tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20729152891917933592024-02-28T06:41:39.836-06:00Treasuring GraceInspired by a dream....
A Message of Life, Hope and ForgivenessUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-5386878605215535502013-06-28T13:29:00.000-05:002013-06-28T13:29:16.905-05:00God Speaks: How Science Changed the Heart of an Atheist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Some people are always looking for proof of God's existence. Faith is not enough, and some seek to disprove what their heart might be telling them is truth.<br />
<br />
Famed Atheist, Anthony Flew, has spent most of his life spreading the word that God does not exist. A scholar and lecturer, this has been his life's work. Until recently.<br />
<br />
His work has included using Science to prove or disprove the existence of God. Science couldnt do it, and instead, led him to change his lifelong belief.<br />
<br />
Now, he says, God exists.<br />
<br />
Read more in this story from NBC news:<br />
<h1 class="entry-title" id="headline">
There is a God, leading atheist concludes
</h1>
<h2 class="entry-summary" id="deck">
Philosopher says scientific evidence changed his mind </h2>
<h2 class="entry-summary" id="deck">
</h2>
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<div class="txt timestamp" content="2004-12-09T23:04:35">
updated
<abbr class="dtstamp updated" style="display: inline;" title="2004-12-09T23:04:35">12/9/2004 6:04:35 PM ET</abbr></div>
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<span class="dateline"><a href="http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&where1=NEW%20YORK&sty=h&form=msdate" target="_blank">NEW YORK</a> — </span>A
British philosophy professor who has been a leading champion of atheism
for more than a half-century has changed his mind. He now believes in
God — more or less — based on scientific evidence, and he says so on a
video released Thursday.
</div>
At age 81, after decades of insisting that belief is a mistake, the
professor, Antony Flew, has concluded that some sort of intelligence or
first cause must have created the universe. A super-intelligence is the
only good explanation for the origin of life and the complexity of
nature, Flew said in a telephone interview from England.<br />
Flew said he was best labeled a deist, like Thomas Jefferson, whose God was not actively involved in people’s lives.<br />
“I’m thinking of a God very different from the God of the Christian
and far and away from the God of Islam, because both are depicted as
omnipotent Oriental despots, cosmic Saddam Husseins,” he said. “It could
be a person in the sense of a being that has intelligence and a
purpose, I suppose.”<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>A gradual conversion
</strong>Flew first made his mark with the 1950 article “Theology
and Falsification,” based on a paper for the Socratic Club, a weekly
Oxford religious forum led by the writer and Christian thinker C.S.
Lewis.<br />
Over the years, Flew proclaimed the lack of evidence for God while
teaching at Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele and Reading universities in Britain,
in visits to numerous U.S. and Canadian campuses and in books,
articles, lectures and debates.<br />
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There was no one moment of change but a gradual conclusion over
recent months for Flew, a spry man who still does not believe in an
afterlife.<br />
Yet biologists’ investigation of DNA “has shown, by the almost
unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce
[life], that intelligence must have been involved,” Flew says in the new
video, “Has Science Discovered God?”<br />
The video draws from a discussion last May in New York organized by
author Roy Abraham Varghese’s Institute for Metascientific Research in
Garland, Texas. Participants were Flew; Varghese; Israeli physicist
Gerald Schroeder, an Orthodox Jew; and Roman Catholic philosopher John
Haldane of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.<br />
<strong>‘Follow the evidence, wherever it leads’
</strong>The first hint of Flew’s turn was a letter in the
August-September issue of Britain’s Philosophy Now magazine. “It has
become inordinately difficult even to begin to think about constructing a
naturalistic theory of the evolution of that first reproducing
organism,” he wrote.<br />
The letter commended arguments in Schroeder’s “The Hidden Face of
God” and “The Wonder of the World” by Varghese, an Eastern Rite Catholic
layman.<br />
This week, Flew finished writing the first formal account of his new
outlook for the introduction to a new edition of his “God and
Philosophy,” scheduled for release next year by Prometheus Books.<br />
Prometheus specializes in skeptical thought, but if his belief upsets
people, well, “that’s too bad,” Flew said. “My whole life has been
guided by the principle of Plato’s Socrates: Follow the evidence,
wherever it leads.”<br />
<strong>Discussion among the unfaithful
</strong>Last week, Richard Carrier, a writer and Columbia University graduate student, <a href="http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=369">posted new material</a>
based on correspondence with Flew on the atheistic Web page
Infidels.org. Carrier reassured atheists that Flew accepted only a
“minimal God” and believed in no afterlife.<br />
Flew’s “name and stature are big. Whenever you hear people talk about
atheists, Flew always comes up,” Carrier said. Still, when it comes to
Flew’s reversal, “apart from curiosity, I don’t think it’s like a big
deal.”<br />
Flew told The Associated Press that his current ideas had some
similarity with those of U.S. “intelligent design” theorists, who see
evidence for a guiding force in the construction of the universe. He
accepts Darwinian evolution but doubts that it can explain the ultimate
origins of life.<br />
Flew, the son of a Methodist minister, became an atheist at 15.<br />
<br />
Read more here at: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6688917/ns/world_news/t/there-god-leading-atheist-concludes/#.Uc3Q5OsgJMA">http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6688917/ns/world_news/t/there-god-leading-atheist-concludes/#.Uc3Q5OsgJMA</a><br />
<h2 class="entry-summary" id="deck">
</h2>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-24039751538588667402013-06-25T07:30:00.004-05:002013-06-25T07:30:39.347-05:00Shock Ads Against Teen Pregnancy Also Promote Abortions?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcbXEugR8jE6th4520mpZJoftpMbVvmxNptCkkAh6jVjA5ZPAZw7z6EAXxBovpP0iFq4S1cBTkTvamUmBjghp_O4HZRtjgGufj9f7-bav8R-o1zGrsAcdxOcUW4zlxNtUz2yEiqJRwMT1/s1600/o-PREGNANT-TEEN-BOY-ADS-CHICAGO-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcbXEugR8jE6th4520mpZJoftpMbVvmxNptCkkAh6jVjA5ZPAZw7z6EAXxBovpP0iFq4S1cBTkTvamUmBjghp_O4HZRtjgGufj9f7-bav8R-o1zGrsAcdxOcUW4zlxNtUz2yEiqJRwMT1/s400/o-PREGNANT-TEEN-BOY-ADS-CHICAGO-facebook.jpg" width="272" /></a>We have all seen or heard about the eye popping ads featuring a teen age boy who appears to be <br />
pregnant. Seemingly, this might be an effective device to wake up teens to the realities of sex at an early age, but the truth is that the people behind the ad are not promoting abstinence, but abortion.<br />
<br />
Check out this story from LifeNews:<br />
<br />
<h2>
Web Site Behind Ads With Pregnant Teen Boys Promotes Abortion</h2>
<em class="date">by Nancy Flanders | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 6/22/13 3:55 PM</em><br />
<br />
<br />
Chicago, IL (<a href="http://www.liveactionnews.org/">LiveActionNews</a>)
— If you live in Chicago, or anywhere else with a news channel, it’s
likely you’ve seen one of these ads depicting pregnant teenage boys. <span id="more-56580"></span>The
Chicago Department of Health followed Milwaukee’s lead by plastering
them on billboards and buses across the city in an attempt to lower
their teen pregnancy rate, which is <a href="http://www.today.com/moms/pregnant-boys-star-chicagos-campaign-reduce-teen-births-6C10225158">reportedly</a> 1.5 times higher than the national average.<br />
Shocking? Yes. Will they grab the attention of hyperactive, immature
teenagers? For a second. Are they likely to stop teens from engaging in
risky behavior? I don’t think so. Especially since the website these ads
direct teens to tells them that it’s actually okay to engage in risky
behavior.<br />
<img alt="unexpected chicago" class="alignright" height="168" src="http://liveactionnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/unexpected-chicago-300x168.jpg" width="300" /><strong> </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Casual Sex</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.beyoubehealthy.org/">BeYouBeHealthy.org</a> asks
teens to proclaim that they are “at least friends” with someone before
they have sex with him or her. As in, as long as the person isn’t a
stranger, it’s okay, it’s safe, it’s healthy. The trouble with this?
First, many teen girls think sex will get a boy to love them. They will
likely end up hurt and confused when it doesn’t work out the way they
fantasized. Second, sex with all of your friends will <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1411843">increase your chances</a> of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HPV, which can cause cancer.<br />
<strong>Sex Tips for Teens</strong><br />
The website directs teens to a different site called <a href="http://sexedloop.com/">The Sex-Ed Loop</a>.
