COME AS A CHILD LESSON 129 - THERE WILL BE MIRACLES WHEN YOU BELIEVE

CROSSING THE RED SEA WITH COURAGE AND HOPE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

They were on their way to Canaan Land!  

Pharaoh had set the people free and they were leaving Egypt.  It must have been both exhilarating and frightening at the same time.   Everyone in Egypt knew that the Israelites were slaves of Pharaoh, and the Israelites might encounter troubles because of this fact as they left the country.  People who did not know that Pharaoh had begged them to leave, might want to capture them and take them back in order to gain Pharaoh's favor.  There was great danger for everyone just in leaving.   There was no tv or radio or social media to spread the news back then; no one living in Egypt would have understood that Pharaoh had released them.  They probably had nothing official stating that they had been released.    News traveled slowly either by messenger or by word of mouth; yet the people marched bravely off into the sunset.

The Israelites leaving the land of Egypt would be a lot like illegal immigration is to us today.  They would be traveling to the land of those who bordered Egypt.  They would be entering other countries without official permission.  Many other places did not want thousands of Israeli slaves arriving suddenly upon their doorsteps.  They would be seeking food and water and shelter; most of which the other countries were not willing to give up to them.  These other lands were busy taking care of their own.  They did not need these millions of trespassers and their strange religious ideas.  

Most of these surrounding pagan civilizations bordering Egypt worshipped the same false gods as Egypt, as well as other false gods of their own culture's making.  They would not be welcoming any Israelites worshipping The God of Abraham into their homes as they crossed the borders of Egypt.  The children of God were strangers and pilgrims sojourning in foreign lands.    

With all of this in mind; the Israelites prepared for war the minute they left.  They stayed on constant alert; ready for attack at any time.  They had faith in their God and they were following the cloud and the fire to get where they were going.  They kept trudging on, one step at a time, in whatever direction God led them.    

It might have seemed very odd to the Children of Israel when God suddenly led them to retrace some of their steps.  They had camped at Ramses and Sukkoth and up until that point, they seemed to be headed in a logical direction toward Canaan; but then God told Moses to take them back-tracking and have them encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea directly opposite Baal Zaphon.  

The word Migdol is an interesting name.  In Hebrew the verb form of this word means "to grow up, to become greater, or wealthy."  By bringing the people into the wilderness God was "growing up" Israel.  God was forming them into a mighty nation.  

The noun of the word Migdol in Hebrew means; "a tower"  One builds a tower to see into the distance.  God was giving them (just as he did with Jacob) a "glimpse" into the future.  He was allowing Israel to "see" what they would one day become.  Far into that future one of their greatest Kings (King David) made the statement; "The LORD is a strong tower.  (Psalm 18:10).  

All of the names of the places in which God brought them to when they changed directions were significant.   

  

God even gave Moses a reason for this sudden change in direction:  it was so Pharaoh would think the Israelites were wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.  God again said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh would pursue them; but God would gain glory through Pharaoh and all of his army and the Egyptians would know that He was God. 

Moses must have swallowed hard after hearing that new development in the plan.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy telling the people that God was enticing Pharaoh to pursue them again!  They had already been brave enough to come out and live in the dangerous desert without a known destination; now they were going to have to face Pharaoh’s army?  

This is part of the story that I have always loved, because you find out right here that the Israelites had finally sold out to God one hundred percent.  They had faith in the cloud and the fire that led them.  They had seen God prove himself over and over again with each of the plagues and they knew that God had supernaturally protected them each time.  Not a word of protest was made!  They listened to God and understood that God was speaking through Moses!  How awesome is that?  No one balked; they simply prepared to do battle and stayed put right in the place where God had led them.  It was a great moment for the nation of Israel!  They had come together in faith under God and they felt invincible.  That is always a great moment for any nation.  It is a very rare and precious time to be living through.  Whenever people and God come together one hundred percent under the leadership of The One True God of Heaven and Earth; you can bet the farm that there will be miracles. You can also bet that humans tend to only keep this attitude for a moment.  Then they quickly fall back to the state of their humanity.  (I hate to have to bring up that last part of the statement!)

So the Israelites went directly to the spot where God was strategically placing them.  They were near Pi  Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea directly opposite Baal Zaphon.  There are some amazing details about this location.  I have learned to pay attention whenever God picks out new routes and names certain places!  The names of the places will usually tell amazing stories; and these names of the places where the Israelites camped certainly did explain themselves!   You might enjoy doing a little homework yourself on these three regional names.  I will be explaining only a portion of the details; they are many.  

From Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the sea, the people of God could see the mountain called Baal Zaphon.  This wasn’t just any mountain, there were stories and legends about the false god who ruled over this mountain and the mountain itself was said to have powers that protected this god.  The Canaanite storm god was called Baal, which meant “the lord.”  Baal was said to rule over the area known as Mount Zaphon.   

