Memory damage reversed in mice

Memory damage reversed in mice
Interesting article! Those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis less likely to suffer from Alzheimers! That's got to be a plus for them given the amount of pain they have to live with day by day.
If this discovery does prove to help those who suffer from Alzheimers then I say it can't come quick enough. What a wonderful thought that maybe even the damage could be reversed. The slow decline of a loved one is so hard to watch. It's confusing and wrought with great pain for the one whose mind is going, and even more painful for those who can only stand by and feel so helpless.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rheumatoid arthritis signaling protein reverses Alzheimer's disease in mouse model (physorg.com)
• Saving the brain's white matter with mutated mice (news.psydir.com)
• 'Longevity' gene cures Alzheimer's in mice (fiercebiotech.com)

Meet Sally, still working at 101

Now this is a story I like to read. Here this lady is 101 and still working. She looks way younger than her 101 years. I'm sure there aren't many older people out there who are as active as she is. And, she's been named as America's Outstanding Oldest Worker for 2010. Good for her. I hope I'm as good at her age, if I live that long!

Meet Sally, still working at 101

Related articles by Zemanta

• At 101, Neb. woman wins award for older workers (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Chhattisgarh airlifting doctors to diarrhoea-hit areas

Chhattisgarh airlifting doctors to diarrhoea-hit areas

I spent many years working in this area of India back in the late 60's and 70's. It is a place that's dear to my heart. The troubles that Chhattisgarh has been experiencing over these past decades with the Maoists / Naxalites has been most distressing for me to read about. I often wonder what has happened to those who became such dear friends. There was no postal service when I was there, nor in the the years following so I have been unable to keep abreast of their lives; and, I don't even know if they are still alive. All I can do is pray for them, and trust them into God's loving care.
Now these dear people are yet again being hit with disease and sickness. One a my precious language helpers died from cerebral malaria when he was about 20. It was an awful thing. One minute a joyous young man in the prime of his manhood, and the next gone with that dreadful disease.
It all comes back to me as I read this piece of news from the area.
I went to Bastar District in order to do language research in preparation for Bible translation. I, and my colleague, was able to make significant headway in language learning and analysis. Sadly, our work was cut short and we had to leave. I was only able to translate a small portion from the life of Christ. I left copies of this with those who'd been helping me. I don't know what impact it may have had in their lives. They were very attracted to Jesus because he had power over nature and over demons. This impressed them very much. God alone knows what their heart response to Jesus was. It's a grief that I've had to hand over and leave with God. He is more than well able to sort all these things out.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Report: Rebels blow up bus in India, killing 40 (sfgate.com)
• Naxals kill 26 CRPF Jawans in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh (info.faridabadmetro.com)

The bubbler is back!

Buying drinking water in a plastic bottle has always seemed rather nonsensical to me when perfectly good drinking water is freely available from the tap; "If it ain't broke don't fix it." The whole idea of having to pay so much to have a drink of water seems so strange and unnecessary . I remember the days when there were bubblers everywhere so that if one wanted a drink of water, a bubbler was easily found. Then they gradually disappeared and the ubiquitous bottled water became the only source of drinking water when one was out and about.

Now, there seems to be a ground swell happening that sees the sale of water in a plastic bottle being banned, at least in certain contexts. Good thing, I reckon. There's way too much discarded plastic everywhere. And I can't imagine that it's that healthy to be drinking water out of a plastic container.

Sale of water is banned, and that's just lubbly bubbly

Related articles by Zemanta

• NYC's Water-on-the-Go Program Celebrates Summer With Independence from Bottled Water (treehugger.com)
• Millions of people Worldwide ARE Opposed to Plastic Bottled Water Industry. Alternative Solution? Right here, Right NOW! [Dave Ashman] (ecademy.com)

Voters feel pity for Rudd

While voters may feel pity for Rudd it does seem like they are forgiving of Julia Gillard. For me, I find my response is to the principles being wrecked. As a nation we voted for Kevin Rudd as prime minister. It wasn't so much about the party he represented but about him and what he was standing for. He came across, at least to me, as a man of principle and character. And yet despite his popular election he was ousted by someone else in his own party... and, in what appears to be rather back stabbing circumstances. This whole episode has given me pause for thought as to the ethics and integrity of our Australian politicians.

