Laughter Is The Best Medicine LOL

Spanking Your Child-A Crime?

I will write this objectively in that I do not have children but what is going wrong with a society when Governments are prepared to raise your child for you?

Growing up I was never spanked by my parents. I was often beaten up by my teachers but not my parents.

My teachers often referred to me as a 'quiet rebel' in that I did not throw tantrums or was rude in anyway. But I was stubborn and would not do what I felt to be wrong. Neither could I be forced to do something I did not want to participate in.

Are we heading towards a time where children will be able to report on their parents because they were spanked? I mean spanked not beatings. No child should be beaten by anyone parent, or teacher.

What do YOU think about a law to stop parents spanking their child because of their misbehaviour?

What is next a government camera in your living rooms?

Personally I think it is crazy. Let me know your thoughts on this?

Single In a Married World

For the single person the question most dreaded is, "Why aren’t you married?"

I’ve wracked my brain, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what kind of answer people expect. Are they hoping to hear some inner secret? "I have hideous personality flaws." Are they looking for gossip? Or a sad story, perhaps? "Gee, I can’t figure it out myself. Do you think it’s my hair?"

I’ve never heard anyone ask a married person, "So, why aren’t you single?" If she were asked, she’d probably slap the person and say, "Because I fell in love and got married, you idiot!" But when we say, "Because I didn’t fall in love with anyone I thought I should marry," we’re obviously too picky. Apparently, if we’re not married by thirty, it’s time to settle.

I know that the family is the basis of society, and that a good marriage is a wonderful and holy thing. I may marry someday, myself. But there are certain advantages to being single; advantages that one might imagine God would use among those who trust Him.

Many single Catholics are getting involved in youth ministry. They’re taking care of their aging parents. They’re making a difference in their communities.

Do you think maybe God has something to do with that?

Single people always ask me, "Whose fault is it that I’m single — mine or God’s?" In most cases, I have no clue. The point is, that God writes straight with crooked lines. Maybe there are more single adult Catholics these days because there’s a crisis in faith; maybe that makes it harder for holy people to find each other. Maybe it’s because the family is falling apart, and Catholics are scared like everybody else. Maybe it’s because there are less priests, so God needs more people with free time to help out. I don’t know.

All I know is that God is still God, and He’s Lord of the single as well as the married. We’re all put here to share His love, and that’s where we’ll find fulfillment. Single people may do that in a different way but, if it’s done right, it’s no less fulfilling and no less important.

Attention, single people: Stop obsessing over what you don’t have, and start concentrating on what you do have, and all of the good you can do with it.And, married people: stop asking the single people why they’re not married. You may not mean to, but you’re giving them the impression that you consider their lives somehow inferior to yours.

Mary Beth Bonacci (edited version)

Who Are the REAL Yummy Mummies?

It seems strange to me that people such as Angelina Jolie and Madonna can traipse around the world adopting little children from various Nations. While good solid parents who live wholesome lives go on long waiting lists.

Amongst the Hollywood elite it has almost become a fashion accesory to have at least one adoptive orphan in their families. In some cases it is also because many actresses simply do not wish to lose out on movie roles or gain weight. So rather than have their own children they adopt, this way they get a child, minus the pounds around the waistline.

Yet are these 'yummy mummies' really so 'yummy'? It is a well known fact that Angelina Jolie has some serious personal issues. This is a woman who carried around a vial of one of her now ex-husbands blood. Angelina is also very open about being bi-sexual and seems now to be in the grips of an eating disorder. Yet we are told by certain media luminaries that Angelina is considered to be a great mother?

Who makes these decisions?

We have all witnessed Madonna's personal hatred of the Catholic Church and her constant need to blaspheme what all Catholics hold dear. Her own life is also one of extremes as she globe trots around the world and kisses other female singers on stage. Yet, she is also considered a 'Yummy Mummy'. Why?

Every child has the right to a stable home life, to enjoy a good education and to be loved by their parents. The parents are obligated to raise their children to be good and compassionate citizens. A child must have routine and a sense of security for their own well being. Yet why are so many middle class couples being denied the right to adopt?

What a child does not need is to have wealth thrown at them in replacement of love. They do not need to be dragged around the world because of their parents lifestyle.

