Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The 7 Deadly Sins: Gluttony

For a long time I pictured gluttony only in terms of how it was portrayed in the Brad Pitt movie... obese slob slumped over in a chair with his face in a plate of spaghetti. I couldn't relate to it at all. But lately Yahweh has been speaking more and more to me about the sin of gluttony and what it really means. Gluttony is simply having an unhealthy appetite, or an appetite for unhealthy things. Given the way almost all Americans eat these days, that makes nearly all of us gluttons on some level.

Raw food expert Paul Nison writes in his book Health According to the Scriptures (thanks, Yadi) that all sickness and disease can be traced back to overeating and under-sleeping. Our society is chronically sleep deprived and dependent on drugs because of it. That I shouldn't even need to explain. But we are also overeating without realizing it.

The Standard American Diet (SAD) consists of enormous amounts of meat, dairy, refined sugar, and processed foods -- all of which have little to zero nutritional value. Therefore eating even very small amounts of these foods will leave us feeling hungry, because we are not giving our bodies what they need. To compensate, we eat more and more, and gradually get sicker and sicker. Eating live enzymes (fresh, raw fruits and veggies) and drinking water is the way to optimum health. The more consistently we eat these healthy foods, the less we will need to consume to feel satisfied and energized. Talk to anyone who's been a vegan, particularly a raw foodist, for more than a few months and they'll confirm it.

But most people rebel against these ideas because the media has them believing that it's all about what THEY want -- "have it your way" "American runs on Dunkin'" and other such slogans are not just marketing ploys, they are powerful declarations that are little by little transforming our society... And although I've made a lot of progress, I still succumb to the deception at times (as I sit here with my coffee that I KNOW I'm not supposed to be drinking and don't even like the taste of anymore... but I got up early to come to the office and it's chilly in here, blah, blah blah). It makes me angry. We need to wake up and smell the papaya (just go with it)!

My body is the temple of the Living Yah. Sickness, disease, weakness, and lack have no place in it. That's the truth, but it's still my responsibility to use wisdom and be a good steward of this house Yahweh has given me. I can declare the scriptures until I'm blue in the face, but if I don't act on the revelation and obey the instructions I've been given it will do me no good. The traditions of men make the Word of Yah of no effect. It's not about what I like, or what my friends are eating or what's convenient. Since when has the Gospel been convenient??

I have an assignment to fulfill and I'm going to fall short or be delayed if sickness and exhaustion are constantly distracting me. I'm not going to wait for a serious problem to manifest in my body before I heed the wise and merciful counsel of the Holy Spirit. I am commanded to glorify Yahweh, not only in spirit but in my body as well. I am to lay hold of the promises I've been given. To deny these things is to deny people access to their Father. To conform is to condemn souls to destruction, or at the very least disappointment and delay. Ouch!

The wages of sin is death. Gluttony is a deadly sin. I repent for being gluttonous in my own way, Yahweh. Forgive me and strengthen me to set myself apart and walk worthy of the calling I've been given.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The 7 Deadly Sins: Pride

I haven't thought much about the 7 deadly sins (or cardinal sins, as we learned them) since Catholic school... oh, and that movie with Brad Pitt... Kevin Spacey was sooooo evil! But yesterday I was realizing how many people still get caught up in them (ok, myself included), and just how deadly they truly are.


So, of course, I decided to blog about them -- one at a time -- so I don't have to think up things to blog about for at least the next week or so.


You'd think just the name "deadly sins" would be enough to scare people into paying attention to them, but then again these days people scoff at even the idea that "sin" exists. Talk about scary...

Anyway, let's start with pride. This one's a doozy. When I think about it, I realize I have so many friends, family members, and acquaintances who are totally getting their butts kicked by pride. And I don't mean to sound like I'm sitting back, shaking my head, saying "Tsk, tsk, when will they learn?" I recognize I have my own issues with pride as well. It's just a fact: pride was the first sin ever committed when Lucifer decided he deserved more glory and adoration than he was getting for the job he was doing. So it's only natural that here on earth Satan repeatedly tries to trip us up with that same sin. If you're not constantly guarding your heart and mind by filling yourself with the Word of God, pride will get in, along with the other deadly sins, and wreak havoc.


