There would be nothing to frighten you
if you refused to be afraid.
~Gandhi

Take chances. When rowing forward, the boat may rock. ~Chinese Proverb

The important thing is not to stop questioning. ~Albert Einstein

Only when we give joyfully, without hesitation or thought of gain, can we truly know what love means. ~Leo Buscaglia

I wish I could make a happier world
-harmonious, friendly and peaceful.
~His Holiness the Dali Lama - from the book "Tying Rocks to Clouds"

"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all...that is genius...
A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages.
Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty." -~

~Ralph Waldo Emerson from web visitor Ciera454 Thanks...

Within you is the divine capacity to manifest
and attract all that you need or desire.
~Wayne Dyer "The Secrets to Manifesting your Destiny"

Balancing Motherhood and Self

Women have been getting mixed messages about the shoulds and shouldn'ts of motherhood. What this has succeeded in doing is…
Putting undue pressure on women to work or not to work or be supermoms.
Making moms feel guilty about being stay-at-home moms or feel guilty for being working moms.
Causing self-conscious embarrassment if they aren't pursuing a career outside the home and self-doubt for pursing a lifetime career outside the home.
Get the message? You are damned if you do and damned if you don't. And that is precisely how a large number of younger moms feel.
We all know the history lesson here. Before the 1960s, Mom stayed home.

The working woman was the deviant.

Now that anything goes, the natural conflict of mothers' needs and children's needs should be addressed.

Only then can the weight of stress and guilt building on motherhood's "shoulds and shouldn'ts" be thrown off.
Finding a Balance:

The Conflict of Motherhood and Self
Scientific findings of researchers may shed new light on the topic.

Key among these findings are…
The happiest women are the busiest women.
Those moms who are the most harried do not have a negative feeling about motherhood.
The choice to stay at home can mean a loss of self, believes Sally Placksin, author of Mothering the New Mother (Newmarket Press, 1994).

In order to avoid that loss, women have created networks, support groups, and publications to reassure them that it is okay to stay home.
Children in households with working mothers did not have more problems than in households with stay-at-home moms.
More important to a child's overall sense of happiness is whether or not her mother is happy and satisfied with her lifestyle, whether this meant she stayed at home or worked.

Strategies....Everyone needs a Plan....

Parenting Strategies:
• Channel energy into appropriate and fun activities.
• Childproof the house from child's point of view.
• Set clear, consistent limits.
• Provide nutritious snacks for refueling. Don't expect child to sit for too long at mealtime.
• Provide rest periods during the day, even if he/she doesn't sleep.
• Make sure child gets enough sleep at night.
• Don't rough house at bedtime. Use calming routines to settle down (reading stories).
• Place in groups with slightly older (or active) children.
If also intense:
• Notice "signals" of escalating intensity.
• Use soothing activities (swinging, rocking) or distractions to reduce intensity.
• Provide place for child to "cool down" to let off steam.
• Teach what is allowed in expressing intensity - teach "words" to use.
• Keep your voice and manner calm.

Parenting Your Unique Child

The high-energy child
What does a high-energy child look like?

Children who are high energy may be highly active or very intense in their reactions

(or both active and intense).
The highly active child always seems to be on the move.

He runs more often than walks, and doesn't like to stop to eat, rest, or get his diaper changed.

If your child has a high activity level you may find this a challenge unless you also have a high activity level.
The high intensity child reacts strongly to things, sometimes bouncing with excitement and sometimes having temper tantrums.

This dramatic toddler lets you know how she feels!

