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We have all heard "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Is it true? Absolutely! Now remember: we are talking about a real apple, not apple juice. You need the peeling and pulp more than you need the juice of an apple.
So why do you need an apple a day?
First of all, an apple is not loaded down with fat and simple carbohydrates which can set you up for adult-onset diabetes. It has 5 grams of fiber - important for keeping your insulin from fluctuating from too-high and too-low. And if you don't sprinkle your apple with salt, there will be no sodium entering your body. Good to know if you have blood pressure problems!
Have an overweight child? Teach that child to love apples and you will see a difference in about a month. My own six-year-old grandson lost 9 pounds in one month after learning to love apples as his 'snack'!
Have high cholesterol (LDL, the bad kind)? The fiber in an apple, the pectin, the antioxidants and other compounds can lower that bad cholesterol and raise the HDL - the good kind.
Do you smoke, or did you used to smoke? The flavonoids and other phytochemicals in an apple help protect you against lung and colon cancer. (But you should still quit smoking!)
Boron, a mineral that helps maintain bone density and protect against heart disease, are in that delicious apple.
The tannins in the apple prevent tooth decay, gum disease and urinary-tract infections. Be SURE you eat the peeling of the apple, too! It can keep you from having a stroke.
Do you have arthritis? The quercetin (a flavonoid that may fight cancer better than vitamin C does) does wonders to boot that inflammation out of your body! And, just in case you didn't know, most diseases we fear are classified as 'inflammatory' diseases - even Alzheimer Disease!
Having problems with your vision? Make sure you eat your apple every day! The vitamins and antioxidants in apples may help prevent age-related vision loss.
Apples are a good source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps prevent serious birth defects as well as heart disease.
Are you impressed with all the diseases an apple a day can help? What's that? You say you have false teeth and cannot bite into an apple? Sit in your easy chair with your apple and a sharp knife, and make a ritual out of slicing that apple! Your body will feel the difference!
(c) Godwoman, Christian Help for Women
Author April Lorier shares Christian perspective on news, books, child abuse, divorce, issues for women, psychology, counseling, ministries, and her journey with God.
It is amazing how pet dogs focus on loving owners. I have a Shih Tzu who follows me from room to room, cries when she can't find me, and then starts barking, "Where ARE you?"
Beth Moore, a Christian woman I admire immensely, recently wrote about her 
Border Collie for LifeToday.
I have a border collie named Star. She is my best buddy and, since we have our own office building, I take her to work with me every day. This particular breed is prone to fairly substantial obsessive-compulsive issues – they fixate. In a very real way, I complete Star. She stares at me at all times. She sleeps where she sees me as soon as she opens her eyes. She will put her head down and try to herd me so that I go where she wants me to go. When she goes to work with me, she stares at me all day while I’m working.
Once, when I had to leave the office for a few hours, my staff went above and beyond in babysitting her. They love Star; she is the staff mascot. After I left, they brought Star down to the second floor, where the whole administrative team works. Star went from office to office, greeting everyone, but then began to cry. My assistant told me that there was no way to ignore Star’s crying or calm her down. Finally, they put in a DVD of me and sat Star right in front of the television. I came back to the office and Star was fixated on me on the DVD, because I complete her.
But like Beth, I know no one can 'complete' another, regardless what the movies say. Only Jesus can complete us because He's the only One who knows everything about us, even our secret struggles. I love 'Cookie' but she views life through her own filter of personal experiences. She cannot see life through my life filter because she has not lived my life.
I am so grateful I know Jesus and, more importantly, He knows me - all my past, present, and future fears. And He has promised He would never leave me. What assurance! What completeness!
2009 Godwoman Christian Help for Women
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.” Proverbs 14:10
read more "Beth Moore - The One Who Completes Me!"
Turn on the news these days, and there seems to be little else but scare mongering. It is turning into a fearful world, so it's no surprise that people are living fearful, despondent lives. It seems "what if" has become our favorite game to play. But it's a dangerous game. I have admitted, previously, that I, too, have fallen prey to it.
When the old cartographers were making maps, they didn’t know what we know today with our global positioning satellites. When they came to the edge of their knowledge, they would often write something like this, “Beyond this, there be dragons.” And if you look at some of the old maps, you see that they drew a sea monster in the ocean.
Man has an inbred fear of the future and of the unknown. Fear of the future is a foe we all face. Why do we fear? We’re afraid of being forsaken. Our friends may leave us; our loved ones may forsake us.
