LOVELIGHT

Magazine

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November 2007*** Vol. 4, no. 11

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Managing Editors: Richard Shining Thunder Francis and Adamaria Francis

 

Special thanks, acknowledgement, and deep appreciation to the unique and fascinating friends who contributed to this issue.  They are:  Ramona Abella, Mary Butler,  Pat Fields, Mick Gallagher, Pat Helms, Carol Lawson,  Nathan Merritt,  Ty Scharrer, Dennis Spencer,  Geoffrey Stoermer, and Frank Tyrrell.

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LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE:  WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT

 

     Lovelight magazine is free, coming directly to your inboxscreen once a month.  We love to laugh.:)  So, if you discover any jokes that make you roar, please send them along to the efamily.:)  But no bigoted, prejudiced, scatological, geruntological, low-quality, or poor-taste humor, please. 

     But life is not all laughs.  So, we hope also to share with you some pleasant and happy thoughts.  Lovelight wants to promote peace and harmony, and to aid you.  If you are working on any religious, psychological, or spiritual issues, we encourage you to write to us at rmfrancis@juno.comm 

     Also, if you come across any wise or touching pieces, not copyrighted, fairly short, please share them with the efamily.  Also welcome are practical tips, short pieces on personal philosophies, interesting facts, wordplays, and general spirituality (but no religion or "preachy" dogma, please.:).  We reserve the right to make whatever changes we deem necessary or desirable before inclusion in Lovelight.

      As a subscriber, your email name/address will not be shared.  Please share, send, or copy, this magazine, or any parts of it.  Share it as widely as possible, with all your friends, and all others.  Please use it on  your websites and bulletinboards.  Also, please have friends send us their emailaddress and subscribe.  Subscriptions are free.

     This is a "light" introduction to spirituality.  And it is also great, fun reading.  A collection of magazines is produced once a year.  We have published three volumes, and this would make a sweet gift for a loved one.  Happy reading!:)

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UNFORGETTABLE CANINE BUDDY, sent in by Geoffrey Stoermer

 

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named "Lucky," who was a real character.  Whenever they had company for a week end, they would warn their friends not to leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself.  Inevitably, someone would forget and something would be missing.  They would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there it would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys.  Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

     Mary found out that she had breast cancer.  Something told her that she was going to die.  She scheduled a double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.  The night before, she cuddled with Lucky.  A thought struck her:  What would happen to Lucky?  Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through.  

     "If I die, Lucky will feel abandoned," Mary thought.  "He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him."  That made her sadder than thinking of her own death. 

     The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated; and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks.  Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

     Finally, the day came for Mary to leave the hospital.  When she arrived home, she was so exhausted that she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom.  Jim made her comfortable on the couch, and left her to nap.  Lucky stood watching her, but he didn't come when she called.  It made her sad, but sleep soon overcame her, and she dozed.

     When Mary woke, for a second, she couldn't understand what was wrong.  She couldn't move her head, and her body felt heavy and hot.  But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem:  She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!  While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement, bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.  He had covered her with his love.  

     Mary forgot about dying.  Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day.  It's been 12 years now, and Mary is still cancer-free.  Lucky?  He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toybox; but Mary remains his greatest treasure.  

     Please remember:  Live every day to the fullest.  Each minute is a blessing from God.  And never forget the people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.  They are the ones who care for us.  If you see someone without a smile  today, please give her one of yours.

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LOVELETTERS FROM FRIENDS, BUDS, AND PALS

 

From Ramona Abella:

 

Dearest Friend:

 …I will continue to visualize silver to your kidney….

 

CONGRATULATIONS Adamaria!!!!!  How exciting.  May this be just the beginning of an incredibly productive and outstanding career in helping people, families, find their perfect home Smiley emoticon

 

The two new projects sound very exciting.  I read a book in the 70s called The Chosen.  I think the story took place in Brooklyn and told about the lives of Orthodox Jews.  The Re-enchantment of the World--  WOW!  Who would not want to read a book with such a title?  Excellent.

 

Your friendship, your presence and Adamaria's, are more precious than any gold or jewels in my life.  Your love and wisdom have provided comfort, inspiration, grounding, and compass during the most difficult times for the last twenty plus years.  I am infinitely grateful-- more than words can express-- for who you are and what you so generously and patiently share.

