Asia - Finishing Strong Book 04-01-12
Asia - Finishing Strong Book 04-01-12
Asia - Finishing Strong Book 04-01-12
WIN! Wellness
Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA
ISBN: 978-0-9824979-5-1
040112
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
With appreciation to Don and Elizabeth Wilson, for their prayers and
their constant encouragement of the dream of seeing WIN! Wellness
Homes of Hope and Health be a blessing for the world.
Our helpers on the WIN! teamGlesni Mason for graphic design, layout
and going above and beyond; Abigail Eagan for organization and doing
the ordinary in an extraordinary way; and Cheryl and Kenneth Logan for
excellent contributions to content and editing. We thank Tim Lale for the
final editing.
References............................................................................................ 158
W
elcome to Book 3 of the WIN! Wellness Homes of Hope and
Health series. It is about Finishing Strongbeing a winner
through Integrated Balanced Living.
The graphic at the beginning of each chapter depicts the wreaths of lau-
rel that the Greeks awarded the winners of the Olympic races. As you
progress through the chapters of this book, may you too be a WINNER.
Your victory, however, will be celebrated by a healthier and happier life-
style, a sharper mind, more positive relationships, and a heart full of joy.
There are three phases to a race: (1) Getting Started, (2) Pressing For-
ward in spite of challenges and fatigue, and (3) Finishing Strong. These
stages correspond to the three WIN! Wellness small books in this Homes
of Hope and Health series.
The books in the series are unique in that the authors designed them for
interaction through thought questions and personal reflection moments.
Not only will you find a sharing of information, current research, inter-
esting stories, and inspirational thoughts, but also valuable health and
wellness principles for enhancing your own happiness and wholeness.
For the best life-changing results, find a partner or a small group to join
you in reading this book, discussing the content, and coaching each
other to take care of the one body God has given you.
On to the finish
The pistol sounded, and the contestants in the intercollegiate one-mile
race were off! At the first curve, one of the young men from a small col-
lege tried to move ahead, but he was tripped, and the long spikes on the
shoes of a competitor ripped through his leg, sharp cinders gashing his
hands and face as he hit the ground. When he struggled to his feet, the
pack of runners was thirty yards ahead of him. Everyone expected him
to drop out, but with blood trickling from his gashed leg and blackened
face, he pressed on after his fellow runners. Spectators from the grand-
stands called out, advising him to go back to training quarters for first aid,
but he ignored them. He staggered forward, his eyes fixed ahead.1
On the first lap the young man was far behind, but those watching noticed
that on the second lap the space between him and the crowd of runners
was decreasing. By the time the first half-mile had been run, he was well
up among the laggards of the race.
Then came the third quarter, when runners were panting for breath.
But the grimy, bleeding young man moved forward with determination
through the ranks of the runners in the rear. One by one he passed them.
Now he was moving through the middle of the pack. Meanwhile the lead
runners had finished the third lap, and the last quarter of the race was on.
The young mans reserve of energy surged through his body as he pulled
even with the group of leaders. On the backstretch he passed several
more runners. At the last turn into the homestretch the four lead runners
heard footsteps coming from behind, closer and closer.
Look! There are only three men ahead of the injured racer. The grand-
stands explode into cheering. The finish is in sight. A line of red wor-
sted stretches breast high across the track. The runner who breaks that
strand will be the winner. The men who are fighting for first place have
approached the utmost limit of their endurance, but they call on the last
strength in their straining bodies.
What about the unknown runner? There he is, even with the third man!
As the crowd watches, he passes him. Only two more ahead of him! The
young man who fell at the start draws up on these competitors, racing al-
most neck and neck. Five yards to the finish! He is even with them. They
are almost at the last step! Suddenly the runner who at the start of the race
was left far behind, bruised and bleeding, throws himself forward a scant
foot ahead of the other two. The tape snaps! He is the WINNER!
You too can be a WINNER! Remember, God doesnt count how many
times you fall, but how many times you get up! The Bible reminds us, A
righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.2
Some say, Within two weeks of making positive lifestyle changes I felt
better. Within 90180 days of consistently following the WIN! Well-
ness program, most people sense a lifestyle makeover. You will discov-
er vibrancy to life that you havent experienced for years! The more of
these health-producing dimensions you integrate into your daily life, the
greater the synergistic effect will be. The result: You will live healthier,
happier, holier, and probably longer!
Solo learning
Read and learn alone for your personal enjoyment.
Begin a personal lifestyle change as suggested in each chapter.
Family learning
Read together as a family to improve your healthful living.
Include reading Finishing Strong as part of your family devotion time
on a daily or weekly basis.
Each chapter has storiesdiscuss them with your children/teens.
Discuss as a family how you can share this information with others.
Invite friends and families to join your family and make it a fun
occasion. Teens can be presenters of topics or have a leadership role.
Small groups
Invite neighbors, coworkers, relatives, and friends to join a small home
group.
Meet for one hour once a week or more frequently. Busy people prefer
short sessions.
Share your book or arrange for each member to have their own copy.
Group members may alternate presenting topics at each weeks session.
Allow 3035 minutes to a Homes of Hope and Health topic and then
follow up with 2025 minutes of Reflect/Discuss interaction. If the
topic generates much discussion, finish the chapter the following week.
Discussion time is extremely important. Group support motivates
lifestyle change.
Large groups
Offer community or church weekend seminars covering a number of
topics.
B
eth had never been able to stick to a diet. Hardly able to walk,
shed never felt motivated to exercise either. Over the years she
had moved from small to extra-large clothing sizes, periodically
having no choice but to purchase a new wardrobe. She could hardly be-
lieve she had reached 225 pounds. At a medical check-up, her long-time
family doctor looked at her gravely and said, The tests confirm what
Id suspected. You have diabetes. You are overweight and out of shape.
Beth, youve got to get control of your lifenow!
The probable medical outcomes for Beth if she continued her past life-
style included stroke, blindness, kidney failure, circulatory problems,
and even amputation of limbs. Beth was devastated, feeling that shed
been given a death sentence. When she arrived home, she automatically
headed for the refrigerator for some comfort food when she ran into
her husband. What did the doctor tell you? he asked.
No more ice cream, sweets, potato chips, Cokesall the things I like,
she admitted in tears. Realization hit. A new lifestyle change was vital.
It wasnt easy. The whole family had a council and decided to join Beth
on her new healthy-living journey. The first hurdle they tackled was
diet. They decided that the easiest way to avoid eating junk food was
to not buy it in the first place. The decision was: no more unhealthy,
high-calorie, weight-buster snacks and desserts to tempt Beth and the fam-
ily. Now when they opened the refrigerator, they found ready-cut vegeta-
bles instead of desserts and fat foodsand they were all the better for it!
10
Knowing that daily exercise was essential to Beths health, her husband
bought her an exercise bicycle. (If she had been in another country it
might have been a regular bicycle.) The next morning, Beth grudgingly
began to use it. She was so out of shape that after a few minutes pedal-
ing at a low setting, she was exhausted and gave up in defeat. While she
sat on her soft recliner, winded and sweating, an inner voice seemed to
speak to her: Beth, you dont have to lose all the extra pounds at once.
Take them off pound by pound, minute by minute, step by step. After a
few reflective thoughts, she returned to the bicycle with fresh determina-
tion. I will spend the next five minutes of my life pedaling this bicycle, she
thought. Ill stick with my diet just one more meal. She also decided to
eat less at each meal.
This new determination and way of looking at diet and exercise helped.
All Beth had to do was make the right choices for just one more exercise
session, one more meal. Sure enough, her daily cycling and better eating
habits started to pay off. At her next doctors appointment, she weighed
in 17 pounds (7.7 kg) lighter! She started to feel energized, and for the
first time in her life she was in control. Beth felt like a changed person,
with new dreams for a new healthy future. So did her family, who were
tagging along with her, improving their lifestyle.
11
new life practices: stop smoking, exercise five days a week, cut out af-
ternoon snacks, orthe most popular resolutiongo on a diet. Perhaps
on any day of the year we may be impressed to change, to get out of our
comfort zone, to look for a better job, to pursue higher education, or to
volunteer in our local community. Perhaps we have a deep desire to do
something no one has done before, something that seems totally impos-
sible. Many have the desire to start a new spiritual journey with God.
So with these desires, what keeps us from going forward to higher and
higher levels of accomplishment?
What are the obstacles holding us back from becoming a new persona
healthier and happier person, an outstanding individual, one whom God
wants to use in a special way, someone who will make a significant dif-
ference in the lives of others? Could they be such barriers as not enough
self-control, or thoughts of Im OK as I am, I enjoy the status quo?
Might it be that you fear you cant change, dont have emotional energy
to make a change, that you might fail, or it just takes too much effort to
change? What might keep you from making changes you desire?
Are you aware that habitual thought patterns may impede you from
reaching your potential? What is it that really keeps you from going for-
ward, doing the impossible, and accomplishing whatever in your inmost
soul you want to do?
Ed was a heavy smoker who came to Mark Finley for help. After smok-
ing two packs of cigarettes a day for years, he now wanted to quit for his
healths sake. Pastor Mark encouraged Ed to ask God for victory over his
smoking habit. As they knelt with the cigarettes in front of them on the
floor, Mark encouraged Ed to pray in faith that God would free him of his
habit. Ed began to pray, Lord, You know I am a weak person and that
smoking has a grip on me. I just cant quit smoking. Its just too difficult
for me to
Suddenly Mark interrupted Ed. Stop praying like that! You are going
to be worse off after this prayer than you are now. You are convincing
yourself that you will never have victory over smoking and that God isnt
able to help you stop. The Bible says, Ask, and it will be given to you;
12
seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will
be opened. 1
Then Mark told him to begin praying again, and this time Ed prayed dif-
ferently.
Lord, I know I am weak but You are powerfully strong. You made the
blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and I know You can help
me with this bad habit. Your power is stronger than my cravings for this
tobacco. Please deliver me!
And God did! By the grace of God, Ed was set free. All his cravings for
cigarettes were gone! For some smokers the miracle is instant, for others
it takes time, but God is there giving strength for victory in response to
sincere prayer.2
Notice in these verses the relationship with God, who helps clear the way
for us to become a New Person. God is there to encourage us to make
good choices and do the impossible. He will remove the fear that blocks
our progress. One person who has fearful thoughts immediately prays,
Lord, take away the fear. I choose to trust You. And God answers her
prayer.
13
Biological blockers
Biological factors may block you from becoming a New You. Our
physical health impacts our mind and may affect our choices. Factors
involved may be: insufficient sleep, nutritional deficiencies, insufficient
exercise and fresh air, and inadequate water intake. Perhaps you need to
take certain supplements. Vitamin B complex, and especially vitamin B1
(thiamine), helps keep our nerves calm, memories keen, and our brains
thinking straight. Fortunately vitamin B is readily available from eating
whole grains. Deficiencies in vitamin B (thiamine) can cause memory
problems, mood swings, irritability, and confusion.6
One family educator said we can smile even though the heart be sad.8
Thoughts can create moods. Good positive thoughts can produce good
moods. You can try self-talk like this: I will not let circumstances put me
in a bad mood. I will make right choices that will help me be all that I
can be with Gods help.
The human brain has a God-given ability not only to generate thoughts
but also exercise will-power to accept, reject, act on or not act on good or
bad thoughts. You can still be a New You, make wise choices, and be the
person you always wanted to be. You are the architect of your life.
14
O that every one might realize that he is the arbiter of his own destiny! Your
happiness for this life, and for the future, immortal life lies with yourself.9
Zacchaeus found a new dimension to his life after Jesus came to his
house. One of the meanings of the ancient word for salvation is to
be made whole. Wholeness had been restored to Zacchaeus home. He
became a new person. What was so exciting about this was that when Je-
sus came to his house, the whole family changed. And thats what WIN!
15
God is a dreamer
Lets examine some Bible characters God had special plans for before
they were conceived. Some of the parents dedicated them to God before
they were even born. Ultimately each of these discovered Gods big, un-
imaginable dream for their lives.
It happened just that way. Gods dream became the dream of Zachariah
and his wife, Elizabeth, and ultimately became the dream of their son.
Even though, later on, John died alone in a prison, he fulfilled Gods
dream. Jesus paid him the highest tribute ever given to mortals when He
said, Among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than
John the Baptist.13
The Bible prophet Jeremiah lived in one of the most difficult times in the
history of a nation. He was needed to encourage and guide the people in
a time of invasion, destruction, and exile. At the beginning of his work,
God said, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you
were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. 14
God had a dream for Jeremiah and announced it to him personally. It
became his dream.
16
Hannah discovered Gods dream. She had been childless and pleaded
fervently that God would bless her and her husband with a son. She made
a vow and dedicated her unborn child to the Lord for all the days of his
life. When he was born she named him Samuel, meaning God heard
or requested of God. As a mere child Samuel heard God calling him,
and the third time he heard the voice, coached by Eli the high priest, he
responded, Speak, for Your servant hears.15 Progressively he became
the kind of new person God wanted him to be. Ultimately God used him
to appoint the first two kings of Israel. Under divine direction Samuel
founded the school system that contributed to saving the nation from
downfall for half a millennium. Gods dream became Hannahs dream,
and through Samuels long and fruitful life he fulfilled that dream.
Once when I returned home for a college vacation, I visited our small
church, which also had contributed to my journey in becoming a new
spiritual person. While I was there, one of my mothers friends shared a
story about my mother, Antonia. Before my birth she had prayed dedicat-
ing me to God as Hannah had dedicated Samuel for the Lords service.
Throughout my life I have sensed the evidence of Gods leading in a
powerful way. I know that God is answering my mothers prayers, which
are still encircling heavens throne and continue to be part of Gods dream
for my life.
17
in education. Like Samuels, my life has been spent in the Lords service.
God led me to minister in Christian education as an elementary multi-
grade school teacher, a supervisor of elementary education, and a profes-
sor at Andrews University.
Your dream
The greatest dreams dont originate inside you; the life-changing dreams
come from the God of the universe. Our success in life will depend upon
the degree to which we discover Gods dream for us and our faithfulness
in pursuing it once we have discovered Gods plan. God tailors the dream
to our own uniqueness and how we can contribute to the world in some
special way, since only He knows just what things we can accomplish
through His power. But if we dont discover God, we wont discover
Gods dream. And because of Gods gift of choice we dont have to re-
spond to His desires for our lives. It is our choice. Gods dream for each
of us is not a once-ina-lifetime event, but a continual growth in becom-
ing a New You under His training and polishing.
18
Papa and Momma Haynes brought up little John in their Christian home,
giving him their heart full of love and a foundation for life. They taught
him to love Jesus, and at the age of nine he was baptized. But with all the
big-city temptations during the teen years, John lost his way and became
a party guy, bringing pain to Papa and Momma Haynes. Satan wanted
control of Johns life and was successful. During his teen years John
found himself in harms way many times; he was held up at gun-point
twice, was almost run over, and narrowly escaped death in a car accident.
Papa and Momma Haynes continued to pray for their boy during those
difficult years, and their prayers were answered. Later in life, John did
return to the Lord.
John had another dream. He longed to use his musical talent to help those
who had lost their way in life to discover meaning. He joined the Heri-
tage Singers and traveled with the group across the United States and
around the world, sharing music and bringing people to a better life. He
became a pastor and served in 19 countries.
This dedicated man has led many people to live transformed lives, but
the transformation that made him the happiest occurred just after he was
ordained as a pastor. The first person he baptized was his own mother.
Through the power of Christ, Rosie had given up all her addictions and
embarked upon a new spiritual lifeas a totally different person.
19
John says,
Is there any hope for someone born in the ghetto, unclaimed by moth-
er and father? Jesus says, Can a woman forget her nursing child, and
not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget,
yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My
hands.18 Yes, our names are tattooed on Jesus hands. We belong to
Him. It doesnt matter if you dont know your real name for years. You
may have strayed away, but a relentless love will pursue you, inviting
you to come to the foot of the cross and become a new persona New
You.
Just suppose that John Lomacang, after being abandoned by father and
mother, never found a relationship with Papa and Momma Haynes. Sup-
pose he just grew up on the streets of New York City and never found
anyone in life who loved him unconditionally. Would the end of the story
have been the same? Its true that for a time he ran with the wrong crowd,
but he had something that kept drawing him back to his foundational
training.
Somebody loved him, somebody was praying for him, somebody cared.
God had a dream plan for John Lomacang to share his musical talents
that have touched the world through his ministry and through 3ABN tele-
vision, as a singer and a presenter of the Jesus Story in the Gospels. He
has shared the message of how Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and
set the captives free.
20
There are times that Father God has to do a makeover job before His
dream plan is carried out to its fullest in our lives. He did that for Abram
who became Abraham, Jacob who became Israel, and Saul who became
Paul, and He will do it for us today.
Listen in the early morning hours as God whispers directions to you and
reveals new dimensions of your dream.
But then it hit him. Everyone sees me this way every day. This is the way
I really look. Reality struck. Im not taking care of my body. My life is out
of control. I need to do something about it. I really dont want to change,
but . . . I have to.
21
parents? For the sake of my health and profession, the time has come for
me to do something about this, starting today.
Ray decided to take action right away and started a new health improve-
ment programgoing to the gym to work out, eating healthy foods,
drinking eight glasses of water a day, and being positive in his outlook.
He ate less at mealtimes, avoiding lots of fats he had been accustomed
to eating, and bit by bit the pounds came off. To get more exercise, Ray
began taking walks each evening, regardless of the weather.
When he had a hard time eating in a healthy way and was backsliding
on his diet plan, Ray took a nutrition class in his community. He began
to focus on eating nutritious, healthy foods: fresh produce, no processed
meats, more whole grains, fruits, and nuts. Ray struggled to vary his veg-
etables. His taste buds were not quite ready for the healthy greens, but
he started eating a small quantity of them. When there was a celebration
such as Grandmas birthday party, he participated by eating small por-
tions of sweets. Ray realized this new journey was for life and was an
ongoing lifestyle commitment. He was in earnest about his makeover,
which actually became his passion.
