Parenting 101: Raising Little Sinners

watching-the-sun-set-croppedIs 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

When Did Jesus Get Angry?

Angry toddler 2Jesus was furious. A man with a deformed hand needed help and healing, yet all the powerful people in positions of authority were more concerned about trapping Jesus and enhancing their own reputations, than they were about helping one man in need. Jesus, looking around in anger was grieved at the hardness of their hearts. (Mark 3:1-5)

Jesus was angry because the Jewish leaders were more concerned about their rules, their system, their reputation, their control, and their personal wealth, than they were about helping people receive healing.

InvestmentTheir system gave them prestige, power, authority, and wealth. Jesus, God in human form, was standing right in front of them, but they couldn’t even recognize Him. They demonstrated more concern for preserving their prestige than discovering the TRUTH.

A true encounter with Jesus will challenge our basic assumptions to the core. Letting go of a strongly held belief system can be a fearful experience. Coming to Jesus from a position of pain or weakness, like the man with the deformed hand, was much easier. What did he have to lose? He was already an outcast.

But the Pharisees were blinded by their position and wanted to hold on to the power and authority they thought they possessed. They didn’t realize they were in bondage. By holding on, they were harming themselves and perpetuating harm and injustice on others. That made Jesus furious.

Am I holding on to something that is preventing me from receiving something Jesus wants to give me? Am I holding on to something that could be a stumbling block or even causing harm to others?

These are difficult questions, but are imperative for those of us who are following truth and seeking to live a fully examined life before our Creator.

Here are a few more uncomfortable questions:

Does my business or my employer:

  • serve or produce poison or toxins in any way, shape, or form?
  • truly help people toward longterm health and wellbeing?
  • hide information that may damage their reputation or bottom line?
  • make money through the harm they cause to others?

Imagine how our world could change if all the “good” people resigned from working for “bad” companies. Imagine if we were all able to live completely ethically, relying on Jesus to guide and provide. A high ideal, but I like to imagine…

DSC_0062

 

Author: Becky Hastings, writer, speaker, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and Truth.

I’d love to dialogue with you on what makes you angry.

God’s Work in Me

Band conductorThese aren’t new thoughts. Just regurgitated thoughts God gave me on the process He takes us through. God is transforming us to become more like Himself.

But He doesn’t do it in a vacuum.

He doesn’t do it while I immerse myself in popular culture and social media.

How does God, through Jesus Christ, bring transformation to my life?

“And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, one degree of glory at a time. For it comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3: 18

He transforms us as we gaze and behold His image. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to learn how God views me, how much He loves me, and what He has planned for me. I eagerly and hungrily spend time contemplating Him and His perfection. I grow in understanding who He is and what He is like through His work in history, His work in Creation, His work in people, and His recorded Word.

We can’t improve ourselves. We gaze on Him, the author of our life, the Creator of everything and everyone around us, and His transforming power works on us, one degree at a time. Progressively.

Thank you Lord for removing the veil. Thank you for opening the access portal through Jesus. Thank you for opening my eyes to see the work You desire to do in the world today. Thank you for your ongoing transforming power through the Spirit who is at work today. Thank you that you have won the victory and I am invited to be in your victory procession.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always lead us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere… Who is sufficient for such things?” 2 Corinthians 2:14

Thanksgiving 2015Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, writer, and speaker, is passionate about health, Jesus, and joy. Becky blogs at https://journeyboost.com and shares health information on her Facebook page.

Please like Journeyboost.com on Facebook!

Can Vaccines Ever Cause Harm?

IMG_1723Because we hear “vaccines are safe and effective and everyone needs to give them to every baby so they will be safe and so everyone will be safe” so often and in such a variety of ways, it is possible for many to believe that vaccines never cause harm. Some doctors even reassure their patients that there are virtually no risks from vaccines.

However, manufacturers’ own documents reveal a different reality.

For instance, the Infanrix Hexa is a 6-in-1 vaccination, which combines Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular Pertussis, Hepatitis B, enhanced Inactivated Poliomyelitis and Haemophilus influenza type B (HIB B) vaccines is used in 92 countries worldwide and has a long list of adverse events that have been known, yet hidden from the public.

