The Final Post (for now...)

Do not let anyone tell you what you should or should not eat or drink. 
Colossians 2, 16a

Dear Family in Jesus!

Today's Spa is (for now) going to be my last entry as I feel like now it is time for us to continue to live it, and time for me to start writing about spiritual abuse. I will do so at www.overcoming-spiritual-abuse.blogspot.com. 
So guess what?! This (for now) last entry is about both!

I am surprised that no one ever came up to me prepared with this quote from Paul! What could I possibly say to this verse but hope that the context will clarify things? And, as 99% of the time with difficult Bible verses, the context reveals the meaning clearly. But to a prone to fear or an uneducated believer this verse could be the free-for-all to wallow in the puddle of bliss of ignorance. Oh, how I have been there. Both in the prone to fear/ uneducated believer AND wallow in ignorance to food spot.

Paul is addressing newly converts to the Christian way in the city of Colossae. New believers, just like today, were under a lot of spiritual attack, and sometimes physical as well. In many of his letters to new believers in cities that have received Jesus Christ he had to address the same issue: Religiosity or legalism. The Good News of the fulfillment of the mosaic law by Jesus Christ were almost too good to be true, so religious Jews or other religions and cults would have an easy in to sway people back into having to follow some kind of a law. 

As we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit we are vulnerable to fall into the hands of bad leaders or a religious crowd. One way of recognizing spiritually abusive people is by paying close attention to how they really are. Not how they preach they are. How they really act. When all the display of love and welcome is done, do they spread fear and condemnation, or is it truly their desire to lovingly edify you into the person that God is forming you? Especially, when confronted with their own shortcomings, are they responding out of humility? Only if someone has something to hide will they get defensive, angry, or turn the table on the one who brought up the problem.

The mosaic law was full of eat nots, drink nots, do nots or touch nots. To get out of that mindset or resist the temptation of falling back into it, as it was the pre-Jesus way of attempting to gain God's favor, was for some a struggle. Others basked in the freedom of being molded from the inside out into the image of Jesus (into a son/daughter of God that is) more and more every day by having been filled with the Holy Spirit of God. 

Once we catch the spirit of something there is no more law for us!  The spirit will eventually become a "default setting" within us. This can work for or against us- obviously depending on the spirit. 

If we receive a spirit of fear, fear will eventually dictate our behavior. If we receive a spirit of lust, lust will eventually dictate our behavior. If we receive a spirit of legalism, self righteousness will eventually dictate us (and attempt to dictate others through us). 

If we receive the Holy Spirit of God, God himself will eventually dictate us. Someone moved by God doesn't consider his life under a law, just like someone under fear doesn't consider himself under the law of fear. They do "what they must". But in either case to "receive a spirit" means that there was an open door to allow it into one's life. Selah (wrap your mind around this one!).

Since I don't want to make your life miserable by putting laws on you that you can never keep, I keep on inviting you to "catch the spirit" of health and nutrition. I believe it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but I say that AFTER having received this as a divine move within me. Now, I must. Now, I get to! 

6 Years ago I would have not recognized myself today. I told you, I was Cookie Monster's older sister, addicted to sugar, a slave to my taste buds, tossed to and fro by health issues. But I had an open door to "receiving the spirit". Being around a trusted friend who consistently by her example made me aware of learning to read labels, cooking from scratch, or moderating my sugar intake, changed me. 

That dear and trusted friend is Ashley Darkenwald. She has recently published a book "Living Wellness"- Wellness achieved by nutrition and exercise. I had the privilege to serve as an editor and write a Spiritual Spa for every of the 12 powerful chapters, as we believe there is no real Wellness if our soul isn't reconciled with God in Jesus Christ. You can take a look at this book here: www.AshleyDarkenwald.com.

So, dear Family in Jesus, keeping in mind that I am not proposing a law, but that I speak from a place of conviction about health and nutrition, let me leave you with reminders and  shopping tips:

- Think before you eat: Am I eating for flavor or for nourishment? Can I make a choice that will give me fuel AND nourishment?

- Buy your dairy (including butter!), meat, and eggs organic, grass fed, and free range. Today we are paying extra for nutrients that should be in our food in the first place but aren't due to treating our animals as if they were factories. This is not only of "weak brain usage" aka: idiotic, because it harms us as it saves us money, but also an abuse of our authority over animals. They suffer from never seeing the living daylight, not feeding on what they were created to eat (guess what- it's not cheap GMO corn!), being locked up with terrible hygiene in tiny cells they potentially have to share with a number of other traumatized life-stock, and (this is not an exhaustive list of reasons to buy organic) the slaughtering process is meant to be cost-effective, not graceful and from a thankful heart.

- Get the Hain's Safflower Mayo. It's the best mayo you will ever taste and high in natural Vitamin E. You should be able to find it at Coborn's in the Natural isles or Whole Foods.

- Get organic ketchup. No high fructose corn syrup, but made from organic tomatoes with real nutrients.

- Steer clear of Vegetable oils or fake fats like margarine. Alternatives to frying in medium heat: Cold pressed olive oil or butter. For high heats: Coconut oil or lard. A lifestyle of consuming vegetable oils puts you at high risk for heart disease and/or cancer. Why? FREE RADICALS due to rancidity in the heating process are known artery cloggers and carcinogenic in your body! 

