Tuesday, December 31, 2019

2020 ~ The Year of Your Perfect Vision


Since I'm an Optometrist, I'm calling 2020, "The Year of Your Perfect Vision!" Start this new and noteworthy year with your eyes focused on your health, wellness, and wholeness! 
          I've developed the perfect plan and outline to make this year your strongest and healthiest year ever. Outline for Life ~ The Essential Core Principles is precisely that -- your step-by-step guide to wholeness and wellness -- physically, mentally and emotionally, and spiritually. You can download for free the entire three outlines (Body, Soul, Spirit) with discussion and Introduction page here @ www.jeffhoracek.com/resources. Take each point and step, one day at a time to manifest your ultimate best! 
          Don't forget to check out all the other resources while you are visiting my page; my books (Renew My Heart, O God and Restore My Spirit, O God), book excerpts, wellness articles, and the new Bible Study charts! I'm here to help you make the year 2020 the year of your perfect vision for yourself! I'm praying for you! 

Jeff 

www.jeffhoracek.com

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Celebrating Christmas


Celebrate Christmas with Christ in view, knowing that it’s most likely not His birthday at all.

Bethlehem and Golgotha, the Manger and the Cross, the birth and the death, must always be seen together.
               —J. Sidlow Baxter

Christmas is coming! Quite so; but what is “Christmas”? Does not the very term itself denote its source—“Christ-mass.” Thus it is of Romish origin, brought over from Paganism. But, says someone, Christmas is the time when we commemorate the Savior’s birth. It is? And who authorized such commemoration? Certainly God did not. The Redeemer bade His disciples “remember” Him in His death, but there is not a word in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, which tells us to celebrate His birth.
               —Arthur Pink

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lordʼs death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NIV

               Christ Himself instituted the ordinance of Communion, commemorating His death and sacrifice on the Cross, where the bread and wine represent His broken body and blood shed for us. While it is true that nowhere in Scripture are we admonished to celebrate Christ’s birth, there is a scriptural precedent set forth in Luke 2:8–14, 16–18; where an angel brings the news of the birth of the Messiah, the Lord, to the shepherds tending their flocks in the field, and the heavenly host of angels are there praising God and this event. After witnessing the event, the shepherds went on to spread the joyful good news. Likewise, in Matthew 2:1–3, 11; we see the Magi, the wise men from the east, come to worship the newborn King, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Therefore, we have a biblical precedent for celebrating His birth.
               However, with that said, we as Christians should also understand the basic facts surrounding Christmas. While we are now generally certain of the year of Christ’s birth in 4 BC, and His death in AD 30, at the age of thirty-three (there is no “0” year in the timeline as we go straight from 1 BC to AD 1), we are not certain about the actual day of His birth. The original year set for Christ’s birth in AD 1 has been shown to be incorrect. (For reference, BC denotes before Christ and the designation follows the year; AD denotes anno Domini, “in the year of the Lord,” and that designation precedes the year. The more recent “religiously neutral” designations are: BCE, meaning “before common era,” and CE, meaning “common, or current, or sometimes even Christian era.” Regardless, the calendar of dating is still the Gregorian calendar based on the birth of Christ.)
It is highly unlikely that Christ was born on December 25th for many good reasons, notably that shepherds of that area, even today, are not typically out in the fields with their flocks due to both inclement weather and lack of available pasture. During the winter season, the flocks are typically penned and somewhat sheltered. Also, it would have been an arduous journey for pregnant Mary to make this trip of about seventy miles over rather difficult terrain in inclement weather, and probably on foot as they were poor, most likely not owning a donkey. This would also have been an inappropriate and inconvenient time for a taxing census by the Roman government requiring everyone to register in their hometown. The most likely date of Christ’s birth is probably in the spring, late March to early April in 4 BC, and there is more data to substantiate this.
               The early church did not celebrate Christ’s birth, and it wasn’t until about the third century, some three hundred or more years later, that it began to be observed. The date set was in fact most likely appointed to appease the new influx of pagans into the church with pressure to keep their old holiday celebrations, substituting a Christian designation for a pagan event. The December 25th date is most assuredly the former pagan celebration of the winter solstice, most notably the Roman heathen festival of Saturnalia, honoring the god Saturn, the Babylonian celebration of Semiramis, the queen of heaven, and the Egyptian goddess Isis, giving birth to her son Horus, all occurring on similar days.
               Therefore, good Christian, celebrate Christmas with Christ in view, knowing full well the history of it all and realizing that it’s probably not His birthday at all.

