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The Definition of Love.
May20


What is the definition of love? For sure, it's a relative question, with a different meaning to each of us.

For some, the perception of love has been shaped by divorce, death, and other loss. An appetite created from the void of the aforementioned. For others, it's about birth, marriage, friendship. For many, it's affected by all of the above.

But children, in their innocence, define it differently. They use their simple words to convey a complicated emotion.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca - age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen," Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," Nikka - age 6

"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them." Jenny - age 8

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore," Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine -age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget," Jessica - age 8

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

~ Inspiration by God Newsletter~

How to Meditate For A healthy Mind And Body by Frank Iamin


Learning how to meditate is the same practice among many various cultures and religions. This stays true in every aspect of practicing meditation, from learning how to breathe properly, proper posture, when to meditate, picking the correct environment, planning your meditation and understanding our thoughts and emotions.

When you are just learning how to meditate don't worry too much about every little thing. Before you can begin to unwrap the many years of programming you will have to create within yourself a great desire and sense of urgency to want to change. It is necessary that you learn how to meditate the right way to get the most from your meditation experience.


Pick Your Environment

Find a room that is quiet and free from distractions and noise. Find a comfortable area that gives you a feeling of peace and serenity. The room you choose will begin to absorb the energy you create during your meditations so if at first you don't have a perfect spot don't fret you will be programming the spot you choose. This will help you to reach a deeper state of meditation in a shorter amount of time as you continue to program your meditation area


When Should You Meditate

It's a good idea to pick a consistent time each day to meditate. A good time to meditate would be in the morning before you've been bombarded with the stresses and demands of your day. Our daily responsibilities put us under a lot of stress and the demands make it harder for us to have a good meditation when we try to meditate and relax. Be consistent with your daily morning ritual and you will notice that your day will unfold in a much different joyful pattern.


A Meditation Plan

You must choose your meditation plan when you are just beginning. You must be in the right frame of mind to have a productive meditation. Don't meditate as soon as you get home from a long day because you will wind up spending too much time trying to relax your mind and body. A good idea would be to take a short walk to decompress from the demands of your day.

If you are tired than maybe you can take a cool shower or even an energizing fresh fruit drink. It is very important to approach your meditations with the best mindset and will help you get the most out of your meditations.


Best Position

There are many different positions you can use when you are meditating but when you are just learning how to meditate it is best if you were in a seated position. Sit on the floor on a cushion or in a chair that has a straight back. Picture the energy travelling from the ground through your body and out through your head. Envision an invisible string attached to your head, which is pulling your body upright. This will give the energy a free flowing channel to travel through.

Gently place your hands on your lap with your fingers relaxed and spread apart slightly. Tuck you chin down and begin to relax you jaw and your tongue. With your mouth open slightly put your tongue against the roof of your mouth. With half open eyes look out and relax your vision by seeing but not really focusing on anything.

Focus you awareness and picture yourself in a trance-like state. Do the same thing with any sounds you hear, you notice the sounds but you don't give them any importance. They become a background symphony for the experience of the meditation, having no more importance than the background noises we hear and ignore all day long.


The Breath

When you begin to learn how to meditate you will notice that your mind is jumping rapidly from thought to thought as our minds struggle to gain control once more. You must learn to let go of these thoughts and focus your attention on your breath. To stay focused on your meditation it is a good idea to count your breaths. As you breathe deep into your belly and then breathe out consider this a count of one. Begin by counting a series of 15 to 20 breaths, this will be long enough to help you to quiet your monkey mind.


Experience the Benefits Of Meditation.

You're starting to find that place inside yourself where you are in control and your thoughts and are guided by your intentions. That place within where the mind is no longer the master of your destiny and controller of your fate. You are beginning to relax and experience what it means to be in a basic state of goodness and joy, a boundless place of deep understanding and serenity.

A level of multi-dimensional consciousness that shows you once and for all that you are more than what you see on the surface. All your former illusions of self are now breaking down and you are on a journey to discover the truly divine being you are.

Become all that you were meant to be by learning how to meditate and let go of the self defeating beliefs you have built up over the years. Use these meditation techniques everyday for the best possible results.

After meditating for many years I can tell you that the benefits of meditation can't be denied. It is my opinion and the opinion of many studies that we all will live a longer stress free life if we just learn how to meditate . Start meditating today using the above meditation techniques . It may save your life......

Article Source: How to Meditate For A healthy Mind And Body

Daily OM – Clinging to the Core


May 21, 2010

Clinging to the Core

When Our World Falls Apart

When it feels as if your world is falling apart, know at your core that you are a strong being of light.


