Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it . . . . It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God’s command so what we see was made by something that cannot be seen . . . . Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who truly want to find Him. Hebrews 11:1, 3, & 6
The Good New show how God makes people right with Himself — that it begins and ends with faith. As the Scripture says, "But those who are right with God will live by trusting in Him." Romans 1:17
WE have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do , but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed . . . . So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see . . . .
II Corinthians 4:8 – 9, 16 – 18
Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good . . . . It is a choice to believe that the one who made it all hasn’t left it all and that He still sends light into the shadows and responds to gestures of faith . . . .
Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.
God says that the more hopeless your circumstances, the more likely your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater the need for light.
God’s help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it. Max Lucado — He Still Moves Stones
God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them. Max Lucado
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
The Guardian Angel Series – by Sigmund Brouwer – Entry #1
Angels never complain.
You humans, on the other hand, are so childlike that your constant whining to God often tempts me to roll my eyeballs in disgust. Yet I don’t. First , angels don’t even have eyeballs to roll. Second, rolling eyeballs is a silent way of complaining, and for those of you who weren’t paying attention, I’ve just made it clear that angels don’t complain.
Writing isn’t easy for many humans, from what I can tell. But let me stress that it seems infinitely slower and more cumbersome for an angel. (Cumbersome. Kum-burr-sum. If you watch too much television, you may have difficulty with the size of this word cumbersome word. Kum-burr-sum. It means bulky awkward to handle, a big load.)
See, if you ere another angel, we would just have a meeting of minds, so to speak. In an instant, you’d know everything I wanted you to know. Neither of us would have to say a single word, let alone write it out.
At this point, I expect you are curious about how this meeting of minds works between one angel and another.
Good! Curoisity is one of the nice childlike things about you humans. But don’t expect me to give you the answer. There are many questions that won’t get answered for you until you are on the other side of life. Deal with it!
If you continue with me , I promise to answer a lot of other questions. You will have to pay attention, though. Otherwise, don’t waste your time reading more. There’s always television. Or nose picking, which is at least useful and has the same entertainment value. Especially to angels, who may be invisible and watching when you least expect it.
Have I established, then, that it has taken a lot of effort for me to put this into your words and that you will get answers worth learning? Good! Show your gratitude and stay with me.
Even though I won’t promise a happy ending.
What? you say, "not fair?" Who says it’s supposed to be fair? When I’m sent from heaven as a guardian, I sure don’t get that promise. I’ve seen it end happy for the ones I’m sent to guard and I’ve seen it end sad.
That might sound mean and horrible, but it’s not.
Whatever happens to the people I’m watching over — happy or sad — works to the greater good of those who believe in our Father and His love. Think of His work as a beautiful paintion. When I’m stuck in a particular place and time on earth to watch over someone, I see only what you see: individual brushstrokes. The little bits and pieces that make up the painting. I trust all of those burshstrokes will make sense when our Father has finished the entire painting, though. You should too. Life will be easier on you that way.
As for a happy or not-so-happy ending for each person under my watch, learn and remember an important concept. Maybe the most important concept. Ready?
You humans are given the freedom to make choices.
Yes! Choices! You are responsible for what you do. Don’t blame other people. Especially don’t blame me or other angels.
Choices!!
Imagine you’re in a room with a screwdriver in your hand. You have a choice. Jam it into a nearby electrical outlet? Or not? You may think that’s an obviously easy choice. But in guarding different people through centuries of your human history, I’ve seen a lot of things that, in comparison, make jamming a screwdriver in an electrical outlet look like a smart thing to do.
AD. means Anno Domini. Latin for "the year of our Lord." At least you humans have had enough sense to keep track of time from the birth of Jesus, the Son of our Father.
The 1300′s were not pleasant, fleas, lice, no soap, no showers, no toothpaste. The humans in Europe had just spent centuries of short life spans and miserable living conditions because of all the knowledge that had been lost after the fall of the Roman Empire.
You humans, on the other hand, are so childlike that your constant whining to God often tempts me to roll my eyeballs in disgust. Yet I don’t. First , angels don’t even have eyeballs to roll. Second, rolling eyeballs is a silent way of complaining, and for those of you who weren’t paying attention, I’ve just made it clear that angels don’t complain.
