The Positive Effects of Being Grateful

Dear Linda:
     
My father was married for 52 years, had a wonderful career, and fathered well three children. Five strokes stole is ability to walk, swallow, and read—his favorite pastime. I’d like to help him stay positive, but his present condition seems to eclipse all that was good in his life. How can we refocus and find something for which to be grateful?

Sad for my Dad:

Dear Sad:

Though you can’t fully grasp the magnitude of your father’s feelings, treat him with as much empathy as possible. People are far more receptive to change when their present circumstance is understood and validated.
     
Your father’s losses have been terrible, so expect some of the same grief stages people experience when a love one dies—denial, anger and depression, emotions that can hinder making even the most beneficial changes. Be sure he’s had a complete examination and that appropriate medication has been prescribed.
     
Prevent isolation and inactivity. Discourage too much sleep, daydreaming, and watching TV. They are as much an escape as alcohol or drugs. Taking action instead is the best remedy.
     
Begin projects that don’t require the skills he’s lost—a new hobby, a coin or stamp collection, puzzles and crafts. Regularly attend worship services and take field trips to museum, the theater, or the library, where you can both listen to and discuss books on tape.
     
Set the example for gratitude for your dad. Express how much you appreciate all he’s done for you. Be very specific about how his help and guidance has impacted your life. Then ask him to share his stories—the mentors in his life, the pivotal moments, the best and most memorable times. Suggest writing them down in a gratitude journal, and read them aloud periodically. Read Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach for inspiration.
     
Be sure to honor his past by writing letters of gratitude to family and friends. You will find that expressing appreciation and focusing on the blessings will impact attitude, create a sense of well-being, and produce peace of mind.

Honor the Mother who Sacrificed her Life to Raise You

Dear Linda:

       My aged mother raised alone six children, who are now scattered all over the world. We don't see her much but would like to do something special for Mother's Day. Have any suggestions?

In a Quandary

Dear In a Quandary:

       If people really considered it, the job description for the role of mother (on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for no salary or health benefits) would send most intelligent people running for the hills.

       For their constant care and self-sacrifice, Moms ask little in return—respect, appreciation and remembrance. That can't happen, though, if they're left alone. Perhaps it’s time to ask your mom how she’d feel about living (or having extended visits) with her children. If she’s interested, devise a reasonable schedule for moving her from one child to another. The honorable responsibility for her care and attention would be divided, and the benefits, particularly for grandchildren, of multi-generational living innumerable. What a gift to all.

       Consider planning a family reunion (all her children and their families) and give her a video of the event. An embroidered or calligraphic family tree and a family portrait for her wall would be valued gifts, so be sure to have a photographer present.

       Visit www.allmothersdaygifts.com, www.everythingmothersday.com and www.theholidayspot.com/mothersday (or call 800-326-6626) for a variety of lovely keepsakes and personalized gifts.

       You might also give her certificates for a day of pampering—a manicure, pedicure and hair styling at her favorite salon, and facials, wraps and massages at a spa. Then whisk her off to a theater district for a live production, dress-up dining, and a hotel stay, or to a charming cottage or quaint Bed & Breakfast for a weekend of sightseeing or scrap booking.

       If she's not able to travel long distances, take her to brunch before church, or lunch and antiquing at a tea room. Remember to buy her a corsage to wear for her special day, and that your time and attention is the most meaningful and best remembered gift.

Spring Time Travel

Dear Linda:


       Since launching our kids and recently retiring from our jobs, my husband and I have been looking at ways to travel. We don’t want to fly, and I get sea sick. Any other ideas?

Getting Antsy

Dear Getting Antsy:

       Hop on a bus and see America! You can recline in seats that are bigger and more restful for long trips than you’ll find on airplanes, stop along the way for breaks, sightseeing, camaraderie and fun with your fellow passengers, and gaze out enormous windows that allow you to watch the changing countryside of our great land.

       Motorcoach tours are extremely popular with seniors, because bus travel is safe, comfortable, and a great way to meet new people. They offer the convenience of car travel without the drain of driving.

       Custom tours can be organized from budget to deluxe itineraries and from one day to extended holiday experiences. They range from limited to all-inclusive packages (accommodations, meals, entrance/activity fees, taxes/gratuities and an on-board tour guide). Paid for in advance, the traveler doesn’t have to guess at costs along the route.

       Luggage is handled for the traveler at each stop (bus to room and back to bus), and the traveler is given the agenda for the day that includes planned activities and free time to explore independently. Breakfast and dinner are generally the meals included in packages, and they can be tailored (i.e. low calorie or diabetic) for special needs. Be sure to discuss all requests when you book the tour.

       To locate a dependable tour company in your area, call the National Tour Association (NTA) at 800-682-8886 or visit www.ntaonline.com to search for an NTA operator in your area. Also visit this site for a list of tour companies with their internet sites from all over the country.

       Dedicated to selecting the most scenic route, the best accommodations, the finest dining, and all the must-see-sights possible, a motorcoach company makes the arrangements for a fabulous tour and resolves any concerns. The traveler just sits back and enjoys.

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Have A Blessed Easter

Next to Christmas, Good Friday and Easter are a Christian's most important celebrations. We worship Christ on Good Friday because that was the day he died an excruciating death on the Cross to atone for mankind's sins so that we would be forgiven by a Holy God.

We celebrate Easter Sunday because that was the day Jesus overcame death and rose to heaven to sit beside His Father and ours. Jesus' work on the Cross secured forgiveness of mankind's sins and His resurrection secured eternal salvation for all those who believe.

Believing is tough for those realists who require proof. I know my faith waxed and waned through my life, but finally God took off my blinders, and I stopped resisting the unmistakable evidence of His existence and operation in my life.

God has disclosed Himself to us all in various ways: through nature, a world that is so magnificent and intricate that a creator was necessary, through providential acts and miracles throughout history, and because humanity has a general moral conscience.

God has also revealed Himself through the Bible. There is no other book ever written that is so unique. Despite the facts that it was written on three continents, by 40 authors over 1600 years, it is perfectly consistent and historically accurate. Translated into 1500 languages, it is the most read book and God's message to His people about how to live, how to die and how to live forever.

I got an interesting email today that talked about laminins. They are the network of proteins that form the foundation for our cells and organs and are vital for the maintenance and survival of all tissue. They are, in fact, the integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every tissue of an organism. Laminins are cell adhesion molecules that literally hold us together. Without them, we would fall apart.
 
Here's what's amazing--the structure of a laminin is the Cross. The very glue that holds us all together is in the shape of the Cross. Coincidence...I think not. Just read Colossians 1:15-17, New International Version (NIV) regarding The Supremacy of the Son of God.

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.

Have a blessed Easter!

The Consequence of Ungratefulness

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealers showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study, told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with his name embossed in gold.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" He stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible behind.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old. He thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to him. He needed to come home immediately and take care

of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important documents and saw the Bible, new, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to

those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words... PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

Arthritis--a real pain in the neck

Dear Linda:
       
On occasion, my wife has called me a pain in the neck. Well, I just turned 50 and know now how irritating that condition can be. I wake up stiff and sore almost every morning. Surely, I’m too young for arthritis?

Hurting in DeSoto

Dear Hurting:

Arthritis is a chronic disease (with no cure yet) that affects joints, skin and various internal organs in many people over 50. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis afflicts or severely disables over 70 million Americans.
      
Though there are more than 100 types of arthritis, the most common form is osteoarthritis, affecting the joints. They can become inflamed, swollen and stiff. Visit your doctor, who will diagnosis after blood tests and x-rays and prescribe the best treatment in your case.
      
To alleviate symptoms, reach optimum weight with low-impact, aerobic exercise like walking, biking and swimming, and lift weights to build denser bones and to strengthen muscles that protect joints. Research shows that losing as little as 11 pounds cuts risk of osteoarthritis by 50%. Stretch every thirty minutes and do range of motion exercises throughout the day to get re-energized and stay flexible. Wear braces to reduce joint stress.
      
Make better life-style choices. Turn off the TV. It slows your metabolism, encourages overeating and keeps you sedentary. Quit smoking. It causes brittle bones and reduces their mass. Throw out those three-inch heels that stress knees and your foot seven times more than a one-inch heel.
     
To avoid neck strain, use hands-free telephone headsets, position documents on computer monitors at eye level, keep your chin tucked-in and your back straight and well supported. Use a wrist rest at your computer, and avoid lifting heavy objects.
     
Arthritis can be well managed with medication, weight reduction, exercise, good nutrition and surgery. For more information, contact the Arthritis Foundation at 800-283-7800. Subscribe to their magazine Arthritis Today or order Tips for Good Living with Arthritis ($9.95), a publication filled with hundreds of tips for a more pain free and mobile life.

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Critical Information about Water and Aspirin

Dear Readers: If you have not yet read this important information, please do so and pass it on. It may save yours or another person's life.

People are adverse to drinking water before going to bed for the obvious reason, but it is a mistake, and a cardiac specialist explains why both water and aspirin are important to take at bedtime.

 

Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright. When you lie down, the lower body is level with the kidneys; it is then that the kidneys flush the water that is filled with the toxins accumulated during the day from your body. You don't want to limit that process by taking in less water. Additionally, drinking water before bed helps to prevent leg and foot cramps caused by dehydration.

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
 

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack 

Dr. Virend Somers is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic and is the lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 

Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 a.m. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened.

1.  If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night with a glass of water.
 

The reason: aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the aspirin would be strongest in your system.

2.  Aspirin lasts for years in your medicine chest. When it gets old, it smells like vinegar.

3.  There are other symptoms of a heart attack besides the pain on the left arm or in the chest. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may occur less frequently.

 

4.  About 60% of those who do have a heart attack in their sleep, do not wake up. If the pain does wake you up, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

 

Afterwards: Call 911 and phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by. Say "heart attack and that you have taken 2 aspirins". Unlock the front door and take a seat on a chair or sofa nearby. DO NOT LIE DOWN!