If both you and your child are high in intensity, this may make it more challenging for you to "keep your cool" while handling your child's strong reactions

(especially negative reactions).
While parenting the high-energy child can be a challenge, high-energy children who are also fast adapting (adapt quickly to changes and new things) usually adjust fairly easily to the limits that parents set.
Parenting Your Unique Child
The high-energy child
What does a high-energy child look like? Children who are high energy may be highly active or very intense in their reactions (or both active and intense).
The highly active child always seems to be on the move. He runs more often than walks, and doesn't like to stop to eat, rest, or get his diaper changed. If your child has a high activity level you may find this a challenge unless you also have a high activity level.
The high intensity child reacts strongly to things, sometimes bouncing with excitement and sometimes having temper tantrums. This dramatic toddler lets you know how she feels! If both you and your child are high in intensity, this may make it more challenging for you to "keep your cool" while handling your child's strong reactions (especially negative reactions).
While parenting the high-energy child can be a challenge, high-energy children who are also fast adapting (adapt quickly to changes and new things) usually adjust fairly easily to the limits that parents set.
What is the difference between being high-energy and hyperactive or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?

High activity level and/or high intensity are normal temperament differences.

Hyperactivity or ADHD are medical, diagnostic labels for a certain pattern of child behaviors, which includes being highly active, and also an inability to stay focused on an activity.

Most diagnoses of hyperactivity or ADHD occur after children start school, where a high energy level doesn't "fit" as well.

Understanding temperament helps parents learn to manage their child's high energy at an earlier age, and helps children learn how to handle appropriately their own energy.

up next...parenting strategies

XAVIOR...HIGH ENERGY....tips dealing with high energy 'little people"..

Here are six ways you can help a hyperactive child:
*Channel the energy.

A child with endless amounts of energy, who is bounding up and down the stairs and getting into trouble, is crying out for something to do. Try enrolling your child in a team sport, dance class, or some parents rave about the benefits of martial arts. Martial art classes teach control, discipline, and self-esteem
. While at home, get creative and give your child a task. "Katie, can you water the back lawn for me?" So what if she gets rambunctious doing it? She's accomplishing something useful.....i use this one all the time with Xavior...Redirection...and helping me...sometimes it don't work...but it is a useful tool.

*Establish distinct indoor/outdoor rules.

Sit down as a family and discuss what behavior is acceptable in the house and what behavior isn't. Break it down in very clear terms. On a cardboard sheet, make two columns: Indoors and Outdoors. Have the kids help list behaviors that fall under each heading. Yelling=Outdoors. Running=Outdoors. Reading=Indoors, etc. If a child uses outdoor behavior inside the house, he has to go outside for a half hour. If darkness prevents this, he has to go to the "chill-out" chair.

*"Push the wall."

Yul Brenner had a specific technique he would use to combat jitters, anxiety, and restlessness. He would stand facing the wall with one knee bent and the other leg extended behind him (in a straddle position), and "push" the wall with all his might. After five seconds of simultaneously stretching and tensing his muscles as he pushed in this way, the automatic result when he was finished was to feel more relaxed and calm. You can test this technique and teach your child to use it when he feels out of control. i'm ganna try that!

*Deep Breathing.

Teach your child to take three looooong deep breaths through the nose, slowly filling the lungs like balloons. Then just as slowly, let the air escape through the mouth making "wind" sounds. Deep breathing helps harmonize our nervous systems by turning on our parasympathetic nervous system--our "relaxation response." It feeds oxygen to the brain, having a natural calming effect.

*Chill-Out Chair. (i like the thought of this one!)

It works wonders for discipline, and you can also use it when a child is obviously losing a sense of control. Send him to the "chill-out" chair for five minutes, with something interesting to read. If he acts up, the reading material is taken away, and five minutes is added to the time. Continue adding five minutes if he refuses to remain quiet. You could start "chill-out time" with deep breathing, using the technique in number four above. This will start the child off a bit more relaxed. If the child sits quietly for his allotted time, he can leave. There are numerous ways to use this method, but just be sure you have your own consistent rules in place to make it work.

*Family Exercise.

