Category Archives: Coach

What’s a Parent with a Teenager to Do?

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Parenting teens can be challenging. There are no rules, no easy answers. Most of us figure it out as we go. Books and information can be helpful, but mostly we need God’s wisdom to mature us, so we can be the mature parent our teen needs.

All Glory to GodSo what do you say when your teenager storms out of the kitchen after a frantic look into a limited selection of food, saying “There’s nothing for me to eat in this house. If there are no bananas, you know I can’t have breakfast.”

Most of us moms, as the procurement officers in the household, would take that as a personal attack, assault, and an extremely rude, definitely ‘correctable’ behavior.

As a parent I need to be very aware of my own feelings. Am I seeking to defend myself? Do I take the teen’s assaulting words personally as a punch to the gut? Do I immediately want to ‘put them in their place’ and let them know I will NOT tolerate that sort of outburst? Do I fly into a tailspin trying to prepare something for their breakfast in order to ‘make them happy’? Do I allow their strong emotions to control me?

Teenagers, by no fault of their own, are immature. They are developing. They are learning. It is important as parents to recognize that they are a work in progress and reflect on our desired outcome. What is my hope and dream for this teen?

Having my overarching goal in mind will help me respond wisely in the moment.

My overarching goal is that my teen will grow in maturity and develop self-control which comes from a heart which puts Jesus first. Of course, I expect that along the way to learning socially acceptable methods of communication, they will fail. What do I do with the failure?

If I berate them for their failure I am preventing them from learning and understanding. If I punish them for their immaturity I may alienate them from me and push them towards exasperation and rejecting all the values I hold dear. As a child of God I am urged to treat others in the way that I would like to be treated – to love them as I love myself. My teen is, after all, part of the group Jesus called “my neighbor.”

So what’s a mom to do?

I’m not sure this is a prescription for everyone, but this is what I did. I just went on with my task and allowed the teen to have that moment of ‘tantrum’ without it piercing my heart in any way. I chose not to respond. I chose not to be angry or offended. I knew there were a few foods that could be eaten – albeit the selection was extremely limited – but I didn’t accept any guilt. Sometimes life just doesn’t serve us what we desire, and I knew this is a lesson we all need to learn. I’m sure it is a lesson I haven’t fully perfected.

So what happened?

The teen finished preparing for school, returned to the kitchen and quickly fixed something to take for a breakfast on the run. I asked the teen to please keep my negligence in not having food for breakfast quiet as I didn’t want anyone at school reporting me to CPS. I got a smile. All was well.

Handling Pro Vaccine Pressure

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Conflict stick figuresNo doubt, making medical decisions is one of the most important things we can do as new parents. AND we are often bombarded by advice.

Advice from total strangers, advice from mainstream media, advice from friends, advice from medical professionals whom we want to trust, etc. Probably the most challenging advice to deal with is the advice that keeps getting repeated to us from those we are sure LOVE and care for our children as much as we do: our family. Our family can try many different tactics to “help us understand the danger we are exposing our child to by refusing vaccines.” They truly think we have been influenced by crazy people and are on the verge of becoming crazy ourselves.

The thing is, they CARE. They truly wish no harm to come to our children. They are fully confident that all the information coming from the CDC and our really really nice doctor, is 100% reliable. They believe that vaccines are safe and effective and if we would just give them to our babies, we will all live happily ever after.

You might have done your research when pregnant. You’ve spent hours combing the science and the opinions about vaccines. You feel strong and confident in your decision to avoid or delay vaccines most of the time, but other times the pressure from family starts to get to you. You begin to questions yourself. How could sooooo many people be wrong? How could my own family be wrong?

Before you completely cave in to the pressure from family who are saying things like ‘We all vaccinated and we don’t have any problems’ or ‘Why do you want your baby to die from a disease that could have been avoided?’, etc, please at least do a couple of things:

1. Build your own confidence in your own thinking skills:

“The Professor” is particularly brilliant and has an understanding of science far beyond mine. She also has experience working in a scientific field and unfortunately, due to her child’s vaccine injury she has been forced to become an expert on all aspects of vaccine science. She has some great insight into why there is so much debate and why scientists disagree so strongly on the topic.

