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The Road to Illness

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The Road to Illness
By Dr. Mary Starr Carter

In late August I was really pushing myself with little sleep and eating more breads and what I call dead food. One particular weekend I pushed really hard to fit 5 days of activities into one and at the end of the day I ate a super sugary dessert.

Within 7 days I had a cold.  🙁   But since I know how to get well quick that is exactly what I did heal quickly.  8 days later I was flying in an airplane (germ tube)  to California where I ate very clean (fresh foods, no sugar, no dairy, not a lot of bread)  and I felt great.  I flew home and a day later on only 3 hrs sleep left for Florida.  For 5 days we lived in a whirlwind of conferences and go go go mode but again we ate fairly good.  

Then while on my resting vacation I slowly stopped taking my nutritional supplements daily, ate maybe one raw fruit or veggie a day, and although I had gone weeks without it I started eating sugar again.   Treats at the movies, a candy bar when I starving, desserts you couldn’t resist.  That was it once my body has a taste of sugar it wanted more, so I would eat gross packaged cookies that I normally wouldn’t just to get the sugar in.  No one forced me to do these things I made these choices and I eventually suffered the consequences. A day after we flew back home from vacation I got sick again. 

The Road to Illness 

#1   Sugar will lower your immune system    
 
In the book “Get The Sugar Out” by Ann Louise Gittleman she states, “No matter what form it takes, sugar paralyzes the immune system in a variety of ways:

Sugar has been proven to destroy the germ-killing ability of white blood cells for up to five hours after ingestion.

It reduces the production of antibodies, proteins that combine with and inactivate foreign invaders in the body.

It interferes with the transport of vitamin C, one of the most important nutrients for all facets of immune function.

It causes mineral imbalances and sometimes allergic reactions, both of which weaken the immune system.

It neutralizes the action of essential fatty acids, thus making cells more permeable to invasion by allergens and microorganisms.”

And don’t be fooled Sugar is many things you may not be aware of and other things that turn to sugar in the body like :  Ketchup, Breads, Salad Dressing, Popcorn, Potatoes, and the list goes on. 

Researchers are even showing that CANCER grows significantly faster on a daily diet including sugar.

YIKES  that would make anyone stop sugar …. unless you are sugar sensitive.  Sugar sensitive people like me are literally addicts.  Once we get a taste of it we want more.  Sugar has been classified as a drug causing a physiological change in our brains and behavior. We  all need to treat sugar more like a drug than a  that. 

#2  Lack of sleep  will lower your immune system

Sleep is a necessity for wellness.  I have discussed sleep a lot in my newsletters and also have our FREE sleep ebook. But recently worked with a Sleep Technician who enlightened me about Sleep disorders.  If you would like to hear more about that you are welcome to listen to our recorded Teleclass at   http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=22985013 

When you are sick or getting run down you need to cancel appointments, get a sitter, delegate and get some rest.  R-E-S-T  don’t want to hear your excuses…. get some rest.  .

#3  Stress causes DIS-EASE  

Don’t think STRESS has anything to do with your cold or illness, think again. Continuous stress on the body leads to illness.  And stress comes in different forms.  The body can experience stress from our environment, our thoughts, other people, electrical equipment,  and even airplanes.   Flying at certain altitudes stresses the thyroid gland.  A very important gland for you total wellness.   I discuss more about the role of the Thyroid in our online class 5-20lbs.

#4  Lack of Exercise  

Exercise helps to keep you healthy.  Both Cardio Vascular and Strength exercises help maintain and strengthen your immune system.  Plus you get a great dose of happy hormones. 

You could seen how my two week vacation of exercising only 3 times led to a few poor moods and a lowered immune system.  So let’s add it up.

SUGAR + Lack of SLEEP +  STRESS  + Lack of Exercise = DIS- EASE  

In addition  all these things also Stress and Thyroid which I know contributed to my Cold.   I am ready to take control of the Wheel again and get back to WellNESS how about you?

Next blog we  will talk about how to recover from Illness and Cold  quickly.  

Please share your comments below. Your comments help us serve you better.

