Girl With a Purpose (GWAP)

Jamaica Public Health Alert - Measles Alert!

Jamaica is on a Public Health Alert tonight, for Measles, a very contagious respiratory disease that is spread by breathing in the droplets from an infected person.

Jamaican Public Health authorities issued a release this evening.

They are requesting that all passengers that came into Kingston, Jamaica, from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) on May 1, 2008, on Virgin Atlantic flight no. 69, immediately report to your nearest Health Centre.

A nine (9) year-old girl from Europe, who was travelling on that flight, has Measles and it is feared that she may have passed it on to the rest of passengers on the flight.

(Measles is 90% contagious. According to the Directors of Health Promotion and Education website, Measles symptoms usually show up in two stages:

The first stage begins with a runny nose, cough, and a slight fever. As the infection progresses, the person's eyes become red and sensitive to light, and the fever rises.

The second stage begins after 3 to 7 days. The fever reaches 103^oF-105^oF, and a red blotchy rash appears.

The rash usually starts on the face and then spreads to the chest, back, and arms and legs, including the palms and soles of the feet. The rash lasts for 4 to 7 days. Small white spots might also appear on the gums and inside of the cheeks.)

You can find more information about the disease, here.

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All passengers who were on the Virgin Atlantic flight are asked to call the following toll-free no.: 1-888-663-5683, immediately, for more information.

You should take your immunization cards and see the Senior Health Nurse, or Medical Officer at your nearest  Health Centre, now!

Gillian

Sources Include:

1) Nationwide Radio, May 15, 2008

2) Article, "Measles Facts",  Directors of Health Promotion and Education website

Are You a Bone Maker or Bone Breaker?(Part 2a)

Please read our previous post, "Are You a Bone Maker or Bone Breaker? (Part 1)", to get a background to this post.

In this post we will teach you how to repel bone breakers (diminish their effect on your life)...

In the next post in this series, "Are You a Bone Maker or Bone Breaker?(Part 2b)", we will teach you how to become bone makers, despite the negative influence of bone breakers in your life.

Let's begin...

When faced with a bone breaker (a negative person) in your life, you have four (4) options.

You can:

1) Pray to God to change the bone maker's perspective, so that their negativity will be infused with positives and so that they will live healthier lives and relationships.

(This enhances your ability to love people whom you previously thought were unlovable and will help you to think and perform loving actions towards these people despite their uncharitable and spiteful ways.

Please remember that it is difficult to hate someone for whom you are positively praying . :): This is what Jesus meant in Luke 6:27-29 when He said that you must bless those who curse you and do good to those who spitefully use you and persecute you.)

Seeing the bone-breaker in this new light, also enhances your faith in God who controls everything and who can also cause events to happen in that bone breaker's life, so that their effect on you is minimized...

E.g. God has been known to cause bone breakers to migrate to another country, change jobs, die or become sick, when He feels that this person's effect on you is too burdensome for you to bear.

2) Pray to God to change your perspective...so that you will understand that a bone-breaker is also made in God's image, and due to his/her own weaknesses or circumstances, have allowed same to so overtake him/her, that all he/she has are negative perceptions of life.

Understand that bone-breakers are to be pitied and they can only do you harm, if you allow them to.

It is also important to understand, though, that if you continue to associate with bone-breakers, their spiteful and negative ways will spill over unto you.

You need to try to avoid these persons so that their effect on you is minimized.

[If a bone-breaker is in authority (e.g a supervisor, teacher, parent), try  be as respectful to him/her as you can, until you can chart a path so that you can eventually leave this person for good or deal with this person at arm's length.

If the bone breaker is your parent, please remember that  God expects you, when older, to take care of your parents, no matter how negative they may be. If you don't, you will not only dishonor God, but He will not bless you with long life.(Ephesians 6, verses 2-3)

So please look after your parents, as best as you can, knowing that this will honour God. ]

(If you have a bone breaker in your life who is physically abusive then you need to move away from this person.

