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Life’s Bottom Line

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A friend asked me a while back what I’d say if asked what the bottom line in life is. You know, what is the one reality, or belief, or whatever, that is central and essential to life being lived, and lived well? What a question.. What a question. How on earth was a person to know what was life’s bottom line? I chewed on it for a few weeks… and maybe months… and then suddenly it came to me.

If I was Henry Ford and had made the automobile, what would make me happy? Probably that my cars would sell and be driven to death, right? Ok, so God created me, a human being… a brilliantly thinking, feeling, creating, natural wonder of the world, and what could He want more than for me to be born, breathe, thrive, live, feel, think, and engage each moment fully. I am a human being, my bottom line is to fully be me.

What a wonderful thing—to just be. Like the flowers in my yard and the tree over our back porch, within me is the full measure of life and everything else to grow up and thrive. I don’t have to make something of myself to be complete. I came into this world small and wrinkled, but with every bit of everything necessary to expand through the years into a full-sized woman, complete with dreams, desires, abilities and personality.

And this is life’s bottom line. Live and be. Life is a gift I never asked for—it was given to me in its fullness and like the Apostle Paul says, everything needful is ours through Jesus Christ. God set it up that way. I’m innately wired with vision, purpose and destiny. I only need to learn the practice of living and being uniquely myself.

Now as beautiful and simple as that all sounds, It wouldn’t be fair to stop there without mentioning that we all have this condition that has warped us and polluted our grandeur and dignity. Our race was created to resemble God Himself, and yet we’ve been drug down into confusion by a condition that consumes us. As one author put it, we are the most glorious and magnificent of ruins. Brilliant and yet disfigured by a condition of evil—a Hebrew word from Genesis that can be translated with all the negative words just used in the above sentences.

This reality of evil threatens my living and being. It has shattered my psyche into a million pieces, turning my natural instincts backwards and making life seem like a mammoth puzzle seemingly impossible to put together. Evil cuts to the core of not so much what I do, but who I am, my personhood, my livingness. It’s no accident that we stumble and struggle, coping instead of living and shutting down our own thoughts and feelings. No, this is the norm of our evil condition.

And yet, there is hope. We all still resemble God, so we must go to war against evil. We cannot consciously surrender ourselves at any time. This was what Jesus taught. He pointed out that our very nature had gone south, but that His love and guidance could slowly bring the real person we were back to life again. He also clarified the threat of death that hovers in this evil condition, and received it’s full threat in his own dying, breaking the cycle of eternal endings and restoring our chance at eternal living, something we all deeply long for.

And so to know and practice the teachings of Jesus is the only way I have found to live and be completely me. He has taught me that I was created to thrive. He has taught me that I am fully crafted and innately wired for all that my destiny here on earth asks of me. Yes, and He has explained why it’s all such a struggle. He has demystified the great confusions and passions co-existing within my soul. And in the end, taking His word for it, I believe I will be lifted from this evil condition and restored to pure living and being forever.

Clarissa Worley Sproul writes from the Pacific Northwest.

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Gratitude Brought Us Here

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“I am thankful for the wind. I am thankful for the wind. I am thankful for the wind.”

I can’t remember if I said those words in my head or out loud, but I do know that I repeated them over and over again. It was day four of a six-day road trip that I was taking to Atlanta, Ga., which was to be my new home.

Several years ago my life was a blur. I had given away most of my belongings and what remained was loaded into my tiny red coupe. Despite the fact that it was thirteen years old, I was confident in my little car. I had it thoroughly inspected by a mechanic and was assured that it would survive the trip. I knew that what my car lacked in trunk space, it more than made up for in gas mileage, gumption, and overall cuteness.

So, I set off with my best friend (who had kindly offered to take the trip with me) at the wheel. I sat in the passenger’s seat with my puppy, Sparta, on my lap and stared out of the window marveling at the beauty of nature.

We were having a blast during our trip! We relaxed by the budget motel pools, we met people from around the world, improvised meals in supermarket parking lots, and sang at the top of our lungs to whatever was on the radio.

And then, it happened.

Somewhere between Oklahoma City, Okla. and Little Rock, Ark., the car’s air conditioner stopped working. I reminded myself that things could have been worse. The air conditioner could have broken when we were in the Arizona desert. And it wasn’t really that bad, when you have the windows down and are traveling 65 mph, you hardly miss the air conditioner.

And then, (the other) it happened.

Somewhere between Little Rock, Ark. and Nashville, Tenn., we hit traffic and were forced to sit in sweltering humidity for two and a half hours. Every once in a while, a gust of wind would come in and give us three seconds of relief from our suffering and I would repeat, “I am thankful for the wind. I am thankful for the wind.”

This may not seem remarkable to some, but I was quite impressed with myself. For someone with a temper like mine, thanking God for the wind in lieu of kicking and screaming was a new and welcome change.

When we got to Nashville we found an amazing mechanic who offered to fix the car very quickly and for a very reasonable price. Seeing my license plate he exclaimed, in a thick Tennessee accent, “How’d you make it all the way over here from California?!”

I smiled as I replied, “Gratitude.”

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).

Jael Amador writes from New York, New York.

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

Probiotics

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Sometimes, when we hear of bacteria, we automatically classify them as bad. After all, bacteria is the culprit in spoiling foods or making water bad to drink. What if I told you that there are good bacteria that are thought to actually help you have a healthy digestive system? It’s true. 

