Monthly Archives: October 2014

Jesus Is God

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CloudsIt’s not a popular statement to make, but as I read the ancient writings of Paul, I keep finding it repeated in many different ways and contexts.

Paul explains his mission in life to different audiences in slightly different ways. Because he was imprisoned and on trial, he had the opportunity to present his case a few different times. Reading about these encounters in the book of Acts gives us a glimpse of Paul’s encounter with Jesus, the Messiah, and how it changed the course of his entire life. He describes this direct encounter with Jesus and what Jesus told him to do:

“I am sending you to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people who are set apart by faith in me.” Acts 26

Later, in his letter to the people living in Rome he says quite clearly,

Jesus is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise. It is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. The riches of God’s glory shine even brighter on those to whom He shows mercy (i.e. those destined for destruction). Romans 9

I love that thought because I was once one of those people destined for destruction. I get great comfort reading (and knowing) that the riches of God’s glory can shine even brighter on me! I have certainly received His mercy! Mercy that I never deserved and could never have earned.

Jesus is God and He came to earth to suffer so that He could show mercy on me.  Accepting this truth has brought joy and freedom to my heart and soul.

There are many things about the future, and even about the current times that we live, that are uncertain and unsettling. Jesus predicted conflicts that would happen. Paul describes a great rebellion against God in his second letter to the Thessalonians (chapter 2). I don’t claim to understand it all, but after reading through the chapter, it seems obvious that many of the things he predicted seem to be happening. Without a rock solid hope in my Savior, the all powerful Jesus, life would be terrifying. Jesus provides an anchor. He is also victorious, so I don’t need to worry.

I am thankful that Jesus has chosen me. He reveals truth to me. He helps me stand firm. I pray others will come to know Him as I do.

Day 25 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

If you have been helped in any way through my musings, please give glory to God. If you find anything disappointing or offensive – please let me know so I can improve.

 

Essential Questions

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Pregnant 3 croppedfor expectant parents to ask

(or young healthy potentially fertile people)

You’re smart.

I’m not telling you what to do.

You’ll figure it out.

With all the excitement in preparing for a new baby, there are also some CRITICAL QUESTIONS every pregnant couple will be very glad they took some time to explore:

What is the blood-brain-barrier and when is it fully developed? (This is a big topic and there is some disagreement on the details.)

How does an infant develop the ability to mount an immune response?[1]

What is the mucosal immune system and what is the difference between the infant’s immune response to viruses and bacteria encountered through the mucosal immune system versus these same organisms when they are injected?

When will the umbilical cord be clamped and cut? [EXTREMELY Important! If you ask no other questions, please research this one.][1]

What do I know about the shots they will suggest for my newborn and why?

  • Vitamin K (What is the difference between the Vitamin K injection and oral Vitamin K drops? Are either necessary in every case?)
  • Hep B

What is the ointment they want to put in my baby’s eyes – and why?

What do I know about the shots they want to give my very young baby (in USA recommended at 2 months):

  • DTaP
  • Hep B
  • HIB
  • PCV13
  • RV (oral)

What shots was I given as a baby/child? What is the difference between the shots they are giving to babies today?

What reasons might there be for delaying or not giving some of the shots?

What research has been done to determine if there is a link between the current vaccine schedule and long term chronic health challenges?

How can I help my child avoid auto-immune disorders like asthma, food allergies, diabetes, autism, learning disabilities, childhood cancers?

Have the vaccines recommended been tested for carcinogenic properties, i.e. have they been tested to see if they cause an increase in childhood cancer?

Have the vaccines recommended been tested for future impact on my child’s reproductive ability?

If I am told I need the RhoGam injection in pregnancy or afterwards, because I have Rh negative factor, what does that mean?

I salute you for reading this far.

Don’t just go along.

Get answers from someone other than the person with the needle.

[1] Dr Suzanne Humphries Six part video series (approximately 15 min each) on Neonatal Immunity: The First Three Years. This video presentation is on par with a college level course in understanding and promoting infant health. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

30 ways in 30 Days, Exploring Vaccines: Day 26

 

A Tribute to A Truth Warrior

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Melanie & LukeRecently the world lost a courageous truth warrior, Melanie Hamilton Baldwin, mother of a severely vaccine-injured child who regressed into autism and self-injurious behavior. Melanie wrote a phenomenal chapter, “B.K. Lets Go of the Controls and Holds Tight to Faith,” in the book The Thinking Moms Revolution, Autism Beyond the Spectrum: Inspiring True Stories from Parents Fighting to Rescue their Children. For anyone who has not read this compelling collection of writing by 23 moms and one dad, it is ESSENTIAL reading, but it is also inspiring and challenging.

