Category Archives: Life

Hope in the midst of Cancer

Posted on by
Reply

According to current statistics nearly 1 out of every 2 people in the USA will wind up hearing the dreaded words, cancer.  Despite all the money contributed to cancer research over the past 50 years, and all the money insurance companies pay for cancer treatments, the rate of cancer and the survival statistics have never been worse.

Every time I see an appeal for help to a cancer patient or help to find the cure, I want to shout – THERE ARE MANY CURES ALREADY!  It’s just that they don’t make the headline news.  They are happening though – without a doubt.  If you, or a loved one, has heard those dreaded words, don’t believe the standard rhetoric.  Look for all the cures.  Here is one great story by a 26 year old that was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer and decided not to go with his oncologists treatment plan. Today, nearly 10 years later, he is completely cancer free and speaks, coaches and encourages others to pursue healing.  I love the fact that he is unashamedly a follower of Jesus Christ.

I also encourage everyone who does not have a cancer diagnosis to watch this 4 minute video in advance.  You need to know all the options before you ever hear the dreaded words.  If you follow the same health plan outlined by Chris, you need never hear them!

 

Overcoming Evil With Good

Posted on by
1

shattered glassMy friend shared a very powerful story that more people need to hear.  We’ve all faced situations where we feel unjustly attacked, or that the reaction we receive is totally over the top.  These attacks can cause a physical stress response in our body and leave us reeling for days!  We feel shattered.  Have you ever felt assaulted by words? Like you’ve been punched in the stomach?  Read about Kristin’s experience and how she responded.  Just a beautiful story!  These are her words, which she has given me permission to share:

Today, a simple trip to the “financial vortex” we like to call Target, ended up being an experience that God would use in my and my son’s life for quite some time. It is NOT a story about me. It is a story about the God that I serve and His infinite ability to make beauty from ashes.

As Luke and I turned off of North Point Parkway and into the strip mall that boasts the big red ball of happy, I noticed that there was a terribly obnoxious amount of traffic. I felt rather sorry for the cars that were trying to exit, (they had a yield sign to us) and so I (not noticing the “keep moving” sign) stopped to let a car squeak by. It was at this point I heard the BLAST of a horn – and when I say blast, I mean it sounded as if the driver had climbed out of his seat and was sitting on his steering wheel. And he didn’t let up. He followed me into the Target parking lot, and followed my minivan until I turned into a parking space. It was at that point that I realized we were going to have to exchange words… because he had intentionally stopped his car right behind mine so that I could not get out. Gulp.

I took a deep breath, I knew I was not dealing with a rational, good spirited person. Nope, this was an angry middle aged horn happy man who was severely enraged by my choice to let a car through traffic. Dear Lord.

FlamesMy feet had not even hit the pavement before a barrage of arrows came flying from his mouth. This man, I did not know, was screaming at me in the Target parking lot. I watched his mouth moving, his forehead squinched, his cheeks bright red with anger. I heard the words. “Idiot” “You should learn how to drive” “can’t you read?” “It’s people like you who cause accidents.” I stood in disbelief. Was this happening? All I could think was “Why is he so angry?” So, that’s what I asked him In the gentlest tone I possess. “Sir, why are you so angry?” He was so taken aback by my response that he stumbled over the next few words, scoffed a little, and then carried on with more arrows. Ugly arrows. Flaming arrows. Hurtful, sharp and wicked arrows… and then… he was gone.

Luke and I stood in the parking lot hand in hand with our mouths gapping, our hearts pounding, and our spirits completely stomped on. We had just been harassed by a perfect stranger, for being kind to another stranger. (And I admit that technically I had made a traffic mistake, but I am fairly certain that my abuser has made at least one of those in his life time? Just a guess.)

After I collected myself, (and sucked any tears that threatened to fall out – back into my eyeballs) I leaned down and looked into my son’s eyes. “Son, I am really sorry that that happened. You know that we NEVER – no matter how mad we are – we NEVER treat another person like he just treated Mommy, right?” “Yes ma’am” “And son, the Bible says to love our enemies and so I think we really need to pray for that man.” “I do too mommy.” “Alright, I love you so much” “I love you too momma.” “You ok?” “Yup”

And although I had resolved it with my son, I could not quite resolve it with myself. As we got our items from inside the store, a trail of “poor me” thoughts like “How could a person who does not know me or who I am, attack me like that? I’m like the nicest person ever, that wasn’t fair, my saturday is ruined, that was so mean, I’m so sad, tears… uh oh, tears… here they come..” And I burst into pitiful self pitying tears, right there in the happiest store on earth. I was letting that man crush my spirit. I was swimming in the ugliness that he had thrown on me and I was so close to MISSING the beauty that God was, in that very moment, effortlessly replacing it with.

As we walked to the car, I believe God spoke to me. “That man put something ugly into the world, now GO and put something beautiful in its place. I am God – and I turn ashes to beauty, evil to good, hurt to healing… Go and be my light. Go and bless someone.”

So friends, here’s where it gets GOOD. Luke and I prayed right there in the car. Where do we go? What do we do? Who do we bless? I felt the urge to drive across town to the Kroger near my house and so I took that as part of our answer. We prayed on the drive over that HE would lead us, show us who to bless and how to do it. I suspected we would be paying for someones groceries and so I immediately started to plan “Operation Bless A Stranger” Actually, it was more like “Operation bless a stranger who looks sad or down trodden with just a grocery basket, not a whole cart cause we can’t afford it if they’re not in the ten items or less lane.”

God had something else in mind.

After grabbing a very schizophrenic assortment of unnecessary items that I absolutely did not need, we neared the check outs. I started to question what I had heard. I felt nervous and embarrassed. What if this didn’t go down well. Who is it Lord? What if I…

And there she was.

A nicely dressed 50 something. Well put together, a typical southern lady, with a very substantial amount of groceries. Really Lord? She does not look like she needs me to buy her groceries…ALL millions of them. But I knew. The holy spirit was pushing my heart toward this woman, this perfect stranger.

I watched the grocery bill climb higher and higher, a bead of sweat flew off of my forehead, I felt a little nauseous. It was now or never. Her last item had crossed the finish. It was time to pay. “Ma’am?” I said. “My son and I would like to pay for your groceries.” She looked at me like I had just said “My son and I would like to eat your groceries.” Adamant, she replied. “No. You can not buy my groceries, there are way too many here. Someone did this for my mother. No, I can’t let you buy my groceries.” To which I replied “Ma’am, my son and I had a horrible experience today, and we prayed a lot about this, and you, and well, we’re going to buy your groceries.” At this point the woman realized that I was going to buy her groceries. There was no talking me out of it. She grabbed me. She literally wrapped her arms around me and began to sob. I sobbed too. Then she pulled away from me and looked me in my eyes and said this: “My husband is terminally ill, you just, you just have no idea… thank you.” And off she went, pushing her millions of groceries that God had just paid for, out the door.

Faith surrenderAt this point everyone was crying. The people in line behind us, the checkout girl, the tough guy one isle over “had something in his eye”… (he totally cried). The check out girl looked down at Luke and said “you have a great mom” to which I say this: This is not about me. This is about the God that I serve. This was FOR me from Him. He turns ashes to beauty, evil to good, hurt to healing, pain to laughter, and traffic violations to stories of His immense love – from one perfect stranger to another.

So my challenge? When someone is terribly unkind to you, GO do something for someone else. He has given us the power to replace the bad with something good.

My God is an awesome God. That is all.

[ME}: Hey Kristin I’d love to share your story. It is so profound and illustrates some practical steps for healing and forgiveness. I can share with or without your name – whichever you prefer. Also, I was wondering if after the big hug by the lady and all the tears, if you felt an emotional cleansing? It is amazing how an assault of words can actually have a physical impact on our body – almost as if we had been physically punched all over. I think your Holy Spirit guided response was absolutely beautiful and must have brought such healing and a sense of physical peace.
Like ·  · Promote
  • Kristin Birkeli Grunewald Becky Hastings, you absolutely may share it with whomever you’d like! And YES re the emotional cleansing. I absolutely did feel that way! And HE knew I would. I’m feeling so incredibly blessed to be the daughter of a king, who cares so greatly for his children!

    Share away! Start a movement! #killitwithkindness!

     

My Journey so Far

Posted on by
2

DSC_0241

I grew up in the USA, but after meeting my husband John in South Africa, we spent 30 years raising our five children there, living in a few different locations, but finally making our home in Cape Town in 2001. We loved serving God and others at Southpoint Church and were blessed in so many different ways. In May 2013 we disentangled ourselves from most of our earthly possessions in Cape Town, South Africa to find ourselves with our three suitcases each, in Warner Robins, Georgia, to begin a brand new season of life where John is serving as Lead Pastor of Longleaf Church, Rachel is excelling at Middle Georgia State College and Leah is enjoying her first school experience two days a week with a hybrid homeschooling program called Veritas Classical Education. We were happy to be close enough to connect more frequently with our three adult sons, two daughters-in-love and three grandchildren – two we’d never met!

