God's Choice of Christmas

I was sitting in church last week, listening to our Pastor preach about Jesus' birth, and was thinking of how God looks beyond the things many of us hold high with value: money, fashions, gifts, success, comfort, popularity. I'll be the first one to admit that I desire these things and are thankful to have any of these sent my way. But, Pastor Dennis went on to explain how God surprises us with HIS choices of value. If you give it some thought, instead of choosing the most popular place for Jesus' birth, and the richest parents with a wealth of knowledge on parenting, and the most comfortable and accredited hospital for Mary to give birth in (with plenty of devices to ease the process); God chose some unexpected participants, located in a very remote area to be involved in the most meaningful event of history.

When God searched out the perfect earthly father for Jesus, it wasn't someone with the traits I first mentioned...it was a simple carpenter who did work with his hands, and had to have his pregnant partner travel by donkey, instead of by caravan.

God chose an earthly mother for Jesus that was not a queen, or someone who specialized in child bearing and raising, it was a virgin who wasn't even married yet.

The place for the birth wasn't the booming city of Jerusalem with lights and comotion on every corner, but instead a town off the beaten trail that had only a stable left for vacancy.

When God sent his angels to find greeters for Jesus, they went to look for some lonely shepherd far off from society who most likely smelt as the animals smelt.

Down to even the cradle...a manger! People nowdays would think it to be child abuse to put a child in something so "dirty" and full of "possible bacteria"!

Not at all what one would imagine for the birth of our Savior to be like. People tend to want attention drawn to things of importance, but God is the opposite. He let the event be simple and meaningful. No cameras, no video, no music, no lights, no Christmas tree....just God and a few earthly participants, enjoying the stillness of the night.

Many people think of Christmas nowdays as not being much if we don't have it full of family, friend, and work events loaded with entertainment and food. But really, whose BIRTH-day are we celebrating? If you happen to find yourself alone for any part of Christmas--don't think of yourself as being abandoned and lonely! Instead, look at it as some cherished time to spend with someone who was born into the world on a quiet night many, many years ago to live and die for you.

In Christ, Snack-N-Soul Sister

Feeling God Actively in Your Life

I've always enjoyed sitting outside on summer nights; listening to the orchestra of nature's noises, feeling the breeze on my skin, trying to connect with my Creator. Do you ever notice how some times you FEEL God as you live life, and other times you know He's there, but you don't involvingly detect his presence?

When we lived in our previous house within the city limits, you could catch my husband and I out many nights, sitting on our driveway to watch our children play and the neighbors out on walks. Most of the times when we sat, we could expect friendly faces to slowly trickle over to join us. We'd offer drinks, lawn chairs, toys for their kids, anything to make them more comfortable, as good hosts would. Our neighbors joked about our driveway being the "hot hangout" of the neighborhood...... it made us feel good in a way that only genuine "people companionship" can make you feel. And as much as I loved all the attention and connections we had in our other neighborhood, I never really had time to sit and think like I do when we sit outside our new house out in the country. Our nearest neighbor is yards away, and you don't have to strain to enjoy nature's noises.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved our friends and the talk we made....but sometimes we need to take an extra step towards God, because He's left standing as a "watcher". Let me try to illustrate with an example. Each morning, after I let our chickens out of their coop, I can time it almost perfectly down to being about a minute off as to when our chickens walk past our front sun room window. Our 3 girls will leap up to the window seat, all the while shrieking and squealing "Look, Mama, the chickens! They're out and here they come", or else some other similar modified version of that. The chickens have absolutely no idea that they're being watched, much less "oohed" and "awed" over as if they're celebrities of some sort. They peck here and there, look around and lead pretty simple lives. But yet to our 3 girls, they are more entertaining than Sesame Street or Fisher Price toys. Why? I imagine it's because of their pride in knowing that the chickens are ours, that we named them, that we look out for them, and that they are living and breathing beings with feelings and preferences that they can relate to.

Now picture being the Maker of them, and waiting for them to acknowledge you and to be invited into their lives. I'm not saying that our chickens can do those things, but I am saying that God waits at a window, "oohing" and "awing" over every little move we make towards Him. The more we let Him in, the more involved He will be, and the more we will be blessed in His companionship.

Now, we didn't need to move to the country to "feel God", but sometimes it's nice to just sit without telephones ringing, TV watching, friends over, computer chatting, and other "people companionship" that makes us feel good. Go away from it all and be the one to initate time with God before He has to ask for it. He will do whatever it takes to draw you closer, so why not be the first to make a step towards Him!

