Healing and God's Love

Although the title to this blog entry could encompass 10,000 blogs for 10,000 years, both divine healing and god's love are subjects that have been increasingly calling my attention for the past several weeks. My husband and I have both become disillusioned with the standard "church" and with the standard "religion". We are both desperately seeking that personal relationship with Jesus. It can be frustrating at times- it seems as though there is a universe up for grabs for whosoever has the faith to grab it. Divine healing is only the beginning of the miracles that can be performed by someone who is truly in tune with the holy spirit. God's love is so overwhelming and unconditional that sickness could not possibly be in His plans. Therefore if it is not of God, then what is it?

I have been listening to Curry Blake's healing seminars as of late and I am still in the very first handful of mp3s. But he has said some very profound things that have impacted how I live my life and how I view everyday things. He said that there is only black and white and if something is gray, then it is black. Simple enough, but the implications are truly profound. If something is not godly, then it can only be of satan.

I am truly inspired and encouraged by the teachings of men like Curry Blake, and of the information provided by websites such as: revivalorriots.org, iamaspirit.org, and several others that have captured my attention. There are multitudes of Christians out there who have become tired of religion. The legalism that has placed conditions on God's unconditional love has kept countless Christians from realizing a true relationship with Jesus- the saddest consequence of all. Many well-meaning individuals attempt to comfort each other with words such as: you were stricken with this illness in order to further God's glory. But, if we are truly God's children as it plainly says in the bible, then how can God want his children to suffer? There are so many bible verses that reference healing and I am still in the beginning stages of reviewing them all.

I will continue to post as this journey unravels itself. I am excited to keep learning about divine healing and I am encouraged to keep seeking an even-closer relationship with Jesus.

Macarthur Book Review

Generally when you hear of Douglas Macarthur you think of the great WW2 general. I am intrigued by the WW2 era and by the Great Generation, overall. I am fortunate to have a grandfather-in-law that is a veteran of WW2 that survived malaria, small pox, a boat accident, and a plane crash. He initially started telling me about Macarthur while watching the news together. There is a rather large, well-traveled overpass in the San Francisco bay area that is named after Macarthur. I felt that this book would be a great opportunity to make even further conversation with my grandfather-in-law, but also to learn more about Macarthur.

I was fascinated to know that Macarthur's father was also a great military hero. He was awarded the medal of honor, an accomplishment that would be followed by Macarthur in later years. They are the only father-so duo to have earned such a prestigious honor. I felt that the book allowed the reader to view Macarthur in a new light. He was rather flamboyant, smoking out of cigarette holder and wearing kimonos. He was a great lover of Filipino culture and served closely in the Phillipines for several years. The author really brought these years to life in his descriptions of the feelings of Macarthur during the various time periods.

I felt that Macarthur was a great way for a normal reader who is interested in WW2 to learn more about Macarthur without dedicating a huge amount of time and effort. Some books centering about pivotal American military figures seem as though they require some in depth knowledge about the figure in order to best understand the book. Yockelson presented the material in a fashion that was simple and easy to understand. This book might not be for everyone- I feel you have to have somewhat of an interest in WW2 or Macarthur to make the read worthwhile, but I felt that it was a great way to learn more about a very important part of American military history.

I was given this book by Booksneeze.com through the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and everything presented above is my own opinion. 

Jolt! by Phil Cooke

I recently finished "Jolt" by Phil Cooke. The book has a bright, engaging cover. The cover is a dark, midnight blue which fades into black on the outsides and electric blue to white on the title area. This book is the sort of book that makes you want to take up a hobby or try something new and challenging. It was a very easy read, with many interesting facts throughout. Phil Cooke challenges the average reader to not be stuck in such a complacent, boring, uninspired place. I think that when you are stuck in the average "routine", you lose the opportunity to do really great things. This book makes you re-examine your place in your household and in your career. It might seem that everything in the world is constantly changing and you have to run at break-neck speed to be able to keep up, but this book helps you prioritize and realize that you might not be all that far off from maximizing the changing world around you. This book is recommended by individuals such as: Joel Osteen and Tim Sanders, who was an officer for Yahoo! This book is not only for the average individual, but also for the accomplished professional.

I was given this book by Booksneeze.com in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and everything presented above is my own opinion. 

The Sacred Journey by Charles Foster

The Sacred Journey focuses on the importance of pilgrimage. I feel that most people do not consider "pilgrimage" as applicable to modern society. We are tourists. We tour places, we do not go on pilgrimages to places, but Charles Foster contends that maybe we should. Perhaps we should be taking pilgrimages. We are not meant to build massive cities and our roots are in the ever wandering nature of ourselves. Charles Foster presents his own pilgrimage experiences as examples for the importance of pilgrimage. He details his experience traveling to the Holy Land, and honestly after reading this book I, too, felt the wanderlust to experience the Holy Land. It was very well written and interesting and presented an age-old concept in a new and exciting way. I feel that the Sacred Journey is worth the time investment, to perhaps change some pre-conceived notions about the nature of pilgrimage.

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review- The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

I LOVED this book. Normally I am not the type to be reached by books. I will read books, even motivational ones, and not feel any different than when I first started it. This book dramatically changed my outlook. I was very impressed by the ease of the read and the incorporation of the message. The basic premise is that God is going to end the world and these inspirational figures from throughout history have been convened to a boardroom style summit to try and come up with an answer as to why God shouldn't end the world. The book introduces remarkable historical figures such as Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and King David among others. The author, Andy Andrews, brings these characters to life and the way in which he presents their personalities left me with a smile on my face after many of their interactions.  As I mentioned the book is very easy to read and the way in which the story is presented is very easy to follow along with. I read the entire book in 2 sittings and I found myself taking notes in the margins of the motivational and inspirational messages that I found throughout. There is historical fact thrown in with fictional, and the most interesting part of the book was the introduction of Eric Erickson, who was instrumental in the ending of World War 2. I am very interested in history, particularly World War 2 history, but I had never heard of Eric Erickson and his valuable contribution to the war effort. This book was a very worthwhile read and it inspired me to live everyday with the simple concept of "Do Something".  No matter how small or inconsequential it might seem, do something everyday for people around me.

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Perspective on the Paleo Diet

It is not sustainable as a lifestyle option. It is unrealistic to restrict someone's diet to the point where they are left with broccoli and chicken breast. Considering the fast-paced American lifestyle what are you to do if you're out and about? Sit there and cook a steak and put it in a plastic baggie to carry around in your purse?  I am not going to lie- I have tried the Paleo diet. This is why I feel that I can confirm that it is simply not sustainable as a lifestyle option for the majority of Americans. A low-calorie diet combined with exercise is the easiest and most reasonable way to lost weight long-term. Allowing one or two meals per week of your favorite "bad foods" allows you to keep eating low-calorie the remainder of the week.

Cell Phones Have Eliminated Human Communication

 When was the last time you actually made the effort to talk to someone? Usually it's a text or FB message. Think about it- when was the last time you actually sat down and had a heart-to-heart with someone? Even if it is just about silly things. Sit down and drink some coffee or wine and really listen to each other..?? Cell phones and electronic media have really eliminated the most basic forms of human communication. Talk to each other people!!