Benefits of Raw Milk- Part 2: The evidence

In my previous post, I told you about my story. In this post, I am going to cover the evidence and why you should switch to raw milk.

Invention of pasteurization

Before I get into depth of the topic I would like point out something. Everyone, my ancestors, your ancestors were all drinking raw milk up until pasteurization went main stream. Depending on your personal viewpoints will change the math on my next point.  98 years ago pasteurization was mandated and widely accepted. Let’s say you believe the world was created 6,000 years ago. That would mean pasteurized milk has been consumed for only 2.6 % of the time. Let’s say you believed the world began 10,000 years ago. That percentage now comes down to 0.98% since the world was created, that pasteurized milk has been consumed. Now, if you believe it is older than 10,000 years old, you can do the math but I think you get my point…. Out of curiosity, I did the math on 4.5 billion years ago. It comes out to 0.000002% of all history! :-o…. Please try to remember this information when reading conflicting information about raw milk.

A little history lesson

First and foremost, let’s look at the timeline. The invention of pasteurization was first created by French scientist Louis Pasteur in 1864. Notice I said pasteurization, he wasn’t interested in pasteurizing milk. He was interested in pasteurizing beer. During the time, they were having some issues with beer going bad. Louis Pasteur studied the good beer and the bad beer. Under his investigation, he noticed the bad beer had pathogens while the good beer didn’t. After he heated the bad beer to a high temp, it killed the pathogens.  They begin pasteurizing beer. It took a while before pasteurization hit the dairy industry. Americans didn’t want to have anything to do with the pasteurized milk. They felt it would destroy vitamins, nutrients, and make the milk taste bad. (man, were they not far off)

Between 1912 and 1937, 65,000 people died from contracting tuberculosis in England and Wales. Pasteurization was adopted by the dairy industry in order to prevent the spread of disease. Wait. So I’m telling you should drink raw milk after that many died from a deadly disease carried by the milk?! Yep, and I’ll tell you why. Please keep reading.

A look into the past: Why did we begin pasteurizing milk?

During 1912 and 1937, industrialization caused many people to become urbanized. At first, the travel distance for raw milk was short and caused no issues. As the population grew in urban areas, the road trip for the milk from the dairy man to the consumer became longer. Raw milk was being consumed several days old and I’m assuming with no refrigeration since refrigerated trucks were not invented until 1939. It wasn’t until 1917 that milk was mandated to be pasteurized.

During the time of the development of urban areas, the dairy industry transitioned from small farms to largely produced dairy factories. These dairy factories were pumping out milk in high quantities with a lack of sanitation. They were, gross, to say the least.

“As milk production became factory-produced instead of farm-wrought, little sanitary regulation took place. Milk wasn’t refrigerated, equipment wasn’t sterile, factory-farm owners thinned their milk with dirty water and added things like animal brains to give it body. Cows were fed waste from distilleries (creating “swill milk” or “white poison”.) These city milk centers were often infested with insects and rats and workers were unhygienic.”

Tuberculosis spread through cow’s milk, and epidemics of brucella, botulism and cholera killed many.

The rising use of technology created pasteurization equipment. People no longer had to boil their milk at home. Small farmers were forced out of the industry or absorbed by rising conglomerates who could afford the machinery.

The use of pasteurization made sanitary improvements unnecessary and increased the production of milk through crowded feedlots, cheap and unhealthy grain-feed and widespread use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Today, it is E. Coli, Listeria and Cryptosporidium that are the most common food-borne pathogens and these have only emerged within the past 25 years, after the practice of pasteurization has been established…..” (Dr. Axe.com,Raw Milk Myths, Myth 1:  Pasteurized milk is safer than raw milk.)

I highly recommend you go read the article, Raw Milk Myths, more information about claims by the FDA, food born illnesses due to pasteurized milk are much larger than raw milk, outbreaks from pasteurized milk and so forth.

If you think times have changed, think again. The unsanitary conditions still exist. The dairy man that I purchase my milk from told me a little bit about the large dairy farms. He told me he stopped by a large dairy farm (don’t remember why) and at the entrance was dead cows laying in the pasture. This is by the front entrance, may I remind you. When he spoke to the dairy man, he told him what he had seen. May I add, here in Texas farmers often will tell one another if they see a cow having a calf, cow is dead, etc. They mean no harm by this. They actually prefer this just in case they didn’t see it. It wasn’t uncommon for my parents to call/speak to another farmer if they saw a cow having a calf just in case they didn’t know or my parents received that call. The dairy man’s reply, “Yeah, I know. They’ve been there for a few days. No one comes out here except the milk truck so no one cares.” WHAT!! Seriously?! The dairy man told me and I agree 100% with him, “That is no way to run a dairy nor a business.” Now, like I stated in part 1, I was raised on a small dairy and you would have not seen this or heard this kind of behavior from the farm I grew up on.  This is not to say all dairy farms are like this but you have realize the bigger the dairy, the harder it is to keep up with the sanitation procedures even from the most dedicated. I live in TX and there are a lot of dairies around. As a matter of fact, I live close to the #1 milk producing county in TX. Passing a dairy in my area is not anything out of the ordinary. And let me say, I’ve seen clean dairies and disgusting dairies. Point is, don’t think these conditions don’t still exist. And don’t think your milk isn’t subject to this while everyone else’s is. Once the milk is taken to be pasteurized, all the milk from multiple dairies in mixed together. And if the milk truck didn’t fill up at A-Farms, they stop at B-Farms to fill up.

Clean milk vs dirty milk

So here’s the thing. When I say “raw milk” throughout the post, I am talking about CLEAN raw milk. Milk that has been produced with healthy cows that have grazed from the pasture under sanitary conditions will have the nutritional values that I am seeking and talking about. The raw milk that was contracting tuberculosis in the early 1900s was toxic because it was DIRTY milk. Plain and simple. You take ANY food, produce it in unsanitary and unfavorable conditions, and your more than likely going to get a toxic food. If you leave raw meat on the counter for a few days, what happens? It goes rancid. How about rolling that meat in dirt and then leave it on the counter? It’s going to degrade faster and the smell will curl your nose hairs. You don’t solve the issue by dumping ammonia on it (yes they really “wash” hamburger meat with ammonia hydroxide in the major meat market today). How do you solve the problem? Stop leaving the meat on the counter and rolling it in the dirt. Same thing goes for the milk. Change the conditions and you have a clean nutritious glass of milk.  Clean raw milk doesn’t need to be pasteurized, dirty milk does. 

What about the nutrition?

Before I explain the nutritional differences between raw and pasteurized, we must understand what happens when we pasteurize milk. When milk is pasteurized it is heated to a high temp 285° (Ultra high temp pasteurization, normal procedure for store bought milk) for a few seconds and then cooled. This kills the good and bad bacteria, enzymes, lowers Vitamins A,D, K, B6, and B12, and other nutritional benefits. And if you believe the argument, “Pasteurized milk has the same nutritional value as raw milk,” then why is it necessary for them to fortify (add) Vitamin D, A, and whatever else they decide to add back in? They know the milk isn’t as nutritious otherwise why would they bother to fortify the milk?

Let’s take a look at raw milk vs pasteurized milk

• When milk is pasteurized, it tuns lactose into beta-lactose. Beta-Lactose is more rapidly absorbed into your body which in turn makes you hungrier faster. Raw milk keeps you full longer. I can personally vouch for the feeling fuller longer.
• 20% of the iodine is killed after pasteurizing
• Pasteurization makes the majority of the calcium insoluble which can lead to all kinds of health problems such as rickets, decayed teeth, nervousness, and other problems
• Pasteurization kills lactic acid bacilli. After the lactic acid bacilli is killed, the milk can’t sour (sour milk can still be consumed safely) therefore decomposing the milk.
• when pasteurized milk is homogenized , xanthine oxidase is created. This can act as a free radical in the body which plays a part in oxidative stress.
• Modern breeding methods produce cows with abnormally large pituitary glands so that they produce three times more milk than normal. These cows need antibiotics to keep them well. Needless to say, the antibiotics they are given wind up in the milk you and your family drink. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/12/choosing-between-raw-milk-and-a-dead-white-liquid.aspx)
• Pasteurization destroys part of the Vitamin C
• Beneficial Enzymes are killed off during pasteurization (To learn about enzymes, visit http://www.realmilk.com/health/enzymes/)
• Pasteurization decreases manganese value- Manganese is important for formation of bones, connectives tissues, blood clotting, sex hormones, brain function, nervous function.
• Pasteurization decreases copper value- Copper plays a role in the formation of connective tissue, normal functions of the muscles, blood clotting, immune system, and nervous system. Copper also influences the formation of red blood cells, arteries, and functioning of the heart, arteries.
• Pasteurization decreases iron value- iron is required to make hemogloblin. Hemoglobin is what carries oxygen through the blood to your cells. Iron also plays a role in the brain. Neurotransmitters carry messages from one to the other and need iron to function properly.
• Pasteurization decreases the Vitamin A value- Vitamin A promotes healthy vision and skin. It is also an antioxidant. You need both vitamin A and K2 to absorb Vitamin D.
• Pasteurization decreases Vitamin D value- promotes calcium absorption, bone growth, bone remineralization, cell growth, immune function, and reduces inflammation.
• Pasteurization decreases Vitamin K2-promotes healthy arteries and prevents clogged arteries.  K2 is also effective against cancer. Look at study some of the benefits of vitamin K here. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/03/24/vitamin-k-part-two.aspx)
• Pasteurization slightly impairs the bioactivity of Vitamin B6
• Beta-lactoglobulin is destroyed by the heating process of pasteurization. Beta-lactoglobulin increases intestinal absorption of Vitamin A which can make it harder to absorb Vitamin A
• Cows that graze on grass (most conventional dairy farmer feed them grain and even things like Snickers bars. This is no joke. My sister’s husband delivers loads of feed to cows. He told us he delivered a truck full of candy bars to a dairy as feed for their cows.) contain CLA

Nutrient and Immune Factors	Pasteurized Milk	Raw Milk
Vitamin A	35% Reduction	100% Active
Vitamin C	25 to 77% Reduction	100% Active
Vitamin E	14% Reduction	100% Active
Iron	66% Reduction	100% Active
Zinc	70% Reduction	100% Active
B-Complex Vitamins	38% Reduction	100% Active
Calcium	21% Reduction	100% Active
Enzymes	100% Destroyed	100% Active
Immunoglobulins	Damaged	100% Active
Whey Protein	Denatured	100% Active

(Source:http://draxe.com/raw-milk-benefits/)

Lactose Intolerance

Upon my research, I came across many claiming those who were lactose intolerant could safely drink raw milk without any issues. In one of the conversations between me and the dairy man I purchase my raw milk from, he stated he had customers who were lactose intolerant who were safely drinking his raw milk without any discomforts. He also stated that there is something ( I can’t remember exactly what he called it. He began to lose me when he started talking about the structure of the milk and lots of scientific names that I have never heard of. lol) in raw milk that helps break down the lactose but this substance is not present in pasteurized milk.  I am not lactose intolerant so I do not have a personal testimonial to share with you. But I do find this extremely intriguing. The more I research the more I see lactose intolerant people stating they can drink raw milk but have issues with pasteurized dairy products. I have researched both pro-raw and pro-pasteurized sites trying to see if there was some kind of evidence that proved these peoples claims. The pro-pasteurized sites claim that this isn’t possible while the pro-raw sites claim it is but with no hard evidence.

