In The Beginning ...

Hello, my name is Lou.

First off, a fair warning for you ... I would never label myself as a gifted writer; nor most definitely, would I call myself a decent sales person. Safe to say that by now I have broken every "sales 101 rule" in the book! But nevertheless, I feel led to share with you about my remarkable journey since I first learned about some amazing Japanese water ionization technology in August of 2006. Specifically, about my learning that marketing success comes in different flavors. And that the choice about how one goes about marketing is theirs to make. As for me, the "flavor" I embraced from the outset was to go about marketing by grace, that is relying on my Lord's grace, His favor! So if you are spiritually open-minded, enough so to want to believe that God can make a huge difference in how you go about pursuing "work", then I hope you are both blessed and encouraged by my story, by my life lessons I learned along my journey.

Keep this truth always in mind ... it wasn't you, nor anyone else for that matter, who created the concept and necessity of work. That, my friend, was done by God (Genesis 2:2)! And keep in mind, that anything He created is worthy of our appreciation, our enjoyment here on earth. So I encourage you, both in prayer and attitude, relish your work, looking at it as an amazing journey; offering it up to Him in praise and thanksgiving, recognizing that He alone is your Provider!

"Whatever you do, in your heart's desire, do it for your Lord, not for other men" Colossians 3:23

PS: Tomorrow, I will begin my story ...

My Gift From Above - Prologue

It was a sunny hot summer day (August. 2006) when my Lord showered His bounty down upon me, only I wasn't tuned in at the time. Yes, I had been sharing with Him that I was opened to find a new "work opportunity", as my life-long entrepreneurial juices were stirring again. But frankly, the "work assignment" He had in mind really caught me off guard. In fact, after a little due-diligence, I quickly developed a thumbs-down mindset about His oferring, even before I sensed it was actually His gift for me. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of my story ...

Okay, so I'm with my friend Jim when he told me he recently got a call from his long-time friend Chet. Chet wanted Jim to research some water technology from Japan and get back to him with an opinion. Why Jim? Because when he knew Chet years before, Jim had a business installing water softener systems. That's why Jim knew quite a lot about water. But it was what Chet said that really got Jim's attention. Chet told Jim that this water technology was available as a household appliance and when hooked up directly to a kitchen faucet, it would ionized tap water into a healthy, filtered drinking alkaline water, loaded with anti-oxidants, and molecularly restructured for achieving maximum cellular absorption.

To fully appreciate why this got Jim's attention, you also need to know that in the late 1980's, Jim was slowly dying because his body was not harvesting enough nutrients from the foods he ate. He ate plenty, just was not doing him any good. After visiting with a few doctors, he learned that his body was severely suffering from a pH imbalance. So fortunately, following a few dietary changes and adopting a supplements program, Jim's health improved. At that time, being how Jim was a water expert, he found himself thinking wouldn't it be awesome if water could be effectively used to provide one's body with alkalinity and anti-oxidants. He even did some research at that time, seeing if something like that was in the marketplace, but turned up nothing. So a great idea went dormant, recorded deep into the recesses of his mind; that is, until that call from Chet!

Oh yeah, one more thing you need to know about Jim. Yes, he successfully survived his death threating physical condition. But unfortunately he was still living a sick-out life every day I knew him, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic diarrhea, acid reflux & restless legs syndrome. Taking lots of pain meds every day. So he was definitely motivated to check out this ionized, restructured water technology from Japan.

Jim asked his wife Lois and myself to help him in his "discovery quest" by doing our own investigation before getting back with him. I told Jim I would, asking him to give me a week or so to get back with him .....

The Lord Giveth, The Lord Taketh Away, Blessed Be the Lord!

My Gift From Above - Act I

I have always considered researching a strength of mine. I really do enjoy this kind of activity. So I was quick to take Jim up on his request.

So with my faithful computer, I started browsing about ionized water. What I quickly discovered was that yes, this restructured alkaline water produced from ionizers produced in Japan was evidently extensively used throughout Japan, found in their hospitals, clinics and even 20+% of their households.

[Footnote: My research had to rely exclusively on what I learned on the internet about the so-called Japanese 40+ years of experience with this water because although the Japanese began exporting their technology into the U.S. about 5 years ago, these imported ionizers were only being purchased by native Japanese living in the U. S.. It was not until a few years later that non-Asians living in my country began to learn of this technology. So it was safe to assume that finding such a machine in my own backyard (Kansas City) in August 2006 so I could "kick it's tires" would have been a fruitless endeavor.]

