Category Archives: Random but important

Current State of the World

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News headlinesI read the Bible regularly and am continually amazed at how relevant this ancient literature is for today.

It seems like Solomon might have had a sneak preview on the state of our country:

I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! I said to myself, “in due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

 

Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Even the king milks the land for his own profit! Ecclesiastes 5

That last phrase is particularly interesting because Solomon was the king! He was talking about himself having the propensity to milk the land for his own profit.

Solomon recognized and warned us that power and position lend themselves to greed and corruption!

I think the founding fathers of the USA knew a bit about this, which is why they deliberated so long and hard to figure out a way of protecting people from their leaders. Unfortunately, over the  years it seems that corporate interests have managed to infiltrate our judicial and political systems to turn the balance of power in their favor. So the truth of these words is just as apparent in the democracy of the United States as it was in the monarchy of Solomon’s time.

What do we do? Is there any hope?

There are many other Scriptures that provide encouragement, wisdom and guidance. Here are some:

O Lord, I give my life to you.

I trust in you, my God!

Do not let me be disgraced

or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.

No one who trusts in You will ever be disgraced,

but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.

Show me the right path, O Lord;

point out the road for me to follow.

Lead me by Your truth and teach me,

for You are the God who saves me.

All day long I put my hope in You. Psalm 25

 

The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive. Proverbs 20:27

 

In these challenging, uncertain times where evidence of injustice, greed, and misery can be seen in so many aspects of life, we can continue to have hope and offer hope. God’s Good News, promised long before, was delivered through Jesus. He desires the whole world to receive the news that He loves each one of us and invites us to a relationship with Him.

Ears to hear and eyes to see,

both are gifts from the Lord. Proverbs 20:12

 

If you currently don’t understand God’s plan, ask Him for ears to hear and eyes to see. He is faithful to respond to a willing heart.

Day 8 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

Tetanus Links

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Rusty nailsTetanus is one of those vaccines EVERYONE KNOWS you MUST have. But most of us have never thought about if there is scientific evidence to support this idea. We assume the doctors and scientists have all done their research and “they wouldn’t tell us to get it if it weren’t needed and weren’t good for us.”

Unfortunately, the need for pharmaceutical companies to make a profit for their shareholders, sometimes overrides their understanding and transmission of clear scientific facts. Independent research is very rare and most doctors receive their training through pharmaceutical funded medical schools. Much of what they learn is great. It’s hard to know where the true facts and where the indoctrination lie.

I remember the first time I heard someone say that EVEN TETANUS IS AN UNNECESSARY SHOT.  I was very surprised and thus began my research to find out the facts for myself.

I’m not sure how many doctors have really looked into the scientific evidence or if they just read in their textbooks and follow the protocols.

I’m certainly not trying to tell anyone what to do, but I just thought I would provide a few links so you can find more information from people a lot smarter than I am. This will also serve as a great reference for me to come and find all my tetanus info in one place!

[Edited: One very significant fact to consider about tetanus – if it were the life-saving essential vaccine that is absolutely necessary, why is it only available today (2019) in combination with diphtheria and/or pertussis? And why is there such a big push for tetanus shots when you go to the ER?]

1. An article: If you only want to read one link, this might be the one: Why You Never Need A Tetanus Vaccine, Regardless of Your Age or Location by Dave Mihalovic. This is a thoroughly documented thoughtful look at fact and fiction regarding the tetanus shot. A MUST READ for every parent by a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in vaccine research, cancer prevention and a natural approach to treatment.

2. A Video: Great detailed information by Dr Sherri Tenpenny’s brief video. Dr Tennpenny has logged over 18,000 hours in vaccine research in addition to her medical training and experience. She is someone who reads ALL the details and explains what she learns in an understandable way. She once gave out “tetanus shots” like candy in the ER. Now she explains the science.

3. Another video: 11 minutes on Tetanus, Prevention, Wound Care and Vitamin C by Dr Suzanne Humphries. An internal medicine specialist who began to listen to her patients when they responded with vaccine injuries and has spent years of her life devoted to the truth about vaccines, illness and the route to true health.

4. A good summary with more links to explore by Guggie Daily, a blogger who provides a fresh, evidence-based perspective for today’s parents on a variety of early childhood topics.