- Invest into quality food, freeze it if necessary, and only prepare as much as you know you and your family will eat before it goes bad. Simple wisdom, but hard to follow in a world of plenty.

- Snack on raw fruits and veggies (such as organic baby carrots and snap peas) and pair with a good source of fat (nuts, cheese, tzatziki, hummus, etc.). Remember your fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K?

- Stay physically active, daily! Don't listen to a bad conscience. Just go for a brisk walk.

- Keep on educating yourself! There is so much great information at hand through the Internet. Infinite recipes to be tried out. Keep on asking, keep on researching, keep on stretching your comfortable lifestyle by making/baking more from scratch, and finding ways to exclude grains/chips and include veggies into your diet.

Dear Family in Jesus, thank you for reading this Blog! I will keep it online, so you are welcome to read through older posts, refer others or comment. If I have a pressing new thought on health and nutrition, I will post it here!

Be blessed abundantly!

I STINK- THEREFORE I AM! (An Invitation to Embrace Natural Odors)

Dear Family in Jesus Christ!

Turning to the Bible to learn about the Jew's use of fragrant oils throughout the centuries makes for an interesting overview of our faith's history. (Now, I don't claim to have covered the topic to exhaustion!)

• All the way from institutionalized incense for the Altar Ceremonies under the old covenant (e.g. Exodus 30)

• to deliberate use in beauty care and personal hygiene in hopes of being found fit to meet a King (e.g. Esther 2)

• to the anointing of a King (e.g. 1. Samuel 16)

• to the anointing of Jesus as a preparation for his burial (Matthew 26)

• to Paul's metaphor that God diffuses his fragrance through believers of Jesus, to some a scent of life, and to others a scent of death (2. Corinthians 2). 

The common denominator in all instances is that the use of fragrant oils was deliberate. It was either commanded by God as a prophetic expression, related to personal hygiene to be set apart from the common folk (potent scents derived from sources such as cinnamon, lavender, rose buds, herbs, and you name it were used) or a metaphor used by the Apostle Paul that falls in line with the traditional use of fragrant oils, namely that believers and their lives become God's temple. He fills them with his spirit just like the scent of the incense once filled the area of worship and sacrifices dedicated to God. I also hereby emphasize that the fragrant oils they used were derived directly from nature.  

The use of fragrant oils in our daily lives has not changed completely. Only that "fragrant oils" have been replaced by chemical mixtures, usually starting out with alcohol and ending with something unpronounceable. I, myself, used to love to drench myself with the spicy and pleasant (to me) scent of a perfume called "Sun". That was until I was made aware that my use of perfume may weaken my thyroid even more and cause other problems in my system. Here is a little example: since I loved my "Sun" scent so much, I added the "Sun" lotion to my regiment. The onsetting rash on my arms, followed by a visit to a dermatologist, followed by using a medical cream to treat the rash, was eventually traced back to the use of the lotion and cured simply by ceasing to use it. (Did the doctor ask me if I had started a new lotion? No, he didn't. No judgement here- just a good reminder that a doctor's focus is not your lifestyle choices, but how he can treat your symptoms.) 

Ever since then, I have been on a dedicated journey to cleanse my personal care arsenal from anything harsh and chemical; driven by a passion to attain optimal health naturally. By trial and error, spending money on expensive products, and then finally finding an affordable regiment that works for me, I can conclude that the results toward my health are amazing. There is just one side effect that I didn't see coming... 
   
At THIS POINT this post suddenly turns shockingly self serving. There isn't really any way around it. Let me cut right to the chase:

"Your perfume makes me sick."

Ridding my life of toxic chemical influences has made me sensitive, you might say extremely sensitive. And I know I am not the only one! But, unfortunately, there are still enough people out there that don't have the slightest clue that next to harming themselves by using artificial fragrances, they are harming other people as well. Second-hand perfume. Uuuggghhh. Onset symptoms: For me it's mostly nausea and headaches. I can't even use my beloved "Sun" anymore without having a terrible day! 

For us sensitive noses, we don't feel like smelling the roses at the first sense of artificial scents in facial or hand lotion, body lotion, hairspray, leave-in conditioner, room sprays, cleaning products, deodorants, and the list goes on!

This leads me to pose the question to you, keeping in mind the deliberate use of fragrant oils back in the Bible days; why do you use perfume? What for? What is your motive? Again, no judgement here. I'm just here to inspire (and honestly to hopefully make sensitive noses's lives a little more pleasant). 

Probably most people use perfume because they enjoy that particular smell and they reckon it will enhance their appearance. Others use perfume to mask their smoking or having been exposed to an unpleasant odor such as fried food.

Now, considering the attempt to enhance your appearance: in German we have a phrase that translates to "I can't smell you", meaning "I can't stand you". I'm not saying that stinging sweat smell is preferable over toxic whiffs of perfume but who likes nausea and headaches that could have easily been prevented? Also, please consider that not everyone shares the same idea of what a good smell smells like. Who would like to be in a room with someone who reeks of an offensive smelling perfume? 

Well, the conclusion of today is that I want to remind you that God wants to smell through you. He wants to be the main thing others "smell", or pick up on, are subconsciously or consciously aware of, when you enter the room. Is your perfume maybe in the way because people are sickened by it?  

Here is one idea of how we can find a compromise: Essential oils. 

