Que Sera Sera, Not All Meters Are Equal, Knowing May Save Your LIfe,.VI

  How Your Blood Test Meter Can Help You Beat Type II Diabetes

About the first of February my health care provider informed me that they had changed their program. That they had made a deal with a company called Maxor to provide all their pharmacy needs in the future. Based on a letter I received from Maxor they are not going to  support my Freestyle test strips anymore after April 1^st. They recommended I try the One Touch brand. My diabetes doctor’s office provided me a One Touch meter when I informed them.

Maxor said my brand of tester was to expensive. I wonder if they considered that I was no longer using insulin which according to my pharmacy was about an $1150 a month expense. That was quite a big savings. I know one thing if I used the meter they recommended I would be back on insulin. I don’t know if that is their goal or not, but it is certainly not mine. If they really wanted to cut cost they would send every diabetic they service a copy of Blood Sugar 101. Then offer a small percentage of any cost savings in the form of a premium reduction. If their goal was really to save money. Being off of insulin is saving me almost a $110 a month just in co-pay. That fills my car up twice. The price of my physical improvement from weight loss and health improvement are hard to measure.

The Practitioner who gave me the meter showed me how to use it. The test result was 137. I told her that seemed awful high and we tested on my Freestyle meter and it was 107. That is a 22% difference. As I told her my goal was to get down to an 80 point average. That one test result was not good. If my meter is right, that means an 80 on the One Touch meter would actually be a 60 on my meter. That could put a person at risk of going into a diabetic coma. Right then I decided to research the matter and have invested my own money to find out if the wide reading is systemic. My results may not be scientific, but they tell me there is a problem.

I have found some interesting facts. One is that when fasting they are all in a pretty close grouping, but still higher than my meter. However when eating a regular meal the spread in points can be very significant. About the same time I discovered a book called Blood Sugar 101 by Jenny Buhl. I got my copy thru Amazon. Her program to lower your test scores recommends testing before meals and about 2 hours after eating. She states anything over 120 should be considered not acceptable, others recommend 140. I prefer her guide and since I started following her guidelines my numbers have dropped dramatically.

If mine are over 100 when I test, I fast till I get results below 100. I am on what is called an intermittent fasting diet and only eat at 11AM and 5PM. That means no eating at all between 5PM and 11AM. Oh Yes and no snacks between 11 and 5. You actually get used to it after a short while. It helped me break the wall I had been stuck at for some time.

Why am I so concerned about the matter. It is really pretty simple, at least if you have lived as long as me. I am seventy three and have seen dozens of friends suffer the ravages of diabetes over time. Lost limbs, lost vision, are just a couple of the many consequences of a disease that basically rots your body from within. The sad thing is that it can be stopped by proper dieting. Another sad part of that is that most people would rather not change habits that they have had for a lifetime. Even if it means extending their life instead of cutting it short. I read where the results of diabetes can knock a decade off of your life expectancy.

To me it has become a matter of the quality my life. Three years ago I was always short of breath and unable to do even the most simple physical activities. Going for a one hour walk was out of the question. I may have to take my walker and break it up into smaller pieces but I can do it now. I can once again bend down to tie my shoes or pick things up. Simple thing, but if your health is so far gone you can’t do them it is wake up call that the lifestyle change was and is worth the cost.

For the last three years I have hardly written compared to when I started my blog back in 2011. For a time it was like I was going into a state of dimentia. I would sit down at the keyboard and I could not focus my thoughts. It has been slow but I have seen a gradual but steady change back to what I would call normal. I credit it all to my changes in diet and the weight loss I have experienced.

It is not my goal to claim some miracle healing, but I do want to share that changing your lifestyle can have some wonderful and enjoyable benefits. I never thought I would see seventy three. Especially after I technically died twice back in 04 and they bought me back. My goal now is to enjoy any and all the time I have left. This spring I was lucky enough to go to the graduation of my youngest grand child of seven, and only grand daughter. Since then I have managed to live longer than my Dad did. So if I am going to stick around I intend to continue to have goals. I would like to be around for my twin great grand daughters graduation. They turned eight on Sunday. If I live as long as my Mom I will be able to do it. As I take more after her it may be possible. Her side of the family has many people who lived till their 80’s and 90’s.

After three years of being on insulin and getting off it by changing my lifestyle and diet, it is possible to get Type II diabetes under control, but not without making some changes. The biggest one is getting the mindset that you are no longer going to be a victim. You can beat it but you have to get focused to do it.

Lord Willing I am going to go to the Chicago Area for a seminar on pond building in March. Over the last couple of years I have gotten hooked on watching Koi fish, My goal is to build my own pond. In September I went to the Atlanta Koi Show. Now I am planning to go to the Louisville Koi Show at Memorial Day, and then back to Atlanta this fall. Hopefully I will be able to work in a couple short trips to the Smoky Mountains also. Life is fun, live it, don’t just endure it.

