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Nature and Faith

Nature!

I love to spend time in nature.  It seems like there is an endless amount of lessons that can be seen through the observation of nature.  What is my favorite part of nature? It is hard for me to choose just one thing.

One thing that I have been thinking about lately is the colors in nature.  What would it have been like if God would have made the colors different than they are right now?   For example, what if the sky was red, the grass and trees were blue, and the branches and tree trunks were green.  Now, you may be thinking that’s crazy.  But the reality is that if God would have created it that way we would not have known any better.

I can’t imagine the sky red.  Just to think about it makes me feel totally on fire.  I mean red is not a relaxing color by any means and it just makes me feel anxious.  It seems that God has made the colors to reflect what He is and how He wants us to be.

Colors

Blue is a representation of the law of God.  And I love that our sky is blue because it makes me feel God’s protection.  We often think of the law as something bad.  I have to do this or that or I can’t do this or that.  But how do you want to be treated in life?  Do you want to have others steal from you or kill you?  To me, the law is a law of protection.  God loves us so much He wants to protect us from all the bad and evil.

I am grateful for God’s law of love.  He wants to have fellowship with us.  And not only does He want to have fellowship with us He also wants us to have fellowship with each other.

The law of God is all about love, love to Him, and love for those around us.  So when I look at the blue sky, it reminds me of love and God’s protective power.  And then there is the beautiful red that streaks the sky at sunset or sunrise.  It reminds me of the blood that Jesus shed, which brings me back to the love that, leads to wanting to obey His law.

Green is another lovely color that God has given us.  And as many know green is one of the most relaxing colors.  A lot of us know what it is like to go out in nature and sit amongst the green trees on the green grass.  The feeling I get when I do this is so relaxing.  The cares of the world seem to melt away.

Green

I think of green as a very significant color that God has given all around us.  He has made it one of the most prevalent colors around us, at least most of us.  I don’t think it is just because it is a relaxing color, although it plays a crucial role.  I think it is because green represents faith.  He is reminding us all around to have faith in Him.

What is the most relaxing thing that you can think of in this world today?  Well, for me, I think it is faith.  And without faith, it is impossible to please God (See Hebrews 11:6).  If we have total faith in God and His plan for our lives we can be the most relaxed people in this world, no matter what chaos is happening.  It sends chills up and down my spine when I think about it.  But I struggle to have this kind of faith.  Yet, God has given us so much to remind us what He wants for our lives, a life of rest and peace.

What is faith?

If without faith it is impossible to please God then we better know all about it right?  “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1.  Here is how the Revised Standard Version states this verse, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

I looked up some things on faith and what it means and here is a summary of what I found.  Faith is an assurance or belief in something, and also a conviction of whatever truth we believe in.  I can have faith that when I sit down in a chair it is going to hold me up.  Most of us never even think about it or fear before we sit down, we just sit down.  Because our belief is so strong in the creator of that chair, the fact is, we don’t even think about it.  And believe it or not, we don’t even know the creator of that chair.

What makes us believe a chair is going to hold us up?  Maybe we trust the place we bought it from, the reputation a company has, other people reviews of the product, etc.  I don’t even know if I have given it much thought of why I have faith in a chair to hold me up.  And there are many more things we have faith in every day, our cars, that our house will stay standing, or the building we work at has been built to continuing standing, that most people are competent drivers so that we don’t shake in our boots every time we go out on the road, how about an airplane, etc.  I could go on and on.

So how does this play into our faith in God?  It is kind of silly when you think about it.  Why would we trust a chair, car, or airplane manufacturer that we don’t know or even investigated but we won’t trust a God who loves us?  He has given all this green around us to say, “Trust Me!  Have faith in the plan that I have for your life, even though you don’t understand or know why just trust me.”  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding” Proverbs 3:5.

It is so…

Why is it so hard to have faith in a God who loves us with an everlasting love and yet we have faith in a chair, car, airplane, etc?  I think that this is a question that we need to chew on.  I know I do!  Believe me, as I write these things I am talking to myself.  When we go to buy a chair or even food for that matter, do we question whether it is safe?  Do we investigate the company to see if we can have faith that what I am buying is safe?  I can say for the most part I don’t.

How many of you order online?  When I order online I will often look at reviews.  But even those are not always helpful.  As a matter of fact, reviews can be downright discouraging.  And why is that?  Because you get these people that say how wonderful the product is and then there can be a small percentage that just is downright cruel about the product.  We have all see them.

The same can be true with Christians.  If we were to look at people’s reviews on Christianity we would get the same thing.  Some have had a great experience and some have not.  So how do we know?  When it comes to buying something the best way to know is to experience it yourself.  Even with reviews, you need to read between the lines.  Why don’t they like it?  Is it because it is not what they were expecting or wanted or was it because something was wrong with it?  Some would say that if the majority thinks it is good then it probably is safe to buy it.

Majority

When it comes to our choices with God should we seek the majority reviews about God?  Is there safety in the opinions of the majority?  Or is it safe to make our decisions based on what we see in other “Christian’s ” lives?  I would say not.  Just because a person claims to be Christian does not mean that they are truly like Christ.  True love gives everyone the freedom to choose whether they want God in their lives or not and whether they want to obey His laws.

Even though nature is marred by sin, it obeys God’s laws.  We are marred with sin as well but we can choose to obey God’s laws.  We can choose to have faith in His Word and the promises that He has given us.  He has given us so much evidence that He loves us.  Why is it so hard for us?  I can speak for myself, I am so much happier in my life when I have faith to lay my life in His hands. Trying to do everything on our own is such a miserable life, why do we choose it?

Look to Jesus

Why shouldn’t we look to people for our guide?  We are all sinners and make mistakes in our judgment, so there is no safety there.  The example that God gave us in Jesus Christ is the only perfect example for us to follow.  So the safest place for us to keep our eyes is on Jesus.  Read about His life, study His life, and then allow Him to emulate His life in you.

Every day as you see the green of the grass and trees bring to mind the faith that you can have in the One that is the most trustworthy.  God has put so much green around us to help us remember.  But often we pass by it all and don’t even see what He has to offer us.  God has put nature around us to remind us of Him and His power to save us to the uttermost if we come unto Him by Jesus, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for us (See Hebrews 7:25).

What is our part?  Our part is to choose Him.  When we are studying His Word and we learn His ways we choose His ways but He does the work to change our lives.  Nature obeys God but it is God’s power that makes nature grow, makes the rain to fall, or the sun to rise, etc. (See Ps. 147:8, 16-19, Matt. 5:45).  And as we choose Him and His ways God will make the seed of truth to grow in our hearts and He will make us more like Him.  He will change our hearts.

Dear Father,

Thank You for giving us the beautiful things of nature to remind us of Your power and love for us.  Help us to see that full faith in You and the plans You have for our lives is the safest and happiest place that we can be.  You are the One that can help us choose You and make us like You.  Help us in the choosing process today.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Have faith and trust in God today!  You won’t regret it!

Have you had faith in God through a tough situation and God came through for you amazingly?  I would love to hear your story.  Share below in the comments.

 

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“Can You be Toxic Spiritually?” Part 10

Toxic?

