The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is giving out a million free condoms, and the recipients are between the ages of 11 and 19 years old! You may be asking yourself, why are they handing out condoms to children and where are their parents? Well, according to the latest statistics from the PDOH, Philadelphia has the highest rate of sexually active teens younger than 13 years old. The website home page of the Take Control Philly campaign asks the question, “Having sex? Protect yourself from chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis. Get free condoms!” The site tells 11 to 19 year olds where they can find free condoms near their homes. It also has a mail order free condom offer along with videos such as the one below that teaches the youngsters how to wear condoms. So the big question is, should condoms should be available to 11 year olds? Or should we teach our children that abstinence is the best choice at their age? Clearly health officials are trying to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. If these children are going to have sex, they have the RIGHT to know how to protect themselves. But some believe that handing out free condoms just do more damage to the situation, promoting a message to teens that it’s cool to have sex, as long as it’s protected. It’s rather disturbing to think that 11 year olds can stop by their nearest health center, pick up some free condoms, and then go have sex in a school yard or public bathroom. Why not just teach these children to value their bodies and avoid taking the risk in the first place? What do you think? Related articles: 5 Steps to Find Closure So You Can Move On 6 Ingredients To Lasting Relationships No Action Today, No Cure Tomorrow-World Health Day 2011
Throughout your life you will develop hundreds of relationships, from the important ones, to the ones that won’t quite matter as much. The very first relationships in our lives are the most important ones, because from there we learn to trust and receive love. Some of us had parents or guardians that were affectionate and taught us the morals, values and principles that make us the adults we are today. But since everyone doesn’t have the same foundation, many adults have short-comings and do not understand how relationships should work. Growing up, I witnessed all types of dysfunctional relationships, from my parents’ to screaming matches from the violent couple who lived next door to us. And because of this, I spent several of my young adult years confused as to why my own relationships were dysfunctional. I wasn’t unaware that my actions and thoughts were a reflection of my views about relationships in general. Eventually, I broke the vicious cycle of the behavior that I was putting out and learned the proper ingredients to healthy relationships. Here are 6 keys to a good relationship: 1. Friendship 2. Respect 3. Honesty 4. Trust 5. Understanding 6. Communication As adults, we can no longer blame our upbringing or past on why we are the way we are, or why we only relate to certain types of people and situations. We are all capable of having long-lasting, meaningful relationships while we are on this journey called life. Related Articles : 5 Steps to Find Closure So You Can Move On Minute Meditation: Prayer For Your Parents Discover Five Secrets Work At Home Moms Enjoy
Some people have hidden agendas: Goals that they wish to accomplish at some cost to others. We live in a world that speeds out of control with people who are only concerned with what they need and how to get it. These agendas can quickly become quite obvious. What kinds of hidden agendas can people have? In scripture we are warned against people They might want to Make themselves feel better by putting other people down. Achieve a position of power or prestige at the expense of others. Control other people. Make other people feel bad about internally. How can you recognize and deal with hidden agendas? 1- Pay attention-Watch what a person says or does, and see how you feel in response to it. If someone says something that may seem like some kind of compliment, but feels like a put-down, then it could be an action arising out of a hidden agenda. 2- Confront it head on. If you confront that person about it (lovingly, of course), and they deny it or try to explain it away, give them the benefit of the doubt, but keep an eye on them. 3- Identify the behavior- If the same kind of behavior continues, and you confront them again on it and they still deny it or explain it away, but continue acting the same, then the likelihood is high that it is a hidden agenda. 4- Define a result- Decide what you want to do about/with that person. Do you want to keep associating with them? If it is a friend, you can drop the friendship—after all, what kind of friend continually tries to undermine you, control you, or make you feel bad about yourself? Be aware that it takes time to learn to recognize hidden agendas, and even more time to learn the skills required to deal with people like this. We all are motivated by something. It just depends on how we achieve our end results. We don’t need to destroy others to get where we need to go. Related Articles 15 Steps On How To Gain Real Power Gospel Song of The Day: All I Need