There are lots of interesting and unusual facts associated with Mount Zaphon and Baal.  The first fact has to do with the compass and the word "north."  Even though the direction you would  normally take to climb this mountain was NOT north; because of the mountain’s importance to the people and the religious significance it held for them; it became metonymously known as “North” when translated into Hebrew.  This is very odd but true, and it has caused lots of translation problems and errors in judgment for people studying the Exodus.  It is important to understand in studying Baal Zaphon that there is a type of "false" north associated with the mountain.  You have to realize that sometimes in the scripture references, the term or word "north" isn't really north on the compass.  They are simply referring to a region by the name of "north."    Sometimes in the ancient ways when a region was very powerful and important, it gained the name of "North" even if it was east, west or south in reality.  Often such tricks of deception of reality are used in pagan practices.  It is meant to cause confusion and chaos and to pervert and counterfeit what is actually real.  This is one of the devil's oldest tricks; and he uses it a lot!  This is also why when end time scriptures refer to "the King of the North" some translate this phrase to mean a false god, or a false religion, instead of a place or a region of the north.  Many scholars have come to think that "The King of the North:  is actually referring only to a state of paganism.

So, because of this misapplied name of the mountain, Baal Zaphon was also called by many cultures; “Lord of The North.”  

This same false god called Baal Zaphon was later worshipped by the Greeks who named him "Zeus" and/or "Jupiter Casius"  All of these mythical gods that most of us know from Greek mythology are associated with Baal Zaphon.   They started out being the pagan gods of the Egyptians and the Canaanites.  

This same false god called Baal Zaphon was also named Amun by the Egyptians.   

The many different names for the same pagan god are confusing as you read through the scriptures. So often people studying different cultures in different frames of time do not understand this and they assume they are reading about the worship of a different false god. Once you know this fact it becomes apparent that many pagan people groups worshipped this same false god which they imagined ruled over Mount Zaphon.  He was said to stand huge and tall over two mountain peaks, with one foot on one of the mountain ranges and one foot on the other mountain range next to it.  It was from there that he was said to rule over the sea.  These two mountain peaks he supposedly stood on were what the Children of Israel were gazing directly at from across the sea at the camp where God had led them.  They were stuck there looking directly up at The Mountain of Baal.  Baal worship was heavy in the land where the Israelites were camped; as well as across the sea from them on the mountain that he supposedly reigned from.  This fact was probably not a bit encouraging to The Children of God who were crouched down in full armour, waiting and wondering what would happen next!

So to summarize the moment; here are the Israelites being led by Moses, who is led by God, out of Egypt and through the desert; and they decide to take the road toward the Red Sea.  The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire went before them; leading them all the way.  They are armed and ready for battle.  They have full faith that God will look after them and take care of them; no matter what.  (I consider this to be the FIRST major miracle, though it did not last very long!)  Suddenly God stops the Israelites and tells them to turn back!  God wants them to camp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and The Red Sea, a very pagan place that would put them directly opposite Baal Zephon! 

Have you ever had God turn you around in midstream from doing what you thought He wanted you to do?  Has He ever led you straight into a pagan land in order to do a holy thing?  It can be very confusing and those are times that always call for great faith.

As we have mentioned many times before; in bringing the people out of Egypt, God was doing more that freeing the Israelites.  He was showing the Egyptians that their false gods were powerless against Him.  He was revealing that He and He alone was The God of the Universe.  Each plague had progressively revealed God’s power and might over a false god.  Now we know that the worship of Baal was carried on throughout the whole area of the Fertile Crescent.  The Mountain of Baal Zaphon was sacred and honored by the people of Egypt and the people with borders to Egypt.  They believed a false god reigned with power and might over that land.  Baal (Zeus/Jupiter Casius/Amun) was known to reign there, and to have powers over the sea.  

Do you see how God was once more setting up to show who He really is?

When Pharaoh was told that the people had fled, he and his officials (once again – surprise, surprise….) changed their minds!  They said to each other; “What have we done?  We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!”  So arrogant Pharaoh and his officials who thought themselves too good to do their own work got their chariots and armies together; six hundred of the best chariots, with many more lesser chariots, and all of the top officials of the army.  All of these officials; horsemen and troops pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.  I’m sure a few prayers were offered up to Baal as they traveled.  They were probably VERY overconfident thinking that their false god would destroy the Israelites because they were right in his territory!    

The Israelites looked up to see Pharaoh and all of his army marching after them!  Suddenly they became terrified and they cried out to the LORD.  They turned to Moses and asked him a horrible question; “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?  What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?  It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”  Funny how when things are going right; God is always blessing them and they are faithful; but let something go desperately wrong (in their eyes); and Moses was to blame!

