Familydoctor.org

Cholesterol: What Your Level Means -- familydoctor.org

Risk factors for heart disease

• Already had a heart attack
• A man, 45 years of age or older
• A woman, 55 years of age or older
• A woman who is going through menopause or has completed menopause
• Have an immediate family member (parent or sibling) who has had heart disease
• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure or diabetes
• Overweight or obese
• Inactive

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When should I start having my cholesterol level checked?

You can’t tell if you have high cholesterol without having it checked. All adults 20 years of age and older should have their cholesterol checked every 5 years. If your cholesterol level is high or you have other risk factors for heart disease (see the box above), you may need to have it checked sooner and more often.

A blood test known as a lipid panel is usually the way cholesterol is checked.

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Are there different types of cholesterol?

Yes. Cholesterol travels through the blood in different types of bundles, called lipoproteins.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) delivers cholesterol to the body. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) removes cholesterol from the bloodstream.

This explains why too much LDL cholesterol is bad for the body, and why a high level of HDL is good. The balance between the types of cholesterol tells you what your cholesterol level means (see the box below).

For example, if your total cholesterol level is high because of a high LDL level, you may be at higher risk of heart disease or stroke. If your total level is high only because of a high HDL level, you're probably not at higher risk.

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Total cholesterol level

• Less than 200 is best.
• 200 to 239 is borderline high.
• 240 or more means you're at increased risk for heart disease.

LDL cholesterol levels

• Below 100 is ideal for people who have a higher risk of heart disease.
• 100 to 129 is near optimal.
• 130 to 159 is borderline high.
• 160 or more means you're at a higher risk for heart disease.

HDL cholesterol levels

• Less than 40 means you're at higher risk for heart disease.
• 60 or higher greatly reduces your risk of heart disease.

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What can I do to improve my cholesterol level?

If you have high cholesterol, it may be necessary for you to make some lifestyle changes. If you smoke, quit. Exercise regularly. If you're overweight, losing just 5 to 10 pounds can help improve your cholesterol levels. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish- all of which promote heart health. Avoid saturated and trans fats, which can raise cholesterol levels. Also limit your overall cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams per day and 200 milligrams if you have heart disease.

More information is available about how to make healthier food choices.

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What about medicine to lower cholesterol?

Depending on your risk factors, if healthy eating and exercise don't work to lower your cholesterol level, your doctor may suggest medicine.

For more information about this topic, see cholesterol-lowering medicines.

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More Information

Heart Disease & Stroke

• Vascular Disease: How to Prevent It
• Heart Disease: Assessing Your Risk
• Reducing Heart Disease Risk
• Cholesterol: Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Levels
• Lowering Blood Pressure
• Advice for Women
• Diabetes and Heart Disease
• Quitting Smoking
• Healthy Balance for a Healthy Heart
• Plant Sterols and Stanols

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Other Organizations

• American Heart Association
  

Source

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.

American Academy of Family Physicians

Reviewed/Updated: 11/10
Created: 01/96

Proverbs 31 Ministries Daily Devotional

In Tune: "

T. Suzanne Eller

“I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.”

Psalm 101:1 (ESV)

God seems to do an incredible amount of things for people, almost like a personal valet. “I found the perfect pair of shoes on sale,” someone once told me. “It’s like God knew I needed that little boost.” Or the time that God helped another person find their glasses. They prayed and “poof” they found them.

This sometimes makes me question. How is it that people give God credit for helping them find shoes on sale, or that really great parking spot, and yet other people suffer? Loved ones get hit with disease. Financial problems cause sleepless nights. A hurricane hits Haiti as they struggle to overcome the effects of a devastating earthquake.

Maybe you too have pondered such things. Maybe it’s caused you to question how much God loves His creation.

God is deeply interested in and intimately involved with us according to verses such as this one: “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

The fact that God allows you to find that perfect-for-you little blessing one day, and come down with the flu the next doesn’t negate His love for you. God’s song plays strong and consistent over you, regardless of the good times or the hard times. His individual notes dance around us, inviting us to find Him, and then to find our part in His song.

