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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
feed the hungry...
I hope this article inspires you, this year donations are low, but demands are high. If you cant find a food drive around, start your own. We should all donate clothes for the winter as well.
Students organize food drive for needy families
11/11/2009
Author(s): Ahmad Shuja
Nov. 7: On that early Saturday morning, about 150 Berea students, staff and faculty joined forces with the local community to volunteer at the Berea Food Bank.
The 17th Annual Hunger Hurts Food Drive |
Student teams and some faculty and their families drove around the city in vans to collect food donations from residents. At the Food Bank, other students and staff sorted and stashed the haul – canned soup, sauce, pasta and all. View the photo gallery.
“We have 4,264 pounds of food so far,” announced Beverly Cook, college employee and one of the coordinators of the event, at one point. The volunteers clapped and cheered at their progress.
But within a few hours, they had collected, sorted and stored more than 8,000 pounds of non-perishable food. The Food Bank was now packed.
The Annual Hunger Hurts Food Drive was organized by student leaders at Berea’s Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) to provide emergency food assistance to local families.
The first Hunger Hurts Food Drive was organized 17 years ago by Students for Appalachia, a student organization at Berea College. The event has since grown into a philanthropic tradition. Students at CELTS have taken over the program, conducting a food drive every year.
Volunteers this year came from a diverse cross-section of the student body – the Student Government, Berea Ambassadors, Campus Activities Board, college chaplains and students at CELTS. Also joining was the youth group from Union Church, a non-denominational church with historic ties to Berea College.
“The Hunger Hurts Food Drive is always one of my favorite days of the year,” said Heather Schill, Coordinator of Student-Led Service Programs at CELTS, and one of the organizers of the Food Drive.
“People can see the real, tangible difference they can make.”
Schill’s works to groom student leaders in service by blending philanthropy and learning through student-led community service projects such as the Food Drive.
Schill said visits to the Food Bank are expected to reach 1,000 by the end of the year because local families are feeling the effects of the economic downturn.
Meanwhile, donations at the Food Bank continue to trickle in from students and Berea citizens. Students can drop their donations at Food Service and Hutchins Library, which accepts payment of library dues in non-perishable food.
http://www.berea.edu/bcnow/story.asp?ArticleID=1568
Also please support, see below, my mother in law already has - good job!!
http://www.womensdropin.org/
children of God....
Living as Children of Light
17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26“In your anger do not sin”d: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Ephesians 4:32
Monday, November 9, 2009
words from me...
I am learning a lot these days. Struggles will always be as long as we live.
The Pastor said last sunday good days and bad days are like the rain and the sun. If it rains
too much we'd be begging for sun, if the sun is out too long we'd be be begging for rain. Good times
and bad times are what we need to survive because they are a balance in our lives. We should consider
ourselves blessed by our spiritualy not with things we have. I am blessed when it rains, blessed when it's sunny so to speak. The pastor also said when your going through a drought whether it's financially or whatever think of it as a time to be humble, a time for growth, it's a resting season he said. The best times in our lives are in our struggles, because we grow the most during those times. When we are weak he is strong.
Love,
Kiki
energy
Don't skip breakfast
Studies show that children who eat breakfast do better in school. It doesn't take much further thought to realize adults will feel better and perform better at work as well. Whether you work at home, on the farm, at the office, at school, or on the road, it is not a good idea to skip breakfast. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.
When you skip breakfast, you are likely to become tired when your brain and body run low on fuel. By mid-morning, you might grab a cup of coffee or wolf down a sugary candy bar to wake up again. This might work for a few minutes, but by lunch time you are hungry, crabby, and perhaps your mood might make you a little more prone to make unhealthy choices at lunch.
Skipping breakfast is a common strategy for losing weight, but not a smart one. Many people believe that they will lose weight if they skip meals, but that just isn't true; the body expects to be refueled a few times each day -- starting with breakfast.
