Remembering The World: Defying Dialysis, Man Bikes Across Country

This is an amazingly, inspirational story. Lets continue to give God the praise:

'Just for surviving after two failed kidney transplants and living long beyond the prognosis of six months he was given at age 20, Shad Ireland was already something of a walking improbability. The 37-year-old living with no working kidneys has taken his status as a medical marvel much further, though, performing physical feats most normally healthy people wouldn't even dream of, despite spending most of his life on dialysis.
"For me to be on dialysis for 27 years, for me to do two triathlons, has really got the medical community scratching their heads," Ireland said. "If you asked any doctor, if you told them about me, they would say it's impossible."
Last week Ireland took his determination 4,639 miles. He biked from California to the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building to draw attention to the 500,000 people with kidney failure currently living on dialysis.
More importantly, however, Ireland said, he biked across the country to get the attention of the millions of Americans whose obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes put them at risk for kidney failure.

To make it across the country, Ireland had to schedule four-hour long dialysis sessions every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to clean the toxins out of his blood that a healthy kidney would have rid him of. Doctors say kidney disease makes conditioning for any physical task much more difficult.
"When I said I was going to do an Ironman triathlon, my biceps were the size of quarters. I went to a gym. I had no idea what I was getting into: I couldn't walk two minutes on a treadmill, I couldn't pick up 10 pounds," Ireland said. "Within a year I was able to gain 42 pounds of muscle."
Like the other 500,000 people in the United States living with kidney failure, Ireland had a body that was ravaged by dialysis and his disease. Many dialysis patients are unable to work, they may suffer from bone loss and end up in a wheelchair, and 15 percent to 20 percent of people on dialysis die every year.
"Healthy kidneys remove these things (toxins) every second of every day, so there is very little accumulation and the concentration of these chemicals in the blood stays within a very tight range," said Dr. Alicia Neu, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
"Many of these substances can affect physical strength, endurance, memory, sleep habits, etc.," said Neu. "Many patients can and should remain physically active on dialysis. They may need to work harder and certainly have more to overcome to achieve the level of activity of those who have normal kidney function."
Ireland's physical feat might seem impossible to many, but doctors want their dialysis patients to think the opposite.'

Let's remember Shad Ireland in our prayers, thanking God for bringing him this far, as well as remembering the cause that he fights for, the many people who might not be doing as well as Shad but are living with the same or similar condition.

Beacoup d'amour

Jade Chanel x

To read the full story, visit: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartHealth/story?id=8262651&page=1

It's up to you to know the Word of God.

This post is really based on an experience that I had earlier in the week, and the lesson that it taught me. So I was on Facebook and I saw a video posted by someone entitled, 'John McArthur rebukes Joel Osteen', which interested me as I used to watch Joel Osteen's sermons on a Sunday evening. I was aware that Joel's preaching is based on what is known as 'prosperity gospel,' basically the idea that God wants his people to prosper and we ought to be cheerful givers, but for someone to be rebuking him? Like the way we rebuke the devil? Wow, OK. So I watched this video and was immediately filled with questions, are my beliefs a lie? Does God not want us to be successful? Have I been following the wrong path? Basically I was so confused and to be honest quite scared. I started digging around, looking for more information, trying to find out who was telling the truth.

To be perfectly honest, I've always had my doubts about those preachers who want you to give these massive amounts of money to them, believing that God 'will richly bless you if you do give.' Having ATM machines in your church? Having all the different card types listed on the back of the offering envelope, as if you're ordering something from Amazon? I'm honestly not sure if these people are serious? Don't get me wrong, it is right to present an offering to God. In the books of Moses, God commands His people to give a tenth of everything they own back to Him, but we are also called to be good stewards of the things that we own - basically being able to take care of what we are given (Luke 16:1-13). So, please correct me if I'm wrong, if you have a certain amount of money, why are we called/urged to give, what we might not be affordable at that time?

