tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66855284451852267082024-03-05T01:12:30.120-06:00Sharing AirMartha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-82206924754191964012019-11-11T05:41:00.000-06:002019-11-11T05:41:21.502-06:00My Blog Has MovedHi, everyone.<br />
<br />
Thanks for being with me on this blogging journey. If you'd like to continue the trek, please follow me to my new site, <a href="http://chemicalsandchristians.com/">ChemicalsandChristians.com</a>. Everything from Sharing Air has been moved there, but I plan to leave this site here for now. All new content will be added to the new site, though, and not to this one.<br />
<br />
I moved because the book I've been working on for a very long time may actually be published soon, so I consolidated the blog and the book-related site. Sharing Air has been pretty bare-bones, but the new site has a few more bells and whistles, so hopefully it looks more inviting to those who care about that sort of thing.<br />
<br />
Some of you have been receiving blog entries by email. I'm still determining the best way to do that moving forward. For now, there's a form on the bottom of the home page of the new site where you can sign up to be notified when a new blog entry is posted. Perhaps in the future it will be possible to receive the actual posts by email as well.<br />
<br />
Thank you very much for your support. See you at <a href="http://chemicalsandchristians.com/">ChemicalsandChristians.com</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-47028027102850889962019-08-05T06:26:00.001-05:002019-08-05T06:26:46.044-05:00An Open Letter to Pastors and Church Leaders<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ministry is hard. I know that. I really do know that. I was
a missionary. My late husband was in Christian ministry for over 30 years. My
father, father-in-law, and two brothers-in law have served or are still serving
as pastors. My heart is with you. I wish your job was easier.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think I can guess your feelings when you read this blog. I’m
asking you to take on another task. How can you do one more thing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just doesn’t feel possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, I’m asking for something. I’m asking for churches to
take the chemical toxicity issue seriously. I want the church environment not
to make people sick and I want people who are already chemically ill not to be
left alone and isolated. Why do I dare ask for this, knowing how hard your job
already is? I ask for these reasons:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It’s good for your own health and wellbeing. Reducing
the amount of toxins in the church environment benefits everyone and is especially
beneficial for the people who spend the most time there. Just because you don’t
react immediately and obviously to chemical contaminants doesn’t mean you aren’t
being harmed. It just means your body doesn’t give you an obvious warning, at
least not yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It will make your job easier in the long run. Neurotoxins
found in common products affect bodies and brains. I truly believe that If you
clean up the church environment, people in your congregation are likely to be less
irritable in committee meetings, less likely to take offense at what staff or fellow
church members do and say, and less likely to fall asleep during services. I
believe you’ll have fewer people to visit in the hospital and more healthy
people available to fill ministry positions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It may not be as hard as you think to take some
initial steps. You have to buy soap for the bathroom anyway. It’s not harder to
buy a fragrance free product than a fragranced one. A large part of your
congregation probably already uses some sort of video technology to communicate
with friends and family members. It isn’t hard to use the same technology to
include the homebound in a Sunday School class. As I suggest in my <a href="https://sharingair.blogspot.com/p/churchchecklist-whenattempting-to-make.html" target="_blank">Church Checklist</a></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">,
every step matters. Just take one step, then later take another. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">4. </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No one else is going to pick up the slack. Recently,
someone in one of my support groups reached out to a church for help and got
the response, “Why don’t you contact our sister church instead?”</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">There seems to be a tendency for churches to
believe that someone else is meeting the needs they aren’t. Small churches seem
to think that big churches should take the lead because they have more
resources. Large churches seem to think that smaller churches should take the
lead because they don’t have as much bureaucracy to deal with. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">5. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It makes sense to open the church doors to
people who really want to enter. Society is full of people who don’t care too
much about attending church, and church leaders can spend a lot of time and
energy figuring out how to attract them. Why not use some of that effort to find
a way to include people who desperately want to attend, but are unable to do so
because of products used in the church environment? </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">When I’m watching a church webcast and I hear and
see the efforts made to attract people, I often think of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A+1-10&version=NLT" target="_blank">a parable recorded in Matthew 22</a>. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">When invited guests showed no interest in attending a wedding banquet, servants
were told to go into the streets and invite everyone they saw. There are a lot
of us waiting “in the street” who would love a true invitation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">6. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">People who’ve suffered a great deal and held
onto their faith are the kind of people that make a church stronger. The Christian
MCS community is full of some of the most inspiring and godly people I know. Sometimes
I hear their stories and I think about what was said of others commended for
their faith in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11%3A38&version=NIV" target="_blank">Hebrews 11:38</a></span>:
“The world was not worthy of them.” If you don’t make a way to include these
brothers and sisters, your church is missing out. You really are.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
7. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It’s Biblical. That’s the bottom line, of course.
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+14%3A35-45&version=NLT" target="_blank">Leviticus 14</a> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">indicates that God doesn’t want us to ignore toxins in the environment. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NLT" target="_blank">Matthew 25</a> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+34%3A+1-10&version=NLT" target="_blank">Ezekiel 34</a> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">remind us that we’ll be judged for how we treat people in challenging situations.
People with MCS have very significant physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827900/" target="_blank">A study published in the <i>Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare</i></a> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">noted that medical outpatients scored 23.5 on a life satisfaction scale, elderly
patients averaged 25.8, and people with MCS scored 14.86. Small steps, like
providing a fragrance free Bible Study or prayer group in a safe environment,
can mean more than you can imagine, and being shut out can hurt more than you
know. The people who shared their thoughts in <a href="https://sharingair.blogspot.com/2017/" target="_blank">a previous post</a> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">say it well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You have a lot on your plate already. I get it. If you and
your congregation are being harmed by toxins, though, every other aspect of
ministry suffers. This matters. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-1815904965309711162018-12-05T07:16:00.000-06:002018-12-05T07:16:14.770-06:00Not There YetThe death of President George H. W. Bush has prompted discussion
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which he signed into law during his time in office. The
former director of the National Council on Disability <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/12/2/18122640/george-h-w-bush-americans-with-disabilitieshttps://www.vox.com/2018/12/2/18122640/george-h-w-bush-americans-with-disabilities">described the ADA</a> as “in effect the Civil Rights Act for people with disabilities in the United States.”
It promised access to public spaces and an end to discrimination.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s no question that the ADA has improved life for
people with disabilities. There’s also no question that we still have a long
way to go, perhaps especially when dealing with poorly understood disabilities
such as chemical illness. There’s no exhaustive list of disabilities covered
under the ADA. Instead, it applies to conditions that substantially limit one or
more life activities. A <a href="https://employment.findlaw.com/employment-discrimination/chemical-sensitivities-discrimination.html">webpage on employment law</a> provides a list of 25 and states
that “If any of these above tasks are affected by your multiple chemical sensitivities, then you probably qualify as having a disability under the ADA.”
The <a href="https://askjan.org/disabilities/Multiple-Chemical-Sensitivity.cfm" target="_blank">Job Accommodation Network</a> offers
suggestions for accommodating people who react to chemicals in the workplace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, qualifying for accommodations and receiving
them are two very different things. On a regular basis I read the accounts
of people with chemical illness fighting hard to stay in work situations which
are making them sicker by the day. Although public buildings such as schools, doctor’s
offices, restaurants, hotels, theaters, grocery stores, and shopping malls are
all directed to comply with the ADA, access for people with chemical
sensitivities tends to be limited and problematic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s unfortunate that sometimes change only comes when forced,
but however it comes, progress is welcome. The city of Detroit was ordered
to pay an employee $100,000 for failing to address her ongoing reactions to a
co-worker’s perfume, and within a week, according to the book <i>The Case Against Fragrance</i>,
the city instituted a fragrance-free policy in all its workplaces. <a href="https://www.laborlawcenter.com/education-center/new-ada-guidelines-for-fragrance-sensitivity/" target="_blank">The Labor Law Center</a> notes
that it also added this to its ADA Handbook: “Our goal is to be sensitive to employees with
perfume and chemical sensitivities. Employees who are sensitive to perfumes and
chemicals may suffer potentially serious health consequences. In order to
accommodate employees who are medically sensitive to the chemicals in scented
products, the City of Detroit requests that you refrain from wearing scented
products, including but not limited to colognes, after-shave lotions, perfumes,
deodorants, body/face lotions, hair sprays or similar products. The city of
Detroit also asks you to refrain the use of scented candles, perfume samples
from magazines, spray or solid air fresheners, room deodorizers, plug-in wall
air fresheners, cleaning compounds or similar products. Our employees with
medical chemical sensitivities thank you for your cooperation.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Churches must comply with portions of the ADA, but are
exempt from other provisions unless their buildings are used by covered
organizations. If your church isn’t forced to comply, should it do so anyway? A
<a href="https://www.churchlawandtax.com/blog/2016/july/churches-and-americans-with-disabilities-act.html" target="_blank">Christianity Today posting</a> argues in the affirmative for two basic reasons: all people are of equal worth
and deserve inclusion, and the church is stronger when it welcomes and respects
everyone. The president of the nonprofit organization RespectAbility
notes that if people with disabilities aren’t welcomed in a church, their
family members may also be unlikely to attend. She notes that one in five
Americans has a disability and that 52% of Americans have a loved one who is
disabled. She states, “It is a massive loss for churches if they
don’t have people with disabilities in their congregation.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m grateful for the work that President Bush did to advance
the cause of the disabled and I look forward to seeing accessibility increase. As Bush said
when he signed the ADA into law, “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-69198624474523250602018-01-16T20:26:00.000-06:002018-01-16T20:26:17.057-06:00Linda and Penny<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
One of the silver linings of chemical illness is that I've met some wonderful and inspiring people who share the condition and model for me how to face it with grace and faith. One of them is Linda Baker. Linda sometimes shares interesting stories from her past on Facebook and she recently shared this one. She gave me permission to reprint it here and I hope you'll take time to read it. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
*****</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
I found her huddled under a clear plastic tarp in a downtown alley. Fearing the worst for my friend Penny (not her real name), I had driven to Joplin with some supplies that might help keep her safe from the approaching winter storm. She was not in her usual place on the sidewalk outside the newspaper office, so I had begun to search the alleys. Finally, I saw her wedged between the two carts that held all her belongings. She had rigged the plastic tarp over the carts to form a sort of tent, with her back against a concrete block building.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Calling her name, I got out of my truck. There was no reply and the figure under the tarp did not move. The sharp wind took my breath away as sleet began to pound a path to the ground. I called Penny’s name again. Nothing. Fearing I might be too late to help her, I lifted a corner of the tarp. There sat Penny, wearing a thick scarf and earmuffs. She had not heard me calling.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Penny broke into a big grin and said, “I’m so glad you came! Can you get me some coffee?” Sure, I could do that. I also offered to bring her a sack of plain Wendy’s hamburgers, which I knew was one of her favorite meals. She clapped her hands in delight. I gave her the thick wool socks and gloves I had brought along for her, as well as some homemade high energy snacks. I wished I could do more. I offered to take her to a shelter. She explained that she had tried every shelter in town and that her body just couldn’t tolerate the pesticides and cleaners and disinfectants used in them. She had become severely ill from those exposures. I understood that. She was in a really tough situation.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Penny had been a straight A student in High School and had a typical upbringing. She married and had a son. She worked as a waitress at a little cafe on Main Street and was living a happy life until the day the restaurant was sprayed with pesticide. She became violently ill and passed out. Other employees carried her next door to the clinic. She was having great difficulty breathing and almost died. When she finally began to recover, the doctor told her she could not go back to work and would have to avoid further exposure to pesticide.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
She had a difficult choice to make. Her family needed the income from her job, yet she was risking her life to go back into that toxic environment. She decided to try working again, but became seriously ill. In time, she lost her job, her family, her home, and her health. No longer able to tolerate any environment that had been sprayed with pesticide, she tried living in first one apartment, then another, but they had all been treated with pesticide. Finally, in desperation, she had begun living outdoors where she could breathe easier.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
That is how I met her. People in town just called her “The Bag Lady”, but Mom and I knew she had a story. We used to take her hot meals on cold days. It took a long time before she fully trusted us, but when she finally did, her whole face would light up when she saw us coming. Various agencies tried to help her, but her body would not tolerate indoor environments. One day she shared her story of how she had ended up on the street and showed us a little duffel bag nestled among her other supplies on one of her carts. That bag was stuffed full of articles about allergies, chemical sensitivity, reactive airways disease, and other medical issues. The articles were organized into categories and her filing system would put mine to shame. She spent many of her days in the library and had carefully cut out articles about her illness from magazines that people were giving away. She knew what was wrong. She just didn’t know what to do about it.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Then came the day that we couldn’t find Penny. We had searched around town and even asked the librarian if she knew where Penny had gone. No one knew. By chance (although I know it was really God’s timing) I was driving through downtown Joplin one day and thought I saw Penny’s carts outside the library. I parked and went in. There sat Penny, who was thrilled to see me. She had caught a ride to Joplin, in hopes that they had more resources to help her.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
When the library closed, I walked with her back to the spot where she was living. A couple of guys from a church down the street wandered by handing out Bible tracts. While one of them talked to her, I asked the other one if Penny could possibly come into their lobby long enough to warm up on the coldest days. That man looked like I had just asked him to pay off the national debt! Why, NO, she couldn’t come into their church building. Well, not unless she planned to come to church regularly and tithe! I tried to explain why they could not count on her attending church. The man looked very uncomfortable and you could tell he just wanted to be anywhere but standing there talking to someone who was asking him to help a homeless person. I frankly was appalled at his lack of compassion.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
It wasn’t long before Mom and Dad went to Joplin for a medical appointment. It was bitterly cold and they had a sleeping bag and warm boots and gloves for Penny. They were disappointed when they couldn’t find her. Suddenly, Mom spotted her carts outside a downtown bar. Now, my mom had never been in a bar in her life, but she marched right in. Penny was seated by a front picture window. She explained that she had gone to the downtown church and asked if she could come in to warm up. They told her NO and turned her away. Meanwhile, the owner of the bar saw her suffering in the cold wind and had gone to invite her in. He told her she was welcome to stay until the bar closed at 2 AM and he brought her a hot meal. I will let you draw your own conclusion about who showed her Christian compassion.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
These thoughts were going through my head as I started to go get hamburgers and coffee for Penny on that stormy winter night. A mixture of snow and sleet was coming down and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the roads became hazardous. As I got in my truck she hollered, “Could you get me one more thing?” I said, “Sure” and came back to see what she needed. Well, she asked for cigarettes. I hesitated and said, “I don’t think I can get you cigarettes.” She looked puzzled and said, “You’re over 21, aren’t you? Of course you can buy me cigarettes. You would be surprised how much a lit cigarette can warm up your hands on nights like this.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Hmmm…. now I had a dilemma. I had never purchased cigarettes and really didn’t want to get them for her. I debated about what to do. Then, somewhere in my spirit, I heard a little voice say, “Who are you to judge her? You are going home to your nice warm house. She is spending the night .. and the next … and the next under a tarp in freezing cold weather. Help her any way you can.” She got her hamburgers and coffee -- and cigarettes.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
With this current cold weather, Penny has been on my mind. There are countless people homeless, just trying to survive the day. Perhaps you will have an opportunity to donate your time or money to help them. Perhaps you can say an extra prayer for all those who are homeless. Perhaps God will lead you to meet your own “Penny”. Jesus cared about those people that society ridiculed or forgot. May we all follow His example.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-top: 6px;">
“You will be judged on whether or not you are doing what Christ wants you to. So watch what you do and what you think; for there will be no mercy to those who have shown no mercy. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you. Dear brothers, what’s the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren’t proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone? If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, and you say to him, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty.’ and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?”<br />
James 2:12-16</div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-63060396378993507482017-12-21T09:17:00.000-06:002017-12-21T09:17:24.561-06:00No Place for Them<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve identified with Mary and Joseph in a variety of ways
throughout the years. Four times in my life I moved during the Christmas
season, and in one late December I gave birth to a ten pound baby. (I was GREAT
with child.) More recently, the part of the nativity story that resonates most
deeply with me is the fact that the couple were shut out of their desired place
of rest. Luke 2:7 tells us that “there was no place for them.” (ESV)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no place for them. There doesn’t appear to be a
place for me, either, or for others like me, who suffer with chemical illness. Where
do we shop? How do we access medical
care? How can we be part of a church
community? We knock on doors and are
turned away again and again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Earlier this year, an online friend put together a survey
about church experiences. Although it was open to anyone, it was widely
circulated among people with chemical sensitivities, and many of the responses
reflect that. Of the people who said it was difficult for them to attend
church, 78% mentioned fragrance and chemical exposures as significant barriers.