In the end who makes the better parents, a good wholesome loving couple, who are actually married? Or the Hollywood neurotic glamour queens?

Who are the real Yummy Mummies, those who give their children a stable and secure life? Who go without luxuries so their children can have the essentials of life? Who stay up when their children are sick despite their own weariness?

Or those who have plenty of money, can hand their children over to Nanny's but seem to have no morals?

What do YOU think?

Thoughts...

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours.

Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

A house is a house is a house - until love comes through the door, that is. And love intuitively goes around sprinkling that special brand of angel dust that transforms a house into a very special home for very special people: your family.

Money, of course, can build a charming house, but only love can furnish it with a feeling of home.


Duty can pack an adequate sack lunch, but love may decide to tuck a little love note inside.

Money can provide a television set, but love controls it and cares enough to say no and take the guff that comes with it.


Obligation sends the children to bed on time, but love tucks the covers in around their necks and passes out kisses and hugs (even to teenagers!).

Obligation can cook a meal, but love embellishes the table with a potted ivy trailing around slender candles.

Duty writes many letters, but love tucks a joke or a picture or a fresh stick of gum inside.

Compulsion keeps a sparkling house. But love and prayer stand a better chance of producing a happy family.

Duty gets offended quickly if it isn't appreciated. But love learns to laugh a lot and to work for the sheer joy of doing it.

Obligation can pour a glass of milk, but quite often love will add a little chocolate.

Memos from your child

Don't spoil me. I know quite well I shouldn't have all I ask for. I'm only testing you.

Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it. It makes me secure.

Don't let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.

Don't make me feel smaller than I really am. It only makes me behave stupidly.

Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk to me in private.

Don't protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way sometimes.

Don't make me feel my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.

Don't be upset when I say "I hate you". It is not you I hate, but your power to thwart me.

Don't take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get the attention I need.

Don't nag - if you do, I'll have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

Don't make rash promises. I feel badly let down when these promises are broken.

Don't forget I can't explain myself as well as I would like to. This is why I am not always very accurate.

Don't tax my honesty too much. I'm easily frightened into telling lies.

Don't be inconsistent. It completely confuses me and makes me lose my faith in you.

Don't put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you'll find I stop asking and seek information elsewhere.

Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real to me.

Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me to great a shock when I find out your are neither.

Don't ever think it's beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me surprisingly warm towards you.

Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be hard to keep pace with me, but please try.

"Train up a child in the way he is to go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it"

....Proverbs 22:6

Fat Rant

BRAVO !!!

Stupidly Skinny- Women Obsessed With Weight

How can a country be "weight obsessed" while having hunger and millions and millions of under nourished citizens, and at the same time produce so much agriculture for exports? That is not ONE but TWO contradictions!! There is so much food yet there are so many hungry people for lack of being able to feed themselves then there are those who choose to be hungry. There is so much agricultural surplus yet there are so many really and truly hungry people out there for lack of not being able to feed themselves?!?! Makes a person think!


The pressures to be a "super-girl" begin at a very young age nowadays. Whether inflicted by demanding parents, the media, coaches or teachers, the result is a serious lack of self-confidence. There are very high expectations for girls to achieve and be this ‘perfect woman”. They often equate achievement with love. They become people-pleasers, more so “women-pleasers”, in search of the love and acceptance they so desperately crave. This epidemic is so bad that there are websites that teach you how to become anorexic or bulimic and how to conceal it! You read what these sites say about food being the enemy and we must overcome the enemy. We have to take notice of this and save our kids, family and friends before it’s too late.

We read the magazines displaying perfectly proportioned, underweight models who are the "Beauty Ideal." There are always low-fat cookbooks and diet books on the bestseller lists. Now, even Barbie has made a huge comeback! We watch TV shows featuring perfect families consisting of perfectly beautiful, thin members with not an ounce of fat on them. What kind of message would you expect a kid (or anyone) to form from this barrage of media influx? We see stars like Hillary Duff, Mary-Kate Olsen, Paris Hilton and the latest Beyonce Knowles and it’s like they had nothing to lose and now that they have lost so much weight its like why are they doing this to themselves? They don’t look healthy nor do they look happy, so many of them battle with drugs and alcohol. Is it really worth it? Hollywood has gone STUPIDLY SKINNY!

