Sunday, February 28, 2010

Instead of Worrying

Dear Friends, The thought for this week is one that I need to listen to. "Instead of worrying, pray. .....Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down." Ephesians 5:15 The Message Love, Diana

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Abraham Lincoln, a believer

This past Monday was President's Day and with that in mind, I write about Abraham Lincoln as taken from the book Mr. Lincoln.
Lincoln believed in God. He believed that God was intimately concerned with human affairs, that nations as well as (humankind) were dependent upon him, that (people) and nations were punished for their sins, in this world and the next. He believed in the Bible as the best gift ever given by God to (humankind). And he believed with all humility that he himself was an instrument in the hands of God. Indeed, Lincoln was a man of...intense religiosity.
J. G. Randall in Mr. Lincoln

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine Day

We are in prayer today and this week for pastor Gordon as he starts a healing process after a diagnosis at Lakewood Hospital ER of cellulitis. He has come so far in the healing of his knee replacement and now more healing is needed.
Today is Valentine's Day and here is a story from the calendar "Angels on Earth" showing how God puts people in our lives to help us along the path:
Hearts filled the florist stand where I stopped with a friend, but I wanted to forget Valentine's Day. My husband of 40 years was divorcing me, and I'd never felt so low.
I thought about my dad, my first valentine. Every year I'd wake to the heart-shaped box of chocolates he'd left on my pillow. And every spring he'd let me pluck the first lavender-colored rose off the bush in our back yard. Sterling silver, the hybrid was called. I never saw another like it. That lavender bloom was Dad's special gift for me. But those days were gone.
My friend picked out a bouquet and paid the florist.
"Excuse me," the man said to me. He held out a rose. I would have recognized the pale, silver petals anywhere. The sterling silver! "For you," he said.
I inhaled the rose's scent--an unexpected valentine, just when I needed it most.

Blessings, Diana

Monday, February 8, 2010

Heart Health Month

February is Heart Health Month and in honor of this, I want to pass on a tip from my old Parish Nurse position at the church.
Do you know what your blood pressure is? The CDC tells us that high blood pressure killed 49,707 Americans in 2002. Early detection, treatment and control are important in saving lives. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. About 1/3 of American adults have high blood pressure. The top number (systolic) represents the pressure when the heart is beating and the bottom number (diastolic) represents the pressure when the heart is resting between beats. A blood pressure below 120/80 is considered normal, anything over 140/90 is considered to be high blood pressure. High blood pressure is easily detectable and usually controllable with lifestyle modifications such as increasing physical activity or reducing dietary salt intake, with or without medications. Have your blood pressure checked and know your numbers!

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise...Ephesians 5:15

Blessings, Diana