Our Baby Girl

Ella Rhys Whaley,
Born in Austin, Texas,
July 28th, 12:22 PM,
6 lbs. 4 oz., 19 inches long,
Beautifully made!!!

Ella: foreign, . . . torch, bright light
Perhaps the old German meaning “foreign” is appropriate since Ella is the first child of parents who fell in love while both were foreigners in a strange land. Perhaps also because of a sense of affinity with Abraham and Sarah in the Bible who both lived as sojourners and waited for a child through whom God would bless all foreigners. May she seek by faith a lasting city.

Perhaps the Greek meaning torch gives the sense in which we hope Ella will be a witness to the The Way. Perhaps she will testify concerning the bright light that is Christ.

As popular a name as it was in the 1880s . . . “Ella” is back again!

Ella Fitzgerald was an African-American jazz singer with a beautiful gift for music.

Jason likes the name because Ella has the “El” sound, which means “god” in Hebrew. For example, the Bible begins with “B’reshi’t barah Elohim . . .”, “In the beginning God created . . .”

Rhys: enthusiasm for life
The English word, enthusiasm, comes from Greek—breathed-by-God—but the name Rhys has a Welsh origin and is popularly used for boys’ names in Wales after some strong rulers in the country’s history. Jason’s ancestors were from Wales, hence the family name, “Whaley”.

Perhaps “Rhys” is more commonly a boy name, but don’t be confused; let her first name make it clear since “Ella” also means “she” in Spanish. ☺ And, Rhys is a girls name according to one of our baby names books.

Another Welsh meaning has been used for this name in recent times and applied to girls as well: a stream. Of course, we hope this is a reminder of the natural power and grace of the Holy Spirit, sometimes thought of as a stream of pure water.

Other meanings include . . . ardent, fiery, zealous . . . eagerness, love, and passion . . . We have confidence that she will be a zealous doer, not merely a hearer of the Word . . .

Reese Witherspoon is a famous actress, but apparently “Rhys” seems to be an unpopular spelling for girls. It gives a unique sense to “Ella”, which is a much more popular name.

Ella Rhys . . . both names seem to fit together well and fit our daughter and give her lots of room to grow as well. We think Ella is going to be a sweet name for one sweet and joyful little girl who will grow into a woman with a sweet disposition and a joyful heart. May she seek a lasting city by the light of the Son of God.

Scripture that has Ella Rhys Whaley in it:
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning Elohim . . .”

Hebrews 11:8-16, “Faith led Abraham to live as a foreigner . . . Faith enabled Abraham . . . and Sarah . . . [They] were longing for a better country—a heavenly country. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has prepared a city for them.”

Galatians 3:8, “ . . . So Scripture announced the Good News to Abraham ahead of time when it said, ‘Through you all the people of the world will be blessed.’”

Ephesians 5, “ . . . Live as children who have light . . . Light exposes the true character of everything because light makes everything easy to see . . . ‘Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ . . . be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs . . .”

Isaiah 66:12, “This is what the LORD says: I will offer you peace like a river and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse and be carried in Jerusalem's arms and cuddled on her knees.”

Amos 5:24, “But let justice flow like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Micah 4:1, “In the last days the mountain of the LORD's house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. People will stream to it.”

Habakkuk 3:4, “His brightness is like the sunlight. Rays of light stream from his hand. That is where his power is hidden.”

Justice Wears a Heart

I really want to see the new Batman movie and hope I can find time and a friend soon to see it with me.

I remember just before Batman Forever came out in 1995, they showed the movie trailer and one of the lines was, ". . . but justice wears a mask . . ." referring to Batman who wears a mask and fights crime. Does God care about justice? What does/would he do about injustice? Would God wear a disguise and slaughter bad guys?

Recently, I got the chance to be in class with a group of recent high school grads and college freshmen. We read Leviticus 19:1-37 and asked, basically, four questions and took notes as to some of what they all said. (Nicole chimed in, too.)

What does God do?
brings people out of oppression
saves people
delivers people
communicates

What is at God's heart? What does he care about most?
Sabbath, reverence, holiness,
caring for the poor, justice--fairness,
the stranger in the land,
worship (not to false gods),
life, supporting life,
compassionate (e.g., the deaf and blind),
honesty--don't steal

What information or knowledge is God most eager to share?
about himself--"I am the Lord"
"be holy"

What's the use of the Old Testament?
we're not slaves to the law . . . but it shows us what's right/wrong
it teaches us to care about what God cares about


There's a lot I would probably add in answering the last question, but that's another post.

