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Chow Down

May 13, 2019 By admin

Years ago I had learned that my allergy-prone puppy would be better off without grains in his diet. I got used to reading the ingredients in pet food and treats. After my dog experienced occasional days of loud growling stomach and no appetite, I eliminated some imported treats. A few weeks ago my husband and I watched a documentary regarding the business of pet food processing and lack of regulation. Digestion problems, allergies and illness seem correlated or caused by modern pet diets. Most species of animals have teeth and digestion adapted to masticate and absorb only appropriate foods. We grew concerned that we had not been giving our dog “species appropriate” food. Perhaps we even contributed to the diseases and deaths of earlier pets. Suddenly I realized that dogs’ and cats’ instinct would dictate that they never go hunting for kibble.

As I thought about the implications for animals, it became much more clear to me that I have often been eating processed food items that are not “species appropriate” for humans. Food in boxes and cans and bags did not start out in their current form and may not be recognizable to my body as nourishment. I have been making changes in my diet due to health issues but I wish I had been more attuned to appropriate food much earlier in life. Cheese doodles and red licorice are a long distance from a food group.

I believe in a master Creator who has a design of best outcome for all His creatures. I was raised with an awareness of the dangers of certain food items, or that eating /drinking some things amounted to a “sin” if you knew better. The body as a “temple of God” is a responsibility and privilege (I Corinthians 6:19). Even moderation is only as good as what is on the buffet! I have also grown to appreciate that one diet regimen does not fit the unique body chemistry and needs of all people. However, the idea that people food should be in much more garden and field fresh form makes a lot of sense to me.

Months ago I created some garden boxes to try growing an assortment of vegetables and herbs so that my grandsons would know where food originates. I need to constantly remember that real food doesn’t come from extruding machines, as crackers, and snack packs. I am horrified by the long lists of chemicals and ingredients that we so readily absorb in our haste to eat or satisfy a craving.

Heated discussions can erupt about the best form of people food. Culture, religion, accessibility, finances and personal requirements guide food choices. I sometimes balk at the “expense” of food but realize that the equation often results in either money for quality food or expense related to later illness and early death. I still enjoy convenience and pulling things out of my freezer, but it should look more like real food. As I feed my pets their new “species appropriate” dinners, I look for simpler and cleaner human options also. We all want to feel well and enjoy the gift of life.

Questions for personal journaling or group discussion:

1. What categories of food would you list for a human “species appropriate” diet?

2. What do you say when asked, “Why don’t you eat that?”

Karen Spruill writes from Orlando, Florida.

The post Chow Down appeared first on Answers for Me.

I’m Thirty

May 9, 2019 By admin

Evening before my birthday

11:53pm

What happens when you turn 30? Seriously, I need to know, because, whatever it is, it’s going to happen to me in about 7 minutes and I’m not one for birthday surprises.* I’m already overwhelmed with the fact that I’m going to have to check a completely different age range box on the forms at the DMV. So this whole “not-knowing-what-to-expect-once-I-reach-this-milestone” situation is not really working for me. Since no one seems to be willing to give me any answers, I’ve had to guess.

Here’s my current hypothesis:

Sometime between midnight and 12:03 a.m., my room will be rushed with agents from a secret international agency. I will be injected with a serum that will render me unconscious and transported to a secret facility. At said facility, vital vitamins and minerals will be extracted from my body to be distributed, via lattes, to women who are not making a mockery of their reproductive years. I will then be returned to my room with no memory or evidence of what occurred, except that I will bear the mark of the unwed and over 30: Cankles.

As I await the inevitable, I become introspective. I’ve spent three whole decades on earth, and I can’t help but wonder if the world is any different because of my being in it. Shouldn’t I have made my big impact on the world by now? Maybe I have! I regularly post articles and indignant status updates on the horrors of war and human trafficking for my 1300+ close, personal friends. That’s enough, right?

Or what if life is less about making some huge impact on the world and more about tiny ripples of compassion? What if my “big impact” is simply asking someone how they are and really taking the time to listen?

I’m not saying that I shouldn’t care about injustices around the world. On the contrary, I’m glad those things make me angry, and I will continue to speak out on them as much as I can, even if it’s only through social media. But I also think that I’ll spend the next three decades participating in the revolution of loving my neighbor. My legitimate, in the flesh and in close physical proximity neighbor. Maybe that can change the world!

It’s 12:14 am. I’m officially 30, and PHEW, my hypothesis was wrong. I can rest easy tonight. Wait… are those cankles?!

“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love. And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously” (Micah 6:8, The Message).

*This is a lie. I LOVE birthday surprises! But on this particular birthday, I am alone in a Parisian hotel room and am acutely aware that the chances of my friends and family jumping out of my closet with cake and presents are minimal.

Jael Amador writes from New York, New York.

The post I’m Thirty appeared first on Answers for Me.

Deadly Fumes

May 8, 2019 By admin

“Mike, what’s that noise?” It was early morning, and I probably would’ve slept right through the loud beeping sound that was coming from our living room if it wasn’t for my wife’s inquiry. My head felt foggy as I arose and jammed my feet into my slippers. I didn’t want to get up, but the beeping persisted.

Our family recently had a wood pellet stove installed in our home in an attempt to save money on our fuel bill. The heat generated from this stove has legitimately helped with the temperature of our home, and we have already seen a significant drop in our fuel costs. I’ve been challenged, however, with learning all the proper ways to maintain this stove at optimal performance. According to the manual (that I recently re-read), I am supposed to clean the ashes out from this stove on a daily basis. It hadn’t been done in about five days, if I am remembering correctly.

