My dad has dementia. Last year after Thanksgiving my sister set up the Christmas tree and everyday my dad would see the tree and ask about taking it down. I would tell him to look under the tree and see the boxes. Then I explained Christmas hadn't arrived yet.

Then a few minutes later my dad would ask again about taking down the tree. He didn't remember the previous conversation. His short term memory is gone. My dad has Alzheimer's.

If someone close to you has dementia, I hope that you can continue to love them and treasure your best memories of them.

This infographic by Executive Home Care explains the different forms of dementia.

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We would like to wish all the moms a wonderful Mother's Day.

The following infographic by Mommy.com reveals some interesting statics about mothers:

• There are 2 billion mothers around the world.
• 43 countries celebrate Mother's Day.
• 36% of moms are single.

The Bible has plenty to say about motherhood. In fact, Open Bible has compiled a list of 61 verses related to motherhood.

One of the most famous Bible verses about mothers appears in the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:12 ESV says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."

All About Mothers Day infographic 

From 2011 to 2012 the number of single parents in the United States raising children increased by 500,000.

According to this infographic by SingleMommie, in 2012 there were 10.3 million single mothers and 1.9 million single fathers raising children.

CBS DFW recently reported that "the birth rate for unmarried women in 2007 was 80% higher than it was in 1980, and increased 20 percent between 2002 and 2007."

More churches could excel at helping single parents by making singles ministry a priority. If your church offers programs to help single parents, let us know about it in the comments.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19.7 million Americans get a sexually transmitted infections (STI) each year. This infographic by PersonaLabs lists some alarming health statistics:

• "1 in 4 Americans will get an STD in their lifetime"
• "12,000 American teens catch an STD or STI each day"
• "24 million women become infertile each year due to undiagnosed STDs"

There are two issues I would like to address: health and behavior.

1) Many people have sexually transmitted infections without knowing it. If you have engaged in any risky sexual behavior, please get checked. PersonaLabs or a local doctor can advise you on how to get tested.

2) These statistics show that the sexual revolution is leaving behind a large path of destruction. When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees over the sin of a woman that committed adultery, Jesus did not judge her. Most people remember the words "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" but few remember Jesus also told the woman, "Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more." FULL POST

Photo: Flickr/emerson12 - Creative Commons

Will you give your mom a rose this Mother's Day?

Mother's Day arrives a week from Sunday and we would like to recognize the moms with this Mother's Day infographic. Thank you for the job you do in raising your children.

If you go to church on Mother's Day, you will probably hear a sermon about the role that mother's play. One of the most famous Bible verses about women is Proverbs 31:10 which says, "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."

This infographic by Bridesign shows that there are 2 billion mothers around the world of which 82.5 million are in the United States. One more piece of trivia that is mind blowing if it's true: Feodor Vassilyev of Russia had 69 children.

According to Wikipedia, Vassilyev "gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets between 1725 and 1765, in a total of 27 births. 67 of the 69 children born are said to have survived infancy."

However some people are skeptical of this reported "fact" and consider it fiction. Hospitals didn't have advanced neonatal care in the 1700s.

Whether you have one child or a quiver (Psalm 127:5), God has a special job for you in raising them. FULL POST

After pastor Rick Warren's son committed suicide there was an increase in awareness of mental health problems as numerous media outlets reported the tragic story. As time goes by, interest in this problem may drop off. Unfortunately, numerous teens and young adults struggle with this problem. The following infographic reports, "About 19 percent of young people contemplate or attempt suicide each year."

After you read this infographic, consider praying for anyone you know that struggles with depression or mental illness.

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Today is the the 43rd annual celebration of Earth Day.

According to the official Earth Day website, "Over one billion people in 192 countries are participating from London to Sao Paolo, Seoul to Babylon City, New Delhi to New York, Rome to Cairo; people everywhere are taking action in their communities and helping depict The Face of Climate Change."

One billion people? That sounds like a huge exaggeration. Will one in every seven people on this planet participate in Earth Day activities?

This Earth Day infographic by Elite Research features some interesting environmental statistics that seem more plausible. One striking statistic: "The average American produces 1,600 pounds of garbage per year."

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces 4.43 pounds of trash each day.

Christians are divided over issues like global warming. However, the Bible is clear that we are to take good care of the land God has given us.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. - Genesis 2:15

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Pollfish conducted a poll following last week's Boston bombing on the subject of security and government policy.

One of the questions asked in the poll:

Do you think security measures should be stricter in the future?

39% supported the position that security measures "should be stricter" while 35% agreed only if the stricter measures "don't affect my privileges and comfort." Only 26% opposed stricter security measures.

This is one of the big policy issues of our time: the balance between security and freedom. Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

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Actress Reese Whitherspoon's husband was arrested over the weekend for driving under intoxication. This crime puts people's lives at risk.

Two close friends of mine died in car wrecks while driving intoxicated. It was sad attending their funerals. The parents were shaken up by the tragic unexpected deaths. Whenever I would drive passed the spot where one friend died, I would think about her.

In this infographic by McGregor & Collins, we learn that "30 people die every day from drunk driving and that "31% of all traffic related deaths in the U.S." involve alcohol.

These deaths can be prevented. Since I am not a drinker, I have been a designated driver on multiple occasions.

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After Rick Warren's son Matthew committed suicide following a long struggle with mental illness, gay marriage supporters as well as Christians opposed to Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life have bashed the well known megapastor.

Some of Warren's Christian critics have failed to follow the Bible which teaches us to "speak the truth in love." - Ephesians 4:15 NLT

Other biblical advice regarding disputes involves first confronting the Christian in private:

"If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.

This infographic by Knowledge Train recommends acknowledging the person's strong points before confronting them with any problems and offering support to help them change. In this way the confrontation can end positively.

How to give a constructive criticism sandwich infographic