prop 8, information that can help you vote this year

Last Chance to Restore Marriage Definition
Why Your Participation is Critical

Who doesn't have time to help with the effort to pass Prop 8 and restore the definition of marriage in California? This is our last chance to reverse the decision of the California Supreme Court by putting the same language that was passed by 61% of California voters in 2000 into the state constitution -- "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

What are we going to say to our children and grandchildren if Prop 8 loses by just a couple of votes? This is a time to make sacrifices and reorder priorities for the next few weeks. We will never have a chance like this again.

There are very specific things that need to be done to win and we need your help.

1. Volunteer today! If you have not signed up personally, go to http://Catholicsfor ProtectMarriage. com. We will contact you within 72 hours and ask you to help with phoning or neighborhood walks. To be effective, your activities must be coordinated with the campaign.
2. Whether you have already signed up or are just doing it today, it is everyone's job to recruit more volunteers. In order to cover the state, we need about 30-40 volunteers from the average parish.
1. Ask 5 friends to volunteer today. Forward this email. Call them.
2. Consider becoming a leader in your area. Join with other leaders on recruitment drives in parishes and as Catholic events. Order volunteer sign-up cards by sending an email to info@ccgaction. org.
3. Ask members of your Catholic organization to volunteer.

Yard signs are coming

When you volunteer online, please indicate if you would like to have a yard sign. If you would like to help distribute yard signs, make sure to indicate the quantity in the comment field when you sign up.

For the common good,

Bill May
Chairman, Catholic for the Common Good
Chairman, CatholicsforProtect Marriage. com
415 651 4171

manga bible, has full text and manga art for some of the major stories

the one I found at a christian bookstore is cool, it has full text, and manga art for some of the major stories. It is made by tyndale and is the NLT version of the bible.

I bought one at the lifeway christian store in brea. There are actually two christian stores in brea, on either end of imperial hwy. I believe kids would really like this version of the bible since it has the artwork. It is a white bible with a picture of jesus on the cover.

There is another manga bible that is black and white, but I like this one better because it also has the full text of old and new testament. The art is just an additional way to tell the stories.

You can probably find it online if your interested.

if you are like me and enjoy comic books, then you will probably like this version a lot.

happy scripture reading...

GK OPEN MIC NIGHT

Link

come sing, or just listen, should be a fun night. I am not sure if I will sing this time...But we will see. I might, I will decide a little later

But if you have itch to sing your favorite songs for a good cause, then by all means please come and share your talents.

yoga poses for headaches and also for stress

I got these sets of poses, with pictures and explanations of how to do the pose to rescue you from headaches and also to rescue you from stress.

I have done many of these in the past in my yoga classes. And I have found yoga to be a very calming influence, and it improves your fitness level and allows you to take your mind off of anything that is bothering you. Hope you enjoy these poses, and that they help ease your mind.

Namaste

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good free software for download

www.openoffice.org --- replaces microsoft office
www.gimp.org -- photo editor
www.inkscape.org -- vetor scalable graphics, for drawing
www.mozilla.org -- free browser and email clients
google has also released their "chrome" browser on beta

good open source applications you can download and use for free on the internet. Good alternatives to software that is normally pretty expensive

good luck and happy computing

Does being a minority help you get into college?

race is one item being evaluated for entrance to a college. They want a diverse group of students so that they can learn from each other, and share talents with each other. Minorities often have a very different view of the world then say white students who come from high income families. The universities will always try to bring the most talented kids they can to each class of freshman. Often the unique parts of each student, like the community service, artistic talents, music, athletics, travels, or other gifts will be considered as part of the package. A perfect freshman class would have talented people in every field of intelligence, so they can blend and spark new ideas and new research among the students in their time on campus.

Is race a factor, sure it is. Because people from underpriveleged communities dont have all the same resources as high income families. And normally they have had to work much harder to achieve in school. Or they had to work jobs while they were in school, or be surrounded by gangs and crime in their city. But those experiences create different points of view that are necessary in a freshman class for their university to mimic the world and bring diversity to the table.

If everyone came from an elite background, then their would be less original ideas generated at school.

It is not as bad to be a minority now, as it was in the 60s and 70s, when people were still struggling for the right to vote, or even get elite jobs. The civil rights movement changed a lot of things, but those 500 years of slavery were the main reason for admitting minorities more often, or with lower scores in the past. Because honestly those kids didnt have the same resources as high income families. And they brought a much different perspective and talents to a college, that they would never have if they did not admit those kids.

