Monday, December 29, 2014

12 Ways to Get Rid of Gas & Bloating

by Claire at Everyday Roots

Let’s be straightforward. This is a page about gas, so, that’s what it’s going to sound like it’s about. No dancing around the subject matter, no putting things tentatively, no shame, no giggling … ok a little giggling is fine.

Call it whatever, gas, toots, breaking wind, farting, flatulence, air attack, the nether belch - we’re all referring to the same uncomfortable situation that crops up at the worst time - during a test in a silent room, or in a crowded elevator. Usually harmless, intestinal gas can be uncomfortable in more ways than one, and is a symptom rather than an illness itself. Because there are so many possible causes there are many ways to treat it, and you can usually find relief with simple natural remedies. Read the entire article.


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Joy in Believing

by Cecil Paxton

Romans 15:13 AMP - “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.”

Most Christians see believing as a choice. They think that because they choose to believe that they believe and that is all there is to believing. But the truth is that when we choose to believe that this is the beginning of the process of believing especially when life’s problems have dominated our heart to the place that we struggle to receive the promises of God.

True believing involves our heart being so consumed with the promise that there is a constant expectation of good that belongs to us in Christ. When the promise becomes more real in the imagination of our heart than life’s problem, there is an immediate connection with the Holy Spirit on the inside of us resulting in joy.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from within but if your heart is dominated with the challenge of the problem you will be insensitive to the Holy Spirit and more sensitive to yourself in your believing.

I am telling you that even though in the natural realm you may not have received the fulfillment of the promise and the problem is still in your life you can be so free of the problem that in the imagination of your heart you see the reality of the promise resulting in such joy in your excitement that comes in the realization of the goodness of God in his promises through Jesus. True believing involves joy not discouragement.

If you are feeling despair in waiting on the promise then you don’t understand receiving as it never involves waiting when it involves the promises of God that have already been given to you in Christ. They are already yours so stop consuming your heart with seeing bad because bad does not belong to you.

Because of Jesus only good belongs to you; so stop owning the bad. In other words, stop identifying with the bad it’s not yours. Only good belongs to you as Jesus has taken the bad and the problem upon Him and given you the promise. It is important that our imagination is working for us instead of against us.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we find that a vain imagination is always exalted against God because in our imagination we are not seeing the promise but in the eyes of our heart seeing the problem. A vain imagination is not changed by us casting it down with our external words where we can wear ourselves out emotionally and physically but it is cast down as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 by bringing every thought captive to the obedience of who we are in Christ.

Our identity needs to be established in Him and not holding on to the problem and establishing our identity in ourselves according to what we believe concerning the problem. This is why I say that all unbelief is always about us but the promise is always about Jesus.

True believing involves our heart being so consumed with the promise that there is a constant expectation of good. The result is the Joy of the Lord in the promise comes alive in the imagination of our heart. Also right along with the joy there is such a peace that the problem loses its ability to dominate our heart.

When life’s problems dominate our heart it produces fear in the form of an expectation of bad in our life. But, when the promise becomes real to our heart the byproduct is peace. From this place of peace it is easy to hear God’s voice as it says in John 10:27, “my sheep hear my voice I know them and they follow me.”

My prayer for you this day and every day is “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope."

Visit Cecil & Lisa's Website.

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Pets: Winter Hiking Tips Video



Video: Winter Hiking Tips
by Dr. Sarah

 Even though it’s frosty outside, there’s never been a better time to go for a hike. However, there are some precautions you should take to enjoy the Great Outdoors.

In this wintry episode of Pet Talk, Dr. Sarah offers helpful tips on how to safely stroll through a winter wonderland. Also covered are protections against cold-weather conditions like hypothermia and frostbite, great doggie gear and how to stay safely visible during hunting season. Watch this episode now

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Exchanging Bad Memories of Christmas

Remembering Christmas
by Dr. Jim Richards
Impact Ministries Blog


By the time you read this I’m sure you’ll be looking ahead to Christmas trying to figure out what to do, what to buy, or what you’re going to feed your family. Maybe you’re looking at it and asking, “How will I even get by?” One of the tools I offer as a gift every year is a short series about Creating Happy Holidays. If you have never listened to it, click here to download your free copy!

I grew up incredibly poor and as I got older Christmas wasn’t a time I looked forward to. My memories of Christmas include the time my mother was hospitalized and we had nothing to eat. It was actually my first positive encounter with church. A church group brought us food. I remember seeing the bags of groceries on our porch and knowing we would have food to eat.

Most Christmases were filled with hurt, disappointment, and embarrassment. We always knew that any holiday would end in my dad getting drunk and beating my mother. Or in later years my stepdad would get drunk, get in a fight, and tear the house to pieces. My mother tried so hard to give us some kind of meaningful Christmas with her incredibly limited resources, but it was rare that she was able to deliver on the hopes she had for us. Between my father stealing our food and money and giving it to his other family, the hopes deferred, and the general negative experiences Christmas was usually pretty bleak.