Many people also mentioned mold, and some mentioned electromagnetic fields. There’s
plenty to say about the survey, but I think I’ll just let people speak for
themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Encouragingly, the news wasn’t all bad. There were a few
notable and hopeful success stories. Respondents said this about their
churches:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>They
avoid cleaning the room where our low fragrance Bible study meets on our
meeting day.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>They
made a section designated for people who are sensitive to fragrances. Although,
it did not work for everyone since people have different levels of sensitivity.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>They
have posted a notice in the bulletin.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>The
congregation uses fragrance-free soaps and cleaning products. So glad I can
attend. Had to quit for three years when our former church was too perfumy.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favorite two responses, by far, were these:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>We
are made to feel welcome and treated like all the other members. We know we are
very blessed to attend such a kind and caring church! Our church board wanted
to know about our chemical sensitivities and asked what they could do to help
us be able to attend. Then they did it! <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Our
church, though poor, renovated the building to provide a safe room with MCS
safe materials and filtration that will allow any MCS folk to attend.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As hopeful as those responses are, they don’t reflect the
experience of the majority of respondents. The person who shared one of the
success stories added this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>P.
S. Our former church did NOT treat us with respect. They always treated us like
we were a bother and sprayed the church with pesticide behind our back. (Of
course, our bodies knew.) This church cared more about its "public
image" than it did the health of its members. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s a sampling of typical experiences.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I
have requested a roped off area where it would be a perfume free zone. The
pastor promised to look into it, but after that wouldn't return my calls.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I
asked for help several times, and got poor response.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I
was brought communion twice, but since then nothing. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>They
don't return my emails or phone calls. Nobody ever called to see why we stopped
coming or offered to visit me at home either. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>The
church as an entity has been rather unaccommodating, refusing to change
cleaning products or ask members to forego fragrance for services. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>They
put me on a prayer list in the bulletin. Then after learning of my details,
they forgot me.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>A
few people pray for me when asked. I have no access to fellowship or bible
study of any kind. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>Since
I got sick and cannot attend we cannot get them to return emails or phone
calls.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>The
church for a while had "fragrance free" labels for the first two rows.
They didn't continue it for long.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>Virtually
no access is provided to me from any local churches.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many people mentioned how involved they had once been. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>The
isolation after being a very active volunteer is bizarre. To think I once
participated in volunteer services 4-6 days a week, tithed 10% and promised 10%
for church development costs, to be forgotten. My children question my faith.
The church never hesitated to ask for my service but once I became disabled,
I'm out. I will continue to remind my kids that the Lord has not forgotten me.
That he is not the church.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Others mentioned how much they would still like to be
involved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>My
best fellowship in the past has been in home Bible studies, meeting in someone
else's relatively low toxic home. In the past I have taught those, and I really
miss that now. But how am I supposed to find other women who need a fragrance
free Bible study/prayer group when neither they nor I can come to church?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anger and hurt came through in many of the responses. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I
have never come to terms with not being able to attend church or the total lack
of understanding or concern. I was taught you should never do anything that
would prevent someone else from coming to church and I feel that wearing
fragrance falls into this category.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I'm
disheartened that the only thing keeping me out of church are the fragrances of
people and cleaners. There are so many fragrance-free cleaners and soaps on the
market. And I don't understand why people can't leave off their scents just one
day a week so another believer could have access to church. It seems so selfish
and uncaring that folks would rather keep me from church than to give up
fragrance for three hours a week.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>There
is a huge population group that is unchurched simply because the people in the
church deem their right to wear perfume/cologne more important than for others
to be able to fellowship. It's very sad how selfish the church can be.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I'd
like my beloved (now former) church board to encourage listening and learning
about things they don't understand rather than dismissing them as
"unbelievable" or "made up." Chemical injury is real. And
it's not that rare.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes people just give up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>We
know we're a challenge so generally we just disappear. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i>I
am no longer interested in church.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Others still long to be part of a church and long to see
churches take leadership on toxicity issues. Here’s what people have to say:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>[We]
desperately want church access and fellowship.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Fragrance
and cleaning chemicals are everywhere. There must be a better way.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>The
church could do a wonderful service by educating their members.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>I
would ask that churches all over the world would educate members about chemical
sensitivities so that people with MCS could attend without suffering
consequences.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The MCS life is hard. We need support and Christian
fellowship. Please hear us. Please see us. Please make a place for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-87921433288359735902017-10-30T06:00:00.000-05:002017-10-30T06:00:28.691-05:00Millennials, Chemicals, and Church Attendance<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not a millennial and I don’t play one on TV. (The fact
that I used that reference and actually remember where it came from is proof, if you needed any.) I often read articles about millennials,
though, partly just out of general curiosity and partly because I have a couple
of sons in that age group. Lately there seem to be a lot of articles about
things millennials aren’t buying or using. If you type “millennials don’t use”
into the Google search bar, suggested endings to the sentence include “doorbells,”
“credit cards,” “napkins,” “email” and “fabric softener.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In part I read what I can about millennials because I’ve
been trying to figure out whether our society is making progress in understanding the enormous problem of toxins in common products. Is the younger generation more aware of the
issue and more likely to make changes?
Sometimes I think so and sometimes I don’t. The decline in the use of
fabric softeners, for instance, has been seen by some as a sign that
millennials prefer to use fewer chemicals. Others say it’s simply related to economics and lifestyle. There are confusing trends. While fabric softener use is declining, the use of “scent
beads” in the laundry is increasing, which is certainly unfortunate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One widely publicized fact about millennials is that they’re
much less likely than previous generations to attend church. There are certainly
plenty of theories about why that is. I tend to pay most attention to the
articles written by millennials themselves, and one in particular got my
attention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s titled "<a href="http://www.recklesslyalive.com/12-reasons-millennials-are-over-church/" target="_blank">12 Reasons Millennials Are Over Church</a>” and what
made me sit up and take notice is reason number nine. The author writes, "We
want you to talk to us about controversial issues (because no one is). People
in their 20’s and 30’s are making the biggest decisions of their entire lives:
career, education, relationships, marriage, sex, finances, children, purpose,
chemicals, body image. We need someone consistently speaking truth into every
single one of those areas.” Did you
catch that? “Chemicals” was on the list.
The author says, in essence, that one of the reasons people from his generation
are leaving the church is because no one is speaking truth to them about
chemicals. Wow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There's a truth about chemicals that needs to be spoken. The
truth is that there aren’t sufficient regulations in the United States to keep
unsafe products off the market or to remove those already being sold, and the implications for human health are staggering. Health advocates continue to wage a David and Goliath battle against well-funded industry interests in an attempt to introduce meaningful legislative change, but as it now stands, we must each take responsibility for educating ourselves and acting on what we learn. I believe with all my heart that
the people of God have a responsibility to confront this issue and to be the
ones who demonstrate that we value human beings enough to be counter-cultural
in the products we buy and use.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How about it, friends?
Can we open our eyes to the importance of this? Can our churches start with easy steps like removing
synthetically scented air fresheners, switching to fragrance-free soaps, and using
less toxic cleaning products? Can we get
to the point where we think about toxicity when we build or renovate? This is an issue of health — not just the
physical health of humans made in the image of God, but the spiritual health of
a generation that is watching us for signs of leadership and courage. We can do
it. Let’s start now. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-9201390205218108052017-07-15T13:34:00.000-05:002017-07-16T06:13:46.182-05:00Justified and Vindicated<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve been studying the book of Romans with some friends,
which has brought to mind the word “justify” and its various definitions. Theologically,
the word means to be declared righteous before God. The mnemonic device I
learned growing up was that being justified made it “just as if I” never sinned.
I remember once looking at the keyboard on a digital typewriter (in
pre-computer days) and seeing the “right justify” key, which would line up the
text with the margin of the page. It struck me that what Jesus did for me was
similar. My own righteousness couldn’t reach God’s standard, like unjustified
text couldn’t reach the margin. I realized that Jesus was my “justify” key and that
he could take what I offered him and fill in the gaps, so to speak, to make it
line up with the standard of holiness I could never reach on my own. It’s not a
perfect analogy, but it helped me appreciate being justified.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ironically, the common usage of the word “justify” is almost
the opposite of the theological one. Theologically speaking, justification
starts with the truth that no one is fully righteous. In everyday usage,
however, being justified involves a person being unjustly accused or doubted,
then being shown to be in the right. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I find I need both kinds of justification. I’m certainly a
sinner in need of great grace. I also find, however, that in specific
situations, I long for someone to step in and defend me. In my last post, I
asked God to vindicate me, which is a similar concept. Someone asked what I meant
and I had trouble articulating it well. This is my attempt at a fuller answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've learned that I feel beaten down, not only by things
that people say directly to me, but things that people say about others with whom
I identify. I suspect that we all have this tendency to some extent, but maybe
some of us are more sensitive to it than others. Take, for example, what people
say about other widows. Recently, within the span of a few days, I
heard two different people make offhanded comments about widows they knew. The
first commented that one seemed to be having a hard time. (Note to self – don’t
share with anyone when you’re grieving). The second person commented that she was
afraid another widow was too stoic and not allowing herself to mourn. (Note to
self – make sure to share with everyone when you’re grieving.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few days after I heard those comments I ran across a <a href="https://ericaroman.me/2017/07/07/a-widows-rage-defense-of-patton-oswalts-engagement/" target="_blank">blog post</a>
by a widow defending a widower who had recently announced his engagement. (Don’t
read it if it will bother you that the post contains both a Bible verse and the
phrase “dear ignorant, judgmental a**holes.”)
The writer’s palpable anger, which was echoed in hundreds and hundreds
of comments, reinforced the truth that when you attack one of us in this
widowhood club, it feels like an attack on all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The chronic illness club is another one I find myself a
member of, and negative judgments about people who are ill pour down like rain.