So with my underlying doubts in the mix, it wasn't helping the situation. John McArthur's highly cynical and mocking approach, thrown into the equation was simply baffling. Was I supposed to believe this man, who, albeit might be talking the truth, was in the same breath being so judgmental? Then the epiphany occurred:

'Jade, you need to know the bible for yourself, then you will know what to believe and who to believe'

It's that simple, by knowing the Word of God, we know exactly what God is saying and thus we will know what exactly to believe. When we don't know God's word it can be so easy to follow what a specific preacher says because it is that specific preacher. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says 'All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.' Psalms 1:2-3 encourages us to 'thrill to God's Word, chewing on Scripture day and night' .

I cannot emphasize how important it is now to know the bible for yourself, I know that I am still learning but I have made a start in knowing God's word. It is not just about reading it and that's it, make sure you meditate on it, simply by thinking about it throughout the day. People will try and tell you what God is saying but once you know the words that are written, you will be rooted firmly, making decisions for yourself and fully relying on God not man.

Beacoup d'amour,

Jade Chanel x

P.S. If you want to see the John McArthur video to see what you think, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hZDt96Sw7Q&feature=player_embedded

P.P.S. If you want to understand God's word in everyday language before you attempt the King James version, I highly recommend The Message bible. It can offer you a level of understanding, with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure, before chewing on the bigger stuff. Here's a link if you want to purchase it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Message-Remix-Bible-Contemporary-Language/dp/1576834344/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1290165149&sr=8-6

Or it can be accessed online via Bible Gateway : http://www.biblegateway.com/

Remembering The World: Haitian Cholera epidemic

For those of you haven't read the 'Remembering The World' page, check it out before you read on, because it explains the purpose of what I'm doing here (Link on the right hand side of the page under 'Pages')

Cholera, which is an intenstinal disease, caused by contaminated food and water has become an epidemic in the contry of Haiti, sweeping across the nation and killing many:


The full news report has been taken from: http://www.miamiherald.com/

Health officials are blaming the deaths of more than 100 people suffering from acute severe diarrhea and dehydration on an outbreak of cholera.
``For sure it is that,'' said a Ministry of Health official, who asked not to be identified because the government had yet to make an official announcement.
At least 1,000 people had been hospitalized in the lower Artibonite region in recent days, with the main hospital in St. Marc filled to capacity.
The conclusion of cholera was supported by diplomats at one foreign embassy. A report obtained by The Miami Herald stated that foreign health experts working with the Haitian government to identify the problem were ``99 percent sure it is cholera'' that caused severe diarrhea and vomiting in St. Marc, Mirebalais, Drouin and Marchand Dessalines. On Thursday, Haitian health specialists along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta continued to investigate the source of the outbreak while the government trucked in thousands of gallons of water.
South Florida-based Food for the Poor also announced that it was shipping in antibiotic, oral dehydration salts, water filtration units and other critically needed supplies to several cities and rural villages near the outbreak. So far, it had not reached Gonaives, the largest city in the Artibonite region.
The U.S. Embassy warned U.S. citizens that they should only drink bottled water, avoid undercooked or raw seafood and ``seek medical assistance if you develop acute, water diarrhea,'' it said.
Cholera is a contagious bacterial disease that affects the intestinal system. Symptoms include severe vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. It can cause death within four to 12 hours after symptoms begin if untreated. Spread through consumption of infected food and water, or feces, the disease is treated with fluids and antibiotics.
The disease outbreak is the country's first since January's 7.0 earthquake claimed more than 300,000 lives.
A spokeswoman with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the source of the outbreak is still being investigated.
``We have not received any confirmation on what is causing an increase of diarrhea in the lower Artibonite region,'' Jessica Duplessi, a spokeswoman with OCHA said. ``There has been an increase in cases of severe vomiting and diarrhea, which in particular is quite an epidemic in Haiti. We still don't know if it's coming from one central source or not. That is what the doctors and experts are trying to analyze.''
The Pan American Health Organization also warned against concluding too soon that cholera was the source of the outbreak.
``We just need confirmation of further investigation before we change the labeling and we have a precise diagnosis of the underlying cause,'' said Dr. Michel Thieren, senior program management officer with the PAHO Haiti Office. ``No one can say for sure. We are assisting with all sorts of rumors.''
He said PAHO officials and the ministry of health officials sent an evaluation mission to the area, and are awaiting the results of tests.
He said the joint PAHO/Ministry of Health evaluation mission received reports of 1,526 cases and 138 deaths of unconfirmed severe diarrhea. The numbers he said must be investigated and remain ``very questionable.''

