The Pointe

People have so many choices in this day and age that it is helpful to do your research before you try making the right decision.  On second thought, make sure you know where to get reliable and valid information.  Not all information is good information.  Below is an example of why we should know our sources because even a lie can be made to sound true -  

A lot of people think they are self-acclaimed experts. Take this health food advice:

Q: I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it… don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that’s like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Aren’t fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!!… Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO . Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It’s the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
 
This is funny stuff, but what we need to know is that the enemy of our souls tells us things that are not true, but sounds true, all the time.  Know your sources! 

Do you ever feel like what you say is being received differently than the way you meant for it to be received?  It is always good to make sure people understand what you mean and not what they think you mean.  Here is an extreme example and I am sure you have your own stories.  Tell me what you think…   

A minister decided that a VISUAL DEMONSTRATION would add EMPHASIS to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate JARS. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth work was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of his lesson, the minister reported the following results: The first worm in alcohol—dead. The second worm in cigarette smoke—dead. Third word in chocolate syrup—dead. Fourth worm in good clean soil—alive.

So the minister asked the congregation, “What can you learn from this demonstration?”

A little old lady in the back quickly raised her hand and said, “As long as you drink, smoke, and eat chocolate, you won’t have worms!”

Unlike years gone by, few if any will leave their wedding reception with a shower of rice.

By the mid-1990s, it was common knowledge that the uncooked rice would kill unsuspecting birds. The rice would swell in their stomachs, cause them to burst, and cause a tragic death.
So the tradition of rice, superstitiously believed to foster fertility, was abandoned and alternatives like birdseed, confetti, and bubbles were established.

Ironically, there is no truth to the idea that rice is a threat to birds.

Miyoko Chu, a Cornell University ornithologist (awni thologist), has stated there are no documented cases of birds dying as a result of eating rice. She says, “In fact, house sparrows, red-winged blackbirds and bobolinks eat it all the time in the wild.”

Weddings and marriage are surrounded by so many myths.

If a whole country can be duped by misinformation about rice, how many more people are being confounded by the idea that when they get married, they will live happily ever after; no arguing or fighting, because, let’s face it, they are madly in love, and they will have the perfect marriage.

People still have dreams of the perfect marriage.  I call them Valentine Dreams.  It is possible, but it certainly takes work.  But then again, anything worth having - takes work!