I've Always Loved Tusken Raiders

Tusken Raiders at the Office | Viral | SPIKE.com

Rescue from Diabetes

I copy/pasted part of an article from www.mercola.com. If you are like me, pre-diabetic, perhaps you can adjust your lifestyle according to some good sense. My good friend Song Sun died a year and a half ago due to type 2 diabetes complications. He found it very difficult to change his lifestyle in order to reverse things before the dominoes began to fall on his organs. I hope that you and I are able to change ours. God, bless us.

. . .
Why is Diabetes Such a Dangerous Disease?

Diabetes has become so common that many don’t even bat an eyelash anymore. It’s almost as if diabetes has become “ok.” Just take your meds and you’ll be fine.

Not so!

Aside from the potentially deadly side effects of diabetes drugs, which I’ve covered in previous articles, the additional health complications that diabetes fosters are multiple, and quite serious, including:

Heart disease and stroke – Death from heart disease and risk for stroke is two to four times higher among people with diabetes
High blood pressure – 75 percent of diabetics have high blood pressure (130/180 mm Hg or higher)
Blindness -- Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20 to 74 years
Kidney disease – Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. In 2005, more than 45,700 people began treatment for end-stage kidney disease in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and another 178,700 were living on chronic dialysis
Nervous system disease -- About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage such as: impaired sensation or pain in hands or feet, poor digestion, carpal tunnel syndrome and erectile dysfunction
Amputations – In 2004, 71,000 lower limb amputations due to diabetes were performed in the U.S.
Dental disease -- Almost one-third of people with diabetes have severe periodontal disease
Pregnancy complications -- Poorly controlled diabetes before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy among women with type 1 diabetes can cause major birth defects in 5 to 10 percent of pregnancies, and spontaneous abortions in 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies
Putting a Price Tag on Diabetes

There’s yet another updated study that warrants mentioning here: the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) study on Economic Cost of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2007.

The total estimated cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2007 tallies up to $174 billion. This includes $ 116 billion in excess (read: unnecessary) medical expenditures, and $58 billion in reduced national productivity.

Having diabetes not only plunders your health, but your pocketbook too. People with diagnosed diabetes incur an average medical expense of $11,744 per year, almost 2.5 times higher than those who do not have diabetes.

Follow the Bread Crumbs

The concept that diabetes is NOT a blood sugar disease is one that I keep striving to make well-known. As you can see by the numbers above, understanding the TRUE underlying cause of diabetes has the potential to save hundreds of thousands, even millions, of lives.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease caused by insulin resistance and faulty leptin signaling, both of which are regulated through your diet.

Until that concept becomes well-known in both the medical community and by the public at large, the misconception about what diabetes is and the appropriate way to treat it will continue to be promoted.

Conventional treatment that is focused on fixing the symptom of elevated blood sugar, rather than addressing the underlying disease, is doomed to fail in most cases. Treatments that concentrate merely on lowering blood sugar while raising insulin levels can actually worsen rather than remedy the actual problem of metabolic miscommunication. It just trades one evil for another.

Since most treatments for type 2 diabetes utilize drugs that either raise insulin or lower blood sugar, the tragic result is that the typical, conventional medical treatment for diabetes contributes to the additional diseases and the shortened lifespan that diabetics experience.

For the last 50 years or so, Americans have followed the dietary recommendations of a high complex carbohydrate, low saturated fat diet.

As an example, WebMD; one of the most visited medical information sites on the web, states that people with diabetes, who also have abnormal cholesterol levels, would be well advised to follow a diet that calls for 50 to 60 percent of your daily total calories to be in the form of carbohydrates.

That’s absurd.

They also state that table sugar is okay, as long as you readjust your medications to compensate appropriately (i.e. take more drugs to increase your fat cell storage capacity). Using toxic artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar also gets the green light.

Folks, many of these recommendations are not based on what’s nutritionally healthy. They’re based on industry lobbying – just like the USDA’s Food Pyramid, which is fraught with industry conflicts of interest.

The proof is in the pudding as they say, and concomitant with the standard nutritional recommendations the incidence of diabetes and obesity has skyrocketed, and has become one of the worst epidemics the world has ever seen.

Eating a high "complex" carbohydrate, low saturated fat diet for health and longevity has been shown to be wrong. Minimal common sense would say to try something else.

How to Avoid Becoming a Statistic

Getting appropriate and regular amounts of exercise, and adopting an eating plan that emphasizes good fats, and reduced non-fiber carbohydrates and starches as outlined in my Total Health Program, can place you on the right path. Doing so will greatly improve and even reverse type 2 "insulin resistant" diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, many other chronic diseases of aging, all without the use of potentially dangerous drugs.

Excerpted from www.mercola.com.

God and Country

A good friend and leader in the Park Ave church of Christ in Memphis wrote an excellent, I think, short essay in July 2006 on patriotism. So I thought I would share it:

I always look forward to the Fourth of July. It means good food and good times shared with people I care about.