The more you employ family exercise in your children's lives, the better. They will be more able to manage stress, they'll be healthier, they'll avoid obesity, and they'll strengthen their family relationships. (And you will, too!) Exercise is a great way to use up nervous energy. Get out as a family and ride bikes, play ball, roller-skate, or whatever activities you enjoy most. WHAT YOU MEAN I GOTTA DO SOMETHING?

TODAY

is the BIGGEST day of MY life...

Yesterday is Gone....Never to be seen again...bye,bye

Tomorrow NEVER arrives....

TODAy is the BIGGEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

Quote of the day..

"Whatever you give a woman,

she will make greater.

If you give her sperm,

she'll give you a baby.

If you give her a house,

she'll give you a home.

If you give her groceries,

she'll give you a meal.

If you give her a smile,

she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit."

~Bobbie Jo Husted

In Praise of God

You are holy, Lord, the only God,and Your deeds are wonderful.

You are strong.

You are great.

You are the Most High.

You are Almighty.

You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.

You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.

You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,Lord God, living and true.

You are love.

You are wisdom.

You are humility.

You are endurance.

You are rest.

You are peace.

You are joy and gladness.

You are justice and moderation.

You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.

You are beauty.

You are gentleness.

You are our protector.

You are our guardian and defender.

You are our courage.

You are our haven and our hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord,God Almighty, Merciful Saviour.
- St. Francis of Assisi

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The Power of Love

"There is a Law that man should love his neighbor as himself. In a few hundred years it should be as natural to mankind as breathing or the upright gait; but if he does not learn it he must perish."

-- Alfred Adler

Hate is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.

-- Buddha

Love -- giving and receiving from the heart -- involves ... peace ...

-- Richard Carlson

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then there will be true peace

-- Sri Chin Moi Gosh

COURAGE doesn't always roar...

sometimes COURAGE is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying....

"I will try again tomorrow."

~Mary Raedmacher

I cannot do this alone....

O God, early in the morning I talk to you.

Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you:

I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,

But with you there is LIGHT;

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;

I am feeble in heart, but with you there is HELP;

I am restless, but with you there is PEACE.

In me there is bitterness, but with you there is PATIENCE;

I do not understand your ways,

But you know the way for me…

Restore me to LIBERTY,

And enable me to live NOW

That I may answer before you and before me.

Lord, whatever this day may bring,

Your name be PRAISED.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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TIPS to keep UR FAMILY healthy this winter...

Here are some simple things you can do this winter to help stop the spread of colds and flues to your family:

WASH YOUR HANDS
Even the healthiest people end up exposed to sickness. Germs are everywhere and cannot be avoided. Good hand washing is essential to keeping yourself healthy. Wash your hands as much as possible, before eating, after eating, before and after using the bathroom, after contact with pets, messes, and even more often when you are around someone who is sick.
*Wet hands using warm water
*Use soap and lather up
*Rub hands together rubbing the soap between your fingers and up to your wrists for 20 seconds.
AVOID THOSE SICK
try to avoid contact with people when YOU are sick, and of course if you know someone else is sick it's better to keep your distance. Staying home is not always possible but try to think of other's when you are out and about and have a contagious illness. Cough far away from others, into your own hands and wash up afterwards. Also teach your children proper "cough etiquette" as well...
DRESS IN LAYERS
You want to stay warm outdoors so you put on a lot of warm clothes. Most of your body heat escapes out of the top of your head. To avoid this, wear a hat whenever you are out in the cold. If you dress in layers, when you .....
EXERCISE AND EAT PROPERLY
Exercising and eating healthfully is important to keep your immune system on track. You should exercise 4 to 6 times a week for 30-60 minutes. After you exercise, be sure to get out of your sweaty clothes and shower as soon as possible.
DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Staying hydrated is proven to boost your immune system and fight off the cold and flu germs.

USE COMMON SENSE!
if your child is running out the door without being properly dressed, then you are setting YOURSELF AND THEM UP TO BE SICK....
BE SURE TO TAKE THE TIME TO WRAP UP, EVEN IF IT IS JUST TO GO TO THE MAILBOX. IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO CATCH A SERIOUS BUG...

