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Healthy Homes & Families Natural, Biblical, Healthy Living WisconsinChristianNews.com
Volume 25, Issue 3
Taste and See ful to you in how you experience the Lord? Is it through listening to praise music? Is it through looking at nature? Is it by fel- lowshipping and sharing a delicious meal
By Chris McMahan June 2024
We can use all of our senses, not only to experience the Lord ourselves, but to help others experience the Lord. We can hold the hand of a suffering friend and pray.
I was just planting some lavender plants and the smell
of the leaves lingered on my hands. I lifted them up to my hus- band Troy to take a
We can take a steamy soup to a sick Brother. We can paint a pic- ture of this earth’s nature that dis- plays God’s nature; a blessing for others to see. Use your senses to take in the Lord’s goodness today. Use your gifts to share Him with others. May all of us experience God in a deeper and more meaningful way as we open up all of our natural senses to perceive and receive His goodness. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8, ESV).
whiff. He said, “isn’t that amazing that God made plants to smell like that?” And it struck me, our body’s senses are a way that we experience God. He wants us to use all of our senses to experience Him. He al- ludes to this in Scripture when He says: “Taste and say that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8 ESV). We can look with our eyes and see the goodness of the Lord all around in nature. We can listen with our ears and hear the goodness of the Lord through music, the cry of a baby, or the sound of a bird song. Physical touch al- lows us to experience the goodness of the Lord as we are the hands and feet of Christ. We hug and lay hands as we min- ister to each other.
with someone? When was the last time you were amazed by the smell of a rose or lavender? Our senses are an avenue for us to per- ceive and know God, but they also present options and opportunities for us to minis- ter to others. How do you think those around you would best perceive the Lord?
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10,ESV). Chris McMahan, Email: Happy1970@icloud.com Please email me if you would like to receive monthly ministry updates.
Which of your senses is most meaning-
This is What I’ve Learne d ... ... About the Quality and Quantity of Life
By Layton Howerton June 2024
several different treatments and medications, was given about six months to live. A few months later, he was offered an experimental treatment (medication) that did in fact send his cancer into remission and dramatically improved the quality of his life. Five months later though, he passed away from liver failure, (a side effect of the medicat- ion) at the age of 77. As a pastor over the years, I’ve al- ways acknowledged the marvels of modern medicine and the advances scientists and medical profes- sionals have made in improving the quality and quantity of life and seen the hand of God in it, both per- sonally and professionally as a member of the clergy. I’ve also urged and encouraged
Many of you are aware that my wife (Linda) of 38 years, the mother of our five children, passed away back in December of 2014 after a sixteen month long
battle with metastatic cancer. As her caregiver throughout that time, we had many discussions re- garding the treatments and medicat- ions the doctors were giving her (to prolong her life) that I personally would not have undergone due to the devastating side effects and toll they were taking on the quality of her remaining life suffering with the disease. As her loving husband, I supported
So I’ve been researching both the benefits and side effects of this drug and the risks in- volved in continuing or discontinuing the use of this particular medication and have found myself to be in a bit of a quandary. Over the course of my 67 years, I have been prescribed many different medications and have learned which ones my body can tolerate and those my body cannot. But this drug is different and so is my atti- tude at the age of 67 years regarding the qual- ity and quantity of my remaining life. Now without question, my desire is for both in all regards to remain here on this side of heaven as long as I can for my family, friends and “the good work that I have left to do.” Back in 2017, one of my oldest friends and mentor of 27 years developed cancer, and after
those I had the privilege of pastoring in my flocks to follow the advice of their doctors (but not blindly) in all regards to their prescribed treatments and medications for whatever par- ticular illness or condition they might have. So I offer no other medical advice than that in this article and emphatically employ that in all re- gards to any medications or conditions you may be dealing with…to talk with your medical doctor as well. Share with them what you’re experiencing and do your own research on any prescribed medications or treatments, weighing the bene- fits and risks you may encounter…because the quality of your life is your own choice, but the quantity of your life…is entirely up to God! “For no one knows the number of their days.”
all of her decisions during those difficult days in her choices of continuing treatments and medications, because it was her life and her choice to make. Almost two years ago this September, I had a massive (4 code blue) heart attack which I survived. Since that time I’ve changed my diet and have been on prescribed medications that heart patients normally take after the occur- rence of a heart attack. For several months now, I have been experi- encing some adverse side effects from one of the drugs that is medically beneficial to heart disease patients in reducing and maintaining cholesterol levels that has (in my opinion) begun to reduce the quality of my daily life and I started to think… “This can’t be just my age!”
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