Finally, with his weight loss, new wardrobe, and trim haircut, Ray was
ready for a job interview at a firm looking for a marketing consultant.
And he got the job! His professional dreams and lifestyle goals were be-
ing realized, and he praised God, who had helped make his dreams come
true.
Ray now had more energy, was healthier, happier, and enjoyed a keener
mind. He was ready to go forward facing the new challenges of life.
There are many stories just like Rays. Perhaps yours is one of them or
will be.
22
God has a dream for all of us to reach our potential. However, research
shows that many with high intelligence do not reach theirs: one-third at-
tain high levels in their professional performance, one-third stay in the
average range, and one-third are at a low level of contributing to society.
Why? Did one-third give up? Were they willing to tolerate mediocrity?
Were they not willing to stretch their powers and reach higher levels and
get out of their comfort zone?
What are your present dreams? To get a better education? To get a better
job? To be more attractive? To improve your health by eating right and
exercising daily? To be a more loving spouse? To improve a relationship
with family and others? To meet other peoples needs? To serve the Lord?
Think back over your life, and no doubt you will see many instances
where things just worked out perfectly.
If you start searching for your unique purpose in life with intentionality,
you will see instances where God works behind the scenes to help you
realize your dreams. Hell put you in the right place at the right time.
Hell give you new knowledge and direct your path with His guidance.
He will set up divine appointments with the right people. He will make
a way when there is no way for the dream to come truewhen everyone
you know says, Impossible.
23
Most of us want to enjoy lifestyle victories. But its not our power that
makes this happenit is Gods power. If we do our best, God will do the
rest. The changes may include being more interesting, being more kind,
patient, and loving, being more hopeful and caring. The New You will
want to take optimum care of this marvelous body God has given and to
grow stronger in muscle, mind, and abilities.
God has big plans for your life. He is willing to give you the desires of
your heart. God wants you to be the amazing person you dream of being.
But remember that God wont force an entrance into your life. Hes not
going to have a telemarketer call you. You cant charge the new dream to
your VISA or American Express card. You cant mend brokenness with
MasterCard. That wont happen. It is not a matter of buying something,
but of befriending Someone in a personal relationship. His coming into
your life depends on you opening the door every day to an exciting rela-
tionship with Him. The psalmist David says, May He grant your hearts
desire and fulfill all your plans.19
Inside every person is a sense that she can be more than she is, and a driv-
ing desire to change. Redemption gives the free gift of restoration to the
you that you can beGods New You!
24
and guide him even when God was taking him out of his comfort zone
into new territory. Barry kept being a New You every day, not by sitting
back and doing nothing, but by learning all he could learn and being all
he could be, even when others thought he would never make it.20
Barry learned that God grows gigantic oaks from little acorns. He learned
that we often miss opportunities because they come disguised as work.
He joined the navy as a chaplain. By working hard and trusting God, he
was a blessing to the sailors whose lives he touched, especially in dif-
ficult times.
Some of Barry Blacks guiding life principles were: expect the unex-
pected; find blessings in affliction; take the less-traveled path; stay busy;
harness prayer power; surprise people; face lifes challenges; match chal-
lenges with inner resources; take time to develop self-mastery. He also
embraced diligence by following the guidelines in Ecclesiastes 9:10:
Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might. He purposed
in his heart to do Gods will and to make the most of every moment of
his life. Barrys goal was to live in an ethical manner that prepared him
for his future work. He felt integrity kept him from a lot of heartbreak
and shame.
25
Against the odds of race discrimination and prejudice against his minor-
ity church affiliation, Barry worked his way up the ranks and became
the first African-American to be named a two-star admiral and the first
African-American in the history of the navy to lead its Chaplain Corps.
And God had still bigger plans for Barry. As he continued on the road
less traveled, he was named Chaplain of the Senate of the United States
in 2003, the only African-American ever to serve in that position. He
dreamed big dreams, and Gods dreams for him came true.
For you to be a new person and become a New You is a challenge. It isnt
easy, but its worthwhile. It is our choice to make, but we dont have to
do it alone. A promise many of us can claim when the temptations of life
are strong, tasks are difficult, or an impossible habit has to be broken, is:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.21
Many stories in the Bible are about people who had serious faults and
broke Gods commandments, including Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David,
and Peter. But by Gods grace and His miraculous power, they left the old
person behind and became a New Person for the glory of God. Doesnt
this bring hope to our hearts as we walk along our spiritual pathway of
life? You also can choose a new direction.
Thats the real New You. Old things have passed away; . . . all things
have become new. Will you accept Him now? Will you let Christ come
into your life? He wants to be your Friend and to help you.
26
If you are beginning on a pathway to a New You and desire for Gods
guidance, quietly tell Jesus that you choose Him as the Lord of your life,
and ask Him to forgive your sins. Jesus will help you do a spiritual life
makeover, which will start you on an exciting and exhilarating journey.
Is that your choice?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are the Dream Giver and the
Dream Maker. I want to be a new person and submit all my dreams
to You. You know what is best for me. I know You want to help me
achieve my potential. Please help me to be more like You, choose a
healthy lifestyle, and have positive relationships with my family and
others. Change me so that I can be all that You want me to be as a
new person and reach out in incredible ways to help others. Guide
by Your victorious hand so that Your dreams for me may come true.
In Jesus name, amen.
Reflect/Discuss
1. If you could suddenly wake up one morning and be the ideal per-
sona New Youwhat would you be like?
2. What are your present personal dreams or goals? What can you do to
make them a reality?
3. What experiences did you have when you started on your new spiri-
tual journey with God? What changes did you make?
4. When you look at outstanding people you admire, what are the quali-
ties they possess and which of these would you like to have?
5. What are the obstacles or fears that are impeding you from taking the
steps to being the person you would like to be?
Personal Reflections
1. Do you see yourself as valuable? God does. What do you want Him
to do for you so that you can be all you can be? Ask Him for a spiri-
tual makeover.
2. What can you do today to begin making positive lifestyle choices?
Become intentional and take action.
27
Intentionality
I will pursue a dream that has been in my mind for some time. It is
____________________________________________________.
Even though it is out of my comfort zone, I choose to go forward in
the faith zone.
28
A
fter months of chemotherapy, numerous side effects and hospital
stays, the long-awaited day finally arrives. Now the lab and X-ray
imaging reports are in. The doctor holds them in hand. With
eagerness I search Dr. Lesters face for a clue. Then he smiles. You are
cancer free! I want to hug him. My heart is bursting with joy. I have to
tell someone.
Its prayer meeting night. Though still weak, I pull myself up from the
pew and share.
I just want to tell you, God has answered your prayers. The CAT
scan report is in. Im cancer free! The whole congregation bursts into
applause. I cry with happiness. It is a day of joy.
Each of us has a different idea of what pure ecstatic joy is. Maybe you
think of the joy when your first child was born. Our family recalls the birth
of our first grandchild. When the news went out that the expectant mother
had gone to the hospitals maternity unit, family rendezvoused from three
states, racing with the stork. Two grandmothers, two grandfathers, an
aunt and young uncle all arrived via different means about an hour before
the birth. One grandmother came running down the hall to the rest of
the waiting family, all smiles, and announced, Its a girl! As soon as
we were allowed, we carefully passed the precious bundle from arms to
arms. Her eyes were wide open, taking in all this special bonding time.
She was loved unconditionally from day one.
29
There was joy, real joy! When the twentieth century came to an end,
there was great fanfare heralding the new millennium. As the hour of
midnight struck in one time zone after another around the globe, Sydney,
Australia, being close to the International Date Line, was one of the first
big cities where the year 2000 came to pass. Fireworks, laser lights, and
festivities marked this special moment in history. There was singing,
laughter, bursting smiles. Bells rang, car horns blared, ships in the harbor
sounded their foghorns, all in celebration. Some people praised God. It
was a noisy time of great joy.
Each of us has a story of a time of joy. We may surprise others and ourselves
by doing the unexpected. I made it to the top of Mount Whitney!
We have ten in our WIN! Wellness Homes of Hope and Health small
group! Even at eighty Im learning to use a Mac computer. I think I
have found the right one; she is a jewel! And she said, Yes, I will marry
you! I passed the exam! The baby is a boy!
True joy
Joy is a God thing. We are born for joyborn to enjoy life at its fullest.
Even babies smile with joy in their safe and happy environments.
Joy is one of the basic human needs and is second on the Bibles list
of spiritual fruit, following love. The list includes love, joy, peace, pa-
tience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.1
All seem to go together in bringing us authentic and satisfying joy. Think
about this. God brings genuine joy into our daily lives. Joy signals the
brain to produce endorphins. The word endorphin means the morphine
within, and this natural analgesic enhances the mood, reduces pain, and
gives feelings of euphoria. To desire joy is normal, but true joy isnt nec-
essarily the same thing as merriment. If your desire leads you to seek
constant laughs or thrills, youll be unlikely to find lasting joy. Joy sought
in and of itself has a way of eluding the seeker.
A patient poured out his problems to his psychiatrist. There was an aching
void in his heart, and although other people in his life appreciated him, he
30
really wasnt happy. The psychiatrist listened and nodded his head from
time to time. He asked the man questions and, at the end of the hour-long
interview, ventured to give some counsel.
The mans face fell, and he shook his head. Im afraid that wont help.
Im a TV comedianlaughing on the outside and crying on the inside.
When we face difficulties without joy, stress sparks the adrenal glands
to pump adrenaline into our bloodstream, plus other powerful hormones
called corticosteroids, to meet an immediate emergency. However,
in excess, these hormones will suppress immune-system functioning
and can aggravate diabetes. With prolonged arousal, fatty acid energy
released into the bloodstream is converted into cholesterol, which can
lead to arteriosclerosishardening of the arteries. The increased heart
rate will increase the likelihood of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart
disease. A Bible writer knew the best antidote to these distress toxins
31
when he wrote, Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.5
As far back as 1883 a prolific author wrote, It is the duty of everyone
. . . to keep his thoughts under the control of reason and . . . to be cheerful
and happy. . . . Sadness deadens the circulation in the blood vessels and
nerves, and also retards the action of the liver. It hinders the process of
digestion and of nutrition, and has a tendency to dry up the marrow.6 The
wise man Solomon said something similar three thousand years ago: A
merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.7
Healing properties are released in the giver and in the receiver when we
help others. For years we have known that one of the best cures for a
depressed person is for that person to do something good for someone
else. It energizes them and encourages happy, positive emotions.
Psycho-neuro-immunology
A branch of medical science called psycho-neuro-immunology is the
study of the relationship between our attitudes of hope and joy and how
they affect our brain, our hormones, and our immunity against disease.
32
Famed author Norman Cousins says that the brain is perhaps the most
prolific gland in the body and is capable not only of providing secretions
but also of combining these secretions in prescribing for the body. In
other words, the brain is a master druggist and mixes its own hormonal
remedies. When a person feels emotions like joy and optimism, the brain
manufactures positive hormones, which enhance the immune system.8
Science has discovered that the brain functions best when a person feels
joy. Some sixty chemicals are manufactured in the boutons, which are
button-like bulges in the nerve fibers. The state of mind of the individual
influences whether positive or negative chemicals are produced. If we
have prolonged negative emotions, the brain sends its nerve networks a
cortisol bath that can damage the nerve pathways, especially in young
children. The process is called neuro-pruning. When adults replay
negative memories, this reactivates the same chemicals that produced
the original emotion. By contrast, joy is a will-centered experience that
produces positive hormones.
33
lupus
coronary artery disease
asthma: a reduction in stress for some people decreases the constriction
within the lungs associated with asthma attacks.
some types of cancer: researcher Sandra Levy found that joyfulness
was the second most important predictor of survival time for a group of
women with recurring breast cancer.9
For some people who have lost their jobs and had their houses repossessed,
downsizing and simplifying life has become a financial necessity. This
may be a blessing in the end. As we cut back on wants and begin to pray
for our needs, we may be led to give more priority to living the full and
balanced simple lifeintegrating the basic needs of mind/spirit, body,
and relationships. A simple life is stress releasing and even refreshing.
Paul says in the Bible, I have learned the secret of being content.10
Joy and contentment are not primarily hereditary traits but rather are
virtues that we can learn from hard experiences.
One couple ready for divorce was stressed out with the pressures of a
modern-world lifestyle. They had little time for their children or each other.
There was mutual bitterness and anger between them and accusations
that the other was not fulfilling their part of the responsibilities. All
the joy moments present in the early part of their marriage were gone.
They didnt even like each other. Their marriage seemed to be headed
inevitably for divorce.
34
colorful beauty. There was time to walk the streets and the beach, to feel
the breeze flow through their hair, to smell the fragrance of the roses and
to hear the birds sing their morning songs. It was calming and felt good
to the soul. They relaxed and had time for each other.
Then the husband said, I could live here. At first the wife was
unimpressed and thought, Is he out of his mind? What about my divorce
plan? Then something strange happened. She relaxed, enjoyed the
warmth of the sun, and reflected on the peace that she was beginning
to experience. They began to talk about going back home, selling their
house, and moving to that country. And that is what they did.
That was the beginning of this couples return to the essentials and a
balanced, simple lifestyle. The joy emotion was returning to their lives.
They took action and moved from their stressful life to a simpler life. It
was a wow experience for the whole family and contributed to saving
their marriage.11
Unresolved conflict
Our joy evaporates when we allow conflict between ourselves and an-
other person to go on. When someones offense against us occupies our
mental and emotional attention, it drains away joy. When anger burdens
35
our heart and our countenance is clouded and hardened, our joy and a
trusting relationship with God diminish. The Good Book challenges us
to not allow relational ruptures to fester, because bitterness can set in:
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without
holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of
God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.13
Unconfessed sin
Another joy buster, guilt, is perhaps responsible for chasing more joy out
of lives than any other. Israels King David thought that by making out
with Uriahs wife he was really going to have joy and a thrill. However,
he found guilt and shame instead. But when he realized the enormity of
his sin, he confessed. He says,
What happened to David when he owned up to his sin? His joy returned!
He says: Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you
who are upright in heart!15 He was not able to rejoice and experience the
joy of the Lord until he confessed his sins.
Facial expressions
Researchers in Canada showed video clips of individuals showing anger,
sadness, disgust, and happiness and observed if the individuals watching
mimicked each of these emotions. The conclusion was that clear
36
Did you know that it takes more muscles to frown than it takes to smile?
Some reports state that it takes fifty muscles to frown, but only thirteen to
smile. Whether the numbers are exact or not, it is better to smile than to
frown. We even look better smiling than frowning, and people will more
likely smile back at us.
Daryn Kagan had reached the peak of her career as a television news
anchor for CNN when suddenly she was informed that her contract was
37
not going to be renewed. In other words, she was fired. She left the office
in shock and disbelief! Reality hitshe had no job. A long walk helped
her not only to remove the pent-up emotions but was the first step toward
processing the question, What do I do next?
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ
will rise first.22
The faithful will have exuberant joy as theyve never felt before on
that glorious resurrection day, when this mortal, corruptible person
receives a perfect, beautiful, immortal body. All blemishes, diseases, and
deformities will be left in the grave. Angels will gather Gods children
from the four corners of the earth. Whom do you want to see on the
resurrection day? Maybe your mother who died when you were a child,
or your unborn baby, a child snatched away by death, maybe your beloved
spouse, grandpa, or best friend? Instead of separation there will be family
togetherness again and never-ending joy.
38
When Jesus returns, little children will be restored to their mothers arms.
What joy that will be! Friends long separated by death will be reunited,
never again to part. Wont that be exciting! Imagine the hugs and smiles
as we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air!23
What joy will fill our souls when those who have been faithful to God
are reunited with loved ones. Can you picture the joyful smile on Jesus
face as He welcomes us home? It was worth it all. His mission has been
victorious!
The air will be filled with our majestic songs of joy and overwhelming
ecstasy and delight as we ascend together en masse to the city of God
thousands, millions on a chariot cloud surrounded by thousands of
thousands of angels. Wow! What a joyful moment that will be. We have
to be there!
When we arrive to the glories of heaven, the celebration will outshine the
joy of winning the World Series, being the victor at the Super Bowl or
the World Cup, or the inauguration of a new leader in your country. The
cheers will dwarf the celebration on New Years Day in 2000.
Jesus Christ will invest you with the insignia of your royal state. He will
give you the crown of glory with His own new name written on it.
He will present you the victors palm, from ancient times an emblem of
joy and triumph. The angels will give you a shining harp. Without harp
lessons you and I will be able to play joyful, melodious music! Joyous
rapture will thrill every heart as our fingers brush skillfully over the
strings. We will sing as never before on earth in perfect harmony. To
Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and
has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, our desire will be
to say, To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.24
The Bible says that the nation which has kept the truth will enter into
heaven.25 Jesus says, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.26 Your
conflict is ended. You won the battle! You are victorious!
39
But instead:
Endless happiness
Endless perfect health
Eternal never-ending relationships with those we love
Travel to worlds afar, exploring the universe, learning from the
Creator
Restoration to eat of the Tree of Life and growing up to our full
stature.
The battle won, the conflict ended between good and evil, our unutterable
joy will be in seeing those who, through our efforts, prayers, and sacrifice,
have been saved from a world of sin and who now share with us forever
the reward of eternal life. The saved of all ages are welcomed into the full-
ness of the joy of their Lord. The family of earth and the family of heaven
will be one. Well be part of a new family: Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, Isaiah,
Elijah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Mary, Peter, Matthew, and Paul.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the joyful moments of life and
for the healing that comes from joyful experiences. Create in us
40
Reflect/Discuss
1. Recall a time when you have experienced euphoria or immense
satisfaction.
2. Have you experienced a time when you knew you couldnt go on
without Gods help? What happened when you asked Him for help
and His response brought you great joy?