However, there were some positives. My brother and I would go into the woods, cut down a tree, drag it home, and fill the corner of our small living room with that wonderful cedar smell. My mom would sit with us and help us make decorations from popcorn and aluminum foil. I can only imagine how crazy those trees must have looked with a small assortment of store bought balls and lights and homemade ornaments.

This was one time of the year that my grandmother seemed to set aside her dysfunction and pitch in to help. My sister, brother, and I would wake up to a stocking with some candy and fruit and, for some odd reason, we each got a coconut. We opened our presents and, fortunately for us, we didn’t know we were poor. We loved every little toy and every piece of candy. My reason for even bringing this out is that I want you to know, you may not be able to do what you want to do for your children, but they can enjoy anything that’s done in love. Now that I’m older the painful part of those holidays has given way to the few good memories when we were children and life was wonderful if you had a coconut!

As a young adult I was tormented about the holidays. I would usually start getting more excessive in my drug and alcohol abuse in November and it would usually last until spring. I hated the holidays. It wasn’t the fact that we were poor or even the hard times we went through; I hated getting together with people you didn’t know or didn’t like and pretending that all was well! Of course, that’s what dysfunctional families do. The problems are too big to solve so you pretend they don’t exist.

All of this was brought to a head when I married a woman who loves Christmas. From the beginning she would decorate the entire house inside and out! She would change the dishes we used. She even played Christmas music. By the time Christmas morning came I would be struggling with depression so badly I could barely make it through opening gifts. But I wanted my kids to have a good Christmas so I prayed and worked it through. I can’t thank her and my kids enough for how patient they were with me and my holiday struggles!

Brenda and I somehow came to realize that we had to create our own traditions and our own unique memories. I needed for everything we did at Christmas to be genuine. Brenda has always been so gifted in the area of hospitality and I am able to help and encourage people. So the second year we were married we melded our abilities and began making sure that at Thanksgiving and Christmas we reached out to those who were widowed, divorced, and single. We invited them into our home to minister to them and help them through what could be a very difficult time. For me, the ability to bring joy to others was an essential part of my personal healing!

Let me encourage you to look beyond your own needs and reach out to others during the holidays. You may be like Brenda and I. We seldom had the money or resources to do what we did, but we did what we could and people were helped. The law of sowing and reaping works most consistently in the area of grace. When we seek and experience the grace to give anything away, that same grace makes us able to receive the very thing we give away! Too often we want to experience something in ourselves before we attempt to give it to others. Many times we experience the grace to receive at the very instant we are experiencing the grace to give.

Create new traditions for you and your family. Be the blessing to others you wish someone had been to you. Take the love of God to others and you will experience it in your own heart! Please download my free series "Creating Happy Holidays" and encourage your friends to visit our website and download their free copy. Let’s help everyone have a great Christmas.

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Copyright and Reprint Information - All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins, but may be used with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNatureInUs.com. Articles written by Donna L. Watkins may also be reprinted with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNatureInUs.com.

Monday, December 15, 2014

The Nature In Us Newsletter - 12/15/14


  The Nature In Us Newsletter - 12/15/14 
  by Donna L. Watkins  

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"Logic will get you from A to B.
Imagination will take you anywhere." -- Albert Einstein

Hello Dear Friends!

View Enlarged Image
Christmas Cactus in Bloom
View More Christmas Cactus Photos
Home Life - When our dear friends, Ken and Yvonne Bushell, moved from the neighborhood, they asked if we wanted a Christmas cactus.  I'm not much on house plants.  Not that I don't enjoy seeing them and fussing over them, it's just that we have always had cats and didn't want them chewing on anything that would be toxic to them.  It is one that is not toxic to dogs or cats.

Ken told us this Christmas cactus was in the garage and that sounded like such a lonely place for it, so I wanted to give it a "life" of window time and sunshine.  In the good weather months it remains outdoors, in the winter it resides in the breakfast area which becomes my office since I usually spend Spring, Summer and Autumn on the screened porch. 

It doesn't bloom at Christmas, but always blooms in early November.  It sure is a beauty and every year I send Ken and Yvonne photos of it.  I have my office area similar to last year when I decided to bring the chaise indoors.  Since the breakfast area window is southwest facing, it's a nice cozy and toasty place to spend the sunny days.  Even on dreary cloudy days I've got the birds and squirrels all over the bushes at the window and on the feeders and birdbath, so it's a wonderful spot!

Gardening -  In the last issue of this newsletter I mentioned that Nandina berries were toxic to wildlife.  We were informed otherwise before we put a few bushes in to hide the view of the storage shed, so when the berries are ripe we cut them off.

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Nandina Berries Kill Birds
Read More About This
They make bright and beautiful displays in the house especially for the holidays beginning with Thanksgiving.  I keep a photo of our son on the kitchen counter and always like to place some flowers by him.  I think the berries are a nice option also.  They sure do show off in color.  If you didn't see the post on "Nandina Berries Kill Birds" view it now.

