Why I Question Everything

magnifying glassOnce I was an undercover non vaccine giver. That is, when my children were born I was non-compliant with the standard recommendations for that time by my doctor, the CDC, and society at large. As a strong follower of Jesus Christ I wonder at my determined rebellion in this regard. Two other factors make this strong bold stance even more unusual.

Firstly, my father was a career employee of the CDC and spent his life researching, understanding and developing ways to work with viruses. He was part of the emerging science of virology in its earliest days, having started at the CDC in about 1965. He was a fantastic man. He feared and honored God and it was his recommendation to me personally that while there might be a very small chance of a vaccine injury to the individual child, the overall benefit to public health made the vaccination program worth that small risk. We had many non-heated debates over the years and he respected my opinions and my choices. We would share papers with each other that supported our respective viewpoints. This was before the internet when access to information was much more difficult. Mothering Magazine with its very well referenced articles was a lifeline.

My father passed away in 2003 at the age of 68, suddenly and unexpectedly while enjoying great health. I have so many questions I would love to discuss with him now. I think if he evaluated all the current scientific information, he would be forced to conclude that the position he held earlier had been wrong and that he had been misled and misdirected. If he were able to read the transcripts of the Simpsonwood Conference 2000  where the most significant role-players from all government agencies along with pharmaceutical vaccine manufacturers’ representatives met to discuss the problems they were having with their data, I feel certain he would be alerted to ask a lot harder questions than those attending the meeting asked. I feel confident that had he been aware of the discussions at that important meeting where they all agreed “there is a strong signal between thimerosal vaccines and autism,” but the main thing we must do is figure out how to save our vaccine program and not let the public lose confidence in our recommendations, he would surely have been alarmed at their questionable plan to “massage the data” so it would deliver a different conclusion.

The second fact that seems odd in my determined rebellion against established authority in the choices I made regarding vaccinating my children, is the fact that I had become a wholehearted 100% surrendered follower of Jesus Christ. Now, rebellion would have been my normal mode in my late teens because at that stage I was wholeheartedly rebelling against most of the wise advice I had been blessed with throughout my childhood. But God, in His grace and mercy, did not leave me in my rebelliousness which resulted in self destructive actions and heartache. He rescued me and allowed me to see that the only way I would find happiness and fulfillment in my life was to understand the Creator’s design, and seek to live in harmony with Him. He revealed Jesus to me and I began my genuine relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In every single area of my life I seek the wisdom and counsel of Jesus. I’m not saying I am perfect, but having once been deceived into thinking right was wrong and wrong was right, I now question everything with vehemence. Married to a marvelous man, expecting our first child, I basked in the fullness of God’s grace and sought to seek His wisdom in every single decision I made. I read about the benefits of a natural whole foods diet, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, etc. and sought to implement every truth I discovered into my life. I was hungry for Jesus and I was hungry for His truth.  While studying the values of breastfeeding based on the knowledge and understanding available in 1982, I was astounded by the immunological aspects of breast milk – all part of our Creator’s magnificent design.

This caused me to question and ultimately reject the idea of injecting toxic ingredients into my baby who was designed to receive all the protection he needed from my breast milk. I didn’t throw out the idea of vaccines altogether, but I firmly decided they had no business being injected into my precious exclusively breastfed infant.  From that choice I continued to research and read everything I could find based on true science, not just opinion pieces, on the risk of various diseases and the risk/benefit ratio of injecting toxic ingredients into my children with the idea of ‘protecting them from something terrible.’

I was not outspoken beyond my family about my choices.  It was a time where very few people had enough confidence to speak out against vaccinations.

In 1986 the US government passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act because they had concluded that vaccines were unavoidably unsafe and they wanted to find a way to compensate families that experienced vaccine injury without endangering the vaccine program. The vaccine manufacturers had threatened to stop making vaccines because all the claims for injury were negatively impacting their profit margins. The US gov considered vaccines essential, thus establishing this protection against liability for the corporations.

