The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48858

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1 The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Mount Pleasant, Michigan Zion Lutheran Church & Preschool 3401 E. River Road (989) Christ The King Lutheran Chapel 1401 South Washington (989) October 2018 Jonathon J. Bakker and Benjamin J. Ulledalen, Pastors Volume 54, No. 10 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you have heard me say this before Christian stewardship is the faithful management of every temporal thing you have received from God, and that includes your time, the unique ways in which you are gifted by God, and your financial and material resources. All that we are and all that we have we have received from God, and it all belongs to him. Paul reminded Timothy, We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. (1 Timothy 6:7) Since everything we have belongs to God, it should be used for his purposes. God reveals his purposes for you in your vocations. Those given the vocation by God of being fathers and mothers, for instance, put their temporal blessings to Godly use when they feed, nurture, and protect their children. You have other vocations, too, and each provides you with Godly ways to put your time, your talents, and your treasures to good use for the sake of your neighbor. Besides those vocations we have in family life and society, each of us also belongs to the family of God and this congregation. How are you and I to use our incomes, our giftedness, and our time faithfully in light of being Christians and members of Zion? The answer to that question is found in God s Word. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16). It may seem a strange place in scripture to turn, but the author of Hebrews puts forth precisely the attitude we are given to have at all times as God s beloved children! Confidently turn to God, because he gives mercy and grace to help in time of need. When we ask how we are to be good and faithful stewards under God s Word, God s Word provides the answers. Everything is created by God and belongs to him. God merely entrusts it to our care temporarily. He does this to teach us to learn to depend on him, to be thankful to him, and to recognize that this stewardship is only temporal none of the things that we consider ours will follow us into eternity. And so as God provides us with all of these things time, talents, and treasures throughout our lives, we are given to return some of them to him in accordance with how we have been blessed. This October at Zion we will take a closer look at some of the Biblical principles of stewardship together as a part of our annual stewardship emphasis. We will consider God s blessings to us and what he has to say about how we use those gifts. True joy is not found in the accumulation of earthly things, but rather in the gifts Christ freely gives he poured out his life for you on the cross and gives you life in Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord s Supper. The emphasis this year will revolve around the theme, Draw Near to the Throne of Grace, based upon the epistle to the Hebrews. The three Sundays of the emphasis will concentrate on the following themes: October 14: Seek the Lord and Live October 21: Joy in Your Heart October 28: You Will be Free Indeed The Holy Scriptures already appointed for these three Sundays lend themselves to these themes, and we will see, yet again, how our heavenly Father cares for us and teaches us from his Word about every facet of life. Page 1

2 Please join us for this stewardship emphasis, which will conclude on October 28 when you will have the opportunity to bring your pledges forward in a sealed envelope. Your pledge will be, as always, between you and the Lord, and will remain in the sanctuary until it is returned to you, sealed, next fall. God bless and keep all of us at Zion as we seek to live faithfully as God s children and rejoice in his forgiveness! Yours in Christ, Pastor Bakker CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS There are still a few openings in the three-yearold class as well as the four-year-old PM class. Refer any candidates to Tim in the church office. Little Caesar Pizza Fundraiser If you have pizza orders don t forget to pick them up on Wednesday, October 3 between 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Zion. Thank you for your continued support of our preschool! Information on funds raised will be included in next month s newsletter. Sunday School is underway and currently we are digging into the life of Joseph. Life for Joseph was unfair and full of troubles. Despite all that happened to him, he remained faithful to God and to the vocations in which he found himself. Those vocations included son, brother, servant, prisoner and right hand man. We have seen that Jesus knew Joseph s suffering well because he, too, experienced false accusations, mocking, rejection and suffering. Ultimately, Joseph sees the hand of God working in his life. The story of Joseph culminates in love, forgiveness and life. Sound familiar? Is that not true with our life in Christ? The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord is with us, too. What wonderful words of joy and comfort for our Sunday School children to know when they find themselves in the middle of life s hardships. Sunday School News The following Sunday School students received an attendance certificate for completing 13 Sundays in September 2018: N-K Elizabeth Avery -N 6 th, 7 th, 8 th Zoe Couturier - 6 Ian Roe - 7 A big thank you to all those who helped with Rally Day. It was a fun way to kick off the new Sunday School year. Thank you! Sunday School Offering The children are encouraged to bring an offering every Sunday. Parents, we appreciate your help with this. Past offerings allowed us recently to send a check in the amount of $ to support the mission work of Caitlin de Ramirez in the Dominican Republic. Thank you parents and children! Children s Christmas Program No, it s not too early to think Christmas! This year s program is titled Angels are Making Their Rounds. Mark your calendars: December 16, 11:00 a.m. Parents, please notify your children s Sunday School teachers as to whether or not your children will be participating in this year s service. Thank-you! The Sunday School children are Singing! Sunday, October 7, the Sunday School children will be singing Jesus Loves the Little Children in the first service only. (8:30 a.m. at Zion) Mark your calendar. Dates for your calendar Youth Pie Day - Saturday, November 3 Euchre Night - Friday, November 9 Church Decorating - Friday, November 30 Cookie Walk/Craft Show - Saturday, December 1 SS Christmas Program - Sunday, December 16 Page 2

3 STEWARDSHIP CORNER Monthly Income & Expense Report through August 31, YTD Budgeted Expenses $299, $268, YTD Actual Expenses $301, $259, YTD Balance $ ( 2,567.70) $ 8, YTD General Fund Income $271, $266, YTD Actual Expenses $301, $259, YTD Income Less Expense $(30,130.83) $ 6, Why do we give? Is it simply because God commands us to? Or is there more to it? To be sure, the instruction and Word of God in the Bible says we should give, and this is sufficient to encourage us to give (Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8:7; Gal 6:6). But there s more to it than just obligation. We re not just trying to fulfill a work of the Law. We are bearing fruits of the Spirit given to us by our Father in heaven through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we re not just doing what our Father said, we re also doing what He did. Children emulate their parents. When they grow up they often carry many of the same mannerisms and characteristics as their parents, but there is more to it than that. Children copy their parents even on a more mundane level. They watch how their parents cross their legs, how they fold their hands, how they stand and sit and walk, how they do and say most everything. And children try to copy it, which can be quite humorous when parents wish they wouldn t. It can be uncomfortable and embarrassing if a child copies or repeats something less than polite that they learned from a parent. Sitcoms thrive on these situations. It only happens because children emulate their parents because they want to be like them. We are the children of God, by grace, through faith. In Holy Baptism, God the Father declares of us what He declared of Jesus at His Baptism in the Jordan: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. God the Father claims us as His own. He takes away all our sins, and in exchange He gives us His righteousness, His purity, His holiness, and His Spirit, by which we cry out, Abba, Father. We are born again, born from above, born of water and the Spirit, to a new life in Christ as His children. We are sons of God in Christ, through Baptism. And since we are sons, we are heirs heirs who share in the glory of the Son of God. The inheritance is ours because of the Father s grace and mercy, His generosity in sending His Son in time to save us for all eternity. And this is why we give generously of our income to the work of the church. We want to be like our heavenly Father. We want to emulate His generosity by being generous ourselves. We give to the work of the Church because we have witnessed the generous giving of our Father in heaven. More than that, we are recipients of it. It is because we have received God our Father s gifts that we desire to give ourselves. And His gifts are not just spiritual. They are temporal and earthly as well. As the Small Catechism teaches in the Fourth Petition of the Lord s Prayer: Give us this day our daily bread. What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. What is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like. In other words, God gives us everything we need for the care of both body and soul. His generosity knows no bounds. Therefore, we sit down at the beginning of the year, the beginning of the month, or the beginning of the week to set aside a generous portion of God s daily bread for His work in the Church. We don t do this simply because He has commanded us so to do; it is because we, as His children by grace, want to emulate His generosity in our own lives. He is our Father; we are His children. And children want to be like their parents. Mission of the Month Concordia University - Ann Arbor Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA) is a private, liberal arts university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the World. Page 3

