See your marriage through the eyes of God. Focus on Marriage will help you understand the higher purpose of marriage, while providing practical insights to help with everyday issues. 

Focus on The Family presents Focus on Marriage February 28th 2009 at Yosemite Lakes Community Church.

Please view the flyer below for information regarding this wonderful event.

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It seems that our country is always in need of blood donors.  Much of today’s medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.   Here are some interesting blood donation facts:

More than 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions each year in the U.S. and Canada alone.  There are 43,000 pints of donated blood used in the U.S. and Canada each day.  Someone will need blood every two seconds in the United States.  One out of seven people entering a hospital will be in need of receiving blood.  Of the U.S. population, only 37 percent are eligible to donate blood, yet only 10 percent of those people contribute annually.

One pint of blood can save up to three lives.  Healthy adults who are at least 17 years old, and at least 110 pounds may donate blood.  The most common form of donation—every 56 days, or every two months. Females receive 53 percent of blood transfusions; males receive 47 percent.  Blood or plasma that comes from people, who have been paid for it, cannot be used to human transfusion.

Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets.  One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.  Most donated red blood cells can be stored for 42 days.  There are thirteen tests (11 for infectious diseases) performed on each unit of donated blood.

If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would mostly disappear.

There will be a blood drive on June 17, 2008 at the Mountain Christian Center (40299 Hwy 49 in Oakhurst).  Donation times are from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.  All donors will receive a variety of discounts from valley businesses for dining, recreation, entertainment and services.

So everyone, get out and donate now.  It will make you feel great!

The Hillside Baptist Church of North Fork is sponsoring a community outreach event for all to experience.  Saturday, February 23rd, Illusionist Toby Travis will be performing at Kennedy Hall at North Fork School.  His “Illusion and Beyond” tour has been enjoyed by many people around the United States and many other countries.

According to his press release, his show is a “magical blend of humor, mind-boggling illusions, and a refreshing, even enlightening look at the supernatural and the pseudo-supernatural.” The American Theater Association has “commended Toby Travis for excellence.”
 
Mr. Travis has been performing as an illusionist for 20 years.  He has even performed at the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California and the prestigious Magic Circle in London, England.  He is an accomplished author of “The Professional Amateur:  Handbook for Variety Artists”.

Tickets will be available at the door.  The ticket cost for adults are $12.  The cost for children will be $7 each.  Children under three can get in for free.

The North Fork Women’s Club will be selling their delicious desserts at the show.  Soft drinks will be available for a donation to Nathan Ramirez.  Nathan attends North Fork School and is receiving treatments for autism.  Please consider helping the family out with your donation.

For more information on this event, contact Pastor Don Cox at (559) 877-7771.

It may sound cliché, but it is a new year and it is time to develop new habits get rid of addictive behaviors.

Whether you consider an addiction to be a disease, a learned pattern of behavior, or something based on genetics, if you or someone you love has a problem, it is time to get help.

Drugs and alcohol are common addictions, but addictive behavior goes beyond substance abuse. Some people are addicted to shopping. Others can’t stop gambling. There are people who cannot keep themselves away from MySpace, Facebook or Xbox. Addiction can creep into someone’s life wearing many disguises.

When someone has an addiction, they obsess over it, become compulsive about it, and will often hid evidence of the activity from family and friends. Once they start getting a kind of “high” from the activity, it is very hard to stop. Ending an addiction may be difficult, but it is not impossible, and it is much easier if you have some assistance.

To help area residents get the new year off to a good start, the Oakhurst Seventh Day Adventist Church is sponsoring “Kick the habit and live!” Overcome addictions. This free program runs from January 6-10. The church is located at 50690 Crane Valley Road (426) in Oakhurst. To learn more, contact Jacob Gibbs at 559-760-8117.

The Annual Hornitos Candle Lighting Ceremony will take place tomorrow, November 2, 2007. This traditional candle lighting ceremony is an occasion to honor the souls of the dead. You will need to bring your own candle and flashlight to join the procession from the Mariposa town square to St. Catherine’s Church. There will be a special service at the church, followed by Mass.

Do you know the history of All Souls Day?

As you may know, Halloween was also known as All Hallow’s Eve, the evening the precedes All Saints Day (November 1).
Many people also know that All Saints Day is a day to honor those who have achieved sainthood. However, fewer people recognize All Souls Day, a day set aside to honor the faithful who have died.

All Souls Day observances vary in different countries. In some countries, such as Mexico and Hungary, the phrase for this day can be translated as “the day of the dead.” In Mexico, people might picnic at a cemetery and leave food out for dead relatives. In Hungary, the day takes on a charitable turn, and people invite orphans into their homes, supplying them with food, clothing, and perhaps toys. For people in the Philippines, it is “Memorial Day”, a time to pray for the departed and decorate the graves of deceased family members.

