The Great Deception

2006-03-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

The Preacher's Wife

2006-01-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

"Survival" Skills

One of the biggest deceptions out there is the myth that children need to stay away from stressful situations that might impose on their having fun! Afterall, kids are kids and they should have fun, do school, clean their rooms and .....that's it, right?

My personal philosophy is that children need to experience real-life situations and taught how to handle them or else you will end up with children that have no preparation in real-life skills.

For example, children that grow up playing computer games, watching sit-coms all day, being indulged in their whims (spending too much time 'shopping', talking on the phone, not given any real responsibility....)will unfortunately grow up to be young adults that have no way to pull on their own resources to handle danger or make decisions in stressful situations.

There is a difference between sheltering your child as they grow, opening the door a bit as they mature and giving them a little less restraint as they learn the rules you have mapped out and NEVER opening the door until your baby turns 18 and you push them out of it!

My husband has done a wonderful job with our children. He started taking them to work with him when they were still at a very early age. My son was barely three when dad would take him out to cut grass and do landscaping. He made it fun for him by purchasing a play mower for him to bring to ‘work’ and having him do some menial chores like weeding, picking up sticks, etc. He didn’t go every day, just a couple of days a week until he got older. My son is now 16, knows the business like the back of his hand and even though he doesn’t have fun with it all the time like when he used to bring his “Bubble Mower” years ago, he has learned with experience how to run equipment, do his own repairs and how to deal with customers. Many of those people have watched my son grow up and turn into a young man.
My daughters also have gone out with their father to work and have spent hours of quality time with him learning the meaning of working hard. It’s good for them!

The girls also are taught to do the daily at-home chores. Right now the teens shy away from it and need to be coerced or forced to follow through at times but they know how to do at least light cooking, cleaning, laundering and child care.

Without a TV to rob them of their brainpower, they can find other, more creative things to do when they are not helping with family work. I have tried to encourage them to find ways to keep themselves busy by NEVER allowing the words “mom….I’m bored” to pass from their lips UNLESS they want chores! It’s amazing how quickly they can find things to do with that as an incentive.

As a home schooling mom, survival skills have been at the top of the curriculum in the past. One of the best things we ever did was to obtain a copy of the Army Survival Handbook and experiment with some of the skills taught there. We had the kids in the woods at one point, finding brush and branches to build a temporary shelter, they learned how to make cookers for meals and talked about poisonous and edible plants. These things are fun but also useful and are skills that build confidence.

My husband and I are not ‘anti-fun’ but we do believe that the less idle time the better. The few times that we let that rule slip, the more opportunity we had for problems to develop.

You have to ask yourself as a parent, who do you want influencing your children?
Is it Hillary Duff? The latest flavor of celebrity and godlessness? Where do you want your children to go when they leave you? Is it the movie theater where sodomy on screen is becoming a common theme? The mall where materialism reigns? Do you REALLY
want your children to worry about fashions and nail jobs above being good parents and godly men and women?

It's all in our hands.

2006-01-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

The Madness of Formula Feeding

As usual, this blog entry is aimed toward the Christian mother, although, ANY mother and child can benefit. However, if you are a woman that loves the Lord and wants to raise her child(ren) in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, this information is especially important.

All Christian mothers can agree that God created the heaven and the earth. We know he created man and then from Adam's rib, created Adam's helpmeet-Eve. Both were given bodies that were perfect. They were strong, functioning properly and were not supposed to be tampered with in any way with the exception of their Creator. As plants and animal life was to reproduce itself, God also gave Adam and Eve that ability in the garden. Eve became pregnant, bore children and nursed each one for as long as was needed. This pattern reproduced itself for thousands of years ....until.....greed took over.

The race to come up with as 'good as breastmilk' substitutes became the way to go when countries became more and more industrialized and then during wartime when mothers found themselves leaving their nest to work in factories while their men went off to fight. Professional wet nurses were also in demand at this time, but as feeding formulas became more and more popular, the wet nurses dissappeared and were replaced by glass bottles with rubber nipples that anyone could use to feed an infant with.

Early infant formulas were not successful at feeding babies healthfully. They lacked amino acids, enzymes and nutrients that were crucial to proper development of an infant. Babies became ill, sometimes they died and mothers became desperate to find the right formula since after feeding their babies with artificial mother's milk, their children did not remember how to nurse and the mother's milk would dry up. Women were not aware of the ability to relactate or how to deal with nipple confused infants so....they gave up and tried one new hope of just the right formula after another so they could continue working.

In the meantime, the corporate world was catching on to this new opportunity of a manufactured milk product that they could push on these mothers and so they took the formulas already produced and tried to 'improve' on them in order to reap their financial benefits. Companies like Nestle would dress their sales women up in nurses' uniforms and go hunting for new mothers, especially in the poor third world countries, and get the mothers to try samples of their formula that was to be 'just as good' as mother's milk . Once the baby had artificial milk a few times, became nipple confused and the mother was brain-washed into thinking that her milk was really 'too thin' to be the best for baby, they now had a repeat customer.

In America, mother's were always given formula packets prenatally 'just in case' and were showered with many free gifts in the hospital after the birth. Goody baskets with formula, bottles, 'binkys', nipples and coupons for more formula products were freely supplied. WIC, who is touted to be a benefit for women and children under six by supplying food coupons for nutritious foods as bread, milk, eggs, cheese, cereal and such, is also one of the biggest perpetraters of formula pushing today. They will tell mothers how healthy it is to breastfeed but they will continuously give away samples of formula and provide food coupons for free formula as well. Why?
Because formula companies have a financial foothold on these so-called benefit providers. Perks are offered for those that push the formulas in the way of trips, contests to win, etc. and if you are half as greedy as the formula corporations are, you will go for the bait every time!

Sadly, most healthcare workers are very reluctant to try to push a mom into the right direction. Most, do not get a lot of information about the specific benefits to the baby and mother when it comes to breastfeeding. Many are duped by the literature produced by formula companies that artificial milk is a 'safe' alternative. I found this out first hand when I was a childbirth educator and La Leche League leader.
The problem also lies in the ignorance of friends and family. Many of whom have never breastfed nor have been breastfed themselves.

Why is this such a big issue? Mainly, for the Christian, it is one more way that Satan has influenced this world. He has managed to put the doubt into the heads of even the most devout mothers that their milk isn't good enough or that they need to follow the world and their sick traditions. Young women are very concious of peer pressure to follow suit where their friends or pediatricians have led them. Some feel completely powerless to argue or question and they have very little faith in the milk that God has provided for their little ones.

I can encourage these women to research! research! RESEARCH! Before I resigned as a La Leche League leader, I would receive many phone calls asking questions that quite frankly, should have been easily answered by their mothers or their doctors. There is a real desert of knowledge out there for these young women and the older women of the church really should be there for them to answer their questions and guide them along.
Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
It is unfortunate but these ministries within the Body of Christ are just not there.

Important aspects of breastfeeding:

Mothers, your body was created for the purpose of nourishing your baby with the milk God created for you to use. Even the most malnourished mothers have something healthful to offer an infant in their breastmilk! The exception would be HIV/Aids as studies have shown it can be transmitted from mother to baby via breastmilk.

Your milk for your baby is different than anybody elses. It is custom made for your child and your child alone.
It contains enzymes, amino acids, nutrients and protective antibodies that simply cannot be duplicated in a laboratory.
Babies that are breastfed have a lessened chance of food allergies, cancers and digestive problems. They are smarter as there are certain amino acids that feed your baby's brain to insure the best possible brain development.
Babies who nurse also have more skin-to-skin contact with their mothers. This helps them to learn love early on and it also helps a very young baby to regulate it's respiration and body temperature.
Breastfed babies have less problems with their teeth and palate as they have to 'exercise' by sucking firmly in order to get milk. Bottles just flow with very little effort.

