Life At Its Best

The Real Greatness of The Man

2012-09-17T10:30:00.001+03:00

In What Way Was Samson One of The Weakest Men Who Ever Lived?

Amid the widespread apostasy the faithful worshipers of God continued to plead with Him for the deliverance of Israel. Though there was apparently no response, though year after year the power of the oppressor continued to rest more heavily upon the land, God's providence was preparing help for them. Even in the early years of the Philistine oppression a child was born through whom God designed to humble the power of these mighty foes.

On the border of the hill country overlooking the Philistine plain was the little town of Zorah. Here dwelt the family of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, one of the few households that amid the general defection had remained true to Jehovah. To the childless wife of Manoah "the Angel of Jehovah" appeared with the message that she should have a son, through whom God would begin to deliver Israel. In view of this the Angel gave her instruction concerning her own habits, and also for the treatment of her child: "Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing." And the same prohibition was to be imposed, from the first, upon the child, with the addition that his hair should not be cut; for he was to be consecrated to God as a Nazarite from his birth.

The woman sought her husband, and, after describing the Angel, she repeated His message. Then, fearful that they should make some mistake in the important work committed to them, the husband prayed, "Let the Man of God which Thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born."

When the Angel again appeared, Manoah's anxious inquiry was, "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" The previous instruction was repeated—"Of all that I [p. 561] said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe."

God had an important work for the promised child of Manoah to do, and it was to secure for him the qualifications necessary for this work that the habits of both the mother and the child were to be carefully regulated. "Neither let her drink wine or strong drink," was the Angel's instruction for the wife of Manoah, "nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe." The child will be affected for good or for evil by the habits of the mother. She must herself be controlled by principle and must practice temperance and self-denial, if she would seek the welfare of her child. Unwise advisers will urge upon the mother the necessity of gratifying every wish and impulse, but such teaching is false and mischievous. The mother is by the command of God Himself placed under the most solemn obligation to exercise self-control.

And fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility. Both parents transmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to their children. As the result of parental intemperance children often lack physical strength and mental and moral power. Liquor drinkers and tobacco users may, and do, transmit their insatiable craving, their inflamed blood and irritable nerves, to their children. The licentious often bequeath their unholy desires, and even loathsome diseases, as a legacy to their offspring. And as the children have less power to resist temptation than had the parents, the tendency is for each generation to fall lower and lower. To a great degree parents are responsible not only for the violent passions and perverted appetites of their children but for the infirmities of the thousands born deaf, blind, diseased, or idiotic.

The inquiry of every father and mother should be, "What shall we do unto the child that shall be born unto us?" The effect of prenatal influences has been by many lightly regarded; but the instruction sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents, and twice repeated in the most explicit and solemn manner, shows how this matter is looked upon by our Creator.

And it was not enough that the promised child should receive a good legacy from the parents. This must be followed by careful [p. 562] training and the formation of right habits. God directed that the future judge and deliverer of Israel should be trained to strict temperance from infancy. He was to be a Nazarite from his birth, thus being placed under a perpetual prohibition against the use of wine or strong drink. The lessons of temperance, self-denial, and self-control are to be taught to children even from babyhood.

The angel's prohibition included "every unclean thing." The distinction between articles of food as clean and unclean was not a merely ceremonial and arbitrary regulation, but was based upon sanitary principles. To the observance of this distinction may be traced, in a great degree, the marvelous vitality which for thousands of years has distinguished the Jewish people. The principles of temperance must be carried further than the mere use of spirituous liquors. The use of stimulating and indigestible food is often equally injurious to health, and in many cases sows the seeds of drunkenness. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful. There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body.

The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, to whom the name of Samson was given. As the boy grew up it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol. Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson's affections, and he determined to make her his wife. To his God-fearing parents, who endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, his only answer was, "She pleaseth me well." The parents at last yielded to his wishes, and the marriage took place. [p. 563]

Just as he was entering upon manhood, the time when he must execute his divine mission—the time above all others when he should have been true to God—Samson connected himself with the enemies of Israel. He did not ask whether he could better glorify God when united with the object of his choice, or whether he was placing himself in a position where he could not fulfill the purpose to be accomplished by his life. To all who seek first to honor Him, God has promised wisdom; but there is no promise to those who are bent upon self-pleasing.

How many are pursuing the same course as did Samson! How often marriages are formed between the godly and the ungodly, because inclination governs in the selection of husband or wife! The parties do not ask counsel of God, nor have His glory in view. Christianity ought to have a controlling influence upon the marriage relation, but it is too often the case that the motives which lead to this union are not in keeping with Christian principles. Satan is constantly seeking to strengthen his power over the people of God by inducing them to enter into alliance with his subjects; and in order to accomplish this he endeavors to arouse unsanctified passions in the heart. But the Lord has in His word plainly instructed His people not to unite themselves with those who have not His love abiding in them. "What concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" 2 Corinthians 6:15, 16.

At his marriage feast Samson was brought into familiar association with those who hated the God of Israel. Whoever voluntarily enters into such relations will feel it necessary to conform, to some degree, to the habits and customs of his companions. The time thus spent is worse than wasted. Thoughts are entertained and words are spoken that tend to break down the strongholds of principle and to weaken the citadel of the soul.

The wife, to obtain whom Samson had transgressed the command of God, proved treacherous to her husband before the close of the marriage feast. Incensed at her perfidy, Samson forsook her for the time, and went alone to his home at Zorah. When, afterward relenting, he returned for his bride, he found her the wife of another. His revenge, in the wasting of all the fields and vineyards of the Philistines, provoked them to murder her, although their threats had driven her to the deceit with [p. 564] which the trouble began. Samson had already given evidence of his marvelous strength by slaying, singlehanded, a young lion, and by killing thirty of the men of Askelon. Now, moved to anger by the barbarous murder of his wife, he attacked the Philistines and smote them "with a great slaughter." Then, wishing a safe retreat from his enemies, he withdrew to "the rock Etam," in the tribe of Judah.

To this place he was pursued by a strong force, and the inhabitants of Judah, in great alarm, basely agreed to deliver him to his enemies. Accordingly three thousand men of Judah went up to him. But even at such odds they would not have dared approach him had they not felt assured that he would not harm his own countrymen. Samson consented to be bound and delivered to the Philistines, but first exacted from the men of Judah a promise not to attack him themselves, and thus compel him to destroy them. He permitted them to bind him with two new ropes, and he was led into the camp of his enemies amid demonstrations of great joy. But while their shouts were waking the echoes of the hills, "the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him." He burst asunder the strong new cords as if they had been flax burned in the fire. Then seizing the first weapon at hand, which, though only the jawbone of an ass, was rendered more effective than sword or spear, he smote the Philistines until they fled in terror, leaving a thousand men dead upon the field.

Had the Israelites been ready to unite with Samson and follow up the victory, they might at this time have freed themselves from the power of their oppressors. But they had become dispirited and cowardly. They had neglected the work which God commanded them to perform, in dispossessing the heathen, and had united with them in their degrading practices, tolerating their cruelty, and, so long as it was not directed against themselves, even countenancing their injustice. When themselves brought under the power of the oppressor, they tamely submitted to the degradation which they might have escaped, had they only obeyed God. Even when the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, they would, not infrequently, desert him and unite with their enemies.

After his victory the Israelites made Samson judge, and he ruled Israel for twenty years. But one wrong step prepares the [p. 565] way for another. Samson had transgressed the command of God by taking a wife from the Philistines, and again he ventured among them—now his deadly enemies—in the indulgence of unlawful passion. Trusting to his great strength, which had inspired the Philistines with such terror, he went boldly to Gaza, to visit a harlot of that place. The inhabitants of the city learned of his presence, and they were eager for revenge. Their enemy was shut safely within the walls of the most strongly fortified of all their cities; they felt sure of their prey, and only waited till the morning to complete their triumph. At midnight Samson was aroused. The accusing voice of conscience filled him with remorse, as he remembered that he had broken his vow as a Nazarite. But notwithstanding his sin, God's mercy had not forsaken him. His prodigious strength again served to deliver him. Going to the city gate, he wrenched it from its place and carried it, with its posts and bars, to the top of a hill on the way to Hebron.

But even this narrow escape did not stay his evil course. He did not again venture among the Philistines, but he continued to seek those sensuous pleasures that were luring him to ruin. "He loved a woman in the valley of Sorek," not far from his own birthplace. Her name was Delilah, "the consumer." The vale of Sorek was celebrated for its vineyards; these also had a temptation for the wavering Nazarite, who had already indulged in the use of wine, thus breaking another tie that bound him to purity and to God. The Philistines kept a vigilant watch over the movements of their enemy, and when he degraded himself by this new attachment, they determined, through Delilah, to accomplish his ruin.

A deputation consisting of one leading man from each of the Philistine provinces was sent to the vale of Sorek. They dared not attempt to seize him while in possession of his great strength, but it was their purpose to learn, if possible, the secret of his power. They therefore bribed Delilah to discover and reveal it.

As the betrayer plied Samson with her questions, he deceived her by declaring that the weakness of other men would come upon him if certain processes were tried. When she put the matter to the test, the cheat was discovered. Then she accused him of falsehood, saying, "How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these [p. 566] three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth." Three times Samson had the clearest evidence that the Philistines had leagued with his charmer to destroy him; but when her purpose failed, she treated the matter as a jest, and he blindly banished fear.

Day by day Delilah urged him, until "his soul was vexed unto death;" yet a subtle power kept him by her side. Overcome at last, Samson made known the secret: "There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." A messenger was immediately dispatched to the lords of the Philistines, urging them to come to her without delay. While the warrior slept, the heavy masses of his hair were severed from his head. Then, as she had done three times before, she called, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!" Suddenly awaking, he thought to exert his strength as before and destroy them; but his powerless arms refused to do his bidding, and he knew that "Jehovah was departed from him." When he had been shaven, Delilah began to annoy him and cause him pain, thus making a trial of his strength; for the Philistines dared not approach him till fully convinced that his power was gone. Then they seized him and, having put out both his eyes, they took him to Gaza. Here he was bound with fetters in their prison house and confined to hard labor.

What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of Israel!—now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited.

In suffering and humiliation, a sport for the Philistines, Samson learned more of his own weakness than he had ever known before; and his afflictions led him to repentance. As his hair grew, his power gradually returned; but his enemies, regarding him as a fettered and helpless prisoner, felt no apprehensions.

The Philistines ascribed their victory to their gods; and, [p. 567] exulting, they defied the God of Israel. A feast was appointed in honor of Dagon, the fish god, "the protector of the sea." From town and country throughout the Philistine plain the people and their lords assembled. Throngs of worshipers filled the vast temple and crowded the galleries about the roof. It was a scene of festivity and rejoicing. There was the pomp of the sacrificial service, followed by music and feasting. Then, as the crowning trophy of Dagon's power, Samson was brought in. Shouts of exultation greeted his appearance. People and rulers mocked his misery and adored the god who had overthrown "the destroyer of their country." After a time, as if weary, Samson asked permission to rest against the two central pillars which supported the temple roof. Then he silently uttered the prayer, "O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines." With these words he encircled the pillars with his mighty arms; and crying, "Let me die with the Philistines!" he bowed himself, and the roof fell, destroying at one crash all that vast multitude. "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life."

The idol and its worshipers, priest and peasant, warrior and noble, were buried together beneath the ruins of Dagon's temple. And among them was the giant form of him whom God had chosen to be the deliverer of His people. Tidings of the terrible overthrow were carried to the land of Israel, and Samson's kinsmen came down from their hills, and, unopposed, rescued the body of the fallen hero. And they "brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father."

God's promise that through Samson He would "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" was fulfilled; but how dark and terrible the record of that life which might have been a praise to God and a glory to the nation! Had Samson been true to his divine calling, the purpose of God could have been accomplished in his honor and exaltation. But he yielded to temptation and proved untrue to his trust, and his mission was fulfilled in defeat, bondage, and death.

Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, [p. 568] but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him.

God's providential care had been over Samson, that he might be prepared to accomplish the work which he was called to do. At the very outset of life he was surrounded with favorable conditions for physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. But under the influence of wicked associates he let go that hold upon God which is man's only safeguard, and he was swept away by the tide of evil. Those who in the way of duty are brought into trial may be sure that God will preserve them; but if men willfully place themselves under the power of temptation, they will fall, sooner or later.

The very ones whom God purposes to use as His instruments for a special work, Satan employs his utmost power to lead astray. He attacks us at our weak points, working through defects in the character to gain control of the whole man; and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. But none need be overcome. Man is not left alone to conquer the power of evil by his own feeble efforts. Help is at hand and will be given to every soul who really desires it. Angels of God, that ascend and descend the ladder which Jacob saw in vision, will help every soul who will, to climb even to the highest heaven.

From The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 54

by Ellen G. White

What is a Black Hole?

2012-08-27T10:25:00.005+03:00

Black Holes are the Remnants of Very Massive Stars
Black holes may be among the strangest – and most commonly misunderstood – objects in our universe. The remnants of the most massive stars, they sit at the limit of our understanding of physics. They can contain several times the mass of our sun in a space no larger than a city. With gravity so intense that not even light can escape their surfaces, black holes can teach us about the absolute extremes in the cosmos and the very structure of space itself.
Conceptually, black holes aren’t all that complicated. They are nothing more than extremely dense cores of once-massive stars. Most stars, like our sun, end their lives peacefully by gently blowing their outer layers into space. But stars exceeding about eight times the mass of the sun take another, more dramatic, path.
These stars die when they can no longer fuse atomic nuclei in their core. It’s not that they run out of fuel, per se. Rather, once the star has a core of iron, fusing together atoms to make new elements actually costs the star energy. Lacking an energy source, the star can’t hold itself up against the relentless struggle with gravity. The outer layers of the star come crashing down.
As several octillion tons of gas come hurdling down, the star’s core undergoes a drastic change and becomes resilient to further compression. The infalling gas hits the now-hardened core and rebounds. The rapid gas compression sets off one last wave of uncontrolled nuclear fusion. The star, now wildly out of balance, explodes. The resulting supernova can outshine an entire galaxy and can be seen from across the universe.
In the supernova’s wake, the core remains. This dense soup of subatomic particles has a couple of options at this point. For a star with less mass than 20 suns, the core holds together as a neutron star. But for the real stellar heavyweights, the core transforms into a truly exotic object. A black hole is born.
Stars thrive in a precarious balance. Gravity wants to pull the star together, internal pressure wants to tear it apart. The most drastic changes happen when one of these forces gets the upper hand. Above a core mass of a few suns, there is no known source of pressure that can balance gravity. The stellar remnant collapses upon itself.
Squeezing all that mass into a smaller and smaller volume makes the gravity at the dead star’s surface skyrocket. Ratcheting up the gravity makes it increasingly difficult for anything to escape. Get the gravity high enough – about 30 thousand times what we feel here on Earth – and some truly bizarre side effects pop up.
Throw a ball up into the air, and eventually it stops, turns around, and comes back to your hand. Throw the ball harder, it goes higher – but still falls back down. Throw the ball hard enough and the ball can escape Earth’s gravity. That point-of-no-return is called the “escape velocity”. It’s different for every planet, star, and comet. Earth’s escape velocity is about 40,000 km/hr. For the sun, it’s over 2 million km/hr!. On a very small asteroid, jumping too high might accidentally launch you into orbit.
On a black hole, however, the escape velocity is greater than the speed of light!
Since nothing can go that fast, then nothing – not even light itself – can get up enough speed to escape a black hole’s surface. No type of radiation—radio waves, UV, infrared – can emanate from a black hole. No information at all can ever leave. The universe has drawn a curtain around whatever remains of these stellar behemoths and so we can’t directly study them. All we can do is conjecture.
The black hole itself is defined by a volume of space delineated by an “event horizon”. The event horizon invisibly marks off the boundary where the escape velocity is exactly equal to the speed of light. Outside of the horizon, your spaceship has at least a theoretical chance of making it home. Crossing that line sets you on a one-way journey to whatever sits inside.
What sits within the event horizon is a complete mystery. Is there still an object sitting in the center, some shadow of a once brilliant stellar core? Or does nothing stop the gravity from crushing the nuclei to a single point, possibly even puncturing the fabric of space-time? Our lack of understanding of such extreme environments and the veil of ignorance that cloaks these creatures gives the imagination room to run wild. Visions of tunnels to other dimensions, parallel universes, and even distant times are rampant. But the only honest answer to the question “what lies beyond the event horizon?” is a simple “we don’t know!”
The bottom line is that black holes are the burying grounds of extremely massive stars. Following a supernova explosion, the massive core is left behind. Lacking a suitable balancing force, gravity pulls the core together to a point where the escape velocity exceeds the speed of light. From this point on, no light – and no information of any kind – can radiate into space. All that remains is a perfectly black void where once a mighty star stood.

Your Brain on Sugar

2012-08-27T10:09:00.002+03:00

Wait! Before you eat that ice cream …..

Did you know that binging on soda and sweets – for as little as six weeks – might do damage to your memory?
A new study suggests that a diet high in fructose – that is, sugars commonly derived from sugar cane, beets and corn – can slows your brain, hampering your memory and learning. Fortunately, this same study also suggests that eating foods that contain nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids – like walnuts, salmon, flax seeds and sardines – can counteract these negative effects.
The study, headed by neuroscientist Fernando Gomez-Pinilla at the University of California Los Angeles, focused on high-fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive liquid that’s six times sweeter than cane sugar. It’s used in many processed foods, including soft drinks, condiments, apple sauce and baby food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes more than 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup every year.
The study monitored two groups of rats. Each were fed regular food and trained on a maze twice daily for five days. They were then switched to a diet high in fructose for six weeks.
One group also received omega-3 fatty acids, which protect against damage to synapses — the chemical connections between brain cells that enable memory and learning.
After six weeks on their experimental diet, the rats were tested on the mazes again.
Of the two groups, the rats that received fructose without a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids were slower at completing the maze, and their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the maze route.

So what does this mean for us humans? In short, what you eat might have a big impact on how your brain functions.

Tumeric Stops Rift Valley Fever

2012-08-27T10:02:00.002+03:00

Turmeric Spices Up Virus Recently Discovered

The popular spice turmeric packs more than just flavor — it shows promise in fighting devastating viruses, Mason researchers recently discovered.

Curcumin, found in turmeric, stopped the potentially deadly Rift Valley Fever virus from multiplying in infected cells, says Aarthi Narayanan, lead investigator on a new study and a research assistant professor in Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases.

Mosquito-borne Rift Valley Fever virus (RVF) is an acute, fever- causing virus that affects domestic animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, as well as humans. Results of the study were publishedthis month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

“Growing up in India, I was given turmeric all the time,” says Narayanan, who has spent the past 18 months working on the project. “Every time my son has a throat infection, I give (turmeric) to him.”

There’s more work to do before curcumin-based pharmaceuticals become commonplace, Narayanan emphasizes. She plans to test 10 different versions of curcumin to determine which one works the best. She also intends to apply the research to other viruses, including HIV.

Narayanan has long wanted to explore the infection-fighting properties of turmeric, in particular its key component, curcumin. “It is often not taken seriously because it’s a spice,” she says.

But science is transforming the spice from folk medicine to one that could help a patient’s body fight off a virus because it can prevent the virus from taking over healthy cells. These “broad-spectrum inhibitors” work by defeating a wide array of viruses.

“Curcumin is, by its very nature, broad spectrum,” Narayanan says.

“However, in the published article, we provide evidence that curcumin may interfere with how the virus manipulates the human cell to stop the cell from responding to the infection.”

Kylene Kehn-Hall, a co-investigator on the study, adds, “We are very excited about this work, as curcumin not only dramatically inhibits RVFV replication in cell culture but also demonstrates efficacy against RVFV in a mouse model.”

Narayanan and her colleagues study the connection between a virus and how it impacts the host — human or animal. Symptoms clue in the researcher about the body’s inner workings. Rift Valley Fever and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis kick off with flu-like symptoms.

Symptoms can make it challenging for someone to recover. The body usually starts with an exaggerated inflammatory response because it doesn’t know where to start to rid itself of the virus, she says.

“Many times, the body goes above and beyond what is necessary,” Narayanan says. “And that’s not good because it’s going to influence a bunch of cells around the infection, which haven’t seen the bug. That’s one way by which disease spreads through your body. And so it is very important to control the host because a lot of times the way the host responds contributes to the disease.”

Controlling the symptoms means more than simply making the patients feels better. “You’re giving the antiviral a chance to work. Now an antiviral can go in and stop the bug. You’re no longer trying to keep the host alive and battling the bug at the same time.”

Once Narayanan knows how the body responds to a virus, it’s time to go after the bug itself.

She’s applying this know- how to a family of viruses called Bunyaviruses, which feature Rift Valley fever, and such alphaviruses as Venezuelan equine encephalitis and retroviruses, which notably include HIV.

She delves into uncovering why and how each virus affects the patient. “Why are some cell types more susceptible to one type of infection than another?”

HIV goes after the immune system. Bunyaviruses will infect a wide range of cells but do maximum damage to the liver.

“What is it about the liver that makes it a sitting duck compared to something like the brain?” Narayanan asks.

Ultimately, curcumin could be part of drug therapies that help defeat these viruses, Narayanan says.

“I know this works. I know it works because I have seen it happen in real life,” Narayanan says. “I eat it every day. I make it a point of adding it to vegetables I cook. Every single day.”

Other Mason researchers involved in the study are Charles Bailey, Ravi Das, Irene Guendel, Lindsay Hall, Fatah Kashanchi, Svetlana Senina and Rachel Van Duyne. Several researchers from other institutions also collaborated.

Recycled Plastic Island

2012-06-25T15:49:00.000+03:00

100,000 Recycled Plastic Bottles Spiral Island

Yes, it is real – it not only floats but also has beaches and can be moved as well as docked around the world. Almost like a pirate ship story of old, the tale of this remarkable artificial island that floats on 100,000 recycled plastic bottles is long, strange and does involve tales of adventure and danger. The second of its kind, the newest iteration of Spiral Island is an amazing work in progress.

The first Spiral Island sat upon 250,000 plastic bottles, bundled together in bags and used as the floating base for the bamboo and plywood supporting the entire sand-surfaced area above – over fifty feet in diameter. Remarkably, the original island had a multistory home with a solar oven, self-composting toilet, multiple beaches as well as a variety of lush plants and trees.

Not deterred by the destruction of the original island in a terrible hurricane, Sowa built a second one starting just a few years ago – it was completed last year. Nearly the same size it likewise has beaches, a house but also has a solar-powered waterfall and ponds within the island.

Far from an eccentric individual’s attempt to escape from the world, Spiral Island is a remarkably welcoming place – many people came together to help recreate it when the first one was destroyed. Camera and news crews have also been invited onto the island as it is (naturally) something of an international sensation.

Man-Made, Free-Floating Luxury Beach House

One man’s trash is another man’s mobile treasure island.?Spiral Island may be the most strange and successful hand-made paradise the world has ever seen. For those not familiar: the first iteration of this portable (engine-powered) island was constructed fifteen years ago but was destroyed by a hurricane. The current model also floats atop millions of recycled plastic bottles like its predecessor, created from the ground (or rather: water) up by one man and a rotating crew of die-hard followers, fans and friends. And to this day, the whole island is growing – and the people and structures that dwell upon it are still evolving in eccentric and exciting ways.

Arguably more amazing than the mere fact of a free-floating private luxury island is the fact that it continues to change over time, forever a work in progress. Second stories have been added, remodeled and replaced throughout the years – featuring a lofted bedroom at one time, a two-person swing set under a solar panel at another (supplemented later with a massage table).

Aside from upcycling trashed plastic to form its very foundation (bottle-filled used tires float the whole island like a huge boat – an upgrade from mesh bags full of bottles), other sustainable moves include growing food on the island itself: there is a “protected garden with beach grapes, tulipans, an edible fruit cactus and an elephants foot palm.” Many of the on-island building materials are locally harvested, donated or discarded and reused by its nomadic inhabitants.

The aesthetic hovers somewhere between campsite and beach front resort, with calculated corral-and-concrete edges (to provide a feeling of safety along the borders) and live palm trees, mixed benches and sandy paths winding throughout. Tropical and rustic ‘island-associated’ themes can be found throughout the architecture and interiors as well. The island welcomes visitors, as well as donations to help keep it afloat (literally and otherwise).

That is not to say that living on this virtual paradise comes problem-free. For one thing, another natural disaster could still threaten its existence – and flexible governments may not remain so forever (though for now the island travels with relative freedom from one place to the next). Moreover, fresh water, security and other issues are always under consideration – after all, there are precedents for outsiders (pirates or privateers) ?invading and taking over micronations by force. Still, the island grows and shifts with the tides, ever more ready for the next source of trouble – and usually floating one step ahead.

Private Yacht as Tropical Island Paradise

So you already have your own private tropical island and giant-sized personal luxury yacht … how do you take things to the next level? Why, you combine the two into a portable slice of floating paradise, of course!

Somewhere between crazy and kitsch, this monster of the sea features its own miniature volcano, flowing waterfall, mountain stream, and valley pool flanked by a series of small bamboo huts and shelter-providing palm trees, all set upon (and concealing) a cruise-ship-style deck.

For adults looking for a little more reality on their oceanic voyage, an extendable deck can be deployed belowdecks via a fold-down hatch in the hull; this opening revealing stairs leading to shelters, seating and other detachable smaller sea-faring vessels for short off-ship excursions.

“This view shows the guest cabanas nestled around the pool and highlights the two deck owners’ suites carved out of the front of the volcano and looking out across the bow. The interior features an owners suite located inside the volcano and spread over two decks. The living room balcony affords views out over the front of the yacht from behind the waterfall. Located behind the bedroom is the owners private spa.”

But YI Designs is not quite done yet – they propose to build the ultra-rich vessels they have yet to dream of, if they have the wealth to afford them. Concepts include a remake of the streets of Monaco, a Chinese sailing ship and a kind of abstracted Taj Mahal on the water.

Insane? Perhaps, but if there is a market, who knows – these may actually be constructed some day. “‘The Streets of Monaco’ is our first design proposal. The theme is based around the Mediterranean principality with the primary focus being the famous grand prix circuit.”

“The idea was to recreate the circuit as a fully functional kart track able to accommodate three karts side by side to allow for plenty of overtaking. The Monaco story extends beyond this exterior architecture and into the interior spaces giving a seamless transition as guests move between the various areas of the yacht.”

A Ship In A Dark Fog

2012-06-25T09:40:00.000+03:00

How Does a Ship Ever Find its Way in the Dark Fog?