Actually, eating breakfast is good for weight loss. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
Drink water
Water is a main source of energy for the body. Waiting until you get thirsty is a mistake, because thirst is a sign your energy is becoming depleted. No one lets their car's gas tank get completely empty before they fill it, yet many people allow this to happen to their bodies by waiting to drink water. Don't let your body stall on the side of the road! Drink water regularly to keep your body hydrated, and your energy levels at their peak.
Most people don't consume enough water because they wait until they are thirsty. This is a philosophy perpetuated by the National Academy of Sciences, among others. This theory has been passed down for over 100 years, because during a time when research in dehydration and thirst was being studied by the French, American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon dismissed this research, claiming through rather gruesome experiments on dogs, that thirst was only a the condition of having a dry mouth.
Rub your ear lobes
In an Old Testament account found in Leviticus, the priest placed a healing essential oil on the right ear lobe, right thumb and right big toe of the one to be cleansed.
When you stimulate your ears, it's wake up call for your other organs too. So give your whole ear a rubdown. This is also supposed to redirect your energy up to your head, which is a good way to perk up because "fatigue often makes you feel like all your energy is dragging downward - dr Merritt.
Reward yourself
When you have things you don't want to do look forward to a treat after wards. If you have to clean the kitchen and you don't feel like it, make your self an ice cream Sunday after, or go rent a movie to make yourself feel like your working for a treat..lol:)
love
Song of Solomon 1:2
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. (NIV)
Song of Solomon 2:16
My lover is mine, and I am his. (NLT)
Song of Solomon 4:10
How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice! (NIV)
Song of Solomon 8:6
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. (NIV)
Song of Solomon 8:7
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned. (NIV)
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a and 13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails....And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (NIV)
Ephesians 5:33
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (NIV)
Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (NIV)
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (NIV)
1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (NIV)
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (NIV)
faith
Hebrews 11
By Faith
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Monday, October 26, 2009
astrology and the Bible
http://www.konig.org/astrology.htm - source
Astrology and the Bible
I have a co-worker who keeps telling people that the three wise men were astrologers because "they read the signs in the heavens and followed the North Star." I cringe every time I hear her say that, and I have, on several occasions, corrected her. Why she insists on perpetuating this lie is anybody's guess, but apparently she heard it in some Bible study, and therefore it must be true. Unfortunately, she's not the only one who's doing it. There are many people are out there spreading misinterpreted gospel, and the bottom line is, it's dangerous.I believe one of the biggest problems with Bible interpretation attempts is that many people don't really know Jesus, and don't have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them - yet they're ready to either espouse their uninformed opinions whenever possible, or swallow whatever nonsense they hear from others who are equally ignorant about the Bible. They might know ABOUT Jesus, but they don't have a personal relationship with Him and are, consequently, still "walking in the way of the world," using their human mindsets to try to interpret God's word. They are what a pastor friend of mine calls "fence straddlers." With one leg in the spiritual realm and one leg in the "carnal" world, they refuse to budge from either one. Granted, they might run to church every Sunday, or be involved in all kinds of church activities, but they wouldn't know Jesus if they fell on Him because they never try to dig deeper. They're just a bunch of people sitting at the edge of God's swimming pool, so to speak, getting their big toes wet, rather than just jumping in and immersing themselves with the whole Truth.
The other problem in our modern day world is that there is a garden variety of kooks with their own websites clogging up the Information Superhighway, sharing whatever muck is in their twisted minds. To wit, one astrological website I recently accessed boldly proclaims that "When the Bible talks about 'the stars', it is talking about Astrology."
Is that so? Let's examine what the Bible REALLY says. The following verse from Isaiah shows God addressing Babylon about the sins they are committing, including the seeking of guidance from astrologers....
Isaiah 47:13-14 (NIV translation): All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by.
There are many other scriptures about astrology/witchcraft, and interpreters of omens. How anyone (even those who don't know the Bible very well) can misinterpret God's word on this issue is beyond me:
Deuteronomy 4:19 (NIV): And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
Leviticus 20:6 says God will separate himself from those who go after mediums and spiritists.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says that practicing witchcraft, sorcery, soothsaying, interpreting omens, making spells, and being a medium or spiritist, are all terrible sins to God.
