LifesAnswers

Isa. 42:6—Isa. 42:6.

2010-10-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Domingo 17 de octubre

Te daré [...] como luz de las naciones (Isa. 42:6).

Durante su ministerio, Jesús iluminó sobre todo a los judíos (Mat. 15:24; Hech. 3:26). Sin embargo, también dijo: “Yo soy la luz del mundo” (Juan 8:12). Así es, él emitió luz tanto para los judíos como para el resto de las naciones al iluminarlos espiritualmente y al dar su vida humana perfecta para rescatar a toda la humanidad (Mat. 20:28). Después de resucitar, les dijo a sus discípulos que debían ser testigos de él “hasta la parte más distante de la tierra” (Hech. 1:8). Por esa razón, cuando Pablo y Bernabé emplearon la expresión bíblica “luz de naciones”, la aplicaron a la labor de predicación que estaban realizando entre los no judíos (Hech. 13:46-48; compárese con Isaías 49:6). Esa obra la llevan a cabo hoy día los hermanos ungidos de Jesús que quedan en la Tierra y sus compañeros de las otras ovejas. Todos ellos imparten iluminación espiritual y ayudan a la gente a tener fe en Jesús, la “luz de las naciones”

Sunday, October 17

I shall . . . give you . . . as a light of the nations.—Isa. 42:6.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus brought spiritual light primarily to the Jews. (Matt. 15:24; Acts 3:26) But Jesus stated: “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) He became a light both to the Jews and to the nations not only by bringing spiritual enlightenment but also by offering his perfect human life as a ransom for all mankind. (Matt. 20:28) After his resurrection, he commissioned his disciples to be witnesses of him “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) During their ministry, Paul and Barnabas quoted the expression “light of the nations” and applied it to the preaching work they were accomplishing among non-Jews. (Acts 13:46-48; compare Isaiah 49:6.) That work is still being pursued as Jesus’ anointed brothers on earth and their companions spread spiritual light and help people to put faith in Jesus, the “light of the nations.”

“Sirva a Jehová con regocijo”

2010-09-03T20:11:00.001-07:00

Nuestro Hacedor, Jehová, es un “Dios feliz” y quiere que sus siervos se deleiten en obedecer fielmente sus mandamientos. (1 Tim. 1:11; Sant. 1:25; Rev. 1:3) Estos mandamientos se basan en el amor, porque el “amor no obra mal al prójimo.” (Rom. 13:8-10) Por eso la obediencia al Creador contribuye a la felicidad de otras personas y también asegura el que uno disfrute de una vida de contentamiento y felicidad.

Así pues, ¿no debería la gente de todas las naciones alborozarse en Jehová? El salmista inspirado animó a seguir ese proceder, al decir: “Griten en triunfo a Jehová, oh gentes de toda la tierra. Sirvan a Jehová con regocijo. Entren delante de él con un clamor gozoso.” (Sal. 100:1, 2) De acuerdo con esta exhortación, nuestras expresiones de alabanza no deben ser débiles, sino fuertes y enérgicas, comparables al ‘grito triunfal’ de un ejército que ha ganado una victoria . La actitud de los siervos de Dios no debe ser la de esclavos acobardados y temerosos. El servicio a Dios no es gravoso ni opresivo, de modo que convierta a uno en una persona indebidamente seria y melancólica. (1 Juan 5:3) Ese servicio es refrescante, estimulante, y correctamente debe estar acompañado de regocijo. Por esta razón el salmista instó a la gente a entrar en la presencia de Dios “con un clamor gozoso.”

Algo fundamental si uno desea rendir servicio sagrado es reconocer que Jehová es Dios y el Hacedor del hombre. El salmista declaró: “Sepan que Jehová es Dios. Es él quien nos ha hecho, y no nosotros mismos. Somos su pueblo y las ovejas de su apacentamiento.” (Sal. 100:3) Por ser el Creador, él es nuestro Dueño, tal como un pastor es dueño de sus ovejas. Es más, debemos bendecir su nombre, es decir, hablar bien del Altísimo, Aquel a quien representa el nombre. El salmista insta: “Entren en sus puertas con acción de gracias, en sus patios con alabanza. Denle gracias, bendigan su nombre. Porque Jehová es bueno; su bondad amorosa es hasta tiempo indefinido, y su fidelidad hasta generación tras generación.”—Sal. 100:4, 5.

