LIFESTYLES EDITOR:

Sandee Suitt | suitt@dnj.com 615.278.5160

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Lifestyles
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Friday, March 14, 2008

I FRIDAY: Religion

I SATURDAY: Health

GOOD IDEAS
RELIGION Words of inspiration
Murfreesboro physician T. Michael Helton said his former partner, the late Dr. Allen Polk, gave him advice he has always remembered. People dont care how much you HELTON know until they know how much you care, said Polk. (Polk) always cared about his patients, said Helton. They knew he cared about them and thats why they loved him as a physician.

Book signing
Robert W. Ellis, a Murfreesboro businessman and now author, is officially releasing his book, Thoughts Behind the Words, A Collection of Church Marquee Sayings and the Life Lessons They Represent. The kickoff begins at MidSouth Bank, 1 College St., today. Ellis will sign books there between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Ellis will be at Hastings Books, Music & Video, 1660 Memorial Blvd., between 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday. Ellis and his wife, Rhonda, owned and operated the Gold Rush, Jewelry and Gifts for a number of years. The book is more than one of church marquee sayings; it is written as a message of hope and a road map to your purpose. The book is made up of Ellis thoughts, but its purpose is to invoke your thoughts. For more information, call 615-896-9130 or e-mail dreampublications@comcast.net. Visit on the Web at www.thoughtsbehindthewords.com.

Photo submitted

InnerFire includes Johnna Carroll, Faith Joyner and Bernie Joyner.

GOSPEL GROUP REFLECTS

MUSIC Guitar Festival

The 2008 Tennessee Guitar Festival opens Saturday at MTSU and will feature a free and open concert at 8 p.m. daily through Wednesday in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. In addition to William Yelverton, MTSU guitar professor, the featured artists in this years festival will include Christopher Berg, Duo Firenze, John Johns, Matt Palmer, Valerie Hartzell, Randy Reed and Roger Hudson. Regarding the free 8 p.m. concerts, Yelverton and Hudson will perform Saturday, in a faculty guitar concert. Next, Hartzell and Reed will perform Sunday, while Firenze will perform Monday, and Berg will play Tuesday. Guitarists Palmer and Johns will perform Wednesday. Master classes also will be held in conjunction with the festival. The Tennessee Guitar Festival is made possible in part by the Arts Builds Communities program, DAddario Music Foundation, the MTSU Instructional Development Committee, the MTSU Office of Sponsored Programs, the MTSU College of Liberal Arts and the MTSU School of Music. For more information on the festival, visit its online site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~yelverto/g uitfest.html or call the music school at 615-898-2493.

By DOUG DAVIS dougdavis@dnj.com

FYI
What: New single Take Em to the Lord and self-titled album InnerFire by local Southern Gospel mixed trio When: Recently released. Where: The album can be purchased from their Web site:

Southern gospel group based in Murfreesboro has recently released a new single and a self-titled album. The album InnerFire features a new single by the Southern Gospel mixed trio. Scotty Carroll of Murfreesboro, the sound technician and inspirational speaker for the group, explained the single Take Em to the Lord. Its about taking your needs and problems to the Lord in prayer, said Carroll, a full-time electrical engineer. The single was released nationwide through AMG Capitol to approximately 1,000 radio stations nationwide, Carroll explained. It is one of 10 songs on the groups first album.

www.innerfiremusic.com.
Booking requests: Can be sent to E-mail address :booking@innerfiremusic.com Cost: $15 for album including shipping. For more information: Contact Scotty Carroll, InnerFire Ministries, Inc. 615-895-1277; e-mail: scotty@innerfiremusic.com or check the Web:

www.innerfiremusic.com Johnna Carroll Scottys wife sings soprano with the group. The other members of the mixed trio are Faith Joyner, alto, and her husband Bernie, who sings lead or tenor, depending on the song.

The groups name reflects the way its members feel about their music, explained Johnna Carroll. Jeremiah 20:9 says But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shot up in my bones, she pointed out. We began to talk about how the verse said what we were feeling and we came up with InnerFire. The foursome got to know each other when the Carrolls served as music ministers of a church in Defuniak Springs, Fla. Johnna said the two couples instantly became friends. It wasnt long before they started singing together. They asked us to sing with them during our church revival (in October 2005), said Bernie Joyner. That is when everything started. From there we started singing at local churches (in FloriSee INNERFIRE, page D3

Jump-start your spring-cleaning projects

With spring beginning March 20, its a great time to set goals for your cleaning project this year. Set aside a weekend to clean out pantries, dust those baseboards, clean off ceiling fans and all of those other little things you may typically overlook around the house. While cleaning your home this year, do a spring cleaning checkup in other areas of your life as well. Most people typically think of spring cleaning as annual organizing and deep cleaning in their home only. However, have you ever considered cleansing your physical body, emotions and finances during this time as well? Here are four helpful tips to jump-start your total-life spring-cleaning project this year.

1. Environmental and household spring cleaning

You may be surprised to know the Environmental Protection Agency reported that homes are 70 times more polluted than the air outside. In fact, many manufacturers are going green because of the harmful chemicals in cleaning products and toiletry items we use in our homes. I suggest using natural cleaners such as vinegar, baking soda and essential oils. You can even find prepackaged natural products for your home in your local grocery. Seventh Generation,

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for example, is a company that provides natural cleaning and paper products for consumers. JUNICE ROCKMAN They also DNJ Columnist use recycled materials, which helps conserve Earths resources. Consider going through your home and gathering clothing, CDs, office supplies and even furniture to donate to the Goodwill, Salvation Army or local shelters. When you donate these items, make sure they are washed and in good condition.

2. Spiritual/emotional cleansing
Forgiveness is one of the keys to cleanse our lives spiritually. According to the Mayo Clinic, holding unforgiveness affects both our cardiovascular and nervous systems. In a study researchers asked a group of participants to simply imagine forgiving a person who had hurt them. Most found they felt more positive and relaxed after doing this forgiveness exercise. The result was an improvement in their overall health. Forgiveness doesnt mean youre excusing what was done to you. However, it means youre acknowledging the hurt and making a decision to let it go.

The Mayo Clinic gives several suggestions for improving your health through the power of forgiveness: I Acknowledge the pain and anger felt as a result of someone elses actions. The situation needs to be looked at honestly. I Recognize that healing requires change. I Find a new way to think about the person who caused the pain. What was happening in that persons life when the hurt occurred? Sometimes, the motivation or causes for the incident have little to do with those most affected. For some people, this step includes saying, I forgive you. Do your best to remember
See ROCKMAN, page D5