These cases of self-inflicted starvation that sadly affects so many women in particular is as a result of the media abusing us by attacking and manipulating us. I mean who really came up with what the “perfect” woman looks like? Don’t go based on any pictures because even the stars will admit that they don’t look like that. So then why deceive us by bombarding us with these airbrushed illusions? Well face is skinny sells and skinny always beats out the average sized woman who embraces her curves. Why? Cause of this false mentality.

I wonder if women themselves realize that they are being manipulated by the media and end up competing amongst themselves. Is it really a battle of the bulges or a fight to see who best matches up the deceptive illusion of the ideal woman? Take television advertisements, first you see these skinny models advertising the swimwear then you see the Jenny Craig or one of those lose the weight pills then you see the ice cream advertisements, the pizza the cakes from TCBY and Baskin Robbins. The same is seen in the magazines. Talk about a slap in the face!

Why do women torture themselves by denying the most basic human need: food? Moderation is the key, over-eating isn’t good either but to become so obsessed with ones weight so as not to be able to enjoy the simple pleasures of this life is just sad to say the least. We become so brainwashed that even the thought of having a slice of cake makes us feel so dirty and guilty. Something is definitely wrong. We obsess, get irritable, and make those around us miserable by our obsession either by trying to make them feel guilty for our hang-up or push them away. So the depression drugs are popped like popcorn into our systems, the psychiatrists take our money for our countless hours spent on the couch trying to figure out why and the divorce lawyers make their bundles of money cause of broken homes.


Hollywood mama’s take a severe beating. When you get pregnant it was abnormal for starters ( but now being pregnant is the in thing ), kids just get in the way of their blossoming careers. So it takes nine months to gain all the pregnancy pounds and these women are expected to lose the pregnancy pounds overnight. How stupid is this. These women buckle under the pressure and get depressed and obsessed to lose the weight even before the birth. So then you wonder if they even stop for a moment to appreciate and welcome the bundle of joy. You don’t hear about the parents being so happy about being blessed with the precious gift of a child, its I have to lose this weight. Not even a couple weeks after and these mamas are depressed because they can’t get off the weight. What in the world!! It took nine months to put it on and they expect to lose it overnight?! Lunatics are what they are!


Competitive by nature, women set rigid standards to make themselves the best according to the standards imposed by society. The lack of self-confidence aids in the development of this distorted lifestyle. Why cant women be comfortable in their own skin, we always want the other woman’s skin, eyes, teeth, nose, breasts etc. What is really important is what is on the inside, WHO you are not what you look like. Yes taking care of our physical bodies is important but our bodies and outward appearance DOES not define who we are. We need to learn to love ourselves just the way we are, big nose, small nose, spaced teeth, big eyes, blue, brown or green, the love handles, wrinkles and all.


Remember one, absolute perfection is impossible. Two, in working towards that perfection, which can never be obtained, its ourselves and those nearest and dearest to us that we are ultimately hurting. Only through learning and re-learning to love and appreciate ourselves as the women God made us to be can we overcome this raging war within.

Beauty Fades.... stupid is forever....

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

I think your whole life shows in your face, and you should be proud of that.

"Beauty fades," my father would tell me, "but dumb? Dumb is forever.

So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why doesn’t somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?

People who are confident without a scrap of make-up and look healthy, happy and glowing, seem like natural beauties to me.

Beauty is revealed when we learn to see with our hearts. The more educated our hearts the greater beauty we can see. Therefore, beauty is revealed with age.

Beauty is not beauty without love.

Beauty is not in the face; Beauty is a light in the heart.

Beauty is not caused. It is.

The ideal of beauty is simplicity and tranquility.

Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.

Taking joy in life is a woman's best cosmetic.

Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait.

Beauty is the gift of God.

A person is only beautiful, when their own beauty, is reflecting on to others.

Beauty comes in all sizes — not just size 5.

For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.

It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.

People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.

Beauty is one of the rare things that do not lead to doubt of God.

Man makes holy what he believes, as he makes beautiful what he loves.