4 Holy Scripture: Guided Reading A very big thank you to all of our Trustees for all the work they do to keep Zion s properties functioning. Much of their service happens behind the scenes, and usually we only think of them when something isn t working properly, but we have a great group of Trustees who really do take care of our facilities to provide us with a wonderful place to carry out the ministry of the Gospel. I appreciate your service! In Christ, Pastor Bakker In memory of Ronald Huber Block, Al & Jan Block, Larry & Sandy Block-MacDonald, Randy & Charlene Block, Rudy & Rosalyn Cameron, Erma Cole, Roger Cooper, Laura Courtney, Julie Davis, Dorne & Jill Dent, Rod & Nancy Epple, Luke & Sue Fitzgerald, Yvonne Fleming, Rich & Diane Giffin, Mark & Donna Gust, Dale & JoAnn Harless, Dick & Jan Hopp, Shirley Johnson, Ken & Doris Kiefer, Wayne & Karyn Laskowsky, Lynn & Audrey Morford, Jim & Delores Myers, Dotty Walker, Wayne Whale, Dave & Diane Willis, Joyce 2 Chronicles: Picking up where 1 Chronicles left off, these books were originally one book in early Hebrew tradition. The flow of the story itself shows this. The Hebrew title for these books means The Words of the Days, or, less literally, The Events of the Days Past. Like 1 Chronicles, much common information from the history recorded in the books of Kings and Samuel is repeated here; look for the uniqueness that the Chronicler brings to the Old Testament. 2 Chronicles 1-2 Solomon Prays for Wisdom; Prepares to Build the Temple 2 Chronicles 3-4 Temple Built and Furnished 2 Chronicles 5-6 Ark Brought to the Temple; Dedication Prayer 2 Chronicles 7-8 Temple Dedicated; Solomon s Accomplishments 2 Chronicles 9 Queen of Sheba 2 Chronicles Rehoboam 2 Chronicles Jerusalem Plundered; Abijah Reigns in Judah 2 Chronicles Asa s Reign in Judah 2 Chronicles Jehoshaphat s Reign 2 Chronicles 19 Jehoshaphat s Reforms 2 Chronicles 20 Jehoshaphat s Prayer 2 Chronicles 21 Jehoram Reigns 2 Chronicles 22 Ahaziah Reigns 2 Chronicles 23 Joash and Athaliah 2 Chronicles 24 Joash s Exploits 2 Chronicles 25 Amaziah s Reign 2 Chronicles 26 Uzziah s Reign 2 Chronicles 27 Jotham s Reign 2 Chronicles 28 Ahaz s Reign 2 Chronicles 29 Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple 2 Chronicles 30 Passover Celebrated 2 Chronicles 31 Hezekiah Organizes the Priests 2 Chronicles 32 Sennacherib of Assyria 2 Chronicles 33 Manasseh s Reign 2 Chronicles 34 Josiah s Reign 2 Chronicles 35 Josiah Keeps the Passover 2 Chronicles 36 Judah s Decline; Babylonian Captivity Begins Regular Quarterly Voters Meeting Sunday, October 28, :00 p.m. at Zion The 2019 Budget is on the agenda along with final bylaw changes. See the bulletin boards for more information. Page 4

5 LWML WOMEN TO WOMEN LWML SUNDAY On October 7, our delegates will have a report during Bible Study about the Michigan District LWML Convention they attended in Port Huron and the new list of missions for this biennium, which will be supported by our mites. The annual presentation of the quilts made by our hard-working team will be at Zion and CTK. These quilts will again be available for purchase. We are also still collecting soap to be sent along with the quilts to World Relief. Boxes are in the narthex at Zion as well as at CTK for your unused soap, including those little ones you get from hotel stays. A special banner for LWML Sunday 2018 will be on display. MIDMICHIGAN ZONE FALL RALLY The Zone Fall Rally is on Saturday, October 20, at Grace, Auburn. We are planning on getting together at Zion to share rides to the Rally, and it will be in the bulletin as to the time we will meet on that date. If you plan on attending please RSVP JoAnn Gust. Mark your calendar and be energized and refreshed by speakers and fellowship with other women from our Zone. MITE BOXES You can return your contributions to Zion at any time. Just put the money in the jar in the office or in the big mite box in the narthex. Kathy Nims, our treasurer, is also the secretary at CTK; you can give your mites to her there as well. Thank you for helping our District and National LWML meet the goals set for mission grants this biennium. COMING UP: - November 12, 6:30 p.m., general meeting and discussion of the Cookie Walk and Craft Show as well as a new craft we can all share. - November 30, 4-6 p.m. set-up for Cookie Walk (pizza at 6 p.m.). - December 1, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Craft Show and Cookie Walk at Zion. Much help is needed on that date as well as tons of cookies. We ran out last year by noon although we thought we had more than enough. Ten percent of the profits will go to Bethesda this year. - December 15, 6 p.m., Women s Christmas Party at Zion. Pot Luck and White Elephant exchange too! submitted by Doris Johnson The LWML is gearing up for the upcoming cookie walk/craft show. If you or anyone you know would like to be a vendor at the craft show, please contact Trina crafterstdp15@gmail.com or at (989) October is Pastor Appreciation Month. We are very blessed to have Pastor Bakker and Pastor Ulledalen with us at Zion. Take the time during this month to let them know just how much you appreciate everything they do. Come to Bible study and worship services and thank