The truth of the matter is we are bombarded every day with so many things that are toxic to our spiritual lives.  Even if we are striving to live a clean non-toxic life we are bombarded with ungodly music, advertising, food, people, emotional stress, etc.  You might be saying, “Food, what do you mean.  How can food be toxic to my spiritual life?”  I will get to that question in a few minutes.

There are so many spiritual toxins that we may not be able to control.  Every time we go shopping we cannot control what we hear, music is everywhere.  We may even have music to contend with at work and it may not be the kind of music that brings health to our spiritual lives.  And then there are people.  Can people be toxic?  Yes, they can!!  But we can’t always control what people we are around.  It could be someone at work or it may be someone right in your own home.

What can we do?

“Breathing” (prayer) is a key component.  For more details on this component read part 6.  Just like we need to have fresh air breathed into our lungs to deal with toxins in the body we need “fresh” prayer to deal with our spiritual toxins.  We can’t expect to do a quick prayer in the morning and maybe a short prayer at night and expect that to deal with the problem.  We should naturally be “breathing” (prayer) throughout the day.  What would happen physically if you stopped breathing?  I will take a big breath in the morning and I will be fine throughout the day.  Breathing once a day doesn’t work and neither does praying once a day.  Prayer is just as important as breathing.

What we “eat” spiritually can also affect the toxicity within our spiritual lives. Read part 2 for more details on this subject.   We need to be careful about what we take in.  We know that we can be safe with God’s Word.  But even then we need to be sure that we are being “washed” with “soap” (Holy Spirit).  Just like we need to wash the wonderful foods that God has given us to get rid of any toxins that may be present, we need to be “washed” by the Holy Spirit to get rid of any “toxins” that may be present.

You may be asking, “Are you saying the Bible has the wrong things in it?”  My answer is no.  But without the Holy Spirit, we can get toxic ideas that are really not good food.  So the good food of God’s Word can become toxic without the direction of the Holy Spirit.  We also need discernment about any other books that we read, other than the Bible.  There are a lot of spiritual books we can read but we need to make sure they are not toxic to our spiritual growth.  They need to be in line with God’s principles laid out in His Word.

The rest we get…

The rest we get physically is very important.  But the rest spiritually is just as valuable and important.  They are really both intertwined.  Lack of physical rest affects our spiritual rest and lack of spiritual rest affects our physical rest.  How many times have you stayed awake at night because you are not spiritually resting?  If we are not resting in Christ our spiritual lives will become very toxic.  We have to be doing all the foundational things that I have talked about above in order for us to have that spiritual rest.

Exercise is another aspect that helps in eliminating our physical toxic load.  The same is true in our spiritual lives.  As we exercise our spiritual muscles with memorizing God’s Word it will help reduce our toxic load.  It will also help us rest in Christ.  We will have the help we need for us to rest physically as well as spiritually.  I have been awake at night struggling with worry.  I have found that as I pray and dwell upon Scriptures that I have memorized I go to sleep and have a peaceful rest.  It can also help you resist temptations that will bring more toxins into your life.

Emotional stress…

Emotional stress seems to be more powerful than anything.  Because it doesn’t matter what you are going through it affects you emotionally.  Emotional stress can be the biggest toxic load to our spiritual lives.  I believe that our moral character is made up of two things, thoughts, and feelings.  Our thoughts affect our feelings and our feelings dictate how we respond.  So one of the big things we need to control is our thoughts because that is where things begin.  “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:…” Proverbs 7:7.

We need to control our thoughts.  Now, this is way easier said than done.  And that is where memorizing scriptures and prayer come in handy.  It is like anything in life.  If you want to do something you learn how to do it and then you do it.  Take any career.  You go to school or someone trains you into a position.  If you don’t work in the area that you have been trained you start to lose the ability to do it.

I know that prayer and memorizing God’s Word are keys to keeping my thoughts where they should be.  But knowing it does not accomplish it.  Doing is what brings about success.  It will be a challenge at first just like it is in any career.  But when you do it every day it suddenly becomes a habit and you tend to do it without even thinking about it.

We need to flood our bodies…

Just like we need to flood our physical bodies with water to help get the toxins flushed out we need to flush out our spiritual lives with God’s Word.  “…Christ…loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” Ephesians 5:25-27.”

God’s Word is like water washing out the toxins in our lives.  Drink from it daily and not just in the morning.  If you were to drink only a glass of water in the morning and not drink anymore the rest of the day you would become dehydrated.  It would affect your body in so many ways.  The toxins would buildup, your brain would not function as it should, and you would be all together sluggish.  You might be able to get by for a little while but your health would fail.  The same is true with our spiritual lives.  This is one of the reasons why it is so important to memorize God’s Word so you can drink it in several times a day.

What about…

What about the cleaners in our homes?  Now in my last writing, I talked about ridding our homes of the toxic things that we use physically, like cleaners.  How does this apply spiritual speaking?  If the washing of God’s Word cleanses are there other things that we use in its place to “cleanse” us, maybe to get our thoughts on something else besides our problem we may be facing.

We want to cleanse our minds of the toxic thoughts that we are having.  But do you use God’s Word or are we browsing Facebook, watching YouTube clips, movies, music, religious DVD’s, etc?  In and of themselves these may not be bad but can they become toxic in our lives along with many other things.  If they are robbing our time from doing those things God would have us to do, spend time with Him, family, homeless, widowed, helping others, etc., then they are getting in the way.  There are some things that we need to totally eliminate and others refine how we use them so that they don’t control our lives.

I am grateful for all the options for us to keep spiritually healthy.  God has given us His Word as our guide.  Another guide that has so many lessons for us is nature.  The health that we can gain spiritually as well as physically is profound.  It doesn’t matter what time of year it is there are lessons for us to learn through nature.

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your Word.  I give You thanks for the nature You have provided for our enjoyment as well as for great lessons that can empty us of the spiritual toxins within our lives.  Lord, show us those things that are toxic to our spiritual lives and help us to eliminate them.  Prompt our hearts to fill stay in Your Word and allow Your word to wash us clean from all the toxins of this world.  The worldly toxins are all around us Lord and we need Your help to guide us.  Convict our hearts and keep us in Your will as we surrender to You.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Cleanse your life of all those things that are toxic to your spiritual life.

Love you all.

Is there a blessing you can share of something you eliminated from your life that helped you spiritually.  Please share below.  If you feel uncomfortable sharing publicly feel free to email me.  I would love to hear your story.

This is part 10 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I have shared with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I have shared has not been exhaustive, I have been sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 9 I talked about the toxic products that we use in our home every day and things that we can eliminate to maintain healthy immune function.  This concludes this series on how to maintain healthy immune function both physically and spiritually.  I pray that you have gained a blessing.  And as you make changes in both your physical and spiritual lives I pray that you will be drawn closer to Jesus and be ready for His soon coming.

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“Reduce Your Bodies Toxic Load” Part 9

Toxic?

The fact is we are bombarded each day with so many things that are toxic to our bodies.  Even if we are eating the best foods, clean of all the chemicals and pesticides, there are more chemicals that we are bombarded with each day other than just in our foods.

There are so many toxins that we can’t even control.  Every time we walk out our door and breathe the air we are being filled with toxins.  We even get it in our homes, from furniture too, carpeting, cleaners, clothes, and just the structure of our homes.  It is like how can we get away from it.  The reality is we cannot get away from it all but we can control as much as possible to give our bodies less to fight off.