The list of accusations feels almost endless: people have made themselves sick,
they remain sick because they are afraid or don’t really want to get well, they
use their illnesses to manipulate people, they exaggerate their symptoms, they
aren’t trying hard enough to heal, they aren’t smart enough to know the right
treatments, and on and on it goes. In the Christian world other messages get
piled on: they aren’t praying enough, they don’t have enough faith, they’re being
punished for sin, they’ve let Satan gain a foothold in their life. There are
also accusations that are specific to given conditions. People with chemical
sensitivities are often freely ridiculed and maligned for things like wearing
masks to protect themselves or asking for accommodations. Yesterday I read an
article that used the word “tyrants” when referring to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel very grateful to live in the digital age, when information
and connection is so easy to access. There’s some information, however, that I’m
not sure I want to know. Blog and social media posts, along with their associated
comments, pull back the curtain of denial and paint a stark and depressing
picture of how judgmental and accusatory we all tend to be. I’m not saying
anything new when I note how easy it is to type things online we would never
say to someone’s face or in the physical presence of bystanders who might
be sensitive to the message. I read things every day that make me sad and
angry, and I don’t know what to do with those emotions. Sometimes people do say
accusatory things directly to me, which is painful, but at least gives me the
option of response. But what do I do with the anger I feel at the accusations
of countless unnamed fellow humans who all seem to have an opinion about
widows, women, those with low incomes, Christians, people over 50 and the
chronically ill?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s easy to say that it doesn’t matter what other people
think. There’s certainly some truth in that. At the end of the day, only God’s
opinion really counts. But caring what people think also serves a certain
purpose in society, helping people understand norms and promoting cohesion. It’s
a natural human behavior. Biblical writers, especially psalmists, asked for
vindication or justification frequently. Here are a few examples, taken from a
variety of translations:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psalm 7:8b – “Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most
High!”<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psalm 26:1 – “Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psalm 35:24 – “Declare me not guilty, O LORD my God, for you give
justice. Don't let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psalm 43:1 – “Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these
ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Psalm 82:3b – “Vindicate the oppressed and suffering.” (Another
translation says “Justify the poor and the meek.”)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I believe that my anger is justified (there’s that word
again), but it doesn’t feel especially helpful. As I work through this issue
and try to process my feelings, I’ve found solace not only in realizing that
Biblical writers shared the same desire to be defended from unfair judgments,
but that God promises to do just that. This is my hope:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Isaiah
50:7-9a </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">– </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because the Sovereign Lord helps
me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined
to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame. He who gives me
justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against me now? Where are my
accusers? Let them appear! See, the Sovereign Lord is on my
side! Who will declare me guilty?</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-79271789315433948132017-05-22T05:43:00.000-05:002017-05-24T09:39:14.434-05:00A Psalm of Lament<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I've tried to hold the world for countless years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Assume its pain and take its blows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Punched, bruised, knocked face down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I spit out rocks and teeth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Mud caked and bleeding, I crawl back to you, my God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You ask much <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">From your servants <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You ask much<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I've been faithful <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Pouring myself out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Until only drops remain <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Isn't enough enough?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hasn't the time arrived for healing and relief?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I wait <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I wait <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I wait<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I wait my turn as those who've never tasted suffering skip
around me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">They glance my direction, fling accusations<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Then dart away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Vindicate your child, my Lord<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Vindicate and heal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Pull me from the dirt into your lap<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Let me rest there as you set the world in order<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I cannot hold the world<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Not even my own<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My hands are far too small<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Teach me what to hold and what to free<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Help me be faithful in a world that's just too big <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A world that, like a child in pain, fights back<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You, oh Mighty Creator, dwarf the world you made <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Your majesty envelops and overwhelms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You hold it all<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Nothing will slip away <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You hold me and I am secure<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You encourage and teach <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Comfort and restore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You see the blows, wash my wounds, and share my tears<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The waiting will one day be forgotten<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You will set the world in order<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You will vindicate and heal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Until that day</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I will always crawl back to you</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-MM</span></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-77457058233016533992017-05-04T08:40:00.000-05:002017-05-04T08:40:50.882-05:00Progress, or Lack Thereof<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some blog posts are definitely more fun to write than others are. This one isn't fun at all. I find, however, that I can't keep ignoring a news story that someone recently posted to Facebook. I've tried, but it won't leave my brain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a very sad story. Something heartbreaking happened to a family and a 12 year old girl. What happened to her isn't new, however, but has happened before to other young people. In fact, I've written about it. In 2012 I wrote a post </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I called "</span><a href="http://sharingair.blogspot.com/2012/10/death-by-deodorant-when-im-not-reading.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Death by Deodorant</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" about two boys who died ten years apart, both from the toxicity of deodorant fumes. I wrote, "What improved between 1998, when the 16-year-old died and 2008, when the 12-year-old met the same fate? Did the products get safer or did society become more aware of the dangers? It doesn’t appear so. How about 2018? Will things be different then?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We haven't reached 2018, but the answer to whether things are different in 2017 is apparently "no." A <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/29/schoolgirl-12-died-inhaling-much-deodorant-used-like-going-fashion/" target="_blank">news story</a> from March </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reports on the sudden death of 12-year-old Paige Daughtry. A pathologist found that she died from the inhalation of chemicals found in the deodorant she had been using. He stated, "There was no natural disease that has contributed to her death. There was no evidence of heavy use and no direct evidence that there was chronic use." In other words, it appears that she was a healthy girl who died from using a common product for its intended purpose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It should be noted that the deodorant deaths took place in Europe, where spray formulations are more common than they are in the United States. However, "body sprays" are very common in the United States, and the popularity of spray deodorants is rising. The propellants implicated in Paige's death (butane and isobutane) are the same ones found in Axe and other body sprays.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a number of issues raised by these stories, but if nothing else, surely they serve as a stark reminder that the great majority of personal care products in use have never been tested for safety. We can't trust that simply because a product is on the market or is widely used guarantees that it isn't harmful, either to ourselves or those around us. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many, many products may, in fact, be deadly, but tend to kill slowly, by contributing to cancer, heart disease, or other illness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This story saddens me deeply, in part because it highlights the lack of progress we seem to be making on this vital issue. I can, however, think of at least one way in which things have improved. It's much easier than it used to be to determine the safety of a product by using websites such as <a href="http://www.ewg.org/consumer-guides" target="_blank">EWG</a> (Environmental Working Group) or by simply doing an internet search. The caveat, however, is that sites are only helpful if people use them. We have to care enough to look for the information, and when we have the information, we have to act on it, by voting with our dollars, purchasing the kind of products we want to see more of on our store shelves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what I wrote in my post about the boys. It still reflects my thoughts. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If anything is going to change, I suspect you and I are going to have to be part of changing it. I believe there are things worth dying for. Deodorant isn't one of them."</span><br />
<br />Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-87556038847670056942017-03-15T07:24:00.000-05:002017-03-15T07:24:18.933-05:00From my Heart to Yours <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On this date three years ago, my husband's heart stopped
beating.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">He was in his 50s, seemingly
healthy and robust, and most people were genuinely shocked at his death.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I didn't wake up that March morning believing
that my husband would die that day, but in a general sense I was less shocked
than many others seemed to be.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">That was
partly due to life experiences (my mother died when I was young, so I grew up
understanding the unpredictability of death) and partly due to understanding
some of his risk factors.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I'm going to mark this anniversary by writing about heart
disease and talking about some lesser known causes. At some point I'm going to talk about a risk
factor or two that I wish Dan would have taken more seriously. I imagine that
last sentence put some of you on edge. Believe me, I spent a lot of time
debating whether or not to write this post, but I decided to do so for multiple
reasons, including that I'd like to think that Dan would want me to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United
States. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm" target="_blank">The Centers for Disease Control</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">notes that it causes one out of every four American deaths. Risk factors listed by the CDC include high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
smoking, diabetes, excess weight, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive
alcohol use.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I believe these are fairly
well known by the general population.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There are many other risk factors, however, that are less understood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This is by no means an exhaustive list, but some of the
lesser known contributors to heart disease include the following: </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Air pollution</b> - Air pollution is a broad term, but in
general, fine particulates in the air, such as from industrial and traffic
fumes, are associated with higher rates of heart disease. <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/Air-Pollution-and-Heart-Disease-Stroke_UCM_442923_Article.jsp#.WMKdXDvys2w" target="_blank">The American Heart Association</a> reports research showing increases in death and hospitalizations when there are
higher rates of smog. <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/surprising-heart-attack-triggers/story?id=20182514#5" target="_blank">ABC News</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">reports on a study finding that being stuck in traffic more
than triples the risk of having a heart attack.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Non-stick chemicals</b> - As I've noted many times, chemicals
in our consumer products are generally not tested for safety, so the health
effects often remain unknown. Some,
however, have been linked to heart disease, including a family of chemicals
used in products such as non-stick pans and stain resistant coatings. <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1356532" target="_blank">A 2012 study</a> found
that people who had the highest rates of the chemical PFOA in their blood were
twice as likely to experience heart disease, heart attack, or stroke as those
with the lowest levels. Because of the
bad press, PFOA is being replaced by other similar chemicals, but many health
experts warn that there is no reason to believe that the newer versions are any
less problematic.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Chemicals found in food and beverage containers</b> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4143868/" target="_blank">A 2014 study in the <i>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</i></a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">concluded that the chemical BPA, found in many places, including plastic
bottles and in the lining of food cans, was associated with heart disease in
both acute and chronic low-dose exposure situations.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As with </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">PFOA, the bad press about BPA has led to some changes, but
<a href="http://www.toxicfoodcans.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/BPA-BuyerBeware.pdf" target="_blank">a 2016 study</a> found it present in 67% of cans tested. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Heavy metals</b> - <a href="http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/heart-health/4-worst-heavy-metals-for-your-heart-why-you-should-consider-edta-chelation-therapy/" target="_blank">University Health News</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">reports that researchers have implicated at least four
heavy metals associated with clogging arteries: lead, mercury, cadmium, and
arsenic.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Mold and other toxins found in water damaged buildings</b> -
Water damaged buildings, or those with high indoor humidity levels, tend to be
breeding grounds for a multitude of
organisms, including a wide variety of fungi and bacteria. Exposure can lead to chronic inflammation, which can contribute to heart disease. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A study in the <a href="https://ispub.com/IJTO/3/2/3545" target="_blank"><i>Internet Journal of Toxicology</i></a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">found an association between exposure to molds in damp
buildings and high cholesterol levels.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Sleep apnea</b> - <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/Sleep-Apnea-and-Heart-Disease-Stroke_UCM_441857_Article.jsp#.WMMzaTsrI2w" target="_blank">The American Heart Association</a>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">notes that sleep apnea is associated with high blood
pressure, arrhythmia, stroke, and heart failure. I'm almost certain that Dan
had sleep apnea, and I wish I had been successful at convincing him to get
tested.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>Sugar consumption</b> - This is the big one that I worried
about for years. Dr. Mark Hyman's
<a href="http://drhyman.com/blog/2014/02/07/eggs-dont-cause-heart-attacks-sugar/" target="_blank">summary of the research</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">notes that people with the highest sugar consumption have a
400% higher risk of experiencing a heart attack than those who consume the
least.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sugar (in all its various forms) is not just a problem because of its
"empty calories," adding to weight without contributing nutrition,
but because it is inflammatory and dangerous in and of itself.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Americans eat a lot of sugar, and the amount continues to
climb. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-david-samadi/sugar-is-not-only-a-drug-but-a-poison-too_b_8918630.html" target="_blank">A <i>Huffington Post</i> article</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">reports that the American Heart Association recommends that women cap their
consumption at six teaspoons a day and men at nine, but that the average American
consumes 30 teaspoons daily. There are a number of reasons for this. One is simply that American food
manufacturers sweeten almost everything. I remember returning to the United States after living overseas and
being astonished to find sugar in canned kidney beans. Dr. Hyman notes, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Most of us don’t know that a serving of tomato sauce
has more sugar than a serving of Oreo cookies, or that fruit yogurt has more
sugar than a Coke, or that most breakfast cereals — even those made with whole
grain — are 75% sugar. That’s not breakfast, it’s dessert!"</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Americans also eat a lot of sugar because we're addicted to
it. I don't use that term lightly. Sugar
affects the same reward centers of the brain that other drugs do, and produces
tolerance in the same manner. People find themselves needing more and more of
it to satisfy their sweet tooth and may experience withdrawal symptoms when
they don't consume it at regular intervals. To quote Dr. Hyman again, " Recent and mounting scientific evidence
clearly proves that sugar — and flour, which raises blood sugar even more than
table sugar — is biologically addictive. In fact, it’s as much as eight times
more addictive than cocaine." <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000698" target="_blank">A 2007 rodent study</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">reported that 94% of the animals chose
sugar (or an artificial sweetener) over cocaine when given the choice. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Drug abuse is a serious and growing personal and societal problem that I don't want to trivialize in any way. <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2016/12/09/opoid-overdose-deaths-us/" target="_blank">An Associated Press article</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">reports that almost 13,000 people died of a heroin overdose in 2015 and prescription painkillers killed over 17,500 people. <a href="http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-sugary-soda-death-toll-20150629-story.html" target="_blank">A 2015 <i>LA Times</i> story</a> reports another serious statistic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">: sugary drinks are linked to 25,000 deaths in the United States each year. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">It seems likely that many, if not most Americans are
addicted to sugar to some degree. I
believe I was, until my health forced me to radically change my diet. I believe Dan was. We talked about it some through the years,
and he never quite denied it, but he never quite addressed it, either. About a year before he died, he developed a persistent itchy rash that doctors had trouble diagnosing. At some point I sent him an article which suggested
giving up sugar for two weeks in the case of mystery skin ailments. Not long afterwards, he remarked to me that
he had decided that he wouldn't cut sugar out completely, but that maybe he
would try to cut down.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I remember that conversation clearly. Dan was itchy and miserable, but not fully willing, for a a brief two weeks, to trade sugar for the possibility of
relief. The basic definition of addiction is continuing to engage in a behavior
despite negative consequences, and I remember feeling a wave of deep sadness and thinking, "This is a strong addiction. It could kill
him." I thought there was a good possibility that his heart would cause him major problems some day, but I didn't know how soon the
day would come. I think my vague thought
of what might happen was that he might have a heart attack in his 60s, and
that, if we were lucky, he would live through it and then maybe get serious
about changing his diet. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Obviously, I don't know that sugar consumption had anything
to do with Dan's sudden death. He had
plenty of other risk factors, including genetic ones, and had a period of high
work stress in the time period before he died, which could well have been the
final straw. I'm also certainly not unaware that my own health limitations added a significant degree of stress to Dan's life. (On the flip side, I think my need to live a low-toxicity life was protective for him in some ways, as well.) I can't point to sugar and say that I know it killed my husband, but the research is clear that it is, in fact, a killer.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I'm very sensitive to "blame the victim" messages and absolutely don't want this to come across that way. This isn't blaming, but warning. It's remembering the events of this day three years
ago and deeply and sincerely wanting to spare other people a similar
experience. Sometimes people take things more seriously when they know people
who have been affected, which is my sole motivation for sharing personal stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As I was debating whether or not to write this post, I ran
across <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+5%3A1&version=NLT" target="_blank">Leviticus 5:1</a>, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">which says "If
you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about,
it is sinful to refuse to testify." Yes, it's Old Testament and no, it wasn't written about blog posts, but
it convinced me. What I can offer the
world these days is limited, but I can testify about things I have seen and
know about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I imagine I've made a lot of people mad by this point. To those who are mad because they loved Dan
and are angry that I wrote some negative things about him, I'll simply say that
I loved him, too, and miss him greatly. I've cried every day this month so far. I'll also remind you that I wrote a very different sort of <a href="http://sharingair.blogspot.com/2014/03/dan-mclaughlin.html" target="_blank">post</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">about him three years ago.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">To those who are mad because in addition to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">harping about chemicals, I'm now harping about a very prevalent food choice which is a source of comfort and pleasure, I'll simply say that I get it. Those of us who became addicted to sugar were
simply eating the standard American diet or found ourselves eating more sugar because
we were avoiding fat and dietary cholesterol like the experts recommended. The sugar industry <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/13/study-how-sugar-industry-lied-heart-disease/90307932/" target="_blank">manipulated studies and public policy</a> just like the chemical industry does today. It's easy to understand
how we ended up in this place, but now that we're here, it's time to accept
that there are real consequences.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I write because I care about you. Whether I know you personally or not, you
matter to me simply because you've taken the time to read this post. I know other people care about you, too, and
we all want your heart to keep beating for a very long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-38297290884912871472017-03-06T07:14:00.000-06:002017-03-06T07:14:38.882-06:00Notes from a Webcast Watcher<div class="MsoNormal">
My health has kept me from attending church for more than a
decade and a half now. Over that time I unfortunately haven’t seen much
progress in churches addressing toxicity issues. One way in which things have improved,
however, is that a greater number of churches are now streaming their services,
which, although it certainly isn’t a substitute for attending in person, is a
great blessing for those of us who can’t access corporate worship services otherwise.
