The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges Americans over the age of six months to get an annual flu shot. Their pleas are combined with dire warnings of risking hospitalization and death for those who skip the shot. But are the warnings over-inflated?

On their own website, the CDC states that flu deaths between 1976 and 2006 ranged from a low of 3,000 people to a high of 49,000. But they also reported on their website that only 500 people died from flu in 2010. “The fact is, the outrageous claims of 3,000 to 49,000 deaths are inaccurate numbers,” says holistic family physician Dr. David Brownstein. “They are just guesswork.”

The CDC itself admits it doesn’t know how many people die from flu each year, and that their figures are estimates. How does the CDC get such over-inflated flu death numbers?

“The CDC lumps pneumonia with the flu to make their numbers look better,” Dr. Brownstein tells Newsmax Health. “It is an estimated number that includes people who also die from pneumonia, and the flu vaccine has never been shown to protect against getting pneumonia,” he says. 

Why does the CDC keep reporting inflated numbers?

“The CDC needs to keep Big Pharma happy, because that’s what really controls health care,” says Dr. Brownstein. “So, the CDC perpetuates the myth that everyone needs a flu shot. The CDC can say they’re doing their job, Big Pharma can sell more shots, and everyone is happy.”

So, hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and other health-related organizations and health personnel relentlessly push vaccination. Dr. Brownstein says he himself was a victim of a local hospital’s push to get more people vaccinated. “A large hospital system sent out a letter with my name at the bottom which states that I am recommending the flu vaccine,” he said. He only found out when a patient, doubting that Dr. Brownstein had endorsed the vaccine, sent him a copy of the letter.

“Of course I never recommended this vaccine,” he said. “I called the hospital that sent this out and demanded a retraction be sent to all who received it.

“In addition, the letter said flu kills 25,000 to 30,000 people each year,” said Dr. Brownstein. “That’s simply not true.”

On the other hand, says Dr. Brownstein, few side effects of the flu shot are reported to the FDA. “Again, they don’t want Big Pharma to get upset,” he says.

“I suggest the CDC stop exaggerating and start reporting the true numbers,” says Dr. Brownstein. “The truth is that influenza annually kills a few hundred Americans. Of course, each death is tragic, but does anyone really believe that vaccinating 350 million Americans is going to drastically alter a few hundred Americans dying each year from the flu?

“I seriously doubt that, particularly when the flu vaccine has never been shown to significantly decrease the incidence of the flu,” he says. “Furthermore, the flu vaccine has never been shown to lower the death rate from from the flu.

“Each year the CDC trots out their inaccurate numbers,” he says. “If they told the truth, the flu vaccine would become a thing of the past.

“The flu vaccine is a waste of time and money.”

For the original article, visit newsmaxhealth.com.

Developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit is crucial if you want to discover and fulfill God’s will for your life—and walk in your destiny. Some long to fellowship with the Spirit of God and hear His still, small voice but don’t know how or don’t believe they can.

In my book, Mornings With the Holy Spirit: Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God, I have shared with the world prophetic words the Holy Spirit has spoken to my heart over the years during times of prayer, worship and just everyday living. These words inspired faith in my heart about many topics, including dealing with people, receiving from God and acting on wisdom.

I believe the following four utterances, along with Scriptural references and prayer starters, will stir faith in your heart and give you some wisdom for the daily battle. I hope they encourage you as much as they did me. If you need more encouragement, join my Mornings With the Holy Spirit Prayer calls Monday through Friday at 6 AM EST.

1. Don’t allow people to distract you. Evaluate your life. When you take time to reflect on your relationships, it becomes easy to see who is supporting you and who is distracting you from Father’s will. Know this: The enemy of your soul is on assignment to hinder your destiny. He often works through people—sometimes even people you like. The enemy uses people you don’t know as well as people who are close to you to pull your attention away from Our will. Love the people. They don’t know the enemy is using them. But don’t be deceived. Stay focused on what Father has called you to do.

SCRIPTURE: John 10:10; Ephesians 5:2; James 1:22

PRAYER: Help me stay focused on You and Your will for my life and not on what people think I should do. Please give me discernment to recognize when the enemy is using the voices of people around me to distract me from Your true direction.