Writing isn’t easy for many humans, from what I can tell. But let me stress that it seems infinitely slower and more cumbersome for an angel. (Cumbersome. Kum-burr-sum. If you watch too much television, you may have difficulty with the size of this word cumbersome word. Kum-burr-sum. It means bulky awkward to handle, a big load.)
See, if you ere another angel, we would just have a meeting of minds, so to speak. In an instant, you’d know everything I wanted you to know. Neither of us would have to say a single word, let alone write it out.
At this point, I expect you are curious about how this meeting of minds works between one angel and another.
Good! Curoisity is one of the nice childlike things about you humans. But don’t expect me to give you the answer. There are many questions that won’t get answered for you until you are on the other side of life. Deal with it!
If you continue with me , I promise to answer a lot of other questions. You will have to pay attention, though. Otherwise, don’t waste your time reading more. There’s always television. Or nose picking, which is at least useful and has the same entertainment value. Especially to angels, who may be invisible and watching when you least expect it.
Have I established, then, that it has taken a lot of effort for me to put this into your words and that you will get answers worth learning? Good! Show your gratitude and stay with me.
Even though I won’t promise a happy ending.
What? you say, "not fair?" Who says it’s supposed to be fair? When I’m sent from heaven as a guardian, I sure don’t get that promise. I’ve seen it end happy for the ones I’m sent to guard and I’ve seen it end sad.
That might sound mean and horrible, but it’s not.
Whatever happens to the people I’m watching over — happy or sad — works to the greater good of those who believe in our Father and His love. Think of His work as a beautiful paintion. When I’m stuck in a particular place and time on earth to watch over someone, I see only what you see: individual brushstrokes. The little bits and pieces that make up the painting. I trust all of those burshstrokes will make sense when our Father has finished the entire painting, though. You should too. Life will be easier on you that way.
As for a happy or not-so-happy ending for each person under my watch, learn and remember an important concept. Maybe the most important concept. Ready?
You humans are given the freedom to make choices.
Yes! Choices! You are responsible for what you do. Don’t blame other people. Especially don’t blame me or other angels.
Choices!!
Imagine you’re in a room with a screwdriver in your hand. You have a choice. Jam it into a nearby electrical outlet? Or not? You may think that’s an obviously easy choice. But in guarding different people through centuries of your human history, I’ve seen a lot of things that, in comparison, make jamming a screwdriver in an electrical outlet look like a smart thing to do.
AD. means Anno Domini. Latin for "the year of our Lord." At least you humans have had enough sense to keep track of time from the birth of Jesus, the Son of our Father.
The 1300′s were not pleasant, fleas, lice, no soap, no showers, no toothpaste. The humans in Europe had just spent centuries of short life spans and miserable living conditions because of all the knowledge that had been lost after the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Guardian Angel Series – by Sigmund Brouwer – Entry #3
How I know what our Holy Father wants me to do, is impossible to explain. The closest you would understand is a form of instinct, but even that is a bad explanation. All I can tell you is that at any given moment, I just know. Not even angels know what is in the mind of our Holy Father.
As for protecting people, angels have many different methods. You’d never suspect most of them as belonging to an angel; gust of wind, maybe a tree falling across a road to keep a driver from the next corner where a bridge is out. A barking dog that causes you to take a different path. That sort of thing.
If you want to read some classic examples, go to the Bible. I wish I could tell you I was one of the angels in the lion’s den with Daniel, but others were sent that time. Believe me, we all heard plenty about it from those angels later. You know, like sometimes when your friend gets back from a really fun vacation and goes on and on about all the details.
Here’s where you should probably learn more about what angels can and can’t do.
We can’t create. That’s something only our Father can do. Let me just say, if you could have been there at the beginning, the very beginning, you would be the biggest believer in the universe. Yes that beginning of time! Of the universe! Not that I was there. but the great thing about the spiritual world is that time and space don’t form a prison for us like they do for you. Believe me, you’ll find out someday, on the other side. By then, you’ll be glad you trusted in our Father.
As I was saying, since time and space don’t bind us, we angels have a good idea of what it was like at the beginning of creation. "Spectacular!" doesn’t do it justice. It’s just beyond comprehension. Then again, if you television watchers got off the couch and walked through the woods and took a close look at our Father’s handiwork every once in a while, you might get an inkling of how incredible it was.
What else can’t angels do?
Angels can’t change substances. Again, only our Father can do that. So don’t come to me and ask for that lump of lead to be changed into gold. I’m not a fairly godmother. And yes, I’ve had that request before.