3. What do you do to avoid joy busters in your life?
4. In a world that is full of heartache, problems, and cares of this life,
how can you find joy in spite of difficulties? What do you do on one
of those sad days when problems are encircling you, to bring joy
back into your heart?
Personal Reflection
1. It seems that there is joy when we serve others who are in need. Ask
God to help you bring joy to someone.
2. What kind of service brings joy to you? What else can you do for
others? Consider helping the poor, orphans, widows, a single parent,
or a homeless person.
3. Which of the following joy busters have robbed you of great joy?
unresolved guilt
unconfessed sins
a wounded ego
unpleasant circumstances you couldnt handle
unresolved conflicts
unsatisfied expectations
stress
What can you do regarding these that will bring joy back to your life?
41
Intentionality
I plan to choose __ (number of people) to enrich their lives and
bring them joy. I pray for wisdom to know how and what to do to
help each one.
I will evaluate my joys of life and will plan some new activities that
will add to my joy moments. They are ______________________
____________________________________________________.
I choose to put my trust in God and determine to be joyful in good
and bad circumstances.
I will pray about bringing greater joy to the lives of those in my
family.
It is my desire to serve others in some way and reject selfishness.
Family Reflections
Think of ways the whole family can increase joy in their lives by
serving others. Record these ways and take action.
Discuss as a family how you can restore any bad family relations by
forgiving, helping the wounded, loving and praying for them.
Think of some fun activities that will bring joy to the whole family.
Write these down, choose one of the activities, and set a date when
this will be done.
When youre a little low on joy, read the short New Testament book
of Philippians every day for a week. The book was written by Paul
when he was in prison in Rome, yet he uses the words joy or rejoice
nineteen times in this short book. Write out any verse you especially
like in your journal. Personalize the passage by putting your name
into the verses.
42
I
t is May 20, 1927. At 7:52 a.m. a single-engine plane loaded with 450
gallons of fuelmore than it was designed forbarely clears the elec-
tricity wires at the end of Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York,
and heads into the unknown to attempt what has never been done before.
Charles A. Lindbergh, at the controls of the Spirit of St. Louis, is trying to
become the first person to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. A reward
of $25,000 has been offered to the first person to do this, and Lindbergh
intends to claim that prize.
He is wide awake. He didnt sleep at all the night before, but for now
he seems buoyed up by the excitement of attempting the impossible.
The engine drones on as he travels northeast, following the great circle
route. Almost twelve hours later, the daylight of that first day fades as
the Spirit of St. Louis roars over the wharves and harbor of St. Johns,
Newfoundland, and out into the night. It is the last point on the last
island of Americathe end of land; the end of day. . . . North America
and its islands are behind. Ireland is two thousand miles ahead.1 In the
cockpit he is alone, and below him are icebergs, those silent sentries of
the Arctic Ocean. If the engine fails, there is no place to land.
An hour after leaving land behind, Lindbergh has 1,200 miles behind him
and 2,400 miles to go; he has flown one-third of the distance to Paris.
As hour after hour passes in the darkness, his eyelids feel heavy as lead.
He seems half asleep. His eyes appear to be tricking him. Last night I
couldnt go to sleep. Tonight I can barely stay awake. The moon comes
up. That helps. I shake myself violently. . . . Ive got to alert my mind,
43
wake my body. And those soft fluffy clouds down there look like a quilt
where I could sleep. Ive never wanted anything so much.
Why did I go to the public performance my last night in New York? But
I didnt know that my weather expert would find a break in the weather
and advance my leaving. Finally Lindbergh sees the faint trace of day,
and the desire to sleep seems to be uncontrollable. Ive lost command of
my eyelids. All I want in life is to throw myself down flat, stretch outand
sleep. Ive got to find some way to keep alert. Theres no alternative but
death and failure. I fall asleep with my eyes open.
After the torture of the endless night, and some hours into day two,
hopeful signs appear: sea gulls, fishing boats, and finally the southwest
point of Ireland! Land never looked so good! Pushed on by a strong tail
wind, Lindbergh is three hours ahead of schedule, with enough fuel to fly
across the Alps to Rome. On he flies, across the peninsula of southwest
England, and as the sun almost touches the horizon, he looks down on
the city of Cherbourg, France. As he flies up the Seine River Valley, air
beacons show him the way.
The wheels of the Spirit of St. Louis touch down. No sleepiness now!
Thousands break through police barricades. Those lights? They werent
industrial complexes. It was a traffic jam of cars carrying people who
wanted to see Lindbergh complete his historic mission. The entire field
44
is covered with running figures. His feet never touch the ground as he is
triumphantly carried on the shoulders of overjoyed well-wishers.
Benefits of sleep
Although people under unusual circumstances sometimes go two or three
days without sleeping, as in the case of Lindberg, this temporarily cuts
down their alertness and their ability to make good decisions. How much
sleep do we need to assure positive benefits in a regular lifestyle?
Evidence indicates that sleep helps neural functioning and benefits the
brain, giving neurons a chance to recuperate. It is also linked to the
improvement of our immune system and the preventing of disease.
Research shows that the body renews tissues, forms new red blood cells,
and releases growth hormones during sleep time. When sleep deprived,
we react to stressful situations with more anger, sadness, and fear than we
would if we were adequately rested.
Most independent studies find young adults need about eight and a quarter
hours of sleep a night. However, Dr. Eve Van Cauter states that children
need about ten hours, those aged twelve to twenty-one require about nine
hours, and adults need eight to ten hours per night.2 For adults, research
indicates that those who sleep more than ten hours may have negative
side effects. Though various research findings may differ on the exact
amount, each of us needs sufficient sleep to help us function at our best.
We not only need adequate amounts of sleep, but we also need adequate
time in deep sleep. Deep sleep, characterized by rapid eye movements
(REM) and active brainwave patterns, is thought to be the time when the
brain processes and stores information. Good sleep is absolutely essential
45
to a positive, well-balanced life. Far too few of us are getting the sleep
we need for optimal living. Someone said, If you want to fly with the
eagles, youd better not hoot with the owls!
46
Heart disease
Sleep deprivation contributes to heart disease. The Center for Sleep
Disorder Medicine at a prominent university reports that insomnia is
associated with a high risk for hypertension.7
Cancer
Margaret Ann Hancock from Edinburgh, Scotland, needed some extra
money to care for her three children, so she took a night shift at the local
hospital that allowed her to take her children to nursery when she got
home. She would sleep a few hours and then pick them up again. During
the time that she worked at the hospital, she developed breast cancer that
required a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radium treatment.
But when the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the
World Health Organization, announced in 2009 that their investigations
placed night working just one category below known carcinogens such as
asbestos as a cause of cancer, the connection between her work schedule
47
and her cancer became clear. Margaret wishes she had known then what
she knows now. She says, If its risking your health, theres nothing
worth that.9
Obesity
Research shows that lack of sleep contributes to obesity and makes it
harder to lose weight. Short sleep duration may increase obesity risk by
causing small changes in eating patterns that cumulatively alter energy
balance.10 Obesity in turn may contribute to cancer risk.
Stress insomnia
Stress induces the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol, called the stress
hormone. While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the bodys
response to stress, enabling fight or flight, its important for the relax-
ation response to be activated so that the bodys functions can return to
normal following a stressful event. Normally cortisol is higher in the
morning and diminishes by evening, allowing for low-stress sleeping.
Stress and excess cortisol can be minimized by proper rest, exercising,
relaxing, peaceful moments in nature, and breathing deeply of fresh air.
48
Trucking accidents
A study done in the US found that fatigue was a primary cause in 41% of
heavy truck crashes in the western United States and a probable cause in
a further 18%.14 Another study reported, Insufficient sleep exacerbates
the sedating effects of alcohol so that even low levels of alcohol make the
sleepy driver much more impaired and much more likely to fall asleep
at the wheel.15 So Fatigue + Alcohol = Danger for drivers and for those
unfortunate enough to be in their path.
One elderly woman who sometimes has insomnia reports that she quotes
Scripture when she cannot sleep in the night. Good verses are He gives
His beloved sleep16 and Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be
sweet.17 A single person says, I just start softly singing spiritual songs
in bed or repeat the words of songs which take my mind off stressful
thoughts. A husband says that when he awakens in the night he goes
through the letters of the alphabet repeating names or characteristics of
God. At last count he was working with some 324 names and attributes
of God. For instance, his As include Alpha, All Powerful, All Knowing,
Author, Altogether Lovely, Advocate, Almighty, Awesome, the Amen,
Architect. Sometimes he may get only to the letter Fwords such as
49
Rest recharges our mental batteries, revives energy, brings healing and
restoration, improves our immune system, stimulates growth hormones in
children, helps to keep the blood pressure down, and keeps us functioning
at an optimal level. Wow! It has positive, dynamic power! Rest is a gift of
Goda miracle renewal package.
Try to schedule moments of rest and relaxation into your daily life. You
can walk the stairs to deliver a paper, take a brisk walk in the sunshine
during the lunch hour, go to your favorite nature spot, or wrestle with the
little one on the carpet when you get home. By changing activities, we
relax and have restful moments.
Our bodies need more than just sleep. The rush of work and daily life
leaves millions fatigued, impacting the health and the soul. Its good
that we have the example of Jesus. He understood what it was like to be
human. He warned His companions not to be overcome by the cares of
this world [anxiety and rushing], the deceitfulness of riches [materialism],
and the desires for other things [more, more, more].18
50
On a certain occasion, life got very hectic around Jesus and His disciples.
And He said unto them, Come . . . apart into a desert place, and rest a
while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so
much as to eat.19 Someone has remarked, If we dont come apart, we
may fall apart.
Burnout
Tiredness and fatigue characterize our world. Fatigue impedes
concentration and prevents creative, clear thinking. It decreases efficiency
and decision-making skills. Fatigued persons may seem apathetic,
distractible, and often depressed. They are more prone to negativity,
impatience, and anger. Homes are breaking up because husbands, wives,
and kids are just plain tired out.
Sue wasnt going to let that happen to her marriage. Jim was a professional
counselor. Hour after hour, he listened to peoples problems. His wife
Sue noticed that he was worn out and seemed to be carrying the weight
of the world on his back. Gone were the sparkle in his eye and the spring
in his step.
Sue, his good wife, took things into her own hands. She found Jims
appointment book, rescheduled his clients for the next five days, and
made reservations for him at a lovely mountain camp retreat. The
first three days he spent by himself. Jim walked the mountain trails,
listened to the melody of the streams as the water cascaded through
the rocks, and heard the singing of the birds. It seemed as though God
and the angels were speaking to him. He meditated and refocused his
thoughts. On the weekend Sue joined him. Together they celebrated
lifes blessings. Jim had been suffering from a common ailment
51
todayburnout. Now he felt like a new man and could return with
energy to help others in need.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day
is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work:
you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor
your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is
within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and
the earth.
It is a spiritual day off from work, a day to really rest from labor: stressful
assignments, deadlines, following the orders of others, rushing to work
early in the morning and rushing back to work at home. God knew what
He was doing. He doesnt want us to overwork and wants us to have extra
time for Him. He said Remember the Sabbath because He thought we
might forget and keep laboring when we didnt need to, and then we
wouldnt have any time with Him.
The word rest in the commandment means stop! Stop all work. Set it
apart as a holy day. God knew that we would need rest, and He set aside
a full day every week for us to relax, to be out in nature and enjoy a
relationship with Him and with our family and friends. At Creation, God
also rested or stopped work, and He sanctified the Sabbath as a holy day,
which starts on Friday at sunset and ends Saturday evening. He specified,
In it you shall do no work.20 His prescription was complete rest from
gainful employment and even from mundane tasks at home that can be
done during the week. God says to us, You dont have to work on this
dayenjoy it! I give you permission.
52
Genesis 2:2, 3 says, On the seventh day God ended His work
which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His
work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and
sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God
had created and made.
On that first seventh day, God and His two newly created beings, Adam
and Eve, stopped to enjoy what He had made. At sundown Friday
evening, they celebrated the arrival of the Sabbath day togethernot just
by refraining from work, but by honoring God for His finished work. By
the gift of the Sabbath, God established Himself as the Creator. It was His
mark of authority. The Sabbath was a love gift to us, and when we keep
it sacred for Him, it shows that we love Him and that we belong to Him.
The modern calendar has the day beginning and ending at midnight when
were usually asleep. Gods plan was better. Like Adam and Eve, we see
God paint the western skies in beautiful colors as the Sabbath day begins
at sunset, and then twenty-four hours later we enjoy seeing the first stars
appear. We pause at sunset evening worship time to thank God for His
holy day and begin our new week.
When Jesus came to this earth, He honored the rest day. As His custom
was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and read from the
scroll of the prophets.21 He healed the sick and set the captives free on the
day of rest. The Sabbath is Gods day and your day. So enjoy it!
Saint Augustine prayed, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts
are restless until they find rest in You. God is not a hard taskmaster who
cracks the whip and says, Work harder! Work longer! He offers us rest.
Prayer
Creator God, thank You for Your promise, Come to Me, all you who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.22 Thank You for
53
giving us a day of rest from our weekly stresses and labors. You had
us in mind when You told us not to work seven days a week. Help us
to enjoy the day off, this special day with family, friends, and You.
Thank You that when our daily burdens are heavy, with too much to
do and activities too big for us, that You encourage us to rest from
the days of work. In Jesus name, amen.
Reflect/Discuss
1. Why did God plan a weekly day of rest for us from work? How can
you better enjoy it? What do the words Sabbath rest mean to you?
2. Think of different ways of spending the hours of the seventh daythe
Sabbathstarting on Friday evening at sundown, which will renew
you spiritually and physically in preparation for another busy week.
3. During the six days of the work week, what activities will refresh
you at the end of a busy day when you have worked hard physically,
or when you have worked hard mentally? What is the difference
between rest and sleep?
4. Are you satisfied with the amount of sleep you get at night? What
seems to rob you of your sleep? If you have someone to dialog with,
brainstorm on sleep robbers and solutions to sleep deprivation.
Personal Reflections
1. Have you developed the discipline of releasing your daily, unfinished
business, your concerns about the future, and any relationship stresses
into Gods hands? Are you letting Him carry the burdens so that you
can sleep better? Talk to the Father God about your stresses and need
for sufficient sleep.
2. Think of different ways of spending your Sabbath time with God,
family, and friends. Will this help you to recharge your battery in
preparation for another week?
3. If keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is a new concept to you, how
would you like to spend your first Sabbath day of rest with God?
Intentionality
I choose to get sufficient rest breaks in the day and adequate sleep
each night.
I will record my sleep hours for two weeks on the chart provided and
54
will work at living a more simplified life so that I can get sufficient
sleep and relaxed moments during the day for self-care.
I like Gods plan for making the Sabbath a spiritual day with God,
family, relatives, and friends.
I choose to keep the Sabbath as a holy day.
My Sleep Record
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
Week 1
Week 2
If your sleep chart indicates insufficient sleep time, what can you do to
increase your sleeping hours?
Parents, make a chart for your children. Then discuss the importance of
sleep time with them and share how sleep affects health, moods, and the
ability to do our best work at school and home.
Dr. Eve Van Cauter suggests children need about ten hours of sleep per
night, those aged twelve to twenty-one require about nine hours, and
adults need eight or more hours per night.
Sleep Enhancers
These sleep suggestions promote rest and a good night of sleep.
Be active. Exercise by gardening, walking, running, swimming, biking,
or aerobic activities for at least thirty minutes a day, but not too close
to bedtime.
Research says that if you want to live to a hundred, keep moving!
Avoid caffeine in coffee, tea, and sodas. Avoid smoking and alcoholic
beverages.
Avoid sleeping pills. Some people benefit from one or two tablets of
calcium citrate to help them sleep.
Consider taking a supplement of vitamin B complex, or if doctor
prescribes, B-12 shots.
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Short naps of 1520 minutes may be helpful. Late afternoon naps may
interfere with night sleep.
Eating a light evening meal without protein and spicy foods three to
five hours before bedtime will give the stomach rest and improve sleep.
A fruit plate or light soup is excellent. You will sleep better.
Seniors awakening early in the morning, unable to sleep longer, can
consider rising to have devotions and other meaningful activities. After
being up several hours, go back to bed and finish getting your eight
hours of rest.
Drink liquids before 5:00 p.m. to avoid frequent wake-up trips to the
bathroom.
For a special pre-bedtime calming after a stressful day, take a warm
Epsom salts bath.
Turn TV off early in the evening. Have no TV, cell phone, or computers/
office equipment in bedroom. The bedroom is for sleeping and for
enjoying your spouse.
Have your bedroom noise free, cool, dark, ventilated, and clean, with
a comfortable bed.
Do not continue the work of the day into the evening. A change of pace
in the evening is refreshing and allows the mind to wind down.
Put your problems aside when you go to bed. Enjoy pillow talk. No
problems, please!
Plan for a regular bedtime between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. Sleep before
midnight is more restoring than sleep after midnight. Early to bed,
early to rise, makes a woman or man healthy, wealthy and wise. Try
to go to bed every night at the same time and get up at the same time.
If you have trouble nodding off, try listening to a CD of soothing,
relaxing music or nature sounds, or read a non-professional storybook
like a biography or travelogue.
For sleep apnea, try sleeping on your side. Get treatment in a sleep
disorders clinic.
As you go to bed, thank God for His blessings. Try the AZ blessing
plan. A for I was Able to finish my assignment, B for Thank you for
letting me see the Bluebirds Beauty in our tree, and so on.
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H
ave you ever felt that you were surrounded with conflict and
problems and you wondered if there was any way out? Ben found
a way out.