These undiluted and pure oils are free of anything harsh or toxic and, if used scarcely, can meet your need for you to smell like more than "just yourself" and will usually leave sensitive noses at peace. Please know though that since they are very potent not everyone will enjoy your choice of natural scent. We're just not accustomed anymore to smelling like cinnamon buns or a lavender bush. Instead of using toxic spray deodorant or antiperspirant try salt crystals as found at Coborns or Norwex. An easy way to lower your risky exposure to chemicals and to making people like me be more happy around you! You can experiment with adding a drop of essential oil to your wet salt crystal to add a natural scent to your deodorant. There might even be scents that cause you (or others) discomfort. Again, it is trial and error, with the up side being that these oils are not expensive and you can get them even at Walmart. Essentially you want to be mindful of yourself and others when you use essential oils. Doesn't that sound like something Jesus could have said?

Be blessed abundantly!

And the Oscar goes to....

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 

Ephesians 4, 25

Dear family in Jesus!

Having enjoyed working in the creative world of onstage performances or video shoots one could call me an expert on putting on a show. As a trained actress I bet I can sell you anything and you would not notice that I am lying my nose into infinity. For the purpose of acting this is a vital skill to posses, but how about real life? Many christians "act" their buns off and might not even realize it. Let me take you on the journey to seeking wise transparency. 

A great friend inspired me immensely by sharing the quote to "stay between the ditches". OMG! If only someone had given me this advice 20 years ago. I feel like my life could be summarized by my desperate pursuit to find a home in one ditch after the other. 

Can you identify with this? 

As immature as it might be to slide from one ditch into the other, sharing my new found excitement with everybody around me, only to offend, exclude, and ignore other facts and people, was always at least: honest. 

In the christian world there seem to exist two particular ditches when it comes to honesty. Being too honest and putting on a show. Somewhere in the middle lies the Truth- if we realize it or not.

Between "I am sooo miserable" and "Everything is just grand" lies the potential for revelation. 

What season are you in? Are you waiting for a breakthrough or are you enjoying the fruits of a harvest? Is both applicable in your manifold life? What is God's perspective on your good/bad situation? Who does He want to be for you?

We are called to put away with falsehood. We are called to speak truthful with our neighbor. Who is my neighbor? you might ask. Well, let me remind you that your neighbor tends to be the person you least wanted to be honest with. ...Maybe because they are not a christian? Or they don't attend your church? But remember, being the Good Samaritan means to love everyone and at all cost with a godly love. 

Sharing your true thoughts with someone, including struggles and hopes, means to evangelize (spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ's surrender to the divine and worldly law, execution and glorious resurrection for God's joy and our wholesome salvation by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts). Who would not want to be honest if it means to evangelize? 

Let's be honest, for God's sake. Who are we trying to kid? Let others boast of you. Let God promote you. Let your reputation get better by truth and not by putting a spin on your life.

Now, as we are trying to stay between the ditches, unto the "wise" part. 

Everything you say shall be true, but you do not have to say everything that is true. I believe that the Holy Spirit does a fantastic job to nudge us as to what to say to whom. Don't rationalize it how ever. "If I let a non-believer know that I have struggles in my life and God doesn't answer my prayers the way I think He should, I will be a bad witness." Again, one would think out of a ditch and lacking revelation. 

Please picture this: 

On the one side of the road to eternal life there is a ditch called "Head knowledge" 

and on the other side the ditch called "Heart knowledge". 
Both ditches might be true. 
But to jump from one ditch into the other, without connecting them and sifting out what's not true, will always be one sided, unbalanced, unhealthy, and eventually merely wrong. 

The christian faith receives Jesus as the road in between, calming our fish tail ride by saying: "I am the truth, the way, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." 

We are NOT left as orphans. Our father didn't abandon us with a set of rules to figure out. Jesus went back to the Father in heaven IN ORDER TO send us the Holy Spirit, which is as long as we live continuing to transform us into the image of Jesus, a son/daughter of God, teaching us HOW to posture our head and heart, HOW to live. 

DITCH: Head Knowledge

ROAD: Holy Spirit

DITCH: Heart Knowledge

Here some other ditches:

DITCH: Couch Potato

ROAD: Holy Spirit 

DITCH: Workout Fanatic

DITCH: I trust no authority!

ROAD: Holy Spirit

DITCH: God only speaks through my pastor!

DITCH: I am free to do what ever I want!

ROAD: Holy Spirit

DITCH: Abiding by laws will be our salvation!

DITCH: Meticulous nutrition will keep me from sickness

Road: Holy Spirit

DITCH: Sickness only stems from spiritual matters

DITCH: Heart on the sleeve 

Road: Holy Spirit

DITCH: Total introvert

And many more....

I realized that it is "my style" to learn about something by landing in a ditch for a while. Much like a horse with blinders. It focusses me on the new topic, the new thoughts, new facts, new principles, etc. But I also realized that to stay in that one ditch or to say "You in my ditch or I ditch you" would be grave ignorance. I want to rely on the Holy Spirit to clean up and connect all the ditches in my life, to continue to show me the Truth in everything I know, by using everybody I know. 

Dear family in Jesus, I pray you were inspired to shed another layer of pretense in your life and embrace wise transparency in the Holy Spirt, as we are in need of one another; and so is the world.

