March 17, 2019

Warning! To the Jew First and Also to the Gentiles

As a student of eschatology the past few years have been very exciting, from a strictly academic point of view. But the past several months, well, they have been extraordinary, and while I would prefer to remain in an emotionally detached, academic mindset I’m afraid that’s no longer possible. Why? I’m glad you asked.

I’ve been studying eschatology, or the end times, for over thirty years now. As a Jewish believer in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) seeing the connection between prophecies in the Old Testament and how many of them have already been fulfilled through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Yeshua has been amazing. As I began studying the Scriptures further, especially looking at those prophecies that have yet come to pass, I marveled in knowing that they would indeed be fulfilled, while at the same time trying to figure out just how these things would happen. As I mentioned earlier, in the last few months there has been a barrage of events that have left me broken and aching as the puzzle pieces fall into place, and those things which seemed impossible only a few years ago seem to be happening right before our eyes. Here are some of the things I’m talking about.

  • President Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem and officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
  • Trump being heralded as a modern day Cyrus (Is. 44:28)
  • Modern Sanhedrin wanting to replace the UN and become the world governing body
  • Modern Sanhedrin dedicating the sacrificial altar in preparation for the third temple
  • Rabbis openly declaring that the messiah is currently alive and will soon reveal himself
  • Sanhedrin’s desire to implement Noahide Law on a global scale

You only have to do a quick internet search and you will find articles and videos galore on all of these subjects. My concern over these things is twofold. First, there is my concern for the Jewish people. Second, I am very concerned about the church for a number of reasons, but I will explain my concern regarding these areas specifically.

With regards to the Jewish people, going forward I am going to be clear in differentiating between the people of Israel (the Jewish people) and the leadership of Israel (the government and Sanhedrin). In the Bible it is very clear that it has historically been the leadership of Israel that has led the people astray. In fact, Ezekiel 34 contains a dire warning and promise of judgment on the shepherds of Israel (the spiritual leadership), along with a promise that God Himself would search and seek out His sheep so that He could be their Shepherd.

In the New Testament we see that it is the Sanhedrin who accused Yeshua of performing miracles by the power of the devil (Matthew 12:24), had Yeshua arrested (Matthew 26:47), turned Yeshua over to Pilate (Matthew 27:2), and ultimately chose Barabbas to be set free so that Yeshua would be destroyed on the cross (Matthew 27:20-22). In fact, it is because of the Sanhedrin’s denial of the Holy Spirit working through Yeshua to perform the miracles they were seeing that God poured out His judgment on Jerusalem in 70 AD. A far greater judgment will soon be upon the whole world, and from the look of things, if the Sanhedrin has its way, they will be on the leading edge of those who are fighting against God and ushering in that judgment.

The coming judgment that I’m speaking of has a number of names in Scripture; The Day of the Lord, The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, The Dark Day, The Tribulation, The Great Tribulation, The Seventieth Week of Daniel, just to name a few. No matter the name, the time period that is being described is one of great destruction and suffering. In Daniel 9:24, Daniel is told specifically for whom this time of trouble is appointed:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

The Tribulation, also known as The Seventieth Week of Daniel, is appointed for Daniel’s people, the Jewish people, and upon the holy city, Jerusalem. Later, in Luke 21:35, Yeshua also says, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” So, combining these two pieces of information we see that the Tribulation is specifically aimed at the Jewish people as well as all those who will be dwelling on the face of the whole earth. While that might seem all inclusive, I will be addressing this specific issue in a forthcoming article titled “The Sin-Bearer.”

Now, there are many things that the Bible says have to take place prior to the beginning of the Tribulation. The things which I listed above are all directly tied to events that must come to pass before that seven year period of God’s wrath being poured out on the earth, and the subsequent establishment of Messiah Yeshua’s millennial kingdom. Specifically, these things have to do with the rebuilding of the third temple in Jerusalem, the establishment of a world governing body that would combine both civil and religious governance, and ushering in the one known in the Bible as the anti-christ.

If what we’re seeing now plays out as I think it will, the leadership of Israel will not only enter into a covenant with the one they see as their messiah (the one who is called the anti-christ in the Bible), but they will, through him, usher in a one-world religion and government. Because of these decisions and actions by Israel’s leadership, the nation as a whole, the Jewish people, will become the target of a pouring out of God’s wrath the likes of which the earth has never seen before, nor will it see again. This wrath, what is commonly called the Tribulation, is also a time for the fullness of God’s judgment to come on Israel for their past transgressions, as well as a time of God’s judgment for all who dwell on the the earth.

