Daily Prayers
Reply
Category Archives: Daily Life
Perfection
Been thinking about perfection. I always try to be perfect at my job—house painting. And at my publishing—getting things just right. But at other things like house cleaning, I know I am not too perfect at. My driving could use some improvement too.
I’m going through a real tragedy right now. The title of my new book is not perfectly centered. It’s driving me up the wall. And if I want to fix it, it will take two or three weeks for the approval process to go through. Should I fix it or just leave it be imperfect? Will anybody really notice—or care? Probably not, except me. Funny, that’s the same with my painting. If I make a small mistake nobody will notice except me—unless I point it out.
Some people are so meticulous at house cleaning and at the way they look. Everything looks perfect. But those same people might not be so perfect in their thoughts—in their moral purity. For them it’s all a matter of what people see. I think this is true for me too. People will see my book covers and my paint job, but they can’t see my heart. But God sees my heart and He is very concerned about what I think. All my sins are against Him. And that is the greatest tragedy!
How will I clean up my heart, make my heart more perfect? That was the concern and the prayer David had. He knew he had sinned against God and he knew his heart was unclean. So, he prayed for a clean heart (Ps 51).
Only God can clean our heart and make us more perfect, because he is perfect. He is absolutely perfect in every way. And some day—after daily washings—we will be so clean and perfect just like Him. No worries then. All will be right. Perfect.
Update: Working and Publishing
I haven’t been blogging lately because I have a job going–getting out early and too tired to do anything after work. And the days have been hot and humid. But I don’t want to complain. It’s good to be working, making money. But today, Saturday, I have free and back again.
I have a new book coming out soon–probably in September. The title is THE TRIBULATION. I’m going through the publication process now. I self-publish all my books (with the help of Lulu.com). Please look for it; and also please pray for the process of publishing to go smoothly.
That’s all for now.
Inspired By The Things That I Relate To
I usually get a newspaper everyday before I go to breakfast. There isn’t much that I am interested in—except the comics and sports. For comics, Garfield is good—I can relate to his attitude, especially on Mondays. There is usually always something I like in the sports pages. It is so inspiring to read about players who are on the mend from an injury or from a slump. Today I read an article on the wrestler Gable Stevenson—how good he is doing. I can relate to him because I was a wrestler in high school, and I know what it takes to be a good wrestler. Then I also read about the Minnesota Twins baseball player Max Kepler, how he is coming back from a slump and about some very positive things Byron Buxton said about him.
Baseball it seems is mostly a mental game and thinking positively about ourselves. And it’s about the little things, like seeing the ball and hitting the ball…See the ball, hit the ball!
In many ways that’s life. It’s all about whether we see the ball of life clearly. If we don’t we will strike out every time. Life is also about picking ourselves up when we are down, and having the positive attitude and vision that we are going to get back in the game and do well.
And I love to see how all the players are doing better because they have been talking to each other and encouraging each other. And that is so necessary for all of us. No one is an island. We all need each other.
God’s Beauty In The Very Small Things
The very little flowers are so beautiful when seen close up.
A prairie flower called Spiderwart.
White Campion
Called Goat’s Beard,
Prickly Wild Rose
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matt 6:28-30)
Update: As it was in the days of Noah
I can think of a number of interesting things to write about. But there is mainly just one thing on my mind: that evil is infiltrating our country, and the world, and the fact that nothing is being done about it. There are a few voices that are standing up for the truth (which I hear on Newsmax, and conservative radio, and of course from my church). But the overwhelming message is a false message that comes from the media and the Democratic party (the white house).
That false message, that worldly voice, is a voice that suppresses the truth about God and the way He made us. It is a voice that rebels against God and listens only to the voice of lust and of fulfilling our degrading passions. And so, it seems that wherever I go these days I witness the celebration of transgenderism and queers. And then I hear our own President support this evil!
And lately I see rainbow banners everywhere celebrating Pride Month. And I am reminded that this must have been how it was just before the flood when only Noah was found righteous. Yes, I think we are almost there; it is almost time to be rescued on the Ark before the world again is destroyed, this time by fire and wind and hail and earthquakes.