Melanie’s writing provides powerful inspiration to anyone no matter what the nature of struggle you are going through. She was a brave warrior whose life was cut short, yet she leaves a legacy for all of us. While Melanie experienced many challenges, she did not allow her challenges to make her callous or bitter, but responded with an impossible level of grace and even thankfulness for them.

Melanie’s challenges are unimaginable if you have never spent time with a severely autistic child who is suffering from physical pain and not able to communicate. The Thinking Moms (and one dad) do a great job of describing the daily reality of living with that kind of pressure. On top of the 24/7 job of being a mom to her son, Melanie also faced her own battle with breast cancer which spread. Despite this enormous combination of suffering, she was not despondent or overwhelmed, and had an amazing response. I have included quite a long quote because I believe Mel’s word speak for more eloquently than anything I can say.

Before you begin feeling sorry for me, let me just say this: This was one of the most blessed periods of my entire life…When I was diagnosed with cancer everything changed. I knew I didn’t have the strength for this, and I learned that God could use this experience for good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” To gather God’s strength, I dug deep into His word, and my relationship with Him flourished. It was through this experience that I learned the most valuable lessons of my whole life, and I have watched in amazement how He has worked.

…When we surrender control to God, He takes our lives and makes them what He intended them to be. It might appear you are losing control, but it actually sets you free.

I believe many times God uses trials to draw us closer to Him. It’s an amazing thing! People tend to look at me like I am crazy when I say that having breast cancer has been a blessing, but that’s truly what it has been. I‘ve fallen in love with Jesus. I’ve learned to trust that whatever God has in store for me is truly His best, even if I don’t understand it. I’m learning to give each decision that I have to make, including the small ones, to Him before I act. It’s kept me from making some very bad mistakes, and all the while He is showing me His work in my life. It’s awesome to see! God never promises in His Word that life will be easy for His people. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. He promises that we will endure trials and hardships. It’s how you deal with these trials that helps you grow the most as a follower of Christ.

But I believe God has a plan and His plan is better than any plan of my own. No, He didn’t give my son autism. My son was born healthy. The world gave my son autism. But somehow God can use it. None of it makes sense to me right now, but I do believe that one day it will. I just have to hold on tight to my faith and to my Lord and take life as it comes, one day at a time.

Another passion Mel had and I share, was for churches full of Christians “blinded to the dangers of vaccines and holding great trust in anyone with an MD degree.” Yet she was able to forgive and to pray, “I can forgive them because if it hadn’t happened to us, I wouldn’t understand it myself. All I can do is keep praying for the Lord to remove their blinders. I pray for that all of the time.”

From an earthly here and now perspective, we could look at Mel’s life and consider it a great tragedy, but I think Mel wants more from us. Her life can compel us to discover the faith that kept her strong, vibrant, and thankful till the end of her short time. Even though I didn’t know Mel, I feel great confidence that Mel’s greatest desire for all who read about her life and her son’s tragic decent into autism through our medical system, would be for them to turn to Jesus and find the same hope and comfort that she experienced through every challenge she faced.

Mel’s strong enduring faith lives on and continues to impact lives through the words in the book and blogs she left us. She was loved and treasured by many and I pray many more will be inspired by her courageous faith and that her words and legacy will compel us to seek Jesus as she did, and to become Truth Warriors, as she was, willing to  endure our challenges, but not shying away from sharing TRUTH wherever Jesus leads us.

Day 24 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

Head Shot BAuthor: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.

 

If you have been helped in any way through my musings, please give glory to God. If you find anything disappointing or offensive – please let me know so I can improve. Thanks.

 

Truth Warriors

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Melanie with bookRecently we lost a courageous truth warrior, Melanie Hamilton Baldwin. While I never met her personally, I was blessed by reading about her story in her chapter of The Thinking Moms Revolution, Autism Beyond the Spectrum: Inspiring True Stories from Parents Fighting to Rescue their Children. For anyone who has not read this compelling collection of writing by 23 moms and one dad, it is ESSENTIAL reading, but it is also inspiring and challenging.