Do I still believe there is racism and sexism in the world, yes I do believe it still exists, but it is not as blatant or violent as it used to be. But I still believe women and people of color should be included in each freshman class so they can share their views and talents with people who come from an advantageous background.

if you need help with SATs, or college essays, or interviews, just check out our site at http://www.tpacademics.com

I come from a minority family. My parents were the first in their families to come to america. And we did well, my siblings went to ucla, uc irvine, harvard, northwestern, ucla, claremont grad university.
So I know what it is like to be a minority and get into good schools, or even top schools in the country. And we all worked hard to get admitted, I dont believe we were chosen just because of our race.
We all had good test scores, and brought different talents in our admission packets

eucharist

the last supper, came from another last supper: passover

at passover they had wine, bitter herbs, roasted lamb, and bread

passover was celebrating the escape from slavery of the jews from egypt

when christ had his last supper, he offered the bread and wine, but no lamb, no meat
in fact the lamb was christ himself

the eucharist is a meal of reconciliation, and the first bread dipped in wine was given to Judas
to forgive him for his betrayal

the other apostles were not sure if he was only leaving to bring back the lamb to their meal, but jesus knew and he told judas to do whatever he was going to do quickly

and when judas did not come back, jesus knew that judas was going to betray him

judas's betrayal actually represents our sins, at times we have sinned or betrayed our promise to god, so if you hate judas then really you hate the sinner in all of us who are not perfect

Giving the bread and blood to jesus, before he ever betrayed him, is god's way of showing us that hee forgives us before we even commit a sin, even a mortal sin. God loves us that much, that he knows we will fall, but he will forgive us and reconcile us during communion

When judas went to the pharisees, he told them I will kiss the one who is christ, but please take care of him

I am not sure what motivated judas to give up christ, but likely satan was leading him at this time

Just as jesus told peter "get back away from me satan", when we are at our worst satan is working in our pride, our ego, our minds, our bodies or our souls. And satan knows where to attack each of us. He knows our weaknesses, and if we are not vigilant with our prayers he will take control of us and cause us to sin, rupturing the holy spirit from our bodies at that moment

Judas even tried to give back the money to the pharisees, but they did not listen and continued their persecution of christ

That is when judas went to hang himself

Even abraham had to offer his son as a burnt offering
his son isaac, asked his father where is the lamb for the burnt offering, when he brought his only son to be offered up to god on the mountain

the eucharist, the body and blood of christ given up for all in memory of me, so we are to offer the body and blood of christ until he returns again to walk on this earth at the end of time

those who eat the body and blood of christ will never be hungry and never thirst

After this talk, we spent some time with each other, and with the bishop

And we then prayed in front of the blessed sacrament at st marthas, I was listening for a message from christ, I believe he will provide me an answer soon, to the prominent questions in my mind

I have gone to the blessed sacrament in these last 3 years with sfc, more than I had in my previous 32 years of my life. I go there to find a quiet place to listen and reflect with jesus.

top 10 habits for good health and top 10 habits to avoid

top 10 good habits

1. hybrid exercises that work multiple joints at the same time, try : deadlift, high pull and push press, or side lunge with a shoulder press

2. try plyometric exercises like box jumps, or wall touches, or single leg forward jumps

3. cook your food in different ways to make the most of vitamin output, try steaming or boiling, or broiling, or bbq, I would try to stay away from fying too many of your foods though

4. take a break, if you get 3.5 hours of break time per week, you are less likely to be depressed

5. wear polycarbonate lenses when you play sports, especially extreme sports like paintball, snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding, even basketball or hockey, many injuries come from not protecting your eyes

6. get vaccinated, only 2% of all adults have current vaccinations

look some up at http://cdc.gov

7. wearing casual clothes like yoga pants to work can promote more walking during the day at work and breaks and after work, I always loved wearing a workout shirt and shorts or athletic pants as a trainer

8. strengthen your back at the office

standing cat/camel

stand with hands on thighs or knees, keep knees bent. Arch your back up like a camel, hunching at shoulders, then curve down like a cat, while looking up at ceiling or lean on your desk or on the floor if you prefer

or standing bird dog: with feet shoulder width apart, stand 2 or 3 feet from a wall. Lean on wall, keep back straight. Extend right arm  straight up from wall, and lift your leg straight back/up. Lift your arm and leg as high as possible, then  down and repeat on other side.Do 10 repetitions

9 wear an exercise band around your thigh, to prevent yourself from bringing your knees together during squats and lunges, which can lead to ligament damage, keep your legs about shoulder width apart for these moves

10 visionary: if you can see yourself being fit, you are more likely to achieve it, Picture yourself with a strong, healthy body, and by the law of attraction you will create that body through your eating and exercise habits and playing sports

