The Importance Of Good Nutrition And Taking Multivitamins

The Hidden Price of Poor Nutrition
Researchers find damage to cells deprived of essential vitamins and minerals.
By Peter Jaret, EatingWell.com

It's hardly news that falling short on essential minerals or vitamins can spell trouble in many ways—from osteoporosis (too little calcium) to anemia (a lack of iron). Now there's new evidence that nutrient deficiencies may pose even more significant dangers.
At Children's Hospital of Oakland Research Institute in California, biochemist Bruce Ames and his colleagues have been observing what happens when cells come up short on key nutrients. It's not a pretty picture.
When human cells are even slightly deficient in zinc, for instance, they quickly begin to fill up with oxidants, which are unstable oxygen molecules that are known to damage cells. Looking inside the affected cells, Ames' team found massive DNA damage, very much like the kind researchers see when cells are exposed to radiation. Damage to DNA can kill cells or turn them cancerous.
"Vitamins and minerals are required to create the enzymes that carry out many cellular functions," Ames explains. "When you don't get enough, you disrupt all of your biochemistry." Extensive genetic injuries turn up when cells are deprived of adequate vitamin C, B6, B12, folic acid or niacin.
Nutrient deficiencies also can impair the function of mitochondria, the tiny organelles that provide energy to cells, Ames says. Most vulnerable are brain cells, which consume more energy than most other cells in the body. Deficiency-related damage to mitochondria may play a role in age-related memory loss and other neurological problems, according to Ames.
These dangers are especially worrisome in light of surveys that indicate a significant percentage of Americans fall short of several nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and zinc.
How to make sure you don't fall short? The first step is eating a healthy diet, of course, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains. For added insurance, Ames believes that everyone should take a daily multivitamin with minerals. Ames says, "I never skip a day."

Happy 2009 Ya'll

Wishing you a new year filled with the blessings of family, friends, love, joy, and many happy memories! May your faith sustain you through the year to come and always!

"And God Bless Us Everyone!"
Tiny Tim

So Are You Stressed Yet?????????

Tis The Season
By Tracye W.M. Prewitt

It’s the most stressful time of the year;
with parties for hosting, shopping, and baking, and long lines at Wal-mart…
It’s the most stressful time of the year

It’s the most stressful time of the year; with bumper to bumper traffic, families that gather (let the quarreling begin)……. And there will be practices to attend to and semester exams…. Oh will all this madness ever end! It’s the most stressful time of the year!

It’s the most stressful time
Oh yes, it is the most stressful time
It’s the most stressful time of the year!

This is a work in progress ---- suggestions are greatly appreciated! LOL

My Gift To You!

The Gift

Written by Tracye Wynne Malone Prewitt November 12, 2008

In a lowly stable; a long time ago; a young couple welcomed their first born, a son…. And Angels sang, shepherds danced and kings took note….. They were not celebrities, they were not wealthy, and they weren’t even royalty. They were a very young commoner couple; who brought into the world its salvation. Their baby was our Messiah, the worlds Savior…. Whose name would be the name above all names… Could you imagine the weight of that moment when this young couple held their miracle, our miracle in their arms for the first time? I am sure they did like all new parents… they counted fingers and toes; these fingers and toes were on the very hands and feet that would be pierced with nails some 30 + years later. They kissed the forehead that one day would be scared by the crown of thorns. They patted the back that one day would be whipped for our sins. Mary and Joseph knew their child’s future…. They knew they would have a son, they knew would call him Jesus and they knew what his ultimate destiny would be….. Joy, sadness, fear, and love must have filled their hearts as they watched this tiny baby take in his new world. I do not profess to be anything close to a theologian but I am a mom… I do know and have felt all the emotions you feel the first time you hold your newborn in your arms.... I know the agony that Mary must have felt when she realized the brevity of the moment…. When she finally let herself think of her little baby’s fate… Joseph had a son, an heir to the family business, and I am sure slaps on the back from all of his friends and relatives but I am sure he had to share in the sadness of what was to come of his son eventually. But being the chosen couple they bore the emotions and the burdens of raising the hope of the world. Mary was there when Jesus entered our world that night in a stable and she would be there when he left our world nailed to a cross… at a strong woman, what a MOM… Remember the woman, who carried our Savior, who bore him, witnessed his life, and grieved his death…. Remember the man who risked his reputation, his livelihood, and his life to marry a pregnant unwed girl, believe that the baby she carried was the son of God, and guard the very life of Jesus from a jealous King by listening to Angels. Remember Jesus’ earthly parents this holiday season. They gave the world the ultimate gift…. Saving grace in the human form of their son… that little baby in the hay… our Lord… Jesus the Christ

STRESS-TABS

Best Ways to Beat Holiday Stress
By Rebecca Ruiz for Forbes.com
Forbes


Later this month, many will begin preparing holiday feasts, attending parties and shopping obsessively for the perfect presents, all while counting blessings and enjoying the company of family and friends.

