Author Archives: HeatherAnderson

The Power of Water

Do you know the power of water? I got involved in a conversation about water in the Post Office car park!

An elderly man was telling another guy how he had been advised to drink lots of water, and now he was so much brighter,and generally felt much better. He was still walking with a stick, but seemed so much more upbeat. He had cut out all tea and coffee. And now he felt more cheerful with fewer aches. He said he was sipping about 2 litres a day, about 4 pints.

At that point another neighbour arrived in the car park and he recounted how he had had to take his adult son to A&E and they had actually recommended that he include plenty of water in his lifestyle. So father had joined his son in this to encourage him. Physical symptoms were eased, but whereas depression is not far away normally, he too said he had felt a lift in mood. And this was quite unexpected. Better than medication!

At this point I arrived and they called across to me, did I know the power of water? I was able to say that my other half is also a 2 litre man. And he too, has ongoing health benefits from the power of water. It keeps us in working order.

Interestingly I was telling a friend of mine about this conversation, and she went ‘Ugghh! I hate drinking water.’ This is such a common reaction.

The way to deal with this to sip sparkling water,

or put a teaspoon of lemon juice in the glass.

another option is to add one drop of peppermint oil.

Eventually these ‘training’ methods are no longer needed as our body adjusts itself to the most natural fluid in the world.

Our bodies are made up of 7/8 water. We need water. Not just in hot weather but even in the middle of winter. If we consider what we drink, there are often drugs added to the water – tea, coffee, and alcohol. If not these, then we might be having fruit juices. But these refreshing drinks are so concentrated, our kidneys have to work very hard to process them. Better to eat the fruit with the fibres.

So tomorrow reach for a tall glass and keep sipping all through the day. 3 pints for a woman, and 4 pints for a man. This is a good guideline.

Very soon you might be able to join in the conversation in the car park about the power of water!

The Nature Effect

Today my Bank was asking me how well I slept last night, how much I feel I am carrying, are things getting on top of me, does life feel heavy – all on a scale of 1-5. Apparently scammers know that certain days are worse then others for people and they take advantage of these times when we are all more vulnerable.

I know a young person for whom life is very tough. Almost every day is one just to be survived and lived through. And sometimes the getting through proves too much and everything crumbles and goes to pieces. From this point it is a long way to climb back up out of the pit.

However when D was writing to me this week, the comment was made that the things of nature are so exquisite and detailed, and the colour combinations are just so beautiful that only God could have been so creative. Why do we doubt God? In these few words I sensed that for just a few seconds, peace had passed into the heart and given something pleasurable and cheery even if only or a very short time.

Another person with whom I am in touch described going for walks in the night into the woods and meadows and just taking the time to stop and be still, to hear the soft rustlings and sounds of the night, to see the antlers of a deer passing nearby, or the silvery light of an almost full moon. The fragrances of the night are very special as the come to the nostrils.

For just a few moments both these people experienced something different. It was the effect of the nature around them or within their sight. I have often wondered if troubled minds would be helped by a period of time in nature where they could feel the nature effect and be benefited. A wellness centre offered the option of alternative accommodation, a log cabin that opened onto a lake far separated from other troubled people. There in the morning stillness, they could hear a fish jump, and watch the ripples or see a shy bird in the reeds or admire a sunbathing dragonfly. Slowly the shoulders could drop, the breathing slow down, and let the nature effect take over and pour its tranquility on a distressed heart and mind.

This is what our God intended for us. He gave the nature effect. Maybe we should take time to find it too for a few minutes each day – and say Thank You!

But I want to do it my way!

There is one mistake we all make. Life is not easy. It is complicated. It is difficult but we all make the same mistake. We want to live our lives in our own way. We want our independence.

But did you know we cannot do it. It may seem to work for a while but then the complexities get deeper. And we find ourselves drowning.

This is because we were made to be dependent people. Oh how we hate that word dependent! The fact is we cannot plan our lives from beginning to end and work out all the twists and turns. There is always some factor that comes on the stage i=of our lives and changes the plot.

It is at this point that we can find our mental health suffering. Life is too big for us. We feel confused, out of control, unhappy, and we no longer know what to think, or what to do. There are too many competing thoughts.

Life turns into a nightmare!

But there is an answer. We have tried to be independent and it failed. The next human thing we do is go to a friend for advice or help, but they cannot see into our lives to help us unravel it.

So what is the answer? What can we do to stay sane?!

You might not like this but it is the only solution. Go to God. He is there. He knows you from before you were born, He knows your coping abilities and He knows where your weaknesses lie. God wants you to find peace.

God says, ‘Give up your independence and lean on Me. Stop trying to live life on your terms. Why not see what I suggest?’

Listen to these words. This is God speaking to you. Proverbs 3:5-7. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding’ ‘In all thy ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct thy paths.’ ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes ; fear the Lord [put Him first] and depart from evil. It shall be health.’

This is the true beauty of dependence, provided you depend on the right One. Would you like to have health and direction in your life? God keeps His promises. God says to you, Prove Me! Put Me to the test. You will find good and hopeful things coming into your life. Hold on to these things. Would it be worth a try? You know that independence did not work.

Capture The Golden Hours

I enjoy simple photography.

Sometimes you can see something so beautiful, so heart stirring and you did not have any means of capturing it and the opportunity has passed. Occasionally I have been fortunate and have just been able to capture that moment. Looking back on that photograph recalls all that was beautiful in those few minutes.

The first such moment was when we were driving from South Island to North Island, New Zealand following the coast road. On our left were hills eroded by time and just for a few moments those hills glowed, bathed in a glowing light, with a deep blue sky behind. It was a sight that could never have been part of an English landscape.

Then as we were travelling in Sweden late one autumn afternoon just before sunset it seemed as if the tops of the trees alongside the road were touched by soft fire. For a few miles I was spell bound and then it faded out and was gone. But that scene is etched in my mind for its beauty.

The third moment was the most striking. We were travelling in the south of France heading down towards the Mediterranean. We had been on the road for some time and I had drifted off to sleep in the back of the car. Suddenly something woke me up. And as I looked, it was if I had been transported to another place and time. The entire countryside was bathed in a soft warm golden light. The purplish shadows highlighted the beauty of the scene and its stillness.

Then alongside the car flying parallel to us following one of the long drain canals were four flamingos. They too were soft gold. It was so good to watch them turning their heads at the end of their long necks from side to side, as if looking for a breakfast spot. And then the flamingos were gone, the reeds were grey, and the light had changed . It was an ordinary bright South of France morning, just another day. But I can visit those moments any time I choose in my mind’s eye. Those golden moments have stretched into golden hours for me.

Were these times just my imagination? No! The golden hour comes twice a day. It is a time, not really a full hour, sometimes only a few moments, just after the sun has risen above the horizon, then at the end of the day at some time in the hour before it sets again, when the light changes. To capture that golden hour is to capture a time of beauty and mellow stillness.

Life is not easy for anyone. Do you have a store of good things in your heart and mind to fall back on in the rough times? Keep looking and begin to build a gallery of your own golden hours.