Spiders Web

A young soldier found himself in a terrible and hopeless battle.

The enemy was soundly defeating this young man's army. He and his

comrades found themselves hastily retreating from the battle

field in defeat, running away in fear for their very lives. The

enemy gave chase. This young man ran hard and fast, full of fear

and desperation, but soon found himself cut off from his comrades

in arms.

He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing

the enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the

chase, he chose to hide there. After he crawled into the cave, he

fell to his face in the darkness, desperately crying to God to

save him and protect him from his enemies. He also made a bargain

with God, one which I (and perhaps you too?) have made before. He

promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the

remainder of his days.

When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a

spider beginning to weave its web at the entrance of the cave. As

he watched the delicate threads being slowly drawn across the

mouth of the cave, the young soldier pondered its irony. He

thought, "I asked God for protection and deliverance, and he sent

me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?"

His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his

hiding place and kill him. And soon he did hear the sound of his

enemies, who were now scouring the area looking for those in

hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the cave's

entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to

surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his

own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control.

As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave, he came

upon the spider's web, which by now was completely strung across

the opening. He backed away and called out to a comrade, "There

can't be anyone in here. They would have had to break this

spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on."

Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by

becoming a preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. What

he observed has stood by me in times of trouble, especially

during those times when everything seemed impossible.

He wrote: "Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where

God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."

-- Author unknown

Pearls

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when

she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny

saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that

necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for

her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it

costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the

necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores

that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that

for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar

bill, too. Okay?"

Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.

Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough,

her grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday.

Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls.

How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere-to

kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run

errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower-her

mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!

Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he

would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny

her favorite story.

One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you

love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said.

"Well, then, give me your pearls."

"Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosie,

my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for

my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?"

"Oh no, darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek with

a kiss. "Good night, little one."

A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story,

"Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you."

"Well, then, give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy

horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so

soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You

can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to

her father.

"No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again

with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams."

Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a

story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling.

"Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and

her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her

father's hand.

With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the

other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of

the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls.

He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the

cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give

up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful

treasure.

Are you holding onto things which Lord wants you to let go of?

Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners,

relationships, habits and activities which you have come so

attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes, it is

so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one

thing....

The Lord will never take away something without giving you

something better in its place.

-- Author unknown

How Much For A Miracle?

Tess was a precocious eight years old when she heard her Mom and Dad
talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he
was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving
to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the
money for the doctor bills and our house. Only a very costly surgery
could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan
them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with
whispered desperation, "Only amiracle can save him now."
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its
hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the
floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to
be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing
the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out
the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with
the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention
but he was too intently talking to another man to be bothered by an
eight year old at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a
scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most
disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a
quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of
voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in
ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back
in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick ... and I want to
buy a miracle."
"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.
"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head
and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a
miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't
help you." the pharmacist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will
get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and
asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know
he's really sick and Mommy says he needs a operation. But my Daddy
can't pay for it, so I want to use my money. "How much do you have?"
asked the man from Chicago.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And
it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven
cents -- the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took
her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her and said
"Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your
parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,
specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without
charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had
led them to this place. "That surgery," her mom whispered. "was a
real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar
and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.
- Author Unknown

A Gift Of Pure Love

This tale of love has helped many people find happiness and build
self-esteem over the years. "Can I see my bundle of joy?" the
happy new mother asked, ready to pour love and affection on her
new child. When the baby was nestled in her arms and she moved
the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The
doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window.
The baby had been born without ears.
Over time, it became clear that the baby's hearing was just fine.
It was only his appearance that was marred. One day he rushed
home from school and flung himself into his mother's arms. She
sighed deeply, recognizing that his life was to be a succession
of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big
boy...called me a freak." Surely this boy would never find peace
or happiness.
He developed a gift for literature and music, his solace in a
hostile world. "But you might mingle with other young people,"
has mother told him, although she understood why he focused on
solitary pursuits.
The boy's father met with the family physician. Could nothing be
done? "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears if they
could be procured" the doctor advised. That's when the search
began? Who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years
went by. Two years of searching. Two years of frustration. Then
his father told him, "You are going to the hospital, son. Mother
and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a
secret."
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged.
His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became
a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic
service. "But I must know!" He urged his father. "Who gave so
much for me? I could never do enough for him."
"I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement
was that you are not to know...not yet." The years kept their
profound secret, but the day did come . . . one of the darkest
days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over
his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth
a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal .. .
that the mother had no outer ears.
"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," he
whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful,
did they"?
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the
heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what
that cannot be seen. True love lies not in what is done and
known, but in what that is done but not known.
-- Author Unknown