But praise God! We (all believers) will be rescued out of it—just as Noah was.
I feel so sad to hear how badly our former President is being treated. It is so unfair to treat him like a criminal when others who came before him did far worse things and got by with it. The things they are charging him with now are only to keep him from running for office again. And, as we know, the Biden family is getting away with murder. They are so corrupt! The Clintons, Obama, and now the Biden’s are so very corrupt. And they all have been selling out our country to China and Russia. Yes, I’m sure they know all our classified secrets; Biden has told them. And how much did they get? Millions, even billions! And we do nothing! They get away with it. I heard someone say today that we have turned into Venezuela. Yes, it was Guiliani that said it. He should know. Since Biden has been in office he has turned this country into Venezuela.
Now why is Biden and his team of mobsters so intent on convicting and locking Donald Trump up? That question is easy. It is because if he returns to office he will start revealing the truth about them. And, as the bible says, “Everyone who does evil hates the Light.” And he “will not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (Jn. 3:19-20).
I sure do not think that Donald Trump is like Christ; but I think he certainly can and will be used for God’s good purpose and for bringing His judgment to this Nation. And I think people are fearing that he can and will do it—expose their sins. I would so like to see judgment fall on the Biden’s. They are a crime family if I have ever seen one. God’s judgment needs to come to them. It is the best thing that could happen to them and to this country—to see justice done.
I was going to write a little on my own situation, but it seems that this topic has trumped everything. These are such evil days—as in the days of Noah. Is there no turning back? How can it get any worse? Yet it seems to be getting worse and worse.
AI is more in the news now. It will and already is being used for evil purposes. It will help students cheat on their assignments. It will be used for every immoral deed. I’m sure it will be used in the porn industry, and to bring more and more immorality to the world. AI will be used by every criminal, and of course it will be used in war. If you think that AI will be used for good and for peace, I kind of doubt it. Since humans are sinful and humans program AI, how can AI ever produce anything good? In fact, it will be AI that will give life and a voice to the image of the beast, and all people will be force to worship him or they will die (Rev. 13:15).
Foods, Herbs, and Supplements for Diabetes
In case I missed anything in my previous blogs on diabetes, here is a good list of things that may help you. Of course, you always need to stay away from sweets and foods with a lot of carbs, but there are so many things you should include. Here is the list.
Foods
- Fatty fish like salmon (with omega -3), also chicken without fatty skin
- Broccoli – will lower insulin levels
- Leafy greens like spinach and kale
- Eggs – good protein snack
- Greek Yogurt
- Nuts – helps regulate blood sugar (eat in moderation)
- Flax seeds – for a good digestion
- Raspberries – best berries
- Sweet potatoes (better than white of red)
- Beans (white, red, or black)
Herbs
- Cinnamon – This will help a lot. I try every day to put cinnamon with mt coffee.
- Turmeric – this benefits kidney health
- Garlic – this does wonders (helps fight many diseases)
- Cedar berries – for the pancreas
- Huckleberry – helps to promote insulin
- Ginseng tea – lowers blood sugar level
Supplements
- Chromium – this helps improve the insulin’s efficiency. It is found in many foods. Brewer’s Yeast is loaded with it.
- Vitamin B complex –take up to 300 mg
- Magnesium – 750 mg daily dose
- Psyllium husks – for digestion. I take this every day with water.
Other Recommendations
- Eat your fruits and vegetables both cooked and raw. Don’t over-cook.
- Get your protein mostly from vegetables, not from red meats (red meat is not good)
- Avoid too much salt and white flour
- Olive oil is good—better than butter.
- Apple cider vinegar is very good for you. I take two table spoons with two table spoons of water (mixed together) every day before retiring.
- All fruit is good; but take note that fruit is loaded with carbs, so eat fruit moderately. One banana has 28 carbs. One small date has about 10 carbs. Remember to count your carbs every day and don’t go over 150 carbs a day.
Sources:
A few internet sites.
The book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James F. Balch, M. D. and Phyllis A Balck, C. N. C.
