TM Real or Fantasy?

First of all, I'd like to say that if anyone practices TM, I am not "attacking" you or your religious beliefs.  I am just raising concerns and questions that I have wondered about for a long time and stating the reasons why I don't practice TM.

Delusions of the Human Mind

I am a fiction writer, therefore I have a vivid and very unique imagination.  I wouldn't be much of a fiction writer without that imagination, but when I write, I place myself in the shoes of my characters to get a feel for who they are and what I want them to think, do, and say.  They characters have no feelings in and of themselves, but are an extension of the author or are pieces of those the author has met or knows.  However, I have to feel what those characters feel so I can interject their feelings into the dialogue.  It's like an actor when he or she "gets into character."  Yes, I really do get into my characters sometimes (some call that method acting).  But I can personally enter a place of bliss, happiness and confidence when I become that character.

For example, if my character is truly loved by a man who accepts her the way she is, faults and all, that sends me into an almost indescribable euphoric state of happiness like I've never experienced before.  I've even had experiences where the very core of my being feels pulled and has felt like it wants to come out of my body and join with the soul of that man my character loves.  But through my story I imagine the day the two finally meet.  Their eyes lock and there is "electricity" between them and they both instinctively know they are to be together. When they finally consumate their relationship it's something beyond supernatural. Their souls finally embrace and never let each other go. Those feelings of ecstasy can be so addicting that I just want to bask in them until I die.

But despite the seemingly real feelings, it isn't real, it's something I've convinced myself is real at the time and makes me feel happy, loved, confident and a whole plethora of feelings that go along with being that deeply in love.  Sometimes those feelings last for hours and even now, thinking about those euphoric feelings brings them to the surface and the pulling starts again.  But in reality I don't have a man who loves me like that.  If I did, I'd be in eternal bliss because those feelings are absolutely out of this world.  But I'm the one creating those feelings within myself; I'm creating my own happiness with fantasy.  I know it sounds like I'm a sad case, but it does help me with my writing.

I believe TM is the same kind of fantasy.  It deludes your mind for a short time into believing that the practice itself is bringing happiness and wholeness when it's actually the person bringing it to themselves.  Fantasy is an amazing gift and is needed from time to time to alleviate stress.  But the imagination is a very powerful thing, and it can delude people, even to the point of making someone believe they've had a unique or supernatural experience but, as in my case, it's usually based in something untrue.  But there are some people who believe the fantasies they've created in their minds and act on them (like stalkers), which shows how strong and deceptive the imagination can be.

Automatic Response or Power of Suggestion?

Those who say that they automatically go into a trance or altered state of consciousness, I believe are actually saying that they have disciplined themselves into such a habit of behavior that it SEEMS as if it's automatic.  The only processes in the human body that I know of that are automatic are normal breathing, heart beat and other necessary biological and scientifically documented functions to keep our bodies operating, and it is a common denominator that ALL human beings share. There are electrical impulses in the brain that signify thoughts being processed, but what those thoughts are remain a mystery until they're communicated by the individual having them (which requires thinking).

But those who claim that they stop thinking to enter those states of mind really don't stop thinking.  For instance if you have to push the thoughts out of your mind with your mind, you're still thinking.  If you have to trace the path of your breath, you have to feel or see the path it takes, maybe even knowing something about biology and anatomy, which requires thinking.  If you count down to your altered state or have someone help you count down, counting requires thinking. Speaking to any spirit guide inside your inner sanctum requires thinking.  So the myth that you are blanking out your mind is just a delusion THEY TELL YOU that you are doing or should be doing.

Don't believe what they tell you, thinking is a GOOD thing, it keeps you out of trouble and from believing in fantasies. vHowever, I've encountered more and more people who don't want to think.  Having to depend upon those people is like riding a bus without a driver-- very scary.  I think thinking has become a lost art.  I see that as laziness in some ways because the person wants to be spoon-fed instead of reasearching and finding the answers themselves.  The biggest danger in trusting just anyone or any "guide" and not thinking for yourself is you can and more than likely will be LIED to.  I am a person who loves to think because that's a sign of intelligence and a sign of someone who loves to learn.  Learning something new is wonderful to me, but I'm very afraid for our generation because people want to blank out their minds and hand the control over to something or someone that I do not know nor can I truly trust.  That's just plain foolish to me.

Spirit Guides?

But if you give your mind over to something (a force, a guide, etc.) that's trouble with a capital T. You've been given responsibility for the body and mind you have been entrusted with.  There's a reason no one else has control over it.  Some TM practioners have testified of having people (dead or living) within their inner sanctum or their world that they "go to" (actually created with their OWN imaginations), and they have these people there for guidance and help.  But where do these alleged guides get their information?  I believe it's from one of two places, either the person him/herself have that knowledge within them already or it's from an outside source.  If it's from the person, then they are the ones animating those inner guides much like an actor brings a character to life.  But the guide is an extention of that person not anything separate.

The other source is not a good source, despite what it may say.  I've heard some TM practioners say that they've experienced some very frightful things during their meditations.  Now, if it's good, why would they scare the pants off of them?  That's mental torment and unloving, but I thought TM was supposed to bring peace,  love and harmony.  But if that doesn't happen to everyone who practices TM then why are some tormented and some are not?  That's not fair nor right, which tells me TM isn't right.  If we are all part of the god-consciousness and all the same, then isn't that inequality hypocrisy?  Either way, I don't want to get involved with it because it's too unproveable, unpredictable, and I personally believe based in a very deceptive evil mankind has no business tampering with. Update:  If you think about it, TM gurus are teaching people to talk to entities that are not really there.  According to psychology that's schizophrenic behavior.  And according to Johanna Michaelson, former psychic and author of The Beautiful Side of Evil, people have gone insane as a result of these experiences.

