Wednesday, April 30, 2014

ADT Testimony

This is my 8 month Advanced Discipleship Training Testimony:

cwww.youtube.com/watch?v=FtMku5AggYc

Again...I haven't figured out how to put a thumbnail on it!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Settle me, Lord.

Jesus, my Beloved.

Yesterday I got to do something I have desired for a VERY long time. I got to sit down and talk for about an hour and a half with a young man who struggles greatly with something. Something he cannot control. It's a part of his brain function that just- is. Out of that comes other disorders. My heart breaks for him. But he puts up a facade. He is fake. He has learned to be fake to cope with his disorder and- a family member who just wants him to be perfect.

I got to share with him how God created him. Spirit, soul and body. I told him the functions of his whole self. We talked about how his disorder and his family made him feel. His emotions are so calloused he hardly KNOWS how he feels.

We talked about flesh- coping mechanisms. It astounds me how little the church as a whole knows about how God created man- why He created man- and how we deal with life apart from Him. But I understand. How can a pastor or teacher or just anyone preach/teach what they don't know? No wonder they stick with the Old Testament. No wonder they preach/teach with "do-do" glasses on. They have not had the revelation of Jesus Christ. They know Him as Savior, Master, Lord and maybe Friend but they do know know Him as Peace, Joy, Healer, Life, Truth, Resurrection, Creator of the new inner man.

The young man asked me, "What can I pray for myself?"

What a great question!

I simply said, "Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you."

I don't think that is exactly what he wanted to hear but I can't tell him anything else BUT Jesus. Jesus is the Way and every other way is NOT the way. He is enough. His riches are Himself- why would we want anything else?

Then my sister called me. Just heart broken. A young man she knows (I do not know him)- a "wonderful Christian boy"- who is actually in the ministry, just got his girlfriend pregnant.

Oh, the secrets we hide. Oh, the facades we put on. She told me this young man was "all godly" on the outside but on the inside- a mess. But not many people knew it.

And you know what? He may marry the girl. But if he doesn't come to really KNOW this Jesus, if he doesn't let this Jesus do a mighty work in him (and it may hurt!), and if he doesn't allow this Jesus to heal him- then marrying the girl won't solve the problem. Because the problem is not the problem. It's just a symptom of something else going on in him. It will manifest in many other ways in his life.

This kid is just eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil- both sides. The self-righteous and the unrighteous. He is just trying to get his needs met. Love, Acceptance, Worth and Security. By being a "good Christian boy" and by giving in to the 'lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life'. It's all flesh. And flesh always leads to death. There is no life and peace apart from God, for He IS Life and Peace. And God WILL NOT allow anything but Himself bring us Life and Peace.

But only God can meet the needs- Love Acceptance Worth Security Truth Significance- that He created BOTH these young men with! Which one will come to the end of their self and allow Him to anoint them with Himself? Either one? Both?

I pray they both will.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Exploding Head

Sometimes I think my head is going to explode. There is SO much going through it- ALL THE TIME. If I could log all the thoughts I have in 5 minutes this blog would go and go and go.

What would I do without a list? I am not sure I could survive! And we women, we get the brunt of things. How many men think these thoughts?

We need new sheets. I need to change the sheets. I'll hang them on the line. I need new clothes pins. And dog food. And a snack for the study Thursday night. I need to make copies of that last page. It's going to rain. Well, we need it. The pool needs water. I am so glad summer is here. I hate winter. I can't wait until heaven, I know the weather will be perfect there! Don't forget to spray for ants. Ug, I still didn't get all the windows cleaned outside. We are out of bread, put that on the list. I really don't want to go to work today. I have to move money from the one account to the other or there won't be any money for bread and dogfood! Ireland is one month away. What about Nick and his sickness? How are we going to deal with that. Oh Jesus, you know our need! What am I going to do about White Pines? Your desire, Lord? Thank You for Connie and our conversation yesterday. I hope the storms aren't bad. Lord, help me not to be overwhelmed. Trust. You hold all things together. My kids are all things, Nick is all things, my friends and family are all things, I am all things. No, I don't need to take my vacuum today. No, no cleaning supplies either. I look up to the sky and say, "You're Beautiful!". I miss my Dad. I can't wait to go home this weekend! I need to send Karen money for Mom's flowers and Dad's cellphone. Wasn't that so special and kind of Justin to ask Nick and I to sit in as his parents at his wedding? Time to load the washer, ride the bike and go to work.

