TGIF
My doctor had been my doctor for over twenty years and he knew me, as they say, inside and out.
Literally.
Through all my medical issues, he had never seemed overly concerned.
I remember getting a checkup after my 40th birthday and asking him why I felt so poorly.
“Your warranty is up”.
I didn’t appreciate the humor then, but I get it now…
My last visit was different…he was concerned and I could tell.
This was unsettling, and as is my norm when I feel unsettled, a Jerry Lee Lewis song popped into my head.
“I was feelin’ kind of poorly, hadn’t been lookin’ too fine, I just had to found out what was ailin’ this old body of mine
So I went to my family doctor,to get my temperature and set me straight
And the first thing he did was to tell me, to quit eatin’ every good thing I ate
And he told old Jerry Lee to stop smokin’,lay off of that beer and whiskey
He said, son you gonna have to have a little help
And confidentially he looked at Jerry Lee
He shook his head, and then he said
Like a friend he took my hand and he said:
Don’t boogie woogie when you say your prayers tonight
Son, you can’t boogie woogie when you send your prayers tonight
Jerry Lee, you been over-rockin’, you know that it ain’t right
You better turn on Jesus when you switch out the light
Don’t boogie woogie when you say your prayers tonight”
My internal jukebox was silenced when he asked me about my medications…I was supposed to be taking a few, but the prescriptions had run out long ago.
I confessed that I was taking medications that I scrounged from my friends with similar conditions and laid out for him what they were.
He quickly informed me that the medications I was “borrowing” along with my lifestyle had created a toxic mess of my body that could take me out quickly.
What I was putting in my body to heal me, was hurting me…killing me.
I was to cease taking them immediately…he would write me prescriptions for the proper medications.
The cure was two fold.
Stop putting bad stuff in, start putting good stuff in.
Take what was meant for me, put aside what wasn’t.
That would cure my body…but that wasn’t enough.
My mind and spirit weren’t in great shape either and it was affecting my body.
Too much time online, on here, and social media was making my soul sick.
Just as I was borrowing my friends medications at home, I was borrowing their rage online.
I was taking as my own all the anger, confusion, frustration, and grief that is Facebook and Twitter.
It’s toxic.
The cure was two fold.
Stop putting bad stuff in, start putting good stuff in.
Take what is meant for me, put aside what isn’t.
Turn the computer off and engage with what’s here.
Look away from the raging and look up for peace.
Finally and most importantly…don’t boogie woogie when you say your prayers tonight.
Make your own application…
Hello Michael
Life style changes are never easy.Changing your diet will be your biggest hurdle.Changing my was a struggle….all the foods that tasted good had to be stopped or moderated.
18 months later…25pound’s lighter with a walkersize program life is much better.You can do it.Will pray for you that the Lord will help you through your life style changes
Dude,
Excellent job you’ve done.
The lifestyle changes are the hardest, but much easier when appropriately frightened. 🙂
“Stop putting bad stuff in, start putting good stuff in.”
This is a spiritual truth, as well as a physical truth. The application is often easy once realized and a suitable replacement found, but confronting addictions can make it a heck of a struggle. I pray that you’ll find a healthy replacement for all that bad stuff.
Hugs to you, Michael.
It is easy to absorb all the pain on the Internet as your own pain. Been there; done that. Over time, I began to view Jesus as the Shepherd; and pastors as simply fellow-sheep. That took me down a necessary notch. I was no longer a professor instructing students; I was no longer a lead scientist with subordinate workers.
Now, I just give advice, share my similar pains and journeys, with anyone on the Internet. I speak as their equal. I pray with them, rather than for them.
And, I realize they are on their own journey. Their pain is their pain. I come alongside of them (the Law of Christ), rather than come as a pastor. I bear only their overburden for a moment to help them, and encourage them to continue with their rightful burden (Gal 6). I offer ways to think and reason without the final answer, and trust their walk with the Holy Spirit will be a good walk and lead them to a good answer.
Peace to you always; Caryn
Jean,
I’n spending as little time as possible online these days.
Getting back to reading real books, and talking with people who are here…and remembering that I live in the most beautiful place on earth.
It’s working…
Caryn,
That…was an excellent word for all of us.
Thank you!
This is not my “style,”
But I found myself sending this to someone today because it was exactly what *they* needed to hear!
Make your own application.
Great post my dear. Yes, tons of toxic cr@p ‘out there’…..on many levels. God bless you with the strength and grace to do for yourself what is best on each level. It can be done. If you ever want to chat about the practical particulars, love to chat. One bite at a time. One walk at a time. One thought at a time. Boundaries too…… You can turn things around. Love you!
Not the last part though. Just the first part.
Thank you, Paige…much love to you.
I’m going one step at a time…and already feeling mucho better.
Good Word Michael.
BTW I’m going in for gum grafts/transplants this next Tuesday. My periodontist says that’s what happens when we don’t use a night guard over time. On the bright side it will be a good time for prayer and fasting. Keep me in prayer 2.
Fco.
You’ve got it, Francisco… sounds painful…
Ya, good luck with that…you’re a social media junkie 🙂
My bro is a good christian dude that is over 300 lbs and is 6′. It’s catching up with him at age 55. Health issues are becoming more important/apparent.
