Living In Health               

Have a Happy Healthy Holiday!

The holidays can be full of amazing happenings, precious memories, and great adventures. They can also be miserable and depressing if you are victim to one of the multitude of sick bugs going around. There are colds, sore throats, and various types of flu, just waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting victim. There are some simple things you can do to enjoy a Happy Healthy Holiday season.

Sugar is an ingredient in most of the party foods this time of year. The Cookies, candies, cakes, and pies are loaded with it. Fudge and Christmas candy” rule” as a favorite treat. When you eat the sugar laden treats, try to follow it with several thousand units of vitamin C. This will help to combat the depressive quality that sugar has on the body. Sugar will depress the immune system, but the “C’ will help. It counter balances the sugars effect. Result: you stay strong and fight off the bad germs.

Water, a lot of water, consumed on a regular basis, will be huge in your fight for health. I recommend eight, eight ounce glasses per day. Your Grandmother was right when she said to drink a lot of water. It really is good for you.

Rest! Too much running around, late night events, family gatherings, and endless SHOPPING trips can be exhausting. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. If that is not possible, a short nap will help. When you are worn out, your immune system has a hard time fighting off all the ailments going around.

Stress less and pray more! Stress is a bad guy—the boss of bad guys. Stress makes a lot of people sick and even kills some of them. This Christmas season take a moment to be thankful for the Christ child. Take some time to pray for those less fortunate. Get your focus off all the stuff you have to do and on to the One whose birthday we celebrate. Prayer can cancel and defeat the effect of stress. Try it, you’ll feel better for it.

Have a Happy, Healthy, Holiday season and a blessed New Year.

Sarah's Health Journey

The story behind what you see as you visit Milk and Honey Farm is long and complicated. It began with disease and death.... It began with tears and sorrow and the darkest night of the soul. My mother’s sudden death, my first husband’s death, my own loss of health were all part of the beginning. From them until now, it has been orchestrated by the Lord Himself.

It is too simple to say that I was sick and then I got well by changing my lifestyle. But that is exactly what happened. The sickness was brought about by my own ignorance, laziness, rebellion, and a lot of bad choices.

I was a two pack a day heavy smoker—and had done that for 20-years. The cigarettes were my security blanket, a hand to hold when there was no one there. Is it any wonder, that my lungs got sick?

My blood sugar levels were a disaster—I used to make fudge and eat the whole batch and then lick out the bowl. I was disorientated and depressed. I slept a lot, had terrible headaches that resulted in trips to the emergency room. I was a mess!

I existed on fast food, junk food, colas, coffee, and cigarettes. Exercise of any kind was nonexistent I got sicker and sicker.

When I got sick and tired of being sick and tired, I went for help. I went to medical people. They gave me pills to cover the symptoms. I got sicker. I went to the religious community and they had no answers. I got sicker. Nothing helped or worked. I got sicker.

Finally, I went to the SOURCE. I read my Bible from Genius to Revelation on everything it had to say about healing, health and lifestyle. I ate what it said to eat and did not eat what it said not to eat. I learned to prepare foods in healthy ways, I started to walk. One mile, then two—then three miles every day. I gave up colas and drank water. I got educated on what to eat that would build health. Most diets will sustain life, but will not sustain health.

God made it easy with the cigarettes. I was prayed for, delivered, set free in one church service and have never smoked since. There was no withdrawal and I did not gain any extra weight. My lungs got better and I stopped coughing.

My blood sugar leveled out after two years. Little by little, I was rebuilding my body. The instructions came directly from the Bible and the Holy Spirit taught me. I was mentored on this journey by men and women of God, including Dr. Donald Whitaker. I learned discipline and diligence.

The Lord sent me to school at Christ for the Nations and after graduation in 1985, I was hired to teach. There were many students who had a call of God on their lives, but their physical bodies were weak and sickly. I called the class "Biblical Health and Nutrition". It consisted of what scriptures had to say about food, what physicians and nutritionists recommend, and practical ways to make it work! I wrote a study manual and several recipe books. The class was a basic show and tell and TASTE. Healthy food can taste good if you know how to prepare it! The class was basic and very practical.

The Lord opened doors for me to be a regular guest on Christian Television. I had my own radio program called "Milk and Honey". I spoke at churches, seminars, home school groups all over the Southwest. The meetings were to teach practical ways toward building a healthy lifestyle. What was really exciting was the opportunity to pray for healing for those who attended. I saw the Lord’s hand in amazing ways. People were healed, delivered and set free from food bondages. I saw the Lord move in supernatural ways.

About this time, the Lord brought Bob Lea into my classes. He began to help with the technical parts of the ministry, as well as doing the music. Bob is a class act with a guitar and an anointed praise and worship leader. We were married at Church of the King in Dallas, Texas on December 29th, 1991.

We moved to Minnesota to pastor a small country church and bought "Milk and Honey Farm". We are organically growing almost 95% of the food we eat. We learn with every new season. The Lord continues to teach us, but now it is not in a class room. We are learning from His creation. The garden and the animals teach us Biblical truth. We celebrate Jesus as the Lord of the Harvest. The law of sowing and reaping has become our lifestyle.

After it rains, and the ground is wet, you can see my footprints in the mud. You can see the Lord’s footprints all over this journey.

Jesus said, "By the fruit you shall know them". The "fruit" of my traveling the road from sickness and disease is seen at Milk and Honey Farm. Good fruit remains and leaves a legacy. I believe that what I have learned is a LEGACY of LIFE.

It is the year 2004. This process began in 1976. It has become a lifestyle and a ministry. I have been given the opportunity to share in class rooms, in seminars, on radio, on television, on tapes, videos and DVDs—what the Lord has done. The Biblical Health and Nutrition Manual that I wrote while teaching at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, is being published in Chinese. It will be printed in book form and distributed to all Chinese markets globally. The message is for all peoples and all nations. The Lord loves you and wants you to be in health.