But who better to deceive and to use to perpetuate that deception than through those who make their living in the world of fantasy? The entertainment industry is plagued with those practicing TM and making all kinds of claims that are subjective experiences with no tangible evidence backing them up.  Some may say I'm misunderstanding TM, maybe so, but I believe TM is just another modern day quick fix to mask  problems rather than delving in and solving them.  Real problem solving requires ACTION (which is what love is -- action).  Sitting somewhere meditating isn't going to feed a soldier's family or even change what has happened to him/her in battle.  Some may protest, but it may spark creative ideas on how to help them.  So can a lot of a thing called hard work (i.e. talking to the soldiers, making phone calls, contacting agencies, taking food to their door, and so on).  TM was orginally developed in ancient Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.  But the method (if you can call it that) is based in our natural ability to daydream and create our own idea of a "peaceful environment."  It's just a mental vacation.  But to deal with this reality, we must work with what is truly tangible.  TM seems to have very little to do with reality, therefore I don't believe TM can benefit us any more than daydreaming of a non-existent love.  It's not real.

But I want to encourage those who have both inner and outer battle scars. Battle scars are beautiful badges of honor separating the brave from those who want it easy.  No one should ever try to hide those "beauty marks," but be proud because they're a sign you survived and are strong.  You've not said, "Let someone else do it," you've taken the challenge and the responsibility upon yourself, and this generation needs to exhalt the warriors in this reality far above those who are on the silver screen (they're not real or true). I understand that some will disagree, but that's their choice and I respect that.  But I just ask that you respect my choice.  Because calling me names or putting me down, like many people do in this generation, will be adding to my long list of battle scars.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Email me at:
mkaym2012@gmail.com

A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE & APOLOGY

As you know, this blog is entitled Martha’s Opinions, so it’s going to express what I think is true at the moment I write the blog.  Opinions are like socks, they can be changed for even the smallest reason or fact presented.  I’ve had some small but eye-opening things happen, recently so, I’ve reviewed some of my blog posts and realized I can be biting and vicious.  I tried repairing any damage and to salvage the post, but there was no justification for my offensive words, so I deleted them.  I honestly don’t know what I was expecting of people, probably too much.  I can be a perfectionist, and that is not always good.

I know as human beings we say and do stupid things.  You would think that I would learn by now, after having many eggs on my face, not to do such things.  That’s why it’s important to have the facts or experiences before you write anything.  I did have the negative experiences but I guess I believed I was telling off all those people that hurt me by being so vicious to the people who didn’t hurt me or even know me.  Silly huh?  I don’t know why I do that, other than maybe trying to sabotage myself.  Of course, I could try to use the excuse of menopause, but even in that I have to own up to what I say and do.  So, I humbly apologize for offending those who are at least trying to do a good thing.  I hope you continue doing good things and helping everyone you can.

Thank you,

Martha

mkaym2012@gmail.com

THE BIG GMO PICTURE

The controversy over genetically modified foods is growing more and more each day.  Companies like Monsanto and DuPont produce genetically modified seeds and foods which cause tumors in rats, cause their testicles to be smaller and alter their sperm cells.  There are reports of orange crops failing because of GMOs, people starting to become ill from consuming GMOs (I being one of them), and farmers reporting low yeilds when planting GMO seeds.  The GMOs were supposed to increase food production, not reduce it.  But worst of all, somehow the GMO infested plants are causing millions of needed bees to die (entire hives, even).  But there is also a reduction in the taste that even I have noticed (and was consequently belittled for by a so-called scientist, who called me childish names rather than explaining why I noticed a difference in the taste of genetically modified melons as opposed to organic melons).

There are between 30 and 55 countries that have banned GMOs; that should give America a clue.  Another good clue to GMOs being dangerous is that the farmers must wear masks when spraying the much stronger toxic pesticides on them. But like the greedy mizers they are (in my opinion) Monsanto is using the plight of the hungry in those countries to pressure these governments to spread their poisonous seeds.  Companies like Monsanto should be banned from using the desperation of others to spread their false propoganda.

But there are companies like Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (www.southernexposure.com), Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (www.rareseeds.com), as well as organizations like Weston A. Price (to www.westonaprice.org) Foundation and Institute for Responsible Technology (www.responsibletechnology.org), which are sounding the alarm but being met with slanderous, libelous attacks on their credibility for exposing the evils of GMOs as well as the soy industry (For info on soy see my blog "Killer Foods" or go to www.westonaprice.org or http://articles.mercola.com). Southern Exposure is suing Monsanto I believe because Monsanto corn has spread it's GM pollen onto the properties of those who do grow organic crops and infected their crops with what the organic world calls franken-pollen. It's very difficult to find organic corn now because of Monsanto's GM pollen being spread through the air.  But it doesn't stop at just corn crops.  It can infect any plant because if there are any bees, they carry the franken-pollen to other non-GMO plants.

Unfortunately, some may only see the immediate picture.  They see the 1st generation of GMO seeds as unhealthy, and surely the goverment won't allow them to be labeled organic, since alterations of that kind are not natural or organic (NOT!! The government passed laws to PROTECT Monsanto).  But what about the next and the next and the next generations?  You see, because these genetically modified seeds are supposed to be disease and pest resistant (but are NOT), they may make the claim that the future generations (which are the seeds harvested that year for use the next year), are grown organically because they may have used less pesticides (but stronger ones).  Or cross-pollination may occur and infect truly organic plants and the farmer may be genuinely thinking he's raised an organic crop.  There is NOTHING organic about GMOs and any future generation must be labeled GMO in order for farmers to be properly informed of what they are planting and consumers be properly informed of what they are eating (i.e. the right to know).