Excerpt from Restore My Spirit, O God, pages 488-490.

www.JeffHoracek.com

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Thanksgiving, Praise, and Patience

It’s Thanksgiving. You’ll need this Scripture to make it through.
Know it, recite it, and put it into practice—1 Thessalonians 5:14–
18 NIV.

"And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who
are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened,
help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that
nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to
do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:14–18 NIV

Well, Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together, and
we all know how well that always goes. It would be good to keep
this Scripture close at hand during all family get-togethers and
events, and refer to it often. Committing it to memory would even
be better so you can recite it frequently. Yes, seriously. Scripture
has a way of breaking through impenetrable barriers. It might
even be a good idea to put forth all those specified precepts into
practice. This time around, you may be the one holding everything
together.

So smile, read this Scripture to everyone before dinner, and
have a Happy Thanksgiving. Prayers and blessings.

Excerpt from Renew My Heart, O God, page 401.

www.JeffHoracek.com

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Outline for Life - Spiritual Well-Being

Here is a first look at the basic outline for Spiritual Well-Being:

Access the full explanatory description on the Resources page of my website, JeffHoracek.com!



www.jeffhoracek.com



Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Outline for Life - Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Here is a first look at the basic outline for Mental and Emotional Well-Being:Access the full explanatory discussion on the Resources page of my website, JeffHoracek.com!























www.jeffhoracek.com

Monday, November 4, 2019

Your Outline for Life Is Here!

Your key to unlocking total and complete wholeness and wellness - body, soul, and spirit - has arrived! I have just completed a logical and sequential methodology to empower well-being in your every aspect to live out God's plan and design for you.

Outline for Life - The Essential Core Principles for Physical, Mental and Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being is a 45-page foundational guide written in outline form to give you all the essential knowledge and tools necessary to make you whole and well. This document is organized into 3 Parts - Body, Soul, and Spirit - plus an explanatory Introduction and is available in its entirety, currently free of charge, on the Resources page of my website, JeffHoracek.com, and can be accessed there or downloaded. 
        Each Part has a basic skeletal outline consisting of two pages followed by a full explanatory discussion. Reading the Introduction first will provide an overview of the component Parts. 

Here is a first look at the basic outline for Physical Well-Being: 














www.jeffhoracek.com

Friday, October 11, 2019

Certified Nutritional Consultant!


            I am extremely excited and honored to announce that I have received my certification as a Nutritional Consultant from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants! This has been in the works for over a year now and I am pleased to have completed this course of self-study. Whereas this certification is not a license nor a degree in nutrition, like a registered dietitian (RD), it is a certification of completion and proficiency shown by testing of the foundations of the art and science of nutrition. The self-study course comprises 11 textbooks and areas of study including: anatomy and physiology; nutrition and common ailments; nutrition in action (applied kinesiology); orthomolecular nutrition; children's health and herbal remedies; medical chemistry; diet and nutrition; enzyme health; living chemistry; applied nutrition; and healing with amino acids. 
            The art and science of nutrition fits in well with the profession of Optometry as we regularly recommend ocular vitamins and nutraceuticals for the wellness of the eyes and visual system. The addition of this knowledge base will greatly enhance solid recommendations to patients and the ability to reach more people through my website, writing, blog, and articles on the topics of health and wellness. 
            My goal is to reach as many people as God will bring to help them become whole and well - bodysoul, and spirit - and to live victorious lives as God intends. 
It's Your Life - by God's Design
www.jeffhoracek.com

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Your Healing Has Come!

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:8-9a 

Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. Psalm 30:2 

She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9:21-22 

and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. Luke 6:19 

     Your healing has arrived and the Lord is surely with you and surrounds you with His powerful presence! Close your eyes and touch the robe of His healing power. Let today be the day of your deliverance. I'm praying for you!


www.jeffhoracek.com

Monday, August 5, 2019

Lion of Judah, Lamb of God


When life gets you down, just remember Who you belong to and Where you are going.