Angels can’t alter the laws of nature. Again, only our Father can.
Same thing goes for miracles. Angels can’t perform them. Only our Father can.
Here’s something that might surprise you. Angels can’t see into your heart. After centuries and centuries of experience with you humans, however, we can make some pretty good guesses. Some of you wise guys might be saying, hey, no problem, any good doctor can get a good view of the human heart. But that’s not the heart I’m talking about — and you know it.
Angels can’t change your hearts either. Remember that thing called "choice?"
Anyway, that’s a lot of what we can’t do.
It’s good to keep all that in mind because the fallen angels can’t do any of it either. Fallen angels. That would be Satan and his gang. They can’t do any of our Father’s special stuff either. No creating, no changing of substances, no altering the laws of nature, and no searching or changing the hearts of people.
Why’s that important to remember?
Too many humans worry about demons because they believe demons have special power. Not so! Good thing, because I have plenty of stories about their bad intentions and how we’d been sent in by our Father to protect you against them. Nasty bunch, those guys! Of course, they’ve known for a long time that when they picked sides, they picked a loser — Satan himself! For eternity! That would make anyone bitter.
Here’s what’s really important to remember about the fallen angels; "Misery loves company!"
They want as many of you to lose your souls to the Evil One as possible. They cackle with hideous glee every time one of you dies before making a faith decision in our Father. It’s hard to decide what they like most — the horror that overwhelms you on the other side when you immediately comprehend what it will be like to spend eternity among them jor the shock when you discover there was moe to life on earth than life on earth.
For the most part, then, an angel’s job is to protect you long enough for you to make your decision. Do you want eternal light? Or eternal darkness? Yes, your earthly life has great value to our Father — that’s why He designed it for you to be able to enjoy so many things about it. But far more important to Him is the destination of your soul. What you do with your choices. And don’t fool yourself. All of you choose. Deciding not to choose is just like choosing against Him.
As for protecting people, angels have many different methods. You’d never suspect most of them as belonging to an angel; gust of wind, maybe a tree falling across a road to keep a driver from the next corner where a bridge is out. A barking dog that causes you to take a different path. That sort of thing.
If you want to read some classic examples, go to the Bible. I wish I could tell you I was one of the angels in the lion’s den with Daniel, but others were sent that time. Believe me, we all heard plenty about it from those angels later. You know, like sometimes when your friend gets back from a really fun vacation and goes on and on about all the details.
Here’s where you should probably learn more about what angels can and can’t do.
We can’t create. That’s something only our Father can do. Let me just say, if you could have been there at the beginning, the very beginning, you would be the biggest believer in the universe. Yes that beginning of time! Of the universe! Not that I was there. but the great thing about the spiritual world is that time and space don’t form a prison for us like they do for you. Believe me, you’ll find out someday, on the other side. By then, you’ll be glad you trusted in our Father.
As I was saying, since time and space don’t bind us, we angels have a good idea of what it was like at the beginning of creation. "Spectacular!" doesn’t do it justice. It’s just beyond comprehension. Then again, if you television watchers got off the couch and walked through the woods and took a close look at our Father’s handiwork every once in a while, you might get an inkling of how incredible it was.
What else can’t angels do?
Angels can’t change substances. Again, only our Father can do that. So don’t come to me and ask for that lump of lead to be changed into gold. I’m not a fairly godmother. And yes, I’ve had that request before.
Angels can’t alter the laws of nature. Again, only our Father can.
Same thing goes for miracles. Angels can’t perform them. Only our Father can.
Here’s something that might surprise you. Angels can’t see into your heart. After centuries and centuries of experience with you humans, however, we can make some pretty good guesses. Some of you wise guys might be saying, hey, no problem, any good doctor can get a good view of the human heart. But that’s not the heart I’m talking about — and you know it.
Angels can’t change your hearts either. Remember that thing called "choice?"
Anyway, that’s a lot of what we can’t do.
It’s good to keep all that in mind because the fallen angels can’t do any of it either. Fallen angels. That would be Satan and his gang. They can’t do any of our Father’s special stuff either. No creating, no changing of substances, no altering the laws of nature, and no searching or changing the hearts of people.
Why’s that important to remember?
