Trying to eat healthier, but still have a sweet tooth? This is the answer! There is a lot of flexibility with this recipe, and a lot of deliciousness. Guilt free because there is no flour, no sugar and no butter (although I don’t feel guilty about eating butter!)!
Add to a food processor (best option) or a blender (if you don’t have one). I used a Vitamix because that is what I have.
4 eggs
1 ripe avocado
1/4 C cashews or almond butter, or peanut butter
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 banana
4 dates
Salt
Vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
Honey – about a tablespoon, or more if you want a sweeter taste
Top with walnuts and chocolate chips (or mix in)
Optional (not pictured): Add blobs of cream cheese mixed with honey on top (or mix in)
Spread into a glass baking dish approximately 8 x 8. Top with walnuts.
Bake at 350 15-20 minutes. (I recently acquired an internal thermometer and let the temperature reach 175 F). Allow to cool on a rack and then transfer to the refrigerator. Avoid the temptation to eat now, they are really much better after they get cold!
Enjoy!
Possible additions and/or substitutions: cooked sweet potato instead of banana. Add coconut to the topping. Pecans or other nuts instead of walnuts.
Let me know what substitutions you make!
Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of 40 years, and have five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.
We all want health. Our biggest challenge is discerning HOW to achieve our goal in this age when we are bombarded with information and opinions – many of which are directly contradictory. Health is a topic I began to seriously explore after taking a course called Nutritional Chemistry in 1979. I found some reflections by another health seeker that I want to share. There are many voices that agree that true health and protection from illness will not come through an injection, but these voices are often muted in this age. Here are 18 Reasons I Won’t Be Getting a Covid Vaccine by Christian Elliot with some minor editing to condense it. For me, personally, number one and two are all I need to make this decision, but please read through the whole list. At the end I’ll add a couple more to consider.
A few friends have asked my thoughts the covid jab(s) so I thought it was time to write an article on the topic. Many were unfamiliar with most of the details I shared. I’ve put them together to share with a wider audience.
Knowing how contentious this issue is, part of me would rather just write about something else, but I feel like the discussion/news is so one-sided that I should speak up. As I always strive to do, I promise to do my best to be level-headed and non-hysterical.
I’m not here to pick a fight with anyone, just to walk you through some of what I’ve read, my lingering questions, and explain why I can’t make sense of these covid vaccines.
THREE GROUND RULES FOR DISCUSSION
If you care to engage on this topic with me, excellent. Here are the rules… I am more than happy to correspond with you if…
You are respectful and treat me the way you would want to be treated.
You ask genuinely thoughtful questions about what makes sense to you.
You make your points using sound logic and don’t hide behind links or the word “science.”
If you do respond, and you break any of those rules, your comments will be ignored/deleted. With that out of the way, let me say this… I don’t know everything, but so far no one has been able to answer the objections below.
So here are the reasons I’m opting out of the covid vaccine.
#1: VACCINE MAKERS ARE IMMUNE FROM LIABILITY
The only industry in the world that bears no liability for injuries or deaths resulting from their products, are vaccine makers.
First established in 1986 with the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, and reinforced by the PREP Act, vaccine makers cannot be sued, even if they are shown to be negligent.
#2: THE CHECKERED PAST OF THE VACCINE COMPANIES
The four major companies who are making these covid vaccines are/have either:
Never brought a vaccine to market before covid (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson).
Are serial felons (Pfizer and Astra Zeneca).
Are both of the above (Johnson & Johnson).
Moderna had been trying to “Modernize our RNA” (thus the company name) for years, but had never successfully brought ANY product to market — how nice for them to get a major cash infusion from the government to keep trying.
In fact, all major vaccine makers (save Moderna) have paid out tens of billions of dollars in damages for other products they brought to market when then knew those product would cause injuries and death–see Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex, Thalidomide, and Opioids as a few examples.
If drug companies willfully choose to put harmful products in the market, when they can be sued, why would we trust any product where they have NO liability?
In case it hasn’t sunk in, let me reiterated…3 of the 4 covid vaccine makers have been sued for products they brought to market even though they knew injuries and deaths would result.
Astra Zeneca has similarly lost so many lawsuits it’s hard to count. Here’s one. Here’s another…you get the point. And in case you missed it, the company had their covid vaccine suspended in at least 18 countries over concerns of blood clots, and they completely botched their meeting with the FDA with numbers from their study that didn’t match.
Oh, and apparently J&J (whose vaccine is approved in the US) and Astrazenca (whose vaccine is not approved in the US), had a little mix up in their ingredients…in 15 million doses. Oops.
Let me reiterate this point:
Given the free pass from liability, and the checkered past of these companies, why would we assume that all their vaccines are safe and made completely above board? Where else in life would we trust someone with that kind of reputation?
To me that makes as much sense as expecting a remorseless, abusive, unfaithful lover to become a different person because a judge said deep down they are a good person.
No. I don’t trust trust them. No liability. No trust.
#3: THE UGLY HISTORY OF ATTEMPTS TO MAKE CORONAVIRUS VACCINES
In the 1960s, attempts to make a coronavirus vaccine killed children in human trials, in the 21st century (not making the mistake of skipping animal trials this time), attempts to make similar vaccines sickened or killed ALL of the ferrets in animal trials. All of them.
In both instances mentioned above, the children and the animals produced beautiful antibody responses after being vaccinated. They manufacturers thought they hit the jackpot. The problem came when the children and animals were exposed to the wild version of the virus.
When that happened, an unexplained phenomenon called Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE) also known as Vaccine Enhanced Disease (VED) occurred where the immune system produced a “cytokine storm” (i.e. overwhelmingly attacked the body), and the children/animals died.
The vaccine makers have no data to suggest their rushed vaccines have overcome that problem.
#4: THE “DATA GAPS” SUBMITTED TO THE FDA BY THE VACCINE MAKERS
When vaccine makers submitted their papers to the FDA for the Emergency Use Authorization (Note: An EUA is not the same as a full FDA approval), among the many “Data Gaps” they reported was that they have nothing in their trials to suggest they overcame that pesky problem of Vaccine Enhanced Disease.