Living in harmony with God, and finding our note in His song can compel us to look for ways to reach out to others who are needing to hear Him sing over them in their suffering. I also believe it can help us live in joy despite our circumstances. And I believe living out those notes will lead us to live lives of peace, even when times are not peaceful.

Today, let’s close our eyes and open our hearts as we listen for our God singing over us. And let’s take the time, eyes still closed, to imagine what it would look like for us to live in tune with Him.

Dear Lord, You do care about the intimate details. Just like the sparrow, You feed us; just like the lily, You clothe us in beauty. Father, for that I am immensely grateful. Help me to stay in tune with You and not stridently sing my own song over top You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Visit Suzie’s blog for a giveaway and to explore “How big is God?”

The Woman I Am Becoming by T. Suzanne Eller

Shaped with Purpose Workbook and message on CD by Renee Swope

---

When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity

because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide

at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can’t compete with prices offered by

huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and

every purchase you make with us. Thank you!

---

Application Steps:

Visit Compassion International to sponsor a child in need. Haiti is in particular need of sponsors.

Reflections:

“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” ~Eleanor Powell

Power Verses:

Psalm 30:11,”You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,” (NIV)

© 2011 by T. Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved."

Peace for the Journey

The ugly side of me...: "

There is an ugly side to me… two really. One brought about through sin; one brought about through cancer. One remains more veiled—my heart. One exposed for the entire world to see—my flesh. And tonight I hold a candle to them both, and I don’t like what I see.

The ugly me.

Tonight I see anger, frustration, and confusion building up inside my mind, layer upon layer—an indistinguishable conglomeration of yuck not easily identified. I cannot connect the dots to all that I am feeling. There’s an unveiling of a something, and it’s not pretty. It’s hostile and visceral, filled with enough tension to keep everyone around me on edge.

In regards to the other ugly—my flesh—I see a misshapen form of what I used to be. A large scar runs across my chest wall, still inflamed with red and reminders of what was once there only five months ago. I’m bald and I’m fat… thirty pounds heavier from my five months ago. My nails are brittle and yellowed, ready to make their departure at any moment, and my clothes? Well, they’ve gone into hibernation; sweats, t-shirts and duster robes are common fare.

And I’m tired of it all; tired from the inside-out, and wondering if such honest confession of the soul is allowed in this public place. If I can be so real as to tell you that cancer has an ugly side to it. For all the ways it has given back to me, there are a few ways it has exacted its toll on me. And while I wouldn’t turn back the clock and have things live differently, tonight I simply wish it was over. That the ugly parts of me, both inside and out, were no longer, and that I could once again be the woman that I was… five months ago.

~That I could still run. ~That I could sleep on my right side, minus the discomfort of the port. ~That I could have energy enough to get up early and live a busy day and be thankful for the activity. ~That I could take a tub bath without needing help to get out. ~That I could confidently show affection to my husband. ~That I could think, write, and speak clearly the first time around without having to second-guess myself. ~That understanding was my portion rather than confusion. ~That worry would keep her silence. ~That faith would speak her voice.

I know this won’t last… all my “thats”. In time, I’ll get a handle on my concerns. God will replace my frustrations with his peace, his truth, and his hope for my future. He can’t help himself. His character precludes his absence from my pain. He appropriately interrupts my issues with the beauty of his witness, reminding me that for all of the ugly I currently see, a cross was given as the remedy. That what is seen is not always what is true. That sometimes life’s accumulated layers need the benefit an amazing grace that not only salves a wounded heart but that correctly frames the broken fragments together to make a portrait worthy of the throne room of heaven.

Every now and again, I glimpse that beauty, and I am grateful for the reminder. But tonight, what I see in the mirror isn’t easily salved by a few words of well-spoken faith… my faith. Tonight requires something far greater—a faith that holds despite the human condition. The “sure and certain” of those mentioned in Hebrews 11. A settled confidence in the King and his promises.

Friends, faith is where I want to live… all the time. But faith, unchallenged by unsettling times, never anchors at its deepest level. Faith uncontested by adversity simply resides at the surface of the human heart. Mind you, it is enough to carry you home to Jesus; not all of us require a rigorous workout along these lines. And I suppose, on nights like tonight, I’d enjoy a float on the surface of my faith. But that’s not what I’ve been allowed.

