Saturday, April 15, 2006

Natural Choices for Household Cleaning

Sunshine Concentrate Multi-Purpose Cleaner
One Product Cleaning Solution from Nature's Sunshine. Highly concentrated, this cleaner is good for just about every cleaning need imagineable.

Nature's Fresh
This widely tested deodorizer utilizes a special formulation of enzymes gleaned from plant sources. These enzymes work as deodorizers and break down the molecular structure of stains without harming fabric. Nature's Fresh is hypoallergenic, unscented, non-irritating and environmentally safe.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Antibacterial Soaps a Danger

An increasing social obsession with cleanliness may be doing more harm than good. Scientists at the recent International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed that the widespread use of antibacterial soaps on children might influence the development of chronic diseases and lead to other health problems in developed countries.

Scientists suspect that eradicating organisms can weaken some parts of a child's immune system and cause an imbalance that triggers illnesses, such as asthma, allergies and some severe types of diabetes.

Read this article from the Discovery Channel, "The Dirty Truth about Washing Your Hands"

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Tormenting Unbelief

by Donna L. Watkins

© 2006 Donna L. Watkins - Squeek aka Kitty Girl

A couple months ago our kitty got very sick very quickly. One evening she was fine and the next her one eye was totally dilated, and by early morning, she was lying in a corner facing a wall and burning up with fever. We wrapped her in a wet towel to lower the temperature and prayed. The vet diagnosed her with FIV, the feline version of AIDS. With her temperature so high and the symptoms presented, the vet didn’t think she’d make it a week.

We had lost our other cat less than a year before and this one was so energetic and healthy, we consoled ourselves in having her to enjoy for many years. Now we were presented with the vet’s prognosis and the opposing promises of God. Which would we choose? Research shows the power of that professionally spoken word. Those who go home believing it and put their things in order ready to die, generally die. Those who choose not to believe it but make the utmost attempt at all they can do to make themselves healthy are shown to have high statistics of living.

We had a choice to make. We prayed and fasted and we did all we knew to do for her with our knowledge of physiology and natural health principles. We used the antibiotics since the dilated and bulging eye with pressure close to a glaucoma reading was of great concern and was possibly from a bacterial infection. We have never taken antibiotics for ourselves or our child, but this cat was so weak and full of mucus that when I gave her a small dropper of water she gurgled trying to get it down. There was no way to get enough herbs in her to make the turn-around quick enough, so we used drugs along with the herbs. There is a place for modern medicine, but it’s certainly not where it is today.

She ate or drank nothing other than what I put down in droppers for four days and then she began taking a bit by herself. A week after diagnosis she was back to eating and drinking on her own.

The agonizing torment of the whole incident was the battle of what we were going to believe. The Bible is full of promises, but it doesn’t take much time for us to know, as we read the promises we want to be evident in our lives, that we do not believe them to be true for us. You have to look far and wide to find somebody living and believing in God’s promises. Research shows there’s not much difference in lifestyles between Christians and non-Christians these days.

Yet, you read over and over again that we must BELIEVE to make them our own. Jesus said, “Only believe.” Only! Like “that’s all there is to it?” It’s the only thing you can’t DO. It’s one of those BEING things. I’m such a doer. I want a method and list of tasks and I’ll get the job done, but believing! Oh my! That’s a ‘being’ thing. It comes from within and takes a lot of time in God’s Word, not doing.

I see so clearly how the devil deceived Eve coming against the knowledge she had with questions and twisting accusations against God. He’s still at it today. He can’t take us to Hell, but he sure can make life on Earth hell for us if we allow him to control our thoughts.

Smith Wigglesworth says, “The Master does not want us to reason things out, for carnal reasoning will always land us in a bog of unbelief.” Oh, what torment for those of us who have minds that continually reason. Quick thinking is not always a blessing. My husband is a slow thinker, which is why he is so good at fixing things. He can hang in there focused until the most complicated job is done ... and he can counsel with somebody with the utmost patience eons after my mind is dizzy with just a tip of the person’s issues. He’s my solid rock on earth to show me how solid the Rock is that my salvation stands on. If I believe Jesus saves me, then why not take the whole package?

We have too many opinions from church training, books, tapes and television. Smith Wigglesworth when asked why he didn’t read newspapers and books said, “Why do I want to read partial truth when I can have the whole Truth?” Dig in and find the treasure for yourself. Know that you KNOW (BELIEVE) what the Word says.

All His Words are Spirit and Life (John 6:63), and you will find your faith in them if you diligently stay in the Word. You will be able to BELIEVE, but you will have to take thoughts captive that are not based on Truth. Don’t be deceived like Eve. You can choose belief and although it seems harder than you can bear, the only other choice is drowning in sorrow and grief. If you can’t believe anything else begin with trust. Trust Him with your daily life as you have your eternal life. Just say over and over again that you trust Him - for wisdom, for belief, for healing, for direction, for finances. He is for you not against you.

