How to Banish the Blahs

• Get more sleep. Sleep to restore your mind. Sleep is essential to optimal health, but people often forget that it is also a spiritual practice that benefits us mentally and emotionally. Lacking essential shut-eye is another way we block happiness from our lives.
• Find time to exercise.
• Drink water. Women should drink 10 cups of water a day. Men should drink 16 cups per day. 

Day of Thanksgiving

On November 27th, North Americans celebrated Thanksgiving, an annual holiday during which families and friends get together for a scrumptious feast and reflect on all the things they are grateful for. The ancient tradition dates all the way back to 1621, when the pilgrims celebrated their first harvest with a feast that lasted for three days. While most people are aware of that, very few know that the holiday was once celebrated several times a year or that Thanksgiving as we know it today, is possible thanks to 19th century writer, Sarah Josefa Hale.

Though best known for the nursery rhyme "Mary had a little lamb", it is her 20-year crusade that led President Abraham Lincoln to make a proclamation on October 3rd, 1863, declaring the last Thursday of November, as the "Day of Thanksgiving" for entire United States of America. So as you devour your turkey later this week, be sure to remember this unsung hero who made this fun holiday possible!

Health Alerts The Ouch Factor

Keep Moving to Keep Your Joints Healthy.

After having my motorcycle crash in 2008 my quality of any physical active life has all but come to an end. I have had several knee operations, physical therapy, and just finished up my rehab from June-October at Physical Medicine of the Carolinas in Kernersville, NC which has been a great help. I did learn a lot about my knees and wanted to share this with every that has knee problems.

   

Synovial fluid makes up about 80% of the volume of cartilage, and this fluid is needed to support weight and lubricate joint surfaces. When less synovial fluid is present in cartilage, it can result in a reduction in cartilage thickness and an increase in friction, bone degradation, and joint pain. Researchers found synovial fluid naturally leaks out of cartilage but is reabsorbed with motion. Their finding suggests increased movement/exercise can benefit joint health by stimulating the cartilage to reabsorb synovial fluid, thus lubricating the joint. 

American Vacuum Society (AVS) 62nd Symposium, October 2015

Less Costly for Spinal Care. 

Photo Caption: physical medicine of the carolinas

Chiropractors have long suggested their approach to managing spinal pain is less costly than traditional medical treatment. A new study suggests they may be correct. A systematic research review comparing costs for patients with spinal pain who received chiropractic care and care from other healthcare providers revealed that overall healthcare costs were lower for those who received chiropractic treatment. 

BMC Health Services Research, October 2015

Ad: Physical Medicine of Carolinas 2015

Dietary Supplements Send Many to the ER. 

A first-of-its-kind study finds an average of 23,000 people visit the emergency room (ER) each year due to harm caused by dietary supplements. 

According to investigators, supplements for weight loss and energy are the most dangerous, and heart issues were the most common problem with those types of supplements. 

Study leader Dr. Andrew Geller writes, "People may not realize that dietary supplements can cause… adverse events, but every year thousands of Americans are treated in emergency rooms for symptoms attributed to dietary supplements." However, Dr. Duffy Mackay, the senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, points out that over 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year, which means less than one-tenth of one percent of supplement users will visit the ER due to supplement use.

New England Journal of Medicine, October 2015

How Are Fibromyalgia Exercises Different?

For some people, fibromyalgia (FM) can make life miserable. In some cases, it can be so bad a person will spend the majority of the day in bed! When FM is this intense, exercises MUST be tailored accordingly – like starting out with exercises that can be done in bed! Initially, you may only be able to exercise for one to two minutes, but slowly, your tolerance will improve! Here are some “steps” that one may consider for implementing exercise into the FM sufferer’s lifestyle.

STEP 1: POSITIVE ATTITUDE: It’s easier said than done to have a “positive attitude” about anything, much less exercise when FM has its grip on you! In fact, depression is a BIG problem with most FM patients. Both studies and experience have shown that exercise is one of the most effective ways to treat FM. This is because exercise benefits ALL of our bodily functions from the brain to the heart, lungs, muscle/joints, and gut! It even benefits symptoms like fatigue, depression, and sleep problems. It helps bone density, improves balance, increases strength, controls weight, and reduces stress! As one FM patient said, “…this may be the last thing you feel like doing, but you have to believe that it really does help.”

STEP 2: START SLOWLY: Just like training for a marathon, you DON’T begin with a ten-mile run! You have to increase the distance and pace gradually. With FM, a person needs to steadily work into exercise because the post-exercise pain (that you should expect initially) may scare them away from continuing and/or make them even more hesitant about trying it again. Consider an initial one-to-two minute routine and gradually add more time and distance to that, ramping up the intensity and duration of exercise over time! Remember, it may take 15 weeks to reach a 30-minute goal of treadmill walking, elliptical use, or swimming. Consider taking stairs, doing household chores, grocery shopping, and gardening/yard work as part of your fitness routine. It doesn’t have to be a formal exercise program!

STEP 3: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: Even if you were very active before FM entered your life, you must learn not push it beyond the “reasonable boundaries” of your usual activity tolerance. Take breaks when necessary and closely monitor how you feel. Your goal is to AVOID FRUSTRATION by NOT over-exercising! Keep track of what you do and how you feel so that you can refer back to such information when needed.

STEP 4: EXERCISE DAILY: Make it a point to walk. Walk the dog (or your neighbor’s), take the stairs, park further away from stores, and INCLUDE these activities as part of your workout! When you say, “I worked out today,” you don’t have to explain yourself to everyone! Consider cycling, walking/running, low-impact yoga or Palates classes, or light weight-lifting. A local gym or class may be a perfect match for what you are looking for!

STEP 5: MODIFY THE WORKOUT: Mix it up so it’s not boring! Figure out when you feel best and exercise then. For many FM patients, this is between 10am and 3pm. Include some stretches, balance tasks, vary the stride and/or speed, ease into strength training, pace yourself, and rest when needed.

STEP 6: BE PATIENT: This cannot be overemphasized as it’s easy to get frustrated. It can take up to six months before the FM patient may start to feel a change in their symptoms! Patiently work towards realistic goals – Exercise is the #1 best long-term FM treatment method!

Cranberry Juice May Protect Heart. 

Photo Caption: Ray Publishing

Researchers have discovered a potent, dose-dependent relationship between cranberry juice and improved vascular function, which appears to indicate drinking cranberry juice may help protect against cardiovascular disease. Principal investigator Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos comments, "Our results lay the groundwork to better understand the array of potential vascular and cardiovascular health benefits of cranberry polyphenols. Significant improvements in vascular function from drinking two cups of cranberry juice suggest an important role for cranberries in a heart-healthy diet."
Cranberry Health Research Conference, October 2015

This is a very sad story about a bear.

Everybody should heed the warnings not to feed wildlife because they become dependent and don't forage for themselves any longer. It is such a tragedy to see what has been done to our country's wildlife. The photo below captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect U.S. wildlife.

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democrat Party. They have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance. This photo is of a black bear in Montana turned Democrat. He's nicknamed Bearack Obearma. It's believed that he has become a campground organizer.

Amazing custom motorcycle design attracting attention

Amazing custom motorcycle design attracting attention

Custom motorcycles have been always been popular with guys, but one of Roy’s Folks has come up with a design that seems to also have the interest of many women riders. FOX8’s Roy Ackland says they will definitely get your attention.

Hillary for Prison 2016 Hash-tags are all over the Internet after Hillary’s email investigation by FBI

Most people, Christian's and Non-Christian alike are sick and tired of all the lies some of our government and White House are feeding us. Twitter and Facebook have been trending 10's of thousands of Hash-Tags #‎hillaryforprision2016 ‬and Hillary Clinton's email troubles are far from over! And it's not GOP theatrics as she says thats getting her in deep crap (untrust) of the American people! 

News reports released today in most of the news media around the world says that under an independent audit relieved that the State Department is and was among the worst agencies in the entire Federal Government at protecting it's computer network durning Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. 

This week will not get any easier for Hillary Clinton as she gets set to testify before the house committee on Benghazi this Thursday October 22, 2015. Everyone knows that she is lying even though Politically Correct Media doesn't want you to listen to the facts!

The FBI recent revelations hint that the compromising of classified information on Ms. Clinton’s “private” email and server was more serious than originally believed. And new information shows just how slipshod Ms. Clinton's security measures were for her “private” server. While earlier reports indicated only a small percentage of the sensitive information that “spilled over” onto Ms. Clinton’s personal email was highly classified at the Top Secret level, that may be only a small portion of what was potentially compromised.

Particularly disturbing is the report that one of the “personal” emails Ms. Clinton forwarded included the name of a top CIA asset in Libya, who was identified as such. The source of this information was Tyler Drumheller, a retired senior CIA operations officer, who served as a sort of one-man private spy agency for Sid Blumenthal, the Clintons’ close family friend and factotum whose sometimes long-winded emails, particularly regarding Libya, have generated much of the controversy behind EmailGate.

To make matters worse, a recent investigation by the Associated Press demonstrates that even relatively low-skill hackers could have hacked Hillary’s unencrypted server, which was left vulnerable to exposure on the open Internet to a degree that cyber-warriors find difficult to believe. “Were they drunk?” a senior NSA official asked after reading the AP report. “Anybody could have been inside that server – anybody,”!

In benghazi for weeks after she knew the truth she said it was a disgusting video that caused those attacks! We know for a fact, based on State Department documents, that not only was Benghazi a terrorist attack, but Hillary knew it was a terrorist attack which had absolutely nothing to do with a YouTube video. Not only did she lie about Benghazi, she failed to act in response to the attack, and 4 American lives were lost in the conflict.

In 2012, while the FBI was investigating CIA director David Petraeus for mishandling classified information, Mr. Obama similarly dismissed the national security implications of the case at a press conference. Although FBI director James Comey pressed for serious charges against Mr. Petraeus, the White House demurred and the Department of Justice allowed him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, sentenced to probation with no jail time. Some at the FBI were displeased by this leniency and felt


Mr. Obama showed his hand to the public early, compromising the Bureau’s investigation. Is the same happening with Ms. Clinton? It’s too soon to say, though the anger of some at the FBI has seeped into the media already. Comments to tabloids reflect the widespread frustration and fear among federal law enforcement and intelligence circles that Mr. Obama will let Ms. Clinton skate free from EmailGate.

8 Reasons Not To Be Anxious

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells us not to be anxious three separate times. It must have been something the people needed to hear. 

It is clearly something we need to hear today in our own lives. So why don't we listen to him? Why is it so easy to let our minds wander to the “what if’s” and the worst case scenarios? 

The heart of the matter is a problem of perspective. All too often we focus either on the shortsighted, physical aspects of our lives, forgetting that we fight a greater battle for the kingdom, or we worry ourselves about matters that are really no concern of ours. 

Jesus speaks to both of these points, and gives us advice for today on how to turn our anxiety into a God-honoring reverence for the limited time we have, and the importance of the mission at hand.

~Ray Publishing

Read More @ Faith Hub

Every Pro-Immigration Claim Is A Lie

 Ray Publishing ㉑ News Alert CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO July 21, 2015 12:24 pm

In the wake of Kate Steinle’s murder at the hands of an illegal immigrant, mass immigration advocates have begun a campaign of lies in defense of their cheap labor. “Studies show,” they say, that immigrants commit LESS crime than the native population. Oh really?

White House Silent As Kate Steinle Laid To Rest - The Kelly File

Inasmuch as the vast majority of post-1970 immigrants — legal immigrants — are poor, non-white and come from countries with far worse crime rates than our own, that’s at least counterintuitive.

The main evidence cited in support of the claim that immigrants commit less crime than Americans is a moronic point about cities with a lot of immigrants seeming to have low crime rates. The most important step is to be able to keep new illegals from coming in in the first place. 

It came as immigration officials revealed that Sanchez should have been sent to them when he was arrested four months ago, but was let go in accordance with San Francisco's 'sanctuary city' policy.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement had marked him as an 'enforcement priority' who should have been handed over immediately.

But San Francisco officials admitted that due to a soft policy on undocumented immigrants, they do not always comply with the requests - which in Sanchez's case left him out on the streets on the night of the murder. 

