Let God Transform Your Brokenness into Something Beautiful
Seattle, WA, February 12, 2021 — The next time you experience failure, feel insecure or sense that you’re in over your head, embrace that moment — because it can be the turning point you need to learn and grow in wonderful new directions.
“We’re going to fail. The truth is, that’s exactly where God wants us to be so that He can grow us,” writes Christine Soule in her inspirational story, Broken and Beautiful. “The key is discovering who you are in Christ — your true identify. And that’s especially significant if you, like me, have a past of brokenness.”
Soule’s life was a jumbled pile of broken pieces. Her father was married seven times; her mother four times. Between her parents’ divorce when she was 5 years old and the day she allowed the power and presence of God into her heart, she watched her sister have an affair with her adoptive father; met 15 siblings she never knew at her biological father’s funeral; turned to drugs and alcohol; got pregnant at 17; had twins less than two years later; and became a victim of human trafficking. She had to break the cycle for the sake of her children. With nowhere else to turn, she dropped to her knees and prayed. And that’s when everything changed.
Broken and Beautiful is Soule’s remarkable story of how God took the pieces of her broken, astonishingly dysfunctional life and transformed it all into a breathtaking mosaic of joy and purpose.
“The places where you feel hopeless are exactly what He wants to redeem and fill with beauty, dignity and strength. He has a plan for your pain. A wonderful intention for your failures. A purpose for your hardest, darkest stories,” Soule writes.
Told with honesty and surprising touches of humor, Soule shares her journey from drug-
addicted stripper to exuberant Jesus lover with a passion for helping others embrace God’s love. Broken and Beautiful is a raw, authentic story of hope, from a place of experience.
Author Christine Soule lives with the love of her life, Mitch Soule, in Seattle. They have five kids and three wonderful grandchildren. She is the founder and CEO of Providence Heights (www.providenceheights.org), a nonprofit created to house women and children in need and to provide counseling, education and jobs.
With hugs and kisses banned by experts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19, the joy of Valentine’s Day has paled for lovers as the epidemic wages on for over a year. Vaccines are rolling out, but only slowly, so most people in the intimate-active age group are still suffering under warnings about intimate contact and restrictions of quarantines, imposed lockdowns, mask-wearing, and restaurants closed for those traditionally romantic dinners. Reasonable warnings but also fears were fanned last April when Dr. Anthony Fauci announced that people should consider that potential hook-ups can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. In a UK study, only about 40 percent of respondents said they have been sexually active, partly due to anxiety, availability or dampened mood. Even married and co-habiting couples have been alerted that one partner can be carrying the virus. While the traditional acts of sending flowers and handing over boxes of chocolate (from a safe distance) can prevail, the day calls for closer contact. So what are lovers to do this Valentine’s Day? As psychologists, we know that intimate connection satisfies desire, soothes the soul, and even stimulates chemicals that create physical as well as psychological well-being. Research even proves that connection with others is the best remedy to negative states caused by the separation imposed by this long-lasting pandemic, including loneliness, heartache, desolation, and anxieties. The complex emotions escalate during holidays and anniversaries. Being starved for affection can drive people into deep desperation, depression and even drastic thinking. As one man admitted to me, “I’d rather die than be cut off from people much longer than this.” The keys to reaping the benefits of love while resisting infection is possible for singles and those already-attached with these tips. (1) Expand the number of people to whom you express love. Think of Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers, but for friends, as is the case in some cultures. For example, the word Valentine's Day in Finland and Estonia translates into "Friend's Day" indicating that this day is more about remembering friends, rather than “significant others.” A study of 1,477 people over ten years showed that expanded social networks can predict living longer. In support of this, a survey by the Ypulse company that monitors Gen Z and Millennials found that 74 percent of respondents agreed that Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity to tell friends and family they are loved and appreciated. (2) Limit in-person hook-ups to virtual ones. Practice principles of “phone sex” (from the 60s) upgraded in this electronic age to using handheld platforms -- through audio and video formats like chat, sexting or zoom -- to engage with a partner in a desired interaction. Talking through what you are actually doing as if in