Spiritual - Randal and I watch or listen to a spiritual message at lunch and dinner.  It fills our minds with good things and keeps our joy intact while it seems others are focused on the world falling to pieces. Psalm 91 tells us of God's protection over us and He's given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (I Peter 1:3).

Jesus said in a prayer to the Father: "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:15-17).

The more we put truth into our minds, the more spiritually-minded we can be. Whatever we focus on the most will be what is magnified in our lives the most.  If you've read anything on quantum physics, you already know that thoughts produce the reality of what is around us, so it's important to keep our thoughts on good things. Watching CNN (constantly negative news) is not an asset to our lives and watching soap operas certainly do not bring anything spiritual to our lives.

We have to overcome all this negative stuff, or we end up swimming in it, and from what I see many people are literally swimming in it.  There even seems to be a frenzy to talk about it and repeat it as if sharing it will unload some of the burden of fear.  When we are in fear of any sort, we are in unbelief and that's the opposite of faith. 

View Enlarged Image
Morning Prayers:
Squirrel on Birdhouse
View More Squirrel Photos
"For they that are after the flesh (things going on in the physical realm) do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5 KJV).

Another translation says, "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit" (Romans 8:5 NLT).

Recently we watched a video that was very inspiring for those of us who try to "DO" our way into God's blessings.  God's already done everything and Jesus said all we need to do is believe in our hearts to receive it.  Just as when we doubt in our hearts we don't receive it.

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he said shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he said" (Mark 11:23).

Here's a great message on video at YouTube - Programmed For Heaven. Here's an intro from the teacher, Clint Byars: "Believers have been given a new heart and new spirit. Our new heart is no longer wicked and our spirit is perfect. This new heart is encoded with God's truth and it hears God clearly. We don't have to try to figure out how to hear God or believe the truth, we're already recreated into a king of being that naturally believes, hears and follows God.

Our goal is not to try to hear God, our goal is to stop clouding His voice by trying to hear Him. The only time we're not following God is when we're worrying, afraid, asking for something we already have or trying to accomplish spiritual realities in our flesh.

God would not put a new heart in you that then needs to figure out how to believe. The new heart believes, we just need to tend the garden of our heart with the tools of peace so this magnificent transformation God has begun in us is completed the way it started, by His spirit."


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Monticello's Rear Entrance
Home of Thomas Jefferson
View More Photos of Monticello
Travel Virginia - We live off the same highway that Monticello is on so we visit the property quite often since parts of it have open access and the beauty of the place is incredible.  Monticello was the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who, after inheriting quite a large amount of land from his father, started building Monticello when he was 26 years old in the Charlottesville, Virginia area.  At one time it encompassed 5,000 acres but is now maintained at 2,500 acres. 

Years back they built a new visitor's center which now allows you access to many free areas of the estate which includes the two-story museum, a nature trail, a cafe, a gift shop and a nursery where you can buy historic plants that TJ used at Monticello.  They are still being grown at nearby Tufton Farm. We did some letterboxing one day and enjoyed some of the activities around the visitor's center and took some pretty Autumn photos.

Then on November 30th, they had their 2nd annual Open House at Monticello which was very cool. We got to take the shuttle up to the mountaintop where Mr. Jefferson built the house and gardens and an amazing plantation of horticulture and agricultural displays and research. The architecture is also something I enjoy seeing.

View Monticello photo albums:
Thomas Jefferson Visitor's Center
Monticello - Home of Thomas Jefferson
Annual Naturalization Ceremony on July 4th (Sam Waterston, Guest Speaker)

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The Redneck Gourmet Restaurant
N. Court Square - Downtown Newnan, GA
Travel Georgia - In the last issue of this newsletter, I mentioned my trip to Newnan, GA, and gave you a couple of links to photos.  In this issue I have the rest of the photos ready to view.  The downtown area is very historical and inviting with a lot of shops and places to dine.  There's also a lot of community events downtown with free movies and musical nights and various celebrations and holiday events.

The downtown area also includes historic Oak Hill Cemetery which was very interesting with a walking tour brochure giving you information behind the names on the monuments.
View Oak Hill Cemetery Photos.
View Downtown Newnan Photos.

I was intrigued with The Redneck Gourmet restaurant and read that the name came from the two owners, one a redneck and the other gourmet.  They have an interesting menu. The building was erected in 1894 initially occupied by the Newnan Banking Co. and a drug store.

Apparently the restaurant is no stranger to celebrities.  It has drawn the likes of country music star Alan Jackson, comedian Jeff Foxworthy, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking and former Atlanta Braves pitcher Steve Bedrosian (info from their website).  They have two locations and the other one is in Senoia to the east of Newnan which is a town with a long list of movies and television series filmed there

View Enlarged Image
Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
Cochran Mill Nature Center, Palmetto, GA
My favorite place was Cochran Mill Nature Center.  I went with my friend, Robin, who lives in the area, and it was super enjoyable.  They take in wildlife that is non-releaseable which includes a lot of reptiles that people once wanted as pets and now no longer want to care for them.  They can't be released since they've never had to hunt and feed themselves.

