Category: Healthy

12/31/2022 1 Comment

Schlep Naches

Schlep naches is a Yiddish phrase that means “deriving pleasure from the achievement of others.” In her book, The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomisrsky wrote:
The surprising finding is that the closest, most intimate, and most trusting relationships appear to be distinguished not by how the partners respond to each other’s disappointments, losses, and reversals but how they react to good news. Flourishing relationships have been revealed to be those in which the couple responds “actively and constructively”—that is, with interest and delight—to each other’s windfalls and successes . . . Both men and women who say that their partners respond in this “active-constructive” way report the highest levels of satisfaction, trust, and intimacy in their relationships.

10/10/2022 0 Comments

Trees and Fungi

Suzanne Simard is the tree professor at the University of British Columbia.[1] She discovered through her research that yew trees communicate chemically through fungi with their neighboring trees for mutual defense. Trees are connected below ground through a fungi network that resembles the human brain’s neural networks. For example, Simard observed a Douglas fir injured by insects that seemingly passed chemical warning messages to a nearby ponderosa. The pine tree produced defense enzymes that protected it against insects. Similarly, birch trees protected fir from Armillaria root disease. When trees are dying, they pass off as much as 40% of their carbon to their neighboring trees.

8/3/2022 0 Comments

Vines and Thorns

Jesus taught the parable of the sower to a large crowd assembled by the Sea of Galilee. Seed in healthy soil and free of the threat of birds, rocks, and thorns grows to produce vibrant crops. Had Jesus lived in other parts of the world, He might have added vines to His illustration. In southeast Virginia, there is a vine that produces a beautiful purple flower. It is called purple Wisteria. These vines produce a wide array of leaves in the summertime that form a cover and make for a lush, green setting. Wisteria is a beautiful addition to a lawn or garden if properly grown and maintained. But if left unrestricted, it can destroy trees and shrubs.

6/6/2022 1 Comment

Is Triscuits Healthy?

I was shopping for food recently and noticed a box of Triscuits on the shelf. I like Triscuits. So, I put a box in my shopping cart, but I decided to do some Google research before leaving the aisle. I typed in the search box, “Is Triscuits healthy?” and the response was not positive. The article approved by Dr. Thomas Dwan (not sure who he is) gave Triscuits a D+. Wheat Thins did not fare any better, so my cart gained no new members.

5/21/2022 0 Comments

Kingdom of God

Pastor Mike tells the story of how as a child, he and his siblings would eat through an entire large box of Kellogg’s Pep cereal to get the prize—a submarine. Mike’s goal was to get the prize; he didn’t care for the product.

8/28/2021 0 Comments

Withering

The Hebrew word navel, basically means wither or lose heart. It is used twenty times in the Old Testament. The word describes Moses in Exodus 18:18—warned about wearing out from trying to judge the people alone. Eleven times it refers to plants dying. Isaiah uses it to show people withering from sin (Isaiah 64:6). When you think of the condition of the world right now does it feel like it is withering? Such a thought should not be surprising for God warned us that this would happen.

12/31/2019 0 Comments

Time and Chance

It is the last day of the decade and a gazillion thoughts cascade through my mind:

What did I learn the last ten years that brought growth and will help me be a better leader?
What mistakes did I make that I dare not repeat?
What were the significant milestones, blessings and joy-makers?
Did suffering and setbacks shape me to be even more in love with God than ever before?
Does technology seem out of control? People spend so much time on their smart phones and devices that healthy social interaction is seriously diseased.

12/24/2018 0 Comments

FitBit

For my sixtieth birthday my son Stephen gave me a Fitbit, a smartwatch designed to help mestay motivated and improve my health by tracking my activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep. Stephen loves using his and weekly checks to see how I am doing. I use it almost exclusively as an exercise incentive and, wow, after wearing it for almost a month I’m amazed at how much my workouts have increased. The hourly reminders to exercise motivate me to get up from behind my desk—away from the computer to walk. But it has also radically affected my prayer life—an unexpected benefit. Because, when I’m walking to increase my step count, I’m now also concentrating on conversing with my Father.

