Don't Worry Yourself Sick!

I tend to worry, so the below message speaks to me.  I am going to make it a note to memorize Matthew 6:27.

"“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

(Matthew 6:27, NIV) Is there something that you are worrying about today? To worry means to allow something to revolve in your mind over and over again. God doesn’t want you to live worried or anxious about anything. He knows that worry steals your peace and joy. It affects every area of your life. Have you heard the saying, “Don’t worry yourself sick?” That’s because worrying affects your physical body. It affects your sleep. You won’t ever gain anything by worrying; in fact, you’ll lose precious moments that you can never get back again. The good news is that God has promised that you can have victory over worry. It starts by making the choice to trust in Him. When you cast your cares on Him, He will give you His peace. Decide today to put an end to worry in your life. Choose to feed your faith and fill your mind with God's promises. As you focus on God’s Word, you’ll drive out worry and fill your heart with faith and expectancy; and you’ll be empowered to move forward into the life of blessing He has in store for you! Heavenly Father, today I choose to put an end to worry in my life. I choose to feed my faith by studying Your promises and declaring Your Word over my life. Help me to totally trust in You today and every day in Jesus’ name. Amen."

Conception to Birth

This is a very cool video about conception to birth that I watched once by myself, and then with my husband!  I found it extremely interesting and informative, because I am currently pregnant with our second child.  However, even if you are not pregnant, it is still worth watching.

Are Video Games Appropriate For Children?

Please click on the below link and read the Focus on the Family article regarding letting children play video games.  I am not an advocate for video games, because of how addicting they can become.  I know that some games are educational, and I believe that if allotted a certain amount of time, it is okay.  However, I am conservative when it comes to playtime and having an imagination, so I am all about playtime being indoors without the T.V. on, or outside--weather permitting, of course.

Please share with me your thoughts about video games. 

http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2012/05/16/do-you-let-your-children-play-video-games

Spring Into Great Health!

This is a very interesting article about detoxing, even though I am not able to detox since I am pregnant!  However, some of the cleansing ingredients mentioned are foods that are perfectly okay to eat while pregnant.

"Spring is a time of renewal for the Earth, but also for our bodies. For centuries, religions around the world have practiced spring detoxifications to heal the body, mind and spirit, and that tradition continues today in many cultures.

“Springtime is a great time for a cleanse because a lot of the foods that are coming up right now — greens, asparagus, artichokes — support normal detoxification pathways in the liver, kidneys, intestines and even the skin,” says Debra Brammer, ND, clinical dean of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr Center for Natural Health.

So how do you know if you should do a detox?

Dr. Brammer says a cleanse that’s based on foods rather than just on liquids can be beneficial to almost everyone, especially those suffering from common spring complaints and other ailments including:

• Allergies
• Insomnia
• High cholesterol
• Constipation

For all of these issues, try simplifying your diet as you increase your intake of detoxifying foods and adjust your intake of other foods.

Stick with beans, fish and poultry for your protein, and for your fruits and vegetables, “Eat a rainbow of colors so you’re getting every food group out there,” Dr. Brammer says.

Meanwhile, decrease consumption of starches such as white rice and bread, and replace them with whole grains including brown rice, quinoa and millet. And be sure to drink plenty of water.

Recipe for a General Spring Detox

Because a spring detox lets you shift your diet from winter foods to spring foods, you’ll want to focus on fresh, seasonal produce, including:

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Garlic
• Leafy green vegetables (such as red chard and mustard greens)
• Spring onions

These detoxifying foods help make sure the liver and kidneys process hormones and other substances that have been taken in by the body. Seasonal herbs can also be beneficial during your detox:

• Dandelion leaf or dandelion flower
• Sorrel
• Red clover flower, which works on the lungs and also on the lymph system
• Burdock root

“You can make a spring tea that has all of these lovely herbs in it,” Dr. Brammer says. “You might want to throw in some mint if you’re a warmer person; if you’re a colder person, put in some ginger.”

Spring Allergies

To address more specific complaints such as hay fever and other spring allergies, Dr. Brammer recommends adding vitamin C, zinc and carotenoids to help stabilize your over-reactive immune cells.

In addition to the above detoxifying vegetables and herbs, she also recommends boosting your vitamin C intake with more:

• Bitter leafy greens, which can be eaten raw or cooked
• Carrots
• Yellow and orange vegetables
• Berries
• Rose hips, which can be eaten in or made into a tea

Insomnia

After a winter starved of the sun, we can never seem to get enough of the outdoors when spring rolls around. But for some of us, that upswing in energy can also lead to insomnia, Dr. Brammer says.

The general spring detox can help your body adjust to spring, but Dr. Brammer also suggests you try expelling some of that extra energy by increasing your exercise, preferably in the morning or late afternoon.

She also suggests you create quiet time before bedtime by avoiding computer and TV use, instead maybe reading a calming book.

A tepid bath with 1 cup of Epsom salts, lemon verbena or lavender essential oil can help calm you down, or try a relaxing tea a half-hour before bed made of:

• Chamomile
• Skullcap
• Passionflower
• Lavender

“These herbs are very calming to the mind so that you can let go and go to bed,” Dr. Brammer says.

High Cholesterol

If you suffer from high cholesterol, spring is the perfect time to start fighting back. Some herbs and vegetables that are particularly helpful at reducing “bad” cholesterol include:

• Dandelion root
• Sorrel
• Artichokes
• Asparagus

Constipation

Spring is also an ideal time to battle any issues you’ve been having with constipation, which can be caused by a lack of fiber, stress, a nutrient deficiency or eating the heavier foods that are more prevalent in winter, Dr. Brammer says. You can simply try the general spring detox to treat constipation, but the more fiber you can add to your detox diet, the better.

“And fiber, of course, is in everything that’s fresh,” Dr. Brammer says. Increase your intake of both spring vegetables and fruits, and be sure to add plenty of leafy green vegetables, which also are chock-full of antioxidants to help minimize cell damage.

The Pitfalls of a Liquid-Only Detox

Although it might be tempting to try a trendy liquid-only detox diet, such as the Master Cleanse or juice detox diets, Dr. Brammer warns against cutting food from your diet unless you’re able to cut back on your activity as well.

“If you are still working the same number of hours and you’re still dealing with the same pressure,” she says, “a heavy detox can deplete your energy and leave you more prone to getting sick.”

Depriving your body of the nutrition it needs also puts stress on the body, as opposed to the spring detox Dr. Brammer recommends, which “fuels the body with the nutrition it needs to start healing.”"

God's Pruning Process

"“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful”

(John 15:2, NIV) In life, we all go through a pruning process. God will prune our lives so that we can bear much fruit. To “prune” means something is cut away, something is removed. In other words, maybe a good friend that you counted on moved to another city. Maybe a business shut down that you were connected to, or a relationship went a different direction. Friend, God knows what you need in your life in order to grow and flourish. Sometimes when things happen that we don’t understand, we have to just trust that He is working behind the scenes preparing you for increase, preparing you to go to another level. Don’t put a question mark where God has placed a period. When you’re going through transition, don’t get bitter. Don’t get down and think it’s the end. Don’t start thinking that you’re a failure. Have the attitude, “God, I let this go knowing that it was only temporary provision, and what You have in my future will be greater than what I’m letting go of.” If you will accept the change and stay in faith, God will open new doors. He will bring new opportunities, new friendships, and take you to another level of His glory! Father, thank You for loving me enough to work in my life. Today I release the things I don’t understand into Your hands. I believe that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I believe that You have good things in store for my future. I choose to wait on You and trust You now and forevermore in Jesus’ name. Amen."