Maintaining a spiritual focus has allowed my strength to endure and overcome trails and tribulations. I invite you to meditate on the thought of the month provided by:

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell
The Word Made Truth Ministry
76 Livingston Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801

(828) 279-8562

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell also have a prison ministry. Please feel free to ask questions pertaining to the thought of the month.

MAY 2007

Do you want to be GREAT?

Mark 10-37-44 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
It is astonishing how we as people want to be great for all the wrong reasons. But the word of God defines greatness differently than the secular world. In the secular world greatness is defined by the vastness of our material possessions and positions. However, God’s word clearly states that greatness has little if any thing to do with earthly possessions or positions. If we want to be great in the kingdom of God we simply have to be a servant. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was great not simply because of his possessions or position, but for his great act of love and service to the world. When Jesus came to this earth he had all power in his hand, but he laid down his power so that we might gain power over sin, death, and the grave. Jesus took the position of the sacrificial lamb by allowing Himself to died between two thieves on an old rugged cross. Many times we interpret incorrectly our position when we are going through periods of suffering despite working to serve and be all that God has called us to be. Let us be reminded, that the position that Jesus took on the cross (suffering and dying in a humiliating manner for our sins) brought us salvation.

May we always be reminded in these last and challenging days that:
1. greatness is about serving mankind (not being self servicing).
2. greatness involves doing the work of the Master (we are here for an appointed time and plan, so let us be about seeking God’s will).
3. greatness is not determine simply by our possessions or positions (unless we possess the spirit of God and find ourselves in the position of bended knees seeking first the kingdom of God).

Do you want to be great? In the word of Martin Luther King, Jr. “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
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Prayer
Almighty God,

Thank you for your amazing grace and mercy. Thank you for opening up our blinded eyes that we may see you and your will for our lives. Forgive us for our sins and our desires for greatness for self-servicing purposes. Help us to remember the great commission that you gave, to “go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Today we commit ourselves to be the servants you are calling for so that one day we may here You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Amen.

DID YOU KNOW???


An Innocent Name for a Deadly Drug

http://abcnews. go.com/Nightline /story?id= 3023299&page=1

A New Kind Of Heroin Called 'Cheese' Is Turning Teens Into Addicts and Causing Deaths

Drug dealers are mixing heroin with over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol PM to create a highly addictive drug that resembles Parmesan cheese. This "cheese" is marketed to school children in Texas, and police believe it's responsible for a growing number of teenage deaths in the Dallas area.

From Nightline

By CHRIS BURY
May 24, 2007



In the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas, police believe that an innocuous sounding substance is responsible for the drug overdose deaths of 21 people, all younger than 21-years-old.

The "cheese," as it's called on the street, is a highly-addictive mixture of black tar heroin and over-the-counter sedatives such as Tylenol PM.

Popular With Kids
The drug has become popular in some middle and high schools because it is so cheap -- single doses are sold for $2 or $3 -- and because no needles are necessary.

Sgt. Jeremy Liebbe, a narcotics officer for the Dallas Independent School District Police, said drug dealers have targeted a new market for "cheese" -- school kids as young as 9 years old.

"To market heroin to kids," Liebbe said, "you've got to get rid of the needle, because even the hardcore cheese users have said, 'I wouldn't stick a needle in my arm to get high, but I'll snort it up my nose.' So you've got to get rid of the needles and you've got to make it cheap enough for kids to afford."

Liebbe believes the nickname "cheese" originates from the Spanish word "chiva," which is street slang for heroin. The mixture also has the consistency, if not the color, of Parmesan cheese.

One 17-year-old girl recovering from a heroin overdose in a Dallas rehabilitation center said she became addicted after using "cheese" as often as four or five times a day.

The girl, a junior in high school, said students would snort the mixture in class or school bathrooms using hollowed-out ballpoint pens. "Cheese" became popular, the teenager said, "because it's so cheap."


Trafficked By Gangs
Police in the Dallas area first noticed "cheese" in August 2005. Since then, they have handled more than 200 cases, most of them in Hispanic neighborhoods.