Tiger Woods did not shine like he has in the past at the greatest golf event of the year, the Masters Tournament. Tiger has been humbled once again. Even though we may not have been huge golf fans, we have rallied around the triumphs and trials of this ethnically mixed black man. Related article: Does Tiger’s Public Contrition Forgive His Sins? For those of you that are golf fans, could the way he is technically approaching the game have something to do with his slump. In a recent article from The Atlantic , they explore how the could be a real reason for the slump. Masters 2011: The Real Reason Tiger Woods Is Slumping As Tiger Woods competes in this year’s Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA—the highest-profile golf event of the season—and makes a run at breaking Jack Nicklaus’s 18 major tournament wins, his professional downfall is ever-glaring. The world’s highest-paid athlete and formerly first-ranked golfer is currently seeded seventh by the PGA and finished tied in 19th place after the first round at the Masters. He surged up to third place in the second round, but ESPN wondered “whether the two youngsters ahead of him really cared.” Much ado is being made about the fact that Woods has not won a major since 2008—particularly as he continues to brush up against Nicklaus’s record—and everything from his torn ACL three years ago to (and especially) distractions following the media circus surrounding his extra-marital affairs and divorce are blamed for the drought. But hookers and TMZ aside, Time has a simpler theory for why Woods’s game has been stuck in the sandtrap. He’s holding that club too darned tight. (Read the entire article from The Atlantic here) Related articles: Tiger Has A New Cat Name: Cheetah Get Out Of Tiger’s Business
We all have had moments in which we wish we could do something. The simple things in the world are the moments in which we connect to people on the most basic of levels. The moments in which we do something kind for someone else.It is the one things that empowers us and makes us better people . “Do for other people everything you’d like them to do for you.(Luke 6:31) . Smile and be friendly . Sometimes a simple little thing like this can put a smile and warm feeling in someone else’s heart, and make their day a little better. They might then do the same for others. Donate something you don’t use . Or a whole box of something. Drop them off at a charity — others can put your clutter to good use. Stop to help . The next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or somehow in need of help, stop and ask how you can help. Sometimes all they need is a push, or the use of your cell phone. Comfort someone in grief. Often a hug, a helpful hand, a kind word, a listening ear, will go a long way when someone has lost a loved one or suffered some similar loss or tragedy. Buy food for a homeless person . Cash is often a bad idea if it’s going to be used for drugs, but buying a sandwich and chips or something like that is a good gesture. Be respectful and friendly. Send a nice email . Just a quick note telling someone how much you appreciate them, or how proud you are of them, or just saying thank you for something they did. Show appreciation, publicly . Praising someone on a blog, in front of coworkers, in front of family, or in some other public way, is a great way to make them feel better about themselves. Love . Simply finding ways to express your love to others, whether it be your partner, child, other family member, friend, co-worker, or a complete stranger … just express your love. A hug, a kind word, spending time, showing little kindnesses, being friendly … it all matters more than you know. I would like to know what you did today. It’s a great thing to spread good news. Related Stories Minute Meditation: Prayer To Help Others Gospel Song of The Day: If I Can Help Somebody Mandisa Wonders What If We Were Real Today Book Review: What Are You Doing With Your 86400 Seconds?
Nick Cannon may have poked fun at himself on his recent song “ I’m So Wack ,” but he’s proving that he’s not so wack on “Role Model,” the latest cut from his forthcoming mixtape Child Of The Corn . Talib Kweli joins Mariah ‘s husband on this new cut which bodes well for the rest of the mixtape, which drops later this month! Check it out! Spotted @ NahRight RELATED: Nick Cannon “I’m So Wack” [NEW MUSIC] RELATED: Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon Having A Boy And A Girl
Vice and sin are sexy. Character and virtue… not so much. Last week there was an article about sex on the first date: SURVEY: Sex On The First Date; Do You? It started me to thinking and reading all the comments. Have we just given in to what society has been selling us for the last 40 years. Sorry to say the Sexual Revolution came in and left us with one big mess. It has let those of us with virtue be scorned. Character is being erased. But where’s the line between them? What exactly is a virtue? Can it be taught? Are good, and bad, behavior hard-wired in us? Do we naturally need to experiment with every whim that crosses our fancy in order to determine who we are? You see less and less character as you watch grown women throw themselves away on National television. It’s become my new crusade to blow the lid off these half truths. I am no prude but we need to stop selling the lies. They are destroying our communities. It begins by stopping these three lies first. Lie #1- The Scriptures on sexual purity are outdated and archaic . “Those parts of the Bible aren’t relevant to today. Those things were when the people during that time got married when they were teens; so they didn’t have to struggle with sexual temptation like we do now.” 1 