Today's Spiritual Woman Spring '09

8/14/2019 Today's Spiritual Woman Spring '09

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TTooddaayyss SSppiirriittuuaall WWoommaannAmmaaggaazziinneeffoorrwwoommeennwwhhoowwaannttttooeexxpplloorreetthheeiirrbbeeiinnggiinnaauunniiqquueewwaayy


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TTooddaayyss SSppiirriittuuaall WWoommaannA magaletter for women who wish to explore their

inner spirit and share with women all over the world.

Free from our computer to yours a magaletter filledwith stories, features, poetry, and wonderful

information to enrich your life!

Subscribe to all four 2009 issues for free by email or $5.99for S&H via regular mail.

Contact us at [email protected].

IINN TTHHIISS IISSSSUUEE:: What do you mean, No Baptism? Stir Crazy Nurse or a purse? Grandma Stories My Grandma Speaks Cat! Smells and Sights and Sounds of Spring Letters from Jane Gods pharmacy Recipes from TVs Tyler Florence Times they are a changin Names of God according to the Scripture Lindas Travels Judiasim 101 Cameroon Capers Preview of teaching book: The Big Book of Reading

o And a whole lot more!

Volume 1, No 2Spring 2009

Published QuarterlySalem, OR

[email protected]

Editor/Publisher Lola Carlile, Ph.D.

Staff:

Advertising:

Lola Carlile

David Carlile

Editors/Contributors:

Evelyn Celli - international

Diana Rodriguez education/bilingual

Brenda Ellison - religion

Melisa Lua alternative

Theviewsandideaspresentedinthismagaletterdonotnecessarilyreflecttheindividualbeliefsoftheeditororthestaff.


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2

Hi! I read your mag it's a good first issue, with some

interesting possibilities for growth in lots of interesting

directions! I think you and your cocreators are definitely

headingintherightdirection!Paynomindtotheinevitable

critics who will say it is not 'spiritual' because it does not

focus strictly on Christianity Spirituality includes

Christianity,but

Christianity

does

not

define

spirituality.

Mags&othermedialikeyourshelptospreadthatmessage.

I'llbelookingforwardtothenextissuewithinterest...

Haveagreatweekend!

~~Blessings~~

CherylBooth,PhoenixHello,I'llmakemycommentsbrief,however,Iwouldlike

youtoknow,IamabornagainChristian,andsister,letme

tellyou,Imyselfhavebeenpersecutedformybeliefs.

Nevertheless,Iamthehappiest,oneofthenicestloving

Christianpeopleyouwillevermeet,andIlearnedalong

timeago

to

embrace

all

Godly

religions,

judging

NOT.

Ilive

bywhatIreadIintheGospels;therebyIlookforwardtomy

journeytoHeavenwhenmytimecomes.

ThebestadviceIcangiveyouis,whenyoucomeincontact

withsomeonewhothinkstheyknowallthereistoknow

aboutGod,Heaven,orTheBible,simplysmileandwalk

away,andforgivethem.Forgivenessistruekindnessand

absolutelove. Youdonothavetoallowanyonetostealyour

joy,bytheirignorance.IjusthaveonemorethingIwould

liketosharewithyou,andthatisthatIhaveneverknowna

trueChristiantobeameanperson.Godchangesyourspirit,

whenyoulovehimandliveforhim.Therearemanybeloved

Christianson

this

forum.

GodBlessyousister.

PatriciaYeagerGreetings!

InresponsetoyourquestionaboutwhatIliked,whatI

wouldliketoseeanddontwanttosee.

1. IwasstunnedtoseesomuchNewAgecontentvariousreligionsfeatured,i.e.AncientToltecWisdom,

NativeAmerican,PsychologicalHealing,ArtTherapy,

andJapaneseAncientCulture.SpiritualIwouldsay

butwhat

spirit

are

you

directing

your

readers

to?

This

looksveryUniversalistinnature.

2. TodaysSpiritualWomanisnearlyabsentoftheGodofAbraham,IsaacandJacobortheWordofGodwiththe

exceptionofacoupleofadsforchurchservices,one

fromaMessianic(pg2)andtheotherforSt.Marys

Catholic(pg31),andafewscripturalreferences.Isee

nothingbythepublishing/editorialstaffthatpointsto

theGodoftheBible.

3. TheonlymentionofJesusisthesolicitationforWhenJesusComesCallinpackageof8cardsfor

only$10 puttingourSaviorandKingofthe

universeinacommercializedbox.

4. YousignedoffInHisName.CanyouhelpmeunderstandthisIamunclearonwhoyouare

referringto.

Lola,Idontknowyousopleasedontgetthe

impressionthatIhaveanopinionaboutyouoryour

publicationIamsimplyexpressingmyconfusion.

Yourpublicationisconfusingaboutwhoyouserve.

WeattheXXXXXXareclearontheGodthatweserve

itistheGodofAbraham,IsaacandJacobandweare

committedtotheMessiah,JesusofNazarethourrule

isthateverythingwewriteorbroadcastmustbe

biblicallysound.IhopethathelpstoclarifywhereIam

comingfrom.

InYahwehs

Service,

CSDearAll,

Ifoundthemagazineaninterestinginsighttoastageof

lifeIamfastapproaching,andwhileIwillneverhaveto

copewithmymothersagingtothemagnificentageof

90odd,mymotherandhersistersdid.Myownmother

passedawayabout3yearsagoattheageof75.

Othersmaynotfindthearticlesparticularlyspiritual

accordingtotheirowndefinitions,butIdid,finding

themreflective,meditative,inspiringmetogratitude,

patienceand

an

eagerness

to

know

more

about

these

remarkablewomen,whohaveputtheirthoughtsdown

inwordsforotherwomentoshare. Ididnothowever

findthecommentsoratleastIcouldnotfindwhereto

accessthem.

Ithinkperhapsanynegativecommentsaremadebya

personlookingforsomethingmorespecifictoreligious

beliefthanisfoundinTodaysSpiritualWomen.Ithink

youhavestrucktherightveininyourarticles,afterallif

thisisthefirstcopyyouhaveplentyoftimefor

developingarhythmandstructuretothemagazineand

willfindadefinitefollowinginthepragmatic

demonstrationsof

faith

in

life

as

you

share.

Thank

you

forsteppingoutinChristJesuswhoyouareandwhere

youareinyourlifetoday.

CynthiaPreston

Letters to the Editor:


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Black SapoteGet ready f or t his one a f r uit t hat t ast es like chocolat e. I am not kidding you! Oh, my,

have I died and gone t o heaven? Read on f or more inf ormat ion about t he black sapot e!

Type:

Tropical Fruit , 2 t o 10 seeded.

Seeds: shining dark red- brown colored.

Many t r ees bear pit less f r uit .

Mexican r elat ive t o t he Chinese persimmon.

Descript ion, t ast e & st orage:

The Black Sapot e is a t omat o- like f r uit , 10 x 13 cm. largeber r y w it h a t hin and f irm rind. I t s color is shining dark green wit h brown specs. The f r uit

f lesh is r ich, dark brown colored and cust ar d like and is t heref ore called t he Chocolat e

pudding f r uit . Complet e r ipe f r uit s are of t en ugly brown.

Black sapot e's f lesh is r ich and cust ard- like, w it h a sweet , nut - like mild f lavor and w hen

r ipe f r uit pulp is blended w it h milk, cream or ice-cr eam, it t ast es like mild chocolat e - but

wit hout t he caf f eine or calories!

Tree:

The black sapot e is nat ive in Mexico and Guat emala.I t is cult ivat ed in Flor ida, The Philippines, t he Dominican Republic, Cuba and Hawaii.

I t is an evergr een t ree and grows up t o 9 f eet or more.

Use:

Of t en ice cream is made of Black Sapot es. The raw f ruit

is eat en wit h a spoon or eat en as dessert in milk or

cit r us j uice. Many dif f erent dr inks are made f r om it aswell as liquor.

Unr ipe f r uit s are not edible. Use t hem in dips or sliced

f or a healt hy chocolat e-like dessert .


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#5:Whatdoyoumean,'nobaptism'?Compliments ofGrandparents.com, I read the six things one shouldnever say as a grandparent and I scoffed at the ridiculous ideas.Ofcourse, Iamdifferent,and then#5caughtmyeye!Argh.How true. IhaddreamsofaBaptismwithGraciewearingabeautifuldressmadefrommyweddinggown.NowIknowIwonthavetheopportunitytosee hermakeher First Communion orbe confirmed,but that ishermother and fathers right. They have to be theone to choosewhatreligionshewillbeandIknowitwontbeCatholic.Thatismyproblemand mine alone. I just need to cope with it as well as I am able.Grandparents.comsaysthis:Areligiousriteofpassagelikeabaptismorabriscanbeabeautifulwaytoupholdatraditionandwelcomeababyintotheworldiftheparentschoosetodoit.Butonlyyourgrandchildren'sparentscandeterminethechild'sreligiousupbringing,andifyouwanttoavoiduncomfortableclashesthatcouldleadtoyourbeinglockedoutofholidaycelebrationsintheyearsahead,youmustrespecttheirdecisions.

Bo o k Rev i ewTodays Spiritual Woman is excited to bring to its readers a new book that is due to be published in the

Summer of 2009, sixty years after the co-authors were born. Steph is a hermaphrodite (intersexual) from the

Northwest and tells her poignant story with aplomb. Lena writes the story with remarkable tenderness and skill.

Both women have forged a friendship that has brought them together to write a

true account of what it is like for those who are born with their Twin Within.

Jon, as Steph was called in her childhood, always knew she was a female on the

inside. It wasnt until she experienced her period as a middle school student that she

realized it was not a fantasy or feeling. It was a reality.

With a father who denied the truth and a mother who was a dutiful 50s housewife, Jon becomes Steph in his

senior year at high school. Moving to Portland in order to save face, Stephs family finally sees the change made

public until Jon rears his head once again after a Christian revival.

Reading the truth will change the way you think about our brothers and sisters who are born with

indeterminate sexual parts.

Sta tunedto Toda sS iritualWoman ora ublicationdate!