Mothers who nurse, have a lessened incidence of reproductive cancers as well as breast cancers.
They also will stall ovulation by feeding their babies often and on demand, thereby allowing your body time to recover until your cycle begins once again. Many women experience no menstruation until a year or more into nursing.
Mothers that nurse their babies also are better mothers. They release a hormone that only nursing mothers have which makes them feel more 'motherly' toward their babies.
Breastfeeding forces you to take a break and bond with your baby.

There are different support groups available as well that are specifically for the nursing mom. La Leche League International provides local, mother-to mother support and even if you never become a member, they can still be helped with discussion groups and literature. I really loved being a leader but when I found they had ties with the United Nations, I no longer felt that I could support them with membership dues nor did I want to be associated with an NGO. However, as a 'quick fix' for questions to be answered and some real hands-on support, they truly are the most knowledgable.

Spiritually, you can take comfort in knowing that you are serving the Lord when you nurture your baby by breastfeeding. This was his perfect plan for mankind and every time you nurse, you can take a long look at your little one and thank the Lord for this wonderful gift!
Also, we must leave a landmark for those coming up behind us. We need to be those older women that can instruct the young ones and help them get off to a good start.

2006-01-02T23:30:00.000-08:00

The Depression Deception
According to the website WrongDiagnoses.com, the following statistics show that ‘depression’ is a major malady in our American society today:
Prevalance of Depression: estimated 5.3% adults (USSG); 17 million people; approximately 4% of adolescents get seriously depressed (NIMH); annually 12% of women ; 7% of men; lifetime risk of an episode for women 20%. 3-4 million men USA.

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2002/Zoloft_USPI_rev4.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2005/20031s045,20936s020lbl.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2003/21434_xanax_lbl.pdf
The above links show package inserts to the most popular depression remedies used by millions of Americans, young and old, (Xanax, Zoloft and Paxil)
Mania, seizures, hallucinations, dizziness, vomiting, suicide, etc……All are just a few possible side-effects of using these anti-depressants.
The package inserts sound like a prescription for poison…basically, that is what the above named drugs are.

I read yesterday where 1 in 10 women will be ‘treated’ for depression using one of those drugs and that children as young as 3 ½ years of age have been prescribed for because of ‘extreme shyness’.
I don’t know about you but the idea of so many drugged people walking around with psychosocial disorders makes me a bit uneasy.

What is depression anyway?
According to Merriam-Webster the following is the definition for depression:
a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies
In many ways, the cure sounds as bad, if not worse, than the disease.

I must confess, there have been many times when I would have liked to stay in bed, roll over and fall into a deep , possibly everlasting sleep! However, I have always forced myself to overcome these feelings with action. What I believe is this:
As a Christian woman, Satan will oftentimes try to disrupt my service to the Lord by throwing discouragement, sadness and guilt in my face . It’s what he does best to short-circuit a Christian’s walk.
As a woman, and a weaker vessel (1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. )I know that my body and my mind can fall victim to hormonal ups and downs, PMS, menopause, pride and illness, all these can cause any woman to react with depression at least one time or another. The concern is, is that you don’t snap out of it, thus becoming ineffective and totally inactive.
Inactivity is Satan’s dream for the saved woman (or man). People don’t hear the gospel when you’re too busy licking your own wounds.
When you are totally taken in by your own worries and fears, you hole up in your house and can’t talk to anybody without your focus on your own sadness, you have lost the battle and the enemy has won.
Wallowing in depression is SIN!
God has not abandoned you (Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?) Many times, it’s money problems-we get ourselves into a hole because we didn’t trust God to provide in the first place and then things fall apart, we blame ourselves, a spouse or maybe even the Lord and we get depressed!
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Many times, it is the thought of ‘what if’ that scares you into depression.
You dwell on what might have been or what you should have done and so the opportunity for the here and now fades and is replaced by the nagging worries of the future or the inability to cope with the details of the past. Either way, depression in that case is sinful because it becomes idolatrous. It steals faith from the believer and causes him/her to become self-centered in their own despair. You become the idol to yourself as you wallow in the mire of your own faithlessness.
Truly, I am no heartless monster. I only want to point out that as a Christian, depression MUST be thwarted through a closer walk with the Lord or your whole testimony is lost!
Depression is fearfulness. Fear is not of God( 1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love)
Fear is paralyzing and that is exactly what walking around in a depressed state does to you. It paralyzes your judgment, your actions and your service to the Lord.
Now what about chemical imbalances? There is always a possibility that poor nutrition, stress and a sedentary lifestyle can magnify problems because of the body’s inability to cope with stressors and to adapt to change. God is wonderful in that he created herbs and whole foods for us to eat so that we can nourish our brains and bodies. The more we stay away from processed foods, artificial colors and flavors, white sugars, and bleached flour, the better the chance we will be healthy in mind and body.

Stay away from ‘witch doctors’ who want to put you under the spell of their medicine magic. You may think you can just use a drug for a short time and get over the ‘hump’ and be back to your old self….but don’t believe it. The antidepressants are there to get you hooked and coming off of them can be a long, slow process that has risks of it’s own. Either way, anything that plays with your brain chemistry cannot be GOOD for you!

My conviction is this:

If you think you are depressed pray more, get into God’s Word more and ask Him to point out what it is in your life that is causing you to feel this way.
REPENT if there is sin separating you from God. There is nothing sadder than a Christian on the run from their Father! It’s a race you will NEVER win!
Feed your body with healthful foods and try soothing herbs to calm you (Chamomile, St. John’s Wort, Catnip are just a few.)
Get yourself up and OUT! Visit old folks in nursing homes, run an errand for a shut-in, go to the pound and adopt a pet to love you, do a good deed just to do it!
Whatever you do….don’t fall into the inactivity trap.
Witness to the lost, sing psalms and hymns, clean your church home…but DO…DO…DO!
Tell Satan to flee from you! Trust your Heavenly Father and thank Him out loud for all he has done that is positive!
Remember Job and count your blessings…most especially remember Christ on the cross and reckon that things in your little corner of the world could be a LOT worse!

2005-12-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

HELPING OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO LEARN NORMAL BIRTH:

Recently, USA Today (http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/csections/news-risingcsectionrate.htm) ran an article that showed how American women's C-section rates have climbed from 25%-27% in just the past few years. More and more, the women in America are not just having the surgery for emergency situations at the time of labor and birth, but now it is becoming more and more popular to ELECT a Caesarean and bypass the whole labor altogether.

Of course, the doctors LOVE this (at least the greedy ones) because it's more expensive to cut a baby out of it's mother's womb.There is more down-time in the hospital, so the hospital makes out. You need anesthesia, so the anesthesiologist makes out. It's convenient for mom...she gets to pick when the baby will emerge.....and so everyone is just so happy! Or are they?

Let's look at the specific drawbacks about having an elective Caesarean Section:

1) Outside of an emergency situation, C-Sections deprive a baby of the normal stimulation that primes the baby's respiratory system at birth.
Normally, a baby is squeezed gently but firmly through the birth canal. It's kind of a 'massaging' action with each contraction that helps to push out mucous and amniotic fluid out of the child's respiratory system. Without this, the baby is very open to respiratory distress...especially when it is not a first time C-section for mom. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7081331&dopt=Abstract)

2) To the mother, C-sections can pause a real threat to proper early breastfeeding and childcare. Ceasarean section is MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY! It poses all the same dangers as when anybody goes under a surgeon's knife. There is risk of infection, punctures and nicks to organs outside of the general area being operated on, most importantly, there is the possibility that the mother will not be able to 'bond' with her little one properly due to pain in healing (MORE DRUGS!) and exhaustion. Also the natural process is bypassed and so the whole set of hormones that trigger lactation and feelings of 'motherliness' are not switched-on in the normal manner if at all, which causes stress on baby and mom.