Melanie’s chapter, “B.K. Lets Go of the Controls and Holds Tight to Faith,” provides powerful inspiration to anyone no matter what the nature of struggle you are going through. She was a brave warrior whose life was cut short, yet she leaves a legacy for all of us.

Melanie experienced many challenges. She did not allow her challenges to make her callous or bitter, but responded with an impossible level of grace and even thankfulness for them.

She describes her journey of motherhood and discovering the tragic facts of vaccine injury firsthand. She rigidly followed her doctor’s advice regarding vaccination – she was never one of those “crazy, dangerous, anti-vaxxers” – she was a 100% compliant mom who never missed a well baby checkup and EVERY shot recommended.

Even when her son had obvious lack of speech and other “quirky” symptoms, she dismissed them,

“Locked in my denial, I continued to be a good mommy and followed the doctor’s orders. I continued vaccinating and never considered that to be a problem.

“That all changed shortly after his fifth birthday.”

Lacking an understanding of what was causing her son’s various symptoms, his doctor prescribed a series of antibiotics, which became the tipping point. Out of extreme pain, he began head banging and self-injurious behaviors. This obvious signal of extreme distress drove Mel to explore the role of diet, detox and traditional medical treatments with an entirely new perspective. Driven to understand that her son’s chronic pain was actually the result of all the vaccines and antibiotics, she began new therapies that started to yield small glimpses of improvement. Then, in the midst of this re-education process regarding, health, autism, and ways to bring relief to her son, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had another battle to fight.

She was not despondent or overwhelmed, and had an amazing response. I have included quite a long quote because I believe Mel’s words speak far more eloquently than anything I can say.

Before you begin feeling sorry for me, let me just say this: This was one of the most blessed periods of my entire life…When I was diagnosed with cancer everything changed. I knew I didn’t have the strength for this, and I learned that God could use this experience for good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” To gather God’s strength, I dug deep into His word, and my relationship with Him flourished. It was through this experience that I learned the most valuable lessons of my whole life, and I have watched in amazement how He has worked.

…When we surrender control to God, He takes our lives and makes them what He intended them to be. It might appear you are losing control, but it actually sets you free.

I believe many times God uses trials to draw us closer to Him. It’s an amazing thing! People tend to look at me like I am crazy when I say that having breast cancer has been a blessing, but that’s truly what it has been. I‘ve fallen in love with Jesus. I’ve learned to trust that whatever God has in store for me is truly His best, even if I don’t understand it. I’m learning to give each decision that I have to make, including the small ones, to Him before I act. It’s kept me from making some very bad mistakes, and all the while He is showing me His work in my life. It’s awesome to see! God never promises in His Word that life will be easy for His people. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. He promises that we will endure trials and hardships. It’s how you deal with these trials that helps you grow the most as a follower of Christ.

But I believe God has a plan and His plan is better than any plan of my own. No, He didn’t give my son autism. My son was born healthy. The world gave my son autism. But somehow God can use it. None of it makes sense to me right now, but I do believe that one day it will. I just have to hold on tight to my faith and to my Lord and take life as it comes, one day at a time.

Another passion Mel had and I share, was for churches full of Christians “blinded to the dangers of vaccines and holding great trust in anyone with an MD degree.” Yet she was able to forgive and to pray, “I can forgive them because if it hadn’t happened to us, I wouldn’t understand it myself. All I can do is keep praying for the Lord to remove their blinders. I pray for that all of the time.”

Melanie & LukeFrom an earthly here and now perspective, we could look at Mel’s life and consider it a great tragedy, but I think Mel wants more from us. Her life can compel us to discover the faith that kept her strong, vibrant and thankful till the end of her short time. Even though I didn’t know Mel, I feel great confidence that Mel’s greatest desire for all who read about her life and her son’s tragic decent into autism through our medical system, would be for them to turn to Jesus and find the same hope and comfort that she experienced through every challenge she faced.

Mel’s strong enduring faith lives on and continues to impact lives through the words in the book and blogs she left us. She was loved and treasured by many and I pray many more will be inspired by her courageous faith and that her words and legacy will compel us to seek Jesus as she did, and to become Truth Warriors, as she was, actively seeking to expose dangerous medical routines and protect children from vaccine injury.

