My Minor Health Challenges

My Minor Health Challenges

As a senior citizen, I appreciate that others have been praying for me. 

God is answering those prayers.

The following is a list of MINOR health challenges. I have had these off and on for many years. But these have been more frequent. 

Here I list each CHALLENGE with the REMEDY I have been using. If you know other natural remedies then please let me know. 

CHALLENGE - cramps in my calves

REMEDY - eat 1 or 2 bananas daily, apply cordless massager and stretch as I lean against a wall, I recently ordered a TENS unit that will hopefully prevent these troubles

CHALLENGE - pains along one leg or the other at night

REMEDY - apply cordless massager and stretch as I lean against a wall, I recently ordered a TENS unit that will hopefully prevent these troubles

CHALLENGE - stiffness, and soreness at the top of my right shoulder into my neck 

REMEDY - apply cordless massager, I recently ordered a TENS unit that will hopefully prevent these troubles

CHALLENGE - odd pains in my gums like the start of fever blister

REMEDY - take amino acid supplement named L-Lysine

CHALLENGE - earache sometimes left other times right ear 

REMEDY - saline mist to help loosen mucus that might be contributing, take Vitamin C, put few drops of Colloidal Silver in the ear, massage the area around the ear and especially massage downward to help drain the lymph. This brings relief and I am not sure what part helps most. 

CHALLENGE - deposits on my eyelashes day and night

REMEDY - medicated and regular eye drops as well as wiping with a clean wet cloth

CHALLENGE - minor difficulty urinating 

REMEDY - I have been taking prescription medicine for my prostate for years. I had run out of nutritional supplements for prostate support. I recently ordered some. Hopefully, that will bring relief. 

As I finish writing all these it seems that I might be in constant pain. But just a few occur daily with peaceful hours in between. 

I am 66 years old. Most of my neighbors are in their 70s and 80s. Some of them have chronic back pains or foot pains. Many of them take 6 to 9 prescription pills a day. I take only 2 pills.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

I have plenty of groceries and a good appetite.

A dear friend sent me several nutritional supplements to boost my immune system.

I get lots of restful sleep.

I take a walk twice a day as the weather permits. 

I check the news about the coronavirus much less often than before. 

As an introvert, I only need a few social contacts per week. 

I have plenty of projects to keep me busy and my mind off of worst-case possibilities. 

I have been investing a little time most days away from the screens and learning how to use my art supplies.

CONCERN

When I visit the doctor for a routine check-up I am asked about my risk of falling. This is a standard procedure for all senior citizens. Medicare has called me and used an automated voice survey to ask similar questions. 

Generally, I am in good health and stable on my feet. 

At these apartments for seniors, there is a red switch with a string on it in the bedrooms and bathrooms. When the switch goes from up to down then an alarm sounds outside the apartment and a red light flashes. Thankfully that has not happened lately nor for the last 2 and a half years I have lived here. But that is an indication of the vulnerabilities for seniors. 

During this shutdown, I have been extra cautious that I do not fall. 

Please pray for me and other seniors. Pray for those relatives, friends, church members, and neighbors that are over 60. May God make a way that they do not fall. 

DENTURES

A few years ago God made a way for me to go to the dental school where they made me a full set of dentures. Before that, I had partial dentures. 

One time when I had the partial dentures the uppers slipped out of my hand and landed on concrete. A small part broke off. I could still chew and it was not noticeable. Months later my full set of dentures was made that cost many hundreds of dollars. 

So I have always been careful when taking out and putting in my dentures. I must remove them when I sleep or I was told my gums may get infected.

I have been extra super careful since the shutdown. I want to be able to continue to chew. Replacements would not be possible for me or anyone at any price during this shutdown. So pray for everyone that wears dentures or other dental devices. May God keep them all intact. 

COMPUTER

Most people use their computer for a few hours a day. I use my computer constantly for nearly all my waking hours. 

I am continually researching, writing, learning, and sharing. Plus I watch lots of videos. 

Recently my laptop has been acting sluggishly and stalling. The spell checker is not working as well as it was last month.  I have needed to restart it much more often. 

I have taken all the measures I know to fix this.

I am concern that it might crash. 

Today I do not have the money to buy a replacement. But there is a rumor that the stimulus money might arrive on Monday, April 6. Uncle Sam has been direct depositing my retirement money into my bank. So I am expecting a direct deposit instead of a check.

My concern is that laptops and desktop computers might sell out due to the increased demands due to more people working from home and school closures. 

If my stimulus funds do not arrive soon then I will seek to borrow the money to get such an essential tool.

Pray for God to guide and provide.