Daniel 2:27-28 talks of how God kept King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation secret from the astrologers, magicians or dream interpreters, and soothsayers. However, he revealed it to his prophet Daniel.
Acts 16:16-18 talks of a girl who was possessed by an evil spirit that enabled her to be a fortune teller. Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her in the name or authority of Jesus, and the spirit left her.
In Deuteronomy 18:9-11, Moses informs the Israelites: When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. (Deuteronomy 18:9-11 NIV).
2 Chronicles 33:5-6 (NIV): In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his sons in [a] the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
Throughout the entire Bible God allows only His prophets to accurately interpret any kind of "signs."
With so many people insisting on using their human mindsets to interpret God's word, is it any wonder we have so many "religions" and weird beliefs and false prophets today? Someone once told me they don't like the fact that Jesus referred to people as "lambs" or "sheep" in need of a shepherd. Well, we ARE like sheep. We all follow something or somebody. Those who are desperate to know their future follow astrology or tarot card readers or whatever (never mind the fact that God is in charge, whether they realize it or not!); the Germans followed Hitler, even after they became aware that he was off his rocker; history repeated itself with Milosevic in Kosovo when his followers went along with his efforts at ethnic cleansing in that region; the Hollywood jet set are following the false teaching of Scientology because it caters to their need to deify themselves; many Americans of the Clinton era gladly followed their illustrious prez down a path of immorality, dissecting the meaning of the word "is" along the way; hundreds died for Jim Jones and David Koresh, and the leader of that weird asteroid cult who dressed in purple and laid down to die while waiting for the mother ship to beam them up; American school children copy and mimic the dress, hairstyles and actions of their favorite movie stars and rock bands; Shirley MacLaine follows her belief in being born again, and again, and again....
Instead of listening to God and what He wants, most people simply turn their backs and do their "own thing" because it's easier to be "in and of the world".
We all have the choice to believe whatever we want and however we want - but we'd also better be prepared to explain "why" on Judgment Day, because God isn't going to let us off the hook:
Revelation 3:16 (NIV): So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
In Matthew 7:22-24, Jesus said: Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:22-24 NIV).
Astrologers, Satanists, witches, psychics, and all those who are dabbling in magic of some kind - take heed: Man's efforts to predict omens and tell the future through magic are always fruitless. These "gifts" come from Satan, not from your Creator. Dabbling in these will only result in certain spiritual death. God says so.
Anonymous
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
words from me....
Don't think about what you can't do, think about what you can do! - from Ni Hoa Kai Lan Nick Jr. lol
My daughter's cartoons have some good messages, things we were taught when we were kids, we forget.
Have a productive week people!
Love,
Kiki
Did you know this??
You probably already know if you want to lose weight how you have to burn more calories each week than you eat. This can be done by a variety of activities, such as working out at the gym, bicycling, swimming, and playing sports, etc.
Unfortunately, buying expensive exercise equipment or investing money in a gym membership isn’t feasible for everyone. What’s more, some people feel they're are too busy to find time for a work out. If you don’t have the time or money to invest in fitness, it’s easy to excuse yourself from exercising.
True, it helps to have a planned activity. But just by working hard in the house and yard you can burn about as many calories as walking on a treadmill for the same amount of time. Yes, all those mundane household chores you do at home daily count in burning a significant amount of calories.
Not only do you burn calories cleaning your house, but you also improve your body. For keeping your arms shapely, you can polish, dust, mop and/or sweep. Whenever you make the beds you’re bending and stretching. Just add a few more bends and stretches if you only have one or two beds to make. Doing the laundry tones thighs and improves flexibility. And, the next time you’re tempted to complain about living in a multi-storied house, be thankful that all that running up and down the stairs can serve as an aerobic workout.
Vacuuming – 75 – 125 calories. Give yourself a real workout. Tackle all those corners and specs of dirt.
