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Meaningful Meditations

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Photo: Lynne Lancaster

“Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:20).

In today’s “information age” when our senses are continuously bombarded with stimuli, silence can be an obscure commodity. We often find ourselves longing for quietness and mental peace amidst the onslaught of turmoil and catastrophe.

If one’s wealth in this world is measured by his thinking, as author and naturalist Sam Campbell believed, then managing our everyday thoughts is of extreme value. A definition of meditation which I like is: Stilling the endless chatter of your mind and listening for the still small voice of God within.

Meditation and prayer are huge subjects and mean many different things to different people. For myself, I have found four things that give consistency and meaning to my personal quest for quiet times of meditation and prayer.

First I must be truly committed to my allotted time. I choose early mornings to minimize interruptions. When I need encouragement to continue this discipline I review mentally what happens when I skip days.

Next I need a special, private place. This can be a specific chair or desk, or if the weather allows, a place outside. Some people like to have two chairs so they can imagine Christ sitting beside them. Since I am a visual person I have a picture that I like of Jesus—rugged, windblown, smiling slightly, kind yet piercing eyes. I know it’s just an artist’s conception, but it helps me stay focused.

Helpful Tips

It also helps to have needed materials together and in a handy place. Many people read from the Bible or other inspirational books. Some listen to uplifting music and write in prayer journals. My weekly prayer journal entries help me concentrate not only on what/whom I am praying about, but also serve as a wonderful source of peace and encouragement as I review page after page of requests followed by the answers God has sent. (I’ve been doing this for 10 years.) My journal also keeps my prayers organized—each day I pray for a certain category—so I never feel like I’m forgetting something really important! I don’t say the same words every day, although I have written and memorized short prayers that express my heart’s desire towards God which I repeat often.

Finally, I find that joining with other like-minded people in discussion or actual prayer time is beneficial. Prayer partners and prayer chains not only give more things to pray about but also more opportunities for sharing thankfulness and praise. Like all other spiritual disciplines, meditation and prayer become more meaningful with practice and experience. And as we grow spiritually we will lavish less of our time in the noisy crush and rush of “life in the fast lane” and devote more energy toward developing a spiritual standard for ourselves and following generations.

Isn’t it fascinating that the most real things in the world are invisible? And becoming aware of the presence of the Unseen is one of the most real and fascinating things of all.

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By Brenda Dickerson. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®.

Read more at the source: Meaningful Meditations

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.

Anyone for Mushrooms?

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Photo: Dirk Ziegener

Mushrooms have been very popular for many centuries. They have been used both as food and for medicinal purposes. Of the 14,000 mushrooms, only about 3,000 are edible, while 700 have known medicinal properties. In addition, less than one percent are poisonous.

Mushrooms are enjoyed for their flavor and texture. Their flavor normally intensifies during cooking, and their texture holds up well to usual cooking methods, including stir-frying and sautéing. It is popular to add mushrooms to soups and salads, or to use them as an appetizer. They also add an appealing touch to vegetable-based casseroles and stews.

Mushrooms contain about 80 to 90 percent water, and are very low in calories (only 100 cal/ounce). They have very little sodium and fat, and a high content of dietary fiber. Hence, they are an ideal food for persons following a weight management program or a diet for hypertensives.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower elevated blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. Mushrooms are a rich source of selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. In the Baltimore study on Aging, men with the lowest blood selenium levels were 4 to 5 times more likely to have prostate cancer compared to those with the highest selenium levels.

Protective Effects

The most commonly consumed mushroom in the United States is Agaricus bisporus or the white button mushroom. An extract of white button mushrooms can decrease cell proliferation and decreased tumor size in a dose-dependent manner. Recent findings show that white button mushrooms possess substances that reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. The protective effect of mushrooms can be seen with a daily intake of about 100 grams (3.5 ozs).

Shiitake mushrooms have been used for centuries by the Chinese and Japanese to treat colds and flu. Lentinan, a beta-glucan isolated from the fruiting body of shiitake mushrooms, appears to stimulate the immune system, help fight infection, and demonstrates anti-tumor activity.

Many people enjoy going to the woods to pick their own mushrooms. However, identifying mushrooms can be a real challenge. The color, shape and size of the fruiting body can vary tremendously. It is important to properly identify mushrooms, so that one can avoid collecting a poisonous species.

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By Winston J. Craig, R.D. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

Read more at the source: Anyone for Mushrooms?

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Staying young.

Its Gotta Be Brisk

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Photo: Carl Dwyer

You can get fit by walking. But it needs to be “determined,” or brisk walking. What’s brisk? If you’re just starting out, walk at a 3.5 mph pace (one mile in just over 17 minutes). Work up to a 4 mph pace (a mile in 15 minutes).

