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January 31, 2018

Heroes Still Exist!

Last night as I watched President Trump give the State of the Union Address, I was reminded over and over that heroes DO exist. I teared up over and over with each of the courageous stories given. Many presidents have guests they choose who are brave and have endured tragedy. It is a reminder that good still exists even though there is evil in the world. 

When tragedies hit, it is a chance for people to step up and do good and right. For instance, when people showed no care or preference to skin color or economic background when it came to helping those in need during the hurricanes last summer. These are just everyday ordinary people with no special training, just stepping up and doing the right thing. 

Then last night we were reminded of those who do have special training that are still heroes. Like the military, the police officers, the firemen, the border police, etc. Each one have utilized their training and skills to help others in ways that have given them recognition as a hero. 

Stories like these give us hope. They spark gladness in our hearts. They remind us that good still exists. It also provokes us to good works. These stories make us want to take part in being brave or helping others. The Bible tells us to encourage one another to love and provoke to good works.

With all the sad and devastating news on the news programs daily, it is wonderful when we hear the stories of bravery and survival. There is so much bad news about evil and wickedness that I have to take a break from listening sometimes. Then every once in awhile you hear the good news and it encourages our hearts. 


January 24, 2018

You Are In Charge

Today I want to talk about our health care. I think too often we are under the impression that we have no say so in what happens with our bodies medically. We believe doctors must know best (and often they are very knowledgeable) but doctors can get tunnel vision, or quite frankly they refuse to listen. They do not listen to what we say is happening or what we are feeling. You should remember that you know your body and what you are feeling and what you are experiencing. It is your right to push for answers! 

I would like to know what happened to the Hippocratic oath? What happened to "First, do no harm"? Often it seems that the cure is worse than what ails you! I understand that sometimes there must be quick initial pain in order to achieve the better good or better health. However, sometimes there are long term, lasting effects trying to fix a current health issue. Sometimes the testing process is severe and almost sadistic and inhumane. 

I want everyone reading this to remember that no one else can tell you what you must do or allow with your own body. Not your spouse, child, friends, relatives or doctor! You do have a right to say no to certain treatments. Do your own research. Be a knowledgeable patient. Most important remember that medicine only goes so far ... and then there's God! Doctors are NOT infallible! My point is that it is YOUR decision. Don't let anyone tell you it isn't. 

With my prior experiences, I have made preset decisions about certain health issues. I almost always prefer natural and homeopathic remedies to pharmaceutical. This is my choice. You have choices, too! Be informed!


January 17, 2018

Remembering God

Psalm 105:5 - Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

This is a verse to consider when we are going through a trial. When we feel like God is silent or correcting us or just allowing Satan to send havoc our way to teach us and grow us, we need to remember what God has done for us in the past. 

Remember how God has provided for us, or how he has comforted us with his Word or with other people, or how his timing has always been perfect in the past. Remember his promises and cling to them. 

When we are discouraged we just need to Remember his marvellous works that he hath done. 

Just a quick reminder that may help someone today. 

January 10, 2018

What Aging Brings

As I've been researching and learning about Hashimotos autoimmune disorder of the thyroid, I have been contemplating life and what we humans go through. Most everyone just sails through life living each day as it comes and not giving any real thought to the future as far as their health goes. Many set career goals even in high school. Many set marital or family goals, home buying goals, vacation goals, and retirement goals. However, most do not plan for a healthy future. I have long said that we eat, drink and breathe cancer and other illnesses but  over the past year I have realized we are exposed to toxins and other harmful agents through just everyday environment, including those in the medical industry. The medicines whether over the counter or prescription are full of things that may help aiding in the medical condition but then the body must also recover a second time from the chemicals it is exposed to with the drugs. 