Shalom

John

Freezers Sold Out SO Now Seeking Computer

All the online stores show that the compact freezers are sold out. I have little hope that I will find one before July. But God can provide before then.

I am still convinced that having a freezer will decrease my exposure and as a bonus save me money in the long term. Wisely using a freezer could save money for any family.

Hopefully, 3 to 5 cubic foot chest freezers will be restocked soon.

Meanwhile, I consider that my other major vulnerability is that most of my waking hours are invested on my laptop computer. A few years ago I bought it used and I am not sure how old it was then. Lately, it has been acting sluggish and strangely. I need to restart more often than ever. This is what happened before my previous computers died. I use this tool for researching online, writing, publishing my materials, taking online courses, and watching videos. 

Like the freezers, laptops and desktop computers are selling out fast.

Please pray for God to guide and provide.

Shalom

John

YES to walks and YES to a freezer

YES to walks and YES to a freezer

I talked with the apartment manager and got the OK to continue my twice-daily walks. 

I felt that this was legal but I wanted her verbal approval. That is because when I walk I pass in front of the windows of dozens of neighbors. I few just might complain in the light of how the recent message on our doors was strongly worded.

I immediately took a walk. It felt wonderful to move around again. My body and mind felt refreshed. 

She gave her approval for me to buy a compact freezer. 

She said that is against the terms of the lease. But some neighbors that already have a personal freezer. So it would be unfair to block me and in these difficult times, it would be acceptable. 

By freezing meats and vegetables that means I will go to the grocery store less often. So then I will have less exposure as a senior to people and the things they had touched. 

All my life I have rented an apartment. I have never purchased such an appliance. 

Please pray for God to guide me. 

I do not have a vehicle so I will need to find a way for the freezer to be shipped. 

Are there brands you would recommend to consider and brands to avoid?

I plan to use part of my stimulus money for this. Yet if you want to help with this cost then you can send money to my PayPal account that is fellowpilgrim at Gmail dot com. 

THANKS again for your prayers. That conversation with the manager went smoother than I had feared. 

Shalom

John

May I continue my daily walks?

Today there was a paper taped to my front door. The manager stated that we are under a shelter in place order. The exceptions are doctor visits and grocery pickup. There is a 500 to 1000 dollar fine. 

The rest of the one-page note went into social distancing and stated that the maintenance man will only come for emergencies like fire and flood. 

When I went to pick up my mail from my mailbox behind the clubhouse I saw that the back door to the clubhouse is propped open. That is so people do not touch the handle to go in to pay their rent. The rent is to be put into the slot in the door for the manager. There is a sign saying do not touch anything in the clubhouse. Those are prudent measures.

For the last few weeks, I have been increasing my walks from 1 to 2 per day. It has been mentally, emotionally, and physically refreshing to get out in nature for 20 to 30 minutes each time. 

When I first moved here 2 and a half years ago there were 6 of us that walked around the property daily. Some moved away and others had heart troubles or other health challenges. Recently I have been the only one that I know of that walks daily. 

I skipped my early walk today and I may skip my evening walk until I talk with the manager to get assurance that it is OK to continue. When I called her phone number a little while ago, it went to voice mail. So I will watch for her to walk her dogs.

Please pray that I have her approval to continue to walk around the property while I maintain social distancing for those few people that I encounter. 

Also, I have been thinking about using part of my stimulus check to buy a compact freezer. Then I will not need to go to the grocery store as often. I can stock up more each time. That will decrease my exposure to people and the surfaces that they touched. The lease agreement is fuzzy about if we can have our own freezer. Pray for permission to have this tool.

Generally, my health is good. 

I take care of how much news I take in daily and what news sources I frequent.

At long last, I hope that the major prayer guide will go out very soon.

After that is shared then the next much shorter writings are named Possible Practical  Preparations, Possible Practical Actions, Ways to Serve Seniors, and Lifelong Learning Options. I have mind maps online and notes for each of these.

I find that when I use my time and talents to research, write, and share then those activities keep me from depression, fear, and overwhelm.

I invite you to share with me your update and prayer requests.

Shalom

John

How to engage with nature as an individual and a family.

How to engage with nature as an individual and a family.

During this homebound season, we are encouraged to get out in nature.

Staying inside all the time and just viewing screens is not good for mental and emotional health.

But there are birds that come and go each day.

These birds can be enjoyable to watch. There are proven ways to attract more birds by offering bird feeders, birdbaths, birdhouses, and nesting materials.

By using part of the stimulus money in April some bird watching binoculars can be purchased. And a smartphone or digital camera can take pictures to share on social media.

This can become an enjoyable activity for any person that is at home.