With no hard evidence available, here are my personal opinions on the subject. There are too many claims for there not to be something to it. I honestly don’t think a lactose intolerant person would decide to drink raw milk just because they want to drink raw milk completely ignoring the side effects they experience. Or better yet, lie about no longer suffering from lactose intolerance when drinking raw milk. What benefit would this do? I could see a business or organization lying in order to benefit from the lie, but not someone who doesn’t receive any kind of benefits. And before you say, “well maybe these individuals are being paid by raw milk producers,” be aware that raw milk producers are VERY small business owners.  Raw milk sale laws are VERY restrictive. To put things into perspective, raw milk sales are only legal “on the farm” in 7 states. Retail sales of raw milk is only legal in 11 states. (To see more about the laws of raw milk sales, visit http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/raw_milk_map.htm.) With that being said, I don’t think the small raw milk farmers have the funding to pay people to vouch for their product. Or at least, not as many claims as I have seen.

Benefits of Raw Milk

So what are the benefits of CLEAN raw milk?

• more than 60 digestive enzymes for digestion, immune system support, and growth
• a wide range of minerals and trace minerals– One serving of raw milk contains 400 mg calcium, 50 mg of magnesium, and 500 mg of Potassium. These minerals are important for cellular function, hydration, building bone density, detoxification, circulation, muscle health, and metabolism. It also has Phosphate which helps the absorption of calcium.
• all 20 standard amino acids
• EFA such as CLA. CLA helps fight cancer and reduces body fat
• lactoferrin, an iron bonding protein that has anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-microbial
• higher levels of fat soluble vitamins A,D, K. These vitamins support brain, nervous system, crucial for development, focus, naturally balances hormones, supports bone density, and brain function.
• higher absorption of Vitamin D. You need vitamin A and K to absorb Vitamin D.
• short chain fatty acids, and Omega 3s– short chain fatty acid reduces inflammation, speeds up metabolism, and helps with stress.
• Probiotics– raw milk contains a small amount of probiotics but if you ferment raw milk such as kefir, cheese, and yogurt, you get the highest form of probiotics. Probiotics protect from parasites and E. Coli. They also help Colon Cancer, Diarrhea, Inflammatory bowel disease, Intestinal bowel syndrone, skin infections, weakened immune system, urinary track infections, and vaginal yeast infections
• Whey Protein and Immunoglobulins– Whey protein is good for burning fat, building muscle, high in enzymes, and proteins
• Reduced allergies
• Easier to digest- Many of those who are lactose intolerant state they can drink raw milk
• greater resistance to disease
• better fertility
• last but not least, the TASTE! It tastes SOOOOOO much better. I won’t even touch the pasteurized milk any more

 

 

The research and information is so vast that I can’t possibly include all the information on my blog post but I highly encourage you to do your own research. Look it up. You have a whole web of information available at your fingertips. And make sure to compare both sides of the argument before making your own personal opinion. If you only look up why you should drink pasteurized milk, you will only get one side of the story.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. What are your thoughts? Do you drink raw milk? Why or why not?

Benefits of Raw Milk- Part 1-My Story

I have been missing for a while. Between holidays, family visiting, updating my kitchen, researching hypothyroidism, hitting writers block, and just needing a break, I have neglected our blog for a little while. I have been meaning to write a post about the benefits of raw milk and I am just now getting around to it.

Growing up on a Dairy

So here is a little background information about me. When I was a child, my parents owned a small dairy. It was a dairy that had been passed down from my great granddad or at least I think it was, but my point is that it was a family business that was passed down.  Now, they sold the dairy business when I was 8 and my dad became a teacher for 5 years before he passed away. From the time I was born until I was 8, our whole family was drinking…. ready for it…. RAW MILK **GASP**! Yep, I said the evil word, raw milk.

Drinking Raw Milk

We weren’t against pasteurized milk per say but this is how it works on a dairy or how it worked on ours. You milk the cows. The milk goes into large tanks that keep the milk cooled until the milk truck picks up the milk. The milk truck picks up the milk and takes it to a place that pasteurizes the milk. The milk is pasteurized and then packaged, trucked to the store, and sold. On a dairy, you’re not going to go buy milk from the store when you can get milk straight from the cow (figure of speech here, we did not milk by hand like the old-fashioned way. We used bucket milkers that fed the milk into the tank) for free. You simply go down to the barn with your milk jug, open the spigot on the large tank, fill your jug, and enjoy your free, fresh, creamy raw milk. We weren’t scared of the fact it’s raw, we quite enjoyed the milk that our dad, grand dad, great granddad, and generations before have always drank the milk. Just the way God intended for it to be consumed, fresh.

Family Sold out of Dairy Business and began drinking Pasteurized

I still remember the first time we began buying milk from the store. I couldn’t stand it. It was watery, bland, and was not the same as the milk I was raised on. Eventually, I got used to it but my dairy consumption basically consisted of using it to cook with or cheese. I didn’t enjoy a glass of milk like I used to. Back then, I didn’t know why the milk from the store tasted different, I didn’t even know the terms raw milk, homogenized,  or pasteurized milk. I just assumed the milk from the store was coming from a different dairy and our milk was superior to theirs LOL. Not knowing the milk at the store is more than likely mixed with our milk so technically, I was probably drinking some of our milk.

I still remember the first time I went to the dentist for a check up. I was about 10 or 11 year old. I can’t remember exactly my age but I know it was either right before or right after my dad passed away. He checked my teeth and told me, “Your teeth are in great condition. No cavities. Keep brushing!” Might not have been exact words but that was basically the sum of his remarks. I simply smiled and inside was smirking. See, here was the thing. I was NOT good at brushing so it definitely was not the brushing that was keeping my teeth in good shape. And when I say I was not good at brushing, I mean I wasn’t very consistent. I don’t like to admit that, despite the evidence and personal experience, but we are taught brushing keeps the cavities away which in fact that is obviously NOT true. Come to think of it, I don’t recall any of my siblings going to the dentist except for my brother who got braces. Until later on down the road.

A look at my health throughout the years

Fast forward, to when I was about 16 years old. I noticed the first forming cavity. I find this very interesting. 8 years of drinking raw milk, no cavities and my teeth were healthy. 8 years later give or take, the health of my teeth begin degrading. I remember when I first saw the cavity, I began to ponder what has changed. I just assumed, it was due to me getting older. It wasn’t until I began researching all the benefits of raw milk that I began to put it all together and thought it could have been my consumption of raw milk that was keeping the cavities at bay.

Looking at it now, I can see how my health began declining after beginning to drink pasteurized milk. From birth to about 10-12 years old, I very rarely got sick, I didn’t have many allergy problems and they were very mild, I was a healthy weight, my hair was shiny and soft (when I hadn’t permed it), my skin looked good, and overall my health was good. About the the age of 13 it seemed as if I was sick more often, for longer periods of time, and when I got sick, I was really sick. Now, I never thought much about it because getting sick from time to time is just a normal part of life.  I began having allergies and it seemed to slowly get worse. I began having cavities. Around the age of 17 is when I began gaining weight. My hair began to lose some of its luster and became frizzier. Overall, my health got worse. None of the signs were huge and was never diagnosed with any health condition until recently when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (I recently said I was Hashimotos but I misunderstood my NP). Now, I am not saying ALL of my symptoms were related to drinking pasteurized milk. I truly think it was a mix of MANY different things but I do think raw milk did play a role into good health.

Drinking raw milk again

After all my research, talking to the milk man and connecting the dots, we have began drinking raw milk again. We found a local dairy that sells raw milk. I take pride in the fact that I know who milks the cows, I pick up the milk on their dairy, I have been in the barn where the cows are milked, I’ve personally seen him fill the milk jug up right before purchasing, and I have literally got milk from him 20 minutes after the cows were milked! To put the cherry on the top, he has also offered to let us come out so he can do a homeschool field trip of the whole process and even look under a microscope at the biology of the milk! He majored in biology, taught high school biology class and knows WAY more about the structure of the milk, cows, etc than I ever will. If you’re a homeschool mom/dad, you probably understand my excitement of all of this! LOL

Stay tuned

That is my story but I know it is going to take more than just my story and my viewpoints to show you the benefits of raw milk so this will be continued in my next post….

 

 

 

 

 

Is Israel Still God’s Chosen People? Part 2: The Three Promises

In continuing my posts on the fact of whether or not modern Israel is still favored by God today, I would like to look at another point. I believe there are many justifications on the belief that modern Israel is in no way a biblical Israel and a good quick study on this issue would be my previous post about the Veil. (You can find it here.) However, let’s look at another aspect that many false teachers use to make it seem that the Jews are still protected and that modern Israel is still a chosen and favored people of God: The Promises made to Abram/Abraham.

The Three Promises

God made three promises to Abram in Genesis. To keep track of all three promises I will color code them. The Land Promise will be in green, the Great Nation Promise will be in blue, and the Seed Promise will be red. So let’s look at the first two promises in the text:

14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.

God makes the first two promises to Abram, first, the Land Promise to give his descendants the land which he sees, and second, the Great Nation Promise that he will multiply his descendants as the dust of the earth or as the number of the stars (in the next chapter Gen 15:5)

Now there are many false teachers that will get the audience hung up on the word “forever.” And that this land will ALWAYS be the Jews’ right to own and inherit for all eternity. These false teachers always love to quote the blessings Israel will receive from God, but usually fail to ever quote from the curses and warnings to Israel if they are to turn away from God. Take for instance Deuteronomy chapter 28, there are 14 verses of blessings that these false teachers love to quote, yet they neglect the next 53 verses of curses and warnings. In fact throughout most of the Old Testament, there are exponentially more curses warned than blessing promised to Israel. It is true that God will never back down on his end of the deal, but if you read through the Old Testament in its entirety, you will come to know that it is man that fails on his end of the bargain repeatedly, and not God. Now as far as the Promises go, there are several repetitions of these promises to Abram/Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To see the full list of these passages, check out the chart at the bottom of this post. However, now that we have covered two of the three promises, I want to fast forward a little ways and cover the last promise made from God to Abram, The Seed Promise.

The first glimpse of this is in Genesis 18:18

18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Now all three promises are referenced when the Angel of the Lord comes to Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18 and says:

17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Now it’s very clear that God has promised Abraham that he will multiply his descendants, give him the Promised Land, and bless all nations of the world by his Seed. (Notice the word “seed” is singular, not plural as in “seeds.” This is very important later on…)

 

Have they Been Fulfilled?

So let’s fast forward through the scriptures. Have all of the promises been fulfilled? Or are the “End Times Prophetic Preachers” correct in that they have not been fulfilled and still need to be? If the fact is that the promises have not been fulfilled, then the Jews are very much correct in idea that they are still a chosen and protected people of God. So let’s check out these promises one by one and see what scripture has to say…..