5. An article by Tetyana Obukhanych, Ph.D. in Immunology, Tetanus Shot: How Do We Know That It Works?

8. A Naturopathic understanding and approach to treating tetanus is outlined here by Ingri Cassel, Director, Vaccination Liberation, an organization dedicated to providing truth about vaccines.

Finally, it is critically important to understand that when you or your child are offered a “tetanus” shot in an emergency room situation because of some sort of injury that has been sustained, the shot they are actually offering is not a “tetanus only” vaccine. Today tetanus vaccine is available only as a combination vaccine: either TD (with diphtheria) or DTP, TDaP or DTaP. In all cases you will be getting much more than you bargained for and every shot contains other ingredients which could cause a response or injury in your body. There is no direct compensation, from either the manufacturer or doctor who administers the shot, for any injury you may experience after receiving it. They are protected from all liability, but you can file a claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program within 3 years of the injury.

Next time I have a parent desperately wanting to figure out their wisest choice regarding tetanus, I can refer them to this page! My doctor friend summed it up like this:

In a nut shell, the spore can only release toxin under anaerobic conditions. Blood and air contains oxygen, allow the wound to bleed, clean wound with hydrogen peroxide, if stitches are not required let the area heal itself. When oxygen is present no spore can survive and thus no tetanus.

This mom summed it up pretty well – and showed who actually knew and understood more about tetanus.

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One mom shares her horrific experience of being offered a “tetanus” shot in the ER and how it impacts her precious child.

30 ways in 30 Days: Day 9

A series of blogs about vaccines.

Thanksgiving 2015

Author: Becky Hastings, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.

What does Jesus want from me?

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Light image croppedAll of us think about God at some point in our lives. Our view of God can be influenced by a lot of things in our life.

We all spend time thinking about what God expects or desires from us. We often think He wants us to be good. He wants us to be kind – kinder than we currently manage to be. He wants us to be patient and understanding. He wants us to treat others well. He wants us to use our resources wisely.

Since we think of all these things God wants us to do or be we can end up thinking that God is not actually very pleased with us. We know we can do better, and we know God knows we can do better, so we think He isn’t pleased with us and we feel guilty for not doing and being better.

Sometimes we can get buried with a load of guilt and expectations. We can get so discouraged that we feel there is no hope for us at all. We will never measure up so we might as well give up even trying.

I’ve learned that even my best efforts will never be enough to please God. But that doesn’t discourage me, that releases me! Since nothing I can do will ever measure up I need to release myself from the pressure of trying to be good enough or better than I am. You see, before God I have nothing to offer, but through what Jesus has already DONE FOR ME, I can stand before God fully and completely accepted.

I have sinned. I don’t deserve to have a relationship with God. There is nothing I can do to ‘fix’ my past sins and nothing I can do to make myself do better in all the areas I fall short. But Jesus has done it. He willingly did what I wasn’t able to do and that has made all the difference.

Because Jesus took my sin, died, but didn’t stay dead, He invited me to a relationship with Him and He has covered all the costs! I must simply accept what He has already done.

Paul travelled all around the known world of his time seeking to let everyone know this simple, yet profound message. His message wasn’t very complicated:

You should turn from worthless things and turn to the Living God, who made heaven and earth and everything in them.  He left you with a lot of evidence of Himself and His goodness. For instance, He sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts. Acts 14

I think the same message still holds for us today. All God wants from us is for us to turn from the worthless things we spend our lives pursuing. He wants us to turn to Him and seek to know and understand Him and surrender our lives to His direction.

It’s simple. Not easy, but simple.

Often surrender involves progressive steps. We can’t wait till we are ‘perfect’ till we approach God – because we will NEVER be perfect. We just have to start where we are and turn and approach Him, ready to learn what He has already done for us and what He desires for us.

Day 7 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

The Critical Question

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Question marks Orang

Probably THE MOST SIGNIFICANT question we will ever consider is

Who is/was Jesus?

To be fair we also need to think carefully about where we will go to find the answer to this question.

Will we go to our friends, our peer group, people we feel comfortable with, and ask them what they think?

Will we go to books written by smart people? or funny people?

Will we allow the media to shape our answer to this question?

Will we go to our family or just follow in the tradition we’ve received?

