I (Sal) took a Women Studies' (w/Professor Mimi Frenier) Gender Issues class my senior year in college, which opened my eyes to a different perspective I never realy took a look at. Below are some resources as of 3/25/04....
We covered the role of Women in the Bible during this class, which there was some "negative". However, I found some "positive" outlooks a while later...
"The Bible gives many examples of people who prayed for children. The Lord must be pleased when a woman wants to be a mother, when she wants a godly boy or girl to bless and comfort the home and to be a soul winner."
"Hebrew: Miriam.
Mary was the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus Christ, who was conceived within her by the Holy Spirit when she was a virgin. She is often called the �Virgin Mary,� though never in Scripture are those two words put together as a proper name (Matt. 2:11; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27; Acts 1:14).
Today (Sunday, May 13th of 2007) is mother's day-yeah! Did you send a gift to your mom yet? If it's already past, you can do it today, tomorrow, everyday! We should celebrate it all year-round!
I was scheduled to lead a children's group this morning called "Super Church" and we have a calender of topics to lead the group one. Well, this morning when I woke up, I remembered it is "Mother's Day", which God reminded me of the verse on "mother's womb" (Pslam 139). I ended up searching some verses (about.com list down below) on the internet this morning prior to going to church...
""So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me'" (John 8:28). Therefore, Jesus' ministry was totally in the Father's hand and will and no one, including Mary the mother of Jesus, had any role in His ministry other than one of His followers. "
Children made "Mother's Day" cards with pictures (drew a picture of their favorite activity with their mom), Bible Verse (Proverbs 28:31), and their own creative works at Morris Community Church (h.g. cafeteria)
During the 30-45 minutes, I was going to focus on the "Mother's Day" theme since they had open shares during service. I asked if they had any plans for Mother's Day-a couple planned on going fishing. I then shared Pslam 31:28. Then we acted upon it by sharing how we are blessed by our mom's and what is our favorite activity we do with our mom? I had the children take turns individually sharing. After sharing for 30 minutes, they quickly drew what they share on Mother's Day cards that they will be giving to their mom and I encourage them to read the Bible verse we read and wrote on the card.
Honoring Mothers - Bluefish TV
"This heartwarming clip is a tribute to mothers everywhere, illustrating the many acts of love and sacrifices a woman makes for her family. http://www.bluefishtv.com/videos"
"A mother's touch � the difference a mom makes.
Writing to the Thessalonians about his commitment to lead them with both lessons and life, Paul describes his posture as being "like a mother caring for her little children." In 1 Thessalonians 2:7, he gave his followers an example that wove words with love, truth with touch."
"Proverbs 23:22-25 ESV Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. (23) Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. (24) The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. (25) Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice."
A Collection of Bible Verses for Women
Bless your loving mother or godly wife this Mother's Day with one of these Bible verses for Mom.
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you. (NLT)
Psalm 139:13
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. (NLT)
Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. (NASB)
Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (NIV)
"A mother's work is never done--until she takes the day off. This comic clip has a message. You?ll never take Mom for granted again. "
For me, my favorite activity with my mom growing-up was going shopping in downtown St. Paul. She would take my siblings and I on the city bus. It was actually an adventurous time for me as a little kid. My favorite store I always look forward to going was "Schinders" to
buy baseball cards. As a grown-up, I still enjoying going shopping with her as this has been a quality-time for me with her whenever I visit my family at least once a month.
-{2009 Reflections}
This morning (Sunday, May 10th of 2009) at church, I was inspired to add more to this after a great-time of worship. The worship leader (Johanna N.) shared about the "Shepherd" (Jesus) going after that 1 leaving the 99 sheeps.
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Life: Backslidden-Parable of the Lost Son
I just felt the "nudge" to emphasize this great Biblical story using my own life experience. I shared about a time back in Junior High School when I got in trouble-serious enough to be sent to the Principal's office and was sent home after being suspended from school for the rest of the day. I actually came home worried about what my parents was going to do. I came home "crying" to my mom and was greeted with an "unexpected" hug. I was actually expecting to get scolded. I look back at this and just thankful to my mom for her grace, which I see "God's love" through this-similar to the Parable of the Lost Son/Sheep. I was trying to encourage the folks at church present that we all make mistakes and what we do (aftermath) is what really matters. When my Principal suspended me from school, I could've went somewhere (e.g. hide in some nearby "hangout" that many of my peers went- to smoke, do drugs, etc...) besides "home"-gotten myself more in trouble! This is what our Heavenly Father wants us to do-come with a repentent heart towards Him or "back in His arms again"! What I didn't share is that I haven't done this more than I should. I've made many mistakes and didn't go back to His arms and dug a deeper pit or hole. PLEASE DON'T DO what I did and "run" to GOD! My Heavenly Father loves you more than what you think.