Moral of the story? There are lots of ways you can dampen a strong signal if that’s what you’re trying to do. And if you read the available “vaccine science,” you will get a crash course in them. When analyzing the science, you need to ask yourself the all-important question, “Is this study designed in the best possible way to reveal a ‘signal’ if there is one?” And if not, why not? Often you will find when it comes to “vaccine science,” like its correlate “tobacco science,” that not only is the answer to the first question no, the study has actually been designed in the worst possible way to reveal a ‘signal.” Why are these studies so badly designed? Can it be that no one at the CDC understands science or even logic? Hardly. The real answer is painfully obvious: a study designed in the worst possible way to reveal a signal, is often the one designed the best possible way to hide one.
  • Continue looking for valid scientific support for your decision to boost your confidence. Read vaccine inserts and look for true scientific sources. Dr Sheri Tenpenny has many great videos which provide detailed information from CDC and all published scientific literature. She is a trained and experienced medical doctor and has personally devoted over 18,000 hours to understanding the subject of vaccines.
    • Are Vaccines Really Safe? A 5 minute video for a quick overview of some very important questions regarding the safety of vaccines for newborns. She also touches on routine Vitamin K shots and Hepatitis B shots for infants in the first hours of life.
    • Vaccine Safety. A 15 minute video which takes a quick look at the issue of vaccine safety. What does it actually mean when a vaccine is said to be “safe and effective”?
    • The Risks, the Benefits, the Choices. A nearly 3 hour video in which Dr Tenpenny focuses on the individual vaccines and the illnesses for which they are purported to protect, using conventional medical journals. This is a comprehensive overview guiding you step by step through vaccination history, conflicts of interest and the lack of scientific data to support the current vaccine protocol. Dr. Tenpenny clearly communicates detailed science in a way parents can understand.
    • Vaccines, What the CDC Documents and Science Reveal by Dr Sherri Tenpenny 2003 part 1 of 2). This 1 Hour video published to YouTube on 14 May 2013 is an essential presentation for all those looking for scientific evidence to support their investigation into vaccine questions. Dr Tenpenny is very familiar with every single medical paper published in journals on the topic of vaccines and with all the CDC documentation. She calmly and rationally explains what she has learned over years of research into the science behind the vaccine debate. She goes through each vaccine recommended, gives the history and explains the science involved.
    • What the CDC Documents and Science Reveal 2003 part 2 of 2. This continuation starts with hepatitis B and continues through Chicken Pox.
  • Read Navigating the Information, a post I wrote to help you think through some important questions regarding vaccine safety and science.

2. Establish Boundaries by graciously asking some significant questions to those well-meaning family members. Be prepared to challenge them with an approach something like this next time they bring up the topic of vaccines:

Vaccine Questions

Vaccine questions (PDF version for you to print out)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6). Lies and delusion are powerful. The battle for truth is a spiritual battle. People might have the best of intentions but are completely deceived by other ‘professionals’ who are themselves completely deceived (Colossians 2). When you have believed lies for decades it can take time to realize the truth. Allow the Spirit of God to guide you into all truth and have confidence in how He does so. God did not give us a spirit that makes us a slave to fear (Romans 8:15; . He wants to bring light and life to every subject. In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2). The early disciples were brilliant beyond their education because they had spent time with Jesus. You too can become confident and bold as you prioritize spending time with Jesus and building your faith.

Vaccine wars in families are usually not fun. It can be difficult navigating loving those who care about us and standing strong in the truth we have come to know. I pray these thoughts will be helpful if you are experiencing conflict in your family regarding vaccines. And don’t forget to pray.

I would love to pray with you. The truth needs to make headway in our crazy world.