Instead, I’ve been allowed a deeper dig into the coffers of what I profess to believe. I get the Refiner’s fire, and I don’t mind telling you it hurts; it burns. It purges and it cleanses. And all I can do is surrender to the heat, hoping that the ugly in me gets gone and that God’s beauty in me returns, from the inside-out.

Oh to be entrusted with the process. To live in the flesh, all the while being transformed by faith. It is a weighty condition, perhaps the reason so many forego the invitation to salvation. Living with ugly is sometimes an easier load to carry than lighting a match to one’s heart. But without the flames of Calvary’s love, we are left as we are… unfinished.

I don’t want to get home to Jesus unfinished. I want to get there complete. Accordingly, I look into the mirror this night. I shed some tears for the undoing of my heart and my flesh, and I confess to my Father (and to you), the ugly side of me. And I pray for healing, for understanding, and for faith enough that will carry me through to the other side.

Cancer is ugly, friends. In its wake, it can leave a soul ugly. But God, in his wake, can take the ugly and transform it into holy understanding, which breathes a beauty all its own. A beauty that moves a soul from despair to celebration. From unbelief to strong conviction. From being tired of it all to being transformed because of it all. And that is what I’m praying for tonight… my ugly made into God’s beauty.

Even so, come Lord Jesus, and interrupt my ugly with the witness and truth of your beloved cross. I long to move past the seen and visible in order to embrace the unseen depths of a living, anchored, and vital faith. You, alone, are the restorer of my flesh and heart. Come and liberally apply your grace to every fragmented layer of my life, and give me the settled confidence regarding who you ARE and in your love for me. Amen.

"

Lifescript

More Reasons to Take Vitamin D: "By Edward C. Geehr, M.D., Lifescript Chief Medical Officer

One recent study found that women who had vitamin D deficiency when they were diagnosed had a 94% increased risk that the cancer would spread, and 73% increased risk of dying within the next 10 years, compared to those with adequate vitamin levels. What’s most alarming is that vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem, even in the developed world.

Now, two new vitamin D studies from the University of Rochester Medical Center have linked vitamin D deficiency with breast and colon cancer. One study of 224 women being treated for breast cancer found that 66% were deficient of vitamin D.

African American women had the lowest levels of vitamin D compared to Hispanic or white patients. Genetic factors common to blacks may interfere with vitamin D absorption: higher incidence of lactose intolerance, which can eliminate vitamin-D fortified milk from the diet, and darker skin pigment that significantly reduces vitamin D synthesis.

The study also looked at the effect of vitamin supplementation regimens for those with deficiency. Temporary weekly doses of as much as 50,000 IU were needed to increase vitamin D levels in those considered severely deficient. This compares to the Institute of Medicine recommendation of 200 IUs per day up to age 50; 400 IUs from ages 51-70; and 600 IUs after age 70. The authors recommend a minimum 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily in addition to calcium supplementation.

In a separate study reported in the journal Cancer, researchers suggest that vitamin D deficiency among African Americans may explain the particular susceptibility of black people to death from colorectal cancer. They found that African Americans have double the risk of dying from the cancer. After accounting for other factors, vitamin D deficiency may explain about 40% of the mortality risk associated with being African American.

A similar study published earlier this year showed that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to a higher risk of heart- and stroke-related deaths among blacks compared to whites. The findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency heightens the risk of death in African Americans from cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Groups at greatest risk of vitamin D deficiency are:

• Older adults because their skin synthesizes vitamin D less efficiently than younger skin does.
  
  


• People living in northern latitudes such as New England and Alaska.
  
  


• Homebound individuals in any latitude who receive minimal sun exposure.
  
  


• People with dark skin whose pigment melanin interferes with the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D.
  
  


• Obese people whose fat stores soak up the available vitamin D.
  
  


• People with certain intestinal conditions who do not absorb enough vitamin D from foods.

If you fall into one of these categories, it’s recommended that you obtain a blood test for vitamin D levels. Supplementation for vitamin D deficiency is easy and inexpensive, and could be life-saving.

See All House Calls by Dr. Geehr."

