This is not an easy or comfortable subject to talk about. AIDS brings much suffering to those who have the disease, and to those who love the victims of this dreaded epidemic. Together, we can prevent the spread of this pandemic – through awareness, care, prevention, education and research. Although just the thought of catching AIDS brings about fear, many are not even aware of the consequences, and know very little about it. People are afraid to talk about it, so they like to pretend it doesn’t exist if it doesn’t affect them personally. This is a dangerous way to think, as it affects us all, and educating ourself and our loved ones is more important than most people realize.

HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today’s youth have never known a world without it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence (new infections) that showed much higher numbers than previous estimates. Being aware of the risks and dangers are just the first step in prevention of this deadly disease.

There are several ways to spread the word, and learn how best to educate ourselves and our young teenagers, as well as support groups to cope with the disease as well as for those who have suffered the loss of friends and family. You can visit the AIDS.GOV Blog to learn more about activities, and ways that you can participate and help raise awareness.

You can also join Bloggers Unite and either blog about this and other humanitarian efforts, or place a badge on your own site. Here you will also find many resources and links to AIDS awareness and help sites.

You may also like to visit Learn the Link to see some examples of how drug use and abuse can lead to unwise choices, and how it affects our ability to make good decisions. Learn the link between drug abuse and the spread of HIV in the United States. Here you can connect with those who have been affected by AIDS, and wish to offer support to others in similar situations. You are never alone, and if you are a teen, young adult, or even older adult, it is good to know there are others willing to reach out to help you.

Bloggers unite to spread the word about refugees in peril, and get people involved in the crisis of those suffering around the world, as I write this post. I sit here with plenty of food, although I am far from rich, and shelter to keep my family warm and dry in the winter, and cool in the summer. Although I am no stranger to the pain of suffering and hard times, I cannot imagine living in such appalling conditions, as those refugees must endure each waking moment. As a mother, I am filled with great sadness as I see how much these people struggle just to survive, and to watch my children starve would be too horrifying to even imagine. Not to mention the atrocities being committed against these people. Regardless of each individuals personal beliefs about the Creator and Spirituality, who has the right to destroy others because their beliefs differ? Our true creator would not wish this, and no one may convince me otherwise.

I blog for many reasons, and to help those less able to help themselves is way up there at the top. People are dying, and those who are living in these refugee camps are suffering beyond our imagining. Not only are these people displaced with little hope of finding homes, they are the victims of disease and targets of militia outbreaks. Children are the victims of rape. Plagued by foul weather and the minimal of shelter, if any, there is little hope for these families and we who are free must find it in our hearts to help in whatever way we can.

This seems a daunting task, and a hopeless mission if we truly look at the scope of this global tragedy, as it is told that the numbers are as high as 42 million uprooted by war around the world. This is a staggering number if you ask me, and in this modern day of supposed ‘enlightened’ human beings, it is puzzling to imagine such barbaric behaviour occuring to such a large degree. If we remind ourselves that these are not just numbers, and are living, breathing human beings just like you and I, then we can begin to realize that it could just as easily be us living this nightmare.

There are those who dedicate their lives to helping those suffering, with assistance of food, shelter, medical attention and supplies. If you would like to further educate yourself and others, perhaps you would like to visit Doctors Without Borders to see what is happening on an alarming scale, and possibly help with donations of your time, or even offer financial assistance if you are in a position to do so. Spreading the word and raising awareness is a great first step towards helping these lost ones, and will go a long way to bringing hope to these people.

I will be doing more research, and dedicating more time to these humanitarian efforts in the future. Meanwhile, you may be interested in a refugee camp blog that has just finished up a tour to raise awareness called 42 Million Uprooted by War: A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City. These people dedicate their lives to helping refugees, and I believe their dedication, courage, compassion and love for their fellow humans in danger and dire straits, will encourage others to follow suit and join in this totally worthwhile cause.

Today I would like to share those moments which take my breath away, as posted at my sweet new blog Lavender ‘N Chocolate. To me, Life on this earth is a total virtual experience, as I believe our Spirits truly dwell in another existence and this is just a small part of our education and what we take with us is entirely up to us…

Some days we are especially reminded of what is most important to us in this earthly Life. Seeing the headlines reporting on the deadly storms bombarding the coastlines and islands in their paths makes me want to hold my loved ones close and thank the goddess for all our blessings. Keeping our family and friends in our hearts, thoughts and deeds are the most important aspects of living. We are rich in many ways, which have nothing to do with money, clothes and fancy cars. My little S presents the greatest of challenges in parenthood, yet she brings such Joy to my heart. She can try my patience to the very limits (and I am a VERY patient person most days), yet she has a special gift of Wisdom in which mere glimpses are emerging.