Also during my share, I talked about how we all need to be thankful to our "moms". During "Sunday School", I asked the kids what are they most thankful to their mom (a little different from the similar activity 2 years ago-see above). Some shared about their mom's "great" cooking (I love my Mom's Filipino food, which I appreciated more when I left home for college). With graduations coming-up, many graduates will be thanking their mom, which we need to do more than just once a year-everyday! I appreciate what my mom has done for me as I get older as I realize more what moms do (e.g. take care of children, house work, etc...) through babysitting or observing other moms. Also, meeting other people and realize how blessed I am. I shared in front of the congregation that I became more grateful after having friends, who would share about their stories of being adopted. I might not have the "perfect" family, but I'm thankful and love them!
Q: What are you appreciative (e.g. cooking-favorite dish, activity, characteristic, etc…) most about your mom or someone who has been a “mom” to you in your life?
"Her children stand and bless her."
PROVERBS 31:28 NLT
Related Sites:
Mothers Day Trivia, from mothersdaycelebration.com "..Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia who started Mother's Day celebrations also filed a lawsuit in an effort to stop the over- commercialisation of Mother's Day. She lost her fight. Anna had hoped for a day of reflection and quiet prayer by families, thanking God for all that mothers had done...
Pregnant?
*I have a friend that is currently (Aug 2007) pregnant, so I decided to help her find some good health tips...
"Maintain your prepregnancy level of fitness
In the early stages of pregnancy, some women can continue their prepregnancy exercise routines (including running, aerobics, biking, roller-skating, skiing, weight lifting, or other physically strenuous activities). Some women, however, find it necessary to take it easy during the first weeks of pregnancy but can return to their usual exercise after their morning sickness or extreme fatigue subsides.
"God has truly remained faithful to me and my family over these years, and He will continue to guide us to the end of the journey. Yet there's still a degree of sadness in my heart. I've given my children the best of everything I could at home, school and church. But I can never give them solid tools for loving and for resolving conflict that come from two parents committed to keeping their home together. To try to mend the torn places in a child from a divorced home is similar to patching a torn piece of fabric: It can be repaired, but it will never be like new."
"
You're young, single, pregnant - and scared to death. As you face an unplanned pregnancy, this expert advice and these recommendations will strengthen you with hope and equip you with a workable plan � from those who've been there."
-Miscellaneous
Pregnancy, links to various information (a1-baby-names.com)
" 8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."
11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' "
She replied, "I have a home among my own people."
14 "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked.
Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."
15 Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms."
"No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!"
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 "My head! My head!" he said to his father.
His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22 She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."
23 "Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath."
"It's all right," she said.
24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?' "
"Everything is all right," she said.
27 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why."
28 "Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?"
29 Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
30 But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened."
32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
36 Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your son." 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out."
"The new Miss Morris Area is Eileen Franey and the new Morris Ambassador is Angela Buchanan. They were crowned as part of the annual Miss Morris Scholarship program, held Saturday night.
Look for more details in the Wednesday, July 23 Morris Sun Tribune. "
Second Saturday Women, meets the second Saturdays of every month for music and fellowship at Common Cup @9:30am
Women's Aglow, meets the first Tuesday @7p of every month at the Best Western: Prairie Inn-Cougar Room.
Lyn Connolly - Women's aglow part1
"Lynda Connolly shares her story about going from Tragedy to Triumph at a Women's Aglow meeting."
*Note: Men are welcome to the Tuesday speakers as I personally went to one on Dreams, which was very informative!
"God told Job he wasn't going to give him all the answers and he didn't have the right to demand them," Harold says. After she became Miss America 2003 last September, Harold, now 23, began to understand God's timing. She says if she had won the Miss America title at 19 when she first entered the Miss Illinois pageant, her shaky faith would not have enabled her to survive the rigors of public scrutiny. But because of perseverance through many difficult circumstances, including sexual and racial harassment as a teenager, Harold (whose father is white and mother is black and American Indian) is no longer easily rattled."
-Suicide
Former Miss America Family Tragedy - CBN.com
"Angela Baraquio Grey recalls how her heart soared at being crowned Miss America in 2001, but was crushed years later when her brother committed suicide.
The Christian Broadcasting Network" The 6 D's for Sccess-Angela Baraquio-Miss America 2001, from youtube.com "Miss America 2001, Angela Baraquio shares her formula for success. Angela is the first Asian-American to win the Miss America Title."
*God's Love 7
Bible
-Books Francine Rivers "... My main desire as I started writing Christian fiction was to find answers to personal questions, and to share those answers in story form with others. Now, I want so much more. I yearn for the Lord to use my stories in making people thirst for His Word, the Bible. I hope that reading my stories will make you hunger for the read Word, Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. I pray that you will finish my books and pick up the Bible with a new excitement and anticipation of a real encounter with the Lord Himself. May you search Scripture for the sheer joy of being in God’s presence.
Beloved, surrender wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ, who loves you. As you drink from the deep well of Scripture, the Lord will refresh and cleanse you, mold you and re-create you through His Living Word. For the Bible is the very breath of God, giving life eternal to those who seek Him. ...- My Testimony
"(PEOPLE.com) -- With her new denim line in stores now, it's only fitting that Jessica Simpson is getting her fashionable feet wet at the runway shows of New York City Fashion Week. And on Thursday, the starlet made a trip to the "Project Runway" finale, where she was announced as the surprise guest judge.