 

The Great Nation Promise

Let’s first look at the Great Nation Promise. If we continue to follow this promise through the scriptures we will eventually come to Deuteronomy 10:20-22 but first, let’s get some CONTEXT in the story. (Context is extremely important to keep in mind. For more on this check out my blog post on context here.) Now up to this point in scripture, the Hebrews went into Egypt with Joseph, were led out of Egypt by Moses, came to Mount Sinai, received the first tablets of the ten commandments, however, Moses broke them and had to deal with the Israelites committing idolatry with the Golden Calf. Moses goes back up the mountain, receives the second set of tablets and is now speaking to Israel about the law that they are going to be required to keep in order to REMAIN God’s chosen people. So with all that understood, let’s look at the verse:

20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. 21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.

Notice the word “now.” They had not previously been “as the stars of heaven in multitude” until this point. It is also interesting to note that the great nation promise is always referred to as a future event up to this point in scripture. After this passage, it is always referenced as it has already happened in the past.

 

The Land Promise

If we follow the Promise God made to Abraham about the Promised Land, then we will be lead all the way from Genesis to the End of Joshua. To get some context from our earlier reading to this point: The Israelites have wandered the wilderness for 40 years, and right before Moses dies, Joshua is chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land. Moses says himself in Deuteronomy 31:7 that Joshua WILL cause Israel to inherit the Promised Land. If this promise has not yet been fulfilled to this day, then how will the modern-day Jews ever have Joshua to divide it for them as scripture says how it must happen? So Moses dies on Mount Nebo and Joshua leads them into the Promised Land. The entire book of Joshua is pretty much a war story of how this was accomplished, and when you get to the end of Joshua, there is an interesting verse in chapter 21 verse 43:

43 So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44 The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

I think it’s safe to say that Israel very much received the promise God mad to them concerning the land.

 

The Seed Promise

But what about the Seed Promise? Well, there is a great deal of reading from Genesis through the scriptures before you get to the fulfillment of that one. As a matter of fact, its fulfillment is not in the Old Testament. You won’t find it until after you’ve read 46 books after Genesis, in Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. But first…context, context, CONTEXT! Okay, there’s a lot to cover here so here we go:

1. Israel inherits Promised Land
2. Israel goes through the Judges Period
3. Israel goes through the United Kingdom Period
4. Israel splits and Goes through the Divided Kingdom (Israel in the North, Judah in the South)
5. Israel enters captivity
6. Judah enters captivity (Daniel foretells that the temple and the wall will be rebuilt)
7. Judah Returns and Enters Restoration Period (temple and wall is rebuilt in Ezra and Nehemiah)
8. Jesus is born
9. Jesus crucified
10. Jesus Resurrected
11. Jesus Ascends to Heaven
12. Holy Spirit Falls on Apostles on Pentecost

Ok so now that we’ve covered almost 1000 years of Israel’s history in a couple bullet points, I hope you see where we are at now. In this letter Paul is calling out the Judaizers who were Christians that thought the Old Law still had to be observed in order to receive salvation. The act of circumcision is directly called out, but it can easily be understood that all aspects of the Old Law to include tithing, burnt offerings, incense, etc. are to be included in this idea of the Old Law not applying to Christians. One of the greatest arguments Paul makes to these Judaizers is all the promises made to Abraham were in fact fulfilled, to include the Seed Promise. He shows this in Galatians 3:16:

16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

Just in case there is any confusion to this idea, Paul confirms this idea a second time just a few verses later in verses 27-29:

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The Seed Promise was fulfilled by Jesus himself. If you check out my post on the Veil, this adds tons of content to this idea. (You can find it here.)

Conclusion

Well there you have it. It is clear that all three promises made to Abraham in scripture have been fulfilled in scripture. There is no need to keep looking for the fulfillment of these promises today, tomorrow, or any further in the future. Jesus really did die once for all (this would include Jews). Jesus really is the ONLY way, and no one will come to the Father except though him. (Not through obeying the Old Law and living in the Old Land) This study should show that it is even more important to reach out to Jews as they think they have security in the Old Law but will in fact perish if they do not come to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Galatians is also a good text to realize that once one is baptized, there is no longer a label such as Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. I would go as far as to argue that the only label one is to have placed on himself would be a Christian. Not a Jewish Christian, or a Messianic Jew, or any of the like. Simply a Christian is what we are called to be. I hope you have found this study as fascinating as I have, and I hope it will help mistaken Christians on this issue find the courage to reach out to our Jewish neighbors, and silence the false teachers that use these promises to lead people in thinking the Jews are still God’s chosen people.

 

Complete chart of Promises:

	Nation	Land	Seed
Gen 12:1-7	X	X	X
Gen 13:14-17	X	X
Gen 15:5-21	X	X
Gen 17:2-8	X	X
Gen 18:18	X		X
Gen 22:17-18	X	X	X
Gen 24:7		X
Gen 26:3-4	X	X	X
Gen 28:4		X
Gen 28:13-14	X	X	X
Gen 35:12		X
Gen 46:3	X
Gen 48:4	X	X
Ex 6:2-8		X
Exod 12:25		X
Exod 13:5		X
Ex 23:31		X
Exod 32:13	X	X
Exod 33:1		X
Fulfilled	Deut 10:22	Josh 21:43	Gal 3:16, 29

 

Israel Still God’s Chosen People? – The Veil

Israel – Still God’s Chosen People?

There are many rumors alive today that modern Israel is still God’s chosen land, and the Jews remain to be God’s chosen people. However, is there any biblical evidence that shows this? If this is true, then why was Israel cut off from the face of the earth for almost 1900 years? I was once sucked into this very popular false doctrine that is easily mistaken for truth until put up to scrutiny against the only truth we have in this world…scripture. Many theories have surfaced, especially in recent times, with several pastors, preachers, authors and even movie producers coming up with false ideas of what scripture says about these things. Before going forward, I must warn you that I try with everything I have to go by the bible alone, as it is God’s word revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. I welcome discussion on the basis that it is backed up by scripture and scripture alone, in its context. Any work created by man cannot equal the authority of God’s word, including my own. If you have not had a chance to first read my post on Studying Scripture in its Context, you can find it here.

There is one little piece of evidence you can follow throughout scripture to prove that modern day Israel is not of God, does not hold precedent in God’s eyes, and for a person to have the concept that God still favors Israel today defies the very teachings of Jesus and the New Testament. This small piece of evidence…is simply a cloth, called a veil. It’s amazing how such a small detail such as this can hold so much value. Without further ado, let’s follow this piece of material through the bible and see what happens. I think you will find the story just as amazing as I did, and still do.

The Veil – What is it?

The Veil pops up for the first time in scripture in Exodus 26:31-33. But first, let’s get a little context of the time and see what is going on in this section of scripture. In this part of Exodus, the Israelites have escaped Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, are at Mt. Sinai, and have received the Ten Commandments back in chapter 20. At this point in the text, Moses is commanding how the tabernacle is supposed to be set up. In chapter 25, Moses describes how to create the Ark of the Covenant (or Ark of the Testimony), along with the Table for the Showbread, and the Golden Lampstand (also known as the Menorah.) Chapter 26 starts out with how to set up the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is the traveling “tent” that God will dwell in while Israel travels through their journeys to the Promised Land. So now that we have context in mind, Exodus 26:31-33 reads:

31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. 32 You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.

So we can see here that the veil was a divider not only to the people from the Most Holy, but between the holy place and the Most Holy. No one was allowed to go or to see in there, except one. But we’ll get into that in a minute.

Next it pops up in the very next chapter, Exodus 27:20-21 says:

20 “And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. 21 In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.

We see that the people of Israel are supposed to bring oil for the menorah and Aaron and his sons are to keep it burning continually forever. Notice that it specifies this lampstand is OUTSIDE the veil.

Exodus 30 is where the description of the altar of incense is given. Notice verse 6:

6 And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

The altar of incense is OUTSIDE the veil.

In Exodus 36 we see that Bezalel, Aholiab, and all the gifted artisans start constructing the articles of tabernacle. The previous chapters were commands on how to accomplish the task, at this point in the text is when it is being created. Notice verse 35:

35 And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim.

In Exodus 40 the tabernacle is finished being created, and now God is commanding its construction. Verse 1-3 read:

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil.

The veil is hung in Verse 21:

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

What happens once the veil is hung up? Check out verses 34-35:

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

In this part of the bible, God is now dwelling with the people of Israel in the tabernacle now that the veil is hung up. Not even Moses can enter beyond the veil now. The veil is a small detail of the tabernacle, but it is a major piece and a defining position in the dwelling place of God.

Leviticus 4:6 and 4:17 tells us that the Sin offering must be done in FRONT of, or OUTSIDE of the veil:

6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.

 

17 Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil.

The Day of Atonement

This is the only time a person can enter past the veil. It is only allowed by one person, the high priest, once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, to offer sacrifice for the sins of Israel to cleanse them once a year. Leviticus chapter 16 details all of the stipulations which must be completed in order for this to be done correctly. Due to space I’m not going to put all of Leviticus 16 in here, but here are the main verses of the chapter:

2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

 

29 “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. 30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

More references

Leviticus 24:3 repeats the command for the lampstands to burn forever OUTSIDE the veil:

3 Outside the veil of the Testimony, in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations.

Numbers 4 lists the duties of the sons of Kohath, the family of the Levites who were to carry the articles of the tabernacle whenever it traveled. What is interesting is that in verse 5 it states that Aaron and his sons will take down the tabernacle and wrap the articles in 3 layers of badger skins, and THEN the sons of Kohath are allowed to carry them. The sons of Kohath are not allowed to touch any holy thing. (This would include Uzza in 1 Chronicles 13:9, when Uzza reaches up to steady the Ark as he thinks it’s going to fall and God strikes him down for touching it.) The Kohathites couldn’t even WATCH while the items were being covered in verse 20.

Levites are Chosen

Later in Numbers 16-17 the Israelites rebel against Moses and Aaron several times, but God makes it very clear that the Levites are to be chosen for their service to the tabernacle. After they are chosen for good in chapter 17, in chapter 18 verses 6-7 God says:

6 Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the Lord, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 7 Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Only the sons of Aaron are allowed to perform this service, anyone else is to be put to death. Harsh stipulations huh?

Next we jump to 2 Chronicles chapter 3. Don’t forget context, a lot has happened since Numbers. Israel has already received and divided the Promised Land up between the 12 tribes in Joshua, went through the Judges period, and is now ending the Period of the kings; Saul, David, and now Solomon. Solomon is in the process of building a permanent temple for God at this point. So as Solomon is building the permanent temple, check out verse 14 of chapter 3:

14 And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

Same kind of veil that separated the holy place from the Most Holy (or Holy of Holies) of the tabernacle.

In conclusion, the veil in the Old Testament could arguably be the most important piece of cloth in the world at the time. It alone kept anything unholy from coming into contact with the Most Holy. To have this veil removed, or for it to be breached by any person other than the high priest would be an extreme abomination of highest degree. A lot of planning, instruction, handiwork, and diligence had been put into place by God, and by God commanding man to accomplish these things. I can’t imagine what untold horror would take place if something were to happen to it…

The New Testament

First, we have to come up to speed rather quickly.