They also have an area outside of raptors that are either non-releaseable or are being rehabilitated to be released back into the wild.  The setting is amazing with 50 acres of land and adjacent to Cochran Mill Park, an 800-acre nature preserve.  Such a beautiful and peaceful setting in Palmetto, Georgia.  View Cochran Mill Nature Center Photos.

Helpful Tidbit - If you recently spent some time circling a mall parking lot, looking for a place to park, you may want to consider an approach recommended to CNBC.com by former math teacher Joseph Pagano. “Rather than circle the lot, idle in an aisle where you can see 10 spaces ahead of you on either side (20 total). Given the average holiday shopping trip duration of 77 minutes, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of those 20 spots should open up in 3.85 minutes or less of waiting.”

Christmas - I've been looking back at this past year and bringing to mind all the good things God has done for me.  We don't do much for Christmas since the focus of the world seems to be giving people who have too much stuff more stuff to deal with.  The celebration of the Lord's birth seems to be set aside.  He who gave His own life so that we could have eternal life.

Santa and Donna - Age: 3 or 4
We enjoy the amazing peace of December that seems so increased as we look at the world rev up and stress up for busyness.  It's nice to enjoy the musicals, church drama productions, hot apple cider evenings with homemade cookies, and the movies that portray a simpler side of Christmas.

Am I being too judgmental?  Probably so .... it makes me sad to look back at the simplicity of Christmas that I had growing up in the 50's in a small town, compared to what it has become now.

We stopped the whole gift exchange thing about 13 years ago. Interestingly when we did it, we got a response we did not expect.  Friends and all but two members of Randal's family thought it was a grand idea. Those who seem to thrive and run on stress power couldn't quite grasp the concept.  They were geared up for the adrenalin rush that comes before Thanksgiving and remains into January when they find themselves sick with the flu wondering why their immune system is so weak.

We exchange gifts with our son through the Amazon Wish List keeping it simple.  Instead, we like to make birthdays real special in our family.  Randal and I sometimes exchange a gift with each other if we can think of something we'd like to have.  So far, that's not happened yet this year.  Thinking of a couple of items for our son is about all we could muster up this year. Money is not the issue, but keeping life more simple is.

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Carolina Wren at Window
View More Wren Photos
I enjoy giving all year long so we are not without gifts to open from neighbors or friends, but I consider them more Thanksgiving gifts than Christmas.  Regardless, it's nice to be remembered.  We are not Bah Humbug folks ... we just don't want to join the Christmas madness.  We've never experienced the frenzy of Black Friday which it seems now has become more than a day's event.  Imagine how blessed we might feel if we spent our Christmas dollars on people who have almost nothing. 

Well, I don't want this to be a negative newsletter ... just pondering out loud and tossing out some possibilities for those who are tired of Christmas American Style.  There have been others who have made similar changes and it becomes more of a time of joy, peace and thanksgiving for all that we have already.

You might want to mention this "novel idea" at your family gathering to see how others may be thinking.  Maybe after opening another one of those gifts that is 100 miles away from anything you would choose [grin].  Maybe there are others who would like a more peaceful Christmas. At the very least maybe you could arrange for a gift exchange of only one person in the family to shop for.  That has gone over extremely well with families.

And maybe you could begin giving consumable gifts.  A great idea, especially for those who are home all day or a loved one that is not very mobile, would be a birdfeeder and black-oil sunflower seeds to fill it (this seed brings in the most variety of birds).  Something easier?  How about a suet feeder with a few refills!?  Birds need the extra quick energy that suet gives them and if they're in a wooded area, they'll see woodpeckers too.

I think what I'm really trying to say is to make Christmas what YOU want it to be.  Don't be pressured by family traditions that you don't want your own nuclear family to pattern life after.  You cannot imagine how great it is to have the peace part of this throughout the whole month of December.  Listen to your thoughts and words ... how do you really feel about the madness of Christmas?  Follow your heart.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

View Enlarged Photo
Donna at Monticello
 Home of Thomas Jefferson
Charlottesville, VA
View Photos of Monticello
May God Increase Your Blessings Daily,

Donna


P.S. Anything in here that might help somebody you know?
 
Here's a link to the online version of this newsletter. Click on it and on the left sidebar there will be an option to share in various ways. The top one is to email it to somebody.  

If you simply want to copy and paste the link into an email, here it is:  http://www.thenatureinus.com/2014/12/the-nature-in-us-newsletter-121514.html

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Posts Since Last Newsletter

Is Our Heart Prepared to Receive the Seed?

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Animal Hoarding - What To Do If You Suspect This?