It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart.

I've never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful.

Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.

Beauty... when you look into a woman's eyes and see what is in her heart.

Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

Pre-marital Sex

We are all concerned with the physical environment, oil spills, acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer etc. Yet how may of us are concerned with Spiritual Pollution??? Low Morals??? Is not disrespect for our bodies, Spiritual Pollution??? Premarital sex is dangerous because it robs your Spirituality!


Most of us would become very annoyed if we were called a thief or a liar. If we are accused of premarital sex, we say, "We're not hurting anyone." or "We're taking precautions. So its O.K." Well, neither your parents, teachers or priests can be with you at all times and at all places. But they trust you. Even so, Our Lord is with you at all times... at all places.. and loves you. Remember it is GOD THAT YOU ARE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE TO.


It is a mistake to think like this: If we engage in premarital sex and don't contract a disease or we don't become pregnant, then it’s OK. As far as sex is concerned the physical and the emotional are most closely linked. How many have said, "I only did it because I loved him." or "If I didn't do it, he wouldn't see me anymore." We must understand that there is a physical and emotional aspect to life. The difference between boys and girls as far as sex is concerned is this, a boy wants to have Sex and then ... get to know you. A girl wants to know a boy first and then perhaps have sex.


A physical relationship is a privileged aspect of love. We are all aware of its importance. It is part of God’s plan to bless the union of man and woman (Genesis 1:2). It is a very special part of the relationship in which the spouses give themselves joyfully to one another and through which they may have a child.


We often hear that having sexual relations before marriage is a way of "getting to know each other better." This is a misconception! Very often, sex takes away from real affection and deep communication. Body language ends up replacing dialogue. Moreover, the sexual harmony of a couple depends on the quality of their love for one another, and not on how they get along physically.

The world today trivializes sexual relations as if they were merely a physical act. We need to understand that a sexual act involves the whole person. Civil law, for instance, considers rape to be not only a physical attack, but an attack against human dignity and against the integrity of the person. Indeed, a man and a woman become deeply involved when they unite in a sexual act.

To give one’s body is to give one’s self. That means something! And a gift is not a loan. If what we live is at odds with our deepest choices, then we are not living in the truth. Is it right to give my body when I have not given myself? The truth is that a physical union can only have true meaning if it reflects a personal gift of oneself, a gift that is lasting and definite. This gift is marriage.


Even if it does not conform to today’s fashion, we can make the decision to remain chaste, to keep ourselves whole for the one whom we will marry one day. Don't rob your spirit of the graces and the blessings that our Lord bestows upon us. Sins against chastity are against the spirit and the soul. This is the truly dangerous aspect, not only of premarital sex, but of all the actions that we take. Chastity is synonymous with a love that wants to give itself totally and respectfully to the other. It is a decision that we can make at whatever stage we are at in our lives. If we have had sexual relations in the past, this should not prevent us from making that choice. Chastity is a road to freedom.

Let us remember to pray each day and ask Our Lord and His Mother to strengthen us against ALL temptation.

Chastity and Purity- The Challenges

How can a young person remain chaste when the media, music, movies, fashion and television promote everything that contradicts chastity? Turn on the television and everything from the advertisements to the cartoons promotes promiscuity. Society assaults us with sex, clothing advertisements, perfume, candy, lingerie and food. When did we reach the point where we need almost naked girls to sell water and pizza?

With respect to daily living, adultery and fornication are the media’s point of view. It’s undeniable. Most every daytime soap and evening show treat premarital sex, promiscuity and indecent behavior as just a normal daily routine in life. It’s so routine that you can compare sex to like taking a shower, its part of our daily routine. Some argue that television is simply our lives shown on the big screen. It’s a frightening thought to think that this is indeed how many choose to live their lives. Today I like Jim and so we sleep together, I get mad at Jim so to get even I sleep with his best friend John. Then when I get tired of Jim I simply like Bill and so the saga continues. Sex is seen as nothing more than something used to manipulate and control people, often times brutal and animal like. Immorality and promiscuity are as normal as having a cup of coffee in the morning. Do we ever see anything that even remotely suggests that morality and loyalty do exist? A lot of us who do know better sit and watch this trash. We are bombarded with it so instead of not watching it we just settle in and get comfortable on the couch. I mean we have to watch it because it’s all that is on.

