Psalm 55:12-14 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

I don’t know of another way to repair the heartaches of life other than turning to God. I didn’t know that for a great many years, 34 to be exact. But now when heartache comes I only know that regardless of the turmoil going on around me there is One where there is nothing but sweet peace in His midst. There is One that I cannot explain in enough detail the way that “nothing just happens.”

I sat in my kitchen this morning with head in hands praying to God about the burdens on my soul, about a hurt that happened and asking Him to fix it or fix me; asking the question of the week for me “Lord, what would Thou have me to do?” I prayed pouring my heart out and then opened a devotion that I received through email with the above scripture.

It was indeed a “nothing just happens” moment. I opened the Bible and read the entire chapter and there on the pages of that divinely penned page was another friend that I have yet to meet that had been wounded so much worse than I, and he too was crying out to God. Although he prayed for God to kill them, I don’t think I’m that upset.

I doubt that it’s a stretch for me to say to you that you know from whence I speak. Everyone who has been alive very long has likely been emotionally scarred by someone. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I love people but more importantly I love Jesus. And before you think that I’m going to get in a self righteous mode, don’t. I’ve hurt Jesus more than most. I would not dare place myself on a pedestal above anyone. The scar that I bear this week was partially self inflicted… I have to take responsibility for it. God really didn’t need my help, nor did he want me to damage my own testimony by getting frustrated because someone else sinned.

I don’t know if David sinned when he prayed in verse 15 “Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” But I understood his angst. Getting hurt is hard enough to swallow when it’s someone we’re not friends with, but when a friend hurts you…it breaks your spirit. But I have to be reminded that neither David nor I bear a burden uncommon to the Lord, and His was from millions of friends as He went to cross, beaten beyond description, spit upon, mocked and ridiculed by people He loved, and He did so that they might be able to live in the home He’s preparing where there is no heartache.

Zechariah said in Zechariah 13:6 “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”      Are you hurting today? Remember you are not alone.

Feel free to contact talktoshari@gmail.com or visit www.thejesuschick.com.

Many people in the United States are just becoming aware of homeopathy as a natural treatment. Homeopathy is a low cost, non-toxic system of medicine used by over 500 million people worldwide. It has been used for over 180 years as an effective treatment for chronic illnesses that fail to respond to conventional treatments. However, due to its low cost, which threatens pharmaceutical profits, as well as its divergence from conventional medical theory, homeopathy has been continually attacked by the medical establishment. Homeopathic remedies are generally dilutions of natural substances from plants, minerals, and animals.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) recognizes homeopathic remedies as official drugs and regulates their manufacture, labeling, and dispensing. In Britain homeopathic clinics are part of the national health system.

Homeopathy was founded in the late 18th century by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. He was known for his work in pharmacology, hygiene, public health, industrial toxicity and psychiatry. Because of his frustration with conventional treatments at the time (blood letting, the use of mercury and other toxins) he set out to find a more rational and humane approach to medicine. He formulated three principals based on his research.

1. Like Cures Like means that a substance taken in large does that produces the symptoms of an illness will have the reverse effect if taken in a very minute dose. This same law was the basis for the theory of immunizations and even used today with allergy testing.

2. The More Diluted The Remedy, The Greater The Potency, the next principle, is probably the hardest for the rational mind to comprehend. Most believe that more is better. A medicine is more effective in a higher dose. Homeopathy believes the opposite. The more diluted a remedy the greater ability to be effective. Homeopathic remedies are prepared by producing what is called a mother tincture, which is an alcoholic extract of a substance, and then it is diluted by taking 1 part and mixing it with pure water or alcohol and succussing (vigorous shaking). Each time this happens it is rated as 1 X potency. This is done numerous times until there is no physical sign of the original material. When a remedy is broken down there is no visible sign of anything in it. So how does it work? According to Trevor Cook, Ph.D. President Of The United Kingdom Homeopathic Medical Association, the explanation lies in the domain of quantum physics and the emerging field of energy medicine.