What can I do?

I cannot exhaust everything that can make the difference in this writing but I am going to share what I can.  In part 5 I talked to you about the importance of breathing and how important it is to our health.  Even though we can’t get away from all the toxins in the air there are areas that are less toxic.  If you have the privilege of living in the country, rather than the city, the air is fresher.  There is a lot more of God’s green creation that helps to purify the air, like the trees.  You can also help to purify your home with having plants that give off oxygen for us.  I also love to bring in the outdoors by diffusing essential oils.  There are different ones that kill off bad bacteria that is in the air.  My favorite is a Protective Blend.

What we eat can also be a factor in ridding our body of toxins.  There is so much of our food today that is full of toxic substances.  The more we stay away from processed foods the better.  But even the fresh foods that God has given us to eat are covered with toxins.  The more we can eat organic and non-GMO foods the better.  And it is best to wash all our fruits and veggies with soap to get rid of what we can of the bad bacteria.

I make up a foaming wash that I use that works great not only for washing fruits and veggies but also to wash my hands.  I take a 10-12 ounce foamer and put around 2 T. of Dr. Bronners Castile non-scented liquid soap in and then add 3-4 drops of Protective Blend.  Then I fill the rest with water and I have a great fruit and veggie wash.

The rest we get…

The rest we get is very important when it comes to reducing our toxic load as well.  In part 7 of this series, I went into more depth about getting good rest and the benefits of it.  But in short, it also helps our bodies to deal with the toxic load.  And if we are not doing all things that help with the toxic load our bodies get to the point that they can’t take it anymore and they become very sick.  For more details what sleep does and how you can get more rest make sure to read part 7.

We also need to be exercising.  Exercise keeps our blood moving through more quickly so that the impurities are filtered out.  And also when we get moving it we start to sweat and actually sweat out toxins.  Our body systems work together and we need to be doing all we can to support all our body systems.

Emotional stress…

Emotional stress is very toxic to the body.  We have to learn how to reduce our emotional stress.  All the things I mentioned above will really help with our emotional toxicity but there are other things that also will help in this area.  I will be diving into this more in part 10 in this series so stay tuned.

We need to flood our bodies…

We also need to flood our bodies with water.  Now you can over drink water but on the majority, we do not have trouble with too much water in our society.  I hate to break it to you but coffee, sodas, or any other drink other than water does not work.  Imagine trying to wash your dishes with any other substance other than water.  They would not be clean.  The same is true of our bodies.  We need water to keep our bodies clean and cleansed of the toxins.

It is easy to figure out the minimum amount of water you should drink each day.  Just take your weight and divide it by two and drink that in ounces.  So if you way 150 you would drink 75 ounces a day which is around 9-10 cups of water.  Now for me, I drink more than the minimum.

Some people have a really hard time drinking water.  There are some little tricks that you can do that can help.  You not only help you get rid of the toxins but also give some flavor to your water.  Some people like to squeeze fresh lemon or lime in their water.  Now I am not talking about lemonade, just the pure lemon.  What I like to do is add a few drops of essential oil like Lemon, Lime, Wild Orange, etc.  It gives some flavor and helps detox me at the same time.

You might be saying, “I thought you just said not to add anything to your water.”  I did say that but it depends on what you add.  Essential oils like Lemon are actually added to many cleaning products such as dish soap.  If it can help detox my dishes it can detox me.  I am sorry coffee, soda, etc do not detox our dishes or our bodies.  There is a warning with this.  Not all essential oils are created equal so be careful which ones you choose to put on your body or take internally.  Purity is the key!  And even if you put it on your skin you are taking it into your body.

What about…

What about cleaners that are in our home?  Can they be toxic to us and cause our bodies to become toxic?  Absolutely!  That is why have made a big change in my cleaning products.  It has been a process.  But it has been so worth it.  I have tried different “healthy” laundry soaps and even though the smell is better than the ones you buy in the store, what I use now is even better for me.

And what I do for my dryer is wool balls with drops of my favorite essential oil on them.  You can change it up now and then with different ones.  I also have changed to a multi-purpose concentrated cleaner that I can mix up in different ways for different cleaning needs.  Also, there are DIY’s that I have used or want to try for the toilet, shower, sinks, etc.  My body handles these so much better.

And then there are the things that we put on our bodies like deodorants, lotions, soaps, shampoos, teeth, etc.  To have a healthy deodorant is a must. Using the deodorants that are antiperspirants is very unhealthy.  You want to the toxins to come out not be left in your body.  I have never used an antiperspirant but I have struggled with finding a healthy deodorant that actually works.  But now I have one and it is naturally infused with essential oils.  There is also an option for people who can’t use baking soda for absorbance.

I have changed my toothpaste to a natural one that does not have fluoride.  I love it and it has been a miracle for my mom.  She had been dealing with receding gum issues but the dentist told her that her gums are now reattaching.  I am so grateful!

I have also changed my shampoo and conditioner and what I actually put on my hair.  There are so many toxins in hair products and it goes right into your body.  It makes me cringe to think about it because it goes right into your brain.

What about perfumes? There are so many options with essential oils with DIY recipes for perfumes and it is way healthier for your body.  You will smell great and the oils are a blessing to your body.  Depending on which oils you use they can be relaxing during a stressful time at work, give you energy when you need a boost, etc.  I have several blends of oils that I get to use as a perfume.  One of my favorite essential oil blends for perfume is Hope.  I love the smell.  But another reason I love it is that the proceeds help support organizations like Operation Underground Railroad that are fighting against sex trafficking worldwide.

Lotions are another area of so many toxins.  I love the lotion that I use now because it has no scent.  Whenever I use some lotion I can choose to leave it with no scent or I can add one of my favorite essential oils to it.  For me, I love it when I know that I am using things that do not fill my body with toxins.

I am so grateful for the options that we now have to keep us healthier.  If we want to support healthy immune function we do need to make the appropriate changes in order to accomplish our goal.

Dear Father,

Thank You that You have ways for us to stay healthier.  It can be hard to follow a plan that is healthier for us.  Please give us the courage and the strength to make the changes that will make us healthier.  It can be more expensive for us to make those changes but Lord I have found that as I follow your plan for a healthier lifestyle You always come through with the blessings I need to accomplish my goal to be healthier.  Thank You for leading and guiding in each our lives.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Start out making some changes today in your toxic load.  Just take it a step and a time and you will get there.

Love you all.

What changes have you already made in your life to eliminate your toxic load?  Share in the comments.

This is part 9 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 8 I talked about the rest that can bring complete rest and how it helps us maintain healthy spiritual immune function.  Coming up in part 10 I will be talking about toxic load when it comes to our spiritual lives.  Toxic things bombard us each day that can affect our spiritual lives.  What can we do to help reduce toxic load so that we can “Maintain Healthy Spiritual Immune Function?”  Stay tuned!

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“The Rest That Can Bring Complete Rest!!” Part 8

Rest?

Yes, rest!  There is a rest that can give you the most out of each day and out of each night sleep.  And this rest goes beyond just relaxing.  The fact is we can do all the right things for our bodies to be healthy, eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep, etc, but if we do not learn how to deal with the stresses of everyday life it will affect our immune systems and ultimately our health.

