I’m honored to have been nominated again. The meaning of this award is very important and deep for me!! TY …
The Lighthouse Award
5
Daily Archives: December 14, 2013
Some Startling Facts From Think Progress; The Year In Guns: What Has Happened — And What Has Not — Since Newtown
History and facts!! What has changed? We should ask … and never stop asking!!
At the end of the day ….
JUST THOUGHTS FOR LIFE TONIGHT!!
Be grateful and embrace life’s lessons. Your attitude matters.
~~Babz~~
I exist to live my life to be happy.
~~Richard Bach~~
~~Appearances are frequently deceiving!!~~
Life can’t be changed. Any moment is the best moment.
Embrace, learn and enjoy!!
~~Tishan~~
A heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help.
~~Unknown~~
Dreams and determination …. colliding ….. MIRACLES!
~~Fresh~~
Kitaro – Caravansary
We ALL are ONE!!!
We ALL have EXPERIENCES!!!
“Kidnapped for Christ” …. a documentary!
~~UPDATED: July 12, 2014~~
“Kidnapped for Christ” is a compelling new documentary that follows the experiences of several American teenagers after they were kidnapped from their homes and shipped to Evangelical Reform schools located in the Dominican Republic.
Many of these teenagers’ parents discover their children are either gay or experience same-sex attraction, and are sent to “therapeutic Christian boarding school[s]” in order to “transform into healthy Christian adults” in an environment outside of U.S. law.
Directed Kate S. Logan with Lance Bass cited as an executive producer, the film is currently engaged in a Kickstarter campaign in order to be fully funded.
The Huffington Post sat down with Logan this week in order to better understand the function of these reform camps, the experiences of kidnapped youth go through while there, and why this film is important.
‘N Sync‘s Lance Bass Making Doc About Religious Brainwashing
Lance Bass is undoubtedly best known as one of the members of the ‘90s boy band ‘N Sync. But aside from building an acting résumé with voice work in Handy Manny and Hell & Back, he’s been branching out into producing films.
And his latest seems guaranteed to cause quite a stir.
The Wrap reports Bass will serve as an executive producer on the in-the-works documentary Kidnapped for Christ, which will focus on how an Evangelical Church reform school attempts to modify the behavior of troubled kids and gay youth.
The Huffington Post sat down with Logan this week in order to better understand the function of these reform camps, the experiences of kidnapped youth go through while there, and why this film is important.
The Huffington Post: Why did you feel this documentary was necessary?
Actually, when I originally got the idea to make the film, I had no idea that there was anything controversial about this school. I was under the impression that it was just an alternative therapy program with a cultural exchange element.
It wasn’t until I got permission to film and started investigating that I realized what I had gotten myself into. Once I saw what was really going on at Escuela Caribe, I felt I needed to help expose the truth of what this school was doing in the name of “therapy.”
Why do you think the majority of the public knows so little about these reform institutions?
I think it’s because the victims of these programs are teens and children and they are often so traumatized by their experiences that they don’t speak about it for years — if at all. Also, a lot of times former students of reform schools get labeled “bad” simply because they were sent to a place for “bad” kids, so no one believes their stories.
Some of the things that go on in these places are, quite frankly, so bizarre and horrible that it’s hard to believe if you aren’t there to see it yourself. With the Internet it’s easier for teens who have been sent to these places to speak out and connect with others who’ve gone through the same thing, but it’s still a relatively small group who are talking about it.
What do people undergo in these camps?
I mean, how much time have you got? The “treatment” was called “Culture Shock Therapy” by the administrators. So their actual methods involved jarring kids enough that they were more malleable emotionally and mentally.
That was Step One, and it involved strenuous and intense physical labor and exercise, constant repetition of religious and program-written texts, and severe punishments for students who “acted out.” Those punishments could be hours of manual labor, exercising, or actual physical beatings, which they called “swats.”
That was the program. All of that stuff is in their handbook. Then there was so much physical and emotional abuse that went on besides that, combined with a generally oppressive atmosphere of conformity and helplessness.
These kids were afraid to speak out, afraid to tell their parents about was was going on, and as a result a lot of them just felt helpless and alone, like they were stuck in this horrible place with no one to talk to and no one to help them.
What can viewers expect from the film?
