Signs of Depression - Warning Signs

Signs of depression can be tricky to spot. Friends, family, and associates may assume "that's just how he/she is." They may not notice the more serious warning signs of depression.

Each person is uniquely created by God, so no list of symptoms fits every individual. However, here is a list of symptoms indicating possible depression:

• Tiredness - despite proper amounts of sleep, a balanced diet, and plenty of physical exercise, the person may feel exhausted regularly.
• Mood swings - a person may experience happiness one moment and then be sad or irritated the next.
• Difficulty coping with life - the day-to-day routine of getting up, going to work, and coming home can seem worthless. The depressed person may feel as if he or she is not important, his or her job does not matter, life does not matter. There is a strong sense of hopelessness.
• Depression is often triggered by tragedy, the death of a loved one, a divorce, diet, drugs, alcohol, etc.

You are loved. Be sure to tell a friend or family member that you love them.

Ineffective Education Policies

As a community, African Americans cannot stand by ignoring the devastating impact of ineffective education policies that cause too many of our high schools to fail in providing high-quality education to our country's future workforce and our next generation of business and political leaders.

We need to hold our new president and Congress responsible for ensuring that all students are prepared for college and the 21st century workplace by enacting policies that hold schools accountable for student success.

God Loves You

God created us to be loved. He wants to love us. He wants us to love each other. He wants us to love and accept ourselves. Without this foundation of love and acceptance, there will be no joy and peace.

Kidney Failure Higher in Blacks

Kidney disease in black Americans often goes undetected until the latest stages. In a study that included more than 3,400 black Americans who were interviewed and given physical examinations, about 20 percent were found to have chronic kidney disease. Fewer than 15 percent (about 1 in 6) knew they had the condition.

"It is imperative that new approaches be implemented to increase awareness, diagnosis and treatment -- for both the health-care provider and the patient," the researchers said. Their findings are published in the February issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

These findings also confirmed that certain factors increase the risk of kidney disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, a large waist size, older age and physical inactivity. Kidney failure is four times higher among black Americans than whites.

Take Strength

Fellow blogger Kayla wrote in her blog;

"Sometimes we have so high of expectations for our relationships that people will fall short of those expectations because what you want from someone else God can only meet that expectation. Maybe I'm the only one who does this."

Kayla, take strength in knowing, you are not the only one. Nearly everyone has a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and many people say they're happy without God. But what about fulfillment: an inner peace even in the midst of difficult circumstances, a certain knowledge of the meaning and purpose of one's life despite one's mortality, a true sense that our deepest needs have been met (as opposed to the temporary satisfaction of wealth, entertainment, success, praise, etc. that ultimately leaves one craving more)?

God created us for a purpose, and we will find fulfillment and peace when we do what he designed us to do, namely be in relationship with him and love and worship him.

Wake Yourself Up!

There are times when you just have to arouse your heart to wake up. The Bible says;

" There is no one who calls on Your name, who arouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. Isaiah 64:7."

You don't have to make that mistake! If you don't arouse your heart to believe and love the shine from God's face, then the power of sin will just keep getting stronger until you fall.
Wake yourself up by strong and assertive thanks and praise for the truth. You can enter before the Lord. You can enjoy the shine from His face. You can take hold of God.

God has made a way.

Community Involvement Stops Violence

Community involvement is one possible way to stop violence against children. These children need to be given a sense of safety. People in the community need to start building a block-by-block safe zone in order to protect the youth from violence since the whole community is affected. You don’t put the burden on the child to fix the problem. It’s the community, family, and school’s responsibility, not the child’s responsibility. We’re supposed to be protecting the children.

For more information about how to participate and to begin organizing your block against violence, call Saint Sabina Church at (773) 483-4300.

Believe

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23"

Is there anything impossible for God? Is there any height so high that God cannot reach it? Is there any river so wide that God cannot cross it? Is there any valley so deep that God cannot descend to it? As believers, is there any goal beyond our reach, with God's help? Men and women of faith have known for years that the God we serve is an awesome God. We also know that as long as we stay on his side of any battle, there is nothing that we cannot achieve.

Chicago Takes Steps to Reduce Violence

The Public League of the Chicago Public School (CPS) announced that it is banning fans of visiting teams from attending sports events.This is an attempt to reduce violence that has erupted at CPS basketball games.

• All varsity boys basketball games will begin at 4 p.m.

• Fans from the visiting team will not be allowed to attend.

• In some cases in which there has been a history of trouble between schools, no fans will be allowed to attend the game.

On Tuesday night a basketball player from North Lawndale was shot in the leg during a postgame altercation. Chicago Police say two 16-year-old boys have been charged with misdemeanor battery in connection with the Tuesday night shooting.

Between September 2007 – September 2008, thirty-six CPS students were killed. Twenty-six were killed during the school year and ten were killed during the summer. Thirty-three of the killings were gun related, one was stabbed, another beaten with a baseball bat and another was intentionally run over with a car.

Black Men, Black Betrayers!

"Black men are the biggest betrayers, demeaners and destroyers of black women. "

This was the statement I overheard at a club the other night while waiting for a drink. "Truer words have never been spoken" I thought to myself.

Instead of embracing their women, many black men despise them for being black like them. Though I am not speaking about all black men but the majority of black men are ignorant, backward creatures who bite, instead of kiss the hands that fed them. Who hate females of their own color but praises, no, worships women of their so-called arch enemy's likeness.

Black men seem to do the opposite of other race's men. So is there any wonder black men are on the the bottom? Unless some black women are lucky enough to find that rare truly good black man or broaden their options to include nonblack men, many black women will just end up being dragged down by black men.

I see it happen all the time to my friends, family and coworkers. Sometimes I wonder if the worst thing to happen to a black woman, is to fall in love with a black man.

AIDS is a Black Disease

Whether we brought it upon ourselves, or it was thrust upon us by a Country that does not care, AIDS among African-Americans is rampant. In some parts of America is as severe as it is in parts of Africa. AIDS remains the leading cause of death among black women between ages 25 and 34. It's the second-leading cause of death in black men 35-44.

"AIDS in America today is a black disease," says Phill Wilson, founder and CEO of the institute and himself HIV-positive. "2006 CDC data tell us that about half of the just over 1 million Americans living with HIV or AIDS are black."

Blacks are 12% of the population but we make up nearly 50% of the Americans infected with AIDS/HIV. The AIDS epidemic is not over in America, especially not in Black America.

I hope that President Obama will be able to address, and solve, the issues that have left Black and White American divided for so long.