The GMO project to feed the world has FAILED and companies like Monsanto need to back off and leave our food alone.  Their refusal to admit they are wrong is causing harm to others as well as to the organic industry (organic seeds grow better and faster, too), but if the GMO companies have their way there may be NO more truly organic food available to those who have the right to choose healthy over genetically modified foods, and especially those who cannot eat GMOs or soy due to allergies (which are rapidly increasing).  These "food fights" should not be happening.  If companies like Monsanto hadn't started it by greedily wanting a monopoly on food, and using bad science to do it (as well as bad scientists who lie, including the FDA), we would all live happily ever after.  There is no real science behind GMOs, it's just creepy science-fiction.

A Challenge to GMO companies:  If GMOs are so safe, why are you so against labeling it?  Are ya chicken?  If so, why?  Could it be that GMOs are NOT safe, like you pay your scientists not to say?

To the Reader:  But who are you going to believe, big businesses who have repeatedly shown that they are out for a buck and not looking out for the people, and even try to operate above the law, or the law abiding people who stand up and look out for the people?  Notify your state and federal representatives to let them know you don't want genetically modified organisms in your food.  And tell them you want any GMO food that exists now, clearly labeled.

THE EFFECTS OF GMOs PROVE THAT GREED (AND PRIDE) MAKES PEOPLE STUPID AND IS A HATE CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND NATURE!  Monsanto and companies like them need to be charge with a hate crime, in my opinion.

DISCLAIMER:  Any comments in this post are the OPINIONS and beliefs of the author backed by research from websites listed in this post as well as other numerous websites sounding the alarm against GMOs and Soybeans.  Blogspot or it's advertisers cannot be held libel for statements on this blog.

Celebrity Tweeting Etiquette

I’ve not been on Twitter for very long -- a little over a month -- but there are things I’ve observed and been taught by other tweeters.  I can’t say I’ve not made some blunders on Twitter, and done these things myself, because I have.  I am very opinionated and if I find something that I think needs another point of view, I’ll add mine (and sometimes it can be sharp).  Sometimes, I just like being a smart alack or I am trying to be funny.   But I don’t intend to be bothersome or annoying to anyone, and especially not overly offensive or crass (I usually delete those tweets if they sound too bad). 

But @RachelinthOC has been a valuable source of information and @WilliamShatner has been helpful with my tweet etiquette and what celebrities like.  First of all, I don’t believe celebrities are on twitter to be bombarded with ads or spam.  I think they want to genuinely connect with fans, as well as family and friends.  Yes, celebrities are people too, and they need socialization with friends, family and yes some even like to talk to fans.  But when a regular person does get a tweet from their favorite celebrity, it’s kind of special to that person.  For me, it makes me feel happy that I was noticed even for a split second by someone outside my normal social circle.  It’s kind of exciting to think that someone, who is normally so far away and seemingly “unreachable” because of their celebrity status, would answer me, encourage me, or agree with me.  I think to myself, “They acknowledged my existence.”  BUT THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DOESN’T MAKE THEM MY BEST BUDDIES!!  It may be the only tweet I ever get from them, but I’m okay with that.  However, I’m not going to stop tweeting them if they are having a conversation I’m interested in.  And again, they may respond to me or they may not.  It’s part of the territory of being a follower of a celebrity (and keeping a healthy perspective on the relationship between celebs and fans).

But one thing I’ve noticed is that spammers will not only promote their business or blogs at inappropriate times, but also interrupt celebrity conversations with their stupid links which have nothing whatsoever to do with what the celebrity is talking about.  You know the ones that start out “LMAO these pics are funny.  You’ve got to see this.”   That tells me the spammer doesn’t read the conversation before they rudely interject their over-tweeted links.  It also annoys the heck out of the rest of us when we are trying to tweet a celebrity and some spammer is trying to be obnoxious and may cause that celebrity to overlook our tweet.  Celebrities have so many people that tweet them, it’s hard to get a tweet back because as human beings celebs are limited and have choices to make.  So, they may tweet you or they may not; I’m sure it’s nothing personal; they could be overwhelmed by all the tweets.  And if spammers are adding to that, I know it annoys the celebrity too.

I have a concern for celebs because of their vulnerability to stalkers, and that is a real fear in their lives.  If these celebs don’t know who you are, I would think, that making lewd, sexual remarks about them, or worse, what you’d like to do to them, would make them very reluctant to tweet you back.  If you are truly friends with them, you’ll have enough of a rapport with them where you can send them a DM with those kinds of remarks.  If they don’t follow you, then you’re not close enough to be so friendly with.  If you want to have any chance of getting a tweet back, join their conversation; express interest in what they are saying or asking.  And if you’re wondering what they’re talking about READ the conversation – reading is good brain “food,”-- or just ask.  Be considerate of their humanity, time, position, and yes, even their fears.  They don’t have time to deal with inconsiderate and obnoxious people, do you?

I’m sure this doesn’t cover it all, but if you have a suggestion just add it below.  Thanks!

What is Normal?

I’ve asked that question of one of my therapists and she accused me of being cagey.  But I really did want to know.  What is the absolute definition of normal; who is truly a normal person?  What role model is there to demonstrate normality?  Since, in many people’s eyes, truth is relative not absolute, then the truth that defines normality is just as relative. 

