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Don’t Toast Your Laps!

If you are like me then you probably work on your laptop while it is placed comfortably on your lap. Watching movies, browsing the internet, facebooking, chatting with friends and family, my lap top is always on me lap and for long periods, well I just found out that I may be toasting my lap.

Most people place their lap tops on their laps “that’s why it’s called a laptop right?” well now it has been discovered that this can be a very dangerous practice. In an article written by the Associated Press in 2010 revealed that this practice is toasting our laps and can lead to serious discomfort and injuries. The heat coming from the bottom of the laptop is going directly on to the lap and basically toasts it. This is now being referred to as “Toasted Lap Syndrome”. Students typically find a cozy spot somewhere and prop their laptops on their laps and work on papers and this can sometimes last for hours during the day. The over exposure of the heat directly to the skin burns the skin and after a period of time discolouration starts to appear and may look like a bruise of a heat burn. This type of burn is similar in appearance in some to serious sun burn or burns from hot water bottles or from over exposure to ovens and other heating systems.

In the summer of 2010 I realized that the skin on my right lap had turn this purplish blue and was a bit sore compared to the other lap. I had no idea what it was but stopped putting things on my lap altogether and applied lots of soothing cream on to it. It was while browsing the internet that I came upon the article and realized what it was.

So far there is no link to skin cancer but dermatologists warn that prolonged use of this practice may lead to it. Dermatologists have also sent  laptop users some tips on how  to protect their laps from being toasted. The first tip is to refrain from placing the lap top directly onto your lap, instead use a book or a pillow under the lap top. Secondly, if you must only place the laptop on your lap for short periods of time. Finally, after exposing your skin to the heat of the lap top use a soothing cream on to the area where it was placed as a way of releasing the heat.

Hope that you will take not of this to toast bread and not your laps, but this makes me wonder if manufactures will now change the name from laptops to something else to help deter people from placing their lap tops on their laps?

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He Say

Religion versus Spirituality

To my understanding being spiritual has to do with having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ or whomever one believe or find God to be. Being religious is an expression of worship and the observation of tradition set by God or men according to one’s chosen religion. Quite frankly, I found no fault in either; therefore I don’t believe there should be a division of the two.

 

Almost ten months ago I was neither spiritual, nor religious; nevertheless God chose me. Before my conversion one can say that I was simply “living it up” as if there was no God. Now, for me to accept my calling I had to recognize there was and is a God; as a result of this desire I sought to build a relationship with Him and because of that I guess I am spiritual, then I had to find my way to His sanctuary every weekend to go offer my praise and do my “rituals” because of this routine I became religious, I hope that make sense.

Understand, religion does not save, but I see real danger in people who believe that they can be spiritual without joining a religious organization, and here’s why. People with such belief tend to display a false sense of spiritual completeness; consequently, getting trap in new age ideologies such as God is in everything, He is in the trees, the moon, and the stars, God is in me, God is in you, all you have to do is search the inner you. That idea can be confusing and misleading.

If you are someone who believes that you do not need a church family or for any reason think you do not have to belong to an organized religious group to be spiritual, I want you to consider this scripture Matthew 23:1-3. As hypocritical as the scribes and the Pharisees were Jesus found His way to the synagogue every Sabbath to worship, He did not ask His disciples to follow Him to start a new church. Today, there are thousands of religious organizations accommodating people’s feelings rather than teaching truth. In the days of Christ it was law with no love, but now its love with no law. Well just as you cannot separate being spiritual from being religious neither can you separate love from law. Today, everybody want to unite in error join hands and sing “”Kumbayah” and if you cleave to your principals or say thus says the Lord, you are too religious and judgmental or you don’t love enough, well in reading   1 Corinthians 13:6 you see truth equals love.

God bless

Name: Sony

Age: 30

Occupation: Student

Location: Bahamas

 

 

 

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She Say,

Religion vs. Spirituality

Many people today believe religion and spirituality is synonymous.  When people talk about spirituality, we tell them that they are being religious, and when others talk about religion we tell them that they are being spiritual.  This belief, however, is not true.  They are not synonymous.  In fact, they are very different.

Religion by definition is a system of beliefs, attitudes, and practices.  It is like a guideline for us to follow.  Because it is a set of things that must be done, it easily becomes routine.  It becomes meaningless and empty.  On its own, it accomplishes nothing.  Though many believe that it can save them, it cannot.  It is supposed to help assist in making our faith deeper.  Instead, we use it to label, judge, and categorize each other.  It is no wonder that so many are turned off by it.

Spirituality, on the other hand, is something more personal.  There is no guideline for it.  Instead, it has to be experienced.  We feel it, and it transforms us.  Each person goes through a different experience, and the result is closeness with God.  Being personal makes it more real.  Instead of having God be some old man sitting back and watching or judging the world, He becomes someone we can go up and talk to.  We can confide in him.  He becomes real.

Spirituality is hard to confine with the rules of religion.  Because it is personal, you cannot judge it.  It makes us broaden our horizons instead of viewing everyone and everything with narrow mindedness.

Nevertheless, religion is not a bad thing.  Rather, religion is supposed to help enhance spirituality.  They are to work together.  Religion helps deepen spirituality.  It also allows us to fellowship and relate to others who share the same views and beliefs.  We are to use it to help each other, not bring each other down.

In the end, even though they are different, they are not mutually exclusive.  They must work together and find a balance.  Perhaps if more people realized this, the world would be a happier place.

Name: Hattie

Age: 20

Occupation: Student, Psychology Major

Location; Canada

 

Hattie

 

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Dear Diary;

Dear Diary:

I will be 25 years old on September 14 2010.
My husband Marc and I have been happily married from September 13th, 2008. Our second anniversary is in ten days yay.

Before we got married we had our conversations of what we wanted in life, one of the things that we discussed was that we did not want to have any children kids in our first year of marriage so we can enjoy and get to know each other as husband & wife. We also decided to wait until we got our finances and some properties together. We got a house last year June so that was a big step for us. During celebrations of our first wedding anniversary our family started asking the baby questions and we thought it was time to start trying and so the fun began. We tried for three months and nothing happened so I gave up and started thinking that maybe it would not happen. I remember crying just around Christmas time because I saw my lady friend however, my husband who is a God believer and my strength told me to just have faith and that it will happen.

Another three months went by and still nothing, even though at this point we were not really trying anymore. On April 26th 2010 we went to our family doctor for our yearly check up, it was recommended   to take a number of test including the H.I.V and pregnancy test. The nurse walked in and told me I was positive so when Marc came back and I told him that we were positive he thought she meant we were HIV positive. He was shock until I explained to him we didn’t have H.I.V but that we are going to be parents. He started smiling & hugging me and the first thing we said out loud after that was “ THANK YOU LORD”. We felt so happy and blessed at the same time. My husband was so happy that he was going to be a father. He then started saying that it would be a boy and that he cannot wait to meet him and teach him everything he knew including maintenance of a car.

Dear Diary

We plan to raise him the best way we can, to give him everything we have more. We will raise him as a Christian because he is our miracle child and a gift from God. I felt like Sarah the mother of Isaac  and Hannah the mother of Samuel from the Bible, so you should know how grateful I am to be expecting and I simply can’t wait to meet him. I don’t have any fears. I feel like I was just chosen to carry him but he’s not really my child I’ll just be his guardian here on earth and that we need to guide him in the right direction. My husband Marc plays a major role he is so excited that it driving me crazy. First he has to kiss my tummy everyday and talk to our little one. Then he calls me at work or home for me to put the phone next to my stomach so he can tell him how much he loves him and that he should behave when I am having morning sickness. He also sleeps with his hand on my stomach and constantly say how our lives will change and how he can already imagine the baby leaving his bed to come and sleep in the middle of us. So far every single food that I crave Marc gets me with no complaints. He is so gentle, sweet and kind. He’s going to be the best dad ever.

Dear Diary

My wardrobe must change but I refuse to wear maternity clothes, I have a lot of summer dresses that I’m wearing to  work.
All I can say is that I am really, really, happy, blessed and lucky and I  thank you Jesus every time I feel his kicks.

Love Tasha

Editor’s note * It is with deep regret that we inform you that this precious bundle of joy entered this world prematurely and passed away on December 10th 2010 at 12:34pm. His mom and dad are doing fine and have accepted that their precious one was simply too precious for this world. We pray God continuous peace and guidance on them.

 

 

 

Tacha and Baby Marc