Las cualidades de Jehová verdaderamente deben mover a uno a alabarlo. Él es completamente bueno, sin siquiera la más mínima mancha de maldad. Siempre se puede contar con su bondad amorosa o consideración compasiva para con sus siervos; ésta continúa hasta tiempo indefinido. “Generación tras generación” Jehová es fiel, cabalmente firme en la expresión de Su amor hacia los que quieren hacer Su voluntad. (Rom. 8:38, 39) ¿No es verdad, entonces, que tenemos buena razón para ‘servir a Jehová con regocijo’?

Mat. 5:6—Matt. 5:6.

2010-09-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Viernes 3 de septiembre

Felices son los que tienen hambre y sed de justicia, puesto que ellos serán saciados (Mat. 5:6).

¿Valoramos la justicia tanto como Jesús? Él dijo que quienes tuvieran hambre y sed de justicia serían felices porque serían “saciados”, o sea, quedarían satisfechos. Esto fue posible debido a que el espíritu santo de Jehová comenzó a dar “al mundo evidencia convincente [...] respecto a la justicia” después del Pentecostés del año 33 (Juan 16:8). Mediante su fuerza activa, Dios inspiró a un grupo de hombres a fin de que escribieran las Escrituras Griegas Cristianas, que tan útiles son “para disciplinar en justicia” (2 Tim. 3:16). Además, ese mismo espíritu nos ayuda a vestirnos “de la nueva personalidad que fue creada conforme a la voluntad de Dios en verdadera justicia” (Efe. 4:24). Es muy consolador saber que, gracias al sacrificio redentor de Jesús, quienes se arrepienten y buscan el perdón de sus pecados pueden llegar a ser considerados justos por Dios (Rom. 3:23, 24)

Friday, September 3

Happy are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, since they will be filled.—Matt. 5:6.

Do we prize righteousness so much that we hunger and thirst for it? Jesus said that those hungering and thirsting for righteousness would be happy because they would be “filled,” or fully satisfied. This became possible after Pentecost 33 C.E., for Jehovah’s holy spirit then began to “give the world convincing evidence concerning . . . righteousness.” (John 16:8) By means of the holy spirit, God inspired men to compile the Christian Greek Scriptures, which are so beneficial “for disciplining in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16) God’s spirit also enables us to “put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness.” (Eph. 4:24) Is it not comforting to know that those who repentantly seek forgiveness of their sins on the basis of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice can attain a righteous standing with God?—Rom. 3:23, 24.

Como echar a perder a un hijo

2010-09-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

COMO ECHAR A PERDER A UN HIJO

COMIENCE A DAR A SU HIJO DESDE LA INFANCIA TODO LO QUE EL QUIERA. ASI CRECERA CON LA FALSA IDEA DE QUE TODO EL MUNDO TIENE QUE SERVIRLE.

CUANDO APRENDA MALAS PALABRAS, CELEBRELE EL CHISTE, ASI CREERA QUE ES MUY GRACIOSO.

NUNCA LE DE EDUCACION ESPIRIRUAL. NI LO LLEVE A LAS REUNIONES QUE DECIDA POR SI SOLO HASTA QUE CUMPLA 18 AÑOS.

EVITE LA PALABRA MALO O INCORRECTO. PODRIA CREARLE UN COMLEJO DE CULPABILIDAD.

RECOJA TODO LO QUE EL DEJE TIRADO: LIBROS, ZAPATOS, ROPA, ETC. PARA QUE APRENDA A DEJAR TODA LA RESPONSABILIDAD A LOS DEMAS.

DEJE QUE LEA HISTORIETAS, NOVELUCHAS VIDEO JUEGOS VIOLENTOS,Y CUANTA COSA CAIGA EN SUS MANOS. ASI SU CEREBRO LLENO DE INMUNDICIA SE DESARROLLARA SIN PREJUICIOS.

TENGA DEMACIADAS RIÑAS CON SU CONYUGE ENFRENTE DE EL. ASI NO SENTIRA EL CHOQUE CUANDO VENGA EL DOVORCIO O LA SEPARACION.

DELE TODO EL DINERO QUE PIDA, CUMPLALE SUS CAPRICHOS, PUES AL NEGARCELOS PODRIA CREARLE UN COMPLEJO DE FRUSTACION.

PONGASE SIEMPRE DE SU LADO. CONTRA LOS VECINOS, PROFESORES Y ANCIANOS, CUANDO VENGA EL CASO HASTA CONTRA LA POLICIA. TODAS ESTAS PERSONAS “LE TIENEN MALA VOLUNTAD A SU NINO”.

NUNCA SE PREOCUPE POR DARLE UN BUEN EJEMPLO. CUANDO ALGUIEN LO BUSQUE A USTED Y NO QUIERA SER INTERRUMPIDO, ORDENELE QUE DIGA QUE NO ESTA, PARA QUE ASI APRENDA DESDE CHICO A SALIR DE APUROS.

NOTA: LUEGO DE SEGUIR ESTAS INSTRUCCIONES, PREPARESE PARA UNA VIDA LLENA DE “TRANQUILIDAD”. USTED SE LO MERECE. Y CUANDO SU NIÑO SEA UN DELINCUENTE ESPIRITUAL, APRESURESE A EXCLAMAR: ¡DIOS MIO! ¿QUE PECADO HABRE COMETIDO PARA MERECER ESTE HIJO?

“Si uno viene mimando a su siervo desde su juventud, este hasta llegará a ser un ingrato en el periodo posterior de su vida” Proverbios 29:21

Sal. 112:3—Ps. 112:3.

2010-09-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Jueves 2 de septiembre

Cosas valiosas y riquezas hay en su casa (Sal. 112:3).

Sin importar si somos ricos o pobres en sentido material, todos podemos tener las verdaderas riquezas: las riquezas espirituales (Mat. 6:20; 1 Tim. 6:18, 19; Sant. 2:5). Los cristianos ungidos no guardan sus riquezas espirituales para sí mismos, ni tampoco lo hacen sus compañeros de las otras ovejas. Al contrario, están “fulgura[ndo] en la oscuridad” del mundo de Satanás “como una luz para los rectos” (Sal. 112:4). ¿De qué manera? Compartiendo con el prójimo los tesoros espirituales de Dios. Además, los siervos de Dios han sido generosos con sus bienes materiales. Salmo 112:9 declara: “Ha distribuido ampliamente; ha dado a los pobres”. Los cristianos verdaderos ayudan materialmente a sus hermanos en la fe y hasta a vecinos necesitados. También emplean sus recursos para apoyar campañas de socorro en casos de desastres. Y como dijo Jesús, eso también los hace felices (Hech. 20:35; 2 Cor. 9:7).

Thursday, September 2

Valuable things and riches are in his house.—Ps. 112:3.

Whether one has much or little materially, it is possible to be spiritually rich. (Matt. 6:20; 1 Tim. 6:18, 19; Jas. 2:5) Anointed Christians, along with their companions, do not keep their spiritual riches to themselves. Rather, they have “flashed up” in Satan’s dark world “as a light to the upright ones.” (Ps. 112:4) They do so by helping others to benefit from the spiritual treasures of God. Additionally, God’s people have proved to be generous regarding material things. Psalm 112:9 states: “He has distributed widely; he has given to the poor ones.” True Christians today often make material contributions to fellow Christians and even to neighbors who are in need. They also use material resources to support relief campaigns in times of disasters. As Jesus indicated would be so, that is a source of happiness too.—Acts 20:35; 2 Cor. 9:7.

http://biblize.com/search?q=—Ps.+112:3.&q_scope=

2010-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

¿Conoces la leyenda del rito de pasaje, de la juventud de los indios cherokee?

Su padre lleva al chico al bosque, con los ojos vendados y le deja solo.

Él tiene la obligación de sentarse en un tronco toda la noche y no quitarse la venda hasta que los rayos del sol brillen a través de la mañana.

No puede pedir auxilio a nadie. Una vez que sobrevive la noche, él ya es un hombre.
No puede platicar a los otros muchachos acerca de esta experiencia, debido a que cada chico debe entrar en la masculinidad por su cuenta.

El niño está naturalmente aterrorizado. Él puede oír toda clase de ruidos.
Bestias salvajes que rondan a su alrededor. Quizás algún humano le puede hacer daño.
Escucha el viento soplar y la hierba crujir, él sentado estoicamente en el tronco, sin quitarse la venda . Ya que es la única manera en que podrá llegar a ser un hombre.

Por último, después de una horrible noche, el sol aparece y al quitarse la venda , es entonces cuando descubre a su padre sentado junto a él. Su padre veló toda la noche, para proteger a su hijo del peligro.

Así, nosotros tampoco estamos nunca solos. Aun cuando no lo sabemos, nuestro Padre Celestial está velando por nosotros,a nuestro lado.

Cuando vienen los problemas, lo que tenemos que hacer es sólo confiar en Él.

SOMETHING TIHINK ABOUT ?

2009-12-25T12:47:00.001-08:00

The best way to lose a friend is to tell him something for his own good. Be generous with praise but cautious with criticism.

Criticism is the disapproval of people, not for having faults, but from having faults different from your own.

Let the man who says it cannot be done not disturb the man doing it.

