Category Archives: Life

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.

Land of the free?

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FlagWarning political rant…with religious conviction.

Following on from some political rants I saw around the 4th, these thoughts came flooding to me all at once as I was walking into church! I had just read my big chunks of the Bible, saw that the sermon topic was Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness, and bam – all of this spilled out. Warning: you will encounter religious content at the end of this post which describes my faith.

Land of the free?

Where large corporations are free to poison for the sake of profit…

Where government agencies and mainstream scientists are free to corrupt science in their effort to bolster their position, court esteem in the public eye, ensure personal job security, not to mention attract cushie research grants.

Where everyone (especially pharmaceutical companies) is free to spread their misinformation through marketing so no one can recognize truth.

Where corporations are free to have 3 lobbyists for every political representative in Washington to ensure they are free to continue their operations with no obstructions by minor facts like the health and well being of our children.

Where medical schools are free to churn out more heavily indebted doctors, indoctrinated by the pharmaceutical industry, while offering no training in natural healing, nutrition (less than 10 hours), respectful birth and beginnings, and true health.

Where doctors are free to give poison instead of helping people understand where true health comes from.

Where people are free to treat their bodies without care or knowledge because it leads to greater profits and sustaining the foundation of the sickness system.

ChainsThe fear (as in knowledge, respect, awe) of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Surrendering to Him will lead us into Truth in every area of our lives. The truth can set us free, if we can identify it. 
Deception is rampant in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The nature of deception is you don’t know what lies you are believing. All the enemies of Jesus seek to devour us. Many of Jesus’ enemies when he lived on earth were the MOST RESPECTED people in the community. They looked good, smelled good, and most people were in awe of them. The battle is real. In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He is the Divine Creator of every aspect of our great earth, including our highly complex body. As we seek Him – we seek the fullness of God. Jesus is head over every power and authority and wants to guide you to wisdom in all areas of your life for His glory for your ultimate freedom.

I don’t claim to know everything, but I continue learning all the time. My heart aches for injustice perpetuated on young families today. It has become acceptable for everyone to be sick. It is time for us not to be complacent in the face of the onslaught we are experiencing. People are getting sick – unnecessarily. We need to realize what we are doing to our bodies, and CHANGE! We need to vote with our wallet for clean food, healthy products, and healthy alternatives to the sickness system. We can be the change this country needs.

saltJesus said, ‘You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men.’ Let’s get salty. The world needs our flavor.

Jesus came to earth to show us God, forgive sins, and heal our hearts and our bodies. Our life can help others find this true healing as a light shining in a dark place.

 

Modern Lies

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AthensI try to read chunks of the Bible everyday. Today I read about Paul’s trip through Athens and thought about my recent return to the USA after spending 30 years living in another country. I noticed some similarities.

“Paul felt deeply frustrated about the abundance of idols in Athens.”

I get deeply frustrated by the abundance of toxins people take for granted in their food, water, air, and their attempts to ‘fix’ their problems with drugs (aka pharmaceutical products). I get deeply frustrated when I hear of innocent children and good people suffering unnecessarily because they base their actions on deception.

“Paul would wander around the marketplace, speaking with anyone he happened to meet.“ I try to engage anyone I can to look a little more deeply into some of these things! My family will verify. I like to engage in debate on all sides of the spectrum. My viewpoint is that Jesus is our Creative Designer and the Source of all healing. Living in harmony with His design brings freedom and balance.

Paul noted that the Athenians had a strong and diverse religious ethos. I notice that amongst health proponents there is a strong and diverse religious ethos.

Amongst supporters and participants in the Western medical model, there seems to be an outward form of allegiance to Christianity. Conversely, many, if not most Christians, seem to endorse the Western medical model.

In doing so, supporters and participants in the Western medical model often make some underlying assumptions about many things based on a value system that they are surrounded with from an early age. Unfortunately, I have learned that some of these assumptions are dangerous.