They simply don’t know–i.e. they have no idea if the vaccines they’ve made will also produce the same cytokine storm (and deaths) as previous attempts at such products.
If that’s not alarming enough, here are other gaps in the data–i.e. there is no data to suggest safety or efficacy regarding:
Anyone younger than age 18 or older than age 55
Pregnant or lactating mothers
Auto-immune conditions
Immunocompromised individuals
No data on transmission of covid
No data on preventing mortality from covid
No data on duration of protection from covid
Hard to believe right? In case you think I’m making this up, or want to see the actual documents sent to the FDA by Pfizer and Moderna for their Emergency Use Authorization, you can check out this, or this respectively. The data gaps can be found starting with page 46 and 48 respectively.
For now let’s turn our eyes to the raw data the vaccine makers used to submit for emergency use authorization.
#5: NO ACCESS TO THE RAW DATA FROM THE TRIALS
Would you like to see the raw data that produced the “90% and 95% effective” claims touted in the news? Me too… But they won’t let us see that data.
As pointed out in the BMJ, something about the Pfizer and Moderna efficacy claims smells really funny. There were
“3,410 total cases of suspected, but unconfirmed covid-19 in the overall study population, 1,594 occurred in the vaccine group vs. 1,816 in the placebo group.”
Wait…what? Did they fail to do science in their scientific study by not verifying a major variable Could they not test those “suspected but unconfirmed” cases to find out if they had covid?
Apparently not. Why not test all 3,410 participants for the sake of accuracy? We can only guess they didn’t test because it would mess up their “90-95% effective” claims. Where’s the FDA?
Would it not be prudent for the FDA, to expect (demand) that the vaccine makers test people who have “covid-like symptoms,” and release their raw data so outside, third-parties could examine how the manufacturers justified the numbers?
I mean it’s only every citizen of the world we’re trying to get to take these experimental products… Why did the FDA not require that? Isn’t that the entire purpose of the FDA anyway?
Good question. Foxes guarding the hen house? Seems like it.
No liability. No trust.
#6: NO LONG-TERM SAFETY TESTING
Obviously, with products that have only been on the market a few months, we have no long-term safety data. In other words, we have no idea what this product will do in the body months or years from now–for ANY population.
Given all the risks above (risks that ALL pharmaceutical products have), would it not be prudent to wait to see if the worst-case scenarios have indeed been avoided? Would it not make sense to want to fill those pesky “data gaps” before we try to give this to every man, woman, and child on the planet?
Well…that would make sense, but to have that data, they need to test it on people, which leads me to my next point…
#7: NO INFORMED CONSENT
What most who are taking the vaccine don’t know is that because these products are still in clinical trials, anyone who gets the shot is now part of the clinical trial. They are part of the experiment. Those (like me) who do not take it, are part of the control group.
Time will tell how this experiment works out.
#8: UNDER-REPORTING OF ADVERSE REACTIONS AND DEATH
According to a study done by Harvard (at the commission of our own government), less than 1% of all adverse reactions to vaccines are actually submitted to the National Vaccine Adverse Events Reports System (VAERS) – read page 6 at the link above.
While the problems with VAERS have not been fixed (as you can read about this letter to the CDC), at the time off this writing VEARS still reports over 2,200 deaths for the current covid vaccines, as well as close to 60,000 adverse reactions.
“VAERS data released today showed 50,861 reports of adverse events following COVID vaccines, including 2,249 deaths and 7,726 serious injuries between Dec. 14, 2020 and March 26, 2021.”
#9: THE VACCINES DO NOT STOP TRANSMISSION OR INFECTION
Wait, what? Aren’t these vaccines supposed to be what we’ve been waiting for to “go back to normal”? Nope.
Why do you think we’re getting all these conflicting messages about needing to practice social distancing and wear masks AFTER we get a vaccine? The reason is because these vaccines were never designed to stop transmission OR infection. If you don’t believe me, I refer you again to the papers submitted to the FDA I linked to above.
The primary endpoint (what the vaccines are meant to accomplish) is to lower your symptoms. Sounds like just about every other drug on the market right?
That’s it…lowering your symptoms is the big payoff we’ve been waiting for. Does that seem completely pointless to anyone but me?
It can’t stop us from spreading the virus.
It can’t stop the virus from infecting us once we have it.
To get the vaccine is to accept all the risk of these experimental products and the best it might do is lower symptoms?
Heck, there are plenty of other things I can do to lower my symptoms that don’t involve taking what appears to be a really risky product?
Now for the next logical question:
If we’re worried about asymptomatic spreaders, would the vaccine not make it more likely that we are creating asymptomatic spread?
If it indeed reduces symptoms, anyone who gets it might not even know they are sick and thus they are more likely to spread the virus, right? For what it’s worth, I’ve heard many people say the side effects of the vaccine (especially the second dose) are worse than catching covid.
I can’t make sense of that either. Take the risk. Get no protection. Suffer through the vaccine side-effects. Keep wearing your mask and social distancing… And continue to be able to spread the virus.
#10: PEOPLE ARE CATCHING COVID AFTER BEING FULLY VACCINATED
Talk about a bummer. You get vaccinated and you still catch covid.
In reality, this phenomenon is probably happening everywhere, but those are the ones making the news now. Given the reasons above (and what’s below), maybe this doesn’t surprise you, but bummer if you thought the vaccine was a shield to keep you safe. It’s not. That was never the point.
If 66% of healthcare workers are going to delay or skip the vaccine…maybe they aren’t wowed by the rushed science either. Maybe they are watching the shady way deaths and cases are being reported…
#11: THE OVERALL DEATH RATE FROM COVID
According the the CDC’s own numbers, covid has a 99.74% survival rate.
Why would I take a risk on a product, that doesn’t stop infection or transmission, to help me overcome a cold that has a .26% chance of killing me–actually in my age range is has about a 0.1% chance of killing me (and .01% chance of killing my kids), but let’s not split hairs here.
With a bar (death rate) that low, we will be in lockdown every year…i.e. forever. But wait, what about the 500,000 plus deaths, that’s alarming right?