IfeelsorryforSteph. Iwishshecouldgetovertheabuseandliveherlifeindignity.

Mary,aged79


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Shes an eagle when she f l ies .Crying like a little sparrow one moment

The next flying high like an eagle

So is the life of a mother and wifeSo I wish to be remembered

Vye

September 28, 2008

Rock and windHe is strong like a rock and I am the air so windyHe keeps me grounded and I keep him dreamy

So high in the sky and so tethered to the ground

Our love will last eternally and is one seldom found

Vye

September 28, 2008

STIR CRAZYDaySixHaventleftthehouseforsixdays.noteventogooutsidetocheckthemail!Snowingallweek.We

dontusuallyevengetsnow.Argh!

Squawkingandchattering.Thefeatheredbeingsamongusflytoandfrothemomentwhitelighteruptsinthe

sky,orisitgraylight?Beaksdipincessantlyintotheiceinfeebleattemptstolocatesustenance.Whoamong

uscoulddenythemtherighttolife?

EventhoughIfearthee,Ifeelforyourpredicament.IfIhadamorselofbreadtoshareIwouldthrowitouton

theice.Butwoulditfreezeandjustcreateamiserablecontinuanceofyourtinylives?Wheredoyouflyinthe

darknessandhuddleupforpeacefulsleep?Areyourfeathersanddownenoughtomaintaincomfort?

Bulksotiny,yetsoundssopowerful.MotherNaturehaspulledaonceinalifetimejokeuponusall.Whereare

themomentsItreasuresoinpreparingforourmostholyholiday,Christmas?Wherearethestolensecondsof

lookingforpackagesandyearningfordayslonggone?


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Ihavehoursanddaystoperpetuatethinkingandsolitude.Notwithcomplaint,however,doIcommiserate

withthesmallestofGodscreations.Justanearnestintrospectionintolife.Forweareinthistogether.Life

createdforwhatpurpose?

11:08amDaysixstill

Findingsleep,anactivitythatrequiresnoeffort.Sleepinguntil11.Wakinguptoworkonthecomputer.Check

theemail.

Check

daughter

in

law

blog.

Read

CNN

and

FOX

news.

Already

had

breakfast

at

7am.

Not

time

for

lunch.NeedtoputupChristmastree.Toomucheffort.Toodifficult.Notinthemood.Yearningforspouseto

helpmetacklethechallenge.Hesnotinterestedeither.Cantpiqueinterestingameshehatesdominoes.

Hatescardsexceptforpokerandwehavenocashonhand.Hesittingandworkingonacrosswordpuzzleand

Ifindrefugeinmycomputer.IthinkIlovemycomputer.

PonderingwhatIshouldconsumeforlunch.Lunchcouldbeanytime.Leftoverspaghetti?Weekoldpizza?Can

soup?Nothingbeckonstome.Iwouldratherhaveaborschtsoup.Nopirogi.Nomeatwithwhichtomake

them.Russiansnamethempelemeni.Wecalledthempirogen.Justlikeravioli,butwithrealhamburgerwith

onionsandspicesmixedinside.Andtherollsahhh,therollswithsauerkrautinside.Thesearethethingswe

ateforChristmasEveandIlongforthemnow.ChristmasEveisameretwodaysaway.

Acupofteawillsufficefornow.

DaySix1:39pm

Forgotaboutthetea.Startedanotherproject.Gotthetreeupfinallyandpluggedin.Looksoktome.Now

someone(ME)needstobringintheornamentsforafun,carolingexperience.Alone.Nooneheretosingwith

meordelightinputtingtheornamentsup.Maybehubbywillgetboredenoughtodoso.Gottacheckthe

email.Whoknowswhatwondersawaitmethere?DrinkmyrewarmedteawithaEuropeancookieortwoor

three.

DaySix2:11pm

Ok.IstillhavemostofmyteasittinghereandIvebeenreadingSPAM.Yeah,Imthatbored.Andits

amazinghowstupidpeoplemustthinkothersare,and,perhaps,othersarethatincrediblystupid.Icant

imagineNigatiAmotowritingtotellmeIhaveamilliondollarsIwoninsomeNigeriancontest.Yeah,right,

dude!And

Brittney,

no,

not

Spears,

Whatnot,

is

offering

ME

little

blue

pills.

All

for

avery

good

price.

Wow.

AndIthinkImbored.Thesemustbecomputergeneratedsotheyaresenttomebyacomputer.Whatwould

happenifIreplied?NotthatIeverwouldinamillionjillionyears.Butdopeoplerespondtospam?Hum..

FortysixminutesuntilDr.PhilandthenIcanwatcheitherOprah(yeah,butImgettingtiredofallthosestars

whiningabouttheirlives.Orseeingaparadeofthousanddollardressesorsomeguymakingamillionoffof

thenetworkcreatingnewideasinpeopleshomes)orEllen,andshesokaslongassheisntpushinga

politicalagenda,which,sadlysometimesshedoes.JustbeEllenandwellloveyou.Butstopthecampaigning

forgayrights.YouhavemanyrightssomeIdontevenhavecauseyouarerich.Yeah,andDr.Philwillbeon

mybadboylistifhisstaffdoesntreturnmyemails!Ivegotagreatideaandtheyareshunningme.Or

somethinglikethat.Ididlikehimalotatonetime.andhiscutelittlewife.Wow.TheyareMuttandJeff,for

sure.KindoflikemyJohnandErica.

StillDaySix.Arethedaysgettinglongerandlonger??????2:47pm

Almosttimefortwohoursofnonthinking.JustrelaxingwithacupofteaIstillhaveahalfcupleftand

watchingtelevision.Icouldgoandputornamentsonmytree,butIdontreallywantto.Idontevenknow

whatIwant.IguesstheopportunitytoknowthatifIwantedtogosomewhere,Icould.Iwonderifthisishow

mybrotherfeels?Likebeinginprison.No,hesnot hehasanamputatedleg.So,lifemustsuckattimesfor

him,too.Hubbytookashower.Heisgonnawalkdownthestreetandupthehilltoseeifsoncancomehome

sonisanxioustogethomehatesbeingawayfromus!Loveshisroom.Whatakid!


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Nurse or a purse?Inspired by Karin Good

Some ladies recently were talking about the availability of menin the senior division. One pert 79year old said she was notlooking for any guys, cause all they were looking for was anurse or a purse! In one case, they are looking for someoneto take care of them or for someone who has a nice home inwhich to take care of them.

Who can blame the gals? They are probably right. What are the good ole guys doing andwhere the heck are they? The senior ladies are ready and waiting. What are they waitingfor? Surely, most are not thinking about sexual activity. Most just want companionship. Asone friend recently told me, I just want a companion to go places with me.

That got me to thinking where ARE those guys? Since Im happily married, I haventthought about that (thank God). But, where the heck are they? After a few minutesdeliberation, I came up with the following:

1. Check out the local senior center. Lunch is usually around $4 and comes complete withsalad, main entre, and dessert. Wow! Even diet Cokes are only seventy five cents! So,even if you dont find a guy, you can eat for cheap.

2. Volunteer. Art Society. Jail (wait, maybe not). Library (great if you want an intellectualman one who actually reads).

3. Take an art class at your local community college. Our ownChemeketa CC has some of the best artists teaching others their craft.4. Go to church. Get involved. But not in the ladies Altar Society get

involved in the administrative part of the church.

5. Put an ad in the newspaper. My dear friend, M, who recently died,actually met her husband through a newspaper ad in the 1950s. Yep. In the 50s.

6. Start a blog and call it Senior Ladies looking for Senior Men.7. Try a Bible class. Caution: make sure its not just ladies!8. Ok, this one is a long shot, but it just occurred to me go to sports events. Find agirlfriend and go to a game in town. Surely, some old guys are hanging out watching

their grandsons play ball. And some may be just available enough for you!

9. Bowling.10. Friends. Friends know old guys. Friends have old guys as relatives. Makea lot of new friends. So, you will have someone to hang out with while you arewaiting for Mr. Senior to appear.


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What is NOT to love about this little dolly? Meet Gracie, my first

grandchild. She is going to be four months old by the time this

magaletter hits the internet. She is amazing! And its not just Grandma

delusions that leads me to that statement. Truthfully, this child is trying

to TALK! She mouthed I love you! She is active, imaginative, and even

plays tricks on her parents. She has a definite sense of humor and is,

according to all definitions, quite a gal!

Her bow was purchased in support of The Cora Paige Playground

Project. Cora Paige lost her battle with cancer at 11 months old just2 weeks after being diagnosed. Go to www.etsy.com and search for

Cora Paige to view all items for sale, and support a great cause. You

can also read more about Cora on her parents blog at

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/.

Do you have grandkids you are dying to brag about? Got a funny story or an adorable picture? Send us your

"Grandma Story" to [email protected] and you may be featured in an upcoming issue!

W hat can my new granddaughter call me?Grandmaistoogeneral.Shehaswaytoomanyothergrandmasoutthere.GreatGrandmas2;friend

grandmas 1thatIknowof,probablymore.So,Imlookingforanewname.HowaboutLola?Itmeans

grandmotherinFilipiino.OrOma?IcalledmyowngrandmotherOma.Omameansmanythingsnowadays.

NAME MEANING GENDER ORIGINOma Commander male Arabic

Oma CedarTree female Hebrew

Oma

Named

for

Bona

Dea

female

Latin

Oma TheColorofOlive female Irish

Weshouldtakeapollandseewhatmostgrandmothersthinkabouttheirname.MyfriendGladyshasher

grandchildrencallherNana.Shesquitecontentwiththatname.IcanseethatOmawouldbeastrong,yet

lovingname.ItisthedimunitiveforgrandmotherinGerman.Uh,Ijustmadethatup.Imnotreallysure,but

itsoundsgood,eh?

So,whatdidyoucallyourgrandmotherandwhatwouldyouliketobecalledwhenyoubecomeagrandma?


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My Gr andma Speaks Ca t !PossiblytoldbyCole

Ihaveaveryspecialgrandmother.Iamheronlygrandsonandshelovesmeasmuchasshe

doesher

two

sons.

