The 11 Best Sources of Magnesium

by guest blogger Morley Robbins, wellness coach and magnesium advocate

I’m often asked, “Where can I find more magnesium in my diet?” That’s such an important question! In fact, it’s usually the second question people ask me after first wanting to know how its deficiency is related to most, if not all, of their day-to-day symptoms.

If you’ll remember from my previous post, I explained the many functions of this key mineral for health and began to discuss how stress causes magnesium loss—it’s a fact of life, and it’s how we’re wired as a species. So today’s post will focus on the magnesium-rich foods you can eat to deal with that stress! (In my next post, I’ll help you better understand what aspects of your stress can be reduced—or possibly eliminated—to help you preserve your magnesium stores.)

Can our prayers cause God to change his mind?

Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened - Exodus 32:14

Scripture teaches that God does not change his mind, but he sometimes adjusts his answers to fit our response. The Bible contains many examples of this: the Hebrews on the outskirts of Canaan (see Nu 14:11–23; 1Sa 15:29); Hezekiah’s repentance on behalf of Israel (see 2Ch 29:3–10,36) and the sparing of Nineveh (see Jnh 3:1–10).

Experiencing God’s will is dynamic. As with any interpersonal relationship, God’s relationship with humanity involves unexpected twists and turns. God modifies his responses to ours; we adjust our responses to God’s. So, in a sense, it can be said that God sometimes changes his mind in response to our prayers.

LIVE EACH DAY AS YOUR LAST

[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:4

On that fateful Sunday morning in January 1996, Joy Dimerin’s beloved fiancé, Severino Bagtasos, was killed when a lone gunman stormed into the church that he pastored and shot him twice. Severino was killed on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in the predominantly Muslim town of Alat on Jolo Island, in southern Philippines. He had a zeal in reaching Muslims for Christ. Joy and Severino were supposed to get married in May 1997.

“By the grace of God, I am doing well and still enjoying the ministry,” testifies Joy. She admits that feelings of loneliness and emptiness were the most difficult things she faced after her beloved Severino died. “I was afraid that I wouldn’t find a godly man like him again,” confides Joy. “I learned to see God’s purpose in my life,” Joy added. “I learned to accept whatever circumstances come my way and look at them as God’s instruments in molding me and in making me a better person. Through [Severino’s] life I learned commitment to the ministry and to prayer. Through his death, I learned to always be prepared to face the Author and Finisher of my faith. Through this tragedy, I learned to live each day as though it were my last.”

Call it Grace

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Original Air Date: August 22, 2012

With: Lysa TerKeurst

Trusting God

Radio Hostess: Lysa Terkeurst

What do you call it when a woman finds freedom in prison? Hi, I’m LysaTerKeurst for Proverbs 31 Ministries.

I sat in a hushed courtroom, tears rolling down my cheeks, as my dear friend learned she’d be going to prison.Tina had been caught up in a real estate scheme she never fully understood and would pay a steep price. This precious mother of two was now prisoner number 4579942.

But, beauty came from brokenness.

Finish What You Start

By Glynnis Whitwer

"'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'" John 4:34 (NIV)

I excel at starting projects. Especially those that include a trip to the office supply store, where I can stock up on new notebooks, file folders and pens. Optimism abounds at the beginning of something new. Then reality hits.

What seemed fun at first is actually hard work. Discouragement sets in. Perfectionist tendencies stifle moving forward. And it's easy to give up rather than finish what I start.

One of my problems is a lack of focus. There's so much I want to do that my thoughts are often scattered. I allow myself to be pulled in multiple directions, intrigued by the possibilities of a new and exciting project. Plus, sometimes I do things just because I can. This approach often leaves me with a to-do list that's seriously un-doable.

The Grandparents' Crown

"Grandchildren are the crown of old men..." - Proverbs 17:6

Isn't it amazing how the normal conflicts in the parent-child relationship don't seem to be a problem with grandparents and grandchildren? Grandparents may have old-fashioned values, but they're loved and admired by their grandchildren.

What do you think of when you think of a beloved grandparent? Even hardened cynics often get misty-eyed when recalling memories of a grandparent, yet grandparents are often the forgotten victims of divorce and separation. In June of 2000, the Supreme Court defended the parents' right to restrict or cut off ties with the grandparents of their children. Such a sad state of mind.

