World Heritage Student Exchange program, a public benefit organization, is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls from Spain, Germany, Thailand, Norway, China, Russia, France, The former Soviet Union Countries, Denmark, Italy, Sweden and more!

Host families are asked to include the student as a member of their family. Couples, single parents, and families with & without children in the home are all encouraged to host. You can choose a student for a semester or for the school year.

Each World Heritage student is fully insured, brings his/her own personal spending money and expects to contribute to his/her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles.

Imagine the world of peace and greater understanding. Imagine yourself as part of the solution! Today's teens are tomorrow's parents, international business people and possibly even future political leaders! Share your corner of America by helping a foreign exchange student experience life in your area!

For more information call us at 1(866)939-4111, go online at www.whhosts.com or email us at info@world-heritage.org 

World Heritage International Student Exchange programs, formerly known as Spanish Heritage, is a non-profit, public benefit organization affiliated with and operated under the sponsorship of ASSE International. World Heritage programs are conducted in accordance with the high standards established by the U.s. Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET). World Heritage is also a member of the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange.

Under a vast, October sky, standing on stage before tens of thousands deep in the heart of Africa,
Chris Tomlin felt right at home. Even all those miles removed from the familiar, Tomlin detected
the steady, burning light that's universal and uniting. He's aware that no matter where in the
world, we all seek connection, to know that we're part of a grander narrative, a special story in the
exquisite design of creation.

For that reason Tomlin has dedicated his life career to a singular pursuit: to bring people closer to
God. Building a career is just fine, he says, but nothing compares to building bridges through
music that lead to hope, healing and higher ground.

"I have to put out songs that bridge the gap," Tomlin says, putting the emphasis on "have to" as
though his musical life depended on it. "I want to write songs that people sing to God. There's
nothing wrong with a three-minute pop song, but I want these songs to be special to the church.
There's more of a laser focus on that than ever."

Yet Tomlin also embodies something rare in popular music. On his latest disc, Burning Lights, he
not only hits the mark for deep substance, but also delivers lean, muscular songs that exert a
magnetic pop pull. True to its title, Burning Lights shines like a sonic supernova, yet never loses
its human scope and beating heart in the process.

That's because Tomlin?after ten No. 1 radio singles, a GRAMMY® Award and eight additional
nominations, 21 Dove Awards, one platinum album and four gold discs?touches the hearts of
listeners like no other. On the one hand, he's achieved global scope that moved TIME magazine to
proclaim him "likely the most often sung artist anywhere." It's estimated that more than 40
million men, women and children sing Chris Tomlin songs each week.

But for all those people it's still personal, as Tomlin gives voice and narrative to the most
elemental longings any believer can profess. You can hear it on "Awake My Soul," where Tomlin
pleas for breath-of-life deliverance: "Awake, awake, awake my soul/ God resurrect these bones/
From death to life, for You alone/ Awake my soul."

"This is record number 10 for me, and it's so exciting to feel this great about it," Tomlin says. "We
definitely did not hit cruise control. This record developed in a way that no other record has and I
feel it's the strongest thing I've ever put together."

Tomlin extends props to three talented producers?Jason Ingram (Brandon Heath, Britt Nicole,
Tenth Avenue North, Rebecca St. James, Point of Grace), Dan Muckala (Backstreet Boys, Amy
Grant, MercyMe) and Ed Cash (Kari Jobe, Laura Story, Bebo Norman)?along with a wide range
of musical guests, including Kari Jobe, Phil Wickham, Lecrae and Christy Nockels.

But to tell the story of Burning Lights properly, you have to start near the end. As Tomlin and
crew wound down the scheduled album sessions, they had every reason to believe they'd
accomplished their mission. Little did they know they'd get sent back to the well not once, not
twice, but three times in pursuit of the best material they could muster.