Let's remember the people of Haiti, that may be vulnerable to this disease, and that those who already have it, will be given a supernatural healing. That those who may be mourning will be comforted and that God will take control and just be a comfort to those who need safety and warmth.

Jade Chanel x

NB: To read more, look at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11721995

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A852G20101109

Whose window are you looking through?

When we look at ourselves in the mirror, do we see ourselves, or do we ignore the reflection before us and replace it with that of someone else? It might sound really creepy, but seriously, when was the last time you wished you were in someone else's shoes? Wishing for their hair, their eyes, their dress sense, their parents or just their whole lives? Don't front and pretend like you've never done it, it's better to be honest with yourself. Now compare that with the amount of times you've told yourself that you love yourself, that you're beautiful/handsome (without being arrogant!) and that God loves you as you are? Is it neck and neck? Or is one above the other? For me I know that I have spent so long wanting to be other people that I've totally forgotten about who I am as a person, and have neglected what my life is about, my gifts, talents, loves, dislikes etc. And I believe now is the time to regain myself - are you willing to take the journey too?

When I say 'whose window are you looking through' what I mean is whose life are you glaring at longingly perhaps even enviously through only one perspective? Let's emphasize the one perspective! What you must remember is that in our comparisons we have only looked at what we know or what we see of that person, we don't know the 360 degree perspective. I'll give you an anecdote.

So I started secondary school, it's all very scary, maybe a little exciting but mostly scary, and I know this is going to sound really cheesy, but you know you want to be in the group that's most popular, the one where you'll get the most 'friends' (yes, the quotation marks are there for a reason) or look the coolest - I hope you get the point? So I spent most of my secondary school life pining to be in a clique that I knew nothing about which led me to take for granted what I had in the form of a great group of friends. It's not until Year 11 - yes that's 5 years of my life spent wishing for someone else's live - that I discovered life wasn't a bed of roses in the 'cool' group - backstabbing, bitching, lies (sounds like a soap opera) and then it dawned on me. Look how much time I have spent wasting, wishing for someone else's life, so much so that my life is now empty, because I failed to nourish what I had and instead pined for everyone else's assets. When you leave a plant without water - what happens to it?

Once you realise, that there's an emptiness, the right thing to do, would be seek God to fill that void in your life and help to develop what you had neglected, right? But the learnt habit to look to other people to find myself felt almost innate at that point. I sought to find my self worth elsewhere, and perhaps if you have been in that situation you may have done the same. I looked for a boy to tell me I was loved, that I was worth something and basically to fill the void that I felt and had created in my yearning to be a completely different person. For some who have spent so long comparing yourselves to others, you may look to the opposite sex or sex in general something that will make you feel worth something or loved. Let me tell you, you're going to be left as empty as before. No man, woman or child can fill that emptiness and make you know your full worth, like God can.

What you have to realise, is that we are all flawed individals, no we are not perfect but the key is not to beat yourself up for the flaws that you have. Learn to love yourself without conditions, stop saying 'I'll love myself once I stop (insert flaw here)' or the worst 'God won't love me until I stop (insert flaw here)' God will in fact help you work through your flaws, don't be ashamed of them, because remember, He can see you doing it. It is only in God that you can find your identity. So, no you might not have green eyes or be able to dance, or excel in academic subjects. But that doesn't mean you're any less of a person then the person who does or can. It's the famous phrase: You're unique. You hear the artists nowadays, saying that they're 'doing me' and you know there are 1000's of people singing it, but whose really doing it?