 

Love and blessings to you,

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From Pat Helms:

 

…I love to read our Lovelight.  I need to read our Lovelight….

I promise I will catch up and will reap the rewards of Love and Joy

and Laughter in finally reading October Lovelight.  One of the things that I

treasure is that there is no time element to it; it fits wherever and

whenever my soul can lap it up with no time boundaries.  Amen and have I

told you how much you are Loved?   Always,   Your Learning Panther (not

caught up to pouncing but feeling alive again)

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From Dennis Spencer:

 

Dear Richard,

 

… Here is a new cult I've discovered:  The School of Metaphysics.  Actually it's not new; it's been around for over 30 years.  Anyway, I had known about this school for years, and thought it would be a great place to study, but was located in Missouri, obviously too far to commute…. I thought having some "letters behind my name" (doctor of metaphysics) would give me some credibility in the public's eye, when I open my spiritual center. So, for the past nine months, I've been a student there.

 

The first cycle of lessons teach some effective concentration and visualization techniques; also dream interpretation.  However, they seem to be copied from the Self-Realization Fellowship lessons.  The more I got into the lessons, the greater the resemblance became.  "Red flags" started going up when the school began to demand more of my time.  I had little time to devote to my own goals, and felt like I was becoming a "pitch man" for the school.  If I hadn't learned what I had from you about cult psychology, I might have been sucked in further, although I'm very resistant to being manipulated.  There is definitely mind control going on there.

 

Then last week, I stumbled upon a web site that was a real eye-opener.  Many former students were talking about their experiences in the School and about all the mind control, manipulation, and backstabbing that goes on at the main campus.  But here's the real kicker: The chancellor of the school has been making sexual advances to the female staff and students.  This is apparently common knowledge to those on the inside, but they just let it happen.  When I read this, I wanted to throw up.  Another case of abuse of power and taking advantage of those who look up to him [the leader].  Is there no integrity left in this world?...

 

…My initial plan was to get a degree… but what I found was that it would take ten to fifteen years to do so, and then only if I jumped through the right hoops, such as spending a year on the main campus.

 

There were so many things that began to turn me off about this School, but I am very grateful for what you taught me about cults….  

 

Peace and love,

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CHUCKLING IN SUNLIGHT:  HUMORTHERAPY

 

A LOVENOTE TO THE DOGS, sent in by Geoffrey Stoermer

 

Dear Dogs, 

It seems that lately things have gotten a smidge slack around here.  I feel it is time to remind you of the rules that heretofore we have operated under.  You are both cute dogs, but your continued cuteness in no way negates our previous agreement.  Let me remind you of a few details of this agreement: 

1. In exchange for room and board, you are to guard the kingdom, from any and all bad guys, robbers, serial killers, etc.  Feel free to bark maniacally at any of those that should appear in the yard.  Guarding the kingdom does NOT include barking maniacally at bunnies, squirrels, cows, sheep and invisible things that only you can see, especially between the hours of 5am (when I stumble out of bed to let you out) and 8am (when I actually have to be out of bed to get to work).  (And let me take a moment here to remind you that the pizza guy is a potential bad guy. He is not your friend.  Just because he comes bearing food, does not allow him free and easy access to the kingdom.  He is potentially way more dangerous than the bunnies that you threaten to tear limb from limb.)

2. All of the stuff that lives in the toy basket is yours.  Everything else is mine.  Yours includes squeaky balls, random bones, partially unstuffed stuffed animals, and chew ropes.  Mine includes any and all shoes on the floor (especially the expensive leather ones), underwear that missed the hamper, bras, socks, dishtowels, the remote, the cell phone, the legs of my grandmother's antique chair, and the vacuum.  Did I mention shoes? ALL the shoes are mine.  They come in pairs, not quads, for a reason.

