Prince Malachi The First's Posts (11694)

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How to prevent Breast Cancer

7936049287?profile=originalThe most common form of cancer in women is breast cancer. This is one of the most common types of cancer in general. It is estimated that one in seven women that live to age 90 will develop breast cancer. It is especially prevalent in some families, making the statistics a bit skewed. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your chances of developing the disease are much greater. It's therefore a good idea to stay especially vigilant for breast cancer symptoms. Breast cancer symptoms don't often manifest themselves until the cancer is already in its later stages of growth, and may have already metastasized to other more vital areas of the body. That is why it is so important for women to regularly get checked. Mammograms may be unpleasant, but late stage breast cancer symptoms are worse.

There are two new reports by cancer prevention specialists at Moores Cancer Center, Univsrsity of California, suggest that vitamin D in new prescriptions may prevent up to one half of all cases of breast cancer.

The study is published online in the current issue of The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The research was based on 1,760 cases of individuals in the two studies and divided them into five equal groups, from the lowest 25(OH)D at less than 13 nanograms per milliliter, to the highest group with 52 nanograms per milliliter.

The terrible long wait is over and the bad news has been delivered-you have breast cancer.

Now what, are you going to die? What happens next? There are literally dozens of questions and fears bouncing around in your head and you might be frozen with fear. Remember that you are not alone and that literally thousands of other women have already dealt with this terrible disease and survived to live many long and productive years.

The road to getting better is a long one that you must endure, but it is not one that you will travel alone. Your family, friends, and doctors will be there to help you and do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You are not weak or helpless, you are sick and people want to help but they just do not know how-so be ready to ask!

The most clear and common breast cancer symptom is of course a lump in your breast. It is important to keep in mind that not all lumps are cancerous. Most women will develop numerous lumps in their breasts throughout their lives; they are especially common during periods of rapid hormonal changes such as puberty, and menstruation. Some women will have more lumps than others.

A more severe breast cancer symptom will be pain in your breasts. A cancer that has grown large enough to impinge on nerves will be a noticeable lump in a self check or mammogram, so hopefully you'll catch anything before it gets to the point of causing pain. If one or both of your breasts are in pain, again its important to keep in mind that you don't necessarily have breast cancer. During puberty and periods of hormone fluxes, tenderness of the breasts is common. Also pregnancy, and some medications can cause pain or tenderness in your breasts.

 

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 Lecrae Droppin' His First mixtape With Don Cannon May 3rd, Plus Working with Statik Selektah, 9th Wonder and More!

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Lecrae is ready for SXSW Music Festival where  Reach Records will host a set. He's also preparing to drop his very first mixtape on May 3rd, which will be available as a free download.

 Lecrae had this to say:

Trying to inspire people. Hopefully hitting up urban areas and doing workshops and conferences. Dealing with guys who haven’t had any direction. I’m working on a mixtape with Don Cannon coming out May 3rd. More collaborations with Statik Selektah, 9th Wonder, Murs, Dee-1. And I’m working on a new album that will drop this year as well.

I'm not saying that a Christian audience shouldn't listen to this. I think it'll be beneficial for'em. However, I don't think you're going to get the same type of messages you're used to, nor the same kind of music .It's not gonna be a lot of commercial music on here. I'm just gone be raw, uncut Hip-Hop.

 

New Digital Magazine: Duncan Clan Launches Rap-Port

ViewIssue1.jpg

I dig this new Magazine called Rap-Port.

Go behind the scenes with your favorite artists and peep the high quality photos and design. You will get a fresh look at fashion, album reviews and studio gear from a Christ-centered perspective. The debut issue features exclusive interviews with Big Juice, Bumps INF, Pastor AD3.

Visit rap-port.com to freely subscribe and share.

 

 Shadow of the Locust Is Back On Their Grind!

 
      Shadow of the Locust has begun a campaign this year to  to create and give away music  to their fans and friends.

They will deliver a new track each month on the 1st So stay connect to The Oracle for that fiYah!

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Lin, Tebow, and Soul-Winning

Lin, Tebow, and Soul-Winning


by Bryan Cribb
Have you caught Linsanity yet? Unless you live life with sports blinders, you probably have at least noticed the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin, starting point guard of the New York Knicks as of only a week or so ago. 
 
