Be Happy, Be Healthy!

     If you don't like your life, why? Have you made choices that have put you somewhere you don't like? If you are an adult and you don't like you're life you are free to make changes. It may not happen overnight, but you can make it happen. Do you not like your job? Train for a different one, make it happen! People do it everyday, they take ownership of their life and their mistakes and they turn things around.
     Your problems may be physical ailments and may be irreversible, but most likely your choices have put you where you are. Even now you may still be poisoning yourself with toxic emotions or habits. A Massage Therapist learns in their training to be prepared that some clients may begin to cry when given a massage due to the way they wear their emotions on their physical bodies. In my studies for Massage Therapy I was first awakened to how we as people carry our hurts and disappointments on ourselves physically. It would have been difficult to believe if I had not experienced it myself, my first massage seemed to touch every hurt feeling that I had been trying to ignore over the years. A divorce, my father's passing, hurtful things said and done to me, all of those emotional experiences were carried as physical pain. Emotional burdens can bring real physical pain and illness to ourselves.
     People tend to not realize what a complicated creation God has put together in the human being. We are more than our thoughts, we are physical, emotional and spiritual. We are created in God's image, and that has to bring a lot of things with it that we as humans can't understand. Then add to it that we don't take time to consider much beyond what's right in front of our face and we take ourselves for granted.
     Physically~ If you take a class in Anatomy you begin to marvel at the miracle our bodies are. God has created such an amazing machinery in our bodies! Yet inevitably people choose to eat the wrong food, the wrong activities(or no activities), they neglect nutrition, hygiene, sleep and exercise and then wonder why their bodies aren't healthy anymore? Why do we ignore the fact that if we neglect ourselves, it will catch up with us? If our emotions and spirit are not being cared for correctly then our bodies will let us know there is a problem we need to deal with, it will be up to us to recognize which area the problem is in. If you want to be healthy do the things that make your body healthy, good nutrition, exercise and sleep. Seems like a simple recipe, doesn't it?
      Emotions(soul)~ Our emotions are a part of us involved with dealing with people and situations that we encounter, but if we don't have the other two parts of ourselves(physical and spiritual) in balance our emotions will definitely cause problems. If we are well rested and involved in a close walk with God we will not be on an emotional roller coaster. However if we've allowed our life to become unbalanced in any of the three areas, emotions are going to be the tale tell sign that something is wrong. We may be suffering emotional issues that life brings, but how we deal with them is going to contribute to how our emotions are doing. If we take a hurt and let bitterness grow then our emotions will not be clear of negative reactions to everything around us. Bitterness, Jealousy, Anger, the list goes on, however, if we bring these things to God, confessing them, giving Him our anger, our hurts, is the only way to escape without scars. If we hold onto them, they only fester and putrefy our emotional hearts, bringing physical pain and spiritual issues.
     Spiritual~ We are spiritual beings and that is the part that is too often neglected or left out of our plans. To be spiritually healthy we need to be walking in a close, loving relationship with our Father(Abba). There are many debates about what defines a close relationship with God and it's not my purpose here to tell you what is right. If you ask God, He will work in you to bring about His will(if you listen). When Lane and I started this path, Lane was lead immediately to begin a morning study time. I, however, didn't feel that I was required to do a morning study but during the day I was drawn to constantly have christian music playing, whether by radio or CD. God did speak to me through the music, and many times He spoke to me during a program I was listening to, or when I was praising Him. I used to have a really bad habit of turning the computer on first thing in the morning to check emails, but eventually He did lead me out of that habit and into a morning worship. He let me know that I should not turn the computer on before I had taken time to greet Him, to praise, pray and read. He let me know that I shouldn't put other things before Him as I start my day.
     If we don't take time to be with God, then our spirit will run dry, when our spirit runs dry we become fertile soil for bitter or angry roots. If we are walking with God daily then we will be in good spiritual shape and we are able to forgive others. We won't be so quick to take offense or be tempted to do anything contrary to His leading when our spirit is healthy.
    
     It makes sense then that we need to have all three parts of ourself in balance if we want to be healthy, happy, well functioning people. We can't overemphasis one area and expect it to carry over into the other two parts. Someone may be able to run 50 miles a day, but if they are not walking with God, they are not going to feel the joy that comes from a healthy, balanced life. People are lonely or dissatisfied when they don't have a close relationship with the Lord, they are always looking for something or somebody more. We don't always recognize the cause of the loneliness or dissatisfaction, but our spirit always wants to connect with Abba!
     If we are walking with God, then we need to know that He wants us to care for our bodies, the vessel that He has given us to navigate through this world. We are His workmanship, He made us, He wants us to take care of ourselves! Scripture is full of advice for the things that will make us healthy and the things that will make us sick, read it.  
     Don't feel that it's God's fault if you neglect your health, emotions, or spirit and then are faced with the consequences. It's common sense, if you drive against the laws in your area and run a red light and have a crash it's nobodies fault except your own. Take ownership of your choices. Turn it around! 
    
