The Miracle of the Seed is Medicine for a Healthy Mind and Healthy Body.

''Truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.'' (Matt. 17:20)

Have you ever wondered about the power within the seed? You may call it seed intelligence. The farmer, who lives by the products of the seed he sows, puts the seed anyhow in the soil. The seed knows there is only one way for its survival - to grow upwards or in a particular fashion. The farmer has no doubt that with a healthy environment; the seed would grow and yield its fruits. I sometimes ponder on the seed intelligence that helps the farmer feeds his family. The seed has all the ingredients to fulfill its destiny. It does not matter whether the farmer turns the seed upside down or sideways. It will grow and yield its fruits.

The farmer is able to do this because he has faith in the seed. The power within the seed has kept him alive all these years and he is not about to forget that. All we need is a grain of faith to goad us to plant the tiniest seed on the most rugged mountain. This is because, faith is the most powerful trait we have going for us. The unshakable assurance the farmer has in the power of the seed is what gives him the strength to get up day to day to plant his seeds. In other words, he believes in the power and the miracle of the living seed with its hidden potential that he has witnessed.

I am sure we have all been touched in our lives by the success achieved when we started a project or an endeavor that in spite of all odds against us, we were able to overcome adversities and achieve our goals. However, being human, we tend to forget these moments and slip into the comfort of doubting our capabilities to influence our destiny. When we slip into this slumber of insecurity, these are some of the suggestions that may help:

• Be a tough-minded optimist. Base your optimism on the miracle of the seed. The seed power is within you. Thus, you have endless potential to manifest any project you set out to do. This assumes that you have done your homework. Just like the farmer who prepares the soil before he plants the seeds, you should immerse yourself in training to acquire the necessary skills that will help your chances of success.
  
• You may sometimes meet obstacles and hence you should build resilience within yourself. The most effective way to build resilience and have access to the power in the seed is to tap into the Devine through spirituality. Having the Lord in your boat all the time ready to calm the storms in your life when you call on him has healing effects on you. When you can operate without any stress, there is no seed that cannot yield fruits for you.
  
• In your quest for success, do not trample on others to achieve your end. Because every one has the same dreams and rather than trampling on them, help them if you can to achieve their dreams.
  
• Remember we are here for a short time. Helping someone believe in his seeds leaves some part of you behind to continue the legacy of planting mystical seeds.
  

  
  

  "A man having planted seed must needs leave it alone. He may tend the field, removing weeds,
  

  protecting the plants as best he may,
  

  but the growth itself is dependent upon conditions and forces beyond his power to ultimately control. "
  

  Author: James E. Talmage, Source: Jesus the Christ, p. 269
  

Marriage Maintenance is Medicine for Your Mind and Body Health.

"I now think of marriage like I think about living in my home state of Minnesota.
You move into marriage in the springtime of hope, but eventually arrive at the
Minnesota winter, with its cold and darkness. Many of us are tempted to give up
and move south at this point, not realizing that maybe we've hit a rough spot
in a marriage that's actually above average. The problem with giving up, of course,
is that our next marriage will enter its own winter at some point. So do we just
keep moving on, or do we make our stand now – with this person, in this season?
That's the moral, existential question we face when our marriage is in trouble."
Bill Doherty

Marital health is important for our survival. Marriage creates children, children grow up to create communities, communities create nations and nations create humanity. Hence, the importance of a healthy marriage cannot be overemphasized. A healthy marriage is like a ship on a smooth sea. Let there be a rift in the marriage and the going becomes choppy, unsure, stressful and unhealthy for the couple, the children and the extended family. When marriages become unstable, the couples set themselves up for sickness.

Studies show that when all is well with a couple's marriage, they have enhanced immune system. On the other hand, when the going becomes tough the stress of the strife is enough to dampen the immune system. The rift also takes its toll on sleep, which is a balm for healthy living. The children become pawns on the marriage chessboard. They become victims and invariably suffer in the process. How do you keep your marriage healthy? These are some my suggestions that may help:

• You should consider marriage as a journey, not a destination. It is a journey to eternity. The first step begins with the tying of the knot that locks you up for life. Yes, for life. This mindset would give you the perspective to settle into your marriage with confidence. The only problem is that it takes two to work out the kinks in a marriage since you are two different individuals trying to live under the same roof.
  