I guess the miracle of the moment had passed.  They all had the same typical human instincts again; just like before leaving Egypt.  Even though they had the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and even though they had seen the plagues up close and personal with their own eyes; their faith was wavering in the very moment they needed it most!  

It is so easy to have faith when you are not facing adversity.  It is much harder to have faith in the heat of a battle.  Moses though; did not panic.  He kept his faith in tact.

Moses turned to the people and said “Do not be afraid!  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”

There is was again……BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!  When would they ever learn?  When will WE ever learn?

Moses must have been praying hard!  You know how it is when you tell your children to do something and they just look up at you without moving and you look back at them and say; “Did you not hear what I said?”  It was one of those moments.  

God looked at Moses and said; “Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on!  Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.  I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.  And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all of his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.  The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen!”

Can’t you just see Moses now?  I can imagine him saying; “Oh Yeah…..my staff!!!!!  I forgot about my staff!  Will that REALLY work?  God said it would; so I know it will.  After all; I used it in Egypt and it worked!  Why did I not think of that myself?  I have everything I need; God has provided it……I just need to go use it!”  

Aren’t we all so much like Moses here?  God has equipped us all with absolutely everything that we need to live and thrive.  We have God's ear.  We have salvation.  We have prayer.  We have God's Holy Spirit living within us.  We have eternal life.  We have been given the best ways to live by the Only True God.  For some reason though, we forget to use the power of God to bring about our miracle.  We have it in us; we are well equipped.  We just aren’t using what we have been given from God.  

Are you facing impossible circumstances much like the children of Israel?  Maybe things even look like sure and sudden death; turn around and use the power that God has given you!  

Put the power of God in charge of helping and healing your circumstances!  Do not forget Who you serve.  He will see you through; even when it looks impossible.

So Moses looked around and found his brain, and used the power that God had already provided.  I’m sure he prayed first.  As Moses talked with God, the next miracle began to happen.  The Angel of God who had been traveling in front of the Israelites (here called God’s army) withdrew and went behind them.  The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them.  They stood between the armies of Israel and the armies of Egypt.  Through the night the cloud made darkness on the side of Pharaoh and  light on the side of the Israelites.  This kept them separate from each other.  Pharaoh's army could not see the Children of Israel.  All night long the Israelites were protected and sheltered from harm. 

Then Moses gathered his faith and did exactly what God had told him to do.  He stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  All of the waters of the sea were divided into two sides with a strip of dry land in between them. 

Those Israelites walked right through the sea on dry ground.  Not a drop of water got on them!  Can you imagine what that was like?  It would have taken great courage to walk through such a place with tons of water walled up on your left and right; not knowing how it got there that way, or how it would stay that way, or for how long it would stay that way; but they gathered their courage, trusted God and stepped right over that little strip of dry land into a place of freedom and joy.  Not only had God provided them a way to walk through two huge walls of water; their God had defeated the false god of the sea! 

Here comes Pharaoh and his army right behind them.  They stood on the other shore the next day after the Israelites had spent all night crossing the sea.  Pharaoh's army gazed into the dry land with huge walls of water on each side.  They must have thought that Baal Zaphon had come to their aid, and this would be their victory!  I am sure if they had realized it was The One True God of the Israelites who was holding back the walls of the sea, they would never have driven their horses and chariots into the sea between those great walls of water.  

Putting their trust in all the wrong sources; those followers of Pharaoh dove right into the bed of the sea and pursued the Israelites; very sure of their victory; blindly putting their faith in their false god; quickly forgetting all that the REAL God had proven with the plagues back in Egypt.  

The Israelites had walked to safety by now and were standing on the other shore; and soon Pharaoh and his army learned exactly who was in control of the sea!  During this last watch of the night, the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.  He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving.  The Egyptians said “Let’s get away from the Israelites!  The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”    

Then God told Moses “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”  Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back into its natural place.  The Egyptians were fleeing, and the LORD swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen – the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.  Not one of them survived.  Not one Israelite was lost.  The LORD had saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and they trusted Moses as God’s appointed servant. 

So I ask you; children of God today; are you afraid?  

We are living in a time when we MUST trust God to deliver us through much more than a troubled sea.  Are you using what He has given you?  He has equipped you to walk through the wilderness and cross the sea.  Don’t ever doubt the power of The One and Only God of Heaven and Earth.  He will get you through to the other side.  

I am reminded of a song with lyrics written by David Haas; called “You Are Mine:”  Here is the link to it  on You-Tube, if you wish to use it in your worship today.  Sing it out before God to let Him know that your heart is full; and you are convicted to follow Him wherever He leads  . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14pPevY5sd8

Keep singing; Keep praying;  Keep following the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (God's Holy Spirit working in your life.)  Keep worshiping and keep walking.  Keep telling others the gospel!  Keep reaching out!  Keep overcoming!