Go For Your Goals:

Goal Setting For Kids

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The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide

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25 signs you have had too much to drink

1.) You lose arguments with a garden hose.

2.) You have to hold onto the lawn to keep from falling off the earth.

3.) Job interfering with you're drinking.

4.) Your doctor finds traces of blood in your alcohol stream.

5.) Career won't progress beyond Senator from Massachusetts.

6.) The back of your head keeps getting hit by the toilet lid.

7.) Sincerely believe alcohol to be the elusive 5th food group.

8.) 24 hours in a day. 24 beers in a case - coincidence?

9.) Two hands and just one mouth... - now THAT'S a drinking problem!

10.) You can focus better with one eye closed.

11.) The parking lot seems to have moved somewhere else while you were in the bar.

12.) Your twin sons are named Barley and Hops.

13.) Hey, 5 beers has just as many calories as a burger, screw dinner!

14.) Mosquitoes catch a buzz after attacking you

15.) At AA meetings you begin: "Hi, my name is... uh..."

16.) Your idea of cutting back is less salt.

17.) The whole bar says 'Hi' when you walk in.

18.) You think the Four Basic Food Groups are Caffeine, Nicotine, Alcohol, and Women

19.) Every night you're beginning to find your roommate's cat more and more attractive.

20.) Roseanne looks good.

21.) Don't recognize wife unless seen through bottom of glass.

22.) That stupid pink elephant followed me home again.

23.) Senator's Kennedy and Packwood shake their heads when they walk past you.

24.) "I'm as jober as a sudge."

25.) The shrubbery's drunk from too frequent watering.

How to OVERcome the Holiday Blues

There are many factors that can cause the depressed, stressed, agitated, fatigued, down and out, dreaded bad feelings that many people experience over the holidays.

In order to effectively resolve and overcome the holiday blues, you need to know what they are about for you.

There is no one universal solution, since what is depressing or stressful for one person may not be for someone else, and what works for one may not work for another.
Pay attention to your specific issues and situation.

How and what you pay attention to is important.

The holiday blues are so obvious, people tend to either focus on how bad they are feeling, or put their focus on avoiding the bad feelings.

Unfortunately, neither tactic will resolve the issues, and could easily make things worse.
It is important to realize that the bad feelings are not the real problem.

The bad feelings are a symptom of a problem.

You are reacting to something that is not right and you haven’t fixed it or resolved it yet.

It could be something that has happened or is happening in your world, or something within you, such as your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes, or a combination of external and internal factors. Look beyond the bad feelings,

pay attention,

and

let yourself know what you are reacting to.

The solution to many of the issues may be obvious once the issues or real problems are identified.

Some common causes
The holidays are supposed to be a time of happiness, good cheer, joy, fellowship with loved ones and optimistic hopes for the coming new year.

During the holiday season, we are bombarded and inundated with reminders of the holidays. The multitude of reminders can be a trigger for several unresolved issues such as:
Past loses.
Unresolved grief.
Anticipating a significant loss.
Contrast between then and now.
Disappointment about now.
Contrast between image of holiday joy and reality of ones life.
Sense of increased isolation and loneliness.
The holiday season is also a busier and more stressful time.

We have more things to do, more things to buy, there is more traffic, parking is more difficult, stores are crowded and we wait longer.

The extra demands on our time, attention, energy and finances can be very stressful, and for some, the "holiday blues."
Problem solve it.
Don't make yourself helpless and don't accept the role of a victim.

There is much you can do to make it better for yourself.
If your holiday blues are a manifestation of the stress from all the extra demands of the holidays, do some things to reduce the demands.

Rethink how you view and approach the holidays.

Also review your beliefs about what you have to do and the consequences of not doing what you believe you must do.

Is it really necessary to buy all those people gifts?

Is it really necessary to buy such expensive gifts?