She

has

the

neatest

beach

house

that

Iget

to

go

to

with

her.

Iget

to

see

whales,octopus,fish,andallsortsofanimals,butthebestpartiswhenGrandmaandIjust

walkonthebeachandshetellsmestories.Wepretendweareswimminginthearmocean.The

ateratthebeachwherewegoiswaytoocoldtogetinto!

Wealsopretendwearehuntingdinosaurbones.SometimesIfindalotof

them.Grandmajustsmiles.

Mygrandmotherisaverygoodcook.Shemakesallsortsofgoodthingsformetoeat.Shealso

tellsmetocleanupmymesses.Itoldhersheshoulddoit.ShelaughsandsaysthatIhavetobe

agoodboyandcleanupaftermyself.IdontthinkDaddyeverdid,butIwillbecauseIlovemy

Grandmotherand

want

her

to

be

happy.

Sheusedtobeateacher.Shestillis,really.Sheteachesmeallsortsofthings.Myteacherat

schooldidntunderstandhowIcouldbehuntingfordinosaurbonesandactuallyfindthem.She

alsocouldntunderstandalotofotherdiscoveriesGrandmaandIhavemade.Theteachertold

DaddyIwastooimaginative.Daddygotreallymad.HeknowshowsmartmyGrandmais.He

knowshowsmartIam.Hedoesntthinkmyteacherisverysmart!

Grandmalikestotakemetoseenewthingsandshelikestoteachmenew

things.ShespeaksGerman.SoIlearnnewwordsinGerman.Onedaywe

weretaking

her

kitty

to

the

veterinarian.

The

kitty

was

in

its

cage,

but

did

notlikeitonebit.Shewashissingandmeowingreallyloudly.Itmademe

feelterrible.SoIaskedGrandmatopleasespeakincatandtotellthekitty

thateverythingwasgoingtobeok.

Now,myGrandmotherdoesNOTknitalotorrockonarockingchair,butthewayshespoketo

thatkitty!Oh,my!Grandmastartedwithaquietmeow.Thenshemeowedsomemore.The

kittygotallquietjustasifGrandmawererockingthekitty.Wow!MyGrandmacandoanything.

Shemakesalotofpeoplehappy.SheisnicetomyMomeventhoughDaddyandMomarent

marriedanymore.ShesaysMomisstillherdaughterandshewillneverforgetthat.Momloves

heralot.

Sheissogoodtoallherfriends.Onefriendalwayshasproblems.ItseemsthatGrandmaalways

knowshowtohelpherfriend.Shetakesherouttolunch.Shemightevenbuyheraglassof

wine.Shetellsherfriendthatsheisloved.HerfriendlovesGrandmaalot.


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MyGrandmaissofilledwithlovethatshehelpspeoplealloverthe

world.Shelovestotravelandgettoknowtheworld.Imsureshehas

friendsineverycountryaround!

ThisyearsheisgoingtogotoAfrica.Shewantstoseethebeautiful

animalsin

the

wild.

Ihave

seen

them

in

the

zoo.

Iam

sure

she

will

bringmebacktoysandbooksfromAfrica.Icanhardlywait.

ShewenttoChinaandbroughtbackmanybeautifulthings.Ithinkthebestpartiswhenshe

toldmeaboutwalkingontheGreatWallofChina.Itistheonlymanmadestructureyoucansee

inouterspace,shetoldme.

MyGrandpalovesme,too.Heisalwayswalking,walking.Hewentto

themountainsinEuropetowalk.IthinktheycallthemtheAlps.

Grandmadidntgo.Shewouldrathershopandtalkthanwalk.

GrandmagrewupinMontana.Shesayssheusedtoracecars.Boy,Granny,go!Sometimesshe

forgetswhenshesdrivingherfriendsaround.Theymightgetscared,buttheyaresilly.She

hasnthadaccidentsliketheyhave.Shereallyknowswhatsheisdoing.

Iamlucky.IgettostaywithmyGrandmaalot.Wehaveagreattime,justthetwoofus.Ihope

thatsheisaroundforavery,verylongtimebecauseIhavealotoflearningtodo.

Iknowshehasalotofbooksthatshehasntevenbeguntoreadtome.Grandmamakesthe

worldabetterplaceinwhichtoliveforonelittlegrandsonwhoadoreshersomuch.

Smells and Sights and Sounds of Spring Achoo! Sniff , s neeze, t alking t hrough your nose! No, it s not supposed t o

be t hat way, but many p eople develop allerg ies even in t heir adult lif e. And

spr ing soon becomes t he arch nemesis of t hese individuals.

What can be done t o alleviat e t he misery of seasonal allerg ies? Over t he

count er r emedies, pr escript ion dr ugs, nat ur al subst ances.t hey all help

someone somewhere, or so I hope! What wor ks f or y ou?

As w e ent er t he allergy season, t here are increasing numbers of f olks

experiencing snif f les, coughs, and unpleasant r ies of allergies. Wr it e and

let us know what has worked f or you!


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11

LETTERS FROM JANE:

March 19th, 2009

Dear Spiritual Woman,

Hey there! Its me, again. Jane. Remember me?

Its been four months now since my latest letter. I wish I could sum up all that has been

happening to, with and around me in the meantime, but thats not much, I guess. Even

though, paradoxically or not, these four months have passed as if a dream. Do we even

notice how fast time flies by? Have we ever taken a moment to wonder about that? Or,

are we just too pleased to look out of the window and see that spring is now definitely onits way, that the skies are turning blue again, that the kids have done another bit of

growing up, since we last checked, that the outside walls, even though one year older

themselves, do seem to look a little bit better than they did last year at this time? Oh, or is

it just my subconscious mind telling me that, with the worldwide economic crisis in full

swing (is it?!), we might as well not spend that money on a new coat of paint, but on...

well, there are always more important things, I guess.

The crisis. Oh yes. Theres a lot of talk about it here in Eastern Europe, as well.

Politicians, economists, salespeople, students everyone talks about it. We dont want to

believe that its going to get any worse though. How could it possibly get any worse? Wedo live in a rational world, dont we? In a world where nothing too bad can and or may

happen, in a world where a bunch of people have been decorating means of

transportation with banners that express their innermost hope, that God doesnt

probably exist, and Oh, well, so, whats the harm in that? Just walk on by: public

transportation has never been a blessing anyway...

By the way, no, we dont have that around here. Were too far away from the civilized

world for that kind of banners to brighten up our daily lives. But we do get rumors of the

end of the world. No kidding. The Christians say its a-coming. The other Christians

know its always been coming. The rest of the people either dont believe in such stuff, or

are too busy to care right now. But pretty much everyone senses that there is something

almost imperceptibly and yet oh-so-tragically wrong about this world...

A beautiful world, come to think of it. A beautiful, colorful, fragile world waiting to be

discovered, by each one of us in turn. My mother is starting on a trip to Israel today. Im

not sure if she wants to find God there, or to find her own self. She might not know it yet,

either. I hope shell find out in time, though. And I hope shell have a safe journey. It


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takes about 10 hours to get from our town to Bucharest, by bus, and a bit over two hours

to fly from there to Tel Aviv. And, just in case you were wondering: no, we dont have

highways in Romania a fact that our politicians seem to have become aware of just

recently. And, you know what, Romania is precisely three times smaller than the state of

Texas.

Im not probably making much sense today, as I cant really seem to be making any

point. To wish to be making any point. Im just trying to let you in on my concerns and

dilemmas, as well as on a number of facts that spice up my life (Oh, yes.), as they would,

no doubt about it, do yours if you were I.

Should you wish you were I?

Good question. Strange as it may sound, I sometimes wish I werent myself, either. Ive

come to believe that Im not really much of a happy person. Somethings missing, from

my life, from yours, from anybodys. Im sure about that.

So, heres my advice to you: do yourself a favor and take a moment to try and figure out

what exactly it is thats missing from your life. Because something is missing, even

though you might not yet be aware of it. Whether it be a best friend, a husband, a child, a

car with a motor that wont stall or maybe a drivers license, that perfume youve been

thinking about for so long or a new cookbook well, something and or someone is indeed

missing. Right?

And you are going to do WHAT and WHEN about it?!

Yours,

Jane : )

Your Sk in Has Four Col or s

All skin, wit hout coloring, would appear creamy w hit e. Near -

sur f ace blood vessels add a blush of r ed. A yellow pigment

also t int s t he canvas. Last ly, sepia- t oned melanin, creat ed

in response t o ult r aviolet r ays , appears black in large

amount s. These f our hues mix in dif f erent proport ions t o

creat e t he skin colors of all t he peoples of Ear t h.


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13

GOD'S PHARM ACY A friend emailed this to me. It's been said that God first separated the salt waterfrom the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, and made animals and fish allbefore making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born.These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look justlike the human eye and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance bloodflow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and isred. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and areindeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like ablood cell and all of the research today shows grape s are also profound heartand blood vitalizing food.(For more heart-healthy remedies, visit www.BloodPressureNormalized.com andwww.CholesterolSecrets.com)

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrumsand lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like theneo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozenneuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, theylook exactly like the human kidneys. (For a natural kidney stone remedy,visit www.KidneyStoneNaturalTreatment.com)

God left us a great clue as

to what foods help what

part of our body!


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Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones.These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23%sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't haveenough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus

making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs ofthe body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of thewomb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today'sresearch shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balanceshormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers.And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow anavocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolyticchemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern

science has only studied and named about 141 of them)

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase themobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well toovercome male sterility. (For more info about male sexual health, visitwww.NaturallyStiff.com)

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic

index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glandsof the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movementof lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clearwaste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears whichwash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helpseliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.


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January 11, 2009

My dearest Lisa,

Today I found a beautiful collage you made for me whenI retired two years ago. You put your heart into thatbeautiful product and I love it so. You put your heart intoeverything you do and thats what makes you so special.You are in my daily prayers, dear one. I love you as Iwould a daughter. Your joys are my joys and your painsare my pains.