 

Influencing Those We Love

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New baby heldBabies are so small, so vulnerable, so precious. I have met many parents and grandparents who have spent a lot of time researching and exploring vaccine science and passionately want to influence someone they love in this important decision, whether it is their spouse, their parents, or their adult children.

We love babies and want the best for them. We love our children and want the best for them.

If you have someone you love and would like to figure out how to respectfully share what you have learned about vaccine safety, you might like to join a Master Mind Group devoted to this topic.

Vaccine MM Ad

I don’t have all the answers, but I share a passion to respectfully educate others regarding vaccine safety. I believe that in Jesus Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2) and I believe in the power of prayer.

This four-month group will help empower you to share your passion and impact your family and loved ones for good.

For more information complete the contact form below.

 

What Do we Do?

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WDWD1When the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on earth who have faith? Luke 18:8

Jesus appeared to His followers many times during the 40 days after His death and resurrection.

In one of these encounters they asked him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” Acts 1:6

They were thinking small. They were thinking of the history they knew. They were thinking of their own personal goals and aspirations. They wanted their country to be restored to its former glory. They thought they understood God’s will.

In the same way, many today are looking to God to restore America to its former glory.

I would argue that the glory of America is gone. The government has been taken over by corrupt entities with an agenda to dominate and control. This agenda is diametrically opposed to the views and aspirations of the majority of Americans.

This is not a situation that will be solved through political maneuvering. It is not going to be remediated through a change of political parties. The agenda of those with control is above politics and exert strong influence on both sides to manipulate towards their ends.

I believe Jesus’ purposes transcends the personal comfort of the American people. He is Lord. He has conquered death to be our Savior and fix our biggest problem, yet if we expect that His agenda is to repair our broken country, or help us to be comfortable, we are as naïve as the disciples.

Jesus answered: The Father alone [knows what is going on] and has the authority to set dates and times, and these details are not for you to know. Acts 1:7 

So what are we supposed to know and do in this crazy world we live in when we are faced with power-crazed domination?

Politics gone crazy, health care that is killing and maiming in massive numbers, poisoning through our food, water, air, drugs and even supposed ‘health and safety’ measures like vaccines? We have been lied to by main stream media, harassed by CPS, children kidnapped from innocent loving parents, spied on by our own government, and more. Is there any wonder we are fearful, untrusting, and suffering from anxiety?

Who do we trust?

Where do we turn for answers, hope, direction, wisdom, and safety?

The early disciples must have had similar fears, tension and anxiety.

Jesus told them: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. You will be MY WITNESSES, telling people everywhere ABOUT ME. Acts 1:7

Today we have the most incredible medium ever in the history of the world to share the message of Jesus.

124 Countries ReachedMy humble blog which is my small attempt to share truth and admittedly not all that impressive, certainly not perfect, just me, a solo operation with a few encouraging friends here and there. I’ve never received any monetary gain. I seek to share truth as God places it on my heart. I research, read and seek to understand. I share stories. I try to share my faith. Just this little blog has so far reached nearly 62,000 views by people throughout our world, accessed by people in 124 countries.

This is spiritual warfare people. (Ephesians 6)

We are in a spiritual battle.

The goal is not a comfortable life.

The goal is not the restoration of a nation you love.

The goal is your soul and the souls of every person on earth.

The enemy is powerful – BUT NOT ALL POWERFUL. Jesus Christ has supreme authority over all things (Colossians 1:15-20). He could immediately vanquish and restore His creation, BUT

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WDWD4He has instructed and empowered His followers to share His message in this lost sick world.

The time may be short. Our comfortable life may be in jeopardy. Our mission is NOT to restore our comfortable life, but to help restore lost souls to Jesus.

How can we best respond to this mission?

 

Christians are Forgivers & Fighters

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FightJesus had a lot to say about forgiveness. One of the main explanations of forgiveness comes from the parable He told in Matthew 18 about the servant who owed his master money and was pardoned, but then failed to forgive his fellow servant.

