From Joseph Herrin's book, Laying Down the Law, and the chapter, 'The Purpose of the Law':
[Quote]:
Those who yearn to walk in obedience to God need no law to keep them in line, and those who do not want to walk in obedience will not be made obedient through law. Those who insist that the letter of the Law must be kept are deceiving themselves. Obedience that is acceptable unto God flows from the heart of a man that has been inwardly transformed. It is not arrived at through outward constraint and force of law.[End Quote]
So true.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Overcoming Runaway Blood Sugar - Review
I finally have had a chance to read Dennis Pollock's book, Overcoming Runaway Blood Sugar. Practical Help for: People fighting fatigue and mood swings -Hypoglycemics and diabetics -Those trying to control their weight
It is 217 pages and a very easy read. I enjoyed the author's conversational style and he made the idea of overcoming blood sugar problems very unmysterious and easy to comprehend.
The book starts with a story relating his own slide into pre-diabetes and how he became aware of the keys to keeping a stabilized blood sugar.
The book is divided into 2 sections: Where We're At and What To Do.
The first section has 4 chapters that deal with the lifestyle habits that have gotten so many of us in trouble and a very understandable section on how our bodies process blood sugar. A particularly enjoyable chapter for me in section 1 was chapter 4 on motivation. In this chapter he goes over 4 keys that help motivate a person to follow a change of lifestyle.
1. Understanding and Knowledge
2. Accountability - Instead of seeing the testing of your blood sugar as a gloomy proposition, he encourages people to use their glucometer (a blood sugar measuring device) as an accountability tool.
3. Joy
4. Success
The 2nd section gives practical instruction on how to combat blood sugar issues. Mr. Pollock likens the challenge to military battle and says there are 4 'fronts' we must conquer in order to be victorious.
Front 1: Diet
Front 2: Exercise
Front 3: Weight
In diet, he lists items that should now be on the 'no-no' list:
-Potatoes
-Rice
-Beans
-Fruits
-Sweets
-Pasta
-Bread
-Milk
Some of these, like beans and milk, may be a surprise. But as he recommends, use your glucometer to test it yourself. After eating servings of beans or cereal, many people will see a higher than usual rise in their blood sugar. The same with fruit. Although the fiber helps slow it down some, people who eat large quantities of fruit along with other high carb fare, may want to pare down to very limited amounts. He gives particular mention to bananas which are one of the worst offenders.
Many of these items are staples in your average home and are consumed in large quantities. There are, he encourages, many other low carb varieties of these items or alternate items you can consume. These are listed in chapter 8; The First Front: Diet Additions. They are:
-Meat
-Salad
-Nuts
-Low-Carb Substitutes
In the 'low-carb substitutes' he recommends low-carb muffin mixes (no particular brand) and low-carb pasta from a company called Dreamfields.
In this chapter, he even gives an example of how to make a meal at McDonald's much lower in carbs with a few strategic switches.
All in all this was quite an enjoyable read and I feel better equipped at keeping my blood sugar in balance. While not a diabetic, I can see that my current lifestyle could definetly predispose me to acquiring it in the future.
His main ideas of diet, exercise and weight are nothing we haven't heard before in the media or from the medical establishment BUT keeping your carbs at a lower level may be news to some who have been told that less meat, more carbs is the way to better health.
His question and answer section at the end of the book addresses concerns about excess meat, the safety of low carb, lack of energy on low-carb, getting family and friends onboard etc.
For the Christian believer, he has a great motivational chapter on seeing The Father as the author of healing and trusting Christ to help change our current habits into a healthier lifestyle.
If diabetes runs in your family; if you suffer with weight issues, particularly belly fat; if you get shaky and moody during certain times of the day and feel like you need to eat, I recommend you read this book and begin to implement the changes Mr. Pollock recommends.
.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tips on Searching Google
Here's a 'cheat sheet' of sorts that will help to find specific sites/information from the Google search engine.
Basics - using Google's interface:
The Google Advanced Search: Every genealogist should have a use for every option on that page. It's the "Advanced Search" link to the right of the search box. Too many people miss out on this obvious one. First, it's an easy interface for mixing single words with quotes, minus signs and plus signs, but it offers much more. If your searching does not include this mixing of instructions, you're spending way too much time finding what you want, if you find it at all. Eevery genealogist has reason to, at some point, use every single search option offered on that page. Google's Advanced Search Tips really aren't much help, so play around with the variables.