In Romans 1:16, Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” I am going to address my two major concerns by following Paul’s example; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

My first major concern has to do with the Jewish people being led down a very dangerous road. Historically the Sanhedrin has always positioned themselves between the people and God, making it virtually impossible for an “observant” Jew to be faithful by the Sanhedrin’s standards while having a true relationship with God at the same time. They have built their religion on tradition and rabbinic teaching rather than on the Scriptures alone. They have made themselves a barrier between God and the people, and while the rationale for doing so was understandable, the result is devastating. Initially this was done to place “fences” around Torah so that the people couldn’t sin and fall under the judgment of God. Now Judaism has become nothing more than a religion of works, and if you do all the right things then you’re good to go. Unfortunately this system of salvation by works is nothing new and will never work. And by shepherding the people away from God and elevating rabbinic teachings and traditions above Torah, these shepherds are actually shepherding the people closer to God’s wrath.

If you are a Jew, I would ask that you do one thing. Read the Scriptures for yourself, asking the Lord to guide you as you do, and He will be faithful to do so. Ask that He would allow you to see His truth. Read Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and anywhere else the Lord might lead you. Look at Zechariah 12:9-14, which is speaking of the final days of the Day of the Lord when all who remain of Israel will turn to the Lord because of His anointing of grace, and they will look upon Him whom they have pierced and mourn over Him. If you’re feeling especially inquisitive take a peek at the New Testament as well. I think you might be surprised at how very Jewish it is, although it really should be. Yeshua was Jewish as were all of His disciples. And regardless of what you may have heard, they weren’t trying to start a new religion. They were being faithful to God’s word and ushering in the new covenant spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-33; a new Jewish covenant made through the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. There are far too many passages for me to list here, but I know that God will be faithful in guiding you as you search His word. The Word of the Lord must be our final authority, not the traditions or teachings of any man. God has given us His word and has made Himself plain so that we can understand it. Do not allow anyone to determine your standing with God, especially when the stakes are so high.

I am including this link to Jewish testimonies called “I Met Messiah.” I’ll bet dimes to doughnuts that there’s at least one person there you’ll be able to relate to. And if you’re ready to accept the atonement Messiah made on your behalf, once and for all, click here.

Now, let’s move on to my second major concern – the church’s response. If you are a believer in Messiah, what should your response be? Many Christians become overjoyed when they hear that the third temple is close to being built and want to do everything they can to help make it happen. Rather than encourage Jews to become further entrenched in deception and error, we, as believers in Messiah, should be praying for the veil to be removed from the eyes of Israel. We should be praying that they would be able to hear what God’s Holy Spirit is saying to them, and that they would turn to Messiah Yeshua now, not later.

It seems that the church has forgotten what Paul has told us, that the Gospel should go out to the Jew first, then to the Gentiles. More and more churches and high profile Christian teachers are saying that Jews don’t need to hear the Gospel because God has a special plan for them. Again, if we look at Paul’s words in Romans he plainly states that the Gospel is necessary for everyone, to the Jew first and also the Gentiles. There is a lot of false teaching going out today, and this is one of the biggies. It’s a lie. Run away from it.

I have also seen that in far too many Christian circles today there is such an excitement and joy over these prophetic things that are taking place that Christians are encouraging and even helping the Jews accomplish them. Think about that for a moment. Rather than sharing the truth of God’s Word, and perhaps bringing another person to Messiah, they would rather help these people march further along the road to hell. We must remember that not only does Scripture state that a third temple will be built, but that two-thirds of the world’s Jewish population will be massacred during the Tribulation. If current estimates of world-wide Jewish population are accurate that means that almost 5 million Jews will be slaughtered at the hands of the one who will take over and use the third temple as a place of worship of himself – the anti-christ.

Will a third temple be built? The Bible clearly shows that it will be. Should we, as believing Christians help it be built? I firmly believe the answer to that question is a resounding no. You must remember that this is the temple that will see the anti-christ enthroned as god. Do you really want to be a part of that?