Archives of Internal Medicine

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Reprinted with permission from Vibrant Life, November/December 2004. Copyright © 2005 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

Read more at the source: Its Gotta Be Brisk

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Staying young.

The Mighty Wind

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Photo: iStock

I was startled in my hotel room by an unusual noise that I didn’t recognize and so I crept to the window to take a peek. Looking out of my third story window, I noticed that the flag pole was flexing like a reed in a storm, and the flag was flapping violently. I got dressed and made my way down to the hotel lobby where I met the manager helplessly watching through the front window.

The park bench in the breezeway toppled over, and the potted shrubs that lined the front of the entrance skittered here and there across the parking lot. This wind was stronger than anything that I had ever encountered, and I learned later that sudden gusts of 80 mph had been tabulated in many areas that evening. I never saw the wind that night, but I witnessed its effects as I watched the tangible evidence that it was rushing through.

Later, as I reflected on that blustery experience, I was reminded of an analogy that Jesus brought to a Pharisee named Nicodemus. This man was a genuine seeker of truth, but was having difficulty in wrapping his thoughts around heavenly things. He sought Christ in the darkness of night, and as he struggled to understand, Jesus explained the experience that one has when the Holy Spirit is at work in their life.

The Wind and the Spirit

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:6-8).

When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives something tangible and miraculous takes place. This invisible presence visibly affects who we are, the choices that we make, and who we become if we allow it to blow through our lives. The effect can be quite startling, not only to us, but to the world that watches. Positive changes occur in our spiritual experience when the invisible Spirit wind blows.

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By Michael Temple. Copyright © 2015 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.

Read more at the source: The Mighty Wind

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Bible Says.

Old Dogs Do Learn

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Photo: Mark Barner

I wasn’t a very strict Mom. I had my rules, but if my kids played their cards right, they could often find a way around me.

I got so tired of asking my son to make his bed that I got him a sleeping bag. Somehow that didn’t seem as disorderly when it wasn’t made up. He also got out of having to take piano lessons – I couldn’t stand his whining.

I used to threaten my children that if they left their lunch or homework at home one more day that they would have to go without, but I always ended up bailing them out by delivering their books or lunch to school. And if they ran out of allowance, I was always good for a loan.

But on the topic of college, I was a rock. If it took them 10 years, they were going to finish. One of my daughter’s boyfriends described me as an over-achiever and he was probably right. I always felt like I had something to prove and blamed a lot of my insecurity on not finishing college.

At the time I was offered a M.R.S. in place of a B.S., I was thrilled. I hated school and was pretty awful at it. I think when I finished my third year at Columbia Union College, I may have had a whopping 2.0 grade point average. High school hadn’t been much better. Throughout the years since 1968, I had thought about finishing and had even taken a few college classes along the way. I loved the process of finding out more about a subject and actually retaining some of what I learned, but I didn’t finish my degree.

Then about three years ago, I got a bulk e-mail about online degrees and decided to give it a try. I found a college that would offer me something other than business and computers, a caring adviser helped get me a student loan(s), discovered I had enough credits to begin my junior year – and I was off. And I can’t describe how fantastic it felt.

My classwork consisted of a college course begun and completed every six weeks. I was considered a full-time student, all the while holding down a full-time job and taking some freelance writing jobs along the way, plus authoring a devotional with my daughter for 2006. It hasn’t been easy, but in one month, I graduate with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in English and Psychology and a GPA of 3.7. Its been expensive, time consuming and at times exhausting. Would I do it again? You bet. My sense of accomplishment is at an all-time high.

Still Growing

Now that I’ve proved I can learn, have my insecurities vanished? Mostly yes, but that had nothing to do with GPA or degrees or the amount of my student loans, it had to do with coming to terms with what makes me worth anything. It’s God’s love and it’s always been there waiting for me to recognize its power. The following verse, with some added personalization, sums it up for me, and it didn’t take a college degree to understand it. “Nothing can ever separate me from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. My fears for today, my worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether I am high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate me from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus my Lord” (Romans 8:38).

So, don’t give up on your dreams. Fulfilling them can give you a lot of pleasure and don’t worry about being too old to start. At 58, I figure I’ll die before I pay off my student loans. So keep achieving, but do it because it pleases you. And if it pleases you, you know that the One who will never let you be separated from His love will also be pleased.

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By Dee Litton Reed. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from  the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION©.

Read more at the source: Old Dogs Do Learn

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Family First.

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