3) Another reason to shy away from elective C-sections is the anesthetic. An average baby that weighs about 7 lbs. within the mother's womb at delivery time is exposed to enough anesthesia to deaden his mother's pain sensors during the operation. That means that this tiny person will experience close to the same amount of drug that his average 140+ lb. mom is given. What does this mean? A newborn can be born with RDS due to depression of the respiratory system from the drug mom was given, it also may be unable to wake easily to eat and that can put a real damper on early nursing and cause mom to become very discouraged with the whole process and give up!

These are simply a VERY few reasons why physically, elective Ceasarean sections are not the best way to bring a new life into the world.

What about the spiritual aspects of normal birth?

As a Christian mother, I have to always be on my guard on how I perceive the world around me and how my reactions will affect my children. If I viewed labor and birth as abnormally dangerous, something that only a "doctor" can manage and do for me, my children would have every right to fear God's gift of procreation as something scary and dark.
So first off, it is important to establish in a mother's heart and mind that children are valuable and a gift from God so that she may instill this ideology into the young ones left in her care.
Secondly, a Christian mother needs to be open to God's planning for her family and not Planned Parenthood or the U.N. If God blesses you with 1 or 10, each one has a purpose that the Lord has already infused into that child if he/she accepts Christ one day.
Ps 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Third, as children get older and ask questions about birth (especially as they see mama's belly swell) they need to know that the day approaches when they will be able to see, touch and hear their baby brother or sister. That is also a good time to begin explaining what it may be like for mama to give birth. Keep it simple, especially if your children are young but don't lie to them. If they are going to have a realistic but positive outlook on the normal process of birth, they need to be told more than "It hurts!" or worse yet...."You don't need to worry about that dear!" and leave their little minds open to every imaginable fear they can muster.

The most important point would be to surround yourself with those that see birth in a normal, scriptural way. I don't believe that God wants a woman's nakedness to be uncovered by another man besides her husband. For this reason, I think if a Christian woman opts to have a 'doctor' oversee her pregnancy, then that doctor needs to be a woman. The best selection though is someone who truly believes in and respects the God-driven process of labor and birth. I don't think a doctor can truly do that nowadays with the rare exception of a very few. They all seem to have protocals that want to 'rush' a baby out of the womb for one silly reason or another and these ideas are all based on fear.
Midwifery is biblical and shows how God has honored midwives even in the days of Moses: Ex 1:20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
Midwife is a word that simply means 'with woman'. Any woman can be a midwife and help a friend or relative bring a baby in. Of course it helps to have training and know how to deal in an emergency but these are skills that can be easily taught to any woman who has the desire. The main thing is that whoever is going to help you birth needs to know the Lord personally and be in prayer for you and your child.
Another important point about using a midwife is that a midwife, especially an experienced one can help you in ways that are more natural (herbal tinctures, homeopathy, position changes,etc.) and know many little tricks of the trade that can keep you from the hospital and give you a healthy outcome.

Putting into practice the will of God will make you a better parent and instill true values into your child that hopefully, they themselves will put into use someday.

I love the look people get on their face when they ask me "are all these yours?" when they see us all together....I usually reply ,"most of them...there are 2 more that have grown (a total of 8) ". They usually say something ignorant like "Oh, you poor woman!" to which I reply "why?" Most of the time, they don't know what to say after that question and try to back peddle..."well.I guess that's great if that is what you want!" I always use that opportunity then to witness and tell folks what a Blessing my children are and how the Lord blessed me with all of them. Usually at that point, they really feel kind of embarrassed....but I understand. They are merely reacting as the world has programmed them. I hope I made a dent in their way of thinking.

2005-12-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

Teaching Our Children (and Ourselves) Faith Not Fear:

1Jo 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth
is not made perfect in love.

I recently had a conversation with one of my teenage daughters. We discussed some of the 'scary' things her dad and I learn about when we see certain presentations about the state of the world and corruption in our own government.
Since her father and I try to stay on top of the local as well as national political scene (you have to chop your way through so much propaganda!) and attempt to educate Christians on issues of sovereignty , constitutional issues and how the Devil's crowd is pushing for one-worldism, you can imagine she gets a lot of information by simply living here. This would seem like a good thing most of the time but there is a flip side . My daughter expressed her anxiety about some of the things she has seen us watch or heard us talk about. Some of the information has caused her to be fearful and upset, something I had not counted on.

This incident also brought to mind people we have met along the way, who also were saved, Born-again folks but the whole counsel of God was 'too much truth'. Some can only handle the Sunday service and that's it.....dealing with the rest of the biblical application on their day-to-day lives is just more than they can chew. Now I'm not saying these folks are worse Christians then I am...believe me, I have more of my own downfalls than I care to number, BUT it points to out and out fearfulness which is a symptom of faithlesness in God's abilities.

I am no stranger to anxiety. Before I knew the Lord, my mental health was clearly lacking. At 21, I experienced such severe anxiety attacks and agoraphobia that it took at least a year for me to realize that I could deal with life at all. A few years later, right before my salvation, I was popping anti-depressants and seeing a therapist once a week. What helped? The Lord healed me...plain and simple. When I was saved and the Holy Spirit came into my heart and quickened me out of a certain death, He shoved out the fear, the anxiety and horrible memories that kept my mind hostage and replaced them with contentment, love and joy!

Of course, since then, there were many times when I walked off the path and allowed the enemy to take advantage but I never felt that God had deserted me-if anything, I had left his side myself. That was when I could feel the old feelings of fear and anxiety trying to take hold.

I have met many 'baby' Christians that have not allowed the Holy Spirit's healing to take place. They are fearful, pill-popping men and women who see life as a dangerous, scary place and want to will it all to just go away.
Then, I have met matured Christians who see the battle lines and come in full armour prepared for the battle. They see this life as a corridor to the everlasting one and are not anxious to meet the enemy but expect it and have their swords drawn when needed. These are the men and women we need to emulate.

Fearfulness affects ones' mind and ones' body but it is just a symptom of a relationship that lacks faith. This is what I tried to explain to my teenage daughter when she expressed her fears to me.
I tried to tell her how you need to have knowledge of the enemy you are fighting so that you can be aware of how he is undermining your efforts. I also told her that a Christian needs to be ready to fight and that faith is what will get you ready for that battle should it come into view (we all know it will eventually). The one thing I wanted to make clear to her was that inactivity is also the enemy. You have to be pro-active and care enough about lost people and scared Christians to physically do something about it. Pray,talk,write,study.....do something to call attention to God's strength and love. Point out the sin and the remedy and make time to gather up your own resources through prayer and thinking on those things which the Lord emphasizes:

Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

A healthy spirit nurtured in God's Word, growing in His love and sharing that with those in need, is the balm that heals an anxious soul.

2005-12-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

What is Wholistic (Holistic)?

I recently had a comment about my labeling the word 'Wholistic' as being a 'new age term'.
I felt that to be a valid point and since it is used quite a bit in our language today, it may be a good idea to address just what it all means...at least to me.

I don't see Wholism as being negative in it's philosophy at all. As a matter of fact, I think that in it's very definition, it is indeed a correct term for the way that God deals with us and how we are to live our Christian walk on this earth.
For instance, in looking at the laws that God provided in the first five books of the Bible, we can definetly label them as being Wholistic in nature:
a) a law is established for the purpose of teaching obedience (i.e. dietary laws) to the God who has created you. You can choose to obey or disobey.(Mind)
b) the law has health implications (i.e. things you put in your body can be deemed clean or unclean)(Body)
c) Obedience brings you into a state of blessing.....or disobedience can bring about a curse, shame, negative consequences (Spirit)

In reading a lot of literature on health issues, especially that which I had to study in the course of learning to midwife, the "wholistic" term came up a lot. Much of the literature I read was written from the standpoint of unsaved midwives and anthropologists who although were correct on many issues, believed on the evolutionary theory (Atheism), allowed many paganistic/Wiccan ideas and language terms to permeate their literature. Yet, they would take the ideology of Body/Mind/Spirit as truth. However, what differs here between the Christian model of Wholism and theirs is the Spiritual part of the equation.

