Have no other gods, originally uploaded by pattykoplitz.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage."

“You shall have no other gods before Me"

The first word, Anokhi, means, "I am." G-d is speaking of Himself, and communicating with us.

The Midrash is intriguing. It says this first word Anokhi is Egyptian, because G-d wanted to speak with us in the language we had learnt while we were in Egypt. This tells us something about the nature of Torah and of being a Jew. G-d does not want to relate to us only on the sacred, spiritual level of our lives, represented by Hebrew, the holy language. He wants to reach the earthly "Egyptian" dimension as well.

We should not try to pretend that we do not have this lower aspect. Rather, we should try to control it, then elevate it and ultimately transform it into something holy.

Note that the word anokhi (“I”) is used instead of the more common word ani, suggesting the uniqueness of God. The word eloheykha (“your God”) is in the second person singular, rather than in the plural. Each person (individually) must recognize that the God who created him or her is entirely unique, without rival, and entirely sovereign.

There are no mediators in this encounter -- the soul stands before God alone. We know from Exodus 20:18-21 that the Jews were unable to withstand hearing these commandments and asked Moses to be their mediator. Moses, by God’s grace, was given the ability to receive the full content of the Torah at Sinai on behalf of Israel, and later Yeshua Himself became the Mediator of the better covenant than that ratified by the elders of Israel at Sinai.

When God is above all things and distractions in our life, there is no room for superstition or fear. To believe in Him gives us an identity of strength and value which will not allow deceit or manipulation to govern us, even when it comes from our own selves; through redemption we find the way, the truth and the life, an abundant life.
Pat Garcia

The first commandment begins with the letter aleph.

marathon of life: Aleph , a key word

Psalm 145 begins with the letter aleph

marathon of life: Psalm 145:1

marathon of life: Wisdom in Hebrew Alphabet

Superstition. Although various practices are called superstitions, strictly speaking superstition is unseemly or unbecoming worship of God.

This unbecoming worship may be the result of false devotion or of a tendency to magic. As false devotion, superstition has one feature in common. A person is concerned that unless certain external practices are performed, like multiplication of prayers, God will be displeased. When superstition tends toward magic, it associates God’s blessings with the veneration of unapproved objects or belief in unverified revelations or the performance of unauthorized ritual.

When a person never feels free or secure or has irrational fears of evil surrounding their lives, it could mean they are not trusting the magnificent power of our God, it could mean they don´t really believe Him or have placed other things as priority in their lives.

In God there is no darkness, He is light, He illuminates, He irradiates, His splendor fills our lives completely.

Pat Garcia

Dr Francis Collins Head of U.S. National Institutes of Health

by patgarcia at NowPublic

President Barack Obama nominated the genetics pioneer who helped identifiy genes associated with type 2 diabetes and the genes responsible for cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington's disease and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.

"My administration is committed to promoting scientific integrity and pioneering scientific research and I am confident that Dr. Francis Collins will lead the NIH to achieve these goals," Obama said in a statement.

"Dr. Collins is one of the top scientists in the world, and his groundbreaking work has changed the very ways we consider our health and examine disease. "

As director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, Collins, 59, helped lead the Human Genome Project that sequenced all the DNA in people.

Source: reuters.com

Dr. Collin´s selection was praised by top scientists, he is considered an extraordinary scientist yet there are some concerns about his nomination. .

There are two basic objections to Dr. Collins. The first is his very public embrace of religion. He wrote a book called “The Language of God,” and he has given many talks and interviews in which he described his conversion to Christianity as a 27-year-old medical student. Religion and genetic research have long had a fraught relationship, and some in the field complain about what they see as Dr. Collins’s evangelism.

The other objection stems from his leadership of the Human Genome Project, which is part of the N.I.H. Although Dr. Collins was widely praised in 2003 when the effort succeeded, the hopes that this discovery would yield an array of promising medical interventions have greatly dimmed, discouraging many.

Source: nytimes.com

Some critics such as Richard Dawkins have expressed reservations about Dr. Collins faith, wondering if it might cloud his scientific judgment.

Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is probably best known for his leadership of the Human Genome Project, though his discoveries of the Cystic Fibrosis, Huntington’s, and Neurofibromatosis genes are also extraordinary accomplishments. Dr. Collins is a world-renowned scientist and geneticist, and also a committed Christian. In his recent best-selling book, The Language Of God, Dr. Collins attempts to harmonize his commitment to both science and religion.

Source: sciencebasedmedicine.org

His new book on personalized medicine, "The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine," will be published in 2010.

Getting rid of superstitions that bound us

Superstition: an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear

I´m moving ahead, there doesn't seem to be a desire from some people to get rid of superstitions (1) holding them down. Our submission to God and his word gives us protection and authority.

¨Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.¨ James 4:7

When Jesus Christ is really the owner of one´s life and heart, His truth sets you free. It doesn't matter what man can say, it didn't matter what was said to the adulterous woman in John 8:3 , the immense, unexplainable love and power of God set her free to go and sin no more.

We all walk through a path of faith and maturity, we can´t stop along with others who have stopped their journey, we can´t race beyond our strength to pass those who are way ahead of us.

We can walk step by step instead, dying to our own selves so ¨this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us¨ Corinthians 4:7-12 to let others know the source of the power that compels us.

The magnificent value of His glorious cross, what it means, what it moves us to believe, the glory of a resurrected Christ and all that it implies.

When will we understand? HE DID IT ALL

How long will we keep ignoring and taking for granted His victory at the cross? How long will we continue thinking as slaves and captives?

He transported us from darkness to His admirable light!

Forget all nonsense, believe and be free.