It is always difficult and traumatic to move, and moving cross-continentally from a place we loved, full of people we loved, has had the expected challenges.  We have learned to play a game I invented called, “It’s good because _______” where everyone takes a turn to fill in the blank.

DSC_0217Sometimes God needs to disentangle us from some things so that He can make us available for MORE.  We continue to look for all the MORE He has for us and especially how we can be MORE effective in sharing the love of Christ with others.

For most of my adult life I have been wondering what I was going to do “when I grow up.” Raising five children and homeschooling them has been my focus for many years.This move has caused me to begin seriously thinking about useful ways of using the next phase of life.  With only two children remaining at home (Rachel, 20 and Leah, 13), I have more discretionary time than ever before.

In examining my strengths and potential opportunities with many wise people, I was introduced to the field of Life Coaching and have completed my first course towards becoming a Certified Professional Life Coach.  I am enjoying all aspects of this endeavor: the learning, the peer coaching, and coaching actual clients.  I am realizing that I have been doing coaching for many years in a variety of capacities and I love the privilege of working with clients to discover and achieve their goals.

I am looking forward to continuing my training and personal development through taking more classes while at the same time offering my services at a reduced rate to clients who are ready to make some thoughtful changes in different areas of their lives.  I am currently coaching moms with children at home who want to improve family relationships; seasoned executives who want to make wise choices about nutrition and lifestyle so they can enjoy long life AND vitality; and business owners who just want to be better at everything.  I continue to pursue my passion for health and wellness through on-line conferences and education and love helping others find practical economical ways to improve their health and enjoyment of life!

‘Ready, Fire, Aim’ is an approach to life that resonates well with me.  I do like to get ready, but I like to get into motion and refine as I go.  God has been getting me ready for coaching through:

  • 34 years as a Christ follower, learning lessons daily;

  • 34 years of progressive awareness of health and nutrition all built upon a Nutritional Chemistry Course taken at Vanderbilt University;

  • 33 years married to John with all the learning and adapting marriage requires;

  • 31 years of mothering five children through all their different developmental learning stages;

  • 20+ years passionately coaching young moms towards mothering through breastfeeding with the incredible support of La Leche League South Africa;

  • 17 years of homeschooling five different personalities and learning styles;

  • 15 years of facilitating Communication workshops for small groups;

  • 13 years as a Pastor’s wife;

  • 6 years as a member of an amazing staff team at Southpoint Church seeking to create environments so people could come to know and love Jesus as we do!

DSC_0260So, as I look back I see that God has been preparing me and getting me ready for this phase of my life.  I look ahead with anticipation to how He might use me to help others.

I imagine taking all that experience and using it to help and bless others in 2014 and beyond…

  • Help people learn healthier living options through my blog;

  • Help people navigate their life choices through personal one on one coaching via Skype or telephone;

  • Help groups of people realize their personal goals – whether in terms of nutrition, exercise, organization, relationships, communication etc. through group coaching interaction;

  • Help people by giving motivational/inspirational talks;

  • Help teams (especially church or non-profit staffs) with team building, communication and development.

I am completely open to any doors that God will guide me to, but these are some of the things that He has given me a burden for.

So I would value your prayers as I begin this new phase of life and I would also appreciate any referrals you may have if you or someone you know resonates with the type of help I am offering.

I was caught by surprise when Mark Sisson (Mark’s Daily Apple) shared his BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) in his first email of 2014:  “Greetings, as many of you know, it’s my life goal to help 10 million people get healthy.”

Wow!  My first thought was ‘I wonder how many people I can help?’  If I can help 10 thousand I think I will be accomplishing a lot!  But I pray I may be available to truly help as many people as God sends my way!  I praise Jesus Christ for all He has done for me and hope I can be a channel to share His blessing with others!Head Shot B

Thanks for your prayers, help and support! Use the contact form below me if I can help you in any way.

Becky Hastings

PS: You might enjoy my latest updated recipe for Raw Chocolate.  It is so easy anyone can make it and so delicious you’ll want to have some every day!!

