The Nature In Us: May 2012

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Be a Life Changer

by Donna L. Watkins

My husband and I have been members at Kiva for about a year and it's been such fun! I'd like to give you a chance to feel great about doing something great ... and it doesn't cost you a penny.

We were blessed with the opportunity to be entrepreneurs many years ago so we want to 'give back' to those who follow in our footsteps. Everybody should be able to live their dreams no matter how poor the economy of the country or their personal situation. YOU can be a dream maker for somebody!

For a limited time, an anonymous donor is making it possible to allow you to choose somebody to lend to without having to pay for it yourself. Obviously they hope you will become addicted to the joy of it all and consider donating $25 yourself to change a family's life.

We began with $75, making 3 loans initially. As those loans are paid back the money returns to your Kiva account. So, you get to keep re-lending it over and over again. We've been able to be part of the loans for nine people in a wide range of countries.

Join me on Kiva and empower a borrower with a $25 loan… for free! Change a life NOW!.

Here's the faces of some of the people we've been blessed to help:

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always

On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Our Words - Life or Death

by Andrew Wommack

Matthew 12:37, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

MATTHEW 12:34-37

God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Heb. 11:3). The whole creation was made by, and responds to, words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words.

Every word counts. There is no such things as an "idle" word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can be our most powerful weapon against the devil, or they can become a snare of the devil (Prov. 6:2). Faith-filled words can move mountains.

The faith that made Jesus marvel was a faith in the authority of the spoken word (Mt. 8:8, 10). We are to believe in the power of our words. If we begin to speak words in faith that line up with God's Word, then we will have the positive results that follow.

But if we continue to speak words of doubt, we will eventually believe them and have the negative things that these words produce. Death or life are in the power of every word we speak.

Faith is released by speaking words. Jesus encouraged us to speak to mountains or to whatever our problem might be. Most people speak to God about their problem, but few follow Jesus' instructions and speak directly to the "mountain."

God has put certain things under our authority and we must exercise it. When a problem stands in our way, we must speak to the problem and command it to get out of our way in the name of Jesus. Speak God's Word today. His Words will produce life.

Visit Andrew's website.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Biblical 'Eco' Miracle Saves Land!

The Vineyard Boise had grown and thrived on a beautiful 22-acre spread in the midst of Boise's poorest neighborhood because of an environmental miracle.

The bank had wanted a million dollars for those 22 acres, far more than the Vineyard Boise could afford. It was then that the Environmental Protection Agency drilled test-holes and found a dry cleaner had polluted the land's soil and ground water.

"So the EPA condemned the property," Pastor Robinson explained.

In the face of that, the bank dropped the price of the land to $170,000. The church scooped up the property at that bargain price but was faced with the fact it couldn't build anything on the condemned land.

At that time, church-cleaner Ray Gallegos read about how the prophet Elisha in the Old Testament had healed polluted waters with salt. Read the amazing results ....

This Website is Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Online Catalog * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils

Financial Aid for Pets

For the last 14 years, a small group of dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to achieve seemingly impossible goals for pets needing medical care. Here's an organization that prevents many pets from being put to sleep. Read about In Memory of Magic with this clip from their website:

At the time of IMOM’s inception, IMOM had no mentors -- no other organizations to pattern ourselves after. No one was doing what IMOM wanted to do for sick, injured, and abused companion animals. We had to turn our focus to the one tool we all possessed. That tool was a strong desire and determination to help people help pets.

Since 1998, IMOM has funded non-routine veterinary care for more than 1800 companion animals. Funds paid out to veterinarians and pharmacies have surpassed our wildest dreams.

For our accomplishments we thank our team of volunteers, our community of supporters and the more than 1000 veterinarians nationwide who have worked with us. We could not have done it without all of you. We are eternally grateful to you for confidence and trust in our organization. Get more info or give to this worthy cause.

This Website is Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Online Catalog * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils

Saturday, May 19, 2012

My Designated "I Can Garden" Day

by Donna L. Watkins

Today I decided it was time to do some gardening. I'd been having plenty of energy but unable to use it since I couldn't breathe freely. As I focused more on healing for the breathing, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me Alfalfa. I am allergic to Alfalfa even though it's a great herbal food. I had begun taking a calcium supplement that had some in it. I was doing fine with it taking 2 a day, but looking back, when I began using 3 a day was when the breathing got worse.

Blooming Purple Homestead Verbena Planted Last Fall

I also realize that I was so influenced by the doctor totally linking the breathing to the heart valve destruction which was why he recommended Randal call Hospice so I could be made comfortable with morphine while my lungs filled with fluid and drowned me. I always fell back on it being the heart.