them personally. Ladies Bible Study: OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES FULFILLED IN CHRIST! We are meeting the second Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at CTK. All ladies confirmation age and older are welcome. Childcare will be provided upon request. The remaining 2018 dates are October 13 and November 10. Please contact Anne Bakker with any questions annekbakker@gmail.com YOUTH It is Apple Pie Time! Pie making will be on Saturday, November 3 from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Please use the sign-up sheets on the bulletin boards at both Zion and CTK to reserve a number of pies, donate flour or sugar, volunteer to help with the pie making, or volunteer to care for children of those helping with the pie making. Youth are reminded to help set up for Pie Day on Friday, November 2 at 6:00 p.m. Each youth is encouraged to pre-sell at least 9 pies to non-church members. There will be a cash award for the youth who sells the most pies. Page 5

6 Campus Corner Thanks to everyone for everything related to Welcome Back Sunday. Eighteen American undergrad students attended worship that day. At least 30 individual students have attended worship, Bible study, a meeting, a lunch, or stopped by CTK for a visit so far this school year. Pastor Ulledalen has followed up with every Sunday Worship student visitor. Students who left a local address received a handwritten note. The others received an . Our first Monday Lunch drew 12 students. The Semester Kick-Off on September 9 drew 10 students. We are plugging students in as ushers, altar guild, babysitters, snow removal crew, etc. Our first Sunday evening meeting and Bible study drew 6 students. We discussed student leadership responsibilities, began forming student committees under a couple of the chairs, and turned our PR/Outreach chair and our Social/Hospitality chair loose to start planning and carrying out activities. A study conducted by the LCMS showed a correlation between young adult church attendance and leadership in the congregation. Young adults with genuine responsibility in the church were more likely to continue attending church. Pastor Ulledalen met with a Shiite Muslim Sheik (cleric) from Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago. They talked about Christianity and Islam for over 2 hours. It was a good opportunity to share the Gospel. Pastor Ulledalen has begun a campus men s Bible study. It will meet twice each month for Bible study and practical discussion on being a man. There will also be at least one CTK men s fellowship event each month. Anne Bakker is teaching a college ladies Bible study every-other Wednesday. We're taking a Fall Fellowship Trip to Traverse City on Saturday, October 27. Many students have signed up already. Pastor Ulledalen will guest preach at Trinity, Reese on September 30, and present on our campus ministry during Sunday School. They have several students at CMU. That particular region of the state tends to have a good share of students at CMU as well, so we hope and pray that this will help raise awareness for CTK in that area. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of Zion s campus ministry at CMU. College is a time of transition and change. The world today is not the same as it was just a few decades ago. All sorts of factors feed into young adult church attendance trends. Let us keep the word of God central not only at Zion but in our homes. We cannot combat the secularization of our country if our homes are also secular. We cannot expect our young people to continue in the faith when they leave home if we do not fear God, and strive to order our lives and even our attitudes and worldview by his word. The Good News of Jesus death in our place is a message of power. It will bear fruit. Let us not treat church or the Christian faith as just one aspect of our lives. Instead, let our chief identity be Christian. Let us prioritize Sunday worship, Christian fellowship events provided at Zion, and Christian education above the other distractions and enticements of this world. Money, experiences, awards, trophies, scholarships, championships, and all other worldly goods have their place. But that place is for this life alone. These things have a shelf life. They will rot, break, burn, and fail. But Christ s death in your place is your greatest treasure. He has pardoned all your guilt. He has reconciled you to God the Father. Delight in this Good News. God s promise is for you and for your children. Heaven is yours. God loves you beyond measure. CTK hosts Harvest Festival All Zion children ages preschool through 6 th grade are invited to our campus ministry s Annual Harvest Festival on Thursday, October 25 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at CTK. There will be many activities including games, pumpkin painting, candy eating, and pumpkin making. Costumes are encouraged, but no scary ones please. Page 6