In a shimmering gray mini-dress, Simpson joined judges Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Heidi Klum on the catwalk, then got down to business, evaluating the looks of the show's finalists. But since only six "Runway" episodes have aired so far on Lifetime, all 10 of the remaining designers presented collections so that the results of the finale will not be revealed.
With celebs like Jordin Sparks and Jamie-Lynn Sigler looking on, the contestants put forth a variety of designs. Mondo's collection was full of pink and polka dots, while Gretchen went with more muted tones. Valerie's playful dresses and vests were right out of a Katy Perry video, and her pal Ivy presented a beach-inspired collection. Andy, April, Casanova, Christopher, Michael C. and Michael D. shared their lines, as well....
"There are un-Biblical legends that Adam had a wife before Eve who was named Lilith. The legends vary significantly, but they all essentially agree that Lilith left Adam because she did not want to submit to him. According to the legends, Lilith was an evil, wicked woman who committed adultery with Satan and produced a race of evil creatures. None of this is true. There is no Biblical basis whatsoever for these concepts. There is no one in the Bible named Lilith. Mysteries of the Garden of Eve, from History channel Wikipedia
Etymology "
Hebrew לילית Lilit, Akkadian Līlītu are female nisba adjectives from the Proto-Semitic root LYL "night", literally translating to nocturnal "female night being/demon", although cuneiform inscriptions where Līlīt and Līlītu refers to disease-bearing wind spirits exist.[2][3]
Another possibility is association not with "night" but with "wind", i.e. identification of Akkadian Lil-itu as a loan from Sumerian lil "air".[2], specifically from Sumerian NIN.LIL "lady air", goddess of the South wind and wife of Enlil.
The Akkadian masculine līlû shows no nisba suffix and has been compared to Sumerian (kiskil-) lilla.[citation needed]
"
There are an incredible amount of organizations and resources dedicated to women and women's issues. From helping women business owners to protecting women who have been victims of assault, there are many places women can go to get educated..."
"..# Since men are the leaders and the ones responsible for the family, if men will fulfill their proper roles, women will follow and respond according to their created role. Many problems in society and in the family today can be directly traced to men who have not fulfilled their responsibilities. ..
"What does Ephesians 5:21-33 really mean? How are women supposed to be submissive to their husbands? Are women supposed to be submissive to their husbands? Do husbands have to do anything or do they just tell their wives
what to do? ...
he greek word often translated "submit" (uJpotavssw) is a compound word made up of the preposition "under" and "to place or arrange under." Throughout the New Testament the word is employed to refer to an individual who voluntarily submits to another. No compulsion is advocated or validated. In the New Testament, Christians are urged to submit to governing powers (Rom. 13:1), to each other (1 Cor. 16:16), and to Christ (Eph. 5:24). The submission of a wife to a husband mentioned in Ephesians 5 is a voluntary submission or self-sacrifice that places one at the service of another.
Submission, however, is very different from obeying. Obedience is something ordered by persons in power from those in a lesser position. Slaves and children, for example, are commanded to obey their masters and parents. Submission, on the other hand, is a voluntary act of deferring to the wishes of an equal. It is an act of the will, and not done out of fear of punishment. Wives are called to submit to their husbands in Ephesians 5:22, but what the wife is being asked to do to her husband is no different from what believers are called to do to one another in v. 21. (there is no greek verb in v. 22, but the verb is implied from its use in v. 21. . . this further emphasizes the link between v. 21 and v. 22)
...
Breast Cysts
By Pam Stephan, About.com
Updated: June 2, 2008
"What Are Breast Cysts?:
Cysts are one of the findings that can be seen on your mammogram. Cysts are benign fluid-filled masses that can appear in your breast tissue. They can appear alone or in groups, and are very commonly detected by mammography. Cysts are not usually associated with breast cancer.
What Happens Next, If You Have Dense Masses?:
If your radiologist finds a dense mass on your mammogram, and thinks it may be a cyst, the next step is to perform an ultrasound on it. An ultrasound sends sound waves through breast tissue, which will pass through a fluid-filled cyst. Solid masses will reflect sound waves, and will make a different image on the ultrasound than will a cyst.
What Causes Breast Cysts?:
During your regular menstrual cycle, your breast produces and absorbs fluid in response to hormonal changes. Excess estrogen may stimulate the breast to make more fluid than is adsorbed and subsequently this fluid may collect in small sacs or cysts. Many of us have small cysts without realizing it, or without being bothered by any pain or bumpiness. A cyst usually doesn’t require any treatment, but can be drained if it is uncomfortable.
When Do Cysts Appear?:
Cysts are most common in women who are 35 to 50 years old and are perimenopausal. If you’re taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) you may also experience breast cysts.