Any time I was challenged with breathing I would pray for my heart's healing and restoration to manifest. Finally I decided to ask God for wisdom, which He gives freely to all (James 1:5), and that's when I heard the word Alfalfa. God is faithful! We just have to depend on His Word rather than our minds.

So, today we got outside and I began working on what we call butterfly bank since it has a lot of natives on it and some milkweed for the Monarch butterflies. We are part of the Monarch Waystation Program. My body is still not interested in much bending up and down, so I tried to do as little of that as possible by sitting on the ground and 'scrunching' along as I worked.

Having spent several months mostly in bed, all of my muscles left on vacation, and are slowing returning as I demand use of them, but I know it will take awhile. It's actually going much faster than I thought it would.

Then I pruned up some bushes and sadly cut out a couple of pine trees that just didn't need to be where they were. Had Randal do two others. I have the hardest time taking any tree out. They have been such a blessing to me in so many ways. But these would be blocking the sun from the plants below them and that would affect the butterflies, bees and birds along with some wildlife that feed from things ... so I knew it had to be. I usually have Randal do it so I don't have to watch, but wanted to do two just because I could.

I worked a total of 2.5 hours out there and made many piles for Randal to pick up. I said to him, "I hope you enjoy picking up the piles as much as I enjoyed making them." He said he didn't think about it when he picked up piles, it was simply work to be done. But I said, "well, it's been a long while since you've had me making piles, so enjoy it!" and he understood.

Praise you Father for providing healing to these bodies. I am a Word Believer and walk in faith that what You say has already come to pass in the spiritual realm. We just have to leave our five senses behind and focus on the Word, more than on what we see, hear, feel, etc.

I was delighted to be amidst the plants, without any breathing problems, thinking back to only three (3) months ago when the Emergency Room doc made his declaration. I can't express in words how grateful I am to Andrew Wommack's teachings which began with the book, God Wants You Well that I had received for my birthday in early September.

What a God birthday gift, although it was from my son! The book stirred my spirit to seek more of the teaching on Andrew's website and it has kept me moving along in the healing process. I began with a video series of a conference on the same subject, God Wants You Well.

The church has been so lacking in this area of ministry that Christ placed such an emphasis on. After that I downloaded the audio version of many of the teachings so I could listen while I laid in bed ... which is where I was spending most of my time then. My husband and I both got a lot out of You've Already Got It series.

In Matthew 13 Jesus spoke on the parable of the sower. The Word is the seed that God gives us to have our faith grow. Without sowing the Word into the good soil of our hearts, it just withers up and dies. It's not about just memorizing Scripture or reading many chapters a day. It's about taking the Word that is related to your situation and chewing and chewing and meditating and seeking God for wisdom and revelation on it that puts it deep within our hearts which is where we truly come to understand it.

Pyracantha, aka Firethorn, With Many Blooms This Year

Head knowledge of the Bible profits us nothing. The Word is alive and active. It will accomplish all that it says within it. God's promises are true and always available to us.

We just can't expect to send up a flare prayer and then go back to our TV programs, newspapers and magazines, feeding in all kinds of negative information, and expect to get healing in our mind and bodies. When you plant a seed you need to tend that seed or it will die before it produces any growth.

For several months now, I don't turn on the computer for three days a week. The computer is my work so I have to put some hours in, but I get to choose when. I find that having it totally off gives me a totally different kind of day. It's a great way to focus on the Word and spend time with my Daddy. God loves us so much.

In Mark 14:36, Jesus called the Father, Abba, which is a familiar word like we have in the word Daddy. God created us to fellowship with Him, so He is seeking us always. I find so much of who He is in the natural world around me so I spend my time on the screened porch looking at all He has created and knowing more and more how much He loves me.

He loves YOU too. There is no partiality with God. He loves each and every one of us, even those who would be categorized as evil. He created us with a purpose in mind and when we choose to follow the devil's design for our lives rather than His, it doesn't mean He stops loving us. It's hard to imagine Him loving Hitler, but it also makes me well aware that if He does, then I can surely receive His love for me.

Seek Him today ... schedule time to seek Him every day. You can build a close intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe. What else can compare to that!?

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Watching Wildlife - God Is All Around Us

by Donna L. Watkins

What a delight to see Creation reproducing itself as God commanded. We have so many new babies in our bird world here at Bluebird Cove.

One rainy day I sat at the kitchen table at the window and watched the baby wrens wait for their parents to return with food. They had fledged the nest but still weren't accepting the fact that they were soon going to feed themselves.

