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It Just Is: Nurturing A Child's Spirituality
When children are born, human parents experience something spiritual just by being in the child's presence—their fingers and toes and eyelashes, the smell of their skin, and the way their eyes fix on people and objects.
Yuletide Blessings
We use the word "blessing" a lot during the December holidays. We count our blessings, we send greeting cards with wishes for blessings, we receive blessings after religious services, instead of "goodbye" we say, "Have a blessed day," and we ask the blessing. We use this little word in many contexts without ever considering what it really means. After all, a blessing is just words, right?
Is the Federal Budget a Moral Issue?
In my Jackson Free Press column of Feb. 18, "It Starts at Home," I wrote about how the nation's reprioritizing for prosperity needs to begin in our own back yard. I pointed out that "every major religion says that as part of the human family, our purpose as human beings must include caring for that family."
Dancing for God
Church isn't something that pops into my head when I think about dance. However, today's society has changed its views on dance and church, and many churches integrate dance into their worship service.
‘Tell Me a Story'
I was born into a family of storytellers. Both sides, though they couldn't be more diverse—one rural Minnesota farmers of Swiss-German descent, and the other Mexican-Americans that hopped between Texas, Europe and the East Coast, finally settling in the Midwest—have been recounting their vibrant familial tales since I was still in the womb.
[Road to Wellness] Keep On Keepin' On, Weeks 7 and 8
I finally joined the Y this week and promise to regale all of you with my (no doubt funny) escapades there. I've been drinking smoothies every day and eating OK, not great yet, but better. My favorite find lately is Luna bars, made by the Clif Bar Company. They're made especially for women, packed with soy, and come in a lot of great flavors; my personal favorite is lemon. What's in store for us these next couple of weeks? More of the same, my friends, more of the same.
The Siren Song of Food
The world first met the vivacious Mandisa, with her powerful voice and mega-watt smile, during the fifth season of "American Idol" in 2006. Unfortunately, she also became known for Simon Cowell's negative comment at her audition: "Are we going to have a bigger stage this year?"
The Road to Wellness, Week 3
<b>To Creet or Not to Creet</b>
A recent article in The New York Times suggested that workplace stress is costing us $300 billion a year in the United States, and that's just what corporations are spending on stress in terms of health care, lost productivity and stress-reduction technologies. What we, as individuals, pay in terms of health and dollar costs is probably quite a bit greater than that.
Acupuncture Bill Goes to the Governor
The Mississippi Oriental Medicine Association reports that HB 458 unanimously passed in the Mississippi Senate today and is on its way to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature.
Eating in the Moment
Eating healthy means different things to different people. My wife and I, for example, cook nearly every meal using as many fresh ingredients as possible. For us, this is ideal, but it can't work for everyone.
Presence, Not Presents
My Aunt Peggie has 48 miniature Santas. Each year, not long after Thanksgiving, she painstakingly takes her Santa collection and displays them around her home, along with the Christmas tree, Christmas villages and all the other holiday décor.
Partnership for Prescription Assistance in Jackson
[verbatim] The 'Help is Here Express' bus tour will be stopping in Mississippi the week of March 9-13 at various cities throughout the state in order to help uninsured and financially-struggling Mississippians access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free.
Choosing a Furry Family Member
After losing my Basset Hound, Charlie, to cancer a couple years ago, I decided to wait a while before getting a new pet. I just missed my floppy-eared friend too much. Eventually, I decided that I would not turn away an animal in need.
Resolutions that Work
With every New Year, there are some resolutions that predictably fall flat by Valentine's Day, if not a several weeks sooner. Topping the discard list: Lose weight and exercise more.
Finding Balance
Victoria McFarland stood at her kitchen counter as her husband, Billy, frantically put food into the cooler for their summer camping trip. She was feeling foggy and couldn't remember simple everyday tasks. She felt helpless.
Industry Denies High-Fructose Corn Syrup Unhealthy
The president of the Corn Refiners Association sent an e-mail to JFP contributing writer Brandi Herrera Phrem about her story "Healthy Holiday Eating," stating that "the suggestion that high fructose corn syrup is an unhealthy ingredient is misleading."
Great Deal for Tuesday's To-Do List
If getting fit and healthy plays a role in your New Year's resolution, put Make It Fit on your to-do list for tomorrow.
Let Me Count the Ways
As the holiday season approaches, we tend to focus on the things that overwhelm us: We have gifts to purchase, meals to prepare, out-of-town guests to accommodate and spaces to spruce up and decorate. Of course, life doesn't stop there. We're faced with the overwhelming task of trying to balance all of this increased activity with already-full schedules, as well as the demands of work, family and social lives.
To Be Changed
Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m., women between the ages of 60 and 80 stand up in Trinity Episcopal Church at 1315 Jackson Ave., here in New Orleans, and place their arms on the shoulders and back of the man I love.
The Empowerment of Sil Lai Abrams
Empowerment specialist and domestic-violence awareness activist Sil Lai Abrams, author of the book "No More Drama: Nine Simple Steps of Transforming a Breakdown Into a Breakthrough," expresses a desire to help women live healthy and fulfilling lives, generated from her own troubled past.