When you throw dirt at people you’re not doing a thing but losing ground.

People do not mind criticism as long as it is about someone else.

It is only imperfection that complains of what is imperfect. It is surely better to pardon too much than to condemn too much

Constructive criticize is when I criticize you. Destructive criticize is when you criticize me.

If you are a Christian, you can expect folks to criticize, but you ought to live so nobody will believe them.

Talking about Modern Life

2009-12-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

Modern Life

Signs of a modern life.....

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail your mate who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends is that they do not have e-mail addresses.

6. When you go home after a long day at work you still answer the phone in a business manner.

7. When you make phone calls from home, you accidentally dial "0" to get an outside line.

8. You've sat at the same desk for four years and worked for three different companies.

10. You learn about your redundancy on the 11 o'clock news.

11. Your boss doesn't have the ability to do your job.

12. Contractors outnumber permanent staff and are more likely to get long-service awards. >

and the real clinchers are.....

13. You read this entire list, and kept nodding and smiling.

14. As you read this list, you think about forwarding it to your "friends".

15. You first received this in an e-mail from a friend that never talks to you any more, except to send you jokes from the net.

16. You are too busy to notice there was no No. 9.

Talking about An English professor wrote the words:

2009-12-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

"A woman without her man is nothing"
on the chalkboard and asked his students to punctuate it correctly.

All of the males in the class wrote:
"A woman, without her man, is nothing."

All the females in the class wrote:
"A woman: without her, man is nothing."

What, Where, Why, How ,If ?

2009-12-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive? Because It Scares The Dog.

What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic? Sanka.

Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils? Because They Have Big Fingers

Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs? Right Where You Left Him.

What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches? A Nervous Wreck.

What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire? Frostbite.

What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow? Spoiled Milk.

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a racecar Is not called a racist?

What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand? Quattro Sinko

What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work? A Stick

What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours? Nacho Cheese.

What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long? Polaroid's

What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall? Dam!

How Do You Get Holy Water? You Boil The Hell Out Of It

How Do Crazy People Go Through The forest ? They Take The Psycho Path

How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit? Tame Way

How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit? Unique Up On It.

If it's true that we are here to help others, Then what exactly are the others here for?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

If people from Poland are called Poles, Then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

If you look like your passport picture ..... you probably need the trip

Dictionary : Definition

2009-12-25T12:38:00.001-08:00

WRINKLES: Something other people have, similar to my character lines.

YAWN: An honest opinion openly expressed

TOMORROW: One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.

TOOTHACHE: The pain that drives you to extraction.

SKELETON: A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

SECRET: Something you tell to one person at a time.

RAISIN: Grape with a sunburn.

MOSQUITO: An insect that makes you like flies better.

INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

HANDKERCHIEF: Cold Storage.

EGOTIST: Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

DUST: Mud with the juice squeezed out.

COMMITTEE: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

CHICKENS: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.

CANNIBAL: Someone who is fed up with people.

BEAUTY PARLOR: A place where women curl up and dye.

ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.

Resume

2009-12-25T12:36:00.000-08:00

Resume

My Resume After many years of trying to find steady work, I finally got a job as a Historian - until I realized there was no future in it.

My Resume . I managed to get a good job working for a Pool Maintenance Company, but the work was just too draining.

My Resume I became a Professional Fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income. 11

My Resume I studied a long time to become a Doctor, but I didn't have any patience

My Resume My best job was a Musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.

My Resume Then I worked in the woods as a Lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe

My Resume My first job was working in an Orange Juice factory, but I got canned. I couldn't concentrate

Just what ?

2009-12-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.

Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it

Bills travel through the mail... at twice the speed of checks

Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Not any more than standing in a garage makes you a car

I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put some in the food

Remember... Once you get over the hill, you'll begin to pick up speed

Police recruit was asked during the final exam What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother? He answered immediately Call for back-up

As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice: When you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together, it spells "THEIRS"?

Is it true that you never really learn to Swear until you learn to drive?

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with Tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Tooth picks ?

Do Lipton Tea employees take "coffee breaks?"

MORE FUN PICTURES

2009-12-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

pilla dr visit ! !

2009-12-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

JACKIE B

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2009-12-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

2009-12-15T13:59:00.001-08:00

PILLA

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PILLA'S ART

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PILLA

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THE FAIR

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DAD

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FUN FUN

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L.A. County Fair

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FLOWERS

2009-12-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

PILLA'S ART 2

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HAPPY MOM

2009-11-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

PILLA

2009-11-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

DAD'S PIC.

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Pilla's Art Movie

2009-11-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

FLOWER ART !