Only God could put all this together. To Him, I am grateful. He has truly brought me to the “ Land of Milk and Honey”.

Come and see what the Lord has done!

DO YOU KNOW?

It is easier to prevent disease than it is to treat it. In many cases, just changing what you and your family eats can promote healing. Remove the polluted food and the body tends to be self-healing. The Bible has a surprising amount of information about what are the good things to eat. Attention to God's prescription for good health, realizing He would rather have you in health and wholeness, plus a basic 'how to" knowledge of diet, exercise and rest will prevent a lot of trouble.

This area was added to help you create a new lifestyle through the use of the Word of God and practical information about good nutrition. Our suggestions are NOT hard or complicated.

We will share only what we do and what works for us.

DIET RELATED DISORDERS:

Research has connected the following disorders with diet and lifestyle. Many of these diseases can be prevented and even treated by changing basic eating habits.

1. Cancer
2. Heart disease
3. High blood pressure
4. Diabetes
5. Ulcers
6. Allergies
7. Tooth decay or bleeding gums
8. Learning Disorders
9. Anorexia and Bulimia
10. Overweight by more than 10 pounds
11. Arthritis
12. Acne (zits)

Good Health is not passive. It requires ACTION. If you or a family member suffers from one these diseases, there is hope. Let's look at some simple things you can do to start out.

FEED YOUR 600 BILLION CELLS

You have 600 Billion cells in your body. Each cell requires feeding with about 50 essential nutrients. A nutrient is anything nutritious. Nutritious means something that has VALUE as food. Simply because a person is full after dinner does not mean that what he ate had value as food. "Essential" means you will die without it, but usually not right away.

The average diet in America will sustain life, but not health!

We grow 95% of our own food. We have fruit trees and berry bushes. We have 10,000 square foot organic garden. The meat we eat comes from our own sheep, chicken, ducks, and geese. We have worked at this for years. Some foods, like wheat, comes from a neighbor who grows organically. Some comes from other organic sources. The change did not happen overnight. It is not for everybody. We used to buy most of our food at the grocery store, but we buy very little there now. We learned to make good choices.

When you buy at a grocery store, here's some tips to begin your life style change:

DELI

1. Avoid prepared potatoes, pasta, or fruit salads prepared with mayonnaise or whipping cream.
2. Choose fresh vegetables and greens like cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts.
3. Add garbanzo or other beans, peas or seeds to salads for extra protein and nutrition.
4. Oil and vinegar or lemon juice dressings are best - skip the creamy ones.
5. Select turkey or lean roast beef.

MEAT, POULTRY AND FISH

1. Choose fresh fish and poultry. Remove skin from all poultry. Buy whole chickens rather than parts. Parts can be taken from chickens that have tumors.
2. Choose beef and lamb with the least amount of visible fat.
3. Beef is graded and labeled according to fat content. "Select" is the leanest grade. "Choice" is the next leanest. Choose cuts with the least amount of visible fat. TRIM all outside fat.
4. Buy canned fish packed in water.
5. Whenever possible, buy ORGANIC MEAT and POULTRY.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

1. Select skim or low fat white cheese.
2. Select milk products containing 0-1% fat.
3. No imitation cheese, butter or whipped topping.
4. Select butter - the real thing.
5. Read all labels on ice cream-learn what they mean.

FROZEN FOODS

Check labels - Many are high in sodium and low in fiber.

SOUPS and other CANNED GOODS

Read the labels. Select those that have no more than 5 grams of fat per serving and are low in sodium.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS

Buy raw - avoid waxed fruit and vegetables.

BREAD/CEARAL/GRAIN PRODUCTS

1. Choose whole grain bread-read labels.
2. Consult cereal labels and buy accordingly.
3. Buy brown rice - not rice mixes.
4. Buy dried beans and peas - no cans.

SALAD DRESSINGS AND OILS

1. Use olive oil or sunflower oil.
2. Avoid salad dressing made with cream, cheese and egg yokes.
3. Select seasoned vinegars, lemon juices or herb/spice blend without salt for dressing avoid MSG.

SNACKS

1. Popcorn
2. Nuts
3. Seeds
4. Fresh fruit
5. Vegetables

AVOID

1. Sugar
2. White flour
3. T. V. dinners
4. Candy
5. All Processed foods
6. Colas
7. Salted chips and snacks
8. Fat meats and lunch meats

LABELS

If you can't pronounce it what is in it, DON'T EAT IT!

This is basic, and will help you get started. More to come-healthy recipes that TASTE good!

GOD'S WORD ON FOOD AND HEALTH - remember, the first sin was over food when Adam and Eve ate that apple.

You might want to do a Bible Study on some of these-or talk to a friend and do it together.

• I Cor 10: 31
• Deut 32:15
• Prov. 25:16
• Luke 21:34
• Phil 4:13
• Prov. 4:20-22
• Psalms 107:20
• Isaiah 53:5
• Mark 1:41
• Mark 6:56
• Luke 5:13
• Luke 7:14
• Prov. 23:1-3
• John 10:10
• Luke 22:51
• James 4:7

You may also want to read the first chapter of the Book of Daniel and notice how God blesses Daniel and his friends because they remained separated from the King's table.

None of this is hard and the Lord will help you if you ask Him. I had to learn to do all this because I was really sick and needed to make some serious changes or die. I studied what the Word of God said concerning health, healing and responsibility. As I implemented changes and began to practice discipline, my health improved dramatically.

Learning and LIVING a new life style that promotes health is ongoing. As with any change, prayer is a necessary part. I have been walking it out for almost 30 years. It works for me.

Diet fads come and go-but the WORD of God will stand the test of time.