 

Healthy Snack

Posted on by
Reply

nuts

We all know that Snack Attack feeling!

My friend shared this great idea with me.  Whenever you feel hungry – like you want some sort of a sweet treat, mix together equal parts:

  • goji berries
  • cocoa nibs
  • raisins
  • Brazilian nuts
  • sunflower seeds
  • pumpkin seeds

in a big glass jar, shake and grab a handful – or two (maximum is two!)  And your cravings will be gone!

I’m sure you could try different ingredients, like walnuts (brain food), cashews, almonds, coconut flakes, cranberries, whole cacao beans, etc.  But since my friend is such a great researcher, I think she might have specific reasons for each of her selections!

I like to do a mix something like this for my husband to keep in his briefcase so he’s not tempted to have processed food snacks at the office!  It’s also great to have a mix like this on long road trips. If I’m driving I always like a constant supply of snacks to help me keep awake and paying attention!

 

Detox for Beginners

Posted on by
1

drinking waterOne of the easiest things you can do to assist your body in the detox process is to drink a large glass of water immediately upon rising in the morning.  It is important to drink the best quality water available. I do not have the definitive answer about which water is best, as I have read about reverse osmosis, alkaline, various filters, spring water, etc.  One simple idea that might be the most effective and economical is treating your own water with lemon or wheat grass.

So, begin to make it a habit.  Every morning make it easy for yourself to access a large glass of water and drink it down – and then wait at least 20 minutes before eating anything!

Water and food.  This is a simple practice which most people are completely unaware of. It becomes critically important for anyone who struggles with chronic heartburn and takes antacids.  Try this practice for three weeks and see if you notice any difference.  Of course, the quality and quantity of food you ingest will also play a significant role, but this is something easy to start experimenting with.  You are a scientist and your body and your intake are your testing ground.

As we get older we need to facilitate our digestion and nutrient absorption in every way possible.  One important way to do this is to avoid drinking with meals.  Drink water 20 minutes before a meal and wait at least 20 minutes after your meal to quench any thirst you might have.

I realize this is quite counter cultural.  In restaurants the first thing they take is your drinks order.  When you are invited to a meal at a friend’s house, everyone shares drinks before the meal.  Every time I ask for nothing I receive at least two more questions and some strange looks: ‘you’re not going to have anything?’  Now in restaurants it is probably also about the size of the bill and the anticipated tip.  Every waitron knows that the drinks portion of the bill can push the total much higher and they look forward to a correspondingly higher tip!  For me it’s not about the money, it’s about how to facilitate my digestion and get the most out of my food.  My aim is to live vibrantly throughout my whole life!  I do not take for granted my current health, but seek to daily invest in my future health!

So sometimes I will ask for a glass of water and enjoy the pre-dinner conversation while my glass remains full!

Detox or Not? 

Great Ways to Detoxify

Diets Don’t Work

Posted on by
1

apple in waterMost of us have come to the realization that diets and self-deprivation don’t work, therefore it is important to create a relationship with food that is nourishing and pleasurable!

Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions!

However, not all overweight people are necessarily overeating right now.  Many have developed yo-yo dieting patterns and even when they strictly control their intake, their body refuses to let go of the fat they are desperate to lose.

Most times we have no idea about the emotions behind our eating choices.

Stress is another significant factor that can sabotage your best attempts in pursuing healthy eating habits and other healthy disciplines.

Personalized Coaching can help you explore the many facets that keep you stuck in a place you recognize as unhealthy.  Exploring factors that limit us can be a frustrating and sometimes scary journey.  As a Coach, I can work with you as you make discoveries that can dramatically change your relationship to your emotions, stress and food.

As a Coach, I do not hold my own idea of success or hold one particular ‘formula’ for healthy eating and then hold you accountable for following it.  A Coach does not beat you up when you are not making the kind of progress they want you to make.  A Coach listens to the desires of your heart for freedom, health and joy and holds those values for you.  A Coach believes in your ability to achieve the desires of your heart and walks along with you, which allows you to get there much faster and with great confidence.

I have found using the Emotional Freedom Technique as a tool allows clients to quickly navigate their health journey because they can: discover and clear negative emotions that have been sabotaging their attempts at success; identify awareness of their personal stress response and its impact on their body; and target the physical cravings as well as the emotional impulse to eat.

