For anyone who is starting to rethink the whole idea that everyone needs to be on the internet…

“One last point – do we want to ‘boost’ our immune system if it is already ‘over-active’ due to inflammation? The answer is yes and no! There is only one PART of the immune system which gets over-active and begins to create problems with inflammation. Another part of the immune system works along a different line of attack; it does not create inflammation, but does a very important job fighting off bacteria, parasites, cancers cells and viruses. Many people today have signs of inflammation, yet also come down with yeast infections, viruses, dental infections and so on. In a sense their immune system needs modulation, reduction of the pro-inflammatory side, and a boost to the other side which fights off the baddies without inflammation. Risk factors which promote inflammation: -A poor diet can create micro-nutrient deficiencies. Type ‘B’ malnutrition is rampant in the Western countries. This is a diet high in calories but deficient in nutrients, resulting in obesity and poor health. Micro-nutrient deficiencies make us more susceptible to low grade infections such as helicobacter pylori (the cause of stomach ulcers), gum disease, recurrent urinary tract infections, and Chlamydia. All low grade chronic infections can set up a chronic inflammation in the body. -Poor gut health. A significant part of the immune system is found in the gut. The immune system in the gut is one of the most important first lines of defense against the outside world; after all, it is the area where matter from the outside is brought inside the body. The gut contains many billions of bacteria; most of them are good and help promote good immunity as well as good digestion, and they help with the absorption of nutrients. However, if there is an over-growth of ‘bad bacteria’, these produce toxins and trigger the immune system. This is known as gut dysbiosis and can trigger a systemic low grade inflammation throughout the body’s immune system. A symptom of poor gut health are food intolerances. A diet low in fiber and high in saturated fat and sugar promotes gut dysbiosis. Constipation is very bad for your health! -Stress causes inflammation through worsening gut health, makes the body more susceptible to chronic low grade infections and lowers the immunity to bacteria, viruses, parasites and so on. All of this can trigger inflammation. Stress can also reduce cortisol hormone levels if adrenals are exhausted, which is a natural anti-inflammatory hormone. -Obesity. Fat cells behave like immune cells, spewing out messages to increase the inflammatory immune response. Therefore a sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in fat and sugar promote inflammation. - Environmental pollution such as pesticides, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals from things like exhaust fumes and electrical appliances. -Excessive sunlight since sun burn is free radical stress. -Excessive exercise since the process of energy production produces free radicals as a by-product. Some exercise is good for you but overdoing it at the gym every day is very bad for you. -Trans and hydrogenated fats made from over-heating vegetable oils. These are also found in processed and refined foods and deep fried foods.”

“Make sure you are getting the right test. You must test for 25(OH)D, not 1,25(OH)D. They look similar, but 1,25(OH)D is a measure of kidney function, and is not the test you want for measuring vitamin D levels. -Ideally, your blood level should be around 60-80 ng/ml, as this allows the body to have some vitamin D in reserve, and it duplicates the higher levels found in young, healthy individuals who spend a decent amount of time in a sun-rich environment. -Begin taking vitamin D at least eight weeks prior to being tested. This will help you customize your dose once you receive your test results. To determine a basic, starting dose, it has been suggested, as per Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council (7), that you take 1,000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight. A person who weighs 150 pounds, for instance, would take 6,000 IU per day as a starting dose (150/25 = 6. 1,000 x 6 = 6,000). Do this for at least eight weeks, and then test. Perhaps this dose will put you in the ideal range, but there`s no guarantee since we are all so different, and have unique vitamin D receptor genotypes. The idea is to hopefully get somewhere in the ballpark with this method and then tweak your daily dose once the test results come back”

“This is what makes acupuncture so individualized and effective: there is no one prescription for a condition. Each time a patient comes in, they are re-evaluated, and each treatment is specifically selected. This is also why it is so common to see all sorts of symptoms clear up – not just the one someone has come in to treat. Rarely do acupuncturists just work on one symptom alone; in every treatment, the whole person is being addressed and treated. However, some points are so useful in treating insomnia that they will be strongly considered no matter what the cause, including: Heart 7 (Shen Men), on the wrist, which helps calm the heart and spirit An Mian, an extra point translated as Peaceful Sleep, which is on the back of the head, where the head meets the neck Yin Tang, another extra point which is between the eyebrows and promotes relaxation “