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JONAS B !!!!

2009-11-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

MOM

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HELLO MOM ....

HAPPY DADDY !!!!!

2009-11-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

DADDY !!!!

DAD

2009-11-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

HI DADDY !!!

PILLA'S ART

2009-11-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

HAPPY DAY !

Memory

2009-11-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

You Can Improve Your Memory!

“Memory enlarges our world. Without it, we would lack a sense of continuity and each morning encounter a stranger staring back from the mirror. Each day and event would exist in isolation; we could neither learn from the past nor anticipate the future.”
—“MYSTERIES OF THE MIND.”

WHY is it that some birds can remember months later the places where they stored seeds for the winter and squirrels can remember the locations where they buried nuts, but we may forget where we left our keys an hour ago? Yes, many of us complain of a faulty memory. Yet, the human brain, though imperfect, has an amazing capacity to learn and remember. The secret is to make the most of what we have.

Enormous Potential

The human brain weighs about three pounds and is roughly the size of a grapefruit, yet it contains some 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, all of which form an incredibly complex network. Indeed, just one neuron may be connected to 100,000 others. This wiring gives the brain the potential to process and retain a vast amount of information. The challenge, of course, is for a person to recall the information when it is needed. Some excel at this, including many with little if any secular schooling.

For example, in West Africa, nonliterate tribal chroniclers called griots can recite the names of many generations of people in their villages. Griots enabled American author Alex Haley, whose book Roots won a Pulitzer prize, to investigate his family tree in Gambia back through six generations. Haley said: “I acknowledge immense debt to the griots of Africa—where today it is rightly said that when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground.”

Consider, too, the famous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, who was “discovered” at the age of 19 when called upon to substitute for another conductor. In spite of his poor eyesight, he was able to conduct the entire opera Aida—from memory!

Such feats may amaze us. Yet, most people have the potential to remember much more than they think they can. Would you like to enhance your memory?

Improving Your Memory
Memory involves three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Your brain encodes information when it perceives it and registers it. This information can then be stored for future retrieval. Memory failure occurs when any one of these three stages breaks down.

Memory itself has been divided into various kinds, including sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory receives information from stimuli through the senses, such as smell, sight, and touch. Short-term memory, also called working memory, holds small amounts of information for brief periods. Thus, we can add up numbers in our head, remember a telephone number long enough to dial it, and remember the first half of a sentence while reading or listening to the second half. But as we all know, short-term memory has its limits.

If you want to store information indefinitely, it must go into your long-term memory. How can you put it there? The following principles will help.

Interest Cultivate an interest in the subject, and remind yourself of the reasons for learning it. As your own experience in life may tell you, when your emotions are involved, you enhance your memory. This fact can be a great help to Bible students. When they read the Bible with the twofold goal of drawing closer to God and teaching others about him, their memory can be considerably enhanced.—Proverbs 7:3; 2 Timothy 3:16.

Attention “Most ‘memory failures’ actually represent failures in attention,” says the book Mysteries of the Mind. What can help you to pay attention? Be interested and, where possible, take notes. Note-taking not only focuses the mind but also enables a listener to review the material later.

Understanding “With all that you acquire, acquire understanding,” says Proverbs 4:7. When you do not understand a teaching or concept, likely you will not remember it well, if at all. Understanding illuminates the relationship between the parts, knitting them together to form a logical whole. For example, when a student of mechanics understands how an engine works, he will better remember details about the engine.

Gods Purpose for the Earth

2009-11-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

daily-text

2009-11-06T11:30:00.001-08:00

http://daily-text.blogspot.com/

Swine flu may hospitalize 1.8 million patients in the U.S.