Expressing one's patriotism is the thing to do on the Fourth! And I have no trouble doing so. I am glad to have lived in a country that grants me the freedoms that this one does. I acknowledge an inestimable debt to those who have sacrificed, some ultimately, to preserve the freedoms I hold so dear. I root enthusiastically for our Olympians. I get as riled as most when I hear the U.S.A. unjustly maligned. My response to such is this: How many people are doing everything they can to get out of it, preferring to live elsewhere? I rest! And finally, I'm a Viet Vet! Convinced? I hope so, for I don't want to be misunderstood as to what follows.

I get a little nervous at this linking of God and country. There are all sorts of "good Americans" who are not "God's people" in any way. And, of course, there are believing English, Russians, Japanese, and such. Don't we share something with them that is far more significant than a mere common citizenship?

And though there is much in our country that is good by virtue of the influence of Christian values, this country can by no stretch of the imagination be accurately described as "Christian". A quick look around should convince you of that.

One can be both a "good American" and a Christian, but they are entirely separate things, the latter being of infinitely greater significance than the former. God is God. He is not the representative of any particular nation, not even such a wonderful one as ours. We Christians would do well to remember it, even on the Fourth!

- Tank Tankersley, July 3, 2006

Also, there are these words at the close of an essay by Charles Marsh, © Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company :
. . . I am certain that it would be better for Christians to stand in solidarity with compassionate atheists and agnostics, firmly resolved against injustice and cruelty, than to sing "Amazing Grace" with the heroic masses who cannot tell the difference between the cross and the flag.

- Charles Marsh


I wonder if anyone has additional or critical thoughts about this subject they'd like to post as comments here.

Holiday Weekend

4th of July at the Abuzeide's house, the guys outside with the hot grill, one of the kids, and a puppy dog. At the time telling basic training stories and how we got to be in the Round Rock church of Christ.


Chuy's, the King of Tex-Mex.


Nicole and our friends, sisters Sammie and Abby.


The only pillow I've ever loved.

1 Peter 1:13-21

Therefore, your minds must be clear and ready for action. Place your confidence completely in what God’s kindness will bring you when Jesus Christ appears again. Because you are children who obey God, don’t live the kind of lives you once lived. Once you lived to satisfy your desires because you didn’t know any better. But because the God who called you is holy you must be holy in every aspect of your life. Scripture says, “Be holy, because I am holy.” So if you call God your Father, live your time as temporary residents on earth in fear. He is the God who judges all people by what they have done, and he doesn’t play favorites. Realize that you weren’t set free from the worthless life handed down to you from your ancestors by a payment of silver or gold which can be destroyed. Rather, the payment that freed you was the precious blood of Christ, the lamb with no defects or imperfections. He is the lamb who was known long ago before the world existed, but for your good he became publicly known in the last period of time. Through him you believe in God who brought Christ back to life and gave him glory. So your faith and confidence are in God.

Good 'Ol Søren

Maybe you've heard of Søren Kierkegaard. A Christian philosopher, he was a critic of the Danish church. It just so happens that his country is now mostly atheist--at least that's my impression. We met a couple of exchange student girls a few months ago in Memphis. They came to church with us and one night had ice cream with a group of us and our friends. Corey and I, fans--is it fair to say?--of Kierkegaard asked the girls if they had heard of him. One of them had. Neither girl believed in God, but one of them really enjoyed the singing in church. They were very polite and open to friendships with Christians. Corey and I got a big kick out of the Danish pronunciation of our admired philosopher's name.

Anyway, here is a little reflection on Kierkegaard in Overhearing the Gospel, but Fred Craddock:

[Kierkegaard's] charge was that the clergy and the professors did not trust the word of scripture, but were constantly building around it the scaffolding of eighteen centuries of dogma, tradition, ecclesiastical machinery, and claims of authority. Whenver he had opportunity to preach, invariably it was an occasion for sharing the promise and judgment of a text of scripture. Quite unlike the sermons and lectures of the church, the Bible for Kierkegaard had the quality of a conversation, between God and God's people.

Here are a few neat quotes from Kierkegaard's writings regarding what I would call the risk of faith:

If I am capable of grasping God objectively, I do not believe, but precisely because I cannot do this I must believe.

It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey.

During the first period of a man's life the greatest danger is not to take the risk.

Condoning, Condemning, and Cardboard

I thought these devotional thoughts from Eugene Peterson go well with the Cardboard Testimonies video I found on my friend's blog.