Sorry about all the personal trivia, but I hadn’t written much in some time and was just trying to let my regular readers know why. Hopefully I can get back into a productive cycle. After all there are a lot of things going on that I used to write about on a regular basis and hopefully I can start sharing my two bits on a regular basis again.

Learning what to eat is the key. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdKxot74tQg&t=923s

                                      Blood Meter Test Results

Date   Freestyle     One Touch    ReliOn    ReliOn    AccuChek  Freestyle

           Freedom Lite        Ultra 2             Premier        Prime          Guide Me            Neo

2/18AM   107                   109                    123              105               127                  117

2/18PM    74                      95                      91                95                 89                    96

2/19AM   113                    134                   125              118               142                   116

2/19PM    114                    111                   118              115               143                   103

2/20AM   124                    135                   131              129               139                   121

2/20PM   100                     113                  100               105               103                    93

  

2/21AM   130                   134                   128               113               145                  110

2/21PM    83                    106                     94                 92                 95                    84

2/22AM   118                    132                  120               107              120                    95

2/22PM  100                      125                 109               104               107                   102

2/23AM  128                     144                  138              142                131                  138

2/23PM   114                     142                  123              127                130                  129

2/24AM  118                    126                   112              102                131                  113 (104)

2/24PM   89                     107                     95               86                  95                    82

2/25AM  113                    119                  132               141                 162                  114

2/25PM  100                    104                   104               105                116                   100

Totals   1538                  1936                 1843             1786               1975                 1713

Average 96                      121                   115               111                 123                   107

   

Numbers inside of brackets are results of tests taken 2 hours after eating. If the number is more than 120 it may not be a good meal for a diabetic. Some guides say 140 is okay. I prefer the lower number. I usually only do the two hour test when I am eating something I am not sure of the results.

One important point to keep in mind, the readings on your meter are used to determine what dose of medicine you are prescribed. If the meter is reading 30% high, you are getting 30% of medicine you may not need. The same could be said for a low meter reading, but would you rather be under dosed or over dosed? Think about that for a minute and let it sink in.

After doing this study and looking at the numbers I have to wonder. If the two highest meters are prescribed by doctors and give numbers that will make people have to take insulin, wouldn’t it save the company money to not prescribe insulin? The only thing that would make sense to use the high point meters is if the insurance companies were getting a kick back for prescribing high cost insulin. As insulin is much cheaper in other countries that is the only reason I can see for not wanting patients on meters giving lower numbers. I find it hard to believe four out of six meters could be that far off.

One factor makes me wonder what is going on. Freestyle Lite test strips are $1.67 per strip. The One Touch Ultra test strips are $1.37 which is much cheaper and understandable till you realize the higher numbers for the One Touch is going to put more people on insulin. If it was truly about saving money it would make more sense to prescribe the ReliOn Prime or the Freestyle Neo which are about 36 to 39 cents per test strip. The problem with those is that to many people would be getting off of the diabetes medicines. Which creates a problem for the pharmaceutical companies. How can you make a profit if no one is buying your product.

I may not be able to figure out the how and why of it all but I know Type II diabetes can be reversed. The problem is that to do that most patients will have to figure how to do it by themselves as many of the doctors have already written the diabetic off as a lost cause. That sounds like I am biased. I am not, and I am not the one who said it originally. I heard a doctor who was on a YouTube video say it. He said that not till he got diabetes himself did he realize the indifference of many in the medical fields.

Hope this helps someone. Your comments are welcome. In the words of my grand daughter “Sharing is Caring” If you know someone who is a diabetic I urge you to share this post and to read my other posts in this series. My blog only grows by word of mouth. I would like to have a lot of subscribers but that is not my goal. I write simply because I like writing and know that sharing knowledge can save someone else from enduring unnecessary hardships. Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Que SeraSera, Beating Type II Diabetes, It Can Be Done

Que Sera Sera, Beating Type II Diabetes, V

Fighting Diabetes is an uphill battle and very hard to win, but that being said, it can be done. I know because I am doing it and have a few tips that can make the whole thing a whole lot easier. Finding good and workable ways to beat Diabetes is a challenge. Even many of the doctors are willing to just write their diabetic patients off. Often their view is that the diabetic diseases and the damage they cause are inevitable. Let me tell you they are not, but victory does not just happen. It requires hard work, dedication, self control and self discipline. Having the will to change bad habits into good habits and knowing the difference.

At seventy-three I have seen a lot of my friends over the years lose the battle. Diabetes is a vicious and nasty disease and kills its victims often one piece at a time. A foot, a leg, eyes, kidneys, and many more pieces of your body. Many of the things happen so slowly many victims do not even realize they have a problem. One of the biggest killers is obesity. It is not being fat that causes the problem, there are many skinny diabetics also. The problem starts when your body slowly becomes insulin resistant. Slowly, often as people get older, but it can happen to young people to.To much sugar in your system and your bodies inability to properly dispose of it starts a very slow rotting process. There are many documentaries on YouTube that swear that their cancer was beaten and put into remission by strictly removing any and all kinds of sugar from their diet.

