Fun With A Mick's Up

As we begin a new year, let us be looking for the good in the bad.

Beauty among the scary

I hope you have many good memories of 2020. 

Although people will say it has been a strange year, and some may even say it’s been awful, our God is bigger than anything in 2020. 

I pray you are safe and healthy, with no worries of finances or food or shelter.

I first had the thought of writing this at the start of the pandemic lockdown.  I was enjoying the view from my home office window - the pink flowers on the tree in the Spring.

It was wonderful to watch the families enjoying the freshness of the new season, while walking and biking together down our street.  Our neighbor rode his wife's pink bike as his only mode of transportation, so he could go on a bike ride with his rambunctious little boy.  (I did notice in later weeks that they got a new bike or two.)

Real men ride their wives' pink bikes!

Before I knew it, the seasons were changing again.  We, as a family, got involved in home projects... or just spending time together in various ways.  The world had interesting things happening.  I got pulled into my work and other goings-on more than previously.  Our country was making major decisions.  Friends were needing extra prayer.  My daughter's senior year was well underway, as were her preparations for next year's move to college.

Sign of times changing

I noticed the pretty pink flowers were no longer there, and the green leaves were soon replaced with orange.  The birds were still playing among the branches, singing up a storm!  (I figured out I have become an amateur bird watcher.)

It wasn't long before we were spending more time shopping online for gifts to give out over the Christmas holiday! 

All this to say, time is going to move forward, whether or not we like our current situation, and especially even if we're not ready.  We need to remember to take time to see the beauty among the scary.  We need to keep a good attitude, looking for the good things that might be hidden under what seems to be only bad.  

One of the 5 Essentials is a healthy mindset.  

If things are going well for you, this might seem like a simple task, but it's still an important reminder. 

If you are going through really difficult times, I am so sorry!  I wish I could take them away for you.  Please share with me or someone near to you, and ask a prayer warrior to help you take these concerns to God.  Our Lord wants to spend time with you, His creation.  Do you know Him as your Father?  If so, remember you are His child.  Climb up on his lap, snuggle up in His arms, and cry your tears of sadness.  He wants to take care of you.  

If you do not know God as your Father, please consider praying to Him.  When you are ready, admit to Him that you are not perfect, and humble yourself enough to admit you have sinned.  Believe He has provided a way out of those sins and that life that is empty without Him, by offering to you His gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and His death on the cross as punishment for your sins, and His resurrection from the grave, to give us hope for life with Him in heaven.  Then claim that gift as your own.

It seems impossible to me to have a healthy mindset without God and a relationship with Christ.  I am praying you know Him.  If you want to know more, please contact me.

Have a 2021 that outshines your 2020 in more ways than you can imagine!  

Blessings!  

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P.S.

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Today on social media were a few posts good enough to share here.  Enjoy!

"As we look back on 2020 and prepare to start a new year, we are grateful that the Lord is faithful and completely trustworthy no matter the circumstances." - @uvalleyforge 

"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. May your pages be filled with growth, love, and gratitude." - @accordochiropractic

"I still don't know what I'm wearing to the living room New Year's Eve.  I might not even go." - @CoastalVaMag

"Command those who are rich in this present world

not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,

which is so uncertain,

but to put their hope in God,

who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."

1 Timothy 6:17 NIV

Mick's Up With the Numbers

Life has a very strange "normal" right now.  A lot of things have changed in the past couple of weeks.  There are good things coming out of it, though.  For instance, our daughter has lots of thyme on her hands (see image). 

Great hibernation = thyme on our hands

We've enjoyed cooking together, walks together, chilling together.  Although we are still keeping busy with full days of working from home, and our daughter is keeping productive with school work and hobbies and helping with housework, we are doing well at using face-to-face time more than we would be able to otherwise.  We are not interrupted by other responsibilities, since most things have shut down for a time. 