Condoning is the way of the sentimental humanist, the person who cannot bear to see others suffer the consequences of his own actions and wants to make everything all right with Mercurochrome and Band-Aids. Condemning is the way of revengeful barbarians, people who cannot bear to face themselves and who want to make everything all right by getting rid of the offense. Condoning and condemning are both wrong for the same reasons: they refuse to take seriously the integrity of the other person, and to accept the fact that personal choice has personal consequences; they refuse to accept children as persons in their own right and not just extensions of the parent; and they refuse to take seriously the promises of God, to believe that God is capable of bringing good out of evil, healing out of suffering, peace out of disorder, resurrection out of crucifixion. They refuse to believe in Jesus Christ.

Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?"
"No one, Master."
"Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."
- John 8:10-11

Cardboard Testimonies video:

A Planet that Groans

"As long as we continue to croon romantic ballads about God as a heavenly sweetheart . . . we're going to have difficulties facing a planet that groans under a curse." from page 10 of Jim McGuiggan's new book, _Celebrating the Wrath of God: Reflections on the Agony and the Ecstasy of His Relentless Love_

I just thought this was a though-provoking teaser from a book I'd like to read.

What Did You Expect?

What Did You Expect? (a version of a sermon preached today in Round Rock, Texas)

Can Jason really go to grad school? Surprise. He did.
Can anything good really come out of Oklahoma? Surprise. Braum’s.
Surprise, indicated by sudden raising of the eyebrows, usually leads to one or a blend of three responses: fear, joy, or confusion. Joy is the response that comes from finding the surprises that God has in store.

I was trying to make sense of something. A widow, Luisa, and her family. Grief. Depended on God for every handful of flour and every drip of olive oil. I sensed God saying, “Get up, and go,” so I finally went over there. I said, “Here, I thought I would bring you some oranges.” I gave them a big sack of oranges. They were too sour for me so I was glad they started cutting them up and sharing slices around to several of her children—the youngest, a 10-year-old. I wanted to see if they really were hungry enough to eat these sour oranges. So I found out that not a single person out of that whole sad-faced house could stand to take even a second bite of the oranges I had brought. Except, one granddaughter. She started sucking on a half orange held by her mom and every time her mom would pull it away, the little girl who could hardly stand on two legs would scream, “Aaah!” And momma would hold that sour orange back up to her mouth and, “Suck, suck, suck.” We kind of laughed for a little while because the oranges were so ridiculously sour and because of this little girl, but then, we went back to grief and for a few more minutes we sad there depressed, tears streaming down the ten-year-old’s face. I thought, “Well, the oranges didn’t really count for bringing something to encourage them. What else can I give them?” And that’s when I thought of this story in 1 Kings 17 where God does something remarkable. It began to make sense of my life and what I was experiencing.

1 Kings 17:2-16
Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: “Leave here, turn east, and hide beside the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. You can drink from the stream, and I’ve commanded ravens to feed you there.”

Elijah left and did what the word of the Lord had told him. He went to live by the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening. And he drank from the stream.

But after some time the stream dried up because no rain had fallen in the land.

Then the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: “Get up, go to Zarephath (which belongs to Sidon), and stay there. I’ve commanded a widow there to feed you.”

He got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the town’s entrance, a widow was gathering wood. He called to her, “Please bring me a drink of water.” As she was going to get it, he called to her again, “Please bring me a piece of bread, too.”

She said, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord your God lives, I didn’t bake any bread. I have one handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I’m gathering wood. I’m going to prepare something for myself and my son so that we can eat it and then die.”

Then Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home, and do as you’ve said. But first make a small loaf and bring it to me. Then prepare something for yourself and your son. This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Until the Lord sends rain on the land, the jar of flour will never be empty and the jug will always contain oil.”

She did what Elijah had told her. So she, Elijah, and her family had food for a long time. The jar of flour never became empty, and the jug always contained olive oil, as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

So I thought about that story and thought, “God must have commanded this widow to give me something! That’s it! What is it?” She had all these kids around and I thought, “Well, they don’t have a bunch of CDs like I have. They probably know how to sing.” So while everybody was silent and sad-faced and exhausted looking, I said, “Could you all sing me a song?” They looked at me with a little surprised, but not too surprised and Luisa said, “Well, can you sing us a song?” So I tried to think of an appropriate song to sing. I had just made up one a couple weeks previous and it was short and sombre so I sang it:

Make me humble,
Make me grateful.
Make me laugh and make me cry;
Bring me to my knees.
You’re so merciful and I’m so in need—
To be what you created me to be.

Well, it took about 15 seconds for the family to come up with the first of several songs to sing. The kids began leading praise songs around God and Jesus. We had church right there in the middle of that. I realized, with surprise, that God brought joy to me through a widow and her family who seemed on the surface not to have anything to share with me. But they did. How did they have something I needed?