Meditation
Romans 13:12—The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

3/17/2018

Go Work Out

I was talking to a great friend on the phone and mentioned that I was recentlychallenged while out running by my asthma in the high altitude of Colorado. He mentioned that he had not worked out in quite some time because of his six-month deployment. By eating mainly restaurant food and not exercising hisblood pressure rose and he put on extra pounds. Before I hung up the phone I encouraged my friend to go work out. He laughed in agreement.

5/21/2017 0 Comments

More Willpower

Meditation
2 John 6—And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.

The first Biblical reference to love God is recorded in Exodus 20:6. Moses teaches the Israelites to keep God’s commands and thereby demonstrate their love for Him. So, when John defines love in his letter to his readers, he is not sharing with them a new concept. But, as we all know, it is hard to walk in love with God. How do we strengthen willpower to be better God-lovers and, in the process, improve loving others and ourselves?

6/21/2013

How to Live Forever

Jiroemon Kimura is 116 years-old and may well be the oldest person on the planet. Japanese are well known for their longevity and many people would agree with Kimura who attests that the secret to his old age is eating small portions of food. Mr. Kimura practices “hara hachi bu,” which means that he eats until he is 80% full. Japanese commonly eat low fat food and lots of fish and rice which helps keep them disease-free.

3/13/2013

Grass

Do you know what one of the largest family species on earth is? Grass! Commonly known as Gramineaethere are more than 9,000 known species of grass. God created grass to provide a major food source worldwide. Rice, corn and oats come from grass plants. Grass plants provide helpful ingredients for making sugar, bread and even plastics. Grass is used in construction (bamboo). It is also invaluable in combating erosion.

5/15/2011 0 Comments

Urgency

In his book Younger Next Year cowritten with Chris Crowley, Dr. Henry Lodge states that “Over 50% of all illness and injuries in the last third of your life can be eliminated by changing your lifestyle in the way we suggest.”[1] The major way they suggest is to exercise forty-five minutes a day six days a week. Four of those workouts are aerobic and two involve weight training. The reason most people grow weak and more susceptible to disease is directly attributed to their failure to exercise!

11/11/2008 0 Comments

Spiritual Fitness

Okay, I admit it. There are days I just don’t feel like working out. However, if I want to have good muscle tone, a healthy heart and a strong body I have to exercise. Physical fitness doesn’t just happen. It takes consistentwork. We all know what occurs when we don’t exercise regularly. One workout (jogging, weight-lifting, aerobics class) per week, will not make me physically fit! Unfortunately, it’s be fit or be fat.

4/17/2008

Prosper

Meditation
3 John 2—Beloved, concerning all things I wish that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

9/23/1999 0 Comments

Health

Delnora Erickson left earth on Monday morning. She was 91 years old when she completed her race to meet Jesus at the finish line. She was an inspiring example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This amazing woman never lost her thirst to grow closer to her Heavenly Father. Even as an octogenarian her creative mind would not find a hammock to gracefully swing on old lessons. She launched a fresh study of the Old Testament to identify every reference to Christ. Often she would gleefully share her findings oblivious to the fact she was repeating herself, and what did it matter she was excited! I recall many times talking with her and she would ask, “Do you think Jesus will return before we die?” Then with sparkling eyes she’d exclaim, “Oh, I think He’s coming soon!”

2/3/1999 0 Comments

Wine

I recently read an article that the sale of red wine in Japan has skyrocketed. A television show in that country extolled the benefits of drinking a little red wine each day in order to fight heart disease and cancer. The Japanese are very health conscious and boast the highest life expectancy in the world. Naturally they responded to this report with the result that red wine sales quadrupled.

1/3/1999 0 Comments

Loyalty

The beginning of the year is a time when people in our society reflect. For many, new resolutions and goals are forged on the gold-embossed pages of a new journal. Yet as the past is closed for the door of tomorrow a timeless God is not concerned with another year. His word makes His question clear—are we loyal to Him?

Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles