Blessing Of The Bikes-Michigan

        Every year on the third sunday of May, is something called, The Blessing Of The Bikes!  It all started about 36 years ago.  The history of the event says, the first year there were 4 bikes and 8 riders who rode their bikes to Baldwin, Michigan in Lake County.  They had a “blessing” on their bikes for safe riding for the year.  The tradition continues each and every year; i know this since, i grew up in a town about 40 minutes south of there on M-37.

       Now days, we hear the sounds of a rip roaring thunder throughout the weekend …usually, starting on Thursday and it continues throughout Sunday; as the bikers, and their bikes, make their way home once again.  It is an awesome thing to behold.  The earth shakes as they pass by. 

         With the economy being depressed by gasoline prices, people are using bikes more for everyday travels when they can.  This lends a different perspective in pocketed areas of our country where saving money isn’t just something nice to do…it is the difference between living and surviving.

       Depending on the weather…the event can be a wonderful kick off for the riding season.  But, if the weather is a little cold (like this weekend) or wet like some other years…it can be a mite uncomfortable.  The smart ones are prepared for any kind of weather.   However, for those who have faith in God …the blessing is not something they wish to pass up simply because of something as changeable as the weather.   Prayer for a fun and safe riding season is almost like having some extra insurance! 

        So, tomorrow, as we try to teach the little ones in church…we will once again…grin and occassionally, plug our ears as we hear the high pitched whine of some, and roar of the others, as they fly by the church building.  We will send up prayers for those who wish to feel the rush of the wind; and, experience the joy of traveling the roads on a hog, chopper, honda, suzuki or whatever form of bike they own. 

        They come from all over the US to get their blessing.  Everyday bikers, plus rich and famous ones too; everyone kicks off the summer riding adventure with joy in their hearts and safety on their minds.   Some bikers take the time to explore Newaygo & Lake County and all of the richness and beauty they have to offer in lakes, rivers, streams and campgrounds. 

       There are those who rave about things such as Cinnamon Rolls the size of a dinner plate at Sally’s Restaurant in White Cloud, Michigan.  It leaves a tasty memory and sounds a bit like a good ole fisherman’s story…but, it is true!  It is a challenge to eat one by yourself… you almost have to share with a friend, or two.  Gotta see it to believe it.  Many take the time to stop in to some of the churchs along the way.  They are welcome!  God bless them all!   http://blessingofthebikes.org/, http://www.lakecountymichigan.com/, http://whitecloudchurchofgod.com/.

Breasts, Women Are Dying For Lack Of D’s

       Breaking news today regarding the level of vitamin D for women with breast cancer…it seems that women with breast cancer, who have low levels of vitamin D, are more likely to have aggressive forms of cancer and are more likely to die from it.  This is staggering news.  Women are dying not for the cup size of their breasts; but, from POSSIBLY, something as simple as a vitamin deficiency.   For premium breast health women may want to add a blood test to their yearly mammogram.

        Could it really be true that a woman’s survival chances could depend on how much vitamin D she has in her blood stream?  Yes, it appears that it is true.  Now, it is a little bit more complicated than swallowing a couple of supplemental vitamins.  My multi-vitamin has 400 IU’s or international units of vitamin D in it.  I have read that for women deficient in vitamin D …adding 800 IU’s can raise the blood level of the vitamin to a middle range.

          Vitamin D is a vitamin that is produced in the body by a combination of the sun and a person’s skin.  The skin manufactures vitamin D when exposed to the sun.  However, as we all know…too much sun can also cause cancer, skin cancer.  It is important to note that, a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer should work closely, with her doctor, to evaluate all of the medical information that she needs to make informed decisions regarding her treatment.  

         Statistics can be overwhelming…but, it is interesting to know that women who were low in vitamin D at the time of their diagnosis were much more likely to have their cancer spread and it also increased the likelyhood of death than women who were not low in vitamin D at the time of their diagnosis.  So what does this mean?

          Breast cancer cells have vitamin D receptors.  If vitamin D can inhibit or slow down the cancer cell’s aggressive tendencies, it may give a woman an effective tool to use, to help have a more positive outcome during her treatment.  Increasing some short term time in the sun may be beneficial; people who live in the northern hemisphere are have a higher incidence of cancer.  This may be in relation to being farther away from the sun and it’s effects on the body.

          Can the idea of vitamin D levels prevent cancer?  Hmmmm…it is like anything else…you must have balance.  Just as low levels of vitamin D can allow the cancer to grow and spread; too much vitamin D can also have devastating effects.  Blood tests are going to become more crucial to understanding the effects of vitamin D on cancer cells.  

