Buddy, he's a fourteen year old golden retriever, can't get around much these days, but he's a happy dog.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Letter From Jesus about Christmas
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.
2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.
3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.
4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.
6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.
7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.
9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.
10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.
Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :
I LOVE YOU,
JESUS
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.
2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.
3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.
4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.
6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.
7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.
9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.
10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.
Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :
I LOVE YOU,
JESUS
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Important Information on Mammograms
Being the mammographer that I am, I would like to share some information about the new announcement on screening guidelines that was shared with me. Please read, it is very important to your life.
On Monday, November 16, the U.S.Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced a change to their mammography screening guidelines. Specifically, their new quidelines recommend screening mammograms every 2 years from age 50-74 versus their old guidelines which recommended screening mammograms every 1-2 years starting at age 40. The USPSTF is an independent panel of doctors and scientists in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services. The Tast Force reports up through the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) and to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since the announcement, many parties have issued statements, reiterated guidelines and have commented in the press that they are not in support of these new guidelines. Here are some more relevant statements with key parts highlighted in red.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Statement issued by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on November 18, 2009 and the USPSTF reports into the HHS....."There is no question that the USPSTF have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The USPSTF is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations. They do not set federal policy and they don't determine what sevices are covered by the federal government. The Task Force has presented some new evidence for consideration but out policies remain unchanged. Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed it's mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action." What is clear is that there is a great need for more evidence, more research and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years...talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you."
American College of Radiology - Statement issued on November 16, 2009..."If cost-cutting USPSTF mammography recommendations are adopted as policy, two decades of decline in breast cancer mortality could be reversed and countless American women may die needlessly from breast cancer each year. The recommendations - created by a federal government-funded committee with no medical imaging representation - would advise against regular mammography screening for women 40-49 years of age, provide mammograms only every other year for women between 50 and 74, and stop all breast cancer screening in women over 74. These unfounded recommendations ignore the valid scientific data and place a great many women at risk of dying unnecessarily from a disease that we have made significant headway against over the past 20 years. These new recommendations seem to reflect a conscious decision to ration care. If Medicare and private insurers adopt these incredibly flawed USPSTF recommendations as a rationale for refusing women coverage of these life-saving exams, it could have deadly effects for American women. The USPSTF recommendations are a step backward and represent a significant harm to women's health. At least 40% of the lives saved by mammographic screening are of women aged 40-49.
American Cancer Society - Statement issued by Chief Medical Director Otis Brawley on November 16, 2009...."The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40. Our experts make this recommendation having reviewed virtually all the same data reviewed by the USPSTF, but also additional data that the USPSTF did not consider. When recommendations are based on judgments about the balance of risks and benefits, reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach different conclusions. We specifically noted that the overall effectiveness of mammography increases with increasing age, but the limitations do not change the fact that breast cancer screening using mammography starting at age 40 saves lives. As someone who has long been a critic of those overstating the benefits of screening, I use these words advisedly: this is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over, be she a patient, a stranger or a family member. With it's new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives: just nost enough of them. The task force says screening women in their 40s would reduce their risk of death from breast cancer by 15%, just as it does for women in their 50s. But because women in their 40s are at lower risk of the disease than women 50 and above, the USPSTF says the actual number of lives saved is not enough to recommend widespread screening. The most recent data show us that approximately 17% of breast cancer deaths occured in women who were diagnosed in their 40s and 22% occurred in women diagnosed in their 50s. Breast cancer is a serious health problem facing adult women, and mammography is part of our solution beginning at age 40 for average risk women. And as scientists work to make mammography even more effective, the American Cancer Society's medical staff and volunteer experts overwhelmingly believe the benefits of screening women aged 40 - 49 outweigh it's limitations.
As a mammographer, I've seen many women 49 and under who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.....and most of their lives have been saved by early detection because of mammography. Please take all this into consideration when making a decision about your mammogram.
