Guilty of Addiction!

I confess! I have an addiction. Most people do! Any "bad" habit you have that you can't seem to stop yourself from doing is an addiction. Not all addictions are illegal. In fact, more are legal than illegal! I'm sitting here currently trying to think of only the addictions that are illegal and guess what I'm only able to come up with a couple of them. Drugs, child pornography, and prostitution. Smoking, drinking, gambling, adult pornography, body piercing, tattoos, (I have had people admit to me that piercings & tatts are addictive) and video games are all legal addictions. What about other addictions? How about food, shopping, nail biting, chocolate, candy, sweets, and the dreaded soda pop? 

Many of the above cause withdrawals. Some withdrawal symptoms can be headache, shakes, sweats, elevated heart rate, yearning for the item, and the need to pace back and forth all the while thinking of the thing you want to do or taste. Then you give in and do or have the desire. Satisfaction! The high that takes you away from reality, the sugar rush from sweets or just the taste buds being satisfied, the playing of one more game to try to win, or the great purchase at the store. The NEED has been met but at what cost?  

For me, it's the bubbles from a cola (especially RC or Pepsi) as it hits the back of my throat! I love the feeling...especially first thing in the morning on a dry thirsty throat! It brings happiness to my soul... as it brings destruction to my body. Most addictions bring some sort of destruction -- eventually. 

God has used this addiction to teach me, humble me and help me better understand others. I admit that I used to look down on or allow myself to feel a twinge of superiority over someone who has drug or other serious addictions. I work hard these days at keeping that in check. My soda addiction is not nearly as tough to beat and yet here I am still sucking it down on a regular basis. It comforts me. It is really the only "comfort" food I have. It is my go to when I miss my mom (which is still often) and when I am upset or having a tough day. 

So, while I don't fully understand getting started on some of the horrible addictions out there, I understand addiction much better than I used to. When the addict continues to go back and go back and makes awful choices to have the addiction, I do understand it's not really them acting as much as the addiction driving them. This is not an excuse for their actions but it is a way to hate the sin of addiction and not the addict. They need help in quitting. They need help making the appropriate changes. Sometimes it may mean that it's time for tough love and not enabling them to continue. Often times, if they are not enabled by friends and loved ones, they wake up much faster to the fact they need to stop. 

You may ask how someone is enabled. They are enabled by someone helping provide the addiction. They are enabled by covering up and making excuses for their behavior. They are enabled by someone baling them out with money. When they waste their own money on the addiction and can't pay bills or purchase necessities such as food and utilities but someone always helps them with those daily supplies; they have no reason to make better choices. This is enabling them to continue in the addiction and not get help to stop!

Just a reminder that most of us have an addiction in our lives. Let's not get our halo crooked by thinking we are better just because our addiction won't necessarily land us in jail. Work on yourself and help others when you can by helping them quit! Don't enable them to continue because that's not help! 

Ignoring God's Word Has A Cost

We went to a Bible & KJV Heritage Conference the past two nights. The preacher made this statement "There's a price tag for ignoring God's Words". There may not be many truer statements! 

I want to look at some things that it may cost you. It may cost...

1. God's blessings - It is clear in Scripture that obedience to God brings blessings on your life. .  Ps. 25:10 says All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. Ps. 106:3, Ps. 119:2, Ps. 5:12, Ps. 115:13, Ps, Prov. 8:32, Luke 11:28, John 14:23, John 15:10

2. Falling into sin - Ps. 119:11 tells us that hiding God's Word in our hearts will  help us not to sin against God, James 4:7 tells us that if we will submit ourselves to God and resist the devil then the devil will flee from us

3. Closeness with God - Prov. 15:29 - The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. Ps. 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. 

4. Testimony - When others see that you are living your life not by God's Word but are continually falling into sin, they do not want to hear what you have to say about church, the Bible, or God and Christ. Over and over in the Bible, especially the New Testament, we are given examples of people who have a good report among those around them and therefore the people respected and listened to them.

The Bible, God's Word, was given to us as a manual, a way to learn more about God and His expectations, and as a way to draw closer to Him. When you ignore it, you pay a price! 

Just something to think about. Do you want to pay the heavy price for ignoring God's Word?

Ministry Means Flexibility!

I want to talk today about what it's like to be in full time ministry. What best describes ministry life is flexibility. You cannot be rigid in schedules or you will quickly be overwhelmed and frustrated. Yes, you can have a plan or schedule but you must remember that the plan or schedule can change at any given moment. Why? Because life is unpredictable. While you may plan on going to the church to clean, set up for a dinner, decorate for the season or create a bulletin or prayer list; a phone call may alter that plan and you may now have to make a hospital visit or go and counsel with someone in distress. That's just the way it is. Being available is what ministry life is all about! To be available you MUST be willing to change your plans in order to accommodate others. 

It also means that you may have to multi-task many times a day in order to keep up with what needs done on time. Sometimes, this can get overwhelming. Learning to prioritize the necessities over the wantities helps. For instance, I want to put up new sayings on the church sign today but a member had surgery in Oklahoma City yesterday, and we need to go check on her and pray and encourage her. The current saying can stay up another day. Get it? 

Of course, it's not just ministry life that needs flexibility. In fact, it should be a part of every one's life. I always say --- Make your plans in pencil and give God the eraser!

In most ministry life, however, there's not really a choice. In life, you must be flexible! If you are considering full time ministry, please remember this. Are you willing to become a flexible being? It really is a must to have peace of mind. 

Comparison is a Thief!

I heard this quote today on the radio during an interview... Comparison is a thief of joy. It hit me like a ton of bricks! How true a statement! We as people, and especially women, spend much time comparing. We compare our looks, our weight, our marriages, our finances, our children, our vehicles, homes and vacations...our lives in general! 