 

Dr. Mary Starr Carter is known as the Total Wellness Doc. She has been training individuals about Natural Health Solutions for over 13 years. She is trained as a Chiropractor and has studied under the world’s foremost leaders in natural medicine. She is a mother and a wife and has created a balanced and total wellness life for herself and thousands of her clients using her simple wholistic approach to health and wellness. Her coaching, classes and ebooks help clients with Fibromyalgia, Hormone and Adrenal issues, Asthma, Diabetes, Weight problems, Thyroid and Chronic pain find resources and solutions to better health.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.



 

It is Hard being a Mom and a Doctor

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My struggle is I am Natural Wellness Doctor, meaning I have a head full of knowledge of why kids have constant runny noses, allergies, asthma, ADD, ADHD, behavior issues, sleeping issues, bed-wetting issues, focus issues and the list goes on. I have counseled moms and kids for almost 20 years with “health challenges”. Many of these families saw radical improvements in the “issues” by following some simple steps. I always say: “the steps to improved health are SIMPLE but not easy.” I know this all to well with my own health challenges and those of my children.

The Number One Cause of Health Issues

It’s difficult for me to sit in a circle in my kids’ gym class listening to kids share that their favorite foods are Pizza, Macaroni and Cheese, Cake, or Cookies, knowing that most kids and adults health challenges can be improved and or corrected with food.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you ask my kids what their favorite foods are I am sure it would be Pizza or Organic Annie’s Macaroni and Cheese along with their favorite restaurant being the famous hamburger and french fry place called FIVE Guys, but I know and see what those foods do to my kids overtime.

My son is more sensitive to foods in the sense that eating gluten, dairy, or sugar for a few days will start to give him skin issues, hacking phlegm and he will lose focus much more easily.

My daughter on the other hand gets hyper with sugar and a week of eating too many carbs and sugary foods will change her from a sweet to moody and anxious. I also understand that as busy parents we have to do what we can and sometimes all we can do is eat out or eat what I like to call Quick foods like Macaroni and cheese and the famous Quesadillas.

“the steps to improved health are SIMPLE but not easy.”

So, when I see a child struggling with allergies week after week who eats milk products for snack time and all breads and sugars for lunch, I want to go up to the parent and give them FREE advice.

Or when a mom shares with me she has awful PMS, I want to show her all the Natural Wellness goodies in my purse that I know will help her.

It’s all I can do not to give her a $177 Consultation right on the spot for FREE.

Helping People Get Results

But then I remember after 20 years of Wellness coaching that the best results come from helping people who aren’t just curious but who are serious about making a change. I remember that those who have the most success are individuals and families who are looking for answers and upon finding them will do the work, make the changes, and invest in their health. Because health issues require time, money and resources to get better — not just one trip to the doctor and a co-pay.

After years of not always honoring myself or the other person I am committing to not blab all that is in my head and heart when I see a health issue I think I could fix. And if anything, being in the hospital for 20 days with my husband has taught me humility. I don’t have all the answers, I can’t fix everything with nutrition, Chiropractic, essential oils, and detoxification.

But I do have knowledge, resources and proven step by step solutions that have helped hundreds of individuals who were ready to ready to receive the information, and upon receiving the information did something with it!

If you are struggling with a health issue, need help putting the pieces of the health puzzle together, find some resources, or even start on some simple steps to improved wellness then email me today at info@starrhealth.com and request one of our Monthly Wellness Consultation appointments.

Note: Dr Mary Starr’s Monthly Wellness Consultations include: a short questionnaire focused on around 1-2 of your main health issues, reviewing any copies of health and wellness test or scans, a 30 minute live Zoom recorded conference where she will help you put more pieces of the health puzzle together. Also included is a 10 day and 30 day check in phone, text, or email chat. Dr Starr’s Wellness Consultation fee is $177.

5 Ways to Improve Problem Areas Through Detox

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Are you struggling to lose weight?

Do you feel like even when you do everything right, you still have problem areas like your hips, thighs and entire leg — that just won’t budge?

Could a hidden cause be hindering your results? 

The Things That Could Be Keeping Your Problem Areas Bulgy

Toxins hiding in fat cells, excess water and inflammation in your body — may be what is behind those problem areas you keep working on that just won’t improve. 

If you’re struggling to be consistent in your workout routine because you constantly feel tired, fatigued, and quickly irritated everyday, this could also be pointing to a build up of toxins in your body. 

The next 5 tips will help you start moving into the right direction and start hitting those workout goals. 