There are enough churches webcasting on Sunday mornings these days that I thought
it might be helpful, as someone who watches regularly, to give a bit of
feedback on what I most appreciate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best place to begin this list is with a genuine expression
of gratitude to all churches who’ve made the decision to stream their services
and all the individuals who make it happen from week to week. It’s very much
appreciated. Online sermon archives are helpful and good, but I personally find
the ability to watch a live service exponentially more emotionally satisfying. I
feel less excluded and more an actual part of the congregation. When I was able
to watch the same church my family members attended, we shared a common experience,
at least to a degree, and were able to discuss the service over lunch. Thank
you for the effort, webcasting churches everywhere. That said, here are some
suggestions for optimizing the experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Identify your audience. Who are you hoping to serve? Is the stream primarily for regular church
members who are unable to attend now and then? Is it for people checking out your church before visiting in
person? How about folks outside of your
geographic location? Your answer to
these questions will determine how you handle other issues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. If the stream is for people other than church members, make it as
easy as possible for them to know that you webcast your services and
when and how to access them. I personally haven’t found any sort of central
database, at least for the geographical areas I’ve searched. It would be
helpful for denominational and interfaith organizations to compile and post
that information.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my quest to digitally visit as many churches as possible
in my new geographical area, I’ve spent much more time than anticipated simply
trying to identify my options. A simple google search for churches in my city
that stream their services yielded a handful of helpful results and a lot of unhelpful
ones. I also had mixed results searching the Livestream and Ustream sites. There
were many dead links, but one church provided their new streaming address,
which was helpful. A surprising number of churches didn’t provide their name
anywhere in the video description. Some gave initials, which was at least a
clue. I know the search results were incomplete, because I’ve watched services
from at least one church on Livestream that didn’t appear in the results list. I’m
guessing the church didn’t include the city name in their description.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Searching YouTube's "live" page wasn't very successful, and if there's currently a way to search for churches that use Facebook Live to stream their services, I didn't discover it. I
was also unable to search the sites of Streamspot, Sunday Streams,
ChurchStreaming, or Churchvu.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All that said, since there doesn’t seem to be any sort of
comprehensive database, I suggest you make the information about streaming very
clear on your website and/or Facebook page. (I’ve been surprised at how many
churches apparently still don’t have either one of those things, but I’m
assuming that if they don’t, they aren’t streaming, either.) If you don’t stream every service, clearly
indicate which ones are going to be available. If you want to make things
easier for online visitors outside your geographical area, it’s helpful to note
what time zone you’re in. Sometimes a webcast works better in one browser than
another, or doesn’t work well on a mobile device, which is also helpful for
potential watchers to know. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Monitor the feed to make sure it works consistently and have
someone available to address issues as they arise. Over my years of webcast
watching, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to decide whether, if a stream has
consistent problems, it’s better than nothing, or it’s better for that church
just not to try at all. I’ve never quite made up my mind. What I do know is
that my frustration level was often very, very high when trying to watch
services from a church with ongoing webcast issues. I often felt like Charlie
Brown. Charlie kept believing that Lucy would hold the football long enough for
him to kick it, despite her habit of yanking it away. I kept believing that the
webcast problems were fixed, but they kept recurring. During some of those
years, I had a way to communicate during the service that there were problems,
but most of the time I didn’t. For those of us who are mostly homebound,
watching a church service from home feels a bit like watching through a window
because the door to church is locked and we don’t have a key. When the webcast
stops working, it’s as if the curtains on the window close. The frustration level
is lower when we believe someone has noticed that the window is covered and is
working to open the curtains again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. If there are ongoing problems, look for patterns. I’ve
noticed some churches seem to consistently have problems streaming the music, but
not the sermon, and the pattern is reversed for other churches. Perhaps it
relates to bandwidth or interference as certain equipment is used. I’ve been
trying to watch services from one particular church here in town and have found
that there are almost always problems near the end of the sermon. I don’t know
why that is, but it’s difficult for me to relax when I tune in because I’m always
waiting for the moment when the feed will stop working. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. Start streaming on time, or, better yet, a little bit before
the service actually starts. When I tune in at the projected start time and
nothing is happening, I never know whether the church no longer streams its
services, there are technical problems that day, or they’re just getting
started late. I don’t know whether to bail out and find another service to
watch or to stick with the one I’m attempting to access for a while. To
compound the problem, I’ve found that for some streaming programs, if I tune in
and nothing is happening, the video stream won’t automatically start on my end
when the church begins the webcast. It will still show no feed until I refresh
the page. That’s a very unfortunate system, especially for watchers who have no
way to know they need to keep refreshing if they want to know when the service
has actually begun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. If you have any interest in reaching people other than your
regular church members, don’t ask us to create an account and log in to simply
watch a Sunday service. It’s an unnecessary barrier and just doesn’t feel very
welcoming. This doesn’t appear to be a common situation, but I’ve encountered
it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7. Give people who are considering visiting your church as much
information through your webcasts as possible. If you have both a traditional
and a contemporary service, for example, consider streaming both. Even if you
have multiple services that follow the same pattern, it’s helpful to stream
them all. This gives viewers options for choosing what best fits their
schedule, and provides other information as well. Hope springs eternal, and I
haven’t given up hope of being able to attend church in person someday. I find
it helpful when the camera pans out and I can see where I might be able to sit
and have potentially clean air. I also notice what people wear. Sometimes
people dress up more for one service than another, which often correlates with
more perfume use, a health and barrier issue for me. Other viewers may be
interested in things like how many children are in the service, or if the
aisles are wide enough for easy wheelchair access.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. Make it easier for people watching at home to sing along
with the congregation by providing us with the song lyrics. The easiest way to
do that is to simply point the camera at the projector screens in the sanctuary
when lyrics are being projected. I’ve watched webcasts from churches who
project lyrics over the shots of the praise team, which is a good option for
churches with the capability. One church in town has consistently wonderful
music that always touches me deeply, but the camera tends to pan from the
worship leader to the choir to the praise team and only occasionally gives a
shot of the projector screens. I can worship with the congregation when I happen
to know the song, but am left simply watching when I don’t. I was spoiled for
many years by a worship leader husband who gave me a copy of all the music that
was going to be used in the service that day. It’s very odd for me, since his
death, to find myself in the position of not knowing many of the songs being
sung, but it’s safe to assume that most webcast watchers aren’t married to the
worship pastor and are in a similar position. For multiple reasons, I've often thought it would be helpful for churches to post their bulletins or order of service on their websites. This would be especially helpful for churches that don't provide song lyrics during the webcast, because if I know what songs are going to be sung, I can look up the lyrics online.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. It’s nice to be acknowledged. I know one pastor (my
brother-in-law actually) who walks up to the camera at the end of the service
and talks directly to those of us watching, telling us he’s glad we were able
to join the congregation that day. I love that. It’s a small gesture that means
a lot. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, many thanks to all churches who stream their services.
