Sweet: How to Make Moringa Powder Taste Good

I started taking moringa capsules daily this past spring. Moringa is a superfood known to have helped with many health issues, from headaches to cancer.

Since I started taking moringa, my skin is a little clearer, I sleep better, and my bathroom-related health is better. I'm sure it's done other things that I haven't known about.

But recently, I took the last of the capsules my parents got from Amazon; so I started on a bag Mom got of moringa powder. The capsules are, of course, tasteless like all my other medicines; but the powder has a taste - boy, does it have a taste! I tried it with water for a while, and let's just say that's pretty nasty. I tried adding several things (one at a time). Brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, molasses, nutmeg, . . . It was still awful.

There is a prepared mix you can get, Zija, that tastes better with just water. After taking moringa for a month and noticing some nice changes, I took Zija for a month.and was very disappointed to find that the changes had disappeared. When the month ended and I returned to straight moringa, I was greatly relieved to find them come right back!:)

(Not to totally bash Zija - I have friends who take it and who say it helps them a lot; so please don't think I'm saying it's bad for everyone! It just didn't do for me what the straight moringa did.)

Well, so I was trying different things with the moringa-water and nothing was working; and then a couple weeks ago I remembered that the bag says you can put moringa powder with any food, so I tried that - with success!

My first try was yogurt with a whole teaspoon of the powder. With the whole 1/2 teaspoon, I've had yogurt and oats, or oatmeal. But by far my favorite recipe has been microwaving a bowl containing 1/2 tsp moringa powder, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup quick oats, & 1 whole apple (sliced). I'm not saying this recipe tastes particularly awesome or that you should make it to share with your friends "because it tastes so good." But it tastes kind of good. . . .

And now I really have to try the 5 breakfast recipes this website lists: http://blog.moringasource.com/5-simple-moringa-breakfasts/

Manners With the Disabled

It’s a little weird, but we never covered this in my “Family Book of Manners” course in elementary school. You would think we would have. Pretty much all I learned about this subject was learned after becoming one of the disabled myself, and therefore it’s possible that some of my thoughts might apply more to me than to the disabled people you know best; but we’ll just call this my ideas. . . .

            

1. Treat disabled people according to their apparent biological age, not their apparent shoe size. I know the shoe-size thing is tempting, and we might seem like that would be more accurate: We might have funny voices, we might be unable to walk (or to walk well), we might laugh too much or at weird times, and we might have a million other weird features. But we often still know how old we really are; and if you treat us too much younger than that, we’re likely to feel just a little slighted. Always remember the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” How would you feel if someone always treated you like a young child?

            

2. Know that it might take us a wee bit more time to eat our food. So if everyone else is finished or just about finished and we still have half or more than half of our food/drink, and if we suddenly start wolfing it down; there’s one thing we won’t want as soon as we finish. That one thing would be a sweet, charitable smile with the words, “Can I get you some more of X?” Naturally, we’ll say “no” every time. J

            

3. Be a little sensitive about bathroom conversations. A long time ago, I was not only totally unable to control myself. I was also literally and completely unaware of what happened in this respect. So next time you feel like reacting in any way or making any comment, please take a moment to consider how you would feel about people doing those same things toward you.

            

4. If someone really can’t help doing/not doing something, is it really fair to get upset with them? You tell me. The next time you are unable to achieve something or to avoid speeding/saying something/eating more than you should have, just imagine someone reacting condemningly. How that makes you feel might be similar to how we feel when we, let’s say, involuntarily laugh at the wrong time and that makes you mad.

            

5. Please give us an extra dose of understanding in general. We might have poor memories, we might have low inhibitions causing us to do/say things you would never do/say, we might have low mental processing speed and take a minute (or more!) to “get” stuff, etc. We might take extra time to do everything – sometimes the amount of time it takes us might really make you wonder!

6. Realize that we do know we’re not completely normal and that there are differences; so if we look like we need help, it wouldn’t hurt our feelings to have you offer. It could be that we’re doing therapy or pushing ourselves just a little bit and that therefore we’ll say no; but it could also be that we would really appreciate the offer. One time I was riding public transportation and we were at a standstill, in a traffic jam; I tried to get my book out of my walker basket, which was just beyond my reach, and the able-bodied man sitting behind me said, “Do you need something?” I told him I wanted my book, and he stood up and handed it to me; and I greatly appreciated his help!