Christina England, a vaccine truth researcher, explains the discovery of confidential documents from GlaxoSmithKline which detail 1,742 adverse events. “The list was so long, it required a full twenty pages. Here are some of the adverse events detailed on charts between pages 11 and 31 of their document:

  • 106 cases of cyanosis
  • 69 cases of loss of consciousness
  • 165 cases of hypotonia
  • 102 cases of hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes
  • 107 cases of convulsions
  • 20 cases of epilepsy
  • 98 cases of febrile convulsions
  • 33 cases of grand mal convulsions
  • 47 apnea attacks
  • 108 cases of vomiting
  • 43 cases of Gaze Palsy
  • 12 cases of anemia
  • 1 case of bone marrow failure
  • 6 cases of cardiac arrests
  • 53 cases of diarrhea
  • 593 cases of pyrexia (high temperature)
  • 22 cases of gait disturbance
  • 6 cases of anaphylaxis
  • 62 cases of pertussis (whooping cough)
  • 2 cases of meningitis pneumococcal
  • 3 cases of arthritis
  • 16 cases of muscle twitching
  • 22 cases of tremors
  • 264 cases of crying (does not indicate the severity)
  • 2 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome
  • 10 cases of respiratory arrest
  • 7 cases of Kawasaki’s disease

All of these adverse events occurred after the child received the Infanrix Hexa vaccination, some just hours after being vaccinated. I am sure you will agree that these documented facts make extremely uncomfortable reading.”[1]

Additionally it was found that for 68 cases the vaccine did not even work to cause antibody production. There is A LOT more detail in the Vaxtruth blog posted in 2012!!! Please check it out.[1] I just wanted to highlight enough to convince anyone that there is a problem. Daily we see comments in the media, in our circle of friends or even from doctors that imply vaccines are safe. Parents deserve to know all the facts. That is what informed consent means.

You can read the confidential GlaxoSmithKline document for yourself: The authorities KNOW of the adverse events. They have known for many years. For some hard to understand reason, they continue to think that these deaths and injuries are an acceptable form of collateral towards their vaccine goals.

The document, titled Confidential To Regulatory Authorities Infanrix Hexa Summary Bridging Report [2] stated that between October 23, 2009, and October 22, 2011, GlaxoSmithKline received a total of 1,742 reports of adverse events, including 503 serious adverse events, after children had received the 6 in 1 vaccine, Infanrix Hexa.[1]

I just want to say that I DO NOT LIKE WRITING ABOUT THESE THINGS. But how can I stay silent and witness more babies dying and injured every single day because parents believe the doctors who believe those promoting vaccine myths?

Becky on stageBecky Hastings, I’m just a mom, wife, 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!

 

 

[1] 1,742 Reports of Adverse Events After Children Received This Vaccine, Christina England, December 27, 2012, http://vactruth.com/2012/12/27/1742-adverse-events/

[2] Confidential To Regulatory Authorities Infanrix TM hexa Summary Bridging Report, http://ddata.over-blog.com/3/27/09/71/2012-2013/confid.pdf

 

The Vaccine Myth

Myths FactsPowerful forces are at work in our world to perpetuate many myths. Two thousand years ago Paul wrote a letter to a young man, Titus. He warned him of a common deficiency in human nature: those in positions of authority, but who are themselves in rebellion against God’s authority, deceive others. Paul explained that their only motive is money – the financial gain they receive from perpetuating their lies.[1]

In the United States today, if you are honest, you will admit that there is pervasive endemic culture of lying. A friend of mine has been planing and building a new home for the last few years. She moved in only to discover a host of faults. The house has mold and is causing her serious health problems. She has had multiple interactions with the builders of her brand new home only to realize their willingness to consistently lie to her. In comparing notes with others who know the building industry in her area, they realize lying has become so commonplace because it helps the builders achieve their bottom lines.

Many people depend on vaccines as a fool-proof way to protect their children and themselves from dread disease and keep them “safe and healthy,” yet they fail to realise they have fallen prey to a modern myth, the vaccine myth.

It takes time and effort to dig to find the truth. The deception has influenced policy making, media, medical training and public understanding on a grand scale. The perpetrators of the vaccine myth know there is a much greater danger of an adverse reaction after vaccines than they are willing to convey to the public. Their minds and consciences are corrupted. They twist the facts and believe their own lies.

There are good people involved in the continuation of the myth because they themselves have been deceived.

This blog post is going to highlight two important proofs exposing the vaccine myth. Firstly, the history of all illnesses reveals powerful information largely ignored. Secondly, there is incontrovertible evidence of secret meetings, plans, and tactics of those in authority to cover-up information that would have exposed the myth.

