Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fight it with Fitness

One of my readers has submitted this information to aid those battling cancer. I hope you find it helpful.

Thanks, David, for your article. Now, I’ve gotta go work out! Grin.

Using Fitness to Combat Cancer Treatment Symptoms

While it's true that vigorous exercise alone will not prevent or cure cancer, there are several reasons to stay as fit as possible both during your cancer treatment and for the rest of your life. Regular exercise not only helps ease the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, it also helps stop the wasting of lean muscle mass needed to perform everyday activities. Here's what you need to know about staying fit while fighting cancer.

Exercise Can Benefit Everyone

It doesn't matter if you have mesothelioma, prostate cancer, or leukemia, exercise has been proven time and time again to combat fatigue, increase immunity, and both maintain and build lean muscle mass that is crucial to remaining as independent as possible. Exercise also increases cardiovascular health, which is crucial for withstanding grueling treatments.

You Will Notice a Difference

Many patients with cancer complain of severe exhaustion, a loss of appetite, and a feeling of depression or despondency. All of these symptoms can be treated with the natural endorphins that are released with exercise. Cancer patients who walk briskly on a regular basis or visit the gym are less likely to experience nausea. Fit women who were living with or in remission from breast cancer were found to have more regular hormones when compared to unfit women with larger body fat stores.

Talk to Your Doctor about Getting Fit

Although over half of cancer patients report that their oncologist never discussed an exercise program with them, 84% of respondents said they would have liked to talk about it. While there are so many benefits to an exercise program before, during, and after chemotherapy, radiation, or other treatments to fight your cancer, you can't reap those benefits if you don't have a plan. Your doctor will be able to make suggestions as to what is an appropriate level of exercise. As with any exercise program, it's important you discuss any negative side effects with your doctor.

Keeping fit during your cancer treatments and for the rest of your life afterward will not cure cancer, but the positive effects are well documented. Staying fit will allow you to keep your stamina to do everyday task, help increase your appetite, and give you relief from fatigue. Talk to you oncologist about a suitable exercise plan. It's never too late to start on a journey to a healthier you.


By: David Haas

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Comfort fromj the Spirit

I read this quote yesterday from the new book, Daughters of my Kingdom. It's beautiful.

Sister Snow: Her inspired instruction helped Relief Society sisters face the trials of their day. She taught that if they would continually seek guidance and comfort from the Holy Ghost, they could enjoy peace even in the midst of adversity. She said that the Holy Ghost “satisfies and fills up every longing of the human heart, and fills up every vacuum. When I am filled with that Spirit,” she continued, “my soul is satisfied, and I can say in good earnest, that the trifling things of the day do not seem to stand in my way at all. But just let me lose my hold of that spirit and power of the Gospel, and partake of the spirit of the world, in the slightest degree, As Relief Society sisters pray individually and with their families, they can receive inspiration to guide them.
and trouble comes; there is something wrong. I am tried, and what will comfort me? You can- not impart comfort to me that will satisfy the immortal mind, but that which comes from the Fountain above. And is it not our privilege to so live that we can have this constantly flowing into our souls?” 1

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Christ is there

I recently received an email from a “Hard Times and Holy Places” reader which touched my heart. I’m glad that my new friend as found some encouragement during her very difficult trials. With her permission, I share portions of her message with you:


