Jesus Christ’s sacrifice out of love gave us freedom from the bondage of bitterness, anger and resentment in our lives. His sacrifice also gave us the freedom from the bondage of guilt, which is when we don’t forgive ourselves.  Hating others or ourselves makes us “stew in our own juices”.  It causes a toxic chemical flow in our body that aggravates our tissues and initiates inflammation.  Unresolved inflammation produces dis-ease over time.

Thoughts turn into choices, choices to actions, actions to habits, habits to lifestyle and lifestyle to destiny.  Our body manifests what we meditate on.  Are we meditating on God’s Word of truth and love or on toxic thoughts of un-forgiveness, bitterness, resentment, hatred and guilt?

During the Christmas season people need more than gadgets, trinkets and games.  People need to hear that they are forgiven and loved even if that person is yourself!  Especially if that person is yourself because how can we love others as Christ commanded if we can’t get rid of the guilt and love ourselves?

The only cost of forgiveness is giving up the “right” to feel wronged and hurt.  The benefits for everyone are eternal!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,  who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

Merry Christmas for Christ our Lord has come and has brought forgiveness and healing!

Patti

I’m a chocolate lover.  I love dark chocolate.  Lots of times when I want a protein bar to get my sweet fix I hate the taste.  And many times the ingredients of a protein bar isn’t that great.  Well, I found a recipe that is easy to make and I love the taste.  Now I can resist having the sugary things  because I have a healthy sugar free protein bar!

Chocolate Almond Protein Bars – from Maximized Living

INGREDIENTS

Base
2 cups almond flour
1 cup ground flax seed meal
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
3 scoops of chocolate NaturePro Whey Protein
½ cup of xylitol (or ¾ tsp pure powder stevia)
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup organic butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
½ tsp pure vanilla

Chocolate Topping
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of organic butter
¼ cup of xylitol (or ¼ tsp of pure liquid stevia)

1. Place almonds meal, flax meal, shredded coconut, Nature Pro and xylitol (stevia) in a food processor.
2. Pulse until ground into meal
3. In a double boiler melt coconut oil, butter and 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate.
4. Once melted add vanilla to melted chocolate/coconut mixture.
5. Mix liquid chocolate with dry ingredients in a bowl until turns into a paste
6. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
7. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, until mixture hardens.
8. In a double boiler, heat butter and coconut oil until liquid.
9. Add xylitol (stevia) and heat and stir until dissolved
10. Add 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate.  Stir until melted.
11. Pour melted chocolate over pressed mixture in glass dish.  Return to refrigerator for at least until chocolate hardens.
12. Remove from refrigerator, cut into bars and serve. (If chocolate cracks when cutting, let soften for 10 minutes first)

Keep refrigerated.  These also freeze well.

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My friend, Laurie, and I make these muffins all the time.  They taste great!

Gluten Free Zucchini Carrot Muffins
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped peeled apples
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 tsp. grated orange peel

2 cups gluten free flour
1 ¼ cup or less of organic sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix first 6 ingredients together and lightly toss and set aside.  In large bowl combine next 4 ingredients.  Combine eggs, oil and vanilla and add to dry ingredients just until moistened.  Then fold in carrot mixture.  Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until muffins test done.  Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  Yield: 18 standard size muffins.

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And lastly a Delicious and Easy Spinach Mushroom Egg Bake I like to take to church brunch.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh organic spinach, chopped
3 cups mushrooms, chopped
4 oz. raw cheese, grated – I use cheddar
10 – 12 organic eggs
1/2 cup organic cream
Salt and pepper
1 heaping teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 stick (2 oz) butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Place spinach evenly in greased, 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish
3. Spread mushrooms evenly over spinach.
4. In medium sized bowl, break 10-12 eggs.
5. Add melted butter, raw cream and mustard.
6. Add black pepper, sea salt – good sprinkling
7. Blend or hand whisk.
8. Pour egg mixture evenly over spinach and mushrooms.
9. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top.
10. Cover dish with foil.
11. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

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These are some of my favorites. I hope you like them, too.

To your health, naturally.