#12: THE BLOATED COVID DEATH NUMBERS
Something smells really funny about this one. Never before in the history of death certificates has our own government changed how deaths are reported. Why now, are we reporting everyone who dies with covid in their body, as having died of covid, rather than the co-morbidities that actually took their life?
Until covid, all coronaviruses (common colds) were never listed as the primary cause of death when someone died of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, auto-immune conditions, or any other major co-morbidity. The disease was listed as the cause of death, and a confounding factor like flu or pneumonia was listed on a separate line.
To bloat the number even more, both the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. changed their guidelines such that those who are suspected or probable (but were never confirmed) of having died of covid, are also included in the death numbers.
Seriously? If we are going to do that then should we not go back and change the numbers of all past cold and flu seasons so we can compare apples to apples when it comes to death rates?
According to the CDCs own numbers, (scroll down to the section “Comorbidities and other conditions”) only 6% of the deaths being attributed to covid are instances where covid seems to be the only issue at hand.
In other words, reduce the death numbers you see on the news by 94% and you have what is likely the real numbers of deaths from just covid.
Even if the former CDC director is correct and covid-19 was lab-enhanced virus, a .26% death rate is still in line with the viral death rate that circles the planet ever year.
Then there’s this Fauci guy.
I’d really love to trust him, but besides the fact that he hasn’t treated one covid patient…and you should probably know…
#13: FAUCI AND SIX OTHERS AT NIAID OWN PATENTS IN THE MODERNA VACCINE
Thanks to the Bayh-Dole Act, government workers are allowed to file patents on any research they do using tax payer funding.
Tony Fauci owns over 1,000 patents, including patents being used on the Moderna vaccine…which he approved government funding for. Does anyone else see this as a MAJOR conflict of interest, or criminal even?
And then there’s this pesky problem…
#14: THE VIRUS CONTINUES TO MUTATE
Not only does the virus (like all viruses) continue to mutate, but according to world-renown vaccine developer Geert Vanden Bossche (who you’ll meet below if you don’t know him) it’s mutating about every 10 hours.
How in the world are we going to keep creating vaccines to keep up with that level of mutation?
We’re not. Might that also explain why fully vaccinated people are continuing to catch covid?
Why, given that natural immunity has never ultimately failed humanity, do we suddenly not trust it?
Why, if I ask questions like the above, or post links like what you find above, will my thoughts be deleted from all major social media platforms?
That brings me to the next troubling problem I have with these vaccines.
#16: CENSORSHIP…AND THE COMPLETE ABSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC DEBATE
I can’t help but get snarky here, so humor me.
How did you enjoy all those nationally and globally-televised, robust debates put on by public health officials, and broadcast simultaneously on every major news station?
Wasn’t it great hearing from the best minds in medicine, virology, epidemiology, economics, and vaccinology from all over the world as they vigorously and respectfully debated thingslike:
Lockdowns
Mask wearing
Social-distancing
Vaccine efficacy and safety trials
How to screen for susceptibility to vaccine injury
Wasn’t it great seeing public health officials (who never treated anyone with covid) have their “science” questioned.
Wasn’t it great seeing the FDA panel publicly grill the vaccine makers in prime time as they stood in the hot-seat of tough questions about products of which they have no liability?
When did the first amendment become a suggestion? It’s the FIRST amendment Mark–the one our founders thought was most important. With so much at stake, why are we fed only one narrative…shouldn’t many perspectives be heard and professionally debated?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SCIENCE?
What has happened to the scientific method of always challenging our assumptions?
What happened to lively debate in this country, or at least in Western society? Why did anyone who disagrees with the WHO, or the CDC get censored so heavily?
Is the science of public health a religion now, or is science supposed to be about debate?
If someone says “the science is settled” that’s how I know I’m dealing with someone who is closed minded.
By definition science (especially biological science) is never settled.
If it was, it would be dogma, not science.
OK, before I get too worked up, let me say this… I WANT TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN I really do.
If lockdowns work, I want to do my part and stay home.
If masks work, I want to wear them.
If social distancing is effective, I want to comply.
But, if there is evidence they don’t, I want to hear that evidence too. If highly-credentialed scientists have different opinions, I want to know what they think? I want a chance to hear their arguments and make up my own mind. I don’t think I’m the smartest person in the world, but I think I can think. Maybe I’m weird, but if someone is censored, then I REALLY want to hear what they think.
Don’t you?
To all my friends who don’t have a problem with censorship, will you have the same opinion when what you think is censored? Is censorship not the technique of dictators, tyrants, and greedy, power-hungry people? Is it not a sign that those who are doing the censoring know it’s the only way to win? What if a man who spent his entire life developing vaccines was willing to put his entire reputation on the line and call on all global leaders to immediately stop the covid vaccines because of problems with the science? What if he pleaded for an open-scientific debate on a global stage? Would you want to hear what he has to say? Would you want to see the debate he’s asking for?
#17: A WORLD LEADING VACCINOLOGIST IS SOUNDING THE ALARM…
Here is what may be the biggest reason this covid vaccine doesn’t make sense to me.
When someone who is very pro-vaccine, who has spent his entire professional career overseeing the development of vaccines, is shouting from the mountaintops that we have a major problem, I think the man should be heard.
Why the covid vaccine may be putting so much pressure on the virus that we are accelerating it’s ability to mutate and become more deadly.
Why the covid vaccines may be creating vaccine-resistant viruses (similar to anti-biotic resistant bacteria).
Why, because of previous problems with Antibody Dependent Enhancement, we may be looking at a mass casualty event in the next few months/years.
If half of what he says comes true, these vaccines could be the worst invention of all time. If you don’t like his science, take it up with him. I’m just the messenger.
But I can also speak to covid personally.
#18: I ALREADY HAD COVID
I didn’t enjoy it. It was a nasty cold for two days:
Unrelenting butt/low-back aches
Very low energy.
Low-grade fever.
It was weird not being able to smell anything for a couple days. A week later, coffee still tasted a little “off.” But I survived.
Now it appears (as it always has) that I have beautiful, natural, life-long immunity…not something likely to wear off in a few months if I get the vaccine. In my body, and my household, covid is over.