There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, any time those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to our core, which is the only truly safe place to call home.

The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or subject to the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and mystical poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is just a misperception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared but is simply temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it.

We can cling to this core when things around us are falling apart, knowing that an inexhaustible light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on the structures we used to call home, knowing more clearly than ever that our true home is that bright sun shining in our core.

LOVE IS ALWAYS THE BEST MEDICINE...
From: Elizabeth Cusova



FRIENDS FOREVER...........

The orangutan was in a rescue and not doing well. This old hound wandered in absolutely emaciated and the orangutan snapped to like his buddy had arrived. He stayed with the hound night and day until he was well and in the whole scenario, found a reason to live. They are now inseparable.

Suryia and Roscoe - Best Of Friends

Where you lead, I will follow...best friends Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the Blue Tick hound.

Doggy paddle's the order of the day here for the couple who live at the Tigers sanctuary in Myrtle Beach , South Carolina .

Suryia and Roscoe spend hours together every day - they're particularly keen on swimming.

The two mates see the funny side of most things.

There's always time to chill.

For once, Roscoe's letting it all hang out.

The three-year-old orangutan goes everywhere with Roscoe.

A dog's not just a man's best friend, he's an orangutan's too.

No_Kid_Can_Resist_a_Mud_Puddle


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JVHayaUEeE

Reunited with the Vietnamese 'girl in the picture'

Nick Ut's famous image of Kim Phuc fleeing the napalm attack on her village


By Rebecca Lumb
BBC News

Kim Phuc, the Vietnamese girl in one of the unforgettable images of the Vietnam War , has been reunited by the BBC with Christopher Wain, the ITN correspondent who helped save her life 38 years ago.

When Chris last saw Kim, she was lying on a hospital bed with first-degree burns to more than half of her body, after a South Vietnamese napalm bomb attack.

It was 8 June 1972 and Chris and his crew had been in Vietnam for seven weeks, covering the conflict for ITN.

I found our reunion much more moving than I'd anticipated... Kim was quite emotionally charged, and that's catching

Christopher Wain

He remembers the day clearly: "That morning we'd arrived at the village of Trang Bang, which had been infiltrated by the North Vietnamese two days earlier. They were dug in, awaiting a counter-attack.

"In the late morning, two vintage Vietnamese bombers started to circle overhead - this wasn't anything unusual, but because we had been into the village we knew something was going wrong."

Many of the villagers had already fled to the shelter of a temple, among them nine-year-old Kim.

"We thought this would be a safe place - but then I saw the plane - it got so close," she remembers.

"I heard the noise of the bombs then suddenly I saw the fire everywhere around me.

"I was terrified and I ran out of the fire. I saw my brother and my cousin. We just kept running. My clothes were burnt off by the fire."

Chris and his crew were about 400m from the point where the four canisters of napalm had exploded.

"There was a blast of heat which felt like someone had opened the door of an oven. Then we saw Kim and the rest of the children. None of them were making any sound at all - until they saw the adults. Then they started to scream."

Lasting memory

A Vietnamese photographer, Nick Ut, was also covering events in South Vietnam that day.

As Kim ran down the road, her arms outstretched and screaming for help, he took what is now seen as one of the most memorable images of the Vietnam War.

She was still running when Chris stopped her and poured water over her, while directing his crew to record the terrible scenes.

Chris helps Kim as the horrific scenes are captured on film

"We were short of film and my cameraman, the late, great Alan Downes, was worried that I was asking him to waste precious film shooting horrific pictures which were too awful to use. My attitude was that we needed to show what it was like, and to their lasting credit, ITN ran the shots."

Nick took Kim to the nearest hospital, the US-run Saigon First Children's Hospital. Shortly afterwards, his photograph and the film footage appeared all over the Western media.

One result was that everyone wanted to know what had happened to the little girl.

It was Chris who found Kim the following Sunday, in a small room at the British hospital.

"I asked a nurse how she was and she said she would die tomorrow," he says. So he got her moved to a specialist plastic surgery hospital, for life-saving treatment.

Kim stayed in hospital for 14 months and went through 17 operations, remaining in constant pain to this day.
Her image became a lasting memory for a generation - but the little girl herself disappeared from public view.

Powerful gift

Then, 10 years later, a journalist from Germany tracked Kim down.

She was at university studying medicine but the Vietnamese government cut short her studies and ordered her back to her village to be filmed and interviewed. She was now a propaganda tool.

Even when she succeeded in resuming her studies, this time in Cuba, she was still expected to fulfil her duties as a "symbol of war".