If you would like to schedule your free 30 minute inquiry call, we can discuss how hiring a Life Coach can help you take steps on your personal journey.

You have the capacity to make incredible progress and I am excited about the possibility of working with you!

 

An Answer for the Vaccine Question

Posted on by
3

kids shoesA friend asked, and I thought you all might also like the answer.

I was talking to my older brother, who is a strong Christian and father of three children, about vaccines and he said that there could be a very small risk of vaccine damage, but most children are fine, so it is probably a good idea to just go along with the government recommendations.

What would you have said to him?

I would say:

Based on the research of Dr Andrew Moulden, and many others, there is damage to every single receiver of a vaccine – it just isn’t always immediately apparent. Every vaccine initiates a stroke-like response in the brain of the one receiving it. Moulden described it as mass ischemia. Some of us see no evidence and experience no immediate problem. The damage may show up later in auto-immune challenges, diabetes, other health challenges, Alzheimer’s or Dimentia. The injury may result in slight brain damage – I know I want all my brain cells to work at their highest level. I have read that some research indicates that children receiving vaccines have IQs 5-10 points lower than those not receiving them. Teens and adults getting vaccines have also reported serious brain fogginess, memory loss, and some times much more severe reactions.

The combined impact of getting all the vaccines recommended has NEVER been scientifically tested. So, again, all the above mentioned health challenges showing up later in life can be connected to the combined vaccinations. We have a lot of toxic exposure in our industrialized world and it makes sense to limit unnecessary exposure of toxins in the vaccines, such as mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, and more.

I also don’t believe the science supports the effectiveness of vaccines, i.e.. I don’t believe vaccines do what they are proclaimed to do. Most cases today of measles and WC, for instance, occur in those who have received vaccines. They are now seeing cases of NPFP (Non Polio Flacid Paralysis) in kids in California (I think it is up to about 30, there are also thousands of cases in India after the recent polio vaccination drive there). NPFP is just like polio, but because the kids were vaccinated they don’t want to call it polio, or maybe they don’t actually have the same blood results – but the physical paralysis is the same. Polio outbreaks have always been associated with pesticides, When DDT use was banned the polio rates went down. Yes, there is a polio virus. But it has always been around and can still be found. Polio only causes problems when connected to the toxic ingredients in pesticides and herbicides. In fact, the mercury, aluminum and other toxic ingredients in vaccines may be making kids MORE susceptible to the very illnesses they are supposed to resolve.

And finally, as a Christian I believe God created our body with what we need. Yes, there is sin and sickness, but I don’t think God left us at the mercy of ‘vaccinologists’ for our ‘cure.’ When I first learned about the powerful immunological protection offered by breastfeeding it led me to question the practice of injecting exclusively breastfed babies in such an unnatural means – via a needle into the muscle to end up in the blood stream – with a cocktail of serious ingredients many of which are toxic. I do not have enough faith in human men who stand to profit from my choice to give me confidence in this practice. I am not alone.  Our immune system is incredible and new information is coming to light which makes many question traditional vaccine ‘science.’

Since when has God called us to be like the majority? I did a little too much of following the majority during my teens. That has led me to question EVERYTHING! I thank Jesus for saving me from the majority life!

Of course, I would never say all of that in response to one question! But f I had the opportunity and my audience was open to listening, I would GENTLY try to share along these lines.  Because people need to know.  They need to think and thoroughly research before they submit their precious children to this dangerous medical practice.

More thoughts from a mother and grandmother especially for my children…

IMG_0423Author: 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!

 

More blogs by the same author:

30 Ways in 30 Days to Explore Vaccines.

Natural Headache Remedy

Posted on by
Reply

headache

Fortunately I don’t often suffer with headaches. Headaches, like all symptoms we experience in our body, is a signal that our body is trying to tell us something.  When anyone tells me of an approaching headache (not migraine) I have a standard 3 part remedy.  The sooner you learn to respond to the signals, the sooner you will feel better.

  1. Drink a big glass of spring water (dehydration is often involved);
  2. Lie down and take 10 deep breaths, exhaling slowly. It should take several minutes – longer than you thought! Seriously deep breaths, very controlled. Loooooooong breath in followed by a loooooooong breath out.  Usually the headache is gone before they get to 10. If you still have pain, then…
  3. Walk around outside on the earth barefoot. The edge of the sea is good, or wet grass, but any connection with the earth. The negative electrons are flowing out of the earth and are a great pain reliever.