The Nature In Us Newsletter - 11/15/14  (DLW)


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God’s Abounding Love

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The Nature In Us Newsletter - 11/1/14 (DLW)

The Soil of Our Hearts

Native Shrubs for Small Wildlife Gardens

What Traveling Brings to Our Lives

Common Pet Dangers


The Battle of Belief and Unbelief (DLW)

What It Means To Believe

Renovate Your Mind

Do You Really Trust God? (DLW)

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© All photos unless otherwise noted are the property of Donna L. Watkins and can be displayed elsewhere with approval. Contact me through the blog website.

Birds Need Water in Winter

From National Wildlife Federation Blog

Throughout the hot summer months, backyard birders faithfully supply fresh water our feathered friends need for drinking, bathing or simply cooling off. By this time of year, however, most have put away our birdbaths, fountains and other water features, assuming that birds won’t need them until next spring.

But that’s not true, experts say. “For birds and other wildlife, water is just as important in the cold months as it is during summer,” says NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski. “If there’s no snow in your area, there is literally no water, which means birds can be in trouble.”

Even in places with abundant snow and ice, it costs birds precious calories and body heat to melt frozen water. Backyards that provide fresh, clean, liquid water during winter tend to host more avian visitors than do frozen yards. In winter, “water is as big an attraction as feeders,” says Sally Roth, author of The Backyard Bird Feeder’s BibleRead the entire article.

Note From Donna:  You can find heated bird baths on Amazon.com but the best bird bath we've had is a ceramic saucer that you buy to go under a planter pot.  It's slick and easy to clean but more expensive than a plastic version. You do need to add a heater to the saucer so the water does not freeze.  You can get a plastic saucer in various sizes, but I would suggest a 12" saucer so there's room for the heater and several birds to sit around the edge.

The best deal on a heater is Farm Innovators Economical De-icer which is also a lower wattage to save on electricity. Those two items would give you a heated bird bath for under $25.  We have another bird bath that has the heater built in and is thermostatically controlled. The current best deal on something like that would be the K&M Super Ice Eliminator Bird Bath which has free shipping.

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Copyright and Reprint Information - All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins, but may be used with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNatureInUs.com. Articles written by Donna L. Watkins may also be reprinted with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNatureInUs.com.

God Works In The Simple Things

God Works In The Simple Things
by Andrew Wommack

John 14:7 "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. This is not only because Jesus did exactly what He saw His Father do, but Jesus was God in the flesh.

The disciples didn't realize that seeing Jesus was seeing God. They were expecting something more. Many times we miss seeing God work in our lives and circumstances because we are looking for something stupendous. Although it is true that God is totally awesome, He doesn't usually choose to manifest Himself in that way.

God spoke to Elijah not in the fire, wind, or an earthquake, but in a still, small voice. Jesus didn't come to this earth in a grand way by man's standards, but was born to poor parents in a stable. Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus had no form nor beauty that would make us think that He was anything more than a mere man.

Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, that God chooses to do things this way so that no flesh will glory in His presence. The Lord wants us to focus on Him through faith and not concentrate on the physical things He uses. In the Old Testament when the Lord did use visible instruments to release His power, the Israelites made idols out of those things.

Just as the disciples saw Jesus but didn't realize that what they saw was God, likewise, God is infinitely involved in our everyday lives, but we miss Him because we are blinded by our carnal minds. The primary reason that God chooses to use those who are nothing by the world's standards is so that no one else will take the credit for the great things that are accomplished.

Visit Andrew's Website.
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Monday, December 8, 2014

Is Our Heart Prepared to Receive the Seed?

by Cecil Paxton

Luke 8:15 NASU
“But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

When the Word of God like a seed is sown do we really receive the seed into our heart? Is our heart prepared to receive the seed of the Word of the Lord? When we listen to the Word of God being taught we all hear what the person is saying and we may even choose to believe what the person is saying but has that truth really become ours or is it just something that we have chosen to believe.

When it comes to the Word of God it must be something to us that is more than just what we hear and agree with. The Word of God is a Spiritual seed that must be received into our heart. Then there is a process we enter into where something is being produced that will manifest into this natural realm that we live in.

When a farmer puts seeds into the ground he expects a crop. He would not go to all the time and effort of planting the seed without expecting the benefit of his labor, the crop. If you are confident of the benefit of the crop then you will hold fast to the truth of the Word of God with a confidence in the one who made the promise knowing that He is faithful. The end result from your perseverance is fruit.

Matthew 13:8-9 NKJV
“But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Everyone hears preaching and teaching of the Word of God but not everyone has the ears of their heart open to hear resulting in perception and understanding coming forth by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is always involved in spiritual change.

So the question again is this -- is our heart prepared to receive the seed?
If our heart is described as soil then what is good soil?
If our heart can be honest then what is an honest heart?
If our heart can be good and honest then can it be bad and dishonest?
If our heart is in a bad condition and dishonest then does that make me a bad person and how does this affect my righteousness that I experienced at salvation?