Barnyard Duck

One day, Wally, one of the wild ducks in the formation, spotted
something on the ground that caught his eye. It was a barnyard
with a flock of tame ducks who lived on the farm. They were
waddling around on the ground, quacking merrily and eating corn
that was thrown on the ground for them every day. Wally liked
what he saw. "It sure would be nice to have some of that corn,"
he thought to himself. "And all this flying is very tiring. I'd
like to just waddle around for a while."
So after thinking it over a while, Wally left the formation of
wild ducks, made a sharp dive to the left, and headed for the
barnyard. He landed among the tame ducks, and began to waddle
around and quack merrily. He also started eating corn. The
formation of wild ducks continued their journey South, but Wally
didn't care. "I'll rejoin them when they come back North in a few
months, he said to himself.
Several months went by and sure enough, Wally looked up and
spotted the flock of wild ducks in formation, heading north. They
looked beautiful up there. And Wally was tired of the barnyard.
It was muddy and everywhere he waddled, nothing but duck doo.
"It's time to leave," said Wally.
So Wally flapped his wings furiously and tried to get airborne.
But he had gained some weight from all his corn-eating, and he
hadn't exercised his wings much either. He finally got off the
ground, but he was flying too low and slammed into the side of
the barn. He fell to the ground with a thud and said to himself,
"Oh, well, I'll just wait until they fly south in a few months.
Then I'll rejoin them and become a wild duck again."
But when the flock flew overhead once more, Wally again tried to
lift himself out of the barnyard. He simply didn't have the
strength. Every winter and every spring, he saw his wild duck
friends flying overhead, and they would call out to him. But his
attempts to leave were all in vain.
Eventually Wally no longer paid any attention to the wild ducks
flying overhead. He hardly even noticed them. He had, after all,
become a barnyard duck.
Sometimes we get tired of being the kind of ducks we should be --
followers of Jesus Christ. It's not always easy to be obedient to
God and to discipline ourselves to hang in there for the long
haul. When we are feeling that way, that's when Satan tempts us
to "fall out of formation" and to join the barnyard ducks -- the
worldly ways of life.
But look what happened to Wally. He thought he would just "check-
it-out" for awhile and then leave when he wanted to. But he
couldn't do it. Sin is like that. Sin is a trap, and it has a way
of changing us into people we don't even want to become.
Eventually we lose touch with who we really are -- the sons and
daughters of the Most High. We become barnyard ducks.
-- Author Unknown

Guess What????

The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The
American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and
asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and
catch more fish?"
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support
my family's needs."
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of
your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play
with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into
the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my
amigos, I have a full and busy life."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a
bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy
several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing
boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would
sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own
cannery. You would control the product, processing and
distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing
village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually
New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the
time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company
stock to the public and become very rich, you would make
millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a
little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll
to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play
your guitar with your amigos."
-- Author Unknown

We Are All Winners

Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son's soccer
team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my
son's team in the lead. Parents shouted encouragement from the
sidelines as the boys clashed on the field. With less than ten
seconds remaining, the ball rolled in front of my son's teammate,
one Mikey O'Donnel. With shouts of "Kick it!" echoing across the
field, Mikey reared back and gave it everything he had.
All around me the crowd fell silent as the ball flew into the
goal. Mikey O'Donnel had scored!
Mikey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the
game in a tie. For a moment there was total silence. You see
Mikey has Down's Syndrome and for him there is no such thing as a
wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mikey.
He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they
scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mikey, his face filled with
joy, grabbed my son, hugged him and yelled, "I scored! I scored.
Everybody won! Everybody won!"
For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I
need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw
up his hand in the classic high-five salute and started chanting,
"Way to go Mikey! Way to go Mikey!"
Within moments, both teams surrounded Mikey, joining in the chant
and congratulating him on his goal. Later that night, when my
daughter asked who had won, my son smiled and replied, "It was a
tie. Everybody won!"
Author Unknown