I’ll be seeing you there, over on the other side of the sea!

THE HOUSE DOCTOR - SETTING SEASONAL STYLES

ANOTHER WAY OF BRINGING THE BEACH INSIDE FOR SUMMER

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

No one loves the beach more than me or my family.  We love everything about it and as soon as we leave we are already making plans for the next time we can return.  That is why I love to give our home a beachy theme every summer.  

A few weeks ago I wrote about turning your home into a beach cottage for the summer months.  I spoke of several ways that can transform a house into a beach retreat (even if you are not really there) during the long hot days of summer.  That article contained several classic decorating tips and photos of what I've used several times over the years inside our home to achieve this "let's hold on to summer" look. If you are seeking ideas for summer decorating that are beachy; here is the link: http://dancinginseason.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-house-doctor-setting-seasonal-styles.html.

Some years are different than others.  Life is always changing and nothing ever stays exactly

the same; but it all is good!  This article is full of beachy themes too, but it will be about a more casual, more modern and trendy type of beach cottage look.  I guess the words that describe this look best would be "lots of sunshine and bright beach colors."    

If you are doing this type of theme-decorating that I do; by following along with all the changing seasons of each year; it is always fun to change up the look of your themes from year to year.  Variety is always more interesting and there are a million and one ways to emphasize the beach look inside your home.  On this particular year that I'm thinking of; when summer approached I wanted to incorporate some color schemes using coral.  I wanted a more trendy, “pop-looking,” colorful entrance.  Of course I wanted people to feel the wonder of the beach when they first walked into the house. 

It all started with our front door.  On the outside I hung an old wooden cross that has been used a lot at our house with many different themes.  It has a weathered look and is like something you might see for sale at the seashore.  I added a little sign that said “by the seashore.”  Your imagination could naturally take over after that.  The little pops of blue really added to the effect I was seeking.  I loved it.  We were off to a good start right outside the front door!

I kept the inside of the door very simple but beachy by hanging a blue wooden boat anchor that I already had on the inside.  It looked great against the solid white door.

One day I was out shopping and thinking about the way I wanted the foyer to look.  I was wondering how I could pull in some brighter beachy colors and add the coral colors that I wanted.   I saw this canvas print that said “Easy Living” and I thought that was just the feeling I wanted to achieve with the house during the beach season.  The painting was very inexpensive; but it had all the right mix of the trendy beach colors I wanted to use, and because it was a sailboat and I had a lot to go with that theme, you know I had to purchase it.  When I got it home and hung it on the wall it became the palette for my whole color scheme for the main part of the house.  The colors in that painting were exactly what I needed to add that little touch of cheer that I had been looking for. 

I thought of some brightly colored bottles that I had scattered around the house and gathered them together to add to the chest under the painting.  

Two starfish from last year’s beach look just seemed to go perfectly.  

The first ten steps into the foyer were covered. 

I was liking the progress of this fresh beach cottage look. 

The year before I had used a large sail boat on the portable bar where your eye rested as you were coming inside the front door.  I still thought it was a good idea, it would fit right in with the entrance painting of a sailboat, but it would add some more natural colors and tone down the bright colors I had incorporated a bit.  I pulled it out and set it in place.  I liked it.  I kept it and used it again this year.

Since I was mixing boats into the decor; I found another one I had in storage and put it across the living room beside a lamp on the floor.  I added a little blue daisy into the setting for a bit more color.  I liked it.  I kept it there. 

Mixing a few basic colors and classic tones with the trendy things seemed to only add interest.  

The foyer was coming together just fine.  The next place my eye went to was the couch table behind the sofa.  I knew it needed something; but I had not quite decided.  I put that off for awhile and let the rest of the room evolve first.  

I found some pillows with a touch of coral mixed with gray.  They seemed to help to add some touches of coral in the room.  I arranged them on the sofa and liked the way they blended into the effects I was aiming to pull together. 

I set my re-purposed chair (I painted it antique white) in the corner by the window and added a contrasting sky blue pillow with a gray seashell design that coordinated with the little bit of gray in the sofa cushions.  I had the photo of Tom’s Pop at the beach that I always bring out in the summer.  (We miss him so much!)   It looks elegant here in front of the sailor’s lantern that I usually always use too.  Most everything was something I usually use every summer, but the painting and the pillows switched up the decorating order into something new and fresh. 