Those of us watching at home certainly don’t expect perfection, and we know
this is relatively new technology that requires some learning and
experimentation. My suggestions are simply meant to spur thought and point out
some things you might not have considered. May your efforts bear much fruit
for the kingdom of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-87380186909329070362017-01-23T07:49:00.000-06:002017-01-23T07:54:19.063-06:00The Connection Conundrum<div class="MsoNormal">
Moving is never an easy process, but for those who are
significantly limited by toxic illness, the challenges are magnified
exponentially. How do you even begin to build a life when you’re shut out of
most public places? How do you meet
people? How do you find your tribe, your
support, your place of service and belonging?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My goal has been to get my construction project completed,
and then to turn my attention to trying to answer those questions. One thing I’ve
been doing already, however, is watching as many webcasts as possible from
churches in the area. I need the spiritual nourishment, of course, but I’m also
trying to get a feel for what the church options are on the remote chance that
I can somehow find a way to be connected to one. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This blog post is prompted by a survey I took for an area
church a couple of weeks ago (which was open to guests and to people watching
online) and by the sermon I heard yesterday from another. The theme of both was
connection, and why people aren’t as connected to the church as the leaders
would like them to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t remember all the details of the survey. I do remember
that there were questions about church attendance, small group attendance, and
ministry participation. I seem to remember that one or two questions had a
fill-in-the-blank type option, but most were multiple choice. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Completing the survey was exceptionally frustrating. Generally,
the questions were something like “How often do you do <i>x</i> or <i>y</i>, and if it’s not
very often, why not?” The possible
answers rarely fit my circumstances and I don’t remember a single answer that
acknowledged health limitations. The possibilities seemed to generally assume either
a lack of knowledge or a lack of desire. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By far the most frustrating question for me was about
participation in mission projects. None of the possible answers fit at all, so I
finally settled on the last option given: “I don’t know.” That’s a fairly blatant lie. Of course I know
why I don’t participate in mission projects. It’s because at some point in my
life, most probably after I had been appointed as a missionary, and while I was
studying at the Missionary Learning Center, I was infected with Lyme disease
and not diagnosed. It’s because I got sicker and sicker as I served overseas. It’s
because doctors didn’t take me seriously and the toxins overwhelmed my
genetically weak detoxification system to the point that I could eventually no
longer serve as a missionary, no longer enter most public places, including
churches, and no longer participate in mission projects without accommodation,
which people don’t generally seem willing to give. That’s why.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sermon I heard yesterday, from a very different type of church,
was entirely about small groups. The preacher spent time talking about the
importance of Christian fellowship, then listed the reasons he imagined for
people not participating in small group ministries. The reasons he proposed included
being too busy, fearing vulnerability, and being unwilling to engage with
people different from ourselves. At one point he mentioned “getting in our own
way.” Again there was no acknowledgement
that some of us need some of you to make changes if we’re going to be able to study,
pray, and worship together. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure I can explain what these sorts of messages,
which are constant, feel like to those of us who are shut out of the broader church
community. Maybe the spiritual and emotional hunger can be compared to the need
for physical nourishment. Imagine (or remember, if you’ve experienced it) not
having access to a steady source of food for years at a time. You’re constantly
thinking about and looking for options, and you spend a great deal of time and
energy focusing on how to feed yourself enough that you can stay upright
and not pass out. On a regular basis, while hunger pains knot your stomach and
you’re wondering where to find your next meal, well-fed people come and lecture
you about the importance of eating right. “Eating is very important,” they tell
you. “You should really eat more and not sabotage yourself.” They say you should come and eat with them,
but the door to the room that holds the food is locked, and although many
people appear to have a key, you don't. When you mention the problem, you’re
told that unlocking the door would be too difficult, or you’re simply ignored.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to be locked out. It’s also hard to be implicitly
blamed for the inability to access longed-for resources. Reading and hearing
church and small group slogans is often hard. When I hear something like “There’s
a place for you,” my automatic mental response is “I seriously doubt it.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Won’t you consider letting us in? Won’t you consider keeping toxicity in mind
when making decisions about building materials, cleaning and pest control
methods, and personal care products? Please
unlock the door. We’re very hungry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-13159964093459216042016-12-07T07:11:00.000-06:002016-12-07T07:18:38.178-06:00Finished<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m currently engaged in a building project, trying to
cobble together a new home for myself on the altered landscape of my life. Almost
every day, someone -- a friend, family member, or delivery driver, asks some
version of the same question. “Are you finished?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This isn’t a post about my suite, so I’ll spare you the
details, but the short answer to the question is no. I paid for the basics and
am completing the rest myself, which I knew would be a long process. I did expect
the rough-in to be finished less than 6 months after the estimated completion
date, and I didn’t expect the electrician’s work to fail multiple inspections,
requiring a series of long waits for him to return. But I digress.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finished. The word has been echoing in my head. No, my suite
isn’t finished, but many other things are, or at least appear to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The married-to-Dan phase of my life is finished. Obviously,
it ended the day he died, but I was surprised at the extent to which the moving
process reawakened the grief. I left the last home I will have ever shared with
him; a house that was full of memories which swirled around me and kept me
hanging on to the ethereal threads of the relationship. There’s a stark finality
to moving. This is new. The old is gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reawakened grief of widowhood in turn reawakened grief
for lost dreams. As years of illness followed one after the other, I gradually
released the idea of returning to mission work full time, but I still clung to
the hope of someday accompanying Dan on his yearly trips back to Peru. Will I ever
minister overseas again? Will I minister
outside my own home at all? Is that
phase of my life finished?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After decades of illness and living a mostly home-bound
life, it’s easy to wonder what my purpose is. It’s easy to feel worthless. The
voices of the culture and in my own head whisper that I, myself, am simply
finished.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a lie. I remind myself of that. I’m still alive, so I’m
not finished. God may call me home in 30 years or 30 minutes, but in this
present moment, there’s a purpose to my life. My mind knows that. My heart
tries to believe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I ponder these thoughts while I work on my suite, it occurs
to me that “finish” has multiple meanings. I put a finish on the floor. I use
finishing nails to apply trim.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When used in this way, the word does mean that one phase of
a project has been completed. It’s completed, though, so that the item can
fulfill its intended purpose. It’s a completion that marks a beginning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Among the tangled jumble of thoughts that the word “finish”
prompts, three simple truths float to the surface.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Earthly experiences will eventually end. Joyful
things end, but painful things also run their course. Sometimes they run their
course here on earth, and sometimes our relief will arrive in the age to come. God
says in Revelation 21 that in the day when God’s home will be among his people,
death, sorrow, crying, and pain will all disappear forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Some things have no end. God has no end and our
relationship with him surpasses time. Among the things that the Bible tells us
last forever are God’s presence with us (Hebrews 13:5), his plans and purposes
(Psalm 33:11), and his love (Psalm 136:1). 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that faith,
hope, and love will endure when other things, which seem important now, fade
away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. </span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Painful experiences, which are often related to
unwelcome endings, can make us feel finished, used up, and discarded. Maybe,
though, they are part of the process of putting a “finish” on us which can
beautify us and make us more useful for service. An ending can help equip us
for a new beginning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God, please give us your peace as we navigate painful
endings and accept human limitations. Help us to remember the difference
between things that are temporal and things that are eternal and to focus our
time and energy on the things that will endure. Use us in whatever way you
choose, and apply whatever “finish” you need to apply to better equip us for the tasks you've prepared for us. Help us to be strong, so that one day, we can
say, as Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith.”</div>
<span class="p" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: "arimo" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 13px; text-align: justify;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-89534017167294263042016-05-02T11:24:00.000-05:002016-05-02T11:24:59.212-05:00The Problem with Honesty<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How are you?” It’s a
question that people with chronic illness often don’t know how to answer. “Fine”
or “OK” are safe choices, and generally true, to a degree. When we say we’re
OK, we mean that life is challenging, but we’re handling things. We don’t mean
our symptoms have suddenly disappeared or that we no longer grieve for all we’ve
lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes we’re less OK than at other times. Sometimes when
people ask how we are we wonder if “OK” or “fine” are the truest responses. We
long for someone to understand us and acknowledge our pain, but we hesitate to
be fully honest. We’ve learned that expressing our distress can sometimes make
things worse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we’re honest, we risk scaring people away. When we’re
honest, we open ourselves up to being gossiped about. Mostly, however, we’ve
learned that when we’re honest, we may get blamed somehow for our own distress.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a seemingly limitless list of subtle and blatant
accusations that are leveled at those whose illnesses do not quickly resolve. Of
course, there are the classic “lack of faith” or “hidden sin” explanations. In
addition, people are said to be focusing on their problems too much, not
focusing on them enough, not handling stress, not eating right, not thinking
right, not using traditional medicine, not using alternative medicine, not
using the right supplements, not using the right brands, being too needy, not
asking for help, not praying enough, not praying in the right way, not pushing
enough, not resting enough, and on and on it goes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is evidently not a new phenomenon. In the biblical book
of Job, Job’s friends initially responded to his suffering by coming to visit
him and sitting with him in silence for a week. Once Job began to express
his thoughts and feelings, however, the support began to deteriorate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The book of Job is a treasure trove, with depths to mine in every verse. For this exercise, I decided to summarize and paraphrase the conversation
between Job and his friends. I picked a few representative sentences from each chapter and excluded the dialogue between Job and God. I find it amazing
how much the conversation mirrors those that still occur regularly (or at least reflects things that people want to say, but often don’t). I used the New Living Translation, and chapter
numbers are in parentheses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
I wish I could die. <i>(3)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
You’re weak. Resentment and jealousy destroy people and if I were you, I’d turn
to God. (<i>4-5</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>: I have a right to complain. People complain
about all sorts of things, like unsalted food. I’m out of strength and have
nothing to live for. I wish God would let me die. You should be kind to me, but
you accuse me instead. Stop assuming my guilt.<i> (6)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
If you pray and live a good life you’ll be restored. <i>(8)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
It sounds good in theory, but God is God and can do what he wants. <i>(9)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
God is undoubtedly punishing you less than you deserve. Pray, repent, and work
on your heart and your life will be bright. <i>(11)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
You think you know everything. I’m not as stupid as you think I am. All of you are
worthless quacks as doctors. The wisest thing you could do would be to shut up.
<i>(12-13)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
You’re a sinful windbag. What do you know that we don’t? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(15)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
Why do you keep talking? You’re
miserable comforters. If the roles were reversed, I could find plenty to
criticize, too, but I would encourage you and try to take away your grief. As
it is, I suffer if I speak and try to defend myself and I suffer if I don’t. <i>(16)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
Speak sense. Remember that the wicked fall into their own pits. <i>(18)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
How long will you torture me? How long
will you crush me with your words? You’ve insulted me ten times already and should be ashamed. You think
you’re so much better than I am. Relatives and friends have turned against me
and forgotten me. Please have mercy on me. Haven’t you chewed me up enough? <i>(19)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
Your words disturb me. God gives the wicked what they deserve. <i>(20)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
Please listen closely to me. That’s one thing you could do to help. After I
speak you can resume your mocking. I don’t know if I should say this, but I
will. I see the wicked prosper all around me. They don’t acknowledge God, but
they don’t suffer. How can your clichés comfort me? Your explanations are lies. <i>(21)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
There’s no limit to your sins. You were probably greedy and didn’t help the
less fortunate. Submit to God and things will go well. Clean up your
life. Give up your lust for money and God will hear your prayers. <i>(22)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
I’m trying hard not to groan out loud. I’ve stayed on God’s paths. I’ve
treasured his words, but I’m surrounded by darkness. Why doesn’t God punish the
wicked? Why doesn’t he come to the aid
of the godly? Can anyone prove that
isn’t true? <i>(23-24)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
No one is innocent. God is much higher
than man. <i>(25)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Job</i>:
Thanks for enlightening me with your wisdom. That was certainly helpful advice
for someone powerless and weak. I understand and respect God’s power. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll continue to defend my
integrity and will never concede that you’re right. My conscience is clear. You
say all these useless things to me. Wisdom and understanding are more valuable
than gold, but are hidden from humans. God alone understands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I long for my former life. I miss
being respected and honored. I was honest and gave generously to the poor. I
assumed I would live a long, good life and die surrounded by my family. But now
I’m mocked, even by people younger than I am. My honor has blown away. I’m
depressed and my pain is relentless. I’ve tried to live with integrity. If only
someone would listen to me. <i>(26-31)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friend</i>:
I haven’t spoken until now because you’re older than I am, but age doesn’t
always mean wisdom. I speak the truth. God treats people like they deserve. You’ve
rejected him and deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you’ve talked. You’ve
added rebellion to your list of sins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wicked are afflicted and the
innocent are exalted. If people are caught up in pride, God will get their attention and demand they turn from evil. If they listen, they’ll prosper and if they don’t, they’ll
die. God is using your suffering to lead you from
danger. Turn from your evil. Pay attention. <i>(32-37)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The conversation between Job and his friends comes to an end,
but the book continues, with God telling the friends in chapter 42 that he’s
angry with them. He asks them to bring a sacrifice and have Job offer a
prayer on their behalf. He says that if they do, he won’t treat them as they
deserve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again, I find consolation and encouragement in Job's story. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It reminds me that although I deeply long to be
understood and not blamed for my own distress, it’s not unusual for us as
fallible humans to respond to each other that way. Being honest with
people sometimes feels dangerous, but I can always be honest with God. He gets me.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-60291926229005506122016-04-18T09:57:00.000-05:002016-04-18T09:57:22.738-05:00Cleansing Temples<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I participate in a weekly Bible Study by phone with a group
of chemically ill friends, and we were recently asked to write our thoughts on
John’s account of the cleansing of the temple. We all see the world through the
lens of our personal experiences, and my experiences with chemical illness
affect how I view scripture, as well. Here’s what I wrote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although there was segregation built into the design, the
temple was intended to be a place of worship for everyone, both Jew and Gentile.
In the Mark account, Jesus specifically says that it was to be a house of
prayer for all nations. I understand, however, that the money changers and
animal vendors had taken up residence in the court of the Gentiles. What was it
like to attempt to worship there? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Were there many Gentiles who worshipped Jehovah in those days? Did they keep coming and trying to
participate, even after the court was repurposed? Or did they just give up?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How many of the Jewish worshippers realized there was a
problem? Did they not see the issue, not
care, or just not think there was anything they could do? Did they shut their eyes to the plight of
their Gentile neighbors because of the convenience of having easy access to
money changers and the ability to quickly purchase what they needed? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel the plight of the Gentile would-be worshippers deeply.
Those of us with chemical illness know what it’s like to be shut out of worship.