Yes, that's how my mind works!

Well, amen!

Hierarchy in the Godhead?

I think subconsciously we believe there is a 'hierarchy in the Godhead'. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. But there is not. There is mutuality.

From Pagan Christianity:
"John 14:28 and 1 Corinthians 11:3 have the view of the Son's temporal relationship as a human being who voluntarily submitted Himself to His Father's will. In the Godhead, the Son and Father experience communality and mutual submission.

It is for the reason that biblical orthodoxy rejects the eternal subordination of the Son of God. It instead accepts the temporal subordination of the Son in His incarnation.

As theologian Kevin Giles say, "Historic orthodoxy has never accepted hierarchical ordering in the Trinity." To paraphrase the Athanasian Creed, the Son is only inferior to the Father in relation to His manhood; He is equal with the Father in relation to the Godhead."

Monday, April 28, 2014

Pagan Christianity

Well, I am finishing up this book that has really made me think. It's also answered some questions.

Why aren't God's people more discerning? That's my question. I've sensed many things were "off" but how could the "church" be off?

I really really like this book. But I do not believe many people will accept it. I'm sorry, I just don't. Why? Because then they may have to make some real changes in their life and many people are not willing to change even if its not the Lord's way but man's.

We get comfortable. It would be too much work, too much sacrifice, and just plain, too much change.

So we keep doing the same ole over and over. But hey, it's comfortable.

And honestly- and I am being truly honest- the ones that this would be hardest on is "full-time clergy". It would be a huge, life-altering change. Much security would be gone. Most will read this book and instantly disagree.

I cannot imagine a man leaving a position he was 'called' to, has been in his whole adult life and provides for his family financially- to get a secular job (to provide for his family) and be 'just' a functioning member of the body.

Well, amen.

But I have to say, I long for this. I long for "face-to-face community, every-member functioning, open-participatory meetings, non-hierarchical leadership, and the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ as the functional leader and head of the group." I long for "the fellowship of the triune God brought to earth and experienced by human beings."

I long for:
"-the building together of sisters and brothers into a close knit, Christ-centered community
-the transformation of character in the lives of the members
-meetings that express and reveal Jesus Christ and in which every member functions and shares
-community life that is vibrant, thriving, authentic, and where the members grow to love one another more and more
-a community of believers who are magnificently obsessed with their Lord and who are neither legalistic nor libertine in their lifestyle"

I am sorry this is blurry but I suggest you buy the book. But, it may rock your world. So...be ready!

http://www.paganchristianity.org/

Gregg's Rest Stop by my dear friend, Gregg Gibbons

From Law to Grace in a Person

This past Thursday evening, I had the humble privilege of teaching our Law & Grace lecture to our five advanced discipleship students. This Rest Stop presents a part of this teaching.

We can already see from our key verse above that the law was something given but grace was Someone who came.

Grace is a Person and His name is Jesus.

We can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through grace, but we can never have a relationship with Him through the law. The law leads us to have a love relationship with Him, not a legal relationship with Him.

LAW

The law system that pervades the minds of each person born into our fallen world originated with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I also refer to this tree as the Tree of the Knowledge of right and wrong.

With any law system, a person seeks what is right so as to then do it, and to know what is wrong so as then to not do it...all on their own, independently of God. Therefore, a law system is an achieving system.

The ultimate law system is God's Ten Commandments, the heart of the Old Covenant (Testament). This is the ultimate achieving system.

The LORD God said,

"If you obey My commands I will bless you;

if you disobey my commands I will curse you."