“Health Professionals Home > Health Professionals > Mental Health Amendment Act > A Summary of Changes Mental Health Amendment Act – A Summary of Changes The Mental Health Act of Alberta was proclaimed January 1, 1990. There have been a number of amendments since that date related to treatment; however, the involuntary and detainment provisions, known as criteria for certification, have remained unchanged. To ensure the act remains responsive to the needs of involuntary patients and to provide a community treatment option that continues to provide safeguards, supports and supervision, the Minister of Health and Wellness initiated the process to examine the Mental Health Act in 2004. The Mental Health Amendment Act (MHAA) is the result of that review. Based on input from written and oral submissions, a number of amendments were put forward to the legislature. The Mental Health Amendment Act received Royal Assent on December 7, 2007. Proclamation for the first two amendments (1) Change in Criteria for Certification (2) Notification to Physicians will occur September 30, 2009. The third amendment, Community Treatment Orders, will occur January 1, 2010. This document provides an overview of the three major amendments to the Mental Health Act. The criteria for involuntary admission changes from ‘danger’ to ‘harm,’ including mental or physical deterioration or impairment, which will permit earlier intervention (September 30, 2009), Ongoing treatment plans/recommendations are to be provided to an individual’s family physician, if known, upon discharge from a facility (September 30, 2009), and The introduction of community treatment orders to encourage compliance and success with mental health treatment in the community (January 1, 2010).”

“Natural health producers today are being asked to supply double-blind studies and human clinical trials to back claims made on the labels, even when safety has been established, he said. It’s a very expensive requirement for small- to medium-sized firms. ‘Back in 2004 some products were approved very quickly, but if the same applications were made in 2008 or 2009, they might not have gotten their licence,’ said Carter. New Brunswick pharmacist John Staples said he’ll have to stop selling several herbal and homeopathic medicines in April — not because they’re unsafe but because the producer considers Canada too small a market to invest in the licensing procedure. ‘Crazy’ standards, says N.B., pharmacist He expects herbal and homeopathic medicines to be the most affected and says it’s ‘crazy’ for Health Canada to apply the same standards to both pharmaceuticals and natural health products. ‘Pharmaceutical drugs are far more potent and just a slight deviation in dosage can be dangerous,’ said Staples, whose Moncton pharmacy Staples Drugs, has sold both types of drugs for 40 years. ‘A doctor can prescribe the arthritis drug Celebrex for you, but it can also cause a heart attack,’ he said as an example. ‘With homeopathic drugs, you can take 10 times the dosage and there’s no problem.’”

“Blood tests At any stage — even before symptoms appear — doctors can detect iron overload with two blood tests: Serum transferrin saturation. This test measures the amount of iron bound to a protein (transferrin) that carries iron in your blood. Transferrin saturation values greater than 45 percent are considered too high. Serum ferritin. This test measures the amount of iron stored in your body. If the results of your serum transferrin saturation test are higher than normal, your doctor will check your serum ferritin. Because a number of infectious and inflammatory conditions other than hereditary hemochromatosis can cause elevated ferritin, both tests are needed to diagnose the disorder. You may need the tests repeated for the most accurate results.”

