Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     November 24, 2024: You must rise above worldly chaos in order to live in the Spirit. Only then can you serve God and enjoy His protection. Be diligent to guard your soul and reap the benefits of unity in the spirit. Ephesians 4:1-3 I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
    

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAYS WORDS - WORLDLY CHAOS 

     Prayer is the most sacred occupation a person could engage in. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience. If you do all the talking when you pray, how will you ever hear God's answers? Jesus Christ knows the worst about you. Nonetheless, He is the one who loves you the most. True worship, worship that is pleasing to God, radiates throughout a person's entire life. Sometimes when we get overwhelmed, we forget how big God is.
     It is dangerous to be so busy that you have no time to wait on God. The driver on the highway is safe not when He reads the signs, but when He obeys them. God's Word is true whether we believe it or not. Human unbelief cannot alter the character of God. The heart that knows God can find God anywhere. We operate by faith, which means that we have confidence in what God says, whether we fully understand it or not. We should discipline ourselves to read the Word until it comes alive...until we can almost feel the breath of God. It is astonishing, how many difficulties clear up without any effort when the inner life gets straightened out. If half the time we spend trying to fix up outward things were spent in getting our hearts right, we would be delighted with the result. Strange as it may seem, harmony within our hearts depends mostly upon our getting into harmony with God.
     When we allow God to be exalted in our difficulties, we are in the perfect place to smell the fragrance of His Presence. Whenever God begins something, we have the assurance that He will finish it. Nothing will stand in the way of Him accomplishing His purpose in this world and in our lives. What God starts, He finishes, and nobody can hinder Him. Sure, delays will happen. Just remember, God is in charge of the delays as well as the progress. The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos. Did you ever stop to think that God is going to be as pleased to have you with Him in Heaven as you are to be there?

~Aiden Wilson Tozer~

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     November 26, 2024: Put aside your sense of dread and of being overwhelmed. You have projected out to the days ahead and have allowed fear to creep in. Settle yourself in the assurance that no matter your expectations or circumstances, you will be able to take things minute by minute, one day at a time, and you will be able to do all that is necessary. Psalm 56:3-4 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N
TODAY'S WORD - ASSURANCE

     One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. People of integrity and honesty not only practice what they preach, they are what they preach. If a person says or does something that we consider offensive, our first obligation is to refuse to take offense and then communicate privately, honestly, and directly with that individual. Such an approach invites inspiration from the Holy Ghost and permits misperceptions to be clarified and true intent to be understood. Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results.
     Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. Prayer is a privilege and the soul's sincere desire. We can move beyond routine and 'checklist' prayers and engage in meaningful prayer as we appropriately ask in faith and act, as we patiently persevere through the trial of our faith, and as we humbly acknowledge and accept 'not my will, but Thine, be done.' The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for other blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate. Asking in faith requires honesty, effort, commitment, and persistence. The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests.
     The responsibility to seek learning by faith rests upon each of us individually, and this obligation will become increasingly important as the world in which we live grows more confused and troubled. Regardless of our age, experience, or station in life, we are all missionaries. The Lord knows who we really are, what we really think, what we really do, and who we really are becoming. Assurance, action, and evidence influence each other in an ongoing process. This helix is like a coil, and as it spirals upward it expands and widens. These three elements of faith - assurance, action, and evidence - are not separate and discrete; rather, they are interrelated and continuous and cycle upward. In the strength of the Lord, we can do and endure and overcome all things.

~David A. Bednar~

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAY'S WORDS - A SEASON OF NEW BEGINNINGS
 