the act in the moment -- more potent than just saying what you would like to do -- takes a little imagination but can be fulfilling. Include not only the description of your actions but also feelings – how you feel and how you want your partner to feel -- which is good practice for future times of true consummation. (3) Resolve to practice “safe sex” during this public health emergency. On April 8, 2020, the New York City Health Department published an explicit guide outlining safe sex practice during the pandemic. It warned about spreading the virus spreads through particles in the saliva, mucus or breath of people with COVID-19, or those who are asymptomatic (though admittedly unclear scientifically about sex act transmission), advised against kissing and for limiting contact to those in a close household circle. Explicit tips for enjoyment while stopping the spread included masturbating alone or together (while mask-wearing); washing (hands, toys or other touched items) before and after the act; and even making it “a little kinky” by being “creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact.” (4) Explore deeper levels of commitment and communication. Findings from The American Family Survey show that despite the stress and disruption in family and work life caused by the pandemic, husbands and wives reported sustained sex and deeper commitment and appreciation of each other. As a marriage counselor for years, I know that better oral communication creates sexual sparks, especially since messages go fastest to the brain through the ears than other senses. (5) Take “sex” to higher levels. My own, and many others’, expertise in eastern sexology shows that high states of ecstasy (and enlightenment) can be reached between people without even touching. The techniques to do this are simple, as outlined in my book, The Complete idiots Guide to Tantric Sex. By focusing your energy, through your breath and intention, inwards and then extending it to another purposefully, through the breath, eye contact, and simple motions, you can direct and transmit highly charged loving feelings outward, and receive them back inward, in a dedicated exchange. The classic scene in the film “Cocoon” between actors Tahnee Welch and Steve Gutenberg shows how glowing sparks can fly between two people at opposite ends of a swimming pool that may look like otherworldly alien love but their charging the water and space between them with “life force” is actually achievable by us ordinary folks. (6) Look for new paths to “passion”. In my many surveys and research over the years as a dating, relationship and sex expert, I documented how couples can form strong bonds and feel erotic attraction by sharing activities and hobbies that “turn them both on.” In my Complete Idiots Guide to a Healthy Relationship, I suggest taking up a new hobby together, either a new idea for both of you or throwing yourself into a partner’s passionate pursuit that you once resisted (gardening, sports). Working together on a common project raises erotic interest, as evidenced in office affairs. Bring that affair home by brainstorming ideas about what you could both enjoy that will spill over into finding new or refreshed thrill about each other. Take the pressure off Valentine’s Day by using the occasion to make every day an ongoing celebration of yourself as a loving being, and expressing love to others. xxx
Author: Dr. Judy Kuriansky is a clinical psychologist and professor at Columbia University Teachers College well-known for wise advice on radio and TV, and in newspaper and magazines for decades. Her Idiots Guide Books on dating, healthy relationships and tantric sex are on Amazon, and her website: www.drJudy.com.
Ontario's doctors urge everyone to celebrate Valentine's, Family Day safely
TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors say it's more important than ever to limit physical interactions and follow public health guidelines this Valentine's and Family Day weekend so that we curb the pandemic rather than extend it.
Doctors who have been treating patients on the front lines for almost a year say there are many ways to celebrate this holiday weekend safely: in person with household members or phone calls or virtual meals with other friends and relatives.
But now is not the time to gather with others or let down our guard, no matter how difficult it is to be separated from our chosen family, loved ones and friends. Only by continuing to adhere to public health guidelines in different regions of the province and continuing to practice physical distancing and good hygiene will we stop the spread of COVID-19 and its new variants while waiting for widespread vaccinations.
"We never stopped holding our families tightly in our hearts, but COVID-19 has challenged us all to find meaningful ways to connect from a distance," said Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association. "Vaccines give us all hope that someday soon we can hold our families tightly in our arms as well. That day isn't today though. So, for the sake of all of our families, this Family Day cherish, support and connect with your family while adhering to public health guidelines."