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top 10 habits to avoid

1. smoking - they are called cancer sticks for a reason, they also create yellow teeth, wrinkles, ruined hair, you taste and smell like smoke when you use cigarettes, especially when you move in to hug or kiss your partner

2. high levels of stress, people who worry gain more weight, and also create other physical and mental issues

3. drinking sodas: high fructose corn syrup will put major pounds on you, if it is in the first three ingredients of a food you are eating or drinking, then you should stop eating or drinking it

4. binge drinking of alcohol: excess alcohol can lead to throat cancer and loss of brain cells

5. risky sex: no condoms can lead to std, pregnancy, and can threaten the future of you and your children if you get married and want to have a family in the future

6. bein lazy. if you watch tv all day, then you can expect obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and death

7. super sun tans: leather skin is so 1980s

8. sucking in polluted air: smoggy air leads to 24k deaths per year

9. wearing heels all the time, can drain your wallet, and cause broken bones, sprained ankles and muscular imbalances, break out the walking or running shoes or flats once and awhile

10 skipping medical checkups, if you hate your doctor, pick a new one, or get assigned to someone else, ask your friends for recommendations on good doctors

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good luck and start off the fall season with good health-- so you can stay in shape for christmas and new years

be fit, and be your best version of yourself

does god care if your overweight?

weight should not matter in our relationship with god. But it is written that gluttony is a sin. And that we are supposed to treat our bodies as a temple of the holy spirit. Would a real temple of the holy spirit be so weak to not be able to walk 1 mile to church without breathing heavy and wanting to die. Of course not, our bodies are our responsiblity to protect and care for. When I was overweight, I met a personal trainer and he helped me create a nutrition plan. It was the first time I had ever been overweight and didnt really know what to do. Years later I got certified to be a personal trainer myself. I really wanted to help my mom and my sister because they are overweight. But sadly they never really tapped me while I was working in the gym to use my new skills. But I helped other people at the gym and had some clients as long as 6 or 7 months a couple times a week. We need to learn how to eat, and how to move more often to create the body we want. If you want to be healthy and fit, I suggest reading books on health and fitness. I subscribe to mens health, and oxygen fitness. I also like the clean-eating book by reno tosca. And you can ask me questions and have me train you online at my website http://www.teambeachbody.com/senseironald

I have helped athletes with performance, and also helped other people to gain lean mass and be leaner and stronger. One of my girls was so happy cause she was getting compliments on her back when she wore dresses, and her snowboarding performance was improving. One of my softball players had noticed her throwing arm was getting stronger since she started with me. Jillian Michaels and Mark Verstegen have some good books and videos that can be bought as well.

Feel free to contact me if you want to talk to a NASM certified trainer. I also have a black belt in karate. I would be more than happy to help you rebuild that temple that your body was meant to be. God Bless, be fit, and please do tithe the money you would have spent on unhealthy food to your local parish, worship radio station, or nonprofit company that you love, so they can benefit from your newfound health.

But in a nutshell, move more than you eat every week and you will slowly but surely see the body you were always meant to have. And be patient, you did not put those pounds on in one week. So give yourself time to change to a more fit version of yourself.

When you go shopping for pants in a smaller waist size you will be excited. The other day I had to buy a new belt, because my old ones were just to big for me and dangled to the side of my leg. It made me happy. Clothes shopping is so much more fun when you are getting more and more fit and stronger. The image you had of yourself when you were the most fit, is how you are supposed to be. I dont blame obesity on sin, I believe it is caused by the advertising of low nutrition fast food, poor education when it comes to nutrition and exercise, and in part also laziness, or the person just gives up sits on their couch and watches tons of tv, with beer, chips, french fries, soda, and candy every night.

pray for discipline, making good choices with food, and persistence when it comes to more movement and exercise, and read books on exercise, the two magazines and the nutrition books I mentioned earlier are solid.

Sex: god's way

My friend, Gio, gave me a talk to listen to, and I was taking down these notes from this talk. It was given at the SCRC event this labor day weekend 2008 by Katrina Zeno, based on teachings of john paul II and his theology of the body
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men and women are created from one nature, in two unique forms for purpose of union and communion through a sincere gift of self

sex is a noun, before it was a verb, we are given a sex as a man or a woman when we were born

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind...

the theology of body means, the body reveals god by the gift of self

moses only allowed divorce because of the hardness of your hearts

sin causes a rupture between body and spirit

sin and lust changes meaning of the body to be used for my own pleasure and benefit, to take and use as an object instead of by god's design

body/cells/tissue of conception

abortion if you dont want an object you throw it away, but you cannot throw away a person

purpose of pornography is to reduce a woman to an object to be used

masturbation-- reducing your own body to an object,

purpose of intense pleasure of sex is for bonding with the person you are sharing it with

women have a hormone "oxytosin" to help create a bond with that person during sex

premarital sex prevents bonding with your partner in the future

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the redemption of the body---------- is a bodily reality, the cross of christ should change me from using other to loving others

the fruit of redemption of the body is the holy spirit

holy spirit can overcome great divide of body and spirit, to be expressed to change and transform the whole world

god lives in me as in a temple

in a tabernacle we genuflect

tonight I genuflect before you, because the holy spirit is in you, and god is revealed in you

imagine scooping up the body of christ and dumping it into a dumpster

purity of heart brings a new holiness to the body, a new understanding of sex and the holy spirit, that my body is holy and full of the holy spirit

what else is good, the body is good, even if it is wounded or ruptured, I can only make a gift of myself through the body

who will we be at the end of time-------------------
who will we be before original sin
who will we be after original sin

live your life with the end in mind
union and communion through a sincere gift of self

we are not spiritual persons -- they are angels
we are not divine person -- god, jesus, holy spirit
we are bodies -- perfected when body and spirit are reunited perfectly, your body will go with you all the way to eternity

at the end of time, when christ walks again, your body will be raised up, but it will be glorified

the body should not cause us to groan, the body is the means with which we enter into communion

virginity for the kingdom
celibacy
matthew 19: some people are incapable of the marriage act, because they are made that way, or because others have made them that way, and others choose to be celibate willingly

celibacy chosen for a passionate love of god

what is our final vocation: it is heaven

virginity is a neon sign that says heaven, your body is not destined for the grave but it is destined for communion with god in heaven

the meaning of masculinity and femininity is union for all eternity even in heaven

your body finds it final fulfillment in heaven

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sex as a verb

do virginity and marriage compliment or compete with each other
virginity reminds us there is more for the body then what is found on earth
marriage is also a sign of our destiny as two become one
ephesians 5:31-32 this is why a man will leave his mother and father and become one with his wife

to remind us of christ's love of the church, his love for the church is spousal
christ loves us to forgive your sins, spouses relate to each other different than relationships with any other people, supposed to be with one person through marriage.

Jesus says this is my body given up for you...
he is given to us in the eucharist here on earth and forever in heaven

Your body will be one body with christ in all eternity

purpose of marriage is union
purpose of redemption is union
purpose of heaven is union

for two to become one, the body is what makes two into one

your body in marriage is an image of heaven, you are able to give a gift of self

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humanea vitea

responsible transmission of life, birth control

will you live marital chastity or marital unchastity

what you are doing now is preparing you for a chaste marriage or unchaste marriage
love or lust
will your marriage reveal god
the body that reveals god, even in the marital embrace
the truth or lie about god

god is a trinity, he is a life giving lov

we are to be a unitive and fruitful dimension of god
when you used contraception or sterilitzed body you are lying about god,
and sex ceases to become an act of love ----OUCH----

you can probably name 5 people who are contracepting
it means I give myself to you partially when you use contraception, you are holding something back

in marital embrace you give yourself fully to your partner

Have I got a deal for you? It requires effort, gives peace, drives out selfishness

it is natural family planning, be transformed by your mind

abstinence requires effort, you are developing your personality and your charisms, enriching your spiritual values, serenity and peace, it fosters attention to other people, deepens sense of responsibility and you will be able to tell your children: I am not asking anything for you that I did not ask of myself

What if I have already made a mistake
Ask god to revirginize your body and pray, ask the holy spirit to revirginize my mind, my body and every muscle and part of your body...

God will help you experience your body, peace, and tranquility again as if you were a virgin

Liturgical meaning of the body-- this is my body given for you
that is the call for all of us

the theology of the body- the body reveals god

Sometimes we have not valued our bodies, we have toyed with it, or abused it, we did not treat it as an image to reveal god, some of us have not been true to the marital embrace, or compromised our ability for union, that god will revirginize our bodies and prepare us for marriage, celibacy, and we were afraid to say yes. You are calling us to be a sign of heaven, jesus we say yes, open the way for religious vocations, Some of us are called to married life, help us to create the gift of self that we are, the fruits and charisms, with passion and purpose, not just in waiting but as a mission, to come to us and help us overcome the rupture of body and spirit, this is our body given up to you, in a total gift of self, for those that are married, and for mother mary to bless us

Hail Mary

May god bless you abundantly

Amen