JournEzine

Victimized or Victorized?: "Surely there is no argument—it is God who does all things for us. “Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.“ (Psalm 60:12) But, while we agree He does all things for us, we have an obligation to trust, to obey and to have hope…the true badge [...]"

(In)Courage

God Is…: "

Ever feel like you have to defend yourself ?

GOD IS YOUR DEFENDER

Luke 21:14 – But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.

Ever pre-judge someone before you know them, or judge something about someone before knowing the truth?

GOD IS YOUR JUDGE

Psalm 50:6 – And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

If you’re hurt, broken heart-ed, or sick…

GOD IS YOUR HEALER

Exodus 15:26 – for I, the LORD, am your healer.

If you’re feeling weak…

GOD IS YOUR STRENGTH

2Samuel 22:33 – It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.

God is your EVERYTHING. He says He is the “I AM”…you just need to fill in the blank with whatever you need: peace, joy, LOVE, patience, etc. Everything you’ve ever longed for or desired He can give you and so much more. I am your shield, your very great reward. (Genesis 15:1)

Today, be encouraged to depend on HIM to be your everything!!!

by Stephanie at SoCal Mama"

Home Sanctuary

Work Station: "

A friend of mine picked up on the longing of my soul for a Flip camera and sent me one yesterday! Wow! Ya'll are going to be "seeing" a whole lot more of me now :) Here is my first-ever video, taken when I was just messing around with it. It happens to go with Today's Small Thing...

Whether you are a Stay-at-Home-Mom, a WAHM, WAFHM (Work Away From Home Mom), a single gal or grandmother, each day is filled with some kind of work.

And work is GOOD! Even when we think we'd like to have nothing but leisure time, in our hearts we know that would rot us to the core. Work can be a way to worship, if you think about it. You can glorify God by using your talents and gifts, or simply depending on Him to help you in the tasks that are "too hard" to do on your own. Work, whether raising children, doing laundry, preparing a meal, filing papers or digging ditches, gives us purpose and opportunity to glorify Him. It's just that we forget to see it that way.

I've noticed that I have a much better attitude about working when my work environment is neat and inviting. When my desk is a mess, I feel even more scattered than usual (scary). Before I start any new project, I have to clear the debris from the previous project so I can think straight. I need to have my tools (pencils, paints, computer, sketch paper etc.) at hand so I'm ready to go. My desk is my work station.

Do you have "work stations" in your house? Yes! The kitchen sink is definitely a work station. How about the changing table or the laundry room? The bedroom, depending on how you want to define work (snicker), or the craft area could be considered work stations, too. Home schoolers certainly have stations for working! These places tend to get really messy because of the yeoman's work that happens there. Hey, that's life. But sometimes you've got to stop down and clear the clutter so you can think more clearly and be more efficient.

Today's Small Thing is to tidy up your work station. If you are in an office cubicle, you can get points before you even go home by straightening up in there. You might have many "work stations" in your life, but just pick ONE today, and spend a few minutes organizing your "tools" and clearing a work space so you're ready to take on your tasks.

POINTS: 40 for tidying up a work station

BONUS POINTS: 30 for finding a second work station to organize a bit

Song of the Day: Taking Care of Business, BTO

What "work stations" will you tackle today?

"

HealthCorps Blogs

Are There Foods That Can Help To Lower the Risk of Eye Damage Associated with Diabetes?: "

Diabetes is still the leading cause of blindness among Americans today. High blood sugar can lead to glaucoma which in turn can cause damage to the eyes optic nerve, causing loss of vision. High blood sugar can also cause damage to the eye's retina and increase the risk of developing cataracts.

read more"

Health News

5 Hot Food & Nutrition Apps: "

(1) GoodGuide

read more

"

Healing Hearts Renewing Minds

Priorities: "

This time last year I was still marveling over the whispers God placed in my ears and imbedded in my heart:

- “you…such a time as this”

- I rescued you from your own self, from your sins, and from your past;

your future was doomed without Me.

- You have a letter – share it boldly, in My name

- You know women who will help, pray, guide, encourage…

elicit them, ask them.

- Look, I gave you my son, birthed in the dirtiness of a barn,

what are you waiting for? Do it now, if for Me.