So what is pride exactly? I think pride is ultimately saying, "I'll make the rules." It's a delusion that makes you think you can handle more power than you're capable of handling. You see something you want, then convince yourself you deserve it even though you've done nothing to qualify yourself for it. You get puffed up and try to take it by force, then get angry and frustrated when you lose it. And God forbid anyone try to help you by telling you what you might be doing wrong! How dare they be so judgmental and smug! Just for that you're going to do what you KNOW is 100% wrong for the rest of your life just to spite them! Ha, that'll teach them!


Um, yeah, ok... good luck with that.


But we all do it to some extent. Even me. The cure for pride is humility. Humility recognizes that you almost never get to make the rules, and is relieved about that, because making the rules is an enormous responsibility. Humility handles power carefully and reverently, knowing you're never qualified to handle it on your own, and never wanting to even if you could. Humility is playing your part with a grateful heart. Yet it's not self-conscious or self-deprecating -- it's entirely self-less. It requires boldness, because all of us are called to do something great -- as they say in show biz, there are no small parts!

So today I'm asking Yahweh to give me more humility and to remove pride from me, as far as the east is from the west. I want to do my part, giving 100% of my effort at all times, walking in love and never looking around to judge whether others are doing their parts, or wishing I could trade parts. I love Yahweh and the system He has created and the people He has placed in my life to help me. Thank you, Yahweh, for every good and perfect gift you've given me! You are awesome!

Now as my pastor would say, let's review: Pride... Baaaaaaaaaad; Humility.... Gooooood. It's not hard. Which one will you choose today?

Monday, April 28, 2008

People Are Stupid

A friend of mine always used to say, "A person is smart, but people are stupid." I was reminded of this while watching Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed over the weekend. The narrator/host of the documentary, Ben Stein, was appalled to learn that scientists and professors were losing their jobs for merely mentioning the words "intelligent design" in papers or publications. He met and interviewed the world's leading evolutionary biologists and physicists who publicly scoff at the notion of Intelligent Design (I.D.). Through the course of the interviews, however, they all eventually reveal that they do in fact admit there is some possibility that I.D. could be truth... They're just worried about what "people" will think if they find out.

Whenever we try to conform to what a particular group of people or a society seems to approve of, we will eventually be shown to be fools. But if we search our hearts to discover what we truly believe, and always remain honest and teachable, we will become very wise indeed.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Speared

First of all, I realize I'm about two years behind on this, but Kelly just blogged about Alias being the greatest show ever, so I'm in good company :-). I watched the movie "End of the Spear" for the first time last night, and it really speared me through the heart. It was so powerful. For anyone who doesn't know about it, the movie is based on the true story of a group of Christian missionaries who went to the Amazon to reach a violent tribe called the Waodani. After scoping out the area for a while and eventually spotting the tribe, which no one had ever contacted and lived to tell about it, a group of six guys plans to go in and meet the tribe. These men had wives and kids who were also living in the Amazon but in safer, more civilized areas while the men went off on their journey.

The thing that made the story so powerful for me was that the missionaries' attempt to save the tribe seemed to fail so miserably at first. The tribe was so violent and vengeful that they were quickly becoming extinct, so they needed to be saved physically as well as spirtually. So the missionaries arrive, spend about 5 minutes trying to communicate with 3 of the tribe members, there's a misunderstanding, and about an hour later the warriors come back and spear them all to death. So I'm thinking... well, THAT was pathetic... now how are they going to salvage this movie?

But, they really did. After news gets back to the families of the missionaries, they stay in the area and continue to try to communicate with the tribe. Just seeing the GINORMOUS sacrifice these families were willing to make to save these people was so inspiring and humbling. Although the original 6 guys barely said two words to the natives before they died, the way they died (without fighting back) and the things they taught their wives and children had a phenomenal ripple effect. The things they instilled in those around them throughout their lives were more than enough to overcome their deaths and accomplish their mission with the Waodani.