Dating back to the late-1950's, a Japanese medical device manufacturer first developed this technology at the request of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture. This Ministry was at the time launching Japan's organic industry. They were in need of finding something that was non-chemical which could be used to disinfect and clean their organic produce before being sent to the consumer marketplace. No such product existed, but they knew of a scientific discovery by Russian scientists in the early-1950's who were able to successfully split (ionize) water molecules into their respective alkaline and acidic components (ions) by means of electrolysis. Using this research, Japanese engineers working for a medical device manufacturer were asked to build a machine which could not only ionize common tap water, but do so in a way that the resulting two output streams of water would feature an alkaline pH of 11.3 or higher and an acidic pH of 2.7 or lower. This was requested because the Japanese scientist knew that water featuring an electrically induced pH of 2.7 or lower could act as an ideal chemically-free disinfecting solution; whereas, water with a pH greater than 11.3 could be strong enough to remove all foreign matter, including oxidants, from the the outer layers of fruits and vegetables. The engineers succeeded with their mission, and Japan's world-famous organic industry was launched!

Standing by, Japan's Ministry of Health was observing this emerging technology's engineering progress. Upon completion of work, the Ministry of Health requested a few hospitals to use the new ionizer equipment to produce and begin using the 2.7 pH (strong acid) disinfectant water in their surgical suites, for sanitizing hospital rooms, for hand washing by care givers, etc. as a trial to see if infection control rates could be positively impacted. After a year-long trial, the outcome was a overwhelming success. So other Japanese hospitals began acquiring this ionizer technology for similar use.

Then the Health Ministry took things a step further, asking their original "trial" hospitals to try using this disinfecting water for treating skin ailments, ranging from athletes feet, burns, wounds and even gangrene, by simply spraying the affected areas with this water several times a day without the aid of any antiseptics. Results were remarkable, that is according to what I was reading on the internet (after all, not everything you read on the internet can be believed!) ... staff infections were dramatically reduced, people were no longer losing limbs to gangrene, etc. as well as the healing of the affected areas were accelerated compared to using western medicines.

Pretty interesting stuff, huh? But for me, it was what the Ministry of Health requested the Japanese engineers to do next that really got my attention ...

My Gift From Above - Act II

Japan's Ministry of Health became even bolder in their quest to fully unlock the full potential of ionized, restructured water. They had an inclination that alkaline pH water ranging from 8.0 to 10.o pH could help one's body to both achieve and maintain it's optimum pH balance (homeostasis). They also felt that water could be molecularly restructured to become more readily cellular absorbent and imparted with lots of unbounded negative electrons (anti-oxidants) when subjected to electrolysis powered by a substantial (e.g., 220 watts) electrical charge. By transforming water in this manner, they postulated that such resulting drinking water could in fact possibly equip the human body to better defend itself from the ongoing ravaging effects of oxidation as well as detox itself from accumulated acidic toxins. So they asked the Japanese engineers to develop the next version of the ionizer, designed to produce multiple types of ionized water, differing in pH and oxidation/anti-oxidation properties. The engineers achieved success in this undertaking by the early-1960s.

So the "drinking variety" of ionized, restructured water started being used in patient care protocols for addressing the wide range of adult onset diseased conditions. Initially, only a few patients and a few hospitals participated in clinical studies. But following success after success, the use of ionized waters to treat both external and internal health conditions exploded throughout Japan, within both their hospitals and clinics. In 1966, the Ministry of Health recognized water ionization technology as medical devices. And by the late 1990's, the engineers were able to downsize this technology into a home appliance footprint, just like computers eventually shrank to laptop-sized offerings.

But what really got my attention was information I found on the internet that claimed that these waters helped the bodies of terminal cancer (all kinds) patients to achieve remission, the bodies of Type 1 diabetics to restore their ability to produce insulin (80% success rate, taking up to 2 years), liver cirrhosis reversal, Hepatitis C going away, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels falling to healthy readings (typically within 90 days), etc.

This video is a good representation of what existed at the time on the internet for suporting my researching efforts:

Frankly, for me, these claims were a bit too much to swallow as truthful. After all, I was born in Missouri, so I'm culturally wired to be skeptical, always taking a "show me" attitude toward everything. One of my first thoughts was that if this was true, actually happening in Japan during the past 40 years, then why in the world wouldn't we in the U.S. had heard about this by now? It just seemed to good too be true. Besides, I found other websites on the internet that I thought at the time reinforced my doubting thoughts. So a week later, I told Jim thumbs down, that the internet claims I read about this water were just too incredible to be true. Jim then told me that his wife, Lois, basically told him the same thing, only she used the "scam" word.

What good that advice did, thank God!!!!