Parents, let's do all we can to enhance the relationship between our children and their grandparents. It's part of their heritage that they need to understand. It's part of their identity that makes them whole. God's Word says, "Grandchildren are the crown of old men." If at all possible, don't deny them their crown.

Your Life Is Shaped by Your Thoughts

by Rick Warren “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2 NLT) You cannot become all God created you to be until you understand the five factors that influence your identity. The first two are chemistry (how you are made) and connections (your relationships). You are a product of the way God created you and of the relationships in your life.

All Things

Written by Barbara Alpert

Are you confused and not sure what to do or where to turn? Let us pray for you.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

My husband enjoys Saturday mornings because I usually make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. He has no clue what the required ingredients are but he knows it will taste good when it’s done. The ingredients by themselves would not be appealing to have for a special morning breakfast. Chances are he would gag while eating the dry mix and frown trying to gulp down oil and raw eggs. The only enjoyable thing would be the chocolate morsels, but he’d get sick if he ate a plate of them. However, when all the ingredients are mixed together and cooked they form a delicious stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

FAITHFUL PERSEVERANCE

“But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved." Hebrews 10:38-39

Alice Yuan continues her testimony we began yesterday:

“The second trial came from the Communist party. Every day for nineteen years, I had to report to the police station, where for six hours, they put pressure on me. They said that I would never see my husband again, that I should divorce him and that I should give up my faith. With God’s help I kept going. Praying with my eyes closed, I endured the interrogations every day.

“The third trial consisted of the hard work. After I had been pressured by the security police for six hours, I still had to work for eight hours to earn a living. I had to push handcarts filled with building materials. The carts were much too heavy. I was completely exhausted and was already tired before I started. In the winter, it was even worse. Sometimes I had to shovel cement up onto a floor above my head. The work was dirty, hard and cold, but I achieved my quota. The others were surprised and wondered where I got the energy from.

It is not what you have that counts

2 Corinthians 10:3-7 (King James Version)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?


Our warfare is spiritual and not in the natural realm.  If we learn to win the battle in the spiritual realm we will then see differences in our circumstances.

This passages teaches us:

Do not look at the outward appearance.

See Yourself Risen With Jesus

"Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [as] risen from the dead." (2 Timothy 2:8, The Amplified Bible)

This is the key to holding onto the blessings of God. When pressure comes, when troubles and trials are bearing down on you, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Remember that when Jesus arose, you arose. When He came out of hell and defeated the enemy, you came out of hell and defeated the enemy. His victory is your victory because you're in Him.

In the hard places, remember that. When the devil tells you you're not going to get your answer this time, remember that. When he tells you there's no way out, you remember Christ, the Anointed One, the Victorious Conqueror, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father!

If there's an image Satan hates more than any other, it must be that image of Jesus, rising from the dead, stripping him forever of his authority, and openly displaying his defeat to all of heaven and hell. That's the picture you need to keep in the forefront of your mind. Think about it until it's etched into your heart so deeply that nothing Satan says or does can get it out of you.

That's when the gifts of God will be established in your life. That's when the devil won't be able to talk you out of your inheritance with trials and tribulations. Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible.

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1-13

SINGING TO THE LORD

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple…Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Psalm 27:4, 6

Brother Zhang, a young medical doctor and preacher in Zhejiang, China, refused to join the government Three Self Patriotic Church. He was arrested and spent eighteen years in prison eating poor food, being beaten and drowning in the stench of cellmates. He shares this testimony:

“The eighteen years were a tremendous spiritual challenge, which brought great blessings I never before thought possible in my life. Prison officials ordered me to empty the camp night-soil pit, the prison’s cesspool. While I had little experience of physical labor, its hardship and suffering did not frighten me. Although most of the other prisoners dreaded night-soil pit duty as the most difficult task in prison, I accepted this assignment without complaint. 

Dear Friend of Insight for Living:

It isn't pretty, but it's here to stay. It occurs in every life and in every season of life. I call it the "daily grind."

Homemakers face fourteen-hour days with ever-present children and an endless grind of responsibilities. Students endure the grind of assignments, classes, and exams. Salespeople have quotas to meet. Musicians must constantly rehearse. Therapists can't escape one depressed soul after another. Husbands have grass to mow and things to fix each weekend. Preachers forever face the grind of sermon preparation.