Be blessed abundantly!

The Pursuit of Holiness

Sometimes it takes divine intervention to get our attention. 

Dear family in the birthday-King Jesus!

On the quest to holistic health I am asking God to show his heart in the information I receive. That is essentially what holistic health means to me. Knowing God´s heart in every aspect of life and allowing it to transform us more after the image of Jesus- a son or daughter of God.

We must not lead a life of craving satisfaction.
We get to be free of regrets after a meal.
We need not be ashamed of our bodies.
We are blessed to make healthy choices.
We get to be united with God`s initial intention, as presented in the story of the Garden of Eden, which has not changed: to be known as the provider of the needs of our body, psyche, and spirit. In this context I want to share a dream I had last night.

In the dream someone gave me a word from God for me, personally. A request to stop doing something related to nutrition. (I am not going to tell you what the exact request was, as I believe it was for me personally and you get to ask Him yourself what His word is to you, personally.) So, back in the dream they gave me the request verbally and I instantly argued with them. I argued with them even though I was convicted that them delivering this word makes for two witnesses and I should accept their word to me. Then they gracefully left the table we were sitting at together, leaving me with a few sheets of paper. I grabbed the paper and tried to jot down as much as I could. The only sentence I recall writing down was: Christina is not to _____________.

Waking up I knew that this dream couldn´t be ignored. Especially not since I had recently told someone close to me that I believe God sometimes speaks to me in dreams. Had this dream been about somebody else, I would have not hesitated to prayerfully reflect on it. BUT, since I definitely did not like the message, nor thought it was necessary, I knew my mind would not just come up with a dream like that.

I spent the whole morning pondering on the dream, seeking a truthful response to it, since I knew I really did not wish to be obedient, hoping to find a reason why this was not God speaking. Then it dawned on me: I get to submit my will to the Father in heaven that I trust. What an experience of freedom! In the dream I thought to myself that there were two witnesses, as I had felt that I had procrastinated to really seek God´s will concerning that particular thing for a while. It was nagging in the back of my mind, accusing me. So now I had my divine intervention gently steering my attention towards a personal topic, and I get to have peace knowing that God spoke to me and I get to be obedient until further notice.

I cannot make a rule of what He asked of me, because the thing itself is no sin. Usually the thing itself is not the issue, but our heart´s attitude towards it.
Now I joyfully expect to get to know God´s heart better. 

Now, dear family connected in the holy spirit, let me encourage you to spend some time at the end of this year and pull on the lose threads that dangle in front of your life´s eyes. What are they leading to? Is God trying to get your attention? Is He asking you to start to do, or to quit something? If you feel a nudging, or a check within yourself to change something particular in your life, please also be free to know:

It is not your salvation that is at stake when you disobey.
Nor do you gain your salvation when you obey.
Our salvation is secure in the personal acceptance of what Jesus Christ did for us.

In times when I know God has a direction for me that I do not want to take it has an effect on my relationship with Him. The divine direction I ignore becomes a nagging voice in the back of my head, turning into sin (something that separates me from God) giving the accuser of the church (satan) grounds, because I do not wish God to enter that part of my life. Christians might be the most wretched people in the world if they still cannot be fully honest with others, themselves and essentially God.

That is also when the dreaded "should-ing" starts to enter.

"I know I should do this, but....". A terrible feeling. A time to come up with excuses. Maybe even a season to seek for biblical reasons to avoid personal obedience. "The bible says I am free to do all things, so don´t you put me under the law...". Eventually that leads to the hardening of the heart, and the deliverance to the consequences of our choices.

If you are feeling this way, I encourage you to allow God entrance into this part of your heart. Even if you know you do not wish to adjust to His personally expressed will to you, ask Him to stay with you as you continue with what ever it is that you cannot let go of or do not want to do. Ask Him to change your heart, to convict you of his trustworthiness.  
I have experienced God works within me exactly in that way, until the put-off request becomes a decision of freely submitting my will and actions to God. And as humans we are to be free do that! 

Having been saved from an abusive micro-managing leadership I desire to pass on nothing but God´s freedom and grace.
AND- not BUT-  there is also the freedom and grace to obey God´s individual leads. At the very least we can expect to get to know more of His heart! As children we start our lives seeking personal happiness. As adults we get to realize that setting ourselves apart as God leads us, individually, we could never be happier! 
 
Merry Christmas, a happy new year, and be blessed abundantly!    

A Can Because You Can? No, You Can't!

For I CAN do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
                                                                             Philippians 4, 13 

Dear family in Jesus!

How wonderful it is to be strengthened by Jesus! Nothing compares to living your life out of his strength and for his glory, than our own. A never ceasing fountain is our God! We can do what we are asked to because God provides us with the strength and wisdom "to can".

Not so with the other "can" in our lives. Cans have been a fascinating and very helpful invention back in the 18th century, but today we have other, and let me say: BETTER options to store or conserve food. 

I am not picking on cans because I am running out of topics! 

You might consider cans a tiny detail in your cuisine where the convenience overthrows concerns. 
Consider this: 

I, always on the grocery store hunt for new healthy food items, invested a little over $3 in a can of wild caught tuna. You can get cans of tuna for 50cent at Aldi, but here I am thinking I am doing my health a great favor. Within minutes of consuming the tuna I noticed a quite surprisingly new sense of discomfort, we can call this "pain", in my stomach. I lived with it for a few days, but when the accompanying nausea would not settle either, I decided it was time to see my Naturopathic Doctor. Due to his specific testing he was able to pin point the cause to metal poisoning. Needless to say that I then had to invest into my health in an equally painful way, but at least after a few days I was better. 