History

Many medical doctors are aware of this information, but few are willing to speak out about it. While I am encouraged that the number is growing daily, many outspoken medical voices in the past were castigated by their profession for breaking ranks with the established line regarding vaccines. Dr Jayne L. M. Donegan is one such doctor:

“Despite questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccination by reputable medical men since its introduction, debate has been, and is, increasingly silenced.”[2] Scientific studies are being designed or altered to prop up the position of those perpetuating the vaccine myth. For most doctors trained over the last 60 years vaccines are presented and accepted as an established unquestionable ‘article of faith.’

Vaccine preventable diseaseFor over half a century medical and nursing students have been trained that vaccines were the reason children and adults stopped dying from diseases for which there are vaccines. They are taught that there are two categories of historical diseases: ‘vaccinatable’ and ‘non-vaccinatable’. Both categories of disease diminished in incidence and mortality (causing death) over time, but the reasons given for this decrease depends solely on whether there was a vaccine that managed to reach the market, or not.

Diseases such as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, typhoid fever, typhus, and cholera decreased due to better social conditions, but for all the others – the ones they managed to get a vaccine onto the market – the decrease is credited to vaccines.

Disease Chart“You would think – as medical students who are supposed to be moderately intelligent – that some of us would have asked, ‘But if deaths from these diseases decreased due to improved social conditions, mightn’t the ones for which there are vaccines also have decreased at the same time for the same reasons?’ But we didn’t.”[2]

“The medical curriculum is so overloaded with information that you just have to learn what you hear, as you hear it: ‘nonvaccinatable’ diseases into the social conditions box and ‘vaccinatable’ diseases into the vaccines box and then on to the next subject.”[2]

“Everything I was taught and read in textbooks, both before I qualified as a doctor and through all my post-graduate training, reinforced this view.”[2]

Cover-up.

There is a lot of evidence of cover-up that has become available through the freedom of information act (FOIA) and dedicated parents and scientists who refuse to be side-tracked. The following is only a brief sampling of some of the cover-ups employed to perpetuate the vaccine myth.

Firstly, there is the re-classification of the criteria to be classified as ‘polio’ by the CDC after the introduction of the polio vaccine in the 1950s and 60s in order to convey a massive reduction in polio cases, when in reality so many cases were excluded from the count that they numbers were significantly deflated.

“The definition of polio also has changed in the last six or seven years. Several diseases which were often diagnosed as polio are now classified as aseptic meningitis or Illnesses caused by one of the Coxsackie or Echo viruses. The number of polio cases in 1961 cannot accurately be compared with those in, say 1952, because the criteria for diagnosis have changed.” Chicago Tribune, March 1961[3]

Next, please read the entire Simpsonwood Transcript (200+ pages), or at least a summary of the incriminating statements made by 50+ experts including medical doctors during a secret meeting convened by the CDC in June 2000. The reason for the meeting was to discuss the troubling scientific data that had been collected and showed a “strong signal” between vaccines and later neurological damage or delays in children. These experts openly discuss the unfortunate reality and the impact it could have on their cherished vaccine program.

These specially invited guests were invited to this meeting – not with the purpose of actually questioning the status quo vaccine program, but to help the CDC figure out a plan to re-frame and hide the information discovered and explore ways to create more ‘scientific studies’ to obfuscate the known links. They discussed the role of mercury as a known neurotoxin and reveal nearly complete ignorance on the role of aluminium in harming brain function when injected. Absurdly, instead of seeking more information from experts, they blindly continue with vaccines known to contain high levels of aluminium. Their agenda was clearly NOT to protect the health and well-being of babies, except in the case of one participants recently born grandson – whom he declared would NOT be getting any vaccines until they were safer.

Dr William Thompson, Senior Research Officer at CDC, father of 4

Dr William Thompson, Senior Research Officer at CDC, father of 4

While there is much more evidence you can unearth on the overt attempts to perpetuate the vaccine myth over the last 100 years, the final incontrovertible evidence of cover-up on the part of vaccine promoters that I am going to present is the CDC Whistleblower, Dr William Thompson.

“That’s the deal . . ., that’s what I keep seeing again and again and again . . . where these senior people [at CDC] just do completely unethical, vile things and no one holds them accountable.”

