Call To Prayer / Personal prayer request update October 17, 2020

Call To Prayer / Personal prayer request update October 17, 2020

I want to thank all of you who have been praying for me since I was hurt while working. I am still out on medical leave and my shoulder has not healed enough for me to return to work. I have began to have more mobility in my right arm, the pain is still constant and is still interfering with my sleep. Their has been a hold up on my physical therapy to begin which has caused me some frustration and the pay I was promised was a lot less than I was told I would receive adding stress over the financial part of being out of work. All of this has effected my mental state. I have written previously shared in my posts on my testimonies on the depression and PTSD God has helped me through. The depression , anxiety, and anger has raised it’s ugly head again. I know it has a lot to do with the pain and lack of sleep combined with being isolated, and I pray and know God is here with me, but my emotional state is still a struggle. I have lost count of the nights I that turned into sunrises, and the tears from both the physical and mental pain I have been dealing with. I remember the request of the father when he told Jesus, ‘I believe help my unbelief’. I know God has not done this to me and that He is here with me and He will see me through this. At the same time I am tired. Tired of not sleeping and tired of being in pain and being alone. I would like my mental and emotional state line up with my faith. Knowing and feelings are in a constant state of battle right now. I know just because I feel something does not mean that is what I believe and that it has not diminished my relationship with Jesus and that He is here crying with me and loving me through this. I know He will not abandon me, but I do want to get past this injury and regain use of my arm and hand. Even typing this is painful. So I have not been writing very much. I pray not only for myself but for the needs of others. I know there are so many in this world going through so much worse than myself. So I am not looking for pity. I am remembering that in James I am to count it all joy when I face various trials and tribulations and do not forget to give my God praise and thanks. I also thank God for your prayers, and pray that this next week my bills will be paid and my therapy will begin.

Read James Chapter 1

Call To Prayer / Who are you listening to?

Call To Prayer / Who are you listening to?

We pray to God, and we make our requests, petitions for provision, protection, healing, and the list goes on. Then we wait to hear His answer. Yet, are we listening to God, when it comes to the answer? Do we hear His answer and because we do not like it, so we go to a friend, a minister, a teacher, etc… looking for the answer we want to hear? Maybe we grow impatient because the answer does not come through in our timing and someone comes with an answer but it is not from God, but it sounds nice so we believe it is.

It feels like my life has been nothing but a battlefield at times. I have heard people tell me all the wrong I must be doing for God to be punishing me, and that my faith must be weak because if it was stronger I would have been healed already, etc… These are just a couple of examples of voices I had listened to in the past. Well meaning people who thought they were helping, but were not. Listening to them I doubted myself and I doubted God, and this kept the embers of anger burning within me. Angry with the world, and angry with myself, and even angry with God. I learned with time that God was not punishing me, and the He forgave me and loves me. He was not the author of my pain and suffering. My faith had not been weak but actually growing stronger with each trial I faced, because I did not walk away but clung to Him with all of my life. I may stumble but I get back up, and what ever I have done in my past is in the past, He does not hold it against me, but it can be used to teach others of His amazing love.

Recently a friend and I prayed over my current situation, and including the request for a new job that would be better than my current one, from which I am on leave because of a workplace injury, which has limited my use of my right arm. The very next morning I received a call, which I thought was to confirm my Dr. appointment, but was for a job interview. I was so happy to get called for an interview, I thought it had been an answer to prayer. The door to that job was immediately shut, which before would have depressed me, but this time I felt peace. I heard Him tell me that He has better in store for me, and that right now I need to just rest and be healed. When I told my friend that I did not get the job she had been so sure the enemy had stolen it from me. God then gave me this to share with her, ‘Not everything that looks like a blessing is a blessing or even from Him. Curses can be disguised as a blessing, just like some blessings do not look like a blessing at first. I could have been discouraged when the door to this job closed, but the peace He gave me let me know that it was for my best. So the answer was no to it, but it was also that He has better, I just need to wait and recover from my recent injury.

We may not always like what He has to say to us. If we are stubborn and dismiss what He is saying we will not have peace. He will always do right by you, and never do anything to harm you, nor will he give you anything that will harm you. We do have to choose to listen to Him if we want to receive what He has for us.

God bless and protect you, in Jesus name, amen.

