"WATCH OUT FOR THE RED LABEL....A MANAGER'S DELIGHT" ( The Consumers Corner)

Greetings,
   Happy Memorial Day. Blessed Memorial Day to The Current Active Military,
The Veterans who lost their life in battle, The Veterans who are alive but still in a
Physical/Emotional and Economical Battle, and to The Love Ones who weren't in
The Military but who have gone on.

Today in Our Consumers Corner, I just want to very briefly bring up something that I neglected to do
 in my Grocery Store Session.  Today is the first spring/summer holiday.
And folk have been going to the store seeing what they can afford
to buy  which will help them celebrate this day....Safely. Although we all
appreciate a good deal, let's  be mindful and cautious when we shop.

Things like, The Red Light Special....Be Careful. You know how we would intentionally look
for that yellow or orange clearance sign when we shop for clothes furniture and the like?...
Well, tough as times are, I would not recommend that when you shop for food.
listen, day old bread, or can goods is one thing, but Meat, like hamburger, chicken and pork, and
dairy, I don't think so!  And in my experience and opinion, I would not put my family's
health at stake, by going home and cooking a hamburger or a pork chop that had
a red label on it..."Manager's Special"...Me personally, I would have to go straight
from the cash register, straight to my Kitchen , scrub and scrub the meat and cook it
immediately.  Even better than that, why don't you invite the manager of that store to
come to your house for dinner and let him or her share that meal, if they think that it so
safe for You to give to Your family. And as you recall, I mentioned before about Meat Smelling
in the store in an earlier blog...."Something Smells...In Denmark".. By all means, if you see meat at the store, that has a "Manager's Special"  Label on it, and it is Green, Gray and it Smells...
Baby you need to just walk away. No, You need to Run, Run as fast as you can out of that door.
 and as you do, you need to hand that meat over to that manager, and let them know that you are
 going to Report Them! You see your family may be on a tight budget, but they should not have
to die  early just to get a Deal!

   So, Be Safe on this Holiday.  Use Wisdom and Common Sense.  And Happy Memorial Day, to Birdtrice J. Smith, The Woman who gave me life way over fifty years ago and who passed this life in
February of 2008.  We miss You Mom /Grammy!   Okay, Everybody, Be Safe. And Don't Drink and Drive...you know what?.....Just Don't Drink!
Blessings
PastorD

"CONSUMER ALERT!....COMMON SENSE 101.1"

'SO YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE THE BEST DEAL?.....GET IT IN WRITING!"
                                     {Consumers Corner}

Greetings,

Today's Consumer Corner is about  Car Dealers/Buying a Car.
So here are a few tips for you;
Purchasing a Vehicle:
1. If You get a promo ad from a car dealer, promising  you the moon and the sun...read the fine print.
2. If you are Planning on trying to finance your car or finance a trade, see the Finance Manager First.
   When you want to hopefully get an  honest deal, you don't want to see the salesman first. For he/she
  would have your hopes built up high just for the Finance Manager to burst it.
  Know your Credit Score, so that you  can be the boss of the negotiations. If you have poor credit...
  welcome to the club of many. But still be proactive.  When a car dealer advertises that no matter
  what your credit is that they guarantee  that they will put you in a car...make them clarify that.
  What kind of car? Will I need a large down payment and a pint of my blood or what? Take authority...nicely. Don't let them make you feel that you need to take what we give you, and
just be glad that you have....Something!!..Don't Put up with that!

Serve Me Right!
1. Always check out the service department of that dealership.
  How goes the service department, so goes the dealership.

2. Do not take their word for anything.  As a matter of fact, before choosing a dealership, try to
   to check on their most recent reviews. And when you get there, go to the service department and
  ask the customers who are waiting on their car, how good has their service department been to them.

Carfax Me!

1. We Thank God for The Carfax. But sometimes carfax miss some things.  So do your own home work..Take GM Cars for example..Carfax could not have shown all of those recalls.
But Still, make them show you the Carfax.


Buy Me...Pretty Lady!
Women, be an Educated Consumer. Don't fall for that ...It's a Pretty Color, and
You can see yourself really good in the mirror Stuff! Tell then to lift up that Hood!

And to both Male and Female beware. Bring a Good Mechanic with you.
whether it's used or new. And during the test drive, don't let the car salesman/woman turn
on the AC or the Radio just so they can drown out the noise that they do not want you to hear.

So, these are just a few tips. Unfortunately, me and my daughter know a lot more about
cars then our Male Husbands. We have degrees and both preach. But we are tough on
car dealers. And you should be too....In a nice way that is...