Be a God-Chaser this approaching Christmas season,

Snack-N-Soul sister

Stripping Down to the Core of Things.....

BEFORE:
AFTER:
Well, our home now has the hardwood floor on the main level stripped, sanded, stained and varnished....definitely a whole new image to start fresh with. I am just amazed at how many fresh starts we're allowed in life. The beginning of each school transition (elementary, middle, high school and college), the choice of churches to start over in if so desired, jobs from working age up to retirement, places to live, pets, clothes styles, I could go on and on. The two most important ones I will touch on today have to do with my two favorite topics: faith and health. As I was watching my husband chisel through the sludge on our floor to reveal the gorgeous bare wood beneath, I had two thoughts go through my head: How Jesus cleanses our lives to create a fresh start, and how natural health allows us a fresh start from diseases. Weird, I know, but please allow me to go into a little detail:

Now, most Christians know of Jesus' offer of eternal life-a choice we can make to have a fresh start with a Christian lifestyle and a promise of eternal life in heaven. But there are people out there who haven't quite grasped the simplicity of forgiveness that our Father has given to us. I hate to relate our offer of salvation to stripping a floor, but the two do have some similarities. Here goes: over the years our hearts can become polluted with "sludge" or misguided thoughts and actions. From lying, stealing, getting wasted, gossiping, having sex outside marriage to hating, being jealous and using the Lord's name in vain. No one can take the claim to being perfect, except Jesus. So we all start out on the same foot....as sinners. Now, the difference with us is that we won't all go to that next step of being stripped down to the core--the very simple but meaningful act of asking for forgiveness. We need to do this in order to be saved from the selfish desires of our hearts. After the stripping process, Jesus can help give our lives a colorful "stain" and will even give us a coat of varnish to protect us from the sludge that can build up again in our hearts. All we need to do is remember to ask him to help us start over to do things his way. If my husband and I had decided to move into our house and leave it the way all the previous owners had over the past 100 years, we'd never enjoy the beauty of what lies beneath. By grace, God has given our family the means to strip down our floor to start over, and through God's grace, He has given all of us the means to start over in our daily lives. I have some links and books listed down in the margin that can help get you going on the right track (if you're not already)!

Now, let's flip the coin over to view the Health Side. Let's say that you have a sinus infection. What are your choices? Be miserable or go to the doctor to get an antibiotic to have a "clean start". Right? Well, let's see what an antibiotic does. When I was younger, I thought it was a pill that my stomach sent to my nose and broke up all the congestion and sent it out. Well, that's an idea, but probably not the most widely accepted one. When you take an antibiotic, we know that it "strips the body of good flora" in the intestine along with all the "invader" that caused the main problem. So how did the sinuses get involved then?

Here's the natural approach to understanding: When your body has an invader go through the digestive tract (virus, bacteria, chemical, etc) it builds up mucus as a protectant, which leads to congestion in the stomach (flu with mucus vomit), congestion in the lungs and throat, or congestion in the sinuses. The antibiotic will strip out everything and then the mucus gets flushed out the proper way, hence the reason for it being a stripper. But, when using the "stripper" it takes out everything, including good flora, so you have to replace it with beneficial bacteria from yogurt or acidolphus capsules. You also take the chance of your body building an immunity for the antibiotic's effectiveness for when you really might need it! If you want to avoid using an antibiotic, here are some options:

If your problem was VIRAL, you would typically get sent home from the doctor with over the counter medications to lessen the symptoms. If our family finds out we have a viral infection, we get on Nature's Sunshine VIRAL RECOVERY, along with using the old methods of magnesium (Epsom salt) baths for bodyaches, fennel capsules for congestion, PEPPERMINT OIL for digestive issues, TEI FU ESSENTIAL OIL for respiratory issues, and TEA TREE OIL as an antiseptic. Specific essential oils can help with evey health problem out there, here is a helpful ESSENTIAL OILS GUIDE, that you can purchase from Nature's Sunshine.