I looked out my bedroom window and I could barely see across our small garden. Looking out the window I started to think. I thought . . .How does a ship trying to get to port ever find its way in the dark fog? Well the answer is simple. The ship's captain even if he has never gone to his designated final port of entry finds his or her way to port with a few simple tools; a map and a compass. None of us knew exactly how to get to our final destination when we start, but we are given the tools to navigate our way to our final port. The only difference between a ships captain and us is that the ship's captain knows he will get to port as soon as he sets of on his journey while we, on the other hand, sometimes don't carry this same level of faith going into our life. We hope that the tools that have been given to us will get us to our final destination, but we don't know as a matter of fact that we will get there. I understand why there is a difference in mindset, so let me expound on it. If the ship's captain had never seen the sea before he started his voyage or met any captains that had successfully gotten to port he would be left with the same hope we hold. He wouldn't know for sure that would get to port, he would have to trust in his tools and have faith that he would get to port. After successfully arriving at his destination for the first time, the ship's captain, would then have full faith in his tools and his ship and their ability to get him to wherever in the world he was called to go. But in that first voyage he would be riddled with fear and trepidation at every turn in his journey. Little storms or detours that would normally be of no consequence would be magnified his mind as an almost insurmountable obstacles. When little obstacle come our way we tend to magnify them

Families Personal Duties

2012-06-24T12:26:00.000+03:00

General Duties of Personal Conduct

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

Paul often starts a thought, then digresses, then returns to his orig-inal thought. The therefore of verse 15 is resumptive; it returns to the thought of a worthy walk emphasized in verse 8. This is the seventh time that Paul has referred to the walk of the Ephesian believers. Ephesians 2:2 speaks of their pre-salvation walk and 2:10, 17; 5:2, 8, 15 speaks of their post-salvation walk.

The verb be is literally see to it. This implies they may have become forgetful of the imperative of Christian conduct. The adverb careful (akribwß = akribos) means to pay close attention to detail. How is a word that requires careful choice. We should be alert, precise, and discriminatory in the way we walk. Who is the wise man and who is the unwise man? Verse 17 pro-vides the answer—the wise man knows the will of God; the unwise man does not. The wise man is truth oriented; the unwise man is ignorance oriented.

Verse 16 points to a specific area of walking wisely—the judi-cious use of one’s time. The word time (kairoß = kairos) refers to an epoch, or critical moment, and thus opportunity. Making the most is literally buying up. We are to make the most of every opportunity like a good merchant or businessman does. We must remember that time is a daily treasure that attracts many robbers. The words the days are evil tell why careful attention to one’s walk is so important. One watches each step very carefully when walking a path covered with ice, whereas a straight and level path would not require such care. In days when the path we must walk is full of the debris of sin, we must tread with care and diligence.
Persistence With Regard to God’s Will 5:17

“So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

The word foolish (afrwn = aphron) is stronger than unwise in verse 15. It refers to stupid and totally senseless action. The word understand (sunihmi = suniami) means to give the mind to something with a view to getting hold of it. Our idiom “get it together” expresses the meaning of the verb quite well.
Control With Regard to God’s Spirit 5:18-20

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiri-tual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

DISSIPATION FORBIDDEN 5:18A

The grammatical structure of these five verses is very important. They open with two contrasting com-mands, the second of which (be filled) is explained by five participles.

The opening command is a quotation of the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 23:31. The climate of Greece caused the ground to produce the fruit of the vine prolifically. Drinking of wine was not only a social custom but was closely linked to the heathen festivals. If historical accounts are accurate, Alexander the Great hastened his death by the use of alcohol.

The danger of drunkenness lies not so much in drinking itself, but in what it produces. Paul calls it dissipation (aswtia = asotia), used in classical Greek for the squandering of both money and physical appetites. The adverbial form is found in Luke 15:13 and describes the activity of the prodigal son as loose living.

FILLING COMMANDED 5:18B

One might expect that Paul’s prohi-bition of drunkenness would be followed by an exhortation to abstinence. But this is not the case; the exhortation is instead to be filled with the Spirit. Christians are to know a “Christian drunken-ness,” that is, the filling of the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit provides a genuine exhilaration that others seek from alco-hol.

While the prohibition concerning drunkenness stands by itself, it also clarifies what is meant by being filled with the Holy Spirit. One who is drunk is controlled by something other than himself— namely, alcohol. The same idea is involved in filling: One is con-trolled by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Filling is not a matter of quantity but of control, a concept that can be established by noting its uses in the book of Acts. The contrast between the two commands is between wrong animation and right animation. The words with wine stand in contrast to with the Spirit. Both verbs are present tense, indicating habitual action. Paul is not speaking of a charismatic experience; he is commanding an ongoing condition.

The Greek text does not tell us whether Paul is referring to the human spirit or the Holy Spirit. It is not unusual for Paul to speak of the human spirit as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The same ambiguity is found in Ephesians 2:22, 3:5, and 6:18. Is Paul telling us where to be filled or with whom to be filled? When one consid-ers the numerous references to the filling of the Spirit, it seems best to capitalize the noun Spirit making it a reference to the person of the Holy Spirit.

The significance of the verb be filled (plhrow = plaroo) is critical for a sound doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The imperative mood makes it clear that filling is expected of all believers, and the pre-sent tense forbids a once-for-all experience, specifying instead a continuous replenishment—“keep on being filled.” The passive voice means this is not a manufactured experience but a gracious gift of God available to all.

RESULTS ASSURED 5:19-21

The Control of the Holy Spirit is Manifested by Speaking—Five par-ticiples follow with each describing the results of the filling of the Holy Spirit. In each of the expressions, the control of the Holy Spirit is manifested in some type of praise.

It is interesting that both here and on the day of Pentecost the thing affected by the Holy Spirit was the tongue. This is not to imply that the speaking referred to here has anything to do with tongues, but it was the organ of speech that was touched in each context. This harmonizes nicely with James words, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” The word speaking (lalew = laleo) is not con-fined to words spoken in normal conversation but incorporates all kinds of utterances, such as those that are lyrics of a song. Its gen-eral meaning is using the voice, in whatever manner. Under the relaxing influence of wine, the tongue is loosened; likewise, under the control of the Holy Spirit the tongue is loosened to offer praise to Him to Whom it is due. The speech is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the vine.

The words speaking to one another probably correspond with the words of Colossians 3:16, teaching and admonishing one another. Psalms suggests the Davidic psalter; hymns center on praise and worship, whereas spiritual songs refer to meaningful lyrics in a broader sense. A hymn is distinguished from a song in that hymns focus on the character or work of God. Hymns are not the expres-sion of how we feel about God; they are statements recognizing and exalting His person. A song may speak of how we love Him; a hymn speaks of how He loves us. The participle making melody (yallw = psallo) originally referred to plucking the strings of a lyre. In our usage it means to sing to the accompaniment of a harp or similar instrument. It is the word from which psalm is devel-oped.

The words to the Lord show that these songs of praise do not need to be heard by men. They may thus be private and personal or public and corporate. The issue is to whom, not before whom. Jerome makes an interesting comment on this verse. He says, “Let young men hear this: let those hear it who have the office of singing in the church, that they sing not with their voice, but with their heart, to the Lord; not like tragedians physically preparing their throat and mouth, that they may sing after the fashion of the theatre in the church. He that has but an ill
voice, if he has good works, is a sweet singer before God.”

The Control of the Spirit is Manifested by Giving Thanks 5:20—How can one give thanks for all things when all things include unpleas-ant things? It is easy to thank God for the pleasant things of life, but it is another matter to thank Him in the midst of suffering. And yet, when men are controlled by the Spirit, this is not only possible but normal. The Spirit controlled believer knows “Behind a frown-ing providence, He hides a smiling face.” So many are His bless-ings brought by adversity that the Spirit controlled believer is not prone to hang his harp on the willows but rather strikes up a con-cert of praise. Remember those Spirit motivated apostles who, while in prison with their feet in stocks, were heard at midnight praying and singing hymns of praise to God? This counsel to give thanks in all things could well be understood to be the advice of those who expect perfection if we did not have the living example of Paul who practiced it himself.

The Control of the Spirit is Manifested by Being Subject 5:21—Paul now introduces a concept that permeates the entire household of husband and wife, parents and children, slaves and masters— mutual deference, dependence, and service—in short, submission. Success in the home comes only when our own insistence on personal rights is surrendered for those of others. Submission to one another is placed on the highest footing: mutual submission of all to the headship of Christ.

The word submit (upotassw = hupotasso) is found about twenty-three times in Paul’s writings. In each case it denotes sub-ordination to those who are worthy of respect because of personal virtue or position held. Without submission, anarchy prevails, whether in the family, the church, or the state. And why does the Christian render such submission? The answer is easy: out of respect (fear) of Christ.
Specific Duties of Personal Conduct 5:22-6:9

The Duties of Husband and Wife 5:22-33

AS PERTAINS TO THE WIFE 5:22-24

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the hus-band is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

The Responsibility of Submission 5:22—these words about the submission of the wife to her husband must be viewed from the correct perspective. Christianity elevated the wife; it did not relegate her to a place of subservience.When a woman became a believer, her status was raised from the comparative servitude she once knew as a citizen of the Greek-Roman world to the new freedom of Christianity. Pagan civilization put women behind the plow—Christianity has always freed women.

The relationship of the Christian husband and wife, children and the parents, the slave and the master, Christian and govern-ment, and Christian to Christian is always triangular. The triangle involves the two human entities and God. Motivation and direc-tion always come from God. It is the inclusion of God that makes Christianity unique and distinguishes it from the moral standards of the gentile world. Codes of domestic behavior are found in Colossians 3:18-4:1, I Timothy 3:4, 12, 5:14, 6:1-2, Titus 2:1-10, I Peter 2:13-3:7. We could represent this graphically as follows.

The words be subject are in italics, meaning there is no counterpart to them in the Greek text. Literally, we have “Wives, to your husbands ” It is correct to insert the words be subject because of their appearance in verse 21. Verse 21 spoke of the subjection to be found among all Christians, and now Paul focuses on a particular aspect of that submission to be found in marriage.

The words to your own husbands show that Paul is emphasizing to whom submission should be given. The verse is speaking of a woman’s responsibility to her husband. Paul is not implying that women are inferior to men nor that all women should be subject to all men.

What do the words as to the Lord mean? They do not mean that a woman should give her husband the same deference she gives to the Lord. They do mean submission to one’s husband is the duty owed to the Lord.

The Basis of Submission 5:23-24—The word as shows the hus-band-wife relationship is based on an analogy. Christ is to the church what the husband is to the wife. I Corinthians 11:3 reveals God’s hierarchy. God is over Christ and Christ is over man and man is over woman. It is important to remember that hierarchy does not mean superiority of nature or character. The point is this: God has order in everything He does. Believers should have the highest view of marriage. It is the earthly illustration of the rela-tionship that exists between Christ and His church. Marriage is defined in the most sublime terms. It it compared to the marriage of the Lamb to His bride!

The word subject (upotassw = hupotasso) was a military term meaning to line up in order. The issue is orderliness, not superiority. Two ideas are stressed in the analogy. Christ is head and savior of the church (direction and deliverance); so the husband is head and savior of the woman (direction and deliverance). The word savior is never used in the New Testament of any other than Christ or God. The responsibility of the husband, however, is analogous to that of Deity, though certainly to a much lesser degree.
AS PERTAINS TO THE HUSBAND 5:25-31

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,because we are members of His body. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.”

As the duty of the wife is submission, so the duty of the husband is love that answers to the love of Christ exhibited in the giving of Himself for us. If Paul places the duty of the wife on such a high level, the obligations of the husband are no lower. There are five major aspects of this love.

His Love is to be Realistic 5:25a—Verse 25 leads us into the con-cept of reciprocal relationship; each owes something to the other. In the Greek-Roman society it was recognized that wives had duties to their husbands, but it was not recognized that husbands had duties to their wives. In assigning responsibility to the hus-band, Christianity was introducing a revolutionary approach to marriage. The single word submit summarized the duty of the wife; one single word summarizes the duty of the husband, love.

The husband’s love is rooted in his response to the love of Christ for us. No husband who is a stranger to the cross of Christ can truly love his wife. He has no motivation higher than her own merits, and the union of the two is only mundane; it is devoid of the highest divine blessing. Christ reminded the disciples of His love repeatedly as seen in John 13:34, 15:9, 12. Christ loved the church, not because it was lovable, but in order to make it such. So the husband is to love his wife with the same noble purpose.

His Love is to be Sacrificial 5:25b—It is extremely important to understand that the primary thrust of this passage pertains to Christ and His church. Understanding of the husband-wife relationship is born of a knowledge of Christ and the church. The doc-trine of the church is the foundation upon which the Christian view of marriage is based. The primary reference of the pronoun her is the church; the secondary reference of her is to the Christian wife.

The analogy of the husband’s love for the wife is strengthened in that the word church is feminine gender. These words of Paul show us that Christian doctrine is the foundation of Christian con-duct. Were it not for the church, the wife would have no pattern to follow in obeying the command to submit in verse 22. In a day so oriented to Christian counseling and psychology, one should bear in mind an important fact: Biblical teaching concerning marriage is not psychologically based; it is doctrinally based! It is a sad commentary that a believer with a marriage problem will often consult a psychologist before a Bible teacher. Psychology, even Christian, can assault the sufficiency of the word of God.

His Love is to be Purposeful 5:26-27—In these two verses Paul digresses from the subject of marriage in order to dwell on the pur-pose of Christ for the church. This is doubtless triggered by the word church in verse 25. Christ’s purpose for the church is stated three times in these verses (see the word that in English or the Greek ina clause.)

His Love is to be Unreserved 5:28-30—The word so signals Paul’s return to his analogy between Christ and the church and the hus-band and the wife. Christ does not love the church as though it were His body; He loves the church because it is His body. The husband’s love is derived from the oneness of marriage. The one-ness is so strong that to love her is to love himself.This stands in strong contrast to the way a wife was treated in a pagan society wherein she was regarded as a piece of property only. The words no one ever hated his own flesh mean it is as unnatural not to love one’s own wife as it is to hate oneself. The word nour-ishes means to supply nutriment (food), and cherishes means to supply warmth. When Paul speaks of husbands loving their wives as their own bodies, does he mean as they love their own bodies or does he mean as being their own bodies? The latter seems better because the church is truly the body of Christ.

To speak of a man loving his wife as his own body is a signifi-cant concept. Altruism is the unselfish concern for others and is the opposite of egoism. From a biblical standpoint, however, a husband’s love for his wife is not altruism for she is to be regarded as an extension of himself. Since this is the case, a man who does not love his wife does as much damage to himself as he does to her.

The statement no one ever hated his own flesh is the death knell of ascetic practice. Severe treatment of the body is condemned by the New Testament as unnatural and has no place in Christianity (Colossians 2:23). Christians are never called upon to walk upon a bed of nails as a means of gaining control of one’s life. Paul’s self-discipline of I Corinthians 9:27 falls into an entirely different category.

Paul bases his appeal to the husband on the same principle as his appeal to the wife. Wives are to obey their husbands as the church obeys Christ. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. In each case, a relationship to the Lord is assumed. Without this, the exhortations are without meaning.

His Love is to be Exclusive 5:31—This is the most foundational statement found anywhere in Scripture concerning God’s plan for marriage. Adam regarded Eve as “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” The marriage tie takes precedence over every other rela-tionship and for this reason is to be regarded as inviolable. The verb shall cleave (proskollaw = proskollao) literally means to be glued to but is used figuratively in the New Testament to mean to be faithfully devoted to. Polygamy, divorce, and adultery have no place in New Testament Christianity. Marriage is not the extension of an old home but the establishment of a new one with its own separate and independent existence.

Jesus quotes this verse from Genesis 2:24 in Mark 10:7-9. He uses it to teach that marriage is a lifelong union. He does so by adding to the words from Genesis His own interpretation of its meaning saying, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” The permanency of marriage parallels the perma-nency of the believer’s relationship to Christ. Lifelong marriage teaches the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. Need we argue that there is no divorce of the believer from the body of Christ?

AS PERTAINS TO THE MYSTERY 5:32-33

“This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³²Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.”

The word great does not point to intensity but to magnitude. It has been paraphrased “it is of far-reaching importance” and “has many implications.” It is a mystery in the sense of being wonderful truth hidden in Christ and not revealed until Christ came to die for, sanctify, and glorify His bride, the church. Verse 33 summarizes the whole matter. Paul’s readers may not understand all that is involved in the mystery, but the essential truth Paul is trying to convey is found in this verse.

The Duties of Children and Parents 6:1-4

THE CHILDREN 6:1-3

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise). ³that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.”

Commanded 6:1-2—First, the children are addressed directly. These words are not a message to be delivered by parents to the children; the noun children assumes they were present and listening when this letter was read. Paul does not speak about the children but to the children. This assumes the children were interested in hearing what Paul was saying. Paul offered the children the same thing, in the same form, that he offered their parents—the word of God. Nehemiah 8:1-3 makes the criteria for listening to God’s word ability to understand, not age. It is important to note that Paul lifts the common relationships in life to celestial heights. Christ and the church is the heavenly relationship that becomes the pattern for the husband-wife relationship, and now it becomes the pattern for the child-parent relationship.

Second, the children are addressed doctrinally. The words this is right assume the children have been taught moral absolutes. They were aware their conduct could please or displease God (Colossians 3:20). It is important to remember in our day that our children will not learn moral absolutes from school, television, or any other part of their environment except home. Third, the children are addressed scripturally. The words are taken from Exodus 20:12. The word honor covers more than obedi-ence; it refers to the respect given to those who are placed over us by God.

The word obey (upakouw = hupakouo) is literally to listen from under. It incorporates obedience and more—taking advice. Isaac’s willingness to be sacrificed is a model for this kind of submission (Genesis 22). Parents includes both husband and wife, but verse 4 turns to Fathers. Once the headship of the husband is understood, the reason for this arrangement is clear. He does not act in place of the wife, but she is represented by him as the family head.

What do the words in the Lord mean? Paul has a Christian home in view as he writes these words. A Christian home knows no conflict of loyalties among any of its members. There is no family problem that is beyond cure when each member is submissive to the Lordship of Christ.

One thing cannot be said too often or too forcefully. Christian parents should teach their children never to marry an unbeliever. There are two compelling reasons for this. First, if one does not marry a believer, one does not have a Christian home. Second, we are taught that as Christians God is our heavenly Father. A young lady should remember that the man she marries will be her chil-dren’s image of God. To marry an unbeliever robs one’s unborn children of a Christian mother or father.

In what sense does verse 2 contain the first commandment with promise? Paul probably has more in mind than chronological sequence when he speaks of first commandment with promise. The idea of priority is prominent. Disobedience in children is a symp-tom of a disintegrated society (Romans 1:30, II Timothy 3:2). Paul’s teaching in these two verses is based on spiritual relationship, moral perception, and scriptural teaching.

Promised 6:3—In what way does obedience to parents con-tribute to long life on earth? Is it not possible that heeding parents good advice will prevent one from engaging in some of the excess-es that shorten life? For example, what parent has not discouraged using drugs, tobacco, or alcohol, all known to be life shortening?

THE FATHERS 6:4

“And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Here is another revolutionary concept concerning the family. In the Greek-Roman world, the father’s authority was held to be absolute; but here we are taught that the feelings of the children are to be considered. Colossians 3:21 warns of the results of unrea-sonable demands—the child loses heart. If children must obey, then parents must deserve that obedience. Psalm 127:3 tells us children are a heritage of the Lord. Training them, therefore, should be done out of a sense of responsibility to the Lord.

On the Negative Side of Things 6:4a—Provoke…to anger is one word in Greek (parorgizw = parorgizo) and means to provoke by being overexacting.

On the Positive Side of Things 6:4b—The word bring them up (ektrefw = ektrepho) means to nourish the body. In a wider sense it refers to providing total education. Parents may not be the direct instrument of their children’s total education, but they are fully responsible for it. As a practical matter, three rules must be remembered in parenting.

The word instruction (nouqesia = nouthesia) is literally to place in one’s mind. In usage it refers to correction by word of mouth. Reproof is implied, but so is encouragement.

• Let a Child Know What is Expected.

• Let a Child Know Why this is Expected.

• Let a Child Know the Consequences of Disobedience, and Always Follow Through!

The Duties of Slaves and Masters 6:5-9

THE SLAVE 6:5-8

“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. ⁷With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”

That which is learned in childhood prepares us for success or failure in adult life. The requirement for the servant is the same as for the child. Those who successfully meet the requirements of childhood also meet the requirements of later life.

What is the biblical perspective on the social conditions of the Roman Empire, particularly with regard to the subject of slavery? The word of God does not state its approval of slavery, nor does is suggest, or even imply, the revolt of slaves. The New Testament clearly teaches servants to be good workers and continue in sub-mission to their masters

Why does the New Testament do this? Being a slave was no dis-advantage in living for the Lord, and living for the Lord is all that counts. If the believer’s life honors Him in every respect, then all is well. How does the New Testament teach this? It shows that a master can be served as unto the Lord. God’s word did not free the slaves who were believers; it rather gave them new motives for being good slaves.

One’s job on earth, whatever it may be, is related to the tempo-ral order of things, but how it is performed has eternal impact. Servants had masters according to the flesh, which shows how truly limited their slavery really was. The quality of their work and ulti-mate reward comes, not from their masters, but from the Lord (6:8). The fear and trembling refers to the deep desire to be a good ser-vant. There is nothing wrong with anxiety to do a job well. The effort must be sincere and not performed by way of eyeservice. This is a single Greek word (ofqalmodoulia = ophthalmodoulia) that conveys several ideas. First, it denotes the performance of a job only when the master is looking. Second, it may also refer to doing a job in order to gain the master’s attention. Either of these two ideas shows we are serving man, not God, and are unacceptable motives for service. Notice that Paul teaches that doing our job well is identical to doing the will of God. Final and full compensation comes, not from the master, but from the Lord. Eternal reward is unrelated to earthly compensation, but the quality of work put forth on earth has direct bearing on that eternal reward. The earthly employer of the believer is only the agent through which the Lord Himself is served. Full-time Christian service is for everyone, and to regard a job as secular is sinful. The service of a believer as a check-out clerk in a grocery store is as holy and God-honoring as the missionary to a foreign land.

THE MASTER 6:9

“And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”

The early church did not have many people of great promi-nence nor many slave owners (I Corinthians 1:26-29). However, there were some, and it is noteworthy that Paul did not exhort them to release their slaves. They were rather instructed in right treatment of them. Paul wrote a personal letter to Philemon at Colossae about receiving back Onesimus, his fugitive slave.

The master is to practice what has often been called “the golden rule”—“do the same things to them (as you would have done to yourself).” They are to give orders as ones who are themselves under a master. The slave and the master are equal on one major point: both diligently seek to do the will of God. Cruelty was the watchword of many masters, and the slaves had no legal recourse. Christian masters should stand in complete contrast by treating their slaves kindly and fairly. Anything incon-sistent with their heavenly Father should be rejected. Both slave and master must know that there is no partiality with God. The word (proswpolhmyia = prosopolampsia) is literally to receive face or looking upon the face of someone to determine how they are to be treated. Both slaves and masters are precious to the Lord and their treatment of one another should reflect this.

Heavenly Words For You

2012-06-24T11:55:00.001+03:00

100 Heavenly Words

When was the last time I've heard from you? Well, I just want you to know that I miss you so much. How I'd wish that you would talk to me again. I love you. Sender: Jesus.

Jesus asked me how much I love Him so I spread my arms and said "This much". I asked God how much He loves me. He spread his arms and said "This is how I died for you."

I died with Jesus And with Him was buried; Yet raised from the dead, with a new life to live.

Hello, how are you today? May Christ shine in everything you do, with a prayer that you'll always be safe, not only today, but always.

Jesus Christ died for me, And now I live for Him; To Heaven He ascended, my place to prepare.

The new life I have is a life lived by Jesus; At the right hand of God, He directs my path.

I am dead to sin but alive to God in Christ; Possessing the glorious hope, with Jesus in eternal life.

I've known you before you knew me. I tried to get your attention, but you're so busy. I want you to give all and make you mine. I proved my love when I gave you my life. [JESUS]

Jesus is where I need Him, and I am where His love is. Why should I ever worry if He is always beside me?

One missed call, no one answered. Missed 1: Jesus. But He will never stop calling, no matter how many times you missed His calls... till you hear and answer. Jesus Loves You.

Never a weakness that He can't fill. Never a sickness that He can't heal. Never a sorrow that He doesn't share. Moment by moment- you are under Jesus care.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, no matter how far or how long, Jesus Christ will always be there for you.

I love you and I miss you. If you have time, can you please talk to me before working. Always remember Me whether in good or bad times, okay. Sender: Jesus.

Prayer is an open line to Heaven. No cards to use, no low bat problem, no error, no charging, always good signal, and all messages sent. Make prayer a habit like texting.

What's the fastest thing on earth? Bullet? Nah... Sound? Not quite. Light? Almost. Answer: Prayer. Because it reaches Heaven even before you can say it. Have a nice day.

Prayer is not an extra option nor is it a last resort when all other methods have failed. When man works, man works. But when man prays, God works!

When earthly help is no avail, there's one friend who will never fail. Just lift your eyes, the answer is there. For nobody knows the power of prayer. Have a worry free day!

Prayer is the key that opens your day to every blessing. It also is a lock that closes the night to keep you safe while sleeping. So what you have to do is "use your key all the time."

Smile! It will make you look better. Pray, it will keep you strong. Love, it will make you enjoy life.

Daily Prayer: Whatever plans I have in mind, Lord I surrender them to You. I will do the best I can but in the end, let Your will be done. Amen!

No mater how softly you whisper a prayer, God surely listens, understands and knows the hopes and fears you keep in your heart. For when you trust in His love, miracles happen!

Morning Prayer: I'll walk this day in faith dear Lord. No foe, no storm I'll fear. Trusting in your precious word, I'm safe for You are near.

We are always excited whenever we hear our text tone beeps. What more would God feel if we can also send Him text messages thru our prayers; free of charge?

I ask God to... make you happy, make you smile, guide you safely through every mile; grant you wealth, give you health, and most of all, give you care and love you well.

May the love of God always shine in your life, as you become a light for others. Have a pleasant day. God bless.

Like the rain can't be stopped from falling, God's love and blessing keep on pouring. I hope you woke up renewed and refreshed and comforted by His company.

New day, new blessings. Don't let yesterday's failures ruin the beauty of today. Blessings of God are new every morning. Today has its own promise of love, forgiveness, joy and success.

As the sky breaks into a beautiful sunrise, may God open the heavens to shower you lots of love and happiness to make your day a meaningful one. Good Morning!

God unfolds each day like the petals of a rose, each gentle touch a beauty to behold. Hope each of your moments today be so held with His tender loving care.

Let prayer be the key to open and close your day.

A special breakfast for you today: a plate of love, a bowl of peace, a spoon of hope, a fork of care, and a glass of prayer. Enjoy your meal for you are under God's care.

Mornings are reminders that God loves you! You're not just given another day to enjoy but a chance to right the wrong of yesterday.

