2020: In My Opinion

On December 16, 2020 By Johnna IngramIn Christianity/Politics, EncouragementLeave a comment

2020 has been a roller coaster of a year! In all of my 57 years on planet Earth, I have never seen a year like this. Open with an impeachment trial, the disrespectful, childish behavior of the Speaker of the House ripping up her president’s State of the Union speech, launch right into a global pandemic and all the fear that invoked. In my family, my father is hospitalized and soon deemed incompetent and placed in a nursing home during a pandemic where the elderly in nursing homes are most susceptible. Then we have the killing of a black man by police officers setting off protests that morphed into riots (or so we’re told by the mainstream media). The Presidential campaigns had a vastly different feel this year, and now we have an election that is, to all honest reporters, obviously fraudulent.

What’s the meaning of all this? I have no earthly idea.

It was during the Impeachment Trial of President Donald J. Trump that I began to actually respect him, prior I had gone along with my staunch Democrat parents and saw him as someone who shouldn’t be president, even, I’m ashamed to admit, an idiot. Enter the impeachment, and something began to change in me. One evening while on Twitter I came across several posts about Mr. Trump, some where partial speeches of his. I decided to listen to him, just listen and not watch his mannerisms. As he spoke, I began to realize that this man makes sense! Fast forward to the present and I see him as God’s man for such a time as this, the one to stand tirelessly in the gap to protect America’s history, her republic, and her integrity, to take the brunt of all the attacks aimed at destroying the America we know and love. I support him unswervingly, though I know he is just a man and not God, a man in need of salvation just as I was, yet a man who has been gifted by God to lead our nation back to One Nation Under God. God is still active, still on His throne, still, the same God who caused the Jericho walls to crumble, to split the Red Sea, to cause the apostle Peter to be freed from prison, and, well, you get the picture. If God can use Moses to lead the people of Israel, well, He can certainly use Donald Trump to lead our nation.

Speaking of Donald Trump, before he announced his candidacy, was he Public Enemy #1 like he is now? Because, I hadn’t heard that. Basically, I knew that he existed, I’d seen him on TV a few times, heard about him in the news occasionally, but never with as much venom as he is commonly reported about now. Why? Think about it, why do most Democrats hate him, I mean viciously hate him? I can’t remember a president treated with such contempt as this president.

Could it be that he is on to their agenda? An agenda to turn America into another Socialist state? (Since virtually every other Socialist state has had their people seeking citizenship in America and other democracies, what makes them think America would be any different than those unfortunate countries in say, ten or twenty years?) The Democrats with Socialist leanings seem to be in a panic, as if, prior to the 2016 elections, they could see home after an extended journey only to realize that now there is a roadblock in their way and that roadblock is named Donald Trump.

This year is crucial history in the making, I praise God that He placed me in such a time. Believers in the one true King have this amazing chance to see God at work, to see Biblical sized miracles happen right in front of their eyes!

Now, I stated above that I had no earthly idea why 2020 has been so over-the-top chaotically crazy. The longer this pandemic goes on, around the world, not just in the U.S., the more convinced I am that there is demonic activity in essentially every country. Satan knows his time is short, he’s just barely disguising his activity, it’s becoming obvious to perhaps even the non-believer. Fear is running rampant, and when the virus fear starts waning, he ramps it up again with another shut-down or report of a spike in the CCP virus (Covid-19) infection rate.

Even believers are afraid (of the virus), I was certainly afraid back in the first few months of this year, but during that time I prayed for the truth to win out and my prayers have been answered in spades, especially with the recent revelations. We need to arm ourselves with the truth from God’s word as well as the truth regarding this virus: 1. It is treatable. 2. Admitting CCP virus patients into the hospital is not the best thing for them when they first get sick. 3. President Trump has done everything in his power to find treatments that work, and make them low cost or free and available to everyone. Not to mention, the vaccine which has been produced in record time.