I spent my life NOT smoking or doing drugs nor have I drank any alcohol for more than 20 years, yet in my daily choices for years and years I have been exposed to things that cause harm to my body. Daily choices of foods to eat or drink, immunizations, makeup, perfumes, soaps, shampoos, deodorants, lotions, cleaners, laundry soaps, light bulbs, microwaves, dental fillings, aluminum foil, plastic storage containers and cashier receipts just to name several. While the harmful agents are not necessarily harmful enough to cause instant problems, over time they are the cause of all future health problems. These things mentioned add heavy metals to your body, and expose it to toxins that if investigated for each ingredient you'd find poisons, carcinogens, and other toxins that eat away at the body system, especially the intestines which is what helps regulate all the rest of the body. If your bowels, liver and kidneys get so gunked up that they cannot properly help you eliminate waste from the body, it then builds up in the blood stream and causes major issues. Elimination of urine and feces is key to being healthy along with taking in of cleaner foods. Going to the bathroom is the way the body gets rid of the junk it has taken in so that it doesn't build up and cause problems in the body. That's why it's important! 

I reckon that in this advanced world where industry and technology have forged their way into rapid existence, there was no way to stop the onset of all the harmful things people are now exposed to in their daily lives. After all, people like easier, they like convenient, they like less work. That's how instant everything, prepackaged everything, more and more chemicals and machines have come to be. This is why we are exposed to BPA, GMOs, formaldehyde, agent orange style poisons, metals and allergens, ...because it makes things easier. It makes more money for businesses by creating shortcuts to the end result. 

There is a younger generation now that seems to be embracing a cleaner and healthier lifestyle. However, it is hard to stop the exposure to what's out there just walking around in life. BPA is in nearly everything you touch...from plastics to all receipts. 

Now to my title after all that long few paragraphs. Aging brings illnesses, body aches and pains, reduced memory, slower reflexes, slower thinking, etc. but also wisdom and knowledge, hopefully. Some of it isn't our fault that we were exposed to these harmful toxins and carcinogens because we were never told they existed. It's only been heavily exposed through media sources over recent years. It's kind of like how in the 50s and 60s smoking was encouraged. It was advertised as a way to relax after a meal. Funny how a stimulant is relaxing! I've read through old magazines and seen the ads though. Now we know more about the toxicity of smoking. 

Aging brings fighting off the illnesses and fighting to get healthier by making better choices. It can be overwhelming! However, we must keep in mind that we did not get ill over night and we will not get well over night. It takes time and we need to do it one step at a time even if it is a baby step. I believe my next step since removing gluten and killing off the Candida is to begin removing heavy metals from my body. I will have to go slow as I know already there is quite a die off symptom phase for this. I will do this with natural things such as essential oils, foods and supplements and maybe in the future chelation.  

January 9, 2018

Getting Winterized

This lesson I got from another source several years ago. I don't remember where to give credit but I do tend to make borrowed lessons my own through my own thoughts and tweeks. 

Philippians 4:11-13

In many areas of the country we have four seasons. Mid-January is usually the heart of winter for most as far as actual weather goes. Winter brings shorter days which means more darkness. It brings gray, dreary damp days with cold temps. During the fall or early winter many people winterize their cars and homes. They change oil weights, check antifreeze levels, and in some states put on snow tires. They put blankets and kitty litter or salt for traction for if they get stuck. For their homes they clean and service the furnace, use caulk and weather stripping on doors and windows or put up plastic to keep out the cold air. They disconnect water hoses and put them away so they don't freeze up.

In our spiritual lives we can have winters, too. Spiritually we can have dark, dreary cold days. We have to winterize in order to deal with and face them. Just like winter season can often bring the blues, discouragement, depression and more feelings of loneliness than usual, so can spiritual winters bring this. These spiritual winters are trials or inner battles with self and sin. 

We are going to look at ways to winterize & guard against dark and dreary winters of our lives.