Fact is—let's face it—the grind isn't going away! Instead of fussing about it or dreading it, we must find a way to live beyond it. How? Songs! But not just any songs. I have in mind a songbook that's really old. In fact, it's one of the first-ever composed, inspired by our Creator-God. Its timeless songs were written specifically to help us live beyond life's daily grind. That's right, beyond it. Why else would God have inspired those age-old compositions called psalms?

Give God a Way In

"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land." (Malachi 3:11-12)

God is vitally interested in your finances. He wants to multiply and protect them. But He won't be able to--unless you open the door for Him to do it.

How? Through tithing.

When you tithe, you give God the legal right to intervene in your financial affairs, to bless you richly, and to defend you against the destruction the devil brings. When you tithe, you lay a foundation for success and abundance. You establish deposits with God you can draw on when you need them.

But don't wait until your back is against the wall to start. Begin now. Start developing your faith when things are going well by meditating on the blessing God's Word promises you as a tither. Learn to act on that Word now, and when Satan tries to put you in a financial corner, he'll fail. His power over you financially will have already been broken. Because you've established yourself on the covenant of God, Satan will have no chance against you. God will rebuke him for your sake.

Lord I Want to Know You

Renee Swope

"Those who know your name trust you, O Lord, because you have never deserted those who seek your help." Psalm 9:10 (GW)

I had heard great things about her, but it wasn't until we worked in the same office that I really got to know her. Yet, there were certain traits I only discovered by "doing life" with LeAnn, like her dry sense of humor and her unique way of making each person feel noticed and loved.

As our friendship deepened, LeAnn became someone I could depend on. But honestly, I only discovered she was dependable when I needed to depend on her and she came through for me.

I've found that our relationship with God grows closer in the same way. We may have heard things about God, but we won't really know Him until we spend time with Him - talking, listening and observing who He is and depending on Him.

We learn to trust His heart by interacting with Him and experiencing His character in personal ways.

A Healing Journey

Written by Angie Cote

Secret -concealed from general knowledge or view, hidden. (Webster’s Dictionary)

There are different kinds of secrets. Some are things hidden from our understanding, sometimes called the mysteries of life: how they built the pyramids, miracles, unexplained events. There are military secrets – confidential military matters, the CIA and spies. There are the secrets that are methods or formulas based on successes: if you send in your hundred dollars, you can receive a secret blend of tea/cream/pills guaranteed to make your cellulite disappear. Don’t we wish. There are the secrets where others share confidences with you.

Then you have the secrets that are of the personal nature – things that we have done ourselves, or had done to us, or been involved in that we don’t want anybody to know about. Usually it is something that is not socially or morally acceptable.

A Bruised Reed He Will Not Break

Written by Paula Friedrichsen

Donned in her favorite nightgown Kimberly* slips under the covers anticipating a good night’s sleep. Patting her husband’s shoulder she says, Goodnight honey… Tentatively Ron reaches out for Kimberly and nuzzles her check giving her a tender kiss. With a familiar sick sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Kimberly wriggles away from Ron, while feigning tiredness and a backache. Although it’s been several weeks since they’ve made love, Kimberly can’t seem to stop herself from rebuffing Ron’s sexual advances.

But it wasn’t always this way…

Fully Restored

Written by James Yorke

I was born in Mullingar and I’m the eldest of four children. Our parents were good Catholics who believed in the power of prayer and gave us a good upbringing.

By the time I received my First Holy Communion I was serious about God. In fact, I had a spiritual experience that day but there was nobody to explain it to me. Not too long afterwards I began to show symptoms of a sickness that caused me to stop walking and have great pain in various parts of my body.

A miraculous healing

Playing in the Mud

Written by Kristi Huseby

 Are you struggling with feelings of sadness, loneliness or despair? Need someone to listen? We’re here. Talk to a mentor.

“And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of His face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him.” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18, The Message)

What is it about boys and mud? It attracts them like bees to honey! If there was any mud to be found in our back yard, my four boys would find it. They would never carefully step around a mud puddle. Oh no, they would stomp right into the middle of it! I can’t tell you how many times I would go out to the backyard and find them playing in a mud puddle and rubbing mud all over each other. They would often try to clean themselves before I found them but that only made matters worse. The only way to get them clean was to spray them down with a hose and get them into the bathtub for a good soak.