Before you start your day, have a quiet time with the Lord. Commit to the Lord Jesus whatever you do and your plans will succeed, each in his own time.

Prayer seeks for wisdom, not simply answers. It looks for courage, not simply help. It seeks for the gift of persistence, not only quick solutions. God bless you.

Don't run ahead of God. Let Him direct your steps. He has plans. He has time. God's clock is never early nor late. It always strikes on time. Good am.

The loveliest day comes when you wake up one morning and discover the truth that love still colors our world. How lovely to be loved by Jesus. Good morning!

May God send his love like sunshine in his warm and gentle ways to fill every corner of your heart and give your day a good start?

As the dawn breaks into a beautiful sunrise, may God shower you His blessings of love and lead you always to the right path.

God smiled at me just this morning thru the rising sunrays. I'm sharing the same courtesy with you by sending you a warm smile that your heart can feel even without seeing.

God created mornings so that we can say how great the previous day has been and how wonderful the next 24 hours would be!

Sunrise makes our mornings beautiful but the words of God strengthen us and make our lives more meaningful. Smile & enjoy life!

God sprinkles tiny but wonderful seeds of blessings on earth each day...and I just caught one that's so nice and true...it's you!

God planted a seed of faith in our hearts, so all we had to do is water it with prayers, fertilize it with words of God and cultivate it with lots of love.

Life is like music. It has high notes and low notes. No mater how high or low your notes may be, keep in tune with God and you'll never go out of tune in the music of life.

You may not know where life's road will lead you. But keep moving. God is walking with you.

Everything in life is temporary coz everything changes! That's why it takes great courage to love, knowing it might end anytime... But having the faith, it will last forever!

God said "Build a better world." I said, "How? The world is such a complicated, cold dark place and there is nothing I can do." God said "Just build a better you."

Trusting God won't make the mountain smaller but it will make climbing easier. Hope you will be able to climb all your mountains today and every day. Have a great day ahead!

It's not how high you build your dream that makes a difference, but how high your faith can climb. It's not how much you accomplish but how many lives you touch.

Conscience: The inner voice that tells us that Someone is looking.

When you encounter problems in life, don't ask God to take them away. Ask Him to show His purpose. Ask ways how to live a day searching His purpose for you.

God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom but we simply have to trust His will. God bless you all the way.

May God give you a caring heart so that you can become a whole person, not just gifted with intellect that can understand, but with heart that truly cares and loves.

God answers prayers - YES: He gives you what you want; NO: He gives you something better; WAIT: He gives you His best in His time...

Only a fish knows the splendor of the sea. Only a Christian knows the glory of God.

Happy moments - praise God. Difficult moments - seek God. Busy moments - bless God. Quiet moments - worship God. Waiting moments - trust God. Painful moments - touch God. Lovely moments - thank God.

Be happy with what you have...while working for what you want...Remember, a happy and successful life...begins with God and ends for God.

Live life with a joyful heart and keep your spirit young and free! Stay true and firm to Jesus Christ! And be the best that you can be! Take care!

It's not the presence of someone that brings meaning to Life. But the way Someone touches your HEART gives LIFE a Beautiful Meaning.

Don't work too hard to give yourself the best of everything, instead make a greater effort to give God the best of yourself.

God gave you a promise that you wont have to face life alone...for when you grow weak in your struggles, His strength will prevail and not your own.

Journey to God starts with one small step at a time. He doesn't expect you to run the mile -- but HE promises to give you strength to go the distance.

I can love you but God can love you deeper. I can be a friend but God can be your best friend. I can hug you but God can envelope you. You can cry to me but God can dry your tears. I can hold your hand but God can carry you.

When God puts a tear in your eye, it's because He wants to put a rainbow in your heart.

God often uses small matches to light up great torches and no matter how small you feel in this world, He has something big in store for you.

Life is good when somebody remembers. Life is uplifting when someone is always there. Life is great when someone would protect you and suffer. Cherish life because Someone always cares.

Search for truth and you shall find beauty. Search for beauty and you shall find love. Search for love and you shall find God. Search for God and you shall have them all!

In God's eyes, love is never absent. In God's heart, forgiveness is never impossible. In God's embrace, no one is ever alone or forgotten. God Bless!

God never closes a door without opening a window. He always gives us something better when He takes something away.

I go to EAST, I go to WEST. I found so many good things, but GOD is the BEST.

Walk with the Lord when your heart needs company. Take His hand when you feel all alone. Turn to Him when you need someone to lean on. He's the only one you can always rely on.

God made you a promise that you won't have to face life alone. For when you grow weak in your struggles, His strength will prevail and not your own.

God can reach each falling tears. He sees the heart that needs a cheer. He knows the path that's hard and dear. Don't ever give up coz He is near.

God often uses small matches to light up great torches and no matter how small you feel in this world, He has something big in store for you.

Step by step, the journey goes on. Little by little it may seem so long. The things we learn will keep us on. With faith in God He'll keep us strong.

Falling in love with the Lord is the greatest romance; searching Him, the greatest adventure; finding HIM, the greatest achievement; and being with HIM, the greatest source of happiness.

God said don't look around because you'll be impressed. Don't look down you'll be depressed; just look to me all the time and you'll be blessed.

The Lord is waiting above to give you His grace and send you His love. Whatever your cross, whatever the pain, God always sends a rainbow after the rain.

If you have a problem, don't say "Hey I have a big problem." Rather say, "Hey problem, I have a great GOD."

In God's eyes, love is never absent. In God's heart, forgiveness is never impossible. In God's embrace, no one is ever alone or forgotten. God Bless!

When God closes a door, He opens a window... but at times He shuts both. Worry not for He would tear down the roof... so His blessings could overflow. God Bless!

When God drops needles and pins along your path in life, don't avoid them. Pick them up and collect them. They were designed to teach you to be stronger.

God did not promise days without pain; laughter without sorrow; sun without rain. But He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears; and light four our way.

Just sleep tight and thank God for the wonderful things He has blessed you. Be grateful and thank Him, coz He will give you more important things.

Even if I can't see you, don't worry God will always be there for you.

God will never leave you empty. He will replace everything you lost. If He asks you to put something down, it's because He wants you to pick up something greater.

God is truly wise. He made sadness so we'd know joy, pain so we'd have pleasure, war so we'd seek peace, hate so we can love and a morning so we can face a new day.

Step by step, the journey goes on. Little by little it may seem so long. The things we learn will keep us on. With faith in God He'll keep us strong.

A word of love gives spice to life. A word from a friend gives pleasure and happiness to the heart. And the word of God gives light and meaning to our lives. Good morning.

If you keep God inside your heart, there is nothing that will come into your life that you won't be able to handle.

Sometimes GOD pushes us to our LIMITS...HE tests us beyond our ENDURANCE, because He has greater FAITH in us than we have in ourselves!

God makes us brave when we're afraid, makes us strong when we are weak, but most of all, he teaches us to hold on to him when things keep falling.

Trusting God won't make the mountain smaller but it will make climbing easier. Hope you will be able to climb all your mountains today and every day. Have a great day ahead!

Don't let little things get you down. You've got many big reasons to look up to God and say thanks. It's going to be a great day.

God sees you just exactly as you are He sees you perfectly and more truly than people can, and He loves you more than you can ever imagine.

When things are not working as we expect them to be, take it as God's subtle way of teaching us to grow. The process may be difficult but it will surely bring the best out of you. God bless.

Little trials without God will break you. Big trials with God will make you great. May you always find strength in God's love and faithfulness.

God can reach each falling tears. He sees the heart that needs a cheer. He knows the path that's hard and dear. Don't ever give up coz He is near.

No one has traveled the road of success without ever crossing the street of failures. GOD never promised us an easy journey in life, only safe arrival.

In the ocean of life, God is our buoyant force. No matter how strong the wind and how gigantic the waves are, we will not sink because we are anchored to Him."

Are You a Fan of Apples?

2012-06-18T17:25:00.001+03:00

Interesting Facts About Apples

1. What is the scientific name for apples? Aplicus Rosacea

2. The science of apple cultivation is known as Pomology.

3. Where did apples originate from? Apples are said to have originated from a region between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea

4. How many apples does an average person eat in a year? 65.

5. Did you know? Apples come from the Rose family, Rosacea, that’s why they have a rosy aroma!

6. Animals which eat apples include horses, monkeys, chimpanzees, bears, raccoons and rabbits.

7. Horses love munching apples, in addition to sugar cubes which they also love.

8. How heavy was the largest apple ever picked? 3pounds 2 ounces.

9. If you threw an apple in water, it wouldn’t sink – apples float in water! This is because 25% of their volume consists of air.

10. Why should you eat your apples with the skin? Because most of the anti-oxidants in apples, including Quercetin, are found in the skin.

11. Which country produces the largest amount of apples? China.

12. Which states produce the most number of apples in the USA? Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California.

13. The largest importers of apples are Russia, Germany and the UK.

14. New York City is nicknamed “the Big Apple.”

15. Apples were designated as the official state fruit for Washington in 1989.

16. Apples were native to Central Asia.

17. Apple trees have a life of over 100 years.

18. The Apple is popularly known as the supposed forbidden fruit of Eden. But this is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible!

19. You can't compare apples with pears.

20. "Your neighbor's apples are the sweetest."

21. "A pear tree cannot bear an apple".

22. The bump at the front of the throat is called Adam’s Apple, which is said to be caused by the forbidden fruit getting stuck in Adam’s throat when he ate it in the Garden of Eden.

23. "Ever since Eve started it all by offering Adam the apple, woman's punishment has been to supply a man with food then suffers the consequences when it disagrees with him." -- Helen Rowland

24. What are the most popular apple varieties in the US? The Red Delicious, the Golden Delicious and the Granny Smith.

25. Which apple varieties originated in Native America? Only one – the Crabapple.

26. During the colonization of Native Americans by Europeans, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.

27. How many calories do apples contain? A medium sized apple contains 80 calories.

28. Apples trees can also be affected by mildew, which leads to a gray powdery coating on leaves.

29. Apples can help you improve your memory.

30. How much fiber does a medium sized apple contain? 4 grams

31. Five small apples contain 15 grams of fibers.

32. The daily requirement of fiber is 25 grams. Apples are amongst the highest sources of fiber.

33. The soluble fiber contained in apples is called pectin, and can help lower cholesterol levels.

34. Apples are cholesterol-free, sodium-free and fat-free.

35. The high quantity of fiber in apples can help fight constipation.

36. Eating an apple before bed can help cleanse your teeth and is said to be able to whiten your teeth.

37. Eating too many apples may cause gas in some people as the soluble fiber contained in it is broken down by bacteria in the small intestines.

38. Apple trees only bear fruits after they reach 5 years of age.

39. In Africa, apples are only grown in the Mediterranean regions.

40. Humans have been eating apples for a while now – from as far as 6500 BC!

41. In the Chinese culture, the word for apples is pronounced as ‘ping’ which also stands for peace. This is why apples are a popular gift to give when visiting someone in China.

42. Apples aren’t true fruits! Botanically speaking, true fruits grow from the ovaries of the flower, yet apples develop from the receptacle of the flower.

43. The average apple has 10 seeds.

44. Isaac Newton is said to have discovered the Law of Gravity when an apple fell on his head!

45. How tall is the average apple tree? Over 40 feet!

46. Dwarf apple trees are much more popular these days, their smaller heights making it easy to prune the branches and harvest the apples.

47. To produce one apple, it takes energy from 50 leaves.

48. The tiniestapple is about the size of a pea while there are some large apples the size of a small pumpkin.

49. Apples are still picked by hand during autumn.

50. The McIntosh apple is the national apple of Canada.

51. It is generally agreed that apples originated from Kazakhstan.

52. The most famous saying involving apples is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

53. The original saying in old English adage was, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”

54. The saying, “You are the apple of my eye,” is a romantic phrase often used among beloveds.

55. A bad tree does not yield good apples.

56. Celebrity actress and singer, Gwyneth Paltrow named her first daughter, “Apple.”

57. "The sweeter the apple, the blacker the core. Scratch a lover and find a foe!" - Dorothy Parker

58. Some famous poems involving apples include, “After Apple Picking,” by Robert Frost.

59. Apples were popular in ancient Greece and Rome and were a sign of opulence.

60. In the popular tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Evil Step-mother tries to kill Snow White using a poisoned apple.

61. Being apple to successfully shoot an apple off a child’s head was a feat of marksmanship in bow and arrow.

62. Apple Cider Vinegar is derived from the fermentation of apple must and is a brownish yellow color.

63. Apples can be grown by two methods; budding and grafting.

64. It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.

65. Freshly pressed apple juice immediately turns brown upon contact with air because of oxidation.

66. A nifty trick to prevent fresh apple juice from turning brown is to add a few squeezes of lemon juice or lime juice. This helps prevent oxidation.

67. In literature, apples are used to symbolize a wide variety of meanings including temptation, immortality and reincarnation.

68. Apples are also said to symbolize health, love and fertility.

69. Apple blossoms are a symbol of feminine beauty.

70. Italy is among the top 5 producers of apples.

71. Apples ripen five to six times slower when kept in the refrigerator than when left at room temperature.

72. The Apple Macintosh was named so as it was the favorite apple of the head of the team that created the computer, Jef Raskin.

73. Some fruits which have the word apple in them include custard apple and pineapple.

74. Apple juice in young children may cause diarrhea.

75. Are apples a brain food? Yes! Apples contain high levels of boron, which stimulates electrical activity of the brain and increases mental alertness.

76. Apples may not be rich in calcium, but its high levels of boron make it a great food to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones.

77. Apples have the ability to boost estrogen levels in menopausal women to a great extent.

78. The flowers of the apple tree are called apple blossoms.

79. Apple blossoms are pinkish in color but they turn white as they get older.

80. Apple blossoms are fertilized through cross pollination.

81. Honey bees are the most important pollinators of apple blossoms.

82. In ancient Rome, apples were regarded as luxury fruits.

83. There are more than 8,000 varieties of apples – the largest variety of fruit to exist.

84. "Why do we need so many kinds of apples? Because there are so many folks. A person has a right to gratify his legitimate taste." -- Liberty Hyde Baily

85. Apples come in a variety of colors from lime green to golden yellow to burgundy and chocolate brown.

86. The Turks eat the most number of apples per person in the world.

87. Turkey is among the highest producers of apples in the world.

88. Some of the pests that affect apple trees are aphids.

89. "When the apple is ripe it will fall." -- Irish proverb

90. The Roman Goddess Pomona is the goddess of apples.

91. In Norse mythology, the goddess of youth, Idun was believed to grow magic apples that kept the gods youthful.

92. People who love apples are said to be outspoken, charismatic and enthusiastic.

93. Apple seeds contain a cyanide compound.

94. No, it’s not that easy to die from the cyanide in apple seeds. The tiny amount of poison is locked away inside the hard seed coat and may pass through your digestive system intact.

95. "Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." - Bernard M. Baruch

96. The fear of apples is known as Malusdomesticaphobia.

97. This phobia gets its name from the scientific name of apples, which is Malus domestica in the Rose family (Rosaceae)

98. Apples are one of the most popular juices taken with breakfast in the United States.

99. An apple shaped body type is where most of the body fat is stored around the waist and belly, the middle of the abdomen.

No One Is Born Into Success

2012-06-13T11:20:00.004+03:00

Twelve Things Successful People Do Differently

Most Successful people were not born into success; they simply did, and continue to do, things that help them realize their full potential. Here are twelve things they do differently that the rest of us can easily emulate.

1. They create and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals.

Successful people are objective. They have realistic targets in mind. They know what they are looking for and why they are fighting for it. Successful people create and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Let’s briefly review each:

Specific – A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a related specific goal would be, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week for the next 52 weeks.” A specific goal has a far greater chance of being accomplished because it has defined parameters and constraints.
Measurable – There must be a logical system for measuring the progress of a goal. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask yourself questions like: How much time? How many total? How will I know when the goal is accomplished? etc. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued efforts required to reach your goal.
Attainable – To be attainable, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. In other words, the goal must be realistic. The big question here is: How can the goal be accomplished?
Relevant – Relevance stresses the importance of choosing goals that matter. For example, an internet entrepreneur’s goal to “Make 75 tuna sandwiches by 2:00PM.” may be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Timely, but lacks Relevance to an entrepreneurs overarching objective of building a profitable online business.
Timely – A goal must be grounded within a time frame, giving the goal a target date. A commitment to a deadline helps you focus your efforts on the completion of the goal on or before the due date. This part of the S.M.A.R.T. goal criteria is intended to prevent goals from being overtaken by daily distractions.

When you identify S.M.A.R.T. goals that are truly important to you, you become motivated to figure out ways to attain them. You develop the necessary attitude, abilities, and skills. You can achieve almost any goal you set if you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that once seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.

2. They take decisive and immediate action.

Sadly, very few people ever live to become the success story they dream about. And there’s one simple reason why:

They never take action!

The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. Growing happens when what you know changes how you live. So many people live in a complete daze. Actually, they don’t ‘live.’ They simply ‘get by’ because they never take the necessary action to make things happen – to seek their dreams.

It doesn’t matter if you have a genius IQ and a PhD in Quantum Physics, you can’t change anything or make any sort of real-world progress without taking action. There’s a huge difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action. It’s as simple as that.

Success hinges on the simple act of making a decision to live – to absorb yourself in the process of going after your dreams and goals. So make that decision. And take action.

3. They focus on being productive, not being busy.

In his book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferris says, “Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is often a form of mental laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” This is Ferris’ way of saying “work smarter, not harder,” which happens to be one of the most prevalent modern day personal development clichés. But like most clichés, there’s a great deal of truth to it, and few people actually adhere to it.

Just take a quick look around. The busy outnumber the productive by a wide margin.

Busy people are rushing all over the place, and running late half of the time. They’re heading to work, conferences, meetings, social engagements, etc. They barely have enough free time for family get-togethers and they rarely get enough sleep. Yet, business emails are shooting out of their smart phones like machine gun bullets, and their daily planner is jammed to the brim with obligations.

Their busy schedule gives them an elevated sense of importance. But it’s all an illusion. They’re like hamsters running on a wheel.

The solution: Slow down. Breathe. Review your commitments and goals. Put first things first. Do one thing at a time. Start now. Take a short break in two hours. Repeat.

And always remember, results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.

4. They make logical, informed decisions.

Sometimes we do things that are permanently foolish simply because we are temporarily upset or excited.

Although emotional ‘gut instincts’ are effective in certain fleeting situations, when it comes to generating long-term, sustained growth in any area of life, emotional decisions often lead a person astray. Decisions driven by heavy emotion typically contain minimal amounts of conscious thought, and are primarily based on momentary feelings instead of mindful awareness.

The best advice here is simple: Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence. Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

5. They avoid the trap of trying to make things perfect.

Many of us are perfectionists in our own right. I know I am at times. We set high bars for ourselves and put our best foot forward. We dedicate copious amounts of time and attention to our work to maintain our high personal standards. Our passion for excellence drives us to run the extra mile, never stopping, never relenting. And this dedication towards perfection undoubtedly helps us achieve results… So long as we don’t get carried away.

But what happens when we do get carried away with perfectionism?

We become disgruntled and discouraged when we fail to meet the (impossibly high) standards we set for ourselves, making us reluctant to take on new challenges or even finish tasks we’ve already started. Our insistence on dotting every ‘I’ and crossing every ‘T’ breeds inefficiency, causing major delays, stress overload and subpar results.

True perfectionists have a hard time starting things and an even harder time finishing them, always. I have a friend who has wanted to start a graphic design business for several years. But she hasn’t yet. Why? When you sift through her extensive list of excuses it comes down to one simple problem: She is a perfectionist. Which means she doesn’t, and never will, think she’s good enough at graphic design to own and operate her own graphic design business.

Remember, the real world doesn’t reward perfectionists. It rewards people who get things done. And the only way to get things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time. Only by wading through years of practice and imperfection can we begin to achieve momentary glimpses of the perfection. So make a decision. Take action, learn from the outcome, and repeat this method over and over again in all walks of life.

6. They work outside of their comfort zone.

The number one thing I persistently see holding smart people back is their own reluctance to accept an opportunity simply because they don’t think they’re ready. In other words, they feel uncomfortable and believe they require additional knowledge, skill, experience, etc. before they can aptly partake in the opportunity. Sadly, this is the kind of thinking that stifles personal growth and success.

The truth is nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow emotionally and intellectually. They force us to stretch ourselves and our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first. And when we don’t feel comfortable, we don’t feel ready.

Significant moments of opportunity for personal growth and success will come and go throughout your lifetime. If you are looking to make positive changes and new breakthroughs in your life, you will need to embrace these moments of opportunity even though you will never feel 100% ready for them.

7. They keep things simple.

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. Here in the 21st century, where information moves at the speed of light and opportunities for innovation seem endless, we have an abundant array of choices when it comes to designing our lives and careers. But sadly, an abundance of choice often leads to complication, confusion and inaction.

Several business and marketing studies have shown that the more product choices a consumer is faced with, the less products they typically buy. After all, narrowing down the best product from a pool of three choices is certainly a lot easier than narrowing down the best product from a pool of three hundred choices. If the purchasing decision is tough to make, most people will just give up. Likewise, if you complicate your life by inundating yourself with too many choices, your subconscious mind will give up.

The solution is to simplify. If you’re selling a product line, keep it simple. And if you’re trying to make a decision about something in your life, don’t waste all your time evaluating every last detail of every possible option. Choose something that you think will work and give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, learn what you can from the experience, choose something else and keep pressing forward.

8. They focus on making small, continuous improvements.

Henry Ford once said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small pieces.” The same concept configured as a question: How do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time. This philosophy holds true for achieving your biggest goals. Making small, positive changes – eating a little healthier, exercising a little, creating some small productive habits, for example – is an amazing way to get excited about life and slowly reach the level of success you aspire to.

And if you start small, you don’t need a lot of motivation to get started either. The simple act of getting started and doing something will give you the momentum you need, and soon you’ll find yourself in a positive spiral of changes – one building on the other.

Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they arise. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight, come up with a list of healthy snacks you can eat when you get the craving for snacks. It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier. And that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on bigger challenges.

9. They measure and track their progress.

Successful people are not only working in their job/business, they are also working on it. They step back and assess their progress regularly. They track themselves against their goals and clearly know what needs to be done to excel and accelerate.

You can’t control what you don’t properly measure. If you track the wrong things you’ll be completely blind to potential opportunities as they appear over the horizon. Imagine if, while running a small business, you made it a point to keep track of how many pencils and paperclips you used. Would that make any sense? No! Because pencils and paperclips are not a measure of what’s important for a business. Pencils and paperclips have no bearing on income, customer satisfaction, market growth, etc.

The proper approach is to figure out what your number one goal is and then track the things that directly relate to achieving that goal. I recommend that you take some time right now to identify your number one goal, identify the most important things for you to keep track of, and then begin tracking them immediately. On a weekly basis, plug the numbers into a spreadsheet and use the data to create weekly or monthly trend graphs so you can visualize your progress. Then fine-tune your actions to get those trends to grow in your favor.

10. They maintain a positive outlook as they learn from their mistakes.

Successful people concentrate on the positives – they look for the silver lining in every situation. They know that it is their positivity that will take them to greatness. If you want to be successful, you need to have a positive outlook toward life. Life will test you again and again. If you give in to internal negativity, you will never be able to achieve the marks you have targeted.

Remember, every mistake you make is progress. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

So don’t hesitate – don’t doubt yourself! Don’t let your own negativity sabotage you. Learn what you can and press forward.

11. They spend time with the right people.

Successful people associate with people who are likeminded, focused, and supportive. They socialize with people who create energy when they enter the room versus those who create energy when they leave. They reach out to connected, influential individuals who are right for their dreams and goals.

You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you hang with the wrong people, they will negatively affect you. But if you hang with the right people, you will become far more capable and successful than you ever could have been alone. Find your tribe and work together to make a difference in all of your lives.

12. They maintain balance in their life.

If you ask most people to summarize what they want out of life they’ll shout out a list of things like: ‘fall in love,’ ‘make money,’ ‘spend time with family,’ ‘find happiness,’ ‘achieve goals,’ etc. But sadly, a lot of people don’t balance their life properly to achieve these things. Typically they’ll achieve one or two of them while completely neglecting the rest.

When you let your work life (or social life, family life, etc.) consume you, and all your energy is focused in that area, it’s extremely easy to lose your balance. While drive and focus are important, if you’re going to get things done right, and be truly successful, you need to balance the various dimensions of your life. Completely neglecting one dimension for another only leads to long-term frustration and stress.

Food Pyramid

2012-06-08T13:00:00.000+03:00

The Vegan Food Pyramid...

Forget Your Troubles

2012-06-07T21:53:00.001+03:00

Here Are Tips For Forgetting Your Troubles

1. Shove the thought away. When you are reminded of something you don’t want to think about, just refuse to go there. Let your mind go blank rather than allowing it to make the connection. Sound ridiculously simple? Research shows that many, if not most, of us can will ourselves to forget in this way. The engine of such suppression is your prefrontal cortex—the same region of the brain that puts brakes on inappropriate actions. But just as some people are better at blocking bad behavior than others, some are more proficient at memory suppression than others. If you turn out to have loose reins on your brain, you might need to practice or to use one of the other tricks.

2. Push it back again—and again. If you want to boost your chances of forgetting something for good, shove it out of consciousness on a daily basis. In a month, it might be gone, if modern psychology experiments are any guide. (Freud argued that such repressed memories would come back to haunt us, but the jury is still out on this idea.) Over a longer period, practicing this mental block might hone your skill. People who have had to frequently block a traumatic memory—loss of a parent, say, or their house burning down—to prevent it from overwhelming them score higher on tests of memory suppression than do people who have been lucky enough to have avoided significant suffering. One explanation for this result is that practicing suppression over the years makes you better at it.

3. Think of something else. Rather than just willing an upsetting memory into the dustbin, replace it with a nicer idea. So if seeing a Hawaiian lei reminds you of your ex drunk at a party, try to link the lei with images of a sandy beach instead. People who struggle to block memories—a group that usually includes people who tend toward rumination or who suffer from depression—have more success forgetting unwanted recollections if they find good substitutes for what they want to put out of their minds.

4. Prepare for shutdown. Thinking about the need to block associations ahead of time can boost your ability to do just that. Even a second of advance warning can give your brain added inhibitory power, research suggests. So if you have to see someone who you think might bring back a difficult period in your life, tell yourself before the date that you’ll be halting these thoughts before they reach consciousness. The mental barricades you erect will be sturdier with a little advance notice.

5. Just do it. When you sense a reminder of something bad coming on, do something to distract you. Anything. Pick up the phone. Walk around the block. Stomp your foot. Say hello to a passerby. In one study, scientists found that pressing an enter key at the moment of recall triggered forgetting.