So we decide okay we wont watch the soaps or the sitcoms, we are going to watch music videos. I mean its just music videos, how bad can it be? Well you turn on MTV and its girls grinding and shaking and doing nothing short of seduction. The lyrics, the suggestive dancing, the clothing, in all honesty how much different is watching these videos than watching pornography? Its all about what a guy wants to do to a gal or vice versa, listening to the lyrics is like listening to the script of a porn flick. So we can’t watch music videos cause to see one good video you have to see like ten more of these videos to every good video there is out there.


On average a young person spends say 25 hours a week viewing television from ages 5 to 17. This is the kind of junk that we are subjected to, is it any wonder why we are confused? Compare this to one maybe two hours of religious instruction if we had any. We have a media that condones adultery, promiscuity and violence. The media portrays a family as my two moms or my two dads and even the real families with a mom and a dad, the parents are portrayed as being idiots. I can’t name three shows that portray parents as moral, wise and being supportive to each other and their children. Everyone seems to manipulating each other to have their way. But somehow children are portrayed as being wiser than their parents. The rating system used for the media is so bogus. It’s basically saying that it’s okay to add trash to your food, its just a little trash so it won’t hurt you in any way. Rite! Wrong!

We pick up a magazine. On the front cover the feature articles,” how many partners have you had?’, “100 ways to cheat without your partner knowing”, “rate your love life”, “10 new ways to arouse and excite your partner.” So we flip pass all this to the fashion section. Ahhh the less is more concept, what I like to call brand name floss, the scraps that are being worn today costs more than actual clothing. To find actual clothing one has to search high and low. Everyday chores become that more difficult.

Is it any wonder that in this world devoid of morality and common decency that our youth struggle so? I encourage the young person who decides to stand against the common thinking of the many and rise to follow the simple teachings of a man who lived more than two thousand years ago. I entreat the youth of today not to listen to a society who portrays and treats you as animals unable to control your urges but to rise and set a new standard, one that will see this debased society stop and listen to the wisdom that comes from you who choose to submit yourself to the will of Christ, using Him, His Holy Mother, Mary and the Saints who mirror their beloved Savior, as your guide, your examples and the Holy Spirit as your strength.

YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE

I said, " The path is steep."

He said, " I'm at your side."

I said, "But I am weak."

He said, "For you I died."

I said, "Dark valleys come."
He said, "I'll guide you through."
I said, "But I'm not brave."
He said, "I'll walk with you."


I said, "Be light to me,
And strength as I go on."
He said, "I'm more. I'm love,
You'll never walk alone."

Women Fight Back

We are victims of these attacks on esteem, on women's power, on our self-worth. We need to wake-up and take a personal inventory and examine our value system. Any of us can easily sink into the prison of repeat diets, repeat failure and lifelong contempt for our bodies. We have to ask ourselves some tough questions: when did I start to hate my body so much? When did I begin to measure my self-worth by numbers on a scale? When did I fall prey to the idea that beauty is external and success is measured by factors that have little to do with personal strength and spirit?


We must be aware of the images presented to us and unmask these images for what they truly are - destructive, superficial and unattainable images. These images do not value our uniqueness, they do not honor our wisdom and our spirit, and they do not measure us. We must reclaim and redefine our bodies as ours. They are miraculous, we all know this! Our bodies perform wonderful feats every day. We are physiological and biological masterpieces. Our bodies are not our enemies - they put us in motion, they create and sustain life. The functions our bodies perform for us are too numerous and varied to list.


Vow that you will not longer fall victim to these images and help those around you to the road of self-love and acceptance. Advocate for freedom from body hatred and fight the billion dollar advertising, cosmetic, diet, entertainment and fashion industries - let's stand up for ourselves, our values, our bodies, our lives. We must challenge ourselves, our culture and our children. The stakes are too high to back down. Lives are lost each year as beautiful, healthy young women starve themselves to death. Millions of us are suffering from depression and anxiety as we are bombarded with images of our "faults." It is time to change, change begins from within and radiates out- so let's begin.