      Gratitude in advance is the most powerful creative force in the universe. Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. What you believe about Life, will be your experience of Life. Life is conspiring in your favor. It may not always look that way, but it is, I assure you. Everything that is happening, is happening just the way it must, in order for you to have the opportunity to create the experience of your Self for which you yearn. The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore, not to find out Who You Are, but seek to determine Who You Want to Be. Your whole life is a message. Every act is an act of self-definition. Everything you think, say and do sends a message about you.
     Obstacles are not opposing you, but merely and gently re-routing you. It is important not to view that which stands in your way as your 'enemy.' It can often be your best friend, sending you on a detour that takes you around what would have been your biggest stumbling block. Do not wonder why things are "taking so long." In fact, everything is rolling out exactly as it needs to, using not a minute more than Perfection requires. Rest easy and be at peace. Life is working its magic even as you take your very next breath. You are goodness and mercy and compassion and understanding. You are peace and joy and light. You are forgiveness and patience, strength and courage, a helper in time of need, a comforter in time of sorrow, a healer in time of injury, a teacher in times of confusion. You are the deepest wisdom and the highest truth, the greatest peace and the grandest love. You are these things. And in moments of your life, you have known yourself to be these things. Choose now to know yourself as these things always.
     Life begins now -- right now -- not tomorrow or the next day or the next. Every minute of every hour of every day, life begins anew. That means everything can change in an instant. It also means you can have a new beginning whenever you want. Your light is seen, your heart is known, your soul is cherished by more people than you might imagine. If you knew how many others have been touched in wonderful ways by you, you would be astonished. If you knew how many people feel so much for you, you would be shocked. You are far more wonderful than you think you are. Rest with that. Rest easy with that. Breathe again. You are doing fine. More than fine. Better than fine. You’re doin’ great. So, relax. And love yourself today.

~Neale Donald Walsch~

Kenneth Davis

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY
 

New Research: Exercising at This Time of Day

Is Best for Your Heart
Meaghan Cameron, MS
Updated on Sep. 11, 2024
https://www.thehealthy.com/

     New Australian research suggests your workout is a big exhale in every way, especially for a certain group of people. You know exercise is good for you—and maybe you love to do it—but if you don’t spring out of bed eager to get breathless before breakfast, new research suggests there may actually be some heart-healthy benefit to getting your movement later in the day. The study, published in the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Care journal on April 10, 2024, was led by researchers studying respiratory medicine, exercise and metabolism at The University of Sydney. Their aim was to pinpoint the best time to exercise for overweight people and those with type 2 diabetes, analyzing whether the timing of exercise affected the rates of heart disease, vascular disease, and overall chances of dying.
     The team referred to data from the UK Biobank to identify 29,836 adults with an average age of 62 years who were overweight (with body mass index of 30 or greater) or who had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. All participants wore fitness tracking devices and were followed for an average of eight years for their longitudinal incidence of heart disease, blood vessel disorders, and death. The researchers also contrasted these same statistics between adults who exercised, and a set who didn’t. Further, the “exercise” group had shared at which point in the day they tended to exercise: Before noon, between noon and 6 p.m., or between 6 p.m. and midnight. The study focused on moderate to vigorous exercise performed for more than three minutes at a time, like brisk walking, running, or other “high-energy” activities such as playing with children.
     Overall, participants who exercised had a lower rate of heart and vascular disease and lower death rates than those who didn’t. But, among exercisers, those who tended to move in the evening experienced benefits that the morning and afternoon exercisers didn’t. For one, moderate and vigorous exercise in the evening hours led to a lower mortality rate. Rates of cardiovascular disease were also lower among those who chose to move the most in the evening. Surprisingly, researchers revealed, “5-year all-cause mortality risk was 25–32% lower for participants in the evening aerobic moderate-to-vigorous physical activity group” than the afternoon or morning exercisers.
     This is an interesting finding, considering several past studies that showed the morning is a better time to exercise. For instance, a 2023 study in the journal Obesity concluded that those who were looking to lose weight should exercise in the morning between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Other studies have shown that morning is a sweet spot for exercise because of its brain-boosting power. However, the Australian study specifically examined longevity and cardiovascular disease. Maybe evening exercise is a relief to the heart because it’s a window to blow off steam from the day. The researchers note: “Although further research is needed to uncover the precise mechanism behind this association, our findings align with previous studies indicating that moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise performed in the evening may be linked to lower mean arterial blood pressure, whereas among morning exercisers, it was increased.” They add that because the trend for type 2 diabetics is for blood sugar to be highest in the morning, this effect might be mitigated by evening exercise (though more research is warranted).
     If you enjoy morning or afternoon exercise, you shouldn’t switch your routine unless you think it could help manage morning blood sugar issues or unless you speak with your doctor. It’s also safe to say that overall, exercise is generally good for both the heart and longevity no matter when you can fit it into your day.

