Daily Archives: October 8, 2014

Water Anyone?

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drinking waterIt has been said,

Lose your heatlh

I’m quite an avid health seeker, as those who know me best will attest – sometimes a little bit overboard and too enthusiastic.

I have written a lot about various ways to boost and enhance our health, but one of the simplest things we can do is often overlooked – because it is just so simple.

WATER

We all need good clean water. One of the best times to drink that good clean water is FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. I was reminded of this just yesterday when I read some research showing how many different illnesses can be positively impacted – just by drinking water first thing in the morning, and waiting 45 minutes before having breakfast.

SIMPLE

How many do it? For those who have yet to make it a daily ritual – why haven’t you?

I could write a whole other blog about water, how I personally collect my own spring water, and other important aspects of drinking water, but I was struck by a spiritual correlation.

Just like our body needs pure clean water to thrive, and getting it first thing in the morning is ESPECIALLY beneficial, so our hearts and minds need the PURE CLEAN spiritual water we find in Jesus, usually through HIS WORD, the Bible. AND it is especially beneficial to have access FIRST thing in the morning.

If you are new to a faith journey I challenge you to prioritize time – you can decide how long – but prioritize time FIRST thing in the morning to focus on reading the Bible and getting your refreshing LIVING WATER through Jesus. One way might be to read one chapter from one of the Gospels and every day read the next chapter. There are other ways, but the important thing is to start.

This morning I was refreshed for hours through this one verse Paul included in his letter to the Romans (4:17):

As it is written: ‘I have made you [Abraham] a father of many nations.’ He [Abraham] is our father, in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

We all know about Abraham, but the only reason we know about him is because God kept His promise to Him – God built nations of people through Abraham. Not because Abraham was so obedient – but because he demonstrated FAITH. He BELIEVED God.

But right now, God also sees me and He knows exactly what He can accomplish through me – and it is not the same as my current reality. “God calls things that are not as though they were.” I wonder what things God can call to be in my life?

What are the dreams that He has put in my heart? What dreams are in your heart? What are the longings or desires that ARE IMPOSSIBLE for us to accomplish on our own, but that God can easily accomplish – because He is the God who gives life to the dead!

Starting every single day with a dip into the living water will re-set your mind and your heart. Jesus said a lot about the importance of our hearts – these statements are all found in different chapters in Matthew:

“Whatever is in your heart determines what you will say.”

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”

“You are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Are you depressed? Downtrodden? Discouraged? Stuck? How are the words that you are speaking (even inside your own head) keeping you in that state?

“You are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

We need our hearts re-filled and re-charged EVERY SINGLE DAY – and especially first thing in the morning, so that our mouths can be filled with FAITH FILLED WORDS ALL DAY LONG.

What does God desire to accomplish through me and you? He has made it very clear in His word – that is another reason we need to keep reading it!

Light image croppedFor one thing we know for sure He wants to use us to represent Him as a fragrance of beauty wherever we go. We are to share our knowledge of God and of Jesus. He wants us to be salt and light. We need to repent of our own sinful tendencies and share the Good News of the forgiveness of sins with others. We are to love and forgive others – even when it is hard. We won’t ever be perfect. It is only His power in us that can do any of this!

We all have the same problem and it requires the same solution!

We need to recognize that we are sinners and we are not able to accomplish our own salvation. We need to repent, turn to God, and believe that through Jesus we can be made right and given a right relationship with Him!

Like Abraham, we “believe in God who brings the dead back to life and creates new things out of nothing!” What new things might God create in YOUR LIFE?

Day 20 of Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

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

Where are the WARNINGS?

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needleEvery person in the USA is completely acclimatized to hearing and seeing marketing of all sorts of drugs on TV directly targeting consumers – AND very frequently! It has become so commonplace that most teens and twenty somethings think it is just the way life is. It probably doesn’t occur to most of those exposed to this continuous outpouring of pharmaceutical marketing (known as DTC – direct to consumer), that there is ONLY ONE OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHERE THIS IS LEGAL.

That being said, what about all those dire warnings? How can people hear them and still want the drugs? Don’t they take the warnings seriously?

Maybe hearing the warnings over and over again desensitizes people to the seriousness of the warnings?

Imagine if there were advertisements for vaccines which included ALL the warnings at the end? It might read something like this, (with information based on the vaccine inserts supplied by manufacturer of the DtaP vaccine), this is the disclaimer:

This product is not suitable for anyone who:

  • has had a prior adverse reaction to the DTaP vaccine, or other similar vaccines;
  • has had an encephalopathy within 7 days of a previously administered similar vaccine;
  • has a progressive neurologic disorder.

Additionally, the aluminum adjuvant in the vaccine, used to stimulate the immune system, may

  • leave a hard lump at the injection site, which may be hot to the touch – this will typically dissipate in a few days, but
  • has been known to affect muscle pain and chronic fatigue, and, though rare,
  • may trigger development of autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis (Multiple Sclerosis i.e. MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease);

Consult with your doctor at the first sign of any such reaction.

  • The vaccine recipient may also experience an involuntary, extended, bone-chilling cry for several hours sometime within the twenty-four hours following injection, often repeated over the following few days, which indicates brain inflammation, and may be followed by a lengthy period of regression – consult with your doctor.
  • The DTaP may cause a bulging fontanelle in infants – this typically subsides after a few days, but may indicate brain damage; be alert for unusual behaviors, and call your doctor should you detect any.
  • In infants, there are reports of associated SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) with the vaccine; do not place your infant face down until sixty days following the last of the three scheduled DTaP shots.
  • And, you may experience any combination of the following reported reactions, some of which may require hospitalization:
  • Hey!abdominal pain;
  • anaphylactic shock;
  • apnea;
  • autism;
  • bacterial/viral infections;
  • convulsions;
  • disintegrative disorder;
  • coma;
  • abnormal EEG;
  • blood disorders;
  • diabetes;
  • eye movement disorder;
  • fever > 105 degree F;
  • hearing loss;
  • trouble walking;
  • narcolepsy;
  • pain, swelling and redness at injection site;
  • paralysis;
  • pneumonia;
  • impairment of psychomotor skills;
  • screaming; and
  • speech disorders.

This vaccine has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility, and there are currently 8150 reported associated deaths. It has not been tested or approved for use in pregnant women.

Additionally, each 0.5-mL does of this vaccine is known to contain

  • aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant (not more than 0.625 mg
  • aluminum by assay) and 4.5 mg of sodium chloride.
  • Each dose also contains ≤100 mcg of residual formaldehyde and
  • ≤100 mcg of polysorbate 80 (Tween 80).

The above disclaimer is based on the information provided in the manufacturers’ own inserts.

It really is important to be FULLY AWARE of EVERYTHING in a vaccine given to your child and of EVERY contraindication (i.e. reasons for which the vaccine manufacturers recommend NOT giving the vaccine). We all expect our doctors or nurses to know this information, but it is simply TOO much information and the responsibility for any possible vaccine injury will be completely ours.

You can find all the vaccine inserts for every single shot you are thinking about giving to your baby, your child or yourself. Please inform yourself of what are the possible outcomes.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not very comfortable absorbing eating or injecting aluminum hydroxide, sodium chloride, formaldehyde and polysorbate 80 – even in minute quantities. It just can’t be good.

Our #1 role is to protect our children. In order to do that, we need to be fully informed.

We need to know the warnings.

30 ways in 30 Days, Exploring Vaccines: Day 21