What Two Days Can Do

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented
the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening
as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to
see a truly awful looking man. “Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight
year old,” I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But
the appalling thing was his face – lopsided from swelling, red and
raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come
to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment
this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus ’til
morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with
no success, no one seemed to have a room. “I guess it’s my face…I
know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more
treatments…”
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could
sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the
morning.” I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the
porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready,
I asked the old man if he would join us. “No thank you. I have
plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him
a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man
had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he
fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and
her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He
didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was
preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no
pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin
cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At
bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him. When I got
up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little
man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he
left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said
“Could I please come back and stay next time I have a treatment? I
won’t put you out a bit, I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a
moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grown-ups
are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him
he was welcome to come again.
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As
a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I
had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he
left so that they’d be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 am
and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time
that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his
garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by
special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young
spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must
walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had
made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little
remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor
made after he left that first morning. “Did you keep that awful
looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by
putting up such people!”
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could
have know him, perhaps their illness’ would have been easier to bear.
I know our family will always be grateful to have know him; from him
we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the
good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed
me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden
chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my surprise, it was
growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, “If this
were my plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had!”
My friend changed my mind. “I ran short of pots,” she explained,
“and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t
mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while,
till I can put it out in the garden.”
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was
imagining just such a scene in heaven. “Here’s an especially
beautiful one,” God might have said when he came to the soul of the
seet old fisherman. “He won’t mind starting in this small body.” All
this happened long ago and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely
soul must stand.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
– Author Unknown

Smell The Roses

I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose
husband unexpectedly died of a heart attack. About a week after
his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of
students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in
through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she
moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down
there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and
said, “Before class is over, I would like to share with all of
you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is
very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share,
love, appreciate and give of ourselves…and none of us knows
when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at
any moment. Perhaps this is God’s way of telling us that we must
make the most out of every single day.”
Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, “So I would like you
all to make me a promise… from now on, on your way to school,
or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It
doesn’t have to be something you see — it could be a scent –
perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone’s house, or
it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves
in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn
leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please, look for these
things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to
some, these things are the “stuff” of life. The little things we
are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for
granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any
time… it can all be taken away.”
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and
filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more
things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.
Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what
an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all
of those things that sometimes we all overlook.
Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour
today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on
the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone. For as
we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret,
but the things we didn’t do.
– Author Unknown

Carpenters........

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-
contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and
live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended
family.
He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could
get by.The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and
asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his
heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and
used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his
career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to
inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to
the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was
building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way,
reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the
best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort.
Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and
find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had
realized that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each
day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build
wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live
it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived
graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life
is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the
result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
– Author Unknown

Ultimate Happiness

Leaders exist in all walks of life. More importantly, everyone has the potential of acting in a leadership position. We can all be more successful by establishing a positive attitude and also by having an attitude of gratitude. Leadership includes vitality, charm, being flexible and also having a good sense of humor. It also includes a knowingness that things will work out. By choosing or intending to operate from the position of being positive is the first thing we can do to improve whatever situation we are encountering or approaching.
Even as children we were groomed to be leaders. We may not fully realize that we have learned tremendous amounts of leadership skills on the play field, perhaps in Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, and most certainly in classrooms throughout the country. As children, we may have earned very high grade levels or participated in extra curriculum activities, that without our realizing, has helped us to develop incredible leadership abilities. Our working and also participating in activities such as music, arts, and sports has also provided us with amazing leadership abilities. These activities taught us how to work with others. We learned valuable time management skills, and also gained visual or other creative outlets. Our participation in these activities may have also included our working within a teamed environment or perhaps working independently. And as we progressed through school and achieved higher levels of academic success our participation also resulted in our confidence levels increasing.
Confidence is an extraordinary gift that allows us to assess a situation and make appropriate decisions. In being confident allows us also to take on more responsibilities and also be able to delegate tasks to others. Our confidence also allows us to accept credit for doing a good job and furthermore allows us to be able to extend credit to others for their good work and participation. It may also include communicating effectively. Dependability allows us to follow through with projects in a timely manner and also helps keep the project moving in a constructive and forward manner. Good judgment is a by-product of being positive as it provides us with an ability to make rational decisions – especially in times of stress. Creativity includes utilizing a visual or inner knowing that may also be expressive in an original way of thinking — similar to the way musicians and artists use to create songs or other works of art.
When we are calm and use or rely on our own inner gifts and talents, we are capable of making wiser decisions. When we are happy to be included in a project and also enjoy the work that we are doing, we are certainly much more inclined to be flexible, responsible, and determined to participate and accomplish the tasks that we are overseeing or are responsible to complete. Leadership is about making worthwhile contributions and also learning from past mistakes. Learning when to listen or perhaps assessing when it is necessary to assert ourselves. Our being an advocate for the project and perhaps for the staff assigned to working with us also helps us to be a part of creating something worthwhile.
Each time we interact with ourselves or others in a positive manner helps to ensure the success of our projects. Each time we clarify details and expectations related to our projects also helps the projects to be even more successful. These simple recommendations are mostly common sense. Leadership is about moving forward within one project, and then on to another, and another. Leadership is also about continuing to develop skills that will keep us aligned in the direction of our business, completing our projects, and accomplishing our short and long termed goals. However, if we are spinning, we are not acting in a manner that is conducive to positive team building or completion of our current projects or tasks. Achieving positive results, in a timely manner, is always necessary and included on some level within any goal. And if by chance, we or members of our teams are not achieving positive results in a timely manner, we need to determine what is out of alignment and quickly make constructive changes. Sometimes what may be out of alignment are our expectations. We may expect ourselves or others to perform in a manner that is unrealistic. We may be short-handed, limited in resources or perhaps unmotivated. We may also be relying on others who are also challenged in similar ways. Continuing to work in these manners realistically prevents us from achieving our goals.
So how do we keep ourselves and others motivated to continue moving forward? As effective leaders, we have to come from a position of acceptance and love. It is helpful to be in gratitude. It is also helpful for us to keep track of gains of progress in order to remind ourselves and our team members of how much that we have accomplished. Keeping success logs or files that includes positive quotes or articles is also helpful and encouraging. All of our skills come into play when we are engaging in leadership activities. A good sense of humor helps keep the atmosphere and our role aligned with being in the state of enjoyment. Remaining optimistic and present helps to motivate and incent ourselves and others that we can achieve our goals. The most important leadership skill that we possess is holding in mind what we would like to achieve. Stay focused and be certain to get feedback so you know that you are on target.
Be certain to always have a positive intention for each level of your project. Comments like, “Everything will work out Ok!” Or “It’s all good!” Or perhaps something like, “Our team members are highly qualified and always do a wonderful job!” These types of intentions always help us to achieve even better results. By focusing on being positive and seeing our projects as completed exactly the way we would like, is helping us to move forward in an effortless manner. This mindset helps us to be even more effective leaders.
The Release Technique, L. Crane