  1. All “Scientific” information is based on truth and can be trusted. I wouldn’t lie about important stuff, so of course others don’t lie either.
  2. All products sold in the USA are safe. We have government agencies that ensure the safety of everything and all government agencies tell the truth.
  3. I can trust my doctor. S/He’s a really nice person. His/Her training and knowledge is far beyond mine, and s/he would never advise me to do something if it weren’t good for me.
  4. We live in the healthiest, most modern of all countries, and our health is better than ever because of so many great technological advances.
  5. Processed food and fast food isn’t that bad. In my busy life, it is essential.
  6. Childhood wouldn’t be good without sugary treats, candy, soda, pizza and happy meals. It would be cruel to deprive children of these things. When I participate in giving these things to children it shows I love them.
  7. Tylenol, Motrin, ibuprofen, Tums, etc are all essential, sometimes.
  8. Sometimes people need medicine to cope with loss, insomnia, or extreme anxiety. It’s all safe, as long as you take it only when needed.
  9. Cancer just happens. There’s not much you can do to avoid it, and cancer research is so advanced, the doctors really know what they are doing and can help you.
  10. Alzheimer’s – ditto for above
  11. Diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. see #9.
  12. Eating organic is a fad that makes some people lots of money because it’s so expensive.
  13. Health foods are all a big gimmick.
  14. I don’t eat that much sugar.
  15. My current weight is not a problem.
  16. Exercise is over-rated – it just makes you sweaty, then sore the next day. I’ll be fine because I walk and move a lot.
  17. Television ads can be trusted. No one is manipulating me. In fact, the TV ads for new drugs are really educational.
  18. Tap water is tested – so it is safe.
  19. Air fresheners, laundry scent, all things that smell nice, are nice.
  20. Something is going to get me, so it really doesn’t matter what I eat or how many poisons it contains.

DespairUnfortunately, deception is rampant in the world, including the great US of A. I’m probably more sensitive to all I see because I have recently returned after spending 30 years living in a foreign country, with only limited exposure during brief vacations.

Americans love the ideas of truth and freedom. Unfortunately there is a lot of truth that is suppressed and believing lies always limits your freedom. Accepting what people say is an admirable quality, but blind faith in people who do not share your values for Truth and Justice is never wise.  What will you do to examine the foundational truth in our modern culture?

Paul pointed out the illogical premises of the Athenian culture. Are there any logical fallacies you base your life and wellbeing on?

God Himself has given to humans everything we need – life, breath, food, shelter, etc. God has made us in all our diversity from one original person allowing each culture to have its own timetable to develop, giving each its own place to live and thrive in its distinct ways. His purpose in all this was that people of every culture and religion would search for this ultimate God, grope for Him in the darkness, as it were, hoping to find Him. Yet, in truth, God is not far from any of us. For you know the saying, “We live in God; we move in God; we exist in God.” And still another said, “We are indeed God’s children.” Acts 17

Head Shot B

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus Christ and truth seeker, especially in the areas of health and children. Navigating our present day world can be challenging, God’s timeless truths in the Bible are my guide.

 

 

Intentional Authentic Leadership

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Leadership

Leadership begins with leading yourself.

You might think that if you are a mom at home you aren’t a leader. Actually, you are one of the most powerful leaders around. Everyday the decisions you make, the words you say and how you grow as a person powerfully impact the next generation. You may only have one child, yet you could be influencing thousands. Don’t take that position lightly.

So, how are you creating an environment in your home that encourages everyone to be the best they can be? Do you feel like what you are doing at home is not important, but the work you do outside of the home – whether it is paid or volunteer, is the really important part of your life?

You might be considered a huge success in other areas of your life, but if you are not creating an irresistible environment at home, where your children and your husband (if you have one) want to be, then you are failing at the most significant role that you have.