7. Realize that although I have just told you a few ways we might be somewhat different from you, a lot of us are not that different! And we – like you – do not really enjoy having those differences highlighted. I appreciate when people treat me as more normal than I am more than I appreciate it when they treat me as less normal than I am. That said, I do understand people not having been around disabled people much and not knowing quite how to act. I used to be one of those people. So you try to understand me and I try to understand you, maybe we’ll both be smarter and better for it. J

8. Don’t be afraid to tell us what you think we need to know. That would be highlighting a difference you think is there, and we want to be as normal as possible. We can take a little advice/reproof. In that vein of thought – if you have a problem with this list, tell me! I want to hear it, and I can take it!

One More Miracle

God has worked miracles in my life. The fact that I am breathing and thinking and typing this post defies what the doctor thought several months ago. But I have recently realized another great gift God gave me. For the first few months after I woke up, God mercifully held Satan back from major temptation and major emotional attack of any kind. For the longest time, the only sin I could think of that I struggled with was that of not praying without ceasing. 

Now things are much more normal. God recently allowed the devil to return to some of his old temptations as well as some of his old trials. But "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." And He is "the God of all comforts." So although my life is much more "normal" now, God didn't give me to the wolves by any means. He enabled me to soon conquer the temptations (at least temporarily) and blessed me with sweet Heaven-hugs.

One of those was the sermon this past Sunday out of Luke 10:30-34. A man went on a journey and was wounded. As he lay there by the side of the road, he had to have thought of it as a bad thing. He probably wondered why. But then the good Samaritan came along and poured oil in his wounds and took care of him.

Oil, in the Bible, is a picture of the Holy Spirit. So whatever wound you are dealing with now is actually a gift, an opportunity for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I don't claim to fully understand it, but the thought does carry comfort.

Run a 5K!

This was my goal; it was on my official bucket list. After I came home from the hospital, many of my friends and family joined me as I "rolled" in one. :) As a matter of fact, the many familiar faces on that day, along with the sunshine and fresh air, seemed to be very healthy for me. It was around that time that I started to REALLY wake up. It was just a happy day. :)

 

Then on Memorial Day, Chick-fil-A (where I used to work) had a Spicy 5K for Hospice, which I was glad to "roll" in. (I walked across the finish line.) The winner, running at less than 16 minutes, was from Uganda. I got the pleasure of greeting him in the African trade language.

 

So my experience says that a 5K is always a happy thing, and of course it's healthy - very. So why not?

 

Appreciating Women

Women are half of God's image.

"And Elohim created man in His own image;
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27).

Every person on this planet matters to the Father, and that includes women. So this month, as we're thinking about breast cancer awareness, remembering loved ones lost to the disease, encouraging the women in our lives to be careful, and generally "painting the town pink," let us remember also the women of all ages, around the world, who face deadly dangers of all varieties, like these little girls in India.

Garlic, My Friend

I love garlic! Every time I start to catch a cold, garlic is there for me to ward it off. Here's what I take: 

2 cloves of raw garlic (very small bites)
an apple
and a tall glass of water

It's hot, it's spicy, and some say it stinks; but hey - it does the job. Here's an article I just found that offers some alternative ways to take raw garlic. Praise to the Great Physician who provides us with such amazing foods!

Caffeine and the Brain

This semester landed me back in school, pursuing a degree for the first time. Which makes me one of those "non-traditional" students. It's fun! Reading, writing, and . . . well, thankfully no arithmetic yet.

This week, psychology required finding a scientific journal article about a psychoactive drug, and then writing a review of said article. After being introduced to coffee this summer (and surprisingly loving it!), its effects on the brain provided a natural topic for the research. A couple of words in the search engine on the school library's website, and wa-la!

"Coffee, tea, chocolate, and the brain."

Two Spanish authors used a method called meta-analysis, looking at at least four studies done over the course of five years and integrating the results.

And here's what they found:

In low to moderate doses, caffeine improves moods, increases alertness and physical activity, and enhances cognitive capacities. Of course, in excess it causes irritability and disturbs sleep. So as long as we keep this thing in moderation, we'll be good. Right? =)

Spiritual Exercise?

I wondered for a while what I should write for this. What is spiritual exercise? How do you exercise your spirit as well as your body? A couple of weeks ago, my devotion "happened" to be in Ephesians 6, dealing with putting on the whole armor of God. And all of a sudden, it hit me: We are soldiers in the grandest and holiest and most vital war of all time. How do soldiers become good soldiers? By exercise! Spiritual exercise is simply practicing right living. It is putting on the armor of God, and wearing and using that armor.

Of course, I have a lot yet to learn on this topic and will study up and do my best to get back with you more educated before too long. Here are some verses to ponder in the meantime:

"And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16).