Romans 11:17-18 says that Gentiles have been grafted into the olive tree, that Gentiles are the wild olive branches that have been grafted into the tree. “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.” The wild olive branches, the Gentiles (non-Jews), who have been grafted into the olive tree (the Jewish faith of Scripture) should not boast nor speak against the natural branches (the Jews) as they are partaking of the faith set forth in Scripture and have received salvation through that faith. Now please think about this for a moment. Why would branches that have been grafted in to a tree seek to destroy the very tree that they are being sustained by? If you have joined with those who side against Israel, who are boycotting Israel, who believe that the Jews are the cause for all of the world’s ills, you are on the wrong side of things, and are in fact placing yourself in a position to be cursed by God. Genesis 12:3 says, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Am I saying that the nation of Israel is perfect and infallible? No. Am I saying that Jews are perfect and infallible? Also no. But what I am saying is that Israel is the apple of God’s eye and we should, at the very least, not poke God in the eye and stand against her and God’s people. We should be praying for God to continue to remove the veil from the eyes of the Jews so that they would see the truth about Messiah. We should be praying for Jewish salvation. We should be praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

Time is running out. We seem to have entered a time when many, many things spoken of in Scripture are on the verge of coming to pass. Let that foster a sense of urgency in you to reach the lost – to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.

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January 16, 2019

All of Creation Sings

Here’s another article for you from the archives. I hope you enjoy it!

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“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding.  Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know?  Or who stretched the measuring the line upon it?  Upon what were the foundations of it fastened, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” – Job 38:4-7

 

This is a magnificent passage of Scripture.  The Book of Job has held a special place in my heart since the latter part of 1996, when my husband and I found ourselves in less than optimum conditions.  I felt that I was finally able to understand some of the pain that Job endured and was very glad that my hardship didn’t hold a candle to his.  But that’s not what I wanted to talk about today.

 

A few days ago my son and I were learning about sound.  As I was reading the curriculum a sentence jumped out at me – “When the morning stars sang together.”  Initially I thought that it was fascinating and tucked it away for later investigation.  Then I popped in a video about sound that I had borrowed from the library – a secular science video.  Right in the middle of this video they began explaining how stars vibrate and give off sound waves, but we can’t hear them until these waves enter our atmosphere and have something more dense than the vacuum of space to travel through.  I had an epiphany right there on our living room couch – the stars really do sing!  As this information was fermenting in my brain, I started thinking of a few other scriptures.

 

“As He was approaching [the city], at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God [extolling Him exultantly and] loudly for all the mighty miracles and works of power that they had witnessed, crying, `Blessed (celebrated with praises) is the King Who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven [freedom there from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] and glory (majesty and splendor) in the highest [heaven]!’  And some of the Pharisees from the throng said to Jesus, `Teacher, reprove Your disciples!’  He replied, `I tell you that if these keep silent, the very stones will cry out.’” – Luke 19:37-40

 

“For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it – [yet] with the hope that nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children.  We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now” – Romans 8:20-22

 

“Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)” – Psalm 150:6

 

Stars singing.  Stones crying out.  Creation groaning.  Everything that draws breath.  Wow!  How cool is that?  It seems that everything in creation communicates praises to God, but it didn’t dawn on me until a few mornings later.  It was around 5:00 in the morning and the birds were waking up outside.  It’s really an amazing thing to listen to – just a continual chatter as they shake off their sleep and start their day.  My initial reaction was less kind as I really didn’t want to be awake that early.  That’s when it struck me.  Every sound that those birds were making were praises to God!  Every sound every animal makes is a praise to God!  Then there are us humans.

 

Out of all creation, we are the only ones who have been given free will.  God has given us the choice to follow Him or not.  For those of us who have chosen to follow Him through a relationship with the Messiah, we are now expected to live differently than the rest of the population.  One of the ways that should mark us as Christ’s is our speech.

 

“Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.” – Hebrews 13:15

 

“But the human tongue can be tamed by no man.  It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness!  Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing.  These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.  Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter?  Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs?  Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water.” – James 3:8-12

 

I’ll be the first to admit that my “fountain” sends forth both fresh and bitter water.  I’m not as bad as I used to be, but I’m nowhere near where I need to be.  But it is my desire to one day be able to join the rest of creation and speak or sing only that which is a praise to my Lord.  I try not to think about the fact that I’m unable to keep up with the birds when it comes to praising God.  All I can do is allow the Lord to work in me and bring me into greater realms of freedom in Christ, letting go of the things of this world, and trying to live a life pleasing to Him.  

 

The next time you hear the birds singing in the trees or hear a dog barking in the distance, just remember that they are praising their creator.  Maybe you could stop and join them.  God bless you on your journey!
January 15, 2019

Distractions

This article was originally written at least 15 years ago – probably more like 17 now that I think about it. It’s as relevant today as it was then, perhaps even more so. May the Lord bless you as you seek His face.

