EMPOWERED PARENTING eJOURNAL

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Empowered Parents: Strong Families

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Empowered Parenting eJournal
http://EmpoweredParent.comInformation
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VOL.VII : Issue 1 January 10, 2005
Editor: Joan Bramsch
E-mail: hijoan@joanbramsch.com
ISSN: 1526-2154
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Common sense solutions for Today's Parenting Challenges!

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Empowered Parents: Strong Families
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ENJOYING OUR SEVENTH YEAR OF PUBLICATION!

KNOW THIS: We are all one people, Mother Earth is our one country, LOVE is stronger than fear, and peace and freedom are the birthrights of all humanity. Chief Seattle

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Legal Stuff: "The subscriber agrees, by accepting this email newsletter subscription, to indemnify the publisher against false accusations of spam to include, but not limited to, payment of all damages, loss of web hosting fees and services, all damages for loss of business and goodwill, and any and all fees or fines that may be imposed against the publisher by any federal, state, or local authority or civilian business entity as a result of the false spam accusation."

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"Sizzlers" to spark your Winter Evenings! Give yourself a gift about love...Classic Contemporary Romance Novels By Joan Bramsch This Issue is sponsored by Ebon’s Mate, Solar Sizzler, and Pele’s Fire... Joan’s latest mystery-romance novels: http://joanbramsch.com/store/romancebooks.shtml

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INSIDE YOUR EP eJOURNAL
<*> Letter from Joan
<*> Tsunami Photographs, Before and After
<*> 2005’s EP Theme: Love and Harmony<*> Cowboy/Cowgirl Rules to Live By
<*> Fun, Jokes, All Good Stuff
<*> Instructions to Make a Perfect You!<*> Subscribe/unsubscribe Information

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"You do what you know how to do; and when you know better, you do better." - Maya Angelou
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WHEN YOU HAVE READ YOUR LIDDLE KIDDLE TO SLEEP, THEN YOU MIGHT ENJOY A WOMAN-IN-JEOPARDY MYSTERY AIMED AT THE ADULT IN YOU. :)
In the span of a few short weeks Janessa's long anticipated Hawaiian Holiday has gone from an exciting adventure w/ handsome, hot hunk, Michele Pele, to an unanticipated climax... She's worked undercover on a jewel bust, been kidnapped by a madman, has escaped a rapist, and met the legendary Fire goddess Pele on a mountaintop path while trying to find her way across the Big Island. Can Michele find her? Can he save her? Or is he one of them? PELE'S FIRE, a woman-in-jeopardy, mystery-romance page-turner is sure to keep you guessing.
Http://joanbramsch.com/store/romancebooks.shtml

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Letter from Joan

WELCOME
This opt-in announcement is sent to our mailing list subscribers, clients, associates, training professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, teachers, researchers, and others interested in intuitive parenting and family vision. We never share our list with anyone. If you wish to be removed please send an email.

Hi dear Parent

My 2005 Mantra is "I’m too blessed to be stressed!" Good, eh? I love it. :) And do you know why? It’s because LOVE IS THE ANSWER! Always.

This issue of the Empowered Parenting eJournal 2005 represents the beginning of the seventh year of continuous publication. That means I’ve written about 5000 pages for you, and have invested approximately 37.5 weeks of 8-hour days to this Labor of Love since 1999. To celebrate, there’s a surprise hidden someplace in the issue.

I’m made a big decision: I’m going to use Me up. Every speck. Every crumb. Every bit.

"I always had a dream that when I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will go like this: "Empty your pockets. What you have got left of your life? Any dreams that were unfulfilled? Any unused talent that we gave you when you were born that you still have left?" Any unsaid compliments or bits of love that you haven't spread around?" And, I will answer, "I've nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me." ERMA BOMBECK

So a Blessed 2005! It’s going to be a great year, just wait and see. No, actually, I don’t want you to wait; I want you to participate. Good things are happening. Kindness and caring and truth and honesty are available to you and me now in full measure. You can find yours, easy as pie. It has your name on it! All you have to do is reach out and get it. Most important of all...

You have to believe it.

Believe it with your whole heart. I keep saying it, and I keep reading it more and more (Gee, I think everybody is finally getting the message) in other columns, in magazines, hearing it on radio and television, "What you think is what you get." Or "Act as if it already is and it will come to be."

But there’s a little lesson you may not yet know. It’s really, really important how you ask for what you think you want.

1. Here’s a suggestion how to ask for what you want/need. http://www.invisiblepath.com/

"Please give me what I think that I want (insert need/want) OR SOMETHING BETTER, without causing harm to me or those I love."

2. Make sure you always ask or declare positively.

RIGHT: I ask for good health for me and my family.
WRONG: Please don’t let me or my family get sick.

Reason: What you give attention to is what you attract into your life. You can attract good health or you can attract negatives like sick. Words really do have a power all their own.

Conclusion: Dwell upon the positive and pull it into your life for 2005. In fact, why not intend positively from this day forward. Yes! :)

Remember, I value you, right here, right now, in all that you do.

Love,
Joan

FOOTNOTE #1: I am providing a web site sent to me by EP Parent Cindy. The site is filled with stunning satallite photographs of the Tsunami and the aftermath. This first photograph shows the prestine ocean caressing the shore with the grounds, gardens and houses beyond. Now click on BEFORE and it will switch to the actual wave receding after overwhelming the land. It is almost unbelievable!

Then click on NEXT which will take you to the next of 14 photographs. Then click on BEFORE and see what is left. Some are very shocking to the eyes and to the "heart." We can feel the fear and pain.

The world has come together as One to help the survivors and to rebuild. One of the reasons is that it was a calamity caused by Nature, not Man; therefore, there is no good or evil involved. It was an Act of Nature, or of God if I may.
But Man may have something to do with it after all. I just read a scientific paper that says the global warming which is causing the polar caps to melt at a record pace, making Antarctica smaller and, logically, also less heavy, may have released some of the weighty pressure of the continent over the Earth plates. When the weight lessened, this may have allowed the plates to finally shift and release pressure built up for ages.

Http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/9.html

FOOTNOTE #2: A great fear during the aftermath is that disease will rise up due to bad water and unsanitary living conditions. Join me, please, in sending Postive Prayers, Thoughts, Messages to the area involved, asking that the water be kept sweet and pure, and that all the survivors, whose bodies are 80%+ water be kept disease-free. Of course, we can do this! The mind is more powerful than anything, especially when we join forces with our Higher Connection.

Thank you, dear one.

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HERE’S A CHALLENGE FOR THAT SMARTY PANTS! :)
Word Puzzles:
http://www.vocabulary.com
http://www.wordzap.com
Http://www.etymologic.com

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Another Good Reason to Use Your Cellphone Headset
As if there were not enough good reasons to use a headset when you're talking on your cellphone (tumors, brain impairment, headaches, car accidents), here's another. A study at the University of Zurich found that exposing people to the electromagnetic fields from cellphones altered their brainwaves during sleep, resulting in sleep disturbances.

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IT’S ALL IN HOW YOU LOOK AT IT!
Despair says I cannot lift that weight. Happiness says I do not have to. --- James Richardson

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WE ARE ONE! A most beautiful visual/audio gift to the world.
Http://hiddengifts.org/we_are_one/
Please listen: We are One Family!

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LIVING IN HARMONY
Elder's Meditation of the Day - January 4
"Our circle is timeless, flowing, it is a new life emerging from death-life winning out over death."
--Lame Deer, LAKOTA

When we look at the world in the manner which the Great Spirit designed it, we can see why it makes sense to live in harmony with it: the trees grow and bear fruit, the fruit has seeds, the seeds fall to the ground, the ground grows new trees, old trees die to make way for the young. Any time we think we can interrupt this cycle or change it we will experience turmoil and confusion. The Human Cycle exists as the baby becomes the youth, the youth becomes the adult, the adult has children, the adult becomes the Elder, and the Elder teaches the youth. Elders go on to the Spirit World. Spirit comes into babies to produce new life. Flow into the flow. Be the path of least resistance.

My Creator and my Maker, today, teach me to just flow with the river of life.

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"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction."
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery French writer and aviator

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REMEMBER, DEAR PARENT, YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME!
Http://www.funnybunch.com/1/me1.swf

