FOR THE NOURISHMENT OF THE BODY....

Growing up on the farms "back in the day" was filled with it's ups and downs. I guess I didn't really see it that way at the time but hind sight is always 2020. As a Sharecropper's daughter life was good and difficult almost at the same second. Lots of work, little pay and the toils of never having your own we worked the farms of the owners and they gave us a shack to live in. This is the long and short of it. When the season was over and we had done all the hard work, we didn't get much and I remember my daddy looking up to the Lord and and saying, "well soon be planting time again". But God was with us and He always caused us to prosper. You see we were Christians and God was "with us".

My daddy was a great provider, we always had food, hogs, cows, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, goats and all the vegetables my daddy, the Farmer Extraordinaire could produce. It was the food and hard work I remembered most, the tobacco, the cotton and soybeans and corn as high as the sky(or so it seemed then). My mother was the anchor of the family, staying home and keeping things together while daddy and the children took care of the crops. She was sickly most of my young life, but God blessed her to care for her 10 children and 2 grandchildren she raised from birth. She would live 89 years, mama fell asleep in 2007.

I never really understood or appreciated all my mother did until I got married some 26 years ago. Preparing a meal for my family one day tears flooded from my eyes, looking back at what mama must have gone through, all those biscuits, all those grits, the fried chicken, the hog killing time...the caring and sewing and teaching and preaching and disciplining...not to mention daddy! haha...oh mama, what you went through! My life has been a Queen's Quarter compared to hers! What a woman, mother, wife and child of God. I admire her more now, life is just like that I guess. "Youth is wasted on the young"

I well remember the dinners, and especially the Sunday Spreads. My mother was a master cook, and we children would help sometimes, I became her "helper", and eventually the main cook of the household after my oldest sister left home.

I always remembered my daddy praying over the feast, daddy could really pray...we didn't need so much praying over the food. HA! Daddy prayed everywhere, at the church, at the hog pen, those hogs heard the best praying this side of heaven, at the tobacco barns, walking the fields...EVERYWHERE!
But at the dinner table he was very meticulous, you see he prayed for the President (in the Chair), the governor, the Mayor, everybody, the neighbors, the children of the community....and all we could do was just sorta try to keep our eyes closed. Oh the food on that table, the fried chicken from the yard, the steaks from the stall, the ham..of course, potato salad, the greens and beans..and the desserts. Yet daddy was still praying for all the chillins near and far, for the Pastor of the church, all the members and of course for the lost and wayward. And we waited, and the smells tempted our very resolve.
But finally he would say, "now Lord", we thank you for the hands that prepared this meal, he always remembered mama; thank you for the ones that helped, by this time we really began to get happy, haha. My daddy sometimes would pause and let mama say this, but usually he would say "LORD MAKE US TRUE AND THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO RECEIVE FOR THE NOURISHMENT OF THE BODY.....IN JESUS NAME. AMEN! For the nourishment of the body, food is for nourishing the body. It's important we learn this.

Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine said " Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food." I think he had something there, I know he did. As I launch my HEALTH MATTERS PAGE, come along with me as we talk health and wellness which we should all be excited about. Mama used to say "child if you ain't got your health, you ain't got nothing!" Lord make us true and thankful for what we are about to receive...FOR THE NOURISHMENT OF THE BODY. Amen and Blessings!

SMALL STUFF!!

Les Brown was visiting his friend in the hospital, he had suffered a couple heart attacks, and he gives Brown some timeless advice..he tells him “don’t sweat the small stuff, and with a quirky smile he adds, it’s all small stuff”. Mr. Brown’s friend was a real go getter, a worrier of sorts and often too busy with things that didn’t really matter. He was a good man with a plethora of talents and abilities and used them to the fullest…maybe a bit too full. In a sense he was alerting the great Motivator Brown that in relationship to a heart attack much of the things we are whining and complaining about in our lives is just that ‘small stuff’.

When I look at the sufferings of people and countries of the world, like Haiti and others, this statement comes to life in a real way…it’s all small stuff!

Each day I’m praying and asking God to help me see the big picture(there is one) he wants me to see. To put life in it’s proper perspective and see things as he sees them, with his eyes and his compassions and understandings.

To remain focused and not sweat the small stuff, for in comparison to a heavenly home and abode, everything stands small and wanting. To be sure I don’t major in minors and minor in majors so as to make my final destination with peace and joy, and my life on earth a blessing to others and myself.

To keep my eyes on the prize and not on what others think of me or do to me, these things are small and many times insignificant in the larger scheme of life.

Oh God help me each day to do your will and biding, as I resolve to not sweat the small stuff…..much of it is small stuff.