We know what it’s like when people in charge prioritize things other than the
ability of everyone to access a worship space. We know what it’s like to be on
the outside looking in, longing for what so many people take for granted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love Jesus’s passion for the issue. I love that he cared
so much that he made a whip and used it. I love that he’s on the side of the
marginalized, ignored, and shut out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What’s the counterpart for today? There are so many temples that need to be
cleansed of chemical barriers to worship. Lord, please open the eyes of people
who can make the changes. Please help those who can freely worship in communal
spaces care about those of us who can’t. Thank you for the reminder of how much
you yourself feel our pain.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-66264011641379929112016-02-22T07:20:00.000-06:002016-02-22T20:54:49.872-06:00Sickness, Disaster, Death and Satan<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leap year day is approaching. The elusive day, which appears
once every four years, brings with it some intense memories. Almost 20 years
ago, on February 29, 1996, I was living and working in Peru when a friend and
co-worker lost her life in an airplane accident. She had been in my city,
working with me on a strategy study team, and was returning to her home in
another part of the country. I waved, said “See you next month,” and she got on
a plane and died.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lynn’s death didn’t affect my daily life to the extent that other
losses have, but on a purely emotional level, it packed an enormous punch. I’ve
never, before or after, experienced denial the way I did when Lynn lost her
life. When I was told that the plane was missing, my immediate thought was “That’s
ridiculous.” I had a dream where Lynn
appeared to tell me the news of her death was a mistake and I replied, “I knew
it was.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were two main reasons that Lynn’s death affected me so
deeply. One was that she left behind three children whose gender and ages were
similar to mine and my siblings’ when our own mother died. The second reason is
that her death came at a time when our missionary family had already
experienced much heartbreak and loss. The month that ended with Lynn’s death
began with an automobile crash that left four members of one family gravely injured,
with one still in a coma and not expected to live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Christians in the United States have widely differing views
of Satan and his influence in the world. Most Christians I’ve known overseas,
however, and most missionaries, have no doubt that we fight a powerful and
relentless adversary. Those of us serving with my mission board in Peru
believed we were engaged in spiritual warfare. Others believed that, too. Baptist
Press wrote an article entitled "<a href="http://media.sbhla.org.s3.amazonaws.com/29-APR-1996.PDF" target="_blank">Missionaries in Peru Pursue Harvest Amid Satan's Attacks</a>." </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The article listed some (but not all) of the challenges we had
been experiencing and attributed them to demonic opposition to the move of
God’s spirit in the country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many of the challenges listed in the article involved
physical illnesses or injuries. This raises questions about whether or not
Satan can make people sick and what else he may or may not be able to do. What
does the Bible say?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the Old Testament book of Job, the source of Job’s
illness is made very clear. Job 2:7 says that “Satan left and caused painful
sores to break out all over Job’s body—from head to toe.” (CEV) There are also many
New Testament instances of illnesses or disabilities being associated with
demonic interference. Luke 13:11 refers to a woman “who had been crippled by
an evil spirit for eighteen years.” Matthew
9:32-33 relates the story of a man “who could not talk because a demon was in
him.” How about injuries and other
sorts of disasters? The book of Job tells us that Satan was behind an attack by
a gang of thieves, a fire, and a windstorm that collapsed a house, killing Job’s
children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Bible also speaks about illnesses, disabilities and
injuries coming from angels or directly from God. In contrast to the mute man
of Matthew 9, we have the mute man (Zechariah) of Luke 1. When Zechariah
apparently doubted the word of the angel Gabriel, who brought him news that he
would have a son, Zechariah was struck mute until the child’s birth. Job’s skin
disease came from Satan, but the skin diseases that struck King Azariah in 2
Kings 15 and Miriam in Numbers 12 came from God. Genesis 32 tells us of Jacob
wrestling with God and being left with a limp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, many illnesses, injuries and other disasters can
be attributed to the simple fact that suffering exists in the world because it
is fallen and imperfect. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “While you are in the
world, you will have to suffer.” There
are some who argue that sickness is somehow different from all other types of
suffering, but I certainly don’t think the Bible teaches that. I’ll save that
discussion for another time. I also don’t think there’s generally a one-on-one
relationship between suffering and the personal sin of the sufferer, but I’ll
save that discussion, too, except to mention the words of Jesus in Luke 13. He
responded to questions about a tragedy by saying, “Do you think that these
people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what
happened to them? Not at all!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So what can we attribute to Satan, what to God, and what to
simply living in a fallen world? I don’t
have an easy rule of thumb to share. I do think it’s probably not quite as easy
as attributing the suffering of others to God’s judgment and our own suffering
to spiritual warfare, a tendency I’ve noted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There’s a mysterious interplay between God’s will and Satan’s
power. Satan had to ask permission before he could torment Job. Matthew 4:1 tells
us that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness so that the devil could
test him. Satan’s reach is limited and temporal, but his desire and ability to
cause harm is real.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this season of memories, it’s helpful for me to remind
myself that I don’t confront the challenges of this world as effectively as I
could when I forget I have an enemy who “is like a roaring lion, sneaking around
to find someone to attack” (1 Peter 5:8). When I get angry at people in power
who put profits above human health, I need to remember Ephesians 6:12, which
notes,“We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces
and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual
world.” I’ll try to remember these
things when I pray for the world and when I pray for you, my friends, and I
hope you’ll remember them as well when you pray for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-51534261579402749272015-12-24T14:44:00.000-06:002015-12-24T14:44:17.559-06:00We've Traveled Long and Far by Night<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've traveled long and far by night</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And though we know that God is light</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The world is dark; we trip and fall</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stumble, stagger, falter, crawl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And no, we're not completely lost</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yes, the journey's worth the cost</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we're exhausted, spent and sore</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And long to rest, renew, restore</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in the dark encircling sky</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A star still shines; we hear the cry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of one who loved and entered earth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To show us what our lives are worth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So like the magi long ago</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We'll follow on and we will know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our savior face to face someday</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And darkness will dissolve away</span><br />
<br />
-MMMartha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-28576462990989439822015-12-05T09:18:00.000-06:002016-06-13T09:19:03.616-05:00Two Stories<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yesterday I talked with some friends about terrorism. I have
a little experience with the subject because I lived in Peru during some very
difficult years, when the Shining Path terrorist organization held the country strongly
in its grip. Another group, the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, was also active
at the time. Shining Path may be the most brutal terrorist organization you’ve
never heard of. An expert quoted in a <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2009/09/20/a_new_outrage_from_shining_path_leader.html" target="_blank">Toronto Star article</a> described it as “absolutely, totally ruthless." The group killed an estimated 70,000 people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Shining Path was a fan of car bombs, and we could hear
them on a regular basis and feel them shake the house. One of my most poignant
parenting moments came when there was a fairly significant explosion involving
our gas oven, and my son, who was in the house at the time, didn’t come to the
kitchen to investigate. I found him in his bedroom, calmly working at his desk,
and when I explained what had happened he said, “Oh, I just thought it was
another bomb.” The moment is still vivid
in my memory. I stared at him as the sort of life we were living suddenly became
crystal clear. Was it OK to raise a child in a place where bombs had become background noise? None of the parenting
books I had read covered that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terrorism can invoke strong feelings of powerlessness and
loss of control, which was a focus of yesterday’s discussion. We all feel a
need to respond somehow, but what can we do?
I shared two stories with my friends, and I’ve decided to share them here,
as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first story begins before I actually moved to Peru. I
was living in Costa Rica, where my husband Dan and I were attending language
school. A small group of students, all eventually headed to Peru, met together
on a regular basis to pray. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The day before one of our scheduled meetings, I suddenly had
a very strong urge to pray for the conversion of Peruvian terrorists. It was
one of the most intense burdens I’ve ever felt and I prayed with much intention
and focus all through that day and into the next. I went to the scheduled
prayer meeting with the burden still strongly on my heart. During our prayer
time, another student also prayed that terrorists would be drawn to Christ. It wasn’t something I remembered anyone praying for in the past,
so I assumed that God had burdened his heart as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dan and I finished language study and moved to Peru. In
Peru, I was introduced to a group of missionaries from various denominations
and sending agencies. One of them told an incredible story. About a year
earlier, she and her husband had been traveling in a mountain area when they
were taken hostage. Eventually they were released,
which was a truly miraculous occurrence. The rebels kept their car, however, and
everything in it. There was an evangelistic film in the car, along with the equipment to show it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jan was telling the story now because there was a new
development. She had made contact with a former rebel who had been part of the
group who kidnapped her. He told her that they had planned to kill her and her
husband, but that “something” kept them from it. He also said that the men
watched the movie they had found in the car multiple times. As a result, many
of the rebels had left the group. He himself had also eventually left and become a Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The story thrilled me, and I told Dan about it later that
day. As I was talking, I suddenly remembered the prayer burden I had felt when
we lived in Costa Rica. I wondered aloud how the timing might relate to Jan’s
experience. Dan remarked that he probably had the date of the prayer meeting on
his old calendar, so he could figure it out. He dug out the calendar and told
me the date. I got goosebumps as I realized that the day I was suddenly
overcome with an urge to pray for the conversion of terrorists was the day that the rebels were left with an evangelistic movie and the means
to watch it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Story number two takes place a year or two later. Dan was
traveling and I had been alone for many days with my two small children. I was
very sick at the time with undiagnosed and untreated Lyme disease. I tell you
this to explain why I was so incredibly exhausted that I went to bed at 8:00. I
got into bed at 8:00 anyway, but didn’t feel free to go to sleep. Instead, I
felt strongly that God was telling me to pray for the capture of terrorist
leaders. I prayed for about half an hour until the burden lifted and I felt that
I had been released from the task. In the next day’s newspaper there was a
story about a terrorist leader who had been captured at 8:30.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m sharing these stories to remind myself, and maybe you in
the process, that we’re not powerless in the face of evil. God calls us to participate
with him in healing the world, and I believe we grieve him when we fail to
respond. Prayer is a powerful weapon against darkness, and one that all of us,
even those of us who are ill and homebound, can use. Lord, please forgive me
for letting it sit unused so often. I’m
also sharing these stories because a friend asked whether we should pray for
the conversion of terrorists or their capture. My experiences lead me to believe that it’s not an either/or
proposition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There’s been some backlash recently against politicians who’ve
expressed that their thoughts and prayers are with those affected by violence. It’s
true that the phrase “my prayers are with you” can sometimes sound dismissive
when we believe there’s other action that could be taken. I feel that way
whenever someone wearing synthetic perfume tells me that they’ll pray for my
chemical illness. It’s also true that expressing the intention to pray doesn’t
equal actually praying. Actually praying, however, is something not to be taken
lightly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-19803604848026508522015-10-02T15:27:00.000-05:002015-10-02T15:27:15.141-05:00The Name Game<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m still deep in the throes of preparing for a move. As I
look at space allocation options for the suite that my son and I are planning
to build in his garage, it’s becoming increasingly clear that even the few
furniture pieces I had planned to take are going to be too big and I’m going to
have to make some new purchases. For people with chemical sensitivities, any
purchase can be problematic, and requires much research. As I shop for
possibilities online, I’m reminded of the games that manufacturers and
marketers play and the confusion that exists among the general public regarding
materials used in furniture and housing. It’s not easy to figure out what we’re
actually getting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are a few confusing terms related to the home
environment:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Solid wood – Technically, something made of
solid wood is made of basic lumber. Much of the wood furniture sold today,
however, is made of a manufactured wood product, such as particleboard, medium
density fiberberboard (MDF), high density fiberboard (HDF) or oriented strand
board (OSB). Chipboard, flakeboard, furniture board, composite wood, and
engineered wood are other possible terms. Manufacturers may refer to them as
“solid wood products” or as of being made of “wood solids.” Sometimes private sellers advertising
products on sites like eBay or Craigslist will say that a piece of furniture
made from particleboard is solid wood. This may be due to confusion as to
material type, but sometimes I think they just mean that the piece doesn’t
contain metal or upholstery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Manufactured wood products combine small wood particles with an adhesive
resin. Plywood uses layers of wood rather than particles, but otherwise the
principle is the same. When used in furniture, manufactured wood is generally
covered with a laminate or veneer, making the identification process more
challenging. The toxicity of manufactured wood can be high, and comes from the
adhesives, which often contain large amounts of formaldehyde and other
problematic chemicals. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Bonded leather – Bonded leather is the fabric
equivalent of manufactured wood. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonded_leather" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> expains that “bonded leather is made by shredding leather scraps and leather
fiber, then mixing it with bonding materials. The mixture is next extruded onto
a fiber cloth, or paper backing, and the surface is usually embossed with a
leather-like texture or grain.” The
amount of natural leather in bonded leather products can vary significantly and
can sometimes be quite low. The primary bonding material is generally
polyurethane, and among the other chemicals commonly found in bonded leather
are plasticizers, which have been associated with a range of health problems. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
Terms for leather-like synthetic fabrics (which are generally some form
of vinyl) include leatherette, pleather, and naugahyde. “Vegan leather” is an
especially interesting term. It can refer to any non-animal leather-like
product. Generally it refers to vinyl, but can occasionally refer to
alternative leathers made from cork or kelp. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Linoleum – True linoleum is a product made from linseed
oil and natural materials such as powdered cork, tree resin, and limestone. It
was once used widely as a flooring material, but has now been largely replaced
by vinyl. Generally, manufacturers and marketers don’t use the term
incorrectly, but private sellers, realtors, and landlords may refer to linoleum
flooring when the flooring is actually a vinyl product. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Hardwood or ceramic floors – Another flooring
issue that people searching for healthy housing often encounter is that homes
or apartments advertised as having hardwood or ceramic tile floors may actually
be floored with a laminate. Laminates have a manufactured wood core with a
photographic layer bonded to it that simulates wood or ceramic. Generally the
term “floating floor” refers to laminate flooring.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Shopping with health in mind means learning to be a
code-breaker. It’s not easy, but it’s important. Once I’ve cracked this code,
I’ll move on to another: trying to decipher the color designations. Is elm
bark, for example, more brown or gray?
This all makes my head spin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-84744942537557827892015-06-15T07:24:00.000-05:002016-02-22T20:24:55.777-06:00Who Am I?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The news has
been filled in recent days with stories of people identifying with a gender or
race other than the one that seemed apparent when they were born. Because of
that, I’ve been pondering the issue of identity. How much is chosen for
us? How much can we choose for ourselves?
Who am I, really?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">People define
themselves using many criteria. Age, race, and gender are starting points as
are marital status and parenthood. We define ourselves by our jobs, our
politics, and our faith. For those of us with chronic illnesses, a significant temptation
is to let our physical conditions label and define us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So who am
I? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">* <b>I am more</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. I am more than my circumstances. I am
more than my diseases. I am more than what the world sees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Remembering
that I’m more than my physical challenges is one of my biggest struggles. My
chemical sensitivities, in particular, seemingly invade every corner of my life
and affect every decision I make. I can never escape them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
have long been intrigued by Satan’s reasoning in the book of Job. He asked God
for permission to test Job in all sorts of horrible ways, including the death
of all ten of his children. The Bible tells us that Job felt great sorrow and
grief when confronted with his losses, but that he didn’t accuse God of
wrongdoing. So Satan tried again. He proposed to God,<span class="text"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: #fdfeff; color: #001320;">“Reach out and take away his health, and he will surely
curse you to your face!"</span> (Job 2:5, NLT) </span><span class="text"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
general, I don’t think it’s helpful to compare suffering. I can’t even imagine
the pain Job and his wife must have felt at losing all of their children, and I’m
not at all sure that I would have passed Job’s test. I do know the grief,
however, of losing my mother when I was a young teenager, and losing my husband
last year. They were significant and life-altering losses. It wouldn’t be
accurate to say that losing my health was harder than losing my loved ones, but
it’s fair to say that it’s a loss with a different flavor. No matter how close
the relationship between any two people, there is still a measure of
separateness. While living on this earth, however, it is impossible to separate
from the physical body. My body feels like me. My illnesses feel like my
identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It
feels that way, but it isn’t the truth. I have beliefs, thoughts, experiences and
interests beyond my physical condition and my circumstances. I am more. You are
more. Let’s remind ourselves of that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">* I am less</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. 1 Corinthians 12 describes Christians
as parts of a body. Verses 19-21 say “<span class="text">How
strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, 'I don't need you.'"</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
am less than I can be when I’m not attached to the rest of the body of Christ. Finding
a way to attach is a great challenge for anyone with significant chemical
sensitivities. Many of us have learned, however, how essential it is to keep
trying and how difficult it is to live a full spiritual life alone. Church, you
are also less than you are created to be when you don’t find a way to include
everyone who wants to be included. God designed us to complement each other and
to work together to represent him on this earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">* I am complete</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. After my husband died, I began to
think about fractions. Our family suddenly seemed incomplete. We seemed like
3/4ths of a family. I realized that I needed to reframe the issue in my mind
and stop thinking of my sons and myself as three of four, but as three of three. I needed to
change both the numerator and denominator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
also realized that not only was I seeing my family as incomplete or somehow not
enough, but I was also seeing myself that way. Perhaps I was taking on the
values of my culture. In the country and time in which I currently live, my
race and education work in my favor, but my age, gender, marital and health
status work against me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Fortunately,
God doesn’t see me as the world does. Colossians 2:10 tells me that I am
complete through my union with Christ. He wants me to continue to grow and develop
(the same chapter talks about letting my roots grow down into him), but as I
am, I’m enough to be fully loved and accepted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
Bible tells me that I’m justified through Christ. I’ve heard the term “justified”
defined as “just as if I never sinned.”