Diabetes: Lifestyle Changes
Since you found out that you have diabetes your life is going to change. You won’t be able to eat all those deserts that you use to eat; and you will want to quit eating at fast food places. Oh, I love french fries and the little hamburgers, and the chocolate malts. But all that will have to stop! From now on you are on a health kick! Instead of spending your afternoon on the couch, you will be going for a walk, or playing golf, or tennis.
Another thing that may change is you sleeping habits. I have for a long time been a night owl; but recently I have found that going to bed early and getting more sleep is very beneficial. Also, to keep a positive e attitude I find it so helpful to do extra bible reading and prayer. The bible tells us to pray about everything; and when we do that we won’t be so anxious—anxious about having diabetes!
I may be sounding a little strict to you. Sorry about that. Actually, in a class that I attended at the VA for diabetics, they told us that we could eat anything we wanted in moderation, as long as we kept our carbs down. I thought they weren’t strict enough. So, I guess each person has to decide how strict he or she should be. But I think you really should do some reading in order to be somewhat knowledgeable on the subject of diabetes before you set your own standards.
And as for listening to your doctor and nurses, I think you should give then your attention and due respect; but in the end, your body is your own and you are accountable to yourself what you eat and what drugs to take. However, as for me, if I should not want to take a drug, I will always tell my doctor what I intend to do. And if you just can’t agree, then you can always go to a different doctor.
As for how strict I really am, on occasion I will eat a cookie or some Ice cream, or any number of things. But overall, I really try to stay on my carb diet. I want to beat this disease if at all possible—or at least give it a good try. My thinking is, the more I stick to my diet and the more I keep exercising, the better I will feel and the longer I will live.
Carb Counting, Exercise, and testing
Besides trying to eat right and making sure we take the dreaded drugs every day, the most important thing we can do to fight diabetes is to begin counting the carbohydrates in the foods we eat and make sure we get the right amount of exercise every day. Then a third step will be to test our blood to see how we are doing—how high our blood sugar is. Okay, lets take it one step at a time. Let’s talk about carb counting.
Carb Counting
The amount of carbs that you consume each day will tell you how much sugar will go into your blood. When I first was told that I had diabetes, I was told by a nurse that I needed to start counting my carbs and to try not to consume any more than 150 carbs per day. And I found that when I did that, my blood sugar (glucose) went down. So, it’s really quite automatic. When you keep your carbs down your blood sugar will go down.
Here’s the best idea I have come up with to keep track of my carbs every day. For each day, I take a 3 by 4-inch card and record everything I eat, and list the carbs in each food item on the right side like so:
Monday
Oatmeal with fruit 50
Coffee with sugar 5
Subway sandwich 46
Cooked vegetables
with a potato 35
Chicken with bread 18
Total Carbs 154
You can very easily find the carb amounts by Googling it. Just type in the kind of subway sandwich (6” wheat bread with roasted chicken and veggies) and ask for the carb amount. You may want to make a list of everything you usually eat with the amount of carbs in it, and tape it up somewhere in your kitchen where you will see it. Before long you will know that one cup of fruit is about 15 carbs. And the wheat bread I eat is 18 carbs per slice. You may also know that on most packaged food items are listed the amount of carbs for one serving.
Exercise
You should exercise every day. The days I work I don’t really have to worry too much because I walk around all day long. But the days I have off I usually go for at least a mile brisk walk. Swimming is also very good exercise. It is up to you what you do, but the more you exercise the better things will be for you—the lower your blood sugar will be.
Blood Sugar Testing
The most common way to test your blood sugar is to get yourself a meter, some test strips, a lancing device, and a box of lancets (the needles). These things can be purchased at any drug store, but your doctor may also prescribe these things for you. The process is to insert a lancet into the lancing device, then take a test strip and insert that into the slot in your meter. Then, after cleaning one of your fingers with alcohol, shoot the lancet into your finger. You will get a little blood, and then apply that blood to the tip of the test strip, and the meter will tell you how much sugar (glucose) is in your blood. The average is from 70 to 100. So, if you get anywhere close to 100 you are doing good. But if you are over 200, that’s not good. You need to lower your carbs and get more exercise. Of course, you also need to keep on your Metformin (or whatever you are taking) until your doctor tells you anything different.