So they huddled there, jumping around a bit, testing the newly discovered delight in what wings were for. Being used to staying in bed all day, they would close their eyes now and then for a few winks of sleep.

What a picture of rest and trust. When they would hear the call of their parents they would get excited and flutter those wings a bit with open mouths. It reminded me of us resting and trusting that God will feed us and take care of us. Sometimes we operate strictly from sheer will power and I've been wondering if that's really the best plan. Jesus told us we need to be as children .... so my recent visual of these baby birds is continually crossing my mind.

Besides wrens, we have baby house finches. Oh my! Talk about chattering children! Finches are known for their singing but it seems you can't get the babies to be quiet when they're waiting for food. Much contrast to the wrens, eh?

This one stood on top of the feeder and chattered away running after the Papa. You could just hear the begging urgency of their tone trying to convince him that they only had moments to live if they weren't fed quickly.

Doesn't that remind you a bit of you and me? Chattering and begging away for God to do something for us and more importantly, to do it now! When in actuality we're right on top of the "food" we want. Jesus has already died to provide all the Father has for us and has given us the authority and power to bring it all to pass, but it's so much easier to beg God to do something, rather than to take up our Swords and do battle with the Enemy, the Deceiver, the one who is here only to make your life miserable.

There's a few babies in progress also. A cardinal's nest in the area of our habitat called Cardinal Corner had 4 eggs in it when I took photos. We had almost a week of rain and that Mama sat on the nest faithfully. What a testimony to motherhood, an honorable treasured role of life for many women. We see much devotion to offspring in the animal world.

During the rain she was drenched. The spot she picked is a nice sunny one with an opening towards the morning sun, but the rain blew from that direction so she endured, as mothers are known to do. The Papa would join her at the feeder with treats of worms or a sunflower seed from another feeder out in the rain. How sweet! Would that all husbands be so attentive during the challenging years of being a mom.

There are four (4) bright blue eggs of the Gray Catbird couple in the front of the house in a dense holly bush jungle by the garage. I enjoy their long lilting songs.

They are members of the same family as mockingbirds and thrashers. All have the ability to ramble on with various calls copied from other species and some of their own melodies. Years ago, I was Romanced by a Brown Thrasher.

Then there's the Tufted Titmouse family nesting in one of the bluebird boxes. We offer equal opportunity housing, so anybody can use the bluebird boxes. We have 7 of them and actually we knew from the locations we chose that some would not attract bluebirds because they were not in an open area. Sometimes I feel like I've taken up residence in some other species abode. There are times when we just don't feel like earth is "home."

The female Mourning Doves are waddling about with the males fast behind them cooing and begging for attention. Males begin to sing in the spring as the levels of their male hormone, testosterone, rises. Their sound is a delightful one and doves always remind me of peace regardless of the color. Seeing the males chasing makes me think of how Jesus pursues us even when we think we don't need Him. Mourning doves mate for life and Jesus never leaves or forsakes us.

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker at Feeder

Oh, the woodpeckers! Red-bellied, Pileated, Red-headed, Downy and Hairy are common to our backyard which is forested for acres behind us. Although I don't like to see trees die, I smile because I know they bring life to many birds including all species of woodpeckers that need them for nesting and food. And we need woodpeckers to save our healthy trees from which they glean bugs that could kill the trees if they were not gathered for a meal.

We have baby bunnies also and they are so furry and cute. During the winter we had an adult that wintered over behind our front bushes against the garage. We eat a lot of veggies and fruit, so we have a lot of food that is scraps to us, but dinner to wildlife, so we put out apple cores, ends of carrots and other veggies. Since the bunny bushes are at the end of the front porch, it's easy to dump them there. Of course, it's not just bunnies that eat them. We enjoy the opossums, skunks and raccoons too, so they all share in our habitat.

Sharing .... hmm, that bring the crows to mind. They're not much for sharing, or maybe it's just their sheer size that intimidates the smaller birds causing them to flee. They are willing to share with other crows since they live and roost in great numbers. They're definitely into the social scene and love to alert others of a find of food.

One thing for sure is the squirrels don't enjoy sharing with anybody. One of them chased away a rabbit that was feeding beneath a bird feeder. I keep telling them it's not nice not to share, but they totally ignore me, as squirrels do. This rabbit found an array of fruits and veggies without a squirrel watching.

I would say squirrels definitely portray the saying, "If it's to be, it's up to me." Surely they expend more energy keeping other squirrels away from food than the energy they get from eating it. Sadly the word "greed" comes to mind. There are those who hurry and worry over getting enough and it seems for those folks, there's no designated limit of what is enough, so the unfulfilling quest goes on for man and beast.