3. Illness Is Specific To The Individual. This is truly a holistic model. Comparing this to the conventional medical approach that wants to give specific conditions the same or similar treatment, in homeopathy each condition is treated individually. Practitioners of classical homeopathy consult vast compendiums called repertories and materia medicas to determine the remedy that most closely matches the total picture of the patient’s symptomology. It takes years of study and practice to be proficient in this process.

Basically any imbalance of the body can be treated effectively with homeopathy. It is safe and non-toxic, so if the wrong remedy is taken it will not have any negative. This makes this system ideal for young children and elderly. No one wants to give potentially toxic drugs to children and when dealing with elderly on multiple medications, homeopathy will not interact or interfere

There have been numerous clinical studies done with homeopathic remedies, so why is this system just now gaining acceptance? One reason is the fact that Americans are frustrated with the current system. People are looking for other approaches to better health. The history of how medicine has evolved or digressed in this country is fascinating. Unfortunately it has been controlled by economic and monopolistic thinking by our own AMA, pharmaceutical and medical industry.

    Contact Master Herbalist & Certified Nutritional Consultant David Hawkins at  herbdoc@motherearthworks.com.

Let’s take a break from the functions of the vertebrae and spinal nerves series this month to check up on our old friend and protector (of business as usual) the FDA. After checking the official website, I was pleasantly surprised to see some potentially positive changes in the wind. First of all, the 2012 budget has increased significantly, but more importantly it has increased the most in the key areas of “transforming food safety and nutrition, protecting patients, and revising user fee programs to support safety and effectiveness reviews of human and animal drugs, biological products, and medical devices.”

Funding these areas allows for more informative nutritional labeling on menus and vending machines; development of a pathway to approve biosimilar products (which up to now were rushed to approval without adequate testing); and better regulation of tobacco products, food color additives, and food safety inspections for domestic and imported products. Although these sound like laudable goals, we as tax paying citizens should maintain a healthy degree of cynicism in view of the FDA past performance. In my view, the agency has served more effectively as a tool to enhance the profits of the pharmaceutical and chemical industries than it has served to protect the public health.

As a vigilant observer of health related headlines (especially when backed by research studies), I have noticed a positive trend in the education of the public. This seems to be leading to better informed patients seeking treatment and a growing public awareness of what habits contribute to a healthy lifestyle. With this in mind, I have a few questions for the FDA.

-Why did a judge recently have to force the FDA to implement a ban on antibiotics in animal food when the FDA itself proposed this ban in 1977 due to concerns over this practice creating drug resistant strains of bacteria?

-Considering the recent FDA warning labels that cholesterol medicines significantly contribute to risk of muscle damage and type 2 diabetes, WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? (OK, the diabetes risk is a new one but we’ve known about the muscle damage and joint pain for over a decade).

-Considering the FDA mission statement includes protecting the public by assuring the safety of products that emit radiation, and the fact the Presidents’ Cancer Panel after two years of study recently blasted the medical community for indiscriminate use of such devices, why is it still common practice to take dental x-rays without a lead thyroid shield? Why are multiple CT scans so often performed in cases where less invasive procedures would give adequate diagnostic information? (Simple x-rays give only 1/10 the radiation exposure, MRIs 0%). Why are contrast mediums used so often when imaging without contrast often gives adequate information while providing significantly less radiation exposure? Why is the FDA so slow to embrace thermography as an adjunct diagnostic tool in the early detection of breast cancer when contrary to their own statements, there IS adequate research to support its’ widespread use?

-Why is hydrogenated oil still legally and pervasively used as a food preservative while the FDA labeling rule allows up to ½ gram per serving to be listed as 0%?

-Why does the FDA allow indiscriminate use of prescription and over the counter anti-acids for heartburn and GERD when research and clinical experience clearly shows that long term use perpetuates the problem while leading to osteoporosis, magnesium deficiency, and poor absorption of nutrients needed for good health? (A fact too many doctors seem willfully ignorant of).

-Why are doctors allowed to prescribe artificial vitamin D2 when research clearly shows natural vitamin D3 to be vastly superior and available over the counter at 1/10th the cost?

For answers to these questions, FOLLOW THE MONEY! Hopefully the FDA will use some of its’ newfound money and power (check out the Food Safety Modernization Act online) to lead instead of follow.

