Healing Begins Within: Wisdom vs. Intelligence and what it means to me

Healing Begins Within: Wisdom vs. Intelligence and what it means to me: "I haven't been feeling very well physically and emotionally off and on for quite some time. I began having chest pains that caused some maj..."

Wisdom vs. Intelligence and what it means to me

I haven't been feeling very well physically and emotionally off and on for quite some time. I began having chest pains that caused some major concern and so off to the emergency room I went. After x-rays and a discussion with the ER doctor he concluded I was depressed. Depressed? But I had never been happier I thought. Happily married, happy to be the mother of a boy and a girl, happy to have been able to quit my job a year earlier to be home with my kids, etc. So why was I having these anxiety attacks (chest pains)? I saw my primary doctor and she said I was possibly peri-menopausal and ordered extensive lab work to be done. She suggested I take hormones. Peri-menopausal? Really? Well, I decided to try the natural way to good health before trying out hormones first. With my husband's support I contacted the best company I knew of that had helped many people with health problems and disease through a vegan diet and supplements. I called the main office of Hallelujah Acres (www.hacres.com) and they gave me the number to a gentleman in my area that sold the supplements and had also gone through extensive training from the company on the vegan life style and health issues many people face. I was intrigued by his story. He is currently 90 years old and had much better clarity of mind and more energy than I did at 48! He shared his story of how he left behind his favorite foods such as steaks, burgers and hot dogs right off the grill, once he learned he had prostrate cancer at the age of 74. That was enough incentive for him to pursue a vegan lifestyle with additional vitamins and supplements. He studied and researched everything he could on the subject and eventually he discovered Hallelujah Acres and could closely relate to the story shared by the founder who had reversed colon cancer within himself. My new friend Ben reversed prostrate cancer within his own body and has now shared his knowledge with me. I eagerly met him in person and ordered many supplements and went on the diet. After one or two days of amazing energy and feeling so much better and no longer forgetting everything I needed to remember, I hit a wall. I was in pain all over, had headaches and was exhausted. All I could think of was how badly I wanted to eat cherry cobbler, ice cream and pasta. Lots of it. I succumbed to this great temptation and then felt like a terrible failure. Thankfully, while I was still too discouraged to even change out of my pajamas and robe, my new friend, Ben, the 90 year old vegan, called me to check on me. God is good. As we talked, I tearfully shared my frustration and sadness at feeling like such a failure and he encouraged me to pray and ask God for help. Why had I not thought of that? It's been a long time since I had prayed for myself. I had prayed for others many times. I had even thanked God most days as I got out of bed for my family, home and blessings. But to ask him for help? I can't remember when I did that last...it does sound kind of ridiculous doesn't it?
We continued talking about God and Jesus and how we need not feel ashamed of failing because we are human. He also expressed his concern that I was influenced by negative spirits that do want us to fail. I then presented him with a few questions I had about Jesus and the Christian beliefs that even though I claim to believe in, I had 'issue' with some of the teachings and especially how some Christians behaved. He replied honestly that I had very good questions and felt he should refer me to a friend of his who had a degree in Theology as well as was a Doctor. This doctor had originally been a primary care physician doctor for many years however, wanted a change and then became the head of the Depression Department for the same Health Care provider I belonged to! A few hours later he called me explaining his friend (and now also my friend) had referred him and proceeded to share with me the results of the extensive lab work I had done a few days earlier. I was in perfect health! Well, that was a relief, but what could be the reason for my fatigue? Difficulty sleeping? Anxiety attacks? Could it be more spiritual in nature than it was physical? Well, I had already asked God for help with my vegan diet and was already experiencing and easier go at it. So when this doctor called I was ready for the next discussion that took place. We both had theology degrees and even though I no longer regularly attended a Christian church, I had spent many years looking for one. I explained this to him. I assumed because one church did not allow women to become ordained ministers, that most others would not as well. I assumed if one church did not baptize and welcome homosexuals as members in their church others did not as well. We talked for a long time and I came away hopeful. I will visit his church knowing that it still is full of imperfect humans just as myself that still fail, however, understand better now that as long as we don't give up, as long as we keep trying to live the best we know how with God's help we will receive strength through the Holy Spirit. As long as we know we are forgiven because His son Jesus made that possible, then we are blessed with WISDOM as result of the suffering, as result of the failures. We all have access to INTELLIGENCE, however, we are greatly blessed with WISDOM if we continue to ask God for help when we fall (don't forget!) and then ask Him to pick us up. There is something to be said for those who know what it's like to have a problem and then successfully overcome it, as opposed to those who only have book knowledge about the topic. Which person are you going to feel more comfortable with and are more likely to ask for advice? Which one gives you more hope? I hope those who are reading this are as blessed as I have been when asking for counsel and advice related to a difficult problem or health issue they might be facing. I hope that whether it be your health, your finances or your relationships that you find someone to talk to that will remember to remind you to ask God for help! I have learned that this is the most important and valuable thing you can do for yourself during difficult times. Failures give us experience and that in turns provides us with knowledge, however, we are truly blessed when after we look to God for help and when He answers we finally arrive at WISDOM. I usually end my blog with 'we are here to live and learn and witness one another heal', however, I now rephrase my motto for life to now state:
We are all here live and learn and PRAY that one another heal!