Ben Carson was born in the inner city of Detroit (USA). His mother,
Sonya, came from a home of poverty where there were twenty-three
brothers and sisters. At the age of thirteen she married her husband, who
was fifteen years her senior and had thirteen siblings. Sonya received
only a third-grade education and read with great difficulty. She bore
two sons in this marriage. When Ben, the younger son, was eight, his
father left home to live with another woman and never returned. At an
early age Ben said he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up. Could he
reach his dream when they were so poor and lived in a crime-infested
neighborhood? Conflict? Problems? They were on the street outside his
door and in the school he attended. Was there any hope for Ben? Many
sociologists would say No.
Ben Carson was an unlikely success story. One of the many hurdles he
had to overcome was his anger. By the ninth grade, he had a pathological
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temper. One day Ben and a friend were listening to a radio when Bob
changed stations. An argument ensued about which music to listen to.
In that instant, Ben says, blind angerpathological angertook
possession of me. Grabbing the camping knife I carried in my back
pocket, I snapped it open and lunged for the boy who had been my friend.
With all the power of my young muscles, I thrust the knife toward his
belly. The knife hit his big, heavy . . . belt buckle with such a force that
the blade snapped and dropped to the ground. In a daze, Ben raced home
and locked himself in the bathroom. He had dreamed of being a doctor
since he was eight years old, but how could he fulfill this dream with
such a terrible temper? He passed two hours in agony. As he searched
his life, he felt impressed to pray. His mother had taught him to pray. For
months he had tried to control his temper but could not. Ben says: I felt
as though I could never face anyone again. How could I look my mother
in the eye? . . . Lord, I whispered, You have to take this temper from
me. If you dont, Ill never be free from it. Ill end up doing things a lot
worse than trying to stab one of my best friends.
Ben slipped out of the bathroom and grabbed a Bible. He opened it and
began reading from Proverbs. Proverbs 16:32 impressed him the most:
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his
spirit than he who takes a city (RSV). During those hours alone in
the bathroom, something happened to me. God heard my deep cries of
anguish. A feeling of lightness flowed over me, and I knew a change of
heart had taken place. I was different. . . . I walked out of the bathroom
a changed young man. My temper will never control me again, I told
myself. Never again. Im free. 1
Definition of conflict
Conflict is a natural disagreement resulting from individuals or groups
that differ in attitudes, beliefs, values, or needs. It can be positive or
negative. Do you know of any family that has not experienced conflict?
Conflict seems to be a natural part of life. It has the potential of building
healthy relationships or destroying them. It has constructive potential.
It seems God must allow conflict for a purpose. Maybe it is His way of
helping us to improve our characterto become more mature. Conflicts
are great teachers and polishers of character.
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Research information
The professional literature dealing with conflict almost invariably speaks
to underlying causes in hostility and makes many references to anxiety
and depression. Anger is the fuel for conflict. But other causes include
jealousy, envy, selfishness, pride, and impulsiveness.
Studies over the past thirty years indicate the so-called Type A
personalityhighly competitive, ambitious, rushing, easily angered,
and hostilepredicts coronary heart disease. Twice as many Type A
men developed heart disease in an eight and a half-year time frame as
those without these features.3 Later studies indicated hostility (anger)
specifically was the primary culprit.4
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Dr. David Mace and his wife, Vera, were the founders of the Association
for Couples in Marital Enrichment, and for a generation were revered for
their contribution to the marriage enrichment movement.
After the couple has a series of heart-rending experiences over the months
and years, the partners grow fearful of intimacy. Eventually both parties
close up and withdraw from the dispute. Their sex life becomes poor
or non-existent. The couple is married legally but not emotionally. In
other marriages, one partner is dominant and imposes his/her ideas and
plans on the other, who then loses hope of happiness and doesnt even
argue anymore. Hostility is there, but it is passive aggressive (the anger is
held on the inside and not openly expressed). It is equally as dangerous,
and perhaps more so, as those situations where there is active-aggressive
anger.6
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although the one inflicting violence may win the immediate argument.
Violence destroys trust, the essential foundation of healthy relationships.
Violence is not acceptable, and especially has no basis for defense within
the most tender of human ties, the marriage relationship. Violence injures
or destroys human life, which is created by God. Acts of violence ignite
retaliatory violence, as history has shown.
What is the solution? Work at learning how to solve the serious situation
or concerns in a healthy way. And if it is not a big thing, drop it. Its
probably not worth fighting over or spending time on. Choose your
battles and avoid the petty stuff.
Before we go too far into solutions, lets get your opinion in an agree or
disagree activity on the topic of conflict. This activity will bring to our
attention valuable skills that help relationships with family and others.
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In the following pages you may find answers to some of your questions
on conflict.
There are those who start conflict in an attempt to get everything they
want by manipulation, getting angry, screaming, kicking, hitting, and
throwing. One elderly woman recalled that she was this way when young
but realized it was harmful to her health. Knowing this, she began learning
how to solve her life problems in more healthy, happy ways.
3. Avoid the issues and walk away from conflict. Instead of facing the
reality of the problem, the person escapes. One way of escaping is to use
the silent treatment. When one husband and wife disagreed, he would
silently put on his hat and go for a long walk. Walking away from a
problem just postpones it. The outcome is lose/lose. Yet it is safer than
violence, and sometimes the walk time is a good conflict-processing
time. Sometimes avoiding immediate conflict is essential in protecting
human life from violence.
However, there are more positive ways of handling conflict that usually
give better results as we move toward peacemaking.
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concern for the interests of other people. The outcome: win/win. This
is a better way than accommodation, competition, or avoidance.
6. Wait for heaven and the millennium. Although we may exert all
our efforts and pray for divine guidance, some problems have no earthly
solution. We can release conflict to God. Through this surrender, we can
trust Gods providence, although we may have to wait for the millennium
for complete understanding. Now we see things imperfectly, like
puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with
perfect clarity.All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I
will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.7
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Land, many people came asking him to judge between them, and he could
not keep up with the workload. Moses father-in-law, Jethro, saw what
was happening and advised Moses to appoint assistants to share the load.
Because Moses listened to advice, the problem was solved.
At that point, his attack strategy turned to a bear hug as he held on tight.
Jacob reverently exclaimed, I will not let You go unless You bless me!
He did not want to let go unless he was forgiven and did not want to die
until he had made peace with his brother Esau. He wanted to be forgiven
by Esau whom he had deceived. At that moment of the nights struggle,
Jacob was truly broken and repentant. He asked God urgently to bless
him, and God did bless him by transforming the scheming Jacob, whose
name literally means deceiver, into a new person. Then he was given a
new name, Israel, which means Prince of God. He surrendered his life
totally to Gods will.
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after Gods own heart. God has given us a good mind. When we ask Him
in prayer, He helps us deal appropriately with conflict. He will teach
us skills and put people in our path who will help us. He will give us
wisdom and information. At times He will send angels to direct us to a
text in the Bible or a page in a book that helps us process our concern. He
works on our attitude and gives us healing words that set us free. We must
keep working at solving problems in the positive way. Dont give up.
TRANSFORMATIONAL COMMUNICATION
How do we communicate and process our problems in times of conflict
without hurting each other? How do we solve important issues so there is
agreement and in the end, so that you win and I win?
Have you noticed that the Bible recounts lots of family conflicts? There
were blaming and lies, misunderstandings and bitterness, sexual sins,
sibling rivalry, scheming, and many differences of opinion within families.
It began with Adam and Eve. They played the blaming game from the very
beginning with the first sin, when Adam passed the credit along: The
woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.9
Then there was the conflict between the first siblings, Cain and Abel,
which ended in homicide. Cain killed his brother because he was jealous
and angry.10
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After the wedding celebration was over and loaned items returned, Judy
discovered one of her lovely antique bowls had been broken and the other
sold. Judy was extremely upset and disappointed about her loss and kept
thinking about it. Judys husband, a peacemaker, tried to comfort her
with, Dont feel bad. I will buy other ones for you.
But the bowls could not be replaced anywhere in her country, so that
did not console Judy. Besides, no purchased bowls would have the same
sentimental value. Later her husband commented, You know people
are more important than things, on which Judy reflected and later
acknowledged to be true. It took a little time to process her loss, but Judy
knew her husband was correct. People are more important than things.
When Judy released her loss to God, peace returned and emotional
healing took place by her choice and Gods help.
There are times that I may have to give up on something that is important
to me for the good of all concerned. The end goal is peace, understanding,
and love for one another, which is of more importance than some other
desired results.
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The strong can afford to be gentle and soft. Today the macho man thinks
that he has to prove something. He has to prove he is strong, so he lashes
out with his tongue. But in reality, the strong can afford to be gentle. People
who are surrendered to God are nicer and easier to live with. The strongest
are the most tender. With their presence, home is a more peaceful place.
Paul gives us good advice: Make every effort to live in peace with all
men . . . and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble.12
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The very best way to fight the battle is with a prayer for Gods intervention.
God is more powerful than Satan, and He will help us in this fight. The
battle between Christ and Satan was won at the cross at Calvary. Jesus
will give us victory over anger and life-destroying conflict. Remember,
Satans days are numbered, and in heaven there will be no more battles.
Hurray!
Reflect/Discuss
1. What part does selfishness play in initiating conflict?
2. What is your best way of resolving a conflict in a positive way?
3. What are some of the health dangers of conflict?
Personal Reflections
1. Do you have an unresolved conflict in your life? What conflict
resolution skill might you use to resolve the issue for the good of all
involved?
2. What blocks you from effective communication and problem solving?
What intentional steps can you take to do something about it?
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I
n October 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, winner of the US Con-
gressional Medal of Honor, climbed into a B-17 Flying Fortress in Ha-
waii, carrying a message from President Roosevelt for General Douglas
MacArthur. His purpose was to visit US bases in Australia, New Guinea,
and the Solomon Islands. While on the way, the pilot became lost and the
plane ran out of fuel, so he ditched in the Pacific Ocean.
As green salt water rushed in through the planes broken windows, the
eight occupants rushed to evacuate. The pilot said they had only thirty to
sixty seconds to clear. In the confusion, they left the emergency rations
and jugs of water behind. The men spread out onto three life rafts. One
had stuffed four oranges into his jacket pocket, and another had a couple
of fishing lines and hooks. They tied the rafts together to make a larger
object for search planes to see. Although Rickenbacker was no longer in
the military, he assumed leadership.
By the sixth day, the men were starving and thirsty. They sang spiritual
songs to keep their spirits up. On the eighth day, a seagull landed on
Rickenbackers hat. Carefully he reached up and grabbed the gull. The
starving men ate it all, including the bones, and then they used the entrails
to bait the fishing line. For Rickenbacker, the gull was a sign from God
and a token of hope that they would soon be rescued. He insisted that God
had a purpose in all this and continued with evening prayers every night.
That night it rained. The water was carefully collected on their clothes,
wrung out into Rickenbackers big hat and rationed sparingly. Each man
received one to two fluid ounces a day. It was their sweetest water ever!
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As the days passed, their situation grew more perilous. The blazing sun
burned and blistered exposed skin, and sea brine stung parched, cracked
skin and salt-water ulcers. Sharks circled them constantly and scraped
against the flimsy rafts, threatening to overturn them. But Rickenbacker
believed that there was a God in heaven, and he encouraged the men to
hang on. Small things would happen to encourage them, such as two fish
jumping and landing in their raft, providing that evenings supper. Even
so, the men could never get enough water, and every cell in their bodies
called out for more.
On the seventeenth day it rained again, and the water tasted so good!
That was the day they spotted the first airplane. Sadly, its engine drone
quickly faded away into silence; the pilot had not seen the small band of
rafts bobbing on the vast ocean. On the morning of the twenty-first day,
Rickenbacker poured rationed water for each of his raft mates, who were
too weak to raise their heads to drink. Meanwhile, every available navy
airplane was combing the ocean for hundreds of miles around, trying to
find the little rafts. Finally another plane flew into view. The men worked
up enough energy to wave their clothes. The pilot spotted them. Rescued
at last!
Many factors helped ensure the mens survival, but none of these was
more important than the fresh rainwater. Drinking water had made the
difference between life and death.
Water is essential! In our own bodies, water can also make the difference
between life and death, between health and sickness. Having sufficient
suitable drinking water is critically necessary for optimizing body health.
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As you start reading this chapter, stop and have a refreshing drink of
water.
Water dehydration
Did you know that your body has a priority system in place if it has
inadequate water? It will take water from less vital areas like bones,
joints, and skin to give to the brain and heart and some other organs.
But continued dehydration has consequences such as urinary problems,
stress on the kidneys, arthritis, and even premature aging. The average
person is chronically dehydrated. According to the Mayo Clinic, the
average adult loses ten cups of water a day through breathing, sweating,
urinating, and eliminating waste. Dehydration most often occurs when a
person takes in less fluids than is expelled through these normal bodily
functions. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to dehydration.2
When a physician asks a patient how much water they drink per day, often
the answer is one cup. This means that the patients body is forced to
get additional needed water from other fluids and foods, and this causes
the body to operate at less than optimal levels. Good hydration gives us
better endurance and mental alertness.
Results of Dehydration
Thirst Fatigue Light-headedness Dry mouth and eyes
Weight gain Headaches Wrinkles Loss of clear thinking
Lethargy Confusion Nausea/Vomiting Loss of skin elasticity
BENEFITS OF WATER
Here are just a few of the ways water benefits our health.
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Seniors need a lot of water daily. Hydrated elderly live longer, think
more clearly, and tend to be healthier. Since older people diminish in
thirst desire, dehydration increases especially after the age of eighty-five.
Dehydration of older people is the most frequent cause of hospitalization.
Some caretakers of seniors are asked by family members to keep daily
charts of the water intake of their loved one. One caretaker of individuals
with dementia and Alzheimers reports that when she gives her patients
sufficient water daily, they seem less confused and are more alert.
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areas to supply water to more vital areas. As a result, the joints are not
cushioned sufficiently and movement contributes to pain. Water drinking
helps cushion the discs and joints and reduces back and joint pain, while
dehydration may contribute to bone rubbing against bone.
But the human kidney is even more amazing. Every minute, 24 percent
of your blood goes through the kidneys and is cleansed. One to two
quarts of water are excreted each day as urine. Without the kidneys, your
body would require 2,500 gallons of water (40,000 glasses) daily to keep
the body organs functioning properly. In other words, the body is an
environmental recycling plant of amazing efficiency.
Our kidneys want and require much water. They filter out waste products
in about two hundred quarts of blood each day, and then the detoxified
blood is recycled into the blood stream. Water is the magic substance
that makes this exchange possible. Six to ten cups a day ensures proper
kidney function and helps to prevent kidney stones. Water flushes out
impurities and guards against urinary tract infections. Sufficient water
helps urinary flow and may reduce urinary urgencies.
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Kidneys filter out about a barrelful of waste each day, but then recycle,
concentrate, and reabsorb fluids after toxins have been removed. The
result is that we need to replace only about six to ten glasses of water
each day.
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Choose the best water availablespring water, tap water that is filtered,
water that is processed by reverse osmosis, or bottled water. Distilled
water loses some minerals, but that is better than drinking impure water.
If the water seems flavorless, just add a bit of lemon juice. The drinking
water in your area may need to be boiled for safety.
Millie was a sipper and had a hard time getting the adequate glasses
finished daily. Then she started drinking fifteen swallows at a time but
still needed more at the end of day. Then she increased to twenty-two
to twenty-five swallows at a time. She now drinks an adequate amount
and has moved from being a sipper to being a real drinker of H2O,
of course!
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Juices are fine occasionally but may contain large quantities of sugar. It is
better to eat the raw fruit that has more fiber and fewer calories.
The research on water is clear: Drink lots of beneficial, pure water every
day! Make it a daily priority. Like reading the Bible, praying, brushing
your teeth, eating a meal, and taking a bath, it should be part of your daily
routine.
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Dad and Mom decided it would be best if Ryan worked for the money.
They gave him odd jobs, and the dollar bills began piling up in a cookie
tin on top of the refrigerator. After school, he and a neighborhood friend
sold lemonade, and the money kept coming in. Every night Ryan prayed,
Jesus, help me to get clean water for the poor people in Africa.
Four months later, carrying the cookie tin, Ryan walked into the office of
a famine-relief organization. Workers counted the contents. Seventy-five
dollars! Then he heard bad news: the money was enough to buy only the
hand pump. It would cost $2,000 to drill a well. Six-year-old Ryan was
undeterred. OK, Ill just do more chores, he said.
The local newspaper wrote up Ryans story, and more funds trickled in.
Then a newspaper in Canadas capital city, Ottawa, picked up the story,
and a TV station ran a feature on the project. Checks poured in. Ryan
didnt know what to do with checks, and he hadnt learned yet how to
write his name. Thats all right, his mom encouraged him, just print
your name. The bank will accept them.
Then a project coordinator for Uganda contacted Ryan and asked, Where
do you want your well to be drilled? He answered, Drill it near a school
so the kids can take water home every day. Together they picked Angolo
Primary School.
On New Years Day in the year 2000, Ryans next-door neighbors came
over. Ryan, how nice it would be for you and your dad and mom to go
to Uganda to see your well. We will give you all our frequent-flier miles
so you can all make the trip.
The pickup rounded the final corner and all the children of Angolo Primary
School, in their blue and white uniforms, cheered and applauded. The
village elders came forward and, in triumphal procession, led Ryan to the
well. An inscription at its base reads, Ryans Well, Funded by Ryan H.
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Ryan and his family pumped the well handle, and a stream of pure water
gushed forth.6 It brings to mind Jesus promise: Whoever gives one of
these little ones only a cup of cold water . . . , assuredly, I say to you, he
shall by no means lose his reward. 7
Prayer
Lord, thank You that I have water to drink to give health to my brain,
bones, respiratory system, circulatory system, immune system,
and kidneys. Like Ryan, may I help thirsty people to find water and
help thirsty souls find the water of life. When the Master rewards
the faithful of earth, may I hear His voice saying, Whoever gives
one of these little ones only a cup of cold water . . ., assuredly, I
say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. Amen.
Reflect/Discuss
1. What impressed you about this chapter? What were the spiritual
applications that spoke to your heart?