5 Easy Memory Aids That Can Help Anyone

Whether the problem is cognitive impairment or normal aging, try these assists.

By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor

Having problems remembering to take pills, buy grocery items, or make appointments? 

Everyone experiences memory problems sometimes. Memory experts often recommend the following simple aids to people with mild cognitive impairment or early symptoms of dementia. But anybody (including harried caregivers!) who's ever forgotten something important can benefit.

1. A GPS system

The Designer of Your Destiny

by Jack Hayford

Throughout all of Church history there has been a great debate as to what degree things automatically happen, with the tilt leaning both in society and in theology toward fatalism. It reminds me of the story of a classic theologian who believed that everything was preordained by God. He was coming down the stairs from his study one day when he tripped and tumbled all the way to the bottom. When he got up, he brushed himself off and said, "Well, I'm glad that's over," presuming there was no way he could have avoided falling because it must have been foreordained.

There's no such thing revealed in the Scripture, but neither is there any such thing as the human capacity to make things happen by our own power. All you and I have is the power of choice, and even that does not provide the engine to bring about what is needed to make our lives work. I can push my car only a little bit and not very far. Certainly not up hill. But I can choose to turn on the engine.

The vanity of the flesh is the supposition that we can on our own achieve the best purposes for our lives. That's not an invitation to passivity any more than faith in the providence of God is a call to fatalism. Fatalism and passivity can be opposites, or they can go together: "Well, I'm just along for the ride." We're on a journey with the Lord to a place only He can take us, but there are things we need to do, choices we need to make, while we are on board.

How Father God Feels About You

by Jack Hayford

The story of the prodigal son, recorded in Luke 15, is often called the parable of the Father's heart. Jesus tells it, along with two other stories, not only in response to the seemingly "heart-less" religionists of His day, but also for you and me to know what is the Father's heart toward us.

Jesus tells of a man with two sons, one of whom asked for his inheritance in advance. The father gave it to him, and the son went out and squandered it, ending up in a pig sty. Finally, Scripture says, the young man "came to himself." He recognized the insensibility of the pathway he'd walked and how foolish he'd been to leave home. He returned, humbled, thinking he would ask to be just a servant at his father's place.

Don’t Alienate the Aliens

In 2008 a Vatican astronomer suggested that if we ever find intelligent beings in outer space, these aliens would be “our brothers” and “children of God” as much as human beings are.* The UK’s Daily Mail now reports that another Vatican astronomer also says he would be happy to baptize an alien.**

Such a statement reveals the silliness that results when someone tries to reconcile evolutionary thinking with the Bible.

The idea of intelligent aliens is pure speculation that depends heavily on evolutionary presuppositions. The argument is, “Life evolved here, so it must have evolved elsewhere in this incomprehensibly huge universe— we can’t be a special case.” The Bible contradicts both assumptions—life didn’t evolve here, it was created from nothing. And we are special, the pinnacle of God’s creation, created in His image.

Because Adam’s sin affected the whole universe, it would also affect any alien. But as nonhumans, aliens would not be eligible for salvation (this is one reason we are confident that intelligent aliens do not exist). So baptizing an alien would be pointless at best, and a mockery at worst. Jesus did not die for Martians—only descendants of Adam can be saved.

^* “Pope’s Astronomer Insists Alien Life 'Would Be Part of God’s Creation,'” www.independent.co.uk, May 15, 2008.

^** “I’d Love to Baptise ET, Says Vatican’s Stargazer,” www.dailymail.co.uk, September 17, 2010.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am/v6/n1/aliens

The Expanse of Redemption

Zechariah 14:20–21

The book of Zechariah ends with a remarkable statement about the expanse of redemption (see Zec 14:21). Above and beyond God’s ownership as Creator stands his ownership as the Re-creator who extends redemption “far as the curse is found.” 

God cares even for the little things that were spoiled by the fall, and he wants to restore it all. By affirming God’s redemptive interest in minuscule details like cooking pots, Zechariah reveals the enormity of God’s victory. Not only has Christ’s finished work secured salvation for sinners; it also has cleansed every nook and cranny of creation from sin’s decay.

