Determining Your Own Direction

Our choices determine our direction

Thankfully, we’ve been given the intelligence to know and decide how to act in any situation. In other words, we inherently know right from wrong. But is it easy to make good decisions? Absolutely not! We know this by how long it took us to change our own lives for the better. But we finally did it when we had the best information.

One of the uncontrolled parts of our previously married life is that some of us, or we could say most of us, were “commanded” on a daily basis by our significant other to do some things we knew were not right at the time. But because we were pushed emotionally and, sometimes, physically until we complied, we resisted and didn’t act on our own decision. A very uncomfortable position, indeed.   

Considering Decisions

Now that we are on our own, we can strive to live in peace and harmony with others without giving up our common sense and moral values. Sometimes it's very difficult to lean in that direction, especially when certain questionable activities make us cringe and even doubt our beliefs because of the popularity of it all. This week on October 31st is one of those misunderstood occasions that can tend to rub us the wrong way. Not everyone believes or celebrates Halloween. We want to do what we know is right for us, but how do we do that?

First, let’s remember we are each free to determine how we should act and why. There is absolutely no judgment here. Celebrating or not is our decision alone, but to do that, we need knowledge of the subject: some pertinent information and historical facts to consider that will help us make an informed decision along the way. Amazingly, God has a lot to say about this particular subject. So it is important for us to settle now how we want to reflect our Christian lives to others.

Secondly, we would be correct in saying the Bible does not mention the actual word Halloween. And perhaps for some, there is nothing evil about children’s “happy” costumes in general. But we should at least ask, is Halloween anti-Christian? When talking about the “darker” aspects of this day, absolutely! So, we have to figure out exactly how we feel about this “celebration” and how we want to handle it.   

Keeping Our Head Out of the Sand

Thinking about the sandbox?

God, however, didn’t leave us to figure it all out by ourselves. He’s good that way. He has our backs! God has definite instructions for us about certain evil practices, no matter what day it is! Here are some eye-opening facts we previously may not have even thought much about:

Considered innocent by some people, these activities are extremely harmful to us according to God’s Word (look up the corresponding verses to discover why):

• witchcraft and fortune-telling (Lev 19:26)
• occult (Acts 8:9-24)
• sorcery (Acts 13:6-11)
• magic (Acts 19:19)
• mediums and necromancers (Lev 19:31, 20:6)
• divination, casting spells, seances, channeling (Deut 18:9-12)

As if those customs were not enough, the Bible speaks in general about these unexplored subjects:

• there are no such thing as ghosts (of deceased persons) (2 Cor 11:14-15)
• but there are good angels (Isa 6:2-6)
• and there are evil demons (Lk 8:2)

The result: in addition to the above, demons deceive and convince us to use the following practices: psychics, seances, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystal balls, and horoscopes to mislead, corrupt, and destroy us! This shows the importance of staying in the Bible daily.

Amazing Truth

“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 NLT).

“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe--some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them--then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong” (Romans: 14:22-23 MSG).

More Than One Use for a Pumpkin

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Tis' the season...for pumpkins, that is. Harvest season is here in so many fun ways! Various crops are harvested in America right now and pumpkins, a variety of the winter squash family, are colorful, healthful, and sometimes, very, very large. One of the most well-known contests is the All-New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Topsfield, MA. In 2012, one person grew the largest pumpkin of all-time: one ton!!




Be Adventurous!
Most Moms, however, purchase their regular size pumpkins at the grocers. They can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to two months. And many enjoy the best eating around with these delicious seasonal delights. Instead of carving them and ruining the contents, many cooks use them for salads, preserves, casseroles, and even butter as they are low calorie and high in vitamins. Start something different with your kids and try pumpkin fries, pumpkin seed guacamole, and for dessert, there is pumpkin tiramisu or pumpkin ice cream. Mmmm!

Orange Is Happy!
Of course, decorations can be gorgeous, too, using pumpkins on the table, entryways and mini ones in wreaths. With the strange and primitive tradition of carving pumpkins into weird and sometimes scary faces (never mind wearing costumes next week), one would think we had no other uses for this beautiful orange plant. But actually, pumpkins have numerous uses including health benefits for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, hypertension and aging to name but a few.   

Crazy, But So Cool!
Try some of these non-traditional ways to enjoy your pumpkins today:

Try a pumpkin body scrub!

• Use as a body scrub or try this facial mask:
• Wash face completely
• Combine & mix in a small bowl the following: 
• pumpkin puree
• honey
• milk
• Apply to face
• Set 20 min and remove

The results can be amazing!

"He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields'" Matthew 9:37-38 NLT.

Celebrating October in Style

What could be better than this time of year? The colors, smells, and cooler weather are a time to rejoice. It's fun to begin by gathering leaves, nuts, straw, acorns, pine cones, and corn husks to craft into door wreaths.  Fall is a favorite with so many people that we have created holidays and festivals to enjoy throughout the season. Lots of things to do. Places to go. People to meet. 



Hands of Love
Of course, our ancestors didn't need to make special days, it just naturally happened with all the gathering of farm crops; a lot of work for sure! More work than most of us would willingly want to do. Although, obviously, we still have farms to grow our food, sadly, we have much less of them in the 21st century. 