This site offers weekly sex tips via text messaging for teens. They let
teens know that while it’s illegal to have sex under age 17, no one can
stop them. They also have a <a href="http://pinterest.com/sexedloop/">Pinterest</a>
page. This Pinterest page has some inappropriate and tactless images,
including lips with the words “So what if I like to suck dick” and tips
on how to get your sex drive back. The Pinterest page also features
unsuitable images.<br />
<strong>Abortion</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.beyoubehealthy.org/">BeYouBeHealthy.org</a> and <a href="http://sexedloop.com/">SexEdLoop.com</a>
both promote abortion. They let teens now that they can access abortion
without anyone informing their parents. Teens who visit this site will
be directed to Planned Parenthood…a lot. They are told to go there for
free condoms and for birth control and health services. While
BeYouBeHealthy.org does list the side-effects of different birth
controls, nothing seems to talk about the side-effects and risks of
abortion.<br />
<br />
Read more here: <br />
<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/22/web-site-behind-ads-with-pregnant-teen-boys-promotes-abortion/" target="_blank"> http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/22/web-site-behind-ads-with-pregnant-teen-boys-promotes-abortion/</a><br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-83757044619838789582013-06-21T07:38:00.000-05:002013-06-21T07:38:45.019-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Sticks and Stones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofUjqLkFFAtcMXR9qscP6pXofbBxkAjB91Ef8vIpVp3Uokp6k23bMOO-oFcTfdzXnT2QEkCggH8s4uDeVSJ7GlPIgAlOo4QmqGqzvBb6GvEfVzX5Cb0UScHNm6GhoFDk4J63s72sVfKsh/s1600/2013-06-20+17.45.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofUjqLkFFAtcMXR9qscP6pXofbBxkAjB91Ef8vIpVp3Uokp6k23bMOO-oFcTfdzXnT2QEkCggH8s4uDeVSJ7GlPIgAlOo4QmqGqzvBb6GvEfVzX5Cb0UScHNm6GhoFDk4J63s72sVfKsh/s320/2013-06-20+17.45.18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Select thin, narrow branches for this project</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The old adage: "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Names Will Never Hurt Me" was something your Mother may have told you when you were picked on by other children. Meant to teach you not to let the hurtful words of others effect you emotionally, both adults and teens can still reflect on this lesson and find meaning.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Adults may look back and find that although names Did indeed hurt, they also made us tougher, and taught us lessons about friendship. Teens or pre-teens who experience bullying present day may learn that the negativity that surrounds them can be wrestled into submission by controlling their own reaction to it. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">This dimensional art project uses natural elements of tree branches and stones, along with a glass vase to illustrate the adage and the beauty of self awareness. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Sticks and Stones:</b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b> What you need</b>: A straight round, tall<span style="color: blue;">,<span style="color: black;"> clear glass vase, </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Thin tree or bush branches, trimmed to the same height as the vase</span></span></span></span></span><br />
Small and medium sized pebbles and stones in whites, grays and blacks<br />
<br />
Think about the old saying "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Names Will Never Hurt Me." What does that saying mean to you. When did you hear it? What memories do you tie to the saying. What does it mean to you now?<br />
<br />
<b>For Adults: </b><br />
How did the negative and difficult experiences of your youth help shape you into the person you are today. What were the positive outcomes of those experiences?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>For teens or pre-teens: </b><br />
How do we give power to the "names" and negative thoughts of others? How can we take that power away?<br />
<br />
Think about the power you have to overcome negative influences. While doing so, choose branches and place in the vase in an appealing manner, fill the vase moderately full with branches. You'll be able to view the branches through the glass vase and as you do it should resemble a wooded forest. All branches should be trimmed so that they are straight across the top.<br />
<br />
Add the pebbles and stones, allowing them to fall into and amongst the tree branches. You'll see them get caught, some will fall through. Much like how we dwell on some memories, and let others go completely. Reflect on your memories while you work on this meditative art piece.<br />
<br />
Once complete, you'll have a stylish reminder of how difficult things can turn into beautiful form ... how we can overcome darkness and make our past pain into present day strength.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-84067023063040448572013-06-19T17:38:00.000-05:002013-06-19T17:38:19.669-05:00House Passes Bill on Late Term Abortions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Late term abortions are the most grotesque abuse of life we can think of, and the House finally is taking the first steps to end abortion abuses.<br />
<br />
Check out this article printed in LifeNews.com:<br />
<h2>
House Passes Bill Banning Late-Term Abortions After 20 Weeks</h2>
<em class="date">by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 6/18/13 6:45 PM</em><br />
<br />
The House of Representatives today approved a that bans abortions from after 20-weeks of pregnancy up to the day of birth.<span id="more-56404"></span><br />
The vote for the bill broke down on mostly partisan lines with
Republicans supporting the ban on late-term abortions and Democrats
opposing it. The House approved the bill on a 228-196 vote with 6
Democrats voting for the bill and 6 Republicans voting against it. (See
end for how members voted).<br />
The bill, if it receives a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate, is not expected to pass and pro-abortion <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/17/obama-threatens-to-veto-bill-banning-abortions-after-20-weeks/">President Barack Obama has issued a veto threat</a>.
But pro-life groups hope to use the measure as an election tool in 2014
in an attempt to wrest the Senate from abortion advocates.<br />
<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/18/pro-life-groups-applaud-house-for-passing-ban-on-abortions-after-20-weeks/">Leading pro-life organizations issued statements</a> praising the House for the vote.<br />
“I would hope that stopping atrocities against little babies is
something we can agree to put an end to,” Rep. Kristi Noem of South
Dakota said during the debate. “We’re talking about babies who, if they
were born and simply given a chance, they could survive outside the
womb.”<br />
<a href="http://lifenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ultrasound3d6b.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-56405" height="205" src="http://lifenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ultrasound3d6b.jpg" width="200" /></a>Congresswoman Wagner of Missouri added: “As science and technology
continue to advance, we are changing hearts and mind. It is not only the
pain of the child we must consider, but also the pain of the mother.
Everyone talks about the right to choose, but no one discusses the
implications of that choice. I am for life at all stages. I am
for the life of the baby, and I am also for the life of the mother. I
will continue to work for a day when abortion is not only illegal, but
absolutely unthinkable.”<br />
Rep. Chris Smith, the head of the pro-life caucus in the House, spoke eloquently from the House floor.<br />
“The brutality of severing the spines of defenseless
babies—euphemistically called “snipping” by Gosnell—has finally peeled
away the benign façade of the billion dollar abortion industry” he said.<br />
“Like Gosnell, abortionists all over America decapitate, dismember
and chemically poison babies to death each and every day. That’s what
they do. Americans are connecting the dots and asking whether what
Gosnell did is really any different than what other abortionists do. A
D&E abortion—a common method after 14 weeks—is a gruesome,
pain-filled act that literally rips and tears to pieces the body parts
of a child,” he added. “The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is a
modest but necessary attempt to at least protect babies who are 20
weeks old—and pain-capable—from having to suffer and die from abortion.”<br />
One leading expert in the field of fetal pain, Dr. Kanwaljeet S.
Anand at the University of Tennessee, stated in his expert report
commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice, “It is my opinion that
the human fetus possesses the ability to experience pain from 20 weeks
of gestation, if not earlier, and the pain perceived by a fetus is
possibly more intense than that perceived by term newborns or older
children.”<br />
<br />
Read More Here: <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/18/congress-passes-bill-banning-late-term-abortions-after-20-weeks/">http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/18/congress-passes-bill-banning-late-term-abortions-after-20-weeks/</a><br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-14463419387502507012013-06-19T17:28:00.003-05:002013-06-19T17:28:49.295-05:00God Speaks:Stories of How God Works in Real People's Lives: Video: Testimony: Man's Life After Death - Experience of Hell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">If there is a God, there must be a Satan, If there is a Heaven, there must be a Hell... Good/ Evil.. there is always an opposite to the lightness of God.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">We believe that we see evidence of God all around us... and we often hear stories of people who had near-death experiences and speak of their connection to God, Angels.. and heaven.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xRSjzY0s0SM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">This video is a testimony of a man who clinically died in a plane crash, and who, when he was brought back to life, was able to describe his experience.. including a vision of hell. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">What do you think.... </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> </span> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-64196831972966916112013-06-06T11:20:00.001-05:002013-06-06T15:29:41.537-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Stone Cairns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mw98EQRUdgFaW2g1-lZOZQQv2ilzHwRoGUwHxLf9rPLX-SUeQcWvEQ9z8_W1quvlqMXpiQ1UFMRCOs3dGZ2WJ-uugKGsa8MQWFxtFCvzMU5ebx80tynkLhCO8or9-XM7OhZ8O4ckrOvk/s1600/3967341366_b02cc2d99d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mw98EQRUdgFaW2g1-lZOZQQv2ilzHwRoGUwHxLf9rPLX-SUeQcWvEQ9z8_W1quvlqMXpiQ1UFMRCOs3dGZ2WJ-uugKGsa8MQWFxtFCvzMU5ebx80tynkLhCO8or9-XM7OhZ8O4ckrOvk/s320/3967341366_b02cc2d99d.jpg" width="231" /></a><span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">A stone cairn is basically an elegant stack of stones, not held together by any mortar or cement. Found in ancient civilizations all over the globe, they are currently found in desert communities, hiking trails and used not only as an art form, but as navigational and ceremonial markers.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">From larger stones at the base, to smaller stones on the top, the rocks towers can be placed in a single placement, or in groups, and in any location. Depending on the stone colors and shapes and the way the stones are stacked, the cairns convey an emotion or feeling to the viewer. For some reason, most people feel a connection to the cairns... do you? </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Collect stones from local beaches, woods or anywhere you can find them. Pick out an indoor or outdoor area where you can safely construct your cairn. Feel free to use superglue or epoxy to hold your cairn together especially if you have pets or children around who may bump or topple your cairn.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Stack the stones into a cairn. Make one or a grouping of cairns.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Process: </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The act of creating the cairns is a meditative process that connects us to the earth in a healing and peaceful way. When done in a thoughtful way, the cairns can provide a moment of peace and calm both when created and when viewed later. They provide a visual cue to take a moment and rest, relax and discharge all of our stress. We don't know why this seems to work... but it does. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Image: </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1370535433430_456">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1370535433430_455"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" title="Attribution License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpovey/">a_whisper_of_unremitting_demand</a>
