Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.

Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:

feeling sad or having a depressed mood; loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed; changes in appetite-weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting; trouble sleeping or sleeping too much; loss of energy or increased fatigue; increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions much be severe enough to be observable by others); feeling worthless or guilty; difficulty thinking concentrating or making decisions; thoughts of death or suicide. 

Symptoms must last at least two weeks and must represent a change in your previous level of functioning for a diagnosis of depression.

Here are10 reasons why we should get vaccinated: 1.) vaccine-preventable diseases have not gone away. The viruses and bacteria that cause illness and death still exist and can be passed on to those who are not protected by vaccines; 2.) vaccines will help keep you healthy. The CDC recommends vaccinations throughout your life to protect against many infections; 3.) vaccines are as important to your overall health as diet and exercise; 4.) vaccination can mean the difference between life and death. vaccine-preventable infections can be deadly; 5.) vaccines are safe. The US has a robust approval process to ensure that all licensed vaccines are safe; 6.) vaccines will not cause the diseases they are designed to prevent. Vaccines contain either killed or weakened viruses, making it impossible to get the disease from the vaccine; 7.) young and healthy people can get very sick, too. Infants and older adults are at increased risk for serious infections and complications; 8.) vaccine-preventable diseases are expensive and not taking the vaccine may have you spending more time away from your job because of the illness; 9.) when you get sick, your children, grandchildren, and parents may be at risk; 10.) your family and co-workers need you.

GOD WANTS TO QUENCH YOUR SPIRITUAL THIRST.

• Do you ever feel spiritually “dry”?

• Do you want a deeper, more personal relationship with God?

• Do you want to be emotionally whole?

Oasis for My Soul is a collection of poems, poetic prayers, praise and scripturally based inspirational writings intended to feed your spirit and refresh your soul. If you are having a spiritual “dry spell,” the power-packed entries will hydrate, nourish, encourage, and inspire you to develop a deeper and more satisfying relationship with the Master, the true Oasis for our souls. You will be challenged to move to a higher plane in your walk with Christ through the writings, thought-provoking journaling exercises, and pertinent prayers that will help you to:

• Receive a new level of spiritual awareness.

• Enhance your personal and spiritual growth.

• Build self-esteem and aggressively move toward wholeness.

• Maintain faith and hope in difficult times.

• Challenge the devil’s negative “thought bombs.”

Join me as I chat with Tracey L. Moore (a.k.a. The Purposeful Poet) as she takes you down a spiritually poetic trail and challenge you to be your best for Christ. Listen in at 646-668-8485. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes and iHeartreadio. Add PJC Media to your Spotify library, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/s/11944481.

The best times to find the steepest sales on everything you need. Computers and electronics: higher prices for smartphones, computers; Food: the price of food worldwide broke a six-year record in December. Many grocers have begun offering their employees more health insurance benefits to keep them safe and those costs get passed on the consumers; furniture and decor: grahbecause people are spending a lot of money to make their homes as comfortable and functional because people are quarantined at home; Gas: prices jumped 8.4% in December. People are returning to work and using their cars compared to public transportation;Home Exercise Equipment: home fitness equipment sales nearly doubled, low supply means higher prices for at-home sweat sessions. Weddings: the incomes of wedding planners, venue owners, photographers, musicians, florists, caterers etc. Video games and entertainment: because so much time is being at home. Energy bills: people staying home are keeping the lights on and running the a/c more. Mail: the postal service announced a price increase;Clothing: retailers ended up with large volumes of clothing left to sell.

When I met Tom Albaugh face to face in the summer of 2017, we were both looking forward to his show later that year. We hugged each other on campus at Biola University and waved goodbye.

A few months later, I reached out to Tom about the show we were scheduled for. 

He told me that he'd lost his son, Michael, through suicide, just a few days before.

My heart broke for him, and I remember saying we can reschedule for another time. He chose to go on with the show because, as he said, "It gives me something else to think about."

Three and a half year later, Tom and I sit down and talk about how he used words for healing, Listen in as we talk about grief and more on this Special Edition. Listen in at 646-668-8485. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on Apple Podcast. Add PJC Media to Spotify, Edifi, and iHeartradio. Or, click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/s/11945852.

Twenty-five families in India's capital Delhi woke up to the news on Friday morning that someone they loved had died in the city's Sir Ganga Ram hospital, reportedly because coronavirus patients could not get enough oxygen. The hospital's medical director said a severe shortfall had slowed the flow of oxygen to 25 of the sickest patients, who needed a high pressure stable supply. 