This could become a learning project for a learner of any age. There are many subjects to research online about birds. Those options include their feeding habits, nesting habits, migration, lifecycle, anatomy, etc.

There are bird nests and plants that attract birds that eat many mosquitoes if that is a challenge in your area.

Also, there are webcams that are positioned to show birds feeding live and bird nests all over the place. There are recorded highlights too.

Then there are ways to attract hummingbirds by just using feeders that are refilled with sugar water.

These videos began because I found a small birdnest beside the sidewalk during my daily walk. It has bits of paper and plastic woven in with the bent twigs. That reminded me of how we humans can offer the birds nesting materials. I put small strips of yard and jute into a spare suite feeder. In the video, I showed how I did it. I suggested ways that you can too.

Then I made a video showing my front porch and the birdfeeders in the courtyard. I commented about birdbaths, birdhouses, and more.

Finally, I offer you links for your learning.

How to make a device to offer nesting materials for birds.

Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software - Watch Video

https://www.loom.com/share/6eefceabd77f483fafa83b5b4d12ab46

My comments about birdhouses, bird feeders, birdbaths, and online bird cams.

 

Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software - Watch Video

https://www.loom.com/share/283d4d6a118042fa8f0afe418801079d

Mentioned in video 

Wildbirds Unlimited

 https://www.wbu.com/

https://www.wbu.com/get-started/  

Cornell Bird Cams 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZXZQxS3d6NpR-eH_gdDwYA/playlists

Others that are similar

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuL60_Ko4m9xCaa4QDNgJrw/playlists 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWnI906Skvs 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX8N2GUPwaA  

Hummingbird videos follow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mmCr5aJ2gc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlyrTyboD0E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM9hh3wfaJo

Shalom

John S. Oliver

 

Recertification Update, BREAKTHROUGHS and my Nest Steps

RECERTIFICATION

This is the season for me to become recertified with the housing authority and food stamps. I must get documentation in about my incomes and costs of living as well as answer their online questions into their online portal by March 25, Wednesday. Or I am at risk of losing those benefits.

I have known that and had it on the top of my ToDo list for a week. But I kept procrastinating.  

Then I talked on the phone with my pastor and accountability partner. Telling them helped to confess my weakness and need for prayer.

FINALLY, I got going. 

When I was stuck in the past what had worked was the 25 minute Pomodoro timer on the task management service named Kanbanflow www.kanbanflow.com that I use several times a day to juggle my tasks. 

For the last 2 days, I have made progress with the housing authority site. The marker says I am 70 percent complete. I found on this and other projects that I make my best headway in the evenings. So I will do more tonight. As of now, I had used 3 units of 25 minutes. That timer keeps me focused. There is built-in permission to take a break after 25 minutes. I do that unless I am on a roll. 

Please pray for me to complete both of these before the deadline. 

Then a representative on their side will call me. We will go over all the items. If there are no troubles then I will be approved for another year. 

BREAKTHROUGHS

For YEARS I have felt strong guidance from God to learn to draw. 

I have needed to have an activity that would bring play and fun into my life.

The activity of drawing would fit into my budget and schedule.

I have bought all kinds of art supplies and art books. 

Many times over the years I have attempted to engage with these materials. But there was no traction.

So I watched more Youtube videos and downloaded more PDF files. 

For this Lent, I committed to doing a little art each day. I have marked my calendar and I only missed a few days. Before I start I pray earnestly about this matter. My art engagement has lasted often for 5 minutes. But I counted that. Sometimes it went on for 30 to 40 minutes. 

The better times have included doodling, Zentangles, basic drawing exercises, expressing my thoughts or feelings by using prompts from at art therapist PDF.

FINALLY last night after much prayer I felt led to Pinterest and their collection of Art Worksheet as well as lessons about the foundational principles of art, and exercises for the art class of children. 

I surfed through hundreds of options to choose the ones that resonated with me the most. These are SUPER SIMPLE. I was intimidated by all the beginner lessons in books and on Youtube. 

When I found an image I liked I right-clicked it and saved it as a copy. Then I pasted that on a google doc of 44 pages with an insert page break between. 

Plus some of those Pinterest images took me to a website with others like it. From there I explored those options. I selected the ones I liked best. Some times I was pointed to save those to DropBox. There were about 12 of those and some of them were 4 to 6 pages. 

Therefore THANKS to answered prayers I have a custom-designed art workbook and my price was free if you do not count paper and ink. 

Pray for me to actively engage with these materials during Lent and after that. 

NEXT STEPS

In order to help me review and revise my priorities, I put the name of each project on an index card. I make 2 copies. 