Our coffee table is large and black and things show up well on it.  I always find it easy to use in showing off little treasures.  I wanted something very beachy to go on it's surface.  I have several books about summer vacations and thought they would certainly fit the mood.  I continued the focus on colored bottles and added some blue glass with some clear glass bottles.  I gave them a beach look by filling them up with shells and set them on a silver tray.  I enhanced this by placing a little accent of white lace on top, and a pretty little blue starfish to the side of the arrangement.  All of this made a pretty splash of beach color right in the middle of the room.  

I figured I couldn’t go wrong by adding the old familiar starfish ash tray that I pull out almost ever year.  The coffee table was looking just the way I had envisioned for this summer beach cottage.  I caught myself thinking about shopping for a bathing suit and wondering where I had left my sunglasses and my white floppy hat.  

The book on summer vacations was inspiring me.  I put my feet up for a little while and dreamed of summer adventures before moving on with the decorating.  That is the wonderful thing about summer; you needn’t ever be in a hurry and there is always time for dreaming. 

  

So....back to the task at hand.  What was missing?   

Well, I still felt the need for more coral.  I solved this the next time I browsed through The Christmas Tree Shop.  They have great inexpensive summer decorating items.   I found these small decorative wooden beach chairs that were just the right shade of coral and very cheerful and novel.  I bought four of them and brought them home with me.  I sat two of them (one on each side) on the couch table that I had re-purposed and painted antique white.  They added just the splash of color that I wanted. 

I liked this so much that I put the other two chairs (they have little yellow flip-flops hanging over them with a little hemp rope) across the room on each side of the mantle above the fireplace. 

This novel touch of coral color sort of tied the look together.  I added another starfish just above the fireplace.   I stood back to see the effect.  Overall it was just what I was after, a room full of natural light, with mostly white furniture, and little pops of color here and there.   I added a nautical looking lantern between the chairs and set it on top of a white boat steering wheel.   The rope on the nautical lantern and the jars on the coffee table added to the nautical feel of the room.    I found some warm cozy pillows to put on one side of my other white sofa.  This added some softness against some of the bold sharp colors.  The calico cat just gave a more casual, I'm home sort of feel to it all.  Everything so far began to feel very cozy.

  

I carried the same cheerful trendy-beach theme through the rest of the main living areas.

  I placed scattered bowls of starfish in the dining room and I used the same wooden bowl full of candles and sea shells in my kitchen again, only this time I used a plastic platter of blue and white squares instead of my large black tray.

I scattered little ships everywhere, and I went a bit wild by adding a banner in the kitchen window.  You need something a little novel to make a statement sometimes.  I thought the banner was fun and nautical too.

  

I had re-purposed two old bar stools by painting them a deep bright blue color.  They not only went well with my summer beach look; but they gave me extra bar stools to sit around my counter height table in the middle of the room. I enhanced the look by putting some nautical looking pillows in each bar stool and setting them on each side of the buffet table near the window. 

With hardly any trouble at all our home had taken on a whole new beach cottage look.  

This was on a year that we DID make it to the beach.  You know that feeling; how hard it is to leave it all behind when it is time to come home?  

Returning to our little bit of the beach inside our home only made our great memories last longer!

Having more beach photos to add to my ever growing framed memories for our beach cottage is icing on the cake after having so much fun at the beach.  

I love having a home that flows with the seasons and keeps the memory making going on all year long.  We will enjoy this beachy look all the way up to the end of September.  

Ships ahoy!  Here is wishing you smooth sailing through your summer decorating schemes.

AN APPLE A DAY (DAY 107) ALICE IN WONDERLAND THROWS A TEA PARTY

365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

As I continue to blog about maintaining a healthy lifestyle for mind, body and spirit by paying attention to the little details and daily things of life which bring physical, mental and spiritual health; I am reminded of something my dear deceased father-in-law used to quote to me.  He always said; “Life is never perfect; chew up the meat and spit out the bones.”

Unfortunately, he had to repeat this to me a lot.  He knew that I was the type of person who dove right into things with great passion, then often became disappointed when I found out what I believed at first was not true.

I had to keep my Father-In-Law’s wise concept about the practical side of life in mind as I continued on with a deeper study of the lifestyles of those fascinating Athos Monks. It has been three weeks since I looked at their much acclaimed eating plan, and then decided to modify their basic diet into my own version of an eating plan.  My hopes were to get the same healthy results that they are known for; long life and good health.    

All of the interest in their diet and lifestyles started because a group of scientist studied the cultures all over the world and came up with places they labeled “blue zones” because the people living in these “blue zones” seemed to live longer and be strangely exempt from health problems. The monks of Mt. Athos were one of the cultures that fell into this “blue zone.”

My first clue about the whole truth of their culture came when I discovered that women are never allowed to visit any of the 20 monasteries that sit peacefully and majestically overlooking the Aegean Sea.

