Inflammation - What Is It?

Inflammation. 

Who has it?

I bet you do. I know I do.

So, what is it?

Inflammation is the natural process that protects your body and allows it to heal. It's a protective response triggered by the presence of toxins, viruses, or nearby damage, forming a shield around affected areas to safeguard the body's cells. It happens when you get a cut, or have that swollen joint or part of your body that makes it tender to move or touch. Sometimes the area gets red and hot to the touch. This is called acute inflammation.

During acute inflammation, the body's natural process usually resolves the problem on its own, removing the threat and healing the damage. In the short term, inflammation examples include conditions like bronchitis, sore throat, or a minor skin injury. However, when inflammation becomes persistent or chronic, it can lead to more severe diseases like certain cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, heart conditions, and more.

While inflammation is crucial for shielding body parts, chronic inflammation is often the underlying cause of various conditions. Chronic inflammation arises when the underlying cause persists or when the body faces continual irritation. This could be triggered by recurring exposure to allergens in food or drink or ongoing exposure to toxins. Food is a huge contributor to chronic inflammation. The standard American diet is full of highly inflammatory seed oils, enriched grains, refined sugars, and artificial colors and sweeteners; all of these combine to put the body into an overdrive of inflammatory response to get rid of the intruders that the body cannot process.

If you're experiencing joint pain, swelling, redness, or stiffness frequently, it might be a sign of chronic inflammation that needs attention. Chronic inflammation is directly linked to coronary heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto's, Crohn's, PCOS, multiple sclerosis, etc), and more.

Inflammation can be a root cause of:

Bloating

Thyroid issues
Bags under your eyes
Arthritis 
Memory problems
Fatigue
Hair loss
Anxiety
Depression
Stuffy or runny nose
Headache
Diarrhea 
Constipation 
Rashes
Acne
Dry skin
Obesity
Psoriasis 
Joint pain/stiffness
Cramping
Low libido
Frequent infections
Muscle weakness 
Mood swings
Increased belly fat
Insulin resistance 
Allergies
Brain fog
Asthma/persistent cough 
Eczema
Dandruff
PMS

I used to have 24 of the symptoms, and I do have Crohn's disease. After three years of working on healing my gut and getting rid of the inflammation, I now have eight.

How many of these do you have?

References:
Inflammation
Vegetable Oils and the Gut
Autoimmune and Inflammation Connection

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as medical advice.

12th Day of Christmas - Apostles Creed

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming. 

There are twelve points to the Apostles Creed, which the majority of churches hold to.

The Apostles Creed was formalized around 390 A.D. and has its origins in Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 (written around 60 A.D.), as well as Ignatius’ writings about 50 years later.

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried;

he descended into hell;

on the third day he rose again from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;

from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic (universal) Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and life everlasting.

Amen.

Links:

https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-apostles-creed/

https://thesacredfaith.co.uk/home/perma/1539286980/article/creedal-christians-the-apostles-creed.html

https://apostles-creed.org/confessions-creeds-christian-theology/history-authority-of-the-apostles-creed/

11th Day of Christmas - Faithful Disciples

 On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping.

The eleven pipers piping can represent the eleven faithful apostles.

Luke 6:14-16 states the apostles as being 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew (Nathaniel), 7) Matthew (Levi), 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas son of James. The last apostle was Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and then took his own life.

These eleven faithful disciples of Jesus changed the world. They witnessed him after he had risen from the dead and that changed their lives. They all died to tell the world that he was the Messiah, the one who came to reunite God with the people. All you have to do is believe that Jesus is the savior of the world and let him change your life.

Reference:

https://kidskonnect.com/religion/twelve-apostles/ 

10th Day of Christmas - Ten Commandments

 On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ten lords a-leaping.

The ten lords a-leaping can represent the ten commandments. 

I was in many church plays when I was a kid, and quite a few of the songs I learned have stuck with me over the years. One in particular has been helpful for me to remember the ten commandments. I have no idea what the play was, but I remember the song!

The Perfect Ten, the Perfect Ten, they’re just as good as they were way back when!

Number one, we’ve just begun, God should be first in your life.
Number two’s the idol rule, those graven images aren’t right.
Number three, God’s name should be never spoken in jest.
Number four, the Sabbath’s for God’s worship and our rest.
Number five, we all should strive to honor father and mother.
Number six, don’t get your kicks from killing one another.
Number seven, life is heaven when you’re true to your mate.
Number eight, don’t steal or break this rule for goodness sake!
Number nine, don’t be the kind who goes around telling lies.
Number ten, don’t covet when you see your neighbor’s house or wife.
That’s the list and God insists we stay away from these sins!
That is why we memorize commandments one through ten.

Do you have a good way to memorize the ten commandments?

9th Day of Christmas - Fruit of the Spirit

 On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing.

The nine ladies dancing can represent the nine aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 

KJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Two days ago, we talked about the seven gifts of the Spirit that were the characterization of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is a result of the Spirit being the center of your life. Paul shows this fruit of the Spirit in stark contrast to the works of the flesh.

There is one fruit of Spirit, the language is most definitely not plural. So why are nine attributes listed? Because all nine attributes together show the characteristics exhibited by a person who has the Holy Spirit in them.

Can a non-Christian exhibit these traits? Of course, but they are not governed by the Spirit and so those traits do not last forever. Can a Christian not show these traits? Obviously. Because Christians are human, we all fall short of the glory of God and do not always follow his ways.

How does one exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Jesus tells us to abide in him, because we are the branches attached to him, the vine. If we abide in him, we will bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit comes out when we are abiding in Messiah.

References:

https://www.compassion.com/christian-faith/fruit-of-the-spirit.htm

https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gal/5/1/s_1096001