On Monday, November 16, the U.S.Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced a change to their mammography screening guidelines. Specifically, their new quidelines recommend screening mammograms every 2 years from age 50-74 versus their old guidelines which recommended screening mammograms every 1-2 years starting at age 40. The USPSTF is an independent panel of doctors and scientists in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services. The Tast Force reports up through the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) and to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since the announcement, many parties have issued statements, reiterated guidelines and have commented in the press that they are not in support of these new guidelines. Here are some more relevant statements with key parts highlighted in red.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Statement issued by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on November 18, 2009 and the USPSTF reports into the HHS....."There is no question that the USPSTF have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The USPSTF is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations. They do not set federal policy and they don't determine what sevices are covered by the federal government. The Task Force has presented some new evidence for consideration but out policies remain unchanged. Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed it's mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action." What is clear is that there is a great need for more evidence, more research and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years...talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you."
American College of Radiology - Statement issued on November 16, 2009..."If cost-cutting USPSTF mammography recommendations are adopted as policy, two decades of decline in breast cancer mortality could be reversed and countless American women may die needlessly from breast cancer each year. The recommendations - created by a federal government-funded committee with no medical imaging representation - would advise against regular mammography screening for women 40-49 years of age, provide mammograms only every other year for women between 50 and 74, and stop all breast cancer screening in women over 74. These unfounded recommendations ignore the valid scientific data and place a great many women at risk of dying unnecessarily from a disease that we have made significant headway against over the past 20 years. These new recommendations seem to reflect a conscious decision to ration care. If Medicare and private insurers adopt these incredibly flawed USPSTF recommendations as a rationale for refusing women coverage of these life-saving exams, it could have deadly effects for American women. The USPSTF recommendations are a step backward and represent a significant harm to women's health. At least 40% of the lives saved by mammographic screening are of women aged 40-49.
American Cancer Society - Statement issued by Chief Medical Director Otis Brawley on November 16, 2009...."The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40. Our experts make this recommendation having reviewed virtually all the same data reviewed by the USPSTF, but also additional data that the USPSTF did not consider. When recommendations are based on judgments about the balance of risks and benefits, reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach different conclusions. We specifically noted that the overall effectiveness of mammography increases with increasing age, but the limitations do not change the fact that breast cancer screening using mammography starting at age 40 saves lives. As someone who has long been a critic of those overstating the benefits of screening, I use these words advisedly: this is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over, be she a patient, a stranger or a family member. With it's new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives: just nost enough of them. The task force says screening women in their 40s would reduce their risk of death from breast cancer by 15%, just as it does for women in their 50s. But because women in their 40s are at lower risk of the disease than women 50 and above, the USPSTF says the actual number of lives saved is not enough to recommend widespread screening. The most recent data show us that approximately 17% of breast cancer deaths occured in women who were diagnosed in their 40s and 22% occurred in women diagnosed in their 50s. Breast cancer is a serious health problem facing adult women, and mammography is part of our solution beginning at age 40 for average risk women. And as scientists work to make mammography even more effective, the American Cancer Society's medical staff and volunteer experts overwhelmingly believe the benefits of screening women aged 40 - 49 outweigh it's limitations.
As a mammographer, I've seen many women 49 and under who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.....and most of their lives have been saved by early detection because of mammography. Please take all this into consideration when making a decision about your mammogram.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wow, has it been a long time. I seemed to have become a little involved in Facebook. Have been neglecting my blog.
While following a few blogs, I ran across Inky Impression's...and wanted to share. There is a link on my sidebar to follow. I love her stamps!
We will be heading to Branson in a couple of weeks and I will have to share some fall pics from there...also heading to the Strange Folk Art Festival in our area this weekend. I'm sure I'll also have some to share from that experience.
While following a few blogs, I ran across Inky Impression's...and wanted to share. There is a link on my sidebar to follow. I love her stamps!
We will be heading to Branson in a couple of weeks and I will have to share some fall pics from there...also heading to the Strange Folk Art Festival in our area this weekend. I'm sure I'll also have some to share from that experience.
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