November
World AIDS Day – December 1
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
American Diabetes Awareness Month
Prayer
Say a prayer of greeting to the day and to God. Every new day is a gift, and every new day ought to be honored with a greeting of welcome and thanksgiving. It's much too easy to take each new day for granted and move immediately to the tasks and responsibilities that await you, barely taking notice that a birth has occurred, a miracle has been unveiled, a sure and certain rhythm has given you a place of grounding yet again. Greet the newborn day as you would greet a brand new infant-with joy, with delight, with muted awe. As you offer your greeting to the dawn, greet the newness in your own soul as well. Just as each new day brings with it the possibility of another chance at life, so each new day brings with it the chance for your soul to be renewed.
--Renee Miller
CREDO Conference faculty leader
Fertile Soil in a BarrenLand:
A Desert Odyssey for the Soul
Find it through Church PublishingHERE
Seasonal
Thanksgiving
The grateful heart sits at a continuous feast.
Proverbs 15:15
Thanksgiving Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Many regard this event as the nation's first Thanksgiving.The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition and almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sure, we may think this holiday is all about turkey and pie, but what else comes to mind? Check out our Thanksgiving Q&A Roundup for the answers to questions such as What was the Mayflower?, Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving?, What is volunteering? and more!
Give thanks for the simple pleasures of life.
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One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind.
- Malayan Proverb
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Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie
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When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.
- Elie Wiesel
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A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.
- Cicero
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“Praying is not just about asking God to act; it is also to thank Him for what He has already done”
-Dr Paul Adams
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Belief in Gratitude
Just like the loaves and fishes, gratitude grows. The more one says thank you, the more one sees things for which to give thanks. A spirit of thanksgiving is contagious. Being around grateful people makes us likely to catch this delightful disease
Read morefrom Belief in Gratitude
TURN BACK CLOCKS
Fall back November 6, 2011. The return to Standard Time (ST) begins at 2:00 am local time in the U.S. on the first Sunday in November, which in 2011 is November 6. Turn clocks back by one hour, ideally at bedtime on the Saturday night before. Manually adjust any timepieces and timekeeping technological devices that do not automatically adjust. yahoo business Published by Rik Merchant
"In spring when maple buds are red,
We turn the clock an hour ahead;
Which means, each April that arrives,
We lose an hour out of our lives.
Who cares? When autumn birds in flocks
Fly southward, back we turn the clocks,
And so regain a lovely thing
That missing hour we lost in spring."
- Phyllis McGinley, Daylight Savings Time
Starting in 2007, daylight time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58, 119 Stat 594 (2005).
Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
Veterans Day 2010: Nov. 11
"Veterans Day originated as 'Armistice Day' on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of WorldWarI. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars." Veterans Day. Veterans' organizations hold parades, and the president places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns at ArlingtonNationalCemetery in Virginia.
Poppy Day
Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, because it is traditional to wear an artificial poppy. They are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans, although they do not have a fixed price - they rely on donations.
The motto of the British Legion is Remember the dead; don't forget the living, and they are campaigners for issues relating to war veterans, especially elderly ones.
The custom of Poppies is also observed in the USA
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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Fourth stanza of 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943)
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In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae (1872 - 1918)
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"But this Veterans Day, I believe we should do more than sing the praises of the bravery and patriotism that our veterans have embodied in the past. We should take this opportunity to re-evaluate how we are treating our veterans in the present." -Nick Lampson
ADVENT: Waiting in Silence
Waiting in silence, creating space for steadfast love to grow within, may be the most essential practice of all. It is in many ways the spirit of Advent, that time of the Christian liturgical year when we practice the waiting of gestation and hoping, of trusting in new life not yet fully known.
Thomas Merton, Trappist monk and author, remarked that life is a perpetual Advent. He sensed that in that waiting, trust began to grow. Trust in God, trust in the Holy One who is beyond all that is created and is the source of all things, seen and unseen. Trusting and waiting allow the loving-kindness that is the essence of God's own Life to grow in us, and to bear fruit that we never expected.
Grant me O God the capacity to wait in hope, to allow your own loving-kindness to grow in me, for the life of your world. Amen.
--Mary C. Earle
Published from explore faith
See Advent Prayers for Living
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Advent Prayer for Hope
By Judi Buncher | Published: December 7, 2010
Lord Jesus Christ,
who is, who was, and who is to come,
we pray for the virtue of hope,
that amidst the trials and difficulties
of this world,
we may keep our hearts fixed
upon you, who reigns over the cosmos.
May your grace enliven us,
strengthen us,
and defend us,
as we await your coming in glory. Amen
By: David Bennett
Posted in Special Times of the Year|
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A Look Back in History
Jefferson Davis Elected
Jefferson Davis (detail),
Brady National Photographic Art Gallery, Washington, D.C.,
On November 6, 1861, Jefferson Davis, who had been elected president of the Provisional Government on February 9, 1861—as a compromise between moderates and radicals—was confirmed by the voters for a full six-year term. By the time of his inauguration as full president on February 22, 1862, the confederate capital, which had originally been in Montgomery, Alabama, had been moved to Richmond, Virginia, in part to defend the strategically important Tredegar Ironworks.
A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Davis was a celebrated veteran of the Mexican War. He served as secretary of war under Franklin Pierce and as a longtime U.S. senator from Mississippi. His first wife, Sarah Knox, was the daughter of president Zachary Taylor. Although a strong advocate of states' rights, Davis tried to temper the antagonism between North and South in the tense days leading up to the war, opposing secession even after South Carolina left the Union in December 1860. However, when Mississippi seceded in January 1861, the slave-holding planter cast his lot with the Confederacy.