Christ came as the pure, meek Lamb to forever free you from sin, evil, and death. Revel in that!

He's coming again as the powerful, regal Lion to take you home. Rejoice in that!

Peace and Strength are within you through Him! I'm praying for you!

#lionofjudah #lambofgod
www.jeffhoracek.com 

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Angelic Visitors

Clown Nose in ICU, age 5

       Liver Transplant Scars; Galen age 16 

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14 NIV  


     I would like to say that the photo of the “abs” is me, but alas, my fifty-eight-year-old abs are not that lean! The photo is, of course, the abdomen of my son, Galen, displaying the three, very-long incisions (shaped like the Mercedes-Benz insignia) from his liver transplant on July 10, 2008, eleven years ago. And although the scars have significantly diminished over these years—at age five then and age sixteen now—they are still a visible sign of his journey. Clearly evident are also the numerous point-insertion scars from the metal staples holding those original incisions together.
     So what is the purpose of this anatomical analysis? Well, here is a bit more of the story of Galen’s transplant journey.

     Galen was back in the ICU room after a successful liver-transplant surgery and was being monitored tenaciously. God had miraculously provided for one life to live through the tragic loss of two young children, brother and sister, who had just drowned in their family’s pool. Elation and sorrow are difficult emotions to balance. A roller-coaster ride of emotions and unanswerable questions is what this life event dumped into our unsuspecting laps.
     But something just wasn’t quite right with Galen. We all knew the extensive toll that Galen’s liver failure had placed on his entire body and knew recovery was never fully certain or what potential permanent damage possibly had already occurred. You see, over the next couple days during the brief moments he was fully awake and aware—eyes scanning the room, us, and his own unimaginable condition—Galen never spoke a word in response to us or his surroundings. It was very uncharacteristic of this normally gregarious young boy and we were concerned that toxic ammonia had caused some permanent brain damage to his speech centers. Certainly, he was in a state of emotional shock as well, wondering what had happened, not fully remembering all the prior events, and now a stomach with huge incisions held together with staples.
     They rushed Galen back down to surgery on the second day after the transplant as the doctors suspected that he was bleeding internally—and he was. They restitched the torn blood vessels back together and removed a pint of blood that had escaped into his abdominal cavity. To everyone’s surprise and elation, upon Galen’s return to the ICU room, he was talking! The doctors and nurses were astounded as they witnessed for the first time the gregarious Galen, who previously had been lifeless, unresponsive, and limp. After a few days, they moved Galen back down to the main ward, the “dungeon” as Galen would call it, the old Parkland Hospital in Dallas at that time.

     Galen has only two solid memories of the ICU before his transplant surgery. One was his outburst when a nurse tried to get him to sit on the toilet. And the other—well—this is where things get a bit more spiritually—and angelically—interesting.
     Galen clearly recalls a time in the ICU when an attractive lady wearing a long, white lab coat, wearing bright red lipstick was talking to Kim, his mother, in the room about Mary Kay cosmetics, which, in fact, Kim was active with at the time. What was so striking to Galen was the fact that on the ICU ward no lipstick or makeup or perfumes were typically allowed for staff due to the potential sensitivities of the patients, and Galen somehow knew that. It was only much later that Galen even related these experiences to his mother and me. And, of course, Kim has no recollection of any such event or lady. A dream? Imagination? Even for a five-year-old boy, even under the circumstances, I think not. Certainly, an angelic presence of comfort and peace signifying that soon all will be normal again and well.
     And Galen had another, even more profound visitation. A few days after both surgeries concerning his transplant, now in the main ward of the hospital, the “dungeon,” Galen very clearly recalls this second event. Mom was in the shower in his room, and I evidently had now returned back to work during the daytime hours. Another, different lady with long, brown hair, wearing navy-blue scrubs walked into the room and spoke directly to Galen, who was quite awake and sensible. Paraphrased, she stated to Galen, “These staples have been in long enough, it’s time to take them out!” And she proceeded to bring forth a standard, office-supply staple-remover and used it to remove one staple from the top of Galen’s vertical incision, from a position nearest his heart. And then she simply left. Of course, Galen felt nothing, and medically, the staples were not removed till weeks later.
     Since Galen never told us about this visitation until much later, nobody ever bothered to check or count the staples or noticed anything noteworthy or out of the ordinary. But the visitation assuredly happened, and maybe as if to tell Galen that your healing and new life journey have just begun, and God and His angels are with you.