6. Study. If your mind is awash in clutter, one of the best ways to clear it out is to reinforce what you do want to keep. When you study particular information, to learn it better, you automatically forget closely related material. This phenomenon, called retrieval-induced forgetting, efficiently tidies your mental closet.

7. See it another way. Sometimes we are upset because we are interpreting a particular situation in the worst possible light. If you can find way to see the same experience more positively, you may be inadvertently inducing forgetting. That is, by reinforcing the positive you are automatically toning down the negative in your mind.

8. Walk through a doorway. Remarkably, this simple act closes the door on what happened just before.

Great Family Habits

2012-06-07T14:38:00.001+03:00

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

( Stephen Covey husband, father, grandfather and author of the number-one best-seller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, shares secrets to building a strong, close family )

HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE

It is so easy to be reactive! You get caught Lip in the moment. You say things you dot* mean. You do things you later regret. And you think, "If only I had stopped to think about it, I never would have reacted that way!"
Family life would be a whole lot better if (people acted according to their values instead of reacting to the emotion or circumstance of the moment It's possible to develop a habit of learning to pause and give wiser responses. Proactively is the ability to act rather than react. I have a friend who makes a powerful proactive choice every day. When she comes home from work, she sits in her car in the driveway and pauses. She takes a minute to think about the members of her family and what they are doing inside the house She considers what kind of feeling she wants to help create when she goes, inside. She says to herself, "my family is the most enjoyable, the most pleasant, the most important part of my life. I'm going to go into my home and feel and communicate my love for them." Just think of the difference this makes in her family. And another friend told me this story, which shows Habit 1 in action:While my wife was out of the room, my three-year-old son Brenton emptied a one-and-a-half-gallon jug of water from the fridge-most of it onto the kitchen floor. My wife's initial reaction had been to yell at him. Instead, she stopped herself and said patiently, "Brenton, what were you trying to do?" "I was trying to be a helping man, Mom," he replied proudly. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I washed the dishes for you." Sure enough, there on the kitchen table were all the dishes he had washed with the water from the jug.
"Well, honey, why did you use the water from the fridge?"
"I couldn't reach the water from the sink."
"Oh!" my wife said. Then she looked around. "Well, what do you think you could do next time that would make less of a mess?"
He thought about it for a minute. Then his face lit up. "I could do it in the bathroom!"
"The dishes might break in the bathroom," she replied. "But how about this? What if you came and got me and I helped you move a chair in front of the kitchen sink so you could do the work there?" "Good idea!" he exclaimed. As my wife was telling me what had happened, I realized how important it was that she had been able to catch herself between stimulus and response. She had made a proactive choice.
One useful way to communicate the idea of proactivity is through an analogy I call the "emotional bank account." This account is like a financial one in that you can make "deposits"-things that build trust in the relationship-or "withdrawals" - things that decrease the level of trust. The balance in the account determines how well you can communicate and solve problems with another person.
One of the great benefits of being proactive is that you can choose to make deposits instead of withdrawals. No matter what the situation, there are always things you can choose to do that will make relationships better.
Little kindnesses go a long way toward building relationships of trust and unconditional love. just think about the impact in your own family of saying "thank you," "please" or "you go first." Or performing unexpected acts of service such as phoning to see if there's anything you can pick up at the store on your way home. Twelve hugs a day-that's what people need. Hugs can be physical, verbal, visual or environmental. And each one is a deposit in the emotional bank account.
You would be hard pressed to come up with a deposit that has more impact than making and keeping promises. just think about it! How much excitement, anticipation and hope is created by a promise?
Our daughter Cynthia shared this memory:
When I was twelve, Dad promised to take me with him on a business trip to San Francisco. I was so excited! After Dad's meetings, we planned to go to Chinatown for dinner, see a movie, take a ride on a trolley car, then go back to our hotel room for hot fudge sundaes from room service. I was dying with anticipation.
The day finally arrived. The hours dragged by as I waited at the hotel. Finally, at 6:30 p.m., Dad returned with a dear friend and influential business acquaintance. My heart sank as this man said, "I'm so delighted to have you here, Stephen. Tonight, Lois and I would like to take you to the wharf for a seafood dinner, and then you must see the view from our house." I could see my hopes and plans going down the drain.
I will never forget the feeling I had when Dad said, "Gosh, Bill, I'd love to, but this is a special time with my daughter. We've already got it planned to the minute."
We did absolutely everything we had planned. I don't think any young girl ever loved her father as much as I loved mine that night.
HABIT 2: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
With Habit 2, you create a clear, compelling vision of what your family is-and where you want to go together. The most profound, significant and far-reaching application of Habit 2 is the family mission statement. This is a combined, unified expression from all family members of what it is your family really wants to do and be-and the principles you choose to govern your family life. When children are young, they generally love to be included in the process of creating a mission statement. They love helping to create something that gives them this sense of family identity.
Our daughter Catherine, who's now grown and has children of her own, said:
Before my husband and I were married, we talked about what we wanted our home to be like, especially when we had children. It was out of these discussions that we wrote our family mission statement.
We have three children now, and although our mission statement has remained fundamentally the same, it has changed a little with each child. After we had two children, we had more perspective, and we were able to realize better how we wanted to raise our kids together-how we wanted them to be upstanding citizens in the community and so on.
The children have added things to our mission statement as well. Our oldest is six. She wants to make sure we tell lots of jokes in our family, so we have added that in for her.
Every New Year's Eve we work on our mission statement and write out our goals for the coming year. Our kids are very excited about the whole process. We post our mission statement and the children refer to it often. They say, "Mom, you're not supposed to raise your voice. Remember-'happy, cheerful tones in our home."' It's a big reminder.
Here's how to create a mission statement in your family.
Step One: Explore what your family is all about. Call a family meeting to introduce the idea and start the process. Keep it short: Ten fun minutes a week over a period of several weeks will be much more effective than one or two long, philosophical discussions. Be explicit with the idea that you want the mission statement to serve as a unifying and motivating influence for everyone in the family. Ask questions such as: What things are truly important to us as a family? What are our family's highest priority goals? What kind of relationships do we want to have with each other? What are our responsibilities as family members?
Step Two: Write your family mission statement. The process of writing crystallizes your thoughts and distills learning and insights into words. It also reinforces learning and makes the expression visible and available to everyone in the family.
Whatever you come up with at first will be a rough draft. Family members will need to work with it until everyone comes to an agreement: "This is our mission. We believe it. We buy into it. We are ready to commit to live it."
It doesn't have to be some magnificent verbal expression. It may be a word, a page, a document, even a song or a drawing. The only real criterion is that it represents everyone in the family and inspires you and brings you together.
Step Three: Stay on track. A mission statement is meant to be the constitution of your family life, the foundational document that will unify and hold your family together for decades-even generations-to come. One father told me: For our blended family, having a mission statement has been tremendously helpful. It gives us some common values and a common focus on where we're going. It reads: "Our family mission: To always be kind, respectful and supportive of each other, to be honest and open with each other, to keep a spiritual feeling in the home, to love each other unconditionally, to be responsible to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life, to make this house a place we want to come home to."
We put the statement in a beautiful frame and hung it over the fireplace, and every week we have somebody share what one of those words or sentences means to him or her. It only takes two or three minutes, but it makes the mission statement come alive. We're also setting goals around the mission statement, making it a central part of our lives.
HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
There's no way we can be successful in our families if we don't prioritize them in our lives. And this is what Habit 3 is about.
There is probably no single structure that will help you to prioritize more than a weekly family night. On a typical night in our own family over the years, we would review our calendar of upcoming events, hold a council to discuss issues and problems, have a talent recital so the kids could show us how they were coming along with their music or dance lessons, do a short lesson and a family activity and serve refreshments. In this way, we'd accomplish what we've come to feel are the four main ingredients of a successful family night: planning, problem-solving, teaching and fun.
The second absolutely foundational family structure is the one-on-one bonding time. These one-on-ones are where most of the real work of the family is done. This is where the most significant sharing, the most profound teaching, the deepest bonding takes place. A mother of five sons said: The other day, I took My 22-year-old son out to lunch. As we ate together, we talked about his life, including his classes at school, his plans for the future, and so on. We had a wonderful time just being together. As I thought about it later, 1 realized this is something that didn't just happen. I started this one on-one tradition when the boys were in elementary school, and it's really made a difference. I don't think I could have this kind of time with my son now if we hadn’t started doing it when he was younger

HABIT 4 THINK "WIN-WIN"

As we move toward our destination as a family, we're sometimes thrown off track by external forces. But the force that does the greatest damage is the climate created within the family by negative emotions-competition, criticism, blaming, anger.
The key to handling these challenges is to cultivate a family culture of mutual respect, understanding and creative cooperation. This is the essence of Habits 4, 5 and 6.
One father told this story: Our two boys were very competitive and squabbled frequently. Finally, I confronted the older boy about it. He abruptly announced, "The thing you don't get is that I can't stand my brother." 1 was shocked by the intensity of his feelings.
Then I asked the older boy to tell his brother what he'd told me. The younger boy was hurt by the cutting words. Blinking back tears, he looked down and quietly said, "Why?" His brother was quick with his answer: "Because you're always saying things that make me mad. I just don't want to be around you." The younger brother sighed. "I do that because every time we play a game you always win."
"Sure I do," the older boy quickly replied. "I'm better than you."
With that, the little boy could hardly speak. But he said, "Yeah, but every time you win, I lose. So I say things to bug you. I just cant stand to lose all the time."
These tearful words reached the heart of the older brother. The tone of his words softened as he said, "I'm sorry. But will you please just stop saying and doing the stupid things that make me so mad at you?"
"OK," the younger boy replied. "And will you stop feeling that you always have to win?"
I know I'll never forget my young son’s words. Losing all the time, or even most of the time, can make any of us say and do stupid things that bug others and even ourselves. No one likes to "lose" _especially in close family relationships. So win-win is the only solid foundation for effective family interaction. It's the only pattern of thinking and interacting that builds long-term relationships of trust and unconditional love. And all it takes to change the situation is for one person to think win-win. Thinking win-win means you have this spirit of win-win in all family interactions. You always want what's best for everyone involved.
Of course, there will be times when you'll have to say no to children. This doesn’t feel like a win to them. But if you cultivate the spirit of win-win whenever you can, children will better understand and accept those decisions that sometimes seem to them to be win-lose. There are several ways to achieve this.
* Let them win in the little things. In our family, if children want to go outside, get their clothes dirty or leave a cardboard fort in the house for weeks, we generally let them do it. We try to distinguish between matters of principle and matters of preference, and only take a stand on things that really count.
* Talk with them about the big things. That way they'll know you have their welfare in mind. Try to involve them in the problem and work out the solution together.
*Take steps to offset the competition focus. Recently, 1 went to watch our granddaughter play in an important soccer match, which ultimately ended in a tie. Her team was demoralized, and the coach was deeply disappointed also.
So I began to say enthusiastically, "Great game, kids! You had five goals-to try your best, to have fun, to work together as a team, to learn and to win. You accomplished four and a half of those goals. That's ninety Percent! Congratulations!"
You could just see their eyes brighten up. And it wasn't long until players, coach and parents were celebrating the four and a half goals these kids had achieved.
HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND ... THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD
There's simply no way to have rich, rewarding family relationships without real understanding. Most mistakes with our family members are not the result of bad intent. It's just that we don't understand. We don't see clearly into each other's hearts.
Really listening to get inside another person's mind and heart is called "empathic" listening. It enables you to see as someone else sees-and it also helps family members feel safe in sharing, gets to the real issues and helps people connect with their own unique gifts.
Suppose that for several days, your teenage daughter has seemed unhappy. One night, while you're washing dishes together, she finally begins to open up: "Our family rule that I cant date until I'm older is embarrassing me to death. All my friends are dating. I feel like I'm out of it."
An empathic response would attempt to reflect back what your daughter feels and says, so that she would feel that you really understand. For example: "You kind of feel torn up inside. You understand the rule, but you feel embarrassed when you have to say no to dates. Is that what you mean?"
She might say yes and go on deeper into her feelings. Or she may say,
"Well, not exactly. What I really mean is..." \When you give an understanding response, you make it safe for her to open up. You make it comfortable for her to air the problem so that together you can search for solutions. And you build the relationship.
There are other expressions of empathy besides summarizing and reflecting. Sometimes total silence may be empathic; sometimes a nod or a single word is empathic. Empathy is a very flexible, sincere and humble process.
But there's more to Habit 5. It doesn't mean seek only to understand. It simply means that you listen and understand first. This is the key to .being understood and influencing others. When you are open to their influence, you'll almost always have greater influence with them. One woman shared this: My husband and I did not see eye to eye on spending. He wanted to buy things I felt were unnecessary and expensive. 1 couldn't explain to him the pain I felt as our debt mounted.
Final I decided to find a different way to express myself and influence the situation. I realized that my husband sometimes just didn't see the connection between his spending decisions and their consequences. So when he said, "lt. would really be nice to have (something)," I'd say, "You know, it would. Let's see what would happen if we bought that." I would take out the budget and say, "Now if we spend this, we won't have money to do that." When he truly saw the consequences of spending decisions, he often came to the conclusion him self that we were better off not buying the item in question. I also discovered that with some of the purchases he wanted to make, the benefits really did outweigh the drawbacks.
When people know they will have an opportunity to be fully heard, they can relax. They don't have to become over-reactive, because they know that their time to be understood will come. This dissipates negative energy and helps people develop internal patience and self-control.
This is one of the great strengths of Habit 5. Remember, the key is in the sequence: First you seek to understand another person's point of view; then you share your own. It's not just what to do. It's also why and when.
HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE
Synergy is the magic that happens when one plus one equals three-or more. It comes out of the spirit of mutual respect and understanding you've created and produces a brand-new way to solve a problem.
A friend recently told me a story that captures the essence of Habit 6:
After one week of practice, my son wanted to quit the high school basketball team. I was very disappointed. I worried that if he quit basketball he would just keep quitting things. My son didn't want to hear me at all. I was so upset I walked away.
Over the next two days, I wondered just what had made him want to quit. Finally, I decided to talk to him again. [Habit 5: seeking to understand.] At first he didn't even want to discuss it, so I asked him about other things. After some time, he began to tear up and he said,
"Dad, I know you think you understand me, but you don't. No one knows how rotten I feel."
I replied, "Pretty tough, huh?" [Habit 5: empathic listening.]
He then literally poured his heart out. He expressed his pain at constantly being compared to his brothers and said he felt I favored them, He also told me about the insecurities he felt- not only in basketball, but in all areas of his life. And he said he felt that he and I had somehow lost touch with each other.
His words really humbled me. I had the feeling that what he said about the comparisons with his brothers was true. I acknowledged my sorrow to him [Habit 1: proactivity, and-with much emotion--I apologized.
But I also told him that I still thought he would benefit from being on the team. He listened patiently, but he would not budge from his decision. Finally, I asked him if he liked basketball. He said he loved it, but he disliked all the pressure associated with playing for the school team. He said that instead, he would really like to play for the church team-but that team's coach had just moved away.
I found myself feeling good about what he was saying. I was still a little disappointed that he wouldn't be on the school team, but I was glad that he still wanted to play [Habits 4 and 5: win-win thinking and effort to understand].
At that point, almost by magic, a new idea came into both of our minds at the same time. In unison we said, "I/You could coach the church team!" [Habit 6: synergy and a new alternative solution]. The weeks I spent as the coach of that team were among the happiest of my athletic experiences. And they provided some of my most memorable experiences as a father.
This father and son seemed locked in a win-lose situation. But then the father made an important shift. He sought to really understand his son. Together they came up with a better way-an entirely new solution that was a true win for both.
The key to synergy is to celebrate the difference. It's not enough to simply tolerate differences in the family. To have the kind of creative magic we're talking about, you must be able to say sincerely, "The fact that we see things differently is a strength-not a weakness-in our relationship."
Synergy also helps you to create a culture in which you can successfully deal with any challenge you might face. The culture created by Habits 4, 5 and 6 is like an immune system. It protects your family so that when mistakes are made, or when you get blindsided by some physical, financial or social challenge, you don't get knocked out. You can deal with whatever life throws at you and use it to make the family stronger.
HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW
If done properly, consistently and in a balanced way, Habit 7 will cultivate all of the other six habits and keep them strong and vibrant. How? Simply by using them in renewing activities-especially, family traditions. That's what we mean by "sharpening the saw."
Traditions give family members a sense of belonging, of being understood, of being supported, of being committed to something that's greater than self. And the family renews the emotional energy of a tradition every time they revisit it.
Think of all the opportunities for fulfilling traditions:
0 Family dinners. You may have only one good meal together each week, but if it is meaningful and fun, the family table can become more of an altar than an eating counter.
0 Family vacations. Planning for a vacation, anticipating it and thinking about it-as well as laughing about the fun times and the dumb times we had on past vacations-are enormously rewarding to our family.
*Extended and intergenerational family activities. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and other extended family members can have a tremendous positive influence. Broaden almost any activity, such as Sunday dinner, to include them.
*Worshipping together. Research shows that shared worship is one of the characteristics of healthy, happy families. It can create context, unity and mutual understanding- much in the same way that a family mission statement does.
*Serving together. This tradition can be tremendously renewing. Can you imagine anything more bonding, more unifying, more energizing than working together to accomplish something that is really meaningful and worthwhile?
*Working together. There are many ways to create the tradition of working together, at home or in a parent's place of business-and many benefits of doing it. Our daughter Catherine remembered:
One tradition we had in our family was the "ten-minute program." That meant that everyone would work really hard for ten minutes to clean up the house. We all knew that if we had eighteen hands working, it would go a lot faster than two.
We also had "work parties." We'd work really hard for three or four hours to get something done, but we'd have food and laugh and talk as we worked. We'd also do something fun after, like go to a movie. Everyone expected they'd have to work. It was just part of life. But it was so much better with these little treats. As your family works together on Habit 7 and all the other habits, remember: Like a new pair of glasses or a new, more accurate map-the 7 Habits framework can help you to see and communicate more clearly, and will help you to arrive where you, as a family, want to go.

The Greatest Gift

2012-05-19T20:50:00.001+03:00

The Gift of a Lifetime
By Claire Cloninger & Kathy Frizzell

Before I looked for You
You found me
Before I knew Your name
You knew mine
Before I spoke the prayer
Your precious gift was there
One I never thought I'd find

Chorus
The gift of a lifetime
That's what You gave
Your life as an offering
My life to save
Turning my song of tears
To an anthem of praise
For the gift that You gave
The lift of a lifetime.

It's more than just Your
Hand of blessing
It's who You are
Yourself that I need
And with an open heart
I now receive You Lord
And the life You bring to me

Chorus
The gift of a lifetime
That's what You gave
Your life as an offering
My life to save
Turning my song of tears
To an anthem of praise
For the gift that You gave
The gift of a lifetime
Into the pain that I
Thought I could hide
You brought the gift
Of Your very life

Chorus
The gift of a lifetime
That's what You gave
Your life as an offering
My life to save
Turning my song of tears
To an anthem of praise
For the gift that You gave
The gift that You gave

The gift of a lifetime
That's what You gave
Your life as an offering
My life to save
Turning my song of tears
To an anthem of praise
For the gift that You gave
Is the gift of a lifetime
I'll lift this anthem of praise
For the gift that You gave
The gift of a lifetime
A lifetime

Intresting Riddles

2012-05-17T17:12:00.001+03:00

If you have it, you want to share it. If you share it, you don't have it. What is it?
A secret.

The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?
Darkness

What book was once owned by only the wealthy, but now everyone can have it?
You can't buy it in a bookstore or take it from a library.
A telephone book.

What gets whiter the dirtier that it gets?
A chalkboard

What happened in the middle of the twentieth century that will not happen again for 4,000 years?
The year 1961 can be read upside down and that won't happen again until 6009!

What has no beginning, end, or middle?
A doughnut.

What has to be broken before it can be used?
An egg.

What does no man want, yet no man wants to lose?
Work - Employment

How many bricks does it take to complete a building made of brick?
Only one, the last one.

What is everything to someone, and nothing to everyone else?
Your mind.

Big as a biscuit, deep as a cup, even a river can't fill it up. What is it?
A kitchen strainer.

What goes up and never comes down?
Your age.

What's the greatest worldwide use of cowhide?
To cover cows.

What's long and thin, covered in skin; red in parts, and put in tarts?
Rhubarb.

What has feet and legs, and nothing else?
Stockings

What is the moon worth?
$1, because it has 4 quarters.

What grows when it eats, but dies when it drinks?
A candle.

What stays where it is when it goes off?
An alarm clock

You heard me before, yet you hear me again. Then I die, 'til you call me again. What am I?
An echo

There is a man standing over a dead body in a coffin, and another man walks in and asks, who's in the coffin. The first man replies, brothers and sisters, I have none, but this man's father is my fathers son. Who's in the coffin?
His son

There are 2 guards. One tells the truth and one lies. There are also 2 doors. One leads to Heaven and the other leads to the devils playground. One guard is in front of each door. You can only ask the guards ONE question and you have to ask the same question to both guards. What you are trying to find out is which door leads to Heaven and which door leads to the devil's playground.
Ask each one "What will the other one say is the door to heaven?" They should answer the same. Go in the opposite door they say.

Two boxers are in a boxing match (regular boxing, not kick boxing). The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds but ends after 6 rounds, after one boxer knocks out the other boxer. Yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible?
They were women boxing.

A farmer had seventeen sheep, all but nine died, how many did he have left?
9

A man builds a house with all 4 sides facing south. A bear walks past the house. What color is the bear?
Probably a white Polar Bear in the North Pole.

A skin have I, more eyes than one. I can be very nice when I am done. What am I?
A potato

Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on Earth?
Mt.Everest

Can a man legally marry his widow's sister in the state of California?
No, he's dead

Clara Clatter was born on December 27th, yet her birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?
She lived in the southern hemisphere.

He has married many women, but has never been married. Who is he?
A preacher.

How many of each animal did Moses take on the ark?
Moses didn’t make the ark, Noah did.

How many times can you subtract the number 5 from 25?
Once, because after you subtract it's not 25 anymore.

How much dirt is in a hole 4 feet deep and 2 feet wide?
There is no dirt in a hole.

I know a word of letters three, add two and fewer there will be.
Few

If a rooster laid a brown egg and a white egg, what kind of chicks would hatch?
Roosters don't lay eggs.

If two's company and three's a crowd, what are four and five?
9

If you were in a dark room with a candle, a woodstove, a match and a gas lamp which do you light first?
The match

If you were standing directly on Antarcticas South Pole facing north, which direction would you travel if you took one step backward?
North

Is an old hundred dollar bill better than a new one?
No, I'd rather have $100 bill than a new $1 bill.

No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?
Silence or a promise.

Some months have 30 days, some months have 31 days; how many have 28?
Every month has at least 28 days.

Take off my skin -- I won't cry, but you will! What am I?
An onion.

The more it dries, the wetter it gets. What is it?
A towel.

The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
Foot steps.

There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. He has a wife and 2 kids. What does he weigh?
Meat

What can burn the eyes, sting the mouth, yet be consumed?
Peppers

What can go up a chimney down but can't go down a chimney up?
An umbrella.

What can go up and come down without moving?
The temperature.

What can pass before the sun without making a shadow?
The Earth.

What can you catch but not throw?
A cold.

What crime is punishable if attempted, but is not punishable if committed?
Suicide

What do the numbers 11, 69, and 88 all have in common?
They can all be flipped and still be the same.

What do you serve that you can't eat?
A tennis ball or guests.

What do you throw out when you want to use it, but take in when you don't want to use it?
A fishing line.

What goes up white and comes down yellow?
An egg.

What grows up while growing down?
A plant.

What one word has the most letters in it?
Alphabet.

What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?
A teapot.

What travels around the world yet stays in one corner?
A stamp.

What two words contain the most letters?
post office

What's the difference between here and there?
The letter T.

Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white," or "The yolk of the egg is white?"
Neither, because egg yolks are yellow.

Which moves faster: heat or cold?
Heat, because you can catch a cold.

You answer me, although I never ask you questions. What am I?
The telephone.

You can't keep this until you have given it.
Your word.

There is $21.00 in 1 dollar bills that has to be split evenly among the 2 fathers and 2 sons. How is this possible?
There is only really three people...a grandfather, the father, and the father's son who each get $7.

A Man walked up to his house and he heard his wife scream " John Don't do it!" and the man ran inside and saw his wife, dead on the floor. Around her was a Baker, Milkman, and a Doctor. The man goes up to the Milkman and says "U did It!". How did the man know he did it?
The baker and the doctor were both women and John the milkman was the only guy.

What do you call a country, where all the cars in it are pink?
A pink carnation.

There is an ancient invention still used in some parts of the world today that allows people to see through walls. What is it?
A Window

What question can someone ask all day long, always get completely different answers, and yet all the answers could be correct?
"What time is it?"

In a certain city, 5% of all the persons in town have unlisted phone numbers. If you select 100 names at random from that city's phone directory, how many people selected will have unlisted phone numbers?
None. If their names are in the phone directory, they do not have unlisted phone numbers!

There is a horse tied to a rope. The rope is 10 feet long. There is a bale of hay 23 feet in front of the horse. The horse is able to eat the hay, yet does not break the rope. How is that possible?
The rope isn't tied to anything!

After a man had been blindfolded, someone hung up his hat. The man walked 100 yards, turned around, and shot a bullet through his hat. How is such a feat possible?
His hat was hung over the barrel of the rifle!

At a posh restaurant I was having dinner with a noted historian. We were discussing the relative merits of Woodrow Wilson, when my friend turned to me and said, "I'll tell you all you need to know about the character of Woodrow Wilson. Why when he ran for president, his own mother didn't even vote for him!"
"Is that true?", I asked.
"Of course, it's true," he said. "I know whereof I speak."
That ended the discussion. I didn't realize until I got home that, although my friend spoke the truth, I had been tricked. How had I been mislead?
Of course Woodrow Wilson's mother did not vote for her son. She couldn't. Women didn't have the right to vote before 1920.

How is it possible to shave three times a day and still grow a beard?
If you were a barber, you could shave other men three times a day and still grow your own beard.

A man fell off a 20-foot ladder and landed on the sidewalk, but he did not get hurt. Why not?
He fell off the bottom rung!

Why are 1980 pennies worth almost $20?
1,980 pennies equals $19.80, which is almost $20.

Which is correct: 18 plus 19 is 36. Or 18 plus 19 are 36?
Actually neither is correct - 18 plus 19 is 37!

Is it physically possible for you to stand behind your mother, and for your mother to stand behind you at the same time?
Yes, if you stand back to back.

In a marathon race what does the winning runner lose?
Their breath!

Why didn't Beethoven finish the Unfinished Symphony?
The Unfinished Symphony was started by Schubert, not Beethoven!

What has holes but holds water?
A sponge

David's father has three sons : Snap, Crackle and _____ ?
David

What is harder to catch the faster you run?
Your breath!

