God says: Let me love you

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Happy Valentine’s Day! 

While some eagerly await this day each year, encouraged and inspired by thoughts and gestures of love, others refuse to be entangled by the trap of consumerism and subsequent spending in an attempt to demonstrate love, as if such a sentiment can be found through a purchase.

Still, I encourage you to drop all notions of what the world has made this day to be and see it as a day to allow yourself to be fully enwrapped in God’s love and service of those around you, whom God also loves.

While the world screams, you must have a valentine on this day to prove your self worth, or significant other the rest of the year, this is not what God says.

God declares us beautiful:

Psalm 45:11: “The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.”

God delights in us: 

Zephaniah 3:17:  “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”God covers us such as an eagle wraps its young in its arms

Deuteronomy 32:10: “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste.He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye,like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him.”

God does not love the way the world does: 

Isaiah 49:15: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

God paid a high price for us:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”

In fact, God says we are to love nothing or anyone above him:

Leviticus 26:1: “‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.”

Deuteronomy 4:24: “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Song of Songs 8:4: “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.”

God is the only one who can love us more than anyone in this world can.  For it is He who teaches us how to love others because he is love.

1 John 4:16: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

God invites us to a reckless love with him.  He desires to fill the aching of our hearts, and a place that only he can reside.  By contrast, movies, society, media, and others gently nudge us to believe we will only find this type of love in a mate.

Instead, a loved one should only add to who we are.  We are whole people without a mate, though if we are blessed to experience this in this life, that person should only enhance who God has made us to be.  No one can fill a hole in our heart, though temporarily, this substitute may seem to fit quite well.

I remember a prayer that my friend, Jessica Christofaro, prayed once.  It touched my heart and has stuck with me since.  She was thanking and praising God for making a God-shaped hole in our hearts that only God can fill.  How true is this?

We can look to others, things, success, notoriety, fame, or any number of things to fill this hole, but God made it especially and exclusively for himself.   There will always be a hunger for something more, a lingering question of what else is out there, and a purpose we feel we are destined to fulfill.  And only He can tell us what this entails.

Daniel 2:22 “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.”

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I think of a new and popular song, one with which I have also fallen in love with, “Let Me Love You (until you learn to love yourself)” by Ne-Yo.

Link to the original lyrics are here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/let-me-love-you-until-you-learn-to-love-yourself-lyrics-neyo.html

However, when I hear this song, I imagine God singing to me.  He is the lover of my soul.  And he knows when I sit and when I rise. (Psalm 139)

He is the one who heals my heart and restores my soul.

Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. God binds the broken-hearted.”

God says: (some lyrics modified to fit this blog post :)

Much as you blame yourself,
You can’t be blamed for the way that you feel
Had no example of a love,
That was even remotely real
How can you understand
Something that you never had?
Ooh, (daughter/son), if you let me,
I can help you out with all of that

(Chorus)

(My child) let me love you,
And I will love you,
Until you learn to love yourself.
(My child) let me love you,
I know your trouble
Don’t be afraid,
Let me help
Let me love you,
And I will love you,
Until you learn to love yourself
Let me love you,
A heart in numbness
Is brought to life,
I’ll take you there
Hey, hey

Let me love you (3x)
I can see the pain behind your eyes,
It’s been there for quite a while
I just wanna be the one
To remind you what it is to smile, yeah
I would like to show you
What true love can really do

Chorus      

(Child) let me love you
And all your trouble
Don’t be afraid,
(Child) let me help
Let me love you And I will love you,
Until you learn to love yourself
(Child), let me love you
A heart of numbness Comes back to life I’ll take you there
(Child let me love you) 9x

For every heart that beats, (4x)
Heart that beats, (4x)

Chorus

Enjoy this day the Lord has made.  Someone said to me today, Happy Love Day, which can also be said, Happy God Day!!!!!!

Faith “NOT” on Our Terms:

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I’ve wanted to start a blog now for about three years, but something always seems to get in the way. I now know that, that something is me.

Be it procrastination, intimidation, or just plain fear, l realize now that getting over that initial hump is the worst part, and in many cases it’s all downhill from there.

