SPIRITUALITY - WISDOM

As “guest columnist” this week, I thank my wife Bonnie for inviting me to share a few of my thoughts with you about the “wholehearted life.” I hope that you’ve been enjoying her articles as much as I have. More importantly, I hope you’ve also been stimulated and challenged to think more deeply about the many subjects she has presented here over the past year. As you can probably imagine, we have had plenty of intense conversations at home about these issues. As Bonnie observed in her recent article, true wisdom is not the same as having information or acquiring knowledge. Many have much knowledge, but remain fools.

Personally, I have had the wonderful privilege of living in and visiting many places in this country and around the world. In the process I have met people from hundreds of cultural backgrounds and lifestyles. I have taken advantage of these opportunities to discuss and address all sorts of life-issues. I have benefited from reading thousands of books and articles about a wide variety of topics. Many would say that I must certainly have attained wisdom by now. However, that gathering of knowledge is not evidence that I am on the road to truth or fullness of life.

On the other hand, I recently met a man whom I consider to be very wise. Now in his 70’s, he has never traveled more than one hundred miles from the place of his birth, a town of which you have likely never heard. Yet, I sat spell-bound for hours as he opened up treasures of truth about life and about God that I had missed (or never absorbed) along the way. Attaining wisdom may include gaining knowledge, but far more important is understanding that information, how it fits together in a positive and purposeful way and then applying it to life.

It has always been fascinating to me that many of the most significant “trailblazers” have been men and women, born and raised in small, relatively unknown towns, without the “advantage” of exclusive, high-priced education. St. Paul once wrote: “We preach Christ crucified…the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (I Cor. 1:23-25). Wherever people are willing to seek truth, to be challenged, to act with integrity on what they have come to believe, the door is open for wisdom. Where there is true wisdom, Godly wisdom, there also is Godly power.

Several years ago, when Bonnie and I were “free” to live anywhere in the world, the Lord clearly led us to Diagonal. We believed then, and still do, that this community holds the potential to be a center to bring about Godly change in this world. Let’s keep on encouraging one another to live and grow in Christ, challenging each other to increase in wisdom, and to watch what the power of God can do in and from Diagonal.


Gary Jaeckle

MY HEART FOR HAITI - Part 2

Although neither of us felt well, another nurse and I went to spend a few days working at a local Haitian hospital.  Within a few short minutes of witnessing the sickening, unsanitary conditions, we couldn’t contain our plight any longer.  Realizing that we needed to be in bed, the staff directed us past the kitchen to get to the nurses’ dorm.  The stench in the kitchen was awful!  We witnessed the staff plucking feathers from a chicken with as many flies feasting on it as the open wounds in the next room.  A few hours after getting us settled, someone knocked on the door and hospitably offered us homemade chicken soup.  We pretended like we were asleep!

 

St. Vincent’s was only a few blocks from Haiti’s National Palace.  Two guards were stationed in front of it, one at each end.  Touting their machine guns, they repeatedly and staunchly marched toward one another coming face to face in the middle before returning to their respective positions.  Across from the palace was a tower with one window, large enough for the barrel of a revolving machine gun.  It took some time to get accustomed to crossing city streets with gunners at every corner and women delivering their babies on sidewalks!

 

                 

 National Palace, 1975.  The Negre Maron statue is a tribute to the first runaway slave.  Haiti, the first black republic, gained independence in 1804.          

 

 

National Palace, Haiti.  2010

 

Fond Parisien:  As I bustled about helping to restore a church building in this village 40 miles east of Port-au-Prince, it seemed that the children followed every step that I took; except to the restroom!  Instead, they would take my hammer and nails and begin to work with them while I was gone, not wanting to give them back when I returned.  Although I did not speak Creole, much was clearly communicated.  They considered the “wealthy” American girl too “honorable” to work! 

 

Speaking of rest rooms….the place for toileting was behind the work site where there were no stools or privacy walls, only the desert floor and the little lizards that crawled around my feet! 

 

I was amazed as the little girls swiped their fingers through the wet, bright red paint that we were using on benches and brushed this across their fingernails!  With no access to Glamour magazines, they knew how and desired to adorn their nails! 