3. The cat gets to sleep on the bed.  You do not.  You each weigh 50 pounds.  The cat weighs 12.  You sleep smack dab in the middle of the bed with all four feet spread out covering approximately 12 square feet apiece.  The cat sleeps in a neat little ball covering about 2 square feet.  The cat does not bring fleas into the house.  You do.  You dogs will never be allowed to sleep on the bed.  Quit sneaking up when you think I'm not looking. Your 50 pounds of dogginess negates your stealth superpowers.  I know you are up there!!

4. Speaking of the cat- when he hunkers down into that little mound, lays his ears back, squints his eyes and growls way back in his chest, HE IS NOT A HAPPY KITTY.  Leave him alone.  He does not want to play with you.  What he wants to do is poke your eyes out and shred the skin around your face.  He can do that, you know.  Five of his 6 ends are really sharp and pointy.  He has previously shown very little restraint.  Clearly, he enjoys smacking you upside the head with a paw full of claws.  Do not aggravate him.  When he takes your head off after you have cornered him, I will let him.  You have been forewarned.

5. The cat is mean.  He will lead you down a path to destruction.  He likes to tear around the house winding you up.  He does this knowingly and intentionally.  When you chase him, I will only yell at you for careening into walls and furniture.  He knows this.  Quit falling for it. 

6. If you find something in the garbage can, assume that I intend for it to be there.  Plastic tampon shells are not chew toys.  Don't eat them. 

7. Also not for doggy consumption- anything you find in the litter box.  This is why you no longer get to kiss me. 

8. You are allowed to sleep on the furniture.  You are not allowed to eat the furniture.

9. Yes, I have to leave every day to go to work.  No, you cannot go with me.  That's why there are two of you, so you can entertain each other.  The cat gets to stay in the house. You both have to stay on the porch while I'm gone.  The cat does not chew things up. You do.  Quit whining about it.  Your porch is air-conditioned.  It's just like inside the house minus the sofa.  If you'd quit chewing up dog beds, it would be just like inside the house.  You have made your own proverbial bed by destroying two very expensive dog cushions.

10. I have opposable thumbs.  This is why I get to be in charge.  I can open cans, doors, and bags of treats.  I am the only one in the house that can operate the hose sprayer.  I'm also the only one with a driver's license and a car.  I win.  Being cute is no match for opposable thumbs.  While I in no way wish to suppress your rightful dogginess, I feel that these very simple guidelines will allow us to continue to co-exist in peaceful harmony.  Please know though, that should you choose to continue in willful violation of these rules, I WILL PUT THE CAT IN CHARGE.  He has just been itching for a position in management.

Much thanks, 

The Human

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HOW TO MEDICATE YOUR CAT, sent in by Pat Helms

 

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding  a baby.  Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand.  As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth.  Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.*** 2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.***  3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.***  4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear  paws tightly with left hand.  Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth  with right forefinger.  Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.***  5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.  Call spouse from garden.*** 6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.  Ignore low growls emitted by cat.  Get spouse to hold head  firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth.  Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.*** 7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap.  Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.  Carefully sweep shattered  figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.  9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.*** 10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed.  Get another pill.  Open another beer.  Place cat in cupboard, and close door on to neck, to leave head showing.  Force mouth open with dessert spoon.  Flick pill down throat  with elastic band.***  11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges.  Drink beer.  Fetch bottle of scotch.  Pour shot, drink.  Apply cold compress  to cheek, and check records for date of last tetanus shot.  Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect.  Toss back another shot.  Throw Tee shirt  away and fetch new one from bedroom.***  12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from across the road.  Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.  Take last pill from foil wrap.***  13. Tie the little bastard's front paws to rear paws with garden twine  and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed.  Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak.  Be  rough about it.  Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to  wash pill down.*** 14. Consume remainder of scotch.  Get spouse to drive you to the  emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes  pill remnants from right eye.  Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.*** 15. Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

 

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HOW TO MEDICATE YOUR DOG:  

 

1. Wrap pill in bacon.***  2. Toss it in the air.

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NOT QUITE WELL YET, sent in by Ty Scharrer

 

A man who had been in a mental home for some years finally seemed to have improved to the point where he was released.  The head of the institution interviewed him first.

     He asked, "What do you intend to do with your life?"

     The inmate said, "I will certainly refrain from making my former mistake.  I was a nuclear physicist, you know, and it was the stress of my work in weapons research that helped put me here.  I shall confine myself to work in pure theory, where I trust the situation will be less difficult and stressful."