Tips for creating an Irresistible Environment at Home (by someone who struggles a lot with this concept)

  1. Make healthy foods a priority. Everyone feels and acts better when their nutritional needs are met and they are not experiencing ravaging cravings for sugar, chemicals and carbs.
  2. Be aware of your own stress levels and seek healthy methods for stress reduction such as exercise, EFT, journalling, talking, etc.
  3. Prioritize intentional fun. Figure out the different things each personality in your family finds fun and join in – even if it is not your fun thing. Celebrate your differences.
  4. Seek to grow your family towards an emotionally and spiritually healthy foundation.
  5. Affirmation. Everyone needs affirmation. Give it liberally. It might not come back to you, so find ways of giving it to yourself.

Parenting is a very long-term commitment. It is similar to one of those very conservative stocks you invest in and leave it for a long time. The dividends in parenting can be much better than the stock investment, but you might only reap the richest rewards at 10, 15 or 20 years in.

 

 

Anger Part 2

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Hey!Anger is a difficult emotion to understand, witness or experience. We see the devastating results of unleashed anger all around us (war, family feuds, road rage, etc.).

Anger gets our adrenaline going and we get all worked up, but we might not even understand why. We are churning inside and feel the need to do something. The easiest thing we often do, is strike out at those in our immediate environment. For instance, we might get disturbing news and suddenly become all snarly with the people around us. A young child whose toy gets snatched out of his hand by a playmate, might retaliate with physical aggression. Watching children over many years, it is easy to see that this type of response is gut level and automatic.

If we want to have a different response, or if we want our children to have a different response, it will require understanding and training.

It is important to note that anger is most often a secondary response. That means that if we stop and investigate, there is a feeling lying underneath our gut response of anger. It often involves a feeling of hurt, loss or injustice.

Sometimes there is a clear source of our anger. For instance, if someone criticizes us, laughs at us, or tries to bully or abuse us, we can easily understand why we feel anger.

Other times the actions provoking anger may be more subtle. When someone makes a statement that disregards important points I’ve made, or values I hold, I can feel hurt, insulted, or invalidated and then I get angry. When someone spills something on my freshly mopped kitchen floor, I feel disregarded and taken for granted. I don’t feel the work I have done is being respected and I can easily get angry.

Exploring the underlying causes of our angry feelings is a very helpful step towards working towards a more mature response to anger.

Sometimes, as parents, we witness a young child’s anger, and it causes us embarrassment. Anger in children is so basic, and can be loud and poorly expressed. To save ourselves from the critical opinions of others, we can try to shut down this immature expression of anger – immediately. While this may save us momentary embarrassment, training our children to ignore their feelings and shut off their anger is not helping them to understand their emotions and learn to control their actions. And, as I mentioned here it can lead to serious health consequences for them later.

Finding other parents who understand the process of growing emotionally mature children is a great help on the parenting journey. If every parent around you shuts down their child’s anger, you can be regarded as a very poor example of a parent, when your child flies into a raging tantrum.

Showing respect for our children’s emotions does not mean pandering to them and allowing our children to always get whatever they want. It does mean allowing them to feel strongly and help them to understand where those strong feelings might be coming from.

AngerAn interesting and complicating factor is that angry children have a way of pushing our parenting buttons in just the right way to cause us to have a deep angry response. We need to stop and ask ‘what is that about?’ Does an angry outburst by your child feel like personal rejection to you, especially in light of all the great sacrifices you have made on behalf of the child – like sleep deprivation and hours of selfless toil? Do you feel like all the investment you have put into your child should result in a perfectly cooperative little person who shows you respect 100% of the time?

Sometimes we need to stop and work on our own issues so that we can grow in our own maturity in dealing with anger. Some of us might have been trained to stuff our anger which makes it very difficult to understand our raging emotions. Growing in our own understanding will help us to be much better at guiding our children in handling their strong feelings.

I have learned most of this the hard way, through the grace of Jesus Christ. These are not easy things to learn or recognize in ourselves, which is one of the many reasons I seek the power of God practically applied in every area of my life.

