HOPE! 01/18/2010
 
Picture
Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

Emily Dickinson

 
Support the Hope from Ashes Concert and Auction.
http://www.hopefromashes.com.au/
 
 
Picture
Copyright image of the Peace, rose, from the original oil painting, by Kathy Shell. Reproduction cards, fridge magnets and postcards are available direct from the artist. Enquiries welcome.
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER -
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. 

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. 

I would have talked less and listened more. 

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or! the sofa faded. 

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. 

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. 

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. 

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. 

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains. 

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. 

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. 

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. 

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner!" There would have been more "I love you's." More "I'm sorry's." 

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it .. live it and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff. 

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. 

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. 

Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally.

I hope you all have a blessed day.

                                by Erma Bombeck 
 
 
Picture
Dr, Nora Volkow, is a passionate advocate for addicts of all kinds, she is determined to find a cure. Her work with drug addiction may offer help for overeaters.

Dr. Nora Volkow is determined to change people’s minds and make them realize, it is not only the weak that become addicted

I have an interest in drug rehabilitation. I have worked professionally with drug addiction from the emergency ward, through into the psychiatric wards and in several of the best private drug rehabilitation centres in Victoria.  I have combined my certificate in health sciences with my arts training to become an arts therapist, working in this field of health care. I have always felt compassion for those with addictions, I have had my own battle with overeating in the past and not so, past, I have no reason to feel superior to people fighting worse demons in their lives.  

Dr Volkow is the director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health) and is one of the leading addiction researchers, Volkow says brain science is proving that we all have the potential to become addicted to something: drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex, gambling, even food. Overeating and substance abuse are "two sides of the same coin,"

The brain chemistry of over-eaters and drug addicts was very similar. Drug addicts, alcoholics and smokers all have the same type of brain chemistry, which prevents them from quitting their habits, except with great difficulty.  When people eat, way beyond their need and store the excess fat, there's a debate as to whether you want to call that a disorder of the brain

Addictive drugs hijack the normal food reward system that humans need to survive. For example, the dopamine signaling system in the brain is activated, by food cues, such as the smell of turkey roasting in the oven. This system drives us to eat and feel satisfied after eating. Brain-imaging studies show this same system is at the core of drug addiction.

With understanding of what triggers addictions we will more easily be able to manage them.  This research certainly backs up what statistics tell us, that it is stress management, changing our thinking and lifestyle rather than going on a diet, that is the only long-term pathway out of obesity for a former overeater like myself.