The Good Lipid Lecithin!!

Growing older can be made better and more enjoyable as we use the tools God has given for health and longevity. One such find is lecithin, a fat-like substance called a phospholipid. Lecithin supports the nervous and circulatory systems and is produced daily by the liver if the diet is good.
Every cell in the body needs lecithin and it is the building block of the cell membranes and keeps them flexible, thus good for the arteries. Lecithin protects cells from oxidation and comprises the protective sheaths surrounding the nerves in the brain and the nervous system.

What does lecithin consist of? Mostly B vitamins, phosphoric acid, choline, linoleic acid and inositol. Though a fatty substance, it is partly soluble, so its also an emulsifying agent, the reason many processed foods contain lecithin. Lecithin is also helpful in weight loss efforts. Emulsifiers in the body helps with fat digestion and circulatory health.

We can keep our memory and brain waves strong with choline and inositol. Choline is good for making acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. Research shows inositol is important for mental clarity as well.This is really good news for our health!!

Lecithin is a good addition to anyone’s diet says Dr. James Balch in his bestseller “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” He says use two tablespoons of lecithin granules on cereals and soups or add to drinks or breads. He also recommends taking one 1,200-milligram capsule before each meal to aid in the digestion of fats and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

Most lecithin is derived from soybeans, but recently egg lecithin has become popular and is hoped to hold some promise for those suffering from AIDS, herpes, fatigue syndrone, and immune disorders associated with aging. Other sources of lecithin include brewer’s yeast, grains, legumes, fish, and whole wheat.

NSP Lecithin is derived from soybeans and is hermetically sealed in capsules. No carrier has been added, and freshness is guaranteed. Each softgel contains 520 mg lecithin. Brain food for smart living! Get your lecithin today!

PERSEVERE!!!

Persevere..To continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty. Other definitions include:To remain constant to a purpose, an idea, a task in the face of discouragement or obstacles. To persist, to gut it out, to continue, to endure, to hang in there. The Noah Webster Dictionary says persevere means to continue in the same state without perishing, to last, to remain firm, as under trial or suffering. To suffer patiently or without yielding, to bear up under adversity, to hold out.

I immediately think of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and my Lord. Notice His words in Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Jesus our great example persevered, he bore up under the adversity, carrying the cross, falsely accused, spit upon, he gut it out, he held up under the pressure, the difficulty, he suffered patiently without yielding. WHEW….to be like Jesus..to persevere!

The aging process is interesting and wonderful! As the years roll by you get to know who you really are, from the experiences of the past to the current moments of life. The past and present seem to meet together at a crossroad that is bitter-sweet. I’m getting to know myself better, understanding the complexities of who I really am. And who am I? I am one who can persevere….

I never thought much about it for life goes by fast and often there’s no time to blink, no less think of what’s happening as the days go by. "Where does the years go….one thing for sure, they go"… a quote from my sister Ella.

I remember the years long ago when I was determined to get an education, going to college without money or much support. It was tough, but I was determined I would hang in there, gut it out, persist. I would not ask my parents for money (they needed theirs), I would work on campus and off campus, I would endure hardness as a good soldier, I would persevere, and I did with the help of God and others, and my own stubborn determination!

We all should endeavor to begin well and end well, so that our steadfastness can be seen by all, for others are watching; some even walking in our footsteps…or trying.

Some laughing, some skeptical, some criticizing but still watching to see if we persevere. The enemy of our soul also seems to have a stake in it, will they give up, throw in the towel, call it quits. But he will be gravely disappointed, I will and continue to persevere.

One of the scriptures that has held me up these many years is found in Galatians 6:9. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”Paul is saying PERSEVERE…..GUT IT OUT, CONTINUE, DON’T ABANDON WHAT YOU’RE UNDERTAKEN! For God has promised to be with us and help us if we just PERSEVERE!!!
Blessings…

AT A PLACE

It’s good to be at a place of peace within. To be at a place where struggling emotions ends, a place where the decision you make is yours and the fulfillment of it is sweet.

It’s good to be at a place of release, where emotions cease to dominate your thinking and actions. At a place where you can look back and not be back where you looked.

At a place where you rule your innermost thoughts and actions. At a place where you choose what’s best for you (for a change), at a place where old cravings and hangings cease to remain.

At a place where you shake off what you want and opt for what you need. At a place of health and happiness, and not a place of greed.

At a place where demons die, at a place where hope and happiness lies. Yes, I’m at that place!
Blessings..

DON'T SABOTAGE YOURSELF!!