</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-28910496403964319442013-05-29T09:29:00.000-05:002013-05-29T09:29:35.997-05:00God Speaks:Stories of How God Works in Real People's Lives : Video Witness to Angels...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Some</span> people believe miracles happen around us everyday. With the world getting smaller through increased communication and modern technology, sharing our stories is easier than ever. The more we share, the more it seems that miracles do indeed happen all the time. Check out this inspirational story and testimonials about a car crash and the angelic interventions that saved the lives involved and changed the lives of everyone who hears about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/s9xDY2M0Qwo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-78401759111442549752013-05-23T13:54:00.000-05:002013-05-23T13:54:46.833-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Who We Are at our Core<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv2MaIAKqKYrbFmf4e6ZkcLPUiDPLpUuub-oWTvluiFpNZvDSDg5YiDF0Y0hEy-NFGuV3BC3tioXqToMUOLsuXK6sy8bIfJHlq0PDlymZ8RDFWCDwlXTos5VP_TqIIRyqRWCLAbkzz4RJ/s1600/3392131784_aae5e63401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAv2MaIAKqKYrbFmf4e6ZkcLPUiDPLpUuub-oWTvluiFpNZvDSDg5YiDF0Y0hEy-NFGuV3BC3tioXqToMUOLsuXK6sy8bIfJHlq0PDlymZ8RDFWCDwlXTos5VP_TqIIRyqRWCLAbkzz4RJ/s320/3392131784_aae5e63401.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Our Core</span> </span></span></h3>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Determining who we are, at our deepest level, is often a difficult thing to do. Our definition of who we are and what our belief system is changes over time and with each life experience. Things we said we would never do in the past may change when confronted by difficult choices and decisions. As we go through life's journey, the very core of what makes us who we are develops, changes and is challenged. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">This art process takes that idea and asks artists to think about our "core being" and create and interpretation of what that might look at. It gives an individual the opportunity to take a hard look at all the choices they have made in their lives and take ownership of all the mistakes, and successes, joys and regrets, and what effect that has had on their character and personality...their core being.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Things you need: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Drawing paper</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Markers, craypas, drawing pencils, crayons, chalks</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Instructions:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Imagine yourself as an apple. You have a beautiful skin that you show to the world. Rosy and red, there may be some scars, there may be some bruises...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Under the rosy skin is the sweetness and foundation that makes up all that you are. All your memories, your actions, your life. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">At the center of it all is the core. This is what the rest of it is built around. Your core being. What are you at the very center? When everything else is taken away... what are the things that the rest of you is built around? Imagine your core... what would it look like? </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Draw what your core being would look like using the basic image of an apple core as a base. Use color, line, images whatever, to define those things that you are at the very basic, center of your being, whatever that means to you....</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Processing notes: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">When you look at your work, what do you see? Do you see positive images? Do you see negative and dark images or a mix of both. Most people would present more positive than negative, but a mix, to show a realistic representation of an adults life journey. None of us go unscathed. Someone who presents with all positive core being images may see themselves as idealized or want their life to be a fantasy. Someone who presents their core as very dark and negative obviously would be a deeply sad and troubled person, still working through issues and not recognizing their inner good, in spite of having made mistakes through their lives. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">image: </span></span><br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1369240613161_452">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1369240613161_459"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" title="Attribution License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/free-photos/" id="yui_3_7_3_3_1369240613161_458">roger.karlsson</a>
</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-66436936632368122682013-05-17T08:00:00.001-05:002013-05-17T08:00:56.578-05:00God Speaks: Stories of How God Works in Real People's Lives: Proof of Angels? Can You Take Their Picture? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many people need pro<span style="font-size: small;">of of God's exist<span style="font-size: small;">ence. God, Angels, such diff<span style="font-size: small;">i<span style="font-size: small;">cult<span style="font-size: small;">, a<span style="font-size: small;">bstract <span style="font-size: small;">concepts that both believers and s<span style="font-size: small;">keptics would fall to their knees should the<span style="font-size: small;">y be so blessed to actually encou<span style="font-size: small;">nter. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">While researching stories for this <span style="font-size: small;">post, I came across this blog <span style="font-size: small;">written by a person of faith, a spiritualist and photographer. This person clai<span style="font-size: small;">ms to have capt<span style="font-size: small;">ured t<span style="font-size: small;">he image of angels on film.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I do not know what the auth<span style="font-size: small;">or h<span style="font-size: small;">as photographed, but I thought it interesting enough to share with all of you. Why not? Maybe its true, maybe it's <span style="font-size: small;">a fantasy... but if it makes you feel closer to God...then it is a good thing isnt it? </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check it out and decide for yourself.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Angels Do Exist in NYC: <span style="font-size: small;">Ph<span style="font-size: small;">otographic Proof</span></span></span></span></span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://scottufford.com/2011/03/10/angels-exist-nyc-photographic-proof/">http://scottufford.com/2011/03/10/angels-exist-nyc-photographic-proof/</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></h2>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-76678132267113345212013-05-14T07:56:00.000-05:002013-05-14T07:56:08.461-05:00Students Take Up the Pro Life Cause<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Pro Life movement is a cause that has a lot of support from young women on college (and even high school) campuses everywhere. Speaking their minds and supporting a Christian cause like this does not come without some repercussions however, as discussed in this article on Lifenews.com.<br />
<br />
Check it out:<br />
<h2>
Pro-Life Students Increasingly Face Free Speech Limits on Campus</h2>
<i class="date">by Brent Bozell | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 5/13/13 9:54 AM</i><br />
<br />
It sounded like a freedom-of-religion case when a Columbus, Texas
high school relay-race team was disqualified from the state track
championship because Derrick Hayes pointed heavenward after his team won
the race.<span id="more-54952"></span> That would seem odd in a red
state like Texas. It turned out that officials were so strict, they
warned runners to make no hand gestures after the finish line. Hayes had
apparently pointed forward, and then upward, and for that, he was out.<br />
It can be tough to be a student in today’s public schools. Never mind
restrictions on the schools. It is becoming impossible to express a
socially conservative or Christian viewpoint – as a student. Across the
land, everyone is ordered to welcome without a discouraging word any
expression of the gay or transgender variety. But try to say the G-word
or oppose abortion, and watch someone lower the boom.<br />
<a href="http://lifenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/prolifestudents26.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-22036" height="240" src="http://lifenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/prolifestudents26.jpg" width="271" /></a>–
In Minnesota, a sixth-grade student was prohibited by her public school
from distributing pro-life pamphlets during lunch time. One of the
fliers read, “Save the baby humans. Stop abortion.”<br />
A few days later, she was called into the school director’s office
and told that some students find pro-life fliers offensive and that she
was no longer allowed to pass them out during or after school hours,
even if other students requested them. In an e-mail to the student’s
parents, the school’s executive director claimed that the content of the
fliers was inconsistent with the school’s educational mission.<br />
“The school has a right to censor students without violating their
free speech,” the director wrote. “In short, public schools have every
right to prohibit student speech.”<br />
Lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a federal lawsuit on
May 3. “Public schools should encourage, not shut down, the free
exchange of ideas,” said Legal Counsel Matt Sharp. “The First Amendment
protects freedom of speech for all students, regardless of their
religious or political beliefs.”<br />
– In New Mexico, a group of evangelical high school students
aligned with the “Church on the Move” lost a round last month in their
fight to give classmates two-inch “fetus dolls” with a pro-life message
attached. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
upheld the school district’s authority to stop the doll distribution.
Why?The 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent
Community School District established that students have free speech in
schools, as long as it doesn’t disrupt school discipline. According to
Education Week, teachers complained that students who had received the
roughly 300 dolls that were handed out were throwing the dolls across
classrooms, using them to plug toilets, and in other ways causing
serious disruptions in the school day.There are no reports of any legal
or disciplinary actions taken against the students responsible for
vandalism.
– In Michigan, the Students for Life chapter at Eastern Michigan
University applied for student fee funding to host a display on campus
called the Genocide Awareness Project, a traveling photo-mural exhibit
which compares the contemporary genocide of abortion to other forms of
genocide. EMU denied the funding request because they deemed the photos
of the aborted babies and the event as too controversial and one-sided.
But they’ve granted money to left-wing activist groups discussing
“welfare rights,” as well as race-issues and abortion rights groups.<br />
<br />
Read more at : <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2013/05/13/pro-life-students-increasingly-face-free-speech-limits-on-campus/">http://www.lifenews.com/2013/05/13/pro-life-students-increasingly-face-free-speech-limits-on-campus/</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-36383963010010569172013-05-09T15:35:00.000-05:002013-05-09T15:35:53.137-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Found Hope (Love,Courage, Peace,...) Guerilla Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikebunhJXsw9dB5Eu8gKZeQ89n3_CYO6dLOPifpivgL8fVXiUMqqvTzCNq8KjqfPpH5xHtuOp8nSQ0pcpSWmJ44AWKlvjfA3KKd4IfMsd3ocYjzQE5Dfx5zG4_8g-1nLnm2WJtYQ7UhB-w/s1600/8098517954_745b93a8a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikebunhJXsw9dB5Eu8gKZeQ89n3_CYO6dLOPifpivgL8fVXiUMqqvTzCNq8KjqfPpH5xHtuOp8nSQ0pcpSWmJ44AWKlvjfA3KKd4IfMsd3ocYjzQE5Dfx5zG4_8g-1nLnm2WJtYQ7UhB-w/s320/8098517954_745b93a8a8.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />
We have talked about Guerrilla art here before. Basically it is the concept of bringing art into the community in an unexpected way. Usually it involves big, bold artistic statements, but in this case, it is more about a generous sharing of handmade art and a simple message to a stranger that is a gift to the art maker and the surprised recipient. <br />
<br />
Making art is a deeply personal expression for most of us, and because of this, the act of giving it away, to a stranger...indeed, to leave it behind is both terrifying and liberating. This art therapy process challenges the artist to consider a concept on a personal, emotional level, and then share it with a stranger. By creating something meaningful, then lovingly gifting it away, the artist can work through issues of loss in other areas of their lives.<br />
<br />
You'll need: Small art canvases between the sizes of 4x6 to 8x10" on hard board, acrylic paints, brushes, water, Pens, high quality writing paper, dry glue sticks<br />
<br />
Choose a word that reflects something that is important to you: Hope, Courage, Love, Peace, Faith, Joy, Friendship, Mercy, Forgiveness etc.<br />
<br />
On the small canvas, paint an abstract expression of that word using color, line and movement. Use the entire canvas area, covering it entirely. Let it dry. <br />
<br />
Once dry, paint the word your chose boldly somewhere on the canvas, over the painting. Allow to dry.<br />
<br />
Pick up the paper and pen. Cut the paper down to the size of the canvas. Write the word "Found" followed by the word you chose to represent on the front of the canvas. (so, you'd have "Found Love, or Found Forgiveness, Found Courage etc.)<br />
<br />
Look at those words. Imagine finding this, like a fortune, somewhere, like you were someone who needed it. What would you say to that person? Write it down on the paper. For example, you might write: "Found Love: You found this today because someone thought you needed a hug, you needed to be recognized as worthwhile, and valuable, You are beautiful, wonderful, and worthy of big love. This artwork is a gift to you. "<br />
<br />
Glue the message on the back of the canvas. <br />
<br />
Now, take your canvas out into the world. Leave it on a park bench, a seat on the bus, at a restaurant, in a mailbox, where ever someone who might need it, will find it. Walk away from your wonderful gift knowing that you have shared strength and healing greater than yourself.<br />
<br />
<br />
image: <br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1368131309383_446">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1368131309383_445">
<span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /><img alt="No Derivative Works" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noderivs_small.gif" title="No Derivative Works" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/finchstudio/">Littlest Finch</a>
</dd></dl>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-6303837220447700962013-05-02T16:24:00.000-05:002013-05-02T16:25:23.331-05:00God Speaks: Stories of How God Works in Real People's Lives: Angel Interventions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLOmDhLHTTAx2PYwcmXYQ6dIwqKJyi6Ljx4_B61eHUttjXDzEr27ko7g-bk70MgKgnB299p6u9W13ckE-KV1yKUQ-YRPy2Yop_ASIcaDCfFUb-1vJl5GVXJeW0Bj3LMLpmj0mKVQuhzPq/s1600/4803950411_d86d030322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLOmDhLHTTAx2PYwcmXYQ6dIwqKJyi6Ljx4_B61eHUttjXDzEr27ko7g-bk70MgKgnB299p6u9W13ckE-KV1yKUQ-YRPy2Yop_ASIcaDCfFUb-1vJl5GVXJeW0Bj3LMLpmj0mKVQuhzPq/s320/4803950411_d86d030322.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">W<span style="font-size: small;">hile researching this column I cam<span style="font-size: small;">e <span style="font-size: small;">upon a<span style="font-size: small;"> very interesting and well written article on netplace<span style="font-size: small;">s.com about <span style="font-size: small;">angel inter<span style="font-size: small;">ventions<span style="font-size: small;">. I wanted to share it with everyone here, as sometimes the web is so big, we miss these tre<span style="font-size: small;">asures. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="sectiontitle" style="text-align: center;">
<h1>
Case Studies: Angel Interventions<span class="byline"> </span></h1>
<h1>
<span class="byline"><span style="font-size: small;">by Joseph M. Higgins and Chuck Bergman</span></span></h1>
</div>
Millions around the world believe in angels. From every culture and
geographic location and period in history, we have heard about angels.