Chiropractic and Work Related-Sciatica

Work-related sciatica is clinically challenging and an expensive problem for our health care systems. One recent study found that workers with sciatica are significantly more likely to be prescribed opioids for their condition.¹ Another study found that workers with low back pain and sciatica showed the highest level of disability of all back pain patients.²
With these issues in mind, the orthopedic medicine department of a hospital in Norway has examined the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment with patients with severe sciatic pain. This new study³ looked at 44 workers who presented at the hospital with severe sciatic pain that required hospitalization. “The patients underwent clinical, neurologic, and radiological examinations as well as laboratory screening, including urine specimens, parameters of infection, and system diseases.”
The hospital chiropractor then performed a chiropractic examination on each patient that included an analysis of posture and gait, passive and active range of motion, and palpation of the lumbar spine. “The main treatment consisted of joint adjustment techniques of the lumbopelvic fixations, usually performed in a side posture position...Joint adjustments in other parts of the spine and limbs were usually necessary as a result of the compensatory dysfunction.” Ice treatment was applied after the adjustment, since there was soft-tissue soreness experienced by the patients.
“Patients were treated daily while they were in the hospital; they were treated for 3 days a week for the first 2 weeks while they were in the clinic. Depending on need, some patients received follow-up treatment once or twice a week for some time. Following Norwegianpublic health regulations, cost refunding is limited to 14 treatments; therefore, the total number of treatments rarely exceeded this number.”
The authors found the following:

• All of the patients had experienced three or more weeks of pain before hospitalization.
• 35 patients underwent MRI and 7 had CT scans; there were no structural changes on any of the imaging tests.
• After the treatment, 40 patients (91%) returned to work full-time within an average of 21.1 days.
• Two patients returned at reduced work levels: one at 80% and another at 50%.

“The positive effects of cooperation between orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors may be measured in the reduced duration of sick leaves.” The study refers to Norwegian public health records that show that the average patient with sciatica is disabled for 72 days; in this study, the time to return-to-work was just 21 days—a 70% reduction.
The authors point to how chiropractic can improve functioning in the spine:
Stimulation of “muscle spindles caused by sprain strain has been shown to be capable of starting a long-lasting train of action potentials in the motor neuron (i.e., long-lasting muscle contraction in the motor unit in question). Similarly, a brief inhibitory impulse, such as that from antagonistic muscles, may stop the signal train in the motor neuron. Chiropractic joint adjustment probably provides a similar inhibitory impulse. The chiropractic joint adjustments must cross the barrier of passive joint motion range to stimulate muscle spindle receptors.”