Patti

Fall cleaning can be a huge undertaking; cleaning windows, raking leaves, tending to flowers and bushes, cleaning closets, washing draperies, cleaning rooms where the previous inhabitant has moved out and gone to college.  You get it all done by just doing it one small thing at a time. Slowly, but surely.

Here are some other ideas about cleaning you may not have thought about.

• DE-TOXING or cleaning your body. 

When the idea of fasting is mentioned some people go into shock!  They can’t imagine themselves going without food for a day.  But, fasting can help your body to rid itself of toxins.  By just drinking water or vegetable juices it allows your body to rest from the digestive process and cleanse itself.  Now, I’m talking about a fast that is appropriate for your situation.

If you’re on medication that needs to be taken with food, then by all means follow your physician’s orders.  But the food you eat with it may be different then what you usually eat.  Maybe clean your cupboards from packaged and processed foods.  Start using organic, whole foods.  Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and pick up more fresh, as close to natural items as possible.

Purge the high sodium, high sugar, high chemically processed man-made foods.  Avoid soda pop, energy drinks and white food.  And just like cleaning your house may feel overwhelming, so might cleaning your selection of food.  But you can do it one small step at a time.

“What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

• DE-TOXING or cleaning your soul.

Your soul is your mind, your thoughts and emotions.  How do you clean your soul?  By “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5  Does what your thinking line up with the truth of God’s Word?  When lies become stronghold’s in your mind they will affect your health and your actions.

Strongholds of lies cause feeder behaviors much like a tumor sends out feeders for its survival.  You act on the lie you feel is true.

When you worry about losing your job in the future or are anxious about what people think of you, does that line up with what God says?  God’s Word says “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7.  Also, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27.  If you are in fear or anxious you may turn to food, shopping or chemicals as a comfort or avoidance that may indeed become an addiction.

We are also to forgive each other – “Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:22.  We need to purge ourselves of spirits of accusation, bitterness, resentment and anger.  “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8.

Trying to clean the soul feels overwhelming also.  That’s because we can’t do it on our own.  We can only do this …” through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  Hebrews 9:14.  Christ Jesus removes the lies of strongholds by giving us the truth of His WORD!

• DE-TOXING or cleaning your spirit.

 Father God has told us “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.  We are not to follow idols.  Most of us, though, have allowed our five senses to be our idols.  And some of us, in the search for healing, have compromised our faith and let our vision be blurred as to what an idol is.  We need to purge our homes of idols.

Some of us in our frantic efforts to be healed have gone to alternative methods rather than turning to Father God who created us.  We’ve let our guard down or were just plain ignorant.  Well ignorance is not bliss.  Ignorance leads to destruction as that is Satan’s intent.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6

Instead of feeding from the Word of God we allow ourselves to turn to other gods.  We need to see them for what they really are and cleanse them from our lives.  If what you are “ingesting” spiritually does not glorify the One True God then we need to purge it from our life.  If you’re a believer these things may not jeopardize your salvation but they may affect your witness of Jesus Christ and affect someone else’s salvation.

Idols may consist of books, DVDs, CDs, games, jewelry, art, statues, posters, souvenirs or anything that exalts itself above Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life.  Check to see the background of the article you have in your possession.  Is it the symbol or practice of another religion or philosophy?  Does it lift your self effort or energy above Jesus Christ and His Word?  Does it bring peace and harmony or strife, fear and depression?

Yoga, for one, is from the Hindu religion.  You cannot Christianize Yoga.  It’s name means to yoke with Brahma the Hindu god.  The positions are meant to unite with a Hindu spirit.  Here is a great video that explains the deception of Yoga:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you objects or attitudes that would hinder your relationship with Father God. Ask yourself if it glorifies God.  Other considerations for purging may be: acupuncture, reiki, energy healing, biofeedback, horoscopes, tarot, Ouija board,  palm reading, dream catchers, TM, visualizations, EFT, reflexology, crystals, yin-yang, zen, ki or chi, martial arts, peace sign, third eye, tv shows, movies or books that promote or fantasize supernatural, occultic or immoral practices, music CDs that glorify death, suicide, drugs, or immorality, horror or scarey books and movies/DVDs, secret societies, violent or sexual video games, pornography.

