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The COVID-19 virus has now infected over 7 million people and led to over 400,000 deaths worldwide. There are many unknowns when dealing with new diseases, but the Coronavirus has proven that it is unmatched in the ability to wreak havoc on humanity. The widespread infections and deaths in less than 6 months demonstrate the virulence and strength of a pathogen who refuses to respond to our strategies.

As of May 20th, only one country, New Zealand, remains free from the Coronavirus. What gave New Zealand the upper hand?

“The Prime Minister communicated well and is trusted by the public. According to Wilson, “New Zealand shows the benefit of having quite high levels of scientific expert input into the policymaking process and a Prime Minister who is a very good communicator who had the public trust.” Their plan was developed, implemented, and followed by its residents, who believed that their bodies were worth the sacrifice of social distancing and sheltering-in-place.

Solidarity, following sound scientific advice, realizing the importance of your own life along with the well-being of others are the key factors to a successful outcome against COVID-19. If only, we could have placed these values above the political dissension, the lack of respect for the scientists, medical and health care professionals, and the overwhelming desire for economic stability then ________________________________________ (you fill in the blank).

Are you aware that the last pandemic caused by the H1N1 virus lasted for 16 months? Although there were vaccines administered to over 1,000,000 individuals, and most healthy people, ages 60 and over were immune to the Swine flu, we were involved in a health crisis from April 2009-August 2010. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-pandemic-timeline.html

We are still limited in our knowledge of how to eliminate the COVID-19 virus. Even so, if every individual would actively practice proven infection control principles, at least we could console ourselves because individually, we are doing our part in decreasing the spread of the virus. Still, we must continue to protect ourselves, and by managing our safe-keeping, we are also protecting others.

The transmission of this virus is airborne, meaning that the droplets spread through the air by talking, sneezing, laughing, and coughing. Social distancing is still the most effective method of staying safe. Wearing a triple-layered facemask provides the highest level of protection available to the general public in the effort to reduce the spread of this virus. Use the mask sparingly for entering places that recycle their air, such as supermarkets, and when you are outside of your home and around other individuals.

Remember, only the N95 Respirator Mask gives 100% protection by preventing the virus from being inhaled.

Proper handwashing has and always will be the most effective method of breaking the chain of disease transmission. Only use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. The overuse of this alcohol-based disinfectant disrupts the healthy flora balance of the skin, which leaves us defenseless against contact organisms.

We have a responsibility to God to care for our bodies. The one thing that we still have total control over is the care and self-protection of our physical bodies. Do not let other individuals persuade you to let down your guard during this pandemic.

First, we have to acknowledge and thank God that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has provided our bodies with an entire system to fight diseases. Our Immune system relies on proper nutrition and rest. The most effective measures are to have a healthy diet which consists of lots of vegetables and fruits. The body receives little to no vitamins and minerals from fast foods, restaurant cooked meals, and a diet heavy in meat consumption.

Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29
Whether we agree or not, God created humanity to consume a plant-based diet. It is a personal choice to care for one’s body in a manner that strengthens and boosts the power of our natural immunity. Now is the time to trust in the original health plan that God has designed for His created beings.

When we place ourselves in God’s hand, victory is guaranteed. Although we cannot be presumptuous that Believers will not contract or die from the Coronavirus, we honor God through obedience by caring for our physical health as well as our spiritual relationship. And we praise God by loving our neighbor, which includes upholding standards for the optimal physical health of all humanity.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

We can have a healthier lifestyle by making a few positive changes. The body’s response to the inflow of nutritional foods is phenomenal; mental clarity, high energy levels, and a positive outlook. Yes, the Endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones, can normalize and achieve the correct hormonal balance, especially with insulin secretion. The removal of toxins from the body places us in sync with God’s perfect plan of a plant-based diet, exercise, fresh air, and sunlight. Your body will thank you.

We were not created to sit in front of electronic objects and have a mental diet of watching programs, movies, and mind-wasting games. Seeking entertainment that involves little to no physical activity, is self-destructive. Decide to get outside every day. It is still possible to maintain social distancing by researching and finding less populated scenic areas.

Yesterday, we traveled 40 minutes to visit a beautiful state park with a lake that almost equaled the size of an ocean, a swimming area, shade trees, covered picnic areas, and free screened-in cabins. We took a walk and sat in our stadium chairs, relaxing under a tree that protected us from the strength of the sun’s rays. It felt wonderful to enjoy the cool breeze that enabled us to relax and release every tension.

As we viewed the vastness of the water and the abundant plant life, we acknowledged that God really loves humanity to have created the planet Earth for our enjoyment and a peaceful lifestyle. Preparation for Eternal life requires that we place our lives in the hands of our Creator. Many individuals live as if God does not require faith, trust, and obedience. The God who lovingly created us is still faithful even when we fail.

Love God, Love Others, Love Yourself! Stay Aware and Stay Safe!