In fact, now that I’ve had it, there is evidence the covid vaccine might actually be more dangerous for me. That is not a risk I’m willing to take.
IN SUMMARY
The above are just my reasons for not wanting the vaccine. Maybe my reasons make sense to you, maybe they don’t. Whatever does makes sense to you, hopefully we can still be friends.
I for one think there’s a lot more that we have in common that what separates us.
We all want to live in a world of freedom.
We all want to do our part to help others and to live well.
We all want the right to express our opinions without fearing we’ll be censored or viciously attacked.
We all deserve to have the access to the facts so we can make informed decisions.
Agree or disagree with me; I’ll treat you no differently. You’re a human just as worthy of love and respect as anyone else. For that I salute you, and I truly wish you all the best.
I hope you found this helpful. If so, feel free to share.
If not, feel free to (kindly) let me know what didn’t make sense to you and I’d be happy to hear your thoughts too.
Stay curious and stay humble.
Until next time,
Christian Elliot
PS. If you think I studied this topic well, think about how much thought I would put into helping you with your health. Helping people with their health is what I do all day, every day.
If you have read attentively this far, you might have noticed that there is no #15! I’m waiting to hear from Christian about that one! Meantime, here are some more reasons I can think of on why accepting this shot is probably not the best idea. I’d love to know if you have some unique reasons that aren’t presented here!
There are effective treatment options both to prevent and heal from this infection that are safe.
The death rate is extremely low, nowhere near what was initially projected. If you want to know for sure, phone your local mortuary or funeral home and ask them if 2020 was a big year for the death industry, or was it similar to previous years.
Most of the ‘vaccines’ (which perhaps should be called gene therapy) require extremely low temperatures from the time of manufacture to delivery into a body. How do we know for certain the injection coming into an arm has been properly stored? That is a lot of faith and trust in a supply chain, never mind in the manufacturing process that is rushing millions of doses around the world.
The amount of hype and fear used to push this product on the public should raise serious red flags.
Threats of not being allowed to engage in certain activities if you do not accept this shot, combined with promised rewards such as ‘life can only get back to normal’ if you do get this shot seem a lot like manipulation. Do a little research on manipulation techniques – strategies used by military and predators for decades.
My body is God’s temple. He designed every part – including the incredible amazing immune system. Injecting experimental liability free substances with a hope of ‘protection’ or ‘freedom’ does not seem the best way to honor and worship God. In fact, it seems more like idolatry.
I’d love to hear your reasons. Really, we don’t need that many reasons. But we do need to examine this issue rationally.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
1 John 4:1-18
Becky Hastings collects information on health and tries her best to discover and share truth. By God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, I was saved, blessed with a husband of 40 years, and five precious babies all grown up. I now get to delight as nine grandchildren grow! Together we can help each other discover a healthy path in this crazy upside down world.
Quantities are approximations. Organic ingredients preferred.
1/2 cup each brown & white sugar
1 stick butter softened
2 eggs
Vanilla
3/4-1 cup flour
Salt
1 tap baking powder
2 cups oats
3/4 chocolate chips
1/2- 3/4 raisins soaked in boiling water, then drain
chopped Walnuts
chopped Pecans
Cream together the sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla, and cream well. Add the flour, salt and baking powder, mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix.
Press into cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If you wet your hands with water the dough doesn’t stick as much. Bake 400 for 10-12 minutes. Score when warm by pressing with a large sharp knife.
Enjoy!
Becky Hastings. Sometimes we need diversions. When you make your own healthy tempting snacks you know what it is in them! Creating treats is satisfying in so many ways. For this original recipe I had some helpers!
In one of his very first messages delivered to a public audience not long after Jesus’ death, resurrection, appearance, and return to heaven, Peter proclaims this timeless warning: “Save yourself from this corrupt generation.” Acts 2:40
Peter’s words, recorded 2000 years ago, ring very true today.
Sinners sin. Power corrupts. Leaders and governments control through any means possible. Why are we surprised?
Because we’ve been presented with a veneer that our country, our government, our leaders, our health care system, even the UN and WHO, have only good intentions for ‘we the people’.
A facade. We believed lies. We were deeply deceived. Programmed from birth through many sophisticated methods available: entertainment, media, news, education, medical standards, ‘science’, etc.
God is not surprised by current circumstances. His Word has timeless answers and will lead to wisdom and discernment – exactly what we need to navigate our current culture.
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:38-41
Read the whole chapter – Acts 2. I read God’s word every day, and these days the ancient writings seem more applicable than ever! As you seek God, He will answer. He promises that ALL who seek Him will find Him.
I don’t have all the answers. While there are many helpful theories about history, world operations, the route to health, I don’t believe any person alive understands all the background information needed to provide a comprehensive explanation. Any person who ignores God, His Creative work from the beginning of time, and His current explanation for world events, will miss out on huge portions of truth – even though they are sincerely seeking truth. Seeking God will lead to finding truth. I keep seeking. May I never hold on so tightly to my opinions that I miss seeing what God wants to show me. I have been deceived. We are all currently deceived about something. Jesus warns in Matthew 7, “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will know them.”
If you are ready for a challenge, I have found an incredibly helpful method of exploring the collection of ancient documents joined together in the book we know as the Bible.
Becky Hastings, avid follower of Jesus Christ, wife, mother, grandmother, health seeker and reporter. Seeking truth can be challenging, and sometimes confusing, but far more rewarding than staying ignorant.
Do I express strong bias that could cause polarization of those who do not agree with me?
How to detect your expression of bias:
Words. Our own language can provide a flashlight into the recesses of our own motivations.
Absolute Language. The words you use are clues that you are expressing a bias that will not be well received by those who do not share your bias. Absolute language such as “any”, “all”, “always” may appeal to those who share your bias – it’s sort of like ‘preaching to the choir’. Using strong words may win you praise from fans but will most likely alienate those you might be hoping to sway towards your way of thinking.
Framing inferences as facts. This can include inferring the motivation of others, or making inferences based on the lack of actions of others.
Framing your own motivation positively. E.g. I seek solely to find “objective truth.”
