Waking Up, A Cow's Tail, and LIFE

After our prayers before retiring last night my wife woke me up shortly after I fell asleep, saying that she was scared of me dying; I was breathing heavily she said. I was not aware of it, but I decided nevertheless to whisper another prayer of commitment in my heart before going off again. Imagine my relief when I woke up this morning and discovered, "I was ALIVE!" Somehow the value of things we're often inclined to take for granted is usually accentuated whenever it is lost, or there is a formidable threat of its being lost.  Today I’m especially grateful for LIFE.

 

There is a saying I grew up hearing, "A cow never notices the use of its tail until it loses it." Ever noticed how consistently and instinctively a cow swings its tail; seemingly to drive away the flies that are always pestering?  If flies had uninterrupted access to cows, I suspect that the average health of these cows would be substantially lower.

Israel had lost the Ark and they felt the terrible effect of that loss – the constant pestering of the Devil through his appointed agencies. So it was a great relief when it was finally reinstated to its proper place - a relief that I can certainly relate to especially this morning. The praise among the Israelites would doubtlessly have been spontaneous.

We must in our periodic trips to Calvary see ourselves hanging on the cross; facing the grim prospect of eternal separation from the Source of life. And once we understand the value of what Christ has done for us, we will with new meaning sing songs like, The Old Rugged Cross, I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, and The Old Rugged Cross Made a Difference.

 

Today I praise God, not only for waking me up this morning, but for eternal life through Christ Jesus.

This is based on 1 Chronicles 16.  To listen to or read 1 Chronicles 16 click here.

Like a Mighty Flood – 1 Chronicles 14 (RBHW)

Whenever there is a threat of hurricane or extensive rainfall in Jamaica there are some locations where the inhabitants are anxiously warned to evacuate in order to avert certain disaster. Sometimes when you watch world news casts and you see footage for major flood rains, you get keen sense of the terrifying force of water when you see cars floating like plastic toys and entire houses torn from their foundation. You sometimes see towering trees that become felled and the equilibrium of life becomes distorted. Few things there are that can defy the deadly force of flood waters. When flood waters come you just have to wait it out and hope you survive.

What an awesome description and testimony David gives of God's accomplishments through him, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water.” 1 Chron. 14: 11. That is how invincible we become with God by our side. Little wonder then that there was the fear of David among all the nations around - he was a "terrible" flood.

But here's a glorious inconsistency with water that is worth noting, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." Isa 59: 19. Praise the Lord, not all flood waters are worth the worry.

To read or listen to 1 Chronicles 14 and read other related blogs please click here.

The good old Easter bun and cheese tradition

Can you imagine Easter as a Jamaican without bun and cheese? Some may answer yes because of personal preference or medical condition, but for most of us, the answer is no. Bun is an excellent source of carbohydrates to supply the body with energy. The basic Easter bun recipe requires wheat flour, brown sugar, molasses, baking powder or yeast and dried fruits.

Some special diets restrict persons from eating bun or cheese or both bun and cheese at any time. For example, persons with chronic kidney disease, whether receiving dialysis or not, are not supposed to eat the raisins, mixed peel, maraschino cherries because of their high potassium content. Therefore, the traditional bun should be avoided even if the dried fruits are picked out after baking.

Persons with diabetes and those 'watching their weight' or trying to lose weight may choose not to eat bun because of the high sugar content. The key to controlling diabetes and weight loss is portion control. One slice of bun has the same amount of sugar/energy as one slice of bread and half of a serving of fruit. Therefore, a slice of bun can be swapped for four ounces of yam or potato or half-cup rice or one finger of green banana and two ounces of fresh fruit.

Persons with wheat allergy should eat bun made with flour from other starches such as potato, yam or breadfruit (this requires lots of testing of recipes as a binding agent will be needed to hold the bun together).

Nutrition in cheese
Cheese is a milk product with different textures, flavours and forms. Cheese is a tasty, versatile, flavourful and convenient food that is high in protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, calcium and phosphorus. Cheese is available in low fat and vegetarian varieties. Examples of low-fat cheese include mozzarella (soft, white cheese made from low-fat milk) and feta (made from sheep or goat's milk), low-fat Cheddar or Swiss. Mozzarella cheese is also low in sodium.

One ounce of cheese is made from about seven ounces of milk and provides seven grams of protein, 200mg calcium and the fat content varies based on the type of milk used and its fat content.

So, for the Easter, choose wisely. Here are some tips:

1. Cut thinner slices of bun to reduce sugar intake.
2. Cut thinner slices of cheese to reduce fat and sodium intake.
3. Choose low-fat, low-sodium cheese if you have high blood pressure or any illness that requires sodium or salt restrictions.
4. Reduce frequency of eating bun and cheese throughout the day.
5. For kidney disease patients, swap one serving of staple (one slice bread or three to six crackers) for a quarter of a round bun that has no dried fruits.

Have a healthy and holy Easter!

Marsha N. Woolery is a registered dietitian/nutritionist in private practice and adjunct lecturer at Northern Caribbean University; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.