(Deuteronomy 28:2, 15)

We all are born disobedient to God's holy commands, totally incapable of achieving any one of these commands.

However, Jesus came from glory to be born under the law with us so that He could became a curse on the cross for those of us who receive by faith His salvation.

When the fullness of time has come,

God sent forth His Son,

born of a woman,

born under the law.

(Galatians 4:4)

Christ has redeemed us

from the curse of the law,

having become a curse for us.

(Galatians 3:13)

Jesus came to rescue us from being under the law and to raise us to be under grace!

For sin shall not have dominion over you,

for you are not under law

but under grace.

Romans 6:14)

GRACE

Grace did what the law could not do, provide us forgiveness of our sins.

For what the Law could not do,

weak as it was through the flesh,

God did by sending His own Son

in the likeness of sinful flesh

and as a offering for sin.

(Romans 8:3)

Salvation includes forgiveness, but also includes a miraculous heart transformation! Through your union with Christ on the cross, you died to the Law so that you could be married to Christ! This is the intimate relationship you can only have by grace!

You were made to die to the Law

through the body of Christ,

so that you could be joined to another,

to Him who was raised from the dead.

(Romans 7:4)

CLOSING

Because of the profound law-mentality we are all born with, it is a challenge to teach law and grace. Some people initially hear that I am throwing out God's holy law when I say We are no longer under law but under grace (Romans 6:14).

God's Word says that our striving to live under a external law system has been transformed through the cross of Christ to be an internal "law system" of grace, whereby God's holy law, His character, is now written on our hearts.

We no longer need to strive to live up to external laws. We are now free to live out of the law of love inside our hearts in the Person of grace -- the indwelling Jesus Christ.

Where the law is an achieving system that has done is job to lead us into grace, a miraculous receiving system...receiving all the resources of Christ through our marriage union with Him!

New Testament

I have often wondered why the NT wasnt put together chronologically. It's confusing to try and figure out how it should be!

from Pagan Chrisianity by Frank Viola and George Barna

My Mom....35 years

Today is the 35th anniversary of my Mom's- 'meeting Jesus face to face'. The above picture is the only picture of I have of my Mom and me together. She is holding me. My Dad does have a picture of us that was taken about 4 months before she died.

I still cry for her. I still miss her although I barely knew her. She died when I was 9. 9 years and one month to be exact. And it's been 35 years... I miss what I never had, if that makes sense.

I know my Mom knew and believed in Jesus. She was new new Christian. Maybe one day I will take the time to write about her but today is not going to be that day.

What I feel bad about is the life my Mom had. She struggled with so much. She had an incredibly hard life. And mostly, it was the choices she made.

Well, amen.

The great thing is that because of Jesus, I will see her again. Face to face. I will hold her and tell her I love her. I will look into her eyes and kiss her cheeks. I look forward to that day.

Father, thank You for my Mom.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Occupied, Obsessed...I have no idea

I am 44 years old. I met my husband when I was 15 in high school. From there on out he became everything to me. I was literally a mess. I am not going to go into it right now but I was a complete mess trying to fill my life with something to make the pain and hurt go away.

We married a little over a month after I graduated high school. I was 18. He was 19. That was 1988.

A year and a half later we had our first child, Allison, on January 10, 1990.
Then came Cody- November 13, 1992
And then Johnie completed our family on August 21, 1994.

By this time we had moved 325 miles from ALL of our family. From Kentucky to South Carolina.

I'll be honest, years 2-10 our marriage was extremely tough. Maybe someday I will share some of it. We were two broken kids that got married then brought children into our brokenness.

In year 12 (2000) I 'got saved'. Then all three of our children made 'professions of faith'. Then to end the year Nick 'got saved'.

I spent the next 8 years trying to be a VERY good Christian. I never really experienced that 'amazing grace' that people talked about. I didn't even know what it was. It was never really taught. I became good at masking all my hurt and pain in front of people by being a good Christian. But I really did have a desire to know the Lord. To know the Scriptures. I dug as deep as I could into the knowledge.