   Contact Dr. Magly at Total Health Chiropractic in Nebo. 304-286-2905.

by Leslie Hutcheson

Shiitake mushrooms originated in the orient. As a food source they have the combined attributes of being appetizing, nourishing, high in protein, diabetic and healthful.  Researchers have reported that consumption of Shiitake mushrooms lowers blood cholesterol levels.  It has also been shown to lower high blood pressure in laboratory animals.  Lentinan, a highly purified polysaccharide extracted from Shiitake Mushrooms, is an approved drug in Japan.  Lentinan is used for cancer treatment as well as for AIDS research.  Shiitake contains all eight essential amino acids in better proportions than soybeans, meat, milk or eggs.  They also contain a good blend of vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, B12, C, D, and Niacin. Shiitake produces a fat absorbing compound, aiding in weight reduction.

      Shiitake mushroom cultivation is done by cutting down a live healthy tree. Oak is the best, though many other hardwoods work well.  Cultivation is usually done with logs 3 to 4 feet long and having a diameter of 4 to 6 inches. The best times for cutting trees are when they are dormant from late fall and before spring budding.  After felling the tree, it is customary to wait a couple of weeks before inoculating, so that the tree doesn’t reject the spawn.  Inoculation should be completed no later than 6 weeks after cutting to prevent stray fungi from colonizing the logs.

The most common ways to inoculate logs is by using plug or sawdust spawn. The spawn is the medium used to introduce the Shiitake mycelium into the wood.  Sawdust spawn is less expensive than plug spawn, although it is more time consuming and requires a specialized tool.  The equipment needed for inoculating with sawdust spawn is a drill, drill bit, spawn purchased from a reputable source, cheese wax, inoculation tool, something to melt wax in, and a sponge brush. When using sawdust spawn, drill 1 inch deep holes in rows the length of the log, spacing the holes 6-8 inches apart within the row.  Leave approximately 2 to3 inches between the rows and offset the holes so that they form a hexagonal pattern.  Next plunge the inoculating tool into the sawdust and then insert the spawn into the holes.  Make sure the spawn is packed tightly in the holes.  As each log is completed, cover the holes and spawn with the melted wax using a foam brush.   Plug spawn is ideal for those wishing to inoculate only a few logs and only requires the correct size drill bit, a hammer, and cheese wax.

When you are finished inoculating your logs, place them in a shaded area where they are exposed to the weather.  They need rain and snow to avoid getting dried out which kills the mycelium.  DO NOT bring them indoors. It takes six months to a year before the log is colonized and will begin producing mushrooms.

The logs will fruit naturally in the spring and fall after a good rain and distinctive temperature change.  The best fruiting temperature is between 60-80 degrees.  Generally a log will produce one year per inch in diameter when allowed to fruit naturally.  After the log has produced mushrooms naturally, it can be force-fruited.  This can be done by waiting 8 weeks, then soaking (submerging) the logs in cool water for 24 hours.  Mushrooms should start to appear a few days later.  Check daily.  They are ready to pick when the underneath of the cap starts to open.  Logs will produce anywhere from a few ounces to a pound of mushrooms per fruiting, depending on the size and age of the log.  The log must stay in contact with the ground.  There are several reputable sources on the internet for mushroom spawn and equipment-try www.fieldforest.net

  “To know what counts and what doesn’t, you have to know what you are dedicating your life to.”    Richard Templar, The Rules of Life

When you make a decision to simplify your life, you begin whittling away the extra-curriculars. Everything you have and you own requires maintenance and upkeep. In order to simplify – you have to dispose of the things that aren’t important, aren’t necessary. You begin to focus on the remaining items, deciding which are priorities and which are not.

As you dispose of the unnecessaries, you begin to discover time. Imagine the hours of time you spend watching television; looking for tools in an unorganized garage; dusting trinkets throughout the house; keeping up and maintaining things you don’t love or need or even use. Imagine, what you would do with those hours.

When we are busy and wrapped up in the world, all the messages and input and expectations of the world layer themselves over the true thoughts and feelings of our own minds. We don’t understand sometimes why we behave the way we do, why we crave things we don’t need, why we spend time on things that aren’t important.