“Nightwaking has developmental benefits. Sleep researchers believe that babies sleep ‘smarter’ than adults do. They theorize that light sleep helps the brain develop because the brain doesn’t rest during REM sleep. In fact, blood flow to the brain nearly doubles during REM sleep. (This increased blood flow is particularly evident in the area of the brain that automatically controls breathing.) During REM sleep the body increases its manufacture of certain nerve proteins, the building blocks of the brain. Learning is also thought to occur during the active stage of sleep. The brain may use this time to process information acquired while awake, storing what is beneficial to the individual and discarding what is not. Some sleep researchers believe that REM sleeps acts to auto-stimulate the developing brain, providing beneficial imagery that promotes mental development. During the light sleep stage, the higher centers of the brain keep operating, yet during deep sleep these higher brain centers shut off and the baby functions on her lower brain centers. It is possible that during this stage of rapid brain growth (babies’ brains grow to nearly seventy percent of adult volume during the first two years) the brain needs to continue functioning during sleep in order to develop. It is interesting to note that premature babies spend even more of their sleep time (approximately 90 percent) in REM sleep, perhaps to accelerate their brain growth. As you can see, the period of life when humans sleep the most and the brain is developing the most rapidly is also the time when they have the most active sleep. One day as I was explaining the theory that light sleep helps babies’ brains develop, a tired mother of a wakeful infant chuckled and said, ‘If that’s true, my baby’s going to be very smart.’ 7. As they grow, babies achieve sleep maturity. ‘Okay,’ you say, ‘I understand this developmental design, but when will my baby sleep through the night?’ The age at which babies settle – meaning they go to sleep easily and stay asleep varies widely among babies. Some babies go to sleep easily, but don’t stay asleep. Others go to sleep with difficulty but will stay asleep. Other exhausting babies neither want to go to sleep nor stay asleep. In the first three months, tiny babies seldom sleep for more than four-hour stretches without needing a feeding. Tiny babies have tiny tummies. Yet, they usually sleep a total of 14-18 hours a day. From three to six months, most babies begin to settle. They are awake for longer stretches during the day and some may sleep five-hour stretches at night. Between three to six months, expect one or two nightwakings. You will also see the period of deep sleep lengthen. The vulnerable periods for nightwaking decrease and babies are able to enter deep sleep more quickly. This is called sleep maturity. NIGHTTIME PARENTING LESSON #4: An important fact for you to remember is that your baby’s sleep habits are more a reflection of your baby’s temperament rather than your style of nighttime parenting. And keep in mind that other parents usually exaggerate how long their baby sleeps, as if this were a badge of good parenting, which it isn’t. It’s not your fault baby wakes up. 8. Babies still wake up. When babies mature into these adult-like sleep patterns varies among babies. Yet, even though babies achieve this sleep maturity some time during the last half of the first year, many still wake up. The reason? Painful stimuli, such as colds and teething pain, become more frequent. Major developmental milestones, such as sitting, crawling, and walking, drive babies to ‘practice’ their new developmental skills in their sleep. Then between one and two years of age, when baby begins to sleep through the above-mentioned wake-up stimuli, other causes of nightwaking occur, such as separation anxiety and nightmares. Even though you understand why babies are prone to nightwaking, you realize it’s still important for parents and babies to get a restful night’s sleep, otherwise, baby, the parents, and their relationship won’t thrive.”

Ok, just for the record, I have no idea if this is the only credible thing this guy ever said or if his book is pure nonsense. So please don’t take this as an endorsement of the book…

But, some statements are so dead on I couldn’t care less about the credibility of the source. It still needs to be posted:

Today’s Christianity is caught up in making money off of a parallel universe. We have our own music. We have our own publishing companies. We have our own book stores and we even have our own cruises so you don’t have to hang around with those pesky persons. This isn’t what Jesus intended it to be. Jesus intended to transform people so we could enter the world as a loving transforming presence. Jesus came to love the world — not to condemn the world.

“How to Tell Liver Spots from Moles and Cancer Buzz up!7 votes SendSharePrint Play VideoCancer Video:Miraculous Cancer Survivor in ROUTINE MIRACLES by Conrad Fischer Expanded Books Play VideoCancer Video:Disappearing Cancerous Tumors in ROUTINE MIRACLES by Conrad Fischer Expanded Books Play VideoCancer Video:Can Breastfeeding Prevent Breast Cancer? ABC News Fred Cicetti The Healthy Geezer LiveScience.com – Thu Aug 6, 7:42 am ET This Week’s Question: Do liver spots have anything at all to do with the liver? No. This is a common question and a great starting point for a column about all those doohickeys that grow on our skin as we age. LIVER SPOTS: The official name for liver or age spots is ‘lentigines’ from the Latin for ‘lentil.’ These are flat, brown with rounded edges and are larger than freckles. They are not dangerous. KERATOSES-Seborrheic keratoses are brown or black raised spots, or wart-like growths that appear to be stuck to the skin. They are harmless. Actinic keratoses are thick, warty, rough, reddish growths. They may be a precursor to skin cancer. CHERRY ANGIOMAS-These are small, bright-red raised bumps created by dilated blood vessels. They occur in more than 85 percent of seniors, usually on the trunk. These are also not dangerous. TELANGIECTASIA-These are dilated facial blood vessels. SKIN TAGS-These are bits of skin that project outward. They may be smooth or irregular, flesh colored or more deeply pigmented. They can either be raised above the surrounding skin or have a stalk so that the tag hangs from the skin. They are benign. Now we get into the cancers of the skin. SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS-These are in the outer layers of the skin. They are closely associated with aging. These are capable of spreading to other organs. They are small, firm, reddened nodules or flat growths. They may also be cone-shaped. Their surfaces may be scaly or crusted. BASAL CELL CARCINOMAS-These are the most common of the skin cancers. They develop in the basal layer below the surface of the skin. Basal cell carcinomas seldom spread to other parts of the body. They usually appear as small, shiny bumps or pinpoint, red bleeding areas on the head, face, nose, neck or chest. MELANOMAS-This is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanomas can spread to other organs and can be fatal. They usually appear as dark brown or black mole-like growths with irregular borders and variable colors. They usually arise in a pre-existing mole or other pigmented lesion. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. About half of all Americans who live to 65 will have skin cancer. Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatest for people who have fair skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. All skin cancers can be cured if they are treated before they spread. The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn’t heal. Check your skin often. Look for changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. And don’t be reluctant to go to a doctor whenever you see anything on your skin that you suspect might be a problem. Dermatologists recommend that, if you are a fair-skinned senior, you should get a full-body skin exam once a year. This kind of check-up isn’t a bad idea for any senior. 5 Things You Must Know about Skin Cancer 40 Years After Moon Landing: Why Can’t We Cure Cancer? More Cancer News & Information The Healthy Geezer column publishes each Wednesday on LiveScience. If you would like to ask a question, please write How to Tell Liver Spots from Moles and Cancer LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.”