My web-site stats show a lot of people read Anger Part 1. I’m glad this information is being shared and found to be helpful. I’d love to hear your stories and dialogue about this important topic. Feel encouraged to leave your comments below. If for some reason the comment feature doesn’t work for you, please post or send me a private message on Facebook! I’d love to hear from you.

IMG_0423Becky Hastings, wife, mom to five, MIL of two, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus, health promoter, breastfeeding counselor helping moms for 22+ years, and someone who seeks to understand interpersonal relationships!

Adult Disposable Underwear (aka diapers)

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disposable diapersJudging from the product space given in supermarkets and the advertisements for these products, it must be a burgeoning industry. When I did a search for incontinence products I was overwhelmed.

WHY?

Why is there so much need for this product today that there wasn’t 10, 15, or 20 years ago?

These questions should be asked by everyone who would never want to wear them and doesn’t really want to change someone they love.

I submit that the toxins assaulting our brains and basic bodily functions are possibly the primary culprits for this trend of incontinence. The worst offenders could be:

  1. VACCINATIONS & MEDICATIONS. We are injecting our children and ourselves with concoctions which contain harmful chemicals and known brain damaging heavy metals. Prescription and over the counter medications have been accepted as a normal part of life. We don’t question our need for pain relievers, asthma medications, antibiotics, etc. etc. etc. The average child now takes how many medications in their lifetime? The average senior citizen is on how many prescriptions?
  2. CHEMICAL ADDITIVES IN OUR FOOD, CLEANING PRODUCTS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS. We are exposed to ±80,000 chemicals on a regular basis and yet no one has ever studied how these chemicals can interact with each other in our body. Educate yourself. Room fresheners pouring out chemicals for you and your loved ones to regularly breathe in are NOT a good idea. Any product you put on your skin is absorbed. Wean yourself off of your favorite products. There are substitutes that are healthier and CHEAPER! There are so many ways you can make your own. We have been the victims of marketing exercises our whole life. We think it would be impossible to get clean clothes without certain well known brand names. We have been indoctrinated to think any product that is promoted to make me look good is good.
  3. ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS are maybe the WORST offender of all. Sweeteners created in laboratories are widely added to all manner of ‘food’ items. Science has shown repeatedly that these chemical concoctions are harmful, yet it has become a political issue to keep them in our supermarkets. When combined, these compounds can boil at 87° F. With our natural body temperature at 98 ° F, these chemicals are hitting our body and having chemical reactions inside of us, destroying bladders and more. They also cross the blood brain barrier and cause brain damage.

If you scoff and think you are not going to give up your artificial sweeteners I have to ask why?

  • The addictive property of these chemicals is extremely high. You are probably addicted if even the thought of discovering the truth makes you want to avoid the effort. You are happily living in the lies of marketing.
  • If you think they help you lose weight or avoid gaining weight, the evidence does not support this. Studies show that people who use artificial sweeteners actually gain weight. If you want to lose weight, detoxing from these products is one of the first and best things you can do for yourself.

I’ve avoided writing about these issues for a long time because they are so entrenched in our society that sometimes when I mention the dangers people think I am the one who is crazy.

However, my ongoing research has convinced me that the science ABSOLUTELY SUPPORTS THE FACT THAT THESE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS AND CAN BE DEADLY. Continue to use them at your own peril. But, please inform yourself. And don’t give them to your children or anyone you love – unless you want to be changing their adult diapers when they become incontinent.

Live long, live well. Seek the truth in all things.

“My purpose is that you may be encouraged in heart and united in love so that you may have the full measure of complete understanding, in order that you may know the mystery of God, namely Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  I tell you this so that no one may deceive you with fine sounding arguments.” Paul, 2000 years ago

 

References:

Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon, combines many years of medical practice with study of thousands of research studies to create this monumental book. Author of Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, one of the first books to address the hazards of food additives, he has also written several other medical books and numerous scientific articles.

Dr Janet Hull, unparalleled researcher and authority on Aspartame, author of Sweet Poison: How the World’s Most Popular Artificial Sweetener is Killing Us – My Story.

