Sabbath Day, Sunday, August 31, 2008

Because we have fellow Americans who are in harms way along the Gulf Coast, here is a link to the LDS Church's website showing the help being given, as well as a link to the site for the American Red Cross. Please keep the people of the United States of America in your prayers tonight as the storm surge is expected to hit them at full strength around midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are the links...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"In Advance of Hurricane Gustav, Aid Trucks Already Rolling
SALT LAKE CITY 29 August 2008 Tractor-trailers loaded with relief supplies have already left Salt Lake City headed toward the Gulf Coast, where Hurricane Gustav is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning. By that time experts are forecasting Gustav will reach a Category 3 status or possibly even a Category 5 status.

Trucks loaded with food, hygiene kits and cleaning kits left for the Gulf Coast yesterday and today. More trucks are being loaded and will leave tomorrow, and additional supplies stored at Church aid facilities in Louisiana and Texas are also being made available.

..."

The American Red Cross

"Sunday, August 31, 2008 — As mandatory evacuations are issued in the Gulf Coast states, the American Red Cross is starting to receive evacuees in shelters throughout the Gulf Coast. The Red Cross has relief operations ready in four states: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Everyone in the path of the storm is urged to prepare, listen to officials and heed evacuation orders when instructed to do so; evacuation orders must be taken seriously.

..."

This is truly a lesson in preparedness for all of us around the globe.

"Invocation for Harmony and Joy", Meditation for Happiness

The following is an "invocation for harmony and joy" from Yoga Journal, page 22, September 2008.

"Loka Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu (Low-Kaah Suh-Muh-Staah Soo-khee-no Bhuh-vuhn-tu)

May everyone everywhere be happy.
May the whole world be joyous.

This prayer doesn't invoke a specific divinity and so isn't, strictly speaking, a mantra. But it is a well-known and beautiful Sanskrit blessing.

Blessings are intentional, focused thought-forms that have the power to affect the world, which, according to yogic philosophy, is shaped by consciousness. When a blessing is heard and echoed in the hearts of others, its power is reinforced.

Try bringing this blessing into your daily practice by chanting it at the end of your asana sequence or before meditation, and notice its subtle effect."

Time for a Change

"Just as some people don't manage their diets well, others don't manage their time well. They're not living a balanced life; consequently they are stressed out, always run-down. They've gotten into a habit of overworking. They rarely relax; they hardly ever exercise. They never take any free time for themselves. Unless they make changes and bring some balance into their lives, one day, that's going to catch up to them. You can live stressed out for a while, especially when you're young. But don't be surprised when your body suffers the consequences.

It's much better to develop good habits right now. Look at the way you live and ask, "Why am I doing what I am doing? Is this something that's been passed down to me by my family? Is this a good habit? Is it helping me become a better person?" If, in your analysis, you discover some habits that are not productive or profitable, dare to make the changes that will help you to replace them. Make sure that you're not allowing anything but God to master you."

--Joel Osteen, "Become a Better You, 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day"

Zion's National Park Beauty

Here are some pictures from Zion's National Park that are just beautiful. How could anyone believe in the "Big Bang" when you visit places like this?

Give Time. Show Love.

I have not written a post in quite a few days. I have become quite busy with school beginning and my complete immersion in my community affairs. Quite a total difference from having been chronically ill with Lyme disease for at least 8 years. Life is truly amazing and I love everything I am now able to become involved in.

Since I have been gaining health stamina over the past few months, I have chosen a path which requires giving much of my time to community volunteerism. One lesson I have learned from this involvement is that it is therapy in and of itself. It takes you away from your small worries and allows you to become aware and helpful in solving the larger concerns. It takes you from the "cave" or small amount of living (on survival mode) while ill to seeing a grand picture in which you can make a difference and take part in the "thing" called "life".

"When you show love, you are showing God to the world." --Joel Osteen, "Become A Better You"

"Learn to be good to people. That's one of the best witnesses we can possibly have...The world does not need to hear another sermon nearly as much as it needs to see one. Learn to give your time, your money, and encouraging word; meet a need. When you show love, you are showing God to the world.

"Don't worry about if you don't get credit...When you let somebody in traffic in front of you, you many never see that person again. When you give somebody twenty dollars simply because you felt compassion in your heart, you may never hear back from them. That's okay; God is keeping the records. He sees every act of kindness you show. He sees every time you are good to somebody. He hears every encouraging word you speak. God has seen all the times you went out of your way to help somebody who never said thank you. Your good deeds do not go unnoticed by Almighty God."

Joel Osteen explains in his book that giving and being kind to others helps you. That is not being selfish. That is reaping the rewards of the seeds you have sown. Life is amazing and should never be taken for granted. We all live on this earth for such a short time. What will you do for someone today?

Sabbath Day, August 10, 2008

Love Is Spoken Here

"I see my mother kneeling
With our family each day.

I hear the words she whispers
as she bows her head to pray.

Her plea to the Father
quiets all my fears,

And I am thankful
Love is spoken here.

Mine is a home
where every hour

Is blessed by the strength
of priesthood pow'r.