I love Nike’s motto: “Just do it.” Sometimes you just need to sit down and get to work. Don’t worry how it will come together or how long it will take. Just do it. Set your mind on the goal, and don’t stop until you get there, no matter how many bumps or challenges you may face, or encounter, along the way.

So, Ill start my own journey with sharing some of what I have been learning over the last few years, my joys and hardships.

The hardest lesson for me to learn over the course of the 8 3/4 years I have been a disciple is to have faith despite obstacles, persecution, hardships, disappointments, or when it looks as if there is no way in sight.

(March 7th is my spiritual birthday when I exclaimed, “Jesus is Lord”) WHOOOOHOOO!!!!
Reading the passage below recently reminded me of an elemental truth that is oh so hard to hold onto:

James 2:14:
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? (NIV)
“If people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing.” (NCV)

This scripture really struck me in a new way this week. Which is something I love about the Bible. No matter how many times I read it, it has the ability to touch, convict, rebuke, or encourage me in a new way each time. Not so surprising considering God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12).

The scripture says “if we claim to have faith, but do nothing (meaning action), then our faith is worth nothing, or useless. It’s like having a book on the shelf that has never been read. Years go by and the only thing that touches it is dust.

Normally, it is easy to equate deeds with an action outside of ourselves. This may include any number of things. For example, someone may want to demonstrate his/her faith by reaching out to others. For others, it may mean applying for a job and trusting that after their part is done, God will do his.

An example that sticks in my mind is from the movie Hitch. Yes, Hitch. :) It is the part where Alex Hitchens (Will Smith), the main character of the film and “date doctor” is teaching one of his clients, Albert Brennaman (Kevin James)—a goofy, overweight financial counselor—the rules of kissing.

Hitchens spends his life helping rather “hopeless” men romance the women of their dreams. Yet, a number of different factors may get in the way, such as poor hygiene, bad pick-up lines, or just plain lack of courage.

His motto goes a little like this: “Luckily, the fact is that just like the rest of us, even a beautiful woman doesn’t know what she wants until she sees it, and that’s where I come in. My job is to open her eyes. Basic principles: no matter what, no matter when, no matter who… any man has a chance to sweep any woman off her feet. He just needs the right broom.”

Hitchens tells Brennaman to go 90 percent, or move in about 90 percent of the way, allowing the woman to lean in the remaining 10 percent. With God, I see it this way: we give 10 percent and God gives 90. ALWAYS.

Still, though, God requires effort on our parts. We can’t expect God to find us a job if we don’t do our part when it comes to preparation, job seeking, and networking.

When reexamining this scripture, I realized that the action part, or “deeds” also strongly ties to our thoughts. We can’t necessarily control every thought that comes into our minds. But there are several ways we can safeguard ourselves. For one, if we tend to struggle with lust, and want to overcome this struggle, we have to let it starve and die. What I mean is, for example, actively looking away when someone is immodestly dressed, no longer purchasing inappropriate magazines, or watching steamy television shows and/or television scenes.

But what about those who struggle with heart sin more so than outward sin, such as self-doubt, worry, or being too hard on themselves? I heard once that worry is practical atheism. It is because we are trying to assimilate control over a situation that we really have no control over. The worry gives us a false sense of security, but also can lead to a lot of other problems, including health issues.

2 Corinthians 10:5 reads:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Couldn’t this also apply to our action internally of choosing to trust God instead of our fear, or like emotion?

It’s kind of like cognitive behavioral therapy that we can do with ourselves. That despite being in the heat of an emotion, or even at times paralyzed by a certain emotion, we still can maintain a level of control. We can “talk to” ourselves. The logical (brain) can level with the emotions (heart) going on inside.

In essence God is saying that faith is not just a feeling. Just like true love is not, and cannot, be just a sentiment that waxes and wanes with one’s emotions, faith cannot be either. Despite emotions and/or desire at moments, we choose to love another person the way God would have us love.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

We choose to trust, exercise patience, and serve others even during the worst of feelings or circumstances: feeling wronged, hurt, angry, or just plain lazy.