"But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen" (Ephesians 6:10-24).

Soccer - Not for the Faint of Heart!

Well, my exercise commitment didn’t work out quite as well as I thought it would last week. Mom had several extra “pastor’s wife” duties that called her away, such as visiting and helping people out and picking up stuff for Dad or church; so I had the very fun privilege of teaching my brother Jedidiah and practicing my kitchen and laundry skills. Then our entire family drove to another town for revival services every night, as that church’s pastor and his wife are family friends and asked Dad to conduct the revival effort at the last minute. It went wonderfully, and everyone made new friends and learned a lot.

For instance, who do you think had the godliest marriage in the Bible? I couldn’t have told you until last Friday night, but here’s the answer: Abraham and Sarah! What other husband-wife team is named in the Faith Hall of Fame? What other man is referred to as the “Friend of God” over and over again throughout Scripture and was told Jesus’ confidential plans concerning the future of a city? What other earthly father did God have so much trust will raise his children and instruct his servants properly?

How many other couples got to cook Jesus a meal in the Old Testament? When Peter wanted to teach women how to respect their husbands, who did he use as an illustration? What other woman in Scripture is proclaimed beautiful inside and out? Forget you know anything about them and read their story in Genesis 12 - 25. You might be surprised by all you find! They had their problems (as do all other couples), but they still had the most successful marriage in the Bible.

Well, anyway, with all that “activity” I was about as inactive as possible, if that can be imagined! Oh, well. This week has been a little better. Yesterday Caleb and Jedidiah and I had a delightful game of soccer before getting showered and freshened up for church.

This afternoon Jedidiah and I tried again. The score was 6-2, with Jedidiah in the lead, of course. :) He had the ball and I was running hard to try to stop him. The ball was lying there by itself. Hope surged through me. Maybe I could get it? I was there, I kicked, . . . I tripped over the ball, I fell onto the concrete ditch by the church. Ouch! Caleb had been watching from the parsonage doorway and sprinted down to see how I was. Thankfully not too bad, just some stinging, scraped-up hands and a grass-stained skirt.

Game over for a few hours. But that night we went outside for a third round. I had dress shoes on because Mom and I were preparing for a ladies' meeting at church, so I stayed on one end and protected the goalie while Caleb and Jedidiah fought over the ball. All of a sudden Caleb got a "brilliant" idea. Instead of trying to kick the ball around Jedidiah, he would kick it over Jedidiah! And of course, when Jedidiah saw where it was going, he would move out of the way, right? Wrong. And the ball did not go over Jedidiah. You can imagine the pretty swell over his eye. Although, thankfully, it didn't blacken! :)

So a word of advice: As you deepen your level and variety of activity in an attempt to be more healthy, it might be helpful to wear work clothes; practice proper falling - on your hands, not your face or back or arm; beware of how aggressively you play next to concrete, and always remove your head before the game starts (that way it won't get hit)!

Soccer - not for the faint of heart!

Are You Healthy? (Part 2)

Wow! It's been a while since I started this series, and I suppose it is time to move on. Let's start with a brief review, shall we?

"HEALTH''Y, a. Being in a sound state; enjoying health; hale; sound; as a healthy body or constitution. 1. Conducive to health; wholesome; salubrious; as a healthy exercise; a healthy climate; healthy recreations."

I think sometimes that even though I do not have any particular obvious sickness or disease, I am not necessarily as healthy according to this definition as I could be. I am not really in shape or physically fit. Lemuel's mother could not have pointed me out to her son as a girl who "girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms" (Prov. 31:17).

After some thought on the matter, I think that there are basically seven essential ingredients to a truly healthful life.

1. A Healthy Diet

Now for ingredient number 2! :)

2. Plenty of Exercise - Ah! What a deliciously fun idea! Is that how those words sound to you? Not to me! At least not usually. But the concept is still extremely important. What would happen if I was ever-so-careful to perfect my diet until it was a healthy as possible this side of glory, and then laid around the house all day reading books or writing Christian things or listening to Christian radio or talking with my family? Would I be healthy? Well, no.

This is a great deal of what Lemuel's mother meant when she said that the virtuous young woman "girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms." Yes, ladies, that means exercise.

But not to worry! It's not all gloom and doom! Remember how you felt the last time you played football with your brothers (or whatever particular sport they happen to be into at the time)? You were sore and exhuasted, true, but you probably felt happy and refreshed and energized at the same time. God wants His daughters to have energy so we can do His work and to have joy so we can do it honorably.

