Archives: 2008 June

The recent flooding in Iowa in Cedar Rapids and other cities and of prime farmlands adds to already considerable pressures on the food inflation front. Consumer food inflation woes will not be going away any time soon.

The floods were of record setting proportions. In fact, long standing records were not just broken, they were shattered. Flood waters crested at a level that was 12 feet higher than the previous record set more than 150 years ago. Flood damage to properties and to crops will be in the hundreds of millions of Dollars.

Iowa is one of the prime corn producing regions of the United States. News of the extensive flooding of corn producing areas caused rounds of panic buying of corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). By week’s end corn futures went over $7.00 a bushel for the first time ever.

while we keep hearing that one weather event does not mean that climate change is under way I maintain that a whole series of events has to be taken seriously in that regard. So far weather events for 2008 have been drastic in the US as they have been around the world. With the US hurricane season just getting underway the next few months will be highly interesting. So far in 2008 tornado and severe thunderstorm activity has lead to a record number of storm related deaths. With the hurricane season kicking in this record is likely to be extended.

It looks to me to be past time to consider the prospect of a dangerous and long term climate change due to global warming as a very real possibility. Just ask the poor people living in Cedar Rapids what they now think about climate change. No one was prepared for the level of flooding that they are still trying to cope with.

Alcoholism is hard to detect yourself. It’s like a monster silently creeping into your habits. You think you’re just enjoying a couple of drinks every day, when actually, you’re already addicted to the substance. And while you’re not aware of it, the addiction grows more and more until you cannot function anymore without alcohol. At this point, your only chance of recovery would be staying in a rehabilitation center. That’s why you’ve got to detect alcoholism early, so that it’ll be easier to cure.

Alcoholism has many symptoms. For example, there’s no special occasion, but you still choose to drink. Furthermore, you don’t even have anyone to drink with, but you still drink. Drinking alone is a classic sign of alcoholism.

Rules don’t matter to an alcoholic. For instance, you’re young and you’re not allowed to drink, yet you skip school to go somewhere to drink. That’s a sure sign of alcoholism because you don’t care about rules anymore. All you really care about is having your alcohol fix.

When you depend on alcohol because you believe you will function better, and when you start feeling like alcohol is a vitamin supplement that you need to get you working - you may be an alcoholic.

Alcoholics will do anything to get their alcohol fix. If during work hours, you sneak up somewhere to secretly drink, you surely have an alcohol problem. This means you can’t do your work or anything else without alcohol.

It’s hard for people not to notice the changes in you when you start to develop alcoholism. People who care about you will soon come up to you and talk to you about it. If you get mad at them because of it, then that’s another sign that you’re already an alcoholic. Basically, it suggests that you’re putting alcohol over people who care much about you.

Our body and our energy points are subject to various environmental influences, both positive and negative. It is therefore important that each individual responsible undertake effective chakra cleansing practices in order to maintain balance and harmony among our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual aspects. This is necessary so that our chakras (energy systems) always function in unison with one another for a healthy and active lifestyle.

Following are some of the highly effective chakra cleansing practices man has used for thousands of years in the past:

1. Regularly burning incense or certain herbs and plants and allowing ourselves to soak in the smoke can negate the negative effect of obstacles to our energy points. Smudging is an age-old practice known to people of diverse cultures and civilization as an effective method if achieving balance and harmony in life.

2. Undergoing auric brushing or having someone run their hands down chakra line from top to bottom also frees energy jams. Some people recommend the use of crystals and gems can be used to clear out blockages in your auras but some of the gems and crystals are too strong and requires very good experience in order to prevent serious damage rather than effect healing.

3. Live healthy by eating the proper diet, drinking plenty of water and fruit juices coupled with regular sleep and rest should be an individual’s norm instead of maintaining a hectic daily schedule. A healthy lifestyle is highly recommended in order to preserve our energy systems.

4. Performing regular physical and breathing exercises are also necessary to achieve and maintain the health and stability of our chakras. The obvious benefits of exercise to our body are also an important consideration in doing physical activities and appropriate breathing techniques.

Everyone has the same life purpose: We are here to fully express the Christ within.

We have all got the same decision to make: We can choose to accept our Divinity and follow the guidance that comes from our Christ Consciousness — or not.

There is only one story in the Bible: That story is about how we use more won’t power than will power when it comes to “demonstrating our divinity.”

The following story is an example of that on-and-off-again relationship. The story comes from the 8th Chapter of John’s Gospel, verses 2-11:

2. Early in the morning He came again to the temple: (When we are centered in Spirit, we begin every morning connected to our Christ Nature. Jesus stands for that aspect in us that understands our Christ potential and is our unfolding pattern of excellence.) All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them: (As we intentionally “practice the Presence,” the more guidance we will receive.)

3. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand before all of them: (Our critical nature. which often is really hypocrisy, is represented by the Pharisees. This attitude tries to keep us stuck in the letter of the law so we stay in the tight box of dogma and doctrine. The personality tries to discredit our receptivity to Truth principles, represented by the woman, by signaling out our failures.)

4. They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery: (Guarded by its self-righteousness duplicity, our ego even manufactures ways to make us feel less spiritual, while at the same time hypocritically hiding behind its own shortcomings.)

Why is it that we are so knowledgeable when it comes to the development patterns of our kids, our plants, our gardens, and our projects at work but we rarely, if ever, take a moment to think about our own personal development? Development does not stop at a certain age and it is just as important in adulthood as childhood. Here are a few simple but powerful self help tips to stimulate your healthy personal development.

Positivity is key. The more positive we are as people, the more we will be able to adapt our lives to the situations that present themselves. It is important to notice all of the blessings around us and smile at every chance throughout the day. That smile can bring joy to the heart and hep to retrain the mind that happiness is natural and it is a healthy way to start every day.

Setting a few goals. Goal setting is truly an important part of life. It teaches us follow through and offers our minds a little happiness boost. When setting goals it is important to write them down so you can see when they are complete. This tangible completion is at the heart of the happiness. Once you are able to cross those goals off the list, you can actually feel as though you are growing personally and developing emotionally.

Being aware of you. Working on self awareness is one of the most important parts of personal development. That awareness means taking a step back and looking at the choices and decision you make every day. These decisions are like an open window through which you can view your own life and see what changes need to be made.