In this difficult time for you, I want you to know that we all love you. You have a whole otherfamily you probably did not know about your new sisters and brothers are my sons and

daughters in law. We all love you. Even our little Gracie will learn to love you as I do.

My dear daughter, I want to hold you and rock you and take this burden from you. Iunderstand as well as my limited mind will allow me to see your plight.

I admire you for your tenacity, your love, and your generous spirit. I hope nothing, but nothing,will rob your life of that vitality and spunk. You are a gift to the world. Your joy and your smilemelt even the hardest heart. I dont know why God has not intervened and taken this burdenaway I keep thinking that maybe, just maybe, He has a plan that we are too ignorant tounderstand or to even know.

I am here for you, dear girl. I am here for your Tony, your Bridget, and your Ethan. We maynot see each other regularly or very much, but you are very alive in my heart. I love you fromthe depths of my soul.

God bless you, special girl. God give you strength. And know that you have a friend in me thatyou can count on for anything I can possibly give or do.

With deepest respect and love,Your friends at Todays Spiritual Woman

There once was oneNow there are two

May they join in HeavenAnd wait for you


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Dear God:The lady reading this is beautiful, classy and

strong, and I love her.Help her live her life to the fullest.

Please promote her andcause her to excel above her expectations.

Help her shine in thedarkest places where it is impossible to love.

Protect her at alltimes, lift her up when she needs you the most,

and let her know when she walks with you,she will always be safe.

Love you Girl!!!!

Several of this issues articles are in response to a question I posed on

Classmates.com, Why are Christians so mean? I received over 500 replies

within a few weeks. Some are contained in this magaletter. Be aware that

99% of the replies were positive affirmations of others who thought that

Christians are, indeed, very mean at times. Not to mention narrow-minded

and closed. Of course, there are those Christians out there who are not that

way. So, read on and enjoy. We welcome your comments as well!


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Recipes from TVs Tyler FlorenceThe Perfect Oatmeal

Ingredients:Serves 4

Oatmeal: 1 cup quick-cook oatmeal , Rolled Oats 2 cups unsweetened apple juice 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Toppings: 1/2 cup applesauce 1 cup fresh blueberries

1 large banana , sliced 1/2 cup shredded toasted coconut Skim milk

Begin by cooking the oatmeal in apple juice. Pour oatmeal and applesauce into the pot, and set overmedium heat. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes until oatmeal is creamy and tender. Stir in cinnamon andbutter, and keep warm until ready to eat. Prepare toppings and serve with oatmeal.

Chicken Noodle Ramen SoupIngredients:

Serves 46

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion , chopped 3 cloves garlic , minced 2 medium carrots , cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices 2 ribs celery , cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 quart organic chicken stock Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces instant Ramen noodles 1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley , finely chopped

Place a soup pot over medium heat, and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery andthyme. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour inthe chicken stock and season with salt and pepper; bring the liquid to a boil. Add the Ramen noodlesand simmer for 3 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another coupleof minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.


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Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:Serves 46

Chicken and stock: 1 whole organic chicken , 4 to 5 pounds 2 bay leaves 1 head garlic , split through the equator 6 sprigs thyme Kosher salt 4 to 5 black peppercorns

Vegetables: 2 carrots 1 large onion 2 ribs celery

1 clove garlic 4 sprigs fresh thyme , leaves only Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings: 2 cups flour 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup chopped chives

To make chicken: Place chicken and all ingredients into a slow cooker and cover with water. Set onlow (according to manufacturer's instructions), and cook until chicken is falling apart.

When done, remove the chicken. Strain the stock and shred the meat into big pieces.

To make vegetables: Slice vegetables up into a julienne, and set a large saut pan over high heat.Add a 2-count of olive oil, and saut vegetables until translucent. Fold vegetables into the slow cookerwith the stock. Fold the shredded chicken back into the mixture and season well. Add chopped freshparsley and stir. Turn slow cooker up to high while you make the dumplings.

To make dumplings: Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat theeggs and milk together; pour the liquid in the dry ingredients and gently fold.

Mix just until the dough comes togetherthe batter should be thick and cake-like. Using a small icecream scoop, make dumplings and layer into the slow-cooker. Place the lid back on. Turn cooker up tohigh and leave for 30 minutes until the dumplings are cooked and puffed up slightly.


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"A World Without Tears"Thinkofaworldwithoutbloodshedandstrife,

Whereno

man

dare

take

another

man's

life.

Wheremalice,hatredandwarshallforevercease,

Andmanuntomanwilluniteintruepeace.

(Psalms46:9andIsaiah2:4)

Thinkofaworld,whenamanplantsavine,

Andcansitinitsshadeandsay,"Thisismine".

Hecanliveinahousehisownhandshavemade,

Andnooneshallmolesthimormakehimafraid.

(Micah4:4andIsaiah65:2122)

Thinkofthisearthasaglobalparadise,

Wheremountain

and

desert

will

dazzle

your

eyes,

Withbeautifulflowersandshrubberyandtrees,

Withgaybutterflies,songbirds,animals,andbees.

(Isaiah35:12,7andIsaiah11:69)

Justthinkofaworld,aworldwithouttears,

Whereamancanliveforthousandsofyears.

Withneveragrief,noranacheorapain,

Andneverathoughtofdyingagain.

(Revelation21:4)

JustassureasJehovahGod'sWordistheTruth,

Amanshallreturntothedaysofhisyouth.

Hisflesh

shall

become

as

the

flesh

of

achild,

Andthewordsthathewillspeakwillbecheerful,

pleasantandmild.

(John17:17andJob33:25)

Thinkofaworldwherethelamemanwillleap,

Withthegraceofadeerorthatofasheep.

Wherenonewillbedeafandnonewillbeblind,

Andthedumbshallspeakforththethoughtsoftheirmind.

(Isaiah35:56)

Thinkofaworldwhereeachmanisatruebrother,

Notesteeming

himself

above

that

of

another.

Wheremanuntomanwillbefrienduntofriend,

Inaworldwithouttears,inaworldwithoutend.

(Matthew23:8;Psalms133:1andPsalms104:5)

Thinkofaworldwherethedeadwillhaverisen,

Fromtheir

silent

tombs

that

have

held

them

in

prison.

Toforeverliveandtoloveandtocaress,

Theirlovedonesandfriendsintruerighteousness.

(John5:25and1Thessalonians4:9)

Nowthis"WorldWithoutTears"isnotjustanicedream,

Assomanypersonsmightmakeittoseem.

ForjustassureasGod'sWordtheBibleistrue,

This"WorldWithoutTears"nowliesbeforeyou.

(2Peter3:3;Isaiah25:8;Isaiah65:17;2Peter3:13and

Revelation21:5)

Jehovah

our

God

has

provided

a

Lamb,

our

Ransom

and

King,

Thatweshouldfollowhislead,hisinstructionsandhislovein

everything.

ThisRansomandKingisGod'sSon,ChristJesusourLord,

Whotaughtusthe"Truth",this"GoodNews"fromGod'swritten

word.

(John1:29,34;John17:68;Mark10:45;Matthew17:5and

Matthew24:14)

Sincethispromisedparadiseearthnowliesbeforeyou,

Wouldyounotliketoliveinthisbeautifulparadisetoo?

AndshareintheblessingsthatJehovahGodhasinstore,

ForallthoseobeyinghissonnowanddoingtheFather'swillever

more?

(Matthew7:21;Luke9:35;John17:3and2Timothy3:1617)

Thenwhilethis"GoodNewsoftheKingdom"isstillbeingsung,

Throughouteverynation,kingdomandtongue.

StudyGod'sWord,makesureofallthings,

Andjointhegreatcrowdwithaheartthatrejoicesandsings.

(Mark13:10;Revelation14:6;2Timothy3:1617;1

Thessalonians5:21andRevelation7:910)

ForyouwhoarethirstingforthistruthfromJehovahGod's

Word,

JoinGod's"greatcloudofwitnesses"andtellotherswhatyou

haveheard.

BecomeapraiserofourGodJehovahandbetrulyunited,

WithJesusChristandallhissheepwhomhehasinvited.


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Tim es, they are a chan gin'Jane knows hard times - we are still luckier than most of her fellow Romanians. Times have been

difficult there for some time now. Keep her and her country in your prayers and thoughts.

The governor of Illinois is being impeached as we speak and Geraldo chased him down in the parkinglot of the show The View. Geraldo is gutsy to say the least - drama king and all. But, why mentionBogla-whatever? It's the state of the economy - big and little people are losing their jobs. Somedeserve to lose it (let him have his day in court before we chastise and judge him) and others are justvictims of the economy. So what can we do to insulate ourselves from creeping problems that mighttake us over? From the voice of experience, begin by connecting with your inner spirit. . . .

1. Remember you are a good person, even if you can't find a job or have lost your job.2. Remember to have integrity (hint to the politicians out there who think they are above the law).3. Even if you have not planned for a catastrophe, start a rainy day fund

NOW for something fun to do. It could be a night out with yoursignificant other. Just because you are down and out doesn't mean youcan't have a little fun sometime. Even if that means collecting popbottles and cashing them in - start a savings of some sort and establisha goal for that savings. My goal is to have enough money for food whiletraveling in Romania in September (ticket was from airline miles).

4. Focus on the most important bills you need to pay. Duh, that means rent and utilities and food.You can certainly cut down on food a lot. Learn to eat leftovers!

5. Eat nutritious meals and monitor the amount of food you eat. Sometimes when I'm depressed, Ifeel lethargic and just reach out to the nearest fast food restaurant - cheap and delicious - if youknow what I mean. Stop. Reassess what calories are in those treats and eat accordingly.

6. Get enough rest. Yesterday I slept until 5 pm. I was able to work from then until midnight onsome writing I'm doing. But I feel a heck of a lot better today.

7. Make sure you are taking all your medication and if you can't afford it, ask for samples from yourdoctor.

8. Talk to a few close friends or see a therapist, but don't tell everybody all your problems. No onewants to be around a sad sack.