2. Set your mind and heart on Jesus. Always remember this: You are in the world but not of the world. Set your mind and your heart on Jesus, and He will refresh your soul. Don’t look to the right or to the left because that’s where the enemy lies in wait. Look for Jesus along the narrow way. Wait on Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Father gave you the dreams, visions and desires of your heart, and He will bring them to pass in His way, in His time and in His season. Don’t give up now. The enemy is no match for the one who loves Jesus. Take hold of My heart afresh. I won’t let you down.

SCRIPTURE: John 17:16-26; Hebrews 12:2; Psalm 37:4

PRAYER: Give me laser-like focus on Your will so that I will not be moved by the distractions that come from the world and from the enemy of my soul. Teach me to trust You and Your timing for the good things You have planned for me.

3. Ask Me for the wisdom to set boundaries. People will push you to the point of absolute exhaustion if you let them. They don’t mean to, and you don’t have to let them. Some people always want more, more, more and more, and they don’t realize you don’t have more to give unless you tell them. You need to give out only what We give you to share. If you don’t set boundaries in your life, you will become stressed out and worn out and will eventually burn out. But seclude yourself in My presence, and you will find refreshing and restoration for your weary soul. I have the wisdom you need to set the proper boundaries in your life. Just ask Me.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:15-16; Matthew 5:37; Matthew 11:28

PRAYER: My heart is to help people, but I sometimes wear myself out by not asking You first. Remind me to acknowledge You before making a commitment so I don’t burn out and end up resenting the people I have a heart to help. Teach me to say no graciously. With the Holy Spirit, which releases this month and from which this article was adapted.

4. Don’t doubt! Doubt is the doorway to unbelief. Doubt is a cousin of fear and suspicion, and it blocks discernment. The enemy wants you to walk in the curse of doubt. He wants you to worry day and night. But Jesus came to redeem you from the curse. Father has given you the measure of faith that opens the doorway to His promises. Resist doubt as you would resist the devil, and let your faith rise as you meditate on the blessings I’ve promised you.

SCRIPTURE: Galatians 3:13; Romans 12:3; Joshua 1:8

PRAYER: Show me when doubt is trying to enter my soul. Give me a discerning spirit so I can recognize the enemy’s attempts to muddy my faith with his lies. I submit myself to You. Give me the strength to resist the devil so that he will flee.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening, Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still Small Voice of God, The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

It’s Black History Month 2015. This is a time of remembering the many great contributions of African-Americans in the history of our great nation.

We have experienced many advances made possible from contributions from members of the African-American community. Beyond the familiar names that we hear every year, advances have been made by countless African-American “unsung heroes” in every spectrum of the human experience. While we will never hear every name of these contributors to the tapestry of our lives, we can take comfort in knowing that they were born, and that they made the quality of our lives more meaningful. For this truth we should thank our God.

Generally as a people, African-Americans have proven to be very resilient people, surviving the greatest obstacles of slavery and segregation that are part of the annals of our history. The current success of the movie Selma pays great tribute to our heroes of these eras past. In many ways, we have overcome. There is reason to celebrate this truth.

Yet, here in the 21^st century, we are faced with an epidemic that threatens the black community, and indeed the entire fabric of our nation in a manner that has never before occurred in our history. In America since 1973, over 58 million people, nearly 36 percent of these numbers being identified as African American people, have been denied the right to be born. Their innocent lives were ended as they were attacked in the sanctuaries of their mothers’ wombs—by the heinous scourge of abortion.

Let’s include all of the other deaths of blacks that have occurred by no fault of the victims throughout American history: black slaves and black people killed during the race wars that have occurred throughout the years. All of these occurrences are of course very tragic. We take pause now to remember the death of every innocent.

The key here is innocence. Slaves were innocent. The victims of the KKK are innocent. The babies in the womb are innocent. God hates the shedding of innocent blood.

Please forgive me, I don’t mean to be maudlin. This after all is meant to be a tribute to Black History Month. I would suggest though, that this startling revelation, that abortion is part of African-American history, and it deserves our attention and our prayers. Please indulge me here by reviewing my recent Black History Month video:

Black History Month, or National African American History Month grew out of “Negro History Week;” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African-Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

While I have many Black History honorees on my list, I believe that Frederick Douglass, one of my favorite abolitionists, ranks high on my list, near my granddaddy MLK Sr., and my uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and my daddy, Rev. A.D. King—powerful freedom fighters of the 20^th Century.

“I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nation’s destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes and at whatever cost” (Frederick Douglass).