 
On Valentine's evening, this improbable hero again amazed the watching world. Lin drained a last-second 3-pointer to win the sixth-straight game for the Knicks since Lin -- a perpetual benchwarmer for his brief NBA career and only the fourth NBA player ever from Harvard -- took over as team leader. Thrust into the starting lineup due to injuries to more high-profile and highly paid players, Lin has set the ever-combustible media market in the Big Apple ablaze. The Asian American, who until recently went unrecognized even by Knicks security guards, now has spawned the highest TV ratings in recent memory for the team and galvanized the city.
What makes Lin even more intriguing, however, is his forthright Christian faith.
Labeled the "Taiwanese Tebow" by sports journalists, Lin has not shied from expressing his faith on the court, through the Internet, and in other forums. And he seems genuinely grounded in the faith. A recent Religion News Service article quoted him saying in a recent post-game interview, "I'm just thankful to God for everything. Like the Bible says, 'God works in all things for the good of those who love Him.'"
The article describes Lin's desire to play "godly basketball." As his longtime pastor asserts about him, "Very early in his life he decided to pay heed to the call of Christ to take up the cross daily and follow after him."
In an online testimony recently, Lin quotes well-known pastor/author John Piper regarding the supremacy of Christ over sports and success. Lin then states, "When Paul wrote in Philippians to press on for an upward prize, he was living for that, and it made his life meaningful (Philippians 3:15). And I realized I had to learn to do the same. I had to learn to stop chasing the perishable prizes of this earth, I had to stop chasing personal glory, I had to learn how to give my best effort to God and trust him with the results. I have to learn to have enough faith to trust in His grace and to trust in His sovereign and perfect plan. I had to submit my will, my desires, my dreams -- give it all up to God and say, 'Look, I am going to give my best effort, go on the court and play every day for you, and I'm going to let you take care of the rest.' This is something I struggle with every day. . . . Playing for great stats is nice, but that satisfaction -- that happiness -- is only from game to game. It's temporary."
Wow!
SOURCE: Baptist Press 
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During a routine practice with the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin took a minute to talk to a reporter from Fuse TV about his favorite music. Lin, who makes no efforts to hide his religion, named the popular Christian rapper, Lecrae Moore.
"An artist you got to check out is Lecrae," Lin said. "He's a Christian rapper. I really enjoy his lyrics as well, so if you're a big lyrics guy I think that will be a good fit for you."
Lecrae, whose six studio album, "Rehab: The Overdose," was the highest charting Christian Hip Hop album ever on iTunes and debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200, is already a celebrity within the world of gospel-rap and will perform alongside Hip Hop supergroup, The Wu-Tang Clan at the "Paid Dues Festival" this April.
A talented rapper from an early age, Lecrae discovered his passion for Christianity while studying at Northern Texas University, and the two worlds melded naturally for him.
"I think every rapper is a preacher," he told CNN in 2010. "Every rapper is preaching something. They are either preaching that you can find satisfaction in a million dollars or 50 women, or that you are not a real man unless you are a killer."
In his music, Lecrae takes to the microphone with a fiery passion, using it as a pulpit to describe the world around him, condemning the status quo and conjuring up a better future. "Just Like You," a single from his latest album, begins with Lecrae rapping passionately but softly over a militant drum beat about the responsibilities of being a father, the experience of being a son and the burden of being a role model.
The second verse is a lyrical list of all the wrong Lecrae sees in modern society: "Now all I see is money, cars, jewels, Stars/
Womanizers, tough guys, guns, knives, and scars." This image of the world is dismissed as an "old wives' tale," before Lecrae praises the value of simply being a responsible human being.
In the third and final verse the tempo and volume increase as Lecrae bears his soul and invokes Christ as both a leader of men and a all powerful savior: "But God sees through my foolish pride/and how I'm weak like Adam, another victim of Lucifer's lies./ But then steps in Jesus/all men were created equal to lead, but now we need a king to lead us." Once the music has reached its crescendo and softened, Lecrae laments, "You say you came for the lame, I'm the lamest. I broke my life but you say you'll replace it, I'll take it."
The style of "Just Like You" recalls the wordplay and stylized music production of rappers like New York's NaS, but in his earliest songs Lecrae imitates the manner of his native southern rap. "Represent" from the rapper's first album in 2005 opens with the lines "Represent! Ger Krunk! Represent! Get Krunk! If you know you're repping Jesus go ahead and throw it up."