Pat Garcia

(1) The Roman Catholic Church considers superstition to be sinful in the sense that it denotes a lack of trust in the divine providence of God and, as such, is a violation of the first of the Ten Commandments.

“ Some people, when running away from Superstition, fall headlong into Atheism, both rugged and obstinate, and leap over that which lies between the two, namely, true Religion.”

Plutarch

“Man's mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain”

John Calvin

“The religious superstitions of women perpetuate their bondage more than all other adverse influences”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Mother Theresa, originally uploaded by imaging_dreams.

¨Never let anything so fill you with sorrow

as to make you forget the joy of the Risen Christ!"

Mother Theresa

Thyroid levels go down- body weight goes up

My weight went up to 191.4 pounds, being only 5 feet this is quite a lot, besides being the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life.


After losing so much hair during a hyper phase of my thyroid, I didn't really want to risk messing up with the dosages again and I wont until I´m able to go to a private doctor. The past experience with the Endocrinologist at the Social Security Hospital was on the border of traumatic. Living with and overdose or levothyroxine set me on the edge of madness without exaggerating.

Thank God my husband could perceive something was very very wrong and took me himself to be under the care of a private Neurologist and a Therapist which was the most urgent matter.

An uncontrolled thyroid affected me in many ways. Up to this day I can not believe how I fell into the trap of thinking the Social Security Endocrinologist was really acting professionally, but, How can he? When the appointments with his patients are more than 3 months apart.

Being without supervision with a hyper condition for more than 3 months was very tragic, pathetic and confusing, I was losing myself and everything I loved.

I have recovered, yet I have to deal with the excess luggage I have now that my thyroid med was lowered.
¨There will be time for that, now the seizures, the anxiety and the vertigo have to be controlled¨said my doctor. Whom I´m very grateful to.

I´m happy to say it´s time to dedicate myself to get rid of those pounds!

I got to the point where I can´t bend down anymore, having cortisol issues makes me accumulate fat around my belly. My hands and legs are still slim. I´m like Humpty Dumpty. My bone structure is that of a slim person so my knees hurt as I walk with all the extra weight. It is also very difficult to go up the stairs to my bedroom.

As mind are brain were really recovering being taken care of by really really dedicated doctors, it really didn't matter much, how I looked outside, my face has acquired a new splendor of happiness and ease as I can relate to others lovingly again.

Symptoms of a Levothyroxine Overdose

Levothyroxine is a "narrow therapeutic index" drug, which means that the safe and effective dose is usually very close to the toxic dose. Therefore, an overdose can result from taking just a little too much levothyroxine. The symptoms of a levothyroxine overdose can be very dangerous. Some of the most dangerous symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Confusion or disorientation
• Feelings of a rapidly or forcefully beating heart (known as heart palpitations)
• An irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• A rapid heart rate (tachycardia)
• Seizures
• Strokes
• Coma
• Death.

The Gulf of California Rocks With 6.0 Quake

by patgarcia |

The Gulf of California Rocks With 6.0 Quake

see larger image

The 6.0 magnitude quake this morning at 5 am was strong enough to be felt in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur. A similar earthquake, a bit stronger 6.3, was felt on saturday September 1st 2007 leaving us with dozens of aftershocks.

La Paz, Baja California Sur.- Un fuerte sismo de magnitud 6 en la escala de Richter estremeció el noroeste de México a las 05:00 am, y tuvo el suficiente potencial para dejarse sentir en el sur de Sonora, norte de Sinaloa y Baja California Sur.

Source: oem.com.mx

A 6.0 earthquake struck Friday morning in the Gulf of California off the western coast of Mexico, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The scientific report about the California earthquake from the U.S. Geological Survey may be found here. The earthquake was felt at 05:00:18 AM at epicenter time, which is PST in California this morning on July 3.

So far there are no words about the damages.

Source: huliq.com

Longest Continuous Relay Swim from Baja to help Wounded Warriors

by patgarcia | June 25, 2009 at 08:07 pm

Longest Continuous Relay Swim from Baja to help Wounded Warriors

Another great international event in my city La Paz Mexico. William 'Spanky' Gibson, Vito Bialla, Gordon Clute, Matthew Davie, Dave Holscher, John Mathews, JC Sheppard, Scott Stiteler and Emily Young the Night Train Swimmers.will cross the Sea of Cortez from Peaceful La Paz to a port close to the city of Culiacan in mainland Mexico supporting the Wounded Warrior Project.

After last year's successful English Channel crossing on behalf of Lifehouse Agency, the San Francisco-based Night Train Swimmers will attempt to break the world record for the longest continuous relay swim by crossing the Sea of Cortez (Mar de Cortés) in Mexico from La Paz to the Mexican mainland - a distance of 252K (157 miles).

On June 27, the Night Train Swimmers will depart from La Paz on a 157-mile trek across the Sea of C ortez in an attempt to break the world record for longest continuous relay swim. The Night Train Swimmers are raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Source: 10kswimmer.com

A little bit about ight Train's safety officer for this crossing. If you want to read about the rest of the participants you can go to the link below.

• 

William "Spanky" Gibson is Night Train's Chief Safety Officer for the Sea of Cortez crossing in June 2009. A decorated US Marine, Spanky was shot by a sniper in May 2006 while on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. When the firefight was over, his left leg was gone. Just two months after he was shot, Spanky was back at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, preparing to go back to Iraq with his new prosthetic leg.

Over the past few years, Spanky has completed multiple triathlons and ultra-endurance events. He currently serves as a Marine Legislative Fellow at the Committee on Veterans' Affairs in Washington, DC, where his duties include drafting legislation, serving as a liaison to constituents, planning international conferences and much more.

Source: nighttrainswimmers.com

Crossroads Panorama

by ~gacek