Cooking - 40 – 50 calories
Cleaning gutters – 340 calories
Mopping floors - 112 calories. Besides burning calories, you can tone your shoulders and biceps.
Yard Work
Walk outside and you can burn even more calories. An hour of gardening burns about 256 calories. You’ll also be working on your arms, back and legs.Raking leaves – 110 calories per hour
Lawn mowing – 150-225 calories per hour. (Nope, this doesn’t include a riding mower.) The more you push, the more calories burned.
Cleaning gutters – 340 calories per hour, firming your back arms and shoulders
Painting - 288 calories for an hour of painting, working your arms and knees.
Gutter cleaning – 320 calories per hour, working on your shoulders, upper back, arms and legs.
Shopping
Leave your pocketbook at home and go to the mall. Walk around the mall for least 30 minutes, not stopping to look into the windows.Added Activities
Although housework and yard work do burn calories, if you want to be lose a lot of weight you need to add some form of physical activity that you do on a regular basis. Even if it’s just walking in or around your house, it’s just as good as if you were on a pricey treadmill or working out at a fitness center.Also, keep in mind that these calories noted are based on the weight of an average-sized person. The more you weigh the more calories you’ll burn. Use an online calorie counter to determine just how many calories you can burn for your particular size.
When you burn calories caring for your house and yard you get a double bonus. Not only do you work off pounds but you can also feel good about making your home clean and organized.
The copyright of the article Housework Burns Calories in Weight Loss Methods is owned by Venice Kichura. Permission to republish Housework Burns Calories in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Read more: http://weight-loss-methods.suite101.com/article.cfm/housework_burns_calories#ixzz0UXNcA4dB
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
www.godandstuff.com
Note: I didn't write the below articles, all articles posted www.godandstuff.com are NOT written
by me!
Why is loving ourselves so hard sometimes?
After a lot of emotionally and intellectually turbulent times during the course of my young adult life, I felt that I needed to review my choices to identify and pursue things that really made me happy.
Having been raised around Christianity all my life, when I hit eighteen it was clear that a piece of me had tuned it out.
As much as I drew benefit from Christianity and the people in it, I pushed it aside for the sake of participating in a totally different lifestyle. At the age of nineteen I got into the party scene, had numerous relationships, used drugs and drank extensively, pursued my career, and lived a life full of sensual indulgence.
Typically, I am a person of extremes. During this particular chapter of my life, I was always seeking a new thrill and came close to dying a few times due to excessive drug use.
Later on, after we had gotten out of our drug habits, one of my closest friends remarked:
“You were the one trying to kill us all.”
In the end, I saw and learned a lot of things. Looking back though, I would rather not have spent the time to learn these lessons.
I already knew the things I was chasing after didn’t have a point, I saw it in the lives of everyone around me. I wouldn’t have considered it a mystery that becoming a drug addict was not a good idea. But, for some reason I went there and did a lot of damage to my life and the lives of people around me.
In a period where I was my own moral compass, I did what I wanted and didn’t hold myself accountable to anyone or anything, not even to my own set of ideals.
And let’s not even bother talking about the relationships I was having at the time, yikes.
After I had spun my wheels for five or six years, I stopped and reviewed both the worst and happiest times in my life and cataloged the emotions I experienced. After a period of reflection, I realized that the best periods of my life were ones where I was loving myself and others with the same type of love as described in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
After considering this characterization of love, I decided to live according to these principles to see where it took me. If the other things I had chased after brought me nothing but unhappiness, I could at least pursue something that had made me happy at one point in my life.
As I read more of the Bible, I found some verses that changed my thoughts on God in general.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Hebrews 13:8
[God] is the same yesterday and today and forever.
I thought that if God was love, and God loved me in the way the Bible defined love, I would strive to love others in the same way.
Also, because of God’s eternal nature, it meant that his loving character would remain the same. This meant that my reflection of eternal love must be just as immovable and consistent.