If you’d like to increase your faith regarding Jesus and animals, consider the book, There Is Eternal Life For Animals endorsed by Jack Van Impe.

Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com

Sunday, April 9, 2006

Do You Think Life Is Tough?

by Donna L. Watkins

Not too long ago I had a paradigm shift on how I viewed God. I was doing the workbook, "Breaking the Cycle of Hurtful Family Relationships," and had great revelation of my beliefs about God. They certainly didn't line up with what I spoke and thought about God, so I was really shocked to find these "hidden" belief systems that I could see shaped my everyday life.

One of the lies I believed has been that Life Is Tough! You work the program and overcome it and it's a daily battle, sometimes hourly, and you get through hoping for a better day when tomorrow dawns.

I surely had agreement in the Church and Christian circles with it because trials and tribulations are a part of our lives as the Bible says. However, I sure felt challenged when I would hit James 1 with "consider it pure joy, my brothers ...." I definitely knew I was missing the message in those trials. You can't say "life is tough" with a joyful voice or expression.

I knew the 'God loves you' verses and I voiced the words and I thought about Him loving me when things would go sour in life ... but I didn't believe it! It did not make a difference in how I handled the circumstances of life.

The amazing thing!? I'm finding that many people don't really believe it. If you listen to what people say and what they do to make themselves feel loved, you'll find a frenzy of folks shopping, eating, reading romance novels, running from one relationship to another and partying to find something to replace the love they're missing.

Where has Faith gone in the Church? You can't have Faith in a God that you believe doesn't love you. You can't trust your life to somebody that you believe doesn't love you.

What do you think about when things go wrong in life? Do you consider what you may be doing wrong that needs correction for God to allow that event in your life? He is a perfect parent and will discipline us as needed from love (Hebrews 12:5-6). There has been so much wrong discipline going on in families that we take aversion to any discipline at all as if we don't need any correction on our path in life.

Then we have a choice on our thoughts. We can believe God just doesn't care about us [abandonment] or is a mean and punishing god [like a parent was]. Either way we don't see love in any of it because we have lenses between us and Him that change our vision based on our childhood.

Generally we just seek relief rather than revelation on the root cause. If we don't have any love for ourselves, because we have not believed in our Father's love, we won't want to consider our actions because we will react to that with another wrong reaction of guilt and shame. Somewhere along life's path we have been rejected and made to feel like a failure and that wound has remained open and raw.

Until we accept God's true love and are willing to accept that He is all-knowing and has a plan for our lives, we attempt to stay in control with substitutions that never satisfy.

Our minds are filled with wrong thoughts that bring us down emotionally and our health is greatly affected and our relationships fail because we attract the wrong people.

We do not make the right choice to think what God tells us to think about:

Philippians 4:8
"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."

We're usually so busy rehearsing what the "devil is doing in our lives" when we have the power and joy available to keep him at a far distance from being able to get at us. May I be bold as to say that "the devil can't get to your life unless you let him?" We have to believe that God loves us, and in that we can love ourselves and others, which will change the whole world around.

Don't waste your life rehearsing the evil of the day and past. Begin to look some place else for your thoughts. Ask God for a Scripture to deliver you from this and stick with it. Memorize it! Stand on it in faith and belief. Renew your mind with one healing moment or thought at a time about how much God truly loves you!

How about Ephesians 3:16-19:
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

I memorized a poem that I've fallen in love with. It has helped me to remember how awesome our Creator God is and how wonderful each day is because there is a God of Tomorrow.

Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com

Saturday, April 1, 2006

Winter to Spring

by Donna L. Watkins

Recently, an aunt gave me a book entitled, "Seasons of My Heart," by Barbara J. Peretti, who is the wife of Frank Peretti. I've just gotten started in the book ... but it hit me like a cold gust of wind in winter. Isn't it grand when God drops things in on us just when we need them? I've been on this heavy-duty herbal program for rheumatoid arthritis and it has its ups and downs as it kills off the bad guys (mycoplasmas) that are causing the disease. As it gets into the cell to destroy the offenders, you have die-off and that makes you feel worse.

I'm not a very patient person. I've always had tons of energy and designed my life to revolve around what I do. God began dealing with me on that many years ago, at which time I wrote an article in the very beginnings of this email devotional. It was entitled, "Life is in the BEING, Not in the DOING."

Mentally I see that 'being' has a lot more value than I ever placed on it, but destroying the old tapes that set my 'doing' in motion has been a slow process. God does not create disease, that's the devil's work, but I know God allows every single thing that comes into our lives for a purpose that will only produce good in our lives if we love Him enough to accept and learn from it.