Millions will also spend it focused on reducing stress instead of spreading cheer.

From long lines to even longer lists, there are numerous opportunities to become mired in holiday strain, but experts say it can be overcome by tailoring festivities to your liking, as opposed to mimicking the grandiose displays reflected in commercials or movies.

In Pictures: The Best Ways to Beat Holiday Stress

"I encourage people to not just jump on the bandwagon," says Dr. Beverly Thorn, professor of psychology at the University of Alabama. "We need small doses of expectations or else we're setting ourselves up for failure."

Adopting this philosophy is an empowering start, but to be fully prepared for the holiday season you should be aware of the warning signs of stress, common triggers and effective coping strategies.

Warning signs

Though many struggle to manage stress throughout the year, the holidays can magnify underlying issues and emotions. An American Psychological Association study conducted in 2006 found that while 78 percent of respondents reported feeling often happy around the holidays, about two-thirds sometimes or often felt stressed and fatigued.

Dr. Edward Creagan, a professor of medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine who has studied the effect of stress on the body, says the warning signs of stress can include irritability, fatigue, sleep disorders, indulgent eating, loss of enthusiasm and feelings of detachment and angst. People who feel high levels of stress during the holiday season, he says, often function as if they're "in a robotic fog, thinking, 'I don't want to do this. but there are familial pressures and cultural expectations.'"

Drinking and eating excessively, smoking and being overly critical of family members are common negative-coping strategies that signal difficulty in managing holiday anxiety. Aggie Casey, director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at the Benson-Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, cites these bad habits as well as physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension and an accelerated heart rate as evidence of heightened stress levels.

While it may be easy to identify the warning signs, isolating the source of stress can be trickier.

That's because "stress often doesn't have to do with the event," says Casey, "but with how [people] interpret that situation."


The triggers

Stressful situations might include a combination of family obligations, work commitments, gift-giving expectations, traveling, shopping and cooking within a six-week window—all which add to a perfect storm of stress and conflict.

While spending often ranks high as a cause of anxiety during the holidays, this season may be particularly difficult for families dealing with the credit crisis and layoffs. Americans have already cut back on spending, but one trap to avoid is accumulating debt as the holiday season approaches. That stresses not only budgets, but also parents who have to deal with the debt in January.

Other triggers of holiday-related stress are relationship dynamics and the emotional and physical demands of balancing work and family. Casey says that regardless of the source of stress, one theme is common to most complaints: a sense of powerlessness. This happens frequently when people sense an obligation to attend a family function or work party and feel as if they have no decision-making power. Women often turn to comfort eating during the holidays as a coping strategy, but overeating actually leads to increased feelings of guilt about weight gain and breaking one's diet.

Instead of falling back on counterproductive habits, Casey suggests adopting a new, more positive perspective.

Resolving the stress

For example, when stuck in holiday traffic with a list of groceries and gifts to buy while worried about a visit from the in-laws, try Casey's de-stressing technique of pulling over, breathing deeply, reflecting on the source of anxiety and choosing a response instead of reacting to the situation. This strategy can be applied in most situations with the following directives: stop, breathe, reflect and choose. According to Casey, it's crucial to rethink or re-frame the problem in order to effectively manage any negative feelings.

This coping mechanism is effective when addressing immediate stress, but experts also recommend advance planning and delegating as ways to prevent stressful situations from ever occurring.

Kate Kelly, co-author of Organize Your Life, Free Yourself From Clutter and Find More Personal Time (Wiley, 2007), suggests that families sit down weeks in advance of a major holiday or celebration and discuss what's most important to each individual and what responsibilities that person is willing to assume. For harried and overworked parents, this can mean delegating cooking or shopping to teenagers or adult children. Another essential task to be done beforehand is creating a realistic budget that won't generate additional stress in the months following December.

"Simplification is vital," says Kelly, who encourages families to host potlucks instead of cooking an entire meal. Or invest in one item for the family instead of buying high-priced items for each person.

"You've got to establish something that's workable," she says. "There's nothing worse than a stressed-out person—that's no gift to anybody."

Vicksburg Christmas Miracle

Cancer victim won't let pain spoil fun

By Pamela Hitchins
Published:
Monday, December 15, 2008 12:15 PM CST

For 25 years, Susie Payne has held her annual Christmas cookie and ornament exchange, and she’s not about to let chemotherapy, pain or the side effects of drug treatment spoil her party.

Twelve years ago, Payne was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought it for years with surgery and drugs and went into remission, but was recently found to have new tumors in her upper spine, for which she’s undergoing treatment and wearing a neck brace.