 

One little girl especially enjoyed sitting on my lap so that she could smell my hair!  She repeatedly lifted my long hair to her face, took a deep whiff through her nose and then smiled at me!  The freshness of my shampoo was very foreign to her.  Another little girl repeatedly rubbed her dark little finger across my cheek and then gazed in astonishment that the white wasn’t coming off my face!  She thought it was funny when I did this to her.   

 

Upon completing the renovation, we held a dedication service.  What a precious experience it was to praise Jesus together, in English and in Creole.  We had made a sign to place above the door as a gift to our brothers and sisters.  The love and appreciation they demonstrated made it difficult to part from them.     

 

 Dedication service after completion of the church building for our friends in Fond Parisien, Haiti, 1975. 

                                                            

 

 A field hospital in Fond Parisien, Haiti, was started lessn than a week after the earthquake hit on Jan. 12, 2010.  Meeting inside a makeshift ofice are doctors from across America.  Justin Ide/Harvard Staff Photographer.    

 

 

The home-sickness was so intense that for a few days I experienced strong impressions of never going home or seeing my loved ones again.  Yet, once I was home I longed to return to Haiti.  The compassion in my heart toward those who had so little and needed so much was, at times, more than I could bear.  I wondered if my few days with them made any impact whatever.  There was no doubt that they impacted me for a life-time.  Maybe it’s time to return. 

 

Whole-Heartedly,

Bonnie

MY HEART FOR HAITI

The recent earthquake in Haiti has shaken my heart and unearthed many memories.  At age eighteen I had never seen the mountains or the ocean; in fact, I had hardly been out of Illinois!  Yet, I boarded a plane heading for Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, on a medical mission. 

 

As our little plane landed, we were greeted with umbrellas to protect us from the pouring rain.  My heart pounding with anticipation, I peered out the window of the brightly colored Tap Tap (wooden Bus) as we made our way to St. Vincent’s Centre for Handicapped Children, my home for the next two weeks.   Waving, unashamed of their nakedness, women were washing clothes and bathing while their children played in the river as we passed by.

 

Port-au-Prince:  As we stepped off the bus at Haiti’s major facility for providing medical attention, schooling, food and clothing for children, we were greeted with thunderous applause and cheers.  Most of them afflicted with malnourishment as well as physical impairments, I was overcome with humility by the loving, grateful faces of these children.

 

Infectious mosquitoes were abundant and our windows were without screens!  Sleeping with nets over our beds was essential and, due to the unbearable heat, most often we slept in our underwear.  In fact, we were only allowed to work in the heat for 20 minutes, interspersed with breaks in the shade and our water bottles.  Following directives, we checked for nesting spiders before donning our shoes.  One morning a roommate shook a tarantula out of hers!  Not realizing their speed, with my shoe as my weapon, I thought I was prepared to smash the smithereens out of the ugly thing!  With my roomies on their beds screaming, I unsuccessfully chased the hairy, eight-legged critter around our room!

 

Built in a square with a courtyard in the center, the wall between our room and the corridors did not reach the ceiling.  I could stand on my bunk and observe the activity in the corridors.  Dogs roamed freely in the courtyard and often into the corridors of the building.  Early every morning, we were awakened by barking dogs!  One morning, they brought their yapping escapade to our corridor.  In my skivvies, I stood on my bunk while my roommates handed me their shoes to use as torpedoes hoping to detour our disturbing intruders!      

 

I was honored to assist with providing the children with necessary prostheses, dental care and medications in addition to renovating their living environment.  Yet, their needs were so tremendous that it felt as though we were only scratching the surface.  Although they had so little, their hospitality and gratefulness was a humbling lesson for someone who, in comparison, had so much. 

 

 

Bonnie Jaeckle with a friend at St. Vincent's, 1975         

 

                        St Vincent's, 2010.  Six children and staff members died.