If your trying to get off of insulin or prevent getting on it, carbs are your worst enemy. From my experience if you eat carbs your test results will slowly start to go up. My way of dealing with it is that I do intermittent fasting. I only eat twice a day. Usually 11AM and 5PM. I can snack between 11 and 5 if my numbers are right, which for me is below 100. If my numbers are to high I fast till the next meal time and then I am careful what I eat. I test before I eat and two hours after I eat. If my two hour reading is over one hundred twenty it is fast time again. Do this long enough and the numbers will come down.

I have a diet of bacon and eggs, maybe with refried beans in a tortilla. I sometimes add cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms and a slice of onion for taste and flavor. Supper is usually veggies with protein, like chicken or fish, and maybe a salad. Most of my veggies are steamed and then fried with the protein in a skillet, usually with some mushrooms, onions and bacon grease added for taste. I always cook with real butter, lard or bacon grease. If you question my choices you need to watch the YouTube video, “Butter makes your pants fall off.” You might laugh but his before and after pictures and his testimony says it works. The only oil I use is Olive oil and it is only on certain items.

The real key to breaking the yoyo diet and weight problem is learning to use the glycemic index. There is a link t it in one of my earlier post. I have a book called, Glycemic Load Diet Cookbook. It is by Rob Thompson and Dana Carpender. I got my copy from Amazon and it is really handyand a valuable tool, because it tells you the glycemic load of lots of the more popular foods. The glycemic load indicates what impact a food will have on your blood sugar. Pork, eggs, butter, chicken, lettuce, cabbage, beef, chicken, cheese and broccoli have 0 impact, yes that is a zero. Those foods will not make you fat. At the other end of the scale is pancakes with a load of 346, a bagel at 340, spaghetti at 278 and baked potatos at 246. A slice of white bread comes in at 260, the alternative and my choice is a corn tortilla at 120 or a wheat tortilla at just 80 points. One of my favorites is refried pinto beans at 57 points. Learning to use the chart and pick the healthier but tasty foods makes a big difference.

So much for my diet, I don’t believe you have to sacrifice taste and fullness to lose weight. However you do need to learn what the foods you are eating do to your body. I have been using six blood meters a day for about two weeks now. I plan to share my early findings in my next blog post. My goal is to do it till I have thirty days worth of results.

My first eight days definitely have shown me that the time spent studying is worth my time. My goal is it to take on the health care system and prove it is all about dollars and cents to them and that they could care less about helping us stay healthy. If we are healthy they do not get any money, and that is all they are in it for.

Que Sera Sera, IV Whatever Will Be,Will Be, Not Necessarily

    

  Que Sera Sera, Whatever Will Be, Will Be, Not Necessarily

A year ago this month I wrote a post on dieting and proclaimed I would not write again till I hit two hundred fifty pounds or one year, whichever came first. Well I haven’t hit two hundred and fifty pounds, but I have learned a lot and I am no longer on insulin.

I had a recent experience concerning diabetes that may or may not save someone’s life.

My family insurance company sent me a notice that they were no longer going to cover my Freestyle brand of blood testing device. They gave me till 1 April to convert. Well I went to my diabetes doctor’s office and informed them of the problem. She said no problem, we have one of their recommended brands and we will give it to you. Well she showed me how it worked and it tested at one hundred thirty seven. I told her that seemed awful high. I had my meter with me so I tested on it and my score was one hundred and seven. That is thirty points difference. That is a difference of twenty-two percent. Her tester would put me back on insulin. It took me three years to get off of insulin and I am not eager to get back on it.

I told her my goal was to get to a steady blood sugar of eighty which is in the normal range which is seventy to eighty-five, which is some top secret information that it took me the whole three years to find out. Based on the score on her meter, if I got down to eighty, it would be sixty on my meter, which could mean being comatose. I told her I would do some research and figure out the solution on my own.

The first thing I learned was that my blood meter test strips cost $1.76 each, the one they wanted me to use was only $1.37 per strip. It was all about dollars and cents and my health was secondary.

I decided to fund my own little home study to see what is available. At present I am testing on six different meters twice a day and found there is a lot of difference not only in the prices, but also in the test results. The Walmart ReliOn Prime Meter cost only $9.00 and the test strips are just .36 cents each. The results with it are pretty close to the Freestyle brand I presentlyuse.

My goal is to do a thirty day test and see how consistent the results are. I have already found that when I am fasting there is usually only a ten point spread between the highest and the lowest. However, when I have eaten and take a test two hours after eating there can be as much as a sixty point spread between the highest and lowest.