“October through January I was back and forth from Utah to Arizona helping care for my oldest daughter. We found out last October she had stage 4 gall bladder cancer and it was metastasized and systemic, so we knew we had only a few months left with her. She passed away on January 22, 2011. Two weeks before her passing, I was still in Arizona caring for my daughter when I got a call from my sister saying our mom (who was 94 years old) had suddenly taken a turn for the worse and they had to call hospice. She was in congestive heart failure and they only gave us a month at the most left with her. I came home from Arizona to say my good-byes to her and help care for her for a week, and then I was going to fly back down to be with my sweet daughter again. While I was home my son-in-law called to tell me my precious daughter had passed on. I was heartbroken because I never got to go back down and be with her again. Then 19 hours after that news my mom passed away.
On top of all of that, while I was home caring for my mom, my second daughter had to have gall bladder surgery, she had complications from an instrument breaking while they were doing the procedure and they had to open her up to go find the piece. Her heart rate and blood pressure bottomed out in the recovery room and we almost lost her.
Next sequence of events was that my fourth daughter had complications due to the stress from her heart problems, and so I was worried I was going to loose her, or at least end up at the hospital with her on top of everything else, and my third daughter had a divorce finalized and she left the church (after a Temple marriage).
I became very angry at God, and kept asking him why this all had to be happening to me. I do not have a companion. I have been a single mom for the past 25 years, so did not have anyone but my children to help me through these times; and I did not want to burden them because they were suffering also. I could not turn to my siblings and burden them because they were suffering also. I could not even turn to my mom for comfort, so I felt alone and helpless.
July was the 6 month mark of all of these happenings. I fell apart again, and I had not been back to church in four months because I let people in the church and their actions, or lack of actions get to me. I could not face people and their comments of "at least you have the gospel and know they are in a better place" or "just remember the Lord knows your strength and will not give you more than you can handle."

So chapters 8 & 9 were especially comforting to me. Your words about people making you feel horrible by what people thought was encouragement by saying Heavenly Father wouldn't give you more than you could handle made me cry. I loved your thoughts about the Atonement of Christ and that it is NOT true that we won't be given more than we can handle, and that is why Christ suffered for us; because he knew we could not handle it alone. I had felt like you that people were just pushing a knife deeper and deeper and causing me more pain and making it harder, and turning me away from them. And I said to myself, I really can not handle all of this. You gave me a new holy place in adding to the sentence that I can not handle it alone without letting Christ and his Atonement help me. You gave me a way to remember how to not be alone and helpless, because I can do it with Christ. I must now remember to not let the people of the church get to me, and to go back to church and ignore comments from people, because Christ is with me and he loves me, and is always there to help me when nobody else is.”


My prayers and heart go out to this sweet woman and to those who suffer so tremendously. I know that Christ loves each of us individually and infinitely. We never have to feel alone or without help.
I know he lives.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Hot Dog Diggity

Necessity might be the mother of invention, but hunger is definitely the son. What do hotdogs and toasters have in common? Well, isn’t it obvious?
Recently, I entered my kitchen and found my eight-your-old son making lunch for himself.
“Watch this, Mom.” He said as he catapulted a hotdog out of the toaster. “It’s so cool!”
Our toaster oven has a defrost setting, so my son thought it could do the job on a frozen dog. Wow! If he positioned his bun just right, he might be able to stick the landing.
Because hotdogs are his recent meal of choice, my little Chef Boyardee found an alternative cooking style to the toaster. Instead of the boring old use of a pan to cook the mystery sausage on the stove, he placed it directly on the burner so that it would have the grill lines on it. I guess it tastes better that way. Well, it sure cuts down on dishes. Maybe the fire fighters like hotdogs too. There will be plenty when they come to extinguish the flames shooting forth from the burner.
No, my son isn’t always left unattended. In fact, I am the one who is normally filling the eating requests, but I thought these new and creative ways to cook a dog were worth sharing. It’s a new spin on an old favorite. So, try something new today. Perhaps, you should avoid the hotdog catapult and the burner dog; however, I’m sure you might break up the monotony of old tasks by adding a bit of imagination.
Now, what can we do with ground beef? Hmm.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Exciting news!

I'm excited to announce that my new book, "Facing The Son", is coming out on August 1. Here's the introduction. I hope it sparks an interest.