This year’s party is set for today.

“I’ve had my moments when I’ve gone out into the back-yard, done my loud crying, but I don’t have time for that,” Payne said in an interview in her kitchen.

Payne leads a busy life, teaching art fulltime at Beechwood Elementary School, working on her own painting projects, scrapbooking and tending to her family.

Just after Christmas she will celebrate her 33rd wedding anniversary with husband Barry, an environmental biologist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Research and Development Center. They have two sons, one of whom lives at home.

Rolling spoonfuls of cookie dough into balls for baking, she said, “If you let yourself, you can roll into a ball and not be good for anything. I thought about what I’d do if somebody told me I only had 10 days to live, and what I’d want is just to enjoy my life.”

Payne’s home reflects many of the things that keep her doing just that. She collects Roman’s seraphim angels, displayed in a glass case just inside her front door, and has accumulated many pieces of pottery, from small to large bowls, plates and platters.

Books about famous artists are shelved at one end of the family room and a weaving loom stands at the other. On the counter opening to the kitchen, she’s displayed many of the hundreds of wooden eggs she has designed and painted, including a manger scene with shepherds, angels, kings and animals.

“When I made the manger scene I started with just Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” Payne said. “Then someone wanted to know where the Wise Men were. So I told them, well, they had to follow the star and it took them a while to get there.”

The first egg she made years ago was a Santa Claus, with moveable arms and legs fastened with small eye screws.

“To be in that house at Christmas time is like walking through a wonderland,” said close friend Chris Patin, one of the original cookie swap ladies who has been to most of the parties.

“We have a core group of about six who have been involved pretty much from the beginning,” Payne said. “It’s a good way to get to know people.”

Over the years the invitation list has grown and may top 30 today.

Each woman will bring 12 dozen homemade cookies and an ornament for the Dirty Santa gift game in which turns are taken opening presents and guests have the option of claiming them from each other. During the evening, they’ll sample some of the cookies, play a game or two, visit and later take home dozens of cookies made by other women at the party.

Several traditions have developed, including the pralines one woman brings every year, the punch Payne always makes and the stories that have grown up around the ornament swap where a gift can change hands fast.

For the first few years, the dirty Santa game was not much fun, Payne said. “These nice Southern belles wouldn’t steal from each other!” With a little prompting from her, they got over that. Now the women are on the lookout all year long for the unique, handmade ornaments from all over the country that make for a good, cutthroat evening of trying to go home with the choicest ornament.

Payne will also give out prizes and send each guest home with a handmade ornament she’s created.

Payne was a stay-at-home mother when her two boys were young. She said she spent almost as much time at their schools as she does now as a full-time teacher, volunteering in the classroom, making crafts and painting the wooden eggs she’s known for perhaps even more than her cookie exchanges. Some people even call her “the egg lady.”

Teaching is demanding, but Payne loves it. “It’s fun with those kids. There are a lot who don’t have access to that kind of activity, and they like to hear about the artists.”

She also appreciates another way to stay busy.

You don’t have time to think about your problems when you teach. The kids take your mind off it.”

Payne was just getting into the current school year when she found that the cancer had recurred, invading her upper spine. Despite pain and fatigue, she’s able to say she’s lucky. If the tumors that weakened her spine had grown slightly differently, she might be paralyzed now.

“I was in the lowest possible risk for developing breast cancer,” she added. “But it happens. Don’t think that it can’t, because it can. I always exercised a lot and tried to live a healthy life. And even though I did get cancer, I think that’s helped.”

Patin said she thinks of Payne whenever she hears the Martina McBride song “I Hope You Dance.” “Susie always chooses to dance.”

Five years ago, during a recurrence of breast cancer, one of Payne’s friends thought the cookie exchange might have to be canceled. “No, I told her. Life goes on. We’re having the cookie swap and nothing is going to change it.”

Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com.

But Santa I Can Explain!

It was the Pug...........

An Ole Fashioned Mississippi Christmas --- A MUST See

Don't miss Christmas Fest at Ag Museum
By Raymond Reeves

rareeves@jackson.gannett.com

CHRISTMAS FEST

Christmas Fest will be held Dec. 11-13 from 5-8 p.m. each day at the Ag Museum.
Admission is free.