And who is the Lord of creation? Who is the Ruler of rulers and CEO of the universe, but Jesus, son of Joseph of hometown Nazareth, the Lamb of God who looks like it’s been slaughtered? Would we ever have thought that he had something we needed? I don’t know that I would even have noticed him walk by.

Isaiah 53:2,
. . . He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him.
He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him.

And yet, he is the King of all ages. The indescribable and ultimate gift to humanity and the only hope for all creation. All wisdom, power, honor, and strength belong to him! The Lamb—surprise!—has everything we need! As the song goes, “Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men?”

And what are his people like? Who follows this Lamb?

Matthew 4:24,
. . . People brought him everyone who was sick, those who suffered from any kind of disease or pain. They also brought epileptics, those who were paralyzed, and people possessed by demons, and he cured them all.

Are you one who is being brought to Jesus?
Or, are you one who is bringing others to Jesus?
I think we take turns, don’t we? Sometimes bringing, sometimes being brought. Sometimes we’re ravens, naturally obedient to God and not even surprised by our own dependence on him. Sometimes we’re Elijah, trusting God confidently enough to ask the first widow or street kid we come across for something we need. Sometimes we’re the widow or her son, good-hearted enough to let faith grow and all we really need is a friend whom we can serve with our last handful of flour and last drip of olive oil. We take turns at these different characters, but let’s never take God’s turn. Never get tired of expecting God to surprise us—taking care of us and letting us take care of others in the most unfamiliar circumstances.

One time there was a house with a woman standing on its front porch with a cigarette and a scowl. She cussed at people who walked by. She would go inside and slam the door if you tried to say, “G’day,” to her. But if we hadn’t gone inside, we wouldn’t have realized that her husband (I can’t remember his name) was taking the best care of her that he could. And inside that house he had a small gathering of whoever would come. And he was preaching the Good News to them and leading them in praise songs. That’s where we got to hear the Good News. That’s where the Kingdom came—in the least expected place.

Good Father, please give me the ‘get up and go’ to seek your providence in the people and places I least expect. In the name of the One who is much greater than what we expected, Amen.

Human Microbiome

Six Tribes of Bacteria Live in Your Inner Elbow

The crook of your elbow is a special ecosystem that provides a bountiful home to six tribes of bacteria. Even after you wash, there are still 1 million bacteria living on every square centimeter.

These bacteria are what biologists call commensals, helpful rather than harmful organisms. They moisturize your skin by processing the raw fats that it produces.

The bacteria were discovered as part of the human microbiome project, a study researching all of the various microbes that live in people. The project is in its early stages, but has already established that the bacteria in the human microbiome collectively possess at least 100 times as many genes as the 20,000 or so in the human genome.

The bacterial cells also outnumber human cells by 10 to 1.

Humans depend on their microbiome for essential functions, including digestion, leading microbiologists to conclude that a person should really be considered a superorganism.
Sources:
New York Times May 23, 2008
Genome Research May 23, 2008
Science May 22, 2008

(Were You Aware… 80% of Your Immune System is Located in Your Digestive System?
So, to effectively promote your immune system health, you need to look no further than your intestinal tract. Probiotics (Greek “for life’) can be a great way to start promoting your digestive health and overall health as well.)


Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Isn’t it wonderful that your body is its own living ecosystem, teeming with beneficial bacteria?

Well, for some it may prompt you to grab a bar of antibacterial soap and run for the shower, but you couldn’t wash all the bacteria off your body if you tried -- nor would you want to. Unfortunately, modern society is unhealthily obsessed with being “clean,” despite the fact that “commensal,” or beneficial, bacteria play a large role in keeping you alive.

You and Your Bacteria: A Symbiotic Relationship

There are 70 known tribes of commensal bacteria that could be living on your body right now. The word commensal comes from the Latin term “com mensa,” which means “sharing a table.”

Take, for instance, the Nile crocodile and the tiny Egyptian plover bird. The bird flies into the crocodile’s mouth, makes a meal out of the leeches and other debris on its gums, and in turn the croc gets its teeth cleaned. This is a symbiotic relationship at its finest.

Similarly, the bacteria that inhabit your body are serving a great purpose.

Those in your gut, for instance, feed on sugars you eat and convert the hydrogen they produce into methane. The bacteria on your inner elbow, meanwhile, process the raw fats it produces and in turn moisturize your skin.

Amazing!

The Price You Pay for Killing Your Bacteria

There are about 100 trillion microorganisms -- bacteria, fungi and more -- living on and in your body. Despite this magnitude, science is only beginning to unravel their impact on your health.

Most obviously, it’s known that altering the balance of bacteria in your digestive tract can weaken your immune system and cause trouble to your digestive functions. But bacteria have an impact well beyond that. Even the National Institutes of Health cites research showing that “variations in the composition of microbial communities may contribute to chronic health conditions, including diabetes, asthma, obesity and digestive disorders.”