We have been forgiven MUCH, so our only appropriate response is to demonstrate forgiveness to those who owe us.

There is a difference in forgiveness and allowing evil people or practices that cause injustice against helpless innocent people to continue.

When we see evil perpetuated unchecked in our world we should have NOTHING to do with it, and we should seek to expose it.

Paul warns us repeatedly about  deception.

“I tell you this so that no one may deceive you with fine sounding arguments.” Colossians 2:4

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:8

If we feel God is calling us to expose injustice and deception we also know a few things:

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:2-5

Hey!Exposing evil can unleash a spiritual battle. But we don’t need to be afraid because we know that Christ is head over any and every spiritual force we will come up against. We can be assured of victory in the name of Jesus Christ, based on our relationship with Him.

We can be confident when we are seeking to help the innocent and downtrodden, because we have the power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ on our side.

“So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Romans 5:11

“United with the One who was raised from the dead, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.” Romans 7:14

Whatever God has called us to do, we know He is with us throughout the struggle we may encounter.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 

Sums up our marching orders pretty well. Simple, but impossible to do in our own strength.

What battle has God called you to fight?

Where is God calling you to forgive?

Where do you see injustice and feel the Holy Spirit wants you to speak out boldly?

When have you seen God at work to fight in spiritual battles around you?

Day 23 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.

Strong Words

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conversationThere is a great deal of power in our words.

Our words come out of our heart and reveal who we are to the world.

Our words contain our biggest fears and can contain our greatest hopes.

We can help make our heart strong by saying words filled with hope and faith.

Memorizing God’s word can give us faith filled words to say – even if we may not fully believe them.

Memorizing faith-filled portions of the Bible is one of my greatest delights. I am able to take God’s word with me wherever I go. I can shout out God’s word while alone in a forest, or riding a bike.

There is power in repeating God’s word out loud. It encourages my heart to hear these words.

We live in a world that is more than just what we see. Jesus rebuked Peter because he was only looking at a situation from an earthly perspective:

“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view – not from God’s.” Jesus

God’s point of view should always be my starting point in any aspect of life:

WHAT IS GOD’S POINT OF VIEW IN THIS SITUATION?

How I spend my time, how I use my resources, financial decisions, relationship decisions, vocation decisions, health decisions, etc.

Framing my words, memorizing and meditating on God’s word until they become a part of me, all help me to keep seeing the world from God’s perspective.

If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. The Son of Man will judge all people according to their deeds.

It’s not easy to live in the world and stay strong in confidence. It is much easier to give in to discouragement. Reviewing God’s strong words is a continual source of inspiration and encouragement for me. I know,

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, so we also may live new lives

lives focussed on Jesus, confident in His power, and filled with STRONG WORDS.

Day 21 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.

 

You Feed Them

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breadJesus was a walking talking miracle demonstration up close and personal for His twelve disciples for three years while He lived on earth

I’m sure there were many times they might have felt they were riding a roller coaster. Up high one minute, strong twisting jerky twists and turns the next. They never knew what to expect and sometimes had a hard time figuring Jesus out. It can be the same for me.

I learn so much from trying to understand what Jesus was about while He was on earth.

In Matthew 14 there are some big events. First Jesus learns of John the Baptists death at the hands of Herod. He immediately wanted to find a remote area to be alone. I don’t think He was surprised, but He could have been grieving. Maybe He wanted to talk over the implications and explain them to His disciples.

But it didn’t happen. Instead a HUGE crowd inconvenienced them with their presence – even though they had travelled to a VERY REMOTE place. Jesus wasn’t upset or annoyed at this intrusion, “He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

His disciples might have been a bit more bothered and suggested to Jesus that they send the people away. Imagine that. They have the Son of God in their midst. He has demonstrated His incredible power to heal every sort of malady right in front of them, He has called them and He is clearly their leader, yet they decide He needs them to tell Him what to do!

Before I get too judgmental I need to remember that I sometimes have the same propensity. I like to tell God what He needs to do, like He’s not sure what to do next, but it is very clear to me.