What is the purpose and meaning of your giving?

Might there be an even more meaningful way of giving that is less demanding on you.

Don't forget to keep the overall picture in mind.

Making the effort to get a gift or do something nice for one person may be easy, but it gets more difficult and demanding on you as you increase the number of people you give to.

Sometimes just deciding what to get or do for someone is difficult and time consuming.

What could you do to make it less demanding?

Don't just follow your tradition without talking to your family and friends about it.

Families and relationships change over time, so make sure current efforts are appropriate for how your family and relationships are now.

Brainstorm with your family about it, or ask your friends how they approach it.

You might also be able come up with a better plan, such as giving yourself more time by starting your efforts several weeks earlier.
If your holiday blues are stemming from past losses, take advantage of the holidays to help you complete your mourning and finish your grieving over the loss. You will likely need to feel the sadness and grief, and be intellectually clear with yourself as to what you lost and the magnitude of the loss. If you accept the loss and the feelings that go along with the loss, the intensity of the bad feelings will lessen. In order to complete mourning and finish grieving, one has to find other ways of getting his/her needs met that were met by the person that is gone. It might be difficult and it will require effort, but don't let yourself lose more than necessary. Once you complete your grieving you will be able to experience good feelings when you reminisce. You might have a twinge of sadness at times, but the agonizing pain will be gone.
There are many different kinds of losses that cause grief.

There is a loss of loved one, loss of meaning and purpose, loss of health, loss of a body part, loss of important material things, loss of status, as well as past, present and anticipated future loss, to list a few.

I can not outline the specifics of how to handle all the different types of loss and the holiday blues, but

I can give you three principles that if applied properly will enable you to overcome the holiday blues.

The three principles are in the first verse of the Serenity Prayer which reads,

"God grant me the serenity to (1) accept the things I can not change, (2) the courage to change the things I can, and (3) the wisdom to know the difference.

Learn how to apply these three principles and serenity will replace the holiday blues.

You must be the CHANGE YOU wish to see in the WORLD

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.
Mahatma Gandhi

************************************************************

Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.
Mahatma Gandhi

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love;it is the prerogative of the brave. ~Mahatma Gandhi

How to Support the President You Didn't Vote For

Voting for a US President, often times, requires a lot of time and energy.

You read a lot, watch debates, and fend off an onslaught of advertising. Once you've voted and later find out your candidate didn't win, you might be angry, upset, or physically sick. Embrace the new President. Here's how and why.

Step1

First and foremost, we are the greatest nation in the world.

Yes, we still are.

So give the due respect to the leader of this great nation.
Step2

Put your country first.

Trust that the new President will do the same.
Step3

Forget about all the negative information that was said about the new President during the campaigns and remember it's okay for people to respectfully disagree with one another. That's how you learn. That's how you grow. This is what our country is all about.
Step4

Never speak negatively about our President and/or his policies to anyone other than another American. Perception isn't everything, but close to it.

It's important how our country is perceived in the world and could make a difference in our bargaining power on many fronts.
Step5

Keep pressure on your Congressman to promote the ideas and concerns of you and your community. You'll be surprised at how often the new President agrees with you.
Step6

Everyone deserves a chance.

Give the new President a chance to lead.

You were probably so focused on the positives of your candidate and the negatives of the opposing candidate that you may have failed to see the positive attributes of the President you didn't vote for.

Sowing the Seeds of Self

Self-admiration giveth much consolation.

--Gertrude Atherton

Looking in the mirror is a startling subjective experience.

When facing her reflection, one woman may say to herself, "I wish my hips were smaller," or "My fat hips make me ugly." Or she could say, "My curves make me sexy."

In each example, the hips are the same—it's how a woman feels about them that's different. But where do these feelings come from?

Whether or not you realize it, you've spent your entire life developing them, honing them, cloning them.

