July 19, 2010Read: Isaiah 1 "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'" --Isaiah 1:18

The other morning while getting ready, we stumbled across a news story about a man who confessed to a heinous crime. The repulsive acts were more than despicable. As I sat there shaking my head, the story shifted to his lawyer. The first words out of my mouth were, "How could anyone defend the guilty like that."

Splashing water on my face a few seconds later, the answer was staring back at me in the mirror.

Isn't it amazing that God loves us so much that He doesn't defend our sin...He removes it.

--J.P.

SHOULD KIDS DRINK COFFEE? Thinking twice about allowing coffee drink treats to kids

According to the National Coffee Association, over half of Americans were drinking coffee -- everyday -- in 2006. Considering that even our once-anti-coffee editorial director jumped on the bandwagon in the last year, you can bet that the number has risen a bit since then. NBC's Today Show recently explored the growing trend of coffee drinking among children, suggesting that it may be contributing to the disturbing epidemic of child obesity in the U.S.

Blended coffee drinks may contain twice as many calories as soda, according to Today Show chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman, meaning that the tasty Starbucks treat that you pick up for your daughter when you hit the drive-thru for a grande skinny vanilla latte is a terrible choice for a regular treat. Often filled with tons of sugar and fat, these drinks -- seen by kids as trendy or social -- can contribute to weight gain and its associated health problems if consumed on a regular basis.

There are also concerns when it comes to the reason the rest of us take it: caffeine. There are no official caffeine guidelines for children but caffeine tolerance varies greatly from person to person. Many adults with lower caffeine tolerance suffer from a host of problems including sleep disruption. Worse, when it becomes a regular part of your day, going without it can result in very real withdrawl, the usual symptoms including headache and general fatigue. Sleeplessness and its resulting behavioral problems can be troublesome, not only for the children it stands to affect as a result of caffeine withdrawl, but the parents and teachers that are responsible for them.

So should you allow your kids to drink these "treat" cups of java? In moderation, it's probably not the worse thing in the world. The occasional sweet drink won't put your child in immediate danger. But Snyderman cautions against buying them regularly and recommends helping your children to make healthier drink choices.

How do you handle your kids' coffee consumption? Leave your comments below.

Source: NBC's Today Show