There are great reminders out there about personal hygiene (as if we didn't already wash our hands a ton) and distancing ourselves from others, in order to stop the spread of a virus that is constantly mutating.  My favorite reminder, especially in a time when money is tighter:  "I will not touch my face.  I will not touch my 401k.  I will not touch my face.  I will not touch my 401k."

I heard it put well recently:  The face is the door for the virus to enter your body.  So, touch your face less, and when you are tempted to touch your face, make sure your hands have been washed since the last time you touched something else.

Our chiropractor has a healthy outlook, one which we all should have:  It's not about killing the germ/virus, as much as it is about strengthening the host.  If we have this mentality, we can fear less.

Moreover, if you are a Christian, you should have no fear.  God is bigger than anything.  A church in our hometown shared a good reminder through Scripture (as all Bible preaching churches do): "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2)

Now that I shared some funnies, reminders, and encouragement, here are some numbers.

Making the graph accurate

Don't let the hype of the media lead you.  Look into things yourself.  One social media post I saw clears up a comparison.  The media wants us to believe the spread of the virus is as bad here in the USA as it is in Italy.  However, putting the numbers in a more accurate graph, we see that population/size of the country plays a big role.  Check out this comparison.


You can be informed by visiting the CDC website yourself.  There, you will find all kinds of information, but be aware that this all started out with fewer tests being done (1000 tests) versus an increase of tests available (10,000 or so).  That alone can sway the numbers!  Also, weed through the scary stuff to find the positive things, such as the fact that the number of new cases has started decreasing per day... (meaning we hit the peak already)... and use the numbers to see for yourself that the fatality rate is .01% in the USA. Granted, some states seem worse off than others, but you can check out your state's stats on the CDC website... and, overall, we will weather this storm. 

Want more numbers?  A study shows cases involving 10,000 flu patients under medical care versus the same number under chiropractic care.  Under medical care, .095% died versus .0025% under chiropractic care.  When comparing 10,000 pneumonia cases each, .64% died under medical care versus .01% under chiropractic care.  That's a huge difference.  I would certainly rather be under chiropractic care and wellness coaching, in order to be strong, in case I end up being host to a virus.

Please be wise, be safe, be healthy, and be empowered.  Also, please pray for the families being negatively impacted by disease, whether this virus scare or any other illness.  Especially pray for those dealing with loss and hurt and heartbreak.  Call, text, email, or snail mail your family and neighbors.  Be kind, and check in on someone today.  Maybe we will develop some really cool habits from this hibernation.   

"I know that you can do all things; 
no purpose of yours can be thwarted."  

Job 42:2

Mick's Up on the Hype

Weirdness.  That is what I call all that has happened this month over germs.  I wish I could just yell out to the insanity and hype, "Stop!"  Then I'd see the craziness finally die down, and we all go back to our normal lives.  

Seriously.  Canceling the SAT, which students (including my daughter) have been preparing for, changing their schedules for, and anxiously awaiting, so they can finally get it over with?  That is just plain cruel!  I might just add, "dumb," too. 

Yes, my family came down with some sort of sickness that includes respiratory discomfort, coughing, symptoms of fever, fatigue, etc.  We are still recovering, but that's just it:  We're recovering. 

Did I have myself following a healthy lifestyle?  Yes, I did.  Unfortunately, my chiropractor is terrible at neck adjustments, which would have certainly helped my immune system (and a great neck adjustment is something I could really go for, after days of coughing and laying in terrible positions in an attempt at being comfortable).  

So, that is one strike against me. 

Another strike is that we got a sweet (literally) surprise from our parents.  I went against my better judgement, and ate some of the sugary items in the package.  That little bit led to a little more somewhere else, and even though I didn't go overboard, it was sugar being added to my body, giving fuel to the germs that were trying to attack. 

Granted, I probably would have had to mindfully fight the germs at some point, but my defenses could have been better prepared. 

Instead, I had a few days of feeling a bit on the lousy side, and a couple of sick days from work, so my cough wouldn't scare people.