In the same way, whether we are seeing God work on our terms our not, we choose to have faith in what he is doing. The hardest thing for me to trust God in is that my needs will be taken care of, that my childlike heart will not be ignored or shut down, that my deepest need to be loved will be fulfilled.

Because who are we really to demand our way with God anyways? He wants to hear our heart’s deepest desires, pains, joys, fears, etc., but in no way is it respectful to him or anyone else to demand our own way.

My way, my will, or I will find it elsewhere. It’s as if we are having a spiritual tantrum. And, yes, I have had these before.

In the moments when it is the hardest to trust God, or to understand what he is doing, is when I can make a decision to hold onto the promises he has made. I can choose to believe that God is who he says he is over doubting or worrying that he is not.

All of my life I have always asked the question “why?” to just about everything, honestly driving my parents nuts a good portion of the time.

In math I realized that I was not content at problem solving if I didn’t understand why I was doing it. Never mind the fact that I could do it well and get the right answer. I didn’t have the reason it worked, and this stumped me.

For example, how in the world does A2 + B2= C2? I may never know the answer to this, but it just does. In order to conduct the problem I need to have some sort of belief or confidence that it is going to work. Otherwise, why use it?

With God, I am learning it is the same way. I don’t always understand the what, when, where, or how He is going to do something, I just need to trust. If I begin to question his ability to do something or even his desire, I begin arguing with God himself, thus defaming his character. I begin accusing him that he is not who he says he is. And this must not be.

Why wouldn’t God want his children to have the desires of their hearts?

Psalm 37:4:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

He does! But I have found several loop holes where doubt or selfish ambition can sneak in and prolong the blessing from coming, or if at all.

1) Lack of faith:
Matthew 13:58:
“But Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor’ and he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

2) Wrong motives:
James 4:3:
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

3) Any number of reasons including timing or things too lofty for us to see in the spiritual realm such as with Job: These may include not being ready for what we are asking, it’s not in our best interest, or we fail to see that God has already given us as an answer to our prayers.

But if we know our consciences are clear and motives correct, then we just need a little bit of patience!

So I need to remind myself of the promises God does make. He does not promise, marriage, wealth, fame, success, or even a specific job. But He does promise that “He works for the good of those who love him,” (Romans 8:28) a “hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11), and to take care of us. And he reminds us not to worry about what “we will eat or wear.” (Matthew 6:28-34)

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

One of the hardest areas of my life to trust God in is his desire to take care of my needs. Despite the logic that tells me otherwise, I am extremely fearful because of the way I grew up. My mother struggled with a mental illness for some of the most important years of my emotional development. My father worked in the evenings and didn’t engage with me emotionally. Mostly because he did not know how.

What I needed in those moments was validation, comfort, and emotional protection and guidance. Comforting words such as this would have immediately dissipated even the most crippling fears:

“Erin, it’s ok for you to feel this way. I know you are hurting but we will get through this. Let’s be prayerful and patient. What are we able to do in this exact moment?”
I didn’t expect my father to fix it, I just wanted him to hold me and tell me it was going to be ok, or at least we could come up with a solution together.

But even in reflecting on these situations I have the choice to continue looking at God through the lens of how I grew up, or I can look through a different lens: one that reveals God’s true character through the scriptures. I can choose to trust what He says in his Word and find “proof” for all the ways He’s conducted himself in my life thus far, and all the ways He’s taken care of me no matter the circumstances.

When I take the time to see things through the right glasses, I see an entirely new perspective. And this perspective gives me so much hope!

ELISA experience offers hope for allergy sufferers

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My "before" picture when suffering with acne and other health issues.

Pulling up to the red light at 75th street and Route 83 in Willowbrook, I lost it. Tears rolled down my face as I cried out in helpless frustration that turned to anger as a salty tear rolled over my upper lip.

I had tried everything, yet somehow the solution to my recent explosion of acne seemed to be entirely elusive. Little did I know that acne was only a symptom of a much greater problem, one that would slowly unravel, but not without complications.