1. Jesus has been born of a virgin
2. Called his disciples
3. Done many miraculous works
4. Fulfilled many prophecies concerning the coming messiah
5. Been found guilty for no reason BY THE JEWS
6. Has been sentenced to death by crucifixion for “blasphemy”
7. Jesus is currently hanging on the cross as we continue…

In Matthew 27:50-54 we pick back up on the veil. Let’s see what it has to say:

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Whoa, that escalated quickly. Earthquakes, rocks splitting, graves opening, it is all very dramatic and visual. However, most people miss the tiny detail mingled within all the dramatic chaos. What about the veil? Who tore the veil? Right as Jesus dies the veil is torn. This is an extreme abomination according to the old law! That is in fact the very point of the whole matter. Just as Jesus dies, it is blatantly obvious that God is no longer dwelling with the people of Israel, but with the followers of Christ, His Son. The only explanation is that God tore the veil, thus ending the OLD covenant between Him and the Jews, and completing the NEW covenant between Him and the followers of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a New deal, a NEW agreement, a NEW covenant, thus ending and putting away the OLD one.

Let’s check out some more, Mark 15:37-39 tells the same story:

37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

Luke 23:44-47 shows more details that aren’t in Matthew or Mark’s account:

44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

 

47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

Now we have darkness over all the earth for 3 hours before the veil is torn in two. Scary stuff if you’re a Jew, these are very, VERY bad omens… The centurion saw it, many other people saw it, yet people today do not see the significance of this happening.

Let’s jump over to Hebrews now at chapter 6. Paul is writing to the Jews about Christ. He writes about how and why He came here, and about how and why He fulfills the law and has done away with the old law. In Hebrews 6:19-20 Paul writes:

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus is the High Priest for us forever, and has entered behind the veil for us, making an atonement for our sins once and for all. Notice the word ALL, This would include Jews, Gentiles, everyone in the world. Jesus died for anyone willing to follow him. There is no longer a need for a temple and a veil and a Holy of Holies, as Jesus has fulfilled all of that for us! What great news!

I’ll warn you, this next part is going to be lengthy because Paul goes into great detail on the differences between the old earthly sanctuary and the new heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 9 says:

The Earthly Sanctuary

9 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Limitations of the Earthly Service

6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

The Heavenly Sanctuary

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Conclusion

I have to admit that I do not see any room for the Jews being God’s chosen people in any of this chain of events. God obviously split the veil in two when Jesus died on the cross. God himself, ended the covenant with the Jews at that moment as this was an astronomical atrocity in His eyes that they should reject and crucify His Son.

There are several other passages that false teachers use to claim that the Jews are still God’s chosen people to this day, but I will cover those in later posts. But from looking at the just the veil by itself, it is clear that only people who are willing to follow Jesus will be granted eternal salvation through his blood. I hope this has helped to clear up some confusion on who really is God’s chosen people today, it is simply the Christians that follow Jesus Christ, His Son.

Thanksgiving – The Real Story

In light of Thanksgiving, let’s look at the actual story of the pilgrims for a moment. Not the usual story in children’s books, but what REALLY happened. This group of people is the reason we celebrate a holiday this week. This group truly had a sense of courage, determination, and fearlessness that most people today would turn their nose up at, rather than relating to it.

A basic context of the time.

Around the turn of the 17th century (1600-1620) England was not in good shape. It had a monarchical leader who was in control of everything, including the church. King James VI of Scotts, also known as King James I of England was not as appealing as most people realize. He was paranoid for his life beyond a reasonable doubt, and was a major contributor of the horrible witch hunts and trials in the late 1500’s. He would interrogate suspected witches himself and he alone would decide if they were or were not a witch. He wrote the ultimate authoritative book at the time, “Daemonologie” (modern spelling would be “demonology”) on how to tell if a person was a witch or not. Don’t get me wrong, King James had his highlights, as he is also the main contributor on the most popular translation of the Holy Bible in history. King James was neither favorable towards the Catholics or the Puritans, thus introducing a word-for-word translation without doctrinal notes or denominational bias from either side. The King James Version has been a best seller for over 400 years now. However, in the late 1500’s-early 1600’s a dispute arose over baptism…

What? It’s all about baptism?

Yes. A small group called the Puritans were lying in wait, itching at the chance to jump ship from this ruler, and especially, his church. The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church was having a major disagreement with anyone who was baptizing outside of the Church of England. The Church of England was not happy with this group that believed they did not have to be baptized by the Anglican Church, but could be baptized by themselves into Christ, just as the Bible states. Two of the biggest controversies was;

1. The Puritans did not believe an infant must be baptized, that it was a personal responsibility once a person reached an age to be held accountable to their own actions
2. that a person did not have to be baptized into the Anglican Church to be saved.

The Puritans also simply wanted to read from their own bible, and worship how they saw fit, without a higher leader ruling the stipulations of worship. After all, just 50 years before King James I, King Henry VII had separated England from the Roman Catholic Church due to his wives not producing a male heir to the throne. King Henry VII wanted to divorce his wife for this reason and the pope refused. This led to King Henry separating from the Roman Catholic Church and forming the Church of England. The new church believed that the King (not Christ) was the Head of the Christian church, and had ultimate authority over the affairs of the church.

(It is also at least worthy of note that a group of people that believed in reading the bible, and that the bible alone had authority, came to the conclusion that not only was baptism required, but that there was a correct, and incorrect way to perform it.)

The Puritans become Separatists

So what’s the difference between the Puritans and the Separatists? In a word…courage. The Separatists were the Puritans who had finally had it and were willing to SEPARATE (get it? SEPARATists?) from the country. In today’s language they would be labeled “intolerant”, “religious bigots”, “radicals”, “bible thumpers”, and probably even “terrorists”. These people were NOT “politically correct” by any means. Yet we celebrate them. They first went to Holland, a place where they acquired religious freedom, but they had become so poor they were barely scraping by. They were hardly able to put food on the table, and eventually Holland was not the place of a better life they were seeking anymore.

The Journey

After being fed up with the Church of England, King James I, and striving for “Freedom of Religion”, they were able to commission two ships bound for the New World, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. They poured all the money they had into this journey. They were only allowed to carry two items on the ship due to limited space…A clothes chest, and a bible box, PER FAMILY. They left everything else they owned…behind. The Speedwell sprang a leak and left the Mayflower to be the only ship that was able to make the journey the first time. The trip was not pleasant at all. The pilgrims lived below deck, on board with pirates that made fun of them, and likely threatened them. They only came up on the main deck to dump the pots they were puking or defecating in, and they were basically eating dried beans and dry biscuits. Disease ran rampant, and many died on the boat. During the horrible trip across the Atlantic, they veered way off course and landed further north than they had wanted, and late, in the dead of winter. It was not a good situation. 50% of the people that set out on the trip died either on the journey or within the first year in the New World. The natives were a saving grace to them. They helped them out with food, shelter, and other provisions. The Pilgrims had a deep respect for the Natives and thus was the birth of the holiday Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

First let’s define a word so the correct meaning is carried through this idea.

diversity

[dih-vur-si-tee, dahy-]

noun, plural diversities.

1. the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness:

diversity of opinion.

2. variety; multiformity.

3. a point of difference.

Diversity is obviously a “difference,” it has nothing to do with everyone adjusting themselves to become the same group. Respecting diversity is to respect a difference and not infringe, take advantage of, scoff, put down, or hate a person or group for it. We should respect diversity. Diversity is what makes us different. The Pilgrims had respect for the native’s diversity, and vice versa.

In light of the mutual agreements on both sides of the diversity between the Pilgrims and the Natives, the first Thanksgiving was held. A time when the Natives respected the Pilgrims just as much as the other way around. It was a MUTUAL relationship, not one side taking advantage of the other. The pilgrims respected the natives and wanted to celebrate overcoming all of the obstacles they had faced. After all, many of their family members had died, they suffered being persecuted in England, dropped the ball in Holland, survived a nightmare journey across the Atlantic, survived through the dead of winter and managed to plant, grow, and harvest a crop the following year. It’s really a no-brainer what they were celebrating. God had blessed them. They were THANKFUL just to be alive! This event is not to be confused with the settlers that flooded in later and exploited the Natives, slaughtered them, referred to them as “savages” and rejected any possible agreements.

So let’s remember the pilgrims correctly…

The Pilgrims respected diversity, as with the Natives. However, when push came to shove, when it really came down to standing for right and wrong, they would stand their ground, defend their beliefs to the death, and ultimately do just about anything to have the Freedom of Religion. To worship God without the input of the government. How many people today would have the courage to do this? In the face of an intimidating ruler, his government, his church, and even the general population? How many people are willing to be labeled “intolerant”, “radical”, or a “religious bigot” today, defend their faith, stand up for what they believe, and make the defining decision to NOT agree? Well, there’s the REAL story of the pilgrims. Let’s be thankful that we are alive, have food on the table, and have God’s word.

Happy Thanksgiving.

It’s not the gluten, its the glyphosate

I have been looking for some answers regarding why more and more people seem to intolerant to gluten. I wrote of my concerns and reasoning of Why I don’t buy into the Paleo Diet. I haven’t bought into wheat is harmful to the body and our ancestors didn’t eat wheat. I’ve made the comment to my hubby stating it’s not the wheat, it’s something they are doing to the wheat. I had no idea what they were doing and what was causing leaky gut, autoimmune disorders, imbalanced gut bacteria, gluten sensitivities, and all the links between wheat and/or gluten. All I knew was, it’s not the gluten. 

photo credit: Ian Hayhurst via photopin cc

 

 

Gluten and Glyphosate

Normally I wouldn’t be so interested in gluten and/or wheat. I would simply write the Paleo Diet off and go on with my life. The one thing that kept irritating me was every time I researched Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disorder that I recently was diagnosed with), the answer always seemed to be Go gluten free, Wheat is evil, Paleo is the answer, or something along those lines. With all the many sites very avidly suggesting to go gluten free, all I could think was they are missing something.

Today, I was browsing, you guessed it, Facebook and this article was published; The Real Reason Wheat is Toxic (It’s not the gluten). It looks like Monsanto should be up for a world record for most horrible company. The Healthy Home Economist tells about the disturbing process that modern farmers are using to harvest our wheat. Like I said, Monsanto is a real winner.

Standard wheat harvest protocol in the United States is to drench the wheat fields with Roundup several days before the combine harvesters work through the fields as withered, dead wheat plants are less taxing on the farm equipment and allows for an earlier, easier and bigger harvest – See more at: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/real-reason-for-toxic-wheat-its-not-gluten/#sthash.o7C5OuEB.dpuf

Here is a very interesting article from The Organic Prepper. Daisy from The Organic Prepper thought she was gluten intolerant. She had blood work to test her gluten sensitivity only to find out she wasn’t gluten intolerant. While her symptoms said she was gluten intolerant, her blood work said she wasn’t. She also said her friend experience the same issue. Read more about her story at Maybe Your Aren’t Actually Gluten Intolerant. Maybe You’re Just Poison Intolerant.

Make sure to check out The Healthy Home Economist’s The real reason wheat is toxic (It’s Not the Gluten) for the full story. Most of you probably know what Roundup is and what it is used for. While I have done some past research on the harmful effects of Roundup, it wasn’t until reading The Healthy Home Economist’s article that made me re-investigate the whole subject altogether.