Viewers can expect to be consistently shocked. Shocked at the fact that these camps exist, shocked that they are making money from the systematic abuse of teens, and shocked that nobody is doing a thing about it.
But it’s also a story about a community rallying around a friend and neighbor to help him out of the camp when he’s at his most helpless and alone.
What are you hoping to accomplish with the film/what do you want viewers to take away?
We hope viewers will come out of the film outraged and ready to fight for these teens, knowing that it can be done from the story in our film. There’s almost no regulation for these programs — even for ones that are based in the U.S.; teens have died and continue to die in these camps, and the ones that don’t are traumatized.
We want viewers to come out set on making sure none of that happens to any teens ever again, and ready to engage with their senators or representatives to make sure legislation is passed to regulate this industry.
~~SOURCES~~:
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/-N-Sync-Lance-Bass-Making-Doc-About-Religious-Brainwashing-38927.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/kidnapped-for-christ_n_4427968.html?ir=World
~~Kidnapped for Christ Trailer~~
~~Uploaded on Jan 16, 2012~~
Kidnapped for Christ follows the stories of several American teenagers who were sent to Escuela Caribe, an American-run Evangelical Christian reform school in The Dominican Republic.
Right now we seeking funding to complete editing the film. As soon as we have more details regarding the release of the film we will post them kidnappedforchrist.com.
You can help us finish the film and advocate for the rights of teenagers who are sent to boarding schools like Escuela Caribe by making a tax-deductible donation to our IndieGoGo Campaign here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Kidnapped-Fo…
http://www.kidnappedforchrist.com
~~Kidnapped For Christ Promo~~
~Lance Bass and Mike C. Manning~
~~Thank You To Our Supporters~~
~~Uploaded on Feb 17, 2012~~
Big thanks to everyone who has supported the film so far – you guys are making this film possible! For anyone who hasn’t checked it out yet, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/k…
We ALL are ONE!!
We ALL fight the fight!!
The Bamboo Tree …. its deeper meaning!
Bamboo (Bambuseae) is a tribe of flowering perennial evergreen plants in the grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family.
In bamboos, the internodal regions of the stem are hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross section are scattered throughout the stem instead of in a cylindrical arrangement. The dicotyledonous woody xylem is also absent. The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots, even of palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering.
Bamboos are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product.
High-quality bamboo is stronger than steel, a property that has made it a choice in building materials and weaponry.
| Bamboo | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japan | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Bambusoideae |
| Supertribe: | Bambusodae |
| Tribe: | Bambuseae Kunth ex Dumort |
| Subtribes | |
|
See the full Taxonomy of the Bambuseae. |
|
| Diversity | |
| Around 92 genera and 5,000 species | |
Bamboo in Japanese art
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Japanese textiles, paintings, calligraphy and many other art genres incorporate many spiritually significant motifs, including the bamboo tree.
Kimono and obi textiles often include scenes with the Three Friends of Winter or the bamboo tree alone, admired as a symbol of permanence and delicate beauty.
Even the seed of the bamboo tree is imbued with significance in its ties to the phoenix, a mythical creature representing wisdom, immortality and compassion that is often depicted in Japanese arts. The myth says that the phoenix eats only bamboo seeds.
Special uses of bamboo
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Bamboo’s spiritual significance in Japanese culture is also reflected in its exclusive use in creating contemplative, decorative items for shrines and temples. Water fountains and spouts made of bamboo originated in Japan; they enhance the spiritual reflection or meditation sought by temple visitors.
One traditional Japanese bamboo fountain, the Tsukubai, is said to embody and illustrate purity and sacredness.
History
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References to bamboo in Japanese culture go back to the 10th century when a popular Tale of the Bamboo Cutter began. Since then, bamboo has been heralded as one of the finest materials used in making ladles for wash basins, chopsticks, blinds, bows and arrows and more.
As demand for bamboo increased, it was also incorporated into musical instruments, items for the sacred Japanese tea ceremony, tools for martial arts and items for flower arranging. Bamboo is also used in building tea houses and making flower vases, pitchers, fences and many architectural elements to enhance structural beauty.
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_6673970_spiritual-significance-japanese-bamboo-tree.html#ixzz2nUojXME9
The symbolism of bamboo in Asian culture
The mystique and beauty of the bamboo forest is one of the most common themes for paintings and jade carvings, and bamboo forests have been used as atmospheric backdrops in many movies. For example, the Oscar-winning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, directed by Ang Lee, was partly filmed in a bamboo forest.