All unbelief is always about us! It is about what we believe that is contrary to the Word of God but it can be truth to us because that is just simply the way we see it. This is how we close the eyes of our heart and usually do not realize the condition of our heart that it is in a condition of unbelief and dishonest. We can always have a willingness to resolve an issue of the heart no matter how bad the issue as long as we understand that our righteousness is in our born again spirit not in our heart.

There can be an issue of unbelief in our heart but we are still righteous and in good standing because of Jesus not because of our performance. Without this understanding of your righteousness being in Christ and not in your own performance from yourself then you would not have confidence to go to God for help with the bad issues of your heart. A person with issues of sin in their heart might emotionally feel shame which could through feelings of unworthiness to want to hide from God and not run to Him for help.

Matt 13:14-15 NKJV
“And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”

The problem with just listening to the Word of God and just choosing to believe what we were hearing is that there is no understanding in your heart of what you have heard. It is one thing to receive information into your conscience mind and another when the Holy Spirit enlightens the Word of God causing understanding to come forth. When the Word of God gives us under-standing we are able to practically apply that truth in a way that we live it and get spiritual results.

The condition of our heart is very important in receiving the Word of God. The example in verse 15 is a heart that is dull resulting in hard of hearing manifesting itself at times with an attitude since a person can feel very right about the way they see life’s issues.

The scripture says “their eyes they have closed” because we have a free will to choose and when we make the wrong choices out of a heart unprepared to receive from the Lord, He is not responsible for us not receiving, we are. The scripture says “lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, enabling the Lord to heal them." Receiving is about Jesus and not about us; it is for us.

Turning is another word for being converted which is a work of the Holy Spirit that we experience in Him giving us understanding which goes beyond the conscience mind and enters the sub-conscience part of our heart resulting in enabling us to live the ways of life in Christ.

True believing is when our heart is firmly persuaded in the process of believing to the place that we have a faith and confidence in the Lord with a constant expectation of the good we are believing for.

Luke 8:15 AMP
“But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just (noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.”

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Make Your Eyes Stronger and Enhance Your Short-Term Memory

From Luminosity

The pace of modern life makes us frequently use computers, and many people are employed in sedentary occupations where they spend at least two-thirds of their time at work sitting at a desk.

In such circumstances, our eyes get tired quickly, vision gets worse and as a result, these symptoms may lead to myopia (nearsightedness). Luminosity prepared a few tips that will help you keep your vision strong and protected.  Read this article.


Copyright and Reprint Information - All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins, but may be used with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNature InUs.com. Articles written by Donna L. Watkins can be reprinted with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNatureInUs.com.

You Are a Chosen One!


Chosen Before Creation
by Andrew Wommack

John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."

God the Father had the plan of salvation worked out before He even created the world. Most of us would not have created the world and man if we knew the heartache and terrible sacrifice it would cost. But God is not man. In His judgment (which is the correct judgment) the prize was worth the cost.

We were chosen in Christ before the world began. The Lord did not choose us by our merit, but solely by our acceptance of Christ which His foreknowledge allowed Him to do before the foundation of the world.

In the strictest sense, we were not personally chosen, but Christ was chosen and all those who are "in Christ" partake of His being chosen by His Father. Just as we are the beneficiaries of the covenant between God the Father and His Son Jesus, so we are chosen because we chose God's chosen, i.e. Christ. The Father would no more reject us than He would reject Jesus because we are accepted by the Father through Christ.

None of us can claim that we are without blame in the sight of men because man looks on the outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7) and all of us have sinned (Rom. 3:23). But the Lord looks on our born-again spirit which has been regenerated in Christ and He sees us holy and without blame.

If you look at any color through a red glass, that color becomes red. The same thing would happen if you looked through a green glass. Everything would become green. In a similar way, God looks at us through Christ and everything in our life becomes covered by the blood of Jesus. We are holy and without blame before Him because of His love expressed through His Son.

Visit Andrew's Website.


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Monday, December 1, 2014

The Nature In Us Newsletter - 12/1/14

"When Your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight." -- Jeremiah 15:16

  The Nature In Us Newsletter - 12/1/14 
  by Donna L. Watkins  


Hello Dear Friends!

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Spiritual - I've been pondering Romans 8:15 this morning:  "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”"

I love to use the word "Abba" to talk to my Heavenly Daddy.  It's the Word Jesus used when He called God His Father.  Although this was used in the Old Testament, it still stirred up the the religious Jews of Jesus' day who considered it blasphemy to call God their Father, because they understood that to mean they were equal with God.

I believe Jesus used this term, so we could know who God really is and how He wants us to relate to Him.  Most people don't have a problem relating to Jesus, but it's a whole other image when it's God the Father. But Jesus said that if we had seen Him, we had seen the Father.

Abba is defined as "a term of tender endearment by a beloved child – i.e. in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; "daddy," or "papa."  Jesus' use of this title brought a whole new understanding to our relationship with God. It reveals the kind, gentle, loving nature of our God. It takes away the image of God as being angry with His hand raised in judgment.  It promotes the image of a loving Father who understands and is our very best friend. 

