Bishop Ron Archer Testimony The “Trick” Baby (Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x1RpFwrKOU

http://m.redandblack.com/content/tncms/live/

Trust, a key component in relationships, related to anatomy of brain

Allie Dean @aedean8 | Posted Yesterday

A study by a University of Georgia researcher shows that how much individuals trust others is associated with brain structure, which could potentially determine how successful relationships are.

Using a questionnaire, cognitive tests and an MRI scan, researcher Brian Haas, assistant professor of the behavioral and brain sciences program, found that study participants who were more trusting of others had a bigger volume in one part of their brain than those who were less trusting of others.

“The ventral medial prefrontal cortex is used to process things like “Is it worth me trusting this person? Is it dangerous for me to trust this person?” Haas said.

Another part of the brain researchers looked at was the amygdala, which Haas found to be greater in volume in people who tend to be more trusting of others- and also more distrustful of others. Haas said the amygdala is important in emotional processing.

“Both of those poles — being more trustful and being more distrustful — are more emotional decisions as opposed to saying “I don’t really care one way or another,” Haas said. “The amygdala guides the way we remember emotional decisions, so it makes sense that this part of the brain was greater in people making these more emotional decisions.”

Brain structure can alter all the time, Haas said, so if these regions of your brain are larger at one point in time, they can become smaller, or vice versa, related to events that would cause you to trust or distrust others. Research of PTSD, an extreme example, shows there is a lot of evidence of structural and functional abnormalities in the brain of people who have PTSD, Haas said.

The brain structures Haas observed in his study could be the result of nature or nurture, but it is difficult to distinguish the two.

“We don’t know if people were born with this anatomy and thats why they are more trusting of others or if they were raised with a particular social environment that allowed them to be more trusting of others, so their brain structure reflects that,” Haas said. “That’s something we’ve yet to explore.”

Haas’ study did not address relationships, but he said he would predict that “people who have a mutually trusting relationship would probably exhibit a similar pattern of behavior and have a similar pattern of brain anatomy.”

In a successful relationship, Haas said, the two people would equally trust one another.

According to Justin Lavner, assistant professor in the clinical psychology department, trust is an important foundation for many different types of relationships.

“Trust is a sense of security in a relationship,” said Lavner. “Its important that people feel they can connect with that other person, that the other person is reliable, whether that is with friendships, relationships with roommates, romantic relationships, relatives as well as coworkers.”

The way relationships are harmed by lack of trust depends on the reason you don’t trust the other person, Lavner said.

“Sometimes the other person does things that can make us not trust them, and it becomes difficult to repair that relationship because you’re always worried about what they might be doing,” Lavner said.

Lack of trust can be either related to specific events that make a person distrustful of another, or it can come from what is called “attachment styles”, which make it harder or easier for certain people to trust others.

“An attachment can develop based on experiences we have throughout our lives that make it so that in general we approach relationships in either a more trusting way or a less trusting way,” Lavner said.

There are ways to work on trusting others so that relationships can be more successful. Lavner said that not shutting down and being aware of the problem is one critical way.

“Its a process of working together to rebuild trust, so that it becomes something both people work on and acknowledge,” he said. “If someone feels it is difficult for them to trust others, as part of a bigger issue, they can always talk with a therapist.”

Sent from my iPhone

Cheerful English Shepherd's Hut

http://www.countryliving.com/life/travel/a35187/shepherds-hut-hampshire/?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1453_164705710

Peek Inside This Cheerful English Shepherd's Hut

With so many tiny houses out there that you can spend the night in, it may seem impossible to choose just one–until now, that is. This so-called shepherd's hut, located in Hampshire, England's South Downs National Park is brimming with bright personality and cheerful country charm. If anything, you'll wonder why you didn't rent this place out years ago.

Courtesy of The Tiny Life

Step inside, and you'll be greeted with the most delightful shade of blue radiating throughout the cozy bedroom nook, open kitchen and sitting area. What the hut lacks in square footage, it makes up for with every necessity you could possibly need for a relaxing getaway. A cozy wood-burner and lantern are just a few of the locally sourced vintage finds scattered throughout the space.