Wildlife watching is certainly food for the soul. I hope you take time in your life to enjoy it. There are many lessons to be learned within Creation because the fingerprint and character of the Creator is in it all.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Medical Proof of Healing Power of Prayer

For the devout, there never has been any question — prayer has the power to heal. Now, more and more medical research from leading hospitals and universities across the United States has shown conclusively that a belief in God really is good for you, and can make you healthier, happier, and induce you to live longer to boot.

“Studies have shown prayer can prevent people from getting sick, and when they do get sick, prayer can help them get better faster,” Duke University’s Dr. Harold G. Koenig tells Newsmax.

An exhaustive analysis of more than 1,500 reputable medical studies “indicates people who are more religious and pray more have better mental and physical health,” Koenig says. “And out of 125 studies that looked at the link between health and regular worship, 85 showed regular churchgoers live longer.

Dr. Koenig, director of Duke’s Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, and the author of several authoritative books on faith and healing, says a striking study published in the Southern Medical Journal last year demonstrated that prayer has a remarkable effect on patients with hearing and visual deficiencies. After prayer sessions, “They showed significant improvements based on audio and visual tests,” Koenig says. Read the entire article.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

How To Stay Positive In A Negative World

by Andrew Wommack

Jesus certainly understood the power of a negative environment. When He raised people from the dead, He always sought seclusion. He kicked all the unbelievers out because He knew their unbelief could affect the results.

In the sixth chapter of Mark, we read that even Jesus could do no mighty works in His hometown because of their unbelief. And Jesus always operated in faith.

So how do you stay positive in a negative world? Read the entire article.

Recommended Audio Resource:
How To Stay Positive In A Negative World

This Website is Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Online Catalog * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils

Cat Detects Aneurysm in Owner

Most people know CAT scans can save lives. Most of the time, though, the diagnostic machine isn’t covered in fur.

But rather than relying on a medical device, Nevada woman Janet Batten received an alert about her brain aneurysm from an actual cat.

About a year ago, Batten’s tabby, Noah, started pushing up against her head all the time. “He was constantly smelling my head on the right side, in the front, and in my eye and in my nose,” Batten told NVDaily.com. Read the entire article.

This Website is Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Online Catalog * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Newsletter - 5/15/12

Subscribe to This Mailing

Follow on Twitter

RSS Feed

Hello Dear Friends!

I hope every mother had a lovely Mother's Day, but I know there are many sad situations where it's a day you want to ignore. We have to know that we did our best regardless of any relationship problems. After all, most of us were still in the process of growing up when we became a mother.

People have a choice in life to be bitter or get better. God's emotional healing is available to all and His promises of restoration within us are certainly available. Nobody has a Mayberry or Walton's childhood, so we all have to deal with life. Fortunately when we do it with Jesus, it's a lot easier.

I am excited to announce that we have had a get-away trip to celebrate our 35th anniversary.

Although it was on April 9, I was not up to traveling from the bedroom to the kitchen around that time, so I just kept an image in my mind that we would be taking the trip a bit late.

We've always gone somewhere for our anniversary rather than buying cards and gifts. I like experiences more than stuff. They create so many more memories and require no storage space.

So, we had two nights at the Fontana Village Resort by the Smoky Mountains which included a sunset lake cruise, one night in Greenville, SC since we love that town, then on to the Hatcher Garden & Woodland Preserve in Spartanburg, SC, before arriving in Gastonia, NC for a night to visit the nearby Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont, NC the next day.

It was definitely a step of faith to embark, but I found that if I stayed in faith, allowing no fear to enter in ... things went very well. What was really amazing was the day we were at the Daniel Stowe Gardens I had no breathing problems at all and I walked over two miles, some of it inclined. I just kept looking at Randal and grinning and kept praising the Lord for His faithfulness.

The Word of God is definitely quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword to do battle with (Hebrews 4:12).

Donna at Hatcher Gardens & Woodland Preserve
Spartanburg, SC

I have certainly not arrived at always grabbing my Sword. It's so much easier to sit in the physical realm and review all the things that are wrong, but we have to be Word Believers and focus on what is True in the spiritual realm, not placing our five senses above what God says.

Even God calls those things which are not as though they were (Romans 4:17) because the reality of life for a Christian is truly in the spiritual realm. We have to trust that God's Word is above all else that we see, smell, feel, taste, or hear.