2009-11-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

Swine flu may hospitalize 1.8 million patients in the U.S.
Sep.01, 2009 in On the News
Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) — Swine flu may hospitalize 1.8 million patients in the U.S. this year, filling intensive care units to capacity and causing “severe disruptions” during a fall resurgence, scientific advisers to the White House warned.
Swine flu, also known as H1N1, may infect as much as half of the population and kill 30,000 to 90,000 people, double the deaths caused by the typical seasonal flu, according to the planning scenario issued yesterday by the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. Intensive care units in hospitals, some of which use 80 percent of their space in normal operation, may need every bed for flu cases, the report said.
The virus has sickened more than 1 million people in the U.S., and infections may increase this month as pupils return to school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. If swine flu patients fill too many beds, hospitals may be forced to put off elective surgeries such as heart bypass or hernia operations, said James Bentley with the American Hospital Association.
“If you have 1.8 million hospital admissions across six months, that’s a whole lot different than if you have it across six weeks,” said Bentley, a senior vice-president of the Washington-based association, which represents 5,000 hospitals.
The scenario projections were “developed from models put together for planning purposes only,” said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the CDC, at a briefing in Atlanta today. “At the end of the day, we simply don’t know what this upcoming flu season is going to look like. It could be severe, it could be mild, we just don’t know.”
Past Pandemics
The models were based on past pandemics, and the CDC is working on new projections based on the latest data gathered from swine flu patients, Skinner said. Those estimates should be available “soon,” he said, without further specifying.
President Barack Obama was urged by his scientific advisory council to speed vaccine production as the best way to ease the burden on the health care system. Initial doses should be accelerated to mid-September to provide shots for as many as 40 million people, the panel said in a report released yesterday. Members also recommended Obama name a senior member of the White House staff, preferably the homeland security adviser, to take responsibility for decision-making on the pandemic.
“This isn’t the flu that we’re used to,” said Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. health and human services secretary. “The 2009 H1N1 virus will cause a more serious threat this fall. We won’t know until we’re in the middle of the flu season how serious the threat is, but because it’s a new strain, it’s likely to infect more people than usual.”
Clinical Trials
Data from clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of swine flu vaccines will start to become available in mid-September, health officials reported Aug. 21. Full results from the two-dose trials won’t be available until mid-October.
“We are making every preparation effort assuming a safe and effective vaccine will be available in mid-October,” Sebelius said today at the CDC’s Atlanta offices.
H1N1 has already reached more than 170 countries and territories in the four months since being identified, the Geneva-based World Health Organization said. Swine flu causes similar symptoms as seasonal strains. It has so far resulted in worse than normal flu seasons, with increased hospitalizations and cases of severe illness, the WHO said in an Aug. 12 release.
New Zealand and Australia, in the midst of their normal flu seasons, have reported intensive care units taxed to capacity by swine flu patients. The experience provides clues to what the U.S., Europe and Japan may see when the H1N1 virus returns.
President’s Advisers
The president’s advisory council describes as a “plausible scenario,” that 30 percent to 50 percent of the U.S. population will be infected in the fall and winter. As many as 300,000 patients may be treated in hospital intensive care units, filling 50 percent to 100 percent of the available beds, and 30,000 to 90,000 people may die, the group’s report said.
“This is a planning scenario, not a prediction,” according to the report. “But the scenario illustrates that an H1N1 resurgence could cause serious disruption of social and medical capacities in our country in the coming months.”
Peter Gross, chief medical officer at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, said if the group’s scenario comes true, “I think every hospital in America is going to be in a crunch. We’ll be hard pressed to deal with those predictions,” he said.
‘Overblown’ Estimates
The estimates seem “overblown,” Gross said, given that swine-flu outbreaks in 1968 and 1957 failed to cause as many deaths, even with medical technology and disease surveillance less advanced than today.
“Influenza, you can make all the predictions you want, but it’s more difficult than predicting the weather,” Gross said yesterday in a telephone interview, after the advisory report was made public. “If influenza was a stock, I wouldn’t touch it.”
The 775-bed hospital is planning for an outbreak, upping its order of flu medications and discussing where to put patients if the worst occurs, Gross said.
The President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology is chaired by John Holdren, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, Eric Lander, the head of the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Harold Varmus, the chief executive officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
The 21-member group of scientists and engineers, created by Congress in 1976, advises the president on policy involving scientific matters.
New Estimates
Seasonal flu usually kills about 36,000 Americans, Skinner said. Swine flu causes more severe illness needing hospitalization among younger people than seasonal flu, while leaving people 65 and older relatively unscathed, said Mike Shaw of the CDC.
The median age of those with the pandemic virus has been 12 to 17 years, the WHO said on July 24, citing data from Canada, Chile, Japan, U.K. and the U.S.
“We don’t know whether the number of severe illnesses will be much greater, but we do know that it’s a new virus and therefore people are very vulnerable,” said Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC’s Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in an interview yesterday.
Disease Burden
About 100 million people in the U.S. get the annual flu shot, Schuchat said. Pregnant women, who have “a disturbingly high burden of disease” from swine flu, only get vaccinated for seasonal flu about 15 percent of the time. Pregnant women are a top priority for vaccinations, she said.
Seasonal flu usually kills about 36,000 Americans. Swine flu causes more severe illness needing hospitalization among younger people than seasonal flu, while leaving people 65 and older relatively unscathed, said Mike Shaw, associate director of laboratory science at the CDC’s flu division.
The median age of those with the pandemic virus has been 12 to 17 years, the WHO said on July 24, citing data from Canada, Chile, Japan, U.K. and the U.S.
“People who get infected with this strain happen to be the healthiest members of our society,” said Shaw in a presentation yesterday at the agency.
The H1N1 strain is genetically related to the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed an estimated 50 million people. Variations of the Spanish Flu circulated widely until about 1957, when they were pushed aside by other flu strains. People whose first exposure to a flu virus was one of those Spanish Flu relatives may have greater immunity to the current pandemic, Shaw said.