Right Relations/5/12/19/Abused or Abuser

It took me blowing up and verbally abusive towards my daughter to realize that I was taking out my physical and emotional pain on her. When I heard the words coming out of my mouth, I realized that I had become my abusers all rolled up in one. Even though it was verbal, the damage was done. My relationship’s with those who had abused m, had affected how I was relating to my daughter. Thankfully I realized that I needed to stop and get help. The words that had come out of my mouth still haunt me. I had to acknowledge that I had allowed pain and anger fill me with hate.  Filled with hatred how could I love? Anger and resentment towards others effected how I treated my daughter. I love her, but what she got was an unstable mother who loved her but did not know how to love. I am thankful that through counseling and going through ‘Life ‘s Healing Choices’ a small group my church had offered helped me to make the changes that I had to, so I could heal from the abuse O had suffered. That what was done to me did not justify my behavior. I had to acknowledge the wrongs that I have done without blaming my actions on another. I am grateful that God forgave me and that I am not who I used to be. Now I pray that my daughter can forgive me and know that she never deserved how she was treated.

Right Relations / Broken Relations Restored

Please if you have been reading this series you know this project is a work in progress and it is still very rough. This installment is actually only one part of  ‘Broken Relations Restored’. It however is my personal story or a segment of my testimony. If you have a testimony of how God has restored a relationship for you and would like to share please contact me or leave it in the comments. I would love to know what God has done for you.

My relationship with my own daughter was good, then we ended up in a woman’s shelter. My health deteriorated, my pain level skyrocketed, and my mental state went haywire. It became more and more difficult to function. On top of being diagnosed with a reverse curvature of my cervical column compressing the ulnar nerve, I now had adult onset scoliosis caused by the damage done to my body. Then I was diagnosed with PTSD. Fear, anger, and pain was messing me up and my relationship with my daughter. I was doing everything I could to provide for her physical needs but the fighting with my family and the abuse I endured was doing damage I did not see happening. My relationship with her began to deteriorate.

After a failed and abusive marriage, and the failed relationships that followed I became dependent on my time with my daughter. I knew the day would come that she would grow up and move out and become her own woman. I stopped dating and focused all my time when I was not working on being with her. Then when she began to rebel and act out I became the lenient parent permitting her to do things I knew she shouldn’t because I was afraid of loosing her. Then when I saw how much she was hurting herself and that she was on a road of self-destruction. I became of loosing her to the destructive way she was living her life, so I became overbearing and demanding. I went from one extreme to the other. I didn’t use common sense, I let fear dictate my behavior. My health was deteriorating and my pain level had sky rocketed, but this was not was debilitating me. It was my fear. I could not see or think clearly. I had become so dependent on my relationship with her I did not see the signs and how she had been turned against me. That she was being taught by a certain family member that promiscuous sex and drugs were okay.  That a was too strict and that my health problems were not real. She began pushing me down when I could barely walk, disrespecting me and speaking to me in antagonizing way. Which I would respond with anger. I would later find out that this other person was giving her recording devices and she came home one night and what I will call poked the bear. I was laid up in severe pain. As soon as she entered our home she started in on me. I blew up and cussed her out, calling her everything vulgar that spewed out of my mouth. The second I heard what was coming out of my own mouth, I stopped. I was horrified by my behavior. I apologized not excusing her behavior but immediately took responsibility for my wrong behavior. I told her no matter what she had done I was wrong for everything I said and went immediately for help with my PTSD, I went to my church and confessed what I had done to my daughter. I got of the medications that were actually not helping me and got some sound counseling. Unfortunately by this time the damage was done. Six months after the incident of me verbally spewing like a volcano, I had grown and learned to deal with both my physical and emotional pain without inflicting pain on others, mainly my daughter. She too had been in counseling herself during this period however as I grew to be more stable she became more erratic and destructive. I still did not know what the other family member was doing and the lies she was filling my daughters head with. Things escalated and I had to call the sheriff’s department to get her to release my daughter to come home. I did not press charges but agreed with the deputy to cut my stepmother out of mine and my daughter’s life. I agreed. She retaliated 3 days later and pressed charges against me and I was arrested in the middle of the night without being told the charges. It was about midnight and the arresting officer could only tell me that she was issued a warrant for arrest. My daughter was only 15 and they were going to leave her in our apartment alone. Thankfully the officer allowed me to call a friend to pick her up so she would not be alone. Even once I was taken to the jail they could not book me because they still did not have charges to book me with. From there things got worse. My friend bailed me out the next day but I could not be release because my stepmother’s attorney had and EPO against me. CPS had come to the jail and said that I was clear of any charges by them that they had already cleared me. They left refusing to take custody of my daughter, and told me they knew what my family was doing to do me but they were CPS and there was nothing they could do to help me. Unfortunately the only way I could be released from jail my friend took my daughter to Family services and gave my daughter over to CPS. The following months were hell. I did not have a real defense because the attorney assigned to me did nothing to defend me. I went through months of being degraded and abused by my family and my own attorney. I finally agree to a plea bargain of deferred adjudication of 4th degree felony assault, the terms of limited contact and a small fine. I was happy with the limited contact because it kept her in my life but I could not be falsely accused again. However when I went before the judge it all changed in a devastating way. I was deamed a threat to my daughters life and was cut out of her life up to third-party period. There was no reentering her life when she became 18 or even 21 because there was no time limit, it was permanent. The fine more than tripled and I was free but my daughter was permanently removed from my life. I stood broken before a judge and lost the most important thing in my life. You may believe me to be a liar, but I heard the voice of God asking me, ‘Can you forgive them now?’ Standing but falling apart I answered not because I want to but because I choose His will over my own and said yes. I left that court a broken mess but my faith had grown in ways I could not imagine.