I know the men go there to escape distraction so that they may dedicate their time to prayer and meditation. I understand that.  I’m not a novice to those who are living cloistered lives.  I worked within a Catholic television station for many years which dealt constantly with those who had taken vows to various different orders.  The men lived in limited seclusion which did not allow women within their residences and the women lived within the private cloistered walls of convents and shrines where men did not come and go past a certain point; but neither the men or the women of these orders ever TOTALLY excluded the opposite sex from their world.  The Athos have totally abolished all women completely!  There were times when the orders I have known were allowed to speak to members of the opposite sex, even visit their facilities and share religious services with them.  They were certainly open to sharing certain hours of their day with the outside world as a testimony of God to both men and women when they were not inside their cloister.  These monks of Athos have totally rid themselves of women!  Wiped them off the map!  There are N-O-N-E, E-V-E-R.  Absolutely NO women at Mt. Athos.  They have become an autonomous governing body unto themselves, and they require tedious paperwork for anyone to get approval to enter.  You must go there by boat,  and there is no other way to enter.  Women are not allowed past a certain spot in the sea.  They can gaze upon this "Holy Mountain" but not go to it.    

Many reasons are cited for this logic.  It is said by some that way back in 1045 Constantine noticed that certain shepherds were providing “more than just food” to the early monks of Athos.  In his disgust he issued a ban from women for the entire peninsula, along with beardless boys and eunuchs.  The exclusion of women has remained to this present date, and this ban has now even been extended to include female domestic animals; except for cats and hens. Trespassers can expect at least a year of imprisonment!  Others have quoted the fact that The Virgin Mary is highly esteemed on this property and they did not want her to have any competition.  Do you buy that?  Like she could! 

If you are a woman like me; one who has spent a lifetime studying the scriptures that proclaim God’s love for family life, you might find that little bit of information about such a holy place to be a bit intimidating. Immediately flags went up and my mind moved to a place that asks the question; what is the REAL reason behind the holy mask that is presented on first glance?   

That is when I got my second clue; and after that I began reading personal testimonies that stated there have been rumors and acquisitions of homosexuals living within the hillsides of this place called The Holy Mountain.  Any place without women would naturally become a gay man’s paradise; until he is discovered by the pure and holy who are only there for all of the right reasons.  No place is perfect, and whether or not these rumors are true still remain to be decided by people who are higher in life than me.  I have read the written and published stories of many disillusioned pilgrims that sadly make such claims.  I also know that absolutely any good endeavor on earth is going to have those who want to come inside and pursue their own personal interest.  I'm giving the Monks a pass on this; because I feel for those who are truly sincere about their lifestyle there.  As far as I am concerned these tales are only rumours and I hope to never hear of actual proof.

Then there are the others who piously proclaim these monks came to live at the “Holy Mountain” not because they were strong; but because they are weak.   I get the concept here.  Jesus, himself actually started it.  You give your weakness to Christ and live completely in His strength; but this wasn’t what I was reading in the articles.   I was reading quotes from the voices of men who were simply escaping reality.  It was almost like they were hiding behind God and not facing themselves.  This isn’t healthy at all in my book; and it was my third clue that even the holiest places still have their dens of earth.   How many men are hiding there to escape the harsh realities of real life?  Which brings me to the second question; how could that possibly equate to longer life or greater health?  Maybe the elimination of stress; but if this part of the background stories are true; I would think it would be a small percentage of the men; and not the overall average.  

The fourth clue came in the form of accusations that some of the monks were given drugs by those who were over them in order to help them maintain their holy postures and cheerful attitudes.   Hmmmmm…..are these true accusations?  Only God really knows the answer to this; and we will let Him be the judge.  There ARE people who have chemical imbalances that require medications.  I have to overlook this too; due to lack of concrete evidence.  

Red flags and other people's comments and writings were piling up on me though, and the monks were fast dropping down from their rank of pure holiness in my eyes.  Am I surprised to learn this?  No!  They are simply human beings like you and me.  Why should I expect that they are not capable of sin?  The scriptures say "all men have fallen short of the glory of God."  

The last story that upset me was the report of ten monks being accused of scheming in a real estate transaction where great falsehoods were told and carried out in order to earn money to provide the financial needs of their monasteries.  I guess all the celebrities and politicians taking pilgrimage were not giving enough.  I suppose those ancient relics and sacred treasures are very hard to sell on the streets.   Perhaps this was the most disappointing discovery of all.   It would seem that a few (10 of 1500) got so caught up in establishing a place of their own utopia that they forgot why they were originally there – to establish The Kingdom of God on the earth.  This happens sometimes when men are given too much authority over others.  They forget that just because they are livng holy lives, they will never reach the status of God.    Is this small group of only ten men so different from all the rest of us?  I think not.  At least they probably had noble beginnings.   Even their motives must have been noble; but just not pure and innocent.  They still stand in the wrong for what they did.  They are humans making grave human mistakes and I’m sure; living to regret not seeking God’s solutions or higher ways.  Ten men making wrong decisions should not ruin the whole package.  It isn't fair that one bad apple can ruin a whole basket of apples; yet in life sometimes this is the way the world turns.  Apparently the bad apples have been removed and the good apples should now be okay.