Transforming the messages communicated by society, your family, your friends, your rivals, and your enemies into cellular memory.
"As preschoolers, boys and girls have already learned the lessons about physical appearance that our society teaches," explains psychologist Thomas Cash, author of

"What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?"

"They know that lovely Cinderella gets the prince; her ugly and mean stepsisters do not. From childhood on . . . we judge our self-worth by the physical standards we've absorbed." The world's standards—to be extraordinarily thin, conventionally attractive, and forever young—are uncompromising and unrealistic, yet so pervasive in the media that women who do not conform (and who does?) feel flawed, inferior, unsuccessful, unlovable.
Society's ideals are reinforced in children by parents who overemphasize the importance of appearance, consciously or unconsciously. Their messages, be they subtle or painfully obvious, are expressed in dozens of ways: Were you put on a diet as a child or compared unfavorably to a sibling? Or were you praised for your prettiness, made to feel that it was your looks that made you lovable? Did your father disparage your mother for the way she looked? Or did she obsess about her own appearance? Don't discount the influence of friends and classmates: Being teased as a child or ostracized as a teenager can undermine the efforts of the most accepting parents.
Do you have memories of experiences that might have contributed to the way you see yourself today? As an adult, you may be able to "understand" them, to understand that your parents' criticisms did not mean they didn't love you, or that the bullies at school were acting purely out of their own insecurities. But this doesn't make the memories any less hurtful or their hold on you any less powerful. However, facing them, before you face yourself in the mirror, is the crucial first step in reshaping your body image.
A lifetime pattern of self-denigration is not going to disappear overnight.

You're going to have to learn how to replace your automatic criticisms with praise. Self-admiration takes many forms. It can and should include the new compliments you pay to yourself everyday. But the most powerful self-compliment of all is honoring the promises you make to your own soul.

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Barack Obama: Praying to Be 'An Instrument of God's Will' ...cont...

I do think that for the average Arab or Indonesian or Nigerian or Asian Muslim on the street that my familiarity with their culture would have an impact. I think that they would view America differently if I were president. Now, that is not just symbolic. That is something that could be used in a constructive way to open greater dialogue between the West and the Islamic world and that ultimately could make us more safe.

Q:

This is a delicate subject because there's been this smear campaign against you via email, alleging that you're Muslim. But do you think the fact that you attended a majority Muslim school in Indonesia or that your biological father was raised Muslim resonate with someone in the Arab street, a Muslim there?

A:
A Childhood of Different Religions

Let me just sort of be as clear as possible in terms of what that background is. You know, I was raised basically by my mother, who came from a Christian background—small town, white, Midwesterner. But, she was not particularly religious. My father, who I did not know—I spent a month of my life in his presence, otherwise he was a stranger to me—was raised in a household where his father had converted to Islam. But my father, for all practical purposes, was agnostic. My mother remarried an Indonesian and we moved to Indonesia. But for two years I went to a Catholic school in Indonesia, and then for two years went to a secular school in Indonesia. The majority of children there were Muslim. But it wasn't a religious school. So almost all the facts that have been presented in the scurrilous emails are wrong. And I've been a member of my church now for almost 20 years and have never been a person of the Muslim faith. Now, having said all that, I absolutely believe that having lived in a country that was majority Muslim for a time and having distant relatives in Africa who are Muslim, that I'm less likely to demonize the Muslim faith and more likely to understand that they are ordinary folks who are trying to figure out how to live their lives and raise their kids and prosper just like anybody else. And I do think that that cultural understanding is something that could be extremely valuable.

Q:

Preaching in church last Sunday, your longtime pastor, Jeremiah Wright, said that Bill Clinton "Did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky." And he was criticized recently for his church magazine's decision to give an award to Louis Farrakhan. Do you worry that the country is forming a certain impression of Jeremiah Wright that's a different than the man who brought you to Christianity?