Too many humans worry about demons because they believe demons have special power. Not so! Good thing, because I have plenty of stories about their bad intentions and how we’d been sent in by our Father to protect you against them. Nasty bunch, those guys! Of course, they’ve known for a long time that when they picked sides, they picked a loser — Satan himself! For eternity! That would make anyone bitter.
Here’s what’s really important to remember about the fallen angels; "Misery loves company!"
They want as many of you to lose your souls to the Evil One as possible. They cackle with hideous glee every time one of you dies before making a faith decision in our Father. It’s hard to decide what they like most — the horror that overwhelms you on the other side when you immediately comprehend what it will be like to spend eternity among them jor the shock when you discover there was moe to life on earth than life on earth.
For the most part, then, an angel’s job is to protect you long enough for you to make your decision. Do you want eternal light? Or eternal darkness? Yes, your earthly life has great value to our Father — that’s why He designed it for you to be able to enjoy so many things about it. But far more important to Him is the destination of your soul. What you do with your choices. And don’t fool yourself. All of you choose. Deciding not to choose is just like choosing against Him.
The Guardian Angel Series – by Sigmund Brouwer – Entry #4
The Holy Grail! The cup that Jesus used in His Last Supper! Something that people have searched for over the last twenty centuries!
Boring! Boring! Boring! Your human ideas of what’s important are often ridiculous.
I wish you could fully understand what truly matters to our Father. Your precious souls, not some cup. End of story!
But I’ll explain anyhow.
In light of all the centuries of human history, the life and death of an old beggar in the slums of some city might seem so unimportant that it would be beyond notice. Yet my greatest glory and honor to our Father has come on the occasions when He sent me to protect such beggars from untimely deaths. Even with people as poor and dirty and unnoticed as beggars, our Father wanted to give them one more chance to live long enough to choose faith in our Father and join us in the Eternal Home. Upon their arrival after they die, each of those beggars — unknown to you but infinitely treasured by our Father — received such a joyous welcome that is was as if there had been no other soul ever saved in such a way.
The Holy Grail is just a cup! After what I’ve just explained about human souls, do you still think our Father places any significance in lifeless lumps of metal?
Let me repeat: Our Father loves your souls. He wants to give you every chance possible to reach for Him. That’s all it takes — reach for Him. To more fully understand this concept, read the Gospels and how our Father saved your souls by letting His Son accept the punishment you deserve for turning away from Him.
There are llots of reason our Father sends us among you. I’ve been on countless missions over the centuries, and I have listened to other angels describe their missions to me.
Sometimes, yes, it’s immediately apparent why our Father wants us involved. Let me just say the World War II, as you’ve called it, kept many, many, many of us busy. For a while, Satan thought he had a good thing going with Hitler and the concentration camps. I shudder to think what would have happened had Hitler managed to put together a world empire. But enough of you made the right choices, and evil was defeated.
Other times a mission might seem totally unneeded.
Take a kid about nine hundred years ago. He grew up in an area of Europe that would later become Germany. He had ten brothers and sisters, and they were such a big brood that the mother, a widow, could hardly keep track of them. This kid had a thing about climbing trees. Big trees, little trees, old trees. Didn’t matter to him. He just wanted to climb. He always did it when his mother was busy with another brother or sister. Boy! did he keep me busy for a stretch of five years. Then one day, he got over the tree – climbing thing. It wasn’t because he’d fallen; no, I made sure he was safe each time. He just decided to quit. Only then was I called back to the glory of our Father’s presence.
Much as I wanted to ask our Father why I’d been put to all that work for a little tree – climber, I just waited, and waited. It’s not really "waiting," though, because time is much different on our side than yours. I saw first that the kid gave his soul to our Father about ten years after my mission was over. There was another big celebration when he stepped through death’s curtain and showed up among us. I’ve been very mature ever since — I haven’t once burst his bubble and explained it was me, and not his great athletic skill, that kept him safe during his tree – climbing years.
Still, I wondered if there had been more to my mission than that. Then three hundred and seventy-six years later, his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson was born. November of AD. 1483. The grandson didn’t seem like much to anyone around him. But I’d been sent to watch over him. The world would need him soon enough. Trust me, our Father has a great sense of humor. He knew all along I’d been wondering about that little tree – climber who was such a rascal, and I was about to get the answer. See, all those centuries later, in November of 1483, after the long line of families who were all off spring of that tree – climber, comes this boy named Martin. You may have heard of him. Last name was Luther. If that tree – climber nearly four hundred earlier had fallen and broken his neck, we wouldn’t have had one of the most important people in church history. He stood up for God and truth and turned people back to our Father.
