God and Health: How the Two Relate

Jul 13

God and Health: How the Two Relate

God has a plan for all of us, and we should really be in our best shape if we want to make sure that plan can be executed. If God made us in his image, it’s unlikely he meant for us to be exhausted, overweight, and with bad posture.

But are these issues which are easy to fix? Once we have moved away from the original state of our temples, can the damage be fixed? Of course, it can, all it takes is faith, hard work and maybe a little help.

Those Extra Pounds

Overweight

Willpower, my friends. Willpower is all you need here. Eat less, exercise more, and get closer to God. In my research, I’ve found one of the biggest culprits of weight gain, in both adults and children, are carbohydrates. In particular, simple sugars like those found in candy or likely the kind you may stir into your coffee.

These sugars have been modified from their original, natural state. In this simple form, the sugars are easily absorbed into the body and converted into fat, if not burned for energy first. Complex sugars, like those found in plants and such, before refining, are more complex. The body takes more time to break them down, meaning it has time to burn them before absorbing them.

When looking at this, it’s easy to see the glory of God in everything in nature.

Standing Up Straight

So many of the physical pains in our life can be attributed to our backs. Poor posture can lead to lower back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain and even pain in other parts of the body due to the stresses required to compensate. The big question is, “Why are you slouching?”

Are you depressed and feeling alone? Do you spend too much time sitting? Do you need to find time to get closer to God? These are questions only you can answer, but once you do you’ll have taken the first step toward correcting your posture.

Once you’ve determined the cause, the next step is to fix it. Some conditions may need a help, perhaps even something such as a posture-correcting brace like those from Perfect Postur. Others can simply require a change of habit. Forcing yourself to sit up straight and keep your back in a proper position while walking can make all the difference in the world.

Your Mental State

If you’re feeling depressed, it’s going to be hard to feel the desire to spread the word of God. God is always with you, even in your saddest times, so you can take some solace in that. Should more be required of you, keep in mind that mental health is just as important as physical health, and there are doctors for that, as well. In fact, most insurance packages will cover a visit to a psychiatrist, should that be something you desire.

Additionally, prayer is a good fix for issues like this. Communicating with our Heavenly Father, knowing he can hear you, is a great way to lift the spirits and get your smiling again.

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Personal Stewardship Goals

Sep 19

Personal Stewardship Goals

While we take the time to consider whether or not we’re following the Ten Commandments and presenting a good example for those outside the church, there’s an aspect of Christianity that can be easy to overlook. Genesis 2:15 states that, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”.

It’s expected that, for the physical blessings we receive in life, we do our best to take care of them and exhibit proper, responsible stewardship. This requires self-discipline, but anyone with the motivation to increase their faith through action can follow some simple tips to ensure they’re doing what they can.

Make an Impact on the Block

battery operated weed trimmerThe first thing anybody sees when they visit your property is your lawn, and it’s important that yours is aesthetically pleasing. However, with busy schedules, it can prove difficult to spend enough time on landscaping efforts to make a significant difference.  Fortunately, there are a variety of helpful products available to take much of the hard work out of the equation. Just a few tools you can consider adding to your arsenal include:

  • Battery-operated weed eater
  • Edging shears
  • Turfing iron
  • Half-moon cutter
  • Besom

The Internet has made it easier than ever to find the latest in lawn care technology, and you can use this tool to ensure you have the most efficient products currently on the market. From lawn mower blade replacements to using a battery powered string trimmer and more, you can easily find just what you’re looking for.

Healthful Choices

veganWe often overlook our physical well-being. However, God made each of us in His own image, and it’s important that we respect the physical body he gave us to perform His works here on Earth.
We live in a society where modern conveniences have taken a lot of work out of our daily lives. This means that it’s often necessary to set aside time to take part in an adequate exercise regimen. This can be difficult with a busy schedule, but an excellent way to make time is to wake up just 45 minutes to an hour early for a jog or bike ride. Not only will this help you maintain health, but it’s also been suggested that you’ll feel more energized throughout the day by sacrificing that small amount of additional sleep for a good morning workout.

Exercise and diet go hand-in-hand when it comes to the maintenance of good health, and you should take some time to carefully consider what you’re putting into your body. A few helpful tips to keep in mind as you prepare your next meal or shopping list include:

  • Create a base rich in carbohydrates.
  • Eat a variety of foods to ensure you receive all the essential vitamins and minerals.
  • Shop primarily on the outer walls of the grocery store as these are typically the areas where the healthful foods your body really needs will be placed.
  • Reduce portion sizes rather than eliminating foods all together.

More information can be found regarding health and nutrition on Health Canada’s website.