1. Stover BD, Turner JA, Franklin G, et al. Factors associated with early opioid prescription among workers with low back injuries. Journal of Pain 2006;7(10):718-25.
2. Arana E, Marti-Bonmati L, Vega M, et al. Relationship between low back pain, disability, MR imaging findings and health care provider. Skeletal Radiology 2006;35(9):641-7.
3. Orlin JR, Didriksen A. Results of chiropractic treatment of lumbopelvic fixation in 44 patients admitted to an orthopedic department. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007;30:135-139

Chiropractic Safe And Effective For Back Pain During Pregnancy

Low back pain can be a serious problem during pregnancy: studies show that over half of women report back pain at some point during pregnancy. Furthermore, as a new study1 explains, many women experience their first episode of back pain during pregnancy:
“The incidence of low back pain with an onset during pregnancy has been reported to be 61%. It has been shown that among women with low back pain of pregnancy, 75% reported no low back pain before pregnancy. In a study of women with chronic low back pain, up to 28% stated that their first episode of back pain occurred during a pregnancy.”
In this report, the authors studied 17 women with low back pain lasting an average of 21.7 days. The intensity of the back pain was 5.9 on a 1-10 scale, and the onset of pain occurred at 20.6 weeks into the pregnancy.
Each study participant was treated according to the particular symptoms that the patient was experiencing. The authors reported the following:

• About half of the women were self-referred, and the other half were referred by their obstetrician.
• The average time to reach clinically significant pain relief was 4.5 days, while the range was from 0 to 13 days after the initial treatment.
• The average number of treatments necessary to reach clinically relevant pain relief was 1.8.
• The pain levels decreased from the 5.9 at the beginning of the study to 1.5 at the end.
• The patients received between 3 to 15 treatments, with the average being 5.6.
• One patient did not experience clinically significant pain reduction.
• There were no adverse reactions reported by any of the patients.

Low back pain during pregnancy may not seem like a serious problem, but it can have adverse affects on the woman’s health, as the authors explain:
“In most instances, the average pain level is moderate, but severe pain has been reported in 15% of cases. Pain intensity often increases with duration and can result in significant disability. Sleep disturbances have been reported by 49% to 58% of women and impaired daily living by 57% in women with low back pain of pregnancy.
“Despite the apparent impact it has on women, many cases of low back pain of pregnancy go unreported to prenatal providers and/or untreated. Wang et al. found that just 32% of women reported their low back pain of pregnancy to their prenatal providers, and just 25% of these providers recommended a treatment. Skaggs et al. found that among women with low back pain of pregnancy, 80% thought that their providers had not offered treatment for their back pain.”
This study shows that chiropractic effectively reduced pain from low back pain during pregnancy, without any adverse effects.
Lisi AJ. Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health 2006;51:e7-e10.

Chiropractic and Osteoarthritis

Numerous studies have shown that chiropractic can be an effective treatment for lumbar spinal pain. A new study1 describes the previously reported benefits of chiropractic:
“Giles and Muller compared the outcomes of acupuncture, medication, and spinal manipulation on spinal pain syndromes. Only spinal manipulation led to significant improvement. Rao et al. reported that 73% of the patients who sought pain relief treatment from both a rheumatologist and an alternative form of medicine found chiropractic care to be helpful. It may be reasonably concluded that chiropractic care is a successful treatment for lower back pain.” ¹
No previous study, however, has examined the effectiveness of chiropractic for back pain symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis. This current report set out to do just that, by comparing chiropractic treatment to moist heat treatment. Previous studies² have shown that application of heat to the affected area is an effective self-management tool for arthritis symptoms.
The authors of this study recruited 252 patients with osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine; subjects were excluded if they were currently receiving chiropractic care, physical therapy, or were using anti-inflammatory medications.
The patients were divided into two groups: the treatment group received 20 chiropractic treatments with 15 minutes of moist heat; the control group received only the moist heat treatments. The subjects were evaluated at 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 weeks for pain levels, activities of daily living (ADL), and range of motion.
The study found significant improvements in the patients who were given the chiropractic/moist heat treatments, as illustrated by the following graph that shows average extension of the spine measured at each evaluation point:

Here is a summary of the other findings:

• Chiropractic was significantly more effective in reducing pain than moist heat alone, even though both treatments reduced pain to some degree.
• The study examined right and left lateral flexion, average flexion, and average extension. “Chiropractic care plus moist heat is more effective than moist heat alone for improving ROM, as measured by these particular tests.”
• Chiropractic care was also more effective in improving daily activities, while moist heat alone did not improve ADL.