It’s a helpful definition, but I also find it helpful to think about
how, when typing, our computers let us “justify” our margins. When we do that, all
the gaps are filled in. Every line reaches the edge. God does that for me. He
fills in the gaps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So who am
I? Who are you? What defines us? Who defines us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">They aren’t easy
questions for anyone, and maybe they’re harder than usual for people with
chronic illness. It’s so easy to let ourselves be defined by our diseases,
circumstances, or culture. Instead, I want to let God tell me who I am. What he
tells me is that I am his deeply loved child. That’s who I am, and that’s enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-54134038224742107592015-04-24T20:49:00.000-05:002015-04-24T20:49:31.224-05:00I’m Not “Allergic to Smells”<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve written <a href="http://sharingair.blogspot.com/2013/04/but-i-dont-smell-anything.html" target="_blank">before</a> about the fact that people tend to associate toxicity with the presence of a
discernible odor. I’m revisiting the issue because I continue to hear chemical
illness described as being “allergic to smells.” I understand why people make that assumption,
but the description isn’t fully accurate. One part of the inaccuracy is that although allergies can accompany it, chemical illness doesn't usually involve the specific immune reactions seen in traditional allergies. It is instead generally a problem of the body’s detoxification system being overwhelmed or
malfunctioning. The second inaccuracy is that not everything with a discernible
odor is problematic and many odorless things are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m also revisiting this issue because two recent sad stories
drive home the point that toxic fumes don’t always come with an olfactory
warning. A few weeks ago the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/04/us/virgin-islands-resort-pesticide/" target="_blank">story</a> hit the news of a family of four on a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The
family was staying in a villa and the unit underneath the one they were renting
was sprayed with the pesticide methyl bromide. At the time the story was
reported, two weeks after the exposure, the two children were both in a coma
and their father was unable to move or talk. The next day I read the <a href="http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/04/07/carbon-monoxide-killed-dad-7-kids-md-home/" target="_blank">account</a> of a father and seven children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after
running a generator inside their home. Like methyl bromide, carbon monoxide is
both odorless and potentially lethal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fact that our noses can’t always warn us of chemical
dangers and that exposure symptoms are not always immediate makes it hard for
people with toxic illness to know when an environment is potentially
problematic. Online friend and fellow blogger Deb (visit her blog at <a href="http://www.greenleafindrought.blogspot.com/">www.greenleafindrought.blogspot.com</a>)
experienced that issue this week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deb moved to a new state about a year ago and has been very
blessed to find a church that removed air fresheners and changed their cleaning
products so that she could attend. She’s even been able to attend a care group,
in the home of a family who lives a generally toxin-free life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The family has a teenage son, and this past week, the son
and a friend were getting ready for prom. The friend used cologne in a powder
room near the area where the care group normally meets. The homeowner noticed
the odor in the room two hours before the group was to meet and took action,
wiping down all surfaces with vinegar, turning on exhaust fans, and opening
windows. To be extra safe, the group decided to meet in a room farther from the
location where the cologne was used, and Deb was seated between the open back
door and an open window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deb reports that she didn’t smell anything during her time in
the home. However, she states, “Less than half hour after getting home every
bone and muscle and fiber in my body hurt . . . . I also had dizziness,
migraine and loud ringing ears. The pain was excruciating all night.” She adds, “Obviously the chemical poison was
there even if I could not smell it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sure every toxic illness sufferer has a similar story. How
do we avoid such situations? We need
your help, and helping us helps everyone. My vote is for stronger regulations
about what can be sold and greater discernment on the part of consumers about
what we buy and use. Let’s try that.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-55764224594143838432015-04-03T09:03:00.000-05:002017-03-11T17:02:42.953-06:00How Far Away is Far Enough?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Evidently, I
haven't written a blog post since November, which is not-coincidentally when my
sons and I made the decision to sell or rent out our respective houses and find
a shared-but-separate home together. Since that time, I've been fairly consumed
with the logistics involved in making a move. I've written about <a href="http://sharingair.blogspot.com/search/label/housing" target="_blank">housing</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">enough in the past that I don't think I need to rehash all the difficulties
involved for people with chemical illness. It's a huge issue, and I would truly
appreciate prayers for the process.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">One of the initial
challenges my sons and I are encountering in the house hunting journey is the
difficulty of finding a home far enough away from highways and other busy roads.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to say with precision how far away is far enough,
even for people without chemical illness. Traffic pollution is a significant
health issue, both because it's so hard to avoid and because it contains a complex
mixture of both gaseous pollutants and fine particulate matter. Here's some of
the information I've found:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.newpartners.org/2012/docs/presentations/Friday/3.30%20-%205.30pm/Friday%203rd%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%203.30%20-%205.30%20%20%20%20%20%20Housing%20and%20Freeways/NP12_Bailey.pdf" target="_blank">A publication by the National Resources Defense Council</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">notes
that health effects related to traffic pollution include cancer, heart disease,
asthma, decreased lung function, pre-term birth, birth defects, and increased
mortality related to such factors as heart attack, stroke, and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">pneumonia.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
publication notes that dramatically elevated pollutant levels are generally
found within 500 feet of busy roadways, but under certain conditions can extend
much further.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/361634" target="_blank">An article in the Digital Journal</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">notes that people living within 300 feet of major roadways have higher rates of
respiratory conditions, allergies, heart disease, and certain types of cancers.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
author reports that a California study found that in the early morning hours,
traffic pollution travels a mile or more from the highways.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
article also states that the American Lung Association's 2013 "State of
the Air" report determined that living or working within 0.3 miles of a
highway or road is "more dangerous than people have been led to
believe."</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/17/study-living-near-a-highway-may-contribute-to-autism-risk/" target="_blank">A Time magazine article</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">reported on a study finding that children whose families lived within 1,000
feet of a freeway when they were born were twice as likely as others to have
autism.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scpcs.ucla.edu/news/Freeway.pdf" target="_blank">The Southern California Particle Center and Supersite</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">(SCPCS) notes that many factors influence exposure to traffic pollution. These
include weather conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and the speed and
direction of the wind. Whether a home is upwind or downwind of the roadway is
important, as is the construction of the house and the type of filtration
system it has. Whether people are outdoors during peak traffic times or indoors
with open windows also affects exposure levels.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So how close is
too close? The SCPCS concludes that
"scientists cannot say exactly how close is 'too close' at this
point" and that "the closer people are to the source of traffic
emissions, the higher their exposure is to many of the constituents of
exhaust." Studies indicate that
vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, or those with
pre-existing health conditions should be especially careful. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20870755" target="_blank">An article in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">notes that exposure to
traffic-related pollution can contribute to the development of COPD and that
enhanced susceptibility is seen in people with asthma, which might be expected,
and diabetes, which seems to me a less obvious association. Although I haven't
seen this advice in print, I've been told that one expert in toxic illness
recommends that those of us who suffer from MCS live at least five miles from a
highway, which seems like good advice that can be extremely difficult to
follow, especially when taking the needs of other family members into account.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Mitigating the
health effects of traffic pollution, especially for those not planning a move,
isn't easy. Avoiding as many other sources of chemical exposures as possible
will help lower the overall toxic burden on the body. Good air filtration can
help, as well, and planting vegetation can also be of some use. Although, in
general, indoor air pollution is higher than that found outdoors, those living
near busy roadways may find it prudent to shut windows and stay indoors during
peak traffic hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">To a degree,
the issue seems to be gaining more attention. As I noted in <a href="http://sharingair.blogspot.com/2013/11/school-challenges-and-victories.html" target="_blank">a previous post</a>,
some state and local authorities are beginning to address the issue of building
schools near major roadways, while others continue to ignore the risks. Compelling
evidence of health effects does not appear to be enough, in and of itself, to
consistently motivate action. Perhaps a growing awareness of the issue will
inspire parents to raise the issue and apply pressure when decisions are being
made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Will the
pollution from busy roadways become less problematic as electric and hybrid
cars increase in popularity? Yes, to a
degree, but some experts conclude that fine particulates from tire wear and
roadway dust may continue to be an issue. I'm personally not pinning my hopes
on a quick decrease in levels of exhaust fumes and am going to continue to pass on homes that are too close to busy roadways, no matter how well they fit other criteria. I just wish it weren't
quite so challenging to figure out how far away is far enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-67890960394716579702014-11-10T11:06:00.000-06:002014-11-10T11:06:14.155-06:00Encouragement and Dismissal<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In the seven months since I lost my
husband, I think I've managed to maintain a fair degree of emotional stability.
There are definitely peaks and valleys in this journey, however, and a month or
so ago I experienced a Very Bad Week. During that week, I wrote most of this blog
post, but decided I should probably let it sit a while before posting it. Looking
at it now, I do think that the issues raised during my meltdown might be
helpful to discuss even though the emotional storm has passed and I’m currently
feeling much less angry at the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The primary question that I examined
during my Very Bad Week was why, when I'm struggling, the same phrase, such as
"God has a plan" can sometimes sound like encouragement and sometimes
sound like dismissal. I realize that messages are interpreted by hearers, and
that the mood I'm in or my personal history can influence the way I perceive a
statement. Still, I do think it's wise for all of us to do what we can to
increase the odds of our interactions with others being perceived as helpful
rather than hurtful. Here are some of the factors I see as important:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Validation
– I believe that validation is the key difference between encouragement and
dismissal. Encouragement acknowledges the reality of a difficult situation and
corresponding negative emotions, while dismissal minimizes them. Validation communicates
the message “You <i>have</i> a problem,” while dismissal can communicate “You <i>are</i> a problem.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As
part of my work, I occasionally have reason to write about the psychological
intervention known as dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, which is an
offshoot of traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. Studying DBT has helped
me understand the power of validation. <a href="http://behavioraltech.org/resources/whatisdbt.cfm" target="_blank">An article on the development of DBT</a> notes that some patients found cognitive behavioral therapy's singular focus on
change invalidating and responded with anger or withdrawal. The developer of
DBT addressed the issue by adding validation strategies, which communicated
acceptance and the acknowledgement that a client’s emotions and behaviors “made
real sense in some way." <a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2006/targeted-therapy-halves-suicide-attempts-in-borderline-personality-disorder.shtml" target="_blank">The National Institute of Mental Health</a> reports that a comparison of DBT with other strategies in patients with borderline personality disorder found
that DBT reduced suicide attempts by half and more than halved the therapy
dropout rate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I can best understand the importance of
validation by remembering the purpose of pain. Pain exists to be acknowledged. It
tells us that something is not functioning optimally and alerts us that some
sort of action needs to be taken. The pain of appendicitis tells us to get to
the hospital. The pain of a sprained ankle tells us to stay off of it so it can
heal. Emotional pain can play the same role. When we refuse to recognize
the pain in ourselves and others, we negate its purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Timing
of suggestions – It isn't wrong to urge people to think positively or to offer
suggestions and advice for addressing an issue. I think that we're more likely
to listen to suggestions from each other, though, when we first feel that we've
been heard and understood. So many of the Psalms follow a pattern of lament and
complaint yielding to acceptance and praise. It's important to get to that
place of peace, but I think it's unrealistic for us to expect people in pain to
start there. When we give suggestions too soon, especially if they seem like
clichés (“Just trust God”), it can feel like we’re in a hurry to end the
conversation and move on. It can communicate dismissal and lack of real concern.
Encouragement holds back on giving suggestions until validation has taken place.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Listening
– The more we understand the problems and emotions of another person, the more
real encouragement we can offer. It’s easy to assume that we know what someone
else is feeling, but the only way to approach true understanding is to listen
without interrupting and to ask questions </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when clarification is needed. What’s
the main emotion someone is feeling?