For instance:
The types of bacteria in a baby’s gut may determine their risk of being overweight or obese later in life.
Gut bacteria play a role in fighting colon cancer.
The disappearance of H. pylori, the bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers, may contribute to the obesity epidemic, as it regulates the production of leptin and ghrelin.
A daily dose of friendly bacteria known as probiotics might help treat autism, irritable bowel disease, acne and premenstrual syndrome.
How to Nourish Your Body’s Friendly Bacteria

The healthy bacteria that reside on your body are constantly under attack. The biggest offenders?

1. Antibiotics
2. Antibacterial soaps
3. A poor diet, specifically one high in sugar, grains and processed foods

While antibiotics and antibacterial soaps simply kill all the bacteria in and on your body -- both good and bad -- a poor diet actually feeds bad bacteria. Eventually, the disease-causing bacteria will be able to overtake the good bacteria, and this is when disease results.

So, what can you do to keep your body’s ecosystem thriving and, most importantly, in balance?

1. Avoid antibiotics if at all possible. Only take them as a last resort, and when absolutely necessary. If you do take antibiotics, be sure to take a high-quality probiotic supplement upon finishing the treatment to replenish your body’s good bacteria.

2. Avoid antibacterial soaps. They will cause the production of resistant bacterial strains and are toxic. Plain soap and water is all you need.

3. Eat a diet tailored to your nutritional type. This will give you the foods your body (and its bacteria) will thrive on.

4. Avoid sugar and grains, which feed bad bacteria.

5. Eat organic meat and dairy products, as conventional varieties can contain high levels of antibiotic residues.

6. Eat fermented foods like kefir, unpasteurized sauerkraut, or, my favorite, natto. These foods are naturally rich in good bacteria that will help to keep your gut bacteria in balance.

7. Take a high-quality probiotic supplement, particularly while you get your diet on the right track.

My Friend's in Australia

My friend and teammate, Shawn, is in Australia at the moment. He's been bloggin' and I wanted to share his blog with . . . you guys. I'm living in Austin, TX now where "you guys" is not a gender-specific call. Nicole and I are experiencing a bit of culture shock of our own here, but it's mostly good.

We're especially excited about getting to know the people in the Round Rock congregation.

Well, here's Shawn's blog: http://everythingshawn.blogspot.com/

Hosea 4 :1-3; Romans 8:19

The LORD has brought these charges against those who live in the land:

• There is no faith, no love, and no knowledge of God in the land.

• There is cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery.
People break {my laws}, and there is one murder after another.

• That is why the land is drying up,
and everyone who lives in it is passing away.
Wild animals, birds, and fish are dying.



. . . All creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal who his children are . . .

What's Fat Got to Do With It?

Here's an excerpt from an article from www.mercola.com, written by Dr. Mercola. I share his desire to encourage people to take control of their health. For me, personally--not that health is a measure of faith--but, I want to "toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others (1 Corinthians 9:27)." I don't want God to say, "Jason, you sure could have done a lot more good if you hadn't been so out-of-shape, out-of-energy, and out-to-lunch." Instead of focusing on looking or feeling better, though, I think it is about letting God work on us. I suppose this is an unpopular dream these days, to connect faith with matter . . . alas, here it is:

What’s Fat Got to Do With It?

Contrary to the popular belief that fat cells should be banished, they are an active and intelligent part of your body, producing hormones that impact your brain, liver, immune system and even your ability to reproduce.

What’s more, the hormones your fat cells produce impact how much you eat and how much fat you burn.

One of these hormones is leptin, which sends signals that reduce hunger, increase fat burning and reduce fat storage.

That is, if your cells are communicating properly and can “hear” this message.

If you eat a diet that is high in sugar and grains, the sugar gets metabolized to fat (and is stored as fat in your fat cells), which in turn releases surges in leptin. Over time, if your body is exposed to too much leptin, it will become resistant to it (just as your body can become resistant to insulin).

And when you become leptin-resistant, your body can no longer hear the messages telling it to stop eating and burn fat -- so it remains hungry and stores more fat.

Leptin-resistance also causes an increase in visceral fat, sending you on a vicious cycle of hunger, fat storage and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more.

As Sadaf Shadan states in Nature, there are two contributing factors to an increase in fat mass: the number of fat cells, and how much fat each of them stores (their volume).

So essentially, you can have fewer fat cells and still be overweight because each cell is “maxed out,” if you will, or alternatively, you can have more fat cells overall and be at an ideal weight simply because your fat cells are functioning properly and not storing excess fat.

Either way, you’re in control here.