If you are diabetic and want to beat it testing is the key. I recently read a book called Blood Sugar 101, by Jenny Ruhl and available from Amazon for about $16. She recommends that to eat effectively and avoid the big point swings that some foods can cause, it is essential to test before eating and two hours after eating. My goal is to stay at less than one hundred points. After two hours your blood sugar should not be above one hundred forty. My personal goal is not go above one hundred twenty points. Happily Chimichangas and most burritos with shredded beef and beans pass that test. Who says you can’t eat out. Personally if my score is above one hundred, I fast till it is below one hundred, I do a lot of short fasting. I have found by doing this I can break thru the wall that was keeping me from losing weight. I usually test at 11AM and 5PM. If my score is over a one hundred, I do not eat till 5PM. If it is still over one hundred I fast till the next morning. My longest fast was by accident and lasted 96 hours. It was part of how I learned to win the diabetes battle and to kick down the wall that kept me from losing weight. One of the keys to this is absolutely no snacks and yes no food between 5PM and 11AM. It is just something you can learn to do if you really want to lose the weight.

So how does one accidentally go on a 96 hour fast? Over Labor Day weekend I had planned a five day road trip. One of my goals was to bomb my house for bugs before I left and I did manage to do it. However I kind of screwed up. I got to the end of the drive and I realized I had not packed my meds or testing equipment. Being an Agent Orange recipient, having OCPD, as well as having only 30 to 40 percent lung capacity from a history of smoking and several bouts with pnuemonia, I could not go back in the house fo at least eight hours. So I decided to do the trip without meds or testing supplies. I was already fasting and just decided to continue it till I got back. I wasn’t to worried about it. My longest fast was back in the early eighties when I was going thru a vegetarian health nut phase of life. I went ten days and broke it out of boredom, not hunger. I was just out of the Army and only about 175 pounds back then. Getting back to that weight has sort of become my bucket list goal in life. At two pounds per month it will only take about eight years, so I may be on a diet till I die. Having been dead twice already I can live with that. LOL

When I got back my blood sugar was in the eighties and stayed below one hundred for over a week. Plus I had lost fourteen pounds, of which I gained most back as soon as I started eating. It was just after I got back I read the Blood Sugar 101 book. Then I knew how to get off of insulin and stay off. My doctor had told me before my trip if I lost another twenty pounds she would probably take me off of insulin. I have not taken it since I came back from my trip, but I know just enough now to be dangerous.

My goal in writing this is to share that it is possible to beat diabetes and to lose weight. I decided to just eat and enjoy life over Thanksgiving and the holidays and put on twenty pounds, but my New Years resolution to was to become serious about reaching my goal of two hundred and forty pounds, but even if I reach it I will continue to lose hopefully as long as I live. I certainly feel a lot better and a lot more able to get around than I used to be.

I do think I paid a price for my attempt at doing Keto, I may have lost a few pounds doing it, but my cholesterol went from 88 to 128. I had fought that battle before and beat it. The secret is cut out the fat and drink 8 ounces of red wine each day. Worked for me in the past and figure it will if I continue to do it. The one part of Keto I have kept is not eating carbs, carbs are what pack it on, that being said, there are good carbs also.

Another thing I discovered is steamed foods. I bought a little steamer pot and love it. I cut up cabbage, onions, carrots, celery, asparagus, cucumber, zucchini and steam it for about forty minutes. Then I take a chicken breast, polish sausage, or steak and fry it in a skillet with onions and mushrooms in bacon grease and add some bottled gravy sauce and it is awesome and virtually no calories. I use butter, lard, or olive oil for cooking, I don’t use any vegetable oils. My favorite spices are paprika, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic pepper, season all seasoning salt, and parsley. Spices are the key to making it all enjoyable.

One more key to learning to lose weight is to start using what is called the glycemic index, https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/nutrition/glycemic-index-chart/ to help in losing weight. Eating foods which are less than 50 on the glycemic index will really help take off the pounds. Foods like cabbage, onions, beans, celery, lettuce and several others contain virtually no calories and they actually take more calories to digest than they put into your system. That means you can lose weight and still stuff yourself. Yep it can actually be done.

Writing can be a frustrating enterprise especially when doing it on a new computer that you have never used. One wrong key and two hours of trying to put together a story in an interesting way and poof, it is gone, and will never come back. At seventy three my recall button is definitely not a Total Recall button, and being computer illiterate does not help the matter any. I know most of this trivia does not matter to most readers, but it helps me to be able to vent. In the words of Earnest Hemingway, “Writing is simple, you just sit down at a typewriter and bleed” and when you craft something nice and lose it all it is almost terminal.

T-Rump & the Republi-can’ts vs the Constitution

             T-Rump & the Republi-can’ts vs the Constitution

       Sometimes the hardest part of writing something is knowing where, or how to start. This time I think I should start by explaining how I came up with the T-Rump.  I was reading something on the T-Rex dinosaur and how it was a flesh eater and a terror to anything that got in its path.  It was a very big and terrifying beast. Suddenly I had an epiphany and realized it was a perfect description of Donald Trump.  Terrifying and destructive of anything that gets in his way and the biggest Rump that ever lived. As for the Republi-can’ts they like to boast that they serve the country.  Yet they have done nothing to fix the many problems facing America. They haven’t fixed the health care problem, the gun problem, the immigration problem, infrastructure problem of the budget/debt problem. Every since Obama was elected in 08, all they have done is whine and cry and try to undo anything that the Dumb'ol-crats have tried to do, while offering no solutions to any of the problems facing America. For eleven and a half years they have done nothing.