When a Christian thinks of things spiritual, we think of the salvation process...the Heavenly Father....our destiny to someday be with Christ....that our citizenship is already in heaven.....that we who our sinful creatures by the first birth can be made anew with the second-sinless...due to Christ's work on the cross. We can turn that spirituality into something palpable by our demeanor day to day in this evil world, that: Ro 12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ...day to day, that we can show Christ in us, His lordship over us in what we say and do and it should reach the very essence of all we are especially when we are in the presence of unbelievers.

To the New Ager, the spiritual side of Wholism turns inward, for in their estimation, God is what you are or can become when all your Body/Mind/Spirit are in harmony or 'balance'. God is He/She, God/Godess, and Yin/Yang where there are no absolutes only situation ethics. Self-esteem is the only real virtue.

This is where the New Age Wholistic view and that which is a Biblical view must part. We can agree on the issues of body (things to eat, exercise, supplementation, etc.) We can even agree on many of the 'mind' concepts: having a positive attitude,
continuing in education, altruism, but the bottom line will always be the spiritual end. Who is Christ? What is salvation? Who are we in relationship to our Father? Most importantly who is our Father?

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
We cannot be double-minded in our Christianity and this is why I suppose it is so important to distinguish between the New Age Wholism and the Christian ideology.

This is where I believe there can be a danger when using the term "wholistic". Used around the anti-Christian, it can become another catch-phrase meaning you believe in Far Eastern philosphy, are a vegan and use yoga for mind and body to reach your 'higher consciencousness....or in Christian circles, it can mean that you believe in eating a well-balanced diet, working hard and honoring your Heavenly Father through prayer and singing psalms and hymns that lift him up. No matter how we cut it, the duality is there. Perhaps we need to label our beliefs as Christian Wholistic so we can understand which direction we are coming from. After all, God is not the author of confusion so our ideas must be clear as well.

2005-11-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Sex Education and the Christian Home

I wasn't brought up in a Christian home. It was 'Christianized' but not a product of two born again believers. Wewent to church on an occasional Sunday, we were taught certain things were right and wrong but God was always a shadow in the background....not a personal Saviour in our lives. As a result, I grew up with more of an intuitive knowledge of the morality my parents expected, there were no absolutes until I 'crossed the line' . I was never taught about Biblical values and where a happy, Christian marriage was concerned, that never even entered the conversations my parents and I had while my formative years came into play.

My parents NEVER discussed sex in any terms around me. I saw them VERY occasionally, kiss (never passionately), sometimes hug, but since the time I was 6 years old, my parents did not share a marriage bed. I don't remember what prompted my father and mother seperating their belongings and their rooms, I only remember yelling, some violent outbursts on the part of my father and then.......a very uncomfortable silence and things were never the same again.
Maybe it was the coldness in my parents relationship that kept them from discussing the big 'S' word.....maybe it was their own uncomfortability with knowing what to say....I don't know.

My recollection of sexual knowledge was very much the textbook kid-on-the-street event. I remember hearing about his 'thing' goes inside of your 'thing'. It seemed all so terribly impossible. I was shocked and amazed that it could be that way and the very idea seemed scary to me.
As I grew, we were visited in my public high school by the friendly people from the local Planned Parenthood chapter, who proceded to discuss several different birth control methods and assured the class if we came to them, all would be kept in the strictest confidence. It wasn't long before I paid a visit to their office and got my 'keys' to unbridled and 'safe' sexual activity.

When my husband and I married, both born-again Christians at this point, sex had a whole new meaning to me. I learned it was Biblical, undefiled and to be viewed as a blessing as well as a means to procreate. I truly wished I had wasted less of my life being lost and being in one bad relationship after another. God certainly had a wonderful plan for married couples and a means to find the right person to fill that void we all seem to have. However, how is this best communicated to children? When and what do we say?

Actions have always spoken louder than mere words. Showing your children that you are a wife as well as a mother is something that takes very little time. You try to show that your husband comes first. You kiss him....(yes, sometimes passionately...though I feel that should be displayed in the home rather than out in the middle of public), you make a point to do things with just their daddy and that mom and dad enjoy each other's company. They need to see times when mom and dad are angry or sad with each other but that in the end, through prayer and repentence, they can come together and forgive just as Christ forgave us our debt to Him.
That's the emotional, sociological end....but what about the physical?

Some Christian parents may not agree with me here. You have to understand my point of view: I was training to be in the field of midwifery. Bodily functions, reproduction, breast feeding, sexuality are unmistakenly a part of all I was learning and practicing to, in the end, help birth a healthy baby. When my children ask questions I believe in answering them point blank, using proper language and making sure that they understand. When my now older children were younger, I explained to them incremently about how their bodies were changing and what to expect. I didn't want them to come home screaming hysterically one day because they thought they were hemorrhaging to death. They needed to be prepared for menstruation and what that meant. So we talked about it and even though they may have been embarrased at some point, I felt they needed to be ready.
As my babies were preparing to be birthed, I gave my children the option to be with me and I also explained what was taking place and according to their understanding, how it happened that mommy became pregnant. It was always miraculous to have a new baby come into our lives and in some ways, having the children be allowed to come in or leave the room on their own terms drew us all closer together. My son cut the umbilical cord for his now 11 year old sister and it seems he favors her more as well.
The Bible has many references to marriage and sexual unions that were either blessed or corrupted by sin. God's Word shows consequences for adultery, fornication and for reprobate activity such as sodomy and bestiality. As my children and I homeschool and read through the Bible together, we find many examples of such behaviors as well as positive ones. We study through them, discuss them and digest them.
If I were to try to pin down a proper term for teaching sexual education within the scope of a Christian home, I would be tempted to use a more 'new age' term because in this case....it really does fit. I would say, it should be 'Wholistic". Body-Soul-Spirit.
In the end, every Christian household must find it's own 'right' way to teach their children about sexuality. However, delivery is one thing, Bible facts are another. Consult God's Word before you teach behaviour and pray to make sure you're doing the right thing at home too.
Family life should not be a forbidden mystery. It should be lived, explained and acted upon.

It wasn't until Planned Parenthood gave me the go ahead I needed that I really rebelled against my parents and morality. Of course, that's how the Devil's crowd works. They come in smiling...
so friendly... but all the while, the grin is just the means of baring their teeth so they can devour you. I see this happen all the time and not just in the Worldly families...in Christian ones too.
We need to call sin sin and we need to show a clear line between good and evil, God's Word and the Devil's lies. Christian parents have the obligation of preparing their daughters for life as good mothers and wives and sons to be faithful husbands. We cannot do it with the world's tools. We can only do it with our one, true guidebook, the Bible. If we don't, there are many kids-on-the-street, and 'agencies' that will gladly fill our shoes.

2005-11-13T05:46:00.000-08:00

The ADD Lie and the Absence of Guilt:

Ok-first we were fed the 'neural-tube defect lie', the hyperactivity lie, the adult ADD lie.....what's next?
Attention Deficit Disorder has become a catch-all term from public school teachers to the medical establishment which explains a syndrome that seems to prevent little Johnny and Judy from being 'good', well-behaved children. They can't help it.....they were born with ADD. They have to take their medication everyday (Ritalin) or else they just cannot control themselves!

As Judy and Johnny grow they have to continue to stay on some form of medication because now they have Adult ADD......they just can't function in the' real world' without their Strattera .

At least that is what Eli Lily and Co. would have you believe.