How often do we wish for more time? Time to think, time to relax, time to rest, time to do – nothing. But the truth is, we don’t know what to do with time when we have it. We fill our time with busyness, because we have no idea, and no real desire, to be still.

So many of the unnecessary things we have in our lives we have to maintain our image.  So much of our lives are spent maintaining these things that we identify ourselves with – things that we think we need to “survive” in this world, “compete” in this world.

Part of simplifying your life is peeling away these layers of things that truly have no practical use. Things you bought and never wore, used once, broke and never fixed. Things you thought you “had to have” when really, you didn’t.

Rediscovering yourself and releasing yourself from these unnecessary burdens in life can be liberating. It can also be… Disturbing.

Because the input of our hearts and souls has been buried under the messages of the world – we don’t even know what compels us, what we truly need, what is truly important. In order to live a meaningful, mindful life, you have to listen to your mind and discover what gives your life meaning.

When you have stripped away the items the world has told us we need to survive, you are left with yourself — exactly as you are.  Wow. After years of listening to the world and spending our time on things that don’t nourish us? What’s left of us when our consumer skin is torn away — well, it ain’t pretty.

One of the benefits and keys of simple living fortunately, is learning to work with what you’ve got. In order to do that, you have to assess what’s there, assess the potential, and find the right use for it. I have old wire shelving in the garden for peas to climb. I have former refrigerator baskets in the chicken pen for nesting boxes. I have a broken patio umbrella in the chicken yard to give the ladies daily shade, and I’m working with a flawed, formerly-trendy, formerly professional, middle-aged human self who has recently discovered a desire to live the simple life, with very little experience but the ability to learn and willingness to try.

You can’t know what counts and what doesn’t in your life unless you know what is important to you. There’s a very big chance that the voice that tells you today what is important is a voice that is not your own. When I cleared away all the voices that were telling me what was important in my life, I was left with — questions.

Learning to raise hens, plant and harvest a garden, bake your own bread — these are relatively easy. Rediscovering who you are, deciding what is truly important to you, redefining your goals and dealing with all these adjustments? Not so easy. But it’s a side effect of simplifying your life. When you have created the time to just do — nothing, you have to face yourself.

Being still means facing this person that is you, the person beneath the cars, clothing, technology. When you are still, you have to discover and assess the person you are when you are stripped of the world’s demands.

Ever have a city mouse visit you in the country? Quite often, they can’t sit still. They’ve come away to relax, but sittin’ on the porch swing watchin’ the world go by reveals the ants in their pants. As soon as possible, they want to go somewhere, do something — anything. When given the chance to truly relax, they just don’t know how.

We can’t blame them. I know exactly how they feel. Learning to be still – it takes practice if you’ve been busy all your life. Learning to be still also takes courage, because you are left with the rambling thoughts and worries of your own mind. A mind that’s been trained to need, want, have, achieve more. Being still requires contentment, an ease with the current conditions of your life and your self. If you’ve spent years looking and wanting for more, more, more – being still takes some getting used to.

Over time, I’ve now come to face the me that’s left, accepting that “this is what I’ve got to work with.” Now I’m seeking the answers for what to do with it.

I have managed to learn to sit still. I can sit and watch movies, sit and crochet, sit and read, sit and browse the ‘net. But this is sitting still, not being still. The only place where I have found it possible so far to be still is in the porch swing — and I plan to get in a lot of practice there this season.

What is fasting?  How does one begin to fast and what are the guidelines and potential benefits?  Fasting is the abstinence of solid food for a period of time.  There are many types of fasts – water, fresh juice or mono food, either fruit or vegetable.  The length of time (one-day, three-day, one-week, ten-day) of a fast has different effects on the body.  It is very interesting how the body deals with food.  The moment we stop putting food into our body, the elimination process begins.  During a fast, the elimination process continues without solid food being eaten thus giving the body the opportunity to do deep tissue cleansing since fluids are the best way to release toxins.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of fasting:
* Saves time:  Hours a day are spent in working to pay for food, shopping, preparing, eating and cleaning up.
* Rest: Gives your digestive system a break from processing food.
* Increases Energy:  The energy spent in digesting food is directed to other functions of healing, mainly immune functions, cellular growth and detoxing.
* Spiritual Uplifting:  Help us to center more on other matters.  Many spiritual teachers use fasting as a form of detaching from the physical world.
* Cleansing:  Reduction in toxins that the liver has to process due to low input of toxins.
* Weight Loss:  Helps the body to burn fat calories for needed energy.
* Healing:  Can speed up healing by helping to balance the body.
*  Breaks Addictions:  Increases will power; works well for smokers and coffee drinkers.

