WELCOME TO MY HEALTHY LIVING BLOG

Welcome to my ever-expanding blog site. I trust you are enjoying your day. I invite you to browse the site, read the articles and enjoy my photography. Your opinion counts, so please leave a comment at the end of the posts. If you enjoy reading these blogs, feel free to pass the link on to any friends you think would also enjoy it.

The purpose of this blog site is 3-fold: a place for sharing general information, a place to share about spiritual matters that will help move us toward a healthier inner life and a place where I can talk about my business and the products that can help us experience better health. Note: This section, though still on the blog for you to read, is no longer relevant to me as I am no longer in business since I retired in 2010

Thank you for dropping by. I trust you will consider your visit worthwhile. This site is a 'work in progress', sometimes changing by the minute, so come back soon to see what's new on MY HEALTHY LIVING BLOG.

God bless you today and every day. Remember, "A joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22-NASB). Blessings and health to you and yours.

Diane

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this blog taken by Diane Stephenson

Monday, August 31, 2009

A BIT OF HUMOR FOR MONDAY

Photo taken at Huron County Museum, Goderich ON

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.  
---Mark Twain---

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY



Making the most of your time... 
Ephesians 4:16 (a)




                                                           
     Photo taken at Huron County Museum, Goderich ON

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Have regular hours of work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets and life will become a beautiful success.  
---Louisa May Alcott---
Photo taken at Huron County Museum, Goderich ON

Sunday, August 30, 2009

THE CASE OF LITTLE FAITH VS. GREAT FAITH

In Matthew 16:5-12 we read the story of the disciples' misinterpretation of a remark Jesus made. They had recently been part of two separate miracles when Jesus fed thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. They had actually distributed this food among the people, so they had no excuse to miss what had happened. They saw. And, I suppose, they also ate of that same food. They certainly helped to pick up the many baskets of food left over after everyone had eaten their fill. They must have seen that there was a great deal more food after the meal than before. It should have made a great impression on them at the time.

Still they had no conception, only a few hours later, of what Jesus meant when He warned them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were all upset thinking it was because they forgot to take bread with them when they crossed to the other side of the sea. Now, does that seem reasonable? Of course you and I would have never thought in those terms! We would still be talking about the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish, wouldn't we? We would understand perfectly what Jesus meant. Or would we?

I doubt that today we are much different than the disciples were 2000 years ago. We would probably have jumped to the same wrong conclusion, or one similar. The only advantage we have today over the disciples is that we have the written record of the past. We have history to look to. But many of us are still just as dense as those twelve men seemed to be so long ago.  Consider the last major thing the Lord did in your life--last week, last month, last year. How many times since then have you been in some degree of crisis and you wondered how in the world it would be solved? Did you immediately think about your last answer to prayer and determine that because the Lord came to the rescue then that He would certainly come through now? Or did you fidget and worry, get all upset and try to solve the problem yourself? I know many times I have done that very thing.

How did Jesus respond to their supposition? He called them men of little faith. He did not say they had no faith. They had some, yes, but only a little. Then He reminded them of the miracles in which they had so recently participated.  Do you think He might have been just a little frustrated? I know I would be. Can you hear Him now as He asked them, "Don't you understand what just happened?  Don't you see, this isn't about bread, about food? It's all about the religious leaders and their attitudes, actions and motives. It's all about taking care that You don't fall into the same trap."

Do you see the lesson in these verses? Verse 8 records Jesus words to the disciples. He asked why they were consulting one another about one thing when He was teaching something altogether different. Their little faith led to irrelevant discussion. How often do we get to analyzing things that have no bearing on anything of importance? We talk, we debate, we discuss, we argue over minor points of religion or doctrine or interpretation that mean nothing in the larger scheme of life, and we overlook the really important issues.

