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November 2017
THE GLUE HOLDING US TOGETHER Should We Practice Traditions?
Are traditions worth keeping? When you look at the current climate, the answer seems to be no. Any practice that comes with “tradition” or “culture” is under a great deal of scrutiny. Being a traditionalist is viewed as a bad thing. But is this a fair presumption to make, especially when you consider how tradition and culture help keep our society glued together?
Dr. Helen M. Farrell, of Harvard Medical School, suggests that embracing traditions can be a “powerful grounding force” in an ever-changing world. Some traditions help us
cope with grief, like funeral traditions, after the loss of a loved one. Whatever their psychological purpose, traditions have value, and it’s unwise to disregard them. I, by no means, believe traditions should be followed without question. It is necessary and important to look at our traditions with a critical eye to acknowledge where certain traditions began and what values we exhibit by practicing them. Not all traditions come from a place of good or are worth keeping. I don’t want to live in a society where we have a tradition of marrying young girls to old men, or allowing people to be killed because of their gender or sexual orientation. By the same token, traditions and rituals are not inherently bad just because they are traditional. In 1797, our first president, George Washington, set a precedent generations of presidents would follow when he stepped down after his second term. A hero who led the country to victory in the Revolutionary War, Washington could have served as president for the rest of his life. But Washington feared this would lead to a dictatorship or monarchy, something the new country fought so hard to rid itself of.
Washington started a tradition 30 other presidents would follow, until Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for a third and fourth term in the 1940s. Acknowledging the wisdom of Washington’s two-term presidency, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, turning tradition into law. This month, we celebrate one of the most widespread traditions in the United States: Thanksgiving. On this day, Americans across the country gather with their families to break bread and appreciate our many blessings. On Thanksgiving, we act as one through our traditions of expressing the national values of love and gratitude. These are values we could certainly stand to express more often throughout the year. Whatever your plans for Thanksgiving, I hope you are able to embrace these values with your loved ones and enjoy one of our proud cultural traditions.
Traditions form the foundation of shared experiences and build connections, which are necessary
ingredients for keeping order.
When you look back over time, you can see the development of traditions has been a contributing factor in keeping communities together. Traditions form the foundation of shared experiences and build connections, which are necessary ingredients for keeping order. As a rule, you are far less likely to do harm to the guy next to you if you have some sort of connection to that person. These traditions can also help instill values about how you should treat the people around you. The impact of traditions is obvious, but we might sometimes wonder why humans feel inclined to establish traditions at all. Psychiatrist
Happy Thanksgiving!
–Matt Dunaway
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Unless you have a child auditioning for “MasterChef Junior,” you’re probably not going to let the little ones cook the turkey this Thanksgiving. Just because the kitchen might be off limits, though, doesn’t mean you can’t find a few creative ways to make the holiday extra special for your kids. Spice up Thanksgiving with these fun, family-friendly activities. 3 FAMILY ACTIVITIES FOR THANKSGIVING
that they are thankful for. A silver Sharpie is great for this. Punch holes in the tops of the circles and run string through them. Tie the other end of the string to a coat hanger or embroidery hoop and hang it from the ceiling. Stuff the Turkey Game Want to get the kids outside so you can get to work in the kitchen? Create a Thanksgiving- themed game for them to play outside while you prep the stuffing and put the turkey in the oven. To create a holiday-themed “Stuff the Turkey” game, all you need is a few paper bags. We’ll bet you have some left over from shopping. Use two small bags stuffed with scrap paper to create legs and glue them to a larger bag folded to look like the body of a turkey. Now that you have your turkey, you need some balls to stuff it with. Anything soft and baseball-sized will work, even some balled-up paper. Kids will take turns trying to toss the balls into the turkey, scoring points for every shot made.
Coloring-Book Tablecloths If you have a big family, you are probably familiar with the Thanksgiving tradition of the kids’ table. It may be smaller than the grown-ups’ seating arrangement, but it doesn’t have to be any less special. Turn your kids’ table into a canvas for a colorful, creative dining experience. To do this, use craft or art paper to cover the table. Tape everything down tightly and provide crayons and colored pencils for every place setting. If you want to add some extra holiday spirit, put the
drawing supplies in empty cranberry sauce and pumpkin cans. Gratitude Mobiles Of course, Thanksgiving isn’t just about delicious food. It’s also about reflecting on the parts of our lives we are grateful for. Teaching kids about gratitude is the most valuable Thanksgiving lesson. Bring that concept to life with a gratitude mobile.
Grab some colored paper circles — or cut them out — and have your children write down things
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“Mr. Dunaway is a great attorney. He is the answer to my prayers. He is helping me get back control of my life. Thank you!” –R.F. “Attorney Dunaway proved to be the best attorney that I could have ever dreamed of having during and after my bankruptcy case. My case was very complicated and stressful, to say the least. He walked through every single moment with me and felt like my best friend rather than someone I hired to handle paperwork. I truly can say the Lord blessed me beyond belief when connecting me to Attorney Dunaway. If I’m ever asked who to contact for bankruptcy, without hesitation I will say Attorney Matt Dunaway. I wish I could give him a million stars. Thank you so, so, so much Matt.” –Anonymous “Mr. Dunaway guided me through the bankruptcy process with ease and professionalism during such a difficult and dark time in my life. I would highly recommend his services and expertise to anyone who is in need of a bankruptcy lawyer.” –K.
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Why You Might Still Qualify for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy STOPPED BY THE PRESUMPTION OF ABUSE?
“Can I file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy?”
Today, in order to qualify for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a debtor must submit their household’s gross income so it can be compared to the average income of a family of the same size. If the debtor’s income is higher than the mean income, is it presumed they should be able to repay their debts. Therefore, receiving a discharge under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code would be considered abusive, and they should instead file for Chapter 13.
If your financial situation becomes so overwhelming that bankruptcy is your only course of action, the next step is to determine which type of bankruptcy you can file. Under Chapter 13 bankruptcy, debtors are required to pay off a portion of their debts for three to five years before they receive a discharge. Meanwhile, Chapter 7 bankruptcy offers to discharge debts in just a few months, without any payment demands. While there are certain debts like taxes, student loans, alimony, or child support that will not be discharged, given the choice, most debtors would prefer to file for Chapter 7. For this reason, Congress began to fear too many people were abusing Chapter 7, using it to wipe away debts they could have otherwise paid. In 2005, the laws around Chapter 7 bankruptcy were changed to include a “means test.”
However, the means test is only a surface analysis and does not tell the whole story of a debtor’s financial crisis. Debtors can overcome presumption of abuse by proving their disposable income will not allow creditors to receive a meaningful payout under Chapter 13. This will require filing further paperwork and further analyzing the details of your financial situation to identify any special circumstances
or additional expenses that were not accounted for in the original means test.
Challenging a presumption of abuse result can be a daunting task, but you don’t have to face it alone. With the help of an experienced bankruptcy attorney, you can take a closer look at your financial situation and determine if Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the right option for you.
ROASTED PARMESAN PESTO POTATOES Recipe of the Month:
Bible Verse And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him
It only takes 3 ingredients to make these crispy, flavorful potatoes. They’re the perfect side dish for any meal.
Ingredients • 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. In large bowl, combine potatoes and pesto. Toss to coat. Transfer potatoes to large baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast 20 minutes and remove from oven.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over potatoes and put pan back in the oven. Roast for additional 10–15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and crispy. Remove from oven and serve warm. Recipe courtesy of TwoPeasAndTheirPod.com.
and praise his name. Psalm 100:4
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NSIDE Are Traditions a Bad Thing? ....................... page 1 3 Family Activities for Thanksgiving........... page 2 Testimonials ................................................. page 2 How to Handle Presumption of Abuse......... page 3 Roasted Parmesan Pesto Potatoes .............. page 3 The Secrets of Turmeric............................... page 4
THE SECRETS OF THE YELLOW SPICE The Truth About Turmeric
For thousands of years, turmeric has been a staple in curries and a spice renowned for its ability to treat a vast number of ailments. When dried and powdered, the turmeric plant turns a distinctive sunny yellow. Native to Southeast Asia, in recent years, turmeric has become a sort of “spice-of-all-trades.” Throughout North America, people are adding turmeric to various foods and using it to treat everything from arthritis to heartburn. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the spice can treat just about every kind of inflammation in the body, whether it’s joint pain or a headache. Have a stomachache or nausea? Try turmeric. Have a mild rash or burn on your skin? Try turmeric. There are even a number of current studies looking into the effectiveness of turmeric as a treatment option for those with diabetes and dementia.
When one substance is purported to have near-magical healing powers, you have to remember to take it with an additional dose of skepticism. Can one spice really cure everything that ails you? Let’s ask science. Researchers have identified over 20 distinct compounds that work similar to NSAIDs (such as aspirin and ibuprofen). Of those compounds, six are COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 is an enzyme that causes inflammation and pain in the body. In short, these six compounds help block the enzymatic reaction that triggers inflammation. One of these compounds is called curcumin, which is often considered the active ingredient in turmeric. An article published in the medical journal Nutrition and Cancer found that, by weight, pure turmeric powder contains 3.14 percent curcumin.
However, clinical trials of curcumin have produced less-than-stellar results. A comprehensive review of 120 studies of curcumin, published in 2017 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, found no evidence that the compound produced positive results as an anti-inflammatory or antioxidant. In fact, researchers found curcumin to be an, “unstable, reactive, non-bioavailable compound.” What does this mean for people who use turmeric for its medicinal properties? If it works for you, continue to use it. If you’ve thought about adding it to your diet, give it a try. It’s safe to use and studies have shown virtually no toxicity, even in high doses.
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