She gifted me a tiny plaque for my birthday which now has a place of honor on my desk to remind me of why my little ones are so very important to me. It says…

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away”

This is true in so many ways! It amazes me to watch my family grow, and develop into fine human beings. As the matriarch of this family, I stand in a place of honor. From babyhood to adulthood, I have experienced many ups and downs, yet the good far surpasses the bad. I have raised my children without a partner, yet I feel so accomplished when I see the goodness and values I am instilling within my children and their children as well. There is no greater reward than knowing these beings will carry on all that is good inside me to future generations.

As Family and Nature represent that which is dearest to me, I chose the picture above to show clearly that which takes my breath away. To watch my little one growing into a beautiful young Lady, inside and out, takes my breath away. When my little S looks at me with her big brown eyes and says ‘I Love You Mama’, her words enter my heart and take my breath away. What more can a Lady ask for?

I remember when my kids got head lice. Everytime we thought we had gotten rid of the last of those nasty creatures, one little louse would suddenly develop into a hundred more. It was soooo hard to defeat them! They just kept coming back, and it felt like a constant daily battle. I am certain they must have a purpose, though it escapes me, yet I believe these pests should get the message that they are totally unwanted!!

This is how I feel about spammers. Although I have certain measures in place which deters most of them, every time I black-list a few, they are replaced by more. What is it with some people thinking they shouldn’t have to work for themselves, and just get off by piggy-backing on someone elses ideas and content? Truly, those of us who wish to create a great space to share ideas about our passions always welcome input and ideas to expand upon a certain subject. And we do not always expect everyone to agree with us or understand where we are coming from. But hey, can’t you spammers (you know who you are) get a life and learn how to be creative without wasting precious time creating chaos with your unimaginative and stupid comments? Sometimes I wonder how spammers even think someone is going to be dumb enough to fall for some of the stuff they spout about.

Whew! Alrighty then… now I feel just a wee bit better having vented my aggravated feelings relating to spammers. May their computers become infested with the creepiest and nastiest viruses on the planet!

For those who truly enjoy blogging and reading other peoples blogs as well, I thank you for your visit. It is so wonderful to interact with others with common interests, so we may share our time spent in this space in time on this beautiful planet Earth. I will be back soon with something interesting and totally cool, green and growing!

Enjoy!

Essence of Mother Earth

*Note – Please do not copy without the express permision from the Author.

I am willing to sacrifice one of my most favourite indulgences of sipping on a delicious white chocolate mocha from Starbucks in favor of supporting small-scale coffe farmers struggling to support their families under deplorable conditions. Truly it has been a while since my last sweet cup, so I do not feel guilty knowing they are refusing to step up. Yet I am concerned enough about the situation to spread the word to folks willing to sign the petition.

According to the Organic Consumers Association, despite close to ten years of consumer and farmer demands, Starbucks has refused to increase their purchase of certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee to a respectable level. To date, only 6% of Starbucks’ coffee is certified Fair Trade. High quality certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee is readily availlable and represents a concrete way to support small-scale coffee farmers abroad.

Instead of committing to an accountable and respected third-party certifying system, Starbucks has created in internal “corporate responsibility” model that is expensive for coffee farmers, non-transparent and strictly voluntary. Starbucks’ has yet to fully committ to incoporating corporate accountable practices into their business model.

Starbucks calls its coffee worker-friendly — but in Ethiopia, a day’s pay is a dollar. For more information please visit Investigative Report: Promises and poverty

It is time to turn the heat up on Starbucks. Take action today! Sign OCA’s 2008 petition to Starbucks demanding that all espresso drinks be both 100% certified Organic and Fair Trade.

Take a few moments to visit Organic Consumers Association to learn more about this and other concerns that we, as responsible and caring consumers, need to be aware of. This is our planet, and we truly need to take steps to care for the earth and ALL the people who inhabit this world.

We are all connected in our walks through this Life, either directly or undirectly. Therefor, we must do what we can to help our fellow humans, as we strive to preserve the natural world. I firmly believe that which causes dis-ease among people and animals are related to the health of the Earth and our environment. If we look to nature for our personal care products and nutritional supplements, as well as steering away from items made from substances proven dangerous to our health, we can live long healthy lives free from dis-ease.

Today I would like to make mention of a dis-ease which has touched several of my friends and their families. As many as 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is fatal. Today it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It is the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Vascular dementia, another common type of dementia, is caused by reduced blood flow to parts of the brain. In mixed dementia, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia occur together.

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer’s. There are walks in more than 600 communities. A typical Memory Walk is a 2-3 mile walk held on a weekend morning in the fall.

Alzheimer’s Memory Walk is a great way to get involved and show your support for those you love, and people you know who are affected by this devastating dis-ease. By teaming up with the Alzheimer’s Association, you can walk with a purpose – and move us closer to a world without Alzheimer’s. Together, we can MOVE a nation. Please consider forming or joining a team today!