One copy goes face-up on the top of my dresser that is in my walk-in closet which I made into my prayer closet. Sometimes I will reach out and touch an index card as I say a brief prayer over it. 

The other copy goes by my computer at my workstation. They are taped up in the order of importance. Even in the last 2 weeks, I have adjusted the sequence of those cards. This helps to keep me focused and not get sucked into the blackholes of other activities as much. 

Lord willing in a few days I will have completed my part of the recertification. Then my next step is to write and share a document that I am calling Possible Practical Provisions. This will list optional ways that people can be prepared for staying home for many weeks. 

I was a Boy Scout and an Explorer Scout. The motto Be Prepared stuck with me. The activities of camping and sailing made preparations a necessity. 

In this document, I will list the kinds of items for prayerful consideration. What follows is just a sample.

Note that there is a promise of money from Uncle Sam that some call helicopter money. So here are ways put that money to good use in the context of this season of shut down.

My intention is to offer an organized collection of ideas to help them make sense of what they can do to prepare. This will spark there thinking and prompt them to do their own online research. That puts them in motion and taking action steps to cope with these uncertain times. Such action steps are an antidote for fear, depression, and overwhelm. 

I will ask them for prayers as well as comments, suggestions, and questions. 

It is my hope that this will lead to a mutually beneficial and interactive online community. 

HOME FITNESS

Adults and children still have a need for exercise while homebound. So I will list options for them to consider and research. Possibilities include yoga, Taichi, Qi Gong, Nia Technique, step aerobics, rebounder, fitness ball, resistance bands, and calisthenics.

IMMUNE BOOST 

I have been researching foods and nutritional supplements that are proven to boost the immune system.

HYGIENE

There are dozens of Youtube videos and webpages about how to make your own hand sanitizer. One of the ingredients is essential oils. And within the essential oil options, a few are proven to be best for sanitizing hands. I have begun to research those to be listed soon.

I had a mild outbreak of itchy bumps under my beard. I tried all kinds of products. But it was plain old sulfur soap that worked best. That was far cheaper than all the other products. 

It can get costly to keep cleaning the home. But these days they offer gallon jugs of vinegar for cleaning. There are lots of Youtube videos on how to use vinegar to clean.

Many nature-based products have Tea Tree oil. Note that it can be bought without additives. That has helped me with skin troubles and many other things. 

I am always seeking the most natural solution to my problems. Years ago I came on Kleen Green http://www.naturalginesis.com/kleen-green/ which is an amazing solution.

I use Lysol Hydrogen Peroxide https://www.lysol.com/products/multi-purpose-cleaners/lysol-with-hydrogen-peroxide-multi-purpose-cleaner-oxygen-splash/ that cleans my metal kitchen sink better than anything else and it is natural.

THEN

And there are more such items I will share on the Possible Practical Provisions document soon.

I have been putting such ideas on my Mindmup www.mindmup.com under headings like new to homeschooling, new to working from home, natural aids to sleep, dealing with fear, prayer, meditation, journaling, lifelong learning, etc. 

I could never put all the options on a document. It would be like a multivolume encyclopedia. But I know that I can oversee the collaborative creation and improvements of a wiki. 

Besides the Wikipedia, there are dozens of other such online services and each one has hundreds of clients https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_wiki_software 

The skeleton of any wiki is like the sitemap of a website. The Mindmup www.mindmup.com is helping me to begin to think through the major categories and subcategories. I will need much help to make this useful to users initially and as it grows. 

Already I have received a few google sheets where kind people have listed many useful resources in an orderly format. I will be inviting others to do the same within their area of interest. 

There is a great service called Smart Sheet https://www.smartsheet.com/ that can take such google sheets and excel spreadsheets to weave them together in ways that approved members can edit.

It is possible to comment on each line item.

If you are interested you can begin to bookmark websites and books that you would recommend for others.

You could put those on a google sheet or excel spreadsheet with your comments as to why you recommend that item. 

Pray for God to connect me with the best volunteer right on time to get this project going.

PRAYERS AND PSALMS

I have been working on Volume 2 of Some Prayers and Psalms for many weeks. There are 7 core units that are ready. But I have been adding to the Appendix to include prayer resources related to the coronavirus. 

I set aside Sundays for this work. 

Pray for me to finish it this Sunday and get it out early next week.

Shalom

John

Do you want less fear and more understanding of the coronavirus?

Less Fear and More Understanding

Do you want less fear and more understanding of the coronavirus?

Here is the cream of the dozens of hours of my online research into the coronavirus. As a retired person, I have had a few hours daily for more than a month to explore many facets of this event.