Wikipedia defines globalization as “the worldwide integration of economic, cultural, political, religious, and social systems.” At least that is what it says at the moment. Since Wikipedia is an encyclopedia site where almost anyone can make changes to an entry, that definition may change. The existence of the world wide web and sites like Wikipedia where we all can connect and participate are indications that our world really is not as large as it seems.

There is a saying in Spanish: El mundo es un pañuelo. This literally means, “The world is a handkerchief.” Of course our world isn’t really a handkerchief, but the saying speaks to the idea that we really don’t live in isolation. When it was more difficult to communicate with people that were far away, it may have seemed as if our own communities were the world. That is no longer the case. As our world gets smaller and smaller we see that what is happening in the next county or in a place that seems halfway around the world has an effect on us.

To get some perspective on this, you can attend an upcoming event that will address these issues.

Dr. Kenneth Wear, pastor of St. Rita’s Catholic Church will give a talk entitled: Globalization: What is it? How does it Affect Communities?” on October 30 (next Tuesday) from 1:00-2:30 pm at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall at 4985 Bullion Street in Mariposa.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects more than 5 million Americans. Although the medical community has made progress in learning more about what causes the disease, there still is no cure.

Not only does Alzheimer’s affect those who are diagnosed with the disease, it also affects their friends and loved ones. If you know someone who cares for someone with Alzheimer’s, do what you can to offer concrete support. Sometimes we think that the person knows we’re there for them or we say, “If you need anything, let me know.” For someone already overwhelmed with caring for an Alzheimer’s patient, this may seem vague.
You can:
Send a card.

Ask if they need something from the grocery store or offer to help with other errands.

Take over an extra meatloaf or pot roast.

Offer to go for a walk with them

And if you are a caregiver for someone with the disease, make specific requests when friends offer to help. Your friends may be willing, but unsure of how they can really be of assistance.

There are also groups that want to provide some relief, so if you are a caregiver or know someone who is, look for these resources.

The Oakhurst Lutheran Church has an Alzheimer Caregivers’ Support Group for people who are helping person with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia that meets every second and fourth Tuesday from 10-11:30 am. The group is meeting today, but if you cannot make this meeting, plan to attend future meeting.
For more information call Valley Caregivers at 800-541-8614 or call Carol at 559-683-4045.

The curtain goes up tomorrow night on Vision Academy’s production of the song and dance musical Damn Yankees. Watch Madera County’s own local talent trip the light fantastic August 9-11. Showtime is 7 p.m. at Our Lady of the Sierra Catholic Church. Donations will be cheerfully accepted. If you want to make a night of it, take the family to the pre-show dinner on Friday, August 10. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m.; cost is $5. Our Lady of the Sierra is located at 40180 Indian Springs Road in Oakhurst, California.

Filled with well-known tunes like You’ve Got to Have Heart and Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets, Damn Yankees tells the story of a Washington Senators baseball fan who sells his soul to the devil to give his team a chance to beat the Yankees and win the pennant. Brad Foster stars as Senator ballplayer Joe Hardy in the Sierra Starlight Theater production. Starlight Theater is the academy’s class for youth age 7 to 19.

Leading a cast of 20 energetic youth, Valerie Costenino plays Meg Boyd, the hapless fan’s wife; Kenny Jeffris portrays team manager Benny Van Buren; and Haley Fielding vamps as Lola, the devil’s handmaiden. Rounding out the cast are The kids in the cast are Jeff Gilbank, Alex Sanford, Emma Madsen, Steve Garcia, Nick Adelizi, Brian Bailey, Sean Glick, Devon Nollet, Lauren Trost, CeCe Garcia, Cheroa Johnson, Maggie Brewer, Katelyn Suderman, Alyssa Suderman, Mia Adelizi, Rebecca Glick and Janet Nickels. The show is directed by Sheila Adams.

The G-rated 1950s musical is good family fun that will have you cheering by the end. If you’re an aficionado of old black and white movies, you may remember Damn Yankees as the one time James Cagney shrugged off his gangster persona to sing and dance across the silver screen!

VBS is coming! Dates: July 23 - 27, 2007 Times: 5:30 - 8:00 pm Are you starting to make your summer plans? Make sure they include VBS! Come be a part of the Ranch and learn more about God each day as you have fun with friends! We are also looking for volunteers to help out in a variety of areas. To register for VBS or sign up to volunteer head on over to your computer! That’s right! We have gone high tech! Check out all the info by clicking on our long-horn below: https://www.groupvbs.com/myvbs/?churchid=1431