Australian Federal Election | Voters feel pity for Rudd

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rudd disappointed but no saboteur: Hawke (news.theage.com.au)
• Women rally to Gillard as ALP leads poll (theage.com.au)
• The result is a formality. We have already a new PM (theage.com.au)
• Rudd hits back at ABC's security "scoop" (theage.com.au)

Rudd returns to Canberra

Kevin Rudd is back in town... just as the electioneering has begun for our federal elections on August 21.
I am still distressed and outraged over the way Rudd was ousted. Our government must seem like a joke to the rest of the world. It certainly does not seem right to me. Before she stabbed him in the back, I was rather partial to Julia Gillard. Not anymore. I now feel like she is not to be trusted. Also, she tells lies. Right before she took over she was saying on TV that she was not interested in the top job... then just two days later the coup occurred! Where's truth?
I keep remembering some biblical principles... 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you' and 'the measure you give is the measure you get'. I do fear for Julia Gillard. What consequences are just around the corner for her as a result of the choice she made to grab the top job? Will she be overturned in another coup? Our political system could be a good one.
What to vote? Not only that, but how to pray for my country? We are not in a good place politically or spiritually.
O God, move among us.

Federal Election | Rudd returns to Canberra

Life & Living

No glitches to final inspection... the house passed for living and now I live. It's been a wonderful experience to move into my new home. So very hard to believe I have a house that's mine (actually it's God's house but he's given it to me to enjoy!).
Settling in goes slowly. The weather has been so cold that the unpacking of boxes goes slowly, oh so very slowly. The thing that's slow is that I have to get the boxes from where they're stored in a container further down the property up to my house (100mts or so). The car has been useful to do this but lugging 30-50lb boxes up the steps to the verandah is backbreaking when one is not so young anymore.
More recently the shed/garage has been built and yesterday cementing was finished for the garage verge, for a slab for a small annex for storing firewood, and for a path to back door. Looks good. Sadly, we've had so much rain in the last 6 weeks that the earth is sodden and the trucks have churned up the earth into a right royal mess. Now I'll have to plan for some earthworks once the ground dries up enough to be graded and deep ruts filled in.
We've had some bitterly cold days. The wind from the southwest blows off the Snowy Mtns and is frigid this time of year. To go outside I have to rug up and wear gumboots... so, I don't go out if I don't have to. The wood heater keeps me cosy and provides a nice cook top and little oven.
So, that's where it's at for the moment.
God is so good, and he's good all the time

Unwelcome comments

For some months now I have been getting unwelcome comments submitted to my blog. They appear to originate in China as the comment is in Chinese and consists of a lot of links to sex sites. I keep rejecting them... and will keep on rejecting them. However, it is annoying that this is happening.

Ready for inspection

Today some finishing touches were done to my new home in readiness for Council inspection tomorrow (Tues). Hopefully, there will be no glitches and the inspector will issue a certificate saying the house is ready for occupancy. Ahhh... what a thought... "ready for occupancy".

I've been slowly moving boxes of stored stuff into the house, unpacking them, wondering why I have so much, wondering where to put everything, wondering and wondering some more. Each time I come down from Sydney (300kms) I come with a car stacked full of my accumulations of the last 2 1/2 years... and again wonder why I have so much stuff... sighhh... seems like it's hard to give or throw away anything... you never know I might need it one day!

One goal of this move is to get radical about passing on stuff I do not need. Otherwise there will be no room for me in the house!

I have some boxes for things to keep for the retreat cabins. These will get stored in the garage until such time the cabins are built.

The view out the front window is wonderful. Hills and cattle quietly grazing in the later afternoon sun. Very nice, and very peaceful. Feels good!

Soon to move south...

This day has been long in coming! Too much of life got in the way, at least from my perspective... Since God's perspective tends to be rather different to mine this move is right on schedule!!

My house is finished, just awaiting connection of electricity and final inspections. So the first stage of a place for spiritual retreat is almost ready. The next stage will see the building of a couple of cabins (a 2-bedroom & a 1-bedroom) and a prayer room/prayer chapel. The whole project was totally impossible. Yet here I am on the verge of moving into a house that God has made possible. I have great hope that the next impossible stage of the project will soon be coming to reality.

The place where I'm building is a little village in the southern tablelands of NSW, a place called Majors Creek. It's an old gold mining area (and it seems as if there's still lots gold in the hills that may cause considerable unwelcome development).

The vision I have for this retreat is a place for the rekindling (restoration) of hope in a person's life, a place to connect with God and spend time alone with him, a place to address whatever may be getting in the way of knowing Jesus.

Some pictures of the building process may be found at my website Hope-Today.

Earthquake in Chiang Mai

Interesting! An earthquake in Chiang Mai, Thailand about the same time as the earthquake in Mexico/California... opposite sides of the world. Makes one wonder if our earth is having indigestion!

I was in Chiang Mai when the earth quaked in 1995. It frightened a lot of people and broke the umbrella up on the temple on Doi Suthep. Many saw this as a bad omen. However, it didn't make much difference to how people lived their lives.

