"Remember, perfect love is doing what the Father tells us to do... The more time we spend developing a relationship with God, the less time we'll spend operating in fear. When we exercise our love for God by doing what He tells us do, fear leaves our lives. In other words, when we cultivate love for the Father, we walk in absence of fear.

"Just as God uses faith to bring His words to pass, Satan uses fear to bring his words to pass. Fear is the "faith" of the devil. The Bible says if we meditate on the Word day and night, we'll make our way prosperous and have good success. (Josh.1:8) Whereas, if we worry over the devil's words day and night, we will only be successful in seeing the manifestation of fear and worry come to pass. (Job 3:25).

"Worry is nothing more than a negative form of meditation. When we worry, we ponder negative thoughts over and over again, and they create destruction and torment in our lives. The Bible says we are to cast our care on God because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7). But when we worry, we are essentially saying, "I don't need Your right now, God, I can take care of myself."

"When we do that, we become god over our own lives. Scripture confirms in Jeremiah 32:17 that there is nothing too hard for God. We must learn to allow God to handle our circumstances. He can do much more than we ever could.

"As the old song goes, "Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there." However, leaving your burden there is the problem for many of us. How many times have you given your burdens to the Lord, whether at the altar or in prayer, experienced temporary relief, and then suddenly become overwhelmed by the circumstance all over again?

"Worry and fear are cancers that try to destroy you from the inside out. Satan uses fear and worry as weapons to torment us. When you allow yourself to meditate on negative thoughts, you are cooperating with the devil's plans. Think about it. The things you generally meditate on are the things that eventually happen. That's why God admonishes us to occupy our minds with good things."

From "Love, Live and Enjoy Life" By Creflo A.Dollar

Comment (4)

Recently one of my friends was so moved when she found out that her actions did not change her and mine friendship. She did some things that were obviously wrong and when she searched for help from me I told her so. She was really stubborn in the beginning refusing to see that she was acting wrong... but she finally admit it herself. I had never thought that she would be afraid to lose our friendship because of that. I never thought that she could be afraid that my attitude towards her would change because of her actions. But when she told me that... I started to remember when I too acted the same way. Before I learned to know and receive God's unconditional love for me and learn what true love was all about, I also thought that my actions and me were one.... meaning that when someone told me that I had acted wrong, I immediately assumed that this person was rejecting me... disapproving of me. I remember those times when not many people even dared to tell me that I had done something wrong because I would react so powerfully. I reacted out of fear... fear of rejection. I was so scared to be imperfect. I was so scared of someone coming to me and telling me that I had done something wrong. Oh, goodness, when looking back at those times now, I feel so sorry for myself. I was so hurt and broken on the inside and I was trying to protect myself from further hurt.

This incident with my friend made me really think about the huge difference between friendships and marriages built on God's love... and those sustained with human love. Human love only loves those who are lovable. Human love depends on how people treat him/her. Human love can change day by day. Human love depends on feelings... while "God's love that has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5) loves consistently, based on the commitment to love. God's love does not depend on the other person's actions. It depends on the lover's commitment to love.

Last week one of my friends asked me what I thought was the one trait that those couples had in common who had been married for tens of years and were still happily married. I said commitment. I truly believe that this is the one single trait that keeps couples together... and not just together but happily together. Those of You who have been married for a long time... do correct me if I am wrong. I believe that when two people are first committed to God and then to one another, nothing can move their marriage. Or even those people who do not know God but are still strongly committed to one another, they are so, so much happier than those who just live together... keeping their options open. I believe that when people do not commit to one another, they always have a thought at the back of their mind that may be the grass on the other side of the fence is greener... may be there is someone out there who is better for them... may be someone else would make them happier .... But the truth is that if people live this way, they will never be able to be happy. They will never allow themselves to be happy as they never allow themselves to enjoy the true intimacy on emotional level. They never dare to share their heart with their partner for they might get hurt or they might get rejected... while the couples who are committed to one another, do dare to share their deepest emotions as they know that even if their partner does not agree with them, they still are committed to one another and they still are committed to working on their marriage to make it the very best it could be. Also I believe that if partners are not committed to one another, they never share this deep, deep trust as one day they might want to move on and be with someone else, so they should keep their emotions to themselves... not to be hurt by the person they are with at present. ...while couples who are committed to one another know that now they are one.... one of their happiness means also the other partner's happiness... working together as partners in everything.

