About the Book
Book: Chemicals and Christians
Author: Martha McLaughlin
Genre: Non-fiction
Release Date: January 31, 2020
“Just because you’re set apart doesn’t mean you’re set aside.”
Martha McLaughlin and her husband served as international missionaries for 10 years, ministering in a variety of ways, including helping to identify unreached people groups. When her physical breakdown forced them to return to the USA, she feared it was the end of her missionary journey. But instead, God told her, “Just because you’re set apart doesn’t mean you’re set aside.”
Today Martha feels called to try to help a different kind of unreached people group: the isolated sufferers of toxic illness, a growing but largely invisible population. Yet, like the canaries once used in coal mines to detect poisonous gases, they are a wake-up call to the effects of the thousands of chemicals used daily in our modern society.
Expertly researched and written, Chemicals and Christians: Compassion and Caution is loaded with valuable information and biblical counsel for hope and avoiding harm in our increasingly chemicalized environment. It provides steps for biblical health management, offers practical resources, and shows Christians ways to help.
Click here to get your copy!
MY REVIEW
Don’t let this book overwhelm you. It is filled with a vast amount of information that started to confuse me. I took a deep breath and decided I needed to go slowly and read each chapter. I began to take notes on things I wanted to look at again or I wanted to start entering it into my lifestyle. I know that smog is horrible for us and here in Texas we have a lot of air quality warnings. It suggests those with breathing issues should stay inside. What I didn’t know until I read this book was “The American Heart Association states that exposure to air pollution over a few weeks can trigger cardiovascular disease.” Well that was a shock to me. I knew smog was bad, but that it can cause heart disease is something we need to be mindful of.
I am allergic to scented candles, perfume, cleaning products, smoke and the list goes on. I can understand the frustration of trying to find out what I can and can’t be around. If I walk into a freshly painted room, I immediately get sick and have migraines. What I like about this book is that it focuses not just on chemicals but also medication that can cause a chemical reaction in your system.
The book is filled with scriptures that are helpful as you search for answers and discover ways to avoid some things that may trigger a reaction in us. The old thinking that it is all in our head is slowly becoming a new way of thinking that its in the air we breathe, the chemicals that are being used and certain medicines that have adverse affects on us.
I think that everyone should have a copy of this book. Just think of the chemicals used in buildings to keep pests away or the carpet cleaning that emits toxins into the air. We can’t avoid everything in the world, but we can become more informed of things that may be harmful to us. I remember in old houses the paint they used had lead in it. Little kids would chew on the window sill and become ill. They discovered they had lead poisoning. We have a long way to go to improve our environment but each day we become more aware of harmful chemicals, the more we can rid the dangers they carry.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
About the Author
A professional writer since 2006 with a BS and an MEd, Martha has had more than 500 articles published. Alongside her husband, she served as a missionary in South America from the late ‘80s through the late ‘90s. A widow with two young adult sons, Martha lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and enjoys outdoor activities.
More from Martha
When people talk about taking the road less traveled, the implication is generally that there was a choice involved. I’ve made choices at times to wander down lonely trails, such as deciding to become a missionary and move to a country in crisis. Water and electricity were rationed, grocery store shelves were empty, a cholera epidemic raged, the president disbanded congress, inflation hit 10,000 percent, and active terrorist bombing shook our house on a regular basis. Most mission organizations and all non-essential embassy personnel left the country and those of us who chose to stay found ourselves on a very sparsely populated path.
At other times in my life I’ve ended up on roads less traveled not by any decision of my own, but by circumstances beyond my control. During my decade of missionary service, my health steadily declined and I was forced to return to the States to look for help. It wasn’t easy to find, but I eventually learned that Lyme disease, mold exposure, and the chemical onslaughts of a third-world megacity had overwhelmed my detoxification system. I discovered I could climb out of bed and function if I avoided anything that would make my full metaphorical barrel of toxins overflow. I also discovered that was much easier to do in theory than in practice because of the overabundance of untested and unregulated chemicals in common, everyday products.
My health condition introduced me to a world of chemically sensitive people, all of us living isolated lives, unable to safely access most medical care, shopping, schools, and churches. I’d been deeply saddened at having to leave the mission field and wondered why God had removed my ability to serve, but not the sense of call I felt. I gradually began to understand that I still had a calling, but to a different population. I felt God asking me to speak for people who are generally unseen and unheard. I want the Christian church to not only see us, but to find ways to open their doors and provide the spiritual nourishment and connection we so desperately need.
As I was discovering the needs of the chemically sensitive population, I was also learning how quickly it’s growing and how easy it is for anyone to join. I began to understand the connection between everyday chemical exposures and common mental and physical health conditions and symptoms. So the other side of my call is to warn healthy people, or those who haven’t yet connected their chemical exposures and health complaints, that it’s wise to be careful – that being a good steward of the physical body doesn’t just mean getting eating, sleeping, exercise, and relaxation right, but that avoiding toxins is a huge piece of the puzzle.
I’m not someone who always had a burning desire to write a book. I wrote it because I had something to say and a conviction that God wanted me to say it. I want healthy people to stay that way, and I want chemically ill people to be seen, heard, and reached with God’s love. My deep desire is for Chemicals and Christians to help save people from unnecessary suffering.
Blog Stops
Inklings and notions, June 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 23
Vicky Sluiter, June 24 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 25
Texas Book-aholic, June 26
My Devotional Thoughts, June 27 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, June 28
Splashes of Joy, June 29
For the Love of Literature, June 30 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, July 1
Lots of Helpers, July 2
Artistic Nobody, July 3 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, July 3
Godly Book Reviews, July 4
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 5
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Martha is giving away the grand prize of a $30 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
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