For a schizophrenic it’s normal to hear voices, however, the rest of the world who doesn’t hear them says it’s not normal, BUT the world runs after gurus who say they have spirit guides or aliens that tell them secret information.  For a hebephrenic it’s normal to have disorderly thoughts and live in a dream world, however, the rest of the world says it’s unhealthy, BUT the world hails the successful fiction writers for their great imaginations or great artists and even geniuses are excused from being organized.  And what about actors, who spend their entire lives pretending to be other people and encourage living in fantasy?  I can see the hypocrisy, even if no one else can.

Does normal go by what the majority says, or by how much talent or money a person has, or is it relative to each individual?  How can one determine what is normal for another person?  Humans define normal by exalting themselves up as examples, but when you get into the closets of their lives, you can find some seriously crazy things.  So, what is normal?

It’s my opinion, that not one person living now can set themselves up as perfectly normal.  If we look at the movie stars, we’re going to be sorely disappointed.  I’ve read where there is one male movie star who was raised in a typical Midwest family and seems to be normal and healthy on the outside, but he has an underarm fetish – he sniffs the underarms of women he dates.  Now, in my eyes, that is NOT normal.  I’m sure he has days when his armpits stink, too.  Let’s turn to psychology.  Carl Jung, one of the founding fathers of psychology, had a spirit guide, named Philemon, that told him about human personality.  He heard voices, he was, by his own professional standards, a schizophrenic.  That’s why he never told his colleagues that he heard the voices.  So, how trustworthy are his theories (which are just beliefs and guesses NOT facts)? 

My own psychiatrist told me there are no scientific tests (like blood tests) that can prove mental illnesses.  They would have to take brain fluid and that is too dangerous.  Yet the drug companies who make psych drugs are making a fortune off of unscientific guesses and relative beliefs.  The DSM which is the “Bible” of the psych industry, has so many different “disorders” with overlapping symptoms it could take years to find out if someone truly has a specific disorder or if it’s just a circumstantial issue like the weather or financial hardship, and yes even eating foods your body is intolerant of or allergic to, such as soy, genetically modified foods, or gluten.  (Go to www.alcat.com and find out about the food intolerance/allergy test they have developed.)  Much of our depression and anxiety is circumstantial, not medical.  But the greedy drug companies don’t want anyone to find out.  So, people, think about it, who is really normal, the greedy Rx lords, or the ones trying to warn people about the mentally ill Rx lords?  Greed is stupid and makes people do stupid things.  If it weren’t for greed, there would be no need for organizations who stand up for the rights of the common people.  But unfortunately we do not live in a normal world because the world has accepted greed as normal and it’s not.  So, what is normal?

Raised by a Mentally Ill Mother

© 2013 Martha K. Miller

            I began writing a novel about a little girl, named Marna Smith, who grew up in a home where her father abandoned her family because her mother became mentally ill.  I’m still working on the book, but I want to offer some excerpts from it to demonstrate the confusion and lost world these children must exist in.  As a child of a paranoid schizophrenic mother my learned way of thinking from my mother, in many instances was distorted, and I remained naïve for many years about important areas of life itself.  I wrote this book hoping to find my own answers to why I failed to thrive on a human level. Although only the first part of this book in based in the truth of my life, in many ways Marna reasons the way I reasoned as a child.  Some of the early specific incidents didn’t actually happen but they were based in similar situations.  However, it describes the atmosphere of poverty, filth, violence, abuse, vulgarity, abandonment, confusion, ridicule, hypocrisy, apathy, and rejection experienced by some of my siblings and myself.  It also reveals that Marna despite being a victim of her circumstances, had to change some of her own improper thinking.  However, I wanted to discover the reasons I made the choices I did, or why I was unwilling to take risks.  In many cases I found that I was trying to remain “safe” and unhurt, but wound up hurting myself more by isolating myself too much.  I allowed myself to die, in a sense, and all the dreams I ever had died with me.  I believe that this book is my attempt at flying once again and an opportunity to share with others what children of the mentally ill sometimes go through and why some may seem to act differently.

In the book, Marna is “mentored” by her elementary art teacher, Mr. B.  I appreciate the beauty the arts offer the world; that’s why I believe they are so necessary in a child’s education.  They are crucial in Marna’s life, but if they’re cut out of a child’s life one may be suppressing the next Rembrandt, Gene Kelley, Pavarotti, or any other artist that has added grace and beauty to our lives.  A world without art would be a very dead place.  But Marna comes to understand some of life’s complexities, and soar above many of her life’s trials by not only Mr. B’s love and concern, but also his wisdom and a “peculiar” paintbrush that paints another reality, where they meet Lords and Ladies as well as encounter some villainous characters.  Marna gets into some compromising and sometimes comical situations using the brush for things it wasn’t intended, but when she enters that other reality it gives her hope, strength, and a place to bring all her immutable realities whether they are good or bad.  It’s also a place of inner growth and solace where she can see the reward of her victories and watch the dark clouds be pushed back and some of her greatest “enemies” conquered.  There is some similarities and references to Christianity in it, but whether you believe in the Christian faith or not I hope you believe in reaching out to children, enlisting others as well, to offer them some hope, as Mr. B does.  By doing such one may very well change a child’s path.  I was never allowed to experience that kind of loving persistence; instead I was branded as being a delinquent like most of my older siblings, when I was not like them at all.  I believe I was written off by many as one of the Miller kids as if we were the scourge of the neighborhood. 