Healing Begins Within: How I Learned to Listen Better

Healing Begins Within: How I Learned to Listen Better: "Today I learned how to listen better. As I planned my day I had no idea I was about to learn this lesson. In fact, my intention was to tea..."

How I Learned to Listen Better

Today I learned how to listen better. As I planned my day I had no idea I was about to learn this lesson. In fact, my intention was to teach my own children to pay better attention when I asked them to do something and not to wander off distracted by texting, phone calls, the internet, video games and television. So we completely unplugged. The result, I heard what THEY had to say better! So while my intention was to improve on the behavior of my children, I learned it was ME that needed to have more focused attention on my children as well! Sigh! I am just like everyone else and constantly try to multi-task or rather 'multi-communicate' with the world I have become plugged in to. Our children are doing this as well, following our example and as a result find it difficult to be 'plugged in to' what we are trying to teach them. So today I learned to listen better, or rather, better said I learned how to LIVE better. Thank goodness, for children. Because they help us to keep on learning even after we thought we already knew it all, or maybe 'most' of it all!

Are You Hard on Yourself?

Today I had an interesting session with a new client. Her mother had passed away and it was interesting how the first message that came through loud and clear to her daughter was...
"You are really hard on yourself. Don't be. You are doing a great job of raising your two children all on your own with no support. Know this."
Wow, I learned so much from this statement as well. Often we are hard on ourselves as women aren't we? We feel we just don't do enough, do it fast enough, or good enough. We are hard on ourselves! Why? Well, maybe the rest of her session will help us to understand why...
"You need to love yourself, that will provide healing that will in turn help you to have healthier relationships. Knowing intellectually that you are a talented, loving and good person is not enough. You have to feel it too. Start with ALLOWING yourself to love yourself just as you are. Know that you are ENOUGH just as you are right now. Then will follow a new language of self-talk that will transform from HAVING to do things to WANTING to do things to knowing you WILL do things. What things? Loving yourself and also equally important, RECEIVING love from others."

Enough said...I remind us all we are here to love, learn and witness one another heal.

Do YOU think for yourself or do you let OTHERS do it for you?

Wow, what a day! I started the day doing what is most important...making sure my kids were fed and had lunches made and drove them to school. Later, I had a wonderful conversation with my mother-in-law which helped motivate me to start exercising again after being sick, I really appreciated it. Then I got to thinking again about how I love discussing a variety of topics with my friends and pondered how just through our discussions it could also lead to new possibilities and maybe even new careers for some of us. As I researched on line the definition to some of the new career choices and the how to's of becoming trained in other areas it got me to wondering...why do some people believe that only a church can decide who and who can not become a priest, a pastor for example? Once upon a time, only men were ordained. The decision makers of the church at that time firmly believed that was God's will as made known to them. Later, you find church policies have changed and now women are ordained as well. Now anyone can go on the internet as well and receive a liscense to become a Reverand. What I have learned is to be careful when you make your choices in life and when determining what it is you want to do. Ask yourself...did you think this through for yourself? Or did you let others think it through for you? Who knows, in 10 years they may have a different opinion or belief on the matter. Be wary, when people use the 'authority of the church' to substantiate their decision on what is correct or incorrect for you to do with your talents, abilities and interests. Honestly, look at yourself and realize that if YOU have the talent and ability after education or experience to perform a specific task or service then isn't that proof enough it was given to you from a higher source? Something to think about and to ponder. Don't be afraid to think...and know it's okay to do so!

I heard Dr. Phil once say...

I heard Dr. Phil once say on the Oprah show that if your keep your feelings stuffed down....eventually they will come back up.  Just like a beach ball you try to shove under the water it will always bounce back up.  Well, I thought I was processing my stress in a healthy way however, I was not paying attention to what I was doing unconsciously!  I admit it is embarresing to share with others, however, if someone else can benefit from my mistakes then it was worth the pain I endured.  It was a Friday afternoon and I started to eat and watch television at the same time.  Who hasn't?  However, I had something on my mind and rather than expressing it and admitting it was a problem for me I started eating.  And eating, and eating...before I had even realized it I had eaten so much I became sick!  Now I will spare you the details, but let's just say that often from painful experiences we can become much wiser and prepared for when the future repeats itself! I can laugh now, however, I wasn't laughing at the time.  I finally realized after a wonderful discussion with a close friend what my lesson learned was all about.  In life we have all types of friends. Some we do business with, some we entertain with, some we share spiritual or religious experiences with and some may be our partner when we work out at the gym.  The point is we have a variety of friends that we share many parts of ourselves with and sometimes it may not be in our best interest to share everything with one person.  What if they do not share your core beliefs?  What if your spiritual beliefs are different?  That's okay.  They are still a friend sharing what is special and unique about them.  Life is a beautiful thing, if you are really paying attention you will learn something very special from all your friends and all you interact with, and for that I am very grateful.