A:
'I Am Proud of Reverend Wright'

It's a tricky thing, anybody's relationship with their pastor. Reverend Wright's about to retire in a month. He’s at the end of a long and distinguished career. People who are familiar with the black church tradition know that Reverend Wright's considered one of the greatest preachers in the country. Our church, Trinity United Church of Christ, even though it is part of a 95-, 97-percent white denomination, very much draws on the historical black church tradition and Reverend Wright's sermons do as well. And that means that sometimes he's provocative in ways that I'm not always comfortable with and in ways that I deeply disagree with occasionally. On the other hand, there are times where when he's talking about scripture and sort of our obligations as Christians to serve the least of these, he is right on target. And so, I think, like anybody else, I am proud of Reverend Wright and what he's done in his life and the people that he has drawn to Christ and the work that he's done in prison ministries, providing housing for seniors and all kinds of wonderful work in the church. But there are going to be times where we disagree. I think that's probably not unique to me.

Q:

You wrote in “The Audacity of Hope” about the role that faith and faith-based programs could play in confronting social ills. Isn’t your view on that similar to George W. Bush’s?

A:

No, I don't think so, because I am much more concerned with maintaining the line between church and state. And I believe that, for the most part, we can facilitate the excellent work that's done by faith-based institutions when it comes to substance abuse treatment or prison ministries…. I think much of this work can be done in a way that doesn't conflict with church and state. I think George Bush is less concerned about that. My general criteria is that if a congregation or a church or synagogue or a mosque or a temple wants to provide social services and use government funds, then they should be able to structure it in a way that all people are able to access those services and that we're not seeing government dollars used to proselytize. That, by the way, is a view based not just on my concern about the state or the apparatus of the state being captured by a particular religious faith, but it's also because I want the church protected from the state. And I don't think that we promote the incredible richness of our religious life and our religious institutions when the government starts getting too deeply entangled in their business. That's part of the reason why you don't have as rich a set of religious institutions and faith life in Europe. Part of that has to do with the fact that, traditionally, it was an extension of the state. And so there is less experimentation, less vitality, less responsiveness to the yearnings of people. It became a rigid institution that no longer served people's needs. Religious freedom in this country, I think, is precisely what makes religion so vital.

Q:

Your 2004 Democratic National Convention speech introduced you to the nation. And perhaps the most repeated line from that speech was, simply, “We worship an awesome God in the blue states.” Did you think that line would have as much resonance as it wound up having?

A:

Yeah, I did. That's why I put it in there. I thought it was an important message to send to the country as a whole, but also to my fellow Democrats that nobody has a monopoly on religious belief.

Barack Obama: Praying to Be 'An Instrument of God's Will'

This Saturday’s South Carolina primary could make or break Barack Obama's presidential aspirations. The Illinois Senator was interviewed by phone on Monday by Beliefnet politics editor Dan Gilgoff.
Listen to Barack Obama:
'I Felt God's Spirit Beckoning Me'
Prayers and Fair Play on the Campaign Trail
Muslims 'Would View America Differently'
A Childhood of Different Religions
'I Am Proud of Reverend Wright'
Q:

You spoke at Martin Luther King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church this week and speak regularly at other churches.

Is there a difference in speaking from a pulpit versus from behind a podium or at a political rally?

Do you have a different set of responsibilities?

A:

When I'm speaking behind a pulpit, I'm in church.

And what that means is that it's during a religious service. I'm there, mindful that the primary reason for being in church is to worship. And so I'm going to constrain myself in speaking on purely political issues and am more likely to broaden the theme to address broader issues—values and our ideals, how we can come together to solve the problems that we face as a nation and in the world. But I'm very sensitive to respecting the role that the church service plays and not wanting to abuse the privilege of addressing a congregation. In writing about your experience encountering church people as an organizer in Chicago, you said you saw “their ability to make a way out of no way, I could see the Word made manifest… I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized.”

It sounds like a conversion or a born-again experience.
'I Felt God's Spirit Beckoning Me

'It wasn't an epiphany. I didn't “fall out,” as they say in the black church.