So, if the problem was BACTERIAL, most people think an antibiotic is necessary, otherwise more serious problems can result. Our family uses homeopathic drops called BAC HP (Bacteria Homeopathic) or INFECTASTAT...just to get your mind thinking that there isn't always a necessity to use antibiotics, even when everyone else says so.
Now, if the problem is CHEMICALLY derived and you are unaware of any chemicals that may have bothered you, your doctor will tell you you probably have a virus (there's no office visit that can tell you that it's from chemicals) or allergies. When our family was using chemicals to strip our floors, and chemicals to stain and varnish, our little ones and I began getting congestion (coughing, gunky noses, etc) as our bodies were building mucus up as a protectant against its' invaders (the chemicals). What did we do? Well, an antibiotic for the sinus infections would've cleaned out all the chemicals we had ingested through breathing over the days we worked, but since we knew it was a result of chemicals, we took CHARCOAL (ACTIVATED) capsules (a natural "sponge" that soaks up chemicals in the intestine to leave the good flora safely behind) and ALOE VERA JUICE from Nature's Sunshine to help sooth the intestinal lining. Sure, it took a few days, but we are feeling good again, and are not susceptible to any viruses since our intestinal lining was left safe and sound after being only partially "stripped" the natural way.

Those individuals who get into doing things naturally with their health, find over a few years' time, their health problems lessen and they feel better than they have ever felt. God intended for us to read the warning signs our bodies give to us and pray about recovery to receive it. He did not intend for us to always go to the Doctor looking for answers, when all the while we have the answers right in herbs, remedies, and prayer. If you feel blinded at going naturally, I have some good books listed in the margins along with some links that got me started. Be sure to also seek out a professional natural health practicioner who can help guide you in your new adventure!

In God's Love, Snack-N-Soul Sister

******The information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. It should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent medical practitioner. ******

God Gave Us Clues on Caring for our Bodies!!!

A Friend sent me this e-mail:

God gave us so many resouces on how to care for our bodies, it's amazing how intricate he designed us and the world. It's been said that "God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish… all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born."

These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today sh ow s grape s are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (mo dern science has only studied and named about 141 of them)

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemicindex of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body."

Enjoy those Good-for-you foods, they'll have you living a longer, happier life!!!

Ms. Salubrious

Body Language

"If you are driving your car and your oil light turns on, you wouldn't say, 'my oil light's on; I need to get my oil light to go off.....I'll unscrew the bulb. Ah, now the oil light is no longer illuminated.' You haven't solved the problem, have you? You've got rid of a symptom. The oil light is no longer there, but the reason the light went on is still there....If you have a headache, you shouldn't say, 'Let me eliminate the pain of the headache.' You should ask yourself what's causing your body to do that, and find the cause. When you do this, you are addressing the root cause of the problems and not just treating the symptoms." taken from Kevin Trudeau's Natural Cures , pages 112-113

When we had our second child, she was sick for the first 9 months of her life with ear infections, low blood sugar levels and oxygen levels, RSV, & sinus infections. All the while, her body was talking to us, and we didn't know how to listen. Instead of trying to figure it out, we did as everyone else we knew did: took her to the doctor and gave her antibiotics as the doctors prescribed. Why then, did she seem to get worse? Her screaming fits went from an hour of colic in the early evening, to screaming from 11:00 pm-4:00 am, when she usually passed out from exhaustion. What were we doing wrong, and why was God allowing this to happen to us?

So, I took the next step. I cleaned our house with abrasive cleaners, thinking I could kill the "germs" that she was exposed to. I started to use bleach in washing all of her clothing and bedding. Again, instead of getting better, she seemed to be getting worse, and I started having headaches, and sore neck muscles every day as well. "It must be because I'm carrying more laundry baskets up and down our stairs, with doing laundry more often." I told myself. I asked my husband to start carrying them for me, but that didn't seem to stop the body aches, so I wrote it off as being stressed.

I remember one night in particular, that our daughter screamed for hours with a high fever so I took her to the ER. Maybe if I caught her in the middle of a screaming fit while at the doctor's office, they could give us some answers. All I got was a "Sorry, there's nothing I can find wrong with her, other than her fever. Do you hold her too much?" Hhhhmmm, not exactly what I was looking for! When we got home, I cried out to the Lord saying "God, I cannot do this anymore, I have no clue what to do with her, and you know her best. Please help me!"

God answers our prayers in his timing....not ours. He wanted me to hand it ALL over to him, including our beloved daughter. The next day, my aunt told me I should seek out a natural health practitioner...so I did! The lady who owns Health by Choice, told us the first step was to stop using chemicals in our laundry, and instead put vinegar in as a natural disinfectant. I was apprehensive, but I listened because I had handed it all over to God, leaving no room for judgement on my part.