Now, here's the thing. I am just high school graduate. From a very small town in Kentucky. When your teachers and guidance counselors see you are more interested in a boy- that you don't have a complete family (and everybody knows everybody)- that you are just a C student- well, they kind of write you off. Kind of, get you through. They know you are going to get married, have babies and work in a factory all your life. They know you are not going to college. They really don't think you have the intellect for it.

What they don't know (or care) is you are so backward and so timid. You are consumed with fears within and fears without. You have nobody in your life that will sit down and 'mother' you. Nobody to teach you. But LIFE will teach you. So most things you learn is the wrong/bad way to deal with life. You are so deeply broken inside and you try any way you can to fix yourself. To fill the void. To find relief.

Mine was Nick. And he failed me. I was Nick's. And I failed him.

When I was 30 and I received Christ- knowledge about Him (through Scripture) became my focus- my mind did begin to learn and expand. I realized that I wasn't dumb. I wasn't unable to learn things. I just wasn't really encouraged to do so. And, none of those subjects interested me, like Jesus did!

The thing was, all this knowledge didn't help me or heal me with all the chaos I still dealt with on the inside.

Then in 2007-2008 my kids youth pastor, Will Gunter, began teaching 'the exchanged life'.

And THEN God! Oh my....then Jesus became so REAL! He became my Focus. My Life. My Healer.

I adore Him. He is everything to me. He is very intimate and loving and funny and joy-filled. He 'completes' me. I know, some people will think that's weird, but I don't care. He just IS my...all-in-all.

So, I can't understand why people are SO preoccupied...obsessed....with other things. Like this blood moon thing. Or predestination. Or end times. But then again, yes I can. They are just filling up head knowledge. Trying to fit things together. To me it was trying to get closer to God. The more I knew about Him the closer I was to Him. But that wasn't true. I am as close as I am ever going to be to Him.

It was an emotional awareness I desired- I didn't know this until I read Sidetracked in the Wilderness by Michael Wells. God used Mike and that book in my life like no other. All the pieces of the puzzle that I was trying to fit in, He began to place them together (course, He is the only one that can put the puzzle together since He is the Designer!).

When I see all the stuff of facebook from 'good' Christians. Devout Christians. All they talk about is Old Testament prophecies. Or their preferred subject. Or their blood moons and trying to make God do something RIGHT NOW to show people that HE IS GOD. I just want to say:

Just Give Me JESUS!!!!!

Just speak Jesus to me. Just speak Jesus!

Now He is worthy of being preoccupied and obsessed with!

I want intimacy with Him. I want filled to overflowing with Him. I want everything of Himself He will give me!

I want to live in Love, in Joy, in Peace, in Patience, in Kindness, in Goodness, in Faithfulness, in Gentleness, in Self-Control. I want to live, experience, abide in Love that NEVER FAILS. Peace that passes ALL UNDERSTANDING. None of the knowledge took away- HEALED- the pain, the hurt, the brokenness, the anger, the fear, the manipulation, the control!

Only my dear dear Jesus. My dear Jesus who never acts unbecomingly but always guides me in paths righteousness. My Jesus who doesn't seek His own, nor is He is easily provoked, nor does He take into account a wrong suffered- He restores my soul! This Jesus, He LIVES in me!

This Jesus, I live in Him!

How can I not be preoccupied and obsessed with this wonderful wonderful Lord?

I don't care one flit about the other stuff. I just don't. He fills me, all of me, enough that I don't have enough time to dwell on those things anymore.

Just give me-

Jesus.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Herbs!

My herb/tomato garden.

I already had yarrow, wild bergamot,lemon balm and horseradish.

Today I bought, from Red Fern Farm: gotu kola, stinging nettle, mugwort, anise hyssop and a cantaloupe.

Oh how I love herbs and weeds, lets call them wild herbs!

I purposely started an herb garden right in the yard. I also placed them far enough apart to mow in between them.

Oh! I also planted some gourds that are loofah gourds. Once they are grown, then dried out, you break the outer shell and then you have a loofah!