What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time, and the beginning of every ending?
The letter "E".

What do some men have they don't want, but would not part it for a million dollars?
A bald head.

A hundred feet in the air, but it's back is on the ground.
What is it?
A centipede flipped over.

A father's child, a mother's child, yet no one's son.
A Daughter.

Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not.
What am I?
Forward I am ton, backwards I am not.

What do you fill with empty hands?
Gloves

What has a foot on each side and one in the middle?
A yardstick.

What kind of coat can be put on only when wet?
A coat of paint.

What object has keys that open no locks, space but no room, and you can enter but not go in
A computer keyboard.

What is once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in a thousand years?
The letter M.

What Parents Say

2012-05-11T10:22:00.002+03:00

What Kids Take In

God’s Guidance

2012-05-08T10:49:00.000+03:00

God's Promises for His People

By Mark A. Finley

Have you ever wondered how we can be certain of God’s guidance in the decisions we make? What are the principles of receiving guidance from God? How can we be sure we are following His will and not our own? In today’s lesson we will explore four biblical principles in receiving guidance from God. We will discover an all-knowing God who longs to guide His children in their decisions, and how we can be open to understand His will and let Him lead in our lives.

1. What three things does God promise to do for us? Read the text below and write your answer on the lines provided.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Ps. 32:8).

God promises to

(a) ________________________________________ you,

(b) ________________________________________ you,

2. How constant is God’s guidance? Write your answer in the following blank.

“For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death” (Ps. 48:14).

God promises to guide us each day of our lives, even to ________________________________.

PRINCIPLE 1—PRAYER

3. What invitation did God give us to receive His guidance?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

God invites us to ask for (what) _____________________________________________________

and He will give it (how) _________________________________________________________ .

There may be times when we pray regarding a decision and wonder whether or not we actually are receiving an answer from God or simply following our own desires. God’s answers generally come in the form of growing convictions, not impulsive actions. A divine impression is a growing, constant awareness that God wants us to do something, not usually some split-second impression that may be here today and gone tomorrow.

PRINCIPLE 2—COUNSEL

4. How does God balance our convictions to help us avoid wrong decisions?

“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14).

“Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established” (Prov. 15:22).

God provides us with ______________________________________ to help us make good

decisions. If we are wise we will seek out godly counselors in the significant decisions we make.

PRINCIPLE 3—PROVIDENCE

5. As we seek God for guidance in prayer and are open to godly counsel, what specific instruction does God give for knowing His will?

“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” (Prov. 23:26).

“Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men” (Ps. 66:5).

God invites us to ________________________ His ways and __________________His works.

When we seek His will, God’s providence will operate in our lives. As we look for doors He opens and observe His ways we will discover His will.

PRINCIPLE 4—THE WORD

6. What illustration did the psalmist use to describe God’s Word as a source of God’s guidance?

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).

The principles of God’s Word are like a ___________________ and a ____________________ .

God’s will never leads us to where God’s Word is not guiding us. If we make decisions that lead us contrary to God’s Word, we can be certain they are our own decisions and not His. One overriding principle in discerning God’s will is the willingness to do whatever it leads us to do (Ps. 40:8; Matt. 26:39; Heb. 10:7). Another way we can be sure we are following God’s will and not our own is if we are willing to give up the very things we long for the most in order to put God’s will first. Only as we surrender our decisions and their outcomes to Him will we be certain of His guidance.

God longs to guide us. As we follow these biblical principles of guidance, we will make good decisions to the glory of His name, and our lives will be blessed.

Health and Longetivity

2012-05-06T09:50:00.000+03:00

Priceless Medicine for a Modern Man

-From amazing facts study guide

Great medical care is priceless - but wouldn't it be great if we didn't need doctors anymore? Did you know there is a proven way to put a lot of doctors out of work? Take care of your body! Scientists have sounded the ominus warnings about cholesterol, tobacco, stress, obesity, and alcohol, so why press your luck? Hospitals and psychiatric institutions are packed with people who have ignored the warnings - do you really want to join them? God truly cares how you treat your body, and He's given you a free health plan, and a manual to go by... the Bible! For amazing facts about how you can have abundant health and longer life, look over this Study Guide - but be sure to read it all before jumping to conclusions!

1.   Are health principles really a part of true Bible religion?
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 2.
Answer: Yes. In fact, the Bible rates health right near the top of the list in importance. Man's mind, spiritual nature, and body are all interrelated and interdependent. What affects one affects the other. If our bodies are misused, our minds and spiritual natures cannot become what God ordained they should.
2.   Why did God give health rules to His people?
"And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes ... for our good always, that he might preserve us alive." Deuteronomy 6:24. "And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee." Exodus 23:25.
Answer: God gave health rules because He knows what is best for the human body. Automobile manufacturers place an "operations manual" in the glove compartment of each new car because they know what is best for their product. God, who made our bodies, also has an "operations manual." It is called the Holy Bible. Ignoring God's "operations manual" results in disease, twisted thinking, and burned-out lives, just as abusing a car (against the manufacturer's counsel) results in serious car trouble. Following God's rules results in "saving health" (Psalms 67:2) and more abundant life (John 10:10). These great health laws are like a wall or fence to keep out the diseases of Satan. God tells us what these rules are so we can avoid the devil's traps.
3.   Do God's health rules have anything to do with eating and drinking?
"Eat ye that which is good." Isaiah 55:2. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Answer: Yes, a Christian will even eat and drink differently--all to the glory of God--using only "that which is good." If God says a thing is not fit to eat, He must have a good reason. He is not a harsh dictator, but a loving Father. All His counsel is for our good always. The Bible promises: "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Psalms 84:11. So if God withholds a thing from us, it is because it is not good.
Note: No person can eat his way into heaven. Eating even the food of angels will not entitle people to paradise. Only acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour can do that. Ignoring God's health laws, however, may cause a person to be lost, because it will ruin his judgment and cause him to sin.
4.   What did God give people to eat when He created them and provided a perfect diet?
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed ... and every tree ... yielding seed." "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat." Genesis 1:29; 2:16.
Answer: The diet God gave people in the beginning was fruit, grains, and nuts. Vegetables were added a bit later (Genesis 3:18).
5.   What items are specifically mentioned by God as being unclean and forbidden?
Answer: In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, God very clearly points out the following groups as being unclean. Read both chapters in full.
Pigs are unclean.
A. All animals which do not have a split hoof and chew the cud (Deuteronomy 14:6).
Shellfish and catfish are unclean.
B. All fish and water creatures that do not have both fins and scales. Nearly all fish are clean (Deuteronomy 14:9).
Birds of prey are unclean.
C. All birds of prey, carrion eaters, and fish eaters (Leviticus 11:13-20).
The ones which live all or part-time in water and do not have both fins and scales are unclean.
D. Most "creeping things" (or invertebrates) are also unclean (Leviticus 11:21-47).
Note: These chapters make it clear that most animals, birds, and water creatures people ordinarily eat are clean. There are, however, some very notable exceptions. According to God's rules, the following animals are unclean and are not to be eaten: hogs, squirrels, rabbits, catfish, eels, lobsters, clams, crabs, shrimp, oysters, frogs, and many others.
6.   But I like pork. Will God destroy me if I eat it?
"For, behold, the Lord will come with fire ... and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves ... eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:15-17.
Answer: This may be shocking, but it is true and must be told. The Bible positively states that all who eat "swine's flesh," the "mouse," and other unclean things that are an "abomination" will be destroyed with fire at the coming of the Lord. When God says to leave something alone and not eat it, we should by all means obey Him. After all, the mere eating of a piece of forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve, a sinless couple, brought sin and death to this world in the first place. Can anyone say it doesn't matter, when God so clearly shows it does? God says men will be destroyed because they "chose that in which I delighted not." Isaiah 66:4.
7.   But didn't this law of clean and unclean animals originate at Sinai? Wasn't it for the Jews only, and didn't it end at the cross?
"And the Lord said unto Noah, ... Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens ... and of beasts that are not clean by two." Genesis 7:1, 2.
Answer: No indeed! The Bible has ample evidence that there were clean and unclean animals from the very dawn of Creation. Noah lived long before any Jews existed, but he knew of the clean and unclean, because he took into the ark the clean animals by "sevens" and the unclean by "twos." Revelation 18:2 refers to some birds as being unclean just before the second coming of Christ. The death of Christ had no altering effect whatever on these health laws, since the Bible says that all who break them will be destroyed when Jesus returns (Isaiah 66:15-17). The Jew's stomach and digestive system in no way differs from that of a Gentile. These health laws are for all people for all time.
8.   Does the Bible forbid the use of alcoholic beverages?
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Proverbs 20:1. "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." Proverbs 23:31, 32. "Neither fornicators ... nor drunkards ... shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
Answer: Yes, the Bible clearly forbids the use of alcoholic beverages.
9.   Does the Bible condemn the use of tobacco?
Answer: Yes, the Bible gives six reasons why the use of tobacco is displeasing to God:
A. The use of tobacco injures health and defiles the body. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17.
The use of tobacco in any form is displeasing to God.
B. Nicotine is an addictive substance that enslaves people. Romans 6:16 says that we become servants to whomever (or whatever) we yield ourselves. Tobacco users are servants of nicotine. Jesus says, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:10.
C. The tobacco habit is unclean. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 2 Corinthians 6:17. It is really preposterous to think of Christ using tobacco in any form, isn't it?
D. The use of tobacco wastes money. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?" Isaiah 55:2. We are God's stewards of the money given us, and "it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:2.
E. The use of tobacco never draws anyone closer to Christ. "Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." 1 Peter 2:11. Tobacco use is a fleshly lust.
F. The use of tobacco shortens life. Recent scientific findings confirm the fact that the use of tobacco often shortens the life span by as much as one-third. This breaks God's command against killing (Exodus 20:13). Even though it is slow murder, it is still murder. One of the best ways to postpone your funeral is to quit using tobacco.
10.   What are some of the simple, yet very important, health laws found in the Bible?
Answer: Here are 11 Bible health rules:
Eating meals at regular hours is very important.
A. Eat your meals at regular intervals, and do not use animal fat or blood. "Eat in due season." Ecclesiates 10:17. "It shall be a perpetual statute ... that ye eat neither fat nor blood." Leviticus 3:17.
Note: Recent scientific studies have confirmed the fact that most heart attacks result from a high cholesterol level in the blood--and that the use of "fats" is largely responsible for this high level. It looks like the Lord knows what He is talking about after all, doesn't it?
Christ specifically warns His followers not to overeat.
B. Don't overeat. "Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite." Proverbs 23:2. In Luke 21:34, Christ specifically warns against "surfeiting" (overeating) in the last days. Overeating is responsible for many degenerative diseases.
C. Don't harbor envy or hold grudges. These evils disrupt body processes. The Bible says that envy brings "rottenness of the bones." Proverbs 14:30. Christ even commands us to clear up grudges that others may hold against us (Matthew 5:23, 24).
A cheerful, happy disposition benefits health.
D. Maintain a cheerful, happy disposition. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Proverbs 17:22. "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7. Many diseases from which people suffer are a result of mental depression. A cheerful, happy disposition imparts health and prolongs life.
Ample sleep is essential to good health.
E. Put full trust in the Lord. "The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied." Proverbs 19:23. Trust in the Lord strengthens health and life. "My son, attend to my words. ... For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh." Proverbs 4:20-22. So health comes from obedience to God's commands and from putting full trust in Him.
F. Balance work and exercise with sleep and rest. "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." Exodus 20:9, 10. "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet." Ecclesiates 5:12. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." Genesis 3:19. "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late." Psalms 127:2. "For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? ... his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity." Ecclesiastes 2:22, 23.
Cleanliness is crucial for health.
G. Keep your body clean. "Be ye clean." Isaiah 52:11.
H. Be temperate in all things. "Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." 1 Corinthians 9:25. "Let your moderation be known unto all men." Philippians 4:5. A Christian will completely avoid all things that are harmful and will be moderate in the use of things that are good. Habits that injure health break the command "Thou shalt not kill." They kill by degrees. They are suicide on the installment plan.
I. Avoid all harmful stimulants. Here is a surprise for some. Medical science has confirmed the fact Caffeine harms the body.
that tea, coffee, and soft drinks that contain the addictive drug caffeine and other harmful ingredients are all positively damaging to the human body. None of these contain food value except through the sugar or cream added, and most of us already use too much sugar. Stimulants give a dangerous, artificial boost to the body and are like trying to carry a ton in a wheelbarrow. The popularity of these drinks is due not to flavor or advertising, but to the dose of caffeine they contain. Many Americans are sickly because of their addiction to coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks. But the real tragedy is that men and women seeking peace and strength are using tea and coffee as cheap substitutes for prayer and Bible study. This delights the devil and wrecks human lives.
J. Make mealtime a happy time. "Every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:13. Unhappy scenes at mealtime hinder digestion. Avoid them.
Helping people in need enhances your health.
K. Help those who are in need. "Loose the bands of wickedness, ... undo the heavy burdens, ... deal thy bread to the hungry, and ... bring the poor that are cast out to thy house ... when thou seest the naked, ... cover him ... and thine health shall spring forth speedily." Isaiah 58:6-8. This is too plain to misunderstand: when we help the poor and needy, we improve our own health.
11.   What solemn reminder is given to those who ignore God's rules?
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7.
Answer: The answer is too plain to miss. Those who break God's rules regarding the care of the body machine will reap broken bodies and burned-out lives, just as one who abuses his automobile will have serious car trouble. And those who continue to break God's laws of health will ultimately be destroyed by the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). God's health laws are not arbitrary. They are natural, established laws of the universe, like the law of gravity. Ignoring these laws always brings certain disastrous results. The Bible says, "The curse causeless shall not come." Proverbs 26:2. Trouble comes when we ignore the laws of health. God, in mercy, tells us what these laws are so we may avoid the tragedies that result from breaking them.

12.   What fearful, shocking truth about health involves our children and grandchildren?
"Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee." Deuteronomy 12:25. "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." Exodus 20:5.
Answer: A person may suffer because of his parents' or grandparents' bad health habits.
God makes it very plain that children and grandchildren (to the fourth generation) pay for the folly of parents who ignore God's health rules. The children and grandchildren inherit weakened, sickly bodies when mother and father defy God's rules for their lives. Is this what you want for your dear children and grandchildren?
13.   What more fearful, sobering fact does God's Word reveal?
"There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth." Revelation 21:27. "But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 11:21.
Answer: Nothing defiling or unclean will be permitted in God's kingdom. All filthy habits defile a person. Use of improper food defiles a person (Daniel 1:8). It is sobering, but true. Choosing their "own ways" and that in which God "delighted not" will cost people their eternal salvation (Isaiah 66:3, 4, 15-17).
14.   What should every sincere Christian endeavor to do at once?
"Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit." 2 Corinthians 7:1. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure." 1 John 3:3. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15.
Answer: Sincere Christians will bring their lives into harmony with God's rules at once, because they love Him. They know that His rules greatly add to their happiness and protect them from the devil's diseases (Acts 10:38). God's counsel and rules are always for our good, just as good parents' rules and counsel are best for their children. And once we know better, God holds us accountable. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17.
15.   But I'm worried because some of my evil habits have bound me so tightly. What can I do?
"As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." John 1:12. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13.
Answer: Take all of these habits to Christ and lay them at His feet. He will joyfully give you a new heart and the power you need to break any evil habit and become a son or daughter of God (Ezekiel 11:18, 19). How thrilling and heartwarming it is to know that "with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27. And Jesus says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6:37. Jesus is ready to break the shackles that bind us. He longs to set us free, and will, if only we will permit it. Our worries, evil habits, nervous tensions, and fears will be gone when we do His bidding. He says, "These things have I spoken unto you ... that your joy might be full." John 15:11. The devil argues that freedom is found in disobedience, but this is a falsehood (John 8:44).
16.   What thrilling promises are given about God's new kingdom?
"And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." Isaiah 33:24. "And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." Revelation 21:4. "They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.
Answer: The citizens of God's new kingdom will obey His health laws, and there will be no sickness or disease. They will be blessed with eternal vigor and youth and will live with God in supreme joy and happiness throughout all eternity.
17.   Since healthful living truly is a part of Bible religion, it is my plan to follow God's health rules.
Answer: Thought Questions
1.   1 Timothy 4:4 says, "Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused." Can you explain this? (1 Timothy 4:4)
This Scripture passage (verse 3) refers to meats "which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving" by His people. These meats, as we have already discovered, are the clean meats listed in Leviticus chapter 11 and Deuteronomy chapter 14. Verse 4 makes it clear that all creatures of God are good and not to be refused, provided they are among those created to "be received with thanksgiving" (the clean animals). Verse 5 tells why these animals (or foods) are acceptable: they are "sanctified" by God's Word, which says they are clean, and by a "prayer" of blessing, which is offered before the meal. Please note, however, that God will destroy people who try to "sanctify themselves" while eating unclean foods (Isaiah 66:17).
2.   Matthew 15:11 says, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out." How do you explain this? (Matthew 15:11)
The subject in Matthew 15:1-20 is eating without first washing the hands (verse 2). The focus is not eating, but washing. The scribes taught that eating any food without a special ceremonial washing defiled the eater. Jesus said the ceremonial washings were meaningless. In verse 19, He listed certain evils--murders, adulteries, thefts, etc. Then He concluded, "These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." Verse 20.
3.   But didn't Jesus cleanse all animals in Peter's vision, as recorded in Acts 10? (Acts 10:13)
No! In fact, the subject of this vision is not animals, but people. God gave Peter this vision to show him that the Gentiles were not unclean, as the Jews believed. God had instructed Cornelius, a Gentile, to send men to visit Peter. But Peter would have refused to see them if God had not given him this vision, because Jewish law forbade entertaining Gentiles (verse 28). But when the men finally did arrive, Peter welcomed them, explaining that ordinarily he would not have done so, but "God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." Verse 28. In the next chapter (Acts 11), the church members criticized Peter for speaking with these Gentiles. So Peter told them the whole story of his vision and its meaning. And Acts 11:18 says, "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."
4.   What did God make the hog for, if not to eat? (Isaiah 66:17)
He made it for the same purpose that He made the buzzard--as a scavenger to clean up garbage. And the hog serves this purpose admirably.
5.   Romans 14:3, 14, 20 says: "Let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth." "There is nothing unclean of itself." "All things indeed are pure." Can you explain this? (Romans 14:3)
Verses 3 through 6 are a discussion of those who eat certain things versus those who do not. The passage does not say either is right, but rather counsels that neither pass judgment on the other. Instead, let God be the Judge (verses 4,10-12). Verses 14 and 20 refer to foods that were first offered to idols (and were thus ceremonially unclean)--not to the clean and unclean meats of Leviticus chapter 11. (Read 1 Corinthians 8:1, 4, 10, 13). The point of the discussion is that no food is "unclean" or "impure" just because it has first been offered to idols, because an idol is "nothing in the world." 1 Corinthians 8:4. But if a person's conscience bothers him for eating such food, he should leave it alone. Or even if it merely offends a brother, he should likewise abstain.
6.   Are health laws and eating and drinking really important to me personally? If I love the Lord, isn't that enough? (Romans 12:1)
They are a matter of life versus death, because these laws involve obedience. "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." Hebrews 5:9. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21. Love to Christ is involved here because He says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. When we truly love the Lord, we will gladly obey Him without dodging or making excuses. This is the supreme test.
Quiz Questions
1.   Following God's health rules for the human body (1)
___   Is necessary for children, but not of great importance to an adult.
___   Is a very important part of true Bible religion.
___   Has nothing to do with a person's religion.
2.   God's health laws were given (1)
___   By a loving God who made us in the beginning and knows what is best for our happiness.
___   For the Jews only and do not apply today.
___   To show us He is boss and can control us.
3.   A true Christian will (1)
___   Eat and drink anything he desires.
___   Just love the Lord supremely and ignore His health laws because they were done away with at the cross.
___   Eat and drink only those things which will strengthen the body, mind, and character and bring honor to God.
4.   Man's first diet (1)
___   Consisted of fruit, grains, and nuts.
___   Included alcoholic beverages and flesh foods.
___   Consisted of anything and everything that Adam and Eve wanted.
5.   God lists these creatures as unclean: (7)
___   Cow.
___   Pig.
___   Chicken.
___   Squirrel.
___   Rabbit.
___   Catfish.
___   Deer.
___   Trout.
___   Clam.
6.   Alcoholic beverages are (1)
___   All right for a Christian if used in moderation.
___   Wrong for a person to use only if he thinks they are wrong.
___   Not to be used by a Christian.
7.   The use of tobacco is (1)
___   Each person's private business and has no relationship whatever to his religion.
___   Sinful, and a Christian will not use it in any form.
___   Beneficial to the Christian.
8.   Check the health laws listed below which are God's health laws: (9)
___   Don't overeat.
___   Smoke after each meal.
___   Be happy and cheerful.
___   Drink some liquor before meals.
___   Keep your body clean.
___   Eat lots of pork.
___   Drink plenty of coffee and tea.
___   Be temperate in all things.
___   Eat meals at regular intervals.
9.   A very important truth regarding God's health laws is that (1)
___   Children and grandchildren often have weak bodies and minds because parents ignore God's health laws.
___   These laws were for the Jews only and do not apply today.
___   If we really love Christ, His health laws are unimportant.
10.   The best way to overcome sinful habits is to (1)
___   'Taper off.'
___   Yield fully to Christ, who gives us power to do all things.
___   Hope they will go away.
11.   God's health laws are (1)
___   Like the rules for operating a car: They are best for us, and we run into serious trouble when we ignore them.
___   Part of Moses' law that was done away at the cross.
___   A good idea, but do not affect a person's relation to God.
12.   A sincere Christian will (1)
___   Spend more time praying and ignore God's health rules.
___   Immediately change any habit when he finds it conflicts with God's rules, because when we love Christ, we will gladly keep His rules and commandments.
___   Feel free to use tobacco.
Adventist Health Emphasis
Written by Theodore R. Flaiz
1. The question is often asked, "Why do Seventh-day Adventists give such significant attention to questions of health, apparently with a close relationship to their religious convictions?" The answer lies in their understanding of the nature of man. If they correctly interpret Biblical teaching on the matter, man is a complex entity consisting of a physical, an intellectual, and a spiritual nature. In the absence of any one of these entities, or natures, there is no man. The spiritual alone or the intellectual alone does not exist. The physical alone is but a lump of clay. The three together in right form constitute man, the whole man. (See Counsels on Health, page 66.)
2. Imperfections alter state. The spiritual entity may be blighted by immorality in any form, the intellect may be marred by mental disease or emotional instability, or the physical may be marked by deformity or disease. In any such deviation from the original perfection the resulting entity is not a whole man.
a. Sin.—The first of these shortcomings results from conflict with or violation of God's moral precepts. Willful violation of such nature is referred to as sin, the violation of God's moral law.
b. Mental defects.—The weakening or the blight of the intellectual entity may have resulted from violation of the laws of the mind or may be inherited from ancestry that was in some way in such conflict.
c. Physical disease.—Disease of the body, physical disease, results from the violation of the laws of health, more often by the individual himself, but possibly by an ancestor. Disease may be the result of the violation of laws as inexorable as the law of gravity—perhaps the violation of the laws of hygienic eating and exercise, with ulcers or possibly an early coronary as the result.
3. Is violation of physical law a moral question? The violation of moral precept makes a man a sinner before God. And transgression of the known laws of one's physical being, such as the intemperance that brings on ulcers of the stomach or hypertension, is just as surely sin. In either case the image of the whole man is marred, recognized or known laws of his being are violated, and a portion of the penalty for such violation begins to be experienced by the offender.
Comment.—"A continual transgression of nature's laws is a continual transgression of the law of God. . . . Men and women cannot violate natural law by indulging depraved appetites and lustful passions, without violating the law of God."—Counsels on Health, pp. 20, 21.
4. Adventist emphasis. Seventh-day Adventists hold that any matter affecting the wholeness of man—spiritual, physical, intellectual—is a legitimate concern of religion. It will be our attempt in this study to explore the Biblical basis for such a concept and to draw from the Spirit of Prophecy and other sources a better understanding of how we may intelligently relate ourselves to this question of health.
II. Biblical Statement—Our Bodies a Sacred Trust
1. Our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16).
Comment.—"God has given you a habitation to care for, and preserve in the best condition for His service and glory. Your bodies are not your own."—Ibid., p. 622. "A misuse of the body shortens that period of time which God designs shall be used in His service. By allowing ourselves to form wrong habits, by keeping late hours, by gratifying appetite at the expense of health, we lay the foundation for feebleness. By neglecting to take physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives by disregarding nature's laws, are guilty of robbery toward God. We have no right to neglect or misuse the body, the mind, or the strength, which should be used to offer God consecrated service."—Ibid., p. 41.
2. To glorify God in our bodies. We are "bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your bodv, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:20).
Comment.—"Our bodies are not our own. God has claims upon us to take care of the habitation He has given us, that we may present our bodies to Him a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable."—Ibid., p. 73.
3. Bodies a living sacrifice. Paul's admonition (Rom. 12:1).
Note.—"It is impossible for a man to present his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, while continuing to indulge habits that are depriving him of physical, mental, and moral vigor."—Ibid., p. 23.
Note from experience of Daniel.—"In that ancient ritual which is the gospel in symbol, no blemished offering could be brought to God's altar. The sacrifice that was to represent Christ must be spotless. The word of God points to this as an illustration of what His children are to be, —'a living sacrifice,' 'holy and without blemish.' "—Prophets and Kings, p. 489.
4. Only one life to live.
Comment.—"Only one lease of life is granted to us; and the inquiry with everyone should be, 'How can I invest my powers so that they may yield the greatest profit? How can I do most for the glory of God and the benefit of my fellow men?' For life is valuable only as it is used for the attainment of these ends."—Counsels on Health, p. 107.
III. Our Example—The Great Physician
1. Changes at the Fall. At the Fall, man lost not only his spiritual and intellectual perfection but also his physical perfection, and he began to die. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Although Jesus preached the gospel, the good news of salvation, in its spiritual sense, He spent more time repairing broken bodies than He did preaching. He thereby gave evidence that physical restoration, physical health, are of significance in Christian religion.
2. Areas of Christ's interest.
a. Prevention.—Health education, "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John 5:14).
b. Therapeutic.—"And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them" (Matt. 15:30).
c. Welfare.—"I have compassion on the multitude, ... I will not send them away fasting. . . . And they did all eat" (Matt. 15:32).
3. Jesus is our example in medical ministry. Under the impulse of His love and compassion He worked for the health and comfort of the multitude. His health work was focused upon the immediate health need of the individual or the multitude.
Relating Ourselves to Health Reform
I. Our Relationship Is Concerned With Our Health
1. Emphasis is on health, not on any dogma, ritualistic considerations, or taboos.
2. If our particular attitude toward health principles is such that the result is an anemic, sickly body, or worse, our interpretation of health reform is in error. The purpose of health reform is health. Health that we might better glorify God through effective service to God and to our fellow men.
" 'The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor.' "—The Story of Our Health Message, p. 78.
3. Consistency.—"Those who advocate an unpopular truth should, above all others, seek to be consistent in their own life. They should not try to see how different they can be from others, but how near they can come to those whom they wish to influence, that they may help them to the positions they themselves so highly prize. Such a course will commend the truths they hold. . . . When those who advocate hygienic reform carry the matter to extremes, people are not to blame if they become disgusted. Too often our religious faith is thus brought into disrepute. . . . These extremists do more harm in a few months than they can undo in a lifetime." —Counsels on Health, pp. 153, 154.
II. Health a Sacred Trust
1. Health and character, a great treasure.
Comment.—"The health should be as sacredly guarded as the character."—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 147.
"Health is a great treasure. It is the richest possession mortals can have. ... It is a terrible sin to abuse the health that God has given us."—Counsels on Health, p. 186.
2. Health concerns. Health reform, then, is concerned with any matters important to our health. Proper nutrition, fresh air, exercise, proper clothing for the cold weather, digitalis for certain serious heart disease, quinine for malaria, sanitary precautions to prevent dysentery, and urgent skillful surgery for intestinal obstruction—all are of concern in the intelligent care of the health.
The counsel is concerning the health which should be guarded, not the methods, the procedures, or the practices. If our efforts do not contribute to health, then we must conclude that what we practice is not health reform, and may be a witness against the very idea of health reform.
3. Relative importance of health efforts. Comment.—"Every faculty with which the Creator has endowed us, should be cultivated to the highest degree of perfection, that we may be able to do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable. Hence that time is spent to good account which is used in the establishment and preservation of physical and mental health."—Ibid., p. 107.
4. Sacred duty.
Comment.—" 'I saw that it was a sacred duty to attend to our health, and [to] arouse others to their duty. . . . We have a duty to speak, to come out against intemperance of every kind—intemperance in working, in eating, in drinking, in drugging. ... I saw that it was duty for everyone to have a care for his health. . . . The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor.' "—The Story of Our Health Message, pp. 77, 78.
Here again the emphasis is on health, "The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor."
6. Health reform recognizes varying circumstances of the people. If health is the objective of health reform, it will vary according to the circumstances or the needs of the individual or the community. It will emphasize the need of the person concerned or of the community concerned. Examples:
a. For the peasant in parts of South India, many of whom suffer from beriberi, it will emphasize the necessity of eating the whole-grain rice, his best assurance of protection from beriberi. It will counsel a moderation in his use of the hot chilies, which may cause inflammation if not actual ulceration of the stomach or duodenum. It will not advise leaving these red peppers off entirely, for they may be his only source of the protective vitamin C.
b. Health reform will counsel the peasant of East Bengal to guard himself against the deadly malignant tertian malaria by sleeping under nets, and if he should contract the disease, it will counsel him to take the appropriate medication. It will teach him to do more in growing his own fresh vegetables, to grow more of the papaya fruits, and it will not advise against the abundantly available fish until something better is available.
c. Health reform will recognize the varying needs of the farmer, the woodsman, or miner as opposed to the professional man, the businessman, or the student. It will recognize the limited food requirement of the elderly, who if their work schedule permits proper spacing of meals may do well on two good meals a day, while recognizing that the same program for growing children would be not only harmful to health but would constitute an act of actual cruelty.
d. Physical health and spirituality.— "The health of body is to be regarded as essential for growth in grace and the acquirement of an even temper. If the stomach is not properly cared for, the formation of an upright, moral character will be hindered. The brain and nerves are in sympathy with the stomach. Erroneous eating and drinking result in erroneous thinking and acting."—Counsels on Health, p. 134.
e. Religion and health not incompatible. —"The view held by some that spirituality is a detriment to health, is the sophistry of Satan. The religion of the Bible is not detrimental to the health of either body or mind. The influence of the Spirit of God is the very best medicine for disease.
Heaven is all health. . . . The relation which exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes."—Ibid., p. 28.
f. The true health reformer will not evidence gloom, criticism, or faultfinding in his life and relationship to others, but will radiate joy, courage, enthusiasm, and evidence of a more abundant life. The true health reformer will emphasize the positive, the constructive, not the negative.
III. Health Affects Our Efficiency and Performance
1. Affects our denominational service. Speaking of some practical health suggestions, Mrs. White says that "these are not matters of trifling importance. We must pay attention to them if healthful vigor and a right tone are to be given to the various branches of the work."—Gospel Workers, p. 242.
Note that in this reference Mrs. White calls attention to health as relates to a "healthful vigor" in the work. The emphasis is on health, and this is because it is essential to efficient performance, not out of respect for some procedure, practice, or prohibition, all of which are only a means to an end. Health, in turn, is a means to more effective service.
2. Proportionate relationship stated.
Comment.—"The character and efficiency of the work depend largely upon the physical condition of the workers."'—Ibid.
3. Results of ill health in sermons.
Comment.—"Many committee meetings and other meetings for counsel have taken an unhappy tone from the dyspeptic condition of those assembled. And many a sermon has received a dark shadow from the minister's indigestion."—Ibid.
4. Willing ignorance of health is sin.
Comment.—"He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being and who violates them through ignorance is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health."—Christ's Object Lessons, p. 348. Paul states he "that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things" (1 Cor. 9:25).
5. Avoid the negative approach.
a. Our health emphasis is a positive, a constructive, concept.
b. Fanaticism places the emphasis on the negative, the prohibitions.
c. This explains why fanatics, extremists, are often anemic and unhappy people.
d. Health does not come by not doing things. It is the product of doing those things that make for health.