The question is how can we get rid of our stresses.  We are bombarded with different stresses every day.  But I believe there are some stresses that we can eliminate.  I don’t know what those might be for you.  Maybe you have a very stressful job that you need to eliminate.  How about the news, maybe you need to eliminate it.  There are always some things that we can control.  We are bombarded with so many negative things that bring stress and we don’t need to fill our minds with those things.

But the question is what about the things we can’t eliminate.  At that point, it boils down to trust. And I am talking about trust in Whom, not what.  I am not talking about trusting in you, that is the worst kind of stress you can bring on yourself.  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give your REST.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find REST unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30.  Now there is some serious rest.  We need to be yoked up with Christ.  As we lay our burdens on Him, He will carry them for us.   And we need to trust Him with our burdens and quit taking them back.

While Resting

There is a difference between physical sleep and the rest that Jesus wants to give us.  We should sleep a certain amount of hours every 24 hours.  But resting in Christ should be 24/7.  There are so many things that take place when we are resting in Christ.

The growth that takes place in our spiritual life is best accomplished when we are resting.  As we rest in Christ in all circumstances healing begins to take place in our spiritual life.  The toxins of our past begin to evaporate and repairs take place.

Now we can’t just rest in Jesus.  We need to be doing all the foundational things that I have already talked about in previous writings.  We need to be feeding ourselves wholesome spiritual food, reading God’s Word being the best option.  Exercising our spiritual muscles by memorizing God’s Word helps us in time of temptation, especially when we are struggling with resting in Christ.  And most of all, we need to make sure that we are “breathing deeply” (praying).  These are foundational for getting the rest we need in Christ.

Our spiritual immune systems can’t even begin to keep up with the toxins of this world.  And the repairs, if we are bombarding our spiritual life with things that our poisons to us, will never be accomplished.  We can’t avoid or control everything we are subjected to every day in this world but we need to control what we can.  Evaluate your life and make sure that you are not poisoning your spiritual life with the choices that you are making.  We can’t get proper spiritual rest when we are filled with toxins and poisons.

Preparing for proper rest

It is so important what we put into our spiritual life.  And we are not going to be able to rest properly if we are putting in the wrong things.  Just like it is good to eliminate bad foods for our physical health, we need to eliminate bad reading material.  We should not be filling our minds with things that do not uplift us spiritually or draw us away from God.  Most of us know deep within our hearts that we cannot have proper spiritual rest if we filling our minds with ungodly things.

There is another factor that can affect our spiritual health and whether we can rest properly.  How much time do you spend in God’s Word compared to other material?  There are many wonderful foods that we can eat for our physical body.  But when we eat too much at night too close to going to bed it affects whether we get proper rest.  I believe it works the same for our spiritual life.

There are many writings out there that are good and wholesome.  But as we are approaching “night” (Christ coming) we need to make sure that we are “eating” less of the good wholesome writings and more of God’s Word if we are going to be able to have proper rest through the darkness of night.  We need to know God’s Word so well that when we no longer have it to read it will be hidden in our hearts to bring us through the night in restful peace.

More Factors

For proper physical sleep, we need to have a room that is void of all artificial light so that we have total darkness.  But for proper spiritual rest, we need something a little different.  We do need to have our lives void of any “artificial light”.  But we do not want any darkness in our spiritual lives.  Proper rest for our spiritual lives we need to be void of all “artificial light” and filled with the light that comes from God.  God’s light will shine in all the corners of our lives and sees all the dark corners that need to be eliminated with His truth.  And when we are filled with His light we get the proper spiritual rest we need.

Now some people may think I am crazy on this next point but I have seen the results in my own life.  There are studies that show that we have to be off our electronics 1-2 hours before going to bed to get proper rest.  It is best if you are going to read before going to bed to read an actual book.  I believe this it is true spiritually as well.  Now don’t get me wrong I think electronics have helped us in many ways when it comes to studying God’s Word, in one sense.  But I also believe it has been a hindrance.

I thought it was really great when I got a smartphone.  I could carry my Bible with me everywhere.  But I started to use it all the time instead of opening up my Bible.  What I found started to happen is that when I did pick up my Bible I couldn’t remember where to find the books of the Bible.  As “night” is drawing near, I think we need to be more in the Word in its natural state.  There is something about picking up that sacred Book and holding it in our hands and actually reading from its pages.  I believe we can rest better.  What screens do to our brain compared to just picking up a book is profound.  We can rest better physically as well as spiritually if we pick up the actual books and read them.

Helpers

God has given us things in nature that we can do that can help calm us or relax us so that we can get good physical rest but what about spiritual rest.  What are the helpers that we can use?

Believe it or not when our bodies are in the physical condition that God would have us to be in it actually helps us with our spiritual rest as well.  So it is very important for us to be following God’s health plan.  And even if we are eating all the things that God has made for us to eat but there is one of those food items that our body can’t handle we need to eliminate it.  We live in a degenerate world.  And because of that some of us may have sensitivities to some foods that we need to eliminate.  When we feel good physically it is amazing how much that affects our spiritual life.  And the same is true when our spiritual life is where it should be it affects our physical life.

Resting in Christ is really a choice.  No one can force us.  And it takes faith in the One Who created us, trusting that He knows what is best for us.  “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” 1Peter 5:7.

Reading the promises that God has for us can be a helper in resting in Him.  A really good book in the Bible to use for this is Proverbs.  The great thing about Proverbs is that it has 31 chapters.  Now take that book and read one chapter each day of the month, matching up the day of the month with the chapter.  Some months you will just read through 30 chapters and other months 31 chapters.  You can either read it just before going to bed or in the morning.  Better yet read the chapter twice in the day, once in the morning and once before going to bed.  After a while, you will have the book of Proverbs memorized.  Proverbs is full of wisdom, instruction, and comfort.

Getting out in God’s nature can help us rest in Him.  When we see the birds of the air and how they are filled with joy we see God at work.  Look at the flowers and how beautiful God has made them and how they still give off their beauty even in a storm.  Nature is God’s remedy for our physical as well as our spiritual lives.

Dear Father,

Thank You for being there for us.  And for being Someone we can rely on in every situation.  Thank You that we can rest in You if we so choose.  You are the only One that can give us rest.

Thank You for Your patience with us.  Continue to guide us through our lives.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

No matter what your circumstances give all to Christ and let Him carry it.  You can find rest in Him only when you realize Your weakness without Him.

What do you do that helps you rest in Christ?  Please share below.

This is part 8 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 7 I talked about how important proper physical rest is and how it helps us maintain healthy immune function.  Coming up in part 9 I will be talking about toxic load.  We are bombarded with toxins every day and our bodies can become overwhelmed.  What can we do to help reduce toxic load so that we can “Maintain Healthy Immune Function”?  Stay tuned!

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“Time to Rest? What is True Rest?” Part 7

Rest?

What does it really mean to rest?  Is it just about how much sleep we get?  I believe that it goes much deeper than just sleep.  We might go to bed at night but what is our quality of sleep?  There are a lot of factors that come into play.

How much sleep should we really get?  And how can we get the best quality sleep?  I know that there are mornings I get up and I might have slept but I do not feel rested.  If we are not having the sleep and real rest we need it can affect our health dramatically.