Immediately after his February 18, 1861, inauguration as provisional president, Davis sent a peace commission to Washington. Abraham Lincoln, committed to preserving the Union at any cost, refused to see the emissaries of the Confederacy. In early April, Lincoln dispatched armed ships to resupply the federal garrison at Ft. Sumter under the command of Major Robert Anderson. In response, Davis ordered the April 12 bombardment of the fort. The attack marked the beginning of the Civil War. memory.loc.gov
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Quote of the Month
Outlaw Attitude
Control and be responsible for your diabetes.
“The growth of diabetes across the planet is leaving the rest of us to bare the blame and financial burden of individual’s bad decisions. My attitude about my diabetes is to control and carry my responsibility of my disease. I cannot fathom allowing my decisions to allow my disease to impact my family or my work counterpart’s cost of health insurance as a result of my poor decisions. At $4,500 annually per diabetic in the US in direct medical expense, or $150 billion in total, I wish more of my diabetic counterparts had a similar Outlaw attitude.”
Trey Stephens is a diabetes advocate who blogs atOutlaw Diabetic.
Thought of the Month
“Even though they were facing a hard winter in a strange place, the Pilgrims set aside time to give thanks to God for His provision in a strange new land. Their attitude was key to their happiness. In modern America, and across much of the modern developed world, we do not give thanks in the way the Pilgrims did, even on Thanksgiving. How many of us live in a spirit of gratitude, with humble appreciation for the many blessings God has given us, and how many of us dwell on the perceived shortcomings in our lives? How many of us, like Martha in the famous Bible story, stress ourselves to the max striving for the perfect home and the perfect meal to the point that we completely lose sight of the reason we've gathered to celebrate in the first place?” Ken Connor
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“According to the New York Times, the United States owns 39% of the world’s wealth and Western Europe another 31%. While we may feel poor when we cannot afford the latest smart phone, few of us know what it means to be truly poor and needy in material goods. But all of us know what it is to be poor and needy when we face a day of trouble.”
Estelene Boratenski
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Fact of the Month
“Giving thanks in the form of prayer, praise, song, celebration, or simply as an attitude of thankfulness is mentioned well over one thousand times in the Bible.”
Steve TroxelGod's Daily Word Ministries
In the News
HPV vs. Pap Smear
HPVvs. PapSmear: MedlinePlus Health News Video
Sep 07, 2011· New research finds that a simple, effective way to protect women from cervical cancer may be to simply look for viruses. Many women are familiar with the Pap ...l
Health Notes
Thanks to Marla Lichtsinn, RN, MPA, CIC, Parish Nurse for sharing Health Notes with Wheat Ridge Ministries! This month Health Notes shares helpful information about the DASH Diet - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.Access Health Notes...
In the News
Mind, BodyWeight Loss
Mind and Body [(08/05/2011, HealthDay)
Site of the Month
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Stop Zombieitis
Numerous studies link inadequate sleep to decreased mental aptitude and memory function. A lack of sleep can also cause increased apathy, anxiety, irritability and even depression among students. With that in mind, the Better Sleep Council is kicking off a new campaign aimed at middle school and high school students encouraging them to get rest during the school year so they are not zombies in the classroom.
We are asking teachers to take a look at the campaign and help spread the message, as we know teachers have first-hand knowledge about the effects of “Zombieitis” on students.
The messaging on the Stop Zombieitis website and Facebook page are heavily geared toward the teenage population and explain that Zombieitis, or sleep deprivation, is an epidemic spreading through classrooms. Personal outreach on Twitter account also encourages sleep to students who are messaging about being tired in the classroom.
The Stop Zombieitis website explains the symptoms of the epidemic and points them to other resources explaining the importance of sleep and tips for getting better sleep. The Stop Zombieitis website can be found at
The Facebook page is
Project of the Month
Create a Family Health History
At your family gathering, why not explore a different type of family tree -- your family health history? Knowing what diseases and health conditions run in your family can give clues about risk factors. A health care provider can use the history to help assess a family member’s health risks and recommend preventive steps. Visit NIHSeniorHealth to learn more.
- Creating a Family Health History
- Why Create a Family Health History?
- Family History and Disease Risk
- How to Create a Family Health History
- Promoting Family Health
- Frequently Asked Questions
- An Ounce of Prevention…
Your family history includes health information about you and your close relatives. Family history is an important risk factor for problems like heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases your chance of getting a disease. The reason a family history can help predict risk is that families share their genes, as well as other factors that affect health, like environment, lifestyles and habits.
Having a family member with a disease raises your risk, but it does not mean that you will definitely get it. Realizing that you are at risk gives you a chance to reduce that risk by following a healthier lifestyle and getting tested as needed.
You can get started by talking to your relatives about their health. Draw a family tree and add the health information. Having copies of medical records and death certificates is also helpful.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
On Line Support Groups of the Month
Diabetes Support Forum
Diabetes Associations - The Diabetes Forum - Building a New ...
› ... › Diabetes Forum Community - Cached
You +1'd this publicly.Undo
Diabetes Associations - Use this section of the Diabetes Forum to post your ...
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Tools of the Month
Caregiver Assessment Tool: How Good Are You at Self Care?
The American Medical Association offers some food for thought for those of us who are caregivers for family members and who may ignore our own health, HERE.
Alzheimer's disease: Anticipating end-of-life needs
If you're caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer's, tough choices lie ahead. Here's help preparing for end-of-life issues.
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Diabetes prevention: Nip it in the bud
Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes; an additional six million do not know they have the disease. While we can't change family history, there are steps we can take to prevent this disease or lessen its severity. If you are 45 years or older, overweight and inactive, you may have pre-diabetes which puts you at higher risk of adult onset diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Check it out. Credo
Studies of the Month
Smoking, Diabetes, Obesity May Shrink Your Brain
Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:00:00 -0500