RAV-CHESED / Abounding in Love

Aren't you so glad that God's love is not based on beauty, personality or merit?  God's love is a moral attitude dedicated to our good, regardless of whether we are desirable, worthy, or even responsive (see Deut. 7:7-9).  God doesn't love us because we are lovable and worthy of His love but because love defines His character.  Love is what He is all about.  "God is love" (1 John 4:8)

In fact, God's love is deeper and more steadfast than even that of a mother for her children (Isa. 49:15; 66:13).  That can be hard for us to imagine!  It is so strong that it makes Him stay comitted even when we are not.  It is so deep that it causes Him to feel affection even when we do not.  I for one, am very grateful for THAT.  I'm so glad that God isn't as 'wishy-washy' as we can sometimes be!!  Aren't YOU?     

The ladies' group I'm in is doing a Bible Study on the names of God.  It's amazing to me that I can somehow come to know God in a more deeper way by His revealing Himself to me through some of His names.  I wanted to share this one with you.....

RAV-CHESED  (means Abounding in Love)

The LORD, the LORD, . . . abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6

The dictionary defines love as "a feeling of warm personal attachment or strong affection." This definition is mirrored in the Hebrew word for love, ahab, which means: "to desire, to breathe after, to be inclined toward, to delight in." The Lord has a feeling of warm personal attachment and affection for His people.  He used the word ahab when He said: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness" (Jer. 31:3).

The word ahab is used in the Old Testament to describe strong affection for another based on relationship.  The Lord God delights in us and is inclined toward us.  He desires - "breathes after" - us with affectionate (ahab) love.  But there is another - richer, more powerful word that is used throughout Old Testament Scripture to describe God's love for us: the Hebrew word chesed.

Chesed speaks of love that is firmly rooted in God's character.  It involves loyalty, steadfastness, and covenant commitment, as well as kindness, tenderness, and mercy.  Chesed is the type of love that accepts moral obligation for the welfare of the person loved.  It's a love that doesn't depend on the response or behavior of the receiver but rather on the steadfast character and commitment of the giver.

Ahab has to do with feelings, whereas chesed implies a mind-set and mode of interaction rooted in deep values. 

Scholars have offered many suggestions as to how chesed should best be translated.  It is extraordinarily difficult to come up with an English equivalent; thus, different translations use different words: "steadfast love," "constant love," "unfailing love," "great love," "mercy," "kindness," "loyal love," "loving-kindness."  But chesed is so deep with meaning that all renderings in English can only approximate the richness of the original. 

God's feelings of tenderness toward us will never change because His commitment to us doesn't change!  YOU are the object of His love!!  In His infinite wisdom He knows you completely.  He loves you tenderly.  He loves you faithfully.  He knows all of your sins, your short-comings, and your failures - AND HE STILL LOVES YOU!!

(taken from "Knowing God By Name" by Mary A. Kassian)

As single women, most of us long for someone to love us this deeply, but we search for that love in all the wrong places!   A lot of us would rather "settle" for something less than God's best because we are impatient, and because we are afraid of growing old alone.  What if God never brings "Mr. Right" into my life?
I challenge you to take the time to learn some of God's names.  Work on getting to know Him in a more personal way.  There have been nights I have gone to bed and felt exceptionally "alone" and prayed that God would hold me in HIS arms that night while I slept.  And I can tell you that I woke up the next morning feeling more rested and refreshed than I had in a long time! 

I've asked Him this week to let me feel His chesed love - and that is my prayer for you as well!

Christmas Massage Specials.....

First Time Visitor's Get 20% off.....

As a first time visitor to A Touch of Grace Massage, you will receive your massage at 20% off of the regular price. That's a 60-minute Massage for only $36 or a 90-minute massage for only $56 plus tax.


(*This special price cannot be combined with any other offer).

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Buy 2 One Hour Massage Gift Certificates - Get 1 FREE......

Buy 2 60-Minute Massage Gift Certificates and receive one FREE.   (That's $30 for each massage).

You can keep all 3 certificates, or give one or more of them away as a gift to someone else!



(NOTE: These gift certificates are good for one year from date of purchase).

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Facebook Fans....