Those thoughts led me to think about the way God loves us. Can You imagine what our lives would be like if God loved us based on our actions?! One day God would love us and be kind to us and the next day when we mess up, He would just reject us. We would all live like on a roller coaster! We would not dare to make a mistake... or then we would just give up trying for we couldn't please Him anyway! Isn't it just absolutely awesome that God made a commitment right in the beginning when He made a man that He would love that man. God made that commitment right in the beginning and when that man messed up so bad that God had to send him out of the Garden of Eden... for he could no longer bare the presence of the Holy God... (God sent Adam and Eve out not because He hated them or was disgusted with them.... but because through their disobedience, through their sin Adam and Eve could no longer stand the presence of the Holy and Pure God.... they would have been killed by His awesome and holy presence.... so, God had to send them out.) Although He had to do that, He did not stop loving them. God made another plan to win back the intimate relationship with a man that He so longed for... so, He sent Christ to be the atonement for our sins. Through the blood of Christ we are once again acceptable to God. He loved us so, so much that He gave His very best for us. God was so completely committed to us that He would not give up on us. He made the commitment to love and to be faithful and nothing at all could change that! We can mess up... and we do! ... but still we have the boldness to approach Him through the blood of Christ...

Romans 5:1-2 says: "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God."

Verse 6 continues to say: "While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly. Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die. But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us."

There can be absolutely no doubt about Christ dieing for us while we were still sinners. God did not send Christ to die for those who were perfect and acted right and were lovable! God sent Christ to the cross so that we might have an access right to the throne of God Himself... every single one of us. God is so committed to us. He did not save us so that we could manage on our own now... no! He saved us so that we could go to Him with all our messes and weaknesses and troubles and hurts and pains... and know that no matter what, we are LOVED and ACCEPTED the way we are!!! Period! For verse 9 says:

"Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's BLOOD, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [CERTAIN] now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin's dominion) through His [resurrection] life."

Sin hurts us always. Sin always brings death. But God doesn't even expect us to get rid of sin on our own! No! He is there for us to help us. He has given us His Holy Spirit to live through Him. God is committed to each and every one of us who turn to Him. No matter what kind of mess we are in, He knows the way out. He does not reject us based on our actions. No matter what we have done, we should always turn to Him. He is committed to love us no matter what. True love is not based on the Lover's feelings nor the actions of the other person... true love is based on the Lover's commitment to love. This commitment settles everything.

"Love NEVER fails."

Many, many blessings to You all,

Eve

Comment (2)

As yesterday was Valentine's day, I thought it would be appropriate to share with You an amazing article by Keith A.Butler "Woman, God's Masterpiece". I hope You will be as blessed by it as I have been.

"God formed Adam's body from the ground and breathed the breath of life into him. In that instant, Adam was fully aware, fully mature and totally equipped for his destiny - with one exception. God's plan was not yet complete. For the first time in Earth's short history, the Creator said that something was not good. Until that time, God had announced that everything He had made and done was "good". But, "The Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him" (Genesis 2:18).

God knew all along exactly what He would do, but He seemed to be making a point to Adam and to all those who would follow in the centuries to come. What was that point?

Work and communion with God's creation is good and right for a man, but they will never fill the special void God placed in his heart for intimate companionship and completion. God's solution to fill that void was to add a unique creation taken from the deepest core of man's being who would bear the evidence of God's most delicate and refining touch.

Did you notice that God's Word says He made a woman? This is totally different from the way God formed the bodies of Adam and the animals.

The Hebrew word for "made! is banah, which means "to build, to make, to set up." God didn't just scrape together a mound of dirt to begin His work on woman. He formed the body of man from the ground, but when it came to making the woman, He began with the best of man, and with His own hands, He handcrafted and sculpted the woman. Eve, and therefore all women, have been carefully handcrafted, specially designed and uniquely customized by God to become the most beautiful creatures on the planet. That is the woman God made. She represents the pinnacle of God's craftsmanship.

THREE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES

There are several important principles revealed in this miracle on the sixth day that we need to pay attention to. First of all, when God sees a need in the life of His beloved, if what is needed doesn't exist, then He will create it perfectly suited to meet that need.

Next, I want you to notice that God doesn't bless His children with second best. He blessed Adam with someone who was more refined than Adam himself. He created Adam's "match" using that which was taken from Adam's body and spirit (we are not told that God breathed into Eve's nostrils - her life force was the life force God had already placed in Adam). Until that match was made, Adam was incomplete by God's design. Although he was powerful, and perfectly equipped to lead and rule, he was alone - and that wasn't good in God's eyes. The completion that comes through godly marriage transcends mere physical union, and it symbolizes and prefigures an even greater union between the heavenly Bridegroom and His earthly Bride at the great wedding feast of the Lamb.

Finally, it's important to realize that the most significant characteristic of women was described by God before He made Eve when He said: "It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him" (Genesis 2:18). The Old English phrase "help meet" is an important today as it was at the dawn of mankind. It describes the nature and purpose behind God's exquisite design of the female human.

The Hebrew word for "help", or helper, is ezer, and its root literally means "to surround, to protect or aid, to help or succor." Isn't it interesting that it is also the basic function of a man's ribs? They are encircling bones designed to protect the innermost organs, marked by an amazing level of flexibility and ability to move and expand with every movement of the chest.

And the Hebrew word for "meet" is neged, and is often translated "suitable." This word literally refers to a "part opposite; specifically a counterpart or mate; usually over against." It comes from a root word that means to "stand boldly opposite, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present)."

God knew what He was doing when He created Eve. He blessed Adam with a beautiful counterpart to surround him with assistance, help, protection and aid. Eve would complete his identity in the earth. She was the one gifted in one-on-one communication who would be quick to take his part in any discussion or announce his gifts to anyone she met.

She was the one especially equipped to "wrap around him" and adapt to him as if she were molded to his heart and one with his soul.

MEN NEED HELP!

God didn't bother to ask anyone's opinion. He just said, It isn't good for this man to be alone. I am going to make special helper and partner for him. God knew men need help. So if you are a man, you must accept the conclusion that God foresaw: You don't know it all. You can't do it all. You can't have it all (when it comes to the intelligence, discernment, abilities and gifts).

You need help!

If God makes and gives you a helper, then you ought to let your helper help you. That is a whole lot easier and wiser than walking around saying, "Well, I don't need anybody to help me. After all, I'm a man!" That's the point: every man needs help (some more than others).

If you are a married man, I can tell you with confidence that based on God's Word, He gave you your mate precisely because she is different than you in certain ways. She has insights and abilities you just don't have. She can sense things that escape a man's notice because God gave her an inner "radar" that is phenomenally accurate.

Perhaps you have seen the "radar" in operation when a fast-talking salesman comes along with a slick brochure and helps you see yourself sitting on the deck of a time-share condo that supposedly overlooks prime beach-front property.

You should thank God your wife functions differently. She isn't impressed with a long list of facts and figures - she is too busy scanning the eyes and heart for fraud and flakiness. She can see or sense what you may be totally blind to. As a man, you tend to do a logical analysis based primarily on the facts presented. If you like that car, for example, you may buy it on the spot without even thinking to "check your heart" about the deal.

Rest assured if there is a skunk hiding under that fast talker's outfit, your wife will smell it long before you do. You need to listen to her because she will save you a lot of grief and some real trouble - if you let her.

Remember, God gave you someone who is suitable and adaptable to you. Her chief credentials aren't from an Ivy League university - she may have advanced college degrees and enough credentials to wallpaper a bathroom, but her chief credentials are found in her essential makeup. God gave women the ability to look past the surface details and straight into the hearts and motives of people. That ability is absolutely essential when raising children and running a household; as well as in every other field of work, or endeavor too.

An honest man will quickly admit that he never realized his full potential until his wife entered his life. A godly woman can bless a man as nothing and no one else on the planet can, because God designed her that way.

She is not a doormat, a second-class citizen, a slave or an intellectually inferior human being, but she is adaptable, suitable and completing to her mate. She makes everything about him better because she is special.

It is time to shred some of the myths and falsehoods that have been allowed to bring confusion about what God really says about women and their roles and limitations in society.

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

The truth is that as long as a woman's relationship with God, her husband and home are in right order, the sky is the limit for her activities and ministry. The proof is in God's Word.

Ruth didn't come from a godly home, and she didn't have much hope for a future. In fact, she came from a group of people called the Moabites who were under a curse of God. Nevertheless, she did the right thing and chose God over the comforts of her past. He rewarded her with a godly husband who was a wealthy Jewish leader. He gave her a son who became part of the lineage of Christ, who would redeem the entire world.

Esther was essentially an orphan who was raised by her uncle in the capital city of the nation that had conquered her people. She had little going for her, but God removed the current queen and positioned Esther as the new queen of Persia - just in time to save her entire nation. She is till revered as a heroine of the Jewish people, and for good reason....

God esteems and values women. And why not? As the pinnacle of God's creation, woman is the being He handcrafted and sculpted to perfection for His purposes - to become, among other things, the ideal help meet for man and to complete him.

Every woman is special. God has a beautiful plan and purpose for her life. And as the handiwork of God, made in His image and likeness, a woman must always be treated properly and with due respect. Remember, she is a treasure, meant to be attentively cared for and cherished for a lifetime. So whether you are married or single, take the time to let the women in your life - your mother, sister, wife, daughter - know how much you value and appreciate them.

If you are married, recognize and thank God for the precious gift He has given you. Proverbs 18:22 says, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord." So let her be what God has called her to be. Relish the differences. Because of her, God can have the full expression in the earth from you that He wants. Because of her, you can be all God has called you to be!"

Adapted from God's Will For You, by Keith A.Butler

Many blessings to You all,

Eve

I hope You are doing well and preparing a wonderful Valentine's day surprise for someone special. I am thinking of my sister who in Summer married a wonderful man from Nevada. It is not so easy nowedays to even get married! My sister is with us, half way across the world from her husband, waiting for her wife's-visa to go back home to her husband. As she and her husband have been apart for months now, we need to take new pics of her often to send to her husband. He misses her a lot... and she misses him a lot. Though, it is true that there is no bad without good. My sister is not a very talkative person... but she and her husband talk at least twice a day over the phone. I must say that my sister talks to him more than to me... although I am right here. Even though the physical distance between them is huge at the moment... the emotional and spiritual distance is very close. "In sickness and in health. In good times and in bad times" were the vows they gave to each other... and they are sticking to them. I think this is what makes true love so special. True love loves in good times and in hard times. True love stands the pressures of life and turns those pressures into positives... to strengthen the relationship. True love finds ways to grow more together even while being physically apart.

True "Love is as strong as death... Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it." This is how love is described in the Song of Solomon 8:6,7. If You've found true love, hold on to it, nurture it... there is nothing more special than that. The verse continues to say: "If a man would offer all the goods of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned and despised." Love is the one thing that no amount of money can buy. Martin Luther King has said about love: “There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage.”
If You have been thinking of ways to surprise that one special person in Your life... in a healthy way... though still in a sweet, sweet way, I have got the perfect recipe for You. And if You haven't got that one special person yet, don't worry, we in Estonia celebrate the Valentine's day as a Friendship day too, remembering our friends and blessing them. You can do that also :-) Surprise Your friends in a special way... with a healthy version of Pecan Chocolate Cake!

Pecan Chocolate Cake

Serves 18

Cake

2 cups fine corn flour

2 cups organic cane sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks 365 unsalted butter

3 TB cocoa

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter

3 TB cocoa

6 TB milk

1 box powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift corn flour and cane sugar together in a large bowl. Bring to a boil butter and cocoa and pour over flour mixture, using a whisk to mix whole hot. Beat eggs, baking soda, buttermilk and vanilla together and add to flour/ cocoa mix. Bake for 35 minutes in a sprayed or buttered 9x13 pan. Cool the cake and let it stay in pan.

For the frosting:

Melt butter, cocoa and milk in saucepan. Once butter is fully melted, remove saucepan from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and chopped pecans until smooth. Pour mixture over cake, spreading evenly.

! You can make any favorite cake recipe truly healthy by replacing white flour with corn four (1/1), white sugar with organic cane sugar (You might need to put a bit more organic sugar than the recipe asks for white sugar) and margarine with butter that is good for our health. Turn Your favourite cake recipe into a healthy treat!

Here a few more Love quotes that You can share with Your loved one:

I wish You all a wonderful and sweet Valentine's Day! Remember, there is always a dear one we can bless... and thus get blessed ourselves. I believe that giving of our time is the greatest gift of all... so, give of Your time this year on Valentine's day,

Eve

Those were the words Jesus said to the Father after He had told the Jews to open the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus was completely confident that God would answer His request and resurrect Lazarus... which He did.

In the same chapter Martha also asked Jesus for a favor. In verse 22 Martha said to Jesus: "even now I know that whatever You ask from God, He will grant it to You." ...sounds like faith... but the word Martha used here for "ask" in the original text in Greek means "to beg". When Jesus asked God for something, He always asked with confidence. He had confidence with God. Martha, on the other hand doubted. She begged Jesus to beg God to resurrect her brother.

It makes a HUGE difference how we approach God. Do we go to Him in uncertainty and beg Him for something... or do we go to Him confidently, knowing that He always hears us and listens to us. The outcome of those two ways of approaching God is of vast difference.

I have heard Christians say that we are just sinners saved by grace, quoting Romans 3:23... which really implies that we have no right to approach God with boldness, confidently asking for what we need. Though, when we read the next verse, we find out that indeed we have the right to approach God with boldness... not through our own good deeds - for they would never be good enough - but through the blood of Christ.
"[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus."

We can approach God with boldness and confidence, just like Jesus did... knowing that we are right with God through the death and resurrection of our Savior. God is so holy, so awesome, so powerful. He is so right. There is nothing wrong or crooked in Him. So, in our own good deeds we would never be able to approach God with boldness. He just couldn't receive us through our own goodness. That is why He sent Christ, a sinless Son of God, to die for us and reconcile us to Himself through the cleansing of the blood of Christ. When we accept Christ as a Lord and Savior, God sees us through the blood... which means that He sees us as sinless as Christ.

Verse 28 says: "For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law). [The observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.]"

When we know HOW God sees us, we will also approach God in a different manner. When we know that we are right in God's sight through the blood of Christ, we have boldness in approaching God. We have boldness to go and ask Him for whatever we need. We don't have to go and beg.

I think Ephesians 2 is awesome. It says: "And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins in which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God's] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. But God - so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation)." (vs..1-5)

We didn't even have to go and beg God to receive us into right standing with Him. He did it for us. He longed for a personal relationship with us. Talking about Abraham, Romans 4:3 says: "Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God)." Abraham's faith in God made him right in God's sight. Abraham's faith in the promises of God was credited to him as right standing with God. James 2:23 says that Abraham was God's friend. He KNEW God.

God does need our faith in order to move in our lives. Jesus was not moved when Martha begged Him for a favor. He couldn't be moved for He is moved by our faith - our heart faith. Heart faith does not come from just knowing what the Bible says and quoting Scriptures. Heart faith comes through personal relationship with God. When we take time to learn to know God and wait on God, we learn to really know HIM. When Mary came to Jesus with the same request as Martha had just little while ago, He WAS moved. Verse 33 says that "He was deeply moved in spirit". Why? Because Mary KNEW Him. Mary had taken time to learn to know Him. We all know the story of Martha being busy with many things while Mary taking time listen to Jesus, resting in His teaching and wisdom (Luke 10). Mary had heart faith while Martha only had head faith. Jesus was not moved by Martha's head faith... but He sure was moved by Mary's heart faith.

Romans 10:17 says: "So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself)." Mary had taken time to listen to the message of Christ and her heart was full of faith... faith that was strong enough to move Jesus to resurrect her brother. Our heart faith makes a huge difference in our own lives and the lives of others. Our heart faith "moves the mountains" (Mark 11:23).

Many, many blessings to You,

Eve

During recent years there has been more and more talk about organic movement. More and more people are turning away from conventionally grown food and personal-care products that contain synthetic substances. Still the question remains: is it necessary to go organic? I would like to hereby share with You the Top 10 Reasons to Go Organic:

1. According to the new British analysis of government nutrition data on meat and dairy products from the 1930s and from 2002, the mineral content of milk, cheese and beef declined as much as 70 percent in that period.

2. Organic fruits and vegetables have significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants, according to a 2003 study in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

3. Talking about intensive, traditional farming systems, Ken Warren, a spokesman with The Land Institute, based in the central US state of Kansas, says: "It's an unsustainable system that relies heavily on chemical fertilizers... to keep yields high and produces 'hollow food'. "Hollow food" contains insufficient nutrition and is suspected in playing a role in the rapid rise in obesity, as people may be eating more in order to get the nutrition they need", he said.

4. Organic produce is not covered in a cocktail of poisonous chemicals. The average conventionally-grown apple has 20-30 artificial poisons on its skin, even after rinsing. Trust your instincts, and go organic!

5. Fresh organic produce contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micro-nutrients than intensively farmed produce. Science says that it's good for you.

6. Going organic is the only practical way to avoid eating genetically modified (GM) food. And by buying organic food, you are registering your mistrust of GMO's and doing your bit to protest against them.

7. If you eat dairy or meat products, going organic has never been more essential to safeguard you and your family's health. Intensively-reared dairy cows and farm animals are fed a dangerous cocktail of anti-biotics, growth promoting drugs, anti-parasite drugs and many other medicines on a daily basis, whether they have an illness or not. These drugs are passed directly onto the consumers of their dairy produce or meat., which must be a contributing factor to meat-related diseases like coronaries and high blood pressure.

8. In recent years consumers have become more aware of the importance of using natural personal care products, unfortunately what most people are unaware of is that there is a huge difference between a "natural" and "certified organic" personal care product. All products that contain "natural" and not "certified organic" ingredients have still been grown with synthetic fertilizers and sprayed with various herbicides and pesticides, thus making the product far from truly natural, ...often containing cancerous substances. If You want to get a truly pure product, read the labels!

Certified organic products are those containing labels: USDA (US certification), IFOAM (international), JAS (Japan), Australian Certified Organic ... . Always seek for the certified organic label as a lot of "organic" personal care products really contain synthetic substances! Find certified organic personal care products at: www.TheSpringOfLife.net or www.thespiritoflife.onegroup.com

We often see long chemical names followed by the phrase “derived from coconut oil”. For example, to create cocoamide DEA from coconut oil requires the use of the carcinogenic synthetic chemical diethanolamine (DEA). It is therefore no longer natural and to insinuate it is a natural substance by adding the phrase “from coconut oil” is at best misleading. To understand more about the toxic and dangerous substances used in personal care products, read: www.TheSpringOfLife.net/toxicingredients.html

9. Intensive farming can seriously damage farm workers' health. There are much higher instances of cancer, respiratory problems and other major diseases in farm workers from non-organic farms. This is particularly true in developing countries, and for agrochemical farms growing cotton. So go organic if you care about other people.

10. Organic farms support and nurture our beautiful and diverse wildlife. Over the last thirty years, intensive farming has led to dramatic erosion of the soil, a fall of up to 70% of wild birds in some areas, the destruction of ancient hedgerows, and the near extinction of some of the most beautiful species of butterflies, frogs, grass-snakes and wild mammals.

All information has been obtained from Stephen Leahy's article at: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32375 , Ysanne Spevack's article at: http://www.organicfood.co.uk/topten.html and from www.thespiritoflife.mionegroup.com

I read yesterday from the book of Ecclesiastes and those 2 verses above really caught my attention. Those words were spoken thousands of years ago. Already then there were philosophers who read the Word of God but the Truth in it wasn't enough for them, they had to stretch the Truth further... they had to twist it with their own human thinking and make something out of it that wasn't true any longer... writing books and teaching this twisted Truth to others.

Today there are so many books available that we couldn't even count them. People are seeking the Truth. We all have this inward hunger for the Truth. We all need to know the Truth about life... so, we seek. I too searched before I came to Christianity. I investigated the New Age and Jehovah's Witnesses and ...more. I remember so well when I was a very new Christian, I was a tour guide in Tallinn. One day I had to spend 9 hours with a Mormon family. I went to their church and took part of the baptism service. It all seemed so right... yet something in my spirit felt wrong. I just could not understand. I knew Mormons had their own bible according to which they lived. They do not really use the Holy Spirit inspired Bible... but this day they read form the real Bible. In the end of the day I asked God, Lord, it all seemed so right! Is it right? I remember so well the words that came to me: Twisted Truth. They knew they had a guest at their service. Mormons, just like Jehovah's witnesses, do not allow any outsiders to any of their services, but they allowed me to come. There were not many people, just about 10, so they changed their service to look right to a Christian. But the truth is that they have taken bits and pieces from Christianity and twisted them into something that suits them... leading so many people away from one true God, from a relationship with Him, into religion, into a whole bunch of rules and regulations. They are overburdened with all DOs and DON'Ts. ...New Age on the other hand has gone the opposite way and is teaching that we ourselves are gods... allowed to do whatever we like.

All religions have their roots in Christian Bible... even Islam... but they all have bits and pieces added or taken away from the Truth. All the time new ideas are being invented and new religions are created... and people do go along. In the end, how do we know that we are right and our Bible is the one and only true message from the God Almighty? I honestly believe there is one word for it: PEACE! God's Words bring peace... not doubt... not fear... not more burdens to carry. We do have rules and regulations, but they too bring peace and make life a lot easier to live... and besides, God never asked us to do things out of our own strength nor power... He has given us His Holy Spirit who according to John 14, 15 and 16 is our "Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby."

Acts 10:36, Ephesians 6:15 and numerous other verses talk about the Gospel as the Gospel of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus "the Prince of Peace." Philippians 4:9 says: "the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you." Ephesians 2:14 says: "For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony)."

When God speaks to us (into our hearts), His words ALWAYS bring peace... even when He disciplines us, corrects us or tells us to step out in faith and do something that seems far beyond our own abilities. Still His words always bring peace:

Psalm 85:8 says: "I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people."

Zechariah 9:10 says: "He shall speak the word and peace shall come to the nations."

Psalm 119:165 says: "Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble."

There is no peace in this world outside of God. In John 16:33 Jesus said to His disciples: "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" Even people who have everything their soul could possibly desire do not have peace without God... there is a constant sense of something missing. Isaiah 48:22 says that "there is no peace for the wicked." ...wicked not being just evil and cruel people but those who live without God in this world. The Word says that our one and only real sin is not believing in God. ...and we who believe in God are not righteous because we do everything right and are such great people... we simply are righteous because Christ has made us right through His sacrifice on the cross. We would never be right with God on our own... none of us would. But then again every single person can be completely right with God when he/she accepts the sacrifice of Christ on the cross... understanding that God sees us right with Him and completely accepts us through the blood of Christ.

Isaiah 53:5 says: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole."

Christ carried all our guilt and iniquities on the cross for us in order to obtain the peace and well-being that God wanted to give us. Christ carried on the cross for us the result of our sins. There is no peace where there is sin. Romans 8:6 says: "Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]." Through His death and resurrection Christ obtained the peace for us. We should have peace in our hearts all the time for the Bible says that God leads us through the peace in our hearts. Isaiah 26:3 tells us HOW we can achieve and keep the peace in our hearts at all times: "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You."

Jeremiah 33:6 tells us that peace means so much more than just having the inner sense of rest... which in itself is great. It says that peace means also "prosperity, security, stability". Philippians 4:9 says that peace is "untroubled, undisturbed well-being." God has given us everything through His Peace - rest, prosperity, security, stability, untroubled and undisturbed well-being... nothing broken, nothing missing!

We can make the difference between right and wrong. God is the God of peace and everything that disturbs that immense and awesome "peace that transcends all understanding" (Phil.4), we should be weary about. Sometimes things seem right, especially when we do not know the whole Truth, the whole Bible, but if we are connected to God, something inside of us will always tell us whether something is right or not right. We may not always obey the inner check but we will always get the confirmation... sometimes much later though... about whether our decision was right or wrong. Colossians 3:15 tells us to: "let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]." The more we learn to know the Word of God, the greater peace we have and the easier it is for God to lead us and protect us from all harm.

It is this total and immense peace that we have that other religions do not have. There is NO peace without God. Though this peace that transcends all human understanding is available to every person who turns to God... and this peace truly is the greatest thing we have been given. King Solomon, who was the wealthiest and the wisest man in the whole world at one time, a man who during his lifetime swayed from serving God and tried all kinds of pleasures and human entertainment, concludes the book of Ecclesiastes with those words:

"All has been heard, the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of this creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or evil." Seeking God first is the foundation of all happiness, adjusting every inharmonious circumstance and condition in our lives, filling us with perfect peace ...hmmm... so simple, yet so powerful and life-changing!

Many, many blessings to You all,