What is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is an herbicide that is used to kill weeds. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup.   The sodium salt in glyphosate is used to ripen fruit . Another interesting factor is GMO foods (Genetically modified foods) are Roundup ready. This means most GMO foods are designed to be sprayed with Roundup. Basically, if you’re eating GMO foods, you are eating Roundup. Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah, I didn’t think so. GMO crops and weeds that are sprayed with Roundup have built up a tolerance to glyphosate. Due to this tolerance, they are having to use more Roundup to kill off the weeds. Looking at the last 5-10 years, they are using 2X more Roundup than they were initially.  In the last 10 years, celiac disease (autoimmine disease where body can’t break down gluten) has doubled. Look at the chart below. Another article to about Gluten intolerance and Glyphosate, check out Mother Earth News article Is Glyphosate the cause of ‘Gluten Intolerance?

What are the dangers of Glyphosate?

If you want a more detailed scientific explanation of how glyphosate causes the problems it does, watch the video above. I’m just going to focus on the issue glyphosate causes. Are you ready for this list?

• inflammation
• leaky gut
• autoimmune disorders
• gut flora imbalance
• Gut disorders (Croh’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, acid reflux, celiac disease)
• strong connection with autism (Monsanto’s Roundup Herbicide)
• digestive issues
• sulfate deficiencies
• gluten intolerance
• depletes aromatic amino acids such as tryptophan and tyrosine
• Tryptophan is a precursor to tryptophan>precursor to serotonin >precursor to melatonin)
• Seratoninin deficiency > linked to obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s, depression, and violent behavior
• Melatonin deficiency > Melatonin is important for your sleep/wake cycle
• depletes tyrosine which is a precursor of dopamine, adrenaline, and melanin
• Melanin deficiency >protects skin from UV rays which can lead to skin cancer
• Dopamine deficiency (linked to Parkinson’s disease)
• Methionine deficiency >supplies sulfur to the body >link between sulfur deficiency and Autism
• depletes minerals such as calcium, manganese zinc, cobalt, iron
• disrupts cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes which regulates Vitamin D regulation and activation, cholesterol, sex hormones (can lead to infertility), detoxifies toxins, stabilizes blood (hemorrhaging, and blood clots), and bile acid production
• high serum nitrate and ammonia
• impaired immune function
• chronic low grade inflammation in the brain
• endocrine disruptions
• neurological disorders
• kills good bacteria such as bifidobacteria (converts gluten to less toxic form. It aids in the breakdown of gluten in the body)
• promotes breast cancer
• possible link between Anencephaly (rare disease that child is born without a brain  ) Glyphosate and Anencephaly

“When future historians write about our time, they’re not going to write about the tons of chemicals we did or didn’t apply. When it comes to glyphosate, they’re going to write about our willingness to sacrifice our children and jeopardize our existence, while threatening and jeopardizing the very basis of our existence; the sustainability of our agriculture” – Professor Dob Huber on Glyphosate

Most of my iinformation has been gained from watching the video below. Dr. Stephanie Seneff covers  the harmful effects of glyphosate in her presentation below.

 

 

 What can we do about our exposure to Glyphosate?

If I’ve freaked you out enough, then you probably want to limit your exposure to glyphosate. I knew this was going to be bad as soon as I learned farmers were spraying their crops with roundup but I didn’t realize I was opening a can of worms. I highly suggest you watch the videos, visit the links, and do your own research. Yes, the videos are lengthy and it’s alot of information but they will help you understand the seriousness of our exposure to glyphosate. Anyways, what can we do? It’s been said a million times and I’m going to say it again.

Eat Organic whenever possible. Look for foods that are GMO free. Grow your own foods or buy locally from trusted farmers. Don’t be afraid to ask the farmers if they use Monsanto’s products such as Roundup. In most cases, the farmer will be strongly against GMOs and probably begin to tell why. Or he will try to say something like “We use Monsanto to feed the world.” HA!! By the way, GMOs are NOT a sustainable way of farming. Monsanto’s seeds have to be bought EVERY year and you can’t save the seeds due to Monsanto patenting the genetically modified seeds. Even if you did, they are modified to not sprout the next year. Oh, and skip the Roundup whenever spraying your own lawn.

When it comes to flour, I recommend King Arthur Flour. They are non-GMO and they are of a high quality. I used to think there was no difference in the brand of flours but the first time I used King Arthur flour, I could taste a difference. The texture was also better in baked goods.

Look for the Non-GMO Project Seal. For more information about the seal, visit The Non GMO Project.

 

Support organizations for GMO labeling. There are many people outrage by the GMO foods and strongly want GMOs labeled. The more who fight for GMO labeling, the more pressure we put on politicians to label GMOs.

 

Share the knowledge. Share the link to my blog, share the videos, share the links, and let everyone know about the harmful effects of Roundup.

Before you go, if your new to the harmful effects of GMOs and Monsanto’s role in all of this, check out Food Inc. If you have amazon Prime, you can watch it for free.

And also check out GMO OMG. It  talks about the GMOs specifically. This one is available on Netflix instant queue and DVD.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10

 

Leave your comments below. Did you find this article helpful? What are you thoughts?

photo credit: Ian Hayhurst via photopin cc
 

 

 

Paleo diet and why I don’t follow it

The Paleo Diet seems to sweeping the nation like crazy. It seems to be the diet to be on. I’ve seen tons of new books, articles, magazines, blog posts about how the Paleo Diet is the smart way to go. Well, I don’t buy it. There are parts of the Paleo Diet that I think are wise but part of the diet seems to be unwise.

What is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleo Diet claims to follow a diet based off of our caveman ancestors. The diet includes fresh fruit, veggies, fish, and grass fed beef. It excludes dairy, grains, and processed foods.

Haven’t we learned anything?

Through my MANY diet fails I have learned eliminating food groups is not the key to healthy living. Remember when egg yolks were evil? How about the low fat diets ?The Atkins Diet  or The South Beach Diet which pushed low carb, high protein? How about the absurd diets like Grapefruit diet, HCG Diet, or the Cabbage Diet? The horrible calorie counting that is “simply science”? Let’s not even get started on the diet pills or if milk is good/bad for you. Through all these many fads, they always promise results with some scientific evidence that guarantees weight loss and healthy living. But America (which seems to be the place where these “great” diets become very popular) is the most overweight, unhealthy nation. If ANY of these diets would have worked, this nation would be slim, fit, and healthy. But we’re not.

We are SO desperate to lose weight, and look good that we put all of our logical reasoning aside in hopes of a slimmer body. This is called vanity in the Bible. We will go through crazy diet fads in order to drop a few pounds. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for healthy living. Living a healthy lifestyle and taking care of your body brings about a more enriched life, clearer thinking, and you feel better overall. Who doesn’t want to be healthy? It is in your best interest to BE healthy. But these diets are far from healthy. You may drop a few pounds at first and gain all them back plus some in the end. And the cycle starts over again the next time you start the new best diet.

Photo Credit

 

 

But the Paleo isn’t new. It’s the diet of our Ancestors.

Actually, no. Our ancestors ate grains and dairy. Archaeologist have found grinding stones that ancient civilizations used to grind grains. Even without the evidence, think about it. If you were starving (when I say starving, I am not talking about starving from eating lunch and ready for supper) and you tried to go hunt for meat but failed in killing an animal. You then try to find some berries but also are unlucky. You then stumble upon the “all dreaded” wheat or the “evil” dairy cow. Would you eat it or drink it? I know I would. You see, our ancestors lived in a time where they hunted and gathered their own food. They didn’t have the luxury of driving to the grocery store and deciding that grains and milk/dairy was bad for you. You can even look to the Bible to see that as far back as the Egyptians were eating, harvesting grains.

When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”  And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” (Genesis 42:1-2)

Remember the story of Ruth in the Bible? She was gleaning grains during the time of the harvest. Don’t believe the bible? Well look at some of the ancient Egyptian drawings. They were clearing harvesting grains and eating them. The Egyptians were also drinking milk. They kept cattle, sheep, and goats. They stored the fresh milk in jars to be consumed immediately. If they didn’t consume it immediately, they processed the milk into quark or yogurt-like labaneh.

Ancient cultures like the Chinese are know for their consumption of rice. The Indus Valley Civilization, Mayans, Egyptians, Chinese, Japenese,  Romans, all ate grains and drank milk. You look at all these different cultures and you will see they all enjoyed both grains and dairy. Can you imagine trying to explain to these ancient cultures how milk and wheat was bad for them?? I’m sure they would glaze over and continue doing what they always had done, eating grains and dairy.

My mom talks about an ancient time (ok, not so ancient but ancient to me haha 🙂 ) when they grew everything they ate. And what they didn’t have, they bartered for. They were very poor. I am talking about a time when they were so poor they actually had dirt floors. No, I am not kidding. They were a family of 12 struggling to survive. They worked hard sun up to sun down. Every single one of them worked hard. She likes to tell me of times when all they had to eat was wheat muffins with honey and washed it down with milk, and how delicious this simple meal was. The milk was freshly milked from a cow or a goat. The wheat muffins were made from fresh wheat they had grown, harvested, and ground. My grandpa had robbed the honey from the bee hive. And the muffins were made from scratch by my grandmother. They were poor, worked hard, ate fresh grains and veggies grown from the soil they tilled, the meat was from the animals they grew on the farm, and most importantly, they were healthy.

But the caveman dated way before Egyptians..

So you mean to tell me that the Egyptians just decided to start eating grains and dairy? The reason I chose the Egyptians is because there is mountains of evidence on the modern science viewpoint and biblical accounts. Like it or not, they are still an ancient civilization.  There is hard evidence that the Egyptians ate grains and dairy. Both the biblical viewpoint and science both recognize the Egyptians as an ancient civilization. There is scientific evidence and the Bible also speaks of their time. I have a very different viewpoint than most. I am a Christian and take the Bible as truth. The caveman era that modern science teaches is off when aligning it to the Bible.  We all know science changes all the time. Simply look at the fad diets and you will see how science isn’t consistent. But that is another rabbit hole I will not go into detail right now. I think there were caveman but the time frame was not as modern science states and they are missing some details. I look to the bible for my answers. If you’re interested, read Answers in Genesis’ article When did caveman live? So to sum it up, the “caveman” can be found in Genesis. Where you can clearly see they ate grains and dairy. Even if you don’t believe the bible, archaeologist have dug up mills from ancient civilizations that they state were during the Caveman era. Like I said above, I have a different viewpoint on the Caveman era. But it still remains that an ancient civilization before the well documented and studied Egyptians, were still grinding grains.

As far as evolution goes. We do not just decide and/or evolve one day to begin eating something we never had to previous times. That is like saying we can evolve to eat grass. Grass has no nutrients to the human body. Our body can’t just automatically begin to need grass. It is undeniable that grains and dairy have nutrients that the body needs. Grass, on the other hand, doesn’t. Think about this for a second. If you saw a man out in his front yard eating grass, what would you think? You would think this man is mentally disturbed. Science would probably say, this man has some kind of disorder. Let’s say he comes to you and says, “Try some, it tastes like chicken.” Would you try it? Probably not but for the sake of argument let’s say he talks you into it. You try it and make a face, spit it out, and realize he is a little crazy. Let’s put that scenario to a “time when they didn’t eat grains and dairy.” Now apply that same scenario to the caveman. Civilizations all around the world would not just decide to start eating wheat and dairy just because they felt like it especially if it didn’t have any beneficial nutrients. It wouldn’t happen. You couldn’t convince civilizations around to world to eat grass so why would you think you could convince them to eat wheat and dairy if they weren’t already consuming it?