 

Remembering the directive to not eat or drink anything offered on the street, we ventured off to the dirty, smelly marketplace where vendors vied for our attention and ladies balanced baskets of produce on their heads.  We learned quickly that the prices were never firm and that bartering was expected.  Before I returned home, I purchased a beautifully hand-carved mahogany bowl and an intricately hand-embroidered shirt for a pittance!  However, there was one offer that branded my heart forever.  A lady sitting on the sidewalk holding a baby motioned for me to come to her.  As I stepped closer, she held her baby toward me to take as my own!  Without requesting money, I believe she was honestly seeking a better life for the child.  How was my eighteen year old heart to respond?  

 

To be continued next week -

 

Whole-Heartedly,

Bonnie

SPIRITUAL - KNOWLEDGE PUFFS UP

What a blessing it is to converse with brothers and sisters in Jesus about our walk with Him. Yet, we frequently stifle one another in doing so. I observed an example of this only a few days ago when I witnessed one brother sharing with another something that he believed the Lord had directed him to do. The receiving brother abruptly responded, “I don’t believe that! God would never tell us to do that?” What happened? The conversation immediately stopped and I could feel the unity between those two brothers in Christ begin to shut down. This approach eventually destroys not only our fellowship with one another as members of the same Body, but eventually our fellowship with God.

When someone shares a biblical opinion that is differing from our own, why do we often respond as though we have it all figured out and that they must be out of their mind? God’s response to such a prideful person is this, “Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge” [Job 42:3]. Until Jesus returns, we all have only partial knowledge [1Cor 13:9]. Paul is saying to those believers who think they have it all figured out, “… we all have knowledge; however, what good is it if it is used for intolerance rather than for the welfare of our brothers and sisters” [1 Cor 8:1-2].

Conceit of knowledge is evidence of ignorance.
Knowledge that swells the mind tends to hurt others.
- J. I. Packer

Paul told the conceited Corinthians, “Knowledge puffs up … The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know” [1 Cor 8:1-2].

He that knows most best understands his own ignorance, and the imperfection of human knowledge. He that imagines himself a knowing man, and is vain and conceited on this imagination, has reason to suspect that he knows nothing aright, nothing as he ought to know it. It is one thing to know truth, and another to know it as we ought, so as duly to improve our knowledge.… And those who think they know any thing, and grow fain hereupon, are of all men most likely to make no good use of their knowledge; neither themselves nor others are likely to be benefited by it. - Matthew Henry

It seems that the Body of Christ would profit if we would all admit that we don’t totally understand God or the fullness of His Word. What would happen if we were to make a practice of saying to one another, “May I share my understanding of this issue at this point in my walk with Jesus? I do desire God’s truth and believe that all believers have a portion of it. Therefore, I am open to your perspective.”

The one who recognizes that the things of God are too wonderful for him to know [Job 42:3] will listen patiently to his brother, offering assurance that what he is presenting is worth hearing and prayerfully considering.


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

HEALTH - SLEEP REFRESHENS BODY & SOUL

Over the last year or so, I’ve experienced increasing difficulties sleeping. I’ve discovered that insomnia is not an uncommon disorder. Reiter and Robinson reported in 1995 that one-fifth of American adults and one half of American seniors experience difficulty falling or staying asleep. A study done in 2002 by the National Sleep Foundation reveals that as many as 47 million Americans do not regularly get the optimal 7-8 hours sleep a night.

One hundred years ago, people scheduled their days based upon the hours of daylight. Nine and a half hours sleep a night was the norm. Sleep is an important time of restoration and reproduction for cells. This vital reparative and manufacturing work is shut down and toxins accumulate in the brain of those who are sleep-deprived, leading to acceleration of brain aging. Insomnia not only causes fatigue and confusion, but various biochemical changes also occur which can damage cells in the brain’s memory center. Additionally, disease-fighting cells of the immune system are weakened, increasing vulnerability to infections.

If you typically cannot fall asleep within 15-30 minutes,
wake up frequently during the night,
or don’t feel refreshed upon waking,
you may be experiencing chronic insomnia.

