High Blood Pressure Awareness Month

Since 1984, May has been proclaimed as National Blood Pressure Awareness Month in the United States.  More than 1 out of every 10 Americans has high blood pressure. Many of those who have high blood pressure do not know it. This is a uniquely silent disease. There are no symptoms until it is too late; the catastrophe of a heart attack or stroke is all too often the first indication of a problem. Because high blood pressure is silent and can be treated effectively, early detection is important.

What is High Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the force blood creates on the artery walls.  Typically, blood pressure is stated using a fraction.  The top number of that fraction is called systolic pressure, it is the pressure on the arteries the heart contracts.  The bottom number, diastolic pressure, is the pressure between heartbeats, when the heart is resting.  When a person's systolic and/or diastolic numbers are too high, they are "hypertensive" or have high blood pressure.

The most important thing to realize is that you must manage this problem yourself. It will be up to you to control your weight, your exercise, your salt intake, and to take your medicines. It should be up to you to take your own blood pressure. Your doctor should be your trusted adviser but cannot assume your responsibility. No matter how much the doctor would like to take care of this for you, he or she cannot. If you are going to manage this problem, you need the blood pressure readings so that you can report changes or difficulties to the doctor. You are in control, and good doctors will emphasize this point.

To learn more about high blood pressure please check out the American Heart Association website here.

Denver & The Mile High Orchestra "Live at Toccoa Falls College"

WRAF & Compassion International welcome Denver & The Mile High Orchestra to Toccoa Falls College.

The concert is Friday night May 24 in the Grace Chapel and Performing Arts Center on the TFC campus. Get directions.

The show begins at 7 PM.

Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 night of the show.

Family passes are available for $15. (What a great deal if you have a large family!)

Groups of 5 or more can attend for only $25. (Bring your small group, civic club, or all of your friends for only $25).

Buy Tickets

Be a Part of Sharathon 2013

Not long ago, I got a letter from Gail, who told me she started listening to WRAF about five years ago.  It was the most difficult time in her life.  She had just lost her 2 month old grandson to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

“I was devastated to say the least,” Gail wrote.  “I needed answers to so many questions in my mind.  I scanned through the stations on my radio at work and found WRAF…I started listening every day.”

Gail said it was like she suddenly realized that God had been trying to get her attention for some time.

“One morning, I prayed and re-dedicated my life to Christ,” Gail said. “Since then my husband has also come to Christ. I thank God for WRAF and all you do to so faithfully spread the Word of God.  God bless you all!”

God is doing some amazing things through WRAF. Lives like Gail’s are being changed, hearts are being encouraged and we feel like we are really making headway in reaching Northeast Georgia and the Western Carolinas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

In order for this kind of impact to continue, though, we must be successful with our Spring Sharathon, which is set for March 25-28. This is a critical, on-air fundraising event that will shape the future of WRAF.   

  

That is why I am writing you today. Will you please consider making a gift of $100, $500 or even $1,000 ?  Monthly faith-promises are also needed to keep touching lives every day.

We appreciate your support and your prayers so much, and we know that with friends like you, our spring Sharathon is sure to be a success.  Should you have any questions, feel free to call me at 1-800-251-8326.

In Him,

Bryan Race

Station Manager

All We Have is Today

Every February some look at a groundhog to let them know if we are going to have an early spring or another few weeks of winter.  In Pennsylvania they make it a huge event that rivals most high school football games.

This is such a phenomenon that there’s even a pretty popular movie entitled “Groundhog Day.” The movie goes beyond the holiday to ask a poignant question, “What would you do if you could repeat today?”  Recently, I got to thinking about that very question. What if God were to allow me to repeat this day over and over again? What would I do with those 24 hours?

What would you do?  There are so many things that I feel we all would like to do over again.  There are probably words we would want to say – or not say.  There would be places where we would want to go.  Unfortunately, we are only given these 24 hours to do the things God would have us do.  According to Scripture we are not even guaranteed tomorrow.

God has given us today to share with others; to give of ourselves; to minister and encourage.  Your support of Toccoa Falls Radio encourages us to continue our ministry to a hurting world!

Go Red for Women

For 10 years, women have been fighting heart disease individually and together as part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. They have proudly worn red, shared stories of survival, and begun to understand the truth about women’s hearts, and how heart disease can be prevented. More than 627,000 women’s lives have been saved, but the fight is far from over.

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women. A staggering one in three American women dies from heart disease each year and it’s more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. The women we love – our mothers, sisters, daughters, friends – are dying and many more are impacted every day.

The American Red Cross program, Go Red For Women, features women sharing their stories of survival to inform others about heart disease and inspire action against their No. 1 killer. These stories from survivors and activists inspire, educate and engage a sisterhood of women, fighting side by side.
Many of you are among the 43 million American women affected by heart disease. For more information, please visit www.GoRedForWomen.org.

WRAF Contest Rules

From time to time this station will conduct contests. The following rules, and specific contest rules, are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours at Toccoa Falls Radio, 292 Old Clarksville Rd. Toccoa, Georgia 30577.