We have evolved to drive cars. We have evolved to manufacture food to be sold at the local grocery store. We have evolved to do many things but it does have limits. I do not believe we evolved from monkeys. I honestly think this is a disgrace to man to think we were once monkeys. I mean, monkeys eat their own poop. I am not kidding.  My husband didn’t believe me until I pulled up multiple videos on youtube. Again, another rabbit hole I am not going to journey down today. If your interested and this is a new viewpoint for you, check out Answers in Genesis’s article; Theory of Evolution.

What the Paleo diet got right….

I don’t think all of the Paleo Diet is wrong. I think they got a few things right. Most of our foods are highly processed, genetically modified, growth hormone induced, nutrient lacking, picked before its ripe, sprayed with gas to make it look nice,  and probably a few other problems I’m missing. Our food is literally a science experiment and as far from natural as you can get. We are a nation that is overfed and undernourished. We take supplements to counteract the foods that are seriously lacking vital vitamins and minerals. Our health is declining but McDonald’s is making the big bucks.

Eliminating processed foods and grains that have been stripped of their nutrients, growth hormones, GMOs, choosing organic, growing your own food or buying from local farmers you trust, and avoiding toxins such as pesticides, are all on the right track to eating healthy. Don’t fall into the lies and fad diets that are going to destroy your health even further. Trust me, give it 5-10 years and the Paleo Diet will be tossed out for the next diet that comes along to promise health, weight loss, and some kind of science to back up the claims.

 

When I wrote the blog post, I didn’t know the information I know now. Stay tuned for the next blog post. I will be covering why many are having reactions to wheat. *** Hint*** It’s not the gluten! 😉

So what are you thoughts on the Paleo Diet? Is it a do or a don’t?

 

 

 

photo credit: photobookgirl via photopin cc

photo credit: alexrheadrick via photopin cc

 

 

 

 

Veterans Day FREEBIES and deals

Veteran’s Day is November 11 and is right around the corner. My husband is a Veteran and last year was the first year we took advantage of the  Veteran’s Day deals /freebies . So if you are a veteran, wife to a veteran, or know someone who has served, pass these awesome deals along.

Here is a list of different companies that offer freebies and deals to Veterans. Some of these offers may only be available in certain areas so make sure to check your local restaurant or store. Also, many local stores and restaurants offer deals and FREEBIES so check locally for more deals!

Most places will require to show military I.D. so don’t forget your military I.D. Veteran’s Organization Card, DD214, or some kind of identification displaying your association with the military.

FOOD

54th Street Grill & Bar – Shiloh, Il, Glen Carbon, IL
Honor your veteran and bring them into any Five-Four for a free meal on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014. Up to $12.00, proof of service required.

Applebee’s — Veterans and active duty military receive a free meal from a limited menu, on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11.

Baker’s Square Free Breakfast
Veterans and active duty get a complimentary breakfast on Veterans Day. Choose between Buttermilk Pancakes, three slices of French Toast or a Belgian Waffle.

Bar Louie Free Lunch or Dinner
From open to close Monday, November 10th and Tuesday, November 11th every Bar Louie location across the country will offer veterans and military personnel a free meal up to a $12 value when they show valid military I.D. or other proof of service.

BLT Steak, Prime, Burger & More
All Veterans & Active Military Will Enjoy 50% Off For Two & 25% Off For Parties of Three or More.

Bob Evans
Veterans and active military personnel will receive free all–you-can-eat hotcakes at its restaurants. All these honored servicemen and women need do is show a valid military ID.

Bonanza Steakhouses
Monday, November 17th – All former and current military service men and women enjoy a free buffet. Contact your local Bonanza for more details.

Calhoun’s Restaurant in Tennessee — special Veterans Day menu that veterans can eat for free off of on Veterans Day. Bring along a military ID to your closest Calhoun’s.

California Pizza Kitchen
On Tuesday, November 11, all veterans or active duty military personnel will be able to select from a special Veterans Day menu including pizza, salads and pasta. Please come in uniform or bring your military ID or other proof of service.

Carrabba’s Free Appetizer
All active and retired veterans receive a free appetizer at participating locations November 8th through November 11th, 2014.

Centaarchy Restaurants
This Veterans Day, Veterans and active military service members receive a free entrée and 25% off to their accompanied family and friends.  Includes California Dreaming, New York Prime, Chophouse ’47, The Tavern at Phipps, Carolina Roadhouse, Joey D’s Oak Room, Burro Loco, Gulfstream Cafe, Chophouse New Orleans.

Champps Free Cheeseburger and Fries
Veterans and active-duty receive a free handcrafted cheeseburger on Veterans day, 11/11/14. Must provide proof of service.  Participating locations only, check to confirm.

Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse Eat Free
Veterans and active-duty military eat free (up to $20) on Veterans Day. Valid ID required or in uniform or photo in uniform.

Cheeseburger in Paradise
On Tuesday, November 11 get a complimentary All-American Burger with fries to veterans, active and retired military personnel. Dine in only and must purchase a beverage and present proof of service.

Chuck E. Cheese’s
All U.S. Armed Forces veterans and active-duty military get 20 free tokens upon a visit to Chuck E. Cheese’s from Sunday, November 9, through Saturday, November 15. Military ID or proof of service is required, but no coupon is needed.

Chili’s — Visit a participating Chili’s on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, to get your Veterans Day free meal if you are a veteran or on active military duty. You’ll need to show proof of military service to get your Veterans Day free meal.

City Barbeque
One free half pound sandwich platter will be given to each veteran for either dine-in or carryout orders on Veterans Day.  All locations are participating.

Claim Jumper Free Meal
On Monday, November 10, all Claim Jumper locations will provide those who served a complimentary lunch or dinner from a special menu.  Menu options include  baked pot pies, Tilapia Bianca, Roasted Tri Tip Dinner, Roasted Tri Tip Shrimp, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Salmon, Black Tie Pasta and Chicken Fried Steak. Verification of service is required.

Coffee Beanery
Participating Coffee Beanery locations will offer a free tall cup of coffee all day on November 11th. Veterans and active duty military will need to provide their military identification for the offer. Call ahead to make sure that your local Coffee Beanery is participating.

Cotton Patch Cafe
Free Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken for all active duty and veterans on 11/11/14.

Country Cookin
Active, reserve, and retired military personnel receive a free meal on Veteran’s Day.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Veterans receive a complimentary Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola® Cake dessert to veterans and an opportunity for guests to make purchases that support the United Service Organizations (USO).  Veterans Day only.

Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries – Includes Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants, Rock Bottom Restaurants & Breweries, Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom and ChopHouse & Brewery restaurants nationwide
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, veterans and active military personnel can show their valid military-issued identification card  or come dressed in uniform to receive their complimentary craft beer or appetizer. To locate the nearest restaurant, veterans can visit www.craftworksrestaurants.com.

Denny’s — Active, inactive and retired military personnel get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam on Tuesday, November 11, from 5 a.m. to noon at participating locations.

East Coast Wings
Veterans receive a free appetizer or dessert with a $10 or more purchase on 11/11/14.

Einstein Bros Bagels — Any veteran can stop by their local Einstein Bros Bagels on Tuesday, November 11 and get a free coffee. No purchase is required to get the free coffee, but you do need to show military ID. They get a 10% discount everyday

Famous Dave’s
On November 11th, former and active military are invited to come in and receive a free One Meat Salute on us. Choose from one meat, a corn muffin, and a side. Participating locations only. From 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. Proof of service required. Dine In only.

Figaro’s
Veterans and active service members get a free medium 1 topping pizza on Nov. 11, 2014.

Food City
Veterans and active military receive a free hot bar meal on November 11th.

Friendly’s Free Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
Friendly’s is treating veterans and active military, with a valid military ID or honorable discharge card, to a free breakfast, lunch or dinner on Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2014. The breakfast choice is their Big-Two-Do’s® array of breakfast options and for lunch or dinner it’s the All American Burger with fries and a beverage (soda, iced tea or hot beverage).

Glory Days Grill
Glory Days invites all veterans on 11/11/14 to join Glory Days and receive a free appetizer or wings with proper ID.

Green Mill Restaurant and Bar
Veterans and Active Duty Military eat free on Veterans Day – Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

Golden Corral — Golden Corral Restaurants’ Military Appreciation is actually Monday, November 17, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Military retirees, veterans, active duty, National Guard and Reserves are all welcome.

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt
On November 11, 2014, participating Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt shops across the country are giving away free single-scoop ice cream cones to all veterans and military personnel with a valid military ID.

Hooters – Veterans and active duty military get a free meal up to $10.99 in value with a drink purchase at participating locations on Tuesday, November 11.

Hurricane Grill & Wings
Tuesday, November 11th Veterans and active duty military personnel receive a complimentary meal and non-alcoholic beverage from a select menu on Veterans Day. Menu items include: Grilled Chicken, Caesar Salad, 10 Wings, Fish and Chips, Chicken Sandwich (Crispy/Grilled), Burger Sliders, Pulled Pork Quesadilla. Verification through ID or Uniform.  Participating locations only.

Hy-Vee Free Breakfast
Hy-Vee is providing free breakfast for veterans during regular breakfast hours on Veterans Day.

 

IHOP — On Tuesday, November 11, participating IHOP Restaurants offer veterans and active duty military free Red, White and Blue pancakes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Ikea
Many Ikea locations are offering a free meal for veterans November 9 – 11, 2014.  Search for your local Ikea store, go to the store home page and select the Special Offers tab for details.

Kangaroo Express
Any service member with a military I.D. that visits one of Kangaroo Express’ nearly 1,200 grill-ready stores between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11 is invited to purchase a grill item for just 25-cents (one per guest, while supplies last).

Krispy Kreme – Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut and small coffee to all veterans on Tuesday, November 11 at Knox locations.

Krystal
Active and retired armed forces members this Veterans Day with a free sausage biscuit to any active or retired service member with military ID.

Lamar’s Donuts
Free donut and a 12oz coffee for all veterans and active military on Veterans Day.

Little Caesars Pizza. US Military and Vets get a FREE order of Crazy Bread, with proof of military status/service. Call your local Little Caesars to make sure they are participating in this deal.

Lone Star Steakhouse
A free entrée on Veterans Day to active duty and reserves.

Longhorn Steakhouse Free App
Service members receive a complimentary Texas Tonion appetizer and non-alcohol beverage on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Includes veterans and current service members.

Max & Erma’s Free Cheeseburger Combo Meal with Dessert
On Veterans Day, participating Max & Erma’s locations are celebrating veterans and active military personnel with a free three course combo.

McCormick and Schmick’s Free Entree
Enjoy a complimentary entree on Sunday, November 9th, 2014 (2 days before Veterans Day). All veterans must show official verification. Veterans Day entrees must be enjoyed at the restaurant.

Menchie’s Free Frozen Yogurt
On Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11th, 2014 all Veterans and military personnel with a military ID or dressed in uniform will receive a free six ounce frozen yogurt any time of day.  Show a valid ID or be in uniform to receive.

Mission BBQ
Veterans eat free on Veteran’s Day.  Free sandwich and cake while supplies last.

Mod Pizza
Veterans and active duty military are invited in for a free individual pizza or had-tossed salad on Veterans Day

O’Charley’s — Veterans and active duty military can stop into an O’Charley’s location and get a free meal from their new $9.99 menu on Tuesday, November 11. Be sure to bring military ID or proof of service for this free meal in case you’re asked for it.

Olive Garden — On Tuesday, November 11, all veterans and current service members get a free meal from a limited menu. Must bring military ID or proof of service.

Orange Leaf — All veterans and active-duty military personnel can get a free cup of froyo at any Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt location on Tuesday, November 11, for Veterans Day. Proof of service is required to take advantage of this offer, such as dressing in military uniform or showing military ID, honors, or badges.

Outback Steakhouse — All active and former service members receive a free Bloomin’ Onion and a beverage on November 11. Outback is also offering active and former service members 15% off their meals Nov. 12 through Dec. 31.

PDQ
Free tenders or sandwich for all veterans or active duty military with ID or in uniform.

Perkins — Participating Perkins Restaurant & Bakeries are giving out a free Magnificent Seven meal which includes two eggs, three buttermilk pancakes, and a choice of two bacon strips or two sausage links, beverages not included. Be sure to bring along your military ID to take advantage of this free Veterans Day meal.

Pinnacle Entertainment
Free buffet on Veterans Day at Pinnacle’s properties including Ameristar, Belterra, Boomtown, L’Auberge, Retama and River City properties.

Pie Five Pizza
On Veterans Day active duty, reserve and retired military receive a free individualized pizza.  Must show valid ID.

Pizza Factory
Free lunch special or a lunch buffet for veterans on November 11, 2014.

Pizza Schmizza & Schmizza Pub & Grub
Veterans and active service members get a free slice of pizza on Nov. 11, 2014 between 1 and 4 p.m.

Ponderosa Steakhouses
Monday, November 17th – All former and current military service men and women enjoy a free buffet. Contact your local Bonanza for more details.

Red Hot & Blue Restaurants
Veterans, Active Duty, Retirees and Reservists receive a free meal with the purchase of a second meal of equal or greater value. Proof of military service required. Dine-in only. Print and present the coupon before ordering. Offer valid on Monday, November 10, 2014; Tuesday, November 11, 2014 and Wednesday, November 12, 2014.

Red Lobster — Veterans, retired and active-duty military personnel receive a complimentary appetizer from a limited menu from Monday, November 10 to Thursday, November 13. Must bring military ID or proof of service.

Red Robin –Veterans and active duty military get a free Red’s Tavern Double Burger with Bottomless Steak Fries on Tuesday, November 11.

Rib Crib
This Veterans Day, all veterans and active-duty military eat free at participating locations.

Rock & Brews
Veterans and active-duty members receive a free ultimate burger or pulled pork sandwich on November 11th, 2014.  Dine in only, military or veteran ID required.

Ruby Tuesday
Get a free appetizer on Veterans Day to all those who served or are serving.

Rusty Bucket & Tavern
On Veterans day get 11% off lunch or dinner with proof of service, food portion of check only, up to 4 guests. Includes Active Duty, Veterans, Retirees, Reservists, Dependents.

Ryan’s
On Veterans Day (Nov. 11), active duty, reservists and retired military may enjoy a free dine-in lunch at participating Ryan’s locations, from open until 3:30 pm. Show your military ID or proof of service to enjoy the free meal.

Shoney’s Offers Free All-American Burger
Shoney’s says ‘Thank You’ to America’s heroes by offering a Shoney’s All-American Burger and fries to all Veterans and Active Duty Military members on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014.

Sizzler Free Lunch
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, Veterans, active duty, retired members of the military get a free lunch. Guests with proof of military service will select a six-ounce six-ounce Tri Tip Steak, single Malibu Chicken or a half dozen Fried Shrimp entrée with a choice of coffee, iced tea or a fountain drink.

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill
Veterans and active duty get a free meal on Nov. 11, 2014.  Must show proof of service.

Sonny’s BBQ — This Veterans Day, all veterans will receive 50 percent off their food purchase* at Sonny’s BBQ.
Dine-in only, excludes alcohol

Spaghetti Warehouse Buy 1 Get 1 Free Meal
Spaghetti Warehouse is honoring veterans with a special “buy one entree, get one free” coupon offer and is encouraging its guests to “invite a veteran to lunch or dinner”. Beginning Nov. 4th, the coupon will be available online onSpaghetti Warehouse’s website.

Starbucks– Starbucks will be giving out free tall brewed coffees to veterans, active duty military, and their spouses on Veterans Day.

Texas Corral Free Entree
A free entrée on Veterans Day from a special menu for vets and active duty.

Texas Land & Cattle
TXLC will honor Veterans, both active and retired plus reserves with a free appetizer; Crispy Onion Strings, Spicy White Queso, Steakhouse Onion Rings, Avocado Smash or Big D Spinach Dip.

 

Texas Roadhouse — Texas Roadhouse locations nationwide will offer veterans a free lunch on Tuesday, November 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Offer is good for active duty, retired or former U.S. military.

TGI Fridays Free Lunch
Veterans and active duty military service members are invited to have lunch from a special menu on T.G.I Friday’s this Veterans Day.

The Green Turtle
Veterans and Active Duty military enjoy a free meal on Tuesday, November 11th.

Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop Free Doughnut
Veterans and active-duty military will receive a free doughnut. No purchase required. Valid ID required or show up in uniform.

Tijuana Flats
Veterans and active-duty military eat free on Veterans Day, 11.11.14.

Travel Centers of America Free Meal
On Veterans Day, all CDL drivers who are Military Veterans eat free at participating full-service restaurants with proof of service. Must present valid ID.

Tucanos Brazilian Grill
Share a photo of your hero for a free salute. Get a free dessert by tagging Tucanos on Instagram with @Tucanosusa #VeteransDay and then upload your picture here.

Twin Peaks Free Meal
Service men and women eat free on 11/11/14.

Uno’s free entrée or pizza with a purchase
With a Military or Veteran ID, entrees are buy one get one free, and anyone who presents this ticket will donate 20% of your total check to Fisher House Veterans Association.

Village Inn Free Breakfast
All who have served get a complimentary breakfast on Veterans Day. Choose between Buttermilk Pancakes, three slices of French Toast or a Belgian Waffle.

Wayback Burgers
Both active and retired military personnel can get a free menu item, with no purchase necessary all day Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Woody’s Bar-B-Q
When Vets buy an entree on Veterans Day they receive a gift certificate for a free entree on their next visit.

Zoes Kitchen –Active duty military and veterans get a free entrée, and family members get 10% off on November 11. Must bring military ID or proof of service.

 

Sonny’s BBQ — This Veterans Day, all veterans will receive 50 percent off their food purchase* at Sonny’s BBQ.
Dine-in only, excludes alcohol

Retail Shops

Bed Bath and Beyond — Veterans, active duty, Reserves, Guard and spouses get 20% off their entire purchase November 8 through 11.

Big Lots:  10% off your entire purchase. Offer available to active duty, Guard/Reserve, Veterans, retirees and their immediate family members, with valid ID. Offer valid at participating locations.

Dollar General: 10% discount on entire purchase on Veterans Day – offer good for all active-duty military, retirees, Veterans , Guard/Reserve, & immediate family members. The coupon can be found in the store circular, or by asking an employee. Also good online, use Coupon Code VETERANSDAY. More info.

Vista Print- Choose from 6 different designs or upgrade to premium checks and choose from many more designs. Bonus Offer – Get 250 FREE Business Cards! FREE Checks & Business Cards offer.

Great Clips – On Tuesday, November 11, customers who come in for a service can get a free haircut card to give to their favorite veteran. Veterans can also receive a free haircut or get the free haircut card. Haircuts are redeemable until Dec. 31. http://www.greatclips.com/promotions/veterans-day

Home Depot Military Discount-Home Depot is extending its daily 10% active-duty military discount to Veterans and their immediate family for purchases up to $2000.  Must show a valid military ID or proof of service. You can also find Home Depot discounts online.

JCPenny- Veterans, active duty and family members receive an extra 20% off in stores Nov. 6-11 with coupon.

Lowe’s- Lowe’s is extending its daily 10% active-duty military discount to Veterans and their immediate family for purchases up to $5000.

Must show a valid military ID or proof of service. You can also find exclusive discounts at Lowe’s.com.

Publix — Active and retired military personnel and their families get a 10% discount on Tuesday, November 11.

Rack Room Shoes — Military personnel and their dependents get a 10% discount off entire purchase on Veteran’s Day, November 11.

Sleep Number — From October 14 through November 16, Sleep Number is providing special offers for current and past military personnel. Save $400-$700 on selected Sleep Number mattress sets. http://www.sleepnumber.com/military?cm_sp=Vetsday-_-Specials-_-Featured-bed-Main-military

 

 

Did I miss any?

If I missed any, please share them in the comments below and I will add them to the list.

Math Resources including apps, games, printable worksheets, and more

Being a home school mom and just a mom in general, one of the greatest resources I use is the internet. You can find tons of resources for any subject and many of them are FREE. Here is a compiled list of different math resources and I tried to mainly include FREE resources (unless I thought it was an awesome resource). You will find math worksheets,tutorials, videos, games, apps, and even free math curriculum.

 Math Web Sites

MathisPower4u– This site has almost 4,000 mini math lessons. They are organized by course topic. It has videos lessons for your basic math all the way up to Calculus 3. There is also a Roku Channel for MathisPower4u.

MyOpenMath- This is a FREE self service open textbook course. You can sign up as a teacher or as a student. Many of the MathusPower4u videos are included within the course.

KhanAcademy- Most have probably came across Khan Academy. But for those who haven’t, Khan Academy offers free resources for a wide range of subjects including math.

CoolMath– Offers math games from addition all the way to calculus.

MathUSee– Most of you may know of Math U See curriculum. They also have some free resources such as worksheet generator, Online Drill, fact sheets, and Stewardship Calculators. Math U See also has a math manipulative app. While its not free, it could be a great alternative to buying the blocks.

Math Playground– Math games, Logic Games, and word problems

Math Drills– Tons of FREE math worksheets grouped by categories

Homeschool Math– Need help choosing a math curriculum? This site has a list of different curriculum, details about them, and reviews.

Mathematics Benchmarks– Math Benchmarks for each grade level. The benchmarks show which skills and lessons a child needs per grade level.

Math is Fun– FREE full math curriculum for k-8, algebra 1 & 2, and Geometry.

Math Mammoth– FREE math tutorials and lessons on youtube.

PurpleMath– Purple Math has alot of information for algebra students. Lessons can be found under the Practice section. The Lessons and Tutoring section has a list of sites with reviews.

Donna Young– Lots of good math printables. Some of the printables include graph paper, Number Line worksheets, clock worksheets, printable math manipulatives, charts, and more. She also has a ton of other printables on her site so be sure to bookmark or pin her site!