What Is the Best Education?

2009-11-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

HAVE you ever been so overwhelmed by problems that you felt as though you were drowning in a whirlpool? Just imagine how much suffering could result if you made a mistake in coping with one or more of those problems! No one is born with the ability to solve all problems successfully, making good decisions every time. This is where education comes in. Where can you get education to prepare yourself to cope with life’s problems?

Many, both young and old, extol the importance of an academic education. Some experts even say that they “fully believe that you will never be able to find a [decent] job without a college degree.” Yet, there are a number of human needs that go beyond material achievements. For instance, does higher learning help you to be a good parent, mate, or friend? For that matter, people admired for their intellectual achievements may develop undesirable personality traits, fail in their family life, or even end up committing suicide.

Some look to religion for guidance, a source of education, but become disappointed because of not receiving practical help to face life’s difficulties. Illustrating this, Emilia* from Mexico says: “It was 15 years ago that I felt that my husband and I simply could not be together any longer. We argued all the time. I couldn’t get him to stop drinking. I frequently had to leave our small children by themselves while I went looking for my husband. I was emotionally worn out. Several times I went to church seeking something that might help me find a solution. Although the Bible was occasionally used, I never heard any counsel that directly dealt with my situation; neither did anyone approach me to tell me what to do. Sitting in church for a while and repeating some prayers did not satisfy me.” Others may become disillusioned when they see how far their own spiritual leaders are from living an exemplary life. As a result, many lose confidence in religion as a source of training or education for a successful life.

Therefore, you might ask yourself, ‘What kind of education should I obtain in order to make my life a success?’ Does true Christianity have the answer to this important question?

* Name has been changed.

Guilt and Depression

2009-11-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

Close on the heels of these emotions usually come waves of guilt. One despondent wife says: "I think women suffer a great deal with feelings of guilt. You blame yourself and wonder: 'What did I do wrong?'"

A betrayed husband reveals another aspect of what he calls roller-coaster emotions. He explains: "Depression becomes a new factor that sets in like bad weather." When her husband left her, one wife recalls that not a day went by that she was not in tears. "I can clearly remember the first tear-free day some weeks after he left me," she relates. "It was some months before I had my first tear-free week. Those tear-free days and weeks became milestones that marked my way forward."

Double Treachery
What many do not realize is that often the adulterer has dealt a bitter double blow to his spouse. In what way? Pat gives us a clue: "It was hard for me. He was not only my husband but also my friend—my best friend—for many years.— Yes, in most cases a wife turns to her husband for support when problems arise. Now, not only has he become the cause of very traumatic problems but he has also stopped being a much-needed source of help. In one fell swoop, he has caused severe pain and robbed his wife of her trusted confidant.

As a result, the profound sense of betrayal and shattered trust is one of the most overwhelming feelings experienced by innocent mates. One marriage counselor explains why marital betrayal can be so emotionally crippling: "We invest so much of ourselves, our hopes, dreams and expectations, in marriage . . . , searching for someone we can really put our faith in, someone we feel we can always rely on. If that trust is suddenly taken away, it can be like a house of cards blown over in the wind."

Quite clearly, as noted in the book How to Survive Divorce, victims "need help in sorting out the emotional upheaval . . . They may need help in working out what choices they can make and how to make them." But what are those choices?

An Avalanche of Feelings

2009-11-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Though shocking, the statistics for infidelity and divorce do not reveal the full impact on people's daily lives. Besides the enormous financial implications, consider the mountains of feelings locked in those statistics—the buckets of tears shed and the immeasurable confusion, grief, anxiety, and excruciating pain that is suffered, as well as the countless nights that family members spend in sleepless anguish. The victims may survive the ordeal, but they are likely to carry the scars for a long time. The hurt and damage is not easily undone.

"A marital breakdown normally produces a huge eruption of emotions," explains the book How to Survive Divorce, "an eruption which sometimes threatens to obscure your vision. What should you do? How should you react? How do you rise above it all? You may swing from certainty to doubt, from anger to guilt or from trust to suspicion."