Inspirational Counter

2012-05-03T15:23:00.003+03:00

Get Inspired!
"The only way you may correct the bad things in your past is to add better things to your future."

"The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become."

Be thankful for it all. And beyond your many blessings, will be many, many more.

Each new day greets us with no rules except for the rules we place on it. Greet this new day with open arms and endless possibility.

"No man is rich enough to buy back his past."

"To discover life to the fullest, one must start within."

“The difference between love and hate is the difference between a choice!”

"There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way."

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE:

PEOPLE WHO GIVE IN
… (THEY HAVE PAIN)

PEOPLE WHO GIVE UP
… (THEY HAVE REGRET)

PEOPLE WHO GIVE
… (THEY HAVE EVERYTHING)

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

"Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate achievements."

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you.

Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.

Although the world is full of suffering, it's also full of brave people who are overcoming it.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate

The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.

What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise

Sick without a Cause?

2012-04-25T10:26:00.003+03:00

Yeast
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Proverbs 23:29-31. The fermentation of wine is initiated by naturally occurring yeasts present in the vineyards. Alcohol is a colorless liquid, produced by the fermentation of sugar or starch, that is the intoxicating agent in fermented drinks and is used as a solvent. The alcohol that is produced from fermentation is called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. Wine is fermented, producing yeast and the top fermenting yeast is harvested to be used in bread making and the barm for beer making. Ever notice how a yeast roll spells like beer? Under optimal conditions the yeast can produce up to 18 percent, by volume, of ethanol with 15 to 16 percent being the norm.
Alcohol fermentation is the formation of alcohol from sugar. Yeast, when under anaerobic conditions, convert glucose to pyruvic acid via the glycolysis pathways, then go one step farther, converting pyruvic acid into ethanol (ethyl alcohol), a C-2 compound.
The adverse affects of the ethanol in beer and wine on the human nervous system are something with which many college students are familiar (sometimes too familiar?), and it is the CO2 produced by the process of fermentation that makes these beverages effervescent. Interestingly, since beer and bread contain pretty-much the same ingredients: yeast, sugar, and grains, in the past, beer has been referred to as “liquid bread.”
So what is yeast?
Yeast are simple, single cell fungi. The most common forms of yeast -- baker's and brewer's yeast -- are strains of the species Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. "Saccharomyces" derives from Latinized Greek and means "sugar mold" or "sugar fungus", saccharo- being the combining form "sugar-" and myces being "fungus". Cerevisiae comes from Latin and means "of beer".
Yeast microbes are probably one of the earliest domesticated organisms. People have used yeast for fermentation and baking throughout history. Archaeologists digging in Egyptian ruins found early grinding stones and baking chambers for yeasted bread, as well as drawings of 4,000-year-old bakeries and breweries. Yeast multiplies by a speedy process called budding. One gram of yeast contains 20,000,000,000 (twenty billion) single-celled living micro-organisms.
Yeast Facts: It's a single celled living fungus
The yeast consumes sugar and breaths out (defecates) carbon dioxide
As little as two pounds of yeast starter can raise 500 pounds of bread dough.
Yeasts, like most fungi, respire oxygen (aerobic respiration), but in the absence of air they derive energy by fermenting sugars and carbohydrates to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide.
Baking leavened bread became a skill in Egypt, along with their ability to brew beer.
Commercialized and domesticated yeast bread and beer products originated in Egypt. The earliest recorded leavening of bread was in Egypt.
Israel was never to leaven their bread at all.
Exodus 12:20 “Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.”
Exo 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. But contrary to the Lord’s word they took the practice with them from Egypt.
Was manna leavened?
This form of baking (unleavened bread) is healthier-not only for the large number of people who are allergic to yeast, but for all of us. One significant health advantage to yeast-free bread is its value to digestion. While yeasted breads create, over time, an imbalance in our intestinal flora, yeast-free breads help to preserve that balance. And, as it contains strains of lactobacillus-an organism important for the proper digestion of complex carbohydrates-yeast-free bread is easier for our stomachs to break down and utilize.” (French Meadow)

Bread should be light and sweet. Not the least taint of sourness should be tolerated. The loaves should be small and so thoroughly baked that, so far as possible, the yeast germs shall be destroyed. When hot or new, raised bread of any kind is difficult of digestion. It should never appear on the table. This rule does not, however, apply to unleavened bread. Fresh rolls made of wheaten meal without yeast or leaven, and baked in a well-heated oven, are both wholesome and palatable. “Ministry of Healing by E.G. White Pg. 301”Unless the food is prepared in a wholesome, palatable manner, it cannot be converted into good blood, to build up the wasting tissues.--T., V. II, p. 538. {HL 80.3}
The Dreamer: Genesis 37
The butler and the baker: Genesis 40
We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. Isaiah 4:1
Spiritually yeasty: Paul understood the harmful depths of leaven. Consider what he says about being puffed up? Puffed up includes physical as well as mental and spiritual problems that people may have trouble overcoming. 1 Corinthians 4:6, 18, 19; 5:2; 13:4; Col 2:18
Among the more serious of the evils that had developed among the Corinthian believers, was that of a return to many of the debasing customs of heathenism. One former convert had so far backslidden that his licentious course was a violation of even the low standard of morality held by the Gentile world. The apostle pleaded with the church to put away from among them "that wicked person." "Know ye not," he admonished them, "that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened." {AA 303.2}
Stir up every family, every church, to do the very utmost of their power, every one consecrating himself to God, putting the leaven of evil out of his heart, out of the home, and out of the church. {RH, December 11, 1900 par. 4}
Physically yeasty: Candida, mental fogginess, poor digestion, eyesight and many more
Through the use of alcohol the tissues of the body lose their power of resistance to the noxious bacteria that are continually lying in wait to devour. "How is it that the tissues have lost their power of resistance?-For the simple reason that they have without ceasing, day in and day out, year in and year out, from generation to generation, been deluged with a particular poison, the poisonous excretion of a fungus, the yeast fungus." …Every year gigantic loads of our most valuable food products, various grains, fruits, berries, are sacrificed to provide nourishment for these yeast fungi.{July 17, 1906 EJW, MEDM 19.2}
EJ Waggoner-The Medical Missionary
The last word of science, after exact research in all the domains, is that alcohol is a poison. It has been found to be a hydrocarbon of the formula C 2 H 6 O, that is produced by the process of fermentation, and is the toxin, or liquid excretion or waste product, of the yeast or ferment germ. According to the universal law of biology, that the toxin of one form of life is a poison to all forms of life of a higher order, alcohol, the toxin of the low yeast germ, is a protoplasmic poison to all life, whether plant, animal, or man, and to all the living tissues and organs.
Alcohol Paralyzes the Powers of Resistance.—Nearly all the diseases of mankind and nearly all the deaths hang upon the vitality and vigor of the white blood corpuscles. Under the microscope it was found that even a moderate drink of alcoholic beverage passing quickly into the blood paralyzes the white blood corpuscles. They behave like drunken men. In pursuit they cannot catch the disease germs. In conflict they cannot hold the disease germs for devouring, and they cannot operate in great phalanxes, as they do when sober, against such powerful germs as those of consumption. Every time a man takes a drink of alcoholic beverage, he lays himself open for a time to contracting diseases. Every time a man takes a drink, he puts his life in peril. No wonder the mortality statistics show, as they do, that a total abstainer has nearly twice the security and hold on life that the average drinker has, and about three times the hold of heavy drinkers—Id., p. 3. {1919, R&H, SBBS 197.6}Source Book for Bible Students
Emotionally/mentally yeasty: all emotions that rise: anger, envy, jealousy, sexual, impatience, intolerance
Hypocrisy is like leaven or yeast. Leaven may be hidden in the flour, and its presence is not known until it produces its effect. By insinuating itself, it soon pervades the whole mass. Hypocrisy works secretly, and if indulged, it will fill the mind with pride and vanity. There are deceptions practiced now similar to those practiced by the Pharisees. When the Saviour gave this caution, it was to warn all who believe in Him to be on guard. Watch against imbibing this spirit, and becoming like those who tried to ensnare the Saviour (MS 43, 1896). {5BC 1121.10}

The Communion Service
Galations 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
On communion day, if you have partaken of a yeast product in the morning or during the week before, your body is not unleavened and is not prepared to partake of the holy bread at the communion table. The leaven has leavened the whole lump. Let the ladies who prepare the symbols of the Lord’s body, make fresh squeezed juice of the grape and truly unleavened bread.
The Lord's supper was instituted at the Passover supper, and the wine used was unfermented, because nothing fermented was allowed in their houses. {1919 SNH, BHB 165.1}
Leaven represents sin and death. We should eat for life.
God never makes fermented wine; that is always a product of the curse. {December 24, 1901 EJW, ARSH 831.12}6
The communion is to be celebrated, as it should be, with the "fruit of the vine," the pure, unfermented grape juice. This, and this only, is fit to be used as an emblem of "the precious blood of Christ," {July 28, 1890 EJW, SITI 426.8}
The Unleavened, Unfermented Mind of Christ
"The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
"I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever." John 6:22-71
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians 2: 16
Fermented Drug Facts
Biotechnology, one of the newest businesses, is based on fermentation. About 200 chemicals are made. Most of the chemicals are antibiotics. The most money is made from antibiotics and other drugs (including supplements).
Food Facts
Rhizopus stolonifer, bread mold, makes a dye called carotene. Cheddar cheese is dyed with carotene to make it orange. Cheese is made from an aging mold process. “Cheese should never be introduced to the stomach.” EG White
Quorn The manufacturer of Quorn is Marlow Foods, a division of the multinational pharmaceutical giant Astra Zeneca, one of the dominant corporations in genetically engineered food. They are telling the public that the food is made from mushrooms. The packaging says the “mycoprotein” in Quorn is “made from natural ingredients” that are “mushroom in origin,” and “made from a small, unassuming member of the mushroom family.” This evokes images of tiny mushrooms growing humbly and peacefully in the Earth.
Actually, though, this is far from the case. Quorn, in fact, is a highly processed food made in giant laboratory vats from a fungus (Fusarium venenatum) which is a mold, not a mushroom. An expert on Fusarium fungus, David M. Geiser of the Pennsylvania State University Fusarium Research Center, told the FDA that calling the Fusarium fungus that is the basis of Quorn foods a mushroom is like “calling a rat a chicken because both are animals.”
Cheese making processes are usually referred to as "mold-ripened." This demonstrate how
we can change the meaning of a process to sound more favorable when fungi are carrying out a process which benefits us. Normally, when we see fungi growing on our food, we say that it is "rotted." This latter process is actually what is occurring in mold-ripened cheeses!
Soy sauce is probably the most familiar Asian food product in this country, but probably few people know how it is made. All of you probably are aware that it is made from soybeans. The soybeans are cooked mixed with wheat flour, pressed into cakes, and placed in a special room where it is inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae (the same species used in making saki). The mixture is then incubated for three days. If all goes well the cakes will become covered with yellow mycelial growth. The molded cake is referred to as Koji, which is a fermentation product of grains. The koji is now mixed with salt and water and is now referred to as the Moromi. The moromi is then inoculated with a bacterium, Peiococcus soyae, which will ferment the mixture for approximately 6 months. The aged liquid which is pressed out is the soy sauce. Because it is a fermentation product, soy sauce does not spoil when left out.
Tempeh is one product that has gained some degree of popularity in the United States. It is a food product made from the fermented products of usually legume seeds with Rhizopus oligosporus. The principal steps in its preparation are the removal of the seed coat so that the fungus can reach the nutritional cotyledons underneath. The beans are then soaked in water, boiled or steamed until nearly cooked. The beans are then drained and cooled. The cooled beans are then ready for inoculation with R. oligosporus. The inoculation of the fungus into the boiled beans digests the complex carbohydrates and other organic compounds that may cause gas.
Miso is a Japanese word for fermented soybean paste. Miso is not usually consumed by itself, but is dissolved in water as a base for soup or used as a flavoring agent. Miso fermentation consists of washed, polished rice, which is steamed and inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae. The inoculated rice is incubated for 48 to 50 hours at 40 C or below, resulting in rice koji. The carbohydrates and proteins of the inoculated rice are digested by the fungus and converts it to sugars and amino acids. The rice koji is then inoculated by yeasts and bacteria and allowed to ferment for about a week at 28 C and then raised to 35 C for about seven months.
Yeast Flakes: Nutritional Yeast Flakes are produced from a selected strain of Saccharomyces and then vitamin B12 is added (attached) to the yeast to make a supposed healthy food flavoring. Vitamin B12 is harvested from bacteria grown in sewer sludge. To keep the B12 stabilized for consumption, it must be attached to another form of bacteria, Yeast!
Vinegar is double fermented. Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanolby acetic acid bacteria.[1] Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional vinegars, and fermentation proceeds slowly over the course of weeks or months. The longer fermentation period allows for the accumulation of a nontoxic slime composed of acetic acid bacteria.
He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. Numbers 6:3Apple cider vinegar, otherwise known simply as cider vinegar, is made from cider or apple must, and has a brownish-yellow color. It often is sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with the mother of vinegar present. Because of its acidity, apple cider vinegar may be very harsh, even burning, to the throat. Like vinegar, it is also double fermented.
Balsamic vinegar sold in supermarkets is typically made with concentrated grape juice mixed with a strong vinegar, which is laced with caramel and sugar. Regardless of how it is produced, balsamic vinegar must be made from a grape product. Balsamic vinegar has a high acidity level, but the tart flavor is usually hidden by the sweetness of the other ingredients, making it very mellow.
Kombucha is an effervescent tea-based beverage that is often drunk for its anecdotal health benefits or medicinal purposes. Kombucha is available commercially and can be made at home by fermenting tea using a visible, solid mass of yeast and bacteria which forms the kombucha culture, often referred to as 酵母 (lit. "yeast mother").
Mushrooms are a fungus that live on dead and decaying material. A mushroom rises much like a boil. The mushroom comes up and releases carbon dioxide back into the air. Mushrooms should never be eaten and some are deadly.
Sugar is not good for the stomach. It causes fermentation, and this clouds the brain and brings peevishness (an irritable petulant feeling) into the disposition. {CD 327.1}
Wise Counsel Many are made sick by the indulgence of their appetite. . . . So many varieties are introduced into the stomach that fermentation is the result. This condition brings on acute disease, and death frequently follows. {CD 110.3}
I consider that one reason why I have been able to do so much work both in speaking and in writing, is because I am strictly temperate in my eating. If several varieties of food are placed before me, I endeavor to choose only those that I know will agree. Thus I am enabled to preserve clear mental faculties. I refuse to place in my stomach knowingly anything that will set up fermentation. This is the duty of all health reformers. We must reason from cause to effect. It is our duty to be temperate in all things. {CD 493.3}
Hot biscuit raised with soda or baking-powder should never appear upon our tables. Such compounds are unfit to enter the stomach.--R. and H., 1883, No. 19. {HL 81.1}
Saleratus (sodium bicarbonate-baking soda) in any form should not be introduced into the stomach; for the effect is fearful. It eats the coatings of the stomach, causes inflammation, and frequently poisons the entire system. Some plead, "I cannot make good bread and gems unless I use soda or saleratus." You surely can if you will learn. Is not the health of your family of sufficient value to inspire you with ambition to learn how to cook and how to eat?--T., V. II, p. 537. Variety. {HL 81.2}
Hot raised bread of any kind is difficult of digestion.--R. and H., 1883, No. 19. {HL 80.6}
Some use milk and a large amount of sugar on mush, thinking that they are carrying out health reform. But the sugar and the milk combined are liable to cause fermentation in the stomach, and are thus harmful. {TSDF 17.15}
The wine created by Christ at the marriage feast in Galilee was the best wine that those present had ever tasted. But it was entirely free from all fermentation. Christ Himself had forbidden the use of fermented drink, saying, "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations; and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean, and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses."{BEcho,September 4, 1899 par 1}
Fermented liquor confuses the senses and perverts the powers of the being. God is dishonoured when men have not sufficient respect for themselves to practice strict temperance. Fermented wine is not a natural production. The Lord never made it, and with its production He has nothing to do. Paul advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach's sake and oft infirmities, but he meant the unfermented juice of the grape. He did not advise Timothy to take what the Lord had prohibited. {BEcho, September 4, 1899 par.2}
The use of fermented wine caused Nadab and Abihu to confuse the sacred and the common, and death was their penalty. After this, severe restrictions were placed on those connected with the sacred service. They were prohibited, when they came before the Lord, from touching wine or using grapes in any way, that they might avoid the result of becoming familiar with fermented liquor. When food or drink which bewilders the brain is placed in the mouth, the destroyer sees his opportunity to enter and dethrone the reason. {BEcho, September 4, 1899 par. 3}
Some foods do not agree with other foods. A disturbance is created by improper combinations of food, fermentation sets in, the blood is contaminated, and the brain is confused. {PUR, October 9, 1902 par. 2}
The salads are prepared with oil and vinegar, fermentation takes place in the stomach, and the food does not digest, but decays or putrefies. As a consequence the blood is not nourished, but becomes filled with impurities, and liver and kidney difficulty appear. Heart disturbances, inflammation, and many evils are the result of such kind of treatment, and not only are the bodies affected, but the morals, the religious life, are affected. {2MR 143.3}
Fermented Wine. Fermentation is a sign of death, and death is the result of sin. Alcohol is formed by a process of fermentation; hence, it is a direct child of death and sin.
Prov. 20:1. The wine here referred to is fermented; because it is a "mocker" and "deceiver" its character is evil.
Prov. 23:20, 21. This is also fermented wine; for it is evil and is classed with the "riotous" and the "drunkards."
Gen. 9:21. Fermented wine causes one to lose all sense of modesty.
Isa. 5:11. The evil nature of the wine here referred to is revealed in its inflaming the passions.
Isa. 28:7. Fermented wine causes the one who drinks it to err in vision and stumble in judgment.
Prov. 31:4, 5. It will cause one to forget the law and pervert judgment.
Prov. 23:21. The use of it brings poverty.
Prov. 23:29, 30. It brings sorrow and contention.
Eph. 5:18. The use of fermented wine forbidden.
Prov. 23:31. We are forbidden to even look upon this kind of wine.
1 Cor. 6:10. No one addicted to the use of intoxicating wine can enter heaven.
Some Yeasty Foods to avoid:
Breads, rolls, cookies, pastries, pretzels, doughnuts and other bready foods
Vinegar, and foods which contain it, like salsas, mayonnaise, salad dressing, barbecue sauce,
mustard, pickles and pickled foods.
Wine, beer and spirits
Fermented foods and beverages like sauerkraut or cider
Sugar
Milk
Moldy Foods:
All cheese
Dried, smoked or pickled meats
Cured bacon
Mushrooms, peanuts, and pistachios
Soy sauce, miso, tamari, and tempeh
Malt
Pre-packaged herbs and teas
Canned tomatoe
Yeast Removal
In the evening, drink the following mixture:
1 cup water blended with 2 cloves of garlic and 1 medium sized onion.
In the morning drink a glass of water mixed with 2 tbsps of charcoal. Determine that you will eat no more yeasty foods.
In the evening make a garlic water which is prepared with a cup of water and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic added. Let stand for about 10 minutes and then drink the water only.
Continue drinking the charcoal water in the morning and the garlic water in the evening for three days. You will only do the onion and garlic mixture one time
Facts about Food Chains
This section contains a brief description of the food chains and food webs in an ecosystem.
Introduction
In an ecosystem, plants capture the sun's energy and use it to convert inorganic compounds into energy-rich organic compounds¹. This process of using the sun's energy to convert minerals (such as magnesium or nitrogen) in the soil into green leaves, or carrots, or strawberries, is called photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is only the beginning of a chain of energy conversions. There are many types of animals that will eat the products of the photosynthesis process. Examples are deer eating shrub leaves, rabbits eating carrots, or worms eating grass. When these animals eat these plant products, food energy and organic compounds are transferred from the plants to the animals. These animals are in turn eaten by other animals, again transferring energy and organic compounds from one animal to another. Examples would be lions eating deer, foxes eating rabbits, or birds eating worms.
This chain of energy transferring from one species to another can continue several more times, but it eventually ends. It ends with the dead animals that are broken down and used as food or nutrition by bacteria and fungi. As these organisms, referred to as decomposers, feed from the dead animals, they break down the complex organic compounds into simple nutrients. Decomposers play a very important role in this world because they take care of breaking down (cleaning) many dead material. There are more than 100,000 different types of decomposer organisms! These simpler nutrients are returned to the soil and can be used again by the plants. The energy transformation chain starts all over again.
Here is a figure showing one such food and energy chain:
Names and word definitions
Producers. Organisms, such as plants, that produce their own food are called autotrophs. The autotrophs, as mentioned before, convert inorganic compounds into organic compounds. They are called producers because all of the species of the ecosystem depend on them.
Consumers. All the organisms that can not make their own food (and need producers) are called heterotrophs. In an ecosystem heterotrophs are called consumers because they depend on others. They obtain food by eating other organisms. There are different levels of consumers. Those that feed directly from producers, i.e. organisms that eat plant or plant products are called primary consumers. In the figure above the grasshopper is a primary consumer.
Organisms that feed on primary consumers are called secondary consumers. Those who feed on secondary consumers are tertiary consumers. In the figure above the snake acts as a secondary consumer and the hawk as a tertiary consumer. Some organisms, like the squirrel are at different levels. When the squirrel eats acorns or fruits (which are plant product), it is a primary consumer; however, when it eats insects or nestling birds, is it is a tertiary consumer.
Consumers are also classified depending on what they eat.
Herbivores are those that eat only plants or plant products. Example are grasshoppers, mice, rabbits, deer, beavers, moose, cows, sheep, goats and groundhogs.
Carnivores, on the other hand, are those that eat only other animals. Examples of carnivores are foxes, frogs, snakes, hawks, and spiders.
Omnivores are the last type and eat both plants (acting a primary consumers) and meat (acting as secondary or tertiary consumers). Examples of omnivores are:
1. Bears --They eat insects, fish, moose, elk, deer, sheep as well as honey, grass, and sedges. 2. Turtles -- They eat snails, crayfish, crickets, earthworms, but also lettuce, small plants, and algae.
3. Monkeys -- They eat frogs and lizards as well as fruits, flowers, and leaves.
4. Squirrels -- They eat insects, moths, bird eggs and nestling birds and also seeds, fruits, acorns, and nuts.
Trophic level. The last word that is worth mentioning in this section is trophic level, which corresponds to the different levels or steps in the food chain. In other words, the producers, the consumers, and the decomposers are the main trophic levels.
Food Webs
In looking at the previous picture, the concept of food chain looks very simple, but in reality it is more complex. Think about it. How many different animals eat grass? And from the Facts about Red-tailed Hawks page, how many different foods does the hawk eat? One doesn't find simple independent food chains in an ecosystem, but many interdependent and complex food chains that look more like a web and are therefore called food webs. A food web that shows the energy transformations in an ecosystem looks like this:
As you can see from this picture, food webs, with all their dependencies, can be very complex, but somehow nature balances things out so that food webs last a long time. Many species share the same habitat, their populations survive for many years, and they all live happily together.
The Ecological Pyramid
We described in the previous sections how energy and organic compounds are passed from one trophic level to the next. What was not mentioned is the efficiency of the transfer. In a highly efficient transfer almost all of the energy would be transferred -- 80% or more. In a low efficiency transfer very little energy would be transferred -- less than 20%. In a typical food chain, not all animals or plants are eaten by the next trophic level. In addition, there are portions or materials (such as beaks, shells, bones, etc.) that are also not eaten. That is why the transfer of matter and energy from one trophic level to the next is not an efficient one.
One way to calculate the energy transfer is by measuring or sizing the energy at one trophic level and then at the next. Calorie is a unit of measure used for energy. The energy transfer from one trophic level to the next is about 10%. For example, if there are 10,000 calories at one level, only 1,000 are transferred to the next. This 10% energy and material transfer rule can be depicted with an ecological pyramid that looks like this:
This pyramid helps one visualize the fact that in an ecological system there need to be many producing organisms at the bottom of the pyramid to be able to sustain just a couple of organisms at the top. In looking at the pyramid, can you guess how much larger the volume of each layer is as compared to the one just above it? Take a guess. It might not look like it but they are close to 10 times larger.
Final comments
Oaks rate a position at or very near the top of the wildlife food chain (or bottom of the ecological pyramid). They are the "staff of life" for many wild life species. The greatest food value comes from the acorn, especially during the winter season when other foods are scarce.
Squirrels, which are omnivores, are neither at the bottom or the top of the food chain. Since the feed from producers as well as primary consumers, one could say that they occupy two layers in the pyramid.
Hawks, which are mature birds of prey, are at the top of the their food chain and of the ecological pyramid.