The TMR team continues their special collection to help provide care for Melanie’s autistic son. Please join me in donating to honor this brave Truth Warrior.

30 ways in 30 Days, Exploring Vaccines: Day 25

 

Christians are Forgivers & Fighters

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FightJesus had a lot to say about forgiveness. One of the main explanations of forgiveness comes from the parable He told in Matthew 18 about the servant who owed his master money and was pardoned, but then failed to forgive his fellow servant.

We have been forgiven MUCH, so our only appropriate response is to demonstrate forgiveness to those who owe us.

There is a difference in forgiveness and allowing evil people or practices that cause injustice against helpless innocent people to continue.

When we see evil perpetuated unchecked in our world we should have NOTHING to do with it, and we should seek to expose it.

Paul warns us repeatedly about  deception.

“I tell you this so that no one may deceive you with fine sounding arguments.” Colossians 2:4

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:8

If we feel God is calling us to expose injustice and deception we also know a few things:

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:2-5

Hey!Exposing evil can unleash a spiritual battle. But we don’t need to be afraid because we know that Christ is head over any and every spiritual force we will come up against. We can be assured of victory in the name of Jesus Christ, based on our relationship with Him.

We can be confident when we are seeking to help the innocent and downtrodden, because we have the power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ on our side.

“So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Romans 5:11

“United with the One who was raised from the dead, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.” Romans 7:14

Whatever God has called us to do, we know He is with us throughout the struggle we may encounter.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 

Sums up our marching orders pretty well. Simple, but impossible to do in our own strength.

What battle has God called you to fight?

Where is God calling you to forgive?

Where do you see injustice and feel the Holy Spirit wants you to speak out boldly?

When have you seen God at work to fight in spiritual battles around you?

Day 23 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

If you have been helped in any way through my musings, please give glory to God. If you find anything disappointing or offensive – please let me know so I can improve.

Healthy Toddlers DON’T JUST DEVELOP AUTISM

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One mom. One boy. On March 23, 2007 their lives changed forever.

Jennifer had a beautiful baby boy, Josiah. He was 16 months old and was doing really well. He was delightfully learning language and curious about the world around him. He loved his mom and had a great connection with her. He loved learning and every day was a new adventure with the two of them sharing a beautiful bond.

Boy in hatI love the 2nd year of life. It is truly a wonderful time to be around a child.

All the magical moments in Jennifer and Josiah’s life came to a screeching halt on one eventful day.

Jennifer had carefully chosen a pediatrician to provide health care for her precious son. She was so committed to Josiah’s health and the doctor’s wisdom, that she drove one hour for every appointment she had with him. Of course she took him for ALL the well baby visits – because that is what loving parents do. She trusted her doctor. He had training. He knew what babies needed to be healthy.

When Josiah was 16 ½ months old Jennifer made the one hour drive to her doctor’s appointment. She reflected on how it seemed slightly unnecessary to visit a doctor since her son was so healthy, and the fact that while it hadn’t seemed like a long drive when her son was smaller, it was quite an inconvenience out of her schedule to make this appointment.

The doctor did all the usual measurements and announced that Josiah was doing exactly right for his age and stage. Then he suggested that since it was such a long drive, instead of separating the 15 month recommended shots from the 18 month recommended shots, they could just give them all on the same day.

Jennifer completely trusted that her doctor knew what he was doing and THAT HE WAS DOING HER A FAVOR. Instead of making her come back for another appointment in a couple of months, he was willing to go ahead and give Josiah ALL THE SHOTS.

Josiah received 9 different shots that day, including the MMR and the DTap.

After getting these ‘protective’ injections at the pediatrician’s office for his ‘well baby visit’, Josiah started screaming, crying, arching his back, with his eyes rolling back in his head. He continued screaming for five hours when he finally fell into an exhausted sleep. This was an indication of the extreme serious vaccine reaction Josiah experienced. The combined toxic load was more than his body and brain could bear.

Jennifer noted with increasing horror the many results of that fateful day on March 23, 2007.

Josiah lost the desire and ability to make eye contact. He completely stopped talking. Whereas once he had been saying 20 – 30 words and stringing together 3 word sentences, except for the screams or moans of pain, he cannot communicate.

Josiah’s behavior changed dramatically after receiving the shots . He began spinning in circles, flapping his hands, mouthing his toys non-stop and afraid of the water in his bath – that he once loved.