Comparing is not a good thing! When we compare, we become discontent with ourselves and our lives. Like the box above implies, what we are comparing ourselves to may have taken someone else years or tons of work to obtain. We also have no idea what they may have went through to become who they are or what they have accomplished. A marriage in the first year or two is much different than the one 30 years later that has been tested, tried and endured the give and take and much forgiving of the other's faults to remain in tact. 

Essentially, living in comparison mode, makes you constantly think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence (often it's greener because of the septic drain!) and creates unhappiness with self. Instead, remember the above box and that God loved you enough to send His Son, Jesus to die on a cross for you! Jesus loved you enough to do it! Remember that in Psalms 139:14 it says I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:... So take heart and be content, make changes where you can and accept what cannot be changed so that you may have joy within.

Learning About Food Allergies & Sensitivities

A little over two months ago, I did a food allergy/sensitivity test. Actually, back in Nov. of 2017 I did an Ige food allergy test. It tested for 26 foods. Only one thing came back positive and apparently was a false positive because when eating tomatoes I have never had any reaction and in my second testing it was negative though on the verge of a mild sensitivity. Ige allergy testing is a blood test that checks for immediate reactions to certain foods or other substances like seasonal allergies or pet dander, etc. That's what allergy generally refers to; an immediate reaction or reaction within a short time frame. Breaking out from exposure to poison ivy is an Ige reaction. Watery eyes from cats or dogs is another. Stomach pain, diarrhea, swelling or rash is also common if you are allergic to certain foods, such as seafood. These are all Ige reactions. Anaphylactic shock is the most severe Ige reaction.

Igg blood testing is a test that checks reactions over a period of 3-5 days. These would not be allergic reactions but sensitivity or intolerance reactions. Symptoms of intolerance or sensitivity to a food might include sinus drainage, excess gas and bloating, brain fog, low energy, stomach pain, constipation &/or diarrhea, arthritis, insomnia, hyperactivity, aggressiveness & disobedience in children or a host of other symptoms. Igg testing usually covers many more foods, spices & additives than Ige tests check. 

I tested positive for several things out of 96. These tests results range from a 1 to 3 in severity. 1 being mild to 3 being strong. For me eggs were my worst sensitivity. Egg whites being a 3 and egg yolks being a 2! Cow's milk was a 2 along with cheddar cheese & mozzarella cheese. However, cottage cheese & yogurt were only a 1! It's all about the processing! The only other 2 was for oats.  My doctor explained that over exposure to any food or any substance really, has the potential to cause an allergy or sensitivity to develop. This is what I believe happened to me for the most part. In trying to steer clear of gluten (which I don't have even a sensitivity to by the way) I was using oats and oat flour to substitute. I also ate eggs often. My normal breakfast routine for quite some time had been a soft boiled egg and a 1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt or a cup of oatmeal. All three of these showed up in sensitivity! I also enjoy having breakfast type foods for supper which means eggs more often. Also, many, many, many foods have eggs as an ingredient...from baked goods to mayonnaise! The foods that showed up as a sensitivity-1 for me are...asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, green olives, almonds, chia seed, banana, watermelon, malt, black pepper, oregano, & tarragon. Dr. said he had only had two other people ever test positive for black pepper. I currently use white pepper! However, hard to completely prevent using due to restaurants or eating at friends and family. This just goes to show that it matters not at all how healthy a food is supposed to statistically be if you are intolerant to it! 

In my heavy research of food sensitivity, I discovered that most often sensitivities begin because of leaky gut or poor gut health. Nearly every autoimmune disorder can be cleared up completely or made better by fixing the digestive system! One thing that leads to leaky gut is Vitamin D deficiency, along with poor thyroid function and low liver function (low liver function may lead to the vitamin D problem!). All of these go hand in hand. In fact, the gut is the second brain of the body. If it isn't working correctly, the other systems will not work correctly either. BTW, I do not believe the Vitamin D deficiency problem in this country is from lack of milk but lack of sunshine! People spend way more time indoors than out than they did 30 years ago. Technology means more sitting around playing on a computer, gaming system, phone or just watching tv than a generation ago participated in. 

I am working on a theory and will let you know the outcome as I gain more knowledge about this. I tested sensitive-1 for several vegetables. Most of these vegetables are the "gassy" veggies. When you have a thyroid problem, you are not to eat those veggies raw at all or often even cooked. As regular readers of this blog know, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroid disorder last November. I just wonder if I tested positive for those vegetables because I have a thyroid issue. In another month I will retest for the thyroid antibodies to see if we've made any headway on correcting the Hashimotos. I will report any findings. I had already made headway in this area just by starting vitamin D. Now that I am on a natural thyroid supplement, I hope to completely rid myself of the disorder. 

Now, to report on quitting harmful foods to my body. Cravings were not hardly an issue at all which totally surprised me. I really do enjoy eggs! Dr. was hoping it would eliminate my joint pain completely but has not so far...but it IS better! The best part of it is that I most definitely have more energy on a regular basis and just feel better overall. I was really struggling for some time with energy crashing between 1-2:30 almost every day. That isn't an issue anymore unless I've really been active working on a something or didn't get a good nights sleep. I seem to be sleeping better, too! Now if only I could get the pain and tingling to stop in my neck, shoulder and arm from the bulging c5&6 I might feel like a new woman! I also would love to stop gaining weight even when I watch what I eat. 

I know this was a very long post but I wanted to give an up date on my health and hope to help others in theirs! Do not be so quick to poo poo the idea of food allergies and sensitivities. I believe with all my heart it is MUCH more common than people realize!