My Gift From Above - Act III

Jim was really motivated by his aches and pains. He just didn't want to continue living a sick-out life. So his take on what he read and listened to as he did his research was different than what Lois and I concluded. Bottom line for him was that if this ionized water could do for him just half of what it was advertised as doing, that would be just fine with him. It's really all about perspective, isn't it. Looking back, I would have to think that if I was hurting like Jim was, then like Jim, my hopes would have also triumph over my doubts.

Needless to say, Jim ordered a Japanese-made ionizer ... a fateful decision that would soon impact many lives for the better, including mine and my family. I recall when Jim told me that his machine was coming and that he planned on immediately sharing water with a few friends of his that my first thought was "great, now I can sit back and see what this water is really all about". For you see, Jim was going to share his water with Tim, who was dying from liver cirrhosis (already too sick to be on a transplant list), with Tim's wife Natasha who years ago contracted Hepatitis C from Tim, and with Daryl who was struggling with his diabetes, experiencing repeated brain fog episodes and hospitalizations the past year. Talk about putting this water to the test. Jim definitely did not lack boldness. He just jumped in!

What transpired over the next several weeks was beyond my wildest expectations. Those few weeks are still so fresh in my mind, as if was now happening all over again. Jim started drinking the water as soon as he connected his machine to his kitchen faucet. Within a week, Jim's aches and pains were going away. He was now able to click his arthritically gnarled fingers; was raising and waving his arms above his head - pain free! His acid reflux and restless leg episodes were gone. His ten year bout of chronic diarrhea - gone! Even the fatty tumors on his stomach were disappearing. His haunting vision of living a sick-out life his remaining years was fading. Simply amazing.

But even more amazing was what was happening to Tim. You see Tim had been for the most part bedridden the past year ... if not found in his bed at home, then he could be found in a hospital bed. He had been told 8 months earlier that he had about 18 months to live, and that he was already too sick to be a liver transplant candidate. But Jim recalled watching a Englished-dubbed Japanese video documentary that contained a liver cirrhosis reversal testimony revealing the impact ionized, restructured water could have on the human body's ability to restore its health God-willing. So he was both excited and motivated to share water with Tim. But this was a big commitment on Jim's part for Tim lived about 50 miles away, and Jim would need to provide him with fresh water every 4 days. But that he did faithfully.

And his efforts were rewarded. Within 3 weeks, Tim was not only out of bed but back to work! I remember going with Jim one day to deliver water to Tim, except rather than stopping at Tim's house, Jim pulled his car up to a house with a rehab sign in the front yard, located a few blocks away from Tim's house. I asked Jim why we were stopping there. He told me he thought Tim was there. Hearing Jim say that really got my attention. We went into the house, called out for Tim but got no answer. So we went out the back door, walked over to the north side of the house, and there was Tim... up on a ladder spray painting. He quickly came down off the ladder, smiling and saying "Boy Jim, I'm sure glad to see you, I ran out of water yesterday, let me go get my cup". I know Jim had told me that Tim was getting better already, but frankly, what I was seeing was beyond my wildest imagination. He was not only out of bed alive with energy, but his yellowed-skin complexion (jaundice) was gone, his eyes were no longer cloudy and he had even lost a couple inches around his waistline. I'm thinking to myself "Maybe this water is what the Japanese claimed it was".

Fast forwarding, I spoke with Tim about 6 months ago, 2 years since he first began drinking ionized water. Tim's doing well, back at working full-time. He has truly gotten his life back! Yes, he still has liver cirrhosis, but his condition is much more milder and continually improving. About 3 months after he started drinking the water, he was deemed healthy enough to be put on the transplant list. But he told me that he really believes that before his number comes up, his body will have totally recovered from its cirrhosis condition, so he is not seeing a transplant in his future!

Just one more thing about Tim. He craved sweets before he began drinking this amazing water. By craving, I'm mean that is all that he ate. Never ate meals with his family, just snacked on sweets around the clock, even waking up in the middle of the night to eat a snickers bar from the pile of candy he had stashed in his bedside drawer. But about a month into drinking the water, he awoke one morning no longer craving sweets. He went to the kitchen and had a bowl of oatmeal. He then asked his wife Natasha to pack a sandwich for him to take to work. When he got home that evening, he sat down with his family for dinner for the first time in years! Evidently, this ionized water was having a health-enabling impact on the pH properties of his body fluids, in essence changing his "swamp-like polluted" interstitial fluids back to "pristine lake" pH balanced conditions, driving out the acidic-fermenting-swamp-loving parasites from his body, thereby ridding himself of his health threatening eating disorder. For you see, these parasites had been for a long time dictating what Tim craved to eat, but no longer. They scrammed, not even pausing long enough to tell his body "see ya later"!