Every little girl wants to be a princess. Lately I've been realizing my status as such - after all, my Father is the King of all the earth! But think with me what a princess is like. Would she exercise? I can't really see her doing calisthenics, although she might and I do. But I can definitely see her taking walks, playing games of "romps" with her siblings, riding horses, scrubbing walls and floors, carrying water, and being active in many other ways.

This is the truly fun way to exercise. Simply be active. Move from the sedentary life to the active, full, bubbly life! It may be difficult at first (it still is for me at times) but you will learn to love it, and your body will shout a resounding "Thank you!"

For me, this issue takes on a little greater importance, as I was told recently that my heart rate was unusually low. No problem now, but when I grow old and gray-headed I may need a pacemaker. The antidote? Be and stay active for as long as possible!

Activity is Biblical, and it is crucial for our health! So I'm committing to being more active during the upcoming week than in the past. Will you join me?

Spiritual Malnutrition Personified

Have you heard about the "revival" going on in Florida under the leadership of a man named Todd Bentley? My dad played Crosstalk's show about it the other night at the dinner table so our whole family could be informed about it.

Here's the deal. Mr. Bentley is receiving angelic visits such as a fairy-like "Emma" who sprinkles gold dust on people in the church to bless them financially; as well as a fourteen-foot tall "angel or whatever" (his words) called Winds of Change who, interestingly enough, has also visited other charismatic leaders such as the Bob Jones of Kansas City.

He is receiving messages - from God, he says - to heal people by banging one woman's legs against the platform like a baseball bat or kicking another old lady in the face with his biker boot.

He is covered in tattoos and body piercings.

He shows off gold teeth that "God has given people."

People start barking like dogs and clucking like chickens.

He preaches that "the Anointing is Jesus . . . . the Anointing is not Jesus . . . . the Anointing is Jesus . . . . the Anointing is not Jesus."

I don't know about you, but this sounds like chaos to me. And we know from Scripture that God is not the author of confusion. The Bible says in another place to "test the spirits, to see whether they be of God." Does this really sound like the Holy Spirit we read about in the Bible, or maybe more like some other spirits we see in the same Book?

Here is what's really scary: A lot of supposed Christians - evangelicals, actually - are falling for this guy, driving down there to hear him, getting him to lay his hands on them, and then taking this stuff back to their local churches. Where are these people's Bibles?

Check out these links for more information.
http://www.crosstalkamerica.com/
http://http//blog.thewaycf.com/2008/05/pastor-strader-speaks-on-todd-bentley_31.html
http://www.wingswatchman.org/

A New Game!!! I love it! :D

This past Sunday my awesome brother Caleb was trying to think of a good game we could play that would be fun and, at the same time, honor the Lord on His Day. This is what he came up with:

One person picks a random verse in the Bible (that the other people are not likely to know already) and acts out the important words through charades. Once the audience has learned as much of the verse as possible, the first person reads the verse aloud and everyone memorizes it. Then someone else takes a turn.

It's so enjoyable and makes memorizing so much easier! In one afternoon we learned Proverbs 6:23, Psalm 137:2, Proverbs 8:34, Isaiah 65:24, 2 Kings 22:11, and two other verses that I can't quite recall off the top of my head. Try it! I'm sure that it will bring both laughter and blessing to you and your family.

Bread, Milk, Meat, Water, . . . Candy?

So maybe you are eating well physically, but how about your spiritual diet? Could it be that the Church of today is suffering from malnutrition? A brief nibble of Scripture here, a token prayer there, a small cup of milk at church a few times a week, a hunk of meat every once in a while, and lots of sugared "worship music," fast-food devotionals, and fun and games with other starving spiritual children.

So many times this is the true picture of my life. But it isn't God's picture of what He wants for my life! On the contrary, He would like us to be feasting daily on the real soul food of the Word of God, prayer, communion with the Lord, and fellowship with other believers.

"But he answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God' " (Matthew 4:4). Whole-grain bread is one of the excellent foods God has provided us, but even good physical bread is not enough. We must live by every word of the Scriptures! This means that we must be in the Word all the time, reading and studying and meditating and memorizing. We must really know the words of God. We must hide them in our hearts. And then we must obey them.

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). Pure, personalized milk straight from the breast of a healthy mother is the perfect food for babies to grow into healthy children and adults with strong bodies and immune systems. But again, what is more important than food? Soul food (1 Timothy 4:8)! The Word of God is the perfect food for our souls to grow into healthy and strong spiritual adults, no longer tossed about by every wind of doctrine but instead ready to guide younger believers in the Way.