That was four years ago. I was 22 and weathering the worst, blistering case of acne of my entire life. I don’t remember ever feeling rested even after sleeping nine hours some nights. At times, I had such severe migraines and sharp pains on the left side of my head that my peripheral vision would go out.

It wasn’t uncommon for me to arrive late for school or work because I just couldn’t drag myself out of bed. Friends and family attributed my acne and fatigue to stress and taking on too much. But I knew there had to be a deeper issue.

Surely I wasn’t stretched more than everyone else who had the same amount of work, school and stress loads as I did? And acne had been an unwelcome companion for years.

I went to my first dermatologist appointment for what was considered “normal” acne at age 16. Each time I arrived at the doctor’s office, I felt ashamed. It seemed she had more of an agenda of convincing me to take medication than to actually listen to my desire to tackle the issue in another way.

Due to the negative information regarding the potential side effects of Accutane, also known as isotretinoin Oral, I refused to try it.

The drug is an oral medication taken for the most severe cases of acne but can cause mild side effects such as nosebleeds, joint pain and hair loss. Severe side effects potentially can involve depression, delusions, abnormal liver function, seizures and hepatitis.

I remember the embarrassment I felt when friends would point out my acne and ask me what I was eating.  Couldn’t they understand this wasn’t within my control? I had no answer and the not knowing was killing me inside.

By 22, I had tried three antibiotics, had changed dermatologists twice, had been prescribed and applied several topical medications, and had fasted periodically from certain foods.

No one could tell me the cause of my skin problems other than the simple answer: acne is caused by greasy secretions of the sebaceous glands resulting in clogged pores. Was there any truth to the saying “you are what you eat?”

I would later find out that foods themselves might not cause acne, but reactions to additives, hormones and steroids could. Immune reactivity to certain foods based on sensitivities also could.

In addition to the shame and energy put into finding a solution, the battle with insurance was another story. My individual insurance plan only partially covered some brand-name prescriptions, leaving me with over $100 per month in bills to continue treatment.

Within the next year, I would be prescribed a medicine typically used for people with high blood pressure—spironolactone.

Spironolactone is used to treat blood pressure primarily, and acne sufferers secondarily but has worked well for young women in their 20s and 30s without the side effects of antibiotics. The issue with long-term use of antibiotics is that they can cause the immune system to build up tolerance and no longer be effective in killing bacteria to treat serious illnesses.

Spironolactone would approach acne from the inside, addressing hormonal issues dealing with androgens, a male sex hormone. In higher levels in the body, androgens are associated with acne.

My first spironolactone prescription was for 30mg and helped initially. But by the end of the year I was taking over 100mg a day, and my period became more and more irregular. To counteract this, the doctor suggested I start birth control to regulate my period, while still having me to continue with the spironolactone treatment.

My acne greatly improved, but not completely, and I wrote off my other symptoms as continued “stress.”

I finally found a solution to my symptoms, though a controversial one.

I first heard of the ELISA/ACT LRA test for food sensitivities from a woman at church. ELISA/ACT LRA stands for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay/Lymphocyte Response Assay with an Advanced Cell Test (ACT) that detects a delayed immune response triggered by white blood cells.

She and her three daughters had all taken the test and found that they were allergic to sugar, among a list of other things. I remember her telling me that when she cut out pineapple and the other foods listed, she lost 17 pounds in one month.

I noticed the youngest daughter’s belly would protrude if she ate sugar. But I shrugged off the test.

I moved to Milwaukee for an internship with my church in October 2009. Although I was on a high dose of spironolactone and taking birth control, I noticed my acne returning, especially after adding dairy slowly back into my diet.

Dairy and wheat were my two go-to foods when fasting and I noticed it helped when I cut them out.  But my symptoms were so sporadic and the ingredient list on these items, depending on the brand and product, were so varied, it would be impossible to figure out exactly what was the source of any of my health issues.

What felt like salvation came when I walked into Dr. Norman Schwartz’s office in Mequon, Wis., at the beginning of 2010. The consult lasted an hour, a welcomed amount of time, considering the fact that an allergy specialist I had seen a few months prior laughed at the idea of testing me for allergies, as a cause of acne, fatigue, or headaches.

He dismissed my symptoms as nothing more than in my head, telling me there is no scientific backing to my concerns over “minor allergies.”

Maybe it had to do with the scientific definition or the wording, but all I wanted to know was the source of my discomfort. Schwartz and I discussed symptoms and options of an elimination diet, but I was positive of what I wanted.

“I want to take the ELISA test right away,” I said. We set up an appointment for a week or so later.  The process was easy and painless involving only a blood test.

In the mean time, I went on a detox diet where I didn’t eat any of the common allergens including: wheat, dairy, soy, chocolate, coffee, citrus and shellfish.

I was advised to only eat meat once or twice a week and fish a couple of times a month due to high mercury levels. He also strongly recommended I eat organic fruits and veggies, freshly squeezed juice, and foods without corn syrup or food colorings and additives.

After taking the ELISA/ACT LRA test that helped change my life and put an end to my symptoms

Within a week, my skin was clearer than it has ever been in my entire life. My pH levels went from the highest acidity level—10—to the most neutral and easiest state for the body to heal itself— 7— in 24 hours.

Americans have higher acidity levels in their systems due higher amounts of dairy, sugar, and meat consumed. The acidity levels were linked to many of my symptoms.

That same week I slept seven hours or less some nights and felt refreshed with no symptoms of fatigue, canker sores, or headaches. I was amazed and couldn’t wait for the results of my test.

Six weeks later I was given a  book of each “hypersensitivity.” Sources tested included foods, chemicals, dyes, molds, and additives.

Upon receiving the results, I was surprised to find lemon and cinnamon among the top two, though not so surprised to learn that corn syrup and Green #5 among others, were listed.

Schwartz swears by the ELISA test. “The fact is what’s true for you,” Schwartz said.

Still, other experts advise there is not enough scientific information or data to show that these tests work.

“We need more research to prove this works. It’s easy to ride the bandwagon. I’d be hesitant to recommend it until it stands the test of time,” said Dr. Aaron Donnell, co-owner of the Chicago Family Asthma & Allergy practice in Lincoln Park.

Donnell said he would think about ordering the test if he had patients who really wanted to try it, though he would rather start with the elimination diet first.

Now, three years later I can attribute each sensitivity to the exact symptom. I know when I eat lemon, a feeling of exhausted will immediately come over me. Sometimes I will need to go into the next room and to take a nap, even if I had more than enough sleep the night before.

When I eat cinnamon or foods with Green #5, I get canker sores. When I eat corn syrup, I usually feel light-headed immediately after and can’t get myself out of bed the next morning. At times a stuffy nose accompanies the fatigue and can lead to flu-like symptoms, but goes away in a day if I “detox” from these items the following day.

Although dairy didn’t show up on the test, abstaining from dairy helped clear my skin.

Schwartz advised me that the ELISA/ACT LRA test is only one piece of the pie and that the body can respond to foods in many different ways. Some people can have an autoimmune effect, for instance.

Schwartz said the immune system has three basic roles in the body: to repair, defend, and communicate.

“With the ELISA/ACT LRA test we look at what things are activating [the immune system] and basically using up its resources,” Schwartz said. “We can remove those things and you’ll expend less and have more energy to repair.”

Boundaries on social media vital for journalists

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News Analysis #2

Social Media Strategy:

With the rising trend and usage of social media, social media strategies are becoming more and more important for companies and organizations.  These strategies should include clear and understandable boundaries for all parties involved.  A social media strategy outline may seem limiting for a journalist’s  freedom of speech, but professionalism extends beyond the hours of the work clock.

My personal formulation would include a strategy with clear limitations on all comments made by journalists.  Racially, socially, or sexually offensive comments would not be tolerated.  This means any reference on Facebook, Twitter, or any other openly wide network.  However, if a journalist were to have a private Facebook page where he/she chose to vent their anger, opinions, and or likes/dislikes, there would be more leeway.

As employees of my organization, however, and representatives of the company on and off the clock, I would expect professional and respectable posts on any site that is visible to anyone other than themselves.

In the cases listed, I do see the benefit of the cause for concern on behalf of the public and news organizations including the CNN, Kansas City Star and Chicago Sun-Times,  for the Roland Martin, Jason Whitlock and Joe Cowley cases.

As an employee of one of the aforementioned companies, it is imperative that each employee doesn’t defame the name of the company they work for with racist, snide, sexual, or just plain disrespectful and/or slanderous speech on any particular social media site.

The management team of each company should sit down with specialists to design a manual involving rules/regulations/boundaries that would be representative of their company and how they want to be seen in the public eye. This manual would include an outline of expected integrity of all employees both professionally and personally involving dissemination of any type of material.

The issue with each of the Cowley, Martin and Whitlock cases is that all three men tweeted personal opinions about sensitive topics including sexuality, sexual orientation and race on the same medium, Twitter, that they use to disseminate both news and personal thoughts.

When something such as these cases happens, the line between the professional and personal becomes skewed.

How can an organization tell employees they don’t have the right to have an opinion to be shared with others? At the same time, how do people think they have the right to tweet or post comments on social media networks that are possibly offensive to both professional and personal followers alike?

Employees shouldn’t be monitored by “social media police,” per se, but each company should make clear that there is an expectation of integrity that, if broken, would result in warning and/or discharge.

Personally, I share opinions on Facebook and Twitter, but if I had anything negative to say, that is not something I would want widely disseminated, especially if working for and serving as a representative of a particular company.

The way I  will continue to handle myself on social media networks ( NPR’s social media policy is a great reference) would be controlled and cautious as I see a deep need to be mindful of what is written or said.

Maybe companies will make it a priority to start writing social media policies.

 


News model drowning under rising civilian journalism?

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News Analysis:

Threats:

Jeff Jarvis contends that the news model is dead.  In fact, Jarvis says we need to invent a new news model.   I’d prefer to say that it has evolved and will continue to evolve. The explosion of new media and the rise of citizen journalism-meaning untrained journalists/bloggers competing with professional journalists-will continue to be a threat only if journalists allow them to be.

Instead professional journalists have the opportunity to focus more on in-depth reporting, analysis and enterprise.

Professional journalists have an upper hand because they are trained to produce quality content, fact-check stories, contact legitimate sources, and produce content quickly.

Although citizen journalism in some aspects allows for stories to be produced at a similar pace of traditional news outlets, the content may not be as trustworthy.

One may argue that journalists get it wrong everyday. Everyday journalists and editors overlook misspellings, punctuation/grammar errors, and at times write outlandish headlines.  I would argue that the potential for citizen journalism to commit such journalistic crimes is even greater.

As a journalist and citizen, I may watch people’s content out of curiosity or to broaden my view of what is going on in the world, but I would never replace this with obtaining hard and more reliable news from a traditional news source.

Journalism is evolving and the content disseminated needs to appeal to viewers.  But are some news outlets becoming more of a spectacle than a reliable news source? Newsweek Magazine in the article, “Journalism Suffers as Morning Shows Seek Salvation in Celebrity” questions morning shows for this very reason.

Another threat is the state of the current economy and the loss of many jobs of professional journalists.  It seems with the lack of coverage on some areas, civilian journalism is filling in the gap.  John Pilger shares via video demonstrating what he considers to be real journalism.

Opportunities:

The opportunities for journalists are endless.

In some cases, these opportunities may include producing material common to current civilian journalism, such as professional reporters blogging for fun or as part of their employment.

We are finding and coming into journalism at its peak, not its drop. Journalism will continue to expand through the same media outlets that citizen journalism has and is.

As stated by many professionals who have worked in the field for 15 or 20 years, they were told the same things that students, such as myself, are now told: Journalism is dying.

With the threat of television usurping the need for print news many years ago, there was a real scare on the journalism front. But instead of this area of expertise dying, what happened?

Instead, journalism expanded into these new markets and captivated audiences who are still captivated today.