There are many reasons as to why to stay away from (canned) processed foods, but even supposedly healthy foods found in cans can be dangerous. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an industrial chemical that is supposed to prevent the can from deteriorating. Unfortunately it poses a high risk to our health as it is linked to many diseases, including the hormones, kidneys and the heart. BPA is even present in urine samples of adults and children alike. This all sounds very concerning to me. Of course the problem isn't limited to cans; plastic containers, such as baby bottles, can also be sources.

3 Ideas To Minimize Your BPA Exposure Drastically:

1. DO NOT rely (for the very most part) on cans. Buy the glass version instead or make from scratch.
2. DO NOT (NEVER EVER!!!!!) microwave plastic containers, unless they are microwave safe. 
3. NO PLASTIC BAGS/ FREEZER BAGS/CLING WRAP IN THE MICROWAVE!!! Thaw frozen items in warm water or leave out for a few hours instead. 

I am not going to leave you as mere can orphans, but remind you of the fantastic invention of THE CROCK POT! 

- Rather than consuming heavy sodium laden chicken soup from the can (lacking most of the nutrients you hoped to receive), make your own chicken stock and soup with the crock pot! All it takes is a little planning ahead, but the benefits will outweigh any inconvenience by far. 
- Rather than consuming beans from the can, buy organic beans or peas in bulk (Coborn's natural area for instance), leave them with enough water in the crock pot on medium heat for about 18 hours (the wonderful process of soaking!), rinse them, and eat them merrily. Leftovers stay good in the fridge for about 5 days! SO EASY!

I release you back into your day hoping that you will be blessed by learning about another way that you can be a good stewart of your own, and your families, health! 

Be blessed abundantly!

Tropical Schnitzel Fish

Jesus called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
John 21, 5

Dear family in Jesus Christ!

I used to tease my husband in attempts to justify serving a fish dish that Jesus didn't conquer death and said "Haven't you any cheese burgers?". But actually he might have, if his disciples had worked on a farm or at a restaurant. But they happened to be fishers. A physically and mentally extremely demanding occupation. 

First conclusion: There is something fishy with the idea that fish is not a power food for hard working men! 

Since fish is loaded with protein it is a must in a balanced protein diet. Protein is needed by our cells to maintain and repair themselves. After physical exertion a serving of protein is simply a must. (How do you keep a fish from smelling? Cut off his nose!)

Second conclusion: It is very SMART to eat fish at least 2-3x per week!

Fish comes with the essential fatty acid Omega-3, needed to aid in, for instance, brain function. The amounts vary, but the important point is that the most qualitative Omega-3s are found in fish. Omega-3s support our health and are even thought to prevent Alzheimer's and Dementia! (Why are fish so smart? Because they spent their lives in schools!)

Third conclusion: It is an all together happy occasion to eat fish!

Studies have proven that cultures that are higher in fish and fish oil consumption have lower levels of depression. In our culture it is believed that we consume Omega-3s and Omega-6s, as found in Oils or meat, in an unhealthy balance. Guess what we ingest more often? Omega-6s are also necessary to a healthy diet, but the dose makes the poison. Adding various fish to our diet and taking a quality fish oil can be a great idea (ask your nutrition specialist). Mercury toxicity is a real threat in our time. I'd stay away from canned tuna and stick to the "wild-caught" version. If you are hooked: Here a guide to making good fish choices: 

http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Food/Fish/HealthyFishGuide.aspx



What does all that have to do with the Tropical Schnitzel Fish? That is my new recipe creation for fish. 

You will need: 

- Organic Coconut Oil
- Organic Coconut Flour (found in the natural section of Coborns)
- Fish (Really, I believe this is great with all kinds of fish (salmon, tilapia, pollock, cod, etc.), though maybe not canned tuna)

Put some coconut flour in a bigger bowl and toss your wet fish in there. Heat up coconut oil in a pan (with a lid preferably, due to fat splashing). Fry fish in pan until brown and crispy. I make it sound so easy, but you will have to experiment with heat to avoid burning little fishy. Serve with steamed veggies and/or sprouted quinoa and Voila!

As always I release you back into your day, praying that you got inspired to continuously walk towards becoming a better stewart of your body!

Be blessed eFISHiently!
    


     

The Language of Love: A Home Cooked Meal

Like cold water to a thirsty soul, 

so is good news coming from a far country. 

Proverbs 25, 25

Dear family in Jesus!

Coming home last night I found a parcel addressed to me waiting in front of our door!
The feeling of waiting to open parcels from Germany is maybe best compared to a child waking  on Christmas morning. Not sure what's inside the box, but it will be great! 

My Mom sent me, enveloped in 2 pounds of German chocolate, a binder of recipes of her mother, my Grandmother, she had long been meaning to put together. Filled with photographs of her and Grandpa, of us and the cousins, uncles and aunts. I am very grateful for the loving and encouraging influence my Grandparents had on my life. I can only desire to gain the ability to see someone in the best light at all times, open my house, heart, and kitchen to extend hospitality and comfort like they were able to. 