Get help from the police and government or non-governmental social agents (e.g. those from your church/synagogue/mosque), who can help you to be safe on a more permanent basis.)

3) Try to associate with bone makers...their positivity will also spill over on you, as either directly or indirectly, they'll teach you how to establish healthy relationships...relationships that will enhance your well-being, versus unhealthy ones that will tear you down.

Also, having an imbalance of more positive people and less negative people in your life, decreases the effect that bone breakers may have on you.

4a) You may try to approach the bone-maker to help him/her to understand, in a calm manner, how their negative actions and speech are affecting you.

Please only do this when the person is in a happy mood and you have sought the help of the other agents mentioned above, who can help, should the bone-maker react negatively to your approach.

OR

4b) Approach a bone maker, whom the bone breaker respects, who can speak with the bone breaker.

Bone makers ( people who encourage and who see positives despite negatives) are always around...you just have to open your eyes, to find them.

Let me clue you in: they are people of influence (they are looked upon for their moral character and integrity) in your family, school, church/mosque/synagogue, work-place and in your community.

Please let them know, truthfully, what has happened in your conversations with the bone breaker, so that they can have a background of what to expect, when approaching this person.

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Well friends, these tips should help you to negate the effects of bone-breakers in your life...please let us know if you have been able to follow and apply them to you life,ok?

Please leave us your comments/feedback, by using the Comment Link below this post. :)

Please stay tuned for ,"Are You a Bone Maker or Bone Breaker?(Part 2b)", where we'll teach you how to become bone makers, despite the negative influence of bone breakers in your life.

Sources Include:

1) Luke 6:27-29,

27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic., 

BibleGateway.com

2) (Ephesians 6, verses 2-3),

2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." ,

BibleGateway.com

Are You a Bone Maker or Bone Breaker?(Part 1)

In the human body, our skeleton allows us to stand, sit, lie down and move...

We would be mush if we did not have a skeleton.

The skeleton consists of bone...which consists of bone marrow which makes red blood cells that help to circulate air around our bodies to our different organs and glands.

The bone marrow also forms new bones, replacing torn or old bone tissue.

If you break a bone in the human body, not only is there pain, but there is swelling as the body tries to fight off any infection...for it to function properly again, the bone must be reset,.. a process that can take up to three (3) months.

But eating the right foods and exercising, helps to strengthen our skeletons, as:

a) Eating right gives our body enough nutrients to function properly and make more blood.

b) Exercising helps to keep our bones flexible, while keeping the weight off, so that our skeletons will be not be pressured by us being overweight.

Well, in the human body...marrow would be considered bone makers.

Any external force inflicted on our bone that is hard enough to break it, would be considered to be a bone breaker.

But people can be bone makers and bone breakers too...

If we liken bone to the human spirit (our inner selves that form our views, perspectives and personalities), we see where the human spirit, like bone, can be made or broken.

Our human spirit is made (nourished/enriched) via encouraging words, truthfulness, right motives, right perspectives and living our lives with purpose and conviction which comes from an active conscience and a life dedicated to obedience to God.

Our human spirit is broken (malnourished) by hateful and spiteful speech and intent, discouraging words, bad-mindedness and envy.

Too often we break the spirits of those we know and those who are close to us, unconsciously...in that we are so negative in our outlook, that we don't realize that our negative perception of life is carried over into how we speak with and treat others...

Too often we break the spirits of those we know and those who are close to us, consciously...in that we are so spiteful and hateful in our perspective and outlook on life, that we don't mind bringing another person down...so that they will be reduced to our own sorry fate.

Without realizing it, we become bone breakers...breakers of the human spirit, whose spirit in turn, becomes dark and blighted, as we continue to spew our bile.

And that darkness is spread to those around us, who may or may not spread that blight, to the people that they, in turn, come in contact with.