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Charlotte Bobcats owner, Michael Jordan sits beside fiance, Yvette Prieto during the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 10, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America)
Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan continues to struggle as a league executive. The Jordan-owned Bobcats are 3-26 and flirting with NBA futility.
Because of the lockout-shortened season Charlotte won't challenge the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers' record of 72 losses. However, the Bobcats have lost 16 straight games and have a worse winning percentage (.103) than that infamous 76ers team.
"Everybody wants to make history but you don't want to make history that way," said Bobcats guard Matt Carroll, currently in his second stint with Charlotte. "You don't want to be that team."
Jordan isn't talking as the losses continue to mount. He declined an interview request through the Bobcats media relations department.
Jordan isn't the only NBA executive having a tough time. There are only nine wins between he and Commissioner David Stern - the league-owned New Orleans Hornets have just six victories.
The Hornets and Bobcats are two of six teams that have failed to reach double digits in wins in a league that, despite efforts to push toward parity during the recent labor negotiations, seems to have a broadening gap between haves and have-nots.
But none seem as low as the Bobcats.
"They've totally bottomed out," said Steve Kerr, an NBA analyst for TNT and a former Jordan teammate. "They are a total disaster right now. They are going to have to get lucky in the lottery and be really strong as an organization in the next couple of years to get out of this."
Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins previously said the key is to be patient with the building process and avoid kneejerk reactions.
The Bobcats expect to be more than $20 million under the salary cap next year so they should be active in free agency. They'll also likely get a top pick this year, although not necessarily the No. 1 overall because of the NBA's lottery system.
"It's up to us to go out and get that player, or those players, to help turn this team around," Higgins said recently.
But the biggest question is whether or not they can do it as Jordan's track record hasn't been very good.
Since being named minority owner of the Bobcats in 2006 and being given full control over the basketball operations, Jordan has selected eight players in the first round, but only four remain with the team. Three are no longer in the league.
Arguably the biggest draft day blunder was selecting Gonzaga's Adam Morrison with the third overall pick in 2006 when they could have had Rudy Gay. Drafting Alexis Ajinca 20th overall in 2008 was another flop, especially after giving up a first-round pick to Denver to get him.
The Ajinca trade is just one of 17 in the Jordan era, more than any team in the league over the last six years. Those dealt include Emeka Okafor, Tyson Chandler, Stephen Jackson and All-Star Gerald Wallace.
Who's left includes Carroll (who was actually traded in 2009 and then reacquired a year later), Corey Maggette, journeyman Eduardo Najera and forward Tyrus Thomas - who received a five-year, $40 million contract and isn't even starting anymore.
The Bobcats still owe Chicago a protected first-round draft pick as part of the Thomas trade.
Bad deals aren't the only thing that have hurt the Bobcats, however, injuries have also played a role in their demise.
Charlotte's three leading scorers - Maggette, D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson - have missed a combined 38 games due to injuries. Coach Paul Silas refused to call this a bad team and has repeatedly said that if all three had been healthy throughout the season the Bobcats wouldn't be the league's doormat.
"I think if you take the three leading scorers off any team that's going to make a huge difference," Silas said. "I think if we had them we would be very competitive."
But they don't have them and of late the Bobcats haven't been very competitive. They have lost their last eight games by an average of 22.5 points.
They've been outscored by 14.4 points per game for the season, by far the most in the NBA this season. That puts them on pace for the second-worst margin of defeat since the NBA-ABA merger.
"Some nights it's embarrassing, especially when we lose by a lot," said rookie Kemba Walker. "No one likes to lose by that many points."
Former Bobcat Steve Smith, now an NBA TV analyst, said Charlotte is has to rebuild from scratch.
"It comes down to (this): Do they draft the best talent? And right now the Charlotte Bobcats are a team that is looking to rebuild," he said.
They basically have no choice.
Still, Carroll won't say they're a bad team.
"We still have talent on this team and can still win games but I think it will take more guys to get healthy," Carroll said. "As the season goes along we're going to get better."
In the meantime, the mildly superstitious Carroll is trying everything he can to help end the losing streak which began Jan. 16.
"I switched shoes a couple of times. I've worn two socks on each foot," he said. "I've worn socks two days in a row, which I've never done before... but nothing has worked. I'll keep trying.
"Something has to work eventually - and hopefully soon."

SOURCE: The Associated Press
Steve Reed
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President Obama, with Kathleen Sebelius, the health and human services secretary, on Friday. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)
Religious leaders told a House panel Thursday the Obama administration was violating basic rights to religious freedom with its policies for requiring that employees of religion-affiliated institutions have access to birth control coverage.
The unity of the religious leaders contrasted with the partisan divide among lawmakers on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with Democrats saying they had been denied the ability to present witnesses who might support the government stance or speak for the rights of women to reproductive health coverage. They asked why women weren't better represented among the 10 witnesses at the hearing.
The issue has sparked a political firestorm for the administration, with Catholics and other religious groups strongly protesting an original Health and Human Services ruling that religion-affiliated institutions such as hospitals and universities must include free birth control coverage in their employee health plans. The churches themselves were exempted from the requirement.
Obama last Friday modified that policy so that insurance companies, and not the organization affiliated with a church, pay for birth control costs, but that didn't satisfy those testifying at the hearing.
Bishop William E. Lori, representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, compared the ruling to a law that would force all food providers, including kosher delicatessens, to serve pork.
"Does the fact that large majorities in society, even large majorities within the protesting religious community, reject a particular religious belief make it permissible for the government to weigh in on one side of that dispute?" he asked.
Churches played a role in the development of health care and "it is ironic that the religious organizations should have their rights crushed in the name of health care," said Dr. Craig Mitchell, a Baptist minister and head of the ethics department at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The policy has split Catholics, a key constituency for Obama to win a second term in office,
The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, told The Associated Press this week that his group would launch both legislative and court challenges to the health care mandate. Yet there are also some Catholic groups and individuals who have come out in support of the president's approach.
They were not there at Thursday's hearing.
"The chairman is promoting a conspiracy theory that the federal government is conducting a `war' against religion," the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said of committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif. "He has also refused to allow a minority witness to testify about the interests of women who want safe and affordable coverage for basic preventive health care, including contraception," Cummings said of Issa.
Cummings added that a number of Catholic groups that have welcomed the administration's efforts to find a compromise, including the Catholic Health Association, and Catholics United, were not present at the hearing.
Issa responded that the committee did accept one Democratic witness, the Rev. Barry Lynn, head of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, but rejected a second person, a third-year student at Georgetown Law School named Sandra Fluke.
Issa said the student did not have the appropriate credentials to testify at a hearing focused on threats to religious freedom and not on a single aspect of the health care law.
A video of Catholic college students speaking in favor of the health care rule was put on the committee Web page.
Committee Democrats said they were told they could have only one witness, and they chose Fluke, who was prepared to speak of the consequences women face when they are denied contraceptive coverage.
"Where are the women?" House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi asked when the hearing was brought up at a news conference. "The Republican leadership of this Congress thinks it's appropriate to have a hearing on women's health and purposely exclude women from the panel, she said. "I may at some point be moved to explain biology to my colleagues."
The original witness list contained only one woman, Oklahoma Christian University senior vice president Allison Dabbs Garrett. A second woman, Calvin College medical director Dr. Laura Champion, was added shortly before the hearing.
On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., was pushing an amendment to a highway spending bill that would allow insurance plans to opt out of the mandate on contraception coverage if they have moral objections. The White House opposes the measure.

