Waterford Today | Waterford's free weekly newspaper

Biblical perspectives for living

What Child Is This?

"What Child is this who laid to rest/ On Mary's lap is sleeping?/ Whom angels greet with anthems sweet/ While

shepherds watch are keeping?"

The questions raised by William

Chatterton Dix's classic Christmas carol have been answered well by the ancient Jewish prophet Isaiah who wrote about 700 years before the birth of Jesus.

In Isaiah 7:14 we read these well known words, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Matthew notes that this prophecy was fulfilled through the birth of Christ to the virgin Mary, and explains to us that Immanuel means, "God with us," (Matthew 1:22-23).

In Isaiah 8:13-14, we learn that "the Lord Almighty… will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them

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Have a happy Christmas with your pet

Christmas is a time for celebration, and many pet owners will want to include their pets in the festivities, considered as they are an integral part of the family. With the abundance of food around, it can be tempting for owners to give their pets lots of turkey, ham, gravy etc. to "treat" them. Unfortunately, this kind of rich "human" food can easily make pets sick, as their digestive systems are very sensitive to changes. Christmas food is high in salt, fat and sugar, all ingredients that can cause illness if consumed in any great quantity by dogs and cats, usually in the form of vomiting or diarrhoea. Many owners may feel guilty if their pet is getting their normal dog food, which can be perceived

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Aries: March 21 – April 20

You might not have too much time to read this, for what with the chaos and excitement of the festivities upon us, it is not so much about what sort of week you will have that matters, but rather to know that all the effort and expense will prove to be worth it – and it will be. So relax, have a few days off, and celebrate.

Taurus: April 21 – May 21

A time for forgiveness and coming together is upon us. It is about love and laughter, leaving arguments to lie in a quiet corner to gather dust. Raising a glass to absent friends. But most of all it is about finding that still, silent moment for yourself after the rush and tumble of it all. Maybe allow other people that peaceful space too.

Gemini: May

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'Tis the season of goodwill and merriment, but for some it is another time of year when sadness, stress and feelings of being overwhelmed can surface or return. That's why HeadsUp has developed a Christmas Survival Guide at http://www.headsup.ie which provides some helpful tips to young people to assist in getting through the period as easily as possible and hopefully making it an enjoyable and memorable occasion too.

Collette Ryan, Project Manager, HeadsUp, says "Christmas can be a great time of year for many but it is also a time when some feel down, exhausted, under pressure or alone. With some simple planning, sharing of the workload and by ensuring that we get some downtime, we can all help to reduce the stress that sometime surrounds the holiday and begin to enjoy it. For those who find themselves in

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Waterford Help Shine a Light on Cancer this Christmas Irish Cancer Society's Christmas Candle of Hope raises money for cancer

The Irish Cancer Society will be selling their Christmas Candle of Hope at Tesco Tramore for the month of December. The vanilla scented Christmas Candle of Hope, priced at just €3.95, is the perfect stocking filler for a loved one, as it is the gift that keeps on giving. All funds raised will go to the Irish Cancer Society's Care to Drive Programme, which provides free transport for cancer patients to and from their treatments.

Tesco Tramore and the Irish Cancer Society would like to thank the people of Waterford for their immense support to date and would ask that they' let a little light in to their homes' and

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Will Santa bring you a migraine this Christmas? To avoid festive attacks – start planning now

Christmas can be a stressful time of year, but with advance planning you can stop the festive season becoming one big headach . . . or migraine!

"Christmas is supposed to be a joyful time of year," says Donna Ryan, Information Officer at the Migraine Association of Ireland [MAI], "However, for the 500,000 people affected by migraine nationwide – an attack can completely ruin the holidays."

According to the MAI, trigger factors for migraine attacks are everywhere at Christmas – from seasonal stress to festive foods to changes in routine.

"Avoidance is not the correct strategy – why avoid something that may not be a trigger for you?" says Ryan, "The key is working out your triggers in advance and either minimising or eliminating these from your lifestyle."

The

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Are you protected against meningitis and septicaemia?

Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) is calling on everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis as the winter season approaches and is asking parents to ensure their children are fully up-to-date with their vaccinations.

MRF's 2011 campaign, 'Counting the Cost of Meningitis' has highlighted the shocking lifelong financial costs of surviving meningitis and septicaemia.

MRF believe that prevention is more cost effective than treatment; and are calling on the Government to pursue the widest and earliest implementation of vaccines to prevent the diseases.

The risk of meningitis and septicaemia heighten around Christmas and New Year when people's immune systems are weakened from fighting common illnesses like colds and flu, making them more vulnerable to bacterial meningitis, the most deadly and common form of the diseases.

Bacterial meningitis affects around 200-300 people across the Ireland each

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We all learn from our mistakes

When I came to write this week's article, I came across some wonderful quotes about making mistakes. My favourite came from someone I'd never come across before – an American politician called Hugh White (1773 – 1840). He wrote:

"When you make a mistake, don't look back at it long. Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power."

We all make mistakes in our lives, some big and some small. It is important not to be afraid of making mistakes – otherwise that negative energy creates more of the same and we can make identical mistakes over and over again. This can then block us from creating freely and learning as we move through our

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Lose weight for good and not just for Christmas Week 10

We have come to week 10 the last of this series and I am delighted to hear that so many of you have started the process of changing your eating habits for life and not just to fit into the little black dress for Christmas. We all know that if you allow yourself to slip back into old ways because you have lost sight of the long term goal to maintain looking good, the weight will creep back on again. Why not look at the bigger picture and long term benefits that you receive when you focus on losing weight without ever having to diet again; this way you can enjoy the long term process instead of suffering for the short term result.

Our imagination is an amazing tool when used

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This festive season, the HSE is encouraging people to get active. At this time of year, with the shorter days, rain and cold, sitting by the fire watching TV often feels like the best option. However, getting more active is a great way to improve your mood and enjoy the festive cheer, with the added benefit of helping to burn off extra calories from the party season.

The HSE recommends that all adults should aim to be active for at least 30 minutes a day five days a week. Children and young people should be active for at least 60 minutes everyday. You don't have to do it all at once. You can build up to 30 minutes or more a day by doing a number of short bouts of physical activity. However, you must be active for at least 10

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As well as the effects on the environment associated with sending this waste to landfill, there are also ethical and moral arguments for avoiding waste, especially when food is scarce in many parts of the world. Of course more immediately it will save you money, with the average Irish family throwing out €700 worth of food each year.

"There is always a peak in food waste during the festive season. Panic bulk buying and over compensating on what's needed has a negative effect on both personal finances and ultimately on the environment, when this waste goes to landfill. However, with a little forward planning and preparation that can be avoided. Stopping food waste starts at the point at which you buy your groceries, continues in to your home to where and how you store and cook what you have bought and

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Christmas is a time for enjoying those traditional foods which make the time of year so special. And whether cooking for yourself, your family or friends and relations, safefood has some tips to help you out this year for the safest, tastiest Christmas.

Storing, buying and defrosting

Ahead of the festive rush give your fridge a good clean with warm soapy water; you can also re-arrange the shelves to make room for your turkey - remember to store it on the bottom shelf so any drips won't land on ready to eat foods which could spread germs leaving these foods unsafe to eat. You should also ensure any foods past their use-by-date are thrown out. If you need to make extra fridge space, you can store vegetables and drinks

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Tips for Healthy Eating this Festive Season (Part 2) by Grace Fields, Motivation Weight Management

Clinic, 10 Ormonde Street, Kilkenny

With lots of meals out this festive season, we have asked weight loss expert Grace Fields to give us some tips to help us enjoy the meal without having to loosen our belt!

1. If you can look up the restaurant's menu online before you go so you can take your time choosing a healthier option at home.

2. Order first so you won't be influenced by others ordering the calorie laden carbonara!

3. Keep away from the bread basket- your waistline will thank you for it.

4. Don't be afraid to leave food on the plate- the portions will be bigger than you have at home so once you are full stop eating!

5. A good option is to go for melon, a salad or a clear soup for

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At this time of the year, ESB Networks would like to remind customers to always be aware of the potential dangers that electricity can pose. We all use electricity everyday but it has many potential hazards which we all must learn to be careful of.

Electricity cannot be seen, smelt or heard and is perfectly safe when used in an appropriate manner, but it can have devastating consequences if it is interfered with. Here are some safety tips from ESB Networks which are particularly relevant when using Christmas lights.

Some Safety Tips for Christmas Lights:

1. Only use lights that have been tested and are in conformance with safety standards. This should be noted on the packaging when you buy them.

2. Visually check the lights each year before installing them. Check for frayed wires, loose connections, damaged or cracked plugs or transformers etc.

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Christmas comes early for Down Syndrome Ireland (Munster Branches) as Tour de Munster raises €296,000

Gerry Murphy President Tour de Munster, Tour de Munster organiser Paul Sheridan, Sean Kelly, Rachel and Sandra Willoughby from Waterford Branch of DSI, Christmas comes early for Down Syndrome Ireland (Munster Branches), as Tour de Munster raises ‚290,000.

Christmas has come early for Tour de Munster as a staggering €296,000 was presented by cycling legend Sean Kelly to Clare Leonard, President of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI)at an event held in the Silversprings hotel in Cork last Saturday 3rd December.

The overwhelming amount was raised by 150 amateur cyclists who undertook a four day 600km cycle around the six counties of Munster during August, and the scores of DSI volunteers, in the annual Tour de Munster four day charity cycle. Each

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