"Elizabeth Smith, MD's Experience about Eliminating Breast Cysts
I initially read John Lee, MD's book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause with skepticism, yet with great hope because what he said finally made sense to me. In my clinical practice, in my experience and opinion, we now have a greater than 90 % success rate with breast cysts. In 1999, I started to tentatively treat my fibrocystic breast disease patients with Natural Progesterone. Most patients got rid of their breast cysts in 3-6 months. However, some patients actually got worse. These non-responders had actually taken Progesterone creams that contained estrogens, and also had intakes of artificial chemical estrogens in their daily lives. Once these free and happy chemical artificial estrogens were eliminated from their life, our success rate went up again. But once again, we had several non-responders in this group. This second group of non-responders had conflicts or fights with other women, this led to increased anxiety and fear. The increased anxiety and fear led to increased cell membrane rigidity, and decreased excretion of chemical estrogens resulting in fibrocystic breast disease. I am proud to say that with the thousand or so patients that I have treated fibrocystic breast disease patients with this multi-disciplinary approach, my feeling is that our success rate for breast cysts has been over 90% (although I have no hard numbers). We counsel to take Natural Progesterone, avoid chemical estrogens (xenoestrogens), and repair relationships with the other females that you are in a fight with (or at least forgive them). [This is not a recommendation for your particular case, this is merely an observation.] ...
"If your breast examination has revealed a lump that seems like a cyst (a fluid-filled sac), a breast sonogram could be done to be sure that the lump looks like either a simple cyst or benign fibroglandular tissue. If so, these are highly likely to be benign (noncancerous) nodules. Typically, breast lumps that represent cancer are very firm, not particularly mobile, and not particularly painful. Since the formation of breast cysts may be somewhat tied to menstrual cycles, it may make sense to have your sonogram done soon after a menstrual period rather than mid-cycle. If your workup confirms that your breast nodules appear benign, then the nodules themselves are not dangerous and you and your doctor can follow them over time.
Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for fibrocystic changes. The related pain can be treated with acetaminophen (Tylenol), but while some limited data suggest that some women get relief with primrose oil use, there are no data for other interventions.
Last Updated: 03/04/2008
"
lowertestosteroneWomen Can Lower Testosterone Levels Naturally with the Right Dietary Choices "Q: I did a blood spot hormone profile and my testosterone came out high. I’m in my mid-30s and have ovarian cysts and pimples on my face. My doctor tells me this is because of the high testosterone, but he can’t tell me how to lower it. Do you have any suggestions?
.
A: It's fairly simple, but not necessarily easy, for most women to lower their testosterone. All they have to do is eat a lot less sugar and refined carbohydrates!...
The reason this works is that excess sugar and refined carbs cause high blood sugar, which in turn causes high insulin, which stimulates the ovaries to make androgens (male hormones). Get the blood sugar and insulin under control and testosterone generally goes down. Adding moderate exercise will help even more. Artificial sweeteners do not work because the sweet taste seems to stimulate insulin production....
"..i'm taking saw palmetto and am drinking spearmint tea (as i type this, even) and recently i've noticed a slowing down in the facial hair. i am so excited! i'm also taking an adrenal support supplement for my adrenals/elevated dhea levels...so i'm not exactly sure what is working--i suspect the saw palmetto, but it could be the synergy of all three (plus the other supplements i'm taking).
since i've been taking my supplements, about 6 weeks or so, i've felt so much better. more energy. less anxiety. my period last month was the easiest, least painful cycle i've had in years. and now, the "beard" is slowing down...it's still there, and i'm still plucking, but i'm noticing slower growth, which means less plucking!..
*see Spearmint Tea Benefits
Praise Dance-"Sweet Anointing" with Women of Virtue
"The Women of Vision Praise Dancers of Holy Tabernacle of God Christian Resource Center are part of His Dwelling Place Women's Ministry. These are mature women, the ages of the women range from 36 to 50 something. Here they dance at a recent Women's Ministry Day Service. The choreographer is Donna Johnson."
-Teaching
Joyce Meyer- Loving Life & Loving Yourself 1of3
"#3 Viewers' Choice- Taught in Greenvile, South Carolina : I loved this message and I thot u might like to watch it too... "
*see GoodnewsEverybody: Social Issues-Abused
Models
Kathy Ireland
"Kathy Ireland speaks about the unconditional love of Jesus Christ and shares her personal testimony with Christian Living magazine. Kathy is a featured columnist for Christian Living magazine and you can find more details about her at www.kathyireland.com or www.christianlivingmag.com"
"..MCKINNEY, Texas - A North Texas woman lost her hand after accidentally walking too close to a small plane's propeller. Witnesses say she had just stepped off the plane after a flight to see Christmas lights on Saturday night.
Lauren Scruggs, 23, lost her left hand and suffered eye, shoulder and head injuries in the accident, according to a family's statement on the website Caring Bridge.
UPDATE: Propeller Accident Tests Family's Faith
Scruggs had just gotten off the plane at a private airport in McKinney when she apparently walked in front of the propeller.