Can we expect Father God to listen to our prayers when we won’t even consider cleansing ourselves from idols?  “And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.  Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.” Acts 19:18-20.

Let us not be ignorant brothers and sisters in Christ.  As we clean this fall let’s get clean on ALL levels: spirit, soul and body.

Some things to ponder for your health; spirit, soul and body.

Patti

The race is run on ski hills, sometimes trying to ride, but most times pushing a bicycle up the hill also as it involves two people and a bike.  Training on level ground wouldn’t get me in shape enough for the real thing.  As I would get out of my vehicle at the local hill to train I’d think of the Bible verse I had learned -  Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him,  and he will direct your paths.”   AKJ

Some Bible versions say “make your paths straight or make your paths smooth.”  But as I meditated on this verse the King James or American King James says it best I think; direct your paths.

God knows that He shouldn’t make your paths too easy when your training to be a Child of the Kingdom.  Following the least resistance in training doesn’t help you get ready for the race. The trials, tribulations and challenges help you to run strong, be persistent and stay the course.

You did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion comes not of him that calls you. Galations 5:7,8  AKJ

Father God would do you no favor to make the paths straight or smooth.  What he does promise to do is to run along side you encouraging you with His love, mercy and grace.  He is there to cheer you on even if you think you are running alone.  Even if you think He doesn’t care.  Even if you think He is being mean.

When we are ill, struggling financially, struggling with relationships, Father God is there by our side.   He knows we are hurting.  He knows we are tired, in pain, stumbling.  He also knows to make our paths easy won’t help us in the long run.  That’s why He gave us a great training manual.  Christ is The Word.  He is coaching us as He knows the course we are taking.  Jesus has been through the toughest hills and the deepest darkest valley.  He knows we can’t make it alone.  But He can’t do it for us.

He also calls on each of us to coach each other.  Inspire, motivate, instruct, support.  That’s what I feel He has called me to do, to help others in their training to be able to complete the race so they can also say -

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing”. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 AKJ

To your health, naturally.

Patti

It has been quite the month of August.  On August 1st we had a severe storm go through our area and uproot or snap off many trees in our yard.  This forty-foot pine just missed our house and our bedroom.  About 45 trees were damaged.  We praised the Lord because neither David nor I were hurt.  So we have been busy with clean up and repairing the roof on our house.

Also, in August was the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series race that my daughter and I  have participated in the last three years.   From the Muddy Buddy website: Teams of two traverse a 5.5-7 mile off-road course and 5 obstacles.At the start of the race, one team member will run and one will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle, find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other through the entire course.  At the end of the race, racers crawl through the infamous Mud Pit crossing the finish line together as official “Muddy Buddies”!

To your health, naturally.  Patti

In 1999 my husband, David, added a diagnosis of severe sleep apnea to the growing list including arthritis, Farmer’s Lung, obesity and ED.  Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing or stopping breathing during sleep.  Each pause in breathing is an apnea and can last from seconds to minutes and may occur 5 to 30 or more times an hour.  Sleep apnea can be diagnosed with an overnight sleep test.

The severity is determined by how often and how long the “apneas” last.  Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can be accompanied by loud snoring.  David’s sleep test showed he had 73 episodes an hour with the longest event at 38 seconds making it severe OSA.  It was suggested that losing weight would reduce the symptoms.

So what were our medical options?  1. Surgery.  It seemed like a good option until David talked to a “thin” friend who had sleep apnea and had taken the surgical option but within a year developed the symptoms back again.  2. A CPAP machine which blows air in your face through a mask that you wear at night forcing you to take breaths.  Unfortunately not an option for someone with claustrophobia which David had.

David’s cardiovascular system may have been affected but more obvious than that was the affect all of the health issues were having on our relationship.  His LOUD, LOUD snoring and gasping for air after a long apnea had been driving one of us out of our bedroom for the last eight years prior to his diagnosis.  Either he or I would take the couch.  At home that was somewhat tolerable.  On trips it was impossible.

The kids would try to wear earplugs or take a separate room and I would try to find refuge in the bathroom with the fan on.  Sometimes David would go out to our vehicle to sleep or use the lobby much to the chagrin of the hotel clerks.  It was a trying time to say the very least.  Now even the two options we had didn’t seem like they provided much hope.