5 Simple Ways For Safe Home DETOX

I love natural ways to detox, citrus oils are widely used for this. One of my favorite citrus oils to use in the home is Grapefruit. It’s easy, delicious and I know where to get pure Grapefruit essential oil for my daily detox routine. I only recommend using the Young Living Vitality line for detox, as you will be using it in your water it’s very important that you use an essential oil meant for use as a dietary supplement. If you don’t have any essential oils at home click here to order. 

Ok, so let’s get right into it!

#1 WATER with a KICK 

Young Living’s Vitality GRAPEFRUIT is the kick your water needs. You may already know you need to drink plenty of water when starting any cleansing program but by adding just 1 or 2 drops of Young Living’s Grapefruit Vitality you are giving your water that extra ZYNG it needs. Grapefruit taken daily paired with a healthier diet and exercise may help you lose those unwanted pounds quickly. Just don’t be surprised when you first start drinking Grapefruit Vitality in water that you have to pee more frequently.

#2 GET RID OF INFLAMMATION 

Unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and environmental toxins cause our body to have a high toxic load and inflammation.  KICK those inflammatory foods to the curb….   

Just simply start with junk food, then packaged foods, then sugar, sweets, white breads cow’s milk etc.  I promise your body will THANK YOU by not being so “inflammed” .

You will feel less pain, more energy, reduced allergy symptoms and the list goes on…   of course there may be a 2-3 day withdrawal period but I promise Feeling good is on the other side.  Drinking copious amounts of water with 1-2 drops of Young Living’s Grapefruit Vitality curb those cravings for the junk. 

#3 FLUSH THE FAT 

When toxins are not flushed, and the liver becomes overburdened your body will store those toxins in FAT CELLS. It will continue to accumulate in cells. This along with poor nutrition can cause cellulite commonly found on the thighs, stomach and hips.

Cellulite is fat that is pushed together against the connective tissue in our skin that makes the affected areas look lumpy.

There are lots of Expensive ways to “Flush the Fat” or soothe your dimply skin, but my favorite is Dry Skin Brushing followed by Coconut oil and Grapefruit Essential oil.

Get creative and combine it in a salt body scrub with other skin-toning oils such as Lemon and Juniper for a simple home spa experience that gives your skin a smooth-looking glow.

#4  EPSON SALT BATHS 

Tiredness and sluggishness may not be because of lack of sleep. It may be time to detox your body. A combination of Epsom salt with Grapefruit oil in your bath water may help detox and relax your body. 

1 cup Epson salt with 10-20 drops of Grapefruit Essential Oil and even 10 drops Grapefruit and 10 drops Lavender will help your body relax. 

My friend Christine always wakes up sore and stiff in the morning. Normally she needs 10-15 minutes to stretch and be able to move in the morning. But she started taking Epson Salt baths and wakes up with so much less pain and inflammation in the morning. 

You may want to consider adding the 10-20 drops of Grapefruit to these Lavender (or Stress Away) bath bombs, I love them!

Click on this link to get your own.

#5  Diffuse Grapefruit and Ditch the Febreeze

You would be surprised how many hidden toxins are in your home.  From every soap, laundry detergent, perfume, cleaning product and the list goes on, but now we have “AIR FRESHNERS” that are making us and our kids sicker and sicker.   

Getting a simple Diffuser for your home, office, kitchen or bedroom can make a huge difference in your health and allow your body to detox without being overwhelmed by so many toxic air fresheners. One of the best ways to get both the diffuser and some oils to switch out your air fresheners is to click this link to get your own Premium Starter Kit today!

 

Start using Grapefruit Vitality as part of your Simple Ways to Detox at Home Protocol

Young Living’s Grapefruit Vitality oil is excellent to diffuse during the day or night. It has a sweet, invigorating aroma that encourages feelings of joy, satisfaction, and playfulness. Not only is it NON-TOXIC but it can keep the troops happy. I like to diffuse it when I am letting go of sugar or starting a new eating program. It seems to keep me more mellow and happy. 


Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

How Do You Have The Best Family Vacation Of Your Life?