2. Reality checkhow many eight-ounce glasses of water did you
drink today? _____. How many glasses should you drink for your
good health? _____.
3. Discuss the health value of combining exercise with drinking water
and choosing not to drink soda, coffee, or tea.
Personal Reflections
1. What steps can you take to ensure that you drink more pure water
every day for your healths sake?
2. Evaluate how many extra calories you get per day from liquids that
are not water.
Intentionality
I plan to regularly drink ______ eight-ounce glasses of water daily.
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B
efore the days of medical prescription of antibiotics, a physician
was performing an autopsy on an infant to verify the cause of
death. After locating a pocket of pus in the dead child, the physi-
cian was sewing up the incision when he accidentally punctured his own
finger through his rubber glove with the contaminated needle. Among
doctors it is proverbial that some pathologists have missing fingers from
just such happenings.
Within a few hours his finger became red and swollen, and the infection
threatened to advance up his hand and arm. Without delay he began water
treatments: three minutes in hot water, followed by twenty seconds in ice
water. He continued to alternate hot and cold for fifteen minutes at a time
and repeated the treatment five times a day.
Within a couple of days, the infection was gone. Why? Because hot
water dilates the blood vessels and attracts the white blood cells. These
include neutrophils and natural killer cells, which shake hands with
the invaders to identify whether they are for us or against us. Then
they plant a time bomb, exploding and destroying them. The ice water
then drives this blood away, and the next hot water draws new natural
killer-cell soldiers to the battle zone. These types of treatments are called
hydrotherapy.
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During the 1918 flu pandemic, in many instances doctors and medical
staff used hydrotherapy treatments of alternating hot and cold water and
saved the lives of their patients. Traditional medicine had little to offer
against the virus, and thousands died. A medical doctor compared the
survival rate of flu victims treated with hydrotherapy with flu victims
treated with conventional medicine. The result was a five-times-higher
survival rate in the hydrotherapy treatment group.1
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At 1:00 a.m. one morning, John woke Millie when he sensed she had a fever.
He found she had a temperature above 105F and was sweating profusely.
He rushed to the freezer and retrieved ice cubes. Using ice and ice water,
he gave her cold fomentationsice-cold washcloths to the forehead and
temples, changing the cloth as soon as it warmed up. He placed plastic bags
of ice cubes, wrapped in a cloth, under Millies armpits. At the same time
he gave her cool water to sip. It was a battle and hard work, but by 4:00
a.m. Millies temperature was almost normal, and she fell asleep.
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Interestingly, it is only in the last 150 years that doctors and surgeons
learned the importance of hand washing. It was first advocated in 1847
by Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician practicing in Vienna.
He proved that deadly infections which were common in mothers after
childbirth could be prevented by the scrupulous hand washing of medical
attendants. In those days of limited plumbing, this was inconvenient.
There was great resistance to Dr. Semmelweiss insistence on hand
washing. His professional colleagues heaped ridicule on him, which
ultimately drove him insane. But by the end of nineteenth century his
recommendations were generally accepted.
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In the days of Jesus and His disciples, the Greek word for dipping,
immersing in the water, and bathing was baptizo, which is translated
baptize. Today there are various modes of baptism, but there is
only one way that the Bible teaches. The Bible says, Jesus came up
immediately from the water.4 Jesus was baptized by immersion. Today
those who accept Jesus and renounce their past life of sin have the
privilege of following the example that Jesus left for us all by being
baptized.
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Paul says baptism is a symbol showing that we have accepted the death
of Christ and have risen in newness of life, even as Christ did on the
resurrection morning.5 Peter also speaks to us about baptism. He says to
his hearers on the Day of Pentecost, Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.6
As her goat-hair rope draws up the water pot to the top of the hundred-
foot-deep well, she retrieves it and is about to leave when the Stranger
surprises her by asking, Would you be so kind as to give me a drink? Her
curiosity is aroused that He would ask a favor from a disgraced woman
of a despised race. She asks, How is it that you, a Jew, is asking a drink
of me, a Samaritan woman? He replies, If you knew the generosity of
God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give
you fresh, living water.
Jesus continues, as He points to the well, Everyone who drinks this water
will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will
never thirstnot ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within,
gushing fountains of endless life. Thinking that He referred to physical
water, she said: Sir, give me this water so I wont ever get thirsty, wont
ever have to come back to this well again!8
Jesus gazes into the pretty face and knows that behind her pleasant mask
is a woman with desperate spiritual needs. And so He looks into her eyes
and says, I desire to give you living water. In fact, I want to provide it to
you and your husband, so go home and bring him to Me. This woman
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at the well is being led to face up to her past and the amazing fact that in
spite of that past, God is still willing to give her living water.
Jesus, who knows every detail of our lives, does not reproach her immoral
conduct of having lived with five different men plus living with another
one now. Instead, He offers her something better. The woman recognizes
her spiritual need and, that day, accepts Jesus as the Water of Life. Here
is waterpure, refreshing, artesian, and eternal.
Jesus also calls us to that gushing spring of living water. He says, Let
anyone who is thirsty come to me.
James Wilson of Kent, Washington, needed more water for his five-acre
tract of land. He hired a professional well digger, and they chose a spot
behind the Wilson home where they hoped to find water. They began to
sink a steel shaft into the earth. Slowly the work continued. Fifty feet, a
hundred feet, a hundred and fifty feet through earth and then rock. No
water! Shall I continue? the well digger asked. Yes! replied Mr.
Wilson. We must have water. As the drill crunched its way to 210 feet,
they heard a faint sound from far below. It quickly became a gurgling
sound of rushing water. The two men stepped back just in time as a geyser
shot up with unbelievable force into the sky.
Neighbors with shovels were called to dig drainage ditches, but that was
not enough. Someone brought a backhoe, but that was not enough. The
next day, heavy equipment from the county road department arrived to try
to channel the flood. Ditches were dug that could bring irrigation to the
entire valley. Geologists arrived and estimated that water was spouting
out of the ground at a rate of 1,600 gallons per minute. That was enough
water to supply the needs of a city of 46,000 people! They had struck an
artesian well that was ever flowing!10
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God promises you, They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst
anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who
is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living
fountains of waters.12 Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, The water
I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless
life.13 His invitation to us is recorded in one of the last verses of the
Bible, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears
say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take
the water of life freely.14
Are you thirsty? Do you want to drink from the well that will never run
dry? If you want to say, Yes! to the heavenly invitation to enjoy the
never-failing fountain of the River of Life, would you like to pray this
prayer?
Prayer
Lord, I want to come, for I thirst for better thingsa better life
guided by You. I desire to be totally cleansed from my mistakes
of the past and to enjoy the water of life. Make me clean on the
outside and clean on the inside. Give me that ever-flowing artesian
fountain that will wash away my sins and purify my mind, heart,
and soul. Amen.
Reflect/Discuss
Jesus knew all the sins of the woman at the well, yet He did not recount
them or shame her. How do you feel about this? What if it were a church
member or friend of yours?
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Personal Reflections
What spiritual lessons did I learn from the story of the woman at the well?
Family Reflection
How important is it to teach our children of all ages about water? Discuss
with your family this water topic and its importance to them.
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For Parents
What you have learned about the importance of water for family health
can be taught to your children. The earlier they learn it, the more likely
they will be to follow these health practices as they become adults. It is a
matter of a healthy future. Here are some basic suggestions for teaching
children more about water:
1. Teach children to wash hands before meals, for illness prevention.
2. Wash hands after going to the bathroom, and when coming home
from school or any public gathering.
3. Give each child his own small water bottle with lid. Encourage drink-
ing five to six or more glasses a day, depending on weight. Make a
chart of glasses drunk. In hot weather, more is required.
4. Drink water, not soda pop. Pop may contribute to hyperactivity and
diabetes.
5. Take swimming lessons and enjoy outdoor pools in the summer.
6. Read about the storms on the sea in Bible times. Have children tell
the story, draw it, or act it out (Mark 4:3641).
7. Discuss why one should not be in water when there is an electric
storm.
8. Dont drink water from dirty places. Have your family learn how to
purify water for drinking.
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W
hen the great Indonesian earthquake struck under the ocean
off the coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, the ocean
retreated from the beaches, leaving thousands of fish flapping
on the sand. Can you imagine the natural reaction of families who earned
their living from fishing? There were huge fish for the taking right before
their eyes! Hundreds of villagers ran to the beach with baskets and
containers and eagerly started gathering fish. But one man in a particular
village looked from his window and immediately saw the danger. He
commanded his wife and children to run to the hills. He himself ran to the
beach, frantically waving his arms and shouting, A tsunami is coming!
Run immediately to higher ground! Waves up to a hundred feet (thirty
meters) high swept the coasts of fourteen countries, killing as many as
228,000 people,1 but all the inhabitants of that village were saved. Why?
Because one informed man saw the danger that their crooked thinking
presented. He proclaimed the truth. And the truth acted upon saved the
lives of hundreds of villagers.
In our lives, danger lurks around us and within us. Our safety lies in
straight thinking. Thinking is a function of the human brain. How does
the brain think?2
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reviews how the organism usually responds to these stimuli and consid-
ers the available options. These are forwarded to the control center in the
frontal lobe. Here the brain assesses options based on ones knowledge
and value system and chooses a course of action. Positive thoughts reveal
themselves in positive words and acts. These, in turn, produce positive
long-range outcomes.
Lets review the tsunami story and discover what it tells us about truth
and crooked thinking.
When a crisis occurs, our brain memory searches to find the best option.
In the Indonesian village, many ran to the sea bottom to gather fish.
They did not have the key knowledge about the danger of bare ocean
floors and tsunamis. They were not informed. But one individual had
the necessary knowledge.
Some simply did what others were doing. Perhaps they were thinking
that if everyone was doing gathering fish, it must be right to do.
The festive crowd on the beach expressed a value system based on the
importance of immediately available food and immediately available
merchandise in what seemed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The hero of the story valued human life. First he ordered his wife and
family to higher ground. Then he showed his highest value of self-
sacrificing love and service to othersvaluing everyone elses lives
above his ownas he rushed into the place of danger to warn the rest
of the villagers.
The mans straight-thinking mind understood the relationship between
cause and effect. There was a cause for the retreat of the ocean from the
land, and it would bring an inevitable effect in a wave of destruction,
which would destroy everything in its path.
His brain was thinking straight because it was biologically healthy, and
it was not cluttered or confused. What would have happened if he had
been drunk, high on drugs, or if he was sleepy, having spent half the
previous night socializing with friends at the bar? His mental functions
likely would not have had the clarity necessary to save the lives of
hundreds of his fellow villagers.
The frontal lobe is the sentinel at the gate, guarding the citadel of the
mind, and is located just behind the forehead in the upper brain. If the
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sentinel is sleeping at its post, then feelings, instincts, and urges based in
the lower brain will predominate over reason and inaccurate choices will
be made.
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All the above are not true. Like most lies, they may be based on a grain
of truth, but they are expressions of deluded thinking. The truth is that I
cannot change my genes, but it may be possible to throw the switch by
my lifestyle and turn the bad genes off and the good genes on. Straight
thinking says, Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.5
Distortion 1: Groupthink
An illustration of groupthink is events and attitudes leading up to the
sinking of the Titanic on April 1415, 1912. One symptom of groupthink
is Overestimation of the Group. The Titanic was the largest passenger
ship of its time and considered to be unsinkable. It was viewed as the
safest ship afloat. Based on these myths, it carried only twenty lifeboats,
enough for only half the passengers. Another symptom of groupthink that
contributed to the disaster was Closed-mindedness. Warnings of icebergs
from the SS California, another ship in the area, were ignored on the Ti-
tanic because of feelings of invulnerability. Resultthe death of 1,517
of the 2,223 people on board.
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when she went home. Now her negative self-talk began. Whats the use
of trying? If I cant do it right, I wont do it at all. Her diet was over.
This was all-or-nothing thinkingcrooked thinking.
I dont have time to clean the whole house right, so I wont do any-
thing. I dont have time to pay all the bills and bring all my accounting
up to date, so why begin? Wrong thinking! Working on accounts even
fifteen minutes a day would be better than nothing. Cleaning one corner
of clutter in the garage would be better than leaving it all cluttered.
Distortion 3: Over-generalizing
Judy says, I got a D on the examination. Ill never be able to finish
this course. Im just dumb. This test proves it. I have such bad panic at-
tacks when I take tests. Im going to drop out of school. Wait a minute!
Distorted thinking! We call this magnification. One or even several low
scores on tests do not prove that Judy is dumb. She exaggerated her fail-
ure. She was telling herself a lie. What can Judy do about her low grade
on the examination? She should talk to her teacher, ask for advice on
how to study for class, and claim the Bible promise, If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally.8 The proverb
says, If at first you dont succeed, try, try again!
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Thomas Edison worked on the railroad as a youth, and when his experi-
ments started a small fire in the baggage car, the angry conductor slapped
him and threw him and his scientific apparatus off the train at the next
station. The blows to his head, as well as a bout of scarlet fever, left
him deaf in one ear and 80 percent deaf in the other. His dreams were
doomed! Right? Wrong! He became perhaps the greatest inventor of
modern times. He invented the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph,
and the motion-picture camera. By the time of his death he had received
1,093 patents.
The Bible story of the report of the ten spies9 illustrates the two over-
generalizing delusions of magnification and minimization. They report-
ed, The cities we saw had walls up to heaven, and we were like grass-
hoppers. Was this a true and accurate report? Caleb and Joshua saw that
they could conquer the Promised Land with Gods intervention.
Your son has painted his first picture, and it has a small blotch on it. Do
you focus on the minor aspect of the blotch or see the accomplishment of
a budding artist?
When you have filtered thinking, you focus on the negatives and not
the positives. When you see a rose, do you see the thorns instead of the
beauty of the flower?
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Some do not accept positive appreciation and reply with a negative state-
ment. Do you know anyone with this habit? Learn to accept compliments
and say, Thank you! Selective or filtered negative thinking is pessi-
mism, which indicates poor self-concept and may lead to health risks,
more doctor visits, and poor mental health.
To develop optimism: Start today to record each day that you say only
positive things, without any verbal negative or critical remarks. Try to
see how many days you can speak positively all day long. Your goal is to
be positive for fourteen sequential days without saying anything critical
or negative about anyone or anything. If you slip into criticism or nega-
tivity, you start over until you finally reach your goal of fourteen straight
days free of negative comments. As you practice saying positive things,
you become more aware of your inner thoughts. The critical habit can be
broken.
When there is mind reading, You assume that people are reacting nega-
tively to you when there is no definite evidence of this.13 Check your
mind reading by asking, Am I sure Im correct? or ask the person, What
are you thinking? Dont just assume your mind reading is correct.
In mind reading, a lot of assumptions are made, and the individual may
be unable to distinguish between what is certain and what is a belief.
Common assertions are: They are talking about me; They dont like
me; Im not good enough for their job. Some think they have a talent
of being a good mind-reader, but if their thoughts are shared with others,
much harm can be done by their misreading and crooked thinking.
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Oh, really? Does the speaker know what the future of Suzy is going to be?
Maybe the speaker is angry and is revealing his mental state rather than
giving an accurate picture of who Suzy will be in twenty or thirty years. If
the speaker were wise, he would realize it would be better if he encouraged
Suzy to become all she could be rather than prophesying her downfall.
Mom is tired of helping her daughter with homework every night and
verbally explodes, You are a Dumb Dora and lazy. You will fail your
grade and have to do it over again. The truth about Dora was that she
had learning disabilities and actually was doing the very best she could
and often couldnt read the story because tears were in her eyes. Her
mothers fortune telling pained her throughout her life.
Maddie has a mammogram taken and the results are positive, indicat-
ing possible breast cancer. After the biopsy, she waits for results. Her
fortune-telling mind says, Its breast cancer. She panics but gets a hold
of herself and decides, I cant think this way. Its bad for my health. I will
not worry about this now, and if the worst happens, God will help me.
The lab report finally comes in. No cancer. No problem.
In fortune telling the speaker is predicting that something bad will hap-
pen, and he imagines the worst. This is called catastrophic thinking.
Some fear that the sky is falling. This contributes to anxiety, unneces-
sary fear, and mental stress. It is harmful to health.
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what happens. God will continue to guide me. Then be active. Jog or pull
weeds. Go for a brisk walk. Attend an exercise class. Clean the house.
Play the piano. Divert your thoughts to positive, optimistic thinking.
Distortion 7: Personalizing
Jo Ann listened to the sermon in church. At the conclusion of the service,
she waited until the others had shaken hands with the pastor, then ap-
proached him. Pastor Brown, I was deeply hurt when you spoke about
people who are angry and speak cutting words to others. You looked right
at me, and I know you were talking about me. The truth was that Pastor
Brown scarcely knew who Jo Ann was, and the idea of telling her faults
in public was the furthest thought from his mind. Jo Ann thought the
pastor was revealing her secrets in public. She was offended. That was
crooked thinking.
Wes tells this story. One day while I was studying for my doctorate, I
passed my good friend on the sidewalk. Hey, Dan! The response was
only silence as Dan walked right on by. My thoughts were, He ignored
me! Is he upset with me? Did I do something wrong? All these ideas came
to my mind. Now, was I thinking straight, or was that crooked thinking?
In the evening I saw Dan again. Hey Dan. I said hi to you this morning.
What? he answered. I didnt see you. Since communication is crucial
for good relationships, we talked about the morning incident. I needed to
understand. And then I heard the rest of the story.
That morning Dan had received the news that he had failed his board
examination for licensure as a physician. His mind was in a fog. He actu-
ally needed someone to encourage him and pray for him. He was ready
to give up on the career of medicine after five years of intensive study. I
realized that the incident was a God thing and that it had happened so that
I could be a support and an encouragement to Dan. We prayed through
the crisis together. Some weeks later, just before Dan went to take the
board exam again, I knelt and prayed with him. This time he passed. To-
day Dan is a department chairman in the School of Medicine at the same
university where he studied. Dan is doing an amazing job in his work of
teaching residents in his medical specialty.