My mother’s mental illness manifested itself shortly before my third brother was born (fourth child in the line).  I was told that my father told my mother, while pregnant with him, to jump down the basement steps and he’d catch her.  He was trying to kill his own son, and possibly my mother along with him.  He had always been abusive to my mother and some of my older siblings, including my oldest sister who has Cerebral Palsy.  However, my dad was labeled the “normal” one and got to enjoy a middle-class lifestyle with another woman and her family, while my mother remained alone staying trapped in a living hell, reliving all the pain and agony she had been through all her life.  But what added to her stress was having six children to care for without too much input from my father.  But my Grandmother, Uncle and his wife on my mother’s side stepped in after they heard we didn’t have any food in the house, and brought food.  I have a very vivid memory of that instance.  I was only about two-years-old but I remember I was in a bathing suit, in the middle of winter I believe, and I was licking dried Koolaid off the floor.  The floor was covered with old torn up linoleum that had tar paper backing, so I was licking that backing.  But when I saw Grandma with grocery bags, I knew she had food.  I remember her extending her arms to me to pick me up.  Grandma came back every weekday and cooked and cleaned the house while Mom got “help,” and Mom even tried working to support us, but couldn’t manage it.  Grandma was there to make sure my older siblings got to school, and I was cared for.  My Aunt and Uncle took Mom and Grandma to the store and all of us to doctor’s appointments, because they were the ones with the car.

When I was younger, periodically, my mother would go into psychotic episodes where she didn’t remember becoming violent with us.  I remember us having to hide in the attic (that had fiberglass insulation hanging down) sometimes for days.  The older boys would sneak downstairs while Mom was asleep to get food for us, and we had to use the bathroom in a jar or bucket.  I also can remember an instance before I started school where my mother got very angry at me, because like any small child I wanted something from her, but she started beating me about the head and on my back.  My older sister (the fifth child of the family) pushed me out of the way and Mom started beating her.  She told me to run, so I think I ran outside.

A lot of things went on in our house that no child should have endured, but my siblings and I did.  As one may expect from a home where there was no discipline or structure, and the parent cannot pay attention like normal parents, children get into trouble.  Being neglected as well as emotionally, physically, and even sexually abused also caused distortions in my idea of what life and love were about.  I later suffered great loss in my own personal relationships.  But what was worse, no one said anything, the authorities just left us there, and some of the neighbors shunned us, as if it was our fault that we had a mentally ill mother and a father that left us to starve (I was told he drained the bank account and took our TV).  He left us; we didn’t leave him.  Until I got older I always tried to be the good girl so he would love me, but I always felt he loved my stepsisters more than me.  They got more presents at Christmas time than I did and got to spend more time with him, so I equated that with him loving them more.  But I got fed up one day and sassed him because he had just told me (at about age 13) that since I was the only child left to visit, it would be a waste of his time and gas to come over.  I had asked him to come see me a particular weekend because I hadn’t seen him in a while.  He was on his third wife by then and she had money.  She never really liked us because we weren’t doctors and lawyers.  But if Dad had stayed, and didn’t hurt Mom and us kids like he did, we might have had that encouraging hand to make something of ourselves.  When a parent doesn’t care a kid doesn’t care.  As a result of Mom living in another world most of the time and Dad not caring, our family became very despondent and self-centered, and now most of us are at odds with each other.

Can We Be Gods?

Many religions claim that mankind was gods but they either forgot their deity or regressed into animals.  If we forgot we were gods, how smart of a god were we in the first place?  Did we contract Godzheimer’s disease or something?  If man is a god, how come some still battle with smoking, drinking, weight control, and other human vices?  If we “gods” were supposed to be so powerful, how did we become vulnerable to hardships, disease, death, and bleed red blood like humans do?  Why would such powerful beings regress into animals?  Those who claim they forgot they were gods should immediately overcome each one of these human problems once they “remember” they are gods.  It’s like riding a bike, if you wreck, you can’t claim you forgot how to ride a bike, unless of course, you never knew how to ride a bike (i.e. you were never a god).  I know the word-faith teachers misquote the Scripture where Jesus said that the Pharisees were gods.  That word “gods” was not referring to deity, but positions of authority in government.  They had power like a god when determining what happened in people’s lives.  The word actually means magistrates or judges.

False religions create a god or gods that fit in with their own beliefs and react just the same as they do.  America is filled with such gods.  I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “My god would do this,” or “If I were God I wouldn’t do that.”  That is basically saying that the God of the Bible doesn’t know what He’s doing, so they create what they think is a better god who will agree with them and do exactly as they do or as they want.  And it’s usually to make their life easier and more convenient, unless it’s a sadistic god.  Gods are supposed to be benevolent, all-knowing, and all-powerful, but the gods of the religions of the world are just as fallible and subject to their passions and weaknesses as man.  That’s very convenient for man to find fault in even his own image of a supreme being, because it makes it possible for man himself to qualify for god status.  In those religions gods don’t have to be perfect, holy, have self-control, or love, like the God of the Bible, thus it makes it much easier for man to become a god.  They believe the delusion that gods are imperfect (like the Greek gods) just so they can justify their own lusts and sins against the Only True and Righteous God – YHWH/Jesus.  That perfection thing with the God of the Bible throws a kink in their plans because no man can be perfect and they know it.  And if they have to be holy and righteous as the God of the Bible, then that means there is no sin in heaven – they can’t have sex, or gorge on food, or fulfill the lusts of their flesh for eternity.  So, like an ostrich, they bury their head in the sand, bowing to a false god, and will be deceived throughout eternity and living in hell.