The lockdown has been especially hard on seniors and others who live alone and on children who have been unable to play and socialize with others. COVID-19 restrictions have worsened mental health and addictions issues for many people, and the health-care system needs to prepare to care for them now and for years after this pandemic is over.
The OMA has questioned whether there is enough evidence to support the government's plan to gradually lift the province-wide lockdown and return to the colour-coded framework. It recommended instead waiting for a few weeks after schools reopen to assess how that will affect transmission of the virus, how quickly the new variants spread in the community and how soon Ontario will get a steady supply of vaccines.
Ontario's doctors say the most important things everyone can do to prevent the spread of the virus are:
Wash your hands often
Wear a mask or face covering at all times unless you are at home with housemates or outdoors at a guaranteed two metres' distance from others
Prepare for contact tracing if you get COVID-19 – download the COVID Alert app and/or keep track of where you go and when
"We urge everyone to pay special attention to their mental health and to that of those around us," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "Reach out to a friend or family member."
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Feeling Forwards: Learn How to Harness the Infinite Energy of Your Emotions
"Feeling Forwards helps you find the power within to overcome unbelievable challenges and take a quantum leap forwards." — TONY ROBBINS
New York, NY, February 12, 2021 — Everything you need to transform your life is already within you, asserts bestselling author and personal reinvention coach Elizabeth Gould. Her empowering new book, Feeling Forwards: How to Become the Person Who Has the Life You Want, can help you say farewell to negative habits, release painful beliefs and tap into your full potential by harnessing the infinite energy generated by your emotions.
“Feeling Forwards is a thinking and feeling revolution. It’s not about writing to-do lists or visualizing every step toward a goal,” Elizabeth says. “Feeling Forwards is about living life as the complete person you’ve forgotten you already are and not as the person who’s just waiting to shine.”
The first half of Feeling Forwards is a fascinating deep-dive into the science proving the true power of our emotions, enabling them to travel forward and backward in time, influence pre-programmed computer outcomes, reverse aging, impact crime rates, fast-track personal reinvention and much more. After understanding the effects that our emotions can truly have on our lives, Elizabeth offers practical applications of the strategies in Feeling Forwardsusing real-life examples of those who’ve successfully integrated the principles into their lives.
Woven throughout are Elizabeth’s candid, personal stories of embracing these principles to thrive through several life-threatening events and dramatic personal upheavals.
The result is a refreshingly relatable, actionable guide to help you create the life you genuinely want to live. Feeling Forwards teaches you how to become the person who has the life you want … today. As Elizabeth reveals, “Today is the past of your future.”
About the Author
A bestselling author and founding member of Randi Zuckerberg’s global leadership school at the Zuckerberg Institute, Elizabeth Gould experiences the joy of working with people around the world to unlock their potential. She has spent decades interviewing thousands of successful professionals to understand how they behave to achieve what they want. Her work is endorsed by world-renowned life and business strategist, Tony Robbins. Feeling Forwards is her third book.
Today I want to share some tips on boosting your immune system.
Supplements are not meant to replace anything in the diet; after all, they are called “supplements.” In fact, with a solid nutrition plan, you probably don’t need any supplements, but not many of us have a diet that has enough variety, the right quantity, and the ideal quality of foods to cover all our bases.
I offer 1 on 1 coaching to help directly but some general tips:
Therefore, I always recommend a few supplements for most of my clients. Others might be recommended depending on your goals.
HD Muscle is my mail brand of choice because quality always equals better results.
High Quality Multi Vitamin—To ensure you are getting all your vitamins and minerals, a multi-vitamin is a must. This is a coverall and ensures you have the necessary components in your diet to keep you healthy.
High Quality Fish Oil or Omega 3Supplement—To ensure you are getting enough of this essential fat in your diet, a supplement is very important. A balanced diet often does not provide enough omega-3 fats. The research is pretty clear that fish oil is critical for reducing inflammation in the body and keeping you healthy. Look for high quality fish or krill oils that have high levels of DHA and EPA.
Probiotics are made up of good bacteria that helps keep your body healthy and working well. This good bacteria helps you in many ways, including fighting off bad bacteria when you have too much of it, helping you feel better.