I love spring!

Strawberries!

Allison and I went to Anderson Mill Road Dairy and Farm and bought some fresh strawberries!

I just put together Amy Barlow's strawberry pies! I will put the recipe up later.

Y2Y Half Marathon

Today Jenny and I ran the inaugural Y2Y Half Marathon! It was a HILLY course. I love hills!

Jason Thomas always told me to run hills. "They make you stronger". They sure do! Just like in life- it's the trials, tribulations and circumstances that bring us to deeper dependency on Christ.

Without trials, tribulations and circumstances (hills to the runner) my faith and trust muscles would be weak from lack of use.

When I first starting running the hills would take me out! But daily pounding them out built up my muscles, I also learned to breathe right and build endurance. I can run most hills now easy, even hill after hill. But it took a LOT OF HILLS to get here.

As with having confidence (faith) in Christ and trusting Him- daily He proves Himself to me. He doesn't have to but He does.

Every day He is my Breath. Every day He is my Lungs. Every day He is my Legs. Every day He is my Endurance. Every day He is my Strength. Every day He is my life.

So no matter the trials, tribulations and circumstances (hills)- He is Enough.

Friday, April 25, 2014

My peeps!

I LOVE the people God has put in my life! We speak truth to each other. We laugh. We cry. We assemble together to worship Him. We do that through fellowship with one another. We do that through intimacy with God and each other together. We are one in Him and I tell you, there is nothing like it.

We are a family, "the household of faith", Paul calls us.

Amen and amen!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

How can I?

How can I read this book and not wonder, and question- and doubt?

It had caused great conflict in me.

Oh not my faith. Not my Jesus.

But- are we really doing church "by the book"?

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Helpless

I feel so helpless.

Nick's stomach issues from last year are back. It was almost a year to the day that it came back. He was sick with it from April to November. Numerous test revealed nothing.

Now it's back again.

I don't know what to do for him. I hate seeing him so sick and both of us wondering what can it be? What is triggering it?

I just don't know.

Praying for my beloved.

He's Alive!

"And every fear I've ever had just melted into Peace"....

Monday, April 21, 2014

Nick

My beloved...

I can't be who God created me to be without this dear man....

I love him so!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Why Christ?

Do you know what the difference is between Catholics, Mormons, Islamics, Buddish, Hindu's (all these= paganism)- and real, true, authentic Christianity is?

If you read what they believe, they believe in their religions as much as I believe in Jesus and ALL of His finished work. They will never persuade me to believe in their religion and I probably won't persuade them.

But what IS the difference? Why is my belief system greater than theirs or theirs mine? Doesn't there have to be truth somewhere? Do we all co-exist? Is there really more than one way to heaven?

Frank Viola says in Pagan Christianity that all religions have a Temple, a priesthood and a sacrifice. Judiasm did. And SO do all other religions.

"When Christianity was born, it was the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, no sacred persons and no sacred spaces. We know that Jesus is the temple who embodies a new and living house made of living stone-"without hands." He is the priest who has established a new priesthood. And He is the perfect and finished sacrifice." -Frank Viola, Pagan Christianity

And this is the biggy....

All other religions are outward trying to change the inside. Because of Christ, He gives us a new inner man where He abides within us and we don't live from the outside in, but from the inside out.

We are the ONLY true faith.

Ours is inner, not an outer. And NO other does that. Some try to line up the inside to make the outside do right but there is no way that can be done if the inner (man) has not been completely put to death and he/she has a new inner man where Christ Himself dwells.

NONE of them had their god die FOR them so that he could give them a new life.

If you want truth, then take a true look at real Christ. Not satan's deception of "christianity".

Ready for Resurrection Day Celebration!

Jesus

Happy Resurrection Day!

He IS risen!

He is RISEN, indeed!

HE is risen, in me!

Am I a safe place?

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Chairs!

I'm going to try this!

For some reason I haven't figured out how to get a thumbnail on my blog.