Psychiatrists say that the greatest need we have is not material but the ability to love and to be loved. And the Lord has said, “I will never leave you.” Hebrews 13:5-6 may be the most encouraging passage in the Bible. Greek scholars tell us there are five negatives in this verse. God is literally saying, “I will never, no not ever, no never, leave you nor forsake you.” Nothing can separate you from the love of God.
Commit to memory this week Hebrews 13:5-6. His promise will take the fear out of the future.
2009 Godwoman Christian Help for Women
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13:5-6
read more "'What If' God Never Leaves You?"
Dear April, I am a Christian divorce' and I am depressed much of the time. I keep asking God why, and cannot find any joy in life. What happened to the joy of the Lord? To add to my problems with depression, I have a sister who says if I was 'a real Christian' I would not be depressed. In other words, it is my own fault I am depressed. Is this true? I need to know. ~Depressed
Dear Depressed, all of us, in our walk with the Lord, have periods of time 
when we cannot feel the joy of the Lord. They are called 'Valleys'. David's Psalms are filled with 'why?' and despondency! Of course, they end with him recognizing that God is his source, even though he has messed up big time! That is one of the reasons why Christian Counselors ask their patients to read the Psalms!
Your sister sounds legalistic to me, based on what you said about her. Several great men of the Bible went through periods of despondency.
Abraham was depressed when he thought he would never have an heir, which was enormously important in those days. (See Genesis 15)
Jeremiah was very depressed when he felt scared and inadequate to do what God instructed him to (See the Book of Jeremiah)
Jonah became angry to the point of being suicidal when God told him to go to Ninevah. Depression usually is anger turned inward. Jonah was totally disobedient to God and as a result, God had to deal harshly with him. (See Jonah 4)
Elijah, scared of Jezebel's threat, fled to the desert and begged God to let him die. God provided for him in spite of his self-pity. (See 1 Kings 19)
King Saul had what the Bible calls 'an evil spirit' - some have speculated he was bipolar - and the only way he could get rid of depression was when David played his harp for him. (See I Samuel 16:14-23)
Job cursed the day he was born and though God protected him from Satan, He did give Job a good talking-to! (See Job 3)
And then there was David - artistic temperament, military genius, and a 'man after God's own heart. There are more examples of his depression in the Bible than anyone else's! Take out your Bible and look up these chapters to get an idea of how he dealt with his depression! (See Psalms 6,-147 )
Since you are divorced - I assume it has been recently - I would suggest it would be unnatural if you weren't questioning God. But remember, God gave you and your husband free will. That means God may not like the decisions either of you make, but He will not violate your right to make them. Don't worry, God will not leave you. He is with you every step of the way.
Now to take care of your depression:
Go to church and make some girlfriends. You must not become reclusive!
Do not listen to music or watch movies that you and your husband shared. That will make the depression worse!
Make sure you are walking, dancing, or performing exercise every day. It sends endorphins to your brain and removes the depression.
Make sure you do not binge on junk (comfort) food. When your glucose drops from being so high, your depression will return very quickly.
Make sure you guard your heart, as The Word cautions. This means do not subject yourself to reading, viewing or listening to anything that would be negative or cause your mind to go back to the way it used to be. You're on the precipice of a new life. Make sure God is at the helm of the ship!
You can do it, Honey. And stay away from your sister until you get your head straightened out. You don't need negative blamers in your life right now.
Blessings!
(c) 2009 Godwoman, Christian Help for Women
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:18-19a
read more "Divorce' Who's Depressed a 'Real Christian'?"
Sometimes people in large churches get a lot of grief from “the world” because of the great expenses of building and maintaining their church. I’ve heard, “Why didn’t they take that money and feed the poor?” Here’s my answer, “People need Jesus.” The social gospel thinks all men need is food.
If I had five billion dollars and bought everybody on earth a snack; in several hours, they’d all be hungry again. There’s nothing wrong with feeding the poor. We ought to do that. But the social gospel puts an emphasis on what is temporary. The true gospel puts the emphasis upon what is eternal. Folks need more than bread, soup and soap; they need salvation!
Think about ways that you can get involved with the needs to feed, clothe, and house the homeless. Check out the Salvation Army! Then also find the open door to feed them with the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ.
2009 Godwoman
John 6:35 - “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst.”
read more "Bread of Life and the Social Gospel"
We have all heard "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Is it true? Absolutely! Now remember: we are talking about a real apple, not apple juice. You need the peeling and pulp more than you need the juice of an apple.