It was an emotional and spiritual progression, as well as an intellectual one. And it didn't happen overnight. What happened was that I felt drawn to the message of Jesus Christ and the power of the church to fortify people in their spiritual journeys. And, you know, in my heart, at least, I felt God's spirit beckoning me. So ultimately, as I write in [“The Audacity of Hope”], I submitted myself to his will, dedicated myself to discovering his truths. But it's an ongoing process for all of us in making sure that we are living out our faith every day. And, you know, it's something that I try to pray on at the beginning of every day and at the end of every day, whether I'm living my life in a way that's consistent with my faith.

Q:

Is it difficult in the rough and tumble of campaign politics to stick to that, to live out your faith? And can you talk about whether you have a favorite prayer or what you pray about?
Prayers and Fair Play on the Campaign Trail

A:

The prayer that I tell myself every night is a fairly simple one: I ask in the name of Jesus Christ that my sins are forgiven, that my family is protected and that I am an instrument of God's will. I'm constantly trying to align myself to what I think he calls on me to do. And sometimes you hear it strongly and sometimes that voice is more muted. In terms of on the political trail, I don't find it challenging to be respectful and courteous to people, including my political opponents. You know, the Golden Rule still applies in politics. I do think that being a Christian doesn't mean that you're passive or that you aren't going to confront injustice. What I think is important, though, and is important not just for me, but also for my team—I'm trying to always reinforce this within the culture of our organization, and I'm not always perfectly successful—is to at least be scrupulous and honest in how we present our disagreements with other people. I try to measure whether what I'm saying is fair by seeing how I would feel if I was at the receiving end of it. And, you know, there are a number of people—there have been a number of times where I've been criticized during the course of this campaign. And I say to myself, “Well, that's a fair criticism in the sense that I may disagree with the criticism, but it's substantive and there's a legitimate difference of opinion.” There are other times where I feel as if people are just distorting what I say to score cheap political points. And that gets you frustrated or weary or occasionally angry. And so, I try not to do that to other people.

Q:

Andrew Sullivan has written about your hypothetical inauguration through the eyes of a Pakistani Muslim who sees "This man, Barack Hussein Obama, is the new face of America, a brown-skinned man whose father was an African, who grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii, who attended a majority Muslim school for boys, is now the alleged enemy. If you wanted the crudest, but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamic ideology, Obama's face gets close. It proves them wrong about what America is in ways no words can." Do you agree that a Muslim in the Arab street could hate America less if they saw that you were elected, because of your faith background and your brushes with Islam in your past?

A:

I don't think that it would change the minds of the hard core ideologue of the Islamic militant movement. You know, I think they would view me as a Christian and an infidel and a Westerner and they wouldn't view me any differently, I think, than any other American president.

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FRIEND IN NEED...

"Wounds from a FRIEND can be TRUSTED, but an enemy mutiplies kisses."

~Proverbs 27:6 NIV

The Moores and the Lamberts have been friends for years. They went to some of the same schools. They had children about the same time. They've known each other through the important times and during the everyday events. They've served on PTA and played on softball leagues together.

It was Brenda Moore that let Coleen Lambert know that her oldest son was taking drugs. It was Ben Lambert that let Bob Moore know that his daughter was in trouble at school. They wouldn't have trusted the news from anyone else. They saw the pain in each other's eyes and knew they could TRUST the wounds of their friends.

Many people have come and gone in their town, but these families have remained friends and probably always will. They have stood by each other in every circumstance, and they have grieved their losses together.

That's the kind of friends we all NEED to have. That's the kind of friends we all NEED to BE-friends who can be TRUSTED in any kind of weather and with any kind of message.

BE A GOOD FRIEND TODAY...

A Friend is someone with

whom you

DARE to be URSELF.

IS THERE SOMEONE WHO NEED MY LOVING INTERCESSION TODAY?
~GLDJ