Bible Readings: Genesis 1-2

God, we thank you for making us in your image and for the beauty of nature. Please give us the strength to make the positive changes in our lifestyle so that we can reach the optimal level of health that you intended for us to possess. We ask for your protection from the COVID-19 virus and for healing for those who are infected. Please comfort the families of those who have succumbed to the disease. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020, No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes without the written permission of the author.

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20nature%20not%20only,health%20researchers%20Stamatakis%20and%20Mitchell

 

 

How well you sleep reveals your current state of mind. If you are burdened down with financial worries or the uncertainties of the future, then you are traveling down a path of self-destruction.

The remedy is simple: pray, pray, pray! We have a loving Savior who tells us to ask anything in His name and He will do it. Of course, we must pray for the things that will benefit us from a  spiritual perspective.

God is already aware of the cares of our every day lives; even so, He waits for us to present our challenges to Him. Prayer is the most powerful gift that we have for gaining the victory. We can talk with God 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Faithfully trusting that He will keep His promises gives us perfect peace.

No worries ever is the way that God intended for us to live. Pray every night and thank God for His Divine intervention. Good night and have a restful sleep.

Bible Reading: John 14

God, thank you for the gift of prayer. From this moment, we surrender all of our problems to you. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

I had to share this beautiful story that someone posted in a FB Crochet group. God has given each of us a measure of creative talents. Discover your hidden abilities and release the pain of anxieties and the worries by using your hands to create and also to lift them up in praise to our loving God who is the Giver of all good things. Sonya Johnson Ruiz

” Grandma, how do you deal with pain?”

” With your hands, dear. When you do it with your mind, the pain hardens even more.”

“With your hands, grandma?”

” Yes, yes. Our hands are the antennas of our soul. When you move them by sewing, cooking, painting, touching the earth, or sinking it into the earth, they send signals of caring to the deepest part of you and your soul calms down.
This way she doesn’t have to send pain anymore to show it.

” Are hands really that important?”

” Yes, my girl. Thinking of babies: they get to know the world thanks to their touches. When you look at the hands of older people, they tell more about their lives than any other part of the body. Everything that is made by hand, so is said, is made with the heart because it really is like this: hands and heart are connected. Masseuses know this: When they touch another person’s body with their hands, they create a deep connection. Thinking of lovers: When their hands touch, they love each other in the most sublime way.”

” My hands grandma… how long haven’t I used them like that!”

” Move them, my girl, start creating with them and everything in you will move. The pain will not pass away. But it will be the best masterpiece. And it won’t hurt anymore. Because you managed to embroider your essence.”

~ Elena Barnabé

 

 

For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

Two years ago, our electric provider contracted a tree service to prune branches that posed a safety hazard due to the leaves surrounding the electrical wires. I was overwhelmed with sadness as the saw buzzed and the majority of the smaller nut-bearing branches fell to the ground. Our beautiful tree was left only with its robust arms and a few spindly branches that were not capable of bearing pecans.

Yes, I realized that safety was first and foremost; however, I was drowning in my emotional response and not thinking clearly. What I failed to realize is vegetation grows wild and uncontrolled without pruning. Today, the pecan tree has filled out with new branches that have grown toward the house. Now we have an abundance of shade that shields us from the sun’s scorching rays, consequently giving us a reduced electric bill.

God has given us the ability to prune out-of-control behaviors with self-discipline.

As we listen and read the hurtful words, and the destructive actions of those who lack discipline and self-control, one can only wonder how to answer this phenomenon. What causes human beings who were created with the highest functioning brain to act beneath all animal life? The phrase that “a person acts like a wild animal” when used to describe individuals without self-control is highly inaccurate.

wild, adjective

1. (of an animal or plant) living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated.

Many have had the opportunity to travel and view African wildlife; others like me have to rely on watching animal life documentaries. Even so, every species of the animal kingdom has structure and discipline; animals reproduce, love, nurture, protect their young and families, and live in peace within their communities. Unless another male attempts to invade the alpha male’s territory or hunger triggers the instinct to feed, causing them to hunt for food, animal behaviors are consistent.

Possessing an optimal level of health, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically is impossible without self-control and discipline.

Self-help articles

People with a higher degree of self-control spend less time debating whether to indulge in behaviors detrimental to their health and make positive decisions more easily. They don’t let impulses or feelings dictate their choices. Instead, they make level-headed decisions. As a result, they tend to feel more satisfied with their lives. Deep Patel May 2019

Self-discipline gives you the power to stick to your choices and follow them through, without changing your mind, and is, therefore, one of the important requirements for achieving goals. … This ability leads to self-confidence, self-esteem, and inner strength, and consequently to happiness and satisfaction. https://triathlonlab.com/blogs/news/self-discipline-its-benefits-and-importance-sport-life

When making significant changes, the focus must be on yourself. It is your face in the mirror. Using excuses to blame others, circumstances, prior life experience, or your childhood will prevent you from achieving growth, and most importantly, Eternal life.

God does not expect us to bear the burden alone to possess the fruit of the Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law…Galatians 5:22-23. 

God tells us to rely on His strength when we decide to change our unpleasant traits and ungodly behaviors. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now, I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

The Apostle Paul earnestly prayed for God to take away “a thorn in his flesh.” So, we are not distracted regarding God’s perfect plan for our lives; Paul did not disclose his physical malady only that God’s grace and power would see him through his suffering. The same God who promised Paul that He would use His strength to live with his condition is the same God who will enable us to learn self-control.

Remember, when we commit to change and possess godly attributes, we will be severely tried and tested. Prayer unleashes God’s power! We will always gain the victory over sinful thoughts and actions when we trust and obey God. Believe, exercise self-control, and receive the blessings of living by faith!

22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4

God, we pray for the opening of our spiritual eyes to recognize all undesirable character traits. It is our desire to be more like you and to seek after righteousness. Amen. –SJR

 

 

https://oucsda.org/livestream/

We have waited for this moment all week…switching off the secular concerns of our lives and focusing on our spiritual health and relationship with God.

Have a peaceful and Happy Sabbath!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. Romans 12:19

Prayer: Please change me, O God, so that I may be more like you. Create in me a clean heart so that I may worship you with all of my heart, soul, and mind. Amen.

At a time when the world has come together to support the cessation of racism, we need to focus on spiritual healing. For those who choose to fight the “isms,” we must exercise self-control, and use our higher intellect to produce peaceful yet practical solutions. But be prepared to fight the internal battle of resistance.

It is human nature to respond to threats with our built-in “fight or flight” mechanism. And if we are not careful, the frustration that results from social injustices can catapult us into a mindset of hate and bitterness, which paves the road to revenge and retaliation. What separates the individuals who can participate in a peaceful protest versus the individuals who resort to the vengeful, retaliatory acts of riotous acts?

The confusion is caused by the person’s definition of hatred. We are supposed to hate violence, social injustices, hypocrisy, godlessness, and the evil of the world. What we are not supposed to hate is the “Who.” Those who hate each other based on ethnicity, nationality, religious beliefs, social, and economic status are the silent rioters and looters; their destruction extends well beyond the physical demolition of concrete buildings and stolen merchandise.

Misguided hate destroys the giver much more than meets the eye! Hate annihilates the ability to love unconditionally. Our powerlessness is revealed once the seed of hatred is planted within, and we become shackled by hate’s chains. In fact, blaming others, rationalizing and justifying our wrongdoings are the accelerants that propel hatred into an all-consuming fire, creating an intensity that results in the spontaneous combustion of the flow of hurtful, demeaning words and destructive actions.

We cannot control the hate within others. But we can create change within ourselves. Re-evaluating the reasons why we think the way we do, and the basis for disliking others based on race, religion, gender, sexual preferences, etc., are within our control.

It is wise to think outside of the box when dealing with the “isms.” Do not limit yourself by only focusing on racism. As a nurse, I have witnessed the disparity of the best medical care and health education reserved for those with private insurance coverage as opposed to the uninsured, underinsured, and those who are classified as low-income with Medicaid coverage.

Without love, we are powerless against evil and all of its forces. Hatred is an uncontrollable fire that can only be extinguished by love. Either we face the enemy within ourselves, or we fuel the fire to internal combustion and self-destruction. Despite the circumstances, we must develop peaceful strategies against injustice.

Use social media to spread the benefits of love to combat hate. Channel your energies to promote acceptance of all humanity; even so, refuse to debate.

Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is this person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of a different perspective? Because if not, just save your energy. Dhar Mann

Change begins with you and me!

Protect your health by practicing Social Distancing!

Love God, Love Others, and Love Yourself!

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020, No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes without the written permission of the author.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us… Genesis 1:26

Color blindness is the inability to see some colors in the usual way. It is a hereditary condition where the eyes do not interpret the colors of objects correctly. Because my father suffered from this condition, my mother assisted him by picking out his ties to match his suits which he wore daily to his job as a salesperson.

Many years ago, I discovered that I have an extraordinary gift. Although my eyes interpret the various colors that exist in the environment, when I look at people, I am completely color blind, I can only see the Hue of Humanity.

But springs welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the LORD God formed man from the dust (mud) of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:6-7

Certainly, God loves beauty, He is the ultimate Designer. All we have to do is look at our wonderful world and we can see that His blueprint included a vast array of colors and designs represented by all living creatures and our planet Earth.

For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. Psalm 138:14

Reflect on the amazing love that God has for us, and thank him for not giving us a world that was monotone and mundane. Free your mind and Reject the Shades of Gray mindset which represents all biases, prejudices, and “isms.”

Bible Reading: Genesis 1-2

God, thank you for making us in your image. Please help us to eliminate our negative outlook on others based on their external appearance. Thank you for designing a perfect world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2020, No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes without the written permission of the author.