The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently had a study about watermelon consumption (2007) “Heart Healthy.” The National Watermelon Promotion Association (yes, there is such an organization) has 4 claims derived from this study on watermelon nutrition facts.

1. Watermelon consumption increases free arginine and citrulline, which can help maintain cardiovascular function.
2. Eating watermelon can help maintain cardiovascular health.
3. Watermelon has amino acids such as citrulline and arginine that help maintain the arteries.
4. Watermelon amino acids citrulline and arginine can help maintain blood flow and heart health.

Is watermelon fattening?

Watermelon is 92% water, so it’s a good source of even just water, but it does have natural sugars, so if you are diabetic make sure to take the sugars into consideration.

What is the orgin of watermelon?

Here is a fun fact you probably didn’t know about the… Watermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on walls of their ancient buildings. Watermelons were often placed in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife.

Here are some interesting facts about watermelons!

• Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.
• In some Mediterranean countries, the taste of watermelon is paired with the salty taste of feta cheese.
• Watermelon is 92% water.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
• In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinness Book of World Records).

Facts provided by the NWPA

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“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:4)

“Please turn the light back on!”

“Why, Lisa? What do you want to see?” asked big sister, Mary.

“I want to see the light!” replied little Lisa.

This is a cute story that happened to my sister and her friend at a sleep-over. Little sister, Lisa had to sleep in their bedroom due to lack of bedroom space.

Many of us feel the way “Little Lisa” did when we are having a “very dark day or night” of pain, fatigue, loss of sleep. It’s so easy for us to be plunged into seemingly total darkness, and we cry out to God, “Please turn Your light back on and dispel all this darkness!”

But, He seems so far away – too far to walk to reach Him in order to “turn the light switch back on.” We long to step out of the darkness and dwell in His marvelous light, where somehow, He makes it all seem less frightening and painful, and easier to deal with. But, sometimes His greatest work is done in our darkest moments.

His light is always available in many ways, even at night. Tiny fireflies outside blinking. Beautiful stars and moon – all tiny bits of His light . . .but so comforting! These remind me that the Light of God – “Jesus”, is always shining brightly–somewhere, somehow!

I just need to focus on how to “switch on that light” in my life so He can help me through these seemingly intolerable times.

He doesn’t always take away the literal darkness our bodies have cast us into at the moment? In our story above, Mary did not turn the light back on for her little sister, but gently told her that “Big sister was right there beside her. She had nothing to fear. Even in the darkness.”

Isn’t that so like our Lord, our Light?

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for being our friend who sticks closer than a brother or sister at times when we can’t seem to get out of the darkness of our illnesses and hurts in order to find the “switch” to turn Your light back on in our lives.

About the Author:
Alice Ervin chooses to not stay in the “dark places” any more than she has to. As hard as it is sometimes, she always finds a spot to stand inside her favorite circle of Light . . . Jesus!

It’s not infrequent for those of us who have chronic illness to feel like everyone seems to have a cure for disease but us. Why is it that every other person has some mysterious set of information about how to treat our disease?

Well, although it may seem personal and even a new trend, quackery medicine has been going on for some time. And it’s not all even been considered quackery, but sometimes just part of the “practice of medicine.”

If you’re up for looking at some silly stuff, check out the website Modern Mechanix where they have a medical section.

You’ll find a bunch of old articles and advertisements from the 1940s and other decades that show you that, despite how frustrating medicine can seem today to us, it could be worse if we had lived 50 years ago with the disease we have today.

Monday we heard Janet’s story as she discovered her doctors had lied about a medical mistake they had made 15 years earlier. Tuesday she shared about finding her x-rays has mysteriously disappeared. Yesterday she shared bout following God’s lead to go to court and today she shares how God led her to Washington DC. Read the rest of her story in hr book Taking a Stand, available at Rest Ministries bookstore and on sale this week.

Janet Concludes Her Story of Medical Malpractice

With judgments in hand, I filed a complaint with the California Medical Board, the governing agency, whose purpose and design is to monitor and regulate doctors and protect the people of California.

Regretfully they informed me that they were unable to investigate my doctors due to an existing statute. Under this law, only occurrences that had taken place within the last seven years could be investigated. This Statute of Limitations held no provision for cases where fraud and/or concealment were issues.

I then wrote one letter to Assemblyman Bill Campbell of California explaining my story. I shared with him the inadequacies I saw in our existing law regarding the Medical Board’s abilities to investigate. Bill Campbell then introduced legislation borne out of my medical disaster.