However, you may notice a few necessities missing from this adorable hut—like a bathroom, for one. Not to worry: This small home, dubbed Beacon, is actually one of four shepherd's huts available to rent through Canopy & Stars. They're all spread across a beautiful open meadow and wooded area—with an extra shared hut that houses that "missing" necessity. So bring your family and friends (or us!) and we'll all meet in the middle for a picturesque campfire under the country stars.

Courtesy of The Tiny Life

Courtesy of The Tiny Life

Learn more about this cheerful shepherd's hut at The Tiny Life.

Sent from my iPhone

EASTER: "He Is Risen!"

"He was wounded for OUR transgressions, He was bruised for OUR iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by HIS stripes we are healed." And he arose and ascended into heaven to prove that our penalty was paid. We are redeemed. We have been bought back from the gates of hell and led captivity captive. He broke our chains and released us from the bondage of sin! We have been made heirs to HIS kingdom. We are King's kids, adopted into the inheritance of the King of Kings! Hallelujah, what a Savior. 

His Name is wonderful! He is beautiful beyond description. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind...but now I see!  The veil has been lifted and we are invited into the Holy of Holies, washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. We are clothed in His righteous. We are His called out assembly, the Bride of Christ, buried in the likeness of His death, raised in the likeness of His resurrection, to walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE. We are a new creation, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you and me...because He lives!

LONLINESS: UNEXPECTED DEATH TRAP

http://easyhealthoptions.com/avoid-unexpected-death-trap/

Avoid this unexpected death trap

If you eat a healthy diet, exercise and take dietary supplements in an effort to live long and prosper, there’s one more step you need to take.

Researchers at Brigham Young University have identified the last place you want to be if you wish to live to a ripe old age.

That deadly location: home alone.

For better health, you need to get together with friends and family often. Avoid social isolation.

Persistent loneliness, say the scientists, is just as hazardous to your health and longevity as being drastically overweight.

“The effect of this is comparable to obesity, something that public health takes very seriously,” says researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad. “We need to start taking our social relationships more seriously.”

According to Holt-Lunstad, loneliness may represent a bigger threat to your health if you are under the age of 65 than if you are older. Data show that while seniors are more often lonely and generally have an increased risk of dying in the next few years, being lonely and socially isolated increases the chances of premature death for younger people.

“Not only are we at the highest recorded rate of living alone across the entire century, but we’re at the highest recorded rates ever on the planet,” says researcher Tim Smith. “With loneliness on the rise, we are predicting a possible loneliness epidemic in the future.”

To draw their conclusions, the Brigham Young researchers reviewed studies involving more than 3 million people. They say that loneliness and social isolation are as bad for your health as being an alcoholic or smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

“In essence, the study is saying the more positive psychology we have in our world, the better we’re able to function not just emotionally but physically,” Smith adds.

A good example of this are the people who live on the island of Okinawa in Japan. They have a higher percentage of 100 year olds that anywhere on earth.

Scientists have tried for years to figure out their secret, and I’m sure some of it is their diet. But, did you know that older people on Okinawa are some of the most social in the world? They are constantly visiting each other and doing outside activities together. And there’s a huge party there every year where people come from all over the island and participate in the biggest tug of war held anywhere in the world. They’ve been doing it since the 1600s.

Folks in other “blue zones,” where people live much longer than anyplace else on earth, are also very social. Like on the island of Icaria in Greece, and Abkhazia, high in the mountains of the country of Georgia. Staying active while in the company of friends and family seems to be a key to a long, healthy life.

Sent from my iPhone

journal: Esther Easter

April, 2015

As Christians everywhere are rejoicing in the risen Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord, Christians around the world, young and old alike, are being enslaved, imprisoned, tortured and slaughtered. Christians in America, the "home of the free", are being be told that they can no longer practice their faith if it offends someone else. In essence, they are being asked to deny their faith, bow to Baal and sacrifice their values on the altar of Molech. Easter will hold a very special significance for me this year. It is the year of "Esther" at EASTER.  

http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/positive-discipline/Parenting-Strong-Willed-Child

Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child

Have a strong-willed child? You're lucky! Strong willed children can be a challenge to parent when they’re young, but if sensitively parented, they become terrific teens and young adults. Self-motivated and inner-directed, they go after what they want and are almost impervious to peer pressure. As long as parents resist the impulse to "break their will," strong-willed kids often become leaders.