Winner must comply with all of the rules of the Contest, including, but not limited to, any restrictions on age and/or residency, and have not committed any fraud or deception in entering the Contest or claiming the Prize. The winner must further affirm and represent that he/she is not an employee or agent of the Station or any sponsor of the Contest and am not a member of the same household of any such employee or agent.

In consideration of the receipt of the Prize, the winner agrees to be solely responsible for any and all taxes and/or other fees, including, but not limited to, any federal state or local income taxes, that are or may become payable as a result of my participation in the Contest and/or receipt of the Prize. The winner further agrees to allow the Station and/or its designees the right to use my name, likeness, portrait, recorded voice and/or biographical material for an unlimited period of time in order to advertise, promote or publicize the Station and/or the products and services of any of its designees.

The Station is not the manufacturer or distributor of the Prize. With respect to any claims that I may now have, or that he/she may subsequently acquire, as a result of the possession and/or use of the Prize, he/she acknowledges and agrees that they shall look solely to others in the chain of production and distribution of the Prize to the exclusion of the Station and any sponsors of the Contest. The winner must acknowledge and agree that the station has not made any warranties of any kind with respect to the prize, including, but not limited to, any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Station hereby expressly disclaims any and all such warranties.

The winner must expressly release the station, and any sponsors of the contest, and their respective officers, directors, agents, parent companies, subsidiaries and employees, from any and all claims, demands and/or causes of action of any nature or kind whatsoever, whether presently known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, that he/she may have, or that I subsequently acquire, as a result of my participation in the contest and/or receipt of the prize.

No Purchase Necessary - Void where prohibited. Employees of Toccoa Falls Radio, their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, vendors and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible. The station is not responsible for telephone system failure or other inability of entrants to reach telephone entry line. This station is not responsible for lost, late or misdirected mail or for printing errors. No mechanically reproduced or completed entries will be accepted. Listeners are only eligible to win every 30 days. All federal, state and local taxes apply and are the sole responsibility of the winner.

Red Cross Blood Drive

From accident victims and cancer patients to premature babies and those with blood disorders - every two seconds, someone in America needs blood.  Help make sure your neighbors, friends and family have the blood they need - when they need it. Make an appointment to give through the American Red Cross or at your local blood center. Call 1-800 RED CROSS or visit the Red Cross web site today. Roll up a sleeve and help save a life.

Blood Donation Centers

Anderson County:
AnMed Health Blood Center
60 North Fant Street
Anderson, SC
864-512-1135

Stephens County
The Blood Connection
1308 Sandifer Blvd.
Seneca, SC
864-882-8364

White County
American Red Cross Blood Donation Center
311 Jesse Jewel Pkwy., SW
Suite 102
Gainesville, GA
800-448-3543 

Macon County, NC
Asheville Blood Donation Center
100 Edgewood Rd.
Asheville, NC 28804 
(828) 258-3888 ext. 422 

 

The Spirit of Generosity

Have you made any resolutions for the new year? How are you doing with them? I know sometimes it's easy for us to make goals like these completely unattainable, and sometimes we get so busy that we just plain forget about them.  I've made a few for this year but the one I hope I can reach and not forget about is to be more generous.

That's my goal - to be more generous.  More generous with my time, more generous with my words and more generous with my finances.  Now you may be thinking to yourself, "Time and words I've got plenty of but money - that's a different story!"  This is what I've learned recently about my finances - God has given me exactly what I need for my daily living and exactly what I need to give to others. Some months that amount may be one thing and some months it may be something else. Either way, God has made us to be generous just as He is generous.

Let me challenge you this way - ask God how he would have you be generous with your finances this month. Ask where he would like you to give and then give with all your heart.  My prayer is that He will direct that spirit of generosity to Toccoa Falls Radio.  If you would like to talk and learn more about where your generosity might be used effectively call me at 800-251-8326 or visit the station's web site here to learn about the many different ways you can share with us.

The Mall Or The Manger?

Angel Tree

 For over 30 years Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree, the only nationwide, year-round effort that specifically reaches out to the estimated 1.7 million children in the United States whose parent or parents are incarcerated, has been sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Angel Tree partners with local churches and other groups to proved Christmas gifts and the presentation of the Gospel on behalf of their incarcerated parent. Additional opportunities to build family reconciliation include camping and mentoring.

Throughout the summer, inmates have signed up their children to receive Christmas gifts given by Angel Tree volunteers on their behalf. Caregivers of these children are then contacted by volunteers of their children to confirm their gift wishes. Each child receives a least one gift. Gift wishes are written up and volunteers purchase gifts which are then distributed to the children and the Gospel is presented.

This year Toccoa Falls Radio is partnering with Angel Tree to sponsor 250 children in the listening area.  To be a part of this effort please call Angel Tree at 855-50-ANGEL or visit our web site and click the Angel Tree button. By participating in Angel Tree, you have the opportunity to let a hurting child know that their parent remembers, cherishes and loves them.  Click here to bring Angel Tree to kids with a parent or parents in prison.