Facing the Son
Facing the Son
Kris Belcher
DESERET BOOK COMPANY

Introduction
The light of dawn signaled the morning of the Sabbath, but the glow of the sun meant nothing to him. From his seat at the side of the dusty road, the beggar felt the sun’s heat warm his back and just a hint of breeze touching his upturned face. For many years, he had sat in darkness, each day coming to this same spot of ground. Here he begged from the many passersby for his subsistence. His eyes saw nothing, but his ears followed the sounds of movement near him—sounds of animals and their masters, mothers calling after their children, and the shuffling of feet as people walked by.
He listened as a group of men approached. They stopped and spoke together about his blindness. He marveled at the words of one whom the others called Jesus, when they asked, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
In anticipation, the blind man leaned forward to catch the reply.
“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:2–3).
He couldn’t believe it. Never before had the blind man heard someone teach such a thing, but the words rang true in his heart. He had not deserved this physical problem; he knew it. He had always known it. Yet now this man preached what he had felt from birth.
This Jesus, who called himself “the light of the world” (John 9:5), spoke kindly to the beggar as he stooped before him. The beggar heard the stranger spit in the dirt, and then he felt warm, wet clay cover his blind eyes. He drew back, not understanding but somehow not fearing this new stranger. He heard a crowd begin to gather as Jesus helped him to his feet and quietly gave him instructions to “go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (John 9:7).
The beggar, now urged forward by some new feeling inside, was assisted to the pool. A glimmer of hope pricked his heart, but still, he was uncertain what would happen as he entered the water.
The blind man did as he was commanded and washed off the clay. Instantly, the light of the sun met his eyes and filled his mind. Never before had he ever imagined such brightness. Familiar objects and people appeared foreign with their vivid colors and strange dimensions, yet these new sights brought him unbelievable joy. Tears of amazement and gratitude spilled down his cheeks. It was a miracle. His eyes had been opened.
***
I have always loved reading the New Testament story of how Christ healed the blind man. I have imagined what that day would have been like, what the man may have been feeling, and the compassion that must have shown on the face of Jesus. Having struggled with very limited eyesight throughout my life and finally gone completely blind in 2003, I have longed to receive such a healing.
As a college student at Brigham Young University, when I still possessed some vision in one eye, I was present in a religion class where we were told that the prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson, was in the building next door. After class, if we waited outside, in an hour, we might catch a glimpse of him. When class ended, I was amazed to see that no one besides me had remained to see the prophet.
I sat in the sun—just waiting. It occurred to me that if I was the only one around when President Benson exited the building, perhaps I could not only see him but speak with him as well. I had read and heard of many modern-day miracles that had been done by the hands of apostles and prophets in our day. Was it possible that I could receive a miracle and, through the power of the priesthood held by this prophet, be healed? Would President Benson take time to give me a blessing? Would Father in Heaven cause my sight to be improved or even fully restored?
Now, perhaps this sounds a bit Pollyannaish, or even foolish, but I knew that God worked through His prophets and that such a healing, according to the will of the Lord and my faith, was absolutely possible.
Finally, when the doors to the building were opened, students seemed to come out of nowhere, clustering to see the prophet. I was pushed to the rear of the crowd, and I watched President Benson shake the hands of those in the front row. My heart was saddened as I saw my chance to speak with the prophet, and possibly be healed by him, pass me by.
However, as I joined the group in celebrating President Benson’s birthday by singing to him, the Spirit comforted me and taught me an unforgettable lesson.
It was not the will of the Father that I should be healed of my sight impairment. Understanding entered my mind, as it so often had before, through the words of a scripture. I thought and felt the power of Christ’s teaching to his disciples on that day when he healed the blind man so long ago, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3).
Instead of receiving complete healing, it was my mission to keep my sight impairment. I learned through the Spirit that as I struggled with my disability, others would see the help given me by the hand of the Lord, and this would help them seek Christ in their own lives. This was not the answer I had hoped for and wanted, but I gathered my courage and received strength to move forward.
Since that time, the passage in John 9 has given me purpose amidst my struggles. Yet that is not all. As I have studied this chapter in more depth, I have come to realize that the healing of the beggar was not the primary focus of the passage. The man who was blind served as a living lesson for a deeper truth—the need to overcome spiritual blindness in order to truly see what is important.
After the beggar was healed, he was taken before the Pharisees and questioned. Because Christ had healed this man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees charged him with breaking the law of Moses and condemned him of being of the devil. They totally missed the miracle and the power of the miracle worker. The Pharisees were blind to all but their own interpretation of the law. They could see with their physical eyes, yet they were blind—blind to what mattered most: Jesus Christ.
It seems so easy for me to diagnose the vision problem of the Pharisees. Why couldn’t they, why didn’t they recognize or focus on the Savior? Why did they see only the law and not the giver of it? Yet, I wonder how many times I do the same thing. How often do I allow other things, even personal feelings, to take my focus away from spiritual matters and ultimately from my Savior? Spiritually speaking, what is my visual acuity? Do I suffer from a spiritual blindness similar to that of the Pharisees?
How can you and I improve our spiritual vision so that we can grow closer to the Savior?