So, whether we are farmers, or not, having time to celebrate the harvest is a very good thing! During October and way into November, we can be thankful for all the blessings we have received by continuing or even creating new traditions for ourselves and our families.

Hearts of Gold
Harvest is a time for celebrating many crops that are grown and picked all over the U.S. at this time of year. Depending on what part of the country we live in, apples, grapes, corn, and pecans are among the many Fall crops that can all be enjoyed. Farmers especially in Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington are busy plucking apples, the Northern Midwest states are knee deep in the Corn Belt, and New England wades in the cranberries. [A bit of disclaimer here: I am definitely not a farmer, so don't shoot the messenger, o.k. - smile!]  

Harvest of Pumpkins
Pumpkins grow best in full sun. So it's a bit curious the Top Five states for pumpkin growing are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. They are, of course, popular anywhere in the Fall. Many towns have pumpkin farms open to the public so people can pick their own. These are sometimes combined with baking competitions, horseback rides, and hayrides. Most have country stores that sell handcrafted items and yummy homemade goods. It wouldn't be the same without the jams, apple butter, and pumpkin pie. What a delight!  

Combine these for a Quick Treat: Pumpkin Chocolate Yogurt
Greek yogurt
Pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
Honey
Cinnamon
Cocoa powder

Enjoy. Nothing easier!

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance" (Psalms 65:11 NLT).

Nine Easy Ways to Handle Everyday Stress

How long can you hold your breath? The world record is 22 minutes and 22 seconds underwater. Wow! This is way longer than what the average, healthy person can do at approximately two minutes. Obviously, it is much, much easier to simply take one breath at a time as we are meant to do, even though we might observe a toddler holding her/his breath during a tantrum for a very long time.

Some musicians practice taking deep breaths, so they might play their wind instruments properly and have the sound come out beautifully. Athletes too are required to have great lung capacity for stamina and endurance if they want to succeed. And, of course, it’s common knowledge that taking long, slow breaths and releasing them through the mouth can reduce blood pressure, anxiety and stress as well as keep us calm.

Life is inherently difficult and learning to deal with stress is a major accomplishment. But just know stress management is an entire world all by itself. Doctors of all kinds have spent their lives studying and writing about this important subject and, since this writer is not a doctor by any means, we are not attempting to cover the curriculum that fills colleges on this matter.

However, we can try and offer some sensible and practical points that may lead us into a better frame of mind on most days. Since we are all humans, we may be familiar with stress just a little bit, right? So, let’s begin here finding some "ah-ha" answers simply based on the fact we naturally have living cells in our bodies called hormones. Of course, we need them to grow but at times they can really get out of control. Oh, yes! We can all relate.

The Why

Understanding stress can help us to deal with its effect. As we mentioned, it starts with hormones but if stress is extreme and severe in your case, then this is a matter to first discuss with your medical doctor. Then what else? Consider if any of the following sounds familiar and may be affecting your situation:

--Multitasking

--Wearing too many “hats”

--Trying to please everyone

--Poor nutrition

--Substances, legal or otherwise

--Sleep disorders

--Depression

These are just a few. The causes of stress can fill volumes of books and do. So, if you are serious about tackling this problem and learning how to reduce stress in your life, start searching for reliable sources. Here are just a couple to start off:

--So Stressed, The Ultimate Stress-Relief Plan for Women by Stephanie McClellan, M.D. and Beth Hamilton, M.D.

--The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis, Ph.D., Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, MSW, and Matthew McKay, Ph.D.

The How

There are plenty of ways to de-stress and the books above show us how in detail. Just to give you an idea of some practical methods to make part of your life, think about these:

Time-management. Don’t overdo and try to cram everything into one 24-hour period. We’ve all done this. Experts suggest keeping a log or journal for a week or two to discover where all your time goes. Remember, first things first when it comes to your time [what’s important].

Nutrition/Sleep/Exercise. If your life is not as healthy as you would like, start with small steps and go forward. A lack of these important aspects are roadblocks to de-stressing. Aim for consistency.

Organization. Many women today are taking part in simplifying or downsizing their lives and homes because it has been proven chaos that surrounds us causes stress! It’s worth attempting. Start small.

Nine Answers Right Now

Sometimes we just need an immediate solution. Keep a list of these handy:

1. Visit a flower shop and just smell the blooms or buy a Gerber Daisy for your desk


2. Take a bubble bath while playing music

3. Enjoy a treat of tea and scones, coffee and chocolate muffins, etc.

4. Use an adult coloring book—it’s not silly, it’s very relaxing

5. Turn off all electronics, read a book in bed and you’ll sleep like a baby

6. Go out and photograph nature

7. Plant a garden indoors or outdoors

8. Draw or paint a canvas

9. Continue or start a scrapbook or journal

Add to this list every time you think of something that makes you smile. You might even fill an entire notebook with ideas!

Meet the Counselor

Did you know we have a “live-in” Counselor right in our own homes? It’s true! A tiny baby was born one night in Bethlehem and they called him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace! That certainly sounds like someone we need on our side, especially in times of stress. His “office” door is always open. Go right on in and talk to Him—you’ll be glad you did.

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” Luke 12:25-26 NLT.