SOURCE: The Associated Press
Jim Abrams
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Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, attends NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images North America)
The buildup for Danica Patrick's first Daytona 500 began in earnest at Thursday's annual media day, where auto racing's sweetheart was saddled with a full schedule of commitments.
Patrick was shuffled from interview to interview, answering questions and shooting promotions for her first full season in NASCAR. She couldn't even find solitude in the bathroom: an autograph seeker followed Patrick inside and patiently waited for the driver's signature.
Patrick will make her Sprint Cup Series debut in the Feb. 26 season-opening Daytona 500. It's the first of 10 races this year at NASCAR's top level driving for three-time champion Tony Stewart.
She's also racing for the championship in the second-tier Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports.
Her defection from the IndyCar Series is complete, and Patrick will be the center of the spotlight for Speedweeks at Daytona. She's fine with it, though, as seven years of running the Indianapolis 500 taught her how to handle intense attention.
"I think that if I had not experienced all the media crazy around this whole part of things it would have been somewhat overwhelming," she said. "My whole (public relations) team knows how it works and how to organize everything so it's done effectively and efficiently.
"But I feel good - let's not forget I've been exposed to the Indy 500, which is one of the biggest races in the world, if not the biggest race in the world, and there's lots of media around that, too, and lots of hype."
NASCAR has been anxiously awaiting Patrick's move to stock cars because, as one of the most recognized athletes in the world, she'll bring attention to the series. Research shows she's already increased interest:
- According to The Nielsen Company, ratings for the 2010 Nationwide Series opener at Daytona were up 33 percent with her in the race from the 2009 ratings.
- Overall, 11 of the 13 Nationwide races Patrick ran in 2010 had better ratings than the 2009 events. Average viewership for her 13 events was up 9 percent.
- Patrick's merchandise sales last season ranked in the top 15 best-selling drivers at the NASCAR.com Superstore.
- Through last week, Patrick already ranked in the top 10 in merchandise sales in 2012.
- A survey last August of the NASCAR Fan Council showed that 80 percent of those polled agreed with the statement, "Danica Patrick is good for NASCAR."
- Nielsen N-Score data through January showed that Patrick ranks in the top 5 of most recognized NASCAR drivers among the U.S. population.
"There's so much interest with Danica coming over to NASCAR, I think it's going to really broaden our fan base," Lesa France Kennedy, the CEO of NASCAR sister company International Speedway Corp., said last month.
"When she shows up, it just has a different feel to it. She's a real dynamic individual to start with and I think it'll be interesting to see her compete on the track. There's certainly a spotlight, without a doubt, but she seems to do well with that. She seems to do well under pressure."
Patrick said she's prepared for the workload leading into the Daytona 500, and with the increased schedule in NASCAR. The IndyCar season was just 18 races; the Nationwide schedule is 33 races and next year, when she moves full time to the Sprint Cup Series, she'll have races on 38 weekends.
Dabbling in the Nationwide Series the past two years has prepared her for what to expect.
"Back a few years ago, I definitely was concerned with the work load that NASCAR schedules bring," she said. "But the last two years, I went from doing a 16-18 race season to about 30, and now it's going to be about 34 or 35 weekends, so it's really only an extra month worth of weekends so it's much more tolerable than jumping from Indy Car to NASCAR in one jump.
"I'm very good when I know what's coming. When I get surprised and things getting added on the schedule is when I get frustrated because expectation levels are everything for me.
"But not only from my perspective am I more comfortable now, but from my assistant's perspective and the help she gets from Junior Motorsports and Stewart-Hass, I think we all have a much better picture of how to do everything and how to keep it in line and how to help (the media) do your job."