    Since T-Rump took office it has only gotten worse. They do absolutely nothing and hide behind T-rump and his tweets.  The present impeachment problem has shown how little they know or care. The Constitution States very clearly that it is the duty of the Congress to appropriate and disburse funds.  Yet they are willing to LetT-Rump usurp their authority and do their job without complaint, even though it violates the Constitution.

    Their ignorance knows no bounds. Senator Jordan made the quote that the majority of Americans elected T-Rump and that the Dumb’ol-crats can’t stand it that they lost the election.  Actually if it was not for the Electoral College that needs to be done away with, T-Rump would have lost by several million votes.

   I used to be proud to call myself a Republican, However, the last time I voted for a Republican, or any mainstream candidate was Ronald Reagan’s first term in office. Since then I have voted independent. Actually I am trying to create a third party so people will have a choice that matters.

     The Dumb’ol-crats endorse abortion and are too far from what I consider basic Christian values for me. Their views on health care do not meet my standards either. Of course the Republi-can’ts do nothing but rant and rave. They have surrendered the party to a loud mouthed, pathological liar, who is more concerned with what Putin wants and how to help him than fixing the problems in America.

    All the parties involved have and will take an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.  They all need to read and heed the Constitution and what their duties are under the Constitution.  However, in my view what we are about to see is the abortion of the United States as a nation. T-Rump has worked hard at making America the laughing stock of the World.

      I invite you to read the link I inserted and to realize that there are solutions to the problems facing America.  I offer solutions to the healthcare problem, infrastructure, guns, immigration and the budget problems facing American. The solution will not come from taking away from the rich, but by fixing the system in a way that it will maintain itself.  Kicking people off of food stamps and putting immigrants in concentration like environments is not a solution.  It is totally an unchristian thing to do and goes against what this nation stands for.

    Until Congress understands their duties under the Constitution, the problems will not be fixed. They are too busy lining their pockets and pointing fingers. It is time to wake up America. It is time to get rid of the communist criminal in the white house. Not because he is a crook, but because America deserves better than what it is getting in the present administration.                   

Why Trump will lose in 2020

          Why Trump will lose in 2020

   Trump will lose mainly because he never won an election to start with. Hillary won the popular vote. While I am glad for the way it turned out, I know America is a better country than to support a second term for Trump.  People who had not read his book and did not know him, felt he was the underdog.  America has always had a soft heart for underdogs. Wiley Coyote is the perfect example. However Mr. Magoo more personifies the image of the average American politician. Pepe Le pew more personifies the American view of politicians in general.

   Trumps presidential style has mirrored his personal background as a self-serving, egotistical, racist with a lack of respect for anything or anybody that disagrees with him. He accumulated his wealth from family handouts, con-games, rip-offs of contractors and a variety of embezzlement schemes, of which some are pending court hearings as to their legality.

    He is the very image of the main character in the book “1984,” Hate speech is his strong suite when it comes to facing his problems.  He constantly denigrates anything that he does not like. Unfortunately for him American’s are wise to his tactics.  I personally believe his base is not big enough to carry him thru the election. He is so busy alienating people that his potential base is shrinking. I know America as a whole is better than him.

   When Barrack Obama became president it made me realize, America is capable of overcoming hatred and bigotry. If you had told me twenty years ago a black man would be President I would have laughed at you. Obama’s election showed me that America can rise above its shortcomings. Trump’s election showed me that there is a festering sore just below the surface in America, and that our system, can be diverted and perverted by those who focus their attention on manipulating the system

 As long as the Electoral College exists the true will of the American people will never be secure. When it was created it served a purpose. It took almost two months to go across America and back. That is no longer the case and the Electoral College, just like slavery has outlived its usefulness. In this day and age it is a system of perverting the will of the People.

   It is not and never was intended to give equality of the little states, against the big states. The only true equality is when every vote counts equally. The Congress was created to fill the gap between big and little and provide equality. I vote as an American, for an American, for America.  I believe most other Americans do also.

    That is why I believe that the inherent goodness of America will never let the Evil stand that we are seeing perpetuated by this President. We as a people do need to stand up and fix the system so that NO outside source may in any way effect or alter the outcome of our election. The Electoral College does not provide that protection, in fact it creates the opportunity for the perversion of our system thru deception.

   On the issue of immigration I find Trump living on hate. His self-righteousness out-weights common sense. It was my good fortune to spend thirteen years of my life in service to my country.  Ten of it was spent overseas. In the course of that time I met many thousands of people who wanted to come to America.  I do not remember ever meeting any who wanted to change our country. Those who come here, or those who are born here and do so, need to be afforded the opportunity to leave.