When I can't breathe well, it's hard to not let my hearing overrule God's spiritual truth that by Jesus' stripes I am already healed. Jesus gave me healing as surely as He provided salvation when He died on the Cross and rose again. The Church (as a whole) has left so much of the power of Christ within us stashed in some locked closet. Be sure to read the post, Healing Is God's Will. This teaching is what has turned my brain around to realize how much I left behind that was available to me.

Can You See The Cross Tree? My Texas Friend, Elva,
Spotted It While Looking at the Album - Go to the center
of the photo and then look to the right at a silver green
treetop shaped like a Cross. Thanks, Elva!

Luke 10:19 says, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the Enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Jesus defeated the devil before He rose from the grave and Satan has no power at all, other than what we give him. His only attack is deceit and when we fall for it, we open a doorway allowing him to rule in our lives through disease and many other avenues.

He can't keep us from getting saved, but he sure can make our lives miserable if we allow it. He tempted Adam and Eve with deception, enticing them with "being like God." They were already like God, so what sense does that make? I guess it's human nature to always want anything we think we might be missing. There's definitely a belief system out there that more and big is better.

The laws of the universe are solid, as is God's law of faith. When we truly believe, without wavering, we have a powerful law in use. It's the wavering and doubting and unbelief that makes us believe that God's Word is wrong because we don't see something happening when we pray. We have a measure of faith from God which is plenty enough, but it's the doubt that keeps us from receiving. God's always transmitting, but our receiver is broken from years of wrong thinking.

With all the rain we've had, the habitat is lush and certainly appealing to wildlife. Mama birds have had to spend a lot of time on their nests with the unusual chilly mornings and the frequent rain. Speaking of mama birds .... When we moved to this property there really wasn't any habitat for cardinals. They like a lot of cover and the ground plants had been pretty well cleared by the deer population, so there was no place for them to nest.

We decided to remedy that by adding cedars to a corner of the property. We had them coming up in various places, so we just moved them all down there. Of course, we were adding bushes around the property also which did finally bring in cardinals. And in about 4 years the cedars were big enough for nesting. So we've had lots of cardinals and are happy for it.

Two of Three Young Cardinals Growing Up -
They Are Still Being Fed By Parents

This year we got to see the babies up close and personal. The parents seemed to feel that the bushes close to the back windows were the best places to be ... and at night they slept in the bushes beside our screened porch. I was thrilled to be able to see these little ones. Here's a short video of one of the baby cardinals.

They seem to leave the nest before all their feathers are in and the funniest part was the tail feathers. As you can see in the photo, they are really short, but if you click on the first photo, you'll go to the album with another photo that shows the tail feathers up close. I guess it takes awhile for them to grow out. The second photo of them is two weeks later.

Front Yard View From Porch - April

May is "Garden for Wildlife Month" and a perfect time to make your yard more wildlife friendly. Whether you're a gardening novice with a small balcony or gardening veteran with a few acres, you can provide for local wildlife by creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Welcome birds, butterflies and other local wildlife by providing the four elements animals need most: food, water, shelter and places to raise young. It's really that simple!

Thank you for your prayers. I am still amazed at how God places people in our lives to support each other. When I look back 6 weeks ago to when the ER doc told us to call Hospice so I could use morphine as I drowned in my own fluids, I realize how far I've truly come.

But I've never been a patient person and I guess no matter how many classes I get, it doesn't get better. I want to be all well now! I'm tired of the devil controlling my diet (sodium issues) and tired of not being able to breathe deep much of the time. Now that I have energy I want to be able to use it! I'm gaining muscle strength back which I totally lost with 3-1/2 months of mostly being in bed.

It could be the next moment that it all becomes manifested in the physical realm. I'm a Word Believer, so I'm on my way!

Enjoy life! Every moment is precious and full of many blessings!

Donna

P.S. If you enjoy this newsletter and The Nature In Us website ... share it with somebody else! Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue. Thanks!

Subscribe to This Mailing

Follow on Twitter

RSS Feed

View Posts By Topic

Posts Since Last Newsletter

Healing Is God's Will

Video: Snowboarding Opossum

Canine Vestibular Disease

God's Word Has No Limits

Medical Tests Dangerous & Overused

Mice Who Farm

Feline Digestive Disorders

Newsletter - 5/1/12

Previous Posts You May Have Missed

You Were Made For This (DLW)

Canine Grooming Tips

Outdoor Decorating Ideas for Your Garden

Join Me On a Dangerous Adventure

The Chosen Ones

It’s Snowing Spiders in Australia

Shade Tolerant Vegetable Gardening

Newsletter - 4/15/12 (DLW)

God's Kind Of Love

Video: Fishing Osprey

Home Design with

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Turn Ocean Trash Into Hawaii-sized Nation

Animal Heroes From History

Lessons From Joseph

Rules for the Dog Park

Newly Discovered Fact on Hummingbirds

Healing & Niki's Miracle

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now • Online Catalog • Women • Men • Children • Essential Oils

The photo(s) and article are copyrighted. You may use either of them if you include the following credit and active link back to this website: © 2012 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission from TheNatureInUs.com. The link to use is: www.TheNatureInUs.com.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Healing Is God's Will

by Andrew Wommack

Matthew 8:2, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."