Trump condemns 'disgraceful' case of illegal Mexican immigrant who had been deported FIVE TIMES before he shot woman dead in random attack on San Francisco pier. Sanchez, 45, is a 7-time felon who should have been handed over to immigration authorities following a Bay Area arrest four months ago. Check and mate, Mr. Trump!

Happier times; Kate Steinle poses with her mother Liz, her father Jim, and her brother Brad at her father's 65 birthday celebration in Pleasanton

 

Some politician said this aggressive stand on Sanctuary Cities, protecting people who have broken our laws, this is going to upset the Hispanic community. It’s not like white people leapt up and defended the shooter at the Charleston Church. We are talking about criminals; why should this be upsetting to any community other than a community of criminals.

ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said Sanchez had a 'detainer' on his status, meaning federal officials had flagged him for detention with notification sent to state and local authorities. 

Sanchez's felonies, four of which involved drugs, took place across multiple states including Texas, Oregon and Arizona.

He also had a slew of phony birth dates and aliases, says a source at KNTV. 

The victim's grief-stricken family members, meanwhile, have already spoken out in tribute of their beloved daughter and sister.

Commuting the sentences of nonviolent offenders -Bill O'Reilly

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4364601662001

'We have deep faith,' Jim Steinle said' Our faith isn't to the point where we're ready to forgive,' he added.

Pass Kate's Law ASAP

Pass Kate's Law ASAP
If you would like to express your support for this issue Sign the Petition. Your signature will be added from the information you provide.

http://www.billoreilly.com/petitions/viewpetition?petitionID=410125953243428263

Reynolds-Lorillard deal to close Friday - Winston-Salem Journal: Local Business

I knew this day would come.  R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. will have the No. 2-4 U.S. traditional cigarette brands in Newport, Camel and Pall Mall, respectively. Grizzly is the top-selling moist snuff brand, while Vuse has become the top-selling electronic cigarette in convenience stores. Natural American Spirit has emerged as a top-10 traditional cigarette brand.

Reynolds-Lorillard deal to close Friday - Winston-Salem Journal: Local Business

The Ride of A Lifetime

Video by Scott Ray of Ray Publishing

Exploring the challenges and rewards of life and love, Nicholas Sparks’ novel, The Longest Ride, gives readers all over the country a glimpse into the world of North Carolina cowboys and the art of bull riding.

And no one understands the delicate balance between courage and endurance—and cowboys—quite like Jerome Davis. It’s been 17 years since the World Champion Professional Bull Rider’s world was changed in just six seconds.

See the rest of the story at http://nicholassparks.com/article/the-ride-of-a-lifetime/

Pay Attention to the Lonely and Comfort those in Need.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
NKJV

Picture, if you will, a line of people. These people are from different backgrounds and families. Only one thing unites them and that is the fact that all are incredibly thirsty. Each of them longs for a cup of cold water. Now, imagine the first in this great line being given a case of ice cold water. With great anticipation, they grab a bottle and begin to quench their overpowering thirst. The dryness and pain that came with the thirst is quickly forgotten as they embrace the refreshing liquid. After enjoying the comforts of the water, the person is then refreshed and ready to pass on this wonderful gift. With great joy, they proceed to hand a bottle of water to the next thirsty soul - and the refreshment continues.

This may seem like an odd story, but it sheds light on our place in sharing God's comfort. All of us have endured suffering. Like these people, we ache for refreshment from the pains of life. After a time of wondering when it will end, God pours out His refreshing comfort on our life and we become encouraged. The danger is to stop at this point and miss the secondary blessing. Rather than selfishly holding on to God's comfort, we should share it with those who are still thirsting for relief. As God comforts us in our suffering we are put in the perfect place to comfort others - and the refreshment continues.

God is the source of all blessings, comfort and mercy. When we are a source of blessings or comfort or mercy, we are becoming more and more like Christ.

