Sabbath Day, July 27, 2008

I Am A Child Of God

"I am a child of god. I have a Father in Heaven who loves me He wants me to be happy, and wants me to return to live with him again someday.

Before we were born, we lived with Heavenly Father. The place we lived before we were born is called the Pre-Mortal World. We came to this earth to get a body and to be tested.

Each of us were created in the image of Heavenly Father. This means that Heavenly Father's body looks like ours.

President Gordon B. Hinckley has said: "Never forget, my dear young friends, that you really are a child of God... He loves [you] and desires to help and bless. May life be kind to you, for you are indeed a child of God. "

Just like our parents on earth, our Heavenly Father wants us to make good choices. Before we came to earth, we made the choice to follow Heavenly Father's plan instead of Satan's. We decided that we wanted to receive a body and come to earth.

I know that I have a Father in Heaven. I know that he loves me and I know that I was created in his likeness. I know that if I continue to make good choices, I can live with Heavenly Father again one day."

Source:
http://primarytalks.googlepages.com/jan08
"Free LDS Primary Talks", January 2008, Talk # 1

Lyme Endemic

Sabbath Day, July 20, 2008

The Proclamation To The Family...

www.lds.org

© 1995 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
English approval: 10/95. 35602

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah."

Source:
www.lds.org

Lyme-5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten

FOXNews.com

Preventing Lyme Disease: 5 Ways to Avoid Getting Bitten

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

By Karlie Pouliot

"Busy planning your first hiking trip of the summer or that weekend camping adventure?

Beware. Danger could be lurking in the form of an eight-legged, bloodsucking parasite known as the tick.

While some ticks are harmless — others are carriers of a potentially debilitating infection.

“Lyme disease is carried by ticks and it’s transmitted by ticks,” said Dr. Joseph Rahimian, an infectious disease specialist at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. “It can cause skin manifestations, joint manifestations and it can even affect your heart and brain.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which normally lives in mice, squirrels and other small animals. It is transmitted among these animals — and to humans — through the bites of certain species of ticks.If you live in the Northeast or out West, you are no stranger to these menacing creatures.

“Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and upstate New York … all these areas have the highest rates of Lyme disease,” Rahimian told FOXNews.com.

The culprit in the Northeast is the deer tick. In the Pacific coast, the disease is spread by the western-black legged tick.

“Lyme disease cases usually peak in the summer and spring,” said Rahimian. “It’s when ticks are around.”

It’s also when we spend the most time outdoors.

So how do we protect ourselves?

Here are a five easy ways:

1. Avoid areas where there is a high concentration of ticks. These areas include wooded and bushy areas with high grass.

2. Use insect repellent that contains 20 to 30 percent of the chemical DEET. Spray this on your skin as well as your clothing.

3. Cover up. Wear long a long sleeve shirt, long pants and tuck your pants into your socks or boots. Light-colored clothing is also a good idea because it allows you to spot ticks more easily.

4. Always check yourself for ticks after you’ve spent a lot of time outdoors — especially the lower part of your body.

5. Finally, if you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible. Be sure to remove the entire tick including the head. Use fine-tipped tweezers and grab the tick as close to the mouth, which is the part attached to your skin, as possible. If you are unable to remove the tick fully, call your doctor. Infected ticks usually don't spread Lyme disease until they have been attached for at least 36 hours.

Signs and Symptoms:

— A round, red rash that spreads at the site of the bite

— Flu-like symptoms

— Fatigue

— Headaches

— Sore muscles and joints

— Fever

Treatment:

"If you do get bitten or notice that characteristic bulls-eye lesion on your body, you should see your doctor right away,” said Rahimian. “The reason is because there are medicines that prevent you from getting the long-term consequences of Lyme disease.”

If you have early-stage Lyme disease, oral antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil are most often prescribed. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studies have shown that most patients can be cured within a few weeks of taking these drugs.

But if it goes untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious health problems.

According to the Mayo Clinic, those problems include:

— Chronic joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), particularly of the knee

— Neurological symptoms, such as facial palsy and neuropathy

— Cognitive defects, such as impaired memory

— Heart rhythm irregularities

— Memory loss

— Difficulty concentrating

— Changes in mood or sleep habits

“Getting treated early is very important… especially in the first 48 hours,” said Rahimian.

“There's one study that shows if you get bitten and take just one days worth of the medicine it can prevent you from getting Lyme disease in the first place. So again, seeing a doctor early after you get bitten is potentially very helpful,” he concluded."

Source:
FOXNews.Com

Barack Hussein Obama, A Portrait

Sabbath Day, July 13, 2008

Sabbath

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A Sabbath or sabbath is generally a weekly day of rest and/or time of worship that is observed in any of several faiths. The term derives from the Hebrew shabbat (שבת), "to cease", which was first used in the Biblical account of the seventh day of Creation. Observation and remembrance of the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments (the fourth in the original Jewish, the Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant traditions, the third in Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions). Many viewpoints and definitions have arisen over the millennia. The term has been used to describe a similar weekly observance in any of several other faiths; the new moon; any of seven annual festivals in Judaism and some Christian traditions; any of eight annual festivals in Wicca (usually "sabbat"); and a year of rest in religious or secular usage, originally every seventh year."

First-day Sabbath

"In the majority of Christendom, "Sabbath" is a synonym of "Lord's Day" (Sunday), which is kept in commemoration of the resurrection of Christ. It is often the day of rest, and usually the day of communal worship. The Lord's Day is considered both the first day and the "eighth day" of the seven-day week (or, in some calendars, Sunday is designated the seventh day of the week). Relatively few Christians regard first-day observance as entailing all of the ordinances of the Jewish Sabbath. The related Latter Day Saint movement generally follows the stronger Christian Sabbatarian traditions, avoiding shopping, leisure activities, and idleness on the first day, and avoiding work unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes the Lord's Day is observed by those who believe the Sabbath corresponds to Saturday but is obsolete; and in Oriental Orthodoxy, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has observed both a Sunday Lord's Day and a Saturday Sabbath for several centuries. As another minority view, some modern Christians uphold a Sabbath but do not limit its observance to either Saturday or Sunday, instead advocating rest on any chosen day of the week, or advocating the Sabbath as instead a symbolic metaphor for rest in Christ."

Source:
Wikepedia

Lyme Disease Flight & "Save Marie"