Hmmmmh!

However:

1) When see try to see the positives in life, despite hardship and can show others how to avoid mistakes we've made, so that they in turn can be better people...we encourage the human spirit and that encouragement brings hope to others...

How?

Because the people we encourage can see that there is at least one exception to the ugliness that is often present in our world and with this renewed hope, can spread hope to others.

2) When we are helpful in our thoughts words and actions, for the sake of pleasing God, and with no expectation of reward, we encourage a right perspective (outlook on life) within ourselves.

With this right perspective, we can love another human being and thus will seek to that person's well-being and not destruction.

With love, we:

a) Accomplish much, as we are so busy enabling ourselves and others, that we have no time/place for negativity in our lives...

b) Please God, as we are so busy pleasing Him and encouraging others...that we are more open to seeing how much He has blessed us (with health, strength, the ability to get our of our beds in the morning,etc.) versus how much we lack...

These two points positively affect how we view ourselves and others and indeed make us more joyful persons...persons with less stress and strain caused from harbouring negative thoughts/emotions and perceptions.

Hmmmmmh.....

So, are you a bone maker or bone breaker?....

If you are a bone breaker, would you like to learn how to become a bone maker?

If you are a bone maker...would you like to learn how to repel the bone breakers in your life?

Well, stay tuned for, "Are You a Bone Maker Bone Breaker?(Part  2)", where I will teach you how to convert your bone-breaking tendencies to bone-making ones and show you how to deal with the bone breakers in your life.

I would like to thank Sandrino for the inset pic used in this post. Sandrino's photos can be found on the photo site www.Flickr.com.

Gillian

 

Sources Include:

1) Article,"How long it takes for Broken Bones/Fractures to Heal", www.Doctorsecrets.com

How Deep Is Your Love?

"How Deep is Your Love?" the hit song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977, asks a very important question to lovers and would-be lovers...

Just how deep is your ability to love and how you love, presently?

1. Some people are very fickle lovers; at the first sign of trouble  (differences of opinions, small disagreements, arguments), they aim for the proverbial door of their relationships.

They want out!

They won't stick around long enough to try to work out differences, problems and challenges, thus missing the opportunity to grow individually and as human beings capable of extending unconditional love to others.

They hop from relationship to relationship looking for the proverbial "high" from the beginning stages of a relationship "the infatuation stage" where two new lovers see only the positive attributes that they want to see in each other.




2. Others are deep infatuators...falling deeply in "love" with the person they are attracted to, before getting to know him/her properly. These lovers run running the risk that the rose-coloured picture they've painted in their mind about their love interest, is very faulty and misty, as they haven't allowed the process of time and thorough conversations to reveal their future lover's true personality.

   ...Much less whether or not their intended lover's personality and values will complement (blend well with) theirs.




3. While others are hesitant lovers...they will be in a relationship for many months and years and never make a long-term commitment to their lovers. They just going through the motions of a relationship but their hearts are never involved.

   (Some of these lovers love the fact that they are "settled" in a relationship, can call someone their boyfriend/girlfriend/fiance/fiancee and have their lovers at their beck and call,but when asked if they would marry them, say they are still waiting for the right person to come along or will try to find some excuse to delay this long-term commitment.)




4. Then there are the poly-amorous lovers - they believe that they are so great (or are in such great demand) that several people must share their love at the same time. [They have several people with whom they have a (potential) sexual relationship, all at the same time.]

   And many times they lead each of these persons to believe that they're the sole person in their lives and that they have their love exclusively.  While thoroughly enjoying stringing these lovers along like puppets on a string and boasting about it privately and publicly.




5. Then there are the reasoned lovers: these lovers approach love with caution, moderate expectation and insight. They understand that people are complex, have complex reasons for doing things and as such, see it best to know people as friends, first, before making long-term commitments to them.