Father God,
Thank You for the amazing comfort that I find in You. Because of Your love, I have peace with God and forgiveness for all my sins. Because of Jesus, I am free from the penalty of sin and no matter what happens on this earth, I will be healed and loved for all eternity. Lord, help me to remember these things and to pass them on to those who are thirsting for Your refreshing comfort. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Star Trek Remembering Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015

Star Trek Remembering Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015

Bill O'Reilly: Video Center - February 18, 2015 - First Look: Check out the KILLING JESUS movie trailer

Check out the KILLING JESUS movie trailer

We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days.

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment.  The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

The older lady said that she was right -- our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain:

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.

We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.

Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. 

Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the"green thing." We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?

We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off... Especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smart ass who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much.

Obama at Prayer Breakfast: 'Terrible Deeds Also Committed in Name of Christ'

President Obama spoke yesterday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast, where he raised some eyebrows with his comments about violence in the name of religion.

Two days after a Jordanian pilot was burned alive by ISIS terrorists, the president compared the atrocities to violence committed by Christians in the Crusades. This is a un-edited video see Obama statement starting at 8:17 on video.

And he said Christ was also used as a justification for slavery and racial discrimination in the United States.

 “Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. Unless we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ. In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ," the president said.

He referred to ISIS as a "brutal, vicious death cult" that falsely claims the "mantle of religious authority" when carrying out barbaric acts.

I would have liked to hear Obama express a message of interfaith unity toward the goal of "beating back evil."

I can not believe this president. I feel like he should be charged with Treason. The video is out there for all to see. It shows a Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage by ISIS savages. But while networks and websites were debating whether or not to show the gruesome footage, and just how much warning to give viewers, something else happened this week that has gone nearly unnoticed.

The United Nations issued a chilling report Wednesday detailing some other Islamic State atrocities. The victims aren't pilots or soldiers or journalists, but children. ISIS is routinely abducting boys and girls in Iraq, who are tortured, raped, and sold as sex slaves. Non-Islamic children have been crucified or buried alive, while others are used as suicide bombers or "human shields" to ward off air strikes.

Want more evidence of ISIS depravity? The UN reports that many of the children were "mentally challenged" to begin with, even before being subjected to "systematic sexual violence." The ISIS butchers seem to be even worse than the world had known, subhuman in the literal meaning of that overused term.

ISIS sure seems to take more pride in its evil.

The Nazis didn't announce to the world that cattle cars were transporting human beings to mass extermination camps; the Soviets tried to hide the fact (and did so, with the help of the New York Times) that millions of its citizens were being intentionally starved to death. But ISIS, apparently incapable of shame, proudly produces slick videos showing beheadings and immolation.

ISIS is approaching Nazi-level degeneracy, the world looks to President Obama, who issues weak statements about "shrinking ISIL's sphere of influence." The president also sets the goal of "degrading" the Islamic State and turning it into a "manageable problem." Can you even begin to imagine Winston Churchill spewing that kind of pabulum?

There is at least one leader in the West who recognizes and identifies evil, perhaps because he studied in a Roman Catholic seminary and briefly considered the priesthood. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has identified ISIS as a "death cult" that is completely unashamed of its atrocities. "They absolutely revel in the killing," he said, while calling for "extreme force."

And then there is Abdullah ibn al-Hussein, a former special forces commander now known as King Abdullah of Jordan. The king sounded downright Churchillian this week when he vowed to pursue ISIS until his army "runs out of fuel and bullets." He then ordered the immediate execution of two Al Qaeda terrorists who had been languishing in Jordanian jails. Yes, at times it's good to be king.

Thankfully, we don't have a king who can order the immediate execution of prisoners. But we should be able to execute a plan that demands more than merely "degrading" the Islamic State and its mass murderers. 80 years ago the world looked away as madmen took over an entire country, then other countries. That chapter of history ended with a Holocaust and vows of "never again."

Will strong, Churchill-like leaders rally the world against this pure evil? Or will the Chamberlain attitude prevail, where we consider making peace treaties with those who would behead, rape, and crucify our children?

I refuse to call this man Mr. President. The crisis is no longer approaching, Mr.Barack Hussein Obama II.. It has arrived...

Adventure-seekers make memorable start to new year at Hanging Rock State Park - Winston-Salem Journal: Local News

Adventure-seekers make memorable start to new year at Hanging Rock State Park - Winston-Salem Journal: Local News