     "Marvelous," said the head of the institution.

     "Or else," ruminated the inmate, "I might teach.  There is something to be said for spending one's life in bringing up a new generation of scientists."

     "Absolutely," said the director.

     "Then again, I might write.  There is considerable need for books on science for the general public.  Or I might even write a novel based on my experiences in this fine institution."

     "An interesting possibility," said the director.

     "And finally, if none of these things appeals to me, I can always continue to be a tea-kettle."

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THE FINAL LETDOWN, sent in by Mary Butler

    A father asked his 10-year old son if he knew about the birds and the bees.

     "I don't want to know," the child said, bursting into tears.  "Promise me you won't tell me."

     Confused, the father asked what was wrong.  The boy sobbed, "When I was six, I got the 'There's no Easter Bunny' speech.  At seven, I got the 'There's no Tooth Fairy' speech.  When I was eight, you hit me with the 'There's no Santa' speech.  If you're going to tell me that grown-ups don't really get laid, I'll have nothing left to live for!"

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   SOME QUOTATIONS FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE, sent in by Ty Scharrer

 

1. "I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered.  But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog:  'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'"--Eleanor Roosevelt***2.  "The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible."-- George Burns***3. "Santa Claus has the right idea-- visit people only once a year."-- Victor Borge***4. "I was married by a judge.  I should have asked for a jury."-- Groucho Marx***5. "Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat."-- Alex Levine***6. "My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying." -- Rodney Dangerfield***7. "I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it."-- W.C. Fields

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LAWS OF A ZIGGY (LOSER) sent in by Ty Scharrer

 

1. Law of Mechanical Repair-- After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch, or you'll have to pee.***2. Law of the Workshop-- Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.***3. Law of Probability--
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.***4. Law of the Telephone-- If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.***5. Law of the Alibi-- If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning, you will have a flat tire.***6. Variation Law-- If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).***7. Law of the Bath-- When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.***8. Law of Close Encounters-- The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.***9. Law of the Result-- When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.***10. Law of Biomechanics-- The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.***11. Law of the Theater-- At any event, the people whose seats are farthest from the aisle arrive last.***12. Law of Coffee-- As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.***13. Murphy's Law of Lockers-- If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.***14. Law of Rugs/Carpets-- The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.***15. Law of Location-- No matter where you go, there you are.***16. Law of Logical Argument-- Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.***17. Brown's Law-- If the shoe fits, it's ugly.***18. Oliver's Law-- A closed mouth gathers no feet.***19. Wilson's Law-- As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.  (This one is true every time.)***20. Doctors' Law-- If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor; by the time you get there, you'll feel better.  If you don't make an appointment, you'll stay sick.

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HERBAL HEALING, sent in by Pat Fields

 

I have a small booklet here entitled "Herbal Healing for Dummies"

On page 14-- under "Germ Warfare:  Treating Bacterial Infection," it says

"Here's a list of the most powerful antibacterial essential oils.  These are

killer oils that knock out common intestinal, skin, and lung infections,

including staph, strep, and pneumonia.  The test results on these oils are certainly

impressive.  Thyme oil proved to be as potent as standard antibiotic drugs !

Bay laurel, Cinnamon,  Clove bud, Garlic, Oregano, Savory,  Thyme.

 

The preceding essential oils are strong antiseptics, but the problem is that they're also potent skin irritants.  You can use these oils, but do so carefully and always

when greatly diluted.  Rather than risk burning your skin  with thyme oil, use a salve that contains the oil.  Because using these oils safely is tricky, one alternative is to use

the herbs themselves.  (The whole herb, from which an oil is extracted, contains the essential oil.)

 

The following bacteria-fighters tend not to be quite as strong as the killer oils, but they're still powerful.  These oils produce the opposite effect by reducing swelling

and irritation.   Bay rum (pimento), Benzoin, Cardamom, Eucalyptus*, Frankincense, Geranium, Helichrysum *, Lavender*, Lemongrass, Marjoram*,Myrrh*, Myrtle*, Pine*

Rose*,Sage*, Sandlewood, Tea tree*,Vetivert (the oils with asterisks seem to

be the most potent according to studies.)