How to Treat Type II Diabetes
If you don’t have diabetes and don’t wish to have it, there are some things you can do to prevent it. Here is what I would recommend.
- If anyone in your family has diabetes find out what they have been doing wrong and make sure you do not follow their habits. Chances are you will get diabetes through your genes if one of your parents has it. But you can cut down the chances if you can develop good habits.
- Eat only healthy foods—mainly fruits and vegetables. Stay away from sugary foods and processed foods (I will talk more on this later).
- Don’t eat too much—only what your body needs.
- Exercise regularly and keep your weight down. Most diabetics are overweight.
- Even though you may not be classified as a diabetic yet, check your blood sugar (see your druggist about how to do it) at least once a month; and if it is a little high, cut down on what you eat (especially your carbohydrates) and increase you exercise.
If you find that your blood sugar count is high (normal is 70 to 100 if fasting), and you can’t seem to lower it, then it is time to start a drug treatment. Check with your doctor to help you decide which drug to use. My doctor has put me on Metformin—a very common diabetes drug. In this next segment we will talk about what it is, how it works, its side effects, who should not use it, the food to avoid while taking Metformin, and foods to include white taking this drug.
The following information on Metformin was acquired from two sources sited below.
Why Metformin is a good drug (5 reasons)
- According to the articles sited below, Metformin is the most commonly used drug to treat diabetes.
- Metformin has a long record of being safe and effective.
- It does not cause weight gain as many other diabetes drugs do. In fact, it may even help you lose weight.
- Research shows that it may have heart health benefits.
- Some studies show that Metformin will lower your risk of cancer.
How Metformin works
Most scientists admit that they don’t know exactly how Metformin works; they only know that it does work. Here is what it does: it helps your cells to absorb and use sugar more effectively. In short, Metformin supposedly helps the body to do what it should do. Maybe someday we will discover what is in this drug to make it work as it does.
What are the side effects of Metformin?
There are only a few mild side effects that will involve stomach discomfort: gas, upset stomach, possible nausea, possible vomiting, diarrhea, and cramping. Personally, I don’t experience half of these; I mainly just have some cramping and slight diarrhea. And the good news is that you can avoid most of this by taking Metformin with food and plenty of water.
Who should not take Metformin
People who have kidney disease, liver problems, or a buildup of acid in your blood should not take Metformin. Also, a condition known as lactic acidosis is rare, but can be life threatening. If you discover that you have this—which you will experience as muscle pain, trouble breathing, and feel very weak—you should discontinue Metformin and call your doctor; you will need to be treated in a hospital.
Foods to avoid while taking Metformin
Here are six categories of foods to avoid while taking metformin (or even if you are not taking Metformin):
- Alcohol. Alcohol use may lead to lactic acid and kidney failure.
- Foods with simple and refined carbs like white bread, white rice and pasta, candy, soda pop, desserts, chips and crackers. These things will spike your blood sugar and make Metformin not work as effectively.
- Saturated fats like red meat and dairy products (but you may eat low fat dairy).
- Trans fat like baked goods or fast foods. Skip those McDonalds hamburgers and French fries!
- Foods with a lot of sodium. Check the labels of all can goods. Most canned soups are loaded with sodium (salt).
- Grapefruit. Recent studies have shown that chemicals in this fruit interacts with the enzymes in our liver and will cause Metformin not to work effectively.
Foods to include while taking Metformin
- Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grain oats, whole-grain bread. The fiber in these foods slows the rate at which your body converts carbs into glucose, leading to more stable blood glucose levels.
- Healthy fats such as fish, nuts, avocados and olive oil. They will help fight inflammation and protect heart health.
- Fiber. Eat foods with fiber such as grain bread, fruit, and fresh vegetables. However, do not take fiber supplements or fiber powder (such as psyllium husk) when taking Metformin, since that may change the way your body absorbs the drug.
- Lean proteins. These are turkey, chicken without fat, and fish.
- Non-starchy vegetable like broccoli, cabbage, leafy greens, and cauliflower. You should eat these both raw and cooked.
- Low carb fruits. All fresh and raw fruits.
Sources
How a Widely Used Diabetes Medication Actually Works
Stephen Nielsen 