The authors conclude:
“There are no studies in the literature that evaluate the effectiveness of chiropractic care in the treatment of OA. We found that chiropractic care was significantly better than moist heat alone for the treatment of OA. Although moist heat did improve low back pain, there is a more rapid and greater decline in pain under the treatment condition than with moist heat alone. The chiropractic treatment group also showed a more rapid and greater increase in range and flexion scores. With the exception of standing, sleeping, and sexual activity, chiropractic treatment participants reported a statistically significant improvement in their ADL.”

1. Beyerman KL, Palmerino MB, Zohn LE, Kane GM, Foster KA. Efficacy of treating low back pain and dysfunction secondary to osteoarthritis: chiropractic care compared with moist heat alone. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2006;29:107-114.
2. Veitiene D, Tamulaitiene M. Comparison of self-management methods for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 2005;(37)1:58-60.

Neck and Back Pain in Children... The Role of Backpacks

Public health experts have recognized for many years that excessively heavy backpacks can cause back and neck pain in children. Three new studies have recently been published on this issue, and they shed some light on prevention of back pain in children.

Physical and Psychological Factors in Children with Back Pain

This British study¹ was designed to examine ergonomic and other factors that might account for back and neck pain in schoolchildren.
The authors gave questionnaires to 697 children aged 11-14. Of these students, 27% reported having neck pain, 18% reported having upper back pain, and 22% reported having low back pain.
After analysis of the collected data, the authors found the following:

• Neck pain was linked to school furniture, emotional and conduct problems, family history of low back pain and previous treatment for musculoskeletal disorders.
• Upper back pain was associated with backpack weight, school furniture, emotional problems, and previous treatment of musculoskeletal pain.
• Low back pain complaints were associated with school furniture, emotional issues, and “family history and previous injury or accident.”

Effects of Backpack Weight on Posture

This Italian study² looked at 43 students with an average age of 12.5 years. The authors tested each of the children with an 8-kg and 12-kg backpack, and they had the children wear them over one shoulder and two shoulders. Posture was evaluated on the children while they did a 7-minute treadmill walk.
The authors found that the posture of the children was substantially altered under load. Not surprisingly, asymmetrical loading (carrying the backpack on one shoulder rather than both), resulted in the most complex postural changes.
“Our results suggest that a 12 kg load, fairly common in this population (carried at least once a week), seems to push the postural system to its physiological limits.” ²
They found that the postural changes were corrected once the load was removed, but the long-term consequences of these excessive weights are unknown.
Limit Backpack Weight to 10% of Child’s Body Weight

In the third report,³ the researchers interviewed 531 children from 5th to 12th grade and weighed the backpack of each student. The found that:

• “Younger students and females are more at risk due to relatively lower body weight...”
• Female students carried heavier backpacks than did male students.
• “Greater relative backpack weight is associated with upper– and mid–back pain reports but not neck or lower back pain; it is also associated with lost school time, lost school sports time, and greater chiropractic utilization.”

The authors of this study recommend that backpacks weigh no more than 10% of the child’s body weight, which is lower than the current recommendation of 15%. Previous studies have found that students often carry between 17-22% of their body weight. ²
From these studies, it’s clear that a significant number of children suffer from neck and back pain. Because a substantial portion of these complaints may originate in backpack usage, it is critical when dealing with children with neck and back pain to ask about backpack usage. Musculoskeletal pain in children is especially a concern since it has been associated with pain in adulthood.

1. Murphy S, Buckle P, Stubbs D. A cross-sectional study of self-reported back and neck pain among English schoolchildren and associated physical and psychological risk factors. Applied Ergonomics 2007;38(6):797-804.
2. Negrini S, Negrini A. Postural effects of symmetrical and asymmetrical loads on the spines of schoolchildren. Scoliosis 2007;2(1):8.
3. Moore MJ, White GL, Moore DL. Association of Relative Backpack Weight With Reported Pain, Pain Sites, Medical Utilization, and Lost School Time in Children and Adolescents. Journal of School Health 2007;77(5):232-239.

Chiropractic and Spinal Stenosis

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a serious health problem, especially among the elderly. “Spinal stenosis has been defined as any narrowing of the spinal canal or the various tunnels through which nerves and other structures communicate with that canal.” 1 The most common symptoms of LSS are:

• Pain and numbness in the low back.
• Pain and numbness in the legs and buttocks.
• Symptoms are usually worse after walking or extension of the lumbar spine.
• Symptoms improve with flexion of the lower back.