Walk is good, wife is good, family is good and work has taken over. Health is suffering.
The preferred order now IMHO.
His walk
His health
Wife/kids
Work
The kids are grown up and the relationship with wifey is great. Now is the time to play catch up on his health.
Oh my, Michael…
your caring heart is a wonder – I suspect that what you have stood up for and fought for using your website here has born far more fruit than you know… even if the victory is on the other side
that said, self medicating in most forms is really not good at all – time to be a little sensibly selfish – those near and dear to you will understand and there’s the role model thing, too, eh? … speaking for myself and perhaps others here also, I’d rather have a little Michael Newnham than no Michael at all – to loosely quote a dead saint of not too long ago
will continue to pray
My warranty expired long ago Michael. The book of Ecclesiastes is the most real to me now. If anything, I’ve learned to be happy in the here and now and to savor every good thing that comes my way. It’s so fleeting. From dust I was made and to dust I will return.
“dust to dust”… that’s a ponder that I’ve had lately… I remember a Greek fellow once saying that it troubled him that there’d be no seas in the new heaven and the new earth – he had a good sized cruising sailboat and he dearly loved to be on the water – that must be a mortal appetite? – and what about the wonderful yin and yang of the two sexes? no male and no female in eternity? while the concept of asceticism makes me nervous, it must be true that, more than we realize, we make our precious (dying) flesh the center of our reality (it was the center of my reality when I had my gall bladder attack).
when/if life is good we say, ‘can it get any better than this? … I just have to trust the One who created our mortal bodies as I sense His answer is, ‘just wait and see ! it can; it will !’
Better for us to miss Michael online than for Trey to miss his dead dad. Time to unplug, bro.
Em wrote @ # 17:
“dust to dust”… that’s a ponder that I’ve had lately… I remember a Greek fellow once saying that it troubled him that there’d be no seas in the new heaven and the new earth
If one insists only upon a literal and face value reading of John’s Apocalypse, then yes, I suppose one can then say that the desire for the things of this life in the afterlife are not to be. I hold to no such reading.
#19, I don’t know if this will be of help, but what I understand John to mean by “the sea existed no more” in his apocalyptic imagery, is, consistent with OT imagery, that
chaos will not exist in the new heaven and new earth. The sea was an unpredictable and chaotic place in the ANE.
Muff, a reasonable observation… the fellow I quoted was a Greek who read his Bible in Greek, but I suspect that it could be interpreted more than one way – never really looked into it for myself… Is the reference to no more seas even in Revelation? I’ll have to look that up one of these times…
Ecclesiastes is a good read as he works thru the ponders to his conclusion
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
another interesting short rabbit trail on the Phoenix Preacher – another ponder
Thanks for the kind words, folks.
I’m feeling much better…and I’m limiting my online activities to a couple hours a day.
I’m staying busy dealing with real life here and generally keeping the stress level down.
I think I like feeling better… 🙂
I like what you typed today Michael.
Keeping the stress down entails no television. All of the networks are owned by big pharmaceutical companies. (Ever wonder why so many drugs are being pushed on the public in ads?)
They still have a of of patents active for drugs like Prozac etc…and they make profit if people think they need them.
Notice all of the negative energy coming out of that TV box designed to stress the population; just watch your local news?
Also get off of the typical single American male diet of fast food and things that taste good.
More natural vegetables and fruits added to the diet will work incredible wonders.
Look for the documentary “Fork over knive.”
In it people give the testimony that they revearesed their health conditions by diet alone.
Men gave testimony that their ED signs and symptoms evaporated after changing their diet alone.
Michael –
I’m praying for you…that your body and mind would know peace and “the good stuff.”
Tim,
Thank you!
Excellent!
This is a really good post and may God help you carry out your good intentions!
The Grant Study – by Harvard Med, following 270 men over 75 years – finally revealed what is essential to being a healthy man.
The most important thing, it was concluded, is … love.
There may be some scriptures to that effect.
“by Harvard Med, following 270 men over 75 years” – see I am not paranoid – I was being followed!
That was funny MLD.
Just because your paranoid does not mean that they are not following you…
I feel for you Michael and want to encourage you to have a tough attitude when it comes to seeing what others are eating but you can’t eat. Remember, most of what we so freely indulge in is not real food these days. You will have to cook at home and learn that food is our medicine. Look forward to the vitamins and minerals you will be giving your body through fresh, real food. Buy organic if possible. It’s a whole new mindset you will need to have to succeed. I had to go through an elimination diet last Fall and I was angry and irritable during the whole 6 months of it. The worst part was having to give up my beloved coffee with cream which sent me over the edge! My labs results improved so I am better for it. Now my husband is starting a restricted diet tomorrow. He put off seeing the doctor and getting his blood tests done for over a year. He just found out he is a walking time bomb; could have a stroke or heart attack anytime! All because he put off seeing the doctor and complying with his instructions. And all the while very busy in the ministry. Yes, fear and desperation are great motivators. Which can be a part of God’s grace to us to get it in gear. Why do men avoid the doctors? Us women need the security of knowing our men will be around for us in the future. I don’t think they even think about that. Anyway, be tough, be determined and read lots of stuff on nutrition and health to get your mind in gear for this. Knowledge is power.