I realised I have a powerful gift... now that I have freedom I can control that picture

Kim Phuc

It was at Havana University that she met Toan, a fellow student from Vietnam. They married and took a honeymoon in Russia, which provided them with a unique opportunity to flee to Canada.

"I heard rumours that a lot of Cuban students stay in Canada on the way back from Moscow, when the plane stops to refuel. By doing this I was finally able to gain my freedom."

Kim settled down to a peaceful and anonymous life in Canada with her husband and two children, but in 1995 she was traced by another journalist and the picture was splashed across the front page of the Toronto Sun.

"I wanted to escape the picture because the more famous it got, the more it cost me my private life. It seemed to me that my picture would not let me go," she says.

However, the realisation came to her she did not have to remain an unwilling victim. The photo was, in fact, a powerful gift that she could use to help promote peace.

"I realised that now that I have freedom and am in a free country, I can take control of that picture," she says.

'Impressive woman'

This idea led her to establish the Kim Phuc Foundation, which provides medical and psychological assistance to child victims of war.

Chris continued with ITN for another three years as defence correspondent, covering amongst other things the Yom Kippur War and the invasion of Cyprus. Later he moved to the BBC.

He retired in 1999 and never expected to see Kim again.

"At the time, it was just another story, though an appalling one. It was certainly the worst thing I ever saw.

"Later, when interest was rekindled, I felt that Kim was being used. That was why 10 years ago I declined a proposed on-screen reunion with her on the Oprah Winfrey Show - it sounded exploitative."

Now, having met Kim, he's changed his mind, and no longer thinks of her as a victim of that picture.

"Despite everything that has happened to her, and all she's endured, she's become a very impressive woman."

Oil spill in Gulf of Mexico in maps and graphics

A massive operation is under way in and around the Gulf of Mexico to halt a leak from a blown-out oil well and prevent the spread of the slick.

The graphic above shows the scene 1,524m (5,000 feet) beneath the waves where oil is leaking out of the damaged remnants of the oil well apparatus.

Below we explain the various attempts to stem the leak from the damaged oil lines on the sea bed.
Underwater efforts to cap oil leak

Initially, BP tried to lower a 125-tonne, 18-metre (59 feet) high container dome over the main leak on the sea floor. However, this failed when gas leaking from the pipe mixed with water to form hydrates, ice-like crystals, that blocked up the steel canopy.

Meanwhile, four robotic submersibles have been trying to activate the blow-out preventer, a set of huge valves designed to seal the well.

Experts believe the blow-out preventer (BOP) must have partially triggered otherwise the flow of oil to the surface would be more extreme than it is.

In an unusual move, BP, the British oil giant which contracted another company to drill the well, has also started using dispersant chemicals down at the leak site as well as on the surface.

A long-term solution is also in progress - drilling a relief well which can tap into the leaking well and take the pressure off the broken well. However, it could be three months before this is operational.

Up to five thousand barrels a day are thought to be leaking from the site of the Deepwater Horizon rig which sank on 22 April after an explosion in which 11 workers lost their lives.

The delicate eco-system of the gulf coastline is rich in wildlife including the brown pelican, many species of duck, turtles, and whales.

There are fears that the disaster could reach the scale of the 11m gallon Exxon Valdez spill off Alaska in 1989.

How the oil has spread

Approximate oil locations 22 April - 15 May

TACKLING THE OIL SLICK

Emergency teams are using several methods in attempts to deal with the oil at the surface, which has created a slick covering about 2,000 sq miles (5,200 sq km).

More than 275 vessels, including skimmers, tugs, barges and recovery vessels, are being used.

Skimmers, which skate over the water, brushing up the oil are also being employed and more than 90,000 barrels of oil-water mix have been removed.

Around 190 miles of floating boom are being used as part of the efforts to stop oil reaching the coast. A US charity is even making booms out of nylon tights, animal fur and human hair. Hair donations have been sent from around the world to help make the special booms, which will be laid on beaches to soak up any oil that washes ashore.

Dispersant chemicals, rather like soap, are being sprayed from ships and aircraft in an effort to help break down the oil - which is also degraded by wind and waves.

Burning is another method used to tackle oil spills - although it can be tricky to carry out and has associated environmental risks such as toxic smoke.

So far emergency crews have had little success in containing the spill using those methods.
New underwater technology aimed at stopping crude oil rising to the surface at the site of the leak has had some success.

12 Vows of Medicine Buddha


1. I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings.

May all beings be like me, with a perfect status and character, upright mind and soul, and finally attaining enlightenment like the Buddha.

