Blog on the Lillypad
Saturday, November 15, 2003
 | Sore throat cure
I just read this in one of my juicing books. If you have a sore throat, juice some lemon (as you would squeeze orange juice; you don't need a vegetable juicer). Take 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and add a pinch of salt to it. Take small mouthfuls and gargle for a long, long, time before spitting it out. (To get through all the lemon juice, I was advised that I should spend a total of three minutes gargling, taking breaks only to spit out the old and sip in the new.) I do this before bed to promote healing while I sleep. Another remedy I've invented is to take one of those ThermaCare disposable heat patches (the Neck to Arm size) and put it at the base of my throat, then wrap a scarf around my throat several times, loosely. |
Friday, November 14, 2003
 | Cindy Swanson's Review of VALKYRIES
The VALKYRIES books (Moody Press) are really parts one and two of one story: a rare blend of a coming-of-age tale set in the 1970's, an exciting athletic narrative, and the story of a young girl's poignant and gripping spiritual journey. |
Just after her 8th-grade year, Tracey Jacamuzzi goes against her Italian-Catholic upbringing by attending a Baptist tent meeting and "getting saved"--a term that baffles her friends and family. Tracey's conversion is too much for her parents--a father who is already violent toward her, and a mother who is too preoccupied with an extramarital affair to give her eldest daughter much thought.
| A violent showdown with her father results in Tracey being banished to the Sanctuary of Mary and Joseph, an all-girls' Catholic boarding school. Here she endures cruel hazing before realizing that basketball is the school's all-consuming passion, and she must become skillful at the sport in order to survive. An older girl takes Tracey under her wing as a basketball coach and mentor, and becomes her best friend in the process, making life more bearable at the school. |  |
The team's mascot, the Valkyries--valiant female warriors in Norse mythology--become symbols of Tracey's quest for strength and truth.
But Tracey must still deal with questions in her growing faith, and the fact that what she is reading in the Bible is often at odds with the doctrines taught at the school. In addition, the fact that she is outspoken and often headstrong makes for some severe confrontations with Sister Mary, the rigid and coldhearted acting principal.
Along the way, God brings people into Tracey's life that give her love and acceptance and help her answer the spiritual questions that haunt her. School volunteer Maddie Murdoch imparts wise counsel and the promise of a motherly love Tracey craves.
 | Jeri Massi brings the story grippingly to life. You feel outrage when Tracey is abused, share her pain when she is treated unkindly and unfairly, and are moved when she learns new spiritual truths. (The fact that I, a 40-something, non-athletic woman from a conservative Baptist background, could so empathize with this Italian-Catholic teen-aged girl, is a credit to Massi's ability to make this story so real.) Massi's descriptive pen makes you actually see the mist shimmering on the serene campus, and vividly described dream sequences hint at her background in writing science fiction. And the basketball scenes are fastpaced and exciting, and could only be written by someone intimately acquainted with the sport. |
If you are a Catholic, you may not appreciate Massi's unflinching criticism of the church's doctrinal conflicts with Bible teaching. But she doesn't vilify Catholics themselves--one of Tracey's "good angels" in the book is the elderly Sister James Anne, who gives her unfailing love and acceptance; Father "Bing," the school's Bing Crosby-look-alike headmaster, shows her kindness; and she develops good relationships with some of the nuns who teach and coach her.
Ultimately, I was captivated by Tracey's story (I scarcely put the books down while reading them!), and enriched by the lessons she learned about God's grace, His Sovereignty and His loving plan for one girl's life. Although these books would be ideal for a teenaged girl--especially one who is interested in sports--the common themes and the page-turning narrative make them a terrific fit for anyone who enjoys top-notch fiction.
Cindy Swanson
News Director
WQFL/WGSL Radio
Click here for more info and a link to order VALKYRIES
Click here for Cindy Swanson's web site
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
 | Visit to the hospital
For the last several weeks, I've sporadically suffered from a feeling that my throat was closing. this has been accompanied by a racing heart or pounding heart (or both), going stark white, struggling to breathe, and having my blood pressure shoot up. On Tuesday morning it started to happen and would not stop. So I was taken by ambulance to the hospital in the small town where I work. Final prognosis was an upper respiratory virus causing drainage down my throat that was triggering throat spasms. Ultimate diagnoses: Stress. |
At first I had refused a mild sedative, but after the attacks continued even in the emergency room, I consented. They did an EKG on me which showed a gloriously healthy heart. And they did two chest x-rays and two throat/neck x-rays. All was well. And I had blood panels done.Two different doctors worked on me, and they came to the same conclusion: Though the viral problem was real, the underlying reasons for the spasms in my throat was stress, possibly aggravated by coffee.