Our digestive system harbors many bacteria and they help us to keep a healthy gut. They also help us digest food, make certain vitamins or destroy other bacteria or microorganisms that might cause diseases. Sometimes, our gut health can be compromised by using antibiotics or battling chronic diarrhea. Long term diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome can also compromise our health.  The level of good bacteria may drop and we can experience stomach upset, diarrhea and other symptoms. By adding good bacteria in the form of probiotics to the gut, we may reduce or eliminate symptoms. (1) 

Is the research supportive of this? Researchers’ initial reports are promising. The evidence points to probiotics being helpful in preventing antibiotic- or infection- induced diarrhea and reducing the symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Other areas of possible benefits have been reported. Eczema, hay fever, tooth decay, colic in infants, liver disease, the common cold and other areas are being explored. 

What kind of bacteria do we find in probiotics?  The most popular types of probiotic bacteria are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. There are several types under each of these groups and they are thought to be beneficial. We find probiotics in dairy drinks like Kefir, milk, soy or coconut yogurts, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, supplements and other forms. 

Adding yogurt to breakfast, tempeh to a favorite dish for lunch and a Kefir drink for dinner can help build up the intake of probiotics. Read the label of the favorites to see if probiotics are included and make these foods a part of everyday eating.

Reference: 
Probiotics: In Depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. nccih.nih.gov. Accessed July 31, 2018. 

Pamela Williams writes from Southern California.

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Allergies on the Rise

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Lately, it seems that there are more conversations about food allergies.

In my own household, we have a milk and related product allergies, and wheat allergies. At work, I have collected even more information on children and adults who cannot eat peanuts due to severe allergic reactions. Other nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish and even fruits and vegetables are found on the list for allergies. Why do we have so many allergies. Scientists are scratching their heads trying to figure out why all of the allergies.

Peanuts seem to be the biggest offender. According to Food Business News, anaphylactic responses to peanuts grew 445 percent. (1). Some of the mild symptoms can include a runny nose, hives, itchiness, redness or swelling of the skin or shortness of breath. Other symptoms can be diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms can be life threatening and may require a visit to the emergency room. Swelling of the throat, a drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, dizziness and loss of consciousness are serious. (2) Because of the risk of these and other symptoms, schools and other public locations want to create a peanut-free zone.

Children are not the only population affected by these allergic reactions. The rise is found among adults too. NBC news gave a detailed report of a woman who had a severe reaction to shellfish and ended up in the emergency room. She has drastically reduced eating out because she learned that a lot of facilities work with shellfish. She wants to avoid at all costs another trip to the hospital because of allergies.

What can we do to prevent allergies? Researchers don’t know but here are a few things we can do to prevent a reaction. If you suspect an allergy:

1. Check with your doctor and get checked for allergies. Once the source of allergies has been identified, if possible, avoid the food or whatever causes the allergy.

2. Make sure you read labels of your favorite products. If eating out, check the menu and check with the staff to make sure they do not use the offending food or share equipment with that food.

3. If you are given medication or an EpiPen, follow the directions given by your doctor. Carry your EpiPen with you at all times to counteract any life-threatening symptoms.

4. Read material and stay current on the subject. Check with organizations such as Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America at www.aafa.org, and The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at www.aaaai.org.

Be proactive to avoid symptoms associated with allergy-related foods.

Pamela Williams writes from Southern California.

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

Small Steps

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When I’m stressed out, I like to go out for a good run. In that moment when the world becomes too much for me, I slip on my running shoes, pound the pavement and leave it all behind. It’s as if I can escape from all that binds me and run free. With each step, I stomp down my anxiety and show it who’s boss! 3-5 miles later, I am refreshed, renewed and ready to take on whatever challenge is before me.

Just kidding! Actually, while I wrote that paragraph, I munched on a glazed donut and laughed and laughed! Listen, we all know those people for whom the above paragraph is true. If that’s you, I offer my congratulations: you win at life! But, I, unfortunately, am not as enlightened. My anxiety coping skills consist of baked goods, reality television and naps. I never said I was a role model.

Lately, however, given my age, level of stress and the fact that I’m down to one pair of jeans that actually zip up, I’ve been reevaluating my health habits. I have come, reluctantly, to the conclusion that perhaps there are some changes that I could make. Yes, I think I’ve finally reached the age where it is no longer appropriate to count Nutella as a legume. And, yes, I do now realize that reaching for the remote does not constitute a sit up.

So, armed with resolve, I woke up VERY early this morning (did you know that they have 7 a.m. on Sundays too?!). I drove to the hiking trail near my home so that my puppy and I could set off on what would be an epic hike that would signal the beginning of my new healthy life. The (ahem) puppy got tired after about 15 minutes, so we had to turn around.

But you know what? Despite the fact that my workout was cut short (you know, on account of the puppy), I felt good! I found that I had more energy throughout the day and was able to get a lot more done. And while I still have a long way to go (i.e. the fact that I had one very delicious glazed donut while writing this. And by one I mean two), I’m proud of the small steps I took today!

So now, as I get ready for the morning, I take the extra step of setting out my hiking shoes. I have a feeling that the puppy won’t be so tired tomorrow.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10, NLT).

Jael Amador writes from New York, New York.

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

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