I believe the sun can shed some light on this for us. After I lost my eyesight, I went through light withdrawals. I missed the sunlight in the clear blue sky, the sunrise over the mountains, and the beautiful colors of a sunset. Now, when I go outside, the only way I know if the sun is shining is if I feel it on my skin. I love to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays on my face. There is a comfort in that feeling.
The sun can also provide valuable direction. I learned this in my mobility and orientation class that I attended after I first went blind. The goal of the course was for me to navigate safely and independently using a white cane.
In one lesson, I was taught that I can determine what direction I am facing by using the sun. Here’s how it works. If it were morning, and I felt the sun’s warmth on my right-hand side, then I would know I was facing north. Similarly, if I felt the warmth on my back, I would know I was facing west. This information can be vitally important to my navigation and safety.
Spiritually, we can also receive comfort and direction from the Son. If we can feel the warmth of the Son—the Spirit—then we know we are facing the right direction. However, if we aren’t feeling that warmth, we can be certain that we need a course correction. This information is vital to our eternal progression.
As we face the Son, and seek His light, you and I can gain access to real power. We can have a greater ability to “see” solutions to difficult problems, receive hope when life appears hopeless, obtain the enabling power of grace to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks, receive forgiveness from sin, and gain strength to endure trials faithfully. We can do this incrementally each day as we seek and apply true principles to aid us in real, day-to-day experiences.
Let’s look at how an increased ability to see spiritually can affect us in a typical day’s experience. Each day, I interact with my children, and often my patience is tried. When I grow irritated at their whining, complaining, or arguing, and I let that irritation fester, then I am not facing the Son. I am allowing the light of the Spirit to be eclipsed. However, if I have an automatic plan to engage when I begin feeling such irritation, then I can more easily think, feel, and act with love from the unobstructed light source: Jesus Christ. This will help me handle the situation with more patience, in a Christlike manner and without contention—at least on my end. I will see more clearly because the darkness that comes from holding onto negative feelings is replaced by spiritual light and strength.
I invite you to try examining your own visual acuity—not your physical sight, for that is of lesser importance, but your spiritual ability to see. How is this done? I have found that spiritual vision may be easier to identify if I compare it to the different stages of physical vision I have gone through in my life.
At the age of seven months, I was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma—multiple tumors on the retinas of both eyes. This cancer was treated with radiation therapy, and my life and some vision were saved.
For the first eight or nine years of my life, I had limited vision in both eyes, but my retinas were very scarred, leaving me with blind spots in my field of vision. However, until I ran into something, I didn’t notice the blind spots. My mind adapted so that I just looked around them automatically.
When I lost the sight in my left eye, due to a cataract and calcification of my pupil, I depended solely on the vision that remained in my right eye. It was difficult to rely on less light than I had been used to, and I didn’t like the feeling of darkness. Then, when my left optic nerve died, it grew even darker, if possible, and it was like part of me was lost to a blank void. My world grew smaller and smaller.
With these changes came the need to make adjustments to help me utilize my remaining vision. For example, I turned my head to the left so that I could see what was in front of me and not just what was on my right-hand side.
I developed a cataract on the lens of my right eye when I was in high school, and surgery was required to improve my sight. My lens was removed and an artificial lens was put in its place. Consequently, everything appeared brighter. The cloudy lens had dimmed my vision, but I hadn’t noticed because the change had occurred so gradually. With the new lens, colors seemed brighter and more vibrant. I literally felt as though I had more light in my life.
Then, when I was thirty-two years old, the remaining vision in my right eye began to fade and I was diagnosed with more cancer. This time, the tumors were behind my right eye and had been caused by the radiation I had received as an infant. Despite many surgeries and even more faith and prayers, I lost my sight when it became necessary to remove my right eye in order to remove the cancer. I then was completely blind—left in absolute darkness. I was devastated.
At different times throughout our mortal lives, we may, depending on our faithfulness, experience differing degrees of spiritual vision. Clear vision requires that there be no obstruction to light. However, we are constantly bombarded by temptation and sin, which, if chosen or embraced, will obstruct our view.
I wonder if you and I get so used to these light-blockers that we begin to look around them, until that becomes so automatic that we don’t even notice them. Or perhaps we make small bad choices that don’t appear to change our vision but that, if not corrected, dim our sight. If we stray further and further from the Light—Jesus Christ—we can feel spiritually as I did physically when I lost all vision: left in darkness and despair. The light we previously enjoyed may seem lost forever.
If we honestly identify and properly treat those things that blind us spiritually, our focus on Christ will sharpen, and our vision will become clearer. Through the help of the Spirit and the power of the Atonement, we can improve our ability to see spiritually in this life and to make it through the difficulties and darkness of mortality.
As you and I seek light together, I know that the Spirit will lead you to actions appropriate to your own situation and spiritual acuity. I know that as we work to improve our spiritual sight, praying for the help and direction of heaven, darkness will retreat and we will move closer to the Light. For Christ is the only cure, remedy and healer of our spiritual vision. He has promised, “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16, 19).

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Lessons from peas?

I just went out to the garden and picked some peas, a few beans, and some Swiss chard. I’m always amazed that when I plant seeds, something edible grows out of the ground.
I brought my small bounty into the house and shelled a few peas to taste. They were delicious!
“Wow!” I thought, “I grew these all by myself!”. But, then I wised up. I grew them myself? I knew that wasn’t true at all. I merely planted the seeds and provided the water. I don’t have any power to cause those seeds to produce anything. This Earth, acting as it was directed by Christ when created, did the real work. The miracle of the plan of Heavenly Father is manifested even in the little things- like the peas I ate. That is the amazing thing. Father directed and Christ created this planet for the family of Adam and made it so that seeds would produce after their own kind.
Isn’t it funny how little peas can teach so much? I mean, how many times do we think, “Look what I did?”, or” I did that myself!”? Our efforts are important for sure, but the real power, strength and ability comes from the Father. He lends us breath, and he helps us give all we can. And why does he do this? Love. He does and provides so much because he loves each of his children.
Anyway, just a little something to muse upon the next time you eat peas.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Woman of Great Faith

Each week, I read the letter of a missionary from our ward that he sends to his parents, and his letter today has provoked pondering
He talked about being a faithful missionary as opposed to being a missionary of great faith. It’s great to be a faithful, or obedient missionary, but the miracles come to the missionaries of great faith.
For myself, for the most part, I think it is pretty natural to be a faithful woman, but how much better my life would be if I were more of a woman of great faith- miracles would come. So, I’m pondering the things I can do/be to become a woman of greater faith.