So, there is no earthly reason behind the chaos of 2020, it is the prince of chaos himself, who will one day be placed in a bottomless pit from which there is no escape. The believers in the one true King Jesus, according to Scripture, will be in Paradise living in a home prepared just for them enjoying peace, and life without chaos.

Where will you be?

In My Own Strength

On December 23, 2019December 23, 2019 By Johnna IngramIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

This may be painful for some to read because we all try to portray ourselves on social media or in public as one who has it all together. We only post cheerful pictures, ones where everything seems rosy and happy. This time of the year, we upload pics of our perfectly decorated Christmas trees, perfectly dressed and posed family portraits and loads of kitten videos. But, the cheerfulness we portray is not always the truth.

Why am I writing this? Good question.

I have a depressive disorder that I inherited from my father’s side of the family. It’s normally controlled quite well by two medications and vitamin d3, but this year my doctor took me off of one med because I had been doing so well. Big mistake. In a stretch over the last two years, we’ve experienced major changes in our lives, including the death of a parent, a car accident that landed me in the hospital, and major renovation to our home.

It’s a bit fuzzy as to when I began to feel the depression because we had moved from my deceased mother-in-law’s home in late July to our still incomplete but inhabitable home. This was stressful enough then add to it the stress of caring for my crotchety 79-year-old father and preparing the house for the arrival of my 78-year-old mother. I resisted the idea that I needed to go back on the medication, but by late November I gave in and am happy for it.

Jump to today, Sunday, December 22 where I find that I am troubled and confused by my depressed feelings once again. To top it off, in the middle of praise team rehearsal, my Dad calls worried over a much-needed medication that he’s almost out of that hasn’t arrived in the mail. Worry makes him smoke more, therefore his cigarettes won’t last until I see him tomorrow and would I come out and get him some more. I agree to come out after church. My stomach was churning the rest of the rehearsal and through the church service.

I did not have the worst childhood, nothing more traumatic than the separation and divorce of my parents is all, but it was enough to pack on some baggage that I dragged into my adult life. My mom, whom I lived with along with my four siblings, rarely had anything good to say about my dad and his family. My dad was troubled enough with various forms of mental illness and alcoholism that he almost never came to see us, so all we understood about him came from our bitter, overworked mom.

Fast-forward to January 2016, I’ve been married 25 years, had an on-again-off-again (more off than on) relationship with my dad, when I receive a call from my dad’s niece saying that Dad was in the emergency room because he’d been having suicidal thoughts. Panic set in. I was afraid that I would lose him and regret for the rest of my life that I had not had a relationship with him. When I arrived in the ER I found that he had been checked over by a doctor and released and all he’d lacked was a ride home, which I provided.

The dynamics of our relationship are complicated; he’s a stubborn, grumpy ex-Marine with a mountain-size chip on his shoulder, while I am a compliant, mildly stubborn individual with moderate-high sensitivity to other’s feelings. This is a bad mix under any circumstances, but especially when he’s grouchy and blaming me for something I likely had nothing to do with.

Add to the mix my guilt-driven relationship with God, which has improved over the years, though I still find myself feeling as though, no matter what I do, I can’t please Him. And I can’t… in my own strength, which brings me to the point of this blog entry. The Bible says that I can do all things through Christ… but I have not reached the level of spiritual maturity or understanding that this through Christ thing comes naturally, consequently, I wear myself out and become confused and depressed.

I am thankful to God, that, while I am still far from what I would consider a “good” Christian, He is faithful and hears all of my prayers, from: “forgive me for this same bad decision that I make over and over again” to “help me love Dad or my husband or my children” and He never gets tired of hearing my repetitive prayers. A favorite theologian says that God is crazy about me. Since He was willing to allow His only Son to become the sacrificial lamb and be crucified for the sins of the world, why would He not also give me all things and how could I not see that this sacrifice means that He’s crazy about me?