It has become the responsibility of each citizen do learn what they can about the coronavirus pandemic.

Many point only to the CDC Center for Disease Control or maybe to WHO World Health Organizations. However, both of these are funded governments and influenced by politics. Over the years they have been had a less than an excellent track record of accurately reporting. Their actions and inactions over the years have been criticized. In my opinion, most of what they offer is good. But is it not the whole story. Like any organization, they have a bias and an agenda. So it is wise to also consider other sources. 

Note that the news outlets have an agenda to get as much traffic as possible today and tomorrow and the next day. They must use fear and sensationalism do beat out the competition. Plus they must jam the news of any story into a tiny soundbite.  It is not their job to educate the public beyond bullet points. Plus each news outlet has owners that color any coverage with a political spin that tends to be pro or anti-Trump these days. 

Here is a great summary by a renowned virus expert of the current conditions from Dave Rubin who has been interviewing experts for all filed and all places on the political spectrum for years.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNuUekw4Crc    

Here is a simple science lesson related to coronavirus by Dr. Beg that has hundreds of videos about how the human body works  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjUOpvmDE7k

If you want details about the science then go to this video by MedCram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vZDVbqRhyM  and explore that channel.

Of the many sources I have researched over the weeks, I have come to trust this Youtube channel the most, Peak Prosperity https://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisMartensondotcom/videos. He continually monitors international news and medical announcements.  He makes many key points based on facts that he has documented. Dr. Chris Martenson at Peak Prosperity has a Ph.D. In neuro-toxicology from Duke University so he does know what he is talking about when it comes to viruses

The numbers of reported cases are far lower than reality due to several factors. Those factors include that there has been a severe shortage of testing kits internationally. Where they do have kits they do not test unless the person already has severe symptoms. So those with mild cases continue to interact and infect others. The politicians and media play down the risks to keep the economy from crashing, fear of impacting tourism, and to keep people from panicking. The virus does not care about the spin doctors and will continue to spread at an increasing rate.

When you are ready to face the facts and get a sober dose of reality without hype or spin then watch his videos. It would be wise to subscribe to them and share them with those who are ready. 

Here is a Peak Prosperity's recent update with animations that show how much real risk there is. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8QiUTWVnjQ  

Here is the Peak Prosperity website.

https://www.peakprosperity.com/  

The news out of China is heavily filtered through the political party that runs the country. Is it true that there has been an increase in reported cases in every country but China? Did the virus suddenly stop operating there? Yet the Youtube channel China Uncensored has been revealing facts about the reality in China about other issues for years. Here is their playlist about coronavirus https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyQwHft0jy6dJToBDCamzT5DkWNnaJv1n

This pandemic has been spreading from nation to nation. The news reports in the USA rarely mentioned what happened internationally. But BBC news channel on Youtube has many brief updates about coronavirus and other matters worldwide.  https://www.youtube.com/user/bbcnews/playlists 

I have personally begun self-quarantine a few days ago. So I intentionally minimize my contact with my neighbors and the public. I have stopped attending church for now. 

Note that I am 66 years old, so I am in the high-risk group.

I live alone in a 1 bedroom apartment. I receive my social security income that is enough for my basic needs. 

I do my best to eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep and daily exercise. 

I have begun to research the food and nutritional supplements to boost my immune system. 

What I will miss the most are hugs. I tell myself that THIS TOO WILL PASS. We are at the beginning of this difficult season. Much later there will be a middle. And after that, there will be an end. THEN I can safely hug again. 

Here is a Bible verse that has blessed me lately. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. John 14:27 

While I have been researching I have been also putting the many key ideas on an online mind map service. This has helped me make sense of all the complex and interrelated information. 

Sometime soon I will offer simple summaries based on that mind map. I am pondering the best ways to share this publically so that others can quickly see how this many bits of data relate. 

My next step is to craft an email newsletter with a related website. I will offer updates related to the summaries of my research. My next update will offer an orderly presentation of preparation options with suitable links for more details. Plus I will offer general and specific prayer guides. 

And I want to offer an interactive community for mutual support. 

The tentative name of this project is Coronavirus - Pray and Prepare.

I hope to share Volume 2 of Some Prayers and Psalms early next week. It has grown larger each Sunday as I have added prayer items related to the coronavirus in the Appendix. 

Before I can give this project my full attention I need to complete a few personal projects. Please pray for God to grant me guidance and focused concentration to get those done soon. 

I invite your comments, suggestions, and questions.

Shalom

John S. Oliver

PS I invite you to forward this along to others. If they reply to me at equippingleadeers@gmail.com  then I will put them on the distribution list for further updates.