Man has never been nor ever will be a god.  Each person is a new soul.  There is no such thing as reincarnation (Heb. 9:27), nor are there any pre-existent souls (John 3:5; 1 Cor. 15:46) – Jesus was the only pre-existent one because He was/is God in the flesh (John 5:18; 8:23-24; 1 Tim. 3:16) and is the ONLY One who can claim to be equal with God (Phil. 2:6). So the God of the Bible settles it, there are no other gods before or after Him (Isaiah 43:10-11; 45:5, 6, 14, 18, 21, 22).  Biblical Christianity is exclusive not ecumenical, because the end of Isaiah 48:11 says, “And I will not give My glory to another.”  (Another proof that Jesus is God because Jesus said He was glorified with the Father before the world was – John 17:5.)  Any other god outside of the Triune Godhead of the Bible is a false god.  That includes Mary the mother of Jesus’ human body, Joseph Smith, the Watchtower, Xenu, L. Ron Hubbard, Jim Jones, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Ancient Greek and Roman gods, Buddha, Allah, Mohammed, any Eastern gurus, Dr. Oz, Oprah, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Eckart Tolle, and etc. 

So, whether you agree or not, that's true Biblical Christianity's stance on mankind becoming gods.  I'm just presenting the facts, folks.

KILLER FOOD

Positive effects of taking herbal supplements, eating organic, non-GMO, non-soy, and no foods containing "natural flavors" or general "spices" and definitely no restaurant foods or processed foods:
:

First of all I can breathe easier.  Secondly my moods have improved other than the usual female mood swings.  Thirdly, I can think and speak more clearly.  (Soy affects your cognitive abilities including speech.) But for those who are number freaks, here's my numbers:

Blood Sugar (A1C1) from 12.6% to 10.2%

Triglycerides from 799 to 391

Cholesterol from 256 to 219

HDL from 27 to 35

Vitamin D from 21.3 to 40.5

TSH from 1.730 to 1.950

LDL Direct 53 to (calculated) 106 (should be under 100, but I mostly fry my ground beef and sausages, so I may have to start baking the beef again.)

Adverse effects of soy, GMOs, and MSG on my body

These are personal journal entries I wrote once I began changing my diet from inorganic to organic.  I primarily focus on unfermented soy, because I had not completely learned the adverse effects of GMOs until recently.  It is my absolute belief that unfermented soy and GMOs as well as products labeled “natural flavors” have caused many if not all of my medical problems.

Disclaimer:  These are personal observations and my own personal food intolerances, which may or may not be established as fact according to some circles.  I encourage you to do the research yourself.  Get both sides of the story.

November 2012

            Finally after years of preaching from my oldest sister and after experiencing shortness of breath and light-headedness, as well as a disturbing report on my A1C1 and vitamin D levels, I decided to eliminate soy from my diet.  I made the connection to my adversity to soy by drinking two things in one day that contained soy lecithin.  The first drink was one of those “healthy” green foods but shortly afterwards I experienced shortness of breath, bloating, & light-headedness.  I laid down and the symptoms subsided.  Later on I fixed a cup of coffee and used non-dairy creamer that had soy lecithin in it, the only common ingredient.  I experienced the same symptoms as with the green food drink.  So, I had to make a decision, either I live uncomfortably but have fun eating all those tasty over processed, ready-made foods, or I find equivalents without soy or make my own tasty treats.

            I embarked on my own quest for knowledge about soy, and to my horror the very things this research said soy caused, I was experiencing.  A major problem I was having was a Vitamin D deficiency.  Now, granted, I don’t go outside a lot, but I was drinking approximately a gallon of whole milk a day (1% and 2% caused me to have shortness of breath).  There should have not been such a deficiency (21.3%).  According to medical standards I should have had at least a 30% level or higher.  However, further independent research (www.mercola.com) says that we should be at 60% or higher.

            The research at www.westonaprice.org states that soy causes our bodies to need more Vitamin D, because it blocks the absorption of necessary vitamins and minerals, thus causing a deficiency in not only Vitamin D but also the needed minerals of calcium, iron, & zinc among other necessary vitamins.  A lack of those two nutrients can cause rickets and osteoporoses.  Although my doctor prescribed Vitamin D2, research shows that is not as effective, because it’s synthetic, and causes side effects that D3 doesn’t.  Vitamin D3 is the natural and better antidote to that deficiency.  I’ve noticed that I’m no longer craving as much milk since I’ve taken Vitamin D3 and cut out soy.  That change was noticed in less than a month after I began this new life habit.

            Another thing I noticed after a few weeks, was I wasn’t getting as bloated.  So, I tried an experiment.  I ate a can of soup with soy and almost immediately I was bloated and kept belching then had the other symptoms shortly thereafter.  There was a case against the soy industry by prisoners who were given soy in place of meat and they complained of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, so they filed a suit against the soy industry.  If I was allowed to join that lawsuit, I would because by the evidence of my own experience and research of others, soy has ruined my health and prevented me from having a family.

            My oldest sister stated that I was given infant formula that contained soy (I obviously can’t remember that).  According to the research on Dr. Weston A Price’s website, soy effects the sexual development of children.  Often times the girls develop prematurely and boys’ development is delayed.  However, it’s not always that way.  Soy estrogen (isoflavones) can prevent ovulation, which is what happens to women suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which I suffer with.  PCOS can lead to diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease.  Because soy foods have Trypsin inhibitors it also affects pancreatic function, which most everyone knows is where insulin is produced.  Poor pancreatic function can lead to diabetes, which I also have.

            In my systems biology class, I learned how each one of our systems are interconnected an interdependent upon one another.  I never dreamed that problems with my reproductive system would affect my digestive and circulatory systems, but my PCOS caused my cells to not absorb insulin, thus throwing my digestive system off and it snowballed.  But it is my personal belief that had I not been fed soy as a child, I would not have been made infertile or suffered from diabetes and its complications.  My brother is the only other one affected by diabetes; but if it’s hereditary why wouldn’t our other four siblings have it because both our parents have suffered with it? 