Glutamine—This is something that can be added in for convenience or to ensure you are getting proper recovery and good digestion. It helps with bloating as well!
I hope youre all staying happy, healthy and safe!
Also reminder to anyone who is still waiting for a calendar. The mail here has been exceptionally slow - we are in lockdown again so my apologies. They should be arriving next week!
Alicia Bell IFBB Figure Pro and Online Coach
Feeling Forwards: Learn How to Harness the Infinite Energy of Your Emotions
"Feeling Forwards helps you find the power within to overcome unbelievable challenges and take a quantum leap forwards." — TONY ROBBINS
New York, NY, February 11, 2021 — Everything you need to transform your life is already within you, asserts bestselling author and personal reinvention coach Elizabeth Gould. Her empowering new book, Feeling Forwards: How to Become the Person Who Has the Life You Want, can help you say farewell to negative habits, release painful beliefs and tap into your full potential by harnessing the infinite energy generated by your emotions.
“Feeling Forwards is a thinking and feeling revolution. It’s not about writing to-do lists or visualizing every step toward a goal,” Elizabeth says. “Feeling Forwards is about living life as the complete person you’ve forgotten you already are and not as the person who’s just waiting to shine.”
The first half of Feeling Forwards is a fascinating deep-dive into the science proving the true power of our emotions, enabling them to travel forward and backward in time, influence pre-programmed computer outcomes, reverse aging, impact crime rates, fast-track personal reinvention and much more. After understanding the effects that our emotions can truly have on our lives, Elizabeth offers practical applications of the strategies in Feeling Forwardsusing real-life examples of those who’ve successfully integrated the principles into their lives.
Woven throughout are Elizabeth’s candid, personal stories of embracing these principles to thrive through several life-threatening events and dramatic personal upheavals.
The result is a refreshingly relatable, actionable guide to help you create the life you genuinely want to live. Feeling Forwards teaches you how to become the person who has the life you want … today. As Elizabeth reveals, “Today is the past of your future.”
About the Author
A bestselling author and founding member of Randi Zuckerberg’s global leadership school at the Zuckerberg Institute, Elizabeth Gould experiences the joy of working with people around the world to unlock their potential. She has spent decades interviewing thousands of successful professionals to understand how they behave to achieve what they want. Her work is endorsed by world-renowned life and business strategist, Tony Robbins. Feeling Forwards is her third book.
Since March, due to the pandemic, people the world over have typically spent more time on the couch watching Netflix and slumped over computers while working from home in less than ergonomically correct situations. With some gyms closed, this has led to less activity and more sitting, hunching and less walking. All of these factors can lead to poor posture. Conversely, the latest figures show that $16.7 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the U.S. All of that tweaking of facial and body parts means nothing if poor posture ages you, or reveals your real age. In fact, the wrong posture can even create an unflattering silhouette which kind of defeats the purpose of the latest fat melting and zapping techniques. Lastly, the wrong posture is bad for your health and even your frame of mind. Dr. Gbolahan Okubajejo is an NYC area Spinal and orthopedic surgeon www.nynjspine.com He can discuss some quick fixes for incorrect posture and the effects poor posture can have on a woman’s health.
Effects of Poor Posture on Health
Poor Posture deprives oxygen from your body and brain
When you slump, your brain, heart and lungs cannot function efficiently. Oxygen equals energy.
It weakens bones and muscles causing pain and injury
Forward head posture can cause back pain and other issues. It can be the culprit of “tech neck.” Every time you lean over even 60 degrees, whether over your phone, the computer, or good book, you’re adding up to 60 pounds of pressure on your neck.
It can make you depressed
Poor posture can result in increased stress, potentially leading to chronic stress. Correct posture in the face of adversity maintains self-esteem and elevates mood.
3 Quick Fixes For Great Posture
Develop a strong core
Research the exercises that will help you develop a strong core to support your back. This doesn’t mean you need to develop a six-pack.