Searching Names Using Exact Phrase (or using quotes on one main Google search page): Wnen searching people's names, don't forget to searchit several ways: Search John Q. Public as "john public", "public john", "john q public" and even "q public" to cover a nickname he might have used.
About States: For Ohio, don't forget to search "ohio" AND "oh". Do this with the word OR between them on the main Google page or enter both terms in the Or field on the Advanced page.
About Cities: For those quaint little towns with unique names, leave the state out of the search to locate pages that may not name it on the page (there are plenty of these out there!)
Using Cached Version: This is a Google Gold Mine. Most search results include a link that says Cached below the description. First, The cashed version of the page will highlight your search terms so you can quickly page down to what you're looking for. Also, if you've ever clicked on a result where you get the message "Page not found", go back and click Cashed and wa-la...it might be there. Then, in that case, go ahead and save the page to your file...unless you can find a link on it to it's author, whom you might email to learn of it's new URL.
About Site Searching: Many large sites do not have good search tools, so use this one at Google.
Google Hacks - some syntaxes Google doesn't tell you about. Most of these tools are available at FaganFinder's Ultimate Google Interface. The following will explain each one and how to use it from Google's basic search box. These are found in the awesome book Google Hacks. You'll find even more with a Google search for google+hacks OR tips OR tricks.
The Wild Card. Google does not allow a wildcard for a letter, but they do for a word. Searching "john * public" will result in pages with anything written inbetween john and public in order. In other words, it will include any middle initial or name.
Title Searching. Preceeding your search term(s) with intitle: finds pages containing your search term(s) in the Title of the page.
URL Searching: Preceeding your search term(s) with inurl: finds pages containing your search term(s) in the URL.
Text Searching: Preceeding your search term(s) with intext: finds pages containing your search term(s) in the text of the page (ignores link text, URL's and titles).
Anchor Searching: Preceeding your search term(s) with inanchor: finds pages with your search term(s) in the page's link anchors. A link anchor is the descriptive text of a link. This not one you'll commonly use, but play with it...it has it's uses.
Site Searching: Available at the Google Advanced Search link but also available from the basic search box by preceeding your search term(s) with site:
Date Range Searching. This tool uses Julian dates, so it's easiest to use it from the Google Advanced Search page. Google will find pages indexed in the time period you specify.
Basics - using Google's interface:
The Google Advanced Search: Every genealogist should have a use for every option on that page. It's the "Advanced Search" link to the right of the search box. Too many people miss out on this obvious one. First, it's an easy interface for mixing single words with quotes, minus signs and plus signs, but it offers much more. If your searching does not include this mixing of instructions, you're spending way too much time finding what you want, if you find it at all. Eevery genealogist has reason to, at some point, use every single search option offered on that page. Google's Advanced Search Tips really aren't much help, so play around with the variables.
Searching Names Using Exact Phrase (or using quotes on one main Google search page): Wnen searching people's names, don't forget to searchit several ways: Search John Q. Public as "john public", "public john", "john q public" and even "q public" to cover a nickname he might have used.
About States: For Ohio, don't forget to search "ohio" AND "oh". Do this with the word OR between them on the main Google page or enter both terms in the Or field on the Advanced page.
About Cities: For those quaint little towns with unique names, leave the state out of the search to locate pages that may not name it on the page (there are plenty of these out there!)
Using Cached Version: This is a Google Gold Mine. Most search results include a link that says Cached below the description. First, The cashed version of the page will highlight your search terms so you can quickly page down to what you're looking for. Also, if you've ever clicked on a result where you get the message "Page not found", go back and click Cashed and wa-la...it might be there. Then, in that case, go ahead and save the page to your file...unless you can find a link on it to it's author, whom you might email to learn of it's new URL.
About Site Searching: Many large sites do not have good search tools, so use this one at Google.
Google Hacks - some syntaxes Google doesn't tell you about. Most of these tools are available at FaganFinder's Ultimate Google Interface. The following will explain each one and how to use it from Google's basic search box. These are found in the awesome book Google Hacks. You'll find even more with a Google search for google+hacks OR tips OR tricks.
The Wild Card. Google does not allow a wildcard for a letter, but they do for a word. Searching "john * public" will result in pages with anything written inbetween john and public in order. In other words, it will include any middle initial or name.