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FamilypicUtah

If we are friends on Facebook you will see from my personal profile Mary Starr Carter that my family and I have had an amazing summer. We traveled from Florida to Central NY this summer to stay on Oneida Lake in a little town called Constantia. Along this journey we have attended three conferences one we flew too in the state of Utah for. We even made a trek over to Canada to visit Niagara Falls with our Mississippi family.

NiagaraFalls

When we were planning this adventure we knew we wanted quality family time, a restful vacation, and exercise. For 41 years our summers have been filled with work, work, and more work. We realized our kids are growing fast and we want to make lasting quality memories with them.

It took us 41 years to have the best vacation of our lives. Here are some tips to help you have the best vacation of your life.

DECIDE

I am actually an indecisive person. It gets me in trouble and I will tend to put things off. But this year with the help of my decisive husband we DECIDED we were going to spend the SUMMER together.

You could also call this a GOAL. Do you have a goal of what you want to do this summer or next VACATION? Making the decision is the first step here is the next…

PRIORITIZE  

Work together with your family to decide what is most important to you. It may be relaxing on the beach reading books, it may be seeing as many sights as possible, it may be traveling to visit friends, it may be visiting historic places. You have to know what is important to those who are coming and of course with different personalities you might plan a combination of things so everyone gets to enjoy something they love.

For my husband and myself it was family time, exercise, and making memories with our kids.

Here is a picture of Jay on his bike. He biked 372 miles and ran almost 100 miles while we were gone. He loved it!

JayBike

PLAN & PROBLEM SOLVE

Once you decide and prioritize, you are ready to start planning. It’s important you prioritize first because you will need to make decisions based on those priorities. Here is an example:

We had to make a decision and plan when we attended our conferences if we would bring the kids with us or if they would stay home with a sitter… when we went back to our priorities we realized that making memories and being together was a priority even though it would be hard we would bring our kids with us to the conferences.

We made this decision knowing that the level that we could participate at our conferences would suffer but we decided to make that sacrifice because our priority was being with our kids this summer. Does that example help you see why priorities are important to set when planning a vacation?

Problems and challenges will also arise while you are planning, but keep in mind a problem is just a task to accomplish. I learned this from my mentor Dani Johnson and it has helped me a ton.

Here are 5 tips to help you with your vacation.

5Tipsbestvacationever

1. PROBLEM HOW DO I GET THE MONEY

Another problem that commonly comes up is how do we pay for our vacation? This actually stops most people before they even start… I CAN’T AFFORD IT… I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY…

Or others use credit cards to splurge and suffer the consequences later. When I was 22 my girlfriends and I decided we were going on a cruise. I didn’t set up a plan or problem solve how I would get the money. The result was the beginning of credit card use that I would rely on until I got control and learned how to manage and plan for expenses and get out of credit card debt.

So to solve the money problem and to avoid getting into credit card debt here are some ideas for you:

– Get a part time job, lawn or cleaning service, bake goods or make crafts and sell them at shows.

– Re-allocate your monies… instead of doing $600 worth of landscaping this summer use that money towards your vacation and plant a pretty weed garden. Stop buying things that aren’t a necessity.

– Read my friend Claudia Looi’s eBook:

save over $2000 to travel or buy anything you want

1 Simple Way to Save Over $2,000 to Travel or Buy Anything YOU Want

–  Start a Home Business and use the money for your travel. And once you are in a home business you can plan a meeting or two in the locations you travel too and now your mileage and travel can be a tax deduction.

This is a picture of my sister in law and niece visiting Niagara Falls for the first time ever. They used family members’ airline miles, saved and had several garage sales to afford their vacation.

NiagaraFallsWaterfalls

Here are 2 more tips that can help you have the best summer vacation ever!

2. SAY NO

Last summer when we spent 2 and a half weeks in Central NY, we had so much planned including multiple meetings, visits with friends and associates, after we had just spent 3 weeks on the road for work. It was really really really intense. To the point that my husband suffered serious adrenal fatigue that took him months to recover from. It was too much.

So this summer when the invitations to come and speak or even visit friends started coming at me I said NO.  I simply said this summer is about spending as much time with my family as possible… AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID.

This is a picture of my kids having an awesome time with their cousins. They loved spending time with them.

Cousinspic

3. WE SAID YES TO HEALTH

Learning from last year’s mistakes we knew there were some important things we needed for everyone to stay healthy and happy. Good sleep, decent food, and exercise. My husband is training for a triathlon. He gets out almost everyday on vacation to exercise. He bikes 20 – 60 plus miles 3 times or runs 4-13 miles.

