Why Public Healthcare is a Christian Duty

As a Christian, you are probably suffering your own personal battle between what you perceive to be good and what you know to be evil. When it comes to the healthcare crisis in our country, you see both good and evil and, although you know that Jesus went around healing the sick, tending to the downtrodden, and urging His followers to do the same, there isn’t much you can do to ease a healthcare system that is so broken as to be beyond repair. Or is there? Is there something you can do to ease the suffering of the less fortunate, even though you, too, have limited funds and are not a healthcare professional? Perhaps you can do more than you realize!

What Did Jesus Say?

Actually, there are two very relevant passages here which should give you direction when it comes to making a difference in healthcare. The first Bible passage to meditate on is Matthew 10:8 where Jesus urges his followers to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy (skin diseases), drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” This passage is transcribed from the New International Version (NIV) but the meaning is clear. Jesus tasked His followers with healing the sick. No, you may not be a miracle worker, but modern medicine is!

The second passage to ponder is where He urges His followers to, also in the NIV translation, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” This calls to mind our modern age of digital communications where for the first time in history, this is made possible. Now then, putting those two passages together, you can easily see how you can accomplish both without being a doctor, nurse or even a miracle worker! As a Christian, you can help to heal the sick by giving them the information they need to take an active role in their own healthcare. No, it’s not a leap in logic if you think about how you can do just that.

The Science of Health Information Management

One of the major reasons why so many people are not able to get the healthcare they need is due to the high cost of that care. However, schools like the University of Cincinnati offer degrees in Health Information Management so that patients, providers and anyone involved in the care of those patients can quickly access pertinent information to offer better and faster outcomes. Aren’t digital communications one way to reach the entire world? Isn’t healthcare a Christian duty?

Schools that offer programs like the University of Cincinnati Online Health Information Management degree provide the means for Christians to reach millions of people to give them a way to be proactive in their own care program. This helps to reduce wait times in hospitals, doctors’ offices and clinics and also helps to keep costs lower. No, health information systems don’t spread the gospel message but what they can do, from a Christian perspective, is enable providers to treat more people at reduced costs which, in turn, should provide better outcomes in healthcare. Public healthcare is a Christian duty because Jesus, himself, tasked us with healing the sick. No matter what branch of medicine or health informatics you are in, as a Christian, you are fulfilling your duty in a way only possible with modern medicine and digital technology. And greater things will you also do….

Get Back On The February Fitness Train: 3 Weight Loss Myths Debunked

Be honest - how is your New Year’s fitness regime going? There are probably millions of people over the world who commit themselves to getting into shape as the new year begins, but by the end of January, the wheels have fallen off completely. And there are a few good reasons why.

In today’s guide, we’re going to take a look at some of the biggest weight loss myths out there and explain why you might have fallen off the fitness wagon by the end of January. And we’ll also discuss how getting onto the February fitness train - and staying on it - might be easier than you think. Let’s take a closer look.

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Exercise is all you need

Myth number one is part of the reason why so many people fail to get through January with their new fitness plan. A lot of people commit to doing more exercise in the new year, but while this is good for your overall health, it might not be helping you lose weight. First of all, your diet needs to be looked at, as it’s a far better way to control your nutrition and eat less food. Secondly, once you start exercising more, you tend to put on more muscle, which is a denser material than fat, so could actually push your weight up on the scales - albeit temporarily. As you can imagine, it can be disheartening for people trying to lose a few pounds when they see their scales going up rather than down - but a combination of more exercise and controlled, realistic eating habits will work in the long-term.

Calories in, calories out

Another issue faced by people trying to shift pounds is the old myth that if you consume fewer calories than you spend, you will lose weight. The basic principle is correct, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than that. In fact, your body has a setpoint weight that is influenced by everything from your general lifestyle choices through to biological changes in your body. It is possible to lower your setpoint weight, however, and it’s why you sometimes see skinny people consuming pretty much any food they want without gaining a single pound. You need to look into four different areas - a permanent, healthy, and nutritional diet; proper, high-quality exercise with plenty of rest; lots of sleep, and removal of stress from your overall lifestyle. Yes, it might mean a considerable amount of change, but if you want to lose weight, focusing on your setpoint weight will do you more good than using the traditional ‘calories in, calories out’ method.

The cost of health food

Finally, many people quit their new healthy eating habits because they run out of money. It’s easy to see why - January is a tough enough month as it is, due to the post-Christmas financial blues experienced by many households. And when you look at the prices of some of the healthy foods at your local grocers, it’s fair to say some are eye wateringly high. However, healthy food is not inherently expensive. Look for cheaper cuts of meat, buy bulk packages of beans, pulses and frozen veggies, and avoid the marketing hype of the health food stores. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive in the slightest - so why not get back on the fitness train this February?