— Dr. William Thompson to Dr. Brian Hooker in a recorded phone call, June 12, 2014[4]

Dr Thompson has made over 100,000 pages of documents available to Congressman Posey and made a public statement in which he admitted to lying and altering data in order to change the perception of vaccine safety in a study published in 2004. Dr Thompson and his colleagues at the CDC discovered through their epidemiological survey that there was an increased risk of autism under some conditions after vaccination. Instead of making this information a topic of further investigation so that children would be protected, they were told by their bosses at CDC that they needed to change the study design midstream. Under no circumstances was there to be an acknowledgement of possible vaccine harm.

CDC Whistleblower bookOver a series of many telephone conversations with Dr Brian Hooker, Dr Thompson revealed his role in this cover-up. He states clearly “My boss told me to lie. I have stopped lying. I am not going to lie anymore.” He also expressed deep remorse every time he sees an autistic young child because he knows that his actions could have contributed to the possibility that this child developed the neurological symptoms because he had been involved in a scheme to lie and cover-up known links with recommended vaccines. You can read the transcripts of the telephone conversations in this highly recommended book, Vaccine Whistleblower: Exposing Autism Research Fraud at the CDC.

This information is hard for most of us to swallow. We would rather believe the world is a safe place and the people in authority would never lie to us. It is particularly hard to believe that anyone would lie or hide evidence that would result in harm to infants and children.

I know 99% of parents would never knowingly harm their baby, yet I continue to daily receive reports of severe vaccine reactions and sometimes deaths, because parents have been lied to. I encourage everyone to dig deeper and get the facts for yourself. You don’t have to believe me. You can find the information to make an informed decision for the health and welfare of your family. Your most important responsibility as a parent is to protect your precious babies.

DSC_0062Author Becky Hastings: I’m just a wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, fitness trainer, 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!

 

[1] Titus chapter 1

[2] Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History by Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk. Forward by Dr Jayne L. M. Donegan.

[3] http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1961/03/05/page/62/article/the-truth-about-the-polio-vaccines#text

[4] http://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/the-thompson-transcripts-shocking-revelations-by-the-cdc-whistleblower/

 

Last Days?

DespairIn the last days there will be very difficult times
For people will love only themselves and their money.
They will consider nothing sacred (e.g. the lives of babies and children).
They will be cruel and hate what is good.
They will be puffed up with pride and
Love pleasure rather than God.
They oppose the truth.
They take advantage of people’s fears and weakness.
Evil people and imposters will flourish.
They will deceive others and
Will themselves be deceived.

How do we live in such times?
Seek Jesus Christ through His word, the Scriptures.
You will find comfort and protection from evil. (2 Timothy 3)
God is at work in the midst of this evil generation.
He is raising an army of truth warriors.
“Why are you frightened?”
“Why are your hearts filled with doubt?”
Then Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures
They were filled with GREAT JOY. (Luke 24: 45 & 52)

Becky on stageAuthor: 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!

Unique

DCF 1.0

DCF 1.0

Most religions have one major personality
Or prophet they revere.

Even people who claim to have no religion,
Still revere a major personality, usually, themselves.

The thing that all religions have in common
Is that all the prophets and
Great people that have ever lived, died.
They were buried or burned.
They were reduced to ashes
Or consumed by maggots.

skeleton-1571103-638x464Only Jesus escaped death.

Jesus’ body did not stay in the ground.
He suffered a cruel death.
At the hands of the religious leaders
He died.
He was buried in a cave.
But He didn’t stay dead.

Jesus alone conquered death.
The Scriptures predicted it,
The power of God enabled it.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
Hundreds of eye-witness reports
Confirmed it.

So even if you claim
To follow no particular religion –
Just the right path of your own heart,
One day, your body will also rot in the grave
Or be consumed by fire.

Is your human heart able to guide you to truth?
Are you putting yourself in a position above Jesus –
God’s promised Savior?

A ragtag group of men and women
From a small remote location, Galilee
Started a worldwide movement of God
Based on this fact:
Jesus conquered death.

Becky on stageAuthor: 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!

Who Am I?

At some point in our life we all feel discouraged.

Discouragement takes different forms.

I confess I have fallen prey to the lies of our enemy who would like me to stay in discouragement. Once when I was there I wrote this:

Just Wrong

If you are ever feeling similarly “wrong” here is a great antidote. A brilliant reminder we all need of who we REALLY ARE!

I am AWESOME. Not because of WHO I am, but because of WHOSE I am!

