A Healthier You

Recently I was diagnosed with gallstones and was set to have my gallbladder taken out on the 18th of May. At first, it seemed surreal to me. As my surgery date grew closer, I realized that I hadn't done my research, and that I needed to find out if surgery really was my only option. I knew that it wasn't "life or death"; so, I decided to talk to a friend who had her gallbladder removed about 5 years ago. She actually told me to call this other girl in our church who had similar problems a few years ago; in actuality, she told me it would be better to not have my gallbladder taken out unless I really had to do so. Prior to calling my friend, I had asked God to just give me wisdom to know what to do. I was completely torn, and I felt like I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life. I do believe that God brought me to the right people.
Through all of this, I learned that the gallbladder is a necessity in our body. God didn't just give it to us to sit there and do nothing. Our liver's job is to produce about 1 1/2 quarts of bile a day, and the gallbladder acts as the storage tank for this bile. This bile is what helps break down our food in the digestion process. People who have their gallbladder removed often still have the same problems later on in life because the liver is still producing this bile. When we eat fatty foods, the bile is emptied into the small intestine to break the fat down. Our tubes that lead to the gallbladder are often clogged from this fat, and little cholesterol balls are formed. Naturally, they end up in the gallbladder and in the ducts leading to it. When the gallbladder is gone, those stones still have to go somewhere, and often your liver will begin to be bogged down with the stones. Thus, it cannot produce the bile needed in digestion, and we begin to feel bloated. All of this can lead to heart disease and various other complications. The gallstones are full of bacteria that affects our health in various ways including allergies, asthma, mono, back and shoulder pain, and so much more.
I learned by talking to my friend and researching that there are safe ways to rid ourselves of these stones without surgery. I know that some people thought I was crazy and some agreed with me wholeheartedly. In the end, I decided to do this cleanse a few weeks ago. I felt so much better afterwards! The cleanse is meant to be done as many times as needed to totally rid yourself of these "cholesterol ball" also known as gallstones. Of course, a week in between each time is wise due to the intensity of the cleanse. I have already done this cleanse once, and I plan to do it again. I honestly believe that I am on my way to a healthier way of living. I have changed my diet completely, and this time I am not turning back. I didn't realize that I was setting myself up for a myriad of health problems and diseases, and I plan on living to see my grand-children and great- grand-children. I plan on teaching my own family to eat properly. I don't plan on being a health fanatic, but I do plan on becoming as healthy as I can so I can serve my God with my whole heart, BODY and soul! We need a healthy body in order to survive down here! Why don't you plan on making today the day that you decide to become a "HEALTHIER YOU!"

No Greater Talent

God has given each and everyone of us a special talent to be used for His glory. I believe that we were created for a specific reason, and if we are not using what He has given us, we are wasting our precious time here on Earth. I know that we were created to glorify Him, but we also have a purpose. Only you would know what your true purpose is in this life. If we don't use our talent, we could lose it, and that is very sad. I don't plan on losing my talents. Looking back over my life, I see that I have several talents of which one is writing. If I were to stop writing, I would gradually lose my ability. I keep my fingers flying across the keyboard whether it be writing an encouraging note or simply writing down what is on my heart for that day. I also have a musical talent, and I plan on expanding that within these next few years. I believe that since I can write poetry, I can also write music. Already, I have written a few songs with my sister's help, but I have more to pen. I make this a goal for the rest of my life. I don't plan on keeping my writings to myself because I believe with my talent, I can bless many people's lives. There is no greater talent than the one that is sitting in your lap. Use it; don't let it die.

Holy is the LAMB!