SOURCE: The Associated Press
Jenna Fryer
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LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat drives around Zaza Pachulia #27 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on February 12, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America)
LeBron James could picture returning one day to the place where his NBA journey began.
Back in Cleveland.
Imagine that.
After practicing in a gym where he refined his game for seven seasons, James said Thursday he would not rule out a return to the Cavaliers, a team he carried to the brink of a title before he spurned an entire region by leaving as a free agent in 2010 to chase a championship with Miami.
Asked if he could play for the Cavs again, James initially paused before giving his answer.
"I don't know. I think it would be great," he said. "It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can't predict the future and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami Heat player, and I'm happy where I am now, but I don't rule that out in no sense.
"And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."
James' comments may have been calculated, coming one day before the Cavs host the Heat for the third time since the superstar's infamous and messy exit from Cleveland. In mentioning a possible reunion, he may be trying to soften the negative response he'll get Friday night from fans who haven't forgotten what he did to them.
However, James appeared sincere when talking about a potential return to the Cavs, his fractured relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and topics ranging from phenom Jeremy Lin to rookie Kyrie Irving following practice on the fourth floor of Quicken Loans Arena.
Perhaps it was because he was back in familiar surroundings that prompted James' remarks. Or maybe it's part of a larger agenda. Whatever the case, his past with Cleveland, and his decision to bolt from the Cavs, will always be a sensitive subject.
After all, James put Cleveland back on the NBA map by taking the Cavs to one finals and winning two MVP awards during his stay. He left the franchise during a summer in which he held an entire city at bay as it awaited his decision. After he announced he was joining the Heat during a nationally televised special, the Akron native was vilified by the same fans who cheered every one of his dribbles and dunks.
Time has healed some of the wounds - not all.
James said he has made no attempt to patch things up with Gilbert, who harshly criticized James in a scathing letter to Cleveland's fans. Gilbert promised to win a title before James, questioned his character and told The Associated Press he felt James quit on the Cavs during the playoffs.
James said he has no bitterness toward Gilbert. They have not spoken since James met with the Cavaliers on July 3, 2010, when they were one of several teams courting him to sign with them.
"I don't have any hard feelings. He said what he said and I've moved on," said James, who is under contract with the Heat for two more seasons. "But there's been no attempt to patch things up."
James, however, said he can envision being friends again with Gilbert.
"I don't hold grudges," he said. "I hold them a little bit, but I don't hold them that long. He said what he said out of anger and he would probably want to take that back. But I made a mistake, too, and there are some things I would want to take back as well.
"You make mistakes and move on."
But could he play for Gilbert?
"Dan is not the coach," he said. "I can play for any coach. We'll see what happens."
Attempts to reach Gilbert were unsuccessful.
It wasn't clear if by "mistake" James meant the way he announced his departure from Cleveland or joining the Heat. He insists he's happy in South Florida and committed to winning a title with the Heat, who are favored to win it all this season after losing to Dallas in the finals last June.
James acknowledged he's changed and enjoying hoops the way he once did.
"I'm back to how I was in Cleveland, having fun with the game, appreciating the game, loving the game and playing at a high level," he said. "I got away from that last year. It was a difficult year for me last year, making the whole transition, on and off the floor, going through everything I went through.
"I just got back to how I got to this point, back to playing the way I know how to play."
James' comments about a return to Cleveland - albeit unlikely - caught former teammate Antawn Jamison off guard.
"It surprises me that he's saying that now," said Jamison, who played 25 games with James in 2010 after coming over in a trade. "Three years down the road it wouldn't surprise me if he entertains the idea. But hey, after the first go-round, I don't think anything would surprise you as far as scenarios taking place."
Cavs guard Daniel Gibson can't envision Cleveland fans ever receiving James warmly again.
He may have moved on. They haven't..
"I don't think he'd be welcome," Gibson said. "Not with the way that went down. It was a pretty tough situation. I'm sure they wouldn't feel comfortable with that at all."
James knows what's coming on Friday. He's prepared for a rough reception, but not as hostile as the one the seven-time All-Star got on Dec. 2 last season. James expects to hear boos, but maybe not as many obscenities.
"It doesn't sting anymore," James said. "The booing isn't as bad as it was last year so it's not even a big deal."
James' comments about a hypothetical return to Cleveland didn't surprise teammate Dwyane Wade, his running mate in Miami.
Even Wade, who stayed with James at his home Bath, Ohio, could imagine his friend reuniting with the Cavs - some day.
"Anything is possible," Wade said. "Hopefully, I'm retired."


SOURCE: The Associated Press
Tom Withers
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7936045493?profile=originalBy Paul George

 Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don ' t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don ' t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect’” (WEB).

We are all driven by similar desires. One strong desire that is common to all of us is the desire to be loved, and we generally try to be loveable. Whether we are on our jobs, around our neighborhoods, or at church, we try to be friendly and make an honest attempt to treat people in such a way that they have positive feelings towards us. Unfortunately, there are those times when people decide that they really do not like us. Even though we have attempted to be kind to them, and are wonderful people ourselves, they, nonetheless, resolve to be hostile towards us. This is the reality of life. It can be very disappointing. It can also hurt.

Who knows why someone chooses to be our enemy? How do you respond to them when they do? Well, the tendency is to strike back. But what does this way of retaliating really produce? Often it produces further animosity and more bad feelings. It makes the hostile person more hostile, and leaves us feeling worse instead of better.