“Our call as believers isn’t to do something for God, but rather is a call to God Himself. The essence of the Christian life isn’t doing things for Him. It’s all about knowing Him. Jesus defined the meaning of salvation when He prayed to His Father, ‘This is eternal life, that they many know You and the One whom You have sent’ (John 17:3). Christianity is knowing Him. We are called to be the bride of Christ, not His maid. Does this mean that Christian service is somehow unimportant? Of course not! However, service is to be the overflow of the intimate relationship we enjoy with Him. It comes naturally (or more accurately, supernaturally ) for us to serve Christ when we love Him. The early disciples didn’t evangelize for God. They said, ‘We cannot [help] but speak the things we have seen and heard’ (Acts 4’20). Service is to the life of one who is in love with Jesus as planting is to a farmer or sailing is to a sailor. The activity flows from our identity.”

This is a fantastic brief article on We can do nothing, but without service our faith is dead. I pray we would be open to trust the truth that by doing less for God He will do MORE through us. May His grace, peace, identity be so for us, our family, friends, clients, and the world.

“Rules, procedures, regulations – that’s what the law is all about. But that’s not what Jesus is about. He’s about people. His focus is relationships, not rules. What matters to Him is love, not laws. “

This is a clear article stating that the law doesn’t care about people. Rules are the only thing that matters. May it be so that we, our family, friends, clients, schools, the world show THE Ruler of Love, Jesus through us.

“Top Superfoods Offering Super Health Protection Beans Blueberries Broccoli Oats Oranges Pumpkin Salmon Soy Spinach Tea (green or black) Tomatoes Turkey Walnuts Yogurt”

I have also heard that guacomole, flax seed, and dark chocolate are included.

“Today, the thought hit me: ‘I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. I am intentional in waiting for the Captain to give me instructions.’ When Roger asks me to do something, I do it immediately. I don’t ask a question. I don’t delay. I just do it. That’s a crew member’s role. When I have no particular duty to do, my role is to simply enjoy the journey. I don’t have to feel guilty that I’m not doing more. I don’t have to try to find something to do. I’m just supposed to ‘abide in the Captain’ and do what he says. If I have no specific orders, I just enjoy the ride.”

Reading this article you can literally feel God’s unconditional love and peace of just being/doing when He says to do it. In Him we live, move, and have our being. I think we can avoid a lot of disappointment May it be so for us our family. friends, the girl’s school and clients.

“The message of Easter is that Jesus Christ has drawn us into Himself and settled the issue of our worth once and for all. You were in Christ on the cross and everything about you that would have debilitated you in terms of reaching the potential God intends for you was done away with there. You were buried with Him and on the third day, you arose with Him – full of resurrection life. Now the essence of who you are is Him. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? The key to reaching our God-given potential is to see that Jesus Christ gives us our identity. ‘In Him we live and move and exist,’ says the Scripture. We have nothing to prove. The only thing we need to do is to just be ourselves and as we do we will mature outwardly into the person we already are inwardly.”