 

What exactly is a strong-willed, or spirited, child? Some parents call them "difficult" or “stubborn,” but we could also see strong-willed kids as people of integrity who aren’t easily swayed from their own viewpoints. Strong-willed kids want to learn things for themselves rather than accepting what others accept, so they test the limits over and over. They want desperately to be "in charge" of themselves, and will sometimes put their desire to "be right" above everything else. When their heart is set on something, their brains seem to have a hard time switching gears. Strong-willed kids have big, passionate feelings and live at full throttle.

Often, strong-willed kids are prone to power-struggles with their parents. However, it takes two to have a power struggle.  You don't have to attend every argument to which you're invited! If you can take a deep breath when your buttons get pushed, and remind yourself that you can let your child save face and still get what you want, you can learn to sidestep those power struggles. (Don't let your four year old make you act like a four year old yourself!)

Parents who pay attention can avoid power struggles, even with strong-willed kids, by empathizing as they set limits, giving choices, and understanding that respect goes both ways. Looking for win/win solutions rather than just laying down the law keeps strong-willed children from becoming explosive and teaches them essential skills of negotiation and compromise.

Strong-willed kids aren't just being difficult. They feel their integrity is compromised if they're forced to submit to another person's will. If they're allowed to choose, they love to cooperate. If this bothers you because you think obedience is an important quality, I'd ask you to reconsider. Of course you want to raise a responsible, considerate, cooperative child who does the right thing, even when it's hard. But that doesn't imply obedience. That implies doing the right thing because you want to. Morality is doing what's right, no matter what you're told. Obedience is doing what you're told, no matter what's right.

So of course you want your child to do what you say. But not because he's obedient, meaning that he always does what someone bigger tells him to do. No, you want him to do what you say because he trusts YOU, because he's learned that even though you can't always say yes to what he wants, you have his best interests at heart. You want to raise a child who has self-discipline, takes responsibility, and is considerate -- and most important, has the discernment to figure out who to trust and when to be influenced by someone else. 

Breaking a child's will leaves him open to the influence of others who often will not serve him. What's more, it's a betrayal of the spiritual contract we make as parents.

That said, strong-willed kids can be a handful -- high energy, challenging, persistent. How do we protect those fabulous qualities and encourage their cooperation?

Ten Tips for Positive Parenting Your Strong-Willed, Spirited Child

1. Avoid power struggles by using routines and rules. 

That way, you aren't bossing them around, it’s just that

"The rule is we use the potty after every meal and snack," or "The schedule is that lights-out is at 8pm. If you hurry, we’ll have time for two books," or "In our house, we finish homework before screen time." 

The parent stops being the bad guy.

2. Remember that strong-willed kids are experiential learners.

That means they have to see for themselves if the stove is hot. So unless you're worried about serious injury, it's more effective to let them learn through experience, instead of trying to control them. And you can expect your strong-willed child to test your limits repeatedly--that's how he learns. Once you know that, it's easier to stay calm, which avoids wear and tear on your relationship--and your nerves.

3. Your strong-willed child wants mastery more than anything. 

Let her take charge of as many of her own activities as possible. Don’t nag at her to brush her teeth; ask “What else do you need to do before we leave?” If she looks blank, tick off the short list: “Every morning we eat, brush teeth, use the toilet, and pack the backpack. I saw you pack your backpack, that's terrific! Now, what do you still need to do before we leave?” Kids who feel more independent and in charge of themselves will have less need to be oppositional. Not to mention, they take responsibility early.

4. Give your strong-willed child choices. 

If you give orders, he will almost certainly bristle. If you offer a choice, he feels like the master of his own destiny. Of course, only offer choices you can live with and don’t let yourself get resentful by handing away your power. If going to the store is non-negotiable and he wants to keep playing, an appropriate choice is: 

"Do you want to leave now or in ten minutes? Okay, ten minutes with no fuss? Let's shake on it....And since it could be hard to stop playing in ten minutes, how can I help you then?"

