In bygone days, parents encouraged their children to play outside as much as possible, especially during the summer months when play inside the home was reserved for rainy days. The rest of the time the playground was outside; on the sidewalk, in the alley ways, the park and vacant lots if one lived in the city. The fields and forest were also good play areas if we lived outside the suburbs, close to the countryside.

Many city dwellers spent summer at the cottage, or at least the children and the mother, while the father remained in the city to work, save for his vacation weeks. Even in these days it was clear to everyone that children needed a contact with nature for a healthy growth, albeit for a part of the year only.

Today one can find countless health care products that claim to restore inner calm, balance and serenity in our lives. Can this be really true? There is no doubt that many ancient herbs and remedies that have been rediscovered can help us in various ways, but when it comes to lasting inner peace I do not think that a remedy is the long term solution. They can certainly calm our nerves and tensions for a while, but as soon as we stop taking them, we find ourselves once again feeling stressed and anxious. How then can we find lasting inner peace?
 

Pentecost is an annual commemorative day observed by many Christians worldwide. But what really was this event described in the Bible? Can we make sense of this today? The Grail Message- In the Light of Truth offers us clear and logical explanations of all spiritual happenings, including Pentecost.

When the Disciples “spoke in tongues”

The Biblical Version of the Pentecost Happening

From the Acts of the Apostles (KJV) …

(2:1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (2:2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Birthday and holiday celebrations appeal to what is childlike within us. In the ongoing demands of life as a caregiver this quality ranks low on the list of what we feel is important. Have we lost it altogether – that precious quality we possessed totally, if only briefly, as children?

As children we took delight in simple things: hearing the ocean in a seashell, watching a bug that was especially lively or colorful, feeling the first snowflakes on our upturned faces, and knowing – so we were told – that every single flake was different from all the others! Life was full of opportunities to wonder.

Every story has a beginning and an ending. But in between these two important parts is the “plot” or the “heart of the story” that unfolds and reveals the characters, the roles they play and their happy or tragic outcome, depending on their behavior. Can we not say the same about Life? Storytelling is, after all, simply reflections of the way we live.

Once again the Christmas season is upon us and many of us find ourselves on shopping and advertising overload! Thanksgiving dinner was still warm on our tables when the ever-present media was displaying all of the “must have things” to make our Christmas “jolly and bright”.

Likewise this year in the United States “black Friday” really lived up to its name. It was disturbing to see the thousands of Christmas shoppers camped out in store parking lots for several days in order to take advantage of shopping discounts. And what can one say about the fighting, pushing and shoving, the use of pepper spray, and even shootings … in the name of Christmas!

In his latest book «Collapse» author Jared Diamond, professor of geography and physiology at the University of California in Los Angeles, took a look at the outstanding civilizations that collapsed abruptly after several centuries of existence. According to the author, five factors could be involved, without all five being necessarily present: environmental damages inflicted by the population, climatic changes, aggression from enemies, the loss of friendly commercial trading partners and the political, economical and social reactions to these changes. The most frequent and indisputable factor is the irreversible damage caused to the environment.

The simple apple is often underestimated for its true worth on this planet. When it comes to the consideration we give apples, they tend to be slightly disregarded, given they are so commonly seen on store shelves and as a food staple. We certainly wouldn't think of awarding the apple the “Champion of Fruits" award. But then again, maybe we should take a second look. The Humble Apple

This small fruit accounts for 50% of all the deciduous tree crops on the entire planet! In Canada alone, approximately one million pounds are produced annually, and have been for the last 15 years. Yet we are not among the world’s biggest producers. Five Canadian provinces account for most of our apple production. Ontario delivers about half of the country's entire harvest. Just to give you an example, the weight of our apple produce is equivalent to five space shuttles or one fully loaded, new jumbo Boeing 747 jet.

One day in my younger years, when I felt lost and overwhelmed by life’s little problems, I went to visit a wise old lady. She told me that I should completely change my life in order to cope with my crisis. But how could I manage this? I didn’t have two pennies to rub together and saw no way out. The wise lady said: “Devote yourself to a flower every day. Just one bloom a day will help you to rearrange your life.”

So I went home and found some daisies in the meadow behind our house. I sat down and looked at them. They seemed to smile and warmed my heart. I was relieved for a while. But suddenly my problems began to invade my thoughts. How could these lovely little daisies help me to overcome my feelings of despair? I felt depressed again.