Angels are known as spiritual beings, messengers of God, or spirits of
the dead transformed after passing that are historically described as
God's task force, protectors, and guides for people in the earthly
realm. They are often portrayed in art, literature, and other media as
winged beings, filled and shrouded with light, often androgynous
looking, sometimes with halos, and dressed in white, resplendent in the
qualities of love, kindness, protection, joy, glory, destiny, healing,
justice, protection, and celestial power.<br />
<div class="npsb">
In the Judeo-Christian traditions, there are also archangels, who
appear to have special significance and proximity to God. In fact, many
religions hold strong to the notion of angels, their mission-related
purposes, and their roles in human life.</div>
Tales of angel interventions have appeared throughout recorded
history in religious texts, such as the Koran and the Bible (where there
are hundreds of references), as well as religious and mystical texts in
many of the world's religions, such as Judaism, the Bahá'í faith,
Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, and others. For example, in the
Bible, angels intervene to share messages or bring news, provide comfort
or enlightenment, and sometimes to perform tangible tasks, such as the
rolling back of the stone before Jesus' tomb after he was crucified.<br />
Angels are depicted as being the messengers of God, acting as the
gobetween for humans and God. Angel interventions are known to occur in
order for the recipient to transcribe their messages, producing
scriptures as is seen in the Koran, the works of Rumi, and various
Christian mystical texts. There have been many famous stories of angel
interventions for artists and historical figures alike, guiding their
acts and works, from Joan of Arc, to Handel, to William Blake.
Contemporary research and literature have also documented accounts of
angel interventions.<br />
These visitations can involve visions, audible information, smells,
and tactile sensations. Angels are also often reported to appear as
similar to regular human beings, as stated by Daniel Benor in <b>Personal Spirituality: Science, Spirit, and the Eternal Soul</b>.
Benor claims that angels are “described as looking like normal people
who appear out of nowhere, give their assistance, and then disappear
again into nowhere. They may communicate in gestures, words or
telepathically.”<br />
<h2>
Life-Saving Interventions</h2>
Angels often intervene to prevent accidents and death. In an account from firefighter Mark Kuck, retold in <b>The Big Book of Angels</b>,
an angelic voice gave warning and instruction to the firefighter,
allowing him to save his life and the life of his partner. While
fighting a fire in a mobile home, Kuck was caught in a fatal flashover:<br />
<div class="npsb">
<b>He heard a clear male voice: “Mark,” it said “you need to go.”
Mark was astonished. The voice was audible, yet it couldn't be his
partner — he was too far away to be heard. And an air pack distorts a
voice…. Not like this voice, so distinct and close it was almost at his
ear. Nor were there any openings in the trailer where someone outside
could yell through. What was happening?</b><br />
<b>After Kuck and his partner retreated, the flames advanced into the
room they had been in, and if they had not left at the moment they
heard the voice, they would have perished. Later, as the fire waned,
Mark thought more seriously about the voice. It had been a young voice,
something like his own, firm but not intimidating, a voice that he
instinctively knew he could trust and obey. And, yes, he had heard it
once before, when he was seventeen and involved in a serious automobile
accident. Wasn't it this same voice that had calmed him as he crashed,
reassured him that all would be well? But how could this be?</b></div>
In another account from bush pilot Terry Baldwin, retold by Daniel Benor in <b>Personal Spirituality: Science, Spirit, and the Eternal Soul</b>,
we again find a human-sounding voice said to be an angel intervening.
Baldwin was flying passengers through the bush when they were caught in a
dangerous storm, and his instruments began to fail. An apparent air
traffic controller led them to safety through the storm, evidently using
only radar instructions, as the passengers prayed openly. However,
Baldwin lost touch with the voice when the radio broke off, and another
voice appeared suddenly, just as the plane touched down to safety. At
this point, Baldwin said:<br />
<div class="npsb">
<b>“Thanks tower. There's little doubt that you saved our lives
today.” The controller's reply cast a stunned silence over the men in
the plane.</b><br />
<b>“What are you talking about? We lost contact with you about forty miles out.”</b></div>
In this case, as in many other accounts, prayers often come directly before an angel intervention.<br />
According to Carmel Reilly in <b>True Tales of Angel Encounters</b>,
aside from miraculous life-saving encounters, we often hear of angel
interventions where angels appear as guardian angels in everyday
experiences, angels appearing in dreams, angels seen during meditation
or prayer, angels sharing messages or news, angels performing real
physical acts, and angels as spirit guides and ghosts.<br />
<h2>
Angels and Near-Death Experiences</h2>
There are also many recounted instances of angels present in
neardeath experiences as well as out-of-body experiences. As professor
Craig R. Lundahl stipulates in an article entitled “Angels in Near-Death
Experiences,” “Angels are personages with whom the near-death
experiencer does not usually recall having previous acquaintance. Angels
serve as guides, messengers, or escorts in the NDE.” Lundahl says that
in one account of a neardeath experience, “a man … came close to dying
as a result of being ill during a tooth extraction, and took a trip to
Heaven where he saw angels.” In another account, there was a woman “who
described angels holding hands to form a stairway to Heaven” before she
was revived.<br />
<br />
Read more at : <a href="http://www.netplaces.com/evidence-of-the-afterlife/angels-heaven-and-hell/case-studies-angel-interventions.htm">http://www.netplaces.com/evidence-of-the-afterlife/angels-heaven-and-hell/case-studies-angel-interventions.htm</a><br />
<br />
image by:<br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1367518521388_449">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1367518521388_448"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" title="Attribution License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/madisonberndt/">Madison Berndt</a>
</dd></dl>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-88471735943195365872013-04-25T13:52:00.000-05:002013-04-25T13:52:48.114-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Wise Word Collage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcH5IQxji5EoMQ7eBvbihsdl41N94PK0-yLdU4si2-QWjPKCPDzb-mIOS4AiFYgnkEV469Nf544kJGloBd9nfAOJBsvqx-MdfXAdmL_qZY-tMirRHaLuNN7yXcwZt38GPrMmkGMpHNfV54/s1600/4125737616_332b57969b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcH5IQxji5EoMQ7eBvbihsdl41N94PK0-yLdU4si2-QWjPKCPDzb-mIOS4AiFYgnkEV469Nf544kJGloBd9nfAOJBsvqx-MdfXAdmL_qZY-tMirRHaLuNN7yXcwZt38GPrMmkGMpHNfV54/s320/4125737616_332b57969b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Those of us who have been through any kind of pain in life, be it a romance ending, a death in the family, a loss of any kind, or even just the habit of internalizing our thoughts and feelings, know that writing out our feelings is often a useful way to release the inner angst and work through complex emotions.<br />
Creative people have been doing it for centuries. Poets and great writers have used their own internal struggles to inspire some of the most powerful and timeless written words that still move and resonate within humanity today. A quick Google search under "famous quotes: heartbreak/ loss/love/ friendship or any other word that fits your own struggle or issues will turn up prose from names like Shakespeare, Poe, Whitman, Twain and others. <br />
<br />
This collage process asks the artist to use found and printed quotes from the computer or book sources, or their own written words from journals or letters, along with abstract painting, to illustrate a feeling or emotion that they may struggle with or be working through.<br />
<br />
<u>You'll need:</u> 11x17" watercolor paper on canvas or pre-stretched canvas, paints, Modge Podge decoupage medium, paint brushes, scissors, printed quotes of choice or copies letters, journal pages or written words to reflect your feelings or emotions<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Gather together all your written word material</li>
<li> </li>
<li>Using paints and canvas, think about the emotion or issue you have been working on in your journal or internally, and using colors and form, express it on the paper. Fill the whole of the paper with color and shape to give the viewer a sense of the emotion and feeling behind the issue for you.</li>
<li> </li>
<li>Once done, allow to dry. While drying, look through your written word papers. Tear the sheets of written words into irregular shapes to apply over your abstract painting in a collage manner. You may use as many or as few as you think you'd like to, covering as much of your painting as you like.</li>
<li><br /></li>
<li>Using the Modge Podge, apply the torn word pieces to the canvas and apply a coat of Modge Podge over the papers to seal to the canvas. Once you are done apply the papers, apply a coat of Modge Podge to the entire surface to give it a consistent surface appearance. Allow to dry before display. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<u>Process Notes</u>: The purpose of this process is to express the issue the artist is thinking about in two ways, both through color and form and in word. Through the process of making the art, the artist again releases some of the angst and power of the emotions associated with the original issue and puts that energy into the artwork itself. While reading through the quotes and thoughts of others about similar circumstances or emotions, the artist sees that the feelings are not unique and that others have felt those same emotions and have expressed them... and moved on. This takes some of the power and energy away from the original issue as well, making it just part of life, and not something life should revolve around. <br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Image: </span></span><br />
<span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/"><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" id="yui_3_7_3_3_1366815007985_312" title="Attribution-NonCommercial License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/beautifullemons/">{beautiful} Lemons Photography</a><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-6300871019531288742013-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:002013-04-19T09:00:00.233-05:00God Speaks: Stories of How God Works in Real People's Lives: Kidnapped and Freed by God's Hand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
The following story is from :<a href="http://www.precious-testimonies.com/Hope_Encouragement/a-e/BykerKathi.htm" target="_blank"> http://www.precious-testimonies.com/Hope_Encouragement/a-e/BykerKathi.htm</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1QGustjXO4"><img border="0" height="102" src="http://www.precious-testimonies.com/images/general/o-p/ptbwsmall.GIF" width="165" /><span style="color: navy; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"><b>KIDNAPPED AT KNIFEPOINT YET MIRACULOUSLY FREED</b></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="center" class="auto-style4" style="text-align: right;">
By: <a href="http://www.godmyrescuer.com/">Kathi Byker</a></div>
<br />
<span class="auto-style1">Over the years, I've really struggled a lot with
fear.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I'm a sensitive person and things in the
past have just hit
me really hard.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">Eighteen years ago I had breast cancer and
that was hard.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A</span><span class="auto-style1">nother time, we were in a near plane
crash. Another time, our little granddaughter was diagnosed with a
childhood cancer called neuroblastoma when she was three years old. As of
2012 she's l0
years old and doing very well, but it was very hard to see her lose her hair
and go through so much trauma.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1"><a href="http://www.precious-testimonies.com/MEncouragerArchives/FearGodOnly.htm">Fear is a tool of the enemy</a>, and the devil
really does use it to try to tie us up and render us ineffective and distract us from what God's calling us to do.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">That's why I'm completely trusting God to
help me to overcome this fear (Which He is <i>doing</i>, thank you Lord!). I cannot do this by myself; it is something
that God has to help me with. </span>
<span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">Sometimes
to come against fears, to get victory over it, we have to confront them and that can be really
scary; especially when they are brought to your doorstep like it was mine. About four months ago (as of
early 2012) I really had to confront this
fear.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">A fearful situation came into our lives that was
totally unexpected. </span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">We woke up at 4:00 in the morning to people yelling in
our bedroom.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I opened my eyes and someone was standing
over me, on my side of the bed; a man totally dressed in black, except you
could see his eyes, and he had a knife in his hand.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I just couldn’t believe it.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I closed my eyes and I thought I was having
a nightmare, and I opened them again and he was still there, and I was
utterly terrified.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">He pulled out some duct tape and he was
working with it while holding the knife.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">He was trying to tie my ankles up and my
wrists, and it was dawning on me that he was going to take me away.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<br /><br />
</span><span class="auto-style1">The thought of having to leave my husband
was terrifying and putting duct tape around my ankles</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">and getting me ready to go out of the house
was tortuous.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I started kicking the man and my husband
said, “Stop, Honey; he’s got a knife to your neck”!</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I didn’t even realize it, so I calmed down.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">There was another man dressed the same way
with a knife over my husband.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">My husband had a very peaceful demeanor
through this, and I’m so thankful that he didn’t blow up or get angry and
set them off any more.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">They were constantly yelling and swearing
at us through this whole ordeal.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I found myself
getting pulled and yanked out of our house into my own vehicle. He started
putting duct tape over my eyes and my mouth, wrists and ankles and
commanding me to lay<u> </u>
down on the back seat.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">To feel so vulnerable and helpless and to
be under someone’s control like that was just … HELL.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<br /><br />
</span>
<span class="auto-style1">He pulled out of the
driveway in the dark, away from my husband, our home, my safety place.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I mean, it was awful.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I didn’t have a clue where we were going,
what he was going to do to me, or how long this would last.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">He was driving with his left hand and had
his right hand over the back of his seat with the knife in his hand, and he
kept demanding that I lay down in the back seat, and if I sat up he’d kill
me, and I believed that he would.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">He had the knife right to my neck.</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">At that point, I remembered
God.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
<span class="auto-style1">I did.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I remembered to call out to God. I
remembered He was there.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I prayed in the Spirit.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I remembered that praying in tongues will
bring me to a place where my spirit is talking to God’s Spirit without my
mind getting involved, and I just called on God.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">The next thing I remember after I prayed, I
remembered to plead the blood of Jesus over my body.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">In the Bible it talks about the blood over
the doorposts being protection, and I realized I needed God’s protection.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">And as I brought God into the picture, the
next thing I remember is that <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+3%3A5-6&version=KJV">Proverbs 3:5 and 6</a> came to my mind.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">
Then some other verses came to mind
reminding me that God is my refuge.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I surrendered totally to God <a href="http://www.precious-testimonies.com/Exhortations/u-z/WarOfWordsWarfareRobertMorris.htm">and His Word</a>
as the Holy Spirit brought key scriptures to my mind.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">The supernatural peace of God came into me.