I love this next part. Jesus does not accept their plan to send the people away to buy food. He shoots it right down with one phrase:

“That isn’t necessary – YOU FEED THEM.”

You see, Jesus had compassion on the crowd, to be sure. But He also had an incredibly generous plan for His disciples. His words would have challenged them, but those words were also an incredible opportunity and invitation to them

“YOU FEED THEM.”

Jesus knew everything and could have used any means to accomplish His purposes. He knew exactly what the disciples had on hand in terms of food resources (turns out to be only five loaves of bread and two fish between the twelve of them).

In the same way, Jesus knows exactly what our current resources are. He knows what we have and He knows how limited it seems to us in terms of our ability to follow His passion of FEEDING and HEALING the masses.

My response is something like this, ‘Lord, You see and know everything. You have compassion on the crowds of people who were so confused and looking for hope in the midst of their despair. Lord, there are lost, hurting, sick despairing people today. You see what I’ve got. I can make a list of what I have to show you that it really isn’t much at all. What can you do with what I have?’

Jesus simply said, “Bring them here.” Bring them to me. Bring what you have, even if you think it is very small and insignificant, just bring it to me.

Then He involved His disciples in one of the most incredible fast food conference experiences the world has ever known. He took what they brought to Him and He multiplied it.

He can do the same today. He can multiply what I’ve got to offer. What do I have? What do you have? Your list and mine will be different, but we all have something and Jesus can multiply whatever we have when we offer it to Him. He can also help us to see even more – things we have that we aren’t aware of.

Paul said it like this:

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus… For I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know. I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. Acts 20

giving handsWhat have i got in my hands? This morning I looked at what I have in a new way: my time, my background, my access to information, my life experiences, my internet connection, my social media access, my communication skills, my volunteer opportunities, my training skills, my relationships, etc. I realized I don’t need them to be first class. Jesus just asked for what the disciples had. He knew that what they had was not enough to get the job done. The disciples meager food resources were not fully adequate to feed the 5000 people who were hungry. But when I bring my resources to my Savior, He can multiply them for His glory.

He wants to demonstrate His power to people today and, just like He allowed the disciples to be an integral part of this great demonstration, He generously allows His agents today to be part of His agenda.

I am so thankful that He can take what I have and multiply them. I am so thankful He has invited me to join Him in the work He wants to do in the world today.

What do you have? How can Jesus multiply what you have?

Day 19 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.

 

Freedom

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Jumping FreedomAccepting Jesus into your life – no matter what background or religious tradition you were raised with, is wonderfully freeing.

Through Jesus I am released from my attempts to please God or perform.

I don’t have to keep trying to do, or be, or accomplish anything at all.

When I accept Jesus Christ I rely on what He has already done for me.

I don’t have to have confidence in my abilities or my effort to succeed.

That doesn’t mean that I am actively trying to be a loser, but the pressure to do something and achieve sometime FOR God is off. I can’t do anything or achieve anything FOR God. He has already done it for me. No pressure now, just acceptance of what He has done and giving Him praise for the work HE is doing in me.

Until you have found this acceptance, you may never know what this freedom feels like.

Many religious traditions try to load us down with a list of rules or expectations we must live up to in order to earn God’s approval. Nothing could be further from the truth. Until we recognize that it is impossible to earn God’s favor by our own effort, we will always be in bondage to a system of rules.

People often use the Bible to add authority to their list of rules. This is an incorrect use of God’s message to us. God doesn’t need us to follow a list of rules or a set of requirements. He has given us Jesus and we need only rely on what He has already done for us.

This is the type of unconditional acceptance we all yearn for and are drawn to when we find it in people. It is the kind of acceptance every good parent seeks to give to their child (though we never manage perfectly).

Have you ever experienced that freedom? That acceptance?

Would you like to? I’d love to discuss this further with you.