The plane is a two-seater 2011 Aviat Husky A-1C-180, according to the FAA registration website. Its registration status is listed as "in question," possibly having been recently purchased.
Scruggs was getting out of the plane and another passenger was going to get in the passenger seat for another flight when the accident happened, according to the Collin County Sheriff's Office.
The pilot, Kurt Richmond of Frisco, was not injured, according to the Sheriff's office.
Steve Blackman, an aviation enthusiast, says Scruggs is lucky to be alive.
"These [propellers] aren't going to break if they hit you," he told FOX 4 News. "It most likely is going to kill you if you get too close."
"If the engine is running at speed it will suck you into it, just like a jet engine will suck you into it," said Blackman.
The FAA is investigating the accident.
Scruggs was taken by Careflight helicopter to Parkland Hospital, where she underwent several surgeries over the weekend.
The Plano woman works as an editor for an online fashion magazine, LoLoMag.com.
Read more on myFOXdfw.com: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/Plano-Woman-Lauren-Scruggs-Hit-by-Plane-Propeller-120511#ixzz1jxChD4Jr
.. Lauren Scruggs' Recovery Pictures Surface
, gma.yahoo.com "Model is seen for the first time since she was injured by a plane propeller." Lauren Scruggscaringbridge.org "
Movies
"
Inspired by a true story, North Country follows Josey's (Charlize Theron) journey on a road that will take her farther than she ever imagined, .."
*see takepart.com
North Country (2005, trailer)
North Country (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "..is a 2005 American drama film directed by Niki Caro. The screenplay by Michael Seitzman was inspired by the 2002 book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler, which chronicled the case of Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Company... Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines a.k.a. Jenson v. Eveleth Mines, Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite, from
sexualharassmentsupport.org "
Affirmative action came to the Iron Range in
1974 when the U.S. government forced steel
companies to hand over 20% of their jobs to
women and minorities. The following year, a
petite and feminine, single mother on welfare
named Lois Jenson was hired as one of the
first female workers in the Eveleth iron mine in
northern Minnesota. She worked grueling
hours cleaning soot from huge grinding
machines, and, along with her fellow female
coworkers, endured brutal sexual and gender
harassment from the men who believed
women should remain at home and not
compete with men for scarce jobs. (Lois was
also stalked by one of her supervisors.)
At first, terrified of being fired, the women
remained quiet. Ultimately the harassment
became intolerable, forcing them to complain;
however, the company did nothing.
In 1993, a retired judge was named
special master to oversee a trial to
assess the amount of money the women
should be paid in damages. He had "old
school" beliefs and a past history of
sexual harassment. Eveleth Mines' lead
counsel during this phase was a woman,
and she planned a "nuts and sluts"
defense to minimize the amount of
damages awarded to each plaintiff. Her
strategy involved proving that the women
either caused the harassment by their
own behavior towards their male
coworkers, or were lying about the
severity and the psychological effects.
The judge permitted Eveleth's lawyers to
obtain the women's medical histories
from birth, and before the trial, the
plaintiffs endured close to 80 days of
brutal depositions that explored their past
personal and sexual lives in great detail,
regardless of relevance. Said one
plaintiff, "I felt I was raped on the stand."
Eveleth Iron Mines in Minnesota
The trial commenced in 1995. According to Sprenger, throughout testimony about the
savage sexual harassment that occurred at the mine, the judge frequently fell asleep;
when awake, he seemed to enjoy hearing about the women's ordeal. After the trial, the
judge expressed much skepticism in his 1996 report, calling the women "histrionic."
In the end, he awarded each of them only an average of $10,000. (Soon after the trial,
the judge was arrested for shoplifting.) However, the judgement was reversed in
December 1997 by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. This time, a jury trial was
ordered.
Lois ultimately prevailed after the plaintiffs were awarded $30 million dollars in a
mock trial. In 1998, on the eve of the actual jury trial, the women settled with Eveleth for
a total of $3.5 million dollars. Overall, Lois and the other women went through three
humiliating trials where their character and personal lives were assaulted over and
over again by Eveleth’s lawyers. In addition, they endured the torturous process of
litigation, and further torment of working class citizens by the civilized venue of the
federal court system. Judge Donald Lay wrote,
"It should be obvious that the callous pattern and practice of sexual
harassment engaged in by Eveleth Mines inevitably destroyed the self-esteem
of the working women exposed to it. The emotional harm, brought about by this
record of human indecency, sought to destroy the human psyche as well as the
human spirit of each plaintiff. The humiliation and degradation suffered by
these women is irreparable. Although money damage cannot make these
women whole or even begin to repair the injury done, it can serve to set a
precedent that in the environment of the working place such hostility will not be
tolerated."