With the prayers, technical assistance, and encouragement of a few ladies, this site was pulled together and launched in less than one month. I was blown away by not only the help, but by the immediate response. By the need.

With the initial launch, and for the first few posts, many people visited. I looked at the site meter. Of course I did. Then two weeks later, we moved again, our second move in four months. It took some time to get semi-settled and to get things rolling here. Next, things waned here and visits spiraled down and admittedly my focus got hazy and my selfLESSness got out of whack.

I regrouped, refocused, and repurposed because your healing is what matters. Even when I have been absent in words, you have been as close as my every heartbeat. I felt (and still feel a bit awkward) that I have let you down. But then God comes and shine His bright light of Truth and I realize that if this ministry's whole purpose was to free one woman in the first week of its launch, then it all has been well worth it.

Due to the variables of my family's recent relocation saga, we moved again last month. Our third move in just over one year. So, absent I have been again. Hopefully this leg of our journey will last more than a few months as we finally found a home to buy. So, here I am once more, knee-deep in boxes, clutter, and disorganization. Folks, this is not the way I want to start a new year. Not only is my home a mess, but honestly, I fear that my heart is also a mess. Again.

I wanna start things right with the ringing in of a new year.

- Who doesn't?

I wanna be organized.

- Who doesn't?

I wanna do something spectacular this year.

- Who doesn't?

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna...

That is beginning to sound a lot like whining. And I don't know about you, but whining is b-aaad. It shreds me like moldy cheese over a grater. I do not like it. I don't tolerate it from my kid so why do I tolerate it from the recesses of my own heart? Me, me, me, I , I, I.

Like most of you, I need a Titus 2 leader in my life. Someone who speaks only His Truth, someone who encourages, and someone who understands real women seeking God. Someone who understands that the seeking and chasing oftentimes includes slipping and falling and standing and reaching, yet again.

Please take some time to either listen to and/or read these podcasts and articles by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She is leading women along a path of PRIORITIES for the upcoming new year. Even though I don't know her in-person, I know her in sisterhood of Christ and sometimes she helps fill that Titus 2 woman gap for me.

'Now, I want to begin today, and over the next several days, to share some thoughts about how to get our priorities in the right order. We’re especially focusing on this matter of how we use our time—priorities as they relate to our time. What I’m going to do is to take the word priorities—priorities—and make an acronym out of it, with each of those letters, suggesting something that will help us get our priorities in order.' (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

I think her teachings will help me (and possibly you too?) to trade the Me, me, me, I, I, I for the Him! Him! Him! Let's trade the whining for the shining.

Your wounds matter.

The healing of your hearts and the renewing of your minds matter. You matter to me. And most importantly, to God.

Dec. 27: State of Bondage

'Asking Him to order my steps . . . Once I’ve inquired of Him, and I’ve been in His Word and on my knees and sought His heart and believed that He has directed me, then I can trust that even if that decision puts pressure on me, that there will be grace to deal with that pressure.' (DeMoss)

Dec. 28: Review God's Priorities

'Now, here’s the concept that has challenged me over the years, and I have to go back to this every day of my life. If I’m too busy to cultivate my relationship with God by the means of grace God has provided for me, then I’m too busy. Then something is wrong and something has to change.' (DeMoss)

In the spirit of Truth, let us join together and encourage one another, to love God, and to love others. But before we can do that...we need to get our priorities straight, not only for the new year, but for our new hearts in Christ.

Friends, please feel free to leave comments, send emails, and/or link here to Healing Hearts, Renewing Minds. What started out last year as a place of rest and redemption for post-abortion women (& men), will broaden this year to include all the wounded.

We all have pasts. We have hurts. But by the grace and love of Christ, He holds our todays and our tomorrows. Are you ready for a new year and a new you--in Him?

Let us humbly pray:

Father God, You hold each one of us in the palm of Your gracious hand and You love us with a love so big nothing can compare. Some of us come to You and willingly hand over all of our tattered and ripped baggage while others cling to broken luggage, unwilling and unable to surrender the wounds. Lord, I ask that You give each one the strength to release their grasp on their past so that You will be able to heal and renew with redemption, restoration and love. Lord, let this be a place, a community where folks find Truth, encouragement and safety. Lead us by the Light of Your Truth. In Jesus' name, amen.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (22:37)

"

Heading Home

Stepping into the Unknown: "A new Year. A new beginning. A new unknown territory.