    America was founded on Judeo-Christian values and those views are expressed in our Constitution. The state is forbidden to endorse or encourage any specific religion. Conversely anyone who wants to force their values on America or Americans violates our laws. Anyone holding an official position in America is required to swear an allegiance to America and our laws. It is my understanding that failure to do so eliminates the person from serving. In my view and opinion a person who refuses to do so should be removed from office.

    Having been married to a Mexican/American for forty-seven years this is a topic that I have discussed on many occasions. Whether you were born here or came here, once you are here, you are an American. That means you become American by adapting to our culture.

  Those who come here illegally are at risk of being deported. In my opinion America needs to create a Yellow Card, similar to the Green Card, but without the privileges. Any violation of American law should be followed by immediate deportation. It should last ten years and require them to study for citizenship and to find a sponsor to vouch for them to get a Yellow Card. If they do not obtain the card within one year of arriving on American soil, they will forfeit the opportunity to get a card and be subject to deportation.  This affords us the opportunity to know who is here and their status. It is better than having millions with no record of their existence in America. It does not afford them the opportunity of citizenship, but affords them and the government to recognize their presence.

   This last part I offered only because Congress and Trump are making no progress on the issue. The Yellow Card should also have numbering system that allows them to pay their fair share into the system.

Where Is America Headed

  

                Where Is America Headed

     Every now and then the media captures a picture that tears at our hearts.  The recent picture of a father and daughter in the Rio Grande River tore at my heart. As I approach my fiftieth anniversary of being married to a Mexican American it is an issue that has had a significant presence in my life.  My wife’s family lives on both sides of the Rio Grande which makes it very personal. The picture showed the showed the high cost of pursuing a dream.  The situation on our southern border has turned into chaos over the last few months.  It is a side of America that is far from the image America has created over its 240 + years of existence. Every American except the Native Americans has made the journey to come to America. The American Natives have paid dearly so the imported Americans could pursue their dreams.

     Over my seventy three years of life I have met hundreds of people who have left everything to come here, many of them illegally. I have to say I admire those who have managed to get here and fit in to the system.  Knowing that at any time they could be apprehended, imprisoned and thrown out of the country. For as long as I can remember Congress has been going to address this issue. What we are seeing on the Rio Grande is because of Congressional incompetence.

    They come here, get a job and blend in to the system.  Yes every now and then some don’t. Those who don’t and create problems should be returned to their home county.  The truth is, based on my experience and conversations with many business men in America, they would go out of business without the Mexican labor.  I talked to more than one American orchard owner who said that they would lose their crops if they had to depend on American labor.

    As a Christian nation, or a nation that claims to be Christian, we should follow the Bible. Our Founding Fathers based much of what they did on the Bible. The situation we are now dealing with is addressed in the Bible.

     Exodus 22; 21-24…..  21Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 23If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; 24And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

    I had to look up the word vex in Webster’s.  It means to disturb, or annoy, especially in a petty way, or to distress and or afflict. If you read verse 24 it makes clear God will judge the matter in a severe way. Looking at the Jewish history and that they were literally thrown out of their land, the last time for over 2000 years, God means what he says.  Just based on what the Bible says our national leadership may be bringing damnation on this country.

     While we are here there is another thing America is doing that is coming to a head. It should not be an issue as we are, supposedly, a Christian nation.  It makes clear that it is not just committing the crime that brings judgment, but even tolerating those who do, brings judgment.

     Leviticus 20:2-5…. Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: 5Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

     President Trump’s decision not to attack Iran over a missile being shot down, because he did not see it as proportional, shocked me.  It made me feel maybe there is hope in the present situation. His hatred of immigrants is not rational. He is married to one.  Trump should provide the leadership to amend the system to make it work.  Making hundreds of thousands of people miserable is not a solution. It may even backfire by turning many who are unjustly treated into future terrorist.

    If you take a hard look at the matter, many of the worst terrorist acts in American history, like the Oklahoma City bombing were committed by Americans on Americans.

    Many people ask why all this death and destruction is happening. It is pretty simple if you look at the Bible. You reap what you sow.  The killing of Chris Kyle at a shooting range in Texas is a perfect example of fulfillment of that Biblical truth. Kyle had killed over 160 people as a sniper in the military. It goes far beyond that incident.

    Since the end of World War II, America has engaged in multiple military actions that have claimed between twelve and fifteen million people.  Yes America lost over a hundred thousand men, but the vast majority has been at the expense of the other parties, unfortunately mostly innocent civilians.  Millions more have been made homeless by our activities.

     A former president and commander of our military warned America before he left office that the Military Industrial Complex was a threat to our very existence as a nation. That has proven true over the years. The draft ended in January 1973. President Nixon felt it would end the anti-war protest and it did. The intention was not to end war, but to end the complaining so the MIC could continue to market their weapons of destruction for a profit.