H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P, author of Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic, Sunshine Sentinel Pr Inc (May 1, 2001) is a Board-certified internist in West Palm Beach, and an internationally respected medical consultant and researcher. He is on the Staff of Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, Director of the Palm Beach Institute for Medical Research (since l964), and a member of prestigious medical and scientific organizations–including TheEndocrine Society and the American Academy of Neurology.

David L. Lewis PhD, 30 years of experience in the EPA and author of Science for Sale: How the US Government Uses Powerful Corporations and Leading Universities to Support Government Policies, Silence Top Scientists, Jeopardize Our Health, and Protect Corporate Profits.

 

 

Raw Cacao Benefits

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Minolta DSC100% Raw Organic Cacao Powder

Cacao is chocolate, chocolate in its raw state – unheated, NO trans fats, NO sugars, NO dairy. 100% pure, dark chocolate.

The Cacao Bean

It’s hard to meet someone who doesn’t love chocolate! Yet very few people have ever had the real food that all chocolate comes from – cacao beans! Cacao beans are the seeds of the cacao fruit – it is a nut that grows on a jungle tree. Cacao beans are 100% pure dark chocolate!

Why Raw?

To retain the highest nutritional benefits, the cacao beans must be carefully dried and processed at low temperatures – never exceeding 116F (most cocoa powders are exposed to temperatures as high as 300F). This low temperature process avoids the formation of trans-fats and allows for maximum digestion and absorption.

Benefits of Raw Cacao:

Cacao contains so many minerals it’s like having a mineral supplement with other bonus nutrients!

Magnesium, Iron, Chromium, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Vitamin C, Omega 6 Fatty Acids, Phenylethylamine (PEA), Anandamide (bliss chemical), Tryptophan, Serotonin, & Fiber

Anti-Depressant Properties – Cacao is a great source of well-studied neurotransmitters, which help alleviate depression and are associated with feelings of well-being. All this makes cacao a natural anti-depressant.

Lose weight, eat chocolate! – Eating raw cacao is known to diminish the appetite. The cacao bean is Nature’s number-one weight loss and high-energy food.

Antioxidants – Cacao beans contain the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world, nearly 30 times more than blueberries!

When you make your own raw chocolate, using raw organic cacao powder and coconut oil you are giving your body a delicious, nutritious boost. I buy organic raw cacao powder from Vitacost.com. You can save $10 on your 1st order with this link. 

Check out some chocolate recipes:

Basic Chocolate recipe

Chocolate Breakfast Salad

Amazingly Healthy Brownies!

Chocolate Time Again!

Chocolate Bar in a Jar

Best Chocolate Ever!

More Chocolate

Raw Chocolate Extraordinaire!

Settling Disagreements

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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.

5 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

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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.

4 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

 

 

Sustainable Life Change

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CloudsFear is not a good motivator – but joy is.

Dr Dean Ornish

How can you find a way to get joy in who and what you are becoming in order to motivate you towards your next steps?
If you need some inspiration try this:
Ernestine Shepherd, a nearly 80-year-old body builder in the Guinness Book of Records who only started ANY PHYSICAL training when she was 57, and only started training as a body builder when she was 70!
If you are the kind of person who loves facts and understanding how our body works, listen to Dr Dean Ornish on the joy of getting healthy!
Never Give up.  If this guy can lose his crutches, loose excess weight, and spring – what can you do?
Any positive lifestyle change you make is going to make a corresponding positive difference in your health and your life. The more you change, the more you improve – regardless of your age. Lifestyle changes can help your telomeres to lengthen! Telomeres are a critical indicator of aging and illness.

Don’t let the idea of aging limit you.  Don’t think there are certain symptoms of aging you can’t avoid!  Keep your telomeres long and strong!

“A telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromatid, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration.” Wikipedia

“Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other.”  University of Utah

What lifestyle changes do you find easiest?  Hardest?  What is the next step you want to conquer?