Get the idea?!
Every mission is important. Just not always the way you might expect.
Boring! Boring! Boring! Your human ideas of what’s important are often ridiculous.
I wish you could fully understand what truly matters to our Father. Your precious souls, not some cup. End of story!
But I’ll explain anyhow.
In light of all the centuries of human history, the life and death of an old beggar in the slums of some city might seem so unimportant that it would be beyond notice. Yet my greatest glory and honor to our Father has come on the occasions when He sent me to protect such beggars from untimely deaths. Even with people as poor and dirty and unnoticed as beggars, our Father wanted to give them one more chance to live long enough to choose faith in our Father and join us in the Eternal Home. Upon their arrival after they die, each of those beggars — unknown to you but infinitely treasured by our Father — received such a joyous welcome that is was as if there had been no other soul ever saved in such a way.
The Holy Grail is just a cup! After what I’ve just explained about human souls, do you still think our Father places any significance in lifeless lumps of metal?
Let me repeat: Our Father loves your souls. He wants to give you every chance possible to reach for Him. That’s all it takes — reach for Him. To more fully understand this concept, read the Gospels and how our Father saved your souls by letting His Son accept the punishment you deserve for turning away from Him.
There are llots of reason our Father sends us among you. I’ve been on countless missions over the centuries, and I have listened to other angels describe their missions to me.
Sometimes, yes, it’s immediately apparent why our Father wants us involved. Let me just say the World War II, as you’ve called it, kept many, many, many of us busy. For a while, Satan thought he had a good thing going with Hitler and the concentration camps. I shudder to think what would have happened had Hitler managed to put together a world empire. But enough of you made the right choices, and evil was defeated.
Other times a mission might seem totally unneeded.
Take a kid about nine hundred years ago. He grew up in an area of Europe that would later become Germany. He had ten brothers and sisters, and they were such a big brood that the mother, a widow, could hardly keep track of them. This kid had a thing about climbing trees. Big trees, little trees, old trees. Didn’t matter to him. He just wanted to climb. He always did it when his mother was busy with another brother or sister. Boy! did he keep me busy for a stretch of five years. Then one day, he got over the tree – climbing thing. It wasn’t because he’d fallen; no, I made sure he was safe each time. He just decided to quit. Only then was I called back to the glory of our Father’s presence.
Much as I wanted to ask our Father why I’d been put to all that work for a little tree – climber, I just waited, and waited. It’s not really "waiting," though, because time is much different on our side than yours. I saw first that the kid gave his soul to our Father about ten years after my mission was over. There was another big celebration when he stepped through death’s curtain and showed up among us. I’ve been very mature ever since — I haven’t once burst his bubble and explained it was me, and not his great athletic skill, that kept him safe during his tree – climbing years.
Still, I wondered if there had been more to my mission than that. Then three hundred and seventy-six years later, his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson was born. November of AD. 1483. The grandson didn’t seem like much to anyone around him. But I’d been sent to watch over him. The world would need him soon enough. Trust me, our Father has a great sense of humor. He knew all along I’d been wondering about that little tree – climber who was such a rascal, and I was about to get the answer. See, all those centuries later, in November of 1483, after the long line of families who were all off spring of that tree – climber, comes this boy named Martin. You may have heard of him. Last name was Luther. If that tree – climber nearly four hundred earlier had fallen and broken his neck, we wouldn’t have had one of the most important people in church history. He stood up for God and truth and turned people back to our Father.
Get the idea?!
Every mission is important. Just not always the way you might expect.
The Guardian Angel Series – by Sigmund Brouwer – Entry #5
L – O – V- E
My! Oh! My! Have I seen plenty of that over the centuries.
Angels are complete in the glory of the presence of our Father. We weren’t built like you. You know, where one and one equals one? Don’t pretend you don’t understand. I don’t mean the kissy – smoochy stuff. I mean the joining of the hearts of one man and one woman in a relationship blessed by our Father, suddenly becoming so complete as partners they are like one person.
We aren’t built like you, but we angels talk. We compare notes, this boy – girl stuff is fascinating.
On one hand, it loks so wonderful that if we weren’t complete in the glory of the presence of our Father, we’d understand what it means to yearn for something.