We loved each other but the strain was showing with short tempers and hurt feelings. A choice had to be made because the situation couldn’t continue much longer.

You see, David thought his situation was normal for him now.  He had already accepted not sleeping at night and nodding off during the day.  He had accepted painful aching joints, chronic coughing, being overweight, high blood pressure, ED and rashes.  That was his normal and he thought that if the medical professionals couldn’t change his situation nothing or no one could.

I knew something needed to change but I didn’t know what or how.  David and I had been moderate Christians.  We went to church on Sundays, rarely missing.  We believed in prayer but didn’t pray together.  We listened to the sermons and scripture at church but didn’t read our Bibles during the week.  So we went along tolerating all of the physical ailments not understanding that with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!  We had been looking to the doctors, nurses, procedures, medications for the salvation of health instead of to the Creator of our bodies.

We stalled making a choice with the sleep apnea until 2002 when God answered our sporadic cries for help.  Our God is a great and merciful God and while looking in a Christian book store for a gift I came across a book that to me had the answer to David’s ailments.  The book was about changing your lifestyle of eating to change your internal environment.  Changing your internal environment to the way God designed it eliminates disease.

I purchased the book and read it that same evening.  I handed it to David the next day.  He wasn’t so eager.  He felt we had been eating just fine.  He had finally reduced his intake of six-plus cans of Coke a day to one once in a while and he had quit his consumption of packages of processed brownies.  What else was there to do?  He reluctantly took what seemed to me an eternity to read the book.

We both knew something had to change or our relationship would take a different course.  David conceded.  “If we are going to do this we’re going to do this ALL THE WAY.” he said.  The book called for a drastic two-week change of nutrition as an experiment to see if doing so would reduce symptoms. We both agreed that we could last two weeks.

Well, the change of eating was simple, but not easy.  And, I hadn’t prepared for the change of cooking.  It seemed everything in our house had the wrong ingredient and I learned I had relied on the food I purchased to have the flavor in it.  It was back to basics and no processed food or condiments.  Then there were the challenges of eating out.

Long story short we survived the two weeks and to our amazement, not only survived but David’s OSA symptoms were gone!!  He had started sleeping through the night!  He couldn’t believe it.  It seemed strange to him to not wake up several times to watch TV or go to the bathroom or clean.  (I do miss that part.)  As we slept I had to put my hand on his chest to see if he was OK as prior to changing our lifestyle I had heard snoring or gasping.  It was so awesome to be able to sleep together again after 12 years of nighttime hell.

A few people attributed the change to weight loss after our lifestyle change.  But, five or so pounds when you weigh over 280 pounds doesn’t make that drastic a change.  Not only did David’s sleep apnea disappear but so did his chronic cough from his diagnosed Farmer’s Lung, his rashes, his aching joints and swollen ankles after another week!

We were so thankful to God for the information He had led us to.  If not for that knowledge we would still be on the medical-go-round of doctor visits, tests, procedures, machines, injections and medications or a funeral.  We should have, in fact, gone to the Great Physician at the start of David’s health ordeal in 1991.  It possibly would have saved us years of wandering in an emotional and physical wilderness.

The LORD has also led us to more knowledge over the years that when acted upon has given us true health freedom.  He has also restored every bit of our relationship!  Neither of us are on any medications; prescribed or over-the-counter.  God has truly blessed us and has given us the calling to help others.

July in the USA is a time of celebration of our nation’s freedoms.  I would like to take this  July to start to assist you in your quest for health freedom.  I am offering half off of my service fees for my Gold, Silver or Bronze programs if you contact me in July.

See what I offer by going to www.OvercomeChronicIllness.com/services

You can always try the free demo by going to www.OvercomeChronicIllness/your-next-step.

John 8:32  “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

To your health, naturally.  Patti

Well, I have other news for you.  If God wants you sick why keep going to doctors?  If that’s your “cross” to bear then bear it without complaining.  And as for the Apostle Paul here’s what I’ve found out in my research.

Most scholars and pastors will tell you that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was likely a physical ailment of some kind.  Paul doesn’t actually tell us what this so called ailment was however, just that he asked for  it to be removed three times and God said “no, My power is made perfect in weakness.”