This is how I see it:

Mom and Dad decided they want the 'very best' for little Johnny and Judy. That means that Mom will have to abandon the nest, take on a full-time job and help to make the payments for the 3rd, brand new car and the $250.000 home, the cable t.v. , the Hilfiger clothes and the pricey, family vacations.
That also means that Johnny and Judy will be raised by surrogates because Mom and Dad are too busy paying for toys.
The surrogate may or may not uphold what the family's values are .... but it's hard to get good help these days.
The kids are taught situations ethics, that there is no God or if there is one, you can check in with Him every Sunday at your local 501c-3 gathering. He loves everybody and so would never send anyone to Hell! After all there is no right or wrong....just different ways of seeing things.
Because there is no right or wrong, Johnny and Judy grow up doing just about anything they want to, eating just about anything they want to because they need to express themselves.
Mom has to express herself too so she needs lots of time to pursue her interests because afterall, this is the 21st Century, women are no longer tied to the home and Dad could do the housework and cooking for a change.
When Johnny and Judy feel intuitively that they are on a directionless path, they need to 'act-out'. They should be allowed to speak their minds and show their anger, they should never be made to feel guilty about that! When they have control issues....well, the Guidance Counselor can help Mom and Dad decide that a particular drug can help with the children's hyperactivity. That way they can slow-down....dull-down and be easily manipulated by the adults who only want to 'help' them......Do people really buy this bill of goods? The answer is yes! and the drug companies LOVE IT!!

If parents are really concerned about their children, the main course of action is to BE there. Mothers, stay home with your babies. Nurse them with your precious milk and give them a good healthy start. Don't let anyone inject them with toxic substances for 'their own good and public safety'. It's a lie!
As they grow, teach them about the Lord who sacrificed Himself to pay for their SIN! Yes...guilt is a good thing! It teaches responsibility and the difference between sinfulness and that which is good in the eyes of our own Creator.
Teach them that for every wrong, there is a consequence. Love them, spank them when they are small and reward them when they are good.
Dad, show them what the difference is between a Godly father and husband and a worldy, emasculated man that has no power with God and is subject to the whim of any other authority.

Teach your children obedience. This cannot be done long distance or through a surrogate. This is hands-on with biblical counsel. The Bible has to be the rule book for our lives and the power we wield to frustrate the effects of darkness. Without God's Word, we have no power, without power there is no recognition of evil and no way to expunge it from our lives.

Yes-guilt is a good thing! It is what has brought each believer to the cross for salvation. Without the admission of sin, there is no salvation!

For the Christian mother, do not buy into the lie that the world has to offer:

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Don't be 'silly women'.....
Psychiatry in it's many forms, is just a crutch offered by the world. It is a dirty bandaid to a problem brought on by sin.

We have one Father, one Lord who is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and is able to heal our minds and make us stronger.

Drugs cannot do that.....Psychiatry cannot do that.
Only God's Word can help us attain what we need:

2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2005-11-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

TRUE BEAUTY LIES IN MODESTY

I have seven daughters and so seven very good reasons to be concerned about the issue of modesty.
I came from the 'go-go' generation....born in the late 50's and growing up in the 60's and 70's. I've witnessed the gradual undressing of America over the years. Not that I have by any means led my life as a 'prude'. Before I was converted, I had very little inhibition about clothing and even after I met the Saviour, I know he must have grit his teeth more than once at what I allowed myself to be seen in!
The Lord knows, as I do now, that we don't all grow at the same spiritual rate. What I know now took years of study, prayer and conviction to assimilate.
One very important lesson I learned is that modesty for a Christian woman is a glory!
Maybe the fashions of today are eye-catching with the piercings, tattoos and all clothes worn tight, short and provacatively.....and maybe to wordly eyes they shimmer of a carnel beauty, but a truly modest woman, who has a meek, Godly nature ....well, that is a special loveliness that even the world can notice and admire.
Is modesty just clothing though? No...my belief is that modesty is more of an attitude. Does modesty mean being a perpetual wallflower? Speaking only when spoken to and acting demure and innocent?
I don't believe that either. I think a woman can be discreet...thinking about what she says before she says it, I think she can speak her mind and do so in a Godly fashion without railing and nagging. I think that a woman who has taken a few minutes with her Heavenly Father each day to pray and ask for guidance in ALL things (nothing is too small for our Lord) and than listens with her spiritual ears for direction is a beauty none can surpass. It's what I strive to be and yet in this flesh, tend to come far short, but continue to strive for.

Saying this, how does this fit in to mother and child health and what is the great deception in this?
First, young ladies that grow up in Christian homes where standards of dress are of import, are less likely to attract attention from the crowd that views women as sexual objects alone. These girls do not uncover thighs, midriffs, backs, or wear low-cut dresses and tops. They guard what is private because God created their bodies to serve Him and not to be exploited by the world. Usually, these young ladies are taught that the MARRIAGE bed is undefiled.....that means get married before you have a sexual union, otherwise the relationship is DEFILED!

This is where God's outline for Christian health is shown: STD's are not usually found in a faithful, Christian marriage. Your desire is for each other and is not to be impeded by artificial means such as birth control pills, spermicides or 'sex toys' which not only harm desire for each other, but have the capacity to bring in bacteria into the most vulnerable parts of your body.

Rapes and murders that begin with rape are usually fueled by pornography which has taken hold in the mind of a sick individual. If you don't think that rape is a sexual crime but have bought the lie of rape being a violent act against women regardless what they look like, well...I think you are a bit naive. Maybe that isn't true ALL the time but more times than not, it is true!
Don't go out dressed like a street walker if you don't want that kind of attention. God does look on the heart but remember it is those that are around you that see the outside and judge what you are because of it.

The great deception is that most churches have abandoned teaching men and women standards of dress and what true modesty means . Most preachers are worried about 'offending' their congregation because they .....to put it plainly.....need their retirement money! Remember, the corporate church has to please Caesar first and then....if it's comfortable, please the Lord. So, you end up with a lot of young men and women coming into the congregation with all the world's trimmings and it becomes a social club where fashion trends are upheld and the salt of the gospel is absorbed in the world's soup!
These folks later grow into old men and women that except for getting up close and seeing the front of them, you can't tell which is which! The women are all shorn, wear pants and tee-shirts and the men are the same.
There is no femininity, there is no example for the younger women. Yet, these folks say they are Chrsitians. Well, maybe so....but shouldn't you see the fruit of a tree on the outside of the tree?

In closing, what I hope to pass on in this blog today, is that the men and women, mothers and fathers of our churches, need to take seriously the idea of seperation in ALL aspects of our lives. Women cannot be exploited unless they allow it and men will not exploit them if women hold their position as saints in Christ seriously. Ladies, if that is what you claim to be because you have been born again, then don't allow Satan to get that foothold in your life. Let the world that is sick and dying see Christ in you by the way to walk, talk and dress and teach your children by example......before it's too late and they see the hypocrasy instead.

2005-10-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

NOT AGAIN!

In the past two days, I have encountered 2 instances of vaccine damage. One in a dog who had been ill for over a week after it's annual vaccinations and one in an elderly woman who took her annual flu shot. The woman was already bed-ridden and sickly but as far as the medical establishment is concerned...'high-risk'.

Everytime I think that the whole vaccine issue is overblown, the Lord seems to throw a couple of more cases of vaccine injury my way to remind me how important it is to speak out against it.

As I look through our local newspaper and various community websites, I keep seeing the ads for flu shots plastered everywhere.
I NEVER see anything to counter them in the local media, except of course, when yours truly writes an article or another activist mom takes up a pen.
People need to hear the truth.
The bigger problem is....getting people to believe it.
At a minimum of $25.00 per shot, Big Pharma is not in any hurry
to educate anybody!
So, the job of education has to fall to those of us that care. The deception of the 'safe' flu-shot has to be chipped away. We need more article writers, bloggers, flyers to be passed out and we need to be able to get 'prayed-up' and speak to those that are standing patiently in line for that needle-ful of toxicity. As we approach these folks, let's also remember to care for their eternal souls. A tract attached to an anti-vaccine flyer is good and if they have ears to hear, give them the Gospel.