Broadening conclusions. For instance, painting someone as a ‘dictatorial ideologue relentlessly oppressing humble and honest scientists in order to ensure the only messages that survive are self-serving propaganda’ is usually a stretch.
Questions to help me examine my bias:
How might my own beliefs be coloring my advocacy? If I use absolute language and state inferences as facts I could be reducing my effectiveness in sharing what I believe to be true.
Do I feel insulted or offended when others do not share my views or challenge my points?
Are there times when I overstate my data?
Do I sometimes approach a conversation with a predetermined opinion, then back into arguments that support it? Even a little?
Can I read the science from the opposing position? Do I rate the quality of research higher because of feelings about a particular author or conclusion? Is there a body of science I feel loyalty or affection for?
Other clues that highlight your bias:
Do you dismiss scientific papers that don’t agree with your beliefs?
Can you impartially evaluate the quality of the research in a paper?
Can you listen without interrupting when someone expresses an opposing point of view?
Do you maintain objectivity in your decision making process?
The most pernicious kind of subjectivity comes from those who think they are objective.
Can we move beyond self-righteousness in our ideology?
I find that if I have crafted a story in my mind that makes me the righteous victim and others the premeditated villains, I am likely to have little influence with them, or to their adherents. To the degree you can come to see the failings of others as temptations you also occasionally succumb to, you’ll humanize the opposition and amplify your prospects of healthy conversation.
One of the best ways to resolve conflict is to transcend it. If this is an issue that is extremely important to you, or important for someone you love, try to step off of your high horse and seek to have a mutually respectful conversation. Here are some ideas I’ve gleaned from communication specialists:
Find a time when you are not debating a specific topic or specific paper.
Open the conversation by acknowledging frequent conflict about topics in the past. Acknowledge any transgressions in your own approach to those conflicts.
You might say, for example, “I experience our decision making conversations as more contentious than is helpful. I know I’ve contributed to that. There are times when I let my ego trump my objectivity. I feel insulted and defensive, and that’s my stuff. And I suspect I’m not the only one. I suggest we step away from the specifics for a few minutes and discuss our purpose and our mutually shared goals. Let’s find principles that we both agree on such as the robust health of our children. My hope is that if we can all commit to those principles and stay to our convictions, we will reduce unnecessary conflict.”
It could well be that in the conversation you discover an unapologetic commitment of the other person to support only a particular bias. If so, you have a decision to make.
If, on the other hand, the conversation leads to purposeful and meaningful conversation with a discovery of shared purpose and principles that will guide the interactions, you will then have a context within which to challenge decisions that don’t fit with your mutually shared principles and hopefully come to a resolution.
Previously I wrote some ideas on having discussions with those you love on hard topics that has reached 2,400 people.
Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.
Will you commit 4 minutes a day for 30 days to a better you?
Do you have 4 minutes 6 days a week?
Will you replace your excuses with action?
This video outlines 5 simple exercises that you can do in 4 minutes. It’s claimed that this 4 minute workout will replace one hour in the gym! The key is to do them! Take it slow. Increase speed and repetitions ONLY as you are able. Determine to finish this 30 Day Challenge and meet the new YOU on the other side!
Some people like to weigh themselves, take ‘before photos’ or take measurements. If you want to do that, go ahead. However, one of the easiest measurements to notice is how your clothes fit and feel. After your first 30 days you will be seeing so much progress you will want to repeat it – and maybe add a few changes to your eating plan.
Remember to drink water every day to help your body ‘wash out’ and flush out the toxins. Let me know how your Waist disappears!
There are many benefits to a daily 4 minute exercise plan. I can’t wait for you to experience them!
Becky Hastings, avid follower of Jesus Christ, wife, mother, grandmother, health seeker, reporter, Biblical Counselor.
In this amazing talk Dr Zach Bush describes his journey as a traditionally trained medical doctor, specialising in treating people with serious chronic illness such as Type 2 Diabetes. His life was forever changed when he began asking questions, and finding answers outside of his training. When we are seeking truth we should be prepared to have some well entrenched paradigms shattered. It can be an unsettling process.
In this video from 2015, “Dr. Bush explains the unifying science behind devastating changes in the food, farming, and medical industries, introducing the breakthrough science of bacteria and their communication with the body’s defense systems. The industrial storm of the last 70 years has left the human gut and immune systems vulnerable to injury. Two synergistic toxins in our food and water systems have exploited this vulnerability, resulting in direct damage to the tight junctions that compose the natural firewalls at the gut/blood and blood/brain barriers. The correlations between diet, gut bacteria, and autism have been long-recognized. This new science reveals the mechanisms behind this relationship. The novel science of bacterial communication is the foundation for a new class of dietary supplements that go beyond what has been available.”
This might be two year old information, but many of us need to “catch up” with the latest knowledge and understanding of how environmental toxins are harming our guts leading to devastating health in all generations.
Becky Hastings, a wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter, breastfeeding counsellor helping moms for 22+ years, and someone who seeks to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world! Sometimes I share recipes and homespun teaching videos.
No longer in the stage of life of having small children – with all the joys and tasks they create – I now have the blessing of grandchildren! This allows me time to think about the significance of motherhood and seek to encourage moms in the most important role they could ever have. Seeking wisdom through the Bible daily, God sheds light in my heart and I desire to share this light with others.
Peter speaks directly to leaders in chapter five of his first letter, “Shepherd God’s flock. Not for the money, but eagerly.” These words powerfully impacted my heart one morning. Who are these words directed to? Leaders. Who is a leader? Parents are leaders. Mothers are leaders. We are entrusted with the leadership of our children.
What does it mean to shepherd a flock? I’m no expert in sheep, but my guess is the obvious things – take care of them. Make sure they have safe food, a safe place to eat and protect them from forces that might attack and harm them. David is a great example of a committed shepherd. He tells us that he actively protected his sheep by killing a lion and a bear. He didn’t abandon his sheep. He didn’t expect anyone else to come in and do his work for him. He was ready. He was alert. He was practiced. He attacked the enemies that sought to attack his flock.