December 2, 2012

            I am almost completely off soy other than my “experiments.”  I had to stop eating Kellogg's Corn Flakes because not only GMO corn is in it, but also it has traces of soy as it says it may contain on the label.

            On Friday, I went to Wal-Mart and purchased some cream filled donuts that had soy.  After I ate them I experienced bloating and painful gas.  I finished them yesterday and also ate some bread that has soy in it and I am becoming depressed, irritable, and easily aggravated by the smallest things.  I hadn’t been that way in a while.  Soy is linked to causing behavioral problems such as those.  I am 100% convinced that soy is killing people and starving my body of necessary nutrients.

December 7, 2012

            I have been snacking on Kraft Caramels and guess what I found out?  They have soy in them.  I couldn’t figure out why I had trouble breathing and had bloating and gas.  I didn’t know they put soy in candy.

December 26, 2012

            Something strange occurred tonight (it’s 3:00 am after Christmas Day).  I was awakened by sharp chest and back pains, trouble breathing, bloating and gas with acid reflux.  I had my Christmas dinner late.  It consisted of Turkey breast, cornbread dressing, and heavenly hash (ambrosia salad).  None of which contained soy, but they may have contained GMO ingredients.  Of course, when they list “natural flavor” it usually means MSG, which I think can come from soy, but I have to research that further.  The turkey had that listed as an ingredient, and MSG is known to cause those symptoms.

December 28, 2012

            I’ve discovered that I am becoming sensitive to MSG (i.e. natural flavor), as well as soy.  The MSG causes chest pains, labored breathing, and dizziness.  I had a turkey breast from Aldi that had natural flavors in it.  I also had mixed fruit with natural flavor in it and it’s a product of China, so I think everyone is out to kill us.  But I cannot afford to waste food, so I have to risk my health and finish the food.  I had the same symptoms at Thanksgiving because I bought the same turkey breast and fruit then.

December 30, 2012

            My diet is becoming more and more limited.  All the inexpensive foods have either soy or natural flavors, or they have been genetically altered to withstand more pesticides, which is unhealthy for us.  Sandy said the hybrids and dwarfs are not dangerous like GMOs.  So, now all I need is a house with a fertile yard to grow my garden.  I’ll also need a greenhouse for the “tropical plants” I want and my coffee, orange, and blueberry I already have.

January 1, 2013

I’m now experiencing shortness of breath after drinking Wal-Mart’s brand of whole milk.  They say it’s hormone free but they don’t say what the cows are fed.  Sandy said they are fed grains, which could include soy (almost all soy is GMO).  I guess I’m going to have to shop at Healthy Alternative permanently.

Update:  Walmart's Great Value elbow macaroni has caused me to suffer with breathing problems and fluid on my lungs.  More than likely it's made with GMO grain.

January 2, 2013

            I’ve had some lemonade made with Wal-Mart’s Great Value 100% Real Lemon Juice and now I’m experiencing breathing problems.  I don’t believe it’s the lemons, per se, but the GMOs & pesticides I am allergic to.

            Sandy looked up the ALCAT test at www.alcat.com that is a test for food allergies and sensitivities, but it is expensive.  I am going to call to find a doctor here who will do it.

January 6, 2013

            I ate some Chobani Mango Yogurt and guess what?  It has natural flavor in it and I’m having trouble breathing.  Why can’t companies leave things alone?  Why do they have to add “natural flavor” when organic fruit, organic yogurt and organic sugar is all it needs?  Of course the fruit may have been GMO, but I’m not sure of that. Update: Chobani has been found to feed their milk cows GMO grains.

January 10, 2013

            I drank 2 cups of Meijer Brand French Roast coffee and I’m having major trouble breathing.  I used evaporated milk as cream, but that never bothers me.  This “suffocation” started about 10:30 or 11 am and has continued until now, 2:30 pm.  It has to be the pesticides or the coffee is processed near a soy plant or is GMO.  I had trouble with Newman’s Own Vanilla Organic Coffee, too.  They use natural flavor in their coffee, but who’s to say that the vanilla beans were not gotten from a GMO farm?  I may have to give coffee up altogether.

January 12, 2013

Genevieve and I had Broccoli cuts from Season’s Choice (Aldi sells it) but organic meat and cauliflower.  Then we ate watermelon that was pre-cut from Meijer.  It wasn’t organic but I am having difficulty breathing and it feels like fluid is filling my lungs.  Phlegm does come up when I clear my throat.  It has to be the pesticides. 

In order to save my life I can eat nothing that is not organic and what I can grow myself.  Lord, let me just die; I can’t eat anything anymore.  What am I going to do at the end of the month?  I have maybe $13.00 available to me for the rest of the month.

     I have been able to wean myself off of nearly everything GMO except milk and evaporated milk, which is why raw milk should be allowed to be purchased.  I recently had some Reiters 2% milk and had trouble breathing and was bloated.  But I am not consuming soy and am very careful with anything simply marked “natural flavor” or “spices.”  I purchase everything organic that I possibly can and support local farmers with my business.  But since changing my diet I have lost some weight and inches around my waist.  I have to portion out my food and it’s working.  I’m not regularly exercising, per se, I’m just no longer eating soy, GMOs and natural flavors.  So, eat organic, and stop eating soy and GMOs; you’ll lose weight. 