For me, Black History is just as American as July 4, and apple pie. Celebrating Black History Month helps us reflect back on how far we as a collective people have come.

I celebrate Black History Month because it is part of the American dream of my uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrating Black History Month helps us to preserve a memory of “overcomers” like Douglass, MLK, my dad—A.D. King—Tubman, Truth and indeed every hero, sung and unsung, man, woman and child that has forged and bridged the gaps for future generations.

Some of my favorite models for tributary during Black History month are the Tuskegee Airmen, Madame C.J. Walker, Rosa Parks, the black slaves who helped to build the White House … The list is long, with people from every walk of life, and regarded with much gratitude that God granted each the courage to press on.

Please, as we come to a close of this blog, join me in prayer that one day history will remember not only that there was a Black History Month in America for a season, but that one day on earth there was a time when indeed every human being, born and pre-born, was awarded human dignity and the reality of a loving God who, as introduced in John 3:16, loved us all so much that He and His Son made the ultimate sacrifice, so that we can live forever.

Dr. Alveda King is the daughter of the late civil-rights activist the Rev. A.D. King and niece of Martin Luther King Jr. She is also a civil rights and pro-life activist, as well as director of the African-American outreach for Priests for Life. Click here to visit her blog.

When we pray, “Lord send revival!” what exactly are we asking for?

When we pray it is natural to visualize the answer to our petitions. Ephesians 3:20 encourages us to envision our prayers with the expectation that God “is able to do exceedingly abundantly” more than I can think. So when we envision revival what exactly are we dreaming for?

Are we praying for the salvation of our family and friends? Are we asking for a harvest of souls in our communities and nation? Does revival mean altars filled with tears and repentance? Perhaps revival brings an outpouring of fire within the church enduing the saints with the power of the Holy Spirit. For you does revival mean a greater demonstration of signs, wonders and miracles? Pastors, when we ask for revival are we praying for growth both spiritually and numerically?

All these things and more are certainly welcomed and should be desired in the church, but they themselves are not revival. Salvations, refreshing, miracles and growth come as the secondary result of revival. They are the fruit that follows a genuine awakening.

Revival is when the eternal all consuming presence of the Lord comes to his church. Revival is God’s arrival! It is when the King of kings inhabits the throne within our hearts, lives and church with absolute authority.

Before you say amen, consider the drastic difference between asking God for salvations or growth against the backdrop of a confrontation with the manifest presence of God.

Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Yes, we have full assurance of faith and can boldly approach the throne of God as sons and daughters made righteous by the perfect blood of the Lamb. However, do not forget that he who sits upon that throne dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:16).

That thought may stand in opposition to contemporary theology but consider that when John, the beloved, encountered that throne. He fell as though dead at the feet of the one whose eyes blazed with fire. Jesus had to come to the disciple, whom he loved, and say, “Fear not.” Truly our God is awesome and to behold Him in His glory is frightening. It would be foolish to forget that fact.

There is a cost to revival. When God arrives He upends and usurps our agendas. Our schedules will be inconvenienced, our selfish desires will become inconsequential. There is no room for pride or flesh. Egos become casualties and sin is dealt with swiftly. His holiness touches our life and by His fire we are purified. Revival means death to the old before it brings life to the new.

Is it not far more convenient to pray for growth in our church than it is to relinquish control of His church? Is it not easier to pray for the salvation of a loved one than it is to allow God full use of our voice to share the message of salvation with them? Is it not far more convenient to pray for God to bless the poor than it is to sell all we have and give to them? This is the difference in seeking the hand of God, rather than God Himself. One merely wants God’s blessing, the other desires His lordship.

Jesus commanded all His would-be followers to count the cost of the pursuit. He cautioned them not to begin unless they were prepared to see it through till the end. In our pursuit of true revival may we count the cost as well.

We sing “I surrender all,” but truthfully we barely “surrender some.” When we pray, “Shake everything in my life that can be shaken,” will we cry for mercy when He starts to shake what we hold most dear? When we offer everything we have to Him will we hold back when He asks for it? It’s easy to pray prayers and make commitments with our words that our hearts faint to fulfill.

Yes, there is a cost, but nothing else is more worthy. The exchanging of our kingdom for God’s kingdom is incomparable. Though it hurts to surrender it; though we know the flesh can scarcely bear it—still we cry out for it. We welcome it because we are assured that God’s shaking “indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Heb. 12:26).

Let the shaking begin! In the coming revival, God is reestablishing His authority and glory upon the church. He is returning the awe of His awesome holiness to His people.

As the writer of Hebrews continues, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).

I challenge you to shift your attention in your prayer for revival. Instead of solely seeking the fruit of revival, seek the sovereign God of revival. See Him taking his rightful place upon the throne of your heart. Surrender it fully to Him so that He alone may reign.

Daniel K. Norris is an evangelist who worked alongside Steve Hill bringing the message of revival and repentance to the nations. Together, they co-hosted a broadcast called From the Frontlines. Norris also hosts the Collision Youth Conference that is broadcast all over the world. He can be contacted at danielknorris.com.

Dating is one of the most interesting social studies. Two people with different personalities begin a relationship; with past baggage, a variety of “cultural” expectations, socioeconomic histories, family background, values, morals and faith—you might wonder if it’s possible to think that dating can actually lead to marriage.

From the very opening line to the closing technique, finding dating truths for God’s man can be difficult because there’s not much “dating,” as we know it today, in the Bible.

For example:

Ever wonder what Adam’s approach to Eve was? Something like, “Hey, God made me, He made you. Let’s get it on.”

Or Ruth, who slept at Boaz’s feet, in nonverbal communication that says, “Take me, I am yours.”

Sampson jumped the gun with Delilah, falling deep into a pre-marital relationship that probably involved sex and eventually short-circuited Sampson’s ultimate potential.

David never bothered to date Bathsheeba, instead he just had her husband killed.

Then there’s that book in the Bible called Song of Solomon. This interesting book is located in the very middle, or “heart” of the Bible. It’s a lovelorn exchange of adoration between two people obviously very smitten. Song of Solomon shows me that God is a big fan of dating. It also tells me dating must involve respect, patience, self-control and fearlessness. 

Respect. Each player in this love story humbles themselves while showing ultimate respect for each other. I know men love to feel respected, but in Song of Solomon, the male writer also shows respect for his woman with compliments, protective language and encouraging words.

Patience. When two people are dating each other and cannot be together, there’s a test of patience. In Song of Solomon, I see that each player dealt with their longing desire by taking time to write down their thoughts. This is a sign of patience. If they did not write out these love notes, they could become impatient and look for another substitute.

Self-Control. When reading this passage I wonder what self-control they actually had … For God’s man, dating must be an exercise in self-control. (I’ll explain in future articles the difference between “Quick” and “Quality” dating)  Ultimately, controlling your thoughts, words and behavior will show your potential mate that you can be trusted. So how do you show self-control? Trust God’s plan and obey his Word. She will totally dig this about you!

Fearlessness. Let’s face it—dating is daunting. There’s a lot on the line, including your heart. You have to take a step of faith, and be fearless for God’s way. But if you have respect, patience and self-control operating for you, then there’s no need to fear. You can rest is the peace that God’s plan is good, and you are following His path.

Learn more about God’s plan for dating.

Kenny Luck, founder of Every Man Ministries and Men’s Pastor at Saddleback Church, provides biblically oriented teaching and leadership for men and pastors seeking relevant, timely material that battle cultural, worldly concepts threatening men and God’s men. He is the president and founder of Every Man Ministries. As the former men’s pastor at Saddleback Church in California and current leadership pastor at Crossline Community Church, Kenny has found the proven way to improve men’s ministries around the world.  Watch Kenny’s teachings at everymanministries.com and start your men’s group today!

For the original article, visit everymanministries.com.

A Life to Love, a film about faith and the power of God and the first feature-length movie produced by Belief Pictures, is set to begin shooting in August for a release date of May 2016.

The film stars Canadian actress Hannah Brennen, who portrays a 17-year-old girl named Janie who must come to terms with the brutal murder of her mother. She quickly plunges into a life of suicide and depression.

“Everything the character goes through in her life takes a toll on her faith,” says Chris J. Zayachkowski, the film’s director. “We’re trying to take a compassionate and empathetic approach to suicide and mental illness as we examine it from a Christian perspective.”

The cast also co-stars Lauren Dutchak, Tiffany Jordan, Kelly Lamb and Karalynn Edgar.

“It is our belief that the film’s positive message will provide people hope in their daily lives. We want to show them that God is real and always there. He really does care what happens to people everywhere. This includes kids and teens.”