We also read many of David’s psalms and we know God asserted that David was “a man after God’s own heart.” David was certainly not perfect. He committed adultery and murder and sought to cover it up. He married many wives and didn’t have a great track record as a father. However, God continues to affirm that David’s heart was directed toward God. I believe part of this comes from his occupation during the boredom of looking after his sheep. Let’s face it, when you are looking after sheep, there are times of boredom – when everything seems to be going well. David used this time to exalt in God. He wrote down praises to God and he memorized them. He used his down time to extol God and bask in who God is.
As mother-leaders we are to be prepared to actively protect our flock – the children we are blessed to bear and raise. We can also use the times of boredom to dig deeper into knowing God, knowing His word, memorizing His word and exalting God in our lives.
In 2017 we need to know exactly what dangers our sheep are facing. We need to have an awareness of the very real dangers in our world so that we can expose them and help our children avoid being consumed by the enemies they will encounter. I don’t believe we are called to push for a better world, or even hope that there will be a political solution to the evil we see around us. But, as a vigilant shepherd, as a mother today, we seek to protect our babies. God has entrusted them to our care; we must be aware and warn them of danger. An alert shepherd will investigate potential danger before advancing to a new area. Shepherds should be able to understand, point out, and explain the reason a particular path holds danger.
For me personally, as someone who has been blessed to get support and information that enabled me to have natural births and breastfeed the five children I was blessed by God to bear, the world of childbirth and early parenting are close to my heart. Knowing how empowering the act of giving birth naturally was for me, knowing how empowering the act of nurturing a baby exclusively at the breast is, and watching with delight as baby grows and thrives on breast milk alone is an unparalleled experience.
I believe the enemy wants to rob women of this empowering experience. Further, the enemy seeks to sow discord in the hearts of children and break the bonding process experienced easily through natural birth and breastfeeding. I am not trying to criticize anyone who has had a different experience, but the reality is, bonding is more difficult when there are complications in childbirth and when early breastfeeding is a struggle. These are not insurmountable challenges, but require much more effort and determination to get through. As a breastfeeding counselor for 23+ years I have seen women overcome incredible challenges to successfully breastfeed, but my heart aches to watch completely unnecessary complications develop because of lack of support, or poor recommendations to unsuspecting women.
I believe the medical establishment has so medicalized the childbirth experience that most women are deprived of the support necessary to watch their body give birth. A woman is designed to give birth and her body is the most amazing part of the process. Our modern medical practices often unnecessarily complicate the process and serve to DISempower women of their biological strength. Again, this is not meant as a criticism to specific women, who generally do the best with the situation they face, but to the system. Medicalized births often lead to increased trauma to both mom and baby and can make breastfeeding more difficult. Additionally, standard hospital practices, such as early cord clamping, routine vitamin K injections, eye ointment, and some of the well meaning advice given by staff can adversely impact bonding and breastfeeding. Medical personnel who are ignorant of breastfeeding can create many obstacles for a brand new mother trying to get breastfeeding off to a good start. Routine circumcision of male newborns can seriously impact breastfeeding – yet mothers are not warned.
As a breastfeeding counselor, nothing hurts my heart more than watching innocent, but ignorant, parents, blindly follow medical or cultural advice and end up actually harming their own child. They do not intend harm to their precious baby, but the system has ensnared them into decisions that are not in their baby’s best interests for lifelong health.
How? The list is long. Giving pregnant women vaccines which are known to harm the developing baby, giving many ultrasounds in pregnancy, routine birth practices (such as routine inductions or quick C-sections) designed with the doctor or hospital in mind but which put baby at greater risk of harm, vaccines given to baby, circumcision, allergy shots for children, Tylenol, screen time for babies and children (more addictive and damaging than some drugs), GMO food, processed foods, blindly trusting public schools or curriculum, Disney movies, etc.
I was once in darkness about most of these things. I didn’t know how harmful they were. But, having researched and now understanding the danger, I can no longer blindly continue these harmful practices for myself. As an “older women” I can no longer stand idly by and watch younger women get sucked into very dangerous fields where the enemy stands ready to devour both them and their young lambs.
So, I must speak out and warn others, despite the risk of being dismissed as crazy, or ridiculed by what I point out. I am encouraged by Paul’s admission of craziness,
“For if we are out of our mind (super crazy), it is for God, and if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels, us because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all died. And He died for all that those who live, no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake, died, and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:13-14
Peter warns us that we need to ‘”Be serious. Be alert. Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
This is why I started this blog. Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing.
Author: Becky Hastings, wife to John for 36 years, mother of five, MIL to two, grandmother of six, passionate follower of Jesus Christ. A full time 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.
Congratulations! You have been blessed to carry a new life in your body and that brings so much excitement as well as many unknowns. Whether this was a 100% humanly planned event, or somewhat unexpected, every conception is a miracle enacted by God’s design!
Excitement stirred a strong need to write to you – but then when I got going, I had a hard time stopping; the blog became too long. If you are overwhelmed, just know I tried to be brief, but my heart is so full with a desire to share what I have learned during my journey of motherhood! If you get bored, or there is TMI, please, before you leave, scroll down to my three points right at the end!
I remember 34 years ago when I found out we were expecting our first baby. I really didn’t know anything. I had no experience with babies and didn’t have any friends having babies. It was 1982. There was no internet. No social media. No cell phones. We were young but very excited.
I’m not saying you have to be a Christian to seek the very best for your baby, but as a very young Christian, I was eager to seek God’s wisdom, protection, and leading in my new adventure. I believe God specifically led two women into my life during the very first weeks of my pregnancy to help give me direction. Both women strongly recommended breastfeeding. But they were also well aware that even women who desire to breastfeed often have difficulty. They encouraged me to be as well prepared as possible during pregnancy to ensure breastfeeding success. One thing both of these women urged me to do – completely independently of each other – was to attend La Leche League breastfeeding support meetings. They knew I would find support, information, and help to formulate and achieve my personal breastfeeding goals. Both women persuaded me that I needed to attend all four of the different LLL meeting topics prior to baby’s birth.