     This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAY'S WORDS - PEACE AND HARMONY 

     Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with Love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed. Never be afraid to tread the path alone. Know which is your path and follow it wherever it may lead you; do not feel you have to follow in someone else's footsteps.
     The secret of making something work in your lives is first of all, the deep desire to make it work; then the faith and belief that it can work; then to hold that clear definite vision in your consciousness and see it working out step by step, without one thought of doubt or disbelief. Be very very still and allow every new experience to take place in your life without any resistance whatsoever. You do not have to do anything, you simply have to be and let things happen. 
     Be surprised at nothing. Let peace and stillness flood through you and envelop you completely in its cloak. Put on the whole armor of love - and yet feel, feel very deeply. Let tears flow, washing away impurities until you feel clean within and clean without. Become like an empty vessel ready to be filled with life's nectar. Set your sights high, the higher the better. Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now. Realize that nothing is too good. Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold you up in any way.
     When your desire is to bring peace and harmony to the world, then you will have to start by finding peace and harmony within your own heart. It is a waste of time talking about peace. You have to seek and find that consciousness of peace which nothing and no one can disturb and remain in it. Concentrate on the wonders and joys of this life and accept the very best which is your true heritage. It is not being an ostrich, afraid of life and not facing it. It is seeing the reality of this glorious life, which is yours, and in doing so, helping to bring it about. The more clearly you can see it, the more quickly will it come about.
 

~Eileen Caddy~

Kenneth Davis

 TIME FOR ANOTHER 
THROWBACK
 THURSDAY

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  

TODAY'S WORDS - LOVE AND VALUED

     The whole of mankind is one and only one, one race, one class and one society. We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are a part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. It is not in human nature for all men to tread the same path of development, as animals do of a single species. Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and the strength, use it to create. Two things are necessary, the development of individuality and the participation of the individual in a truly social life. Joy is the evidence of inner growth.

     With man, the life of the body depends on the life of the spirit. The man of character is the persistent man, the man who is faithful to his own word, his own convictions, his own affections. Character formation cannot be taught. It comes from experience and not from explanation. Only through freedom and environmental experience is it practically possible for human development to occur. A vital force is active in every individual and leads it towards its own evolution. Social grace, inner discipline and joy. These are the birthright of the human being who has been allowed to develop essential human qualities.

     The purpose of life is to obey the hidden command which ensures harmony among all and creates an ever-better world. We are not created only to enjoy the world; we are created in order to evolve the cosmos. The greatness of the human personality begins at the hour of birth. Personal health is related to self-control and to the worship of life in all its natural beauty - self-control bringing with it happiness, renewed youth, and long life. Joy, feeling one’s own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul. Love and the hope of it are not things one can learn; they are a part of life's heritage.

~Maria Montessori~

Kenneth Davis

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 

             WALTER BEASLEY                       NAJEE

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAY'S WORDS - PREPARE YOURSELF 

     The emotionally intelligent person is skilled in four areas: identifying emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and regulating emotions. People are really concerned with what other people are saying about them. You make a choice in your life, and it affects your life in all the ways, good and bad. Life is like a box of crayons. Most people are the 8-color boxes, but what you're really looking for are the 64-color boxes with the sharpeners on the back. There are people in the world who have the power to change our values. 
     Very few things in life are worthy of the kind of emotional distress we put ourselves through. Most times when you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing. May this be the year that things go your way most of the time, and when they don't, may you have great friends to lean on. We're supposed to lose our friends to time, at an age when we're ready to agree to the terms of having lived a long life. Not now. The minute hand moves faster than you think it does. Sometimes it feels like my life is just one long day.
     So scared of getting older I'm only good at being young. So, I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun. The biggest mistake I made and what cost me a lot of enjoyment in my life, was assuming that everybody cared. They don’t. I mean, I’m quite happy. I’m happy in all aspects of my life. I'm very happy in all aspects of my life. It's very liberating when you finally realize it's impossible to make everyone like you. You get to a certain age where you prepare yourself for happiness. Sometimes you never remember to actually get happy. You gotta be able to explain things to yourself when the lights go off and you get in the bed. You gotta deal with you at the end of the day. 