I can't really put into words the effect this movie has had on me, but I know it has changed my life. Something about the way the characters and the story were portrayed got through to me in a new and profound way. I cry everytime I think about it. Now that's the kind of movie I want to make... and more importantly, the kind of life I want to live.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Spring Cleaning

This is going to be short. I'm "stuck" at the house all day today with the kids, which I usually don't like, but today I need it. I have so much cleaning and organizing to do it's ridiculous. The fun and socializing can wait -- my sanity is at stake. :-) I tend to hold on to things a little longer than necessary and in my current ('though very temporary) space I can't do that.

So far I've gone through all of my clothes and Isaac & Scarlett's to figure out what to keep, what to throw away, and what to give to charity or friends. I'm making good progress. Next I'm going to tackle the toys and books... ugh. But it feels good to be getting my house in order. Clutter is depressing and makes it hard to concentrate, and I don't have time for that this year. This is my year!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Finally stepping out

I've been a writer for a long time, maybe my whole life. I've also had a dream of writing an original book or screenplay for a long time. When I first came to NYC, in fact, it was partly because of the book publishing industry being so big here. I wanted to get an inside look at how things worked as I prepared to make my mark on the literary world, so my first official non-temporary job was at a book publishing company which shall remain nameless.

Unfortunately I was severely mistreated by my boss there and got disillusioned by the whole publishing process. The art was less important than the bottom line, blah, blah blah. I, too, had to pay the bills, so I focused more on journalism and editing, and moved my more creative writing pursuits to the back burner for a while. Now here I am 12 years later, not only with no book or movie deal in the works yet, but I haven't even completed any kind of a manuscript that I could submit to anyone for consideration. Unacceptable.

About a year and a half ago, I was given the fabulous opportunity of helping my Pastor put together a book on the Hebrew language and the personal name of God, YHWH. I jumped at the chance to sow my time and talents into this book, trusting that my own blockbuster idea would soon follow. It was a 9-month labor of love, but I did it and once it was finished I immediately knew that I had had a breakthrough in the spirit. A little later, I also helped his wife, my other Pastor, with her healing book. More seed sown, woo hoo!

Then a few weeks ago, I again was reminded that I had put a goal out there of winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay by 2012 (why not?)... so I realized I'd better get cracking. I asked Yahweh for an idea that would pretty much write itself since I'm so busy... hehe. And instantly he responded with, "Why don't you write a screenplay about Orville's life?" Orville is my soon-to-be-a-household-name husband, and he has had some life. That's perfect! I thought... why didn't I think of that before??? LOL.

So I've officially embarked on my career as a screenwriter at last. The timing of the idea was so perfect, too, because it came right before we left for Florida to stay with Orville's mom. I outlined the parts of the story I already knew on the drive down, then pumped her for information after we arrived. Now I'm researching the best way to write/present the screenplay so that it will get read by the right people. I'm so excited. My husband has overcome so much and Yahweh has been such an amazingly wonderful Father to him throughout his life -- He is truly a Father to the fatherless -- and the world needs to hear this story!

My great American novel or children's book series that puts JK Rowling to shame (no disrespect intended, she's got a phenomenal gift) will be next... so stay tuned. And don't forget to look for me at the 2012 Oscars. :-)

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Connecting the Dots . . .

So I don't think I've mentioned this yet on my blog, but Point of Creation has a goal of starting an amazing Christian school for grades K-12 sometime in the very near future. It will be a school of the arts and leadership. The students will be taught to tap into their gifts and talents and their divine nature; they'll learn entrepreneurial skills and learn to hold themselves to a standard of excellence that is virtually nonexistent in today's educational systems. The vision is HUGE.

And get this, the best part is that none of us have an educational background! We don't have a bunch of degrees or fancy titles... we're "just" 6 women with a dream. But this is proof that the vision is from Yahweh. He never asks you to do something you can do in your own strength. There's no faith required for that. He asks us to step out into a land that He will show us. We have to believe and step out first, and then He begins to show us how/when/why, etc.