Below are helpful websites to help you research the vaccine issue.
Also, pray about getting out there and telling people at the flu shot clinics about the other side of the vaccine issue. You'll run into resistance from time to time I am sure but any life saved is precious to the Lord.

In the area of animal vaccines, please research holistic veterinary. These doctors shy away from conventional, synthesized preparations and can help your pet stay healthy and safe naturally.
They can also help you with paperwork which will exempt your pet from toxic vaccinations.

The Belleview (Florida)un-Health-y Department will be having flu-shot clinic November 2. It would be great to see some folks out there passing out flyers and educating people about the dangerous substances and side-effects that many suffer. If anyone would like to come out with me, please send me an e-mail at Yelenamichaels@yahoo.com

Vaccine links:
http://vaccinetruth.org
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/
http://www.909shot.com/
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0616-31.htm
http://www.vaclib.org/links/vaxlinks.htm

This is a copy of an informational flyer I will be using, sent to me from Wendy Callahan who has had first hand experience with adverse vaccine reactions :

Flu Vax Facts for Fluarix

1. Flu vaccines are typically made with 25 micrograms of thimerosal. 49% of thimerosal is mercury. The version you are getting today may have 5 micrograms or less. Since mercury is used in the manufacturing process there will always be a trace. There can be no safe amount of mercury injected.
2. The CDC says on its website that mercury is a neurotoxin and to avoid eating fish because it may contain mercury. They state as an example a person weighing 110 lbs should have no more than 5 micrograms of mercury. This shot may contain 25 micrograms. You need to weigh at least 550 lbs for this vaccine to be safe. When pressed for clarification, the CDC said and I quote “you could die from the flu”. Do you see the risk/benefit here? Better to be brain damaged then get the flu?

3. This vaccine contains formaldehyde. There is no safe amount that can be injected into people unless they are being embalmed.

4. This vaccine has Guillain-Barré as a possible side effect. A temporary, Multiple Sclerosis like illness. Also reported are breathing problems, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat, or dizziness.

5. This vaccine is not 100% effective. From the package insert of the vaccine; “The effectiveness in preventing influenza illness often ranges from 30%–40%.”

6. The cities picked for this year’s vaccine strains are Wellington, New Caledonia and Shanghia. The virus is harvested from the mucus of sick people in these cities to create the vaccine 10 months in advance.

7. From the package insert: “Influenza virus is remarkably capricious in that significant antigenic changes may occur from time to time. It is known definitely that Influenza Virus Vaccine, as now constituted, is not effective against all possible strains of influenza virus. Protection is limited to those strains of virus from which the vaccine is prepared or against closely related strains.” This involves a lot of guesswork since the vaccine is made almost a year in advance.

8. The package inserts published by the flu vaccine manufacturers state that "Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with this vaccine and it is also not known whether influenza virus vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.”

9. From the package insert: “Administering vaccine before October should generally be avoided in facilities such as nursing homes, because antibody levels can begin to decline within a few months after vaccination.” If this vaccine worked, this would not happen.

10. Neurological disorders temporally associated with influenza vaccination such as encephalopathy, (brain swelling) optic neuritis/neuropathy (Inflammation of the Optic Nerve) partial facial paralysis, and brachial plexus neuropathy (decreased movement or sensation in the arm and shoulder) have been reported.

11. This vaccine is made in chicken eggs. Vaccine manufacturers have been asked by the FDA to screen for diseases like avian leukosis (bird leukemia). The new yellow fever vaccine is made in chicken eggs and has a label reflecting its “avian leukosis free” status. No one is sure if this virus is the same virus that causes human leukemia. Do you want to take that chance? What other viruses might be hiding in this vaccine?
12. Half of our flu shot doses last year had to be discarded for contamination. Can you be sure this vaccine is bacteria free? The idea is to avoid virus. Not have it injected in.
INGREDIENTS
· Disodium phosphate dodecahydrate
· Magnesium chloride hexahydrate
Octoxynol (a spermicide)
Polysorbate 80 (Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifying agent, often used in ice cream to prevent milk proteins from completely coating the fat droplets. This allows them to join together in chains and nets, to hold air in the mixture, and provide a firmer texture, holding its shape as the ice cream melts.)
Potassium chloride
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate
α-Tocopheryl hydrogen succinate (Vitamin E) (What if your body attacks this vitamin like it should the virus? This could be catastrophic)
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how FLUARIX affects you. FLUARIX should not normally interfere with your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. But in some people vaccination can cause dizziness or light-headedness. Make sure you know how you react to FLUARIX before you drive a car or operate machinery, or do anything that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or light-headed.

2005-10-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Let's Get Proactive Folks!

I hate going to the mall! I hardly ever do it. To me it's like wading in a dirty pool. You find all kinds of scum there and most of the time (at least for me) it's not a refreshing experience. However,due to my daughter's birthday gift (a gift card from her oldest sibling to spend at the mall) I made an exception today.

The first thing that caught my eye when I entered, was a large poster placed in full view for the general public to see. It invited everyone to get their flu shots, you guessed it....right here at the mall!
Seems the Simon's Company is in cohoots with some health care management system and they want to make sure you're all good and 'safe' when flu season gets here. How nice of them!

Well, you know how I feel about foreign substances being injected into innocent folks' bodies. I had to warn somebody in any way I could so I scrambled for my wallet card carrier and found Wendy Callahan's card with her website on it:Vaccine information. She is a valiant young woman who is very active in the community and is trying to give people the true information about the dangers of vaccinations. I stuck it inside the frame of the poster hoping it would be found by an open-minded, would-be victim. Unfortunately, it was the last card I had and the mall had many such posters.
Then, I had a brainstorm!.....I quickly pulled out our churches' business cards, turned them over and began to feverishly write on the back of each one:
Thimerisol is a POISON! It is a mercury derivitive.
It causes central nervous system damage . DO NOT TAKE THE SHOT!
My next stop was the dollar store where I bought a roll of scotch tape and proceeded to tape a card to every poster I could find.
Maybe someone will read them. Maybe someone will question the safety of these vaccines. Maybe someone will actually decide not to ever get a shot again!

Let me tell you. I have found my motorized conveyance to be a wonderful tool for "alternative propaganda". Everyone that is stuck behind me has to read my "U.S. Constitution All Rights Reserved "sticker, my "Christian Children Need a Christian Education" sticker and the real conversation grabber "Public Schools Harm Children" sign in the rear window.

Upon leaving the store, a woman walked up to me in the parking lot and asked me, "How do I do it? How can I get my children out of the public schools?" She saw my sign and said "Yes...that's true but how do I do it? How do I get my kids out?" She shared with me her story of how her daughter was accosted by some other children in the bus who had tried to hurt her while the driver ignored it all and how her son was now suspended because he came to his sister's aid. She was fed up and wanted her children out! I was able to give her some information and I left there feeling that my sign did some good!

See.... you don't need to always have a pulpit and a bullhorn. You don't always have to beat people over the head and argue. Sometimes, the most subtle ways of reaching out are the most effective.

Let me give you one more example of an easy, family activity that can also impact people spiritually:
Mom, when you go to the store with your children, fill up your purse with assorted Bible tracts. My personal favorites are the Chick Tracts because of the eye-catching artwork and simple delivery. Tell your children that you are going to play a game. They have to try to put as many tracts out as possible before you leave the store. Have them insert them into beer cases, place them inside of magazines in the magazine racks, accidentally drop them into unsuspecting passers-by shopping carts and leave a couple in the bathrooms. The little girls LOVE IT! They can be sneaky and let people know about Jesus at the same time. Sometimes, people will be more apt to read a tract if it isn't handed to them but they just sort of 'discover' it.

My point is this:

BE PROACTIVE.
Find ways to reach the uninformed, the lost, the would-be victims in your part of the world. If you reach even one person it's worth it.