Well, I did a word search on an online Bible program called Biblos.com.  I came up with seven references to “thorn in the flesh” that didn’t deal with a physical ailment.  As a matter of fact the references were like somebody saying they have a “pain in the neck”.  That phrase doesn’t have to be a physical pain in your neck.  It can refer to another person being an irritant.   Well, guess what?  That is the same analogy as these scripture verses:

• But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which you let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein you dwell. Numbers 33:55
• And there shall be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 28:24
• And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:6
• The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of your watchmen and your visitation comes; now shall be their perplexity. Micah 7:4
• Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.  Joshua 23:13
• Why I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you. Judges 2:3
• But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: 2 Samuel 23:6

All of them refer to people!  People who were irritants and pains in the neck.  People who were not Godly but from Satan just as Paul says his messenger was.  A messenger who was sent to torment and be a pain in the neck or a thorn in the flesh.

I submit to you that God didn’t refuse to heal Paul from an ailment but refused to take away the person(s) who was causing him grief.  Just as we sometimes need to keep dealing with co-workers, friends and even family members who are pains in the lower part of our anatomy.  God’s power is made perfect in our weakness to deal with others because we would like to use our sinful self to solve the problem.   But we must rely on God’s directive to forgive 70 times seven and to live peaceably with everyone.

Jesus on the other hand healed all who came to Him.  He even raised people from the dead.  Jesus never did anything against the Father’s will or permission.  Everything that Jesus did came from the Father.  He NEVER turned anyone away. We have verses like:

• Psalm 103:3 who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases;
• Exodus 15:26 and he said, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.”
• Psalms 107:20  He sends his word, and heals them, and delivers them from their graves.
• Matthew 10:1  He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
• Luke 4:40  When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

And there are numerous other verses where God heals those who ask.  So now you are wondering where that leaves you since you have asked repeatedly for healing to no avail. Which brings us to Mark 6:5  He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. 

Why couldn’t Jesus do no mighty work  in His own hometown?  He was amazed at their unbelief!  So faith that God can and wants to heal you is essential.  But is that all?  Not according to Exodus 15:26 and he said, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.”

We as Christians need to set ourselves apart; to be in the world but not be of the world, to have no other gods but God the Father, God the Word and God the Spirit as the Hebrew puts it “plural unity” and to forgive and love our neighbors as ourselves.

So do you watch the same TV shows and movies, listen to the same music, look at the same internet sites and eat the same Standard American diet as the rest of society?  Are you fearful or put all your trust in any other method or practitioner other than the God of the Bible?  Are you bitter, resentful, envious, spiteful, anxious, hate yourself or others?  It’s not a matter of following the letter of the law perfectly so God will heal you, it’s about desiring to follow what God has told us is best for us because He loves us. It’s about loving Him, listening to Him by reading His Word and setting ourselves apart as He has asked us to do.

Matthew 7:9-11 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 

How are you setting yourself apart from the rest of the world so your Father can bestow His Child with good gifts?  He already has given His life for you.  He wants you well and that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

May you have a Blessed Easter and a new life in Christ.

Patti

If you would like someone to assist you in overcoming a chronic illness and finding a new life in Christ read more About Me.

The first weekend in March my husband, David, and I went to a Be In Health Conference in a nearby city.  We found out how much the spiritual realm plays a huge part in our health and renewed our confidence that God loves us and truly wants His children healthy and revealed to us what it takes to get there. Spiritually and physically.

How many people have had their parents, especially their father, tell them they loved them and was proud of them?  I don’t just mean assume their parents loved them but were TOLD they were loved!  I found out this week that if that doesn’t happen the spirit of feeling unloved and unwanted can prevail until you are 92.

The precious woman I’m talking about is my mother.  She was never or rarely told she was loved by her parents and carried that over to her adulthood.  She rarely told us, her children, that she loved us.  She couldn’t seem to get the words out. We were just supposed to know that.

As I was visiting her last week I started singing the well-known Sunday School song, Jesus Loves Me This I Know.  She knew the words and struggled to sing along.  I asked her if she had told the Sunday School children that Jesus loved them.  She said no, which kind of startled me. I asked why.  She said “I suppose it’s because my mother never told me.”  That was profound and enlightening for me. I knew that her father hadn’t told her as he was a very rough and stern man.