Consider 1John 3:1, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."  We are sons and daughters of God by adoption.  Jesus was the Son of God by His very nature, but we have been adopted into the literal family of God.  Jesus purchased us with His blood.  We are sons of God by adoption.

Jesus was the Son of God by nature. We are not only heirs in the family of God, but literal joint-heirs with Christ.  That means we share equally with the One who has inherited everything that God has and is.  It is way beyond my comprehension.  1John 4:17 tell us that "as he is, so are we in this world."  It's hard to get my human mind wrapped around such a provision of the Lord.  How great is our God!

My Earthly Abba Daddy & Our Son Benjamin
June 1983
Personal - Speaking of fathers ... I was so blessed to grow up with a wonderful Daddy.  He was actually my grandfather and he absolutely adored me.  I never knew how blessed I was to have such love and favor since so many children grow up with less than favorable conditions.

Not that I didn't have a turbulent childhood, but looking back I was the one who caused all of that.  Much too strong-willed and independent.

While we're on the subject of strong-willed and independent, I took off on a spiritual trip to Newnan, Georgia last month for a week alone.  I'd been planning it the whole year and just never stepped out to do it mostly due to hot weather.

When I made my plans definite for November, it seemed my health tanked, but that only showed me that what I wanted to accomplish did not please the devil, so he was adding extra challenges to make me choose to stay home.  I did not.  More on that below in the Travel segment.

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Nandina Berries Kill Birds
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Gardening/Birds - We garden for wildlife so when we needed something to quickly cover up the storage building in the backyard at the end of the driveway we chose Nandinas (Heavenly Bamboo or Sacred Bamboo).  Although it was not a native plant it was billed as a great berry producer and and so we thought it would net itself out.

Then I found out that Nandina berries are toxic to birds and all wildlife.  Not a good thing, so now I cut off the berries and use them in flower arrangements or just as a decorative addition in a vase by themselves.  They are heavy producers of berries, but it makes me sad to think we have something toxic to birds in our habitat.  Be sure to read this article if you have Nandinas and please inform other bird lovers of this article:  Nandina Berries Kill Birds.

In the world of owls, breeding season has begun even with frigid temperatures.  We have a Great Horned Owl hooting in the back woods.  Sounds so lovely (see and listen to video).  The deep “Morse code” hoots echoing across the hollow are all about courtship and pair bonding. I'm fortunate to have a neighbor who loves hearing them also as she goes to sleep.  They begin breeding in December.  He's been hooting for a mate or to warn off other suitors maybe.  The deep hoots are the males and the slightly higher pitched hoots the larger females.

Health/Spiritual - I've heard quite a few people speak with fear about the Ebola virus. We who are Christians should live and feel differently than the rest of the world. God has given us great and precious promises. 2Peter 1:4 tells us that we've been given "exceeding great and precious promises: that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world ..."

Do we believe in God's promises or are they just something to read and not put any faith in? What good is the Bible if you can't use it to make a difference in your life? Psalm 91:11 says, "For He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go." My heavenly angel fulfilled this Scripture when I fell asleep at the wheel on the way to Georgia (mentioned above) and woke up to a strong jerk into another amazingly empty I-85 lane that kept me from crashing into the concrete wall.  I had cruise control on for 70 mph.

Many years back I memorized Psalm 91 in the King James Version. Recently I've been meditating on the New Living Translation because I like the simplicity of it. Maybe for some KJV is too 'complex' to understand and that could be why it's not implemented into hearts. It's what we believe in our hearts that makes and drives our lives and choices. Our beliefs mold and shape us into who we are.

Read over this NLT portion of Psalm 91 and meditate on it. Not just for a few minutes. Write it out, chew on it each day for as long as it takes for it to get into your heart and change your mind on what you believe about Ebola or anything other disease you fear. Personalize it for YOU as I have done here.

www.StuffJesusNeverSaid.com
"This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. For He will rescue me from every trap and protect me from deadly disease. He will cover me with His feathers. He will shelter me with His wings. His faithful promises are my armor and protection. I am not afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. I do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at my side, though ten thousand are dying around me, these evils will not touch me" (Psalm 91:2-7).

We read that and don't believe it because we don't see it. But what we don't realize is that our disbelief is why it isn't working for us. The Bible isn't a novel. It's not something to read through page after page. You take a portion of the Word that the Holy Spirit lays on your heart and meditate, ponder, and chew on it till it becomes real to you ... until you are experiencing it from within and there is no doubt left in your heart over it.

 This is not the way of life these days with all the media opportunities there are out there to grab our attention. It may seem like a waste of time or just too boring to focus on one small segment of Scripture for weeks. After all life is all about output, right?  How much can you produce?  But that's not God's way.  He said the least will be the greatest (Matthew 19:30).