I've got to still tell you about Natasha and Daryl ... so stay tuned.

My Gift From Above - Act IV

This adventure is really getting exciting!

If watching what was happening with Jim and Tim's health wasn't enough, things got even more exciting as I watched what unfolded for Tim's wife, Natasha, and for Daryl.

As mentioned earlier, Natasha had Hep C in her blood, contracted it from her husband several years before. By this time, she was resigned to the fact that she would soon be losing her husband. Being a grandmother, she was wanting to be around as long possible for her daughter and grandchildren. Knowing that her Hep C could very well lead to liver cirrhosis, she had decided to be proactive in attempting to delay the onset of cirrhosis by subjecting herself to a year-long interferon treatment. This treatment was scheduled to begin within a few months, leaving her enough time to train her daughter to take over her real estate business while she basically checks out of life for the next 2 years (the first year bedridden, the 2nd year recovering from the ravaging effects of that treatment on her body).

So in the meantime, Jim started taking water to her and Tim, twice a week. However, about a month into this routine, Jim told me "evidently the water doesn't help the body with everything". I asked him what he meant by that. He told me that Natasha had to go to the hospital the past weekend because she was suffering from a periodically reoccurring toxic headache. So the following Monday, Jim asked Natasha about how much of the ionized water she was drinking daily. "Oh Jim, I'm not drinking the water. I'm saving what you bring us for Timmy so he wont ever run out!" was her response. Well Jim quickly took care of that by telling Natasha that he could and would bring more water to them; that she needed to also start drinking.

So Natasha compliantly began her daily drinking regime. A month later, she went to the local hospital to get her blood work done in preparation for meeting with a doctor the next week who would be administering her interferon treatment. That following Tuesday, she walked into that doctor's office, greeted by the following remark: "Natasha, we got a problem. There is no Hep C in your blood." To which Natasha replied "Well doctor, how could that be? I got it from my husband. He is dying from liver cirrhosis. I had two doctors diagnosis my condition several years ago." To which he replied: "Yes, yes I know, I have their reports right here, I will have to call them, they evidently both made a mistake in their diagnosis." Needless to say, when Natasha left that doctor's office, she was ecstatic and she knew her other doctors did not misdiagnosis her, but instead her body had healed itself of Hep C just like Jim told her had been happening to others in Japan over the past 30+ years when drinking ionized, restructured water.

As for Daryl, he also started drinking the water within a few days after Jim got his ionizer hooked-up. Within a week or so, Daryl's sugar levels were registering in the normal range, not normal for a diabetic, but normal for a healthy non-diabetic.

So there it was, a four for four success rate. I was astonished. Fortunately, although skeptical from the outset, I did remain open-minded, willing to be convinced otherwise. How was I going to process this unfolding of events? How could I get even more convinced that what I just witnessed was real, repeatable? I just wanted to get to where I knew that I knew, so that way whenever anyone later rolls their eyes at me, I would be able to confidently stand firm in my beliefs about and experiences with this water.

So back to my research mode, but this time drinking this awesome, healthy water as I went about it because Jim was generous enough to also begin sharing his water with both me and my wife Cathi.

My Gift From Above - Act V

Okay, enough observing already. It was time for me to get back into my research mode. Only this time, I was going to go about it with a different attitude ... a lot less skepticism, a lot more curiosity. I would be looking for the "why" behind this amazing water's affect of the human body, plus for unbiased, third-party authorities who where endorsing this water. And all this time, I would be praying, asking my Lord for guidance, for clarity, and if His will, then for peace about getting an ionizer for my family and so I could share this water freely with others just like Jim was doing. After all, I had to further pursue this because, after all, I don't think my Lord is very willing to" steer a parked car"! So I put myself into "research" gear and took off ...

As for the "why", I finally found a treasure trove of clinical studies and a chemistry explanation about this water. But at the same time, I was beginning to see the bigger picture; the fact that the Japanese extensive clinical "real-world" use of restructured waters since the mid-1960s was even more compelling evidence. I also found many academic researchers and medical professionals throughout the world proclaiming the wonder of the ionized, restructured water coming from the Japanese "medical device recognized" technology. In particular, I was really impressed by a video I discovered depicting the impact this water along with dietary changes were having on the treatment of colon cancer. By the way, this video highlights the New York-based clinic of Dr. Hiromi Shinya, a doctor/inventor/author recognized as a world-renowned gastroenterologist. In his book, The Enzyme Factor, he refers to this water as one of the very few available "super foods".