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Distortion 8: Labeling
Ana was a long-time friend of Millies. She had come from the former
Czechoslovakia. One day Millie greeted her and asked how she was. Ana
answered, Im stupid. Millie answered, Youre not stupid. But Ana
continued, My husband says Im stupid. My daughter says Im stupid.
So Im stupid. Millie stroked her finger across Anas forehead and said,
Wipe that from your mind. You are a smart person! You are not stupid.
You are the Kings daughter. You are intelligent. Ana was an accom-
plished homemaker, painted her own house, was a good cook, enjoyed
regularly reading her Bible, and was fluent in Czech and English. But the
unkind labeling by her husband and grown daughter had convinced her
that she was stupid.
Psalms has good counsel for correcting crooked thinking. Psalm 139:13
17 (NLT) says,
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me to-
gether in my mothers womb. Thank you for making me so won-
derfully complex! Your workmanship is marveloushow well I
know it. . . . You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life
was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a
single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me,
O God. They cannot be numbered!
The Bible dedicates only two verses to Jabez.15 His mother named him
Jabez, meaning he will cause pain, because she suffered a painful
childbirth. But Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, Oh, that You
would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would
be with me . . . that I may not cause pain! So God granted him what he
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requested. This historical figure rejected his childhood labeling and tri-
umphed over it. The Good Book records that Jabez was more honorable
than his brothers.
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Can you see the common theme of distorted thinking? There may be
a grain of truth in it, but it separates this partial truth from a broader,
accurate perspective. Twisted thinking harms emotional, spiritual, social,
and physical wellbeing.
What are you searching for? Are you chasing a mirage in the desert?
What would you like to pursue?20
105
TRUTH. You would like accurate, undistorted truth. If this is so, then you
will need to look for truth in reliable places, including the Bible.
FREEDOM. You want to be free to pursue the truth. You want freedom
from mind-altering substances. You want to be more than a robot or a
puppet with someone else pulling the strings. In your heart of hearts you
want true information. Truth restores our power of choice and frees us.
LOVE. This means altruistic, agape love. Agape is the Greek word used
in the New Testament Scriptures to refer to self-sacrificing lovelove
that is more interested in giving than receiving. The opposite of agape
love is selfishnessthat means being so bound up in myself that I cant
hear someone elses cry for help. Hoarded blessings turn into stagnant
pools, but shared blessings are like a bubbling brook. Agape love is the
God kind of love. God so loved . . . that He gave . . . He gave His Son
as the ultimate love sacrifice. And above all these put on love, which
binds everything together in perfect harmony.21
WALKING THE TALK. You want happiness? The Sacred Source tells
us: You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of
joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.22 Who will find this
fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore? He who walks uprightly, and
works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart . . . He who does
these things shall never be moved.23 It is not enough to have Truth, Free-
dom, and Love as ideals. We need to walk the talk and show that these
ideals work in our personal daily lives.
True truth is based on eternal realities that you can trust more than the
things your eyes see, your hands touch, your ears hear, or your heart feels.
The things that you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch may deceive and
fail you in the end. But Jesus, the Ten Commandments, and the Bible are
ultimate truth.24 They will never fail us. They are true Truth. They are
the never-failing sources of Truth, Freedom, Love, and Walking the Talk.
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.25
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One writer states, None but those who have fortified the mind with the
truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul
will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men?27
These statements show the importance of searching the Bible for truth
and teaching our children what is truth so that our families will not be
deceived with the lies of the enemy of our souls. Bible prophecies must
be studied now, so that when events unfold we will make wise choices
and enjoy eternal rewards. Truth will be victorious in the end, in this last
battle between good and evilbetween crooked thinking and straight
thinking.
Astronomers now believe, based on data from the Hubble Telescope, that
there are some 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe.30 One of
these galaxies is called the Milky Way Galaxy and it contains 100-400
billion stars.31 In the fringes of the western spiral arm of the Milky Way,
halfway out from the center, on the inner edge of the Orion-Cygnus Arm,
there is a medium-size star we call the sun. In orbit around it are eight
107
planets. The third one out from this star we call planet Earth. On this
planet now live seven billion people. Somewhere on this planets surface
is the house I live in with my family. But small as I may be, God takes
notice of little me and my problems. And this God loves me! He sees
the sparrow when it falls and even knows the number of the hairs on my
head.
So He came to the rebel planet, was born in poverty in a manger. The rul-
ing king heard about Him and tried to kill Him shortly after His birth. He
came to this rebel planet to show people the truth that God loved them.
But most religious people didnt want to hear truth. They preferred to
believe lies.
He was arrested on false charges, and false witnesses spoke lies to try to
convict Him. When He was arraigned before the Roman governor in an
open-air trial attended by a rabble of thousands crying, Crucify Him!
He said, I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.32
The governor was well schooled in Greek philosophy, and one of the ma-
jor disciplines of study dealt with the question, How do we know truth?
108
When one of the criminals recognized who He was and asked to be saved
in His coming kingdom, Jesus answered, Truly, truly I say unto you to-
day, you will be with Me in paradise.33
God loved us rebels so much that when the planet went wrong, He sent
His only Son to earth to die to buy us back from the captivity of sin. He
would have sent Jesus if you or I had been the only one deceived and
lost. The question is, Am I willing to give up the lies and the fears that
plague me without and within and accept the only Truth that can make
me free? Can I trust my problems and anxieties into the hands that were
nailed to Calvarys cross and trust Him as the ultimate solution to my
distorted thinking?
On that sad day almost two thousand years ago, we human beings killed
the Truth. But three days later, Truth was resurrected. Truth went to heav-
en, and Truth is coming back to get all those who love Truth more than
life itself. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.34 The faithful
will enter through the gates into the heavenly city. But whoever loves
and practices a lie35 will be barred eternally from His presence.
109
Prayer
Lord, help me to identify when I have been judgmental, critical,
and have believed lies about others and myself. And forgive me for
my own crooked thinking. Help me to search for truth. You have
said in the Bible that I can have the mind of Christ. That is what
I want. You have promised that in an age of lies and calculated
brain-washing, The crooked places shall be made straight, and the
rough places smooth. 36 Fulfill this in me. Amen.
Reflect/Discuss
1. What did this chapter say to you personally?
2. What are some manifestations of crooked thinking found in adver-
tisements, newspapers, TV, politics, and religion?
3. When people are critical and judgmental, could they be crooked
thinkers? Discuss with someone.
4. What are these Bible texts saying to you?
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You
(Isaiah 26:3).
We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Personal Reflection
1. Over the centuries there have been men, women, and even children
who chose death rather than to lie or compromise truth. Do I love
truth enough to stand up for it?
2. What is an example of crooked thinking that has upset you?
3. Am I an optimistic or a pessimistic person? Since being pessimistic
promotes health risk factors, how can I overcome being pessimistic
and become a more optimistic, healthy person?
Intentionality
I will evaluate my thinking processes and try to identify where I am
guilty of distorted thinking.
Since crooked thinking affects relationships, I will try to avoid mak-
ing statements that are untrue and may hurt others.
I will pray that God will help me to think straight to share truth with
others.
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Family Reflect/Discuss
1. Do you think some children have crooked thinking when they say:
I cant do it.
Youre mean to me.
Youre the only parent in our town who wont let their children
watch that TV program.
2. Show your children in what ways they may be doing crooked think-
ing. Make this a teachable moment by helping them identify other
crooked thinking statements people make.
3. Parents may also have distorted, crooked thinking. What comes to
your mind?
111
I
n WIN! Wellness book 1, we presented From Tragedy to Triumph
Crisis I. That chapter dealt largely with how we can successfully face
personal crisis. In the present chapter, Crisis II, we emphasize massive
global crises.
Critical crisis
Tucked away in extreme southeastern Tennessee lies an area forgotten
by travelers rushing by on todays American interstate highways. This
quaint corner of the Appalachian Mountains lies near the confluence of
Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. It is a land of rolling mountains
just south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along with
rushing streams ideal for whitewater rafting. This had been Cherokee
Indian country from time immemorial, as the names of rivers, lakes, and
forests still bear witness. There runs the Hiwassee Scenic River; there
lies beautiful Ocoee Lake; and there stands the Chattahoochee National
Forest.
Around 1843, copper was discovered in the hills. By 1900, the Tennessee
Copper Company controlled most of the mining, and business boomed.
Copper ore had been dug out from deep mines by hand in the early days,
but as the years went by, machinery was added. Since copper is oftentimes
found with sulfur in its natural state, the trees were cut down off the hills
and the wood used to burn out the sulfur, and then this burned ore was
taken to the smelter in the town of Copperhill, where the rest of the sulfur
and impurities were removed. Huge mountains of toxic tailings were
left behind.
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But something was wrong. As the sulfur was burned out of the ore, it
belched sulfuric acid into the environment. Trees and vegetation for miles
around had died off. This was years before the environmental movement
took hold of the public conscience. I remember driving through this
region on highway US 64 in the late 1940s. I couldnt believe my eyes.
It was like a moonscape! The countryside was carved by eroded gullies.
Wildlife had almost vanished. The land was toxic and desolate, and the
previously flourishing community had diminished to a few survivors. In
the mid-twentieth century, it was a high-level crisis time for land and
inhabitants.
Our world is like Copperhill on a cosmic scale. Its original state of beauty
is described in Genesis 1 and 2. A greedy and rapacious enemy took over,
promising progress and prosperity if his plans were followed. What has
he delivered? Crisis, sickness, desolation, and death. God looked down
past a million galaxies, and there in the western spiral arm of the Milky
Way galaxy He spied a medium-sized solar system and a fast-sinking
world that we call planet Earth. If left to Satan and to itself, the world
would perish. Something had to be done. The plan of redemption, kept
in silence through eternal ages, was put into immediate operation. God
would intervene and contend. God would reclaim. God would restore.
The Bible says: For we know that the whole creation groans.1 Of old
You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of
Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow
old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be
changed.2 Jesus spoke of the time of His glorious return to the earth,
saying, Behold, I make all things new. 3
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In the great controversy between good and evil, humanity has had its
nadirs of crisis. There are common denominators in all of these crises,
namely misapprehension of the character of God and a corresponding
breakdown of human relationships, combined with natural disasters.
Interestingly enough, the nadirs are often immediately followed by
zeniths. It is like the law of action and reaction. God permits man to
go his own way. He goes down, down, down until it seems he can go
no lower. Then like a lightning bolt, God intervenes, bringing man to a
zenith of hope.
God has His answer to the nadirs of crisis. In the last days He will speak
loud and clear by His chosen heralds and will restore all things.4 God
will announce a zenith of hope.
On Friday, March 11, 2011 at 2:46 p.m., a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit
the eastern part of Japan. It devastated the land, and the sea responded
with unbelievable force, destroying towns and villages. But that is not
all: a third disaster brings an even greater fear. The people of the region
were in danger of death and catastrophic disease from radiation leaking
out of the quake-ravaged Fukushima nuclear power-plant reactors. What
could they do to protect themselves from possible radiation?
114
The fear was felt nationwide. Some remembered the past. Horrific
nightmare memories surfaced. One person said, There was enough
hardship with the earthquake and tsunami, but fears about the nuclear
power plants carry echoes from my early life Hiroshima, Nagasaki.
The crises escalate!
Financial crisis
The worlds wisest men do not know how to solve our interconnected
economic crisis. Unemployment, homelessness, and hunger are
widespread. Families are losing their homes in foreclosure. The economic
forecasts are bleak. This is another example of our worlds nadirs.
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you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is
not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes
in various places.6
Surely this prophecy has been fulfilled in our day and age. Millions of
people around the world are impacted by war. Soldiers die in the prime of
life. Refugees flee their homes and are vulnerable to disease. Schools are
closed or destroyed, depriving children of an education. Infrastructures
of health care, communication, transportation, and food security are
destroyed. Regardless of the cause of war, the cost is terrible in terms of
human suffering.
Children in crisis
Trafficking in children and sexual exploitation are an increasing crisis
worldwide. We all know that the gauge of a society is how it treats its
children and its elderly people.
UNICEF reports that across the world, there are over one million
children entering the sex trade every year and that approximately
30 million children have lost their childhood through sexual
exploitation over the past 30 years.7
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So what do you do when life hands you a sour lemon? Marie decided to
make lemonade! Her young stepdaughter needed her, and someday, as
her condition worsened, Marie would desperately need Shelly. Marie and
Shelly made a pacta covenantof mutual support. Right now, Marie
is giving Shelly a good education and making her a comfortable, loving
home with food and the necessities of life.
Marie is an activist in the best sense of the word. Every opportunity that
she has, she goes to schools, churches, and civic clubs and tells her story.
She informs her listeners of the truth about HIV/AIDS and dispels the
hundreds of myths that people believe about it. She is a popular lecturer.
Marie has written her story in magazines with a wide circulation.
Is life easy for Marie? No. She is living under the shadow of a death
sentence. Does everyone see things the way Marie sees them? No. Her
own mother worries about the stigma of AIDS on the family reputation
and was very upset that Marie would identify herself in the widely read
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article she wrote. But Marie moves ahead. She is an optimistic, positive
kind of person. With the time she has left, she will help and encourage
others, especially those who face crises similar to hers.
A coin has two sides. The day will come when Shelly will be caring for
terminally ill Marie. Even now, when you see them together, Shelly, offering
an enabling hand, is there to keep her adopted mom from falling. In the
end, life is not decided by the crisis we face but how we face the crisis.
Marie interprets her illness with AIDS as an opportunity to help others.
At the funeral, the press and television from around the world gathered
and asked Gary how he felt about the ones who killed his wife. They
were amazed to find that Gary forgave them. It wasnt easy for him to fly
back home in a plane carrying Bonnies coffin, leaving almost everything
behind. Yet he felt marvelously supported by friends, coworkers, and the
Lebanese people.
It wasnt the story that Gary had expected for his life. But the whole
world was moved during the following days as television and newspapers
told of missionaries who gave all and who loved their persecutors. And
someday, on the other shore, Gary will be reunited with his beloved
Bonnie. That will be the real end of the story.
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Then someone suggested, Go to the Bible and see what it says. That
is exactly what they did. They began to read the Bible and made a big
discovery.
What did the Bible tell them about their departed loved one? To their
surprise they found that the Bible describes death as a sleep, and that their
son would remain in the grave without consciousness until the day of
the resurrection. When Jesus friend Lazarus died, He said, Our friend
Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up. . . . Then Jesus said to
them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 10 He said that the dead will sleep and
not awaken until His second coming: For the hour is coming in which
all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forththose who
have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil,
to the resurrection of condemnation.11
David and Linda found Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6: The living know that they
will die; but the dead know nothing . . . their love, their hatred, and their
envy have now perished.
In Psalm 146:4 (KJV) they read: His breath goeth forth, he returneth to
his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
This was all new to the grieving parents, David and Linda, but was a great
consolation to them. Their son was not watching from heaven, looking at
their grief and problems on earth. He was not suffering eternal torment
in hell or even temporary torment in purgatory. Jim was sleeping. This
new knowledge comforted them. Now they felt they could pull their own
lives together and go on, because there was light at the end of the tunnel.
The Bible made it perfectly clear to them that when Jesus comes, He will
call their son. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first.12 They would see their Jim again. Their
nadir of tears would be followed by a zenith of restoration.
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Like David and Linda, we too may suffer pain in crises not of our making.
But the One who triumphed in the crisis of the ages is there to strengthen
us and guarantee personal and global victory.
Future crises are coming. How we handle todays crisis will prepare us to
face even greater future crisis.
In order to survive the crisis, we need to see light at the end of the tunnel.
We need to have a hope that points to something better awaiting us
beyond the trauma. The Bible foretells that times of refreshing will
come from the presence of the Lord and that the Father will send
Jesus Christ and there will be times of restoration of all things. But in
order to be ready, we need to repent therefore and be converted so that
our sins may be blotted out.13
There is great news! Soon Jesus will pronounce: And God will wipe
away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow,
nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed
away. . . . Behold, I make all things new. 14
The Bible tells us about future crisis. It is imperative that we study the
Bible carefully so that we and our families will not be deceived by our
adversary Satan, nor by popular opinion.
You have your story, and I have mine, of how we have been rescued
from crisis after crisis. But the greatest story ever told is how Jesus, by
His death, won the war against Satan and earned the right to write the
conclusion of this earths history. The world is a Copperhill, but it will be
restored to the beauty of the Garden of Eden. Jesus created Eden, and He
initiated the restoration of the world when Satan the adversary brought
blight and death. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice to win the war against
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Satan. We are the heralds to prepare the way for the coming King. Very
soon He will return for His waiting children, resurrect the dead ones to
life, and restore us and planet Earth.
At this moment, do you want to look beyond the trauma of todays global
and personal crises and accept triumph in this life and for eternal ages
through the victory of Christ for you? He freely offers it to you. Do you
want to move from the nadir of crisis to the zenith of restoration?
Prayer
Lord, all of us are in a crisis. I am in crisis because I live in a world
filled with pain and suffering, sickness, and death. Thank You that
on Calvary You experienced a crisis for my sake. In Your crisis, Lord,
You moved from tragedy to triumph, and right now You are inviting
me to accept Your triumph. I have decided to move from the nadir
of earths prospects to the zenith of total restoration. Thank You
that I know the end to the story. In Jesus name, amen.
Reflect/Discuss
1. What is God saying to you about present and future crises?
2. What are your plans for present and future end-time crises?
3. What is God calling you to do to help individuals in present and end-
time crises? Are you willing to serve or be served?
Personal Reflections
1. How am I personally preparing myself spiritually, physically, and
materially for future crises?
2. Would it be wise for me to own a place in the country where I could
be more protected and have garden produce when circumstances
become difficult?