    The whole problem boils down to a lack of respect for human life. The Vietnam War protesters were not really worried about life, except their own. As a Christian nation the destruction of human life goes against everything we should stand for. Yet thousands of lives are destroyed daily by abortion. We have become a nation that believes sex is for recreation and not for creation.

    President Trump’s proclaimed views on abortion are one of the only things I like about the man. His recent concern and decision that destruction of human life was not proportional to the destruction of a drone shocked me. I was also impressed by his willingness to meet with the North Korean leader. It shows an attitude of not being scared to talk to an enemy. So I find some of Trump’s actions confusing. His willingness to meet with leaders that are known to be cold blooded murderers, while treating refugees like less than human animals, is perplexing.

    In Proverbs 6:16-23 it says what God finds to be an abomination. It lists seven things and Trump seems to be batting one hundred percent.  I know many professing Christians who believe God sent Trump to save America. It makes me cringe when I hear it and I have to wonder if they have even read the Bible and if they have, do they believe it?

     It is not my position or duty to judge Trump.  When I compare his actions to what the Bible says and requires of us. I pray I am wrong in my understanding, because if I am not wrong, God may be going to use Trump as a medium to pour out his wrath on mankind.

    That is something that will happen sooner or later because the Bible says so, but I would prefer to see America standing for God when it does and not against him.  Only time will tell in the end.

Are You a Christian : Literally or Figurtively?

        Sometimes the Best Way to Follow, Is to Wait

   Sometimes just starting is the hardest part of a writing project.  Ernest Hemingway said it best, “Writing is simple, you simply sit down at a typewriter and bleed” At least sometimes that is what it feels like. I have not written much the last three years for several reasons.  Went thru several prolonged health issues, then five days a week I take care of my twin seven year old great- grand- daughters from 5:45 AM till 5:30 PM. Most days they are in school from 7:45 AM till 3:45 PM, which makes it a lot easier than it was before they started school. Last but not least I seem to be going through some form of dementia and can’t stay focused to read or write.

    There is plenty I would like to write about, but lately my diet seems to be my main focus. Since Easter last year I have lost fifty pounds. I intend if at all possible to lose another eighty pounds which would put me at two hundred and twenty pounds. That would mean I could skydive again if I so desired. I did it for ten years when I was in the Army and am a licensed Instructor. I have no desire to instruct anymore, just would like to make a few jumps and accomplish some unfinished goals I had before I was forced to quit, because of a compressed back. My ultimate goal would be lose one hundred and seventy-five pounds which is what I weighted when I got out of the Army.

   Losing the weight is not that big a deal. I had lost ninety pounds before I had my heart attack in January 2004. My goal back them was to lose one hundred and thirty pounds. Over the last fifteen years I managed to find every one of the lost ninety pounds. With the ninety I lost back then and the fifty I have lost now I have more than achieved my goal. I have lost a total of one hundred and forty pounds. Hopefully this time I can do it without having a heart attack.

    At almost seventy-three and having been dead technically twice already, as time carries on and having been fifteen years since my last heart attack I know the chances of having the final one are very imminent.  Over the years I have seen a large number of friends in much healthier condition than me depart this life. In spite of being morbidly obese my blood pressure averages around one hundred-fifteen over sixty-eight. My cholesterol is very good and my heart problem is that I have an arrhythmia heart condition. I have a defibrillator to take care of that though. My main problem now is that I was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic about three years ago. That means I take insulin. My doctor told me if I lose another twenty pounds or so she may be able to take me off my insulin. That would be a great blessing to me. Oh yes I also am an Agent Orange recipient and have COPD which make exercise a virtual no-no.

     My main goal is to sort of go with the flow and not do anything to rock my health boat. I have already beaten the odds a bit.  My grandfather was sitting in his favorite chair looking out over the lake at our family cabin in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota which is right on the Canadian and American border. He asked grandma to get him a cup of coffee and when she came back with it he was gone at seventy-seven.  Grandma lived another fifteen years and one day was going to the grocery store with my Aunt. My Aunt called to see if Grandma was ready and she said yes. My aunt walked down got the car out of the garage and pulled up in front of Grandma’s and honked. They lived across the street from each other. Grandma did not come out and when Aunt Frances went in to check on her. She was lying in the floor with her coat over her arm.  My Dad died stepping out of the shower in the morning at seventy-two and a half which is only a few months older than I am now.  He died before he even put his teeth in. It has come to mean to me the same thing as the old west saying about dying with your boots on. For many years I didn’t realize I had an obsession about taking a shower with my teeth in. One day I got out of the shower just to put them in. I realized I had a problem with it. My Dad was always very concerned about his appearance. It used to tickle him when we would go out to dinner together and they would offer me a senior discount and not him. He had a full head of brown hair till the day he died. I was bald and gray in my thirties. That was not all bad. I got senior citizens discounts from my thirties on. It is clear to me that I am here only by the grace of God. The testimony also explains why I get a bit anxious around Easter and April Fool’s Day. 