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Television and radio.  Video games and DVDs.  Controversies in government and in local schools.  You name it, just about anything can drive us to distraction.  But in today’s society we seem to have perfected the art of distraction and I have a feeling that spells big trouble for the church at large.  We are over stimulated and I don’t know that we’d know what to do without all that stimulation, all that background noise.

 

I would dare say that there are few of us – even us stay at home moms – who don’t find themselves praying for a few more hours in the day to get everything done.  Finding a few minutes to call our very own would be nice, but they seem to be a luxury most times.  Busy-ness has become the standard and it’s devastating our effectiveness for Christ.

 

Using Christ as our example, as we should, I think we could learn much in how we should prioritize our lives and our busy schedules.  And just so you don’t get the impression that I have this problem licked myself, here’s a peek at a typical day around our house.

 

I try to wake up at least an hour before our son, if not two.  That way I can be sure to get a shower and have some devotional time.  I can even check my email if I work it right.  When our son wakes up things kick in to high gear!  There’s getting him dressed, coercing him to eat breakfast (I never thought my child would have to be coerced to eat), then deciding on what we should play first.

 

Once my husband wakes up you can feel the excitement in the air.  Why?  Our son’s favorite playmate is now available for three hours before having to leave for work.  This used to be tricky because this is also the only time that Mommy and Daddy have to communicate during the day, but now that we’ve gone cellular we are able to talk while my husband is driving to work – not a perfect solution, but sometimes we just have to make do with what we have.

 

After Daddy leaves for work, Mommy tries to get a few household chores finished up before we start home school.  By three o’clock in the afternoon we are on the road to academia.  Well, usually.  Then there’s dinner, more play time, finishing up housework, cleaning up stray toys from the living room floor.  When bedtime finally rolls around, if our son isn’t tired, I sure am!

 

Now, you may or may not have noticed that there was no mention of my writing in the above run-down.  Well, that’s been a bit of a problem lately and I’m certain that distractions are the root of my problem.  Even as I write this article, I have the TV on.  Why?  Who knows!  Habit, I suppose, but one that really needs to vamoose.  Okay, I just turned it off.  How quiet!

 

You may be thinking, okay, she has a full plate during the day and the poor little author can’t write as much as she’d like to.  What does that have to do with me?  I’m glad you asked!

 

If you had to give an accounting of your day to Christ right this very minute, would you want to?  Would you want to admit all of the time you’ve frittered away on meaningless activities – activities that our society esteems but that have no kingdom value whatsoever?  I sure wouldn’t!  We’re so distracted that I sometimes wonder if we really understand the urgency our Heavenly Father places on our lives and the tasks that He has set before each one of us to accomplish.  Did you know that?  You have a task to accomplish for God and you’re the only one who can do it.  If that doesn’t scare your socks off I don’t know what will!

 

Now, getting back to Jesus as our example.  He never seemed to be distracted with anything.  He always seemed to have his day-planner on the same page as the Father’s.  Jesus was never taken by surprise nor was He unequipped to handle the people and situations He faced each day.  Jesus always started His day early in conference (prayer) with the Father and they were in close contact all day long, their relationship underpinned by the intimacy they shared each morning.  

 

Let’s try to capture that intimacy in our own lives.  I believe that if we can this world will be amazed at the outpouring of the Father’s love through His children in reaching an lost and hopeless world.  If we take a good, honest look at our time stealers I’m sure we could find more time that we ever thought we had.

 

I have a feeling that there might be one or two of you out there thinking that this is all well and good, but that Jesus didn’t have to worry about being distracted with TV or the internet.  That’s true, but I have a feeling that there were distractions around in His day, too, but perhaps not as many as we face.  Speaking of TV in Jesus’ day, can you imagine the press coverage He would have gotten?  I don’t think we’ll have to wait much longer to see what sort of coverage He’ll get from the press in our day!  Until then, let’s take back the time God has given us and use it for His glory!
January 15, 2018

Changing the Past

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This morning I took some time to fix a painting that has been bothering me for months. When I did the original painting I was so focused on painting three snow covered mountains I didn’t really think through the rest of the painting. I did a nice sky, the mountains, and then I had a lovely, empty foreground. The perspective was all off because there was nothing in the foreground to indicate that the mountains were miles and miles away. In fact they looked more like little foothills that were quite close – not the effect I was going for. I have had that painting on my wall for months. I’ve stared at it a millions times. And this morning I finally set out to try and fix it. I added snow-covered pine trees and a snowy path in the foreground. Only the peaks of two of the mountains are still visible, but I learned a great deal from this whole experience.

