Christian Natural Health

Norm Wielsch was an agnostic police officer for over 25 years. He was exposed to many traumatic incidents and diagnosed with PTSD. Then he was diagnosed with an incurable debilitating neuromuscular disease, and had over 25 surgeries in ten years. He was prescribed opioids for the pain, and soon began to abuse the opioids to relieve the negative emotions of PTSD. After that, his daughter was diagnosed with liver tumors, and the prognosis was poor. This placed him in a downward spiral that led him to make some very poor decisions that led to a 14-year prison sentence. He responded to God’s calling, and though divine intervention, his daughter and he were both healed. He spent over 8 years in Federal prison where he co-pastored the church and taught how God heals PTSD. In prison, he obtained a master’s degree in Theology and Counseling, then a doctorate in Christian Counseling. He went on to become a Registered Addiction Counselor and pastoral care provider in a residential treatment facility. He wrote a book called, “Christ-Centered Healing of Trauma: Healing a Broken Heart” and a small group study guide to go with it. Both are on sale now. To learn more about Norm, see www.christ-centeredhealing.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Rick Kirschner is a retired speaker, author of 9 books, filmmaker and vitalist naturopathic physician. He is coauthor of the international bestseller, ‘Dealing With People You Can’t Stand’ now in it’s third edition and in 27 languages. He is the past President of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute.  He has worked with some of the world’s best known organizations and businesses, from NASA to Starbucks to the US Army and National Guard, as well as city, state and national governments, hospitals and healthcare conglomerates. His documentary film, How Healthcare Became Sickcare: The True History Of Medicine is available for free viewing on his website, TalkNatural.com  He lives just across the long bridge in Sagle, Idaho with his wife, one eyed cat, and 5 chickens.  To learn more about Rick, see https://talknatural.com/.  To watch his film, How Healthcare Became Sickcare: The True History of Medicine, click here: https://talknatural.com/documentary.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's meditation and retelling is from Acts 16:16-40. Introduction:  I always thought it strange that this demon-possessed girl announced the truth of Paul and Silas’s message, and yet the disciples found this troublesome. Why would a demon endorse their message, and if it did, why would that be a bad thing? There must be something we’re missing. Perhaps this gave the distinct impression to listeners that Paul and Silas were in cahoots with the demons. Jesus was accused of this very thing, too (Luke 11:15). Also, if this demon-possessed girl bothered Paul (whatever the reason), why did it take him “many days” to cast the demon out? Why didn’t he do so at once? We’re not told what was going on that would have hindered this solution, so we can only speculate. Andrew Wommack’s interpretation is that perhaps the girl had no desire to be free of the demon. If that were the case, as Jesus said, casting out one demon without replacing it with a new Spirit might leave her with more demons than she started with in the end (Matthew 12:44). As a naturopathic doctor, I think of this as similar to a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics. They might wipe out the pathogen, but if you don’t repopulate with good bacteria to defend the territory against subsequent attacks, opportunistic organisms may invade instead. The end state of that patient’s digestion and health generally can then be worse than it was to begin with. Perhaps Paul and Silas waited to see if the girl might give any indication that she wanted deliverance. But after many days of her presumably hindering their message and preventing others from coming to the Lord, they’d had enough.    Unfortunately, the girl turned out to be a valuable slave, because of the demon. In their anger, her owners dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates of the city. I’m not sure why Paul didn’t tell the magistrates that they were Roman citizens then, since apparently that would have changed everything. Perhaps God told them to keep their mouths shut about that for the time being, though it seems like if that were the case, it would have been recorded. Also, while the apostles were certainly persecuted in many cases for their faith, I can’t think of a time in scripture when God explicitly told them to submit to persecution because He intended to use it for the greater good, even though He always did so. God taking evil and turning it for good certainly isn’t the same thing as God causing evil and turning it for good. Later in Paul’s life, God specifically tried to lead him away from Jerusalem, apparently to spare him persecution (Acts 21:4-11). It therefore seems more likely to me that in the ensuing brouhaha, Paul just couldn’t get a word in edgewise.    I love how God redeemed this miserable story, though. Beaten, bloody, in stocks so they couldn’t even move, and now thrown into prison, Paul and Silas surely didn’t feel like singing. Yet they offered a sacrifice of praise, anyway (Hebrews 13:15). This time, God didn’t send an angel, but an earthquake. He needed to make sure the jailer was awake to see Paul and Silas’s deliverance. As a result, rather than committing suicide (since the jailer knew that if all the prisoners escaped on his watch, he would be killed for his negligence), he and all his family were saved. Not only that, but the Roman law protected Roman citizens from being punished without a trial (Acts 22:25-29). When the magistrates learned they had thus treated Roman citizens, they were afraid, for their positions and possibly even for their lives. Naturally, word of the scandal  would spread—“Did you hear what the magistrates of Philippi did to two Roman citizens? Yes, and without trial!” The next question of course would be, “What did the men do to deserve such treatment?” And so the gospel might spread even farther than it might have otherwise. Also, magistrates in other cities would be careful not to repeat the offense, protecting Paul and Silas from similar treatment... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. is a veteran psychologist and was the long time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. Glenn has sold $30,000,000 of marketing consulting services over the course of his career. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. Most important, however, was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food. To learn more about Glenn, see neverbingeagain.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Victoria Davis’s career began in the music industry after attending NYU’s Music Business program. While attending school, her passion for health began while working at a renowned allergy- friendly bakery. This experience was the catalyst to her shifting her focus to a career in health and healing. In the years following, she experienced radical healing from Tourette Syndrome, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, food intolerances, and feminine health concerns. Today, Victoria is a Strategist for Health and Fitness Businesses and speaker, combining her experience as a Health Coach, Certified Sports Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and health-conscious baker. She is also the author of the book, Addicted to Health. She specializes in vision-casting and program development for Christian health and fitness business owners for their clientele’s unique needs. For more about Victoria, see victoriapdavis.com or healthaddictionfree.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kathleen Trotter, MSc, is a fitness expert, media personality, personal trainer, writer, and author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit and Your Fittest Future Self. Making Choices Today for a Happier, Healthier, Fitter Future You. Kathleen has been a personal trainer and fitness expert for almost twenty years.   Key Takeaways:  Consistency is better than perfection. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Keep your long-term goals in mind. Set up systems to keep yourself on track on those inevitable days when you "don't feel like it." Use dopamine to your advantage to help you celebrate your "small wins" along the way. Cultivate a growth mindset. Use your bad days to set you up for better days in the future. Choose a form of movement that you enjoy.   Links Kathleen mentions in the interview:  Kathleen's article on dopamine Kathleen's review on "Mindset" Kathleen's review of "Atomic Habits" kathleentrotter.com  Facebook: @FITbyKathleenT Instagram: @fitbykathleent Twitter: @fitbykathleent Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's podcast comes from this blog post on Spotlight On: Chamomile.  Chamomile flowers are in the daisy family, also known as asteraceae or compositae. Compounds beneficial to health are many and varied, and it is generally recognized as safe for consumption with few contraindications. Chamomile is probably best known as an herbal tea, with over one million cups consumed per day, though there are other ways to access its health benefits as well. Which benefits you’re after may influence the form of chamomile you choose to use medicinally. Chamomile for Digestion and Menstrual Cramping A carminative herb used to calm digestive upset, chamomile is known for the anti-spasmodic effects of the bioflavonoids apigenin, quercetin, and luteolin. These compounds also decrease inflammatory prostaglandin release (the same mechanism of action of NSAIDs), and extract well into water, making them easily absorbable from tea. Anti-inflammatory effects are found in the essential oil components (called chamazulene and α-bisabolol) which don’t extract as well into tea. Bisabolol also helps to prevent and treat stomach ulcers by decreasing pepsin production without affecting HCl production. These constituents are best absorbed via capsule or tincture. Anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects of course are both useful for menstrual cramping and pain, too. Chamomile for Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Chamomile tea is one of my favorites for a nightly “wind-down” routine before bedtime, helping to calm the mind and acting as a gentle sedative. This may be due to the plant’s water-soluble glycine content, a calming amino acid which assists the body with getting into deeper stages of sleep. Chamomile has indeed been shown to improve sleep quality. Because of this gentle calming effect, chamomile has been shown to even significantly reduce moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, and to assist with depression when it is comorbid with anxiety disorder as well. Chamomile for Infection, Wound Healing, and Skin Care Topically, chamomile’s antioxidant polyphenols can assist with wound healing and restoration of a breached skin barrier. Since polyphenols extract well into water, a compress soaked in strong chamomile tea and applied to, say, a sunburn, may assist with quicker healing. A similar compress, or even a wet tea bag, can be used on skin lesions such as acne, styes, or eczema; this is because in addition to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, chamomile is also antimicrobial. Since a breached skin barrier often leads to opportunistic infection by normal skin flora, topical chamomile may assist the healing process in multiple ways. The essential oil has been studied for its antihistamine purposes for atopic lesions as well (see below). Chamomile’s antioxidant properties have also been utilized topically for reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. Chamomile for Allergies There is evidence that chamomile stabilizes mast cells, thus decreasing release of histamine for those who suffer from allergies, those with histamine intolerance, and as an adjunctive treatment for those with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Disorder. These effects were observed from the alcohol tincture extract form. The Upshot Chamomile tea is consumed worldwide in large quantities for a reason, though it’s helpful to know which effects you’re after to help choose the most appropriate extraction method. Bioflavinoids apigenin and quercetin are water soluble, which means they will easily be extracted into a tea. These are helpful for anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, antioxidant, and sedative properties. Essential oil components chamazulene and bisabolol do not extract as well in water. These are better consumed either in powder or capsules made from the whole dried flowers, an alcohol extract, or using the essential oil itself (diffused or topically). These have been observed to protect against ulcers, and to stabilize mast... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A meditation and retelling of Acts 12:5-19 Introduction:  It’s amazing to me how involved angels seemed to be in the early church. This is at least the third time Peter has encountered one: the first was after Jesus’ ascension (since the story in John of Peter at Jesus’ empty tomb didn’t indicate that he encountered the angels there). The second time was when an angel had helped Peter to escape prison once before, in Acts 5. Historians date that escape in the same year as Pentecost. Given that, I’m not sure why Peter was so surprised to find himself delivered this time, though it was estimated to be about twelve years later. Perhaps it wasn’t the deliverance that surprised him necessarily, but simply the fact that he felt he was having a vision. Maybe there was a dreamlike quality to this encounter because it was in the middle of the night. Still, though, James the brother of John, one of Jesus’ core three disciples, had just been martyred publicly by the sword, to the delight of the Jewish mob (Acts 12:1-3). It certainly looked like Peter might die the next morning, too, and Jesus himself told the disciples that they could not expect to escape persecution (Matthew 24:9, Mark 10:30). Despite all this, Peter slept so peacefully that the angel had to strike him to wake him up. Either he was not bothered by the prospect of death, or perhaps he expected that he would escape somehow, given Jesus’ prophecy that he would not be martyred until he was an old man (John 21:18).    Since the story mentions that the church was praying for Peter constantly (Acts 12:5), perhaps it was their prayers that dispatched the angel to free him. We’re not told the exact cause and effect, though this seems to be the implication—even though they, too, were pretty shocked to see him when he showed up (Acts 12:14-16).   This Mary was mother of John Mark, who wasn’t one of Jesus’ original apostles, but instead was Barnabas’s cousin (Colossians 4:10). Barnabas and John Mark both traveled with Saul, later  called Paul (Acts 12:25). At this point, Saul and Barnabas were in town (Acts 11:30), and since Mary was Barnabas’s relative, it’s possible they were staying with Mary when Peter showed up. Saul’s conversion was estimated to be not quite a decade before this, though it would be around another six years before he went on his first missionary journey—so I wonder if the other believers were still getting used to him. Neither Barnabas nor Saul are mentioned in the story, though.    Why in the world did the believers in Mary's home suppose it was more likely that it was Peter’s angel at the door (presumably his guardian angel, as mentioned in Matthew 18:10) than Peter himself? Were their encounters with angels in the early church really so common as that? Perhaps… an angel again appeared at the end of the chapter, to strike down Herod for his arrogance (Acts 12:23), which presumably meant Peter could return to the city freely. Later, an angel also appeared to Paul during the tempest at sea (Acts 27:24), and the writer of Hebrews mentions that sometimes we can entertain angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). At least the early church didn’t consider encounters with angels nearly so unusual as we might today.    Fictionalized Retelling:    “Seize him!”  Herod’s soldiers surrounded me even as I was in the middle of my sermon to the assembly of the Jews before the Temple. I had no hope of escape.  My listeners scattered, and I turned a resigned expression upon my captors. Even as they shackled my wrists and led me away, I marveled somewhere in the back of my mind at how much had changed, in how short a period of time. These were the days of Unleavened Bread, leading up to the twelfth Passover since Jesus had been crucified.  Nearly twelve years ago, I had denied Him. I’d feared for my own life, that I might share his fate. Now, even though my brother in the Lord, James, had been publicly executed by Herod only days before, a fate Herod surely intended for... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Johnny Crowder is a suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, mental health and sobriety advocate, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to users in nearly 100 countries around the world. Since his first keynote in 2011, Johnny's refreshingly candid perspective has attracted praise from hundreds of outlets, including Upworthy, CNN, and Forbes. Even when commanding a virtual stage or touring with his metal band, Prison, his infectious positivity and firsthand experience with multiple mental illnesses (ranging from bipolar disorder and OCD to schizophrenia) uniquely equip him to provide realistic, yet hopeful insight into the pains of hardship with authenticity, levity, and unconventional wit. For more about Cope Notes, you can go to copenotes.com For more about Johnny, you can learn about him on johnnycrowder.com or johnnycrowderlovesyou on Instagram. His Ted Talk On YouTube: How to Grow as a Person and Why It Sucks Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Chacko is the new author of Amazon best seller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey. She practiced medicine for decades, first as a radiation oncologist and later as a family medicine doctor, caring for the poor in Washington, DC. Now Donna works in the ministry she founded, Serenity and Health, to promote health of body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Chacko will send Three Keys to A Holy, Happy and Healthy Life to listeners of the podcast when they sign up for her newsletter  and blog.To learn more or to purchase Pilgrimage, go to https://www.serenityandhealth.com/pilgrimage . Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.