A scary journey at times. I wonder...will I have the courage to step out into the unknown as Abraham did...

“He went without knowing where he was going.” (Heb. 11:8b NLT)

As I stand here with my toes on the threshold of the New Year, positioned on the border of unknown territory, I know that God knows where He and I are going. Do I then go forward in faith’s victory to possess this New Year...or remain frozen in victim’s defeat, allowing it to possess me?

A myriad of challenges will confront me each day. How will I handle them?

As Jesus once said to a man whom He was about to heal, “Step forward.” (Mark 3:3b NKJV) Will I step forward believing and trusting for the answer to that which I need, remembering what God has done for me in the past? Or will I hang back in the shadows afraid to move ahead, forgetting God’s providence?

Just as God told Isaiah, He says you and me, “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me.” (Is. 46:9 NLT)

God will again make His provisions available in the New Year for it is in His plan for each of us. He says, “I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jer. 29:11 Msg)

However, His plan will only unfold daily, as we trust Him for each step.

As God led every step of the Israelites’ journey to the new land, so He still leads us today. When we take those wobbly steps into the unknown, what will this new land hold for us?

We may encounter...

* joys unspeakable
* smooth paths of guidance
* lush pastures of provision
* varied hilltop experiences
* spiritual blessings in abundance

However, we may also encounter...

* desert dryness
* valley mists and fogs
* wilderness wanderings
* gremlins hiding behind bushes
* paths with potholes and pitfalls
* steep uphill climbs and dangerous downhill slides

Challenges will meet us at every turn; some easier to handle than others. But God will work in all the ups and downs of those trials, heartaches, and blessings.

He does this for us because of His compassion and mercy. Jeremiah tells us, “Yet there is one ray of hope: His compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His loving-kindness begins afresh each day.” (Lam. 3:21-23 TLB)

Be assured that no matter what happens on your journey this year, He is the source of your fresh mercies every morning. He will never fail you. He will walk by your side along each rocky bend in the road and carry you through each heartache and loss.

God will see you through to the end of next year. Will you live as Abraham...“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country.” (Heb. 11:9a NKJV)

We live our outward days on earth as in a foreign country, for we abide in God’s Kingdom of promise within us. Therefore, each day brings a new threshold into eternity. How can we not welcome it with willing feet and open arms?

I am ready to step into the journey of each new day of this year, greeting each one in faith and with God’s mercy.

How about you? Are you ready? How will you greet the challenges of your new journey?

I’m finishing this post with a different twist...a quote from Dr. Seuss, with one word change...

“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your [journey] is waiting,
So...get on your way!”
May each day, though filled with a trial, bring you a smile and a blessing!

**This post is part of Christian's Writers blog chain. Please visit the other posts listed in the sidebar. Thanks!**

"

Happy, Healthier You

10 Surprising Health Boosters: "Each month, SELF reports on some of the biggest trends and breaking news that women need to know to be their healthiest and happiest."

Godsy Girl(TM)

"I'm so glad you can do that!" - Spiritual Gifts in God's Kingdom: "

My Mom- Ms. Ethel, Me and Mom Porter

Have you ever observed someone's spiritual or natural gift and thought, 'Wow! That is so cool!'

Now, I'm not talking evil-spirited jealousy or envy, just an admiration for someone's talent or proficiency.

For me, it's intercessory prayer. Hey, I know we can all intercede, but there is a special gift associated with intercession that some people have and others do not.

For example, my spiritual mom and mentor Carrie Porter is a highly anointed intercessor. She knows how to listen to others and pray for their needs categorically. It's mind blowing! You think you're just chatting and she's listening for what to pray for the entire time. At the conclusion of each visit or call, like clockwork she prays for you - remembering every need or concern you mentioned during your time together!