When you struggle with discouragement remember:

You are never too much

You are always enough

Regardless of who you think you are

Regardless of how you feel right now

You have world changing capability

Your responsibility is to find that world changing woman inside

and set that women free

 

Any voice that tries to tell you anything different

is from the enemy

So when you feel discouraged, say this

Not me Satan

I am a daughter of the living God

I am cherished, loved and adored above all things

By the Creator of all things

For the glory of Him who is greater than all things

I am awesome

Becky Hastings,wife, mom, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter who tries to research, understand and share truth so people can make wise choices in our crazy mixed up, deceived world! Sometimes I’m wrong and sometimes I get discouraged!

The Land in the Middle

Camel gives upOn the way to where God is taking you, in the journey of life, we sometimes find ourselves in the land in the middle: We aren’t where we were hoping to be.

We claim God is the one we seek and serve, yet there are many competing voices trying to claim our allegiance. We are often confused.

The Israelites had a tough life as slaves in Egypt. God rescued them. The rescue operation did not immediately provide the relief they expected.[1]

Unmet expectations can be our biggest discouragement.

One month after their rescue, the response of the Israelites spoke to me profoundly.

By this time they seemed to have completely forgotten their struggle and suffering in Egypt. They forgot the brutal treatment they had received at the hands of their task masters – to make bricks and collect their own straw. They forgot about how the Egyptians had loaded them down with treasure just hours prior to their escape. They forgot how God had delivered them through the Red Sea. They forgot how very recently God had miraculously provided water. They were quick to forget so many things.

One month after their rescue, they complained about the leadership of their expedition.

They romanticized their past experience to see only good, and reduced their current experience to see only bad:

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”[2]

The land in the middle is a challenging place to be.

Our primary focus is … ourselves. Our own comfort. Our appetites. Our safety. Our security. We like to know where we will sleep every night. We prefer indoors with a bed and pillows specifically chosen for our comfort. If someone happens to put the air conditioning too high or too low we might get annoyed. We like our meals with great regularity.

If we don’t have these primary needs met we feel – forsaken, abandoned. Just like the Israelites. Only one month after experiencing their dramatic escape from the land of Egypt and watching the entire Egyptian army perish in the Red Sea that God had opened for them to pass through unharmed, they felt abandoned by God.

How short is our memory.

God has future purposes. They are for His glory – not ours. And, not for our comfort. Of course, He may bless us with comfort. But when everything is not quite perfect in our current reality, how will we respond?

Can we trust that God has a good purpose? Can we release our personal daily expectations to the greater picture of what God is doing?

It is easy to trust when we know the end of the story. When we look at the plight of the Israelites it is obvious to us that God had a plan, had the power and had an end goal. They were in the middle and couldn’t see the end.

We are all in the middle of something. It is extremely easy to default to our human comfort. It is easy to feel abandoned and forsaken by God when things are not going the way we had hoped. The Scripture is full of hope for future promises for God’s people. We need to refresh our minds every day – especially when we are getting bogged down in our current ‘not so perfect’ reality.

God is at work. He is always at work. He has higher and greater intentions than we can imagine. He is seeking those with steady hearts. He wants to refine us through our times in the middle. When we fully embrace the journey He is taking us on, with hopeful and joyful anticipation for the work only He can do, it can make the time in the middle purposeful.

Or we can look back with longing on the ‘good ol days’ and complain about our leadership. It comes very naturally.

DSC_0062 Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, seeker of health and truth. Facing a world quite different from the one in which I grew up, I seek to research and understand the very real dangers threatening the health and freedom of today’s parents, providing information to navigate towards joyful family living while I navigate my own “land in the middle.”

_____________________

[1] Exodus, the second book in the Bible, gives a detailed account of how God brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt.

[2] Exodus 16:3

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

Blind leading blindThere are many kinds of people in the world. Perhaps they could be divided into 3 broad categories:

  1. those who never knowingly lie;
  2. those who lie occasionally;
  3. those who deliberately lie;
  4. those who perpetuate a lie because while they actually fall into category 1 above, they have believed a lie from someone who falls into category 3.

Human nature often encourages slight alterations of the truth. We want to present ourselves well. Sometimes we are not even aware that we are communicating a lie.

However, I want to focus on how to recognize those who fall into category 3. In my life I haven’t really encountered too many of this type, but as I am seeking to know and understand TRUTH in a broad range of topics, it is becoming increasingly clear that there are people who are purposefully and knowingly perpetuating lies for some motive which is not always apparent.