Throughout the process, Eveleth paid more than 15 millions dollars in legal fees and
settlements. All of this could have been avoided simply if they had been willing to
implement a sexual harassment policy. Instead, Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines became
the first sexual harassment class action lawsuit in America, and changed the legal
system as well as lives of the women who fought the war. (50, 51, 52, 54)"
"Ali's Take
I have to say that I was both nervous and excited to talk to Mayim because I had heard she had a very unique parenting style. There are so many interesting/somewhat controversial things that she is doing with her family: elimination communication, bed sharing, home schooling, home birth, and choosing not to vaccinate her kids. I knew it was going to be an enlightening interview....
"Pilot show for the proposed "Nothing But The Truth" TV series, in which a voice stress analyzer lie-detector is used to reveal the truth about the Thomas-Hill sex controversy. Second story deals with alien-abduction. Pilot was produced in late 1992. This is the first public viewing of the program. "
"..(born July 30, 1956(1956-07-30)) is a professor of social policy, law, and women's studies at Brandeis University at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and a former colleague of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She is best known for testifying under oath at Thomas' 1991 Senate confirmation hearings that her supervisor Thomas had made provocative and harassing sexual statements...
Clarence Thomas controversy
Main article: Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination
In 1981, Hill became an attorney-adviser to Clarence Thomas at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). When Thomas became Chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Hill went to the EEOC with Thomas and his then-secretary, Diane Holt, to serve as his special assistant. Hill alleges that it was during these two periods (i.e., during her employment at ED and EEOC) that Thomas made sexually provocative statements.
Although Hill was a career employee (Schedule A) and therefore had the option of remaining at the Department of Education, she testified that she followed Thomas because, "[t]he work, itself, was interesting, and at that time, it appeared that the sexual overtures . . . had ended."[2] Also, she testified that she wanted to work in the civil-rights field, and that she believed that "at that time the Department of Education, itself, was a dubious venture."[2]
On October 11, 1991, Hill was called to testify during the Senate confirmation hearing of then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill's allegations against Thomas were made public when information from an FBI interview about the allegations was leaked to the media days before the final Senate vote on his appointment. Thomas was nominated by then-President George H. W. Bush to replace the retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall.
"(CNN) -- A 28-year-old woman who said an unknown assailant threw a cup of caustic liquid in her face has admitted her injuries were self-inflicted, Vancouver, Washington, police said Thursday...
Acid Attack Victim: Find my Attacker
"
Added On September 2, 2010
A woman whose face was disfigured in a random acid attack speaks out for the first time since she was ambushed."
"(CNN) -- Bethany Storro doesn't usually wear sunglasses, but she got a surprise paycheck and bought a pair earlier this week. Those sunglasses, she is convinced, saved her eyesight when a woman threw a cup of acid in her face 20 minutes later.
"God is watching over me," Storro, of Vancouver, Washington, told CNN affiliate KATU in Portland, Oregon. "I believe in him. That his hands are on me and I can't live the rest of my life like that -- in fear. I can't let what she did to me wreck my life."
Storro is hard of hearing due to a childhood virus, so her sight is especially important to her, particularly because she can read lips.
Vancouver police say they are looking for the assailant, described as an African-American woman with an athletic build and slicked-back hair pulled into a pony tail.
Storro told KATU that she had stopped at a Starbucks about 7:15 p.m. Monday, just after she had gone back to buy a pair of sunglasses that she had seen earlier. The woman walked up to her and said, "Hey pretty girl, do you want to drink this?"
When Storro declined, the woman threw the contents of the cup in her face and ran off.
"When I first saw her she had this weirdness about her, like jealousy, rage," Storro said.
Storro underwent surgery at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, where she held a news conference Thursday with her head covered by bandages.
Storro said she spoke about the attack because she wants people to see what the woman did to her and to help authorities find the woman before she assaults someone else.
Still, she has questions about the senselessness and seeming randomness of the attack.
"Why did you" do that, Storro asked. "Did you wake up that morning and go, 'I'm going to, I'm going to carry some acid in a cup and throw it at the first person that I see?' Was it a dare? You know, why me?"
Speaking with her parents by her side, Storro described the pain she felt.
"Oh, you don't even know!" she said. "It was the most painful thing. Like I told everybody, my heart stopped. I almost passed out. It's like, imagine -- I mean, it ripped through my clothes the instant it touched my shirt. I looked down and it just ripped through my shirt and made holes in my shirt.
"So imagine that on your skin. I could hear it sizzling. Once it hit me, I could actually hear it bubbling and sizzling my skin."
Doctor aren't sure yet how bad Storro's face has been damaged because she's just starting to heal.
But the attack does not seem to have hurt the woman's spirit.
"I try to stay positive, and there's moments when I get really frustrated, and I want to get mad at somebody," Storro said. "But there's nobody to get mad at, you know."
Vancouver police, who released a composite sketch of the suspect, ask anyone with information to call Major Crimes Unit Detective Wally Stefan at 360-487-7425."
"10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. "
"MENIFEE, CA (ANS) -- India born Christian author and former model, Caryl Matrisciana said at the launch of her latest book, “Out of India” that the New Age philosophy has entered the Christian Church through the West's fascination with Yoga and Hindu-Christian blended contemplative prayer combined with other mystical meditative practices.