~John Mayer~

Kenneth Davis

WELCOME TO ALL BLUES SATURDAY

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     December 1, 2024: No matter how precarious the atmosphere feels to you, I hold you in the palm of My hand. You can depend on Me to bring you through every uncertain situation and secure your spiritual position. Things around you may be unpredictable and scary, but I am your very present help in times of trouble. Believe it! Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAYS WORDS - BELIEVE IT

     We must be willing to fail and to appreciate the truth that often "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived. Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters. It is in the whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has meaning. 
     Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn. Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and development of the spirit. Integrity is never painless.
     Life is complex. Each one of us must make his own path through life. There are no self-help manuals, no formulas, no easy answers. The right road for one is the wrong road for another...The journey of life is not paved in blacktop; it is not brightly lit, and it has no road signs. It is a rocky path through the wilderness. The great awareness comes slowly, piece by piece. The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning.
    The experience of spiritual power is basically a joyful one. God creates each soul differently, so that when all the mud is finally cleared away, His light will shine through it in a beautiful, colorful, totally new pattern. Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. I believe it would be considerably healthier for us to dare to live without a reason for many things than with reasons that are simplistic. Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery and paradoxes of life, not to be dismayed by the multitude of causes and consequences that are inherent in each experience -- to appreciate the fact that life is complex.

~M. Scott Peck~

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAY'S WORD - PASSION

        Following the script is one thing, but the unique way in which you deliver your lines is what makes them your own. I think the role of comedy in your life should supersede anything and everything negative. Just by virtue of the fact that you have to be funny, you can't afford to focus on the negative. As a comedian, your challenge is to turn negative stuff into positive energy. You should be able to hear anything that sounds bad, that people normally wouldn't laugh at, and make it feel funny to you. No one should be able to deter you, once you have your mind set on comedy. Your survival as a comedian should be as natural as breathing. I need to breathe, and I consider my career my air.
     When I'm onstage doing standup, no one yells "Cut!" or tells me what to do. I'm DeRay, and I use my own words. With acting, you're portraying a character with someone else's words. Still, you definitely want to inject a little of yourself into every role. I'd like the world to know that I would do what I do for no money. If I could trade my comedy for food, I'd walk into a grocery store and give them 15 minutes for $100 worth of groceries. My passion is beyond the financial. I don't think people are aware of that about me. I'm not a flashy guy, and I want people to know that whatever they do is just as important as my craft.

~DeRay Davis~

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH   ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS

 TO 

LAVONE COHEN BAUCHA

     Life is not an exact science, it is an art. Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning. Most people have never learned that one of the main aims in life is to enjoy it. Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on. 

 ~Samuel Butler~

Kenneth Davis

IT'S TIME FOR 
JUST JOKING MONDAYS

 Amusing Overheard Conversations in New York City
 That Made Us Raise an Eyebrow 
- by Alanna Kaplan

Joyous ‘Peanuts’ Quotes Guaranteed to Improve Your Day

Charlie Brown, on Moderation

Lucy Van Pelt, on The Simplest Truth

Marcie, on Our Fundamental Needs

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     December 3, 2024: Maintain your composure in the days ahead. You are likely to step outside the boundaries of normalcy and exhibit unusual behavior. So, set a watch and spend time in My presence, says the Lord, where you can regain spiritual balance. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - SPIRITUAL BALANCE

     Listening to God - which is a key part of practicing His presence - is not a method, but a walk with a person. True listening is obedient listening. To listen to God is to obey Him. The soul is restored through union with God. To listen in prayer is to receive wisdom from above. God gives transcendent wisdom and knowledge to those who love and wait on Him.”
     To listen in prayer is to look up to Him with the intuitive thinking organ the Bible calls the heart. Through the eyes and the ears of the heart we see and hear God; through it we apprehend the transcendent – that which is beyond the merely physical or material. The Scriptures graciously invite us to look up and see the invisible.
     If broken lives and souls are to be healed, it must begin with teaching the practice of the presence... To abide in the presence of the Lord is to begin to hear Him. To follow through on that hearing is to find healing, self-acceptance, and growth into psychological and spiritual balance and maturity. The acknowledgment that God is always with us - even when we are least aware of it in our sensory being - requires discipline. To acknowledge the Unseen Real requires a concerted effort of our will at first. This is why the term practicing the presence is so useful.