You can ask the string of broken hearted women I have left trailing in my wake about how long this has taken to actually achieve, but I finally did it.
The verses above provided an example for what type of love to give people in a variety of contexts. I wanted to love my friends, family, business partners, strangers, girlfriend/spouse, and future children in a way that felt peaceful and right.
This meant being forgiving, not getting into pointless arguments, or holding grudges. It meant always thinking the best of someone, and trusting that they’ll work to change when they say they will.
As loving behavior is an active and ongoing choice, it also meant that I would need to express my sense of committment through both words and actions, consistently and clearly.
In my life I strive to push myself to love people more each day. This influences my friendships, romantic ideals, business interactions, and every aspect of my life.
I used to think the toughest part of applying this loving standard was in caring for myself despite my faults and shortcomings. Though after a number of years, I understand now that it is harder to be vulnerable and accept love from others; love requires trust, vulnerability, and honesty.
I have found that one of the greatest things that keeps people from loving each other and being consistently vulnerable is fear.
We can become afraid, and our hearts closed, for a variety of reasons such as the fear of:
- Rejection
- Loneliness
- Not having our needs met
- Being exposed
- Getting caught
For some, it is society’s push to always want something more for ourselves that keeps us from loving or being loved. We are not trained to be able to say,
“I’m happy and satisfied with my life.”
Instead, we are almost always looking at how we can improve our social, financial, or professional status, achieve some type of goal, travel here, or eat there.
These “goals” are actually endless pursuits, they will lead us farther and farther away from ourselves if we let them. I know many people who have experienced misery for the sake of chasing after their happiness. They achieve what they set out to, but in the end they’re just as unhappy and miserable as they were when they started. The worst part of this, is that there are often sacrifices of emotions, money, but most importantly time–something we can never get back.
So why chase after the wind and become unhappy, just to be even more unhappy?
This question way overcomplicates things I know, life shouldn’t be that simple.
I am the happiest when I accept myself, and my life, for what it is. Having goals is important, but so is being content with what we have.
http://www.godandstuff.com/
Signs before a meltdown, and what to focus on afterwards
8.28.09 HUMANS DO SOME WEIRD THINGS
As I have continued my journey of self-improvement and grown closer to God, I have come to see that I do not gravitate towards these things as much as I had in the past, andI really need to be in a particularly low place to feel inclined to reach for them.
I have managed to stay away from certain vices for a long time, but, ocassionally, I find myself inclined.
The key to understanding, and avoiding, these potential lapses into old behavior is to be able to recognize when I am in a bad emotional or physical place.
Sometimes I find that I am depressed or really worn down and I don’t even know it, or maybe I am really anxious or worried about something but it is not consciously on my mind because I am so busy all the time.
I had a lapse today, something I am not proud of, but it humbled me by showing that I didn’t reach out to God for help when I was feeling the lowest.
The things I do when I lapse would hurt and disappoint those around me, and I feel awful that I repay a lifetime of God’s kindness with willing choices to deny his love in my actions.
I know God forgives, and I already feel that weight of sin lifted after I asked for forgiveness and sang a song to Him, but that is no excuse and it doesn’t make it okay.
After years of trying to love myself and those around me, I know that my relationship with myself and God is the one that I need to work out as that is the only one that will make every other relationship in my life better.
Acai berry
Acai Berries and Acai Berry Juice -- What Are the Health Benefits?
Have you heard about the acai berry? Do you want to know more about the health benefits of acai berries and berry juice? Acai berries are highly touted by marketers who say it’s one of the elite superfoods with anti-aging and weight loss properties. Some manufacturers use acai berries in cosmetics and beauty products. But do scientific studies support these claims of acai benefits?
What is the acai berry?
The acai berry is an inch-long reddish, purple fruit. It comes from the acai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea), which is native to Central and South America. It is a relative of the blueberry, cranberry, and other dark purple fruits.
Research on the acai berry has focused on its possible antioxidant activity. Theoretically, that activity may help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress such as heart disease and cancer.