Since God confirmed this advice through two different women from two vastly different parts of the country, I decided it must be important and found a LLL group meeting locally! There was actually one group that met in the mornings and one group that met in the evenings, so I attended both! I also read every book available in both the LLL library and the Natural Childbirth class library. I was very eager for information that would help me make wise choices and provide a good outcome for birth and baby.
After having five natural births, and breastfeeding each baby for an extended period of time, I am so eager to help other women find the same empowerment I found through these natural processes. As my children grew, I became a LLL Leader so that I could help other women achieve their breastfeeding goals. Now that my children are mostly grown, I seek to offer greater guidance and support in the area of natural childbirth and breastfeeding. I don’t know everything but have learned a lot over the years and have learned so much about supporting women on their journey through 23 years of LLL Leadership. My goal is not to help women achieve my goals, but to think through their options and formulate their own goals.
Navigating through the complexities of modern medical care during pregnancy and raising children can be a minefield; some might say a crapshoot. We daily hear stories of awful health outcomes in babies and children: SIDS, neurological diagnosis in 1 of 6 children in the USA today, rampant allergies, attention difficulties, etc. The reality is that every second child in the USA is suffering from a chronic health condition. Additionally, in recent years, powerful psychotropic drugs are routinely given to children and even babies, despite the lack of knowledge of how these drugs will impact the child’s long term life and health. Loving, caring parents may find the advice from medical experts very confusing. We all want what is best for our baby, but how do we achieve that?
I recently heard a sermon which stated that “Love is caring enough for others to do something to help them. Seeing them rush towards harm, but not warning them is not loving.” In the same sermon, we were urged to ask “What can I do in the world around me? What breaks my heart?” The thing that breaks my heart is when babies and mothers are not given all the help and support they need to navigate a healthy birth and achieve breastfeeding. What breaks my heart is babies harmed and the breastfeeding relationship sabotaged through modern medical care! I’m not saying this is happening intentionally, but many times what works for a hospital or their staff, or their routines, is not always the thing that achieves the best outcome for mom and baby. Sometimes hospital policy can disturb an optimal breastfeeding relationship.
My desire is to love young parents enough to help them navigate their journey to a safe healthy outcome for themselves and their baby. I especially have a heart to help Christian couples navigate this journey. As Christians we often put a lot of trust in others. This can sometimes lead to our blindly following cultural norms without research or understanding what is good for us and our baby, what is best for the ‘medical or business model,’ and what is outright deception.
While every expert will agree that babies live and thrive on breastmilk from mother’s breast alone until around the middle of their first year, the truth is, in the USA, statistics indicate that only 22.3% of babies were exclusively breasted (EBF) until 6 months in 2016. That means the majority of moms struggle to navigate through the birth experience, and the early weeks and months of breastfeeding, long enough to find the simplicity and joy of nourishing her baby exclusively through the mechanism designed by our Designer to sustain human life. This intricate fabulous design provides wonderful life enhancing nuances that will benefit baby for their entire lifetime. A baby deprived of breast milk, as well as a baby who is not exclusively breastfed, is at a disadvantage throughout life. Any substance passing through a baby’s lips that is not mom’s breast disadvantages the infant gut, known as the microbiome. Additionally, the infant gut is also disadvantaged through surgical birth rather than natural birth.
Our number one goal throughout pregnancy should not be just to have ‘a healthy baby’, but to set ourselves up for the best possible chance of EBF with our healthy baby. We need support from those who understand how to help us navigate birth and the early weeks to ensure successful exclusive breastfeeding. This is NOT a nice bonus, or ‘good for those who can manage it.’ EBF is an absolutely essential component of lifelong health and well being. Any routine medical procedure that causes even a minor impediment to successful EBF should be evaluated and perhaps postponed or denied.
Holding an absolute standard is difficult but imperative.
My goal is not to criticize others or cause others to feel guilt or discouragement. What has happened in the past can be instructive and inspirational. My first birth did not happen according to my expectations and hopes. During every succeeding birth I learned more about my body and the process of birth. I certainly didn’t do everything perfectly or even achieve all my own goals, but the process of having natural births and exclusively nourishing my babies from my breasts alone is probably the most empowering act I have ever managed to achieve in my life. I believe God gave me information, support, and dedication to achieve this and I am eager to help others have the same feelings of empowerment. Additionally, I have been privileged to see mothers whose first attempt at a natural birth and EBF did not turn out as they desired, but they persevered with subsequent pregnancies. Watching them achieve their goals after experiencing disappointment is inspiring because these women display great determination. When they succeed their empowerment extends to all areas of their life.
Living for the glory of God means I cannot ignore people rushing ignorantly toward harm. Deception in the USA medical system abounds in the area of pregnancy, childbirth, and babies. Many parents have no idea how the birth industry operates, the pressure they will face from lack of sleep, emotional and physical exhaustion in the weeks after the birth, and how it will all impact their baby’s opportunity for lifelong health. Additionally, most parents have no idea that our society is full of sick children and the critical importance of navigating the early parenting years in order to achieve a robustly healthy child.
It is well known that babies deprived of exclusive breastfeeding have a greater risk of obesity, allergies, cancer, diabetes, learning difficulties, ADHD, etc.
As a starting point, I highly recommend parents to read a short book called The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labor. While short and simple, this book contains some profound truths that can give every women great confidence when facing the mystery of childbirth for the first time.
Additionally, since I don’t have time to cover every aspect of breastfeeding in this short article, my strong encouragement is
Immediate skin to skin contact with mother and baby. This skin to skin should not be interrupted for any reason and should be extensive. If mom is medically unable, skin to skin should be done with dad, or alternative family member. Ideally, baby should not be separated from mom during the entire time after birth, except in the most urgent situations.
Delay cord clamping (until the cord stops pulsating or for one hour after birth). This allows all the baby’s own blood to nourish baby’s body. The cord blood is replete with stem cells which miraculously travel through the entire body and perform healing.