The authors of a new study2 discuss the problem of LSS:
“LSS is one of the most common reasons for spine surgery in older people, although little is known about the efficacy of surgical management of patients with LSS, particularly compared to non-surgical management. It is generally felt that most patients with LSS should be managed non-surgically before considering surgical intervention, but little is also known about what non-surgical approaches are most efficacious.”
The researchers set out to determine if chiropractic is beneficial for these patients. They studied 55 patients with LSS diagnosed by MRI or CT scans. Each patient was given questionnaires to determine disability and pain intensity before treatment and at a 16-month follow-up. In addition, the subjects were questioned regarding improvement every 3 to 4 weeks during treatment.
The patients were treated with the following techniques:

• Distraction Manipulation (DM) – a technique where the patient lies prone on a table that “allows for distraction of the spine through inferiorforward and flexion movement of the lower body.”
• Neural Mobilization (NM) – “a manual and exercise oriented method that is theorized to mobilize nerve roots that are suspected to be the source of nerve root pain.”

Patients were given individual treatment plans, but generally were seen 2-3 times per week for three weeks, then one or two times a week after that. The average number of treatments was 13.3.
The authors reported the following findings at the completion of treatment:

• The average patient-rated improvement was 65.1% from baseline to the end of treatment.
• The average patient improvement in disability was 5.1 points on the Roland Morris Back Pain and Disability (RM) questionnaire.
• There were also significant improvements in “worst pain.”

At the 16 month follow-up:

• The average patient-rated improvement was 75.6%.
• The average improvement in disability was 5.2 points on the RM.
• “Clinically meaningful improvement in disability was seen in 73.2% of patients.”
• The average improvement in “on average pain” was 3.0 points on the RM.
• The average improvement in “at worst pain” was 4.2 points on the RM.
• Only two patients needed surgery by the 16 month follow-up.

Other studies have looked at the natural course of LSS with conservative treatment, and it appears from this study that chiropractic may be more effective than other treatments. A 1996 study3 found that “non-surgical” treatment resulted in improvement of only 1.6 points on the RM after one year.
The authors conclude:
“The combination of DM and NM may be a safe and effective approach for patients with LSS. Because the sample size is relatively small and there is no control group, firm conclusions regarding this cannot be drawn. The outcome of this approach compares favorably with other non-surgical treatments, and treatment with DM and NM may be a viable non-surgical option before considering surgery for LSS.”

1. Nowakowski P, Delitto A, Erhard RE. Lumbar spinal stenosis. Physical Therapy 1996;76:187-190.
2. Murphy DR, Hurwitz EL, Gregory AA, Clary R. A non-surgical approach to the management of lumbar spinal stenosis: a prospective observational cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2006;7:16.
3. Atlas SJ, Deyo RA, Keller RB, et al. The Maine Lumbar Spine Study. Part III. 1-year outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis. Spine 1996;21:1787-1795.

Chiropractic Care: A safe way to heal the body

There are a lot of misconceptions about chiropractic. Forget the rumors you’ve heard about chiropractors, and learn the facts about this safe and effective path to wellness.
Chiropractic care is not new.
Spinal adjustments aren’t a new-age fad. The Greeks and Chinese were writing about chiropractic manipulations as far back as 2700 BCE. Even the Greek doctor Hippocrates wrote about the importance of spinal manipulations.
The practice began to take formal shape in the late 1800s. Today, chiropractic has become an important part of the health-care landscape. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health care programs recognize and cover chiropractic care.
Chiropractors are trained health care professionals.
Chiropractic students attend schools with curricula just as demanding as those of medical students. Courses include instruction in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. Each candidate completes a residency program under the supervision of experienced chiropractic doctors. After successfully completing a program, the student receives a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, or D.C.
All chiropractors must pass a minimum of four tests that are administered by a national board. To maintain their licenses, these health care professionals must also take a specific number of continuing education credits each year, and a chiropractor must meet licensing requirements for the state in which he or she practices. This rigorous training ensures that a licensed chiropractor is qualified to help you achieve the wellness you’re looking for.
Chiropractic methods are safe.
Conventional medical therapies can have many hazards. Even a treatment as commonplace as taking Tylenol for a headache can carry risks: In 2005, the American Journal of Gastroenterology published a study showing that more than one-third of acute liver failures are linked to acetaminophen misuse. Surgical procedures carry their own perils, including pain, infection, and even death.
In contrast, spinal adjustments are drug-free and non-invasive. Numerous studies published in peer-reviewed journals have found chiropractic care to be a safe treatment for a variety of conditions. According to one study that looked into the incidence of stroke in chiropractic patients, there is a higher risk of getting into a car accident on the way to the appointment than having a serious reaction to spinal adjustments.
If you’re looking for a low-risk, drug- and scalpel-free way to treat aches and pains and improve overall wellness, make an appointment to see a qualified chiropractor.