Title Searching. Preceeding your search term(s) with intitle: finds pages containing your search term(s) in the Title of the page.
URL Searching: Preceeding your search term(s) with inurl: finds pages containing your search term(s) in the URL.
Text Searching: Preceeding your search term(s) with intext: finds pages containing your search term(s) in the text of the page (ignores link text, URL's and titles).
Anchor Searching: Preceeding your search term(s) with inanchor: finds pages with your search term(s) in the page's link anchors. A link anchor is the descriptive text of a link. This not one you'll commonly use, but play with it...it has it's uses.
Site Searching: Available at the Google Advanced Search link but also available from the basic search box by preceeding your search term(s) with site:
Date Range Searching. This tool uses Julian dates, so it's easiest to use it from the Google Advanced Search page. Google will find pages indexed in the time period you specify.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Drug Problems
From the Open Scroll Blog
Different drug problem - attributed to Randy and Melanie Bordelon
The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in a old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question,“Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”
I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young:
I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.
I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.
I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.
I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields.
I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to now the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place. God bless the parents that drugged us.
Funny, but so true.
Different drug problem - attributed to Randy and Melanie Bordelon
The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in a old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question,“Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”
I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young:
I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.
I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.
I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.
I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields.
I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to now the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place. God bless the parents that drugged us.
Funny, but so true.
The Bible Almanac
The entire reference work of The Bible Almanac has been uploaded to this site in PDF format.
All the names and all the places of the bible are listed with a brief summary of who/where they are.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Hormone Testing
This site has lots of good information about using progesterone to balance hormones. This particular page links to online services that offer at home test kits for testing hormones among other medical concerns. The Virginia HealthTestKit site is a particularly good one with lots of info and a brief test on how to determine which hormone test kit a person would need.
Liver and Beets
No, this is not a recipe but my thoughts on getting a healthier liver.
I've been reading a little about the liver and how it can produce a great quantity of health issues when it isn't functioning the way it should. Today I made one of what I call my 'health drinks'. It contained a piece of chopped up raw beet (about 2 inches diameter), a handful of raw baby spinach, about 1 1/2 tablespoons of lecithin powder, about 2 tablespoons of tocotriene powder, 1 1/2 tablespoon of honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 frozen bananas and water.
Well about 4 hours after that I had a diarrhea-y bowel movement with lots of red in it from the beets. I was surprised since I thought the transit time of the drink would take most of the day, if not longer.
I've been reading a little about the liver and how it can produce a great quantity of health issues when it isn't functioning the way it should. Today I made one of what I call my 'health drinks'. It contained a piece of chopped up raw beet (about 2 inches diameter), a handful of raw baby spinach, about 1 1/2 tablespoons of lecithin powder, about 2 tablespoons of tocotriene powder, 1 1/2 tablespoon of honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 frozen bananas and water.
Well about 4 hours after that I had a diarrhea-y bowel movement with lots of red in it from the beets. I was surprised since I thought the transit time of the drink would take most of the day, if not longer.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Restorative Endocrinology
From Dr. Janet Lang's website:
"Specifically, we use testing methods to establish the individualized hormonal and metabolic pattern of a patient. One can then identify the most appropriate, effective, and least invasive method for restoring and sustaining endocrine balance. Provided with the proper physical and lifestyle support a person will respond rapidly, and normal endocrine function can return."
I am interested in purchasing some of her public lectures. Particularly;
Balancing Female Hormones ~ Part 1
Understanding the issues & solutions to common female hormone problems from PMS to Menopause
and
Balancing Female Hormones ~ Part 2
The Thyroid Connection-Sweet Cravings-Bone Health-How to Choose HRT
They are only $7 each.
"Specifically, we use testing methods to establish the individualized hormonal and metabolic pattern of a patient. One can then identify the most appropriate, effective, and least invasive method for restoring and sustaining endocrine balance. Provided with the proper physical and lifestyle support a person will respond rapidly, and normal endocrine function can return."
I am interested in purchasing some of her public lectures. Particularly;
Balancing Female Hormones ~ Part 1
Understanding the issues & solutions to common female hormone problems from PMS to Menopause
and
Balancing Female Hormones ~ Part 2
The Thyroid Connection-Sweet Cravings-Bone Health-How to Choose HRT
They are only $7 each.
Blood Sugar Blues
I've put an interlibrary loan request in at my local library for
"Overcoming Runaway Blood Sugar" by Dennis Pollock"
Reviews from Amazon were fairly positive - some people didn't like his Christian perspective but that's to be expected.