Details: (601) 713-3365 or www.msagmuseum.org
In the holiday cartoon special A Charlie Brown Christmas, the lead character laments the commercialization of the season.
Charlie Brown would enjoy the Christmas Fest at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.
"There seems to be a shortage of what I call non-commercial Christmas events," said Gretchen Cook, organizer of Christmas Fest. "Think about when you go to a Christmas event; there's going to be Scooby Doo or SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer. Typically when organizers do events for kids, they try to appeal to kids with a commercial character. Frankly, I think that's not the healthiest way to have a kids event.
"We're calling this non-commercial. It's free admission, and it's for the younger set; say, toddlers to 11 years old."
The event has taken on a new name as well this year.
"It's called the Christmas Fest, and this is the third year we've done it. The two previous years, we called it the Old Fashioned Christmas and Lights, and frankly that name was too long, so we shortened it to Christmas Fest," said Cook.
No matter what it's called, the event has received attention, as media outlets as far away as Baton Rouge have promoted the Fest as a "go-to" event, according to Gina Aswell of the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"All of our Christmas events, if they run longer in length (of time) we try to promote regionally, because so many people are trying to find fun things to do that are not too far away that will be a little special and have that Christmas spirit," Aswell said. "The Ag Museum, because it's such a unique attraction and it is Mississippi - it represents what we are and who we are - a lot of people from the outlying areas love to come in and view it. A lot of people can create their own Christmas traditions in ways that don't depend on the economy."
Lights and displays greet visitors as they come through the gates.
"You walk in and there's a miniature lighted village that's been there for decades," Cook said. "There's a living nativity that's interactive, so the kids can toddle in and talk to the wise men. There's about 15 church choirs and school bands performing, rotating in and out each night. The schoolhouse has been converted to the Polar Post Office, so kids can come in and write a letter to Santa and mail it. Then Santa himself is there and he will pose for pictures. And all of this is free."
Going on at the same time is a layout done by the Jackson Society of Model Engineers. The display is based around the rail industry of the 1960s and 1970s in the area, and the village is designed to reflect the Mississippi of that era.
"We have the Lester Alvis Christmas Village on display, the model train exhibit and also a Christmas play," said Elizabeth Johnson with the museum. "The Christmas diner will be open serving spaghetti dinners and will have other items. It will be located in the old Chimneyville crafts center."
Developing that old-fashioned holiday connection is the key.
"Our sponsors have gotten together and realized that we need events that help families build memories and traditions that are not based around spending money," Cook said.

Faith, Hope, And Love --- The Greatest Of These Is LOVE!

Third Candle - The Candle of Love;
John The Baptist
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent and we will light the Candle of Love.
Last Sunday we lit the Candle of Peace. We light it and the Candle of Hope again as we remember Jesus, born in Bethlehem, our hope and our peace.
Today we light the Third Candle of Advent, the Candle of Love. In their old age God gave to Zechariah and Elisabeth a son called John. John spoke to the people bravely in the desert denying his own comforts and prepared to die for what he believed. John taught that we should share what we have with others, treat each other kindly and show Gods love. He did this because he cared for people and wanted them to repent and find God's forgiveness.
Love is like a candle shining in a dark place. As we look at the light of this candle we celebrate the love we have in Christ.
Lord God, Your witness John the Baptist grew up strong in spirit and prepared people for the coming of the Lord. He loved your people and baptized them in the River Jordan to wash away their sins. Help us to have the same love that we would be witnesses to him and spread the good news of your love. As Christmas draws closer day by day, help us to be ready to welcome him. Amen

My Peace I Bring To You!

Second Candle - The Candle of Peace
The prophets who foretold the birth of Jesus

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent and we will light the Candle of Peace.
Last Sunday we lit the First Candle in our Advent Wreath, and celebrated the patriarchs, this First Candle reminded us of our hope in Christ. We light it again as we remember our Saviour, born a king in the line of King David. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and we believe that he will come again to fulfill all of God's promises to us, to rule the world wisely and bless all nations.
Today we light the Second Candle of Advent, the Candle of Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David. The prophet Isaiah called Christ "the Prince of Peace". They told us how he would rule the world wisely and bless all the nations.
When Jesus came he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. He said that those who make peace shall be called the children of God. When Christ comes to us he brings us peace and he will bring everlasting peace when he comes again. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through him peace is found.
Peace is like a light shining in a dark place. As we look at this candle we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said you would bring peace and save your people from trouble. Give peace in our hearts at Christmastide. We ask that as we wait for you to come again, that you would remain present with us. Help us today, and everyday to worship you, to hear your word, and to do your will by sharing your peace with each other. We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem. Amen.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy! Remember Pearl Harbor!

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.
Franklin D. Roosevelt - December 8, 1941

Join Us For Bethlehem Drive!

Porters Chapel UMC
200 Porters Chapel Road
Sunday, December 7, 2008
5:30-7:00 Come Join Us

Nativity Scene
Home Scene
and SANTA!!!!!
Luminaries

Cookies!

The First Candle Of Advent ---- Hope

The first candle is sometimes called the candle of prophecy because it symbolizes the promises the prophets delivered as messages from God; promises that foretold Christ’s birth. Others consider the candle to be a symbol of the hope we have in Christ and so it is called the Hope candle.

Isaiah 60: 1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.