What do you think?

The Foot, Her Father's Music Gig, and Friends

Here is our daughter's foot--how flexible is that!


And this is how she likes to stick her foot in her mouth, but believe me--she doesn't get it from me!


Wailin' with Daddy . . . at Starbucks thanks to Rusty and his boss, Priscilla . . .




We had some out-of-control guests . . .


. . . but, they were soothed by the music, I guess . . .






These are my number-one fans--I couldn't have better supporters! We made $38 in "Whaley Homemade" CD sales.


Several weeks after Daddy's gig, we had some Aussie visitors . . . Their daughter went through high school with Nicole. John and Sandy have been driving across America, especially trying to stay on Route 66, which is easier said than done.

The Pattern of Salvation

What will help you see the faith-feelings that the Spirit produces?

What I mean by faith-feelings are things like:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Really, though, these are not only feelings, but activities. Galatians 5:22 says these are the character traits that the holy spirit produces. So how can we grow a garden of these feelings? Raise a harvest of those activities?

I would say,
1. Open your eyes. Every resource in the universe is at God's fingertips and He's generous beyond measure. The earth produces more than enough food for all its inhabitants. The problem of starvation and extinction is a symptom of our broken relationship with God (Hosea 4:1-3). If you can't see God's ability and willingness to pour out more than enough love for the taking, chances are you are squinting untrustingly at the world around you. Open your eyes to God's matchless gift-giving. (Matthew 5:45; 6:22)

2. Suffer. Perhaps your brothers sold you to slave traders. Perhaps your coworkers belittle you in front of clients. Perhaps you've been emotionally abused by your closest friend. Be willing to be persecuted for crimes you did not commit and of course for ones that you did commit. Perhaps you would be willing to die for a good person. Be willing to die for people who are not good. Pray for their forgiveness and your own while they mock you. (Romans 5:1-11)

3. Endure. Suffering usually lasts longer than it's ever lasted before. Just like high school is harder than elementary school. You don't have to do 12th grade all in your first year of school. You just have to last about 12 years. In my first half-marathon race, I had never run more than nine or ten miles on one day before, but that day I ran past the tenth mile marker and kept going--even sped up until the end of the race at 13.1 miles. Run the race marked out for you with perseverance. (Hebrews 12:1-4)

4. Become the character God created you to be. You don't choose your overall character. You receive little prompts along the way--usually from off stage. When you've forgotten your lines, remember, you can use the Bible. It has lots of examples of improvisation guided by Christ's love and spiritual conviction. Like gravity bringing rain to the earth and the sun calling the garden upward, you receive God's character patiently, yet with vibrance. Our part in God's story cannot be proof-texted, only life-tested. (Luke 4:1-13)

5. Confidently hope. You know that after Jesus died, he was raised. He suffered and endured to the point of death. He became the Character God intended for all of us to become. He is our second chance to become that character or at least to become of that Character. After he had learned obedience through outwardly dying and wasting away, God resurrected him outwardly just like he had been doing inwardly day by day. We don't dwell on dying and this "cruel, cruel world" that seems to hate us. We eventually get to the point that we trust God to bring new eternal life from something destroyed by death--even a new city from the ashes of the one we destroyed! (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Revelation 21)

I think this is sort of an order of salvation. I pray our thoughts, feelings, and bodies will be renewed by this kind of pattern. :-)

Ben Seriously Folds Five

I went to Memphis in May Friday night with good friends, Justin Lewis, Jacob and Lisa Parnell. We were most looking forward to seeing Ben Folds perform, but it rained on and on so they had to keep Ben's piano under plastic tarps (as well as the rest of the stage). It was disappointing not to see Ben. We did catch the last song performance of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts playing the Sly & Family Stone classic, "I Am Everyday People". It was really good. I was impressed with how youthful and energetic Joan was, and of course her lead guitarist who seemed to be in his twenties. After standing in the rain and mud puddles waiting for Ben to play between 9 and 10:30, they packed his piano up in a big box and we headed over to another stage for Sheryl Crow's performance. We caught Johnny Lang's last song there. He was playing guitar like crazy, but you could hardly hear it over the--BASS! I just almost hate whoever was responsible for the sound. Good grief! I realize God created that person, but who on earth are they trying to appeal to? The people who drive around in the bass-mobiles? All you can hear is low vibrations pounding into your chest. As far as I know, most people don't have those kinds of stereos. I have no intention of marginalizing those people from society, but . . . Okay, enough of a rant . . .