When I started blogging, I had absolutely no idea how much fun it would be! I was really quite casual about it at first, and pretty much just blogged about things I am passionate about. I didn’t really think a whole lot about other people visiting my blog and actually being interested in what I had to say, although I did hope that I might touch some folks and get some attention gathered to help the endangered wildlife around the Earth. And I did think it would be great to get people interested in caring for the planet by stepping up and taking notice.

Never  did I think one could actually earn money from blogging! Now I know better. Although this particular blog is not geared towards making money, primarily, it has served to teach me how I can do this with other blogs that I am creating. Through socializing with other bloggers in communities, I have not only gained a greater perspective of the blogoshpere and all the wonderful people and information available through this amazing aspect of the web, yet I have found many bloggers who actually make some serious money. This is how several successful bloggers make a living, and a really good one!

Social networking is one of the most powerful ways to gain exposure and build relationships. If you are seriously looking for ways to monetize your blog, or are just now considering blogging as a form of earning an income, a great first step is getting out there and joining some great blogging communities. The search engines just love these communities, and we can learn so much from other bloggers, as well as finding great opportunies all in one place. Meeting people from all over the world and learning about so many different subject matters is a very sweet bonus!

I would like to direct you to a hot new blogging community called SocialSpark. I have had enough experience with the people behind this project to feel confident with telling others just how powerful and big this is going to be! Their code of ethics is to be commended, and I truly feel that once they make it through the bumps of their newly launched community, this is going to be one of the finest places on the net to gather with other bloggers. People will be able to interact with fellow bloggers, as well as create profiles to put their best blogging face out there to gain some positive exposure. This is also a great place to advertise, either your blog or your business. You can get real time statistics and find the truly popular blogs to strike up a conversation, or help fellow bloggers get a foot up by mentioning their blog in a fair trade. There is so much more in the way of tools and socialization, so I really do encourage people to stop on by and see for themselves.

Some positive notes I would like to mention about SocialSpark…

-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly

Well then, here is the opportunity to spark up some fantastic new relationships and learn from the pros. What finer way to gain a better perspective of this world we live in than touching base with people from all walks of life and different cultures? I am truly excited to add this to my favorite places to visit. And if I can earn some extra money to help care for my family and enjoy a better lifestyle, then this is just a sweet little extra bonus.

Happy Blogging!!

As a homeschooling parent, this really hits home with me. We have the right to choose how, when, and where to educate our children. It is totally appalling to deprive us of our rights as free human beings. I take the teachings I provide or seek for my children quite seriously, and will fight to give them the best education, as all loving parents should. Unless I am causing true harm to my child, no one has the right to take this away from me, or my child. The reason I am bringing up this subject, is a recent development concerning homeschooled children in the State of California.

Let me show you a recent press release..

Reverse The Ruling – Homeschoolers Unite

(PRWEB) March 11, 2008 — Homeschooling activists across the nation are calling to “Reverse the Ruling,” targeting the recent opinion published by California Justice H. Walter Croskey that parents “do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children.”

On www.ReverseTheRuling.com, education activists have been separating fact from fiction, and schooling the general public on the recent events relating to homeschooling in California, as well as working with homeschoolers all across the nation to gather over 100,000 petition signatures demanding that this ruling be reversed.

“Homeschooling has been a freedom practiced long before the Constitution captured our inalienable rights, with many of the Declaration of Independence signatures coming from men that were homeschooled. Our opinion is quite clear,” said Mimi Rothschild, leader of ReverseTheRuling.com “Parents are responsible to train their children to the very best of their ability and to teach them all they believe to be true. Parents are blessed with children, and obligated to care for all aspects of their children’s lives, including who, what, where and how they are educated.”

Since release yesterday, the ReverseTheRuling.com petition has been inundated with signatures, Ms. Rothschild and other activist are encouraging those that oppose this ruling to be active – signing as many national petitions as possible, gathering information and writing about their experiences on such sites as www.ReverseTheRuling.com

About www.ReverseTheRuling.com:
ReverseTheRuling.com is the one-stop source of information for homeschoolers across the nation to learn, spread the word and be heard regarding the recent actions and events that affect homeschoolers throughout the state of California. Please visit www.ReverseTheRuling.com to learn more about the issue, and see how you can participate in reversing the most shocking ruling to hit homeschooling ever.

To schedule interviews with Mimi Rothschild, nationally known education expert specializing in Homeschooling, please contact:

Michael Broome
T. 215.487.3700 ext. 67266
mbroome@LearningbyGrace.org

Mimi Rothschild
Mimi@LearningbyGrace.org

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Sorting Fact From Fiction, Opinion From Opposition with ReverseTheRuling.com

It is very important to get involved, and see for yourself the awesome support for homeschoolers and everyone who believes in free choice. Educate our people, and let our voices be heard!!