liquid of life...

As I perused the paper yesterday, I was struck by a recent article on water facts.. So often here in the Western world we take for granted the ability to drink from a faucet, to take a shower, and to plunge in a pool. Yet much of the world is without adequate fresh water and all too often we run water as if we have an endless supply. Here are some fascinating facts provided by the Science Museum that brought me to pause and reflect of the importance of conservation...

* 70% of the Earth's surface is water, yet only three percent is freshwater.

*According the Water International, less than 1% of the freshwater is directly accessible for human use.

* 2.7 tons of plastic are used each year in bottled water; only about 20% of that is recycled

* If you fill the bottle 1/4 full of oil... that is how much oil it took to make and produce the bottle

* It takes 74 gallons of water (including plant growth) to make a cup of coffee

*It takes 713 gallons of water to produce a T-Shirt (yes, we need to recycle!)

*According to Water International, 3.575 million people die each year from water related diseases (i.e. lack of clean water)

*Water International indicated that at any given time half of the world's hospital beds are related to water related diseases

*More than 2/3 of people without access to clean water live on less than $2 a day

*According to Water International, an American taking a 5 minute shower uses more water than many typical people in "slum nations" use in an entire day

*Poor people in these nations spend 5-10 x more than the rich for a liter of water in the same nation

These facts are shocking... and remind me of the importance of water conservation...

and stopping to be thankful for every glass of clean water. They too are a reminder that we must minimize pollution and work towards energy conservation. ... I've always been one to shy away from plastic bottled drinking water.... perhaps too I need to think of all those pop and juice containers? Recent studies discuss that many of the bottles are unhealthy anyways given the chemical compounds...

Perhaps I needed the news article to encourage me to take time to stop, think

and be thankful for a clean, clear, refreshing glass of water!!!

Sources:

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/38539882.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUHPYDiaK7DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

http://www.water.org/waterpartners.aspx?pgID=916

I Can Only Imagine

As I stop by this blogsite I do so with much thought tonight. I think of the precious nature of life and living and making the most of every moment, cherishing all experiences, each emotion, and every step of the journey.

Yesterday I learned of the death of a dear elderly man who graced our church. ... Though in his mid-80's, to his final days he sought not to focus on his own needs, but to give to others. ... This past year he had learned that I had inherited a coin collection from my dear late brother. He so generously indicated that he loves coins and volunteered to organize the collection as I know very little about the nature of coin collection. .. Though I insisted on paying him, he refused indicating he'd love to organize the collection and his only wish was a dinner out. Periodically he would update on the progress, I of course feeling that he was spending much too much time, he enjoying the process. ... Sadly, before learning of his death, we never got to share that dinner. ....

Life is so precious... we never know how our days will be counted. Yet it is in the faith of death, compromised health, or close calls as in accidents, that we are reminded of the precious nature of life. I have always been moved by the words of the song "I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. I often think of my dear brother Brian who despite his epilepsy, learning disabilities and TBI ran marathons, biked across America, and owned his own business. I share a video today that I have sent to those most dear in the past. It is the song put to a video of the Hoyts, and extraordinary father-son connection. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/dick-and-rick-hoyt-at-the-ironman-triathlon-i-can-only-imagine/456301782

Here's to you dear Brian.

I Can Only Imagine

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk

By your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When your face Is

before me

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory,

what will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus

or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence

or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah,

will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do Is forever

Forever

worship You

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever,

forever worship you

I can only imagine

Blessings to anyone who stops by

The Invitation...

As I sat today waiting for an important research meeting, I glanced on the shelf of one of our partners. The book The Invitation by Oriah "Mountain Dreamer" sat captivatingly singing to me. ...

I saw these words she had written

and was so deeply moved. .....

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for

and if you dare to dream

of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool

for love

for your dream of

or the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me

what planets are squaring your moon...

I want to know if you

have touched the centre of your own sorrow

if you have been opened by life’s betrayals

or have become shrivelled

and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving to hide it

or fade it

or fix it.

I want to know

if you can be with joy

mine or your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy

fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes

without cautioning us

to be careful

to be realistic

to remember the limitations

of being human.

It doesn’t interest me

if the story you are telling me is true.

I want to know

if you can disappoint another

to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own soul.

If you can be faithless

and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see

Beautyeven when it is not pretty

every day.

And if you can source

your own life from its presence.