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HOPALONG CASSIDY'S CREED
FOR AMERICAN BOYS AND GIRLS:
1. The highest badge of honor a person can wear is
honesty. Be mindful at all times.
2. Your parents are the best friends you have. Listen
to them and obey their instructions.
3. If you want to be respected, you must respect others.
Show good manners in every way.
4. Only through hard work and study can you succeed.
Don't be lazy.
5. Your good deeds always come to light. So don't boast
or be a show off.
6. If you waste time or money today, you will regret it
tomorrow. Practice thrift in all ways.
7. Many animals are good and loyal companions.
Be friendly and kind to them.
8. A strong, healthy body is a precious gift. Be neat and clean.
9. Our country's laws are made for your protection.
Observe them carefully.
10. Children in many foreign lands are less fortunate than you.
Be glad and proud you are an American.
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GENE AUTRY'S TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE COWBOY
1. A cowboy never takes unfair advantage.
2. A cowboy never betrays a trust.
3. A cowboy always tells the truth.
4. A cowboy is kind to small children, to old folks,
and to animals.
5. A cowboy is free from racial and religious prejudice.
6. A cowboy is helpful and when anyone's in trouble he
lends a hand.
7. A cowboy is a good worker.
8. A cowboy is clean about his person and in thought,
word, and deed.
9. A cowboy respects womanhood, his parents,
and the laws of his country.
10. A cowboy is a patriot.
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THE LONG RANGER'S CREED
I believe that to have a friend, you must be one.
That everyone is created equal and that everyone has within
himself the power to make this a better world.
That God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather
and light it himself.
In being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight
when necessary for that which is right.
That a man should make the most of what equipment he has. That
"this government, of the people, by the people, and for the people,"
shall live always.
That men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.
That sooner or later... somewhere... somehow... we must settle
with the world and make payment for what we have taken. That all
things change, but the truth, and the truth alone lives on forever.
I believe in my Creator, my country, my fellow man.
__________________

ROY ROGER'S RIDER'S RULES
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and care for them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday School regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.

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ALL ABOUT BLENDED FAMILIES

Check out: http://www.yoursocialworker.com/p-articles/blended_families.htm
Let me know what you think of his ideas, please.

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A WINNER AT THE INTERNATIONAL PUN CONTEST
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him ...(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)..... A
super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

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FOR PARENTS WITH TEENS
The Road to Whatever : Middle-Class Culture and the Crisis of Adolescence
By Elliott Currie
Metropolitan Books (February 1, 2005) ISBN: 0805067639

From the Pulitzer Prize finalist, a sharp and compassionate investigation of the root causes of the epidemic of drug abuse, violence, and despair among "mainstream" American teenagers

In the past few years, it has become painfully clear that all is not well with the children of middle-class America. Beyond the shootings at Columbine, hardly a day goes by without stories of drug use, binge drinking, fatal accidents, and senseless suicides among middle-class adolescents. But the "why" of these tragedies has eluded us.

In this groundbreaking book, acclaimed sociologist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Elliott Currie rejects such predictable answers as TV violence, permissiveness, and inherent evil. Instead, drawing on years of interviews, he links this crisis to a pervasive "culture of exclusion" that has left young people facing an ever more unforgiving world. Currie describes a society in which severe punishment and "zero tolerance" of adolescent misbehavior have become the norm, where "tough love" and medications have replaced engagement and guidance. Broadening his inquiry, he dissects the changes in middle-class life that have enforced newly rigid divides between winners and losers and imposed an extraordinarily harsh culture-and not just on kids.

Vivid, compelling, and deeply empathetic, The Road to Whatever is a profound investigation of what has gone wrong for so many American teenagers and a stark indictment of a society that has lost the will-or the capacity-to care.
Elliott Currie is the author of Confronting Crime, Reckoning, and Crime and Punishment in America (0-8050-6016-2). An internationally recognized authority on youth and crime, he is a professor of criminology, law, and society at the University of California, Irvine.

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IF YOU READ THIS FAR, LET ME KNOW--I’VE A SURPRISE FOR YOU.
Surprise@JoanBramsch.com

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MIND GAMES
Websites:
http://www.memorise.org
http://www.easysurf.us (click on "Memory Game")
http://www.tinyurl.com/2ulzx
Http://www.psychtests.com/mindgames

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GOETHE’ SAYS: that the perfect day is one that includes (1) contemplating a work of art, (2) carefully reading a poem, and (3) engaging in good conversation. I like that idea.

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NEW YEAR WISHES FROM A FRIEND

A new year is beginning to peak through softly,
beautiful, and different. Like new falling snow, each
day is unique and shaped just for you, adding something
as each day does grow.
My wish for you in the new year is beauty and softness
with surprises thrown in for delight - love for each
day bringing happiness to you, making your life a scene
of sparkle and shining sunlight.

Be Good to You
Be Yourself... truthfully.
Accept Yourself... gratefully.
Value Yourself... completely.
Treat Yourself... generously..
Balance Yourself... harmoniously.
Bless Yourself... abundantly.
Trust Yourself... confidently.
Love Yourself... wholeheartedly.
Empower Yourself... prayerfully.
Give Yourself... enthusiastically.
Express Yourself... radiantly.
Honor Yourself... purposefully.
- Author Unknown

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A PUNNY THOUGHT FROM CUZ
You take an ice cube tray out of the freezer but of the 12 cube
indentations, only 2 are solid, the rest are still frigid water. Obviously,
many are cold but few are frozen.