This all reminds me of the an old poem that I love; one written by Robert Frost, called “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” The words contained here so completely describe my overall feeling about the Monks of Altos:

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower,

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day,

Nothing gold can stay.

"The place where time stopped" and "the prayers of 1000 years" have echoed through the walls has its problems!  The encouraging thing to remember is that it seems the problems are now being addressed.  God has a way of using bad situations and turning them for good.  Who knows what opportunities are in store for this so called "Holy Mountain" over the next 1000 years?  Restoration seems to be God's favorite subject.  I have a deep abiding respect for the Greek Orthodox Church, and I'm sure the proper steps will be taken and restoration will come in many miraculous ways.  

Anyway; should I just toss the diet that was working better than anything I have ever tried before?  Wouldn’t that be throwing the baby out with the bath water?   All of the above was stated just to say I still have total confidence in the diet of these famous monks!

So what have I learned after a more complete look at the Athos Monks of Greece?  I’ve learned to chew up the meat and spit out the bones and I hope the whole world will have the same attitude toward these people.  There are probably still MANY good, pure men out there praising God daily and looking for His presence in every minute of their days.  Those who went there with true motives are probably still carrying them out!  They are to be commended for trying to carry on a very worthy 1,000 year tradition that is in concept very good and right.   Also; my main motive for knowing about them; their diet and the things that make them healthy; has proven to be very effective and healthy for me!  So basically we always come back to that same old verse over and over again; the one that says “God works all things together for good.”  I’ll just keep plugging away at this healthy eating plan.

I am moving on into the fourth week of eating their way now; still using the eating plan of 3 moderate days, 3 fast days and one feast day a week.  This routine is still working great!   Having two meals at the same time every day spaced twelve hours apart and not dwelling on food for the rest of the day has totally changed my health.  Eating fruit and vegetables with lean chicken and fish with lots of spices and alternating using olive oils every other day has made me feel so much better. My skin has improved. My coloring has improved.  My digestion has improved.  My brain fog has lifted; and best of all I’ve lost ten pounds already.  I do not get hungry, and I do not crave food which leads to binge eating as I have experienced on so many other unworkable diets I’ve tried in the past.

Overall; the eating plan of the Athos monks has been a great blessing to me!   I would still strongly encourage anyone to follow this plan and to do it for the glory of God by putting His will first as you attempt to keep the body that houses His Holy Spirit living inside of you healthy and functioning to its highest capacity.  The lifestyle of making it a sure practice to praise, pray and invite the Presence of God into your day each morning is awesome.  That part alone will change your life and lift your spirit.

So what else did I discover as I chewed up the meat and spit out the bones?  I discovered these monks generally love to make and serve herbal teas.   I would strongly urge you to incorporate this practice into your own healthy lifestyle.   Gathering details on this part of their day is my "next step" to better health.  

Just as a precautionary measure; in order not to be so easily led astray by only following these specific monks; I looked into the other groups living in the so called “blue zones.”  The other healthy cultures in the world seem to be residing in Costa Rica, Okinawa (Japan), Sardina (Italy), Loma Linda (California, USA) and Ikaria (another island of Greece.)  Can you guess the one common denominator for all of these cultures?  They eat, they breath, they sleep and……..they all drink herbal teas!

I have heard that some of the monks living in the many scattered monasteries of Athos harvest, package and sell their teas; especially herbal and linden teas.  You can look on their website (just google the tea of the Mt. Athos Monks) and order certain teas that they grow from a garden they call:  The Garden of The Mother of God.  (They are actually referring to the whole area of Mt. Athos when they say this.  They are very dedicated to serving The Virgin Mary.)   There you can order all the tea (and other products) from these monks that you wish.  I haven't bought any of these products yet; but  I would love to buy some of their teas (especially some of the lavendar teas, as well as some of the honey they produce, and I would love to read some of the publications they sell.)  Another benefit of clicking into their website to check out their products is that you get to see beautiful breathtaking photos of the views of Mt. Athos.   The website is very intriging and interesting and many of the products they sell look just wonderful.  They are said to produce some awesome Turkish Delight, and even if you know the Narnia story; you would probably love to taste it anyway!    I counted 37 varieties of teas for sale.  Keep in mind the money they trade in is euros.  Use a charge card that relates to all currencies if you order.  