Josiah is now 8 years old. He is still wearing diapers, is non-verbal and does not make eye-contact. His life has been forever changed because his mom trusted the pediatrician. She thought he was doing her a favor.

Jennifer’s message to parents is a very simple one: “Please research the shots you allow your doctor to give your children. Oh how I WISH I HAD. Vaccine injuries are not rare. My son has never been the same.”

30 ways in 30 Days, Exploring Vaccines: Day 24

Friends on our Journey

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FriendsWe all need people in our life to

Encourage us

Strengthen us

Keep us from being shaken by our current troubles.

Paul described Timothy as being someone like that for the people in Thessalonica.

We are stronger when we allow people to encourage us and when we give encouragement to others.

Is there anyone in your life who provides you with that sort of encouragement?

Is there a person to whom you are able to give that sort of encouragement?

I’m always looking for more encouragement in my life.

Together, what might God be able to accomplish through us?

We always have the comfort of Jesus, but we can provide tangible help and comfort to one another during the challenges we face in this life.

It isn’t always easy to follow Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians, but this is what we can do for each other.

Joyful

Day 22 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

If you have been helped in any way through my musings, please give glory to God. If you find anything disappointing or offensive – please let me know so I can improve.

Navigating the Information

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Baby funnyAs a parent I want to do my best, but I am faced with a variety of passionate voices trying to guide me in the medical decisions I need to make to protect the health of my babies and children. This is especially confusing to navigate as a first time parent when there are all sorts of people trying to give me advice.

Some of the voices we encounter while trying to get more information on vaccines and other medical decisions for our precious babies are sooooo passionate and sooooo strong that we can feel completely overwhelmed and sometimes repulsed! With such great energy, sometimes the very thing these passionate people are trying to tell us, becomes repulsive to us.

There can be family members, doctors, nurses, and friends absolutely confident that I should give my baby every shot offered, and if I don’t, my baby might be at a huge risk for a life threatening disease. I often feel terrified after speaking to some of these people.

Then there are others who are strongly urging me not to give any vaccines and some of them go into great detail explaining how vaccines have damaged their child. Others try to persuade me because they claim their baby died as a result of one or more vaccines and can be extremely passionate in telling me I MUST PROTECT MY BABY.

What am I, as a parent, without medical training, supposed to do? How can I do the research to help me make this critical decision?

AngerThere are compelling voices arguing both sides and I feel torn. I can’t sleep because the opposing voices are going around and around in my head and I can’t figure out which is my safest option. If I vaccinate and my child is injured, I will be devastated. If I don’t vaccinate and my child catches one of the ‘preventable’ illnesses I will be devastated AND all the people who told me not to do one or the other is bound to jump all over me. It seems I can’t make a decision based on facts. Why can’t someone just reassure me of WHAT REALLY IS THE BEST THING FOR MY BABY?

Many wise parents have begun this journey and have insight and help to guide us. I have gleaned a lot from experienced, thinking parents and professionals.

Firstly, don’t think the decision can be made quickly, allow yourself some time to do some reading, and if you are a praying person, you might want to ask for guidance.

Secondly, look at each disease separately and look at the current risk of catching the disease in the area where you live versus the risks associated with the vaccine. You also want to find out about treatment options if your child were to catch a particular disease.

For instance, if your child were to get measles and you knew in advance about the benefits of a quickly administered Vitamin A supplement, your baby’s illness will be considerably less severe. Or you might have heard about pertussis, but by investigating the very effective Vitamin C protocol which reduces the severity and duration of a pertussis infection, you will have the information you need to truly compare the risks. This is the essence of informed consent – knowing the true risks of all procedures and the true benefits.

You need to weigh the potential of harm with the disease and treatment with the potential for harm from the vaccine, i.e. risks vs benefits.

In order to determine the risk of the vaccine you will need to find the name of the vaccine and read the manufacturer’s information on the vaccine. The CDC provides “information sheets” free of charge which are usually given to parents by their doctors. These are only a brief summary and do not give you all the information you need to evaluate the safety. What you really need to be fully informed, are the vaccine inserts provided by the manufacturer of the vaccine which includes a lot more VERY RELEVANT information.

What you particularly want to know is what are the ingredients in the vaccine? What are the side effects of each ingredient? What are the contra-indications for this vaccines (i.e. who should NOT be given this shot)? What are the known side effects of the vaccine?