As far as how much sleep we need it is different for each individual.  Those who are young and older need to get more hours of sleep.  Also, those who are sick or have a weakened immune system also require more sleep.  There are some basic guidelines that a person can look at and then they can also individualize them.  You can sleep too little and be tired and also sleep too much and be tired.  Oversleeping is not healthy either.

While Sleeping

There are many changes that take place while we are sleeping.   For children, they actually grow while they are sleeping.  Although they are growing all the time it seems that they actually grow more at night while they are sleeping.  It gives the body a chance to work more when the child is asleep.

Our body also restores and repairs itself while we are sleeping.  During this process, it is actually detoxing our bodies so that our immune systems are being built up to be ready for the next day’s threats.

Now if we are not doing the foundational things that I have already been talking about in the previous writings in this series it will affect our sleep.  We need to be eating healthy, making sure we get exercise and doing some other factors that will be talking later in this series that will affect our sleep.  Our immune systems can’t even begin to keep up with the toxins and the repairs each night if we are bombarding our body with things that our poisons to us.  We can’t control everything our bodies are subjected to but we need to control what we can.

Preparing for Sleep

There are things that you can do that will help prepare you for a good night of sleep.  Most people in our society today eat their biggest meal in the evening.  They are usually having harder to digest foods as well as eating late.  Then they go to bed in the hope to get a good night of sleep.  But the reality is that your body has to work so hard at digesting the food that it is definitely not a restful sleep.  And on top of it you’re not burning all the calories that you just ate because you are sleeping, therefore, it turns to fat.

The best thing to do is to make your supper meal the smallest and easiest to digest meal of the day.  And to make sure it is eaten several hours before you go to bed so that most of the digesting is completed.  This seems like a really hard thing to do but if you schedule your day and plan things out it is possible.  I know traditions are hard to break.  But keeping our immune systems healthy is so important.  Ask those that haven’t cared and have gotten really sick with something really serious.  Suddenly at that point, the changes that we needed to make seem very important but it could be too late.

More Factors

It is really important that your bedroom is really dark.  There should be no artificial light, like clocks or chargers.  Remove anything from your bedroom that lets off a light.  Any kind of light affects your sleep pattern which can affect how restful of a sleep that you get.  When there is light, when we should not have a light, it affects our circadian rhythm.  Thus we do not get a restful sleep and we do not have the best day either.  So make sure to remove everything that is producing an artificial light from your room.  If you are in an area where it is light a lot of hours in 24 it would be good to get blackout curtains so that your room can be completely dark.

The last factor that I am going to talk about in this writing is electronics.  The lights from our electronics affect our sleep.  The lights keep us stimulated.  I know that a lot of the devices now have a different color of light going into the evening to help with this issue.  But even that is not full proof.  And then there is the television as well.  The best thing to do is put away those devices at least 1 hour before going to bed but 2 hours would even be better.  You might be thinking, “I can’t do that.  How am I going to watch anything in the evening or keep in contact with my family and friends?”

Here is my suggestion.  Spend time with your spouse or family.  Because I hate to break it to you but watching something is not spending time with your spouse or family.  Do some things that are interactive.  Read together, play a board game, take an evening walk, etc.  There are endless things that you can do which involve more communication, which will draw your family closer together.  Reading (a real book, not on your electronics) before going to bed can get you into the sleeping mood as well.

Helpers

Some people really struggle with calming down at night.  And they may have some imbalances.  I have found some things that have helped me in the process.  God has given us things in nature that can help in the relaxing process.  Taking a stroll in the outdoors in the evening can be calming.  Just being out in nature is relaxing.  If you live in the city this may be a little difficult but give it a try.

I have also found some products that really help me.  Valerian root taken in a capsule can be very relaxing if taken an hour before bed.  Also, if you have the time you can get in a warm bath with 1 cup of Epson salts along with 20 drops of relaxing essential oil like lavender.  Another thing that I like to do is diffuse some essential oils by my bed; my favorite is a Restful Blend.  I put a drop on each foot of Restful Blend and Vetiver essential oil.  The oils help get me relaxed and ready for a good night of sleep.  I feel more rested in the morning.

Another thing that I have found to be helpful if I do it, is thinking about a Bible verse as I lay in bed.  Instead of thinking over the things of the day and maybe worrying about the things coming tomorrow I can think of promises and pray.  I can say I never make it through my prayer.  Even when I wake in the middle of the night, praying helps me go back to sleep more quickly.  So instead of counting sheep spend time praying for others.

Dear Father,

Our need for good sleep is very necessary for us to have a good healthy immune system.  As we make a commitment to get the rest we need You to help us follow through.  Thank You for giving us such amazing bodies.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Commit to getting more rest today.  Your life depends on it.

Love you all!

What do you do to help you relax before going to bed?

This is part 7 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 6 I talked about how prayer is the breath of the soul and how it helps us maintain healthy spiritual immune function.  Coming up in part 8 I will be talking about another kind of rest and how it helps maintain healthy spiritual immune function.  Stay tuned!

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“Prayer, The Key That Unlocks?” Part 6

Breathing!

In my last blog, I talked about the importance of breathing.  And you may be thinking what does breathing for our physical life have to do with prayer.  I believe that prayer is just as important in keeping our spiritual body alive as it is for breathing to keep our physical body alive. And both are intertwined.

I remember the day that I woke up and I felt so depressed I didn’t want to get out of bed and I did not.  It is hard to even explain the feeling I felt.  And you might be thinking, “You can’t go by your feelings.”  There is truth to that but I can say only those who have dealt with deep depression can begin to understand.  It is something that is out of your control.  Believe me, it was one of the most devastating times of my life.  It is like being in prison and unable to get out.  The panic is unbelievable.  I couldn’t “breathe” (pray) and I felt the life draining out of me and I couldn’t stop it.  I would try to “breathe” (pray) but my “throat” was closing up and I was suffocating.

Thankfully I had a friend that had been through a time in her life with deep depression.  She was someone who understood and would encourage me.  My friend got me a little journal.  She told me that every time I would read something in God’s Word or something would happen that was encouraging to me that I should write it down so I could look at it again and again when needed.  To be honest, I was seeing nothing in God’s Word that was an encouragement, all I could see is condemnation.  I even read the story of the prodigal son and I could not see the love of God.  But I kept being persistent.  I didn’t read my Bible every day but I would try to keep picking it up and reading now and then.

This went on for weeks and weeks.  Then one day I read a verse that actually penetrated my heart.  It is a verse that is so famous and we all know.  This is my entry in my journal May 2, 2000,  “ ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’ John 3:16.  This is the first thing that I have been able to read in a long time.  The Lord brought this to me.  He loves me.”

Fresh air

I compare prayer to breathing.  It is the breath of the soul and without it our spiritual life is dead.  As I was going through my time of depression I kept crying out to God in desperation just like I cried out to my husband when I couldn’t breathe.  It was like God was saying to me, “It is okay I am here.  Slow down, take your time and breathe in slowly.  I will give you life.”

After I found that verse things started to move very slowly.  I was taking little gasping “breaths”.  But I was still getting “oxygen”.  How could this verse seem like I had never read it before?  I grew up a Christian I had known this verse all my life.  But at that moment it felt like something different.  I was able to go to God and breathe in the “fresh air” he was giving me.

Then I picked up my journal to write again.  God had filled my lungs with the “fresh air” of continual prayer that I was able to see even more clearly what He had for me.  Here was my entry, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is thy keeper:  the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:  he shall preserve thy soul.  The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” Psalm 121:1-8.