• Get to know the type of person your partner is. Is she a socializer, a director, a relater or a thinker? Knowing the personality profile of your partner goes a long way to help you cope with the ups and down of her moods. Your dictum should be to do unto her what she would have done to her. This is where the golden rule breaks down. You will realize that when you base your interaction with your partner on your knowledge of her, she will be your best companion.
  
• Compromise, because life is all about negotiations. For any marriage to succeed there has to be compromise. Compromising with your partner does not mean you are weak. It means you have confidence in yourself, a trait that you need for a long lasting marriage.
  
• There would be stressful times in your marriage when you may have disagreements. Do not go to bed without talking about your problems. If you do not, you will have a fitful sleep, a prescription for stress and anger in the morning.
  
• Do not be selfish. Learn to share and do things together.
  
• If your educational level is higher than your partner encourage her to take classes to improve herself. This will increase her self-esteem and make her forever be grateful to you.
  
• Have the divine in your life so that when you have children they would follow your example. Spirituality helps us in time of stress as it gives us resilience to withstand life's vicissitudes. When you are spiritual, it is easier to forgive, as you know bearing grudges harm you more than the person who upset you.
  

"Be on the lookout for strain in each other, and with compassion and
understanding, lend a helping hand and a mature heart. Helping each other
manage emotional strain can yield creative alternatives and build a new
foundation for heart-based communication and hope."
Doc Childre

Control Your Thoughts; They Influence Your Mind and Body Health.

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

Author unknown

"Any man will usually get from other men just what he is expecting of them.

If he is looking for friendship, he will likely receive it.

If his attitude is that of indifference, it will beget indifference.

And if a man is looking for a fight, he will in all likelihood be accommodated in that."
— John Richelsen

That every thought has its chemical component in our body cannot be overemphasized. When you are happy with your work and or your boss, the workplace is heaven. You enjoy gong to work. You become a team player. Your productivity increases. This is because positive thoughts about your work environment produce chemicals that keep you elated, contented, more productive and healthier. Have a tiff with your boss, or have a mean supervisor and all hell can break loose. Going to work becomes a chore. You sleep fitfully so that you go to work with bags of skin under your eyes.

Stress is part of life. However, when stress becomes unrelenting, the stress hormone, cortisol overwhelms the body, thus affecting the chromosomes. The Telomeres bear the blunt and cause cell aging. This can make you age faster and make you sick. Recent studies have also shown that stress kills the brain cells. Hence, your attitude and approach to your problems should begin with your thoughts. Use your mind to evaluate your problems because you will find that most of your judgments are not real. They are imitations of the reality since you are wearing a pair of goggles called stress. When your stress levels are high, every pin that drops on your foot is a nail pinning your foot down. You have it in you to change your negative attitudes and thoughts so you can have the chance to heal and enjoy life. These are some suggestions that may help you.

• Get to know your body, because when you are under stress certain parts of your body such as your neck, shoulders and your back may start hurting. When this happens, you should re-examine your thoughts to see whether what is stressing you is worth the pain you are having. This is when you have dialogue with yourself. Watching your thoughts is half the battle won. You become the observer of your thoughts and can train yourself to walk away from any thoughts that trigger your stress-induced pain. If you cannot talk to yourself, with whom can you talk? To live a happy life is to be able to know the real you so you can have conversation with yourself.
  
• You should not expect perfection in life. You are human and hence, things may go wrong in your life. So far as you can breathe, eat and drink, you can overcome whatever ails you through your God given ability to get up when fate puts you down. This approach to living requires discipline and demands your watching your emotions and your thoughts so they do not go astray. Your thoughts are like toddlers that are learning to walk. They destroy anything in their paths. Your purpose is to watch them closely and save them from themselves.
  
• Be gentle with yourself. Life is not a race you have to win to achieve laurels. It is the reason for our existence and hence we are here for the long haul. So treat yourself with love and kindness. Know your weakness and acquire skills to overcome them. When you see the new You, the skills you acquired on your way would keep your mind and body healthy.
  

"If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of becoming a prophet."
— Isaac Bashevis Singer, Yiddish-American writer (1904-1991)