07May 2014 by CJ

Processed foods and rubber shoes should have nothing in common

Information & Education, Life & Living
Subway, one of the biggest bread makers in the world, recently removed a chemical from its bread recipe that’s typically used to increase elasticity in everything from yoga mats to rubber shoes to imitation leather. Soft drink giant Coca-Cola, following Pepsi’s lead, recently said it will begin removing brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from its drinks. BVO is a flame retardant often used on plastics and kids clothing. At times it’s almost unfathomable to think of how many chemical substances are allowed on the recipe cards of processed and fast foods. While the FDA might exist to protect the public’s health, I can’t help but wonder how they honestly believe examples like I’ve mentioned above will not negatively affect a person’s body over time. Are they simply naïve? Are they yet…
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06May 2014 by CJ

Today’s seeds bring tomorrows happiness

Information & Education, Life & Living
On a shelf in my home lives a collection of books my wife and I have collected over the years. They range from old fiction novels, to Jane Austin classics, to children and picture books which hold some sentimental meaning to both of us. On the very last shelf, tightly pressed between a pair of Funk & Wagnalls dictionaries and a large Bible my wife received from her grandfather is an old, tattered looking book. It’s about the size of a magazine, with a pale blue hard cover and duct tape holding its binding together. It’s my grandmother’s high school yearbook. It was June 13th, 1940. The Lyndhurst, New Jersey high school auditorium was filled with eager family and friends, all anticipating the upcoming ceremony scheduled to begin at 8:15…
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30Apr 2014 by CJ

You may not always win the battle, but that doesn’t mean you should stop fighting

Life & Living, Youth
“Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.” -Dennis Wholey I suppose I’m a little naïve when it comes to the workings of the world. Deep down there’s a part of me that believes if you stand up for injustices you feel passionately about, while making a strong and factual argument, that you have the power to change things for the better. To abolish or at least contain the unfairness that seems to plague every facet of our society. But as I said, I’m a little naïve and life simply doesn’t resolve itself neat and tidy like an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Still, that doesn’t stop…
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29Apr 2014 by CJ

Opportunities are everywhere if you know where to look

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
Life is a never-ending battleground of problems it seems. Day to day our lives are plagued with challenges we’re forced to navigate through – oftentimes with little or no knowledge of how to escape unscathed. But Joseph Sugarman once said something that definitely rings true for me. "Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity." Joseph Sugarman Problems will never cease to exist in our lives. But that doesn’t mean they can’t lead us to a better place – force us to grow and break free of our comfort zone in ways we never imagined. Life is all about change; and change often brings…
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28Apr 2014 by CJ

Being someone’s caregiver is one of the greatest honors

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Being a caregiver is not easy. But it’s truly amazing what you’re capable of when you have no other choice – when reality is staring you in the face and you’re the one people turn to for guidance, support and attention. Tia Walker, author of The Inspired Caregiver: Finding Joy While Caring for Those You Love writes: “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.” And while it’s not necessarily an ideal supported by American culture, many understand what a gift it is to give back to those who’ve given so much to us over the years. To accept the “role reversal” that often comes along with being a caregiver not with bitterness, but with tenderness. And while the relationship will certainly change,…
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