Life is hard and sometimes it is so hard that I don’t see how I can go on with it, but God is always faithful to me and gives me ways to go on. This blog is one of those ways, it is an outlet for all of these mixed-up, pent-up emotions of mine. I feel better just getting it out on paper, so-to-speak, and if these ramblings can be a help to even one other person, besides myself, it’s worth all of the trouble I’ve gone through to get where I am.

Signature

https://www.tripleclicks.com/18372293/ECA/ECAMyStore.php?id=15111

My Natural Health Journey

On March 6, 2018March 6, 2018 By Johnna IngramIn Natural HealthLeave a comment

I am not the most health conscious person in the world, nor even in my extended family, but I have made some discoveries over the last twenty or so years that have resulted in better health for myself, my husband and my children.

Am I alone in the belief that so many MD’s will yank out their prescription pad and order yet another drug to “treat” their patients’ symptoms? In my experience, that’s what happens far too often, when the problem will not be “cured” by the new drug, but simply relieved for a time.

*DISCLAIMER: I am in NO way advocating that any of my readers arbitrarily stop taking the medications they have been prescribed, but merely take into consideration whether there might be an alternative out there and to do their research as to whether it is right for them.

Here’s my journey:

In early 2004, I was diagnosed with a Syrinx Cyst just below my brain which causes numbness to occur on the right side of my body, mainly in my extremities. A short time later, perhaps four or five months, I began to experience pain (not severe, but persistent) in my rib cage from my spine around to my sternum on my right side. My physician, whom I trust with my life, diagnosed possible gall bladder disease. Now, I didn’t have the classic gall bladder disease symptoms, but that was the most reasonable diagnosis to him. In January of 2005, I had my gall bladder surgically removed. The surgery, unfortunately, was not the repair my body needed because the symptoms persisted. Later, my neurologist told me that my symptoms were a lesser known result of the Syrinx Cyst.

Now, you may ask, what has that to do with natural health? Maybe nothing, or maybe everything. My point in sharing that story is to show that even the best doctors are susceptible to error and have a tendency to prescribe surgery or pills without thinking outside the box at alternative ways of treating illness.

My introduction to chiropractic medicine came about as a result of this incident. I had consistently suffered with a chronic fatigue that my physician wasn’t able to sufficiently diagnose, blood tests did not reveal a problem with my thyroid, or any other part of my anatomy that might cause fatigue, but I was fatigued none-the-less. A concerned friend referred me to her chiropractor named Marcella.

Marcella introduced me to the fascinating world of Kinesiology and, after a dozen years of every three months maintenance visits, I don’t understand it, but I know what it does: it keeps my “structure” in line, making me feel less fatigued. Most recently she treated a knee injury of mine. I preferred starting with her treatments because they are non-invasive, and because I had experienced the benefits of her skilled practice over the years. After two adjustments, the first: the realignment of my knee, the second: a Category 2 adjustment on my pelvis, my knee is 90% recovered. She freely admits that she can’t “fix” every injury. I knew going in that if she couldn’t “fix” my knee, my next step was my MD and I was good with that, but years ago, my MD would have been my first and only option.

Chiropractic medicine may not be for everyone, and there are certainly better ones and non-reputable ones, so do your homework. My MD recommended that I not allow my chiropractor to do the traditional chiropractic adjustment to my neck. I requested she not and she has respectfully used other gentler methods; if your chiropractor is not respectful of your needs, it’s time to find another chiropractor.

My next step is to find alternatives to the four prescriptions I am currently taking.

Food for thought.

Share your experiences in the comments.

You can also check out my Natural Home Collection which includes all of the following and then some.

Item specifics

Item Type: Braces & Supports
Material: Nylon + spandex…

1Pcs Women Adjustable Back chest Support Belt Posture Corrector Brace Support Posture Shoulder Corre

Function:
This product helps girls has straight back and natural turnup breast anytime.
Make you an elegant girl with outstanding royal temperament and charming breasts.
Reshape your posture and chest
Make you more confident and healthyItem specifics

Item Type: Braces & Supports
Material: Nylon + spandex
Model Number: 34901
Color: #1 Black, #2 Beige
Suitable weight: 45–55kg,
Suitable bust: 79-97cm
Notice: Asian size is a little small

18.5
USD
InStock

SAMBUCUS KIDS SYRUP NATURE’S WAY— $21.96 (Save 21%!)