Reading from the 'Purpose Driven Life' I learnt that God is happy when we you use the gifts and talents He has blessed us with! Not that person you're wishing you were. Is your desire to make God happy? If it is and you've spent a lot of your life comparing yourselves to others, firstly begin by listening to what you tell yourself. Is it positive, or is it negative? If it's negative, start changing what you say, replace phrases of disdain or perhaps even hatred into words of love, tell yourself that you love yourself and that God loves you for who you are. Read the bible, the word is surely where you will discover your identity and finally just converse with God. Tell him how you feel - He likes honesty and we ought not to be afraid of laying our lives bare to our Father.

I'll leave you on this note, my friend was telling me about one of her aquaintances from college, who acheived excellent grades in her GCSE's and A-Levels and that she was outstandingly pretty, and then she uttered the words 'I wish I was like her'. After the many years of me comparing myself I realised how truly unattractive it was. Think about it, you are a beautiful human being, start dicovering your self-worth in God before you start treading the dead end road of comparison.

Beacoup d'amour

Jade Chanel x

The problem with feelings...

One day you're up, the next you're down, you're happy, you're depressed, you're indifferent - our feelings can have a massive influence on our view of the world and more importantly our relationship with God. Feelings enable us to learn and to experience everything around us, good or bad. However it is these same feelings that can cause us to rejoice when everything seems to be going right and reject God when it seems the entire world is against us. In simple terms feelings are very fickle.

Think about it this way, it's your birthday, you're so excited and you're expecting one of your closest friends to call you. Seconds become minutes, minutes become hours and now it's 9pm, the day is practically over and your friend hasn't phoned you and now you feel, what? Neglected, forgotten, hurt? Immediately you might start building a defence or bottling up those feelings and start running stories in your mind 'I'm never going to trust this person again' 'I'm never going to talk to them again' - it sounds childish, but you can't deny we can all fall victim to this mindset. So now we have this massive blockade in our minds, but then you discover that the same friend is throwing you a massive party that evening, and has been busy organising the entertainment, food, venue etc. Now how are you feeling? Ecstatic, overwhelmed, emotional?

To connect it with your relationship with God, transfer the role of your friend to God. You could be going through a major event in your life that you feel God has to deal with in a particular way at a particular time, but He hasn't done it the way you wanted or the time He was supposed to do it in, and so you get angry, frustrated, upset, downcast - the list could go on and then you start venting all these feelings in your actions: (the joke is there is scripture that clearly states we ought not be doing these things)

• 
  
  Fail to read the bible - (All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness -2 Timothy 3:16).


• 
  
  Listening to music that brings no benefit to you e.g. laced with sexual references, or instructing you to pledge your allegiance to some ridiculous-ness - (Keep vigilant watch over your heart, that's where life starts - Proverbs 4:23)


• 
  
  Don't even bother talking to God or even acknowledging Him - (men ought always to pray, and not to faint - Luke 18:1 'pray without ceasing' - 2 Timothy 1:3)


• 
  
  Just generally go out of your way to rebel - (Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! - Psalms 119:1)

I'm just talking from experience here, and please tell me why we get to this place? Because of FEELINGS! And is this place going to get me anywhere? Hell no! You see we're not spiting anyone but ourselves. I'm sure you've heard that saying 'cut off your nose to spite your own face'. Well here is a prime example, our feelings can lead us into predicaments where we neglect God, just because we're not getting our own way, He's not moving the way that we want or at the time we want and this just leads us into darkness and further away from His presence. And I'm not sure about you but I do get that yearning to just be back in His presence, but then I kind of want to spite God (hilarious, I know) so I stay out of it a bit longer, and this can become a vicious never ending cycle and it's only you that's missing out on His greatness. The truth is God will work things out for our benefit, even better then we could have possibly imagined and some things happen just to make us that little bit more resilient or to learn something. Look at your friend throwing you that party?