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SCIENTISTS VERIFY TREATMENT FOR OLD BRAIN INJURIES

 

This discovery could help the almost 400,000 brain-injured service-members And veterans returning from Iraq.

 

Today, the prestigious peer-reviewed journal, Brain Research, published an article that verifies rats with an old traumatic brain injury can be healed with a protocol perfected by treating humans since 1978.  Traumatic brain injury is a condition that denies oxygen to certain parts of the brain, which causes inflammation, cell death, and loss of use.  Intermittent treatments with pure oxygen, called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) saturate these oxygen-deprived tissues with up to ten times the amount of oxygen we breathe.  HBOT has now been shown to restore function and heal these old brain injuries.  It is approved for other kinds of wound care.

 

Lead author of the study, Paul G. Harch, M.D., Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship director at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, who teaches other doctors how to use pressurized oxygen as a drug, stated, “We have now demonstrated that rats can be treated for chronic traumatic brain injuries just like we’ve treated humans for their brain injuries for the past 21 years.”  This treatment, originally developed to treat injured divers, carbon monoxide poisoned patients, and wound patients, has now been used by hundreds of doctors around the world to treat thousands of patients with different types of chronic brain injury.  In 2002 and 2004, Dr. Harch presented some of his case experience to Congress, Walter Reed Brain Injury Center, Bethesda Naval Hospital, and the National Institutes of Health.  Since traumatic brain injury is the signature injury in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the military has indicated as many as 300,000 soldiers might have suffered some traumatic brain injury.  This animal research now verifies and underpins the human experience.

 

With this study, the American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF), in conjunction with the International Hyperbaric Medical Association, is announcing the Brain Injury Rescue and Rehabilitation Project (BIRR), coordinated across the nation with clinics willing to treat our brain injured service members with hyperbaric oxygen. 

 

A recent study released by the military states between 154,000 and 392,000 service members and veterans returning from Iraq have suffered at least mild brain injury, and 30% of service members treated at Walter Reed have mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury.  Brenna Hill, Executive Director of AAHF stated, “To date U.S. military medicine has not implemented hyperbaric oxygen as standard of care, though some high ranking officers have been able to

receive treatment.  This latest study should show that it is time that hyperbaric oxygen was available for all who have sacrificed for our country.” Together, AAHF and IHMA is requesting $10 million from Congress to coordinate and conduct treatment for 400 veterans. This is a sufficient group for this randomized and controlled trial to verify or refute the findings of the civilian physicians who have treated many patients and have expertise in this treatment.

 

Don't forget to visit www.healthfreedom.net, read more information on BIRR, contact Congress, and support AAHF.

 

American Association for Health Freedom

4620 Lee Highway, Suite 210

Arlington, VA 2220

Phone:   1.800.230.2762 or 703.294.6244

Fax:        703.624.6380

E-mail:   office@healthfreedom.net

 

About AAHF

 

The American Association for Health Freedom is the politically active voice at the federal and state level for the right of the consumer to choose and the practitioner to practice.  We ensure health freedom by lobbying Congress and state legislatures and crafting legislation; acting as a government watchdog and filing comments on proposed rulings; educating the public, press, and decision-makers on integrative medicine; initiating legal activities (e.g., lawsuits, amicus briefs, petitions), and joining and forming significant coalitions.

 

AAHF was founded in 1992 in direct response to the problems faced by practitioners and consumers in the United States.  Medical freedoms were and continue to be threatened by the government agencies, the allopathic medical community, insurance companies, and state medical boards around the country.  It is clear that health freedom needs a strong advocate on Capitol Hill, in the state legislatures, in the courts, and with the media.  AAHF is that health freedom champion.

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 VIRUS ALERT, sent in by Frank Tyrrell

 

BAD Virus ---CNN announced -- Snopes confirms as real.

Here is a link to the snopes page:

 http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp

 (ihttp:// www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp

  PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST!!