You'll have to go to the page to see what I am going to try! : )

http://www.myalteredstate.co/decoupage2/

A good run today!

Next week is the Y2Y Half Marathon. I'm pretty excited about it. Its an inaugural race. I like doing races that is a first so I can do it each year. I have the Camp Croft Half. This year will the 5th for CC.

This Y2Y will be my 7th half marathon race. I hope to do the Irecycle and CC this fall. This will be my last race- distance, anyway, until fall. I hope to do some 5k and 10k through until then.

The first half of this run was good. I ran the 6.2, 10k, in 54:40. The 6.55 which is half of the half in 57 minutes. After mile 8, the wind was hard and raining more- and I was getting a little tired since 9 miles is the most I've ran (only once) since the marathon. So my pace was around 9 minute mile + after mile 8. My right leg, sciatic, hurt most of the run : ( but it wasn't unbearable. Overall I'm happy with it. It felt good to push myself more. It felt good to use my brain calculating time and distance. It felt good to get "wore out"

But I feel good now. No pain and no soreness.

Yes!

Just printed out a first draft of Will Gunter's book that I am honored to read!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Resurrection

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

My favorite verse in the Scriptures! Life (ex)changing, literally! To know that Jesus took ME to the cross with Him! Oh, if only we could hear more of this!

Jesus through His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascention did AT least 5 things for us and to us:

He overcame sin, the world, temptation, satan and death!~

Believer, He took our old inner man and crucified him/her and gave us a new inner man- and He lives in that new inner man!

And you know, sometimes, I don't even have enough faith. I can't even work up enough in MYSELF to have more faith. But if you read that verse correctly (KJV says it best), it's by HIS FAITH. He is FAITH. Many people believe that faith is a belief system but it's not. Faith, is in all actuality, Jesus.

Faithful is not just a description or attribute of God, it is WHO He is!
1 Cor 10:13, 2 Cor 1:18, Galatians 5:22, 2 Tim 2:13, Rev 19:11

A belief system, is a religion, and all religions flow from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yes, the Good side of that cursed tree. Trying to earn their way to God or even BE Him.

Only Grace and Truth flow from the Tree of Life, Jesus. Jesus plus nothing, if you add ANYTHING to Him, you are back at that cursed tree.

Oh friends! This day, read what Jesus did for you and to you! Read the Gospels, yes...worship and praise Him! But also read the rest of the Scriptures! The whole gospel! Read Romans 6!

Now, that will cause you to praise Him!

Frank Viola

I believe that the need of the hour is for Christians who are called by God to raise up the church as a living, breathing experience. Christians who are broken and tested. Christians who have a deep and living relationship with Jesus Christ. Christians whose lives have been devastated by the cross and the breaking of God. Christians who have incomparable insight into the mystery of God. Christians whose only passion is the Lord and His house. Christians who have a revelation of Christ that burns in their bosom. Christians who are mesmerized by the face of God, and who have the ability to preach Christ in such profound depths that God's people are left staggering.- Frank Viola

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Frozen....in my BRAIN!

I find myself singing to anyone who will listen, "Do you want to build a snowman?"- even to the dogs.

Frank Viola- Finding Organic Church

Giving up

What am I willing to give up to experience deeper, richer, more intimate and REAL communion with Jesus?

What am I willing to give up to experience deeper, richer, more intimate and REAL communion with my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities, study finds

WELL DUH!!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/04/15/casual-marijuana-use-linked-with-brain-abnormalities-study-finds/?intcmp=trending

Sometimes....

I have to give up my right to be right and just

SHUT UP!

Ekklesia

The Ekklesia:

The church, the body of Christ, a new people, a new race, a new humanity

Never existed before Christ's death, a mystery revealed after His ascension.

There are only two races in this world:

In Adam

In Christ

We, believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, God's children are a NEW RACE. Never before existing.

And God's very heart beats within us.