I don't know about you, but I want to learn from this account in the scripture. Let us strive to be the people spoken of in Daniel 11:32-- "...but the people who know their God will display strength and take action." (NASB)  Yes, little faith leads to useless discussion. Great faith leads to action. Let's not waste any more time. Let's become people of great faith, people do exploits in the name of Jesus.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

If you go looking for a friend, you're going to find they're very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you'll find them everywhere. ---Zig Ziglar---

Saturday, August 29, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY



Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  
Hebrews 11:1

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




You'll see it when you believe it.  
---Wayne Dyer---

Friday, August 28, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he  was a faithful man, and feared God above many.  

Nehemiah 7:2

QUOTE FOR THE DAY





Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. --Mother Teresa--


Painting by Diane Stephenson

Thursday, August 27, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY

 
Picture: From Pilgrim's Progress 'The Hill Difficulty". Book published circa 1883
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. 
Hebrews 3:14

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

 
The secret of success is constancy of purpose. ---Benjamin Disraeli---

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

AN INTERESTING STORY FROM THE PAST

I found this piece of paper inside the book pictured below in the Scripture for the Day and thought it was interesting enough to share with you. The book was published in 1887, so perhaps this clipping is as old. I just realized that there is something on the other side of it, so will photograph it and post it at a later date. I have a great love for old books and love these little discoveries. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY



For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. 
Proverbs 8:11

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more. 
---William Cowper---

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

PRICE OR VALUE?

What is the first question you ask when considering a purchase? How much does it cost? Or, What value will I get by investing in this item? The same questions also apply to choosing a home-based business.

Sometimes price and value have absolutely no connection. We have all seen products priced many times over what they are worth. That is not value, merely an expense. But occasionally you find a product or service that has great worth at a very low cost. That is true value. Which would you rather have?

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.  
Matthew 13: 45, 46

Quote for the Day - Sunday July 26, 2009

Too many people today know the price of everything and the value of nothing.  
---Ann Landers---

Monday, August 24, 2009

THE DO DUE PRINCIPLE



THE DO DUE PRINCIPLE

Posted using ShareThis

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.  
Proverbs 23:7

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




What comes out of you when you are squeezed is what is inside of you.  
---Wayne Dyer---

A BIT OF HUMOR FOR MONDAY




I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week sometimes to make it up. ---Mark Twain---

Sunday, August 23, 2009

WHAT'S ALL THIS FUSS ABOUT STEM CELLS?



You've no doubt heard all about it. Google it and get almost nine and a half million results. Check the blogs--almost half a million entries. Watch it on the news. Read about it in the newspaper and magazines. It's everywhere! What is it? Just two simple words: stem cells.

So, what exactly is a stem cell anyway? It is a building block of life. Stem cells are non-specific cells. What do I mean by that? When stem cells are released from the bone marrow into the blood stream, they circulate until they find stressed tissue in the body. Let's say you've just strained a muscle in your back attempting to lift something too heavy for you. Those stem cells will end up in that muscle and will actually become muscle cells. They then proliferate many times over, creating healthy muscle cells which promote the healing of that muscle.

Now, suppose you have a liver problem. Stem cells will travel around in the blood stream until they arrive in the liver, leave the blood and move into that organ. There they will become liver cells and will multiply as healthy liver cells, again promoting healing. That's just what stem cells were created to do. So you see, they are not a specific type of cell until they enter into a stressed tissue. That tissue will determine the type of cell the stem cell will become. Stem cells can become virtually any type of cell.

Why all the controversy over which type to use: embryonic or adult stem cells? What is the difference? Embryonic stem cells, as the name implies, come from an embryo. This means that a potential human life is destroyed in the process. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, come from the umbilical cord or bone marrow. The moment a baby is born, the stem cells are termed adult. So you can see the moral issue here.

For some reason unknown to me, some scientists still insist on using embryonic stem cells even though the consensus has been formed that adult stem cells are much more effective. To say nothing about the fact that no life is destroyed by their use.

Then you have stem cell transplants. Stem cells are taken from the blood, treated and stored, then transfused back into the donor or into another patient--after they have gone through chemo, radiation and drugs to suppress the immune system. Of course, there is a lot more to it than that, but I want to keep it simple for this blog. Also, I am obviously not a scientist. If you would like to know more about what happens to the patient, please click on this link and read the article. You will then understand the desire for a simpler, safer method to increase the number of stem cells in the blood stream.