A one-day fast is pretty easy and most people do not experience any negative symptoms.  However, for longer fasts, be aware that you may feel the following:  dizziness, mild heart palpitations, weakness, light headedness, tiredness, forgetfulness, mild nausea, a bad taste in your mouth and a gnawing or empty feeling in your stomach.  These are signs of too many toxins being released and that the cleansing process needs to be slowed down.  Fasting is not recommended during pregnancy, for infants or young children unless under supervision, during deficiency conditions or after one has been exposed to toxic pesticides, herbicides or fat soluble toxins.  People suffering from diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart conditions or other major degenerative disease should use caution when fasting for more than three days.  Be sure to consult with your health care practitioner before beginning any fast.

To prepare for a fast, eat more raw vegetables and fruits, eliminate animal and dairy foods, and reduce flour products for at least two days before beginning.  While fasting, drink at least eight glasses (8-ounce) of clean water a day.  Fresh juices can be used, but do not mix vegetable or fruit in the same day.  At least two glasses of fresh juice a day should be consumed.  Herbal teas are acceptable during a fast. Using the juice of fresh lemons in water is also good for releasing of toxins from the liver.  If you choose a mono-fruit fast, apples, grapes and/or watermelon are very cleansing and will keep your energy level up.

Breaking a fast is as equally important as starting a fast.  Do not begin by eating heavily processed foods.  It is important to eat lightly steamed vegetables and raw salads for the first day or two.  Slowly add back whole grains, flour products, animal foods and dairy.  Avoid starchy vegetables, like potatoes.  Since the stomach shrinks and digestive juices may be reduced during a fast, small portions and eating more frequently are recommended.

A fast is a time for you to reflect, rest and allow your body to restore balance.  Your experience with fasting will let you know the state of health of your body.  In our modern day society, we are subjected to numerous poisons from our external environment.  The amount of accumulation is based on what you have been subjected to over your lifetime.  Fasting is a good way to eliminate these toxins, but don’t be in a hurry.  What has taken years to accumulate will take some time to be eliminated.  Be patient.

    Contact Master Herbalist & Certified Nutritional Consultant David Hawkins at  herbdoc@motherearthworks.com.

by Robin Burkowski

I’m always standing in the aisles at the grocery store, or dollar store, reading the packages of the products that I purchase.  Shoppers rush by me, and I usually say excuse me and scoot my cart out of the way.  I find myself wondering how many consumers actually take time to read the labels of the food they eat, or their lotions and shampoos. I have become an avid label investigator.  In fact, it makes me feel empowered that I have a choice in the matter. That is one great thing about our country, the choices! Some may not mind about ingredients, and some have even judged me as a nitpicker or having an obsession. It is my choice, however, to avoid certain preservatives and harmful ingredients. I am not stressed out about it. It has just become a natural part of my shopping.

Food is usually what I study the most.  I find it funny sometimes, almost like companies are using smoke and mirrors to convince you that a food is healthy for you, or for the environment, just to increase their sales.  I like to purchase organic foods because I can’t help but think about the chemicals sprayed onto the food that I am eating!  That one simple act of buying and supporting something that isn’t organic is causing more harmful chemicals to be in the ground and water that we need to survive.  Everything is connected, and paying attention to ingredients in your groceries can make a difference in the world, however indirectly.