Within weeks my mother died of a sudden stroke and I now was dealing with two losses. It was God’s grace that carried e through the years to come. God began to put me back together and He did not let go of me. Even on the days when I wanted to give up. He kept me going. I held on to the scripture in Jeremiah 31:16 “And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.” I shared this scripture with others hoping to give them hope for their own children. Meanwhile not knowing if my daughter could ever be in my life again, I had to trust in God. For the next 7 years I grew closer to Jesus learned so much and learned there is still so much to learn. I could no longer work for schools with the charges against me but God found a way for me to teach. He had me go back to teaching Bible studies, sharing what He was teaching me. With time my grief lessened and my faith grew. Then 2 years ago I learned my daughter had a child and it hurt not being able to be apart of my grandchild’s life. I did not feel like a grandmother because they were not a part of my life.I had to let her go and I did not want to give up on hope but I didn’t want to drive myself crazy over what I have lost. I kept seeking Christ and learning how to live the way He wanted me to. Learning to forgive and move forward. Love replaced anger and my resentment grew less. Life became more peaceful.

Life did not get perfect and I have had other problems. Then one day my daughter reached out and made contact with me. I was afraid of the legal bind I am in but wanting my daughter back in my life overruled my fear, Jeremiah 31:17 came to pass in my life. My daughter had returned and she is now a part of my life after a 7 year absence. I am getting to know my grandson. Life may not be perfect and just because I have forgiven my family does not mean I do not use caution or trust them.  I am happy that God’s Word is true and He brought my daughter back along with my granson. This relationship with it flaws and is recconcilled. The Lord has restored my daughter to me and I am forever grateful.

Fictional letters based on People in the Bible/ Dinah

Dear Dinah

My Dear Dinah,

     You are My beautiful and loving girl. You have been the victim twice. First Hamor raped you and stole your innocence. They tried to make things right and submitted themselves to your father’s decision. Thankfully he chose to forgive, and the man became your husband. His father the King and all the people of the land gave up their old ways and rid themselves of all their idols and other gods. They were circumcised to show their commitment to Me. I was now their God as I am yours.

     It was not My plan for you to be hurt, yet I was able to use what was meant to destroy you and use what was done to you to bring a nation to Me, so that something good had come out of what terrible thing that had been done to you. It was a chance for you to heal from what had been done to you. To remove the shame you felt. Yes there are those who would have blamed you, and I am sorry for the way they think about such a terrible crime. More than your body had been harmed, because he took from you what you did not give. You refused and he did what he wanted to satisfy his own desire not caring about what he was doing to you. He took your free will. I want to heal your heart and mind as well as your body from the damage he has done to you.