This collection of Grandma's recipes reminds the remaining family of the God-given gift that she so willingly embraced to share with us. She would spent hours and days in the kitchen, preparing the most pleasing and taste buds exciting meals only to see her family be connected by the enjoyment and appreciation of her work. And it did work. She was the glue that held a family together. Her birthday celebration in July and Christmas gathering in December were given dates on all of our calendars. Without her we find ourselves in the process of developing a new family culture to keep the extended family connected, which proves to be challenging with members moving to all sorts of the world's continents or corners of the home country.

Since I picked up working in schools I got painfully aware that one thing I always took for granted is not a given in this country; Leaving school at 1:30pm to go home and have a home cooked meal with your mother. In a country where school ends around 4pm or later a child might even go through weeks at a time without ever having seen its parents bustle about in the kitchen or being asked to help with chopping vegetables or washing dishes. 

Why do I think that there is something wrong with that? 

1) I wish everybody got to experience the joy of someone cooking for THEM daily. Not trying to please the taste of the masses, but with them in mind while preparing the food. That truly is a language of love spoken in unmistakable words.

2) I honestly don't see a redemptive value in a fast food culture. Food is everything but fast. It takes time to grow. It takes effort to harvest. It takes patience to prepare. Once consumed it either supports the body's needs and functions or it causes damage. To prepare it in minutes and chomp it down in seconds is out of sync with the nature of food and  the creator of it. 

3) Thinking "I don't have time to cook a healthy meal" is like thinking you don't have time to go to work. If working provides you with the means to live a good life, then cooking a healthy meal provides you with the nutrients to sustain you to live that good life. 

4) I expect my meals to keep me feeling good and nourished in the long run. Sure I'll have desert or a serving of junk food on very rare occasions. But my mindset dictates my day to day choices and with that created a lifestyle that I am not easily willing to see compromised. If that means I'm preparing a meal to take to school the next day at midnight, I'll do that. 

Are you content with the status quo when it comes to the food culture in the Western World? How do we raise the bar?

We can't expect that the school/work cafeteria can provide the quality of food we need. If putting together a "to go care package" is not going to happen, let's find the time to prepare a home cooked meal for dinner, rather than warming up processed freezer food. We have virtually endless resources of healthy meal ideas and how to cook within our reach online. It might take some time to getting our recipients taste buds and the way we cook a healthy meal in sync (I've been there, it's a journey worth taking!), but like every relationship takes work and time so it is with the chef and the eater.

Dear family in Jesus, I pray that you are inspired to rearrange your priorities if necessary so you rediscover the joy of choosing ingredients, preparing and enjoying your own home cooked meal and reap the blessings that come from that!

Be blessed abundantly!

Wholly Holy!

"The opposite of holy is not dirty. It is common."

Dear family in the Lord!

Today I welcome you with a quote someone shared with me. As children of God we are called to be holy, but what does holy mean in a practical sense? Let's look at it together!

Last weekend our team went to a suburb of Chicago to have a conference with other Christians. The conference itself exceeded all expectations by far, but the day after turned out less desirable.

A friend that had a major part in the day of the conference, was supposed to do the same at a different event next day. Unfortunately she had been having symptoms during the weeks prior to our trip, so that she decided to see the a medical doctor twice, in order to get healed. After her second visit she was prescribed antibiotics that she started taking the day of our important conference. During the night after the amazing conference, she started to throw up and ran a very high fewer. We were all sure that it was a reaction to the antibiotics. We decided to make sure she drank water and kept her in bed with cold wraps on her head.

However, the people we stayed with made it clear to us that they thought it was irresponsible to not have her brought to a hospital with a temp of 102.5. So we left it up to our friend to choose to go to the ER or not. Needless to say that we had a lot of prayer support during the whole time. She, exhausted and in terrible pain, desired relief and chose to go to the ER. By the time we got her to the ER her fever had dropped by 2 degrees.

After her first examination she was declared "not in immediate need of attention" so we sat with the suffering little impersonation of her for over two hours in the waiting room. When she was designated a room her fever had dropped another degree. She was still in excruciating pain. The assigned doctor, (here is some comic relief) was a German, who didn't think that our diagnosis was accurate, so she had her take a different antibiotic and put her on an IV with water and pain medicine. Our friend didn't feel better at all and the tests they did to pinpoint the problem came back negative. So they ended up giving her morphine which made her dizzy, but didn't deliver the much desired relief of pain. She did feel a little appetite however and rather than something nourishing, such as a broth, she was given "Jello", which, no surprise, made her more nauseous.

When she was released, a total of 10 hours later, she was in the same terrible state and still throwing up just now with a naturally lowered temp. My faith in the medical world by that time had dropped from a low number to a negative value. All I could think of was getting her away from the hospital and the people that would put their sole trust in it and to get her home. So we did decide to make the seven hour trip home that night. I never appreciated the effects of sugar like I did on that long road trip!

She ended up seeing our trusted Nutrition-Response-Therapy Doctor who was able to help her and now she is fine once again.