My research also led me to find out about the discoveries of Dr. Otto Warburg, a German medical researcher who in the early 1920's discovered why human cells turn cancerous, due to a lack of sufficient oxygen. His research later gained worldwide recognition, awarded a Nobel Prize in 1931. Later in 1960's, the Japanese postulated that the reason for the oxygen deficiency observed by Dr. Warburg was due to an excessive build-up of "oxygen-repelling" acidic waste, a natural byproduct of healthy cellular metabolism, floating in the interstitial fluids surrounding human body cells.

Having spent most of life in the software industry, I was very aware of Ray Kurzweil, extraordinary scientist and inventor, specifically about his pioneering speech recognition and optical character recognition (OCR) discoveries. So needless to say, I was very impressed when I discovered that Mr. Kurzweil was a proponent of this water.

Finally, I also learned about the pivotal 1880's showdown between the medical research findings of French scientist giants Dr. Antoine Bechamp and Dr. Louis Pasteur; whereby Dr. Pastuer's inferior Germ Theory of Disease carried the day. This really helped me understand the emerging politics which began orchestrating how western medicine would to be primarily practiced since the early 1900's. Unlike Japanese practitioners, the practice of western medicine began moving towards treating symptoms and primarily relying on pharmaceuticals (i.e., allopathic); away from focusing on finding and treating root causes of sicknesses and relying on diet for maintaining one's overall health (i.e.,homeopathic). This helped me finally answer the nagging question I had "Why didn't we in the States already know about this remarkable water that has been in use elsewhere for so long?". Because our medical practitioners didn't have the educational background to notice. A year ago, a retired doctor who taught at a medical college confirmed for me that this was the case; ever since the study of epidemiology was removed from the med school curriculum in 1975 and the understanding of diet's relationship to health was significantly de-emphasized beginning in 1977.

[Footnote: "In the sciences, people quickly come to regard as their own personal property that which they have learned and had passed on to them at the universities and academies. If someone else comes along with new ideas that contradict the Credo and in fact even threaten to overturn it, then all passions are raised against this threat and no method is left untried to suppress it. People resist it in every way possible: pretending not to have heard about it; speaking disparagingly of it, as if it were not even worth the effort of looking into the matter. And so a new truth can have a long wait before finally being accepted."--Goethe]

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788 - 1860)

Here is a sad, but true, illustration about the painful evolutionary acceptance of scientific, medical truth.

This video is a good summary of my findings ...

This video describes ionized, alkaline water as magical, miraculous. But in reality, despite this water’s amazing effect on our body’s health, it is neither magical or miraculous as it does not actually heal one's body. But what I began to realize is that this amazing water does do is provides one's body with the necessary alkalinity and anti-oxidants along with maximum cellular absorbency, hydration & detoxing capabilities so that a human body, God willing, can regain and most efficiently maintain it’s health as it was designed to do so because after all "we are all wonderfully made". Psalms 139:14

As for me, the verdict was in. I could not ignore what was happening in my own backyard, right here in Kansas City. I knew I was still not quite where "I knew that I knew" but was convinced that after some further time and experience with this water, then hopefully I would eventually get there. So Cathi and I felt led by our Lord to jump in by purchasing our Japanese ionizer, excited about what lied ahead for us. But we didn't have a clue about what was in stored for us; not just the physical health upside but also that incredible financial blessings from above that would soon starting pouring down on us!

My Gift From Above - Act VI

October 17, 2006 - our ionizer arrives, get's hooked up to our kitchen sink and starts earning its living. Cathi and I, plus our 3 kids, start drinking 9.0 pH water.

A few days later, while driving home from taking my daughter to school that morning, I strongly sensed in my spirit that I was to ask Jim to pray over me about this water business I was contemplating. It was such a strong impression, almost as if I was hearing an audible command, expect (I think) only my mind was doing the hearing. So that afternoon, I went to see Jim and asked him to pray an anointing over me which he did. I strongly sensed God's Spirit on me shortly after he prayed, even found myself having to sit down to keep from fainting. Personally, this was not only an anointing felt deep within my spirit, but also imparted within me a strong conviction that my Lord was in this with me all the way!

Within a few weeks, I started sharing water with several others. Martha, a wellness practitioner and educator, came by and drank a few glasses. She went home and detoxed. That really got her attention. Called me the next morning, asking if she could come by to get a few gallons. Of course she could! In fact, she came by twice weekly for several weeks, then asked me to help her get her own machine. I got a referral fee for my efforts. My friend Wayne also started drinking the water. He had high blood pressure and suffered from the effects of an 10 year ago torn meniscus below his knee cap. Ever since then he could not bend his knee. Started drinking on a Tuesday. Four days later he went to have his blood pressure checked, actually went to two different places. From 145 over 90 to 120 over 80. This got his attention, and his wife's too! And the next day, he said to me "Watch this" as he bent his legs to a squat position. About a month later, Wayne's wife tells him "What are you waiting for, get one of those machines!" So like Martha, I helped Wayne carry out his marching orders. I later got a phone call from Wayne about 90 days after he started drinking ionized water. He said he just left his doctor's office for a routine checkup, and that his bp was 110 over 70. Evidently, the nurse didn't believe the initial reading, waited 5 minutes, then got this same reading. Needless to say, Wayne was a happy camper.