If this is the most important question you could ever answer maybe it’s worth a little bit of work and effort. Maybe you need to consider carefully the source of information that impacts your answer.

I’m not providing any answers here. I just want to motivate you to begin an honest search.

Who do you think Jesus was?

Do you know who Jesus claimed to be?

 

Day 6 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

Best Invitation Ever

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sunriseGod shows no favoritism. In every culture He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right…

We can have peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Peter

John the Baptist appeared out of nowhere as a unique prophetic voice. He had a simple message: Repent from your sins. Turn to God.

In our crazy confused world, where everyone loves to make predictions, but no one comprehends the future, we all agree that evil is present and navigating life to happiness and success can be challenging.

There is nothing on earth that gives me too much hope. In fact, I keep finding out more and more information on the fearful state of our world: our health is under threat from all the toxic assault, large corporations put profit before health and operate with enormous freedom, masses of people are purposefully controlled and led by sinister forces, wars in places remote from me are complex and beyond my understanding – yet people are dying and arms manufacturers continue to profit. I could go on…

Despite the disturbing trends all around, I continue to find my hope in God. He alone has answers.

Approaching God is simple, just like the prophet John urged the people of his time: confess your sins. How have you participated in the evil rebellious world system? Are you ready to turn to God and seek His answers for every area of your life?

After Jesus was baptized a voice from heaven (yeah, spooky) said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy!”

When you become familiar with all that Jesus did and all that He said and you respond to Him with a huge YES, you will understand that the same joy God found in His Son, Jesus, He also finds in you. Imagine God speaking directly to you and about you:

_____________ (fill in your name)

You are My dearly loved child. You bring Me great JOY!

Love,

God, your Father

Some of the final words Jesus spoke to His followers after He rose from the dead:

I go to My Father AND your Father,

to My God and your God!

 

As the Father sent Me – I am sending you!

We are not alone. As Jesus was supported during His time on earth by His connection with God the Father, we are also supported. The power of God to fulfill His purposes is available to me – and to you!

How do you respond to John’s invitation to repent and turn to God?

 

Day 5 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

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

My Stabilizing Factor

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BibleI guess it might seen strange to some, but I read an ancient text daily and feel it brings calm, peace, wisdom and insight into many areas of my life. This has been my practice and my discipline for many years and I continue to see multiple benefits every day.

The Bible is actually a library of 66 books, written by approximately 44 authors over a period of about 1500 years. The 39 books of the Old Testament were composed between 1400 and 400 B.C., the 27 books of the New Testament between A.D. 50 and A.D. 100.

The Bible gives me the best explanation for sin, suffering, and death, the three biggest challenges we face during our life.

How much do you know about the Bible?

If you’ve never read it, it’s not really a book and therefore it isn’t always the best idea to start at the beginning and read through to the end – although many people certainly have tried that method.

I usually suggest that people start by reading the books describing Jesus’ life, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which you will find at the beginning of the section called New Testament.

I like to read from several different books at the same time, which gives a larger perspective on the work of God over time.

When the different manuscripts were written they were not divided into verses or chapters, but these were added later to make referencing the works easier. Many times I will read one chapter from a variety of books each day rather than reading large sections of one book.

However you approach reading the Bible, it is valuable and helpful. There are many parts that can be difficult to understand, but as with any ancient manuscript, repeated reading brings clarity.

I encourage you to read the Bible. You’ve probably heard many references to it over the years, but have you ever read it for yourself?

We all need more wisdom in our lives, James, the brother of Jesus, told us about wisdom:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

 

Day 3 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

Knowledge of God and Blessing

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bonding w babySometimes experiencing great blessing in our life can be harmful to our future and the future of our children.

The Lord told Moses to warn Joshua about the dangers of being too comfortable and too ‘blessed.’

For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors – a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. But they will begin to worship other gods; they will despise me and break my covenant. And when great disasters come down on them this song will stand as evidence against them, for it will never be forgotten by their descendants. I know the intentions of these people, even now before they have entered the land I swore to give them. Deut 31:20-21

God allows us free choice – even when he knows our choices are going to be bad for us.

If you live in the USA or most ‘western’ situations you are blessed. If you have access to the Internet you are abundantly blessed.

What will you do with the blessings you have been given? Will you thank God for them and acknowledge Him as the giver of all good things in your life?