~Leanne Payne~

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAY'S WORD - REGRET

     Courage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work, a future. To be courageous, is not necessarily to go anywhere or do anything except to make conscious those things we already feel deeply and then to live through the unending vulnerabilities of those consequences. We learn, grow and become compassionate and generous as much through exile as homecoming, as much through loss as gain, as much through giving things away as in receiving what we believe to be our due. Stop trying to change reality by attempting to eliminate complexity. Sometimes you have to make a complete disaster of your life in such an epic way that it will be absolutely clear to you what you've been doing.
     We withdraw not to disappear, but to find another ground from which to see; a solid ground from which to step, and from which to speak again, in a different way, a clear, rested, embodied voice we begin to remember again as our own. Gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us. Honesty allows us to live with not knowing. We do not know the full story; we do not know where we are in the story. We do not know who, ultimately, is at fault or who will carry the blame in the end. Honesty is not found in revealing the truth, but in understanding how deeply afraid of it we are. We speak continually of saving time, but time in its richness is most often lost to us when we are busy without relief.
     Honesty lies in understanding our close and necessary relationship with not wanting to hear the truth. Regret is a short, evocative and achingly beautiful word: an elegy to lost possibilities even in its brief annunciation. Honesty is grounded in humility and indeed in humiliation, and in admitting exactly where we are powerless. To regret fully is to appreciate how high the stakes are in even the average human life; fully experienced, it turns our eyes, attentive and alert, to a future possibly lived better than our past. To admit regret is to understand that we are fallible - that there are powers beyond us. To admit regret is to lose control not only of a difficult past but of the very story we tell about our present. To admit sincere and abiding regret is one of our greatest but unspoken contemporary sins. The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears.

~David Whyte~

Kenneth Davis

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

New Research: Eating Breakfast at This Hour 
Lowers Weight and Blood Pressure
Meaghan Cameron, MS / Latoya Julce RN, BSN
Updated on Jan. 31, 2024
https://www.thehealthy.com

     Researchers discovered that it resulted in "significantly greater reductions in body weight" and came with a heart-healthy benefit. You’ve counted calories, cut carbs, have even considered Ozempic for weight loss—but all the while, you’ve wondered how long you can keep these trim-down tactics going without “cheating” or throwing them aside completely.
     New research suggests one science-backed weight loss method is allowing people the foods they enjoy while offering disciplined parameters that make it simple to maintain. As a bonus, this approach is also showing healthy effects on heart health by lowering blood pressure. That’s the conclusion from a recent research study published on November 24, 2023 in the journal Nutrients. Researchers analyzed existing data from several past studies that involved overweight individuals to explore the potential contributions of intermittent fasting compared to traditional dieting. 
     The researchers discovered that incorporating timed eating resulted in “significantly greater reductions in body weight” compared to calorie restriction alone. Intermittent fasting, which can involve eating during specific hours or even abstaining from eating for a few days a week, was specifically studied in the context of daily eating within a specific window. The researchers also investigated the effects of an eating window lasting an average of six to 10 hours combined with calorie reduction on body weight and other metabolic factors. Additionally, they examined three different eating windows based on when eating commenced—early, late, or unspecified—to assess the impact of timing.
     The findings revealed that individuals who started eating earlier, before 11 a.m.—and consequently ended their eating window earlier—experienced slightly more weight loss, though any form of timed eating was more effective than simply reducing calories. Beginning the eating frame before 11 a.m. also positively affected blood pressure, which was a benefit not observed in the later window. However, the team suggests that no matter when an individual breaks their overnight fast, many people can benefit from a set eating window of six to 10 hours.
     Why does fasting appear to be more effective for weight loss than simply reducing calories? According to the study, it could be attributed to “a switch from fat storage to fat burning” that happens six to eight hours after fasting starts. This switch triggers the utilization of fatty acids and ketones, which means fat is being used up and converted to energy. The study suggests the early eating window might have a slight advantage because, as the researchers explain, “hormones that are important for regulating metabolism reach their peak secretion in the morning.” And, overall, repeated research shows that timed fasting windows generally lead to an unintentional reduction in the calories an individual consumes. Calorie reduction, say the researchers, is still shown to help reduce blood pressure, regulate glucose, and improve cholesterol profiles in overweight individuals, regardless of the time they ate.
     If you want to test intermittent fasting in your life, always consult with a healthcare provider first. Then, determine your eating window and use a calorie counter to track your eating habits. The study does not specify the optimal length of the eating window, so experiment with six- to 10-hour eating windows and adjust the window to the time of day that suits you best. For instance, to follow the early-timed fast, you might have breakfast at 10 a.m. and stop eating by 8 p.m. for a 14-hour fast with a 10-hour eating window. 