How can we relate to God’s love in our lives if we’ve never been shown or even told that we’re loved?  Maybe some of us have been even called names or criticized by our parents. We could never live up to their expectations.  We were NEVER good enough. Even something that may have been said before you were born!  Their love was very conditional; we’d find favor if.  So some of us became people pleasers.  Always trying to do the RIGHT thing to find acceptance and favor or love.  Some of us went the other way and rebelled, not caring what anyone thought of us.  Others looked for love in all the wrong places.

BUT, in order to be an overcomer of a chronic illness you MUST know how much God loves you or you won’t trust Him for healing.  You’ll stay in self-hate, anxiety, fear, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, anger, rage and guilt.   Mom, at 92,was carrying all of those spirits even as a converted Christian.  She is going to heaven but she’s made herself miserable for many years.  I know her husband, my father, told her he loved her.  But somehow that doesn’t carry the same meaning as a father’s love and acceptance.

Even God the Father told His Son out loud so all could hear.  Matthew 3:17 – “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

So to be an overcomer and trust Father God for healing we need to repair our relationship with Him; know that He created all things and that He can heal us and WANTS to heal us.  Spirit, soul and body.  But we can’t keep carrying around those other spirits of sin.  We need to forgive those who trespass against us, unconditionally.  We need to let it go. Let go of the fear and anxiety and phobias.

I talked mom through letting it go and forgiving her parents and sending those spirits packing.  It’s just not worth the torment we go through by listening to and acting on those unloving sinful spiritual thoughts for our entire lives.  Now, even though her life is ebbing, when I ask her how she is she says, “I’m good, not too bad” instead of “I don’t care about anything” or “I wish I were in THE BOX”.  And when I tell her I love her, now instead of saying “I do, too” she’ll say “I LOVE YOU, TOO.” Now, finally, she has the peace that passes all understanding. Philippians 4:7 Especially now, that’s the most important thing to know that God really loves her and will take care of her.  Romans 8:38-39   For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you want to start to become an overcomer, find me and get to know me at www.overcomechronicillness.com/about

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2

Patti

Wrong.  Dead wrong.

You hear about marathoners collapsing and dying during or right after a race, but they’ve overtaxed themselves and are probably elderly folk some may think.

Well, in the last couple of years we’ve had two sets of family friends whose young adult children just died without any supposed cause.  One just last month.  A young 33 year old mother and wife who was on the treadmill working out with her husband who was lifting weights.  She looked at him and said “I don’t feel well” and she collapsed never to recover.  No aneurysm, no blockage or malformation.  Her autonomic nervous system stopped functioning & her heart just quit beating.  Thirty-three and leaving behind a husband and two young elementary children and a host of bereaving family and friends.

A year ago the same sort of thing happened to another set of friends.  Their son was riding snowmobile and stopped at a stop sign and slumped over the handle bars.  Around twenty four years old.  Dead.  No apparent reason.

Last month during a boy’s basketball game in a nearby town a high school player fell over from a sudden cardiac arrest. No cause yet identified.  The news read: “The Perham High School junior who collapsed during a basketball game at DGF school last week, has been transferred to a Twin Cities hospital for more specialized care. Zach Gabbard’s CaringBridge website says he remains in critical condition at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.” In the journal on his site it states “A biopsy of his heart was also done in order to find out the cause of his collapse 12 days ago. Unfortunately, the biopsy showed them nothing. He still remains heavily sedated and in critical condition.”

Just 10 years ago I hadn’t known anyone or heard of anyone having sudden cardiac arrest.  So why now?

Well,  in an article titled Sudden Cardiac Death and Food Excitotoxin Additives by Dr.Russell Blaylock, a board certified neurosurgeon, author and lecturer, he states:

Over 460,000 people per year are now dying of a disorder called of sudden cardiac death according to CDC statistics. This is a condition striking otherwise healthy people, who have experienced no obvious symptoms of heart disease prior to their deaths.  An alarming number of these deaths are occurring in young athletes, both in high schools, colleges, as well as among professional athletes.