     Now your brothers have gone against your father’s decision and slaughtered not only your husband but many of the other men after they had been circumcised and were healing in their beds. This hurt you more because you feel that you were only an excuse for them to behave in this violent way. You did not feel the comfort of a brother’s love. They did not console you. Instead they stole from you from your husband by taking his life. Your pain did not end here. You have also lost your brother Joseph. Your other brothers told you that a wild animal had killed him. So he was dead because they said so. You have suffered such loss, your innocence, your husband, and your brother.

     I am sorry for the pain that you feel. I know that you may want to blame Me, for I am your God. I want to keep you from all harm and suffering. Yet I have given to all men free will. I could not control their actions without taking their free will away from them. As you chose to serve and love Me from your heart, is how I want them to choose for themselves. I love you and care deeply for you. I will heal you, and love you for all eternity. You will live with me one day and never suffer again. I promise you this.

Love,

Your Heavenly Father

Read

Genesis 34 & 37

Grief One Size Does Not Fit All

Everyone  grieves in their own way and in their own time. We all suffer one king of loss to the next. You grieve the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, a home, a pet, and anything you may have lost.

IMG_2297

I have suffers various loss in my life. This does not make me an expert on grief though. I have sought counseling and read books to help me with my grief.This is the latest book that I have read.Please be Patient I’m Grieving Author Gary Roe. I first learned of this author on Facebook and took a course he offered for free. His teachings have helped me deal with the losses I have suffered and he even took time to write to me personally and encourage me as I heal. It is not often that I publicly recommend books or author so I am going to just suggest that you visit his page and learn for yourself about his teachings.

This is the web address for his page

He does not just teach on personal grief but also how to help others who are grieving.

I pray that this will help at least one person out there.

Prayers and of blessings of healing and comfort for you all.

 

 

 

Spiritual Health/Physical Health-Fear

Fear can cause physical damage to our body. You can feel chest pains, shortness of breath. Fear can cause a panic attack. There are many things in this world that can cause fear. The enemy wants us to be afraid.There is a long list of phobias. Fear can be a prison. Some are afraid to be in a large crowd, others are afraid to be alone. Some are so filled with fear that they cannot leave their homes. You have heard the saying ‘Scared to death’. People even enjoying being scared by and watch horror movies or go to haunted houses, and tell ghost stories. Fear can cause a fight or flight mentality. It can also cause you to freeze in your tracks and make you feel immobile, like there is nothing you can do and that there is no escape.

Yet we do not need to live in fear. 365 times it is written to fear not. God wants us to trust in Him and not be afraid for nothing. When Jesus was tempted by Satan He spoke the Word. We have 365 scriptures to battle fear every day of the year. When fear comes upon you instead of giving into the fear you can speak His Word. I am not saying that this is easy, especially when you are first taking a stand  against fear. Are mind is a battle ground. There are so many what if’s that are thoughts gravitate to when facing scary situations. To be honest I know I am one who often looks at the worse case scenario. Yet recent health issues has made me remember that I cannot be afraid that it will only have a more negative effect on my current situation, and can cause my health to get worse. My mother died of a stroke 4 years ago and just a week ago I was diagnosed with hypertension. I had to choose not to be afraid of the diagnosis but be grateful that the diagnosis tells me to care for my body and my health and that I am able to see a doctor. Trusting in the Lord does not come easy for me but He has given me His Word and I can trust Him.

Here are some scriptures to help conquer fear in your life.

  1. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 NIV
  2. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
  3. One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! Acts 18:9 NLT
  4. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Psalm 91:4-8 NLT
  5. But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”Mark 5:36 NLT
  6. I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Isaiah 51:12 NLT
  7. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 NLTFear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. Isaiah 54:4 NLT
  8. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38 NLT
  9. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil,  for you are with me Psalm 23:4 NIV
  10. The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 NIV

And here is a good article on fear

“Fear Not!” 365 Days a Year

“Fear Not!” 365 Days a Year

Jesus says, Fear Not

Most every day I talk to someone who is afraid or anxious (which is generalized fear). Maybe you fear what people think of you… Not having enough money… Public speaking, flying, being far from home, or spiders… Failure or rejection… Losing a loved one… Disease or pain… Death…

We all long for more of God’s peace in the midst of the stresses of our lives!

How Many “Fear Nots” are There in the Bible?

“Fear not!” is the most repeated command in the Bible. In fact, it’s been said that there are 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible — one “Fear not” for every day of the year! Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future without Fear even said there are 366 “Fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year! God doesn’t want us to go a single day without hearing his word of comfort: “Fear not!”