Recomended Vaccines 83-2015Since 1986 the vaccine manufacturers have had to face zero liability for the products they make – no matter the cost to human life through death or suffering. Vaccine manufacturers have been shielded from any harm their products might cause for nearly 30 years. There is no other product in the US market that is protected from all liability. This action has also caused the most amazing surge in development of more vaccines and more players getting into the game – they have a free pass!  NO LIABILITY. Why not? In the last thirty years the childhood vaccine schedule has tripled. Most parents today have no idea of this increase.  They think – I got shots, my baby will get shots.  They have no idea how many more toxic ingredients their baby is going to be exposed to.

The result is that to date you can read the data on payouts for vaccine injuries which amount to over $3.1 Billion dollars.[1]  Some of this money has gone to families. Much to lawyers, as the system that was intended to be a simple way for injured families to get redress, has turned into a complicated machine requiring amazing resolve and years before you ever get an admission of injury and compensation. There are many interesting facts associated with this system. One is that only about 25% of claims are given monetary payouts. So 75% of parents whose child has died or been severely injured through vaccines – so much so that they are willing to spend years trying to prove it – are turned away because they are thought to be ‘frauds’?[2]

Another interesting fact is that 90% of the vaccine injuries are never reported and no claim is filed. There are many reasons proposed for this sad fact. One is that most families have no idea of the existence of such a claim mechanism and often find out after the 2 year cut-off time. Another reason is doctors will routinely disregard obvious vaccine injury.  They have been trained and taught that vaccine injury does not exist, so they cannot see it when it is right in front of them.  It often takes parents years to realize that the strange onset of illness immediately following their child’s shots were actually a reaction to the shots.

Vaccines are unavoidably unsafe, acknowledged by the US Supreme Court, yet most doctors continue to maintain that not vaccinating your child is one of the most dangerous things you could do. I wonder about this. I ended up having to give some vaccines to some of my children mainly because we moved from one country to another and there was a vaccine requirement to get in. My two boys were much older, so I didn’t feel too awful about giving just a few vaccines, but knowing what I know now, I would never give any baby any. It is amazing how strongly parents can be pressured into giving vaccines. Fear is usually the main motivating factor.

I have mothered five children over 31 years.  We have experienced chicken pox, mumps, whooping cough and rotavirus among the usual childhood illnesses of coughs and colds, etc. All of my children were breastfed exclusively for six months and continued breastfeeding until at least the age of two. None of these illnesses were life threatening. As I have read numerous accounts of children who have significant brain dysfunction and illness as a result of vaccine injury, I decided I can no longer be an Undercover Vaccine Refuser. My desire is to encourage and completely support parents who choose health through respect for their design rather than relying on some sort of false sense of health through a toxic vaccine injection. There are currently thousands of families who are learning how to heal autism and other vaccine injuries through understanding the damage that has been caused and using a bio-medical approach to healing. Healing is possible, but avoiding injury is even better.

It is tragic that more doctors won’t take the time to dig deeply into the science to find the truth. There is a huge industry providing vaccines.  The Department of Health and Human Services is itself a patent holder of some vaccines!  Those who benefit and prosper from the distribution of vaccines hold on to their viewpoint at the cost of children’s health. This is such a huge system, it has been in place for so long, and there are so many whose livelihood is directly tied to the maintenance of the current system, that very few are willing to take a risk and re-think the impact of vaccines on health and our understanding of the immune system.

It’s time for parents to think and learn for themselves.  We have to help and support parents to make wise decisions for their family.  Don’t trust everything you are told.  Ask a lot of questions.

How are you making sure your journey leads to health?

Author: 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.

[1] Official US Government website on National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program – HRSA

[2] Video explaining NVICP by the Canary Party

Chocolate Breakfast Salad

IMG_1118

This is not what I would have considered a great breakfast a few years ago, but it truly is a fantastic way to start the day.  You can make this recipe and share half with someone, or put half in a container for your breakfast tomorrow. Or, if you have a hectic day ahead, you can eat the whole bowl yourself! Like my mentor, Lee Haney says, eat for what you are going to do, not for what you have done.

  • 2 Tbl chia seeds
  • 1 Tbl goji  berries

Add a little spring water to cover.  The seeds will absorb the water and become more gelatinous while you add the other ingredients.