In public, she's almost compelled to pray for people. It's nothing to be in the mall or restaurant and have Mom Porter ask someone 'May I pray for you?' I tell you, one hundred percent of the time people says 'yes'! Big burly dudes, sophisticated professionals...whatever, they say 'yes'! Then, with eyes open, she inconspicuously prays for them right there on the spot! You can almost always see the peace on their faces after the prayer. Wild!

I know so many others with this gift of intercession. My mom is, Ethel is another one with this gift. She is also VERY discerning. What a perfect combo.

We each have wonderful gifts and I thank God for mine. But, I really praise God for those gifted intercessors.

How about you? What gifts do you really admire in the Kingdom?

Not sure of your gifts? Check out this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
(Let me know how it works for you)

"

Feast on the Cheap

Butternut Bread with Quick Ginger-Apple Butter: "Makes 1 loaf of bread and about 1 pint of ginger-apple butter Mariel here. Happy New Year! If you’re anything like me, the calendar change came and went with little fanfare: I ate an entire cheese plate, my husband and I belatedly cut into our wedding day cake topper (and didn’t get sick from eating [...]"

Faith Imagined

In Courage: The Gift of Contentment: "

I have a guest post on (In) Courage today! It is an article that helped me become a better wife and mother! I pray it blesses you.

The Gift of Contentment

We were at the beach, and my oldest son was collecting seashells. I asked him what he was going to do with all of them. He said he was going to make a necklace for a special girl. I thought of all the little girls in his circle of friends, and one in particular came to mind. I asked, “Does her name start with a C ?”

He said, “No, her name starts with an L .”

I went through the short list of little girl L names I knew, even mentioning some of the mommies with L names. But with a smile, he said no to each one. Then I thought of my name. Although my name is Alisa (uh-lĭs-uh), my husband usually takes out the beginning A and calls me (lĭs-uh).

I called my son close to me and whispered in his ear, “Is it lĭs-uh ?” He smiled and blushed and nodded his head yes. I gave him a big hug, and all that day I felt like a treasure. My son may have confused my name, but it didn’t affect how I felt about his eagerness to bless me.

Isn’t it beautiful how the love we have will overlook the small mistakes and focus on the show of devotion?

You can read the rest at (In) Courage here.

"

Faith Imagined

Face to Face: "

Moses is exhausted. He is the only person diligently seeking God in the entire, nomadic nation of Israel. He finally cries out to God, 'I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me the misery!' (Numbers 11.14-15 NLT).

I smile when I read this because Moses' humility is so apparent. Many times pride steals our willingness to seek help. But not Moses -- he was overwhelmed, and he let it be known. He was the single intercessor between God and the Chosen People, and he knew he had reached the end of his capability.

God does something amazing for Moses that demonstrates His divine grace. He takes some of His Spirit that He has placed on Moses and puts it on 70 Elders of Israel. It is obvious that these leaders didn't receive this Spirit by their own efforts. Two of the men who hadn't bother to show up to the anointing meeting received the Spirit as well. They disobeyed direct orders, yet God gave them His Spirit.

Moses' apprentice, Joshua, is at the anointing meeting, and he has never seen anybody but Moses prophesy (speak God's will) in the Spirit. He becomes very upset, and he pleads with his teacher, 'Moses, my master, make them stop!' Joshua has been learning from Moses for a while, and I'm sure he feels jilted. How could these men receive for free what he has been working for all of his life? Joshua experiences first hand the beauty of grace: a gift not based on the receiver, but on the Giver.

Moses' humility is displayed yet again when he looks at his young assistant and says, 'Are you jealous for my sake? I wish all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!' (Numbers 11.29 NLT) (emphasis added)

Moses is a shadow of Jesus. Jesus is our intercessor, and God gives us His Spirit because of His love for us and the sacrifice that Jesus made for our mistakes. Jesus wants His sacrifice to spill God's anointing on every person. I'm sure Jesus repeats Moses' words, 'I wish all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!'

A prophet is a person who hears from God, who sits with God, who sees God face to face and who communicates God's will. Yes, the gifting of prophecy can manifests in other ways, but the visions, dreams and riddles are merely outward signs of an inward discipline -- seeking God. All Christians are called to sit with God, seek His will and tell others about His glory. At salvation we were gifted with spiritual ears that hear God's voice. But are we using them?