I know it might seem quite odd – but I would rather do these three things than swallow any chemical concoction produced in a laboratory!

Sometimes people who struggle with migraines have an offending food that triggers it. I am definitely not experienced with migraines, but maybe these tips can help you if you catch it early enough. Let me know.

A friend recently shared this headache remedy:

Got a pretty bad headache this evening, which was a good thing, because I finally got to test out Turmeric mixed with coconut oil as a remedy. Totally worked! I was headache free in 20 minutes.

So maybe I should add it after the water and before the deep breaths.  I don’t think it could hurt and we can all use more coconut oil to enhance our brain function!

Let me know if any of these tips help reduce or relieve your headaches.  The really important part is to REMEMBER what you need to do as soon as you start feeling it coming on!

To my dear friend – it’s about Jesus

Posted on by
1

Don’t let past hurt, or disappointment with anything associated with Christians prevent you from investigating Jesus for yourself.

attitudeYou have your reasons. You are not unaware of the back-story about Jesus’ life, death, etc. You’ve heard it. You have either rejected it or you just don’t care. I understand – maybe not everything – but a little, because I was once there. I was once contentedly living my life with no regard to Jesus. I will admit that it was fun for a while, but it did not lead me to a good place, but that story is for another time.  For now, I want to explore some reasons you might want to take more interest in Jesus’ life – even if it doesn’t seem relevant. Or to put it more crassly, there might be some benefits that you are missing.  I know I hate it when I find out about something great that I could have had, but I missed out on, just because no one shared the news with me.

First, unlike any other religious leader or very significant person most people would admire who has ever lived, Jesus made some remarkable claims about himself. His followers also made fantastic claims about who he was – and they lived in close proximity to him for three years at least. One of the most remarkable views on Jesus Christ was by James, known as the brother of Jesus (not to be confused with James, the disciple and brother of John). James starts the letter he wrote to encourage new followers of Jesus and introduces himself as “a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Now I don’t know about you, but there is no ways I’d ever refer to myself as a slave to any of my three brothers! Jesus claimed he was God and his followers backed up his claim – even someone who knew him as well as a sibling can know a person.

Actually, that’s the ultimate reason for his death at the hands of the religious leaders of his day – he committed blasphemy in their eyes by claiming to be God’s Son, or God himself.

So Jesus claimed to be God, claimed he was intimately connected with God the Father, and all who had interaction with him attest to his perfection – even his enemies admitted they couldn’t find anything he’d done wrong. Unlike popular personalities who have always existed throughout the world, no one could make any claim against Jesus or find fault with any of his actions. That is pretty amazing. Many around the world admire Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, other political figures – but no one claims that they are perfect. Everyone is well aware that they are human and sometimes their mistakes are obvious.

books_of_bibleThe complete story of Jesus, as well as some fascinating ancient prophecies predicting his life, death and a lot more is found in the Bible.  Most people have heard a lot about the Bible, but many, if not most, haven’t actually explored it for themselves. The Bible is not a book; it was not written by a single author, and it was not intended to be read from the beginning through to the end, as you would with most books.

The Bible is more like a library of 66 different ancient texts, written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, written in three different languages, and yet the harmony of the message is amazing. Many people have found that daily reading a portion of the Bible, and working consistently through it brings something to their lives that they have a hard time explaining.  I’d suggest starting with the books that describe Jesus’ life, known by their author’s names: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

NT in pocket

Structure of the Bible

The Bible is arranged into two broad “collections” known as the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Old Testament is a collection of 39 books which can also be divided into different genres of writing: The Law, Historical narrative, Poetry, and Prophets. The 27 books that make up the New Testament include four ancient accounts of the life of Jesus (the Gospels), one book detailing the early history of events after Jesus’ death (Acts), one poetic prophecy book (Revelation) and a collection of letters (Epistles) of instruction and encouragement to the early followers of Jesus by prominent leaders. For someone to loosely say “well it says in the Bible….” does not really add a lot of weight to the point they are trying to make.  Each part of the Bible must be understood by when it was written, for which audience and the purpose of the communication. You don’t need to understand everything about the Bible in order to begin reading it. AND you don’t even have to believe it is 100% accurate – many of the things we read on a daily basis we don’t trust!