  • 2 Tbl hemp hearts/seeds
  • 1 Tbl Maca powder
  • 1 Tbl cacao powder
  • 1 Tbl cacao nibs
  • ±1/3 – 1 cup kefir
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery
  • 2 Tbl coconut
  • honey
  • coconut oil
  • fresh ginger, chopped

That is the basic, then add any or all of the following that you happen to have on hand, as much organic as possible. I keep a basket in the pantry with my “superfood” breakfast ingredients to make it easy. Then I have “spice cupboard” additions, refrigerator additions and freezer additions.

  • ±1 Tbl frozen blueberries
  • ½ frozen bananas, chopped small
  • sunflower seeds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • pecans, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, preferably soaked and chopped
  • twist of Himalayan crystal salt
  • cinnamon
  • cayenne pepper
  • fresh turmeric chopped
  • fresh jalapeños chopped
  • cilantro chopped
  • cucumber chopped
  • apple chopped
  • pineapple chopped
  • fresh lemon with some of the rind, no seeds
  • any other dried or fresh fruit you have

I have given measurements as a guideline, but you can vary the quantities according to your taste, or leave some out. If it seems too dry, add more kefir or water. Use whatever you have and whatever you like from the list. There is a lot of room for variety. Use any nuts, seeds, fruits you have available.  I also purposely limit the amount of fruit and LOVE having the celery for the crunch, goodness and detox benefits!

This is fast, easy, delicious and nutritious! I usually make 6 or 7 x 200 g servings. I put them in individual containers in the refrigerator and have a wonderful fast food breakfast for a couple of days!

So far my husband, 2 sons, one daughter-in-law and a few special friends have enjoyed my specialty breakfast. The rest of the family isn’t quite so adventurous!

Becky Isaac 11 monthsAuthor: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Facing a world quite different from the one in which I grew up, I seek to research and understand the true route to health, freedom and joyful family living.

 

Detox or Not?

Orange flowerDetoxing is a particularly popular word these days.  Seems like everybody is bouncing it around.  And every second person I talk to about health these days seems to mention having trouble with their thyroid.  Co-incidence?

I’m still learning, but I’ve been acquiring some great information and decided I needed to share it.

I was privileged to catch some of Underground Wellness’ Thyroid Sessions.  There were many talks that stand out for me, but I particularly enjoyed one by Wendy Myers CHHC.  (Nutritional Balancing Program. Her website: www.liveto110.com and she has a Youtube cooking show called Modern Paleo Cooking.  Her doctor mentor who supervises the program is drlwilson.com).
Her talk put together a lot of information I’ve bumped up against in the past, but found myself having many ‘Aha!’ moments as I finally began fitting together the many pieces that contribute to overall health and wellbeing.
Here are some of the highlights I gleaned from her talk – with a few of my own additions:
  1. One interesting fact: The mineral that most of her clients in Texas test toxic for is Manganese.  It is not something that is tested for in municipal water tests anywhere, but could be in water.  Toxic levels of manganese can lead to aggressive behavior and other personality disorders.  In at least one study that was done, most, if not all, prisoners tested toxic for manganese!
  2. Summary of her content:  most of us are depleted in minerals and are not getting the minerals we need for healthy functioning.  The thyroid is particularly sensitive to appropriate minerals, and thyroid health can impact health in every area of the body.  Not only do we not have the minerals we need for health, we are also bombarded with heavy metals, halogens and chemicals from the time we are in utero and every single day.  So we need to be conscious of our ongoing strategy for life-long detox and reducing toxic exposure.
  3. Infa red saunas were briefly mentioned as one effective detox strategy for chemical exposure.  Note to self: investigate infa red saunas.
  4. Toxic Exposure Today:  We are regularly exposed to between 80,000 – 100,000 different chemical in our environment!  This is primarily from the advent of the chemical age starting in the 30s and 40s.  Chemicals in the form of drugs (vaccines, prescription and OTC), cleaning products, air fresheners and other scented products, toiletries and cosmetics, industrial waste in air and water, pesticides and herbicides on food, hormone disrupters in plastics, receipts, and meats, heavy metals in fish, amalgam fillings, etc.  The cumulative impact of this sort of chemical exposure has not really been tested.  Chemical pesticide use has increased over 1000% in the last 30 years!  Just since my first child was born!  Babies are born with toxic chemicals/metals already in their body (study done by Environmental Working Group of cord blood)!  
So all this just supports my conclusions – we need to eat clean, drink lots of clean water, implement de-stressing daily, pray and know that God has a plan!  I think any anxiety that we feel about the current state of health and wellness can be used as a way to reach out and minister to others.  People who find out all this stuff tend to get overwhelmed, but as Christians, we can support them and help point them to the Savior who desires to rescue them in this world and forever!
One of my core values that I came up with last month was reinforced by this information:  
I have hope that Jesus designed our bodies for health and
He can heal and protect us from illness
as we discern truth about our design,
stop toxic exposure, and
remove stored toxins.