9. Exercise. I'm lying about this one. I don't do it. Hate it. Don't even understandhow others can possibly like it. But I'm really working on this one. Just oncearound the block. My problem is I am so lethargic it's hard to get up anddressed, much less go outside. I'd much rather sit on the computer or read.Get up off your duff and MOVE! It doesn't even help me if a buddy tries toconvince me. I'm set in my ways and it's hard to change....

10. PRAY.


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NamesofGodaccordingtotheScripturesByLola

NamesofGod:AWaytoUnderstandHisNatureandCharacter

Fromwww.allaboutgod.com

NamesofGod:HisTitlesRevealedinScripture

"ELOHIM"(orElohay)isthefirstnameforGodfoundintheBible,andit'susedthroughouttheOldTestamentover

2,300times.ElohimcomesfromtheHebrewrootmeaning"strength"or"power",andhastheunusual

characteristicofbeingpluralinform.InGenesis1:1,weread,"InthebeginningElohimcreatedtheheavenandthe

earth."Rightfromthestart,thispluralformforthenameofGodisusedtodescribetheOneGod,amysterythatis

uncoveredthroughouttherestoftheBible.Throughoutscripture,Elohimiscombinedwithotherwordstodescribe

certaincharacteristicsofGod.Someexamples:ElohayKedem GodoftheBeginning:(Deuteronomy33:27).Elohay

Mishpat GodOfJustice:(Isaiah30:18).ElohaySelichot GodOfForgiveness:(Nehemiah9:17).ElohayMarom

GodOfHeights:(Micah6:6).ElohayMikarov GodWhoIsNear:(Jeremiah23:23).ElohayMauzi GodOfMy

Strength:(Psalm43:2).ElohayTehilati GodOfMyPraise:(Psalm109:1).ElohayYishi GodOfMySalvation:

(Psalm18:47,25:5).ElohimKedoshim HolyGod:(Leviticus19:2,Joshua24:19).ElohimChaiyim LivingGod:

(Jeremiah10:10).

Elohay

Elohim

God

Of

Gods:

(Deuteronomy

10:17).

Whatstartedoutasasimplequestionaskedoutofanxiety,depression,andinnocencewhyare

Christianssomean toadeepersearchforspiritualityanditsconnectivitytounderstandingthe

conceptofGodlinessandthepurposeofmankind,myneighborandIarediscussingwritingabook

thatwillilluminatethejourneyIundertookwhichwasoneofamazementandfulfillmentasItrace

thebeginningsofChristianityandtherootsoftheMessianicmovement.Thosewhoproclaimthey

knowthegoodnewsandholdontoittightlywillreactwithindignationuponreadingthese

passages.Beitforthemalonetodecideiftheywishtoignorehistoricalprophetsinlightofmodern

dayessayistswhousetheWordfortheirownconvenience.

Inthebeginning,asmostofhumanitybelieves,wasnothing.Eternalnothingandyetaspiritora

godpresencewasalwaysandwillalwaysbe.Thisspiritcreatedtheearthandtheheavensandthe

heavenlybodies.Andsobelievemanyofthepeoplesofearth.Wepopulatetheearthfora

preordainedpurposethegloryandedificationofthis,ourCreator.

NamesreligiouspeopleshaveusedtodenotetheCreatorincludeTheGreatSpirit,God,Zeus,Allah,

TheMightyOne,Jehovah,Yahweh,IAm,Lord,Counselor,ElElyon,andDeliverer,amongothers.

Elohimandsoon."ELOHIM"(orElohay)isthefirstnameforGodfoundintheBible,andit'sused

throughouttheOldTestamentover2,300times.ElohimcomesfromtheHebrewrootmeaning

"strength"or"power",andhastheunusualcharacteristicofbeingpluralinform.InGenesis1:1,we

read,

"In

the

beginning

Elohim

created

the

heaven

and

the

earth."

Right

from

the

start,

this

plural

formforthenameofGodisusedtodescribetheOneGod,amysterythatisuncoveredthroughout

therestoftheBible.

ForthosewhomtheBibleisnotthewordofGod,thereligiouslifeispermeatedwithdesignated

writingsattributedtoprophetsorthosewhoareinspiredbythespiritsthatwedonotknow.

Moretocome


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Spirituality Spot Found in BrainBy Robin Nixon, Special to Live Science

What makes us feel spiritual? It could be the quieting of a small area in our brains, a new study suggests.

The area in question the right parietal lobe is responsible for defining "Me,"said researcher Brick Johnstone of Missouri University. It generates self-criticism, he said, and guides us through physical and social terrains by constantlyupdating our self-knowledge: my hand, my cocktail, my witty conversation skills,my new love interest ...

People with less active Me-Definers are more likely to lead spiritual l ives, reportsthe study in the current issue of the journal Zygon.

Most previous research on neuro-spirituality has been based on brain scans of actively practicingadherents (i.e. meditating monks, praying nuns) and has resulted in broad and inconclusive findings. (Is thebrain area lighting up in response to verse or spiritual experience?)

So Johnstone and colleague Bret Glass turned to the tried-and-true techniques of neurosciences earlydays studying brain-injured patients. The researchers tested brain regions implicated in the previousimaging studies with exams tailored to each areas expertise similar to studying the prowess of an earwith a hearing test. They then looked for correlations between brain region performance and the subjects'self-reported spirituality.Among the more spiritual of the 26 subjects, the researchers pinpointed a less functional right parietallobe, a physical state which may translate psychologically as decreased self-awareness and self-focus.

The finding suggests that one core tenant of spiritual experience is selflessness, said Johnstone, adding

that he hopes the study "will help people think about spirituality in more specific ways."

Spiritual outlooks have long been associated with better mental and physical health. These benefits,Johnstone speculated, may stem from being focused less on ones self and more on others a naturalconsequence of turning down the volume on the Me-Definer.

In addition to religious practices, other behaviors and experiences are known to hush the Definer of Me.Appreciation of art or nature can quiet it, Johnstone said, pointing out that people talk of "losingthemselves" in a particularly beautiful song. Love, and even charity work, can also soften the boundaries of"Me," he said.

The greatest silencing of the Me-Definer likely happens in the deepest states of meditation or prayer, said

Johnstone, when practitioners describe feeling seamless with the entire universe.That is, the highest point of spiritual experience occurs when "Me" completely loses its definition.

"If you look in the Torah, the Old Testament, the New Testament, in the Koran, a lot of Sufi writings,Buddhist writings, and Hindu writings, they all talk about selflessness," said Johnstone.

We may be finding the neurological underpinnings of these writings, he said.


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JesusonFastingandPenancebyFriarJimVanVurst,O.F.M.

JesusConflictsWithReligiousLeadersEarly in the Gospel of Mark (2:1822), Jesus runs into a series of conflicts with the Jewish religious

leaders. One such conflict involved the law of fasting. We know that in all religions (and even secularorganizations, for that matter) there are certain rituals and practices thatidentify a person as a member. Not so many years ago, meatless Fridays werepart and parcel of Catholics lives; it seemed everyone knew that about us. Withthe Jewish faith, fasting was one of those practices that set its members apartfrom all other groups. Now the basic law required all good Jews to fast twice ayear. However, the Pharisees, those religious leaders who went way beyond theminimum, fasted not just two days a year but twice a week. In doing so, theyseparated themselves from the ordinary Jew and put themselves into a class ofholy people.

Now when Jesus came preaching repentance and calling the people to look at their lives, it was utterly

shocking for them to see that Jesus did not do any extra fasting. Even John and Johns disciples fasted. IfJesus was supposed to be this holy man, it was scandalous that he would do only the minimum requiredby the law. In their eyes an even greater sin for Jesus was to workcure and healon the Sabbath.People in the Old Testament died at times rather than break that most holy day of rest. And here wasJesus with absolutely no qualms about healing on any day of the week!

ReligiousPracticesTookOnaLifeofTheirOwnOf course, as Jesus began his ministry, he knew he was facing certain external practices and attitudesthat actually got in the way of the people seeing God for who he was. What had developed, and candevelop in any religious group, was an attitude that the more you fasted (or rested on the Sabbath), thebetter you were. Not only that, but the belief was that when you did something for God, the more Godwas in your debt. Its sounds strange, but it is like someone saying to God, OK, God. I fasted 40 days thisyear and it wasnt easy. So, my question for you is: What are going to do for me in return? When you

really look at it, it was all backwards. God owes us something? Hardly.

Jesus wanted the people to know that God was loving and compassionate. They needed to know that allthey had was Gods gift to them. Just to know Yahweh as their God was such a privilege and gift. If theywere to do anything for the sake of God, it would not be to get something back but rather to make a giftto the God who had already gifted them with life and faith itself.

ReligiousObservancesDontSave,ButProveOurFaithAs a matter of fact, it is one of the aspects of our own faith that is often misunderstoodnot just byProtestants but even by Catholics themselves. The simple truth is that works dont save anyone. Weare saved by Jesus death on the cross and the gift of faith with which we have been blessed. No oneworks his or her way into heaven.

And it is absolutely true that faith without works is useless. Good works show our faith is true andsincere. We would never say, Oh, I believe, therefore it doesnt matter what I do. That would be likeone spouse telling the other, Oh, I love you, but I dont consider that requiring anything of me. Howabsurd that would be, and how that would indicate that the first statement, I love you, was just a lie. Astrue Christians, we do not just need both faith and works. Our hearts tell us that we want both if we areto be authentic Christians.


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Now this brings us to Lent. Lenten regulations today are very mild compared to those in the past. Fastingon Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and then abstaining from meat the six Fridays in Lent are hardlyburdensome. In fact, for many, fish has become a staple of a healthy diet. So in terms of real penance, therestrictions are truly light.

But when it comes to fasting, we are dealing with much more than food. Look at Jesus. He fasted from

the constant need to ensure his good name with the religious leaders. He fasted from his own security,putting himself at risk in preaching and healing. And, of course, he fasted from the power that was his asGod living on this earth like us in all things except sin.

ImportantNewWaysofFastingJust think about what we could fast from in our own lives: 1) insisting we are always right in anyargument; 2) controlling family members and others by means of anger or deadly silence; 3) relying on aclever but sarcastic tongue that we might think is cute but hurtfully cuts others, even loved ones; 4)wasting hours on the Internet when we could be doing something with our family. There are otherexamples, of course, but you may find that the above suggestions are much more challenging thancutting down on food.

