Connections

Acts 4:32 - 35

 32And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

Can you guess what is the greatest risk factor for your health?  You might think diet, exercise, family genetics, but believe it or not it is loneliness.  I know, I didn't buy it at first either.  But I watched a video on YouTube by Dr. Lissa Rankin and now I am convinced that it is true. 

A study was done on a community in Pennsylvania named Rosetto in 1961.  It was small town made up of mostly Italian immigrants.  Most of them were related and lived in multi-generational homes.  This town had no history heart attacks, suicides, alcoholism, strokes, and no history of ulcers.  Now you could argue that they ate a healthy Mediterranean diet.  Not so, their diet was 41%fat and they were obese, Now here is the key...they were never lonely.  They always had someone nearby to help with any problem, to share the good news and the bad news, and to hold and touch when they felt alone.  

Lets move forward 10 years.  The kids are growing up, moving away and leaving their familiar surroundings.  The first heart attack was recorded and by the end of the decade their health conditions were considered normal according to the statistics of the United States Health Department.

According to studies today 6% of us will die from air pollution (cigarettes, COPD, asthma), 23% will die from obesity and conditions that come with being overweight, 37% will have alcohol related deaths and 45% will die from loneliness.  1 in 5 Americans suffers from loneliness. 

So what is the cure? Alot of times we expect someone else to fix us, but in this case we need to fix ourselves.  We need to like ourselves, we also need to not be so hard on ourselves.  We will never be perfect and we all have stuff!  Things we are not proud of, things we have experienced, good and bad they are part of us. Each one of us have our own trauma.  

We can't isolate ourselves, we need to get out there and take risks, be brave, find love.  We all are part of this world and we all belong to each other.   

Have you ever heard of Blue Zones?  These are places all around the world where people live healthy and happily for over 100 years.  Most of these places are inhabited by people who love and take care of each other, like a Tribe.  They have relationships and rituals which bring them together. 

Imagine you are part of a Native American Tribe or a Scottish Clan.  Every day you eat together, work together, play together and worship together. You are there for each other.
I challenge you to find your Tribe.  Who will be there for you?  Who can you support, uphold, and be there for?  It can be your family, friends, or coworkers.  You can have more than 1 Tribe.  Just be sure that when you are part of a Tribe you are all in.

 A person with cancer is 4 times more likely to die when they face this journey alone.

If you don't have a Clan or a Tribe come see me at the YMCA of Laurel Highlands.  We have lots of friendly people and fun activities to join in with.  Make some connections and live loved.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Getting to know Jesus

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

Imagine you are sitting in a room full of people and Jesus walks in.  What would you do? 
The man sitting across from you looks up, sees Jesus and goes back to reading his newspaper.  He knows who it is but is not ready to get involved with Him.
The girl on her Iphone doesn't even look up.  She is not interested in anything but the latest post on social media.
The door opens and a young man looks in, sees Jesus, and turns around and walks back out the door.  He's not going to change his lifestyle and he knows Jesus might want him to. 
The 2 kids playing with their action figures don't even know who Jesus is.  Their grandma looks away with feelings for remorse and guilt.
Now me, I would jump up, offer Him my seat, and sit down as close to Him as I could.  I would sit on His lap if He let me.  Imagine hearing His breath, feeling His heartbeat as He wrapped His arms around me.  
The words from the song "I can only Imagine"  come to my mind as I write this post. 
 What would you do?

Jesus, my Lord and Savior.  I know the day will come when I will be standing in front of You.  When my days here on earth are done and You call me home to Heaven to be with You forever.  I pray that I accomplished all You prepared in advance for me to do in such a way that Your name will be lifted high and glorified.  Lead me on this journey and I will follow.
Amen

MercyMe - I Can Only Imagine (Video)