Actually, as I share in my book Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yokethere are way more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible! Thank God because we need to be reminded to “Fear not” and trust God everyday.

Are there Really More than 365 Fear Nots in the Bible?

Many people say, “It’s a nice thought to say that there are 365 ‘Fear nots’ in the Bible, but it’s not true.” Indeed, there is not a version of the Bible that 365 times says, quote unquote, “Fear not.” For instance, the King James Version says “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” 103 times, but not 365 times.

So why do I say that there are more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible?

“Fear” is spoken of over 500 times in the KJV. Furthermore, in addition to the “Fear nots” many times the Bible teaches us to “Fear God,” which really means reverence God alone and do not fear anyone or anything else.Expanding the search to look at verses encouraging us not to worry or not to be anxious would add many, many more “Fear not” Scriptures. This is why I say that there are more than 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible.

A Fear Not Prayer

The Psalmist often leads us in a “Fear not” prayer. The Psalms are the Bible’s great soul book, meant to train us to respond to all life situations and difficulties through prayer and trust in the Lord.

One example is Psalm 56. David has been seized by the Philistines and he starts to become afraid, but instead he sets his vision on his Lord and Savior in his midst. He praises God and his word to him: “Fear not!” He puts his trust in the Lord…

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
(Psalm 56:3-4, repeated in similar words in verses 10-11.)

Easy-Yoke-Cover-FrontNo More Fear!

What fear is trying to take a hold of you right now? What threat or trouble are you facing?

Watch and pray with David, “When I am afraid of _________, I will trust in you, O Lord.”

In Your Best Life In Jesus’ Easy Yoke I show you how to use Scripture prayers of the heart like this to overcome anxiety and fear. Let me walk you through your fears and into the loving arms of Christ. You can learn to live with peace and power!

Spiritual Health/ Physical Health – 3 John vs.2

3 John 2 (ESV)Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

 

Then the need to pray for the health of other is so very important. There are so many who are facing so many health issues. Every day you hear of a new need for prayer for healing. Cancer,diabetes, disease, the long list of illness and health problems goes on and on.

I like this scripture because the writer of this is praying for the recipients. It is a good reminder.Let us continue to pray for each others health.

Spiritual Health Physical Health/1 Corinthians 6:19

The Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit
18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

We must take diligent care of our body. It is a daily effort. To neglect our body is to neglect what God has given to us. When we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord we receive His Spirit to live in us. Many of us have some type of ailment. This was the inspiration for me to start a study on both physical health and spiritual health. I know so many who suffer from different health issues. Before I started this study my main health issue was pain due to injuries to my back that effected many areas of both my body and my attitude. I want to live a better life not restricted by my body. I had learned some years ago that when my pain level spiked my attitude got ugly. I was short tempered and my mind would think about all of the abuse it had gone through and I would be angry for all the wrong I had suffered. I would start playing the blame game. If this had happened to me I would not feel this way. Then I finally had enough and decided that I could no longer this way. Despite what condition my body may be in I had to learn to have the joy of the Lord. For it is written to count it all joy when you face trials and tribulations. I was also holding onto bitterness and resentment. I was not forgiving those who had hurt me. This had to change. I started with my tongue taking great care to learn to speak words of love, life, peace, and encouragement. Now the health problems of others are not the same as mine but I know from my own experience that we all face feelings that make our problems worse when we give into them. So I started looking deep into the scripture about caring for my body as well as tips on taking better care of the body.

Now a month after I started this study I have been hit with a new health issue. I now have been diagnosed with stroke level blood pressure. Any of you who have blood pressure you know what my body has been going through.This however is new to me since this is the first time in my life that I have experienced high blood pressure. I used to say with all my problems at least I had a good heart and good blood pressure. As a matter of fact the worse it had ever been was extremely low when my health would get bad. Now I am not a big fan of going to the doctor. Yet I knew that was not something that I could ignore. So I went to the doctor the other day so that I could know what exactly was happening with my body. I did not want anything to be wrong but I knew that for the last few weeks my body was going down hill fast and I needed to know what was wrong so that I could deal with it. Pretending nothing was wrong would have only done more damage. I had often heard from some people that that hated doctors and that they did not want to get checked out because they would rather not know. Now I am not saying run to the doctor or E.R. for every sneeze or cough. That to me is unnecessary. Yet when you feel that something is wrong do not ignore it. We need to know the cause so that it can be dealt with. Next month it will be four years since I lost my mother to a sudden stroke. If had not gone to the doctor and got examined I very well could have had a stroke but now I am under a doctors care and on medication and will be able live a healthier life.

