Understanding Your Thirsty Heart
Posted by Pablo Perez | Filed under Self Improvement
Eternity is written within our hearts. That’s why we love stories like the one below, they remind us that life is more than what we see with our natural eyes…
“Aslan turned to them and said: “You do not look so happy as I mean you to be… the dream is ended: this is the morning” - As He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them… and for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before…” C.S. Lewis - The Last Battle
Truly, we were made to worship… made for God, designed to love and be loved by Him. The awareness of God’s person is our inheritance. We were born to be fascinated by Him and allured by His Love. You may know it or not, but the presence of God is the environment you were created for.
Yet… most of us live disconnected from this heavenly atmosphere. We go through life ignoring that, we’re “incarnate thirst” as someone said. Our journey is filled with struggle and pain, our minds often overheat with the cares of this life, and our emotions… well… picture a roller coaster and get a preview…
As if this weren’t enough, every single day we face an ocean of distractions. There are multitudes of voices calling for our attention. The Media and some intelligent sectors of society have identified our deep hunger and thirst… they know… and ferociously compete with each other to capture the affections of our heart.
Ironically, they are not alone in this pursuit. The God of heaven and the prince of darkness are after the same thing- your burning heart.
The battle at the end of the age rages around this…
THE FIRE WITHIN YOUR HEART
Make no mistake about it, your affections will burn for something or someone. Your heart is not neutral. There are deep and strong passions within you. They’re like strong rivers of longing that search for an outlet until it’s found (the power of addiction is based on this reality).
We may like or not, but we’re dealing with deep affections and the charm of many lovers… in a sense, we’re being aggressively hunted…
What do we do? How do we live? How do we spend our time and our days? What or Who is worthy to be the object of our desire?
THE HIGHER CALLING
There is a Higher Calling. This calling is not new. Actually is quite old. John the apostle heard it, so did Mary of Bethany. You have probably heard it more than once… that voice above and inside that says: Come Up Here. Come Up Here and I will show you… I’m real… give me Your heart…
We are called to go deeper into the knowledge of God and his Ways. We are invited to join the fellowship of His Son (1Cor. 1:9) and journey into union with the Ultimate Lover of our Souls.
The fact you’re reading this far shows that this Calling is for you. If you were to hate God as so many today, the first paragraph of this article would have scared you away, but here you are…
Now is time to listen and encounter… your Creator is calling… He knows why your heart burns…
Pablo Perez is the Founder of EncounterGodWorship.com (where He offers 7 Worship Songs and Instrumental Music for FREE).
Tags: burning heart, C.S. Lewis, Calling, Eternity, Fire Within, God, heart, Pablo Perez, presence of God, Self Improvement, worship
Do You Have Children? Omega 3 Fats Should Be A Big Part Of Their Diet.
Posted by Peter Bertonach | Filed under Health & Fitness
For some years now science has understood the health benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids. It is now clearly established that these benefits are equally important for the health of our children. Omega 3 fatty acids are just as important in the diet of our kids, or even more so, than in the diet of adults. And this requirement for omega 3 fats begins at conception.
You find Omega 3 essential fatty acids in fish oil. Kids are just like adults. They have a minimum requirement for levels of omega 3 in their diet to ensure adequate development and health. The importance of omega 3 in children has now been underscored by the release of a study from the University of Wollongong’s School Of Health Sciences in Australia. In this study it was found that Australian children were hugely deficient in omega 3. Children in the US will be no different.
The study discovered that the average intake of Omega3 fats in children of 3 years was 47 milligrams which was described by the professor undertaking the study as “desperately low”.
There are 2 very important essential fatty acids found in fish oil called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). These are the fatty acids known as omega 3. Children in the US and Australia have way too little of these essential fats in their diet. This inadequate intake of omega 3 in children has health implications for the healthy development of our kids.
A child’s requirement for omega 3 fats starts right at conception. The study noted that brain development was extremely fast during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and that for adequate brain development an adequate level of DHA was essential. And it also noted that the first 2 years of infancy was equally important for brain development and placed an equal demand on DHA levels.
A child cannot supplement its diet own with omega 3. Children have these decisions made for them by their parents. Parents should consider increasing their own intake of fish oil as well as increasing the amount of fish oil in children’s diets because their own health and the health of their kids depends on it.
And the development of a child’s brain is not the only health issue negatively impacted by inadequate levels of omega 3. Kids have a wide range of health issues many of which can benefit from increasing their intake of fish oil. Kids with levels of omega 3 that are too low exhibit an increased risk of asthma, lower IQ as established on IQ tests, poor visual development, slower brain development and an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to name a few.
Clearly there are serious issues involved when considering the supplementation of omega 3 in children. This can be achieved by increasing their intake of fish however there are various issues associated with this including mercury contamination, the price of fish and the well-known dislike of fish by children.
I have been supplementing the diet of my children with omega 3 cost effectively and simply. I use the best Omega 3 capsules (which I take myself) and cut the top off and pour the fish oil onto their breakfast and they are unaware it is there.
Parents should be aware that the decisions they make about their children’s diet affects their children’s development. This includes establishing an adequate intake of essential fatty acids in their diet. This can safely, cost effectively and easily be achieved by the mother taking Omega 3 supplements during pregnancy and then adequate omega 3 supplementation in children during infancy and thereafter. Omega 3 supplementation by breastfeeding moms even increases the levels of DHA in mothers milk.
However not all Omega 3 capsules are as good as others. There are many issues relating to the quantity of DHA present in the capsules, the freshness of the fish oil used, (fish oil oxidizes quickly) and the effectiveness of the fatty acids.
On my website I seek to educate my readers about how to compare the different fish oil supplements available and to tell them which omega 3 supplements I have chosen for myself and my children.
Want to know more about Fish Oil? Or more about Omega 3 And Children? Visit Peter’s Website Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oil.
Tags: benefits of omega 3, children omega 3, dietary supplements, family, fish oil, fish oil children, health, Health & Fitness, health and fitness, heart, omega 3, omega 3 fats, omega 3 fatty acids, supplements