The same sound person was in charge of the music playing between the artists' live performance unfortunately. But, suddenly, the rain stopped/slowed long enough for Sheryl Crow and her band to come out and perform. We noticed her friends/family getting back/side stage to enjoy the show from beneath the shelter of plastic tarp. There just wasn't enough tarp to go around, but I'm not complaining about that, just the ridiculously loud level of the bass. Anyway, Sheryl did great. She started with "Shine Over Babylon", which I really like. All the other songs were great, too, but I don't particularly care for the song, "The First Cut is the Deepest," by Cat Stevens, which she covered. Anyway, I felt like I had to watch a couple of Ben Folds performances to make up for missing him Friday night. So I embedded youtubes of Ben playing probably my favorite one of his that I've heard, "Underground". As a side note, an acapella choir from York University performed a version of this song.



Here's another video of the song "Philosophy":

Time: What the World Eats

Click on the title of this blog for a compelling photo gallery of "What the world Eats". See how much processed food some families have compared to others? Consider cost difference between those who buy unprocessed and boxes packages.

I've been saying it for about a year now. We need to convert our food industry paradigm to one that recognizes the inherent ability of the earth to produce food. Of course it would be a challenging and long-term shift, but presently, multi-national biotech companies are determined to genetically modify and patent every seed so that we get more (supposedly) of less variety (certainly), taking millions of food varieties that the earth produces naturally and abundantly. They are winnowing the myriad of plant varieties down to a single line of corn, a single line of soybean, etc., patenting them.

This leads grocery buyers to eating less variety. We it processed corn products. We sweeten our other foods with corn syrup. We feed the meat and eggs we eat with corn. But, can humans live well solely based on between one and four actual foods?

People like me have a choice with regard to food. We can seek knowledge and mostly reliable information. But what about people from lower and middle classes in america and other western countries? They're mostly eating out of plastic bags and packages. Everything they eat seems cheap because it has so little actual food leftover from the processing. And can it even be considered cheap when so many health problems are unavoidable?

Can anything be done, though?

1. Eat a wide variety of fresh foods. Enjoy the earth's abundant biodiversity in your body, mind, and soul. Be nourished!

2. Avoid processed foods. They will only make you hungry, sleepy, and depressed.

3. Plant as many unadulterated seeds as you can. Grow gardens amazingly!

Look at my friend, Corey's, okra from last summer!



Corey planted this okra in--believe me--not the best soil. There were bicycle parts in it, pieces of rubber, etc. He basically took about a wheelbarrow-full of dirt out so it wasn't so packed in. The soil swell out to fill the rest of the space on its own. Then, he broadcast seed over it--no rows. Then, he scattered a bag of organic top soil over the top of the seeds. He planted marigolds on each corner around the okra and other crops--insect predators are marigold-averse. Corey never fertilized. He merely watered and picked off a few bugs in the evenings. And I've never seen more productive and strong okra plants. It got even taller than what you see--he had to stand on a chair and reach way above his head to pick it. GENETICALLY MODIFY THAT!

But, you're wondering, "How can we do this bio-intensive farming on a grand scale? For those who don't want to grow their own?" If agricultural companies own the seed, they can afford to transport food from the money they make on seed sales and sprays and fertilizers. They can maintain low prices, right?

My answer: I don't know how to make the shift from industrialized food monocultures to all human beings having local access to exuberant varieties. But there are those who have been thinking about this and researching and experimenting for many years.

4. Search "biointensive", "John Jeavons", "Ecology Action", "Southside Community Land Trust". Also, here is a good article on What a fossil-fuel free agriculture might look like: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/12/5/184641/855. And definitely read about the Land Institute: http://www.landinstitute.org/. Finally, give some money to Healing Hands International, http://www.hhi.org/.

Ticker

This is where we're at in fundraising. Many people have expressed a desire to give to the Aussie Mission. One of the ways they can give is to make a monthly commitment to provide for living expenses. This makes sure we stay in Australia to share the story of God and our lives. If you want to give, here is the address of our commissioning church whose elders and members oversee us spiritually. We've asked them to keep us accountable, not just for our finances, but that's definitely key.

Any financial gifts can now be sent to our new account that has been set up at the Round Rock church of Christ. Below are the church contact details. Please contact Gail if you would like to make direct deposits. All financial contributions are tax-deductible so make checks out to the Round Rock church of Christ. Please include “Aussie Mission” in the memo field.

Round Rock church of Christ
1200 N Georgetown Street
Round Rock, TX 78664
Phone (512) 255-5331
Contact: Tim Hunter (Elder of missions) or Gail (church secretary)

By June 1st 2008, we will relocate to the Austin area to better invest ourselves with the brothers and sisters at Round Rock. We anticipate spending four months serving together, serving God in their community and getting to know the family there, before heading Down Under. If you want to keep in touch with us, check out www.aussiemission.com. We have monthly newsletters you can download from August 2007 on, only skipping the month of January so far.