Jackson Free Press

It Just Is: Nurturing A Child's Spirituality

When children are born, human parents experience something spiritual just by being in the child's presence—their fingers and toes and eyelashes, the smell of their skin, and the way their …

Yuletide Blessings

We use the word "blessing" a lot during the December holidays. We count our blessings, we send greeting cards with wishes for blessings, we receive blessings after religious services, instead …

Is the Federal Budget a Moral Issue?

In my Jackson Free Press column of Feb. 18, "It Starts at Home," I wrote about how the nation's reprioritizing for prosperity needs to begin in our own back yard. …

Dancing for God

Church isn't something that pops into my head when I think about dance. However, today's society has changed its views on dance and church, and many churches integrate dance into …

‘Tell Me a Story'

I was born into a family of storytellers. Both sides, though they couldn't be more diverse—one rural Minnesota farmers of Swiss-German descent, and the other Mexican-Americans that hopped between Texas, …

[Road to Wellness] Keep On Keepin' On, Weeks 7 and 8

I finally joined the Y this week and promise to regale all of you with my (no doubt funny) escapades there. I've been drinking smoothies every day and eating OK, …

The Siren Song of Food

The world first met the vivacious Mandisa, with her powerful voice and mega-watt smile, during the fifth season of "American Idol" in 2006. Unfortunately, she also became known for Simon …

The Road to Wellness, Week 3

<b>To Creet or Not to Creet</b>

A recent article in The New York Times suggested that workplace stress is costing us $300 billion a year in the United States, and that's just what corporations are spending …

Acupuncture Bill Goes to the Governor

The Mississippi Oriental Medicine Association reports that HB 458 unanimously passed in the Mississippi Senate today and is on its way to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature.

Eating in the Moment

Eating healthy means different things to different people. My wife and I, for example, cook nearly every meal using as many fresh ingredients as possible. For us, this is ideal, …

Presence, Not Presents

My Aunt Peggie has 48 miniature Santas. Each year, not long after Thanksgiving, she painstakingly takes her Santa collection and displays them around her home, along with the Christmas tree, …

Partnership for Prescription Assistance in Jackson

[verbatim] The 'Help is Here Express' bus tour will be stopping in Mississippi the week of March 9-13 at various cities throughout the state in order to help uninsured and …

Choosing a Furry Family Member

After losing my Basset Hound, Charlie, to cancer a couple years ago, I decided to wait a while before getting a new pet. I just missed my floppy-eared friend too …

Resolutions that Work

With every New Year, there are some resolutions that predictably fall flat by Valentine's Day, if not a several weeks sooner. Topping the discard list: Lose weight and exercise more.

Finding Balance

Victoria McFarland stood at her kitchen counter as her husband, Billy, frantically put food into the cooler for their summer camping trip. She was feeling foggy and couldn't remember simple …

Industry Denies High-Fructose Corn Syrup Unhealthy

The president of the Corn Refiners Association sent an e-mail to JFP contributing writer Brandi Herrera Phrem about her story "Healthy Holiday Eating," stating that "the suggestion that high fructose …

Great Deal for Tuesday's To-Do List

If getting fit and healthy plays a role in your New Year's resolution, put Make It Fit on your to-do list for tomorrow.

Let Me Count the Ways

As the holiday season approaches, we tend to focus on the things that overwhelm us: We have gifts to purchase, meals to prepare, out-of-town guests to accommodate and spaces to …

To Be Changed

Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m., women between the ages of 60 and 80 stand up in Trinity Episcopal Church at 1315 Jackson Ave., here in New Orleans, and place their …

The Empowerment of Sil Lai Abrams

Empowerment specialist and domestic-violence awareness activist Sil Lai Abrams, author of the book "No More Drama: Nine Simple Steps of Transforming a Breakdown Into a Breakthrough," expresses a desire to …