But is there a better method? And if so, why is it not used by the medical field? I invite you to watch for my next article on stem cell enhancement using StemEnhance from StemTech Health Sciences Inc. Until then, please check my web site watch the video and fill in the survey to receive access to download a free e-book written by Christian Drapeau, co-founder of StemTech and co-formulator of the world's only natural stem cell enhancer. Learn how you can experience healthy living with StemEnhance© and StemFlo©.

LOVE PRAYER


The following is my prayer for myself, but it is also my prayer that it will be, if not already, the cry of your heart as well. It is a short excerpt from a book I am currently writing on prayer. I hope you will make it your own personal prayer.

Lord, I want to know the overwhelming presence of Your love in my heart. I don't just want to talk about it, hear about it, read about it or imagine it. I want to experience it personally, daily filling me and overflowing out of my heart and life back to You and out to others.

Melt every last vestige of hardness and coldness in my heart with Your love until my heart becomes a deep, deep well of Your love ever flowing and my life pours out to You in continual worship, Teach me to be a worshipper. Anoint me to worship. Create worship within me.

I do not ask merely for more of You, Lord, but I offer You more of me--my whole being--so that there is more room for You in my life. I do not ask You to merely enlarge my heart, Lord, but to enlarge Your place in my heart. Consume me with Your love until my life is wholly Yours, until there is nothing left in me but an anointing of Your love.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY




But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
James 1:25

QUOTE FOR THE DAY


If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

---Wayne Dyer---

Saturday, August 22, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13, 14

QUOTE FOR THE DAY


If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it's moving you away from your goals.
---Brian Tracy---

Friday, August 21, 2009

MORE PHOTOS FOR YOU TO ENJOY








HOBBIES FOR HEALTHY LIVING

What do you love to do in your spare time? Does it promote healthy living?

Since I started blogging, a once-upon-a-time hobby has been resurrected. Photography. I have always loved the click of the shutter. My 35mm camera took beautiful pictures, but I set this hobby aside some time ago because I didn't go anywhere special to use the camera to advantage. Now, with my digital camera, I'm really having fun again. I'm amazed at some of the pictures I have taken lately, at how clear and brilliant they are. In some of the florals you can even see the hairs on the leaves. Today I caught a beautiful black and blue butterfly in my lens - the one in the above photo. I will have to do a search to find out what it is called. I'm no professional, but a shot like this brings me great pleasure.

There is another advantage to this hobby of mine. I have been walking, breathing in fresh air and soaking up the summer sunshine at Waterworks Park in St. Thomas Ontario, at Port Burwell, at Port Stanley. Peace flows over me as I look at the fine details of nature. Flowers, profuse in number and variety, have filled my lens with a beauty that overwhelms me. With the soft breezes blowing in my face, the beauty of God's creation in my eyes, and my camera in my hand, there is an illusion of being in a magical place. This is a place to relax, to unwind, to heal. It's part of healthy living. For a short while, I experience life in the slow lane.

I leave with you a question: How does your hobby benefit your healthy living?

Branding by Plan or Default?



Branding by Plan or Default?

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SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Colossians 3:12-14 NASB

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.
---Zig Ziglar---

Thursday, August 20, 2009

ARE WE PARTYING YET?

Recently I read a book with a most intriguing, if somewhat perplexing, title: The Kingdom of God is a Party by Tony Campolo (click the link to hear the audio). His concept of church, home life, the business or work place is that it should all be fun. In otherwise, enjoyable. No, he does not imply that we will never have troubles, problems, distresses, etc. But the overall attitude should be one of a party--a party spirit.

This is probably a new concept to many people. It was to me. Especially where work is concerned. How many people today view their 9-5 jobs as drudgery, boring, dull routine, merely a necessity to an end of making enough money to keep them and their families afloat? How many view their job as a big monster they have to face day after day after dreary day? They literally hate it.