2.5 Billion People are Unbanked

2012-04-20T09:43:00.000+03:00

The World's Poor Don't Have A Bank Account
More than 2.5 billion people -- or half of all adults around the world -- are "unbanked," meaning they don't have a bank account, according to data released by the World Bank on Thursday.

The World Bank's data comes from the Gallup World Poll Survey, which found that more than three-quarters of the world's poor are unbanked. Poverty, as well as proximity to a bank and the amount of paperwork involved, prohibit people from having a bank account.

Being unbanked prevents the world's poor from saving for and investing in the future -- whether it be by paying for an education, buying a home, or starting a new business. The world's unbanked population is also at a disadvantage when it comes to borrowing.

There is a huge disparity between rich countries and the rest of the world when it comes to unbanked populations. Nine out of 10 adults in rich countries have a bank account, which is more than double the number of adults in developing countries with bank accounts, according to the World Bank. Just 18 percent of adults in the Middle East and North Africa and 24 percent of adults in sub-Saharan Africa have a bank account.

As a result, poor people are often forced to borrow money from informal lenders who generally charge high fees, according to the World Bank. Friends and family are the largest source of loans in all regions except for rich countries, where banks and credit unions are the most popular source of loans. About 40 percent of adults in sub-Saharan Africa have borrowed from friends or family in the past year, while about 5 percent of them have borrowed from an informal lender. An emergency or health care are the single largest reason why people in developing countries take out loans.

In the U.S., 7.7 percent of households are unbanked, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Humans Are Born Natural Vegetarians

2012-04-20T09:34:00.000+03:00

Foods With More Fat Than A Stick Of Butter

You wouldn't sit down to dinner at your favorite restaurant and order a stick of butter a la carte. You're too smart for that -- you know there'd be lots of calories and little nutrients and, most of all, lots and lots of fat.

But some of the cheesy entrees and meaty meals you're ordering are packed with just as much fat -- or more. There's a total of 92 grams of fat in a stick of butter, much more than the maximum amount recommended for an entire day on a healthy diet.
The Dietary Guidelines For Americans recommend limiting fat intake to 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories. (A gram of fat provides 9 calories.) For a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, that means anywhere from 44 to 78 grams of fat a day won't push you over the edge. Most Americans don't have to worry about not getting enough fat; in fact, our diets are too heavy in saturated and trans fats and skimpy on the healthy, unsaturated kind, found in good-for-you foods like fish, olive oil and nuts.
Unfortunately, it's too easy to find foods -- especially on the menus of your favorite chain restaurants -- that trample those daily fat recommendations in one fell swoop. Here are seven of the worst offenders. Let us know in the comments what other fat traps you've spotted -- or even eaten!

1. Fried Fish

2. Sneaky Salads

3. Burgers That Overdo It On The Meat

4. Burgers That Overdo It On The Toppings

5. Shakes

6. Fried Chicken Meals

7. Quesadillas

Scientific Views
Dr. T. Colin Campbell, professor emeritus at Cornell University and author of The China Study, explains that in fact, we only recently (historically speaking) began eating meat, and that the inclusion of meat in our diet came well after we became who we are today. He explains that "the birth of agriculture only started about 10,000 years ago at a time when it became considerably more convenient to herd animals. This is not nearly as long as the time [that] fashioned our basic biochemical functionality (at least tens of millions of years) and which functionality depends on the nutrient composition of plant-based foods."
That jibes with what Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine President Dr. Neal Barnard says in his book, The Power of Your Plate, in which he explains that "early humans had diets very much like other great apes, which is to say a largely plant-based diet, drawing on foods we can pick with our hands. Research suggests that meat-eating probably began by scavenging--eating the leftovers that carnivores had left behind. However, our bodies have never adapted to it. To this day, meat-eaters have a higher incidence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other problems."
There is no more authoritative source on anthropological issues than paleontologist Dr. Richard Leakey, who explains what anyone who has taken an introductory physiology course might have discerned intuitively--that humans are herbivores. Leakey notes that "[y]ou can't tear flesh by hand, you can't tear hide by hand.... We wouldn't have been able to deal with food source that required those large canines" (although we have teeth that are called "canines," they bear little resemblance to the canines of carnivores).
In fact, our hands are perfect for grabbing and picking fruits and vegetables. Similarly, like the intestines of other herbivores, ours are very long (carnivores have short intestines so they can quickly get rid of all that rotting flesh they eat). We don't have sharp claws to seize and hold down prey. And most of us (hopefully) lack the instinct that would drive us to chase and then kill animals and devour their raw carcasses. Dr. Milton Mills builds on these points and offers dozens more in his essay, "A Comparative Anatomy of Eating."
The point is this: Thousands of years ago when we were hunter-gatherers, we may have needed a bit of meat in our diets in times of scarcity, but we don't need it now. Says Dr. William C. Roberts, editor of the American Journal of Cardiology, "Although we think we are, and we act as if we are, human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us, because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores."
Sure, most of us are "behavioral omnivores"--that is, we eat meat, so that defines us as omnivorous. But our evolution and physiology are herbivorous, and ample science proves that when we choose to eat meat, that causes problems, from decreased energy and a need for more sleep up to increased risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Old habits die hard, and it's convenient for people who like to eat meat to think that there is evidence to support their belief that eating meat is "natural" or the cause of our evolution. For many years, I too, clung to the idea that meat and dairy were good for me; I realize now that I was probably comforted to have justification for my continued attachment to the traditions I grew up with.
But in fact top nutritional and anthropological scientists from the most reputable institutions imaginable say categorically that humans are natural herbivores, and that we will be healthier today if we stick with our herbivorous roots. It may be inconvenient, but it alas, it is the truth.

Alkali and Acid Foods

2012-04-08T12:51:00.002+03:00

Dangers of Yeast

2012-04-08T12:50:00.002+03:00

The Role Several Species of Yeast and Fungi Play in Various Diseases

Dr. William Shaw, scientist and founder of The Great Plains Laboratory, has been studying for decades the microbial ecology of the GI tract and the role several species of yeast and fungi play in various diseases, including autism, Attention deficit disorder (ADD), Rett's syndrome, Ulcerative colitis, Seizures, Depression, Child Psychosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Pervasive developmental disorder, Colitis, Schizophrenia, Migraine headache, Alzheimer's disease, SLE, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette's syndrome, Inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease.

Here are some of his findings.

Microbial Ecology of the GI Tract

"The number of microorganisms in the GI tract approaches the total number of cells in the body. Approximately 500 species of bacteria are present, of which 30-40 species of bacteria predominate, including several species of yeast and fungi.

The greatest number of species are anaerobic or facultative anaerobes. Yeast/fungi and Clostridia species are widely known to accompany the use of broad spectrum antibiotics. Furthermore, recent research indicates that the growth of certain Candida types is markedly stimulated by antibiotic addition to the culture media.

Books like The Yeast Connection and Yeast Syndrome have spread the knowledge about the health effects of Candida to the general public, but are widely ignored by a large segment of the medical community."

His treatment protocol focuses on prolonged doses of the antifungal medications, including Nystatin, Lamasil, Sporanox, Nizoral, Diflucan, Caprylic acid, grapefruit seed extract and garlic extract.

He found that the drugs worked well as long as the patients were taking them. When the drugs were discontinued, the symptoms would reoccur. These are his words:

"I have now detected this same phenomenon in hundreds of other cases. Even after six months of antifungal treatment, there is often a biochemical "rebound" and loss of improvements after discontinuing antifungal therapy. This rebound also occurs after other antifungal drugs as well.

Several explanations are possible for this phenomenon:

Because of one or more defects in the immune system such as IgA deficiency, IgG deficiency, or severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) which are found in most children with autism, the yeast, which are everywhere in our environment including the food we eat, repopulate the intestinal tract very rapidly.

The yeast are very resistant and have not been completely eliminated even after six months of antifungal therapy.

The yeast have genetically transformed some of the human cells that line the intestinal tract so that some of the human cells now contain yeast DNA. These genetically transformed human cells produce both yeast and human products and are somewhat sensitive to antifungal drugs but are not killed by them and produce yeast products whenever antifungal drugs are absent.

Some of the yeast are hidden in recesses of the intestinal tract or in the deeper layers of the mucosa that lines the intestine where they are relatively safe from the drug. Although their numbers are small, they readily repopulate the intestine after antifungals are stopped.

In addition to the immune system taking inventory of its own cells, it seems increasingly likely that the immune system also takes an inventory of bacteria and yeast cells present in the intestinal tract soon after birth. This inventory is performed by a group of cells called the CD5+ B-cells, which are among the very first immunological cells to appear in the developing embryo and appear to play a role in tolerance to intestinal microorganisms in postnatal life. These cells may play a role in regulating the secretion of IgA, the antibody class that is secreted into the intestinal tract and which may select which microorganisms are tolerated in the intestinal tract. Furthermore, the eradication of normal flora especially when antibiotics are administered repetitively during infancy may cause the CD5+ cells to reject these normal organisms at a later age. Any cells that are on this early inventory may be awarded immune tolerance and will not be attacked later on by the immune system. Either antibiotic use in infancy or yeast infection of the mother during pregnancy may result in later immune tolerance to yeast.

Not surprisingly, neurofibrillary tangles similar to those found in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims have also been reported in the brain of an autistic person at autopsy. It has been reported that frequent urinary tract infections and high amounts of circulating immune complexes are associated with more severe Alzheimer disease. The use of antibiotics to treat urinary tract infections would of course lead to yeast overgrowth of the gastrointestinal tract.

Elevation of yeast metabolites are found in many of the same disorders and are even more common in autism, SLE, Alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia, attention deficit hyperactivity, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The finding of pentosidine in the neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer’s brains and its absence from normal areas of the brain may indicate a direct role of a yeast byproduct in accelerating the normal aging process. Tartaric acid from yeast overgrowth has a direct toxic effect on muscles and is an inhibitor of a key Krebs cycle enzyme that supplies raw materials for gluconeogenesis and offers an explanation for many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Interestingly, I have found that tartaric acid and/or other yeast byproducts are also elevated in urine samples of adults with the disorder fibromyalgia, a debilitating disease associated with muscle and joint pain, depression, foggy thinking, and chronic fatigue. (Dr. Kevorkian has assisted in the suicide of two people with this disorder, which is tragic since a simple antiyeast treatment may help relieve the symptoms of this disorder.)

Richard Jaeckle, MD, a psychiatrist and allergist in Dallas, Texas has treated a number of psychotic individuals using antifungal therapy and finds that psychotic patients with elevated CPK, uric acid and white cell counts may respond favorably to antifungal treatment. Patients with psychotic behavior may have gastrointestinal overgrowth of both yeast and Clostridia."

"The toxic yeast products were just discovered, but as knowledge of them increases, acceptance of the yeast-related illnesses will increase.

As the philosopher Schopenhauer said, 'All truth goes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Then, it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident.' Within five years, people who ignore the importance of yeast-related illness will be in the same camp with those in the Flat-Earth Society."

While their work is extremely exciting, they do not warn of the dangers of long term usage of some of these potentially highly toxic drugs, such as liver damage and/or failure. And even Dr. Shaw concedes that the yeast overgrowth reoccurs after treatment is stopped.

Below is a letter we received from Dr. Robert DiOrio, a psychologist in Las Vegas, Nevada regarding ThreeLac:

December 19,2004

Dear Mark,

I wanted to let you know that my personal experience with Three Lac has been excellent. My chronic aches and pains in the joints, early morning congestion, and general sense of well-being have improved dramatically.

I have placed several of my depressed patients on ThreeLac along with a few other vitamin suggestions and the results have been highly satisfactory. Several of my more complex patients who have presented with numerous medical issues seem to bail out too soon believing that the ThreeLac is doing nothing for them. My attempts to convince them that time on the product is essential have been to no avail; we live in the age of highly frustrated people who are desperately seeking the "quick fix". Keep up the good work! Recommending ThreeLac with the personal experience of good health as a direct result of ThreeLac is easy to do. Thanks for all your valuable experience and information.

Sincerely, Robert J. DiOrio, Ph.D.

The Many Symptoms of Yeast/Fungus Infestation

“I would like to expand and strengthen understanding of the connection between Y/F (Yeast/Fungus) overgrowth, mycotoxins and so-called diseases. This connection usually involves vicious circles, wherein Y/F will take advantage of an unbalanced terrain, but will also compromise the terrain. As they do so, “host” resistance is decreased, and the poisons result in a host of physical and mental conditions. The following section relates Y/F and digestive imbalance to disease symptoms. These symptoms are often interrelated in a complex way, are usually chronic, and include, but are not limited to:

Allergy – food and environmental. As we’ve seen, the blood can be overwhelmed by fungus and poisons, severely stressing the immune system. In addition, digestive difficulties often prevent the proper breakdown of protein. Partially digested proteins (not usable by the body) can still be absorbed into the blood, especially when a leaky gut exists. In this form they serve no purpose other than feeding bacteria and Y/F feed on (putrefy and ferment) undigested proteins, they produce several toxins, including uric acid. These can be absorbed into the blood, or be produced in the blood by Y/F, which also activates an immune response.

Since this combination of poor protein digestion with Y/F and their mycotoxins is frequent or ongoing, our janitorial service is constantly irritated, overworked and on edge. Imagine yourself trying constantly to clean house as filth is being tossed in through the windows. These irritations may result in chemical or nutritional sensitivities – allergic reactions to other substances, which are called allergens. Allergens may be other foods, airborne matter or chemicals. An immediate or slightly delayed chemical chain reaction creates the various allergic responses we see (but there are some not commonly recognized, such as addictions). The allergy-causing food or airborne allergen does not cause the allergy directly, but only triggers it because immune processes are already compromised. That is, there is a threshold situation: the level of filth, toxicity or acidity has reached a point where the allergen instigates the reaction; but it does not cause the allergic condition.

The irritation/inflammation reaction produced (appearing as allergic symptoms) is a means of dealing with acid toxins. Sometimes the body will use sudden and drastic means in a cleansing reaction that is misinterpreted as an allergy if a beneficial, cleansing substance is taken, such as wheat grass. Soreness, swelling, tearing eyes, runny nose, eczema, etc., are all ways of eliminating acid toxins. Thus, Y/F, whose poisons are acid, may contribute significantly to your hay fever and sneezing. Once the process is under way, the number of offending substances can keep increasing until many individuals become so sensitive to the everyday environment that they must live in isolation or move to another climate. If you had no symptogenic Y/F, it would be impossible for you to have allergies.

Environmental hypersensitivity is another common complaint, closely related to allergy and immune function. Such things as smoke and auto exhaust, fumes in the home from carpet, fabrics, walls and natural gas leaks, can cause extreme adverse reactions. Environmental toxins stress and suppress the immune system, poison the cells, and promote the upward development of Y/F. Encouraged to grow in a terrain compromised by environmental toxins, Y/F weaken the entire body, making it more susceptible to the influence of environmental toxins: vicious circle. Symptoms are most dramatic when fungus, in the form of its tiny filaments (mycelia), infiltrates the heart, lungs, and sinus membranes. Serious tissue congestion and inflammation are the result. An autopsy performed on one woman who died of heart failure showed that her heart was encased in a fungal overgrowth!

Fatigue may have a slight edge on allergy as the most common symptom of bacterial and Y/F infestation. It can be especially pronounced after a night’s rest, after eating, and in the middle of the afternoon. Y/F infestation unbalances the process that controls the water and mineral content (electrolyte balance) of cells. Since this balance is necessary for cell activity, normal flow of energy is impeded.

As with allergy, disrupted digestion plays a major role in fatigue. If you cannot digest and assimilate food, the tissues will eventually starve, making you feel sick and tired. Acetaldehyde and other mycotoxins reduce the absorption of protein and minerals, which decrease the ability to produce enzymes and hormones. To make matters worse, the Y/F overgrowth is swapping its wastes for your hormones, blood sugar and other nutrients. Consequently, you are always hungry and/or have rapid drops in blood sugar (glucose) levels. Such disruption interferes with cell replacement and with substances necessary for energy production. The result is fatigue, poor endurance, and weakness. Thus, Y/F are the major players in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the so-called Epstein-Barr “nonvirus.” This syndrome may also involve damage to nerve transmission by toxic breakdown of neurotransmitters by acetaldehyde.

The vicious circle is that low energy levels will encourage yet a further overgrowth of Y/F. This is why a whole food diet, combined with taking vitamins, minerals, and protein supplements, makes most people feel so much better.

Neurological imbalance is a symptom of Y/F and is occurring in epidemic proportions. Mycotoxins interfere with the production of coenzyme A. Coenzymes combine with other compounds to produce complete enzymes. As noted, enzymes assist almost all body processes, including those of the brain and nervous system. When coenzyme A decreases, conditions like depression, anxiety, and PMS symptoms are often worsened, without apparent cause. The mycotoxin acetaldehyde is continually produced by YF and converted by the liver to alcohol. Some people who appear to have been drinking are actually showing the effects of Y/F and its alcohol by-product.

Common symptoms are in many cases simply the result of being poisoned: paranoia, not being in total control of one’s actions, knowing the right thing to do but being unable to do it, mental incompetence, and a variety of other behavioral disturbances (emotional and psychological). Other possible symptoms are panic attacks, feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability, and headaches. Hypochondriac-type reactions causing neurotic behavior and emotional instability are also possible.

How many people have spent fruitless, long periods of time in therapy trying to come to psychological grips with an imbalance in the brain and central nervous system created by toxicity? Given the enormous extent to which Y/F infestation has overtaken our population, it boggles the mind. Of course, the really tough cases get Prozac or something worse, on top of it. I’m not saying psychological problems don’t exist, but wouldn’t it seem wise to put the important Y/F variable into the equation? Or would this threaten the coffers of a most lucrative component of the pharmaceutical/medical complex?

How difficult is it to imagine that a lot of serious crime arises from mycotoxicity? A person may be very aware of their behavior, be miserable for it, yet, still be unable to realize how they lose control. Thus, our sometimes harsh, self-righteous attitude toward violent criminals may not always be appropriate. Think of the benefit to society of generating mental health through the simple process of balancing our inner terrain!

Additional neurological fallout from Y/F includes ailments such as mood swings, headaches, migraines, that fogged-in-feeling, inability to concentrate, poor memory, confusion, dizziness, and even MS-like symptoms such as slurred speech and muscular incoordination.

Hormone Imbalance and Yeast Infections

A woman who had been helped with her hormone imbalance symptoms by using natural progesterone cream told me she seemed to be having a relapse of her acne. I began reading a book by William Crook, M.D., THE YEAST CONNECTION AND THE WOMAN, and was fascinated, by what I read.

I learned first of all that many of the symptoms of hormone imbalance are the very same symptoms that have been identified as caused by yeast organisms -- specifically Candida albicans. There has been research into this ailment in recent years, but as with hormone imbalance, many in the medical profession are uninterested in checking out causes for common illnesses. They choose to treat symptoms, instead.

Yeast infections get a foothold in the body when antibiotics are used which kill not only bad bacteria, but also kill the “friendly” bacteria in our system which keep yeasts at a manageable level for our immune system. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are the biggest culprits. These include tetracycline,ampicillin, amoxicillin, septra, and other medications commonly used for ear infections, sore throats, bladder infections, or acne.

Of particular interest to me was the section that taught that if yeast is the problem, using progesterone, even natural progesterone, can cause hormone imbalance symptoms to become worse! This, I believe, is very important information to add to any study of the use of natural progesterone. The reason for the worsening of symptoms is because progesterone has an influence on yeast growth. All this has something to do with hormone and acidity levels at the time of month when a woman is fertile.

Since yeast overgrowth is a problem in men, children, and babies, as well as in women, --- a closer look at this problem needs to be taken. While the use of broad spectrum antibiotics is definitely a factor in yeast overgrowth, the use of foods containing sugar also play a part in this illness.

There is help for anyone of any age who is suffering from an illness stemming from yeast overgrowth. This help is the use of a diet free from sugar and if one must use antibiotics for a bacterial infection,-- acidophilus, yogurt, or something else must be taken to restore the “friendly” bacteria in the intestinal tract, and stop the overgrowth of yeast in the body.

When this yeast-fungus passes through the wall of the intestine into the bloodstream, and is carried throughout the body, many systems become involved, including the brain. Irritability, anger, forgetfulness, depression, lack of interest in sex, and many other problems controlled by the brain begin to show up. Yeast overgrowth also damages the immune system, paving the way for many illnesses!!

When intercourse is painful, there is an inability to achieve orgasm, or a lack of interest in sex, yeast overgrowth should be suspected. When either a husband or wife is treated for yeast overgrowth, the other mate should be treated also, as yeast infections are passed back and forth between sexual partners. Often the husband has no visible symptoms.

Older women who have not used antibiotics for infections except occasionally, are not bothered with vaginal yeast infections nearly as often as the younger generation who have been given antibiotics for illnesses from babyhood on. When a woman gets a yeast infection, usually only the local area is treated. Many doctors don’t seem to realize that the infection is probably caused by an overgrowth of yeast throughout the system.

When a body’s immune system has been weakened by an overgrowth of yeast-fungus, it cannot adequately cope with either bacterial infections, viral infections, more fungus, or stress of any kind. The brain may be the first thing to react. It may shut down breathing, or cause impaired thinking. Hyperactivity is often the first thing noticed in children who are experiencing allergy problems. A stuffy or runny nose may be the body saying it has an overload of things. It cannot handle any more.

When a baby has recurring diaper rash or ear infections, suspect yeast. A baby can contract a yeast infection as it passes through the birth canal of an infected mother.

When a child is diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, always check the possibility of yeast before using a drug, such as Ritalin, with it’s many side effects.

Considering all the many illnesses, some very serious, caused by yeast and fungus overgrowth in the human body, it seems that this illness should be given more attention by the medical profession. Perhaps I should say that we, the patient, should be more alert, and give more attention to the symptoms of yeast overgrowth.

Illnesses Caused or Made Worse by Yeast Overgrowth

immune system dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, HORMONE IMBALANCE, digestive tract problems, thrush, diarrhea and constipation, colitis, abdominal pain, heartburn, canker sores, bloating, belching, flatulence, bad breath, dry mouth and throat, throat infections, food allergies, sugar cravings, crohn’s disease, psoriasis, rashes, hives, eczema, acne, asthma, allergic to smoke, sensitivity to odors, sensitivity to chemicals, sinus infections, ear infections, itching or pain in ears, headaches, night cough, nasal congestion or itching, muscle pain or weakness, joint pain, insomnia, low body temperature, athletes foot, tightness in chest, shortness of breath, attention deficit disorder, adult attention deficit disorder, hyperactive, persistent drowsiness, eye and visual problems, mood swings, lack of coordination, loss of balance, nymphomania, endometriosis, vaginal yeast infections, vulvodynia (burning vulva), sexual dysfunction, infertility, inability to reach orgasm, painful intercourse, disinterest in sex, vulvovaginitis, menstrual cramps, galactorrhea, impotence, jock itch, balanoprosthitis, prostatitis, urinary frequency, kidney and bladder infections, cystitis, hemorrhoids, depression, poor concentration, forgetfulness, anger, irritability, manic depression, meningitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, autism, multiple sclerosis, lupus, diabetes, alcoholism, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin and mineral deficiency, PMS, numbness or tingling in hands or feet, swelling in hands, feet, or face.

Candida – An M.D.’s Perspective

Yeast overgrowth affects 80% of American Women.