What can we do? Befriend Your Body. It is important to combat negative body image because it can lead to depression, shyness, social anxiety and self-consciousness in intimate relationships. Negative body image can also lead to eating disorders. It is time that women stop judging their bodies harshly and learn to appreciate their inner being, soul, and spirit. A women's body is a biological masterpiece; women can menstruate, ovulate and create life. Start to recognize you do not have to compare yourself to other women or women in the media. Begin to challenge images presented in the media and realize that your worth does not depend on how closely you fit these unrealistic images.


Understand that Emotions are Skin Deep. It is important to discover the emotions and feelings that underlie your negative body image. The statement "I feel fat" is never really about fat, even if you are overweight. Each time a women looks at herself in the mirror and says "Gross, I'm fat and disgusting," she is really saying "There is something wrong with me or with what I'm feeling." When we do not know how to deal with our feelings we turn to our bodies and blame our bodies for our feelings. Every time you say "I'm fat" you are betraying your body, and you are betraying and ignoring your underlying feelings. Remember that "fat" is never a feeling, it's avoidance of feelings. Learn to discover your emotions and feelings and realize that focusing on your body is only distracting you from what is "really" bothering you.


Question Messages Portrayed in the Media. The media sends powerful messages to girls and women about the acceptability or unacceptability of their bodies. Young girls are thought to compare themselves to women portrayed as successful in the media, assessing how closely they match up to the "ideal" body form. Unfortunately, the majority of girls and women do not match up to the models and actresses presented in the media. The average model is 5'10" and weighs 110 pounds, whereas the average women is 5'4" and weighs 142 pounds. This is the largest discrepancy that has ever existed between women and the cultural ideal. This discrepancy leads many women and girls to feel inadequate and negative about their bodies. It is important to realize that only 4% of women genetically have the "ideal" body currently presented in the media, the other 96% of women feel they must go to extreme measures to attempt to reach this unobtainable image. Many of the images presented in the media have been computer enhanced and airbrushed. The models' hips and waists have often been slimmed and their breasts enlarged through computer photo manipulation. Many of the women presented in the media suffer from an eating disorder or have adopted disordered eating behaviors to maintain such low body weights. It is important to start to question images in the media and question why women should feel compelled to "live up" to these unrealistic standards of beauty and thinness.


Accept Genetics. It is critical to remember that many aspects of your body cannot be changed. Genetics does play a role in your body and at least 25% to 70% of your body is determined by your genes. While there are many aspects of our bodies we cannot change, you can change or modify your beliefs and attitudes which influence the way you feel about yourself. Change starts with you, it is internal and it starts with self-respect and a positive attitude. It is import to focus on health and not size.


Fight "Fatism". Work on accepting people of all sizes and shapes. This will help you appreciate your own body. It is also important to remember that society's standards have changed significantly over the last 50 years. The women that were considered the "ideal beauties" in the 1940's and 1950's like Marilyn Monroe (size 14) and Mae West were full-bodied and truly beautiful women, but they would be considered "overweight" by today's standards.


Fight the Diet Downfall. Ninety percent of all women have dieted at some point in their life. To dieters' dismay, 98% of all dieters gain the weight back in five years. Studies also show that 20-25% of dieters progress to a partial or full-blown eating disorder. Women are foolish if they believe that dieting will make them feel better about themselves. Dieting only helps you lose your self-esteem and energy. Dieting also creates mood swings and feelings of hopelessness. If you feel pressure to lose weight, talk to a friend or loved one or seek professional help.

In conclusion, negative body image is a serious problem and has damaging affects on women's self-esteem and it can lead to depression, as well as an eating disorder Let your inner beauty and individuality shine. Be your body's ally and advocate, not its enemy. . Changing our world starts with you, self-love and respect, and the end of prejudice starts with one person at a time. The external pursuit of changing your body can often damage spirituality by taking you away from the internal-self - the spirit, the soul, and the whole genuine self. If you or someone you care about suffers with negative body image, please seek professional help and stop the cycle of body hatred. Beauty is not just skin-deep. It is a reflection of your whole self. Love and enjoy the person inside.

