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3-D Living Newsletter - July, 2009 Issue
July 1, 2009
Welcome to the July issue of the 3-D Living Newsletter!
I hope you are enjoying a beautiful summer, hopefully planning a restful, enjoyable vacation! My husband and I will be celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary this month. So for anyone out there celebrating an anniversary, I wish you continued love, grace and blessings from God!
In this issue:
Ann’s Article: “Sow and Grow"
Nutrition Nugget: Seeds and Seed-like Grains
Supplement Spotlight: Vitamin K
Featured Product: Flax Advantage
Word to the Wise: Matthew 17:20
"Sow and Grow"
Faith is most often referred to as a seed and for good reason. As I began studying about nutritional seeds, I learned some interesting and very faith-building truths that apply to both types of seed.
The term “seed” refers to anything that can be sown. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the phrase ‘sowing seeds’ I immediately picture a farmer moving down neat rows of tilled soil and methodically planting. Spiritually, that phrase tends most often to refer to financial seed. However, just as there are many different types of plant seeds, there are also many types of spiritual seed as well.
I learned that there are three basic parts to seeds in the natural: an embryo, a supply of nutrients for that particular seed and a seed coat. The embryo is the immature plant that needs the proper conditions in which to develop into maturity. The nutrients vary depending on the type of plant to be grown. The seed coat protects the seed until it arrives at the right time and place for it to be sown.
I found the similarities to our faith to be remarkable. Our faith is immature and in its embryonic stage until it is sown. It must arrive in the right place for sowing and have the necessary conditions. Natural seeds need to be sown in fertile, mineral rich soil and receive water and sunlight in order to grow. Spiritual seeds need the soil of a receptive heart, cultivated with the "nutrients" of worship, praise and prayer, the water of the Word and Son-light in order to grow.
Seeds – both spiritual and natural – are living food! They contain life within them that will be released under the right conditions. I soak my quinoa overnight before I cook it. Quinoa is a seed-like grain. When I look at the little seeds the next morning, they have begun to sprout! The life contained within them is activated and released by soaking them in water. In very much the same way, when we want to develop our faith in a particular area, we must “soak” it in the water of the Word!
Just as each seed contains the specific nutrition it needs within itself, spiritual seed has its own specific nutrients. For instance, if you are trying to develop seeds of faith for salvation, you must speak and meditate on salvation scriptures; if seeds for healing, then healing scriptures; if prosperity, then prosperity scriptures. The water of the Word is the catalyst that activates and releases our faith to grow and develop into maturity. It can then be sown and produce a harvest.
Seeds are spiritual and nutritional powerhouses. Seed faith is the substance of everything! Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is "THE" substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Nutritionally, seeds are highly nutritious, compact superfoods in themselves. Within each tiny kernel are vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential oils, phytonutrients and antioxidants. It’s amazing to realize that each tiny chia, flax, sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seed contains within it, not only the plant in its embryonic stage but all those nutrients as well, but it does.
It’s just as awe-inspiring to realize that God has placed in each one of us a kernel of His own faith (Romans 12:3). It is protected until there are favorable conditions for it to be sown. Physical seeds are sown by planting them in soil. Spiritual seed is sown by speaking it. Jesus tells us in scripture that if we have faith as a seed, we would 'say.' We speak the Word to sow it in the soil of our hearts because faith comes by hearing the Word. Once it is sown in a receptive heart, warmed by the light of God's Son and watered with the Word, all the spiritual vitamins and minerals it absorbed from the soil sprout to life. Just as an apple seed produces an apple tree, faith seed produces the specific harvest it is sown for. Healing seed produces healing. Peace seed produces peace. Wisdom seed produces wisdom.
God’s Word tells us not to despise the day of small beginnings, and I believe that applies to our faith as well. While today your faith in a particular area may be small, all faith begins that way! You must water it and give it the proper conditions in order for it to grow, develop, mature and produce. And it will. God promises us that while the earth remains, seed, time and harvest will not cease. And He cannot lie.
If you think you have no seed to sow, consider these: thoughts, words, money, kindness, love, respect, faith, honesty, peace, discipline, integrity, prayer, patience, encouragement, compassion, understanding, generosity, excellence, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, obedience, ideas, expectation, dreams, gratitude, liberty, praise, worship, consistency, talents/gifts, sincerity, a smile, truth, faithfulness, loyalty, action, perseverance, tenacity.
As you consider your seed, think about this: anyone can easily count the number of seeds contained in an apple. Only God knows the number of apples contained in just one seed! The same is true of your spiritual seed.
Speak and sow your seed today. Water it, allow the light Jesus provides to warm it and give it time. Before you know it, it will sprout! It will not fail - it cannot.
Nutrition Nugget: Seeds and Seed-like Grains
You are probably familiar with seeds like pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax and even chia seeds. However, seed-like grains such as millet, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth may still be unfamiliar to you. These are all rich nutritional sources and become even more powerful when soaked and sprouted. When treated in this way phytic acid is neutralized thus allowing the full absorption of the vitamins, carotenoids and minerals they contain. By soaking and/or sprouting the life in these powerhouses comes alive and makes all the nutrition they contain available and easily digested. They make great, tasty, nutritious substitutes for the usual pasta, rice or cereal and are excellent sources of non-animal protein as well as fiber.
Supplement Spotlight: Vitamin K
Vitamin K is best known for it's role in helping your blood clot properly, but it is vitally important for bone health as well. The way it helps you build strong bones is by making sure the calcium you take in is deposited in your bones and blood and not in your arteries and the soft tissues of your body. When calcium is not properly deposited in your bones, you risk developing osteoporosis. When calcium is, instead, deposited in your arteries and soft tissues you run the risk of developing atherosclerosis - your arteries and heart valves harden, causing heart disease. Good food sources of this critical vitamin are lean beef, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, swiss chard and egg yolks. The good bacteria in your digestive system synthesizes vitamin K, so when you take antibiotics, which kill the good bacteria, you are unable to produce adequate vitamin K. Be sure to repopulate your system after any antibiotic use with probiotics.
Featured Product: Flax Advantage
Flax Seeds are rich in lignans, essential omega-3 fatty acids, and dietary fiber including beta glucan. Flax has been used for centuries and is considered among the most effective cholesterol lowering and cancer protective foods. Flax Advantage Golden Flax Seeds can easily be added to juice, smoothies, hot or cold cereal or added to your favorite muffin recipe. Call 1-888-747-6733 and use code 11379 or visit http://www.phporder.com/11379 to order and get a 20% discount on this and all future orders.
Word to the Wise:
Matthew 17:20
"..if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Every seed contains within itself infinite possibilities. As we see from this verse spoken by Jesus Himself, our faith holds limitless possibilities. I just wanted to highlight one point to think about. You can have sincere faith in any number of things and yet not have Bible faith. Real, true Bible faith spoken of here comes from one Source alone - God's Word. So build your faith on His Word and nothing will be impossible to you!
If you enjoyed this issue of the 3-D Living Newsletter, please forward it to anyone you know who will benefit from it. They'll love you for it! If a friend forwarded this issue to you - just go here to get your own free subscription: http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com/Welcome.html.
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