Once I get it, I'll will do a brief summary/review here
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
High Five to Fiverr
I love the website Fiverr.com.
If there is anything good about the internet, and there certainly is, it is that any budding entrepreneur (with an internet connection) can begin to tap into the worldwide market and begin to make a living. It's phenomenal.
Fiverr is one of those sites that capitalizes on this wave. Although I have neither offered my services nor purchased from this site, I would have no problem hiring someone from Fiverr to work on an internet project for me. Why not? For $5 - goodness, that's almost free!
But the sellers on this site are not just offering services pertaining to the internet.
Check out this sample of offerings:
A seller named 'finplan' will "give you a full financial plan for retirement or children's education as well as help you with your investment choice for $5"
Financial planning - $5.00 - Wow. Only in our brave new cyberworld.
Other financial services include:
after analyzing your financial information, seller 'prosperityren' will deliver 1 hour (by fax, telephone or email) of financial planning for 4 weeks. 20 years experience.
pennsteric will analyze your stock, mutual fund or 401(k)
mvotz will answer any accounting, financial or tax question
Well, I'm not sure if getting tax and financial info from anonymous individuals online is going to give you the best advise but hey, for $5.00, you can see what these individuals have to offer if you're in a bit of a pinch.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Another 3D Bible Website
This cool interactive 3D bible site allows you to actually walk through the tabernacle, Salomon's Temple and Noah's Ark; however, you have to download a free software program called Corona in order to actually do the interactive walk-thru.
http://www.3dbibleproject.com/en/default.htm
Genesis/Exodus in 3D
AnimMan Studios has some great images of Noah's ark, The Tabernacle in the Wilderness and Solomon's temple.
You can also read their book about the tabernacle online for free. I hope they produce a movie about one of these 3 themes soon.
http://www.animmanstudios.com/tabernacle-gallery.html
Saved by Childbearing - 1 Timothy 2:15
"Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."
This confusing passage is easier to understand when you take the rest of Paul's council into thought as well as see how the greek word for 'save' - soza - is used in other places in the scripture.
A great study that I have found on this scripture is from The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
https://www.cbmw.org/Journal/Vol-2-No-4/Saved-Through-Childbearing
In my own paraphrase, 1 Tim 2:15 says:
'But you shall be delivered from the wiles of the evil one and made safe if you walk in your God given assignment and domain as a 'child bearer' which includes the complete scope of home/domestic management.'
Some choice quotes from the aforementioned website are:
"What does it mean, then, for a woman to be "kept safe [from Satan]"? It means, among other things, that she will not yield in her mind to false notions of what it means for her to be a woman and in particular a woman of God. It means that she will respect divinely set boundaries in the exercise of her spiritual gifts and ministry calling in trust and obedience to God's Word. It means that she will find fulfillment in her domestic calling, in her relationship with her husband, in her role as mother and maker of the home, and in proper ministry involvements in God's "household," the church"
"The above presented interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:15 also strongly affirms a complementarian understanding of biblical manhood and womanhood. Women, like men, were assigned by their Creator certain roles, and it is part of "working out our salvation" (Phil. 2:12) to adhere to these roles in our Christian lives and ministry. Salvation in Christ does not obliterate these role distinctions, as egalitarians claim-it rather aids believers in living once again within the parameters originally established by the Creator, as creatures saved from the curse of sin and restored to God's original design for men and women."
The below video discusses the same topic from the same perspective as Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. 21:58 minutes long
One thing that I particularly liked is how she summarized (starting at about 19 minutes)that the same sinfulness that allowed Eve to be deceived, is the same sinfulness that works in a woman's flesh today: we have a tendency to be deceived and then we use our influence on our husbands to bring them along into the deception; that sinful nature tendency is in us whether we want to acknowledge it or not!
Update 5/26/12:
I was also thinking today (5/26/12)about Saul. His position was NOT as priest, only king. Yes, this is an 'Old Testament' example but just as Saul and Samuel were 'playing out' a greater spiritual truth, so too does the 'man and woman' play out a greater spiritual truth as well of 'Christ and his bride, the Church'. The 'bleating of the sheep' that is heard from the the pulpits manned by woman pastors and woman whose ministries are established on teaching men as well as women, are showing the same disregard for their positions as Saul showed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