           Milk in the United States if vitamin D fortified.  Many juices and cereals are also fortified with vitamin D.  Increasing sun exposure safely will also raise the blood level of vitamin D.  If we are wise, this new information on the importance of blood levels of vitamin D can be used to improve the statistics of cancer and recovery.  

         Some experts say that vitamin D levels can improve the statistics on prostrate, breast and colon cancer.  It is somewhat exciting to think that something naturally occuring in the body can help defend it against cancer.  Of course, as always…a follow up with your doctor is your best source of information regarding your health issues.  See possibly related information here on Triple Negative Breast Cancer: http://writeasrain.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/triple-negative-breast-cancer/  

MySpace Might Mean Federal Prison

       In a surprising turn of events, a Missouri woman named Ms. Lori Drew is being brought up on charges stemming from a 13 year old girl’s suicide; her name was Megan Meier.  It is surprising because some people in law enforcement believe this area of law to be untried; prosecuting cyber stalking/bullying has not been commonly taken to the legal arena of the court room.  MySpace might mean federal prison for those involved in the alledged hoax.

       Lori Drew, and a 19 year old employee named Ashley Grills, were allegedly involved in creating a MySpace profile of a young man named “Josh Evans” who contacted Megan and initiated a online relationship.  MySpace is a social networking site.  As time went on, “Josh” became abusive online and even went so far as to say that the world would be a better place without her in it …and, that he no longer wanted to be friends with her.  Within an hour of that online conversation…Megan was dead. 

        Not long ago Ashley Grills, the 19 year old employee, did a television interview alledging that Lori Drew was involved in some of the postings.  Ms. Drew denies this…but, she has now been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization.   This whole case is tragic.

          Supposedly, according to Ms. Grills, the whole hoax was set up to find out if Megan was saying anything about Ms. Drew’s daughter.  This hoax has had horrible consequences.  Young Megan is dead, Ms. Grills is probably next in line for some kind of legal consequences unless she has procured immunity for her testimoney; Megan’s family is mourning the death of their child, Ms. Drew could end up in federal prison, and a neighborhood is torn apart as the Drew and the Meier families lived in the same neighborhood at the time of the tragedy. 

        The outcome of this case could have long lasting impact on how people conduct themselves online, in chat lines or in social networking sites.  It is imperative that people monitor their children when they are online for safety reasons.  Words have power to put down or lift up and people are going to be held accountable legally. 

       It might be a good time to remind people that we have impact on those around us…why not make it a positive IMPACT!  Check this out…  http://theimpactfactor.net?id=35.

Take Heart-The Human Spirit Is Resilient

        For those of you who have been depressed, despondent, abused, neglected, suicidal, victimized or just oppressed; know this, the human spirit is subject to change at any moment…it is resilient.  The absolutely amazing thing about going through any of those difficulties in life, is that it has the potential of either destroying a person, or strengthening them, like steel that has gone through the heat of a fire. 

          What causes a person to either become submerged under the weight of negative influences; or, to spring up and bounce back even stronger ? 

           I believe it is a combination of things.  We are all products of our past; we have been taught many things throughout our childhoods and young adulthood that influences how we perceive things.  Most of those things are unconscious and basically invisible, but, still they are there; determining how we interpet the challenges in life; and, therefore, how we handle those same challenges.  We have to make a personal committment to ourselves to change the direction our lives are going if we wish to live a life that is full of the good things life has to offer.

          If we have been lucky enough to have a strong healthy foundation during those formative years we have a huge headstart.  If we were instead rooted in poor soil and unhealthy relationships during those years; we often have alot to overcome. 

          It is not impossible to overcome those things.  It is by strength of will and determination that we learn how to channel our inner self to go in the direction of love, health, and personal well-being.  It is a matter of retraining how we think about things and learning not to focus on the obstacles and the negativity that surrounds us on a daily basis.

          I was reminded of these things today, when i read about Elizabeth Fritzl, the young Austrian woman held captive by her father in a basement for 24 years.  She was forced to endure loneliness, sexual abuse, emotional damage and physical confinement.  She was raped repeatedly by her father and gave birth to seven children during this time.  They grew up without “normal” human interaction. 

        At this point they are receiving treatment in a  psychiatric facility.  The family is getting help learning how to bond together; how to communicate with others, how to function outside of their basement prison.  Elizabeth, the mother of the children grew up at home, with her mother and father…until she was 18 years old.  At that point, he forced her to live in the basement while explaining her “disappearance” to the rest of the world by saying that she had run off to join a cult.