Using an open doorframe, place your bent arms against either side of the door with your elbows in line with your shoulders. Adopt a staggered stance and push your chest forward until you feel a stretch in the chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds or until the muscles relax before forcibly pushing your elbows against the doorframe to create muscular tension (try not to generate any movement) for five seconds. Relax and increase the stretch. Repeat this three times before holding the stretch in place for 30–60 seconds.
Walking with your pelvis forward-
Stretch the hip flexors
Get in a lunge position with your back knee on the floor. Maintaining an upright body position, squeeze your glute muscle on the back leg and push the hips forwards. Hold this position for 30–60 seconds, increasing the depth of the stretch as you adapt. To increase the stretch, try taking the arms up overhead.
Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, FAAOS, leads The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care, with offices in the greater New York City area, as a spinal and orthopedic surgeon. Board-certified and fellowship-trained, Dr. Okubadejo specializes in the treatment of degenerative spinal disease, spinal deformity, and cervical, lumbar, and thoracic conditions.
Dr. Okubadejo earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed his internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Okubadejo completed a spinal surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh.
Dr. Okubadejo is a published research author and has presented his findings at several major spinal conferences around the globe. While a surgical resident, he won the Leonard Marmor Surgical Arthritis Foundation Resident Award for the best research project.
In 2017, Dr. Okubadejo formed company 360 Dynamized Core, which is focused on creating innovative, spine safe core fitness products and routines. The first patented product, 360
CoreBoard, launched to the market in 2020. Find out more at 360coreboard.com
Dr. Okubadejo believes in the power of preventive care, minimally invasive surgical procedures, open communication with patients, and personalized care. When he’s not caring for patients, he enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures and the arts, and playing golf.
4 Ways to Stay Active When It's Cold Outside
It’s hard to stick to your fitness regimen during the winter months. Between short days, freezing weather, and ongoing gym closures, you have plenty of excuses to give up. If you’re not ready to quit, but you aren’t sure exactly how to keep fit during cold weather, try one of these winter workout ideas.
Bundle Up
If the weather outside is frightful, put on a down jacket and comfy scarf and head outside. You might not be able to run or ride a bicycle if the sidewalks are slippery, but a long walk can offer low-impact exercise and a reason to get out of the house. Plus, if you’re walking, you can hold onto a cup of hot cocoa without sloshing any on yourself. Try to walk during the middle of the day, when the temperature is usually highest, and look for hilly routes to keep your muscles warm and active.
Try Indoor Cardio
2020 was the year of the home gym as COVID-19 forced even the most passionate exercise enthusiasts to stay inside. Manufacturers are still recovering from record-low levels of stock. While you may not be able to find that squat rack or weight set you’ve been eyeing since March, you still have plenty of options for indoor cardio, including treadmills and exercise bikes. If you’re missing the communal aspect of exercise, give at-home spin classes a try. Performance-focused studios like Plan 7 Coaching offer high-tech class options that carefully monitor your heart rate, caloric output and V02 rates so you’ll get exactly the workout you’re looking for.
Clean Up the House
According to theAmerican Heart Association, cold weather is no excuse for slacking on your exercise schedule. Instead, stay active around the house with aerobic exercise like vigorous cleaning, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. As long as you’re moving fast enough to keep your heart rate elevated, you can turn your chore list into an exercise session.
Throw Yourself a Dance Party
You have to get creative to stay active during the winter. Why not have a little fun and throw yourself an at-home dance party? Crank up Spotify, grab a weighted hula hoop, or just get funky on your own. Give yourself permission to let go after a long day, find a private place to work out and dance like no one can see you.
With some ingenuity and planning, you can stay active even when it's cold outside.
Your Veterinarian Needs Help
Atlanta, GA, February 11, 2021 — Your veterinarian chose to dedicate his or her life to the altruistic pursuit of tending to the health and lives of pets. What you may not have considered is that the health and life of your veterinarian also needs protecting: he or she is nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than someone among the general population. But there are ways you can help.
Sandy Weaver, author of the groundbreaking new book Happy Vet Happy Pet: Caring for Your Pet’s Caregiver, is on a mission to ease the lives of veterinarians, one client’s heart at a time.
