♥Hi Friends!

A couple of months ago a woman came and spoke to the youth in our congregation about the Adversary’s tools that he uses to make us feel worthless and forget who we are (children of God), with the sole intent to destroy us.  She related a story about her teenage son who had struggled with pornography a few years back.  After finding an addiction recovery program for him (the “Sons of Helaman”* that she now works with to help other teens and parents with the same struggles), he gained enough courage and reluctantly agreed to attend the meetings.  She recounted an experience after the second session he attended.  Upon returning home he walked in the door and called to her.  But when she went to him, he wasn’t able to speak and she could tell he was emotionally overwhelmed.  When he finally gained his composure he said to her, “I am not the enemy.  I HAVE an enemy.  But I am not the enemy.”  Those words were then, and continue to be now, very empowering to me!  This young man had been taught and came to understand that we are all under attack and at war with a real live enemy.  And his name is Satan.

Friends, do WE remember that WE are not the enemy?  Are we good to ourselves?  Do we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and a pat on the back for all that we are trying to juggle, and be, and take care of?  Here’s a little quote I came across on the internet somewhere, “We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies.”  –Roderick Thorp

I found the following definitions for “adversary” on Dictionary.com: “a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.  Adversary suggests an enemy who fights determinedly, continuously, and relentlessly.”  And that is exactly who Satan is and what he does.  And I KNOW that the fiery darts, and messages, and lies, and “toxins” that he sends our way, no matter the source, are all aimed at destroying our ability to see who we are and Whose we are.  His goal is to stop our HEALING, whether it’s SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL or EMOTIONAL.

There are all sorts of things we do to make ourselves our “own worst enemy”.  Much of it we have control over and can change through fostering gratitude, positive self talk, personal worship, and service.  But sometimes it’s much harder to just “snap out of it”.  And sometimes the cause is much darker and more sinister.  And its name is “depression”.

When I became pregnant for the second time, I was thrust head on in to a really good case of chemical depression from my hormones being out of wack.  For the first time in my life I had to wake up in the morning and try to be happy.  What?!  I had NEVER had to try to be happy.  I just always was!  Depression for me was like swimming through mud, and I couldn’t see the top of the mudhole through all the muck.  I truly thought I was going crazy until my bishop (what we call the lay minister of our congregation), who just happened to be a marriage and family counselor, told me I was suffering from some depression.  It’s funny, because I actually was happy when he said that, for he had just given a name to what I was going through and it didn’t include the word “crazy”!  My husband was busy getting his master’s degree at Brigham Young University and worked on campus while I stayed at home during the day with our oldest and worked part time at night doing custodial work.  Life was stressful (but no more than anyone else in our same position) and I would stay in our little student housing trailer/apartment, keep the blinds closed, cry for no apparent reason, and developed a really good habit of yelling at my sweet little toddler.  (That habit continued on for several years and took a lot of HEALING to get over.)  After I delivered my second daughter, the darkness lifted a bit, but it wasn’t until I quit nursing her that I could literally feel myself slowly come up out of a deep, dark hole, reaching for the light and fresh air at the top that had eluded me for so long.  I wish I knew then what I know now.  Actually I don’t, because I wouldn’t have learned all that I have and developed empathy for others with the same struggle.

I didn’t understand then that depression is a SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL issue.  And there is hope that you can actually HEAL from it A LOT of the time, although it isn’t a quick fix.  I do believe the PHYSICAL side of it is often overlooked, especially where it comes to diet and the HEALING power of food.  If you are suffering from depression, or just want to feel better, keep transitioning to a more plant-based, anti-inflammatory approach to eating, along with a holistic approach to HEALTH, and try these few PHYSICALLY HEALING suggestions NOW!  As soon as possible!

1♥ HEALING FOODS- Stay away from inflammatory foods (all disease is inflammation) like sugar, dairy and processed foods.  Give your body the right kind of fuel so that it can HEAL itself. 

Every day:

• Get your high nutrient-dense, raw, LIVING foods in.  We’re talking ‘GREEN SMOOTHIES’ people!
• Eat about 1/4 cup raw nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, pecans, pumpkin and sunflower) for good brain HEALTH.
• Drink plenty of water. 

2♥ SUN & EARTH- Get out in the sun and sit on the earth, with some bare skin touching, for at least 25 minutes, 5 times a week, or every day if you can.  (When it gets too hot outside, sit in a shady place with an arm or leg or your face sticking out in the sunshine.)  I don’t even have time to explain all the HEALING benefits that you get from Vitamin D and the sun is by far the best place to get it.  And while you’re out there catching some rays, absorb the magnetic HEALING energy from the Earth (I know it sounds hippie but it’s actually quite scientific!)  Isn’t Father amazing?!  There is HEALING in His creations!  And remember, you can wallow in misery outside on the grass just as easily as inside on the couch!

3♥ GET MOVING- If all you can do in the beginning is walk around the block, then do it!  Move!  Get your lymphatic system going and push out all those icky toxins swimming around in your body.  Exercise also releases endorphins, or happy chemicals, that promote a more positive outlook.

As we learn to recognize Satan’s counterfeit messages and worldly “toxins” that are all around us, and defend ourselves through HEALING practices, we will hear the promptings and voice of the Spirit much louder and clearer.  He will reveal to us who we really are and Whose we really are.  Again from Dieter F. Uchtdorf (love that guy), “The Lord uses a scale very different from the world’s to weigh the worth of a soul.”

♥Love you!

*Click here for the “Sons of Helaman” website.

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This is chucked full of good fats and HEALING raw foods.  My kids love this and it’s a good option to help them get their daily dose of nuts and seeds.  Even the chocolate chips in this are good for you!  Yay!

MOM’S TOTALLY AWESOME TRAIL MIX

• 3  17.6 oz packages of Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola (Costco) or any healthy, organic, good for you granola
• 1 package Ezekial 4:9 Sprouted Grain Crunchy Cereal, any variety*
• 1 handful raw walnuts
• 1 handful raw pecans
• 1 handful raw almonds
• 1 handful raw cashews
• 1 handful raw sunflower seeds
• 1 handful raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 handful raw hemp seeds
• ½ pound raw goji berries**
• 1-2  10 oz packages of Enjoy Life Mini Chips, depending on how much chocolate you love!*
• 1 handful of raw cacao nibs* (optional)

Place all ingredients in a 2 gallon ziplock bag.  Close and rotate bag to mix up all that goodness.  Things settle so you will need to mix it up each time you get some, which is why I like to put it in the bag.

*I LOVE Vitacost!  Their vitamins and foods are generally less expensive that most other sites and I buy several things from them, including the ‘Ezekiel Sprouted Cereal’ and the ‘Enjoy Life Mini Chips’.

**Goji berries are so good for you but can be pricey.  You only need just a few so a package goes a long way.  You can add other unsulphured dried fruit like golden berries (another amazing powerhouse fruit), cherries, raisins, cranberries or whatever your family likes.