     This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH  ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS

 TO 

ROBERT H. PHIFER

     We are here to help one another along life's journey. Give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficulty. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue. 

~William Bennett~

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Kenneth Davis

      T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAY'S WORDS - STOP FRETTING

     The degree of complications and unhappiness in a person's life corresponds to the degree to which he dwells on the way he thinks the world ought to be rather than the way it really is. And being grateful, it isn't worse, while trying to make it better. Everything changes for the better when you take ownership of your own problems. One of the biggest mistakes that most people make, is clinging to the excuse that the time isn't quite right, to take action. Well, let me tell you something: In my experience, conditions are never right at the right time. The timing is always wrong. So if you're waiting for everything to be perfect before taking action, you have a foolproof excuse for never taking action. 
     The cost of procrastination is generally far greater than the cost of making mistakes. What unleashes action is an individual's willingness to make mistakes - even to look foolish or stupid. The results you produce in life are inversely proportional to the degree to which you are intimidated. There's a basic human weakness, inherent in all people, which tempts them to bitterly want what they can't have and ungratefully not want what is readily available to them. The desire to impress others is one of the worst forms of mental imprisonment. It’s not stress that kills people, but how they react to it. Reality isn't the way you wish things to be nor the way they appear to be but the way they actually are. Concentrate on doing what you do best, and let others do the rest. You can never be free until you develop the mental strength to stop fretting over things you cannot control. Don't become a slave to non-crucial matters. 

~Robert Ringer~

Kenneth Davis

TIME FOR ANOTHER 

James Stone

Kenneth Davis

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TODAY'S WORDS - EXPRESS THE REALITY

     Photography is a bridge between science and art. Photography is a transformation, not a reproduction. It brings to science what it needs most, the artistic sense, and to art, the proof that nothing can be imagined which cannot be matched in the counterpoints of nature. Color is joy. One does not think joy. One is carried by it. You don’t take pictures, the good ones happen to you. The most important lens you have is your legs. A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it? 
     There are two kinds of photographers: those who compose pictures and those who take them. The former work in studios. For the latter, the studio is the world... For them, the ordinary doesn't exist: every thing in life is a source of nourishment. The camera only facilitates the taking. The photographer must do the giving in order to transform and transcend ordinary reality. The problem is to transform without deforming. He must gain intensity in form and content by bringing a subjective order into an objective chaos.
     Bored with obvious reality, I find my fascination in transforming it into a subjective point of view. Without touching my subject I want to come to the moment when, through pure concentration of seeing, the composed picture becomes more made than taken. Without a descriptive caption to justify its existence, it will speak for itself - less descriptive, more creative; less informative, more suggestive - less prose, more poetry. With photography a new language has been created. Now for the first time it is possible to express reality by reality. We can look at an impression as long as we wish, we can delve into it and, so to speak, renew past experiences at will. You become things, you become an atmosphere, and if you become it, which means you incorporate it within you, you can also give it back. Refine your senses through the great masters of music, painting, and poetry. You can put this feeling into a picture. A painter can do it. And a musician can do it and I think a photographer can do that too and that I would call the dreaming with open eyes.

~Ernst Haas~