For Tomlin, it was the artistic equivalent of Naaman's bathing in the Jordan River seven times?a
test of patience and persistence that yielded startling results. Each time, he fashioned new tracks
that propelled Burning Lights to higher melodic and lyrical vistas. And to get there, Tomlin had
to empty himself and lean on God like never before as a recording artist.

To hear Tomlin tell it, his albums almost always start with a full complement of finished songs,
ready for him and his musicians to execute. "But this time, we met with the record company as we
were wrapping up and they said, 'We don't feel that it's quite finished yet. Maybe there's more.'
And that's a big hit to take when you've already put your heart on your sleeve."

Then came the majestic triumph of "Awake My Soul," a song that had been orphaned earlier in
the album sessions because it didn't match Tomlin's exacting standards. He tackled it with
renewed vigor and then called on his friend Lecrae, who telegraphs a spoken-word interlude from
Ezekiel 37 with a preacher's passion. Looking back, Tomlin's still amazed that this once-rejected
track now kicks off Burning Lights. "That's the result of being pushed by your team?people who
are not just yes people?and being asked to give your best."

But it also crated a dilemma. Tomlin's team loved the song so much, they wondered what might
happen if he tried to pull another rabbit out of the musical hat. The singer was flustered; he had a
few musical ideas, but nothing fully formed. So he texted Ed Cash, an ally from way back. As
providence would have it, Cash had just written a chorus and was about to contact Tomlin to see if
he wanted to help him finish the song.

That collaboration became "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)," a dynamic song that
celebrates God's constant companionship, set to a soundtrack framed by chiming guitars and a
crisp, military-style snare drum.

Relieved, Tomlin delivered the result to his label, and here's what happened: "They asked me, 'Do
you have anything else?' Now this was the third time. I thought, 'Who do you guys think you are?
I've worked my tail off!'"

But Tomlin bit his tongue, racked his brain and searched his heart. He sent in a demo that
updated the hymn "Crown Him With Many Crowns," expecting rejection. "But sure enough they
said, 'This is amazing, we have to put this on the record.'"

The recorded version teams Tomlin with Matt Maher, a Christian artist who's Catholic. As the
session started, they came to learn an amazing fact: "This song is a back and forth between the
Catholic and Protestant churches. Several verses were written in a Protestant way and some were
written a Catholic way. One side claimed it as theirs, and so did the other. We sat at the piano and
started laughing. We thought, 'How divine is that?'" A special spotlight vocal by Kari Jobe also
graces the track.

To be sure, the rest of Burning Lights lives up to the thrill of those three tracks, from the spirit of
surrender that raises "White Flag" to the tenderness that brings "Shepherd Boy" to life. It's also
the song that gives the album its moniker. "David was a shepherd boy right before he was king,
out in the field, keeping watch over his flock and singing a song of praise to God: 'I'm just a
shepherd boy, singing to a choir of burning light.' That sums up what I feel inside. I want to be
that. The people I sing to are the burning light, and I sing to them night after night."

"I love at the end of the day how we got all these left and right turns and tried to follow them,"
Tomlin says of the path that led to Burning Lights. "It was a lesson in humility. It was great to
take a step back, listen to what people were saying and go for it. When a song like 'Whom Shall I
Fear' comes along at the last minute, it's not only something you could hear on the radio, but at
any church. And that means more to me than platinum records, tours and sales."

He adds: "It's not just about good marketing. It's songs that become part of the fabric of the
culture. That's God's spirit, God's favor on a song. And to be part of that in some little way is so
special. It lasts so much longer than quick fame."

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is looking into how hospitals are using a discount prescription drug program, known as 340B.  Certain hospitals appear to be making sizeable profits from the program at the expense of Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance.  Grassley has asked the federal agency in the charge of the program, the Health Resources and Services Administration, about its oversight of the program and corresponded with several individual hospitals.  He made the following comment on a new report responding to criticism of program uses.

"A report by an association representing the affected hospitals is not objective.  Through my inquiries, I've been able to document that several hospitals are profiting from the 340B program rather than simply providing discounted drugs to the uninsured.  Instead of using the deeply discounted drugs these hospitals receive for the most vulnerable in need, the hospitals are up-selling those drugs to patients with Medicare and private insurance because those patients can pay more. The hospitals are keeping the difference.  Even if the 340B program allows this kind of upselling, that doesn't make it right.  It also isn't right that we don't know how hospitals are reinvesting 340B revenue. Nothing that I know of requires 340B hospitals to report how they use program savings and revenue.  They could use the money for uninsured patients or they could use the money toward building a new wing. Without verification and oversight by HRSA, it's impossible to know how each hospital uses the program.  Each hospital should provide public documentation of how it uses program proceeds.  Then the public would be able to evaluate claims of how hospitals use the money."

Risk of heat-related  health problems increases with age

Summer often brings excessive heat, which can lead to heat-related problems caused by  hyperthermia, an abnormally high body temperature. Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible to hyperthermia and are at high risk for heat-related death. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some tips to help older people avoid the hazards of hot weather.

Hyperthermia is caused by a failure of the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body to deal with the heat coming from the environment. Heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizziness after prolonged exposure to the heat), heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are forms of hyperthermia. These conditions can pose special health risks for older adults, and can increase with the combination of outside temperature, general health and individual lifestyle.

Factors that may increase hyperthermia risk include :

• Dehydration.
• Alcohol use.
• High blood pressure or other health conditions that require changes in diet. For example, people on salt-restricted diets may be at increased risk. However, salt pills should not be used without first consulting a doctor.
• Heart, lung and kidney diseases, as well as any illness that causes general weakness or fever.
• Use of multiple medications. It is important, however, to continue to take prescribed medication and discuss possible problems with a physician.
• Reduced perspiration, caused by medications such as diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers and certain heart and blood pressure drugs.
• Age-related changes to the skin such as poor blood circulation and inefficient sweat glands.
• Being substantially overweight or underweight.

Lifestyle factors increasing risk for hyperthermia in hot weather can include not drinking enough fluids, living in housing without air conditioning, lack of mobility and access to transportation, overdressing, visiting overcrowded places and not understanding how to respond to the weather condition. Older people, particularly those with chronic medical conditions, should stay indoors on hot and humid days, especially when an air pollution alert is in effect. People without air conditioners should go to places that do have air conditioning, such as senior centers, shopping malls, movie theaters and libraries. Cooling centers, which may be set up by local public health agencies, religious groups and social service organizations in many communities, are another option.

If you suspect that someone is suffering from a heat-related illness:

• Get the person out of the heat and into a shady, air-conditioned or other cool place. Urge the person to lie down.
• If you suspect heat stroke, call 911.
• Encourage the individual to shower, bathe or sponge off with cool water.
• Apply a cold, wet cloth to the wrists, neck, armpits, and/or groin. These are places where blood passes close to the surface of the skin, and the cold cloths can help cool the blood.
• If the person can swallow safely, offer fluids such as water, fruit and vegetable juices, but avoid alcohol and caffeine.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening form of hyperthermia. It occurs when the body is overwhelmed by heat and unable to control its temperature. Heat stroke occurs when someone's body temperature increases significantly (generally above 104 degrees Fahrenheit) and has symptoms such as mental status changes (like confusion or combativeness), strong rapid pulse, lack of sweating, dry flushed skin, faintness, staggering or coma. Seek immediate emergency medical attention for a person with any of these symptoms, especially an older adult.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) within the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services helps eligible households pay for home cooling and heating costs. People interested in applying for assistance should contact their local or state LIHEAP agency or go to:  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html

For a free copy of the NIA's AgePage on hyperthermia in English or in Spanish, contact the NIA Information Center at 1-800-222-2225 or go to http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/hyperthermia-too-hot-your-health or http://www.nia.nih.gov/espanol/publicaciones/hipertermia (Spanish).

The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the medical, social and behavioral issues of older people. The Institute's broad scientific program seeks to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. For more information on research and aging, go to www.nia.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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