Are we filling our lives with the world or with Him? If we want the fullness of God's Spirit moving in our lives, we have to make room for Him. If we want to discern His voice, we have to listen to and recognize it. If we want to tell the world about Christ, we have to seek Him every day and read His Word. We are honored with the power to communicate with God at any time. He waiting for us. We just need to sit and talk with Him -- face to face!

Question: What can you sacrifice or submit to this year to make room for God? What have you heard from God today?

And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say:
“If there were prophets among you,
I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions.
I would speak to them in dreams.
But not with my servant Moses.
Of all my house, he is the one I trust.
I speak to him face to face,
clearly, and not in riddles!
He sees the Lord as he is.
So why were you not afraid
to criticize my servant Moses?”

- Numbers 12.6-8 NLT (emphasis added)

"

Crosswalk.com

Do You Expect me to Forgive You?: "Have you noticed how the world treats the issue of forgiveness? On television for example, it’s almost a virtue to withhold forgiveness particularly if the offense is especially hurtful. "

Breast Cancer News

Many Women Do Not Get Regular Mammograms: "Despite professional recommendations and public support in favor of regular mammography, only about half of US women get an annual mammogram, even if they have insurance to cover the test. These results were presented at the 2010 San Antonio Breast ..."

Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day

Amos 5:14-15: "“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.”"

Becentsable

Retail Coupons: "

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Thanks, Your Retail Helper
Retail Coupons is a post from: Becentsable

American Diabetes Association News

Study: 1 in 3 Women Not Screened for Gestational Diabetes: "A new study of more than more than 900,000 pregnant women in the United States suggests that about one-third are not screened for gestational diabetes."

A Virtuous Women

Symbols in the Book of Revelation: "The Book of Revelation: Study #2
Symbols. The Book of Revelation is filled with mysterious symbols. Why? For the same reason that Jesus spoke in parables. In Luke 8:10 Jesus says, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures [...]"

5 Minutes for Books

Breaking Night: "

Reading Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard reminded me about the adversities that so many people face in their day to day life. It also gave me hope that no one is beyond hope or help, and that there is more to a person’s story than what you might perceive.

If you liked Jeanette Walls’ hugely popular and moving memoir The Glass Castle, you will probably like this book. If you couldn’t bear to read it, you definitely won’t want to read this one. If you are looking to have your eyes opened to the tragedy of children who are neglected by parents who value getting high more than making sure that their children are clean and fed, then dive in.

In Breaking Night, Liz Murray’s writing is descriptive, yet not flowery. She tells of the horrors of poverty she endured almost as an observer. Where this book diverges from the The Glass Castle is that Murray almost got pulled down as well. The bulk of the story tells about her struggle to stay motivated to attend school from about the time she was 11 on. There were many reasons and excuses for it, but in the end, her story shed light on how so many kids can end up on the wrong path.

But as the subtitle tells us, there is hope and restoration. Liz Murray eventually gets her act together and ends up being accepted on scholarship at Harvard.

I am curious if she’s writing another memoir, because though it was obvious that she was always an intelligent child, I’m curious how her transition into life at Harvard went. The book ends with the reader not even knowing if she got into Harvard or not, but the title and the bookjacket tells you that she did. If they didn’t, it would probably be unsatisfying as an ending, though I do understand why she chose to end it as she was waiting to receive her acceptance or rejection from Harvard.

On the amazon page, there’s a short video of Liz Murray talking about her story, and even after listening to her for 2 minutes, I can see how she was strong enough to write her story without blaming, exusing or whining. In her book, she told about how she couldn’t have made it through without the bits of help she received from institutions and individuals, and she gives the link to an organization that serves to feed hungry children: Blessings in a Backpack.

This isn’t an easy read at all, but I’m glad I read it. Any book that increases my awareness and compassion is a good thing for me. A line from the very beginning of the book set the tone:

“They had no intention to harm us. They simply did not have it in them to be the parents I wanted them to be. So how could I blame them?” (p. 50 ARC).

Jennifer Donovan reads books to inform, to entertain, and to escape. She blogs at Snapshot.

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