"LIKE" Teresa Grace Massage on Facebook to be entered into a drawing for a FREE 60-Minute Swedish Massage. There will be a new drawing for a FREE massage every 50 "LIKES".

https://www.facebook.com/TeresaGraceMassage

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VIP Club......

Join our VIP Club to receive :

* One (1) 60-Minute Swedish Massage once each month for $36, or 20% off another service of your choice (up to $65 and limit of one per month.)

* Sign up to receive updates via email, Twitter, or a text to your cell phone about same day massage cancellations that YOU can book at a 20% discount off of the regular price!

* A FREE MASSAGE just for YOU on your BIRTHDAY!

* Our free monthly email which features specials, upcoming promotions and upcoming events.

Membership in the VIP Club is FREE!! Click HERE to sign up TODAY !!

2011 is almost over!!

I cannot believe that another year is almost over!!  I must be having a "blast" this year, because time sure is flying by!  Before the year is up, there are still so many "unfinished" things that I haven't completed yet!  Where did all the time go? 

Now is the time to start thinking about the holidays (ugh!),  because I love the holiday season, and I refuse to get stressed out over it all!  I'm not only planning Thanksgiving, but beginning the plans for our cookie bake with the grandchildren, and the programs at church that I don't want to miss! 

Somewhere in the midst of all that cooking, and shopping, and merry "up-heavel" you really should make time to come and get a massage at Teresa Grace Massage, where your first 60-minute Swedish (Relaxation) Massage is only $36. (plus tax).  Schedule your massage appointment today on my website at www.teresagrace.com.  And a massage makes a GREAT GIFT!  You can purchase your gift certificates on the website as well!

Last, but definately not least - you can join the VIP Club for FREE!  As a member, you get 10% off of products purchased at the spa*, you get a Swedish Massage once each month for the member price of $36, AND you get a free 60 minute Swedish Massage for your BIRTHDAY!!  When was the last time you got anything FREE on your birthday? 

So don't put it off!!  Go to the website and book your massage appointment NOW! 


*NOTE: This discount is only for Teresa Grace Massage, not for the Ohio Herb Education Center Products.

Know Your Credit Scores.... for FREE!

I recently stumbled upon this website called Credit Karma. Its a free credit checking website, and I do mean FREE.  You simply sign up for a free account and they pull your credit info for you. Credit Karma gives you helpful tips on how to save more money, and does not require a $1 hold with your credit card like the major credit bureaus do.  They have different types of "calculators" and a credit simulation page where you can pretend to add different things that will effect your credit like a new credit card, a loan, or closing a credit card, or raising your credit limit on a card. When you click on these certain things it will then tell you how its going to effect your credit, either negatively or positively. 

It is so important to success in life, if you have poor credit banks view you as a risk, so this means no mortgage loans, no car loans, no student loans, or a loan with an incredibly high interest rate. Yeah, you may get the money you want, but you spend the next 30 years paying off the interest.

Some corporations only hire people with great credit, because it shows that you are responsible. Regardless of the situation that got you into debt, corporations don't look at the why, they look at the numbers.

Another important reason to have good credit is that rental places, if you aren't planning on buying a house just yet, look at credit scores too. They, like the corporations, use it as a way to view how responsible you are. If you pay your bills on line and aren't head over heels in debt, then you will have enough money to rent from them. Ask yourself, do you really want to be sleeping on the streets or living in a 'dump' because of your credit score?

There are many ways that your credit can be damaged:

• Your "identity" or social security or has been stolen. 
• You own multiple department store credit cards and they are all maxed out.
• You have been late on credit card payments in the past.
• You haven't paid your student loans
• You late on your car payments
• Have been turned over to collections for money issues.
• Are behind on mortgage or rent payments
• Have had to file for bankruptcy in the past 10 years.
• Late on child support

If you find that you fall under anything in the list above, don't freak out. First go to Credit Karma, make a profile and find out if your credit is in serious trouble. Second, grab all your bills and sort through them. Even though you have back payments due on your credit cards it is important to not get further behind, so make sure you are paying the minimums on all your cards, this will protect your credit from becoming worse.