Bleached white refined sugar sales keep the sugar refineries polluting, and those refineries are a major polluter.  BHT is a preservative among many other petroleum-based chemicals in your food, like hexane and xylene.  These chemicals are carcinogens and neurotoxins, used as paint thinners and degreasers. Sounds yummy for supper, no? Our society’s use of toxic chemicals has gotten out of hand.  The world is not black and white, and I know petroleum is of great use to humanity in countless ways, but I think we could stand to tone it down a little bit with our oil consumption. Eliminating petroleum products in our food supply would be a good way to tone it down.  Artificial colors are something to look out for too, such as yellow #5, also called tartrazine.  Research has shown, tartrazine has behavioral effects on children, especially mixed with sodium benzoate, another petroleum-based food additive.  This coloring does not add to the nutrition of the food, so why take the risk?

As if we aren’t bombarded enough with chemicals in our food, we absorb them through our skin from lotions, body washes, shampoos, and make-up. One carcinogenic ingredient to avoid is sodium laureth sulfate. Carcinogens will contain “PEG,” “xynol,” “ceteareth,” and “oleth” in their names. Baby soaps surprisingly have high levels of chemicals. Hair dyes, body lotions, facial moisturizers, and most anti-aging products all have cancer-causing toxins in them.  When you absorb them through your skin, your body sends it to your liver to try to process it, collecting toxins and causing all of your organs to function incorrectly, causing illness and even death in the long run.

Why is this chemical invasion not of concern to more people?  When did it become the norm to have such a long list of chemicals in the ingredient lists of your everyday products?  If you want to make a change in your life, and improve your health and the health of this beautiful planet, start reading the labels!  I think the less ingredients, the better.

Mom’s philosophy is that “You always need something to look forward to.” April is associated with a rhyme that reiterates what Mom was talking about—“April showers bring May flowers.” This rhyme dates back to the mid 1500’s but still encourages us today. It’s a statement promising a whole bouquet of hope if we just endure the present condition. Let’s face it, we all have a little rain in our lives sometime, but like my mom suggests, hold something on the horizon you can look forward to and it will make the “rain” much more tolerable…and joy experienced in the pure anticipation alone is worthy of the effort! For example, it helps stop the tears when I leave my beloved West Virginia if I already have a date set to return.

One of the best scenarios of this philosophy played out in history is the Easter story. The sorrow of Good Friday can be eased by the hope of Easter Sunday. If you get the chance to spend a few minutes in front of a computer, there is a beautiful and artfully done video of this on YouTube under the title Sunday’s Comin’ produced by IgniterMedia and powerfully orated by a pastor named John L. Jefferson. Friday might be sad, but Sunday’s a comin’. My friend, those May flowers are going to be exquisite!

I think we do have to be mindful though not to be so focused on the future that we miss the lesson of the present. There once was a young school teacher who left her mark by missing what was in front of her face. She was teaching school for the very first time and was attending the faculty Christmas party. After hours of fixing her hair and make up, she gathered her confidence and arrived at the front door of the host teacher’s house. She was so busy looking into the room to see if  anyone she knew was already there that she walked right into the clear storm door window, leaving an imprint of her make-up face on the glass and alerting the entire party inside so they could laugh hysterically at the new kid in the education pool. I (I mean she) had to check her dignity at the door and accept that she had made quite a lasting impression. Life lesson learned? Appreciate what’s in front of you. Anticipate joyfully the fragrance and beauty of May flowers but not at the expense of disregarding the April showers…

Sometimes the future is such that we can’t get a clear vision of what’s ahead. We simply don’t know what to look forward to! All we can do is focus on the immediate. Maybe the April showers are soaking us to the bone and we can’t see for the rain in our eyes. Sometimes it’s hard to be optimistic. Growing up on Red Gate Farm we would go check the sheep at night during lambing season, late March or early April. If the moon was lazy, the trek to the sheep-house was in total darkness save for the lantern Dad would carry. I can still see it illuminating his steel-toed rubber work boots that he’d buy each year with ginseng money. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t see what lie ahead of us because we trusted the one we followed. We might not be able to yet see the flowers of May, just trust that they are a comin’.

Mom’s right as usual, we all need something to look forward to,  whether it’s a talk with a friend, guilt free time curled up with a good book, a trip home, a walk in the sun…or a dance in the April rain.

Janet Fliegel is a WV farmgirl currently surviving in a suburb of Cincinnati.