In an attempt to build a home-based business while still holding down an outside job, many become frustrated, over-tired with the effort when things don't go as planned. It's not easy to build a business, especially when you have only a few hours a week to give it between work and family obligations. It may seem overwhelming and may eventually look impossible. Time to give up. Or is it?

So, what do you do when you're stuck in rut in a job you're not happy doing? Look for another job? Often that is not an option. So, do you keep plodding on day after day with no end in sight, no sign of let-up? In one sense, yes, you do have to keep working. But in another sense, you can do something about it without leaving your position or giving up on that home-based business at which you would love to succeed.

It's called Attitude. I know, you've heard all that before. But think about it for a minute. The Bible says that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. How is your thinking today? Have you ever stopped to assess your thought patterns? I'm sure you've heard the expression before, but there is a great truth and much wisdom in it: Do a regular attitude check. You would never consider driving your car year after year after year without taking it in for servicing. You probably wouldn't go for years without a dental or physical check-up. So why not check up on the attitude of your heart? I can hear you now. Yeah! Right! Whatever! Please read on with an open mind.

Take time to give your attitude a tune-up. Like tuning into a station on your radio, tune in to the party spirit. Life is all about attitude. Attitude toward your personal life. Attitude toward your past, your present and your future. Attitude toward your family, friends and casual acquaintances. Attitude toward your job, your employer, your fellow-employees. Attitude about your church, your pastor, the people in the church. Attitude about your neighbors, your government officials, the people who work where you shop. You have one, either positive or negative. Either the party or a funeral. Which one is it?

Sometimes we simply continue on in the same old way day after day without giving this subject the least consideration. Or if we do, we think it's just the way we are and there's nothing we can do about it. But attitude, like many things in life, is about choice. We have the ability to choose what our attitude will be. Yes, it takes time and effort to change our attitude when we realize it isn't quite up to the standard it should be. But it can be done.

In my opinion, you cannot perfect this principle of the party spirit apart from the Christian life, but I also believe that to some extent non-Christians can successfully develop the party spirit. It must influence the home, workplace, church, recreation, relationships, every part of life.

A short time ago I joined an online network called "Gratitude Log". The premise of the site is to post on a daily basis what you are grateful for. It's a great exercise. You can post as many times a day as you like, and read what others are grateful for. I invite you to join me there on a journey to developing the party spirit.

But just what is the party spirit? Think about the best party you have ever attended. You had fun, felt free from your cares for a short time, you mingled with like-minded friends. Maybe you met new people. Perhaps you saw people you hadn't seen in years and the reunion was sweet. You left behind your worries and set your mind on the present moment.

The party spirit will begin to shine through once you learn to turn off the negative thoughts, stop mulling over all the evils in the world, in your job, stop dwelling on all the garbage, and begin to see that life is wonderful. There are many things to be thankful for. Simple things. Like waking up in the morning. Having health and strength to do your job. The beauty of creation all around us. For family. For faithful friends. For a roof over our heads. For full stomachs at mealtime. For a sound mind. Now, go to work and think of some more that are particular to your life. Feel better yet? Feel the party spirit trying to break through?

Fill your mind with these kinds of things and life will no longer seem like such a weight around your neck. When you wake up in the morning you will look forward to what the day will bring. You might just begin to like that job a little better. And you may see a successful future for your home-based business closer than you thought. Your family life will improve when you look for the good things in your wife/husband, children, parents, friends and co-workers. Let's get started right now. Click on this link and join the growing group at Gratitude Log . I want to read all those wonderful things that have daily made you grateful.

Come on! Let's party!

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY




And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32

QUOTE FOR THE DAY


Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ---Mark Twain---

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY



And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son...
Matthew 22:1, 2

QUOTE FOR THE DAY



Give people a fact or an idea and you enlighten their minds; tell them a story and you touch their souls.

