Alternative Medicine

I've finished reading The Biblical Guide to Alternative Medicine. I would really recommend this book to anyone who has heard about alternative medicine and "healing," and especially if you are curious about it. There are some definite spirits at work in so much of this medicine that people can easily be fooled and confused. These spirits are not of God. Just like everything in our lives it needs to be tested through the Word of God.

This book gives some great history on many alternative practices and the religious ties it may have. We must seek first the kingdom of God, not last. When we have a disease or health issue, pray about it first. Don't use prayer as a last resource after using everything to try to fix it yourself. Religious beliefs have lead to medical philosophies. Believe it or not, even modern medicine has religious roots. Just because a treatment seems to work for others does not mean it is right.

The Bible warns us about things that may look to be of Him but are not of Him. This is counterfeit healing. Just like a fake designer handbag, it will not last. Don't sacrifice your eternal soul for temporary gains.

"For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

Sometimes Jesus allows pain in our lives. No pain, no gain definitely has a place in Spiritual development. There is no painless way to die to yourself and self-rule.

"For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:11

Mark Driscoll

Hilarious lady calls in on show

Food

Just for fun...but there's truth in this!

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then Satan created HMOs.

Integrity

We hear this word often and people can quickly identify who does not have integrity, but what does having true integrity really mean?

The dictionary gives us this meaning,

Integrity: in-teg-ri-ty
noun

1.	adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2.	the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

Dictionary.com

So we can say that sticking to what we know is morally and ethically right builds integrity. We can also use the second meaning, being whole. To have integrity is to remain whole and ethically sound.

In Samuel 26:1-25, David builds integrity. He had the opportunity to destroy Saul while he was lying asleep inside the camp, but he remained morally sound. He was at a position to decide the fate of his enemy, but chose to leave.

10 "As surely as the Lord lives," he said, "the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. 11 But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed"...12 So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up.

We have many chances every day to kill the people we dislike. Maybe not literally, but with our words and actions. There will be opportunities to sabotage another person, but God gives us a choice. It might not be a dramatic decision like life or death, but our daily choices build integrity. Choosing not to put someone else down no matter what they have done to you is something God calls us to do to live honestly and righteously.

23 The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. 24 As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.

Running

I love running. It gives me time to clear my thoughts and have a chat with God. I'd love to live by the beach someday and take a run along the shore...

With my school schedule and working at Starbucks it can be hard to squeeze in the time to run. Recently, I've started to get back into it. Not with as much intensity as when I was training for my half marathon last fall, but at least keeping my body used to it. I've been trying to fit in at least one longer run (6-10 miles) each week. Although I'm not obsessed about weight, I wouldn't mind dropping a few pounds while increasing my running. An article in Runners World also mentions how losing weight can make you faster, which makes sense. Hopefully with counting calories and running off the extras that will come true!

For all my fellow runners, and those just wanting to lose a few pounds here's a breakdown of what you need and how much is needed to lose weight.

The Runner's Diet

It seems almost impossible that runners could become overweight. All that running, all those calories burned along city streets and down park paths--it just doesn't seem right (or fair). The problem is that we read about the performance-oriented nutritional habits of ultrathin elite runners (lots of carbo-loading and truckloads of energy bars, gels, and drinks), then assume that as recreational runners we should do the same. But we're not elite runners. We're average people who use running to manage our weight, increase our energy, and lead healthy lives. Think about this scary fact: It takes only 100 extra calories a day to gain 10 pounds in a year. That's one high-calorie prerun snack that you didn't need. Or one unnecessary bottle of sports drink before a 30-minute walk. The extra weight many runners carry around is simply the result of eating for energy or performance--with little regard for total calories. But calories do count, and as runners we tend to underestimate the amount we eat and overestimate the amount we burn. What you need to do is match your eating plan to your running habits. You need to know exactly when to eat those carbohydrate-rich foods that will give you the energy you need to run well.

How many calories do you need?

To estimate your daily calorie needs for maintaining your current weight, take your present weight and multiply by 13. That number covers your metabolic needs for the day, factoring in a bit of light activity. So if you weigh 180 pounds, you need about 2,340 calories per day. To lose a pound a week, you must then create a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day (3,500 calories equals one pound). How many calories you can cut from your diet depends a lot on how much you're eating right now. There's a big difference between cutting 500 calories if you're eating 1,500 a day than if you're eating 3,000. But remember: Weight loss is a lot easier when you factor in your running mileage (1 mile = 100 calories). So your calorie deficit can--and should--be created by eliminating some calories from your daily diet and increasing the number you burn per day through running.

A rat?!

Normally I would be skirmish about rats, but this is such a cute picture! hahaha!

Sauna for your cold

Saunas have been known to work well for releasing body toxins through pores. In a recent New York Times article, researchers have found that sitting in a sauna can actually relieve cold and flu symptoms. This gives me more reason to go sit in the sauna next time I go to the gym!

Beauty

The beautiful photos I found really got me thinking about beauty. We all know there is no true definition of beauty. We've all heard the phrase "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Amazing how something so hard to define can be used in a negative way. The culture we live in and the media driven messages are quick to pin point whats NOT beautiful. Our human eyes can only see the outward "beauty." God, the ultimate Beholder, has eyes that see beauty beyond our visual perspectives.

The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Samuel 16:7

I often catch myself observing beauty, but do not look at people's hearts as often as I should. Simply looking and making a judgment is easy, it takes no additional effort. Really observing and finding a person's beauty in their heart and soul takes much more effort. Every person has a story.

In Mark 8:34-37 Jesus says it is possible to gain the whole world and still be completely empty inside. Outer beauty will never satisfy. There will always be someone prettier, skinnier, richer, and more attractive.

What else does the Bible say about beauty?

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:26

Set your minds on things above, not earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
Peter 3:3-4

God isn't forbidding us in trying to look nice. We need to feel secure in our looks, but it's about balance. Your focus should not be on the outside and ignoring the heart. Your character and inward beauty should shine.

It's not easy, but in the end it's what really matters.

Love this link!

Thanks Alexis for the Multicolr Search Lab link. Just thought I'd post some cool photos that match my page!

Life Expectancy Calculator

So I ran into this "Life Expectancy Calculator," it's pretty interesting! According to this I could live to be 102! Of course it's just based on lifestyle habits and things like that, doesn't take into account God's timing! You're welcome to try it out for fun though!

I love baking :)

This is a cake I made a few months ago. I was looking through my pictures and found it. Just made me want to make a cool cake again. The chocolate ganache on top is delicious! Well... I should get back to my report for Holistic Health. It's due tomorrow morning :(

Introduction

So, I've decided to join the blog craze and start a blog :) Alexis, Sarah and I were talking about it in our news writing class today. I'm always finding random new stories so I might as well start one!