This is a great article that reminds us that we can do all things THROUGH Christ! In Him we live and move and exist. We have nothing to prove. May it be so.

“Here’s a variety of Green Smoothie recipes chiefly from Frederic Patenaude – see  his Green For Life program – includes 7-day green detox cleanse and Green For Life book by Victoria Boutenko. Always blend the fruit first – 2-3 cups any greens of your choice, 2 cups papaya, 2 oranges, 3 dates 1 handful lettuce leaves, 1 handful mint, 4 bananas, 1/2 cup water Winter Smoothie – 1 cup organic frozen berries (any kind), 2 cups fresh spinach, 1/4 inch fresh ginger, water 1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, water 4-5 kale leaves, 4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, water 2 big handfuls mixed baby greens, 2 pears, 2 mangoes, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries Choc-mint – 2 cups spinach, 10-12 mint leaves, 3 bananas, 2 Tbs. carob powder, 1 cup water 1 handful of spinach, 2 stalks of celery, 2 bananas, 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 cup water 1 small handful of spinach, 2 cups arugula, 2-3 mangoes, 1 cup water 1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1 small pineapple, 1 large mango, 1-inch fresh ginger 1 handful wild greens (e.g. dandelion), 1 small handful mint leaves, 3 cups honeydew melon 3-4 stalks celery, 2 ripe persimmons, 1 banana 1 handful chard leaves, 5-6 kale leaves, 3 large bananas, 1 cup water 1 handful parsley, 3 cups of peeled papaya Do you see that anything goes? Buy bunches of greens, a variety of fresh fruits, a GoGreen Sprouter, and CHANGE YOUR LIFE. The First Step to Health is One Green Smoothie a Day. How much time and money we save on dental and medical bills – when we get the kitchen equipment we need to enjoy Mother Nature’s food.”

This is great for selective kid eaters. It is a wondeful way to combine breakfast and lunch when your really busy. You can’t even taste the veggies, except don’t use snap peas!

“Meningococcal disease can be spread through close contact, such as coughing, sneezing or kissing. An infection can cause sepsis, a serious infection of the blood and other parts of the body. It can also cause meningitis, the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, which can be fatal. Since 2002, Alberta has vaccinated children against three of the most common bacteria that cause meningitis, including meningococcus. ‘While very effective, the vaccines do not protect against every strain of these three bacteria,’ the Alberta Health Services release said. Alberta sees, on average, 20 cases of meningitis each year, of which about four are fatal.”

It’s the beginning of the end for Windows Vista.

Today, Microsoft Corp. kicks off its marathon pitch about life after Vista, and even though the next evolution of Windows won’t be ready until 2010, at the earliest, the company doesn’t think it’s too soon to start prepping for a bug-free launch.

Otherwise, despite the fact that Windows’s toughest challengers – Linux and Apple Inc. – remain bit players in the operating system game, Microsoft risks suffering in the arena of public perception, again.

The world’s largest software company will speak publicly for the first time today about what’s in store for the next evolution of Windows, dubbed Windows 7, at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles.

Ok, let me just say what so many are thinking: “Thank you God, Thank you God, Thank you God!!!!”

Enough said…

“ven though my new mirror did not yet need cleaning, I still tried different things to dress up the frame out of habit. After trying everything to dress up the frame, one day I sought to clean the mirror.  Surely the mirror needed cleaning by now. So, I peered into my mirror, saw my reflection, and reached to clean the surface of the mirror…and to my amazement… …to my utter amazement, the mirror had no surface, nothing to separate me from my reflection, and… …and I…I…I touched the face in the mirror!  It was then when I realized I had touched the very face of Jesus!”

I had a miraculous experience reading this revelation article!!! I increasingly deeply felt Jesus as my heart!!! It was as if I could feel more of the revealing of my healing/the veil being removed!!! May it be so for all believers.

A church minister from Stockholm has been charged with assaulting his wife after an amorous threesome spiralled out of control, Metro reports.

(Note — thank the editor for the spelling on this one…)

Just a few simple questions: Why is it that we seem to only get honesty about what actually happens in the lives of the clergy via the press? Think there’s any possibility that the system they live under (and try to inflict on their parishioners) only causes hiding — rather then transformation? Maybe the hiding is actually causing the shattered nature of their lives? Think there’s a better way?

