RSS Feed

Tag Archives: Blood pressure

Pressured to Make a Change

Posted on October 3, 2019 by expressyourself4him

As my oldest son James completes his final semester at Liberty University, I have become one of his guinea pigs. Part of his current Exercise Science class involves serving as a personal trainer for his parents, Leanne and I. After filling out a questionnaire, doing a stress test over the course of one week and checking my blood pressure, heart rate and pulse daily, James has designed a workout schedule based upon our physical states.

If you point out these instructions to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished [through study] on the words of the faith and of the good [Christian] doctrine which you have closely followed, 1 Timothy 4:6.

Unfortunately, my last few measurements of blood pressure were off the charts. Before I could exercise week one, I needed to be placed back on high blood pressure medication. Once my blood pressure readings return to normal, I can begin to get back into shape. However, this harsh reality is God’s way of opening my eyes to how badly I have taken care of my body. After initially watching my diet early in 2019, I having given into junk food.

But have nothing to do with irreverent folklore and silly myths. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come, 1 Timothy 4:7-8.

As I reflect upon my current condition, a lack of balance in my life is to blame. In a letter to a teenager pastor, the apostle Paul writes about a good minister’s discipline. Without using the term balance, Paul urges Timothy to make time for physical and spiritual exercise. While Paul places more emphasis on spiritual growth, physical training does play a valuable role. Thus, as I struggle to regain my health, I guess you can say that this experience has pressured me into making a change for the better.

by Jay Mankus

Advertisement

1 Comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Is Hindsight 20/20?

Posted on January 27, 2019 by expressyourself4him

Hindsight is defined as the understanding of a situation or event only after it has developed or happened.  For the past two years, a large cataract hindered my ability to see out of my right eye.  While I experienced periods of improvement, last summer my eye doctor suggested it’s time to deal with this situation.  As I struggled to read fine print, I came to the same conclusion, scheduling a surgery for late November.  A series of unforeseen events forced this operation to be postponed until last Thursday.

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise, Jeremiah 17:14.

Like any procedure, I was afraid, not knowing the ultimate outcome.  Before I was given drugs to numb the pain, I made my peace with God.  When the nurse at the front desk asked me for my will and testament prior to being admitted, worst case scenarios raced through my mind.  This request likely elevated my blood pressure so high that my first operation was cancelled.  As a person of faith, I wrestle with relying on medicine to resolve health problems.  However, when changes in diet, fasting and prayer does not improve your condition, my operation served as a last resort.  While the healing process takes roughly two weeks, only time will tell if my sight will be fully restored.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand, Isaiah 41:10.

I feel like the prophet Isaiah is speaking to me in the passage above.  I have no control over how well eye will recover.  Sure, I can listen to my doctor’s directions by taking my daily prescriptions, but the degree of healing is in God’s hand.  My dream of writing screen plays is dependent upon the final outcome of my cataract surgery.  Thus, all I can do is place my trust in the Lord,  believing that God will help improve my condition.  Although I am not considering this trial a pure joy as James 1:2-4 suggests, I am relying on hindsight, remembering how God has provided for me in the past.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Why an Emergency Fund is Essential

Posted on December 7, 2018 by expressyourself4him

Rainy day funds are usually used to apply to the funds maintained by most U.S. states to help deal with budget shortfalls in years where revenues do not match expenditures.  In the days of fiscal responsibility, state leaders annually balanced their budgets rather than borrowing from the future to pay for present unforeseen costs.  The state of Texas uses an Economic Stabilization Fund as their rainy day fund, tapping into this when deemed necessary.  Unfortunately, most modern leaders rely on the federal government as their piggy bank, taking more than putting back.  Thus, when disaster strikes unexpectedly, many are left begging the United States for federal assistance.

The younger of them [inappropriately] said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.’ So he divided the estate between them. 13 A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything [that he had] and traveled to a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living, Luke 15:12-13.

The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most referenced stories in the Bible.  Yet, few recognize the mention of an emergency.  Just as this immature son wasted his inheritance on wild living, a great famine swept across this region.  Luke uses the phrase “he began to do without and be in need.”  It sounds like this young man was forced to be become a pan handler, scrounging around the streets to survive.  Like Joseph during the famine in Egypt, you have to save during times of great abundance to endure lean periods.  The prodigal son was so consumed by indulging his sinful nature that he neglected to create an emergency fund.

Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to do without and be in need. 15 So he went and forced himself on one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He would have gladly eaten the [carob] pods that the pigs were eating [but they could not satisfy his hunger], and no one was giving anything to him, Luke 15:14-16.

While human beings make plans for the future, only God knows your ultimate fate.  Two weeks ago I felt fine, unaware of the internal state of my body.  Today, I have to watch everything I eat and drink so that my blood pressure returns to healthy levels.  I’m not homeless like the prodigal son, but I am forced to re-evaluate my diet, exercise and daily routine.  Foregoing my favorite meals is going to be difficult, but if I want to improve my overall healthy changes must be made immediately.  Emergency funds are a biblical concept to help you through transitional phases in life.  When medical conditions take you away from work or the ability to earn money, savings are there to fall back on.  May this blog inspire you to prepare like Joseph in the Old Testament, making the most of rich harvests by establishing an emergency fund.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

When God Has a Change in Plans

Posted on December 2, 2018 by expressyourself4him

Back in 2016, I had emergency eye surgery in my right eye to prevent glaucoma from escalating.  After this operation, my surgeon informed me of a cataract that would need to be addressed in the future.  The initial goal was to wait a year then have cataract surgery.  However, this got pushed back until yesterday or least that’s what I thought.  When my blood pressure went from 130 over 80 Tuesday morning to 177 over 130 Thursday morning, God had a change of plans.  This procedure that involved six months of planning was abruptly cancelled.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps, Proverbs 16:9.

The older I get, the more analytical I become, pondering the reason for this delay.  Could I have died during this operation?  Did God prevent an accident from occurring?  Can God heal my eye supernaturally foregoing the need for this procedure?  Or did God want me to become painfully aware of a more pressing health need in my life?  As I ask these questions to God, I am still awaiting a clear response.  Nonetheless, King Solomon prepared the nation of Israel by warning people of God’s ability to alter, change or redirect your path.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand, Proverbs 19:21.

Currently, I find myself perplexed, essentially placed on bed rest until my blood pressure returns to a more normal level.  A few weeks before my senior year of college began, I broke my foot playing sand volleyball.  Instead of enjoying the final weeks of summer, I laid in bed, elevating my foot to reduce the swelling.  Five years ago a sledding accident resulted in 2 broken ribs and a collapsed lung, forced to take a medical leave of absence from work for five weeks.  When God quickly changes your plans, it’s not fun.  Yet, as I lie around in bed for a few days, I have time to reflect.  As I do, this is God’s way of reintroducing me to his plans, not mine.  Thus, I sit here quietly, listening intently and writing down for others in a blog what I am learning as I go through this tryin time in life.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Boiling Out of Control

Posted on November 25, 2018 by expressyourself4him

Blood pressure is measured with two numbers, systolic and diastolic.  The systolic number represents the measure of pressure when the heart is contracting.  The diastolic refers to when the heart is expanding after the contraction. A normal blood pressure measurement is considered 120 over 80. During a routine physical last week, my initial blood pressure was 170 over 120.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working, James 5:16.

There are 5 major factors which cause blood pressure to escalate: high salt intake, lack of physical activity, obesity, smoking and consuming too much alcohol.  Since I don’t drink or smoke, the first three are the reason for my blood pressure boiling out of control.  For someone who once possessed only four percent body fat, this recent diagnosis is eye opening and humbling.  The hardest part of my road to recovery is having the self-discipline to get back to a somewhat healthy level.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul, 3 John 1:2.

The earthly brother of Jesus suggests that the first step to healing is confessing that you have a problem.  Well, I am Jay Mankus and I have let my body go by eating poorly and failing to exercise on a regular basis.  The disciple whom Jesus loved talks about the importance of health in the passage above.  If you dive deeper, your overall health impacts your soul.  Thus, if your blood pressure begins to boil out of control, it’s hard to stay optimistic.  In these troubling times, the only thing I can do is trust Jesus to guide my path toward a healthier diet and life.

by Jay Mankus

Leave a comment

Posted in Truth and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
%d bloggers like this: