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Greetings good friends! Happy February and a Happy Valentine's Day to you, as well! We sure hope this finds you well. The flu has been making it's rounds and our flu shots have been flying off the shelf! We can never stress enough how very important it is to keep your hands washed and take precautions when it comes to contagious illnesses!
Since it is the month of love and matters of the heart, The American Heart Association has used this month to bring awareness to the seriousness of heart disease in our day. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year! In support, they ask folks to wear red on February 1st. For more about this cause, check out Heart.org .
As mentioned in the article below, giving can feel so good and can be so good for us! We all like to do nice things for those closest to us, but as Valentine's Day draws near, let's consider "showing some love" to those we encounter out in the community everyday. "Random Acts of Kindness" or "Paying it Forward", whatever you may call it, the premise is the same...Love. Need some inspiration? Find it here! From holding a door open to paying for the meal behind you in the drive through, you'll find lots of good ideas to get you started. Share your stories of kindness with us on Facebook or Twitter! We'd love to hear all about it! God bless you on your Giving Journey!
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Children and dental care
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Did you know the ADA recommends that parents take children to a dentist no later than their first birthday and then at intervals recommended by their dentist? Although the first visit is mainly for the dentist to examine your child's mouth and to check growth and development, it's also about your child being comfortable with your dentist and allowing him/her to do what is necessary for an exam. To make the visit positive: 1) Consider making a morning appointment when children tend to be rested and cooperative. 2) Keep any anxiety or concerns you have to yourself. Children can pick up on your emotions, so emphasize the positive. 3) Never use a dental visit as a punishment or threat. 4) Never bribe your child. 5) Talk with your child about visiting the dentist.
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Why Giving is Good for You!
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 The scripture tells us that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and that the Lord loves a cheerful giver. Giving isn't something we should only do once a year. It should become a regular habit! Whether you donate money or time, giving back Research has shown this is true after all. A Gallup survey on volunteering in the U.S.A. found that 52% of volunteers do it because they like doing something useful and helping others. Another 38% said they enjoy doing volunteer work and feeling good about themselves. Besides feeling good about yourself for doing something for others, giving back is also good for your physical health. In a Canadian study, 85% of Ontario volunteers rated their health as "good," compared to 79% of non-volunteers. Only 2% of volunteers reported "poor" health, one-third the amount of non-volunteers who reported the same health status. Still other studies have shown a relationship between volunteering and increased self-esteem, with volunteers reporting both greater personal empowerment and better health. Doing for others may stimulate the release of endorphins, which has been linked to improved nervous and immune system functions, too. Many people report a "high" from volunteering, similar to the good feelings that come from exercise. Others have found that volunteering can help fight depression. Helping others can help take your mind off your own problems and enable you to see the bigger picture. Once you see the difference you can make in another person's life, your own problems can seem smaller and more manageable. As more research is showing that people with fewer social contacts have shorter life spans than people with wide social circles, regardless of race, income level or other lifestyle factors. If you are lonely or live in an area far away from friends and family, volunteering is one way to build a social life and improve your emotional and physical health at the same time.
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RSV: What You Need To Know
Coinciding with this season's flu outbreak is an upsurge of another illness that can be dangerous, even deadly, especially for infants: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
While most parents are familiar with the flu, many have never heard of RSV. It's the same virus that is the leading cause of the common cold -- and infects almost all children by age 2.
"The vast majority of kids who get RSV just have cold symptoms and get better," says Dr. Robert Wiskins, Georgia president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "A minority of them develop bronchiolitis (an inflammation of tiny air passages in the lungs specific to babies and young children) -- and a very small percentage have significant problems."
When RSV attacks the lungs, it is particularly dangerous for newborns and babies born prematurely. Pneumonia and other bronchial complications can set in quickly. RSV spreads much like the flu -- exposure from others who are coughing or sneezing and by direct skin-to-skin contact. The virus can live for hours on contaminated surfaces such as toys. It is most contagious during first few days of infection.
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What is LOVE? 
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails.
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