SELF-MADE

May 6, 2010Read: John 19 "Do you not know I have the power to have you crucified?" --John 19:10

You can't pick up a newspaper without seeing someone described as "self-made". Look to any industry, and there's someone who claims they got to the top on their own; the captain of a solo flight from rags to riches. Well, thinking we've made it to the top of anything alone is not only tough to swallow,  it's dangerous to digest. Like someone once said, "A self-made man runs the risk of worshiping their creator."

Pilate took that risk. He raised his resume in the face of Jesus and beat his own chest. "Don't you know?...I have the power? ...To have you crucified? But Jesus 1) was all-knowing 2) gave power to the hurricane and 3) willingly climbed on the cross.

So really, Pilate had no grounds to question, no room to boast and no evidence to presume. And neither do we.

--J.P.

(VITAMIN) D UP! A big part of bone defense involves this crucial vitamin

Vitamin D plays an important role in protecting your bones. Your body requires vitamin D to absorb calcium. Studies show that people with low levels of vitamin D have lower bone density or bone mass. They are also more likely to break bones when they are older.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends that adults under 50 get 400-800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily, and that adults 50 and over get 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D daily. There are two types of vitamin D supplements, vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 -- both are solid choices for bolstering bone health.