It was a difficult day of sorts, for the first time on my Commitment journey I started to think too much. Mama used to always say “stop thinking so much”, my mind can really run away with me sometimes…well I am a human being.

I woke up this morning and for some reason felt a little “melancholy", a little down, a little poor me…I still hadn’t lost 50 pounds yet. HA! No it wasn’t the devil, the children weren’t bothering me, I didn’t have to go to work, no body was causing my blues…but I was like what’s the use!! I can honestly say that in 108 days, this was a first. What was wrong with me, was it the spirit of sabotage?

I have come a long way baby, so to speak, a commitment of “no salt, no sugar, no junk,YEAH ME! has been my lifeline and my salvation for health and healing. But what was up today, and where was it coming from, I had to reposition and fast!

Was something trying to sabotage me, trying to undermine my efforts, weaken my resolve to my commitment, was something trying to counteract my good results and my decisive stance?

I finally ate something and stayed on track, but that mindset was still bothering me. I always say life is mostly “all between the ears”. In other words, watch the mind, as your mind go, you go, more or less. I have to keep reminding myself to renew my mind with the word of God, and to have His mind…without this I’m sure loser!

I made it through the day, and enjoyed a great grill out for supper, perfectly legal to myself, and my God. I had beaten it, whatever it was…could it have been me? We often like to blame others for everything, that makes us look and feel good (we think), but it was only me. As that great motivator Les Brown would say “IT’S JUST LIFE“. I was dealing with life and the frustrations that often comes when our expectations are not met. Proverbs 13:12 says “ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” I will keep eating healthy and will lose the weight, I must push through the frustrations and go THROUGH THE PROCESS. It’s as simple as that, and when those times come (like today), I will push and move forward, not backward.

At the end of the day, I had a wonderful talk with daughter Kameki which helped tremendously. We laughed and talked and planned a bedroom and half bath for the house! HA! Good to have a daughter close by, we understand one another, we all need that.

So I didn’t sabotage myself, I stayed true to myself, and with the help of God I pulled myself up out of my own funk. HA! You see sometimes it’s just LIFE!!
Blessings

100 DAYS AND COUNTING....

100 DAYS AND COUNTING…….

One Hundred Days ago I made that simple commitment “No salt, no sugar, no junk, YEAH ME!!! I decided to post my results on FACEBOOK every night as my own motivation…not to brag or boast. I simply wanted to see if I could make a commitment and stick to it!! Now it hasn’t been that I haven’t tried before, spent many years trying, maybe that has been the problem all alone. This time I would just DECIDE and see if I could stick to my own
decision. One of my slogans is “Don’t try, just decide.”

The interesting piece about the commitment is that it had nothing to do with weight loss, though I need to lose. It was a commitment to decide to stop allowing salt, sugar, and junk in my body, and it has worked..or rather I worked it, haha. You see, it’s up to me to make it happen, no one can do this for me, not even God..He gives the strength, but I have to do the work. Faith, without works is dead, being alone. I know if I keep the junk out, the weight would have to come off! Just a good side effect of healthy living.

I really didn’t know what to expect, but after a week, I realized hey I can do this…you see it’s about doing, not wishing and hoping and praying and….you get the point, my decisions, and mine alone. "Be ye doers, be ye doers....

My greatest happiness is in the reality that I don’t have to eat things I see, I can see it and say “I don’t want that”. I’ve even baked 3 cakes without eating a bite…not even icing, no fried foods and no junk at all. It has been an amazing ride, one I plan to ride for the rest of my life.

After my first month, I couldn’t turn back, how could I go back..so I continued and it got easier. I’m most proud that though I haven’t lost a huge amount of weight, I’m eating healthy…no junk…the weight will come off in time…it won’t have a choice. But for now I thank God for giving the strength to keep my commitment to myself!

I need to tweak a few things for the next 100 days.
1) Get to bed on time!!! I sleep really well (thank God), but I have a tendency to stay up way too late..this must stop. Good health oftens start with good sleep, I need to get in bed on time, giving my body a chance to do what it needs to do to keep me running top speed.
2) Exercise…to add more activity is a must…move move move!!!
3) Continue to manage my emotions. I always say “if you don’t manage your emotions, your emotions will manage you”! I’ve found this to be true! Sometimes I can be too emotional and I have to keep this in check. You see healthy living isn’t just about food and drink and exercise, its about the mind, your psychic make up and a whole lot of other stuff. Remember: It’s usually all between your ears….. Follow me on my blog and notes, and pray with me as I go. Thanking you in advance. My prayer for each reader today is: Be blessed.. Don’t live life in distress..just let go let God, He’ll work things out for you!
Blessings!