Physical~ Love yourself
Emotion~ Love others
Spiritual~ Love the Lord your God.
Be Happy, be Healthy!
   

Love~Integrity In Word~My Rant~

     Love is treated so casually any more, unfortunately in the United States we have limited ourself to love, like, dislike and hate. I truly wish we had the Greek words for love! Now we can love pizza, love a sport, love a city, love our children, love our spouse, but all we have is one word for it. When I hear the word "love" used so freely it irritates me! Do we need a measuring scale to rate love? Let's see, pizza is a 5, football is a 7, and our family is a 9 and God is ...hmm, some wouldn't even begin to put a level for their love of God. They know they "love" Him, but they LOVE so many things! They love their new car, they love Spring, they love the weekend, they love to go out to eat, they love vacations. Surely I've named at least one thing in here that you have claimed to love, what level do you love it?
     In the Ancient Greek language they had four distinct words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. What I would give to have such distinctions in the English language! But in our language we have given into slang that degenerates our society and degrades our intelligence. Now it's more popular to use terms given to us by a rap singer than it is to use words that actually have meanings. No wonder our society is losing sight of right and wrong, we can't even use words correctly! If we aren't able to converse intelligently how can we expect to be held to any standard? We aren't even able to articulate a standard.
     For those interested, the meaning of the words for love are:

Agape~is used in the biblical passage known as the "love chapter", 1 Corinthians 13 (Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails), and is described there and throughout the New Testament as sacrificial love. Agape is also used in ancient texts to denote feelings for one's children and the feelings for a spouse. However these days there are many that claim love for family and it probably fits more into a different category. Agape love would not divorce or neglect a loved one.

Eros~ is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "intimate love;" however, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the philia, love of friendship. It can also apply to dating relationships as well as marriage.  Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself.

Philia~ means friendship or affectionate love in modern Greek. It is a dispassionate virtuous love. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity. In ancient texts, philos denoted a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers.

Storge~ means "affection" in ancient and modern Greek. It is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring. Rarely used in ancient works, and then almost exclusively as a descriptor of relationships within the family. It is also known to express mere acceptance or putting up with situations, as in "loving" the tyrant.

   I would eros to have these in our vocabulary, I storge chocolate, I agape God, I eros Lane, I philia the United States! Next time I hear I love you, I may ask which of the four are you referring to? Statements of love given casually are usually closer to "I like you"(for now!). Consider that before you give statements of love yourself, be a person of integrity in speech and in deed.

**Definitions of Greek words are from non other than http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words_for_love **

MONUMENTAL a movie "experience"

(Posted by Lane)

Today, my love (Lorna) and I are going to take part in an event that is going to be the first of its kind that I know of. We are going to see a movie "experience" starring Kirk Cameron. I am not sure what to call it other than an experience.

It is called MONUMENTAL:In Search of America's National Treasure (link is to the official website).

From what I understand, it is a live event starring Kirk who is going to give a tour of monuments giving the true spiritual history of them. In addition - there will be a live concert along with interviews. He is going to be examining America's history.

We saw on facebook, that all over the country this is being sold out...from cities in CA to WI down to FL through OK to OH into NY down into TX and so forth. It is estimated that thousands all over the country are taking part. It will be fun, interesting and I believe a powerful night being among others who are Christians and God - Fearers. I am expecting not just a fun time on our date but an experience that will not soon be forgotten.

I do pray that this time stirs the hearts of the people all over America back towards the one true God and into a fellowship with Him through His son Jesus. Also, that the Holy Spirit moves like a mighty rushing wind bringing comfort and teaching that in America, God is God no matter what!

Don't be afraid!