Leprosy was a hated disease and its symptoms are described in detail in Leviticus 13:1-46. This leper believed Jesus could heal him, but doubted His willingness to heal him.

Jesus showed him His willingness to heal, and since He is no respecter of persons, He established a precedent for us (Rom. 2:11). This leper did not know God's will concerning healing, but this is not the case with us. The Word of God is the will of God, and it reveals that it is always God's will to heal.

Isaiah 53:5, makes it clear that when Isaiah said "with his stripes we are healed", he was speaking of the physical healing of our bodies. Jesus provided for physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins.

The very word "save" (Gk.-"sozo") is translated "made whole" in reference to physical healing in Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, and Luke 8:48. James 5:15 says, "the prayer of faith shall save (Gk.-"sozo") the sick."

Many scriptures mention the healing of our bodies in conjunction with the forgiveness of our sins. Healing is a part of our salvation, just as much as the forgiveness of our sins.

Nowhere do we find Jesus refusing to heal anyone. In light of Jesus' statement that He could do nothing of Himself, but only what He saw the Father do (Jn. 5:19 and 8:28-29), His actions are proof enough that it is always God's will to heal.

There are certain things Jesus suffered for us that we should not suffer. Jesus died for our sins so that we would not have to pay for them (Rom. 6:23). Jesus took our sicknesses and diseases so that we could walk in health (Mt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus became poor so that we, through His poverty, might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

If God be for us, then no one can successfully be against us.

The Lord has made every provision for you to walk in all He has provided for you today. Don't put it off a minute longer.

More teaching articles.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Video: Snowboarding Opossum

Ratatouille, the Snowboarding Opossum, loves the slopes. Watch the Video.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Canine Vestibular Disease

Video by Dr. Sarah

Of conditions from which canines can suffer, few provoke as much fright in pet parents as that which accompanies Canine Vestibular Disease. If you’re not familiar with this syndrome, you might believe your dog is having a stroke or experiencing a serious neurological problem.

Not to worry, because Dr. Sarah’s on hand to explain this malady, including the wide range of symptoms, possible causes and steps you can take to help alleviate your dog’s misery. Watch the latest episode of Pet Talk now....

Sponsored by Life's Abundance Pet Foods

Saturday, May 5, 2012

God's Word Has No Limits

by Andrew Wommack

John 4:50, "Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."

JOHN 4:46-54

Jesus didn't have to touch the child. He didn't have to send anything home with the father to affect the cure. All He did was speak and the son was instantly healed (v. 53).

This man had traveled over fifteen miles from Capernaum to Cana to find Jesus. Therefore, the son was not within 'earshot" so that Jesus' words sparked some cord of hope in his heart, thereby releasing God's power. No, Jesus' spoken word had so much power that no barriers (such as time or space) had any affect on it whatsoever.

This is hard for us to comprehend. We spend an entire lifetime learning physical limitations and adapting to them. But there are no limits to the power of God's word. Jesus created everything in this physical universe by His words, and that creation will respond to anything He says.

The Lord gave His Word to the Jews but they didn't believe it. Hebrews 4:2 says, "...the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]." We have been given God's words too, in the Bible. If we will speak God's Word in faith, we will get the same results that Jesus did here.

Visit the website for more articles.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Medical Tests Dangerous & Overused

The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation urged changes in the use of 45 common medical tests, declaring that they are costly, unnecessary, and are subjecting patients to possible harm.

"Only one thing should motivate what a doctor does — the best interest of the patient," says Dr. Erika Schwartz. "Unfortunately, there are two things that motivate doctors in the present culture: profit and defense — self-defense from malpractice."

For instance, a simple, non-invasive stool test is the preferred screening method by the American College of Gastroenterology, yet many doctors recommend a costly, uncomfortable colonoscopy instead. "People end up with colostomy bags because their colon was destroyed during a colonoscopy, but no one talks about that," says Dr. Schwartz. "But the price difference to a doctor can be $3 and $500." Read the entire article.

This Website is Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Cleaning & Laundry* Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils

Mice Who Farm

Listen to the Audio Version

Psalm 145:15: "The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season."