Jesus said that there was a better way. In fact, He gives us a radical solution to this ancient problem. Instead of retaliating against your enemy, you should love him. How can we love those who are treating us harshly and unfairly? Surely, no one could do that, or would even want to. Even Christians have their limits. There is no doubt that Christians do have limits. However, when it comes to love, the limits far exceed what we may think. The confusion comes when we adopt the thinking of the world. The world ' s way is to return evil for evil. Unfortunately, there is a tendency even with Christians to follow the way of the world. Those in the world would tell you that common sense dictates that you love those who love you and hate those who hate you. However, Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

The scribes and Pharisees teachings concerning one’s enemies was based on a misinterpretation of Leviticus 19:18. In Leviticus 19:18 it says that you are to love your neighbor “as yourself.” The scribes and Pharisees conveniently left out this phrase. They also added to the commandment by saying that you were to “hate your enemy.”

In the passage Matthew 5:43-48, the point Jesus wants to make is He Jesus does not want us to act like the world. He wants us to manifest a behavior based upon a supernatural principle of divine life. He desires that we live above the level of the world by the power of the Holy Spirit. He desires for us to live a life that in our own strength we cannot live.
The first thing He says, we are to love our enemies, and this is a powerful and radical teaching about the inclusiveness of love. To those listening to Jesus that day, this must have seemed impossible. How could anyone love his or her enemy? Enemies do not evoke love in anyone. Jesus, however, wanted to make a point that He considered our neighbor to include our enemies. In other words, no one is outside the scope of our love, and no one should be.

The love of which Jesus speaks is a particular kind of love. It is the love that we receive from God and give out to the world. It is the love empowered by God. It is not emotion, though it may involve emotion. It is love in action, a love that seeks the highest welfare of another, a love that manifests itself in deeds.

This is how we are to love our enemies. We are to love them by treating them in a loving way.

Next, Jesus tells us to “pray for those who persecute you.” Now, He is not saying that we should pray for them to be struck by lightning or that a house should fall on them. Rather, He is saying that we should pray on their behalf to God. We should pray that God would begin to act in their lives and they see the truth and summit to God.

Jesus goes on to tell us that if we behave in this way we will be identifying ourselves as His children. We should do this in order that we may be sons of our Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45).

How do we manifest to the watching world that we are truly children of God? It is through our love and concern. We do not love others in order to earn salvation. Rather, because we are saved, we love others. We reveal who we are by what we do, and as children of God, we must love people.

Are you manifesting your identity as a child of God? You see, we should show this impartial love because God shows impartial love; He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). The point is that God blesses everyone. He does not just bless those who love Him. He sends His blessing without regard to whether the one receiving the blessing deserves it.

He goes on to say that, we must live on a higher level than those around us; “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gathers do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same” (Matthew 5:46-47).

We are not called to live on the same level as the world. Indeed, we are called to live on a level that is not only higher, but also impossible. The point of what Jesus is saying is that we must live by the power of God. He is asking us to do things that in our own strength we cannot do. The only possible way to truly love our enemies is to live by the power of God. He is calling us to allow Him to pour His strength into us. When we are weak then He is strong. He is calling us to be in the world but not of the world. Anyone can live in a belligerent, spiteful, revengeful way. It takes a child of God to live above the level of this and walk by the power of the Spirit.

Finally, Jesus tells to be like our heavenly Father (Matthew 5:48). The constant call to the Christian is to be like God. It is God ' s purpose to conform each one of us to the image of Jesus Christ. He is calling us to surrender our lives so that God can mold us into a Christ-like person.

While it is true that none of us will ever be perfect in this life, this does not diminish the force of Jesus ' word. He calls us to be perfect because perfection is our standard. It must be. Imperfection can never be the standard for any believer. You see, our standard is God Himself. We must never judge ourselves by any other standard. When we do, we end up living far below what God has intended for us. While you may not hit perfection if you shoot for it, if you shoot for imperfection you will always hit it. Therefore, while we may never be perfect in this life, our standard can never be imperfection. Our standard, our desire, is to be like God.

Jesus is telling us that He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to love with the kind of love He has. When we see that kind of love, it makes us want to be someone who loves like that.

Our call is to be people who manifest the nature of the God we serve; it is a call to be like Jesus.

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@BishopJakes

I'm honored to have worked with Whitney on Sparkle, shocked and saddened by her passing! Definitely a talent beyond human expression.
@marvinsapp
Pray goes out to the family of Whitney Houston #Ihavenowords

 
 