Natural formula

Elderberry, Echinacea & propolis

Berry-flavored for kids

Bio-Certified Sambucus Black Elderberry provides year-round defense. For centuries the dark berries of European black elder (Sambucus nigra L.) have been traditionally used as a winter remedy. In recent years, medical researchers have proven its efficacy in…

Room Spray – Flower Garden— $6.00

This all natural, chemical-free room spray will help eliminate unwanted odors in your home. Using the power of essential oils, Flower Garden Room Spray will leave a scent of fresh cut flowers and will remind you of a peaceful stroll through the garden on a lovely summer day. Comes in a 4 oz spray bottle.

Ingredient list: distilled water,…

ECZEMA BOERICKE & TAFEL FLORASONE— $9.93

Homeopathic relief for itches and rashes

The first natural, homeopathic alternative to cortisone creams to be introduced into the U.S.

Contains 10% Cardiospermum for optimum comfort

Get fast, effective relief for itches and rashes with Florasone. The first natural, homeopathic alternative to cortisone creams to be introduced in the…

Eczema & Psoriasis Free Puremedy— $18.00 (Save 5%!)

Homeopathic salveFor symptoms of eczema and psoriasis

With echinacea, elder flower and calendula

Eczema & Psoriasis Free Homeopathic Salve from Puremedy Bio-Ceuticals features pine resin, elder flower and bark, marigold (calendula), barberry and echinacea. This indigenous family remedy passed down through several…

Room Spray – Summer Citrus— $6.00

This all natural, chemical-free room spray will help eliminate unwanted odors in your home. Using the power of essential oils, Summer Citrus is light and refreshing like a delicious fruit salad on a tropical island. Comes in a 4 oz spray bottle.

Ingredient list: distilled water, lemon essential oil, lime essential oil, bergamot essential…

ADRENAL SUPPORT NATROBIL — $8.99 (Save 10%!)

Adrenal Support now with real adrenal

Provides homeopathic glandular support

For the symptoms of stress, fatigue, allergies, insect bites and inflammation

Adrenal Support from NatraBio Natural Homeopathic Medicine now comes with real adrenal. This natural homeopathic product provides glandular support for the symptoms of stress and…

ACNE RELIEF NATROBIO — $9.25 (Save 7%!)

Clear and treat existing pimples with Acne Relief

Helps prevent new acne from forming

All natural, homeopathic formula that is non-habit forming and doesn’t cause drowsiness

Acne Relief provides natural relief from acne. This homeopathic formula clears and treats existing pimples while preventing new acne from forming. The quick…

13PCS Nail Art Sanding Files Buffer Block Manicure Pedicure Tools — $6.99 (Save 12%!)

Ideal for natural and acrylic nails.
Suitable for both home and professional use.
4 different shapes set to choose, but serves the same function
Each set includes 10pcs nail file, 2 nail buffers and 1 polishing block
Nail File Size: 120 * 180Package Included:
1 * nail art tool set

HOME HEALTH PSORIASIS CREAM— $16.00 (Save 11%!)

2 oz (57 grams) Cream

Provides relief from psoriasis

Contains 2.0% salicylic acid

Botanicals help soothe and comfort skin

Home Health Care’s Psoriasis Cream combines salicylic acid and botanical extracts for relief from skin discomfort and irritation associated with psoriasis, eczema and more. Well-known for its potency…

I Haven’t Gotten Rich (YET)

On February 28, 2018 By Johnna IngramIn Encouragement, Internet advertising, UncategorizedLeave a comment

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

If you, like I, grew up in a home where accomplishment was discouraged, where finishing a project was scorned, then you understand how it is that one could feel hindered in their attempt at success. For example, I was in my early twenties when I decided to make a hook rug with the image of a horse on it. I was making fine progress on it when one day my father caught sight of it and said to me, “You’ll never finish that.” This is only one example, but it illustrates my lifetime experience up to that point.