7 LCMS U Student Profile ARE YOU CALLED TO SERVE? WHO ME? Name: Adam Chaffee Year: Freshman Hometown: Mt. Pleasant Major: Undecided Hobbies and interests: Video games, drawing, voice acting. How else are you involved at CMU? (Clubs, job, research?) I am currently searching for something to get involved with. Why CMU? It s close by and my younger brother learned how to talk here. Life and Career hopes after graduation: I wish to be happy to go to work and hopefully have a family of my own that loves me. How did you find out about Christ The King Lutheran Chapel? I have been going to this church all my life. When do you spend time at Christ The King? Mostly after my college classes and on Sundays. How has involvement at CTK impacted your life at CMU? It has helped immensely in my work ethic and has comforted me in times of need. Youth Activity Night Sunday, October 14 Join your friends for some pumpkin carving, fellowship, topic discussion and pizza! Pumpkins will be provided. RSVP to the church office ( ) or to Jeremy ( ). All confirmed youth are encouraged to participate! Who me? Serve what? Serve Whom? Think back to when you became a member of Zion Lutheran Church or even when you became a member of a secular organization. Were there requirements? Usually, there is a something referring to a promise to participate or serve or be faithful in some manner. As a member of Zion Lutheran Church, promises were made. When members join the church by profession of faith or transfer, they are reminded of this with this question and answer: Will you support the work our gracious Lord has given this congregation with your prayers and the gifts God has given you? The response is, I will, with the help of God. Membership in this church involves serving. What can I do? In a recent article by Mark Wood in the LCMS Reporter, a newspaper for synod church workers, he speaks to this matter of serving (Ephesians 2:10) where God calls us Servants. You can read the whole article here: What if All the current members of the various boards stopped serving? Or The church wasn t maintained? Or Bills weren t paid? What if there were no board meetings, no Sunday School, no VBS, no Bible studies, no meals served, no ushers, no greeters? The list could go on who would step up and serve? Every two years our church has elections. Members are recruited to serve for a two-year period. Many, many members, choose to serve longer. Some may feel pressured to stay on longer because the work needs to be done and no one else comes forth. Some serve on multiple boards. This is why, when you look around, you see the same people serving in the same roles year after year. It can appear as if serving is a life-long commitment maybe even a life sentence! Why couldn t it be you? Does any of the following sound familiar? I m never asked. I don t know what to do. I don t have the time. I m too old. But, despite all the reasons for not wanting to step forward and say yes, let me try it for two Page 7

8 years a short term, we struggle with uncertainty. Not long ago, one of the boards sent a form for each church member to complete and return indicating the areas of church life in which you may be interested or have special gifts and talents for serving. Numerous opportunities were listed. Most of those who responded, however, are those who are already serving. Mark Wood put it this way. In worldly terms, it makes sense to focus the majority of one s energy on the vital few [who are already heavily involved] because efforts on involving the other people can only produce diminishing returns. He goes on to say, But the church is not a worldly organization. It is the body of Christ. As the body of Christ in a given context, each congregation is a body made up of many members which, though different in function, are of equal importance to the body (I Cor. 12:12-27).... focus on encouraging church members to be one of the helpful many. What then, should be the motivating force to get people involved? Wood continues to say, The Gospel, not the law, motivates us to do good works. Resorting to the Law may yield some short-term results, but in the long run it will fail because it relies on human efforts. Instead, trust the Holy Spirit to use the Gospel to move people to do the work that He is calling your congregation to do. Somebody may be calling you soon to ask you to serve. Why wait? Give your name to the church secretary and say, I m willing to give it a try. Will someone show me what to do? Will this be you? Dale Gust Head Elder NURSE S NOTE During the next 9 or 10 months I d like to arrange for speakers to visit us. I have the topics of Men s Health, and heathy eating to include diabetic diets in mind. Let me know if you have an interest in a topic and I will try to arrange it. This month s note will continue the with Cholesterol and information on Complications, Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. God Bless, Phillis Daws RN, BSN or zionparishnurse@gmail.com Cholesterol Complications Development of atherosclerosis High cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis, a dangerous accumulation of cholesterol and other deposits on the walls of your arteries. These deposits (plaques) can reduce blood flow through your arteries, which can cause complications, such as: Chest pain. If the arteries that supply your heart with blood (coronary arteries) are affected, you may have chest pain (angina) and other symptoms of coronary artery disease. Heart attack. If plaques tear or rupture, a blood clot may form at the plaque-rupture site blocking