In Chinese culture, the bamboo, plum blossom, orchid, and chrysanthemum (often known as méi lán zhú jú) are collectively referred to as the Four Noble Ones. These four plants also represent the four seasons. The pine tree, the bamboo, and the plum blossom (song zhú méi) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the “Three Friends in Winter“.
PLUM BLOSSOM
In Japan, a bamboo forest sometimes surrounds a Shinto shrine as part of a sacred barrier against evil. Many Buddhist temples also have bamboo groves.
ORCHID
In Vietnam, bamboo symbolises the spirit of Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art, the hometown and qualities of the Vietnamese soul. A Vietnamese proverb says: “When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear”, meaning that Vietnam will never be destroyed because if the previous generation dies, the children will take its place.
CHRYSANTEMUM
Several Asian cultures believe that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. In the Philippine creation myth, legend tells that the first man and the first woman each emerged from split bamboo stems on an island created after the battle of the elemental forces (Sky and Ocean). In Malaysian legends a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside.
The Japanese folktale “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” (Taketori Monogatari) tells of a princess from the Moon emerging from a shining bamboo section. Hawaiian bamboo (‘ohe) is a kinolau or body form of the Polynesian creator god Kane Milohai.
Inspiring Secrets About Persistence & Success -Bamboo Tree
Uploaded on May 11, 2007
The inspiring story of the Bamboo tree is much like Life itself – you have to have faith, belief and persistence. It also is a story of stability, structure, and maturity.
In becoming a successful entrepreneur, growing company, or even growing as a person, remember to always be watering your tree, planting roots, and building your foundation.
With persistence, rewards will follow! Never give up!
We ALL are ONE!!
We ALL are connected through NATURE!!
How Scotland Invented Our Modern World
A history lesson …. Scotland!! A great land …..
Dedication of Hope
For those going through a difficult time!!
Today I want to dedicate this post to a fellow blogger who is facing a very difficult time. To Terry and Al http://terry1954.wordpress.com/2013/12/14/take-my-love-with-you-when-you-know-it-is-time/
Know that you are loved.
And to all those who are going through pain, loss, depression, no matter how big or how small, you are not alone.
Enjoy!
cate b
Sarah Emma Edmonds …
Sarah Emma Edmonds (December 13, 1841 – September 5, 1898), was a Canadian-born woman who is known for serving as a man with the Union Army during the American Civil War.
A master of disguise, Edmonds exploits were described in the bestselling Nurse and Spy in the Union Army.
Sarah Emma Edmonds is believed to have been born on December 13, 1841. Driven by a passion to serve her country, she disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the Union army under the name Franklin Thompson.
Since physical examinations weren’t required to serve at the time, she was not discovered. For two years, Edmonds worked as a stretcher-bearer, a mail carrier and even performed espionage, ironically disguised as a woman. When she contracted malaria, she didn’t want to go to a military hospital for fear of being exposed, so she deserted, returning to civilian life as a nurse.
After her comrades found out what had happened, they successfully campaigned for her to receive a military pension and to have the desertion removed from her record.
Sarah Emma Edmonds had always been adventurous and her interest in adventure was sparked by a book she read in her youth called Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain, telling the story of Fanny Campbell and her adventures on a pirate ship while dressed as a man.
Fanny remained dressed as a man in order to pursue other adventures, which Edmonds attributes to her desire to cross dress.
During the Civil War, she enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry on her second try, disguising herself as a man named “Franklin Flint Thompson,” the middle name possibly after the city she volunteered in, Flint, Michigan.
She felt that it was her duty to serve her country and it was truly patriotic. Extensive physical examinations were not required for enlistment at the time, and she was not discovered. She at first served as a male field nurse, participating in several campaigns under General McClellan, including the First and Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, the Peninsula Campaign, Vicksburg,and others.
However, some historians today say she could not have been at all these different places at the same time.
Frank Thompson‘s career took a turn before the war when a Union spy in Richmond, Virginia was discovered and went before a firing squad, and a friend, James Vesey, was killed in an ambush. She took advantage of the open spot and the opportunity to avenge her friend’s death.