A Shining Example

harvestingNearly 24 percent of Canadian residents don’t declare a religious affiliation. For them, Christian customs can be confusing. However, actions speak louder than words, and your stewardship could prove to be an initiating factor in someone else’s interest in the way you live your life. God has provided you with many blessings, and it’s up to you to care for them. By following these tips, you can better achieve overall satisfaction in the only physical life you have to live.

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Helping Your Church Grow

Feb 27

Helping Your Church Grow

Do you find yourself attending your church every Sunday and watching less and less people show up? I have been going through this for the past few years. I attend a very small church in the small community where I live. Each month, it seems like less people are coming to church to worship our lord and saviour Jesus Christ. So, what can we do about this? How can we help our churches that seem to have less of an audience each month?

Work On Your Welcome

At one point in time you were the new person in church. You may have had your worries such as if anyone would talk to you, what happens if your child cries, or even something as small as where to sit. Did someone greet you at the door or at your pew and make you feel welcome? This is the type of thing that will bring more people to your church, the passion and interest of your fellow church-goers and pastor. If people feel as if they are not being welcomed with open arms, they aren’t going to continue to attend and they won’t bring in newcomers. If you are trying to bring more people into your church, make sure they are feeling welcome. Call them after church and thank them for attending and ask them if there is anything they can do.

Add An Extra Service

According to research, once 80% of the seating in a venue is in use, the congregation stops growing. New people don’t want to walk into a church that is full because they may feel uncomfortable or unwanted. So, this is why if the option is available, add a new worship time or move into a larger building. You can also add morning and evening services. You may notice that attendance will quickly fill up in the new service without any difference to the other services. Sometimes, people just can’t make it to a morning service which is why the afternoon or evening service may be better for them.

Invest In Young People

More than 80% of Christians make a commitment to Christ before they are 18-years old. So think about it, if you recruit younger members, they will most likely stay with the church for a longer period of time. If the younger people are purposefully placed into visible leadership roles and provided mentoring, they will be successful in their roles within the church. The church should be invested in reaching and keeping young people active in the community.

Prayer

pray-841168_640

Yes, praying for church growth is an option. When you see a church growing, that means that there is a solid foundation of prayer being the strategies and programmes. For most churches, the first key into their transition to growth is emphasised on prayer. One thing to remember is that praying for growth also means that expectations are going to rise. Churches tend to forget what it feels like to grow when they become inward-looking.

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What To Do if Your Church has Mold Problems?

Oct 31

What To Do if Your Church has Mold Problems?

If you are a regular church goer or are part of miscellaneous church activities such as Sunday school (for kids) or youth fellowship meetings, or even if you are attending marriage ceremonies, funerals or baptisms, you could be at a serious risk of being exposed to a mold infestation that could adversely affect your health as well as all others in attendance i.e. guests, visitors, members, priest / minister / rabbi and other church staff. Usually, this is the case when the church’s building has seen several decades without renovation and the prevailing environment has been moderately humid for a long time.

If you inhale in increased levels of airborne mold spores – even for as little as an hour (this is usually the time church services take) – there is a good chance that a mold colony growth could get initiated in your lungs and sinus cavity. Children, especially those who are allergic or are already suffering from an illness, are among those who are worst affected by this. In many cases, churchgoers are unable to pinpoint the church’s musty, nostalgic scented air as the culprit behind their predicament, which is why they spend thousands of dollars on medications and treatments that are useless – simply because they keep on going back to the source of the mold. A prime example of a church building that could be playing host to dangerous mold growths is one that has been damaged by a hurricane/storm and hastily repaired without its interior being adequately dried off: mold thrives in humidity – and the damp, musty corners of the church that don’t see the light of day are an ideal breeding ground for it.

If you experience breathing difficulties or exhaustion soon after you have left the church or even as the service is going on, you must immediately relay your concerns to the priest / minister / rabbi. With their consultation, you (or the church staff) could conduct a mold assessment using mold test kits in order to determine whether there is a mold infestation in the church or not. Be sure to check the air of the church sanctuary as well as other rooms and also in the external airflow from the cooling/heating duct registers. If the church has a cellar / basement, it goes without saying that this could be a very likely mold source. Compare the results of the tests to an outdoor control test. If there is any visible mold, you can collect samples from the mold growth using a ‘Scotch tape lift sampling technique’ that is described in most mold guide websites. Mold kits can be easily acquired from many large home improvement, safety or hardware store. If you are unable to purchase them on your own, you can ask the priest to set up a collection where everyone in the congregation can contribute – since it will be to the benefit of everyone ultimately. If the community agrees to contribute, you may even be better off hiring a professional mold assessor / remediator to get rid of the mold in a very reliable way. Just make sure that you have a good idea of how much the mold removal will cost and whether the contributions will suffice, since mold remediation is an expensive undertaking.

 

In any case mold should be handled by the professionals, like this company out of Edmonton:

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