Resources:

www.westonaprice.org Weston A. Price Foundation (exposing Soy)

articles.mercola.com Dr. Joseph Mercola (exposes Soy and GMOs)

www.responsibletechnology.org Institute for Responsible Technology (exposing GMO foods)

A GOOD, ROMANTIC MAN

By Martha K. Miller © 2013

What do people mean by a good, romantic man?  Well let’s define good first.  According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Third Edition © 1992 there are several meanings but I will shorten it to those that apply to my subject:

Good – 2a. Having the qualities that are desirable or distinguishing in a particular thing; 3a. Not spoiled or ruined; b. In excellent condition; sound; 4a. Superior to the average; satisfactory; 5a. Of high quality; b. Discriminating; 6. Worthy of respect, honorable; 7. Attractive; handsome; 9. Competent; skilled; 11a. Reliable; sure; b. Valid or true; c. Genuine; real; 17a. Of moral excellence; upright; b. Benevolent; kind; c. Loyal staunch; 18a. Well-behaved; obedient; b. Socially correct; proper.

I’ve read some blogs concerning romantic men and one of the most romantic men I’ve seen is Hugh Jackman.  Not only did he play the quintessential romantic in Kate & Leopold but also in real life he has been loyal and loving to his wife for over 18 years.  He has been quoted as saying that when he first met her on the set of Correlli, he knew then she was the one.  For those of us who dream of having that happen to us, that brings tears to our eyes and yes even envy in our hearts.  We ask ourselves, “Why can’t I find a handsome hunk like that who would say that about me?”  Well, that’s a question that still is unanswered in my own life. 

However, by the horrible things I’ve read about Hugh’s wife’s looks, my theory is that there aren’t many romantics left, or they’re too afraid to date women who have flaws or may not look like Angelina Jolie because of receiving that kind of ridicule from their peers.  It’s very hard to find a man who is not superficial, and especially a gorgeous man like Hugh.  I think it’s wonderful that he would actually marry a woman he considers attractive (which is all that matters) and even brag on her, flying in the face of the superficial public’s expectations of him, and not let Hollywood destroy his marriage to her.  I see nothing wrong with Deb; I think she’s pretty even if she picks up a few pounds from time to time like the rest of us do.  She can always lose it.  As for her clothing choices, she can wear what she wants and feels comfortable in.  However, the love between those two is more than admirable, it’s down right romantic and amazing. 

According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Third Edition © 1992 the definition for romance again has several different ones but those that apply here are as follows:

Romance – 1a. A love affair; b. Ardent emotional attachment or involvement between people, especially that characterized by a high level of purity and devotion; love;

I have been told that Hollywood deems only the extraordinarily beautiful people worthy of love and the rest of us unlovable.  Unfortunately, the public has believed that con, and viciously attacks those they think the celebrities shouldn’t be with.  A celebrity’s personal life is just that – personal, not to be governed by the public or Hollywood.  Maybe that’s one reason why the Jackmans moved back to Australia.  But I’d love to see a movie made about their love story.  I think we could learn a lot from it.  Or maybe a movie that portrays a middle-aged plain looking or flawed woman (like me) who falls for her boss and eventually when he sees her true inner beauty he falls for her.  (I’ve started a story like that, but it’s long from finished.)  But I’d like to see Hollywood be brave enough to cast a truly plain or flawed looking woman (not just a beautiful woman in glasses) opposite of someone as good looking as Hugh Jackman, to show the world that love is much more than the surface.  I have to admit, that in Kate & Leopold, I felt sorry for the woman Leopold was planning to marry, Miss Tree, because he was visibly disappointed in her appearance and I felt her pain when he chose Kate, but that of course happened because Hollywood is superficial.  In my opinion, the deepest depths of true love can’t even be touched by those who dwell only on the superficial, and that’s very sad.

Some may think I’m being superficial by expecting a Hugh Jackman type to sweep me off my feet.  Yes, I am attracted to men like him, but what is more alluring than his muscular body and handsome face is his loyalty, love, and commitment to his wife and marriage.  However, if I could find a “good” man and he sweeps me off my feet by his charm, sophistication, intelligence, and wit, I’d marry him. 

But, what is my definition of a good man?  In Kate & Leopold, Leopold tells Kate’s brother Charlie that a woman responds to sincerity and that a man should make his intentions known, but aim to please her not vex (annoy, irritate, bring distress to) her.  Unfortunately, I’ve been vexed a lot by men who pressured me for sex and kept me the closet girlfriend refusing to introduce me to their families or were too ignorant to hold an intelligent conversation.  I do prefer someone with some culture and intelligence.  A relationship can go sour fast if you are not able to communicate or share things in common.  So, a good man to me, is someone who appreciates and values me as a human being and would never be ashamed of me or embarrassed because I don’t look perfect.  A good man is sincere, loyal, protective, respectable, patient, honorable, well-groomed, courteous, mannerly, kind, generous, reliable, responsible, honest, faithful, opens the door for a lady, shows interest in what I like, and I’m sure you get the picture.  The  character of Leopold was all that and more.  Now, I’m not expecting perfect, but someone who would treat me as he would want to be treated himself.  I respond positively to those who don’t treat me as a piece of meat, or as if I don’t have any feelings.  And I would endeavor to treat him the same way.

There is another kind of romantic man for some women.  The romance of the “bad boy” draws many women because those men are usually rebels.  They don’t follow the rules, they make them.  Many of the men in power are those kind of men.  A part of me wants a man that will be decisive and “take command” of a situation in order to protect his family.  Men who allow themselves to be walked on or their families to be taken advantage of are a turn off to some women; they’re seen as a coward and that brings a lot of insecurity to a woman.  A “good” quality a “bad boy” has is that they are usually protective and decisive.  But one problem with the “bad boys” is that they want it their way or no way; compromise is very seldom in their vocabulary.  Some become abusive and controlling, so I’d rather take my chances on a good guy.  Are there any Leopold’s out there?