With father and mother
leading the way

Teaching me how
to trust and obey

And the things they teach
are crystal clear

For love is spoken here.

I can often feel the Savior near
when love is spoken here."

Source:
http://www.lds.org/paprimary/program/CSMP_2007_%20Files/cs190.pdf

The Sleep Cycle and Healing from Lyme Disease

Ahhh, sleep...sweet sleep. That wonderful place where you can escape the realities of your life. Be anyone. Do anything.

How many of you wish you were sleeping right now? As I sit here, I visualize the luxury of doing nothing and being in a place of comfort. Ahhh, good old comfy bed and fluffy pillow.

Statistics show that approximately 1 (one) in 8 (eight) or 11.76% or 32 million people in USA have insomnia, as reported by www.wrongdiagnosis.com.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following:

*difficulty falling asleep

*waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep

*waking up too early in the morning

*unrefreshing sleep

Here is a link where you can take an insomnia survey. My guess is that the majority of you experience, at least, some insomnia.

As you know, from experiencing Lyme disease or any other chronic illness, insomnia is a very big issue. Once experienced for lengths of time, insomnia can cause symptoms of illness, or worsen the symptoms you may already be experiencing.

Stated on www.lymeinfo.net,

"Lyme is a multi system disease, the list of symptoms is long, and it is common to see symptoms affecting multiple systems...Patients with chronic Lyme disease often experience severe headaches, fatigue, pain, insomnia, and memory problems. Chronic Lyme disease can render people completely disabled."

You might imagine that some of those symptoms listed for Lyme may be caused by insomnia issues. Complications with insomnia include:

"Impaired mental functioning. Insomnia can affect concentration and memory, and can affect one's ability to perform daily tasks. Some experts report that deep sleep deprivation impairs the brain's ability to process information. Two to three hours of sleep every night for a week significantly impaired performance and mood. Some studies have reported problems in memorization, although others have found no differences in test scores between people with temporary sleep loss and those with full sleep.

Accidents. Insomnia endangers public safety by contributing to traffic and industrial accidents. Various studies have shown that fatigue plays a major role in automobile and machinery accidents. As many as 100,000 automobile accidents, accounting for 1,500 deaths, are caused by sleepiness. Estimates on fatigue as a cause of automobile crashes range from 1% to 56%, depending on the study.

Mortality Rates. People with insomnia did not have elevated mortality rates, which supported earlier evidence. People who took sleeping pills, however, did have lower survival rates. Insomnia is virtually never lethal except in rare cases, such the genetic disorder called fatal familial insomnia. This rare degenerative brain disease develops in late adulthood. It is progressive and the individual develops intractable insomnia, which eventually becomes fatal.

Stress and depression. Even modest alterations in waking and sleeping patterns can have significant effects on a person's mood. Persistent insomnia may even predict the future development of emotional disorders in some cases. Insomnia increases the activity of the hormones and pathways in the brain that cause stress, and changes in sleeping patterns have been shown to have significant affects on mood. Ongoing insomnia may be a sign of anxiety and depression.

Heart disease. One study reported that people with chronic insomnia had signs of heart and nervous system activity that might put them at risk for heart disease.

Headaches. Headaches that occur during the night or early in the morning may be related to a sleep disorder.

What do you do when you have disruptive insomnia, or insomnia that is causing havoc with your daily life? Well, visiting with your physician and explaining your situation is definitely a good start. However, be careful that the first step is not to be immediately placed on a prescribed sleep aid. Initially, you need to attempt to "reset your clock" on your own.

What are some ways to "reset your clock"?

1. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

2. Don't eat past 8:00pm.

3. Don't drink a lot of liquid prior to going to bed.

4. Go about the same routine prior to going to be and when you awake in the morning as the body and mind respond well to routine.

5. Don't drink beverages or eat food with caffeine or high sugar content prior to going to bed.

6. Add a light body stretching routine prior to bedtime.

7. Meditate, using the same methods as in last Friday's post, but while laying in bed so that you can drift to sleep.

8. Try not to take extended naps throughout the day. If you need a nap, be sure that it is no longer than 20 minutes.

If this series of 7 (seven) items doesn't help you to regain your sleep routine, see your physician, as you may need a light sleep aide to help you "reset your clock" (in addition to the routine listed above).

Sources:
www.wrongdiagnosis.com
www.lymeinfo.net
www.health-cares.net

Sabbath Day, August 3, 2008

I Chose Heavenly Father's Plan

"Before we were born we were invited to a big meeting in heaven where we learned about Heavenly Father's plan. We learned that the earth would be created and that it would be a place where we could come and have physical bodies.

Part of Heavenly Father's plan was for us to learn to choose between right and wrong. He knew that we would sometimes make mistakes and that someone would have to pay for them. He chose Jesus Christ to be our Savior. Jesus would give his own life to pay for our sins so that we could return to live with Heavenly Father after our earth life.

There was another spirit person there who wanted to take away our agency and force us all to follow him. That was Lucifer, or Satan. He didn’t want to follow Heavenly Father’s plan—he wanted his own plan.

Everyone who is here on earth decided to follow Heavenly Father's plan. Each of us has been given a body to take care of while we live on earth.