Southside Trails 4/12/14

Herbal Tea

Herbal Tea:

Fresh Herbs (from my herb garden)-
Lemon Balm
Motherwort
Bee Balm
Spearmint
Peppermint

Herbs from my yard (aka weeds)-
Dandelion (all of it- roots, leaves and flower)
Yellow wood sorrel
Purple Nettle
Fennel
Chickweed

Dried Herbs-
Chamomile, Catnip, Motherwort, Stinging Nettle, Marigold, Linden, Passion Flower, Queen of the Meadows

Powdered Herbs-
White Willow Bark
Marshmallow
Ginger Root
Nettle

Dried Roots/Berries -
Licorice (I use this to sweeten so I use a good bit of it)
Burdock
Sarsparilla
Elderberries
Hawthorne

I do not measure. If you look at the pictures I posted you can kind of see how much I put in. A pinch of this and that : )

Fill pot with water, boil on high about 15 minutes then turn to low for about an hour. Shut it off and let it stay in the pot a few hours.

Use a drainer and strainer when you put it in a pitcher. If I were you just start out with a few herbs and make a small batch then start experimenting.

Lemon balm, catnip, motherwort and chamomile are all calming.
Dandelion and burdock are good liver and kidneys detoxers, cleansers and toners.
White willow bark is a pain reliever like aspirin.
Hawthorne is good for your heart.

Sciatic Pain

Finally, it got me. Tired of the pain. Tired of it causing me to feel like I'm running in mud. Tired of not being able to sit long or sleep well. Yep, that ole sciatic AGAIN. It's been a battle ever since I started running.

Two years ago I went to a chiropractor. He did help me but honestly I just could not afford 3 visits a week for over a month. So when I quit going their office called my phone every day for 6 months. I said, NO MORE.

I started going to yoga and it really helps keep it under control. But because of upping my miles for the marathon and then the intense pain after the marathon the sciatic nerve in my right leg began to give me continuous pain- again.

Then my friend, Holly Banke, suggested her chiropractor. Dr. Paul Morris. He used completely different equipment than the other doctor. He was more interested in fixing the sciatic than- my money. He told me exactly what was going on. Why it was doing what it was doing to all of my body. ALL while giving me an adjustment and massage. He worked with every spot that gave me pain. He knew exactly what muscle and nerve and bone was bothering me. He gave me stretching exercises to do for running to stretch out the sciatic and piriformis.

I have been PAIN FREE for the last 13 hours! WOW! Well worth the money! Now, I know it's not going to last. I will get an adjustment next week and hopefully once a month after that so we can keep it under control.

Running builds toughness in you. You learn to live with pain. But if there is a way to help prevent and/or keep under control pain, then do it.

But that's for everybody. EVERYBODY has pain. This ole body breaks down as we get older. But I am a firm believer that what you PUT in your body AFFECTS it. If you put bad stuff (food, drugs, etc) in your body then it breaks your body down faster- kind of rots it from the inside out. You've got to totally redo/rewire your brain as to what you put in your body. I believe a LOT of illnesses are brought on by bad eating, smoking and- yes- laziness. If you start eating right, exercising (heart rate up and sweating!), sleeping properly and quit smoking/drinking/etc then a majority of "illnesses" will go away.

Your mind living in chaos, fear, anger, depression, worrying- whatever it may be your mind is enslaved to- can cause your body to break down. Your mind is a part of your soul and your soul controls your body.

And the worst pain of all...is your soul not finding anywhere for life, for rest or for truth.

No pain in the physical world can compare to a soul- alone. Separated. Cut-off. Alone.

If you know me well enough, you are going to know that I believe Jesus is the answer to all problems.

To the alone soul, His Spirit makes our spirit alive and He come to live in our spirit. Now our soul has an anchor and a home, Jesus.

Our soul- mind, will and emotions- now can live have rest and live from life and truth- Jesus.

Our body can now function as God intended it. We are the branch. The vessel. The eternal purpose of God is He created a creature to impart His life to. So that creature could share His life and make Him visible.

Life and Health. That's WHY we take care of our bodies because we are the physical manifestion of God on this earth!