We all need to implement an ongoing passive detoxing lifestyle. Some proponents of a vigorous detox program could unwittingly cause you to detox too quickly and free heavy metals and other toxins that end up causing more harm than good.

If you are keen to get all the details you ever wanted and more about how to stay healthy and why we are so sick, watch this video by my favorite chiropractor, thought leader and teacher, Dr John Bergman.

How do you detox? How aware are you of the toxic choices impacting your health?
Previous blogs with thoughts about detox:

For Parents

bonding w baby

Being a parent is a big responsibility. Our precious baby totally depends on us to make every important decision.

I want you to know right up front I have nothing to gain from any decision you make for your baby.  I just love healthy children.

I love seeing my children enjoy great health and even though they are now 31, 28, 24, 20 and 13, I don’t even like them to get a cold or anything that slows them down even for a half a day!

I love seeing my grandchildren robustly healthy, loving healthy food and thriving in their brain, body and soul.

I volunteer with children and love to see healthy robust children brimming with life and curiosity.  They are so precious and I love their energy.

Babies now receive more vaccines than ever in history and the USA recommends more shots than any other country.  Yet our children are not healthier and the US infant death rate is not something to be proud of. Why?

When I see a child struggling my heart aches.  Vaccine damage is real and many families have learned the hard way.  Sometimes vaccine damage can be seen in the eyes of a child, as Dr. Andrew Moulden documented extensively.  Just as a stroke victim often has parts of their face or eye movement impaired because of the damage caused by the stroke, so a child injured by vaccines often has a ‘pull’ in one of their eyes.  You can go back and look at baby pictures and often identify when it happened. Vaccines have heavy metals added to them, sometimes as preservatives and sometimes to actually make a bigger impact on the body.  However, these heavy metals can cause damage to the brain and interfere with the normal function of the immune system.

A common complication of vaccines is repeated ear infections and much higher levels of sickness in the first two years.  It seems the children just catch everything.  I hate to see children suffering unnecessarily.  Life is too short to spend a lot of time in doctors offices or hospitals.  Life is too short to watch your child develop a chronic illness from being injected with ingredients hostile to their body while their immune system tries to respond the best way it knows how.

I respect the fact that God made our bodies good.  He designed them with an immune system that can handle anything.  The vaccine ‘scientists’ think they have improved upon God’s design and will give you ‘protection’ from childhood illnesses.  I would rather trust in God than in the vaccine scientists. While some of the scientists researching vaccines may claim to be followers of Jesus Christ,  the originators of vaccines mostly denied God and sought to circumvent the body’s defense mechanisms. They believed the body was deficient and that their concoctions would provide benefits.  All vaccine science has been built on a faulty foundation.  When we leave God out of our scientific thought, we can become hopelessly confused.  Paul talks about this in his writing.

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against Him. Eph 4:17-18

A scientist who denies God is hopelessly confused. That confusion leads to more confusion.  In the case of vaccine science it also leads to a lot of suffering.  The US government acknowledges this suffering.  They set up the vaccine court because they admitted that vaccines were unavoidably unsafe. Nearly $3 Billion has been paid out towards those who have been injured or killed as a result of recieving vaccines.  This is only the tip of the iceberg since only 25% of claims filed with the NVICP are paid out (many are refused on technicalities after years of waiting) and only about 10% of people who experience injury even bother to file.  Using these numbers, it could be extrapolated that the damage from vaccines runs over $100 Billion.