Whatever happens, rejoice in the Lord…We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort.  Paul, Letter to the Philippians 3:1 & 3

 

Day 4 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

Aging

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Aging prayerScientific studies of active aging people show that brain function does not have to decline with age. So the question we all should be asking is, ‘How do we make sure it doesn’t?‘

Aging is inevitable. My mom’s oft-repeated phrase is ‘Getting old is not for sissies.’ What she means is that as you age you can encounter a lot of symptoms and difficulties that make aging a lot harder than you ever expected! She has quite a lot of aches and pains which reduce her desire for movement and activity, which causes her body to stiffen up with more aches and pains and less of a desire for movement.

The baby boomer generation is having an opportunity to witness the generation ahead of us – one of the first generations to rely on processed foods, fast foods and lots of medications – and see how that regime has prepared them for the aging process.

There have been THOUSANDS of chemicals approved for use in food during my mother’s lifetime. Many of them have passed safety tests. Some have been recalled along the way once it became obvious that they were not safe. However, there has NEVER been a single study to determine the combined effect or the synergistic impact of consuming all these chemicals.

Prudence alone would suggest that all these artificial chemical additives MIGHT have some detrimental effect on our health and aging.

Science confirms the harm that our body experiences by long-term repeated exposure to environmental toxins in the products we use regularly: in food, personal care products, cleaning products, medications, vaccinations, etc.

There are more people than ever suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and many other auto-immune diseases.  AND, younger and younger people are being impacted by these serious debilitating illnesses. And there isn’t a lot of hope on the horizon for treatment options. The BEST hope we have is to prevent these degenerative diseases, but if you want to PREVENT them, you need to START EARLY. Alzheimer’s doesn’t begin in the 60s when it becomes obvious. It actually begins much earlier – in the 20s or 30s, but only becomes apparent later. So if you want to avoid these issues when you are older – START NOW!

What to do? Try some of these things! Begin with what seems easy to you, then keep adding more to your health routine!

  • Avoid all the chemical toxins you can. Think food additives, air fresheners, pesticides, herbicides, body products, dryer sheets, etc……..
  • Read every label of every food you purchase.
  • Reduce or remove processed foods.
  • If you can’t pronounce something on the label, don’t buy it.
  • Find a product with 5 or less ingredients.
  • NEVER use any artificial sugar substitutes – they are directly causing brain damage in younger and younger people.
  • Avoid trans fats and MSG.
  • Don’t shop hungry – or else buy yourself a bag of organic baby carrots to munch while making your healthy purchases.
  • It starts with the shopping: buy whole foods, clean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, dairy, organic or clean vegetables and fruits. Then figure out ways to prepare them that are easy for you. If you shop well, you will eat well!
  • Eat a higher percentage of raw foods.
  • Keep moving! Find ways to incorporate movement throughout your day. Stand at your desk, take a functional fitness exercise class. Learn easy safe ways to keep moving! Everyone has 10 minutes a day for exercise!
  • De-stress with prayer, meditation, EFT, relaxation.
  • Research natural options to serious illness before you need it!
  • Reduce or eliminate drugs for most everything. Research natural alternatives. Once you start eating better, exercising and de-stressing, your ‘need’ for medications will be reduced. Drugs only treat symptoms. The goal of better aging is to have no symptoms.
  • Visit a chiropractor regularly.
  • Find positive people to encourage you.

If you are not motivated to do any of these things out of a desire to improve your own health, please at least think about the impact your future poor health will have on the people you love.

Health eating can be delicious, nutritious and easy. It begins in your mind. Motivation to live a long and healthy life to enjoy the people you love makes it easier to stick to your decisions.

It also helps to get others involved in your “healthier you” journey. Health is contagious. As we gain momentum we will feel better which will help motivate us even more! Our motivation will inspire and motivate others.

Don’t keep putting toxins in your body just because you don’t feel bad today. Your body was not meant to be a toxic waste dump. If you poison you body, your aging process will be impacted. Take some steps for health. Baby steps are a good place to start. What ONE thing will do for your health today?