Because the ashes had built up in the fire-pot, the fuel was no longer able to ignite into flame when it was deposited into the burning area. This stove was literally smoldering itself into a sooty, non-burning, noxious mess…and the beeping that we had heard was from our carbon monoxide alarm. I opened the windows of our home in the wee hours of the morning (during winter weather), and spent the next hour doing what I should have done days before.

I shudder when I think about what could have happened to my family if we hadn’t installed a carbon monoxide alarm in our living room. That tiny white battery-operated box had detected something that was potentially fatal while we peacefully slept, oblivious to the dangers that surrounded us.

I couldn’t help but think about all the spiritually-challenging occurrences that we encounter in our daily schedules…undetected and potentially deadly situations that can kill the sacred atmosphere that we truly desire. Staying connected is like emptying the ashes of our lives. A relationship with the Almighty helps our spiritual fires to burn clean and brightly.

Michael Temple writes from North Dakota.

The post Deadly Fumes appeared first on Answers for Me.

Blinded by Grief

May 2, 2019 By admin

While we were taking our morning walk, my husband and I had a “misunderstanding.” I wondered if the sour feeling would lessen our ability to worship that day. Then on our way to church my husband kept asking about my reactions to Jesus’ crucifixion. That was the lesson he was about to teach in his adult class. He wondered how anyone could watch their son die that way — and yet, besides Mary — God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit had to watch Jesus die.

I told him that I could relate in a small way. I could remember how difficult it was for me to hear our five-year-old son scream for me when he was taken into surgery years ago. I could not follow him or hold his hand. He was on his own as he slipped into the lostness of anesthesia. That memory will always break my heart. Jesus had nothing to dull the pain of separation except for his faith in God’s love.

“Would you like to know when you are going to die?” Of course, each day means we are one day closer to our deaths. I remember the days leading up to my mother’s funeral and just wanting to get beyond that day. What was it like for Jesus to know when he was going to die? He had told the disciples about the time frame and they really weren’t paying attention. We surmised what it was like for him hanging on the cross — feeling emotional pain just as much, or more, than physical pain. Going into a death from which he could not be certain he would return. With some of his last breathes he focused on forgiveness for the guilty, and care for his mother.

We pondered the disciples’ grief as they waited after Jesus death. Had they followed Jesus in vain? They had lost their best friend and teacher — the dearest, kindest person they ever knew. Their sense of loss must have been so very dark and strong. We know the ending to the story but they were blinded by grief and vanishing faith.

My husband was so moved as he drove that he asked me for some tissues. I did not want to mess up my mascara as we talked, so I choked back my tears. Of course, I felt great sorrow for all involved in that awesome weekend many years ago. I felt gratitude for a God that would part with the Great Intimacy of Three to save the very people that would like to destroy their Creator. The day that changed history. A terrible day and yet a day of hope.

I was left in the wonder of witnessing my God’s love, and how much it has touched the heart of my husband. This same man who tracks his Fantasy Football scores, who fixes the toilet, who snores in my bed, who still struggles with bad habits–is close to tears when he ponders the cross of Jesus. I have noticed that my husband’s focus on Jesus leads him to greater compassion with people, and often with my annoying ways.

Truly, Jesus’ resurrection power was not only displayed in his physical body, but it exists every day in the hearts and lives of His believers. “And his incomparably great power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20, NIV).

Karen Spruill writes from Florida.

The post Blinded by Grief appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: Blinded by Grief

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

SAD or Just Sad?

May 1, 2019 By admin

Sometimes I’m a slow learner—well, a lot of times. After about 10 years of starting counseling every January and quitting the sessions by the end of April, I figured out something. I was suffering from SAD—seasonal affective disorder.

For about 20% of the U.S. population, shorter daylight leaves them with feelings of sadness and hopelessness and losing interest in activities that they would normally find pleasurable. People with SAD tend to feel the need to sleep more during winter. In one study, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, patients at a SAD clinic averaged about 7.5 hours of sleep in the summer, 8.5 hours in the spring and fall, and nearly 10 hours in winter.

And daylight savings time doesn’t help, since darker mornings are particularly difficult for those with SAD.

Of course, sadness may actually come from real life situations, so if your blue spell lasts for a week or less, then don’t worry. But, if you experience symptoms every day for at least two weeks, it’s a sign of depression and if you only feel this way during the fall and winter, it may be a sign of SAD.

The following are some of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder:

• Irritability: Research suggests that people with SAD are significantly more irritable than healthy individuals.

• Carb cravings: SAD can produce a strong craving for complex carbohydrates.

• Difficult concentrating: SAD has been known to affect a range of mental processes, including concentration, speaking ability, and memory.

• Loss of interest in sex: This is a common symptom among people with SAD and depression alike.

To counteract symptoms, spend plenty of time in the sun. It takes two or three days of bright sunshine to reverse symptoms. Short of taking a Hawaiian vacation or moving to Florida, Arizona or California, there are other ways to get relief. Several brands of light therapy boxes (also referred to as bright light therapy or phototherapy) can be purchased. These lights work by stimulating the brain from light reaching our retinas through our eyes, not from exposure of the light to our skin.

Dee Litten Whited writes from Virginia.

The post SAD or Just Sad? appeared first on Answers for Me.

Read more at the source: SAD or Just Sad?

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Answers for Me.

I’m Thirty

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Deadly Fumes

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Blinded by Grief

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SAD or Just Sad?

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