Insomnia is recognized as a disease produced by a wide variety of
CAUSATIVE FACTORS:

Medical problems – arthritis, pain, thyroid, liver and neurological disorders
Stimulants – caffeine, smoking, alcohol and medication
Emotions – anxiety, stress and depression
Inactivity
Lighting in sleep area – Even light from a clock can decrease the production of Melatonin, a natural hormone in the brain which regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
Lack of sunlight – Exposure to sunlight throughout the day produces chemicals necessary for melatonin production at night.
Nutritional deficiency
Aging – Melatonin production declines with age
Menopause – Decreased estrogen production effects sleep.


TREATMENT:

Diet - quinoa, spirulina, and soy products promote melatonin production
Vitamins/Supplements:
Magnesium - reduces pain and fatigue and promotes sleep
B complex - Magnesium cannot be utilized without B6.
C - aids production of anti-stress hormones
D - promotes sleep
GABA (natural hormone) - induces relaxation, analgesic and sleep
Lecithin - healthy brain function
American Ginseng - provides many of the same benefits as estrogen replacement therapy
Melatonin - 3-9 milligrams an hour before bedtime. Recent studies show that some people may require 1 mg. or less.
Herbs - St John’s Wort, Chamomile, Skullcap, Lemon Balm, Hops, Valerian root, Kava kava and Passion Flower lower anxiety and/or produce sleep.
Essential Oils - Lavender or Roman Chamomile in bath/on pillow before bed.
Exercise - 20-30 minutes at least 5-6 hours before bedtime
Relaxation - prayer, deep breathing and message
Sleep hygiene: consistent bed and wake time, darkness, cool temperature, comfortable bed and quiet.
Sunlight – 20-45 minutes per day

LIMIT/AVOID:
Naps – especially after 3 pm.
Stimulants:
Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine (refrain for at least two hours before bed) and medications containing caffeine/stimulants
“Trying” to sleep – get out of bed after 15 minutes. Do something relaxing until drowsy.
Eating, working, reading or TV in bed
Heavy Meals/Fluids before bed.

Bedtime Tea

Valerian 30%
Linden 20%
Kava kava 20%
Chamomile 20%
Catnip 10%

Blend loose herbs and store out of direct sunlight in cool place. Add 1 tsp to 1 cup nearly boiling water, cover, steep for 20 minutes and strain.

Supplements - Now Foods at www.luckvitamin.com
Herbs & oils – www.mountainrose.herbs.com

May peaceful sleep close your eyes and awaken you, refreshed in body and soul, ready to serve God.


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie


DISCLAIMER:
The author of this article does not endorse everything represented on/in suggested links, books, etc. Each of us is accountable to God to weigh everything according to His Word.

All content of this article is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. The author sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. The information herein is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This is best left to the Creator of the universe. In all health-related situations, “qualified healthcare professionals” should always be consulted. The author deems THE GREAT PHYSICIAN to be most qualified. The author assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material.

THE GUEST HOUSE

A few years ago the word was out that Gary & I wanted to build a guest house with old lumber. We were approached about dismantling a partially burned home in exchange for whatever lumber we could use. We had no idea of all that the Lord had in store for us in agreeing to this offer.

Upon entering their home, I considered the memories that this family must have had in each and every room. I felt somewhat guilty as if I were about to strip all of that away from them.

I fought back tears as my mind was flooded with memories which I didn’t realize lingered in my heart. Although it has been forty years ago, I recalled, as if it were yesterday, the day that I stood before the rubble of my childhood home. The owner had told momma that she and her six children could live in this old one-room schoolhouse rent free for as long as we needed. It wasn’t much, but grandpa helped fix it up and it was home to us. As Gary & I examined this family’s tragic scene, I was quickly reminded of what it is like to smell the smoldering of my family’s home and personal possessions.

While laboring to salvage what was left of this family’s home, at times it seemed as though I could hear mamma crying in the next room while writing letters to her three oldest in Viet Nam, informing them that nothing was saved from the ravages of the fire. At age ten, I felt helpless. Yet, it seemed that the opportunity to obtain resources from this family’s home could somehow make it possible to redeem something even greater. Needless to say, the work was difficult in more ways than one!

Unknowledgeable about how to accomplish our dream and who to ask for help, all of these precious resources laid waiting under tattered tarps. Fearing that they would be ruined, we even offered to give them away at one point. I’m thankful that the Lord’s plans are far greater than ours and His timing is always perfect!