We prayed and discerned throughout that whole day, "How could this happen?" Where was the open door for the enemy to touch us? For me it was clear that this horrible distraction was able to get to us because she had made a choice. The choice was to go back to something we already knew doesn't  work anymore. She was like the Israelites in the desert, freed from slavery, desiring to go back to Egypt because they were hungry, rather than trusting that God is not forsaking them in the place He had led them to. Maybe she thought it was too expensive to see our NRT Doc in the first place when symptoms started occurring. Anyway, it turned out "not affordable" to not go the unusual route, as we have seen in this latest experience.

Dear family in the Lord, I know hospitals can save lives and doctors can be tools of health. I am not stating that everybody has to draw the same conclusions that I have. My life's experience, though, has been that 
1) My mother was advised to abort me for "medical concerns" (we both turned out alright)
2) I have been misdiagnosed and/or mistreated with various meds ....
3) ....which led to side effects that I needed treatment for and even more longterm problems for not having been healed of the original issue. 
4) Now, after going the uncommon route, I am totally wrecked, rendered useless and out of order to function in the regular world: I can't go back to wearing or smelling perfume without getting migraines, I can't use most lotions without getting rashes, I can't eat what most people eat without getting sick, I can't be sedentary without having insomnia, body aches and anxiety, I can't even take a vacation from my lifestyle during a week of vacation: I'll get sick. It is like coming down from a mountain and realizing that you are one of the very few that have been changed forever. 

You see that based on my experience of what doesn't work for me and what does work for me I am making choices. Some sneer at me for that, others, on the same path to seeking lasting health, ask me to share what I have found. It turns out that our call for being holy can be extended to not going the common medical route, but to seek for uncommon ways; and the fruit that follows will serve as proof. 

Dear family in the Lord, I know there are Quacks and Charlatans out there. That is why we need to ask people we trust for recommendations and see for ourselves.

Being holy means being uncommon. Not uncommon to be different at all cost, but after having discerned truth, daring to go new ways, which can turn out to be rather old, but forgotten, ways.

I pray that we would be refreshed and joyful during our live's journey to Wholesome Holiness!

Be blessed abundantly! 



 

No Spain- No Gain

When the woman (Eve) saw that the fruit of the tree (of the knowledge of Good and Evil) was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband (Adam), who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3, 6

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23. 34a


Dear family in the Lord!

At the beach in Spain, observing myself relaxing my regiment of strenuous exercise and disciplined meal sizes, it dawned on me: No Spain - no gain. Spain is my personal paradise on earth. And you can't exist in paradise without gaining something. Be it body fat pounds or the revelation that God is Good and man is not. Let's talk about two people who had everything they needed and experienced the pain of desiring to gain more.

The creation story in Genesis teaches us that God is a God of grandeur and simplicity. He created a marvelous world for His children to fruitfully live in with the need for just ONE RULE. Where in the Western World can you go (or travel) to today and find that you only need to abide by ONE RULE? 

This one rule, to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, could be paraphrased by God saying, "You get to trust me completely." If Eve had trusted God completely she and Adam would have cast the snake out of the Garden before it could plant the seed of distrust in their hearts. "Did God really say...? Does God really mean it well with you...? Can't you see that God withholds the ability to be like him from you...?" But they chose to argue with the father of lies. 

We know how the story unfolds. Eve believed the snake and desired to be like God, so they ate from the forbidden fruit. With that they gained the ability to know Good and and to know Evil. But God didn't want them to know Good and Evil. At least not at that time. He wanted them to grow up in a peaceful world full of providence where they could get to know Him better every day, experience His goodness and be grounded in a deep and unshakeable trust in Him. How could the history of the world have unfolded if they would have listened? How could our personal history unfold if we would abide by this one rule? 

Within seconds of exposing their uncorrupted DNA to the fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil, man was infested by the consequence of listening to a liar rather than trusting in their maker's one rule. Consequently man knew he was judged to death and hid from his creator, for he now knew first hand that they had chosen evil over good,  separating them from their maker. I wonder: What would have happened if Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree and, rather than hiding from God's presence, had directed their remorse towards scandalous hope for mercy and shouted into God's face "FATHER, FORGIVE US! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING!"

Jesus shouted on our behalf. While he hung and endured the death penalty for man, who, overcome by the terror of sin, ran away from God. Jesus, in unimaginable physical and spiritual agony because of being burdened with the sin of the world, directed his pain of being separated from God towards God and interceded for the ones that were killing him. He did what Adam and Eve failed to do, he directed the hope for mercy towards God. He could have hid, he had the authority to burn the whole place to ashes. No, Jesus did not back down. He died knowing that mankind was not capable to overcome their own corruption- but God was and He did. The terrible gap that man caused by choosing to distrust God was fixed by God Himself in Jesus. 

The transition of man choosing evil to the topic of nutrition will not surprise you; as it is not new.

Thinking of the food industry in the Western World today I can't help but desire that mankind would be convicted of their evil. Just like Adam and Eve our society fell for the lies of the devil and built an empire upon it. "Paradise" in my analogy would be our ability to govern and have dominion over the creation. But somewhere between the distrust that the earth will naturally continue to produce sufficient food for us, and the greed of gaining riches by exploiting what is exploitable, we have been terribly corrupted. We ate the forbidden fruit of wanting to be like God. 

Produce is genetically modified so it turns out bigger and more profitable. Livestock is exposed to growth hormones and treated like a mere profit production machine. The consumer lost touch with the reality of what it takes to produce the food and drink they have gotten used to. To find relief for our consequent aches and illnesses we turn to synthetic pills and put our hope for mercy into doctors.