I want to know

if you can live with failure

yours and mine

and still stand

at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full moon,

“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me

to know where you live

or how much money you have.

I want to know

if you can get up

after the night

of grief and despair

weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me

who you know

or how you came to be here.

I want to know

if you will stand

in the centre of the fire

with meand not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me

where or what

or with whomyou have studied.

I want to know

what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.

I want to know

if you can be alone with yourself

and if you truly

like the company

you keep

in the empty moments.

Basil

The effervescent tingle

permeates her mouth

whisking away cares

washing her in the tantilizing taste

of pesto's fresh cut

Olfactory bulbs light

from dim portions of past

sweet sensations arrive

a sensory bath

Basil your call

spice carry me on

lift spirits to heaven

sweet sensory song...

I am mindful how the most beautiful and precious things in life cannot be purchased, bought, nor bargained for.. belief, love, faith, hope, health... they are a fountain to the precious nature of life.

Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can't buy.

Izaak Walton

Thoughts at lunch time...

Amidst lunch hour today I stopped by the insightful blog of a friend as it discusses thoughts on why we do what we do and how we create meaning and happiness in our world. Recently, amidst the steadfast joy in my life that comes from my faith along with love of God-others-self, I hit a roadblock and was having a sad and difficult day both due to my own internal state, yet too given recent hardships and stressors several friends were facing. I stopped by various sites and chose to take yet another "Happiness test"... there are several available. Although I was feeling sad and stressed at the time, and wishing to nurture my own needs as well as be there for others, amidst the "down" state, I reached to an internal source of faith, love and comfort-- perhaps from the Lord, yet too in the subtle supportive messages from those around as well as the comfort and insight provided from personal writing. I thought of how even when we are sad, down, hurting, or having a difficult day, we can hold to optimism in the process keeping in mind the natural hills and valleys that come along in life. As one who works in mental health, I consider the difference between sad and depressed. The state of sadness is a mood, yet one can feel this way and still have optimism, hope, and a fervent love of life. Yet with depression often comes a hopeless outlook, lack of interest, and difficulty performing daily activiites. Perhaps as we work with individuals who feel depressed, or if any of you, we, or anyone we know or work with becomes depressed, in addition to the natural means of addressing the depression (i.e. meds, exercise, light therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.)... efforts to consider means by which we can shed light on perspective and bring hope may prove fruitful in the long run. For those interested in the insightful blog I referred to, you may access it at: http://www.doinglifewell.blogspot.com/ wonderful information!

I too have always found useful the Happier.Com website as it has many useful resources and self assessments:

http://www.happier.com/form.htm;jsessionid=852335ABA3936455DBC61E034B9DF7FA

So as to save my results (as quoted) from the self assessment, they are copied here:

YOUR RESULT: Balanced and Happy You are very balanced and well-rounded. When you hit an emotional funk or a frustrating situation, you have the ability to step back and carefully evaluate the problem and your response. Keep on doing what you are doing. But don't stress if you accidentally let a work issue spill into your personal life or handle a situation in a way you wish you hadn't. You are human, and mistakes are going to happen. The good news is that you'll take them all as learning experiences and be better for them in the end. Kudos to you!

Yeah, the concept of mood is fascinating... as is how we create, sustain, nourish, and respond to our moods. Perhaps it is a unique dance between our thought process, our mood, our actions, and our interactions (smile).

Blessings to anyone who stops by

Sometimes the simplest of messages can bring sunshine to the day...

Choose Daffodils

Thoughts on the Perplexity of Health...

I just read the news that John Travolta's 16 year old son died following a seizure. ... Though the heart always responds for those who lose children... this one hit me hard as too it was a seizure (behind the wheel) that killed my brother when he broke through his medications. Epilepsy continues to perplex the medical field. I am mindful of how amazing medicine is, yet too how much we know compared to a decade ago, and how little we know compared to a decade from now. ... The heart grows tender as thoughts of my dear brother revisit just now. As posted on my Christmas blog.. the holiday season brings such joy in spending time with those loved... yet too when we lose someone in this world pre-maturely via early death, and/or when grandparents, friends, and loved ones have died, rituals, routines, and the tides of the seasons change, and they are missed.

I bow in prayer today for the Travolta family and their pain

and too say a prayer of thanks for 30 wonderful years with dear Brian...

Sometimes the heart grows tender

yet is there not such beauty in relationships, life, and love?