The Media War on Women

In today's culture, we women are starving ourselves, starving our children and loved ones, gorging ourselves, gorging our children and loved ones, alternating between starving and gorging, purging, obsessing, and all the while hating, pounding and wanting to remove that which makes us female: our bodies, our curves, our pear-shaped selves.

You can be just about whatever you want to be - any dream can be accomplished as long as you pursue it. Most of us live where there are many opportunities, rich with culture and diversity. With all the freedom and prosperity we enjoy women still remain prisoners. "Prisoners", you ask, what do you mean? Women are enslaved to a beauty myth, chained to the false belief that our value is based on our appearance alone.

The images of men and women in ads today do not promote self esteem or positive self image. They're intended to sell products. In the U.S. alone billions of dollars are spent by consumers who pursue the perfect body. The message "thin is in" is sold thousands of times a day through TV, movies, magazines, billboards, newspapers and songs. Advertising conveys the message "You're not O.K. Here's what you need to do to fix what's wrong." Girls and boys believe it and react to it. Western society places a high value upon appearance. Self-worth is enhanced for those who are judged attractive. Those who are deemed unattractive can feel at a disadvantage. The message from the media, fashion and our peers can create a longing- a longing to win the approval of our culture and fit in at any cost. And that can be disastrous to our self esteem.

Approximately 10% of girls and women are suffering from diagnosed eating disorders. Of these at least 150,000 will die as a direct result! How did this problem reach such epidemic proportions? Why are we dieting ourselves to death, literally dying to fit in? When did we become so ashamed of our bodies, when did we learn to hate them so much? While eating disorders claim lives and significantly impact the health and well being of sufferers, as we investigate further an even more disturbing picture emerges. An amazing 80% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance. These numbers are staggering! Surely they cannot be correct! How and why could we have learned such contempt for our bodies and ourselves?

Why are women attacking their bodies? Where did we learn that our self worth is measured by external factors - by numbers on a scale? The answer lies in constant, subtle attacks on our bodies. These attacks wear us down, shake our confidence and esteem. We loose our sense of self, individuality and fall victim to narrow definitions of beauty defined by the media. The media acts as a propaganda machine determined to shake our confidence, remind us we aren't good enough, we haven't made it, that we just simply do not measure up. Why is the media bent on making us feel so down about ourselves? Why do they go to such lengths to make us feel "less than?"


The answer is quite simple - pure economics. The media machine is economically driven as billions are spent on items such as cosmetics, new diets and clothes. This "beautifying" empire is dependent on our disempowerment. They count on us buying into their myths and misrepresentations: "we will never fit it, we can never be happy, thus we can never end the pursuit." Alas, the pursuit is endless, the products are endless, the damage to our self-esteem is endless, and the body hatred created is devastating. The assault is unrelenting! The images are everywhere. How could it all happen, right under our noses? It is a subtle, continuous bombardment of images of beauty, images defined by profiteers, images that are not real, not authentic, and not attainable.

The impact that these images have on women is profound. The financial, social and psychological and physical damages of a woman's lifetime pursuit of thinness are impossible to measure. Gone are the days of cars and vacations as graduation gifts, they have been replaced by cosmetic surgery. "Cosmetic surgery is the fastest growing 'medical' specialty. Depression, despair, depletion of self-esteem, the withering and wasting away of physical, psychological and financial resources are unbelievable. Women and adolescent girls regard size, much like weight, as a definitive element of their identity. Some girls assume there is something wrong with their bodies when they cannot fit consistently into some "standard" size; others will reject a pair of jeans simply because they won't wear a particular size.


How can we begin to make changes? How can we assess our damage report? We must all take a personal inventory of how our lives have been impacted by these images and how we have fallen victim to these lies and misrepresentations of beauty. By examining how these images have impacted our lives we are better equiped to avoid falling victim to these myths. You will learn to measure yourself by intrinsic qualities that are of far greater value and are far more beautiful than any image manufactured on a movie screen.

Cell Phone vs The Bible

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

We would carry it around in our purses or pockets.

We would turn back to get it if we forgot it or panic and cold sweat when we have misplaced it.

We would flip through it several times a day and in the night.

We would buy the most expensive and elaborate one.

We would give it to our friends and loved ones as gifts.