the flow of blood or breaking free and plugging an artery downstream. If blood flow to part of your heart stops, you'll have a heart attack. Stroke. Like a heart attack, if blood flow to part of your brain is blocked by a blood clot, a stroke occurs. Prevention The same heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol can help prevent you from having high cholesterol in the first place. To help prevent high cholesterol, you can: Eat a low-salt diet that includes many fruits, vegetables and whole grains Limit the amount of animal fats and use good fats in moderation Lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight Quit smoking Exercise on most days of the week for at least 30 minutes Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all Diagnosis A blood test to check cholesterol levels called a lipid panel or lipid profile. For the most accurate measurements, don't eat or drink anything (other than water) for nine to 12 hours before the blood sample is taken. Typically, this test reports: Total cholesterol Below 200 mg/dl - Desirable mg/dl - Borderline high 240 mg/dl and above - High LDL cholesterol Below 70 mg/dl - Best for people who have heart disease or diabetes. Page 8

9 Below 100 mg/dl - Optimal for people at risk of heart disease mg/dl - Near optimal if there is no heart disease. High if there is heart disease mg/dl - Borderline high if there is no heart disease. High if there is heart disease mg/dl - High if there is no heart disease. Very high if there is heart disease. 190 mg/dl and above - Very high HDL cholesterol Below 40 mg/dl (men) - poor Below 50 mg/dl (women) - poor mg/dl - better 60 mg/dl and above - best Triglycerides Below 150 mg/dl - Borderline high mg/dl - High 500 mg/dl and above - Very high Children and cholesterol testing For most children, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends one cholesterol screening test between the ages of 9 and 11, and another cholesterol screening test between the ages of 17 and 21. Cholesterol testing is usually avoided between the ages of 12 and 16 because false-negative results are more likely within this age group. If your child has a family history of early-onset heart disease or a personal history of obesity or diabetes, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent cholesterol testing. Treatment Lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating a healthy diet are the first line of defense against high cholesterol. But, if you've made these important lifestyle changes and your cholesterol levels remain high, your doctor may recommend medication. The specific choice of medication or combination of medications depends on various factors, including your individual risk factors, your age, your current health and possible side effects. Common choices include: Statins. Statins block a substance your liver needs to make cholesterol. This causes your liver to remove cholesterol from your blood. Statins may also help your body reabsorb cholesterol from built-up deposits on your artery walls, potentially reversing coronary artery disease. Choices include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). Bile-acid-binding resins. Your liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids, a substance needed for digestion. The medications cholestyramine (Prevalite), colesevelam (Welchol) and colestipol (Colestid) lower cholesterol indirectly by binding to bile acids. This prompts your liver to use excess cholesterol to make more bile acids, which reduces the level of cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol absorption inhibitors. Your small intestine absorbs the cholesterol from your diet and releases it into your bloodstream. The drug ezetimibe (Zetia) helps reduce blood cholesterol by limiting the absorption of dietary cholesterol. Ezetimibe can be used in combination with a statin drug. Medications for high triglycerides If you also have high triglycerides, your doctor may prescribe: Fibrates. The medications fenofibrate (TriCor, Fenoglide, others) and gemfibrozil (Lopid) decrease triglycerides by reducing your liver's production of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and by speeding up the removal of triglycerides from your blood. VLDL cholesterol contains mostly triglycerides. Niacin. Niacin decreases triglycerides by limiting your liver's ability to produce LDL and VLDL cholesterol. But niacin doesn't provide any additional benefit than using statins alone. Niacin has also been linked to liver damage and stroke, so most doctors now recommend it only for people who can't take statins. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Omega- 3 fatty acid supplements can help lower your triglycerides. They are available by prescription or over-the-counter. If you choose to take over-the-counter supplements, get your doctor's OK first. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements could affect other medications you're taking. Tolerance varies Tolerance of medications varies from person to person. The common side effects are muscle pains, stomach pain, constipation, nausea and diarrhea. If you decide to take cholesterol medication, your doctor may recommend liver function tests to monitor the medication's effect on your liver. Page 9