I have since matured and my father has grown old, and, thanks be to God, I have been able to leave his pessimistic ways behind. I married into a solid family where my gifts are affirmed, where persistence is a quality demonstrated and encouraged; not a perfect family, mind you, but a good family.

Early in our marriage though, I came to realize that, because of my primarily single parent upbringing, I had no earthly idea how to “do marriage.” I needed help desperately and I called upon He who designed a man to be with a woman in holy matrimony. It hasn’t always been child’s play, especially after the children came along, but we have persevered and grown closer in our 27 plus years together.

And, with age, comes new perspectives. Twenty years ago I’m not sure I would have had the tenacity to stick with a business like SFI, but, as I said, my perspective is now for the future, not the immediate. That mindset coupled with what I learned from my husband and his family, and from my Savior, I find myself able to take the long-view, to keep pressing on until I see the fruits of my labors.

I am particularly pleased with the Sponsor and Co-sponsor set-up in SFI. When I signed up, I was immediately put into relationship with two other SFI affiliates to whom I could go if I had questions. The Forum on SFI is another source to which I can turn with a question and tap into the wisdom of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of longstanding affiliates who “know the ropes” better than I. Now that I have been with SFI for over two months, I now have sponsored and co-sponsored affiliates that I can now share my expertise with. It is a win-win for everyone actively involved in SFI.

Sure, I haven’t gotten rich (yet), but with persistence, I am confident that one day my husband and I will be able to retire comfortably and pursue avenues previously unavailable to us. I may even make a hook rug!

“The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one.”
-Elbert Hubbard

The Name of the Game

On February 14, 2018February 14, 2018 By Johnna IngramIn Internet advertising, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Duplication is a big thing in MLM’s and other online businesses, but in SFI we go beyond just getting you on our team, we encourage you along the way. Granted, there are poor leaders out there; there are nominal leaders; there are good leaders, but the best leaders lead by example and write stuff down to encourage those on their team. Those kind of leaders also encourage and lead those who are not even on their team because SFI is designed so that we all encourage one another and we all profit from each other’s work and wisdom. The following is a MUST READ post written by Laura S. from the United States that I came across as I worked through my tabs today. She says it so much better than I could, so I’ll just paste it here for your reading enjoyment.

We have all heard it said that duplication is what will build a strong team, but are we all doing what we can to make our teams great?

Advertising is the number one step in building your team because if you don’t advertise this opportunity, nobody will know it is available. So, are you advertising daily, or weekly, or even monthly? If you don’t take the time and effort to advertise, what makes you think that your team would advertise?

Do you log in every day and complete your “To Do List”? With any commitment to your business, you should be able to log in daily, and take the 15 minutes that is required to complete at least your “To Do List”. Are you using your Stream posts for leading your team, or are you just posting anything for the VP that you can earn? How about your Leadership page? Is it set up so that new affiliates can see who you are, what you are doing, and how to go about succeeding here? All of these things will make or break your team as far as them duplicating you. Do you visit the Forum regularly and answer questions that may help another affiliate? Are you reading everyday and searching for training materials that maybe you have read, but need a refresher course on them? Never stop learning!!!!!

Besides my Standing Order for 125 TCredits, I also purchase individual TCredits throughout the month so I am never left without the 3 TCredits per day that I use to play a game, put a price on a PickThePrice future auction, and bid on a PriceBenders auction. I go for all Double Points (DP) auctions at PriceBenders, and I earn 10 MRP for each bid, and I keep a close eye on the Bid and Build game to the right, allowing me to spin for a chance at earning a PSA. Some weeks I choose to spend extra TCredits just to gain the 10 MRP for bidding, and in return, I have gained quite a few PSA’s through the Bid and Build option. As soon as I have 126 MRP, I purchase a single TCredit so that I gain 102 VP to add to my Versa Points for the month.

