Commun ty Matters Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor
December 2015
Colds and flu are back in season As we near the peak months for cold and flu season, it’s a good time to review tips for prevention and treatment. Getting the flu vaccine is still one of the best things you can do for your health in wintertime. There is no truth to the myth that you can catch the illness from the vaccine. The injection contains only a killed version of the virus. People 65 years or older run a higher risk of complications from the flu, as do people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, emphysema, heart disease, and diabetes. It can, however, take up to two weeks for the flu vaccine to take effect, so the earlier, the better. But they are usually available through February. Good hand-washing routines are another top defense against illness. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds, or use alcohol-based sanitizer, whenever you have been out in public—especially in a community living environment. Viruses can live on hard surfaces for COLDS, continued on page 3
The meaning of Christmas By Wayne Rector, Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor resident
Wayne Rector
Christmas has come to mean many things to many people. To the retail business person, it has become the peak sales season of the year; and each year it begins a little earlier, pushing hard against Thanksgiving to begin. Most stores now have Christmas decorations up a month before Thanksgiving.
To a pair of lovers, Christmas gives an opportunity to express their love for each other in a tangible way with a special and meaningful gift. To a child, it is a time of wonder, hope and expectations, coupled with an intense desire for Christmas to hurry up and get here. For Christians everywhere, it is a time to celebrate the coming to earth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God in his great love for struggling humanity has divided time and history. With the coming of Christ, God could be seen no longer as a harsh and distant entity that could not be reached, but as a “very present help in time of trouble.” God came down at that first Christmas and is with us today. That is the gift of Christmas—a gift that will not tarnish or become obsolete, and will renew itself again and again. Today, I hope that your heart is full of the Spirit and the joys of Christmas, now and forever.