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A RESOLUTION THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE--I promise!

1. Each morning upon arising, and each night before bed, stand before a mirror, look yourself directly in the eyes so you can "reach" You, and say out loud:

I am a worthwhile person.
I deserve to be happy and successful
In all I do and say today.
(place fingertips to temples) I KNOW it.
(Place hands over heart) I BELIEVE it.
(Hands out, palms up) I ACCEPT it. (this is the most important and hardest to do)

2. The reason you say it out loud.
a. you speak the words with lips and tongue
b. you hear the words through ears
c. this process goes out of the brain and back in again, making pathways.
d. you gaze into your own soul when you speak and hear.
e. All these are psychological and spiritual connections for Good.

3. Repeat this process, morning and night, unfailingly, for 21 days.

4. At the end of 21 days, you will see a wonder-filled, improved version of Perfect You, who has always been inside, waiting for release. Guaranteed!

5. Live in the Moment because that is all we have, one moment at a time. In the Moment there is no worry, no concern, no negative. We don't think of the past and perhaps regrets; we don't think of the future and perhaps fears. We stay in the Now, the Moment, where we are calm, centered, at Peace.

6. Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift,
That's why they call it the Present.


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PARENT, WALK YOUR TALK!
Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 18
"Parents have to demonstrate the value of trust, respect and honor."
--Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders
Children learn more by watching than by listening. If we want our children to understand and value trust, they know it by watching how adults live their lives! If we want the children to be respectful, they will observe what the adults do and say to each other. We need to walk our talk. We need to remember the children are watching.
Grandfather, help me learn these important values: Trust, Respect and Honor.
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WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN THE ORPHAN’S HOME?
Http://www.rogerdeankiser.com/
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IT’S YOUR LIFE!
When people I mentor arrive at this point I give them some little suggestions:
1. We can never change anyone else, only our response to them.
2. 96% of what we worry about we can do nothing about; only 4% can we influence.
3. When in doubt about Life's Plan, look into the mirror to see The One who is responsibile and who can make a difference in your time on earth.
4. Give all concerns to God; He's up all night anyway. :)
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War cannot be humanized, it can only be abolished. -- Albert Einstein
The ultimate oxymoron: "Holy War"
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FEED THE HUNGRY:
http://www.thehungersite.com http://www.heifer.org/

FOR PEACE ON OUR PLANET: We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody. -Buckminster Fuller

NEXT ISSUE: More encouragement from EP Parents' Cheerleader!

* (\ *** /) .*
* ( \ (_) / ) * Guardian Angel
*.(_ / \ _) *.
* /____\ * . . *In the meantime, here is an angel sent to watch over you for me.
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FROM BILL: We are Angels born with but one wing, In order to fly we must embrace one another.
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Till next time, don't forget -- Parenthood is Wonder-filled!

Fondly, Joan

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Thank You For Reading! Have a Terrific Week!Empowered Parenting Ezine is published solely by Joan Bramsch, founder and Director of http://www.EmpoweredParent.com and may not reflect the opinion of all Empowered Parent members.Copyright © 2004, all rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without the express written consent of the publisher or contributors. We accept no responsibility for your use of any contributed information contained herein. All of the information presented in the Empowered Parenting Ezine is published in good faith. Any comments stated in this publication are strictly the opinion of the writer or publisher. We publish all advertising in good faith but offer no guarantees. Please do your own due diligence in ANY transaction. We reserve the right to edit and make suitable for publication, if necessary, any articles published in this newsletter. We reserve the right to publish all reader comments, including the name of the writer. Reported survey results will NOT use the names of the contributors. Joan Bramsch, owner, EmpoweredParent.com
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© 1999-2005 Joan Bramsch/JB INFORMATION STATION. All rights reserved worldwide. ISSN: 1526-2154 - Library Of Congress, Washington DC, USA Permission to download text is for personal use only. It is illegal to reproduce or transmit in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, any part of this copyrighted text without permission in writing from the publisher. ===================================
http://www.EmpoweredParent.comAll material copyright © Joan Bramsch 1999--2005 (unless otherwise noted)CONTACT: JB Information Station, Box 515165, St. Louis MO 63151 - 314 638 3404
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