Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Greatest Creative Masterpiece

I have been privileged to travel to many countries and visit sites of historical significance displaying the architectural brilliance of men, visit many museums and galleries in Rome, Florence, London, New York and behold some of the creative works of masters in painting & sculpting! Also I have listened to the works of gifted composers...played by fine musicians...whether classical, country or pop. The variety and creativity amazes me! Where does all this creativity and uniqueness come from?

While in Hawaii, I had the distinct privilege of visiting an exhibit highlighting what I consider the greatest creative masterpiece of all. It was simply called "Bodies, The Exhibit" As I spent hours viewing the various systems of the human body, and listened to the taped commentary I was again reminded "we are fearfully and wonderfully made"! Let us now begin a study of what I consider to be the greatest creative masterpiece of all..the human body!!

I am of the persuasion that the bodies we live in while traversing this planet are not the result of a multitude of accidental and progressively improving mutations (evolution), but that our entire universe is the product of intelligent design! I subscribe to the Genesis account that simply states "In the beginning God". The account goes on to state that the Sun, Moon, Stars and indeed all the universe was created and that the method of creation was by the spoken word...God said..and it was so! According the Genesis account all of the universe was brought into existence simply by God speaking words.

After creating the world and filling it with plants, animals, fish and fowl, God went on to complete the work of creation...man! However, unlike any other thing that He created..God did not use the spoken word, this time according to the Genesis account God stooped down and with his own hands, like a sculptor with a lump of clay... took some of the dust of the earth and formed a man. Not just a lump of clay..but a being with heart and circulatory system, lungs and respiratory system, a muscular system that can be individually molded!Man was also given a brain and nervous system faster than the worlds finest computer that can interact with its environment and respond to thousands of outside stimuli in a split second! Our body is a finely tuned machine that is "fearfully and wonderfully made"!

This being was made of dust..dirt..and as a result, has a unique relationship to the earth. It is interesting that in dirt..you will find minerals, seeds of trees and the support system to keep this man alive! I believe that in this setting, man can find the elements needed for optimal health, naturally occurring in or growing from the earth. He can also find in the air and water elements to nourish and strengthen his body. He also has a direct connection with the sun that brings life to the earth and must receive an ample portion of sunshine daily for optimal health! Much of the study in alternative healing modalities has to do with man's relationship to the earth...and the need for naturally occurring (not laboratory produced) minerals, plants, herbs, energy sources, etc.

However there are other needs to completely.. Live In Health. There are three main Live In Health essentials for man to experience wholeness and much like a three legged stool... if one is missing or in short supply, your overall health is compromised! With this particular creative work ...the Genesis account states that God not only formed man individually, but He went much much further....He breathed some of His own creative life and spirit into man's nostrils!! Amazing..this creature... has a little of God on the inside of him...some of His creativity..ability to love...ability to oversee...ability to speak powerful words that can be very creative or damaging! He also entrusted to man the care for the earth and all created things.


The second leg on the stool that supports the ability to..Live in Health.. is the need for interaction or fellowship with the creator. Man has a unique need and ability to interact with the divine! You will find some form of religious worship of the creator wherever you travel...in each culture on this planet. This created being...is infused with a spark of divine life...he is more than just an animal like other creatures...he is a living soul!

The third leg of our stool is also revealed in the Genesis account. Man has his unique relationship with the created universe, especially this earth...he has a relationship with the creator..has communication with the divine...the creator places him as administrator of the planet and overseer, even naming each plant, animal, fish and fowl. But God finds a deficiency in man..ladies will appreciate this...he needs a little tweeking!! Adam, his man, is alone! Then follows the description of the first surgery ever performed on man..by God himself..under anesthesia (deep sleep)! God takes from Adam's side one of his ribs and forms another version...much improved! When Adam awakes from surgery and becomes aware of something new in his environment...this man who could come up with unique and wonderful names for all other creatures...he is so taken aback, all he has to say is Whooaa Maaaan, from which we get woman.

As a result, man now has others who have within them the same divine spark, and unique ability to interact with each other, with the creator and with the created world. The interaction with other human beings provides another key element to...Live in Health. Proper relationships are essential... and words and actions of love, friendship, kindness, mercy, forgiveness...can bring or add healing potential to our human bodies. Negative emotions and actions such as anger, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness...can actually make you ill....

So, to wrap it up for this post...let me explain the three main over-arching Live In Health principles that we have discovered over the years:

1. Man is made from the dust of the ground and in the earth or growing from the earth (herbs, fruits, vegetables, grains, etc) he can find tremendous healing properties to promote well-being.

2. Man has a bit of the divine breathed into him and possesses unique abilities far beyond other created being! He is a living soul (mind, will, emotions) and is able to imitate the divine..by speaking life rather than death, make cognitive choices that have repurcussions! He has a creative ability...a little spark of the divine in his soul..and need fellowship with the divine in a very unique way!

3. It is not good for man to be alone! We were created to live in harmony with others! When healthy relationships are maintained...it has a very positive effect on our well being. When healthy relationships are absent..it can be detrimental to your overall health











Tuesday, July 13, 2010

First Day of 7th Decade!!

When my eyes opened to the world this morning it dawned on me that I was entering my 7th decade on this planet! Wow! It's amazing....I feel wonderful, no aches, no pains, and at 6:00 a.m. filled with energy, excitement..enthusiasm!! I feel such a zest for life and it seems to be even more intense today! So now, I embark not only on a new decade of life, but a new project that inspires and motivates me to be all I can be.

There is a great deal of difference between biological and chronological age! Though I may be 60 yrs of age chronologically I feel in my body (biological age) as though I am still in my early 40's. I rest well, rise early, spend very long hours working (sometimes very strenuously) and workout in my personal gym every day! My wife, who 25 yrs ago was so ill that many days it was a major chore just to get up in the morning, now works along side me. She is vibrant, healthy, gorgeous (looks much younger than her age!!) and yet doctors had told her 25 yrs earlier there was nothing they could do for her. She needed to resign herself to living with the condition! Well that is where our life took a huge turn...do we just accept this defeat and struggle through life or do we take this as a challenge to overcome!

We chose the latter..and through the years by study, trial and error, the assistance of many mentors and most of all the guiding help of God; we came to understand so much more about how our bodies work and how we can work with them to promote healing. We found simple, natural, god-given remedies in the earth that support and strengthen our immune systems. They bring restorative healing to take us to the place we are now, living in vibrant health and with enthusiasm for life. Having a strong desire to share our joy in healthy living with others, we have embarked on this journey to chronicle as completely as possible what we have learned through these years and continue to learn each new day!

In this blog and the book to follow we cover much ground and would appreciate any comments or input from those of you who begin to follow the blog. None of us know everything, but the synergism that comes from shared knowledge can lead us all to a more vibrant, healthy lifestyle. We will cover first of all the magnificent body that each of us possesses, each one unique and beautiful, with it's own signatures of fingerprint, voice inflection, DNA...so that we can be distinguished as unique from every other human being on the planet and yet so much alike! We all have hearts, lungs, nervous systems, muscles, bones, eyes, ears...you get the picture..that function the same way and with the same purpose in our bodies. We all have a natural immune system that is designed to fight off disease. We all have a nervous system that can feel and sense what is happening throughout our bodies and triggers movement and reaction to stimuli. We will cover each of the body systems..their purpose and function..and then what supports or hinders their function.

Other topics to follow will be the importance of nutrition - and how best to provide proper nutrition or supplements to strengthen our immune systems. What foods should be eaten and when? How should they be prepared and why? What foods provide the specific nutrition each of our bodies need to provide optimal health? One of the many books we have studied over the years "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M Campbell II, has on the back cover a quote that is so appropriate when referring to the problems we have with major diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes: "These issues all come down to three things:breakfast lunch and dinner."!

We will discuss fitness and exercise and how best to achieve your fitness goals..for some fitness is the long lean look of a swimmer or runner.. for others it is the totally buff muscular look of the fitness models..for others it is the strength and stamina to perform well in their vocation or athletic endeavors (tennis, walking, golf,etc.)! We will discuss various ways through a variety of exercise programs, proper rest and nutrition that an individual can develop the type of body you personally desire for optimal performance and health!

Finally, we will discuss the diseases that rob so many of a quality, healthy lifestyle and have caused all of us sorrow by loosing loved ones far before it was necessary! We will discuss studies that have been done outlining some of the causes of these diseases. We will discuss a multitude of natural treatment options that are available ...and they are available...to support the immune system and enable our bodies to naturally fight off the invasion of disease. Yes, our bodies are "fearfully and wonderfully made" according to the scriptures and you have a standing army inside of you that if equipped correctly can destroy the invasion of diseases so common among us. I believe many lives "perish for lack of knowledge"! Knowledge is power..power to choose health over sickness...power even to choose life over death!! We chose years ago to take this journey into knowledge and health and invite you to follow along and share with us your insights! As I said yesterday, what we share is not to be considered medical advice or to take the place of your personal physician, or a claim that we can cure any disease, but is simply a sharing of what we have personally chosen to do in our journey toward a healthy lifestyle and to bring support to our immune system! We desire that you Live in Health!! Much of what we share is common knowledge to those who are seekers after truth.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Purpose of LiveInHealth

This is the last day I will live in my 50's. Tomorrow I begin my 60th year, and with all the changes a new decade will bring in my life, I have planned to begin compiling a book that covers some of the many things my wife Brenda and I have discovered personally and through the help of many mentors! Ours has been a wonderful and unique journey toward a more healthy lifestyle: body, soul and spirit. We have a great deal of passion to share with our readers the many choices in life that have helped us to be in outstanding health. I am entering my 6th decade and Brenda is not that far behind. We will be posting articles, pictures, recipes, fitness tips, reference materials, links to natural health practitioners, etc. We will also share a little history of our journey toward a healthy lifestyle.

We believe it is necessary to be proactive in our health maintenance program and have studied and used a variety of modalities to achieve optimal health. We do not subscribe to the rationale that only "the Doctor knows best". We believe our bodies " are fearfully and wonderfully made" by our creator and can speak to us if we listen carefully. We also believe that our creator has provided many healing therapies that are completely natural and non-invasive to promote healing. We are sharing our personal journey only and what we share is not to be considered medical advice or to take the place of the advice of your personal physician but merely as an explanation of what we have found helpful in our own personal journey. We do have the right to choose for our own bodies, and that is what we have done.