On the other hand, we’ve seen you mess up our Father’s incredible gift so many times that we’re very glad not to get mixed up in any of it.
LOVE: Joy and heartache; Elation and desolation; Hope and despair.
I think boy – girl love is one of the most complicated things, I’ve seen in the universe. Even more complicated than say, the dance of electrons and protons around the nucleus of the uranium atom, and believe me, that’s complicated! Only our Father could have created the basic forces of the universe to work in such harmony — electromagnetism, the strong and weak nuclear forces, and gravity. But I’m losing you here with quantum physics, aren’t I?? Sorry, on the other side, you’ll sense how our Father put it all together, and you’ll spend all of eternity marveling at it like we do.
My advice about LOVE?
Love is a fire. Under control — in the stove in a kitchen, for example — a fire’s warmth is wonderful. Out of control or abused, a small fire will become a disaster that burns your house down.
Aach!! Forget I just told you that! It’s true of course, but chances are you’re going to learn about it the hard way no matter what anyone tells you. Heartbreak is not easy. But heartbreak you can get over, even though at the time it seems impossible. It’s when you mess up physically before you’re in a marriage and before you’re ready to have your own children that love, or what you think is love, can really hurt you, and the people around you.
So if you are going to forget my advice, just like you’ll probably want to ignore the advice of anyone older than you, at least forget one other thing — most of what you see in movies, about love. Love is not about what a man and woman do with each other. It’s about what they do for each other!
That’s the way our Father intended His great gift for you.
My! Oh! My! Have I seen plenty of that over the centuries.
Angels are complete in the glory of the presence of our Father. We weren’t built like you. You know, where one and one equals one? Don’t pretend you don’t understand. I don’t mean the kissy – smoochy stuff. I mean the joining of the hearts of one man and one woman in a relationship blessed by our Father, suddenly becoming so complete as partners they are like one person.
We aren’t built like you, but we angels talk. We compare notes, this boy – girl stuff is fascinating.
On one hand, it loks so wonderful that if we weren’t complete in the glory of the presence of our Father, we’d understand what it means to yearn for something.
On the other hand, we’ve seen you mess up our Father’s incredible gift so many times that we’re very glad not to get mixed up in any of it.
LOVE: Joy and heartache; Elation and desolation; Hope and despair.
I think boy – girl love is one of the most complicated things, I’ve seen in the universe. Even more complicated than say, the dance of electrons and protons around the nucleus of the uranium atom, and believe me, that’s complicated! Only our Father could have created the basic forces of the universe to work in such harmony — electromagnetism, the strong and weak nuclear forces, and gravity. But I’m losing you here with quantum physics, aren’t I?? Sorry, on the other side, you’ll sense how our Father put it all together, and you’ll spend all of eternity marveling at it like we do.
My advice about LOVE?
Love is a fire. Under control — in the stove in a kitchen, for example — a fire’s warmth is wonderful. Out of control or abused, a small fire will become a disaster that burns your house down.
Aach!! Forget I just told you that! It’s true of course, but chances are you’re going to learn about it the hard way no matter what anyone tells you. Heartbreak is not easy. But heartbreak you can get over, even though at the time it seems impossible. It’s when you mess up physically before you’re in a marriage and before you’re ready to have your own children that love, or what you think is love, can really hurt you, and the people around you.
So if you are going to forget my advice, just like you’ll probably want to ignore the advice of anyone older than you, at least forget one other thing — most of what you see in movies, about love. Love is not about what a man and woman do with each other. It’s about what they do for each other!
That’s the way our Father intended His great gift for you.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
The Guardian Angel Sreies – by Sigmund Brouwer – Entry #6
Certainly, if you look back in history at the devastation that sent millions upon millions to early deaths, the black plague that sweep the continent seems senseless at best.
But that’s only if you believe that death is the end and the worst thing that can happen to a human.
As an angel, I implore you to view your existence against eternity. Earthly death simply takes you into another and greater world than you can imagine.
It’s not the first time you’ve faced a change of this magnitude either.
You can’t remember, of course, your time in your mother’s womb, but it was safe and warm. All of your needs were filled. The darkness around you was comforting. Your mother’s movement soothed you, and you spent hours of each day in blissful sleep. When you woke, you would move, pushing your little legs and arms against the constriction that held you, totally unaware that your arms and legs were destined for much grander tasks.