Many thousands of families are suffering with serious debilitating health challenges due to receiving the recommended vaccines.  They have been forced to re-think and dig deep to discover the scientific basis of the shots given to children.  Many are doctors and other professionals.  They feel betrayed and want to warn others.  They aren’t crazy as the media and vaccine promoters would like to make them out to be.  They are extremely caring people. They are willing to take all the insults and abuse the well organized vaccine promoters try to overwhelm them with and they continue – because they want others to avoid the pain and suffering they have experienced.

Who would you rather believe?  A drug representative, a doctor, or company whose livelihood depends on the ongoing vaccination program? Or a parent of a vaccine injured child whose only benefit they gain is the satisfaction of knowing they have helped educate and prevent a potential injury?

Even if you aren’t convinced, give the parents of vaccine injured children a chance to share what they have learned through painstaking research.  Here is one I admire a lot.

 

Amazingly Healthy Brownies!

IMG_1115I’ve been wanting to make a recipe like this FOREVER! I’ve read a lot of different recipes, debated the ingredient list in my mind, stalled out and done nothing!

Finally, motivated by the fact that it was Mother’s Day and I could splurge in a healthy way, I dived in.

My daughter had shown me a similar recipe a couple of weeks ago by a British healthy foodie, but her recipe called for 2 cups of coconut sugar. Firstly, I have no coconut sugar on hand. Secondly, that is WAY TOO MUCH for me to feel good about using.

I asked my daughter to read me the list of ingredients used by healthy foodie for her avocado chocolate brownies, and I modified it radically to fit into my ideals for health indulgence. Before I give you the recipe I want to encourage you to make this well in advance of the time you would like to eat it.  I wanted to eat it right away, but the texture and experience was about a 3 out of 10. However, after it spent the night in the refrigerator, it is a 9 out of 10.  So be warned, it looks good and you will want to eat it immediately, but you will be rewarded by WAITING! You also might want to hide it from other family members who don’t have as much self-control as you!

Avocado Coconut Oil Brownies 

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup or so coconut oil (it was very soft because the inside temperature was warmish)
  • 6 blended dates
  • 1 cup or so of honey (I think it was a bit less, but I don’t measure because I don’t want to waste the ingredients!)
  • a couple of turns of Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ cup almond flour (approximately)
  • 1 cup cacao powder (again, approximate! If you add it 1/4 cup at a time you can see the desired darkness you like)
  • ¾ avocado mashed (that was all I had on hand. Feel free to use more!)
  • ¾ cup whole pecans (add after well mixed)

I whisked it together in a bowl until it was well blended, then put it into a glass baking dish and baked it at 350 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and then put into the refrigerator (or freezer if you want a faster result). Wait until cold for the best results!

While these are probably the best brownies you can make – the coconut oil, avocado, eggs, and nuts are all good for you – they should be still considered a treat because of the potential of raising the blood sugar!  However, I confess I did have them (and nothing else) for supper on Mother’s Day and for lunch the following day!

Please fee free to modify as you desire, and please, let me know your results!

Settling Disagreements

Locking HornsLocking horns. It can happen often. Two strong personalities with strong ideas are bound to disagree. Add more strong personalities to the mix and it is a real tangle!

I am refreshed daily when I reflect on the ancient writings of Paul, an ardent follower of Jesus.  He had a simple message, a focussed life and wrote letters to encourage and instruct.  You might not be a follower of Jesus, but you can still receive timeless wisdom from this remarkable ancient writer.  He has a helpful recipe for settling disagreements that I have found incredibly helpful during 33 years of marriage and raising five children into adulthood.

  1. Realize selfishness and pride could be operating in you.  Examine yourself thoroughly.  Most of us would prefer to skip this step. I know I would.
  2. Ask what are my neighbors interests? Truly seek to understand where they are coming from.
  3. What might God want to accomplish in this? In the heat of our emotion, it is hard to see that there might be a larger purpose to our current disagreement. Jesus was 100% right, but He did not hold on to his position. He willingly allowed the bad guys to get the upper hand. We need to seek God’s outcome, not our own.
  4. Allow God’s Spirit to energize you.  He will give you the desire to do the right thing!
  5. BTW, do everything (these steps, and everything else) without: complaining, bickering, and name-calling. This requires self-control. If you feel you are losing self-control, walk away until you can regain it!
  6. Cling to words that bring life.  Find them, share them, repeat them to yourself. Most of use have negative tapes playing in our head. We need a new mind-set to help us rise above our disagreements.