Take care of your body. It is the only one on this planet that you will have. As long as there is life in your body you have a purpose Go has for you. No matter what shape your body is in you can still serve the Lord. You are more likely to be emphatic to another because you know from your own experience how pain and illness can effect a persons attitude and how one can feel hopeless and depressed because of their ailment. You are the witness to them that no matter what God loves us and cares for each and everyone of us. That despite our circumstance we still have hope and joy.

God bless and keep you always.

Power in The Blood/Spiritual Health/Physical Health / Bible Study

Spiritual Health / Physical Health

Study on Blood

(note; this is a condensed version of this study, There is so much on the blood of Jesus and human blood, you could write volumes on the subject. I only hope that in this study, you find something that you can use and apply to your life in a way that brings His healing and glory to you.)

     Blood is constantly moving. It is pumped from the heart, throughout the body through arteries. It then returns to the heart through the veins. It carries oxygen and nutrients to all of your body. Without blood you would not be alive. Yet the blood that truly gives you life is the blood of Jesus.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Life is in the blood. John 6:53-58 (KJV)53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.

Blood plays an important role in both our physical health and spiritual health. Without it, our bodies would die. Without the blood of Jesus Christ we would not be cleansed from our sins. Matthew 26:28 – For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Nothing but the Blood

There is Power in the Blood

Are you washed in the Blood?

These are just three hymns that have blood in their title. The blood sung about in each of these songs is the blood of Jesus. Sing praises to our Lord and Savior. Singing songs of praise and worship is one way we enter His presence. There is something that singing does for our body as well. Singing is an aerobic exercise as well.

Professor Graham Welch, Chair of Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, has studied developmental and medical aspects of singing for 30 years and he says the health benefits of singing are both physical and psychological. “Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting. Singing has psychological benefits because of its normally positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being. Psychological benefits are also evident when people sing together as well as alone because of the increased sense of community, belonging and shared endeavor.”

http://heartresearch.org.uk/fundraising/singing-good-you

 

Scriptures

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Hebrews 9:22 – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Hebrews 9:12 – Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].

Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Exodus 12:13 – And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt.

Hebrews 13:20 – Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Revelation 1:5 – And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

 

Foods good for your blood

Have some blackstrap molasses

Here’s what we definitely know: It’s rich in iron and minerals that help your body produce red blood cells and support your immune system, which is why it’s often recommended for women who suffer from bad menstrual cramps and have fibroids or endometriosis. Some people credit blackstrap molasses — the unsulfured kind! — with helping keep swelling down, which is not surprising given its anti-inflammatory properties. Two to three teaspoonfuls a day should do it. And don’t worry. Add it to oatmeal or sweeten your tea with it. Word on the street has it that it complements almond milk quite nicely as well.

Don’t pass on the spicy food

Well, if you can stand it and don’t suffer from any hiatal hernias or other gastroenterological issues, then go for it. Spicy food is a source of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is essentially a taxi service that shuttles fats and cholesterol in the water-based solution of your blood stream and helps your body dissolve any blood clots that may postentially form. The capsaicin in hot peppers helps tackle inflammation, too, and because spicy foods are rich in vitamins A and C, they raise your body’s temperature, which increases blood flow and gets your blood swooshing around in there as it should.

Ginger and turmeric root

Ginger, similar to those spicy peppers, can help jumpstart that blood flow, as can turmeric root, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Think of it as the best traffic cop or crossing guard you’ll ever meet. Turmeric prevents clogs and bottlenecks and other annoying obstacles that will render your circulatory system sluggish and your blood from getting where it needs to go efficiently.

Foods to Increase Red Blood Cell Count
Vitamin B diet:
To take care of folate deficiency, eat a diet rich in green leafy vegetables like spinach, fenugreek, beans, lentils like masoor dal, moong dal, toor dal, urad dal. It’s also important to avoid overcooking vegetables and avoid leaving them out at room temperature for an extended period of time as this can significantly decrease their folic acid content.