The amazing part about this entry is that it took place on May 5, 2001, almost 1 year to the day of my first entry.  From that day I was able to put more entries in more often and I no longer felt like I was suffocating.  My “breathing” (praying) was no longer shallow and hard to do.  My “breathing” (praying) changed that day, I started receiving “fresh air” and I could “breathe” (pray) deeply now.  And prayer started to unlock the windows of heaven.

Daily need

Prayer is needed daily.  Just like we cannot go without breathing we cannot go without prayer.  It says in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “Pray without ceasing.”  This doesn’t mean that we will be on our knees 24/7.  But we need to always have that continual connection with God throughout the day.

How long can you hold your breath?  Most untrained people cannot hold their breath more than around 30 seconds before gasping for air.  And it is more about the build-up of carbon dioxide than it is of lack of oxygen.  The longest holding breath on record to date is around 22 minutes and he did it underwater.  Most of us would die before we made it through that experience.  God has given us a body that has a need for fresh oxygen constantly.  And when we don’t give our bodies the oxygen that it needs damage starts to happen.  Your brain begins to be affected after 6 minutes without oxygen.  That is why there is such a concern to get oxygen to someone right away because of the brain damage it can cause.

The same is true of prayer.  Prayer is like oxygen to the soul.  How can we go without prayer?  “Carbon dioxide” (sin) starts to build up in the life and it will cause damage to our brain spiritually speaking.  We no longer feel a need for prayer and we start slowly dying spiritually.  “Breathing” (prayer) is so important.

I don’t have time

You might be thinking, “How can I pray without ceasing?” I don’t have much time to pray.  And now you’re saying I need to be praying all the time”  What I would as is, “Do you have time to breathe?”  You don’t want to die so you breathe.  How desperate are you to live, spiritually speaking?  We need to become how I felt when I couldn’t breathe physically.  I was desperate for air and I was not getting it.  We have to be so desperate for spiritual oxygen that God becomes the priority in our lives.

One thing that I have learned is choosing to take time for prayer time expands my time.  I am an early riser and spend time in prayer and study.  I have always had a time of prayer, maybe 5 minutes.  But I have felt the need many times to spend more time in prayer with things that are burdening my heart.  And the more time I pray the more time I have.  You say, “What? That is impossible.”  But what I say, “With God all things are possible.”

A lot of times I will have a short prayer time before I get into studying God’s Word.  And the plan is that after I study I will have a longer prayer time.  When I do things that way I never have more time.  But I have found that when I have a longer prayer time first I have plenty of time for my study.  As I pray it is almost like time stands still.  It seems impossible but that’s God.

Pray without ceasing

But what about the “without ceasing” part?  It is really about the attitude of prayer.  We are so in connection with God we are constantly lifting up praise and request throughout the day.  But, you might be thinking, what about at night?   One thing I like to do, which I am not as consistent as I want to be, is be thinking on God’s Word or praying as I drop off to sleep.  I have that when I do this my nights are different.  The dreams I have through the night are different or I may not even dream, at least that is what it seems like.  And might night of sleep is still better.

The most amazing part of going to bed with your last thoughts on God is what happens when you wake up throughout the night.  When I wake up my thoughts immediately go back to prayer or thinking upon God’s Word mode.  And as I get up to use the bathroom I choose to continue those thoughts instead of diverting them to other things.  When I get back in bed it is seconds and I am back to sleep.  All I can tell you is that it is amazing!  I want to strive to have this experience more often.  I have not experienced this the majority of my life but I want to be.

In this earths history, we don’t have time to stop “breathing” (praying) or to “breathe” shallowly.  We have got to take deep “breaths” all day long.  When we learn to breathe physically as we should with deepness rather than shallow breathing it brings physical life and health.  The same is true with prayer.

Dear Father,

We tend to get caught up in the things of life that keep us from “breathing” deeply, forgive us. Help us to strive to do better so that our spiritual life will become healthier in You.  We have but a short time.  Game playing is over!  Help us to realize how much we need You.  Thank You for the power that You have given us availability to.  It is most amazing!  Thank You for Your love and forgiveness.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Commit today to “breathe” more so that your spiritual life will live.

Love you all!

What do you do to help bring your prayer life more meaning and help you remember to do “deep breathing”?   And what were the benefits you received?

This is part 6 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 5 I talked about how fresh air and breathing right helps us maintain healthy immune function.  Coming up in part 7 I will be talking about how important proper rest is for the body and how it helps us maintain healthy immune function.  Stay tuned!

 

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“Help me! I Can’t Breathe!!” Part 5

Breathing!

Breathing is a very important part of life.  Being able to breathe is part of what keeps us alive.  And if we stop breathing life is over.

I well remember the day I couldn’t breathe.  It was during a time when I was very ill with what the doctors couldn’t even figure out.  I came desperately into the room where my husband was and said, as best I could, I could not breathe.  I felt like I was suffocating.  It was back when all we had for the Internet was dial-up and my husband was online.  When it comes to technology he does not do well and he could not even figure out how to get it off the dial-up so that he could make a phone call.  So he did the only thing he knew to do.

By this time I was sitting and desperately trying to breathe.  He came over to me and talked to me.  He told me to breathe slowly and calmly.  I don’t remember how long it lasted but it was one of the scariest things that I have ever experienced.  When I asked my husband later how bad it was he told me that I was starting to turn blue.

So how important is breathing?  Breathing is life-saving.  I have had a similar experience more than once since that time but never as bad as it was that day.  One thing that I learned to do is when I felt it coming on I would breathe slowly and keep my mind focused.  And I was able to make it through.

Another thing this experience has done for me give me empathy for those who are having a hard time breathing.  My father-in-law had congestive heart failure plus COPD and there were many times where he didn’t feel like he could breathe.  He was in a care facility and the nurses would try to help him but it didn’t take long and he would call me.  I could understand and relate to the feeling.  You feel so desperate.  I was able to help him just by talking him through it.

Fresh air

Now we can be breathing but not getting fresh air.  Fresh air is so important to the function of our bodies and to help us maintain a healthy immune function. Now I know our bodies don’t think or talk but if they could they would tell you how desperate they are for some fresh air.  Just like I was desperate that day for air, our bodies feel starved and desperate for some fresh air.  They are dying.

You may be saying, “That’s crazy, I feel just fine.  My body doesn’t seem to be bothered.”  It can be subtle because we have slowly gotten to where we are and we don’t know what the true “normal” should be.  We have slowly become more tired, sluggish, and fight sickness more.  Our digestive systems have gotten worse and we just blame age.  And although age can be a factor along with many other things, not getting fresh air can be a factor as well.

Getting fresh air is so important.  When you are exercising in the open air that really is helpful.  But if you are unable to get outside to walk or run you can just take a few minutes several times a day to step out and take some good deep breaths of fresh air.

It is good to breathe in through your nose filling your lungs as much as possible.  I would hold it there a few seconds then let it out slowly through your mouth.  Make sure to get as much air out as possible. You can do this maybe 3 or 4 times as many times in the day as you can get in.  This is a good way to clean out the impurities in your lungs.