  A new virus has just been discovered that has been classified by  Microsoft As the most destructive ever.  This virus was discovered  yesterday Afternoon by McAfee .  This virus simply destroys Sector Zero  from the Hard disk, where vital information for its functioning are stored.  This virus acts in the following manner:  It sends itself  automatically to all contacts on your list with the title: "You've  received a Post Card from a Family member".  As soon as the supposed virtual card is opened, the computer freezes  so That the user has to reboot.  When the ctrl+alt+ del keys or the  reset Button are pressed, the virus destroys Sector Zero, thus  permanently Destroying the hard disk. Yesterday in just a few hours  this virus caused Panic in New York , according to news broadcast by  CNN.  This alert was received by an employee of Microsoft itself.  So don't  open any mails with subject: "A Post Card from .. " As soon as you get the mail, delete it !! Even if  You know the sender !!!  Please pass this mail to all of your friends.  Please forward this to everyone in your address book.  I'm sure most people,  Like myself, would rather receive this notice 25 times than not at All!

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MIDDLE EAST WARS, sent in by Mick Gallagher

 

 Cheryl's Daily Diatribe:

 

The Middle East Conflict-- has it Been Engineered by Extremist Rightwing Christians and Zionists Hoping to "Force" the "Rapture"?

      There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that bush and Sharon are colluding to force the Middle East into a massive, all-out war as a way to stay in power.  But bush plans to have the last laugh.  By encouraging Sharon to escalating excesses, bush hopes to bait Arabs everywhere-- including Iraq-- into taking aggressive action, even all-out war.  This would of course give bush the pretext he's sought for launching an attack on Iraq and embroiling America in a war…. But the other part of bush's plan is just as vicious.  By encouraging the bloodthirsty egomaniac Sharon, he may succeed in destroying Israel without ever lifting a finger himself.      

     It seems insane that Sharon has staked his country's security on an alliance with bush-- a man who describes himself as a fundamentalist Christian (which by definition means anti-Semitic), whose mentor Billy Graham was blatantly anti-Semitic, whose family actively traded with the Nazis in WWII and who has himself made anti-Semitic comments.  This is like getting into bed with a rattlesnake and assuming you won't get bitten.

    But, there is another dimension to the Middle East insanity very, very few know about: the unholy alliance between the Christian right and their Jewish counterparts, the Zionists.  While sane people around the world view the Middle East conflict as "mere" political wrangling with religious undertones, the rightwing Christians and Zionists see the conflict as a prelude to the final chapter in the fulfillment of Biblical scriptures-- at least as interpreted by paranoid schizophrenics with religious delusions such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and their Rabbinical counterparts in Israel and America.  These people welcome the current bloodbath with "rapturously" open arms; it means the "final Chapter" is imminent, at the conclusion of which the faithful will ascend to heaven and the rest of us heathens will die a horrible death. (These people are such great human beings.)

      I did not know about this whacked out movement until very recently.  I thought this type was confined to small, relatively powerless cults such as the Jim Jones or Hale-Bopp folks. But it seems that the rightwing Judeo-Christian "coalition" is not only just as whacked out as these cults, it is far, far larger and has friends in very high political places-- including, it is very likely, bush himself...

     First, I will give you some background, which was provided to me by a very reliable source.

      

       The reason why the Christian right has been funneling money into the West Bank is because they are trying to force the Rapture.

       According to Evangelical Christian beliefs, the Jews will rebuild the Temple Mount. When that happens the Lord will take all Born Again Christians up into heaven with him where they will live at his right hand for ever and ever.

       But the Jews will not rebuild the Temple Mount because they are all impure from having stepped upon the earth which has dead people buried in it.  In order for them to be pure, they must get a pure red heifer that was born in Israel and burn it.  The ashes will be mixed with water and this will be used to purify the builders and priests of the temple.

       Reverend Clyde Lott , an Evangelical cattle breeder, has been working with American-Born Rabbi Richman and West Bank settlers to genetically create a perfect red cow.  The West Bank is currently populated with Palestinian Muslims who are sworn to protect the Al Aqsa Mosque which must be destroyed because it currently sits exactly where they intend to build the Temple Mount.  They also need a male who has taken his bar mitzvah (he would be at least 13 years old) who has been raised "in a bubble" never touching the earth or anything that has become ritually unclean.