@vickiewinans
I'm so sad right now! I just heard about the death of 1 of the most beautiful voices ever & a precious sweetheart Whitney Houston! Tears!
@therealmarymary
RIP Whitney Houston... our hearts are so heavy we'll always Love you...we'll never forget when she came to see us on tour then came backstage and talked to us wonderful voice...
@RealFredHammond
WHIT! WHIT! WHIT!!! Sorry honey. Sad. Heart feels bad for my friend.
@ARBernard
Our prayers and condolences go out to the family of Whitney Houston. The world has lost an incredibly talented person.
@MichaelEDyson
May God bless Whitney Houston's memory, and protect her mother and daughter in their incomprehensible grief. #R.I.P. Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston sang like an angel and lifted us to heavenly heights even as she endured great grief and untold suffering! RIP
@vickiyohe 
Sorry to hear that Whitney Houston died at age 48...RIP!
@NatalieGrant
So surreal. As I'm standing on red carpet for a pre-Grammy party, I learn that 1 of my greatest musical influences has died. Hard to smile.
What a tragedy. RIP Whitney Houston.
@hollyrpeete
"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" RIP to Whitney Houston a true queen." 
Whitney: Thank You. You gave so much to us. Inspired the world.
@Jentezen
So saddened by death of Whitney Houston. She sung a hymn in our green room at FC last time she visited us.
@rolandsmartin
Songstress Billie Holiday died at 44. Dinah Washington was 39. Whitney Houston was 48. Amazing, authentic, timeless voices.
@israelnewbreed
My heart is devastated. The diva of my generation. Whitney Houston. RIP.
@InsideJMoss
I'm so done right now. Whitney Houston !!!!! My God rest ur soul dear !!!
@MarthaMunizzi
Losing Whitney Houston is tragic! I grew up listening to her music and she was such an inspiration to me. The last song she sang publicly was, "Yes Jesus Loves Me." I'm so glad she knew that! I'm praying for her family that God's peace
would surround them. R.I.P Whitney! You will be missed!!
@CoryCondrey
R.I.P. to Whitney Houston!
@myronbutler
Praying for the family of Whitney Houston!! #gonetoosoon!
@nicoleCmullen
Our prayers go out to Whitney Houston's family and close friends...She will be missed...grace and peace
@truthonduty
Just heard about Whitney Houston, very sad!
Death is always very sobering and Always a reminder of eternity!! We will be praying for her family!!
@DeitrickHaddon
My heart is so broken for Whitney Houston!!! She was an amazing gift to the world!! Praying for the family! :-(****
@LWFIII 
Sadden by the death of Whitney Houston, let's pray for her family and those who cherished the gift in her, she touched many!
@francescamusic
So sad to hear about Whitney Houston. Definitely a musical inspiration for me growing up. I'll always remember her in The Preacher's Wife.
Rev. Al Sharpton
The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird.
@NatalieFrancisc
The unexpected death of Whitney Houston reminds us all that life is but a vapor-a brief stint of time that cannot compare to eternity.
Praying 4 Whitney's family. She was an incredible talent. God truly graced us for a time with her distinct & powerful voice.
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Whitney Houston Dead at 48


Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, has died. She was 48. 
 

 
Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.
At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.
Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."
She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.
She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.
But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.
It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.
She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.
Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.
"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."
"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.
Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. "How Will I Know," ''You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of All" also became hit singles.
Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."
The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."
Click here to read more.
SOURCE: The Associated Press


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Choosing Good Health

Author : Cathy Morenzie

 Scripture to reflect on: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." ~Deut. 30:19
I’ve heard that people make about 120 decisions each and every day. How many of them bring blessings to you or others?

Why do you do what you do? Frequently it’s because it’s what you’ve always done: very often our choices are based on habit rather that what is right or best for us. It’s only when God shows us that there is a better way that we are able to move to higher heights. God shows us through the Holy Spirit.

Nicodemus also had difficult time with this concept. He wanted to know what he had to do to be saved (John 3:3). Change can only come from a choice to live a conscious new life. Jesus says the same thing us He says to Nicodemus. We must be born again. We must choose life—a life that is centered on Christ.

Often when we feel afraid and vulnerable, we revert to what we’ve always done, regardless of whether it’s good for us or not. When tested, the Israelites went back to what they knew best – grumbling and complaining and worshipping false idols. Glory to God that He has given us a new heart and a new spirit that allows us to live by His rules and not our own (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

Before you make another decision about your food choices, ask yourself whether the decision will produce life or death in your body. Will the foods you are consuming help you lose weight or gain weight? Healthy food choices such as fruits and vegetables produce life for your body and your cells, whereas processed and sugary foods produce death for your cells and your body.

God wants us to choose life, and to pass a legacy of good health to our children.

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Acer Unveils Its CloudMobile Smartphone

Acer is set to make a splash for 2012 by formally unveiling its CloudMobile smartphone. This attractive device was recently awarded as the winner of the IF design award— an award in the recognition of outstanding achievement in design. As you can see, the phone has a very slim profile, strutting its stuff in a 4.3-inch profile. Also, the smooth and glossy screen will display glorious HD. Slashgear reports the phone is set to bring a depth of less than a centimeter and “Sleeve DNA design” in addition to a sweet Dolby speaker plate on the back.  While this phone has a gorgeou…

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Acer Unveils Its CloudMobile Smartphone
Roy Alugbue – talkandroid.com

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t-bone_ja_rule_adrienne_bailon.jpg


NUMEROUS AWARD WINNING ARTISTS TO BE FEATURED ON SOUNDTRACK OF UPCOMING INSPIRATIONAL FILM, I'M IN LOVE WITH A CHURCH GIRL, DEBUTING FALL 2011, THROUGH RGM RECORDS
Soundtrack to feature a stellar ensemble, including four-time Grammy Award winner Israel Houghton, India Arie, Mary Mary and Third Day, and T-Bone.

Debuting Fall 2011, Reverence Gospel Media will release its debut soundtrack through RGM Records, to follow and support the upcoming feature motion picture, I'm in Love with a Church Girl. RGM Records will also release high profile soundtracks for each upcoming RGM film project and will release full length albums from T-Bone and other profoundly inspirational artists.