Daily Need

I remember when my children were younger.  We were homeschooling and we would go outside for some exercise.  I had one child that had exercised induced asthma.  When we would do the deep breathing exercises it was amazing.  We would breathe in deeply and then let the air slowly out.  When my son with the lung issue would let the air out through his mouth you could see stuff coming out into the air.  We all saw it and we started checking each other to see if any of the rest of us were having that and we were not.  There were impurities in his lungs that were coming out as we did this exercise.

I like to do things that can help to really open up my airways so that when I breathe in the fresh air I get greater benefit.  And for those that may struggle with some lung issues having something that helps to open up those airways is a great benefit.  And while you are breathing in that fresh air you get very energized.  I like to use a respiratory blend that helps to open up those airways.  I know my son received a benefit not only when he put some on his chest but also when he diffuses it in his room, especially at night.

Also for those that deal with seasonal threats, as my husband does, doing some seasonal blend soft gels can help support your body in opening up those airways. It has been such a blessing for him.

You want to make sure you can get out and get some fresh air.  If you’re like me I have a treadmill.  I definitely don’t want to go out in the freezing cold weather to walk plus I do it so early in the morning it is still dark.  But what I do is open my window so fresh air comes in.

Every time you step out the door to go somewhere take a few seconds and take some deep breaths.  This is what helps clean the toxins out of our lungs so that our immune systems can function properly.  And if we make it a habit every time we step out the door we will get what we need.

Dear Father,

Thank You for giving us the fresh air that can bring such wonderful benefits to our bodies.  You have given us air as a sustaining life force.  Help us to realize how important it is to have a healthy immune function.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Make it a habit today to start doing deep breathing exercise to keep your body healthy.

Love you all!

What do you do to help you remember to do deep breathing?  What benefits have you had?

This is part 5 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 4 I talked about how to exercise spiritually to maintain a healthy spiritual immune system.  Coming up in part 6 I will be talking about spiritual “fresh air” and how it plays a role in maintaining healthy spiritual immune function.  Stay tuned!

 

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“How do You Exercise Spiritually?” Part 4

Sitting!

So how do you exercise spiritually speaking?  We talked last week how that when we have a sedentary lifestyle how detrimental it is to our physical health.  But how does that apply spiritually?  The reality is that when we are taking care of our bodies in a physical way it actually has an effect on our spiritual lives.  If you don’t feel good physically it affects every area of our lives.  We just want to live for self because we don’t feel like doing anything different.

What does it feel like when you have been sick for a while and you have done nothing?  I can relate to this very much.  A little over 10 years ago I got very sick.  And I was sick for a very long time.  I was so sick I could do nothing.  For several days I was even too weak to eat.  I finally started eating out of principle, not because I was hungry.  But even when I was eating I could hardly lift the spoon to my mouth.  It took so much energy that I would sleep for a long time afterward.  I was sedentary physically as well as spiritually.  I was unable to do anything.

Moving

If we are not moving spiritually our spiritual immune system gets down and we can easily get spiritually sick.  When temptation comes along we are drawn in quickly and fail to overcome.  We get angry with those around us a lot more easily.  And we can also have a depressed feeling.

But after a while of not moving spiritually, you can start to have a false sense of ease.  The temptations seem to be less frequent and things seem to be going relatively easy.  It all depends on what our goal is.  Is our goal to win the race of life?  And if it is, what race do we want to win?  Is it the race of ease and security or the race of eternal life?  If we want to win the race of eternal life it will take courage, discipline, and moving.

Exercise

I talked in part 2 of this series about the importance of spending time in God’s Word.  And how we need to chew on it thoroughly so that we can understand it through the power of the Holy Spirit.  But I also believe there is another aspect and that is exercising the muscles that the Lord has given us.  And as we exercise this muscle it will become stronger and help keep our spiritual immune system healthy so that when “sickness” (temptations) comes around we will have such a strong immune system that we can keep from getting spiritually sick.

I believe that as we are memorizing God’s Word we are exercising our brain muscle so that we can run the race with confidence.  I am not saying memorizing is easy.  But as you do, it will become easier.

When I was ill with the sickness that I talked about above, it affected my brain.  I lost a lot of my memory.  Even today after so many years my family will remind me of things that we did as a family or incidents that happened and I no longer can remember them.  So when I do memorize it is very difficult.  I have to trust the Lord that He will bring it to my memory when I need it because I have put forth the effort.  There are times when I forget how to do something that I do every day and I have to try to bring it to my mind.  Sometimes it takes me 2-3 minutes or longer before I can think of how to do it.  I know as I age it also is a factor as well.  But when I first was sick it was way worse and happened to me quite often.  Now, due to some supplements that the Lord led me to it happens less.  It happens mostly now when I feel under pressure.  And remembering people’s names can be one of the worst.  But I keep persevering with the memorizing and as I do I see the Lord’s blessing.

Energy

When we physically exercise it can bring us more energy.  The same is true of spiritual exercise.  When we memorize and study God’s Word it brings energy into our spiritual life.  Because when our brains are being exercised they will not be sluggish and sedentary.  You will be alert and energized to fight the battles of the day.  Now you have your armor to go forth for the day and God can use that armor that you have chosen to put on to help you win the battles.

Will there be “pain” and “discomfort” with memorizing?  Absolutely!  Just like physical exercising we need to persevere.  And just like our muscles get built up when exercising physically our spiritual muscles will also and it will become easier and less painful.

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your Word and Your ways that can help us in this race of life so that we may win the race.  And the amazing part about this race is that we all can be the winners.  You have given us all the necessary provisions for us for which I am grateful.  Thank You for Your love, Your patience as we run, and for Your forgiveness when we fall.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

If you are not already memorizing God’s Word I would encourage you to do so.

Love you all!

What ways do you use to memorize that helps you in the process?

This is part 4 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 3 I talked about how physical exercise helps in maintaining a healthy immune system.  Coming up in part 5 I will be talking about how fresh air plays a role in maintaining healthy immune function.  Stay tuned!

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“You Need to Keep Moving!!” Part 3

Sitting!

Have you ever been on a plane or even in a car for a long trip?  You have been flying or driving for hours and it seems that you will never get there.  I know some people who have flown for many hours and there is a tenancy for your legs to start swelling because of lack of movement.  What’s it feel like when you finally arrive and you can get off the plane and walk?  You want to get off and start to walk around but on the other hand, it is so difficult.  It is not easy to start walking.  Your legs don’t feel right and your muscles feel like they haven’t moved in eternity.  But you persevere and get moving.

Moving

So how important is movement?  Moving is so important for our bodies and it can help with keeping our immune function healthy.  As we move our hearts pump more rapidly so that our blood pumps through all the systems of our body.  Thus our blood is getting filtered from all the impurities that bring the immunity down.

If you are just a couch potato your blood becomes sluggish and the impurities just sit there.  Maybe you’re not a “couch potato” so to speak because you go to work every day but what kind of job do you have.  Do you sit mostly at a desk all day?  There are many that get up in the morning, eat their breakfast, maybe.  And then they drive to work, which means sitting.  Once they get to work they sit at a desk all day long getting up only to use the bathroom.  They do take lunch but then they just go into the lunch room and sit.  And then they drive home which is just more sitting.  The majority of society sits in front of a TV while eating dinner.  This is not far from a couch potato.  Unfortunately, this lifestyle goes on year after year.