       According to the Jews, the Messiah will come once the temple is built.

       According to the Christians, the Jews will almost all die once the Temple is built and an antichrist immediately moves into it.  According to the Muslims, both the Christians and the Jews will die violent and bloody deaths if they attempt to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque.

       No, I am not hallucinating!

       We are about to see the biggest mass suicide ever.

       Furthermore, if you listen to the Christians, there also has to be a war with Persia (Iran) around this same time. "

       My source also included the following excerpt:

       ["According to Clyde Lott, the intent of many Evangelical Christians who are helping Israel today is to speed along the time when they will be raptured into Heaven, leaving behind a world in chaos and flames. "It's very sad, but I would say the interest in the Christian world is to see the Temple rebuilt from the Antichrist perspective, for the rapture of the Church, and that's a very selfish point of view," Lott says, "The very people who are advocating this are the ones that are very Semitic in their feelings". Although Evangelical theology forecasts the destruction of the Jews in the Last Days, Lott believes that the Jews are God's Chosen People and that the Bible clearly states that God favors those who help Israel."  [This is the sad result of confusing Jehovah with God.]

       Most Israelis understand the subtext of this alliance, but they are loathe to disclaim it. "Basically, we're a doormat for them to get to their own eschatological culmination," Rabbi Richman says, "It's a pretty scary thing, because the whole rapture thing that is popular in some Evangelical circles, which calls for a fulfillment of the hard times for Jacob, is essentially an invitation to genocide."

       And yet, knowing this, Rabbi Richman and the others happily accept the support of those who would destroy them."]

       Now that you have digested at least some of this, consider bush's actions for the past several months.  Without even needing to invoke a conspiracy theory, his behavior suddenly makes sense-- in a bizarro world way.  Thus, you have his constant use of the words "evildoers" and his passage of judgment on other nations as "evil," his obsession with attacking Iraq and, if he had his way, also Iran (the modern-day counterparts to "Persia-- at least close enough for government work!), his willingness to use nuclear weaponry (after all, Armageddon is part of the plan), his creation of a shadow government, his seemingly inexplicable refusal to make any effort to restrain Sharon, his surrounding himself with fundies, regardless of their qualifications (only the "pure" can participate in the "glory" of the final hours!), his determination to knock down the wall between church and state,… etc.

       So, simply put, we may well have a pack of religious nutcases running the U.S. government as well as in control of Israel.  Is it any wonder that the situation in the Middle East has reached the current level of insanity?  Sharon has intentionally provoked the current showdown, exhibiting a flagrant lack of concern for human life, be it Jewish, Muslim, or Christian.  Yes there are Palestinian suicide bombers, but, as R. D. Laing once said, some forms of insanity are in fact just sane reactions to an insane situation.

       I have no doubt that, with bush and Sharon at the helm, the insanity will get much, much worse before it gets better-- which it never will as long as these two madmen remain in power.

       Meanwhile, as these extremists use the "Holy Land" as a playground for acting out their delusions, the Palestinians are paying the heaviest price: Here are journal entries from those trapped in Ramallah.

 

 

 © 2002.    Cheryl may be contacted at cherylseal@hotmail.com.

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 NATIVE WISDOM, sent in by Carol Lawson

 

                               "Peace... comes within the souls of men when they realize their           

relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers,        

and when they realize that at the center of the Universe dwells           

Wakan-Tanka [spiritual Mind], and that this Center is really everywhere.  It is within      

each of us."                                 --Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa) OGLALA SIOUX                                    

                                                                           

If we are to know peace we must look within ourselves.  In order to do     

this, we must learn to be still.  We must quiet the mind.  We must          

learn to meditate.  Meditation helps us locate and find the Center         

that is within ourselves.  The Center is where the Great One resides.      

When we start to look for peace, we need to realize where it is--            

within ourselves.  When we experience conflict we need to pause for a      

moment and ask the Power within ourselves, "How do you want me to         

handle this?"  By           

asking the Higher Power for help, we find peace.

 

When we are aligned with spiritual values, we cannot be in fear or conflict.  When we are aligned to spiritual values, we have the Creator whispering solutions in our ears.  Unity is one of the spiritual values.  When we value unity, we value solutions.  If we think this way, then we have no conflict within ourselves.