That was Pedro's experience after he learned about his wife's unfaithfulness. "When there is infidelity," he confides, "then a flood of confusing emotions rain down." The sense of devastation is difficult enough for victims to comprehend—let alone outsiders, who have little grasp of the situation. "No one," claims Pat, "really understands how I feel. When I think about my husband being with her, I feel a real physical pain, an ache that is impossible to explain to anyone." She adds: "There are times that I think I'm going crazy. One day I feel so in control; the next day I don't. One day I miss him; the next day I remember all the scheming and lying and humiliation."

When a Mate Is Unfaithful

2009-11-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

When a Mate Is Unfaithful

INFIDELITY—
Its Tragic Consequences
"I've left," said the voice on the telephone—likely the most devastating words Pat's* husband had ever said to her. "I just couldn't believe the betrayal," she says. "What I'd always feared most—that my husband would leave me for someone else—became an awful reality."

PAT, a 33-year-old, really wanted to make the marriage work; her husband had assured her that he would never leave her. "We promised to stand by each other, come what may," Pat recalls. "I was convinced that he meant it. Then . . . he did that. Now I've got nothing—not a cat or a goldfish—nothing!"

Hiroshi will never forget the day his mother's extramarital affair came to light. "I was just 11 years old," he recalls. "Mom came storming through the house. Dad was right behind her, saying, 'Just hang on. Let's talk about this.' I could sense that something had gone horribly wrong. Dad was shattered. He's never quite recovered. What's more, he had no one to confide in. So he turned to me. Imagine it: a man in his 40's coming to his 11-year-old son for consolation and empathy!"

Whether it is the scandalous affairs that have rocked royalty, politicians, film stars, and religious leaders or the betrayal and tears in our own families, marital unfaithfulness continues to take a tragic toll. "Adultery," states The New Encyclopædia Britannica, "seems to be as universal and, in some instances, as common as marriage." Some researchers estimate that between 50 and 75 percent of people have at some time been unfaithful. Marriage researcher Zelda West-Meads says that although much infidelity goes undetected, "all the evidence points to affairs being on the increase."

Why People Give Up on Life

2009-11-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

"IT IS suffering to live." That is what Ryunosuke Akutagawa, a popular writer in early 20th-century Japan, wrote shortly before committing suicide. However, he prefaced that statement with the words: "Of course, I do not want to die, but . . ."
Like Akutagawa, many of those who take their life do not want to die as much as they want "to end whatever is going on," stated one psychology professor. The wording so commonly found in suicide notes suggests as much. Such phrases as 'I could not take it any longer' or 'Why go on living?' show a deep desire to escape life's harsh realities. But as one expert described it, committing suicide is "like treating a cold with a nuclear bomb."

Although the reasons why people commit suicide vary, certain events in life commonly trigger suicide.

Triggering Events

For adults, financial or work-related problems are common triggering events

It is not uncommon for young ones who give in to despair and commit suicide to do so even over matters that may seem trivial to others. When they feel hurt and cannot do anything about it, youths may view their own death as a means of getting back at those who have hurt them. Hiroshi Inamura, a specialist in handling suicidal people in Japan, wrote: "Through their own death, children cherish an inner urge to punish the person who has tormented them."

A recent survey in Britain indicated that when children are subjected to severe bullying, they are nearly seven times as likely to attempt suicide. The emotional pain that these children suffer is real. A 13-year-old boy who hanged himself left behind a note naming five people who had tormented him and had even extorted money from him. "Please save other children," he wrote.

Others may try to take their life when they get into trouble at school or with the law, suffer the end of a romance, get a bad report card, experience stress over exams, or become weighed down by worries about the future. Among high-achieving adolescents who may tend to be perfectionists, a setback or a failure—be it actual or imaginary—may bring on a suicide attempt.

For adults, financial or work-related problems are common triggering events. In Japan after years of economic downturn, suicides recently topped 30,000 a year. According to the Mainichi Daily News, almost three quarters of the middle-aged men who killed themselves did so "because of problems stemming from debts, business failures, poverty and unemployment." Family problems too may lead to suicide. A Finnish newspaper reported: "Recently divorced middle-aged men" make up one of the high-risk groups. A study in Hungary found that the majority of girls who contemplate suicide were reared in broken homes.

Retirement and physical illness are also major triggering factors, especially among the elderly. Often suicide is chosen as a way out, not necessarily when an illness is terminal, but when the patient views the suffering as intolerable.

However, not everybody reacts to these triggering events by committing suicide. On the contrary, when faced with such stressful situations, the majority do not take their life. Why, then, do some view suicide as the answer, while most do not?