. Which is, of course, part of a much bigger story and working in me!

Thank you God for your healing, and for your working in my life! May it continue!

I posted a video on my Facebook this week of a bit of the girls interactions with a cat that has been showing up at our back door at dinner time. As you can tell from Sarah's expression in the above photo, they love it! The poor cat gets harrassed (lovingly) throughout it's meal, but it keeps coming back. And last night when I went to check on the girls through the night, the cat was at their window (on the second storey!) mewing to come in. It will be interesting to see how long the cat sticks around; and how long the girls excitement about it lasts!