When we left our pre-earth life, Heavenly father placed something called a veil across our minds so that we would not remember what had happened before we were born. That way, we could learn to have faith in Him and Jesus Christ, to control our minds and our bodies, and to obey the commandments and choose the right.

I know that I chose the right plan before I came to earth. I know that if I continue to Choose the Right that I can return to live with Heavenly Father again. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior and that he died for our sins."

Source:
http://primarytalks.googlepages.com/jan082

Meditation. Beating Symptoms of Lyme Through Mind Power.

As I sit here typing this post, I think about the fact that I was in a wheelchair during our family Disneyland trip in October, 2007 (just last fall). I also remember deep frustration during those many years while extremely ill and desperate for answers. I wouldn't turn back the clock and lose the experiences I had during those years. Without them I would not be the person I am today.

When I was finally diagnosed properly with Chronic/Late-Stage Lyme disease, the miracles of healing began. Now, here I am, a completely changed individual. The treatment of Doxycycline for four months, supplemental vitamins and minerals (Bio35), Noni Juice, Mangostein, wonderful family and spiritual support, and my mind-over-body meditation are the main contributors to my wellness success.

The mind-over-body-type mediation is something that I have practiced for over 15 years. However, when I was having coping issues during my years with chronic, misdiagnosed illness, I sought out counseling with a psychiatrist who specializes in Cognitive Therapy. This Cognitive Therapy approach greatly enhanced my mind-over-body meditation and changed my reality from "doom and gloom" to "positive no matter the circumstances".

This earthy experience is a one-time opportunity. Notice that I said "opportunity". The purpose of this earthly experience isn't for us to lay around, complain, abuse our bodies or minds, become mindless through too much TV and/or video games, let our bodies succum to illness and deteriorate, etc.

No. The purpose is for us to find and utilize our talents for the good of ourselves, our families, our communities, our country, our world. The energy we release mixes with the energy of others and creates our reality.

Therefore one question I always ask myself before thinking, speaking, or taking action is this...

"What kind of energy am I sending out to the Universe?"

Another question I ask myself is this...

"What energy do I want to surround myself with and what energy do I want to return to myself?"

In order to do this effectively, one must practice the consciousness of thinking, speaking, and taking actions. Doesn't it seem that there are many days, especially when feeling ill, that you unconsciously go through the motions of each day and that the days pass and you feel as if you are not really participating in this life, that you are just here?

Here is a process that will expedite your journey to wellness and keep you well if practiced regularly.

Take the following steps to initially launch your mind-over-body power.

1. Lay flat on your back.

2. Keep your legs relaxed and straight, feet approximately six (6) inches apart and relaxed.

3. Place arms, hands with palms up toward the ceiling, slightly away from your body. Your arms should be relaxed, your shoulders should be slightly back, elongating your neck.

4. Keep chin slightly down toward chest, however, your head must be relaxed and can be propped up on a regular size pillow.

5. Breathe slowly and deeply in through your nose, feeling the breath on the back of your throat and feeling the inhale in your stomach, instead of your chest. Focus on the breath. Note: Feeling the inhale in your stomach is relaxing and will help get you centered.

6. Breathe out slowly through your nose, again feeling the breath on the back of your throat. You should hear your breath against the back of your throat. Focus on the breath.

7. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Attempt to keep your mind centered on your breathing and not wander toward your list of things that need to be done, etc.

8. Now add positive, relaxing, self-talk. Start with visualizing each area of your body and how it is healed and perfect. Here is an example...

"My brain is perfect... The cells in my brain are rejuvenating and telling the rest of my body to heal and become perfect...I remember names, dates, faces, tastes, smells and everything I sense with ease and perfect detail...I can recall each and every one of these details with ease...My hearing is perfect...My eye-sight is perfect...My head and neck feel completely relaxed..."

9. Keep the deep breathing continuous as you progress with your positive self-talk.

"My glands and organs work perfectly...All of the cells in my body are rejuvenating and are healed and perfect...My shoulders are relaxed...My arms are relaxed...My hands are relaxed...I feel the positive universal energy in the palms of my hands..."

10. You continue your self-talk toward each of your body parts, imagining a perfectly functioning and healthy body. You tell yourself that you have energy and stamina to achieve all of your goals.

11. Continuing with the deep breathing, begin the self-talk that will bring more positive energy into your life. Here is an example...

"I have positive energy flowing through every cell in my body...My aura is full of positive energy...I am magnetized to positive energy and positive energy is magnetized to me...I am magnetized to positive people and positive people are magnetized to me...I am magnetized to positive situations and positive situations are magnetized to me...I am magnetized to positive opportunities and positive opportunities are magnetized to me...My positive energy shields me from all negativity..."

Continue this meditation each day, as well as reading uplifting literature, listening to uplifting music, taking walks, and other additional activities as your body and mind allow.

Test the results for yourself.

Remember that you have control over the way you think, even when it seems that the world is out of control. You have control in the way that you act and react to the world going on around you. You have more power than you may have ever thought you had and you can utilize it so that you can have more opportunities and joy during this experience on Earth.