2005-10-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

Vanity All Is Vanity!

One of the hardest bridges to cross for us ladies is the sense that our body is aging. You look in the mirror and notice sagging chin, little lines and blotches here and there that you haven't seen before. There is also the gray creeping into the hairline...or for some of us white....and if we travel south from there, well.....things just sort of meld into a less than defined curve if you know what I mean.
You realize that the once bright, youthful appearance has left you when your children pick up a photograph taken about 20 years before and you hear candid remarks like, "Oh! Mommy was really young there!" or my favorite..."You WERE so pretty in this picture, mom", (emphasis mine.)
It's true, I'm not the same woman I was in my twenties (Praise the Lord! I was lost then) and not the same as in my thirties or even early forties. Sometimes I pray the Lord would just skip a few steps and give me that new body NOW! This one is in total rebellion to the one my brain remembers it once was. I have to remember Solomon's words ,"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. " It's time to count blessings and realize that this was the body that our Lord meant for me to have. He knew before the foundation of the world that one day I would be just as I am today .This is just a shell......a temporary home until he calls me to Heaven. Should I abuse it? Of course not! Should I not pay attention to it's need for rest....to eat....to drink? No! Do I try to to preserve it by spending hundreds on facelifts, haircolor, makeup and corrective surgery to try to 'even out the bumps'....I don't think so. Don't get me wrong ladies (and gentlemen) I am not against some simple maintenance. Good hygiene, combed hair, clean clothes and saying no to an extra helping here and there are all good things. Ladies, if your husband wants shaved legs on you and wants you to dress a certain way (of course keeping Godly standards in mind), if he likes your hair up instead of down, go for it! Your body is his and you should try to be pleasing to him.
The one problem I see creeping into the Body of Christ is the dissatisfaction with the 'real' woman that is part of God's family. If a true difference is to be seen by those about us then as Godly women,we need to reflect the completeness that Christ in our hearts has made for us.
He never meant for us to have our bodies cut open to 'nip and tuck', he never wanted us to paint our faces to look like the rest of the world (and attract the rest of the world), he never meant for us to color our hair as if we were 25 when we are 50 and hide the 'hoary head' which is honorable , Proverbs 16:31 " The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness."
What sort of message are we sending our children if we feel aging is an undesireable part of life? No, we don't want aches and pains, we want to be energetic and 'up' and feel like we can take on anything. If we all ate right and slept right and exercised like we ought then we probably would be aging a lot more gracefully than we do. So I don't think we can blame God for all those shortcomings, however, we are weak vessels and rightly so. We are made strong through Him and so it's important to recognize those weaknesses and glory in the Lord for our disabilities because He is able for us!.
That is why as mothers, we need to allow our children to see the process of our aging in as natural a fashion as possible. Those wrinkles you earned through time are a history lesson in your personal character. The white or gray in your locks is the outward show of wisdom in the making. The less than girlish figure is a statement of motherhood. Dress appropriately ladies and it can be a badge and not a shame!
Let your daughters see that your older age can be attractive. Don't cover it up and pretend otherwise!
I have always marveled how an aged woman who is biblically literate and is serving the Lord in her life can have such a hard time just being who she is. Having a good testimony for the Lord isn't just about sharing the gospel with the unsaved, it's reflecting Christ in you, the Hope of Glory. Don't dress him up in immodesty. Don't try to fit Him in with fashion plates. Just be the woman that the Lord intended and let your beauty come from your faith.
Psalm 29:2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

2005-10-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Idiot Box

We haven't watched network television in our home for about 6 years. It actually happened quite by accident that the one-eyed 'god' was removed from our midst: a lightening bolt hit somewhere very close to our house and our power momentarily was gone. When it came back......no t.v. Of course, I was a bit upset. There I was, listening to the early evening news broadcast when this whole thing occurred . I never got to hear the end! Well, I remembered that we had an extra set in another room so I hurried over to fetch it, moved it into my room and plugged it in.....NOTHING!!! I thought..."hmmm, probably a bad outlet" and so I plugged the set in somewhere else.....still NOTHING!!! Ok...let me test this, I thought, so I took a lamp and plugged it into the outlet. It worked! This made no sense to me at the time but I now believe that the Lord just said 'enough is enough' and pulled the plug pemanently.
When I look at the 'boob tube' now, it's usually at someone else's home or at the store. I thank God that he used the forces of nature that he created to force me out of the t.v. life.

Think about the fragile Christian testimony. We have enough opposition in this world from the devil's crowd without watching the same shows they do, listening to the same coarse language and at worst, spending umpteen hours of time frittering away in front of a screen instead of spending that time reading, working, praying and telling folks about Lord.There is so much more to do with eyes unglued away from the t.v. set!

Ladies, think about the sin that so many women watch on the screen everyday.Are you voyeurs, waiting for that next episode in a never ending soap opera? Do you rationalize that it's ok to watch them as long as you never do what the actors do: adultery, fornication, lying, stealing....etc.
Garbage goes in, eventually, garbage goes out and poisons those in your orbit.

Husbands....do you eye the pretty, young things so scantily clad in all those commercials? Seems like sex sells everything from soup to nuts and don't be fooled....you are being marketed to. Not just by the corporate world who are counting on their tactics to sell you on their ideas but the prince of this world is just waiting to catch you in a compromising moment . What better way to make you ineffectual as a Christian?

What about your children? All it took was a couple of episodes at my mother's home to get mine lusting after clothes, toys and more shows! You wonder mothers why your children are ungrateful for the adequate clothing you get them, the toys they have and the people who love them? It's because the biggest motivating force behind the shows, commercials and lifestyles that are pushed on you and your children is greed.

Do you realize that this is more than shows and ads? Our whole society is based on selling sheeple a bill of goods. This is a tool for brainswashing from the cradle to the grave but you will never see it until you extricate yourself from it. The constant barrage of sound, flashing sights, quickly paced shows and sexual inuendo are all a well thought out plan to market products, ideas and culture. The hypnotic music and images are all aimed to reach your subconscious mind and replace original thought with 'corporate think'. The doctored news broadcasts, the talk shows aimed to make you feel that you somehow matter to these overpriced wolves....all these are scams to dumb you down and to affect the thoughts of your children. It indeed is the lowest form of brainwashing there is.

Do yourself a favor and 'unplug'. You will go through withdrawals most assuredly but as with all substance abusers, you will feel sooooo much better after you 'detox'.
One day, you will find so many things to do, so much more time to do them in and you will be able to look inside yourself and realize that you don't have to conform to this world to be a healthy-minded, Christian person. The first step there is stepping away from the 'idiot box'.

2005-09-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

Infanticide Is Here To Stay......

I heard a local radio talk show host announcing that 'pro-lifers' would be involved in the annual Life Chain this Sunday. He was encouraging all the area churches to come down and take part to raise awareness about the evil of abortion.

Of course abortion is murder. There is no way that anyone with half a brain can refute that fact. Is it something that should be used if a mother's life is in danger? If she is raped? My personal opinion is no-on both counts. Do I think Christians should stand against it? YES! We should fight against abortion and the doctors that kill those little lives. We should voice our objections to the barbaric act and do whatever necessary to save those babies. Do I think we should stand up in the Life Chain Sunday? ....... No. I think the time has long since passed where standing with signs and drawing attention to the community's unity against abortion will work to change anything.
The only thing that will work immediately is to shut the clinics down any way possible and to keep them shut down. You're not going to do that by holding up signs, singing hymns and holding hands. Unfortunately, most Christians aren't radical enough to take the abortion mills to the next level. We want the government to step in and say "Bad! Bad! Now no more baby killing!" and let them handle it. We can petition our senators, our congressmen, our President but I can guarantee you that will be to no avail.
Too much money is to be had in the trade of infant flesh. Since all doctors need to have prior approval to deal in the abortion trade, they have to be licensed, the government gets a cut of the license fee. The doctors keep the labs happy with lots of specimens to check....more money moving.....the cosmetic companies, the laboratories that deal in 'research', the vaccine producers and all of Big Pharma's little club get a piece of the income.