Let me ask you this .... how's it working for you in your daily 5-minute Devotional or your Read-The-Bible-In-A-Year-Program? Has your life been changed by that? If you're not getting the results you want from the Word, why not try something different? Ask God to give you revelation on the words within His Word. Read various translations to get more insight into the original Greek definition of the language.

BlueLetterBible.org is a great place to dig deep. Maybe you don't have the heart to want to "seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13) or to "be still and know He is God" (Psalm 46:10). Could that be because you're not seeing the Word work for you? Again ... try something different. Let me know what you think after a week of it.

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture since it had a special role to play in our lives when our house was struck by lightning with a fire in the attic that we didn't even acknowledge for 20 minutes.  When we did realize it and went to call 911, we found it had blown out the telephone lines. This was a cedar home so it should've gone up like dry firewood the firemen said.

Well ... that's another story and you can read that in another blog post:  Psalm 91 Protection.

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Butterfly Exhibit
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens - Richmond, VA
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Travel - In mid-November, I took a faith trip with Jesus down to Newnan, Georgia.  There's a church that we've been participating in online and I have been wanting to visit all year.  Finally headed out on the 14th and returned on the 20th.  Randal kept Squeek, our kitty, company and worked.  The devil threw in challenges a week before I left but I knew I was to go.  He never wants good for us and I knew this trip was considered "Good!" by God.

I was so tuned in on a spiritual message on CD that I actually didn't stay on the highway I was supposed to be on, so the trip down was 12-1/2 hours long.  Since I only had 4 hours sleep before departing for Georgia, I fell asleep at the wheel by mid-afternoon on the interstate with my cruise control set at 70.

God had an angel zap my car out of the lane where I would've hit the concrete wall side of the interstate highway.  And amazingly, there was nobody in the lane to the right, but that quick jerk sure woke me up.  I was wide awake for the rest of the trip down.  Psalm 91:11-12 says, "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.  In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone (or concrete divider)." 

The church was amazing, awesome and I felt as though I'd been there a long time.  I met a couple and the wife said she felt like she'd known me already. It was nice to put the visual dimension into the folks that I'd seen on the computer.  I was invited to "hang out" at the church with the staff after their weekly meeting so that was a very special time of three hours and they prayed for me and my health has made some wonderful improvements.

It was 11 hours back and my trip home was definitely better than the trip on the way down.  As I said, Psalm 91 has been a reality in my life many times.  I'm glad I still meditate on it enough for it to sink into my heart's belief system.  We need to digest the Word and apply its promises to our lives.

I have a friend that lives in the town to the east of Newnan so I did get to spend some time with her.  She was an earthly angel God used to help me while I was there.  We enjoyed visiting a nature center (photos in next issue) and a state park she'd wanted to go to.  It was also on my list of want-to's.  It's Georgia's newest state park, Chattahoochee Bend State Park.  It was a lovely warmer-than-expected day even though it was supposed to rain.  View State Park Photos in Gallery.

We also did a drive-through for some pictures of the Ashley Park Outdoor Mall for our son who enjoys shopping.  I'm not much of a shopper myself.  It looks like a nice place to take a stroll and chat with some areas of benches.  There was also a central area with a fountain and several metal sculptures, but I couldn't get a photo of that from the car with the traffic.  I love metal sculptures! View Photos of Mall.

Our Thanksgiving Meal
Holidays - Being vegetarians since 1979, Thanksgiving has never had food as the focus since somehow Thanksgiving seems to be synonymous with turkey.  However when Benjamin, our son, was at home we always had a celebration meal of Thanksgiving for the previous year of God's goodness unto us and mankind.  The last one I prepared was in 1998 before Benjamin moved to Oklahoma City.

This year seemed to be an especially good time to celebrate the holiday.  It's a year that I've decided not to let Winter be the focus, but all the goodness around me that God has placed in my life.  So, we had a simple menu plan of Waldorf Salad on Romaine Lettuce, Amy's Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (frozen), Brussels Sprouts in Butter, and Rustico Basil Garlic Bread with Olive Oil and Grape Juice.  For dessert I made Honey Pumpkin-Pecan-Coconut pies. It was a very special meal. 

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Squeek in Her Cuddle Cozy
More Photos of Our Cats
Pets - The pies took 1-1/2 cans of pumpkin so I had some leftover. Remembering I'd heard that dogs enjoy pumpkin, I decided to spoon out a bit into a dish for Squeek, our cat.  Lo and behold!  She gobbled it down like it was a treat.  So she got the rest of the pumpkin over the next few days.  I guess that means she had a special Thanksgiving meal also.

May God Increase Your Blessings Daily,

Donna


P.S. Anything in here that might help somebody you know?
 
Here's a link to the online version of this newsletter:  

http://www.thenatureinus.com/2014/12/the-nature-in-us-newsletter-12114.html

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Posts Since Last Newsletter

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Family And The Holidays

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Do You Have To Be Right?

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