Now some decades later, not only is journalism in full bloom with consistently new possibilities, but long-standing professionals are also now instructing students like myself who aspire to be more than just a bystander, but a real story-teller.

For real journalism to continue to lead the flow downstream, journalists will need to adapt and swim faster than the rest.

In other words, we will have to provide something to audiences in a way that is not being provided by citizen journalists or storytellers.  We have an obligation to know and understand our audience, their likes and interests and needs.  If we are not appealing to them, then who will care?

Solutions:

Journalists will have to be wiser, quicker, wittier, more skilled with multi-media and the latest social media outlets.  They will need to see trends well in advance. They will need to be better learners, better listeners, better speakers, and even better friends to the people in their communities.

Who knows? Maybe collaboration will become a necessity. As someone once told me, teamwork makes the dream work.

And as demonstrated by our predecessors, this is more than possible.

 

 

Mooove over cow’s milk; Stores offer alternative choices

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For an increasing number of people, consuming cow’s milk is not an option.  For some, soy is not either.

“Early on when I learned about health, milk is not something humans should consume,” said Kamla Itwar-Wong, a 45-year-old stay-at-home mother who lives in Glenview.

“There are better sources of calcium and vitamins that are more natural.  I drank milk all of my life. When I was 22, I found out I was lactose-intolerant and I couldn’t drink it anymore,”  Itwar-Wong said.

Within the last few years, alternative milk choices such as soy and almond milk have grown in popularity.  Other options such as hazelnut, coconut, rice, hemp, and oat milk are available, but consumers are not always aware of these items.

“Hazelnut, while also a good niche nut-based non-dairy beverage, has always been more of a secondary or tertiary nut in terms of general customer awareness and sales,” said grocery buyer Gabe Weldin for Whole Foods Market.  “Deserved or not, it does not have the same reputation as a go-to source of healthy vegan protein that soy and almonds do.”

Weldin says it is expected that hazelnut milk will never compete seriously with soy or almond.

Anne Milling, a dietician at Northshore Nutrition in Winnetka, has her concerns about phytoestrogens—a group of plant-based chemicals that mimic the hormone estrogen— found in soy.

“Soy is a nice alternative for vegans who need a complete protein, but it scares me because of breast cancer, especially for older women,” Milling said.

Milling says in younger women phytoestrogens are said to be healthy, but for postmenopausal woman, they are bad because they compete with natural estrogens in the body and bind to cancer receptors.

As recently as last year, soy and almond milks lead the non-dairy beverages at Whole Foods Market, with cow’s milk still the No. 1 seller.  This past year, almond milk sales increased and soy milk sales decreased, bumping soy to No. 3.

“Our shoppers vote with their dollars,” said Kate Klotz, public relations manager for Whole Foods Market’s Chicago Regional Office.

According to Klotz, each store’s selections of products depend on what consumers buy, with the chain trying to provide cost-effective items.

“If things are less popular, they have less shelf space,” Klotz said.

As new options become available and information of unhealthy additives and ingredients are found in food products, consumers may rethink the products they purchase.

Weldin says almond milk has usurped soy in sales for two reasons.  The first being customer concerns surrounding phytoestrogens found in soy, and the second due to almond’s reputation as a very healthy nut, both high in protein and low in fat, while maintaining a clean but nutty flavor.

Unlike some alternatives, soy and almond milk also retain a concentrated taste.

“Both have a robust body reminiscent of 2% milk, as opposed to rice milk, which resembles skim,” Weldin said.

With all the options on the market today, how can conscientious consumers make informed decisions?

“I recommend skim milk, non-fat,” Milling said.  “A main reason is because of the calcium.  If my patients are flexible, organic antibiotic-free and hormone-free milk is best.”

One of the main considerations consumers have when choosing between cow’s milk and alternative milk products goes beyond calcium—it extends to protein as well as growth hormones and antibiotics.  The type of milk can become a problem when patients are counting up proteins or carbohydrates, if they are diabetics.

While Milling recommends cow’s milk to many of her clients, she doesn’t drink it herself.  The logic behind her thinking?

“I’m down on cows in general,” Milling said.  “What I really think people should do is drink water.”