Will you take them for granted; keep seeking more and more and more with no regard for who God is and what He might desire for you?

As you begin to see God as the source of blessing He will lead you to ever greater knowledge, information and truth. Truth about Himself and the world that He made.

We all get to choose how we respond to the blessings we have.

Day 2 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

Day 1: Does it make sense to seek Jesus in 2014?

My Foundation

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Heart birdsI heard someone I respect describing the brilliance of the “Infinite presence and benevolence” in a talk about health, particularly about detoxing our body and how amazing the body was at this function. The speaker was particularly awed by the fact that the body was capable of isolating and expelling chemicals that have only been developed in the last 50 years, demonstrating this “infinite presence” during the “evolutionary process.” Hearing this speaker, who shared a lot of practical, helpful information, made me want to describe what I believe about this “infinite presence and benevolence”!

I believe in a Creator and Designer who understands every intricate complexity of every system and every cell of every human body. He has COMPLETE understanding of the human brain – things modern scientists are just beginning to understand and figure out – my Designer knows it all!

cosmosThis awesome Creator not only understands humans, He comprehends every detail of all the planets, galaxies, space and beyond. In fact, He set them all in motion and understands the science of every aspect of how exactly they hang in their particular place, doing exactly what they do.

I sometimes get overwhelmed by technology and having to learn new devises or operating systems. There are sooooo many areas of life I just take on faith – the operation of a car, an airplane, architectural design, etc!  However, when I feel small in my abilities, I remember that my God knows the design and optimal operation of every single technical device or invention ever created by any man. He knows the content of every PhD thesis and every peer-reviewed scientific paper ever written AND He understands which parts are fact and which is false.

My Creator knows the function and intricacy of every cell, every nutrient, every chemical toxin, and all functions in the body contributing to health or illness. He has absolute power and is able to heal any illness. His powerful ability to heal was thoroughly documented by eye-witness accounts.

Other random facts that sometimes pop into my mind – my Creator knows every musical combination ever devised. He understands the harmonies and discord in the music of every culture on earth.

He knows every wise word ever conveyed and every deception ever perpetuated.

He is the Creator and author of all life; the giver of wisdom; healer; sustainer; matchless powerful energy and life source that I want to be connected with every day, every hour, every minute.

AvatarDo you remember the movie Avatar? The native humanoid “Na’vi” had neural links with the creatures they ride (dire horses and banshees) and have to plug into them via tentacle-like structures on their heads. These vital connections empowered them to perform great feats together. Seeing this movie (years ago) gave me a figurative picture of the type of creative infusion our Designer wants to have with us! This connection has to potential to be far more powerful than what the fictional Na’vi experienced!

The desire of my heart is to help others experience the reality of this vital connection with my awesome, powerful, benevolent CREATOR.

When you analyze your life with all its challenges and complexities, what else actually matters?

 

 

Perspective

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PerspectiveWhat are you doing today?

A simple question.

Yet every time I heard it for nearly a year I got a paralyzed feeling – ahhhh what am I doing today? Am I doing anything worthwhile or meaningful? Am I just goofing off? Am I being lazy? How can I possibly describe what I am doing today? Have I got anything planned yet? Am I just going to free-flow through my day? As a Stay At Home mom trying to get a business started, trying to figure out ways to produce some meaningful income, transitioning to having more time available, this questions would hit me hard as BIG CRITICISM!

So many thoughts and feelings would go coursing through my brain.

When actually, the question wasn’t a judgment about how I was spending my time at all. It was more accurately something like this:

“Are you doing anything that requires driving today, because, if not, I would like to take the ‘nicer to drive car.’ However, I prioritize you over me, so if you are driving anywhere at all, I would rather leave the ‘nicer to drive’ car for you.”

Wow. The day I figured that out it was a real revelation. Peace flooded my soul. I was not being judged and found wanting. I was being honored and cherished.

The way I figured it out was that the question always came right at the time he was going to select his keys from the ‘key tray.’ So he was asking himself which keys do I need today, therefore his question to me, ‘what are you doing today?”

I like to think of myself as sensitive and sharp. This shows HOW SLOW I really was to pick up on this. It took me nearly a year of this scenario playing out regularly before I finally put it together!

Perspective. Small words made into sentences or questions. HOW we hear them makes HUGE difference!