"I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able" (1 Corinthians 3:2). As a baby gets older, he eventually needs to be weaned from his mother's milk and fed with meat like grown-ups. He needs to eat real food. Milk is good for babies, but eventually we do expect them to grow up. The same goes for Christians. We need milk for a while, but the idea is to be continually growing and learning more and more, reaching higher and higher and deeper and deeper.

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13). Pure water is so vital to our existence! If we go without it for more than a few days, we will die. Spiritual water is just as important. We need to drink daily, moment-by-moment, from Christ, our fountain of living waters. Just as pop brings temporary refreshment but no real nourishment or quenching of thirst, so the pleasures of this world and spiritual candy are only broken cisterns and can bring us no true aid, no true quenching of the deep thirst of our souls.

God's design for us is to abide in Him (John 15), to delight in His Word (Psalm 1), to commune with Him in prayer throughout every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and to fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:42). This is true nourishment. This is how our souls will thrive!

What Is a Healthy Diet?

Have you ever read the book What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Rex Russell? If you haven't, put it on your booklist soon! It's so good! Here is the book summed up in just a few sentences:

The Three Principles

Principle 1:

Eat only substances God created for food. Avoid what is not designed for food.

Principle 2:

As much as possible, eat foods as they were created - before they are changed or converted into something humans think might be better.

Principle 3:

Avoid food addictions. Don't let any food or drink become your god.

This looks simple, but it is extremely profound. Just mull it over for a few minutes, then begin thinking of how you can begin implementing it into your life in little ways.

Are You Healthy? (Part 1)

You may not have an obvious sickness right now, but are you really healthy? Here's how the Webster's 1828 dictionary defines being healthy -

"HEALTH''Y, a. Being in a sound state; enjoying health; hale; sound; as a healthy body or constitution. 1. Conducive to health; wholesome; salubrious; as a healthy exercise; a healthy climate; healthy recreations."

I think sometimes that even though I do not have any particular obvious sickness or disease, I am not necessarily as healthy according to this definition as I could be. I am not really in shape or physically fit. Lemuel's mother could not have pointed me out to her son as a girl who "girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms" (Prov. 31:17).

After some thought on the matter, I think that there are basically seven essential ingredients to a truly healthful life.

1. A Healthy Diet - Out of the seven deadly sins, the one we tend to think about the least is gluttony. It’s like a bad word. It offends us. It steps on our toes. Yet the Lord used it twice in His Word, as well as phrases like being “overcharged with surfeiting” (Lk. 21:34) and having one’s belly for an idol (Phil. 3:19). And every time, it is associated with a heart that loves pleasure and self-indulgence more than it loves the Lord. Ouch!

How is this true? God’s Word tells us that our bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa. 139:14). In addition, we are temples of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, are to glorify Him in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20). As a matter of fact, we are to glorify Him in everything we do, but specifically in our mealtimes (1 Cor. 10:31)!

It is said that Jonathan Edwards, that great theologian whose preaching God used to spark the Great Awakening, often pushed himself away from the table early. What if we practiced this habit? What self-discipline such a practice would instill!

But what do we so often choose instead? I, for one, am more likely to take an extra cookie, or a second helping. My dad just so happens to be a Baptist preacher, so we get to hear a lot of food-related Baptist jokes. Like the time when the kids' class at school was studying religion and each student was to bring some special item and explain its significance. Kind of like a "Show-and-Tell." Well, the first little boy brought a rosary and said, "I am a Catholic, and the rosary is special in my religion." Then the little girl brought a star of David and said, "I am a Jew, and the Star of David is special to my religion." Finally a little boy brought a casserole and said, "I am a Baptist, and the casserole is special to my religion."

That's funny, and we can laugh. But is that really what we want to be known for? Is not that gluttony - the worship of food? Even if we don't overeat, we can worship food in other ways. Is there some food that you cannot go without for more than a few days? Maybe it's ice cream, pop, chocolate, coffee, or anything else. A Christian is to have no addiction other than Jesus Christ.

Or what about eating unhealthy foods just because they taste good, even if we know they are harmful to our bodies and therefore perhaps cutting short our lives and abilities to serve God? What if we know that so much sugar and white flour is bad for us, but we just can't say no? What if we know that drinking so much pop is corroding our organs, but we just have to have it? What if our taste buds don't really enjoy water, whole-grains, fruits, and veggies, so we just don't take them? Is this not also idolatry?

Food is a means to an end. And that end is the glory of God. When eating food begins to interfere with our ability to bring Him glory, something needs to change.