Dr Meyer Eisenstein has written an excellent up to date book examining all the vaccines, the illnesses and the debate around the vaccine issue. I would highly recommend Don’t Vaccinate! Before You Educate. Dr Robert Sears has written The Vaccine Book which can also help you through this process.

Start your research with the first vaccines suggested for babies and the illnesses that you feel most concerned about and work through them all.

The current recommended shots for newborns in the USA are:

  1. Vitamin K
  2. Hepatitis B (1st of 3 doses).

At 2 months it is recommended that babies be vaccinated with:

  1. Hep B (2nd of 3 doses)
  2. Rotavirus (RV, 1st of 3 oral doses)
  3. Diptheria, Tetanus, & acellular Pertussis (DTaP, 3 different antigens, 1st of 4 doses)
  4. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, 1st of 3 or 4 doses)
  5. Pneumococcal conjugate (PVC13, 13 different antigens, 1st of 4 doses)
  6. Inactivated poliovirus (IPV, 1st of 3 doses)

That is a total of 6 vaccines (5 needles) with 20 different antigens.

At 4 months it is recommended that your baby gets a repeat of all of the above, except Hep B for a total of 5 vaccines (4 needles) with 19 different antigens.

At 6 months there is a little flexibility, but your baby could get a repeat of all the vaccines given at 2 months. A total of 6 vaccines (5 needles) with 20 different antigens.

So, to re-cap, between 0 and 6 months a cumulative total of 16 needles with 60 antigens is delivered to most babies. Most parents are not aware of how many shots nor what they contain. Many doctors are not even familiar with the ingredients in the vaccines and the possible ill effects to be aware of, yet they confidently assert that they are all safe. The combination of all these shots has never been tested.

At 12 or 15 months your baby could be given:

  1. Hep B (3rd dose)
  2. DTaP (3 antigens, 4th dose)
  3. Hib (4th dose)
  4. PVC13 (13 antigens, 4th dose)
  5. Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR, 3 antigens, 1st of 2 doses)
  6. Varicella for Chicken Pox (VAR, 1st of 2 doses)
  7. Hepatitis A (HepA, 1st of 2 doses)

A total of 7 vaccines (7 needles) with 23 different antigens. Combined with our running total, that equals 23 needles with 83 antigens against 12 different infections.

Some doctors may recommend a 12 month visit and a 15 month visit to space out the large number of shots. Some doctors want you to come for a 15 month and an 18 month visit. Some doctors, wanting to spare you the inconvenience, offer to give all the shots at one visit.

Between 4 to 6 years children are recommended to get repeat boosters for

  1. DTaP (5th dose)
  2. Polio (4th dose)
  3. MMR (2nd dose)
  4. Varicella (2nd dose)

A total of 4 vaccines (4 needles) with 8 different antigens.

In addition to all these shots, children are also recommended to get an annual flu shot from the age of 6 months. Each flu shot contains approximately 3 antigens, and may also contain significant amounts of mercury in the form of thimerosal.

In total, by the time your child goes to school they will have received 32 vaccines (32 needles) with over 100 different antigens. These injections bombard the immature immune system which is expected to recognize and mount a specific defense against each one. (To download the chart of CDC complete recommended vaccination schedule).

Some questions you might want to ask your doctor or any older people who are advising you to give your baby all the shots on the schedule on time;

  1. Why have there been so many vaccinations added since I was a child?
  2. What were the results of studies looking at the combined impact of all of these vaccines injected at the same visit? (to date there have been no studies on the combined cumulative impact of all these vaccines).
  3. If my baby has a serious reaction, who is responsible? How will I get medical care if it is needed?
  4. What signs should I be aware of after a vaccine that might suggest a bad reaction?
  5. How have doctors been trained to recognize vaccine reactions?

One reason this information is overwhelming is because most of us got shots when we were kids. We think the shots they want to give our babies is pretty much the same as what we had. We are not familiar with the current recommended schedule. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the schedule, with each disease, the risks of having the disease, versus the risk of the vaccine.

An additional factor to consider is that there have been no studies on the carcinogenic impact of most vaccines – i.e. is there a likelihood that this vaccine, or this combination of vaccines could increase childhood cancer rates? It has not been studied.

Additionally, vaccines have not been studied to determine if they will impact the future fertility of your child.