So that's what we're doing, and already He is lining up team members to help us in our efforts. I mentioned the vision to two women who DO have educational backgrounds over the past couple weeks, and both of them got excited. I met with one of them last night and she loves the ideas and says she is totally on board to help us for the long haul. Woo hoo! Now we just need that to happen about 80 more times... hehe.

We're also going to a leadership summit next month to make further connections, and we're believing for big things to come from that. Even last night at church, "out of the blue" we had a guest speaker who is a missionary and has started schools in Afghanistan. I got his card and emailed him today to get on his mailing list. People are starting to come out of the woodwork, and Yahweh is connecting the dots. I do not despise the day of small beginnings. I will be encouraged at every turn. This is part of my destiny, and He who has begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Yahshua (salvation/victory/deliverance). Hallelujah!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I CAN Imagine...

Last Sunday Jerry Savelle ministered at our church. He spoke about walking in the fullness of the blessing. We carry the blessing everywhere we go, so we should constantly expect manifestations of it. We should never be surprised by the favor and increase we receive at every turn. And if we are not walking this way, it is our fault. Our limitations are 100% self imposed.

I've heard these things before, but then he said something that I hadn't heard before... something I wish I could rewind and not hear, that pricked me like a thorn in my heart. He said, "THIS is the year... and if it's not this year, it may be never." In other words, make it happen this year or you may lose your opportunity forever. Wow.

Then he gave us an assignment to go home that night and make a list of all the good things we've ever said or thought, "I can't imagine..." about. At first I couldn't think of anything. I've been working hard at imagining the impossible, especially when it comes to material and physical things. But on the car ride home I thought about it some more and came up with my list. So now I have new things to stretch myself to imagine. Anybody reading this feel free to hold me accountable at any point from here on out! ;-)

I CAN imagine...
  • being as bold a witness for Christ/Yahshua as my Pastor Annie (for those who don't know her, just trust me, she is boldness personified).
  • having unlimited patience and capacity to love people
  • being an eloquent public speaker and a role model for millions
  • never being afraid of people or their opinions; being comfortable in every social situation
  • never worrying about anything!

Friday, April 11, 2008

A Night at the Women's Shelter

Last night I went with my good friend and POC co-director Kim McCray to do a wellness workshop at a women's shelter in Manhattan. I talked about the importance of drinking water and she talked about live enzymes, which are found in fresh, raw fruits & veggies. We brought little bottles of Fiji water to give out, and Sonya (aka Miss DIVA) provided fruit & veggie trays. We got about 18 women to attend, which is a good turnout.

This was the second time I did a workshop at this shelter, and both times it was fun and rewarding. I was really intimidated the first time, thinking they'd take one look at this baby-faced "rich" white woman and completely disregard anything I had to say. But on the contrary, the women are so receptive to learn and share their experiences. Despite the fact that most of them have been abused and are living in poverty, they have such sweet spirits and smiles. As we shared the critical importance of good nutrition, they expressed frustration at the lack of control they have over what they eat and drink. They have to eat "institutional" food, which they know is not good for them, but sometimes it's all they can get.

I felt a lot of compassion and love for these women, and also a lot of anger for many of the "systems" currently in place that are based on pure greed. All of us are being lied to and cheated on a daily basis when it comes to access to health information and nutritious foods. It made me want to become more active in advocating for changes as I continue to learn more and succeed with the dreams Yahweh has given me.

I'm really thankful for the opportunity Sonya gave us to come in and do the workshop. It was a great experience and a reminder to take the time to see things through others' eyes whenever you can. As the Word says, in all your getting, get understanding.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Vacation Recap & Observations

I'm back! My Florida vacation was glorious, but it's also nice to be back into my normal routine -- I actually missed blogging and reading others' blogs! Basically I'm just going to record everything we did and what I observed for my own benefit -- so if you read this and actually get anything for yourself that's just icing on the cake.

