Welcome, Floyd R. Blair! 

Lutheran Services of Georgia is excited to welcome new President and CEO, Floyd R. Blair, Esq.  Blair, as he likes to be called, has many years of progressive leadership experience managing diverse education and health and human service systems.

In his professional career, Blair has held a number of highly distinguished government positions. He served as a governor-appointed Deputy Commissioner for Connecticut's Department of Children and Family Services and Deputy Secretary for Maryland's Department of Human Resources. Prior to that, he served as the governor-appointed Executive Director for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services. Blair also served as an appointed Senior Advisor to President Bush's White House Faith-Based & Community Initiatives Program. He also served as a Congressional Fellow for Congressman Edolphus Towns, 10th Congressional District of Brooklyn. 

Blair is an ordained Elder (Upper Room Full Gospel Baptist Church of Brooklyn, NY) and was a Vicar for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). He is a recipient of the 2010-11 ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission Scholarship Award. He is married and is the proud father of five children. He is a licensed attorney and member of the state bar and the U.S. District Court of Maryland.

Lutheran Services of Georgia welcomes Blair to their agency!

Welcome neighbor! 

In 2011, Lutheran Services of Georgia underwent a series of changes, including a new logo, website, and mission statement - and it seems that 2012 will be another year of big change. LSG recently moved into the the Robert W. Woodruff Volunteer Service Center located at 100 Edgewood Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, just upstairs from the synod office. LSG now occupies the 18th floor - the entire top floor of the building.  Join the synod staff in welcoming LSG at their open house Wednesday, August 1, 2012 from 4PM-7PM.  Directions to the Woodruff Building can be found here or on the synod website, http://www.elca-ses.org/Directions.html.

 
LSG believes that this move will enable the next decade to be marked with continued growth in serving and engaging the community to bring hope, healing, and strength to people in need in Georgia.

The synod office recently received copies of letters of thanks from the congregations of the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatelmala (ILAG) to congregations in the St. Paul Area and Southeastern Synods.  Below is a sample of the wonderful letters sent. 

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In Christ Jesus we send you the most cordial greeting wishing success in the daily work of your church. May the Lord give you more strength to continue going forward in the ministry He has commended into your hands.

 The reason for this letter is to thank you for the corn seed and the corn that was delivered for the members of our church. It was of much help for our church. We do not have the means to pay you back for the great effort you made to raise those funds that is supporting our daily bread. We know that you did this with the help of God--you were able to support our church.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Never forget that we are praying for you every Sunday. We hope you can continue visiting us soon to encourage the members of the church. Do not forget brothers and sisters that we are awaiting you with our arms open and that you are welcome in our community. We take leave off you praying to our Lord Jesus Christ that He continues pouring the most rich and abundant blessings over your dear families. We ask you to carry us always in your prayers.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." 

by Connie Person

Chair, Southeastern Synod Health Ministry Task Force

Many of the Southeastern Synod's children will soon be going back to school. How do your children fare when it comes to eating a nutritious breakfast before rushing off to school? Do they get out of bed too late to eat before the school bus arrives or do they skip eating entirely, stating that they do not like breakfast?

 A nutritious breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a variety of reasons. Our brains are dependent on food for fuel. Unless we nourish our brain cells and supply them with fresh fuel in the morning, our minds may remain as empty as our stomachs. Children who become cranky, inattentive, nervous or prone to headaches or stomachaches in the early part of the day may be suffering from inadequate morning nourishment. Research shows that children who eat breakfast have improved memory, problem-solving skills, verbal fluency and creative abilities. One ten-year study showed that when both children and adults skipped breakfast, work output was lower, mental reactions were slower, and muscle fatigue increased. Data from the Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys show that individuals who eat breakfast regularly appear to have higher intakes of vitamins, minerals and fiber and consume a lower percent of calories from fat. Recently released data show that regular consumers of breakfast, especially breakfast cereal, get fewer and less severe colds than non-consumers.

There are a variety of ways that we can make breakfast fast, appealing, tasty and nutritious for children. While food selection for breakfast is limited only by our imaginations, a good breakfast should include protein, fiber, fat and water-soluble vitamins, and an abundance of minerals including calcium, iron and potassium. Some ideas for ensuring that your children eat a nutritious breakfast and are ready for a busy day are:  

• plan ahead by making interesting dishes that need only to be warmed or served in the morning
• involve your children in the planning and preparation of make-ahead dishes
• choose high fiber, low fat, low glycemic index foods
• try combinations of foods that you might not have tried before
• allow 20 extra minutes in the morning to eat breakfast with your children
• remember that breakfast does not have to consist only of traditional breakfast foods
• remind your children that a nutritious breakfast will help to increase their "brain power" - and who doesn't want to be smarter!  

If your children still do not want to eat breakfast, remember that non-breakfast eaters who begin to eat small servings in the morning find that they gradually develop morning appetites.

References:

Goldbeck, Nikki and David, The Good Breakfast Book, Making Breakfast Special. Ceres Press, Woodstock, NY, 1992.

School Nutrition Association, www.asfsa.org