References
Haldeman S, Carey P, Townsend M, Papadopoulos C. Arterial dissections following cervical manipulation: the chiropractic experience. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2001 Oct 2;165(7):905-6.
Lanas A, et al. A nationwide study of mortality associated with hospital admission due to severe gastrointestinal events and those associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2005;100:1685–1693.
Lauretti W. The Comparative Safety of Chiropractic. In Daniel Redwood, ed., Contemporary Chiropractic. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1997, p. 230-8.

Headache Advice

When you have a headache, nothing seems right. The sooner you feel better, the sooner you can get back to life as usual.

 

Headaches can result from many causes, some serious and some not as serious. As your chiropractic physician, I’ve already done everything to insure that your headache is not the result of serious disease. I have set up a treatment plan for you that I believe will help us address the root of your headaches once and for all. My goal for you is for you to be headache-free within six months. Many of my patients begin their headache-free life a lot sooner than that and they do it with my home care recommendations.

 

What chiropractic physicians, medical doctors, nutritionists and herbalists have discovered in the last ten years is that the reason why many people have headaches is that there are some personal habits and diet habits that contribute greatly to causing headaches. Have you ever noticed that sometimes after a very heated argument, you get a headache? One trigger for headaches is stress.

 

Have you ever noticed that sometimes after eating a nice dinner with a glass of wine, you get a headache? You may not have felt any stress during that dinner and everything was going very well when a headache appeared out of nowhere that sent you to bed early. Your night was ruined. This type of headache can be caused by diet, and even though every headache sufferer does not get diet-induced headaches, the great majority do. That’s why part of your home care recommendations will be to monitor and alter your diet.

 

There are many different Headache Diets you can find online and all of them are different from each other. Some eliminate monosodium glutamate (MSG), others eliminate aspartame, and others eliminate tyramine. These diets have ignored some basic facts. What I’ve found is that there are certain dietary principles to follow that will address most of these – the MSG, aspartame, and tyramine simultaneously. Start here, and after you get these mastered, we can go further with individual diets later.

 

As a headache sufferer, what’s important for you is to make a commitment to start noticing the little things in your life that are contributing to your headaches. Today starts your personal journey into a headache-free life.

 

As your chiropractic physician, I will alert you to all types of possible headache triggers that you can control in this home care manual. I’ll continue your chiropractic treatment and with both of us working together, your headache-free life is right around the corner! Have hope and take action and we will both see results!

 

Quotes For You...................

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know
the difference."

-- The serenity prayer - alcoholics anonymous - Reinhold Niebuhr


"Acceptance of others, their looks, their behaviors, their
beliefs, brings you an inner peace and tranquility instead of
anger and resentment."

- Source Unknown

Spinal Decompression May be The Answer To Your Prayers

Ok, you have made up your mind! You are sick of always being in pain! It’s your neck, arm, low back, and sometimes your legs that are in pain.

You are tired of taking pills, getting pain injections, and having the constant threat of back surgery! You are probably thinking that life should not be this way? This is the time in life I call a reality check. If you keep doing the same thing, you will get the same results!

I am no longer an Ordained Minister, but I can tell you the verdict is in. In 24 years of being a Chiropractic Physician, I have not seen the results in dealing with chronic pain that I am getting with Spinal Decompression!! It is F.D.A. approved, non-surgical, and the “Big” guys at the Mayo Clinic love it!!


How does Spinal Decompression work?

Spinal Decompression provides relief to severe back and neck pain sufferers by gently reducing the pressure within spinal discs. The bones of the spine are slowly and methodically separated using the state-of-the-art DYNA PRO Spinal Decompression Unit. As the vertebrae are separated pressure is slowly reduced within the disc (intradiscal pressure) until a vacuum is formed. This vacuum “sucks” the gelatinous center of the disc back inside thereby reducing the disc bulge or disc herniation. Significant disc bulge reduction pressure off the spinal nerves and drastically reduces pain and disability. This “sucking” vacuum also pulls much-needed oxygen, nutrients and fluid into injured and degenerated discs allowing the healing to begin.