These insights are gleaned from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, which you can read from The Voice below.

Do Paul’s words help you when you think of the ways you usually lock horns?

2 If you find any comfort from being in the Anointed, if His love brings you some encouragement, if you experience true companionship with the Spirit, if His tenderness and mercy fill your heart; then, brothers and sisters, 2 here is one thing that wouldcomplete my joy—come together as one in mind and spirit and purpose, sharing in the same love. 3 Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas take over. Embrace true humility, and lift your heads to extend love to others. 4 Get beyond yourselves and protecting your own interests; be sincere, and secure your neighbors’ interests first.

In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember:

6 Though He was in the form of God,
He chose not to cling to equality with God;
7 But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new;
a servant in form
and a man indeed.
The very likeness of humanity,
8 He humbled Himself,
obedient to death—
a merciless death on the cross!
9 So God raised Him up to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all.
10 So when His name is called,
every knee will bow,[a]
in heaven, on earth, and below.
11 And every tongue will confess[b]
“Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”
to the glory of God our Father!

12 So now, my beloved, obey as you have always done, not only when I am with you, but even more so when I can’t be. Continue to work out your salvation, with great fear and trembling, 13 because God is energizing you so that you will desire and do what always pleases Him.

14 Do all things without complaining or bickering with each other, 15 so you will be found innocent and blameless; you are God’s children called to live without a single stain on your reputations among this perverted and crooked generation. Shine like stars across the land. 16 Cling to the word of life so that on the day of judgment when the Anointed One returns I may have reason to rejoice, because it will be plain that I didn’t turn from His mission nor did I work in vain. 17 Even if my lifeblood is to be poured out like wine as a sacrifice of your faith, I have great reason to celebrate with all of you. 18 And for the same reason, you can be glad and celebrate with me.

Recipe for Peace

PeaceBiblical wisdom might help you, even if you aren’t a follower of Jesus or don’t believe the Bible. Paul spent years traveling and teaching people how to live out Jesus’ words. In his letter to a group of people, he shares some key points for helping people live in peace with themselves and each other.  I think they are still helpful today.

  1. Settle disagreements. Don’t let things accumulate. It is normal to disagree – even with people you love, or are working hard together to accomplish the same goals. Bearing in mind that there are at least three points of view involved: yours, the other party’s and the whole truth.  The whole truth comes from “the Master in heaven who doesn’t take sides or pick favorites” (Ephesians 6:9).
  2. Help others settle disagreements – don’t take sides. Help them to see what is motivating them and what is motivating the other party.
  3. Choose joy.  Find the joy. Don’t let  a disagreement or negativity weigh you down.
  4. Be gentle and considerate of others. They have a lot of background stuff – just like you do.
  5. Don’t worry about anything; pray. Tell God specifically what you need. Don’t ruminate or dwell on what you don’t have, negative aspects of the situation, or what bad things might happen, just pray possible solutions.
  6. Thank God for all He has done. Make a list of anything and everything remotely good in your life. Review and add to your list. All good gifts come from God.
  7. Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Look hard to find these thoughts. Making this a continuous habit takes some effort, but pays off.

Reviewing this list helps to re-set my heart and mind in the midst of any struggle I might be having – either with myself or with another person.  I thank God for the wisdom Paul shared which continues to live on through the pages of a book that so many of us take for granted!

Here is the source for my outline in a version you might not have encountered.  Please let me know what you think! How has following, or not following, these guidelines impacted the peace in your heart or home?

2 Euodia and Syntyche, I urge you to put aside your differences, agree, and work together in the Lord. 3 Yes, Syzygus, loyal friend, I enlist you to please help these women. They, along with brother Clement and many others, have worked by my side to spread the good news of the gospel. They have their names recorded in the book of life.

Most of all, friends, always rejoice in the Lord! I never tire of saying it: Rejoice!5 Keep your gentle nature so that all people will know what it looks like to walk in His footsteps. The Lord is ever present with us. 6 Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. 7 And know that the peace of God (a peacethat is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy. 9 Keep to the script: whatever you learned and received and heard and saw in me—do it—and the God of peace will walk with you. Paul, Philippians 4, The Voice