Part 2 in "Christians Beware of Muscle Testing" Like walking down a dark alley alone evokes wariness, a tremendous sense of unease enveloped me when I began my journey into the world of Applied Kinesiology (muscle testing). In the days following my first appointment that sense of unease motivated me to think and pray a lot about muscle testing and NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique). These branches of alternative medicine claim to be effective in determining a

Part 1 of the series, "Christians Beware of Muscle Testing" None of us likes to be deceived. As much as I hate to say it, I'm ashamed to admit that I unknowingly fell prey to one particular case of deception--muscle testing (otherwise known as Applied Kinesiology). I was introduced to muscle testing during a time when I desperately needed answers and relief from unending health problems. To someone living with constant pain and no hope, the claims of Applied Kinesiology to

Recently I’ve had marriage on my mind. A number of things have brought that about, some good and some bad. To begin with, right before Christmas my husband and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary. About that same time I learned that someone I love left her husband and began divorce proceedings. Then, while visiting some friends who married a couple of years ago, my husband, Seth and I were briefly questioned about our twenty-three years of marriage. Being a melancholy indi

Facebook provides an almost constant flow of words of kindness, praise, and encouragement. As a praise junkie, I initially found these snippets of kindness like a piece of chocolate that one lets slowly melt in the mouth, so as to savor it as long as possible. The problem became that the candy melted and left me wanting more and then saddened if more couldn't be found. "Only 5 people "liked" my post, and no one wrote a personal comment." "But wait; 2 people said I was bea

After an angry roommate at the local nursing home where I visit turned down the ear shattering volume of her television, I was able to continue the weekly reading in the Gospel of Luke with my new 94 year old sister in Christ. Reading the Bible to this frail but spunky woman is a bit like reading to a child due to her apparent dementia, and so the progress is slow and with much explanation and discussion. We came upon a simple statement in Luke 6:12: "Jesus went out into t

In preparation for speaking at a church retreat, I studied the Scriptures regarding the work of the Holy Spirit and tried to put into practice my understanding of what I learned. An intriguing concept emerged. The Bible speaks of life with the Spirit as being a walk. The King James Version says in Romans 8:4 that Jesus met the requirements of the law so that we can walk, not after the flesh but after the Spirit. The NIV uses the word “live” instead of walk, but the origi

This morning I relished the developing plot of my latest Christian novel as I ate my traditional bowl of granola for breakfast. My interest piqued when the characters turned to a discussion on truth, which has recently been a topic of interest in our family, as discussions on the nature of truth seem to be cropping up in many a movie of late. I, therefore, read on with keen interest. Not surprisingly, the secular character argued that each generation should determine what

How many times a day do you suppose you say the word, "stress" or hear it used? Even small children banter the word about as readily as any adult. However, as a child, I don't believe I even knew of the word's existence (and I'm not that old). Sure, we all now know in our enlightened age that stress has a negative effect on our bodies, but I'd bet that you're not aware of some key details that science has revealed of late about what seems to be the overarching root of stre

A new day dawns and the familiar routine begins in assisting my husband in getting out the door, fed and prepared for another day of work. With a kiss, he's off, and then I'm free to privately indulge my longing to spend time over a cup of coffee with the other love of my life. Nestled into my comfy recliner with a view of birds and flowers out my window, I settle in to spend time with the lover of my soul. This is the time I live for. I'm always amazed, as I listen and con

What would Jesus do? This common & ever popular question gets bantered around among Christians with little actual awareness of what Jesus was actually like. When we see blatant sin among supposed Christians, are we to respond with meekness and love? Is that what Jesus did? When He encountered people who considered themselves righteous profaning His Father's house with a selfish pursuit of profit rather than worship, what did Jesus do? (John 2:12-17) When He encountered