No routine medical procedures – even vaccines – should be performed on baby until breastfeeding is well established (minimum of 8 weeks). All procedures have the potential to interfere with the establishment of breastfeeding and impede the bonding process. Some routine procedures used in most hospitals: prophylactic antibiotic ointment on babies’ eyes (to protect from potential infection if the mother is infected with chlamydia or gonorrhoea)[1], injection of vitamin K, a bath which removes important oils and vernix from baby, Hepatits B vaccine (a disease which is spread through sexual contact or shared needles) is recommended to all babies regardless of the mother’s Hepatitis B status, circumcision (a very traumatic procedure for baby which is not medically or religiously indicated, and has risks often not shared with parents).
I pray for pregnant women to become well prepared to welcome their babies so that they can experience the wonderful empowerment of childbirth and nourishing their baby from their own body. I would value the opportunity of discussing any of these points further with you.
If you are interested in learning more about the complicated topic of vaccines for babies and children, I wrote this especially for you. Also, there is a lot of pressure for pregnant women to inject themselves with the flu shot and the TDaP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and acellular Pertussis) vaccines during pregnancy. Please research the concept of injecting yourself while pregnantin depth before agreeing.
Wanting nothing but the best for you,
Becky
Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counsellor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky frequently writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.
Is there an approach to parenting that is 100% guaranteed to help me raise the type of children I desire? Is there a magic method of getting my children to respect my words and comply with my instructions as a parent?
Grandparenting must be one of the most wonderful roles a person could ever have in life. I LOVE spending time with my grandchildren, every one of them is delightful in a unique way, and they are teaching me so much!
After having my five and three year old grandchildren come for ‘four sleepovers with Granny and Grandpa’, without their parents, I have arrived at a clearer understanding of the word sin and the primary struggle of parenting. Of course I experienced these issues many times in raising my five children, but this fresh immersion into parenting brought some vivid reminders.
Sin is an uncomfortable word for most of us. We don’t easily see ourselves as sinners. The word ‘sinner’ sounds like an extremely heinous description of ‘bad’ people. Sin is actually a lot simpler and a lot subtler; the essence of sin is simply wanting our own way. We are born with a desire to get what we want and to pursue our own desires, with little thought for the needs of others. As we grow older, most of us get trained to some degree or another that we need to also respect other people in our lives, but that does not come naturally.
What does God say about sin? Sin is the thing that separates us from God. Sin prevents us from the loving connection He wants most to have with us. Sin is ignoring God’s sovereignty over us, as our Designer and Creator, and saying, “I have a better plan.” Sin is thinking God’s desires for me will limit me, but I will find happiness through pursuing the things I think will bring satisfaction.
Why is parenting so difficult? Because we are raising little sinners. Little independent people who have their own ideas about what will bring them satisfaction. Some of these little people seem to have a personality that wants to buck every single event or decision throughout the course of a day. Others may be mostly agreeable, but every once in awhile their independence will exert itself. Why can’t children just be agreeable? Why don’t they understand that we only want what is best for them, that we have years of experience that has given us insight, understanding, and wisdom for every decision we make? Why don’t they just eat the healthy food we provide? Why don’t they immediately respond when we have given them warnings and prepared them for the fact that a fun activity must now end? Why do they sometimes randomly physically attack their sibling?
Why do we feel like we are in a constant battle to see who is in charge in this relationship? Why can’t they just accept our authority?
Have I done something wrong? Am I a bad parent? Did I miss a window of “training” at a certain age?
Should I have spanked my children? Should I have spanked my children more? Should I have not spanked my children? Is there a formula for raising compliant “yes, ma’am” children that I missed? Did I read the wrong books? Did I follow the wrong advisors?
What is the answer? Is there actually an answer?
How did God ‘parent’ His people?
God’s kindness towards us leads us to repentance. Repentance is the goal. Repentance means getting off the train heading for “my way” and boarding the train heading to “God’s destination.” Every sermon given by the early followers of Jesus, which we read in the book of Acts, explains the necessity of repentance. As parents, or grandparents, our goal should be to gently help our children or grandchildren to understand what repentance looks like, and why it is desirable.
Having a “see I told you so” attitude, while very tempting, generally doesn’t lead a child toward repentance. Repentance involves a bending of our will towards God’s will. God never forces us. As parents we are often tempted to force our children to our will. This may seem to work for some children, yet this adage is true for adults and children, “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” Our goal in training children is not a compliant child. Our goal is a child with a heart that delights in God and obeying Him.
Some parenting techniques may result in a very well behaved young child. However, our goal should not focus entirely on the moment, but should also consider the long term. When I think in terms of raising a well adjusted thirty something adult, my interactions with my child may be significantly impacted. The methods of achieving my goal require a longer commitment. Sometimes having a long-term view can result in momentary embarrassment, especially in a public setting where there are people who may judge my child or me unsatisfactorily. My goal is not to please the public audience around me. My goal is not personal pride in a ‘well-behaved’ little child. My goal is raising a human being with a deep knowledge of His Creator, an understanding of their own propensity towards their own direction, and a humble submission to seeking God and His way.
Parenting with these goals is not an easy task. The other problem I face is that I am also a sinner. I naturally desire my own way. I easily fall prey to pride and judgment. It’s hard for me to see my sin or my pride. I am a sinner, raising little sinners. In my parenting journey I also need to repent. I need to get off my train toward my own perceived destination for my children, and myself and get on the train that takes me towards God’s outcome. How do I do this? Parenting requires a daily surrender and a daily seeking of wisdom from God, through His Word, and laying down my own ways. Parenting is trusting God in the way we desire our children would trust and respond to us. Parenting is modeling for our children what trusting God looks like.
Acknowledging that I will never be a perfect parent and my children will never be perfectly obedient takes a huge weight off of my shoulders. Trying to force perfection on our children or ourselves is a source of extreme stress.
Jesus wants so much more for us. He wants to refresh us with His presence. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19
No routine medical procedures – even vaccines – should be performed on baby until breastfeeding is well established (minimum of 8 weeks). All procedures have the potential to interfere with the establishment of breastfeeding and impede the bonding process. Some routine procedures used in most hospitals: prophylactic antibiotic ointment on babies’ eyes (to protect from potential infection if the mother is infected with chlamydia or gonorrhoea)[1], injection of 