We would share its messages with our friends.

We would use it instantly in case of an emergency.

We would share it with friends when they have no access to theirs.

This just goes to show how technology has taken precedence over God’s word. Interesting huh???

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we don’t ever have to worry about our bible being disconnected, our calls being dropped or getting no service because Jesus already paid it all!

Show Me Some Love Daddy!! Spend The Money !!!

Teen celebrations have gotten expensive. Does showing the love always mean spending the cash?

Have you seen this show on MTV, 'My Super Sweet 16'? It's a reality series where insane parents spend piles of money throwing parties for offspring who can barely drive. According to the show--and maybe, ironically, because of it--children's coming-of-age celebrations, like weddings before them, are getting out of control. Its across the board, everyone is doing it, every race, parties and the quinceañeras (to celebrate a 15-year-old Latina's transition to womanhood) have come to rival the Grammy’s in terms of over-the-top cost and glitz. Sweet 16’s may be the worst of the bunch--it's not unheard-of to see chocolate fountains, designer dresses, wedding like cakes, live entertainment, gift bags and the child of honor's name lit up in neon, all with a price tag of from as ‘little’ as $50,000 to way way more. And the location costs more than the average person’s salary for a couple years!

I'm certain that we don't want a teenzilla living in the upstairs bedroom. But escaping the phenomenon isn't easy. We all want to mark these milestones in a way that lets our children know we're proud of their accomplishments. If you don't throw a humdinger of a fiesta, do you risk sending the message to your child that you don't love him as much as his friends' parents love their kids? And the parents who go over the top only make it harder for everyone else. "Daddy, they had Beyoncé and Kayne West at the party I went to last weekend. Can we have them/her at mine?"

There's an extreme spending level. These celebrations look so much like weddings that there's very little to indicate that it's a teen party going on. Bridezillas have been replaced by childzillas and teenzillas! The demands they place on their parents not only for the party but for the birthday present, it’s out of this world! I mean a sixteen year old wanting a $97,000 car for her birthday and saying if she does not get it she is NOT going to be happy and neither will her parents!?!? And the parents find this cute??? Flashing a smile, crying the ‘fake tears’ and the good ole temper tantrum is how you get your way today cause I mean we don’t want Jane and Bobby to be unhappy or angry! And boy oh boy if mummy and daddy are divorced, play one parent on the other! And if the folks like to outdo others, everything must be more glamorous than the neighbors, well your kids are gonna work that number on you!





Spoiled brats are what we have created! When children are given just about anything they want and as much of anything they want and when parents feel in order for their children to think they love them they need to buy them things. It also happens when they are told they are better than everyone else and should be treated better than everyone else. They grow up treating any and everyone with no respect and expect everyone to bend to their every request. Many times this originates from a parent who doesn’t spend as much time as they want with their child. Buying them things isn’t going to solve the problem. Instead make time to spend with and enjoy your children. Remember that if you can’t spend time with your child, it doesn’t improve the situation by buying them things that they really don’t need.

Others just want to avoid the hassle of a conflict with their children. It’s easier for them to let the rules slide than to deal with the fuss. For other parents, it is hard to refuse their children anything, because they don’t want them to be unhappy. Who said that “unhappy children” equals “bad parents.”???? Still others are afraid their angry children will not love them. The fact is that children want to know that their parents are in charge, they need structure and limits.

So how do you honor your child without spending the equivalent of the GDP of Togo? Talk to your kids and let them know this is how much you can afford and work from there. What is the point of incurring enormous debts for a fleeting moment under the sun? You want to give your children nice experiences, but you don't want to flush them with too much stuff. It's kind of what happens when you take drugs. Your neurons get flooded with artificial material that is beyond what you can produce naturally. You crave that experience and become dissatisfied with the rest of your life. You always have to have more to achieve a ‘high’.

What then is the price tag for love? A new car? An over the top party? Jewellery? Money? News flash: Love cannot be bought! And if you believe you can buy your children’s love and affection and peace in the home, well you better have an unlimited bank account because you are going to have to outdo the last present and last party to keep raising the numbers on the “love scale”. But for the rest of us please save and spare us from your Childzilla!