Though he hasn’t visited the area for several years now (probably out of concern for the scandals I've mentioned,) I caught myself thinking about the many stories I've read about Prince Charles visiting The Holy Mountain.  It is said that he used to visit often and very much enjoyed lengthy retreats at Athos.  I wondered if he too had the typical British culture’s trait of the enjoyment of a daily teatime.  I could picture him relaxing and sipping his hot tea as he looked out a balcony window to a view of the rugged Aegean coastline.  

This thought set my mind to pondering about the facts of other cultures that keep the tradition of “having tea.”  Japan is the first place that comes to mind.  I wasn’t surprised to learn that Okinawa Japan is considered to be another of the areas classified in the Blue Zone.

The Greek natives of Ikaria are also tea drinkers.  The people of Ikaria are not monks.  They are just ordinary, everyday, common people just like you and me.  The drastic difference in us and them is that they too are considered among the healthiest people on the earth.  Their diet is very similar in nature to the Athos monk’s diet.  The other similarity is that they drink lots of herbal tea.  Many of their teas are considered diuretic in nature.  A diuretic is just what any physician would order for their patient if the physician found the patient to have high blood pressure.  These teas consumed over a period of time by the Ikaria people seem to have lowered their blood pressures too.  These people are very heart healthy.

So I’m thinking there must be something very healthy about drinking tea!   Here are some of the tea recipes I’m going to try at my house. I’ve come up with most of them from discovering the different ways that most of these “blue zoned” cultures prepare their teas. I’m going to do a little trial and error test and see which ones work the best for me by staying with them for about six months and seeing if they make a difference in how I feel each day.  Come and join me in this experiment if you wish.

The Ikaria natives seem to love a particular brand of Dandelion tea.  Here is how it is prepared.  Pick yourseslf some dandelion leaves.  You can usually find these in local farmer’s markets if you pay attention.  Chop and mince the dandelion leaves well.  Store the mix inside a glass jar and keep it for brewing tea in the future.  When you are ready to prepare the dandelion tea just drop a half a teaspoon of the mix into a glass of hot water.  It is just that simple.  Some people also drop dried dandelion root into a pan of water with a pinch of salt, bring it all to a boil and cover the pan and simmer for about twenty minutes.  Strain the liquid before drinking.  It is recommended that you consume at least three cups of this hot liquid a day.  You can also use the yellow flowers of the dandelion to make dandelion syrup; which is very useful for treating colds, coughs and bronchitis.

As I mentioned above the Athos Monks enjoy a mix of mint, floral herbs and chamomile for tea; among other mixes.   I did see the "mountain tea" for sale.

Based on all of the above facts which do not dwell on the monks exclusively; I've come to the conclusion that tea is probably a very good pursuit. 

I'm also going to explore some tea recipes that are actually helpful for women's health as well as men's.  I will begin to experiment with more teas in the days to come simply because the health benefits of tea are astounding.  Numerous studies show that tea can reduce the risk of cancer, aid in weight loss and support heart health and longevity. 

Keep in mind though, the fact that many teas you buy in the store contain artificial flavors and added unnatural ingredients.  I highly suggest you buy only organically grown teas or even learn how to grow your own tea leaves.    I’ll be adding new tea recipes as we go along to this part of the blog; but for now here is one more healthy tea recipe to add to your own collection:

ORANGE SPICED BLACK TEA

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of orange extract

1 cup assam tea (any black tea of your choice)

1 tablespoon of rainbow black pepper

1 handful of dried orange slices

1 tablespoon of cinnamon chips

1 tablespoon of cardamom pods, slightly crushed 

Directions:

Place the teaspoon of orange extract into a quart glass jar.  Shake well to distribute the liquid.  Add the assam tea, pepper, orange slices, cinnamon and cardamom.  Shake well.  Let sit for a day or two to allow extract to soak into the tea and spices.  To brew:  Use 1 heaping teaspoon per 8 ounces of hot water.  Steep for 3-5 minutes.  Strain and enjoy with honey. 

So what do the holy scriptures say to us about drinking teas?  

All I can tell you is that teas are produced from different types of leaves.  The tree of life spoken of in the scriptures seems to have leaves that are useful for healing.  So I will leave you to ponder whether or not the scriptures found in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22 are speaking of certain types of teas:

Ezekiel 47:12:  And on the banks, of both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food.  Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary.  Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.

Revelation 22:2;  Through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

As I wrote this article I was in a conversation with my daughter and asked what my grandson was planning for his birthday party this year.  Besides going to see some astoundingly wonderful gymnists, he wanted to take his little (seven year old) girlfriend to a local restaurant that arranges tea parties for children’s birthdays.  I found that to be very amusing news in light of all that God has been speaking to me concerning tea!

 

You never know; I might even be planning a little tea party of my own!