Natural Coping

The diversity of individuals in this country is amazing.  Particularly when you consider the different religions, races, cultures, and economic conditions.  There are those that grow up with privilege and those that grow up in extremely poor conditions.  Rich or poor, children have survived some incredible conditions.  Humans have the incredible ability to cope and adapt.  Our motivation-we have no choice.  We want to survive.  We adapt to our cultural environment.  One human coping mechanism is humor.  Sheila Robinson, author of "People In Hell Want Ice Water", explores the world from the eyes of Ramona Poarch, who is only 10.  It is a humorous fictional account of life in a small southern town in the 1950’s.  She endures her father’s alcoholism, her mother’s affair, her father’s murder by her mother, and her siblings abuse all from an innocent child’s perspective.  It is her book, “For all of us from humble beginnings.”

Vaccination Exemptions

Since the influenza vaccination blog, I have received many comments and requests for additional information about the legal exemption for vaccination.  North Carolina Vaccination Law offers two options:

1. The medical exemption requires that a physician certifies the vaccination would be “detrimental to a person’s health due to the presence of one of the contraindications” for that vaccination.  An example of a contraindication includes anyone with an allergy to any component of the vaccination including eggs.  Another possibility is anyone that is immunocompromised.   
2. The religeous exemption requires the individual to submit a “written statement of the bona fide religious beliefs and opposition to the immunization requirements, the person may attend the college, university, school or facility without presenting a certificate of immunization.

Just for the record, I am not a biblical scholar.  A common religious or spiritual principle is to keep the body pure.  While few of us will reach a state of perfection, many still strive to take care of their body by making healthful choices.  This includes not consciously taking in toxic material.  Some basic tenants of a religious or spiritual exemption may include:

1. A religious or spiritual biblical concept that views the body as a temple of God.  (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
2. Blood purity and the warning against the mixing of blood. (Leviticus 17:14)  There are other biblical references to blood.  Many vaccinations are blood products. 
3. There are some that make a case forbidding the combination of genetic material.   Leviticus 19:19 warns against mixing two different seeds in a field.  This practice results in cross-pollination which may alter the viability of the seed.  To maintain the purity of a seed means not mixing foreign RNA or DNA.  Vaccines are or contain foreign RNA or DNA.  This practice theoretically means that the substance can combine with our genetic material, creating a mutation.  This translates into potential cancer or other health issues. 

 I can only conclude that prepared immunizations do not conform to scriptural rules for hygiene.ealth care decisions on behalf of their children.  

The Pastoral Medical Association statement is as follows:  

The PMA encourages individuals to seek informed professional advice, considering both the scientific as well as the scriptural in all health matters affecting themselves or their families. We believe and support the God given right of every individual to choose or refuse conventional ideas that conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs, as so ordained in the Supreme Law of the Creator.

Got Intent?

As I woke this morning, the windows were open and the rain fell with the steady washing that invites you to stay in bed just a little longer.  What was my intent for the day? One was to write this blog on intent.  I also intend to eat breakfast, go to work, etc.  The point is that we all have the skill to make a decision and take action on that decision.  This is a skill that can be used to make conscious powerful changes in your life and health.

 Intention is a conscious purposeful decision that directs an individual’s actions toward a specific goal.  This actually means I can make a conscious decision to be happy.  I can choose to be at peace.  I can improve my health by the choices I make.  Today is a good day and my intent is to be kind and helpful to others.  Intention is everything.

Stay Well!

Natural Resistance

The horse trainer was hired to teach the 6 year old horse to stand still while being mounted.  As a matter of manners and safety, a horse should stand still for mounting and not move until asked.  The horse resisted being mounted.  Some would say that horses are not smart, otherwise, they would never allow us to mount them.  Perhaps this is the execption.  For what ever reason the horse danced around and would not allow a foot to enter the stirrup.  All such problems are man made.  Corrective measures could be to tie the horse to a post and mount over and over until acceptance.  Another way is move the horse round and round in the pen until the horse is willing to stand.  While these methods work, the best choice is one that is easy for the trainer, and creates the least resistance in an already resistant subject.  The assistant took a handful of feed, offered it to the horse and the trainer mounted without incident.  The trainer dismounts and repeats the offering.  Sometimes the horse gets a treat, sometimes not, but always allowed mounting.

In “O Brother Where Art Thou”, instruction was given that they would not find the treasure they seek because of their “obstackles”.  Such is our health; we create man made obstacles that block the flow of good health.  Identifying roadblocks is key to recovery.  Obstacles can be the choices of beverage, food, lifestyle, or even thought patterns.

If you say, “I will not eat sugar”, the last thing you said was “eat sugar”.  You could change the focus to, “I will make healthier choices in my diet”!  If you say, “this is hard”, it will be.  You just created your own reality!

The traffic is heavy and you’re in the left lane trying to leave enough space to slow down if needed.  A car speeds past you on the right and invades the safety space you created.  You scream at him, blow the horn and ride his bumper until the anger passes.  If you drive at all, you know this will happen, and yet you respond the same way each time.  It is as if the bad driver conditioned YOUR response.  Would it be better to just ADJUST your position?

Healthy relationships are important.  We may want others to respond differently knowing they won’t.  So we keep hoping and continue presenting the opportunity for THEM, and become upset when the outcome is not different.  Did we create resistance?  Should we be angry with them for not making the choice we wanted?

When working with animals, if there is a problem a smart trainer looks to themselves first.  Do you force the situation or ask what can I do differently?  Do you break a horse or start one?  Do you “break” old patterns or START new ones?  Some easy choices may not always be the best choices.  Be open to the possibilities of other choices.  Am I offering the most effective solution to what seems like a difficult problem?  Sometime we feel LOCKED IN.  We can not see any other possibility.  It may not be as difficult as we create.  Resistance is negative energy that we create.  Choose to live a resistance free life.

Stay Well!