Most of my life I haven't been willing to accept anything outside of my own design for my life. When things weren't going my way, I wasn't too sure God was there for me. We supposedly see God through the filters of our own parents. My Daddy could fix anything and he was always there for me. The problem was that he never said NO to me. God loves me enough to do what is best for me. He created me to fellowship with Him and sent His Son to die for me so that I could find peace, joy and contentment in all circumstances of life.

Becoming like Christ is the catalyst need to have that peace. Barbara J. Peretti says, "If the present is not glorious, it is not that God has left us; rather, He is silently working to develop His character in our lives." Don't we tease about how many classes there are on character and that we don't want any more schooling? If we don't get a passing grade, we get to repeat the lessons with more circumstances. The devil never runs out of teaching materials or methods.

Our lives are full of seasons and what we remember most are the winters because winters seem so long. Spring seems to pass by so quickly. Here in Virginia by mid-March, on our acre, the daffodils begin to bob their bright yellow flowers looking as if they are smiling at you. The forsythias bloom such a bright yellow that they look like golden twinkle lights. The hyacinths surge those tall chunky blooms up from the ground and provide a scent that takes my mind to the scenes of Heaven when I inhale the aroma.

Today is the first day of April and there are tiny buds on trees and bushes everywhere. The butterfly bushes have been surging forth with new green sprigs since I pruned them a week ago. Oh, how I long for the oaks and maples to burst forth with leaves in the forest behind us because they are going to begin a building project of a housing village to the right of our property line.

Six months without leaves on the trees makes our yard feel so bare, so cold, with the trees seemingly lifeless. It's like our little corner of the world has been forgotten about. The only memory of the lushness of summer are the evergreens that look like artificial plants amidst the starkness of the plant world around them.

Winter circumstances in our lives make us feel so barren, but life is still there, waiting to spring forth. The daffodil bulbs were there all winter being nourished by the snow and without the freezing temperatures, they would not be blooming at all. I cut some daffodils to surround myself with them in the house .... to remind me that my life is like a daffodil. I will make it through the winter seasons of life and will spring forth, more like Christ, if I choose to dig into the Truth and pass the class.

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 says, "And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season."

The warmth of His love for us and His Spring rains bring us to life again. They allow us to bloom and glorify our Creator and provide a bright life of hope to others. And so I wonder ..... do my choices hold the rains away? Do I prolong the winters of my life because I am pouting? What can I do to shorten the winters of my life?

It is so much easier for me to whine and complain that I'm not getting my own way, but this life we've been given is not about "what's in it for me" even though our culture teaches that. It's about loving our Father and appreciating the sacrifice of His Son that allows us to come boldly to His throne for comfort, direction, purpose and power to endure the winters of our lives with peace and joy. Do we as Christians look different in our winter storms? We've been given the power to do so.

Prayer:
Father, help me to see who you really are based on Truth, and to know that what I see as bad in my life can be so good if I will love You and serve You regardless of my circumstances. Help me to look to You in all things and leave behind my own inadequate strength and power to access yours. As I seek You, rain on my life, Lord, so I can spring forth as the daffodils to be a bright and smiling face that reflects You, the Creator. Amen

Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2008 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription.
Link URL: http://www.TheNatureInUs.com

Come For Tea In Virginia

We had some really nice weather this week so I took advantage of it in the garden. I have big dreams and plans for Bluebird Cove, our little acre here in Virginia. Adding new habitats and plants to feed wildlife is such fun and it certainly entertains my thoughts and motivates me to begin each day very early.

I'm working on an herbal program for rheumatoid arthritis based on the root cause being an infection (mycoplasmas), so some days are more difficult than others, but the joy of my imagination of how it will be keeps me moving along on the list of things to be done. The pace is no longer as important as it used to be ... it's just about doing it and enjoying it.

I told my husband, Randal, that nothing delights my heart more than for him to work with me on the landscaping and habitat for the birds and critters. Somebody else can have all the diamonds, mansions, fancy cars and shopping excursions. I'll just take a co-gardener to enjoy the passion of tending to God's Creation.

I wasn't always this way. At one time all the other things were important to me. My life has changed for the better because of health challenges and I am so grateful for the difficult circumstances of life that mold us and shape us into more of who we truly want to be, but never take the time to become without being pressed into it.

That doesn't mean I believe I have to keep this disease to be a better person. Nope! Just using it as a stepping stone.

I'll be enjoying tea on the porch waiting for you to let me know you'll be coming by. In the meantime, please share this newsletter with others interested in the wonders of nature and our own nature! Maybe one of them will be coming through our area of Virginia and will schedule some time for tea with me.

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