The project will be shot digitally on Blackmagic cameras and a crowd-funding campaign is scheduled to go live on March 5.

“We’re very excited to be launching our Indiegogo campaign and we have worked hard to create incentives for people who want to donate to the campaign,” Zayachkowski says. “You don’t need to give a lot of money. We have incentives that start as low as $1. We are even pre-selling the DVD and it can be purchased at a price of $15.00.

“The funds will be used during the production period to help cover costs such as housing, food, transportation and insurance. We’re even donating a portion of the proceeds from the film to the Kids Help Phone. Everyone can donate and get involved in the film regardless of their budget.”

The film will be shot in the first two weeks of August 2015 in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and should last roughly 14 days. The production starts prepping in late April. The film will then be released in early May 2016.

Donald Miller’s Scary Close (Thomas Nelson), a story about knocking down old walls to create a healthy mind, a strong family and a satisfying career, has reached the No. 5 position on the latest release of the New York Times best-seller list.

Miller has produced other best-sellers, like Blue Like Jazz and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

The book details Miller’s life of failed relationships and painful drama. At 40, he decided to stop trying to impress people—which didn’t get him anywhere—and to simply be himself, no matter what the cost.  

Scary Close has received some strong initial reviews like these:

“I’ve read all his books. This is his best yet.” —Lucille Zimmerman, Amazon review

“I finished the book in a little over a day. I couldn’t stop reading it.” —Teacher Reader, Amazon review

“This book is different, and somewhat surprisingly, probably  my favorite.” —Cliff Miller, Amazon review

Today’s post is a simple one … a plea to all married couples of all ages and stages of life, to kiss … to get kickin’ with some good lip-lockin’. You see, it’s a known fact that it’s good to share kisses, particularly random kisses.

Whether you and your spouse pucker up at the drop of a hat or only give the occasional peck on the cheek, I’m going to share with you three types of benefits that a good make out session creates for you both.

1. Medical benefits. Physicians and other sources from WebMD are happy to report that kissing provides spouses with some great medical benefits. Here are a few of them (I’m still not sure that all of these are really true):

• Reduced blood pressure: Kissing opens blood vessels which lowers pressure throughout the body.
• Boosted immune system
• Fighting cavities with increased saliva
• Burning calories. (Although, I don’t think it beats jogging.)
• Exercising facial and neck muscles.
• Heart health: A good kissing session can increase cardiovascular health.

2. Emotional benefits. Kissing is good for the feelings of the heart, not just the beating of the heart. [Tweet This] Here are some ways kissing helps us emotionally:

• Lower stress: Kissing is believed to lower cortisol levels, a hormone associated with our physical reaction to stress.
• Happiness by hormones: Kissing increases hormones that spur good emotions like serotonin and dopamine.
• Improved self-esteem: We feel better about ourselves when we feel desired and loved by another.

3. Relational benefits. The overall health of the marriage is helped, believe it or not, by frequent, passionate and even playful kissing, and here’s how:

• Bonding a couple: One of those “happy hormones” called oxytocin also acts as a physical and emotional bonding hormone, affixing strong attachment to the ones we kiss and love.
• Increases desire and acceptance: Kissing is one of many ways to express to each other that you want and approve of each other, which strengthens your marriage.

You probably didn’t need this list to convince you to do some extra smooching with your spouse. But if any of these benefits help you make the case to your spouse for some good ol’ making out, I will have accomplished my goal for this post.

What other benefits can an active kissing life produce? Share them in the comments below.

Mark Merrill is the president of Family First. For the original article, visit markmerrill.com.

I’ve had my share fair share of good and bad Valentine’s Days over the years. If we’re all being honest, I’m sure we all experienced the ups and downs of the messing up of special days.

For my wife and I, no Valentine’s will ever beat our first one as a couple. Crazy for us to think about, but it goes back nearly 15 years now. With shaking legs and a rapid heartbeat in our old high school locker area, I surprised her with a huge dozen-rose bouquet and a few other sweet treats. Let’s just say everything changed for us after that day in the locker area and we still talk about the experience every year.

Since that first Valentine’s, I’ve spent countless hours trying to come up with another magical moment to compare to the first time excitement. And, of course, along the way and over the years I’ve had some successes, but I’ve also made a lot of mistakes.

This post is a chance for you to learn the mature way to handle an expected special event, so don’t just avoid and make a mistake; instead pay attention and learn from those that have already made them.

Here are 6 ways I’ve blown Valentine’s Days or other special days over the years. And through each one, I offer a little advice on what to do instead. Dig in, take action where needed and share your own story of success or failure in the comments.

You Choose To Do Nothing

Look, I’ll be the first guy to agree with you that it seems dumb or even crazy to set aside a certain day to show extra love to your wife or girlfriend, but it has become the nature of our culture. It has been ingrained into our minds and therefore it becomes a part of our life whether we talk about it or not. It’s become a day to go out of your way and show love. So, in short, make sure you choose to do something! It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t even have to be expensive; but it should be something from your heart.

If you’re still in search for some ideas on what to do this year, check out this awesome list from menandmarriage.com.

You Use the Old Excuse “I Forgot”

Between work, marriage, my son, friends, family and so on, I’m as busy as the next guy. But that still doesn’t allow you or me to use the excuse “I forgot” once the day arrives and we are ill prepared. Come up with some ideas or a plan, even if it’s a small one. Enter short reminders on your phone now and don’t avoid them when they pop up and alert you. Then show her that you didn’t forget about your special day together and remind her how important she is to you.

You Wait Till the Last Minute to Make Plans

So you know what you want to do, you have great ideas; but you keep putting it off? This is a terrible way to approach a special day and opportunities with your loved one. I have done this exact thing over the years and it never turns out good. You know that perfect dinner place, but you keep putting off the reservation. You know exactly what kind of gift or flowers to give her, but you arrive to get it just as the store closes. If you know what you want to do or plan, then DO IT! Plan as early as possible and avoid the confusion, frustrations and headaches.

You Somehow Miss All of the Hints

My wife and I were riding on the back of a horse-drawn carriage in the city over the Christmas Holiday. As we passed through the city streets and looked at all of the buildings, we started to see some great restaurants we had never seen before. One place in particular really made my wife light up and we spoke to each other about trying it out some time. Since then, I have kept that place in my mind and I have waited for the right opportunity to take her there. This Valentine’s is the perfect time! Don’t miss the hints guys. What hints have you heard lately or over the last month? Think about those particular things and take action on them.

You Do the Same Thing as the Year Before

Unless you did something absolutely amazing, ate an unbelievably good meal, or got the hint that whatever you did should happen yearly; I’d stick with trying something new. Go to a new restaurant, try out a not-so-common flower or speak words of value or love to her that she wouldn’t normally expect.

Show her that you want to keep your love fresh and young by coming up with fresh ideas!

You Allow Recent Event or Issues to Ruin the Day

So you had a fight recently. So you didn’t do that important thing she asked you to do. Maybe your wife messed something up or disrespected you recently. My suggestion and encouragement to you is to give those bad events or issues over to God NOW and seek to make this the best Valentine’s Day ever for your loved one. She won’t even see it coming. Use this day as an opportunity to seek and ask for forgiveness. Take some time to review your marriage vows, wedding photos or recent fun events. Talk about the fun you use to have while you were dating and search out ways to have a great time together.

Don’t let little issues ruin a special day for each other!

Your wife wants to know you’re thinking about her, she wants to know that you care. Don’t blow this Valentine’s Day because of bad excuses or poor planning. Choose to be a mature and smart husband, and make this the best Valentine’s Day ever!

Have you ever blown a special day? Share a personal experience or funny story of your own. Help us not feel like we’re not alone!

Manturity is a blog built on establishing spiritual maturity in today’s man. The goal is to assist men in building better marriages and help them grow in maturity and explore different aspects of manhood. Manturity.com features new weekly blog posts, daily social-media updates and a powerful resources page. Stay up to date with the Manturity blog communities on Facebook and Twitter.

For the original article, visit manturity.com.

The increase in numbers of American children diagnosed with autism is frightening. Autism cases have skyrocketed between 20 and 30 fold since the early 1970s, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In 2014, the CDC released a report stating that one child out of every 68 had autism, a 30 percent increase from only two years earlier. For boys, the risk was even worse—1 in 42.

The condition, which causes difficulty communicating and limited social skills, was so rare in past generations that the term autism wasn’t even used in the modern sense until 1938. Autism wasn’t classified as a specific illness until the late 1960s.

As the numbers of victims began to rise, desperate parents searched for help—and for answers. Doctors were as clueless as the parents about the cause. Many parents believed their children were normal until they began receiving regularly scheduled vaccinations. Speculation centered around the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, since some parents saw a dramatic spiral into autism immediately following the MMR inoculation.

Holistic physician David Brownstein, M.D., has seen first-hand the agony faced by parents of autistic children. “For over 20 years, I have seen many parents who reported that their child was developing normally until they received a vaccine,” he says. “Within hours to days of the vaccine, particularly the MMR vaccine, these parents claim that their children changed in their behavior and attitude.

“The story was always similar,” he tells Newsmax Health. “One day the child was normal, the next day he or she was crying and irritable and began regressing on all fronts—neurologically, behaviorally and emotionally.

“From this point on, the lives of the parents and affected children were changed forever,” he says. “Nearly all of these children were eventually diagnosed as autistic.”

Dr. Andrew Wakefield published studies in 1998 that questioned the safety of the MMR vaccine and linked it to autism and bowel disease in children. Dr. Wakefield says he found the measles virus in the lymph tissue of 12 autistic children who had never had measles but had received the measles vaccine. Wakefield, who was a world-renowned gastrointestinal surgeon, believed that the MMR vaccine could be causing the inflammation of the gastrointestinal system that affects most autistic children. 

The MMR vaccine is produced using a cell line that originated from aborted fetal lung cells, notes Dr. Brownstein. “The concern is that the increase in autism may be due to the introduction of human DNA—from fetal cells—into the MMR and chicken pox vaccines,” he says.

Research by scientist Dr. Helen Ratajczak also suggested vaccines could cause autism. After a review of scientific literature, she believed that the onslaught of multiple vaccines was throwing the immune system out of balance. In addition, she believed that the introduction of human DNA via vaccines was causing the body to treat the foreign DNA as invaders, starting an inflammatory process that becomes chronic. The factors combine to increase the risk of autism.

Still, Dr. Wakefield was accused of fraud in connection with his autism research and his medical license was revoked. He continues to be vilified for his research suggesting that vaccines could cause autism.

“For that ‘crime,’ he was prosecuted by the media and the medical profession,” says Dr. Brownstein. Ironically, even though Dr. Wakefield is blamed for the anti-vaccine movement, he didn’t advise patients to refuse vaccinations. Instead, he suggested that vaccines for the three diseases contained in the MMR should be given separately.

Still others blamed thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative found in some vaccines, for the dramatic increase in autism, but cases of the condition have continued to rise even after thimerosal was removed from the majority of vaccines.

In May 2014, a paper by prominent immunologist Dr. Bart Classen was published in Molecular and Genetic Medicine. Dr. Classen blamed the increase in autism, as well as increases in diabetes and obesity, to chronic inflammation caused by an overload of vaccines.

“We have been publishing for years that vaccines are causing an epidemic of inflammatory diseases including diabetes, obesity and autism,” Dr. Classen wrote. “However, the number of vaccines given to children has continued to rise to a point where we have reached a state of immune overload in roughly the majority of young U.S. children.

“The best data indicates that vaccine-induced chronic disease is now of a magnitude that dwarfs almost all prior poisoning of humans, including poisoning from agents like asbestos, low dose radiation, lead and even cigarettes.”

There are accusations that the CDC has deliberately suppressed evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. “The Centers for Disease Control altered a 2004 study, hiding data that supported Dr. Wakefield’s research,” Dr. Brownstein says. “The report stated there was no link between vaccines and autism, but a CDC whistleblower and author of the paper came forward to announce that the paper was a fraud. He said the CDC hid data in the paper which showed a clear link between the early administration of the MMR vaccine and autism.”

The whistleblower was CDC senior scientist William Thompson, who issued a statement through his attorney: “I regret that my co-authors and I omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the journal Pediatrics. The omitted data suggested that African-American males who received the MMR vaccine before age 36 months were at increased risk for autism.”

Many scientists blame the increase in autism on environmental factors, such as exposure to chemicals and pollution. Autism hasn’t been the only disease that’s been skyrocketing among children. Type 1 diabetes, allergies, eczema, cancer, and gastrointestinal problems have also increased significantly.

So, do vaccines cause autism? The consensus of the conventional medicine community is that they do not, and many authorities seem unwilling to consider any evidence to the contrary.

More answers may be coming soon. Whistleblower William Thompson has reportedly been given immunity by the Obama administration, and is planning to tell his story to Congress.

For the original article, visit newsmaxhealth.com.