History is a great place to discover many lies, but it takes tenacity and digging for real evidence, to understand that some of the short paragraphs in our history books are actually more false than true.

For some time in the US we have been conditioned by our culture to believe what we are told, not to think for ourselves, and to accept the messages given by authorities without question. Dr John Taylor Gatto, a New York Teacher of the Year with over 30 years of experience, wrote about this in Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, which was first printed in 1991 and updated in 2002.[1]

At one time I thought spies and counter intelligence agents were purely fiction. When watching episodes of Chuck with my children, I never dreamed there were real people in the real world in similar operations, but unlike Chuck and Sara, they did not have good intentions, a good conscience, or seek to do the ‘right’ thing.

There are currently government psyops seeking to impact the way you and I think. A psyop is short for “psychological operation”. The people who are given the task of implementing such operations are often referred to as an OP, or operative.

There are some general characteristics of OPs that can help us to analyze information we receive to protect us from getting duped – and thus falling into category 4 above. OPs often do a great job of fitting in, looking normal, and appearing to have the same goals and purposes of the group which they infiltrate. They often seem like ‘the most trusted individuals of all.’

Some questions are too important to get wrong. It seems the number one point to remember is – Question everything and everyone.

If there are people in our country capable of perpetuating a great lie on the entire population, you can be sure that they are also capable of mounting a significant ‘disinformation movement’ in order to lead those who might discover the lie, down a different path – a path of their own making. It is an ALTERNATIVE path, but not a path to the real TRUTH.

Thus, in the maze of alternative information sources we must be careful to question. Just because someone labels himself or herself “alternative” does not always guarantee they are a truth seeker and truth proclaimer.

To be fair, some in the alternative media might be proclaiming lies – unknowingly – as in category 4.

Dr Judy Wood shares an important list of points to consider when evaluating information and seeking to know ‘who can I trust?'[2] This list can help provide discernment to discover if a person’s intent is to mislead, confuse, and divide. Disinformation specialists do not announce their intentions. They try to gain trust and get people to accept their ideas, then subtly lead them astray or cause a breakdown in an effective group. Even if you don’t claim to be a follower of Jesus, you can certainly see the truth of His words to his followers:  “Beware of false prophets, they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ferocious wolves.”[3]

  1. Does this person encourage me to think my own thoughts or do they want to pressure me to accept their thoughts as my opinion?
  2. Does this person support and encourage me to continue working independently or do they try to impede my research efforts?
  3. Does this person share facts and documented evidence or attack those with a different point of view?
  4. Does this person respect me if our opinions differ? Can they tolerate independent thought? Can we rationally discuss ideas when we differ?
  5. Does this person have any financial or career links to the points they are making?
  6. Do they resort to authority? “I’m a nurse” or “I’m a doctor” or “listen to a doctor”

Discussion in the field of vaccine research can be highly emotive. Many parents at one time were in category 4. They were lied to. They believed a lie. They believed vaccines were safe and effective, only to find they weren’t – at least in the case of their own child. They live with the pain of that decision every day of their lives as they deal with vaccine injury. To be fair, maybe their doctor also fell into category 4 – he also thought vaccines were safe and effective. However, doctors have been so conditioned, have been lied to and participated in the lie for so long, that they have a very hard time ever admitting vaccine injury – even when it is right in front of them with a patient collapsing with seizures after a vaccine or not able to walk or talk after a round of ‘boosters.’

MiSTRAL En.inddOur own personal health and safety is up to us. Strong forces stand to benefit more when we accept everything we are told by those in authority. They don’t want us to question for ourselves. That should be a big red flag in and of itself.

I wish strength and health to you and your family in your search for truth. I hope my writing might be a means of facilitating questioning and truth seeking. If you have always assumed there was a rock solid case for vaccine safety, I encourage you to seek to understand your advisor well. What are the motives or the financial ties of those who are giving your information? Don’t fall prey to the blind leading the blind.[4] If you plan on giving some vaccines please read this first. Blessings.

IMG_0423Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, and truth seeker with a passion for health, joy and Jesus Christ.

[1] John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down. 2001

[2] This is part of a list developed by Dr Judy Wood, How to Recognize an OP (Operative)  from her extensive search for truth in the 911 maze of information and disinformation.

[3] Matthew 7:15

[4] Luke 6:39 (ESV) “[Jesus] also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?'”