The situation hadn’t changed, but I remembered God.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">The fear factor was lessening as the God
factor was going up; and the realization that God was greater than this
fear.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">And if He can help me through that, He can
help anyone through anything.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">It wasn’t too long after that, and he stopped
and pulled me out and pulled me into what I thought was a forest. And I
remember thinking:<i> 'I am NOT going to be one of those
people who are never heard from again, In Jesus’ Name'!</i></span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<div class="auto-style9">
<b>DUCT TAPED TO A POLE</b></div>
<span class="auto-style1">There was a pole, and he started to use the
duct tape on my knees, and he was tying me to this pole. He said, “There’s
somebody behind you and if you try to escape, he’ll kill you”.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I did not believe there was anyone behind
me. I just did not sense it.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">I could hear him leaving, and I just waited
a little while, not very long - like maybe 15 seconds.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">Then I wiggled out of the duct tape on my
wrists and pulled it off of my eyes and mouth, and I realized I was in a
cornfield, and the corn was like 8’ tall, and I looked around and there was
nobody behind me,</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">It was still dark, and there was nobody
around.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I looked down and the tape was around my
knees, and I pushed it apart and honestly, it was a miracle. The duct tape that
was holding me to the pole ripped as I just put a slight pressure on it!</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">I broke away from there, and ran to the road. I thought in my heart:
<i> It’s important which way I go – straight, left, or right.</i></span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I paused and felt
God leading me to go<i> straight</i></span>.<span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">Little did I know that the man had run out
of duct tape, and he had run down the road to my vehicle to get more, and he
was coming back and if I had turned left, I would have run right into him!</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">No one prepares themselves
for this kind of situation, and I didn’t know what to do.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I didn’t know whether to keep running or
find a place, like I ended up doing, to hide.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I just didn’t know what to do.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">But the thing that I remember is that I
never felt so alone in my life.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I have never had a time in my life where
nobody knew where I was.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">It was like … nobody.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">It was dark - I was in my pajamas - I was barefooted
...
duct tape hanging all over me.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I just started running.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">Through the fields and hiding for awhile
and praying -- then I would run some more.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">At one point, when I stopped and wondered
what to do, I noticed a line of trucks by this trucking business. There were
all these white cabs lined up, except there was only one red one.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">The parking lights were on and the motor
was running and I knew somebody was in there and I ran.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">I was so relieved to see that the gate that
should have maybe been locked, to hold those trucks in there, was open. And
I ran in there and ran to the truck and pounded on the door and no answer.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>B<span class="auto-style1">ut then pretty soon I opened the door on
the driver’s side and called in there, and a man was in there and he had
been sleeping, and he helped me.</span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><br />
<span class="auto-style1">In Proverbs 3:6 where it says
that:<i> If we acknowledge Him in all our ways He will direct our path.</i> HE
<b>DID!</b></span><span class="auto-style1" style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="auto-style1">He directed me to go straight. If I would
have gone left, I do not know what would have happened.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-30571141097842097762013-04-16T07:24:00.000-05:002013-04-16T07:24:38.349-05:00Making a Difference: Yes You Can: New Ways You Can Do It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwYWp_ghOhIG1WO7GOErDeRRT3XhyphenhyphenV6GeyXDHQ0X12Dopt42vDtobCV7QcP7aTkyiZ2aOtasZJ6kk1xP1Wq6mTrq7s6zbELwiACvrveBNbHlZlf3OphH5UYc1iW8Ev9DZ7vsXT7MOWtk5/s1600/7188806225_8110c3b229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwYWp_ghOhIG1WO7GOErDeRRT3XhyphenhyphenV6GeyXDHQ0X12Dopt42vDtobCV7QcP7aTkyiZ2aOtasZJ6kk1xP1Wq6mTrq7s6zbELwiACvrveBNbHlZlf3OphH5UYc1iW8Ev9DZ7vsXT7MOWtk5/s320/7188806225_8110c3b229.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Treasuring Grace Ministries tries to make a difference in people's lives through spreading the word about the truth of life, and supporting those who need help. Everyone can do something to make the world a little bit better, and we want to help you find a way to make a difference too.<br />
<br />
Time Magazine featured an article listing many ways busy people can take a few moments out of their day, group together with friends, or focus in on the needs of thier own community, to make a difference in the world. We'd like to share their ideas with you here.<br />
<br />
<h1 class="entry-title">
New Ways to Make a Difference</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="entry-byline">By
Jeremy Caplan </span>
<span class="entry-date">Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009</span></div>
<div class="entry-meta">
</div>
<div class="entry-meta">
</div>
<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="entry-date"> </span><b>Put Your Time to Work</b><br />
• For anyone with a jammed schedule, a new group called the
Extraordinaries offers ways to devote even just a few minutes of free
time to something worthwhile. Micro-volunteering opportunities abound on
<a href="http://www.beextra.org/" target="_blank">BeExtra.org</a>, from
using your smartphone to view and label photos (to help digitize museum
archives) to snapping a picture of a local park (to help build a map of
places where kids can play).<br />
• Another new tool aims to break world-changing action into its tiniest subparts. <a href="http://www.ifwerantheworld.com/" target="_blank">IfWeRantheWorld.com</a>,
which expects to launch this fall, encourages you to dream big — end
poverty! cure cancer! — and then helps come up with small, specific ways
you can help achieve progress in those areas.<br />
• Random acts of kindness are getting a high-tech boost, thanks to social entrepreneur Daniel Lubetzky. First, print a card at <a href="http://www.kinded.com/" target="_blank">Kinded.com</a>.
Then do something nice for a stranger, like sharing an umbrella or
helping carry luggage, and hand that person the card. The recipient can
go online and note where the act of kindness took place and then pass
the card along. It's like <i>Pay It Forward</i>, with mapping features.<br />
• The Web has long been a good venue for finding volunteer opportunities. Now a new site called <a href="http://www.allforgood.org/" target="_blank">AllforGood.org</a>
draws together listings not only from traditional volunteer sites but
also from Craigslist and Meetup. And it makes it easy to share these
opportunities with friends on social-networking sites.<br />
<b>Put Your Money to Work</b><br />
• Buy a fair-trade scarf or the work of an African artisan on eBay's <a href="http://worldofgood.ebay.com/" target="_blank">WorldofGood.com</a>, which vets every product to ensure that it's eco-friendly or ethically sourced.<br />
• To help build a business in a developing country, try peer-to-peer lending. <a href="http://www.kiva.org/" target="_blank">Kiva.org</a>
started the trend, which lets you lend as little as $25 to the
entrepreneur of your choosing and track the recipient's progress online.
Now there are specialized sites like <a href="http://www.wokai.org/" target="_blank">Wokai.org</a>, which provides microloans in rural China. <i>Wokai</i> is Mandarin for "I start."<br />
• More than 1 in 9 dollars in the U.S. stock market is now invested in socially responsible funds. Go to <a href="http://www.socialinvest.org/" target="_blank">SocialInvest.org</a> to find out how to shift your dollars to match your values.<br />
<b>Put Your Friends to Work</b><br />
• Gather your pals and organize a reverse boycott called a Carrotmob.
Instead of punishing corner stores and other local businesses for
environmentally unfriendly practices, help them do better by arranging a
massive shop-in, in which the owners agree to use a portion of the
revenues to get greener.<br />
<br />
Read more at: <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1921577,00.html">http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1921577,00.html</a><br />
<br />
image by: <br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1365974155614_312">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1365974155614_311"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /><img alt="Share Alike" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_sharealike_small.gif" title="Share Alike" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/calotype46/">Calotype46</a>
</dd></dl>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-7706600374116202192013-04-11T13:42:00.000-05:002013-04-11T13:42:15.858-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Nature Mandala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<br />
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</div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTTPNOmq-5a3fb6ov-G3EDWKxmDJfXBejFDutk8aaSWlaO8n420rLaKqMK5MKuq6_OadzNJrJvFNt6WDTPjM0n49UHBl__xn9VmpjRsiiFQHKWCmBfutKmCX7vhEtQmdhyphenhyphenuoiuPOSP-FZ/s1600/2265429146_49600f3b3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTTPNOmq-5a3fb6ov-G3EDWKxmDJfXBejFDutk8aaSWlaO8n420rLaKqMK5MKuq6_OadzNJrJvFNt6WDTPjM0n49UHBl__xn9VmpjRsiiFQHKWCmBfutKmCX7vhEtQmdhyphenhyphenuoiuPOSP-FZ/s320/2265429146_49600f3b3b.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">We have talked about Mandala's here before, and as an art therapy device, the Mandala is a versatile tool. Carl Jung was obsessed with them and said, "</span></span></span><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><b><i>I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had
attained what was for me the ultimate."</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Especially significant as a tool for healing for women, the circle symbol, often associated with the womb, or Mother, can help artists work through issues and develop a sense of wholeness and integrity. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Start this process with an 11x17 piece of watercolor paper and your favorite medium, water color paints, markers, drawing pencils, collage materials, ... whatever. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Draw a large circle, a mandala on the paper to take up the majority of the page. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Now, close your eyes. Imagine a lush forest in springtime. Everything is mossy, wet, bursting forth with life. New growth. The sun filters through a canopy of bright green leaves, you hear water dropping onto the soft earth below your feet. Blooms on tiny plants begin to unfold around you. Vines begin to climb up the tree trunks, ferns shoot up and unroll into lacy feathers. Breathe it all in.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Now fill your mandala with the life that you absorbed. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Process notes: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The very act of filling the symbolic mandala with imagery of new life is a healing act. Subconsciously the artist feels renewed, and refreshed by the guided imagery and by the act of creation. As the mandala is of the artists creation, she acknowledges her own ability to be life-giving, in some way, and celebrates that through use of color and line. At the end of the process the artist should be relaxed and satisfied. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">If the artist is working through a loss due to abortion, miscarriage or other grief, creating life images in a mandala helps to re-establish the artist as a life-giver, a creator. It gives the artist time to work through feelings of guilt, regret and sadness with each brushstroke or line. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">If the artist is so overcome by feelings of remorse, sadness or guilt that she cannot draw anything in the mandala, the group facilitator would need to encourage her to take the smallest step in creating one thing, one image of life in the mandala. A small step on the way to healing, is still a step and opens up the door for verbal communication.<br /><b><u></u></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"> image by: </span></span><br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1365611630065_305">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1365611630065_304"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyle58/">Lyle58</a>
</dd></dl>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-15917383913447723132013-04-06T14:25:00.001-05:002013-04-06T14:26:15.287-05:00God Speaks: Real Stories of God Working Miracles in Real People's Lives: Miraculous Saving from Drowning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The Below video high<span style="font-size: small;">lights a news stor<span style="font-size: small;">y about an amazing and miraculous res<span style="font-size: small;">cue that will have you saying only G<span style="font-size: small;">od could be the <span style="font-size: small;">explanation. Very inspirational... What do you think?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-36642588354273579422013-04-02T17:38:00.000-05:002013-04-02T17:38:17.342-05:00Make A Difference: Yes You Can and Here's 25 Ways to Do It!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm9hMpxtndArVRWKS43jbHMWz7a2T2dj4SMi2SlXM3RV5LLlDRpNrizinF0lhYUtgrdv10Pon460Usf2ORV_nbTOKzXIrUaxtc8EfMGG3SAE1U4qF8S3L5ikVOjYMoNLyBvM-KMb447Wy/s1600/2939902561_293f0a069e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm9hMpxtndArVRWKS43jbHMWz7a2T2dj4SMi2SlXM3RV5LLlDRpNrizinF0lhYUtgrdv10Pon460Usf2ORV_nbTOKzXIrUaxtc8EfMGG3SAE1U4qF8S3L5ikVOjYMoNLyBvM-KMb447Wy/s320/2939902561_293f0a069e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We have talked about a lot of different charities and ways that one person can make a difference in this world, but it doesn't always mean joining an organization or spending a lot of time or energy. Even the busiest person with the fullest schedule can still make the world better for someone in some way. Check out this list of 25 things you can do to help a fellow human being today (from Zen Habits.net.) <br />
<br />
25 Things You Can Do To Help a Fellow Human Being Today... <br />
<br />
"Take just a few minutes today, and do a kindness for another
person. It can be something small, or the start of something big. Ask
them to pay it forward. Put a smile on someone’s face.<br />
Don’t know where to start? Here’s an extremely incomplete list, just
to get you thinking — I’m sure you can come up with thousands more if
you think about it.<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Smile and be friendly</b>. Sometimes a simple little
thing like this can put a smile and warm feeling in someone else’s
heart, and make their day a little better. They might then do the same
for others.</li>
<li><b>Call a charity to volunteer</b>. You don’t have to go
to a soup kitchen today. Just look up the number, make the call, and
make an appointment to volunteer sometime in the next month. It can be
whatever charity you like. Volunteering is one of the most amazing
things you can do.</li>
<li><b>Donate something you don’t use</b>. Or a whole box of somethings. Drop them off at a charity — others can put your clutter to good use.</li>
<li><b>Make a donation</b>. There are lots of ways to donate
to charities online, or in your local community. Instead of buying
yourself a new gadget or outfit, spend that money in a more positive
way.</li>
<li><b>Redirect gifts</b>. Instead of having people give you birthday or Christmas gifts, ask them to donate gifts or money to a certain charity.</li>
<li><b>Stop to help</b>. The next time you see someone pulled
over with a flat tire, or somehow in need of help, stop and ask how you
can help. Sometimes all they need is a push, or the use of your cell
phone.</li>
<li><b>Teach</b>. Take the time to teach someone a skill you
know. This could be teaching your grandma to use email, teaching your
child to ride a bike, teaching your co-worker a valuable computer skill,
teaching your spouse how to clean the darn toilet. OK, that last one
doesn’t count.</li>
<li>Comfort someone in grief. Often a hug, a helpful hand, a kind word, a
listening ear, will go a long way when someone has lost a loved one or
suffered some similar loss or tragedy.</li>
<li><b>Help them take action</b>. If someone in grief seems to
be lost and doesn’t know what to do, help them do something. It could
be making funeral arrangements, it could be making a doctor’s
appointment, it could be making phone calls. Don’t do it all yourself —
let them take action too, because it helps in the healing process.</li>
<li><b>Buy food for a homeless person</b>. Cash is often a bad
idea if it’s going to be used for drugs, but buying a sandwich and
chips or something like that is a good gesture. Be respectful and
friendly.</li>
<li><b>Lend your ear</b>. Often someone who is sad, depressed,
angry, or frustrated just needs someone who will listen. Venting and
talking through an issue is a huge help.</li>
<li><b>Help someone on the edge</b>. If someone is suicidal, urge them to get help. If they don’t, call a suicide hotline or doctor yourself to get advice.</li>
<li><b>Help someone get active</b>. A person in your life who
wants to get healthy might need a helping hand — offer to go walking or
running together, to join a gym together. Once they get started, it can
have profound effects.</li>
<li><b>Do a chore</b>. Something small or big, like cleaning up or washing a car or doing the dishes or cutting a lawn.</li>
<li><b>Give a massage</b>. Only when appropriate of course. But a massage can go a long way to making someone feel better.</li>
<li><b>Send a nice email</b>. Just a quick note telling
someone how much you appreciate them, or how proud you are of them, or
just saying thank you for something they did.</li>
<li><b>Show appreciation, publicly</b>. Praising someone on a
blog, in front of coworkers, in front of family, or in some other public
way, is a great way to make them feel better about themselves.</li>
</ol>
Read more at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/(%20From%20http://zenhabits.net/25-ways-to-help-a-fellow-human-being-today/)" target="_blank"> ( From http://zenhabits.net/25-ways-to-help-a-fellow-human-being-today/) </a><br />
<br />
image: <span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/"><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /><img alt="No Derivative Works" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noderivs_small.gif" title="No Derivative Works" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjcd7/">connerdowney</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-67194142919105864352013-03-28T09:09:00.000-05:002013-03-28T09:09:21.052-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Rise from the Destruction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfremkRmWGbN737KE5uOYAVlApJ0i7KZQV2lFUQkcOGvYftEdT64BJmVEOyiL_UY1_idJctPIdhTXDjKN87raLaSFA6gsmcUMbV-TgiFcNc912rsilCZQ8eO3u9m73J2A_Yr-miEWdmMm/s1600/102542936_3c00098d68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfremkRmWGbN737KE5uOYAVlApJ0i7KZQV2lFUQkcOGvYftEdT64BJmVEOyiL_UY1_idJctPIdhTXDjKN87raLaSFA6gsmcUMbV-TgiFcNc912rsilCZQ8eO3u9m73J2A_Yr-miEWdmMm/s320/102542936_3c00098d68.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Many of us feel devastated by life. We feel wrought by our own decisions, regrets over past mistakes tear us apart because we refuse to forgive ourselves and move forward. Sometimes we torture ourselves over pain that we did not cause, but still endure...just to feel alive. Grief over lost loved ones, tragic events, whatever the cause of our inner sadness and self-flagellation, now is the time to end it. </span></span></span><br />
Spring...Easter, this is the time of renewal. A time to release ourselves of our grief, to forgive ourselves of our past and bloom again as all things do.<br />
<br />
What you'll need:<br />
8x11" water color paper<br />
drawing pencils, paints or markers<br />
Medium sized canvas board<br />
Modge Podge decoupage glue <br />
Small sponge brush<br />
<br />
Take a 8x11" piece of drawing or watercolor paper and paint, use drawing pencils, or markers and use the entirety of the paper to create a symbolic representation of what it is that grieves you. Use color and line to put all your emotions of regret and sorrow, anger and pain into the image, releasing those feelings into the paper. Move quickly and don't think too deeply about what you are creating. Use your emotions to move the colors and create the image. <br />
<br />
Once done allow it to dry if necessary and get your medium canvas board out along with Modge Podge glue and a sponge brush. <br />
<br />
Rip up your image of grief and pain. Tear it up into pieces and strips, destroying the memory of it and the power it has over you. Let it go with each tear.<br />
<br />
Use the strips of paper now to create something beautiful on your canvas. Use the Modge Podge glue to glue the strips and pieces of colored paper down to form a beautiful flower, or image of your desire. Whatever it is, take your time to create something beautiful from the old, torn paper.<br />
<br />
Once done, take a deep breath and release the last of that tension and know that your Spring has arrived. <br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">image: </span></span><br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1364396473301_306">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1364396473301_305"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kappuru/">kappuru</a>
</dd></dl>