Foods to Increase Red Blood Cell Count
Iron:
Asparagus, sesame seeds, almonds, figs and black raisins are rich sources of iron. Eating a few almonds, black raisins and one fig, can ensure a good supply of iron in the day. A sumptuous mid meal made of sautéed asparagus, with sesame seeds speckled and some almonds, black raisins and a dried fig can boost one’s iron and folic acid levels.

Foods to Increase Red Blood Cell Count
Vitamin C:
Increase your intake of vitamin C with foods like strawberries, sweet limes, guavas, broccoli, capsicums as vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron. Sour lemon squeezed on food is an inexpensive and palatable form of taking vitamin C to aid iron absorption.

Read more at http://livinggreenmag.com/2013/07/10/food-health/eight-ways-to-improve-your-blood-circulation/#kllrcgUythxiom5W.99

 

This week’s breathing exercise

Nadi Shodhana or “Alternate Nostril Breathing”

How it’s done: A yogi’s best friend, this breath is said to bring calm and balance, and unite the right and left sides of the brain. Starting in a comfortable meditative pose, hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with the ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril. Continue the pattern, inhaling through the right nostril, closing it off with the right thumb and exhaling through the left nostril.

When it works best: Crunch time, or whenever it’s time to focus or energize. Just don’t try this one before bed: Nadi shodhana is said to “clear the channels” and make people feel more awake. “It’s almost like a cup of coffee,” Pacheco says.

You can find this and other breathing exercises at this website:

http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/08/6-breathing-exercises-to-relax-in-10-minutes-or-less/

 

 

How Does the Body Make Blood?

http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/blood.html#

It’s not made in a kitchen, but blood has ingredients, just like a recipe. To make blood, your body needs to mix:

  • red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body
  • white blood cells, which fight infections
  • platelets, which are cells that help you stop bleeding if you get a cut
  • plasma, a yellowish liquid that carries nutrients, hormones, and proteins throughout the body

Your body doesn’t go to the store to buy those ingredients. It makes them. Bone marrow — that goopy stuff inside your bones — makes the red blood cells, the white blood cells, and the platelets. Plasma is mostly water, which is absorbed from the intestines from what you drink and eat, with the liver supplying important proteins. Put all these ingredients together and you have blood — an essential part of the circulatory system. Thanks to your heart (which pumps blood) and your blood vessels (which carry it), blood travels throughout your body from your head to your toes.

Let’s find out more about each ingredient.

Red Blood Cells Red blood cells (also called erythrocytes, say: ih-RITH-ruh-sytes) look like flattened basketballs. Most of the cells in the blood are red blood cells. They carry around an important chemical called emoglobin (say: HEE-muh-glow-bin) that gives blood its red color. Blood and breathing go hand in hand. How? The hemoglobin in blood delivers oxygen, which you get from the air you breathe, to all parts of your body. Without oxygen, your body couldn’t keep working and stay alive.

White Blood Cells White blood cells (also called leukocytes, say: LOO-kuh-sytes) are bigger than red blood cells. There are usually not a whole lot of white blood cells floating around in your blood when you’re healthy. Once you get sick, though, your body makes some more to protect you. There are a couple types of white blood cells that do different things to keep you well:

Granulocytes You know how your skin gets a little red and swollen around a cut or scrape? That means the granulocytes (say: GRAN-yuh-low-sytes) are doing their jobs. They have a lot to do with how your body cleans things up and helps wounds heal after an injury. Granulocytes also help prevent infection by surrounding and destroying things that aren’t supposed to be in your body and by killing germs.

Lymphocytes There are two types of lymphocytes (say: LIM-fuh-sytes): B cells and T cells. B cells help make special proteins called antibodies that recognize stuff that shouldn’t be in your body, like bacteria or a virus you get from a sick friend. Antibodies are very specific, and can recognize only a certain type of germ. Once the antibody finds it, it gets rid of the germ so it can’t hurt you. The really cool part is that even after you are better, B cells can become memory cells that remember how to make the special antibody so that if the same germ infects you again, it can kill the germ even faster! T cells also battle germs that invade the body, but instead of making antibodies, they work by making special chemicals that help fight the infection.

Monocytes  Monocytes (say: MON-uh-sytes) are white blood cells that fight infection by surrounding and destroying bacteria and viruses.