2. I vow that my body be like crystal, pure and flawless, radiating rays of splendid light to every corner, brightening up and enlightening all beings with wisdom. With the blessings of compassion, may all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy, so that they could fulfil their dreams in the right track.

3. I vow that I shall grant by means of boundless wisdom, all beings with the inexhaustible things that they require, and relieving them from all pains and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. Although clothing, food, accommodation and transport are essentials, it should be utilised wisely as well. Besides self-consumption, the remaining should be generously shared with the community so that all could live harmoniously together.

4. I vow to lead those who have gone astray back to the path of righteousness. Let them be corrected and returned to the Buddha way for enlightenment.

5. I vow that I shall enable all sentient beings to observe precepts for spiritual purity and moral conduct. Should there be any relapse or violation, they shall be guided for repentance. Provided they truly regret their wrong-doings, and vow for a change with constant prayers and strong faith in the Buddha, they could receive the rays of forgiveness, recover their lost moral and purity.

6. I vow that all beings who are physically disabled or sick in all aspects be blessed with good health, both physically and mentally. All who pays homage to Buddha faithfully will be blessed.

7. I vow to relieve all pain and poverty of the very sick and poor. The sick be cured, the helpless be helped, the poor be assisted.

8. I vow to help women who are undergoing sufferings and tortures and seeking for transformation into men. By hearing my name, paying homage and praying, their wishes would be granted and ultimately attain Buddhahood.

9. I vow to free all beings from evil thoughts and its control. I shall lead them onto the path of light through inculcating them with righteousness and honour so that they will walk the Buddha way.

10. I vow to save prisoners who have genuinely repented and victims of natural disasters. Those who are sincere will be blessed by my supreme powers and be freed from sufferings.

11. I vow to save those who suffer from starvation and those who committed crime to obtain food. If they hear my name and faithfully cherish it, I shall lead them to the advantages of Dharma and favour them with best food and eventually lead a tranquil and happy life.

12. I vow to save those who suffer from poverty, tormented by mosquitoes and wasps day and night. If they come across my name, cherish it with sincerity and practise dharma to strengthen their merits, they will be able to achieve their wishes.

Extracted from The Sutra of the Master of Healing.

Mandalas: Spirit In Art


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBlV56y87Uw


Zendalas- How to Draw a Mandala Zentangle Style


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Nlz4XMxcs

MANDALAS


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jKb6tiTvRY

Just In Time - Posted by Carol Anne Paradis


"I would like to share a message I saw the other day with you called Just In Time.

Novelist Vicki Baum once said, "You don't get ulcers from what you
eat. You get them from what's eating you." And what's eating us much
of the time is worry. It eats us from the inside out.

I wish I could always be like former baseball player Mickey Rivers.
He philosophized, "Ain't no sense worrying about things you got
control over, because if you got control over them, ain't no sense
worrying. And there ain't no sense worrying about things you got no
control over either, because if you got no control them, ain't no
sense worrying."

Maybe that makes sense, I'm just not sure. But even if it does, I'll
likely wind up worried anyway. Which is why I like this story
related by inspirational Dutch author and holocaust survivor Corrie
ten Boom.

Corrie learned a powerful lesson as a little girl. Having
encountered the lifeless body of a baby, she realized that people
she loved would someday die, too. She thought about the fact that
her father and mother and sister Betsie could quite possibly pass on
before she does. The thought frightened and worried her.

One night her father came in to tuck her into bed. Corrie burst into
tears and sobbed, "I need you. You can't die. You can't!"

Her father sat on the edge of the narrow bed and spoke tenderly to
his daughter. "Corrie," he said gently, "when you and I go to
Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?"

She sniffed a few times and considered the question. "Why, just
before I get on the train," she answered.

"Exactly," he continued. Then he gave her assurance that was to last
a lifetime. "When the time comes that some of us have to die, you
will look into your heart and find the strength you need - just in
time."

Some years later Corrie and her family, arrested for sheltering Jews
and members of the Dutch resistance, were sent to Nazi concentration
camps. She, indeed, experienced the deaths of her parents and
sister, as well as numerous friends. She endured hardships that she
could never have imagined as a young child. But the words of her
father stayed with her and proved to be true. "You will look into
your heart and find the strength you need - just in time." She
always did. Regardless of the suffering or hardship she encountered,
when she looked inside her heart she found the strength she needed -
just in time.

If you worry and fret, or if you feel anxious about your future, you
may find Corrie's experience helpful. And if that thing you dread
should ever arrive, then you need only look inside your heart. The
strength you need can be found there - just in time.