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-4714200418016562062013-03-21T10:43:00.000-05:002013-03-21T10:43:38.578-05:00God Speaks: Real Stories of God's Guiding Hands in Real People's Lives: Guardian Angel Saved Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"> (<span style="font-size: small;">from dailymail.co.uk)</span></span></span><br />
<h1>
It happened to me: My guardian angel saved my life </h1>
By
<a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Richard+Webber" rel="nofollow">Richard Webber</a> <br />
<span class="article-timestamp">
<b>UPDATED:</b>
17:00 EST, 4 December 2009
</span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Eleven
years ago, Donna Ferguson was close to death. Hours after giving birth
to her fourth child, Jessica, she began haemorrhaging and fell
unconscious. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Her
condition deteriorated rapidly until, suddenly, a voice urged her to
summon help. Donna believes her guardian angel saved her life that
night. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Now
40, Donna lives with her partner, Gary, and five children, Natasha, 23,
Adam, 21, Rebecca, 15, Jessica, 11, and Kalen, five, in Craigavon,
Northern Ireland. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Jessica was born at 3pm on 15 June 1998 in a hospital in Lisburn,</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
County Antrim. It had been a normal pregnancy with no complications,
but after the birth I started feeling extremely tired and dizzy. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Like
all women who have just given birth, I was losing blood, although, in
hindsight, I realise that it was more than I'd lost with my previous</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> children. Although, I didn't worry unduly, what I didn't realise was that I was haemorrhaging.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">That evening, my partner, Gary, and friend, Shirley, came to visit me in hospital.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> As I sat on the bed, unable to move because I was so tired, I started to feel as though I was going to pass out. </span></div>
<div class="clear">
</div>
<div class="thinCenter">
<img alt="Donna Ferguson" class="blkBorder" height="482" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/12/04/article-0-07718896000005DC-22_468x482.jpg" width="468" />
<br />
<div class="imageCaption">
'I was haemorrhaging in my sleep. A voice kept
telling me to wake up and alert the nurses. The doctor said if I'd lost
any more blood, I wouldn't have survived'</div>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Shirley
got a nurse to examine me, and she thought I looked peaky. Because I
was so tired, she took Jessica to the nursery so that I could get a good
night's sleep before the doctor saw me the following day during his
rounds.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">By
the time Gary and Shirley left, I could barely stay awake. I drifted
into a deep sleep until around 2am, when I began hearing a voice. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">'Wake
up, wake up!' it kept saying, softly. I didn't want to and tried
desperately to ignore it, telling myself, 'I can't wake up, I'm so
tired. I need to sleep.' </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">But
the voice – which remained at the same pitch and tone – was persistent,
determined to shake me out of unconsciousness. It never got angry,
remaining calm as it repeatedly told me to wake up. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">This
time, though, it also told me to press the alarm. I didn't even know
there was an alarm. Still I couldn't open my eyes, but managed to find
enough strength to lift my arm. Feeling a wire hanging next to me, I
pressed the button. Fortunately, it was the alarm, which alerted the
nurses.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Next
thing I remember was the light being switched on as a nurse rushed into
my room. I was lying in a pool of blood and soon there were three
nurses and a doctor crowded around my bed. There was a commotion as they
tried desperately</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">to keep me awake. I remember telling one of the nurses that I'd been woken by someone.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1233189/It-happened-My-guardian-angel-saved-life.html#ixzz2O6cITu1r" style="color: #003399;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1233189/It-happened-My-guardian-angel-saved-life.html#ixzz2O6cITu1r</a>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Follow us: <a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=bBOTTqvd0r3Pooab7jrHcU&u=MailOnline" target="_blank">@MailOnline on Twitter</a> | <a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bBOTTqvd0r3Pooab7jrHcU&u=DailyMail" target="_blank">DailyMail on Facebook</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-71038831487387174172013-03-18T13:24:00.003-05:002013-03-18T13:24:50.964-05:00Make a Difference: Yes You Can! Grace Centers of Hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1zeIgGT7g5-r5hGw7N5hkimKHC9L4TbE9TcXVqR4RQaISnZuX0AHIi08daL7KMLK1Ml8kPMWENQKaZIS0syebasR-oN7g1NN2R8bjMSToweuM7sIjORbE7hC15W6HrmRUJBwaGZtSnUZ/s1600/2905921539_7d0a4d50a5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1zeIgGT7g5-r5hGw7N5hkimKHC9L4TbE9TcXVqR4RQaISnZuX0AHIi08daL7KMLK1Ml8kPMWENQKaZIS0syebasR-oN7g1NN2R8bjMSToweuM7sIjORbE7hC15W6HrmRUJBwaGZtSnUZ/s320/2905921539_7d0a4d50a5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<u><b>Grace Centers of Hope</b></u> is a charity organization that: "was established in 1942. It has since grown and evolved into the
largest and oldest faith-based outreach to homeless and disadvantaged
individuals and families. Grace Centers of Hope(GCH) provides a full
recovery and rehabilitation campus for homeless men,women and children
who have been abused or addicted to drugs and/or alcohol."<br />
<br />
This non-profit, Christian organization has numerous ways you can get involved and make a difference. Although the group is located in Pontiac MI, you can make a difference no matter where you live.<br />
(from their website)<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<br />
<img height="62" src="http://gracecentersofhope.org/images/Volunteer-VirtualVolunteer.jpg" width="300" />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="text-content-normal" valign="top" width="87%">
Are you having trouble trying to find the time to fit volunteering into your busy
schedule? Well, becoming a virtual volunteer may be a perfect fit for you. Maybe
you're already a volunteer with Grace Centers of Hope and want to do something more?
We have a couple of off-site virtual opportunities that may interest you. You may
also want to consider coordinating a donation drive for needed items.<br />
<br />
</td>
<td width="6%">
</td>
<td valign="top" width="7%">
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" height="362" valign="top">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td class="text-content-normal" valign="top" width="45%">
<strong>Prayer partner</strong><br />
We would love
you to consider becoming a part of our prayer team. We simply ask
you to lift up
the needs of our residents, staff volunteers and donors.<br />
<strong>Networking for Grace</strong><br />
Do you use
social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) to stay
connected
and share your
life with family and friends? Networking for Grace may be a perfect
volunteer
opportunity for you. Join the team and help the homeless by sharing
Grace
Centers of
Hope's needs, stories and other information with your network. A staff
member will
contact you to get you started. Hours and Location: At your convenience,
whenever and
wherever you get online.<br />
<br />
Check out other ways you can help by going to their website and spreading the news of their good work...<br />
<a href="http://gracecentersofhope.org/history.aspx" target="_blank"> http://gracecentersofhope.org/history.aspx</a><br />
<br />
image:<br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1363631008464_445">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1363631008464_444">
<span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Share Alike" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_sharealike_small.gif" title="Share Alike" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" title="Attribution-ShareAlike License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/">Ed Yourdon</a>
</dd></dl>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-56612358264385474252013-03-14T09:46:00.001-05:002013-03-14T09:46:16.307-05:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: Celtic Cross<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rT1i8vbyeMXn8ahTU_X5HX742BCTzpisKwqLlyfOt879UAHREliYdTN8db9if4p2l2otvYV_wn-915v08Nb2wfqnPpXGRcZ2Xf8XESTbM29_ROYpfeniXw8emA959QFSK3s9hWA9Qilc/s1600/3815103078_bfac05d968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rT1i8vbyeMXn8ahTU_X5HX742BCTzpisKwqLlyfOt879UAHREliYdTN8db9if4p2l2otvYV_wn-915v08Nb2wfqnPpXGRcZ2Xf8XESTbM29_ROYpfeniXw8emA959QFSK3s9hWA9Qilc/s320/3815103078_bfac05d968.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">With St. Patrick's Day being this weekend, I cannot ignore the obvious holiday inspired art process. I will spare you the Shamrock drawing, but will instead take a cue from St. Patrick himself and set our minds on the Celtic Cross.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">St. Patrick is said to have designed the Celtic Cross himself. An artist of any faith cannot deny the intricate design pattern is a beautiful example of complexity and detail. The pattern in the Celtic Cross is a continuous, connected line. Creating a pattern like this yourself would be a difficult task to be sure. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Instead, I would like to invite you to use the </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"> square Celtic cross pattern as your foundation and fill it in with a linear pattern, abstract and detailed, use the creation of the pattern as a means of meditation. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">On an 8x8" piece of drawing paper, draw a circle. Then, draw the basic "+" pattern in the center, giving you a interior cross surface to draw into. (as similar to in the image at the top of the post.) </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black;">Take a fine point black sharpie marker, and begin to draw a design in the interior of the cross. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Lose yourself in the creation of it. Much like a doodle, let your mind wander as you fill in the cross pattern with angles, or the repeated swirls or waves you might create. The joy of this project is in the creation of it, in the nearly hypnotic creation of pattern and line within the borders, not necessarily the completed project. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">While you work, let your mind clear of all worrisome thoughts. Think only of the security and comfort of the lines within the borders, of the flow of the ink on the paper. Add as much detail as you want, use as much time as you desire.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Much like working within a Mandala, the process itself is the path to healing, it is giving the mind and body a chance to relax, to heal, to clear and de-stress, within certain parameters that give it permission to do so. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Enjoy.... </span> <br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span><br />
image by:<br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1363271712925_449">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1363271712925_448">
<span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /><img alt="No Derivative Works" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noderivs_small.gif" title="No Derivative Works" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/donshall/">origamidon</a>
</dd></dl>
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-5139372537064519382013-03-08T07:34:00.000-06:002013-03-08T07:34:44.667-06:00God Speaks: Real Stories of God's Guiding Hands in Real People's Lives: Guardian Angel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48ZxOixoqVbHRwCntGRtAW6mzgLWf7w4OUjEVx_HN3FbCfeTocwKW3hVpeMjoHra8kH_ABWKDpaUHQXz7ynI9MeRq3V23oImzjWvxpiyo5BYmA0ZvUHY52Kbsc3gk_cb_qo3a2uOtH6K1/s1600/P1010068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48ZxOixoqVbHRwCntGRtAW6mzgLWf7w4OUjEVx_HN3FbCfeTocwKW3hVpeMjoHra8kH_ABWKDpaUHQXz7ynI9MeRq3V23oImzjWvxpiyo5BYmA0ZvUHY52Kbsc3gk_cb_qo3a2uOtH6K1/s400/P1010068.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">The book "Treasuring Grace" was inspired by a dream in
which co -author Tracy Roberts feels that God spoke to her and directed
her hand in the writing of the story. Many people feel God's special
influence in their lives in direct or indirect ways. This column seeks
to bring you some of their inspirational stories.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">The following stor<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">y</span> <span style="font-size: small;">is</span> from experiencepro<span style="font-size: small;">ject.<span style="font-size: small;">com</span>.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Gu<span style="font-size: small;">ardian A<span style="font-size: small;">ngel"</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">" </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This happened a few years ago..<br /><br />
I was on my way home from school, and all I had to do, was to cross this
one road.. so I waited for the traffic light to turn green and then I
started to walk.- I remember I was "in my own little world".. so I
didn't pay much attention to the cars beside me..<br /><br />