So, what do we do? The solution I believe, is to give God our feelings, tell him that we're angry with Him, or upset or frustrated. Remember He did make you in his image so who better than to understand us? He's not going to turn His back on you because you screamed or shouted at Him. His love is unconditional, in other words unchanging. God is not going to stop talking to you because you hurt Him, he will welcome you with open arms when you want to apologise. So why are we going to treat our Father in such a sometime-ish manner that the focus on feelings can create? God has our best interests at heart, so next time something doesn't go your way don't give up on God. He did give us feelings for a reason so express how you feel rather than using your feelings to block God out. Don't base this amazing relationship on the frivolity of feelings.

For now I say Bonne nuit,

Jade Chanel x

Relaxation on a Sunday Evening

For this evening, we can relax to some nice inspirational songs, tomorrow the encouragements and challenges are coming, but for now let's give God the praise he deserves! Old(ish) and new school!

Crank up the Bass for this one - Sweetest Thing, Kierra 'Kiki' Sheard:

Rave it up: The Real Party, Mary Mary

Hooollllaaaaaa - Holla (Remix), Trin-i-tee 5:7

Do you want to go? - Heaven, Mary Mary

Do you want to hear this, when you enter Heaven? Well Done, Sean C. Johnson

Who said Christian Music was boring? Ridaz, J.R (ft. Da Truth, Trip Lee and Iz-Real)

Who you loving? Loving You, E-Tizz (ft.many people)

One of those bop down the road (or your frontroom) ones: Walking In The Rain, E-Tizz

Are you a Gospel skanker? Bop the Lord's prayer, put your cross in the air, get your bible and read, now sow some seeds - Kingdom Skank, Guvna B

Do you dance like David? When the Spirit of the Lord, Fred Hammond

Get something in the air! - Walking in Authority, Donnie McClurkin

LOL at the dodgy Jamaican accent, but still great - Caribbean Medley, Donnie McClurkin

Remember to : Step Pon Di Enemy, Papa San

Different Streak: Take it All, Hillsong United

He's always with us: Never Alone, Barlow Girl

Love it: Mighty to Save, Hillsong

Words cannot explain: How Great Is Our God, Chris Tomlin

This is where I want to be: The Heart Of Worship, Michael W. Smith

I know I want more, do you? More, More, More, Joann Rosario

Title is self explanatory - Never Could Have Made It, Marvin Sapp

Where would I be? - If Not for Your Grace, Israel and New Breed

Mercy - Great is Your Mercy, Donnie McClurkin

You are Holy - Worthy is the Lamb, Donnie McClurkin

Through Hardship - All Things are Working, Fred Hammond

Leave you on this note - Ordinary Won't Do, Commissioned

Enjoy the evening lovely people

Beacoup d'amour

Jade Chanel x

Salutations readers....

Hi everyone,

You may be wondering what this blog is about, and no, it is not an identity crisis. Instead it is the discovery of a Father. Someone who has loved me unconditionally even before I was born, a friend who has never left my side, despite the crap I have put myself through and a Saviour who I can count on. No person made of flesh and bone could provide that, no earthly figure would have shed their blood for the countless number of people on Earth to be redeemed. So you may have guessed, the crux of this blog is about Jesus Christ, however stemming from that I want to focus on the relationship that we as young people have with the man we call Father. Sometimes our proclamations of His name come with confidence, boldness, happiness, thankfulness, but not always. At times we come with questions, anger, bitterness, sorrow and shame, and to be honest, that is nothing to be ashamed of. The happy-go-lucky approach can be such a front and it's about time we got real, nobody's perfect and it may be hard to believe but that 'nobody' does include Christians.

So what do we do? Hide the light from those around you and succeed in your job as a part-time Christian? Or do you embrace your walk with Christ whole-heartedly, accepting the highs and lows of your journey? I choose to accept question number two, and I'm here to be real and share it with you. The walk isn't sunshine and flowers, but I believe now is the time to be real and as young people we can be as much of an encouragement to one another as the next elder in church. So let's challenge one another, build each other up, give each other knowledge, share our successes and failures, but fundamentally embrace our relationship with Jehovah.

Beaucoup d'amour,

Jade Chanel x

NB - This is not a 'Holier Than Thou' competition. Think about it:'We wouldn't have so many faults if it wasn't for the holier than thou approach' -cartoonstock.com