Many different creatures, from mice to insects, eat seeds. The tropical forest offers the greatest variety of seeds found anywhere in the world. The problem is that among this great variety are seeds that are poisonous and others that are hard as rocks. Yet, even these seeds are used for food by some creatures.

One vine like legume that grows in the jungle produces seeds that are highly poisonous to insects. Yet, there is one beetle that is able to eat these highly nutritious seeds – even gaining extra nutrition for itself from the poison.

The Hymenaea protects its seeds another way. Hymenaea seeds are locked within a very tough, woody pod that no one in the tropical forest is interested in eating – if they can even get it open.

But one mouse that lives on the jungle floor is up to the task. This small mouse opens the pods and stores the seed in its pouch like cheeks. Back in its nest, the mouse bites a small notch in the hard seed to help it absorb water. He then buries it in his den. Before long, the seed germinates and the mouse has a tasty and tender seedling to eat.

Evolutionists tell us that farming was one of the major advances that helped primitive humans become modern. How, then, do they explain mice who not only farm but who know how to improve the germination of their crops? A better explanation is that the Creator shared this bit of farming wisdom with the mouse when He made it.

Prayer
Dear Lord, I thank You that You have stocked the creation with so much food and that You have given each of Your creatures the wisdom necessary to use that food for their benefit. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Notes
Science 84, April 1984. p. 65.

View/Print/Share This on CreationMoments.com

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss

Feline Digestive Disorders

by Dr. Jane Bicks

As far as reasons for making a veterinary appointment for a cat go, digestive disorders are near the top of the list. In this post, Dr. Jane takes a closer look at the differences and similarities between Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Even if you think you know what’s going on with your cat’s GI system, you still owe it to yourself to read Dr. Jane’s take on these illnesses … especially if your cat has ever suffered with a gut disorder. Read the entire article.

Sponsored by Life's Abundance Pet Foods.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Newsletter - 5/1/12

Subscribe to This Mailing

Follow on Twitter

RSS Feed

Hello Dear Friends!

I've been trotting around the world as I scan in my print photos to digital format. It's hard to imagine that we have been blessed with so many wonderful trips we earned from working a job we both totally love.

Marabou Stork Doing His Mating Dance
Jurong Bird Park - Singapore

When you're your own boss, life goes a lot easier. You don't have to worry about dress codes and commutes. Lunch has no hassles of waiting in line or bad food ... we get make our own and enjoy it viewing the wildlife habitat we created between work and play.

Funny looking back at the beginnings of owning our own business ... a lot of hard work and slow growth, but when you are determined to make dreams come true (I wanted to be able to stay at home with our child and eventually homeschool), you get the motivation to keep on going.

Not that we still don't work. God only blesses what we put our hands to, so we have to be laboring in some fashion since we're not in full-time ministry, so we get plenty of work time, but it's nice that we can pretty much schedule it the way we want it.

Many of you are customers of TheHerbsPlace.com and we appreciate every one of you. We've never taken any of our customers for granted. We know God provides the seed for the sower and we're grateful He's blessed us with such a large group of people.

I take three days a week off of the computer so that's when I've been scanning in my print photos on a little gadget. In the last issue of this newsletter I gave you a lot of links to various trips we've made since it's that time of year when families plan summer vacations. Since then I've added a few more albums to my online gallery.

Randal at Waterfall in Hawaii

California (San Diego area)

• La Jolla

• Seaport Village

• Balboa Park

• San Diego Miscellaneous

International

• Malaysia

• Singapore & Cruise to Malaysia and Thailand

• Wandemunde, Germany

• Helsinki, Finland

• Tallin, Estonia

• St. Petersburg, Russia

• Maritime Provinces, Canada

United States

• O'ahu & Honolulu, Hawaii

• Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in SE Georgia (small album)

•Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge

We have some crazy squirrels. We call them Seal Team Squirrels because they sure do train extensively for their missions in our backyard. We have a hammock where they've chewed some of the ropes so that they hang down.

They will jump up on those ropes climb to the top, drop back down and begin all over again, and then climb across the bottom of the hammock upside down till they jump to the tree, go down to the ground and begin all over again. We have such a laugh watching them. Since the hammock is too far back in the woods for my zoom camera to get a good video, I've never bothered.

However! One day one of the team got extra workout time. Must've been a naughty boy. They had him under him a holly bush/tree that is much closer to the house, so I took a video through the breakfast window as he acted like a crazy squirrel with his bounces, jumps and rolls on the ground. It's only a half minute, but it's so cute. View very short Crazy Squirrel video .