As you read, the Bible, it will become clear that there are very different types of writing. I encourage you to start! The Bible continues to be one of the best-selling books of all time, and is very interesting ancient reading. There are many modern English translations of the Bible available with added notes to give you some background information on the author and purpose of the different books.

painMany people have shared with me details of how they have been hurt by a specific church, a religious institution, or a person who was known by the term ‘Christian.’  The hurt they feel has made them strongly adverse to having anything to do with church, the Bible or in many cases, God.  I’m not minimizing the pain that has been caused and the deep hurt many continue to feel.  Jesus himself had a great problem with the religious leaders of his day.  In fact, he reserved some of his harshest criticism for those in places of authority.  Getting to know Jesus is not about going to church or learning to fall in line with a bunch of rules imposed on you.  It is not handing over control of your life to a group called a church that thinks they can make all your life decisions for you.  Don’t let a bad past experience prevent you from getting the true facts.  Try to push through your past pain and get to know Jesus himself: who he claimed to be and the promises he made to his followers.

giving handsMany people don’t feel a need to seek God or investigate exactly what he had in mind with his plan of sending Jesus.  They are bored with the Christmas story, or the Easter story and have a lot more important things going on in their life than attending church with a bunch of hypocrites.

People sometimes see those who want to talk about Jesus all the time as weak or lacking backbone because they can never just decide anything for themselves, but always pull out the God card or the prayer card.  They feel people should be free to make decisions and implement their own values in their lives without having to fall back on this ‘dependent on God’ mode. I share some of this frustration and agree that Christians aren’t always the best advertisement for what becoming a follower of Jesus might look like.

However, most people will admit that they can’t actually live up to the basic standards they set for themselves. They make decisions on the values they hold dearly, yet they find they cannot live them out. They make positive decisions but aren’t able to implement them, even though these positive changes are what they want and what they have decided to do, they lack the ability to fully pull them off.  They miss the mark they set for themselves.  This is a human condition.  You don’t find animals contemplating the fact that they need to be a better parent, or cut calories, yet our world abounds with groups to help you achieve you goals whether it is to become a more peaceful parent, to stop smoking, drinking or drugs, become a better public speaker, or reduce anxiety and stress in your life.

Rainbow mountainSince we can’t even live up to our own good desires for ourselves, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to check out some of the things Jesus said, “I have come so that you might have life and life more abundantly!” John 10:10.

I’d like to give you a challenge: I dare you to spend 10 minutes a day for 30 days reading the Bible.  I encourage you to share the results of your experiment. You don’t even need to buy a book. The Bible is freely available on-line. Are you ready to take the 30 day Bible reading challenge?  What might prevent you from exploring Jesus?

Happy Grandparents June 13Author: 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!

 

 

An Invitation to Group Coaching

Posted on by
Reply

Would you, or someone you know like to …Snow Collage Cropped

  • Feel more energetic?
  • Sleep better and wake up refreshed?
  • Restore or maintain youthful vitality as you grow older?
  • Navigate the maze of health information with confidence?

We all know some things we could do better to improve our health or lifestyle.  What keeps us from doing the things we know are good for us?

Do you desire motivation and support so that you can gain momentum and get over those initial hurdles towards a healthier you?

You are invited to join a JumpStart Mastermind for Health Group. Be part of the top 5% of the population that owns their own health.  Receive information, inspiration and encouragement on your personal health journey.  Find the health you desire one baby step at a time.

You will:

  • Connect virtually with a small group of individuals who are contemplating making significant health changes for the better!
  • JumpStart your health journey with a minimum three-month commitment.
  • Participate in one 90 minute group coaching call per month
  • Receive one 50 minute individual coaching session per month.
  • Connect with your JumpStart Mastermind for Health Group privately on Facebook.

Special introductory rate:  $75 per month.  There are a limited number of places available either in the morning or evening.

Mastermind groups provide the ideal environment to make small sustainable life changes.  Each participant is committed to their own positive progress and will cheer for every step you take on your journey.  Together we are stronger and can accomplish what we never thought possible.

This JumpStart Mastermind for Health Group will be coached by Becky Hastings.  Becky has been coaching similar groups for over 20 years and is passionate about effectively helping you achieve your own goals.

Head ShotIf you need more information before deciding if the JumpStart Mastermind for Health Group is
for you, feel free to  email beckyspd@gmail.com or phone 470 774 0285. Please schedule your 30 minute free inquiry call so you can fully explore how this might work for you.I look forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve your health goals!
Becky