Capresso coffee pots

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As I sit in my office, looking out my window, the redbird is perched on a limb outside, its head bobbing and weaving, looking for the next place to land. It has been constant in my yard for several months.

It flies to my window sill, stays just long enough to peep inside. I guess it can see me because it flies away about as fast as it arrives.

MSC

It's a daily affair. I brought binoculars into the office, so I could keep abreast of it. It has a habit of flying to the same tree branch, then flying into the window. Finally, I was able to capture her in a photo. You have to be quick.

My sister-in-law thinks the redbird sees a reflection of itself in the window, but my wife thinks differently.

You see, the redbird is a symbol of her mother's spirit. My wife's mother died many years ago after suffering from heart disease. A few years ago my wife wrote a story about the redbird and what it symbolized to her. "Was her mother trying to tell her something?"

My wife has been fearful and anxious about health issues, especially when it comes to the heart.
I look for the redbird early every morning. We know it is a she-bird because of its color and texture. We looked it up on the Internet. Besides she comes and shows us a worm or an insect in her beak, then flies away to feed her little ones.

The past few weeks, my wife has been to the doctor. Alarm came when one doctor told her she found an irregular heart beat. She was sent to a cardiologist. Tests are being run at this time to see if there is a blockage.

She believes, quite strongly, the redbird is sending her a message. It comes from her mother's spirit.

The universe can often relay messages to us through signs. Often, we are too busy to stop and consider what may or may not be a sign. We may ask the universe for guidance, yet fail to recognize the sign it sends us in response.

Learning the subtle language of signs can help you interpret the guidance the universe sends your way. We all have been blessed with a connection that allows the universe to communicate directly with us. To be able to understand the information relayed over that connection, however, it is necessary that we learn to pay attention and know what to look for.

To see and correctly interpret a sign, you must open your heart and mind to the universe and invite its guidance into your life. Many of us are blind to the signs we receive because we expect angels or our spirit guides to speak to us in a booming voice and tell us exactly what we need to hear.

But signs are usually of this earth and therefore easier to encounter. A song lodged in your mind or a number that seems to pop up everywhere you look after you've asked the universe for guidance can both be signs.

Signs may come through the animal world, from strangers, or jump out of a book in the form of an insightful passage. A sign may be a direct answer to one of your questions. Other signs may point you in the right direction, warn of impending difficulties, or show you a different way. If you want the universe to send you a sign, tell it that you are ready and willing to accept its guidance.
Not everything you hear or see will be a sign. If you are receptive and patient, however, the signs you receive will become easier to recognize. It is important to listen to your intuition. A sign can mean many things to different people, and only you can decipher if a sign's meaning is for you. As you practice reading the signs and following their guidance, the universe will send more of them your way.

By learning from the example of our winged guides, all of us can feel empowered to take on daring challenges as we chart adventurous courses. Feel the strength of others moving alongside you, as their presence lends power to your wings during this journey across the sky of life.

When buffeted by unexpected gusts, we can choose to find refuge in the loving shelter of friends and family. We may even marvel as an otherwise difficult day passes by like a swift wind, as a kindred spirit charts a way for us through the clouds and rain ahead. If your wings begin to ache on your journey, look around for somebody else to fly at the front for a while. All of us move faster when we move together.

While the sign from the redbird might or might not be her mother's spirit telling her to take care of her heart, the symbol is there in my wife's mind. Is her mother warning her about her heart.

The Redbird in the Window Sill - A Sign From a Spirit Guide?

John W. Cargile, Msc.D, D.D. is a licensed pastoral psychology counselor. He is a member of the National Educational Association and Alabama Educational Association. E-books, reference material and study programs are now available at his website [http://www.21stcenturyministries.com] You can contact him at jwcargile@charter.net. All conversations are confidential.

John W. Cargile, Msc.D, D.D.

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Sleek and contemporary, this gleaming percolator brews from four to eight cups of coffee on the stovetop for full, old-fashioned flavor. A permanent filter basket (no messy paper filters needed) provides modern efficiency. The handle is synthetic (to stay cool) and slightly textured, a combination ensuring safe, comfortable pouring. Because the percolator is made of highly polished 18/10 stainless steel, the beauty of its gleaming mirror finish is long-lasting. To fully maintain the finish, the percolator should be hand washed, although the filter basket and glass cap can go into the dishwasher. The percolator stands 8-1/2 inches high on a 6-1/4-inch-diameter base. --Fred Brack

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The source of controversy over coffee is it's most studied (though not necessary largest) element, caffeine. Caffeine, generally considered to be the most widely used drug in America and Europe is an often powerful central nervous system stimulant that, in some people, can cause modest increases in blood pressure and heart rate, arrhythmia, anxiety and sleeplessness.

A normal person can cope with 300 milligrams of coffee a day- that's about three cups of coffee. However, response to caffeine can be as individual as a fingerprint.

Mr. Coffee DR4

The beauty of coffee is that, unlike many other caffeinated beverages, it has a way of tipping off the body when enough is enough. If you've walked into a Starbucks or a meeting you'll notice a lot of half-drunk cups lying around. At a subliminal level, there's an automatic stop with coffee. You don't even have to think about it.

But a lot of people have been worrying about their coffee drinking since some research studies have linked coffee drinking to heart disease, cancer and even birth defects.

Below are some answers to some questions of the most troubling questions you may have about coffee.

1. Will coffee make you nervous and irritable?

It can. The most common side effects are nervousness and insomnia. Whether or not you experience them depends largely on how much caffeine you are taking in and your individual susceptibility. According to Dr. Kroger Ph.D professor of food science at Pennsylvania of Food technologist, "people should learn to observe their bodies the way they do their cars" because your body will tell you what you can and can't handle.

You may be drinking too much if you're unusually nervous, restless or battling with insomnia. You could also be overdosing if you're experiencing heart palpitations, diarrhea, heartburn or headaches. For some, coffee acts as diuretic so you may have increased urine output.

2. Will coffee keep you up at night?

Your metabolism--specifically how quickly your system eliminates caffeine-may determine whether coffee keeps you up at night. Researchers have found that people who said coffee kept them up consumed less coffee-explained by their bad reaction to it-and eliminated it more slowly from their systems than people who claimed coffee didn't affect their sleep. Individual metabolism dictates whether coffee will rob your of a good night's sleep or not.

3. Why do I drink coffee?

It may be the taste or the buzz it gives you. In a Swiss study, volunteers who drunk the equivalent of one cup of coffee admitted to feeling full of ideas with greater vigor alertness and energy.

Other researchers have found that coffee can increase reading speed without increasing errors, improved the capacity for sustained intellectual effort and lead to less aggressive behavior. There is even some indication that coffee increases aerobic capacity, which can give an athlete more staying power. However, it's important to understand that what coffee gives coffee may take away.

Some folks experience a post stimulation letdown that can make them as tired and lethargic as they are alert and energetic. One problem you can face if you treat coffee as more than simply a satisfying beverage is that you'll start to reach for more than you can handle just to prolong the kick.

Coffee can be mildly addicting. Any coffee drinker who has given it up cold turkey can tell you about the withdrawal headaches and the bouts of weakness and lethargy which though quite real, aren't permanent or dangerous

4. Are there any long term health effects from drinking coffee?

Early studies linked caffeine with heart disease and cancer, bust since then most of those findings have been disputed. Most medical experts believe there is no clear evidence supporting them. But moderation is the key. There is some indication that heavy coffee consumption when accompanied by other diet and life style factors may increase cholesterol levels.

5. Are there any special health problems coffee may aggravate?

If you have ulcers or experienced heartburn or gastrointestinal problems, such as esophageal reflux, after drinking coffee you may want to limit your coffee intake or switch to decaffeinated.

Coffee seems to promote gastric secretion. People with hypertension or heat disease who experience an increase in blood pressure or heart arrhythmia when drinking coffee should follow their common sense and switch to decaffeinated coffee or a less stimulating beverage. Coffee can cause modest increases in heart rate and blood pressure and in large amounts-more than 9 cups a day-is associated with arrhythmia.

Another group of people who ought to exercise caution are those with anemia as coffee inhibits the absorption of iron. As well as people who experience panic attacks, such as agoraphobics. Researchers at Yale University found that caffeine produces a more pronounced reaction in people who have panic episodes than in normal, healthy people.

6. How does coffee affect my nutrition?

There is some evidence that coffee can inhibit the absorption of both iron and the B vitamin thiamine. In the case of thiamine, it doesn't appear to be caffeine that's the culprit but chlorogenic acid, another coffee ingredient, which is not shed during the decaffeinating process.

7. How can I enjoy coffee without worrying?

Although moderation is the key to coffee comfort, for some the most logical solution is to switch to decaffeinated coffee. Many people can't tell the difference between decaffeinated and the real thing. But if you can, you might want to stick to either instant or percolated coffee which depending on how strong you make it can contain less caffeine on average tan drip coffee.

How Much Coffee Can You Handle?

Adelaide Kwaning is a ghost writer who writes on a number of different topics regarding health. To read another great article on healthy living visit http://healthmad.com/weight-loss/how-to-eat-more-and-weigh-less/