Cathi and I also had over friends from church for dinner a few weeks after we got our ionizer. After dinner, they asked Cathi what was that machine hooked up to our kitchen faucet? Spent about 15 minutes telling them about our ionizer before we settled in our living room looking at their daughter's wedding picture over coffee. When it came time for them to leave, Kevin asks me "How can they get one of those ionizers?" I told him that I could help him, but first try the water for a month or so to see if it help Janet's energy level. I thought they were going to take me up on my offer but a few days later, Kevin calls me. "Hey Lou, we appreciate your offer but Janet wants to go ahead and order our ionizer now, so can you help us do that?" To which I replied "Of course I can" and I did.

By Christmas, between what I, Martha and Wayne did in helping others get their own ionizers, I had earned enough in referral fees to fully cover the cost of my machine ... pretty cool! Evidently I quickly learned the key to making a successful business out of our ionizer ... just share the water, then get out of the way to let the water do the selling. Then later when asked to do so, be ready to help others get their own ionizers. And of course, take the referral checks out of the mailbox every day! Or, as my friend Jim would often say, be sure to do this just as soon as the happy truck (mailman) drops by.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord!!!! You truly do give us good gifts.

My Gift From Above - Act VII

On the home front, Cathi & I quickly fell in love with our ionizer. Just to illustrate this, when we first got our ionizer, Cathi was not too keen about it taking up counter space by our kitchen sink. So we compromised, agreeing that I would move it in a few weeks to our laundry room sink. But when it came time for me to live up to my end of the bargain, Cathi informs me that the ionizer wasn't going anywhere else because by then she was using it so often that having it located elsewhere would have been impractical.

Besides the five of us in our family drinking the alkaline 8.5-10 pH water, by using the different varieties of waters our ionizer was capable of producing, we also began using these waters to draw baths, condition our hair, treat acne, cook with (really great for soups and pastas), disinfect and clean fruits, vegetables & meats, do laundry (1.5 quarts of 11.5 pH water plus only a fraction (25%) of the laundry detergent previously used), gargle with for oral hygiene, remove impossible stains (like a huge coffee spill on a cashmere sweater) ... okay, you're probably getting the picture now ... our ionizer became both indespensible and priceless for us. Frankly, it was several weeks after we got our ionizer that we really began to grasp how multifaceted its waters would become in enhancing our daily lives. We figured out that our ionizer was costing us about 75 cents a day, so we were definitely getting our money's worth out of this investment, over and above the income stream it was also starting to generate for us! And oh by the way, have I told you yet that our ionizer talks to us too? Incredible!

L to R: Adam, Lauren, Cathi, Allison, Lou

As for our overall health, we as a family have been blessed. Nothing really major to be concerned about. But since my early 40's, I did begin experiencing chronic sinus problems. But within days of starting to drink the water, I quit experiencing my frequent sinus headaches, even so now nearly 3 years later. I also began gargling my mouth daily with the disinfectant water. Within a month or so, the deep pockets between my teeth and gums were closing up!

As for Cathi, her chronic issue was plantar fasciitis, a painful condition that had been continually getting worst for her over the past several years before we got our ionizer. We were both concerned about what this was going to mean for her mobility by the time she got into her 60's. After Cathi began her ionized water drinking regime, her right foot began experiencing relief 5 weeks later; her left foot (the worst of the two) took another 3 weeks before feeling a little better. As the weeks went by, Cathi learned that as long as she was drinking a few liters of this water each day, then her feet would not be "barking" at her the next day. Fast forward two years later, her body has now pretty much healed itself of this condition. Case in point, a few months ago, we went to Disney World. Walked a ton over several days without the luxury of having this water with us on our trip. Cathi's feet never "barked" at her. It was amazing. We both know that had we not discovered this water a few years ago, Cathi would have never been able to take a trip like that, walking non-stop like she did.