Matrisciana told ANS, “When I was twenty years old, my family returned from India, where I was born and lived for most of my life, to England, our homeland. It was during the turbulent sixties, and I was introduced to a movement that didn't even have a name at that time....
*see GoodnewsEverybody: Religion-Hinduism
ASIA
-Afghan
Taliban: Christian Woman Killed for Preaching
"The Taliban say they killed a Christian aid worker in Afghanistan because she was trying to spread her religion. But the aid group that she worked for denies that its workers were proselytizing, which is against the law in Afghanistan. (Oct. 20) "
MIDDLE EASTERN
-Iran
Iranian Woman Learns Truth- Persecuted Christian
"
http://www.persecution.net/ir-2008-07...
On June 3, a newly converted Christian couple was arrested by police for holding Bible studies with Muslims in their home and attending a house church, according to a June 25 report from Compass Direct. Makan Arya (31) and Tina Rad (28) were seized from their home in east Tehran after one of Makan's relatives informed security police of the couple's Christian activities. Their four-year-old daughter was left behind, ill and unattended. The couple was taken to an unknown jail where they were severely beaten and interrogated for four days. Makan was accused of "activities against national security" and Tina of "activities against the holy religion of Islam." The authorities threatened to take their daughter away to a religious institution and warned them that they could be imprisoned on charges of apostasy or fabricated drug charges if they didn't stop their Christian work.
Eventually the couple was pressured into signing a statement claiming they had not changed their religion from Islam and promising that they would stay away from their house church and other Christians. After a court hearing, Makan was freed on bail charges of $20,000 (CAD) and Tina upon payment of $30,000 (CAD). The couple returned home to find that the window of their shop had been smashed by local Muslims. On June 23, Makan received a letter threatening him with continued attacks if he did not put up evidence of his Islamic faith on the front of his shop, to which he responded by hanging pictures of Muslim leaders on his window.
Ask God to strengthen the hearts of these believers to proclaim His Name without hesitation or fear (2 Timothy 1:5). Pray for healing, especially for Tina who currently cannot walk as a result of her mistreatment in detention. "
*see GoodnewsEverybody: Life-Dreams
"FOX News Channel presents the documentary the Public Broadcasting System didn't want you to see. It's a film about the difference between moderate Muslims and the radicals who want to kill us. It asks where are the moderate Muslims and why aren't they "
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Issues: Rejected, Stood-up, etc. ....
"(CNN) -- An Iranian woman who'd already been condemned to death faces another sentence of 99 lashes because of a case of mistaken identity in a photograph, according to foes of the execution.
Iranian authorities imposed the sentence after they saw the photo of a woman without a head scarf in a newspaper, the International Committee Against Stoning, a human rights group, said Friday.
In an apology, The Times of London, which ran the photo on its front page on August 28, said the woman was wrongly identified as Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who had previously been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.
The Times said the photo actually is of Susan Hejrat, a political activist living in Sweden....
"(CNN) -- A designer clothing store, a comic book store, a tattoo parlor and a ... women for sale store.
This unusual window display shocked shoppers at a busy Tel Aviv mall last week when among the run-of-the-mill shops, they came across a group of young women standing in a storefront.
On them were price tags detailing their age, weight, height, dimensions and country of origin.
Organizers said the campaign is designed to bring awareness to women trafficking. It aims to collect enough signatures to pressure the Israeli justice ministry to back legislation that makes it a crime for men to go to prostitutes.
This legislation is the next important step in the fight against women trafficking, said attorney Ori Keidar, one of the founders of the task force against the problem.
"The legislation against the prostitutes' customers will bring a reduction in the demand for prostitution and it will be a less lucrative business for crime organizations," Keidar said.
"This in turn will bring a reduction in the trafficking of women."
Keidar said the legislation is modeled after similar legislation in Sweden that has drastically reduced trafficking and prostitution.
Over the past decade, about 10,000 women have been trafficked into Israel in what Keidar calls "modern slavery."
The women are locked, beaten, raped, starved and forced to receive 15-30 men a day 365 days a year, according to the attorney.
About three years ago, Israeli police greatly reduced women trafficking by pouring resources into the problem. Security forces have also helped by stepping up patrols on the Israeli-Egyptian border as a result of al Qaeda presence in the Sinai.
This 300-kilometer border was the main route for smuggling women into Israel, Keidar said.
"This legislation against the customers will bring a further reduction in trafficking and with a little more pressure we can make this go away" Keidar said."
Frontline-Sex Slaves documentary part 1
"Special documentary about selling woman from East Europe to worldwide as sex slaves "
MINISTRIES:
"... is a non-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the eradication of human trafficking both domestically and abroad. Through advocacy, education and relief efforts, the Home Foundation is committed to end the suffering of women and children sold into sexual slavery....
"
Natalie Grant, who won the Dove award for female artist of the year in 2006 to 2009, runs the Home Foundation.
Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Natalie Grant apologizes for crying, but she can't help it.