---Hasidic Proverb---

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Love never fails...
1 Corinthians 13:8 (a)

QUOTE FOR THE DAY




If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost.
---Zig Ziglar---

Monday, August 17, 2009

TIP FOR HEALTHY LIVING

Steam and serve

Simply buying foods with the highest percentage of nutrition does not guarantee you will benefit from them. To ensure you receive the greatest benefit from fresh vegetables, eat them raw or steam them for a short time. It will, of course, be different for different vegetables and it will also depend on quantity. The more you place in the steamer, the longer you will have to cook it. I find that when I cook several vegetables at once, enough for one or two, it usually takes twenty to thirty minutes. But be careful which ones you cook together. Carrots, for instance, take longer than broccoli, so you may find it better to add the broccoli ten or fifteen minutes after later. This way less vitamins will be destroyed than in overcooking or boiling in water. Also make sure to eat fresh fruit and vegetables within a minimal time of purchase.

GO GREEN: EAT REAL FOOD, EAT LOCAL FOR HEALTHY LIVING


I don't know about you, but I love fresh fruit and vegetables. No, I'm not a vegan. I do like meat, too, but I don't eat a great deal of it. I eat salmon once a week, and usually choose chicken over beef or pork, though occasionally I do indulge in a pork chop or rump roast. And in the summer I consume much more produce than in the winter when it's imported.

How much thought do you put into buying 'fresh' fruit and veggies? I use quotes around fresh to distinguish it from canned, frozen or otherwise processed foods. It all depends, of course, on where you live. In winter months in the colder climates it is impossible to have really fresh foods. There is no choice but to buy imported. But during the growing season, do you opt for the easy way by shopping for all your produce at the supermarket? Do you look carefully to see if they are local or imported? Or does it even matter to you?

I realize that it takes more time to search for roadside stands where everything is freshly picked. And the ability to choose presupposes you have transportation to these country locations. But it is worth the time and effort even if you have to ask someone to drive you.

On the weekend I picked up a friend and we drove to a couple of local beaches so that I could do some photography for my blogs. We stopped at a roadside stand on the way home. My mouth watered to see so much fresh, delicious-looking fruits and veggies: cantaloupe, watermelon, peas, wax beans, peaches and cream corn, strawberries, new potatoes, etc. I usually have a difficult time to contain myself around all this wonderful produce. I want to buy a little of everything, then realize I cannot possibly eat it all before it spoils. Some items in the above photo came from this stand.

Freshly picked fruits and vegetables contain optimum nutrients. If you use them soon after you buy them, then you will benefit greatly from this difference alone. But the difference in taste is also worth the trip. Nothing tastes so good to me as a freshly-picked field tomato with a little sea salt sprinkled on it. Mmm...Delicious!

There are other benefits to buying from local farmers. You can relax and enjoy the ride into the country. Make it a family event and spend quality time with those you love. That is not always easy to find in today's busy world. At some farms you can even pick your own, so you will benefit from the exercise and fresh air as well. It could be a very good stress-buster. And lots of fun!

Speaking of benefits, when you buy from local farmers you are supporting them in their endeavor to continue farming. With so much imported goods today, it is becoming more and more difficult for them to hold on to their farms. It is a shame to see so many of them being forced into taking an 'outside' job just to make ends meet.

According to one survey, 86% of Canadians like to buy local. Then why so little of it in the big supermarkets? Why, when local strawberries are available, do I usually see only those imported from the US in the stores? Now, I'm sure there is nothing wrong with strawberries grown in California or Florida when they are eaten in California or Florida. But for export they are picked before they ripen, so do not benefit from as much soil nutrient as when ripened on the plant, and they do not get as much sunshine either. They have traveled thousands of miles and are stored for a short time (I hope) in a warehouse before being shipped to the stores. How much flavor can they really have? I admit, if you just cannot live without strawberries, they are better than nothing in the middle of winter. But personally I would rather wait until June and buy berries that have been picked within the past couple of hours.

If you are interested to know more about the impact of buying local produce, I would encourage you to watch this video. Keep the 'fresh' in fresh produce. And choose to eat green, eat real food, eat local for the ultimate in healthy living.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY


Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38

A BIT OF HUMOR FOR MONDAY


I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
---Mother Teresa---