"The guys bringing it in are usually the Mexican-affiliated gangs," said Liebbe. "They're going to end up selling to the neighborhoods that they're comfortable in."

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO...

Help Kids Sleep All Night

WebMD Feature from "Redbook" Magazine
By Meg Lundstrom



An astounding seven out of 10 children aren't getting enough z's. Here, five top children's sleep-stealers, plus smart strategies that ensure sound slumber for them — and for you.

You tuck your kids into bed with a kiss and a prayer...that they'll drift off quickly and sleep through the night (so you can too!). Sadly, those z's don't always come easy: Nearly 70 percent of kids under age 10 experience some type of sleep problem, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And although sleep needs naturally decrease by about 15 minutes on average every year (1-year-olds require almost 14 hours daily, while a 17-year-old needs at least 8.25 hours), a startling 80 percent of kids ages 11 to 17 get less than the recommended amount, and 54 percent of 17-year-olds don't get to bed before 11 p.m.

Unfortunately, lost sleep can do more than just leave kids groggy and grumpy. Studies show that children who are sleep-deprived are more likely to be depressed, to catch colds and flu, and to suffer accidents on the playground. Just one hour less of sleep a night causes measurable memory and concentration problems. Behavioral problems, such as whining and short tempers, also shoot up. In fact, the frenzied energy and lack of focus in some sleep-challenged kids is often mistaken for attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. And those who get less than 10 hours a night are three times more likely to be obese than those getting 12 or more, putting them at higher risk of diabetes and other weight-related conditions.

The good news: Sleep problems in kids are easily prevented and treated, experts say. You can help the entire family get more rest by addressing these major roadblocks to a good night's sleep.


Overscheduling

Participation in too many after-school activities can get kids amped up, pushing back dinnertime, homework time—and bedtime. Compared to 1981, now the average kid has almost two hours less of unstructured time each day. Instead, they spend twice as much time in structured competitive sports, while good old-fashioned outdoor play—the running, jumping, and catch-playing that reduces stress and helps them sleep at night—has dropped by more than half. A rule of thumb: "If your kid never says, 'I'm bored,' he's overscheduled," says child psychologist Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., coauthor of Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep and associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . "Sit down with your child and tell him, 'You're allowed to do two things this season: one sport and another activity. Which will it be?'"

Sneaky Caffeine
Even just one caffeinated drink a day robs children of half an hour of sleep each night—another reason to monitor your child's intake of sugar-laden sodas. But caffeine can lurk in lots of surprising places, including bottled teas, chocolate, and coffee-flavored ice cream. Hefty amounts can also be found in over-the-counter medications such as Anacin, Excedrin, and Dristan, so scan the active and inactive ingredients lists for caffeine before you give your child one of these meds. And check drink and protein bar labels for guarana, a common herbal stimulant.

Nightmares
Bad dreams are often triggered by real-life events that frighten kids, including immunizations, being left alone, or accidents—not to mention the scary impressions left by a few minutes of the nightly news report. "Nightmares are actually good for a child. They're a way to process and make sense of both real and imaginary fears, which enables him to deal with them better in his waking life," says pediatrician Alan Greene, M.D., author of From First Kicks to First Steps and a clinical assistant professor at Stanford University . "If a nightmare wakes him up, your best approach is to comfort him and tuck him back into bed, then give him the opportunity the next day to draw pictures or tell stories to work through the underlying issues."

If your child screams, moans, or thrashes wildly in the middle of the night, and is glassy-eyed and unresponsive when you try to console him, he is probably having night terrors. As distressing as his behavior is for you to witness, it's simply a sign that he's stuck between two stages of non-REM sleep. He won't even remember the event the next morning, so it's better left unmentioned. Night terrors often occur when a child is potty training or overtired, so try leading him to the bathroom or letting him sleep a little longer in the mornings or during naps.

A Hidden Health Concern
If your child snores heavily off and on, thrashes about in bed, and awakens frequently, her struggles with sleeping may signal an underlying health condition that requires attention. "Probably 60 percent of children brought to our clinic have sleep issues related to a physical reason," says Mindell. One common culprit: sleep apnea, a condition characterized by temporary breathing disruptions during slumber. Childhood cases have skyrocketed by 436 percent in the past 20 years, largely because the number of overweight children has tripled to 16 percent in the same period (excess fatty tissue in the throat can block airways).

Other sneaky sleep-stealers include respiratory problems such as asthma and allergies, as well as restless legs syndrome (a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move your legs when they're at rest) and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder marked by brief "sleep attacks" that come on during the day). If lifestyle changes such as nixing caffeine or moving the TV don't solve your little one's sleeplessness within two to four weeks, see your pediatrician or visit one of 2,000 sleep clinics nationwide to get the proper diagnosis and treatment. For a sleep clinic in your area, log on to sleepcenters. org. Getting to the root of the problem will help you and your child rest easy.

http://children. webmd.com/ features/ help-kids- sleep-all- night?page= 1

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__________________________________________________________________________________

| Tate Publishing and Enterprises, LLC |

~Publisher’s Press Release: For Immediate Release~

Contact:

Mark Mingle, Marketing Representative mmingle@tatepublishing.com

Tate Publishing and Enterprises

(888) 361-9473

Contact author Priscilla Robinson Ndiaye directly:

mrsmamadou2000@yahoo.com

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Local Author Provides Help to Parents, Youth, and Community

Tate Publishing and Enterprises is proud to announce the release of the new book A Mother’s Cry: He’s Still My Child by local Asheville, North Carolina, author Priscilla Robinson Ndiaye. To celebrate this release, Ndiaye will be signing copies of her new book in Asheville at the Barnes and Noble Booksellers on Saturday, June 9, 2007, from 1pm to 3pm and in Charlotte at the North Lake Borders store on Saturday, June 23, from 1pm to 3pm.

In A Mother’s Cry: He’s Still My Child, you will enter the world of:

• Child vs. Parent – Realize how important it is to establish a nurturing and loving relationship, which is the main ingredient of a strong foundation in parental responsibility.

• Society vs. Parent – Be exposed to the challenges a parent incurs within the schools, juvenile court systems, and even from family. Learn how to get results.

• Parent vs. Self – Feel emotions of hurt, anger, disbelief, stress, determination, courage, and satisfaction! Find your point of getting over denial and letting go of guilt, while working toward balance, in the midst of A Mother’s Cry: He’s Still My Child.

Author Priscilla Robinson Ndiaye is a native of Asheville, North Carolina. She is married to Mamadou Ndiaye, a native of Senegal, West Africa, and is the mother of two sons and grandmother of seven children. She is the oldest of eight siblings.

While living in California, Ndiaye previously served as the Family Support Group Leader, in which she assisted military families with different challenges. In 1994, Ndiaye developed a strong interest in support groups and information on parents’ and students’ rights.

In Washington state, Ndiaye became involved with a parent support group, Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP). STOMP equipped Ndiaye with knowledge of the education system and coached her in how to effectively advocate.

Upon returning to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1995, Ndiaye’s strong yearning to assist people, especially children, led her to become more involved with the legal side of parenting. She volunteered as a Guardian ad Litem and became an advocate for abused and neglected children placed in state custody.

Ndiaye was prompted to write A Mother’s Cry: He’s Still My Child because so many parents, at wits end, are still approaching her with a feeling that no one is there to help, no one understands, and no one cares. Parents have expressed a desire to know how she handled challenges within a challenging system. In her book, Ndiaye reveals personal incidents, as well as her thoughts, feelings, and actions in handling her challenges.

A Mother’s Cry: He’s Still My Child may be purchased nationwide from any bookstore, or online through several internet web sites including amazon.com and walmart.com, or you may email orders@tatepublishing.com to order the book. For more information about A Mother’s Cry: He’s Still My Child, visit www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore or the author’s website at www.priscillapower.com.

127 E. Trade Center Terrace | Mustang, OK | Toll Free (888) 361-9473 | www.tatepublishing.com | Fax (405) 376-4401