Now, here is something that I would like to leave with you.
1. Be Careful what you sign. Don't say that you understand what they explained to you
  at one hundred miles a hour, if you don't.
2. If you have problems with a car that you purchased or the way that you were treated:
a). Complain to The Sales/General  Manager. ..If that  do not work.then..
b). www.realcartips.com saids to fill out a CSS Form and file a Consumer Complaint.
 Yes, I agree with that. And I also agree to...
c). Contact your State Attorney General's Office and file a complaint.
d). File a Complaint with The Better Business Bureau.
***And in the State of Michigan..Contact The Regulatory Division of  The Secretary of State
@ 1-888-SOS-MICH ( 1-888-767-6424)
So Be Good Consumers. Enjoy a Good, Safe Vehicle for you and your family.
And If They Say That They Have The Best Deal....Tell Them To Put It In Writing!
Blessings
PastorD

"PRAY.....SERIOUSLY PRAY!!!" The National Day of Prayer-2015

Today is The National Day of Prayer. A day set aside for this nation to pray as one for one goal. Unfortunately, some people are going to use it as a political tool to bring more hate, lift up racism and to bring down our President, President Barack Obama. This man Needs the True Prayers of The Righteous and of the ones who Love God...For Real. So even if you do not agree with everything that he does...We should Pray that the Holy Ghost will direct him when he needs direction. And Right now in the name of Jesus, I Pray for President Obama, First Lady Michelle and his daughters and Family. So on this day, I am asking those who Really Know the Lord, to Pray Jesus Peace, Jesus Love, And to Pray Jesus Blood over Our Homes, Our Body and over this Nation. For Greater is He..Jesus, that's in us than the enemy in me, the Haters, the Police Brutality, Economic Lack, isis and the like, and even the devil himself that it's in the World.....For God is Greater!! But we must not forget, what else that We Must Do...So, let's take out a moment and read 2nd Chronicles 7:12-14.- 7: 14 Saids "If My People who are called by My name, will Humble themselves and Pray and Seek My Face, then will I hear from Heaven, and it is then that I will Heal their Land" Yes, We Must do this, as We Lift this Saviour Up! for it's time to Stop Lifting up the Haters and evil doers who only want to destroy across this world... for when all of the haters and evil folk are gone, God will Still be Here! For Always and Forever and Forever, and Ever..God will Still Be The Great I am!. So on this day, Pray. And to the Church Get Ready, for playing time is Over. For Jesus will be Coming Back Real Soon Now, Sooner than Soon! So, Let's Stand up, Fight and Seriously, Seriously, Seriously.... Pray! Blessings PastorD

"IT'S YOUR HEALTH......REALLY! ( Consumers Corner)

Greetings, Today's Consumer Corner is going to be about Your Health and how to handle it, concentrating on your doctor's and hospital visits. This blog is a result of being on both ends of the stream. I have been patient and Medical Personnel in Nursing etc. as well. So here are a few tips: 1. Demand Respect. I mean by Demanding I mean very nicely...Demand Respect. We all know about The HIPAA Law that requires a patients confidentially and privacy, but what about a RMAAP Law...."Respect me as a patient" If I owe a co-payment or something...Respect Me, Don't tell the whole world, or humiliate me if I don't happen to have it that day. You don't know my circumstances. Don't put up with that. 2. Your Doctor's Visits: a). How comfortable are you with your physician and staff? Be careful not to see a doctor because your family all the way back to The Flintstones always saw them. Make your own assessment. b). How much time do they spend with you? Unfortunately, some insurance companies...Especially HMO's require a doctor to only spend 15 minutes with their patients. That's Pitiful! Too bad that requirement by some insurance companies couldn't of been removed by The Affordable Health Care Act. I Mean, You break your neck to get there, pay for gas, bus fare and the like and pay a co-payment, right? Well after all of that, they need to give you your due time of a Patient/Doctor Quality Visit. Thank God that some Good Physicians do not worry about getting bonuses from insurance companies but will spend all the time that they need with a patient. 3. PRESCRIPTIONS: Know what your doctor is giving you. Ask him or her many questions about your meds. And when you ask if there are any side effects, and they say none....Red Flag! There are Always side Effects. And your doctor may just want to push it to get some walking around money from The Pharmaceutical Company. Do your Own Homework. It really upsets me when I am at a pharmacy and I hear a Good Pharmacist ask a Senior Citizen..."Do you know why your doctor is giving you this medication"? And a lot of times the answer from the senior is.."No, He just gave it to me". Listen, if you have a senior parent or loved one, don't let them go to the doctor by themselves. or at least talk with the Pharmacist Before they fill their prescription. And listen, Old or Young, know what your doctor is giving you. Don't be fooled. All Dementia cases does not stem from age. but they can also come from meds that do not cross reference well. And meds that a person should of Never been given in the first place. 4. TEST RESULTS: Know your full test Results. First of all, ask your doctor why he or she is a running a particular test. And then when the results come back, go over them with your doctor line by line. I don't care if it will take more than 15 minutes of their time. Make them tell you. Please, don't just accept a phone call or a letter that saids..."Your Test are Normal" I mean yes, that is Good News. But it may not be the Whole Story. Sometimes levels of blood test may bLe borderline, or not normal for your medical history. And probably should be repeated in 3-6 months. But you will not know that, if you do not press them for exact answers. Thank God that more hospitals are using "My Chart" where a patient can look up their results on line. Too many medical conditions have been missed by a quick blanket interpretation of a test result. The same goes for Cat Scans, Mri's ,Ultra Sounds and the like. For Example. If your Hemoglobin as a post menopausal woman has always been 14.5. But now it is 12.75. Even though that may fall close to a Normal range for the lab, It is not normal for you. And it should be investigated to find out why it changed. And on the note of Women..You know your body, if you know that something is wrong with your menstrual, pelvis, breast or anything. Don't let the doctor dismiss you by saying that I wouldn't worry about that. You know when something is wrong. And I don't care how many test that they ran....if They didn't find Nothing...Take it again! Because you know your body! AND THIS GOES TRIPPLE FOR YOUR CHILD AND THEIR PEDIATRICIAN!! So, be your own Advocate. If you have a Good Doctor who takes time with you, explain things and listens.. You need to Praise God for that. But if you don't...start looking for another doctor. Because It's Your Body. You are the Patient, the Doctor works for You. So in a nice but bold way, Demand Respect and Excellent Health Care. For "It's Your Health...Really!" Blessings PastorD