Corinthians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 12:21, Galatians 5:19, Hebrews 13:4 and Deuteronomy 22:13-28, all which condemn sex before marriage, If sex before marriage is okay because people supposedly can’t control themselves, then it must be okay to engage in pornography, too, right?. If scriptures in the Bible became untrue because people can’t control their desires, then we’d also have to cut out the commandments on stealing, lying, cheating and having affairs. Lie # 2- Sex produces intimacy that you need to build a relationship. Dr. Patricia Love, the author of The Truth About Love, writes that a feeling of intimacy is created by a “chemical cocktail” that is produced in the brain during sex and stays with each person for up to 24 hours after intercourse. On the flip side, having sex is no guarantee that the deep emotional intimacy that everyone longs for will develop. “Genital sex is an expression of intimacy, not the means to intimacy. True intimacy springs from verbal and emotional communion. True intimacy is built on a commitment to honesty, love and freedom. True intimacy is not primarily a sexual encounter. Intimacy, in fact, has almost nothing to do with our sex organs. A prostitute may expose her body, but her relationships are hardly intimate.” Lie # 3 – Sex can help you determine compatibility? Many people feel it is unreasonable to expect him to abstain from sex before marriage because no one would buy a car without test driving it; so he couldn’t imagine committing to marriage without taking a “sex test drive.” The “test drive” mentality could lead you to unreal expectations and the lack of commitment. Many say that is untrue. However, the logic is faulty. Here’s why: If it was true that a person wouldn’t struggle with comparison, why would you need to “test drive” anything? After all, if you didn’t ever have multiple partners, you would automatically think his wife the best. For example, the man who hasn’t ever seen or driven more than one car doesn’t know what other cars are like; therefore he would be satisfied with his automobile. Partners can also feel threatened if they think their mate could be comparing them with previous partners. The reality is that we live in a dangerous damaged world. Each day we are fed more and more lies that allow us to lower are standards. How far are you willing to lower yours to feel like everyone else? It is time we rethought all the things we have been sold as truth. Why must any more of us suffer from “is she better, or is she great disease”? But it can be hard to truly gauge the potential depth of a sexual connection when there’s uncertainty or pressure involved. Fact is, sex is the place where all the separate parts of us – our bodies and souls, our vulnerabilities and most secret desires, our ability to create physical and spiritual life – come together. And it’s within the freedom of a commitment that these things can best be acknowledged, explored, and given space to run wild. Otherwise we are just falling short of what we could have. Related Stories How to Begin Crafting A New You The Borgias Marries Sex, Worship and Lies Minute Meditation:Prayer to Accept Change An Open Letter To A “Basketball Wife” [Opinion] Is It Beauty, Brains, Or Both?
A healthy sex drive enhances your quality of life. Check out these top 5 super fruits to enhance your sex drive. A healthy sex life is just as important as other aspects of your life. In our pursuit of living balanced lives too often sex is not factored into the equation. We have a tendency to focus on careers, business, finances, and the daily To-Do lists. With so much going on every day it is easy to put our love lives on the back burner, neglecting our partners and even our own needs. The top 5 super fruits that enhance your sex drive are: 1. Pomegranate It’s contents are antioxidants such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and tannins. Antioxidants does wonder in preventing the aging process in our body. Furthermore it can help us to fight many medical conditions. Heart disease, arthritis, hemorrhages, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, bronchitis are among the medical conditions that risk can be significantly reduced by antioxidants. Aside from helping health in general, it’s beneficial that pomegranate juice can enhance sexual stamina . 2. Goji Goji berries possess the capability of enhancing the human libido. In Asian countries, these berries have traditionally been used as a sexual tonic, which helps to improve the sex drive in both women and men. As people age, the levels of testosterone- the male sex hormone,drop down reducing the sex drive. Intake of Goji berries increases the levels of testosterone secreted especially in males, thereby improving their sex drive . 3. Acai berry Pronounced ah-sah-yee, acai is drunk more commonly than milk in Brazil; a magic fruit potion that fuels the hedonistic energy. Modern science has studied the nutritional composition of this fruit and has determined that the natural compounds that increase overall energy and well-being also improve sexual function. Acai is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates. The acai berry is the perfect fuel for any physical activity, including sex. Natives also swear that the acai berry improves one’s mental state, contributing to a feeling of well being that contributes to a healthy sex drive. When it comes to acai berry & sex, the collaboration is obvious. This tropical fruit enhances health and dramatically increases energy, thus preparing the body for better and more frequent sexual activity . 4. Noni Noni juice is a naturally occurring antioxidant. The active ingredients in Noni juice are similar in structure to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Low serotonin levels are linked to depression. Therefore, by drinking healthy noni juice you can increase your levels of xeronine and therefor feel better mentally. Sex drives are related directly to how a person feels about themselves. Healthy Noni juice can boost not only the immune system but enhance an individual mind and soul. People should consider Noni juice as a natural and healthy alternative to harsh chemical medicines which supposedly increased sex drives and sexual performance . 5. Mangosteen One of the biggest health benefits of Mangosteen Juice is that it boosts the immune system. This is due to the antioxidants and xanthones that it contains. The juice will also give you a boost in energy levels as well. In various parts of the world, it is believed that this juice can cure everything from simple illness to cancer, but this has not been documented. The juice has been used in Asia for over 400 years, however, to treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions – which makes it amazing that no scientific research has actually been conducted. It is believed that the juice can also help to prevent heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, the juice can help you to avoid bacterial infections. The best way to increase your sex drive is to work on feeling better about yourself. Enjoy the super fruits and have a taste of this week’s Yoga Flava Video Snack entitled “Hip Opener”. The hips hold emotion, these gentle movements help to release the tension and open up the mobility of the hips to achieve sexual ecstasy . Related articles: 9 Everyday Edible Aphrodisiacs Open Your Heart: Invitation To Intimacy How To Build Sexy Core Strength [VIDEO]
Today begins Autism Awareness Month. Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. Actress, talk show host and mother of four, Holly Robinson-Peete recently shared on CBS afternoon show, THE TALK about her family’s journey with son RJ who has the condition. Holly and Rodney’s Story Part 1 Related Article: Join Holly Robinson-Peete and support “Genius of Autism” [Video] Holly and Rodney’s Story Part 2 Related Article: Holly Robinson Peete’s Son RJ is Honoree For “Genius of Autism” [Video] Click here for CBS “The Talk” website For more information go to: HollyRod Foundation Autism Society Autism Speaks follow me on twitter- @elev8_Kelly
Spring is a wonderful time to create new family habits for a fresh start. Some people consider spring time the real new year. Here are some tips for creating new habits for your family: 1. Commit to Thirty Days – Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. If your family can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. A month is a good block of time to commit to a change since it easily fits in the family calendar. 2. Make it Daily – Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick. If the family wants to start exercising, go for a walk or an play an active family Wii game day for your family’s first thirty days. Going a couple times a week will make it harder to form the habit. Activities you do once every few days are trickier to lock in as habits. 3. Start Simple – Don’t try to completely change your family life in one day. It is easy to get over-motivated and take on too much. If you wanted to study two hours a day, first make the habit to go for thirty minutes and build on that. 4. Stay Consistent – The more consistent your habit the easier it will be to stick. If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your thirty days. When cues like time of day, place and circumstances are the same in each case it is easier to stick. 5. Replace Lost Needs – If you are giving up something in your habit, make sure you are adequately replacing any needs you’ve lost. If watching television gave you a way to relax, you could take up meditation or reading as a way to replace that same need. 6. Be Imperfect – Don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately. It took me four independent tries before I started exercising regularly. Now I love it. Try your best, but expect a few bumps along the way. 7. Use “But” – A prominent habit changing therapist once told me this great technique for changing bad thought patterns. When you start to think negative thoughts, use the word “but” to interrupt it. “I’m no good at this, but, if I work at it I might get better later.” 8. Remove Temptation – Restructure your environment so it won’t tempt you in the first thirty days. Remove junk food from your house, cancel your cable subscription, throw out the cigarettes so you won’t need to struggle with willpower later. 9. Run it as an Experiment – Withhold judgment until after a month has past and use it as an experiment in behavior. Experiments can’t fail, they just have different results so it will give you a different perspective on changing your habit. 10. Write it Down – A piece of paper with a resolution on it isn’t that important. Writing that resolution is. Writing makes your family goal ideas more clear and focuses you on your end result. Related article: Affirmation: “I am going to relax and have fun with this, no matter what” 10 Tips To Prepare To Spring Into Action 3 Financial Habits To Break In 2011 Minute Meditation: Prayer For Family