          Elizabeth and her children are bouncing back in amazing ways.  One would think that they might never recover.  After all, some of them didn’t speak as we know speaking; they communicated with grunts and noises.  However, they survived against all odds.  Their healing and renewal will happen with good guidance and therapy.  It should be encouraging to us all that the human spirit is resilient; it is meant to sustain us in times of devastation.

            At some point in life we have to “choose” to overcome the negative forces that have gone before and “decide” to grow, heal, strengthen; and, claim victory over the things in life that hold us back from who we were created to be.   It is work, it isn’t easy and often professional help is necessary; but, it is so worth it to have the freedom to once again live life fearlessly, and fully, with joy!

Can You Make A Difference?

       Do you ever watch the news and hear about all of the tragedies around the world and think; what can I do, I am just one person?  You watch it and are moved, yet, you think…someone should DO SOMETHING ?  It is a helpless feeling, not knowing exactly what to do; isn’t it ?   What if you are the SOMEONE who SHOULD DO SOMETHING ?   Your inner voice is telling you to take some action.  You don’t want to waste time or energy; you want to make the biggest impact whatever you do.

         You see a need somewhere; and maybe you have an idea, a product, or maybe a service that you could utilize, to help change things for the better.  Can YOU make a difference ?  You bet you can!!!  Your inner voice is trying to motivate you.  If you only knew HOW to make an IMPACT on things, to make a difference; things would be different.  Maybe, you could motivate other people to take action as well. 

         All you have to do is, get noticed by enough people; and, things could change.  I have the answer you have been searching for, whether it is for your business, personal goals, or maybe, it is a humanitarian intervention that is calling out to you. 

          What you need is the book, The Impact Factor: How to Get Noticed, Motivate Millions, and Make a Difference In A Noisy World!  Go to this free site and register for free information on how to help you, help yourself and those around you.  It costs you nothing!!!   Register here:  http://theimpactfactor.net/?id=35 

          Ken McArthur is a successful business man, an entrepreneur, an author, a business mentor; and, an all around NICE GUY with lots of integrity.  Ken recognizes the power of IMPACT on both a business and a personal level.  Ken is committed to communicating the power of Impacting the world in a positive way.  See here: http://theimpactfactor.net/?id=35

           You see, we all leave a legacy of Impact in our everyday choices, in our areas of expertise; just by living our lives.  Why not harness the power of impact to be as effective as we can be by making a choice to positively Impact the world ?  Our areas of impact could be education, the environment, business, humanitarian aid, adoption, poverty, diseases/illnesses, finance,health, fashion, entertainment, spiritual enlightenment, crime, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, sports, elder care….the list goes on and on.  You know your heart and your skills; how do you want to change the world ?  What is your passion ?  Do it…what are you waiting for ?  http://theimpactfactor.net/?id=35

          Go to Ken’s free website and pick up lots of videos and audio recordings that will help you make an Impact in many areas of your life, and the lives of those around you.  Then, do yourself a favor and purchase his book.  You won’t regret it.  This book could change your life; who knows, it may change the world if you put the message of the book behind everything that you do!  Check it out here:  http://theimpactfactor.net/?id=35

       

Church Bribery

        Ok, now i have seen one of the most ridiculous things around regarding getting people into church.  I read a news report that told about a church in Georgia that put up a sign advertising free gas!

         Seems that each time someone “visits” their church they get a free raffle ticket with the opportunity to “win” one of two $500 gas cards.  What is this…elementary school where we have to bribe people to sit in a church service?  This is a sad state of affairs when people don’t attend church for their spiritual well-being…but for some kind of a bribe. 

          Are there not better ways to impact a community spiritually than using gas cards to draw them into the church to hear the word of God?  What do you think about this practice of bribing people to step into a church?

John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama

         In Grand Rapids, Michigan, today, John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama as his choice for the Democratic nomination.  His words were powerful.  Those same words were met by cheers and shows of encouragement that rival the excitement of any famous rock band’s groupies.  This does not bode well for Hillary Clinton.

          If John Edwards had spoken like this at any of the debates when he was vying for support in his own candidacy he would have gotten the nod himself.  He had the crowd in the palm of his hand.  What this means to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, is that they are in even more of a fight then, they were a week ago.  It is probably an uphill climb.

           There have been reports that the Clinton campaign was given a heads up about Edward’s decision to back Obama.  It will be known as a dark day to them…one they may not be able to overcome.

            The thing is…it seems to me, that over the last few years; the parties that are involved in politics, have forgotten the plight of the average John and Joanne Doe.  The working class man & women are struggling in ways that threaten to fracture the so called middle class, to such a degree that there will no longer be a definative middle class.  People are hurting financially.  The medical insurance plight of America is creating a whole new kind of poverty…those who have insurance; but, not enough to survive caustrophic illness.  Those without insurance get very little medical care at all. 