The government really has the most to gain as all licenses and taxes that have anything to do with the infant flesh trade go into their tidy little pockets. No my friends, abortion will not be legislated out except when the Lord comes back to rule and reign here on the earth for a 1000 years.

The best we can do as Christians is to not feed the machine:
Don't support doctors that kill. Ladies if you go to a gynecologist or an obstetrician, find out if he participates in infanticide. If he does then simply quit using him and if you are really bold, tell him why.
Don't participate in the vaccine industry-it's harmful enough to inject yourself with toxic chemicals but do you really want to also inject the cell of an aborted child into you as well? Several vaccines have used cell lines from aborted children for the purpose of growing vaccines.
Probably the most important thing you can do for the unborn, is to witness for Christ to their mothers. Let them know how to be saved and that the Lord can turn their lives around and help them with the provisions they need to make a decent life.
Then be useful. Try to lend a hand. Even if it means taking mom in and helping her or adopting the baby. Christ will provide you with what you need, as needed, if you reach out and help. Let's not be hypocritical. If we can save a child by taking one in then we have really done something! If we try to mouth a lot of rhetoric and then go home without at least offering ourselves and our homes, then we are no better than the government that allows abortion to happen.

The Aleopathic Lie

2005-09-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

There are not many things that get me ruffled. In my 47 years, I have witnessed crimes, assaults and perversions. I have seen loved ones turn on each other, I have seen babies die, I have seen marriages fall apart and I have seen awful calamities take place involving young and old. All these things are part of 'life' and you learn to cope and go on.

Becoming a born-again Christian 21 years ago has helped me to cope and go on. I am sure that without Christ working in my life day to day, I would be unable to face the day at all many times. I tend to have a bit of a cynical nature and have to work hard at overcoming pessimism (an attribute that seems to be a part of my Russian heritage I'm afraid,) it's a trait that is hard to shake.

With that said, I have to admit that as a Christian mother, there is a prevailing deception in this world that affects Christian and non-Christian mothers alike which angers and frustrates me beyond many of the 'wrongs' we see today. This is the deception that the field of medicine, with it's doctors and the medical societies that they embrace, are all knowing and justified in all their actions without proof!

This angers me more when discussing the field of childbearing and infant care than in any other aspect because it affects a usually healthy baby with the capacity for a healthy, happy existence ahead.

I have worked as a breastfeeding counselor for several years and as a childbirth educator and birth assistant. There are times when a young woman or a couple will ask me to come in and help them learn about childbearing, breastfeeding and prepare them for family life. I am always excited to help, knowing that I might possibly make a difference in the well-being of this new family.
I bring in my charts to show the progression of pregnancy, labor and birth. We discuss danger signs and birth plans. I discuss the difference between natural childbirth and medicalized birth.
I show videos of women having natural, unmedicated births and videos on dealing with breastfeeding and problems that may arise. We discuss the dangers of the snowball effect of medical practices in labor, how lack of normal movement and fearful thinking can interfere with the body's natural ability to cope with contractions.
We breathe deeply together and learn to relax our bodies against the power of normal, healthy contractions. We discuss comfort measures and ways to enlist the help of friends and family during the most vulnerable of times. Postpartum planning is done. Mothers are given lists with helpful information about baby care and self care and then you leave your 'client' with the hope that they have gleaned from the knowledge you have imparted and that they feel able to call upon you for support if the need arises.

With women that are already health conscious and have made the decision to birth into the hands of a caring birth attendant, usually the result is good. Mothers feel more comfortable with themselves and their God-given ability to birth, they don't give up on breastfeeding just because it seems unpopular with family or friends, and they bond beautifully with the new life they are blessed with.
On the flip side....and this has become the all too common 'norm', you have mothers that are either very young and are totally ignorant of the birth process or you have mothers that are distrusting of their abilities and so they wait for someone to tell them what to do and how to do it and in their minds, only medical professionals (those very well paid distributors of Big Pharma's goodies) can be the all knowing ones. Afterall, they have the papers in the frames at the office that say so!

Case in point:

I recently counseled a young, unwed mother. She said she was a Christian but was back-slidden. She hoped to do what was best for her baby and was awaiting her young boyfriend to return to her so that they could marry and turn their life around. Her environment was not the best. She had very little money and practically no prenatal care until her last two months of pregnancy. I tried to counsel her about securing a traditional birth attendant for her own and her baby's safety. I knew it was very easy to find a doctor who would feed her through the system of medicalized birthing. They are the ones that believe in giving a woman a pelvic exam each time she comes in for a check up. They get to her private area before they ever recognize she has a face. They don't converse much, they put you on synthetic iron pills that constipate you, hand out formula samples instead of encouraging breastfeeding and plan your Epidural for you 'just in case' then charge it all to Medicaid.
Like so many Sheeple, she too took the path of least resistance and secured herself just such a doctor.
His accent was thick and so she barely understood what he said to her. He intruded into her vaginal cavity with every visit for 'her own good' and enabled doubts in her head about her ability to birth normally since she was so young and the baby was already a pretty good size!
When she developed a leaky sac, she was brought in to the hospital post haste and before she knew what hit her, a Caesarean section was in the works!

Not only did this young woman go through major abdominal surgery for less than an emergency, but now, she needed drugs for pain control and for fighting infection due to the C-section. According to her doctor she would not be able to breastfeed because she was 'too full of medication'. So, now who suffers? The baby!

The baby who was taken without the benefit of a normal process of a complete labor and birth and now is seperated from the huge benefit of breastfeeding. There was no bonding, no Colostrum to protect the child from invasion of bacteria and for the much needed nutrients that only mother's milk can afford. There was no growing process as the young mother-to-be transformed into a mother-that-is. No feeling of "I did it!"

She was robbed. The infant was robbed....The sad part is, they don't even realize it.

Now mom is at the grocery store with her fistful of WIC coupons filling her shopping cart full of processed, dehydrated, milk product squeezed from the corporate breast. It comes with 'friendly', bright colored labels that promise it's nutritional rewards. The infant, who is a beautiful, raven-haired little girl, will never know the taste of her mother's milk, nor reap the life-long benefits of breastfeeding.

Let me be a fortune-teller here:

The little girl will be fed formula for the first year, probably develop ear infections and allergies which will subsequently put her into the hands of medical doctors, who will prescribe drugs to battle the infection and pain. She won't be taken as a regular patient though unless she succumbs to the injection of toxic heavy metals and chemicals first to 'protect' her from disease.
She will be placed on processed baby foods when the doctor deems she is ready. She will be given synthetic vitamins with fluoride to keep her 'healthy' and when she becomes school aged, mom has done her job and now the processing plant of government schools will take over....don't worry!
Maybe...she'll make a good Sheeple Jr. and won't need Ritalin to keep her dumbed down.

Am I being negative? I suppose I am. It's a negativity that has it's roots in reality. I've seen this very same scenario played out over and over in the world and in the churches. I guess that is what is most disturbing. I keep thinking to myself, "Christians should know better!" Why cannot we at least be the ones to lean on God's care plan for our bodies and our children's bodies as well? Why do we think that today's medical practice is somehow blessed by God? Why do we allow doctors to tell Christian mothers that it is healthier for them to shoot up their newborns with chemicals and feed them contrary to God's Word? This fallacy should be uncovered from America's pulpits and applied by each family in the Lord. God, who created our bodies and gave us a purpose as the lights for the lost in this world, cannot be seperated from our practical, day to day lives as Christians. We need to recognize the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth as the author of our health plan and stay away from the sorceries of the aleopathic witch doctors who come to rob us of our health.

Rev 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.