Chiang Rai, 5 April 2010, [PDN]: Chiang Mai was gently rocked by a magnitude 3 earthquake, today, at 6.45am, with its epicenter in Muang district. Although the quake only lasted 5 to 10 seconds, the quake was sufficiently significant to cause people to dash out onto the street in alarm; however there were no reports of any damage or casualties. There are nine active fault lines in Thailand, the one near Chiang Mai being the Mae Tha Fault, about 30 kilometres away from the city. About 55 kilometres long, this fault has generated 23 quakes during the past 28 years, the most severe having been a quake of magnitude 5.2 on the Richter scale in December 1995.

Pattaya Daily News

Gateway to memories - photo art

Gateway to memories - photo art
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Here's a spiffed up view of the gateway to where I spent many of my growing years. "The Farm" was well known in the district being an orchard producing wonderful citrus and stone fruits as well as having chooks for eggs. The navels oranges were wonderful--large, juicy with incredible flavour.
The main stone fruits were plums and peaches. Mum used to make endless jars of jam, especially plum jam. We'd eat fresh plums, cooked plums with custard, plum jam, plums and more plums until I was satiated and now don't eat them if I have the choice.
Anyway, that's all in the distant past now. The gate, path, and house still exist but the fruit trees and chooks are long gone.

God's wisdom -- our circumstances

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all..." James 1:5 NIV

When we tap into God's wisdom, it's amazing how clearly things come into focus. With God's wisdom comes a remarkable absence of fear. We're no longer intimidated by circumstances or the opinions of those around us.

Sydney Opera House and Bridge

Opera House - Filtering #2
Originally uploaded by bhojman

Been doing some fun stuff with my photos and experimenting with various artistic filters. I like this one especially.
One great thing about the many filters available is that a bad photo can be turned into something spectacular.
I find this quite therapeutic.

Discernment: Testing My Own Voice by Brad Jersak

I came across this today as I was following through on thoughts about listening prayer. Brad has written some really good stuff in his book: "Can You Hear Me? Tuning In to the God Who Speaks"
Here's what he wrote on Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice

Discernment: Testing My Own Voice by Brad Jersak
In recent days I have been thinking about our dialogues with God and how we weigh them. I started noticing that when the prayer conversation alternates: God, then Brad, then God, then Brad, and son on, I was diligent to test what God is allegedly saying. I test to see whether the voice of God is really God or not God. I check that voice according to the three-legged stool of the Word, the Body and the Spirit, as recommended in Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God who Speaks.

But I neglected to test MY voice. And why should I? After all, it’s my own voice, isn’t it? Or is it? But when I began to categorize the themes that came under the umbrella of ‘my voice,’ I noticed something. On the one hand, there was the voice that agrees with and responds to God in faith. We could call that the voice of my ‘true heart,’ or the voice of the ‘new creation,’ or the ‘new me.’

On the other hand, there are these other voices that I assumed were my own as well: The voice of condemnation (beating myself up) that would then trigger the voice of self-pity (feeling sorry for myself), and the voices of shame, self-hatred, fear, worry, anger, and so on. In my head, I would hear and say, ‘I am afraid; I am angry; I don’t like myself; I’m not worthy,’ etc. Perhaps you know those voices as well.

THE VOICE THAT IS NOT EVEN ME

And then it occurred to me, esp. as I read the dialogues from prayer journals of about sixty Bible school students, if the voice of my true self loves God and responds in faith and love to the voice of Christ, what are these other voices? On occasion I suppose I could have been hearing an unclean spirit. Or I suppose I might have been dealing with a wound in my heart. But mostly, I found these voices could not be cast out like a demon nor could they be healed like a wound. In fact, my greatest discovery was that those voices were NOT ME at all! ME is my true self. ME is the heart Jesus gave me. ME is the new creation. So what was I hearing that masqueraded as ME?

The Bible calls it the old nature (Rom. 8), the old Adam or Eve, the flesh or desires of the flesh (Gal. 5). In modern terms, we refer to the false self, the ego. My mentor, Ron Dart, calls it ‘the craver’ that underlies all of my cravings, demanding that I feed it but knowing it’s a bottomless pit. It is that vacuous demanding echo of something that was crucified with Christ; something to be reckoned dead (Rom. 6) but still far too talkative in my head; something to be disowned and discredited; marginalized and silenced as far a possible.

DISOWNING AND DISCREDITING THE VOICE OF THE FALSE ME

How do we silence the voices of the flesh or ego? We’re half way there when we begin to recognize that voice and declare, that’s not me. That’s not the beat of the new heart Jesus gave me. We can step back and hold it at arm’s length and begin to make a practice of disowning it—even to the point of refusing to call it my ego or my flesh. It is an ‘it’ of days gone by.