 

from whitebison.org

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WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE, sent in by Nathan Merritt

 

 John is the kind of guy you love to love.:)  He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say.  When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

     He was a natural motivator.  If an employee was having a bad day, John was there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.  Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it.  You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

     He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.  I choose to be in a good mood.  Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it.  I choose to learn from it.  Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept her complaining or I can point out the positive side of life.  I choose the positive side of life."

     "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

     "Yes, it is," he said.  "Life is all about choices.  When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice.  You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.  You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.  The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

     I reflected on what he had said.  Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business.  We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

     Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, having fallen some 60 feet from a communications tower.  After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.  I saw him about six months after the accident.

     When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins.  Wann a see my scars?"

     I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident had taken place.

     "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied.  "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

     "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

     He continued, "The paramedics were great.  They kept telling me I was going to be fine.  But when they wheeled me into the e.r. and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared.  In their eyes, I read, 'he's a dead man.'  I knew I needed to take action."

     "What did you do?" I asked.

     "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John.  "She asked whether I was allergic to anything.  'Yes,' I replied.  The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply.  I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity!'"

     Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live.  Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."  He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.  I learned from him that every day, we have the choice to live fully.  Attitude, after all, is everything .  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

     After all, today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.  You have two choices now:  1. Delete this, or 2. Forward it to the people you care about.  (You know the choice that I made.:)

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 RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY: A FEW THOUGHTS
, by Frank Tyrrell

 

A close look at the world of "endless religion & philosophy" reveals several billion people doing their best to approach the divine Reality via the techniques of their various cultures.  And they are quite sincere in their search.

     Against this backdrop of a quite universal urge to find and worship their creator, we have various micro-minority religious cults screaming that everyone else is wrong and only they have it right.  Among this group we find Scientology, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The Way International, and many others; these include Jehovah's Witnesses, who infamously claim that the universal God of love and mercy is soon to swoop down from the heavens and murder off 99.99998% of his erring, but ignorant, children on this planet.  This is error; and as such, it is evil.

     ]Jesus said to] Worship God in Spirit.  Isn't it possible we are created in his "image" in that we are each indwelt by an actual spark of the infinite deity?  And to worship God in Spirit we should strive to do so from that spirit-- as opposed to attempting to do so from the human mind.

     Worship God with truth?  Isn't it possible that truth does not consist merely of the correct arrangement of words, but that truth does consist of unconditional love, peace, joy, goodness and all those other most beautiful characteristics of a spirit-dominated life?

     For most of us who have left the religious cults, didn't we do so just because we did not find the fruitages of the spirit we were promised there?  The organizations we left were in service to themselves, not to us.  We knew there had to be more.

     Gathering together in groups every time one turns around, singing songs, listening to leaders delivering the same old information in the same old way, dodging embarrassing questions, lying in the name of the God of Truth, hating in the name of the God of Love, peddling worthless literature from door-to-door and reporting the time; sacrificing love, marriage, children, an education; giving up our own lives and that of our children on the alter of outrageous medical practices, shunning the very ones we should love the most-- these things cannot be the Way.

     It cannot be that God wishes us to subscribe to a belief in things which are spiritually repugnant, unholy, and untruthful.  It cannot be that entering the kingdom is accomplished at the price that our own sense of mercy, justice, and truth should be outraged by submission to an outworn system of religious forms, absurd organizational demands, and meaningless ceremonies.

     And sincerely searching for the right direction, asking to know God's will and then seeking to do it then is a superior form of worship.  And the greatest act of worship?  Since god is Love, then the expression of this Love to all others who chance to be in our sphere becomes the very highest form of worship.

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NEW SCIENCE:  THE LATEST DISCOVERIES

 

The following are taken from:  World Science

 

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* Other universes may be detectable, published 
study claims
:
If there are other universes, then one or more of
them might leave a mark on ours, researchers say.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/071011_universes.htm

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* When our vices get the better of us:
What happens in the brain when we just can't say no?

http://www.world-science.net/othernews/071011_self-control.htm

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*