My heart is overwhelmed this morning, but I am reminded of God's promises. His Word never lies, and His Word will come to pass in my life. Sometimes, I feel so alone, and then I am reminded that I have a GREAT GOD Who is always there by my side, an AWESOME God Who will never leave me or forsake me. His mercies are new every morning. My God loves me, and no matter what I have done, He will always forgive me.
So, I take a minute to praise His holy name. I take a second to raise my hands to the heavens and thank Him for giving me life. I lift my tear-stained face as I fall to my knees in adoration because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He WAS and IS and IS TO COME. He is my everything in this life. Without Him, I am nothing. I can't live a day without my God because that's what I have learned. If I try to live without Him, I fail every single time. I am free to be me. I am free to love my God. I thank Him for my religious freedom, and if it were ever taken away, I could not hide what He means to me. I would stand up and show my children that He is worthy of my love and praise.
I think we, as Christians, think that if we praise our God, that we are being too charismatic, but if you really stop and think about it, we will be doing that for all of eternity. I don't plan on being the person in the back of Heaven feeling awkward as everyone around me falls on their knees in worship and adoration. I am not ashamed of my God. Everyone who knows me, knows that much. I am not afraid to tell someone that I am a Christian. I really believe that worship to our God should be done on a daily basis. I believe that we should set aside our special time to lift our hands to the sky and thank God for all that He has done for us. Even if we feel like nothing is going right in our lives at the moment, we can still thank Him for saving our soul, for giving us the air we breathe, for the sunshine and the rain, for our American freedoms while they still last, etc.
Today, I choose LIFE, the power of my words will speak forth the wonder and admiration for my Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the LAMB that was slain!

Let's Be Friends

What is the true meaning of the word: friend? I have to say that not too many people know the answer to that question. Oh yes, we may think that we know, but let's take a moment to sit back and evaluate the real answer.
When I think of the word, FRIEND, I am often reminded of Jonathan and David. Their friendship depicted what friendship really is. Not only were they closer than brothers, they were selfless in their actions. I think mainly David really knew the meaning of true friendship. It is said in the Bible that the "soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David." I don't really think that you need to see the person to be a friend. It is really our soul that retains the friendship. Our spirit can speak to someone miles away even if our bodies aren't in the same room.
When I look at the relationship of David and Saul, I see that David chose to be Saul's friend even though it was Saul's main intent to kill him! Imagine showing friendship to an assassin! David had many an opportunity to kill Saul, but instead, he chose to show the meaning of true friendship and respect. To be a friend, you don't expect anything in return. Surely, David knew that there was nothing in it for him with the friendship he had in his heart for Saul. It didn't matter to him because it wasn't about being promoted or even being left alone so he wouldn't have to constantly run for his life! It was deeper than that. It was about being a good Christian. The key here is LOVE.
I remember when I was in grade school, and we would pass notes back and forth that read something like this, "Let's be friends. Circle yes or no." Looking back, I laugh because I see how as a little girl, I didn't know better! I remember fighting over who sat by who at lunch or who could spend the night and so on. As I grew older, I realized that some of my friends didn't want to talk to me or they would just plain be mean to me. At the time, I wasn't mature enough to not let it bother me. You see, once you are some-body's friend, you should always be their friend. That's the way it is. Otherwise, you never really were their true friend. I had to learn that the hard way, and I had to realize that certain people never really were my true friends. I know now in my heart, that they will always be my friends because I don't turn my back on my friends. That's one thing about me that I've learned.....once I am your friend, I always will be. It doesn't matter if you resent me or have a great deal to say about me....I am not in this for glory or to say that I have tons of friends. I am only trying to walk like Jesus walked. He was a friend to publicans and sinners, not the elite and only those who liked Him. As you read through the Gospels, Jesus wasn't very popular by the high and mighty Pharisees, but many of the common folk loved and believed in Him for miracles.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend," this verse is true in every sense. Our Saviour showed us how true His love was to us when he lay down his life when he willingly lay on that rugged tree to be nailed and hung. I'm not saying that we should lay down our lives for others in the physical sense, but we can put ourselves aside for once and think of their needs instead of ours. I named my daughter Charity after my favorite chapter in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 13, which many call the "LOVE chapter." I love that chapter for the simple fact that it describes how we are to love mankind. I know that I constantly am reminding myself about the different things in that chapter, but if we really put it into practice, we will notice how everything will fall into place. There will be people who will love us back, and that is an added bonus! Let's be friends!