Intentionality
I will ask God for wisdom to help me handle todays crises and end-
time crises.
I will study about survival and start my survival plans for future
crises.
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T
here is a basic human need for trust. All of us trust something or
someone. When we turn the key in the ignition of our car, we trust
that the engine is going to start. When we go to see our physician,
we trust that he/she is going to be able to help us. When we call the
police, we trust that they will come to our assistance. If we are going
down a precipice hanging onto a rope, we trust that the person at the top
isnt going to let go of the rope, and we trust that the rope isnt going to
break.
Trust is a basic human need, since relationships are built on trust. Meeting
this need promotes what psychologists call secure attachments. We
learn to trust people who are caring and sensitive to our needs, who prove
to be trustworthy and dependable.
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Unfortunately, some conclude that they cannot trust anyone. The Random
House Dictionary of the English Language defines trust as:
One night, Karen focused on the picture of her life. Once a worldly
woman, she sensed now that she was like a lost little girl, cold and
afraid, penniless and hungry. Desperate for a fix, she began to cry.
Memories of past days flooded her mind: Traverse City in May, the
orchard with millions of cherry blossoms, and her dog, Goldie, dashing
among the snowy trees to retrieve a tennis ball.
Suddenly she couldnt understand why she had left. Her heart ached.
Goldies not hungry like I am, she reflected. My dogs life is better than
mine! Karen wanted with all her heart to go home.
She made three phone calls, only to get an answering machine each time.
Twice she hung up, but on the third try she left a message. Dad, Mom,
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its me, Karen. Ive been thinking I might come home. I can get a bus that
arrives tomorrow about midnight. If I dont find you at the station, Ill
just go on to Canada.
During the long hours of the bus trip, Karen wondered: What if my folks
are away? Should I have waited until I actually spoke to them? Maybe
they need more time to adjust to the shock of hearing from me.
She thought about what she was going to say to her dad. She wanted him
to know it wasnt his fault, that she was the wrong one. Would he forgive
her? She rehearsed her speech in her mind. She hadnt apologized for
anything in years.
The bus finally halted in front of the Traverse City station. Fifteen
minutes, the driver crackled over the microphone. Fifteen minutes that
would determine her life. She looked at herself in her compact mirror,
touched up her hair and makeup. Will my parents be here? she wondered.
She didnt know what shed find in the terminal. She walked through the
doors wondering if anyone would be there. What she saw was beyond
her wildest expectations. Karen was greeted with a sea of party hats
and noisemakers blown by familiar people. Forty family members were
there! Grandma, great-grandma, cousins, uncles, great aunts, brothers and
sisters. A huge Welcome Home! sign hung across the length of the wall.
Her father emerged from the crowd. She began her apology with hot tears
and quivering voice, Im sorry, Dad. I
Shh! None of that! You cant be late for your party. Wait till you see the
banquet weve got at the house!1
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when she ran away to Detroit, but a few months in the University of Hard
Knocks made her re-evaluate her situation.
Whom could Karen trust? What/whom can I trust? Can I trust myself?
Do I have the answers within me for lifes greatest problems? Can I rely
on human opinion when a crisis hits? Can I trust others for help? Is there
some power from above that will never fail me?
The crippled man lies waiting by the Pool of Bethesda, where his friends
have brought him. He has been coming to this same place for thirty-eight
years, hoping that when the waters ripple, someone would be there to help
him be the first one in, so that he could be healed. But there was no one to
help him. Having been continually disappointed in the past, he is lying on
his straw mat. Then one day he looks up and sees a tender, compassionate
face bending over him and hears an almost incredible question: Do you
want to be made wellto be whole? Sadly he responds as he looks up at
this unknown Speaker, There is no one to help me get well. Then Jesus
speaks gently with a tender smile, Rise, take up your bed and walk. Roll
up your mat and go home.2
The man is ready to be healed and doesnt even question Jesus. He trusts
the command. Instantly every nerve and muscle thrills with new life,
and healthful action comes to his crippled limbs. . . . Springing to his feet,
he finds himself an active man.3 The crippled man is no longer crippled!
He can walk! He can jump! He rejoices in his newfound powers. Joy
floods his heart as he hastily makes his way to share the good news with
his astonished family.
What if the man had doubted that Jesus would heal him? What if he had
said, Well, heal me first, and then Ill try to get up? This man fully
trusted and was fully healed.
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It is interesting that Jesus often said to those He healed, Your faith has
made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.4
Trustwhat is it?
Trust is at the heart of relationship. Trust is a measure of relationship.
In order to fully trust, we need to put away anything that blocks that
relationship.
The crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda trusted Jesus, and his life
changed. He put his health in the hands of the Great Physician. We too
can put our health concerns in the hands of Jesus.
Seven out of ten scriptural prayers were directly answered, most of them
immediately. If God answered so many prayers in ancient times, do you
think He will answer the sincere prayers of His children today?6 We too
can claim promises in our lives while we are participants in Gods plan.
The most powerful kind of prayer claims Gods promises because He is
trustworthy.
2. Through reading the Bible and claiming its promises. The Bible is full
of promises that we can trust today. Schoolteacher Everett R. Storms
of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, during his twenty-seventh reading of the
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Bible, tallied the promises. It took him a year and a half. He found 7,487
promises of God to man.7
David, the writer of the Psalms, was number one on King Sauls list
of most wanted fugitives. Chased by hundreds of soldiers, Davids only
hope of survival was claiming Gods promises. He constantly quoted the
promises and composed music to help himself cope with life. He was just
like we are, always in need of divine help. David wrote, Your promises
have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.8
In other words, there is nothing too difficult for God. He has thousands of
ways to help us. With His dynamite power, He is able to do anything and
to accomplish all He sets out to do. Above all, He will give us His peace in
this troubled world. It is a peace which surpasses all human understanding.
Our loving God has indescribable, incredible, extraordinary means for
meeting our desires and needs, if we make known our requests to Him.
Do these promises give you hope? They do for millions who go to God
daily with big financial, health, and family concerns. Our Creator is
worthy of our trust. We can count on Him.
127
Over the past few years, many researchers have investigated the
relationship between intercessory prayer and health outcomes. Do people
heal better when other people they dont even know are praying for them?
Some have marshaled evidence indicating that people who were prayed
for when undergoing coronary procedures had a better survival rate than
those who were not prayed for. Other research indicated that there was
no difference.
Perhaps we could consider the possibility that the two sides in this
controversy may be missing the most important considerations. Is it valid
prayer when we pray for healing but our lifestyle shows no intention to
follow the principles of health that God has taught us in Scripture? How
about the principle, Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you
do, do all to the glory of God?12
What would you think of a case where a man asks God for physical
healing from a sexually transmitted disease, yet he continues to buy
pornographic material and to visit prostitutes? Would God be honored
by answering his prayers? We need to do our part in cooperating with
healing agencies.
128
What would you think of a case where a woman asks her friends to
pray for her healing from diabetes, yet she continues to consume large
amounts of sugar and fats and is grossly overweight? Could it be that her
prayer would be strengthened if she prayed that God would help her with
her lifestyle so she could avoid diabetic complications? She could pray,
Lord, give me strength to eat and do what is best for me and help me
with my diabetic problem.
129
own strength; it may diminish. We need a trust that the devil cannot
disturb, that jealousy cannot jar, that death cannot deny, that sickness
cannot subdue. We need trust that transcends human understanding. God
needed no help in creation, no help in making available our redemption.
He liberates our souls and asks us to live out His love within us. Do you
want Someone like this to trust? Just tell God that you do.
Lets go back to the teenager from Traverse City. Karens problem was
that she believed lies. She believed the lie that her father really didnt
have her best good at heart. She believed the lie that if she could do
whatever she wanted, she would be happy. She believed the string of lies
Mr. Cool told her to trap her into prostitution.
The truth is that bank accounts, jobs, positions, and people can be here
today and gone tomorrow. Some believe the lie that they can eat whatever
they want, do little or no exercise, take drugs, cheat on their spouses
and still be healthy and happy. That is a lie! That is crooked thinking!
Today millions believe lies about God. They believe the lie that God
doesnt love them. They believe the lie that God is responsible for sending
them disease. Other millions believe the lie that there is no God.
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Millie, co-author of WIN! Wellness Homes of Hope and Health, lay very
sick for eighty-three days in four different hospitals. An orderly in one
of the hospitals shared the Bible promise of Psalm 56:3 with her. It says,
When I am afraid, I will trust in You. She believed and trusted God for
healing. Today, ten years later, she is alive and vibrant, full of energy,
and can even walk again. She graduated from a wheelchair to a walker
to regular walking, usually a mile or two a day. God healed her, and she
is extremely thankful. She had hope, trust, and belief, which kept her
fighting for life.
131
life. They have found that God can be trusted, and they thank Him that
they have been saved to serve.
Armand lived with his father and mother in the country of Armenia.
His father told him that he would always be there whenever Armand
needed help. One particular day, his father dropped him off at school and
returned home. Then a powerful earthquake hit the city where they lived.
Armands father ran to the school and found it in total ruins. Locating the
area where his sons classroom had been, he began to dig frantically in
the ruins, moving obstructions out of the way.
The fire chief arrived and told Armands father to stop, since explosions
and fires were occurring not far away. The police told him his activities
were endangering others and he should leave the job to them. But the
father continued to work feverishly, removing broken metal, concrete
slabs, and stones. He ignored the it-cant-be-done people and labored
thirty-six hours without stopping.
Finally from the rubble he heard Armands voice. I knew you would
come, Father, because you told me whenever I needed you, youd be
there. Armand trusted his father.14
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Prayer
Father God, You are trustworthy and faithful. I choose to trust You
with my daily battles, for nothing is too difficult for You. Guide me
to the promises in Your Word that will give me hope and help when
I need them. I desire to fully trust You, for I know You will protect
me from my own foolish ways. You are the God of the impossible. I
am so thankful that I can trust You. Amen.
In God I Trust
Reflect/Discuss
1. Whom can you really trust? Can you trust yourself? Do you have all
the right answers for lifes unknowns? Can you trust popular opinion?
Whom do you trust when crises hit or you have serious medical
problems? Do you trust riches, possessions, and material wealth?
2. Proverbs 3:56 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean
not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths. What does this text say to you?
3. When I am afraid, I will trust in You (Ps. 56:3). How do you trust in
God during a difficult situation? Have you found that God was near
in some serious crises and found that trust made a difference?
Personal Reflections
1. Are there people in my past and present life whom I know I can
trust without reservation? What experiences have taught me that I
can trust them?
2. Is there anyone who knows they can trust me no matter what happens?
Am I always trustworthy in my dealings with others?
3. Can I . . . do I . . . trust God? Think about it.
Intentionality
I will trust God with my daily life.
I will trust His promises, such as I will bless you and you will be a
blessing.
I trust that God is guiding my family, friends, and me. I have prayed
and placed all of us into His hands.
133
I
n the year 490 BC, the hordes of the Persian Army that had been victo-
rious from Indias Indus River all the way to the Nile and from the Dan-
ube River to Hellespontmodern Turkeywere again on the move.
Transported by six hundred galley boats, the Persians landed on the
Plains of Marathon. Their goal was to capture and destroy Athens, which
lay southeast some 25 miles (45 kilometers) across to the southeast.
The Greeks numbered their troops on the overlooking hills. They were
outnumbered by the Persians ten to one. General Miltiades sent his most
able runner, Phidippides, to ask for reinforcements from Sparta, a city-
state to the southwest. He made the trip of 140 miles on foot in about
thirty-six hours over rugged, mountainous terrain. The Spartans were
willing to help against a common enemy but would march only when the
moon was full because of their religious customs. That would be many
days hence. Returning 140 miles, Phidippides brought the message that
no military help was forthcoming.
Miltiades decided he must attack immediately, and thus the battle start-
ed against a surprised enemy. Phidippides, weighed down by heavy ar-
mor, participated in the battle. The Greeks broke the Persian lines and
hurled them back into the sea. Six thousand four hundred Persians lay
dead, while only 192 Athenians were killed. However, as General Mil-
tiades viewed the Persian galleys sail away to the south, a fear gripped
his soul. Maybe those ships were heading for Athens, which was almost
undefended. Athens knew nothing of the outcome of the days battle and
might surrender.
134
As you have studied the three books, Getting Started, Pressing Forward,
and Finishing Strong, you have been challenged to follow body, mind-
spirit, and relationship guidelines. In WIN! Wellness we have taken the
basic health principles and related them to these three essential dimen-
sions for holistic, integrated, balanced living. Winning is your goal, and
to achieve this you need to develop harmoniously in these three dimen-
sions. If you have problems in any one area, it profoundly influences the
other two, and your overall well-being and health will be affected. We all
struggle to follow these life-giving rules, and with Gods help we can be
victorious.
If you have gained many or even a few victories, we congratulate you and
encourage you to write or print your name into the victors laurel at the
end of this chapter.
135
Never think that you have learned enough, and that you may now
relax your efforts. The cultivated mind is the measure of the man.
Your education should continue during your lifetime; every day
you should be learning and putting to practical use the knowl-
edge gained.3
136
that one! His motto was, Dont deny the diagnosis, but defy the verdict.
Norman Cousins called his editorial assistant and commissioned him to
find a treatment. The doctor had said he would die if he left the hospi-
tal. Cousins said, If I stay here I will die, and against his physicians
orders, he checked himself out and moved to a nearby hotel. Hours later
his assistant called apologetically and said that he had consulted numer-
ous authorities, and the only treatments that offered even a glimmer of
hope were laughter therapy and large doses of intravenous vitamin C.
Cousins hired a nurse to attend him, had regular laboratory tests run, and
started to watch humorous films that made him laugh and laugh. Within
two weeks he was off his medication, and within six months he was back
at work. He died twenty-six years later at the age of seventy-five.4
Cousins states,
What role do you think faith and belief play in a persons physical
health? Does wanting to be well or even deciding to be well have
anything to do with healing?
Most people are just about as well as they decide to be. You can will
yourself sick, and with the help of God, in many cases you can will your-
self well. In other words, the mind affects the body. So we need to have
positive mental-emotional perspectives, because this will affect the body.
However, the relationship goes two ways. The state of our body also af-
fects our emotions and attitudes.
137
The Creator Father God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit also had a plan
of creating a human form. They thought it through so that it would be
in Their imageperfect, designed well, and formed beautifully. Since it
was made in the image of God, it had to be magnificenthandsome and
functional beyond imagination. This was a divine plan carried out as a
sacred creation on the sixth day of creation week.
After God created man in His image, the form was perfect in
all its arrangements, but it had no vitality. Then a personal, self-
existing God breathed into that form the breath of life, and man
became a living, breathing, intelligent being. All parts of the hu-
man machinery were put in motion. The heart, the arteries, the
veins, the tongue, the hands, the feet, the perceptions of the mind,
the senses, were placed under physical law. It was then that man
became a living soul. . . . A personal God created man, and en-
dowed him with intelligence and power.7
The body was a gift blessed by God and passed through the reproduction
act from one generation to another. The divine plan was for each of us to
have one body guaranteed for a lifetime, until death do us part.
If, daily, we treat this one body of ours well from our young age through
our older years, it will give us good service so that we can have a long,
high-quality life. The body needs respect and protection from destructive
138
forces, which the media and the enemy of the soul and body promote.
If not, our body suffers the consequences of disease and illnesseven
death. Our body is like a childs toy that, if cared for, will last long, but
when bumped, broken, crashed, and improperly used, it starts wearing
down and becomes dysfunctional. If we, the stewards of this body, fol-
low the biological, physiological, psychological, and emotional laws of
nature and health, this one body will perform well with magnificent and
meaningful quality of life. This is our choicemy choice, your choice.
Our body is a sacred place for us to live within, but not only for us: the
Divine dwells in it also. The Bible tells us that our body is the temple of
God. This is another reason that we need to respect this one body and
care for it well. It merits the best of care throughout our earthly journey.
It needs balanced living to perform well and must be treated with awe
and reverence as well as respect. There is only one body to a personno
exchange, trade-in, or replacement. Care for it. Do not abuse it. It must
last you a lifetime.
The health laws, when they are followed, prolong life. As we study health
laws, we learn the secrets of a balanced lifestyle and longevity. It is a
challenge for us to live well. Up-to-date health information can save us
from pain and even early death. Plan well and care for your body. Healthy
care of our one body is a daily choice.
In the foregoing chapters, the theme has been developed of how to have a
strong body, strengthen it against disease, and apply proper health habits.
Our goal is also to have a strong mind in a strong body, enjoying mean-
ingful relationships. Lets look at the relationship dimension.
On the other hand, lets suppose that Dad and Mom have a growing
love bond and that they spend meaningful time every day meeting their
139
childrens needs and going interesting places together. Do you think these
children will have fewer health problems and will do better in school? There
are natural laws that make common sense, and they suggest that happiness
and physical health are more likely to be the results in such a home.
But beyond natural forces there are also powerful supernatural forces
that work to build or destroy relationships. The interplay of natural and
supernatural forces in the family is illustrated by the experience of Ed
and Nora.
The next evening as Millie was going out to her car, Ed appeared again.
With tears Ed lamented, Its bad at home. Unless something changes,
our marriage is over!
When John arrived home, Millie shared that Ed and Nora were in deep
trouble. John responded, We need to go this very night to see them.
Because it was exam time, Millie had deadlines, making it impossible for
her to accompany him. John was strongly impressed that he must go and
find this couple immediately.
John will never forget that winter night. In the darkness he drove down
the highway looking for the right house number. No luck. The numbers
are going the wrong way. I must have passed it. About 6:30 p.m. he found
the address. Ed had told Millie he was going to the library that evening,
but his car was still in the driveway, and the outside light was on.
140
minutes before. If John had found the house number on his first drive by,
he would have missed them. Ed invited him in.
Within moments it was evident that John had walked into the middle of
a major family crisis. She was blaming him, and he was blaming her.