The drive:

I don't regret it! I bought a ton of groceries and a few toys so we wouldn't have to make any superfluous stops, and it actually worked. We didn't even need half of what I bought. We left both ways around 8:30 pm, just when the kids would be going to sleep, and they slept the first 10-12 hours each time. On top of that we had no traffic either way, so we made it in about 18 hours including one long stop to eat and stretch. Even when the kids were awake, they were so good, I was awed. So observation #1 from my trip is that my kids really are as great and well behaved as everyone says they are. The struggles that I have with them are largely just the result of my own propensity to stress, which will be discussed in a later observation. Observation #2 is that my hubby is a rock star (I mean that figuratively but it will also be literal soon -- rock/rap star, that is), and he has buns of steel! He drove for about 12 hours straight on the drive down before I took over, and 8 hours on the way back. My buns, on the other hand, could barely take 4 hours at a time in the driver's seat.

The in-laws:

Part of the reason O was able to drive for 12 hours straight on the way down was that he was so excited to see his family again. It had been about 2 years since he really got to spend any time with his mom and brothers, and a week before we left we found out his dad would actually be in town at the same time so we'd get to see him too. His dad has not been in his life much at all since O was very young, having another family that occupies most of his time, but we still want to try to have a good relationship with him now.


I was a bit apprehensive about seeing him again (I'd only met him briefly once before when he was passing thru NYC), because I figured it would be awkward and I just didn't want anything to go wrong. It was awkward, but also nice. He's a man of very few words, but I still got the sense that he really enjoyed our company and would like to get to know us better (on his own terms). As we were saying good-bye, he could only shake O's hand, but yet he hugged me and told me to take care of my man. It was weird but touching at the same time. Observation #3 is that men would be lost without us. 'Nuff said.


My mother-in-law is awesome. She says she used to be extremely shy, but you'd never know it today. She'll tell you exactly what is on her mind at any time. She works hard, plays hard, and loves hard. One day when I was commenting on how much energy she has, she said, "That's because I eat FOOD!" (meaning meat and dairy as opposed to just fruits and veggies). She also told me I needed to relax at one point, which was/is true. Observation #4 is that in the absence of anything significant to get stressed out about, I will often invent something. I tend to obsess about details, which can be both a blessing and a curse. So now I realize I need to be more conscious of when I'm doing this and find more productive/positive thoughts to occupy my mind.


Sea World:

We liked it so much we went twice. This is the greatest place to take toddlers! Everything is so kid-friendly--the animals, world's largest jungle gym (at least it looked like it to me), sandbox, waterpark, rides, and fabulous shows. Not too overwhelming to do in one day, but exciting enough that you can go back multiple times and not get bored. Observation #5: Animals are so amazing! When you see the awesome potential that animals have to learn and love, how can you doubt your own?

HolyLand Experience:

An experience I could have done without. This is supposed to be a theme park based on Jesus's life as recorded in the gospels. It stunk! These people obviously didn't ask themselves WWJD? when planning this park. Jesus/Yahshua is fun and exciting. This place was for old religious people who probably preach against fun. What happened to "Let the little children come unto Me"? Most nursing homes are more kid-friendly than this place. My mother-in-law was the one who wanted to try it, but she was equally disappointed. We still had fun hanging out and discussing how much cooler our own biblical theme park would be.

Favor:
Observation #6
: It really pays to pray before you do anything. (Duh.) We prayed over the weather and that we would have a great time and make all the right decisions during our trip, and we got great results. As I mentioned before, we had no traffic at all on our whole trip... hello? Also it was supposed to rain almost every day we were there, but it always held off until we were back in the house for the night, at which point it would immediately start to downpour! And every time we went anywhere to eat, or do or buy anything, we'd be one of the first few people in line, then all of a sudden a huge line would form right behind us. We were constantly saying, "Wow, we got here at the perfect time." Yahweh is so good.


Fun:
Oh, and one more thing. We went to a Messianic church service with my Dad the last day we were in FL. It was awesome to get more insight into the Hebrew roots of our Christian faith, and we did these worship dances with the whole congregation -- so cool. But one of the things the pastor said was that our love of celebrating/partying is part of our divine DNA, and so is resting. Yahweh enjoys and knows the importance of these things, and so should we. Observation #7 is that our family is closer and happier for having gone on this vacation. Thank you for making the way, Yahweh.



For pics, go to: www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsons.