Everything Will Kill You!

Vaccines, GMO foods, dyes, additives, FDA approved and not, sweeteners, agricultural sprays, plastic water bottles, farmed fish, vegetable oils…. I even read that chicken's the very worst meat. It will kill you!*

Back in the day, the main culprits were tobacco and alcohol. Now, it's your soda. The sugar will do you in. You switch to diet drinks and find out they're even worse! In the United Kingdom, they're seriously considering demanding identification for buying energy drinks.

Don't cook in aluminum pans. It rubs off and gives you Alzheimer's. And the list goes on. Everything will kill you!

Did you know there's arsenic in apple seeds? (It will take about 200 to kill you, but who eats the seeds, anyhow?) We won't even start on Romaine lettuce.

I sometimes wonder what to believe. The prohibitions seem to go in a giant cycle that changes completely every 25 years and slightly every five. You're told to ban fats, carbs, and sugar. Then, the culprit is gluten. Seriously, after a while you wonder if you can eat anything at all.

My friends raise their own chickens for eggs and eating. A guy with whom I went to college has won awards for his contributions to organic farming. Several of my friends live on organic farms and sell their produce. My in-laws usually buy veggies from Amish and Mennonite farms.

All this sounds great to me. I think food tastes better as natural as possible. I am also for nutritionally balanced eating and no extremes (unless you have a health issue, which is a totally different subject all together).

But, I believe we've gotten a lot wrong as we're fearful about what we put into our bodies. Don't get me wrong. We should be careful. We should try to take care of our bodies. This is Scriptural** and good. But, many Christians put most of their time and energy caring for their bodies. I know people who've lost mega weight, and they're right to be proud of their before and after photos. Others have gotten healthier and fitter. I'm sincerely glad for them.

At the same time, it seems our bodies, stomachs, and looking beautiful have replaced our desire to be healthy spiritually. Jesus said, Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. And Jesus said (to His disciples), Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man (Matthew 15:11, 16-20).

In my experience as a pastor's wife and counselor, the biggest problem faced by women isn't what they eat. It's their hearts.

What's going into your heart?

• I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope (Psalm 16:8-9).
• The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer (Psalm 19:8, 14).
• Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:8).
• With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:10-11).

Are you dining on God's Word?

Are your entertainment and leisure choices pleasing to the Lord?

Do you trust in God and pour out your heart*** to Him in prayer?

Do you seek Him with your whole heart and review His Word during the day?

If so, what comes out of your heart will be beautiful.

Let's seek moderation in other areas of our lives (including food) and find our delight in the Lord! God bless you today!

____________

* Please understand. My point is that "they" (whoever "they" are) say all kinds of things will kill you. Have I stopped eating chicken or other things I listed? No. If I believed all the warnings, I'd never eat at all. I make an effort to be healthy but not extreme. There are many businesses that capitalize on food and health fads. They, too, will probably pass in popularity with time.

** 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20
*** Psalm 62:8; Lamentations 2:19

Passionate About Poop

There's an emoji for it, social media backgrounds full of little piles of it. The poop piles have eyes. Cartoons, sayings, jokes…. It seems the world has gone crazy about excrement.

I don't understand.

Call me old fashioned. Not too long ago, scatological references were taboo. In many parts of the world, they still are. So why the fascination?

Farmers call it natural fertilizer. I seriously doubt that any of them would draw cow pie pictures and give them eyes.

So, why do I bring up this topic at all? (Gross, I know.) Because, though everyone necessarily knows about feces, it's not a lovely subject for our thoughts. It's an ugly way to express ourselves (along with puke and some others). I believe it indicates how far we've sunk. Remember when emojis were basically smiley faces? Case in point.

Where should our thoughts be? The Bible gives us the best outline: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). Pure, lovely, good, praiseworthy … think about these things.

Instead of references to ugly stuff, let's focus our thoughts on what's beautiful. And, the next time we want to share something on social media, let's make it praiseworthy.

Let's make this practical.

What does God call beautiful or lovely?

• Women, such as Rachel, Abigail, Bathsheba, Esther, the Shulamite (Solomon's wife)
• Men, such as David, Saul, Jonathan, even old men with white hair
• The garments used in the Tabernacle worship were for glory and beauty.
• Jerusalem, the city of God. Also, the gate of the Temple was called Beautiful.
• Holiness in worship: Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29).
• The Lord Himself: One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4).
• God's creation: He hath made every thing beautiful in his time (Ecclesiastes 3:11a).
• Feet: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7)
• How God "dressed" Israel was beautiful. (Ezekiel 16)

We can rejoice in creation. It points us to the Lord, the Maker of all this beauty. We can praise the Lord.

We can center our thoughts on the Bible. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But; his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).

I'm afraid we're so obsessed with all the crud in the world—and in our own lives—that we forget to discipline our minds to Philippians 4:8 thinking. The next time you think how poopy something is, change your thoughts. Look up. View the clouds, stars, and sunset. Look around you and smell the roses. Praise God in your heart.

That's a great beginning towards having a Christ-like mentality.

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him,

as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation

the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is

created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:21-24).

… if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

(Philippians 4:8)