Our 9 month old slept through the night for the first time in her life, and my headaches lessened. She had one more ear infection after that initial natural health consultation, but we used no antibiotics, and instead used an essential oil, homeopathic remedies, heat compressions, and herbs. We have not been to the doctor in over 2 years with another sickness, illness or infection.

What essential oils, homeopathic remedies and herbs help your body with is support. They will not fully get rid of all your symptoms, because when you have a "symptom", it is simply a sign that your body's natural defense mechanism is working properly and there's some sort of "trigger". So, instead, you need to figure out the source or reason behind the symptom. Remember, God gives us resources for dealing with symptoms, but we make our own decisions as to what "symptoms" we choose to deal with (foods, chemicals, etc) by what we do and where we go each day. Everyone has different symptoms to "invaders" because our bodies are all different, but the smaller the person, the more they are generally effected by something.

Our 9 month old had food and chemical allergies. She needed help in developing digestive enzymes to be able to digest foods and break down chemicals. We started her on DIGESTAZON drops (by Amazon Herbs) and ACIDOPHILUS to increase the good bacteria in her intestines. There were several immediate changes (no screaming, not eating as often, no more ear infections, etc.) and yet some problems have taken longer to work out of her system.

Love in Christ, Sack-n-soul sister

******The information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. It should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent medical practitioner. ******

Pass Me the Salt Please!

Verses from the Bible:

Leviticus 2:13 Shalt thou season with salt
Luke 14:34 Salt is good

Salt....ahhh....such a controversial topic! Some people say it's bad for your health; others say it's good; what is our Creator's view on it? Well, before even diving into the research, my gut feeling is this: what God creates is perfect, and then the human race begins to change things. And even though our hearts are in the right place, our appetites and priorities are not always. People have changed not only salt, but fruits, vegetables, grains, sugar cane, corn, meat, dairy products, the whole works. However, since the topic today is salt, I plan to stick to that!

I will first start by addressing what the definition of salt is, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt reads in a somewhat condensed version:

Salt.....is essential for animal life,
Salt is involved in regulating the water content (fluid balance) of the body.
Salt for human consumption is produced in different forms: unrefined salt (sea/mineral ), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt.
Salt is an important preservative.

AND THE PART THAT IS MOST RELATIVE TO THIS BLOG: Chloride and sodium ions, the two major components of salt, are necessary for the survival of all known living creatures, including humans.

At the end of the definition, as if thrown in there as an afterthought, is the following: Conversely, over- consumption of salt increases the risk of health problems, including high blood pressure.

Well, I am one to check the Bible when unresolved with an issue, and if God says salt is good, and tells us to season with salt, I'll be the first one in line to do it! Next, if the free online encyclopedia tells me it's necessary in the survival of all living creatures, I'm going to bet that salt is necessary, rather than something to avoid.

The preservative comment got me thinking, up until people invented refrigerators, they used salt to preserve meats and other food items. People of the Bible, people of the middle ages, people who settled America used it daily in their foods--it was on the top of their "grocery list", you might say! What's on the top of ours nowadays (figuratively speaking, as an ingredient in our foods)...sugar and/or corn syrup. Sugar used to be hard to come by, and now it's difficult to come by something without sugar or corn syrup in it.

SO, if salt used to be such an important staple until about 50-100 years ago, what happened, and why do some people get high blood pressure because of it? Remember, there are 3 different forms of salt, one of which (iodized) can be included as part of either of the other two . Unrefined Salt and Refined Salt can both come as iodized, and, iodine is essential to human life as well, so the problem must lie within one of the other 2 salts. God made the sea salty, and that is how the people back in Bible times got their salt, so you can eliminate Unrefined Salt as being the culprit. Everything God makes is perfect in its original state.

ABOUT REFINED SALT:

I stumbled upon this excerpt in an all-natural article packet of information I got from a friend: "About 50 years ago, the major salt-producing companies in America began to dry their salt in huge kilns, where temperatures reach as high as 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. This changes the chemical structure of the salt, which adversely changes the effect on the human body. It was at this time that heart disease, arthritis, and other chemical diseases began to increase at an alarming rate in this country.

In other countries where people dry salt from the ocean with the sun (India, Mexico,China), many doctors have never seen heart disease, etc, because it is so rare. Since natural (untreated Sea/Mineral) salt dissolves in water naturally, it will dissolve in our bodies as well, moving freely about until flushed out as waste. Refined salt that has been treated will not dissolve in a glass of water, will not dissolve in your body, and therefore collects in body organs, causing health problems!"

So, we have now answered our question...is salt good for you? The Unrefined Salt God gave to us is pure and perfect in it's original, untreated state. Our body uses Unrefined Salt to make hydrochloric acid (an essential digestive fluid), which in turn, digests any invading microbes, parasites, viruses, and bacteria that enter into our body with our food. It will help your stomach, your immune system, regulate fluid balance in your body, along with many, many benefits only our Creator knows. According to Doctor Tom Brewer, "the transport of oxygen and nutrients into the cells, as well as the transport of waste out of the cells, requires sodium; the health of our mucous membranes (stomach, uterus, intestines, sinuses) requires sodium; adequate amounts of sodium are required for proper use of protein and amino acids (the building blocks of our cells), and every cell in the body requires sodium to survive. "

Pass me some unrefined GOD Salt,

Snack-n-Soul Sister :)

For the majority of us, unrefined salt is good, but, in certain health situations, where our bodies are in a diseased state to begin with, our bodies will not know what to do with such a nutrient, and may get more problems as a result--such as with weak kidneys, or a missing kidney.

******The information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. It should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent medical practitioner. ******

God Designed our Bodies to Heal Themselves!

Verses for faith:
"The Lord will keep you from disease" DEUTERONOMY 7:15

"(King Asa)...was afflicted with disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but instead Physicians....(2 years later) he died" 2 CHRONICALS 16:12

"A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. She had suffered a great deal under care of MANY DOCTORS and spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak....immedietly she was freed from her suffering" MARK 5:25

Have you ever been told by somebody:
"It's just in your head!",
"There's nothing we can find wrong with you",
"There's no cure for it",
"You'll be on this medication for the rest of you life"?

GOD DESIGNED OUR BODIES TO HEAL THEMSELVES!

Yep, you read that right, GOD DESIGNED OUR BODIES TO HEAL THEMSELVES!

God also gave us all the resources to do this. Most people would not accept that idea anymore because we look towards resources other than God when we have a health problem. We watch ads on TV, we talk with friends who have the "same problem", we pay co-pays to get advice, we pay for chemically-made drugs that shut off sensory systems in our body, and we write off any attempts from the natural world as not working after the first try. All the while, forgetting to ask God how he intended for us to heal our bodies from diseases and sickness.

I used to be dependent on an inhailer for asthma, decongestants for allergy problems, several dermatologist lotions for skin problems and irritations, muscle relaxers for backaches, pain relief prescriptions for migranes and body aches, antacid prescriptions for acid reflux, over the counter medications for colds/flus/viruses, ...the list could go on! It wasn't a very good feeling to be so dependent on something, because without them, I would be miserable. Do you know what I have in my medicine cabnit now? Nothing! I do not need any of these medications anymore because I have set myself free. IF I get a problem, I can fight throught it by supporting my body with an herb, oil, tea or remedy and then go on with life afterwards! With my BLOG I plan to give you ideas, resources, information and education on how God made our body systems, and how he gave us plants to treat them!

When we have a symptom that doesn't feel right, it means we need to figure out what is going on in our body that gave us a warning sign, or a "symptom". We should pray, wait, and seek GOD'S WAYS. Far back in history and in other cultures, people used to look for the Medicine man who had herbs to heal with. In Laura Ingalls books/shows they would look for a remedy from the doctor, I even remember at the end of the book Peter Rabbit, his mom gave a tea of chammomile to settle nerves. Interestingly, the chammomile remedy works great with our daughter, Sierra for teething! Why have we gone away from these ways, and turned towards medications that either make us dependent on them, or else mask the problem? Yes, they may have immediete drugging effects, but are they only a temporary fix? Or do our bodies get hooked on them to enjoy continued relief? God has given us alternative resources so that we can seek out HIS ways to heal. There are aternatives....one just has to keep an open mind and be patient to see the effects. It takes 3 times as long to heal our bodies than it took our bodies to get to the point of disease in the first place.

I will be adding tidbits weekly/bi-weekly so that you may have the same resources that God gave me, to make our bodies a LIVING sacrifice for him, instead of a diseased, drugged, or hurting sacrifice. I have included books and websites along the side for you to read, while having an open mind and a softened heart. I remember how defensive I was when someone first approached me about all-natural ways, so please pray about it before discounting it!

With Love in Christ, Snack-n-Soul Sister