Tuesday, February 24, 2015

When Pain Arises

Pain is such an interesting thing. Whether emotional or physical, pain reminds us that we are human. It's easy to ignore things or let them slide when you are feeling fine, but suddenly your back seizes up or something unexpected rears it's ugly head and you are forced to stop and pay attention, because quite frankly, you can't think of anything else. Sometimes when you are asleep you may get some temporary relief from your pain, but it is faithfully waiting there for you when you wake up.

So, what choices do we have when Pain decides to move in? It could be that your marriage is on the rocks, your child had gone astray, or you've been diagnosed with cancer. It could be that you are stuck in bed or in a chair because you are sick or have had surgery. In these moments it is so easy to let the spirit of depression move in. That lurking enemy who preys on your most vulnerable moments. The one who takes you deeper and deeper into a place of self pity, self loathing, and a general attitude of my life sucks. This spirit wants you to feel alone, to feel like you are the only one and that everyones life is better then yours. Saying yes to this spirit robs us of the joy, the bible talks about, that comes through perseverance. The joy that comes when we praise Jesus through the storms of life. The joy that comes, through our broken tears, when we choose to thank God for what we do have, instead of dwelling on what we don't.  You see, depression isn't our only choice. Anger and bitterness don't have to win. There is a way to find sunshine when your life is in a horrific thunder storm. Say His name. With thankfulness, joy and adoration in your heart, say His name. The name of Jesus can change the course of our lives and the attitude of our hearts. He came to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim freedom for the captives. He came to release us from darkness. Not only did He come to free us, but He also came to comfort us, restore us, and display us for His glory.

So the next time one of your "familiar friends" tries to knock on your door and drag you down, preying on your pain, remember that your Real Friend is holding out His hand, ready to brush you off and walk with you until you reach the other side.

Until next time...

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

On a quest for health

So here's the thing......if you know me, you know that I am always doing something crazy and new on my quest for health. I grew up being the chubby one in our family, but I eventually grew into the voluptuous woman that I am today. How I feel about myself and my body varies depending on the day, however, the one thing that I cannot tolerate, the thing that makes me very cranky, is not feeling well. In my lifetime I have had a gambit of different ailments; headaches, migraines, endometriosis, eczema, tummy issues etc. I didn't even know that there was a way to actually get healthy through nutrition, until I went to massage school. At that point my eyes were open to a new mindset and a new way of living. It was essentially the beginning of my quest for health.

Fast forward just under 20 years, and although I am much healthier then I started out, I have new concerns. I have 3 beautiful daughters to whom I have passed my unhealthy junk to. I believe that, just like taking authority over generational sin, victory begin with awareness and a willingness to pursue victory. This does not however necessarily mean, overnight or even in your lifetime, success. This fact should never stop us from seeking breakthrough and victory. Getting back to my baby girls, (not babies anymore) they too have several ailments/allergies, and it makes me really mad!!! I don't want that for them!! I never wanted it for myself, and I certainly do not want it for my daughters.

My current pressing issue, is that my youngest daughter has horrible eczema on her face around her mouth. I have been doing my best to shift things in her diet, (not always easy) I have added ginger, lemon, turmeric, fermented cabbage and other crazy things into her diet, and still, not change. It flares up and gets lighter, but it is always there. So today I had lunch with a girlfriend of mine, who is on a similar quest as I am, and she mentioned to me that she recently traced her sons allergy issues back to the fact that he had severe jaundice when he was a baby. She said that the stress that the jaundice put on his liver as a baby has actually contributed to all of his allergies. She is now on a quest to cleanse his liver. LIGHT BULB!!!! My oldest and my youngest, the two with the most severe allergy issues, both had severe jaundice when they were babies.

I love how God speaks to us in stereo. Currently we are studying the digestive system in my Classical Conversations class. I read yesterday that the liver alone has 500 jobs. Our liver miraculously regenerates, but I can imagine that a compromised organ from infancy can cause a number of issues in someone's life if that organ is not intentionally cared for. Maybe I'm crazy but that's nothing new.

All of this to say, if you have some liver cleansing tips that are great for kids I'm all ears. Meanwhile I will continue to share with you about the crazy adventures of my life. I'd love prayer from anyone who is willing.

Until next time.......