I made it a priority to walk or jog 3-4 times a week, in hotels I go to the gym, and I even made it to my favorite Central NY gym Metro Fitness East for some group classes. We did our best to plan out our meals. Shakes have been a staple to help keep us getting all the good nutrition we need especially when your Italian family invites you over for dinner, it’s a picnic food day or you know you will be eating bonfire smores that night.

There were a few nights that we or the kids were still wound up from the day so we would take my favorite sleepy time immune building supplement Immupro. We are also taking our supplement routines daily including Ningxia Red, Mineral Essence, Multigreens, NingXia Nitro and Mindwise plus essential oils and our new pain cream for sore muscles. In 60 days we were away from home and our routines and no one has gotten sick, thrown up, or suffered any terrible hurts that have stopped them from being active. God’s grace on us, combined with our efforts, have kept us healthy so far.

4. LESS IS MORE

This is a picture of the camp we stayed in most of the vacation. It was small, filled with spiders, a dead mouse, and the toilet worked some of the time. But it was also filled with so much love, fun and peace.

Camp

I know everyone is different and some individuals love to pack as many adventures as possible in their vacations and others just want to CHILL. But when I say less is more I mean the following.

Spending more money doesn’t mean more fun. For my kids, I initially wanted to take them to the parks, zoo, etc. but they actually had a ball just staying at our camp. They would roll down the hill, run around barefoot in the grass, and watch the wildlife for their entertainment.

Sarahrollingdownhill

Get the most out of your adventures as a family or couple or single but really taking advantage of all the FREE things there are to do first. What amenities does the hotel or camp place have? Would your family be happy swimming everyday?

And I have to admit even bringing some of our DVDs and watching a kid’s movie some nights or PBS in the mornings helped us stay sane.

Carfullofstuff

5. IT’S NOT EASY BUT IT’S WORTH IT

A family vacation isn’t always easy. Airports, driving thousands of miles, bathroom stops in the middle of nowhere, and feeding your crew are some of the stressors of travel.   There will be days you just want to cry, where you just want to sleep in your own bed, shower in your own shower, and cook on your own stove. But in the end you will create memories that will last a lifetime.

My kids won’t forget their time at Grandpa’s this year. All the work, planning, and problem solving are so worth it when you see those amazing memories on your Facebook feed. LOL!

Here is a picture of Sarah Grace and Grandpa.

GrandpaSarahWalking

So what are you waiting for? It’s time for you and your family to enjoy life more. Make the decision today about your next VACATION… you need one!

The Spirit of Offense

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David and caleah

I cried when I saw this picture of my new niece and her daddy. A new life in the world is so beautiful but God revealed something more to me when I looked at this picture that broke me.

See recently I have been slightly persecuted by friends, colleagues and even family for my over zealous “selling” of a program that changed my life. “Shut up already”,  “I don’t want to hear about it”,  “it’s not for me”,  “it’s not the only good program out there”. Have you ever been rejected, called names, or even lost friendships over something you believed in strongly? It can hurt and it can shut you down.

Several years ago we had one interaction with a colleague that hurt my husband so badly that he literally quit that “selling” part of his job for many, many years. This person was irritated by what we were “selling” and verbally made it known. My husband was wounded and he allowed pride to take on a SPIRIT OF OFFENSE.

The Spirit of Offense is a tool by Satan to trap and hold you from all that God wants you to do and to be. It stops you from serving others, helping, or selling something you know is proven to change people’s lives.  The words of one person shut him down from helping hundreds and probably thousands of people.

The Definition of Offenses: From the Greek “to put a stumbling block in the way, cause to be caught (or) fall away, be led into sin, offend, anger, shock”.

Offense is like an automatic weapon. Once you pull the trigger, it keeps firing. – Kathy DeGraw

Offense are seeds that once planted are fertilized by ego and pride and grow into some horrific weeds in our lives including fear, doubt, anger, resentment, distrust, and blanket opinions.

The reality is we are not going to stop offenses coming our way but we must know what to do when they do happen:

1. Recognize the seeds that was planted

2. Forgive right away: The harboring of unforgiveness in our lives can cut off our connections to the Holy Spirit and can delay God’s perfect plan for our lives.