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 NIV

     I do not know if a gold staple will be waiting for Galen in heaven, but I do know that angelic encounters of various kinds happen frequently. I know many friends who have had direct spiritual angelic contact and I personally have had two angelic appearances in dreams. As the above Scriptures testify, it is a spiritual reality.

     But the story is still being written, and seven years later Galen is in the hospital again to have surgery to place a stent in his bile duct to keep it open. Unknowingly at the time, a blood vessel was inadvertently nicked from the endoscopic surgery, and Galen once more was bleeding internally and not doing well. I was at the hospital with Galen and my friend, Edwina, had come by to place some decorations on Galen’s hospital room window. Edwina has had a significant life journey of her own and is very spiritually aware and sensitive to angelic and heavenly signals and signs. After she had completed the window decorations, I noticed that she was peering intently out the window. She turned to look at me and exclaimed, “Do you see them? They are coming right through the window and heading straight for Galen!” Edwina saw two white “tufts,” one positioned slightly higher than the other, moving parallel together in a direct straight line to Galen’s side. The tufts seemed to vanish when they reached Galen, but Edwina continued to sense their presence. Neither Galen nor I saw anything. But in my mind, they were, no doubt, Galen’s two guardian angels returning to render him aid.
     At that time, Edwina knew nothing about Galen’s previous angelic encounters, as I had never told her as I myself had forgotten. And sure enough, the next day they did surgery again and found Galen’s bleeding blood vessel and clamped and sealed it. 

     Spiritually, we are never alone. The Holy Spirit and the Living Word of Jesus reside within us. The heavenly angels surround us and are in our midst. They are messengers of our loving God to aid us and comfort us in our direst times of need. Most of the time they are in the unseen spiritual realm, but occasionally they make themselves known—if we are spiritually open to receive them.
        
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:10 NIV

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17 NIV

www.jeffhoracek.com

[Part 1 of Galen's Liver Transplant story can be found on my Resources page on my website titled "Miracles Happen," a direct excerpt from Restore My Spirit, O God, pages 268-269.] 

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Surviving Life's Storms


     In the midst of life's catastrophic storms, during the tempest of times, through the tumultuous torrents - whether sourced internally or externally; Jesus asks, "Where is your faith? Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (Luke 8:24-25; Matthew 14:24-27).

     Deliverance is just one word away - Jesus. He calms every storm from within and from without, and He walks on the water to rescue you. I'm praying for you.

www.jeffhoracek.com

Monday, June 3, 2019

Follow Me!




Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 NIV

     Jesus never said that the Christian life would be easy. Jesus said to pick up your cross and follow Him. Your cross is like no other. Only you can carry your cross and there is no other cross for you to carry in following Jesus. I cannot carry your cross, but I can help you along the way and encourage you. Jesus is the only One who can truly lift your burdens—your cross—and carry you through to victory. Jesus has already carried His cross to victory. And He said, “Follow Me”—to victory! If you’re not following the Leader— carrying your own cross to victory—then you’re going the wrong way—to defeat and despair.

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:26 NIV

     Jesus has reserved a place of honor for you in heaven as you diligently carry your burdensome cross here on earth. And Jesus will never forsake you or leave you and even though this life is tough, He has an abundant life promised for you. So don’t despair. Perseveringly carry your cross to victory, and relish in His peace and joy along the way.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29–30 NIV

     Pick up your cross daily. Get firmly and inseverably yoked to Jesus. Follow Him to your victory. His best is for you. 

www.jeffhoracek.com

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Depend on Miracles!

Depend on Miracles! He Is Risen! (Mark16:6)
Miracles come from God. And His miracles are happening every day in you and me!
"So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?" (Galatians 3:5)

www.jeffhoracek.com | #heisrisen #emptytomb 
#miracles


www.jeffhoracek.com