Hopefully this short summary has been helpful for you as you seek to navigate the maze of information to you on the BEST way to keep your baby safe and healthy.

I know new parents need lots of sleep. They don’t need to be losing sleep because of fear about vaccinations. As you gain information on this subject, you will be able to make a confident decision so you can sleep peacefully at night!

Please post any questions below or I can suggest some very nice, helpful, and informed advisors who would love to spend time with you and answer your questions. Becky

30 ways in 30 Days, Exploring Vaccines: Day 23

Strong Words

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conversationThere is a great deal of power in our words.

Our words come out of our heart and reveal who we are to the world.

Our words contain our biggest fears and can contain our greatest hopes.

We can help make our heart strong by saying words filled with hope and faith.

Memorizing God’s word can give us faith filled words to say – even if we may not fully believe them.

Memorizing faith-filled portions of the Bible is one of my greatest delights. I am able to take God’s word with me wherever I go. I can shout out God’s word while alone in a forest, or riding a bike.

There is power in repeating God’s word out loud. It encourages my heart to hear these words.

We live in a world that is more than just what we see. Jesus rebuked Peter because he was only looking at a situation from an earthly perspective:

“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view – not from God’s.” Jesus

God’s point of view should always be my starting point in any aspect of life:

WHAT IS GOD’S POINT OF VIEW IN THIS SITUATION?

How I spend my time, how I use my resources, financial decisions, relationship decisions, vocation decisions, health decisions, etc.

Framing my words, memorizing and meditating on God’s word until they become a part of me, all help me to keep seeing the world from God’s perspective.

If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. The Son of Man will judge all people according to their deeds.

It’s not easy to live in the world and stay strong in confidence. It is much easier to give in to discouragement. Reviewing God’s strong words is a continual source of inspiration and encouragement for me. I know,

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so we also may live new lives

lives focussed on Jesus, confident in His power, and filled with STRONG WORDS.

Day 21 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

If you have been helped in any way through my musings, please give glory to God. If you find anything disappointing or offensive – please let me know so I can improve.

 

How Many More Must Die?

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DespairI’m not a historian, but I do like history. There is so much we can gain by increasing our understanding of history. A lot of history that we are exposed to has strong bias to one side of the story or another, so I always enjoy trying to explore various sides of history – especially in conflicts, of which there are many.

History is replete with examples of small groups of people holding power and authority over a larger group. This pattern has been repeated so often, one would think we could recognize it if it were happening to us.

Most of the history I’ve been taught is with an underlying assumption that “we are so smart now, that we would never be as stupid as all the people who did all these crazy things way back when.”

I’m not sure if anyone else ever had that impression or if it was unique to me. History is always taught from the point of view of superiority and a greater sense of sophistication which would prohibit the current generation – because it is so ‘advanced’ – from making any of the mistakes that are SO OBVIOUS in history.

Examples abound of a small group of people controlling and manipulating the larger group. During the Dark Ages, or Middle Ages, the Church and its priests held onto authority and did not allow questioning. The masses were not educated, could not read and were not permitted to have access to Bibles or knowledge, except what the priest wanted them to know. The church promoted their own authority and the authority of their traditions.

We are all familiar with feudal rule where a few privileged people held the power over all the rest. The story of Robin Hood captivated us because he was a man who dared to defy the authority and help those who were being abused and mistreated.The history of the world-wide slave trade is all about a small group of people yielding power over others for their personal benefit.

Even as close as WWII we see examples of a group of powerful people oppressing and abusing minority groups – with the full cooperation of most of the general public.

Has anything REALLY CHANGED? Is our society different today? Is it free for EVERYONE?

At this point in time we continue to see a very small percentage of the people able to yield considerable authority over most of the people and get them to do whatever they want.

Today the CDC makes sweeping health recommendations that impact every citizen of the USA and extend to most countries in the world. We have empowered this small ‘elite’ group of people, with some ‘outside advisors’ to pretty much dictate the health practices of our entire population. The average person is not encouraged to read the details of the debates on health, but rather to just to follow the CDC recommendations. The CDC doesn’t think the masses are able to understand the details in the vaccine inserts produced by the manufacturers, so they provide a dumbed down version called ‘information sheets’ FREE OF CHARGE – to be given to parents through doctors or clinics who provide the ‘RECOMMENDED shots.’

