Fading Sun, Falling Spirits - Depression and Vitamin D - Purity 571
Purity 571 11/09/2021 Purity 571 Podcast
Good morning
Today’s photo of the sun over, and reflected in, the waters of the Erie
Canal at Lock # 3 off of Washington Avenue in Waterford NY comes to us from
yours truly as I realized that there was a sight to behold behind me as I was
sitting in my van at the end of the work day yesterday, teaching me once again
that if we are too focused about the things in front of us we may be missing
out on other opportunities that are available for us to experience.
Last week the position of the sun wouldn’t have been where it was at
this time of day but since we have reclaimed the hour we lost to daylight
savings time; we may have to look for the joys of the setting sun a little
earlier than we are used to.
Just because the world changes doesn’t mean we are not responsible to
move and adapt with the changes. We can
complain, resist, and not like it but peace and contentment are generally found
by recognizing the circumstances around us for what they are, accepting them
for what they are, and operating based on them, when necessary.
Oh a quick heads up, the reality of seasonal affective disorder, the
fact that our mental states could go down with the sun into depressive
tendencies, is upon us and one of the things that the experts recommend is to
increase our vitamin D intake to compensate for the losses caused by the
reduction of our exposure to sunshine.
One study (https://medcraveonline.com/IPMRJ/vitamin-d-for-depression-with-a-seasonal-pattern-an-effective-treatment-strategy.html) suggests that daily
intake of 100,000 IU of vitamin D may improve the depressive symptoms of season
affective disorder.
And when I asked my in house expert “Alexa”, how much vitamin D we
should take daily, “she” responded that we should take 400 mcg (5,000 IU is
125mcg) of vitamin D each day. As for my
“in house expert”, please consult other
sources as Alexa sometimes don’t answer the same question the same way twice.
As always be discerning in where you get your information from, consult
a multiplicity of sources, and be aware that no matter what you are told, you
alone are responsible for the decisions you make and will be subject to the
consequences of your decisions and the information you base them on.
I’m not sure how much vitamin D I get from the foods that I eat or my
exposure to the sun but I would imagine that I fall way short of normal and use
vitamin D supplements to compensate for my medically diagnosed “vitamin D
deficiency” but based on this information and the changing seasons I will be
increasing my vitamin D intake to make up for the gaps of my knowledge and
whatever losses we can expect from the reduced exposure to the sun in the days
ahead.
As we approach Thanksgiving in two weeks, we will be in the holiday
season before we know it and as much as some are filled with joy in later
November and the month of December at the prospect of Christmas, many suffer
from bouts of the holiday blues as the stress around the changing seasons of
our lives as well as the preparations for the festivities can lead to
depression. Disillusionment around dashed
expectations and the affect of remembering the dearly departed can also make
the season of joy turn into the winter of our discontent.
So I wanted to give everyone the heads up about vitamin D and the high
levels they recommend for healthy living.
I myself was ignorant of how much we should have and wanted to make my
friends aware. Of course you should examine your diet and consult with a doctor
if depression is a real concern to determine how much vitamin D you should take
and to consider the use of other medications that could help in combatting
depression.
While I believe that utilizing cognitive therapy (directing your
thoughts) and a harmonious relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ,
spiritual therapy if you will, to be the most effective remedy to all the negative
states of mind, I recognize the reality that not everyone’s situations are the
same in terms of biochemistry, mental capacities, and faith.
So if you need help, get help. Your loved ones care about your wellbeing
and pastoral counselors and mental health professionals are dedicated to the
cause of helping those who suffer from depression.
One thing I know for sure is that the Lord loves us and doesn’t want our
minds to be filled with thoughts that condemn us or fill us with despair.
Christ came to give us life and life more abundantly and scripture teaches the
benefits of prayer, gratitude, fellowship, and contentment to help us live
victorious lives.
So keep walking and talking with God. Be on the lookout for opportunities
to recognize His handiwork in the world and to be filled with the peace and joy
that comes from being in His presence.
Take responsibility for your relationship with God, and your mental health
by recognizing His love for you and by being proactive in making sure you are walking
into the days ahead aware of your thoughts and moods and are utilizing all the
resources the Lord has made available to you to find the peace and contentment
that He would want you to experience.
Today’s Bible verse
is drawn from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.