Is the acai berry healthy?
Acai contains several substances called anthocyanins and flavonoids.
The word anthocyanin comes from two Greek words meaning “plant” and “blue.” Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, purple, and blue hues in many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Foods that are richest in anthocyanins -- such as blueberries, red grapes, red wine, and acai -- are very strongly colored, ranging from deep purple to black.
Anthocyanins and flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that help defend the body against life's stressors. They also play a role in the body's cell protection system. Free radicals are harmful byproducts produced by the body. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants may interfere with aging and the disease process by neutralizing free radicals.
By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
Are there known health benefits of acai berries?
Some studies show that acai fruit pulp has a very high antioxidant capacity with even more antioxidant content than cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry. Studies are ongoing, though, and the jury is still out.
People eat acai berries to address various health conditions. But so far, acai berries have no known health benefit that’s any different than that of other similar fruits.
Can acai berries boost weight loss?
Scientists are learning more about the functional power of superfoods, such as the acai berry. Although acai is touted in some weight loss products, few studies have tested the benefit of acai in promoting weight loss.
For now, plenty of research supports eating a diet rich in antioxidants. There’s no doubt that berries and other fruits are a key part of any healthy diet promoting weight loss. The jury’s still out on whether there is something special about acai’s ability to shed excess pounds.
Why are acai berries used in beauty products?
Some cosmetics and beauty products contain acai oil in the ingredient list. That’s because acai oil is a powerhouse of antioxidants.
Studies show that acai oil may be a safe alternative to other tropical oils used in beauty products such as facial and body creams, anti-aging skin therapies, shampoos and conditioners, and other products. When acai oil is processed and stored long-term, the antioxidant levels remain high.
Do acai berries and acai juice have any side effects?
If you have pollen allergies or have a known hypersensitivity to acai or similar berries, you may want to avoid this fruit. When eaten in moderate amounts, though, acai is likely safe.
/www.webmd.com
superfood
The ABC of Superfoods
The term superfoods entered the language in the 1990s to denote foods packed with nutrients that supposedly have health-giving properties. Some are exotic, such as alfalfa, spirulina and wheatgrass, and some prosaic such as broccoli, beans and beetroot.
Superfoods soon became the new health craze. Dr. Steven Pratt's book SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life, for example, became an instant bestseller. By making the fourteen superfoods highlighted in Dr. Pratt's book part of your regular eating habits, you can apparently change the course of your biochemistry and stop the incremental changes in your body that lead to diseases such as type II diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, obesity, and Alzheimer's.
The fourteen superfoods that will change your life, according to Dr. Pratt, are:
- Beans — reduce obesity
- Blueberries — lower risk for cardiovascular disease
- Broccoli — lowers the incidence of cataracts and fights birth defects
- Oats — reduce the risk of type II diabetes
- Oranges — prevent strokes
- Pumpkin — lowers the risk of various cancers
- Soy — lowers cholesterol
- Spinach — decreases the chance of cardiovascular disease and age-related macular degeneration
- Tea (green or black) — helps prevent osteoporosis
- Tomatoes — raise the skin's sun protection factor
- Turkey — helps build a strong immune system
- Walnuts — reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
- Wild salmon — lowers the risk of heart disease
- Yogurt — promotes strong bones and a healthy heart.
- Dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa) — high in phytonutrients that make it a natural anti-inflammatory and blood thinner; it also helps raise good cholesterol levels
- Honey — boosts the antioxidant ability of the blood, heightening its resistance to free radical attack
- Kiwi fruit — helps thin the blood; great source of vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, potassium, fiber, carotenoids, polyphenols, chlorophyll, glutathione, and pectin, yet are relatively low in sugars.
please read....
Please read this scripture carefully, and assess what kind of christian you are.
Matthew 13:3-23 (King James Version)
3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Monday, October 12, 2009
challenge for the week
Donate! Find a charity online, at your church, or where you work, and give back to the community! God loves a joyful giver.
Love,
Kiki
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