Our bodies are apt to be our autobiographies.
~ Frank Gillette Burgess
Health is not valued till sickness comes.
~ Thomas Fuller
The human body is a machine which winds its own springs.
~ Julien Offroy de la Mettrie
Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.
~ Jim Rohn
I received an article this morning that made me raise my eyebrows. In it the author shared her definition of “spiritual wellness.”
“We each have our own, individual spiritual journey, and Spiritual Wellness deals with how we seek meaning and purpose in life, our connection with the universe, and a relationship with a higher power, if we so choose. You can explore Spiritual Wellness as part of a faith-based community, but it’s not necessary. Spiritual Wellness means clarifying your beliefs and values so that you can truly live by them.”
Isn’t that just a warm, fuzzy, “spiritualized” version of existentialism in which you create meaning for yourself by knowing what you believe? What if your beliefs are wrong, are you still well?
If person #1 believes A, and person #2 is firmly committed to not-A, are they both still “well” because they both have clarity about what they believe?
It amazes me that people will apply a whole different set of criteria for spiritual wellness than they do for other kinds of wellness. Assume a scenario in which my car is not functioning properly. I take it to two different mechanics and one tells me that I need a new gas filter, but the other tells me that I need to put sugar in my gas tank and that will give me a sweet ride. Is their advice equally valid if I have clarified my belief that they are right and live by those beliefs? Will my car be “well” if I put sugar in the tank just because I believe that is the right thing to do and live by my belief?
No one would presume to believe such foolishness. But when it comes to spiritual beliefs it seems that there are many who jettison all common sense and spout nonsense such as that in the article I received.
“We each have our own, individual spiritual journey, and Spiritual Wellness deals with how we seek meaning and purpose in life, our connection with the universe, and a relationship with a higher power, if we so choose. You can explore Spiritual Wellness as part of a faith-based community, but it’s not necessary. Spiritual Wellness means clarifying your beliefs and values so that you can truly live by them.”
What utter nonsense. Would I have physical wellness if I believed that the key to health was a diet made up entirely of Snickers Bars and Pixie Stix? If I clarified that belief and can truly live by it?
Just as there are positive and negative treatments for my ailing car, and positive and negative treatments for my ailing body, there are also positive and negative treatments for my ailing soul. And, contrary to what the quoted statement says, it is not the individual who determines what will provide meaning, purpose, and “spiritual wellness”, it is God who determines what provides meaning, purpose, and “spiritual wellness.” I am grateful that the God who determines what provides meaning, purpose, and spiritual wellness has shared clearly with us how we can be spiritually well.
I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants.
~ A. Whitney Brown
Good Health Habits by the Centers for Disease Control:
1. Avoid close contact: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick.
2. Stay home when you are sick: If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
3. Cover your mouth and nose: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
4. Clean your hands: Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth: Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6. Don’t do the following:
(click on image)
Watchman Fellowship recommends the following books on Therapeutic Touch;
Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, by Donal Mathuna
Examining Alternative Medicine, an Inside Look at the Benefits and Risks, by Paul C. Reisser, Dale Mabe, and Robert Velarde
Testing the Spirits, by Elizabeth L. Hillstrom
Human pregnancy, from conception to birth, lasts about 270 days.
__________
The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, according to the American Podiatric Association.
__________
I was away last week for my mother’s funeral so my work email has stacked up a bit. While sorting through my email and trying to clean out some old stuff I came across the following story which someone had sent to me some time ago. It made me think of the beautiful passage of comfort found in John 14 so I share it with you here.
~DEATH~
A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to
Leave the examination room and said,
‘Doctor, I am afraid to die.
Tell me what lies on the other side.’
Very quietly, the doctor said, ‘I don’t know.’
‘You don’t know? You, a Christian man,
Do not know what is on the other side?’
The doctor was holding the handle of the door;
On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining,
And as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room
And leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said,
‘Did you notice my dog?
He’s never been in this room before.
He didn’t know what was inside.
He knew nothing except that his master was here,
And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death,
But I do know one thing…
I know my Master is there and that is enough.’
Watchman Fellowship recommends the following resources on acupuncture;
Can You Trust Your Doctor?, by John Ankerberg and John Weldon
New Age Medicine: A Christian Perspective on Holistic Health, by Paul Reisser, Terri Reisser, and John Weldon
Facts on Holistic Health, by John Ankerberg and John Weldon
I would like to ask that you join my family in praying for Scotte Hodel. I have enjoyed getting to know him a little over the last two years of blogging. He has been fighting the battle against cancer for a number of months now. Those of you who have gone through this struggle yourself, or have loved ones who have, know just how tiring it can become. So, I ask that you pray God will give both him and his family strength, wisdom, encouragement, and healing. You can read Scotte’s blog by clicking here. Swing by there and let him know you are praying for him.
And, here is a YouTube video he made that will further introduce you to him.