As for my health, my big news last week is that I wanted to vacuum the baseboards and entire house and mop the bathrooms, dining room and kitchen floors. Randal helped move things around, but I did it all in two days ... got a bit of a room done at a time, would rest or even nap when totally exhausted, and get up and continue. I'm sure it has helped me build up some muscles since mine have been totally wasted.

Maple Tree With Diseased, Rotted Trunk

I'm so thrilled to have been able to do it. We have a central vac, so I didn't need to lug an actual vacuum around ... which is a good thing for somebody who was barely able to carry her own plate to the screened porch not so long ago.

It really is all about attitude. What we think on seems to be created in our lives. Our fears become reality just as our faith can become reality. It's believing that God's Word is TRUE more than anything we see, hear, taste, smell or touch. It's so easy to get distracted with what we see in the physical realm which certainly seems like reality, but we have to believe that God is bigger than anything, after all He created all of this. If we have faith, we can move mountains.

The problem is not our faith though since the Bible says we all have some and Jesus told us it takes a mustard seed size of faith to move mountains, so we don't need more faith. We need less doubt and unbelief. That's what stumps our faith and nullifies its promised effectiveness ... and that leads us to think that God doesn't care. He's set a law of faith in place and just like the law of gravity, it's how things work.

Same Maple Tree Alive and Well

We have a maple tree in the front yard that is an example of faith. Half of the trunk is eaten out and rotten, but it's not paying any attention to what it sees or feels or what people say when they walk by. It has decided it's going to be a maple tree and continue to live.

As you can see from the photos, if you look only at the trunk you figure the tree is dead. But when you look up (oh, how I love looking up), you see that it looks just like every other healthy maple tree around it. That's incredible!

I've been off oxygen for a couple of weeks but still have a big problem with being out of breath, so I'm seeking God's wisdom on that. My energy levels are good. I am sleeping better also since I decided the devil was not going to steal my sleep. He's a thief and sometimes we just let him clean us out without a challenge, but after months of getting up 7-9 times a night, I had enough! Now I've been waking up 3 times a night which is the time of day my body uses to move off the excess fluids.

I've had the same righteous indignation on my diet which was so limited by 200 mg. of sodium a day and that included natural sodium that's in foods like peas, carrots, etc. The devil seems to have wanted to steal my nutrition from the day I was born since I was told they couldn't find a formula I could keep down.

So, having that thought made me realize that I don't have to take such limitations. My Good Daddy in Heaven wants me to be blessed with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), because we are united with Christ. So I quit accommodating the devil in that area also. I'm now eating what I want at home (even using Redmond Real Salt) and I am scheduled for a meal out on Friday with a friend. The last time I ate out in March I gained 5 pounds in 24 hours.

Now I focus on the Word: Psalm 35:27 says, "Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." It pleases God to minister to us. God has pleasure in meeting our needs. I will believe God, not the doubts of the devil.

Now if I could only figure it ALL out and be totally healed. I don't like the gradual progress but I will not despise all the advances I've made while seeking His face and the Truth of His Word. I'm seeking more and more revelation on healing and God's law of faith, and He is a faithful God. It will happen!

I focus on all of the little 'hallelujahs' I have every day! And it's really all about loving on and trusting God. So much of me thinks it's all about me DOING something ... but His promises are for us no matter what, without conditions. We are just not geared to receive that much love and I believe that blocks our healing.

The House Finch nest in the arborvitae outside Randal's office window now has babies in it. With the chilly nights we've been having, she's been staying on the nest for some of the morning and Papa has been coming to feed the babes. How precious to see life begin and continue on for House Finches. I think of all the lost species that God made for us to enjoy. It's so sad that we have condemned so much of His artistic works.

Isn't it amazing how God made everything to continue on. He didn't just create a tree or trees, but he made them that their seed would reproduce its own kind. Everything being set in place for continued life. The sun and moon, the stars ... all dependable. The laws of the universe are solid, as is God's law of faith. When we truly believe, without wavering, we have a powerful law in use.

Front Yard View From Porch - April

May is a perfect time to make your yard more wildlife friendly. Whether you're a gardening novice with a small balcony or gardening veteran with a few acres, you can provide for local wildlife by creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Welcome birds, butterflies and other local wildlife by providing the four elements animals need most: food, water, shelter and places to raise young. It's really that simple!

Enjoy life! Every moment is precious and full of many blessings!

Donna

P.S. If you enjoy this newsletter and The Nature In Us website ... share it with somebody else! Maybe you know of somebody who needs something in this issue. Thanks!

Subscribe to This Mailing

Follow on Twitter

RSS Feed

View Posts By Topic