Ten Lists

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BibleI was introduced to a Bible reading method called Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System in 2008. It is often referred to as Ten Lists. I continue to be blessed through this exposure to God’s word on most days.

The basic concept is books_of_biblethat the whole Bible is a library and the 66 different books are allotted to different lists. Every day you read one chapter from each of the 10 Lists. I have only slightly modified Prof Horner’s lists. It might seem complicated at first, but stick with me! I’m really trying to make it easy for you!

10 Lists for blog

There is a pdf version of the lists below so you can print out your own bookmarks to use in your Bible.

This is how I use these lists:

  • On my best days I will read one chapter from each of these 10 Lists.
  • On other days I might only finish 7 chapters, or 5.
  • Some days I only manage 1 chapter.
  • No matter what reading I’ve completed on the day before, I start again the next day with List 1 and work through as far as I can.
  • Every day’s reading is completely different, no matter how long you continue.

Prof Horner Challenge verticalThis method prioritizes spending time reading through the life of Jesus from four different author’s perspectives (the Gospels) and visiting the history of the early followers of Jesus (Acts) very frequently. There are so many benefits from regularly exposing yourself to such a variety of God’s ancient manuscripts, but don’t take my word for it, I challenge you to do your own 30 day challenge. Read one chapter from each list every day for 30 days and look for the difference it can make.

Here are some guidelines encouraged by Prof Horner:

Try to complete the reading in one sitting (at most two). At the end of one book (i.e. Matthew), go to the next book (i.e. Mark). At the end of the list (for List 1 it would be John), go back to the first book on the list (i.e. Matthew).

Read fairly quickly in order to get the overall sense. There are different kinds of reading: super-quick skimming, careful moderate-paced, studying the text, deep meditation. You should aim for between the first and second kind. Shoot for 5-6 minutes per chapter. At the end of a chapter, move immediately to the next list.

GET THROUGH THE TEXT – no dawdling, back reading, looking up cross-references! [Contrary to Pro Horner’s recommendation, I confess, I sometimes take notes in my journal and find amazing connections in the passages!]

Most people find that they decrease their time spent reading and increase their retention after just two to three weeks of following the program.

Don’t look up anything you ‘don’t get’ – real understanding will come through contextualizing by reading a LOT of Scripture over time. Get through the text!

If you miss a day or two – it is ok! Get over it, then keep going. Just start at where you left the bookmarks.

If you are wondering why you should read Acts (or Proverbs) all the way through every single month, then – you’ve just shown that you NEED to read them that often!

The goal of this system is simple and twofold: To know Scripture, and to love and obey God more!

In order to become proficient in any subject, we need repeated exposure over time. This system will enable you to become confident in knowing, understanding and sharing God’s word. Jesus said:

Those seeds sown into good soil are people who hear the word, accept it, meditate on it, act on it, and bear fruit – a crop 30, 60, or 100 times larger than the farmer dropped to earth. Mark 4:20

So consider carefully the things you’re hearing. If you put it so use, you’ll be given more to wrestle with – much more! Those who have listened will receive more, but those who don’t hear will forget even the little they’ve failed to understand. 4:24-25

What else is more important than allowing your heart to be the field where God can work, as you expose yourself daily to a feast of His Word?

Here is what the kingdom of God is like: a man who throws seeds onto the earth. Day and night, as he works and as he sleeps, the seeds sprout and climb out into the light, even though he doesn’t understand how it works. It’s as though the soil itself produced the grain somehow – from a sprouted stalk to ripened fruit. But however it happens, when he sees that the grain has grown and ripened, he gets his sickle and begins to cut it because the harvest has come! Mark 4:26-29

ChallengeHere is a copy of the bookmarks I use. I usually print and laminate them. They make great gifts.

10 Lists US Letter

Are you ready to take the 30 day challenge? I’d love to hear about your adventure in reading God’s word and any modifications you make to this Bible Reading Plan. Please let me know in the comments below.

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate about Jesus, health and truth.