While cardiologists have found coronary disease and suspect previous scars from silent heart attacks in a number of these individuals, one mechanism is getting no attention at all, and that is excitotoxic damage caused by food additives and the artificial sweetener aspartame. This is despite growing evidence that the excitotoxic mechanism plays a major role in cardiac disease.

Previously, it was thought that excitotoxin food additives, such as monosodium glutamate and aspartic acid in aspartame, cause their damage in the cardiovascular centers in the brain stem and/or by over stimulating sympathetic centers in the hypothalamus of the brain. Both of these mechanisms have been shown to result in sudden cardiac death in experimental animals.

A particular deadly combination occurs in young athletes, which includes low magnesium intake, high calcium intake, low intake of omgea-3 fatty acids and excitotoxin food additives. Strenuous exercise- especially in extreme heat is known to deplete the body’s magnesium stores, as is consumption of carbonated drinks and taking calcium supplements. In addition, adrenalin secretion, increased during exercise, increases heart muscle irritability and magnesium loss as well.

When calcium supplements are taken in the face of existing magnesium deficiency, both magnesium and calcium is driven into the bones, resulting in a sudden magnesium depletion crisis. Low magnesium is known to produce both seizures and cause sudden cardiac arrest. In a classic experiment, it was found that stressing animals who were magnesium deficient resulted in an almost 100% mortality from sudden cardiac arrest. Adding magnesium cut mortality dramatically.

A considerable amount of evidence has shown that low omega-3 fat intake significantly increases the risk and severity of cardiac arrhythmias, the main cause of sudden cardiac death. Likewise, a number of studies have shown that Americans are significantly deficient in these protective fats.

Finally, recent research has shown that the brain is not the only tissue having glutamate receptors. Numerous glutamate receptors have been found within the heart’s electrical conduction system, as well as heart muscle. When an excess of food-borne excitotoxins, such as MSG, hydrolyzed protein, soy protein isolate and concentrate, natural flavoring, sodium caseinate and aspartate from aspartame, are consumed, these glutamate receptors are over stimulated, producing cardiac arrhythmias.

When magnesium stores are low, as we see in athletes, the glutamate receptors are so sensitive that even low levels of these excitotoxins can result in cardiac arrhythmias and death. This is especially so when combined with the other factors mentioned. Under such conditions, free radicals and lipid peroxidation products build up within the muscle cells, leading to the same outcome.

High consumption of aspartame adds an additional cardiac muscle toxin, methanol. A number of studies have shown that consuming aspartame and MSG (and similar excitotoxins) together greatly magnifies the toxicity. Young people live on junk foods, most of which contain a number of excitotoxin additives. Several studies have shown that the levels being consumed by our youth equal those causing the damage in experimental animals. Humans are 5X more sensitive to these toxins than any animal.

These same factors operate in older individuals as well. Most over age 50 years are depleted of magnesium, have low omega-3 fat intakes, are under stress and take a number of medications that worsen nutrition, especially magnesium levels. Because they are more likely to also have coronary artery disease and other medical conditions, their risk of sudden cardiac death is even higher.

Both athletes and those over age 45 years should take magnesium supplements, antioxidants, omega-3 oils, eat more vegetables and avoid foods and artificial sweeteners containing excitotoxins such as aspartame and MSG. This will do a lot more than trying to rescue a person with an external defibrillator after the fact.

Here is a great book about excitotoxins by Dr Russell Blaylock Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

Other sources regarding information about aspartame can be found at: Dropping Like Flies; poisoned by aspartame and Aspartame and aspartame poisoning information site.

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In trying to stay away from artificial sweeteners I was looking for some natural things that could satisfy that sweet craving.  Gum is one.  But most gums have either sugar or artificial sweeteners like aspartame.  I found one however that is sugar free AND aspartame free. Zapp! Gum. If you’re looking for one sweet treat that won’t add to your toxic load check out zappgum.com
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Happy St Valentine’s Day and share the love and information about sudden cardiac arrest.

If you would like to have someone assist you in recovering that lost state of health you find yourself in check out www.overcomechronicillnss.com I will never turn anyone away due to inability to pay.

Patti