Exercise 

Exercise is so important to healthy immune function.  We need more than just walking from our home to car, car to desk, and back to home again.  We need something that will get our heart rate up and keep that blood flowing to get the impurities cleaned up.

So having a good walking routine that you do at least 5 days a week is important.  Walking can be the very best type of exercise.  But really the best kind of exercise is the one that you will do.  So find something you enjoy.  If you can’t find anything you enjoy make sure you persevere in something.  Maybe you need to write out a “why” for the reason you want to exercise and that can keep you motivated.

Doing weight lifting is also important for keeping our bodies healthy.  As we age our muscle start to atrophy.  We need to be sure that we keep them toned and healthy so that our immune systems stay healthy.  It doesn’t always have to be lifting weights as long as you are using those muscles that do the lifting.  Push-ups can be another way to build our arm muscles.  Shoveling snow could be another one, which happens at our home in the wintertime.  Be creative.

Some people struggle with exercising due to some health challenges.  Just make sure and take it slow and talk to your doctor about what you can safely do.  

Another complaint I hear is “I don’t have the energy”.  So in order to get a pick me up, they drink some coffee or caffeinated drink to help get the energy to do what they need to do, which is not good at all.  Exercise will actually help give you energy.  But you have to make sure not to do too much too quickly.

Energy

There are many people who don’t get out, as they should exercise.  They use many excuses, lack of time, no energy, too much discomfort, etc.  I have found that when I take the time I actually have more success in my day and I get more done.  I find that time is not a factor it is just what my brain tries to convince me so that I don’t take the time.

I do understand the energy.  There can be different reasons why a person may not have the energy for it.  You may have a condition that is causing you not to have the ability to exercise. But the majority of us would find as we exercise that we would start to get more energy.  The important thing is to start out slow and build up to more.  Because of some things that I have dealt with physically, there are some other things that I do that really helps with my energy levels so that I have the ability to exercise.  I have some supplements that I take along with an energy & stamina complex.  Each person is different and needs to do what will help them reach their goals.

When it comes to discomfort in your joints or muscles building up gradually is also a key.  One thing that many athletes use that I have found beneficial is a soothing blend rub.  Most athletes put it on before and after their workouts.  I don’t always remember put it on before but even if you do it afterward it is very helpful.

Dear Father,

As we take the time to get physical exercise we pray for Your blessing.  I know that as we keep moving and circulate the blood that you have given us through our body it will be healthier.  Thank you for giving us such amazing bodies so as we follow Your plan for health it makes our immune systems stronger.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Start today!  Get out and take a walk.

Love you all.

What is your favorite kind of exercise?

This is part 3 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 2 I talked about the foundation of how to support our spiritual immune system.  Coming up in part 4 I will be talking about how spiritual exercise plays a role in maintaining a healthy spiritual immune function.  Stay tuned!

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“Can I be Spiritually Sick?” Part 2

Sickness!

Last week I talked about the possibility of getting sick, what to do to help support your body to prevent sickness, and things you can do when you’re sick to help you get through it sooner.  What about spiritual sickness?  Are there things you can do to support your spiritual life to help prevent sickness?  And if you do get spiritually sick what can you do to get spiritually well.

Actually, there can be some similarities between our spiritual and physical bodies. They are intertwined in many ways.  I know for me that when I am fighting spiritual sickness it brings on some physical reactions, the most common is a depressed feeling.  Now I am not saying that all depression comes from a spiritual sickness but there are times when they are related.

For myself, I have never been really far from God or come from some of the evil things of this world that people experience before they find the Lord.  So I can’t share what that is like.  But I have had those times where I have been fighting a spiritual sickness.  A time when I wasn’t fully committed and taking preventative measure to stay spiritually well.  When I look back at those times they are not pleasant memories.

There can be all kinds of excuses.  I don’t have time to “exercise”, “eat right”, etc.  But it seems we always have time for those things we really want to do.  So what it really comes down to is how important is it for you to stay well.  Is it more important to eat your “sugar” or “junk food” rather than eating lots of “fruits & veggies” and more healthy “foods”?

Foundation

What is the foundation for spiritual health?  We keeping our physical body healthy with good wholesome food that God has made for us to eat.  In the same manner, the foundation for keeping our spiritual health is good wholesome spiritual food.  The good wholesome spiritual food that God has given us is His Word.

The digestion of our food starts in the mouth as we chew.  That is why it is so important for us to chew our food well before swallowing it.  In the same token as we read God’s Word we should be “chewing” it thoroughly.  Then we can properly digest it.

When you sit down to eat a meal and you are in a hurry how do you feel after you eat?  I don’t feel so well myself.  When I rush through my meal it affects my digestion.  But we know we need to eat so we just sit down and shovel it in as fast as possible.  The reality is that it would be better for us not to eat.  And then come back later when we can relax to eat and spend the time it takes.

In the same turn if we sit down to spend time in God’s Word and we feel rushed but we know we need to do it we are not going to gain much.  We should be thoroughly “chewing” each verse so that it can be properly digested.  “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” Jeremiah 15:10.

Real Food

Just like you want to eat real food for your physical body, the same is true when it comes to your spiritual life.  When it comes to our physical health we need to stay away from refined foods, junk food, and eat less of the processed foods.  The same is true for our spiritual health.  The Word of God is the real food that our spiritual health needs.  We need to stay away from material that is refined to fit the taste, junk that fills our minds with unholy thoughts, and we should be careful of the material written by others, “processed food”.  The more we stick to God’s Word the safer it is for our spiritual health.

Supplement

Are there other writings that we can read beyond the Word of God?  There are many other writers that God has given great insights to that can help us grow spiritually.  Just like when you are looking for a good supplement for your physical body you want to make sure that it is whole food and not synthetic you want to be careful with other writers.

When it comes to your spiritual health it can be detrimental to be reading things that seem good but there is some “synthetic” things sprinkled throughout that can be unhealthy to our spiritual health.  There are also “synthetic” reading out there that is very detrimental to our spiritual health.  That is why this needs to be our criteria, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” Philippians 4:8.

We need to make the Word of God our foundation for everything we read.  As it says in Isaiah 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”  The Word of God is what we should compare everything to that we take in, whether it is reading, listening, or watching.

Digestion

Prayer is really a foundational part also to our everyday lives.  And we should be much in prayer.  But prayer is also what helps us in the digestion of God’s Word.  We can chew on God’s Word but it is the Holy Spirit that helps us in the digestive process.  This is why it is so important to ask God for His Spirit to guide us into all truth.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you” John 16:13.  And God is so willing to give us the Holy Spirit if we just ask.   “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:13.

Dear Father,

We want to strive to fill our minds with the best spiritual nutrients.  We need your Spirit to help us be discerning and to understand Your Word.  Guide us with Your Spirit.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Do those things that are going to give you the best spiritual nutrition so that your spiritual immune system is strong.

What do you do that helps support your spiritual immune system?

This is part 2 in a several part series “Maintaining Healthy Immune Function”.  There are many other things I will be sharing with you on how to support your immune system, both physically and spiritually.  Although what I am sharing is not exhaustive, I am sharing just a taste from my own experience.  In part 1 I talked about the foundation of how to support a healthy immune system physically.  Coming up in part 3 I will be talking about how physical exercise plays a role in maintaining healthy immune function.