Besides disowning it, we can discredit the ego’s voice by challenging its motives and its fruit. The flesh or ego always has a motive. For example, when it is accusing you, its motive is pride and self-righteousness and it is punishing you for not living up to its standards of perfection. Your stumbles embarrass and offend the ego, triggering a barrage of condemnation. OR when the flesh lapses into self-pity, its motive is to seduce fleshly sympathy out of others—a deadly counterfeit of compassion that brings death rather than life. The ego can multi-task, both accusing and sulking at the same time, but when we step back quietly and watch that ludicrous inner dialogue, it ceases to be credible.

We also discredit the ego/flesh by challenging its fruit. Jesus called us to test everything, including every voice, by the fruit it produces. In testing the fruit of the ego, we see that when we have listened to it, NOT ONCE has it ever produced a smidgeon—not the slightest sliver—of goodness in our lives. So why give it a voice at all, much less the freedom of speech it currently enjoys under the guise of being ME just because I hear it beaking off inside? It is as if we’ve said, ‘As long as you don’t claim to be God, you can say whatever you want. By pretending to be me, you have free rein because I don’t discern MY voice. I only discern God’s voice.’ The resulting fruit has been most rotten.

I have also noticed that when the dialogue is between God and my true, restored heart, God tends to take the lead in the conversation and I find myself following, responding, led by the Spirit to listen. Conversely, when the ego/flesh dialogues with God (when it lets me, for it aggressively tries to unplug from the conversation through doubt or shame) it consistently tries to control the conversation, attempting to argue God into corners, silence or defensiveness. Here I see his relentless patience on the one hand and the complete waste of time on the other. I want to say, “Ego, would you just get over yourself and listen to what God is saying?” Of course, it never does. The flesh/ego does not really listen and its innumerable arguments are a distraction from where God would like to take the prayer time.

SPIRIT TO SPIRIT CONVERSATION

Finally, I do not silence the voice of the ego/flesh by obsessing over it. That only feeds it. Rather, I am learning to give it a brief, passing nod: “I see you, you blood-sucker. But I know what you’re up to and I’m not listening to you today.” And then I quickly move on to listen to the voice of God’s Spirit interacting with the responsive, faith-filled and loving voice of my renewed spirit. 1 Cor. 6:17 goes so far as to say that in uniting with Christ, his Spirit and my spirit become one. I.e. I don’t even need to distinguish between the Holy Spirit and my spirit, because they are in an ascending spiral of heavenly agreement.

True discernment simply means refusing to listen to all that is not God AND all that is not me. To me, this latter half was an ‘aha moment’ that I hope will upgrade our discernment and bring readers fresh freedom as well.

Transferring to the next generation

'Tell the next generation...of...His power, and the wonders He has done.' Psalm 78:4 NIV
Karl Marx said that to conquer a nation you just have to block the transfer of values, morals and beliefs between generations. Our kids are like mirrors, they reflect what they see. 'Tell the next generation...of...His power….' If we don't; who will?
www.thewordfortoday.com.au

A back door

“… God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it" (1 Co 10:13 NAS).

God builds a back door into every temptation with a lighted 'exit' sign over it. The way of escape comes with the temptation. So while you will never be exempt from temptation, you can be victorious over it.
www.thewordfortoday.com.au

We are still becoming

"God planted a garden...there He put the man whom He had formed."
Genesis 2:8 NKJV

What does it mean to plant? To bury seeds beyond human view so that they germinate and eventually produce fruit. You're still becoming what God planted. There are talents in you that haven't been discovered and dreams that haven't been fulfilled. It means God believes in you - even when you don't believe in yourself.
www.thewordfortoday.com.au

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Multnomah Falls, Oregon
Originally uploaded by bhojman

In May I visited friends in Oregon. They very much wanted for me to see as much of Oregon's beauty as possible. One thing we did was to drive down the Columbia River Gorge stopping at all the waterfalls along the way. They were breathtakingly beautiful! Here is one view of the Multnomah Falls. The Multnomah Falls were the only ones I'd heard of. What a sight to see all that water plunging down the cliff face...
Each waterfall had its own particular beauty, no two were the same.
God's artistry was abundantly manifest all along the way. Even the moss and the small forest flowers had such a delicate beauty that my soul was fed and I was blessed more than I can say.

Joy comes in the Morning

“His favour is for life; weeping may endure for a night but joy comes
in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b NKJV

Joys are always on their way to us. They are always travelling to us
through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they
are not coming – Amy Carmichael.