She applied for, and won, the position as Franklin Thompson. Although there is no proof in her military records that she actually served as a spy, she wrote extensively about her experiences disguised as a spy during the war.
Traveling into enemy territory in order to gather information required Emma to come up with many disguises. One disguise required Edmonds to use silver nitrate to dye her skin black, wear a black wig, and walk into the Confederacy disguised as a black man by the name of Cuff.
Another time she entered as an Irish peddler woman by the name of Bridget O’Shea, claiming that she was selling apples and soap to the soldiers. Yet another time she was “working for the Confederates” as a black laundress when a packet of official papers fell out of an officer’s jacket.
When Thompson returned to the Union with the papers, the generals were delighted. Another time, she worked as a detective in Maryland as Charles Mayberry, finding an agent for the Confederacy.
Edmonds’ career as Frank Thompson came to an end when she contracted malaria. She abandoned her duty in the military, fearing that if she went to a military hospital she would be discovered. She checked herself into a private hospital, intending to return to military life once she had recuperated.
Once she recovered, however, she saw posters listing Frank Thompson as a deserter. Rather than return to the army under another alias or as Frank Thompson, risking execution for desertion, she decided to serve as a female nurse at a Washington, D.C. hospital for wounded soldiers run by the United States Christian Commission.
There was speculation that Edmonds may have deserted because of John Reid having been discharged months earlier. There is evidence in his diary that she had mentioned leaving before she had contracted malaria. Her fellow soldiers spoke highly of her military service, and even after her disguise was discovered, was considered a good soldier. She was referred to as a fearless soldier and was active in every battle her regiment faced.
In 1864 Boston publisher DeWolfe, Fiske, & Co. published Edmonds’ account of her military experiences as The Female Spy of the Union Army. One year later her story was picked up by a Hartford, CT publisher who issued it with a new title, Nurse and Spy in the Union Army.
It was a huge success, selling in excess of 175,000 copies. In 1867, she married L. H. Seelye, a Canadian mechanic with whom she had three children. In 1886, she received a government pension of $12 a month for her military service, and after some campaigning, gained an honorable discharge.
In 1897, she became the only woman admitted to the Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War Union Army veterans’ organization. Edmonds died in La Porte, Texas and is buried in Washington Cemetery in Houston, Texas.
She was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1992.
Edmonds’ book was reprinted again in 1999 with a new title, Memoirs of a Soldier, Nurse and Spy.
Related articles:
1. http://www.civilwarhome.com/edmondsbio.htm
2. http://www.libertyletters.com/resources/civil-war/sarah-emma-edmonds.php
3. https://www.facebook.com/msmagazine
Heritage Minute – Sarah Emma Edmonds/Franklin Thompson
We ALL are ONE!!
The Butterfly Story ….. for a dear friend!!
~~TO A FRIEND FOR LIFE~~
Butterfly Story . . . our struggles make us stronger!
“A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God‘s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Jesse Cook ~ Come What May (Butterfly Story)
Published on Oct 1, 2013
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!”
~~Author Unknown~~
We ALL are ONE!!
Black Butterfly – Deniece Williams
Uploaded on Feb 13, 2011
Song by Deniece Williams — a video that captures the essence of Black History and this song fit perfectly.
The song was originally recorded in 1984.
~~Lyrics Below~~
Morning light, silken dream to flight
As the darkness gave way to dawn
You’ve survived, now your moment has arrived
Now your dream has finally been born
Chorus:
Black Butterfly, sailed across the waters
tell your sons and daughters
what the struggle brings
Black Butterfly, set the skies on fire
rise up even higher
so the ageless winds of time can catch your wings
ooh…ooh
While you slept, the promise was unkept
But your faith was as sure as the stars
Now you’re free, and the world has come to see
Just how proud and beautiful you are
Chorus
Let the current lift your heart and send it soaring
Write the timeless message clear across the sky
So that all of can read it and remember when we need it
That a dream conceived in truth can never die
Butterfly
Cause now that you’re free and the world has come to see
Just how proud and beautiful you are
Chorus
Fly
Butterfly
Yeah, yeah, yes
Fly
We ALL are connected by NATURE and MUSIC!!
Coquito – A Traditional Puerto Rican Libation
This is typical PUERTO RICAN celebration … Christmas!!! Share!!
It Is What It Is 