Somewhere between putting out the recycling and setting the dinner table, it hits: a feeling of desperate tiredness. But, of course, a nap is the one “to-do” that never finds a spot on your already-long list. So, if you’re like 80 percent of women, you reach for a sugary snack to give you the energy required to power through your day.

Far from being the solution to tiredness, however, those sugar fuel-ups are a top cause of fatigue and cravings, not to mention recurrent vaginal yeast infections, gastrointestinal distress, body-wide aches, blue moods and even severe PMS or menopausal symptoms, cautions Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., medical health advisor to The Yeast Connection (founded by William Crook, M.D. and author of The Yeast Connection). The reason: High-sugar foods – as well as seemingly “healthy” foods like yogurt and high-fiber cereals that contain high-fructose corn syrup – create an acidic internal environment that allows candida yeast to thrive.

How yeast overgrowth sabotages health

“When yeast are growing out of control, they literally poke holes in the gut lining and secrete at least 79 toxic by-products into the bloodstream that can tax the immune system, trigger internal inflammation and cause a host of health concerns,” explains Dr. Dean. And excess yeast drags women into a vicious health-sapping cycle. “Yeast need sugar to create their preferred acidic environment, so they thrive by releasing chemicals that trick the body into thinking blood sugar is low,” says Dr. Dean. “This results in intense cravings for carbohydrates.”

Complicating matters for sufferers: “Mainstream medical schools teach doctors that yeast either manifests as a vaginal infection or a very serious blood infection – the chronic condition of yeast overgrowth that starts in the gut just doesn’t exist to the medical establishment,” maintains Dr. Dean. “As a result, women can endure a lifetime of misdiagnoses like irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. And many women are simply told their symptoms are all in their head.”

Probiotics can be a cure

Eating yogurt can build up internal stores of probiotics, beneficial bacteria that eliminate overgrowth by producing yeast-killing hydrogen peroxide. What’s more, probiotics literally plug the holes that yeast create in the gut lining to prevent symptom-triggering toxins from leaking into the bloodstream. But when it comes to using yogurt as an Rx, caution is in order: Many popular brands contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, both of which serve as food for yeast to thrive on, says Dr. Dean. To truly get the probiotic benefit of yogurt, opt for the plain unsweetened kind (which can be sweetened with fresh fruit). According to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, enjoying at least one cup a day can sometimes restore probiotic levels in two weeks. Or, for even faster relief, consider taking a probiotic supplement, since yogurt generally only provides 2 to 10 million live bacteria and probiotic supplements provide many times more than yogurt.
How To Help Menstrual Cramps With Hydrotherapy Menstrual cramps are a natural part of every woman’s life. Every month, a few days remain very painful and distressing for women. Menstrual cramps can be treated with many natural methods. Hydrotherapy is one of the many successful methods that can be used for treating menstrual cramps to obtain great relief. Hydrotherapy employs the use of water for treating pain.Water can be used in its various forms like steam, ice, hot or cold water etc. to relieve the symptoms naturally. Hydrotherapy can be done by anyone and in the comfort of your home. All you need is water and hence it is a safe and easy to use as well. How To Help Menstrual Cramps With Hydrotherapy. Warm Compress
Application of warm compress on the abdominal region helps in alleviating menstrual cramps. For applying warm compress, take a bowl of hot water and add a few drops of essential oils like marjoram oil, ginger extract or lavender oil to the hot water or on the cloth which is used for the hot compress.

Dip the cloth and wring dry. Apply on the abdominal region. Continue application for 15 -20 minutes until your cramps are greatly relieved. The hot steam that gets absorbed through the skin will relax your muscles and relieve the pain as well. You can also use warm and cold compress alternatively for treating menstrual cramps.

Hot Shower

Menstrual cramps that are located at the back benefit greatly by taking a hot shower, especially before going to sleep. This will improve your sleep and also relieve the menstrual cramps as a result of hot water flowing over the sore areas of your body. The pressure of the water falling on the back and the heat combined together will help in relieving cramps effectively.

Warm Bath

Warm bath too helps in easing menstrual cramps. Adding a few drops of essential oil of your choice helps in increasing the overall effect of your healing.

It is important to avoid tub baths and bubble baths in hot water during menstruation as it can lead to an imbalance in the natural good bacteria in the vagina, leading to other problems like yeast infections.

Hot Water Bags

A simple remedy that can keep your cramps under control all throughout the day and night is to use hot water bags or bottles to apply heat on the abdominal area and lower back where it hurts most. This will reduce the intensity of the cramps greatly by relieving muscle tension.

Hydrotherapy is in any way better than the use of electric heat pads which are used for application of heat on the abdominal area. Electromagnetic heating pads release electromagnetic radiation with every use which is not good for health in the long run.

Hydrotherapy is very safe and easy to be administered in any of the above mentioned forms. It also prevents side effects like the ones caused with the prolonged use of pain medications.

Hydrotherapy can be used for as many times as you want and for prolonged periods without any fear of complications in health

Hydrotherapy is the use of water in the treatment of disease. Hydrothermal therapy additionally uses its temperature effects, as in hot baths, saunas, wraps, etc.

Historical Perspective

Hydro- and hydrothermal therapy are traditional methods of treatment that have been used for the treatment of disease and injury by many cultures, including those of ancient Rome, China, and Japan. Water therapy has been around for centuries. The ancient Greeks took therapeutic baths. Water is an important ingredient in the traditional Chinese and Native American healing systems.
A Bavarian monk, Father Sebastian Kneipp helped re-popularize the therapeutic use of water in the 19th century. There are now many dozens of methods of applying hydrotherapy, including baths, saunas, douches, wraps, and packs.

How it works

The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are based on its mechanical and/or thermal effects. It exploits the body's reaction to hot and cold stimuli, to the protracted application of heat, to pressure exerted by the water and to the sensation it gives. The nerves carry impulses felt at the skin deeper into the body, where they are instrumental in stimulating the immune system, influencing the production of stress hormones, invigorating the circulation and digestion, encouraging blood flow, and lessening pain sensitivity.
Generally, heat quiets and soothes the body, slowing down the activity of internal organs. Cold, in contrast, stimulates and invigorates, increasing internal activity. If you are experiencing tense muscles and anxiety from your stress, a hot shower or bath is in order. If you are feeling tired and stressed out, you might want to try taking a warm shower or bath followed by a short, invigorating cold shower to help stimulate your body and mind.
When you submerge yourself in a bath, a pool, or a whirlpool, you experience a kind of weightlessness. Your body is relieved from the constant pull of gravity. Water also has a hydrostatic effect. It has a massage-like feeling as the water gently kneads your body. Water, in motion, stimulates touch receptors on the skin, boosting blood circulation and releasing tight muscles.

Indications

Hydrotherapy and hydrothermal therapy are chiefly used to tone up the body, to stimulate digestion, the circulation, and the immune system, and to bring relief from pain. Description of indications are given under individual method used.

Water seems to have special powers in getting rid of stress and rejuvenating our body. It affects the skin and muscles. It calms the lungs, heart, stomach, and endocrine system by stimulating nerve reflexes on the spinal cord.

Proof it works

Various case reports, observational studies, and a number of controlled studies provide some evidence of success in the use of hydrotherapy.
In a study of 40 persons at University of Minnesota, 85% of the participants preferred a whirlpool bath to a still bath. Only whirlpool was effective in reducing the participants' reactivity to stress although both still and whirlpool baths were effective in reducing anxiety.

Risks, Cautions, and Contraindications

Please see under individual techniques for warnings and caution for the use and follow them.
Persons with impaired temperature sensation run the risk of scalding or frostbite at temperature extremes.
When a condition is recurrent or persistent, please consult your physician to determine whether a physical therapy of this type is suitable in your case.

If you have diabetes, avoid hot application to the feet or legs. Also avoid full body heating treatments, such as body wraps.

Avoid cold application if you are diagnosed with Raynaud's disease.

Hot immersion baths and long, hot saunas are not recommended for those with diabetes or multiple sclerosis, women who are pregnant or anyone with abnormally high or low blood pressure.

Don't take cold foot baths if you are prone to bladder or rectal irritation. People suffering from sciatica, pelvic inflammation or rheumatism in the toes or ankles should avoid cold foot baths.

Elderly people and young children may be exhausted by too much heat and should avoid long full-body hot treatments such as immersion baths and saunas.

If you are pregnant or have heart disease, consult a doctor before taking a sauna.

Common techniques

A number of techniques are available under the general heading of hydrotherapy. These include: baths and showers, neutral baths, sitz baths, contrast sitz baths, foot baths, cold mitten friction rub, steam inhalation, hot compresses, cold compresses, alternating hot and cold compresses, heating compresses, body wrap, wet sheet pack, and salt glow.

Cold rubbings

Soak a linen cloth in cold water, wring out and briskly rub the upper and lower trunk, or the entire body. Go to bed until warm and dry. Indications: For invigoration, to tone up the body, to promote blood flow, for use in problems of circulation, or infections of the respiratory system.

Douches

Gentle douches can be carried out with a watering can or hose. The water should not splash, but gently envelop the skin. The water stream should always be directed from the periphery toward the heart. After douching, stroke off excess water, dress, and exercise. There are various types of douche:

Knee douche. The water stream is directed from the right small toe, along the outside of the lower leg to the hollow of the knee, then back along the inside and over the sole of the foot. The process is then repeated for the left leg. Useful for headaches and migraines, low blood pressure, sleeplessness, contusions, and varicose veins. This treatment influences the digestive and reproductive organs and can help ward off vascular damage. Do not use for urinary tract infections, irritable bladder, sciatica, or during menstruation.

Thigh douche. The procedure is as for a knee douche, but includes the upper thigh. It can stimulate blood flow and help improve poor circulation. Useful for the treatment of varicose veins, muscular rheumatism, crural paralysis, coxarthritis. Do not use for urinary tract infection, irritable bladder, sciatica, or during menstruation.

Lower trunk douche. The procedure is as for the thigh douche, but including the lower trunk. Useful for diabetes mellitus, meteorism, enlargement of the liver, enlargement of the gallbladder, stone formation. Do not use for urinary tract infections, irritable bladder, sciatica, or during menstruation.

Arm douche. Direct the water stream from the outside of the right hand to the shoulder, then back on the inside of the arm. Repeat the process for the left arm. Useful for cold hands, nervous disorders, neuralgia and paralysis, rheumatism of the arms, heart problems, vertigo, headaches, catarrh in the nose and throat.

Chest douche. Douche the arms first. Useful for chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma, angina pectoris. Caution: Moderate the temperature if there is risk of angiospasm.

Upper trunk douche. This involves the upper torso and arms. It can be used to improve blood flow to the lungs, heart, and pleura. Useful for the treatment of bronchitis, bronchial asthma, disease of the larynx and vocal cords, headaches, nervous excitability, varicose veins of the legs, for toning-up, and for stimulating cardiac and respiratory activity. Caution: Do not use if there is blood stasis in the pulmonary circulation.

Back douche. Useful for the treatment of weakened back muscles, back pain, spinal disease, multiple sclerosis, bronchial asthma, nearly all diseases of the lung. Warning: Do not use in debilitated patients or those with neurasthenia.

Neck douche. Useful for headaches, migraines, tenseness in the shoulder and neck, hypersensitivity to changes in the weather, mild depression, tinnitus, vertigo, arthrosis of the hand and finger joints. Warning: Not to be used in persons with high blood pressure, enlargement of the thyroid, or raised intraocular pressure.

Face douche. Proceed from the right temple downward to the chin, upward to the left temple, from right to left over the forehead, and repeatedly from the forehead to the chin, then in circles over the face. This is useful for relieving headaches and migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, toothaches, for relaxing tired eyes. Caution: Keep the eyes closed.

Sauna and Steam Baths

Saunas and steam baths are similar in effect; the decision to take one rather than the other will be guided by personal preference. In a sauna the heat acts more quickly to eliminate toxins through the skin, though some consider the moist air of a steam bath to have a more satisfying effect on the respiratory system. Saunas are deeply relaxing and are a great way to melt away stress.
A sauna is an eliminative procedure; it stimulates blood flow, increases the heart rate, has an immune-modulating effect, promotes hormone production, encourages mucosal secretions in the respiratory system, opens the airways, reduces resistance to respiration, regulates the vegetative system, relaxes, and can improve mental outlook. Children can start to take saunas at two or three years of age.
Indications: For "toning-up," for health promotion, as a way of treating pain caused by pulled back muscles, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, unstable hypertension (stages I and 11), severely disturbed peripheral blood circulation.
Warnings: Saunas should not be taken by persons with acute rheumatoid arthritis, acute infection, active tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, acute mental disorder, inflammation of an inner organ or blood vessels, significant vascular changes in the brain or heart, circulatory problems or acute cancer.
Do not spend more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time in a sauna. Wipe your face frequently with a cold cloth to avoid overheating.

Full and partial immersion baths

Various substances can be added to warm and rising temperature baths. See herbal baths below. The following are the different kinds of bath used:
Rising temperature hip bath. This is taken in a tub filled with a hand's breadth of tepid water. Hot water is then gradually added until the level reaches the navel. The final temperature should be 103-104'F. Following this procedure, the patient is wrapped warm and proceeds to bed. It should last 15-30 minutes, not more than three times per week.
Indications: incipient and abating common colds, back pain (sciatica).
Warning: to be used with caution by persons with heart or circulation problems, hemorrhoids, or varicose veins.
Cold foot bath. The feet are placed into a foot bath filled to calf depth with cold water. Stop when a cold stimulus is felt or when the water is no longer perceived as being particularly cold. Stroke off excess water, dress, and walk or run until dry. A special form of this treatment is "walking in water," which involves walking stork-like on a non-slip mat placed under the water.
Indications: Varicose veins, susceptibility to edemas, headaches, low blood pressure, circulatory problems, sleeplessness, proneness to the common cold, sweaty feet, or a contused ankle.
Warning: This type of treatment is best avoided by people who suffer from cold feet, very high blood pressure, an irritable bladder, urinary tract infection, diabetes, or vascular occlusion.
Rising temperature foot bath, warm foot bath. The feet are immersed in a foot bath filled with water at body temperature. Hot water is gradually added to give a final temperature of 103-104'F. In warm foot baths water of this temperature is added straight away. Keep warm afterwards. The procedure should last 10-15 minutes and can be done daily.
Indications: Cold feet, start of a common cold, for relaxation.
Warning: Best avoided by people with varicose veins, lymphostasis, or edema.
Cold arm bath. A basin is filled with cold water until it reaches a depth several inches above the immersed elbow. If the treatment becomes intolerable, stop and repeat as desired.
Indications: Headaches, sleeplessness.
Warning: Best avoided by people with heart or circulatory problems.
Rising temperature arm bath. In principle, this is the same as the rising temperature foot bath. It should be followed by a cold arm douche, then by half an hour's rest.
Indications: Bronchitis, asthma, incipient respiratory infection, circulatory problems, angina pectoris.

Sitz bath. This is generally taken in a hip bath as a cold, rising temperature, or warm sitz bath. Prior to a sitz bath, warm the feet, e.g. through a warm foot bath. Parts of the body not immersed in water should be covered. Cold sitz baths may help men increase their sperm counts. Alternating hot and cold sitz baths can improve pelvic circulation in both sexes.

Indications: Cold sitz bath for hemorrhoids or inflammation of the anus; warm or rising temperature sitz bath for difficulty in voiding the bladder, an irritable bladder, inflammation or infection of the prostate, preparation for pregnancy.
Warning: Do not use warm or rising temperature sitz baths for hemorrhoids.

Wraps

A wrap is primarily used as a supportive measure for treating fever and local inflammation. The person receiving treatment should first adopt a relaxed position. Then a linen cloth is moistened with cold water (warm water for respiratory diseases), well wrung out, and then wrapped tightly around the appropriate part of the body, but not so tightly as to cause constriction. The moist linen cloth is in turn wrapped with a dry cotton or linen cloth. The patient is then usually wrapped in a blanket or another cloth, and should rest for 45-60 minutes or, if the intention is to induce sweating, for up to three hours.
If the wrap is not felt to be warm after a quarter of an hour, heat should be applied in the form of a hot water bottle or by giving warm tea. The wrap should be removed immediately if the person complains of feeling unwell.

Indications:

Neck wrap: sore throat

Chest wrap: bronchitis, lung disease, neuralgia

Body wrap (between costal arch and pubic bone): inflammatory disease of the upper abdomen, gastric and duodenal ulcers, cramps, sleeplessness, fever

Trunk wrap (between pubic bone and armpits): high fever

Hip wrap (with gap between the legs): prostatitis, vaginitis, hemorrhoids, anal eczema, inflammation in the pelvic cavity

Calf wrap (between foot and knee): lymphostasis, edema, for withdrawing heat in fever and phlebitis; in varicose veins the effect can sometimes be amplified through the use of healing earth or loam poultices Joint wraps: rheumatoid arthritis, arthrosis

Packs
Warm packs. A wrapping cloth is soaked in a hot infusion or decoction of herbs, then wrung out and applied to the patient's body. Alternatively, the wrap may receive a coating of hot mud mustard flour, or fango. As a further alternative, hayseed may be placed in a sack and steamed.
Indications: Painful chronic diseases such as arthrosis, renal disease, or cystitis, and for stimulating blood flow.
Warning: Always check that the temperature is tolerable before applying a wrap.
Cold packs. Cooled cataplasm is spread onto the wrapping cloth and placed on the part of the body. Crushed ice in a plastic bag may also be repeatedly applied for one minute, then removed for four.
Indications: Various inflammatory arthropathies, sprains and strains, pleurisy. Ice packs can also be used for headaches.
Warning: When using ice packs, place a thin cloth between the pack and the skin to prevent frostbite.

Herbal baths can be particularly soothing when you are experiencing a period of stress. There are several ways to prepare an herbal bath:

1. Simmer 1/2 cup of herbs in 1 quart of water in a covered pot for fifteen minutes. While the herbs are simmering, take a short shower to cleanse your body, then fill the tub with hot or warm water. Strain the liquid from the decoction into the bath water, and wrap the herbs in a washcloth. Soak in the tub for at least twenty minutes, using the "herbal washcloth" to rub over your body. -
2. Add 1/2 cup of herbs to running bath water, preferably hot. You might want to cover the drain with a thin mesh screen to prevent the herbs from clogging the pipes. Soak in the tub for twenty to thirty minutes.
3. Fill a thin cloth bag with 1/2 cup of herbs, either placing it in the bath water or tying it to the spigot so that the hot water runs through it as it fills the tub. Again, soak for twenty to thirty minutes.
Certain herbs are quite effective for creating soothing baths. Combine a handful each of valerian, lavender, linden, chamomile, hops, and burdock root, and add it to your bath according to one of the preceding methods. Soak for thirty minutes in the tub. Another soothing herbal bath calls for a handful each of hops, linden, valerian, chamomile, yarrow, and passionflower. Prepare this bath according to one of the preceding methods, or simmer the herbs in a quart of water, then drink 1/2cup of the liquid (with lemon and honey added, if you wish) and pour the rest in the tub. While soaking in an herbal bath, you can read, meditate, listen to peaceful music, or just sit quietly, concentrating on relaxing yourself.

Importance of Drinking Sufficient Water

It is very important that we drink sufficient amount of water in a day to make up for the water lost. The benefits of drinking water is widely recognized. Drinking pure, fresh water is essential to our health and well-being.
Our need for water increases as we grow older. As we age, our skin and mucus membranes become thinner and lose more water, and our kidneys function less efficiently. So our need for water increases. You may not feel thirsty. But you should get into the habit of drinking water, nevertheless.

Follow these steps for an Effective Hydrotherapy:

For overall tension reduction, use a neutral bath (temperature between 92 to 94 degree F) that is close to the skin temperature.

Use water temperature between 102 to 106 degree F for loosening tight, tense muscles and reducing the pain of stress-related conditions such as backache. (Using temperatures higher than 106 degrees is not recommended as it can raise your body temperature very fast, inducing an artificial fever.)

Take a cold shower after you step out of the bath. This brings and immediate rush of blood through your system, as well as a rush of energy. (Try alternating cold and hot shower to get a similar effect. 3 minutes of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water and the 3 minutes of hot water, etc.)

Stay in the bath no more than 15 to 20 minutes. If you have high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems, don't stay long enough to raise your body temperature.

Evening is the best time to soak in water. A study conducted in England found that people who took a soaking bath before going to bed slept more readily and deeply.

SDA President Visits Baraton

2012-04-02T17:29:00.000+03:00

President Ted N. C. Wilson...He and his wife, Rae Lee visits Baraton.

Profile: Ted N. C. Wilson, a former vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Church, the son of a former church president Neal C. Wilson, was elected to serve as the new president of the General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists a once Protestant denomination in June, 2010. Neal C. Wilson, served as President of the General Conference from 1979 to 1990.
Wilson replaces Jan Paulson who has been serving as General Conference President since 1999.
Pastor Wilson began his church career as a pastor in 1974 in the Greater New York Conference. He married Nancy Louise Vollmer Wilson, a physical therapist, in 1975. The couple has three daughters--Emilie Louise, married to Pastor Kameron DeVasher; Elizabeth Esther, married to Pastor David Wright; and Catherine Anne, married to Dr. Robert Renck--and five wonderful grandchildren.
Pastor Wilson served as an assistant director and then director of Metropolitan Ministries in New York from 1976 to 1981. He went on to serve in the church's then Africa-Indian Ocean Division, based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, until 1990. There he served as a departmental director and later as executive secretary.
Following his post in West Africa, he served for two years at the church's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, as an associate secretary. He went on to accept the position of president of the church's Euro-Asia Division in Moscow, Russia, which he held from 1992 to 1996. Pastor Wilson returned to the United States to serve as president of the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland, until his election as a General Conference vice president in 2000.
An ordained minister, Pastor Wilson holds a doctoral degree in religious education from New York University, a master of divinity degree from Andrews University, and a master of science degree in public health from Loma Linda University's School of Public Health. In addition to English, he speaks French and some Russian. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a family of 17 million believers worldwide.

The President Leads by Planting a Tree in front of the University Library before being led to the field for an exciting event that saw people like Kip Keino, byname of Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino among other guests visit the Institution.

The Wife to the President Rae Lee, plants a Tree assisted by the University Administrators. For Rae, she said this was her first time to visit Baraton.

Next to the Vice Chancellor is former cabinet Minister Hon. Nicholas arap Biwott a Kenyan businessman, politician and philanthropist. Biwott has served as a civil servant, Member of Parliament and government minister, during which time he has held eight senior ministerial positions, worked alongside Kenya’s first three presidents – Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki – and with many significant public figures in post independence Kenya, including Bruce McKenzie and Tom Mboya. During Moi's presidency, Nicholas Biwott was considered by many as one of Kenya's most powerful politicians and able administrators.

The East and Central Africa Division President Elder Ruguri plants a Tree

The University of Eastern Africa Baraton Vice Chancellor Prof. Mwita addresses the Crowd

Former Western Kenya Field Director Pr. Rotich, shares a word with the President

World known Athletes from Nandi region.

Officials from Athletics Kenya leading the President.

The Legendary Kipchoge Keino Leading guests to watch the much anticipated race.

Cameraman from the Presidential Press (Visit www.hopetv.org/)

Great words of inspiration from the President before the Races begun

Area Mp. Hon. Elijah Lagat was also present. Elijah Lagat was born and raised in Saniak Village in Nandi District. He was the winner of the 104th running of the Boston Marathon held in 2000. He won in the closest finish in the race's history when he edged out Gezahgne Abera of Ethiopia and fellow Kenyan and previous year's champion, Moses Tanui. Abera and Lagat were both clocked at 2 hours 9 minutes and 47 seconds while Tanui finished three seconds back. Lagat's win enabled the Kenyans to capture the individual men's Boston Marathon title for the 10th straight year. This is a record that still stands.

Among the runners that train and come from Nandi District is Emgwen MP Elijah Lagat, Sammy Kosgey, Ibrahim Hussein, Wilfred Bungei, Janet Jepkosgey and Pamela Jelimo among others. Most of these Athletes train at the stadium in Kapsabet and Baraton University.

An Event of it's own to inspire Adventist and all people that "Christians are all Runners". This is the ground that Athletes Like Pamela Jelimo and Asbel Kiprop rise to Stardom. Asbel Kiprop is best known for running last behind all the Athletes but makes his way to the front on his last lap. He won several Gold medals in Olympics.

Elder. Ted Wilson gave a short sermonate about the significance of the organized event. He said there is one thing that all Christians are running for and that is the eternal glory. He said! "In Heaven all participants shall be winners but today only one winner will be awarded". The President encouraged all participant to seek eternal glory.

'A false Start'.

The Legendary Kipchoge ("Kip") Keino (Born on January 17, 1940, Nandi Hills, Kenya). Kenyan distance runner, is a retired track and field athlete who won four Olympic medals. Keino is chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC). Kip Keino was among the first in a long line of successful middle and long distance runners to come from the country and has helped and inspired many of his fellow countrymen and women to become the athletics force that they are today.

Athletics Kenya Officials give their remarks to the Athletes

Everyone is searching for the secret explanation so what does the research evidence point to? There is not one simple answer but here are my thoughts.
In athletics terms many people associate East Africa with Kenyan and Ethiopian distance running. Intriguingly, the majority of these runners come from three mountainous districts beside the Rift Valley: Nandi in Kenya, the most successful district, and Arsi and Shewa in Ethiopia.
Some people say that since these runners and their forebears live and train at altitude, they're bound to be good. "Altitude natives", through long-term exposure combined with endurance training, have increased red blood cells which is one neat explanation of their excellence in endurance events.

However, scientists highlight that any advantages of living at over 2000m are also available to those in Mexico, the Andes, and large parts of central Asia.
So why are these clusters of running excellence found in only three districts?

World Known champion Abel Kirui. Kirui is not the typically shy Kenyan athlete. Funny, bold, Gregarious, engaging, confident and outgoing and unafraid to make predictions, he is one of a slew of fast Kenyans who have taken Marathon running to a new level with incredibly fast times. In 2009, he won the World Championships in Berlin and in the year 2011, he finished first in Daugu, Korea (This was the place where the fastest man on Earth emerged). Abel is also a Seventh Day Adventist church member.

In this photos are World known Athletes. Standing next to the President is an Athlete by the name Janet Jepkosgey aka 'Eldoret Express'. She was the lead Woman in 800m tittle before a lady by the name Pamela Jelimo emerged and hit the headlines. Janet is the girl that is always behind Pamela Jelimo aka ' Kapsabet Express' in all her races. Janet is a silver medalist in Olympics behind Pamela Jelimo who won several Gold medals in Olympics and the Golden Jack pot that earned her 80, 000,000. All the two come from Rift Valley

A view of the proposed Library Building to be constructed in front of Student's Center

Guess Who?