Overall, though, while recovering, I've succeeded at avoiding sugar, getting rest, keeping hydrated, and eating even more fruits and veggies.  This has allowed me to keep the germs at bay, for the most part.  My symptoms were not nearly what they could have been, and my recovery time is much shorter than expected.  (Hubby, on the other hand, can't keep from putting sugary things into his body, and is having more of a struggle with recovery.)

I am truly saddened at what our country has shown itself to be, during the hype.  We look frightened, easily swayed, cowardly, and panicked.  

Hearing how our U.S. of A. is viewed by an acquaintance of ours, who is from another country, I can hesitantly say that maybe there is need for panic.  Apparently, from this different perspective, it seems there is sugar in the air.  Everywhere you turn, there is something sweet.  It is so true.  That is why I have tried to convince people for the past nearly 10 years that we need to back off from the sugar.  This obsession (and might I say, "addiction") is killing us Americans.  

What do we do to make ourselves feel better in this confusion and chaos caused by the hype?  We comfort ourselves with sugar, like doughnuts or soda or sweet coffee concoctions. 

So, how about you join me and say, "Enough is enough!"  Let's make a promise to be good to ourselves.  Let's take the best care of our bodies we know how to.  Let's be strong for those around us who are unable to be.

Oh, and I almost forgot:  Remember, God's got this!  There is no reason to panic.  Let your faith be in God, not in the media.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, 

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Why Mick's Up With Fasting?

UPDATE:  I have done more research to confirm that long-term fasting is easier on men's systems than on women's.  So, please beware, if you are a lady wishing to attempt fasting.  If your body is sensitive to drastic drops in calories, be mindful, and listen to your body.  There is a range of seriousness associated with its possible side effects, from mild alterations in monthly schedule, to severe in terms of causing premature menopause.  Again, ladies, listen to your body, be informed through research, and be kind to your body.  That is not to say that there is no good fasting.  This is just a warning of side effects.

I was reading about the advantages of fasting, and after 3 days (only water and no more than 15-20 calories per day, which means like lemons and stevia are it... no more!), there are a lot of great benefits.   

So...
Yes, I have done better, but am still not totally maximized in my living.  The family is even more on board now.  When some issues that are more than just minor ones pop up, it gets people's attention.  It's not great, but it is a good thing to get someone motivated to do better. 

I decided to try a fast... at the start of the new year... and to invite the family (mainly the hubby) to participate.  We did it!  Well, we aimed for 5 days, out of the blue, without ever doing it before and without prepping (not recommended!), and we made it through 3 days!  Wow!  Even though I expected to make it through 5 days, I am so pleased that we made it 3.  

Don't get me wrong.  There are benefits to any amount of fasting, but some major ones start kicking it at 3 days, and continue to do more and more for the body through 5 days, which is why I had that goal.  I was happy to know, though, that nothing was wasted when our attempt ended with the 3 day fast. 

Where I did the research for the fast was through Dr. Jockers' website.  I follow him on social media, and I saw some interesting things coming through in his posts. 

He was even part of a Fasting Lifestyle Summit recently.

I recommend everyone take a look at the information.  Do the research.  See if it is something that you consider beneficial to your body and your health. 

A few reasons for my desperate attempt are: 

1. I want to fit nicely in my Mother-of-the-Groom dress in May, and look a bit more healthy, fit, and even younger.
2. A major milestone is coming at the end of the summer, and being a fit and healthy 50-year-old is as big a goal for me as 40 was, when I was first introduced to this Maximized Living info.
3. Hubby has lots of issues, which are not being properly handled, and so this was a shot in the dark, wondering if something so drastic could shift his mindset.

Are you at a point of desperation?  Maybe you could try something new.

Many wishes to you for a great year and great successes! 

Now, it's time for me to prepare for my February fast!

“When you fast,

do not look somber as the hypocrites do,

for they disfigure their faces

to show others they are fasting.

Truly I tell you,

they have received their reward in full."

Matthew 6:16 (NIV)