Floyd Plank and his Amish family have become very dear friends to us. Being excellent carpenters, Floyd and his sons agreed to build our dream while teaching us along the way. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly, for us anyway! Our ignorance must have been exasperating; yet they willingly offered ideas, listened to ours and patiently helped us to see them through.

Throughout this process, although I didn’t fully understand why, I felt like I was on a mission which had more in store than simply completing a building. It was weeks of concentrated effort, yet with each and every scraped window, planed board and positioned beam there was an unexplainable joy in the labor
beyond the fun of working with the Planks.

While we weren’t able to salvage it all,
the beautiful tongue n’ groove boards, hand-hewn beams,
walnut stair rail, cathedral window and ornate doors
from this devastated home found their perfect place in our
rustic, yet beautiful guest house.
Completed this fall, it is more than we ever dreamed of!

Although we don’t know all that the Lord has in mind, we believe that His desire for this building is to be filled with years of love and fellowship amongst His people. Is there a better way to replace “what the locusts have eaten?”

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

HEALTH - HERBAL HAIR RINSE

When I was a little girl, my hair was long enough to sit on. Getting my hair combed was a daily opportunity for momma and me to visit about all sorts of things. Because I was a very active “tom-boy,” my flowing auburn locks could get very gnarly. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the vinegar momma put on my hair, as a final rinse, not only made me smell like a dill pickle, it also helped to unravel those tangles! Since those years, I’ve gone from straight to curly and even very short hair for a period of time. Yet, long hair has always held a special place in my heart. Not only is it pretty, it isn’t something that you see everyday.

Not unlike most women, I went through a middle-age stage when I simply didn’t know what to do with my graying hair. Most often, in an attempt to “look younger,” aging women cut their hair short, keep it dyed and often “permed.” In my opinion, vanity isn’t worth the risk I put myself under with the ongoing use of these carcinogenic chemicals. Therefore, I’ve concluded that there is no reason why I can’t be a long, gray-haired gramma and I’m back to using vinegar on my hair! In addition to untangling, vinegar effectively flushes away soap residue which so easily gets trapped in and strips moisture away from hair.

I’ve adapted a hair rinse recipe
that I found a www.mountainroseherbs.com
which I simply love.
If you are concerned about your graying hair,
you can even add herbs that will add color to your hair
without the dangerous carcinogens found in most hair dyes.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Rose Water
2 oz. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 oz. Water or choice of herbal infusion

Combine all ingredients, shake well before using, message well into scalp and hair. Leave on while finishing bath or shower, then rinse. Caution: vinegar will sting if allowed to get in your eyes.

If color is an issue for you, instead of water, the use of a strong herbal infusion will draw out the colors and even cover the gray in your hair over time with repeated use.

Making an infusion:
Add ¼ cup dried herb to 1 cup of filtered water in a sauce pan. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Over medium heat bring water to almost boiling. Remove from heat. Pour contents into jar. Seal and steep herbs over-night. Strain prior to adding to vinegar mixture.

For desired effects use:
Chamomile - gold tones
Hibiscus flowers or Alkaner root - reddish tones
Nettle - warm tones
Rosemary, Sage or Walnut leaves - brown tones

A mixture of Rosemary & Sage will darken gray hair. Most importantly, Rosemary stimulates the sluggish circulation in that ol’ scalp and Sage has anti-bacterial/fungal properties.

I’ve discovered that the resulting shine and the conditioning qualities of this herbal rinse are simply unbeatable. Don’t worry, you won’t smell like a pickle! Instead, the gentle fragrance of a blushing rose will accompany you every where you go!

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie



DISCLAIMER:
The author of this article does not endorse everything represented on/in suggested links, books, etc. Each of us is accountable to God weigh everything according to His Word.

All content of this article is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. The author sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. The information herein is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This is best left to the Creator of the universe. In all health-related situations, “qualified healthcare professionals” should always be consulted. The author deems THE GREAT PHYSICIAN to be most qualified. The author assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material.

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