While I was working on this painting this morning I thought that in a way I was changing the past. Unfortunately when it comes to our past there’s nothing we can do to change it. The good news is that God has made a way for us to be free from the sins of our past, no matter who you are and no matter what you’ve done. In Isaish 1:18 it says, ‘”Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”‘

Will we, like the mountains in my painting, still have visible remnants of our past in our lives? Yes, but as the trees in the painting help put things in proper perspective, so too does the Lord help us keep our lives, past, present, and future, in proper perspective. We’ll know where we’ve been, we’ll know what we’ve done, we’ll know our shortcomings and our faults, and with the help of the Lord we will be able to face the future with certainty knowing that He will never, ever leave us. As Psalm 9:10 says, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Also, in Jeremiah 29:11, we are assured that the Lord does indeed have plans for us and that they are good – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Through His Son, Yeshua (Jesus), the Lord has made a way for our sins to be washed away. Instead of having the stain of sin on our hands, Yeshua took our penalties for sin onto Himself so that all we have to do is accept what He did on the cross and our sins are then forgiven; not merely covered over, but washed away. If you have a past that could use some cleansing, if your conscious could use some cleaning, if you need a proper perspective on life, click here to learn how you can do that. It’s even easier than fixing a painting!

January 11, 2018

Joys and Blessings

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I’m having a very special morning. It’s just about perfect. My husband is still sleeping. Our son is sleeping, and because he has sighted non-24 he will probably be asleep most of the day as he was up most of the night. The house is quiet aside from the occasional grooming noise from one of the cats. But the thing that is making this such a wonderful morning is the snowfall. The temperature is in the 30s, the wintry mix has changed to snow, and by tonight it’s going to be like a giant ice rink outside after a quick flash freeze, but for now it’s beautiful!

There’s something to be said for light, dainty snow that whirls and plays on the wind, but this isn’t a dainty, timid snowfall. This snow is falling in huge clumps with purpose, determined to get to the ground as quickly and efficiently as possible. It’s beautiful. It’s mesmerizing. It’s beginning to accumulate on the trees, and by the time it’s done I’ll just bet the trees will be heavy laden with the stuff. Even after seventeen years I am captivated by the beauty of snowfall. I could watch it all day.

I was just reminded of the first time I saw snow on the ground after we had moved to Wisconsin. I grew up in southern California, so the only time we saw snow was if we went to the mountains or if we went to Sea World around Christmastime. They would bring in a snow making machine and the kids would go wild! But the first time that I saw snow after we had moved to Wisconsin, it was, well, magical.

We were living in an apartment. My husband was working second shift. I had gotten our son to sleep and was puttering around in the kitchen when my husband came home from work. He took me by the hand and led me to the main entrance to our building. When he opened the door I could barely believe my eyes. The landscape had been transformed with snow – a good four inches of it. I have no idea how long I stood there in wide-eyed wonder taking it all in. I touched it. I tasted it. I looked at it some more. The next day I bundled our son up in a snowsuit and boots and he and I shared our first experience with winter as it was meant to be.

God’s world is amazing. His miracles are all around us. Our days are filled with joys and blessings if we will only open our eyes to see them. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to the snow.

January 8, 2018

Surviving in a Toxic World

The last few months have brought lots of change my way. Change! Yay! First there was the wheat, or lack thereof. I had known about the harvesting practices of over 90% of wheat crops in the United States for quite some time; specifically the introduction of Roundup a few days before harvest to force any unripened stalks to go to seed. Unfortunately the Roundup survives all the way to your dinner table and we ingest it. Nummy! I had been praying, asking God why I seemed to be having a relapse in my fibromyalgia symptoms and kept getting the feeling that the wheat needed to go. Within 24 hours of my cutting out wheat from my diet the fog in my brain seemed to clear (known as fibro fog). I knew I was on to something. I made some major adjustments to my diet – again. No wheat, no soy sauce (the only soy I used) with an increase in rice and potatoes. It took some getting used to, but I knew it would be worth it.

Unfortunately, not too long after I made those changes the fog seemed to settle in again. And there was still the matter of the constant, widespread pain that I had been experiencing for literally as long as I can remember. I started feeling defeated, but at the same time I started thinking about a true story I had heard a few years ago about a woman who was so adversely affected by modern life (chemicals) that she had to move into a cave just to be able to live without the severe reactions she was experiencing. That got me to thinking, not about moving into a cave, but about taking a good, hard look at every single thing that I was either ingesting or putting on my skin. That was about a month ago and I have made some huge changes since then. I have also had some very surprising results.