3. Search your heart: Seeds of Offense can turn into deep roots that we may not even be conscious of.  Searching your heart for areas of offense, unforgiveness, ego and pride can turn up these deep roots.

4. Turn to God’s Word: Ask God to reveal scripture, verses, or prayers to pray over these hidden GIANTS in your life. Ask Him to uproot these monsters with the Spirit of FORGIVENESS that He gave us and you freely give to others. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive others.”

5. Heal: In some cases you may find complete deliverance and freedom after an act of true forgiveness and other times healing will be a process.

After attending one of those programs I like to sell I found out I had been harboring some deep seeded anger and resentment against some leaders who crookedly embezzled a company I love.  It had been 9 years and I thought I had forgiven them and moved on.  But apparently I hadn’t and during this seminar God ordained an awakening to the fact that I hadn’t forgiven them.

When I truly forgave them this newfound freedom and lightness came over me and I still have it weeks later. Oddly I became more comfortable, outgoing, and self-assured in group settings too. It was really weird and showed me how unforgiveness and the Spirit of Offense can affect so many areas of our life.

Caleah

So back to my original story. See this picture of my brother in law and his beautiful family.  When you watch the video below you will hear all the changes that happened for David after attending that program I “sell” too much. One of which was how God moved his heart from never wanting any more children to seeking God’s plan for his family. When this video was taken, little did we know that his beautiful wife Samantha was already pregnant.

The program is called First Steps to Success and recently my “selling” has caused some backlash to point where I considered backing down and not sharing so much.  I have had a lot of opportunity for the Spirit of Offense to take hold of me…  but I won’t let it.  Because it’s not about me… it’s about the peoples’ lives that will be changed because I share.

No one leaves a First Steps to Success without being changed. They offer a full money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied. So how about you? Are you ready to experience a change? Are you ready to learn more about things that are holding you back? I feel blessed if you made it to the end of the article and didn’t shut down or walk away from something that could literally transform your life like it did for David. Please consider it. I have 1 ticket left to the next First Steps to success training, and possibly the only ticket if it’s sold out by the time you read this. Give me a call 315-836-2014 ext. 1. Let’s learn and grow together.

God Bless you my friend,
Mary Starr Carter

A message from David

Skin time caleah and david

Caleah is such a blessing to us and we’re doing great (I guess after 4 babies you start to know what to do!).  I attached a picture of her and I have our first skin on skin time last night 🙂 As I had everyone gathered around last night at the house for dinner I was recounting the story of how I was so against another child and Samantha’s longing for one.

Whenever people used to ask me about more children I was adamant that the only way we were having another child is if God himself changed my mind…. funny how God works isn’t it?  So for the past 9 months I have been faithful to give God the glory and now I have an opportunity to explain how much God has done in my life and how he has changed me from the inside out to give me a heart for another little blessing.

Actionable Faith: Do You Have It?

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romans-8-11

Have you ever had God bring a new friendship into your life right when you needed it?

Have you ever followed God’s intuitive nudge to go do something or go somewhere and it ended up being the perfect thing you needed to experience, see or hear?

Or have you ever gotten those perfect words of encouragement just when you needed them?

Here are 3 stories of 3 experiences that have really impacted me and given me direction and tools for my future parenting. I hope they bless you too.

My dear friend and I hadn’t chatted in months but one night out of blue she texted, “Hope you are doing well and God is doing amazing things for you and your family? You are always on my heart and in my prayers.” The next 20 minutes of texting would encourage my soul and remind me of the tools I have as a mom in Christ.

Rebekah is one of the most positive and encouraging people you could meet. She is beautiful on the inside and out. On top of her many responsibilities, a newborn, a 3 year old, a 6 year old, a husband who works long hours and goes to school, she struggles with some painful health challenges. Although she has all that going on, she stays positive. I often think how does she do it? But I am reminded in our text chat how she does it… It is her ACTIONABLE FAITH.

What is Actionable Faith? I don’t know the official definition but here is what I believe it is; Putting your Faith into Action. An example would be when a difficulty comes up you go to the Word and remember who you are in Christ and you ACT and LIVE like that.