I also buy many items from TripleClicks, such as post cards to send to potential ECA’s, Wave3 post cards, and SFI hat, items for my new puppy, and most recently, a new wireless mouse for my computer. The price for the items that will help me advertise my business are extremely cost effective, even if I only get one sign-up by sending them out. I wear my SFI hat every time I am having a bad hair day, and I have had many opportunities to hand out my business cards when someone asks me what SFI is for on my hat. Perfect chance to explain the business, and also hand out some of my materials.

My next advertising venture is going to be placing fliers on every pizza box that goes out from our local pizza joint. I have yet to figure out the exact amount that would make it work with my advertising budget, but at least it is in the talking stages as of now.

Internet advertising is great, but in reality, how many of us are listed through the same Traffic Exchange sites, or Safelists? At this point, I think I prefer more personal advertising, and handing out materials while being able to answer any questions when I offer the opportunity. Obviously, advertising is widespread, and everyone will have a chosen method that works best for them, so don’t be afraid to try out different techniques to gain sign-ups or to make sales.

As a team leader, I want to share my techniques with everyone so that we can all become successful. Since SFI is worldwide, the chances of two people advertising in the exact same place are very small, but if we can all learn from others, we can all climb to the top and make the best of our business.

If you want to build a great business that makes you lots of money, then don’t be afraid to put continuous time and effort into making it the best that it can be. The tools and materials are all here for you, but it is up to you as to how you use them.

Choose to build something great and watch your team duplicate your moves.

If you are considering taking a closer look at SFI, I encourage you to go there today and get started building your business and sharing your wisdom with us while we share ours with you. Click on the link below to be led to a sign up page. There’s NO charge.

See you on the other side building something GREAT.

Join My Team at SFI

New Members Pack

On February 8, 2018 By Johnna IngramIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The following is taken from the SFI News blog:

New Member Pack (NMP) now comes with Rewardicals!

February 6, 2018 by lrobison0967

Effective immediately, new members who purchase a New Member Pack (NMP) will receive 750 Rewardical Tokens! These tokens replace the MRP and EZ Tokens previously included with the pack. That means that now, New Member Pack purchasers will receive:

750 Rewardical Tokens
50 mighty TCredits
30 free entries in the TripleClicks Daily Crown drawing

In addition to the above items, SFI Affiliates who purchase the New Member Pack will ALSO get:

3 CSAs added to your team
500 VersaPoints

This change is in concert with our companywide move toward awarding Rewardical Tokens for games, contests, and more. As you know, you can exchange Rewardicals for a variety of goodies and cool stuff at Rewardical.com.

DISCUSS IT! Log in at the SFI Affiliate Center, then head over to the FORUM–to the SFI NEWS DISCUSSIONS section–to discuss this announcement with your fellow SFI’ers.

Is This For Real?

On January 5, 2018January 8, 2018 By Johnna IngramIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I am not the most internet savvy person, nor the techiest, but I know a good thing when I see it. I have looked at and tried several internet opportunities over the last several years, most of which were either cheap looking, too complicated or expensive, or just plain scams. But, I’ve not come across something quite like SFI, which stands for Secure Future International.
SFI or “SFI Marketing Group, [is] a division of Carson Services, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.” When someone joins as an affiliate, he or she agrees with the SFI Affiliate agreement which states, among many other things, “[an]SFI Affiliate is an independent contractor and not an employee, agent, partner, legal representative, or franchisee of SFI.”
At first glance, if one does not allow oneself to look deeper, it seems too good to be true: it’s free to join, free training, free games, etc. What’s the catch? It turns out, after several weeks of reading the training, communicating with my sponsor, playing games, sharing links, that there is no catch. It’s an honest-to-goodness business established in the late 1990’s by Gery Carson.
You can read more about it here: http://www.joinmysfiteam.com/18372293

and here: https://www.sfi4.com/18372293.0/saying?country=US
Ta ta for now!