   They go into a potential relationship with their eyes and ears wide open. They listen, talk less and seek clarification continually...while assessing if their potential lover has similar values (expectations about life and beliefs that are held dear.)

   When they have enough evidence that the value systems are similar, that there are enough differences between them to make the relationship interesting and that the person really has their best interest at heart, they (or sometimes their heart) decide that they can safely fall in love and they do so, while enjoying the process of knowing someone and allowing themselves to be known.

   And they enjoy working out differences of opinion that will occur from time to time...realizing that this is just a part of the love-building process. They share their time freely with their lover, tending to their needs, finding new and interesting ways to express their love.

   They are so busy pleasing their lover, that they don't have time to seek other lovers who will distract them from the exclusivity that their lover deserves.

   They realize that they are accountable to God for how they love and thus do so in ways that will make God proud. They try to live out the hallmark of love given in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verses 4-13 and are happier as a result of loving the way that God intends them to.

So, how deep is your love?...

Which of the above categories do you fall in? 

Do you feel comfortable being in that category...or would you rather migrate to category no. 5?

Is the love you're extending to your love interest, now, the kind of love that you'd like to get in return?...

How about..in the long run..like the next 20, 30, 40,50 years?

It's a lot for us all to think about...isn't it?...for we may just be living lesser lives than we deserve to be.

Nuff said (Jamaican, meaning, "enough has been said")

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You can hear and buy, the MP3 song, "How Deep Is Your Love", by clicking the image below. (It's the second song on the "Saturday Night Fever" MP3 Album...just scroll down 1 page, after clicking the image):

Gillian

Sources Include

1) Lyrics, "How deep is your love", 1977 hit song by the Bee Gees, Lyricsfreak.com

2) Article, "How Deep is Your Love", Wikipedia.org

Do You Feel Left Out for Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day is February 14 and is usually celebrated the world over, as the day for lovers.

It's the day when lovers exchange flowers, gifts, cards, letters, etc., which supposedly demonstrate the depth of their love. History has this tradition dating back as far as the 1500's...when poems, flowers and love notes were exchanged as tokens of love and affection.

It's also the day when would-be lovers express their desire, to the people they're attracted to, to start a relationship.

Or when lovers signify the depth of their love by deciding to marry or have a greater commitment to each other.

With all this gift-giving and fanfare, you'd be tempted to believe that almost all the world is in love and if you aren't, you may be feeling a little left out.

Well, I'm here to tell you, that you don't need to feel left out...Valentine's Day can be anything you want it to be...love is not restricted to lovers. :)

As long as you're a living, breathing, human being, you have the capacity to give and receive love and this means that you can give the gift of love to anyone you want...

From your parents, to your siblings, to your friends, to your teachers, love can be expressed...

You can say a sweet "thank you" or give a "thank you note" to show how much you appreciate them. This will usually be deeply appreciated.

So too would be other gifts that come from the heart..

...And they don't have to be expensive...once they involve care, thoughtfulness and your time (e.g. gifts that you may make), people who are reasonable, will usually be overjoyed at receiving them.

So, taking out the trash, making a meal, cleaning up after yourself (consistently)...might seem simple, but these can mean a lot to the people in your life...

So too are, taking your siblings to after-school activities, sitting with them until your parents get home or helping with their homework... These thoughtful actions will go a long way in helping your parents, who may be pressured for time.

So this Valentine's Day, don't pout or cry because you aren't in love right now...give love in thoughtful and meaningful ways to the people that you've been blessed with, in your life...

This attitude will not only improve your well-being (how you feel about yourself and others), but will force you to be resourceful, innovative, thoughtful in the gifts you design and to be thankful to God for these wonderful people in your life.

Happy Valentine's Day when it comes!

Stay tuned for our next post, "How Deep is Your Love?", on Wednesday.

Gillian

Sources Include:

1) Article" Valentine's Day", Wikipedia.org

2) Article "St. Valentine's Day - February 14th", Pictureframes.co.uk