The tragedy came at the end of a week where several major hospitals in Delhi have repeatedly come close to running out of oxygen, which can help patients with the virus who need support with their breathing to stay alive.

On Tuesday, it took a desperate public plea from the chief minister and an intervention from the high court for the Indian central government to organize a late night refill. An oxygen tanker eventually arrived at Sir Ganga Ram hospital on Friday morning, shortly after a dire warning that 60 more patients were on the verge of death.

God and politics -- do I need to say more? 

In recent years, God and politics have become such volatile topics that even to mention one's political party is to, in the eyes and ears of 'the other' is to sum up that person's identity. Phrases like, "You can't be a Christian and a X" are thrown about with wild abandon -- as if God sits on the throne with an elephant or a donkey on either side of Him. 

How can we agree to disagree when the cancel culture, beating at the door, is quick to shut down anyone who does not agree with the majority? When do we as Christians reach out in love and say, "I may disagree with your stance, but you are still my brother and sister in Christ?"

Or is it too late?

Join me as I chat with Pastor Michael Campbell about God and politics on Saturday, May 8th at 2 pm Eastern time. Listen in at 646-668-8485. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes and iHeartreadio. Add PJC Media to your Spotify library, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/11937910.

Digital currencies and the ledgers that hold the transactions offer much more freedom than government-backed currency but come with fewer protections. The inspiration for the whole system was avoiding bank fees and all the regulations that go along with organized financial institutions. The flip side of that coin is that there are endless opportunities for new solutions and no limits on creativity. How do you get started as a cryptocurrency investor? First, you'll need an account on a cryptocurrency exchange. These platforms allow you to buy, sell and hold virtual currency. Coinbase is one of the most well-known platforms. The company was founded in 2012, and went public in April via direct listing as opposed to a more traditional IPO. Some investment companies that offer traditional stock trading services also offer crytocurrency options. Once you've selected a trading platform, you'll need a wallet to store your virtual currency. These are "hot" wallets because they are always connected to the internet. Your other choice is a "cold" wallet. If your portfolio grows significantly, you can use both options and store the majority of your coins offline while keeping some amount in an online wallet to make trading easier.

What happens when a '40s something mother inherits a crew of rookie twenty-year-olds and the mission is to race to a planet where celestial beings hold ransom the blueprint to humanity's continued existence? The question is will she leave her dying son on Earth to take on this desperate mission? One wrong step could seal their fate.

Veronika Taylor Morgan knows interstellar mining like the back of her hand. But leading a military expedition into deep space is another matter altogether. With a mind-devouring plague ravaging Earth—holding ancient ties to prehistory—civil society is crumbling. Miraculously, radio signals from space lead to a discovery: the remains of ancient aliens in a spacecraft are buried in the Transantarctic Mountains. Already shaken—when a message is received offering help from the hidden planet Nemesis, Earth's remnants are hopeful for salvation. Torn by her responsibility to care for her desperately sick son, Veronika knows her mining frigate, Assurity, is the only ship capable of following the map to a cure.

Assurity is an action-packed sci-fi novel with a hint of ancient mystery. If you like tenacious heroines, interstellar exploration, and unexpected twists, then you'll love Anthony Barbera's captivating tale.

Join in my conversation with my returning guest co-host and contributor Anthony Barbera about his space thriller on Wednesdaay, May 5th at 7 pm Eastern time. You can call in at 646-668-8485 and press 1 to be live on air. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes and iHeartreadio. Add PJC Media to your Spotify library, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/11937903.

Out of the end of the world as we know it, comes the beginning of the world we dreamed of and prayed for.

In a small Iowa town, survivors of unprecedented global war and natural disasters set out to rebuild their lives. So much of what has happened in recent weeks defies explanation for the remnant of the resistance to the last Dictator, survivors of the last human war.

Out of tribulation and loss, they stumble into a fresh breeze of hope that seems too good to be true. Yet, peace has fallen all around the world, and the new ruler in Jerusalem enforces that peace through an odd assortment of people spread over the Earth. Even the weather and wildlife have been transformed for the comfort of the remaining people.

Could this be what the Christians looked forward to for millennia, the Kingdom of God come to Earth, the Reign of Jesus Christ?

Even in the face of gracious prosperity, for the world and its inhabitants, the seeds have been planted for one last human revolt against God.

Join me as I chat with author Jeffrey McClain Jones about his post-Tribulation series on Tuesday, May 4th at 7 pm Eastern time. You can call in at 646-668-8485 and press 1 to be live on air. Download Stitcher on your mobile device. Follow us on iTunes and iHeartreadio. Add PJC Media to your Spotify library, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/s/11937893.