A few months before we got our ionizer, one of our daughters had surgery to remove a pilonidal cyst, resulting in a 3 inch long, 2 inch deep wound that had to heal on its own, helped by a few stitches. But unfortunately, one of those stitches did not properly dissolve, causing infection to set it. This meant that the surgery had to be repeated and we had to take extra precautions this time to prevent another infection from occurring while the wound was healing. Cathi was taught how to clean and pack the wound, a 30 minute procedure that she had to perform 4 times daily. For Cathi and my daughter, the healing process seemed to be taking a lifetime to complete. In fact after 3 weeks, they could not really see any noticeable progress with the wound cavity closing. It was also at this time that we had just started drinking ionized water which Jim was sharing with us. I recalled how the Japanese were using the highly acidic ionized water to treat wounds. So I asked Jim if he would also fill up a spray bottle of that water for us. Cathi starting spraying this water on the wound as part of her daily cleaning and packing ritual. We were all amazed by what happened next. Literally before our eyes, our daughter's wound rapidly healed within one week later!

We truly are indeed wonderfully made!!! (Psalms 139:14)

My Gift From Above - Act VIII

On the business front, things really started taking off for me by the end of the 1st quarter of 2007, nearly 6 months since we got or ionizer. By that time, I had already been paid for 20+ sale referrals, of which 6 of those were actually direct referrals made by me. I had also just sponsored someone who had 30+ years of Direct Sales industry experience. So it was about this time that I started looking at what was happening as a viable business; thinking that it could possibly grow into something significant for me and my family.

Actually, I was hoping that this new interest could evolve quite nicely into both a ministry and a business, all in one for me. As my Lord led me, I was hoping to be able to share water with others suffering from long-term physical disabilities whom were incapable of ever affording an ionizer on their own yet very capable of receiving health benefits, like pain relief, when drinking my ionized water. So far, this has happened with 8 people. Plus, after seeing how the water was having a positive effect on their body's ability to cope with their physical disabilities, I was able to provide them with their own ionizers, financed from my business profits. What an awesome feeling I've experienced by being able to do this for others.

What a simple business this was turning out to be for me. I just had to introduce others to the water, sharing it freely with them so they could see for themselves what makes this water like no other water they had ever drank or dreamed of ever drinking. Then after several weeks of giving my water a "test drive" and letting me educate them a little along the way about why this water was so different, nearly 1 out every 2 folks I shared with would then ask me "How can I get a machine like yours"? Wow, it's truly that simple. Doing it any differently would have had me getting in the way of the water, making a mess of this simple marketing model. In fact, personally its quite humbling; letting the water be the star of the show, doing the sales heavy-lifting for me; all the while knowing that my only job is to just introduce and share the "star" with others. Did I tell you yet how ridiculously inexpensive it is to give ionized water away to others?

Even better, out of those that did ask me to help them get their ionizers, a few would also tell me "And I want to be able to refer enough sales to pay my machine off soon or, like you Lou, I want to make this a business pursuit; I'm willing to invest at least so many hours weekly to this endeavor, drawing on you as my mentor." To which I would reply "Most definitely, that would be my pleasure to team with you!"

So 2007 came and went, earning my family a very comfortable Midwest US income, just shy of 6 figures. 2008 was even more exciting, as my business was exploding, tapping into the "leverage" veins I had already mined, thereby doubling my net income.

Okay you ask, how about the late 2008/2009's recession's impact of business? How about it? Check it out for yourself. Historically, the direct sales industry booms when the retail "storefront" industry swoons. Its been no different this time too. Proof positive ... the ionizer company I represent has set North America regional sales records 5 out of the last 7 months since Nov. 2008.

With the Healthcare Industry costs spiralling out of control, the Wellness Revolution is just beginning to boom around me. For you see my fellow baby boomers are now just entering their final stage of life, as such they are going to propel this boom. Having raised our families, we are now refocusing and planning how we can live out our remaining years in a productive and rewarding fashion. We don't want to be living "sick-out" lives from this point forward (although unfortunately that is already the case right now for many of us), so our finances are going to be redirected toward fulfilling our new lifestyle plans. As such, we are going to be pursuing anything and everything that adds vitality to our lives. We are also becoming alarmingly concerned about the affordability (e.g. developing Medicare funding crisis) and viability (e.g, looming doctor shortages, "care" rationing) of our country's healthcare industry. With so many of us baby boomers now becoming "seniors", we are becoming proactive about safeguarding our physical health; desiring to minimize our dependency on meds, doctor appointments, etc.

Bottom line, I truly believe that very soon my ionized, restructured water will be both discovered and identified as a vital "must have" resource in the lives of my fellow baby boomers! Just like it's been playing itself out in Japan this past 10 years, for you see Japan's boomers are collectively on average 10 years older than our U.S. boomers.