The charges and counter-charges continued for a few minutes. Then God
intervened. John raised his hand asking for silence. The fuming stopped.
He said, Lets give credit where credit is due. Ed, youre not to blame
for this problem. Nora, youre not to blame. Satan is to blame for this
misunderstanding. He is intruding in your marriage. But I come to you in
the powerful name of Jesus. He is the One who breaks down the dividing
wall of hostility. Lets get on our knees.
Gods angels drew near as they fervently prayed, and Satans angels were
forced to flee. As they claimed heavens promises and concluded the in-
tercessory prayer, they rose from their knees. John saw Nora and Ed in
tears, hugging each other in a lingering embrace, and he realized it was
time for him to leave.
To John it was just another days work, although a pleasant one. The next
day he heard the rest of the story. Two evenings before, Nora had been
at the university in a photography darkroom, processing film in the labo-
ratory for one of her classes. In the darkness she was overwhelmed by the
failure of her relationships and of her personal life. She decided to end it
all, right there! Nora picked up the tray full of poisonous chemicals and
was going to drink it. Then as she held the tray in her trembling hands,
she cried out to God and prayed a desperate prayer. God, I give You
twenty-four hours. Unless there is a break in twenty-four hours, I cov-
enant that this marriage is through! She turned on the light and looked
at the clock on the wallit said 6:47 p.m. During the next day she kept
watching the clock10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.
Ed told John, And then at 6:30 p.m. came your unexpected knock at
the door. It was just seventeen minutes before Noras looming deadline,
which she had shared with no one. It was the first visit we have received
in three years from a professor or pastor.
141
142
Lets return to Phidippides10 and the running of the first marathon. This
faithful runner delivered the victory message, We have conquered! It
cost him his life, the supreme sacrifice. But there is another race to con-
sider. The apostle says, Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight . . . and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us like Jesuswho for the joy that was set
before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.11 As Jesus breathed
His last breath on the cross, in trumpet tones that resounded and echoed
through the entire universe, He proclaimed, It is finished! We have con-
quered.
Jesus announced not just a military-political victory but also a moral, per-
sonal, and planet-wide victory. Yes, even triumph for the galaxy and the
universe. The battle with our archenemy Satan has been won! Nobody
needs to give up. Jesus victory on the cross has conquered death and
guaranteed eternal life and health to anyone who is willing to accept it.
The cross is the attraction that gives meaning to our existence and holds
the otherwise disorganized factors of our lives together. This is illustrated
by the presence and function of laminins in the human body.
Laminins
Have you ever wondered what is the glue
that can physically hold us together? There
are fifty to seventy-five trillion cells in the
human body.12 But does each one of these
trillions of cells just do its own thing? Or is
there some kind of glue that binds or unites
cells in a given organ so that they can work
together in a special function? As protein
chemists have discovered, a great number of Image of a laminin
glycoproteins are involved in holding cells cell adhesion molecule
together. One large family of these binding (graphically enhanced).
proteins is laminins. Laminins are cell adhe-
sion molecules in the form of crosses that bind cells together. So there are
literally trillions of crosses in the human body that connect cells.
143
When sin entered this world, it brought separation and alienation into
horizontal relationships. The connection was broken. It is only in Je-
sus, by means of the vertical tie, that the horizontal relationships can
be fully reestablished and strengthened. The Bible says, He [Jesus] is
the image of the invisible God. . . . All things were created by him and
for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.13
The cross he bore is health for us and by his scourging we are healed.14
Do you want His cross to be the laminin to hold all things together
your marriage, the connection to your children, your personal and profes-
sional relationships, your physical lifestyle, your eternal fellowship?
144
VICTORY
REJECTION ACCEPTANCE
DISQUALIFIED
The Cross carries us to the Victory Circlevertically carrying us to the
finish line and horizontally reaffirming our freedom to accept or reject
eternal life and health.
At the finish line of lifes marathon, do you want to be in the Victory Cir-
clecomplete physical, mind-spirit, and relationship victory? Jesus Him-
self is ready and anxious to give you that victorynot a laurel wreath that
will wither and fade. The ancient Greek contestants in the race ran to win
a perishable laurel garland, but we run for an imperishable crown, a literal
crown of gold that indicates our kingship or queenship. We will co-reign
with Jesus forever.15 Is any price too high to pay for that eternal reward?
You may have seen at the end of the Olympic Games a great extrava-
ganza, a celebration with flags waving, the playing of national anthems,
marching of the victors, glistening gold medals, singing, fireworks, a gala
in brilliant colorsa dramatic display of success. Its a magnificent and
festive event.
145
The regal celebration continues when we arrive at the Holy City, the New
Jerusalemcapital of the universe. Jesus is there. The One whom His
loved ones have been awaiting for millennia makes His regal approach,
not now as a babe in Bethlehems manger, but as King of kings and Lord
of lords. He marches forward with His royal splendor, accompanied by
His angelic entourage. With His own hand He crowns our brow, not with
a wreath of laurel but with a glistening golden crown. Each victor is giv-
en a harp for rejoicing over a battle well fought and won. The spectacular
orchestral concert floods the entire universe and is heard by the amazed
inhabitants of other worlds. And all bow their knees and proclaim, God
is love.
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who
have the victory . . . standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the
Lamb.16
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one
could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing be-
fore the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm
branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salva-
tion belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!17
Will you be in that triumphant throng? Just think: you will have a newly
created body, a massive intellect ready to study mysteries of the universe,
and friends everywhereFor now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then
face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am
known.18 WIN! Wellness for eternity. I call that Finishing Strong!
Prayer
Lord, help me to be faithful and strong and cross the finish line
and receive the crown of life. Thank You for Jesus, who finished the
race and won the victory. Prepare me to join my loved ones in that
heavenly home. Being like You and with You is my ultimate WIN!
Wellness goal. Today I accept Jesus victory for me, and I choose
to stand with Him in the Victory Circle. In Jesus powerful and win-
ning name, amen.
146
Reflect/Discuss
As you run the race of life and strive for victory, react to Hebrews 12:1
(NLT): Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
How can we do this and finish strong physically, emotionally, spiritually,
and relationally? How can we finish strong as families and experience the
warmth of our hearts turning toward each other?
1. Share what struggles and victories you have had during your WIN!
Wellness Homes of Hope and Health journey.
2. At this time, what are your new goals for integrated, balanced living?
3. From what you know about the athletes of the ancient Greek or the
modern Olympic Games, what did they do to keep their bodies and
minds in top shape to achieve victory? What does this say to you
about how you can be victorious and be in top physical, mental, and
spiritual shape, so you can be a winner?
Personal Reflection
1. At my season of life, what can I do to ensure that I keep my body,
mind, and spirit competent for peak performance?
2. How can I help family, neighbors, and friends enjoy optimal physical,
mental, and relationship health?
Intentionality
I will continue to improve my lifestyle so that I can enjoy a long,
healthy, and happy life.
I will share the balanced-living benefits that I have learned with
others by inviting friends and neighbors to Homes of Hope and
Health in my home.
I am thankful to God for the victories that He has helped me to gain
in this WIN! Wellness Homes of Hope and Health journey. My desire
is to Finish Strong!
147
148
P
ositive personal choices contribute to longer, healthier, happier,
and holier lives. New healthy habits are made one choice at a
time.
The series of the three WIN! Wellness Homes of Hope and Health books
are all about change. Change has power to help us on an amazing journey
of growth and transformation. Changes may occur through little baby
steps or giant leaps. Either we choose to change for our healths sake, or
it chooses for us and the result is unexpected life consequences.
As you evaluate your progress on the WIN! Wellness factors for a healthy
lifestyle, think through your own commitment and progress. Keep learn-
ing and keep changing. Be resilient when you fallforgive yourself. You
can get up when you fall down. Go forward toward your life goals and
dreams. Love is the greatest healerlove others and yourself. Choose to
be positive and look for the good in others. Avoid crooked thinking. En-
joy a new makeover. You can be a healthier and happier New You.
149
Physical
Exercise
I follow a regular exercise program.
I exercise five to seven days a week for 3060 minutes.
I choose to keep active, since movement aids in the healing process
and improves memory.
I encourage my family to begin an active exercising program.
Rest
I am consistently getting 78 hours of rest daily within twenty-four
hours as an adult, 910 hours as a teen or young adult.
I try to have a cut-off time from daily work and usually do not con-
tinue the days work into the evening.
I try to go to bed by 9:00 each evening so I can get better sleeping
hours before midnight.
I take time during my twenty-four hours to rest from work with relax-
ing moments doing such things as: reading a book, being out in nature,
playing with the children, taking a leisurely walk, visiting with family
or friends, or just doing one of my favorite things.
Food
I avoid overeating.
I eat simple foodsfruits, veggies, nuts, legumes.
150
Water
I drink 58 glasses of water daily or the formula amount: weight in
pounds divided by 2 = _____; divide by 8 = _____. The result is the
number of 8-ounce glasses I should drink daily.
I drink water even when Im not thirsty.
I wash my hands after being in public, especially in flu season; after
bathroom use; before preparing a meal; or after taking care of some-
one with a contagious disease.
I take a warm shower in the morning and end with cool water splash to
awaken the circulation to every organ, muscle, and the brain. I some-
times shower or bathe in the evening, because warm water will help
me sleep.
I keep my clothing clean because the skin releases impurities from the
body and clothing absorbs them.
I eliminate any mold in my home or work place and remove any de-
cayed material, knowing they are harmful to my overall health.
I give careful attention to personal sanitation in my life and home.
Sunlight
I am out in sunlight between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. for ten minutes,
34 times a week, when the sun is shining and it is not too cold/hot.
I take 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily as a supplement if I dont get suf-
ficient vitamin D from sunlight.
151
Brain
I am free of addictive substances: alcohol tobacco caffeine
drugs.
Protecting my brain is important to me so I choose to:
Wear a helmet when cycling or doing construction jobs.
Watch or listen to uplifting media and avoid spiritually inappropri-
ate electronic media.
Avoid taking addictive substances that will harm my brain.
Enjoy fresh air by taking walks and ventilating my home to get suf-
ficient oxygen to my brain and entire body.
I am trying to live a healthy lifestyle so as to turn off my inherited bad
genes and turn on inherited good genes.
Relational
I am spending quality time with family, young and old.
I am doing loving acts for my family and neighbors.
I am choosing to be a loving person through: giving love gifts,
affirming, showing appreciation, appropriate touching,
sharing appropriate hugs, serving others, spending time with
family or friends, doing loving acts, listening when others speak.
I am improving my communication and relationship skills.
I frequently show appreciation to my husband, wife, children,
parents, friends.
I try to a peacemaker and do my part to resolve any conflicts in my life.
I choose not to be an angry person and am learning to manage anger.
I attempt not to be disagreeable when I disagree with others.
I choose my battles and do not let little things and disagreements pro-
voke me to anger.
I will be a good listener, ask questions, and communicate with others
152
in a positive way.
I ask God to help me identify when I am doing crooked thinking.
I pray to God to help me not to be a judgmental and critical person.
I am forgiving of those who have hurt me.
I ask forgiveness of those I have hurt.
I choose to look for good in my life and to help the less fortunate.
I joyfully serve others. I cannot help all, but I can help one person at
a time.
I find joy in my life even in the midst of unpleasant circumstances.
I will try to emphasize and discuss cheerful topics of conversation
when dialoging with people who are very negative in their outlook.
I will resolve problems in a mature way.
I will ask God to give me grace to accept with serenity the things that
cannot be changed and courage to change the things that should be
changed.
Mind/spirit/attitude
I am choosing to follow the laws of health.
I continue to obtain information on healthful living so that I can make
right choices in my daily life.
I choose to be a new person and become all that I can be. The past is
past. I go forward.
I choose to be active in making my big dream of life become a reality.
I choose to manage circumstances and not let circumstances manage
me.
I choose to use my time wisely.
I choose to live in an ethical way.
I desire to serve others with kind acts of love.
I am usually a positive and happy person.
I am optimistic and have hope.
I strive to be contented and happy in all circumstances of my life.
I desire to be a joyful person and know that if I am joyful I will handle
problems and crises better.
I am trying to handle crises well, trusting in God for resilience and
strength.
I choose to be a thankful person, since a spirit of gratitude and praise
promotes health of body and soul.
153
In sickness
I believe and have hope that when I am sick and in pain and pray to
God for healing, He, the Greatest Physician and Friend, is with me. He
cares about me, has sympathy and compassion for me, and loves me.
He will give me wisdom and good judgment about my health condi-
tion, will guide my healing team, and will strengthen me.
154
I believe that God desires me to have good health and that He wants
me to cooperate in my healing process by following the health and
healing principles.
I am aware that the spirit of darkness is the enemy of each ill person
and is the creator of disease. He wants to discourage me and have me
blame God for my illness. God is not at fault.
I believe that our heavenly Father cares about His suffering children.
He desires those who are ill to come to Him in prayer and tell Him all
about their fears, troubles, and perplexities. He encourages us to leave
these with Him and to trust Him. He will help.
I believe it is God who can heal instantly, or slowly, and/or by physi-
cians and caregivers. For some, healing will come on the resurrection
morning, when Jesus comes and gives those who died in Christ a to-
tally new, healthy body.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous
right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
155
I ask God for help in these areas of health: physical, mental, spiri-
tual, and positive relationships:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
156
As you evaluate your progress on the WIN! Wellness factors for a healthy
lifestyle think through your own commitment and progress. Keep learn-
ing and keep changing. Be resilient when you fallforgive yourself. You
can get up when you fall down. Go forward toward your life goals and
dreams. Love is the greatest healerlove others and yourself. Choose to
be positive and look for the good in others. Avoid crooked thinking. En-
joy a new makeover. You can be a healthier and happier New You.
157
158
2
Allan Luks and Peggy Payne, The Healing Power of Doing Good: The Health
and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others (New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1992).
3
Nehemiah 8:10.
4
Hebrews 12:2.
5
James 1:2.
6
Ellen G. White, The Upward Look (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1982),
102.
7
Proverbs 17:22.
8
Norman Cousins, Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the
Human Spirit (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1989), 15; Norman Cousins, Anatomy of
an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration
(New York: Norton, 1979), 7273.
9
Luks and Payne, The Healing Power of Doing Good.
10
Philippians 4:12, NIV, emphasis supplied.
11
Susan Pease Gadoua, Meeting Your Spouse in the Middle, Psychology
Today, June 27, 2010, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/contemplating-
divorce/201006/meeting-your-spouse-in-the-middle. Reference is made to the
book by Susan Pohlman, Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought
Our Family Home.
12
A joint study by the University of Kansas and Gallup World Poll of 150,000 adults
in 140 countries found that positive emotions are linked unmistakably to better
health, even when taking into account a lack of basic needs. Negative emotions
were a reliable predictor of worse health. The relation between emotion and
physical health was stronger than the connection between health and basic human
physical needs, like adequate food. Even without basic food and shelter, positive
emotions boost health. The association was strongest in the poorest countries
studied. The chief investigator was Dr. Sarah Pressman, assistant professor of
psychology of the University of Kansas.
13
Hebrews 12:14, 15, NIV.
14
Psalm 32:15.
15
Psalm 32:11.
16
Ursula Hess and Sylvie Blairy, Facial mimicry and emotional contagion
to dynamic emotional facial expressions and their influence on decoding
accuracy, International Journal of Psychophysiology 40, no. 2 (2001) 129
141. Emiliya Zhivotovaskaya, Smile and others smile with you: Health
benefits, emotional contagion, and mimicry, Positive Psychology News
Daily, September 27, 2008, http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/emiliya-
zhivotovskaya/200809271036.
17
Quoted in Mike Cocoris, I Have Been Robbed! Insights From the Word (blog),
http://www.cocoris.com/POM/20PAGES/POM/20022.htm.
18
2 Corinthians 7:4, NIV.
19
James 1:2, NIV.
20
1 Thessalonians 5:16.
21
Daryn Kagan, Daryn Kagan: Getting ready for big change all along . . . just didnt
recognize it. Palm Beach Post, January 14, 2011, http://www.palmbeachpost.
com/news/daryn-kagan-getting-ready-for-big-change-all-1185000.html.
159
22
1 Thessalonians 4:16.
23
1 Thessalonians 4:17.
24
Revelation 1:5, 6.
25
Isaiah 26:2.
26
Matthew 25:34.
160
161
162
163
people. The Babylonians, however, stated that in their language Babylon meant
gate of the gods.
29
Isaiah 40:35, emphasis supplied.
30
How many known galaxies are there? in Curious About Astronomy? Ask an
Astronomer, blog by the astronomy department at Cornell University, http://
curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=40.
31
How many stars are there in our Galaxy (Milky Way)? in Curious About
Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer, http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.
php?number=31.
32
John 18:37.
33
Paraphrase of Luke 23:43.
34
John 14:6.
35
Revelation 22:15.
36
Isaiah 40:4.
37
Philippians 4:8, NIV, emphasis supplied.
164
prayers referred to in the Bible had a positive response from God, how does that
change your prayer life?
7
Herbert Lockyer, All the Promises of the Bible; A Unique Compilation and
Exposition of Divine Promises in Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1962), 10.
8
Psalm 119:140, NIV.
9
Proverbs 3:12,NIV.
10
Philippians 4:6, 7.
11
Herbert Benson, Timeless Healing (New York: Scribner, 1996).
12
1 Corinthians 10:31.
13
Proverbs 3:56.
14
Adapted from Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the
Soul101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit (Deerfield Beach,
FL: Health Communications, 1993), 266, 267. This 1989 incident killed more
than thirty thousand people in four minutes.
165
13
Colossians 1:15, 17 (emphasis supplied).
14
Isaiah 53:5, NEB.
15
Revelation 3:21; 20:4, 6; 21:7.
16
Revelation 15:2, 3.
17
Revelation 7:9, 10.
18
1 Corinthians 13:12.
166