Great Birthday Gifts for Hubby When He’s Tough to Shop For

Finding a suitable gift for your hubby on his birthday gets harder every year. You’ve bought him all the usual things and if he gets one more pair of socks, he’s going to scream! It takes a bit of inventiveness to come up with new ideas that will still be interesting for him. You also need to pay attention to things he’s mentioned or any trouble he’s having with a gadget malfunctioning recently.

Here are a few birthday gift ideas for him.

Rough Around the Edges

Do you wake up and go for that early morning kiss and find your hubby is rougher around the edges than normal? Maybe he’s finding that his foil shaver isn’t giving him a close shave like it used to? How old is his electric shaver?

Alternatively, if he uses a blade shaver but cuts himself often, maybe it’s time to switch him over to an electric one, which removes the risk of skin abrasions? There’s certainly a good bunch of shavers to choose from. Check out mybestshaver.com to see which model is bound to meet his approval.

Aftershave

Buying a man some aftershave is a gift for both of you really. While he may have the go-to brands that he prefers, he’s probably not that adventurous when it comes to trying new scents. See if you can tempt him into a department store to try a few other scents, then buy him one he likes for his birthday later.

If there’s an aftershave set that goes with it, including shaving cream or a bag from the same brand, it can make a nice touch to have a travel kit he can take when you go on vacation too.

Personalized Chopping Board

When your guy is a dab hand in the kitchen but lacks some quality essentials, a personalized cutting board is just the thing. It is available in Cherry, Maple, or Walnut wood finishes, which changes the appearance considerably. A personal engraving is placed in the bottom-right corner of the chopping block using a laser for ultimate precision. Make sure to order with enough time for the Indiana-based producer to create the finished product and deliver it to you gift wrapped before his birthday.

Loves Photography? Get a 4K Drone

Whether he’s a photography nut or used to be one, he’ll get a kick out of flying a drone. He may have a basic model already, but if you’ve seen him hankering for an upgrade, here’s your chance. The latest DJI models are sleek, travel-friendly, and even prevent flying in banned areas like near airports or national parks.

Guys are very particular about their make and models, so don’t just buy any drone product. Perhaps get a magazine that features an article on the latest one and ask his opinion on what he thinks is the best model reviewed in the magazine? This way you can gauge his level of interest, as this will be a pricier gift than most years if you get something with some great specifications like a 4K camera, one-mile flight coverage, and other sought-after features.

The most important thing with a birthday present is to make sure it’s something that the other person will love. When buying gifts, we often make the mistake of buying things that we’d want for ourselves, which are then wrong for the receiver. Take the time to learn what he’ll enjoy receiving to make it his best gift ever.

You Must Try Jackson Cafe in Paola, Kansas!

Disclaimer: I want you to know I was not compensated in any way for this post. I received nothing in return but good food and a good time. I just like to write about places and things I love and can't wait to get back to!

A few weeks ago my amazing husband and I somehow found ourselves alone on a Saturday. Our three youngest kids were with our old neighbors spending the night and we had just dropped our teen sons off for a homeschool co-op birthday party for two of their friends who live in Paola. We looked at each other like, "So what do we do now that we are alone?!"

We set out for downtown Paola to hit a grocery store and a hardware store and find some lunch. We found Jackson Café and now can't wait to go back! Here are some photos of our adventure.


They also sell this cool coffee soap at Jackson Café!

After checking out downtown Paola, we looked at each other like, dang, I wish Peculiar had something like this! It even has a neat outdoor square like on Gilmore Girls!

My man ... in October we will celebrate 20 years of marriage and in July we celebrate 23 years of knowing each other. I still like him, especially when he buys me food and coffee.



Follow Jackson Café and don't forget to go there to try some grub and coffee!

This is where we sat and ate. That door leads to the 55+ apartments above that have been entirely remodeled.

A room off to the side for meetings, parties, etc.

If you don't have Valentine's Day plans, head here! (Catholics, did you hear this year we have to abstain from red meat on Valentine's Day? What a rip!)

My coffee for the day. Oh so good and made with almond milk.





My lunch, a lovely wrap

Aron's lunch. Croissant sandwich!

Two lovely pieces of quiche courtesy of the owner ... both were AMAZING, like beyond yummy and highly recommended.

Just for fun, one of the apartments above the restaurant that you can rent out ... if you're a little older. Really nice places.

The outside of the building Jackson Café is in ... so if you're driving by you have to check it out!

You Will Love Signing Up With #Swagbucks in February!

Want an extra boost to your budget in February??

If you haven't tried Swagbucks before, you can get a bonus $3 for signing up as my referral this month. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, or PayPal cash.

When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a $3 bonus! Here's how:

1. Sign up using this link.

2. Earn 300 SB total before 3/1/18. You'll get a $3 (300 SB) bonus for it!

3. If you want even more bonuses, you'll get a $10 (1000 SB rebate) bonus for making your first shop purchase! That's in addition to the SB you earn for every dollar you spend.

That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned 115,718 Swagbucks since signing up. I usually cash out into PayPal so I can move money to my accounts to pay for gas or save for vacations! Try it!