People may regret that the rules are so lenient these days. Well, opportunities for Lenten penances arenot hard to find, and others may help us discover a couple if we have the courage to ask.

EditorsNote:Whenwasthelasttimeyoudeniedyourselfsomethingasatonementforyoursins?Irarelydenymyselfanything,butitbehoovesmetorealizethatthematerialgoodsofthisworldarecertainlynotofthenext.

Easter - a time for Christians to celebrate their salvation and timeto understand the meaning of the word .The

English

term

relates

to

Estre,

aTeutonic

goddess

of

the

rising

light

of

day

and

spring,

which

deity,

however,

is

otherwiseunknown.TheAngloSaxon,ester,estron;OldHighGerman,stra,strara,strarn;German,Ostern.

Aprilwascalledeastermonadh.Thepluralestronisused,becausethefeastlastssevendays.LiketheFrench

pluralPques,itisatranslationfromtheLatinFestaPaschalia,theentireoctaveofEaster.

TheGreektermforEaster,pascha,doesnotdenotetheverbpaschein,"tosuffer.ItistheAramaicformofthe

Hebrewpesach(transitus,passover).TheGreekscalledEasterthepaschaanastasimon;GoodFridaythepascha

staurosimon.TherespectivetermsusedbytheLatinsarePascharesurrectionisandPaschacrucifixionis.

TheRomancelanguagesadoptedtheHebrewGreekterm:Latin,Pascha;Italian,Pasqua;Spanish,Pascua;French,

Pques.AlsosomeCelticandTeutonicnationsuseit:Scottish,Pask;

Dutch,Paschen;ThecorrectwordinDutchisactuallyPasenDanish,

Paaske;

Swedish,

Pask;

even

in

the

German

provinces

of

the

Lower

RhinethepeoplecallthefeastPaiskennotOstern.

Thewordis,principallyinSpainandItaly,identifiedwiththeword

"solemnity"andextendedtootherfeasts,e.g.Sp.,Pascuaflorida,Palm

Sunday;PascuadePentecostes,Pentecost;PascuadelaNatividad,

Christmas;PascuadeEpifania,Epiphany.InsomepartsofFrancealso

FirstCommunioniscalledPques,whatevertimeoftheyear

administered.


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TTiimmee--hhoonnoorreedd ttrraaddiittiioonnss eexxppllaaiinneedd.. .. .. ..

Easter eggs

Because the use of eggs was originally forbidden during Lent, they were brought to the table onEaster Day, colored red to symbolize Easter joy. This custom is found not only in the Latin but also inthe Oriental Churches. The symbolic meaning of a new creation of mankind by Jesus risen from thedead was probably an invention of later times. The custom may have its origin in paganism, for agreat many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is theemblem of the germinating life of early spring. Easter eggs, the children are told, come from Romewith the bells which on Thursday go to Rome and return Saturday morning. The sponsors in somecountries give Easter eggs to their god-children. Colored eggs are used by children at Easter in a sortof game which consists in testing the strength of the shells. Both colored and uncolored eggs areused in some parts of the United States for this game, known as "egg-picking. Another practice isthe "egg-rolling" by children on Easter Monday on the lawn of the WhiteHouse in Washington.

The Easter rabbit

The Easter Rabbit lays the eggs, for which reason they are hidden in a nestor in the garden. The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been a symbolof fertility.

Men and women

On Easter Monday women had a right to strike their husbands; on Tuesday the men struck theirwives, as in December the servants scolded their masters. In the northern parts of England men

parade the streets on Easter Sunday and claim the privilege of lifting every woman three times fromthe ground, receiving in payment a kiss or silver sixpence. The same is done by women to men on thenext day. In parts of Germany on Easter Day, men servants whip the maid servants with switches; onMonday the maids whip the men. They secure their release with Easter eggs. These customs areprobably of pre-Christian origin, ya think?


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The Easter fire

The Easter Fire is lit on the top of mountains and must be relit from new fire,drawn from wood by friction. This is a pagan custom in vogue all over Europe,signifying the victory of spring over winter. The Catholic bishops issued severe

edicts against the sacrilegious Easter fires, but did not succeed in abolishingthem everywhere. The Church adopted the observance into the Easterceremonies, referring it to the fiery column in the desert and to theResurrection of Christ; the new fire on Holy Saturday is drawn from flint,symbolizing the Resurrection of the Light of the World from the tomb closedby a stone. In some places a figure was thrown into the Easter fire,symbolizing winter, but to the Christians on the Rhine, in Tyrol and Bohemia,Judas the traitor. So, when you cant beat em, you join them, or, at least,adapt their customs to your own.

Sports and celebrations

The Greeks and Russians after a long, severe Lent make Easter a day of popular sports. AtConstantinople the cemetery of Pera is the noisy rendezvous of the Greeks; there are music, dances,and all the pleasures of an Oriental popular resort; the same custom prevails in the cities of Russia. InRussia anyone can enter the belfries on Easter and ring the bells, which many people do.

AudreyHepburnwasaskedwhathersecretstobeautywereand

shewrotethispoemwhichlaterwasreadatherfuneral:

Forattractivelips,speakwordsofkindness.Forlovelyeyes,seek

outthegoodinpeople.Foraslimfigure,shareyourfoodwiththe

hungry.Forbeautifulhair,letachildrunhis/herfingersthroughit

onceaday.Forpoise,walkwiththeknowledgethatyounever

walkalone.

People,even

more

than

things,

have

to

be

restored,

renewed,

revived,reclaimed,andredeemed;neverthrowoutanyone.

Remember,ifyoueverneedahelpinghand,youwillfindoneat

theendofeachofyourarms.Asyougrowolder,youwilldiscover

thatyouhavetwohands;oneforhelpingyourself,andtheother

forhelpingothers.


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So, you cant travel everywhere. Lets visit places together

vicariously. Recently, I traveled to Colorado for my sisters 55thbirthday. We went to Estes Park one evening for dinner. Why dontyou join us and learn a bit about Estes Park?

For over ten thousand years people havevisited this valley we call Estes Park toenjoy beautiful mountain scenery,moderate climate and abundant wildlife. Somethings never change.

Rocky Mountain National Park and RooseveltNational Forest surround the village of Estes

Park, Colorado with spectacular mountain scenery, abundant wildlifehabitat, miles of hiking trails and scenic drives including Trail RidgeRoad over the Continental Divide and the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.

The Town of Estes Park is a Statutory Town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States, along theBig Thompson River. The population was 5,413 at the 2000 census. As of a 2006 census estimate,

the population has risen to 6,006. The town is named after Missouri nativeJoel Estes, who founded Estes Park in 1859. The town is a popularsummer resort and headquarters for Rocky Mountain National Park.

The town's outskirts include The Stanley Hotel. Once a fine example ofEdwardian opulence, the 1909 building had

Stephen King as a guest, inspiring him tochange the locale for his novel TheShining from an amusement park tothe Stanley's fictional standin, the Overlook Hotel.

Estes Park was also the site of the organization of the Credit UnionNational Association, an important milestonein the history of American credit unions.

Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuoushighway in the United States, runs from Estes Park westward throughRocky Mountain National Park, reaching Grand Lake over the continentaldivide.

The town suffered severe damage in July 1982 from flooding caused by the failure of Lawn LakeDam.

Today you can enjoy a plethora of shops. We werent able to, since we went in the evening, butthats good, since we didnt need to spend a lot of money!


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JUDAI SM 1 01Check out t his sit e t o f ind out some basics about t he upcoming Passover. Christ ians who

celebrat e Passover are somet imes called Mess ianic Christ ians. Past or Brenda Ellison, ofSalem is one of t hose individuals. She combines t he beaut y and s t rengt h of Judaism and

Christ ianit y int o a t ot al belief sys t em. For more inf ormat ion, cont act her at

t odayspir it [email protected].

You can also check out t his gr eat sit e f or learning more about Passov er and prepar ing

your Seder f east : ww w.j ewf aq.org/ holidaya.ht m.

Shmerl'sSeder

ByTuviaBolton

ItwaswellpastmidnightonthefirstnightofPassover,andthegreatChassidicmasterRabbiLevi

YitzchakofBerdichevhadjustconcludedenactingthePassoverSederinthepresenceofhisdisciples.

TheyhadrecitedtheHaggadah,recountingthestoryoftheExodusanddiscussingthedeeper

meaningsimplicitineachofitspassages;theydrankthefourcupsofwine,dippedthekarpasinthe

saltwaterandthebitterherbsincharoset,atethematzah,thekorechandtheafikoman,sangthe

psalmsofpraiseandgratitude -- allinaccordancewiththeletteroftheShulchanAruch(Codeof

JewishLaw)andtheesotericprinciplesfoundintheawesomemysticalworksofthesaintly"Ari".

RabbiLeviYitzchak'sdiscipleshadparticipatedinmanyoftheirRebbe's

sedersinthepast,butthisonesurpassedthemall.TheRebbeandallthose

presentfelttransportedintoadifferentworld,asthoughtheyhadrisen

abovetheirbodilylimitationsandintoaworldofpureG-dliness.

Suddenlytheroomfilledwiththesoundofadeeprumblinglikethunder,

andfromwithinthethunderanawesomevoiceannounced:"LeviYitzchak's

sederwaspleasingtoG-d,butthereisaJewinBerdichevcalledShmerlthe

Tailorwhosesederreachedevenhigher!"

TheRebbelookedaroundhim.Itwasobviousthatonlyhehadheardthe

heavenlyannouncement.

"Hasanyoneheardofatzaddik(righteousperson)calledShmerltheTailor?"heaskedhisChassidim.

Noonehad.

AfterseveralminutesofsilenceoneoftheelderlyChassidimoffered:"ThereisoneShmerlherein

BerdichevthatIknowof,andheusedtobeatailoraboutthirtyyearsago,buthe'scertainlyno


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tzaddik.Infacthe'sprettyfarfromthat.Theycallhimnow'ShmerltheShikker'(drunkard)andhe

liveswithhiswifeinanoldlargeshippingcrateneartherailroadtracks."