| But the second doctor let me know that the x-ray had depicted my scoliosis. I told him that I had learn of this recently, with my back troubles, and I told him I am a fourth degree black belt, and I'm afraid I'll never work out in martial arts again. He jumped into a detailed explanation of scoliosis, explained how severe mine is (not extremely severe), and told me to get back into martial arts right away, as it obviously is how I've handled stress all my life. His college-aged son is a first degree black belt in tae kwon do, and so this doctor has seen the kicks and the motions. He urged me to start training as soon as possible and make that a high priority. (It is!) They prescribed an anti-histamine to lessen the swelling in my throat and three days of a decongestant. And I have to see a general practioner doctor for stress management care. But, they said, if I don' want anti-anxiety medicine, I must exercise frequently and whole heartedly. OK guys!. |  |
But as part of my own reorganization, I am cutting back on futile things, like addressing the Fighting Fundamentalist Forums on the same topics over and over again. And I deep-sixed the next Liz Shaw story in favor of a Doctor Who story. In fact, I've pushed forward some projects that truly give me joy and pleasure. I have an audio project planned for five of Coyote's Tales from the Temple Even at work, where I am putting in 10 and 11 hour days, I decided to go at a slower, easier, pace. Not more breaks, but just moving more slowly and concentrating on full breaths and pauses. And I have sworn off coffee. Today I did ten sets of front kick-side kick, then ten sets of front kick-round-kick-double punch, then ten down blocks with reverse punches. I worked on slow round kicks, just getting he feel of keeping the leg tucked tight until the release. Pretty light workout, really, but it tired me out. And I feel much, much, better.
Sunday, November 09, 2003
 | Where's that Scoundrel?
So, the latest news on the FFF is a thread on the Trinity Baptist College forum announcing that Dave Hyles has been seen attending Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville Florida as a visitor. Much to my surprise, the wise and insightful browsing thought this might be a good thing, as Dave might actually repent. I don't think it's a good thing. |
If you add up the accounts of two books and several church members who have known him, it has been alleged that Dave has twice been expelled from the ministry and three times expelled from churches for gross sexual sin. When questioned at the inquest of the death of Brent Stevens, he pleaded the fifth amendment, and Detective Paul Ciolino identified him as the prime suspect in Brent's death. Dave's own son died in highly unusual circumstances. His former church secretary at Pinellas Park Baptist Church has recently been arrested for running a house of ill fame. My unwavering opinion is that Dave is a danger to the church of God and needs to be kept away from the weak, the innocent, and those not well taught in how to discern imminent danger to their spiritual well being.
This brings up a point of difference between me and the IFB churchs, even those that are not in the radical, kooky, and unscriptural KJVO movement. The church is the assembly of believers. It is not the assembly of believers and unbelievers together so that the unbelievers can feel at home and then join up. If you read the New Testament with discernment and care, you will see that when Peter or Paul preached out in the streets or to other public gatherings, there were unbelievers who were moved to enquire further or who converted to Christ on the spot. But when you read of the church coming together, unbelievers are not mentioned, nor is the focus on gaining converts but rather on strengthening and educating the believers.
The idea that we have to have unbelievers in church fellowship to get them saved is not present in Scripture. And it opens the door to just such a predicament as this: A predator figures out that the IFB structure---while it may excommunicate him from membership because of gross sin---still opens its doors to him to come in as a "visitor". Thus, he gets in anyway and can work his harm.
| I wrote to browsing to suggest that I should send an information packet to Tom Messer, pastor of Trinity Baptist, to alert him to Dave Hyles. But several people who have been to the church have said that Pastor Messer is not (and never has been) a "Hyles man". He's far more scripturally sound than the 100 percenters. And in the meantime I've received assurances that two men in the ministry are contacting Messer to inform him of the situation. Interference from a Presbyterian woman, however well intended, may not come across as being helpful. But I'm watching the situation and I am gathering materials to send them to the Jacksonville Police Department. If it looks like Dave Hyles is going to settle into a new nest in Jacksonville, I'll do my best to inform anybody who has the best interest of a law-abiding community at heart. |  |