     I was reading in "Fearless", a book by Max Lucado, this morning and a sentence jumped out at me and I felt I needed to share it here. "When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god."
     We are living in a time that the media's main news items always try to stir fear in our hearts. If they don't cause enough fear by informing us of the debt of our nation and the approaching financial collapse, then they bring in stories of foreign wars. Yes, all of these things are serious, but news stories these days don't attempt to just inform us, they attempt to slant our views or to stir up sympathies or "fears". (In high school I took a journalism course and truly felt the reporters job was to inform, not to create biases and create fear in people, but that's material for a different blog entry.)
     We are very willing subjects for this fear mentality, we seem to encourage fear in our own lives as well. If we can't be fearful enough in our own lives we amplify things by spending too much, we max out our credit cards, borrow more money and then go out to dinner to complain to each other of our "poverty state" (but we deserve it, right?) pushing us towards our own financial ruin. Next we wait until the last possible minute to leave to arrive at our destinations, causing us to drive too fast, having near wrecks and swearing at others that get in our way that may cause us to be late! Like it's their fault, nevermind that we could of left 10 or 15 minutes earlier but it definitely raises our adrenaline levels.
     So with the questions of will we have enough money?, will we be late for work?, will we get in trouble for our tardiness? will we get cancer from those cigarettes? will we destroy our health from eating too much sugar? fats? carbs? caffeine? non-organic? on and on the fear manufacturers go! And don't forget the terrorists, the illegal aliens, the national debt, the elections(we HAVE to get the right man in office! can't God use the wrong man?), where to park the money we don't have so it's safe from the falling stock market effects, rising crime, you name your fear. Maybe it's that your golf game will never be as good as it was 20 years ago?
     Then if our real lives aren't enough to produce your fear of choice, we have entertainment! If you go to a movie theater to try to find some entertainment, the current movie posters are all horrific stories of murder, savageness and betrayal. The few shows of uplifting moral tales are good money makers but for some reason the Hollywood crowd seems to prefer to produce stories that cater to the god of fear that we've crowned in our lives.
     I'm not saying that we shouldn't be informed of dangerous weather heading our way and take steps to protect our families or the things that God has blessed us with and I'm not saying that we shouldn't use wisdom in our food selections and exercise programs and I'm not saying that we shouldn't be concerned with who wins the next election for president of our nation. It is our duty to be informed, to campaign for our chosen candidate, if need be and to go place our votes.  I'm saying that as Jesus was able to calm the storm in Matthew 8:23-28 He is able to work with whoever is in office. He is able to calm ANY storm be it weather or political. In being informed and taking wise steps in our lives we should not let fear take root or be crowned as king in our lives. I for one don't want to be called a woman of "little faith"! I will work to protect my heart from fear and root out any that are harbored in my heart or spirit.

Matthew 8:23-27 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

     In his book Max Lucado shares that Jesus' most common command emerges from the "fear not" genre. The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives. Of these 21 urge us to "not be afraid" or "not fear" or "have courage" or "take heart" or "be of good cheer". The second most common command, to love God and neighbor, appears on only eight occasions..... The one statement he made more than any other was this: don't be afraid."
    

What Is Your Definition Of Idolatry?

     I'm reading my way through the New Testament. I started with the Book of  John and have worked my way to Thessalonians. I wanted to share something from Colossians though. The verse that caught my attention is 3:5-7.
     This verse shows a different meaning for "idolatry" than I would have given if someone asked me my understanding. After considering it now though, I think I understand. If we are giving way to "immorality, impurity, passion, evil, desire, and greed" we are letting ourselves take precedence before God. We become the "IDOL" that we're practicing idolatry with!     As Christians we do entertain a certain amount of freedom and grace, but to abuse God's grace and think we are free to continue following our own desires ahead of His puts us in disobedience to our Lord and sets us up to incur His wrath. May it never be!

Colossians 3:5-7 "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil, desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them."

News from Hummingbird Lake~March 23, 2012

     We attended a meeting at Christ Triumphant Church last night and received a message of "Breakthrough". Of course, being humans we're always happy to think of breakthroughs, that means we're moving ahead, right? Lane and I received the message and consider it as we do most messages. An important part of the message was that to have breakthrough we need to 1.) Hear God and 2.) Obey God's word, then we receive the breakthrough.
     Pastor Allen was bringing the word and he stressed a part of the process was to close old doors before new doors could be opened. In order to close the old doors we need to know that there is nothing in our past that we're holding onto, anything unforgiven or hurts that may cause a bitterness. We went through a physical step of going to a door, forgiving and blessing anything or anyone that may be in our past holding us back and then progressing to the next door and opening it through faith for the breakthrough we are looking for (physical healing, financial, personal, business, whatever area we are needing breakthrough in). Lane and I weren't aware of anything we were holding onto from the past, but sometimes our hearts can be deceptive so we went through the process, releasing everything to God, blessing everyone that may have hurt us in the past. We feel that we're really on the path that God has set for us, and moving along it as is His will.
     Whenever we leave a meeting we usually discuss what we heard and what spoke to us. After this meeting, we both agreed that we are where the Lord wants us currently. There seems to be doors opening for us and I'll create a separate post for that, but we feel that we have closed all of the old doors and are simply in a "holding pattern" until the time that God chooses to open the next door. Of course we get antsy sometimes and want the door opening in our timing, but what a mistake that would be! It brings to mind the idea of a butterfly that is brought out of it's cocoon too soon and it's wings are too weak to fly, how sad that would be. So, no, we'll wait right here between the closed door and the one yet to open and let our wings gain strength!