"NO JUSTICE NO PEACE....PEACE BE STILL!"

Well, Well, Well! Just when it looked like nothing Was going to happen for a while or at all, here comes State Attorney General Marilyn Mosby making an announcement in front of a judicial building. Her announcement was that all six officers were charged in regards to the death of Freddie Gray. But not only that, one or two were charged with Murder. This was unexpected or at least not expected at this moment. while this is a sad case for the families of the officers and the family of Freddie Gray, you can hear horns blow in the streets of Baltimore when that was announced. And you can almost see a sense of relief on some of the citizens face. It is like someone lifted a boulder off of their shoulders. But on the other hand, the police union in Baltimore has called for an independent investigation, feeling that they need a second pair of eyes and ears who is not connected with Mosby's office. Wow! how ironic.. I just remember recently from Michael Brown, Eric Garner's death and others that the attorney's for the families of the deceased were asking for an outside independent investigation as well. And you know what? Some of the same ones who have asked for this action to be done in Baltimore, maybe back then felt that those request were offensive to police officers. It was also something to finally get the long pained question that America has been asking answered, and that was...What did Freddie Gray do to get arrested in the first place? Well, according to Attorney Mosby's investigation ..Freddie Gray did Nothing. And the knife that he had on him was not illegal. So, what happened in that van? I mean for Real. Seeing Mr. Gray in pain on his way to the van in the hands of The Baltimore Police was awful. But to see that he was in respiratory distress and was ignored when he asked for an inhaler was very painful. You know, That could of been anybody's son...Wake up Everybody. In Peace and in Prayer, we need to take all of these cases like it's Personal! No matter what community or city that you live in! And making it personal also goes with this black on black crime as well. All of it Has to Stop Now! So, where do we go from here? Well, my advice is to Take a note from the page of a Man of Great Wisdom. And that is congressman Elijah Cummings! Every night he has been on the streets in the faces of hundreds of protesters giving them advice, loving them and telling them to go home at curfew. Rep. Cummings is no punk, and no sell out. He is genuine. And he has been a fighter for all of us for years. He knows about injustice. He knows about fighting. This man of wisdom has been humiliated on the floor of the congress and in many committees by the republican party many times. But he has always kept going. Congressman Elijah Cummings, We Love You and are Proud of you. And please, just keep on keeping on! The young men in the community and this nation can learn a lot from you. So to the protesters in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Minnesota and the like. I have a challenge for you, Put Your Common Sense and Guts where your mouth is. It's just like what Atty. Mosby said...You said No Justice No Peace, well justice is now in process. So, Man Up, Woman Up and keep the peace. Because if you don't...your sins will find you out. just as some of us suspected, we will see that it never was about Freddie Gray with you. We will see that it was never about your voices not being heard or about jobs...You just wanted to tear down and destroy and maybe you were getting a few bucks to do it! Well if this is You. The people who do care, love their community and who want to fight peacefully, they will move you out of the way...So No Justice, No Peace! But, Peace, Peace, Peace Must Be Still!! Blessings PastorD