1. The Cold Air Culprit of the World
When trials come, we can let our guard down. We start focusing on how to cope or to fix the problem. This is when worldly ideas & philosophies can seep through the cracks of our hearts and minds. Friends and media influences can give non-biblical advice. Or we start rationalizing in our own minds what is correct instead of what God says. Maybe a friend advises revenge over a wrong rather than forgiveness. Maybe we decide it is more important to make money for bills than to go to church, or to pay a bill than to tithe or to lie, cheat or steal to get what is wanted. 
--This is when we must caulk & weather-strip the cracks of hurt and desperation. Using God's Word is best for this. Read it, know it, memorize it to stop the cold air of the world from seeping in.
--Always check ideas, thoughts, and advice against scripture!
Psalm 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in thine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

2. The Icicles of Cold Attitudes
During winter it is easy to develop a bad attitude. With cold, damp, dreary days we can become cranky with others. We can complain more about everything and everyone! When in a trial we can really get into an icicle mode attitude. We blame spouse, children, family members, friends, co-workers and even God for the trial we are facing. Remember that only we can fix and change our bad attitude. Just decide to get over it. It's not easy when winter weight of ice is bearing down on us. 
--Best to take a step back and remember who God is and who we are not!
Psalm 46:10a - Be still, and know that I am God

3. The Blizzards of Circumstances
Sometimes winter can bring a blizzard. A blizzard means heavy snow with 30 mph or stronger winds which causes severe drifting and poor visibility. The effects can be devastating. Circumstances in our lives can be devastating, too. Jobs are lost, bills pile up, loved ones get sick or even die, relationships go bad, cars break down, appliances break, etc. These weigh down on us like heavy blankets of snow and can pile up like snowdrifts until we think we can't go on because we can't see any light or let up at the end of the road. 
--During blizzard times all we can do is hunker down and wait it out. We need to do ONLY what we can at each moment of the day and trust God for the outcome. He knows the end of the road and the plan he has.
Job 23:10 - But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

4. The Jack Frost of Depression
If you are going through a trial, depression is going to come nipping at your heels sooner or later. Just like many people get the winter blues, trials seem to frost us with depression. When in a trial, it is often easy to let it just nip away and bring us further and further down. There's no easy way up out of depression but keeping in tune with God will help. Regular devotions and prayer time every day will help more than anything. 
Psalm 55:17 - Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Isaiah 26:3-4 - Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

Along with this goes good Christian fellowship and laughter. Have a lunch date with a friend. Watch your favorite funny movie or comedian. 
Proverbs 17:22 - A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Many people put together Winter Survival Kits. Let's use this list of survival kit supplies to apply to a spiritual winter survival kit...
1. Non Perishable Food - Scripture!
- memorize scripture for those desperate times
2. Extra Blankets and Warm Clothing - Fellowship
- don't shut church family and friends out when in a trial - lean on them for support
3. Drinking Water - Christ the Living Water
- we need Jesus every day - his love, blessings & promises
4. Emergency Candles or Flashlights or Lamps - God's guidance 
-God is the source of light - stay sensitive to His leading and guidance - fast, pray and listen to the still small voice within

Have you winterized yourself?

January 1, 2018

A Time to Purge

Happy 2018! It's the first day of a new year. There's just something about starting a new year and ending an old one that gets people thinking about changes they'd like to make. They look back over the previous year and think about what they wish was different and what goals they want to accomplish in the coming year. 

This is the day to start purging. Time to let go and purge old habits. A person can purge toxins from their body, purge toxic friends and influences from their lives, purge bad jobs from career experiences, or purge sinful or time consuming habits to clean up the spiritual life. 

Purging toxins and cleaning up my insides is a goal for me this coming year. I have had two cancer scares in the past two years, both coming the past two fall seasons. Thankfully, both scares turned out to be nothing. However, in November I was diagnosed with Hashimotos which is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid. I am currently at stage 2 of 5 stages. I have done extensive research and I am taking steps to figure out the origin and trigger of the onset of my Hashimotos and also to take steps to put it into remission and heal my body. From my research Hashimotos is usually present in the body and starting its destructive patterns for up to 10 years before any symptoms surface or show up in lab work. 

Today I begin by purging gluten and candida from my system. I am making Bob do this one with me because I think his system could use some cleaning up too. I think that everyone should clean up their guts because the gut is the second brain of the body.

There are things I plan to purge to get my mind healthier also along with my spiritual walk. Those for now will remain private. 

I hope this post will inspire readers to think about what they need to purge from their lives to become healthier in mind, body and spiritual walk. Leave me a comment on what your plans are to purge.