Now, if we could just figure out a way to put up with real people in the pulpit — oh ya…. nevermind…

Ministry and the Spiritual Life

All Jesus’ words and actions emerge from his intimate relationships with his Father. “Do you not believe,” Jesus says, “that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works” (John 14:10-11).

Just as all Jesus’ words and actions emerge from his communion with his Father, so all our words and actions must emerge from our communion with Jesus. “In all truth I tell you,” he says, “whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works. … Whatever you ask for in my name I will do” (John 14:12-13). It is this profound truth that reveals the relationship between the spiritual life and the life of ministry.

Acting in the Name of Jesus

Ministry is acting in the Name of Jesus. When all our actions are in the Name, they will bear fruit for eternal life. To act in the Name of Jesus, however, doesn’t mean to act as a representative of Jesus or his spokesperson. It means to act in an intimate communion with him. The Name is like a house, a tent, a dwelling. To act in the Name of Jesus, therefore, means to act from the place where we are united with Jesus in love. To the question “Where are you?” we should be able to answer, “I am in the Name.” Then, whatever we do cannot be other than ministry because it will always be Jesus himself who acts in and through us. The final question for all who minister is “Are you in the Name of Jesus?”" When we can say yes to that, all of our lives will be ministry.

There are counselors who happen to be Christians — and then there are Christian Counselors. I pray I am in the latter category for the former is the definition of useless. Of course, that also would apply to plumbers…

“The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for
iron for non-vegetarian pre-menopausal women is 18 mg/day. The RDA for
non-vegetarian men and post-menopausal women is 8 mg/day. Because of iron
absorption issues in a healthful, high-fiber vegetarian diet, the RDAs for
vegetarians are higher – 14 mg/day for vegetarian men and 33 mg/day for
vegetarian women. The upper level of intake should not exceed 45mg/day.”

Lack of iron causes stomach aches. Iron needs to be taken at lunch not at bedtime with calcium.

“Heme Iron, found in animal sources, is highly available for absorption. Non-heme iron on the other hand, found in vegetable sources, is less available. Iron rich foods of an iron rich diet are listed below: ”

I suspect the meeting really went more like this:

“We have a problem. If those people ever get wind of what freedom in Christ actually means, if they grasp what it means to be totally free from even the concept of sin itself and all the condemnation and judgment that goes along with it vanishes, there will be nothing to keep them from such a deep intimacy with their Creator. If they are enveloped with that depth of a love relationship with Him, they will never come out, their hearts will be totally changed and will start spreading that love to others.

So, here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna tell them that they are free from sin — and then tell them that they have to continually struggle to make it so. We’re gonna tell them that they are free from the law — but that freedom only applies to eating pork. We’re gonna trap people in cycles of absurdist confession of everything other then the dietary laws — and some of them we’ll even get confessing pork too. We’re gonna tell them that God loves them, but that He can not look on the sin that covers them. No one’s heart can live through that loneliness.

Then we’re gonna invent even more laws. We’re gonna make them feel guilty for not giving money — and for giving it to the wrong places. We’re gonna tell them that they have to attend church on Sunday — and then use the pulpit to preach even more ethical demands and threats of broken relationship with God at them. We’re gonna use that pulpit to substantiate the idea that they can’t know God, hear from God or follow His voice — and make them depend on religious leaders to lead them.

Then we’ll present a God who is so pathetic and insecure that He sulks like a house cat whenever they violate one of the laws they were actually freed from. That will leave them trying to suck up to Him for so much of the time that they’ll never be able to hear how His heart just longs to hold them. As long as we can keep them wrapped up in shame and guilt, they will live under the law and never get anywhere near His love for them — by that time, we’ll OWN THEIR SOULS.”

Here’s what Jeremiah said: ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will put My Law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’ (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Here is Jeremiah’s comparison/contrast:

The Old Covenant The New Covenant

Law on stones ————- Law on the heart
Taken by the hand ———- Led from within
Covenant Broken ————– Covenant Kept
A broken relation ——– Unbroken Relation
Man’s teaching ——– No need for teaching
No knowledge of God ———– All Know Him
No true forgiveness —— All sins forgiven
Constant reminder of sin —– Sin forgotten

Ever stopped and thought about why we usually only hear sermons about shame and guilt? Think it has something to do with control?

“ small children are getting too much, with one- to eight-year-olds consuming more than twice the recommended adequate daily intake of 1,000 to 1,200 mg of sodium per day.”