We are stuck in a vicious circle. As long as we, the consumer, continue to literally pay homage to this industry, it will not stop. As long as we profit from this cycle by finding the price tags on our food to be to our liking, we say that we stand in agreement with it.

We can't change the way the whole world turns. But we can face God, if we are convicted, and ask Him to forgive us for we don't know what we are doing to His creation, including ourselves. Neither humanism, nor environmentalism, nor emancipation of the organic farmers, nor ethicists can take our guilt away or put an end to our problem. Our only hope is to direct our scandalous need for mercy towards God the Father rather than hiding in our evil system. Let's individually and corporately stand in front of Him and seek the way to live in this world and yet not be of this world. One practical way, is to continuously make small and improving changes in the foods we buy. Here is a new product for your consideration:  

(....drumroll....) 

The POWER FOOD "Sprouted Quinoa"! 

(You'll find it in the Natural Section of Coborns and can use it instead of rice, cereal, pasta, etc.) 

Sprouted Quinoa is the best option when it comes to grain products! You'll get a great serving of complete protein, B2 Vitamins for your brain and muscles, antioxidants to protect you from sickness, magnesium and iron to improve your blood health, and fiber which has been proven to bring your cholesterol levels in a stout balance.

With this I release you back into your day, praying that you wouldn't buy into the Devil' s accusation but desire to have God use you as part of His solution for breaking His one rule, to trust Him.

Be blessed abundantly!

Spiritual Spa# 22: Organic Growth

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven. 
                                                                     Ecclesiastes 3,1

Dear family in the Lord!

At times my life has been like the life of a conventional tomato. 

Tomatoes in all their different kinds are to be considered an absolute everyday must-have food! Lycopene and antioxidant activity make these little mysteries (is it a fruit? does it belong on veggie tales??) your good friend when it comes to fighting free radicals in your body. The health benefits are more available and digestible if you cook with them. So start every veggie pan or pasta sauce with tomatoes and onions. Sauce away with tomatoes!

In Spiritual Spa#9 What would Jesus eat? I mentioned an important part of my personal history. I was part of a toxic christian fellowship for three years and that is now over three years ago. I was treated like a conventional tomato as described by Jillian Michaels in the much quoted book "Master your Metabolism". 

A conventional tomato grows in overexploited, and with that nutrient scarce, soil to meet the needs of parsimonious consumers. What was the soil in my group? The members. Any relationship where the stronger party uses the weaker to meet their needs is abusive. Instead of leading our gaze to Jesus and nurture a personal relationship with Him the leaders led us to look at and obey them. A soil void of nutrients. 

A conventional tomato is not being trusted to deal with natural problems like weed or insect infestation. The risk that during the process of fighting opposing elements it could be killed overrides the benefit that in this process of struggle it can grow more attached to the ground and absorb more nutrients, becoming a tomato with higher nutrient levels. How does that translate into my cult situation? The leaders established an atmosphere where the person that pointed out a problem with the leadership became the problem. To undermine a persons ability to discern or at least give feedback on felt dynamics weakens/injures their trust in their personal sense of reality. If we shared problems that occurred with friends or family, usually having to do with them expressing concern, often resulted in having to give up all contact with them. A plantation sprayed with toxic pesticides against any potential problem.

A conventional tomato gets plucked and shipped before it is ripe to not turn moldy at the grocery store. Because it was harvested before its time it gets sprayed with argon gas to make it turn red prematurely. We really need to get this. I am not the only one that has been forced to "pretend like everything is great". We do it to ourselves and maybe even our families. We think we need to portray like we have it all together when in reality we don't. My life in this cult was ruled by charade. The leadership gained the trust of the vulnerable "sheep" and combined with complete confusion managed to produce followers that didn't know right from wrong because those words were up to the leadership's definition. We had to pay for leaderships plans and expenses. We had to give our time and the lack thereof. Cut off relationships including family. Be obedient to the point of insanity. We did terribly unloving deeds in the name of righteousness and "God". We looked down on other Christians, because we were shining examples of obedience, dying to the flesh, speaking in tongues, prophesying and doing what needed to be done to further a kingdom. We pretended we had it all figured out and professed trust and testimonies and defended the leadership when attacked- even though or maybe because they convinced or coerced us to play a part in their aspirations of grandeur. And all that with a smirk. Sprayed with toxic gas to appear ripe.

Guess what, when it comes to buying tomatoes I go organic!! :) 

My life after leaving the dangerous influence of that leadership has been much more compared to the life of an organic tomato. The new soil the Father in heaven planted me into was filled with generous and loving people that did everything they could to nourish my broken soul. I was entrusted with having a unique personality and design. In the manner of the play "The king's speech" I learned that God gave me a voice and it is a great adventure to figure out what He wants to say through me. One outcome of that journey is this blog. People covenanted with me rather than seeking to rule over me and that laid a healthy foundation for life-giving relationships including struggles. I have been given permission to grow organically, meaning there is no force or demand on how I am to turn out. That is freedom. 

So, dear family in the Lord, let's go vote every time we go into the grocery store as we pay $1 more and invest into organic tomatoes. No one should be treated like a conventional tomato, not even a tomato.  

Be blessed abundantly!