Platelets Platelets, also called thrombocytes (say: THROM-buh-sytes), are tiny round cells that help to make sure you don’t bleed too much once you get a cut or scrape. Cuts and scrapes break blood vessels. If a platelet reaches a blood vessel that’s been broken open, it sends out a chemical signal that makes other nearby platelets start to stick together inside the vessel. In the marrow, there are hematopoietic, stem cells. These cells are the mother of all cells. If the body needs more red blood cells, it tells the stem cells to make red blood cells. If your body needs more white cells or platelets the stem cells make what they are told to make. After the platelets form this plug, they send out more chemical signals that attract clotting factors. These clotting factors work together to make a web of tiny protein threads. The platelets and this web of protein come together to make a blood clot. The clot keeps your blood inside the vessel while the break in the blood vessel heals up. Without platelets, you’d need more than a bandage to catch the blood when you scrape your knee!

Plasma Plasma (say: PLAZ-muh) is a yellowish liquid that is mostly water. But it also carries important nutrients, hormones, and proteins throughout the body. Nutrients are chemicals from the food you eat that give your body energy and other things your body’s cells need to do their work and keep you healthy. Hormones carry messages throughout your body, telling it what to do and when. An example of a hormone is growth hormone. It gets your bones and muscles to grow. Many proteins in plasma are really important to your body, like the clotting factors that help you stop bleeding if you get a cut or a scrape. Plasma also carries away cell waste — chemicals that the cell doesn’t want anymore. Nutrients, hormones, proteins, and waste are dissolved in the plasma — kind of like the cocoa mix that dissolves in a cup of hot water. What are the marshmallows? The blood cells — they float in the plasma.

Hey, What’s Your Type?

Everybody’s blood is red, but it’s not all the same. There are eight blood types, described using the letters A, B, and O. Those letters stand for certain proteins found on the red blood cells. Not everyone has the same proteins. In addition to getting a letter or two, a person’s blood is either “positive” or “negative.” That doesn’t mean one person’s blood is good and another person’s blood is bad. It’s a way of keeping track of whether someone’s blood has a certain protein called Rh protein. This protein is called “Rh” because scientists found it while studying Rhesus monkeys. If your blood is positive, you have this protein. If it’s negative, you don’t. Either way is totally fine.

People have one of these eight different blood types:


  1. A negative
  2. A positive
  3. B negative
  4. B positive
  5. O negative
  6. O positive
  7. AB negative
  8. AB positive

Blood types are important if a person ever wants to donate blood or needs a blood transfusion. Getting blood of the wrong type can make a person sick. That’s why hospitals and blood banks are very careful with donated blood and make sure the person gets the right type.

People might need blood transfusions when they’re sick or if they lose blood. Without enough healthy blood, the body won’t get the oxygen and energy it needs. Healthy blood also protects you from germs and other invaders.

List of Blood Diseases

http://atozhealthtopics.blogspot.com/2011/01/list-of-blood-diseases.html

In our body blood is the life-maintaining fluid that circulates through the body’s heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries.
Blood disease, any disease of the blood, involving the red blood cells, white blood cells (leukocytes), or platelets (thrombocytes) or the tissues in which these elements are formed—the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen—or of bleeding and blood clotting.
Blood diseases affect the production of blood and its components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, the mechanism of coagulation, etc

List of Blood Diseases and Disorders 


  • Anemia
    • Aplastic Anemia
    • Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
    • Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant
    • Blood Tests
    • Blood Transfusion
    • Bone Marrow Tests
    • Clinical Trial
    • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT, Thrombophlebitis)
    • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
    • Excessive Blood Clotting
    • Fanconi Anemia
    • Hemochromatosis
    • Hemophilia
    • Hemolytic Anemia
    • Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
    • Iron-Deficiency Anemia (en español)
    • Lymphocytopenia
    • Polycythemia Vera
    • Pulmonary Embolism
    • Pernicious Anemia
    • Rh Incompatibility
    • Sickle Cell Anemia
    • Thalassemias
    • Thrombocytopenia
    • Thrombophlebitis (Deep Vein Thrombosis, DVT)
    • Thrombocythemia and Thrombocytosis
    • Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP)
    • Von Willebrand Disease
    • Bacteremia
    • Sepsis
    • Anemia
    • Staph infection
    • Hepatitis