ButRabbiLeviYitchakwasthinkingtohimself,"Ahah!Thismustbeoneofthehiddentzaddikim.And

helivesrighthere,inBerdichev,whileIknewnothingabouthim!"

Itwas

two

o'clock

in

the

morning

when

the

Rebbe

stood

at

the

door

of

old

Shmerl's

hovel.

AnoldJewishwomanansweredhissoftknock."GoodYomTov!"saidRabbiLeviYitzchakquietly.

"Pleaseexcusemeforthelatehour.IsyourhusbandShmerlathome?""GoodYomTov,"Sheanswered.

"Justwaitoneminuteplease,Rebbe,waitrighthere."

Shedisappearedintothehouse,andtheunmistakablesoundofabucketbeingfilledwithwaterwas

heardfrominside.Thenaminuteortwoofsilenceandsuddenly...SPLASH!Shethrewthebucketof

wateronhersleepinghusband.

"Aaahh!Oyyy!WhereamI?Ooiyvai!"hescreamed,andthenhiswifewasheardshouting,"Getupyou

drunk!TheRebbehascometopunishyou!Wakeup,yougood-for-nothing!"

PoorShmerlstaggered,soppingwet,tothedoor.WhenhesawthatitreallywastheRebbestanding

thereathisdoorinthemiddleofthenight,hefellatRabbiLeviYitzchak'sfeetandbeganweeping,

"Please,Rebbedon'tpunishme.It'snotmyfault...Ididn'tknowanybetter...Please,havemercy..."

TheRebbeofBerdichevwascompletelyastoundedatthisbizarrescene.Coulditbethatthisman's

sederwasloftierthanhisown?

Hebentdown,liftedpoorShmerltohisfeetandsaid,"Listen,Shmerl,Ididn'tcometopunishyou.In

factIdon'tevenknowwhatyouaretalkingabout.Pleaseletmein,let'ssitdownandtalk.Ionlywant

toaskyousomething.Goputonadryshirtandwe'lltalk."

MinuteslatertheysatfacingeachotheroverShmerl'ssmalltable.TheRebbelookedathimkindlyand

said:"Shmerl,listen.Iwantyoutotellmehowyouconductedyoursederlastnight.Don'tworry,I

promisethatI'mnotgoingtopunishyou,Ipromise."

"Oy!"moanedShmerlandbeganweepingagain."Myseder!ButRebbe,Ireallydidn'tknowany

better...Oooy!"

Graduallyhecalmeddownandbeganspeaking."Earlythismorning,thatis...yesterdaymorning,I'm

walkinginthestreetandsuddenlyInoticethatpeoplearerushingabout.Thisonehasabroomover

hisshoulder,thatoneiscarryingabox,theotheronesomethingelse,everyoneisscurryingabout--

exceptme.

"SoIstoppedsomeoneIrecognizedandaskedhim,'Whatiseveryonerushingfor?Wherearetheyall

going?'

"Soheanswersme,'OyShmerl,areyousodrunkthatyouforgotthattonightisPesach?Tonightis

Pesach!DoyourememberwhatPesachis?'


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"Itriedthinkingbutmymindwouldn'twork.Pesach,Pesach,I...Ican'tremember.Itsoundsvery

importantthough;IremembersomethingaboutMatzos...andEgypt.'Please,'Ibeggedtheman,'do

meafavorandtellmewhatitisagain.'

"Themanlookedatmeinastrangeway,andanswered'Listen,Shmerl,tonightyouhavetomakea

seder.Youknow,recitetheHaggadah,eatthreematzos,bitterherbs,fourcupsofwine.You'llenjoy

thewine

Shmerl,'

he

said

with

asad

smile,

'though

Iguess

you

won't

enjoy

abstaining

from

your

foul

vodkaforeightdays...'

"'Eightdays!'Icried.'Why?Whycan'tIdrinkforeightdays?'Iwastremblingandbeginningto

rememberalittle.

"'Becausethat'sthelaw!'heanswered.'Foreightdays,ifyou'reaJew,nochametz(leaven)passesyour

lips.Vodkaischametz.Ifyoucan'tholdoutforeightdays,maybegotoIsrael,'helaughed,'there

chametzisonlyforbiddensevendays...'

"Iwasstunned.Novodkaforeightdays!Irushedhome,tookallthemoneyIhad,boughtabigbottleof

vodka,pouredmyselfeightlargecupsoneaftertheother,anddrankthemdown...hopingthatthat

wouldhelp

me

make

it

through

the

holiday.

"ThenextthingIrememberisthatI'msleepingsoundlyinmybedwhensuddenlymywifethrowsa

bucketofwateronme --yousawhowshedoesit-- andstartsscreaming,'Shmerl,youbum!You

drunk!Yougood-for-nothing!AllJewsallovertheworldaremakingthesedertonight,andyouare

lyingtherelikeadrunkenox.Wakeupandmakeaseder!'

"SoIstaggeredtomyfeet,putonsomedryclothesandsatdownatthebeautifullysettable.

"Thecandleswereshiningbrightlyandmakingtheplatesandsilverwaresparklesonicely.Everything

wasnew,clean.Ifeltsodifferent,almostholy.Thewineandthematzoswereonthetable,the

Haggadah

was

open

in

front

of

me.

My

wife

had

even

set

up

the

seder

plate

with

all

its

things

like

she

rememberedfromherfather.Sheherselfwassittinginherplaceoppositemelikeaqueen,andwas

evensmiling.Everythingwassobeautiful.

"Butthen -- Ilookedaroundmeanddidn'tknowwhattodo.Thevodkawasstillswirlinginmyhead,

but,tobehonest,Rebbe,evensoberIdon'tknowhowtomakeaseder.

"SoItookalargebowl,andputeverythinginthere.Thethreematzos,thebitterherbs,thedishof

charoset,allthoselittleitemsmywifehadsetuponthesederplate,Ipouredinthefourcupsofwine,

andswirleditalltogether.

"ThenIliftedupmysederbowlandstartedtalkingtoG-d.JustlikeI'mtalkingtoyounow.Istarted

talking

to

G-

d

and

I

said,

'G-

d,

listen...

I

don't

know

You,

but

You

know

me.

You

know

that

after

my

fathergotkilledIhadtoworkallthetimeandIneverhadachancetolearn,right?SoIdon'tknow

howtoreadthisbook,infactIcan'treadanything!AndIdon'tknowwhatI'msupposedtodowithall

thisstuffeither.ButonethingIdoknow...IknowthatalongtimeagoYousentMosestotakeusoutof

Egypt,andI'msurethatyouwillsendMoshiachtotakeusoutofallourtroublesnow!'

"AndthenIgulpeddownthewholething."


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Cameroon Capersas told by Kate to Lola.

Next issue listen to Kates own words as she describes her adventure in Africa

My daughter wanted to be in the Peace Corps andwhile I was not crazy about the idea, I had nochoice other than to support her in this endeavor.She went to Africa and, lo and behold, fell in love

with an African. My daughter has a mastersdegree and her future husband had only an eighthgrade education. In addition, he was Muslim andhis father had multiple wives. I am a gentleAmerican. I am a patient woman, but this wasalmost enough to send me over the top. But we

prevailed and welcomed my new son in law to our family. Its been a while and the

initial shock has been overcome. I even traveled with a good friend to meet Essasfamily in Cameroon.

And all they say about the incredible sunsets with the sky filtering the diamondstreaked particles of the Sahara Desert is true. Its a wonder to behold. Gazing upongiraffes, lions, and other incredible wildlife in their natural habitat was an unequaledexperience in my lifetime. I will be writing for you describing my experience and hopethat you will join with me in this incredible adventure of a lifetime coming thissummer.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali hits you right in the heart with her true account of growing up as a Muslim in Africa,travelling to many countries as a refugee from war, famine, and politics. Ayaan shares her mostpersonal stories of female circumcision, arranged marriages, multiple wives, male dominance, and fearculminating in her decision to not be a believer anymore.

As she gains recognizes she has basic human rights in Holland and becomes more educated, she

discards the religion of her youth, much to the dismay and consternation of her family. Ayaan pleadsto the West and asks us to realize that her faith is not a faith of peace and caring its a crazedphenomenon which stresses dominance over the world. In her own words, Ayaan accuses the politicalcorrect ones of us to open our eyes and see Islam for what it is.

Infidelwill shatter your inner core and cause you to reexamine your beliefs. Read only if you havetime to digest the fullness of the story and be sure you have someone with whom to discuss thebook. Let us know what you think.


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May all your days be filled with

love and forgiveness...

Messianic Christians TodayBy Pastor Brenda Ellison

Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, the mighty man in his might, let not the rich man glory in his

riches: but let him that glories glory in that he understands and knows me.

Jeremiah 9:22-23

Our purpose for Amazing Grace Outreach and Hope of GloryFellowship is the showmanship of the Risen Messiah and thestewardship of the kingdom call. We uphold and ensure that all thegoals of mankind remain pointing firmly heavenward.

Every Friday we join the Universe, in celebration of weekly Shabbat meal to

grasp a spiritual framework, that was from the beginning, the celebration of

life, that glories in human warmth, and that teaches that God is loving,

comforting, and approachable to experience vibrancy, dynamism, and soul-

piercing depth.

Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is One Lord and the Only Lord. Deuteronomy 6:4

Join us at 945 Columbia ST. NE, in Salem, Oregon on Saturdays at 10:30 am.Be prepared for a faith-filled morning!

503.881.2393 office

503.463.4820 prayer hotline 24/7

When Jesus Comes Callin

Introducing a faith shaking new series of cards byMasabi Press When Jesus Comes Callin. Each cardin the set has a different message within. Buy theset for only $10 per package of 8, which includesshipping and handling! Be the first of your friends tohave this unique product to share with the world.

Use these cards to invite forgiveness, say you aresorry, fill others with love, connect with friends, andshare the spirit. May the spirit be alive in you!

Email [email protected] for ordering information!