She is describing meeting a woman from India who is a counselor in a village where some women have been saved from human traffickers.
The counselor knew all too well what these women went through. When she was 12 her parents took her to Mumbai for her birthday. Her brother traveled with them. When they got off the train, the woman told Grant, she was separated from her family.
She began to cry endlessly. A man came up and said he would help. He didn't. He had purchased her from her parents, whom she said thought that she would be getting a job and sending money back to their village.
Instead she was thrown in the trunk of a car, and that night she began her horrific journey into sex slavery.
Years later, after being rescued and going through a "restoration" program, she met Grant, a popular Christian music singer who grew up near Seattle, Washington, never giving thought to sex trafficking. There was one word they both understood.
"She just kept looking at me and she kept saying, 'Jesus' over and over," Grant said. "In my American, comfortable life I've never experienced anything like that before. It wrecked me for life."
It was also a force in Grant, a four-time female vocalist of the year at the Dove Awards, starting a charity, The Home Foundation, to provide assistance for the battered and abused women rescued from trafficking.
Her mission started in 2004, when Grant was shocked as she watched a episode of "Law & Order" on human trafficking. She knew the show was based in fact and it bothered her so much she turned on the computer and spent hours that night searching the Web for information about trafficking.
"I found the Trafficking in Persons report for that year, and I just started reading it, and I thought, why don't I know this already," she said. "I watch the news all the time, why don't I know more about this?"
Within months, Grant had arranged a trip to India with her husband, music producer Bernie Herms, where their guide showed them the seedier side of life. Many of the street girls -- some as young as 5 -- were going to be sold and raped repeatedly that night, she said the guide told her.
"I'd be hard pressed to find a human being who would see that -- outside of the men who are the buyers -- that wouldn't be appalled by that," she said. "That doesn't mean everyone is going to come back and say I have to change it. But I believe enough in the human heart that it would at least wreck you, at least mess you up a little bit."
In her research, Grant found some stunning statistics. There are more sex slaves now than at any point in history, she said. More than 80 percent of them are women and girls. In the United States, there are more than 100,000 people who had been trafficked and less than 50 beds in shelters for those rescued, she said.
Grant knows that as a touring Christian music singer and someone who does a lot of media interviews, she has a unique platform from which she can drive a faith-based movement to fight trafficking. Faith-based because she feels the church is best suited at "restoring the broken."
So she started the Home Foundation in 2005 to raise money and partner with other charities to help out. For the first four years, it sent a lot of its money to causes overseas.
Grant, who figured she'd just get up at her concerts and ask the audience for money, said it's become a lot more than that.
In my American, comfortable life I've never experienced anything like that before. It wrecked me for life."
--Christian music singer Natalie Grant on meeting a victim of human trafficking
Now, the goal is to build shelters, starting with 10 major U.S. cities. Grant also proudly talked about the new Christian Trafficking Shelter Association, which she likened to a Better Business Bureau of shelters. The foundation also has a growing internship program, she said.
Jeff Barrows, the director of the association, said by e-mail there are four centers that house young victims of sex trafficking, with one more building being renovated.
He thinks the United States is doing a good job in arresting and convicting sex traffickers, but there is still more the government can do.
"I personally believe that the U.S. is doing very well in prosecution, but could make some major strides in protection and prevention, especially when it comes to domestic minor sex trafficking victims," he said in the e-mail.
Barrows said his group will make sure shelters follow "established standards of care" and said Grant has been instrumental in helping
"She has shown leadership by realizing the need to develop best practices in this field so that efforts to help these victims are not haphazard or at worst, cause further harm to them," he said in the e-mail.
Grant appeals for more than just money these days.
"We can all do something," she said.
Write your congressmen to tell them to do more for the victims of sex trafficking, Grant said. She also would like people to boycott the website Craigslist until it stops selling adult ads or ask the religious leaders at their houses of worship to see what they are doing with their missions.
Most churches are very receptive to her sharing information during her concerts, she said, but not all.
"There was one church that said, "We know you do that whole trafficking thing, but we just don't want you to do that tonight. We just want you to do a real family-friendly concert," she said, palpable annoyance in her voice.
"I'm thinking, you're missing the whole purpose of what God wanted church to be," she said.
A portion of the proceeds from Grant's new album, "Love Revolution," will go to the Home Foundation. The CD is a reminder to Christians that a spiritual life is more than attending church each week.
The album is a call to action to let your life be your message, to let your lifestyle and the way that you live be the message of Christ's love.
"It's a return to being church rather than doing church," she said.
Grant is somewhat collected now, but she has another tale of a girl who was forced into slavery.
She recounts meeting the girl at one of her concert meet-and-greets last year. The girl was much like the others who attend her shows: young, good kid, active in her church. One day, she met a cute boy at a smoothie place. He invited her to a party and told her he'd have her back by 10. She got in the car with him
"Three weeks later the police found her. For sale, on Craigslist," she said. "It's not like she was a runaway. She was just a 16 year old from a Christian school who just went to Jamba Juice. And she was trafficked."
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