5. Give her authority over her own body.

“I hear that you don’t want to wear your jacket today. I think it's cold and I am definitely wearing a jacket. Of course, you are in charge of your own body, as long as you stay safe and healthy, so you get to decide whether to wear a jacket. But I’m afraid that you will be cold once we are outside, and I won’t want to come back to the house. How about I put your jacket in the backpack, and then we’ll have it if you change your mind?” 

She’s not going to get pneumonia, unless you push her into it by acting like you’ve won if she asks for the jacket. And once she won’t lose face by wearing her jacket, she’ll be begging for it once she gets cold.  It’s just hard for her to imagine feeling cold when she’s so warm right now in the house, and a jacket seems like such a hassle. She's sure she's right -- her own body is telling her so -- so naturally she resists you. You don't want to undermine that self-confidence, just teach her that there's no shame in letting new information change her mind.

6. Don't push him into opposing you.

Force always creates "push-back" -- with humans of all ages. If you take a hard and fast position, you can easily push your child into defying you, just to prove a point. You'll know when it's a power struggle and you're invested in winning. Just stop, take a breath, and remind yourself that winning a battle with your child always sets you up to lose what’s most important: the relationship. When in doubt say "Ok, you can decide this for yourself." If he can't, then say what part of it he can decide, or find another way for him to meet his need for autonomy without compromising his health or safety.

7. Side-step power struggles by letting your child save face. 

You don’t have to prove you’re right. You can, and should, set reasonable expectations and enforce them. But under no circumstances should you try to break your child’s will or force him to acquiesce to your views. He has to do what you want, but he's allowed to have his own opinions and feelings about it.

8. Listen to her.

You, as the adult, might reasonably presume you know best. But your strong-willed child has a strong will partly as a result of her integrity. She has a viewpoint that is making her hold fast to her position, and she is trying to protect something that seems important to her. Only by listening calmly to her and reflecting her words will you come to understand what’s making her oppose you. A non-judgmental  “I hear that you don’t want to take a bath. Can you tell me more about why?” might just elicit the information that she’s afraid she’ll go down the drain, like Alice in the song. It may not seem like a good reason to you, but she has a reason. And you won’t find it out if you get into a clash and order her into the tub.

9. See it from his point of view. 

For instance, he may be angry because you promised to wash his superman cape and then forgot. To you, he is being stubborn. To him, he is justifiably upset, and you are being hypocritical, because he is not allowed to break his promises to you, but you broke yours to him. How do you clear this up and move on? You apologize profusely for breaking your promise, you reassure him that you try very hard to keep your promises, and you go, together, to wash the cape. You might even teach him how to wash his own clothes! Just consider how would you want to be treated, and treat him accordingly.

10. Discipline through the relationship, never through punishment.

Kids don’t learn when they’re in the middle of a fight. Like all of us, that’s when adrenaline is pumping and learning shuts off. Kids behave because they want to please us. The more you fight with and punish your child, the more you undermine her desire to please you. If she's upset, help her express her hurt, fear or disappointment, so they evaporate. Then she'll be ready to listen to you when you remind her that in your house, everyone speaks kindly to each other. (Of course, you have to model that. Your child won't always do what you say, but she will always, eventually, do what you do.)

11. Offer him respect and empathy.

Most strong-willed children are fighting for respect. If you offer it to them, they don’t need to fight to protect their position. And, like the rest of us, it helps a lot if they feel understood. If you see his point of view and think he's wrong -- for instance, he wants to wear the superman cape to church and you think that's inappropriate -- you can still offer him empathy and meet him part way while you set the limit.

"You love this cape and wish you could wear it, don't you? But when we go to services we dress up, so we can't wear the cape. I know you'll miss wearing it. How about we take it with us so you can wear it on our way home?"

Does this sound like Permissive Parenting? It isn't. You set limits. There's just never any reason to be mean about it!
Here's why Permissive Parenting sabotages your child.

Need more ideas about How to put Positive Parenting to work with your Strong-Willed Child? 

Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids

AHA! NEWSLETTER

"Dr.Laura's daily emails are the perfect way to start the day with love and compassion"
-Misti

Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings

Sent from my iPhone