Five J’s– Here is Five J’s top 10 math resources. She has some of the same links and some new ones as well.

Free Math Help-This site includes math lessons for Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Sports Math, and Statistic.

ABCya– ABCya has educational games and apps for K-5. They cover many different subjects including math.

Sheppard Software– This site has games and activities for many different subjects for little kids all the the way to college. It also has activities for adults.

 

 

 

Math Apps

Here is a list of math apps. Some of them fall under multiple categories. I have tried to include the apps into each category but please forgive me if I missed a multiple category. There were so many apps I found and I know this is far from being complete.

 

Elementary Math

MathUSee Manipulatives for Apple- The app isn’t free. It is $14.99. If you use Math U See, this would be a great alternative for the blocks or even on the go. Even if you don’t use Math U See, this would be a great addition for the hands on/visual learners. This is also available on the Android. MathUSee Manipulative for Android.

FlashToPass Free Math Flash Cards

MathTappers–

Kindergarten Math Drills–

Numbers, Addition, and Subtraction

Counting and Addition

1st Grade Math:Splash Math

First Grade Learning Games

First Grade Math Challenge-Barnyard Edition

Grade 1 Math: First Step Zoo

2nd Grade Splash Math

Splash Math Grade 1 to 5

Second Grade Math Magic

2nd Grade Math: First Step Safari

Turbo Math Games: Grade K-4

 Math Splash Bingo

Splash Math-3rd grade

3rd Grade Frenzy

 4th grade Splash Math

Long Division Touch

DoodleMath

Fractions & Decimals

Math. This app can be found under multiple categories.

Middle School

King of Math

 Buzzmath Middle School

Middle School Math 6th Grade

Math.

iTooch Middle School

CandyFactory Educational Game

7th Grade Math learning Game

Math Animations (Grades 1-8)

Middle School Math 8th grade

Alegbra Game with Linear

Khan Academy PreAlgebra Khan Academy has many apps for many different topics. You can search “Khan Academy” under the App store to view their many different apps. Also check out their web site.

Mathpro

Math Logarithms

Algebra

Free Graphing Calculator

Khan Academy Algebra 1

Math.

iMathematics

Math Pro!!

Mathway

The Fun Way to Learn Alegbra

HMH Math On the Spot

Mathematical Formulas

MyMath: Algebra and Trigonometry equations

Trigonometry

Triangle Solver

Khan Academy: Trigonometry

Trig Wheel

Polar Sweep

The scientific Calculator

Stewardship

ClearCheckbook– I personally use this to keep my checkbook registry. You can log in online or through the app. The app doesn’t store the information on your phone therefore both me and the hubby can log in and enter our transactions. You could use this for personal use and/or while teaching kids about managing money. You can set up different accounts as well as cash on hand. There is also the option to create budgets so you can stay on track for your financial goals.

Khan Academy: Finance 1

Khan Academy: Finance 2

Khan Academy: Finance 3

PiggyBot

Allowance & Chores Bot Free

Kids Bank Free

MyFinanceLab Financial Calculator

Mint Personal Finance

Unsplurge

GoodBudget Planner

Simple Loan Calculator

Loan Simulator Mobile

Amortizator

EZ Financial Calculators

Mortgage Calculator

 

 

I hope you will find these resources helpful! If you have resources that I missed, please share with in the comments. Also, if you have used the resources listed, leave you review in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sourdough Bread

The Benefits of Sourdough Bread

 

Photo created using Basic Sourdough Bread-Bread Kneaded by Rebecca Siegel

My story and what lead to researching sourdough bread

About two months ago, I started talking to some friends about some of my weight loss woes. It didn’t matter what I did I couldn’t lose weight, etc. They recommended I go see their physician and told me they had many of the same symptoms.  I had been tested before for hypothyroidism and it was negative so I thought my thyroid was fine. They told me they had been tested before as well but it wasn’t until a full panel was ordered that they discovered they had an under active thyroid. I was a little doubtful but I knew something was not right with my body so I went to the physician. She ran some blood work, told me my hormones were out of whack, deficient in B12, vitamin D, and my thyroid wasn’t functioning properly. She went over all my results and explained everything to me. She then advised me on what to do for treatment. Our hectic schedules were about to kick off again so we were headed to go camping right after the doc appointment.

Hypothyroidism

After we began to get back into our routine, me being me, I started researching hypothyroidism. I wanted to know what it is, what causes it, how to reverse it, etc. Hypothyroid seems to be very complex and can be different for each patient. So I got out the test results and compared it to the my research. And then I remembered she had wrote autoimmune next to the the thyroid antibody. I don’t know if I had been so busy to forget that she had said I was autoimmune, was in disbelief, or I thought maybe it wasn’t any big deal since the physician didn’t seem like it was anything out of the ordinary but I had completely forgot about her stating and writing that I was autoimmune. Of course, I began researching Autoimmune Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody. I quickly learned this was called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Hashimotos

I have spent some time trying to research this autoimmune disorder. I have been reading a book called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause. Almost every article, site, and the 2 books I have read over Hashimotos talks about getting your gut back in check. Many doctors and specialists are making a connection between gluten and autoimmune disorders. The health of your gut plays a big role in your immune system. Last night, I was reading the book mentioned above and it began talking about Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder where the lining of the small intestine is. People with Celiac Disease are also gluten intolerant. They can remove gluten from their diet and see improvements. So what does Celiac Disease have to do with anything? I’m getting there. The book states that in studies, sourdough bread can be eaten safely by people with celiac disease (gluten intolerant) and even in some cases reverse it.

“Traditional bread preparation techniques involved using a “sourdough” fermentation process that would break down the gluten protein. This process involves putting a special types of yeast on the flour that takes about three days until the bread is ready to be baked.

Conventional bread preparation techniques don’t bother with this process and most wheat products in breads, cereals, and processed foods contain gluten.” (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, Izabella Wentz PharmD , pg 165-166)

Is it the wheat or yeast?

Interesting. This sparked my interest so of course, more research! I’m sure many of you have heard about the Paleo Diet, how wheat/grains are bad for you, etc. Wheat/grains have been getting a bad rep recently. But I have said from word go that I don’t believe we shouldn’t consume grains. People have been eating grain products for a long time. There had to be another connection they were missing. Jesus himself ate bread so I knew wheat was not bad for you but didn’t have any proof.

Funny thing is, about 6-7 months ago, I was talking to my sis and hubby about bread. I asked the question how did people in Biblical times and before mass production make bread. I knew some of them made flat bread but they still used some kind of leaven to make the bread rise. I had also wondered if the yeast purchased from the store was good for you. No one seemed to know and I had lightly tried to research it but I decided maybe I was thinking too much about yeast.

I was also curious what type of leavened bread they were making in Biblical times. Guess what kind of bread it was? Sourdough. Yep. Things are beginning to make sense. And guess what, they didn’t add yeast to the bread to leaven it. The bread made it’s own yeast through the fermentation process. Sourdough bread was made before the industrial revolution and during biblical times. Even the Egyptians used sourdough starter to make bread. They didn’t have a local grocery store that carried yeast in a little brown glass bottle. Making sourdough bread is like going back to the basics.

What makes the difference between regular bread and sourdough bread?

If you’ve ever made sourdough bread, you know it is a lengthier process. You have to have a sourdough starter which can be made yourself (takes about a week) or you are given a sourdough starter from a friend or family member. Once you have the starter, it takes 3 days before you actually bake the bread.  With normal bread, you start it the same day that you bake it and there is no starter involved. Unlike traditional bread, the sourdough bread goes through a fermentation process and it creates yeast from the air. You do not add the yeast to the bread, it creates its own. From what I have read, sourdough bread will taste different depending on your location.

The benefits of Sourdough Bread

1.) Easier to Digest- The bacteria and the yeast in the sourdough begin digesting the starches. This in return makes it easier for us to digest the starches.

2.) Blood Glucose Regulation- Some studies have shown that those who consumed Sourdough bread had a lower blood glucose level vs traditional breads. The results showed that the positive results lasted to hours after the next meal.

3.) Natural Preservative- Sourdough Bread will stay fresh longer because of the natural preservatives; acetic acid and lactic acid. These acids inhibit the growth of mold.

4.) Better absorption of vitamin and minerals- The longer fermentation breaks down the phytic acid. This means better absorbtion of the 18 amino acids, B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and maltase. People with Hashimotos, hypothyroidism, and many Americans are lacking in these vital nutrients.

5.) Good Bacteria- Sourdough bread contains the good bacteria (Lactobacillus) which is also the bacteria found in yogurt, kefir, sour cream, buttermilk, etc. If you buy a probiotic, it will probably have strains of Lactobacillus. Lots of research suggests a good bacteria= healthy gut = a healthy body.

6.) It’s delicious- I’m not going to claim that I bake all the time but I do bake more than most average Americans. About 3 months ago, a friend gave me a sourdough starter. It was different than baking typical bread and seemed like it would be some trouble since it took 3 days before I could bake it. Then I had to feed the starter like it was some little hungry monster growing in my fridge. My husband didn’t understand why he needed to go to the grocery store to buy potato flakes to feed the bread starter! Anyways,  after it was all said and done, it wasn’t that big of deal to make. And I have to say, it was some of the best bread I have ever made and ate. It was delicious and even the texture was better. It makes sense now why it tasted so scrumptious. It’s tastes better because it is better for you!

All wisdom comes from the Father

Maybe my gut instinct (no pun intended) was telling me something when I had questioned commercial yeast. Deep down I knew wheat was not the evil tyrant that diets like the Paleo have made many to think.  I haven’t bought into the Paleo Diet and the statements that come along with it. If you haven’t gathered this from my previous posts or this post, I am a Christian. I believe all wisdom comes from the heavenly father. So it only makes sense for me to look to the Bible for answers. As far as I’m aware, there is no scripture that says sourdough bread is better than modern bread but we can look to the scripture for some clues.

“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2:6)

Jesus was also our greatest example and he ate bread. The bread was also symbolic for his body. When Jesus broke the bread with the apostles, unleavened bread was used. We draw this conclusion since by looking at Matthew 25:1. Some may already know this but “leaven” is anything that is used to make the bread rise. Examples of leaven are yeast, baking soda, and baking powder.

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

Jesus also said he was the bread of life. Bread is nourishment for our bodies and Jesus is nourishment for our soul.

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

Here is some food for thought since leaven and bread is the topic here. If you look at Galatians 5:9, Paul referred to leaven as a symbol to sin. Any time you add even a little leaven to bread, you will get leavened bread. The bread is either leavened or unleavened. The same goes for our soul. A little sin makes the person sinful. You can not have even the smallest smidge of sin and be sin free. Many of us like to say “I am a good person,” or “she/he is a good person.” They/I only (insert sin here) a little or from time to time. Truth is, we all fall short of the glory of God. We have to ask for forgiveness for sin and turn from it. When a man called Jesus good, he replied and said, “Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. ” (Mark 10:18) It is only through Jesus Christ that can wash away our sins.  Does that mean we can go on sinning? No, there is MANY scriptures that tells us how we shouldn’t sin, what sin is, and how we should be more Christ like.

“A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”  Galations 5:9

Hope you have enjoyed my findings and find all this information as interesting as I do. 🙂 Leave your comments below.