I remember I walked faster than the other people.. and then I saw it..<br /><br />
It was a red sports car.. which was driving really fast. - and it was
driving while the traffic light was red, which means, it was driving
really fast, towards me.<br /><br />
I was wearing this school bag, and when I saw the car, my whole world went into some kind of slow motion movie.<br />
- and then it happened... it was like someone were holding my bag from
behind, so that I got held back from the car too, just in time.<br />
but when I turned around to thank the person, no one was there.<br /><br />
I was shocked. Because I even remember seeing the man behind the car window - thats how close I was to that freaking car!<br />
- and if I hadn't got held back in time, I would have been run over by that car!<br /><br />
So that's how I know, that something... someone actually, is watching over us<br />
- and that is what makes me feel safe in this world - because I know now that Im being taken care of - we all are<span style="font-size: small;">."</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Diane Stein<span style="font-size: small;">bach copyright No reprint</span> </span></span></span> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-42191389691100704592013-03-05T09:05:00.000-06:002013-03-05T09:05:00.198-06:00Make A Difference Today: You Can! The Red Cross<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The American Red Cross takes the month of March to celebrate its history and volunteer heroes. With this in mind we wanted to remind our readers of the many ways YOU CAN make a difference in your community, or in the larger world by getting involved with the Red Cross.<br />
<br />
Whether you have a special talent or skill, want to donate goods, a monotary gift or your time, fundraise or raise awareness, there is a way, big or small for you to make a difference.<br />
<br />
Read what President Obama has to say:<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="primary-header" id="share-bar-0_gig_containerParent">
<h1>
President Obama Proclaims March Red Cross Month
</h1>
<div class="social-list-gray social-bar" data-action-link-href="" data-action-link-title="" data-cid="" data-description="" data-image-href="" data-image-src="" data-labels="" data-link-back-href="" data-providers="facebook,twitter,email" data-subtitle="" data-title="" data-type="social-list-gray" id="share-bar-0" style="visibility: visible;">
<div class="gig-bar-container gig-share-bar-container">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; zoom: 1;"><div class="gig-button-container gig-button-container-count-none gig-button-container-facebook gig-button-container-facebook-count-none gig-share-button-container">
<div alt="" class="gig-button gig-share-button gig-button-up gig-button-count-none" id="share-bar-0-reaction0" title="">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td id="share-bar-0-reaction0-left"><br /></td><td id="share-bar-0-reaction0-icon" style="background-repeat: repeat-x; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; zoom: 1;"><img alt="" id="share-bar-0-reaction0-icon_img" src="http://www.redcross.org/images/sprite/icon/social-facebook-gray.png" /></td><td id="share-bar-0-reaction0-right"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; zoom: 1;"><div class="gig-button-container gig-button-container-count-none gig-button-container-twitter gig-button-container-twitter-count-none gig-share-button-container">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td id="share-bar-0-reaction1-left"><br /></td><td id="share-bar-0-reaction1-icon" style="background-repeat: repeat-x; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; zoom: 1;"><img alt="" id="share-bar-0-reaction1-icon_img" src="http://www.redcross.org/images/sprite/icon/social-twitter-gray.png" /></td><td id="share-bar-0-reaction1-right"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
</td><td style="vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; zoom: 1;"><div class="gig-button-container gig-button-container-count-none gig-button-container-email gig-button-container-email-count-none gig-share-button-container">
<div alt="" class="gig-button gig-share-button gig-button-up gig-button-count-none" id="share-bar-0-reaction2" title="">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td id="share-bar-0-reaction2-left"><br /></td><td id="share-bar-0-reaction2-icon" style="background-repeat: repeat-x; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; zoom: 1;"><img alt="" id="share-bar-0-reaction2-icon_img" src="http://www.redcross.org/images/sprite/icon/social-email-gray.png" /></td><td id="share-bar-0-reaction2-right"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
</header>
<br />
<div class="article-header-image clearfix">
<div class="box-image">
<div class="inner-wrap clearfix">
<img alt="The White House" class="" height="136" src="http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m16740149_WhiteHouse.jpg" width="400" />
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="article-quotation">
<div class="pull-quote" data-ga-module="">
<div class="quote-inner">
This month, we honor men and women who deliver relief to
communities around the world, and we renew the compassionate spirit that
continues to keep our country strong and our people safe.
</div>
</div>
</div>
<time datetime="2013-03-01">
Posted March 01, 2013
</time><br />
<div align="LEFT">
President Barack Obama has proclaimed “<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/28/presidential-proclamation-american-red-cross-month-2013" target="_blank">March is American Red Cross Month</a>,”
upholding a tradition that began 70 years ago. Started in 1943, each
March, the U.S. President issues a proclamation calling upon the
American public to support the Red Cross by giving blood, volunteering
time or donating funds.</div>
<div align="LEFT">
“This
month, we honor men and women who deliver relief to communities around
the world, and we renew the compassionate spirit that continues to keep
our country strong and our people safe,” states the 2013 Presidential
Proclamation. </div>
<div align="LEFT">
The proclamation also noted the largest Red Cross disaster response in the past five years, Hurricane Sandy.</div>
<div align="LEFT">
“We
saw the depth of their dedication just four months ago, when the
sweeping devastation of Hurricane Sandy put millions of Americans in
harm's way. In darkness and danger, thousands of professionals and
volunteers stepped up to serve. They secured supplies and shelter when
our people needed them most. And when times were tough, they proved that
America is tougher because we all pull together.” </div>
<div align="LEFT">
More
than four months after landfall, donations to the American Red Cross
are helping people with food, emotional support and long-term
assistance. So far, the Red Cross has:</div>
<div class="article-text">
<br />
<li>Served more than 13 million meals and snacks</li>
<li>Handed out more than 7 million relief items</li>
<li>Provided more than 112,000 health services and emotional support contacts</li>
<li>Mobilized more than 17,000 trained workers</li>
<li>Provided more than 81,000 shelter stays</li>
<br />
<div align="LEFT">
To learn more about the continued Red Cross response to Hurricane Sandy, visit <a href="http://www.redcross.org/sandy-response" target="_blank">www.redcross.org/sandy-response</a>.</div>
<div align="LEFT">
In
addition, this past year, the Red Cross prepared and responded to large
scale disasters including severe spring storms, widespread wildfires
and Hurricane Isaac in the Gulf. The Red Cross was also there in the
aftermath of the tragic shootings in Aurora, Colo., Oak Creek, Wis., and
Newtown, Conn., providing community support and mental health
assistance. Learn more about the <a href="http://www.redcross.org/news/press-release/Busy-2012-for-Red-Cross-with-113-Large-Responses-in-42-States">2012 Red Cross response</a> to 113 large disasters in 42 states.</div>
<div align="LEFT">
To
help people prepare for large scale disasters and every day
emergencies, over the past year, the Red Cross developed and released a
series of <a href="http://www.redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps">free smart phone applications</a>
including a First Aid app, hurricane app and wildfire app. These apps
are available for download on both iPhone and Android platforms. The Red
Cross will release more in the year ahead, including a tornado app
early this spring.</div>
<div align="LEFT">
While the Red Cross is most visible during large disasters, the work continues year-round. Every year, the Red Cross:</div>
<br />
<li>Responds to nearly 70,000 disasters</li>
<li>Teaches more than 4 million people how to prepare for disaster</li>
<li>Engages more than half a million people as Red Cross volunteers</li>
<li>Trains more than 9 million people in first aid, water safety and other skills to help save lives such as CPR and use of AEDs</li>
<li>Collects 6.3 million units of blood from roughly 3.7 million volunteer donors</li>
<li>Provides services to more than 400,000 military members, veterans and civilians</li>
<li>Helps nearly 150 million people through disaster management and disease prevention activities</li>
<li>Reconnects more than 1,000 families separated by war and disaster around the world</li>
<br />
<div align="LEFT">
Today,
the Red Cross continues to provide lifesaving services thanks to the
generosity of the American public, the everyday heroes who put our
mission into action in communities across the country and around the
world.</div>
<div align="LEFT">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT">
To volunteer or read more.. go to : <a href="http://www.redcross.org/" target="_blank"> http://www.redcross.org/</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072915289191793359.post-86869220895592441542013-02-27T11:34:00.000-06:002013-02-27T11:34:17.237-06:00Making Whole: Healing Through Art: The Art of Giving Away<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSZFTil-SmQU6G-Q0KLKBD9p-Gv7d_xmjqwxctpmM0Og2ap5m-achtrjPPOBDvlF1TutnzB7A-LRvZbqNYxfGGHMz4kZZJnftuXB355w8SnEfzc2p_s0gCH-J3jlcLmuIgAN4mw6KpvWX/s1600/8495778774_9567cf9c3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSZFTil-SmQU6G-Q0KLKBD9p-Gv7d_xmjqwxctpmM0Og2ap5m-achtrjPPOBDvlF1TutnzB7A-LRvZbqNYxfGGHMz4kZZJnftuXB355w8SnEfzc2p_s0gCH-J3jlcLmuIgAN4mw6KpvWX/s320/8495778774_9567cf9c3b.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">by Diane Steinbach</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;">Making Whole is a bi-monthly art therapy column focused on
art to heal. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Not long ago I read about an artist that would create small canvas paintings, beautiful creations really, and leave them around a city. The artist would leave the artwork on bus station benches, park benches, at restaurant booths, in churches, store fronts, laundry mats, anywhere people might gather or stop. On the artwork she'd leave a note saying something like," This is for you. This art was meant for you to find today. Take it and keep it. Enjoy it." Some call it Guerilla Art. <br />
<br />
Giving away artwork is difficult for some people, just like letting go of our pain and guilt, or our egos and pride. Anytime that we invest ourselves in something and then have to let it go... it is a painful process.<br />
<br />
It can also be a rewarding process. The act of investment, and release, although painful, and although grief is part of it, can lighten our emotional load. It can relieve us of our internal baggage, our heavy -hearted burden that we drag with us through life. When we invest, and release, we can discover new skin...new life, new eyes to see the world. A renewed spirit. <br />
<br />
Definitely a journey worth taking. Although painful,...it is worth the journey, most would say.<br />
<br />
So, with this in mind, this weeks Making Whole art process challenges you to take a small (4x6") pre-stretched art canvas and some acrylic paints and create something beautiful. Whether an abstract swirl of color and line, a whimsical backdrop for a heartfelt poem, a fiery rose or scenic pasture with a lovers confession or mother's regret written across the bottom. Whatever moves you... create it on the canvas. <br />
Allow it to dry completely. Do not sign it.<br />
<br />
On the back, attach a note. Say whatever you want to say, but make it clear that the finder of the art may keep it, may love it, may accept it in the sense that it was made and given to bring joy and happiness.<br />
<br />
Take your art to a place where it will be found and leave it there. With it, leave any sense of ownership, pain, regret, grief... and walk away from it. With each step you take, breathe deeply and feel lighter and lighter.....<br />
<br />
Own the new you.<br />
<br />
<br />
Read more about other Guerilla artists...<br />
<a href="http://thisiscentralstation.com/featured/mysterious-paper-sculptures/">http://thisiscentralstation.com/featured/mysterious-paper-sculptures/</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Diane Steinbach is an art
therapist and the author of: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Art As
Therapy: Innovations, Inspiration and Ideas</i>:,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Art Activities for Groups: Providing Therapy, Fun and Function</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Practical Guide to Art Therapy Groups</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
image: <br />
<dl id="yui_3_7_3_3_1361986149810_445">
<dt>License</dt>
<dd id="yui_3_7_3_3_1361986149810_444">
<span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" title="Noncommercial" /></a></span>
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" title="Attribution-NonCommercial License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23416311@N04/">cHimprints</a>
</dd></dl>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2