I wrote Rebekah how I was struggling with homeschooling she is a year or so ahead of me in the journey and she writes back, “Ahh yes school! It sure is challenging but nothing you can’t handle!

romans-8-11
Her simple reminder helped me realize the POWER I have because Christ is in me. When I try to understand how Rebekah with all these great stressors in her life does it… quite simply she doesn’t but Christ that lives in her DOES. When you take the stress and striving off of your shoulders and trust in the One who made you and is in you and then ACT on that, your life just gets a whole lot easier. And that is how Rebekah can be so positive even on her worst days. ACTIONABLE FAITH.

My next story I hope encourages all you moms who are pouring into your children, Grooming the Next Generation. I got up early one morning to have quiet time before the big First Steps to Success seminar. When I was done it was still the very early hours of morning so I thought I’d catch a few more winks before I got ready for my day. But God gently nudged me saying go downstairs and get in line there is something waiting for you there.

So I trudged off pouting a little bit but went and got my place in line. I sat down next to this pretty younger woman and after a few minutes started a conversation. In the following 30 minutes I would be in tears when I realized what God was showing me.

See those weeks prior to that event my biggest worry was about my children and my adequacy of homeschooling them. This beautiful young woman was 17 years old and for the past 8 years her parents had been Grooming and homeschooling her and her 2 sisters for success in life. See her parents had gotten plugged into First Steps to Success 8 years prior and started studying Grooming the Next Generation for Success. Grooming the Next Generation for Success is based on Biblical Principals and is techniques and tools for raising successful children who mature into successful adults. Again ACTIONABLE FAITH this young woman’s parents took their faith based training and put it into their lives.

As I listened to this mature 17 year old woman share all her wonderful experiences over the past 8 years, her kind nature, her giving spirit, and purity shined through. Her homeschooling was just a piece of her Grooming. Her parents gave their children real life experiences even living and working in a foreign country for a year and taking care of orphans. They got to explore their hobbies and even apprentice with local artisans. I was brought to tears because in those minutes with this young woman God was reassuring me that I was on the right track and had the tools to Groom my children for success too in life.

Here is a link to one of those tools, Grooming the Next Generation for Success. They are a series of trainings that shares grooming techniques to raise up successful kids that mature into successful adults.

grooming the next generation
My last story also comes from one of those God nudges. To make a long story short I wanted to do one thing but God nudged me again to do another… so I did it but with a bad attitude until I realized that my obedience to obey Divinely ordained an amazing new friendship and people into our lives.

Recently I spent the afternoon with my new friend Amanda and her two teenage girls. Right away we were impressed with the two girls. They were polite, respectful, well spoken and loved kids. They engaged in conversations and were the exact opposite of most teenagers I knew. They never even looked at a cell phone, they knew how to have conversations, and their hobbies weren’t video games. And did I mention these girls loved God and weren’t embarrassed to tell you. Wow how can I raise my kids up to be this pleasant? So later that day I asked Amanda and this is what she said.

“I wasn’t raised with these principals of success.” So the first thing Amanda did was work on her. 10 years ago she got her life right with God. She was introduced to Dani Johnson’s Spiritual Equipping Trainings and just started to plug into them day and night. She changed her life and her marriage. Then she got exposed to those same Grooming the Next Generation for success trainings.

She would have the audios playing in the background every day for 1-2 hours. Every week she, her husband, and her 2 girls would sit and watch 15-20 minutes of the training together and talk about it. They literally would have an appointment in their calendar to do this. And then they would practice what they learned. 10 years of practicing and grooming in all the different seasons of their family’s growth and struggles. It wasn’t easy. For the past 10 years she has worked nights as a nurse and would many times have to make sacrifices of sleep and more to invest in her children and marriage, but her sacrifices have paid off and her children are incredible. ACTIONABLE FAITH.

What about you? Are you ready to take your Faith and putting it into the Actions of your life? Maybe this is your nudge to invest into your personal development by getting some Spiritual Equipping training or your Parenting Training with Grooming the Next Generation for Success?

I know I will be following this direction. We only get a short period of time with our kids. Why not get the training to groom them for success? Why not start with changing our lives and taking ACTIONABLE FAITH? I know you can make a change no matter where you are in life or what season you are in. I believe in you. YOU CAN DO THIS.  Remember Romans 8:11.