Gone are the days of my using hand lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, and fabric softener. I’m cutting way back on laundry detergent, doing a second rinse with white vinegar, then I’m hanging my clothes and sheets to dry, in winter, in the basement. Yay! Anyway, when I began looking at the ingredients lists on these products I wasn’t surprised by what I saw, but I when I started thinking about it I became very angry. Hand and body lotions are petroleum products. Deodorants and anti-antiperspirants contain aluminum, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. Toothpastes contain fluoride as well as other harmful chemicals. The really upsetting thing is that people have been led to believe that these products are beneficial, that they are solving a problem that you need solved, and that your life will be much better off for using them. Well, I wouldn’t be so quick to believe that if I were you.

Within 24 hours of my cutting out these products (and it was very difficult for me to do) I realized something was very different. My fibro fog was completely gone and I could think clearly. The heaviness, almost a depression, that accompanied it was gone as well. That was huge, but there was something else that I was, and still am, shocked by – the widespread pain that I have been living with since I was in my early teens has vanished. It is gone. And I even did something really stupid that confirmed that these products are the culprits.

About two week ago I took a look at my hands and just had to use some lotion. I had been using a mixture of shea butter and olive oil, but was getting a rash from the shea butter. So I used some lotion on my hands and feet before bed and in the morning I couldn’t believe what had happened. The fibro fog was back in spades, and my body was aching. As the day progressed the symptoms began to subside slightly, but it wasn’t until the following day that they were gone again. That little lotion indiscretion wasn’t pleasant, but it did prove to me that the chemicals in our “every day” products are poisoning us. I know how that sounds, but please hear me out then do some research for yourself.

In 2001 I started researching the affects of aspartame poisoning and saw that its symptoms were very similar to fibromyalgia. I came off of aspartame cold turkey and had a great relief of my symptoms although they never completely went away. As the years went on and our food and water supplies became more toxic my symptoms returned as if nothing had ever changed.

In doing my latest round of research which included looking at fluoride I was once again shocked and angered. The symptoms of fluoride poisoning are identical to those of fibromyalgia, including the trigger points that are used to solidify a diagnosis for fibromyalgia. I remembered how my mother always made sure that the bottled water that was delivered to our home when we were little was fluoridated so that we would have strong teeth. I have been ingesting fluoride my whole life. I simply thank God that He has brought me to this place of freedom from it and I am trusting Him to heal whatever damage may have been done.

There are some other disturbing facts about fluoride. It was first put into a public water supply by the Nazis in the Jewish ghettos. I don’t think they were concerned about children’s teeth. Come to find out that fluoride actually damages teeth in addition to causing infertility, widespread pain, and mental fogginess. The Nazis were trying to neutralize the population. Fluoride also gets down into your bones so even if you stop ingesting fluoride it will take your body years to detox from it completely. It’s very nasty stuff. Well, it’s poison.

It’s a real trick to stay away from fluoride. I now use Dirty Mouth tooth power which has no fluoride in it. I rinse with reverse osmosis filtered water (that’s the only process that will remove fluoride from the water). I use filtered water to cook with. Frankly I’m a bit tired from making all these changes, but I feel like a new person. I was telling my husband a few minutes ago that all the extra work and taking care to avoid these toxins is a very small price to pay for feeling so much better.

I am very much looking forward to living without the constant pain and depression of fibromyalgia. I am still taking it easy, trying to give my body the rest it needs to get rid of these toxins from my system. And I do have a day here and there where a couple of my trigger points act up, I’m assuming from the detox process. It’s going to be a long road, but I know that as long as the Lord is on that road with me – or should I say as long as I’m on the road with Him – I know everything will be just fine.

May God bless you as you seek the truth and His face.

December 24, 2017 Gallery

Do SOMETHING Every Day

From my art blog. Enjoy!

SmurglesArt

Life in a family that has two Aspies in it (I’m one of them) can be interesting at best. I don’t even want to talk about the “at worst” scenarios. Suffice it to say that there are times when try as I might, no matter how much I want things to go smoothly they don’t. This means that sometimes my passions, like art, music, and writing, get set aside for a time because, well, life.

A few days ago I decided to make it a point to do some art every day. Nothing big, but something. I’d like to share my work from day one and day two, both done in colored pencil, both 5×7. Today being day three, and it being the time of day that it is, I’m a little worried that my streak might end at two days. Unless I try a mini drawing. That just might…

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