As a family physician, I explore the HEART of HEALTH in my work, recreation, community, and through writing. My blog, Watercress Words, informs and inspires us to live in health. I believe we can turn our health challenges into healthy opportunities. When we do, we can share the HEART of health with our families, communities, and the world. Come explore and share with me.
Handel used the lyrics from a preacher Charles Jennens, who wrote out the whole piece as a collage of Bible verses designed to tell a story about the Messiah.
9:2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
60:1“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
2See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
3Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
We usually associate Messiah with Christmas, but Handel composed it to be performed at Easter.
“Handel used the lyrics from a preacher Charles Jennens, who wrote out the whole piece as a collage of Bible verses designed to tell a story about the Messiah.
In some cases Jennens copied verses from the King James Version of the Bible directly, and in other cases he abridged or modified the wording of the Bible verses somewhat to fit into something that could be set to music and sung. He also decided to change the “point of view” in a couple of places.
Rather than quoting Jesus’ words about himself directly, for instance, he made a few changes so that the singers are singing about Jesus rather than portraying the role of Jesus.”
“Georg Handel was a barber-surgeon in northern Germany in the 17th century. Barber-surgeons were physicians in medieval Europe who only performed surgery, often treating wounds from war injuries. Eventually, surgery and barbery became separate occupations.”
Daylight Saving Time and the arrival of spring with the vernal equinox,brings increased daylight until summer solstice. It’s wise to be proactive in avoiding dangerous spring and summer weather conditions that can turn deadly.
Remember to “Spring Forward” to Daylight Saving Time
Most of the United States changed to Daylight Saving Time on the second Sunday in March. A few states do not change their clocks, and some states are considering staying at DST year-round.
So you will either go to bed an hour later than usual or wake up an hour earlier (if you want to arrive at church on time.)
Either way, your body will tell the difference until your sleep cycle adjusts; I know mine always does. In this article about “falling back” when DST ends, WebMD offers these tips to make the change easier.
And if you have persistent problems with sleep, consider the tips in this post.
photo by Dr. Aletha- at the Hemingway House, Key West, Florida
Welcome Spring
We welcome the first day of Spring in March, in the northern hemisphere, with the occurrence of the vernal equinox. The amount of daylight we enjoy will continue increasing until the summer solstice, the day with the most hours of sunlight.
An equinox occurs when a planet’s subsolar point passes through its Equator. The equinoxes are the only time when both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience roughly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.
With more hours of sunlight and warmer weather you may spend more time outdoors.While that may mean greater fitness from the physical activity, you will be at risk of several outdoor injuries. Be proactive and prevent warm weather ailments with these tips.
In Oklahoma, dogwood trees bloom in the spring. photo by Dr. Aletha
Exploring the HEART of health through spring and summer
Are you looking forward to spring as much as I am? Where I live we enjoy warmer, sunnier days in the spring but also contend with thunderstorms and sometimes tornadoes. Maybe the weather is turning colder where you live, or you live where the climate is mostly the same year-round.
Is your area prone to blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or other threatening weather? And do you know how prepare to stay safe?
Our environment significantly affects our health and the way we live, so paying attention to what’s happening is one way we can explore healthy and safe lifestyles.
An emergency room doctor addresses weather risks to life, and other health risks in a new book, which I review at this link.
In this post I review “99 Ways to Die and How to Avoid Them.” Dr. Ashely Alker, an emergency physician, humorously outlines various health risks and preventive measures. Combining personal anecdotes with medical insights, she emphasizes the importance of awareness in avoiding fatal incidents and advises readers to prioritize health habits over misinformation, and seeking…
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Thanks for checking out this affiliate link to an app that I use and recommend.
Many people find using their phones a convenient way to read and meditate on the Bible. And it’s easy to do so with the Dwell Bible App.
With Dwell you can listen to and read the Bible and special devotional offerings for Advent, Lent, and throughout the year.
Use these links to share the heart of health wherever you connect.
watercress words by Dr Aletha 