There is deliberate misuse of terms on many of the CDC publications with the word ‘immunization’ instead of vaccination. The CDC knows that not all vaccines result in effectively conferring immunity, but they want to be sure the public doesn’t become aware of the finer details, because the public, after all, can’t really understand the science anyway.

I am encouraged that there is a very strong and ever growing number of people who are realizing that the science behind vaccination is not as strong as the CDC, their doctors, and the vaccine manufacturers might want us to think. Among these are a great number of doctors themselves who have either watched the negative impact vaccines were having on their patients, or in many cases, ON THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

The CDC has always maintained that the percentage of children injured from a vaccine was extremely small. The CDC HAVE ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED THAT THERE WILL BE SOME LEVEL OF INJURY. They don’t really care if the injury happens to your child, my child, or your doctor’s child. In the mind of those writing public policy it is a fair trade off – we lose a few here and there for the benefit of the larger number of people.

Now this may be a fine and good way to think – until it comes to be YOUR CHILD. I personally don’t think it is fine and good to RISK ANYONE’s CHILD. And I sure wouldn’t ask you to risk your child for my benefit. Yet, that is exactly what the CDC has been doing for well over 40 years.

Can't seeNow there is a further problem which they are not quite so ready to acknowledge. They think that MOST CHILDREN are safer with the vaccine than without it. That is a foundational assumption that they DARE NOT CHALLENGE. You see, if they think MOST are safer, then they also think the benefit to MOST is worth the PAIN, SUFFERING, and even DEATH, for just a few.

Child 2What doctors and parents of non-vaccinated children have witnessed firsthand for YEARS is that actually, this foundational argument is not SOUND. It is not based on SCIENCE. In fact, non-vaccinated children ARE MUCH HEALTHIER and much safer than VACCINATED children. Non-vaccinated children have less visits to doctors, less ear infections, less antibiotic use, less seizures, less diabetes, less obesity, less auto-immune disorders, less chronic illness, less SIDS and LESS NEGATIVE OUTCOMES ALL around.

Now the CDC will tell you that this is simply anecdotal evidence – YET they seem to be SO AFRIAD of confirming this conclusion, that THEY REFUSE TO ACTUALLY DO A STUDY COMPARING VACCINATED VERSUS UNVACCINATED children. There have been some studies: one in Holland looking at populations of non-vaccinated children; and looking at predominately unvaccinated groups of people like the Amish and Dr Meyer Eisenstein’s extremely large (10,000+) medical practice with no vaccination and no autism. All indications from these brief looks are that the non-vaccinated have outstanding health when compared to vaccinated children. Ask any mother or grandmother of both vaccinated and unvaccinated children – the differences are night and day obvious.

Admittedly there may be more factors involved in the degeneration of health of children today, particularly because of the toxins they are exposed to in food and our environment. HOWEVER, that is no reason not to conduct the study and to RE-LOOK the science behind vaccination.

Once upon a time doctors and the CDC said smoking was NOT BAD. Perhaps they should fire all government scientists who are afraid of learning the true result and get a team of unbiased TRUE SCIENTISTS who don’t have any connections with industry to take an unbiased look – for the health and welfare of our children. They need to put the health and welfare of ALL CHILDREN above their own career aspirations, their reputations, their funding, and anything else that is preventing them from seeking TRUTH.

In the middle ages the priests held the power and wanted to manipulate the masses for their own purposes. Today we have an elite who want to maintain their power, prestige, and position. They have too much vested interest to want to know the truth.

Furthermore, there is INTENSE PRESSURE from the pharmaceutical industry to maintain and EVEN INCREASE vaccination rates and numbers. The pharmaceutical companies enjoy 100% LIABILITY FREE PROFIT from their vaccines! They can make vast amounts of money but never have to pay a dime if their products injure or kill your child – they are legally blameless.

Why would they want to change anything?

How many MORE children are going to have to suffer sever injury, life-long brain damage or death before we hold these people accountable?

Will you entrust your child to their care – when they know your child just might be one of the ones injured?

Thanksgiving 2015Author: Becky Hastings. I am just a mom and a grandmother who loves to see healthy happy babies. It breaks my heart to see vaccine injured children. There are GROWING NUMBERS all around us. It is the biggest shame and greatest cause of sorrow.

30 ways in 30 Days, Exploring Vaccines: Day 22