Conference at Christ Triumphant Church
with Kevin & Kathy Basconi
founders of King of Glory MinistriesInternational

New Food Habits~

I started a diet and have been having good success with it and along with losing weight, I'm feeling better. I told a loved one about this and wanted to break it down so it didn't seem overwhelming. I sent it to them in an email but then realized that I should use it for my blog too. So here it is, info about my eating habit?(not just a diet, because I plan to try to stay on this eating style). Also though, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I'm just a woman saying this is what is working for me~

My food list is meats:
**smoked turkey sliced at the deli, there are two kinds,
   one has MSG and the other
   doesn't, so I buy 1 pound without MSG, thin sliced
   (but not shaved) and separated in two bags, each
   with 1/2 pounds. last time I was there I also bought
**1/2 pound of sliced roast beef.
**eggs, cooked anyway~omelets work for dinner with bacon
   I keep some boiled in the fridge for times I get hungry
   and not enough time to fix something
**cheese, pretty much any kind, I mostly use cottage cheese
   string cheese(another quick rescue from hunger) and cheddar
**soup, (stewed tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli,
   green beans, mushrooms, Worcester sauce, onions,
   garlic, basil, salt and black powder, or your choice of
   spices) You can add beef(or your choice of meat) to
   this soup if you want or eat it plain. Lane has crackers
   with it, but I skip those(carbs!).
**Stevia for the sweetener(I even had some cottage cheese and
   sprinkled cocoa powder and stevia over it and called it a
   chocolate cheese cake~
I can also have pretty much any kind of meat, so we have a lot of bacon to go with the eggs.
     The smoked turkey I use for omelets or just warmed and with the eggs and some cheese sprinkled over it.. I also use it with a leaf of lettuce, washed and smeared with mayo, then lay the turkey in it and roll it up like a burrito. I've been using the beef for a roll too, I smear it with mayo, and put some Colby slivers in it and roll it up, pretty yummy. I bet it would be tasty with some herbs laid in with the cheese too. I'm finding that cauliflower is a good substitute when I want something crunchy or to replace potatoes in the soup. I usually liked potatoes to give it "body" but the cauliflower does that too.
     From what I've read fruit isn't really encouraged on a low carb diet, but I've been eating an orange every morning too, first I get up, have my coffee(I switched to decaf) with half and half and stevia, then when it's about gone I have an orange, then about an hour or less later I fix my eggs and bacon(unless I'm not really hungry yet) then mid day I have a bowl of soup, then mid afternoon some cheese or turkey or something on the list, then for dinner i like having the soup(last night I had egg drop soup). If i get to feeling like I want something sweet the crystal light pomegranate mix seems to take care of it. I think I've lost 9 pounds now! I guess my body finally kicked over to burning fat instead of being dependent on carbs. The first week or more was kind of tough, my body was not accepting the fact that it wasn't receiving ANY carbs! I was pretty tired, lethargic and foggy, of course, quitting caffeine contributed to this too.
     I've found some low carb recipes using coconut flour to bake with, when I can find some of it I'm going to give that a try too.

I'm writing all of this to encourage you! There are a lot of words, but it's really simple once you understand the things to include and the things to exclude. The main things to exclude are flour, potatoes and sugar, of course there are others, like carrots, bananas, beans(except green beans for some reason?), lunch meats, because of the chemicals in them(preservatives, etc) but if you get rid of the main culprits you'll start feeling better

What do you think? Maybe relevant? Malachi 3:7-12

Malachi 3:7-12
New Century Version (NCV)
7 Since the time of your ancestors, you have disobeyed my rules and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord All-Powerful.
"But you ask, 'How can we return?'
8 "Should a person rob God? But you are robbing me.
"You ask, 'How have we robbed you?'
"You have robbed me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops.9 So a curse is on you, because the whole nation has robbed me.10 Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord All-Powerful. "I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.11 I will stop the insects so they won't eat your crops. The grapes won't fall from your vines before they are ready to pick," says the Lord All-Powerful.12 "All the nations will call you blessed, because you will have a pleasant country," says the Lord All-Powerful.

     It's not just money that God is expecting from us, it's part of our lives. If we are wise, we will give Him ALL of our lives, all we are and all we have~

Open Heaven

     Lane and I listened to a short 10 minute sermon recently by Bill Johnson. The message I received from it has already started changing parts of my prayers, as I start praying I take time to recognize the open heaven over me and I thank God for it. Next I give my love and adoration to the Lord which flies straight to Him through the open heaven, no obstacles! Then I receive the glory that falls upon my shoulders and the grace He places in my heart. Just the simple fact of recognizing the open heaven over myself let's me recognize how close God is! It all sounds so simple and makes me wonder why I didn't have this understanding before, but my spirit has received it in a whole new way that gives me a wonder and a joy, what a great and loving God/Father we have! Here is a link if you would like to hear the message~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quqJaA2TPS4&feature=share