{"id":479,"date":"2014-12-29T16:22:21","date_gmt":"2014-12-29T14:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hbne.co.il?p=479"},"modified":"2019-11-05T14:04:42","modified_gmt":"2019-11-05T12:04:42","slug":"on-gods-playground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbne.co.il\/?p=479","title":{"rendered":"On God's Playground"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bikessm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Man In His Fifties Collapses And Dies While Biking<\/h2>\n

A mountain biker in his fifties collapsed and died while biking in the southern region of Israel. I \u200eheard this news broadcast in the background while I was otherwise occupied. My ears perked up \u200eas the news report concerned a fellow mountain biker. A few hours later when my husband came \u200ehome and related this event to me, I already knew of the core story. To my surprise, however, I \u200elearned that we actually knew this man. My husband was clearly upset as he relayed the story to \u200eme.\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200e\u201cHe was lucky, he was.\u201d\u200e\u200e<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200e\u200e\u201cWhat?!\u201d\u200e\u200e\u200e<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My response was unexpected. I like to call the desert God\u2019s Playground. The desert, especially the \u200ethe areas of Mitzpe Ramon, the Dead Sea and the Eilat Mountains, is an amazing and exciting place \u200eto mountain bike between the craters, riverbeds, purple background and caves on a clear winter \u200eday.\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200eA gift: simply a gift!\u200e\u200e<\/h3>\n

He was a successful man, highly esteemed. His life, however, will be measured not by the \u200egenerous collection of titles, diplomas and recognitions on his walls, but rather by legacy of love \u200eand memories left behind which will live on and on. He was loved by many: his beloved partner, \u200echildren, colleagues, friends and playmates. A life of abundance, joy, benevolence and love \u200emarked his path. Yes, his spirit was surely painfully torn away but he lived a full life, a good one. He \u200ewas, however, spared suffering, pain, disability and\/or other.\u200e<\/p>\n

I will happily greet my maker in a similar fashion at his playground down yonder, although I do hope \u200ethat he will grant me some more time\u2026\u200e<\/h2>\n

\"desert\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Heart disease is \u200e\u200e\u200ethe<\/strong><\/span>\u200e \u200e\u200e\u200emajor chronic disease of our times and is rampant within the developed \u200ewestern countries. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is increasingly chocking us down, ever-present \u200eand developing at an alarming rate! Researchers have been studying this disease with a passion \u200esince the middle of the twentieth century. Modern medicine has been unable to cure this disease. \u200eMost of its invested efforts center around palliative or in layman\u2019s terms Band-Aids or cosmetic \u200esolutions: opening clots, redirecting blood traffic, medication and pain relief. For the most part, the \u200eprescribed treatment deals with the side effects of the disease and does little to cure or prevent \u200efurther deterioration<\/p>\n

My father, may he rest in peace, also left this world at the age of fiftysomething. He, in stark \u200econtrast, was by no means a healthy man: obese and suffering from both severe heart disease and \u200echronic stress. He knew that his end was near. According to his doctor, his only chance for survival \u200ewas a heart transplant. That was in the 1980\u2019s and this procedure was relatively new and Dad with \u200eneither health insurance nor economic means never had a chance.<\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200e\u200e\u200eI wish.\u200e \u200e\u200e\u200e I wish that I knew then what I know now…\u200e<\/h2>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200eMost of the chronic diseases which afflict us can \u200ebe cured through a change of diet and lifestyle.<\/strong> \u200e\u200ei\u200et is truly wondrous, beyond imagination, to read of \u200ethe works of doctors such as Dr. Dean Ornish<\/a>, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn<\/a>, Dr. Joel Fuhrman<\/a> and many \u200eothers\u2019. How amazing is the power of a mostly whole food plant based diet!<\/p>\n

Who would fail to be \u200emesmerized by the power of the plated rainbow of colors?\u200e<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately this was not the only tragedy to strike close this week. On the other side of the \u200eworld in Virginia, another tragedy left mourners in its wake.\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200eSix Year Old Dies In Wreck<\/h2>\n

A driver runs a stop sign and kills a six year old girl: Chloe, the daughter of a fellow Nia teacher. In \u200etoday\u2019s modern era, with our extended digital network of friends, we can stay in touch with our \u200elong distance family, friends and acquaintances. Despite never having the privilege of meeting her \u200edaughter, I had seen frequent posts and pictures which allowed me to share in on all of her latest \u200eanecdotes and photos. My pain is none the less real. I cannot seem to rid myself of the thoughts, \u200eemotions and horrors which hover over me.\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200eA tragedy! Inconceivable.\u200e\u200e\u200e\u200e\u200e<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200eSix years old!<\/span><\/strong> \u200e\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200e\u201cAnd we wept that one so lovely\u00a0\u200e\u200e\u200eshould have a life so brief.\u201d<\/strong> <\/em>
\n\u200e~William Cullen Bryant<\/em>
\n\u200e
\nI would like to share with you one of the last anecdotes that her mother shared on Facebook:\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200e\u200e\u200e"Mommy, I think the secret to life is family. With a little bit of magic mixed in. Because \u200ewithout \u200emagic, we wouldn't even exist."\u200e\u200e\u200e<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

On Sunday there were two funerals: one in Israel and one in the U.S. May they rest in peace.\u200e<\/p>\n

Hug your loved ones close!
\n\u2665 Pave your legacy with love and a bit of magic \u2665\u200e<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\r\n