Within months, Assembly Bill AB 2571 passed both the Assembly and the Senate with not one “noe” vote and was signed into state law. No longer can doctors in California change medical records or conceal medical information and rely on the statute to exonerate them from investigation.

Now it is time for me to move on. No more detective work or courtrooms, yet I continue to speak in behalf of legislation that would help prevent medical malpractice. In January 2004, I made my fourth trip to my state’s Capitol offering my testimony hoping to protect the patients of tomorrow. My life is “proof positive” that God fits even mistakes into His plans.

Through my experiences, I’m reminded that God cares about each one of us. I’m in awe of the way God has answered my prayers! He has done things that I never imagined! I don’t know exactly what the future holds for my knee. But God has assured me, that walking or not, I will be okay. When I think about the surgeries ahead and the possibilities of losing my leg, I take a deep breath, and draw on my faith. I’m reminded that all is well.

One of the greatest lessons I learned these past few years is, that it “just takes one.” One set of hands or one letter written or one person willing to say “Yes, I will, I am willing to take a stand and do what God has asked me to do.”

Whether our road is easy or hard, whether we win or lose, I encourage you in the name of Jesus to do those things that God has asked you to do.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about Janet’s story and encourage you to visit her web site Janet Lynn Mitchell. You can see a slide show on Taking a Stand, hear her in an interview, or see what other areas of ministry she is involved in, including  parenting kids of special needs, faily fun, a dieter’s heart, and more.

Rest Ministries is happy to have Janet’s book, Taking a Stand, on sale currently in our bookstore for just $7.99. Taking a Stand is a true story about Janet, a 16-year-old girl who had complete trust in her orthopedic surgeons as she endured ten knee surgeries, due to what her physicians claimed was a genetic factor. Struggling with “how God made her” she never stopped believing she could walk! And one day she did. But then. . . what happens 15 years later when one of her surgeons confesses that the other doctor had done a rush-job on the first surgery and the following surgeries were just an attempt to cover up their medical error? Read more in Taking a Stand.

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2)

“A pipe burst under the sink. That’s the cause of the flooding,” the plumber stated. “I’ll be done in a couple of hours.”

I looked at him, shocked by what I heard. There goes dinner, I thought.

“It’s going to take me a couple of weeks to repair the water damage to the walls, tile, and carpet,” the carpenter said.

We wouldn’t have our usual holiday meal. I fought back tears.

When the renovations started, I discovered that I couldn’t tolerate the construction dust, so I barricaded myself in the bedroom. Stress and frustration overwhelmed me to the point that I had to go on bed rest.

Because of my nerve issues, I had trouble getting comfortable. Either my back ached, or I experienced shooting pains in my hips, or my knees became stiff.

Even though it was almost impossible for me to move, I continually told everyone, that “I’m good.” They knew better. I fooled no one. Finally, I owned up to my body’s limits.

No one ridiculed me. Actually, my family rallied around me and helped make this period a time of restoration – for the house, for my body, and for my soul. We renewed our bond over board games, movies, and take-out dinners. There was a lot of conversation mixed with plenty of laughter, and I was reminded how precious spending time with my family really is.

Looking back, I realize that I learned and grew, even in the midst of the trial. The intense level of pain removed all pretenses that I tried to uphold; my immobility exposed my desire to be self-sufficient; and when my joints stopped cooperating, all that remained was my hope and trust in God.

This trial proved to me that it is possible to find joy, even when I am swamped with problems.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us take James 1 to heart. As trials come into our lives, strengthen us and make us aware of Your love and grace.

About the Author:
Dorothea lives in California. After dealing with chronic illness for over twenty years, she knows that she needs God’s grace each day. Please visit www.restministriessunroom.ning.com/profile/DorotheaLove or email her at Dorothea.Love@yahoo.com.

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What would you do if after 15 years of suffering from 10 surgeries through your youth and young-adulthood, one of your surgeons admitted an error had been made during the first surgery? And all of the subsequent surgeries were an attempt to fix/hid the medical mistake?

That’s the situation Janet Lynn Mitchell faced and her story, recorded in her book Taking a Stand guides you through the emotions, the story of discovering x-rays that mysteriously disappeared, to court and then to the national capitol to change laws.

Read a portion of her story about taking a stand here at Rest Ministries web site or buy the book on Sale now for just $6.99 in Rest Ministries bookstore, Chronic Illness Books.