“I’ve known for years, as have those in the veterinary field, that there was an issue with suicide and veterinarians,” Sandy says. “Then in early 2019, the CDC report on veterinary suicide was published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and what had been anecdotal became data: male veterinarians are 2.1 times more likely, and female veterinarians are 3.5 times more likely, to complete suicide than their non-veterinarian peers.”
Happy Vet Happy Pet is a distillation of Sandy’s research into neuroscience, neuroplasticity and positive psychology mixed with data from the CDC report. The result is an impactful approach that weaves easy-to-understand science with stories that touch the minds and the hearts of pet owners — empowering them to be part of the solution.
Chapters dive deep into topics all pet owners should understand, including:
1. The heart, mind and life of a person who decides to become a veterinarian; 2. The very human, very vulnerable person behind the scrubs; 3. The ways clients unknowingly mistreat their pets’ caregivers; 4. Three simple rules to follow to help your veterinary team; and 5. What to do if you feel that someone near you is facing suicidal desperation.
Happy Vet Happy Pet shares Sandy’s unique point of view that it takes a village to save a veterinarian. “Making pet owners mindful of how their behavior impacts their veterinarian mobilizes the village to help solve the problem,” she adds.
This book will change your relationship with your veterinarian and their team forever. And what you learn in this book could save your veterinarian's life.
Author Sandy Weaver is an expert speaker, trainer, mastermind facilitator and lover of all things dog.
As the Program Director of the Center for Workplace Happiness, Sandy creates the training programs, workshops, mastermind groups and keynotes that help people lead happier, more successful lives. She is also a citizen-scientist in the fields of neuroscience, neuroplasticity and positive psychology. In 2019, she took the resilience tools and strategies she’d been teaching to general audiences and crafted programs specifically for veterinary teams. Her goal is to touch the life of every veterinarian and technician in a way that helps them avoid the pain and despair that comes with an inability to manage stress.
Now in her 40th year of Siberian Husky ownership, Sandy is a passionate advocate for veterinarians and their teams and an ongoing donor to Not One More Vet.
Perfect for Black History Month, New Kid’s Book Teaches Diversity, Equality and Blended Families
“Freeda the Frog and Her New Blue Family will help to foster a young child's understanding that blended families with mixed ethnicities, religions, and races are all a family just the same…” - Midwest Book Review
New York, NY, February 11, 2021 — In a culture that is divided, the subjects of diversity and inclusion have become vital to build a more unified tomorrow. Although discussing these topics with children may be difficult, books have always served as bridges of communication to help pave the way to acceptance. Gold Mom’s Choice Award-winner book and series author Nadine Harunispecializes in making awkward conversations, such as racial equality, fun and approachable. Nadine’s book, Freeda the Frog & Her New Blue Family (Mascot Books; ISBN: 978-1-68401-132-2; $14.95; Hardcover), teaches children and parents alike to welcome people of differing ethnic, religious and gender backgrounds. Being the proud mom of a blended family, Nadine has a personal perspective on the subject.
The book follows green tadpoles Frannie and Frank, who learn two blue frogs, Samson and his son Jack, will be joining the family. They wonder if they will all get along and if Samson will replace their green biological father. However, spending time with their new blue friends teaches the green tadpoles a valuable lesson: a frog is who they are on the inside and shouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin. Nadine is no stranger to subjects like this, or others addressed in previous books such as divorce and losing a loved one.
To that end, the Freeda the Frog series helps educators, school counselors and parents discuss difficult topics in a positive, non-threatening way with children. Each book reinforces Nadine Haruni’s mission of “helping families of all species, one tadpole at a time.” The entire series has even been leveled for schools to align with National Education standards, and all five books in the series have a Readers’ Favorite 5-star review and the Gold Mom’s Choice Award for excellence in the family-friendly picture book category.
Author Nadine Haruni has gone through a divorce herself and is now the mother of five kids in a blended family. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, an attorney and a certified yoga instructor. Haruni has also created a lesson plan inspired by her books for Garden State Equality in New Jersey, her home state. For more information, please visit www.freedathefrog.com.