      It took me about twenty five years from the time I got out of the Army to pack on the additional one hundred and seventy-five pounds the first time and fifteen years to find the ninety pounds I thought I had lost. You will notice by the title of my testimony I thought I was approaching the end of my life. I had always thought I would be here at the second coming because of my experience in January 1967. That is still my hope and dream, but for almost a three year period I could not even walk the four hundred feet to our mail box and back. I believe the hill I was walking down at the time of my dream/vision or whatever you want to call it is only a few hundred feet from the end of the drive to my house. The neat thing about the fifty pounds I have lost so far it has enabled me to be able to walk again.

     The date of Pentecost this year is June 9^th and by then, with the changes I am making in my diet to lose weight, I may able to walk to that point on the hill where I believe I was in my dream/ vision. Like I said in the testimony, I saw me walking down the hill, so for me to have that experience I need to be able to walk.

    On April Fool’s Day this year my great- grand- daughters came in the door and they were excited. I said what is the matter and they said the moon is red. As a bit of an end time fanatic that little prophecy about stopped my heart. Matthew 21:16 makes clear that God speaks his wisdom through the mouths of children. When he spoke that verse he was dealing with the doubtful leaders of his time. We are in a much similar time in this day and age. If you follow the link you will see why I got a bit nervous.

   I have been going through some changes lately. I started taking care of my great-grand-daughters because I was convicted by a verse in the Bible. In First Timothy 5:8 it says that if one will not take care of his own, he is worse than an infidel. After looking up infidel, I had to decide if I believed the Bible literally or figuratively. If you take it literally, what God says is what God means. When you believe it figuratively you know what God says but use your own interpretation so you do not have to actually abide by what it says. The Bible says a man is not to even trim the corners of his beard. If that is the case shaving is definitely wrong. We are not to take marks in our skin. I have a tattoo. Some people argue those are Old Testament verses, yet they believe in creation and deny science. Which way is it. We all will explain ourselves someday, but His Word says what it says.

   I have always felt I was or am a literal Christian, but found sometimes it is easier to go the figurative route. In reality I do not think we have that option though. If I did not step up to the plate on this one, my great niece was stuck in government housing with the roaches and the druggies. My stepping up to the plate afforded her the chance to get out of that circumstance. She now has her own home bought and paid for with no house payment, something I can’t say. She also has a decent car with no payment. I have tried to convince her that living debt free is the key to getting what you want in life. It may be a struggle at times.

     The Good Lord opened the doors to accomplish all this. Recently though I came to the realization that I am not going to live forever. I told the Lord you opened all these doors but what happens if something happens to me. She will not have a babysitter and will probably lose her job. How do I get over that hurdle?  Shortly after taking that issue to the Lord I was looking on YouTube and saw that people could make good money selling T-shirts. It is something she can do online out of her home.

      After making that discovery I started focusing on how to start a business, I have been self-employed most of my life. I have already ordered my first T-shirts of which I gave most of them away, but it has given me the experience that I may be able to set it up so she can take it over if something happens to me. I am not focusing on individual shirts, but shirts for groups that might order 50 or more shirts. It will take a while to build it up, but a couple decent orders a week could make a decent living. The trick is to find several niches and come up with designs they will like. So far I am into trucking, politics and religion. All three can order multiple shirts or designs and have the potential to have a large turnover of reorders which will build the income. There are hundreds of possible niches. The reason for focusing on niches is you build your sales and only have to keep a small amount of inventory which is a big plus.

   At least it is giving me the opportunity to stay busy and meet people. It is getting me out of the rut my life was getting into. A preacher I used to listen to years ago had the saying, “A rut is nothing more than a grave with both ends kicked out that goes on forever.” So maybe it will give me a chance to stay busy till it is planting time for me.

    The longer I walk the road of life, the more I see that if we follow the Word of God literally the more chances God has to open the door for us. I went through a period of life where I tried to do it all on my own and lost everything I had, my family, my house, my business and even my car. When I got as low as I could go and finally decided to turn it all over to the Lord things started changing.  In less than three years I had it all back plus some.

    My life was at a point that I started tithing my time to the Lord studying His Word as I had nothing else to give. I found several verses that changed my life. The first was in Malachi 3:10. In it God literally challenges us to trust him, and he will do so in such a manner we will not be able receive it all. Another verse makes clear that we have not, because we ask not. In Joshua 1:8 it makes clear if we follow His Word we will be Blessed. I do not think he meant figuratively. Finally he makes clear in 1^st John 2:27 that he will teach us all we need to know.

    How we should go about our lives is made clear in Proverbs 3:5-6, we are not to rely on ourselves or our judgement but on God’s direction. It is hard to do and sometimes requires a lot of patience. Sometimes just sitting and waiting on God to give us direction is the best direction to go. He will be in time, on time, every time. Plowing ahead without his guidance can really undo the opportunities that God puts in our path.  I can testify to that totally, which is why I have the Spirit of Jonah on the side of my vehicle. I think many of us miss the opportunities God would like to give us because we are too busy doing it our way.