Once you have paid the minimums, find the biggest thing that is effecting your credit at the moment. Whether its your mortgage, car loan, or a credit card, find the one that is most deliquent. For the next 5 months you should then try your best to pay double or triple payments on this card. It will be amazing to you how much money you can put toward a deliquent account if you put your mind to it.

Now, this may mean that for the next 5-6 months you wont be able to buy those adorable gray suede pumps you have had your eye on, even if they just went on sale. It also means that you might have to pass up on dinner with friends, or going to the movies. But if you let them know that you are trying to be responsible and get some things paid off, they will most likely understand. Whats more? Just think how great you will feel once you can finally pay off that card or past due loan!!  

After you pay off your first deliquent account, then move onto the next one. Take the money that you were paying toward the first bill and combine it with the minimum you are paying on the next one and with the new (larger payment), you will pay that one off FASTER!!  It's like a snowball effect, but in a good way!!  It may take you a few years, but hey! Once it is all paid off you will finally be debt free and your future will be bright once more. So get your credit check on at Credit Karma, and start tackling your debt today!

My Fitness Pal

One of my goals this year is to lose 50 pounds.  Well, truth be told, I actually want to lose about 70. 

I have found this FREE website that allows me to log my food (calories), my exercises, and to keep track of how much water I'm drinking!  It has a large database of foods and exercises and you plug in your weight and it figures out the calories for you. 

You set your own "goals", how many calories you want to have per day, etc.  It even has a section for Recipes where you enter your recipe - all of the individual ingredients, and how many people the recipe serves, and then viola! - it will tell you how many calories, fat grams, sugar, protein, etc are in a serving of that recipe.  I LOVE IT!  and did I say that it's FREE? 

It also has blogs and message boards where you can go and read about other people that are having issues with the same things that you are.... and you will have your very own blog as well! 

I uploaded the myfitnesspal app (also FREE) to my droid phone and do most of my logging (calories and exercises) right from my phone.  You can link it to your facebook account and when you come in at the end of the day UNDER your calorie goal for the day - it automatically posts that great news to your facebook profile!  (Don't worry - if you went over your goal for the day - it doesn't call you out on facebook, it simply states that you completed your food diary for the day and leaves it at that!!) 

You may have seen the Weight Watchers commercials on tv of their version of this exact same thing - and even though they say that it's free (to sign up) - we all know that WW is NOT FREE! 

It's set up very similar to facebook in that you can make "friends" on the site and they will offer encouragement to you on your weight loss journey.  I think it's awesome that people I've never met - but all have the same goal as me (to lose weight) - come together and offer encouragement and advice. 

If you are trying to lose a few pounds (and aren't we all?) I hope that you'll check it out!  If you do, look me up and add me as a "friend".  I'm gracete on there. 

www.myfitnesspal.com

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Calcium & Osteoporosis

I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis several years ago when I was only in my mid 40's.  I got a hairline fracture in my foot (just behind my toes around the ball of my foot) from walking.  I delivered the early morning paper here in Columbus and walked approximately 4-5 miles every morning - loaded down with newspapers. 

The hairline fracture didn't show up in a normal x-ray.  They had to do a bone scan to find it.  It was during that bone scan that they also noticed other places in my body (bones/joints) where I was also calcium deficient.  That's when I was told that I had Osteoporosis.  Since then, I have been taking calcium supplements and trying to make sure that I drink more milk. 

Back in 2002 I was in a car accident where my knees hit the steering column (I rear-ended someone and didn't have my seat belt on).  Ever since then, I have had pain in both of my knees - which seems to get worse as I get older (go figure!)   A couple of years ago it had gotten to the point where it was very painful to get up out of a chair (pushing up with just my legs and my knees) so in an effort to "baby" my knees (in the hopes that they would get better if I babied them for awhile) I began to help to "push" myself up by using my hands - in other words, most of the weight of my body would be on my hands, not on my knees as I pushed myself up into a standing position.  (I'm sure that it doesn't help that I'm about 50 pounds overweight too.)