This morning’s meditation verse is :
Matthew 26:41 (NLT2)
41 Keep watch and pray, so
that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the
body is weak!”
Today’s verse are the words of Jesus,
and our Lord and Savior is clear in His warning to us about temptation and the
reality of our vulnerable state.
Jesus was a realist. He acknowledges that our human spirit may
have the best of intentions of being in harmony with the Holy Spirit’s leadings
for our lives, but we are still susceptible to falling in temptation because of
the weakness of our body, or the flesh as the NKJV puts it.
The “flesh” is the Bible’s term for our
carnal nature, that part of us that seeks to meet physical needs and then some with
reckless abandon if it is given total authority. Gluttons, drunkards, and sex addicts are the
extreme examples of when the flesh’s appetite for food and euphoric experiences
are unchecked. The “flesh” has no morality and doesn’t care about negative
consequences. Like Audrey II, the man eating plant in the Little Shop of Horrors,
the flesh only has one directive: “Feed ME!”
However, even though Christ
acknowledges the ability of the weakness of the flesh to compromise our spiritual
lives, He doesn’t say that we are powerless against its appetites. He doesn’t
say that we are hopeless.
Instead, Jesus warns us to “watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation”. So we can be victorious over the flesh.
Those who have put their faith in Jesus
have been freed of sin and death. That’s a spiritual reality for all who are
Christians but to realize that reality in our lives we have to believe it and we
have to act on it by “watching and praying”, meaning that we have to be aware
of our surroundings and our thoughts, considering all we experience in light of
the wisdom of God’s word, and to be in constant communication with God through
formal times of prayer and Bible study and by maintaining a continuous conversation
with God as we go through our day.
Faith in Jesus is the remedy to sin and
here our Lord directs us in the practice of the remedy. As Christians we are to
be vigilant in our walk by being on guard against external and internal temptations
by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and maintaining a
continuous conversation with the Lord that reminds us of who we are in Christ and
directs the steps of our journey.
Christ has given us the victory. We just
have to beware that our flesh is weak and remember that we can overcome temptation
if we watch and pray.
As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from June Hunt’s “Evil and
Suffering… Why? Is God Fair?
As always, I share this information for educational purposes
and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and
to support her work.
B. What Is "Good"?
A sacrificial servant of God, a fearless firefighter, a protective
parent—all reflect some aspect of love and goodness. Consider the following
definitions:
- Good is
uncorrupted virtue.
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) - Good is
a moral choice of right over wrong, arising from righteousness of
character. The Greek word kalos
means "good" that comes from being intrinsically virtuous in
character. This goodness, which is honorable, righteous, and morally pure,
is a moral choice of good over bad.
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:17) - Goodness
is that which causes more goodness. Only Jesus, who is the embodiment
of goodness, can produce good.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for
the sheep." (John
10:11)
Question: "Some people say, 'Everyone is born
good.' Is this true?"
Answer: the
straightforward answer is "No." David states ...
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me."
(Psalm 51:5)
Question: "Doesn't the existence of evil prove
that God is not a good God?"
Answer: The
existence of evil does not negate the existence of a good God any more than
darkness negates light or death negates life. Some things are better defined by
the contrast of their opposites. Since both good and evil clearly exist, a good
God must necessarily exist. What else is the source of good? God in His
goodness and in His timing will deal with evil and those who promote evil. The
Bible says ...
"The evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be
snuffed out." (Proverbs
24:20)
Question: "If God is a good and compassionate
God, why doesn't He hear my prayers and answer them?"
Answer: God
is not deaf—He hears all of your prayers. In fact, because He knows everything,
He knows your requests even before you ask. And He answers sometimes with yes,
sometimes with no, and sometimes with wait. God the Father even
said no to Jesus when He was facing crucifixion and no to the
apostle Paul when he was facing a physical malady. The Father's purpose for
Jesus' death was our salvation. God's purpose for Paul's physical ailment was
to produce humility in Paul. Realize that He always answers your prayers
according to His purposes for you. In the end, the righteous are delivered from
all of their troubles.
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord
hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and
saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from
them all." (Psalm
34:17-19)
Biblical Counseling Keys: Evil and Suffering... Why?: Why God? Why?.
---------------------------more
tomorrow------------------------
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