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PREVIEW OF NEXT TEACHING BOOKCOMING IN SUMMER 2009:

Teaching Literacy in a Global Society

The B ig Book of Reading VyeCarlile,M.Ed.,Ph.D.

PrologueI

cringe

when

I

think

of

it

still.

One

of

my

students

parents

was

showing

me

around

his

new

multi

megabuckshomeandheproudlyannouncedhehadnobookshelves.Notevenonebookadornedhis

home.IdonteventhinkaBiblefounditswayintothathouse.Thefatherwasanarchitectandhad

designedthehomeforfamilyliving.Icouldntimagineahomewithoutabook.Butthatscenarioisnot

asfarfetchedaswemightbelieve.MyveryownsisterhaslessthanadozenbooksandseveralofthoseI

havepurchasedforher.Wearenottalkingaboutpoorpeoplehere.Wearenottalkingabout

uneducatedpersonseither.Wearetalkingaboutcollegegraduateswhohavechosentonotread.

Mysistercomplainsshefallsasleepwhensheisreading.Myownsonsayshedoesnotreadbooks.

Whatisthisworldcomingto?Wherearethefansofmysteriesthoseveryfanswhocantgotosleepat

nightbecausetheyhavetofinishjustonemorechapter?Wherearethosereaderswhotravelthe

worldthroughouttheirreading?Icouldntimagineadaywithoutsomethingwonderfultoread.Howare

thesenon

readers

different

from

me?

And

why?

Ihavemysuspicions.Ihaveanimageofaclassroomwhereeveryoneisreadingthesamedullstory

aboutJane.JanehasafriendnamedDick.TheyhaveadognamedSpot.Itisinterminablyboring.And,

Jack!Payattention.Situpstraight!Takethatcoloroutofyourhand.ReadoutloudNOW.Next.What

colorwasJanesdress?WhyisSpotrunning?Hesadog,forPetessake!Dogsrun.But,teacher,Iam

here.Iamhungry.Idonthaveadog.AndIwantone.See?Ihavedrawnone.Jack!WhatDIDIsay?Put

thatcrayondownnow.


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theycometoschool.Achildsbraindevelopsquicklyinthefirstthreeyearsandthatiswhen

theircapacityforlearningisdetermined.

Wearebornwithoveronehundredbraincells.Thesearecalledneuronswhichformsynapses

(connections).Whenthiswiringofthebrainisactivated,intellectualstimulationisbegun.The

olduse

it

or

lose

it

phenomena

applies

here.

If

the

connections

are

not

stimulated

in

early

years,upto25%ofthesynapsesarelost.AccordingtoSmith(2004),theopportunityfor

creatingthatfoundationforreading,aswellasotherlearning,islost.

Soarewetodeducethatlearningtoreaddependsononesintelligence?HowardGardner

(1993)revealsthatintelligenceisdynamicandnotfixedatanyoneage.Hestatesthatthebrain

benefitsfromexerciseandstimulation,muchasthebodydoeswhenoneexercises.Exercising

thebrainmakesithealthierandbetter.

Howdoesonestimulateayoungchildsmind(brain)?Readingnursery

rhymes,singinglullabies,pointingoutpictures,talkingtoachild,and

readingaloudareallwaystostimulateayoungchildsmind.When

parentsandcaretakersperformsuchtasksasmeansofentertaininga

child,thatchildwillattaingreaterreadingstrategiesthanonewhose

parentorcaretakerisexplicitlyteachingachild(Dawson,1994).

Therelationshipofchildtoparentorcaretakershouldbeoneofcompanionship,fun,and

entertainment.Whentheinstructionresemblesaminiclassroomwithflashcardsandschool

likeenvironment,thelearningcurvedecreases.Itwouldbehooveprimaryteacherstoemulate

thefun,lifelonglearninggoalofsuchinstruction.

Inorder

to

learn

to

read,

one

must

be

aware

of

the

language.

The

subtle

nuances

of

words

and

theskillsacquiredbychildrenareobtainedfromtheirenvironment.Arich,literate

environmentwhereadultsandolderchildrenarespeakingcorrectly,enjoyingreading,and

celebratingreadingallthosegamesandbooksthatchildrenareexposedto,ensurebetter

readerswhenthesechildrenbeginschool.

Asaformerfirstgradeteacherandpreschoolteacher,Iwitnessedfirsthandthemiracleof

childrentransitioningfromnonreaderstoreaders.AtLesKidsPreschool(Austin,TX;1978)

eightchildrenagedtwowereexposedtoalanguagerichenvironmentfortwoyears.A

longitudinalstudywasdonetodeterminetheirplacementinreadingintheformalschool

environment.

While

all

eight

children

were

not

gifted

intellectually,

all

eight

performed

at

the

apexoftheirclass.Mostwereeitherlabeledgiftedbyagetenorwereinthetopreadinggroup

intheirclassatfifthgrade.Whathadthepreschoolteachersdonethatensuredthesechildren

wouldbegoodreaders?

Theseteachersfollowedthepremiseofwhatanearlychildhoodenvironmentshouldbelike.It

wasoneofcelebrationcreatedbyfunstoriesreadaloudbytheteachers,songsthechildren

learned,puppetshowsgiventoandbythestudents,aswellaskinesthetic(handson)


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experiencessuchasbakingbreadforBBBunny,bouncingballsforBBBunny.Alphabetsock

puppetswereembracedandenjoyed.Therewerenotests.Thetestswerecomprisedofthe

childrenenjoyingthepreschoolandwantingtoreturndayafterday.Preschoolwasa

celebrationoflearning.

Lateron,

as

afirst

grade

teacher,

Iutilized

the

same

alphabet

puppet

program

and

became

amazedatthequalityoflearningexperiencedbythestudents.Ofcourse,inpublicschool,we

hadtoutilizeabasalprogram,whichIindeeddiduse,butIsupplementedwithaFunFriday,

whichconsistedofaconfigurationwhereIteamedupwithanotherfirstgradeteacherandwe

createdtencentersforoursixtystudents.Weopenedupthe

dividerbetweenourclassroomsanddivviedthechildrenupinto

groupsofsix.Ateachcenter,thereweredirectionsandactivities

forthechildrentofollow.Usuallywehadthemes.Onesuch

themeinvolvedtheOregonTrail.Childrenwereabletomakea

coveredwagon,eatpopcornwhichwasusedascerealbythe

nativechildren,andcreatetheirownsongswithsmallpercussion

instruments.

NowonderthesechildrenwereattentivewhenpresentedwithastoryabouttheOregonTrail.

Theyhadpriorknowledgeofwhatwasbeingreadtothem.Thispriorknowledgeiscriticalin

comprehendingwhatoneisreading.Experiencesinlifecreatethispriorknowledge,andthe

competentteacherwillprovidethoseexperiencesforthechildrenastheyprogresswithinthe

year.

Parentsandcaretakersshouldbeconcernedwithmakingthelanguageunderstandableand

enjoyable.Subtlenuancesofthelanguagecreateaworkingknowledgeofthelanguagewhich

translatesinto

optimal

opportunity

for

creating

strong

readers.


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38

Thecurveoflearningtoreadisfilledwithinclinesandshortdeclines,butitinvariable

progresses.Thesuccessfulreaderkeepsongettingsuccessful,butthestrugglingreaderbegins

toleveloff,presumablytothepointwhereheorsheisnolongerareader.Intermediateand

middleschoolchildrenwhowerestrugglingprimaryreadersbecomestrugglingstudentssimply

becauseofareadingexpertisethathasnotflourished.

AccordingtotheNationalAssessmentofEducationalProgress(NAEP),1998: Proficientreadersremainaminority. Problemsareparticularlyseverefordisadvantagedstudents(50%of4thgradestudentswhoseparentsgraduatedfromcollegewereproficient/advancedcomparedtoonly

10%of4thgraderswhoseparentsdidnotfinishhighschool).

Lowerincomeandminoritystudentslosesignificantlygreaterliteracyskillsinthesummerthanstudentsfromhigherincomefamilies.

Thesestrugglingreadersdonotcatchup.Theydonotcatchupevenwhentheyhaveintensephonicsandreadinginstruction.Ifaliterateenvironmentisnotevidentathome,thechancesof

thechildembracingreadingasapositiveexperienceisalmostnil.Arewetodeterminethat

childrenofpovertycannotperformaswellasthosefrommoreenrichedfamilies?Absolutely

not.Onecanbepoorinmaterialwealth,butitistheattitudetowardlearningthepositive

correlationbetweeneducationandthefamily.Manypoorfamilieshaveextremelypositive

attitudesaboutschoolingandlearning.Thosechildrenwillperformsignificantlybetterthan

thosewhoareintosurvivalmodeandreadingisnotanoption.

Gettingbooksintothehandsofourchildreniswhatitisallabout.So,

whatis

the

best

age

to

begin

literacy

instruction?

At

birth

or

in

the

wombisthebestanswer.Readingandwritingandlearningareas

importanttothequalityofoneslifeasareothernecessitiesinlife.

Afterall,whatistodistinguishusfromotheranimals?Trulyitis

literacy.Butthatisonlythebeginning.

Myoldestsonwasaskipperinpreschool.HisauntandIownedapreschoolinwhichwetaught

withloveandlogicaswellasprovidedaliterateenvironment.WhenIstartedupwithBB

Bunny,Stephenhightailedittohisauntsclassdoingmusic.WhenshestartedBBBunny,he

returnedtomyclassnowdoingart!Ithoughthewasjustavoidinglearningtoread.Butatage5

inKindergarten,wewereinastateofshockashebegantoreadhisdadsWallStreetJournal.

Ok,wheredidhelearntoread?Notfromusexactly.Hisdadreadtohimeverynightandnow

hewasliterate.Hehasalwaysbeenaveryproficientreader.

Ontheotherhand,mysecondson,David,stayedintheAlphabetPuppetmoments.Helistened

andhepracticed.Heneededdirectinstructioninordertolearntoread.He,also,left

kindergartenreadingonabovethesecondgradelevel.


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Documents

Today's Spiritual Woman Spring '09