Anyways, after "babying" my knees this way for several months, they seemed to me to be getting worse - not better.  So I went in to my doctor to see if I might be a candidate for that knee replacement surgery.  He took x-rays of both of my knees while I was standing on them.  He told me that there was nothing physically wrong with my knees - that I had arthritis and was developing osteoporosis in both of them!  He said that "babying" them like I was was actually making the situation worse.  You see, if you have osteoporosis, and you don't have enough calcium in your blood, then your body takes the calcium out of bones and/or joints that are not very active.  My doctor said that he didn't want me to "baby" them any more, in fact, the best thing for me might be to try to jog a little every morning.  The bone-on-bone impact in my knees while jogging (even just for a few miinutes) would be enough to begin to stimulate new bone growth in my knee joints.  

I must admit that I still do not jog (unless I'm out walking in the wee hours of the morning when it is dark and no one can see me jogging).  But I have stopped babying my knees.  I also take an incredible product put out by Usana called Procosa which has helped my knee joints tremendously.   

Calcium is essential for maintaining strong bones as well as for muscle and nerve functioning. Calcium is stored in the bones and teeth; when calcium levels in the blood fall, more calcium is removed from the bones.


Doctors say that women begin losing calcium from their bones around the age of 30.  It accelerates after the age of 50.  Obviously, my story shows that these numbers aren't set in stone.  Women's calcium requirements increase from 1,000 milligrams (mg) from ages 19 through 50 to 1,200 mg after 50.  Teen girls need to be getting 1,300 mg per day.  In my opinion, even though it might not be noticed for many years - the problem starts way back here in the teen years if girls are not getting the calcium that they need. 

All women over 50 years of age need 1,200 mg of calcium and 700 IU (international units) of Vitamin D per day.  Women who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis need 800 to 1,000 IUs of Vitamin D each day. 

Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption. It is also important that you get enough magnesium. This is needed to balance your calcium intake.  Vitamin D assists calcium to enter your blood stream and fuse to your bones.  Your body can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at a time, so if you supplement with calcium, take no more than 500 mg doses at any one time. 


According to the National Institutes of Health, caffeine will cause your bones to excrete calcium (about 2 mg per cup of coffee).  Wow, I can't help but think about the millions of young girls that are drinking Mt. Dew on a daily basis....   

Alcohol makes it difficult for calcium to be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.  Even one night of drinking causes temporary PTH deficiency and increased urinary calcium excretion.  That means you are losing calcium from your body. 


Furthermore, if you choose to drink chronically, Vitamin D metabolism will be obstructed, and you will not be able to absorb the calcium that you get from your diet.

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, postmenopausal women who get most of their calcium from foods have a greater bone density than those who simply rely on calcium pills.

A recent university study found that women who increased their calcium intake by as little as 130 mg a day lost more weight tan those who didn't.  In a mouse study, those who were placed on a diet with a lot of calcium lost 42% of their body fat.  The mice who didn't get the extra calcium lost only 8%! 

The best source of calcium known is raw milk.  However, since a lot of people are lactose intolerant, the next best source is dark, green leafy vegetables including spinach and turnip, collard, and mustard greens.  Sesame seeds are another great source, as well as salmon, sardines, marckerel, oats, and almonds.  Calcium from dietary sources are usually better absorbed than from supplements.

My new "salon" is open for business!

I'm so excited.... this week I have given my first few massages to people at my new location in Gahanna. Unfortunately, I was sick last week and even though I am better this week - I still don't feel like I am back to 100%.  I've just been "dragging" a little bit and can't seem to get back to a full 100%. 

But I have been decorating my room at the Herb Center - I made black curtains to keep out the afternoon sun (my bay window faces west) and brought several plants, a small stereo for music, and a small lamp (for low lighting) down there too.  The walls are plaster, so I'm having a little trouble getting the curtain rods in the walls.  I need a recliner to do pedicures, but don't think that I can get one up the narrow stairs (I'm on the 2nd floor).... not sure what I'm going to do about that.  I also need a small cart on wheels that I can pull over next to the massage table as I want to give complimentary paraffin wax treatments (hands) during the massage. 

Anyway, other than that, it's coming along nicely, and I promise I'll post pictures soon!   In the meantime, be sure to schedule your appointment for your $35 Swedish Massage on my website at http://www.teresagrace.com/ .  Also, be sure to "LIKE" my Teresa Grace Massage facebook page to have your name entered into a drawing for a FREE 60-minute Swedish Massage (drawing will be April 30, 2011 at noon!)