Sharing the vision for the upcoming record and movie projects slated for release through Reverence Gospel Media, I’m in Love with a Church Girl director Steve Race comments, "Movies speak to the mind but music speaks to the heart."

Producer and writer Galley Molina states, "We are paying close attention to the entire music element of this movie. From the scoring of the film by award winning composer Bruce Fowler to this multi-platinum artist soundtrack. These are the hottest groups in Christian/Gospel music and they are all joining together to make this soundtrack one of the best to date. Movie or no movie, this soundtrack is a STAND ALONE project.”

The 2-disc soundtrack features original music inspired by the film and includes artists such as Israel Houghton, Mary Mary, New Breed, TobyMac, Fred Hammond, India Arie, Beckah Shae, Anthony Hamilton, Third Day, Ja Rule, Adrienne Bailon, T-Bone and many more. Newcomers Shari B and Amanda Shelby will also make their singing debut on the soundtrack.

I’m in Love with a Church Girl is the first film from Reverence Gospel Media and features an all-star cast including Ja Rule (The Fast and the Furious, Shall We Dance), Adrienne Bailon (Cheetah Girls), Stephen Baldwin (Usual Suspects, The Young Riders) and Grammy Award winning artist, producer, performer, TobyMac in his debut cameo acting role. 

The film depicts a unique story centered on a retired high-level drug trafficker Miles Montego (Ja Rule), whose life has gone legitimate yet he remains loyal to his tight knit circle of friends and former colleagues in the business. When he meets Vanessa (Adrienne Bailon), a church girl in every sense of the word, he must decide whether to hold onto his old ways or let them go. Throughout the film Miles and Vanessa are tested to their last ounce of faith and strength in God and each other. 

In addition, I’m in Love with a Church Girl is scored by music composer Bruce Fowler (Dark Knight, Lion King) and legend jazz trumpeter and pianist, Arturo Sandoval also contributed to the score. 

ABOUT REVERENCE GOSPEL MEDIA
RGM is a boutique film production company dedicated to providing commercial faith based films for a worldwide audience. The company has a mandate to create entertainment that is both commercially viable and socially responsible and is poised to serve as a top-tier supplier of commercial projects for both the studios and major independent distributors worldwide. RGM intends to produce 2-3 films a year, with budgets under $20 million.
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Google working on home-entertainment system that wirelessly streams music

Google Planning To Introduce Their Own Home Entertainment System Later This Year

You may remember back during last year’s Google I/O when Google showed off their vision for a fully connected living room, dubbed Android@Home. That was all the way back in May and if you’re wondering why you haven’t heard any news or rumblings from the Google camp, you wouldn’t be the only one. Developers too, have been receiving the same silent treatment from Google, but after some new developments reported from the Wall Street Journal, we may now know why.

Yesterday, they revealed Google’s plans to launch their own cloud-based storage service, similar to Drop Box. Today, the WSJ is reporting that Google is developing a home-entertainment system that will stream music wirelessly throughout the home.

According to people close to the matter, the system will be marketed under Google’s brand. This will be the first time that Google designs and markets consumer electronic products under its own brand. Up until now, Google has mainly focused on creating software…

Google Planning To Introduce Their Own Home Entertainment System Later This Year
Chris Chavez – phandroid.com

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Is Google planning to open a retail store in Dublin?

According to documents unearthed by Bloomberg, Google just might be building a dedicated retail outlet in Dublin, Ireland at their European headquarters. 

A planning application submitted to the local authorities there states that the “Google Store” would be open to the public and include 123 square meters of space. At present Google has tried out the retail experience in a smaller setting, by setting up a dedicated space for their Chromebooks in PC World and Currys in the UK. 

Google has a retail store for their merchandise in California that isn't open …

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Is Google planning to open a retail store in Dublin?
Richard Devine – androidcentral.com

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To keep customers, Sprint will be allowing them to upgrade early for a fee starting Feb. 12

According to a leaked internal document, Sprint will be running a promo where they’ll allow their current customers to upgrade early in exchange for a fee which will reset their eligibility. It isn’t hard to see what Sprint is trying to do here. With other US carriers offering a larger variety of high-end devices and faster networks, Big Yellow is losing a big part of their customer base.

The leaked memo says that this promotion will start February 12 and will let customers who are 9-21 months into their contracts to pay a fee ranging between 5- (check picture below) in …

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To keep customers, Sprint will be allowing them to upgrade early for a fee starting Feb. 12
Zack Nebbaki – droidmatters.com

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Gameloft launches Real Football 2012, now available at the Android Market for free

To all of my soccer or football people, Gameloft has just released their newest soccer game: Real Football 2012. It is now available for free at the Android Market and so far I am very pleased by the quality of the graphics and gameplay. While this may sound great, Gameloft has included some “hidden” in-app purchases which will allow you stay competitive in the game. Just like the “Let’s Golf” game, they implemented the “stamina” system in Real Football 2012. Everytime you run out of juice, you’ll have to drop some cash in order to replenish it. I am not sure how enticing …

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Gameloft launches Real Football 2012, now available at the Android Market for free
Zack Nebbaki – droidmatters.com

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