But the last day—the culmination of God’s ultimate re-creation—isn’t here yet, we may argue. From the very moment of our conception, we’ve been living in eternity. Granted, the best is yet to come, but the here and now already is replete with foretastes. The trouble is, we’re eternal beings with a finite mentality, and we tend at times to get confused.

A Supernatural Cycle of Blessing

"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

One of the most exciting things I ever discovered about God's law of sowing and reaping was the fact that financial harvests are not seasonal. If you plant year round, you can be receiving year round.

Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying your harvest will come instantly. It usually won't. You may have to wait for it for several months. What I'm saying is, if you'll keep planting consistently, you'll receive just as consistently. If you'll continually cast your bread on the water, eventually it will come in on every wave!

Of course, some people never get to enjoy that kind of constant blessing. That's because, instead of giving, they keep waiting to receive. They stand on the beach saying, "I wonder where my prosperity is? As soon as it comes in, I'll start giving."

Are You Angry With God?

Watch the video below to hear what Charles Stanley says about being angry with God.

http://www.charismamag.com/multimedia/video?id=9

The Holy Spirit in You

Charles Stanley explains the significance of the Holy Spirit living on the inside of each of us. Click below and find out what this Southern Baptist preacher has to say.

http://www.charismamag.com/multimedia/video?id=15

Finding Healing After Divorce

Living the Dream 

“You’re supposed to have Pine Sol here. Is that so hard?” Running a home seemed like a piece of cake. After all, many young girls dreamed of just that: a perfect husband, loving children, and a peaceful home to run — a happy every after fairy tale. 

Trust: Responding to the Holy Spirit

by Jon Walker

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NASB)

God wants you to trust his guidance, so he sent you a Guide.

When you became a believer, God placed the Holy Spirit within you, and he’s been teaching you ever since to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit’s counsel. The Holy Spirit is your Guide, one who walks with you along the way. He knows every step of the journey and understands the blessings and dangers ahead. He knows where you’ve been and where you’re going, and he knows the best path to take.

This is an important issue to understand, because God never intended for you to figure out the steps of your journey without him. In truth, how you get on mission and how you succeed at your mission are God’s responsibilities. Your responsibility is to seek his guidance and obey his directions.

A Living Example Of Love

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5:5) 

Don't ever worry about not having enough love inside you. The Word says God's love is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost. God's love is in you. What you need to do is make a decision to let it flow.

Pray this prayer today.

"In Jesus' Name, I make a fresh and strong commitment today to live the life of love, to let the tenderness of God flow through me and heal the wounded hearts of those I meet.

"Father, teach me to love even when things go wrong. To be patient and kind when the children are underfoot. To overlook the spiteful words of an angry spouse. To rejoice when someone at the office gets the raise that I thought I needed. Teach me to talk in love, to lay gossip quietly aside and to take up words of grace instead.

Does Low Testosterone = Diabetes?

By Julian Whitaker, M.D., Lifecript Alternative Medicine Expert

Reviewed by Edward C. Geehr, M.D.

Diabetes and low testosterone go hand-in-hand: One in three diabetic men have low testosterone. But one potential cause of diabetes is low testosterone. So which came first, testosterone deficiency or diabetes?

A study published in Diabetes Care may answer that question. Finnish researchers measured levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone in 702 middle-aged men who had no blood sugar problems, and then reexamined them after 11 years. 

At the time of follow-up, 147 had developed metabolic syndrome (a combination of conditions that increases risk for heart disease) and 57 had diabetes. Most important, the men with the lowest testosterone levels were nearly two and a half times more likely to have developed diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Failure is Not Final

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again. Proverbs 24:16

A few years ago, we bought a Garmin GPS unit for my daughter, Amy. Like her dad, she was not blessed with a good sense of direction. We knew Garmin could help her with that challenge.

One day, Amy, Debbie and I were traveling together with Garmin leading the way. Unfortunately, I missed a turn ... and Garmin let me know. She could have said, "You missed the exit, moron. You are going to have to turn around." But, Garmin is very polite and encouraging. When you miss an exit, she doesn't berate you, she just says this important word, "Recalculating." That means, you messed up, but let me find a new route to get you where you need to go.

GOD IS LIKE GARMIN