        These issues are what is fueling a need for change.  Whether Obama is the one to do it…who knows.  The republicans are watching the duel between Obama and Clinton closely, mark my words.  This contest of power is going to challenge the Republicans in a way they have never been challenged before…running against the first African-American or, against the first Woman to run for President of the United States.  John McCain is going to be up against some pretty persuasive people.

It’s A Two-fer For Angelina And Brad

          In a publicity promo for her new movie…Angelina and her co-star Jack Black were sitting side by side when Jack let it slip out that Angelina is pregnant with twins.  Angelina confirmed this impromptu announcement. 

           Angelina and Brad have been under a close eye by the media about this pregnancy.  It was never formally announced; but, in a public appearance in January for the Screen Actor’s Guild she wore an outfit that caused speculation about her being pregnant.

         She has been hounded by media over time about pregnancies and suspected pregnancies…but as in most things…time reveals what is true.  It has been rumoured that she has been having a difficult or uncomfortable pregnancy.  Leave her in peace…pregnancy is often difficult…so, to those who set about making it more difficult for her…leave her be.  It is taxing to bring new life into the world; even more so when you are carrying twins.  That doesn’t even take into account caring for the rest of her children, doing her work as an ambassador and filming as well as promoting her films.

         In any case, this pregnancy is a two-fer for Angelina and Brad.  Since they both have confessed to wanting a large family; it should come as no surprise.  They have the money to care for all of their children.  They spend alot of time with their children and they certainly are wanted. If every parent gave the amount of love and attention their children needed; it would be a better world. Let’s hope that as a family they will be allowed to live in peace and love.

        

Don’t Let Marissa Go Home

        Oh man, i saw a poll today where people vote on who should go home on Dancing With The Stars.  The result showed what i was fearing…the couple i have been rooting for, Marissa and Tony.  I really, really like the two of them together.  Sure, she didn’t start out with any great kind of dancing skills…but she has improved, immensely.  Tonight is the results show; don’t let Marissa go home. 

        However, from that one poll…it looks like she could actually be the one to go home as it was from viewer’s opinion.  That fact, plus the fact that the judges scored their two dances in a way that they ended up at the bottom of the four couples dance scores.  Bummer…i was hoping she would make it at least to the semi-finals… I know that she doesn’t have the technical skills of Kristi, or the flare of Christian, or the grace of Jason….but, she has personality, joy, and style of her own that is unparrelled.  Best of luck Tony and Marissa.   update:  Tony and Marissa were the ones to leave.  I for one will miss them.  So, next week the competitors will be Christian and Cheryl, Edyta and Jason, Kristi and Mark.  The semi-finals ….awesome season of dancing with the stars!

The Earth Cries

       The earth cries out in grief, and humanity is groaning, in it’s misery; do you hear it?  Cyclones hit Myanmar thousands and thousands are dead, homeless, thirsty, starving.  China is shaken to it’s core by the earthquake that has also killed thousands.  Sumatra was washed away from the Tsunnami and thousands and thousands are dead and lost.  Katrina hit the United States and flooded homes and businessess and left lives in devastation.  Wildfires are consuming buildings, homes, and wildlife and millions of acres around the world due to droughts.  Famines hit the parched lands inflaming lands already hit with starvation.  The ice shelves are melting in the Artic.   Tornados drop in and in seconds wipe away generations of people as well as places.  Hurricanes heap destruction upon land and seas. 

           Do you not feel nature rebelling, against the inhabitants of the planet earth?  The intensity of these disasters and storms has increased dramatically in the last decade or two.  They are increasing in number as well;  we must listen. 

        Why, what is all of this chaos trying to teach us?  Has the careless actions of generations before us finally reached the peak of what nature can endure without self-destructing. The way we live today is impacting the world; and not for the better.   Are we being taught now that we must be good stewards of the gifts given to us by the Creator?  Yes! 

          Greenhouse gasses are contributing, lack of conservation of trees, farmland,  and bodies of water, and poor utilization of landfills,  are all destroying our environment. 

         Being ignorant, lazy, un-informed or misguided, are no longer acceptable excuses.  Suffering and death, on a regular large scale basis, is going to be a way of life, if we don’t wise up soon.  Making smarter, safer, greener choices can only slow down the effects of the damage we have caused.  But we must start now…if we hope to have any chance of restoring the precious balance that is nature.  It is going to take courage and committment.