Fear? Anger? Rejection? Are there
beliefs or past experiences that contribute to these feelings? Encouragement takes time to find out. “Active
listening” which involves paying
full attention to the words of another, then re-phrasing and repeating them for
verification can be very helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Belief</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> – Although it sounds obvious, I think it’s easy for us to forget sometimes that
people are the ultimate experts on their own lives. If someone tells me that
they always get depressed in April, it’s important for me to believe that, even
if my own worst month tends to be October. As I wrote in <a href="http://sharingair.blogspot.com/2012/08/limitations-on-learning-fromexperience.html" target="_blank">a previous post</a>, it’s wise to remind ourselves that people can experience the same situation in
very different ways and to believe the experiences of others, even if they
differ from ours. This can be a significant difference between encouragement
and dismissal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Equivalence
– Finding commonalities is important in relationship building. The problem,
though, is the tendency to make commonalities into equivalence. Yes, to a large
degree pain is pain. Surely, though, we can agree that losing a pet is not
equivalent to losing a child and that having the flu does not equip us to
understand the experiences of a cancer patient. No matter how well-meaning our
intentions, when we say “I understand how you feel because . . .” and the
“because” is something that doesn’t seem equivalent at all to the hearer, it
can feel like the reality of the problem is being minimized and dismissed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Assumptions
– Sometimes people minimize a problem because they assume there are untapped resources
for solving it. These assumptions are not always entirely logical. In the
chemical illness arena, for example, I often find that people assume that
others maintain non-toxic homes I can enter despite the fact that their own
homes are not toxin-free. I hesitate to make this next point, because I’ve had
some wonderful help from family and church members, and I’m extremely grateful
for it. During my Very Bad Week, however, I got the feeling, rightly or
wrongly, that the government expected my family to take care of me, my family
was relying on the church, and the church assumed I would find help from the
government. When we volunteer to address a need it generally communicates
encouragement, but when we volunteer someone else it can feel like dismissal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Platitudes
– It’s easy to fall back on phrases that contain truth, but that have been
repeated so often that saying them may communicate a lack of thought or
attention to the realities of the situation. Often, the truth contained in a
phrase is nuanced. “Everything will be OK” is true, for example, if we take the
long view. There’s a promised life after this one, full of joy and free from
pain. It’s not true, however, that when people experience difficult
circumstances they are then guaranteed no more difficulties in this present life.
We all want to believe the world works that way, but scripture and observation tell
us otherwise. None of us can see the future and promise someone else freedom
from struggle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Prayer
– Without validation, even prayer can be used in a way that feels like
dismissal sometimes. When someone takes time to listen to and acknowledge a
problem, then says, “I’ll pray for you,” it can be deeply encouraging. When
someone says “I’ll pray for you” without first acknowledging the depth of the
issue, however, it can feel like an attempt to avoid engagement. Actually
taking the time to pray with someone can be very meaningful and encouraging, especially
if the prayer expresses a true understanding of the issues involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To everyone who has encouraged me by
listening to my concerns and validating them, I offer my sincere and heartfelt
thanks. To people I’ve failed to encourage effectively, I offer my apologies. I
hope we can all get better at this.<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-12777935734736837652014-09-08T11:45:00.000-05:002014-11-10T10:24:18.852-06:00Disability<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Many
people have asked me, through the years, why I’m not “on disability.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since my husband died, the questions have
increased.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although everyone’s situation
is unique, mine may shed some light on the struggles of others, as well, so
I’ll take some time to explain the issues as I understand them.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m certainly no expert on the subject, but
I’ve done enough reading and I’ve had enough contact with people going through
the process that I think I understand the basics and can take a shot at laying
out the options.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This may take a while,
so if you’re not interested in the topic, you might want to bail out now.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Otherwise, pour yourself a cup of coffee and
settle in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Disability Programs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are a number of different ways that people can receive financial assistance
after becoming disabled. Each program
has its own set of qualifying criteria, and people who meet it can then apply
for assistance. The major programs
include the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 67.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>SSDI</b>
- Usually, when people speak of “getting disability,” they are referring to the
program known as Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. To qualify for SSDI, applicants must have
worked for employers who paid Social Security taxes for them, or have paid
self-employment taxes if they worked for themselves. Qualifications also include a long enough and
recent enough work history. The amount paid to those who qualify for SSDI is
based on a formula which includes the amount that recipients earned during
their working years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Personally,
I don’t qualify for SSDI because I was a missionary when I became ill, and my
mission board didn’t pay into Social Security for the married female
missionaries. A similar situation is
faced by stay-at-home parents who become disabled. People working traditional jobs when they
begin feeling ill may face a different problem.
As they become increasingly disabled, it’s common for people to cut back
on their working hours or to find less-demanding and less-well-paying
employment. Often, by the time people
give up and apply for disability, the amount they can receive is lower than it
would have been if they had not continued trying to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>SSI</b>
– Those who don’t qualify for SSDI may qualify for Supplemental Security
Income, or SSI. Eligibility for SSI is
based on income and assets. SSI looks at
family, rather than simply individual income, and while my husband was alive
and working, our income was above the limit.
Currently, I don’t qualify because I have more than $2,000 in assets,
which is the maximum amount individuals are allowed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Early
survivor’s benefits</b> – When workers retire, they are generally eligible for Social
Security payments. If they die before
retirement age, their widow or widower is entitled to survivor’s benefits based
on the deceased worker’s earnings history.
Generally, a widow or widower is eligible for survivor’s benefits (at a
reduced rate) at age 60. However, people
can apply at age 50 if they are disabled.
This is the program through which I could apply. Like other Social
Security payments, the full allowable amount can only be received at retirement
age, and the sooner that recipients take benefits, the lower the amount will be
(and will never increase, except for inflationary adjustments.) As an aside, sometimes people confuse
survivor benefits with spousal benefits, but they are different things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Private
disability insurance</b> – It’s possible to purchase insurance policies that cover
future disability. These policies may be
short-term disability policies, which have a maximum payment duration of no more
than two years, or long-term disability policies, which can pay lifetime
benefits, in some cases. Disability
insurance can be purchased on an individual basis, or may be provided by an
employer. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2013/09/24/5-myths-about-disability-insurance/" target="_blank">A Forbes article</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">states that payment
is usually about 60% of an individual’s former salary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: 'Courier New'; font-size: 12pt;">o<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Worker’s
Compensation</b> – If an injury or illness occurs on the job, people may be covered
by worker’s compensation. As the Forbes
article notes, however, <span style="background: white;">fewer than
5% of disabling accidents and illnesses are work-related. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Application
Process<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After the initial qualifications have been met,
the question becomes one of the nature and severity of the disability. It is much more likely for approval to be
granted based on some conditions than on others. <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/dibplan/dqualify5.htm#a0=2" target="_blank">The Social Security Administration</a> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">states that “we maintain a list of medical conditions that
are so severe they automatically mean that you are disabled. If your condition
is not on the list, we have to decide if it is of equal severity.” They must also decide if applicants can do
the work they did previously or are able to adjust to another type of
employment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Winning a disability claim, for any condition,
isn’t easy. <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2011/sect04.html" target="_blank">The Social Security Office of Retirement and Disability Policy </a></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">reports that between 2001 and 2010, 28% of applicants were
awarded benefits at the initial claims level.
Of those that appealed, 3% were awarded benefits at the reconsideration
and 13% at the hearing levels. The experiences of others with chemical illness
leads me to believe that receiving disability for the condition isn’t completely
impossible, but is definitely challenging.
It can be a multi-year process and can require doctor’s examinations, court
appearances and other activities that are quite difficult for those with
toxic illness to accomplish and that can make a sufferer’s condition worse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In a book relating her chemical illness journey,
teacher Lorraine Smith recounts her battle for compensation. She speaks of visiting a doctor who laughed
out loud when she described her health problems. The doctor also wore an after-shave lotion
that made her feel weak and dizzy, and when she mentioned her problem, the
doctor said he was wearing a “special fragrance” that didn’t cause
reactions. Smith also describes her time
inside the courtroom, which was filled with people wearing synthetic
fragrances. She mentions her need for a fragrance-free environment and notes
that it would have helped to have access to fresh air, perhaps through an open
window, and would have been nice to be scheduled as the first case of the day,
to minimize exposure time. She notes, “</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without these provisions, I was actually being asked to
perform tasks that were the very nature of my disability.” Exactly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The fight for disability is also hindered by powerful
adversaries with strong financial interest in downplaying and belittling
chemical illness. In her enlightening paper entitled <a href="http://www.getipm.com/personal/mcs-campbell.htm" target="_blank">Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Under Seige</a></span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Dr. Ann McCampbell writes, “Perhaps the area where the
chemical industry is most aggressively fighting MCS is in the courts.” She notes that in addition to direct attacks
on plaintiffs’ credibility, industry personnel file briefs, supply “expert”
witnesses, and distribute anti-MCS literature to witnesses and attorneys. The chemical industry is also very active in
attempting to revoke the medical licenses of doctors who acknowledge and treat
toxic illness. This makes doctors
understandably skittish about supporting their chemically ill patients who wish
to file for disability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Among my other significant health conditions is
chronic Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the
politics of that condition aren’t much better.
Since this blog is primarily focused on the chemical toxicity problem, I
won’t expound on the Lyme wars. Anyone
interested might want to read the novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Novel-Brandilyn-Collins-ebook/dp/B004VT3GSE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410132292&sr=1-1&keywords=over+the+edge+brandilyn+Collins" target="_blank">Over the Edge</a> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">or watch the documentary <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVzXsKvN2ck" target="_blank">Under Our Skin</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Financial
Picture<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Applying for disability can be not
only logistically challenging, but emotionally challenging as well. It can feel like giving up and acknowledging
the permanence of a condition. It also
caps financial possibilities. <a href="http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/" target="_blank">The Social Security Administration</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">states that for 2014, the average monthly payment for those
on SSI is $534 and the average disabled widow makes $713. The average payment
for SSDI is better, at $1145, but is still considerably lower than many Americans would consider a living wage. People receiving disability payments
are allowed to earn a small amount of money, but not enough to make a
significant difference in their standard of living. Everyone I know on disability struggles. Public housing is generally not accessible
for people with chemical illness, and even living with family is often not
possible. Many people live in their cars
or in tents. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disability payments can be a
lifeline and a great help to many people.
I’m glad the programs exist and it’s possible that at some point I’ll
decide my only option is to apply. I do
think it’s helpful, though, for people to understand that being disabled
doesn’t always mean qualifying for benefits and that receiving benefits doesn’t
mean an end to financial challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Being disabled by illness isn’t a
lot of fun. I don’t recommend it. Seriously, life happens and it isn’t possible
to prevent all illnesses and accidents.
It’s definitely possible, however, to lower the risk of developing a
wide array of health conditions by lowering toxic exposures. There are many, many reasons to take the
issue seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6685528445185226708.post-52053556258815582752014-08-22T20:51:00.000-05:002014-08-22T21:06:41.327-05:00The Journey<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m about to celebrate a
birthday, which has directed my thoughts to all that transpired since the last
one. Last year, on the day after my birthday, there was a vote which led to a
church split, which is a significant event for church staff members and their
families. Then we had a fire. Then my husband died.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s been quite a year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The fact that the path my
life has taken has been so hilly and full of curves has made a recent series of
events seem even more interesting than it might have been otherwise. Here’s the
story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dan’s sisters kindly invited
me to join them on a trip to <st1:place w:st="on">Yellowstone</st1:place>, so I
gratefully packed up my tent. My oldest son was able to join us and flew into
town so that he could drive my car. He had a couple of audiobooks and a variety
of music for us to listen to along the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We traveled with the
others and were usually following rather than leading. As is often the case
when exploring a new area, getting from Point A to Point B sometimes required
turning around. At one point, just as the lead car was stopping to reverse
direction, the singer we were listening to sang “Turn around.” We laughed at that, and turned around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next day we found
ourselves once again unsure of the route. We found it amusing that, as we were
wandering about, the music asked “Where are we?” and added “There are
mountains.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Those who’ve been to <st1:place w:st="on">Yellowstone</st1:place> know the excitement of seeing animals in the
wild. They also know that the excitement is sometimes tempered with impatience
at the traffic jams caused by people stopping in the middle of the road. We
were following a car that slowed to watch some buffalo. At that moment, the
lyrics coming through our car’s sound system were “Don’t slow down.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We got a kick out of this
narration of our trip. As we headed for home, though, things got even more
interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Although we had arrived by a
different route, we decided to return by the roads that took us through the
Tetons and near the Jackson Hole area of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:place></st1:state>.
We stopped and enjoyed the beauty. Then we got in the car, turned the music on,
and heard the singer sing about being led to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jackson</st1:place></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The strangest incident
occurred later that day. We continued our drive through <st1:state w:st="on">Wyoming</st1:state>,
passing through the <st1:place w:st="on">Wind River</st1:place> valley. We
wondered aloud whether to pronounce it with a short vowel sound or long, unsure
of whether the river was named after a breeze or the circuitous route it took. We
got our answer. We were listening to an audiobook about an astronaut stranded
on Mars. The narrator began discussing a battery—a battery made by the Wind
River Company (pronounced with a short vowel sound, by the way). The <st1:place w:st="on">Wind River</st1:place> mentioned in a book about Mars? My son and I stared at each other in
amazement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There was one day left on
our trip. By this time I expected a narration moment and I got one. We had been
listening to music and I had been falling asleep. I didn’t want to sleep
through the end of the book, though, and I knew we needed to start listening to
it soon if we were going to finish it before we got home. As I tried to rouse
myself so that we could make the switch, the singer sang “I’ll try to stay
awake.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Was all that
coincidence? Some will say so, but that’s
not how I see it. I think a merciful God was simply saying, “I see you, Martha.
I’m with you on this journey.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have no idea what this
next year holds. There could be more disasters or a miraculous healing. There
could be both. Whatever comes, though, I’m confident that God is with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">He’s with me on this journey. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">He's with you, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Martha McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06436156507579131043noreply@blogger.com2