Your first moments outside the safety of the womb. What a shock! What a strange and new universe! Instead of warm fluid surrounding you, there was the harshness of cold air. Strange noises. Bright lights that made no sense. And when the fluid drained from your lungs, you were forced into a totally new existence where you had to draw your own oxygen. You cried and kicked and wanted nothing more than the safety of the only world you had known, the place where you were bound so tightly that you couldn’t even extend your arms or legs.
Yet within hours, you understood that the womb had been a prison. And as you grew and explored more of the world, you would never for a moment trade your freedom to be bound like that again.
On our side, in the presence of our Father and among those of you whose earthly faith in Him gave eternal life in His presence too, we all understand that the new freedom you gained by leaving your mother’s womb is infinitely less than the freedom our Father offers to all humans after death.
When we are sent to watch over you, not a single angel spends an anxious moment thinking about whether you will die. Because we know it is inevitable that you are going to die. Our concern is whether you are prepared for eternity before it happens.
But that’s only if you believe that death is the end and the worst thing that can happen to a human.
As an angel, I implore you to view your existence against eternity. Earthly death simply takes you into another and greater world than you can imagine.
It’s not the first time you’ve faced a change of this magnitude either.
You can’t remember, of course, your time in your mother’s womb, but it was safe and warm. All of your needs were filled. The darkness around you was comforting. Your mother’s movement soothed you, and you spent hours of each day in blissful sleep. When you woke, you would move, pushing your little legs and arms against the constriction that held you, totally unaware that your arms and legs were destined for much grander tasks.
Your first moments outside the safety of the womb. What a shock! What a strange and new universe! Instead of warm fluid surrounding you, there was the harshness of cold air. Strange noises. Bright lights that made no sense. And when the fluid drained from your lungs, you were forced into a totally new existence where you had to draw your own oxygen. You cried and kicked and wanted nothing more than the safety of the only world you had known, the place where you were bound so tightly that you couldn’t even extend your arms or legs.
Yet within hours, you understood that the womb had been a prison. And as you grew and explored more of the world, you would never for a moment trade your freedom to be bound like that again.
On our side, in the presence of our Father and among those of you whose earthly faith in Him gave eternal life in His presence too, we all understand that the new freedom you gained by leaving your mother’s womb is infinitely less than the freedom our Father offers to all humans after death.
When we are sent to watch over you, not a single angel spends an anxious moment thinking about whether you will die. Because we know it is inevitable that you are going to die. Our concern is whether you are prepared for eternity before it happens.
Friday, 18 June 2010
John Hopkins Update
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer
cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have
multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients
that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after
treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the
cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable
size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a
person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer
cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and
forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic,
but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing
diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day
and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing
cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells
in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can
cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7.. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars
and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often
reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of
chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor
destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from
chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either
compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb
to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to
mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy.
Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other
sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer
cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made
with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute
would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small
amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in
color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the
gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting
off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer
cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based
diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat,
like chicken. Meat also contains livestock
antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all
harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole
grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into
an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked
food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live
enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to
cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance
growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building
healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most
vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw
vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)..
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high
caffeine Green tea is a better alternative e and has cancer
fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or
filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap
water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of
digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the
intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic
buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By
refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes
to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the
body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system
(IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals,
EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy
cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known
to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's
normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or
unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit.
A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior
be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put
the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to
have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy
life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated
environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to
get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen
therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer
cells.
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave..
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer
cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have
multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients
that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after
treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the
cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable
size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a
person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer
cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and
forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic,
but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing
diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day
and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing
cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells
in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can
cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7.. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars
and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often
reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of
chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor
destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from
chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either
compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb
to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to
mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy.
Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other
sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer
cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made
with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute
would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small
amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in
color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the
gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting
off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer
cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based
diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat,
like chicken. Meat also contains livestock
antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all
harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole
grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into
an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked
food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live
enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to
cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance
growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building
healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most
vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw
vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at
temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C)..
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high
caffeine Green tea is a better alternative e and has cancer
fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or
filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap
water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of
digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the
intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic
buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By
refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes
to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the
body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system
(IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals,
EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy
cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known
to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's
normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or
unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit.
A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior
be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put
the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to
have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy
life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated
environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to
get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen
therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer
cells.
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave..
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
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