[June, 2010 Update: Within the U.S., my manufacturer has achieved 100,000 ionizer placements to-date, representing ONLY .0076% of the approximate 130 million households [2000 Census]. Proven technology + proven business model & longevity + universal need + ground floor opportunity = an explosive combination of marketing forces for anchoring one's success.]

My gift from above ... what a truly multi-faceted, rewarding gift this has been so far ... for me, for my family, and for thousands of others whom have also been blessed through this water because He first blessed me ... amazing, simply amazing how things work when He directs!

My Gift From Above - Epilogue

Do you remember me mentioning Lois, my friend Jim's wife? Like me, she at first was very leery about ionized, restructure water. Even told her hubby to run, not just walk away, from such craziness!

But that's not all Lois did. Upon closer examination, there is even more to Lois' role in the "grand scheme of things". In fact, I would have to say "my story" was just a sub-plot of "her larger story". "Say what" you might be thinking? Well let me tell you what I discovered about a month after I began enjoying my ionizer.

I'm over at Jim's house, casually visiting with him and Lois around their kitchen table, of course drinking our water. Lois is telling me that she just got some exciting news from her doctor, that her body's cholesterol level was good. So I asked her if there had been a problem with her cholesterol in the past. She answered "Yes, unfortunately there was as she was told a few months ago by her doctor that she would need to be going on Lipitor". I was somewhat surprised by this because if you knew Lois, you would know her as a fit and trimmed lady in her early 60's who always ate the right foods and ran 4 miles every other day.

"Hey Lois, so what did you do when you heard that?' I asked. "Lou, I was devastated. I told my doctor that I did not want to take this drug, that I have never taken any drugs and had no desire to start now. But he told me that, in his opinion, there was nothing I could do to escape this inevitable fact. He said that I already was eating healthy and I exercised religiously, so I could not look to diet or exercise for the answer. It was just one of those unfortunate things in life, that there really wasn't anything I could do to change this situation. But regardless of his advice, I asked (actually insisted) that he give me a month to get my cholesterol down in my own way."

"So what happened next Lois?" I asked. "I went home and cried, then I cried out to God, asking him to help me find a solution, reminding Him that I have never been keen on taking drugs" was her reply. "Then I started looking at various popular health diet plans, thinking I could find something better than what I was eating. But I soon realized that I already ate more healthy than any of those diet plans recipes. So I slowly resigned myself that soon I would be taking Lipitor."

"A week later, our son Nathan asked me to lunch. I was excited to do this with him. But after ordering our food, he began talking to me about "dad's water", about how he was reading on the internet how people in Japan experienced their high cholesterol dropping as they drank this water. Then he asked "Mom, why don't you drink dad's water?" To which I said "Did your dad put you up to this? Nathan, you know I hate drinking water, ever since I was a little girl". Nevertheless, because of his insistence that his dad was innocent and his obvious concern for me, I told Nathan I would try drinking dad's water. So when I got home, I "gagged" about a half a glass down. Same thing later that day and the next. But by the 3rd day, I awoke thirsty for this water, and experienced no more gagging. I was surprised!"

"A few days later, I called my doctor's office, rescheduling my return appointment out a few more weeks so I could give this water and my body a fighting chance. Frankly Lou, I had hope, but no faith in this water. But I began drinking it in earnest, several liters daily. When it came time to return to the doctor, the nurse took my blood, then I waited in the lobby to see my doctor. When I later entered his office, he looked at me then said "Lois, what have you been doing? How did you get your cholesterol down so much in this short amount of time?" I said "Doctor, I have drinking ionized alkaline water" to which he replied "Keep drinking that water and have a happy life without Lipitor!" I left his office ecstatic. I called Jim to tell him my great news. Then about 15 minutes later, I called Jim again to tell him the fantastic news. I was just so excited I wasn't thinking straight!"

I was overwhelmed by Lois' story. So after composing myself and reflecting about what she had just told me, I asked her "Lois, do you remember the exact day that you cried for help?" Her answer revealed that it was only a few days before the day Chet called Jim telling him about the water technology. It was at that moment that the 3 of us clearly saw the Divine connection with what had been unfolding in each of our lives the past few months. Pretty incredible, huh. Lois' prayer was answered by drinking her husband's "despised" water which in itself came about through her crying out for an answer from above.

Now, for the final chapter to Lois' story ... going back in time, a few days after Lois told Jim that she thought this ionized water was quackery, a scam, she awoke one morning feeling like she needed to tell Jim that it was okay with her that he go ahead and get the ionizer because she really knew in her spirit that this was what he really wanted to do, but of course "to never expect her to drink that water". To which Jim replied "Thanks Lois, it should be here any day now!"

L to R: Lou, Merv & Jim just enjoying the moment (July, 2009)